Grow Through Study

 ***I went looking for this talk that I shared in 2017, but couldn't find it so here I am years later, making sure I have a digital footprint of it. I went digging because today I finally watched "I Still Believe" about Jeremey Camp and his first wife, Melissa. Right before my talk that is listed below, I had Jeremy Camp's song "Living Word" play for all to hear. As you listen to the song, keep in mind that when I had it played, it was around 8 or 9 something in the morning, and no other talks the previous day included music....especially not this upbeat tempo. 

****A template for several points was provided so the format and flow is not my own. Some of the steps and excuses were generally provided and I added my own spin on things. 

When I was in 3rd or 4th grade ~maybe a little older~ I heard about a special Bible. A Bible given to my mom when she was a young teen~ a Bible that she was missing and hadn't seen since her marriage to my dad. It was white, with a zipper that went around it to close it up, and the zipper pull was a cross. It sounded amazing to my young ears. 

That summer while visiting my dad in Virginia, I went digging around...I just knew it had to be there. I would steal moments to dig while he was working on a car at the station. I would sneak into the closet in the main store building, sift through stuff, searching for that missing Bible. Finally I struck gold...or rather a black, grimy, filthy Bible with a zipper that closed it. A Bible that was once a bright white. A Bible where the dedication page proudly displayed my mother's name. That summer, I got my mom's Bible back to her. 

That's probably when I first fell in love with the Bible and longed for one of my own. I just knew it held all the answers. I just knew I had to have one just like hers. But I never found one. 

Fast forward a few years. I finally had a white Bible to call my own and I proudly carried it to church whenever I got to go. It was a New King James Version with Christ's words in red. The only kind I thought you were supposed to read. Trust me when I say I read from a variety of translations today. But that white Bible was mine and the closest I could get to one like my mom's. It still holds my highlights, my specials notes from friends, and even some old church bulletins. But as much as I loved that Bible and would read it from time to time; I never really studied the Bible. 

Fast forward some more. I started trying really hard to read through the Bible while in my 20s. I tried so hard to focus on reading the Bible in its entirety. I knew if I could just read through the Bible, I would finally have the answers. I tried it all...checklists, devotions, women's study Bibles, front cover to back cover. One chapter a day, multiple chapters a day. Nothing ever seemed to work. Then one year for Lent instead of giving up something superficially, I decided to add something. I put forth more effort than I ever did before and I started my one year journey of reading through the Bible. Every morning while I ate my cereal I would read the Bible using my daily reading plan on the Bible app I was using. And I read....every.....single.....morning. One year later I could finally say....I read the whole Bible!

But I quickly learned that for me just reading through the Bible to check it off my list wasn't the "answer" I was seeking. Of course at the time, I don't even think I knew what the question was. 

It took me several more years to realize that it wasn't about reading through the Bible...it's about growing, transforming...and one way to grow is through study. 

Now some of you may be groaning and thinking, "I don't want to study"  or "I was never any good at studying while I was in school" or you may be thinking, "YES! Finally something I can do well. I aced all my tests because I knew how to study." But I ask you right now to put aside your already formed thoughts about study. I ask you to open up your mind, open yourself up right now to let the Holy Spirit work within you. 

Let's take a look at what it is to study. Study can be one of the most energizing, liberating, and deepening of human activities. Study can be an adventure. It can be a doorway to discovery. Study can help us move beyond narrow, superficial understandings and help us begin to see more deeply into reality. 

I realize some of us probably thought study was simply memorizing just enough information to pass a test or that it's something only a select few can do really well. But the type of studying we are going to learn about is different. It's more than getting information. 

The studying we are learning about today is the kind that transforms every aspect of our lives. Study helps us grow. And the aim of study for a Christian is growth in spiritual wisdom and the mind of Christ. 

I'm going to say that again...The aim of study for a Christian is growth in spiritual wisdom and the mind of Christ. 

In Romans 12:2, the apostle Paul we are transformed through the renewal of our minds. And then in Philippians 4:8, we learn that we renew our minds by applying them to those things that are most worthy. And in John 8:32, Jesus himself tells us that the knowledge of truth will set us free. 

 

The knowledge of truth will set us free. Isn't that amazing and comforting! Shouldn't that be enough to make us all want to dive into study right now?

But this transformation, renewal of mind, and freedom are all things we can't get, we can't do, if we approach study the way we typically think of studying. Sure you will see some similarities, but this type of study goes deeper. You see the aim for Christian study is to go beyond the human desire for information and knowledge...hence why my just reading through the Bible didn't leave me changed or with the answers I was seeking. It was a decent start, but it was simply seeking knowledge...what does the Bible say (on the surface). The aim of study for a Christian is to seek the deeper transformation of our hearts and lives...spiritual wisdom and the mind of Christ. 

So how are we going to do this? How are we going to get there?

As an instructional coach, I spend much of my time working with teachers; helping them learn how to differentiate instruction to meet the wide variety of learning needs within a classroom. In turn, I do the same for the teachers I work with. They all have different learning needs, just like the students in their classrooms.

Each one of us in this room today has different needs. We are all at different places in our journey, on our path that God designed for us. So we are each going to need a unique plan for study. One that works for us to enable us to grow toward Christian maturity. 

This talk aims to help us learn how to give God our minds. 

What is Christian Study?

