tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80433293835758270512024-03-13T12:20:01.563-05:00The Life and Growth of a Godly WomanFormerly "Randomness That is Elisabeth"Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-54513344203907404032021-02-23T16:39:00.002-06:002021-02-23T16:39:32.752-06:00Paradox of Grief<p>I think we can all agree 2020 was a <b>crazy</b> year that just <b>flew</b> by. But great things still happened in 2020. For example, my wonderful sister got married, đ and I started a business making earrings and magnets out of polymer clay! (www.ellsworthcreations.etsy.com <i>if </i>you're interested. I'm also on FB and Intsagram!) I love it and am so excited about the creative outlet it has opened up.</p><p>But I come here now in grief. 2021 has already been a rollercoaster... and not just because of insane winter ice storms.</p><p>Back before Christmas, the Monday before to be exact, we got a very unexpected positive result on a pregnancy test. With much trepidation and excitement, we told our family and were slowly telling friends. Until January 8th when it was confirmed that I miscarried. This is the first some of my friends and family will hear about this.. and I wasn't even sure I was going to put it out there.. but there it is.. It was a blow and, to be honest, we are still recovering. But God is the great healer and I know his plan is so much better than we could imagine.</p><p>Beyond that.. last Thursday my Mom had to sign the papers to put my Grandpa into hospice.. He's been in a lot of pain and not eating much, if anything.</p><p>This morning, I got the call. He's no longer in any pain. My heart rejoices in that. But it also breaks because I won't get to see him again on this earth. I wish I'd talked to him more.. or at least texted and sent more pictures and videos of Eden. I keep wracking my brain as to why I didn't think to send a video... why I didn't just shoot him a text to tell him we loved him (which I know he knew.. but still... ya know)...</p><p>I take solace that he is with God, and Grandma, and that he does know how much we loved him. Even though we - I - didn't say it more. And he gets to be with our would've been August baby, along with Grandpa and Grandma Hunter. I'll see them all in paradise.</p><p>So in this paradox of grief I'm in, being sad and joyful simultaneously, I fix my eyes upon Christ and trust in Him to heal my wounds.</p><p>I leave you with the words from Even If by Mercy Me:</p><div style="text-align: center;">They say sometimes you win some</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sometimes you lose some</div><div style="text-align: center;">And right now, right now I'm losing bad</div><div style="text-align: center;">I've stood on this stage night after night</div><div style="text-align: center;">Reminding the broken it'll be alright</div><div style="text-align: center;">But right now, oh right now I just can't</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It's easy to sing</div><div style="text-align: center;">When there's nothing to bring me down</div><div style="text-align: center;">But what will I say</div><div style="text-align: center;">When I'm held to the flame</div><div style="text-align: center;">Like I am right now</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I know You're able and I know You can</div><div style="text-align: center;">Save through the fire with Your mighty hand</div><div style="text-align: center;">But even if You don't</div><div style="text-align: center;">My hope is You alone</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">They say it only takes a little faith</div><div style="text-align: center;">To move a mountain</div><div style="text-align: center;">Good thing</div><div style="text-align: center;">A little faith is all I have right now</div><div style="text-align: center;">But God, when You choose</div><div style="text-align: center;">To leave mountains unmovable</div><div style="text-align: center;">Give me the strength to be able to sing</div><div style="text-align: center;">It is well with my soul</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I know You're able and I know You can</div><div style="text-align: center;">Save through the fire with Your mighty hand</div><div style="text-align: center;">But even if You don't</div><div style="text-align: center;">My hope is You alone</div><div style="text-align: center;">I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt</div><div style="text-align: center;">Would all go away if You'd just say the word</div><div style="text-align: center;">But even if You don't</div><div style="text-align: center;">My hope is You alone</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">You've been faithful, You've been good</div><div style="text-align: center;">All of my days</div><div style="text-align: center;">Jesus, I will cling to You</div><div style="text-align: center;">Come what may</div><div style="text-align: center;">'Cause I know You're able</div><div style="text-align: center;">I know You can</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I know You're able and I know You can</div><div style="text-align: center;">Save through the fire with Your mighty hand</div><div style="text-align: center;">But even if You don't</div><div style="text-align: center;">My hope is You alone</div><div style="text-align: center;">I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt</div><div style="text-align: center;">Would all go away if You'd just say the word</div><div style="text-align: center;">But even if You don't</div><div style="text-align: center;">My hope is You alone</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My hope is you alone</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It is well with my soul</div><div style="text-align: center;">It is well, it is well with my soul</div>Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-6254580911871338352020-09-08T11:33:00.004-05:002020-09-08T11:44:57.414-05:00To the Bride and the Groom...<p>Over a month ago (August 2nd) I was the Matron of Honor at my sister, Meredith's, wedding. She was gorgeous. I teared up... a lot. Nonetheless, I am over the moon happy for her and Joseph. Being the Matron of Honor, I had the pleasure of making a speech during their reception. To make sure we always have it, I thought I would post it here. Granted, it didn't come out EXACTLY like this, but it's mostly the same.</p><p>So, to the bride and the groom: I love you both so much. đ</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJv3Svn5GRTvho5Zer-q18g_sxE_J845Fyg2NHDY0eCaO4H5VNeS4LRF1TaAAnnA-fyV_ZpUoOa0vu0iTBAic2iMGlMWX0G_XTcQTF2oYlOVNnS31X3tFlq3lLNsNhfkd4zH2jeCH4g-n/s1600/2H7A6485_websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJv3Svn5GRTvho5Zer-q18g_sxE_J845Fyg2NHDY0eCaO4H5VNeS4LRF1TaAAnnA-fyV_ZpUoOa0vu0iTBAic2iMGlMWX0G_XTcQTF2oYlOVNnS31X3tFlq3lLNsNhfkd4zH2jeCH4g-n/s320/2H7A6485_websize.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQGaxbuqoaAOUGUBJGTUGPQF2E9Ydx4HidXsadwvNZiDmcfbPTYsTR9Sdl1B8nJoHCa6thFtJdRqwglQeLtEPipgWkG_QkW83L5qSWD92rOcdpIw4O20aR-WBNlEfDHCXniRo_RPfQPeY/s1600/2H7A7574_websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQGaxbuqoaAOUGUBJGTUGPQF2E9Ydx4HidXsadwvNZiDmcfbPTYsTR9Sdl1B8nJoHCa6thFtJdRqwglQeLtEPipgWkG_QkW83L5qSWD92rOcdpIw4O20aR-WBNlEfDHCXniRo_RPfQPeY/s320/2H7A7574_websize.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div> Good evening, everyone! Thank you all for coming to celebrate the union of Joseph and Meredith. Thank you to Neal and Melanie and Paul and Julie for both raising wonderful people and making the vision of this day that they had come true. And a thank you for all of those who helped decorate and make this event the best it could be.</div><div><br /></div><div> For those who may not know, my name is Elisabeth and Iâm Meredithâs big sister.</div><div><br /></div><div> I was 5 when she was born and only slightly disappointed that she wasnât immediately the playmate I had envisioned. When she was old enough, we had many a good time building massive forts in our room or the living room, watching movies together (sometimes on repeat), decorating the Christmas Tree, pretending we were mermaids in the pool, and telling our own stories with Barbies. Though when I became an angsty teen, there was more of an Anna and Elsa feel in the summers⌠Meredith would knock on my door, most of the time with a towel in hand, and ask if I wanted to go swimming. Most of the time she was met with a resounding âNoâ from underneath the covers.</div><div><br /></div><div> But that is Meredith. Bold, persistent, and extroverted. Unafraid to speak her mind and irritated that a lot of times she had to help her shy older sister find the restroom. Even though our personalities are practically polar opposites, I am insanely proud to call her my sister. Watching her grow into the beautiful woman she has become has been one of my greatest joys.</div><div><br /></div><div> Despite growing up in close proximity at Saturn Road, Meredith and Joseph didnât get to know each other until the summer before her last year at Harding while she was a Childrenâs Ministry intern. I knew he was the one for Meredith when she told me how he was determined to spend every weekend possible with her once she was back at Harding and that he called her almost every night. His persistence rivaled even hers. He was sweet and thoughtful. He put together some of her furniture for her room and was always looking for ways to help her and spend time with her.</div><div><br /></div><div> Joseph makes Meredith more confident. He lends her his strength when she needs it. He is kind and compassionate. He is fantastic with kids. He loves deeply. He is honorable. He is gentle. He loves God and he loves my sister with all of his heart. While I, regretfully, donât have many memories with Joseph, I know that we have many great memories ahead of us. I couldnât ask for a better brother-in-law.</div><div><br /></div><div> Meredith and Joseph, I love you both and wish you martial bliss. I can tell you from personal experience that not every moment will feel happily ever after. But if you keep God first, keep your eyes focused on him, and lean only on him to fulfill all your needs, the two of you can overcome any obstacle.</div><div><br /></div><div> Here is to the new Mr. and Mrs. Burnam! May your love for each other grow more and more every day.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Also, my baby girl was a flower girl and was just too cute!! đđ</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaV5tZtjBDwS-u2kkswu8JSkPJDGQ8mhp1z0vrejmWDUIHt33B5BDVDBAZ_O_HRKvOSZXYxNkWenSU82dXwxVp2xnALuosb5w7-i10nMh8XKRsJSyTQApvEDRl7p0bBybWBWJ3L_ukBzc/w213-h320/2H7A6724_websize.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="213" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZULRRCOeIqyujZQyCTGPTzFEF0y__rgpu_fqg8Is_09Jp1viVt2vkTAoMNFUCkziHbIbRyhucsBNIIPcwUHmv4y6NB8vJ9SY6hP9IrlAKBb0TU88PPphYG3wpqSkGlDHMw5S8LuqCRoBp/s1600/2H7A6873_websize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZULRRCOeIqyujZQyCTGPTzFEF0y__rgpu_fqg8Is_09Jp1viVt2vkTAoMNFUCkziHbIbRyhucsBNIIPcwUHmv4y6NB8vJ9SY6hP9IrlAKBb0TU88PPphYG3wpqSkGlDHMw5S8LuqCRoBp/w213-h320/2H7A6873_websize.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-1425660432450619002020-04-30T16:28:00.000-05:002020-04-30T16:33:56.434-05:00Gratitude During COVID<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
Louisiana has extended the stay-at-home order until May 15th... UGH. So, I thought it was time for a list of gratitude to combat the craziness. Here goes...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/768x768/public/d8/images/2019/09/20/shutterstock_590457899.jpg?itok=bi04ZL8U&v=1568966918" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The mental health benefits to writing a gratitude list and ..." border="0" height="200" src="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/768x768/public/d8/images/2019/09/20/shutterstock_590457899.jpg?itok=bi04ZL8U&v=1568966918" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(This image was found on Google. I do not own this image.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Elisabeth's List of Gratitude: (in no particular order)<br />
<br />
1) I started working out again.<br />
2) I started drinking more water! 16 to 20 cups a day!<br />
3) Tanner is working 4 10 hour days instead and gets Friday's off (usually) giving us more time to spend together as a family.<br />
4) Tanner only has 14(ish) weeks of Greek left! (Last class of Greek will be over the Summer semester.)<br />
5) Eden is beginning to go in the potty... all of her own desires. We've had the potty for a month and she had practiced sitting on it.. now she WANTS to sit on it and go potty. (The first time she made me sit on the regular potty while she sat on hers. Haha!)<br />
6) My sister-in-law is back to work at her chef job!<br />
7) Tanner has not lost his job at any point because of COVID (the drop in oil prices may change things in the future.. but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. God will always provide.)<br />
