I just wanted to say:

Hollie
Helen
and David

Thank you for being wonderful freinds. Helen- i'll be up next weekend to see you and stay with u- call me soon, Hollie- i hope to see you soon. I hate i can't be closer in location to you- but this is what i needed to do. You all are very dear to me. My closest freinds. I just wanted to say that. You know you are all special to me. Deeply. I hope you are doing well. Know that i'm thinking about you, and praying for you.

Have a wonderful day.

God Bless

-love always
Emmi

Nothing Too Hard

Jeremiah had been a prophet for nearly forty years by the time Jerusalem
came under attack by the Babylonians. He had long been proclaiming a
message of repentance, but the people continued to ignore his plea; now
the enemy had surrounded Jerusalem and the end was near. In this time
of great turmoil, God told Jeremiah to purchase a field from his cousin.

This was a strange request, but Jeremiah obediently purchased the field.
However, he soon began to question God's reasoning: "See how the siege
ramps are built up to take the city? Though the city will be handed over
to the Babylonians, You say to me, 'Buy the field'" (Jeremiah 32:24,25).
Jeremiah had been a prophet for many years. He had been given the
privilege of talking directly with God, but this command just didn't
make sense. Why should he purchase a field when the enemy was invading
and taking prisoners?

God answered Jeremiah with a simple, yet challenging question.

Jeremiah 32:27
"I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for Me?"

Yes, the enemy had invaded the land and would soon overrun the city of
Jerusalem. But God's plan was for the people to one day return to the
land: "I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them
in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this
place and let them live in safety. They will be My people and I will be
their God" (Jeremiah 32:37-38). Jeremiah's field was to be a reminder
that God would one day restore His people - a reminder that He could be
trusted even in the face of overwhelming circumstances.

We often have a difficult time seeing how all the pieces of God's plan
fit together. He leads us down a path and we fail to see the purpose -
especially when the enemy begins to attack. We want to fight back, but
God says to trust Him and pray; we want to determine a solution and
solve the problem, but God says to love Him with all our heart and share
His love with others.

The times in which we are most tested and pressed down must be the times
of greatest growth and closeness with our Heavenly Father. Let's put
our life firmly in His Hands and submit to His guidance - even when we
may not see where we're going or how we're going to get there. Let's
trust His ways and always remember...for God, there is NOTHING too hard!

i hung out with matt v. yesterday, it was pretty awesome to get to see him. we had fun just talking and sharing stories, giving eachother a hard time. it was great.
i need to call that fella more.
my mom's b-day was yesterday that was interesting. we went out on teh town and had a blast. we ate at shimmels- good stuff- i'm having my leftovers for lunch.

going with dave to umc to meet some of his doctor friends and pple he use to work with. yeah my guy use to be a doctor...not really. no offense baby but i'd be a lil scared if u were my doctor- too a.d.d - you wouldn't want me as a doctor either.

here's a poll for you guys on here- helen already answered.
should i go back to blonde if i do no more dying hair.
what do you think i should do.
and dont' give that whatever u wanna do answer.
for more info abotu the hair go to my xanga site.

scheduling of the tour is going good. i'm having to rearrange things but i think it's about to start falling into place.
good stuff.

Thursday is bosses day. and i'm a boss- but i don't want recognition or anything- i don't need and i shouldn't get it.

well i'm bout to get ready to go home. this morning has been so slow.
well i'm off
have a wonderful day
God Bless
Emmi

Spiritual Wisdom and Understanding

Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians to show that Jesus is sufficient
to supply every need of the believer. In the opening verses, Paul wrote
that the Colossians had a reputation for great faith in Jesus Christ -
their love, hope, and hunger for the Gospel was bearing fruit and had
been growing "since the day you heard it and understood God's grace"
(Colossians 1:6).

Paul was thankful for their strong faith, but he wanted them to have
more and was committed to praying for their continued growth; "We have
not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the
knowledge of His will through all Spiritual wisdom and understanding"
(Colossians 1:9).

Paul then explained the purpose of his prayer.

Colossians 1:10-12
"We pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and
may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing
in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to
His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,
and joyfully giving thanks to the Father."

Though God's gracious gift of Salvation is free, the cost is high. We
can do nothing to earn or maintain this gift besides believe in His Son;
but the faith through which His grace flows is a faith committed to Him
without reservation - prepared to follow anywhere He leads and willing
to live a life which honors Him in all we do.

Paul didn't pray for the details of an honoring life; rather, he prayed
for what truly produces change; "the knowledge of His will through all
Spiritual wisdom and understanding." We never please God by focusing on
specific activities, we please Him by drawing near and allowing His
blessings to flow in and through our life. This is a life which bears
fruit and is filled with endurance, patience, and thankfulness.

This life is available for us today...regardless of our circumstances.
But we must draw nearer to our Heavenly Father and hunger for a better
understanding of His Word. We must long for His presence and continue
to grow in love and faith. God has infinitely more to give and will
only pour His blessings upon those who continue to seek Him with all
their heart.

Dear Lord, we pray that You will give us a continued passion for You and
an increased hunger for Your Word. We pray that You will strengthen our
faith and use our life for Your glory. Heavenly Father, we pray that we
will abandon ourself to You and that You will fill us with the knowledge
of Your will through all Spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Time to write, time to listen , time for feedback.

So this last week has been rough. but Sat was awesome. The show went amazing. Thanks for everyone who came out.
This sat is the clb benefit and we need major support. major. i'm looking for sponsers as we speak. God will provide. Pray for us.

I spent the whole weekend shopping for jeans , and finally on the 3rd day i gave in and bought the pair i first tried on two days ago. Helen you know what i went thru. man was it horrible.
Sat i got to hang out with people. after the show i went out. just me- with other people. it was great. to actually be around people that i flet like liked me. to see friends. it was great. to laugh with em. i really miss it. i miss going out. i miss friends. i miss my friends calling me, i miss being called to go out. friday i called pple and invited them to go out- it felt odd- i almost forgot what to say. the people i called were even suprised. shocked - you could hear it in their voices- wow thanks. suprised that i had called. yeah i like pple i like friends and i like to go out.
i'm afraid that in the music scene- i'm just emmi- i do all this work- i have pple who work for me- but when it comes down to it yeah they like me - but they would never call me to go out- and if i did go out with em it might be odd- because well i'm emmi. i know that all sounds rather sad , and a few of you think that's obsurd cause you're my friends - but you aren't here. so i'm left here with all these pple that i'm friends with but we never hang out- yus i know i need to take action. i'm trying trust me.
i miss you all very much. it's so odd not having you guys here. the sad thing is - i got use to it - and then i remebered what it was like - and now i miss it more than ever.
i take alot of my friends for granted. and i'm sorry.
And i know a lot of you are gonna be like what? where did this come from.
Wha Happened.
i stayed in mississippi- dont' get me wrong i made the right decision.
my friends went away. i need to adjust and make new friends- hang out with new pple. that's something i'm gonna have to do. i need to adjust. this isn't a wrong or right thing. it's just a matter of doing .
Forgive me for my rambelings.
Feel free to rail me, attack me.
Feel free to tell me i'm loved.
i need it.
i don't mean for anyone to feel sorry for me.
i don't mean to sound pathetic, or depressed , although i'm sure i do.

i'm very happy dont' get me wrong
i love my life
i love my Lord
i love my family
i love my boyfriend
i love my friends

i just miss my friends
i miss seeing em- that's all.

if any of this made sense - if you know where i'm coming from then good
if i confused any of you i'm sorry.
just ask me and i'll explain. hopefully my random rambleings or patheticness made sense.

Helen- i know you know what i'm going thru.
you went thru it last year.


dave, i love you, see you later today- it should be a fun. can't wait to see you.
thanks for the movie last night.

I love you all.
God Bless
Emmi

Grace In Others

In the last two devos, we've considered the grace of God in our
Salvation as well as in our daily Christian walk. Anytime we add
requirements to faith, we have strayed from the true gospel message. We
certainly need to be challenged as to what faith really means and how a
saving faith will manifest itself in our life, but we must never walk
away from Salvation by grace through faith and faith alone.

Galatians 1:6-8
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called
you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - which
is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into
confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we
or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we
preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!"

This is a serious call - one we cannot ignore. We are challenged in the
strongest of terms to continue walking according to the true gospel.

We usually begin this walk by focusing on our own life. We slowly take
our eyes off of what we can do and look more upon what Christ has
already done; "He must become greater, I must become less" (John 3:30).
But there remains another step we must begin to take. This important
step is to recognize that the grace which pulled us out of the slimy pit
and set our feet on solid ground (Psalm 40:2) is the same grace which
works in the life of other believers. We know we can do nothing to earn
or add to our Salvation, but how often do we place "requirements" on others.

