Tunesday Tuesday.

This song is actually on a Christmas EP by Meridith Andrews, but the message is so simple as the title says, "The Gospel Changes Everything." I've been listening to it daily, reminding myself how simple the gospel message is. How good it is.

2 for 1

Part I

Imma about to tell you something. Normally my posts are fairly organized but tonight, I came home from church, semi-discouraged about something. Seems to be the norm these days that there's something to tell my roommate about at the end of the day that is "wrong."

Why are churches just bad at being churches? Or loving people, rather?? That was my thought. And before I could keep going with reasons, God stopped me in my tracks and said: because it's made up of sinners. Listo. That's all I needed to hear. No church is perfect. Not in Buenos Aires, not in Tennessee, not in Missouri. We're all broken people and as long as we're on this earth, the Church - the church- is going to have issues. And that is a fact you can take to the bank. We'll remain that way until Christ returns, to make us WHOLE.

I so can't wait for that day. I so need Jesus. Don't you??

Part II

So I have to tell you about another thing I read this morning in my Bible that has just so convicted me for our world. Second Kings 22 we read about Josiah who has come to reign at such a young age and praise God, he doesn't follow his father's footsteps, but he chooses to seek God and restore the temple. (Why and how, I honestly don't know. If you read his family's messed up past, there's no reason apart than evidence that GOD calls people to himself.)

In verse 8 something interesting happens here, and the high priest finds the Law of Moses, or the Scriptures, which had been hidden away for years (because I'm telling you, MESSED UP family history rid the land of God's word. ¡Ojo!) When King Josiah finds out about God's law for the first time, it says he tore his clothes! He was living in a time so sinful and apart from God's law that he knew they were far from what God demanded of His people. He found a prophetess to call upon the Lord and find out will happen to them because they have so veered from what the Book says. He has a truly repentant heart. And the Lord hears that because in verses 19-20 the Lord tells him his eyes won't see the disaster to come.

When I read this passage today, I just wept for our generation, the world we live in. I fear that people don't appreciate the Bible for the living word that it is, while yet there are people and nations waiting for it to come in their own language. I live in one of the most literate cities of the world, and yet I can't get people - believers - to get together and study this incredible tool, gift we've been given.

I fear we're going to get to the point of Josiah where generations down, children won't even know the Word of God because parents didn't teach it to them. If only the Israelites had remembered. If only they had taken to heart Deuteronomy 6:5-7:

⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.⁶ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Dear friends, please don't let us get that way. I'm not going to ask you to read your Bible because it's the "Christian thing" to do, I tried that for many years and it's tiring. Don't read it out of guilt, either. Definitely don't read it because you're bored.

I ask you to experience God through His word, prayerfully, and see what He wants to show you. You'll never walk away the same. But please, let us not be like the man James warns against, saying "for he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like" (1:24). 

Tunesday Tuesday.

Helloooo folks. I know it's been awhile, but as we had teams here it wasn't exactly my first thought. But I'm back with a great one I heard a few weeks ago on JOY FM app for my phone which I LOVE because it allows me to listen to Christian radio from St. Louis, here in Buenos Aires! Then I hear what the current singles are and can keep up with the trends ;)

This is called How Can it Be by Lauren Daigle. Her voice is solid and she is only 23. She sounds a little young, so I thought I'd look online, but I didn't expect it to be so young for how mature it is either.

I'm not going to say more because the song does enough for itself. I hope you like it :)

Feliz Aniversario, Buenos Aires.

Today marks one year since I arrive in BA and what a year it has been. There's too much to write about but I went back and picked some of the top pictures from the year for me. I tried not to overlap with my 2014 review blogpost. God taught me so much about myself this past year that sometimes I wonder why God had to bring my 5,000 miles away just to teach me such and such lesson. But through it all is it unwavering faithfulness. His love is manifested through my brothers and sisters in Christ here in Buenos Aires, this melting pot of nations with believers from nations from all over the world.

Deuteronomy 20:4 "For the Lord your God is the who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."

I remember the first time I went up on a neighbor's roof and had a 360 view of the city, from the heart of the city. Overwhelmed by the numbers of apartments and people who live in them.

Typical paro, or strike/demonstration, blocking access to the largest street in the city, 9 de Julio. Currently happening today.

The first Sunday I went to San Telmo I was captivated by the street music and flair for this oldest part of town.

I will never forget my 25th birthday. 

Villa 20, or slum 20, where hundreds of people live in the corner of the city. We went in here when partnering with a church in July 2014.

Alfajores that I made in my cooking class with Norma. Though I don't like alfajores, these I can down a few :)

Celebrating the World Cup final 4! Watched the game at the Baggetts then went down to the Obelisco.

This gorgeous Cathedral is in La Plata, the capital of Buenos Aires

With my dad and Dick, at one of my most memorable nights here, our tea at Araceli's during my parents visit to Argentina

My team, all 25 and counting of us. We live life together, and in this moment were waiting to find out if Audrey was going to have a boy or girl! So thankful for whom God has placed me with during this time.

Tunesday Tuesday.

This Tuesday is ALSO my one year anniversary in country. YEAH! So I was thinking the other day about this year and how everything I do, my successes and victories, my failures and mistakes.. everything comes back to Him. HE is the answer. So... I thought a little Shane and Shane was appropriate for this one.

Tunesday Tuesday.

I really like Christ August's music. What I like about it even more is that he and Ben (see last week's post) are friends and write together from time to time. :) Tonight this song came up on my shuffle and I was excited because a) it was Tuesday and b) I needed to hear it.

"Center of It" is its name and the line "When it feels like the doors are closin', Gotta trust that you're doin' somethin'" played, I had to start the song over. I've had to constantly remind myself lately that nothing I do here is for my glory and I can do nothing on my own, without the help of the Holy Spirit. So, this line was really encouraging to be reminded that even if in fact doors are closing in my face, I can trust that the Lord is intending it for good and that years later, something will come of it even if I don't see it now.

This song really is about God's faithfulness. Which is pretty much my favorite thing about Him ever.

I'm going to bed with a happy heart, a thankful heart, and a super encouraged heart from all the prayers that I know people have specifically been praying for me in these last few weeks. They mean the world to me. Without them, I'd be a wreck.

Xo,

B

Tunesday Tuesday.

Tonight, it's a favorite artist track. In honor of the Compadres Tour about to start, that I could literally cry on cue for, I'm playing this appropriate Ben (Rector) song, Sailboat.

I could write you an essay about why ben is the best and how much I love ben, but I'll spare you those details. If you're in the States, do yourself, and ME, a favor and PLEASE GO SUPPORT BEN and NEEDTOBREATHE ON THEIR TOUR. If you think that caps lock means people are yelling at you then good, take it as yelling.

Sorry about the blonde in the video, it's the best one I could find out there on it.

"Night after night there's an empty horizon
My God, do I feel so alone
Sometimes life, most times I, feel just like a sailboat"