The Oakes

I was looking through some one's pics of Southern Nazarene University's {my undergrad Alma Mater} freshman move in and orientation day pictures and found this beautiful one of my auntie Deb, uncle Stan and mini-me-cousin Allie {who is a freshman at SNU this year}

The Oakes have been such a big part of my life.  I enjoyed a week or more at their home in Houston every summer that I spent at home...including while I was in college.  Debbi taught me how to sew and has poured many a life lesson into my heart about life...and has always been someone that I knew I could come to with just about anything.  She is the aunt who helped me with my wedding...they all had a part in a way, but she was hands on...decorations...food...thank God for you, auntie Debbi

Stan always has mustard and Cherry Coke ready for me when I visit...and is very dependable when it comes to texts wishing you a happy holiday.  He speaks love through candy...what more could one want from an uncle?

Tori was one of my bridesmaids and will always be one of my best friends...watching her grow into a beautiful woman of God is one of the most precious parts of our relationship...our shared love for Texas, Buddha's doodle and the ridiculous keep our love alive, even if we have not talked in a while.  Her birthday gifts and care packages are much anticipated :)

Allie, last but def not least {for we all know that their evil dog, Josie, is last AND least} is a girl after my own heart...in many ways.  She has a passion for fashion {tee hee} and for life that is not shared by many of my cousins.  Her heart is willing to be shared with those that are in pain and suffering around her.  And although it is very easy for the youth of this world to get caught up in themselves, Allie definitely broadens her world view.

For the past 2 years, while I lived near SNU, I enjoyed the company and close proximity to Tori, the daughter missing in the above picture.  Really, the only downside to moving to Philly for me was that I would no longer have access to family the way I did in OKC...and that I would not be able to be there for Allie's first year at SNU {which can be very dramatic...after all, I met my husband seven years ago on our move-in and orientation day}

I am very excited to see where God leads Allie through her time at SNU...and what the near future holds for Tori as she exists SNU...I love you two...and The Deb and Stan the Man...thank you so much for all of the love you have given me...and all the time you have invested in our relationship.

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

Stalking

I just added a cause, Love 146, to my Things to Love page.  My discovery of this cause is result of my Facebook stalking of one Anna Hrovat...my roomie from Mission Year.

Girl, I love you so much and I thank you for sharing Love 146 on your page...even though it was in a conversation with someone else other than me.  COME SEE ME IN PHILLY!

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

I am an investment

Today, my cohort enjoyed hearing from Dr. Tony Campolo for the entire day...it was wonderful!  I finally got to meet him and told him all about all sorts of things...and he said that he loved me and gave me a hug...talk about family...I think I just met another grandfather :)

He ended the day by talking about Babylon...and how Revelation 18 is referring to any country in which one resides...and how all great countries fall...and how America is going to fall sooner than later.

Now you may be wondering, "what in THE WORLD does that have to do with love?"

Before he dismissed us he asked us a simple question..."What will you be doing when our Babylon falls?" Will we look back and see that everything we have is destroyed because we invested our lives in Babylon, or will we look up and see our treasures stores in heaven...in the Kingdom of God.

I know that I will be able to look at the Kingdom and have no fear...but I did not learn that this is what life is about on my own.  My parents taught me where to invest my time, talent and resources...in people.  The biggest way that they have shown this to me is through their investment in me.  Dr. Campolo also talked about, unless we were children of a farmer, we were only an economic liability to our parents...and this is SO true...but my parents still tell me all of the time that they are very proud of me and that I affirm their decision to invest in me...rather than in their house, or the stock market...or even a savings account.

{My parents paid for my education, will do anything to support me, have taken on the hubbs as a part of the family, and give big to everyone around them.  Thank you, Mom & Dad, for loving me so much that you put your needs after mine and that you have shared your dreams and love with my...and that you do the same for others.  Your investment in me has allowed me to invest in others.}

I love you,
Emily Elizabeth

Home

Home is taking a whole new meaning for me...and I truly believe its where the heart is.

{Our new home is in the suburbs of Philadelphia.  We share our two story house with six teenage boys...or maybe they share the house with us...we are still unpacking, but it feels like we are home}

Drama has been pretty low since we took over...I think because there is no parental struggle with us...we are almost their peers...so maybe they don't feel like we are trying to control them.

Orientation at Eastern has been really great...I feel like I am at home with my cohort...it's such a privilege to know that I will be spending the next year with people that have the same passions and love for the world and others.  It feels like Mission Year.

There are so many great opportunities that I will have this year:  Costa Rica for Spring Break, DC for a day, a possible visit to the UN in NY...and any conference that we think will be beneficial to us (like the CCDA in Chicago next month).  

