If you can believe it our second and final year at Gordon-Conwell officially kicked off last week! Although it feels like yesterday we moved up here, we are already prayerfully looking ahead and preparing for the next season of Jimmy's studies. This fall, he will take the GRE, continue his thesis, and meet with faculty at schools he'd like to get his PhD at. Fortunately for us, his top choices are all in the New England and northeastern region, so he's able to travel if needed!
Folks, it's been a while. Often I think to myself that there's nothing interesting going on these days, when in fact the truth is that there's a lot Jimmy and I are up to and praying about!
For starters, this summer was a BLAST! We traveled down to Texas to spend time with Jimmy's family for the Fourth of July and see all of the aunts, uncles and cousins! It was the last holiday spent in Bruce's parents home in Dallas, and we had a sweet time catching up and swapping stories. Let's just say -- the Millers KNOW how to do brunch right (hint: Mattito's Sunday brunch is the bomb).
As a sweet bonus, all of Jimmy's siblings were in town! We spent time playing ping-pong, making yummy meals together, celebrating Tamara's birthday and jogging in 100 degree weather (that last one was my idea and it was not the smartest). Although David is in DC, Ben's in San Diego, Melanie, Jake and Arabella are in Austin and Bart is in Dallas, we somehow all made it back to McKinney for a few wonderful days!
...Not to mention we got to eat Thai Noodle Wave with awesome friends who we missed dearly (shout out to Andrew and Monica McKinney and Lindsay Page!)
We also were able to meet up with the Mays and Beaty's from Gordon-Conwell! Both of these amazing families are serving churches and ministries in Austin and Dallas. I'm so blessed in having sweet, deep friendships with them. As I spoke about earlier on my blog, seminary wives have a bond that can't be duplicated! Seeing them at Breadwinner's in Plano rather than Massachusetts was such a fun treat!
Jimmy and I then traveled to FLORIDA with my family to stay in Destin with my aunt and uncle and cuzzies! It was five days of beach lounging, swimming, eating, drinking, game playing, air boat touring and greyhound racing watching. It was seriously one of the best weeks of my life. My whole family got to fly down to Florida as well, which is a true rarity.
I was also able to visit NYC to help my brother James move out of his apartment. I got to stay with my sis, clean my brother's filthy bachelor pad (he paid for my meals so we're all good), and have a few days to myself soaking in the beautiful, exciting city. I love being so close to Manhattan! Having my sis close is seriously a blessing. We haven't lived in the same place in almost 10 years and being 4 hours away seems like a breeze. Thank goodness for the Megabus!
OKAY, now for an update on what's going on now....
As I said earlier, Jimmy is looking at a few schools to do his PhD at starting in the Fall 2015. It's exciting, scary, nerve wracking and completely unknown. We don't know when or if Jimmy will be accepted into a program, so our entire life will be drastically changing in less than a year. It may mean moving to another state or just moving down the road to Cambridge or Boston.
Please pray with us as we continue to walk in faith toward the calling and ministry God is calling us to in New England and academia. He is continually showing his faithfulness to us, and now we have found our 'groove' up here and are enjoying the steadiness of Him. Our church has been an immense blessing of community, teaching and serving His body. We're thankful to have a home up here at First Congregational Church of Hamilton!
Let us know how we can be praying for you guys and THANK YOU for not forgetting about us quite yet :)
We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
As your name, O God,
Let Mount Zion be glad!
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
Walk about Zion, go around her,
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments!
that you may tell the next generation
number her towers,
consider well her ramparts,
go through her citadels,
It's been a few months since I've written on the blog. My hiatus has been for wonderful reasons -- I'm learning to be present HERE and NOW to soak up each little moment with the beautiful people with which God has surrounded me. Many of my friends are moving to start the next chapter and it has been hard. But I know He has an exciting plan and purpose for each and every one of them. Many tears have been shed as we wave goodbye, or 'see ya later', to our dear, dear friends.
[For an amazing blog my friend Melissa wrote about her time at GCTS and saying goodbye, check it out HERE. Warning: it may move you to tears!]
The Lord has changed me deeply in ten short months. I'm excited to share with you the ways He has moved my heart.
1. Seminary Wives are Strong
Being at GCTS has been a true delight for my soul. As an extrovert who craves people, I've been surprised by just how much I need community. This amazing group of women are wonderful wives, mothers, daughters, sisters and friends from all over the world. Some of these women have been missionaries to Nicaragua, China and Puerto Rico. Some work in the marketing field, pediatric physical therapy or teach first grade. A few women don't speak English as their first language and have moved to a foreign country with their husband and children to follow God's call.
