It was go!

This is my team!!  Sarah, Tom, & Izzy.  Two of us are from California and two of us are from Ohio.  We have been here in Milwaukee, WI for 8 weeks now.  It's been great!!  I love that God, the God who called me to this ministry 7 months ago is the same God who spoke to the heart of each person on my team; each person said yes to that call.
We are currently leading youth on week long missions trips with YouthWorks! 
It has been a challenge for sure, but more fun than anything!!  It's so beautiful to see the way God has called so many to him, and to see so many say yes.  I have worked alongside people who are unsure of what is to come, I have worked alongside people who are confident of what is next; and despite the difference in realities I am able to acknowledge that God is good and that as long as I seek God with everything in me, I will find Him.  Here's to what's next!!
Cheers,
Bree
PS. Go.

Stay or Go.

This was the word for Wednesday’s devotional.  And this is was the devotional I replayed on Thursday, and again on Friday.  Each time he tells me the opposite of the most important word in the Bible, tears well up in my eyes and I am overwhelmed. 

I am not sad, I am not upset; simply overwhelmed.

It’s a good word, a short word.

A two letter word.

And maybe even the most important word in the Bible, at least the top 5.

This word presses all Christians forward.

Abraham heard this word and packed up his family and moved.

David heard this word and went into Jerusalem dancing.

The disciples heard this word and followed Jesus.

Every person who really takes the Bible seriously heard this word.

I’m not gonna tell you what the word it, but I will tell you the opposite of this word.

The opposite of this word is stay.

We want to stay, we want to stay put.

Stay healthy, stay rich, stay with family.

But for those of us who hear the word.

They must. 

Go.

-Curt Harlow

I have lived in Fresno my entire life, and I have a bit of time left here. 

For a while this bothered me, it bothered me that my friends could move and I stayed. 

It bothered me that school was a drag yet I stayed. 

So I seek God.

On Thursday I got an email for an organization called YouthWorks and they are looking to hire summer staff.  I looked them up, I was interested.  To join that team would be to go.

I want to go. 

I acknowledge the unknown.  I acknowledge the vulnerability.

I acknowledge that it would be fun.  I acknowledge that I am nervous.

I acknowledge that I want this.  I acknowledge that I may be rejected.

But my desire to be with God is bigger than my desire to stay comfortable and I am eager to see what that does to my idea of home.

The (dis)Comfort of Trust

God rarely makes sense in the ways that chooses to do things. As he's up there brainstorming ideas and whatnot, somebody's looking over his shoulder at his notes and simply saying
"really.. That's the way you're choosing to do this, THIS is the solution you're sticking with then!? Nobody is gonna believe you!! Do something more traditional" and with a look of doubt & a scoff, they turn away.

Story of my life!!!! If God doesn't give me a kajillion dollars when I realize the budget is tight, I tend to worry. I begin to doubt the decisions I've made to get me here. I begin believing that my decisions and ability to screw it up is bigger than Gods desire to provide for me.
This morning though, I choose to trust that he has me. I trust that he wants to take care of me. I trust that he wants to provide.
By no means is it easy, by no means does it make much sense... But I have resolved that God won't use a stressed Bree... Therefore a trusting Bree will just have to do.
Here goes nothing, or perhaps.. It's everything!!

Psalm 3:5 -- trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
1 Timothy 6:17
Luke 12:22+

Words.

I absolutely love words!

I love that with the right combination of them, you can say anything you want.

You can express your intangible emotions with words.  You can make up an alternate reality or another world with words.  You can build someone up, and tear someone else down; with words.  You can speak life into people with words. Fact, words are incredibly powerful!

And ironically enough, this video speaks very few.

Poles polls pulls pools

His shoes won't stay on his feet. She ran out of gas. She wants to play a game with you. He wants to tell you his life story. She tries to shock you with the truth. She is overwhelmed. He forgot his jacket. She has a tummy ache. He doesn't understand love. He is afraid...

They all express this to you.
Today.

Your reaction matters.
What will you say?
What will your face tell them?
How long will it take you to answer?
Cause it matters,

today you will shape their forever.

Their forever.
They aren't going to remember that you were tired, or that you were sick, or that you didn't understand, or that you deserved better.

They are going to remember that you rolled your eyes, that you didn't play, that you shrugged them off.

That you just let them believe their lie.
Your reaction matters.
.
.
.
...
......
..

You matter.

Sin sucks....

…. the life out of you.

I hadn’t gotten it before and I am not claiming that I have it now.  But Karen & I were talking today and just trying to wrap our minds around sin, sorta.  Here’s what we got, or at least the idea/analogy I got from it all:

You are an athlete of sorts and one day you are out and about having fun.. doing crazy things and you get hurt.  We’ll say you sprained your ankle.  The reality of it is this: you are NOT running around on it the next day.  No sir-ee!!  You are icing, resting, resting, icing.  That thing is hurting!!  You may try to walk, or run, or limp.  But no way man.  You’re out!!

At least for a time.  Until you get better.  Until it is healed.

Well, in some odd way I feel that sin is just like that.  When you sin you are down for the count.  You are out of the game.  At least for a time.  I mean, you may try to carry on like nothing happened, but it did.  And you know it.  And somehow the Christians around you may know it too.

Cause I mean let’s be honest; if your teammate sprains their ankle and attempts to play on it.  They are NOT at 100% and you can tell.  Sure that’s cool of them for trying, but over time it is not going to work out.

They have got to get off the field and get better.

That is what happens when we sin.  We are out until we can truly reconcile our hearts to God.  We are not as effective as we can be until we have healed.  And unlike the world of sports; that healing process just might be our choice.

There is grace that is greater and Love that runs deep.

Take hope and live!!

Isaiah 6:7
2 Peter 1:5-7