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
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
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
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
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!!
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!!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
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!
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!
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