I dedicate this blog to Kaitlyn Denise. (:


I am well aware that it has been the entire summer since i have updated my blog and i am not going to give any excuses for the summer, but i will give an excuse for this upcoming senior year! :) Mannnn..this year is going to be insane! Getting out at 10:30, hanging with friends, writing endless amounts of essays, applying for colleges, doing the whole shibang. It may be crazy, but i am already in love with it. The coolest thing about my senior year thus far has been the growth of our school's Bible Club. We have seen such an amazing amount of new comers that we know only God could do that! We hope to have manyyy more come for our next week, Hook Week. Another amazing part of senior year is the friend aspect. There is something special about the friendships this year. I think it is because of the realization that this may be the last time for a while that we are all together in one place. It makes each day something special. I am in love with that feeling.

Besides senior year, I am dealing with teaching dance, taking dance classes, and auditioning for dance majors. Dance dance dance. (: just the way i like it. I will be teaching 3 classes this year, taking them everyday, and auditioning for at least 3 dance programs. Hopefully they all go well and i continue to win people over with dance.

Senior year, Dance, and the last issue Love. Hmm..what an interesting love. It's nearing fall time, so new relationship are popping up just as quickly as the flower buds are dying. My brother proposed to his now fiancé yesterday. (: They are the happiest couple ever, and i am looking forward to my new sister in law! But, besides that one relationship, i am kind of dealing with love problems of my own. I have discovered a new fear, that of ending up alone. I am trying to hold on to things in my past to ensure i don't end up that way, but i am steadily learning that by holding on to those things, i may be passing up new things. I want more than anything for God to say, "Hey, your man is right over there and you will meet him right at this time." But what fun would that be. :P I have to learn to trust that God has that special someone, and he will lead me to him.

I think others are having a similar problem to mine. I think they crave a friendship in hopes that one day it will lead to more, knowing in the back of their mind that this friendship just hurts them and ruins their day. I think they need to let go because he will never want what they want. I think they don't know how much i love them and how much i want what is best for them, and it's not what they want. They will understand what i am talking about. :)

Overall, life is great, only when i live everyday for him though.

-emily

2 weeks..

The past two weeks i have been in Birmingham, AL. :) the only words i have to describe my past two weeks- AMAZING! i am sure there is a stronger word, but i don't have it right now!

I got to come home to my best friend every night. I got to tell her good night every night. I got to make fun of her everyday! :) I got to eat with her, bond with her, tell her EVERYTHING right when it happened. ahhh. how i have missed her and i need her in my life much much more! :)

I also got to go to my old church i went to when i attended school there. This was a spark that just set me on fire for God again. The first wednesday i went, the whole hour and a half was a worship service! EXACTLY what i needed right then. I jumped up and down, danced, sang at the top of my lungs, and worshiped my amazing God the whole time. AH! it was such a mind blowing experience that i can neverr doubt the feeling of my God again. The next wednesday was a service with a message. The youth minister spoke about being in God's will. He made something that is normally so difficult so easy. The only thing we have to do to be in His will is allow him in our life. Factor him in in our decisions, put him before everyone, and let him have control of our lives. We never walk alone in his will, he is alwayss there telling us, "Okay, take this step, now go to the right. now walk straight..no no no. stop right here." God is amazing and all I need in my life. More than what i need actually.

Another AWESOME thing happened while i was in B-ham. :) I got offered a chance to dance at a church in Birmingham! :D we learned a combination in liturgical class and the teacher liked the way we (Becca Fox and i) did the dance and she asked us to dance it in front of her church!! :D that is a huge deal for me seeing as down here where i am from, dancing in church is like cursing in it! it isn't allowed! This is a huge step for my ministry and what i want to do! God is working already and all I had to do was dance. :)

Overall life is great and I hope it is for everyone reading this. :)

<3
Emily Elizabeth.

Faith.

This week, God has been showing me the meaning of truly trusting him. He has been moving things around in my heart and I must say I am so glad that his presence is so Vivid.

Last night was another rough night..not that anything bad happened, but that nothing happened at all. I have problem with just sitting...being still...wasting time...having nothing to do...being bored. I always feel like I need to be doing something, anything. Lately, I have felt that I need to be doing more for God. I need to be out telling someone about God's love, or out helping that person who can't mow their lawn, or out giving hope to that person who lost his last glimpse of hope yesterday...I just don't know how to do it. (or that may be my excuse for not actually doing) I don't know where to start, how to initiate the conversation, how to grab their attention..i just don't know a lot of things. I have been feeling really down about that and last night, I hit bottom.

