Hairbows and Undershirts:)

The girls got hair bows and under shirts this morning. These are NOT the undershirts we used to get when we were kids!!:) ...tres cool.

Here are some pics

Countdown Presents

So I decided a few days ago that I needed to blog about "Countdown Presents" and then my friend, Laura, asked about it yesterday, so I am compelled:)

Countdown Presents are a wonderful tradition in our home, started by our matriarch, Mom Stalvey (my mom's mother). I don't know how she came up with this fun tradition, but she told me this week that we, the grandchildren, are the ones that actually came up with the name "Countdown Presents". My mom has continued the tradition with my children, and my brother's children.

What is it? It is a gift for each of the twelve days preceding Christmas day. It's so much fun! Mom Stalvey continued the Countdown presents through our sixteenth birthday. I'm assuming Mom will do the same. The girls love it!! They look forward with great expectation every morning to see what they will open. It's never anything big, but always something fun or meaningful. The girls are never disappointed.

I don't feel like I'm giving this sweet tradition due credit. I can't wait to continue on this tradition for my grandchildren!

Cookie time

Jenny, my sister, decided we needed to bake cookies on Sunday, so she led the way! It was great fun. There is more Christmas cookie baking ahead of us. We have to make four dozen for a cookie exchange this Sunday for girl scouts, but this was fun....especially since I just got to watch and take pictures:)

(the guy in the picture is our friend, Nick, who has lived with us for the past two years. He's leaving for the World Race through Adventures in Missions in January for a year. Jenny is going back, but as a leader this time and only for 4-5 months. Keep them in your prayers. They leave Jan. 3rd!)

I also threw in some pictures of our decorated space.

Mom, the girls LOVED their outfits this morning - the #9 countdown present. They all wore their outfits today. Here's Reece in hers. She especially loved the way her shirt feels so soft. She told me when she got in the car that she let everyone feel her shirt...but not her pants..:)

Recent pics of Elle

The girls were inspired by one of their "countdown presents" to dress up as cowgirls and dance around the room to country music....Alabama was the band of choice this particular time. (I should say here that I am not a country fan. Though there is a bit of a cowgirl in me, I'm more of a DixieChick:))

The other picture of Elle is her playing Chef and restaurant with her sisters.

Sister fun and Gingerbread...

Here are a few happy pics from the Long family. I realized, as I was looking back over my blog, that I've been Debbie-downer for the past few weeks. Well, I'm coming out from under my cloud and fully embracing this wonderful, fantastic, magical time of year!! I truly love Christmas and the magic that fills the air during this season.

We're in full Advent mode. We get our "prize" each night out of the (two) Advent calendars and read a story that builds up to Christmas Eve. Each Sunday is a special Advent celebration with candles, special drink and snack. It's so much fun. I've added pictures of our calendars and some other pics, as well.

The girls made a gingerbread train last night. It fell down over night but they had fun putting it together. Elle had fun eating the decorations.

It's the most wonderful time of the year! And I really am enjoying every moment. I pray you are, as well!

Merry Christmas!

Tribute to Elsie

We found out this past Thursday evening that Gavin's beloved grandmother, Elsie Costner Jacumin, had passed away. She was 95 years old and lived a long and full life. She volunteered everyday "helping the seniors" at a local nursing home, up until the day she died. Elsie still had her license and drove, legally, and maintained a garden in her back yard. She was always on the go and helping others.

Elsie started serving others early in life when she dropped out of school in third grade (like so many of that day) to go to work for her family. She was the oldest of eleven children and served them all. They all testify of her service and care.

Gavin wrote the liturgy for the funeral on Sunday and ended up officiating, as well. I was honored to sing a few songs for the celebration of her life. Raegan wrote a story about her great-grandmother and read it during the eulogy. It was a very moving service.

Though we celebrate the long life she had and the legacy she has left behind, we are sad to loose her. She was very healthy, so her death came as a shock. Gavin and his family are still mourning her passing. Please keep them in your prayers through this holiday season.

Give all your loved ones a big hug this Christmas season!
much love,
em

Mixed Emotions

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving. What a wonderful time of year to reflect on all God has blessed us with. The beginning of our Thanksgiving was joyous. Mom came up and we had a great Thanksgiving feast with our friends, Athena and her four children, and Athena's mom, Lona. We had dance-off's with the kids, had the parade going on in the background, watched Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving, talked, sang, sent "cheers" around the table for all we were thankful for, talked some more...and definitely ate!!:)

Raegan did an amazing job dancing as the Meritoll doll in the Nutcracker; two performances on Saturday and one on Sunday. Then mom headed for home after the first performance, after being with us for 4 wonderful days.

...enter mixed feelings, stage right...

Dad and Dorothy came up on Saturday evening for a second round of Thanksgiving festivities. This is the first time she has been in our home. My countenance immediately falls, and I get a pit in my stomach, every time I think about this, or thought about it over the past few weeks. I knew they would be there when Raegan and I returned home Saturday evening from The Nutcracker (I volunteered all day backstage, during both performances). The wonderful thing is that our friends, the Pryor's, were also coming that night. They were stopping over for one night on their way on up to Marblehead, MA - the whole family!!! (including their newborn that we hadn't met yet:))

It was great visiting with the Pryor's, holding that precious little Kiara, visiting with the rest of the kids: Kelsey, Jackson, Sydney and Elisa, having our family prayer time together with them before bed, and staying up WAY too late talking with Jeremy, April, Jen and Athena. (Thankfully Dad and D went to bed soon after we arrived home so I didn't have to deal with those emotions yet.)

We had another nice Thanksgiving feast Sunday afternoon, then headed out, our family and Dad and D, to watch the last performance of The Nutcracker. Raegan did such a great job!! It was great to finally get to see her do her thing. (I hadn't gotten to see any of the performances on Saturday because of helping out in the dressing rooms) Everyone did a great job. Elle even sat through the entire performance this year!!!!!