1. Study is a constant part of our life
• Children are busy studying the world around them, figuring out how things work. We pick up newspapers or watch the news to study what's going on in the world. We study a new skill we are trying to learn. We study how to get better at something. We study for our job....so we can get better at it. 
• But how much time do we spend studying our Christian priority? Are we maturing...growing...in our understanding of Christian faith and life?
2. Study is spiritual discipline that involves seeking understanding for one's faith; exchanging old thought patterns for new, life giving thought patterns. 
3. Growth through study involves our being informed of the truth and being formed in the truth. Let me say that one more time... Growth through study involves being informed of the truth and being formed in the truth. 
4. Finally, Christians must study so that we are equipped to share a Christ centered outlook and realistic faith with a complex world. We must study so we are equipped to share. Think about it this way...what if I told you, that you had to come up here next and teach all of us how to play the violin? Or you had to come up here and teach us about biometrics and why we should care about it? Now unless one of you knows how to play the violin or one of you studies biometrics, you are probably thinking I'm crazy and there's no way you could do that. You're probably thinking you would need to do a lot of STUDYING first and even then you aren't sure you would be able to do it. The same holds true about sharing Christ with others and not just share Christ, but share a Christ centered outlook. Big difference there. It's going to be very difficult to do this, if you don't spend time and GROW through STUDY.

So What Should We Study?

Here are 8 areas to spend time in study: The good news, scripture, yourself, others, spiritual classics, the church, history, and the world. 

1. The good news...Know the Good News. God freely gives grace to everyone in Christ Jesus. Seek and ever deepening understanding of this mystery and LEARN to SHARE your faith in a way that is authentic and true.
2. Scripture...Study scripture to know the heart and will of God. The central purpose of scripture study is not religious information or doctrinal purity for its own sake. The central purpose is for inner transformation. (See 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
3. Yourself...Know yourself. Sounds odd? It's not really. God made each and every one of us uniquely and for a purpose. You need to know that you are a child of God and He equipped you with special gifts for the purpose of sharing His grace in your particular situation. Seek to know your gifts, your purpose, your motives, your needs, your weaknesses. I tell you, this is an area that I'm only just now starting to really understand and be confident in...and it's only through study and faith in God that this transformation is occurring. 
4. Others... Get to know others. Listen to them. Hear their stories. Ask God to help you see them as He sees them. Seek to know their needs and how the Christian message can reconcile and make their lives new. 
5. Spiritual Classics...Study the lives and wisdom of saints, the writings of masters of the spiritual life, and the experiences of great people whose lives exemplify true humanity. 
6. The Church...study its history, its role in society and the ever recurring challenges and controversies. Study your own denomination. Now that's a "fun" one for me. I grew up back and forth between Baptist and Methodist churches. My mom grew up Baptist, my pop grew up Methodist, and my grandfather on my dad's side was a Freewill Baptist Preacher and I LOVED going to church with him when I visited them in Virginia. I've had to do some studying just to understand what goes on in my own church...and I've still got a lot to figure out. Especially now that I work so closely with our youth. Become an informed member. 
7. History...Studying history helps to give us perspective, helps us to be humble, helps us to see God's activity over time, and helps us avoid making the same mistakes over and over. 
8. World...Study current events, human issues, and the state of humanity today. God loved the world so much that His Son died for it, for us. So we must love and seek to understand our world because God calls us to ministry in the midst of it. 

But as we are studying, we must keep it in perspective. Though it's a means to holiness, it is NOT holiness itself. The reason for study is growth and maturing in faith...NOT acquiring knowledge for its merit. 

Now if you are anything like me, I'm thinking you've probably come up with some excuses on why you can't do this or why it's going to be too hard for you to do. But we must trudge forth past those excuses. 

Excuses:

1. "I don't have time..." There's a quote that pops up on my Facebook page from time to time reminding me that we make time for what's important to us. I promise I struggle with time too. I have 3 kids, 2 of them with medical issues. I have a full time job and a part time job. Depending on the "season" of life at the moment, I can go days with barely anytime at home...eat, sleep, rush back out the door. So I get it. Life can pull us all in a million different directions, everything and everyone vying for our time. It's up to you to decide what is worth your time and what you are going to prioritize doing. 
2. "I don't know what to study..." It's okay, I used to think there was only the Bible and attending church. But there's more than just the Bible!   Seriously, remember how we just learned you need to study yourself? Think about what you are most interested in, or about an area of life you want to work on. And then talk to your pastor, other church leaders,  a person at church whose opinion and insight you value, share what you want to find and seek their advice. Check out your local Christian bookstore. Turn to technology....do some Google searches. Find a Facebook group. Simply put the question out there on social media and see what your friends, family, followers have to say. I've gotten some great recommendations that way.
3. "I don't like to read books..." Okay, this one is hard for me to swallow, I'm at a teacher at heart, but I understand. And sometimes it's not so much reading a book that's the problem, it's that you don't have much time to read a book. There are alternatives...join a small group study, read articles, follow some of the authors who write books on social media or find out if they write a blog regularly, watch videos....there's YouTube...and there's also God Tube. Find something you can listen to as you drive to work. There are plenty of options these days. Find what will work for you.
4. "I don't understand parts of the Bible..." Guess what! Neither do I! It's okay! There are resources out there to help with that too, from books that help you study to online tutorials. There are commentaries and study Bibles. One thing I've found I love to do especially for a verse or section I am having trouble understanding, I go and read 2 or 3 more translations of the same scripture. Notice the words that are the same and those that change. Sometimes it's a simple change of one or two words...or the slight change in sentence structure and suddenly the passage makes much more sense. 
5. "Theology confuses me..." Don't worry about that at first. Theology is nothing more than the study of God. 

