Aaaaand....We're Back!

Well, we’ve been back for about a month now, but I assure you we've been very busy.

First, I'd like to thank every one of you who prayed for us as we were away. We had a great time with some new Aussie friends, and more importantly we were able to get some clarification as to what the Lord would have us to do. God is good. Brettnay and Eden stayed healthy throughout all the traveling! We could not have had a better time with the Hullana's and the Marshall's during our stay in Australia.

The Hullana Family

Eaj and Doris Agatep

Our first week was spent with Hernan and Azariah Hullana in the Sydney area. They are Aussie born, not missionaries, so it was great to get their perspective. We spent most of our time tagging along with the Hullana's and helping in their ministry in whatever ways we could be of assistance. We had the opportunity to sing, and I preached once as well. The Hullana's opened their home to us, which was our immense pleasure as spending time with the kids was a riot! We did a few tourist type things as well, but obviously, that was not the focus of this trip. Mainly, we just wanted to experience the people, culture, and most importantly the spiritual need of the area. All those desires were met thanks to the help of the Hullana's and a few other of his friends and staff, namely Eaj Agatep and his lovely wife Doris.

Joe Marshall and Tony Evans

Our second week was spent in the Brisbane area with the Marshall family. Joe and Mellissa Marshall are missionaries from the States who have spent the last several years in Australia in various parts of the country. They have an obvious heart for the people of Australia but more specifically for the quickly growing area of Brisbane. One of the things I most enjoyed about this portion of our trip is that Bro. Marshall took me out one day just to show me all the places where homes are being built in the area. He and another gentleman I'll mention in a minute talked for hours about how many people will be moving right to that ministry's backyard! A great work is ready to be begun if only people will get excited about it, and pray that the Lord send forth laborers into His harvest. I also had the unique experience of meeting a missionary to Japan named Tony Evans (the gentleman I just mentioned) while attending the missions conference at the Marshall's church in Brisbane. Bro. Evans is an Australian born man who has spent the last 25 years ministering in Japan with his wife and family. He also had his daughter along who was a real blessing as well. We've since stayed in touch and I look forward to corresponding with him for many years to come.

The main thing I'd like to speak to in this update, however, is what we believe the Lord has done in our hearts in recent days. Although we'd love to go to every place we had an opportunity to see, we know the Lord has something very specific for us. We believe the Lord wants us in the city of Parramatta, NSW, Australia. Parramatta is a major suburb of Sydney and is a business hub as well as a university town. There are quite a few businesses that call Parramatta their headquarters. As such there is a busy hustle about the place. There's also a large student populous as there are a few universities as well. When we visited with the Hullana's, at first, we were a bit surprised by the size of the "small town" we were visiting. One of the main things that affected me was the many similarities I noted to a little place called Knoxville, TN. It wasn't long before I could hear the still small voice speaking to me letting me know that this was the place. It's a university town, there's a populous business district, and there are beautiful landscapes and sculptures everywhere. Those things are great, but the truth is I didn't even take many pictures (one of the things I regret). I was too busy looking at all the people around who had probably never once heard that Jesus loved them and died for them. Pastor Hullana probably thought I wasn't listening to him as he told me about the population, the area, and the work he'd like to see done there as I was so distracted by what was going on in my heart. Shortly after we got back and were in private, I told Brettnay that I thought that it was the place.

We've taken several weeks to pray, consult with our pastor, and try to get ready for this baby to arrive. Brettnay and I wanted to be sure that this is what the Lord wanted for us before we announced anything publicly. So here it is, Brettnay and I will be going to the city of Parramatta as missionaries for as long as the Lord would have us be there. I do not have specifics on how soon any of this will take place, where exactly in the city we will live and minister, or even what will be our first focus when we get there. I know that the Lord has all those answers. For right now, thanks to the advice of our pastor and parents, we'll be taking things slow and having this baby girl first. We have corresponded with people back in Australia to keep communication open with everyone involved. 

We’ve got a long way to go, and a lot of decisions to make in the next few months regarding deputation, boards, travels, church meetings, mission conferences, etc. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we pray and work through these things. I've attached a link here to all the pictures we took while we were there. Some of them are here in the blog, but I knew many of you would want to see them all. Thanks again for your prayers.

Why Australia?

So, I get a question all the time. "Why did you decide on Australia?" Some people are asking out of general curiosity, some ask because they genuinely want to know, and some just plain don't understand the point of mission work. So, to the best of my ability, I'm going to try and break it down.

Australia is not a third world country. In fact, it's very much a first world country! They have skyscrapers, a solid government and political system, and a stable economy. They don't need people to come dig wells or bring medicine and food to the dying. They aren't suffering from a horrible outbreak of a deadly virus or having problems with earthquakes. They are actually very much like America. The hardest thing most Australian people deal with on a daily basis is getting to work on time, just like most Americans. So why are we going?

Mission work is not about taking care of the physical needs of people. While that can be a crucial part of the work in some mission fields, it should not be the main goal. I am a Christian before I am a missionary. As a Christian, it is my responsibility to share the love of Christ with others and to preach and teach the gospel. A missionary is just someone who decides to do those things in a place other than his home country. Unless you've felt the call of God yourself, you cannot explain to someone what that's like, but as a senior in high school I felt the impression of God on my heart to go to Australia and to reach it's people with the gospel. I'm not a well digger, a medical doctor, or a humanitarian aid worker. I'm just a Christian with a call from God to do His work in Australia.

