I was reminded again this morning just how powerful stories are. New Life Church had the privilege of hearing Ron and Lynette Lewis's story. If you haven't heard their story I encourage you to look it up and be inspired. The way they give glory to God and whisper hope into the hearts of those listening infuses life into the room.
Stories have a way of connecting, touching and transforming. Stories unfold in movies that we love, stories come to life in books that we read, and stories are being built in our own lives and the lives of everyone around us. Stories. Have you ever taken the time to think about how your story can impact lives? Before you get to thinking about all the ways your story isn't exciting or worth telling, think of the ways you connect with someone else's story. Is it the way they had things all together at every moment of every day? Is it the way they never made mistakes or revealed their vulnerability? Probably not. We connect with stories of real humans living real and sometimes messy life. People who don't always have it all together and admit it. Don't you think your story has some piece of wisdom or hope for someone else to grab hold of? Your story matters, your voice matters. You will never know the impact of sharing your story with others until you do it. Your story just might connect with the heart of another and let them know their story is not over, there are still chapters to be written. You have no idea what hangs in the balance of someone who needs to hear what your story has to offer. Share your story, it's worth telling.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Eye Contact
Matthew 14:29-31 Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water."
“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
God has been using the story of Peter walking on water to teach me how to navigate difficult situations or seasons of life. The key thing that He's been pointing out about this story is the part where Peter "saw the wind". For Peter to see the wind he had to have taken his eyes off of Jesus and been overwhelmed with the obstacle he saw- and because he took his eyes off of Jesus he was afraid and began to sink. When I start to feel overwhelmed with a situation or just with life in general, I feel Jesus calling me to keep my eyes fixed on him. When I begin to sink I call out, "Lord, save me!" and Jesus reaches out his hand and catches me and says, "You of little faith, why did you doubt? Why did you take your eyes off of me?" It's a trend. Every time I take my eyes off my Jesus, I feel afraid, I doubt and I begin to sink. But all it takes for me to get back on track is to re-fix my gaze on Jesus. He is peace. He is strength. He is guidance. He is comfort. He is my future. And the best way we can avoid sinking in life is to keep our eyes fixed on His.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
God Does the Guiding
Everyone has an opinion. About almost everything. I've found this to be especially true as I've been navigating the direction my life is going and the decisions I have to make to get me going that way. "You should do [fill in the blank]" or "No, you should do [fill in the blank]." The voices of people I love and respect and even those of acquaintances and random strangers are rolling around in my mind fighting for control of the decision I should make.
I'm not saying that we should disregard what others have to say or the advice they have to give. The Bible is clear that we are to seek wisdom and correction from those that are wiser and more experienced than we are. However, when we begin to go along with what other people are saying without praying and taking into consideration what God is saying then there is a problem. Aside from missing what God has directed us to do, we are also going to end up disappointing someone in our lives because not every person we want to please has the same opinion about what we should do. In Psalm 118:8, it says, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust humans." If we base all of our decisions off of what other people say without listening to what God is telling us to do, we will end up far from where we're supposed to be with little or no peace, anxiety, confusion, frustration, etc. Things don't end well when we're so caught up with what other people think and what we can do to please them. Sometimes we have to make a decision based on what God is saying and what is best for the situation and that isn't always going to satisfy the people we love and respect and that is OK. You do you.
I'm not sharing this with you because I have it all figured out or because I've grown a whole lot in this area. I'm sharing this with you because I don't have it all figured out and I'm still learning and growing as I go. I'm sharing this because I want you to know that you aren't alone. I think we all have the desire to be accepted for who we are, what we decide to do and what we don't decide to do with our lives. We want to belong. But sometimes the things God calls us to do are not going to be widely accepted, they aren't going to be seen as the best choice. Bob Goff posted a quote the other day that said, "Tell people who they are, not what they want. We do the loving; God does the guiding." Let's allow God to do the guiding. When we are in the center of people's will for our lives there's only striving and performance; when we're in the center of God's will for our lives there's peace and rest.
I'm not saying that we should disregard what others have to say or the advice they have to give. The Bible is clear that we are to seek wisdom and correction from those that are wiser and more experienced than we are. However, when we begin to go along with what other people are saying without praying and taking into consideration what God is saying then there is a problem. Aside from missing what God has directed us to do, we are also going to end up disappointing someone in our lives because not every person we want to please has the same opinion about what we should do. In Psalm 118:8, it says, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust humans." If we base all of our decisions off of what other people say without listening to what God is telling us to do, we will end up far from where we're supposed to be with little or no peace, anxiety, confusion, frustration, etc. Things don't end well when we're so caught up with what other people think and what we can do to please them. Sometimes we have to make a decision based on what God is saying and what is best for the situation and that isn't always going to satisfy the people we love and respect and that is OK. You do you.