Dad and D just left (Tuesday morning) and I still feel sick. I realized last night as Gavin and I were lying in bed talking about everything, that I hadn't even looked up since Sunday evening. I don't even want to look at her...and you know I'm a big eye contact girl... I'm sad. ...I'm sad.

I'm repulsed by her. There is nothing lovely or attractive about her. ...Nothing!

And yet...

Rom 5:7-8 (NIV)
7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


While we were repulsive to Him, Christ sacrificed himself for us...

This has been a great sacrifice and we will be having a LOT of conversations with the girls this afternoon and the days and weeks to come, about all they saw and heard.

Did we do the right thing? I have no idea. I believe we did what we were supposed to do ...but it may take me a few days to come out from under this dark cloud.

Your prayers and thoughts are appreciated.

Inconclusive Results

Hi sweet friends,

I did go to the doctor this past Friday for my mid-term ultrasound, but unfortunately the results were inconclusive. I'm not too upset about this. I think it will be nice to be surprised. I'm pretty positive we're having a girl. So here's the name we're thinking of....I know this is a risky move....but I'm really excited about the name and want to share it: Sutton Vian.

Sutton means "from the south town" and Vian means "full of life".

Our back up boy name is still up in the air. I love Elijah (Eli), and Judah (Jude); Finnegan (Fin) has been in the running for years. Gavin loves Abraham (Abe)... We can't come to any agreement on this one.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, but absolutely NO pressure. I know you love us despite the odd names we choose for our children.

much love,
em

Nutcracker 08

This is a picture from our local newspaper, of Raegan in her doll costume for the Nutcracker performance next weekend. We are in full swing with rehearsals. Rae is practicing today from 10-12 and 1-3, then dress rehearsal tomorrow. The first two performances are on Saturday (Thanksgiving weekend), and the third is on Sunday evening.

Here's a link the article.

It's comin' on Christmas!!

A Day of Counting My Blessings

Today was a difficult day, but also one of counting my blessings. The Lord has been blessing me with many opportunities lately to praise Him for His many blessings. The sickness in our home has caused me to thank the Lord for the blessing of health....a lot. A precious friend suffering a loss has caused me to thank Him for the three little girls He has blessed me with. Being short on vehicles has caused me to thank Him for the numerous ways He provides for our needs. ...just to name a few.

Today I was moved to thank Him for my amazing husband, loving family, and treasured community around the country. I spent the day in the court room supporting a friend of mine who is going through a legal battle to save her family. The court system is such a manipulative, twisted, and crippling.... I don't even have words... It is a very difficult thing to sit and witness such manipulation and twisting of the truth, all for the sake of winning a case. ...so many lies, so much deception... it truly is the enemy's playground - and not place for Christians to settle disputes.

Paul spoke of this very thing:

1 Corinthians 6
1-4And how dare you take each other to court! When you think you have been wronged, does it make any sense to go before a court that knows nothing of God's ways instead of a family of Christians? The day is coming when the world is going to stand before a jury made up of followers of Jesus. If someday you are going to rule on the world's fate, wouldn't it be a good idea to practice on some of these smaller cases? Why, we're even going to judge angels! So why not these everyday affairs? As these disagreements and wrongs surface, why would you ever entrust them to the judgment of people you don't trust in any other way?

A Quick Update

We're all sick in the Long household. Health is such a gift. These moments remind me how blessed we are to have our health.

We find out the gender of our baby on the 21st. I was trying to convince Gavin to be surprised but he doesn't do well with surprises.....:) I'm excited to know, also. One of the things I love most about being pregnant is the joy of praying specifically over the little one as he/she is growing and developing.

The prayer the Lord gave me, while I was pregnant with Rae, was that she would be a warrior for the Kingdom and would be bold in her witness. I've been amazed to see how the Lord has already developed this in her little faith.

With Reece, my prayer was that others would be drawn to Christ through her great love. I'm constantly in awe of the love she pours out to those around her.

With Elle, I kept getting the word "justice". So as I prayed for her to be one that would seek out justice in the midst of injustice, I also prayed for her to have a heart of compassion. We'll see how that develops.

With this little one, I keep getting the word "loyalty". That's interesting.

Just to be clear, I don't think there's any magic in these prayers. It's more like the Lord clues me in to how he's already gifted them. I LOVE that!! What a blessing.

I will definitely post the gender when I know (thanks for asking, Julie:)).

So Proud To Be a Part of History!

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
or, whine, Israel, saying,
"God has lost track of me.
He doesn't care what happens to me"?
Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?
God doesn't come and go. God lasts.
He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath.
And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don't get tired,
they walk and don't lag behind.
Isaiah 40:27-31

Our trust and hope is in the Lord!! Our prayers continue to be that Pres. elect Obama will be steadfast in his hope in the Lord and will lead, doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with the Lord, our God! We are SO thrilled to be a part of making history. May the Lord continue to have mercy on our country.

much love,
em

I'm still moved to tears...

Christmas List

(I'm writing this so I won't forget it.)

I've begun getting together a list of Christmas items so that I can budget out how to pay for everything over the next few months. It's easy for me to pick Raegan's three gifts. She tells us all throughout the year the things she wants - she has an agenda!!! But as I started to fill in Reece's three blanks, I drew a ....blank.

A few days later Reece and I were sitting on the couch together and I casually asked her what she would like for Christmas. She thought for a moment and said with a big smile on her face..."maybe a light bulb for our night light, 'cause it keeps flickering at night....or....a...picture of Jesus....Mommy you can get me whatever you like" followed by a big hug.

That is Reece EmmaKay Long. She is a beautiful blend of sweet, mischievous, compassionate and care-taker. She blesses me.

Really?!

I know it looks like I've posted for two days in a row regarding nothing about family life....but in my defense it's only been 11 minutes since my last post. I just thought this was really funny. Now I'm going to bed.

Special Comment for McCain

(Julie, I promise I'm going to get back to family stuff:) Thanks so much for your comment! You're sweet. Kim, morning sickness has been brutal and has definitely affected my motivation to email, talk on the phone, do laundry ....blog:) I'm in my 16th week, but hopefully it won't last too much longer. Thanks for asking!)

