NoMoNoBloPoMoFoSho!

or in other words.... No More November Blog Posting Month For Sure!

I read lots of blogs. I use Google Reader and I subscribe to almost 75 different blogs. Usually, this plan works pretty well. On average there are about 5 new posts a day from all of the blogs. But NoBloPoMo has taken a toll on my blog reading. Some days now when I log in there are over 25 new posts! I get so overwhelmed that I hit "mark all as read" and then I sign out. So, in protest to NoBloPoMo, this will be my only November post. I hope you enjoyed it. See you in December!

ode to groceries

So yesterday I was driving by the grocery store... and there was a crosswalk... and a kid was crossing the crosswalk on his skateboard with his hands full of bags of groceries. He finished crossing and I drove through the crosswalk. However, as I drove over those white lines I heard a "crunch!" I looked back in my mirror and skateboard-kid was standing there looking at my car, as I drove away, with his arms raised as if to say, "what the heck!?!?" I totally squashed a bag of his groceries! Apparently he had dropped a bag and was going to go back for them... I missed it and ran over his cereal or eggs or canned beans or whatever he had just spent his hard earned money to buy! Maybe he had just bought some fresh salmon and was going to cook dinner for his mom! I felt so bad!!! Yet in the moment, not bad enough to turn around... But now, the guilt has set in... so skateboard-kid whose groceries I destroyed... wherever you are... I apologize!!!

love poems return!

So I thought that the love poems in my life would cease after leaving Russia. However, I just received another yesterday! I mistakenly accepted a friend request on facebook from a guy that I thought I knew. And despite the fact that it feels kind of weird that he looked at all my pictures and profile information, I think the love poem was worth it. Enjoy!

subject: hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

hi dear,

i hope you fine, and i wish you a good time,
you know that you have very senstive smile with baby face,
like a princess,i like you so much,

so do you visit Egypt before, tell me more about your self,
your life, dreams, goals in life, etc......

i will wait for your answer
don't be late sweety

emily the nomad.

I can't believe that an entire year has passed since I came back from Russia. 07-08 has been quite the ride... a year of cultural adjustment, low-lows, and high-highs. I moved into a new apartment with new roommates, got a new car, and a new job. This year I was trained how to preach, teach, interpret, and study the Old and New Testament, write systematic theology, and finance a ministry. New hobbies for the year include Arabic, yoga, surfing, wake-surfing, and tai chi. I flew on 25 planes this year, traveling from Colorado to Michigan to Seattle to the Bahamas to Daytona to Orlando back to Colorado...I paid rent for twelve months but was living there just over three.

The fall is quickly approaching....and with it will come stability. I am so thankful for this year, but am ready for things to settle down a bit. Next year, will definitely be less nomadic. I will continue hobbying, stop traveling, and start living.

Dima Bilan wins Eurovision!

You have to check out Dima's performance! He sings on an ice skating rink... with a violin master... while Evgeni Plushenko, the Russian Olympic Figure Skating Champion, skates around him. It is a little bit out of control. Enjoy!

So close!

So this past year I've been spending most of my time raising my financial support so that I can start ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ at the University of Colorado. In the past few weeks I've seen God provide so much! At this exact moment I stand at 88% of my goal with only $519 left to raise in monthly support. I am so close!

Last night I was talking with a friend and she was talking about her life...and something she said really struck a chord with where I am at right now with support. She said, "whatever happens, I already have the prize. The prize is Jesus." And I just realized that is so true! Through this whole support raising process I've always been looking towards the end (which is good, goals are not bad), but I need to remember that I have the prize right now. The prize is Christ! And knowing God each day. Each day that I trust Him, He draws me closer to Himself...and the goal isn't to finish my support, but to seek God and walk obediently in faith each day in what He has for me at the current moment.

It's kind of weird that this support raising chapter in my life will come to a close soon. It seems like I've been working on it for such a long time and now I am so close to the end. God has taught me so much and taken me on quite the journey. I am thankful for it. Thanks to all who are praying for me! And if anyone out there would like to begin partnering with me financially in this ministry you can start giving here: My online giving page

Thanks for reading.

Good times with old friends

I remember our last night together before all of us were splitting up and heading different directions for college. We would laugh when we thought about the day we would receive the first wedding invitation in the mail from someone in the group. And it seemed like we would never ever get old enough to start receiving invitations for baby showers! But sure enough, we've gotten older, life has changed, and baby announcements from friends of the Class of 2000 have been arriving in my mailbox! Last week I got to spend time with 4 good friends from high school and their beautiful daughters! It's such a blessing that we've stayed so close over the years and that I get to see them in this new stage in life. Enjoy the pic!