The Lily Letters

Staying Focused on God Emily Peedin Bible Readings: Philippians 4:6, 1 Peter 5:6-7, Matthew 6:34, and Matthew 11:28 If there is one thing I can distinctly remember from my four years in undergrad, it is just how fast the fall semester seemed to fly by after midterms. Within the blink of an eye, we had Halloween, Fall Break, Thanksgiving, finals, and Christmas before I could even register what was going on. It truly felt like, no matter how hard I wanted things to slow down a bit, someone else’s foot was on the gas, and I could seemingly never catch up. That being said, I did cherish my fall semesters in undergrad– arguably so much more so than my spring semesters. Something about the weather cooling down, sports seasons heating up, and my favorite holidays approaching made the semester feel a lot faster and more bearable to get through. That certainly wasn’t the case for everyone else I knew, though. As wonderful as the fall and winter seasons were to me, I would be remiss if I did...

With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years coming up, we are more likely to interact with family and friends; some who we might not have seen all year. The Holidays can become chaotic, with milestones being announced, unresolved conflicts being mentioned, the urge to watch our favorite football game, or to answer the golden but awkward question by our favorite aunt. This month’s focus is on the word “others” where we just take a second (or more) to focus not on ourselves, but on others. Philippians 2:3 (NIV) states “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”. I used an acronym generator to create an acronym for the word “others” which the results said “Outreach through Humility, Empathy, Righteousness, and Service. We can bring in Outreach through the holidays by checking in with our family members and friends. The year could be overwhelming and with a simple “How are you?” could make the gathering less stressful. The one c...

“9000 Fireflies” Full Disclosure, despite all the bows and dresses that I love to wear, I am a wrestling fan. I love watching all of the characters that each of the wrestlers have and the stories that they tell by their videos, promos, and wrestling matches. One particular wrestler and the nicknames he gives the fans resonate with me. Whenever he was nearby, the whole arena darkened and everyone all of a sudden turned on their flashlights on their cellphones. However, at that moment, they weren’t just flashlights to him. They were fireflies that lit up the dark arena. I remember my own fireflies at Longwood University. It was a scary time coming in as a transfer student, not knowing most of the students, and the only organization that I had planned on joining was BCM . My first BCM experience, I saw a group of girls sitting together, laughing, and cheering each other on if they had to speak at our large group meeting. The next week, I saw one of the girls at the Bible Study in gre...

In this day and age, members of the Christian faith often face an internal struggle. It can feel difficult or even impossible to reconcile the idea that we are called to be in this world, but not of it. For many Christians, this can lead to an unintentional belief of moral superiority over those who do not subscribe to Christianity. However, at the end of the day, that feeling is not part of God’s plan for us as stewards of the faith, and can often limit our ability to draw others closer to Him, especially those who have been previously hurt by the Church. Today, I pose this question: Do we truly understand what it means to love like He loves? When Jesus died on the cross, He didn’t just die for the people that would come to know and accept Him. He didn’t just die for the “good Christian.” He didn’t just die for the churchgoer. He didn’t just die for the preacher or the Sunday school teacher. He also died for the liar. For the murderer. For the thief and the vandal and the teenage mo...

One of my class's favorite song that we like to sing at the end of the day is called "Stop and Go" by Yancy. The lyrics are "Stop and listen to what God says, Go and do what he tells you to do". But sometimes for us, it can be hard to do what he tells us to do when we feel like we don't have directions. We hear from Jesus to "Therefore go and nmake disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), but what happens when we have that fear? When we delight in the Lord, our steps are made firm by the Lord (Psalms 37:23). Also, we know that we can be strong and courageous and do not have to be afraid or discouraged because the Lord our God is with us wherever we go (Joshua 1:9). In a prayer by Peter and John with the chief priests and elders, they asked God to make them bold to speak God's word (Acts 4:29-31). When it might be difficult to spread the gospel, be encouraged by Paul...

Devo #1: A Green Gables Summit "Dear old world, you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you” When Claire shared the Summit theme with me a few weeks ago, I quite literally squealed with glee because Anne of Green Gables was a cherished imaginary friend for me throughout my childhood. Lucy Maud Montgomery is a storyteller unlike any other. In her books you will not find chaotic twists and turns, nor will you discover psychological or historical stories with high stakes. No, instead you will be immersed into the loveliest, quaintest story about a little orphan girl who simply lives genuinely and propitiously. If Anne Shirley were to transform into an inanimate object - she would be rose-colored glasses. Anne continuously chooses to see the world as wonderful, and consistently works to find the good in whatever her circumstances are. I have a daughter, Cora, who (through no fault of her own, bless her) is the exact opposite of Anne Shirley. She is chemically wi...