So, how did I receive my call? If you're expecting to hear that I was riding a horse on my way to Damascus when a bright light blinded me and told me to go, I'm going to have to disappoint you. I'm just an ordinary guy who felt the impression of a great God on his heart. I don't know what God is going to do through me and my wife. I don't know what undertakings we'll take on in the future. All I know is I'm a Christian. That means no matter where God puts me, I have one goal and one objective. I need to reach as many people as I can with the gospel and the love of Christ. That's the end of the story. Why Australia? Because Australians need to hear that God loves them, died for them, rose again for them, and wants to spend eternity with them in Heaven. Pure and Simple!

An Open Letter to My Missionary Wife

To my long time crush and loving wife, Brettnay,


I know I am not normally a fan of being overly romantic in a public manner such as this, but today I feel like making the world see you how I do. I'm not very good at daily expressing my gratitude toward you, though you'd never tell me so. I do feel so very blessed, and as such needed to express that today.

Normally this blog is used as a forum to inform our friends, family, and supporters where we are on our journey as missionaries and to let them know about our plans. I want to do a little of that as well. We're still in the planning stages of our survey trip together, and there's still a lot to do! I'm looking forward to taking that trip with you and finding out everything God has for us on the field to share. You're an amazing woman, and I'm lucky to be able to take you with me. You're willingness to go on this trip as a 7 month pregnant woman is enough to convince me that you're 100% dedicated to me and to Christ! You're desire to raise a family, even under unusual circumstances, is commendable and beautiful to see.

I know you'd love nothing more that to settle down, buy a nice house with a big white wrap-around porch, and watch our babies play in the yard. I'm not saying any of those dreams are bad, or even that we'll have to give up any of them. I'm just glad that you're willing to follow the Lord no matter where that takes us. I don't know where we may end up some day. I don't really know what I'm doing. I just know that what we're doing today is what the Lord wants for us, and that's enough for me. The beautiful thing is that that has been good enough for you too!

We've got a lot of interesting things ahead of us: a baby on the way (that's enough for anyone by itself), a survey trip in September, and my brother's wedding this week. We've had a busy marriage so far and a busier one ahead of us. I'm looking forward to every second of it, because I know I'll have you to help me when it's hard, laugh with me when it's fun, and cry with me when it's sad. Thank you for being everything a man could need and ask for in a wife.

Your adoring husband,

Sim

Update On Our Survey Trip

Most of you know that we've been praying through the planning stages of our survey trip. Well, the big news is that we have flights scheduled for this September! We're very excited to see what all the Lord has in store for us as we take this small step of faith.

We've been working with two missionary families while working out the details of our trip. I'd just like to introduce you to them so you can pray for these dear people when you pray for us. The first step of the journey, we'll be in Sydney for a week. Pastor Hernan Hullana will be hosting us. He's married with three adorable kids. They have a primarily Filipino church as there are many Asian immigrants in Australia. Please pray for these sweet people who are willing to help us even though they don't know us at all. They are doing great things in Sydney!

                                                     

For the second week we are there, we will be  with the Marshall family in Brisbane. They've been incredibly helpful as we've planned this survey trip. Bro. Marshall has aided us in searching for flights, getting us visa information, and introducing us to the Hullana's. He has a great reputation in Australia with local pastors and has provided us with good insight into the state of existing Australian churches. Please pray for this man and his family as they serve in Brisbane!

                                        

We'll give more details soon as we get things worked out with these families. These are great Christian people, and they have been so very helpful to us! Please add them to your prayer lists! Please continue to pray for Brettnay and I as we have a lot more work to do as we prepare for this trip! Thanks for your prayers thus far!

Bible Club Update

Those of you who keep up with the ministries we are involved in will know that we are in a Teens For Christ Bible Club every Tuesday morning. It's such an enormous opportunity to go into a public school and teach the kids about Christ.

We had a big "Friend Day" at our club on 11/17/15 where we encouraged kids to come and bring a friend with them. The purpose of the Bible club is to get the gospel to as many kids as possible, but also to get the kids involved in reaching their peers. We had 52 students that day and 2 made professions of faith in Christ. The following week on 11/24/15 those two students both came to club again, and one of them brought a friend with him. It's truly amazing to watch what God is able to do in the lives of young people, many of whom would never have otherwise heard the gospel. Please pray for Alex and Elijah as they try to grow as Christians. Pray that they will share what they've done with a peer.

We live in east Tennessee, and as such are in a highly "Christian" area. Many of our public school kids claim to be regular church attenders. Sadly, the types of churches they attend are not gospel preaching churches for the most part. Our pastor often says that the Great Commission doesn't say to open your church doors and ask people to come in. It says to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature". It's our responsibility to find them and get them the gospel. One such way to do that is through the open door we have with Teens for Christ.

Unfortunately, we cannot reach the whole student body this way. Even with the club, there is no way we could get every student in the classroom to teach them about Jesus. That responsibility has to land on the students. This past Tuesday I encouraged our students to share their salvation testimony with another student this week. I explained how I got saved, then I asked a few of them to explain how they got saved. I explained to them that we all have different stories, but we all come to Christ the same way, as sinners in need of a Savior. Then I encouraged them to use their testimony to give the gospel to a friend. This is the only way to reach students in the school who would never come to Bible Club on their own. Who better to reach students with the gospel than other students? I would be more likely to listen to a friend than some stranger who I only see once a week.

Let me ask you this. When was the last time you spoke to a peer about Christ? We're asking these students to work up the bravery to talk to their fellow classmates about Christ. We don't have classmates anymore, but we do still have peers. Unless you work on staff at a church, you probably work with a group of people who are for the most part unsaved. They need Christ! Most of them will never darken the door of a church building except for weddings and funerals. Where are they going to hear the gospel? The dry cleaners? Not likely. The most likely place for them to hear and accept the gospel is at work from a coworker. I know it's hard to share the gospel at work. I don't work at a church either. They still need Christ and it's up to us to get Him to them! I'll give you the same challenge I gave my Teens for Christ club this week. Share the gospel with one coworker or classmate. It'll all be worth it if one person gets saved.