I've been extremely appalled at the hatred I've seen at the McCain rallies. Even around here Obama signs are being stolen and knocked down. I've never seen this kind of hatred fostered in an election. It's shocking.

Hatred exists. We all know this. However, the most shocking part is that McCain isn't doing ANYTHING about it, much less Sarah Palin. Shame on them both!

Register to Vote!!

The deadline for many states is October 4th.

Please excuse some of the language in this video, but it's still worth the listen:) Pass it on!

Whew! That was fun!

I have so enjoyed talking with you all, and hearing your thoughts on this very important election. Thanks for all your input!

This has been an exciting political season already. We've had so many theological discussions, with so many friends, around this topic of politics and the Christian's role.

It's been incredibly stimulating for me. I haven't had this much adult conversation and interaction around a topic, other than children, in quite some time. Thanks!!

Speaking to a dear friend of mine the other day, he told me how much he hates politics because it's so divisive. I agree that it certainly can be, and we've all witnessed that fruit at some point throughout the years. But I appreciate and value being able to speak to these very important issues, and debate, much the same way men debate over who the best baseball team is, etc.

Ultimately, God is sovereign and completely in control. Praise the Lord!! Though I believe it is important for Christians to be known by our love and service - in all aspects including politics - it is a wonderful thing to know that either way we are unified by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are building a kingdom that is not of this world. God is good and He is worthy of my trust.

I'm sure there will be more political talk to come, but in the mean time, know that I value you and your opinions. I encourage us all to be educated in our decisions, keep far from any spirit of divisiveness or mockery, and above all be known by our love.

much love,
em

Why Abortion is a Red Herring in this Election

First, let me begin by addressing my dear friend, Kim.
Kim, I'm sorry I didn't even see your last comment asking me about how we deal with the whole abortion issue on my Palin post. When I wrote that last post (Obama vs. McCain) it was in response to your comment about the Obama campaign needing to refocus. I was only addressing that point. I would be more than happy to talk about how we can reconcile voting for Obama despite his pro-choice stance.

Before I get into the depths of why I believe the issue of Abortion is a Red Herring in this election, here is a link to my sister's page, further speaking to why we have chosen to vote for Obama, as Christians, despite his pro-choice stance.

A Red Herring is a term meaning: something intended to divert attention from the real problem or matter at hand (dictionary.com)

We find ourselves in a different circumstance than we did twelve years ago. Back then we had a president with the intent of furthering abortion laws and pro-choice rights. We had a President that signed into existence partial-birth abortion. Eight years ago, I voted majorly on the issue of abortion because President Bush had plans to reverse the partial-birth abortion act and made it a major piece of his platform.

If Hillary were the first name on this ticket for President....abortion would be a MAJOR issue, yet again. She also had plans to further abortion laws and pro-choice rights. She is a heavy proponent of abortion.

However, that is NOT the case in THIS election.

Some background, quickly: Abortion rates are lower than they have been in over three decades. An article from Time magazine talks about how no one can figure out why this is. Each side is offering their own reasons and claiming credit, but one option that is not present in this article, that I believe is most relevant, is the work of the Church.

Women's shelters around this world, Christian-based clinics focused on educating and loving rather than judging, I believe are to be credited for this thirty-five year low. The Church was impassioned by Roe v. Wade. I call it "the awakening of the political Christian". Christians chose different ways to combat this new reality. Some began lobbyist groups and spent their time on Capitol Hill. Some chose to judge. Many others chose to open up their homes, clinics, shelters to a lost and hurting world - understanding, that for a woman (whose life was not in danger) to be so morally bankrupt and desperate that she would consider taking the life of an innocent baby, meant that she was in great need!! These Christians have turned back the rates of abortion. They have put their faith into action. They have changed the world. There is still much to be done, but how you and I chose to fight may differ.

Abortion is a Red Herring in THIS election because Obama has no plans to further abortion laws or the pro-choice movement. You can see here that he has no plans of reversing Roe v. Wade, but also has no plans of expanding the pro-choice agenda. He also challenges Democrats and pro-choice advocates to consider the moral dimension, too often over looked.

Furthermore, McCain has NO agenda regarding abortion or Roe v. Wade. Even with Pres. Bush in office, one who had the abortion issue as one of the key issues of his platform, hasn't done anything to reverse Roe v. Wade.

We must fight for life! Voting for McCain, however, does not accomplish that goal. This fight is won in our homes; with our children, first; and then in our neighborhoods, and towns, and cities.

The issue of abortion is a distraction in this particular election. We need to be focused, as Christians, on how we can truly live out Matthew 25; being our brothers and our sisters keeper; to the family loosing their home to foreclosure, the family so overwhelmed with medical bills they can hardly keep their heads above water, the homeless man we see or pass every day, sitting in the same spot month after month, the small business going down because they can't compete with the chains.

As only ONE example, since this is already too long: Trickle down economics has worked to some degree, we saw that to be true in the 80's with Reagan. The difference between then and now, is that our trickle down economics is now trickling down into India, and small town America is dying! Obama is not trying to get those jobs back (as was falsely stated during the RNC), but wants to get rid of the tax break for companies taking jobs overseas and give it to companies willing to create and keep jobs here. That doesn't mean big companies can't continue their practices overseas, it just means they won't be rewarded for it, by the government. McCain thinks the economy is in good standing (Aug. 20, 2008) and yet the second largest investment bank, Lehman Bros., filed for bankruptcy today.

When our fellow brothers and sisters are loosing jobs and homes and health insurance, we as Christians, need to be stepping in to help; fighting for those who can't fight for themselves. There's so much more to say, but this isn't the proper forum to completely express my thoughts. I hope you can get the idea of what I'm talking about with Matt 25 and how we need to broaden our scope beyond abortion when voting in this upcoming election.

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this. ...to be continued.

Obama vs. McCain not Palin

I promise I'm going to get back to what's going on in our family life. My dear friend made a comment on my last entry about how the Obama camp needs to refocus on McCain instead of Palin since he is the one Obama is running against.

