Emily Belle Freeman

To my daughters,

I hope you know just how important you are. Those of you who are raising up your own little ones, and those who spend a significant amount of time every day raising up the ones who aren’t your own.

I watch how you bend low and lift up. How you see the wound and speak healing words. In the dark moments, I see you soothing the fears.

You are the cheerleader, the encourager, the brave maker.

Yours is the language of bedtime prayers, everyday sermons, and lullabies. Magic in the small moments. Sacred sacrifices.

They are learning to love Jesus Christ because you do.

I see you whispering their potential, breathing hope into their hearts and joy into their souls.

I hope you know how good you are, and how good you are doing.

These moments are more significant than you realize. You are in the profession of molding greatness. You are the whisper of love and the giver of courage. You are heaven’s hands, earth side.

Every sacrifice you are making today that seems to go unnoticed, will one day be made manifest in the beauty of the ones you are raising up.

You will never give more, sacrifice more, exhaust yourself more than you are in this season, but the reward will come.

You are leaving an imprint of your heart on theirs. Your tears and your laughter. They will leave a mark.

You are doing a great work.

One that often goes unnoticed.

Today, I celebrate you.

Sending so many prayers your way. And one reminder: Soak up these moments, love deeper today.

And when it all feels like too much, when you drop Into bed at the end of a long day, just remember this…when you are doing the work of God, you can expect Him to show up in your workspace.

Look unto Him in every thought, He will be there.

If you would have told me, 35 years ago today, about what lie ahead of us…

About how you would be so sick for the first three months of our marriage you would not be able to work

About how I would support us by teaching piano one day a week, and how the third month we would survive on $1.49 after paying our tithing

About the pregnancies that would put me down in bed for months on end

About the job losses

And the health issues

Cancer

I would have still chosen you

Because those roadtrips, the razzelberry pie nights, the sand dollars, the blessings that led to miracles, the loading of the dishwasher and rotating the laundry, the chasing dreams, cleaning up throw up, walking down main street, monthly budget talks, as the crow flies, and bare feet in the sand…

I wouldn’t rather do any of those things with anyone besides you.

35 years ago, we stood in this exact same place and I cant help but think how grateful I am for the promise we made to spend eternity together, and how the Lord has carried us through.

You are my best choice, my best friend, my lifetime.

And then, there was joy.
Isabelle Ally Freeman
Welcome to the world, dear little one.

And maybe you are in the middle of a journey and you aren’t sure how it will end. Or what the next steps will be. Or how life is going to look a week from now, or a month from now, or a year from now.

Maybe everything has been put on hold for the waiting of an answer you never thought you would be seeking.

And in the meantime, you hold fast to the only thing that is certain. Unchanging. There.

The Father.

Who knows all things.

Have you ever carried a quote around in your heart and whispered it in the dark hours…this is mine currently.

“Do not question too much, dear friend, for the God who ordained the beginning can safely be trusted with the end, and everything in between” (Myrtle Reed)

And so we live in the in between, Greg and I.

And in the midst of the sleepless nights and the pain and the wondering and the waiting, when it seems so much is conspiring against us, I keep reminding myself, God prevails anyway.

Regardless of what you’re up against.

This moment in the middle will not last forever. There will be an end. An answer. Promises. But right here and now we have the privilege of journeying with the Lord.

I believe we come to know Him best in the moments when we need Him most.

And in the quiet hours healing has begun. Blessings have been spoken. Angels have surrounded. Ministering continues.

And miracles await.

Already God prevails.

The truth about life is that sometimes it doesn’t go the way you planned.
Sometimes you get bad news.
You hear words you hoped would never be part of your story.
Cancer.
It’s been a month and that word still hasn’t quite settled on us yet.
Tomorrow Greg will go into surgery, and as you might imagine, we are praying for miracles.
For the Lord to show up in our story.
I believe He will, because He has before. The author who holds the pen.
I trust Him.
Implicitly.
Tonight Greg and I find ourselves leaning on His strength.
I hung up a cancer board in the kitchen. A place for capturing the reminders. The ones people have been sending every day since the diagnosis. Heartfelt reminders of who He is and what He does.
I’ve looked through all of them again tonight.
These witnesses of the strength that comes from Him.
Faith is a powerful gift.
As is prayer.
Friends, we could use your prayers tomorrow. If you remember. If you happen to think of us as you go about your day. Maybe you could whisper a prayer for Greg.
This family of God is a beautiful gift…I don’t know what we would do without each other. Thank you for being a part of this community. For walking this journey with us. For your prayers.
❤️