10 years ago today (march 25, 1998) Jesus saved my life.
the biggest thing ive been reminded of today as i reflect on all that He has brought me through in the past 10 years is that truly it is the people that He put in my path that have most affected & encouraged my desire to know Him.
names that come to mind ... andy, denise, mark, jan, ginny, donna, eric, diana, allen, sue, ada, justin, kurt, susan, chris, janet, jesse, steven, glenn, rachelle, katie, stephanie, emily, mary anne, caleb, matt, kristen, heather, erinne, jason, rachel, rob, justen, corey, mindy, kristi, katie, etc. etc. etc.
i could go on, but really what the Lord is causing my mind to dwell on today is community. to call us to Himself is to call us to community. my thought today is that I am not the bride of Christ, but that we are the bride of Christ. the salvation of my soul is a small part of the picture. but when we come together in community... when it is easy to come up with a list of those who have challenged, encouraged, helped to shape our theology, and more importantly pointed our eyes to Jesus.... when we pray for each other & learn what it means to really & truly love one another... that is when the bride of Christ is breathtakingly beautiful.
thank you Jesus for saving my life. for loving me in spite of myself. thank You for blessing me with those who have journeyed alongside me & been a vital part of the way You have shaped me, challenged me, broken me, and put me back together in a way that looks more like You.
March 26, 2008
March 21, 2008
holy.
i was digging around for new music tonight on itunes and came across this song that speaks my heart. its called "what do i know of holy" by addison road. check out these lyrics:
ive made You promises a thousand times
ive tried to hear from heaven but i talk the whole time
i think i made You too small
i never feared You at all
if You touch my face would i know You
looked into my eyes could i behold You?
what do i know of You, who spoke me into motion?
where have i even stood, but the shore along Your ocean
are You fire, are You fury?
are You sacred, are You beautiful?
so what do i know of holy
i guess i thought that i had figured You out
i knew all the stories and i learned to talk about
how You were mighty to save
but those were only empty words on a page
then i caught a glimpse of who You might be
the slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees
what do i know of You, who spoke me into motion?
where have i even stood, but the shore along Your ocean
are You fire, are You fury?
are You sacred, are You beautiful?
so what do i know of holy
what do i know of holy
what do i know of wounds that will heal my shame
and a God who gave life its name
what do i know of holy
of the One who the angels praised
all creation knows Your name
honored in heaven above, do i know of this love?
what do i know of You, who spoke me into motion?
where have i even stood, but the shore along Your ocean
are You fire, are You fury?
are You sacred, are You beautiful?
so what do i know of holy
sometimes i think that God waits til the hours of 1-3am before whispering into my heart.
in this moment i am dwelling on the fact that God is bigger than my ability to comprehend. the fact that He created all things & holds them together & causes them to function & gives every living thing each and every breath.... my brain is incapable of understanding how big God truly is. but in this moment when He gives me grace enough to grasp even the slightest hint of all that He is, i am comforted, humbled, and grateful. that He alone encompasses everything and anything i would ever need in this life ... that no matter how crazy life gets, He holds all the craziness in His more than capable hands. we are so blessed to be loved & known by a God like that.
ive made You promises a thousand times
ive tried to hear from heaven but i talk the whole time
i think i made You too small
i never feared You at all
if You touch my face would i know You
looked into my eyes could i behold You?
what do i know of You, who spoke me into motion?
where have i even stood, but the shore along Your ocean
are You fire, are You fury?
are You sacred, are You beautiful?
so what do i know of holy
i guess i thought that i had figured You out
i knew all the stories and i learned to talk about
how You were mighty to save
but those were only empty words on a page
then i caught a glimpse of who You might be
the slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees
what do i know of You, who spoke me into motion?
where have i even stood, but the shore along Your ocean
are You fire, are You fury?
are You sacred, are You beautiful?
so what do i know of holy
what do i know of holy
what do i know of wounds that will heal my shame
and a God who gave life its name
what do i know of holy
of the One who the angels praised
all creation knows Your name
honored in heaven above, do i know of this love?
what do i know of You, who spoke me into motion?
where have i even stood, but the shore along Your ocean
are You fire, are You fury?
are You sacred, are You beautiful?
so what do i know of holy
sometimes i think that God waits til the hours of 1-3am before whispering into my heart.
in this moment i am dwelling on the fact that God is bigger than my ability to comprehend. the fact that He created all things & holds them together & causes them to function & gives every living thing each and every breath.... my brain is incapable of understanding how big God truly is. but in this moment when He gives me grace enough to grasp even the slightest hint of all that He is, i am comforted, humbled, and grateful. that He alone encompasses everything and anything i would ever need in this life ... that no matter how crazy life gets, He holds all the craziness in His more than capable hands. we are so blessed to be loved & known by a God like that.
