tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21354730183320033082024-10-04T22:24:03.251-04:00"He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-17423356223537443692016-07-20T17:03:00.001-04:002016-07-20T17:03:00.485-04:00

I am learning a lot these days. I am learning that learning is really important. And I will never be done with it. God has our family on this journey together of learning. It is sometimes painful, sometimes easy (ok, maybe very rarely easy). Sometimes I see and understand things clearly, sometimes not at all. But I can say it always is beautiful. A tapestry He is weaving throughout our days.

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-4054044424913897962015-09-16T19:57:00.001-04:002015-09-16T19:57:10.677-04:00

The 6th baby has come. Such joy. Such blessing. Another miracle from God. She is beautiful. And who knew we would ever have TWO little girls? All these wild boys (whom we love)...and all the prayers that maybe they would one day also have a sister. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. I know this truth well. I learned it the hard way. Thinking I knew what

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-24678805970049453002015-05-07T15:00:00.001-04:002015-05-07T15:00:28.043-04:00

Mother's Day is a funny thing. It's similar to Valentine's Day and my birthday in that it seems to come with some expectations that I should be treated differently...I should be special on that day. If I'm really honest, it comes with an expectation that the day should be all about me. I should not have to lift a finger. I should be served all the day through. My husband has never really bought

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-17595521842834923852015-04-02T16:08:00.001-04:002015-04-02T16:08:23.957-04:00

I had one of the worst mornings I've had in a while today. Ended up a broken mess on the floor. Overwhelmed, feeling unloved, disrespected, like nothing is working. Wanting to quit. And none of my boys even noticed. Yet my God met me there. It was actually an awesome moment (though it didn't feel like it at the time). I just cried out to the Lord. Desperate. And honest. I felt His presence meet

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-79336649733352363882015-01-24T15:26:00.001-05:002015-01-25T21:37:48.814-05:00

So we have some news in our household. An interesting development that we found out about in December, but that has definitely changed how 2015 will unfold. We are expecting baby #6! It's been nice to sort of keep this news to ourselves a bit longer than we usually do, but it's becoming a little obvious now as I approach 12 weeks along. We have a busy life. Lots of little ones here, lots of chaos

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-17637609760074999752015-01-02T14:27:00.001-05:002015-01-02T14:27:31.785-05:00

I asked the Lord to give me a word--literally, just one word--for this year. Last year I did that too, and he impressed upon me a few words, "I press on" (from Phillipians 3:12). That was very relevant and helpful for me in many ways last year. So I believe He faithfully showed me through Scripture yesterday that my word for this year is peace. Peace.Peace is sometimes hard to find in my world,

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-86425687108946560592014-11-18T15:35:00.001-05:002014-11-18T15:35:37.635-05:00

There is never a shortage of learning going on in this home. And I don't mean primarily academic! I had written on here about the month-long journey of specific Scripture praying I was doing for my boys in October. Well there was no earth shattering change in their behavior as a result of that, necessarily. But it was profound in my soul and I think it is beginning to affect our home. The

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-24822640151248704732014-10-05T14:13:00.001-04:002014-10-05T14:13:46.492-04:00

Praising God for the blessing of 3 beautiful children who each turn one year older in this 2 ish week span of Fall time.   David is a sweet, hilarious, energetic 5 year old, who has been going through a "jammy phase" for almost 2 years now. We praise God for his unique spirit, and his desire to protect and defend those he loves. This boy is definitely in the Lord's army. And, randomly

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-82826129438929245662014-08-23T10:02:00.001-04:002014-08-23T10:02:21.556-04:00

My dear oldest child. I have been burdened for you lately. I have been at odds with you at times lately. You are starting to go through some growing pains. You are so thoughtful, always pondering things around you. You tend to internalize those thoughts, and at times I feel like I'd pay a million dollars to find out what that brain is up to. I long for you to know you are loved. To know that

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-25316729281175654952014-08-04T15:36:00.001-04:002014-08-04T15:36:28.365-04:00

Parenting is not for wimps. As I say this I fully realize...I am a wimp! I finally got the last child to bed the other night and just collapsed on my bedroom floor. I had just tried to quietly and gently sing that last song to our toddler as he whined and cried about how he didn't want to go to bed, and then he thrashed his very hard head square into my face,

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-34520821969878262812014-07-03T14:49:00.001-04:002014-07-03T14:49:56.432-04:00

This week has been stressful, and sad. Our dog is dying of cancer. Amidst the normal day-to-day tasks around here we've been dealing with vet appointments, prescriptions, making "people" food for the dog, and wondering if she'll have enough energy today to get up the stairs. It's been an interesting time. I've found myself feeling anxious, not knowing what tomorrow holds or how she's going to die

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-76653874477745972512014-06-12T17:07:00.000-04:002014-06-13T21:26:17.705-04:00

These days are full. These days are long. These days I rarely leave the house by myself with all 5 of my young children, unless it's to Costco, because they have a double-seated cart there. But such is this season of life. It's good. It is blessed. We're trying to wrestle through big issues, like who threatened who with the big stick in the backyard, or who used potty talk, or where

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-20319740897491901462014-04-23T15:05:00.001-04:002014-04-23T15:05:32.357-04:00