So now that we've talked past all those excuses and we know what we need to do to Grow Through Study, let's figure out how to develop a personal study plan. 

Personal Study Plan

1. Decide to make it a priority.
2. Carve out time for study.
• Do what works for you. If you are not a morning person, don't force it. Do it at a time that works for you.
3. Find the right place. 
• Find a place that is comfortable, quiet, with minimal distractions. Have your supplies there or in a container that can easily be brought to your study space. 
4. Choose a balanced diet of study materials...Bible, books, devotions, etc.
5. Keep a reading journal...write down quotes, summarize, write your questions, sketch....
6. Find a way to SHARE...we learn the most when we share with others. 

For me, I've done it many ways. Especially when I was trying to figure out how to get the Bible read from cover to cover. Finding quiet, alone time is hard with an 11 year old, a 9 year old, and a 5 year old all wanting your attention. Not to mention my husband, the dogs, and of course work. I've tried reading while I eat breakfast (and usually no one else is up) and because I just couldn't stay awake long enough to read at night. After a lot of trial and error over the years, I think over the past 1-2 years I've finally figured out a routine that works for me...most of the time. Now I have a combination of morning, day, and evening study. 

Mornings are my time for prayer and sharing a Christian song with others on Facebook. If I'm in the middle of a book, I'll read, highlight, and jot down notes while I dry my hair. 

In the evenings, I write in my prayer journal, read a quick devotion, and then read a short piece in the Bible. A few years ago I started Bible journaling and when I started doing that I started focusing on just a verse or a short selection of verses at a time. This allowed me to go deeper with my understanding because I was spending time rereading, thinking about the text, journaling, and drawing. This is when I finally started to change....to transform...in a way that I have trouble describing. The Bible came to life, my relationship with God grew closer. So now after I read in my Bible, I try to journal, sometimes through highlighting and underlining, other times through writing in my journal or in my Bible, and sometimes through drawing. And then I share with others via social media...my personal Facebook pages as well as through a group I manage called Scripture Sketchers. Sometimes I share by leading small groups at my church and nearby churches on how to Bible Journal...and that it's not just coloring. It's growing in faith, growing in God. 

So those answers to that unknown questions that I didn't find after reading through the whole Bible, I'm finding now. Sometimes it's in a quick 5 minute read and write...other times it's losing myself for an hour or more as I study the word and respond. 

My advice...find what works for you. My mom, she reads and studies in her car on her lunch hour. That's what works for her. 

So here's your challenge...and my challenge too!

Grow Through Study

1. If we are to grow and be effective, we can't stop studying. 
2. Also, we cannot be mature Christians in our thoughts and actions if we stopped our Christian study with a confirmation class or a Sunday School youth class.
3. Remember life brings change. But we must not let the world determine how we will change. 
4. We must be intentional if we are to grow with grace in the image of God and the mind of Christ. 

There's Hope...part 2

Overcome with sleep, she nodded off while waiting in the car for dance practice to end. 

Okay, I really set up the jacket between the driver's side window and the visor so the sun would be blocked, kicked off my shoes, reclined the seat back and purposely closed my eyes...

What I thought was only a few minutes of sleep actually ended up being closer to an hour. Ooops.....

The past couple of weeks, I've been hit with sudden tiredness and a strong desire to take a nap. Nothing regular to it, no rhyme or reason. It's the tired I remember feeling at the end of a school year filled with teaching and participating in my own classes.  Since March 2020, life has been "on" and there has been no off switch. No down time....not even when forced to stay at home. Hello...INTROVERT HERE! I need to be alone to recharge. 

I knew a couple of months into the pandemic that this introvert's batteries were going to deplete and I know that's part of what's happening right now. The batteries are almost dead. Or are they?

You see there's something else behind the tiredness. The desire to take a nap while waiting on my dancer. When I shared in part 1 of "There's Hope" that there would be a part 2 that would include my story, I didn't realize God would use the very next day (today) to give me the start to part 2, but it makes sense. "Here you go Brandi, you need to talk about being tired. You need to talk about rest."

You see with Mark going to church now and setting the expectation for the children to attend, there's been a shift in how we worship. That's really what I thought this would be about....stepping back, letting my husband take the lead. It's no longer me "forcing" the kids to go someplace when "dad gets to stay home." It's no longer me "carrying the load" of leading my family while desperately praying for my husband. It's no longer me holding onto frustrations of 'doing it alone'. 

This tiredness, is from trying to do it all. Trying to do more than I should have. God carried me through it all and He's reminding me to stay in prayer. God's letting me know that the shift that's taking place right now was no small feat. He carried me, He equipped me, but now He's saying to ease up, let go, let Mark take on some of the load. He's reminding me to TRUST HIM! to keep my eyes on HIM! to REST in HIM. 

I share all this with you because none of this is what I expected. When I felt the weight lift from my shoulders several weeks ago, I was overcome with peace and relief. Years of faithful prayer being answered!