I picked up my computer and I web chatted with a friend, born in Hong Kong, lived in Australia and now dancing with Boston Ballet. He is a firm believer and his love for God radiates out of him so clearly! I spoke with him and he told me to watch THIS I am warning you, that is a 2 hour video, you can watch just the message and it will be AMAZING, but the worship makes me wonder what happened to it in America. This video gave me so much hope that my burnt out fire for God was restored in one night. God was clearly speaking through the speaker and I learned more and received more hope from this two hour video than I have had in a veryy long time. I recommend watching this if you find the time, if not...here is the major thing.

-Go up another level, right around the corner is another devil..
-If you are under attack you are not doing something bad..you are doing something right.
-God has a strategy for everything in your life.
-Sometimes Faith means to be still, do nothing, know he is God, and know he can fix ANYTHING going on in your life.
-God may not move in lightning and thunder, but in a small voice..you won't hear it if you are stressed..RELAX

This video made me realize I don't always have to be doing something, I have to be willing to do whatever and he will use me as He pleases and in the time that he wants.

God is awesome..it's that simple.
He excites me Every Single Day!!
I love him.

-Emily

Summerr.

Oh how that title makes me feel good! Summer is coming up and I can't imagine a better start than with
that kid. yes, her. She is my absolute best friend in the entire world. She is the only who can make me do anytime of any day. She is a non believer but she amazes me everyday with her caring heart. Her heart is bigger than most of my Believing friends. She is beautiful on the inside out with the same mistakes and failures as me.

Anyways, enough about my rant about Naomi Joy..I am going to see her Friday as i travel to my 2nd home of Birmingham! :D I am going to ASFA's graduation to see all my little babies grow up. hehe! I am going to get to see Katlyn Marie as well and the beginning of my summer will be so very official then. :)

This week has been a long one that has taught me a lot about my relationships, which ones are important and which ones aren't. I am glad to have the good relationships in my life and ready to nix the bad ones that only get me down. I did a bible study and the major thing that stuck out was the fact that our only hope is God. That's it. I can't have hope in any humans, family, friends, strangers, etc..they will always let you down. The only who can keep his promises is God and mannn how I need a best friend like, faithful.

-God, thanks for being the BEST best friend I could ever imagine. && sending me the best human friend here..i love her. :)

<3 Em Higg.

फोल्लो उप

Here it is! The follow up i promised, but before i start, Here That is a man of genious! An amazing muscian and artist. :))

Anyways, so I have always heard "bad rehearsal means good performance," well, it is true! I had such a terrible rehearsal, but the performance was so great! My little girls i teach were absolutley gorgeous on that stage and even though they were little they filled that stage up and they owned it! :) My dances went well as well. I nailed my solo part and I did it with a smile on my stressed face. :P overall, the performance was fun and i am going to miss it this summer.
So there is the Recap!

Moving on.. Today, I hung out with one of my friends. She is such an awesome person! She is so sweet and cares so much more for others than she does herself. She was one of the main people i looked forward to being with once I came home from ASFA. She is a blessing in my life and I am so glad to consider her a best friend. ANYWAYSS ha. I hung out with her today and we were talking about love interests. She was telling me how she wants to marry someone who she has known for all of her life and I told her how I do not want that at all! She is one of those types of people who make list for EVERYTHING so she proceeded to get a sheet of paper out and make a list of pros and cons for 2 guys she has interest in. She showed me even more today how great it is to be loved by God and how I don't have to worry about any of that because i know he has it all in his hands. God, thank you for that! && to my friend, let go.





<3

Remider

Today was a pretty terrible day.
I failed my AP US History test today, miserably. it wasn't even funny, i can't wait to get that score back in July, i will let you all know what i made.
I then went to dance, where i thought everything was going to be better......wrong!
i did terrible today at dress rehearsal. my mind must have been with someone else because i went on stage and completely forgot my entire part. that's not like me at all. i then proceeded to mess up the remaining three dances. i could not pull myself together.

on the way home, i felt miserable, like i shouldn't even call myself a dancer! I then turned on the song mirror by barlowgirl and i remembered why i dance. I found myself dancing in the car, crying, and praying to God all at the same time (surprised i didn't wreck and die.) i was dancing my anger that was caused by dancing out!

that incident just reminded me that i can dance any emotion out, whatever it may be. I felt 100x's better when i arrived home. i was more tired from dancing in my car then i was from dancing on the stage today. i prayed and asked God to be with my legs and arms tomorrow and to help them do what they are supposed to do!!

hopefully my performance tomorrow will be better.
i will let you guys know!

