ah, sweet spring

THOU GOD OF ALL GRACE
          Thou hast given me a savior,
          produce in me a faith to live by Him
          to make Him all my desire
                                all my hope
                                 all my glory.
                   From The Saviour, The Valley of Vision


Today is warm and the breeze carries the glorious scents of spring...jasmine, orange blossom, dewy grass, freesias and roses in bloom. What a gift is this life. On this day, amidst the daily ups and downs, I want to fully wonder and marvel at all the beauty surrounding me. Our Savior is so unbelievably good.

xoxo

Stepping towards the light.

                                                                   This is me. photo by my dear Hannah

From my journal:

  April 28, 2012

 ''Seventeen. That's what I am today.It is just incredible to me how the future becomes the present so     

quickly, that growing up is a reality. For the first time in many birthdays, this concept of leaving behind    an age, a part of myself, and moving on isn't bothering me.

 We all move forward--this time I'm excited. I'm excited to grow and learn and live and to walk along the   stepping stones of life, simply in awe that the LORD of the universe is the One directing my path, guiding my steps. Growing older is not a dark threat, it's moving towards the light.''

Thank you,  dearest Kelsey, for taking this beautiful photo!

On Saturday, we had a fun little exploring day with my family--who, may I point out, are my favorite people in the world. I love them to the moon and back.
Then...

We had a little family get-together on Sunday at my grandparents house. It was perfect. Just to be surrounded by people I LOVE  was such a blessing from God!

My heart is so full.

Well. Can't sing I am sixteen-going-on-seventeen anymore. I smile as I write that. Because, you want to know why, seventeen? You're already promising to be wonderful.

words and pictures for Thanksgiving

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. —Psalm 95:1-6

In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

  

 “A sensible thanksgiving for mercies received is a mighty prayer in the Spirit of God. It prevails with Him unspeakably.”  

-John Bunyan

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, His love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.
—George Washington

Happy Thanksgiving!


Love,
Emily

a beautiful thought

Faith goes up the stairs that love has built

and looks out the window which hope has opened.

Charles Spurgeon

short post

Thought you all may be interested that I was a '' guest blogger'' ( heheh, in a way) at my dad's blog, the roasters blog. I would love for you to check it out!

~Emily

Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summers lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed,
And every fair from fair sometimes declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimmed.
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose posession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st.
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

~by William Shakespeare



How can words be so breathtaking, how can they leave me speechless the subtly radiant way that they do? The universe is full of mystery. It is self-evident my love for Shakespeare and the unquestionable beauty of the written word, and of poetry.
And you? How does this sonnet stir your heart or capture your mind? I want to hear your thoughts.

Emily