Transverse Orientation

I live in the basement. I have like one window. It's dark down here. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do (after putting my glasses on) is open the curtains to my one window and let the light stream in. Immediately, the darkness is no more. We need light. We crave light.

We see sooooo many lights in a normal day- red lights while we're driving, neon signs all down the street, power button light when our TV is turned on & off, fluorescent (unflattering) lights in dressing rooms, flash lights when our power goes out, exit signs to get us out of the theater, headlights or high-beams that are way too bright.. and the list continues. We are naturally drawn to the lights all around us and we aren't the only ones.

Have you ever seen a moth at night? There they are flying around your porch light as you're trying to get in the house as quickly as you can before they follow or fly in your face. So annoying right!? Well, there are various hypotheses as to why they are so attracted to light. One that I find so intriguing is called "Transverse Orientation." Basically, by them staying in right angle with the moon, they can fly in a straight line. However, with the moon being so far away from them, they get distracted when a much closer artificial light appears. They turn towards the new light and attempt to adjust their flight pattern which results in them spiraling closer and closer to the new source of light. The moon, their real light source is replaced with the artificial light.

WOAH... I never thought I would have anything in common with a moth but I do. And you do too. 

We have a source that we are supposed to be aligned with. We have THE LIGHT- Jesus Christ. As long as we are aligned with Him and looking to Him for our flight path (His will, purpose, and plan), we have the right flight pattern. However, like the moth, when an artificial light that seems bright and tangible gets in our path, we look to it and get off track. The devil who "himself masquerades as an angel of light (ll Corinthians 11:14)" has his "right" flight pattern for us too. He wants to destroy our path to the Source and will throw in every light he can to detour us and distract us.

Do you recognize this pattern in your own life? One moment you are seeking God and so focused on Him but the next, your gaze is shifted on something else and you spiral out of control. It might not be sudden but it is sure. Maybe you've been a Christian for a long time, maybe your just beginning your walk with The Lord, or maybe you have not asked Him into your heart yet. Wherever, whoever you are... You are attracted to and following after some light. Anything, anyone, and any situation that allows a glimmer of hope, a sparkle of fun, or a bright opportunity is an attraction for us. We see these lights so close, so touchable while God seems so far away and let ourselves fly to them. Sure, they may be fun for a while and they may not even be bad, but they become our new flight pattern that we adjust ourselves to. They may last for a moment or maybe much longer but remember that they are artificial and they WILL GO OUT.

There is only ONE TRUE LIGHT who will never go out. One who will never ever leave you or forsake you. "That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. (John 1:9)" It is amazing that God created us to need Him, to crave His Light. As long as our eyes are fixed on Him, we are at the right angle to keep flying on the right route that he has planned for us. But so often we allow satan to get to us with his false lights.

So how do we stop this pattern and stay focused on the right Light? Well, what do you do when you can't see in the middle of the night? You turn on the light. You have the electricity available to you so easily but if you don't plug into it, you won't see the Light. So, plug into God. Read His word every day, pray to Him sincerely from your heart, lift your hands in surrender to Him, and dwell in His abounding presence & love. Let the TRUE LIGHT SOURCE guide you. Allow Him to shine brighter and brighter in your life so that when the devil comes at you with his artificial lights, they will be dim in comparison and your gaze will not even shift.

We need light. We crave light. We are drawn toward some light. Don't be like the moth.

B&B (Beth Ann)

HELLO 2013! GOODBYE 2012

2012 was such a great year full of super fun things!!! We had many adventures, some ups & downs, and lots of laughter. We thought we'd share some of our favorite things from 2012 as we begin 2013. Some below have links that show where you can find the item.
Favorites ......

Podcast: Elevation Church's CODE ORANGE REVIVAL. We loved it all but one of our favorites was from night 10 when Bishop T.D. Jakes preached about God's touch. A beautiful reminder that our God is touchable and reachable!

Read: "Divergent" Veronica Roth; "The Knowledge of The Holy"  A.W. Tozer

DIVERGENT is book 1 in a trilogy by Veronica Roth. Young Tris is faced with a decision that will change her life and take her away from her family. She surprises everyone and follows her heart and uncovers many secrets and things about herself that she never knew along the journey. This book is filled with adventure, mystery, and surprises. Perfect for a vacation read!
THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY is an amazing book about the attributes of God and His nature. It helps you discover more of who God is on a deeper level and really gives you so much more of an  appreciation for all He is!! Read it!!!!