I've posted this video because it's the press asking Obama why he's not engaging Palin more, and instead only speaking publicly about (going after) McCain... The media is going after Palin, and rightfully so - due diligence, not the Obama camp. The media has gone after Obama since he entered the race - again, due diligence. If she can't handle this scrutiny than she should not have stepped into the ring.

I appreciate that she is pro-life, as am I. But, with all the concerns of this country, I can not vote on only ONE issue. I've had so many "christians" questioning the faith of me and my family because of our choices to support Obama, that it is, frankly, ridiculous and extremely Pharisaical. When asked these absurd questions regarding the status of our faith, we refer them to Matthew 25.

...speaking of Matthew 25, here's a great website my friend, Wendi, sent me this week! Check it out!

Sarah Palin....WHAT?!

I listened to Sarah Palin's acceptance speech at the RNC. I must say that I was impressed by her, despite her lack of experience (and blatant arrogance). I liked her feisty attitude toward frivolous spending.

It turns out the things I liked about her, she was actually lying about!!!

I also think it's completely ridiculous that the McCain campaign is trying to tout her "experience" as Mayor of a 6,000 member town and less than two years as Governor of Alaska as more relevant than the combined experience of both Obama and Biden! I guess that makes her minimal experience more relevant than McCain's, as well. Seriously?!

She is the least experienced VP candidate in American history - as a running mate to the oldest candidate in American history. ...really.

I don't get the excitement...

Weekend in NY

I mentioned in an earlier post that we spent a weekend in NY with our friends, the Wood's. We've never taken a bus trip before! It was so much fun. We rented an apartment - which we have done before. It's such a fun way to stay in the city. You really feel like a local:) ...getting a legitimate deal isn't an easy thing to accomplish, but if you can it's the best way!

We all took the children to see Mary Poppins on Broadway. Everyone loved it - even the daddy's:) Here are a few pictures from Renee's camera. I still haven't uploaded any pictures I've taken this summer. I'm such a slacker!!

"Pizza and a movie" night

Tonight was our first "pizza and a movie" night in months. This is something we look forward to all week. Tonight we watched "Nim's Island". It was a very cute movie. I love how the dad is the hero who is able to do the impossible.

I'm very happy for the routine the school year brings. I definitely needed Rae's kindergarten year to break me in last year. You don't realize what a free spirit you are until you are made to stay put for extended months.....yuck. I rebelled, at first. But this year I'm finding it a source of comfort. We'll see if I feel the same way in a few months:)

I'm also trying to get back to blogging regularly. Thus, this random entry.

I am in the midst of preparing a blog comparing the two Conventions (DNC/RNC). I made myself sit through every night of the RNC - it was painful! The two conventions could not have been more different. I also sat, like a student, taking notes on every word of McCain's speech. I want to compare his against Obama's, in the matter of actual substance and plan for the future. I can already tell you there is no comparison...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

blessings, dear friends, and all my love - no matter who you vote for:)

Pregnant!!

On the way up to Cambridge, at the beginning of August, I noticed that I was having trouble getting a deep breath. I commented to Gavin that I felt like I was so stressed out from Dad's visit with us that I couldn't even catch my breath.

While in Cambridge, the topic of babies came up a lot, quite randomly. I even told our friends about a "vision" I had a few years ago, before we were even pregnant with Elle, about having twins boys. (Gavin and I have talked ever since about possibly adopting our twin boys from Africa.) Anyway, on the way home Gavin and I talked about how funny it was that there was so much baby talk.

Now I should preface here that over the eleven years of our marriage I have never been on birth control because when I tried it a few months before our wedding it made me crazy. My PCOS kicked in after that which made me always very irregular. When I was diagnosed with PCOS this past year I started taking birth control again.

Whenever asked if we were finished having children, I always said that we were open to having more but were trending in the wrong direction (being on birth control for the first time in our marriage).

I've taken so many pregnancy tests over the years - so many being negative. Needless to say I was completely SHOCKED when I took one, that next week, and it said positive!! I admit that July was an off month for me - taking the pill here and there, but I was still very shocked.

We're so excited!! I haven't been to the OB yet because of being out of town and having trouble getting an appointment I can get to, but I'm pretty sure this will be another March baby. I was waiting to say anything official until I had gone to the Dr. but it's taking too long:) Gavin and I can never keep a secret about ourselves....hahaha

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!
much love,
em

...still here

summary of August:

the house in Cambridge closed!!
Raegan and Reece spent a week with mom at "Camp Marneaux"
Gavin, Elle and I drove up to Cambridge to get the last of our things
wonderful visit with the Ryan's and the Putnam's
we were home a few days before heading down to Orlando
Mom, Jen and our family greatly enjoyed Universal Studios - fun!
Gavin, the girls and I stayed at Dad and Dorothy's one night on the way home.
...it was a very hard decision, but also a very good thing...I'm sure I'll write more about that later
on the way back up to Va we spent a weekend in Durham/Chapel Hill, NC
we stayed with our friends, the Chapman's, who we haven't seen in years
our nephew, Daniel was married, and we loved celebrating with the family
we spent the next night with our oldest and dearest friends, the Morrison's
breakfast and lunch the next day were with my cousin and his family, the Horton's
a few days later we took a bus up to NY to meet the Wood's
we stayed in a tiny NYC apartment (all of us)
saw Mary Poppins on Broadway
bus trip home with the Wood's
week of decompressing
school begins
Raegan began first grade without best friend, Megan
Reece began preschool without best friend, Margeux
everything is going swimmingly
I'm easing my way back into civilization
elaborate more later....I hope
oh, and....I'm pregnant:)

Wonderful trip to Cambridge

While Raegan and Reece are in NC visiting my mom, Gavin and I decided it would be a good time to drive up to Cambridge and get the last of our things that were still in the basement. So on Thursday we loaded up the Odyssey, and Gavin, myself and Eliot drove 10 hrs before arriving at our dear friends, Jon and Jennie's house in Marblehead, MA.

There were three major highlights to the trip.

