jinglydoodle.

Seriously? What is UP with this? It seems the more posts I have, the less often I post. This can't keep on, it won't. I promise. Let me say why: I've been flooded with school starting and tennis, but I've got a hold of it now and I will still blog. I promise:) scouts honor.

ANYWAYS... yesterday i stayed up later than needed because an amazing friend of me... who we will call Jinglydoodle, (he knows that's him, trust me) on just some personal troubles I've been having. It's nothing new, so if you know me dont feel as if you need to come to me saying "OH NO EMMA, WHATS WRONG. ARE YOU OKAY? OH BOY. WHATS WRONG?" please dont. I mean, i respect the love and all and it's great that you care that much but it's just the usual venting scenario. Anyways, jinglydoodle and I were talking and it just let me know how good it is to have someone you can count on. Someone that won't judge you once you start pouring out to them. Someone that actually thinks the story your telling them is interesting, and they're begging to here the rest and reach out and help.

OHHH and to jinglydoodle: good luck.

Luckily, God has blessed me with many of these people. And I'm so SO greatful. Another thing that I know of for sure is that I need to be that kind of friend too. Show that kind of love towards my brothers and sisters in Him, and always be there for them. Because (not trying to steal James' recent blog theme (http://funnybecause.blogspot.com/2010/08/matthew-please-mark-my-proverbs.html check it out!), but I need to associate myself with the "right crowd" of friends. Wait no, scratch that. I need to be as connected with others as I can (especially to spread the good news), but I need to make sure they are REAL FRIENDS. As in, I can tell them anything without a doubt.

Be honest, how many facebook friends do you have? 352. Now how many of those could I hit "chat" on and pour my heart out to? Very few. Probably under 20. Maybe more, but that might be exaggerating. How many of those 352 do I sincerelly love to be with? maybe 200, but there are some times when even I feel like i need a break from some of them. Do you see how bad that list is? Don't get me wrong, I try and socialize with my facebook friends so I do not delete them. I like to know I have an oppurtunity at all times to socialize with someone i know that i might not even really "know" that well.

Let me know later if this makes no sense.

But anyways, in school starting this year especially, we need to know that. Expect a long rambly (like always) classic blog TOMORROW, but I have a test to study for... :/ goodnight every body. Thank you, God, for FINALLY helping me to type this up. :) Bye guys.

Remembering

Sorry for the lack of posting in a total of nine days. I don't have a really good excuse, and I'm sorry. I'm working on it. Maybe I'll make it part of me "homework" now that school is about to start up. But there has been a lot going on in the past 10 days. Lets see, I helped my friend Claire (who I LOVE) move and also stayed with her in her first night ever with her own room, I've been busy in tennis (especially with our first match next week, trying to improve to get a higher rank), and I have also had personal things on my plate. I had a youth council interview last week and it was more of a reunion because I saw loved ones and talked to Georgie who has always been someone I can look up too, I went to an amazing concert by two people my whole family loves, and this weekend I'm going on a youth group retreat to build leadership. So I guess there has been a lot going on, but I'll let you know i NEVER stopped praying. God was always most important. No matter what.

I have this cross thats right at the top of the stairs. So you go up the stairs, and if you're looking straight you see the cross RIGHT AWAY. I like that. It reminds me every time I go up to my room, and every time I go downstairs to get a snack or watch TV I always see it. I always think to myself "Amen." as in "yes." as in I am here. and I am here to do as you wish. Just help to guide me so I follow your amazing path into the perfect me you imagine. Even though I will never reach the highest standards I have for him, he still thinks I am perfect, just the way I am. And this is something I need to remember because a few minutes ago me and my friend were trying a home-remedy to cure acne. He loves me no matter if I have acne, no matter if I'm having "boy problems" or if things aren't going how i want them to. They're not supposed to go how I want them to. That's not what happens. I'm here to do what HE wants me to do. I just forget that sometimes. So I guess that cross and that simple "Amen" helps me to remember I'm here because, for, and with Him.