Accessory: Headbands, Lipstick, Rings, Bracelets

Pandora Station: She & Him (holiday) and Ingrid Michaelson

App: Afterglow & VSCO [Best photo editing apps]
               

Album: All Sons & Daughters "Season One"; Audrey Assad "Heart"

Both of these albums were on repeat on our playlists! All Sons & Daughters's Season One album is so beautiful and raw. It is perfect for sweet background music during your time with Jesus. Some of our favorite tracks are: I am Set Free, I Need A Reason to Sing, and Wake Up. Audrey Assad's Heart is simply amazing. Her effortless voice is always a joy to listen to and this CD really reveals her heart for the Lord. Some of our favorite tracks include: Blessed are the Ones, Even in the Winter, Lament, and Wherever You Go.

Concert/Worship Night: Hillsong "Cornerstone"

Shopping: Old Navy, Cotton On, TJ Maxx

Restaurant: Founding Farmers, Pizza & Pretzel Creations

Verse: Psalm 16:8 & Psalm 16:11

"I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken." -Psalm 16:8 "
...In Your presence there is fullness of joy.." -Psalm 16:11

Place to visit: Mayorga, Caribou Coffee

Drink from Starbucks: Sugar free Soy Cinnamon Dulce Latte; Grande no water 5 Pump Soy Chai

Item bought/received: owl contact case, big sweaters, sailboat locket

Worship song that puts us on our face: What Love is This (Kari Jobe), Closer (Bethel)

Digging Through the Trash.

 A few nights ago, my friend was at our house pretty late and was about to head home. She went to the door to grab her purse, keys, and shoes ... and her keys were no where to be found! She looked in her purse a billion times, peeked in her car and around it, retraced her steps throughout our home. We looked in couch cushions and under tables, and concluded that they were GONE! Finally she looks at me and says "Uh-oh, I think I know where they are.... in the trash!" And I'm like "What!!! How!???" Apparently, she had brought her dinner over and threw her keys away inside the bag of food when she was done. Now, getting her keys out of the trash was a bit of a problem because I had my birthday party that night and we had gone through quite a few trashes. After looking through a few bags in the rain, pulling out the nacho cheese filled plates, and half-drunk drinks (why don't people dump them in the sink first!?) we found them!!! Right where she left them, in the trash!!! Yay!!!

Now, this story has a point...

Revelation 2:4-5 says "Yet I hold this against you: you have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first."

OUCH! (a good kind)

God is addressing the church in Ephesus in this letter. This verse isn't saying that they no longer had any love for Christ at all. But it is saying that the quality of their love for Him had weakened over time. Forsaken: left behind, departed from, neglected. Somewhere along the way, they had lost it.

Have YOU lost it!? Somewhere along the way, did your passion for Jesus die away? Did your flame get duller? Are you neglecting to spend precious time with Him? Are you saying... "Hey Jesus, I still love you but not quite like I used to! Don't worry though, because I will still come to church, I will still believe in You, I may even serve you. But I just don't feel the same way about you anymore."

The good thing about losing something is that (in most cases) it is in the same place you left it. Jesus says in this verse "Remember the height from which you've fallen!" What made you distance yourself from the Lord? Was it: a past hurt, a broken relationship, things were so good you didn't need Him, busy-ness of life swept in, you were hurt by a church, you got lazy? Figure out what that place was. Where did you leave those keys!? Jesus says go back and find it! Dig through that trash and remember your first love.

God hasn't moved. He's not the one who is lost. He's right there by you. He's waiting for you to realize you've been neglecting Him. Just like those keys that didn't move but had trash piled and piled on top of them... you may have placed a few (or a lot) of things above God and feel far from Him. Yet, He's right there arms open wide waiting for you to reach out for Him, waiting for you to let Him in again. Remember your first love! He says in His word "When you seek me with all your heart, you will find me." Just like we searched high and wide for her keys, maybe it's time to do everything you can to seek God. Get on your knees in repentance, start fresh and new, make a choice to make Him the center of your life and He will make the change in you. If you seek Him...

...He's given you the promise that you'll find Him.

<3 B&B (Beth Ann)

TRUE LIES

• "It doesn't matter..."
• "I need to have it all together.. all the time."
• "If I don't think about it, the problem will go away."
• "I am not good enough for that. So & so would be better."

...These are truths that I had let myself believe for so long.  But who's truths are they? The problem with deception is that often, you don't know you are accepting it. An imposter of truth has taken form in your mind and you don't even realize it.