Jon and Jennie have been a major part of our lives since we lived in Marblehead ten years ago. It was such a joy to be with them in their new, gorgeous home. We also got to meet their new son, Sam. All three of their beautiful ones are adopted from China. Sam is the newest addition and he completely stole my heart. To be completely truthful all three of those little ones have a special place in my heart - along with the other "MNG" babies.

We headed into Cambridge on Friday to assess how much "stuff" we would bringing back with us and how much would be thrown away. I couldn't believe all the valuable things we had left behind....our marriage certificate was down there, honeymoon pictures, lots of pictures which are priceless to me, and other seemingly worthless, but priceless items.

We spent the night again in Marblehead taking advantage of having Jon and Jennie all to ourselves for a little longer. (highlight #1) We had a great time of conversation and prayer. Saturday morning we were reunited with friends that we hadn't seen in many years. It was great to sit around and talk as though no time had passed between us. Friendships made in Christ really are quite amazing in that way.

Saturday was the real work day. We were able to load up the trailer, with the help of Keith Tyo (one of our renters) very quickly. I don't even know how long it took us but it seemed really quick.

Eliot did amazingly well! I couldn't believe it. We asked a lot of that little one this past weekend. She was such a trooper.

Saturday night was another highlight of the trip. We took Keith and Kate Tyo (our new missionary family/former renters) and Steve and Trish out to our favorite place in Inman Square: Spice and Rice!! This is the Thai/Japanese/Koren place, formerly known as Sweet Chili, we used to go to every Sunday after worship. We all became very fond of each other and they always treat us like royalty when ever we visit. The food was so yummy, as usual, and the conversation was fun! We had a great time.

(Highlight #2) After dinner we headed back to Steve and Trish's home for more conversation, wine, and prayer. Elle went to sleep in the pack 'n' play in their room. We had an awesome time of prayer and wonderful conversation.

The Ryan's (Steve and Trish) and the Putnam's (Jon and Jennie) have a very special place in our lives and hearts. These two couples hold a place of authority in our lives. They hear from the Lord on our behalf and have the ability to speak directly into our lives like few others. Trish and Jennie have this wonderful way of calling me out and loving me unconditionally - no judgment. I LOVE that! We had a great time.

(Highlight #3) Sunday morning we attended the 9:30 worship service at the Cambridge Vineyard. Dave spoke about living the "impossibly great life". Fantastic! It was great to be back there. It always thrills my soul to be among those brothers and sisters. Also, we got to introduce the Ryan's to the Putnam's! I think they will be great friends:)

We left immediately following the service. The ride back was tough. But we made it home safely so I can only be grateful!

I had originally said that the house selling was the closing of a chapter in our lives. I returned home not feeling that was true at all. It was time to say goodbye to that house, full of so many wonderful memories, but the chapter on New England is not closed yet. Being in New England confirmed to us that we are right where we are supposed to be in NoVa. We are thrilled to be where we are called to be, but also thankful to have such a deep connection elsewhere.

God is so good!! I'm incredibly thankful for His timing. Thank you for your prayers and concern for us regarding this home. We are so blessed!

Dry season

I'm definitely going through a dry season with my blogging. I did just want to chime in quickly and let you know about my other birthday present.....:)

I finally got my nose pierced! I've been wanting to do it for years, but when Jenny came back from her mission trip with a cute little stud in her nose it pushed me over the edge. So for my 32nd birthday Jenny and I went into Fairfax to get my nose pierced.

It really hurt. I think I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that I have a low threshold for pain.... Anyway, I'm so glad I did it. I love it!

(picture to follow shortly)

side note: Dad is visiting us this week. Maybe that's one of the reasons for the dry spell. Things are going well enough, but it's a constant reminder of the brokenness in our family. Gavin, the girls, and I are going to be staying at his new house on the way down to Fla., and on the way back from Fla., in a few weeks. I'm not looking forward to seeing how his new life with ...*@#!$^)&....(I mean) Dorothy looks, but feel it is another step toward walking this road of forgiveness...

prayers for wisdom and humility are appreciated.
much love,
em

A Lovely Birthday

I turned 32 this week....and I'm cool with that.:) Gavin always picks on me (and the other Brown girls) because I (we) have this very uncanny and subconscious way of stretching out my (our) birthday celebration(s). It looks like this year will be no different..... Thursday night Gavin took me to the Melting Pot for dinner...my favorite...and then to see the Indigo Girls in concert at Wolf Trap, which is an outdoor venue. We had such a great time.

I LOVE the Indigo Girls. Their concerts are always so much fun and laid back. Brandi Carlisle opened for them - she was great. Wolf Trap is such a fun venue. It is a partially outdoor, partially indoor arena. It feels very intimate. Dinner was yummy and being with Gavin, enjoying some of our favorite music, was a perfect way to spend the evening.

Friday, my actual birthday, we had a big camp out in the backyard. We had seven tents set up!!!! It wasn't supposed to be for my birthday - just happened to fall on that evening - but I may make it an annual event!! The house was full and buzzing with so many friends, great conversation, lots of laughs, children running around overjoyed to be staying up late and playing with old and new friends.....I LOVED every second of it.

Dad is coming into town on Tuesday for a visit and the celebration will continue.....see, I clearly didn't plan it that way....uncanny...;)!

I'm posting some recent pics, but haven't uploaded any from the camp-out yet. Thanks for all the sweet cards and birthday wishes!! I love you, my dear friends and family. My life is better because you are apart of it.
all my love and appreciation,
em

National Security

Obama gave a speech yesterday about his strategy for National security. It was inspiring. The video and transcript of the speech are included in the link above. Because it was about 30min. long, I've decided to post a commercial regarding a small aspect of his National security vision instead.
This is one of the biggest differentiators between Obama and McCain. It's so important that we be educated on what exactly they each are proposing.

We've accepted an offer!!

Praise the Lord! While we were in Cinci over the weekend we heard from our Realtor that an offer had come in for our Cambridge home. We did some expected negotiating and settled on a fair price. If all goes well the closing will be August 15th!