There are some congregations where all the men wear a suit and tie
during the worship service. Though they may preach Salvation by grace
through faith, they have a difficult time with someone who professes to
love the Lord but comes to worship in a pull-over shirt and does not
conform to the "Law" of suit and tie - "How can they really be saved
dressed like that?" Likewise, there are other congregations who worship
in shorts and tee shirts. Though they may preach Salvation by grace
through faith, they have a difficult time with someone who professes to
love the Lord but comes to worship in a suit and does not conform to the
"freedom" we have in Christ - "How can they really be saved dressed like that?"

This may seem like a trivial example, but I trust the Spirit will guide
as to how this applies in your own life. How about things like hair
style or worship style. How about those "sins" which we, in our great
wisdom, have identified as indications of true Salvation but which the
Bible remains absolutely silent.

Please, let's all search our heart on this issue. Let's never pull
anyone away from the true gospel. We are saved by grace through faith
and faith alone - and "we" includes all our Brothers and Sisters in
Christ. Let's continue to live by grace and diligently seek to
recognize God's grace in others.

By All Possible Means

The Apostle Paul was a pillar of strength who saw the ways of God more
clearly than any other individual. He had a unique boldness in his
message because he had received the gospel directly from God: "The
gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive
it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by
revelation from Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11-12).

There is no doubt that Paul had a special anointing: "This man {Paul} is
My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their
kings and before the people of Israel" (Acts 9:15). But if Paul would
have remained attached to this highly favored position of strength and
superior knowledge, his ministry would have been severely limited.

1 Corinthians 9:22
"To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to
all men so that by all possible means I might save some."

Paul was so devoted to preaching the Gospel that he could humbly
minister to anyone! He was determined to reach every person God placed
in his path - even if this meant lowering himself and becoming weak.

We must be careful to understand that weakness does not mean we engage
in sin! God NEVER asks us to violate His commands in order to accomplish
His will; we will never need to sin in order to reach someone with the
gospel. Rather, becoming weak means showing compassion without regard
to a person's status; it means having the "strength" to walk beside the
weak and minister the love of Jesus without condemnation. Godly
weakness means showing grace to others because we understand the grace
we've been given.

As we minister to the lost - as we touch those without Christ - there
must be a single purpose to our message. Without Jesus we are ALL lost
and on our way to an eternal damnation; "For all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). We must never forget this
basic truth. We must never let our position in Christ cloud the message
of the cross. We have been saved and set free; "He has rescued us from
the dominion of darkness" (Colossians 1:13). But now, the world around
us is in desperate need of this same Savior.

We each have a message to share - a message which can encourage and be
used to draw others to faith in Jesus. Let's begin to share this
message with ALL. Let's begin to step outside our select and
"comfortable" group - outside the group we relate to and claim to
understand. The Good News of Jesus is a precious life-saving gift!
Let's begin to share this gift with ALL - by ALL possible means.

internet at school is finally fixed so yeah i'm back. things have just gotten crazy as of lately with everything that's been going on.
we have a big show this weekend
the lyndsay diaries so if you can make it please do , we really need your support

next week will be the rock the clb event.
major support needed there.
thanks so much
God Bless
Emmi

Actively Wait

In the last devo "God's Perfect Will" we saw that God's will is for us to
live a life of thanksgiving and prayer; a life of contentment and peace
independent of circumstances. It is also "God's will that you should be
sanctified {set apart, made holy}; that you should avoid sexual
immorality" (1 Thessalonians 4:3). These are general aspects of God's
will, given to every one of His Children. His specific direction will
come as we obediently align our life with His general will...and wait.

We live in a generation where waiting is viewed as a waste of time, but
learning to wait is how we grow: "They that wait upon the Lord shall
renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they
shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah
40:31 KJV).

This is a powerful and encouraging passage: if we wait on the Lord, we
will be strengthened, soar like the eagles, and not grow weary. But
what does it really mean to wait? We were not called to "take up the
cross of Salvation" so we can then live our lives sitting on the couch.
Rather, as believers in Jesus Christ, we have been invited to a
wonderful lifetime journey - a journey which is sometimes difficult, but
one always filled with adventure and purpose.

1 Timothy 6:11-12
"But you, man of God, flee from all this {evil}, and pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight
the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you
were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many
witnesses."

Notice all the word of action: flee, pursue, fight, take hold. This is
definitely a call to actively move forward in our journey of faith.

So: do we wait, or do we fight and take hold? Do we rest and hope in
the Lord, or do we flee and pursue? The answer is simply....yes! We
are called to a life of action - to a life where we "bear much fruit"
(John 15:8) - but we must learn to "act" while waiting and trusting God
for every result. We must give Him all our effort while remaining "in
the vine" (John 15:4), and allowing the life of Christ to flow through
us and produce the fruit.

This means we are to boldly share the gospel message, but then to wait
on God for the harvest of belief. It means we are to seek opportunities
and diligently prepare for service, but then continue to listen and
trust Him to reveal His desired path.

God calls us to a faith of complete trust; a faith which produces both
action and patience. Let's take hold and fight the good fight of faith
as we learn to actively wait.

once my internet at schoool gets fixed i'll be able to do more updates on here.
sorry for the great abscence .
have an awesome day
and go to the fair

His Amazing Grace

In the last devo "Strong In His Grace" we considered God's grace in the
process of Salvation and saw we can do nothing to earn a right standing
in His eyes. Our Heavenly Father poured out His love when He gave us
Jesus; "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were
still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

God, through His amazing grace, gave us His Son and said, "Whoever
believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). We
are allowed into an eternal relationship with God because of His grace
and are strongly exhorted to live each day knowing our relationship is
maintained by the same grace in which it began, not by anything we do or
accomplish.

There are many things we are called to do as a Child of God, many ways
to serve and honor our Heavenly Father, many ways to be obedient and
seek after holiness; but we can NEVER fall into the trap of thinking,
even for a moment, that what we do adds to our Salvation by grace. As
much as faith in Jesus Christ is absolutely necessary for our Salvation,
faith in Jesus Christ is also absolutely sufficient.

Paul delivered this message in many of his letters, but no where as
strong as in his letter to the Galatian churches. He had preached the
message of Salvation by grace, but they had been led into a false
teaching which said they must earn their Salvation by first submitting
to the Old Testament Law. Paul warns that if we fall into this same
trap, "Christ will be of no value to you at all" (Galatians 5:2). The
things we do have value, but the value is not in the religious activity
or product we produce; rather, the only thing God will recognize is the
faith in our heart which ought to drive ALL we do.

Galatians 5:6
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."

We show our love for God through worship, thanksgiving, prayer, study,
obedience, and faithful service; and we acknowledge His saving grace
with a humble spirit which does not allow us to become puffed up or feel
deserving of our Salvation. We demonstrate our love for others as we
refuse to cause harm, in word or deed, refuse to harbor unforgiveness,
and actively look for opportunities to serve. And we show an
understanding of God's grace as we express our love without requiring
others to earn our love or even love us in return.

Let's receive His grace with a thankful heart, knowing we bring nothing
to the cross besides our sin which He then takes away. Let's trust only
in His grace, given to us through faith, and express our faith with all
our heart, soul, mind, and strength as we love Him and love one another.
Let's begin to live this life like we truly understand His amazing grace.

Strong In His Grace

When we are brought to the point of belief - the point where we see our
sin, desire to change, and acknowledge God's Son as our only way to
Heaven - we ask, in faith, for Jesus to forgive our sins and be our
Savior. At that very moment, the grace of God abounds, His Spirit
transforms our heart and He picks us up as His child: "For it is by
grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast"
(Ephesians 2:8-9).

The moment of true Salvation is without question the most significant
event in our Christian life. In that moment, we are "born again" (John
3:7) and become a "new creation" in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) through
the power of the Holy Spirit; "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the
Spirit gives birth to spirit" (John 3:6). In fact, the moment of
Salvation is so significant that even if we seem to stumble through
every step past that point, we still have reason to rejoice with every
breath - we are children of the King and will spend all eternity in His
glorious Kingdom.

As we continue on this sometimes rocky journey, we are to strive for
holiness and purposeful worship in our life. We are to diligently seek
Him and "learn the secret of being content in any and every situation"
(Philippians 4:12). We must learn to "trust in the Lord with all our
heart" (Proverbs 3:5), but we must also remember that "apart from Me
{Jesus}, you can do NOTHING" (John 15:5). If we strive in our own
strength, we are all destined to fall.

2 Timothy 2:1
"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

This means we must continue to trust in His grace and in His grace
alone. We did nothing to earn our Salvation and we can do nothing to
maintain our right standing before God besides believing in His Son;
"Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying
to attain your goal by human effort?" (Galatians 3:3).

