Very Blessed

In December 25th's Our Daily Bread [find the link under Devotion Sites] the story is about a couple going through some really hard trials with money.

They decided to have a party and invite all their friends. For a tree they had what they called a "Blessing Tree". It had pieces of paper tied on as ornaments and each paper had a blessing on it that the Lord had provided through the year.

Instead of getting upset because they didn't have much money to spend, they stayed focused on God and remembered to praise Him for their blessings.

Starting January 1st, every time something happens that is blessing, I'm going to write it on a piece of paper. Then in December I will start hanging them on my little Christmas tree. The ones that don't fit I will hang elsewhere in my room. What a great way to remember what God has done for you! I hope that you may try the same thing and write all your blessings down!

~Emily

Sorry/Happy

Hi everyone,

Sorry that I haven't posted in a few days. Saturday I went and took my driver's test...I passed!! After the test we went to my aunt and uncle's to visit and after 2 and a half long hours there my brother and I got dropped off at Shaffer's for the teen thing. Not many showed up and then we spent the night. Church was good this morning and the small play went well. Now we have this evening's part because it's the Christmast service. The pastor and his wife are leaving tomorrow to go visit people.

The sad thing is I still don't feel in the Christmas mood at all! Christmas is TUESDAY! And I'm just not ready for it. It was the same way last year because there isn't much snow...In any sense, that's not what it's all about. I'm almost done reading Luke becuase tomorrow is the last chapter! It's been a great book to read. Well, I may post later...

~Emily

Doubting God

Last night I didn't get to bed late cause it was so hot in my room and I couldn't get comfortable. I got to sleep a little after 11 o'clock thinking, "I'm NEVER going to get up at 5am!" I was just so upset...

Little did I know when I woke up and looked at my clock it was 5:06. 5 o'clock. I got up. And I was refreshed, and ready to start my day. [For the most part.]

Later as I was doing some school and thinking about other stuff, I realized...Saying that I could NOT get up was doubting that God would not give me the strength to get up. I pray every night that He would help me to get up every morning ready to serve Him. And I had... At that moment of realizing that I had doubted God, I prayed to Him and asked forgiveness.

How often do we pray about something, and often we have little or no faith that God will actually do it. Rick taught in Sunday School about it...

James 1:5-6 says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."

Matthew 21:22 says, "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

What a great reminder that we need to have true faith when we ask God for help and to know that He CAN help us. I feel that God was teaching me a little lesson this morning...And my day went great too. I was happier, and felt refreshed all day. It's amazing what we often don't think about things like that when we need to.

And of course, following our answered pray of receiving help, we need to praise and thank God for the power to get through things.

~Emily

Just a Reminder

I just wanted to leave a small reminder for everyone. It's because of what happened last night...I gave into the temptation of music, and when I got up this morning I felt horrible.

We all fail sometimes, but God will forgive us if we ask. But instead of going right back into doing it, we need to endure the temptations.

Yes, it is a hard battle to overcome sin. The devil puts thoughts in our minds, and stumbling blocks. What we need to do is pray that the thoughts would be removed and try to focus on other things. For those stumbling blocks, again, pray and 'step over' them without falling. Sure, sometimes we do fall, but God will pick us back up.

What I want to remind you all is that if we strive to be more Christ-like, endure those hard times and trials, and keep strong in God, take time to do devotions and take time to pray, we will be well blessed in the end.

Be thankful for the days you have, the victories you win, and the trails you face. Because in the end it will be WELL worth it.

I hope that all made sense. And that your day would be blessed!

~Emily

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was good. I have sooo many things to be thankful for! I'll name a few:

~My salvation
~My parents
~My brother
~My Church
~My Pastor
~My family
~My friends
~A house to live in
~My own room
~That the Lord has been teaching me a lot lately
~Lisa
~Everything!!!

Well, again, hope you all had a great day! Remember to be thankful for everything!

1 Thessalonians 5:18--"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Thanks for reading!!!!!

~Em~