And if you are anything like me, you want to be in control. You want to make the decisions....just not the decision about "what's for dinner?" You spend so much time being "in charge" of certain things, that when things suddenly change, you don't know what to do. 

Thankfully God knows me so well, He knows how I operate and so He's quick to provide me with just what I need. I was so busy focused on Him and working things out for myself and what I needed to walk away from, that I almost didn't notice the shift in dynamics for our family unit. I kinda was not even home to be part of Mark getting everyone ready for church because I was working at one church then rushing to the next church so I could be with my family. 

Then it hit me one day, "My husband is leading the family to worship together." And the weight lifted even more.  

Is it perfect?.....Absolutely NOT! But that's not what it's about. 

When I shared in part 1 that a change would happen, I meant it. God knew how to ease me into the change so I wouldn't take control. I trust He will do the same for you. I know He has me sharing with you now because of all that I didn't expect. So when your help arrives or steps up to lead, let him. Be willing to step back just enough. Trust God and take advantage of resting in Him. Keep your eyes focused on Him.  And then listen, because God is going to whisper your name. 

Y'all I don't know where all this is going to lead. What I do know is God has been here every step of the way....even when I get in the way. He has a purpose and a plan for each of us. We may not see it or understand it, but we need to step out in faith. We need to trust and obey. I can't help but be excited for all God has planned. 

There's Hope...part 1

Not a really creative title, I know. But God has been onto me all year about getting back to writing. I preach and preach about needing to share our story. I question if you are using the gifts God gave you. Yet, here I sit once again having to admit that I don't always use what God has given me. 

So here I am....a little rusty, but with something that He says I must share and that I need to stop waiting until the "right" moment. 

You see those journals in the picture? Those are the physical evidence from 2017 where I wrote prayers and praises almost daily from March 11 to December 30, 2017. Prayers and praises to God for my husband. 

I had prayed daily for him for years, but in February 2017 something changed and for some reason the next month I decided to write those prayers down. 

Through this prayer time I grew and changed as a prayer warrior. My prayer language changed. They weren't the most eloquent prayers....and guess what, they didn't have to be. Sometimes they were short, sometimes long and detailed. I tried to read through some of them just now, but can't without a ton of tears. 

I stopped writing the prayers down at the end of 2017...not sure why, I just did. I'm sure something else took it's place, but I never stopped praying. Praying for Mark, but also praying for me. Praying for God to keep working on me so I could be the wife He created me to be for Mark. 

I share all this tonight because many of those prayers included the words "patient" or rather impatient. I was impatient. I wanted God to reach Mark right then and there. I wanted my husband at church with me and the kids right then and there. I was impatient!

I was blessed...am blessed...that I have many around me that shared their testimony and through that I remained hopeful. God would open my eyes to the possibilities and reminders to be still and quit trying to rush things as I would hear the testimonies of others. Testimonies of not coming to Christ until mid-life and sometimes later. But oh, I could get so frustrated and jealous sometimes. Frustrated because I wanted things happening on my time. Jealous because others around me had what appeared to be the very thing I wanted.

Now here I am, 4 years after the journal entries, and even more years than that in prayer for my husband. I share with you tonight because for almost 4 months now, my husband has attended church regularly. Not only that, he gets the kids there too. There's no "oh, well they can just stay home" or anything like that. And it's not just a "let's go get this hour over with then rush out the door." Instead it's "let's sit around, fellowship, break bread, and more." Yes, I know 4 months is a short time in the grand scheme of things, but PRAISE GOD! HALLELUJAH! 4 Months! 

I share tonight, because others shared with me and gave me hope. Now it's my turn. Ladies, if you've been in prayer for your husband, keep it up! Trust God. Write your prayers out, what language are you using? What if you changed your language to turn inward and focus on a transformation within yourself instead of something that sounds like "God, please fix him"?

Gentlemen, if you've been in prayer for your wife, keep it up! Trust God. Note your language just like I shared with the ladies. 

I can't help you know the when, but I can promise that all things are possible in Christ. 

God's not done with me. He's not done with my family. He's not done with you. He's not done with your family. 

My husband's testimony is in the making. It will not be mine to share. It will be his. 

Part 2 will pick up with me. You see when there's a shift in how your family worships, there's going to be some changes. Are you ready? 

 

Operating on Data Mathela: Who Says Kids Get to Have All the Fun?

I have been a P.I.R.A.T.E most of my teaching career and just didn't know it until reading Teach Like a PIRATE many years ago. Over the years I have had many ups and downs with how much of my "PIRATE" approach shows up.  I have allowed others to silence me, I have not done the out of the box things I have wanted at times, and there are times I have stepped really far outside of the box. 

The past 2 years have been a great adventure and struggle at the same time. I've been blessed to go to Ron Clark Academy and see so many engaging ways to work with students in a way that they reach high levels of learning. The problem....I don't have my own classroom to go back and implement these great strategies in. I am an instructional facilitator so much of my time is spent working with adults. I knew that in order for me to be fulfilled in this profession and not be burned out, I had to find my PIRATE self again. I had to figure out how to try out some fun, engaging ideas with the adults I work with. 


