HILLSONG UNITED CONCERT

Last week was a particularly rough week for me. I had a conversation with a few people very close to me and was taken aback by their views. I knew their beliefs did not exactly match with mine, but I had no idea how different the two actually were. I suddenly felt alone in my faith and somewhat hopeless about the situation, knowing there wasn't much I could do to change their minds. I felt like every word that came out of my mouth was being viewed as a dagger against them and nothing I said would make them feel the way I did. I felt so discouraged.

Thankfully before the conversation ended, I got the opportunity to describe to them how I felt about my faith, that it was more than just "religion" to me. I told them it is my passion. It is the driving force behind my life and my marriage. It is something I would die for. It's like being deeper in love than you could ever imagine. I told them it was the ultimate love story in my life. They said they had never felt that way about anything, in their whole life. I desperately wanted them to experience that kind of love.

Later that week, I went to go to the Hillsong United concert. Hillsong has always been my favorite Christian band. Their style of worship is so powerful to me and I can always feel God's presence as I worship with them. This was the third time I was seeing them in concert, so I knew to expect a great show. Little did I know how crucial that concert would be for me. I wasn't in the best mood then we got there and I half sung the songs with the opening band. There was a really long break before the main act came on and I was irritated that we had to wait so long for the show to start, being that I had to work early the next morning. They finally dimmed the lights and Hillsong took the stage. They started playing one of their most powerful songs, "The Stand" which talks about letting everything go and just praising Him. From that point on, I shut out everything around me. I didn't pay any attention to the people, the lights, my thoughts, or my pain from earlier in the week. In that moment, it was just God and I. If you haven't, I hope you someday get the chance to worship God with a massive group of people. There is nothing like it. It is like a little glimpse of Heaven and it is always beautifully breathtaking.

That concert was exactly what I needed. I spent 2 full hours worshipping Jesus with all I had, being still before Him, and listening to what He had to say to me. I was strengthened and encouraged in my faith. I felt part of a community of believers around me. I didn't feel alone anymore. After feeling so broken earlier in the week, I felt whole in His presence. I thought to myself, this is why I live my life the way that I do. This is why I am willing to take criticism for my faith. This is why my life has been transformed. This is why I am passionate and dedicated to what I believe. This is why I am deeply in love. This is why all of the sacrifices and hardships are worth it. This is why I have to be bold in my faith no matter how scary it is and how different it makes me. Being in God's presence, worshipping Him with all I am, this is worth it all.

"I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the one who gave it all
I'll stand, My soul Lord to you surrendered
All I am is yours"

The First Married Year

I can't believe that my husband and I have almost been married 1 year already! In some respects, it feels like just yesterday and in others, it feels like we've been together forever. I can definitely say that our first year of marriage has been one for the books where we grew in love, knowledge, and wisdom of how to be a good spouse to one another. I do not claim to know as much as someone who has been married for 25+ years, but I can say I have learned quite a few things during our first year together as husband and wife. This is by far not everything, but a few good nuggets of truth and encouragement that can help every engaged or newlywed couple make their marriage a more successful and happy one.

1. Loving your spouse is a daily choice -- if you believe that love is an emotion in your marriage, then there will be times where you don't "feel" loving towards your spouse. You can't base your love for your spouse on how you are feeling that day or how they are acting. On those days where you have to pick up their dirty laundry off the floor and take out the trash because they forgot again, you must choose to love them anyways.

2. Be silly together.

3. Even though you now live together, take the time to go on a date and spend time alone together out of the house.

4. Life can get stressful very quickly -- laugh together, as much and as often as you can.

5. Do little things for each other. Surprise each other.

6. Compliment each other -- your spouse needs that reminder that you still find them attractive.

7. Start traditions together.

8. Celebrate the small accomplishments together.

9. Encourage your spouse daily -- they need your constant support whether they act like it or not.

10. Forgive easily and quickly -- holding on to a grudge towards the person who you will spend the rest of your life with is going to be miserable for everyone.

11. You aren't the perfect spouse so don't expect them to be -- they are learning what marriage is all about right there alongside you.

12. Be selfless -- make their lunch, do something sweet for them, clean up after them, even if they haven't done that for you recently. Do it anyways.

13. Love them unconditionally -- don't let your actions towards your spouse be based on their actions towards you. Show them unconditional love even if they may not "deserve" it that day.

14. Be affectionate towards each other -- don't be afraid of public displays of affection. You are married now and it will probably make your spouse feel special.

15. Words can hurt and can never be taken back. Be careful of what you say to each other. Think about what you say and the impact it will have on your marriage before you say it. You will make your marriage a much happier thing if you just think before you speak.

16. Make your spouse feel special -- in all the busyness of life, it's easy to forget to do this, but it's important.

17. Never walk out during a fight.

18. Make couple friends.

19. Find a mentor that has been successful in their marriage and can offer you wisdom and guidance when you need it -- you will need it.

