"Give Me Your Eyes"

By Brandon Heath

Looked down from a broken sky,

Traced out by the city lights.

My world from a mile high,

Best seat in the house tonight.

Touched down on the cold black tile,

Hold on for the sudden stop.

Breath in the familiar shock

Of confusion and chaos.

All those people going somewhere?

Why have I never cared?

Chorus: Give me your eyes for just one second,

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing

Give me your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the broken hearted,

The ones that are far beyond my reach.

Give me your heart for the once forgotten

Give my your eyes so I can see.

yeah yeah

yeah yeah

Step out on a busy street,

See a girl and our eyes meet.

Does her best to smile at me,

To hide whats underneath.

There's a man just to her right,

Black suit and a bright red tie

Too ashamed to tell his wife

He's out of work,

He's buying time.

All those people going somewhere?

Why have I never cared?

Chorus: Give me your eyes for just one second,

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing.

Give me your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the broken hearted,

The ones that are far beyond my reach.

Give me your heart for the once forgotten,

Give me your eyes so I can see.

yeah yeah

yeah yeah

I've Been there a million times

A couple of million eyes

just move and pass me by

I swear I never thought that I was wrong

Well I want a second glance

So give me a second chance

To see the way you see the people all alone

Chorus: Give me your eyes for just one second,

Give me your eyes so I can see,

Everything that I keep missing,

Give me your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the brokenhearted,

the ones that are far beyond my reach,

Give me your eyes for the once forgotten,

Give me your eyes so I can see.

yeah yeah

yeah yeah

Musical Monday

God of Justice (We Must Go)
by Tim Hughes

God of Justice, Saviour to all,
Came to rescue the weak and the poor,
Chose to serve and not be served.

Jesus, You have called us.
Freely we've received,
Now freely we will give.

We must go, live to feed the hungry,
Stand beside the broken,
We must go.
Stepping forward, keep us from just singing,
Move us into action,
We must go.

To act justly everyday,
Loving mercy in every way,
Walking humbly before You God,

You have shown us, what You require.
Freely we've received,
Now freely we will give.