We are saved by the grace of God and we must continue to live by this
same grace: "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,
continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the
faith as you were taught" (Colossians 2:6). Our Heavenly Father will
determine our path to holiness, purpose, contentment, and trust - and
His grace will equip us with all we need for the journey.

Let's completely trust in the saving grace of Jesus! Let's apply the
strength of His grace today in every trial and temptation. Let's live a
life of pure and holy devotion by always remaining strong in His grace.

Be Prepared to Follow

We are often reminded of our need to spend time in prayer and in the
study of God's Word. These essential disciplines allow us to abide in
the presence of God and "hear" when He calls us to action; they are also
necessary for strengthening our faith in order to obediently follow
where He leads.

God's Word encourages us that when He calls, He also provides the tools
to accomplish our assigned task; "His divine power has given us
everything we need for life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3). We are also
comforted that as we respond, we will never be alone; "Never will I
leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). But God's call
also carries responsibility; His call says He has made His choice - He
has chosen us to take part in His wonderful plan and, in faith, we must
respond by following.

After delivering many of God's messages to the people of Israel -
calling them to repent and return to the worship of the One True God -
the prophet Jeremiah became impatient with God's timing: "I would speak
with You about Your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why
do all the faithless live at ease?" (Jeremiah 12:1). Jeremiah
complained about how long he had to wait for the wicked to be punished.
He was following God and calling others to do the same, but the ungodly
seemed to continue living the "good" life. This sounds much like the
way we complain today.

God's response wasn't exactly what Jeremiah was hoping to receive.

Jeremiah 12:5
"If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can
you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you
manage in the thickets by the Jordan?"

God told Jeremiah that the situation in Israel was going to get worse in
the coming days; He asked Jeremiah if he was truly ready for the
challenge. Jeremiah had been called to be God's messenger and now was
not the time to complain - this was the time to be a soldier and trust
with ALL his heart; it was a time to renew his strength, and push toward
the assigned goal.

Our Heavenly Father dearly loves us and desires an eternity of intimate
fellowship. He is a God of great comfort, but He is also our Commanding
Officer who challenges us prepare for the Spiritual battles ahead. As
bad and unjust as the world often appears, there is no guarantee that
things won't become worse. We must trust now more than ever that God
chose the right person when He gave us our assignments; He has made His
call and promises to provide all the necessary tools at the proper time.

Let's spend more time worshipping at His feet and loving Him with all
our heart. Let's rely on His strength and trust His understanding -
let's draw closer to His side and always be prepared to follow.

okie, so i don't have internet at school right now. it sucks a butt.
go to my xanga every day to see new pics. i'll be putting a new one up on the profiel thing every day or every other day.
devo for the day is below. sorry you guys have been lacking in devos and talks but i haven't been able to do em.
the weekend was wonderful. i'm back at deq now. safe and sound. had an awesome week.
oooooh guys what we did last night.
we ate at soulshine AND Dave took me to chuck e cheese!!!!!!1
we played skee ball it rocked
that is my all time favorite game. i wanna buy one .
goodness. it was so much fun though. goodtimes.
we're such lil kids it's great.
well i have to go back to work.
Have an awesome day.
God Bless
Emmi

With a New Heart

Very few are unaware of the significance of September 11th. Two years
ago the world saw images which caused shock, fear, anger, and possibly
confusion. In the days which followed the September 11 attack, and even
now two years later, we face the question of how to respond - both
outwardly and inwardly. These events continue to challenge our belief
in the unchanging truth of God's Word.

2 Corinthians 4:18
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what
is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Is it possible to look past the images and receive God's message from
what is unseen? To us as individuals scattered all around the world,
God continues to send a message which must not be clouded by what we
see, nor by the resulting fear and anger. As believers in Jesus Christ,
we ought to see with new eyes and hear with new ears.

God's message cannot be seen or heard, and certainly not understood,
unless we first believe; "For the message of the cross is foolishness to
those who are perishing" (1 Corinthians 1:18). Those who have not, by
faith, trusted in the sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin,
cannot begin to understand.

The first message God continues to send is that life is extremely
fragile and short; "a mist that appears for a little while and then
vanishes" (James 4:14). God is not trying to depress us with this
message; rather, He simply desires our priorities to remain with Him and
eternity - not with the temporary, and unsatisfying, gods of this world.

The other message is to challenge us to speak and live His Word in the
face of all kinds of adversity; "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors,
as though God were making His appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Our actions, and reactions, send a message - what message are we
sending? Don't get lost trying to analyze the message our nations are
putting forth, focus instead on the message each of us as individuals
are sending to those around us.

Two thousand years ago, God demonstrated His love by sending His Son to
die for our sins; "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us"
(Romans 5:8). He did this so those who believed would be given the gift
of eternal life. Once we understand the love of God and the magnitude
of our forgiveness through Jesus, we can begin to follow His command to
forgive others; "Forgive as the Lord forgave you" (Colossians 3:13).
Without His undeserved forgiveness, we would all spend eternity in the
same hell as any other "evil" person who rejects Christ. Let's begin to
listen for what is unheard, look for what is unseen, and respond in ALL
situations with a new heart.

i've got a scanner now, and a printer, and a copier...all in one. and my digital camera on my phone can download stuff from my computer and put my pics on my comp.
ooooh goodness. the office is lookin nice now.
vacation tomorrow and trying to work on tour stuff. goodness goodness.
things are looking up at school and such. things are slowly calming down.
i need to call hollie asap. i'm planning on calling her tomorrow while i'm on the road.
dinner tonight with the fam. should be nice. can't wait.

God Bless
Emmi

Paid in Full

In the last devo "He is Risen" we were encouraged to live as though we
know Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Please don't skim past this
encouragement because you think all Christians know this simple fact.
The challenge is not in knowing the correct answer, but in living
consistent with true knowledge in terms of thankfulness and the power of
hope and perseverance. The following courtroom drama helps us
understand the implications of a risen Lord.

The prosecution is aggressively presenting the case against us. There's
a parade of witnesses and a multitude of accusations flung our way. Our
head hangs low - we sadly realize that no objection can be raised -
every charge against us is true. Our heart sinks as the prosecution
confidently concludes his case; he has demanded the maximum penalty - death!

Our defense attorney has sat silently through the entire proceeding, but
now He rises. His white robe glides across the floor as He moves
between us and the Judge. Stretching out His arms, He reveals deep
scars on both His wrists. He looks into the eyes of the Judge and says:
"Father, while they were in the midst of their crimes, I died so they may live."

Without a moment of hesitation, the gavel sounds and the Judge declares:
"Not Guilty!"

The verdict in God's courtroom is not dependent on the balance of good
verses bad. There is no amount of good deeds and moral living which
will ever cancel the charge against us: "For all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). And there is only one
sentence we truly deserve..."For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

But God has provided an Advocate, whom He has already approved by His
resurrection, and who now stands ready to walk by our side: "We have one
who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous
One" (1 John 2:1). This Advocate has only one requirement in order to
present our case.

Romans 10:9
"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Believing in our heart means much more than simply knowing the story.
It means a belief which pumps through every part of our body and gives
us life! We need not live in fear - the verdict has already been
determined; "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus" (Romans 8:1). We can "approach the throne of grace with
confidence" (Hebrews 4:16), because we have already been declared not
guilty; we are free to worship Him now and for all eternity because our
debt has been paid in full!

i talked with my cousin last night again(the one who lost her baby- she was 6 months pregnant) she's lost it. it's pretty upsetting, i just about started balling on the phone with her. she's pretty devestated. please pray for her.
still working on the tour for winter- need to put a cd together and such.
i hate pensecola right now- that's my block in the road.
looking forward to gulfport this weekend , should be fun - of course it will be.

can't wait to see you tomorrow. hope you are having a good day.
i'm gonna try and fix my phone again today. i may resort to just buying another one.
good luck on your tests. i love you.
God BLess
Emmi

He is Risen

On the night before He was crucified Jesus, while in great anguish,
showed the human side of His nature and asked if there was another way
for God's plan to be accomplished; "My Father, if it is possible, may
this cup be taken from Me" (Matthew 26:39a). Though He knew He would be
physically, emotionally, and Spiritually tormented, nailed to a cross,
and hung until dead, He gave His life into the hands of the Father;
"Yet, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39b). And as sure as
Jesus knew God's plan was for Him to die, He also knew He would rise
again; "And on the third day He will be raised to life" (Matthew 17:23).

On the third day after Jesus was crucified, Mary Magdalene and her
friends saw the empty tomb and immediately ran to tell the disciples;
"But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them
like nonsense" (Luke 24:11). Even after Peter saw the empty tomb for
himself, he was perplexed; "He went away, wondering to himself what had
happened" (Luke 24:12).

The disciples had walked with Jesus and listened to Him teach about this
day but they still did not understand. It wasn't until Jesus personally
appeared to the disciples that the events began to make sense; "Then He
opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45).

