G'day Mates!

Wow! What a week! It was VBS at Southeast Baptist Church and I volunteered to help with the 6th graders. God did so many awesome and amazing things in these kids lives and hearts. We prayed long and hard all week for two of the kids we knew were not believers. And God answered those prayers today! One of the kids came up to me during the morning rally and said he wanted this, wanted to believe and be a part of this and go through it! It was just an awesome, aweomse thing to witness a young man giving his life over to Christ. Talk about the cherry on top of the yummiest cake in the world!

I was so blessed to see these kids bond with each other and with Michelle (the other teacher) and myself. Most of this week was spent discussing the Bible and the passages we would read. They asked some good questions and wrestled with how to apply God's truth in their own life. I'm so thankful that at the end of the day, it isn't up to me, it's truly up to God. I can only be obedient!

I'll give you the verse from this week and leave you with some pics. Blessings mates!

"God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him." 1 John 4 : 9

My partner Michelle. We seriously considered ourselves so blessed when it came to these kids!

In the lounge. This is where we studied the Bible and discussed it. :)

The boys.

The beautiful girls.

All together now....
Rockin' at worship rally!

Songs

A few of the songs I have written in the past few months. Blessings!

Psalm 23


Run


In the Name


The Marriage

Rainbow Pictures from June 26, 2009

No Rain, Can't Get the Rainbow

I stood in the rain tonight to take picture after picture of the most beautiful rainbows. It was just ironic the fact that normally I don't like to put myself in the rain, but when the rainbows appeared I was there willing to get soaking wet.

This has been what's happening:

I went to Mars with Allison.

Went to the baby shower for my soon to be arriving niece. :)

Hung out with Steph and took our picture hundreds of times.

Helped my mom organize her Open House Party

Spent Father's Day with my Daddy! :)

And, last night I had the PRIVELEGE to see one of my favorite musicians play live!

Andre Rieu ladies and Gentlement! Not to mention he brought Mirusia and Carla with him! What a treat that was! :)

Hope you have a blessed weekend all! :)

SEALED

SEALED
Though I may fall
Though I may stumble
Though I may fail
And drop it all
His love endures
His promise keeps
His faithfulness will prevail
His faithfulness will prevail


His seal is set upon my heart
The sign of His covenant with me
Forever I will praise His Name
Bowing down to Him Who saved me
Bowing down to Him Who saved me


Though seasons change
Though memories fade
Though people move on and forget
His thoughts are for me
His hands outstretched
His strength and hope are mine to grasp
His strength and hope are mine to grasp


His seal is set upon my heart
The sign of His covenant with me
Forever I will praise His Name
Bowing down to Him Who loves me
Bowing down to Him Who loves me


Though trials come
Tribulations strike
Though utter loss consume my life
His light still shines
His glory bright
I will be still and know He’s God
I will be still and know He’s God


His seal is set upon my heart
The sign of His covenant with me
Forever I will praise His Name
Bowing down to Him Who’s worthy
Bowing down to Him Who’s worthy
~Emily Marie - June 17, 2009

Putting together Music Sets

When I pray about songs to do on a given Sunday, I usually get an impression or a theme to work around. God has never left me alone to my own motives when I've prayed about Sunday morning music. Generally speaking I pick songs that flow together thematically, musically and melody wise. I try to make sure that all songs I pick have an underlying theme that is more than just "lets praise God".

For example, I may do a set that has the following songs:

Indescribable - Laura Story
God of Wonders - Steve Hindalong and Marc Byrd
Fairest Lord Jesus - Hymn by German Jesuits

The underlying theme is talking about how mighty and awesome God is and revealed to us by the works of His hands, namely creation.

I stumbled across an amazing song from the Worship Together blog. It's called "Your Name" and is still in production, but sitting here listening to it, I had an interesting idea for a music set.

No Sweeter Name - Kari Jobe
Your Name - Rick Altizer and John Driver
The Name - Anadara

What do you think? Would be interested in knowing what other songs I think fit well together for music worship?

I hope you enjoyed a little peek into the method and madness of Emily in worship leader mode. Until next time, blessings.

Dear Brother

Dear Brother

Dear brother of mine I love you
I always will
Even when we don't see eye to eye
Even when I don't agree
With anything you say or do
I just want you to know
I've always prayed for you
And nothing can stop my love for you

I believe you have so much to give
I know that you are not as hopeless as you think
Though this road is rough and hard
You know there's more than this

Your race isn't run
Your time hasn't come
Your battle that you fight can still be won
You own great potential
You can achieve exceedingly great things
I believe that He who began this work
Will see you through to the end

Dear brother of mine how I miss you
And your tender eyes
They are there buried beneath a mask of pain
They are caged by your fears of yesterday

I believe that you have so much more ahead
I know that hope is well worth placing trust in
Though you've been beaten, bruised and worn
There is so much more than this

Your race isn't run
Your time hasn't come
Your battle that you fight can still be won
You own great potential
You can achieve exceedingly great things
I believe that He who began this work
Will see you through to the end

Please forgive me for my shortcomings
Please forgive me the times I turned away
Please forgive me in my moments of weakness
And refused to love you like you should be loved

This race isn't run
And the time hasn't come
These battles can be overcome
In you is potential
To achieve even more than you dream
I believe that one day you will see
I believe one day you will know
That He who began this work in you
Will see it through to the end

He will give you His strength
Until the very end

~Emily Marie

Where's Emmy?

