If Only....

If you've known me for any length of time, there is a good chance I've shared a little bit of my story and I've shared my struggle with self image. It wasn't until about 3 years ago that I really got over it and believed in myself and realized I wasn't ugly as dirt :) I also had to realize who I was in God's image, and once I realized it, I had to believe it.
God would constantly try to tell me differently. I would constantly say to myself, I need to loose weight, I need to do my hair differently, I need to talk to more people more (yes there was a day when I was quiet), etc. We all are guilty of telling ourselves these lies. I still have days where I tell myself, maybe Britt if you were different you would.....but I then I get reminded by a loving Savior where my worth and beauty lies. My favorite chorus in Mandisa's song Truth About Me reads this:

You say lovely, I say broken
I say guilty, You say forgiven
I feel lonely, Say you're with me
We both know it would change everything
If only I believed the truth about me

I had to believe it before it took over my life. When I did finally belive it, it changed my world. Again, I still have days where I struggle, but I'm a long way from where I was. I spent 19 years trying to truly believe that I was a worth no one could estimate. I think before you understand that though, you have to realize that your worth is not in this world. Your worth isn't about how much money you have, or your pocessions or your awards. While all that is great, it leads you down a dead end road. When you 100% realize where and who your worth is in, it leads to true freedom. There is another part of the song where Mandisa writes:

Like a wind you whispered in the silence
And tell me things this world never will
You tell me things this world never will

He truly had to whisper in my heart all of the things Mandisa puts into words so much better than I do. I really haven't heard a song in years so well written about self worth as this one is. If you read nothing else, I want you to read this: Your worth is not in this world. Your beauty is not in the things of this world. You were made in the image of God, and He sees you as a beauty that  none can describe. When you realize that truth, your whole world will change.

Rest in that truth.

B



A New Season

It's been 4 months since I posted, and it's been a crazy 4 months. God has had me in a very unique season, and a very hard season, probably one of the hardest seasons I've ever been through. Usually when I don't post for awhile I give you a play by play of what I've been doing, but I'm gonna give you the Readers Digest version. It's consisted of a lot of leading worship, starting school, a funeral, a bachelorette weekend, a wedding, some hurt, but a lot of smiles a long the way.
I've coasted through life up until about 3 months ago. I don't mean I just sat around and did nothing, but I've had it pretty good.  I was staying busy, but no real big events took place  lately to rock me to my core. At the end of July me and my favorite guys (the band) had the amazing opportunity to lead worship for the South Carolina Methodist Youth Camp at Lake Junaluska. On my list of favorite times of leading worship, it's my current number 1. I think I'm still processing all that took place that weekend. Anyway, Saturday night while we were there our camp speaker (also our pastor) had set up a station experiential service. We led worship, and then went thru all these stations. To tell you the truth, I don't remember the stations, but I had a unique experience. It had been a heavily annointed worship set. I mean the presence of God was ALLOVER the room. As I sat down beside one of the youth leaders after the stations, I literally collapsed in tears in her arms. As she struggled to make sense of what I was saying, (and I was trying to make sense of what was going on with me) I finally muttered out the words, "I can't be strong anymore in front of everybody....I can't hold it all together for everyone anymore." And I lost it. I mean a ugly Oprah cry. But her words to me that night still ring true. After she prayed over me, (I have no clue what she said during her prayer, I was crying like a baby) she said very clearly, Britt, you don't have too, no one expects you to hold it all together.
Here's the kicker. I wasn't really going through anything. Life was good. It wasn't until a few weeks later, when life started happening, that I understood it. Background point on me: I DO NOT express emotion well, and I do not go through things well. I deal with them for like a day, and then I go in to survival mode. Anyway, life started happening, and all of a sudden I started dealing with all these emotions and started truly FEELING my way through life's events. It was really weird. I was going through things and they were consuming me for days at a time. As I frequently do, I began to question God and ask Him why I had the experience like I did, and why I had started reacting to things the way I was. He very clearly whispered into my heart, baby girl, I need you to FEEL these things. I need you to FEEL these emotions and deal through them. You can't truly experience these events, deal with them, and move forward if you never FEEL and work through your emotions.
Here is what I know. These last 3 months, especially the last month and a half have been really hard. I've really struggled, but I've made a promise to myself, and to a few around me, that I wouldn't shut down. I have to go through these things. I have to FEEL my way through these emotions. The best part of all this, is that there is Beauty from Ashes. I truly make it a point, even on my worst days, to look for the beauty. Don't misunderstand me, because some days, I'm struggling to smile. But I refuse to miss out on the beauty of the Lord.