In an instant, everything fit into place. They finally understood how
all the Old Testament scripture pointed to the coming of Jesus and how
He would be sacrificed for the forgiveness of our sins. They saw the
predictions of His death - and of His resurrection. They finally saw
Him as much more than a good teacher - much more than even a mighty king
- He was the Savior, the one and only Son of God!

Romans 1:4
"And who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be
the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord."

The resurrection was God's declaration to the world: "This is My Son!"
The resurrection lets us know that "with God ALL things are possible,"
(Matthew 19:26), and it gives us the assurance that every one of His
promises will come to pass; if Christ is truly risen, how can any trials
of this world possibly lead to defeat?

True belief in the resurrection should fill us with awe and overwhelm us
with a sense of peace and thankfulness. He died and rose again so we
could live an abundant life and worship Him for all eternity. Let's
place our faith in the sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of our
sins and live in the promise and power of His resurrection. Let's pray
for our mind to be fully opened to His truth and for our life to be
lived as though we KNOW He is risen!

i beat dave in goofy golf and that's all you need to know
go to xanga to read about last night- i'm too lazy to retype it . mernt

speaking of xanga. i blame xanga for my new addiction...amazon.com- someone please close my account. i've bought 4 cds in one week 4- note most are used cds but still! that's alot - i'm catching up for lost time -
they are as follows
christopher o'riley plays radiohead- true love waits (awesome cd- i had it in savannah at the radio show)
u2- pop
u2- rattle and hum
string quartet tribute to coldplay

i need help.
the mail people at belhaven are gonna think i'm crazy- i'll be getting cds for a whole week. man.
i can't wait.
dinner tonight at dave's - excitement- plus the fletcher boys.
next week- gulfport!!!!

Free In The Fire

King Nebuchadnezzar had made a large statue of gold and commanded that
everyone must worship the statue whenever they heard the sound of music
- they must worship the statue, or face terrible consequences! "Whoever
does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing
furnace" (Daniel 3:6).

Daniel's friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were determined to
live with an uncompromising faith. They believed God's Word and obeyed
His commands: "You shall have no other gods before Me...you shall not
bow down to them or worship them" (Exodus 20:3,5). These three young
Jewish men took a stand and refused to worship the golden statue. Their
devotion to God was greater than their fear of the fire; "If we are
thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us
from it...But even if He does not, we will not serve your gods or
worship the image of gold you have set up" (Daniel 3:17-18).

Nebuchadnezzar was furious and followed through on his threat: "He
ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded
some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace" (Daniel 3:19-20).
But when Nebuchadnezzar looked inside the furnace, he was amazed by what he saw.

Daniel 3:25
"Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed,
and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."

As they were facing the fire, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego saw no
chance of escape, but they placed their complete trust in God - a trust
which would not falter even if they were burned. But rather than being
burned by the fire, these three men were freed from their binding ropes
and walked with "a son of the gods" who many believe is a reference to
Jesus or an angel. In their time of greatest need, God comforted these
young men and set them free.

The fires in our life WILL come. The heat will seem intense, but we
must not fear or abandon what we know to be true. Our faith is ALWAYS
refined and made stronger by fire; "the testing of your faith develops
perseverance" (James 1:3). Fire will always teach us to trust more
deeply and worship more sincerely. When we really believe this truth,
it will become possible to actually rejoice in the face of fire - true
freedom is not dictated by our surroundings but comes only as we give
Him complete and absolute control over every area of our life. Let's
walk with a bold faith, knowing He is there to comfort and protect us,
knowing He will strengthen us and set us free in the fire.

Devo below this entry.
i've been posting more on xanga. check that site out, the links to the left- it says em's xanga site. i'm still writing on both, i'm just letting you wonderful people know what's up.
so the ultimate put put challenge is tonight
Emmi Dees vs. David Sprayberry.
who do you think is going to win. lets take a poll.
I already have baskin on my side...that's right babe- baskin thinks i'm gonna win, and you know what he's right. you may have won bowling but putt putt is mine!

here's my new school addy if anyone wants to send me lil suprises.
Emmi Dees
1500 Peachtree St.
Campus Box 184
Jackson Ms 39202

rockers.
well i've gotta get to work...i don't wanna be here today.

Can't wait to see you tonight....looking forward to it. i hope you're having an awesome day. i love you.

God Bless
Emmi

oh yeah i'd like to take a sec. to thank everyone who came out last friday. thanks for comming and supporting the scene i really appreciate it and so do the bands.
thanks so much
God Bless
Emmi

How To Guard His Deposit

In the last devo "Guard The Good Deposit" we saw the importance of
protecting what God places on our heart. He often gives us moments of
Divine intimacy as a taste of the life He desires for us - a life of
continual passion for God; a life where all our thoughts, words, and
deeds become an act of worship.

As these moments fade, we either take definite steps and choose to
follow God's call, or we allow our heart to slowly drift away. The
world will naturally pull us from God's desire and cause us to even
forget He has called. So how do we really "guard" what God has given
and truly accept His invitation to draw near?

Deuteronomy 11:17-20
"Fix these words of Mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols
on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your
children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk
along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the
doorframes of your houses and on your gate."

When God called the children of Israel, He knew they would face the same
difficulties we face today: "Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn
away and worship other gods and bow down to them" (Deuteronomy 11:16).
He said the values of the world must never distract from our primary
duty to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:5).

God told His chosen people the best way to remain near to Him was to
remain near to His Word through disciplined reading, teaching,
discussing, and applying. When our lives are completely immersed in His
Word, the "enticements" of the world lose their power and no longer pull
us from God's path.

But His desire was never for us to stop with outward disciplines. While
they are somewhat useful in themselves, the desired end is always for
His Word to be written on our heart and for our thoughts to remain with
Him all through our day! Only as He is allowed to truly live through us
will our lives become a complete sacrifice of worship.

If this is the life we desire then we must begin with a disciplined
approach to God's Word and initially make a serious effort to keep all
our thoughts focused on our Heavenly Father. He will soon reward us
with a more intimate relationship as His Word becomes written on our
heart. As we continue to grow, our time with Him will increase but our
required effort will gradually decrease, and loving Him will become as
natural as breathing. The world will still try to pull us away, but it
will no longer succeed; for we will have learned how to guard His deposit.

sad time in my family. my cousin just lost her baby- she was 6 months pregnant and she now has to deliver it on friday...please pray for her, she's going thru a lot right now.
i'm a lil overwhelmed with school and both jobs.....i'm glad i get to escape to biloxi next weekend.
i can't right much today, i have to get back to work.

sorry for my many disapearance, as some of you know i've been extremely busy, and i just today have finally met with all my classes so now hopefully things will calm down. i still have a lot of phone calls to make to some of you. sorry for my delay in calling you or calling you back. i'd rather be able to actually talk with you and have more than a 5 minute conversation but i haven't been able to do so lately because i've been so busy. i'm truly sorry. i'm a jerk.
here's the devo for today.
God Bless
Emmi


Guard The Good Deposit

In the last devos "Covenant of Worship" and "A Broken Covenant" we were
encouraged to make a covenant - which we resolve not to break - to
worship God with all our heart for the rest of our days. I pray we
accept this challenge and make a decision to commit our lives to Him
without any reservation.

When God brings us to this point of greater commitment and surrender, we
have a wonderful reason to rejoice; but we also have an obligation to
protect and nurture what He has planted in our heart. He has called us
to draw closer and spend more time in His presence - to join Him in a
more intimate and loving relationship - but the enemy is hard at work
trying to destroy the change which has begun.

2 Timothy 1:13-14
"What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with
faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was
entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us."

Every so often on our Christian walk, there comes a time of special
closeness with God. This closeness may come as the result of a new
understanding of His Word where we see His character like never before.
It may come during a solitary time of prayer or while worshiping with
many other believers, through a powerful speaker or inspirational
writing. Each time this occurs, God is depositing a little truth into
our life which says: I am the way, draw nearer and follow Me more.

When God calls us in this manner, we know it. We know His truth; we
know He is lighting the only true way, and we honestly desire to follow.
But then we're back at work with deadlines to meet, people to see, or
kids to feed. Soon, the busyness of our everyday "normal" life has
consumed our thoughts and God's deposit has begun to fade - this should not be!

We must establish disciplines which enable us to hear God's message and
then help us keep His message at the forefront of our thoughts all
through the day. These disciplines will vary for different people.
Some may need to wake up earlier to have a time which is quiet; others
may need to change their work habits or the condition of their work
environment. But we all, regardless of our hectic pace, need to simply
talk with God more and worship more at His feet. This must become our
highest priority.

