The Good Life

Well goodness, long time no talk! I am guilty of putting off blog writing because well, there is just so much to say and I rarely have enough time to actually stop, breathe, reflect, and write. Over the past month or so I have experienced some major ups and some major downs and putting that emotional rollercoaster into words has been more difficult than expected. BUT, I’m going to start writing and see where it leads me…

You Revive Me…

These past few weeks have been some of my most joyful and most tearful I have ever experienced. Recently, my Pappy was diagnosed with a very rare blood disease and his health has quickly declined as his 89-year-old body has begun to shut down. More than anything, my heart breaks because he is in pain and I desperately want to take his pain away and replace his brokenness, feebleness, and weakness, with strength and peace. While I cannot take his pain or weakness away, I am learning to surrender him to the One who holds him in the palm of His righteous and holy hand trusting that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” Until the day comes when I am no longer able to, I am going to hold his hand, laugh at his jokes, call him, hug him, and kiss him every chance I get and do my best to convince him that I love him the most…fraid’ so deary.

I have been reminded that I am not meant for this world and that illness, brokenness, sadness, etc. are simply the product of a broken world. There will come a day when we see Jesus face to face and experience a kind of joy and peace our earthly minds cannot fathom. The song “You Revive Me” has pierced my heart and speaks such beautiful words of truth that have brought me great comfort as well as conviction these past few weeks. The word revive literally means to regain life, consciousness, or strength. In the midst of my own brokenness and weakness, my prayer has been that the Lord would awaken and strengthen my spirit and that in midst of this storm, I would look to my Father with arms lifted high trusting that He will revive me and move in my heart to draw me closer to Him. My prayer has  also been that the Lord would be so evident in my life that others would have to ask to understand where my joy, strength, and peace come from in the mist of so much sadness and brokenness. I know that this is an opportunity to shine brightly for the Lord and show others that we are not of this earth and that death is not the end but instead the beginning of eternal life with our Creator.

"The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." 

–Isaiah 40:28-31

You Only Live Once…

For Spring Break, I got to go to Sarasota, Florida with over 80 of my closest CSF friends and boy was it incredible! While I had high expectations for the trip, my expectations were absolutely blown out of the water. My top 5 favorite moments of the trip were:

 1. Traveling. As ridiculous as it sounds, the moments that were shared during car rides were my favorite part of the trip. There is nothing like a nineteen-hour car ride to bond people. Ha! Rather than riding in one of the 18 passenger vans, I got to ride with five of my new best friends in a Nissan Quest minivan. My goodness, I absolutely loved laughing with, singing with, dancing with, and talking to the “Warrior Poets” as we called ourselves and am so thankful for the friendships, ridiculous amounts of laughter shared, and countless memories that were made.

2. Worship on the Beach. On two of the nights that we were in Sarasota, after getting cleaned up, we headed back to the beach to watch the sun set and to worship under the stars. What an absolutely amazing experience that was! It was so beautiful to hear nothing but the waves crashing onto the shore and voices singing loudly to our Lord. On the first night, I saw a shooting star and was overwhelmed with the thought that the same God who made the stars and the seas made me and loves me more than I can comprehend. Wow. What an amazing God we have the opportunity to love, serve, and live for!

3. Laying On the Beach. Oh it was so glorious to simply lay on the beach and play in the ocean all day every day. The beach was absolutely beautiful and it was so relaxing to read, sleep, and listen to music and so much fun to take adventures and explore along the beach and play in the ocean. Gosh, it was just great. Ha!

4. SunniBunni. Oh if only words could describe the deliciousness of this place. After worship on the beach, everyone went to get ice cream and hang out before coming back for bible study. Being the Warrior Poets that we are, we decided that we would blaze our own trail and find an ice cream store that no one else would be at. After searching for places to go, we all decided that due to its name alone, SunniBunni would be our destination. After driving through Sarasota, we arrived at what was soon to become our new love. SunniBunni serves organic yogurt that is out of this world! We were all so in love with SunniBunni that we went through many adventures and hilarious moments to get it once more before we left for home. #SunniBunniSwag

5. “We’re at that Lutheran Church. We’re at that place we stay. We’re at that combination Lutheran Church and place we stay.” I loved staying at a church and having a big sleep over every night with my precious friends. It was like I had 80 siblings always having someone to play frisbee or basketball with, or explore with or simply laugh and talk with. Sleeping was definitely more like napping, but it was so fun to have so many friends to hang out with at all hours of the day and night with. Good times with sweet friends.

Honorable Mentions:

1. Studying James with Amazing People

2. Midnight adventure to Wal-Mart and Steak N’ Shake

3. Lent Dinner/Worship Service

4. Jazzercise with the Old Ladies

The week was so full of blessings, laughter, memories, relaxation, learning, growing, playing, (not) sleeping, exploring, swimming, tanning, praying, singing, dancing, reflecting, and living life to the fullest. The Lord answered so many of my prayers throughout the week, with the biggest being that I would make intentional and worthwhile friendships. I wish that words could describe how much joy I experienced on this trip and how incredibly thankful I am to have had the opportunity to go. What joy!

Music and Friends. Life is Good…

Last week, First Church hosted Gungor for an unbelievable concert/worship experience. The group was so down to earth and their love for the Lord was so evident as they used the talents they had been uniquely given to give all glory to the One deserves it all. I have listened to their music many times (perfect driving music, ha!) but to see them live was a totally different experience. Gosh, it was fantastic. On top of worshipping with Gungor, I got to worship alongside of my precious friends, which is one of my all-time favorite things to do. Goodness, what a blessing music and precious friends are!

Go Long…

Oh the embarrassing moments of Emilee Hancock. This past weekend, Dad, Mom, and Darin came down to Lexington for the “Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon.” On Friday, we went to the marathon exposition so that the boys could get their race packets and so we could just walk around the expo. Well, as we were walking I saw a table with free frisbees and due to my practice in Sarasota, I had convinced myself that I was now a professional frisbee thrower. SO, I grabbed one of the frisbees and anxiously waited to go outside to test it out. When we finally left to leave, we were alone besides one woman and her toddler walking on a sidewalk pretty far away. Perfect, the coast was clear and I was ready to test out my new (and free) frisbee. I told Darin to “go long” knowing that with my impressive skills, this frisbee was going to be taking some serious flight. I wound up and threw the frisbee as hard as I could and it went flying…straight…into…the…woman’s…back. This frisbee literally did a 90-degree turn and headed straight for her lower back. We all stood in total shock knowing what was about to happen but were unable to do anything about it. Oh, it was horrible. I apologized while suppressing a laugh (not because I didn’t feel bad but because I was in shock at what had just happened) and quickly walked away. Yeah, I’m pretty sure that moment will never not be funny.