Patiently Working Hard

I hear people say from time to time that they are waiting on God's will for their lives. It's as if they believe that somewhere off in the distance there is a magical portal that they'll be able to walk through and find everything God wants for them. They think there is a great door open to them that will solve all their problems and answer all their questions. Yet, today they are content to sit down, do nothing, and wish things were different than they are currently.

I know I'm called to Australia. There were times when I was in college that I wanted to quit school and go, but my wife (fiance at the time) had the wisdom to convince me to finish school first. I was still under the notion that once I finished and got married, I'd pack up my things and go; but it hasn't worked out that way. From time to time I get frustrated about it all and even wish that God hadn't told me where He wanted me to go until He was ready to take me there. That has been my "door off in the future" that would make everything better.

I know now that this is a fallacy in my own thinking. I have come to understand the fact that God wants me here right now. Once I settled that fact in my own heart, it was amazing what God opened up for my wife and I. I now am able to serve in a nursing home on a weekly basis, serve in my church choir, and two weeks ago, my wife and I began leading a Teens For Christ Bible Club at a local middle school. We had 74 kids this past week and were able to share the Gospel with them in their own school! I never would have imagined the opportunities I've had right here, but God didn't give these opportunities  until I was ready to settle down where he had me right now.

We studied Abraham a few weeks ago in Sunday School. He was told of God to pack up and go, but God never told him where. God said go, and Abraham went. He became a wanderer and a nomad for the rest of his life, but he had God's blessing. He didn't know where he'd go next until God told him. The point is that God didn't tell Abraham everything. God told him what he needed to know right then. I may know where I'm going someday, but I have to listen to what God wants me to do today first. The Lord wants to lead our lives, but He wants to lead on a daily basis.

Don't think that your golden ticket will come in the mail one day, and you'll know then and there what to do. There's no magic portal that you'll walk through to serve Christ and be happy. Serve Him right now where you are. You are where you are either because God wants you there, or because you're running from Him. Let Him use you today! He'll guide you tomorrow if you do!

Being a Watchman in a World That Doesn't Want Watched

I have a friend I work with who is a Christian. Yesterday he and I were discussing the recent Supreme Court decision to allow same-sex marriage in all 50 states. We were having a private discussion about our opposition to the ruling and how it's going to be bad for the country. Another coworker interrupted and said, "why do you Christians care so much what other people do. Why can't you just let people live their own lives?" I have to be honest, I failed to give him a satisfactory answer immediately. It was only later, after thinking about it, that I went back to him with my answer.

Ezekiel 33:6 says, "But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand." In other words, God has given the Christian the responsibility of warning others. This passage is often used to speak of winning the lost as it should be. It doesn't just mean that though. It says "see the sword come". This means that if we see danger coming we are to warn others. Christian people are not to live our lives silently while the world burns. We are commanded to be watchmen warning others of impending danger. If we fail to do so then God says that their blood will be on our hands. This doesn't mean we are to be arrogant and hateful towards people, but that we should be wanting to help them.

Homosexuals are people just like you and I. They're trapped in their sin. They're deceived by Satan and this world into thinking that what they are doing is Ok and even right! They need loving Christians like us to come along beside them and show what the Bible teaches about salvation. If they aren't saved then you'll never convince them they're wrong. They don't have the Holy Spirit to convict of sin. They, like my coworker, can't understand why we won't just leave them alone. Screaming that homosexuality is sin from the rooftops will only make them angry and harden their hearts toward God.

When I explained to my coworker that the Bible teaches that destruction is the end result of sin and that I have an obligation to warn others, he understood why I was opposed. He didn't agree with me, but he understood why I stood where I stood. He's one step closer to understanding the truth now then he was yesterday morning. He probably won't ask why I'm vocal about my beliefs anymore, because he knows I believe it's my duty to warn others. Not everyone will be as understanding as he was, but we aren't responsible for the reactions of others. We are responsible for warning people.

Unfortunately, there is a sect of Christianity that isn't loving when they speak to or about homosexuals or their supporters. Those Christians are one of the reasons that we are so often called "bigots" and our opposition is called "religious bigotry". Eph. 4:15 says that we are to speak the truth in love. It's a delicate balance. Think of a parent telling a child not the play in the road. The parent can yell and scream at the child, or the parent can explain to the child why they shouldn't play in the road. If the parent just screams not to do it, then the child may grow resentful and do it anyways. If the parent explains the danger of playing in the road in a loving way, then the child is more likely to obey. It's high time we quit complaining about the evils of the world and start being the watchmen God commands us to be. Speaking the truth in love for all within our sphere of influence. If we don't, America's blood will be on our hands.

Prayerfully trying to be a watchman,

Simeon Brazzell
I Tim 1:12

Preparing A Mind for Mission Work

Yes, that's a play on the title of the blog.

Have you ever heard a Christian  or pastor tell you to "just go and trust that God will take care of you"? Unfortunately, this is a mindset that many Christians have. My wife and I are 100% sure we are called to Australia. That's the "go". However, we do not know where. We do not know when. We do not know how, why, or what we'll be doing when we get there. I'll be honest, it's frustrating to me sometimes, and my wife handles it better than I do most of the time. Some would tell us to just start deputation and trust that God will give more direction as we go.

Maybe He would do that. Maybe He wouldn't, but I know that God will direct me as I follow Him. God gave us a brain so that we could be rational. God Himself says in the Bible on a number of occasions "come let us reason together". He wants us to think and not be irrational in behavior. It's important that you hear me out before writing me off. I am not saying that we should listen to our rational thought more than the moving of the Holy Spirit. I'm saying that where the Spirit is silent and the Word of God doesn't give specific direction, then we have to rely on what God has given us mentally. 