We cannot allow His gifts to be destroyed or forgotten. We should never
allow the frustrations of the past, the pulls of the present, or the
desires of the future to steal the gifts entrusted to us today. Let's
make the necessary changes and boldly draw near without hesitation.
Let's praise Him for His gifts, and "with the help of the Holy Spirit
who lives in us" guard the good deposit.

okie, so it's kinda been a while, i haven't updated in a few days.
as you all know i had a rough desicion to make, i'm not going to say it on here because well there are people i still haven't been able to contact ot tell and i 'd rather me tell everyone first, it's more personal and just better that way.
for all of you who have heard it thru the grapevine...i'm sorry u didn't hear it from me- you deserve better but thanks for your kind words and support. some of you who have not heard can prolly already guess from this note what i've decided....i still don't wanna say it becuase it's so impersonal and you all deserve better than that - you don't deserve to read my decision off of a blog spot , you deserve to hear it from my lips.
for the people in jackson who i haven't contacted yet sorry- i will just give me time for things to settle down.
for those out of town, please give me time and please be understanding- things have been crazy and still are, i've been running non stop since friday. i will call you though. just give me time for things to settle down.
thanks so much for your care and support.

i will take a moment though to talk about something great, to talk about sat. - it was dave's birthday- and i spent all day preparing.
i was running late because i was running a little behind but i showed up to his door - in my mom's car - at 6 45. i gave him his present . which was so great- he loved it- it was a bunch of things all in one. i suppose i can tell you all but it's rather emo- i gave him a vintage track jacket he had been wanting it's a dark brown with tan strips on the arms. he recieved a very handsome tie- for a handsome boy, 4 cd's that are very personal and mushy, containing alot of love songs and songs that are special to me and him, he recieved a new watch to replace his old stinky one- really people it reaked, then he got a lil thing of angel- my scent- not gonna complete explain that one- it's sentimental i guess, then i gave him a lil thing of angel for men - he was curious what it smelled like so i got it for him, then i gave him a senior portrait- the nice one he had been wanting- after he opened his present and read the horribly emo car i took him to bravo's for dinner. it was great. we had bruchetta, tomatoe basil soup, he had red fish, i had a shrimp basil pizza, then he was suprised with a terimasu b-day cake, and then we had cheese cake- it was fabulous. by the way i must say he looked rather snazy all dressed up and well so did i . hehe. then we went to his house to "change clothes" or so he thought - and he was suprised with all of his close friends at his house.(we had ice cream cake- his mother got it for him- it was so great- had a lil guitar on it) it was wonderful we had a great time. good times good laughes.after everyone left we watched the best of will ferrel with matt (dave's brother) it was an awesome night i must say. he enjoyed it and was thrilled to death which was all that i wanted. it was really great. anyways that's enough for now.
i've got a lot to do , and i say a lot.
sorry for my disappearance. i will see some of you tomorrow. i'm looking forward to it.
Have an awesome day.
God Bless
Emmi

Continue to Seek

As Jesus was speaking to a Pharisee named Nicodemus, He said, "no one
can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again" (John 3:3). He then
explained being "born again" as a Spiritual birth which occurs when we
believe; "whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal
life" (John 3:16). EVERYONE who will spend eternity in the Presence of
God must be born of the Spirit - it is impossible to be a Child of God
without being "born again."

This Spiritual birth is part of the New Covenant through faith in Jesus
and was revealed over 500 years before Christ through the prophet
Ezekiel; "I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a
heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow
my decrees" (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Paul refers to the Spiritual birth as
becoming "a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2
Corinthians 5:17). But it is most often referred to simply as being
saved; "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the
Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5).

The process of Spiritual birth is relatively easy to explain - God
reaches down and transforms our heart by the power of His Spirit.
However, the exact events which lead to the Spiritual birth (and when
the birth actually occurs) remain somewhat a mystery. On one hand,
God's Word is very simple and clear; "Whoever believes will be saved."
But understanding what it means to really believe can be difficult. We
can talk about submission, obedience, sacrifice, love, or the basic
faith of a child but these will always fall short of an adequate
definition of belief.

Only God can save; only He is fit to judge; and He alone can look into
the innermost part of our heart and determine true belief. All we can
do is seek Him with all our heart - and trust He will be found.

Matthew 7:7-8
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the
door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks
finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

Our Salvation was initiated by God when Jesus Christ came to earth and
died as a perfect sacrifice for our sin. He chose us for an intimate
and eternal relationship when His Holy Spirit began to call us near.
And, if we will but answer the call and begin to seek His face, He will
be found. In an instant, which He alone determines according to His
perfect timing, He will transform our heart and adopt us as His Child.

We may not be able to explain or even fully understand true belief, but
if there is any call of God on our heart we CAN ask, seek, and knock.
God never hides nor runs away; "He is not far from each one of us" (Acts
17:27). He is waiting for us to reach out and call on His Name. Today,
let's trust He will found as we give Him all our heart and continue to seek.

how awesome is this




Take the Radiohead Collective Member Test.

Thanks Hollie for being so supportive and understanding during this whole process and ordeal.
I appreciate it.
Thanks for putting up with me in my times of inconsideration and forgetfullness.
You're an awesome friend and i'm very blessed to have you in my life.
God Bless
Emmi

Ok - here it is.

I can understand if you don't have the time to make a comment- but please MAKE THE TIME. MAKE THE TIME TO CALL ME.
I need you guys right now. Ole Miss people please take the time out of your busy college schedules and for 2 minutes call me - leave a comment SOMETHING- i need your support right now, i need your encouragement.
This is really rough on me, and a really really really hard decision.

Last night i had a talk with my parents. you would know this if you clicked the link below that says prayer request.
They don't want me to go to boston if i'm not fully invested. if i go to boston i can't move home. i have to stay a whole year- after a year if i don't like it and i don't feel like it's the school for me i can come home. i dunno if i can deal with being that far and not being able to come home. i dunno if i can be in boston for a year. I'm very very very torn.
I have to decide between 2 lives.
I would like to have the support of my friends during this time.
Please if you say anything , please do not tell me to stay or go- i want your advice but please i don't need any pressure. I need your support and encouragement.
I have to make my decision by tomorrow.
It would be great to hear friendly voices. please feel free to call.
please pray about all of this.

Helen - hey buddy- if you have time today please give me a call- your advice would be great right now. i hope to hear from you today- i'll prolly try to call you after lunch.


Have a great day.
God Bless
Emmi


Here's the devo for today

A Broken Covenant

In yesterdays devo "A Covenant of Worship" we were encouraged to make a
covenant to love the Lord and worship Him with all our heart. This
covenant must be viewed as a pledge or binding agreement which directs
all our actions. God gives many examples of covenants in His Word; and
no where does He allow for a covenant with half-hearted commitment.

When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He made a covenant with
them at Mount Sinai. He promised special blessings if they would set
themselves apart and worship Him with all their heart. But the people
failed to honor their commitment; they worshiped other gods and
disregarded His Commands.

After several hundred years of willful disobedience, God sent the
prophet Hosea to remind them of the pledge they once made and to reveal
their unfaithfulness.

Hosea 6:6-7
"I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than
burnt offerings. Like Adam, they have broken the covenant - they were
unfaithful to Me."

Hosea was able to deliver this message with great passion because he
understood the pain of unfaithfulness. God had called him to marry a
woman who, though she made a covenant of marriage, left him to live as
an adulteress with another man. He could literally cry to his Israelite
Brothers of the hurt they were causing God with their Spiritual
prostitution; he fully knew how it felt when the one you love turns away
to love another.

The covenant we make with our Heavenly Father must not be taken lightly.
He loves us dearly and gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sin; and to
those who believe, He has given His Spirit, "with whom you were sealed
for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). He is committed to this
covenant; and, though He forgives us when we fall short, He expects and
deserves commitment in return.

When we turn from sin and believe Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, He
promises forgiveness - we promise to trust and follow where He leads.
He promises a clean heart, we promise our heart will always be His. He
promises eternity in His presence, we promise to worship Him with every breath!

Have we truly entered into a covenant relationship with the Living God?
And if so, are we being faithful to this covenant? Are we seeking His
direction, or are we following our own path and our own desires? We
must commit to love, honor, cherish...and follow, until the end of this
life brings us fully into His presence. Let's remain faithful and true
to our promises. Let's renew our commitment to obedience and worship,
and refuse to come to the end of this journey with a broken covenant.

If you do anything, at least one simple thing, please do this.....
click the following link below

Prayer Request

Devo's below this
Working on Getting The Lyndsey Diaries a show in memphis...goodness.
the big cook off should be tonight. i can't wait. it's going to be awesome. hope it happens.
dinner last night was great. we all had a blast. it was really awesome getting to hang out with dave's friends. good people. i might write more later but i have to go make a few calls.
Everyone have an awesome day
God Bless
Emmi

Covenant of Worship

In last devo "An Unknown God" we were encouraged to live a life of
sincere love and faithful service while we worship a God we truly know
and adore. But this type of consistent life, where our daily activities
match what we profess to believe, does not come easy or initially feel
natural; it requires a firm commitment and a determined perseverance.

