So...I decided during church today that I was going to start writing about the sermons every Sunday. You see, I tend to have problems paying attention in church because my mind wanders. I had to go to both services today because we did presentations on music camp at each. Because of that, I was able to listen to it two times and really concentrate on what the message was. We'll see if I keep this up, but I really would like to. I'm hoping to start a habit of taking notes in church so that the sermons 'click' with me.
Today's message was titled "Judgment". Scary, right? Like Pastor Benton said this morning, judgment is not one of those subjects that people tend to enjoy thinking about. May it be judging someone else, or judging ourselves; it's just not a feel good topic. The scripture today was from 1 Corinthians 4: 1--5:
"So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore, judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God."
Pastor Benton always does an outline for the message, and I'll just follow along with that.
1. Judgment of Others
A. Clouded by Prejudice- One thing that Pastor Benton mentioned in the service that kind of hit me between the eyes was that like it or not, we all have prejudices that we must deal with. The kicker is how we deal with them. It may be race, social class, hometown, hair color, whatever...but we all have them. I don't like to think of myself as a prejudice person, but if I think about it I can certainly think of several, can't you?
B. Clouded by the Past- Our past can and does influence how we look at and often time 'judge' others. One example the pastor used was about someone who comes from an abusive background. They may be more sensitive to that subject than most. I know one thing that I struggle with daily is putting things that people (including myself) have done in the past actually in the past where they belong, and starting them out with a clean slate just like Jesus does.
C. Clouded by Motives- We can also become clouded by why people do the things they do. I know I'll find myself wondering why someone did something nice for the longest time instead of actually being thankful that they did it.
2. Judgment of Self
A. Clouded by Self Doubt- I think I definitely fall into this category of being my self's harshest critic. Instead of just moving on after I've done something wrong, I tend to constantly beat myself up about what I did. We can often judge ourselves unworthy of God's love.
B. Clouded by Self Delusion- This is the polar opposite of self doubt. The example used was of the first episode on "American Idol" every season; where people who have no singing talent whatsoever audition in front of millions only to completely embarrass themselves. They think that they are absolutely fabulous, when in reality they just...aren't. Apparently they never had someone in their life to tell them that singing wasn't their gift. There are also people out there who think that they can do no wrong in life. They don't self-evaluate at all, even when it could actually do some good.
III. Judgment of God
A. A true assessment- Thus far it sounds like a pretty depressing sermon, right? Well the good news didn't come until the end. Most people have this warped idea of what the judgment of God will be like, and it apparently comes from a background in Greek mythology. Like God is just up there waiting for us to fall on our faces so that he can strike us with lightning. How blatantly wrong! Yes, God sees all off the bad in our lives...and there sure are an awful lot of ugly things that we probably wish we could hide from him. Though God does see the sin in our life more clearly than anyone else, he also sees every good thing as well. He is so just, and considers both sides. He sees all those times when we do something nice for someone and no one else sees it. He knows it all!
B. Infused with Grace- The last, and probably most important aspect of the message was that God's judgment is infused with grace. God doesn't wait for us to mess up; instead He is there to pick us up when we fall, and celebrates with us when things go well. He is loving...and wants the best for us. I was reading my assignment for Disciple class a little bit ago, and found the reading to be mysteriously appropriate. It was in Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." This was after God was so angry that Israel rebelled once again. I think that if he had mercy on Israel we might have a chance too. ;)
I hope that wasn't too boring to read though, but it really helps me to dig deeper into what God wants me to learn. I'm now going to take a nap so that I have plenty of energy to celebrate Rebecca's and Larry's send-off today at youth group!
Later!
Brit
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
What a week!
Hello there-
This week has been quite a busy one. We had music camp, and though it went very well, I'm so happy that it's over. I don't feel like going into detail (and considering that it wouldn't be interesting at all), we'll just leave it at that.
This week should be fun. We ordered my Mac today so I'll have that to play with, and then I really need to do some house-cleaning jobs at work. Since I'm leaving soon, there's lots of stuff to go through. I'm also going to try and get the November concert confirmed so that our date doesn't get stolen. I hope it works out. It would be a blast!
I think that's all I really have to write about. I'm going to go nap or something....;)
Brit
This week has been quite a busy one. We had music camp, and though it went very well, I'm so happy that it's over. I don't feel like going into detail (and considering that it wouldn't be interesting at all), we'll just leave it at that.
This week should be fun. We ordered my Mac today so I'll have that to play with, and then I really need to do some house-cleaning jobs at work. Since I'm leaving soon, there's lots of stuff to go through. I'm also going to try and get the November concert confirmed so that our date doesn't get stolen. I hope it works out. It would be a blast!
