Yep.

Jealous

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:29:00 +0000

Meet Kashi.

And Marley.

A few minutes ago I sat on the floor to play with them. Within seconds they were fighting each other because they both wanted attention.
Two hands.
Two dogs.
I can pay attention to them both at the same time. But they are so jealous of the attention that the other one is getting, they end up getting nothing.

As much as I hate to admit it, especially publicly, I struggle a little with jealousy. I see God blessing others or moving on some one's behalf and, though I'm happy for them, I feel a little jealous. I know it is terrible. I know it is selfish. It is one of the things I deeply desire to change about myself.

While I sat there, watching them fight in an attempt to get my attention, I couldn't help but think:
I'm right here.
I'm trying to be with you.
Don't you know that I'm capable?
You're wasting your time and you are missing out on what I want to do for YOU.

It reminded me of Numbers 11:23, "The Lord answered Moses, 'Is the Lord's arm too short?"

Is the Lord's arm too short to take care of all His children?

Anxious

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Sun, 17 May 2009 19:57:00 +0000

I've always been navigationally challenged. It runs in my family. On a drive to Orlando several months ago, I found myself in a familiar situation. I suddenly felt as though I had missed my exit. I was unsure of my surroundings and, Google map in hand, growing increasingly uncomfortable. It had been a ridiculously long trip. I was tired of driving and more than ready to be at my destination.

I maneuvered my way into the right lane preparing to turn around at the next exit when I saw it: a big green sign announcing Orlando was 8 miles away.

God spoke to me. "You do that all the time," He said. "You always get anxious for the intersection."

It was a loving, convicting prompt. Its true. I do that all the time. I feel like I've been on this road too long and start getting anxious. Just when I think that I must have messed up somehow, God shows me a sign that I'm on the right track and I'm getting closer to what He has next for me. What lies ahead is going to be great! But I still have 8 miles (or so) to go.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:6-7

...but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13-14

Keep going. Don't be anxious. Press on.

Yum

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:04:00 +0000

Struggles can resurface in your life.

Maybe you've dealt with it before. Maybe you feel defeated when you thought you had conquered this thing before. Maybe you want to confront it head on so you never have to face it again.

Maybe God is helping you peel the layers off the onion. (I know it is cliche. Stick with me, anyway.)

Each time you struggle with it, God is moving you deeper to the heart of the matter. I know it hurts. I know your eyes are watering and you are sniffling. But the center of the onion - the most potent, concentrated part - that's where the flavor is. And when it is all over, your sinuses will be clear.

Trustworthy

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:31:00 +0000

I love Mark Batterson's blog. Now that I have a "Smart" Phone (a global one!), I look forward to reading more. I was really encouraged by this blog:

Trust His Timing

Time is relative.

What I mean by that is this: the way we experience it is subjective. It depends on what you're doing. Ever been on a date with someone you love? Time flies. Ever been on a date with someone you didn't like? Speed dating isn't fast enough.

The way we experience time also depends on how old we are. If you're six years-old, summer break is 4% of you life. If you're twenty-five, it's 1%. If you're fifty, it's .5%. The older you get, the faster time seems to fly because relatively speaking it becomes a smaller and smaller fraction of your life! By the way, that is why when you were a kid, a two-hour trip in the car seemed like an eternity because relatively speaking, it was much longer for you than the adult who was driving!

So what?

Well, I think most of us have a hard time handling a bad day. We have a very low threshold for circumstantial uncertainty or spiritual discontinuity. We need answers. And we need them now. I would suggest that we need some biblical perspective. When we look at our lives through the lens of Scripture, our perspective on time changes.

We have a hard waiting for God to fulfill His promise. But what about Abraham and Sarah? They had to wait 15 years before Isaac was born. We have a hard time suffering for a season. But what about the invalid in John 5 who was in that condition for 38 years. And that's when the average lifespan was 20-30. We have a hard time waiting for God to make sense of our circumstances. But what about Joseph? He was a slave and a prisoner for 17 years before becoming Prime Minister of Egypt. Or Moses? He was a fugitive for 40 years! And we have a hard time waiting to fulfill our calling. But even Jesus didn't transition from carpentry to ministry til he was 30.

We need to zoom out and get some biblical perspective. We think in days. But we might need to think in years. Here's what I know for sure: those that God wants to use the most have to go through the longest season of preparation. You might have to struggle a little bit longer so you can learn some more lessons or develop some more character. You might need to suffer a little bit longer so God can reveal a little bit more of His glory in your life!

What I'm getting at is this: trust His timing. He is never early. He is never late. As we grow spiritually, I think we take a different perspective on time. It's less about chronos--time. It's more about kairos--timing. And for the record, He is far more concerned about who you're becoming in the process than when you arrive at your destination. Maybe you need to quit praying for deliverance and start praying for revelation.

One last thought from Acts 1: "You don't get to the know the time. Timing is the Father's business."

Not much has changed has it?

Grace and Compassion

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:28:00 +0000

Recently God gripped me with this verse:

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. Isaiah 30:18

God can't wait to show you how much He loves you. He will continually pour favor on you. He won't pass up any opportunity to be intimate with you. He's captivated by you.

The King is enthralled by your beauty. Psalm 45:11

It has been a long, slow death.