 Now that all that boring background stuff is out of the way, let's talk about Operating on Data Mathela. The idea was inspired by Kim Bearden at RCA who has sometimes set up an operating room in her class for students to work on words, grammar, and more. After a meeting last week to discuss district benchmark data and an upcoming meeting centered on that data, I knew that I could not avoid discussing our local level data with our teachers. I won't lie. I did NOT....let me say that again...I did NOT want to have this data discussion with my teachers. Aaaannnnndddd based on comments from them, I was doubting they wanted to really have the discussion either. Hey, I'm just trying to be honest and real here. 

Then around 3 or 4 in the morning on a FRIDAY, the idea sprang to life. I knew what had to be done. We were going to operate.

You see I knew that I needed a way to engage myself in the process and therefore engage the teachers in it as well. Every had those moments in the classroom? In a staff room?What better way than to have them scrub in for surgery! Friday morning I scoured our science kits and pulled together most of the materials I needed to create our operating room. Then I set to work printing the needed data for the teachers. Between classroom visits and teacher meetings, I worked on turning the data room into an operating room. I didn't quite have everything I needed so I did pull a few medical supplies from home and made a quick $10 trip to the local dollar store.

An operating room was now ready for patients and surgical teams:

On operation day teacher teams had to scrub in before entering the operating room:

They listened to a quick briefing on our patient, Data Mathela, then proceeded into the OR.

Once in the operating room, teachers had to extract all the foreign objects that seemed out of place (the wadded up pieces of paper with grade level item analysis data on them); everything else could stay. Afterall, everything else was the learning that "stuck" with Data Mathela.

Once all the foreign objects/specimens were collected we made our way to the analysis room to determine a treatment plan for Data Mathela moving forward. 












We removed items from the collection trays, unwrinkled them, and studied the data. Teachers shared what they noticed overall and we referred to the benchmark assessment questions for further discussion. After discussing overall grade level results, teachers received their individual lab reports (their class data). Teachers then used this data to determine a "treatment plan" for their patient (class). 

My biggest goal for the day was for teachers to spend time actually analyzing the data and not focus on comments about the benchmark assessment. Based on discussion, I feel this goal was met. 

My other goal was for teachers to have discussion on ways to incorporate days like today's operating room for their students. Most teachers had numerous ideas on what they could do and the pleasant surprise for me were the confessions from teachers who said things like, "I have really been wanting to try _____" and "I've seen ideas where teachers turn their classrooms into _____". I am encouraged and excited to see what our teachers actual try out in their classes to increase engagement and get our students wanting to come back for more.

As with many things I am a little hard on myself so I did not walk away feeling as energized and excited as I expected. I saw so many ways I could have done things better. Next time I know I will stand  and stay in "character" as the clinical professor. I know that when I sit among the group, my interaction level and energy levels drops off in a drastic way. Next time, I would definitely try to transform the room vs. limiting myself to a tiny space within the so that the atmosphere is throughout the workspace.



In the end, I must say that I would do this again in a heartbeat. I've learned a few things from this first attempt and I look forward to the next one. 


What have you done to transform your classroom? Your meeting space with teachers? Your PLC? What have you turned these spaces into? How did it work out? 

Footprints and Relationships

 Many of us are familiar with the poem, "Footprints in the Sand." Within the poem a man is walking along and starts to question God about the time when suddenly there were only one set of footprints. Thinking that God had left him all alone. But God replies, "When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

This is one of my favorite poems and reminders that even in our deepest, darkest times; God is right there. If you have read any of my early blogs you know that I often refer to the song, "By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North. Very similar concept throughout the song and especially the chorus:

'Cause I'll be by your side wherever you fall

In the dead of night whenever you call

And please don't fight these hands that are holding you

My hands are holding you

I continue to cling to these words, these reminders. 

But today I have a new story for you. A new reminder....okay, maybe the reminder itself isn't so new. 

As I was walking/running the beach Monday morning, listening to Casting Crowns and a few other Christian artists, I kept up a constant conversation with God. Sometimes with me talking, others times in silence as I listened patiently or listened to God speaking. After reaching my half way point, I began running back in the direction from which I came from. There were more footprints by this point, a few more walkers and runners, some fishermen and women. 

After about 1/4 mile, I started noticing my original footprints. That gave me some comfort...you know a trail I had left knowing that I was returning the same way and I would find my entry point onto the beach. Of course I was fairly certain I came in at entry point 29. 

Going a little further, I started noticing footprints next to my tennis shoes prints...only the footprints were headed the opposite direction. I didn't think too much of it other than a passing moment of remembering the "Footprints in the Sand" poem. I thought briefly of taking a photo, but didn't want to turn off  the music or slow my pace. So I kept going. 

It wasn't long before I heard God whisper, "Brandi, you have to stop and take that picture...there's a lesson here. A story you need to share." 

So in true Brandi fashion I replied, "I'll think about it." So I started looking for that pattern again...only I didn't find it. So I was like, great, now I have to backtrack. I just want to get back to the house and change. I'm hot and sweaty and I've already been out for longer than I planned. 

So God shared with me the lesson and told me I could recreate and just explain. No need to turn back. So I did...(only I made my tennis shoe print go in the same direction as the footprint).

My friends, you see, God is there to carry us and help us through the hard times, but He desires so much more from us. He desires a relationship. Not some casual passing by relationship, but a deep meaningful relationship. We so often read the "Footprints in the Sand" poem and only focus on the frustration of the writer at seeing only one set of footprints and then the reminder from God that He was carrying the writer through the hard times. We tend to overlook the most important part....the time when there were TWO sets of footprints: the man's and God's. 