I think that's all I really have to write about. I'm going to go nap or something....;)
Brit
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Under the boardwalk....
So, our third concert production at Carlson is over. Let's go day by day and remember what happened. This could turn in to a really long post. ;)
Sunday: We had church, then came at 2:00 PM to set-up the stage. We finished in record time and then went out to eat at P.F.Changs for Father's Day.
Monday: Concert day! It was surprisingly chill...we went to the church at 10:00 AM while Grandpa or "Mac" was picking up Article One at the airport. We set-up and then went out to eat at Forrey Grill. Yummy...Let's elaborate a bit on my grandpa picking them up from the airport. He was super excited, and even make a sign that said "Article One Shuttle Service". He took them to Shrimp Shack and fed them until they about burst. Nathan didn't even finish his dessert...tsk tsk. Grandpa even almost got them a gig to play there. It was going to be $600 for the first 15 minutes..and then if they liked it it would cost them more to have them stay. Boy am I glad that he really isn't their manager..we could never afford to bring them down. ;) The rest of the night was fun...the concert was a bit crazy. We helped Deas Vail unload their stuff (very nice band), and then left to pick up AO from my grandparents house where they were watching the soccer game. This was the beginning of our realization that Nathan sleeps...a lot. They came to the church, and the sound-checks started. It got kind of crazy and a little behind on the schedule, but all worked out well. Nevertheless's trailer had broken, so I had to make an emergency trip with Josh (lead singer) to Ace Hardware for some zip-ties and to Lyons Printing for some sharpies. The rest of the night may come up in the highlights. All the bands did amazing, though I must say that I think AO put on the best show. Great job, guys!
Tuesday: After waking up at 8:00 AM to get ready, we met at my grandparents house at 9:30 AM to go to the beach! Emily rode with Nathan, Mark, Dave, and I on the way over. Anna rode with Cathy, and Matt rode with Jessi. We got a bit lost on the way over, and Mark (a Canadian for heaven's sake) actually led us to the park. It was really funny. Once we got there we put on sunscreen (hilarious), laid our towels out, and all the girls immediately ran in the ocean. Eventually the guys got in, and we played a game called 500. It's so much fun..you should learn it if you don't know how to play it. We ate sandwiches that Mark and I made that morning, and then just laid out for a while. On the way home, we stopped by Starbucks (divas!), and then came back to watch the soccer game..go Netherlands! Later that night everyone came back over and we started to play Rummikub. I'm definitely not very good at it, but my teammates were, so we won 2 out of 3! We had a delicious dinner of steak, potatoes, salad, rolls, and cobbler (except for 'brownie boy' of course..:)). We swam after dinner, and then hung out for a while before coming home to sleep.
Wednesday: This day was really laid back. We woke up and went down to my grandparents to have breakfast with them and the rest of the band. After breakfast, Matt, Dave, and Nathan worked on band stuff while Mark came with Grandpa and I to help at the church. I got some much needed work done, and then we went to lunch at Forreys. We had a scary waitress (more later), and lots of fun discussions. We said goodbye to all the friends there and then went by the church to get their stuff. We stopped by the grandparent's house to say goodbye to mom and grandma and to get the rest of their stuff in the 'Chrysler navy blue conversion van'. We stopped by Dairy Queen on the way to the airport (I thought I may burst), and then dropped them off.
Today: Emily, Anna, Chelsey, Pastor Benton, Grandpa, and I all cleaned up the church. After that, Emily, Anna, and I all went swimming. It was a good day, but kind of lonely without all the commotion of having the guys here.
So now for some highlights of this week:
1. AO's relationship with my grandparents. They want both of them to come on tour with them now (grandpa to be their manager and grandma to cook)
2. The beach...the Canadians waiting 15 minutes after applying sunscreen before getting in the water (which I guess worked for them b/c after an entire bottle of sunscreen, the did not get burned and the Floridians did!)
3. The guys getting in the water...priceless. Let's just say that they took the 'sting ray shuffle' very seriously.
4. Nathan sleeping. Every time we were still for more than 10 minutes he was out. Poor guy, he must've needed the break. (oh..and his hair after the naps was hilarious as well)
5. Starbucks...Matt and Dave used their 'charm' to get the lady at Starbucks to make them both new drinks at no extra charge. Everyone should take notes..
6. Rummikub tournament. Who knew that a board game could get so competitive?
7. Getting pelted by balls every time one of the guys jumped in the pool.
8. Nathan getting viciously sprayed by the hot tub when he was trying to put the cover on. I so wish we could have gotten that on video.
