New Year

Well, 2014 is off to a crazy start! I stayed up until almost 3am on New Year's Eve/Day, went ice skating with Thomasson on New Year's Day, had breakfast for dinner at 9pm, and got stitches for the first time.

Here are pictures from ice skating on Wednesday:

As to my new year's resolution(s), here they are:
To control my thought life better, have more positive thoughts than negative, don't let my mind dwell too long on the past, and be less judgmental.

Hope everyone's year is going well so far!

poem

I'm posting twice in one day! What??

I shared this free-verse poem that I wrote before. But that was back in 2009, and I doubt most people remember it, and I want to share it again. So, here it is. (and by the way, it is basically my personal testimony put into a poem) Enjoy! :)

Finally Free
by Emily Sweigart

Sin was my best friend
He showed me all his treasures and promised they would satisfy
I trusted him, believing he was the only one who could make me happy
At first I said, "Yes, this is what I need! I'm happy with my life."
But soon I began to feel empty
I questioned my friend, wondering if there was more to life than him
He did not answer

That's when I realized that sin was no friend
He was my enemy
I struggled to break free, but the harder I tried, the tighter he gripped me
I cried for help, but no one came
Sin began to bury me
He buried me deeper and deeper, until darkness surrounded me
I was dead

Suddenly life flowed into my body and I saw a light shining in the darkness
A man appeared in the midst of the glow
His hands and feet were nailed to a cross, and on his head sat a crown made of thorns
He said, "I have done this, even this, for you."

Sin told me not to believe the man, but I did not listen
This man had given me life, how could I not trust him?
Then I was carried far, far away from sin, and placed at the foot of the cross
I looked up and saw the man, bleeding in my place

Suddenly the cross was empty, and the man stood by my side
He said, "I have conquered death, and so have you. Come, follow me, and I will give you everlasting joy."
I took his hand and ran with him, finally free

A few life lessons

God has placed some pretty amazing people in my life. I definitely don't deserve to have so many wonderful friends and family, who genuinely care about me. I've learned quite a few valuable lessons from them (even from simply watching the way they live), and I have benefited from their advice more than once. Here are just a few examples.

If you think about one particular circumstance excessively, you'll start to focus more and more on that, and it can lead to anxiety or feeling overwhelmed. Just relax and try to focus on Jesus. -Thomasson

Ask yourself if this is from God. Sometimes God lets you go through something hard so that later on you can help others who are going through the same thing. -Josiah

There's nothing wrong with randomly breaking into song or dancing, no matter where you are. -Jessie

You can make time for the people you care about, even when you are slightly overwhelmed by your busy schedule. -Cara

If you listen to the advise of those wiser that you and truly want to grow, you /can/ change. Stop telling yourself that you can't! -Marissa

You are going to be okay. -multiple people

update + Month of Thanksgiving

It's been a while since I wrote. A lot has happened, yet not much in my life has changed.

Last Monday I took a spontaneous road trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway. I began near Stone Mountain and ended near Blowing Rock. The views were so amazing, I stopped at pretty much every overlook area. Here are a few pictures. They don't do the real thing justice by a long shot.

It was good to spend a day alone admiring creation. Would have been more fun if I had someone to share it with, but I can't have everything.

Oh, right it's the Month of Thanksgiving. I'm gonna just copy & paste my FB statuses.

#1 I am thankful for doctors who can give me a diagnosis & medicine to hopefully help me feel better.

#2 I'm thankful for delicious fresh veggies to eat. Don't know what I'd do without my daily salad.

#3 Today I'm thankful for the lovely fall weather in which I'm going on a fun road trip with Thomasson.

#4 I'm thankful for a day to be alone and reflect on some things.

#5 I'm thankful for my oven and my love of baking. Also thankful for my enjoyment in sharing my baked confections with others. (because I definitely could not eat everything I bake!)

#6 I'm thankful for a good night's sleep, even though it was only 5.5 hours. 

#7 I'm thankful for the super exciting phone call I received yesterday from Massage Envy, in which they told me I'm hired & I start work on Wednesday!

#8 I'm thankful for the opportunity to try new things, like a hookah bar (which was definitely interesting, but fun) and a mojito (which was actually quite tasty). Yay for trying new things!

#9 I'm thankful for coats, scarves, gloves, and other warm clothes to wear in layers when it's cold outside.

#10 I'm thankful for the glorious 67 degree weather today.        