8) Zoom. Because of Zoom, we can meet with our friends and still go a version of game night or Life Group or do a devo with the Youth Group.<br />
9) Because of my renewed healthy lifestyle goals and plan, I have lost 3 pounds so far!<br />
10) I'm learning more about Instagram and how to use it to accomplish personal goals.<br />
11) I've stayed with the Riverside Bible Reading Plan! This is the first time I have read my Bible EVERY DAY. I am SO thankful that Riverside came up with this plan at the end of last year to start January 1st. Getting in God's word is SO important and something I've struggled with all of my life.<br />
12) Tanner has done a workout with me and gone on a walk with me and Eden!<br />
13) We started gardening.. sort of. We currently have chives, green onions, spring mix, and basil in pots that are growing! (Thank you Kaylee for the green onion, spring mix lettuce, and basil!) Soon we will have gold potatoes and hopefully spearmint as well! (Still looking for a citronella plant...)<br />
14) Tanner and I did much needed yard work to hopefully make our swamp of a backyard into something Eden can play in.<br />
15) My sister is getting married!! I am over the moon excited for her and her husband to be.<br />
16) DAVE RAMSEY. I can not imagine the kind of bind we would be in if it wasn't for Financial Peace University. I am SO grateful we took it years ago and recently lead our own class and got back to being more Gazelle intense.<br />
17) Online shopping. I am still able to get what I need without the insanity of going places.<br />
18) Family and Friends... just having them is amazing.<br />
19) Coffee. GOOD coffee. And I am grateful that the small company I have become obsessed with (Expedition Roasters) is still up and running as much as they can so I can get my flavored/themed coffee fix on the days I want THE GOOD STUFF. (Seriously. Go check them out. So worth it.)<br />
20) Tanner. He does so much for Eden and me.. working every day and schooling when he gets home while still trying to carve out some family time and us time. He is so good to me. I couldn't have asked for anyone better. I am so grateful for him and that he is the Godly man he is.<br />
21) Eden. I am so grateful that God gave us her. While we have our good and bad days, I am always grateful to be her mom. She is so precious, and smart, and gorgeous and I love her more than words can express.<br />
<br />
Well, there you have it. My list of gratitude. This was really great for me and I challenge you to do the same. Remind yourself of all the good in your life and that no matter what GOD IS GOOD. He is sovereign over all of this and he works all things for good. To God be the glory. Amen.Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-49577694910758843062020-04-03T21:21:00.000-05:002020-04-03T21:21:56.583-05:00Day 11 of Who Knows How Long...It's day 11 of the Stay-at-Home order here in Louisiana. There is something psychological that happened when this order hit. Though my life didn't change very much, already being at home most of the time anyway, the thought that I shouldn't go anywhere or invite anyone over made me a little crazy. All of the things I would have done, all of the events that were canceled, not being to go to the church building on Sunday and fellowship with my church family in person, having to really plan what to get at the store and when to avoid all the insanity; it all just boggles my mind a little. And in short, it makes me SO SAD.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm sad for my sister who didn't get to go back to Harding after Spring Break and show off her engagement ring and do all the fun things that go with that. I'm sad that she won't get to be Piper Meredith again because everything got canceled. I'm sad that her graduation that she worked so hard for was pushed to August.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm sad for all the seniors in High School who are missing all the fun things that come right before graduation.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm sad for all the kids who will be moving to different schools next year and are missing these last few weeks with the friends at their current school.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm sad that the Women's Retreat was postponed until January. I'm sad that the Youth Beach Retreat was canceled.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm sad that people are losing their jobs. I'm sad that people are trying to figure out how to work from home and home school their kids at the same time. I'm sad that hours are being cut and people are suffering.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Y'all. I'm SAD.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
However, it's okay to be sad. And while God is sovereign over everything (EVEN COVID-19), there is a period of mourning that is allowed to happen. We NEED to mourn the things that we are missing out on. To try and move on without acknowledging the grief of all that we were looking forward to would truly be insanity.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, if you're at home and you're not being as productive as you could be. It's okay. If you're just sad and want to sit on the couch and binge watch shows. It's okay. Take the time to mourn. Take the time to grieve the loss.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But whatever you do, DON'T STAY THERE. Grieve and let God heal you, then get back up and LIVE. We may not be able to do all the things we want to, but there are lots of things we can do. Pick up that to do list of things you keep putting off because you never have time. Call a friend. Video chat with a friend! Take a walk outside. Have a picnic outside. Enjoy the time you now have with your family.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In all things, PRAISE GOD for he is GOOD.</div>
Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-10955334879882176312019-07-26T14:35:00.000-05:002019-07-26T19:59:37.665-05:00Exhausted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZr6woTea6JKO3LAEDnaJD_KILewzZbbVev4o6Rdnc4Plz3uQckDYAjYJyISE-T1iQZXhF2Sh2Xj3EYoknJdta9Altov0D4Ba_DzHgiPXpk9ugJ6I-nWUOlGv-GxQnmTU_iHSBUk64wjY/s1600/20190613_092020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZr6woTea6JKO3LAEDnaJD_KILewzZbbVev4o6Rdnc4Plz3uQckDYAjYJyISE-T1iQZXhF2Sh2Xj3EYoknJdta9Altov0D4Ba_DzHgiPXpk9ugJ6I-nWUOlGv-GxQnmTU_iHSBUk64wjY/s200/20190613_092020.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
I have the best job in the world. Being a stay-at-home mom is really the best.<br />
<br />
It's also the hardest job in the world.<br />
<br />
There are no words of wisdom or warnings or anything that could have prepared me enough for this job. Especially now that my wonderful 9 (closer to 10! đ ) month old is crawling and pulling up on <i>everything</i>. And trust me when I say, I was warned and I believed all the warnings.<br />
<br />
My job is the most rewarding and the most exhausting. Because it's not just about raising her, and keeping her fed, and changed, and bathed, and healthy, and out of trouble, and alive. Nope. It also means that I am the manger of the house. Which means keeping the house clean (and hopefully company ready), doing the dishes, doing the laundry (and putting it away), doing the budget and paying the bills and managing our finances (because I'm the nerd and it's just what I do), making dinner, planning meals, grocery shopping, keeping the calendar (again.. I just like to be organized and make sure we don't double book or anything), and organizing the house. Then, of course, I have to take care of myself! Which means, making sure I eat (healthy), getting some exercise in, and making sure to take a shower hopefully once a day, and try to squeeze in some me time so I don't go completely insane. By the end of the day, I don't want to do <i>anything </i>except sit on the couch and watch something or read a book.<br />
<br />
And as an insight, as I write this, I still haven't gotten my exercise or shower in.. so I'm still in my workout clothes..<br />
<br />
And let me tell you. There is nothing like a small child to open your eyes to the mess and chaos of your home. It doesn't matter if you have hardwood (or a look-a-like), tile, concrete, or carpet; your floors are dirty. SO dirty. I am struggling to even wrap my brain around how to get my floors clean so I don't have to wipe her little hands and feet off all the time. Because I can't just vacuum them.. No.. That would be too easy. With my downstairs (which is where we are 99.99% of the time), we have vinyl that looks like hardwood. (I struggle to see why it's such a fad..) So, not only do I have to vacuum or sweep the floors, I have to mop them as well! Add all of her toys and such that I need to pick up or do something with before I clean the floors and my brain just spazzes out.<br />
(Seriously.. give me carpet any day over these floors.. not to mention, carpet is softer to fall on. đ Though I do understand them in the eating, bathroom, and kitchen areas.)<br />
<br />
It doesn't stop at the floors either! They learn to pull up, and you realize even more that the nicely organized shelves are no longer safe for.. well.. anything. So, now you need to find a new place in your home or buy new furniture so you have a safe place for the things in those now easy to reach places. For example. I have craft shelves with gel pens and cards and such. There is currently and obstacle in front of these, yet my dear Eden has still managed to find a way to try and grab them. So, I'm shopping storage furniture as there isn't another good place for these things.<br />
<br />
It's enough to make one dizzy or go mad. And I'm <i>exhausted</i>.<br />
<br />
This is where I take a deep breath.<br />
<br />
Because I'm not doing all of this completely alone. I have a wonderful husband who works daily to bring home paychecks to make this all possible. I couldn't be home with our baby girl if it wasn't for him. He's the best.<br />
<br />
I have friends and family that are willing to help if only I'd reach out to them and ask. (I'm really bad at asking...)<br />
<br />
And most importantly, I have God on my side. He is the giver of life and peace and the great provider. He is mighty!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zQMubdinSs3faH4lwvbCsW7AiF9Ie8bODLJqXUPLGWVICfcDC0ieCgP5AQLAuedesa-dY9O9hzV4UkescCSF68qKdqxkhHkBDCAFjjPIthRm9r052SK24EF5_71w1MFF2o4J6iRyHXIH/s1600/20190702_090250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1004" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zQMubdinSs3faH4lwvbCsW7AiF9Ie8bODLJqXUPLGWVICfcDC0ieCgP5AQLAuedesa-dY9O9hzV4UkescCSF68qKdqxkhHkBDCAFjjPIthRm9r052SK24EF5_71w1MFF2o4J6iRyHXIH/s200/20190702_090250.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
So, if you read this and can empathize with my plight. If you can relate on so many levels. If it sounds like exactly what you're going through as well. First of all, you're amazing! Remember that you are loved and that you have the almighty God on your side. He will lift you up and walk right beside you. Reach out to your family and friends when you are feeling overwhelmed and in over your head. (I know I need to.) You're not alone. We are better together.<br />
<br />
And if you have any helpful suggestions on any of my predicaments, seriously, leave a comment! Shoot me a message! Find a way to let me know! Because I'm all ears! 99% of the time, you know something that I would never have thought of in a million years. So, thank you in advance!<br />
<br />
To all of my exhausted parent friends out there, you got this. Keep on keeping on.Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-25207315997463856382019-05-11T11:00:00.000-05:002019-05-11T11:00:07.865-05:00Mother's DayMother's Day is this Sunday, May 12th. This year will be my 2nd Mother's Day. I know what you're thinking. "Isn't your daughter only 7 months old?" You are correct. But here is how I see it. Last year I was 19 weeks pregnant, and just 9 days shy of finding out if the life growing in my womb was a boy or a girl. Thus, last year was my first Mother's Day as a mother. I can hear the skepticism and the "Well, sure, technically, I guess."<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But here's the thing. A pregnant woman is called an expecting <b>mother</b>. And if we all agree that life starts at the point of conception, then a pregnant woman is carrying her baby. Yes, said baby hasn't been born into the world. Yes, you can't hold said baby in your arms. <b>But that life is still a BABY.</b> Thus, making the woman carrying said baby a mother.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If we limit Mother's Day to only include those who can hold their children, we are doing a disservice to many people. We exclude those who are expecting, those who lost their child before birth, and those who lost their child anytime after birth. How cruel is that?! Not only is this demeaning and demoralizing to the mother, but it harbors the mentality that the being growing in her womb isn't a child. We have got to change this mindset.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, to all of you who are expecting or have lost a child, Happy Mother's Day. Own this day.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Happy Mother's Day to ALL you moms out there.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(P.S. This goes for fathers next month on Father's Day too.)</div>
Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-25692767772503088162019-01-29T14:56:00.000-06:002019-01-29T14:56:11.243-06:00"Hate your Father and Mother."This past Sunday I looked over during worship and saw one of our friends with his grandson. They both had the biggest smiles on their faces. It was the cutest thing, and while I was filled with joy at watching them, my heart sunk. I SO LONG for that to be Eden and her grandparents!<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But a thought occurred to me as I watched them and wallowed in my longing. It was almost audible.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Hate your Father and Mother."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Which I acknowledged as a reference to Luke 14:26.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. (ESV)</blockquote>
I have always had difficulty with the verse because I love so deeply. I understood it as in comparison to my love of Christ my love of my family looks like hate, but it always bothered me a little.<br />
<br />
But sitting there in the "pew" chair feeling sad that I wasn't closer to family, I had a realization of what that verse meant. Doing ministry is almost equivalent to "hating" my father and mother.<br />
<br />
God has us here in this place for a specific reason. He has a plan for us, and that plan has us here. Tanner is now Ministry Leader of the Youth and is working alongside of the Youth Minister while he works on his Bible degree through Harding University's online program. I am still involved with the youth and the women's ministry as much as I can be with our delightful baby girl.<br />
<br />
I can not do what God has called me to do if I am caught up in longing to be somewhere else. If I am preoccupied with wishing that I lived closer to my parents (or his parents), I can not spread the love of Christ to those around me.<br />
<br />
So, as much as I want to be closer to my family, I will be happy with the times I can see them and choose to focus on where I am and what God has for me to do. He put me here for a reason and I know he has big plans for me and my family. I just have to remember to <u>focus on HIM first</u> so that he can use me to spread his Kingdom.Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-13311882027247489312019-01-14T23:39:00.000-06:002019-01-14T23:39:55.759-06:00Another New ChapterOn October 5th, 2018, a new chapter of my life started; the chapter titled "Mom".<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On November 30th, 2018, I opened a sub-chapter: "Working Mom".</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As of February 1st, 2019, I start yet another new sub-chapter: "Stay at Home Mom".</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Honestly, it's a lot of changes in such a short amount of time! I LOVE being Eden's mom, and I am very excited to be able to give her my full attention every day. (Not to mention, the house will be in better shape and we might actually get to have people over! :P ) But there is a part of me that is grieving a little.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've been the Office Manager at Riverside for the past 4 years. FOUR YEARS! It's the longest I've ever held a job and I have <u>loved</u> it. So, leaving it, without moving or anything, has been a harder pill to swallow than I thought it would be. I know that the decision to stay home with my baby girl is the absolute best decision, and I will never regret it. She is the most important and the very best job I will ever have. I just find myself needing to grieve end of my Office Manager chapter.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Being that my personality is what it is (a social enneagram 4 with a 5 wing for those of you who know the enneagram), I struggle with the concept of identity. So for the past four years, Office Manager at Riverside Church of Christ has just been such a large part of my identity that I'm struggling a little to make the shift of it no longer being part of my identity at all. I find myself wondering who I am (besides Tanner's wife and Eden's mother), and where I fit in the world now.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On the other hand, I feel shame for feeling the need to grieve. Like I said earlier, being home with Eden and being able to give her my full attention all day is the best thing I will ever do. It's the best decision I will ever make. Being her mom is the most important job I will ever have. So, I find myself feeling like I shouldn't be sad at all that I am leaving my job at Riverside. I should be only ecstatic that I get to be home with my little girl!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I think it's that I really didn't expect to feel sad. I didn't expect to need to grieve. I thought that I would only be excited to begin my career as a stay at home mom. So this sadness just hit me like a ton of bricks, and I've been suffocating under it's weight, trying to reconcile the feeling ever since.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The new Office Manager is going to do a <u>fantastic</u> job. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that God planned this all out perfectly. There is no other way to explain it all. I just have to come to terms with these feelings, grieve the ending of one chapter and celebrate the beginning of a new one. I have to tell myself that it's okay to grieve the ending of a chapter. As long as I don't forget to celebrate the beginning of the new one. Because the last chapter was a wonderful chapter, and this new one is going to be a GREAT chapter.</div>
Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-90880540684367327732018-11-17T00:00:00.001-06:002018-11-17T00:00:14.103-06:00Immense LoveI was always told that there was nothing like a parent's love. I knew it was true, but I was never able to fully grasp it.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I married Tanner 6 years ago. I love him with all my heart! My love grew for him every day we have been married (and still does). I couldn't imagine loving anyone with more intensity than I loved him. Eden proved me wrong.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I still love and adore my husband. He is the BEST. But when I look at our daughter, our Eden... my heart literally feels like it is simultaneously melting and exploding! There was no way to fully understand the love a parent feels until you are one, holding your child in your arms. There really is nothing like it. And, to be honest, it wasn't until she was in my arms that the love I had for her fully manifested.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Of course I loved Eden while she was in my womb. I whispered that I loved her to my growing belly frequently. My heart grew when she wiggled and kicked and when we saw all her movements during the ultrasound. But when she was put into my arms, when the little person growing inside me was suddenly in my arms, it was like my heart burst. She was here. She was alive in my arms, looking at me with sweet newborn eyes. There was a nurse by me tending to her, Tanner was next to me as soon as he cut the cord, but all I saw was her. All I felt was her delicate skin against mine. It was love as I'd never felt it before. Due to all that went on, I still didn't grasp the magnitude of it until a few days later, when I wasn't fogged by pain meds or in a completely sleep deprived state (thanks to my parents for letting us get some much needed sleep đ). Still to this day, I'll look at her and feel my love for her grow exponentially.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How much greater is God's love for us! He is our heavenly Father! He MADE us! He knows WAY more about me than I know about my daughter. Being Eden's mother has given me just a GLIMPSE of the immense love He has for me. I mean.. wow. There really is NOTHING like the love of a parent. And there is certainly NOTHING like the love of God. He IS love. Just wow. đ</div>
Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-44661507098884261972018-11-05T15:39:00.000-06:002018-11-05T17:38:16.898-06:00My Little EdenDear Eden,<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Right now, a month ago today, you were born and placed into my arms. I cried when I held you. You were so beautiful. My heart burst at that moment and it hasn't stopped. Each day you've grown more beautiful, and each day my love for you has grown. Your father and I love you so much! I love being your mom. You are also loved SO immensely by your whole family and our church family. They couldn't wait to meet you and you were immediately adored.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You're growing so fast! Last week you were 10 pounds 3 ounces! You're 3 ounces shy of having gained 2 whole pounds! You're also getting so good at lifting your head up, and you give the best after bottle cuddles. I am absolutely loving watching you grow. You're coos are just the cutest and you're smiling more and more every day. You have so many expressions. I often find myself wondering what you are thinking or dreaming.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I thank God for you, Eden. I hope that you feel all of the love that we have for you. Though it is insignificant compared to the love God has for you. Never forget just how much you are loved by Him, or by us. (I know there will be times in your life when it doesn't seem like it because we are just being "so unfair", but even then, we love you with all of our heart.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Love Always,</div>
<div>
Your Mom đ¤<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZq3sNVJYvYyzjZGEV-5uFSLDw_We0fjwYjKqjBbZLE8uvdjnysxAiBgSYQXAKltMkeh27gxxkSiSMjV7Zv3M6S1fg10pyxP9HVDORor4G8dwiTY_zSfWCBvw9ghNW7qaxpIsYBJ48My0/s1600/20181105_171742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZq3sNVJYvYyzjZGEV-5uFSLDw_We0fjwYjKqjBbZLE8uvdjnysxAiBgSYQXAKltMkeh27gxxkSiSMjV7Zv3M6S1fg10pyxP9HVDORor4G8dwiTY_zSfWCBvw9ghNW7qaxpIsYBJ48My0/s320/20181105_171742.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-60367443721191642252018-06-19T11:33:00.003-05:002018-06-19T11:33:45.807-05:00The 2018 Whirlwind Roller CoasterI've probably said it a million times and I'll probably say it a million times more.. Time FLIES!<br />
<br />
This year has just been a whirlwind so far. And it pretty much all started in February when Tanner found out that I was carrying our first child. ^_^ We are so excited! Since then it's just been crazy town! (And I'm not talking about my emotions. :P )<br />
<br />
Of course we hit a bump in the road early on.. we found out I was pregnant on a Monday morning, and Friday evening we found ourselves in the emergency room. Apparently, I had a pocket of blood near/in the placenta and it was draining. Thankfully, the doctor told me it was completely normal and that most women have them and never know they do as they don't always drain. They did an ultrasound and baby was right on track and all was well.<br />
<br />
This Thursday will mark 25 weeks of pregnancy! We found out about a month ago, that our baby is a little girl. We are SO excited! Eden is already so very loved and cherished, and we can't wait to hold her in October. ^_^<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXfaSYBHdT1O9_UYKHL-CkT0l_h6wDRsOuY-oxA_QAibwzHHITUO4g3RIK5W_t0RXb6s4mRNKWVvvFxd3X1p3cNFpkWETtWTfuj0JDTBHm3KPV_O8chvG-AfEcllcJuA38hjj4XaUkofM/s1600/35400616_10211444117248686_6970027688505376768_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="1600" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXfaSYBHdT1O9_UYKHL-CkT0l_h6wDRsOuY-oxA_QAibwzHHITUO4g3RIK5W_t0RXb6s4mRNKWVvvFxd3X1p3cNFpkWETtWTfuj0JDTBHm3KPV_O8chvG-AfEcllcJuA38hjj4XaUkofM/s320/35400616_10211444117248686_6970027688505376768_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In between all of this was the women's retreat, preparing for camp next week, my 26th birthday was this past Friday, we had our gender reveal party the weekend before that.. it's been a wild roller coaster!<br />
<br />
But in it all, Tanner and I hold strong to God and know that he is with us and is providing for us. He is taking care of us and our beautiful baby girl. All is in his timing and his timing is wonderfully perfect.<br />
<br />
I hope that whatever ride life has you on, that you hold fast to the one who made you, the one who knows every detail about you and loves you more than we can comprehend. He will take care of you and provide for all your needs. All you need is to trust him, lean on him, and know that his timing is perfect.Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-82613250956115094392017-11-07T12:16:00.000-06:002017-11-07T12:16:08.749-06:00Victory Over DefeatsGoals. We all have them. I, personally, have several goals and have had several goals that are on and off again. I have a problem with sticking to my goals. When the going gets tough, I stop going. (Guess I'm not tough. ;P )<br />
