Double Wedding, Take Two!

You may have heard on Facebook that Becca and I are both engaged. If you saw us on tour last year, you may have seen my fiancé, Chad, playing electric guitar. Chad and I met at our home church many years ago. Becca’s fiancé, Bryan, is a talented percussionist and can be seen on the road with us as well. Our engagements were just 12 days apart, so we decided to join forces for the second double wedding in our family history!

In 1908, our great-grandmother was married in England on the same day as her sister! We discovered this bit of family history when rummaging through a pile of old papers. My mom was excited to find an invitation to the wedding of the two couples.

Our mom had always wanted to visit the church were her grandmother got married. Last June we got the chance while on our UK tour and had some days off to sightsee. The guys were on the road with us too and all of us piled into a mini-van, practically sitting on our luggage! It was so crazy driving through the narrow country roads to this small town.

It was just like a scene out of Pride and Prejudice. The church was very quaint and it seemed nothing had changed much for 100 years. We walked around and talked with some of the locals. None of us knew a double wedding was in our future. But that day, God planted the thought in our hearts.


Our Dad will finally have sons in the family. Mom is having a blast planning the details of the wedding with us. Becca and I are still scratching our heads, wondering how things fell into place so perfectly. Bryan and Chad have been supportive of our ministry for many years. It will be so great having them on the road with us when their schedules allow! (To the Right, Here is Becca at the church, holding her favorite British drink: Ribena)

I recently came across this passage of Scripture, and it perfectly describes how God has led the four of us, individually and as a ministry.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 15:5

Truly, God is more involved in the details of our lives than we will ever know. We want to share this exciting news with you and thank you for your continued support and prayers. We are beginning an exciting journey and a new season of ministry!

-Elissa

The Ultimate Wedding

So much of our busy lives create layers of stress and anxiety. To-do lists, worries and concerns about money, relationships, family, school, employment all take their tolls on our capacity to thrive, and live with true joy. These little burdens try to weigh us down, and together they can become a heavy load! I'm in the midst of wedding planning, and although it's an awesome adventure to be enjoyed, there are moments of stress and concern for things to work out well. I hear from wise friends that everything will fall into place. Even if it seems like scattered puzzle peices.

But we all have another wedding day on the horizon. Every one of us who have given our hearts to Jesus Christ will be invited to celebrate the wedding feast of the Lamb. And while I'm planning my 6-hour extravaganza and getting caught up on the color of ribbon for the vases, my Savior is planning too. Planning to return for His people, a Bride who will be spotless. As a church, are we planning this too? In our hearts, are we making room for His arrival? Have we cluttered up our lives that we have no thoughts of God? I'm convicted as I write this, to lay all else aside so that the primary mission is to know Jesus and bring Him glory. I want to be found serving, loving and giving my all to Him when He returns.

That will be the ultimate wedding!

We Are Adored

I just got back from a fun and packed weekend at the Adored girls conference at Mission Hills church in Denver. What a weekend! I just love girls events, for many reasons...I can wear as much pink as I want, say goofy things that only girls understand, and laugh about boys, to name a few. As girls we all share in a common need to be loved. Guys need to be loved too, but there's just something unique about the need for us girls to be loved by our Heavenly Father. It defines us. Without it, are are left to search for love elsewhere only to find it out of reach. In John 15:9 Jesus says, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." Truly accepting and knowing the love of the Father, demonstrated through Christ, is life-changing. For me, it came at a time when I needed to know my worth and my value.

When I was a pre-teen, at youth event, I chose to surrender my heart to God. My personal walk with Him began. But there still came a time a few years later that I realized I had not fully understood His love. I struggled with comparing myself. I thought other girls had better hair, clearer complexions, and more contagious personalities. I slightly cringed when pictures of me were taken up close, sure that they would expose my acne and blemishes. I kept this insecurity hidden, and tried to seem confident. I still pursued God in my quiet times, and poured out my heart to Him. I knew I needed to give Him these things. It wasn't until I reacted badly to my parents one day in front of a friend that my deep insecurities came out. My friend asked me later what was wrong. I actually didn't know, but was embarrassed by it. I had just been feeling down about my appearance, and took it out on those around me. What was in my heart began to surface. It was kind of a wake-up call from God, saying to me, you're worth more than you think right now. I wanted to be the godly Christian, the Christ-example, but with that insecurity in my heart, I was hindered.

