Emily the Excitable: Excited about Life

2011-03-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been thinking about songs that have had a positive influence on me. The songs that God uses to pick me up when I feel down. The songs that make me feel beautiful, when I try to run to makeup to cover up what I think is ugly. The songs that stick in my head, and lyrics that I remember when I get wrapped up in the things of this world. I started making a list. This list is now a few pages long, and I thought I'd share them so that maybe they can be an encouragement to you as well.

You Are More - Tenth Avenue North

Forward Motion - Relient K

How He Loves - David Crowder Band

Shine - David Crowder Band

What Love Really Means - JJ Heller

Your Hands - JJ Heller

Cannons - Phil Wickham

Serve You While I'm Waiting - John Waller

I Would Die For You - MercyMe

From the Inside Out - Hillsong

Blessings - Laura Story

Not Guilty Anymore - Aaron Keyes

Up to You - Krystal Meyers

Aimless - Bethany Dillon

Beautiful - Bethany Dillon

7 x 70 - Chris August

In Your Hands - Krystal Meyers

Beauty of Grace - Krystal Meyers

A Voice Calling Out- Bethany Dillon

Why - Bethany Dillon

For My Love - Bethany Dillon

Walk on the Water - Britt Nicole

Headphones - Britt Nicole

Believe - Britt Nicole

Hanging On - Britt Nicole

That's How We Roll - Britt Nicole

This is Your Life - Switchfoot

This is the Stuff- Francesca Battistelli

Beautiful - MercyMe

God of this City - BlueTree

Death in His Grave - John Mark McMillan

Better than Drugs - Skillet

Yours to Hold - Skillet

Those Nights - Skillet

Catchy Lyrics

2011-02-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

Exactly a month ago, my friend asked me to join her in listening to ONLY christian music for the month of January. I thought about it and agreed. It convicted me, because I had been listening to secular music regularly, sprinkling christian music here and there. I didn't realize how much I was listening to that music. This month, I also discovered a Bethany Dillon cd that I forgot I had. I have listened to her songs every day, and have not missed those secular songs one bit. In fact, it was refreshing for me to listen to songs that didn't make me think "Is this okay for me to listen to?" Today, that month is "up". So, I decided to go on youtube and look up some of the songs I used to listen to, and a few that I had heard about but had not listened to... I listened to Katy Perry's 'Firework' and 'Teenage Dream' first. These songs I found catchy before, but didn't realize how much of the lyrics I knew. After listening to a fwe other songs, I listened to a song by Britt Nicole and one my Tenth Avenue North. I was so encouraged, because unlike the 'other stuff', I felt like I was worth something. More than the secular songs talked about. I feel valued, and loved. Not like a firework, or like I want to be in a teenage dream. Now, I don't think secular songs are bad. But when they are the primary source of music on my iPod, I know there is a problem. I will work very hard to make sure that the lyrics that I let 'go to my head' are ones worth listening to...

2010-09-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

Greetings! :)

Whew. What a summer it has been. Where do I even begin?

Well, I'll start with the job that I had this summer. My parents and I prayed for a job that would suit me, and also something that would allow me to take off a little more than a week so I could travel to Lima, Peru with my church. God answered our prayers. A family from my church contacted me and said they were interested in hiring me to be a nanny for their daughters. I thought, "Oh, this might be fun..." What I didn't know was that they wanted to interview me. That made me nervous... Well, I went to the interview. They had already interviewed 4 or 5 girls, and I wasn't sure what was going to happen. To my surprise, they offered me the job almost immediately! :) I was thrilled. The COOLEST thing about it was... their daughters were going to be out of town the EXACT SAME time that I was going to be in Peru!!! Oh my goodness... I couldn't have asked for anything better. God knew what I needed. And boy did He provide in a way that I didn't even expect.

My job this summer consisted of: taking the girls to iHop and McDonalds for breakfast on occasion, swimming in my neighbors pool, watching movies, painting nails and styling hair, playing in the sprinkler, tiedyeing shirts and aprons, playing at the park, having tea parties and just goofing around. It was tons of fun. :)

Peru was also an AMAZING experience!!!!! I loved teaching martial arts to the kids of Salamanca :) It was great to be able to share my sport with another country. It made me realize how much I have here, and how often I take it for granted. I really have alot to be thankful for. All of our flights went very smoothly, no one got sick or seriously injured, and most importantly, we got to share Christ with people in another country. So awesome :)

I would love to go back to Peru someday. I would do it in a heartbeat.

