Easter Lessons from a Boy's Group Home: Easter Sunday

{He's alive, He's alive, the stone is rolled away!}

-the donut man

We were siting in our living room while some of the boys were playing video games with the hubbs...when one looked over at the cross that we had in our wedding. He said, "Why do Christians have crosses everywhere...didn't your god die on a cross? Why would you want to remember that?" With no hesitation, the hubbs jumped in to explain that God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross so that our sins would die with Him and we could be forgiven. In three days, He came back to life and gave us a way to know God personally - through relationship with His Son. 

Glory to God that we would get to share our joy with our boys in a way where they asked about it! I don't know what they think as of now about the whole cross thing, but they know it is a sign of forgiveness and redemption, not death.

He has been resurrected from the dead, and offers us the same resurrection daily through Him. It doesn't get much better than that!

{Happy Easter, lovelies!}

Much love,

Emily Elizabeth

it's Holy Saturday

"and all I can think of is this song

"Come on and resurrect me"

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

Easter Lessons from a Boy's Group Home: Good Friday

{‎"But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins, He was beaten so we could be whole." -Isaiah 53:5}

This will be the first time that Jon and I will not be at church for Easter in our entire lives (that's a lot of Easter dresses and polo shirts!) You may ask, "Why don't you just take the boys with you?" and to that I would reply, "We have this new kid...that I'm pretty sure would walk up in the middle of the service and tell the pastor why the Christians are all liars and how they stole their religion from the Egyptians...and yeah, he's 12 and knows everything...so that is why we are not going.

So it was this little squirt through which God taught me a Good Friday lesson today. Have you ever been to a Good Friday service? The ones I've been to leave me feeling sad, dark and lonely...because Jesus died and left this world on that Friday...but all of that is ok, as long as you know that you are going to an Easter celebration service in three days...

But what about the disciples? Yeah, Jesus said He would rise from the dead in three days, but I don't think they actually trusted or understood what was going on. This is where Little Squirt makes me think of a disciple. No, he is not trying to follow Jesus...but sometimes I feel like God gives us glimpses of what it is like to be Him.

I got up this morning, and the boys are home from school due to the Easter holidays...and I had put out some pancake mix before I went to bed the night before...now, I knew that I would probably regret this, but I also knew that some boys in the house would enjoy making pancakes when they woke up. But when I woke up...the regret set in.

 I found Little Squirt "making pankcakes"...which consisted of a mix bowl of 4 cups of water and 1 cup of pancake mix...poured into a baking pan. When I realized that he needed some direction, he informed me, "Good chefs learn from themselves," meaning that they don't watch or learn from others (which we all know is NOT true).

Then he went to put his baking sheet "pancake" into the oven...and then to turn it on, he turned the knobs for the stove top burners. So, it is totally obvious that he has never cooked anything before, much less pancakes. After taking some direction on how to turn on the oven verses stove, he placed the cooking sheet inside and proceeded to open the oven door every minute to see if it was done.

When I suggested that he let one of the other boys who is like the Pancake Wizard show him how to make them the right way, he said to me, "Can you make pancakes?" and I replied, "I mix them and then Jon cooks them because I have a tendency to burn them." "AAAAAAAHHHHHAAAAAAAA," he raised, "so if you don't know how to make pancakes then you can tell me how to do anything!" "Well, then you could watch the Pancake Wizard, because he knows exactly what he is doing," I persisted. "Just because everyone cooks pancakes one way does not mean it is right...just because everyone is doing something does not mean it is right," he shared. "Just because you say it doesn't mean it is true," he continued to say over and over again.

Much much more dialogue followed, but it was all pretty pointless...I think you get the idea. So you may still be wondering how I felt like God in anyway whatsoever...well, here is how:

If we believe that God is a part of our everyday lives through the Holy Spirit, then you have got to believe that He sees all and understands all we do. That means that He knows when we are doubting Him, thinking that our ideas and choices are better without Him and His guidance through His Holy Word. God has got to be frustrated with me more than He lets on. I mean, how many times have I said, "Just because people in the Bible did it that way doesn't mean it was right..." or "Just because You say it, doesn't mean it's true...I've never seen it...so it's can't be true!"

Furthermore, how many times has God looked at my life as I try to run around and make pancakes in the oven when they have to be made on the stove, and God is saying to me, "Hey, just take a sec and let someone else share with you how to make it all work." And I just run around flinging watery pancake batter everywhere.