These godly, servant-hearted ladies are the future supporters and encouragers to their husbands who will pastor the global Christian body. They have been called to labor alongside their families for the sake of His gospel and kingdom.
And they are strong. They are the backbone to their homes and will be their husbands constant source of strength and renewal when ministry undoubtedly gets hard. I cannot wait to see how God uses them for His sake and am honored to be their friend.
2. STUFF ≠JOY
I used to think that having a big house or nice things would help supplant my happiness in day-to-day life. I focused on the things of life rather than the people in my life. The comparison game would come on hard and strong with each morning of driving down the Dallas North Tollway or walking around the Shops at Legacy. (Not to say either of those things are bad in any way...)
But I've learned the STUFF will never produce joy. Sure, the 'stuff' is fun for a moment, but then it ages and cracks, becomes stained and eventually collects a layer of dust in the corner of your closet. Living in a place where families of five share two rooms and one bathroom has taught me that joy can never be found in how nice your furniture or TV. I pray that I would always be content with exactly what the Lord chooses to give me and, whether in times in plenty or want, my soul would sing His praises.
The stuff that matters is relationship; with Jesus, family, the body of Christ and His world.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:18-21
3. Living in community is how God designed it
The house doesn't need to look perfect, the table doesn't need to be set and my hair doesn't have to be done to understand the importance of being with people. I'm learning to just live life with those around me rather than host, or put on a "show". There's something beautiful about being in pajama pants during bible study with women and not feeling out of place or shame! Granted, it helps that I just have to walk down the hall rather than hop in the car, however the point is to come as we are and learn to love others before looking put-together on the outside. We are quick to share ingredients in pantries, watch each other's kids and monitors for date nights and fold each other's laundry. We are one body and need each other to coexist.
I pride myself on being Miss Independent (always have since I was little -- just ask my momma). I am quick to say "I can do it on my own...I'm okay, I don't need you to do it for me..." Although this is something I'll struggle with my entire life, I'm learning that it's okay to be dependent on others when I'm weak. It's okay to ask for encouragement, prayer or wisdom. My heart has softened to being teachable rather than insisting that I know what's best.
There is something beautiful and unique about living in an apartment with thin walls and nowhere to hide. We are accountable with one another and are there to pick each other up when some of us aren't strong enough on our own. I'm thankful for the deep community and commitment these families and us have to each other as one body.
"But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together, if one member is honored, all rejoice together." - 1 Corinthians 12:25-26
4. God has a place for us
God knew that Jimmy and I must go to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Although we could sense the Holy Spirit directing us there, there was a big part of us thinking, "what have we done!?!" as we left our home and family.
Today, we see His faithfulness in leading us here. Our marriage has strengthened, relationships with others have deepened and our faith has grown. We've seen him provide through unplanned monetary gifts and jobs. We've watched Him work in our relationship with each other. We've felt his faithfulness in bringing us to a great church where we can serve.
Yes, my friends, He knew we needed to be here. We can trust Him.
"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him." - Acts 17:24-27
We've had this blog since August 2013, so I guess it's high time that I contributed. Of all my classes this semester, the most challenging has been CH812: Historiography. This class is all about the academic discipline of History, how and why it is studied. Throughout the course, my classmates and I have been exposed to numerous methods, but last week we were presented with a challenge: present our own. What lies beneath this body of text is a modified version of that presentation. I don't ever want my work to exist solely for a small class and a professor (after all, what's the point of work if you can't share it?). I hope it makes sense...
(a brief) Philosophy of History
In
order to engage non-Christians in thoughtful discussion about the philosophy of
history, it is important to utilize common terms and categories while simultaneously
remaining true to the divinely revealed eternal perspective. From a secular
perspective, the presented philosophy of history will be addressing the period
between the first appearance of consciousness to the future date if human
extinction. This extinction may
come at the hands of man, or by the natural entropic nature of the Universe. Appealing
to the same ‘bookends,’ with theological verbiage, the Christian historian will
write: History is the story of humanity in the period between the creation of
the perceivable universe and the second coming of Jesus Christ. With the
parameters of time set in place, the question becomes – what is between the
‘bookends’ of time?
As
with all stories, the narrative of human history is set in motion by conflict.
