Our Lamp and Light

 Psalm 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Can it be possible that we are already almost a month into 2016?! Simeon and I have hearts of excitement and expectancy as we begin this year! Lord willing, we will be making a trip to Australia this year. . . we will keep everyone updated as we figure out the details! As we have many decisions and new experiences coming this year, we know that the only place to find the answers our hearts are seeking is in God's Word. Whatever questions you are facing in this year, remember that God says that His Word is our lamp and light. We need not stumble along in the darkness because God has given us light! God gives us enough light to take the next step. As we follow His path for our lives, He continues to give more and more light.

Do you need the light of God's Word to shine in your heart? I believe that all Christians need that light everyday. You may not be facing decisions about leaving the country, but we all have different things on our heart that we need God to guide us in.

It's a new year- I have made resolutions as I'm sure many of you have. One of my resolutions for this year is to read my Bible through cover to cover. A friend from church shared an amazing resource to help stay on track- The KJV Daily Promise Bible.

Read through scripture in a year—and thrill to the promises God makes to you—with The KJV Daily Promise Bible. Featuring the beloved text of the King James Version, every day’s entry features an Old Testament passage, a New Testament passage, and a selection from the Psalms or Proverbs, readable in 15–20 minutes. And each day, a scriptural promise is highlighted, accompanied by a brief devotional thought, inspirational idea, or practical insight. This handsomely-bound volume combines the most trusted and beautiful scripture text with one of the handiest yearly reading formats available. Spend a year with The KJV Daily Promise Bible—it could change your life!

I have been so blessed already this year as I have been daily reading through an Old Testament, New Testament, and Psalm/Proverbs passage each day. There are so many treasures waiting for us in Scripture, all we have to do is read! Our Pastor says, "We need a revolution back to the Bible." How true that is! Let's determine that 2016 will be the year that we all get our hearts deep into God's Word!!

All For His Glory,

Brettnay

Here is a link where you can buy this Bible on Amazon- The KJV Daily Promise Bible

Have Faith In God

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

During the past thirteen weeks in our Sunday School class, we have been going through a study titled "Have Faith in God." This is probably my third or fourth time going through this study, but it has never meant as much to me as it has in the past few months! Why is that? Well, there are several reasons.

1. It never ceases to amaze me how you can read the same verses in the Bible, but God can reveal different truths each time. That is exactly what happened in this study. God brought to light the connection between faith and family. I think before as I have studied the people listed in the "hall of faith" in Hebrews 11, I have thought of how their faith affected them as an individual. Abraham's faith allowed God to use him to be the father of nations. Moses' faith allowed God to make him the one who would deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. While all that is true, the faith exemplified in the lives of these people had a direct impact on their families. Take Moses' parents for example, their act of faith in trusting their baby boy to God's control allowed them extra time with him to train him in the ways of Jehovah. Their faith was planted in Moses' heart so that when the day came for him to choose the pleasures of Egypt or the way of his people's God, he could make the right choice! One day, Simeon and I look forward to starting a family. I pray that God can develop the kind of faith in our lives that will impact our children. And I am so thankful for godly parents who's faith impacted me!

2. The point was brought out in this study that God does not choose to use us because we in and of ourselves are worthy or strong enough. If you look at the lives of the individuals listed in Hebrews 11, you will notice that they weren't "super heroes." They were regular people like you and I who had weaknesses. 2 Corinthians 12:19 says that Christ's strength is made perfect in our weakness. What a promise! This truth spoke to my heart. I need not worry that I am not capable enough to do God's work because when I yield myself to Him, He will enable me to serve Him!

3. When we began our study, our teacher told us that when you pray for God to increase your faith, be prepared for Him to answer. At the time, I wasn't exactly sure what all that meant. Over the past several weeks, I have come to have a better understanding of his response. How does God increase faith? Under what circumstances does our faith have the chance to blossom and grow? God often uses trials in our lives to mature our faith. This could be looked at in a negative light. I don't want to have trials! Just like every other human, I love being on the "mountain top." I want life to be smooth sailing. But it has been through some recent trials that God has made Himself known to Simeon and I. We asked for our faith to be increased, and He answered. . . just not in the way that we would've chosen for ourselves. Has it been worth it? YES!! We still don't have all the answers, and we are still trying to climb back up the mountain, but God has proven over and over again to us that He is enough, He is in control, and He desires the best for our lives. I have seen God's hand moving, and that is worth the time in the valley!