I applaud how Christian colleges are getting involved in training people in the trades. The world of tomorrow is very different than the world of yesterday. Churches that can fully support pastors are becoming a thing of the past. Should those pastors take small churches and work fast food to support their families when they could first acquire a skill that could support them? Where do you draw the line? I am actually taking online courses in Web Design and Development. I don't know how God might use that, but I'll have an option if God sees fit to place me in a small congregation. I think God calls us to support our families as well. 

It's a sticky subject, and I'm not 100% sure I know exactly where I stand. I know that there are people who depend on themselves too much. I also know there are people who irrationally rush ahead of God thinking that they are "trusting Him". I read once about a young man who left home to join the Billy Graham Crusades. He thought he would just play guitar and sing gospel music. Come to find out, the organization didn't just let any ol' teenager get up on the platform and play. He had rushed ahead of God's direction for his life.

God is working on my wife and I. He's molding us. He's bending us. He's trying our patience every day. I'm not just working a job, banking money, and saving for retirement. I'm serving in a church, saving for a survey trip, and seeking God's face daily for direction. My wife and I are contacting mission boards, conversing with missionaries, and learning more about Australia. We're also serving in a nursing home where I'm learning to how to love people and how to guide people in a more pastoral way (not that I'm trying to pastor the people. Many of them have a church home they go to as well). 

The point is that God's working on my heart and my mind. I'm trying to be as logical as I can with the funds God is giving me as well as the time I have with my wife. We'll take a survey trip when God provides the funding. When God provides the direction, we'll go. When God says it's time, He'll have prepared us financially, mentally, and spiritually enough to meet the task. God never gives us more than we are able to handle without also giving us His divine aid. 

I would ask that you'd pray for Brettnay and I. I do not want you to think we are discouraged, because we are not. We are happy in Jesus and very much enjoy where we are serving Him now! I have every confidence in my Lord and His guidance in my life. He knows the answers to my questions, but right now the answer is wait. So we wait.

Your friend and brother in Christ Jesus our Lord, 

Simeon Brazzell

I Tim 1:12

The Way Back To God - A Review

We've been doing a study of Psalm 51 in Sunday School over the past 13 weeks. This study is entitled The Way Back to God, and the study material was written by Pastor Clarence Sexton. You can find the book here. I would like to briefly tell you what this study has meant to me.

I will tell you a little bit of my story without getting into too much detail. I think that when people give testimonies, they often glorify their sin in the process. I actually heard someone on the radio the other day say that they had "built their testimony" as a young person before they got saved. They meant by that that they'd done a lot of bad things in life, and that Christ had rescued them from it. That's good that they are now saved, but they didn't build their testimony by being a sinner. We all have the same testimony which is that Christ saved us when we were sinners through his death, burial, and resurrection.

When I was in junior high school, I became filled with rebellion in my heart as many young men do. I became puffed up in pride and thought that I could handle sin rather than it handle me. I found that I was wrong. It took me getting caught and the intervention of my parents and my youth leader to get me back on track. Most importantly, it took the forgiveness of God being felt in my own heart. I was already a Christian, but I'd lost my way. Psalm 51 is the sinner's guide back to God. Pastor Clarence Sexton wrote this book to help people break down and digest what David penned in his own prayer to God.

Pastor Sexton goes systematically through Psalm 51 verse by verse and explains what each part of David's prayer means and how it applies to every Christian. You don't have to be involved in horrible sin to be away from God. I would venture to say that most American Christians are away from God simply because they aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing. They are committing sins of omission rather than sins of commission. This book is a refresher course on what your relationship with God is supposed to be like. It's a measuring stick to help you see where you are in your own personal relationship with Him. Only you can know if you are closer to God today than you have ever been.

The truth is the way back to God isn't a secret. It's always been the same, but it comes down to our own willingness to see our sin for what it is, confess it to Christ, and allow Him to cleanse us. I strongly urge anyone who hasn't read this book to get it and study it! It will help you no matter where you are in life.


Your friend,
Simeon Brazzell
I Tim 1:12

A Spirit of Criticism

If you think that I am perfect in this area, then I have news for you! I am not. Not that anyone on the planet thinks that I am.

Criticism is a struggle that we sarcastic people struggle with. It's easy for us to excuse our behavior by saying it's just the way we are. I'm not going to talk about sarcasm because, in and of itself, sarcasm isn't wrong. I do want to talk a bit about criticism and having a critical spirit.

The truth is, criticism isn't wrong either. There is a way to be critical with the end goal being improvement. For instance, companies often will employ an auditor to go through their books and look for error. They do this so that they catch problems before an authority does or just to improve their own books. The auditor is being "critical". He's searching for error, yet he's not doing anything wrong in doing so.

A critical spirit is an attitude of criticism. If you have a critical spirit, then you are the person who finds something wrong in everything. Everyone knows someone like this: a coworker who is constantly complaining about management, a church member who complains about the leadership of the pastor, a family member who always find something to complain about. Not all criticism is bad, but a spirit of criticism is always a bad thing.

So what about being critical to help someone? I mean, it's ok to be critical of the pastor because it keeps him honest right? More often than not, criticism is used to demean or harm rather than correct. A major difference between criticism and a critical spirit is that criticism is usually given directly to the source of the problem, whereas a person with a critical spirit complains to others. It's ok to go to your pastor if you have a genuine concern about something. If you are just wanting to complain you should probably just keep it to yourself. Too often we complain to each other instead of talking to the party responsible.