9. Dave, "Watch Out!". :)
10. The discussion at the dinner table (the canadian national guard (bows and arrows, moose, and a fleet of beavers), how bout that holocaust?)
11. Jay Leno (and the fact that two Canadian guys knew our national anthem better than all the Americans he interviewed)
12. Forrey Grill...Matt tried to take the top off the salt shaker and switch it with ours as a joke...and ended up making a big mess that the waitress almost beat him up over (and she totally could have...scary). Oh, and we arranged the tables in a way that the lady didn't like, so she didn't really like us from the beginning.
13. Priceline.com (did you guys have fun staying at the Hyatt last night?).
There are soooo many more things that I could have written about, but since I've written so much already...I'll just leave the rest in our memories. Thanks for coming, guys! We really had a fantastic time helping you live like Floridians for a little bit. See you in November.
Whew..I'm tired from writing all of this. I need sleep. :)
Brit
Sunday: We had church, then came at 2:00 PM to set-up the stage. We finished in record time and then went out to eat at P.F.Changs for Father's Day.
Monday: Concert day! It was surprisingly chill...we went to the church at 10:00 AM while Grandpa or "Mac" was picking up Article One at the airport. We set-up and then went out to eat at Forrey Grill. Yummy...Let's elaborate a bit on my grandpa picking them up from the airport. He was super excited, and even make a sign that said "Article One Shuttle Service". He took them to Shrimp Shack and fed them until they about burst. Nathan didn't even finish his dessert...tsk tsk. Grandpa even almost got them a gig to play there. It was going to be $600 for the first 15 minutes..and then if they liked it it would cost them more to have them stay. Boy am I glad that he really isn't their manager..we could never afford to bring them down. ;) The rest of the night was fun...the concert was a bit crazy. We helped Deas Vail unload their stuff (very nice band), and then left to pick up AO from my grandparents house where they were watching the soccer game. This was the beginning of our realization that Nathan sleeps...a lot. They came to the church, and the sound-checks started. It got kind of crazy and a little behind on the schedule, but all worked out well. Nevertheless's trailer had broken, so I had to make an emergency trip with Josh (lead singer) to Ace Hardware for some zip-ties and to Lyons Printing for some sharpies. The rest of the night may come up in the highlights. All the bands did amazing, though I must say that I think AO put on the best show. Great job, guys!
Tuesday: After waking up at 8:00 AM to get ready, we met at my grandparents house at 9:30 AM to go to the beach! Emily rode with Nathan, Mark, Dave, and I on the way over. Anna rode with Cathy, and Matt rode with Jessi. We got a bit lost on the way over, and Mark (a Canadian for heaven's sake) actually led us to the park. It was really funny. Once we got there we put on sunscreen (hilarious), laid our towels out, and all the girls immediately ran in the ocean. Eventually the guys got in, and we played a game called 500. It's so much fun..you should learn it if you don't know how to play it. We ate sandwiches that Mark and I made that morning, and then just laid out for a while. On the way home, we stopped by Starbucks (divas!), and then came back to watch the soccer game..go Netherlands! Later that night everyone came back over and we started to play Rummikub. I'm definitely not very good at it, but my teammates were, so we won 2 out of 3! We had a delicious dinner of steak, potatoes, salad, rolls, and cobbler (except for 'brownie boy' of course..:)). We swam after dinner, and then hung out for a while before coming home to sleep.
Wednesday: This day was really laid back. We woke up and went down to my grandparents to have breakfast with them and the rest of the band. After breakfast, Matt, Dave, and Nathan worked on band stuff while Mark came with Grandpa and I to help at the church. I got some much needed work done, and then we went to lunch at Forreys. We had a scary waitress (more later), and lots of fun discussions. We said goodbye to all the friends there and then went by the church to get their stuff. We stopped by the grandparent's house to say goodbye to mom and grandma and to get the rest of their stuff in the 'Chrysler navy blue conversion van'. We stopped by Dairy Queen on the way to the airport (I thought I may burst), and then dropped them off.
Today: Emily, Anna, Chelsey, Pastor Benton, Grandpa, and I all cleaned up the church. After that, Emily, Anna, and I all went swimming. It was a good day, but kind of lonely without all the commotion of having the guys here.
So now for some highlights of this week:
1. AO's relationship with my grandparents. They want both of them to come on tour with them now (grandpa to be their manager and grandma to cook)
2. The beach...the Canadians waiting 15 minutes after applying sunscreen before getting in the water (which I guess worked for them b/c after an entire bottle of sunscreen, the did not get burned and the Floridians did!)
