so, what's going on?

As of right now I am trying to get use to a schedule of early mornings and long days! I have been back at my Starbucks job for just a week and a half now. I work early in the mornings until the afternoons. I have no idea how to fill my afternoons and evenings.. suggestions?

I really would like to get a mentor sometime soon. I am having trouble walking day to day without an older "more experienced" dude smacking me around. It's always nice to have someone with wisdom and experience pour into my life. There is only so much I can figure out on my own.. actually, I really have trouble figuring anything out on my own!

My friend Kerry is in town this week with his family! I am hoping to spend some time with him and the fam. They are awesome people who I consider some of the most loving people I have ever met.

I have enjoyed playing drums each weekend at the youth groups of Mountain Lake Church. It is a blessing that I get to play there and I take it for granted often. It's hard sometimes to keep the servant's heart when you're focusing on playing and getter better. My hope is to learn how to completely give this talent back to God in a way of worship and a way of leading others into worship. I pray and keep on believing that huge things are soon coming for Mountain Lake Church's youth. This past weekend was great worshipping with them.

Please keep Mountain Lake's leadership in your prayers as they continue to grow the church!

Please keep me in your prayers that I may continue to be disciplined and that I can keep the joy of living for Christ. Sometimes I feel quite stuck. I have noticed that I am a pessimist by nature. Although I do believe that if I let Christ rule in my life ANYTHING is possible. This is where discipline comes into affect...

Thanks for tuning in, spread the word about this blog! Interested to hear what is going on in other's lives!

so, what's going on in your life?

-brett

ps check out leeland's new album "love is on the move"

http://leelandonline.com/blog/

story.

Today may have been one of the best days I have ever had working at Starbucks. Everything went so well and we were fairly busy. I loved being there today. The people that I work with are awesome people.

I have really enjoyed seeing how small the world really is this week. I work with someone named Zoe. It just so happens that Zoe's step sisters and step mother attend the same church that I do, Mountain Lake Church. It gets even crazier, Crystal Corn, my friend and former spanish teacher knows Zoe's family. I also work with Phil who knows someone whose name is Jill. Well, Crystal knows Jill also. Jill knows one of Zoe's younger sisters and I could keep going, but I believe you understand the point.

Today I heard about another awesome story. A guy named Evan, whom I am in a small group with, is a part of the same program as my good friend and former band mate, Joel Thomas Webb. It is so crazy!

God is definitely in control and I do not believe that there is one person or thing that could ever orchestrate life as well as God does. Each day I see something new about His power and His control. I am so thankful for His grace and His willingness to include me in His story!

humbled.

Last night I attended a gathering called The Warehouse. I went because my good buddies in the band "The Promise" were playing there. Well, it ended up being a night that rocked my world up a little bit. Jordan, the speaker and leader of "The FC", was speaking at the Warehouse last night. I have heard Jordan give sermons many times and I had actually already heard the one he spoke about last night in the past. This time it was different. Jordan stepped it up a notch and God grabbed my attention through it a lot more this time.

The main focus of the sermon was, Love the LOST. Meaning, those who do not know Jesus. Tell them about Jesus. Direct your passion to the lost, because something else is grabbing that passion that should not be holding it. Start to care about the lost.

To be honest, it was one of the most convicting sermons I have heard in a while. It scared me. I realized how much I don't care about people. I mostly just care about myself and I hold onto my beliefs like I own them. Truth is, it is by grace that I am even alive. I have no reason to go through life not loving and sharing the greatest thing that could ever happen in the UNIVERSE.

I have noticed a lot of scripture over the past month about how when I chose to believe in Jesus Christ, I chose to die and let Christ live through me.

I'm not sure where to sit with all of this. I will continue to learn, fail, repent and learn more. All in all, I am after God's heart.

-brett

home.

It is interesting the way things change and when you think about change in your life. I find myself looking back to even two months ago and noticing growth in my life. I have finally become interested in reading the Bible over the course of this summer. This is something that I desired even just 3 months ago. It has been rocking my world and challenging me. I still haven't figured out where everything sits from what I have learned this summer. At times I feel out of place, but that is only because I am out of place of where I have been for two months. I do believe in the next two weeks I will have "sunk" into life here again!

I went into Starbucks yesterday to talk with the manager (whom was my manager before I left to go to Estonia) to see about me being able to work there again; he hired me back!! I am so extremely excited to have a job back there again. I really do like working there. I will begin back at Starbucks EARLY Saturday morning!

Please continue to keep me in your prayers. Re-entry after two months of being gone is confusing me every once in a while. Thank you for reading!

-brett

new things, old teachings and a fresh approach.

It feels great to be back in Atlanta. I have loved seeing people that are very close to me. The trip home yesterday went very well. The flights were very smooth and comfortable. I was anxious the last 3 or 4 hours of the trip because I was becoming so excited to be back in Atlanta. When Logan and I went to get our baggage we found out that neither of my bags had made it to Atlanta! The good news though is that Logan's bags made it! I will have to call them this afternoon to check on the status of my bags.

This morning I attended Mountain Lake Church as they were having their grand opening of their new worship center! The whole church building has been transformed into an extremely beautiful and attractive church. It was awesome to be apart of this morning. I am also looking forward to attending MLC regularly. For those of you who do not know about this church, it is a church in northern Forsyth county. If you turn left onto Brownsbridge road going North on GA 19 (400) you will follow for a short distance and then turn left onto Dahlonega Highway. The church will be on your right just past Coal Mountain church which will be on your left. I had been playing drums at this church for the 6 months or more before I went to Estonia and I will continue to play there starting next Sunday, which I am EXTREMELY excited about.

