Expectations

I found something that I wrote a while back today and thought it was interesting. Friendship is very important to me. With that said, I want to be a good one really bad. These are ten expectations I have of myself as a friend. These are also qualities I hope to find in those I surround myself with.

1. Fun to be around. You probably wouldn't be friends without this. On some level you enjoy the same things. They make you laugh in big and small ways. You enjoy each others company and want to spend time around each other. You will be adventurous in your own ways.

2. Supportive. Your interested in what they are interested in. They will help you become the person that you wanat to be and help you achieve your goals. They know what is important to you and will not put you at risk of losing those things. They are there for you as you make big life decisions.

3. Up Front & Trustworthy. They will not gossip about you or ruin your reputation. They will stick up for you first and questions you later. They will come to you directly with their concerns. They will not lie to you.

4. Devoted. They are not fickle. They will be your friend no matter the circumstances. They rejoice when you rejoice and mourn when you mourn. They are consistent. They will not be dismissive of you.

5. Encouraging. When you are down they help pick you up. When they see a positive quality in you they let you know, and help feed the quality to help it grow. They believe in you and are your biggest cheerleader. When you fail, they tell you to try again or that life goes on.

6. Honest. They don't have to share all the details, but they are generally forthcoming with what is going on in their life. They are clear about their intentions. They want to share the issues and events in their life with you. If something doesn't seem right they are willing to be the one to call you out.

7. Pay Attention. They will never be able to fully understand you but they notice when you are upset, hurt, sad, joyful, annoyed, scared, happy, and so much more. They pay attention to what you have to say. They know what is going on in you life and how it affects you.

8. Flexible. They understand that you are going to change over time and are willing to stick with you as it happens. They will communicate when they are unhappy with you and be patient as you try to change.

9. Mindful. They will make sure to find a way to let you know that they care. They will know what is going on in your life and be interested in it. They will show you in the big and small things that you are important.

10. Accepting. They are patient with you when you make mistakes. They learn how to forgive you when you mess up. They love you at your best and your worst. They know that you are learning and growing and want to help. They want to stick around to see the results.

There is just something about that name!

Last night I saw evidence of revival among a group of people that I hold very dear to my heart. The choir. Its been rising up, you can feel it. The Spirit has been moving, and is bursting forth in testimony after testimony of his greatness and faithfulness. His name is on our lips in song, but also on our hearts. When examples were given of being able to do nothing but call out JESUS, a brother in Christ began to sing...

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

There's just something about that name

Master, Savior, Jesus

Like the fragrance after the rain

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

Let all heaven and earth proclaim

Kings and kingdoms shall all pass away

But there's something about that name.

 

 

It was one of the most beautiful moments of genuine worship among believers I have ever experienced. This is where revival truly begins. Not in a set time and place. Not with a special speaker. Not with big plans and programs. But when we testify of His authority, and simply call out the name of Jesus. It changes, revives, and moves us into action. Spend time calling out the name of Jesus. There is really just something about that name!



Authentic Community

This authentic community thing is more than just something that I want to talk about. In fact it what gets me out of bed every morning. What the creator God made me for. It is real to me in a way that the passion of my walk with Christ is all tangled up in it. When I look at the early church versus what I see in the Western 21st century church I can't help but to question what happened. It spurs me on to living a a manor worthy of how scripture has called us to treat each other. When I get to the end of my life, no matter how imminent or distant that may be, the last thing I want is for people to question if I cared or not. Because I do. Jesus made it a point to tell us that it was one of the two most important things He was asking of us. Some may think that I am putting too much emphasis on loving others and not enough on a personal walk with God. That I'm putting others before Him. I have struggled with this myself. As I have wrestled through the issue I realize that I am not capable of one without the other. Without a relationship with God where I am constantly learning more and more about His character, I will surely fail at caring for others. In fact, it has been made very clear to me that I'm not good at it at all without my focus and intention on Christ alone. As Ebert Brown I tend to get my feelings hurt easily. Wear my heart on my sleeve. Say all the wrong things. Care too deeply. Be a doormat. Expect too much. This could go on, it really could. You don't have to look far into my past relationships to see that I'm a screw up. Relationships on any level are complicated and difficult. They are a mess. Thank goodness for GRACE. Trying hard enough to get it right isn't going to get me anywhere but trying harder. Falling back on the grace of my Savior will help me realize my shortcomings and allow me to grow. Oh to love others the way that He loves me. For it to be that unconditional. To live out Romans 12:9-21, not just pretending, but really loving. Showing genuine affection. Outdoing one another in showing honor. Helping when people have need. Being happy and mourning with those who are doing the same. And as long as it is up to me, living in harmony with others. To walk so closely with the Spirit that I automatically treat others with the traits of Galatians 5:22-23; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Acting in humility, considering others more important than myself.

