Make God Lord of your workout!

I decided to start working out/running again about a month ago, and I started looking at new music to put on my ipod to motivate me while I ran.  As runners, we all want up-beat, fun music, so I started looking on the top-40 charts.  Plenty of songs fit the previously mentioned criteria, but they tended to need some editing due to language or appropriateness.  As not only a pastor's wife, but also a Christian mother of young children, the last thing I wanted was a song on my ipod to be repeated by either of my boys to have curse words or to not glorify God.  I was quite torn.  Good workout music or God?  Not one to compromise very easily, I became determine to get some Christian workout music that I can glorify God while I workout, and I did it. Here is my current playlist that you cannot help but get up and move to!!

Jamie Grace, "Hold Me"
Casting Crowns, "Courageous"
MercyMe, "Move"
DC Talk, "Jesus Freak"
tobyMac, "Funky Jesus Music"
Matthew West, "Strong Enough"
Mandisa, "Good Morning"
Francesca Battistelli, "This is the Stuff"
Natalie Grant, "Perfect People"

This playlist is about 30 minutes, and I warm up to Jamie Grace and cool down to Natalie Grant.  Let me know of any other good uplifting songs I can use!!

"Made to Crave" Chapter 1

I just started reading Lysa TerKeurst's book Made to Crave today, and I didn't realize that at the end of every chapter there is a handy little Reflections section! I had been hoping to just read through the book and be cured of all my battles with food, but the book makes you mull on what you have read and how it affects our own lives personally. I have decided to start blogging again, and these reflections make perfect little blogs. So here goes....

One weight loss company personifies cravings as a little orange monster that chases us around, tempting us to eat unhealthy foods.  Take a moment to reflect on your own experience of craving, recently and over time.
         If you could personify craving based on your experience of it, what form might it take? Would it be like the little orange monster or would it take a different shape? Describe what your craving looks like and how it behaves?

I crave sweet tea, sodas and chocolate.  First, I find that I feel as if I'll thirst to death if I don't drink a soda or a sweet tea.  When I crave or thirst for either the tea or the soda, it feels as if I am in the middle of the Sahara Desert about to literally die!  Then out of nowhere my oasis appears:  an Olympic-sized pool of sweet tea or soda.  My cravings are very specific too.  Sundrop (OH MY!) is amazing to say the least.  This particular craving began about three years ago when my husband and I moved to Gastonia, NC, bottling capital of Sundrop.  The wonderful people from Grace Baptist Church always have several 2 liters of Sundrop on hand at every church function, so it has to be from God right?! Secondly, I really only crave sweet tea from Pals, 'Sudden Service in a Flash.' Pals is a fast food restaurant that is only located in Northeast Tennessee, God's Country honestly, and this particular craving began to control me again three years ago when we moved outside of Pals' region.  I would occasionally indulge in a sweet tea when we lived near Pals, but when I could not have it anymore, I wanted it so badly!
Like I said earlier, I crave chocolate, but that isn't completely true. I am without a doubt a choco-holic! Dessert should always include chocolate!  I like chocolate any way in which I can get it, cookies, cakes, pies, candy, oh  my!  My craving though tends to look like an M&M.  An M&M is just so perfect, like a hit of chocolate.  Just pop one, or a few, and my chocolate craving subsides, sorta, until I need a bigger hit, like a cookie or brownie! This particular craving gets bigger and bigger as I try to resist it, and I find myself thinking in terms of chocolate.  I have often picked restaurants where I can get my favorite chocolate treat, and Olive Garden chocolate tuxedo cake is my favorite!!

As personal as this is, I hope that you see that we all struggle somewhere with food, and I cannot wait to see how God resolves my struggles. I have no doubt He will. Feel free to comment with your own answer to Lysa TerKeurst question about our cravings.  Sometimes, writing, or typing in this circumstance, is the best release, and we can really begin to address our food issues!
B

Thankfulness!!

