a very merry Christmas!

Indeed!

Check out this beautiful verse about the coming of Christ into his world:

To us a child is born,
to us a son is given
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will rain on David's throne
and over his kingdom
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will establish this.

Isaiah 9:6-7
hundreds of years before Christ.

I'm home...

...and apparently, to the "best little city in the U.S.A"

I would have to agree. =)

even in the small stuff.

Join me for story time!
Location: Irvine. The University of California Irvine.
Time: Everybody's favorite week: finals week. *
Main Characters: Emily Fenton, Nagai Sensee, The Lord
Mood: Thankful.

(*I actually really enjoy finals week.)
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Yesterday afternoon at approximately 1:15pm, I set out of my dorm to take my Japanese Final. I was excited for a test of such an enjoyable topic. As I neared my bike, I contemplated if riding it to class would be the best way to travel. It would make sense to take it this day, just as I had done every single morning for the past 10 weeks. But this afternoon I kept walking. Because I had a few extra minutes, and for reasons not yet understood, I decided to take the scenic route by foot. I continued walking in a direction away from the path my bike traditionally took. After minutes of continuing on this new path, I bumped into... none other than Nagai sensee, my Japanese teacher! We exchanged hellos, and I started continuing down my path. But I noticed sensee had a different intended direction. "Where is she going?" I questioned silently. Nagai sensee went left, not straight. But class is this way, sensee... She appraoched a building with every intention of entering. Now why would sensee be going inside that strange building only 10 minutes before a very importan.... Oh my! That building, not... the final is... oh. wow. Lord, thank you! God, you just saved me from visiting the wrong classroom and nearly missing my Japanese final! Oh, my. You changed my path so I would find the correct location! As it turned out, the location for the new classroom was posted on the website. I had read this information countless times, but nevr processed it correctly. I followed sensee into the new classroom with releif. I'm not sure what I would have done if I had arrived to an empty classroom on the other side of campus, but I'm certainly glad the Lord didn't let me find out.

Taking a Japanese final is not the largest issue in the world. God did not need to save me in such a situation. But I think he delights in revealing Himself, even in the small stuff.
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...but his own did not receive him.

I just can't stand it any longer. I've been hit by the blogging bug, and I'm not going to ignore it any more... Let's start this thing!
I start tonight because I want to record some awesome works of God before they escape my memory. Whether 1:30 am is an ideal time to write my debut blog, I am not sure. But tonight I'm going to attempt the quick (and potentially messy) version of my story. I will fight that urge to change my syntax, substitute dead words for more intelligent ones, or begin a rhyming theme, as I often do(n't)... and cut right to the chase!

Tonight was to begin my hall's (Grey Havens) Bible discussion. God has already blessed multiple conversations about himself in this hall, and people have been showing a great interest in reading the Bible and chatting about their spiritual thoughts. I have been so so so encouraged by God's answer to prayer. Within the first two weeks, God has truly opened people to chat about Christ. I was hoping, praying, expecting this night, by God's awesome grace, to start a great dorm Bible discussion. Joni and I have been praying that God would take control of the Bible study and do some amazing things in people's hearts! We trust he will this year!

Not to over dramatize any events, or provoke pity in any reader, but 10:00 rolled around (late, I know) and not a person (besides faithful Joni) showed up to my room. Oh, people said they would, but Joni, myself, and our snack display were only left waiting. At the first realization that no one was coming (at least on time) I still knew for certain that the Lord had great plans for this study. Sure no one was there yet, but He had heard every prayer, he was not going to abandon us. I knew this... I knew this... I knew this... but for some reason, through my own sin, and Satan's lies, I became greatly discouraged. The Lord began to fight my mind's battle for a right perspective. "Christ cares more about this discussion than even I do!" I told myself that wonderful truth over and over. I prayed that God would not let me get upset for a single second. Was I broken hearted for the lost, or for my own plans going awry?

I knew God's truth, His faithfulness that never changes, nor ever will... but I had to pray hard that God would help me live that truth in that moment. "Lord, would your will still be done, would my pride mean nothing to me, and would you encourage me in this moment! Please still bring people to this Bible study tonight! Please! Not because I deserve that blessing, nor because I think I have done a good job praying for this night, but because you love the people in this hall, and because you would do anything to be with them. Because you did everything to be with them. Because you suffered the most brutal death for them. Would you bring people to this room tonight." I fought back the silly tears as Christ reminded me of his compassion.

I knew, and God knew, how silly it was to be discouraged in such a situation. God still wanted to claim victory over that Bible discussion. People didn't show up on time... but was that such a problem for God? I realized God could, and wanted, to still answer my prayers that night. I prayed again that God would bring people to my room that night.

And in came a friend. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it on time!" She was having a difficult conversation with a friend.
Her roommate stopped by. "Oh, I'm really into Greek mythology, but I do want to know what the Bible has to say."
Another came to my room for the first time this year. I truly trust God brought her because she is searching for the Lord.
Another Christian desiring to learn more about God, came soon after.
We snacked on lightly salted chips and began to share our testimonies. Some of us trusted and treasured Christ. Others were far from him. But as everyone shared, I could only be thankful God has turned the night around! One asked about abortion and why God was a man. Another asked us to clarify the Trinity. Hearts were so open. And willing to, by the continued grace of God, come back next week when we actually began reading from John Chapter 1.
Two more joined the group at the end of our conversation. I pray they will make it back next week!

And I pray I would never forget God's faithfulness. I am so thankful God didn't let me forget it this evening. He helped me know all along that he never forgets to answer prayer. Even in my discouragement, God helped me remember that. And then He pulled me out of my discouragement and revealed a great answer to prayer. His answers might be so different than what I expect, but I always need to keep expecting. It may seem delyed to me, but it will be answered. God loves to asnwer our prayers, because he would do anything to be with us, and he did everything by suffereing on the cross.

As I prayed and waited in a nearly empty room for someone to show, I remembered John 1:10. "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him."
In that small hour I thought "Look at what we've prepared for you! Please come join us, we really want you to know the Father!"
I can't even imagine Christ's longing as He died on the cross.