BST's Blog

This morning we went to the Otter Creek Pre-School Spring Program. Maddie has the performing bug in her--she wanted to hold microphone for the girl next to her as well. Bless us! It was such a joy to listen to those kids singing and praising. Kids are so much more open than adults to express their emotions. Surely, Jesus was relieved when He welcomed the children to Him. They come without pretense, without legalism, and with open hearts. What a great lesson to watch them praise--spinning around, hands in the air singing "God is so good". What a delight it must be to our Heavenly Abba.

This is a crazy "season" at Otter Creek. The Lord is truly working to change hearts and seems to be taking many people deeper. As is usually the case, Satan's attacks seem even more frequent during these days. We have experienced communication breakdowns between staff members, stress on marriages, and heaviness that can only be described as oppression. It's in these circumstances that we find ourselves needing to link arms and walk with even more conviction and boldness. I find myself distracted at times with the trees and miss the forest. Last summer, in a time of searching about location we clearly felt God telling us to stay put. Since then, we have seen Him move in ways we never could have dreamed. In my heart I know full well that we heard correctly. I hold on to that conviction on days when my strongest urge is to crawl under my desk and watch from under a blanket. (or...board a cruise ship and sing show tunes for a year)

I told Sheryl last night that if I were having a conversation with God about me I would advise Him not to risk so much or spend so much time on me. (you can imagine having that conversation with a close friend about someone in their life who just seems to take their love for granted.) I think I might advise Him to move on--stop wasting so much precious time and energy on that guy. I am just floored that God loves me the way He does. His love is extravagant! I hope I never stopped being overwhelmed by it. May that love rain down in your lives today!
Brandon