Also criticism doesn't have to see change to be satisfied. If the auditor sees a problem, he reports it to the correct party and moves on. He's not responsible to force change. A person with a critical spirit will only be happy with the way something is done if they are in charge. If something goes wrong, it's always someone else's fault. It's OK to notice and report an issue, it's not OK to search for problems for the sake of looking smarter or putting someone else down. I think today's news media has a critical spirit. Good news is no news. Only bad news is aired because people have a critical spirit. Should foul play in government be exposed? Yes! But good things should too.

I'm working on this one myself. I am both observant and critical which is a dangerous combo. It's really bad for the observant, critical, perfectionists out there. Thankfully, I'm not also the latter. I'm working on it, and I hope you'll do the same. Next time you're being critical, ask yourself if you are helping anyone or just making everyone miserable.

Keep thinking my friends,

Simeon Brazzell

Recompense

How you do what you do matters

"To what do I owe the pleasure?", "How much for the fruit?", and "You’re going to pay for that!" are all phrases one might hear any day of the week. All these have something in common – Recompense. Men feel that there is a price for all actions. Negative actions deserve a negative response, equal actions deserve an equal response, and positive actions deserve a positive response.

              

If you show up at someone’s house uninvited, they might ask you, “To what do I owe the pleasure?” (That is, if you are friends). The immediate assumption is that you are there for a reason. Maybe you are their neighbor, and you need to borrow a few eggs. Maybe you’ve come over to bring them a gift. Always they assume there’s a reason for your coming. They might invite you in and offer you a drink, or they might ask what you need first and make a decision as to what to do next.

If it’s the girl scouts at your door asking you to buy cookies you don’t assume they’re going to give you the cookies for free. Automatically, you are approached with the decision of whether the cookies are worth the cash it costs for them. There’s a price. In my opinion it’s a fair trade no matter how much they are this year!

In a negative light, if you were to decide that those cookies are far too expensive, and you make the poor decision to assault the little girl’s mother and take the cookies for yourself, then you will have the negative price of spending time in jail. Like Newton’s Third Law of Thermodynamics, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

I believe my wife has already written about sowing and reaping in a previous article, so that’s not what I’m getting at. I want to talk about recompense, or "compensation". Everything has a cost or compensation. Fruit in the store has a price, a friend showing up at your door has a cost in time and possibly food, and a criminal action or just a bad decision has a penalty or compensation for that decision. Everything has a price in life.

If my wife asks me to go clean her headlamps I can make a few decisions:

1. Say "ok" and go outside and do it.
2. Yell at her for always telling me to do things and then go outside and do it.
3. Ignore her and not do it.
4. Yell at her and not do it. Etc.

All of those have a different recompense associated with them. #1 probably lands me a good kiss and a smile. #2 ends up in lost fellowship with my wife and lost confidence in my desire to take care of her. #3 forces her to assume that I am lazy and don’t care about her safety on the roads. #4 undermines her confidence that I love her and also shows that I don’t care about her safety.

The point being, we can do what we are supposed to do with a poor attitude, but it will cost more. We can do what we are supposed to with a good attitude and gain the rewards that it entails. It’s up to us. Just something for your brain to munch on.

Keep thinking friends,

Simeon Brazzell.

PS: I chose option #1, buffed the headlamps, and the results were nice.

I'm Getting Older - But Should I Look Back or Forward?

Yes, I did have a birthday. It was on October the 23rd. I am now 23 years old. Many of you just rolled your eyes and muttered to yourself something about twenty-three not being old. I suppose you'd be right. I just feel like I'm still supposed to be sword fighting with a hockey stick in the backyard with my little brother.

I wrote once before about time being like a vapor. (The link is here) That is certainly beginning to feel true for me. It seems like yesterday, I was playing high school soccer, and today I'm 23, working a full-time job, and married! What on earth happened?

I'm not going to act like I'm distraught over it because I'm not. I love the fact that today is a new day filled with new experiences. Yesterday is the past, and I cannot change it nor would I. That brings me to my topic.

The past and the future. According to an article published in October 2010, people are more likely to react with more intensity when presented with situations effecting the future rather than the past - link. What exactly does that mean? Let me illustrate. Let's say that you were talking to someone and they told you that a friend of yours was cheated on by her husband last week, but you are in a foreign country and are unable to speak with her to let her know how sorry you are. You tried to call her but you got no answer. You would probably hurt for her for a few hours to a day and then forget about it until you got home.

Now let's take the same scenario and reverse it. Let's say that you somehow know that in one week your friend's husband is going to cheat on her, but you are in a foreign country. You tried to call her but you got no answer. I'd be willing to bet you'd do everything in your power to get a message to her. You might even pay a little extra and have your return flight tickets bumped forward a few days since you couldn't reach her by phone. It wouldn't be something that could wait. Why?

I'm not necessarily talking about adultery and its effect on people. I'm talking about the measures you would take to ensure you got a message to her. Cheating is cheating. So why in one instance do you wait till you get home, yet in the other, you do everything you can to get home? Because the past is over and you can't change it, but the future is uncertain and you feel like you can make a difference in it.

What's the point? Why do we as Christians gawk in awe at men and women of the past who made a difference, but hold no hope for the future? People spend their lives studying famous and infamous men and women of the past. That's not wrong, but we cannot effect the past personally. You can however effect the future. People are dying and going to Hell. Some people died and went to Hell yesterday. That's a terrible thing, but if we asked them I guarantee they would rather we tried to witness to others rather than live in pity for those who are already gone. (Luke 16:19-31)

Is someone's eternal future important enough for us to be a little inconvenienced? Just a thought.