From that point on, I walked more confidently in Christ's love, and less dependent on measuring up to the world's standard of beauty. I actually chose not to buy fashion magazines because I new they could create new insecurities to tempt me to compare and compete. I sought out friends who shared this desire. Of course, some of my teen friends were caught in the cycle of comparing. It came out in the conversations we had. I just want to be more tan. I'm so fat right now. I wished they could have the kind of revelation I had, of how God sees them. Because truly, we are adored. We are adored by our Heavenly dad, who created us in His image and loves us with an everlasting love. It won't fade over time, not when more wrinkles come and we grow older. It's the kind of love we crave as girls, and it's only found in Jesus.

Thoughts on a Windy Day

In these last few days I have seen so many leaves flying around like fireworks just set off. Powerful gusts of wind come rushing toward our house set on a bluff in Colorado Springs. Whatever is not anchored will be blown around until the wind dies down. This includes garbage cans! I just hope those cans aren't full!

I'm noticing that the trees that surround my house are so anchored into the soil that they are the only things not carried away. Their roots go deep while leaves and litter take flight. The trees battle the wind and are pushed and pulled. But tomorrow they will still be there.

This depth of a root system keeps them grounded. One of the greatest things we can ever strive for is to be like these trees.

We must be grounded! Yet, we must set our hearts on things above! How does that work?

Setting my heart on things above takes courage. The strong winds of the lower things push and pull for my heart. There are days that my heart wanders. Our hearts contain our deepest dreams, hopes and affections. What we are drawn to. What we long for. If we set our hearts on the lower things of life (temporary happiness, relationships outside of Christ, material ownership) we will be carried away by the winds.

We are called to a courageous journey. To setting our hearts on things above. What is above? Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God. In Him are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Setting my heart on Christ is a choice. The winds come (distractions, disappointments) and try to blow me over. But if my roots are deep enough, clinging to the soil of my relationship with Christ and knowing Him intimately, I will be victorious.

Men, Mirrors and Magazines

"Beauty cannot be bought or sold."

Those are the words of a former runway model, Jennifer Strickland (check out her website here.) The searching and wanderings of us as women to look and feel beautiful can take us to the depth of brokenness and emptiness. Her story sums it up. You can be considered the best, the most beautiful, and still wonder why perfection is out of reach.

Just as soon as a little girl is old enough to know what "pretty" is, she is told how to behave and look to please the people around her. Her parents keep her well-dressed, and no later than Kindergarten the classmates begin to critize her outfit. About that age I tried ballet, but was a poor dancer so my parents put me in soccer. I excelled at that. Dancing wasn't for me, but running on a grassy field toward the goal was! I could have received my validation there, in my acheivement or athletic ability. But after 10 years of competing on soccer teams with my sister and a sophomore in highschool, I gave up the cleats.

I have to say, our gifts can become our idols. They can be the measuring stick of our self worth. As girls, we do this with any special talent (gift) in our lives. Soccer could have been that idol for me. I gave it up, but I didn't toss out my self worth along with it. Thankfully, I heard the voice of God and my family telling me I was more than that.

For you (God) created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. - Psalm 139:13,14

The desire to beautiful is not inherently bad. We go searching for fulfillment in all the wrong places. Reading 1st Corinthians today, it reminded me that the 'things of the world are passing away'... in other words, they are temporary. Striving for beauty in the temporary aspects of life will only leave us feeling worse than when we started.