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 01:50:00 +0000

A little over a year ago, in a freak-of-nature moment, lightning struck my TV. Well, it struck the electrical box outside my apartment. All the apartments on my side of the building suffered a strange, supernatural increase in one electrical source and the rest were completely non-functioning. My super-bright light was in my closet. It could not be turned off and no other source of electricity worked. It was a nuts.

In the end I lost my fan, microwave, heated blanket, and several other minor things. (I did gain a greater appreciation for surge protectors). But the biggest loss was my TV. Over time it improved a little. The static lines that made it impossible to see the picture began to decrease but the awful buzzing sound never went away.

This isn't just any TV. It was a gift to me from my best friend. She spent sacrificially to give it to me just before I went to college. I couldn't throw it away. I think of her every time I watch it.

But tonight the end has come. During another sleepless night, the TV suddenly went black. The static lines may be gone, but so is the picture. I can still hear it. And the obnoxious buzz.

I'm secretly wishing for a new TV for Christmas.

You should read Good to Great.

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 02:33:00 +0000

Dear Walmart -

Sometimes it is hard to like you.

Your carts are faulty. For a while I thought it was a quirky little thing about me: I always get the bad cart. But I've realized that I never get a good cart. Your carts need repair.

Your employees, while not necessarily rude, are improperly trained. Recently I asked 4 employees the same question. Each person respectfully told me they didn't know and referred me to another employee. Your employees need cross-training.

Some of your employees are rude.

But I do appreciate your low prices.

Stalled out...

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:41:00 +0000

I hear the number one way to kill readership is to post irregularly. I don't have a computer right now so there's not too much I can do about it. I'm sure all 3 of my readers have been very disappointed with my lack of updates.

In case you feel severely out of touch with me, here are the highlights:
1) I have a new job (sort of). I love it.
2) My dogs with special needs are doing better. I love that.
3) God is incredible. I love Him.

:)

Nothing is Impossible

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:33:00 +0000

I haven't figured out how to post videos on the blog yet. But don't let that stop you from clicking on the links below.
I cried like a baby the first 3 times I watched it! And I've been singing it for the last month.
Listen to the story.
Listen to the song.

Undivided

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:10:00 +0000

This is the time
This is the hour
When I make my stand
There's no turning back
For Your kingdom is all that I want
All that hinders I cast aside
Undivided
Here's my heart
It is Yours, It is Yours
Undivided
Take my life
I am Yours, I am Yours
With open hands I come
With an open heart I come
Everything is Yours
I'm ready, I'm ready to let go
Take all of me, take all of me

- Wade Joye - www.elevation-worship.com

This song has been on constant replay as I upload pictures from Elevation's Spontaneous Baptisms! I am SO proud of the 1,044 people that took the plunge!!!

And we're done.

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:11:00 +0000

They don't make 'em like they used to!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:06:00 +0000

Psalty has a website! Who knew?

Its like the best of 80's Children's Church meets "the Internets."

It gets better.

Psalty was touring as recently as 2006.

Wow.

Stuff I Like

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:30:00 +0000

I have a crush on the Stuff Christians Like guy. He's incredibly clever and wildly entertaining. But more than that, he posts approximately every 5.7 seconds.

If that doesn't impress you, you'll probably find something you like on one of his five other blogs.

Go check him out. If you don't laugh at GodisGoodandawesome777letussidehug@yahoo.com, you may not make it into heaven.

Go.

Comfortable Socks

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 03:56:00 +0000

All good things come to an end.

I don't mind, though. I've always enjoyed change. I thrive on change. But when God wants to move me, I get a little freaked out. Its not that I don't trust Him. I want to see what He has lined up. I want my faith to grow. More than anything, I want to develop the gifts He has instilled in me. Still, I dig my heels in and remind God of what I think is best for me.

The children of Israel complained about leaving an enslaved, but comfortable lifestyle. God had just stunned their country with plagues and liberated them. They witnessed Pharoah's army drown in the Red Sea moments after they crossed it on dry land. This crowd should be ready to move the second they sense God's direction. But 6 weeks later, they're throwing a fit.

"On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, the whole company of Israel moved on from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin which is between Elim and Sinai. The whole company of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron there in the wilderness. The Israelites said, "Why didn't God let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You've brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!" (Exodus 16:1-3)

God was merciful and fed them for the next 40 years. He brought them out of Egypt to set them free. To lead them to the Promised Land. They screwed up and it took a lot longer than it should have. But, eventually, Israel arrived in the place God designed for them.

I'm involved in a blog-off with these three guys. When Jeff told me this week's topic, I immediately thought of churches that grow too comfortable to move. But God wanted to show me a more personal practical application. For some time, He has been moving me, leading me to a new place. Like the children of Israel, I was complaining.

I'm realizing more each day that comfortable socks are only good for a while. They will eventually wear out. I want to be proactive and try on the new pair of socks that God is providing before the opportunity is gone.

I may miss my comfortable socks. Or I may discover that this new pair is much better.

Its Christina's fault.

noreply@blogger.com (Brandy) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:41:00 +0000

I've put off blogging for quite some time. Everyone has a blog. And when you follow these brilliant blogs, it seems unnecessary to add to the blogosphere.
However, a friend strongly suggested (threatened me) that I get on it. Its good to have friends that kick your butt a little. (I kicked hers too. More on that later.)

So here we go. You can blame Christina.