King Asa was the great-grandson of Solomon and led the southern kingdom
of Judah about 900 years before Christ. He began his reign with ten
years of peace because he "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord
his God" (2 Chronicles 14:2). Asa took definite action to remove the
idols and places of false worship from the country and commanded his
people to "seek the Lord and to obey His commands" (2 Chronicles 14:4).

When Judah was invaded by a foreign army, Asa realized he was greatly
outnumbered with little hope of victory. As he went into battle, his
faith was strengthened while calling on God: "Help us, O Lord our God,
for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this vast
army. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You" (2
Chronicles 14:11).

After God granted them victory on the battlefield, the people gathered
in Jerusalem to solidify their commitment to follow God.

2 Chronicles 15:12,15
"They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord with all their heart and
soul. All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it
wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and He was found by them."

Every true child of God has a deep desire for a more committed life.
When we have answered God's call and begun our journey with Him, we will
not be at peace until His praise fills every area of our life. But this
requires we establish priorities which allow us to actually spend time with God.

Our Heavenly Father longs for us to abide in His presence; He rejoices
when He is found by those who seek Him in a committed life of worship.
He even promises to help those who begin down a committed path; "For the
eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose
hearts are fully committed to Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Our time here is very, very short. Let's not waste another day by
aimlessly wandering through life - by allowing the concerns of this
world to choke off our relationship with God. Let's commit to seek Him
with all our heart and soul. Let's decide today to enter into an
eternal covenant of worship.

someone from scad just called my phone! how did they get my cell number . HOW!
seriously. when i left that school i had a savannah number , since then i've changed phones - twice.
they didn't leave a voicemail so maybe i'm safe.
well i'm a lil weirded out....

what could they possibly want from me.......

KRUNK, CLICK THIS NOW- lookie lookie
look what i did!!!!!!!!!

*****regular blog is below this, thank yous to bands are included below as well as the devo for today****
{this is a side note for the morning}
Dave,
i fear i shall never recieve my augie march cd- for they are still processing my request. if you have yours in your possession. could you please make me a copy.
darn those australians. i suppose i shall never be able to enjoy the great sounds of augie march.
maybe when i arrive in boston i can find some of those wonderful file sharers on limewire that might have augie march mp3's. something must be done about this travisty.
this is just obsurd.
for now i'll just sit back and enjoy my U2.

Devo post below this one.

Wow.
i truly am blessed. in so many areas of my life.
last night was ALL God. we came out fine. I got to pay my bands more than i thought i would. God truly provided. It was amazing. last night was so blessed. this whole agency has been blessed. and i'm so thankful and greatful. it truly amazes me everyday. We did have to put up with some bad things last night. Mae. they didn't have the greatest attitudes and they were not the nicest people. the drummer was a great guy though. but the rest of the band i was really disapointed with. My fellaz did stick up for me though. and were not happy about the situation either. I really love all those boys. the rivers guys , the as cities burn boys. wow . thank you so much guys. for everything you guys are awesome. thanks for giving me the privelage (i can't spell) to work for you boys. it's always great and just amazing i enjoy it so much. thanks guys. To all my other bands - i feel the same way about ya'll - thank you. really. You guys always thank me for what i do and i appreciate that. i'm just trying to do my job and help you boys out. Thanks.
I'm not going to get into all the assorted detail of all that make up mae - i'm just going to leave it. I am happy it's over with. At the end of the night when the last band always goes on...when i walk up behind the crowd and i see everyone enjoying the show- and how happy everyone is- i get this sense of joy, and happiness- a job well done- at the end of it all. i can relax and just enjoy it- it makes me so happy so to see it all at the end of the night.
It was a lot of fun hanging out with the LA boys- great guys.
Dave- thank you so much for all you do. for all your help and patience with me. you amaze me. you brighten my day and every situation. i'm so blessed to have you in my life. cartwheel time. i could say so much but i'll save it to tell you later- saturday. i love you so much ----emo moment is over- sorry for that erruption of emoness. looking forward to seeing you today. dinner will be awesome.
i'm not sure what else i was going to say.
well i suppose i should go back to work. everyone have an awesome day.
God Bless
Emmi

An Unknown God

When Paul was on his second missionary journey, he came to the city of
Athens which was inhabited by people who loved to worship and talk to
one another about their worship. They worshipped every conceivable god
of their day and made sure no god was left out.

Acts 17:22-23
"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: 'Men of
Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked
around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an
altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as
something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.'"

The people in Athens worshipped gods like Zeus, Hermes, and Diana. And
to ensure they did not overlook the worship of any god, they also
worshipped a god they did not know.

Today, many of us worship such gods as Pleasure, Leisure, Entertainment,
Security, Power, and Wealth. Then, usually with much less intensity and
commitment, we "worship" the Creator of the Universe. But our worship
has become something we schedule and not something we live: we take part
in religious activity, but have no idea how to make the Almighty God an
integral part of our everyday life; we attend church services, and yet
never dream of actually loving Him or asking our Heavenly Father for
guidance or direction; we go through the motions of worship, but our
hearts are cold and far from the One True God.

We ALL must examine what we really believe, and then live a life
consistent with that belief. Many people "believe" in God - even the
God of the Bible - but have no idea what this belief means or Who they
really believe - they believe, and then attempt to worship, a God they
do not know. If Christ died for the forgiveness of our sins, was
resurrected, and now sits at the right hand of the Father making
intercession on our behalf - if He will one day return and take us to be
with Him for all eternity - then He certainly deserves more than our
casual worship and the left-overs of our time.

Our Heavenly Father has been calling us back to an intimate fellowship
ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden; and His message has
remained the same: 'Enjoy My creation, but give Me ALL your heart.' He
must be given sole possession, without any competition. The true
Creator of the Universe will never accept just being one of our many "gods."

Let's proclaim the absolute and unchanging truth and encourage one
another to "wholeheartedly obey the form of teaching to which you were
entrusted" (Romans 6:17). Let's resolve to live a consistent life - a
life of sincere love and faithful service - a life which no longer
worships an unknown God.

There's a devo for today below this post.

My stomach is in a knot about tonight. I've done what i can. I promoted all my lil heart could. i sent emails , i mentioned it every chance i've gotten. I've prayed and i'm leaving it in God's hands. He's provided before. The last shows we got an amazing response. I trust in him that everything will work out. Everything is going to be fine. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me.
I have to clean a little when i get off work - make my bed and such. tiddy up. The Mae boys and armor for sleep boys might be crashing at my house.....goodness.


this weekend was pretty awesome. friday we promoted and we went to our usual bible study and afterwards we watch old school- it was hilarious- we're going streaking!!!!!!!!hehehe yeah it rocked. sat- went suitcase shopping, promoting, and found hollie at the mall- which she joined us for a fun filled night at the movies- we saw uptown girls which ended up being a really serious movie- we all had our teary eyed moments.afterwards dave and i went home and had a midnight swim at my house...it was so much fun. good times good times. sunday we went to church with my family, reviewed contracts , went and picked up things for my mom- for the dog, and our necessities for today.
afterwards we went and ate dinner at daves while watching the u2 tour - it was awesome. we hung out with his family for a while . so yeah it was great. i'm starting to get stuff together this week for boston.
i'm off to work , and then to finsh setting up for today.....
everyone have an awesome day.
Please come out to the show tonight.
God Bless
Emmi

Put It Into Practice

Paul's letter to the Philippians is one hundred and four verses filled
with encouragement and joy. Paul didn't write this letter to explain
deep theology or to deal with any particular sin. Rather, his purpose
was to express love for his friends and to encourage them (and us) to
live a joy-filled Christian life.

In chapter one, Paul encourages us that God's work in us WILL continue;
"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" (1:6).
In chapter two, we are encouraged to "do everything without complaining
or arguing" (2:14).

In chapter three, Paul inspires us to be forward-looking in our
Christian walk; "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is
ahead, I press on toward the goal" (3:13-14). Finally, in chapter four,
Paul writes some of my personal favorites; "Rejoice in the Lord always!"
(4:4); "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every
situation" (4:12); and, "I can do everything through Him who gives me
strength" (4:13).

But buried within these wonderful words of encouragement is probably the
most valuable and applicable message for our daily journey with Christ.

Philippians 4:9
"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me -
put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Paul had the gospel message living in him and shining through him every
moment of every day. But he never would have learned "the secret" of
rejoicing and being content in all situations if he had just learned
"about" the gospel. Although it's wise, and very useful, to study and
even memorize God's Word, His peace and contentment - His joy - will
never be real until we actually apply His Word to our life: "Do not
merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says"
(James 1:22).

