Tough Stuff Tuesday: Are We Not Ashamed?

It has been entirely too long since I've posted, and for that I am incredibly sorry. I haven't made this a priority as I should, but I am vowing to change that inasmuch as I can help it.

There has been a topic on my mind for a few weeks, and a couple of nights ago I had a dream about it...sort of. You see, I dreamed that I was asked why I hadn't blogged about such an important topic. When I woke up, I was like...uh, I guess I should post something about this?? So here I am, posting about a topic that has even invaded my subconscious.

I'm sure you've heard these two words recently: Magic Mike.

Normally, I would just leave a worldly movie alone. After all, we would have to leave this world to escape worldliness and perversion. Unfortunately, we live in a Satan-dominted world, and there are people who are sex-crazed and selfish and want their desires fulfilled on the big screen. So normally, I'd just say, "Well, I definitely won't go see it" and that's that. I don't think about it again.

But this movie...it has become a phenomenon. I have seen status after status after status about "Magic Mike" and pin after pin after pin about Channing Tatum (actor from Magic Mike--and yes, I am addicted to pinterest). The thing is, these pins and these statuses aren't from worldly people. These statuses (or Facebook tags that show me that you're actually sitting at the movie theater) are from "Christians", and I'm sorry, but I really have to use the word in quotes.

I have no desire to even google this movie, but I did find some stats on screenit.com. First and foremost, the movie is rated R, and shouldn't we all just purpose in our hearts not to see R-rated movies? But, if you get past that, please look at some of these sobering reports:

Alcohol/drugs--extreme
Imitative behavior--extreme
Inappropriate music--extreme
Profanity--extreme
Sex/Nudity--extreme

And those are just the "extreme" aka can't get any worse than this categories. Now, personally I've seen enough. Why on EARTH would I want to see this movie? I wouldn't even want to be talking favorably about the movie even if I had no intention of going. It looks disgusting. It sounds completely inappropriate for any sanctified individual, and yet, we have people who are struggling with the temptation of getting involved with this worldly, sensual movie.

Let's move to the Bible. Jeremiah 6 has some pretty sobering words; sentiments that sound an awful lot like he's talking to people today. Take a look at what Jeremiah says:

"Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying 'peace, peace!' when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush." (13-15)

If we even think about the movie Magic Mike, we should be blushing. We should be ashamed to post things about it or be tagged in photos or statuses about it. We should be ashamed to be associated in any way with such a vile, perverted movie. It's a movie about male strippers, after all! And don't even get me started on the hypocrisy of it all....

But think soberly about what Jeremiah said. These people were not ashamed when they committed abomination. They didn't blush when it came to sin. They were calloused. Their hearts were hardened. Sadly, that is what our country has come to.

Jesus' words still ring true: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matt. 5:8)

That is such a positive statement, but wouldn't the negative be true. Those who are not pure in heart are not blessed; they shall not see God. That is a scary, scary thought. The only goal we should have should be to get to heaven. If we miss heaven, we miss it all! How sad to put some worldly, fleshly movie above our desire to go to heaven.

I am in no way perfect. I have worldly things that I, unfortunately, place before God at times. It is my desire and my prayer that we will all put whatever it is that is getting in our way behind us, and focus solely on being pure and seeing God one day.

There are so many other topics, and I will have to continue them another day. Until then, pray for all of the Christians out there who may be tempted to give in to worldly pressure and fleshly desires.

*Also, after writing this, I found a few more interesting articles about this. I really enjoyed this one, though I don't agree with everything that is said. It's a very good, thought-provoking article for Christian women/wives: read it here. Cindy Colley also wrote a post with some very powerful Scriptures listed. You can read that one here.

Must-Tell Monday: Anniversary Edition

I just love my husband so much! We had a very low key, perfectly wonderful anniversary. It was absolutely everything I could have possibly wanted and then some! We had so much fun together. Nothing too out of the ordinary--nope, just enjoying each other and celebrating the love that's gotten us this far.

For your viewing pleasure, I've included a few (phone) photos from our weekend. Enjoy!