There are times I read the Bible and see Jesus asking the disciples to do just that. And they continue to doubt, go back to their old ideals, sink in the water and whatnot. I wonder if Jesus ever felt hopeless? I would say no, because He was 100% God and trusted the Father enough to be tempted by the devil in the most miraculous ways...but if He was 100% human too, He had to get discouraged. And in The Bible, He definitely sounded frustrated with His closest followers at times.

Flashback to the kitchen this morning...I am sitting watching the Little Squirt in his tornado of ignorance and stubbornness and I think...'This is what I look like to God sometimes...this is how I must make Him feel." I want to say never again, I want to return His grace and love with devotion and passion. I want to get off of the cross the devil tries to keep me on, and allow God to resurrect me daily.

And that's my Good Friday lesson for today. What do you think?

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

OK Love

I will be in Oklahoma City in two weeks. I never really thought I would be so excited to go back to Oklahoma...but that's before I thought about all the people I would get to see. 

So in the spirit of anticipation, here is my Oklahoma To Do List:

• Hug + kiss my beautiful cousins, Tori + Allie (and maybe even my soon to be cousin-in-law, Thomas)
• Sonic, Sonic and Sonic
• Visit my HeartLine Family
• Meet Evan Nutter
• Bachelorette party it up with Garrisinni + friends
• See my Amy + Ruben marry
• Morning coffee + cupcakes with Kasa + Shayla
• Shop at Daisy Exchange
• Spend the night with Tyler + Roxie...well, not with them...but at their house
• Drop off my ring at B.C. Clark
• Watch the Royal Wedding with Sarah
• Hair cut at Allure Salon in MWC
• Go to church at CCN
• Be tackled + tackle my CCN girls
• Buffalo Wild Wings
• Sunday afternoon games with Ben + Tabatha...and their two bebes
• Miss the hubbs the entire time

*And any extra time will be filled with quality Tori, Allie, Sarah and Kasa time.

Sounds pretty great, right? This will be my first official trip away from Philly since we've moved here...if you don't count our trips to NYC and NJ...which I don't

I'm sooooo excited...there will be lots of love in Oklahoma the last week of April :)

Much love,

Emily Elizabeth

just another reason...

why I love my mother

My mom posted this wonderful entry on her blog today...go check it out by clicking here. 

My mother is such a positive presence in my life...and her ability to see beauty in everything around her has definitely been passed down to me. I love how she can recognize God at work in me and my life. Her blog post today is a reflection on my relationship with the hubbs, pre-marriage, on our wedding day, and today.

Thank you, Mom, for always being so open to letting me know you love me.

Much love,

Emily Elizabeth

buttons for Ben

I think the neat thing about getting something handmade for a baby is that it is one-of-a-kind.

I made these for my former co-worker's baby boy in exchange for several skeins of yarn she never used. A pretty good trade, I think :)

The best part about having something made for your little one by me?...it's made with 100% love, of course!

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

Meet Erin

People say that Erin and I could be sisters.  So, maybe we could be...she obviously has a sense of style :)

Erin is modeling my "Way Cooler than your Grandma's Afghan" scarf.  This particular version was what inspired the "Dinosaur Cowl".  I thought the orange stitching was reptile-ish. I think we decided it looked more like a lizard.  After she seemed to like the accent of the orange stitching, I decided I would start putting full blown scales on my Dinosaur Cowl.  Way to be an inspiration, Erin!

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

say "lovely" feature

I am so excited to announce that say "lovely" was featured on a blog, Birds for Brains, that features Oklahoma craftsters and artists.  Yippee!  Click here to read the post!

The best part of being featured at Birds for Brains...I made a new friend, Shayla.  She is so sweet and enthusiastic about all things Oklahoma.

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

Happy Birthday , Pops!

{Today my father is 57...wow, that is really close to 60}

My father, along with my mother, has given everything I need to be successful in life.  I think with my dad, the fact that I know he will drop everything for me has provided the security I needed to find myself.  In that respect, I think this is why I can trust God so easily.  My earthly father has never let me down or left me stranded...therefore, it doesn't take much to imagine my Heavenly Father would do the same.

I remember, every time I hit the scan button on my radio, when I had my appendix removed during my Sophomore year of college.  I went to the emergency room, and at 3am they decided they would operate the next morning at 9.  I called my parents, and my dad hopped into his car and started driving.  He said the thing that helped him stay awake was letting the radio stations scan for the entire 6 hour drive.  He made it just in time to see me off to surgery.

That is just one of the many ways he has gone out of his way to take care of me. And he still takes care of me when I need him, even though I have the hubbs, sometimes you just need your dad.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POPS!

Jon and I love you SO much and wish we were there to celebrate with you! We can't wait to spend some summer time with Mom and you!

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth