Today I’ve been thinking about the relationships that are closest to me. My husband Bryan and I enjoy serving the Lord together and are committed to doing marriage with Him at the center. It’s also a journey that God has used to sharpen my character. My family relationships are a gift from God. They know me so well and yet love unconditionally.

If love is about people, how should that affect us on a daily basis, if we are to be people who love well? I heard a truly profound perspective on worship from Tim Hughes yesterday:

“Worship much more than singing songs. It’s about our response to a God who first loved us. God is love and when His followers live as He encourages us through the Bible to live, it makes a difference in society. We begin to love people. When we worship and connect with God we catch His heart and His vision. We are loved by God so that we can love those around us.”

I love to lead worship, but this is a reminder to me that it’s not about what I do on-stage; it’s mainly about what I do off-stage. Love is about people. Worship is about God. It’s not about us.

-Becca

Bryan and I sat down on our sofa to watch “Courageous” recently. I wasn’t expecting the tearjerker kind of movie that really messes with my heart! I won’t spill the plot for those of you who haven’t seen it yet…I will just say: See it. Redbox. (And Redbox is one of the best things in the world, in my opinion. Why? One dollar for a movie (plus tax) is cheaper than Trident!)

In the days after our movie night, I kept thinking about the word courageous. It’s one of those stirring words that make me think of epic scenes of battling over evil, you know, Lord-of-the-Rings stuff. Sacrifice. Tireless persistence to fight for truth. Total ‘guy’ stuff. Well, not exactly.

Courage isn’t reserved for guys, even if us girls grew up playing with dolls and mini kitchens, while the boys pretended to be superheroes.

I’ve known many courageous girls throughout my life. And when I look at the Bible and all the epic stories, I see courageous women. My friend Jaime is courageous. She left home to be a teacher in southeast Asia, showing the love of Jesus to Buddhist families. Then there’s Callie, working hard in state politics to be a light for Christ and influence those around her.

To me, courageous girls are the ones who stand up for truth, no matter what happens. In school, that could mean losing a few friends when you say ‘forget it’ to peer pressure. It’s being sure of what you believe, choosing to lean back on intimacy with Jesus when the world around you is chaotic.

How do we find courage? I do know Someone who is more courageous than anyone else who has ever lived: Jesus Christ. He will give you inner courage for whatever comes your way, and you can count on that.

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” -Ephesians 3:14-21

-Becca

I admit, I only picked up John Piper’s book “Don’t Waste Your Life” a few years ago because my husband said it had a profound influence to lead him to go into missions research.  While reading Piper’s book I felt a deep conviction to be burdened for the world that doesn’t know Christ.  And today another brick was laid while listening to a life-long missions mobilizer, Patrick Johnstone (who lives in Peterborough, England).  God wants us all to see the world through His eyes.  It’s not just about our personal lives, which, if we’re not careful, can be all that we see each day.

Our church supports missionaries around the world.  Your church probably does too, and you may have a world map in the foyer showing who they are and where the live.  They’re part of the church family, even though you don’t see them every week. In the same way, Christ-followers all around the world are part of our church family.  Some of them choose live outside of their own culture in order to reach a different culture that needs Christ.

I want to share their heart for people and be just as passionate.  You and I can do so much where we are, right now.  The city where you live has multiple cultures within it, people who have migrated there and still don’t know Christ.  We first need to ask God for a heart of compassion and love for them, most of all.  The love of Christ compels us.  Missions isn’t for a select number of enthusiasts.  It’s the call of every believer, because the heart of the God we serve is for them to know Him.

-Becca

Read Operation World, a daily prayer guide for the nations.

Over at Becca and Bryan’s for the Bowl last week, they were on the couch suited up with Clemson attire and all the frenzy for a memorable championship. Well, if any of you are sharp on your recent sports facts, Clemson made a shocking record for losing the worst.  We couldn’t even watch after they were 40 points down. The final score hurt for even a non-football-fan like me.

But what about those Denver Broncos?  They certainly helped sooth the wound of Clemson’s loss when they beat the Steelers this weekend.  Our whole state is catching a crazy hype over Tebow and rightly so. Good things are happening and I’m proud to live in Colorado where football is exciting for even the non-fans like me.

-Elissa

She had bright red cheeks from the cold air, long curly locks thrown back by the wind, and a set of training wheels bouncing over the gravel. She whirled past too, and we glanced back. How cute, I thought. Then, she let out in the greatest triumph, “I’m living the DREAM life!”

Long after the family was out of sight, Mom and I were talking about this girl.

What is the dream life anyway? I pondered this after hearing the words from the five-year-old on training wheels. In my heart I had been caught up with future goals so deeply that the present was beginning to feel like grunt work. All I could think of in my day was the household duties, computer work, and paying bills I had to pay to make those goals a reality. But truly, the dream life isn’t about those things.