B

Cha-Cha-Changes :)

A trip to Tsunami: $35
B's gas to drive to Concord weekly: $75
Satisfying Lindsay's latest Mexican food craving: $25
Finally getting a pic of B & Lindsay together AND knowing there's actually three people in this pic: priceless   :)

You Are More

I have a confidence issue. Plain and simple. It's definitly gotten better in the last few years, but its no where near where it should be. Actually, I take that back, I've gotten better with certain areas of my life in the confidence area, but I still struggle with it a lot. I really struggle with this the most with my singing. In fact, I have a really hard time taking compliments, and I have an even harder time saying thank you. Not because I am trying to be disrespectful, but because I don't think I'm deserving of the compliments. God is definitly dealing with me on this. I know in my heart that I have a gift. I know in my heart that God has put me in this season of my life because of this gift, and that I better use it :)
We had a guest musician come in this weekend to take part on our service on Sunday morning. I'm not gonna lie, I was a little scared before we met. I have no problem singing with Taylor every Sunday....we sing really well together and just work well together. Anyway, it was a completely different ballgame singing with Amanda, because she is from Nashville and has had a lot of training in music, and this chick can sing. I was nervous, but I shouldn't have been. It was so much fun singing with her, and being able to do new harmonies, etc.
I say all that to say this, Amanda made a point to catch me after the service. Jesus used her to speak in to my spirit more than I knew I needed it. She said, you know Britt, your timid. You have a gift, and your timid. You hold back, you need to keep focusing on your gift, and you need to use it. God gave you a gift.
I've struggled with hearing that before, but God really checked me at this point. I've always in my heart of hearts wanted to do whatever I could with my gift. I don't know what this is going to look like, but I know that God used her to speak to me at that moment. So here we are, at a crossroads, again. Who knows whats going to happen, but hopefully good things :) I know in my heart that God is ready for me to get over this self confidence issue. I also know that God gives us the desires of our hearts, so I'm going to rest in that peace.

Britt

BTW, for those of you missing Lindsay, she'll be back around soon :) Hang in there!

Leadership Lessons from a 22 year old :)

I almost didn't write this post because I feel a little bit inadaquate to be writing a post on leadership, when I'm still learning a ton at such a young age, but I think it's really important to share what we are learning.
When I was in high school I was a part of different groups at a few different churches and ministries. I was a member at First Baptist, I was in the youth group at First Assembly, I was a part of That Youth Thing ministry, and I was a part of the creative movement group at Mission Baptist. It was really hard to be a part of one church. I found myself going to whatever church on the weekends that had the best to offer. Let me explain a little further. It wasn't that any one church had something I didn't like, it was just that as a high schooler, I thought I was doing whatever I needed to get fed spiritually, when in reality, I wasn't. It was almost impossible to have a faith connection with one specific body of believers. I didn't have that one connection with a body of believers who would support me completely, because they didn't know the complete Brittany. They knew only parts of Brittany. First Baptist knew me as Larry and Pokie's daughter. My youth group knew the young, high school Brittany who could act like a teenager. Mission knew me as this girl who came and was a part of the creative movement group, they knew the performer Brittany. It was no ones fault but my own that it became like that.
When I started going to The Village, it was really hard to break away from that and it was important that I learn that lesson especially before I stepped into leadership. I needed to connect with one body of believers.
Please don't misunderstand me and think that I'm saying you should never go to another church, because I'm not. In fact someone asked me a few months ago if I was allowed to go to other churches. While some of you might think it's a stupid question, its actually not. I think of it this way: It's different for every person. It's important for leaders to be fed spiritually. We do spend so much time pouring into our people that it's draining sometimes, and we need to constantly be taking the time to make sure we are fed spiritually. What I'm saying is take caution in doing that. For myself, I'm really cautious about going to other churches, because I know the risk it is for me personally. As much as I love my church with my whole heart, I know, I will have the temptation to go, and then find something that's really attractive and it may start that downward spiral, so I just choose to not put myself in that situation. I do love to visit other churches, and see how God is moving, and I also make sure I take time to be fed, but I'm just very cautious.
Not everyone struggles with this, but as a leader, your church and your people deserve for you to be all in with them. 110%.