I seem to have fallen off the blogging horse these past few months. Needless to say, I am in America until August. I arrived a little over a week ago after a little difficulty with my flight. But nonetheles, I was praising God the whole flight, thankful that despite canceled flights and redirected flights, I was still making it back to Salt Lake.


Before I came to America I spent two weeks with my dear friend in England. What an awesome time with a sister and fellowship with God we had. :) I need to write about quite a few experiences and encounters, but it will have to be saved for another time.


And now for some pictures:

I spent a grand total of six hours in London. Walked along the Thames and it was just a lovely day. Someday I want to go back.

Some scenes from Northern England. If you want to see ALL of my England pictures you can go HERE.

My mommy and I

My kindergarten teacher

Celebrating my dad's birthday :) That's all of us except one

Kitty Whiskers

SISSY-TER!

Rocky :)

The beautiful Wasatch mountains :)

That's all for now. I pray you all are blessed. I would like to leave you with this verse.

This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place? My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken! “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word." Isaiah 66 : 1 & 2

My Heart Is Breaking Tonight

My heart is feeling very overwhelmed with sadness. Not my own mind you, but people who are dear to me and close to my heart who are going through difficult times. This world is full of such discouraging and hopeless situations that so often we find ourselves in.

Yet there is always hope. These verses have been encouraging me lately:

Isaiah 40 : 27 - 31
27 O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? 28 Have you never heard? Have you never understood The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. 30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Psalm 34 : 10
Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

What awesome promises to be receiving from the Lord! Take heart and be encouraged fellow life traveler and adventurer.

~~~~
Some good encouraging music for you to refresh with.


Soon - Brooke Fraser


I Will Rise - Chris Tomlin


There Will be a Day - Jeremy Camp

~~~~


This picture makes me happy. Stoney beaches of England. :)

Questions to Think Upon

Is my beauty worth more than His glory?

Is my own success and wealth worth more than the life of a lost one?

Are my dreams worth clinging to so tightly, for fear I may lose them? And if I did lose them, would what I gain truly be so horrible?

Is my time truly my own? Is it really mine to waste and drop and misuse?

And as you are reading this, can you understand where I'm coming from and see maybe some of your own heart in it as well?

Why do I waste time on what the world says is important, on chasing the world's standards versus coveting and pursuing the Higher Calling?

If God says to do something but the world says don't for whatever reason, should I really cave in? Should I really drop my sights so they align with the world and not with the heavens?

What do you think about these questions?

Before I left Kyiv

Now I'm sitting here in England, in a village on the English channel and enjoying just a breather away from everything. Literally everything.

See you all soon.

The Calling on Your Life

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ~ Ephesians 4 : 1 - 3

I think often I read this passage and just say, "Oh yes, because I've been called to be a missionary/worship leader/lover of children I need to be a good person and an above average Christian."

But today when I thought about it, it was as if God took off my blinders and opened my eyes. How often to do I try to so neatly cram God into one of my nice little pre sized boxes and tell Him He must fit my own perceptions instead of letting myself fit His perception?

My calling did not start when I heard God tell me to go to Ukraine. My calling didn't start when I started leading worship at KIBC. My calling didn't even start when I felt that loving on kids in a rehab center was what I needed to do.

My calling began the day I was born.

God called me to be a daughter to my parents. Two years later God called me to be an older sister to my brother. God called me to be a good student when I entered school. God called me to be a good loving friend and neighbor to those around me every where I walked.

Today yes I have a ministry in serving at a church and I have a ministry in Ukraine, but my calling is so much more than just a simple title of "worship leader" or "missionary in Kyiv". I am called to be a daughter of the God of all the universe. I am called to be His hands and feet. I am called to love those around me with His unconditional love.

I am called to be His own and to walk the path He has traveled before me.

The life I need to live should not be seperated into these neat little boxes with the church box, the home box, the Ukraine box, the America box and the friend and family boxes. No, everything should be all together and I should be the same in all walks of my life. I need to be a vessel of the Lord most high. I need to be open, willing and surrendered. My life is no longer my own.

I am called to be His own. I am His.

Isaiah 40 : 26 - 31

²⁶ Look up into the heavens.
Who created all the stars?

He brings them out like an army, one after another,
calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength,
not a single one is missing.

²⁷ O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?

²⁸ Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

²⁹ He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.

³⁰ Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.

³¹ But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

I'm ready to go now...

... oh don't I wish.

The Cries of My Heart...

Facedown by Matt Redman




Give Me Jesus - Jeremy Camp (All though I really really like Daniel Kirkley's version of this song)




Faithful - Brooke Fraser