Matthew 6:34 says, “…do not worry about tomorrow…” Worry was all my mind was doing until this revealing walk with my mom.

If I looked at my daily life, forgetting my future goals and worries, the reality brings days filled with romance with my loving husband, exciting opportunities to play my music and sweet times with my family. Why do future worries swallow up these present joys? As adults we have to guard our hearts against this. For those of you who are teens, you need to develop the habit of praying over your future but making a choice not to worry about it.

Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be give to you as well.” Matthew was talking about food and clothes, but I realize as I seek the Kingdom and the presence of God to abide with me, I will see God doing more than I could imagine.

There is more joy, more courage and strength for the future when Christ is what I seek and not the things I can attain.

My new year’s resolution for 2012 is to yell out, “I’m living the dream life!” as often as I can. I want to be like that little girl joy-riding on her bike, celebrating what my Father in Heaven has done for me each day.

-Elissa

“Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves – from our recklessness or our greed. God sent into the world a unique person – neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are, but a Saviour, with the power to forgive.”
This never gets old. Neither does Christmas cracker wars after dinner. I think we came up with a new tradition this year, though, in honor of the Queen. With a few shovels and a little imagination we built a snow castle in my backyard (snowmen are so last year). We were lucky enough to get snow 3 days before Christmas.

My second realization, my eyes are bigger than my stomach, shouldn’t surprise me. Yet it does every year. There are just too many good things to eat, and not enough time or ability. Close friends came over for dinner and brought some amazing pies for dessert, which were devoured in a tiny second by (mostly) the guys in the house. By the end of the night as the movie credits rolled, I could barely lift a finger. It was a good Christmas in every sort of way.

-Becca

Merry Christmas from our family to yours,

Becca

1. Keep Your Eyes Open – Needtobreathe
2. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear – Sara Groves
3. Please Come Home For Christmas – Aaron Neville
4. Christmastime Is Here – Vince Gauraldi Trio
5. Paradise – Coldplay
6. Dark Horses – Switchfoot
7. Praise Him – Shane & Shane
8. Manifesto – The City Harmonic
9. Ships In The Night – Mat Kearney
10. O This God – Matt Redman

We just came home from a great weekend tour! My heart is still so full. We made it safely after driving through a minor snowstorm to reach Colorado Springs.

I’m reminded of why we do what we do when God use our stories to change hearts. One Asian woman came to Christ at our Christmas concert in Fort Collins, CO!

No doubt Wyoming is 10 degrees colder, windier and drier than Colorado Springs. But we left there feeling warm and welcomed. Bryan, my husband, was the navigator extraordinaire. Chad got some great footage of the snow on the fields and buffalo.

Our last stop in Parker, CO was a house concert. We don’t do many of these, mainly because many living rooms are too small. But this gorgeous house out in the country was a perfect backdrop for a holiday event. The only problem I have with house concerts is the food, drinks and desserts are too yummy. I can barely sing after. Instead I’d like a nap.

I was encouraged by all the teen girls that came, and it was so fun talking with them. One conversation started with “Oh I like your TOMS!” These girls rock. They have so much energy! I wish I could borrow some of it! Speaking of, I think I’ll go make my afternoon tea. Little boost of caffeine just helps.

-B

But my new favorite dish was a cranberry relish courtesy of my mother-in-law.  Since my in-laws from South Carolina were in town for the week, we took the week off and showed them the sights of Colorado and the scenic trails that we hike regularly.  Earlier this year I made the mistake of assuring my mother-in-law that we’d certainly have snow during Thanksgiving week. Yet we ended up with 60-degree weather.

Spending a week with family made me freshly thankful for the blessings I have.  If all of us stop long enough to really contemplate how much we’re blessed, we will be pouring out thankfulness to God.  The automatic response is praise.

You don’t need much stuff to feel blessed.  I remember visiting El Salvador and meeting Christians with overflowing joy.  Yet they didn’t have the material possessions we have.

As I’m writing this, the Christmas season is in full swing. Every other commercial is selling the best gift to stick under the tree.  It’s easy for me to get caught up in the sights and smells of Christmas, treating it like a national holiday or a big event to get ready for.  I love having people over and going to parties.  But this isn’t Christmas.

I looked up the word “Advent” to see what it meant.  I had heard the word so many times in church but I really didn’t feel the impact.

Advent (from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming“) is a season observed in many Western Christian churches, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas.

Expectant. Waiting.

I have to confess that my expectancy is normally about the feeling when Christmas Day comes around and I celebrate with family, food and gift giving.  Yet, that’s not the main point of Advent.  It’s a spiritual journey, expectantly waiting, so that with each day I grow closer to Christ through the miracle and revelation of His first coming.

And the expectancy shouldn’t end the night of December 25^th.  We still wait in anticipation for the second coming of Christ, keeping our eyes on Him as we ring in another year, make our plans, and walk out the next 365 days.

-Becca