I'm not sharing this with you because I have it all figured out or because I've grown a whole lot in this area. I'm sharing this with you because I don't have it all figured out and I'm still learning and growing as I go. I'm sharing this because I want you to know that you aren't alone. I think we all have the desire to be accepted for who we are, what we decide to do and what we don't decide to do with our lives. We want to belong. But sometimes the things God calls us to do are not going to be widely accepted, they aren't going to be seen as the best choice. Bob Goff posted a quote the other day that said, "Tell people who they are, not what they want. We do the loving; God does the guiding." Let's allow God to do the guiding. When we are in the center of people's will for our lives there's only striving and performance; when we're in the center of God's will for our lives there's peace and rest.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
The Gift
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
January 2014, I began to pray about what one word or phrase God had for me in the year of 2014. As I prayed, the word that God spoke to me was JOY. Joy, God? What does that mean? I thought about my life as it pertained to joy and I felt like I was lacking joy, zeal for life. The next few months passed and I ended up sitting at a table in Jason's Deli (of all places) across from my dear friend sharing with her the frustration I was experiencing with the lack of joy I was feeling in my life and the unsuccessful job I was doing at "finding joy". I poured out my confusion as she quietly listened. After I was finished, she so lovingly said, "Bri, I don't think joy is something you have to find or strive for, the Holy Spirit has given it to you as a gift." Right there, it hit me. I discovered the lesson that God had in mind to teach me all along. Joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness and self-control...they are all fruits of the Spirit. They are not fruits of Brianna (substitute your name). They are not characteristics to be obtained or searched for, they are offered, given to me, living in me as I operate out of the Spirit that is living inside me. I was so freed by this revelation because it was then that I stopped striving for joy and I was able to accept the gift of the Spirit that is living in me, with me at all times. I think it is so common to feel like we need to search for and find the things that we lack, but some things can simply be found by accepting the gifts that God has offered us through His Spirit living inside of us. Have you been feeling a lack of joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control? Maybe it's time you stopped searching and accepted the gift of the Spirit living in you.
January 2014, I began to pray about what one word or phrase God had for me in the year of 2014. As I prayed, the word that God spoke to me was JOY. Joy, God? What does that mean? I thought about my life as it pertained to joy and I felt like I was lacking joy, zeal for life. The next few months passed and I ended up sitting at a table in Jason's Deli (of all places) across from my dear friend sharing with her the frustration I was experiencing with the lack of joy I was feeling in my life and the unsuccessful job I was doing at "finding joy". I poured out my confusion as she quietly listened. After I was finished, she so lovingly said, "Bri, I don't think joy is something you have to find or strive for, the Holy Spirit has given it to you as a gift." Right there, it hit me. I discovered the lesson that God had in mind to teach me all along. Joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness and self-control...they are all fruits of the Spirit. They are not fruits of Brianna (substitute your name). They are not characteristics to be obtained or searched for, they are offered, given to me, living in me as I operate out of the Spirit that is living inside me. I was so freed by this revelation because it was then that I stopped striving for joy and I was able to accept the gift of the Spirit that is living in me, with me at all times. I think it is so common to feel like we need to search for and find the things that we lack, but some things can simply be found by accepting the gifts that God has offered us through His Spirit living inside of us. Have you been feeling a lack of joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control? Maybe it's time you stopped searching and accepted the gift of the Spirit living in you.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Pressed But Not Defeated
Have you ever been in a difficult season of life and thought back to a previous difficult season of life and now that previous difficult season seems easy compared to this more recent season of difficulty? That was a lot to think about in one sentence, but read it again and think about it. The days when children think it's hard being a kid, the days when high schoolers think that the drama they're involved in just might be the end of the world, when college studies seem like they'll never end (and I can't speak much past that, because that's where I'm at). As I've been learning, growing up comes with new responsibilities, new difficulties and it can make you long for the days when your biggest problem was figuring out what to do with all your free time. However, growing up has also made me realize how precious and valuable time really is, what a gift it is. It's SO important to enjoy the seasons as they come and to see those difficulties as things that will soon pass. They are but a vapor. I want to suggest that while we may not be in a season that is particularly easy right now, it will get better. The dawn comes with the morning. We are pressed but not defeated.
There's also something to be said of the way our trials look easier in hindsight. It's a sign of growth. Our trials make us stronger, they refine us and shape us to be better versions of ourselves than we thought possible before walking through a difficult season of life. While you may not want to repeat a certain season of life, you made it through. You came out victorious on the other side and that is what matters. If you're facing a difficult season of life right now, remember those other difficult seasons and remember that you are still here, you are still fighting and you're going to make it through this one too. Don't give up, don't lose ground. Take one step at a time and keep your head up high. You are pressed but not defeated.
There's also something to be said of the way our trials look easier in hindsight. It's a sign of growth. Our trials make us stronger, they refine us and shape us to be better versions of ourselves than we thought possible before walking through a difficult season of life. While you may not want to repeat a certain season of life, you made it through. You came out victorious on the other side and that is what matters. If you're facing a difficult season of life right now, remember those other difficult seasons and remember that you are still here, you are still fighting and you're going to make it through this one too. Don't give up, don't lose ground. Take one step at a time and keep your head up high. You are pressed but not defeated.
Friday, September 19, 2014
A True Apprentice
Matthew 10:41-42 "This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing."
Legend. Chances are, you hear that word and think of a name, you think of someone whom you may admire or aspire to be. Have you ever thought of all that someone else has accomplished and felt that your accomplishments paled in comparison? It's so easy to get caught up in all that other people are accomplishing and doing that we forget about the little things we do on a day-to-day basis that make a BIG difference over time. Today we see all the accomplishments that others are achieving through social media and even as we are surrounded by those people whom seem to be the modern day Mother Theresa, and let's be honest... it can be downright discouraging. You may feel like you will never measure up, you'll never accomplish as much, you'll never make the New York Times Best Seller list, you'll never be an inspirational speaker traveling all over the country speaking to crowds of thousands, you'll never have the best selling song on the ITunes chart (Ok, I'm probably fueling your overwhelming feelings of "I'm not enough") BUT let me encourage you with this: YOU ARE ENOUGH. YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE (even if in the little things) and YOU ARE USABLE. God is in the business of lifting us up out of our brokenness into the glorious work of drawing others into His family. Just like it says in the scripture above, "The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice." Every little thing you do matters, it counts. Don't be overwhelmed, don't be discouraged- moms at home with your kids, students in school, business men and women in the workplace, grandparents in retirement...you all are making a difference. Let us run the race set before us and stop comparing what others' accomplishments look like next to ours. "The smallest act of giving or receiving makes YOU a true apprentice." YOU. ARE. USABLE.
Legend. Chances are, you hear that word and think of a name, you think of someone whom you may admire or aspire to be. Have you ever thought of all that someone else has accomplished and felt that your accomplishments paled in comparison? It's so easy to get caught up in all that other people are accomplishing and doing that we forget about the little things we do on a day-to-day basis that make a BIG difference over time. Today we see all the accomplishments that others are achieving through social media and even as we are surrounded by those people whom seem to be the modern day Mother Theresa, and let's be honest... it can be downright discouraging. You may feel like you will never measure up, you'll never accomplish as much, you'll never make the New York Times Best Seller list, you'll never be an inspirational speaker traveling all over the country speaking to crowds of thousands, you'll never have the best selling song on the ITunes chart (Ok, I'm probably fueling your overwhelming feelings of "I'm not enough") BUT let me encourage you with this: YOU ARE ENOUGH. YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE (even if in the little things) and YOU ARE USABLE. God is in the business of lifting us up out of our brokenness into the glorious work of drawing others into His family. Just like it says in the scripture above, "The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice." Every little thing you do matters, it counts. Don't be overwhelmed, don't be discouraged- moms at home with your kids, students in school, business men and women in the workplace, grandparents in retirement...you all are making a difference. Let us run the race set before us and stop comparing what others' accomplishments look like next to ours. "The smallest act of giving or receiving makes YOU a true apprentice." YOU. ARE. USABLE.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)
"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith would be made stronger in the presence of my savior."
-Oceans by Hilsong
You are probably familiar with the song Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hilsong as I've written some of the lyrics above. Recently, those lyrics came alive for me. In a series of events that started with a mission trip to Guatemala (that I honestly didn't initially want to go on) and ending with an unexpected twist in my plans for next year, I discovered so much meaning in the lyrics of that song. "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me." That first line played in my head and even came out of my mouth as I sang it in my room in Guatemala realizing that I had, despite my resistance, took a step of faith and gone anyway. In that realization, I discovered so much spiritual reward that week as I served the Guatemalan people and received so much in return.
