JoaS

Gratitude is a pretty powerful tool. Lately, the heat has made being pregnant increasingly more uncomfortable and, to be honest, the medical bills and little extra costs add up and eclipse most of our disposable income. It's been a pretty rough and hot July. A little pregnancy update: I'm well into the second trimester and was feeling so much better and so happy to have escaped the nausea of the first trimester, until a few weeks ago. The heat (or something) seemed to come out of nowhere and now I find it very difficult to catch my breath, often getting lightheaded and/or having dizzy spells. I've also been getting sick for the first time. First trimester nausea stuck with me pretty much all day and kept me on my toes, wondering and half expecting an episode. This nausea comes out of nowhere like a ton of bricks and strikes without warning. Hard. I was not prepared for this and it has made life a little more unpredictable. (That being said, it has in no way diminish...

Feelings are so finicky. Have you ever felt yourself wearing down and you begin to neglect your quiet time or your evening walk or your morning prayer time because there's just so much to do and you've run out of energy? Next thing you know you're losing your cool in traffic or exploding on a friend or loved one because they can't read minds and didn't know to watch their step in the mine field that has become you? Have you ever let that happen? Because I have. And it stinks. I can recall with perfect clarity the first time I let it happen and was consciously aware I was doing it. I was treating someone I loved with contempt and gruffness that they certainly did not deserve. I could feel myself doing it, I watched myself do it, and I thought the whole time "Emily, what are you doing?" I knew immediately that it was misdirected and I felt terrible. Emotions can be so strong. Mine often overwhelm me. This is something we diligently attempt to guide in th...

I have been receiving lessons in humility lately. I guess to be a "sanctuary"--pure and holy, tried and true--it stands to reason you'd have to be humble, too. When we first found out we were having a baby girl, my reaction was soft, gushy, heart melting--followed immediately by the realization that I am so flawed and so young and so unwise and inexperienced--how in the world can I do this well?? A girl is going to have to overcome so many of the trials and hardships with which I was faced, and I didn't handle them all well! I had to fight the fear. I started praying. I had to immerse myself in truth to shut out the (horribly loud) lies. I reached out to a mom I follow on social media (the one millennial activity I do well) and I asked for any tips she could give a first time mom. Her response, delivered with such tenderness and sincerity, was that God has hand chosen me to mother this little one here on earth. He seems to think I'm the best suited for this pa...

Originally published February 25, 2013: I was having a conversation with someone the other day and it taught me something important about love. It's something God has been trying to teach me for a long time. My husband and I chatted about it more on a car trip back from spending some time with my family, and that conversation and opportunity to talk through it with someone who knows the love of Christ and demonstrates it with me daily really drove the point home. (We also talked about this in my bible study, it was the sermon on Sunday, and my brother just sent me a link to some profound thoughts from another woman on the subject. Coincidence? I think not. God's serious about this one, guys.) So here's what I'm learning: have you ever been in a disagreement with someone and they try to win you to their side by putting yours down?  It may be that it's the other way around. Does it work? Truly? Or is it more likely that the most promising end we can expect ...

Some of you may know that back in the day I had a blog called Emily Posting. It's still there, you can still peruse it, if you dare. I thought I might share some of those early musings here, in case there is any tidbit worth revisiting. Turns out, there might be just a few. This post was originally published March 20, 2013: I would argue that the best tip Michael and I got to start our marriage off on the right track (besides reading tons of Dave Ramsey's work and chatting about our future goals) was to listen to Senior Pastor Tommy Nelson of Denton Bible Church in Texas speak on Song of Solomon.  Michael and I downloaded and listened to the series on our honeymoon, actually, and I can say with all confidence that it made our honeymoon a success.  Anyone looking to get married, already married, or who happens to know and interact with other people should definitely hear this guy speak. Obviously we two honeymooners were intently focused on nuggets of wisdom Nelson ...

So, my last post was about my thoughts on the upcoming new year, 2019. Actually, my last post contained several recipe ideas for pork. But seeing as we are now two months into that new year, I thought it appropriate to follow up on the effects of the word "sanctuary" as my focus for 2019. I always go through a slump after the holidays. I'll be honest, I hate and dread that time of the year. January seems so hard and daunting and I just want to shut my eyes and get it over with. While I entered this year more hopeful than last, January did not disappoint. And by that, I mean it was quite the same as in years past. I entered my routine funk and slowly crawled out of it as February approached and then something quite miraculous happened. Prayers were answered and the sunshine returned and I began to realize a sort of peace I haven't had in a long time. God often uses hardship, not just physical or emotional, but also mental hardship to strengthen our community wi...