You can listen or watch videos of this lesson series at this link- Have Faith In God. I challenge you to listen to these lessons, and I pray that it will bless your heart as it has mine!

All for His Glory,

Brettnay

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!

A Threefold Cord

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 " Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and

a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

Sunday, July 12th, Simeon and I celebrated our first anniversary! It is so hard to believe that we have been married for a whole year; where did the time go!? 

Several weeks before our wedding, a friend of mine gave me a card congratulating us on our marriage. Inside the card, she wrote the verse Ecc. 4:12 ". . . a threefold cord is not quickly broken." That was the only time I saw that verse written in the many cards we received. It's not a verse I would have immediately thought to write in a wedding card, but it has greatly influenced me since reading it. As I looked it up in the Bible and studied the context, it became a verse that I claimed for our marriage. 

When Sim and I first started dating, we agreed to only grow closer together as we grew closer to God. Now, that hasn't always been the case in our relationship, but we have always aimed to keep that the goal. This verse complemented that desire!

Our first year of marriage has been wonderful. We have had several bumps in the road, but overall it has been an easy year for us. We have enjoyed getting to know one another on an even greater level, spent a lot of time talking about how good God has been to us, prayed together for many requests that were pressing on our hearts, and sought God for His will for our lives. In all these things, our "threefold" cord has been strengthened as we have strove to keep Christ in the center of our relationship! As we journey through life, harder times will come, but I know that when those times come, it will be the threefold cord that we have worked to strengthen that will carry us through!

We've only been married a very short time and are in no place to offer marriage advice. This is just something that God has greatly used in our marriage, and because the authority is from God and not me, I trust it can make a difference in your marriage too!

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

Make Me a Blessing

Have you ever prayed that God would help make you a blessing to those around you??

When Simeon and I got married, we began praying about what ministries the Lord would have us get involved in. We had several things in mind when a couple contacted us about serving in a nursing home. They had held services there for the past two years and were moving away, so they needed a replacement. We were a bit skeptical at first. . . that was not on our list of ministries we wanted to do. We went with them one Sunday, and God worked in our hearts while we were there! It only took two weeks for us to realize that was the ministry God had for us! We then began to ask God that He would make us a blessing there! God has given us a special relationship with the 20+ residents that attend our weekly service. They have told us on many occasions that it's such a blessing to them to have us there! That means a lot to us, because that is what we prayed for! Funny thing is, throughout the past 5 months serving there, Simeon and I would both say that we feel they have blessed us more than we have blessed them! To go each week and see their faithfulness, and that they are excited about worshiping the Lord, is such an encouragement!

Matthew 5:16 says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they many see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." We have enjoyed watching the people we minister to let their hearts shine for Jesus! They are at a stage of life where they have experienced many things and gained much wisdom, and through it all, they are being examples for Christ!


What ministry has God called you to? You may work in a nursing home, teach a children's class, or work a bus route. In all ministries, we can pray that God will make us a blessing to those come in contact with! And do you know what you'll find? When you seek to be a blessing to someone else, you'll end up being blessed in return!


Earlier this week, the residence held a Volunteer Appreciate Luncheon. As they thanked us volunteers for serving there, I could not help but thank them for the wonderful privilege to get to know them and serve Christ along side them! They gave me this flower pot as a "thank you." What a blessing!!

