Coffee with Em

Come along for a long car chat with me and one of my closest friends, Gavriela.

Some passages we talked about or mentioned:

"A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones" - Proverbs 4:12

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." - 1 Corinthians 12:4-8

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him," - 1 Corinthians 2:9

" For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

"You will go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
    will clap their hands." - Isaiah 55:12

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." - Proverbs 27:17

Some other passages to dive into: Ephesians 5:21-33 / Proverbs 13:20 / Proverbs 12:26 / Proverbs 18:24 / 1 Peter 2:8 / Leviticus 20:26 / Romans 12:1-2 / 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 / 1 John 2:20, 27

Here are some of the things I have learned in these last 29 years.

1. Let your feelings ride along, but not drive

2. Don’t settle for less than God’s best for you

3. Holding things/people with open hands is the best way tolive (letting God put or remove who/what He pleases)

4. Not everyone is meant to stick with you in the fire

5. You can learn so much about the Creator by His creation

6. Don't put limits on God's redemptive power

7. One encounter with the living God can change EVERYTHING

8. You will always have regrets, but often we don't regretshowing other's love so be extravagant with how you show it

9. You can truly tell who someone is by their fruit

10. Journaling is one of the best ways to collect evidenceof how God is moving and working - writing down what He says and what He has done

11. It is okay to cry - it is not a sign of weakness

12. Words truly have the power to bring life or death – beintentional about how you use yours

13. You get to create the environment you live in – prayer,plants, twinkle lights – truly changes everything

14. You can't force someone care about you - it must be achoice they make

15. All you sometimes need is 8 minutes of attention from aclose friend to know that you’re not alone

16. Not everyone will like you or like what you like. Don’tlet it discourage you.

17. Don’t let other’s voices (opinions) be louder than God’svoice in your life

18. Don’t ever stop learning, there is always more ways togrow - be a student of life

19. There’s more to everyone’s stories than what you can seeinitially, be slow to make judgements on someone and their character

20. Discipline isn’t doing something when you feel like it,it’s doing it still consistently when you would rather do anything else

21. Praise is a weapon and we must use it – praise Him forthings you can’t see yet

22. Don’t disqualify yourself from things just because ofyour past or feeling of inadequacies. Anything is possible with God

23. The decisions you make today will shape the person youwill be tomorrow. Every yes and no matters

24. Be intentional about who gets what information aboutyour life. Not every person in your world is meant to know everything.

25. You can do things scared, it doesn’t mean they’re wrong.But be intentional about being led by peace. If you don’t have peace in yourSpirit, maybe don’t do it

26. The world would be a much better place if we all werequicker to listen and slower to speak

27. Don’t let your past trauma keep you from the joy of thepresent. It is a process that needs to be worked through and there are layers, but understand it might feel like you are going in circles but you are still going higher up the mountain. You are not defined by your past. It does have effects on you but it doesn’t get the final say and doesn’t get to define you.

28. People will hurt you, it is inevitable. But if you buildup walls around your heart, you not only shield yourself from pain but you also keep yourself from joy as well. The right people will own their mistakes and flaws and are worth fighting for

29. When God has you wait, it is not punishment, it is preparation – you can’t see what He is doing but I promise it is worth it

30. Pull off on the side of the road and watch the sunset,stop and smell the flowers, slow down, life goes by too fast – tell the people you care about how much they matter to you – make the call – write the note – send the text – life is so short and our culture is so depressed. We need each other and reminders that we are not alone

God's radically changed my life the last few months and here's a little snapshot of what He's been up to.

Who knew the crazy amount of things God would do in the first 6 weeks of 2025? Grab a cup of coffee and come listen to what Jesus has done.

AFD message I mentioned:https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xUIfyjNEh8s

I'll be traveling with Chi Alpha for an SOS Adventure Missions Trip in May from the 2nd-14th. I would covet your prayers during the preparation time. I will also be raising the funds to go on this trip ($3,600). If you feel led to give, you can do so via this link:https://allisonparkchurch.managedmissions.com/MyTrip/emilyhart1

Or send me a message and I can provide alternative ways to support.

It seems too fitting that my 9th episode is with one of my enneagram 9 friends. Guys, meet Maddie Bell! This girl has been a huge part of my life this last year and a half. She has been a calm and steady friend through the ups and downs of life. Come listen to us discuss navigating our single years, our favorite holiday films, and the things we've been learning along the way.

Little late on the posting this episode, it was supposed to be released Thanksgiving week. RIP. In this episode I share what I've learned the last few weeks/months doing the 75 Soft Challenge and what God has been doing in my life. Hope it's a blessing to you.

Come join me for coffee (tea) with my friend Lauren Millero! We talk about navigating and stewarding season of singleness, our mutual love for deep conversations, plants, coffee, and books that help us grow. If you haven't read "Find Your People" by Jennie Allen, we 100% recommend it for any season of life you are in. We also talk about how impactful this book was on our friendship and our lives.

Come join me for coffee with my friend Brandon DeKort! We talk about navigating the dating scene in 2024, having difficult conversations, our friendship, and so much more. You aren't going to want to miss this episode. 

Welcome back to another episode of Coffee with Em. I hope you enjoy this episode catching up on my life as of late.

As discussed in this episode. Here are the books I am currently reading.

- Heart Talk by Cleo Wade

- Imperfect Courage by Jessica Honegger

- The Sun Shine Mind by Tanya Red & Raquelle Stevens

- The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

- Boundaries in Dating by Henry Cloud and John Townsend (Sorry for forgetting your name, John.)

Podcast episodes I mentioned:

The Heart of Dating

S8 Ep 152: Boundaries & Pace

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1deALhNt6pka4TvwdTBzgq?si=VQuYLnadRB-d9jvuWaUk4A&nd=1&dlsi=6096edc320b84d8c

S10 Ep153: How to Define the Relationship

https://open.spotify.com/episode/20JDZJ7hutEfaM8xt2ToYu?si=8oEKRp0TRHerVCv07-wY9A&nd=1&dlsi=4efc9d002e82439d

This is a topic of being intentional that has entered almost every conversation I have with my close friends. I hope that you are able to take something from this episode with you for the journey ahead.