We are so thrilled and completely thankful for this new answer to prayer.

It comes at an interesting time: I was just telling friends this weekend that I had finally come to realize that there was no eternal value or loss in a foreclosure or bad credit...I finally was alright with whatever happened. "Who cares if the house forecloses!!!" Certainly these are things we should avoid if possible. But I had felt for the past three years that God wasn't providing for us because the house wouldn't sell or we didn't have the money to cover both rent and mortgage, etc. My mind, and my faith, was stuck within the "rules" and thinking of this world.

I had finally come to the realization that God does not have to work within these "rules". Credit and foreclosures mean NOTHING to Him. He does what He wants, when He wants, whether it works within our timing or not. This housing situation has truly been out of our hands. We have had to simply trust. We've done everything we could to make the house sell and yet, it was in His timing all along.

The Lord has allowed us to be apart of many ministries through our home. He used our home for a group to open a New England House of Prayer...how cool is that?! He used our home to provide housing to several couples in ministry and most recently a couple awaiting return to the mission field. God is so good!! I'm so happy to give Him all the praise and honor and glory for the sell of our home! Please be in prayer during this final process - that it will go smoothly.

We are thrilled that we will NOT be loosing the Cambridge house to foreclosure! Praise the Lord!!

Do Something!

javascript:void(0)

DO justly, LOVE mercy

I'm on a journey of forgiveness that began a few months ago when the Lord revealed to me that I needed to forgive the woman my dad has had an ongoing affair with for the past 10 years. I really didn't think I had a "forgiveness" problem!! I usually brush offenses off pretty quickly, and am quick to forgive when asked. The one thing that I knew I had a hard time forgiving was disloyalty. Being loyal is a very high characteristic on my list. But the Lord has revealed another layer: forgiving those that hurt the ones I love.

I've realized over the past few weeks that I am a LOVER of justice. I have always been a lover of justice, but never put words to that aspect of my character. I wear a big "J" on my chest for JUSTICE (as my friend, Meredith says). And I've always worn it proudly...until now. I'm very open about how much of a protector I am - whether it's friends, family, friend's children, my own children - I am like a mother bear if those I love are hurt. I'm fierce and ruthless.

We returned to Cinci for a wedding this past weekend (which was so precious, by the way), and I was forced to deal with some unfinished business. Usually when I am hurt by someone I quickly forgive and am still filled with love when I see them. But this time I did not have that reaction.

My reaction to seeing them really surprised me. As I rode in the car to the reception praying over my unforgiving heart it dawned on me! It wasn't an offense against me that I was so upset about....it was against Gavin...Gavin! I was still in protector mode.

Gavin had already forgiven what had happened. He had actively pursued reconciliation. So why was I still having such a hard time forgiving? I know forgiveness is about setting me free, not letting them off the hook. I know to forgive whether or not I am asked! I thought I had forgiven them. And yet...."repulsed" is clearly not a sign of a heart that has forgiven....

As I prayed over my unforgiving heart the Lord put Micah 6:8 on my lips. "What does the Lord REQUIRE of you? To DO justly, LOVE mercy, and walk humbly with your Lord". Whoa! I clearly saw that I had been a LOVER of justice, not mercy. I had loved justice at the sacrifice of mercy. I needed the Lord to have mercy on me and change my heart.

That's the new journey in forgiveness that I'm beginning: to be one that DOES justly, but LOVES mercy, and will walk humbly with my Lord. Your prayers are appreciated!

Excerpts from Tea Time

I've talked before about our tea time on Sunday afternoons. Today we had some quiche Florentine, spa tea (raspberry zinger tea and apple cider) and sat outside together. We have all joined the tea times now; Nick, Jenny, myself, Gavin and all of the girls (and Marneaux while she's here visiting). After each person finishes their reading we all clap in approval. It's a very enjoyable way to spend an hour on Sunday afternoon.

We each read several excerpts, but I've chosen my favorites for this entry. Here are a few quotes from some of the readings today.

Gavin: "...Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes..." -Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Rae: "...God speaks in a whip-poor-will's song. 'I set the North star in the heavens and I mean for you to be free.' Harriet sees the stars twinkling. 'My mind is made up. Tomorrow, I flee....' -Carole Boston Weatherford, "Moses, When Harriet Tubman led Her People to Freedom"

Emily: "Let's have one day for girls and boyses when you can make the grandest noises. Screech, scream, holler, an yell - Buzz a buzzer, clang a bell...One day a year do all of these, The rest of the days - be quiet please." -Shell Silverstien, "Noise Day"

Jenny: "What is, therefore, our task today? ...we lack a holy rage - the recklessness which comes from the knowledge of God and humanity. The ability to rage when justice lies prostrate on the streets...to rage against the ravaging of God's earth, and the destruction of God's world. To rage when little children must die of hunger when the tables of the rich are sagging with food...to rage against complacency...and remember the signs of the Christian church have been the Lion, the Lamb, the Dove and the Fish...but never the chameleon. -Kaj Munk, Danish Pastor just before his death in 1944 by Gestapo.

Nick had a great excerpt from Donald Miller (but I don't have the book at my disposal right now), about an interview Miller saw. Larry King was interviewing Billy Graham just after the Columbine shootings. When asked what was coming of our world, Miller assumed he would reference the recent studies on how video games and violence on TV were desensitizing children to the sanctity of life and humankind. Instead Rev. Graham began to speak, very eloquently, about how a long time ago there was a woman and a man in a garden, and they ate from a tree...."and I knew in my heart he was right" -Donald Miller, "In Search of God Knows What"

We ended the tea with one last reading from Raegan: "I wish...I wish I had feathers. I wish I had wings. I wish I was covered with prickly things....What? You say I'm the only kid you see, who acts quite like, talks quite like, is quite like me? You mean I don't need a horn, stripes or tail? NO googlie eyes or a spout like a whale? I guess you are right! I just have to be- TO BE - the one, the only, MAGNIFICENT ME! -Dan Haseltine, "The One, The Only Magnificent Me!"