Thats all for now :)

eMiLy

Almost to the end...

2009-12-17T12:35:00.000-08:00

Right now, I sit in my bright teal room, the sun peaking through my curtains as it often does on a sunny afternoon. I think about this past year and all the fun times and sad times.
One thing that I vividly remember about this year was our long summer vacation. We visited every state west of the Mississippi River in a little over 3 months. What an adventure that was. :) I collected various items, and now, every time I pick up a necklace I purchased or slip on my Minnetonka moccasins, I think of every place we went.

But this year also brought something sad, yet very real to the front of my mind... moving to Pennsylvania. Since my dad was retiring shortly before our trip, he had to look for another job as soon as possible. I had this vision in my mind of moving in quite a few years... I can't leave Virginia. I have lived here for almost 8 years, and a wonderful 8 years its been. But now I can't help but almost 'count down' how many months we have left here. And i hate it. I don't want to think that way. I want to treasure every moment I have here and remember every good memory that has been made. But right now I am struggling to trust God for provision. I don't want to move... I really times infinity(and more) don't want to move. But I have to. Right now, it is a matter of being thankful for every day that I have here and every day that I have left... every friend that I have made and every friend that I will make...

"His hands never shake when preparing the road for which our feet will travel."

Where do I begin?

2009-09-07T15:37:00.001-07:00

Oh my. I'm soooo sorry that I haven't updated in such a long time! We have been very busy, but now I will tell you of our adventures.

After Canada, We spent 5 days at Dan and Sarah Woods' house. We had a BLAST playing xbox, jumping on the trampoline,playing with the dogs, and well, not being in the camper!! Mom and Dad thoroughly enjoyed 'catching up' with Dan and Sarah. That Wednesday, we went to Seattle. Tessa came with us and we walked around downtown and Pike Place Market. We also bought Turkish Delight. Everyone liked it. If only Edmond Pevensey could have been there. :)

Thursday morning we left for Ben and Anna's house. We stayed there until Sunday morning. Friday we went to Crater Lake. Dad, Josiah and Nathan hiked a bit, while me, Mom and Noah stayed behind and sipped hot drinks in the cafe ( we were congested and hiking just wouldn't have been the best thing to do). On saturday morning, Anna, Mom, Dad and I went to the Saturday Market while Ben stayed and played games with the boys. That night we went to a local brewery for dinner.

Sunday morning we drove down to California to see Greg, Kimberly and Iris Young. We drove through the Redwoods, and Noah said, "Dad? Are we in ANOTHER National Park?" WE all laughed heartily. We arrived around 10pm, got all of our stuff out of the car, and made our way inside. We all slept well that night, and I woke up to Iris 'talking. Monday we spent taking pictures, playing basketball, and just relaxing. We were all sad when we had to leave the next morning. :(

We made it to Ben and Anna's on Tuesday night, and ordered pizza for dinner. The next morning, we drove back to the Woods' house to pick up the trailer. Now, we are back on the road again.

After Washington, we dove to Pocatello, Idaho where Dad ran a marathon. The next 2 days we spent driving to Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dad ran his CO marathon this morning, and we all enjoyed relaxing. Tomorrow, we will visit the Denver Mint and Focus on the Family. Wednesday we pack up for Kansas. We will spend 3 days in Kansas. After Kansas, we drive to Charles City, Missouri, and after Missouri, we head back to Michigan. We plan on arriving back home late September 18th. We can't wait to see everyone!

Happy Kampers signing off! :)

Tire Troubles

2009-08-19T21:53:00.001-07:00

(taken from in-car journal)

It's Wednesday. 5pm. Rear driver-side trailer tires blows. It blew a hole in the trailer under the refrigerator. Great. Just great. After spending 25-30 minutes on the phone with USAA and contacting On-Star to find our exact location, a mechanic came out and changed the tire. Mom and Dad are now patching the hole under the fridge with duct tape. Thankfully, we were able to contact an RV Repair Shop about 15 minutes away. We will hopefully get the trailer checked first thing in the morning and be back 'on the road again'. We will be skipping Wyoming on this trip. Dad was going to run a marathon there on Saturday, but he decided that we should take more time coming back and skip that marathon.

We are in Canada right now, and we will go through Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, and back to Michigan to visit family. Thank you for praying for us! Our trip has been fantastic. :)

Happy Kampers signing off! :D

Our Day Trip to Denali National Park

2009-08-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

Hi!!