Freedom Reigns

Our Worship Band at church has been preparing to be the worship band at a youth camp at the end of July, and this is one of the songs that we are so pumped to take with us. It's one of those songs, that even as we practice it, the anointing is ALL OVER IT. I love songs like that. We are expecting God to do big things the week we are at camp, and I really just can't wait to sing this song :).
God has been dealing with me while we've been practicing this song. Being on the stage on Sunday mornings, I have the opportunity to watch people during worship. In fact, even though I am worshiping too, I steal a minute to watch our people in worship. Taylor and I have many conversations on whether it seems like our people are connecting with a song, and sometimes the best indicator is to watch. It's really a beautiful thing to look out at the people and see them immersed in worship.
One of my most favorite moments while watching our people was one Sunday while we were singing Marvelous Light. We have a family who has a special needs daughter, and she is PRECIOUS. And she loves her some band members....let me tell you, if we are ever having a bad morning, when she comes in the door, sees us and starts giggling and smiling, we all instantly have a mood change for the better. Anyway, we were singing Marvelous Light, and I looked out, and I saw her whole family dancing. I mean they were dancing before the Lord at the back of the church like nobodys business. Freedom. They were dancing and worshiping before the Lord with true and utter Freedom. And the best part, was their daughter was right in the middle of it. The smile on her face was the biggest smile I've ever seen in my life. I started crying. Here I am, praying and asking God to use me as a vessel in worship, when really, they are teaching me the true meaning of freedom during worship.
God has been reinforcing this message and lesson to me with this song. Like I said, it's one of those songs that our band just senses the anointing all over. I'm reminded though, we don't always take advantage of that freedom during worship. We get so caught up in everything else going on, that we truly miss out on that freedom. We get caught up in the mountains in our life, the crap we are going through, and the trials we have, that we don't experience that freedom.
But here is the hope that we have in Jesus: there is that freedom, and you can experience it. It's when you are at the end of your rope, when all that mess is going on in your life, and you don't see the end in sight, that freedom reigns. Jesus wants us to experience that freedom. So lavish in that freedom. Soak it in, experience it. Don't miss out on that freedom.

Britt

The Journey

We took a little bit of a unplanned blog break :) but we're back!

I've decided that since I (Britt) was so open about some things I want to accomplish in the next couple of months in the last post, that I would take you all along for the ride....well all one of you who read this :) I'm doing this because one, it will hold me accountable, two, Lindsay and I have said from the beginning that maybe we can minister through this blog somehow, so if my journey helps someone else, I'm all for it, and three, it will give me the opportunity to look back in a few months and see what God has done!
Anyway, today I moved out of my duplex and moved in with my parents for the next few months. 2 of my good friends who happen to be really strong too (thank goodness :) came in to town and we got it knocked out. It's so hot to move in June, and also in the middle of the day, that we decided next time I move, we are moving at night! Anywho, Since my job ended a few weeks ago, I've had a few babysitting jobs, but definitely not enough to cover rent. I don't really have steady employment lined up, and surprisingly, I'm okay with that. I'm getting a lot of cool opportunities this summer, especially the month of July, and I'm pumped to see what God is going to do. Anyway, all that to say, it was the right decision to move in to the parentals house. It's gonna be tough, but it's going to be worth it. They've had an empty nest for a few years, and I've been on my own since I left for college. But the reward will be worth it. Sometimes, to get the reward, we have to struggle a little bit. It will be a growing process for my parents and I's relationship, but more than that, it will be a big growing experience for me personally.
This is just the first step towards starting this journey, and I'm really excited to see what God is going to do. The thing I want to pass along is this: just because God calls you to something, doesn't mean there isn't a process to getting there. I know without a doubt in my heart that God has called me to my church, my friends, and to Concord. But it's a process to get there, and this is step one.