God is good. His mercies overflow. They really do. I am so thankful for the freedom that comes with yielding to Him. I so often resist His spirit. I resist the hard things in life. The things that might be painful, or that might hurt my pride, causing me to lay down my comfort or my "rights." But when I listen to His voice, when I reject the devil and his empty lies, when I stop looking only to

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-34003516859447778492014-04-06T16:44:00.001-04:002014-04-06T16:44:37.858-04:00

The Creation Museum in Hebron, KY... Then Teach them Diligently, Nashville... Then back home to finish up Classical Conversations for this year... And in the midst of all this, baby girl turned 6 months old:)  

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-87061792865128136492014-04-06T16:20:00.001-04:002014-04-06T16:20:54.663-04:00

In case you haven't seen our family lately, with 4 wild boys running circles around us and one sweet girl stealing all of our affections, we are in the trenches. The trenches of parenting. Five kids under 8 years old. It is not easy. And then add a little homeschooling to the mix, meaning we're together all. the. time. Our days are full, and they are blessed :) This parenting thing is hard.

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-53377514910569375312014-01-27T15:51:00.001-05:002014-01-27T15:55:55.442-05:00

So I don't do social media, and I don't really follow how many people actually read my blog, but I want to put this out there for whoever might cross this path. God is up to something big. Something big in the hearts of women who long to seek Him, to worship Him, to believe Him. He is at work, drawing us in, changing hearts and lives all around us. Prayer is powerful. Prayer is vital. Prayer is

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-60504755166132009652014-01-17T15:19:00.001-05:002014-01-17T15:19:15.589-05:00

Littlest boy crossed a big milestone this week. We had to say good-bye to the trusted friend, the "pa-pa."   I know it's just a pacifier, and this too shall pass, ever so quickly. But it's been hard! I have felt myself feeling just as anxious and distraught as he has at times. It is hard to watch your baby go through emotional turmoil, even knowing this is a necessary thing to bring him

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-38346469513384444112014-01-11T15:36:00.001-05:002014-01-11T15:36:48.000-05:00

Last night I felt a little bit fried. That pretty much sums it up. This week was hard. I'll admit it. I could sugar-coat our life right now and say we are the quintessential homeschool family, all singing hymns together around the piano to start our day, with a beautiful baby sleeping contentedly in a bassinet nearby. But in actuality when we've tried to incorporate some hymns on occasion, it

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-40805554562758037672013-12-19T14:46:00.001-05:002013-12-19T14:46:15.644-05:00

Five kids make lots of messes. Five kids at home every day~playing and eating and crafting and (hopefully) learning~they make lots of messes. I was sitting there at the kitchen table one morning recently, just reflecting on my life. And I just thought, "wow." Here's a little glimpse. So our school day usually starts around 9:30. By about 10:00 today, this is what was going on. One boy was

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-53830429698109401432013-12-02T17:02:00.001-05:002013-12-02T17:02:13.585-05:00

I have been reflecting on the goodness of God. He doesn't always choose to bless me in ways I might think of blessing, in my humanity. In other words, in God's kingdom, blessing does not equal happiness all the time...or maybe even most of the time. Blessing can come in the form of brokenness and pain that ultimately draws me to my need for a Savior, which is the ultimate joy. Every once in a

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-39950547761475769412013-11-13T14:44:00.001-05:002013-11-13T14:44:51.455-05:00

The littlest boy turned 2 a month ago. Time really does fly. It's hard to believe he's the "giant" now that his baby sister has been born. He was the baby just yesterday. He is a rascal in every sense of the word, but also so incredibly cute. He loves to run around and be crazy with his brothers. He loves being outside. And he loves playing on any screen in sight (much to my dismay--yes, my 2

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-58918902707658280082013-09-30T07:07:00.001-04:002013-09-30T07:07:04.350-04:00

To our newest blessing, our daughter, Hannah Grace. You already are bringing so much joy to our family. You are so loved. God formed you perfectly in my womb. He brought you into this world. You were created for a purpose. Delight in Him. He is your rock. When Mommy was in labor with you, God reminded me of an important truth of this life. Labor and birth are actually the hardest, most

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-44144167345075565632013-09-11T14:58:00.001-04:002013-09-11T14:58:39.485-04:00

I admit. I thought I'd be holding a newborn baby in my arms by today. But I'm not. I know God's timing is absolutely perfect. And I am one of those weird people who actually enjoys being pregnant (mostly), but I guess it's just an expectation thing. Thinking things would be one way, and then finding out that God's plan was not exactly lined up with mine. He shows me yet again that it is

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-54749047105165638832013-07-16T20:44:00.000-04:002013-07-16T20:45:50.465-04:00

What do I really enjoy? What are the "pleasures" of this life that I spend time thinking about or trying to obtain? Who do I really enjoy? These are questions I've been challenged with recently. It has been really convicting. The first principle of the Westminster shorter catechism states that "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever." Last spring we taught our older boys

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135473018332003308.post-88462092014280543172013-06-15T21:56:00.001-04:002013-06-15T22:22:00.402-04:00

I have been delinquent on blogging for a while now. I was in major survival mode this Spring, with the beginning stages of this 5th pregnancy consuming what was left of my time & energy. I'm over 6 months along now, and so thankful to be feeling good. Still tired--but that's pretty much been a constant for 7 years now! I guess I've just had it on my heart to do a little update on the boys. They

Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13837236103950794699noreply@blogger.com4