Lessons Learned: 1. Ultimate Frisbees are NOT the same as regular frisbees. 2. Frisbees have minds of their own. 3. Darin is terrible at catching frisbees. 4. It is better to hit the mom over the baby. 5. In moments like that, words are hard to come by.

On the bright side, the boys survived and were extremely successful in their marathon AND we got to spend a lot of time as a family making (embarrassing) great memories.

We Are the Champions…

Oh my goodness gracious, this week has been so ridiculously fun and exciting. I have never really been interested in watching sports unless I am at the arena/stadium/etc. but this past week I officially became a fan of March Madness. Big deal. Being in Lexington as we won the Final Four game against Louisville on Saturday was insane and then winning the Championship on Monday was unreal. I have never experienced anything like the madness in Lexington after those two games. I raided the streets along with thousands of fellow UK fans and took in all of the excitement and ridiculousness. The excitement level was off the charts and the pride of being a UK Wildcat was evident as the C-A-T-S cheer was chanted every other minute. I absolutely loved getting to experience the University of Kentucky’s 8^th Championship as a freshmen. So fun!

Headed to the Final Championship!

GR8NESS

The whole experience was unbelievably fun and exciting but also extremely eye opening and heartbreaking to see the level of disrespect people have for themselves and others. I have never been exposed to the level of drunkenness or “highness” (definitely a technical term) that I saw on Saturday or Monday night. There is so much brokenness here, which proves that I am exactly where I need to be. My light cannot shine where there is already light but can shine brightly where there is darkness. I am going to live out Matthew 5:14 and shed light on this dark campus.

Woodhill…

The Lord is moving in Woodhill and I am so thankful to have a front row seat in watching His work being done in the hearts of the people there. Each week I have the opportunity to go to a low-income neighborhood called Woodhill and get to simply love on people and build relationships with them while telling them about Jesus. Over the last several months, we have built some really awesome relationships with some incredible people and have had the opportunity to encourage, pray for, and just listen to people and learn about their lives. It absolutely amazes me that our families welcome us into their homes and allow us to be apart of their lives. They are such a blessing to us and it’s been so humbling and beautiful to see how evident the Lord has been in paving those relationships and opening doors for great conversations and moments.

This past Monday, the Serve the City team had an Easter celebration for the Woodhill Community and had an Easter egg hunt for the kids. My goodness, some of the kids that I got to meet absolutely melted my heart and it was such a blessing to be able to love on them and give them the attention that they are so desperate for. These kids are absolutely beautiful and it brought me such joy to see their faces light up as we played. Oh I just love them.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” -Matthew 19:14-15

And finally, some of the songs that I can’t seem to take off of repeat…

Reason to Sing (All Sons and Daughters)

Oh Our Lord (All Sons and Daughters)

Your Glory (All Sons and Daughters)

Brokenness Aside (All Sons and Daughters)

Awaken Worship CD

Passion: White Flag CD- Specifically You Revive Me, How I Love You, Sing Along, Jesus Son of God, and Lay Me Down

Hillsong United: Live in Miami CD

Okay, this post has clearly been too long so I am going to stop writing before I continue to ramble, BUT in case I am not able to post before Easter here are some awesome songs (I'm certain I'm forgetting some great ones) to reflect on as we celebrate our incredible Savior’s death and resurrection!

Why? (Nichole Nordeman)

True Love (Phil Wickham)

Time In Between (Francesca Battistelli)

Lead Me to the Cross (Hillsong United)

Christ Is Risen (Matt Maher)

What Do I Know of Holy (Addison Road)

Amazing Grace- My Chains Are Gone (Chris Tomlin)

At the Foot of the Cross (Kathryn Scott)

Grace Flows Down (Christy Nockels)

Revelation Song (Kari Jobe)

Beauty of the Cross (Jonny Diaz)

Redeemer (Nicole C. Mullen)

The Closer I Get to the Cross (Palisade)

Growing, Learning, and Loving

Hello, Hello Bloggerverse! Goodness, I feel like a lot has happened in the past few weeks but the craziness of life and school have just consumed my time and have left me with very little time to blog and breathe for that matter.

Home Sweet Home…

Well…I am officially a house renter! I will (not) tearfully say goodbye to the community bathrooms and “one room fits all” lifestyle of dorm living and will welcome a room and door to myself, a bathroom, a fully-functioning kitchen, and all of the other joys of living in a house, with wide open arms. After praying for guidance and discernment, we were led to the most precious little house…that looks like a life-size dollhouse. We are so excited to be able to open up our new home to friends and family and pray that our house would be one full of laughter, love, grace, and fellowship. We are also super excited to decorate our first house…and are already trying to think of a name for our new precious home and have begun sifting through Pinterest for brilliant (and cheap) art projects. I can’t wait to see what adventures will inevitably ensue- who knows, maybe I’ll even learn how to cook? Now there’s a scary thought. I can’t wait to see what memories are made and what opportunities for ministry and fellowship come our way. Goodbye dorm and hello house!

Housies...Homies...What is the "House Version" for Roomies?

Shopping, Food, and Gatlinburg…

For the CSF Winter Retreat, we ventured down to the town of lights, random trinkets, and hillbilly goodness…yup, Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The trip was an awesome escape in the midst of the craziness of school and was a nice distraction from the cold that has decided to grace us with its presence…winter, you have made your presence known, now it’s time to go back where you came from. Bring on the warm weather and sunshine! The trip was mainly focused on building and strengthening friendships and intentionally pouring into each other’s lives. On Saturday, a group of us went to apple heaven...aka- The Apple Barn. Phew. Let’s just say you could tell we were a bunch of college kids who hadn’t had a home cooked meal in a while. We devoured our ridiculously delicious food and then were physically in pain and felt as though we needed to be rolled out of the restaurant. After deciding that we were in dire need of walking off our food, we decided to walk around the main street of Gatlinburg and shop…no, laugh at all of the hilarious trinkets that were being sold. After walking up and down the strip for a few hours and not purchasing a single thing, we headed back to the hotel and got ready to eat…again. Dang, I felt like I had gained the freshmen fifteen in a single weekend. Ha!