Keep thinking friends,

Simeon Brazzell - I Tim. 1:12

Make up your mind

Ok, so it's been a while.

Yes, it's been over a month, and I apologize! I got married to the love of my life on July 12th so cut me a little slack. In case you don't believe me, here is a picture.

Wow she's beautiful!...Now that you believe me, we can get on to the topic of choice.

Make up your mind. People in today's world are indecisive. We all are this way from time to time. My wife asks me what I want to eat and my answer is most always "I don't know". The are some times where it's not a big deal to not know, and there are other times where you need to know. Is it a big deal whether or not I know what I want to eat? Of course not! But there are times where it's important to know what you want.

I took the picture on the left a few days ago while coming home from work. It actually was the inspiration for my article. The top no parking sign is always there, but the bottom temporary sign obviously isn't. So is it temporary or not? Someone should make up their mind.

We all have to make choices in life. Some minor, some major, but all are choices. God created us with the ability to choose things for ourselves. We have to make up our minds about certain things. Adam had an option to choose to sin with Eve or follow God. Abraham had the option to choose whether or not to sacrifice his son. Lot had a choice of which field he would take. We know what results were wrought because of their choices. Listen to what Joshua said in Joshua 24:15

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord , choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Do you think it was an easy choice for him to go against the crowd and pick a side? He could have just not made a choice right? Wrong! He had to choose to either follow God or not. God doesn't leave room for a "maybe" answer. You're in or out and there's no middle ground. So why as Christians do we think we can straddle the fence between worldliness and godliness?

We all know people who have left church recently. Teens who decide that they don't want to "play church" anymore, adults who don't have time, families that say they spend Sundays "as a family" rather than attending. Why? Because they finally chose a side.

The barrier between sides is more like a gate than a fence. It's always an option to go from one side to the other. There's a gate and you can either cross the gate and leave it open behind you, or you can close the gate and give the key to Christ to hold. If you leave the gate open behind you, then someday you'll cross back over. If you lock it but don't give the key to Christ, then you'll unlock it someday. But if you give it to Christ then you'll have to steal it back to cross back over.

Make up your mind. Where do you stand? Are you leaving the gate open just in case you want to indulge yourself? Are you holding on to the key to that one thing you won't give to Christ? Or have you given Christ your all?

I don't pretend that I've given everything to Christ. I would like to, but every day he shows me a key I still have in my pocket. Search yourself. Ask Christ to search you for keys you haven't given him. Then chose you this day whom you will serve.

Where are the brakes on this thing?

School is over, but I am not really any less busy! What's going on?

Well, I have no furniture in my bedroom now because I spent all day last Saturday loading it into my dad's truck and dropping it off at my future house. Brettnay is currently living there until we get married. We've been decorating and purchasing necessities for weeks now. And I thought life would slow down a little!

Maybe life will slow after the wedding, and maybe not. I learned a while ago that life isn't about wishing things would come sooner or wanting time to move slower. Some people spend their days wishing it was tomorrow, and some people spend them hoping tomorrow never comes.

God says in Ecclesiastes that there is a time for everything. He mentions several things like a time to laugh, cry, go to war, have peace, etc. The point of the passage is that there is a time for everything in life and all things are under His control. People get all out of whack when things don't happen exactly as planned or when something bad happens. They fail to realize that everything happens right when God allows it to.

Have you ever heard someone say, "When it rains, it pours"? The phrase means that everything seems to happen all at once. I have my own theory about that. I think we tend to make a bigger deal about minor things when we are already stressed about something else. It seems like everything is going wrong at once when really most of the time, there is only one major thing and a few minor issues.

When things don't seem to be going our way, we wish the whole thing would just be over with. Sometimes we know something is coming up, so we wish time would just stop. Christ wants us to live in the time we are in. He gives us the trials we have to teach us. Sometimes it's to give us the ability to influence others for the better. So stop and smell the roses from time to time and allow yourself to enjoy today!

I can't wish that life would slow down because there is much I need to do between now and the wedding to prepare myself. I'm also looking forward to my wedding and sometimes it seems I can't wait for it to be here, but I have to make sure that I don't miss today. God may have something special for me. I don't want to rush right past it.

Keep thinking friends,

Simeon Brazzell
I Tim 1:12

That's Final!

No, I'm not yelling at anyone!

Sorry I've taken so long to blog. Saying that things are busy right now would be a gross understatement, but everyone is busy, so it's not really an excuse either.

Next week, I will be having finals at school. Most schools around the country are doing finals next week or the week after. What does that mean exactly? Well, it means that it's the last school related thing you have for that school year. If you are a senior, like myself, it means that you will be graduating, and you have no school responsibilities left to complete for your degree! It means for me that school may be over for life for me. Or is it?

Truth is, you never really get out of school. If you have (or had) one of those dads like I have, then there's a continuous project going on at the house all the time. As soon as you finish building that deck, you start working on mulching all the gardens or replacing the gutter guards. Frankly it can be frustrating for a kid who just wants to have fun. But at the same time, I'm always learning how to do new and useful things.

No one appreciates that aspect of life like they should. Your brain is like a piece of "Silly Puddy" on newspaper. You are constantly "copying" new things then reforming your thought process and "copying" something else. Life makes you learn whether you want to or not. God made us this way. We are like clay on the Potter's wheel. He forms us and shapes us. If He doesn't like what He sees then he breaks us down and starts over. If we harden ourselves, then He's forced to work us over to soften us back up.

Life is learning. Its much easier if we stay soft and pliable. Be open to learning new things whether it be how to use a new tool or what you read in devo's this morning. Sorry kids, schools not out just yet!

