Watch out for this guy, world. You'll be hearing him on the radio.
Also note, if you're a photographer, please don't judge me. Because I certainly am not. Ha.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Paul J Johnson...
This past weekend Paul and I got up at 5:00 for a sunrise photoshoot... It was FREEZING. Here are a few pictures that came from that morning.
Watch out for this guy, world. You'll be hearing him on the radio.
Also note, if you're a photographer, please don't judge me. Because I certainly am not. Ha.
Watch out for this guy, world. You'll be hearing him on the radio.
Also note, if you're a photographer, please don't judge me. Because I certainly am not. Ha.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Sun Stand Still.
As I sit here alone in my room on this Saturday night I find myself rewatching Pete Wilson's message from last weekend. If you didn't get a chance to see it, I highly suggest watching it. I'll attach the video of it below... It's got some incredible truths in it.
Over the last couple of months I've really felt God prompting me. At first I didn't really know what it was about, but there was no doubt he was trying to get my attention. When it started, I was having the best time of my life. I had incredible friends, a great church home, and I felt like I had finally made the life that I wanted. But then this inkling started to creep up. I knew deep inside that I wasn't living out my life in the way that God had called me to live. I started feeling the need for one thing... Change.
But change in what? I loved life exactly the way it was at the time. It felt so effortless. And that, I soon discovered, was exactly the problem. I wasn't putting any effort into my life. I was living exactly how I wanted to live and was just breezing through without giving God a second thought. I didn't need His help right then. Things were pretty good.
But this feeling just wouldn't go away. It soon began to eat at me every day. I felt less like I was walking through life effortlessly and more like I was running from God in order to keep things effortless. Now if that's not ironic, I don't know what is.
Eventually I couldn't take it anymore. I broke down and finally went to God and really started seeking out what needed to be changed. And the answer that I soon realized scared the living daylights out of me... It was me. I was what needed to change. I felt God so strongly telling me that I was not created to walk through life with mediocrity as my main vehicle. No, I was created to lead, created to worship, and created to be a light to all those around me.
Immediately my fears of failure and rejection kicked in. If I change, I'll lose all my friendships. If I change, I'll be met with the judgment of others.
As I'm struggling with all these thoughts, I go to open up my Bible and a set of sermon notes from the beginning of April falls out. I looked over them and honestly did not remember the sermon one bit. I guess that says something about me paying attention in church. Ha. But one thing caught my eye. I had only written down one thing on the notes, and it was "Romans 6:14." I immediately flipped there and this is what I found.
"Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."
Now normally I would see that verse as "Even when you screw up, it doesn't matter. I've got you covered."
But here's how I read it that night. "It doesn't matter what the world, or the law, says about the way you live or the changes you make. You don't answer the them. You answer to me. And when you answer to me, I will NEVER let you down."
So right then I made my "Sun Stand Still" prayer (if you watch the sermon, you'll know what I'm talking about). My prayer was, and still is, that I will become the person and leader that I know God has called me to be without any hesitation or restraint. Because I have no doubt in my mind that I can't do it without His strength. 2011 is going to be a year of restoring God's place in my life that has been apparently absent over the last bit, and I pray that I will not falter from achieving that goal.
Thanks for listening, anybody who made it through.
B
Over the last couple of months I've really felt God prompting me. At first I didn't really know what it was about, but there was no doubt he was trying to get my attention. When it started, I was having the best time of my life. I had incredible friends, a great church home, and I felt like I had finally made the life that I wanted. But then this inkling started to creep up. I knew deep inside that I wasn't living out my life in the way that God had called me to live. I started feeling the need for one thing... Change.
But change in what? I loved life exactly the way it was at the time. It felt so effortless. And that, I soon discovered, was exactly the problem. I wasn't putting any effort into my life. I was living exactly how I wanted to live and was just breezing through without giving God a second thought. I didn't need His help right then. Things were pretty good.
But this feeling just wouldn't go away. It soon began to eat at me every day. I felt less like I was walking through life effortlessly and more like I was running from God in order to keep things effortless. Now if that's not ironic, I don't know what is.
Eventually I couldn't take it anymore. I broke down and finally went to God and really started seeking out what needed to be changed. And the answer that I soon realized scared the living daylights out of me... It was me. I was what needed to change. I felt God so strongly telling me that I was not created to walk through life with mediocrity as my main vehicle. No, I was created to lead, created to worship, and created to be a light to all those around me.
Immediately my fears of failure and rejection kicked in. If I change, I'll lose all my friendships. If I change, I'll be met with the judgment of others.
As I'm struggling with all these thoughts, I go to open up my Bible and a set of sermon notes from the beginning of April falls out. I looked over them and honestly did not remember the sermon one bit. I guess that says something about me paying attention in church. Ha. But one thing caught my eye. I had only written down one thing on the notes, and it was "Romans 6:14." I immediately flipped there and this is what I found.
"Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."
Now normally I would see that verse as "Even when you screw up, it doesn't matter. I've got you covered."
But here's how I read it that night. "It doesn't matter what the world, or the law, says about the way you live or the changes you make. You don't answer the them. You answer to me. And when you answer to me, I will NEVER let you down."
So right then I made my "Sun Stand Still" prayer (if you watch the sermon, you'll know what I'm talking about). My prayer was, and still is, that I will become the person and leader that I know God has called me to be without any hesitation or restraint. Because I have no doubt in my mind that I can't do it without His strength. 2011 is going to be a year of restoring God's place in my life that has been apparently absent over the last bit, and I pray that I will not falter from achieving that goal.
Thanks for listening, anybody who made it through.
B
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
2010.
It is the rarest occasion when I blog. I tried to get into it over the summer but it just didn't happen. Maybe I'll do some more in 2011? It's not going to be on the top of my resolution list but hey, who knows what will happen.
Anyway, Pete Wilson's blog this morning inspired me to do the same. So here we go, my top 25 memories of 2010: (Note: It was way harder to come up with this list than you might think)
25) The entire 6th season of LOST.
24) The entire weekend of the Christian Showcase.
23) Photo time with the goose.
22) Sleeping all night in a hammock next to the ocean.
21) The day we went to Cookeville and found Phil Hagood's car at Tennesee Tech.
20) Dressing up like idiots and heading to the studio (which ended up being the TAB video we know and love as Umbrella)
19) The day I won Jason's Deli's Tuesday Trivia.
18) Our brief and frigid trip to Chicago.
17) The day it snowed like crazy and we almost died in Mr. Echo.
16) Watching the meteor shower on the coldest night of the year.
15) Both road trips taken with THE Tony Aumell that were set to the soundtrack of Gary Levox.
14) The day we spent preparing a surprise date night for Jarrod and Laura Morris.
13) The making of our wonderful Cornhole Boards.
12) Taking a trip to Baylor, bro.
11) Helping to provide flood relief with Crosspoint.
10) When I got retweeted by The Fray. Oh. Man.
9) The entire semester of dance classes.
8) Thugs And Bubbles playing at the Toms benefit concert in Knoxville and making more money than the headliner and the venue combined.
7) Making a fool of myself in front of Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman at Whole Foods.
6) The countless hours spent on TokBox over the summer.
5) Camping trip to Cummins Falls with a great group of people.
4) The time Paul J. Johnson and I spent on our friend Danielle's Christmas present. (Watch it here. Be proud.)
3)Lea Marie concert. Enough said.
2) Going to my friend's bi-lingual wedding in Atlanta, complete with a salsa-filled reception that lasted until the wee hours of the morning.
1) The entire day of December 30th, complete with celebrity mentions, lottery wins, unparalleled breakfasts, barbecue nachos, terrible movies, major lack of sleep, and mild to moderate stalking.
So there you have it. Maybe not the most exciting list, but I must say, I found it pretty fun.
Anyway, Pete Wilson's blog this morning inspired me to do the same. So here we go, my top 25 memories of 2010: (Note: It was way harder to come up with this list than you might think)
25) The entire 6th season of LOST.
24) The entire weekend of the Christian Showcase.
23) Photo time with the goose.
22) Sleeping all night in a hammock next to the ocean.
21) The day we went to Cookeville and found Phil Hagood's car at Tennesee Tech.
20) Dressing up like idiots and heading to the studio (which ended up being the TAB video we know and love as Umbrella)
19) The day I won Jason's Deli's Tuesday Trivia.
18) Our brief and frigid trip to Chicago.
17) The day it snowed like crazy and we almost died in Mr. Echo.
16) Watching the meteor shower on the coldest night of the year.
15) Both road trips taken with THE Tony Aumell that were set to the soundtrack of Gary Levox.
14) The day we spent preparing a surprise date night for Jarrod and Laura Morris.
13) The making of our wonderful Cornhole Boards.
12) Taking a trip to Baylor, bro.
11) Helping to provide flood relief with Crosspoint.
10) When I got retweeted by The Fray. Oh. Man.
9) The entire semester of dance classes.
8) Thugs And Bubbles playing at the Toms benefit concert in Knoxville and making more money than the headliner and the venue combined.
7) Making a fool of myself in front of Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman at Whole Foods.
6) The countless hours spent on TokBox over the summer.
5) Camping trip to Cummins Falls with a great group of people.
4) The time Paul J. Johnson and I spent on our friend Danielle's Christmas present. (Watch it here. Be proud.)
3)Lea Marie concert. Enough said.
2) Going to my friend's bi-lingual wedding in Atlanta, complete with a salsa-filled reception that lasted until the wee hours of the morning.
1) The entire day of December 30th, complete with celebrity mentions, lottery wins, unparalleled breakfasts, barbecue nachos, terrible movies, major lack of sleep, and mild to moderate stalking.
So there you have it. Maybe not the most exciting list, but I must say, I found it pretty fun.
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