All for His Glory,

Brettnay  Brazzell

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

Notice the Roses Among the Thorns

This past week we had our annual Faithful Men's Conference at our church. I was so excited about this meeting! Why you may ask? Because this was my first Faithful Men's conference married to my faithful man! I prayed and prayed that God would speak to his heart. I hoped that Simeon would receive such a blessing from this meeting. As the conference drew nearer, it was as though God said to me, "Just because this is a conference for men, that doesn't mean that I don't want to speak to you." After that, my prayer changed a bit. I still prayed God would speak to Sim, but I also started praying that He would speak to me! Monday evening, Pastor Craig Edwards preached on overcoming depression. His text was II Corinthians 12 where Paul speaks of his thorn in the flesh. Pastor Edwards went on to say that we will all deal with thorns in our lives, but that we should not allow ourselves to be so consumed by them that we forget to see the roses that they produce. This thought hit me like a ton of bricks! So often in my life I focus on my "thorns", but when compared to what other people are dealing they with seem like nothing! At that moment, I stopped and thought about all the "roses" that God has placed in my life!

I would like to share a few roses God has placed in my life. I would love to try to list them all, but I think it would take me years to write of all the good things my Lord has done for me! So here is my concise list. . .

Rose #1- God's Mercy, Compassion, and Faithfulness
   Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." If all I had in life was this one rose amongst thousands of thorns, this should be enough to keep me full of joy and praising my Lord! When all I deserve is death and hell, God reached out His merciful hand to me, wrapped me in His tender compassion, and proved that He is faithful to keep His promises. When I called out to Him, acknowledging I was a sinner and I needed a Savior, He was there to hear my cry. And every morning since then, His mercies have been new! What a rose to ponder on!

Rose #2- My Christ-honoring husband
   Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, ". . . a threefold cord is not quickly broken." IWhen Simeon and I were married, a dear friend of ours wrote this verse on a card. I was amazed at how it applied to our relationship. When Sim and I first started dating, we agreed that we would only draw closer together as we drew closer to God- our threefold cord. We have been married almost 7 months now, and it has been the most blissful, happy time of my life! I am so blessed to be married to a man who loves the Lord and seeks His guidance as he leads our family. Again, what a special rose!

Rose #3- My Christian Family
   Deuteronomy 6:7 says, "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Simeon and I both had the wonderful privilege of being raised in Christian homes. Our parents and all our siblings have trusted Christ as their personal Savior. Although I will never realize the sacrifices our parents have made to mold us into the people we are today, I  do know enough to be so full of gratitude! I love my parents, my siblings, and my in-laws. They are some of God's greatest gifts to me. What beautiful roses they are!

Rose #4- A New Testament Church
   Acts 5:42 says, "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. My pastor, Dr. Clarence Sexton, has chosen this as his life verse, and I believe it perfectly describes the Temple Baptist Church. It is so refreshing to be able to worship with other believers who cease not to proclaim Jesus Christ! How beautiful this rose is!

Rose #5- My Faithful Friends
   Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." God has blessed me with such wonderful, godly friends! Some of them I see almost on a daily basis, some we text often, and others I only hear from by email every so often, but each friend is precious. There is nothing quite like having a friend who loves you enough to let you know when you are doing wrong, who encourages you when you need it most, who you can trust to pray for things weighing on your heart. I don't know where I'd be without these dear people in my life. Once again, what sweet roses!

I am writing this blog post more so for my benefit as I reflect on God's goodness, but I hope that you will receive a blessing from it, and that it will encourage you to notice your roses among the thorns. Make a list of your roses as I have done above. The next time you seem overcome by the thorns, pull it out, read over it, and thank God for his unending goodness to you!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the sweet and precious roses you have placed in my life! As trials attempt to entangle me in their thorns, help me to see past the pain, and see the beautiful roses you are growing!

All for His Glory,

Brettnay 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

Insignificant or Important?

Wow! So much has happened since I last wrote a blog post! I got married to the Love of my life, he whisked me off to Spain for an amazing honeymoon, and now we are settling into our daily routines together. . . yes, we've been pretty busy! But in the business of life, we have made time to seek God as a couple, praying together and studying God's Word. I'd like to share with you something God laid on my heart the other day. . .

I can't take all the credit for this blog post. Some of the inspiration came from a sermon I was listening to by Dr. Tom Farrell, but God took the seed planted by his message and has been developing it in my heart.

There are many things in life we deem important and many things we pass off as insignificant. It is amazing how God repeatedly used seemingly insignificant things in a very important way! I have listed several examples from Scripture of this very truth!