Keep thinking friends,

Simeon Brazzell
I Tim. 1:12

Being Ready for Change

I've been thinking a lot recently about what it will be like when I'm married. Brettnay and I are getting married on July 12th, so a lot of big changes are headed my way. Sometimes the thought is scary, but it's always exciting. Then I got to thinking about what "being ready" really is.

1. You can't truly be ready
           The truth is, when monumental things happen in life, you are never really fully ready. You cannot possibly anticipate every scenario. Anyone who has ever had a baby knows that there's always something you forgot. Something you don't realize until you get home from the hospital. Maybe it's diapers, maybe there isn't a lock on the crib, maybe something broke a day after you brought the little person home. My big sister is about to have a baby, and they are having a baby shower today! She'll get lots of things that are necessary for baby care and lots of things that are more for mommy than the baby. The point is that you are never really 100% prepared.

2. You can rely on God

           Here is the sticky part. How much should you rely on God, and how much should you rely on preparation? Well realistically we should rely on God 100% and not on ourselves at all. Our God can supply all our need according to His riches in Christ Jesus.

3. You must also prepare
           Yes we should rely totally on God, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't prepare. Christ says, "look to the ant thou sluggard". What do ants do? Well, they are constantly preparing for the cold season. All day, everyday thay are working hard to store up food for the colony and for their eggs so that they can last through the cold winter. We should be prepared for the future, but all our preparation could get ruined in a day. Like a child stepping on that ant hill, we could lose all that preparation. We must still rely on God.

3. You shouldn't overwork

            Another teaching of Christ may seem like a contradiction the the previous one. When Christ was visiting with his dear friends, Mary and Martha, he taught them a very important lesson. Mary was sitting at the feet of Christ listening to every word He had to say. Martha, however, was hurriedly running around the house cooking and cleaning and making sure everything was fit for Christ to be there. Christ rebuked Martha and commended Mary by saying that Martha was troubled about many things "but one thing is needful". The biggest and most important piece of preparing for any change in life is to spend time at the feet of Christ! You can get that baby room perfect. You can make your wedding an wonderful fairy tale wedding. But you will never be fully prepared for what is to come without spending that time with Christ!

I wish you would pray for Brettnay and I as we're getting married soon, and I hope you'll pray for my sister's pregnancy as well. We need your prayers!

Keep thinking friends,

Simeon Brazzell - I Tim 1:12

Contentment

First, it has been a while since my last blog entry, and for that I am sorry. December and January are a crazy time of the year. It's always busy during the holidays, especially when you are still in school. Speaking of which, it is my last semester as an undergrad student! I'll be graduating this May along with the love of my life, Brettnay! It is both exciting and scary to move on from something and launch out into something new. This is the time in people's lives where they often take a wrong turn. That decision usually comes because they aren't content.

I am definitely not a pro at being content. In fact, I may be the least content person I know. Yet it is extremely important to be content! People tend to make New Year's resolutions at this time of year to do things that they haven't been doing already. These things are usually good things that will improve their lives. This isn't being discontent; it is trying to improve the things that you can control. Contentment doesn't mean that you should be perfectly satisfied with everything in your life. It does mean that you should be satisfied with the things that are out of your control. You may not like everything in your life. God doesn't ask that you like everything, but He does ask that you be content.

We all know people who just wring their hands over every single circumstance in life. When it rains they are worried about flooding, they are worried about their hair, they are worried about their car, etc. Everyone knows someone who is an ultimate worrier. The ultimate worriers are those people that simply never have something positive to say. They are the ones that add "so long as..." to every sentence. There is always an "as long as everything goes my way I'll be just fine" attitude to their speech. Then there are the people who don't worry about anything at all because they simply don't care about anything. That's not good either. How do you find a middle ground? Is there a way to be perfectly content?

Well, we are commanded of God to be content so there has to be a way to do so. God will never give a command that He will not empower us to follow. We are to find our contentment in Christ not in circumstances. The circumstances in life are going to change. The world rocks like a boat in a storm. The stock market rises and people go crazy. The stock market crashes and they go crazy in the opposite direction. Nothing is stable; nothing is safe; there is nowhere to hide from the change.

Christ is our rock and our hiding place. We can remain calm in the bumps. We can stay composed when everything in life is crashing down because we can be content in Christ. He is all, and in all, and through all. He is in control. So next time you are tempted to panic with anxiety, just remember that godliness with contentment is great gain. Peace and contentment are linked and inseparable in the Scripture.

So go ahead and go on that diet. Lose that weight or go gain so muscle. Quit drinking those sodas. That's all good and has little to do with contentment. But here's a resolution for you...don't panic, and let go of the reins. Let God take control. It's much easier.

Keep thinking friends,
Simeon Brazzell
I Tim 1:12

You Only Live Once

Anyone who has been paying attention to common lingo among people under the age of 30 has heard the acronym YOLO at least once. It's a cute little phrase meaning, "You only live once." People use this phrase as an excuse for inappropriate or dangerous behavior. It's their way of saying that they are going to do whatever they want, whenever they want because they may not get the opportunity to do so later.

Walk into a hospital sometime and ask someone why they are there. Most people in hospitals are there because of poor choices on their part or someone else's. Obviously people just get sick sometimes. Sometimes bad things do happen to good people who make good choices. However, if you walk into the average hospital you'll find that most people are there because of the damage done to their body by bad decision making. Sometimes it's a broken arm from a kid going up a ramp on a skateboard. Sometimes it's a man in a bed waiting for a liver transplant because his liver was destroyed by alcohol. Sometimes a girl is getting shrapnel removed from her from the car accident she was just in.

People make bad decisions everyday, but everyone who is in the hospital because of his own bad decisions is sorry. They are sorry they didn't take necessary precautions or abstain from certain activities.

