His Strength in a Few of our Weaknesses.

We lie.
Even though we might not lie on the basis of words, we often do in our actions. We say things that we do not mean. We do things that are not done with love. We act like we are serving Christ while the only foundation we have is bitterness. We ''listen'' to the sermon on Sunday, but in all reality couldn't recall what is was about on Monday.

So, what is my point? My point is we need to stop sugar coated this. We have a calling to be authentic people. We are called to ''confess our sins to one another.'' {See James 5:16} I'm not finger pointing. I rarely EVER come to you and say whatever it is without being convicted in my own life as well. So, we like the thought of ''above all else put on love for this binds us together in perfect unity,'' but then we just go on with our busy lives and forget.

Don't you find it ''funny'' that most of the Scriptures we quote and sayings we hang up on our wall are the ones we least live by? Even though these things are good... without living them out they mean nothing.   One quote in particular:
''Enjoy the little things in life...for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things''

It is all over Pinterest. All over. BUT what we do when we log off? We put it under ''Words to live by'' and go make our 5 year plan without asking the Lord's will. Ugh! Our flesh irritates me. It is a battle to fight for delight in the Lord. With all these distractions, to-do lists, and places to go we don't get much quiet time. What does it say about us if we only ''make time'' for Him when it is convenient? Christ didn't live a convenient life! Who do we think we are?

Worry and Anxiety. We let it engulf us... We let it take residency in us.
This past week a friend and I have been writing 3 highlighted daily blessings and sending them to one another. My friend started it based on the topic of worry at her small group. So, we have both been trying to focus on the good, and not the ''Woe is me.''  It has been a blessing in itself! I can't say every day I'm willing to do it, but then once again I am reminded. ''Who do I think I am?''  We go from thanking the Lord for cookies to thanking Him for life. I believe if we praised God more for laughter, pretty landscapes, friendships, and His prescence we would be changed. Go with me here:
It's simple. Worshipping Christ isn't easy all the time, but is simple. It doesn't take 10 steps and you don't have to read a book. You just praise Him. Open communication with Christ vs. ''Fitting'' Him into the life that He created.

Prayer. A topic this girl is very passionate about.
How many times a week do you tell someone you're praying for them?
Most likely, bunches of times. Do you? I try my hardest to not tell someone I will be praying for them if I have no intention. I can't say I succeed every time, but I am growing.
Also, prayer isn't ''hard.'' You don't have to make a list {even though it helps me big time to keep my thoughts organized.}... You don't need lengthy prayers or fancy words. Why do we make living like a Christian so intimidating for others? Do we make to many rules? Do we need a heart check up on how much love we have vs. laws?  Prayer can be hard.... We don't always know what to say, but we can ask Him to interceed on our behalf.
Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

I have made it a priority to pray for my friends in Uganda, but sometimes I think I try to ignore promptings. I can't put my finger on it, but the fact is I miss Uganda so much talking about it is uncomfortable. I'm afraid that I won't see the fruit of my prayers, but those in Hebrews 11 only greeted their inheritance from afar. Hebrews 11:40:

 ''God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.''  I miss that crazy traffic and those red dirt roads so much... I pray hurriedly before I allow myself to ''smell'' the aroma of Uganda again. I need to direct this passion for Uganda and use it as fuel to be used it in its correct form. I don't know what my future in Africa looks like, but in all reality I don't need to know. Putting my future in Uganda and Uganda itself into His hands is the best choice. Especially compared to me worrying! So, as I received in a letter from one of my best friends in Uganda, I will look forward to thee eternal celebrations where I will meet up with my brothers and sister from across the big pond again. What a glorious eternity!

We all fall short of the glory of God, BUT Hebrews 4:15 says ''...we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.''

Honestly,  I could go on and on about our weaknesses, but here are same main points I want you to take away.

{1} Write what you write. Say what you mean and mean what you say. {John 19:22}
{2} Pray with an awe and reverence to God... not only to give Him a ''to do'' list.
{3} Truly appreciate the little things. Take time to say thank-you and take time to laugh.
Take time to be intentional.