Until next time,
Britt

Take Your Dreams.....Make Them a Reality

I would be lying if I said I didn't have big dreams for my life. I mean, who doesn't have big dreams for their lives? But I do, I have big dreams. They may not be big to anyone else, but they are big to me. I came to a realization this weekend. It was probably a realization that I should have come too months ago, but alas, it happened this weekend.
For those of you that don't know, I should be graduating college this May. But, as all of my friends walk across their respective stages at college graduations, I will not be. And believe me, I've come to terms with this. Anyway, long story short, I'm about a year off from getting my Associates degree in Marketing. My educational path has been less than ideal, and not what I planned out in high school. To make things more complicated, I haven't been in school this whole past year. Instead, I've been working full time as a teachers assistant. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids with every single bit of my heart, but this is not what I was called to do. AT ALL. I mean you want to talk about a job that stretches a girl.....this has been it. Budget cuts for our system are literally days from being announced. Teachers/Teachers Assistants are speculating, everyone is really nervous to hear. Me, I've known from the very first day that my job would end at the end of the school year, and that I wouldn't be back because there wouldn't be a position.
Luckily, I've known where I stood all along. Unfortunately, I've been living in this dream land that the school year was going to last forever.  Reality hit when I realized we had 28 days of school left. 28 days. 28 days until my contract expires and I am back to the drawing board. And can I be honest....I'm not one bit sad. I'm a little scared, because I don't have anything lined up, but I'm ok with this chapter of my life ending.
I say all of that (I know I can ramble sometimes :) but I say all of that to say this.....I'm back at my starting place, but my starting place is where I get to dream, and where I get to make my dreams into a reality. There is not a person on this earth that can be responsible for my dreams except for me. I want to graduate from college.....I'm responsible. I want to land that job with a marketing firm.....I'm responsible. Come August, I'll be back in college, finishing my degree. I have no idea where I will be working, or where I will be living, but I do know that school will be taken care of. I'm trusting God to work out all the little things, and He will. Because my God, has a plan, and we're on the same page about it.
What are your dreams? You're never too old to dream. Be responsible, and make them happen.

Britt



Twenty years from now
you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn't do
than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
...Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
-Mark Twain

Beauty from Ashes cont.

I just want to touch on what Brittany shared below.  I accepted Christ at a young age although I strayed from that many times as a teenager and young adult.  I have done a lot of things that I'm not proud of and I've made a lot of choices that I knew were outside of what God had for my life.  For me, I can look back at my faith journey and remember those dark times.  In those moments, I felt so lost, so alone, and so broken.  I could not wrap my head around what had happened to my life.  I couldn't see the other side of what God was doing, what He was working together for my good.  Now that I am on the other side, I see how He used all those things to restore and heal all that was broken.  That's what happens when you stop trying to fix things or make things happen in your flesh.  As dark and hard and painful as those times are, when you give it over to God and completely surrender it, He takes those ugly ashes and creates something more beautiful than our minds could've ever comprehended for ourselves.  As Brittany said, I caused a lot of people a lot of pain along the way.  But through the sovereignty and beauty of God's restoration, those relationships are stronger now than I think they would've been had my road not been what it was. 

It's so easy to sometimes allow ourselves to become discouraged and wonder where God is in all the mess.  We were never promised to be spared from hard times; we were never promised to not hurt or cry or break.  We were promised that when everything around us falls, He is there; sovereign, loving, and full of grace.  He is there to hold us and, when the pieces fall completely apart, put them back where He designed them to be.  I very much believe that hope is born of suffering.  We cannot appreciate the greatness of our Savior without understanding (in the very, very limited way that we can) the suffering that He bore for us.  We have that hope because our perfect Father gave His perfect, selfless Son so we could be spared from eternal suffering.  We have to remember that He IS forever faithful and true, unchanging, loving, merciful, just, THE promise...I could go on and on.  WE are not. 

I really didn't mean to go into all of that but I just want to reiterate what Brittany said.  Beauty from ashes is what happens when you give it all to Him and let Him take it from there...

Lindsay

Beauty from Ashes

Where there is a name, there is always a story. Sometimes these stories are stories of great depth, or stories of no depth, regardless, where there is a name, there is a story. Our story behind our blog name is simple yet deep.
The name for our blog actually came to me while I was driving home from The Village's  Good Friday service (which was AMAZING by the way) Anyway, I keep going back to the thought that we can really encourage people through this outlet, and that we should take this seriously. I was texting Lindsay at the time (I know, texting while driving, it's a horrible habit) but I texted her this simple message. "You know we have a common thread through both of our stories....beauty from ashes." to which I got the reply "Love it" so there it was....Beauty from Ashes.
I can look back at my life, and all the crazy stuff that God has brought me through, and look at where I am now, and see that God truly turned something beautiful out of a lot of ugly things. Lindsay can do the same. We have both had some crazy journeys that led us to where we are now. I always say I wouldn't trade my journey for anything. I know that I caused a lot of people pain, and that I did some things that would disappoint my grandmother if she ever found out :) but the bottom line is, God turned beauty from ashes.
So that's our story behind our name, Beauty from Ashes. The truth is that God can do that for you too. We don't know where you are on your journey, we don't know what God has delivered you from, or what your going through right now. But what we do know, and what we both are living testaments of, is that God can turn Beauty from Ashes...


