Unfortunately, our community has just gotten another hero.
Luke Emch, 21 years old, died in Iraq from a bombing just one day before he was supposed to jump on a plane and come home. Luke was a Tallmadge High School 04 graduate. He had a dad, mom, and sister. His mom is a teacher at Tallmadge Middle School, and may i say that she is the BEST teacher at Tallmadge Middle School.
It is events like these that make me want to fast-forward 20 years till when (Lord-willing) I am on the mission field.
Whether you support the war or not, there are hundreds of soldiers out there overseas fighting for us. There are millions of people who sacrifice their lives everyday, and we don't even think about it. I don't even think about it. I enjoy my days, and I joke with my friends, and I play piano and I do my homework and I watch American Idol and I watch House and I shower, do my devotions and sleep (and I also write run-on sentences). The people over in Iraq get up and train and fight. They don't know if they will get food. They don't know if they will even see tomorrow; they don't even know if they will experience the next five minutes. They don't know if they will get to go back to bed at night!
They leave behind their whole lives. They take a step back for a year or two, and they fight for us over in the U.S. If it were not for them, what would we have as a country?
I can't say that I know what it's like to lose someone over in Iraq, but I do know what its like to know someone over there. Someone I love as much as Luke was loved by his family, probably not. but someone I love. I can't even imagine what life is like for the Emch family. I know that I love Stephen and Jimmy, mom and dad, and Beckie, more than ANYTHING. God has blessed me immensely with the opportunity to even KNOW them. I am thankful that they are in my life.
Mrs. Emch: if you ever read this, I want you to know that I love you and your family, and I have been praying for you everyday since i heard the news. Hold on.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Love
Since it is Valentines day and I haven't posted in a while, I thought it would be a good idea to post.
Every year on February 14, our eyes feast on pink and red hearts, our noses on the sweet smelling aroma, and our stomach on the box of chocolates that our parents just gave to us. But what is our mind feasting on?
Are we dwelling on an earthly pleasures? Are we focusing on the love (or like) that we get from our significant other? Are we celebrating St. Valentine? Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with those things...in fact I love receiving a small gift from mom and dad in the morning, I do think about someone special on valentines day, and I'm sure St. Valentine was a great man, but have we forgotten who is love? When you celebrate today, remember your TRUE LOVE.
God created love.
God is love.
God taught you how to love.
1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
Every year on February 14, our eyes feast on pink and red hearts, our noses on the sweet smelling aroma, and our stomach on the box of chocolates that our parents just gave to us. But what is our mind feasting on?
Are we dwelling on an earthly pleasures? Are we focusing on the love (or like) that we get from our significant other? Are we celebrating St. Valentine? Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with those things...in fact I love receiving a small gift from mom and dad in the morning, I do think about someone special on valentines day, and I'm sure St. Valentine was a great man, but have we forgotten who is love? When you celebrate today, remember your TRUE LOVE.
God created love.
God is love.
God taught you how to love.
1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13Saturday, January 13, 2007
The Final Exam
So the two days that I have been dreading since the last day of 7th grade have come: Final exams.
But as I experienced my first semester of High School, I have learned one important thing: there is more to graduating High School than passing Final Exams.
"I know change can be scary and public school can be a rough place spiritually...but Emily....all of those kids in your class and school need Jesus so desperately. Has God sent you on a mission for Him?"
I can remember Susan Johnson telling me that in an e-mail over the summer. I remember reading it and thinking "of course it(the school) is!" But you know what, I didn't really look at it that way. It was just another Christian cliche, some idea that gets repeated over and over again to many people. But as I learn more and more about Christ everyday, I learn that there is no such thing as a "Christian cliche." I finally untied my blindfold and looked around. You know what I found? A friend who has been trapped into worshiping the devil. A friend who drinks. A friend who is hurt. A friend who is stressed out. A friend who is blind to the truth. A friend who doesn't feel adequate. A friend who is struggling with her family. A friend who nobody likes. A friend who has the greatest hope in the world, a friend who is a blood relative of Jesus Christ, a friend who won't open her mouth to speak of Him in her public school.
I pray that God will use me this semester in a million ways. But even more so, I pray that I would actually let Him use me. My school is a big building fool of smart people, talented people, talkative people, funny people, amazing people, and above all lost souls. Hopefully, when final exams come around again at the end of the second semester, I will get a better "grade" on the most important final exam of all.
I will leave you with the thoughts of Wayne Watson:
For such a time as this
I was placed upon the earth
To hear the voice of God
And do His will
Whatever it is
For such a time as this
For now and all the days He gives
I am here, I am here
And I am His
For such a time as this
But as I experienced my first semester of High School, I have learned one important thing: there is more to graduating High School than passing Final Exams.
"I know change can be scary and public school can be a rough place spiritually...but Emily....all of those kids in your class and school need Jesus so desperately. Has God sent you on a mission for Him?"
I can remember Susan Johnson telling me that in an e-mail over the summer. I remember reading it and thinking "of course it(the school) is!" But you know what, I didn't really look at it that way. It was just another Christian cliche, some idea that gets repeated over and over again to many people. But as I learn more and more about Christ everyday, I learn that there is no such thing as a "Christian cliche." I finally untied my blindfold and looked around. You know what I found? A friend who has been trapped into worshiping the devil. A friend who drinks. A friend who is hurt. A friend who is stressed out. A friend who is blind to the truth. A friend who doesn't feel adequate. A friend who is struggling with her family. A friend who nobody likes. A friend who has the greatest hope in the world, a friend who is a blood relative of Jesus Christ, a friend who won't open her mouth to speak of Him in her public school.
I pray that God will use me this semester in a million ways. But even more so, I pray that I would actually let Him use me. My school is a big building fool of smart people, talented people, talkative people, funny people, amazing people, and above all lost souls. Hopefully, when final exams come around again at the end of the second semester, I will get a better "grade" on the most important final exam of all.
I will leave you with the thoughts of Wayne Watson:
For such a time as this
I was placed upon the earth
To hear the voice of God
And do His will
Whatever it is
For such a time as this
For now and all the days He gives
I am here, I am here
And I am His
For such a time as this
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