Apple Goodness

Yeah...We Are Beary Cool. 

The retreat was a great escape and was a huge blessing, as I was able to have great conversations with sweet friends, worship alongside my precious brothers and sisters in Christ, and grow closer to the Lord. The message of the weekend was about altaring our lives- past, present, and future- so that we can have altered lives. This concept convicted me and made me uncomfortable as I realized that while I have given God control over parts of my life, I continue to hold the reigns of others. I realized (once again) that in order to be all that the Lord has created and called me to be and in order to live an altered and transformed life, I have to lay down every part of my life in total surrender. As AW Tozer so eloquently said, “The essence of surrender is getting out of God’s way so that He can do in us what He wants to do through us.” I am choosing to step aside and let the greatest Author of all time write my story.

Choices…

Lately, I have just been in a bit of a funk. These past few weeks, Satan has tried to get a foothold on my heart and has used petty circumstances to steal my joy. Homework, exams, a busy schedule, and a lack of sleep makes for one highly emotional and vulnerable Emilee. I chose to wallow in my weakness and my stress rather than handing over my problems to the One who can handle it all. I chose to trade my joy for circumstantial happiness and sadness rather than a joy that is unwavering and found only in the Lord. Choices. We make thousands of choices every day- whether to wake up for your 8:00AM class, one snooze or two, yoga pants or jeans, Nature Valley Bar or Special K bar, Sperry’s or tennis shoes, Northface or winter coat…and these are just in the first five minutes after waking up. Our lives are consumed with choices- some trivial and some significant. After living in a state of simply being for too long- performing the day-to-day tasks, fulfilling my obligations, and drudging through my days, I realized that I was choosing to make my days monotonous. I was choosing to let circumstances steal my joy. I was choosing to let Satan have a foothold on my heart. I was choosing to look at the circumstances as struggles instead of opportunities to cling to the Lord and grow in Him. Yes I had asked for the Lord to give me strength and to fill my spirit with joy, but I wasn’t saying those things with an abandoned heart. I was convicted by James 1:5-7 which states, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” While I was asking God for wisdom, discernment, peace of mind, and joy, I wasn’t asking Him in complete confidence that what I asked would be given to me. After I realized this, I knew that I had some choices to make: Choose to be content with flippant happiness or be fulfilled with unwavering joy (Philippians 4:4). Choose to stumble in my weakness or walk in confidence with a sense of peace in knowing that in the midst of my weakness, the Lord is strength (1 Peter 5:6-7 and Philippians 4:13). Choose to worry or find peace in Him (Philippians 4:6-7 and 1 Peter 5:7). Choose to let Satan have a foothold on my heart or be made whole in the Lord and let Him fight for me (Exodus 14:14 and Exodus 13:2-3). Choose to take control of my life or hand over the pen of my life story, trusting that His plan is far better than my own (Jeremiah 29:11 and Jeremiah 33:3).  I choose joy. I choose His strength. I choose peace. I choose Him as my warrior. I choose His plan.

The scripture above and listed below has spoken such truth into my heart...

Romans 12:12- Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Isaiah 41:13- For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Philippians 4:7- And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 4:16- Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

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.

Proverbs 18:10- The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Philippians 4:6- Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your request to God.

As I’ve said in other posts, music often puts my thoughts and feelings into words that I am unable to express. Here are some of the songs that have convicted me most these last few days…

Lord, I Need You- Chris Tomlin

I often wake up singing this song, “Lord I need You, oh I need You. Every hour, I need you. My one defense, my righteousness. Oh God how I need you.” When we admit to our utter dependence on the Lord, we are able to find peace and strength in Him. We are so weak but He is so strong. I absolutely love the vulnerability and weakness of this song- we admit that we are too weak and too incapable of handling even a single hour without His strength.

None But Jesus- Hillsong

Goodness, this song gives me cold chills, without fail, every time I listen to it. I absolutely LOVE this song and the concept that Jesus is all we need. I am convicted every time I listen to this song and want to fall to my knees in humble surrenderance and gratitude that He is all we need and fully sustains us. “There is no one else for me, none but Jesus. Crucified to set me free, now I live to bring Him praise. In the chaos, in confusion I know You’re sovereign still. In the moment of my weakness, You give me grace to do your will.”

Waiting Here For You- Christy Nockels

Far too often I have sung these words with an earthly perception of what truly waiting for the Lord means. As I sing the words, “Waiting here for You, with our hands lifted high. And it’s you, we adore. Singing alleluia.” I cry out to the Lord, asking for patience and an ability to surrender and be obedient to Him, but quickly become impatient when I don’t hear from Him. In the midst of my impatience, I stopped and asked myself, who am I to put limits on God’s timing? And who am I to say that in the midst of His silence that He isn’t teaching and growing mean and revealing Himself to me. Oswald Chambers says in My Utmost for His Highest, “When you cannot hear God, you will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible- with absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw that you could withstand an even bigger revelation.” He goes on to say, “A wonderful thing about God’s silence is that His stillness is contagious- it gets into you, causing you to become perfectly confident so that you can honestly say, “I know that God has heard me.” His silence is the best proof that He has.” Silence is hard, especially in the midst of questions we desperately want answered, but as a friend of mine so eloquently said, “to truly follow God is to be surprised by God.” We have to be willing to surrender everything every day and choose to embark on the most amazing adventure the world has ever known, in order to experience the riches the Lord longs to shower us with. I am waiting here for Him, with arms lifted high and eyes looking to the one who holds the “treasure map” of my life.

Found By You- Britt Nicole

Came to My Rescue- Hillsong

Show Me Your Glory- Jesus Culture

One Thing Remains- Jesus Culture

Beautiful Things- Gungor

The Stand- Hillsong United

How Great Is Our God- Chris Tomlin

Clinging to the Cross- Tim Hughes

Come to Me- Jamie Grace

All I Need- Kim Walker

Happy Valentines Day! May this day be a day full of opportunities to remind those that mean the most to you how much you love them and praise the Lord for putting such special people in your life! I know I am often overwhelmed by the abundant blessings He showers my life with and am excited to have this day to spend intentional time loving on, praying for, and thanking the Lord for such incredible blessings. Candy, flowers, and Cupid aside, I hope you take time to fall deeper in love with our forever Valentine and Prince, today and every day. 

