from Him, through Him, to Him = all things

Just for the record, I hate the word "coincidence" and the Christian-ized version, "God-incidence".

Let's just say that God is in control of everything and we should all really stop acting so surprised by that fact.

Pondering this evening why God allows certain people to tell me certain things.

Exhibits A & B:
I am LOVING the opportunity I have this quarter to both assist and lead gymnastics & dance classes for mentally/physically handicapped ladies of all ages. It's VERY easy to believe that God is passionate about defending their cause and speaking up for them.

But a couple weeks ago, one of the ladies, Leslie, "randomly" began talking about her dad with me. How he had been crying all the time recently and wasn't acting like himself. I asked her if I could pray for him and she said yes, because her mom was really tired, too.
Her dad's name is Vincent, if you care to pray with me.

Just this evening, another girl turned me and said, "My mom's having surgery tomorrow. I hope her stomach feels better after that." I can't just smile and nod at something like that; this young lady needs to know that I'm standing and agreeing with her that GOD can heal her mom.

Need to begin living again as if I BELIEVE that EVERY appointment is a "divine appointment".



What a shift.

Maybe that's why God has been gracious enough to let me look forward to monthly doctor appointments.
It's really not about me or even how I'm feeling. It's about Dennis & Kelly in the chairs next to me every month needing to see Jesus. Needing someone next to them who can they can relate to & laugh with. (and this whole once-a-month deal is a really easy commitment to keep, haha.)

Maybe that's why I don't believe people when they tell me that, "Oh that professor is ok, but he can get really boring when he talks for a while."
Seriously? Newsflash: so can YOU. I thought it was silly before to make random notes about personal stories & random facts that teachers would share, but it's not! What a sweet way to see people with titles as just being people. Still with respect, but minus the unrealistic expectations.



That's all I've got for now.
Just wanting to live like I believe everything I read in the Bible.

Qualified

"qualified": be entitled to a particular benefit or privilege by fulfilling a necessary condition

My younger sister said something to me this past weekend that finally cause me to see her as much older than her 16 years -

"You know, Emily, I if I could, I would have your MS for you."

My sister has plenty of health issues on her own, that I would consider much scarier than mine.
It's so different to empathize rather than owning it for yourself. I am still so humbled by her statement.

Being seven years into this particular stretch of the journey that the Lord has me on, I know I wouldn't trade what He has done. Because of my "disability", this on-again/off-again illness, I'm suddenly (or not so suddenly) finding myself qualified for positions that I would otherwise have no business being a part of.

If I choose to, I can humbly walk in this grace-filled path before me and pour into others along the way.
I have such a gift! As I complete my undergraduate degree over the next five months, I'm so eager to see what doors will continue to open as I serve diligently and forge more relationships. I just love being a living example of the Truth that He makes ALL things work together for my good. all things.

Lord, that I would use this authority You've given me with wisdom, tact and grace.

This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.

And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along.

~Ephesians 3:6-9, The Message

weakness window

Ponder-
several "strong" people that I know are currently facing some serious physical weaknesses.

Yet, it's through their frustration, angst and questions that I'm now able to see Jesus so clearly in their lives.

As they cry out - He answers.
As they surrender - He delivers.
As they weep - He comforts.
As they draw near - He draws near.

O Lord, help me do whatever it takes to lay down my pride...that my own weaknesses might be a window for others to see YOU. Help me to seek YOUR GLORY, and not my own.

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;

a stranger, and not your own lips. - Proverbs 27:2, ESV

It is not good to eat much honey,

nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory. - Proverbs 25:27, ESV