1. The Mustard Seed
Matthew 17:20 " And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
While some seeds have unique shapes, colors, patters, or sizes, the mustard seed is not one of those! Ranging in size from 1-2mm in diameter, you would probably not even see it if it was lying in front of you. Yet, God chose to use this plain, little seed to make a word picture for us. He said that if we have as much faith as a mustard seed, we could move mountains! So, does God see this small seed as insignificant or important? Important!

2. A Staff
Exodus 7:8-10 "And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent."

Here we have a simple rod. It was probably not made out of any precious wood, for its purpose was to aid men as they walked. To us, it may not appear to be anything of value, yet God used this rod to show His power before Pharoah's entire court! Insignificant or important? Important!

3. A Scarlet Cord

Joshua 2:21 "And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window."

Joshua 6:25 "And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho."

In this story, God chose a scarlet cord to picture His greatest gift to man, salvation! By Rehab hanging that cord from her window, she saved her entire family! Insignificant or important? Important!

I could go on to list the stones David used to slay Goliath, the widow's mite, the five loaves and two fishes of the little boy, and so many more! Or what about not only when God has used "insignificant" things, but when He has used people we might consider insignificant like Esther, Zaccheus, or even Jesus' mother Mary ??

In each case the item or person, in and of itself, was not important. But there is something in common that made each important and that is Jesus Christ! We are all important to God. If we let Him, He will show us He desires to use us in such an important way! You may wonder why God chooses to use 'insignificant' things and people.  He does it so that when the glory is received for what is accomplished, there is no choice but to recognize that it came directly from Him! 

I know this was a lengthy post, but if it encourages one person, it's worth it! So next time you are wondering if you are important, if anything you do matters, remember that you are important to God! What other people think does not matter! Yield your life to Him, and though you may not be seen of men, God will use you in a way you could never have imagined!

So what are you. . . insignificant or important??

All for His glory,

Brettnay Brazzell

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.

Married but Lonely

   I can hardly believe it; Simeon and I are 3 weeks away from our wedding day! We are so excited not only about that special day, but also about the days and years to follow as we live our life as a married couple!

   The pastor that is performing our ceremony lives 8 hours away, so marriage counseling has been a little different for us. Pastor Brown has sent Sim and I a total of four books. We were to read them, discuss them together, and then write him and let him know what we learned from each book. So, we have spent the past few months reading through these books together and gleaning wisdom from couples who have gained a lot of  life and marriage experience. I know that I personally have learned many things from these books!

   One of the books we read was about communication. Something in the very beginning of the book caught my interests. The author wrote about how people often experience loneliness in marriage. Now he was not referring to couples who were unequally yoked, distant, or not as in love as they once were. He was talking about couples who were Christians and were deeply in love! My immediate thought was, how on earth could I be lonely when I have a wonderful marriage to my very best friend?! That just didn't make sense to me! The author went on to explain what he meant by that statement. Every human being is created with a void inside them, and we all have a desire to have that void filled. We seek for true love, total acceptance, and a relationship that will be our rock through all the up's and down's of life. Most people, myself included, would first think that this is found in a spouse. While you can find all of those things in your life's mate, they will never be able to fill that void in your heart. God didn't create that void in a way that could be filled by a person. The only one who is able to fill that void in your heart is God Himself! So yes, if God does not have his rightful place in your life, and if you are trying to have that void filled by your spouse, you will face that loneliness!

   Simeon is above and beyond anything I could've dreamed for myself! I love him with all of my heart, and I know he is the man God created me for. He is my true love and my rock, yet he cannot fill the void in my heart. We can have a heavenly marriage, but God has to be my first love! Only then will everything else fall into place!

    Now I know some of you are probably thinking, why is she writing about marriage when she hasn't even experience it yet? And to be honest, you are right! But I do know from other areas of life, that we all must put Christ first! He must be the one to fill the void in our hearts! Not a spouse, money, things, family, friends, etc. This principle can be applied to all areas of our lives!

   So friends, as Sim and I are beginning to enter into this new stage of life, please pray that we will always keep Christ first! And I challenge you to do the same! We need never be lonely when we have such a wonderful God and Savior! Deuteronomy 31:8 says, "And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." God promises He will always be there for us! What a precious promise!