Defined here as the struggle between two or more forces set in opposition to
each other by the desire to achieve unequal objectives, conflict is easily
perceived at both the micro and macro levels of the universe. The root of all
conflict is found when objectives (both conscious and unconscious) are outside
the will of the Creator. Where the secular might label this struggle
“competition,” Christians define this struggle against the telos of the universe as “sin.” The reason being that there can be
no competition if only one side of a struggle (in this case, God) has the
ability to win. As the object of any struggle is to be the winner, all sin must
therefore be self-seeking. In order to uncover historical narratives, the
historian must discern what it is people seek.
The task of
discovering the self-seeking objectives of humans is vast. However, like the
mathematician, the historian is not without his/her formulas. Biblical
revelation provides a framework by which the historian can discover and sort
human patterns. Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 states, “What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the
sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been
already in the ages before us.” This seems to imply a cyclical understanding of history, but that cannot be.The assumption
that humanity has an ultimate end means the perceived repetition is not purely
cyclical, but more akin to circling a drain. The statement that there is
“nothing new under the sun” must not imply replication, but
archetypes. The historian perceives these archetypes acting out similar
conflicts, but always pushing the ultimate narrative of history toward telos.
Archetypes in action: The hero, the princess, the rogue, the villain, the robot...
The
concept of archetypes is not meant to imply that there are only a few types of
human characters walking the earth, but rather to suggest that the similarities
displayed by types of humans support the assumption that all humans, when
presented with the option to sin, will do so.The historian can examine the evidence of the past to sort
certain humans into these archetypes. For example, Christopher Columbus, John
Glenn, Bob Ballard, and Edmund Hillary are all “explorers,” men who assumed
great physical risk to push the limits of human understanding. In categorizing
the past in this way, the historian can better examine what human factors play
into the physical act of exploration. Furthermore, the historian can amass
evidence to display that the author of Ecclesiastes was correct in asserting,
“What has been is what will be.” In the case of the explorer- where there is a
frontier, there will the historian find an explorer.
The
role of archetypes is not limited to the role players, but includes situations
as well. In pop culture, commonly used plot lines akin to character archetypes
are referred to as “tropes.” History has similar patterns, such as the first
contact between cultures, droughts, revolutions, etc. As with the ordering of
archetypes, the historian can collect and categorize these tropes. This non-linear categorization of archetypes and
tropes will bring greater clarity to the story of humanity up to the present,
and allow for better contextualization of current events.
TV Trope: Put a monkey in an urban setting
Practical Research
The practical question that
must be asked in response to this approach must be, “how can the historian
accurately pinpoint the objectives that humans seek?” Without the answer to
this question, humans cannot be categorized into archetypes. Human objectives
can be found in a variety of places. In order to find what people believe to be
important, the historian can follow the trail of money. Not unlike Marx in the
belief that money is extremely important to the story of history, it is in
economic investment that the historian can place accurate percentage values on
goals of individual people and groups. For example, in the breakdown of a
household budget, the historian can attribute value to the percentage amount of
currency spent on different goods and services. Similarly, the historian can
discover the objectives of a nation by analyzing the investment of that
nation’s GNP.
Not limited to the study of
money, the historian can also discover objectives in how humans treat their
time. Like money, time is also quantifiable. How a person chooses to manage
their hours, days, weeks, and years reflects their short and long term objectives.
These objectives can range in size and scope from eating lunch, to raising a
child, or, at a national level, the acquisition of property. Time is common to
all humans and events, which makes it an attractive lump of data to mine.
Thanks to the Atlantic for this fun little graph. It appears we just work to watch TV.
In the search for clear answers, the most obvious place for a
historian to look remains primary sources. It is in books, essays, letters,
journals, etc that the historian can find personal revelations. While it is
important to always approach primary sources with a critical eye, there are
many instances of personal revelations revealing accurate personal objectives.
Whether it is Amelia Earhart declaring, “"My ambition is to have this wonderful
gift produce practical results for the future of commercial flying and for the
women who may want to fly tomorrow's planes" or Google’s famous company
motto, “Don’t be evil,” personal revelations provide the historian with the
self-perceived objectives of the people they are studying.
Clearly stated objectives
Each
of these strategies provides data with which the historian can catalog and
organize into archetypes and tropes. These are not the only strategies, as this
philosophy is meant to be flexible in its data collection. Other places in
which historians might look could be demographics, student test scores, or energy
use. The possibilities are vast.