I hope you are enjoying your family today!
much love to you all, dear friends.

From the Inside Out

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades. Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame. And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise, from the inside out, Lord my soul cries out.

My heart and my soul, I give you control. Consume me from the inside out, Lord.

--------------------------

The way I have always shown my thankfulness to the Lord and given Him praise, is through music. This song from Hillsong United, along with some other Jason Upton songs, speak my heart. I understand why Gavin loves the prayers of the saints. They are prayers of his heart. Songs like this are the same for me.

Augustine said, when you sing, you pray twice. I love that!

("The Shack" has given me such a sweet perspective and love for the Trinity. Sarayu; the wind; light; equally God; Holy Spirit - what a precious friend. Jesus; fully man; fully God; funny; lovely - what a precious Savior. Papa; protector; You love me; humble; gentle; mighty - what an amazing God!)

God is Good!

Praise the Lord!! God is so good!!

All glory and praise belongs to the Lord! He has allowed us to find favor in the eyes of those "in control" of this situation. We have been assured that all has been resolved positively [due to the sensitivity of this matter I can't talk about any details].

This means that we will most likely be able to keep our Cambridge home! We are lowering the price again in hopes that it will sell soon.

These are the times when I feel my praise is so inadequate. "Praise the Lord" just doesn't seem to cut it... Do you ever feel like that? I would love a more tangible/passionate way to express my thankful heart and praise. What do you do to express your thankfulness to God?

To all my prayer warriors...you bless me more than you will ever know. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts and well wishes. My heart truly is overflowing!

Yes, We Can!

I realize this is belated, but it goes without saying that we are thrilled to have Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee!

Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can. ...to God be the glory!!

My Cup Runneth Over

Sorry for the King James wording.....it just seems appropriate for my current state. I've just been reading my friend's blogs and am so encouraged. Whether it's celebrating healthy and happy marriages, sharing God's blessing over different ministries, sharing menus for the week, or sharing time with children...I'm reminded of how blessed we are, and how blessed I am for these friendships.

Gavin and I had a challenging week this past week. [because of the sensitivity of the matter I can't talk about the details.] We took a huge hit. I've talked before about needing our home in Cambridge to sell because we really can't afford to keep it. We were hoping for the bonus to get us current on our mortgage, among other things.

Because I am a lover of justice, this is hard to swallow. We have a great Realtor in Cambridge and we're getting a lot of traffic, but no offer yet. We are having to come to grips with the fact that we may loose that home to foreclosure.

In light of all that, I can honestly say that Gavin and I are completely at peace. Not only are we still joyful, but we're actually happy. Don't get me wrong...we're NOT happy about the possibility of losing our home. We are happy to be right in the palm of our Lord's hand. We truly believe that He is good and has good things for us. He has provided for us over and over and over again. He is faithful. So what if we loose our home in Cambridge?! For the first time in five years, I can actually say that without cringing. I know the Lord has plans to prosper us and not to harm us - He has lovingly and graciously proven Himself, though He didn't have to.

Confession: The Lord has brought me a LONG way as I re-read what I just wrote. The old Emily (not so long ago) would have been angry about this injustice, not just at Imperial but also at God for allowing these injustices. Though it is shameful to admit, I confess that for those who may also struggle with feeling anger toward God over injustice.

Though the Lord has used many things to gently change my heart, (including a sermon from Pastor Dave, Cambridge Vineyard, New Years sermon 2004 - that totally rocked my world - challenging us to truly "give thanks in EVERY circumstance") the most recent reinforcement has been from "The Shack":

God speaking:
"The real underlying flaw in your life, [Emily], is that you don't think that I am good. If you knew I was good and that everything - the end, the means and all the processes of individual lives - is all covered by my goodness, then while you might not always understand what I am doing, you would trust me. But you don't."

Lord, I know that you are good! I trust you. You are worthy of all praise, glory and honor, and you are certainly worthy of my trust - especially when I don't understand your ways. Have mercy on me. Thank you for your love, grace and peace that passes all understanding. Thank you for this season of special dependence on you! Please sell our home in Cambridge.

My cup overflows! Blessed be your name, O Lord!

Peace and Rest cont.

That was just a weird night, the other night. Thankfully the peace and rest has been restored in our home. Thank you for all your sweet prayers!!

On a side note: I've finished "The Shack" and it is the most challenging and thought-provoking thing I have ever read. It also, however, challenged my trust in God which stirred up some fear issues - which I think had something to do with the other night...

I'll write more later about this. I'm still working through all that the book stirred up in me. One word of caution: don't buy into the controversial hype. Yes, God appears to the main character, Mack, as a woman - which raises justified red flags. However, it is quickly explained that God is neither male nor female. Mack has major father issues and therefore God the Father, called Papa in the book, appeals to him from a more gentle perspective. Papa also explains to Mack that after the fall they (the Trinity) knew that the Father figure would be the one most needed by their children which is why He is referred to as "the Father" throughout scripture. And, fyi Papa does appear to Mack as a father later on in the book.

There are so many amazing things about this book - don't miss out on it!

A few of the things I'm dealing with because of "The Shack": forgiving others, understanding all I've been forgiven, trusting God through life and death, the power of mutual submission, and feeling a new sense of intimacy with God - the Trinity.

much love, dear friends!

Peace and Rest

I've been thinking about this blog for several days. There are several reasons to write about this topic, for me, and last night added one more.

First I began thinking about this because all of my friends here in NoVa describe me as laid back and easy going. I'm pretty sure that's a first!!! I've always been known to be a bit edgy, somewhat confrontational - loving, loyal, and very considerate to my friends - but always quick to throw myself into a movement I believe in, and definitely willing to cause ripples. I really don't think ANYONE in my past would describe me as laid back and easy going.

When I first began hearing this description of me I was shocked...but mostly flattered! I am still very much the "Emily" I described above, but I realized that I really LOVE being known as a person of peace....though I'm still not sure how accurate a description it is.