Mt. McKinley came into view. It was a majestic site. Our tour guide said we were fortunate to see it! Only 25% of people that come to the park see it... WOW! It had been so rainy, smokey and cloudy that Mt. McKinley wasn't visible. We went on the perfect day!

The wildlife that day was magnificent to say the least! We saw 5 doll sheep, 12 grizzly bears(including cubs), a Pika(a small mouse with large ears), a Ptarmigan( the Alaska state bird), 2 caribou(one that was being stalked by a lynx), and 6 moose including a cow and her calf in a pond. The only 2 animals that we didn't see that live in the park was a wolf and a wolverine. We also caught a few glimpses of a Golden Eagle! My, what a day!! Our guide, Martin, said it was the "most wildlife" he had seen all summer. Our prayers for good weather were definitely answered, and we saw amazing wildlife and scenery. Denali National park was truly an awesome experience!

Happy Kampers signing off! :)

The Arctic Circle Adventure

2009-08-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

Hello!

We woke up at 5am, ate breakfast, packed lunch and walked down to the RV Park Office. There we boarded a motor coach and headed to a little briefing before we left. On the road we watched a few short videos about the various stops we had made throughout the day. We ate lunch at Yukon River Camp. We took lots of pictures along the way. Visibility was fabulous! Our guide, Alan, told us about a tour that he led this past friday. There have been alot of forest fires in the area, and smoke was abundant in the areas where we stopped. This morning it was a little smokey and tad rainy, but then the weather brightened up and we had sunny skies and nice breezes the rest of the day. We stopped at The Alaska Pipeline and a few little turnouts to take pictures. When we got to the Arctic Circle, Alan rolled out a red carpet for us to walk across. We also had a little dessert. :P We were a bit ahead of schedule, and stopped early for dinner at YRC. Mom and Dad had Horseradish Encrusted Halibut, Nathan and I had Salmon Fettucine, Josiah had Ribeye Steak and Noah had a Cheeseburger and Fries. Dad had Apple Pie for dessert. :) On the way back we stopped at WildWood General Store in Joy, Alaska.

What a fun day!

Happy Kampers signing off! :)

Today on the Alaskan Highway

2009-08-05T22:25:00.001-07:00

Hey!

Today we were driving on the Alaskan Highway and were VERY fortunate to see a young elk, a moose and 2 black bears! Mom said she prayed that we would at least see something! It was definitely a cool day. After driving since 8:15 this morning and making various stops for gas we arrived at the campsite at 7:15. We ate dinner and played a game of Greedy. After showers, we all checked the Internet which we are very glad to have tonight. The past few nights we have not been able to get it so it was nice to be able to check it without any problems!!! :)

Happy Kampers signing off! :)

July 29-31, 2009

2009-07-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody!

July 29: We left Cedar City and drove to Pocatello, ID.

July 30: We drove to Conrad, MT.

July 31: We will be staying at an RV Park in until Sunday, August 3rd. There is a community pool across the street from the park and we plan on going there sometime this afternoon. The local library is just a few blocks away and we have made a few trips to check email, blog, Facebook. Dad will be running The Grizzly Marathon tomorrow morning. On sunday, we will be visiting Glacier National Park. Monday, we will begin our long and arduous journey, "North to Alaska". :)

Happy Kampers signing off! :)

July 26-28, 2009

2009-07-28T21:44:00.001-07:00

Hey!

July 26: We woke up early to drive to Zion National Park. There was a nice shuttle ride that took us through the park. I was so tired I fell asleep for a few minutes! When we got back from the shuttle ride, we went to teh car and fixed lunch and got on the road. We drove to Bryce Canyon where we took a trail ride. Everyone rode a mule except Noah. Dad rode Hippie, Mom rode Tuffy, I rode Priscilla, Josiah rode Shamrock, Noah rode Chief and Nathan rode Crazy Alice. Our guide was named Cache. He had a great sense of humor and made the ride even more enjoyable.
We got back to the camper and went swimming. It was a fun day.

July 27: We woke up even earlier and drove to the Hoover Dam. There was a power plant tour that was very interesting, and we were able to go onto the viewing deck and take pictures. After the tour we drove to Las Vegas and ate lunch at The Mirage Casino. The buffet was fabulous! Everyone left very, very full. We walked around and saw the Fountain Show at The Bellajio. That was my favorite part of the day. I drove 200 miles back to the camper which is the longeest I have ever driven in one day! :) It was actually kind of fun...

