About: My Newest Love... ;)

Well... it's official... I think I'm falling in love!!!
It's the greatest feeling in the world... something new in life, fresh, lovely, dear!
I just sigh with contentedness when I think of this new and exciting adventure!

Alas, I talk not about a male, but a new hobby/pursuit I do believe that I've fallen for! ;)
I do believe that I'm really loving photography and am looking into buying a camera sometime in the near future! :D (sorry all Nikon users, I'm going with Canon. :)

I took some pictures of two precious little gals at the beach this past Sunday and I'd like to share them with you... (keep in mind that I don't have professional editing software yet, so this is a very basic edit job :)

(Also... i have NO idea how to comment on some of these pictures other than, "aaawww" , "I love this adorable little female" or "LOOKIT HOW CUTE!!" , so bear with the whole "no comments on the pictures" thing)










This one makes me laugh hysterically :)
I asked the Sparlings if it would be ok if I posted this picture...
Here's the response I got!
"S****** says it is okay so long as she remains anonymous. She says, "It's not me!!!!!!" She has talked to her lawyers and they will sue for defamation of character if you post her name with it."
Thus the reason why i struck her name out ;)


Tired little lady :)




I do believe that this one is my favorite!

Hope you enjoyed :)

About: True Friendship

This is an issue that has been weighing heavily on my heart for the past few months and I thought I'd share it with you...
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I have 276 "friends" on facebook... and that's after deleting 184 more "friends".
It's such a broad term in our culture today.
I have several acquaintances. Hundreds to be semi-exactish... eGAD!
And I have few true friends...
"A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
-Proverbs 18:24
(This info's a small rabbit trail from the point of this post, but found it interesting.)
. . . .

God places godly Christian friends in our life to encourage, love, exhort, and sometimes even chastise. Proverbs 27:5-6 says, "Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." I know it's such a hard thing to hear... especially living in our "me-pleasing" society nowadays, but just think on it: "God did give me friends to help me grow, even if that means by correcting a flaw they see in me. If they're true friends, they're not 'out to get me.'"

But... a person can have so many "friends!" How do you know which are the "true" friends? Well, have you ever heard the expression, "Actions speak louder than words?" Most of you will say yes :) I think you know what I'm driving at here... A true friend will act like one!
"A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." -Prov 18:24

True friends really are hard to come by. In today's shallow and superficial world, you can be "friends" with someone today and when it's not convenient for you anymore, just drop the relationship cold turkey. People can not speak to some of their dearest friends ever again and not be affected in the least. This saddens me, actually.

As sinful humans, we are offended easily, which makes the above stated actions very easy. Once people have become offended, it seems at times that there is no reasoning with them. In Proverbs 18:19a, the author writes that, "A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city." As Christians, however; we are called to be the antithesis to this. Jesus Himself said, “Moreover if your brother sins against you [offends you], go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother." Matthew 18:15

Now... I'm not saying that I'm perfect and do this all the time... infact, I do believe that I sorely lack in the area of "going to one's brother." (With God's help though, I'm learning to talk about things more freely.) What I am saying, is that this is something all Christians are called to do... I'm preaching to myself as well as all readers. :)

Merriam Webster defines "friend" as such: [italics mine]
1a: one attached to another by affection or esteem b: acquaintance
2a: one that is not hostile b: one that is of the same nation, party, or group
3: one that favors or promotes something (as a charity)
4: a favored companion

I also ran a poll-type thing on facebook and asked people:
"How would YOU describe true friendship?"
And here are the responses I got...
Cindi H said, "hmm I'd say true friendship key qualities include honesty, definitely honesty, silliness, forgiveness, and the ability to be yourselves."
Obed A said, "A true friend gives the other person what they need the most, even when they deserve it the least. Being a friend is about giving unconditionally."
Robert S said, "A friend makes a boring class fun.!!!" <-- this one made me laugh :)
Jeff G said, "I would say that friendship in it's truest sense would have the characteristics of I Cor. 13. I would even say that True friendship is rare."
John S said, "It takes two "true" friends to make a "true" friendship :) A true friend is a committed one, a caring one, and an accountable one."
Timothy B said (via gmail), "I guess a true friend would be someone who is honest first and foremost and one who is always there for you whenever they can be."

Here are quite a few "friendship" quotes that I've found:

<---- (current fb profile picture)

"Some friends come and go like a season. Others are arranged in our lives for good reason." -Sharita Gadison

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves. We must die to one life before we can enter another."
-Anatole France

"A true friend is someone you can disagree with and still remain friends. For if not, they weren't true friends in the first place."
-Sandy Ratliff

"True friendship is based on trust, honesty and sincere generosity of our hearts."
---Song Park

A true friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably.
-William Penn

**Also, my friend Zach Smith wrote a very helpful post on "Love and Forgiveness"... please go check it out! It was a great encouragement to me and I pray it will be to you as well :)

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Now... this is all food for thought... please take the time to carefully consider this post. . .