Random Fact Wednesday (10)

It's been a while since I wrote a Random Fact Wednesday, so here is one.

If I can get by without using electricity I will. I often use the natural light coming in through the window to see what I'm doing, I mix things by hand instead of using an electric mixer, and if leftovers are tolerable without reheating them I'll eat them cold.

I know, that's not a very interesting random fact. But that's what came to mind.

Just for fun, here's a photo of my family:

Aren't we a good-looking bunch? =p

Happy Hump Day!

my last 24 hours

A few weeks ago, I came across this icebreaker question: If you only had 24 hours left to live, how would you spend it?

I've been thinking about that question (I know, not the most cheerful thing to ponder), and I decided what I would do in my last 24 hours. I would thank each of my friends and family for all the kind things they've done for me, tell them everything that I've learned from them, and encourage them by pointing out ways I see God working in them.

Why is this my answer? Because I know it must be hard for anyone to be a friend to me. I'm so introspective that quite often I selfishly get lost in my own thoughts - thoughts that are mainly about myself, what I'm going through, what I want, ect. I rarely open up to people, and I don't know how to truly love others or let people love me. So, I would want people to know how much I appreciate their kindness and friendship. And I do enjoy encouraging others, 'cause it helps them see areas of growth that they might not have seen on their own.

You know, I might just do this. November is coming up, and it's the 'month of thanksgiving'. Last year, I posted every day something I'm thankful for. Maybe this year I'll post about 1 or 2 friends each day, since I am thankful for my friends. Sounds like a good idea to me! :)

And here's a quote from pastor Jonathan at Renovatus: The ultimate consummation and goal of the Christian life is to love others in the way that Christ loves us.



   

House Pictures

As promised, here are some pictures of the house I'm now sharing with 4 other girls.

Meet Bruce:

The foyer. My bedroom is the one with the door open on the left just as you get up the stairs.

I love our big kitchen!

View from the kitchen in to the family room.

 My bedroom! :)

 I've got a nice big closet.

And looking down the stairs to the front door.

He loves you

(Sorry in advance for the long post. I have to share this with you, because it is so good!)

I just finished reading an amazing book called Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller. Here are two quotes from the book that really spoke to me.

"It is difficult for us to see the gospel as anything other than a list of rules with which a person must agree..... Maybe the gospel of Jesus is all about our relationship with Jesus rather than about ideas... I think it is more safe and more beautiful and more true to believe that when a person dies he will go to be with God because, on earth, he had come to know Him, that he had a relational encounter with God.
There is moral law, to be sure, but moral law is not our path to heaven; our duty involves knowing and being known by Christ.... What we need here truly, is faith in a Being, not a list of ideas."

I've realized lately that the gospel really is all about Jesus. I mean, what is written in the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Stories about Jesus. Stories about how Jesus loved people, forgave people, related to people. In the gospels of Scripture, you will not find anything like a gospel pamphlet that you might hand out; you will not find a list of ideas/rules that need to be believed in order to be saved. In the gospels of Scripture, you will find a story about a God who came to earth as a man named Jesus for the purpose of revealing to us what He is truly like and to make a way for us to be in a relationship with Him, to get to know us. It definitely is good news!

 

"If you can imagine the greatest love of your life, multiplied by millions, speaking affirmation into your soul, you will have in your mind the awareness of Christ and the community of the Trinity. All the self-awareness that occurred in Christ's absence will dissolve as Christ's love tells us who we are. In His presence we will not hate ourselves, second-guess ourselves, or compare ourselves to others; but rather, our lives will be filled with the gratitude of His presence, and we will know for the first time the glory of being human." 

Christ's love tells us who we are. Without Christ's love, we look to other people and things of this world to figure out who we are. But with Christ's love, we know that we are His treasured possession, His beloved children, His cherished creation.    

Dear reader, do you know that God loves you? Really and truly, do you believe it? Think about this: God knows you. He knows your struggles, your sorrows, your mistakes, your thoughts, your desires, your fears, and every single detail about you. And yet He still loves you, unconditionally right where you are at this moment. You can come to God just as you are. You do not have to "fix yourself" in order to come to Him. His loving arms are open wide to you, and He wants you. He wants to shower His love on you, pour out His blessings on you, and be your Father. Will you let Him?

Zephaniah 3:17
"The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”  

God delights in you, dear reader! He is blown away by how amazing you are! You have eternal value, because God created you and knows you and loves you. And nothing can ever take that away from you. 

You are loved!