:)
-Emily

Remider

Yes, i know i know, this blog is long overdo, but i haven't had much to talk about until, well, now! so here it goes!

This weekend, i went to the good ole city of Birmingham! i got to see my best friend Naomi Joy and it was a refresher. I have missed her more than words can describe, and being 3 and a half hours away from here is not my idea of awesome. but it is what it is.
Anyways, while in Birmingham i saw , yes, the Rocket Summer. :) Bryce Avary is an INCREDIBLE musician. He can play all the instruments in the songs you hear himself and actually showed us that this weekend. It was so much fun being with Naomi Joy and watching the Rocket Summer.

Sunday, i came back to watch my love Krissy sing her songs she made up at church. They of course were BEAUTIFUL and her voice just blows me away everytime! Also playing was Blake who played his own songs as well! While they were singing, i could completely feel God yelling at me! it was like he was screaming through one of those things! I couldn't have imagined it being any louder.
He put it on my heart and he put it on there hard that this is what i am supposed to do. I am supposed to do this Non-Traditional Arts ministry and i am supposed to do it big.

Later that night, i was talking to some friends about this pounding at my heart and my friend Blake suggested starting off small with local bands. I considered it, but I felt that tug at my heart, and i knew, starting off small was not an option. When this ministry, whatever it may be, starts off, it is going to start off with a BANG!

I went home and started praying. begging for God to hear my prayers of confusion. He did, only he made me 20x more confused! I was talking to God about this ministry and how i know i am supposed to do it, but how i was SOO very confused on how to start, when to start, where to start, and frankly, what this ministry even is! When i thought i couldn't get anymore confused, i got so frustrated i got on facebook... I noticed i had a picture comment.....

This picture comment led to a friend of mine telling me that she has some major connections with a pretty big band! She told me that the lead singer and her were pretty good friends, and she has hung out with this band before.. As hard as i had been praying about this ministry and doing it big, the chances of this being a coincident is present, but i think it is little to none. Just when i thought i could not get anymore confused!


So i am asking you guys for prayers.. I don't know where this thing is going, but i know its going places. Prayers would be awesomee! also, names for this very blurry ministry would be awesome as well.. :))


Matthew 25:14-30

-Emily

Late Night Add..

"You are worthy of my spirit, all i am.
You are worthy of my offering, You're the Lamb.
All the praises, all the honor that i bring,
Are for you Lord, my eternal King." -Anonymous

That was written by a friend that is really cool. He has a passion for God, one that I am truly inspired by. He has a passion for God that is real, not one of those that people look at and say, "Oh, yeah, well if he does that stuff then I can call myself a christian too."

Here is a really good song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn8FIFDgPXw"
It might not be the best musically, but when you listen to the words it becomes that song that you want to live your life by, or i do at least. This song gives me inspiration everyday to go out and meet someone new! (something that i already love to do so much!) This gives me a kick in the butt to go out and tell the people who are hurting and feel so alone, that they are not. That they have me. I will listen, i will care, i will pray, and i'll always be there. But when i fall short, Jesus is there. How cool is that?! Jesus is your best friend. hmm.. best friends with the creator of the universe? YES PLEASE!

Just a quick something on my mind. :)

Deuteronomy 31:6
-Higglie

Procrastination..

Is this blog post a procrastination method for me not to study for a huge test in anatomy tomorrow?...maybe... :/

But this post is an important one that i feel like i need to share. So I shall.
Last night, Easter Sunday night, was a rough one.
I had some old memories shoved into my face that i did not want to relive. They reminded me of all i gave up and all the hurt i was put through. Needless to say, last night sucked.


But amongst the tears and hurting, a little voice just told me to cry out. So i did. I cried out to God and asked him for a peace. A peace that was indescribable and overwhelming; and that's exactly what he gave me. The tears stopped tumbling down and i picked up my bible. I turned to the back and of my bible where it gives topics discussed,& i turned to time...

My eye immediately caught "God brings things together at the right time." I turned to page 786 in my bible, which is Ecclesiastes 3:20. It says
"God has made everything beautiful in its time. also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." The following paragraphs discuss how when we pray to God to show us things, coincidences don't really happen. It says that everything God allows in our life--even sadness--has a purpose. It says to trust God, even if we can't see past the pain, because God can see past tomorrow.