20. Respect and love your spouse's family -- they are your family now too.

21. Respect the way your spouse deals with stress or conflict -- forcing them handle it your way isn't going to work.

22. Tell your spouse you love them. All the time. More importantly, show your spouse you love them. Actions speak louder than words.

Pruning

There has been a lot going on in our world lately. Needless to say, between seminary, church activities, youth group activities, Land Rover, and finding somewhere to live...our lives have been somewhat hectic! I find myself in a constant state of stress and anxiety from the whirlwind of chaos. There are many emotions felt in a single day and I can hardly keep track of what exactly is going on because it all changes at such a rapid rate. The funny thing is, no matter how much I've freaked out about all the uncertainties, God has been faithful.

Recently in my Sunday School class, we were discussing the idea of God "pruning" us. Pruning is defined as cutting, clearing, ridding, trimming, or removing any needless or undesired twigs, branches, or roots. We talked about how God prunes us each day by putting us through uncomfortable situations that we would prefer to avoid to refine us and develop qualities within us that would never be established without those hardships. There are so many strengths that are developed within us during the struggles that wouldn't be there otherwise. When metal is put under fire, all of the impurities rise up and are released from that metal. Only after being put through the fire is the metal considered refined and purified. Without the seasons of pruning, those undesirable and unwanted qualities would remain within us.

The seasons of pruning can be difficult ones, but they can also be fruitful. I can say that during this stressful season of my life when God is doing things that I do not always understand, I am developing important qualities and I am learning important lessons. I am slowly learning to let go of the reins and to not only trust God wholeheartedly, but also trust the people around me. I am learning to put more faith in others instead of taking control of everything myself. I am also being put to the test as far as unwavering trust and faith goes. I sing songs every day that proclaim my trust that God is in control. I delcare that He holds all things together and that if He will provide for the birds, then surely He will provide for me. But do my actions always demonstrate these words as loudly as my voice does? I'm working on that. I am being given wisdom during these trials, wisdom of how to take care of my family and wisdom of when to let go and let God. God is developing an inner strength within me, the type of strength that doesn't depend on human abilities but depends on and hopes in Him. God is encouraging me to be courageous, to fearlessly stand out when I know that's the right thing to do. He is teaching me to be selfless and to work hard for what I want. He is showing me that there are nice people in this world who will help you out whether they know you personally or not. He is revealing to me that my marriage doesn't have to weaken because of trials, but in fact it can be strengthened. He is developing my prayer life and allowing me to put all of my feelings into words spoken to Him. He is drawing me close to Him and allowing me to feel what it's like to experience intimacy with the Father. He is continually proving to me, "Brittany, I've got this."

God is pruning me, and it's a wonderful, beautiful thing.

BEING ALONE

In our culture today, it's a rare moment when you find yourself to be fully alone. There's always something going on and something that needs to be done. With all of the technology and different ways to communicate with people, it is difficult to not be "connected" to everyone at all times. Even when we do get a spare moment to ourselves, we tend to fill it with some type of distraction: music, texting, Facebook, calling a friend, etc. Let's face it, we don't like to be alone and we don't like to be still. We don't like to feel disconnected with society. Why do we run away from these quiet moments? Why can't we handle feeling alone? Why can't we just be still?

When I get in my car every day after work, I almost always start my call list. I call my mom, my husband, or my best friend until one of them answers. If I can't get ahold of anyone, I turn on music and try to find something to distract me until I get home. Until recently, I had never noticed my desperation in finding something to fill these quiet moments. I just hate feeling alone and having nothing to do. I want a friend, music, or technology to keep me company, so I don't have to sit in that dreaded silence. But what am I so afraid of? Why can't I just sit there and feel the stillness all around me? I feel like I must be doing something at all times. I must be linked to the outside world.

Technology has completely spoiled us. It has made us dependent upon constant communication and constant distraction. We have the world at our fingertips and it's all just one click away. We aren't comfortable distancing ourselves from what's going on in everyone's lives. We feel strange when it's quiet and there isn't anything to keep us busy. We get our satisfaction and fulfillment from our technology and from always having something to occupy our time, whether that thing is significant or not. Although this might seem like a crazy statement that most of us would disagree with, we must ask ourselves where the majority of our times is spent? Is it spent being still, recharging so that we have the energy for our families and friends, talking to God and letting Him speak to us in the silence? Or is it spent on our Facebook, our phones, music, tv, or our tedious and sometimes pointless To Do Lists that we get so wrapped up in?

Taking the time be alone has become something that people just don't do. And I think it's time for that to change. I suggest that we all take the time to be more intentional about disconnecting ourselves from the world. Put your phones down, shut your computers, and turn off the music. Don't be afraid of the silence that will permeate the room. Take the time to focus on what's really important, take the time to pray, take the time to rid your mind of all the junk that's been filling it. It's actually quite refreshing to detach yourself from those vises that we hold so tightly to.