Let me know what you think. . .
Blessings~

About: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

"Mawwage... Mawwage is vhat bwings us togevfaaahh todayyy!
Mawwage... that bwessed awwangement!"
........... -.-

ok... seriously now ;)
Today is a landmark in our family's history.

It's amazing how people meet ;)
It's amazing how friends can become spouses and parents.

Well... twenty-two years ago today... two people did become one. Twenty-two years ago today, two people covenanted before man and God that they would be faithful one to another, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer. Twenty-two years ago today... well, something else happened, but I can't think of it at the moment ^_^

Anyway, on July 9th, 1988, Michael Stone and Julia Fitz were joined in holy matrimony (for those of you who don't know what that is... marriage ;) These two people are my parents! *obviously* ;)

The couple of the day... hand chosen by God to live together as man and wife...

and have these three ridiculous females ;)

Dear mom and dad!
I love you both so much and pray the Lord's blessings on this, your 22nd wedding anniversary!
What a day it's been! With Lili's arrival last night and running from here to there running errands and visiting with dear friends!
22 years! That's a long time! I pray that you'll have at LEAST 22 more... (hopefully more, of course ;)
What a blessing it has been to Anna, Olivia and I to see your relationship change and bloom over our lives. Granted, you're not perfect (neither are we, apparently ;), but through it all, you have both remained faithful to one another, to us, and to our Lord!
In the years that follow, I look forward to what changes (or non-changes ;) the Lord has in store for our family and am eagerly awaiting it with y'all!

Blessings, hugs, and love from your favorite middle daughter ;) ...

About: Another Year Come and Gone...

July 4th... Our Nation's birthday. A time of remembrance and great rejoicing, a time of family and friends, barbecue and watermelon. Yup, Independence day is a great day every year.

Between you and me... the fourth of July got even more special fifteen years ago :D

You wanna know why, blog land?! Well... even if you don't, I'm gonna tell you anyway cause this is my blog ;)

Fifteen years ago, a special present was injected into the world! Fifteen years ago, un bébé peu (French ;) was born.
Fifteen years ago... *chest filling with pride* my little sister, Olivia Christine, was born! :D

What a splendiferous fifteen years it has been! I'm not gonna lie though and say that our sibling relationship has been perfect... cause it isn't. I'm not gonna grin and say that we never argue... cause we do.
Let's see... WHAT can I say about Olivia...? ;)
♥Well, first off... she's going to be fifteen (duh :P)... and since she's going to be fifteen, that means that I'm not fifteen anymore. In fact, I'm four and a half years older *Emily keels over* WHICH... dear blog readers, means that I... am getting olt! o.O eGAD! *ahem... moving on* ;)

♦Aside from the fact that she is officially making me feel old as dirt, ;) It has been a wonderful blessing to see her mature into such a loverly godly young lady! Her love for the Lord is evident in her life and it's amazing to see how He's working in her life!

♣She's extremely talented with sewing, jewelery making, crafting, and any other thing she puts her mind to learning! I think I have yet to meet another female so young with so much talent... just sayin ;) (yes, I might be a tad biased :D)

♠I love her and she loves me ;)

♥Her favorite colors are blue, green and yellow and she insists that I'll have to wear those colors in her wedding... to which I always answer, "psh! You'll change your mind before then!" ;)

♦She's working on an amazing quilt!

♣We just finished an amazing week at camp where we were on the Red Team together! *hehehe*

♠She loves animals.

♥Animals love her.

♦I am now going to post pictures of her ;)

hehehehehe... I giggle at her cute-crosseyed-ness! ;)

We three sisters were all on a swim team... this was O's first year, I do believe! XD
hehehehe... I giggle at her cuteness here too ;)

Olivia and I at camp... being silly, of course ;) What we Stones are known for, apparently... It runs in the family ;)

:)

My dear sister, Olivia!
I love you so much and pray that our LORD blesses you as you begin the fifteenth year of your life! You have been a major joy in my life and thank Him daily for you! I'm so happy that we are growing closer and closer and I pray that it will continue on and on forever... and ever! :)
As I finish this post (1:10 a.m. July 4th, 2010), I finish it with:
Let's glorify the LORD together in our relationship and let's have fun today, your birthday!

Blessings and mucho love and el hugos~
Emmy ♥

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