July 28: Today we drove to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We hiked on 2 different trails which totalled 3 1/2 miles. Everyone drank lots of water and had a great time exploring and taking pictures. There was a thunderstorm that we could see in the distance and that was really coll to watch. We stopped in the Gift Shop and the Visitor Center after before heading back. Mom and Dad made a grocery run while Josiah and Nathan went swimming and Emily and Noah cooked dinner. After eating Noah and Nathan rode their bikes and then we played Uno. All in all it was a great day!

Happy Kampers signing off! :)

Cross Country Chronicles

2009-07-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody! Here is what we've been up to this past week. :D

July 22: We drove through Arches National Park and CanyonLands National Park. As I was taking pictures and just taking everything in, I thought, "When we come to places like this and we look at this creation, we always say, ' Oh wow! That looks like...' or 'Doesn't that look like so much like...' but we never look at something and say, 'Wow! That looks like a rock.' " It really amazed me how God made everything like that. He created certain things to point back to His Creation, and ultimately glorifying Him. That was definitely a God moment for me.

July 23: We hopped in the car yet again for a 4 hour drive to Salt Lake City, UT. Dad picked up his race packet and Mom swam in the pool with me and the boys. That night for dinner we went to Moochies, a little Italian restaurant right in the heart of Salt Lake. Guy from Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives had visited Moochies and highly recommended it. Dad and Nathan had spaghetti and meatballs, Noah had a hotdog, Mom had a meatball sub, Josiah had a Philly Cheese Steak, and I had deep dish lasagna. We all shared macaroni salad and their 'zippy' potato salad. We all left very full... :)

July 24: Happy Birthday Mom! Dad ran the Deseret Morning News Marathon in SL. Mom's Uncle Don and Aunt Lois met us at our campground and chatted for a little while, and then we drove to the finish. The Pioneer Days Parade was also that day. The marathon course and the parade course intersected a few times which made for a hectic finish. Me and the boys crossed the finish line with Dad, while Mom took pictures and Uncle Don and Aunt Lois watched. We walked back to the car and headed to the campground. Dad recovered a little bit from the race, and we went to KFC for lunch. That afternoon we spent at Uncle Don and Aunt Lois' condo and swam, talked and ate dinner. We were all very entertained by their little dog, Mazee. She danced around for treats, sat in my lap, and let Noah and Nathan chase her. On the way back to the camper, we saw people setting off fireworks in celebration for Pioneer Day. Who knew they would have fireworks and a huge parade all for Mom's birthday? :)

Today: Arrived in Cedar City early this afternoon. After we got everything set-up, Mom and I went to the store while Dad and the boys went swimming. We ate dinner and dessert outside and Noah and Nathan are riding their bikes outside at this very moment. Mom and Dad are looking up information about Bryce Canyon, Zion NP and the Grand Canyon. Josiah is listening to music and I'm surfing the net. :D

Thanks for following my blog! I hope enjoy hearing about our cross country experiences!!!

Happy Kampers signing off!

2009-07-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! I am SOOO sorry this post is so late. Here is our itinerary since July 12.

July 12: We drove most of the day to Bismark, ND and spent the night at a KOA kampground.

July 13: Woke up early and drove to Rapid City, SD and stayed there 3 nights. While in RC, we visited Crazy Horse Memorial and saw the Laser Light Show. The music was really cool and even though it was chilly outside, we had a great time and took lots of pictures. :) We all enjoyed looking at the displays and the pictures documenting the progess on the Memorial. The next night we drove to Mt. Rushmore. Nathan was the only one who had never seen it in person. We walked through the row of state flags and took pictures by the pillar with the name of our birth states. After alot of walking around the Gift Shop and outside marveling at the huge monument. Then we walked down to the stadium like seating area for the presentation and lighting of the sculpture. After a video depicting the life of the 4 presidents sculpted, all military were called down to the stage. David went down and proudly stated that he is now a "retired LCDR, United States Navy." We are so proud and thankful for his service to our awesome country!!!

July 14: Took a tour of Wind Cave National Park. We saw alot of Buffalo and Prairie Dogs on the drive-tour. :)

July 15 & 16: Mom and Dad wine tasted. Noah went panning for rocks at the local Rock Shop. We had a nice time walking around and seeing the little shops of downtown Custer.