The
Christian Historian
A
Christian historian must pursue truth without fear or hesitation. If it is
believed that God is the root of all existence, then there should be no effort
to shade results, or fear the research of secular parties. In regards to that
which is studied, the telos of
history must always be kept in perspective.That is to say, people and events in human history that
appear evil may be evil, but nothing is beyond redemption. If the culmination
of history is the second coming of Christ, then all that remains is the story
of conflict awaiting resolution in the form of judgment, condemnation and
redemption.
In
regards to divine providence, a Christian historian may not be able to
precisely pinpoint God’s providential works in history, but he may be able to
see God’s redemptive works amidst the conflict. If it is believed that humans
tend toward sin, then any moment of goodness must require divine influence. If
this is the case, then any beauty found in tragedy may be cautiously labeled as
providential. Brad S. Gregory has challenged the assumption that the event of
the Reformation was “good.” He questions whether or not the long-term results
of a very large event truly have the value generally attributed to it. In
response to Gregory, this philosophy would argue that it is not up to the
historian to place value on the totality of an event, as all human events will
never be without sin, nor to label any event as entirely providential. Instead,
the historian can point to aspects of an event, which are good, and label those
as providence in the form of redemption. For example, the human lives lost in
the name of theology during the Reformation are lamentable, but out of that
suffering came an exodus of Christians to North America, who then spread the
Gospel to unreached people groups. On either side of this exodus, the historian
can find evil in the form of murder. Yet, the historian can also find goodness.
This goodness found is tragedy redeemed.
Evaluation
To function, this philosophy assumes
that history as a telos, which is the
Christian God. It assumes the entropy perceived in the universe points to both
the ultimate end of history, and the sinful nature of humanity. This means that
humans will tend toward selfishness even when attempting altruism. The final
assumption is that humans are always seeking personal advantage, or objectives.
If an historian can discover the objectives which humans seek, than they can
categorize historical narratives. The driving force behind this philosophy is
the thesis that history is not the story of how humans have changed, but rather
how we have remained the same. The narrative of history will remain an
unpredictable pattern of archetypes and tropes until the second coming of
Christ, which for some will be extinction, and others, redemption.
Obviously this is not all encompassing, but it points in the direction I hope to go. Thanks for reading, pretending to read, or clicking the youtube links.
"Sometimes I forget that there's a bigger story being told here rather than my day-to-day scheduled life."
These words stumbled out of my mouth this morning as I slurped my coffee during the dissection of my soul…a.k.a. my quiet time. You see, lately I've been in a funk. It's the kind of funk that can easily be blamed on the weather, poor eating habits, our lack of extra funds, or missing my family. This funk has been sitting and stewing in my heart for weeks now, and I've just now mustered up the courage to expose and discover what's really going on in my heart rather than push the feeling to the corner of my mind.
I have an excellent knack for distracting myself. Whether it be by exciting adventures and the hope of a road-trip or shopping sprees and fabulous dining experiences. When life gets mundane and not as fun, I can easily set my eyes on something to look forward to as a distraction. Eventually, I develop unhealthy thinking habits or patterns from which I glean my happiness.
"Gosh Emily, how could you not see unhealthy signs of idolatry in your life before you got in the funk?"
That's a great question. And the answer is quite simple.
I have become a master of distraction. I can distract myself from what's really going on in my heart by simply focusing on my day-to-day living rather than taking a step back and looking at my walk with the Lord.
Throughout my day, I feel great if I spoke to my boss kindly, opened the door and smiled to fellow coworkers and made Jimmy dinner. Chalk that up as a good day, right? Absolutely, except my motivations for all of these things have completely missed the mark. I spoke to my boss kindly today so that I could look really good. I opened the door and smiled to coworkers because I would've felt guilty had I not done that. I made Jimmy dinner begrudgingly because we can't afford to go out which turns into me mentally complaining about it the entire time…
I can easily let the idolatry of experiences creep in because I'm not honest with myself and where I place my joy.
Friends, I'm still figuring this thing out. As my father once said, "Emily, the Christian walk is not a sprint. It's a marathon." These words mean more to me today than they ever have before. This is a season of open brokenness that I'm happy to share with you because I know I'm not alone in seeking distractions from what's going on in the daily Christian walk.