Miscellaneous Monday

Well, seeing as I am too tired to nap, too unmotivated to do homework, and too happy because it’s absolutely glorious outside, I’ve decided to share some of the ridiculous moments I’ve experienced in the past few weeks to hopefully bring some joy to you on this Monday afternoon.

Oh the Joys of Community Bathrooms…

When I say this, those of you who have had the privilege of experiencing the wonders of community bathrooms, probably shudder at the memories that still haunt you. Okay, that may be just a bit dramatic but I have had to once again get used to wearing flip-flops, carrying a shower caddy, and strategically planning when to best go to the bathroom and shower. On my second night back from winter break, I decided to take a shower…always an adventure. I got into the shower stall, strategically placed my towel, robe, and shower caddy on the hooks and turned the water on. I turned the handle completely to the left and was pelted with freezing water and a pathetic trickle of water. SO, I decided to move to the stall on my left and try again. I slid my shampoo and soap under the stall, wrapped my towel around me, and jumped to the next stall. I turned the handle again, only to feel a cold mist soak my already freezing self. After already transferring showers once, I just decided to deal with it and shower as quickly as possible. As I rushed, I bent down to get my shampoo and knocked my head on the faucet to the point that a nice bruise formed and was sore to the touch several days after. Needless to say, I miss my bathroom at home. Ha!

Right Place at the Wrong Time…

On the first day of classes, I started off my day with my sweet roommate in Statistics (at 8:00 in the morning, I might add), then went to Dance, and then went on to meet Lydia for our Communication class. We had decided that we would wait for one another in the lobby of the building and walk up together to ensure seats next to each other. As the time continued to pass by and there was still no sign of Lydia, I began texting her trying to figure out where she was. When only five minutes remained before class began and Lydia was still nowhere to be found, I decided to go on to class and save her a seat. After finding a seat and saving one for Lydia, I texted her letting her know where I was. Soon after I texted her, the professor walked in- a middle aged man. I was slightly confused because I thought I had a woman as a teacher. Several more minutes passed and as he began to take roll, I decided to check my schedule to see where I would be headed next. As I was looking at my schedule, I realized that I was in the right classroom at the wrong time…I had come an hour too soon. I gathered my things quickly and walked out of the classroom. Once outside, I put my coat on and to my dismay, realized that I had left my umbrella in the classroom. So, I walked into the classroom once again, grabbed my umbrella, and in the process hit someone with my backpack, and quickly walked out trying to stifle my laughter. I texted Lydia telling her to disregard my previous messages and that I would see her in an hour. Needless to say, we both laughed hysterically at my expense.

The Downward Dog…

This semester, Lydia, our sweet friend Katelynn, and our precious RA Lesley, and I have decided to make working out a priority. While this is easier said than done, as sleeping is of a much higher priority than working out (ha!), we decided to write out and sign a contract stating that we would hold each other accountable to working out at least twice a week and would encourage each other to live healthier lifestyles. Sounds good on paper, right? Well, our working out adventures began last Wednesday and turned out to be quite the experience. We began by doing a quick warm-up on the elliptical and then decided to stretch before moving on. After realizing that all of the mats were being used, we decided to use one of the classrooms to stretch before a class began. Soon after we began stretching, the instructor for the class walked in and asked if we were going to be participating in his class. We all responded with no, to which he disappointingly said, “Wow, this class really shrunk from last week.” Well after he said that, we all felt too bad to leave so we decided that we would stay and participate. We asked him what the class was and he told us that it was a Yoga and Ab Ripper class and instructed us to get yoga mats and take our shoes off. Being the “Yoga-Noobies” that we are, we had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into. As he began, I quickly realized how ill equipped I was for the class- first of all, I had shorts on…yoga PANTS are worn during yoga for a reason (turns out there is a lot of leg lifting and lounging in yoga…who knew?) and secondly, I quickly realized how unnatural I looked as I attempted to imitate the instructor. Multiple times I had to choke down laughter as I caught a glimpse of my precious friends or myself in the mirror, struggling to match the poses. Needless to say, we were a sight for sore eyes. About twenty minutes into the class, the instructor led us through a sequence of poses and finished by standing on one leg with the other pointing out. Doesn’t sound too hard, right? Well, as I attempted to balance, my knee began shaking and I started laughing as I saw my red face and unbalanced self and I fell out of the pose. After everyone else came out of the pose, the instructor said to the class, “Okay, everyone move on and do the other side…except you (insert finger point in my direction).” Seriously? So, I had to do the pose again (and this time really stop myself from laughing) and thankfully managed to balance long enough to appease him. After that incident I did everything with extra effort because didn’t want to get called out again…until he led us through the most awkward and hilarious pose I have ever seen. I failed at it miserably during the class, but attempted it again in the dorm room afterwards and managed to semi-successfully do it.

After making it through an hour of torture, we walked out of the classroom and headed back to the dorm. The next day, I woke up feeling completely paralyzed and sore…I was certainly made aware of the muscles I had worked the previous day. Walking, laughing, and breathing all resulted in serious pain. Let’s just say…it’ll be a while until I attempt a “Yoga and Ab Ripper” class again. We should have known after no one returned from the previous week…lesson learned.

Star Struck…

On Friday, Rachel, Lydia, and I went to cheer some of our precious friends at the gymnastics competition. While looking for a seat, Lydia realized that Anthony Davis was standing directly in front of us. Naturally, we decided that a picture would be necessary as “Uni” is one of our favorite players on UK’s Basketball team. Rachel and I both were insistent that we needed a picture, while sweet Lydia was more hesitant knowing that it must get old for the “local celebrities” to be constantly bothered. While she is absolutely right, we still wanted a picture. Rachel and I began daring each other to ask him for a picture and Rachel’s big sister manipulation won me over. I walked up to him, tapped him on his elbow (because that was the highest I could reach seeing as he is more than a foot and a half taller than me) and said in my squeaky voice, “Hey Anthony, can we have a picture with you?” He nodded in agreement and turned to take a picture. However, before he posed, his girlfriend or sister (not sure which) primped his unibrow…classic! We smiled, thanked him, and walked away giddily laughing at our success. Brow Down, my friends.

Well, this is just a little glimpse into the "aDORKable life of Emilee Hancock. Keeps me humble and keeps me laughing. Hopefully these stories brightened your day and made you smile.

“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.”