July 17: Drove to Okoboji, IA. Drove through the Badlands National Park on the way. WE also visited Wall Drug for their Famous Ice Water and Homemade Doughnuts. Yum!

July 18: Dad ran the University of Okoboji Marathon. We met him at the finish, and enjoyed a few funnel cakes and a dip in West Lake Okoboji. Later that day, Dad took me and Josiah to a nearby theather to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. :D That night we sat around the kampfire and made s'mores and practiced some of our Tae Kwon Do techniques. The boys played outside while Dad looked for area churches and I gave Mom a pedicure!

July 19: We went to Faith Evangelical Free Church in Okoboji and then headed to Grand Island, NE. WE spent the night at a KOA kampground.

July 20: Drove to Denver, CO and ate dinner at Buckhorn Exchange (as seen on 'Man vs. Food') on Food Network. As an appetizer, we all shared Rocky Mountain Oysters and Rattlesnake. Then we all split buffalo, elk, quail, ostrich, yak and garlic mashed potatoes. Noah had a buffalo burger and homemade chips. We all concluded that yak was the best, and left comfortably full.

July 21: Today we spent another 6 hours in the car driving to Green River, UT. When we arrived we all swam in the KOA pool. After dinner, the boys went in the pool and I watched them while Mom and Dad took a walk to Green River to take a picture.

Again, I am very sorry that this post is late. :/

Happy Kampers signing off! :)

Week In Review

2009-07-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Here is an update on the past few days. On Thursday, we drove to Copper Harbor and toured the Delaware Copper Mine. Then we took a boat tour out to Copper Harbor Lighthouse. After a short tour of the island and many clicks of our camera buttons, we climbed into the small boat and headed back to the dock. We also went to Eagle Harbor Lighthouse. The boys had a great time sitting on the huge rocks and throwing little rocks in the water while Dad took pictures of the Lighthouse and Mom and I took pictures of the gorgeous water.
Friday: We traveled to Duluth, MN and stayed at a KOA kampground.
Saturday: David got up early(3:30am Central Time) to run the Half-Voyageur Trail Marathon. When we woke up, we all got ready to meet him at the finish line. The boys and I ran the last 2/10 0f a mile with him! After Dad and Nathan took a quick dip in the pool, we drove a few hours to the Mall of America where we spent a grand total of 3 hours. The LegoLand was very crowded but very cool. There was a huge clock made entirely out of Legos! It had shoes, and even the laces worked!!
Josiah went into the Apple Store and was very blessed to receive a brand new iPod! The center button stopped working for the second time, and it was no longer under warranty. He left very grateful! We ate dinner at a Taco Bell outside of the mall, and drove 2 hours back to the kampground.
Sunday: Everyone packed up and drove to Bemidji, MN where we stayed at another KOA. David and the kids swam in the pool while Monica journaled. After many attempts to keep the fire lit, Monica finally did it! David and the kids went to the Ice Cream Social and came back VERY full. We all sat by the fire and talked with our "neighbors" for quite some time.
Today: This morning we ate breakfast at the KOA office, and packed up, ready to go to the Headwaters of Mississippi. After crossing a few times, we left, embarking on a 6 hour drive! We listened to many Adventures in Odyssey's and slept alot. (No worries, both drivers stayed awake!) :)

More to come! Thanks for praying for us! We have been blessed to have only experienced one leak so far in the camper. Huzzah!

Happy Kampers signing off!

We're Off!

2009-07-07T19:35:00.001-07:00

The Hunts have left Virginia! We traveled to Michigan and spent the weekend of the 4th of July with family. After a wonderful whirlwind of a weekend, we headed to the Upper Peninsula. We are currently camping at a KOA( Kampground of America) campsite just a few miles from the Mackinac Bridge. We visited a few sites near the bridge on Sunday night, and yesterday toured Mackinac Island. Today, we went to the Soo Locks, Whitefish Point Lighthouse, Point Iroquois Station and the Lower-Upper Falls of Tahquamenon. More news to come on our whereabouts across the U.S!!!