Thank you, dear stranger, for asking if you could take a pic of us. It is always a nice gesture, though it kind of makes me nervous to hand my phone to a complete stranger. Also, when they make the picture blurry, I can't say "Oh, can you just take one more?" I'm completely incapable of doing that. 

The view from our hotel. Beautiful downtown Nashville in the background. What you can't see is the GiGi's just a block away. 

Enjoying a night up on the patio of the hotel.

Hanging out in front of the biggest bronze doors in the western world--aka hanging out at the Parthenon in Nashville, which just happens to be where we got engaged. 

The now-annual anniversary pic! Where we were a year ago. 

And also, I would like to take this time to let Robert know that I WAS correct, and our top tier should have been significantly smaller than it was because this is how our year-old cake tasted....

It was a good time, though. Best July 8th we've had so far! 

It's Been a Year

One year ago today, my life changed forever. A little after 7pm on July 8, 2011, I made a commitment to God and to Robert, vowing to be faithful to my new husband from that day forward. It was a big deal. It was a huge day. And here I am, a year later, living to tell the tale.

Today, Robert and I celebrate our one year anniversary. In some ways, it doesn't seem possible that we've been married a year, and in others, that fateful Friday evening seems like decades ago. Alas, it has been a year, and a remarkable one at that. I heard a lot of things before I got married: "being married is soooo different", "living with a boy is sooo different", "the first year is the toughest", "you only think you know someone until you get married", etc. etc. While being married a year isn't that much in comparison to some, hitting this benchmark makes me feel like I can offer a very limited number of words that may benefit someone else who may be getting married soon, may have only been married a few weeks/months, or may be nostalgic for the days of young love. Whatever your lot, continue reading. If you disagree, you can always comment below. =)

In the past year I have learned a lot--about myself, Robert, cooking, and life in general. Here are some random observations I have noted, take them or leave them.

1: Drama is ok, as long as it makes you closer to your spouse. Regardless of what goes on around you (and you'll never be able to control it), as long as you cling to your spouse for dear life, you will make it out on the other side better off than you were before. 

2: If you marry your best friend, you aren't in for many surprises. I won't say you aren't in for any surprises, because there are just some things you don't experience until you're married to someone and living with them. But, people nearly scared me to death before I got married saying that Robert would be "so different" and that things would "change so much". Well I'm here to tell you that, nope, that hasn't happened. I knew Robert well enough before we got married that there weren't a lot of weird quirks to find out about "after it's too late"--others words, not mine. We communicated very well and very frequently prior to marriage, and that has helped us out tremendously. 

3: Spend tons of time together. Moving to Pulaski was very different for me, in that I didn't know a lot of people and didn't have any good friends to spend all of my time with. Robert and I have spent the majority of the last year by ourselves. I mean, obviously we do things with others and we worship with others and work with others, but any "free time" is usually just us. We take trips, go on dates here and there, find fun things to do together...and that's helped us a lot this year. I know it won't always be like this, and I wouldn't want it to be. But for the first year of our marriage to be spent focusing on the "cleaving" part--I think it helped us out so much. 

4: Don't sweat the small stuff. I feel like I've heard that one before. Anyway. If you're like me (and I'm sorry if you are), you may not have a ton of domesticated skills prior to marriage. I could only cook about three things: grilled cheese, pancakes, and chicken and rice. When we got back from our honeymoon, I nearly set the kitchen on fire (ok, so it might not have been that dramatic, but I know I ended up in tears in my new husbands arms). You know what, though? It didn't matter one bit. Robert and I have figured out living on our own together. We cook, clean, do the laundry, do the dishes, and take out the trash in our own way that works for us. We didn't have these preconceived ideas of how it should go, we just made it up as we went. Neither of us were "prepared" to be a spouse, but we worked it out together and it's been so much fun! 

5: Get away sometimes. We have a had a few occasions to simply get out of dodge, and it has been wonderful. It doesn't have to be extravagant or well-planned, just time away from the everyday stressors does wonders. 