Life Is So Good

**WARNING: This post has way too many words and way too many pictures...read at your own risk**

Home Sweet Home…

Oh…where to begin when describing Christmas Break? This break was packed FULL of amazing memories, moments, laughter, and lessons. I truly am baffled at how amazing it was. Every day brought a new adventure full of family/friend time and so much relaxation and laughter. Goodness. Just about as close to perfect as it gets.

My Top 5 Highlights of the Break Were:

1. Mom’s Surprise 50^th Birthday Party

With the help of precious friends, we were able to throw mom a surprise 50^th birthday party on New Years Eve. Goodness, it was SUCH a blessing to be able to celebrate mom in such a big way and be surrounded by friends and family as we welcomed in the New Year! SO much laughter, celebrating, dancing, and storytelling…what a perfect way to bring in 2012!

2. Mom and Dad’s Birthday Extravaganza Evening

In order to properly celebrate mom and dad, we decided to plan a special surprise evening for them full of fun adventures! We went and saw “We Bought A Zoo” (which was adorable!), went out to eat, went ice-skating downtown, and finished the night by chilling at home and watching another movie. Celebrating two amazing people with my favorite people…doesn’t get any better than that.

3. Family Game Nights/Movie Nights

While the break was crazy busy, we still found time to relax as a family and watch movies and play games. These nights were definitely a highlight as they resulted in some hilarious comments and an insane amount of laughter as well as time to be lazy and enjoy each other’s company. So wonderful.

4. Swing Dancing

What did my family decide to do on a Thursday evening? Go swing dancing of course! My goodness gracious, talk about a fun night! After convincing several of our precious friends to come as well, we drove to Covington and attempted to learn how to swing dance…the result was a whole lot of laughter and pure entertainment. It’s amazing how much fun you can have when you don’t care how ridiculous you look. I so enjoyed learning how to swing dance alongside my precious friends and family. Fun(ny) memories were made.

5. Christmas

How I love Christmas time! It truly is “the most wonderful time of the year.” This Christmas was special on several accounts. First, I took the time to read and reflect on the Christmas story from Mary’s perspective. As a teenage girl older than Mary was, I cannot fathom the fear she must have faced and the amount of trust and courage she exhibited. Absolutely amazing. The two songs that touched my heart most this season were “Labor of Love” and “Be Born In Me.”  Both are such beautiful songs that paint a picture of the imperfect night that our perfect Savior was born on. This Christmas was also special because of the recent illnesses my grandparents have endured. This year, I wanted time to stand still so that I could savor every moment I had with my amazing family. It was such a joyful day of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and of celebrating life and the countless blessings the Lord continually showers over us.

Passion 2012…

I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to Atlanta, Georgia and be one of the 45,000 18-25 year old students who attended the Passion Conference. My goodness, my heart was broken, my eyes were opened, and a fire inside of me was ignited to live a bold and intentional life in the name of Jesus. It was interesting to go back after going the year before, as my expectations were already high and I already knew what to expect. This year however, was a completely different experience for me. After completing my first semester of college, my heart and mind are in a totally different place than they were as a senior in high school. I absolutely loved having such a different experience this time and am thankful that I was able to relate on a deeper and more intentional level.

Because there was SO much that happened during the trip, I’m going to give my top 10 Highlights of the trip:

1. How Great Is Our God

This was definitely the most defining moment for me at Passion. The lyrics of this song have always touched my heart- throw in languages from around the world AND the African Children’s Choir and you get one emotional Emilee and a whole lot of  “not cold” cold-chills. Wow, words really can’t describe how beautiful that moment was. I wanted time to stand still so that I could watch the amazing moment (and admire the beautiful faces and shining smiles of those precious children) and cry out to our GREAT God.

2. Worship

Amazing. Incredible. Breathtaking. Inspiring. Beautiful. Worship was absolutely phenomenal this year. Having the opportunity to worship alongside thousands of 18-25 year olds and some of my closest friends was an experience that moved me to tears several times throughout the conference. I loved stretching my arms up to the Lord, reaching up to Him like a child reaches up to her father. I love envisioning the Lord with His arms outstretched as well, ready for me to run into His loving embrace. You know worship was amazing when you are physically exhausted afterwards. 

Some of my favorite lines of the songs (that I can remember, ha!) were:

• “We raise our white flags. We surrender all to you, all for you. We raise our white flags the war is over. Love has come, Your love has won.”
• “In my life, Jesus You are the One. You are the only One.”
• “The cross was enough, the cross was enough.”
• “How I love you. Love you, Jesus.”
• “We’ll be that city on a hill burning brightly. We’ll be a light to the world, shining your glory. We’re not ashamed.”
• “The cross before me, the world behind me, I will follow you.”
• “You took our sin you bore my shame you rose to life you defeated the grave and a love like this, the world has never known.”
• “On the alter of our praise, let their be no higher name, Jesus Son of God. You laid down your perfect life you are the sacrifice, Jesus Son of God.”
• “I believe every heart needs a healer, someone to walk through the fire. All I need I have found in you.”
• “It will be my joy to say, Your will, Your way.”
• “Great God wrap your arms around this world tonight, around the world tonight. And when you hear our cry, sing through the night and we will join in your song and sing along.”

3. Teachings

Gosh, I LOVE having the opportunity to learn from men and women who are so on fire for the Lord and who both talk the talk and walk the walk. Each sermon inspired me to dig deeper into the Word and experience the Lord in a new way. The “theme” of each session was about becoming alive again in Christ and boldly proclaiming Him as Lord and Savior. Absolutely amazing.

A few of my favorite points or scripture from the sessions were:

• “Jesus is the majesty among the mess.” –Louie Giglio
• “We weren’t bad, we were dead. But, because of His love we are alive with Christ. By grace, we were saved.” –Louie Giglio
• Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” –Ephesians 5:14
• But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. –Ephesians 2:4-6
• Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desires of our hearts. -Isaiah 26:8
• “We think God cannot make time for us and has finite abilities, but the reality is we cannot use Him up.” –Beth Moore
• “You cannot be unclean enough to mess Jesus up.” –Beth Moore
• “To be made clean, we have to admit that we are unclean.” –Beth Moore
• “We cannot explain everything about Jesus. Once we can explain, we can master and we cannot master the Lord because He is the Master.” – Beth Moore
• “Be careful of your own heart- you fight for what you desire.” –Francis Chan
• “Satan questions God’s ability.” –Francis Chan
• “Seeing and savoring the supremacy of Christ frees us from the slavery of sin for the sacrifices of love.” –John Piper
• “You cannot make yourself saved.” –John Piper
• “There are two kinds of people: slaves of sin and slaves of righteousness.” –John Piper
• “Freedom comes when we are mastered by God.” –John Piper
• “A light cannot shine where there is not darkness.” –Christine Caine
• Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. –Ephesians 6:19
• “By not knowing what we want to do, we allow Jesus to come and do His work.” –Louie Giglio
• “Brokenness is the bow from which God launches the arrows of healing.” –Louie Giglio
• “We don’t have to wait for the plans of God- they are happening right now. His plan is for us proclaim His Word…that is His will.” –Louie Giglio

4. Hillsong United Concert- With Everything

Goodness, I absolutely love Hillsong United and worship to their songs often. What did we do at 11:30 at night after having only a three-hour “nap” the night before? Went and worshipped with Hillsong, of course! Sleep was totally overrated. Wow…it was amazing how my absolute exhaustion melted away as soon as the music started playing. My favorite moment of the worship experience was the last song “With Everything.” Gosh, the song was amazing on multiple levels. First of all, it was amazing to look down (from the top balcony) and watch people dance and surrender with arms lifted high and hearts abandoned. I was also moved to tears as I watched men and women sign the line “with everything, we will shout for your glory. With everything, we will shout forth your praise.” My goodness. These men and women, who cannot verbally shout, were shouting from the depth of their souls and proclaiming God as their savior and laying down everything at His feet. This song was also a convicting song for me as I strive to truly give Him everything.

5. Walking in with 45,000 Students

No description is really needed for this other than the fact that it was unbelievably amazing to walk into Georgia Dome and be surrounded by 45,000 fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It was so humbling to be one of the 45,000. I caught myself scanning over the crowd multiple times during the conference and admired how beautiful it was to see so many arms reaching up to our Father and so many voices singing praise to the One who deserves it all. Amazing.

6. Candlelight Prayer Night/Do Something Now

The “Do Something Now” exhibit and main focus of Passion 2012 was about bringing awareness to, raising money for, and putting and end to slavery. Over 27 million men, women, and children are currently enslaved…that is more than there has ever been in history. During the conference, our generation raised over 3 million dollars to put an end to this injustice. Throughout the week, we had the opportunity to walk through the “Do Something” exhibit and write prayers/scripture on items made by slaves. These items were then taken and used to construct a structure of a hand. On Wednesday night, everyone was given a candle and special instructions to reflect and pray for the men, women, and children that are enslaved and the brave men and women fighting against slavery until midnight and then to light our candles. At midnight, the candles were lit and songs of celebration and surrender began. It was certainly a beautiful scene and one that I will remember for a long time.

7. Triangle Praying

Praying at Passion is absolutely amazing. They believe in praying out loud and in triangles. The first night, I got to pray with Heather and Lauren and loved having the opportunity to surrender together and pray for the Lord to reveal Himself to us in new ways. Tears and laughter were both involved…and it was amazing. Both of these beautiful women are such blessings in my life and I can’t imagine sharing that special moment with anyone else.

8. Lecrae

Well, as many of you know, I'm about as hood as it gets. Word. Okay…maybe not. BUT, one of the highlights of Passion was dancing to Lecrae with my hilarious and awesome friends. I absolutely loved acting ridiculous and dancing like a goofball as Lecrae rapped. So much fun and so much laughter.

9. Van Ride

Van rids are always a highlight for me...so this trip was no exception. It’s not about what you do but who you are experiencing life with. This trip we spent a lot of time in the van, so we had a ton of quality time and opportunities to share stories and laugh together.  I seriously laughed so hard on the trip and made so many memories...too many to even begin to list. 

10. Family Group

I absolutely love that you can be grouped with perfect strangers and have an instant bond because of your shared love for Jesus. My “family” was made up of seven amazing college kids that came from all different walks and backgrounds and were all different ages. It was absolutely amazing to come together and talk about how the Lord was working in each of our hearts and be a source of encouragement and accountability for each other. 

Honorable Mentions (Inside Jokes): Standing in the freezing cold outside of the food court (Mary Did You Know/Mary Had A Little Lamb), staying with Mrs. Nina and Mr. John, sleeping on a loveseat, taking “naps”, Lydia being left and locked in the van after “waking up”, falling in the van and hitting the horn, “offspring anyone?” Varsity, Ben sleep talking/making faces, mermaids, radio show, “my buns are burning”, corny jokes, Chip Bowl, rubbing elbows, “my fingers are tingling”,  "oh my (At)lanta", van mishaps, bottom teeth smile, taco stain, Simon the mascot, “I’m not ashamed”, “that right there, is a crazy feline.”

Goodness, Passion 2012 was a life-changing experience that I am still trying to process and figure out how I can best use the fire ignited within my heart to serve others and glorify the Lord. As I start this next semester, I am excited to see how the Lord reveals Himself to me and uses the passions and abilities He has instilled within me to further the Kingdom. At this point, I am working to hand Him the reigns of my life and surrendering to His will daily and trusting that He will use this broken and ordinary person to achieve extraordinary things for His glory.

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” –Jeremiah 33:3

Time Flies When You're Loving Life

So. Close. To. Christmas…

Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year! The anticipation of going home in just a few short days is all that is motivating me these last few days. While studying for exams has been a whole new experience (one that I don’t look forward to experiencing 7 more times, Ha!) there have been some fun Christmas moments along the way. This past week at Synergy we got to wear our Tacky Sweaters (or turtlenecks) and worship, learn, and laugh with sweet friends! Lydia and I, being the freshman that we are, didn’t know how tacky everyone would look and decided to go big or go home. Let’s just say…we were one of the select few that really took tacky to heart. While there were some funny sweatshirts and sweaters, we know that all that saw our Santa boxers secretly envied them. We are so cool…not! We also decided that our humble abode needed some decorating, so being the poor college students that we are, we scrounged up some money and bought a precious (and ridiculously tacky) Christmas tree, which we decorated proudly. Oh the joys of dorm living! 

Rocking the Turtlenecks...

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

We also got to be apart of Southland's 316 Food Packaging for Haiti which was AMAZING! After several days of packing, 1,000,048 meals were packed which will serve 3,000 children in Haiti for an entire year. What an incredibly humbling experience this was. As I sealed each package, I prayed for the sweet child that would receive the meal and I longed to tell them that despite the trials they face on this earth, they have a Father who loves them and offers hope beyond this broken world. It was a beautiful reminder that as a body of Christ, we have the ability and responsibility to help those in need around the world. 

Rocking the Hair Nets

3,000 Children Fed for One Year

1,000,000 Meals Packed

6,000 Volunteers

1 INCREDIBLE God

"For God SO loves the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."-John 3:16

I Survived…

Once upon a time, there lived a girl who traveled far far away (well…not really) from home to attend college. This girl had no idea what was in store for her-she was scared, alone, and felt completely mentally and emotionally unprepared for all that was to come. She cried herself to sleep many nights and wondered what she had gotten herself into. She relied heavily on the Lord’s comfort and prayed for opportunities to grow, learn, and laugh. Then along came sweet friends who she was able to share laughter with and create memories with and she no longer felt so alone. This girl has learned a lot and has a lot to learn. She lives for the one true Prince Charming in her life. She is in awe of the blessings in her life and is humbled by her Savior’s love. As she turns the page of this first chapter, she anxiously awaits to see what He will write in the pages to come. And she lives joyfully ever after…

Wow. I cannot believe that I am officially a second semester freshman. Time has flown by! Goodness, when I look back on the pictures from the first week of school and read my first blog post, my heart aches thinking about the fear and loneliness I felt those first few weeks of school. It is amazing to see how much the Lord has worked in my heart these past few months. I have been so blessed to have the amazing support, encouragement, and most importantly prayers from the people in my life that mean the world to me. It has been so humbling (and amazing) to have to rely fully on the Lord for His comfort and peace and to trust that my frustration and heartache would work together for His glory and His good. My heart has been transformed already and I am so excited to see how He continues to mold me into the woman He has created me to be.

As I wrap up the semester, I thought I would take a moment to write out some of the highlights of the semester and the lessons I’ve learned. These lists are far from all-inclusive as my brain is currently fried from studying for finals all week. Ha!

Highlights of the Semester:

CSF in general- specifically Synergy and Fall Retreat

Southland- specifically 608, Jesus Prom, and Meal Packing for Haiti

The countless opportunities I’ve had to grow in my faith and become the woman the Lord has called me to be- through fellowship, reflecting, praying, and learning
Celebrating my birthday with mom and dad in Lexington

Being reminded of how incredible of a support system I have back home

Thursday lunches with Rachel

Late night conversations with Lydia

Monday night's at Woodhill

Discovering the joy of blogging

Interpretative dancing and balancing on the bedposts

Family Weekend

All of the hilarious moments I’ve experienced

Lessons Learned:

God is SO faithful and works in amazing ways

My life is not my own

Prayer is powerful

God has an incredible way of using imperfect people to accomplish amazing things

Joy is not circumstantial

Late night meaningful conversations trump sleep any day

Taking time to reflect and relax is crucial

Letting people help you doesn’t mean you fail, it just means you’re not in it alone

I have been reminded that little acts of kindness go a long way

Laughter really is the shortest distance between people

There are broken and hurting people that surround me daily who I have the responsibility and honor to love and show grace and kindness towards

(Now for some silly ones…)

Awkward is the new awesome

I am now a semi-proficient Starbucks orderer

It’s best to set two alarms in the morning…especially when you have an 8AM class

Dancing and singing are awesome stress relievers

Shoes and bathrooms are a combination that should never have to go together

Facebook and Twitter are much more entertaining than doing homework

Jeans and a sweater=really dressing up…yoga pants and a sweatshirt= daily attire

Naps are a beautiful thing

Rainy days result in pure entertainment-bubble umbrella= game changer

Sleeping trumps getting ready any day…I’ve gotten my time down to 8 minutes from start to finish

Laundry is optional

Fire alarms without fail go off at the most inconvenient times

After hours of studying, you cannot be held responsible for the bizarre comments that spew out of your mouth

Receiving a letter in the mail makes any day brighter

Gosh, there are SO many fun experiences and lessons I’ve learned this year. I could go on and on but the statement that sums up both my favorite moments and the lessons I’ve learned is this- God is good.

As this semester comes to a close, I am relieved that I survived, thankful for the blessings the Lord has showered over me, and excited to see what else He has in store for me. My goal for next semester: Keep learning, growing, loving, and laughing. 

Thankful

Random Reflections…

I often feel closest to the Lord when I am outside enjoying and reflecting on all that He has so masterfully created. It absolutely blows my mind to think about how extraordinarily creative our God is and humbles me to think that while He made the Heavens and the Earth, He also created me and loves me far more than my mind can fathom. Wow. What an unbelievable honor. Several weeks ago, Lydia and I were lying outside just enjoying the perfectly blue sky and warm sunshine. After several minutes of blocking the sun with my hand, I put it down and was blinded by the radiant light. After wiping away the tears that immediately ran down my face, we started talking about how crazy it was that while we see the sun every day, we can never look directly at it.

That conversation got me thinking about Jesus, the SON of God. After marveling at the Lord’s creativity, I realized how many parallels the physical sun and the Son of God had:

-Like the radiant light the sun emits, we cannot look directly into His eyes, but we see proof of Him everywhere.

-Like the rays of the sun, His arms were outstretched upon the cross to signify His unwavering and incomprehensible love for us and they remain open for us to run into His loving embrace.

“Forever Reign” captures this thought perfectly:

Oh, I'm running to your arms,

I'm running to arms

The riches of your love

Will always be enough

Nothing compares to Your embrace

Light of the world forever reign

-The sun shines all around the world and the SON shines all around the world. The sun’s rays reach to the ends of the earth, just like His love, hope, and grace does.

-Without the sun, it would be impossible for any living creature to remain alive. Likewise, we are incapable of living purposeful and joyful lives of hope that there is more than this earthly life of pain, disappointment, and sin without the Son of God.

While thinking about the sun, I then began thinking about the stars in the sky. It blows my mind every time I sing the line, “You placed the stars in the sky and you them by name, You are amazing God” in Chris Tomlin’s song Indescribable. While the sun I think symbolizes Jesus, I think the stars symbolize us, His children.

-As the stars are a scaled down version of the sun, we are in essence a scaled down version of Jesus. Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” And in Isaiah 43:7, “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

-As Isaiah 40:26, says “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hose one by one, and calls each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” And in Psalm 147:4, “He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name.” God knows the name of every stay in the sky. Likewise, He knows every one of His children by name. Isaiah 43:1 states, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” John 10:14-15 states, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

-As stars twinkle and shine in the dark night sky, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to be shining lights in a dark world. Matthew 5:14-16 states, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

The song, We Are captures the thought of our responsibility to shine for the Lord and be a source of light for those around us...