I am a very huge fan of all things holidays or holiday-related (ask my husband), and Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday. As much as I love Christmas, however, I almost love Thanksgiving as much! Throughout the month of November this year, I have been thinking of all the things I am so thankful for, and the things are innumerable!! God has so overly blessed me in 25 years that I just wanted to take a few minutes to openly praise Him for a few of the big ones!!
First, He sent His only Son to live perfectly on this Earth, so that Jesus could be my substitute for my sin. He took the sin of the world upon Himself and paid the sin debt that I could never afford! Thank you Lord for saving me!
Secondly, He blessed me with a family that always filled our home with unconditional love! My parents were supportive and tough on me all at the same time! They had expectations for my life, and they refused to settle for less than my best!
Thirdly, God brought into my life a very godly man, who is so proud of his faith.  He is such a supportive and loving husband, who loves me most with no makeup and sweatpants on!! I love you so much Joseph!!
Fourthly, the Lord gave me a precious, healthy baby boy, Stephen Karl. Then when I thought I couldn't get any happier, the Lord gave us Carson Joseph.  These two boys have taught me more about myself and fill my life every day with more laughs and love than the world could ever offer anyone! They are the best and worst of me, and I couldn't imagine a life without them!!
Finally, God has put very special friends in my path in this life. I have friends that I never thought I could deserve. They listen to me complain without judging as well as make me laugh!! My life is truly better with my very close friends in it!
I hope this post helps you smile as well as reminds you of the little things in your life that you have to be thankful for!!
-Britt :)

HOT Topic!!

It has been a while since I blogged last!! So, I decided that a "hot topic" today is just what the blog needed!!
I love "Glee," and I cannot wait until next week's Rocky Horror Glee Show!! I do, however, have a huge problem with three of the stars GQ spread.  I have a problem with the provocative pictures because of the overt sexuality! The pictures make Britney Spears seem tame and docile, something I thought never would happen!! One of the actors in the provocative pictures is Dianna Agron, who plays Quinn on the show, apologizes, sort of to the upset parents in her blog!
She says, "Now, in perpetuating the type of images that evoke these kind of emotions, I am sorry. If you are hurt or these photos make you uncomfortable, it was never our intention. And if your eight-year-old has a copy of our GQ cover in hand, again I am sorry. But I would have to ask, how on earth did it get there?"
Does she really feel that this is a genuine apology?! I am quite offended that she would assume that most parents would first of all buy a magazine with such overt sexuality, and secondly accept such a horrible apology!!  Neither my three year old nor one year old boy would ever be seen with this magazine because it is an adult magazine, but they are being exposed to these shots because I take them to the grocery store with me!! Because she decided to wear very little clothing and dance/jump around while being photographed, all while making a good chunk of change, my children are being exposed to the overt sexuality that leads to increased promiscuity and pregnancy among our youth!!  I am not saying that Dianna Agron, Lea Michelle, and Cory Monteith are the reasons for higher pregnancy rates in teenagers, but their spread in GQ is in no way slowing things down!!
I wish they hadn't sold out and went so crazy sexual with this photo shoot, but since they did, they really shouldn't be surprised by the backlash and criticism!  I understand art and fashion, and these photos were tasteless with zero art quality! These photos are more appropriate for Playboy, not for newstands in grocery and convenience stores where anyone, children included, are exposed to the pictures. 

Baptismal Blessings!!

Yesterday's service started with a splash!!  We were blessed in witnessing four member's baptism!! Baptism is always so special because of what it represents.  It is such a blessing because we as believers are given the opportunity to praise our Saviour by literally following His lead.  Jesus was baptised in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, not because He was a sinner, but because He was our example! We need the Saviour because of our sins, so by the washing away of our sins, through the submersion in water, we are raised to walk in the newness of our life!  Baptism in no way saves us, but it is an outward response to the inner change that we experience.  I love seeing people get saved and then follow in Christ's footsteps.  I can remember when I was baptised! My husband actually baptised me! It was such a great memory.  I had been saved for several years, but I never understood the profoundness of baptism.  I was "sprinkled" in the Catholic church as an infant, so I thought that was enough.  The act of by adult baptism didn't save or "re-save" me, but what it did do, was show that I freely chose Him!  It was an act of obedience, and every time that we have a baptismal service at church, those memories from my baptism come back! I am so thankful that Christ saved my soul, and He is still working in and around my life!  These services are just one of the many reasons that I love my life as a pastor's wife!!