Along with all the other things I'm striving for in life, like to perfect my serve and aim in tennis, silly appearance & crushes, good grades, getting better musically, figuring out if I'm on student council, working in my church youth group council, and being a good friend, I also have a number 1 goal.

Top 10 Goals:

10. Hopefully, make student council

9. Work on my aim in tennis

8. Work on guitar

7. Perfect serve in tennis

6. Work on piano

5. Work on singing

4. Good Grades and whatnot in school this year

3. Be an amazing friend and help everyone I can, no matter how I feel about them.

2. Do my best in my church youth group council (total youth council)

1. Strive always to be who He plans for me to be, no matter how challenging or great it is. Because He will be there for me every single step of the way.

As i wrote that last one (by the way, 10 is least important all the way to 1. which is by far especially greatly more important) i was looking at that cross. I'm glad that's in my house in a place where I see it so often. I need that reminder. That's pretty sad, but true. Sometimes we forget, because we know we're not perfect but we try to be, that we need Him. He is the only cure. Whether it's a ring from a mission trip, a cross, a quote or verse you can never forget, we all have something that reminds us. It's not a bad thing, even though He should always be on our minds. It's a great thing that even though we DO forget, we try everything to help ourselves remember always. I will always remember. He's always been there for me. I never give up on God because if I'm a tough spot in life He WANTS ME to be there. He wants me to learn from it, or use Him to get through it. Or He wants me to wait for the better outcome. He is the reason.

John 14:6

Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

FOG

Wow. This may be the longest I've gone without blogging, and I'm sorry. I've just been caught up in chaos and couldn't think of something that was enough to tell you guys about. Well as you know, the new school year is coming up. Some people are starting any day, I am starting in two weeks. But its still an anxious time for everyone. Everybody is driving out to the nearest target to go pick up all the notebook and folders and pencils and pens. All high schoolers are getting there schedules and trying to figure out who's in who's class. It's hectic. We lose track of time. We're trying out for sports, doing the summer reading and assignments we should've done a month ago. That's what our focus is on. But we can't forget what is SUPPOSED TO BE our focus. God. We know this, I've said it just about a thousand times on here, but it's because that needs to stick with us.

"So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

In Pure Fashion we went to a speech class. In that speech class, we were taught that something will stick in your head once you hear it 7 times. Something will stick in your head once you hear it 7 times. It'll stick in your head once you hear it 7 times. 7 times. 7 times. Once you hear it 7 times, it will stick. 7 TIMES. You're probably tired of that, but now you can remember it, right? It's like in the Verizon commercials. "Can you hear me now?" that sticks with you. So why shouldn't this stick with you? Focus On God. FOG. Can you remember that? I can, and I will. I might right it on my binder this year or post it on a post-it in my locker or right it on my tennis racket somewhere so that no matter HOW hectic my life is getting this school-year, I'll remember to Focus On God.

I've done so much this summer. I'm proud to say this has been the best summer i have ever had. I didn't do everything I wanted, but I met people that I may or may not ever see again- but they changed my life and to this day I still talk to them. I've been on trips to waterparks with my church, hung out with close friends, and went on an unforgettable mission trip where I met just a ton of people who will never leave my heart. I also went to an inspiring concert performed by a guitar player who has no arms, went to Virginia, met unbelievably great people and visited family in Minnesota, and made the school tennis team, making even more friends (that I'll see in just a few hours). I have an interview in two days, on my cousin and brother's birthday, to be on the council for the high school youth group for my church. It'll be just like a reunion seeing everyone again. And I couldn't be happier.

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life,
to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession
in the presence of many witnesses."
1 Timothy 6:12

The main reason that I LOVED summer 2010 is that I grew relationships with amazing people, and made my relationship with God stronger than it has EVER BEEN. And I'm psyched to help others grow in faith, too. I'll be teaching 1st graders (as a junior teacher) this year in Sunday school. It'll be my second year teaching and it's just making my life better. It's nice to know that I'm especially more happy when I'm closer to God then I am when I push Him away. Remember that- I promise I'm not going to say THAT 7 times. I already went through THAT point. What I'm trying to say is this:

• FOG: Focus On God
• Make the most of what you have, but always remember that He comes 1st.
• Have a good year filled with friends, faith, and fun (I hope)
• sometimes it won't be fun, following God. It'll get challenging and hard, but that's how we know it's wonderful. His reward for us isn't just HANDED to us. We have to earn it. He loves us no matter what, but we have to work for Him to really appreciate and understand all the undeserved stuff that He has given us.