Let's never become just hearers of the Word who are puffed up with Bible
knowledge but fail to draw near in a loving relationship with our
Heavenly Father. Jesus accused many of the Jews around Him of making
this same mistake: "You diligently study the Scriptures because you
think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures
that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life" (John
5:39-40). They knew the Word but failed to apply it in their life.

Let's never stop with just loving His Word or His activities. Let's
love HIM with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and express our
love through faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to the leading of His
Spirit, as we take what we daily receive and put it into practice.

In my time of need


i'm sorry.i didn't mean to take a tone. i didn't mean to be harsh sounding on the phone. i'm sorry i stressed out.
you're right bout what you said, your advice. sorry it seemed like i wasn't listening. sorry i took it out on you.
see you soon.

well yesterday i went and picked up the plastic glasses pics and wow they turned out pretty good. i was suprised.
they'll be up on the site soon.
john from adelline is going to start working on the set ablaze site soon...niceness. what a great guy.

last night i had nightmares....lots of them and they were all about the same thing...MONDAY the mae show.
the first one i lost track of time and was late to the show- i was suppose to be there at 4 i was there at 6. the second one the bands hated eachother-tons of fighting it was really really ugly. the third one mae and armor for sleep where in a car wreak and armor for sleep died. the fourth one i forgot to get water and everything else.....it was horrible. i just want monday to go smoothly.

i'll prolly be working with drew soon on fletchers tour for january.
things are coming in for adelline. fletcher will be added to the last half of the tour- the 17th-21st.
sgd might be added to 2 of the dates (the 12th and 13th). i'll be talking monday with the other bands and confirming then. hopefully rookie of the year can go with em or as cities burn will wanna go.

i think sunday night i'm going to get the water and towels- so monday is a lil calmer. pick up the coolers and just store the water in em.

we're doing flyers today...craziness. i hope the promo people are doing their job...i'll prolly call em today to make sure.
everyone please pray for monday....hopefully i won't have a heartattack or anything......

i'm back off to work. everyone have a good day.
God Bless
Emmi

Mark 9:17-26
[17] "Teacher, I brought You my son, who is possessed by a spirit
that has robbed him of speech. [18] Whenever it seizes him, it throws
him to the ground. . . . I asked Your disciples to drive out the
spirit, but they could not." [19 ]"O unbelieving generation," Jesus
replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up
with you? Bring the boy to Me." . . . [21] Jesus asked the boy's
father, "How long has he been like this?"[ 22] "From childhood," he
answered. ". . . But if You can do anything, take pity on us and
help us." [23] " 'If You can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible
for him who believes." [24] Immediately the boy's father exclaimed,
"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" [25] When Jesus saw
that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the evil spirit.
"You deaf and mute spirit," He said, "I command you, come out of
him and never enter him again." [26] The spirit shrieked, convulsed
him violently and came out.

ELECTRIC BLANKET
Some followers of Jesus expect the Christian life to go as smoothly
and easily as sliding into a warm, comfortable bed--no discomfort,
no complaints, no stress.

Trouble is, it doesn't usually work that way--as you've probably
already discovered. Sometimes we begin to suspect that God is
picking on us. We may even begin to struggle with our faith.

Flannery O'Connor, a brilliant American writer and a believer in
Jesus Christ, had some thoughts about that. She once observed,
"I think there is no suffering greater than what is caused by the
doubts of those who want to believe. I know what torment this is.
But I can only see it, in myself anyway, as the process by which
faith is deepened. What people don't realize is how much religion
costs. They think it is a big electric blanket, when of course it
is the cross."

More than one Christian has gone through periods of doubt, perhaps
even bordering on despair. They often don't realize that the act of
crying out for help is a demonstration that faith is very much
present and alive in them.

In a letter to a college student who expressed doubts about the
Christian faith, O'Connor wrote, "Even in the life of a Christian,
faith rises and falls like the tides of an invisible sea. It's there
even when he can't see it or feel it."

Our misery is the evidence of our faith. When we cry out with the
distraught father in today's text, "I do believe; help me overcome
my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24), we are expressing our faith. In His way
and in His time, God will give us the assurance we need.

helen and dave....
you guys rock.

my augie-march cd hasn't been sent yet. they are still processing the order. it's been a week.
all i wanted was my augie-march cd
darn them....darn australia...darn them to heck.

started working on adellines winter tour today...woohoo.
check em out.
www.adelline.com

{side note- there's something everyone needs to look at - it's located beneath the devo entry for today- please do this for me - it would be so nice of all of you- would help brighten up my day. that's all that i ask (hehe nina simone song! woooh) and there's also a devo entry below this entry for today- after that devo entry for today is the thing you need to read . thanks so much. i love you all. God Bless- Emmi}

So yesterday i finish taping the seminar (which during the seminar i kept fallign asleep and i'm suppose to be taping it but i'm over there leaning against the wall taking a nap!)and i'm gearing up in my office finishing a few details and Joe walks in and tells me i have a flat......yeah so i go outside and yup it's flat- it was pretty interesting i'm suprised dave didn't laugh at me more...i call him and tell him i have a flat (most people would be like okie so what do you want me to do-that's the attitude he had- he told me to call dave and i said i did and i told him what i'm telling you know and that was his impression about it - so what do you want me to do about it.) he's like really??? do you want me to come out there, do you want me to talk you thru what to do? what are you going to do.? of course my response is i dunno what to do that's why i'm calling ....i've never had a flat. i can't get the tools outta the car cause they havne't been unscrewed since 84 and they're in there really really really really tight.....i'm stuck in west jackson...at work....i dunno what to do....it prolly was the funniest convo ever because it was so ridiculous....wow. but yeah i eventually got the spare on there....and dave you have to see what the jack did to my car...you won't believe it. so yeah the spare was actually flat- go figure i mean it had never been used since 84!!!!!84 people my car is so old! 19 years! ...so i'm driving 60 on the interstate to go to the gas station to get me a new tire....i'm suprised i made it. while i was waiting for everything to get fixed dave called and told me to meet him at his house at 6.30 and to wear shoes. it was a suprise...we took me to a kalie....it was really nice of him- we didn't dance though- too many little kids and such. afterwards mason and georgia came over - to pick up something at dave's and yeah mason is well a beast he goes straight to the frig. and eats 2 boiled eggs - gross- a diet rite (tangerine flavored) and macaroni........wow - talk about rank breath. after that we went a picked up sushi for me and went back to vijays and had a nice relaxing night. it was great...everyday i find something more that i love about dave...he's just amazing. all in all i had a nice ending to a semi rough day.
tomorrow we have to start handing out flyers.....that will be interesting.
next week is going to be stressfull at least monday with the show and the deq website is being launched on monday......i'm gonna be a wreak most likely- hopefully not- i hope i can keep myself together.
i can't wait to get home today- to be in my house and play with my puppy....it's going to be so nice.
oh yeah if you wanan see the mae flyer go to www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=emdees
and there's something you all need to look at - it's the entry after the devo for today.
i hope everyone is doing well. have a great day
God Bless
Emmi

A Darkened Heart

When God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, the people of Jerusalem had
been living in sin for a very long time. It had been 300 years since
the kingdom of Israel divided; and despite God's patient warnings, the
people continued to rebel and worship other gods.

God finally told Jeremiah He would no longer endure this continued
rejection; "I have withdrawn My blessing, My love and My pity from this
people" (Jeremiah 16:5). God also said that because of the many years
of rebellion, destruction was now certain; "I will bring an end to the
sounds of joy and gladness" (Jeremiah 16:9). He then told Jeremiah how
to respond to the inevitable cries and complaints.

Jeremiah 16:10-12
"When you tell these people all this and they ask you, 'Why has the Lord
decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What
sin have we committed against the Lord our God?' then say to them, 'It
is because your fathers forsook Me,' declares the Lord, 'and followed
other gods and served and worshiped them. They forsook Me and did not
keep My law. But you have behaved more wickedly than your fathers.'"

This is a difficult message. God is characterized by extreme grace and
patient love...but He has His limits. He will not tolerate continual
disobedience. If we claim to be a child of God we must deal with the
issue of sin. God hates sin because it causes separation with those He loves.

Continual and unrepented sin causes us to lose the ability to recognize
our sin. It's a cancer which causes our heart to become cold and dark,
unable to even hear the conviction of the Holy Spirit; "For although
they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him,
but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened"
(Romans 1:21). Sin clouds our vision and causes us to drift further and
further from God's path.

The people of Jerusalem could no longer recognize their sin - they stood
before God in their wickedness and boldly asked: "What wrong have we
done?" Today, we are on the verge of becoming equally darkened. When
our Holy God is degraded we call it tolerance. When innocent babies are
killed before taking their first breath we call it choice. And when
sinful lifestyles are allowed into church leadership we call it
progress. But God calls these sin! We continually withhold large
portions of our heart and then ask: "What wrong have we done?"