3. The guys getting in the water...priceless. Let's just say that they took the 'sting ray shuffle' very seriously.
4. Nathan sleeping. Every time we were still for more than 10 minutes he was out. Poor guy, he must've needed the break. (oh..and his hair after the naps was hilarious as well)
5. Starbucks...Matt and Dave used their 'charm' to get the lady at Starbucks to make them both new drinks at no extra charge. Everyone should take notes..
6. Rummikub tournament. Who knew that a board game could get so competitive?
7. Getting pelted by balls every time one of the guys jumped in the pool.
8. Nathan getting viciously sprayed by the hot tub when he was trying to put the cover on. I so wish we could have gotten that on video.
9. Dave, "Watch Out!". :)
10. The discussion at the dinner table (the canadian national guard (bows and arrows, moose, and a fleet of beavers), how bout that holocaust?)
11. Jay Leno (and the fact that two Canadian guys knew our national anthem better than all the Americans he interviewed)
12. Forrey Grill...Matt tried to take the top off the salt shaker and switch it with ours as a joke...and ended up making a big mess that the waitress almost beat him up over (and she totally could have...scary). Oh, and we arranged the tables in a way that the lady didn't like, so she didn't really like us from the beginning.
13. Priceline.com (did you guys have fun staying at the Hyatt last night?).
There are soooo many more things that I could have written about, but since I've written so much already...I'll just leave the rest in our memories. Thanks for coming, guys! We really had a fantastic time helping you live like Floridians for a little bit. See you in November.
Whew..I'm tired from writing all of this. I need sleep. :)
Brit
Saturday, June 14, 2008
What's happened with Brit today? Well...
I woke up at 11:00 AM (and was still tired!), got up eventually and got a shower and then went to the church to make a CD of music camp stuff for Emi to listen to (yay!). On my way home, I picked up Emi so that we could watch the Hillsong kids DVD and learn the hand motions. Hopefully she posts the video soon..it was pretty hilarious!
Because I had not had lunch and we had no food here in the house, I went to Subway after dropping Emily off. Came back, had lunch, and started cleaning! I got a lot done, but then had to run into town to get the wood for building the stage tomorrow. I came back, and continued cleaning my room, my bathroom, my brother's room, the kitchen, and the living room. We even cleaned out our fridge, and my brother is currently cleaning off his desk. The cleaning bug must have bitten my family today. Odd.
So now I'm just sitting avoiding writing my thank you letters for graduation. Oh how much nicer (well maybe not nicer..but less stressful) it will be when the thank you cards are done, and the concert and music camp have passed. Maybe it will finally start to feel like summer. Who knows!
That's all for now! Have a great night, and I'll see most (if not all..ha!) tomorrow at 2:00 PM to set-up!
Brit
I woke up at 11:00 AM (and was still tired!), got up eventually and got a shower and then went to the church to make a CD of music camp stuff for Emi to listen to (yay!). On my way home, I picked up Emi so that we could watch the Hillsong kids DVD and learn the hand motions. Hopefully she posts the video soon..it was pretty hilarious!
Because I had not had lunch and we had no food here in the house, I went to Subway after dropping Emily off. Came back, had lunch, and started cleaning! I got a lot done, but then had to run into town to get the wood for building the stage tomorrow. I came back, and continued cleaning my room, my bathroom, my brother's room, the kitchen, and the living room. We even cleaned out our fridge, and my brother is currently cleaning off his desk. The cleaning bug must have bitten my family today. Odd.
So now I'm just sitting avoiding writing my thank you letters for graduation. Oh how much nicer (well maybe not nicer..but less stressful) it will be when the thank you cards are done, and the concert and music camp have passed. Maybe it will finally start to feel like summer. Who knows!
That's all for now! Have a great night, and I'll see most (if not all..ha!) tomorrow at 2:00 PM to set-up!
Brit
Monday, June 9, 2008
Quick LIttle Update
I don't have much time, but I'll update on a few things that have been happening lately.
For one, I am house-sitting for a couple at our church for the next three nights. It should be fun, but based on last night's experience (I sat with Anna last night to figure out all that needed to be done), I may have a bit of distaste for little dogs after it's over. It's not that it's a mean dog, but it barks A LOT, and at nothing at all. Should be fun! It's an extremely nice house, and it's right on the river so it's definitely not a hard job.
I'm going just a bit crazy with this concert coming up on the 16th! It's just that the production company are not getting answers (or at least in a timely manner) from the management, which means that we as the venue do not get answers either. I know it's going to work out (it always does), but it's just a bit stressful at this time. Please pray that we reach lots of people through it, and that everyone has a good and safe time.