All for His Glory,

Brettnay

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

Exterior or Interior Actions

Our days are made up of decisions and actions. Each one can be classified as either an exterior or an interior action. Simeon and I are reading Joel 2 this week, and a thought stood out to me today as I read the chapter. . . .

Joel 2:13 says, "And rend your hearts, and not your garment, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil."

The first part of that verse says to rend your hearts and not your garments. What does that mean exactly? I believe that God is speaking of the motivation behind our decisions and actions. Rending your garment is an exterior action. It is an action that is seen by men. We often "rend our garments," yet never render our hearts! Our motivation is to make a show of our works. We publicly do things so that man will see us and  think "What a good Christian they are!" or "Look how much they love the Lord!" Now let me add a disclaimer here, it is not bad to have other people think that or to have people see what we do for the Lord! We just cannot allow that to become our motivation! God instead tells us to rend out hearts. This is an interior action. It may never been seen or known by those around us, but it does not go unnoticed by God!! In this verse, He promises that if we rend our hearts to Him and turn unto Him, that he will be gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness toward us! What a promise!

I'm an English major, and I love studying words. I want to define the words that God used to describe Himself in this verse, and may it bless you as it did me!

• Gracious: compassionate, generosity of spirit, marked by kindness and courtesy
• Merciful: treating someone with kindness and forgiveness, compassionate, giving someone something they do not deserve
• Slow to anger: long-suffering, patient
• Great kindness: goodness, showing compassion

God promises to show all things to us when we rend our hearts to Him!

Let's all purpose today to have interior actions, actions that are motivated only by our love for the Lord and our desire to glorify Him! God gives us all a choice, we can live for Him of live for self and others. What do you choose- exterior or interior actions?

All for His Glory,

Brettnay

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

Verse for 2014

Around eight years ago, I heard a preacher speak of choosing a "life verse." This is a Bible verse that stands out to you. Maybe something that encourages you or something you want to strive for. I chose Philippians 1:20-21 to be my life verse. It says, "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also, Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Since that time, I have claimed other verses based on different situations or circumstances that I found myself in. For example, the summer of 2012 I traveled in a singing group with Crown College and I claimed Psalm 100 as my verse for the summer. The entire summer, I dwelt upon the truths in that passage such as how God says not to simply serve Him, but to serve Him with gladness or that when I sing, I am coming before the very presence of the Lord.

2013 held many changes for my family. I will not get into all of them right now, but within two months time, my younger brother Clay had joined the army and was preparing to leave for a 2 year assignment to Germany and my Dad got a new job which required my family to move to Delaware. For eight years, we had all lived together in Tennessee. We knew that things would be changing in the next few years as Clay and I would start our own lives, but we had no idea that in such a short time, everything we knew, everything we had come to love would be drastically changed. It was in these circumstances that I decided to claim a "verse for the year." The verse God led me to was Isaiah 26: 3-4, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:" God greatly used this verse to comfort me as I was reminded that in Him, I can find peace and strength no matter what the circumstances were around me. 

I have been praying that God would lead me to a verse to claim for 2014. This year holds many changes for me as well, but they are changes that I am so excited about such as the birth of my first niece, college graduation, a wedding. . .and so much more. As I enter this new year, there are also many things that I am praying for God to break through in, whether it be unsaved family members or family and friends who are dealing with serious health concerns. With that in mind, I have been searching and praying that God would help me land on a verse to claim.

Last night during the church service, my Pastor, Clarence Sexton, had us turn to Ephesians 3:20. It says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us," As Pastor read this verse, I knew this is the verse I wanted to claim for 2014. This year, I want to remember that it is God who blesses us and works in our lives. I want my trust in the Lord to be greater than it has ever been as I claim this promise!! 

I want to challenge each of you to seek out a verse that you can claim for 2014 and let God use that verse to work in your heart. Maybe you'll choose the same verse I have, maybe not. Whatever verse you choose, make it yours! This year, I'm claiming this verse just as if God had written it for only my eyes and heart. I'm trusting Him to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ever not only ask, but THINK!! And I know that God always keeps His promises!!

All for His Glory,

Brettnay Varner