Abba Jesus,
You alone know our hearts. Intercede on our behalf, Jesus. Help us to be full with Your inexpressible and glorious joy even when our day is lousy. Lord, in You every day is awesome. Help us to live according to the wonderful truths of Your Word. We thank-you that you have been where we are. You came to earth as fully God, fully man and we praise You for that! Help us to not be selfish, Lord. Make us holy as You are. You are. You are. As You Wish; Let It Be So,
Your Peculiar Treasures.
Well, PT's here were a few things weighing on my heart this evening. I know it was like popcorn with all the different topics, but I didn't want to leave a single topic out. I pray you received your word. Have a God-breathed and hopefully a good feelin' day! :)

In Him,
Emilee

Peculiar Treausure's 1 Year Anniversary!

Ya know what today is, treasures? TODAY is our anniversary. I began this blog 365 days ago. We have gotten 2,534 views since March 17, 2011 from about 12 different countries. So, for the celebration I will start by telling the story of how it all started. If you haven't been here along the journey in all it's entirety then I encourage you to read some of the popular blogs to your right on this page OR you could be my biggest fan and go through the archive. :)

I have read several today and will continue to once finishing this post. I love remembering what was going on in my life when reading different entries.
:)





Peculiar Treasures was not my idea... It was my Mom's. As we sat on the couch after eating my Dad's birthday dinner {Special shout out to my Dad! Even though he won't get this in his inbox until 1PM tomorrow :) Happy birthday!} Mom and I were on Facebook and she was wanting to know how some people have a blog... and how they even did that. At that time I was not reading any blog {That has for sure changed. Note the Blogs I Follow to your left. :) } and I didn't know either.
So, we investigate on Bing and finally find the website we like best... blogspot.com.
As we were in the first steps of planning for this Mom said for the title of the blog, ''What is that title of that one book?'' Even if that question seems unspecific I knew and replied with our name, ''Peculiar Treasures.''

That night, tucked away in my cozy bedroom, laying on my bed {not the same room as I have now, however.} wrote my first blog, ''Peculiar Treasures?! {My first blog! ; D }''

We have went through some awesome God-things, two backgrounds, about 80 posts, and ALOT of late nights. I believe blogging is just plain good for me. It has been stretching at times... and at others comforting. It is hard, but yet so easy. He is faithful and I love looking back on the journeys this little ol' blog has taken Him and I on.

I love the way He works. Some nights I shutdown my laptop feeling confident in my post...  and on others {the majority of them} I feel lousy. The majority of the feedback {comments, face to face encouragement, pageviews, etc.} I get are from the blogs posted when I feel lousy afterwards. It comes from that moment of begging the Lord to use my post for His glory-- even if I felt useless. I'm not quite sure how to explain it in a way to make you understand, but I am very thankful... Thankful that He uses my groans and turns them into something special.
I pray for ya'll continually and love serving you in this small way that I am.

I will talk to you soon and I look forward to the year ahead! Remember who you are, Beloved.

Exodus 19:5

Now, therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine.

In Abba,

Emilee Kaye

Two Things

I have NOT fallen of the face of the earth! Surprising fact, huh? :)
Blogging has been on the backburner of my brain and-- My number of blogs last month confess that-- bluntly :) I am here to get back into the routine and to share a word or two w/ ya'll.
Sound good?   Awesome!

This past month{ish :)} I have had some MOUNTAIN TOP experiences... along w/ some spiritually dry days.
I have attended AcquireTheFire, WinterJam 2012, and have been attending the BibleStudy Believing God. Which. Is. Amazing. :) Just sayin'. {Shout-out to my ''Just Sayin'.'' Emilee fan club. You know who you are! I love you guys.} Also, babysitting bunches :)

Worship and Prayer.

Both have been experienced in different, GOOD ways...

The Lord's Consistency of Faithfulness has been...
Pondered for sure. We have went to a funeral and celebrated new life w/ a family from church. Little day to day things have been brought to attention that are SO worth praising Him for.
Several days ago I wrote in my journal about how I hadn't had any revelations {like when writing different blogs like my 3 part sessions on Prayer, Break My Heart, Abba., or Yearning.} lately, but that I knew these two things as a secure hope:
The two being that I'm NOT home yet and that He is faithful.

This song could not describe it more fluently. :)

“If I discover within myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world” ~C.S. Lewis

If you are in Christ rest in the blessed assurance that this world has nothing for you, BUT Jesus does. Every spiritual blessing {Eph. 1} and an eternity w/ Him.
It is so hard for our little brains to even etertain the thought of an undescribable place, but we remain confident by faith that it is true and that He is faithful.

Faithful.

We sing about it all the time, but does are mind slip by the words or ponder them w/ meditation?