Britt

Getting to know me....the good, the bad, and maybe the ugly :)

Hello all!

I'm Brittany, or as I am more famously known, Britt or B. I am 21 (I'll be 22 in like 2 weeks :) single with no kids. I was born and raised in Albemarle, in the same little house until I moved off to college. I am blessed with an amazing family. My Mom and Dad have become my very best friends, and I have one older sister, Ashleigh. Up until 2009 that was our family untI my sister got married to her soul mate, Darren, and I gained a niece,Riley. My family went to the same Baptist Church right around the corner from our house, where I was involved in every choir I could be, and the youth group. I lived for the summers with my youth group, and all of our trips which took us to Ohio, Alabama, even to Brazil. Many of those trips and the things I saw, have shaped me into the woman and Christian I am now.

My passion for years has been music and singing. I was involved very heavily in the music ministries at FBC, but I let it fall by the wasteside for the years I was in college and being crazy (I might share that story someday....maybe) but it wasn't until I came to The Village almost a year ago that I have gotten to begin using that gift again. I am more than honored to help lead our people in worship on Sunday mornings. My heart is that every single person, would get to experience the presence of God in such a real way that His presence in their lives would be undeniable. I get to lead alongside some the most talented musicians and I am honored to have an amazing group of friends through the band, and am more than greatful for all that God has blessed me with.

I currently work as a Teachers Assistant in an Elementry School in an EC Classroom in Stanly County, although my dream is to ultimately be in Marketing, and living in Concord closer to my friends. I am looking forward to finishing my degree sometime soon in Marketing, and getting my dream closer to becoming a reality. God has protected me through a crazy ride of life, and I am more than greatful. It can be summed up in about 3 words, beauty from ashes.

As we've said about 5,000 times, I'm not sure what will happen with this blog, but my prayer is that somehow through reading mine and Lindsays posts, that you will be encouraged, that you will see how God is teaching us and growing us in to the women of God He has called us to be. I am sure that you will get some laughs from us along the way as well!

Britt

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you...

Hello peeps!

I am Lindsay and, as Brittany has shared, we are bestest friends.  I am 23 years old, married with two kids.  I was born in Greensboro, NC and raised in the very small Jamestown, NC, nestled right between Greensboro and High Point.  Growing up, I came from a very active family and I was big into dance.  Once I got to high school age, I became very involved with my youth group at church.  My mom and dad are the best, most supportive parents a girl could ever ask for and I have a younger sister who is going to give me gray hairs way too early :)  I also have an older brother who lives in Missouri with his wife.  Jason and I were married in September of 2007 and with him, I got my precious step-son, Pierce who is now 7.  We moved to Huntersville in October of 2008 and VERY shortly after, I found out we were expecting our little princess.  My Reilly Jo came into this world on August 16, 2009 and through that experience, I discovered my true purpose in life...to be a mom!  She is my heart and my joy and my life would be so much dimmer if I didn't have her. 

Jason and I have walked a hard road but I am very blessed to say we surived the hardest of times and have come out stronger on the other side.  I love him more than words could express and could never be without him.  Jason has been in full-time youth ministry for many years, although being out for a few years, he rediscovered his calling and passion through coming to The Village.  We have a heart for youth, to see them completely surrender and commit themselves to Jesus and to find their identity in Him. 

So...this is me.  Brittany and I are looking forward to sharing our hearts through this journey and hope to touch and encourage someone along the way.

B, you're up!

Lindsay

Getting Started :)

Hello!

We started this blog, kind of as a joke, but I'm kind of curious to see where it goes. There is no telling what we will post about....somedays there may be depth to what we post, and others, it may be senseless....none the less, hopefully it will be encouraging somehow! I'll give you a small background, and then in the next few days, hopefully both Lindsay and I will post more about ourselves individually!

Lindsay and I (Brittany) are best friends, and have been friends for about a year. God has truly blessed our friendship.....like for serious :) We both attend the same church, The Village Church, and love it! Lindsay and her husband Jason serve as the Youth Leaders, and I (Brittany) sing with the Worship Team on Sunday mornings, while we both serve on the MLT. We are passionate about 3 things.....God, our families and sushi....

Well, hopefully we won't bore you, but we will try and make this fun! Leave us a comment and let us know you stopped by!!

Britt