Fill us up and send us out,
Fill us up and send us out,
Fill us up and send us out Lord.
~~~~~

We sang this song at the "Do Hard Things" Conference last Saturday. Isn't it so challenging? I love the lines, "Stepping forward, keep us from just singing, move us into action, we must go." Amen! What a kick to the ol' spiritual funny bone...the conscience, that is! It is so easy to forget those "moments of enlightenment." So often, I'll be strongly convicted concerning an area in which I am lacking...and then I'll move on with life...acting as if that conviction means nothing.

Father, "stepping forward, keep me from just blogging, move me into action, I must go!!"

Following At a Distance

In Matthew 26:33-35, we see Peter and the other disciples earnestly declaring that they will never desert their Lord. A short time later, Matthew says that "A large mob, with swords and clubs" descended upon the small group and arrested Jesus. This frightening scene would scare anyone, and the disciples were no exception. We read in verse 56 that they "deserted Him and ran away," despite their passionate "loyalty." What a turn-around!

In the very next verses, we watch Peter "following at a distance right to the high priest's courtyard." Peter, the first one to state his loyalty, followed Jesus at a distance.

As I read this passage, I started to wonder, "How do I 'follow at a distance'?" Well, I "follow at a distance" when I fail to seek after and follow Christ, either because I don't want to "get my hands dirty," or because I don't want to be known as "old-fashioned." This includes the times when I join my friends in watching a not-so-great movie, simply to avoid being labeled as "that conservative, sheltered kid." I also "follow at a distance" when I greet the unpopular girl at my church just enough to seem polite...and yet avoid showing a real interest in her life because I don't want to "put myself out." It includes the times when I grow lazy in Bible study and prayer because I don't "feel like it" (just like the disciples in verse 40). Wow...I really do "follow at a distance" sometimes! Yes, I'm guilty of all the aforementioned sins. And those sins make me guilty of denying Christ, just like Peter did.

Yet...

Christ forgives! Several months ago, our pastor preached from Mark 16 about Christ's resurrection. He pointed out, with tears in his eyes, that when the angels talked to the women at the tomb, they said, "...go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there just as He told you.'" And Peter. Why did Jesus include those words in His message to the disciples? Peter was one of "the disciples." Jesus didn't need to name him specifically! He included those words, Pr. Gerry said, to express his forgiveness to Peter. Peter was intensely ashamed of his denial of Christ. Mark 14:72 says, "When he thought about it, he began to weep." Perhaps Peter was so ashamed that he felt as though he had lost his Lord's favor. Yet Christ specifically says, "tell [my] disciples and Peter." He wanted to reassure Peter of His love and forgiveness...Peter was still Christ's disciple and friend!

Isn't that so encouraging? Even when we are guilty of following Christ at a distance, He still loves us. He has payed our price, and He forgives and cleanses! We are permanent members of His family, no matter what we've done! Thank you Lord!

One more thought...despite Peter's denial, Judas' betrayal, and his disciples' disloyalty, Christ still died for them...and us! He didn't throw up His hands and say, "Father, why should I die for these losers?!?!?! They just betrayed me!" Instead, He loved...unconditionally. Wow. How amazing!!

Loving Others...

One of the books I've been reading is called "Being a Girl Who Loves" by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio. This book has been very thought provoking for me personally. Today I was reading a chapter entitled "Every Hour of Every Day." The author described how challenging it is to continue in love, since "if you are anything like me, your attitudes of self-sacrifice and service are short-lived (pg 88)." She compares our "supply" of love to a car's fuel tank, and throughout this chapter, she talks about the need to go to Christ to refuel when our love has run dry. Below is a section which I found helpful.

Look at how John describes himself in John 21:20: "Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His breast at the supper, and said, 'Lord, who is the one who betrays you?'"
Verse 24 confirms that John is talking about himself here. But think about that for a moment. Instead of simply saying, "Peter turned and saw me" or "Peter turned and saw John," it says Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who had leaned on Jesus' breast. John was known as the disciple who loved....It was common for John to operate on a full love tank. After all, he was the "beloved disciple."
In 1 John 4:7-8 he tells us: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born on God and knows God." He's also the one who told us in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
...John was a disciple who loved because he knew how much he was loved. Early on--commentators and theologians say when he was just a teenager, not older than fifteen or sixteen--John learned the art of leaning back on Jesus' breast. He learned the art of intimacy with Christ, always going straight to the Lord to fill his love tank. And when people asked him who he was, he answered, "I'm the disciple Jesus loves."
Knowing that--and basking in it--kept John's love tank full. And with a full love tank he was able to love others more effectively. Those who know how much they are loved love much. Do you know how much you are loved?

This was a challenge to me personally; too many times, I grow lazy in loving others. Sometimes I just don't try because it's too hard. Sometimes I rely on my own strength...and I KNOW that doesn't work! But if I choose to focus on how Christ loved/loves me, this will motivate me to respond in love, even when my natural reaction is to respond in irritation or frustration.

SEEK HIS FACE WITH ME!
LOVE~BRIANNA

My Dad's Trip to New Orleans

This past month, my Dad led a group of college students on a trip to New Orleans. They were helping EFCA Relief Services in the Katrina clean-up project. Below are some pics from his trip.

Dad got to try his first crawfish!! Here, he is sucking the juice out of the crawfish's head...yummm!!

This is one of the HUNDREDS of abandoned/condemned houses.

If you look toward the back of this house's driveway, you'll see a plane! It randomly floated into this person's back yard, and has been sitting there for two and a half years!!

Condemned low-income housing projects...

One of the team's projects was to remove a roof that had collapsed onto a neighboring house during the flood.

This is part of the team and the family whose house they worked on during the week. This family's house had been blown off of its foundation during Katrina.

Cleaning up after a hard day's work.

The team slept at Trinity Church in Covington, LA.

Another destroyed home.

Dad putting siding on a house...

Another condemned house that the team had to clear out.

The Mississippi River


Beignet pastry from the Cafe Du Monde.

Trinity Church is known as "the church of the stained carpet," because literally hundreds of people from all over the country stay at the facility every week. These people work in teams to help the people effected by Katrina. There is a lot of work left to do...for more info on Trinity and on the Katrina project, check out the links above.

SEEK HIS FACE WITH ME!
LOVE~BRIANNA

Thankful Thursday

Soooo....this is my first post!! YAY!!

Today I want to thank God for my mom. She helped me set up this entire blog last night (she's good at it too!). She is such an INCREDIBLE mom, and I appreciate her so much!

One of the many things I appreciate about Mom is that she always strives to be an encouragement to her family (and she succeeds!). Whether she's making special chocolate chip-pecan pancakes for dinner, talking (and listening) to me as I bring up my frustrations, or taking my brother and me shopping for spring clothes, she's a constant example to me of how a godly mom should act.

I also appreciate Mom because she has a servant's heart for others. My dad works at Christian college, and a lot of college-age girls come to mom to talk about ALL KINDS of stuff!! And mom ALWAYS LISTENS!!! Even if someone stops by to talk just when Mom's about to do something else, she stops and serves. She reminds me of Jesus in Matt. 4:13-14. Jesus really needed to be ALONE, and yet, when He saw all those people who were in need, He gave up his much needed alone-time, and served! Mom practices that kind of serving regularly, and I'm very thankful for her example. Thanks Mom!!

SEEK HIS FACE WITH ME!!
LOVE~BRIANNA