emily

" . . . It's The Climb"

I am officially in China and am so grateful to be traveling alongside of my family and some of our best friends.  We landed in China at about 2 pm yesterday, and as a way to conquer the jet lag before it conquered us, we headed out early this morning to visit The Great Wall of China!  Wow . . . I have been to The Great Wall twice before, but something about this time was special!  I am sure having my hubby with me was part of it :)  But, I do have to tell you that I was OVERWHELMED by the beauty of creation.  The view from the top of The Great Wall was stunning!  What an amazing Father we serve.

I do have to admit that we broke out into spontaneous song more than once as we climbed to the top, all belting Miley Cyrus' latest hit, "The Climb."  That song took on a whole new meaning today as I was climbing . . . and climbing . . . and climbing some more . . . seeming to always wonder what was "waiting on the other side."  I kept saying to myself, "If you can just make it to the next little hut, then you will be able to see the next part of the wall and where you will have to climb next."  And, if I hadn't caught myself quickly enough I might have missed all the beauty that was in the present climb up to the next hut.  What a life lesson for me . . . I seem to easily get distracted from there here and now by striving for the not yet.  It is my hope that I continue to enjoy "The Climb," choosing to see the beauty in the moment, yet knowing that a breathtaking view awaits at the top.  

I hope you enjoy the photos!  Please continue to keep us in your thoughts as we open Maria's Big House of Hope in just two days!  Wow . . . "The Climb" of this past year for our family has sure seemed steep at times as we have wondered if the beautiful view at the top will come.  I believe we are about to get a glimpse as we open Maria's Big House of Hope and watch beauty arise from the ashes.   

Sew Hope :)

This is the absolute BEST PART of my job! I just had to share this photo with you! I am headed to China on the 28th of June and can't wait to be there. We have been receiving so many donations to take with us on our trip. Just last week my husband's Aunt stopped by with 30 hand crocheted and knitted blankets for the babies at Maria's Big House of Hope! They named their project "Sew Hope" and pray over each blanket as they make them! How cool is that!! Ask anyone who works in the office with me and they will tell you I'm just LOVING these blankets. I feel so honored to be one of the people who will be passing them out at Maria's Big House! God is so good and I am just really thankful today that I know Him and that I have the opportunity to work at such an amazing place! WWW.SHOWHOPE.ORG

Grace for the Moment

I can envision the scene now: an overcrowded street, full of sweaty bodies pushing and pressing up against one another just to be near and see the man everyone is talking about, the man named Jesus.  And one amidst the crowd is a woman who has suffered from bleeding for 12 years.  It says in Mark 5:26, “She had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.”  She had tried all the medicine and all the remedies the world had to offer . . . none of them had healed her.  And having heard about Jesus and his ability to heal others, she believed in the power of being near to him, of touching him and feeling him presence.  So she made her way through the crowd believing in faith, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well” (vs. 28).  I’m sure she had to work very hard to reach him, pushing her way through the crowd and stretching her arm as far as it possibly could reach just to make the distance.  And believing in faith that she would be healed from her disease, she grabbed his garment.  Knowing that healing power had gone out from him, Jesus stopped dead in his tracks and asked, “Who touch my garments” (vs. 30).  The disciples thought he was crazy for asking the question, as a sea of faces surrounded them.  “Who touched me,” he asked a second time (vs. 31).  The woman, shaking with fear, approached Jesus and fell to his feet.  “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease” (vs. 34).

 

In just one moment, in just one single touch, undeserved grace and healing mercy were hers.  Today, as I remember Maria and the journey God has taken me on since her home-going a year ago today, I understand the power that is in the healing touch of God.  And while He didn’t heal Maria with the touch we selfishly wanted, He healed her forever!  While I am here, still on this side of eternity, I must continue to move toward Jesus.  I have to push through the crowd of emotions: anger, fear, doubt, sadness, grief, stretching the hands of my heart to grab a hold of Jesus.  And it is in those moments when I truly move toward him and cling to him that the sea of emotions is calmed.  I understand my need for grace: grace for the moment, grace for the day, and grace for this life.  And just as Jesus told the bleeding woman after she had been healed, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease,” I must remember that faith in Jesus is what leads to complete restoration of the broken hearted.  To be honest, there are moments that it is hard to see God as the one who heals and comforts his people.  But I must have faith in those moments, and in having faith, my heart will be healed.

 

I pray this encourages you today.  Thank you for your continued prayers for my family and me as we remember our sweet Missy Moo today.

OK...now is the time....Vote for the best Dad in the world!

The voting page is up. Alright Chapman fans, lets see you show up.  : )

You can cast your vote for Steven in the Artist of the Year category right now!

You may vote once online and once via text messaging.  

Vote Today!  

VOTE ONLINE by clicking here.

VOTE BY TEXT by texting DOVE SCCHAPMAN to 72648.  (vote codes are not case sensitive)

Did I mention vote today?!?!   : )

The voting page is up. Alright Chapman fans, lets see you show up.  : )

You can cast your vote for Steven in the Artist of the Year category right now!

You may vote once online and once via text messaging.  

Vote Today!  

VOTE ONLINE by clicking here.

VOTE BY TEXT by texting DOVE SCCHAPMAN to 72648.  (vote codes are not case sensitive)

Did I mention vote today?!?!   : )

Maria's Big House of Hope

Here is is!  This is Maria's Big House of Hope located in Luoyang, China.  Caleb and I are standing outside of the building, and we look so small compared to the size of Maria's BIG House.  I am currently in China, with a team of 9 other friends and family to move furniture into Maria's BIg House of Hope and help in preparing the facility for babies to move in soon. 