<br />
Recently, though, I have been encouraged to "crush my goals". As of yesterday, I have kept to my goal of drinking at least 9 cups of water for 9 days now! But this hasn't come easy. I gave up my coffee Sunday morning for a 3 cup bottle of water. Yesterday, I didn't manage to finish my first 3 cups until about 4 pm. Not a big deal, but that meant I had to drink 6 cups of water between I got home at 5:30 pm and when I went to sleep. It was one of those days that I would have thrown in the towel in the past. I wouldn't have seen a good way to get all the water in, and I would have given up before I even finished the first 3 cups.<br />
<br />
This has happened to me a lot. If I miss a day of something, I tend to get discouraged and throw in the towel. I know I should get back on the wagon or the horse or whatever, but I get so down on myself that I just give up.<br />
<br />
I let defeat defeat me.<br />
<br />
I realized today, that I can have victory over defeat. Instead of letting myself be defeated by missing whatever goal I set for myself, I can get back up, start again, and <b>claim my victory</b>.<br />
<br />
I have been so encouraged by a group of people who have decided to crush their goals and encourage others as they strive to do the same. I am grateful for them and their support. I encourage you to find someone or a group of people to do the same for you.<br />
<br />
When you miss your goal, stand back up and know that you <i>can</i> reclaim your victory. Defeat doesn't have to defeat you. Even if you miss several days.<br />
<br />
It's never too late to get back up and claim your victory over defeat.Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-77920785287858753022017-11-03T12:24:00.000-05:002017-11-03T12:24:36.084-05:00Follow Your Passion<div>
Finding your passion can be hard. As much as I want to say that I was always told to follow my passion as a kid, that wasn't the case. I'm an artsy person so I liked singing and acting and photography and painting. When I was in high school and trying to figure out a career I would be interested in pursuing, it became hard to nail down. I thought about all of the things I was interested in, but the message I seemed to be getting was "Those career paths aren't going to make you any money. Pick something else."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I recently passed by the local seasonal garden shop and I wondered how they decided that's what they wanted to do. It got me thinking about my sister in law when she was in high school. Where she grew up, she had a chance to go to a vocational school for her junior and senior year. When she thought about what she would pursue there, she contemplated being a gardener. I remember so clearly that her family, much like my own, steered her away from that passion questioning what she would do with that kind of degree. In the end, she followed her passion in baking and she became a chef. I am very proud of her decision to be a chef as she seems to really love it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This all leads to the question of how does one find and actually pursue their passion? I still haven't really found that one thing that I love. I still love writing and I love painting and I love singing, and I like taking pictures. Still I don't see a career in any of those things for me. (I still love my job as the Office Manager at Riverside. I wouldn't change it for the world.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Part of me wonders what my life would have turned out like if I had been encouraged to follow any of my passions despite how much that career would make me. Would I have pursued more roles in the plays at school? Would I have tried for a music major or a theater major? Would I have pursued a communications major when I found that I really enjoyed my speech class? Would the difference in classed made me enjoy college more and made me stay? What would I be doing with my life now? Would I have found my niche? Would I have found the thing that really makes me think, "THIS! This is where I belong and what I was always meant to do!" Would I still struggle with "creative stir craziness"?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In no way am I discontent with my life now. I know God lead me here and here is where I am meant to be. And as I said before, I LOVE my job. I don't know of any other job I would want. (Other than one day being a mother, of course.) I just wonder sometimes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I hope that you will follow your passion no matter what it is or where it leads. I hope that you will find your strengths and lean on them, see where they take you. I hope that you will not let the fear of needing a career that makes a lot of money take you away from pursuing what you love. God will always provide what you need when you need it. Don't be afraid to pursue your passion.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Find what you love and, most of the time, your job won't seem like work.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Never stop dreaming,</div>
<div>
Elisabeth</div>
Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-57181637747899981702017-11-02T17:00:00.000-05:002017-11-02T17:00:13.446-05:00Creative Stir CrazyHave you ever been at home so long that you feel this insatiable need to go anywhere else? Like you can't get out of the house soon enough. Like you've been cooped up for too long and you need to RUN or you'll just go crazy! It's what we call being Stir Crazy.<br />
<br />
I am beginning to feel that way, but it's not about getting out of my house, it's creative. I feel like I'm in a creative rut and I can't get out of it. It's like I have all this creativity, but no outlet. I think about writing, but I don't know what to write and I'm stuck at a point in my story that I don't know how to get the main character to point B. I think about painting, but I don't know what to paint and even if I did, when on EARTH would I have the time?! (Seriously. We have something happening every single Saturday this month. I might just puke.) And anything that would be creative but costs money is NOT an option because we are trying to save every last penny (except a few for Christmas Gifts) to be able to buy a car since mine decided to quit. (We had to sell it.. It's really sad.. RIP 2007 Pontiac G6 GT Turbo V6 Hardtop Convertible, beloved first car.)<br />
<br />
I'm exhausted.<br />
<br />
It's a never ending cycle of insanity that leads me further down a sinking pit. My brain is foggy, my emotions are unreliable, and I'm feeling more anti-social by the minute. I have mixed feelings of wanting to slam my head on the desk and wanting to just curl up in a ball in my bed and go to sleep forever. It's like there is a person with their hands in the air, eye twitching, running around and screaming like mad man.<br />
<br />
My brain is a dark place right now. (Thus the going to sleep so I don't have feel or think about it. #numbing) It's terrible. I know.<br />
<br />
So yeah. There's my dark, self-deprecating post for the year.<br />
<br />
I know I can't be the only one who is feeling this way or has felt this way at some point, so if you have any suggestions about how to get out of this insane cycle, feel free the leave it in the comments. I read every comment, I promise.<br />
<br />
Anyhoo, I'm out. Peace.Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-71190888468504760012017-07-06T11:27:00.000-05:002017-07-06T11:28:23.061-05:00Dear Inner CriticDear Inner Critic,<br />
<br />
You exhaust me. You're words make my stomach writhe in knots. I am never going to be good enough for you. I will always do something wrong. I know this, yet I can't shake your words from my head.<br />
<br />
I'm tired of second guessing things because you don't like them. I'm tired of looking in the mirror and seeing something wrong instead of seeing what Tanner sees. I'm tired of doing something and then hearing your voice questioning what I did or why I did it. I'm tired of you telling me that my life isn't good enough, adventurous enough, intense enough, that my life is mundane and monotonous, that I'm worthless.<br />
<br />
I'm so tired of hearing your voice over God's.<br />
<br />
God calls me loved. God calls me beautiful. God tells me I'm enough. God calls my life precious. God shows me how wonderful everyday life is and that everyday is different. God helps me remember that there is intensity and adventure in my life.<br />
<br />
So, Inner Critic, I am choosing to exile your from my brain. You are no longer welcome. Today I am listening to God's voice. Today I am focusing on all the good things and forgetting all the other things I can't change. Today I am letting the Voice of Truth wash over me and tell me who I am and what I am worth.<br />
<br />
Goodbye, Inner Critic. Don't let the door hit you on your way out.Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-2836970201073833342017-05-14T08:00:00.000-05:002017-05-14T08:00:26.020-05:00An Open Letter to My MotherDear Mom,<br />
<br />
I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you.<br />
<br />
Thank you for raising Meredith and me to trust God.<br />
Thank you for teaching us to be honest and seek the truth.<br />
Thank you for showing us how to be a strong, independent women while still being a woman of God and a wife who honors her husband.<br />
Thank you for demonstrating how to praise my husband.<br />
Thank you for taking us on vacations to so many places and showing me the beauty of God's creation and the history all around us.<br />
Thank you for going to work everyday.<br />
Thank you for giving Meredith and me massive and creative birthday parties that celebrated each of us individually.<br />
Thank you for making me and Meredith get along and helping us realize we only have one sister.<br />
Thank you being an amazing role model.<br />
Thank you loving us both even though we weren't expected and didn't fit into the plan you and Dad had decided on.<br />
Thank you doing your best to always put us first.<br />
Thank you for showing us what love means.<br />
Thank you for kissing us good morning before you left for work and leaving a lipstick kiss on our face so we knew you had.<br />
Thank you for coming to our plays and concerts and encouraging us in our endeavors.<br />
Thank you for teaching us to love and care for others.<br />
Thank you for living your life for God and demonstrating to us the importance of giving Him our lives.<br />
Thank you for all the cuddles, laughs, and lessons.<br />
Thank you for all your support and encouragement.<br />
Thank you for pushing us to be the best we can be.<br />
Thank you for all that you have done and all that you are doing.<br />
<br />
Thank you for being my mommy. I love you more than I can express and I wish I could be with you to celebrate you today.<br />
<br />
Happy Mother's Day.<br />
<br />
Your Daughter,<br />
<br />
Elisabeth <3<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxnyNHGlIzWLro_bczEvmhEvHJalhNAlxVcYv5p0rgHXsXf5VzfbEpbeQoUCyOjYt7LOUzIN31_Mruc2AOhrJEb_dBDc8mL4AKXjClib_oll0s_GD0lGWmYH7YTh5x8014YRHeTz8c_NI/s1600/Easter+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxnyNHGlIzWLro_bczEvmhEvHJalhNAlxVcYv5p0rgHXsXf5VzfbEpbeQoUCyOjYt7LOUzIN31_Mruc2AOhrJEb_dBDc8mL4AKXjClib_oll0s_GD0lGWmYH7YTh5x8014YRHeTz8c_NI/s320/Easter+019.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Easter 2014</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-14069349945038045672017-04-22T22:17:00.001-05:002017-04-22T22:17:26.047-05:00Satisfying the AcheMy fingers are itching to type.<br />
They miss writing.<br />
They crave making sentences.<br />
My fingers ache for the keyboard.<br />
The yearn for the feeling of keys underneath them.<br />
My ears long for the clicking sound of nails typing.<br />
I can't seem to shake this feeling.<br />
I can't seem to satisfy the ache.<br />
I can't seem to fill the ache to create.<br />
There is something about computer keys.<br />
There is something about the feeling of my fingers flying across the keys and seeing thoughts formed into coherency on the screen.<br />
I have this need to create, a need that can't stay dormant for long.<br />
My heart yearns for fulfillment of this need.<br />
I can't shake it.<br />
I can't push it away.<br />
I must create.<br />
I must write.<br />
I must type.<br />
My fingers find the right letters automatically.<br />
The fly across the board as if they have wings or a mind of their own.<br />
Oh that feeling when they type.<br />
Oh the bliss of creating something wonderful.<br />
Oh the feeling of accomplishment when the paragraphs are written.<br />