However, the second line, "Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith would be made stronger in the presence of my savior" came alive to me after I retuned. Taking a shower, reflecting on the twist in my plans that I mentioned earlier, I heard God calling my name. "Brianna," He said, "Don't sing that song to me if you don't really want to trust me without borders and allow me to take you deeper than your feet could wander and your faith be made stronger." I was stunned. That simple statement brought to mind the many times I had been singing that song over the last few days without really wanting those lyrics to take root and action in my life.
God, you can take me deep but not where I can't see my feet beneath the water.
God, you can have my trust but I need some borders, some boundaries to be safe.
God, call me out to the great unknown but not Guatemala. Not anywhere I don't want to go. Not a place I don't know, with people I don't know.
God, allow me to grow but within my comfort zone. Where I'm safe and sound and I know everyone and everything.
It felt as if God had taken both my shoulders in his hands and shook me. "Wake up daughter!!" "Can't you see that I'VE got this? You can no longer hold onto control. You have no idea the plans and paths I have for you to take, but I do! If you are ready to follow through with what this song requires of you to do, then let go. Trust me completely. Walk on the water and let me hold you up."
I struggle with trusting that God has a plan, that he knows what's coming next and he will let me know what that plan is when the time is right. In my head I know it, but my heart wants to shout out the fact that time is running out for me to catch the train to my next destination or track in life. I'm a planner and I want to know well in advance what I am to do, go and be. But God has been teaching me especially over the last three years as I made the transition from Great Falls to Colorado Springs, that He is in control. He hasn't left me to figure things out on my own and he's not going to. I'm learning very slowly that it's OK not to have everything figured out in life, that it's OK to trust completely that God has it all under control and He's not going to let me down, that in life it's about taking one step at a time and allowing God to reveal the next one as he sees fit. There's so much more peace and joy in that assurance. I can't say I'll never stumble in this area again, but I can say that each lesson I learn, I grow more every day. I am thankful for that opportunity as well as the chance to share it with you.
Let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith would be made stronger in the presence of my savior."
-Oceans by Hilsong
You are probably familiar with the song Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hilsong as I've written some of the lyrics above. Recently, those lyrics came alive for me. In a series of events that started with a mission trip to Guatemala (that I honestly didn't initially want to go on) and ending with an unexpected twist in my plans for next year, I discovered so much meaning in the lyrics of that song. "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me." That first line played in my head and even came out of my mouth as I sang it in my room in Guatemala realizing that I had, despite my resistance, took a step of faith and gone anyway. In that realization, I discovered so much spiritual reward that week as I served the Guatemalan people and received so much in return.
However, the second line, "Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith would be made stronger in the presence of my savior" came alive to me after I retuned. Taking a shower, reflecting on the twist in my plans that I mentioned earlier, I heard God calling my name. "Brianna," He said, "Don't sing that song to me if you don't really want to trust me without borders and allow me to take you deeper than your feet could wander and your faith be made stronger." I was stunned. That simple statement brought to mind the many times I had been singing that song over the last few days without really wanting those lyrics to take root and action in my life.
God, you can take me deep but not where I can't see my feet beneath the water.
God, you can have my trust but I need some borders, some boundaries to be safe.
God, call me out to the great unknown but not Guatemala. Not anywhere I don't want to go. Not a place I don't know, with people I don't know.
God, allow me to grow but within my comfort zone. Where I'm safe and sound and I know everyone and everything.
It felt as if God had taken both my shoulders in his hands and shook me. "Wake up daughter!!" "Can't you see that I'VE got this? You can no longer hold onto control. You have no idea the plans and paths I have for you to take, but I do! If you are ready to follow through with what this song requires of you to do, then let go. Trust me completely. Walk on the water and let me hold you up."
I struggle with trusting that God has a plan, that he knows what's coming next and he will let me know what that plan is when the time is right. In my head I know it, but my heart wants to shout out the fact that time is running out for me to catch the train to my next destination or track in life. I'm a planner and I want to know well in advance what I am to do, go and be. But God has been teaching me especially over the last three years as I made the transition from Great Falls to Colorado Springs, that He is in control. He hasn't left me to figure things out on my own and he's not going to. I'm learning very slowly that it's OK not to have everything figured out in life, that it's OK to trust completely that God has it all under control and He's not going to let me down, that in life it's about taking one step at a time and allowing God to reveal the next one as he sees fit. There's so much more peace and joy in that assurance. I can't say I'll never stumble in this area again, but I can say that each lesson I learn, I grow more every day. I am thankful for that opportunity as well as the chance to share it with you.
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