Through Gates of Splendor

2009-05-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Tears rolled down my cheek as I closed the book. I left it sitting there on my lap as I wondered. "How did she do that? Was she not sad about what happened to her husband?" I had just finished reading 'Through Gates of Splendor' by Elisabeth Eliott. This is probably one of the most thought provoking and challenging books I have ever read. For those of you who have never read the story or even heard of Jim and Elisabeth Eliott, their story is truly remarkable. Shortly after getting married, Jim and Elisabeth felt called to serve on the mission field. After many months of contact with the Acua Indians (translated exactly: Naked Savages), Jim and 4 other men flew over and met with some of the people. The Acua attacked. All 5 men had guns. All 5 men chose not to use them. All 5 men fell. Word soon spread and the families were contacted. The bodies were found. For Elisabeth, who had just lost her husband, she was now faced with the challenge of raising a child on her own. To share Christ with these savages. Elisabeth felt the call to stay. To continue to live among the people and minister to them. After I finished the book, I sat thinking to myself. "I probably would have left! I would NOT want to stay and live with the people who killed my husband!" But then I also remembered that God had a divine purpose for Elisabeth staying. She knew she was needed and that her husbands' death was no accident.
This is one of the most important books I have ever read. I am truly thankful my mom gave it to me to read. I enjoyed it even through the tears.

Sounds- The Motions

2009-05-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

On the way to Tae Kwon Do, I heard a song that is very close to my heart: The Motions by Matthew West. The lyrics have stuck a thorn in my heart. God has used this song in my life to realize that I really have to surrender and serve him. I have to abandon it all. Serve, sing and be salt like no one is watching. This song was so beautiful to my ears. I play it quite often and it never seems to get old. My ears welcome it anytime.
Here are the lyrics...

This might hurt

It's not safe

But I know I've got another change

I don't care if I break

At least I'll be feeling something

It's just ok

It's not enough

Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don't wanna go through the motions

I don't wanna go one more day

Without your all consuming passion

Inside of me

I don't wanna spend my whole like asking

What if I had given everything?

Instead of going through the motions

Take me all the way

I don't wanna go

Through the motions

I think I'm finally feeling something real

I can't continue to go through the motions... I have to live, love and be a light with a sincere heart and break out of the mold of life.

I'm Wide Awake... No More SNOOZE button

2009-05-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

As I drove my bright green John Deere riding lawnmower to my neighbor's house, I could only imagine how long it would take me to plow through all the weeds that had grown the past few weeks. "I'm gonna be here for a while!" I thought to myself. I slowly moved from overgrown flowerbed to overgrown flowerbed, picking out all the weeds that had consumed the mulch. I threw them out into the path of my lawnmower. "I can't WAIT until this is done!" I was really ready to see the yard back to normal and not a jungle...

I watched the mower as it hacked away at the ridiculously overgrown weeds. I began to think. "I have let weeds grow in my life right now." This hit me so hard. I felt like my neighbors lawn, just waiting to hear the rumble of that John Deere engine! I needed to be cut down. To realize that my purpose is to serve God. But I have let my attitude get in the way. I have been rude and unkind to my family and I needed to be cut down to the ground and start over.

Now I am WIDE AWAKE and serving God to the best of my ability whether it is through mowing my neigbor's lawn or simply being kind and loving to my family. I can't hit the SNOOZE button anymore...

"God? Do You Mind Driving?"

2009-05-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, my dad started having pain in his right shoulder. He went to the doctor. As a family we didn't really know what to expect. At all... They took some x-rays and did various tests. They found a cyst in his shoulder. That would explain his pain. W found the results a few weeks later. Cancer was a possibility... This shocked us all. My first instinct was to think, "How will we make it if we don't have our dad? Was it going to change our lives forever?" results He couldn't do much with his arm at all. I was scared. I didn't want to have to go through all the thoughts of losing my dad. "Not now. No God! No!"
As weeks turned into months, we still didn't know if it was cancer. All we knew was there was something in his arm and it had to come out. He debated surgery. We talked about it as a family. He sought a second opinion. He started seeing the chiropractor and despite the pain, he pulled through. The second doctor came to a conclusion: NO CANCER! We were beyond thrilled at the thought of this not being a life threatening situation! How tough that would have been! I thank God for letting this come into my family's life at just the right time. He knew what was going to happen. We didn't. We let God drive. My dad now has full range of motion back in his arm and we really enjoy all the sport activites we have been able to enjoy since his recovery! Oh and by the way, the cyst turned out to be a hard calcium deposit in his arm he had had since he was a kid... Praise God!