How my fingers ache to create, to type.Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-17851943974911080502017-03-22T14:51:00.000-05:002017-03-22T14:51:39.322-05:00Warrior Princess<br />At our women's retreat this weekend, our theme was all the King's Daughters. We were reminded about how we are chosen and redeemed, what our identity is in Christ, and the 5 crowns promised to us. I was asked to pose another truth that I would like to share with you in this format as well.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheQlFFgKyOYn5eVASEfgbpiVEKuDcBCVuS1KqPbScTFFPk5N2HhA4gJ-tP8ycWRSZCMtsuO5o1kH-qSLtn3_WVkpTXcJSnzfZkiMRUnaKhaoVIJBCryoheSAl2kskRYpy_3g13f__6vtv/s1600/warrior+princess+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheQlFFgKyOYn5eVASEfgbpiVEKuDcBCVuS1KqPbScTFFPk5N2HhA4gJ-tP8ycWRSZCMtsuO5o1kH-qSLtn3_WVkpTXcJSnzfZkiMRUnaKhaoVIJBCryoheSAl2kskRYpy_3g13f__6vtv/s200/warrior+princess+logo.png" width="131" /></a>We are not just Princesses who sit in a castle and wave to the adoring people below wearing our frilly pink dresses. No. For one, being royalty means a Princess is always on. People look to her constantly as an example. Enemies are watching for the smallest sign of weakness. We are Princesses under constant scrutiny, yes. But that is not all we are. We are warriors. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Typically when we think warrior we a man in armor ready for war on a battlefield. However, women are called to be warriors as well. In fact, there is a need for us to become warriors. Because of our status as daughters of God, we are a target. Satan wants to destroy us because we are Godâs poema, his masterpiece and we are so loved by Him. We are part of an epic battle. But Satan doesnât want us to recognize that there even is a battle. The enemy knows your name and knows your potential. He has an irreconcilable hostility for you. No one launches a large scale, systematic attack against something that is not considered a threat. <br /><br />Every one of us has been attacked in one way or another. The approach taken looks different for every person. But his end goal is the same for each of us; that we are distracted from who we really are and what the purpose of our life truly is. It is his objective to lure us off the path of strength, life, and authority and onto a course of intentional destruction. More often than not, you will encounter the greatest resistance when you intentionally decide to follow God. If you think about it, Matthew chapter 3 verse 13 thru chapter 4 verse 1 reveals that right after Jesus was baptized he was lead into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. <br /><br />The July before I entered 3rd grade, I was baptized. That August I entered the world of public school. I had no idea what the next three years had in store for me. Over the course of those years, I was bullied by a girl I thought was my friend as she was nice to my face (when she wasnât trying to one up everything I was experiencing) but would spread rumors about me behind my back. There was also a boy and his friend who started to pick on me after I had to tell him my mom wouldnât let me have a boyfriend in the 3rd grade. In the 5th grade, I lost my grandfather on my Dadâs side and felt a misconceived sense of guilt because the last time I saw him I ended up being sick and threw up all over their living room floor. I didnât know what was happening at time, but I was under serious spiritual attack by Satan. I had lit the flame of Christ in me and Satan was doing everything in his power to snuff it out. <br /><br />Thatâs the thing. He doesnât care how old you are, what stage of life you are in, what your financial status is, or whether you are married or not. He will come after you with everything he has in order to destroy you and make you forget WHOSE you are. Especially when you are on the right path. See, we are not warriors in the physical sense. We are warriors in a spiritual battle. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 says: <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. </blockquote>
As Warrior Princesses the way we fight will differ from the way a man does in some ways. Male and female each have a role to play. Each of us show a different side of God. Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, author of Love and Respect, said, âJesus the Lover is pink; Jesus the Lord is blue. Pink and blue together make purple, the color of royalty.â Male and female are different by Godâs design. We have each been given different assets and talents to bring glory to God. When used in tandem, we really show the world who God is. Thus the way we wage war may often look a little different from the way our men wage war. <br /><br />In Judges 4 we read about a woman warrior, Deborah. We read that once again the Israelites have turned against God and so he handed them over to the King of Canaan by way of his commander Sisera. Itâs after 20 years that when Israelites cry out to God for deliverance from their oppression that we meet Deborah. We pick up the story at verse 4. <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, âHas not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, âGo, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your handâ?â Barak said to her, âIf you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.â And she said, âI will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.â Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.</blockquote>
As we read on we see that the Lord did as Deborah had said he would and brought Sisera out. Once they were there, Deborah once again encourages Barak in verse 14. âAnd Deborah said to Barak, âUp! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?ââ Barak and his men go down and defeat the army, but Sisera flees and is felled by a tent spike brandished by a woman named Jael. <br /><br />Deborah wasnât a warrior in the way Barak was a warrior. She was a wife and a prophetess who went to the battlefield because Barak requested it of her. Deborah is respectful of him and his wishes even as she tells him that the honor of striking Sisera down will not be his, but a womanâs, because he refused to go without her. And if you notice, Deborah didnât take control of the situation into her own hands. She affirms Barakâs leadership by giving him every opportunity to rise up and encourages Barak to lead his army into battle. <br /><br /> See, we are called to fight in this battle in the way <i>only we </i>can. As women, we can encourage our men to step up and lead as they were called to do. We are the help-meet for men, their suitable helper. The way we encourage them is something <i>only we</i> can do. <br /><br />Take Esther as another example. She didnât go to the battlefield like Deborah, though as a Royal Lady of that time she may have known archery and horsemanship and may have gone on hunts with the King, but she was the only one who could save the rest of the Jews. Flip over to Esther chapter 4. <br /><br /> In the previous chapters we see that Esther was taken into the palace after the King banishes Queen Vashti and follows the advice from his wise men to make a decree to find a new queen. While she is being prepared to go to the king, we see that she wins the favor of everyone she comes in contact with. When her time came to see the king, he was more attracted to her than any of the other women and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other women and thus he made her queen. <br /><br /> After this we find that a man named Haman is honored and given a very high position in which all the other nobles knelt down and paid honor to him. However, Mordecai, Estherâs cousin, refused to do so because he was a Jew. Thus Haman developed a plot to kill Mordecai by killing all of the Jews disguising his motives by presenting it in a way to King Xerxes that he would think the Jews were a threat to his authority. When Mordecai hears of this plot he tears his clothes and put on the sackcloth and ashes and mourned in front of the kingâs gate. Esther hears about this and commands one of the kingâs eunuchs to find out why. When she finds out and it is relayed to her Modecaiâs command to go to the King, she sends the eunuch back with this message we see in verse 11. <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
âAll the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one lawâto be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.â</blockquote>
There is some evidence that suggest no one could see the King unless called for by the King or granted permission by the chiliarch who would demand to know their business. This bring up the question of why Esther didnât just ask for permission. Scholars think that the high position given to Haman was the position of chiliarch. If this was indeed the case, trying to get permission would mean going to Haman and having to reveal her purpose to him. Doing this would put her in a difficult position to say the least. Continuing on in verse 13: <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, âDo not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?â 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 âGo, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.â</blockquote>
Despite being scared for her life, she decides to go before the king after a time of fasting in hopes of obtaining Godâs favor. She says, âIf I perish, I perish.â It reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when, in the face on the fiery furnace, they told King Nebuchadnezzar that they believed God would deliver them but if not they would still never bow to any other god. This models such courage and such faith. Esther was in the opportune position to go to the King to get the edict repealed. She knew attempting this might mean forfeit of her life, but she went anyway. <br /><br /> As we know, King Xerxes held his scepter out to her and she followed a typical Near Eastern protocol for presenting a request. She begins by asking a small favor, the king and Hamanâs attendance at a banquet she had prepared, and then works her way up to the real issue of Hamanâs plot. Esther fought the battle in a way only she could. <br /><br /> Likewise we must fight in the ways only we can. We must armor up and fight the spiritual battle around us. Either we fight, or we forfeit. There is no lukewarm in this battle. C.S. Lewis wrote, âThere is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God, and counter-claimed by Satan.â <br /><br /> We have to armor up. In order to do so, we must know what our armor is. Flip over to Ephesians 6. <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,</blockquote>
Our weapon is the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. We use it to counter Satanâs attacks to divide us from God and each other. I would like to pose several ways in which we can wield it. <br /><br />The first is Prayer.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Ephesians 6:18 â After listing the armor of God Paul continues, âpraying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,â<br /> <br />James 5:13-16 â âIs anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.â</blockquote>
We need to become prayer warriors, praying for all who are in need and even those who are not. We must pray as we rejoice and pray as we struggle. Just as Esther fasted and petitioned God for his favor before going before King Xerxes. We have a great God that hears our prayers and listens to our pleas alongside our praise. We may not get the answer we want, but our Father hears us and knows what is best for us. His will is far better than our own and we must trust His judgement to the fullest. <br /><br />The second is Words.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Proverbs 12:18 - There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.<br /> <br />Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.</blockquote>
Our words can be used as a weapon against people or against Satan. They can be used for good and bring life and peace, or even and bring death and chaos. Just as Deborah chose her words carefully so that she did not disrespect Barak but only gave glory to God. Our words are a big deal. The power of our words is stronger than we sometimes realize! <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Matthew 12:36-37 â âI tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.â</blockquote>
A single word can lift someone up or tear them down. And what we say will comes from our hearts. <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Matthew 12:34 â Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.</blockquote>
So the question we have to ask ourselves is, what is abundant in my heart? Is it of God or is it of the world? Our hearts should be filled with Godâs word and He should be reflected in our words. In contrast, listening to what other people say about you may cause you to forget who you actually are. <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.</blockquote>
Godâs word has the power to sever what entangles us. It convicts us when we are in sin. It renews our minds, transforms our hearts, and changes our lives when we read or hear it. We must remember what the Word of God tells us about who we are and WHOSE we are. <br /><br />Sometimes the way we use our words is to not use them at all. Sometimes we fight by holding our tongue and staying silent as we stand out ground. This may be because what wants to be blurted out of our mouth is not for Godâs glory. <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