While these are not earth-shattering realizations and some may be farfetched, I had to smile thinking of how incredibly amazing our God is and how thankful I am for the daily reminders of How present He is and how much He loves us. The sun and the stars are so incomprehensibly big, yet God loves little us SO much more. Wow. Goodness, can I just say again how creative of a God we have the opportunity to serve and love and be loved by? Blessed.

Wicked…

Family + Friends + Broadway Show = Perfect Night. A few weekends ago, Rach and I were given an early Christmas surprise…tickets to see Wicked with our family and our second family, the Buck’s. After a wonderful morning of church, friends, and fellowship, we got all dressed up and ventured downtown. We ate at a lovely Italian restaurant and enjoyed laughing and talking and then walked over (huddled around umbrellas) to the Aronoff. After taking some family pictures, we found our seats and enjoyed the most spectacular show I’ve ever seen. Wow-the amount of talent that those men and women displayed was absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t help but thank God for blessing those men and women with such an incredible talent and allowing them to share their voices with us. I got teary eyed as Elphaba sang Defying Gravity as it was such a defining and empowering moment and during For Good as a I reflected on all of the people who “I have been changed for good” by. Definitely an awesome time spent with the incredible people in my life and wonderful memories made. So blessed and so thankful.

God Is Able

It’s not often that you get to worship alongside several thousand brothers and sisters in Christ and sing in complete abandon to the Lord. I had the opportunity to go to the Hillsong Concert with Rachel (and several thousand others) and take part in a beautiful worship experience. The title song of Hillsong’s latest CD is God Is Able. The lyrics of this song are so powerful. How comforting it is to know that above all circumstances, God is able. He is able to restore us from darkness, to set us free, to love us despite our failure, to soften hardened hearts, to heal the broken, to pick us up when we fall, to do extraordinary things through ordinary people, to give us life everlasting, and so much more. What a relief it is to know that our God is able because we are not.

Thousands of Things to Be Thankful For…

At church last Sunday, Mike Breaux encouraged us to sit down and let our minds wander as we wrote down what we were thankful for, so I’m going to do just that. This list is not all inclusive by a long shot as I truly have thousands of things to be thankful for, but here we go-

I am thankful for a God who loves me more than my mind can fathom and who I have the opportunity to serve and live for. I’m thankful for my family, who loves, encourages, teaches, guides, and provides for me. I'm thankful for my faux family members, who are family. I’m thankful for my friends who bring so much joy into my life. I’m thankful for the good health the Lord has so graciously blessed my family and I with. I’m thankful for the ability to attend two amazing churches and for such an incredible church family. I’m thankful for…the Bible, freedom, the ability to go to college, CSF, love, joy, babies, laughter, comfy clothes, music, smiling, corny jokes, flowers, stars, sunny days, a comfy bed, singing, creativity, imagination, dreams, books, tumbling, lazy days, sleeping, Passion, my iPhone, the ocean, the sun, fluffy clouds, the smell of freshly cut grass, sunsets, sweet tea, summer, classic Disney movies, hope, grace, tumbling, handwritten letters, electricity, heat, silence, different languages, unique talents and abilities, fingernail polish, kids, food, clean water, chivalry, clumsy moments, medicine, the internet, indoor plumbing, simple acts of kindness, pictures, vacations, colors, memories, cozy blankets, Christmas decorations, non-communal bathrooms, my puppy dogs, naps, umbrellas, holidays…

Okay, after reading that you can tell how scatterbrained I currently am. There are so many things that I have left off, but as you can see, there is SO much to be thankful for. I am often brought to tears thinking of how beautifully blessed I am. I am so undeserving of the blessings the Lord so graciously pours over me and am humbled by His generosity. Being able to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family was so wonderful. Always so much laughter, great conversation, and love. Nothing better than family, food, and fun.

Over the break, we were reunited with some precious friends of ours and were able to get caught up on how the Lord is working in each of our lives and encourage one another. Finally sitting around the dinner table together laughing and fellowshipping made it seem like all was right with the world. It was a really unique opportunity to reflect on this first semester of college with the younger siblings and share funny experiences and lessons learned. These brothers and sisters that I have been so graciously blessed with have helped me grow in immeasurable ways and continue to help shape me into the person the Lord has created me to be. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 fits this group perfectly, except I need to revise it to- “Ten are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor; if any of them falls down, the others can help the one up…” These sweet friends are the brothers and sisters I never knew I was missing until I was reunited with them.

Healing Is In Your Hands…

This past week my Nanny and Pappy were both admitted into the hospital. Nanny and Pappy are two of the most incredible people I’ve ever had the honor of knowing. They have blessed my life in immeasurable ways and have always poured love, encouragement, wisdom, and laughter into my life. It absolutely broke my heart to not be able be physically with them in spirit. The Lord probably got tired of my constant prayers for healing and strength for Nanny and Pappy and wisdom and clarity for their doctors. Again, I turned to the song “Healing Is In Your Hands” by Christy Nockels and cried as I sang along. This song is such a beautiful reminder that God is the ultimate healer and that despite all circumstances, He is in control. After several days in the hospital, Pappy is back home resting and recovering and Nanny will join him soon. Praise the Lord! This scare was a great reminder of how precious life is and more importantly, how precious the people in my life are. At the end of every conversation I have with either of them we say, “I love you the most.” And the other says, “Fraid’ not deary.” What a tremendous blessing it is to have to argue over who loves the other the most. Crazy blessed and crazy thankful.

I Think I Can, I Think I Can…

Goodness, this next week and a half is going to be unbelievably stressful and busy. The end of the semester is quickly coming to an end and there is still so much to get done. My calendar is officially busting at the seams and is quite daunting to look at. I While this time is going to be stressful and long days and late nights are inevitable, I am going to keep my eyes fixed on the Lord and do what 1 Peter 5:7 tells me to do, “Cast your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” It’s that simple. Sleep some, pray a lot, study and work hard, live and love a lot, and end each day happy that I’m one day closer to break and even more importantly, thankful that I had one more day to live for the Lord. I am SO close to Christmas Break and am so close to being finished with my first semester of college! Craziness. So…let the next week and a half begin. Bring it on.