It has been an unbelievable treat to be at this special place as it is in its final preparation stages.  Our team has prayed and asked God to come and dwell in this place.  We have prayed over the cribs as we have assembled them and moved them to each floor.  And, we have experienced God through the touch and the encounter with His most special children . . . the orphans.

In addition to spending time at Maria's Big House of Hope, we have also had the opportunity to visit with orphans in the local orphanage.  We spent time playing with the older children yesterday.  My husband and sister-in-law, Tabby, did a few gymnastic tricks for the older orphans, while all the musicians on the trip were able to entertain the kids with a few songs, including Blessed Be Your Name.  I became quickly attached to an older orphan by the English name of Will.  I told him I have a younger brother named Will, and dialogued a bit more with the very broken Chinese I can barely speak.  He showed me around the girls' rooms, and then we went down to the 4th floor, room 8405.  He was so excited to show me his bed, his few pillows, and his one blanket. Those were his possessions in entirety; however, he was so proud to show me.  What an amazing reminder of how extremely blessed we are, and the beauty of finding joy in every little blessing we have been given.  

Finally, I can't help but mentioning a little orphan we met on the 5th floor of the local orphanage.  Robin and Joyce Hill, the couple that will be in charge of overseeing Maria's Big House of Hope, currently have a special care unit on the 5th floor of the local orphanage to care for the most sever special needs children that come to the local orphanage.  One of the older orphans on the 5th floor was named Eleanor.  Eleanor is 9 years old, the same age as Shaoey, and she is blind and has some sort of mental handicap. We were visiting Eleanor during her dinner hour.  I watched her listen to her nanny's voice, move toward the nanny, open her mouth and receive her nourishment.  She sat there quietly waiting for her nanny to feed her.  I thought about the amazing example Eleanor is for us as Christians.  We are to hear the voice of our Lord, our ultimate provider and care-taker, move closer to Him and receive truth that gives LIFE.  We are not to consume of the junk food that Satan tries to feed us, rather, we are to move toward Him, responding to His gentle voice, and eat and drink deeply!  Oh how God shows up in the fields of the fatherless.  

My prayer for you today is that you hear and recognize the voice of the Lord Almighty, and that you move closer toward Him and receive life everlasting!

Feliz Navidad!

 

I am writing you from the beautiful country of Honduras!  I arrived in Honduras early yesterday morning along with fellow Shaohannah's Hope staff members, Nick Lyndon and Wendy Cosby.  We are so enjoying our time here.  We have had the opportunity thus far of visiting 3 homes for vulnerable and orphaned children.  We are being hosted by Buckner International, and have had the privilege of participating in their Shoes for Orphan Souls program.  New shoes are collected in the USA and other locations wishing to donate, and then they are sent to various countries and distributed at these homes for highly vulnerable children.  Some of these children don't even have a pair of shoes on their feet, and we have been able to offer a pair of new shoes to these children.

Please pray for the children of Honduras.  They are such beautiful children, and so precious in God's sight.  I feel so honored to be able to spend a week with such wonderful treasures.  My challenge to all of you is to remember these children, and the millions around the world just like them, during this holiday season.  Remember to pray for those who will wake up Christmas morning without a family to celebrate with.  

Stay tuned for more updates from Honduras!   

And I'm back . . . with wedding photos!

It has been awhile since I last blogged.  Thank you for your patience . . . and your prayers.  In all honesty, it has been a bit hard revisiting my blog page, as this is the last thing I remember doing before I received the news to head toward the hospital on May 21^st. It seems so wrong that I was blogging just minutes before my life was turned upside down, but I was so eager to share my excitement with all of you about my engagement to Tanner.

Now, 6 months later, I am eager to share with you my excitement yet again . . . the excitement of my wedding day.  The wedding was absolutely fantastic.  Thank you for all your prayers.  There wasn’t even a cloud in the sky.   I have felt so loved and encouraged by this community of bloggers as many of you prayed blessings on us, shared your relationship wisdom and advice via blog, and others sent wedding gifts to congratulate Tanner and I.  Thank you . . . Thank you . . . Thank you! 

Maria was most certainly missed at the wedding as I watched only one flower girl proceed me down the aisle; however, I knew she was present in spirit.  The ceremony was beautiful, and I felt God’s presence.  And the reception was such a blast!  I felt as if God allowed us a small taste of the festivities that are coming when we, the Bride of Christ, will be forever united with our Husband Redeemer!  What hope it gives me to know that there will not be a second death for those who believe in Jesus! 

All photo credits belong to divineimages.net 

Congratulations Tanner & Emily

Leave your congrats and/or sage advice for the newlyweds here. : )

"She came home today with a ring on her hand..."

Hello All!! I am a very very excited and happy Chapman today. Tanner and I got engaged this past weekend! We are so excited to be in this new stage of life and are thankful for all of your prayers for us and our relationship. Please continue to pray for us as we plan and prepare for "the big day." It is our desire the the Lord will be glorified and praised even in the smallest details of planning! God is so good!

Main Street Festival

This weekend was so much fun. One of my favorite events of the year, that takes place in Franklin, was this weekend...The Main Street Festival!! I have so enjoyed going to this festival ever since I was a youngster. This weekend I was able to attend the festival with three little cuties! I decided to take Shaoey, Stevey and Maria off of my parents' hands for a bit. I took the three girls to the festival Saturday afternoon! It was a blast, but I was certainly worn out after a long stroller pushin' day! This picture captured a petting zoo moment. The girls loved the ducks and bunny rabbits!