James 1:19-20 â Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.</blockquote>
It could also be that we just need to be still and know He is God and we are not. <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Psalm 46:10 - âBe still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!â</blockquote>
It may be we stay silent because we need to shut our mouth and open our ears and eyes to Godâs glory. Perhaps He wants to show you that He is fighting this battle and that He is already the victor. <br /><br />The third way is Worship.<br /><br /> We battle as we worship. Worship is more than just singing before a sermon or songs in general for that matter. We worship God in all that we do, whether at work or home or in our cars; everything we do should bring glory to God. <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Colossians 3:16-17 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.<br /> <br />1 Corinthians 10:31 - So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.</blockquote>
When we worship God in all we do, we change the environment around us. Satan will have a harder time getting to us because we will be focused solely on God, bringing glory to Him and not ourselves. Those around us will notice a difference and an opportunity might arise to share the gospel with them. <br /><br />Above all other ways is Love.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
1 Corinthians 13 - If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.<br />4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.<br />8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.<br />13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.<br /> <br />James 13:34-35 â âA new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.â<br /> <br />1 Corinthians 16:14 - Let all that you do be done in love.<br /> <br />Philippians 1:9 â It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment.</blockquote>
If we are to look like God, we are called to love. For we know that love is the only way to reach people. In the book Girls with Swords by Lisa Bevere, she says, âWhere love is stunted, the darkness of deception abounds; where love flourishes, knowledge and discernment increase proportionally.â To echo this look at 1 John 2:9-11. <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.</blockquote>
Itâs pretty straightforward. Hate lives in the dark while love lives in the light. If what we are doing and what we are saying are not loving, then we are in the dark. This isnât to say that we condone everything, by no stretch of the imagination. If we have a friend or loved one who is walking in sin, we can confront them in love. There is always a loving way of doing things. This is what we are commanded to do. Everything that we do or say should be out of love, for God is love. <br /><br /> Remember, we do not fight to tear down, but to build up. We destroy evil by doing good. And as daughters of God, we can not hold back forgiveness. Refusing to forgive is allowing the devil to win. Forgiveness brings healing to both the one being forgiven and the forgiver. Just as our Father in heaven forgives us, we must forgive those who hurt us. Itâs the loving thing to do. <br /><br /> To be a great warrior for God, we must first surrender our all to Him. Any time we feel the push to fight, we must first examine the push and make sure it is of God. Every day we must surrender to Him and His will for us in order for him to work in and through us. It is only then that God can make us into mighty warriors for Him. <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Romans 12:1-2 â I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.</blockquote>
We fight by sacrificing our worldly desires for the holy and perfect will of God and doing everything for Godâs glory. If we live every aspect of our lives for God, the enemy canât get to us as easily. If we are genuinely striving to be like Christ and are continually focused on Him, Satan will have a harder time swaying our thoughts. More than ever, our focus must be on Christ and we must reflect His love and His light. <br /><br />The good news is that this battle belongs to the Lord. He has already overcome and conquered. Though that doesnât mean Satan will stop trying to separate us from our Father. And we will fail, but as long as we get back up again, repenting and putting the armor of God back on and entering back into the fight, He will strengthen us. <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Proverbs 24:16 - for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.</blockquote>
We do not rely on our own strength, but the strength of the Lord God Almighty. Philippians 4:13 states âI can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.â <br /><br />We can have courage and know that with God on our side, we will not be defeated. As it says in Romans 8:31-39: <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who diedâmore than that, who was raisedâwho is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, âFor your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.â No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. </blockquote>
<br />And in 1 John 4:4 - Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. <br /><br />As well as 1 Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. <br /><br />Because of everything that happened in my elementary years, I became an extremely shy and introverted person. I unknowingly built walls to protect myself, but they really only served to isolate myself from those that loved me. I clamed up and forgot who I was, Godâs beloved daughter, His warrior princess. <br /><br />I implore you to always remember that you are a child of God. Nothing can separate you from Him. You are His warrior princess and your task is to exemplify Him to all the world, bringing Shalom, peace, to the chaos around you.</div>
Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-16996503057280390132017-02-24T12:02:00.000-06:002017-02-24T14:42:07.190-06:00"...for Kings and All Who Are in High Positions..."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="277" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/b5/d3/b9/b5d3b9640c7f9b2477c3216421290ca6.jpg" width="320" /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i>First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i>- 1 Timothy 2:1-4</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />As I read these verses in my Bible study yesterday, a couple of things occurred to me. The first being that not only do I need to pray for other people, but that I need to be lifting up supplications, intercessions, and thanksgivings for them as well. For those like me who hear the word supplication and somewhat get the gist of what it means but don't actually know what it means, I looked up the definition.<br /><br />Supplication: the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly.<br /><br />Inserting that definition into the text, it makes lifting people up like this look a lot different. It's not a "oh yeah, I pray for this person for this. Okay cool. Thanks." It becomes a deeper, "Dear holy God, I come to you humbly on behalf of this person, lifting them up to you for this reason that your will shall be done in their life and I pray for this outcome and that all the glory be to you." It's a whole different meaning, a different demeanor.<br /><br />The other thing that I realized is that Paul is telling Timothy to lift the kings and rulers up in prayer, alongside with everyone else, that they too come to know Jesus and live a peaceful, quiet, godly, and dignified life. In that day and time, that meant Caesar! That meant the officials that persecuted fellow believers! That's a big deal! Of course this is in line with what we see Jesus taught his folowers in what I read today, Luke 6:27-28:<br /><br /><i>âBut I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you."</i><br /><br />So what does this mean for us? We are to pray for our leaders no matter who they are. That means President Trump. That means his predecessor, President Obama when he was in office. And it means the person that will come after President Trump. We are to honor them and lift them up in prayer that God will work through them and for HIS will to be done. We are to pray for them so that they too may lead a "peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way."<br /><br /> It's time to stop the hate. It's time to start praying. It doesn't matter if you like people or not, what they do isn't up to you. You're reaction is. Get down on your knees and pray for people, that they may also know the amazing, life giving, gift of grace from God, our Savior Jesus Christ who died on a cross to redeem us from sin. I pray that you will strive every day to look more like Jesus, just as I am. For I am not a perfect person, but I pray that God will work His will in and through me. For by myself I can do nothing, but it is Christ who works within me.<br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i>for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>- Philippians 2:13</i></div>
<i><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>- Galatians 2:20</i></div>
</i></span>Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-71661572321144183092016-11-15T10:31:00.000-06:002016-11-15T10:32:46.239-06:00"If You Can't Say Something Nice..."It has been a week since the election. Social media has been on fire since Trump became our President-elect. I have seen and heard so many things that have made my blood boil and made me bite my tongue. Riots in the streets, burning the American flag, name calling (from both sides), hate-filled speech; it seems many Americans have gone crazy about the results. I personally don't understand it all.<br />
<br />
The election is over. Trump won. Life goes on.<br />
<br />
What is done is done. There is no changing it now. Why waste time and energy "protesting"? We could be using that energy to make America, or the world, a better place. Hate never changed anything. Even some of those who supported Trump are saying and doing things that are highly inappropriate. You can't know a person by how they act or look. Stop judging people and start listening and loving. There are many people who are here legally, and just because someone believes something different than you does not make them wrong or bad. Perhaps we all need to take a page out of Thumper's book.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpF1TAF8qAPC7VMBfO4UQYbhVCBdyNsebwSFgPwGJsIRVSXlgX2W18RcfBI511BhGVeiupTFhB7wdJbXT5fc5GNXeCFnWXHToO2pJG38wYWliRgXLcgRYW9l0Eup3raLRzhC8yUTdtbX5t/s1600/Thumper2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpF1TAF8qAPC7VMBfO4UQYbhVCBdyNsebwSFgPwGJsIRVSXlgX2W18RcfBI511BhGVeiupTFhB7wdJbXT5fc5GNXeCFnWXHToO2pJG38wYWliRgXLcgRYW9l0Eup3raLRzhC8yUTdtbX5t/s200/Thumper2.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all."</span></b></blockquote>
Kindness can change the world. Hate only destroys. So maybe before you speak, think about how the words you say affect those around you. Will your words spread love and kindness, bringing about peace? Or will they spread discord and hate, dividing us further?<br />
<br />
If Thumper doesn't convince you, consider this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are you love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." - John 13:34-35</span></b></blockquote>
Jesus commands us to love one another. If we aren't loving, we aren't obeying and we aren't exemplifying Jesus. We are all one in the eyes of God. It doesn't matter who you are, who you voted for, or what you've done. God loves each and every one of us and asks us to love him and others as he does.<br />
<br />