But wait there's more. You see there aren't two sets of footprints in my photo. You see, God wants to be such a part of our lives, in such a deep relationship with us, that He is part of us. Not just beside us, before us, in front of us....He wants us to be abide in Him and He in us. 

Let us pray...God, I pray that for each and everyone of us that we take the time to realize and work on our relationship with you. I pray for each of our hearts to be turned to you. For each of us to dwell in your word and to go where you are leading us. I pray for us to walk so closely with you that instead of two sets of footprints, we see a mingled combination of both our footprints. Merging so closely together that we can hardly distinguish one from the other. Reminding us the whole time that on our own there is impossible, but with You...all things are possible. In your Son's holy and precious name, Amen

Scripture to turn to:

I encourage you to not just read the verses, but to look them up, read what comes before and after. Get the full context. DWELL in His word. 

John 15:4-9

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Colossians 2:6

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

1 John 2:28Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
1 John 2:6the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Lessons from the Dishes

The dishwasher has been broken for 2 months now. That means for 2 months, I have had the joy and privilege of washes dishes by hand...and that broken dishwasher is serving a new purpose...drying rack.

Joy and privilege! Yes, a chore that must be done and is supposedly so much more conveniently done via a machine...washing dishes can be joyful and a privilege.

For the past few weeks as I stood there at the sink I realized I have time to think. Okay, so many of you may think "oh boy. As if she didn't already think too much, now she's rejoicing over even more time," but hear me out.

When using the dishwasher, I was always in a rush, rinse them, load them, add detergent, turn the machine on....wait, wait, wait, and wait some more. Clean dishes. But having to wash them by hand, I realize I have time to "think". Even more time than say...hiding in the bathroom. Cause let me tell you, the kids find you in the bathroom, the husband finds you in the bathroom, but the kitchen while you are washing the dishes? Well, let's just say for the most part everyone disappears. Now don't get me wrong, I love my family, but sometimes I just need a moment to process the day and that's where the dishes come in.

Tonight, as I stood there, I started thinking about school stuff, but then I started thinking about God, my Bible studies, and it just all started coming together. You see Jesus washed me clean a long time ago. He died for a sinner like me. A sinner like you. He took on the dirt and grime of our sinful life so we can be made clean. But just like I'm reading in my study about righteousness, there is the right there immediate kind of righteousness that is found when we accept Jesus as our Savior. This is imputed righteousness. This is something we can only have through Him and it's immediate.

But you see it doesn't stop there. Just because we accept Christ doesn't mean we can just go out and live as freely as we want to. You now comes work and transformation.

As I went to set a dish on the rack I realized I had missed a spot. I missed it because the lighting at the sink isn't the greatest and so I had to wash it again. There are many times this happens in our Christian life as well. We were washed clean; however, that isn't the end. We keep living and we keep having to make the choice daily to follow God. Sometimes that gets tough. Sometimes we slip, we fall, we make decisions that cause us to get dirty. And sometimes we allow that dirt to prevent us from believing that God still loves us, still gives us grace. You see, this is where practical righteousness comes into play. It's the day to day, moment by moment actions and decisions we make. We have to choose to fight the darkness with light, we have to choose to put on the armor and stand at the ready for when the dirt tries to enter in.

So like that dish where I missed a spot because it was too dark to see it, my life and yours can easily get turned upside down if we spend time in darkness. And at first it may be a little spot, but if it remains in the dark, it has room to grow and build over time. The only way to fight it is with the truth, with the light, with the cleaning that only God provides. So I encourage you to be in the word and to be in constant prayer, constant conversation with God, walking with Him daily. And remember: Just like I didn't toss the dish just because I had missed a spot, God won't toss us aside either. Take it to Him...no matter what the 'dirt' is, repent, give it up, and DON'T try to take it back.

The Heart of Christianity

On May 15 I was asked if I would be willing to do part of the sermon on July 1 for laity Sunday. This is where lay people lead church services. I agreed. Through some communication over the next month, I learned of the scripture, what my focus needed to be on, and I started praying for God to give me the words and for the Holy Spirit to intervene. 

Well, we all know how God works...a little over 24 hours before I was to deliver my part I was asked how I felt about delivering the entire sermon....and that's just what I did.
So for all those wondering what on earth my Facebook post was about with thanking people for their kind and encouraging words...it was for what they said after the sermon. For those who were told they missed out, here's the typed sermon.
Audio link: The Heart of Christianity

And just like the talks I've given over the past couple of years...when I was told the topic, I was thinking...what? I'll have like 2 sentences if I do this on my own. Trust me when I say, take it all to God and then SHUT UP and LISTEN to what He says to you. 
...........

The Heart of Christianity
Sermon 7-1-18

This week we celebrate the freedom of our country. But today I want us all to think about the greatest freedom of all~the freedom we received because Jesus died on the cross for it. It’s the freedom to be washed clean, made new, and FORGIVEN. The freedom that’s found in God’s Circle of Blessing.

A circle. It has no beginning and no end. For many a circle represents eternity, wholeness, inclusiveness, and yes, even boundaries...ever draw a circle around someone and tell them not to leave their space? How well did that work?

Just like Mr. Busby shared in the children’s sermon, we are going to keep in mind God’s Circle of Blessing. We are going to focus on the importance of staying inside that circle, obeying our Father and following His commands in life…..no matter what life may bring our way.

