5 minutes with Emily
Tell us a little about you
My parents name me Emily, in part because they loved the meaning - industrious. Uh, seriously, guys? I've always been a bit jealous of people with names that mean "princess," or "victorious," or "lovely" or something like that. But, as it turns out, I'm fairly industrious. I like tasks, lists, and accomplishing things. I'm from a small town in the US, I've lived on three continents, had several job/career changes, married my absolute best pal, and now live in Sydney. I have a 2 year old son whose name means "courageous warrior," and as it turns out, he is a warrior and has no fear.
What's your favourite bible passage & why?
This changes regularly, but one verse that I go back to when my heart needs to be encouraged and lifted out of worry is Luke 12:32, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom."
How do you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus?
I could say so much about this, because it seems to be a constant endeavor to RE-fix my eyes on Jesus. One thing I'm learning lately is that the small, quiet moments of my life can be glorious if I look to Jesus. I don't have a lot of time to myself, but I have felt the Holy Spirit beckoning me to just talk to Jesus while I am jogging, or to still my mind and listen for Him while my son is pre-ocuppied with the sand for the next 3 minutes, or to have a taste of a scripture I've been memorizing as I vacuum. I need those little moments all throughout my day to refocus my eyes on Jesus.
What would you like the next generation of Christian women to know?
Jesus is enough for you. No partner, career, travel experience, amount of money, or anything else will meet your every need, but Jesus can. Jesus does.
What's one thing that you love about your local church?
I am pretty new at my church, as my family moved across the world a few months ago, but there are already things to love. I love that people want to know Jesus better, and want to grow and learn. They want to be moved and grown by God.
What did you learn about God at a time in your life you found hard?
It is a commonly learned lesson, but it is glorious nonetheless. God is faithful. I felt alone, fearful, unable, and unheard. And, YET, God was faithful. He did not leave me alone, he did not let my circumstances overcome me, he enabled me, and heard every prayer - spoken and unspoken. Those hard months, and other hard times, have impressed upon me a lesson, not unique to me, but true for anyone that has trusted Jesus: God is always faithful to His dearly loved children.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about helping people see through their needs, desires, problems, and goals to see Jesus. I am both passionate about and trained in (a happy combo) health and fitness, and I love bringing the physical elements of who we are and the spiritual elements of who we are together. So often, in our culture, we separate our spirituality and theology from our health and body image, and I think that leaves both lacking in some ways. The more I work with people for specific health/fitness issues the more I see the consequences of separating physical and spiritual. I love learning more about what this means practically and trying to walk with others as they deal with this as well.
What do you enjoy doing when you rest?
I love to be active, so it is very relaxing for me to exercise, go for a run, or play a sport. Having said that, I love watching funny sitcoms, going out for breakfast, and reading a good (preferably fiction) book.