The pastor this morning delivered a great sermon about when the Pharisees asked Jesus what they should do with a woman who had committed adultery. According to the law of the time people who committed adultery could have stones thrown at them as punishment. Jesus had choices to tell them and the Pharisees were looking for any reason to get Jesus in trouble so they could have him punished. This is why they brought the woman to him. Jesus was kneeling down at the same level as the woman who was on the ground. Jesus stood up and told the Pharisees this, "Let him who is without sin amongst you be the first to throw a stone at her."

After Jesus said this he bent back down towards the ground. One by one, beginning with the older ones, the Pharisees left without throwing a single stone. After they had left Jesus stood up and asked the woman, "Where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

The woman said, "No one, Lord."

Jesus replied, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."

This is life changing if you grasp what Jesus did and said here. There is one difference from the Pharisees and the woman who committed adultery. The woman's sins were known; the Pharisees sins were hidden. Jesus knew they were all sinners and that is why he suggested the one Pharisee who is without sin may throw the stone at her. None of the Pharisees are without sin. No human is without sin. We are all on the same level.

It was great to be reminded of this and how much I need the grace of God every day. I fall short of the glory of God. This is why I need Jesus.

Being home, like I said, is very nice. It felt good to sleep in my bed and it feels good to be sitting on my couch writing this to you. I am very excited for the challenges I will face in the next months of my life as I walk daily again in Atlanta. I hope to continue writing these blogs. Please continue to keep me in your prayers. Mainly the prayer of me continuing to stay disciplined.

Thanks!

-brett

*This story of the Pharisees and the woman can be found in the Bible. It is in the book of John or for those of you tuning in from Estonia the book of Johannese evangeelium. It is in chapter 8 of John, verses 1 through 11. See on grupi kaheska Johannese evangeelium, verses üks kuni üksteist.

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

On that day when I see

All that You have for me

When I see You face to face

There surrounded by Your grace

All my fears swept away

In the light of Your embrace

Where Your love is all I need

And forever I am free

Where the streets are made of gold

In Your presence healed and whole

Let the songs of heaven

Rise to You alone

No weeping no hurt or pain

No suffering You hold me now

You hold me now

No darkness no sick or lame

No hiding You hold me now

You hold me now

In this life I will stand

Through my joy and my pain

Knowing there's a greater day

There's a hope that never fails

Where Your Name is lifted high

And forever praises rise

For the glory of Your Name

I'm believing for the day

Where the wars and violence cease

All creation lives in peace

Let the songs of heaven

Rise to You alone

For eternity

All my heart will give

All the glory to Your Name

-You Hold Me Now

Hillsong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GH-AkJDkNE

oh man.

This past week has been incred-ible. As a team we all went away on a vacation to Võru, Estonia. This was a very important time for us, it was our debriefing of the whole summer. This is important because well, more than two months of things happened in two months. It is a way for us to begin to process everything that happened this summer. Let me tell you, a lot has happened.

We left with only one expectation; to get rest. And we did. It was so nice to sleep long nights and even take 30-45 minute naps each day after lunch. But, we had much more than just time to rest. We spent genuine time with our Heavenly Father. It was so nice to be in awe of God's power as he brought healing to some tough situations and genuine repentance where it was needed. You see, this summer we all made mistakes and it made me really begin to understand God's grace. As humans we were all destined for death because of our rebellion against God. Even many years before Jesus came to the earth God wanted to save us. He offered an opportunity to sacrifice animals rather than let us die for our sins. Then the ultimate sacrifice; the lamb of God; Jesus. Because of His life on the cross we now have life. We are still imperfect, and so we must repent and know that Christ gives us life.

We spent time in prayer as a team and also in personal devotion time. We celebrated the victories of this summer. Yesterday morning we celebrated and remembered the body and blood of Christ with a time of communion. It was so awesome to just be and spend time together with this family I have here in Estonia. There was wonderful food at the facility and we were able to have Sauna three nights in a row. Last night we were also able to get into the hot tub. We enjoyed a variety of food last night as we grilled out the Estonian way. The best way in my opinion!

We all headed back to Tartu today to begin the going away process. This included last minute shopping and saying good bye to friends we have made this summer and also friends whom I have known for quite a while now. I received my first Estonian Pibel (Bible) tonight and I am so excited about this and am so thankful for the people who gave this to me. I am blown away by the grace of God right now. The fact that I am able to come and serve here in Estonian and back in Atlanta and have life is just so amazing! I am so thankful to God for everything He has done this summer. It will take months to process everything and I am looking forward to the changes and adjustments over the next few months.

I have loved being here in Estonia for the third time and the second full summer in a row. I have a family and friends here now and there is no denying it. This is a home to me. I know I am welcomed here and I respect Estonians. Thank you for making things so wonderful here Estonia.

I also would like to mention that I am listening to the new Hillsong album titled "Faith+Hope+Love" and I am loving it. I am going to end this post with this:

"I will exalt You, I will exalt You, I will exalt you. You ARE my God. I will exalt You, I will exalt You, I will exalt You. You ARE my God. My hiding place, my safe refuge, my treasure Lord, You are. My friend and King. Anointed one. Most Holy."