To help us remember God’s Circle of Blessing and how it links to the Heart of Christianity, I want everyone to take their hands right now and make a heart. Now I want you to extend that heart out until your hands make a circle. Notice that the heart fits within the circle. Whenever you make the heart and circle with your hands, I want you to remember that the heart of Christianity comes from staying within the circle which involves

• seeking forgiveness,
• understanding God can forgive anything

AND

• also understanding that while we may go through trials, pain, and suffering,
• The JOY of God is near.

Let us pray~
Lord, help us all to open our hearts and minds as we hear your message today. Lord, steal my show...take control..for it is all about you and what you know we need to hear. 
Amen.

More Than Anything Intro

“I know if you wanted to you could wave your hand.

Spare me this heartache and change your plan

And I know any second you could take my pain away

But even if you don’t, I pray.

Help me want the Healer, more than the healing

Help me want the Savior, more than the saving

Help me want the Giver, more than the giving

Oh help me want you Jesus more than anything.”

Pain. We don’t like it. We don’t want. Yet it’s here~and how we choose to deal with it can help us grow closer to God...OR drive a wedge and push us away...out of the circle.

Who has seen the various DUI cars that the Springdale police have placed on display down the road? Here’s an image of one of those cars:

When you look at it I want you to see it with new eyes~I want you to see it as a symbol of pain and suffering...of choices made...see it as a symbol of what you look like on the inside without Christ.

Now let’s get back to pain. What’s the most painful thing you can imagine? Is it the landmine of Legos all over the floor of the room you walk through at night? What about labor pains? Passing a kidney stone? Cancer treatment?

Maybe it’s not the physical pain that hurts you the most. Maybe it’s emotional pain. The pain that comes from words spoken (or the words that weren’t spoken). The names you’ve been called. The judgement passed on you by others. The invitations you didn’t receive. The laughter at your expense. The lack of emotion from a loved one.. The gossip. What about the pain of losing a parent? Or maybe it’s the pain of having to watch your child suffer? Maybe it’s the pain of having to bury your child...you were supposed to go first...right?

Or maybe it isn’t emotional pain from others, but the emotional pain you bring on yourself. Hanging on to a wrong done in the past. Beating yourself up because you tell yourself over and over you aren’t good enough...pretty enough...smart enough...skinny enough, or you should have done this vs. that. The pain of not forgiving others...you just can’t right? They don’t “deserve” it.

Maybe the pain isn’t physical or emotional ~ maybe it goes deeper ~ the spiritual kind.  The kind where you think God has left you. The kind where you question how God could do whatever it is you blame Him for.

The list of pain, suffering, and trials can go on forever. And guess what, as we grow older, what we find painful changes. And if we aren’t careful ~ and more importantly PRAYERFUL ~ All this pain can separate us from Christ. If we aren’t careful, we can let the pain take over and find ourselves outside the Circle of Blessing. But when we put our trust in God, the pain can help us to grow into the person God needs us to be, the person God designed us to be.

When I was 8 I thought I was dying. My legs hurt something fierce and we ended up going to the doctor about them. I was so scared that it was all my fault because I had started tight rolling my pants legs. And even with the diagnosis of growing pains, I still wasn’t convinced that it wasn’t my fault. At that moment, I thought that was the worst pain...or maybe... it was the time when I was 8 and I split my tongue in 2 jumping on a trampoline. Yep...that’s it. WORST. PAIN. EVER! Until a couple of years later and I found I couldn’t breathe well. This was a fearful pain. A pain that became a hospital stay later on. A pain that caused me for the first time ever to question why God would let such a thing happen…..remember what I said about separation from God?

The years passed and then physical pain seemed nothing compared to the pain involved with heartbreak.  Of course that didn’t compare to having to leave my friends...again...because of moving. Moving in high school is TOUGH. But this time God stepped in where I could see Him. In a way that impacted my entire life. Before the move my youth pastor shared with me Romans 8:28…

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose.

In that one moment, I learned to start telling myself that God has a purpose for everything in my life. God has a purpose for everything in your life too.

I wish I could say that pain stopped then, but it didn’t. While I made a few friends again, it wasn’t the same. The people at my new school grew up together in a small community, had more money, fancier cars, the list could go on. You see I wasn’t part of their “circle.” Not fitting in hurts.

Time passed and then I thought physical pain was the worst as I screamed in horror watching the skin peel from my face and neck due to 1st and 2nd degree burns from boiling water...just kidding, that pain was nothing compared to the pain that came with the healing.

A few years later, the pain came when I walked through the door of my apartment to be told, “We need to talk. I don’t think I love you anymore. I want a divorce”  Yep, emotional pain was far worse than any type of physical pain. And while I didn’t purposefully leave church...I didn’t return to find a new one here until 6 years later. Pain can cause separation from God.

Time passed, I remarried, and then a couple years later I experienced it...child birth. Yep...PAINFUL...even with the drugs.  And then, I was crazy enough go through it again...but within months I was reminded again that emotional pain was worse than physical pain. It’s painful to watch your children suffer and scream in agonizing pain...with no cure in sight...only “band-aids” to temporarily relieve the pain. I’m so grateful that God doesn’t provide temporary relief….He provides ETERNAL relief.