{{"We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship." ~C.S. Lewis}}

The Greek word for faithful means this:
faithful, trustworthy, reliable; believing (often believer , Christian; Jewish Christian Ac 10.45)
sure, true, unfailing (sure promises or blessings Ac 13.34)

Now, when we are going through BOTH mountain tops and valleys the Faithful One doesn't change. {Amen!?} When we don't feel and doubt His faithfulness He still chooses to give us breath; to hold us together. He is unfailing and trustworthy! It is hard to trust... Let's be real here, ok? Trusting is a word we might often cringe at the sight of. Trusting the Lord for His plan is just plain difficult.

You may be in a season of grief and all these things you have heard before.
You know the facts, but you don't know how they apply to you right now.
Beloved, if it only applies to you when you understand His faithfulness you steal yourself from wonderful intimacy w/ Him. If you feel you have to understand why you are going through {insert situation here.} you will be lost searching when you need to trust Him to give you those answers. It just takes healing for the veil to be lifted a bit. Be encouraged that this season is exactly THAT... a season. It is hard to understand the why, but I know the One who holds your why and He is BIGGER than our grief. He is BIGGER and BETTER than our own plans. He is bigger than our pain and bad days. He is faithful and He takes great delight in us; His children.

You may be in a season where you just don't know where to go. Where your ministry focus is....
What and who you should pray for... etc. That is something tough to go through-- Let me assure you that He has a plan. He does-- it just might take 70 years for it to be reveiled.

This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”  ~~Jeremiah 29:10-14~~

Or seven days :) After all, the Lord works in mysterious ways. I believe we all have one story or another of this fact. Pray, friend. Pray that He would reveal it in His timing... Pray that you would perservere in this time. That those who are grieving or celebrating would stay close to the Lord. Pray! He is so good!! Let's come before this Faithful One:

Abba Jesus,
We come before you searching... Searching for answers and longing for a better country. We pray that we would be a perservering people. A church that believed You for everything that You have spoken over us. God, I pray for those of us who don't know their purpose at this time... Lord, I pray that we would just simply find delight in serving You...and loving our neighbor, friend, and enemy. We know that You know what it better for us. I pray that we would let YOU lead in ANY circumstance we might find ourselves in and that we wouldn't try to take over what is not for us. I pray for those who are grieving and going through anything as ''simple'' as a bad day. I pray that they would be encouraged by the hope that only comes from You. God, I lift up every situation of the people reading this blog and I pray over them. I ask that You would cover them w/ Your joy, peace, and love... Even if their situation wasn't went into great detail here. I pray that my simple words would be something You turn into something big. I pray that Your Word would dwell in them richly and satisfy them. Lord we love You.  As You Wish... Let It Be So, Amen.

''So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.'' ~~1 Peter 4:19~~

In Him,
Emilee Kaye

13 Candles.

I am going to take you through my birthday! :) To pretend like you were with me all along... I will give you outline of my day. :) Thank-you all very much for the birthday songs, cards, and greetings! They were very much appreciated: So, to everyone who wished they could be with me today... and to all those who wished me a joyful day... Enjoy.


This morning: Grandma sent us a text at 7:00 and we celebrated {with Raskal, my ''puppy'' ;) dog} at 7:09AM that I was a official teenager! :) Then, we came to Peculiar Treasures and changed the introduction to ''I am12 years old and am homeschooled'' to ''I am 13 years old and am homeschooled.'' :) Call me crazy, but I enjoyed it. {{In between random pictures imagine me opening birthday text messages. :) My inbox has never been so flooded in one day ;) }} So, then we took our sweet time drinking coffee, praying, and getting ready for our day! :)

Oh, yes :) Does this precious baby look famaliar?? I made a special request to have some time with the Clay's on my birthday! :) Makenna is getting so big.

''CHEESE!!!"

Miss Tori in action. :)

After spending time w/ the Clay's we went to RE:new at church! No pictures of that event... Busy praying!! :)

Following some awesome time of prayer, we drove to Manhattan where this picture took place:

Mom and I met Miranda to hang out at Starbucks! Oh, it was swell :) The last time we were at Starbucks together: It was in Amsterdam! :) Anyway, we chatted for an hour and a half at Starbucks and then went down the road to the Christian Bookstore :) {One of Emilee's favorite places of all time.} Where we got the latest Kari Jobe c.d. w/ this item as well.