If our eyes were truly opened, would we be surprised to see how far
we've compromised and strayed? Let's recommit our lives to holiness,
purity, worship, and absolute love for God. Let's allow His light to
indwell every area of our life. Let's repent and refuse to live with a
darkened heart.

so yesterday on one of the journals i read, the girl did this, and i thought it was pretty interesting the responses she got, so i thought i might give it a try, and hopefully learn some new and kewl things about ya'll.
so...if you read my journal...

leave a comment and tell me
1)anything about yourself.
2)one thing you are happy about today.
3)your fave song of the moment.
4)anything you've concluded about me.

k. that's all. DO IT! hehe. don't be afraid. just take a sec and do it. yeah. for kicks.
God Bless
Emmi

don't forget to read the entries below this one...they are pretty important.

The Fools we are as Men

God did an amazing job yesterday of kicking my butt and putting me in my place.
i always hear everyone say...well that's your plan but it may not be God's ......i always knew that but it never really hit me till yesterday....when i found myself saying this wasn't part of my plan...i didn't plan this....yeah well it's not my plan that matters ...it's God's and thank goodness...i like his plan so much better than mine. He brought something totally wonderful in my life that i hadn't planned on and i'm so greatfull and thankfull.
yesterday , well last night- dave and i went to kinkos to finish making posters for the mae show....and during it- at this point in the day my medicine was wearing off....and my frustration tolerance was very very low....dave was trying to be helpfull- God Bless him, he's such a sweetheart. and in the process of him trying ot help i was getting frustrated and anxious and very stressed and i ended up snapping at him. poor thing- he forgave me, thank goodness but i felt horrible- i snapped at him, the person i love the most- i felt horrible. I dunno why he loves me but i'm so greatful and thankful. He truly is amazing. I'm so blessed to have him in my life. Thanks so much for putting up with me in my worst moments...and loving me thru it no matter what.

i had a pretty great talk with hollie last night...we talked about boston and she was really encouraging....thanks buddy.

i also got to hear dave play the guitar again- i love hearing him play- everything he plays is just wow...so beautiful and amazing and i'm not saying that because it's him...i'm saying it because it's true...he's an amazing guitarist. very talented.

the posters are made and are being emailed today....i have 224 in my possession and dave hopefully will be making some more, plus other people should be printing and handing then out and yeah ...should be good.

i listened to gusters new ablum htis morning on my way to work...it's soooo goood . it's pretty much an upbeat love song album. it's really really good- i was impressed.

i'm back off to work. i've got alot to do today....i have to tape a seminar session today at 2- mernt.

staying at vijays house has been interesting.....i'm getting semi use to it. the dog hasn't been that bad.

but yeah back off to work. everyone have an amazing day.
God Bless
Emmi

Who Taught Us To Walk

In the previous devo "Finish The Race" we were encouraged to "run" toward the
finish line; but we were also reminded that God's race takes place
within our heart as we trust Him and love Him. His race is not in what
we do, but in who we are and who we are becoming as we do ALL to bring
Him glory and honor. One of the biggest stumbling blocks which keeps us
from running a "successful" race is the complacency caused by forgetting
what God has already done in our life.

Not everyone's current situation is what they might prefer, but each of
us are on a wonderful journey which began when God sent His Spirit to
open our eyes to the truth and called us to be with Him for all eternity
through faith in His Son. Our beginning ought to be a clear indication
of God's miraculous grace and Guiding Hand. And as we look back on our
journey, we recognize some of the miracles which brought us to where we
are today, but many we don't - and most we have simply forgotten.

God's children have always had a hard time with recognizing and
remembering. The northern kingdom of Israel had been in rebellion for
almost two hundred years when God called Hosea to be a prophet. The
people had created their own form of worship and had long forgotten how
much God loved them and how much He had already done to guide and protect them.

Hosea 11:3-4
"It was I {God} who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but
they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of
human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and
bent down to feed them."

In this passage, Ephraim refers to the nation of Israel. God was
reminding the people how He provided for all their needs as He led them
out of Egyptian slavery, into the promised land of Canaan. But this
passage is very applicable to each of us today. Whether we see His Hand
or not, God has been at work guiding us in many different ways.

None of us are at our final destination, but each of us are where we are
because God loves us dearly and wants to draw us ever closer to Himself.
Let's not create our own form of worship where we give Him the leftovers
of our heart. He created us, saved us, and brought us to where we are
today - He deserves our ALL.

We must turn our eyes back to God and praise Him for His continuous
provision and His loving promise to finish the work He has begun in our
life; "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion"
(Philippians 1:6). Let's praise Him for His Guiding Hand, and, as we
run, let's always remember it was God who taught us to walk.

The devo for the day is below this entry.
Yesterday was nice, i was unable to beat david in put-put because when we arrived at the park - it was closed, so the match will have to wait for another day.....i think i smell a match coming up this weekend....what do you say. you up for the challenge?
We also got to see some belhaven friends yesterday which was very very nice-the rest of the crew gets in on saturday.
it'll be so great to see everyone again.

my puppy climbed the stairs this morning...he saw me at the top and well just couldn't resist me so he flew up them for the first time, my dad came out of his room and almost knocked him down....needless to say my mom wants me to go out tonight and get 2 more gates.

i get to take care of vijay's house tonight and tomorrow (i also said goodbye to him yesterday -i've known him since i was 5. we've driven to school together everyday, he's always lived right across the street. it's odd he'll be gone know- i'll call and check up on him though and see him on my breaks. he's going to duke- last night when we were all saying goodbye and talking of when we all first met, my dad said he introduced us because he thought i needed a pet...hehe yeah vijay has been a form of entertainment for me- him and his car and his mother wow what a crazy crazy lady. i'll miss that boys humor , he has an amazingly sharp and cunning since of humor- which is very hard to find) ......the one really good thing about this(house sitting at vijays) is that he has a scanner and a good computer.....i'll be making some swell flyers tonight and emailing those suckers out. i think i might use one of my photos in the background. either me without you or some as cities burn pics....maybe even citizen youth- they had some really good angles in theirs...and alot of space to write on top of it. or i could just find a random funny pic.....we'll see....we'll see.

armor for sleeps posters came in yesterday...all i need know is mae's.
i've got beloved's and norma jeans- i gotta go have kinkos make me a few copies . i'll need to email my flyers and such out to everyone tomorrow or tonight. and then i've gotta send out people this weekend to cover cars and such and the schools.

mae and armor for sleep will prolly be staying at my house. i might look into getting some blow up mattresses if they are cheap enough. i'm so glad i had this week off. that there wasn't a show scheduled, it makes it so much easier cause the next two shows are huge. i have so much work to do.

well i'm back off to work. everyone have an amazingly great day.
God Bless
Emmi

my jacket smells like bananna republic.....go figure.

listened to letter 12 on the way to work this morning....good guys..good music.
all american rejects- good music for work.

Finish The Race

Paul was returning to Jerusalem at the end of his third and final
missionary journey. By this time in his ministry, Paul had been a
Christian for nearly twenty years. Twenty years since Jesus called
Paul, "My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and
their kings and before the people of Israel" (Acts 9:15). Twenty years
of faithful service, and now..."In every city the Holy Spirit warns me
that prison and hardships are facing me" (Acts 20:23).

Paul was returning home, but his life was not going to be easy. He knew
there were many trials ahead, but his life had a purpose far beyond his
immediate surroundings.

Acts 20:24
"I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race
and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of
testifying to the gospel of God's grace."

It was several more years before Paul wrote; "I have learned the secret
of being content in any and every situation" (Philippians 4:12); yet
here, when facing certain hardship, Paul showed he had already learned
the secret. The particular circumstances in Paul's life had become of
minor importance. He knew his contentment was not based on current
events, but on bringing glory and honor to God. His life had a
wonderful purpose even in the face of great adversity and harsh conditions.

We were all created for the same purpose as Paul - we were created to
bring glory and honor to God! Our specific tasks may differ and change
from time to time, but we each have the same unchanging purpose -
everything we do, say, and think should bring glory and honor to our
Heavenly Father!

God's race is run in the deepest part of our heart - not in the flurry
of activity. Running well is not defined by doing more; rather, we run
a "successful" race as we do every little task we are given with the
complete and absolute devotion of our heart.

His race is long and often difficult. There are many distractions which
seek to slow us down and even pull us from the track, and at times we
may even wonder why we're running. But being a participant in God's
eternal race is infinitely more rewarding than standing on the sidelines
and simply watching! He has called us to run - and to run well!!

We must run the path God places before us with all the strength He
provides - and within the sure and calming protection of His grace.
Let's run with the motivation of bringing Him glory and honor by loving
Him with ALL our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let's continue to run
well, and with a burning desire to finish the race.