March 17, 2008
THE rob blackledge.
coolest thing thats happened so far in 2008:
saturday afternoon i had a conversation on the phone with rob blackledge.
the worship band we brought in for walking wisely are from nashville (and are all incredibly talented.. check them out.) and on Saturday we were discussing over lunch some of the amazing musicians that call nashville home. (andy davis, dave barnes, gabe dixon, marc broussard, rob blackledge, etc.
and they're like... really? you know rob blackledge? he's over at our house like everday.. he's one of our best friends.
im sorry to say i didnt play it very cool. but they called him while sitting at the lunch table in the cafeteria to prove to me that they knew him. and we talked. and he was like "brandi.. send me a message on myspace as soon as we get off the phone and we'll keep in touch." :) keep in touch? with rob blackledge? seriously?
so yeah. pretty cool experience.
and seriously. check out all these links. they're good, i promise.
saturday afternoon i had a conversation on the phone with rob blackledge.
the worship band we brought in for walking wisely are from nashville (and are all incredibly talented.. check them out.) and on Saturday we were discussing over lunch some of the amazing musicians that call nashville home. (andy davis, dave barnes, gabe dixon, marc broussard, rob blackledge, etc.
and they're like... really? you know rob blackledge? he's over at our house like everday.. he's one of our best friends.
im sorry to say i didnt play it very cool. but they called him while sitting at the lunch table in the cafeteria to prove to me that they knew him. and we talked. and he was like "brandi.. send me a message on myspace as soon as we get off the phone and we'll keep in touch." :) keep in touch? with rob blackledge? seriously?
so yeah. pretty cool experience.
and seriously. check out all these links. they're good, i promise.
March 12, 2008
March 3, 2008
the beauty of sanctification.
in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1 Peter 1:6-7
right now, in this moment, i feel like my life could not possibly be any more stressful. on top of all the things i have going on personally right now, i also add to that the fact that my grandfather is in intensive care and my sister is about to give birth to my nephew a month early. winter is definitely the physical & spiritual season im in at the present time.
i feel like God has pulled me away from all the people that know & love me and thrown me into this mix of new people who sort of know me & like me, but havent had enough time to establish that genuine "know what im thinking before i say a thing" kind of relationship. im missing the people in dayton who knew me well enough to ask the right questions & encourage me in the ways i need to be encouraged.
so many things i could say and people and things that i miss, but dwelling on the past only gets me teary eyes & heavy hearted. and there truly are so many reasons to be joyful in this place that God has brought me to. the relationships that have been formed with students & leaders & staff, i am so thankful for. the resource & gentleness God has provided in a sweet & wise lady who is allowing me to weekly share my heart with.
and the things that God is teaching me in the past week. it seems like i spent so many weeks asking God to bring me back to the place where i am teachable. to allow me to be more sensitive to all the ways God reveals Himself. and in the past week as He answered that prayer and for the first time since leaving dayton i feel the fullness of God.
learning about how sin has no power of those of us who believe, therefore we dont "battle" sin, but instead we battle unbelief... that it is our inability to believe that God is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do that causes us to sin. learning that selfishness most often takes on the form of insecurity in my life. that the easiest way for my focus to be taken off God is for my eyes to be turned inward... its impossible to be focused on God & people when my focus is on my insecurity. believing that this process of sanctification, especially now.. when its anything but pleasant, is absolutely necessary and wholly dependent on Jesus.
may the proof of my faith, even though tested, be found to result in the glory & honor & praise of Jesus Christ.
and i love how that verse ends... "obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls." remembering that sanctification is not the result of salvation, but that salvation is the result of sanctification.
1 Peter 1:6-7
right now, in this moment, i feel like my life could not possibly be any more stressful. on top of all the things i have going on personally right now, i also add to that the fact that my grandfather is in intensive care and my sister is about to give birth to my nephew a month early. winter is definitely the physical & spiritual season im in at the present time.
i feel like God has pulled me away from all the people that know & love me and thrown me into this mix of new people who sort of know me & like me, but havent had enough time to establish that genuine "know what im thinking before i say a thing" kind of relationship. im missing the people in dayton who knew me well enough to ask the right questions & encourage me in the ways i need to be encouraged.
so many things i could say and people and things that i miss, but dwelling on the past only gets me teary eyes & heavy hearted. and there truly are so many reasons to be joyful in this place that God has brought me to. the relationships that have been formed with students & leaders & staff, i am so thankful for. the resource & gentleness God has provided in a sweet & wise lady who is allowing me to weekly share my heart with.
and the things that God is teaching me in the past week. it seems like i spent so many weeks asking God to bring me back to the place where i am teachable. to allow me to be more sensitive to all the ways God reveals Himself. and in the past week as He answered that prayer and for the first time since leaving dayton i feel the fullness of God.
learning about how sin has no power of those of us who believe, therefore we dont "battle" sin, but instead we battle unbelief... that it is our inability to believe that God is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do that causes us to sin. learning that selfishness most often takes on the form of insecurity in my life. that the easiest way for my focus to be taken off God is for my eyes to be turned inward... its impossible to be focused on God & people when my focus is on my insecurity. believing that this process of sanctification, especially now.. when its anything but pleasant, is absolutely necessary and wholly dependent on Jesus.
may the proof of my faith, even though tested, be found to result in the glory & honor & praise of Jesus Christ.
and i love how that verse ends... "obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls." remembering that sanctification is not the result of salvation, but that salvation is the result of sanctification.
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