Tunesday Tuesday.

Happy Tuesday, y'all!! Hope it's beautiful wherever you are. Today I'm throwing it back to sophomore year of college.  Miranda Lambert sure knows how to write them and this one was no exception. 

" ...there's danger in frustration..."

2015: Chasing

As I wrote this title, I can't believe we're already in 2015, and more so, almost done with January.

Last week as I was flying to Guatemala, I filled my phone up with podcasts to last the 18 hour travel day, and the first one I listened to that day was from Jeff and Alyssa Bethke. It's a new one and this particular day they were talking about the new year and goal setting. Everyone's favorite, right?

So Alyssa went on to share about how every year she finds a word to capitalize on and make it her everything, a focus, for that year. For example, this year it was JOY. So many verses talk about rejoicing and we know it is a part of the Christian's character.

I've normally picked out a verse for the year, not that I search my Bible January 1st, but as the days go on I feel like God places something on my heart. So when I heard this idea about a word I wondered if I could find something like that for me.
. . .

In my 2014 end of the year post for I talked about how I don't want this year to look like the last or the one that follows. I want each year to be better than the last. And the only thing that I could think of for this is chasing. Maybe it was influenced by a favorite Bethel Music song, but who can hold that against me? ;)

chase¹

/tʃeɪs/
verb
gerund or present participle: chasing
1) to follow, rapidly in order to catch or overtake, pursue
2) to seek the favor or company of persistently 

I have 1 year left (down to the week) here in Buenos Aires, and I want every day to be spent chasing the only One who matters. Ministry comes second to my time with the Father, because He's the one from whom all blessings flow, afterall. When I see the synonyms or definitions for chasing, I realize that it's active, a present tense thing we do. It's not something for us to sit by and watch happen. We are going after something, whether it's Christ or not. 

I made a goal for myself, and feel free to come back and check me on this, but I looked up all Scriptures with seek, pursue, and follow in it and there was a good variety from both Old and New Testament. We are told to chase peace, love, JESUS. And do it whole-heartedly. 

When I think about how He pursued me in my sin, and continues to chase me when I'm far from Him, I'm overwhelmed by his grace. How can it not evoke a response of anything less than a life of worship to my Savior.

 

Tunesday Tuesday.

I first heard this song a couple of months ago while at the gym, I think, and instantly fell in love with it. Coupled with the fact that Bryan & Katie Torwalt sing it, I think you'll like it too! I sang it live at a retreat this past week and you know that feeling when a song you love comes on the radio? Well that's how I feel when my favorite worship songs are part of a service. Especially since all my services are in Spanish now :)

How Majestic is Your Name.

In the last 3 weeks, I have driven through the Andes mountains to see the tallest mountain in the Americas and hiked up active volcanoes. All of creation screams the name of it's powerful Creator. No wonder Jesus said, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out" (Luke 19:40). Creation is powerful, it moves me to reflect in how grand our God is. And to think, we are the pinnacle of His creation.

Not only are we His handiwork, but He pursues us. He wants a relationship with you and me. In all our sin, He sees something worthwhile.

This isn't a really long post, but rather I wanted to show pictures from the last few weeks of His creation, His beauty. To think you could give credit for this to anyone but God is beyond me.

Mendoza

Mendoza

Back behind the clouds is Aconcagua

Mendoza

Mendoza

Volcano Agua en Guatemala

View from the top of Volcano Pacaya

Looking down into the crater of Volcano Pacaya

2014: A Year in Review

I always like to sit back and look at my year's past and see what has happened during the last 12 months. To see the tapestry the Lord is weaving, and while sometimes I see one square inch of it, it's good to know it's there nonetheless. Here I was a here ago already reflecting on 2013!

2014 was a huge year for me. Leaving home, for real. Saying lots of see-you-later's. Adjusting to people difference from myself. Living in a culture different from my own. I could continue, but I'll save that for myself. I think the main thing I heard through all of this though, is that regardless, the only constant I'll ever have, is God. Granted, I have always known that, praise Him, but His faithfulness has only been proven more and more in the roughness of this year. Don't get me wrong, there was lots of celebrating this year, but it's in the rough moments that we come to realize His faithfulness.

In the hard times of this year, the ugly times, when I just didn't see the point, He brought me back to His will and His word in John 15:16. You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. Those are Jesus' words, and knowing that He is seated at the right hand of the Father, I take great comfort in knowing I can come to him with a n y t h i n g. Without that, I would not have made it through this year.

I briefly looked through my pictures from this year... when I say briefly, I mean it was quick, to pick for you the best representation of what meant the most in 2014, or some of the most memorable, rather. There's so much more I could say and pick from. A lot in here in not included, like my church, the teams I work with, etc, but those are also a part of my life here in Buenos Aires. But those are everyday life now, and pictures I chose are 'milestone' moments of 2014, if you will... So, starting from January to December, we begin in Virginia:

my time in Virginia for FPO was golden. i made some new friends, both field workers and not, that i know i will have for a lifetime and I'm so thankful for the time i had before leaving the states spent here. [l to r: Leanne, Emily, Carlie, Natalie, Corey, me, Clint]

moving to a city of 13 million and living in an apartment after living in a big house with your parents in a suburb of a city of 200k doesn't have any comparison... you just do it, and hope you adjust well. Well, I've loved it. BA, you're amazing.

i celebrated my 25th birthday after 1 month here and wasn't sure I'd have anyone to invite. Well, as you can see, I had 4 friends at that dinner and i'd have them all over again. Thankful for their sweet friendships. God has richly blessed me in that even still in Argentina, it's not the quantity, but the quality that matters to me.

in July I had the amazing opportunity to go to the Dominican Republic with the company. It was a great escape from the city, a time to hear from soon-to-be-president David Platt, reconnect with friends from Viriginia, and meet new friends.

in October i went to Rio, solo. It wasn't the plan, but life doesn't always go as planned, does it? It was a lesson in patience, trust, and i had a great time with the family i stayed with! Brazil is nothing like the rest of Latin America, but the people are friendly, the food is great, and the weather is HOT!

December brought my parents HERE to Argentina!! They came for Christmas and New Years and we took a trip to Mendoza in between. Here they are in front of Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the Americas!

I hope everyone has a good New Year's Eve/Day, and that 2015 is everything they want it to be.  I hope this year is full of challenges, in a good way, that push you to be a better person. Push you to want more of Christ, drawing you closer to Him. I know personally for me this year, I've come to realize that at the age of 25, I don't want my walk with Christ to look the same as last year's, and I don't want next year's routine to be the same as this year's. I want each year to be more, to be growing more like Christ, whatever that may be. 

May your 2015 be full.

Love,

B