No matter how hard this thing gets, I will not back down from my passion to love.

Four For Friday: Songs

Four songs that I have on repeat right now:

1. You Are More : Tenth Avenue North.
          http://youtu.be/IwtcwQwgdsA
2. Someone Worth Dying For : Mikeschair
          http://youtu.be/1ooN1BKqUeE
3. Temple : John Mark McMillan
          http://youtu.be/GCS5ZWyLnOg
4. All I Ask Of You : Phantom Of The Opera
          http://youtu.be/iwfO0ijAhEU

Four For Friday: Things I'm Looking Foward To

1. The Fourth Of July! Seventy-five days from today I will be roaming the streets of Campbellsville Kentucky celebrating my freedom. There is just something about the way that Campbellsville celebrates that gets me going. Its my favorite holiday by far. The excitement makes me almost be able to taste the BBQ, hear the music, and smell the fireworks.

2. The Color Run. Basically its this 5k that you walk, run, jog, or whatever else while you let outsiders splash load of color on you. For some unknown reason, I have been facinated by the idea of this for months. However, this gal needs to get her butt in gear to prepare for it.

3. Cherry Limeaide Season. Its already started to a point, but is not in full swing quite yet. Ya see, as soon as the warmth of summer hits, you will probably see me with a large sonic cup in hand. Nothing makes me feel more refreshed than a yummy cold drink on a hot day. Especially now that my air conditioner is out in my car, I need something to keep me cool!

4. What's to come! There have been a whole lot of changes in my life lately, and I have a feeling that the end of that is not in sight yet. All of these changes have been exciting, encouraging, and great thus far. Normally, change scares my socks off but for some reason I'm real pumped up to see what's next.

Monday's Meet: Emily

Do you ever look back on a time in your life and suddenly realize how significant a single person was? For me, that is Emily. Don't get me wrong, there is no doubt that she was an important person in my life at the time, it just wasn't until much later that I understood how deep that importance really went.

There is a very good possibility that if my friend Emily is reading this post that she will eventually fuss at me for my choice in photos. Who cares? I can take it. The reason I chose it is because it adequately describes her jovial personality. Things that any other person would consider average she finds exciting, fascinating, or hilarious. She certainly taught me how to not take myself too seriously. Her influence in my life is obvious in surface things such as my choice in music and silly little phrases. Emily has an open heart and mind to be constantly learning new things. She can't be categorized. Her heart for worship surpasses her incredible musical talent. In our little group of friends, I would consider her the leader of the pack. Its easy for us to always pick up where we left off. On the not surface level she showed me practically what grace looks like in the everyday. Very few people know as many details of my past and extend grace and friendship anyway. Most have shunned. Not Emily. There is no doubt that she has probably had to come to my defense a few times, and I'm more than grateful than words can express that she did. In the few years that we were close, there were a lot of things I was working through. She showed incredible patience in letting me do so even if it was taking time. What I appreciate more than anything though was her willingness to have the tough conversations. When she saw sin in my life, like a sister in Christ should, she confronted it. She didn't run and talk to others about it. She didn't ignore it. She admonished like scripture calls us to do. Those conversations gave me the accountability I needed in order to grow. There is no telling where I would be without that.

I Want Wednesday: A Reunion

Isn't it funny how we have high school reunions but no youth group reunions. To me, it is. Honestly, I was closer to my church friends than I was my school friends. They were the one's at my house on weekends. Don't get me wrong, I will cherish my school friends forever. My goal is not to point out anything wrong with school reunions, but only to show the lack of youth group reunions. For today, I want to have a youth group reunion. It would be a grouping of youth that graduated anywhere from 2000-2005. (And ect for other age groups.) I just think it would be fun. Who knows if its an actual possibility, but at least an idea in the making!