I Would Die For You

2009-05-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

About 10 or 11 years ago, I visited my Opa and Oma in Michigan. They lived on the beach in a spectacular house, and I have many memories of those times when I visited. One day, I happened to be introduced to their neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Teter. If I remember correctly they were both deaf, but I enjoyed there company beyond what words can describe. I ate lunch with them and often just spent time at their house. I developed a great love for this elderly couple and liked to visit them as frequently as my vacation schedule would allow. Helping them and just being at their house was what I would consider a selfless act. Most people my age are afraid to talk to elderly people. I have never encountered that problem. I would like to share an excerpt of a letter Mrs. Teter sent to me quite a few years ago:

April 28, 2001

Dear Emily,

Thank you for the very nice present. I really do like it. The fragranced candle smells so good. Your GrandDad just brought over your address. He said you will be here in about 2 weeks. I will wait until you come so we can smell it together. It will be so good to see you again and your family. See you soon. Mrs. Darlene Teter

I have fond memories of being over at their house, and my mom would often come and get me because I stayed for quite a while. I remember not wanting to leave. I loved them so much. Sadly, Mr. Teter passed away a few years after I met them, but I am so glad I got to spend as much time with them as I did. I truly think God used me at such a young age to be selfless and invest my time in such a lovely couple, Mr. and Mrs. Teter.

Radical Reliance

2009-05-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

When I first started learning how to drive, I remember being very impatient and argumentative with my mom. If she gave me a direction that I already knew, I lashed out on verbal anger. If I made a mistake, I got mad at her for not telling me what to do. I felt like there was nothing right I could do without getting upset, and she felt the same. Now that I think about the first few months of driving with my parents, I lost alot of driving priveleges because of my attitude. That really upset me. My parents constantly reminded me that "driving is a privelege, NOT a right." I felt hurt. I felt like I wasn't driving as well as I could. I didn't like the comments that they were making, but really, I had absolutely NO right to talk to and treat my parents the way I did. I often apologised to them, but I didn't really trust God to help me through the difficult time I was having. If I had not relied on my own strength and ability, I probably would have had a better time while driving with my parents. I regret not praying more when I was going through this time.

"Excuse me God, can you please hold?"

2009-05-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been thinking of the busyness of my life and all the objects and daily routines that do not include God. Facebook, reading, movies, guys and just the normal aspects of my life have taken over. I have started reading the widely popular teen vampire novels by Stephenie Meyer- The Twilight Saga. Because it is such a page turner, I find that I replace my Bible with one of those books. I have let it encompass my thoughts while reading it, when I should be reading my Bible. I have fallen away from my daily devotions and even admit I have not been praying regularly or the way I should. I have set a goal to do my devotions daily, even if that means skipping a chapter of "Breaking Dawn" in order to read my Bible. I have also let Facebook consume alot of my time. I check it a ridiculously high number of times a day. Definitely way more than I check in with God. Not that Facebook is bad, it just takes up alot of my time. Compared to God, Facebook should be very low on my priority list for each day. "Hello God, you rang?"

Hungry, I come to You for I know You satisfy,
I am empty but I know Your love does not run dry;
And so I wait for you; so I wait for You...

I'm falling on my knees,
Offering all of me;
Jesus, You're all this heart is living for.

Broken, I run to You for Your arms are open wide,
I am weary, but I know Your touch restores my life;
And so I wait for you; so I wait for You...

Disappointment to Divine Appointment

2009-05-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! About a month ago my parents decided we were going to go to a concert as a family. I didn't mind that. The thing was, it was on a sunday night. The night I go to Youth Group at my church. I was so disappointed that I had to go to a concert to watch guys I claimed I "didn't like." As the day drew closer, all I could think about was, "I'm going to be stuck at a concert with my family while my friends are having fun." This concert happened to the United Tour- Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith. These guys started writing and singing Christian worship songs well before Christian music became popular. It was unheard of at the time. I grew up listening to them, but was just not excited to see them in concert at all. We got to the concert that night and I learned SCC and MWS had never in their entire music careers toured together! I was so amazed! Needless to say, I had a great time at the concert with my family. Yes, I did miss out on one night of Dgroups, but I believe God wanted me at that concert for a reason. My disappointment brought his divine appointment.

2009-05-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! I am VERY excited to be starting my own blog. :) You might be wondering how I came up with the title though. When I was born, my cousin, Aaron, observed me and dubbed me "Emily the Excitable." As I was thinking about a name for this blog, that nickname stuck. I hope you enjoy reading my blog!