I know that most of these are superficial or even too vague for you to really grasp, but these are just a few things I've noticed in the last year that I'd like to keep in mind as time progresses. Looking back, I am so thankful that 20 year old Emily had enough foresight to snatch this amazing man, because I cannot imagine being happier than I am right now. Robert is the most incredible person I know, and he is an amazing husband to me. I am so thankful to live with and be married to my best friend; it has been so fun and so rewarding, and I love him with every single piece of my heart. 

Where Do You Want to Be?

How often do you think about the end of time? For me, it's a pretty regular thought. I find myself, fairly often, thinking of what it will be like when Jesus comes in all His glory. I don't know if I'll be alive, if my children will be alive, or if their children's children's children will be alive. What I do know is that Jesus will come, and those who are dead will rise and those who are still on earth will witness something glorious--and will be called up as well.

Oftentimes, I find myself wondering what it would be like if I was still alive. And, if I'm alive, what will I be doing? That leads my mind down a strange and twisty path of what will OTHER people be doing when Jesus comes to take us home? My mind goes a million directions, but today I want to ask you a very specific question: if you could choose what you were doing when Jesus comes, what would it be?

I've thought of a few answers myself:

1: How great would it be if Jesus came while I was worshipping? During a spirited chorus of 'We Shall See the King Someday', the clouds are opened and we see our Lord descending from on high. Talk about a marvelous occasion!

2: How wonderful would it be if we were studying the Bible with someone? Perhaps a new convert--someone who has clothed themselves with Christ by being buried in baptism. As we sit there, breaking open God's word together, Jesus comes. How amazing and thrilling it would be!

3: How remarkable if I were praying when the Lord came? As I thank God for His marvelous gift of Jesus, and the unbeatable sacrifice He made for my sins, that same Jesus appears in the sky. The joy on that occasion would be unspeakable!

4: What if I were helping someone in need when Jesus came? Jesus tells us that when we do "to the least of these" we do unto Him. How wonderful, then, to be helping Jesus (aka someone in need) when He came!

5: What if I were having a personal time of study? What I were reading about Jesus' ascension into heaven, and then He came back just as He left? What a beautiful moment, to already be in such a mindset, and to have my Lord come down to take me home!

When I think about these situations (and aren't there a million more?), I have to ask myself a question: if these are things I'd like to be doing when Jesus comes, why am I not doing them now!? We know that the hour that Jesus will come is unknown by anyone except God Himself. We know that Jesus will come as a thief in the night, and that we aren't going to know when it is. There's no way to foresee it happening. So why, then, are we not busying ourselves with good works and great moments that would be pleasing for Jesus to find us in when He comes?

On the flip side, what are some things that you would HATE to be involved in when Jesus came back?

1: I would hate to be found in a position where I am being unfaithful to my spouse/future spouse. I would hate to be caught up in a fit of passion that has not been sanctified by my Lord. Would He be pleased with me?

2: I would hate to be found in immodest apparel when Jesus came. I know that our bodies will be changed, and there's no way I can know what that body will be like. Will it be angelic? Will it be clothed at all? I have no way of knowing anything other than it will be transformed into something that resembles Jesus. Still, I shutter at the thought of standing before the King of Kings in short shorts or a tank top or a bikini or anything else that would be so unbecoming of a child of God.

3: I would hate to be skipping worship when Jesus comes back. What if it were time for all of the saints to be assembled, and you were nowhere to be found. Perhaps there was a tournament that you just "couldn't miss". Perhaps you don't "do" mornings and you just didn't want to get out of bed. Whatever the case is, you skipped out on meeting with the people of God, and now Jesus has come back. I would HATE to be found in that position.

The same question arises: if I'd hate to be found in these positions, why do I put myself into them when I don't have any idea when Jesus will come back? It is a very real possibility that Jesus will come back tomorrow? What will you be doing? It is a very real possibility that Jesus will come back on Sunday, will you be worshipping? Throughout the week, will you be busying yourself with things that are fitting for a saint, or will you be doing things that would find you ashamed and embarrassed on that last day?