To me, that was more than enough comfort. Having just gone through a rough break up and being so confused about the future, this was all i needed to hear. I have always wanted to leave MS for college, but the boyfriend i had didn't want me to. He didn't want me to leave him, which is totally understandable. As time was drawing near to figuring out college plans, i became more and more confused. I asked God to show me where i needed to be and what i needed to do.. He did. He showed me that the relationship was not what i needed, and what i needed was to get out of MS. I am more than grateful that he showed me that, even though a heartbreak was necessary for me to realize it.

God has a funny way of doing things, but one that makes life colorful.







In other news, i have a new video camera. Can't wait to do some videoing. :D Maybe i can do a secret mission and show you guys around the world of Emily. May be to scary for you tho.
Also in other news, the idea (described in the very first post) of this blog is spreading. People are reading and liking the idea...if there are any suggestions HIT ME UP! if not, prayers for the idea are much appreciated.

More to come
--John 8:58

On Your Mark, Get Set..Blog

&& this is it, the start of a blog that will hopefully do some Amazing things! Where do i start? How do i say all the things i need to? oh boy, here goes nothing...

First off, my name is Emily Elizabeth. I am a 17 year old born and raised in Mississippi. This is pretty much all we have, beautiful trees and a bridge to get us from point A to point B. But it makes for awesome nature shots, and an escape when the stress is too much.



What i love to do most is very challenging. It is stressful and very painful. It takes dedication and motivation. It has it's good days and it has it's bad.

But i wouldn't trade it for the world. Dancing is where i find myself on those days where i can't even remember why i woke up. When i dance, it is like i am not here on this Earth. It is as if all the distractions, all the pain and hurting, all the drama, and all the stress is just ripped away from the equation of life. When i am allowed on a stage and i know all eyes are on me, my world rocks. Dancing is my release and the only place i find safety.

I could go forever on the first entry, but instead, i am going to jump to the point of this blog.
Check this out first...Open another window and enter this http.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-afZJ9_TIM
That song is the inspiration of this blog, watch it all! (but pause it when it gets to around 1:44...see the subtitle? see my blog title? catching on? :] now let it play until 1:53)
Those words are the purpose of this blog.

My purpose remains, the art of losing myself in bringing You praise.

Those words alone shook my world when i actually sat down to think about them. When i thought about them, i thought about how the Arts are so unbelievably awesome. I then thought about how much more unbelievably awesome they are when you are doing them for the right reason: Bringing God Praise. This blog is going to be a journal that everyone can see and be a part of. This blog is going to be my journey to change the world (starting with Mississippi) by using the arts. That's all arts, Dance, Music, Theater, Visual Arts, Photography, Graphic Design, Creative Writing, and any other art that i haven't even been exposed to! I am going to write about my journey to create some sort of something, maybe an organization, arts community, church, school or anything, for the arts and for the artist who want to serve their God. I want this idea to grow into something so powerful that when people hear how it started (from a blog) they will laugh.

I want this, whatever it is going to be, to become huge! Huge enough that maybe, just maybe, there can be a group of art ministers that can go around the world and give free art, dance, music, theater, photography, etc lessons to people who have never, and will never get to experience the beauty of the arts. I want people to see how powerful the arts can be in any way, but especially in a spiritual way. I want so much from this idea, but have no clue where to start it all.

I am sure that this only sounds like an optimistic 17 year old who has dreams to change the world for the better. well GOOD! cause it is, but the difference is that this is an optimistic 17 year old that wants to, and WILL, change the world for the better. I know that this idea is gonna go far in whatever direction it is supposed to, i just need a lot of patience, guidance, and support with getting it there. i also know that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13.

So this blog is probably not going to be the coolest blog ever, with the coolest background, or the coolest fonts and pictures; but it is going to be an interesting one that will trace an interesting journey. I want this blog to inspire artists all over the world, to make them want to bring God praise. I want people to find this blog and say, "YES! I want to be a part of that, and I have AWESOME ideas for that!" I need ideas. I need suggestions. I know what i want to do with this, somewhat. I don't know exactly where, or how, or when, or anything..i just know i need people's help and ANY suggestions are more than welcome.

I know this was long, and if you read it all you are an awesome person. If you leave comments or suggestions, you are an even awesomer person. :)

-More to come,
2 Corinthians 4:7