{{Greek Dictionary.}}

Oh, the blogs and journals that book will enhance! ;)

It was an awesome somewhat relaxing day! When we got back to town we had several minutes between events... THEN Mom and Dad went to HomeGroup and I went to PowerHour.

We closed the night eating dinner with some grandparentals {No, not a official word, but to my brother and I-- it is ;)}! Thank-you everyone for making my birthday special... and every other day. :)

Now, this girl has to go study! :)

In Him,

Emilee Kaye

Hosanna! Hosanna!

Let me introduce you if you don't already know them-- to the Boeschling family.

Marty, Jael, and Elijah. :)

{To read her blog click her name above.}

This wonderful family came to join our church body in August of last year... Marty joined our church staff

as our Worship Leader and Senior High pastor shortly after. In September of 2011 I asked Jael to become my mentor through a youth program at our church... and she said yes. We have absolutely loved getting to know them... as well as Mr. Elijah! :) In addition to them being all of these things to us they {for only a short time longer :( } also live right across the street from us :)

One day I walked over to have a little time to talk to Jael about Uganda... and walked back with wonderful news! In the middle of our discussion Marty came home from work and they told me they were expecting baby #2!! I was so thrilled and happy for them.

Last week we saw this beloved picture on Facebook of their 17 week old... which we found out to be a little girl.

Look at that perfectly formed hand.

In the midst of bedrest and a week of praying-- Jael delivered 17 week old Hosanna Joy. These are a few words from her post on Friday-- ''Our 17-week-old baby girl, Hosanna Joy, was saved out of this life on January 19 at 11:56 p.m. and is now being rocked in Jesus' arms in Heaven's nursery. Her tiny 'hello' in the sonogram picture taken on Monday was apparently also a good-bye. :(''

We have been praying for Marty and Jael whenever the Lord brought/brings them to mind. Our hearts are truly broken for them. We love them... and are continually lifting them up. I also pray that we will continue praying when it isn't so heavy on our hearts and minds as it has been lately. I encourage you to do the same.
So, because I have given you the background of the Boeschling's let me tell you what the Lord did today.

This morning we soon found out that Marty would indeed lead our congregation in worship. Since Friday morning {we woke up with the ''news''} we kept on saying over and over. And over. How is he ever going to sing Hosanna, Hosanna ever again?? 

Before the service I had talked with Marty to acknowledge that I was thinking about him-- especially today and that I was praying for him. So, when the time came he walked up to lead us... Everything goes as usual until this line...
Hosanna, Hosanna came up on the big screen. Imagine with me the Daddy of this sweet baby girl having to sing her name...over and over. And over-- after losing her {3 days prior}.

Anyone that knew the circumstance was crying-- including myself. I felt sorry for the visitors that didn't know why so many people were crying in this wonderful song in praise to Him... :)

But Marty-- Marty was smiling. It. Was. Priceless... Singing ''Hosanna... Hosanna...'' with nothing less than a grin from ear to ear. When he sang when we see you we find strength  to face the day I thought about how precious it was the strength the Lord gave him to minister to us this morning. I believe that it was a complete God-thing and an extreme ''faith challenger.'' I love how the Lord picked that song... knowing-- knowing how it would shift our hearts. THEN, Marty also said a few words about Hosanna and sang ''You Never Let Go.'' We were very sober during the rest of service. We appauld Pastor Grant because he delivered an awesome sermon... It's just that those words with the scene playing out before our eyes was so fresh on our minds... and being forever engraved on our hearts.

Hosanna means an {1} exclamation of praise, especially one to God and also {2} the act of crying "hosanna".  {I believe this is very appropriate :) }

[Old English osanna,  via Late Latin from Greek, from Hebrew hōshi `āh nnā  save now, we pray]

Save now we pray.

Save now... we pray...

                                 {hands together, praying.}

John 10:12

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”

Our sweet Jesus prepared a place for Hosanna. He greeted her-- by name. Hosanna!  She is now being held by Him... and will be waiting for her mommy, her daddy, and her big brother.

There is so much Scripture that goes beautifully with this... I am going to share this one:

1 Peter 1:6,8    ''In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials...... Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,''

Our congregation was a witness of this beautiful ''inexpressible and glorious joy'' this morning while Marty sang praise and saw the hope that truly was rising. Be blessed this week, treasures. Thanks for letting me share :)

In Abba,
Emilee.