So I ask you again, are you spreading love or hate? Are you striving for peace and unity or are you simply destroying and dividing?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"</span><span class="text Rom-12-9" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let love be genuine. <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28239V" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28239V" title="See cross-reference V">V</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.</span><span class="text Rom-12-10" id="en-ESV-28240" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28240W" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28240W" title="See cross-reference W">W</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>Love one another with brotherly affection. <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28240X" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28240X" title="See cross-reference X">X</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>Outdo one another in showing honor.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span class="text Rom-12-11" id="en-ESV-28241" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do not be slothful in zeal, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28241Y" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28241Y" title="See cross-reference Y">Y</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>be fervent in spirit, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28241Z" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28241Z" title="See cross-reference Z">Z</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>serve the Lord.</span><span class="text Rom-12-12" id="en-ESV-28242" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28242AA" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28242AA" title="See cross-reference AA">AA</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>Rejoice in hope, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28242AB" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28242AB" title="See cross-reference AB">AB</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>be patient in tribulation, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28242AC" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28242AC" title="See cross-reference AC">AC</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>be constant in prayer.</span><span class="text Rom-12-13" id="en-ESV-28243" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28243AD" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28243AD" title="See cross-reference AD">AD</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>Contribute to the needs of the saints and <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28243AE" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28243AE" title="See cross-reference AE">AE</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>seek to show hospitality.</span><span class="text Rom-12-14" id="en-ESV-28244" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28244AF" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28244AF" title="See cross-reference AF">AF</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.</span><span class="text Rom-12-15" id="en-ESV-28245" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28245AG" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28245AG" title="See cross-reference AG">AG</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.</span><span class="text Rom-12-16" id="en-ESV-28246" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28246AH" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28246AH" title="See cross-reference AH">AH</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>Live in harmony with one another. <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28246AI" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28246AI" title="See cross-reference AI">AI</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28246AJ" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28246AJ" title="See cross-reference AJ">AJ</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>Never be wise in your own sight.</span><span class="text Rom-12-17" id="en-ESV-28247" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28247AK" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28247AK" title="See cross-reference AK">AK</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>Repay no one evil for evil, but <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28247AL" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28247AL" title="See cross-reference AL">AL</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.</span><span class="text Rom-12-18" id="en-ESV-28248" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>If possible, so far as it depends on you, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28248AM" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28248AM" title="See cross-reference AM">AM</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>live peaceably with all.</span><span class="text Rom-12-19" id="en-ESV-28249" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Beloved, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28249AN" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28249AN" title="See cross-reference AN">AN</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28249AO" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28249AO" title="See cross-reference AO">AO</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>âVengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.â</span><span class="text Rom-12-20" id="en-ESV-28250" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>To the contrary, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-28250AP" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-28250AP" title="See cross-reference AP">AP</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>âif your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.â</span><span class="text Rom-12-21" id="en-ESV-28251" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." - Romans 12:9-21</span></b></blockquote>
Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-35887932308297284442016-08-26T12:09:00.000-05:002016-08-26T12:09:37.933-05:00Learning to Dream Again<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-tdrykba_EhJIUdLoiw4bhzSgX_u5G_TMkDEn6YSGlAx5vOxqsTZ8eTVl1rm2p5QgVgSTzJpoH_rc1OGJBCmm_RcPjHlFawqzXKR-oSPNYDNiw4BPWT3Vt2ytftJbuko-UxmK27MKaJt/s1600/Image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-tdrykba_EhJIUdLoiw4bhzSgX_u5G_TMkDEn6YSGlAx5vOxqsTZ8eTVl1rm2p5QgVgSTzJpoH_rc1OGJBCmm_RcPjHlFawqzXKR-oSPNYDNiw4BPWT3Vt2ytftJbuko-UxmK27MKaJt/s200/Image001.jpg" width="200" /></a>Remember when you were a kid and you used to dream of what your future would hold? I remember as a little girl I dreamed of becoming a cowgirl. I would own my own ranch and have horses that I would ride all the time. I'd ride the hills in my boots and hat and chaps and vest, not a care in the world.<br />
<br />
Slowly that dream died. I realized that would never happen. Horses were expensive to take care of and I was told my love of horses was a phase that I would grow out of. I did get to take some riding lessons and learned that I hated English style riding. Western had always been the way I wanted to ride anyway. When I finally got to take western riding lessons, I loved it. However, the horses didn't always like me. And thus after a while, my love for horses diminished and my dream of riding the hills and plains faded into the past.<br />
<br />
As I grew, I came into the thought process that any dream I had was foolish and would never amount to anything. I wanted to be a singer in a band, but knew it would never happen. I wanted to be an author, and pursued that for a while, but decided that my stories would never be good enough.<br />
<br />
There were things I dreamed, and let myself dream about, because they were realistic dreams. Like, I dreamed I would marry a wonderful man who loved me fully and we would have a beautiful wedding. That came true. But I never really considered it a dream. It was realistic. It was something I was sure would happen.<br />
<br />
So, when people talk about dreams, I'm at a loss. I grew to loathe the question: "Where do you see yourself in [x amount of] years?" I hated it, and still do, because my answer never changed. "I don't know." Part of it was because God has plans that I don't even know about. I thought I was going to go to Harding and graduate in four years and then get married to a man I met in person, probably live in Texas and never work with youth. After my first year at Harding, God took me to Washington where my aunt, uncle, and cousins lived. My plan was then to live there. I got on eharmony and was only looking in that area. Then I met Tanner. A man from Ohio who loved working with the youth at his congregation. I moved back to Dallas to work at my mom's law firm and started planning a future in Ohio. Now, here I am 4 years later in Lafayette, Louisiana. On top of that, I'm working with the youth and teaching a women's class and in leadership role.<br />
<br />
The other part of my hatred of that question was that I didn't have any dreams. I decided to live day by day, week by week. I squelched any grand dreams or hopes that I thought were dumb or unrealistic.<br />
<br />
Recently, though, I was convicted to try and dream again. Not just dream, but write them down. Any dream. From cooking the perfect meal, to my future kids graduation and wedding and kids. I realized I did have dreams I'd been shutting out. I had labeled them as hopes.<br />
<br />
That's the funny thing about dreams is, we can end up calling them different things. Hopes. Wishes. Prayers.<br />
<br />
So as I started writing these things down, I allowed myself to dream without fear, without abandon. I was shocked how many I ended up writing down. And I didn't even include the traveling I would like to do or my future kids graduations and spouses/weddings and their future kids. One that will never be crossed off for me, though, is growing closer to God and learning more about him and his love.<br />
<br />
I encourage you to dream and write down those dreams. One day I'm sure I will look on my list and see that many of them have come true and will need to make a new list. Dream. Continue to dream. And don't hold yourself back. God can do so much more that you could ever hope for. You just have to let yourself dream and then give them to Him.Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-8997313716909013472016-08-25T10:59:00.001-05:002016-08-25T10:59:16.872-05:00Temptation of NormalcyIt's been a week and a half since the great flood of 2016 here in southern Louisiana. Houses have been cleaned out, supplies handed out, school has restarted, and employees have gone back to work. Thus the temptation of normalcy arises.<br />
<br />
If we weren't affected, we tend to lull our way back into the routine of life. We remember those that were affected, but forget that the work has just begun for them. They can't go back to normal yet. Some are still displaced. Some haven't even begun to tear out the damaged floors and walls. Some still have water in their homes. Some have lost everything and have to think about building a new home.<br />
<br />
We do have to do normal things. We have to work. Kids have to go to school. We have to take care of our family and do normal things. In doing so, we have to remember that others are still suffering. The temptation is to forget. The temptation is to stop helping.<br />
<br />
Please don't fall into that temptation. Please remember those that are still struggling for some semblance of normal because their houses have been destroyed. Please continue to help in any way you can! The work has just begun. Even if people have gotten all the damage out of their home, they still have to rebuild. They still have to replenish what was lost.<br />
<br />
I am grateful for our congregation here at Riverside. People have been volunteering non-stop over the past week and a half. We have had trucks come in full of supplies and people have swarmed in. Our members have helped unload every truck and get supplies to those who needed it. We have had teams go out and gut houses. We have had people make and deliver meals to those that needed it. We have had people open their homes to neighbors who needed a place to stay.<br />
<br />
If you are unable to help in any of these ways, please consider donating money. Riverside Church of Christ is collecting funds to help those affected by the floods. Especially those who don't have flood insurance. To make it easier, we set up a <a href="http://gofundme.com/rcocfloodrelief" target="_blank">gofundme</a> page. We are so grateful for the funds raised so far and the generosity of so many people. We are also grateful for those that have traveled here or plan to travel here to help clean out houses and start repairs.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your help in whatever way you were able to help. Most of all, thank you for your prayers. God is awesome and He always provides.Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-2501120868262480282016-08-15T14:32:00.001-05:002016-08-15T14:38:42.645-05:00Flood AdventuresIf you don't already know, Lafayette, Louisiana and surrounding areas were hit with a major storm this past weekend. The news channel was calling it historical and the city was in a state of emergency. The rain started Thursday night and didn't stop until Saturday afternoon, but only for a moment. At our home, it drizzled and sprinkled on and off the rest of the day and Sunday was clear. Flooding started mid-morning on Friday and hasn't stopped. Though there hasn't been any rain in Lafayette, the draining from areas are flooding other areas because there is so much water.<br />
<br />
Tanner and I are heartbroken for those whose homes are flooded and those whom are stuck in their homes. We are also very grateful that we only had a very close scare.<br />
<br />