Either my friends have a skewed perspective on easy-going and laid back, or the Lord is actually changing me to have a more peaceful approach to life, despite my activist tendencies!! I really hope it is the latter.

Secondly, the words "peace and rest" have been on my lips a lot over the past few years. These are the words I pray over Eliot as I lay her in her crib at night, and Raegan and Reece as I tuck them in: That the Lord would bless them with a peaceful, restful sleep.

Whenever we have company, these are the words I pray for them while they are in our home: That their hearts would be filled with peace and rest.

I've come to relish my meditation play list because of the peace and rest I feel when I listen to it. (Don't think I don't still have hip-hop and all kind of crazy stuff playing, too.....I don't see that ever changing. I still like to get my groove on...you know....:))

Thirdly, I think this may be a ministry the Lord is giving our family - to be a place of peace and rest for those who need it. ...we'll see.

Lastly, I am greatly disturbed when that peace and rest is interrupted or disturbed as it was last night. Eliot had a really awful night last night. Something was scaring her so terribly that she ended up crawling out/falling out of her crib. This was after hours of praying through her room, trying to work with her through the fear, moving the night light to a different part of the room, trying to have her sleep with us (she has never slept with us...not because we didn't want her to she has just never wanted to, much to Gavin's great disappointment - last night was no different). I bound the spirit of fear and cast it out of our house over and over, asking the Holy Spirit to replace it with peace and rest and lots of love. Finally, around 4am I was able to rock her to sleep (a first) and lay her down in her bed. I stayed for a little while to be sure she would remain asleep. ....it was a weird and painful night. I would appreciate any prayer for wisdom and insight - eyes to see what was scaring her so much, and prayer for peace, rest and comfort over little Elle.

I pray peace and rest over you, dear friends.
much love,
em

Much Better Day Today

Well, Praise the Lord, and thank you for your prayers...we had a lovely day today!

Soren is as good as new. We're still going to take him to the vet this next week, for good measure.

The guys took the Odyssey into Honda and got a new tire, then drove to Exxon to have it put on since the wait at the dealership was four hours. (It's a special tire that we had to buy from the dealership....) They were able to get it done relatively quickly and inexpensively!!:)

The girls and I had a successful and fun morning cleaning the house to prepare for Sabbath and company.

We had a photographer from Cooksey Keepsakes come to the house today around 12:00 to take family pictures. We also had five other families come over to have their pictures taken. It was so much fun! I did this about a month ago at my friend Meredith's house. I just had pictures of the girls. They were so fantastic that I decided to host a "party" and have pictures of our family taken. It's a great, laid back environment, and kids do so much better in a home than a studio.

The pictures I got of the girls a month ago were the best pictures I've ever gotten of them. I am so pleased. I'm excited to see the results of the family pics. Plus, having my friends over to get pictures of their children was so much fun. The mom's and I hung out in the kitchen eating some munchies, while the photographer worked her magic.

In two weeks we'll all get back together, without children, sip some wine, and look over the proofs together. It's really fun! This is a growing company so, if you're interested, you should google them for the Cooksey Keepsake photographer near you:)

The last of our company left by around 4:30, and I snuck upstairs while Gavin had the girls, for a little down time. I put on my Rachel Portman playlist on repeat and read a little out of the book I'm into right now: The Shack. (It's so good and thought-provoking. I'm sure I'll have a whole blog about it once I'm finished.)

I was ready to rejoin my wonderful family after a few minutes of solitude.

Opening Sabbath was wonderful, as usual. Nick made his super-yummy-sweet-Marsala Chicken, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, from scratch, caramelized carrots and made-from-scratch Key Lime Pie!!! YUM!

What a blessed day!

Crazy night....going straight to bed

Our evening started out lovely. Gavin and I were having a little date with Reece. We ate dinner at IHOP, which is always fun. Then we headed over to the "Perils of the Jungle" put-put. Reece has never played put-put before....it was very funny.

We had a great time and lots of laughs. Reece is a bundle of joy.

....then we came home....

Pulling into the garage we noticed Raegan's bike was sticking out a little bit. I also saw that Soren's lead was wrapped around the bike. I thought I had enough room to get by, but I didn't. The right tire ran over the edge of the bike and blew the tire out immediately. I started to back up (unaware of the blown tire) and trapped Soren's leg under the back tire. He began crying out for help immediately. I didn't know where he was so Gavin jumped out and was able to tell me to pull forward slightly.

Soren was limping a little, but after much love and attention he is back to his playful self and LOVING all the attention. We're going to keep a close eye on him over the next few weeks. Praise the Lord, he isn't even limping anymore (only 30min. after the mishap).

Several other "unfortunate events" happened within the next hour, but none really worth mentioning. Any prayers for Soren would be appreciated.

We've all decided that we're heading straight to bed right now to end this as soon as we possibly can.......after some time of prayer for protection over our home and each member of our family, including our little man, Soren.

Tea Party

Yesterday Raegan invited her daddy and sisters to a tea party. I helped her get everything ready. She wanted chamomile tea and some kind of treat. It was her idea to have cinnamon graham crackers and some strawberries.

Gavin was very happy to participate in the tea time. He read a few passages from W.B. Yeats. The girls were attentive.

Some of the pictures are outside, where the tea party began. When it started to rain they moved the party indoors.

I love these times! The girls adore their daddy. It is a precious gift to be a daddy's girl, and to have a daddy that adores you right back!

Wow!

A Few Pictures

I ended up not getting very good pictures of Jenny's homecoming, which is such a bummer. But here are the few that turned out alright. Background: Jenny thought that just mom was meeting her at the airport. Instead there were about 20 of us waiting at the bottom of the escalator! Needless to say, she was very surprised!

The last picture I just HAD to throw in there, because it is of me standing next to Trish's book, "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not", at the local Barnes and Noble!! Though the picture is not a flattering one of me I still had to add it! I'm so proud of Trish and all the work she's put into this great memoir. I also couldn't help myself as I grabbed a copy off the shelves and put it on one of the front tables, up by the door....I have NO self control...I know this. Feel free to pray for me.:)