People are taught today to live today as if it's their last. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it has to be understood properly. For instance, this is a quote I pulled from a teenage blogger,

"Look at you. You’re young. And you’re scared. Why are you so scared? Stop being paralyzed. Stop swallowing your words. Stop caring what other people think. Wear what you want. Say what you want. Listen to the music you want to listen to. Go out for a drive at midnight and forget that you have school the next day. Stop waiting for Friday. Live now. Do it now. Take risks. Tell secrets. This life is yours. When are you going to realize that you can do whatever you want?"

Yes, this is horrible! Kids think they can just take their life and do whatever they want with it. YOLO right? What's life worth if you can't live it to its fullest? All those rules and restrictions are holding you back. If you want to dip your hand in liquid nitrogen then do it! YOLO! That's a silly illustration I know, but that sort of thinking is infused in every area of our society.

We've got churches saying it's fine to be gay as long as you love one another. We've got couples talking about their "open marriages" because they want more sexual partners than just their spouses. What are we supposed to do? How can we fix this?

The Bible says in I Corinthians 6:19 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" 

Yes, you only live once. You only have one life on earth. But that's just it, your life isn't your's to waste. It's not about doing all you can while you are alive! It's about doing all you can for Christ while you have the time to do it. Get out there and do what you can for Him, because He deserves it. Stop making bad decisions and live your one life for Christ! People naturally want to do what they want to do. It's our job to show them Christ's version of YOLO.
Keep thinking friends,

Simeon Brazzell
I Tim 1:12

Mr. Funny Guy

We all know this guy. Mr. Funny Guy is that person who is always cracking jokes. He doesn't care who he hurts as long as what he says makes others laugh. He'll crack a joke at anyone's expense, including his own. He has to be the center of attention.

Christian, you aren't supposed to be this guy. What? Why does it matter? Can't Christians have a little fun? Well, of course they can! I think Christians should be the people who have the most fun! We have so much more to live for than the rest of the world! We should be joyous and be able to have fun. But does that mean we can have fun but can't crack jokes? Of course not, but there was a day when jokes weren't all negative.

There was a day when even worldly comedians didn't swear constantly or talk about vulgar things in order to be funny. They were able to make crowds laugh with outrageous stories and imaginative scenarios. They didn't need to talk about politics, drag anyone's reputation through the mud, curse, or talk about sexual things in order to win the audiences. That's an art form not common among comedians today.

Enough about comedians, what about me? This is where the rubber meets the road. The Bible says in Proverbs 16:24 "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." So what kind of words do you think the Bible wants us Christians to speak? Pleasant ones of course. How many times have we said things jokingly that really hurt someone? I am the king of this! I am naturally a sarcastic person, and I'm very light-hearted. It's a blessing at times because I can take things in stride, but it's a curse at other times. When it comes to jokes, I can say mean things and not even realize I've done it! We really have to watch what we say. The Bible says in Proverbs 18:21 that death and life are in the power of the tongue. We all have heard the awful stories about kids who've killed themselves over something people said about them. We've also heard stories about how someone said the right thing at the right time and changed the course of someone's life for the better!

So, what's important Christian? Is your joke more important than someone else's feelings? There is a way to tell jokes without hurting anyone. I'm not preaching here; I'm just expressing something I've been thinking about and working on myself.

Keep thinking friends,

Simeon Brazzell
I Tim. 1:12

The Call to Preach

There is something major in my life that I've talked about to people, but never really spent the time to explain fully. That is my call to preach.

Almost all of the prophets in the Old Testament have a record of their call. The disciples were called directly from Jesus Christ and sent out from His presence from time to time to preach the gospel. Some would argue that the Great Commission is a call for all men to preach. I would tend to agree, but not in the sense that all men are supposed to stand behind a pulpit every week.

When I was just a boy, maybe eight or nine, I came down the stairs after getting home from church one night. I told my parents I felt like I was supposed to preach when I grew up. My parents were wise enough not to take that hook, line, and sinker. Many Christian parents would immediately be enrolling kids in preaching contests and start looking at Bible colleges! They told me with a smile that that was a good thing, but that I should keep praying about it. I did just that, but after a while that impression seemed to wear off on me. I just wasn't sure about it, and I didn't have to have been. I was a kid!

It wasn't until my freshman year of High School that preaching was impressed upon my heart again. We were living in Lebanon, OH and going to Grace Baptist Church in Middletown, OH. Max Fernandez (who is now the pastor there) was the youth leader at the time and he took us to Youth Congress. Youth Congress is a week of teen camp hosted by the Temple Baptist Church in Powell, TN where Brettnay and I are now members. Youth Congress is a blast for teenagers and I would  recommend it to anyone! I do not remember what the preacher was preaching that night. I don't even remember who the preacher was. But I remember that while I had my head bowed that day I felt the impression of God on my spirit about preaching.

 I struggled within myself because I didn't want to go forward. I didn't want to surrender my own selfish desires to God. It had been a long time since I was a boy and talked to my parents. Could God use someone like me?

Someone walked by the pew and brushed my shoulder as they did. It was enough to get me to lift my head and when I did I saw the most obvious slap in the face from God I have received to date. When I looked up I saw a verse imprinted above the baptistery of the church. "...They ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ" Acts 5:42. I believe God can use a brush on the shoulder to get your attention. I go to church there now and every time I look at the baptistery I see that verse.

I didn't go forward that day. To my shame I shook off God's slap in the face and waited. The next service I couldn't do that again and I went forward and surrendered to the call. Soon after I was called to missions, but that's a story for another day.

Thanks for your faithfulness to read the blog and please continue to pray for Brettnay and I as we seek to follow God's will for our lives!

Your brother in Christ,
Simeon