Saturday morning, just before 6 am, we were awoken by our alarm. We have a flood sensor in our garage so we would have a warning before water got in the house. We shut the alarm off and started assessing. I found that the flood insurance we bought when we bought our home, expired when our mortgage company changed to Wells Fargo. I started looking to see if we could even get insurance that would cover that day or the next and Tanner tried to relax and sleep a few more minutes on the couch next to me. (By the way, if you get flood insurance, it's not good until a month after purchasing.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
A little while later, the downstairs toilet gurgled and Tanner became wide awake. He was in go mode to prep the house and make sure everything we could get off the floor was up. I, however, broke down as I was sure the house was going to flood and started blaming myself for not checking to make sure we had flood insurance a long time ago. (Tanner is the one who is great in chaos. I am so grateful for that. He becomes me rock when the sobs commence.) He convinced me to start helping, giving me smaller tasks at first until I calmed down.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L5F0VHQmQugp-BNBIhNr3maa5qxEZVH8N3X1SYYT-bVGoSk2ScWasO-CwyqZzys7K5C_Xmj_gvCowaPrHKJtAxNNusljCmSqwfg83P0EpB6PD0_f6NxbtEBCtf99nPhb0g88o9VOSEwb/s1600/13934666_10154381699681354_5972707768998807971_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L5F0VHQmQugp-BNBIhNr3maa5qxEZVH8N3X1SYYT-bVGoSk2ScWasO-CwyqZzys7K5C_Xmj_gvCowaPrHKJtAxNNusljCmSqwfg83P0EpB6PD0_f6NxbtEBCtf99nPhb0g88o9VOSEwb/s320/13934666_10154381699681354_5972707768998807971_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>We got most everything up on canned food and moved the things in the bottom shelves of the bookcase we didn't care if it got destroyed to higher shelves. The other bookcase had all the books removed from it's shelves and moved upstairs and then when on cans as well. The downstairs toilet's water got turned off, and plans were made to put the couch on top of the table behind it and our kitchen table to be put on cans should water start entering the house.<br />
<br />
As water continued to rise, we watched the news, TV shows, and outside the windows. Tanner made a "wall" of bricks encircling the step from the porch into our house to try and keep water from getting in due to any wakes that might be made from someone driving by. He also thought to put the back of my car up on jack stands to keep water from getting into it as well.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwf_fiVAQch9enbmaJ62Ie_oTbHMv10IV33z0KPQ2QZGV9JCSxn4ToYBIs8fKpUpFz8hGx1ST6hn1U55bGpg0ciGGxbEz_pk7JET01L2iVaIdouMprzoqaz5XEZYFLPDBFlQLXqZ8ZpRM/s1600/13978113_10154383307366354_1116112700_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: center;"></a><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4N3mm0osHPjtXgHwG8PLdOGJCtTXLixA6gLrUMInfjsNVmdvdvqxMMcIGZMipARX1iF49QHLEJzEvcghp6lcnYKKonWYFxnjJc2EOUFFpbQ-9t4OBAcNFA6RiuAkEYh-yUQ-eghSKJib/s1600/13962508_10154381523471354_4005883657693047575_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4N3mm0osHPjtXgHwG8PLdOGJCtTXLixA6gLrUMInfjsNVmdvdvqxMMcIGZMipARX1iF49QHLEJzEvcghp6lcnYKKonWYFxnjJc2EOUFFpbQ-9t4OBAcNFA6RiuAkEYh-yUQ-eghSKJib/s200/13962508_10154381523471354_4005883657693047575_n.jpg" width="110" /></a> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVT0kREpNBblx8g6m4246pb12vR6T1sGVx5VDCiJwltdkUbhM3iHU6EyODKCmdGo8jjqF6COCypI8-OatYCK8I3nyf0jyvSyTPDOGdgO0IBwswZ80zYjrPF9ApP9uHYuB4J2spoj0RzzL/s1600/13876169_10154381990296354_4044442254072180239_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVT0kREpNBblx8g6m4246pb12vR6T1sGVx5VDCiJwltdkUbhM3iHU6EyODKCmdGo8jjqF6COCypI8-OatYCK8I3nyf0jyvSyTPDOGdgO0IBwswZ80zYjrPF9ApP9uHYuB4J2spoj0RzzL/s200/13876169_10154381990296354_4044442254072180239_n.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwf_fiVAQch9enbmaJ62Ie_oTbHMv10IV33z0KPQ2QZGV9JCSxn4ToYBIs8fKpUpFz8hGx1ST6hn1U55bGpg0ciGGxbEz_pk7JET01L2iVaIdouMprzoqaz5XEZYFLPDBFlQLXqZ8ZpRM/s200/13978113_10154383307366354_1116112700_o.jpg" width="112" /><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjxIT0LA7bCQEbLPirycZg2wDghWK0k3macowiCMk05_LG5oQTZlQ2HGU_SuR8Onw7DMJD4EaoZVtn-VXU9XTv6whYqB0QAmDCpSUQYaYYh0UIpGBB2OfaA5mtPwzNFha4NFsJTK8Ihck/s1600/13895267_10154381983021354_8711107250180435148_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjxIT0LA7bCQEbLPirycZg2wDghWK0k3macowiCMk05_LG5oQTZlQ2HGU_SuR8Onw7DMJD4EaoZVtn-VXU9XTv6whYqB0QAmDCpSUQYaYYh0UIpGBB2OfaA5mtPwzNFha4NFsJTK8Ihck/s200/13895267_10154381983021354_8711107250180435148_n.jpg" width="110" /></a><br />
<br />
When the rain slowed to a drizzle and the water started to recede, we made a run out to find sandbags and get some milk and cereal and water bottles in case the reports of wave two decided to try and flood us again. When we got home the water was completely off our porch.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCKMPqJ-WuB90H2EfNjKT447UDm3XYuWIoFzlmrDHuMMgY-gloWmMZG_DvYg-nMot45QbSD_2l_rMqnoSflpwkFxkU41oVSLviSpX5K46o6SIPaNOs7F685vk5_qTHRjyZHqEOX8Wj781/s1600/13895241_10154382706026354_5528544893338347381_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCKMPqJ-WuB90H2EfNjKT447UDm3XYuWIoFzlmrDHuMMgY-gloWmMZG_DvYg-nMot45QbSD_2l_rMqnoSflpwkFxkU41oVSLviSpX5K46o6SIPaNOs7F685vk5_qTHRjyZHqEOX8Wj781/s200/13895241_10154382706026354_5528544893338347381_n.jpg" width="110" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea15kZNXdkP4XmHgp7ead-AvAypqw0TqbK2sncPkkr8ja_lWJ_n-3JyrxqLmMxxdZZWkQwCIf7Vl9yM8vbYl_eFXvQB7FY04EhQnS0BIDMDSlYiKaqWMoCGLrbm6J85rbzhJ9Jh9wrLXJ/s1600/14002566_10154383305241354_413598893_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea15kZNXdkP4XmHgp7ead-AvAypqw0TqbK2sncPkkr8ja_lWJ_n-3JyrxqLmMxxdZZWkQwCIf7Vl9yM8vbYl_eFXvQB7FY04EhQnS0BIDMDSlYiKaqWMoCGLrbm6J85rbzhJ9Jh9wrLXJ/s200/14002566_10154383305241354_413598893_o.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9cGzFYi1wSNbRqFNM2TLlCtOdFWzTUB5_ZErPmX_1Nw07Q6tfkxsICVOY_Rc8Acv740lsA8oWJ-UXmv_K9jOLNFx6uHa_dVkZ1JhiWx83ZwEU47TR-VrrLKMC1VOId6QsQqT_JoQfIDS/s1600/13920982_10154383255201354_835377997694511369_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9cGzFYi1wSNbRqFNM2TLlCtOdFWzTUB5_ZErPmX_1Nw07Q6tfkxsICVOY_Rc8Acv740lsA8oWJ-UXmv_K9jOLNFx6uHa_dVkZ1JhiWx83ZwEU47TR-VrrLKMC1VOId6QsQqT_JoQfIDS/s200/13920982_10154383255201354_835377997694511369_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Thankfully, the waters have receded and there the ditches were only full when I left for work this morning. (Route to work only had a few puddles.) However, many people we know had their houses completely flood. Some up to 3 feet of water in their homes. There is still much flooding and some of our friends still can't get to their houses to asses the damage.<br />
<br />
We are so grateful to all those who prayed for us and those in the surrounding areas. Please continue to pray for the surrounding areas and pray that though there is rain in the forecast, it will stay away. God is amazing and gracious. The support we have seen all weekend and continue to see today is amazing and I am so thankful that there are people so willing to help out there. Many individuals were out on their own boats helping rescue people from their flooded homes. It warms my heart to see the serving heart of so many people.<br />
<br />
Currently, Bayou Church is collecting items to help those in need and our home congregation, Riverside Church of Christ, will have a truck there from Disaster Relief in Nashville, Tennessee at 8 am tomorrow (8/16/16) filled with clothes, food, cleaning supplies, and more.<br />
<br />
Please join me in keeping Southern Louisiana in our prayers. To those here, continue to be safe and diligent. It's still a wild world out here.Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-60107693401205733292016-07-08T10:58:00.000-05:002016-07-08T11:00:40.033-05:00HeartbrokenIn the past few days, there has been a shooting in Baton Rouge (an hour away from where I live), and a shooting in the city I grew up in, Dallas. I am sickened. I am angry. I am <i>heartbroken</i>.<br />
<br />
I admit I don't know a lot of what happened in Baton Rouge and I don't know much of what happened in Dallas. What I do know is a man was killed who happened to be black and mass amount of people are enraged because the color of peoples skin. So enraged that people of the same skin color are stopping traffic to "protest". So enraged that they "protest" in a violent way and 5 officers/security guards lost their lives.<br />
<br />
<i>When will it stop?!</i><br />
<br />
Nothing is about skin color. No one is being oppressed unless it is of their own doing. If you really think something is happening, there is a peaceful way of doing it. Look at Martin Luther King Jr. Look at Gandhi. Violence to bring about change is doing nothing. How is what you have done any better than what that cop in Baton Rouge supposedly did?<br />
<br />
Stop with the hashtags. Stop with the "protests". Stop with the madness. This isn't solving anything.<br />
<br />
A people divided is a people conquerable. Nothing will get done until we band together. All lives matter. Not just a certain skin color or ethnicity. All people are God's children and we should treat them as such.<br />
<br />
My heart is broken. I am in tears for the families that lost loved ones. I am in tears for people who are so lost that they think this is okay. I pray for those people. I pray God shows up in a BIG way in their lives. I pray they find Him and His peace. I hope you will join me in prayer. Through Christ, all things are possible and all things can be healed.<br />
<br />
Pray for the families. Pray for the "protesters". Pray for peace. For God is the ruler of all things.Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043329383575827051.post-23742059199166934822016-03-17T15:36:00.001-05:002016-03-17T15:36:50.127-05:00Own It.If you have read some of my previous blog posts or know me personally, you know that I have struggled with my weight for quite some time. I have tried several different diets and exercise programs and products. Nothing worked for very long and I lost my motivation quickly.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This February I decided, once again, I needed to get healthier and take care of my body. I researched a few different gyms and, thanks to Facebook, found that one of the gyms I was looking at, which was owned by a friend, was having a sale on their membership if you locked in for a year! I talked with my husband, physically went to the gym to check out the environment and what it was like (also to get a feel of the drive), then JUMPED at the chance!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I am LOVING the classes! But I've also hit a few hiccups where I haven't gone as much as I would like to. But I have also learned something. Having an investment in the gym makes me have skin in the game so I CAN'T give up. And having a couple friends who are at the same gym makes going so much easier!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've also learned that I can no longer say, "I'm going to try." When I do that, I set myself up with an out and thus, for failure. If I say, "I'm going to try to eat healthier and work out" I give myself that chance of when I do miss a workout or eat no so healthy to say "Well, I tried. It didn't work though."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
NO! Never again!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I am putting those words out of my vocabulary! I have to own it!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I WILL eat healthier and work out. I WILL lose weight! I WILL be healthy! I WILL get into shape!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This concept really hit home lately when I became an independent distributor for It Works!. I really just wanted the free product credit! (Which I got!) I found myself thinking, "I'll try it out as a company." My awesome upline kept telling me, "You have to say it like you've got it. That is how you will succeed!" But the voice in the back of my mind kept reminded me how I've failed before.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Suddenly, I snapped. If I want to succeed, I have to own it! I'm not just going to try it as a business.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I WILL succeed and help Tanner and I pay off our debt and put money aside for the deductible on our health insurance when we decide to have a baby.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I WILL make money with MY business!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I started MY OWN business, and I WILL ROCK IT!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Of course, I go to God every day and pray that He leads me in the way He wants me to go. So far, it's lead me here. I firmly believe he led me to It Works! and to Dawn and Macie and the rest of my team. I just had to be ready to hear what they had to say and willing to let Him handle the how. He has blessed my business thus far and I am SO grateful for that!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Take "try" out of your vocabulary. Rely on God and own what you do.</div>
Elisabeth Ellsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13073075844154188607noreply@blogger.com0