Music camp is also coming up! June 23-27....it should be fun, but planning for it is a bit of a bear when most of your regular volunteers are out of town. Again, I know it will work, but it's just a rough start.
Oh! We went bowling on Saturday with Scott, Cody, Kenny, Anna and Emily and it was sooo fun! We all had a great time. There are so many little stories I could tell, but I won't, because I have to go to the house-sitting house to get the keys and garage door opener from Anna.
Later, Gators!
Brit
For one, I am house-sitting for a couple at our church for the next three nights. It should be fun, but based on last night's experience (I sat with Anna last night to figure out all that needed to be done), I may have a bit of distaste for little dogs after it's over. It's not that it's a mean dog, but it barks A LOT, and at nothing at all. Should be fun! It's an extremely nice house, and it's right on the river so it's definitely not a hard job.
I'm going just a bit crazy with this concert coming up on the 16th! It's just that the production company are not getting answers (or at least in a timely manner) from the management, which means that we as the venue do not get answers either. I know it's going to work out (it always does), but it's just a bit stressful at this time. Please pray that we reach lots of people through it, and that everyone has a good and safe time.
Music camp is also coming up! June 23-27....it should be fun, but planning for it is a bit of a bear when most of your regular volunteers are out of town. Again, I know it will work, but it's just a rough start.
Oh! We went bowling on Saturday with Scott, Cody, Kenny, Anna and Emily and it was sooo fun! We all had a great time. There are so many little stories I could tell, but I won't, because I have to go to the house-sitting house to get the keys and garage door opener from Anna.
Later, Gators!
Brit
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Duh...Duh Duh Duh Duuuhhh Duhhhhh
We have officially graduated! Weehoo! It was a good, but totally crazy weekend. We had our graduation, then the party, then church, and then my orientation!
I met my roommate for this fall, and she's really nice. She's totally shy, so we should get along fine (so opposite of me..).
I signed up for classes (woop woop), and I have:
Freshman Composition II Honors: Monday & Wednesday, 9:00-10:15 AM
Honors U.S. History 1492-1877: Tuesday & Thursday, 10:30-11:45 AM
Computer Fundamentals for Business (lecture): Wednesday, 1:30-3:20 PM
Computer Fundamentals for Business (lab): Wednesday, 11:30-12:20 PM
Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism: Tuesday & Thursday, 9:00-10:15 AM
Honors Symposium I (lecture): Monday, 4:30-6:20 PM
Honors Symposium I (lab): Tuesday 1:30-3:20 PM
Most of the classes are basically self-explanatory..except maybe for the honors symposium. This is a class that all students are required to take as a part of the Burnett Honors College. The class itself is in a huge lecture hall, and different professors come in every week to give us a taste of what they do and teach. It's a pass or fail so all we have to do is show up. The lab for it is a part of the Junior Achievement program. It includes getting on a bus and traveling to one of the many elementary schools in Orange County to volunteer in an Elementary School class. It should be fun!
Nothing really interesting has happened other than that. I'm going to go to bed. Well..maybe in a little while considering it's only 6:31 PM at the moment. But soon.
Have fun in NYC, Emi!
I was going to post some videos of the sumo-wrestling, but suppose that will have to wait because the computer is being dumb.
Later!
Brit
I met my roommate for this fall, and she's really nice. She's totally shy, so we should get along fine (so opposite of me..).
I signed up for classes (woop woop), and I have:
Freshman Composition II Honors: Monday & Wednesday, 9:00-10:15 AM
Honors U.S. History 1492-1877: Tuesday & Thursday, 10:30-11:45 AM
Computer Fundamentals for Business (lecture): Wednesday, 1:30-3:20 PM
Computer Fundamentals for Business (lab): Wednesday, 11:30-12:20 PM
Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism: Tuesday & Thursday, 9:00-10:15 AM
Honors Symposium I (lecture): Monday, 4:30-6:20 PM
Honors Symposium I (lab): Tuesday 1:30-3:20 PM
Most of the classes are basically self-explanatory..except maybe for the honors symposium. This is a class that all students are required to take as a part of the Burnett Honors College. The class itself is in a huge lecture hall, and different professors come in every week to give us a taste of what they do and teach. It's a pass or fail so all we have to do is show up. The lab for it is a part of the Junior Achievement program. It includes getting on a bus and traveling to one of the many elementary schools in Orange County to volunteer in an Elementary School class. It should be fun!
Nothing really interesting has happened other than that. I'm going to go to bed. Well..maybe in a little while considering it's only 6:31 PM at the moment. But soon.
Have fun in NYC, Emi!
I was going to post some videos of the sumo-wrestling, but suppose that will have to wait because the computer is being dumb.
Later!
Brit
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