Sisters, how long will we allow men, mirrors and magazines to tell us when we're enough? Beauty is a reflection of who Christ is in us. If we let the world tell us where the standard of beauty is, we will find ourselves in a race we cannot win.

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you think it's what God sees? Depending on my day or my mood, I can be frustrated with that mirror. My emotions can dictate what I see, and unless I surrender and emotions to Jesus before the day begins, I will lack the peace and joy that He wants to bring.

As my thoughts come to a close, I am not leaving my computer with all the answers on how to be truly beautiful inside. I'm not unfamiliar with the tug-of-war that goes on in our hearts and minds. But I am able to take a deep breath, close my eyes, and say a prayer. Thank you, Jesus, for making me with a beauty, purpose, and significance that no one could ever take away from me.

-B

Spirit Life

Sisters,

Something caught my attention this morning. I was reading Romans 7 and 8. There is so much truth there, that I had to let it sink in. Once it got down to my heart, I wanted to share with you my thoughts...

To sum up this part of Scripture, Paul is telling us some extremely good news! The battle to be perfect is over. The battle to overcome sin was won by Jesus on the cross. He didn't just pay for our sins - past, present and future - He put His Spirit within us. His Spirit would enable us to live righteous lives instead of living the old way - sinking into a quick sand of sin and death. Without Jesus, we can't do it.

Are you "slaves" to the law that you can never live up to? If you have been born again, Paul in Romans declares you are now "dead" to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another. We are free. We are released from being controlled by the sinful nature and now serving in a new way (not through guilt) of the Spirit.

Jesus rescued us from the trap of sin. The new law of the Spirit set me free from the law of sin and death.

What does it mean to live according to the Spirit now? It means total transformation. I don't know about you, but that's good news to me! It means life and peace. Not "survival" of the day-to-day nothingness, but real LIFE abundantly. We have a new compass for our lives. A director - Jesus Christ - through His Spirit. And we belong to Him now.

After reading these incredible chapters (Romans 7 and 8) I just sat in silence. We can know this in our heads, but to live it out...that's another story. I want it to be a conviction in my heart. Don't you? When something grabs your heart, you can't let it go. So, how does this go from knowledge to the depth of our beings?

Get into His presence.

Yes, God is everywhere. But His presence is a reality for those whose hearts are seeking after Him. Living the "good Christian life" is not about rules layed out in the Bible. That's missing the point! We want more than that, we want a reality of His presence daily. I've discovered and will continue to learn that experiencing this presence comes when I seek Him, focus on Him and worship Him. It's my aim to lives this out everyday. Through encounters with His presence we are transformed, as King David wrote in a song to God in the book of Psalms... "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11

It comes down to this... the connection between you and Jesus.

Is there a connection? Is there a communication link flowing back and forth? That's an indicator of a real relationship there.

One of my favorite scriptures is Romans 12:1-2

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

When I find myself not walking in this new freedom given to us by Jesus, I have to come to His presence and once again surrender my heart, let my mind be transformed by His Word, and choose to worship Him.

Sisters, the peace, joy and love we desire in this life is only found there.

-B

Beaches of Hawaii

There are some places on earth everyone should see. Going to Maui last year checked off one on my list. Crystal blue sky, turquoise ocean, breeze blowing through your hair as your toes sink in to soft sand. (The picture on the right is of Elissa and I in Maui last month while on vacation with our fam)

Ok, ok.. wait a minute. It's snowing here in Colorado and I'm tempted to grumble about it.

To turn a corner completely, have you ever counted how many books you have? I think its funny how many collections of books I have that I don't read. Coffee table books. Gift books (that I will "read someday"). Books that interested you in the store but now stand rejected on your shelf and are collecting years of dust.

I'm not going to gather all my unnecessary books and donate them. I'm not even going to rearrange them. I'm just going to keep them on the shelf as possibilities for a rainy day. I may flip open one and read a page or two, or I may not.

That's why I think blogs are a great idea. They don't take up space on a shelf yet they can be filled with a million chapters.

So let the blogging begin!

-B