Let us think soberly about these things and only involve ourselves in things that are fitting for a child of God. Let us put off the things that would make Satan proud on that last day.

Must-Tell Monday: Recipe Edition

I love Pinterest. Unfortunately, a lot of the recipes require a lot of ingredients or a lot of time or a lot of money or, let's be real here, a lot more expertise in the kitchen than I have.

Every now and then, though, you find a super simple recipe and you get ridiculously excited about it. That was me with this yogurt cake.

I went on an on about this cake (just ask Robert) before I'd even made it because I was so curious. Yesterday afternoon, I hit the ground running. The original recipe came from this site, but I've modified it just a bit.

Ingredients:
1 box devils food cake mix
2 packages of Dannon Greek nonfat vanilla yogurt (5oz package I think)
1 cup water
1 container cool whip (lite)

Directions:
In a large bowl mix (by hand--I whisked) water, yogurt and cake mix. It will be difficult, but you're just working off some calories so it's no big deal. The mixture ends up looking like a weird pudding-icing hybrid, but that's how it's supposed to look.

Put into a 9x13 inch baking pan (I used dark not glass) and bake on 350 for 20 mins or until the knife comes out clean.

Let cool, then top with cool whip and enjoy the yummy moistness.

*If you like mint flavoring, I recommend getting some junior mints and placing them on the cake IMMEDIATELY after you get the cake out of the oven. When they melt, spread around like a thin layer of icing, then top with whipped cream once cooled. If you have some left over, top the cool whip with the rest of your mints. Or don't. I tried it both ways, and just plain is fabulous.

**Also, the best part of this recipe (to me) was being able to lick the bowl/spoon/whisk with no shame! No raw eggs, no nasty oily taste. Just cake batter flavored yogurt. Yummy! I may just put some of that in the fridge instead of baking it and pretend I'm eating yogurt all the time. You may see a quazi-healthy cake yogurt post soon. =)

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Friends in Need

Last Tuesday, I posted something about two dear friends of mine who are in the midst of a trial. There trial is continuing today, and may very well be at its climax.

In lieu of a fresh, long, thought-out post today, I'm writing a plea. Please pray for these dear friends of mine and their newborn baby who is facing open heart surgery today. Please pray for strength for baby Cullin, wisdom for his doctors and nurses, and strength and composure and peace for his dear parents. There are so many people praying for them today, but please, take time to mention them in your prayers, too. I am so impressed by the amount of people I've seen coming to the aid of these dear friends. Most impressively, though, is that our Heavenly Father hears every single prayer uttered to Him on behalf of this precious one.

Please mention Cullin, Jake, and Shea Stoffregen in your prayers today. Thanks ahead of time.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Seeing God in Trials

I have two precious friends who are in the midst of a trial right now. Their first child, Cullin, was born on Sunday night with some serious health issues. He has been on nitric oxide and a ventilator, and will have open heart surgery sometime soon.

I can only imagine what they're going through. I can only offer prayers on their behalf, because I simply do not know anything else more powerful. And yet, I read this message from a strong, godly new mom this morning:

"In our weakness, God's strength is so evident. Please continue to pray that God will continue to strengthen precious Cullin."

How many of us would be able to boldly, calmly say those things while facing such uncertainty and heartache? How many of us would ACTUALLY lean on the Lord for His support, and trust that He knows best--when we're actually thrust into the trial?

It's so easy to say we trust. It's so easy to say we'd rely on Him. But how faithful would we actually be to that end?

I am so thankful that I have two special friends, a dear brother and sister in Christ Jesus, who are showing me what it truly means to trust and depend on our Almighty Father. I will continue to pray for their precious newborn, and also for myself--that should I ever be faced with such a difficult and trying moment, that my strength would come from God and my trust would be ever in Him.

Please join me in praying for these two special people and their little boy.

"The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works....Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul form death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord, He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, just as we hope in You." -Psalm 33:13-15, 18-22 (emp. mine)