{Home is where the Hubbs is...he has been so amazing during this transition...not only is he primarily responsible for our youngsters, he has taken very good care of me.  He has been very encouraging and loving, despite his exhaustion.  I am so happy that we are married and get to experience this year together.}

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

the adventure

this week has been none other than the adventure of the hubbs and my lives...and it's not going to get any less exciting for the next two weeks...but lots of love was found

{Our dear friends Tyler and Roxie not only opened their home to us and helped us move everything into our moving van, Roxie cleaned our entire apartment for us while I was working...this spoke so much love to me...I don't know how we could ever really thank them...ever}

{My last day of work was our annual special event...it was beautiful...and it was nice to say good bye to the people that I have spent the last 2 years working beside while we all looked so snazzy.  I really didn't know  what I wanted to give them as a Thank You present for the last 2 years...I thought about it a long time and decided I would give them each a different kind of cross...one that looked like their personality/style...and I told them when they opened them that they were to hang in their home...and every time they looked at them they should remember that I thank God for the time we had.  It was perfect, and I think they all know how much I love them}

Arkansas is our next stop for the weekend, and then its on to Pennsylvania...where we will move into our group home with our boys and I will start orientation at school on the same day...offff course

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

Happy Birthday, Momita

I just wanted to take some time to tell my mother

Happy Birthday!

You are a wonderful friend and mentor...I love it when people say I remind them of you...I wish I could be home to celebrate with you...but I am very grateful that Sissy is there!

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

Relationships

A lot of times I look back at all of the wonderful friends I have had in my life...and think about some that were not so great...and in trying to figure out why we need friends anyway, I have come up with this:

Relationships...whether with friends, family or lovesr...are meant to make us better people. I used to believe that a true friend would just accept me for who I am...but after getting married and looking back on my best friends of all time...it's more than that...in fact, they don't accept you for who you are...they join in a journey to the person that God created you to be

Relationships that are meaningful are the ones that are filled with so much love that an argument or a few harsh words will never destroy...the true friend will honestly tell you how they feel and will let you know what they appreciate about you...they will stand beside you when you realize who you really are...they will join you in the pits of despair...and they will laugh with you so hard that you both pee your pants (ok...so maybe these are just my friends)

I have been very lucky to have more than one friend like this in my life...and I give all the credit to God and to them for the person I am today

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

sweet sweet words

From my friend Janell...the one I can credit all my crochet skills to:

{I love you for who you are because you aren't afraid to be who you are.

When you first told me that you were moving I was so excited for you and the opportunity this is for you and Jon. Then in the past week I realized that it also meant you would be gone from here. That does make me sad, I will miss you. I treasure our friendship as well and look forward to the day we might live near each other again. Whatever the future holds, I am very grateful for this time we have had together.}

God, thank you for friends in every part of my life...You have always known just what I needed from a friend...You have given me a great gift with Janell
 
Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

A lovely weekend

I had a very busy, but wonderful weekend...

It started off with working really late for a {Friday}, but feeling so productive...and then playing water games with kids at our church's last night of VBS...I got to meet some parents of the children I spent so much time with during the week...it was good...scratch that...God is good.

{Saturday}, I woke up early to go to my cousin Tori's apartment for a Texas breakfast...featuring Texas shaped waffles, orange juice and chocolate milk drank from a UT cup, and syrup from Jefferson, Texas...ohhh yes...and to top it all off, we wore Texas shirts...mine looking like this:

Good times, good times...it was the perfect way to finish a memorable birthday month!  As we enjoyed the comedic stylings of Rift Tracks while watching Twighlight and New Moon, my bestie Sarah and I starting chopping up shirts from college for t-shirts quilts...we had so many of the same t-shirts...it reminded me of how God has blessed me so much with Sarah's friendship...we have shared so much of our lives...it's good to have people that know where you come from.  We ended the night with hanging out with our dear friends Ben & Tabatha...and their son Logan...who gave me kisses...and it was awesome.

{Sunday}, our second to last Sunday at CCN, the hubbs got to baptize two of the girls in our teen group.  This was specially meaningful to us because we have seen these girls grow so much in their relationships with God...and it was awesome to see the hubbs pull out his newly ordained Rev. skills :)  I was proud...so proud, of all of them!  

{I also found out today that my grandfather reads my blog...and likes it :)  It always makes me happy to hear that people enjoy reading these posts...especially when it's family...so Shout out to Pawpaw Pitts!  I love and miss you, always!  Feel free to comment whenever you like :)}

Much love,

Emily Elizabeth