You're not alone, and there's even better news; He has covered me and you with His grace. Praise the Lord that the Holy Spirit has made me and you painfully aware of sin so that we can continually come crawling back to the cross. His faithfulness can look different depending on the season, and this is an instance of Him being faithful to the sanctification, or molding, of my soul.
"But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sing, have become slaves of righteousness…the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life."
This comment was said to me today and I couldn't agree more. As much as I try to deny it, I really do love the northeast! It's beautiful, full of adventure and the culture is stretching.
I am refreshed by the people here. They tend to be true to themselves, to the point and painstakingly honest. I find it incredibly wonderful. Texans can be flowery and will candy-coat every word -- who has time for that? It's like pulling teeth to get someone to express how they truly feel or what they really think. I am prone to be honest myself, so it's a breath of fresh air to receive honesty right back up here.
If you've never experienced four seasons, I encourage you to do so! The beauty in every month is breathtaking and you see the hand of God everywhere you walk. Praise the Lord for creating more than one season - what would life be like in 105 degree weather everyday? Miserable. But He had better plans!
The rich history up here is a breeding ground of knowledge and curiosity. When I step off the train to walk into Boston, I sometimes have to fight the tears welling up in my eyes because I'm just so thankful and happy to be here! I've always dreamed of being a "city girl" and I'm getting to live this adventure. Thank you, Lord, for letting me experience this time.
For the past couple months, I've taken a heightened interest in my skin care and what products I use to cleanse and hydrate my face and body during these dry winter months. The cold wind can easily whip against me leaving my hands cracked, lips chapped and hair brittle.
The way I see it, the more I invest in taking care of my skin and hair now, the more thankful I will be in 20 years! Just because I'm still relatively young doesn't mean I can slack off and use harsh chemical products that are quick and do the trick! Rather, starting healthy skincare habits now will benefit me greatly in the long haul.
Here is a quick list of my favorite products I've incorporated into my daily regiment:
1. Enfuselle's Hydrating Cleansing Lotion
Enfuselle, a Shaklee brand, has a fantastic hydrating cleansing lotion. It doesn't dry out your skin and leaves it still feeling clean! My mom has been using it for years and I finally hopped on the Enfuselle bandwagon.
2. Aesop's Fabulous Face Oil
My brother got me this for Christmas and it is simply miraculous. I apply this oil (just a few drops) before bed and it keeps my face hydrated but not oily. It has a nice scent, too!
3. Enfuselle's Moisturizing Cream
Whether it's overcast or sunny outside, I love to apply this moisturizer cream to my face before heading out the door.
3. Biolage's Fortifying Leave-In Treatment
This leave-in treatment is perfect for protecting and strengthening my hair against the cold winter wind. It smells clean and fresh, and helps to untangle my hair, too!
4. Aesop's Aromatique Hand Balm
Aesop's hand balm hydrates wonderfully and doesn't leave my hands slimy or sticky. It has a woodsy, earthy scent, and a little goes a long way.
5. Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Moisturizer
Since we all know the winter months bring on chapped lips, why not keep them protected and looking nice? This lip moisturizer is perfect and very practical, giving my lips just the right amount of color for a complete look.
6. Bath and Body Works' Stress Relief Sugar Scrub
This fantastic sugar scrub exfoliates gently while leaving my skin moisturized. I prefer the minty and natural smell of Eucalyptus Spearmint!
Hope you've enjoyed a list of my favorite products! I'm always in search of new ways products to try out; let me know some of your favorites!
My heart is burdened this morning for those who feel they must constantly be striving to become the perfect person and Christian they think they should be and for their heartache that comes when they realize they will always be struggling with one thing or another. Let Paul's words to Galatia comfort your souls. You are no longer enslaved by the law so that we might be adopted as sons and daughters, and as heirs of His kingdom through God. Yes, our calling is to be the hands and feet, salt and light, fishers of men here on this earth, yet this is borne from a heart of thankfulness and obedience to our Savior, Jesus. Echoing Paul's words in Philippians 1, "and I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
"In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God...For freedom Christ hasset us free;stand firm therefore, and do not submit again toa yoke ofslavery."
- Galatians 4:3-7, 5:1 -
If you are wrestling with the sadness or frustration of seeing yourself fail time and time again (or that life's not getting 'easier'), Jesus loves you, accepts you and has died for you knowing full well you won't and can't live this life perfectly. This world is never where we can find our satisfaction and comfort - ultimately, it is when we'll be united with our Father in heaven.
"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." - Edward Mote
