call and response.

Psalm 25:11 "For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great."

1 John 2:12 "...your sins are forgiven for his name's sake."

i want to KNOW.

Some of you know that for the past 6 months I have been pursuing playing drums. It has been an incredible time for the most part, I have been able to grow so much as a drummer and I feel blessed when I sit down to think about it, because honestly I had no idea a year ago that it would go this far. I don't bring it up on the blog often because I never know what to say about it. I have a lot on my mind with it and I was listening to a new Rocket Summer song and it made me think about one of the more upsetting sides of playing.

I often find it hard to let go and worship when I am playing (by the way, I play for churches as a drummer). It is something that has been frustrating. I often find myself just playing to prove my "skills" to the people I am playing with. This really gets in the way of worshipping God. The music scene, in and outside of the church, has a lot of pressure of who you know and how good you "kill it" on your instrument.

I understand that you need to be able to play your instrument well, but why is there so much judgement if someone is not great at their instrument. Don't we all start somewhere? If I play with someone who is not so great at an instrument I have to remind myself that we all grow as musicians and not everyone is on the same level. If you consistently are playing you consistently will be getting better. There will always be someone who is better at what they play than you or them. Often, the best musicians are the best because they have years of experience.

Years of experience. Which means to me, that playing music is not a race. It's not about how fast you can get better than the next person. I am learning to enjoy the pace of gaining experience. It's fun, and when I stumble on my face while playing, I learn what not to do next time.

I'm not saying that it is not important to get better at your instrument. That is very important. I also believe it is important to practice, practice and then practice more. I think that at any level of a musician that practice is still important. Music is so amazing because you can never stop learning. It's beautiful because it is more than just knowing how to play an instrument. It also includes how to transition from song to song, where to play and not play within a song, if you play with a click track you learn how to play within the timing that is before you, you learn how to work with the other musicians on stage and being able to create energy that feeds off to the crowd you are before is a HUGE thing.

I want to take it at a good pace and allow God to work in me what his will is. I will let God be the promoter. A good friend once told me, "God is the God of promotion."

And, when I am tempted to meet people just so that I have a good list of "who I know" I will do my best to remember the lyric I stumbled across in the Rocket Summer song... "cause it's all about who you know, and not about if you really KNOW anyone."

I want to KNOW the people that I know, not just "know" people.

-brett

make someone's day.

"Life is not about any particular achievement or experience. The most important task of your life is not what you do, but who you become." - John Ortberg

Every day we are given the opportunity to do good for others and for ourselves. A lot of the time we get scared to do these things. It is often easier to just not do it because we are in a hurry to get to this place or to do that thing. Sometimes we don't do those things because we talk ourselves out of it because we don't want to put ourselves in uncomfortable situations. I often spend time avoiding people because I do not want to leave my comfort zone. The truth is... we are all created to do good works.

I lose track of that because I am busy consuming myself with well, myself. It's almost as if I am too good to help others. I talk myself out of doing a good task by telling myself, "It's okay, things will work out for that person." But, what if you were the one who could help this other person get back on there feet, whether it be literally helping someone up or just talking to someone for 5 minutes.

I have to be honest with myself right now, I'm not TOO good to help someone else. Truth is, it is because of my desire to live for myself that I often don't help others. I get so wrapped up in what the point of my life is that I lose track of what the point of my life is. My thoughts of "flourishing" my life for the glory of God are so self-centered that the actual flourishing of my life is choked and slowed up quite a bit.

What step needs to be taken? First step for me would be to stop believing the lies that the world feeds me. That I'm the most important thing in my life. That things will work out for others and I don't have to help them. Lastly, that I'm not strong enough or good enough to help people. These lies are what can choke flourishing in my life.

And, the best way to stop believing lies would be... ?

The best way to stop believing lies is to replace the lies with actual truths. In order to flourish into the best version of yourself that you can be, you must first receive life from outside of yourself. God has in mind for you the full potential of what you can be. Let me tell you a "secret," He is guiding you towards that full potential all of the time, and He is not in any particular hurry. (paraphrased from something John Ortberg wrote) Once you receive this life from outside of yourself, you become VERY capable and not discouraged to help others. It actually becomes natural and you no longer are helping others so that YOU can look good.

This is something I want to work towards. I want to become God's best version of myself. This is the most rewarding way to have your life unfold. God's version of us is the most beautiful thing I could ever believe. Also something else, it is contagious. You have been around the type of people who have extremely flourishing lives, you often leave them challenged to try harder and love more. It's almost as if for a moment you were infected by their life. The coolest part about these people is that their intentions aren't to make you feel jealous of what they have, it's simply that they have chosen to work towards the best version of themselves they can be. So, when you are challenged by that, accept the challenge. What's the worst that could happen? You might make someone's day better. Sucks, right?

nah.