Take It Up

(Mark 8:34-35) He now called the crowd to him with his disciples and said to them:

“If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and follow me continually.

For whoever wants to save his soul will lose it;

but whoever loses his soul for the sake of me and the good news will save it.

Take up your cross. What does that mean to you? Just think about that for a minute. If someone were to come and tell you to take up your cross, what would you think? To be honest, if a random person came up to me and said that I'd be a bit creeped out. But this isn't a random person, tihs is Jesus. We all know it's not going to be easy taking up our cross, but it's what we need to do. When I was in Minnesota last week and for two weeks before that, I stayed up north with my grandma for a part of the time. It's a REALLY small town. My little cousin and I were able to walk to the very end within like 5 or 10 minutes. And i'm pretty sure it was allowed to just walk through the drive through at dairy queen (though, to my dismay, we never tried). But my mom and i stopped at a flower shop/coffe shop and was looking around. There was a little plaque that i loved, it said "God never said it would be easy, He just promised it would be worth it.

I really, really like that. It's so true. It's not going to be easy, we should know that by now. I've had my fair share of problems in my life, a lot based on my faith. I dont let that stop me or my faith. My faith actually grows stronger after i face problems. The reason why (i believe) is I seek God for help, and know that He WILL help me as to follow what He plans for me. And that trust in Him strengthens my love for Him.

In 8th grade I joined pure fashion and I went to a weekend retreat. I came back COMPLETELY different. But it's safe to say I absolutely LOVE how I turned out. The bad side was my very best friend from school was not ready for that drastic change between days that she saw me (Friday i was one way, Monday i was completely different). She was also changing in ways too, and it's a really complicated story, but we were both just drifting the exact opposite. We normally would have stupid little fights like why didnt you wait for me after class, but then after we changed we had more intense fights. Nothing physical, but it was always questioning who eachother was now. It would always end with an apology and they started getting a little less often but the tension was building up. January we had a humongous fight (over the internet, oh joy) that ended up in us "not being friends anymore", all because we had changed- I growind closer to my faith, and her rebelling a bit (not really in a bad way though). I regreted everything that was said the second after it was said, and I did everything to try and end that fight, and eventually it worked. We worked things out and eventually became even closer than we originally were. It took a lot of praying, but now we're amazing.

She went through her own things, lots of things, after our big fight, and I was there to help her through all of them. I love her soo much and I'm so happy that i got through that battle, and maybe that's not completely taking up my cross, because although she did start to rebel a little less, that was more of a personal cross for me. It just reminds me, though, that in order to be close with God i have to face challenges. Like seperating from friends, and judgement. But we will make it through. We WILL make it through for Him. We can do this.

Whenever I come across a tough situation, faith related or not, I almost always pray something along the lines of God, please help me to get through this problem. Help me so the path I'm going in is taking me to where you want me to be. Thank you so much for everything you've done for me. I don't deserve any of it but I praise you even more for how awesome you are.

And before I wrap this up, i just though of something while writing that. The theme of our mission trip was undeserved. It was both a way of saying how we need to serve Him (take up your cross!) and how undeserved we are of all the gracious things He has done for us. I'm in the middle of my room right now typing this way too early in the morning. I've had a list of things I've wanted to blog for a while now, but i havent gotten around to it, which makes me pretty mad/sad. But I hope that this post (even though it's mainly about me, sorry!) helps you.

"He just promised it'd be worth it"

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,

Let us sing

Power and majesty, praise to the King;

Mountains bow down and the seas will roar

At the sound of Your name.

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands,

Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,

Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.

-Shout to the Lord

-Chris Tomlin