Stephen Karl

Today is ALL about my big boy Stephen!  As we celebrate his 3rd birthday, I wanted to share a few of my favorite pictures of my sweet boy!!
FINALLY A FAMILY OF 3:

 My Little Vol!

 At his first Tar Heel game!

 Happy 1st Birthday

 First night in a Big Boy bed!!

 First root beer float

 The Best Big Brother

 Beach Bum!!

I LOVE YOU STEPHEN KARL!!

Ignorance is not Bliss!!

News channels have been running rampant with coverage of the "Burn a Quran" service in Gainesville, FL.  'Pastor' Terry Jones, and I put the title in quotations on purpose, is planning to burn Qurans on September 11, because, "it is full of lies."  I pointed out that I used the quotes because he is in no way practicing ANY of the foundations of Christianity.  He is as much a pastor as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are reverends; titles only!! These men not only bring negative attention to Christianity, but also set our faith back so many steps!! They rarely act or speak as a Christian should, in love, joy, and peace! I truly feel that they are some of the 'false teachers' the Bible refers to numerously in the New Testament of the Bible.  During my daily Bible reading time, I came across a few scriptures that I think that Mr. Jones, as well as his supporters need to read.
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes. If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord..Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good." (Romans 12:14-21)
These verses are all about Christian ethics, and it is very clear that Mr. Jones has no regards for this scripture.  He is all about vengeance and not living at peace with everyone.  Our actions should reflect Christ, and his actions are mirror images of a child who is mad.  'I'm going to hurt you because you hurt me!' Christ's sacrifice for our lives should not be in vain because we are proud and angry.  We should take the love of Christ to the Muslims, and definitely not show hate towards them. Why on earth would they want a relationship with Christ if all they see are mean, grouchy Christians constantly trying to destroy or harm them.  My prayer is that the Muslims repent and find a relationship with the Saviour, Christ! Mr. Jones, you need to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make o plans to satisfy the fleshly desires!" (Romans 13: 14).  Perry Noble, Senior Pastor at New Spring Church in Anderson, SC, urges his followers via twitter, "Burning the Quran doesn't prove you have faith..it proves you are a coward.  Want to prove your faith? Actually shae Christ with a Muslim!" This lit a fire in me.  It is so true, too. It is easiest to hurt someone, but to actually approach someone from a place of love and share your faith with them, is not easy at all.  It is, however, the most rewarding things as a Christian you will ever do!!
Even though I do not agree with Mr. Jones, I also do not support the building of the 'Cordoba Initiative' at the Ground Zero site! It is not a coincidence that the Islamic leaders pushing for the mosque's build chose this name for the building! It refers to the mosque is Cordoba, Spain where Moor conquerors built a huge mosque in celebration of their victory over Christians in the 8th century.  The Moors tore down the cathedral of St. Vincent of Saragossa and built the 'Mezquita' as a constant reminder of their victory! The proposed Cordoba House in NYC is nothing more than that; a constant reminder of Al-Qaeda's victory over the Americans, not only the Christians! As a Christian, I do not believe in nor support Mr. Jones' extreme and completely ignorant measures.  Burning a Quran does not prevent a mosque from being built, but it only fuels the Islamic fire to have it built even quicker! We need to step out from behind the 'squeaky wheels' of the church and speak and act as Christ would want us.  1Corintians says, "for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body" (6:20).  Our actions must glorify God and not distract from the cause!!