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. which God prepared in advance for us to do."

-Ephesians 2:10

for everyone.

Do you know about those nights when you think your head is going to explode? Sometimes it can be that you are having horrible thoughts and you cannot get away from them; other times it is because you are so full of joy that you might actually explode. Yeah, those are the nights that I am talking about. Well, last night was one of those nights for me. Oh, and it was the latter one of those two situations.

Our church had their quarterly night of worship last night at the Alpharetta campus and I am so happy that I attended this. The choice of songs was the best I have been a part of yet in the 5 years of attending. The band was phenomenal, in my opinion the best of the best that our church has to offer were up there playing those songs as if they were born to play just those songs. They played a lot of the songs off of our church's most recent live album titled, "Awake." I am going to post a link so that you guys can find a way to get a hold of this album, it's AMAZING.

Aside from the awesome band, the awesome stage and the awesome set list of songs another reason it was such a great night was the group that I was attending this event with. I was able to worship with the people who mean most to me. I realized that last night how much some of my friends are beginning to really mean a lot to me. I've always been pretty good at spending time alone and so a lot of the time I can only have surface relationships with friends. I think it is time for me to really pursue my friends, but most of all let them pursue me. My father was also standing next to me, he is someone that I have always been able to worship with.

Throughout the night as we were singing I kept thinking of some scripture. It was blowing my mind as I really thought about it....

For while we were STILL weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

+Romans 5:6-8

That is for everyone. If you don't even know God, that is about you. It's about me, it's about Justin Timberlake and President Obama. Our pastor last night said this, "your sin and my sin qualifies us for God's forgiveness," it is the common bond between every human on this earth. We are all qualified to be forgiven at any moment in our life.

As you go to church or spend time around some Christian that you may work with or have class with see what they have to say about God's forgiveness. If you are a Christian, prepare yourself to be asked this question at any moment. Understand why you choose to believe that you are forgiven by God. And always be willing to share this forgiveness with someone, it is meant for everyone....

For there is no distinction: for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..

... and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

+Romans 3:22-224

Link for NP Live Album: Awake -

http://resources.northpoint.org/store/shop.do?cID=64&pID=1910

Album is also on iTunes! North Point Live:Awake

for others?

...sometimes the best thing to do for others is to bring them to God in your prayers. And if you don't exactly know what they need prayer for, God knows.

For we do not know what to pray for as we ought,

but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

-Romans 8:26

monday nights.

Good morning! On each of the last two monday nights my dad and I have gone out to eat. Just the two of us, talking. I do feel bad because I probably talk too much and don't leave any space for him to be, well.. the dad. I'm sure over the next few Monday night dinners we have I will learn how to shut up and listen to him.

There is a book that my dad has been reading that he offered for me to begin reading as well; so that we could go through it together. I'm glad he asked me because I have been wondering recently if I need to be doing a study with some close guy friends. How much cooler is it going to be doing a study with my dad though?

This book that we will be going through is written by John Ortberg and it is titled, "ME: the me I want to be >>becoming God's best version of you." Let me just say, I am very open and excited about what will come out of doing a study with my father. He is always so calm, relaxed and realistic. Things I often struggle with.

And so on this 20 degree morning and my only day off from work this week, I will begin with "Part one: finding my identity" and see what's going on in this book. I will get back to you guys soon!

Have a great day!

- brett

weakness.

Romans 8:26-30

Truth

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Hope

And we know that those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."

sunk.

Lately.. I've been going crazy. My thoughts are getting the best of me and I can't seem to catch up with myself. I am quite exhausted and I believe it is directly related to my thoughts. This happens to me all too often, I over think and worry about EVERYTHING. I do think this is a challenge I will deal with for a long time.

But you know what? I don't want to deal with this. It is far too annoying and far too tiring. It seems almost impossible for me to relax and just enjoy the great things that are right in front of me.

Last night my dad and I went out to eat and I remember thinking how cool it was. It is not that in the past I haven't enjoyed being around him and my family, it is just that last night I finally realized how important family can and should be for me. I know that I have good friends around me and people that care about me, but I don't feel like I deserve it. I am always unable to return the love to them that they show towards me.

So, what should I do? I have no idea. I just hope this anxiousness that is sitting on me would relieve, even just for a full day. I need to learn how to have more fun. Stop over thinking everything and just kind of go with the flow of life. In the process of learning this I hope I don't push the most important people to me, away from me.

I watched this video just a few minutes ago and I think it may be something awesome for me and I want to share it with you. It's Francis Chan speaking about taking risks.

Enjoy!

-brett