And then came July 2011 when I prayed to God over and over my desires to have 4 children...but also my fear of having another medically fragile child.  I said I was scared...and he answered...with a loud, sassy, tell it like it is spunky, dare-devil of a child who has been mostly healthy as a horse….she’s just my possible ER visit kiddo due to her adventures. She’s my prayer baby. And so yes, I went through childbirth for a 3rd time.

So why go through the same thing over and over again. Even Jesus told the disciples in John 16: 20 and 21…

”Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; and you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world.”

So again I ask, why go through pain...especially the same kind over and over. Jesus tells us very clearly that we will suffer in life. That when He leaves earth, His followers will not have an easy life. We will be in pain. We will weep. But….HANG ON because after going through that pain, suffering, weeping...we...will...have...JOY!

Ann Voscamp said, “Our most meaningful purpose can be found exactly in our most painful brokenness.”

The other day I read a post on Facebook that was shared on one of the Bible study groups I belong to. Mary Tircuit shared:

“I was in Dollar Tree last night and there was a lady and 2 kids behind me in a LONG line. One was a big kid, one was a toddler. The bigger one had a pack of glow sticks and the baby was screaming for them so the mom opened the pack and gave him one, which stopped his tears. He walked around with it smiling, but then the bigger boy took it and the baby started screaming again. Just as the mom was about to fuss at the older child, he bent the glow stick and handed it back to the baby. As we walked outside at the same time, the baby noticed the stick was now glowing and his brother said, “i had to break it so you could get the full effect from it.” I almost ran because I could hear God saying to me, “I had to break you to show you why I created you. You had to go through it so you could fulfill your purpose.” That little boy was happy just swinging that unbroken glow stick around in the air because he didn’t understand what it was created to do which was “glow.” There are some people who will be content just “being” but some of us that God has chosen, we have to be “broken”. We have to get sick. We have to lose a job. We go through divorce. We have to bury our parents, best friend, siblings, spouse, or our child because in those moments of desperation God is breaking us but when the breaking is done, then we will be able to see the reason for which we were created."

I’m not sure who said it, but I saw this quote the other day. It said, “If you focus on the hurt, you will suffer. If you focus on the lesson, you will continue to grow.” What would have happened if that little boy’s brother just took the unbroken glow stick away. Or didn’t take it at all, but never revealed its purpose? What would happen if you and I stayed so focused on our pain that we couldn’t move on? What if we kept bringing up past hurts? What if we don’t cry out to God for help? To cleanse us of our sins? Maybe you are sitting out there right now, hurting because of something you just can’t let go of. Or you start to let go, but think you know better so you take it right back from God. Never truly repenting or turning things over to God. Never giving Him time (on His timetable) to turn your PAIN into JOY. You see every time you do that, you are stepping out of His Blessing Circle and saying you can do better without Him.

I want you to think right now. When was the last you can remember feeling JOY? Now think back even further….was there any kind of pain, trial, suffering that you went through before you felt JOY? How did you cross over from pain and suffering into joy?

In the reading today from the Old Testament we hear the cries to God from David after being with Bathsheba.

“Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love,

According to your abundant mercy

Blot out my transgressions

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity

And cleanse me from my sin.

…….

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And put a new and right spirit within me

Do not cast me from your presence

And do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

And sustain in me a willing spirit.

David cries out knowing he has sinned, knowing he isn’t deserving of God’s grace and blessings, but David doesn’t want to be outside God’s Circle of Blessing. David’s full of regret and remorse. He pleas with God to cleanse his heart, to restore him to the joy of salvation, AND to also sustain in him a willing spirit. David...seeks...FORGIVENESS. He cries to God to be with him and help him remain in God’s grace willingly.

Guess what!

You and I can do that too.

God knows it’s hard for us. That’s why he sent us his Son ~ our Savior~ that’s why we are reminded to take up our cross...DAILY. God is okay with helping us out, it’s okay to say “God, I can’t do this on my own. It’s tough. God I need your forgiveness. I need your help every day to come to you with a willing spirit Lord. Please open my eyes to my own sins and help me to repent of them. Help me Lord...because I want to be with you. I want to be in the circle.” And God is there to help us, just like He was all those years ago for David. He’s there welcoming each of us with open arms. He wants us in HIS circle.

Our God is a loving God. He is our Father. Parents, you know what it’s like to see your children in pain or make bad decisions. You know how hard tough love can be, but you also know how important setting those boundaries and teaching your children is for their growth. It all goes back to those growing pains...they aren’t just something you get when you are 8 years old.

Parents, I’m sure you also rejoice when your child succeeds at things….from making those first cooing sounds to walking to graduating, and so on. You rejoice when your child comes back to you asking forgiveness for the wrongs they did.

So just imagine how much more God our Father feels about our actions. The hurts as well as the joy... and especially when we get ourselves back into the circle where we belong.

And that brings us back to the Circle of Blessing and the Heart of Christianity.  Just like how David grieves over his sin, and the consequences of his sin still play out...he finds the joy of God's salvation. His joy is restored, just like a mother giving birth, once he returns to the circle of blessing.

Staying in the circle, seeking true forgiveness, understanding that God can forgive anything, and understanding and having the Joy of God, is the Heart of Christianity.

I want you to take one last look at the image of the car….

Are you going to allow the worldly thing of life to influence how you navigate your life? Are you going to hang on to those things? OR….Are you going to take it all to God and let Him bring you through it?

Amen.