Happy New Year!

Well, we are already half way through January and I’m just now getting in my first post of 2008. It’s sad really. Especially since it’s been over a month since my last post! Ugh! I really would like to be more consistent in this but I also think God is using other things in my life right now that are more of a priority than blogging. Also, I know there are many of you who are reading this and are not commenting so sometimes I find myself being unmotivated to blog because I don’t think anyone is reading. I am very guilty of this too so I think I’m going to work on this. So, if you are reading, at least give me a shot out comment or “sign your name” or something. Maybe that will motivate me! I also may revamp my blog to be on www.wordpress.com because I won’t have to take up as much space on my own computer. We’ll see!

So I guess I’ll give you the highlights of the last month of my life. The day of my last post was a turning point for me. I haven’t been the same since and I don’t think I will be. I guess that’s a good thing! My perspective has been broadened and I am no longer trying to figure anything out or waiting for something to change. I’m here, as I am, right now, in the moments of life that God gives me. Everything could change tomorrow or it could stay the same forever but I am living and breathing with Him…resting in His perfect sufficiency. Resting. I think I’m finally resting. This is HUGE!

The middle of December took Daniel and I to Texas to see my younger brother Michael graduate from Texas A&M. I like to give him a hard time that I completed in 3 years what took him 6! However, I am really proud of him and know that he gained a great education…not just in college but in life and I praise God for it. We also helped move him and my sister-in-law Erika into their new house in Houston. I’m glad we got to see it because I like to picture where people live when I’m talking to them or thinking about them.

We flew back just in time to make it to Daniel’s Christmas party with The Lampo Group. It was phenomenal as usual! Dave Ramsey sure knows how to do it up right and I am eternally grateful for the ongoing physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional investments he makes into my husband, my family, and to countless people around the world. Thanks Dave!

And wedding bells started ringing too! Daniel’s brother Evan got engaged to the wonderful, amazing, beautiful and talented Kasey Jo! They will get married sometime in May or June and Daniel and I will have the honor of standing with them as a groomsman and bridesmaid in the wedding.

We went to Texas for the Christmas holidays and first stopped in Dallas to visit my older brother Andy, his wife Kristy, and their two sons Westin & Reid. It was really fun to get to see where Andy works, hang out, and play with the boys. After that, we headed on to Lubbock to see the rest of our families. Daniel’s parents are adopting a 13 year old girl named Regina and we got to meet her! It was so awesome to spend time with his new sister as well as everyone else! Daniel’s siblings are one of the things we miss the most and we cherish the time we get to spend with them and always look forward to more. We also spent time with my side of the family and had the most relaxed Christmas that I can remember in a long time. It was really nice. The only bummer is that I did not feel so great most of the time we were there. The West Texas air really attacks my allergies and it got worse the longer I was there. I missed out on some things because of that which was a bummer.

We spent New Year’s in Atlanta and went to the Chick-Fil-A bowl. Daniel had some business there and I was thankful I got to go with him. It was a random, last minute, but fun getaway. The only thing that was missing was good friends to share it with!

Then that brings us into January which means the after holiday shock syndrome and readjusting to normal life. However, I’m back to life, back to reality (anybody with me?) and have spent the past couple of weeks reorganizing the house from the many travels chaos explosion, hanging out with great friends that I haven’t seen in awhile, spending some time with my FSM girls, reading, and hanging out with Daniel. However, I’ve been letting Daniel work on the house by himself in the cold weather. I’m a weeny. The front of our house looks completely different now! Our camera isn’t working or I would show you a picture.

This week, I’ve implemented my first sort of schedule that I’ve had since I’ve been home. It was purposeful at first to not have a schedule at all, and it is purposeful now to have a very loose schedule of sorts. It revolves around cleaning certain things on certain days. That’s it. So far its working but I really should be doing my Thursday floor cleaning at the moment so I need to wrap up.

I’ve also not been a huge resolution person but I also believe the phrase, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” So I thought I’d share with you the little mission statement I wrote about this season of life I’m in and really for the rest of my life. It’s my aim and I am depending on God to show me daily how to live it out. I wrote this last April but its still good in 2008 too. Beware, my nerdy, theological, wordy side of my brain was at work when I wrote this.

Emily’s Mission Statement: To glorify God by finding complete satisfaction in Jesus Christ alone through knowing Him by resting in His presence, personal prayer, and saturation of His Word. In knowing Him, I will reflect His image through the life, gifts, skills, talents, time and treasure that he has graciously bestowed on me to influence people (family, friends, the body & the world) for the furtherance of His kingdom.

The LBD Dual Significance: I don’t have it all together. Sometimes after I write a post like this and read it back, I wonder what it looks like through other people’s eyes. I guess that’s why I want your feedback so much because I want to know how others process life and I want to be challenged and sharpened by you.

I used to be a basket case a lot. I would cry at almost anything and I hated it. I realized that part of this was a gift from God in the sensitivity of my spirit and part of it was my own foolishness. As I learned to accept who I was in that, the more I found the truth, and the less I cried at things that were not worthy of my tears.

I think a lot of times I don’t write until after I have processed through the “basket case” areas of my life and sought truth. I am an internal processor and usually withdraw into my misery or withdraw into a search for truth. It’s always a big question of whether I follow my flesh or my spirit in those moments. Because of that though, I wonder if I come across like I have it all together. I just want to be completely honest and be sure you know that I DON’T! I may try and purposefully write during those “basket case” moments in the future just to prove it but just a warning…it isn’t pretty!

I really relate to Solomon on this one too. I’m so glad I have Jesus to lead the way through this life. I would forever live life as a basket case without Him!

Ecclesiastes 7:15-17 In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.