We always hear "Then, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."  We hear it wrongly quoted in media and taken out of context in movies. Does the world even know that this verse is found in John 8:32 when Jesus is telling His disciples the key to freedom? The message paraphrase says that "if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through."

Are the truths that you are believing for your life keeping you in chains? If so, the truths you are accepting are imposters from the enemy.  Satan is the father of lies. His language is lies. The Bible (mssg version) also says "He was a killer from the very start. He couldn’t stand the truth because there wasn’t a shred of truth in him. When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies." He knows where to get you! Even if you are a child of the King, satan knows what lies to make you believe as truth.

So, who's voice are you listening to today? While satan is LIAR, God is TRUTH. Everything He says is true. It is time to study who God says you are by learning His Word. Whenever the enemy confronts you and aims to deceive you (which he will try to do over and over again)... remember who God says you are. Punch satan in the face with God's truths. The devil's truth will not free you. The world's truth will not free you. Your truth will not free you. Only God's truth will set you free.

WHO AM I (God's Truths for me):

• I am loved by God. John 15:9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 
• I am being changed into His image. II Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
• I am free from the slavery of sin.  Romans 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. 
• I am a new creation. II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
• I am chosen, holy, & blameless before God. Ephesians 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. 
• I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. II Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
• I am an overcomer by the blood of the lamb & the word of my testimony. Revelation 12:11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; 
• I am the light of the world. Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 
• I am an ambassador for Christ. II Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. 
• I am holy & beloved. Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,gentleness and patience. 
• I am God's daughter (or son).  John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
• I am God's Friend.  John 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 
• I am redeemed & justified. Romans 3:24 ...and are justified freely by his grace through the redemptionthat came by Christ Jesus. 
• I am the apple of His eye. Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, 
• I am healed by His stripes. 1 Peter 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 
• I am fearfully & wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
• I am complete in Christ. Colossians 2:10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 

Claim these promises as truth in your life and find so many more throughout the bible.

>> What are some of your favorite truths from God?

B&B (Beth Ann)

Time to De-clutter:

Just like a messy house, our hearts get cluttered sometimes. What do we do with the clutter? How do we get rid of it you ask?

Well, awhile ago I was asked to give devo for the worship team for our young adult service at church. I had never given a devotional before for a team of people so I was quite scared. I knew there was no specific formula and I knew I couldn’t use somebody elses work.. they asked me to lead devo. They wanted to hear what was on my heart. Well my heart was a mess. And I felt I was in no place to give others a good word from the Lord. Thankfully God showed me that the exact thing I was going through (a cluttered heart) was exactly what the team needed to hear! Since then, I have found that devos are the best and most meaningful when told from the experiences of your personal life, what God is showing you and doing in you.

Anyways He showed me that my desire to spend more time with Him and grow in Him was spot on, yet I couldn’t move forward in doing so when many other things were taking up my time, my thoughts, my energy… my heart. It is said that where your thoughts always are.. so is your heart. He showed me that this was something I could not take care of on my own, yet that I had been trying too. He was helping me see that I need to come to Him to take care of EVERYTHING, not just some things.. but He wants to take care of ALL of me.. ALL of you.

I’m a visual person, so I drew a picture of a big empty heart:

Then I began to fill it. I put Jesus at the center of course (I’m so holy ;]) lol and then I put my family, friends, and worship. I thought I was finished and that it looked good. How many of you know that when we think God is finished.. He has only JUST begun. So he whispered in my ear to keep writing what else was taking up my time, my thoughts, my energy… my heart. I proceeded to add work, music, sleep, internet, media, food, sin, etc… the list went on and on and what He was doing was pulling things out of me that I was not even aware of that was snatching my time and my heart away from God. When I stopped writing.. I noticed my heart was jam packed full of things that don’t even matter in the grand scheme of things. Yes Jesus may have been at the center of my heart, but He definitely was not all of it. He may be the center of your life.. but what about everything else around it that you’re not letting Him into? And this is an ongoing process.. it wasn’t just that one time that God cleared my clutter and I’ve been fine since… NO it’s an endless cycle of continuous heart checks because the world is all about filling voids with useless things. So how much more do we need to spend time in His presence asking Him to pour us out and fill us up with Him? Everyday my friends, everyday. It was eye opening to see what was truly taking up space in my heart. When I shared this with the team I had them do the same exercise and draw their heart and fill it up with every little thing that consumes it. I encourage you to do the same..

if you haven’t in awhile… maybe it’s a good day for a heart check. Let the Almighty Redeemer flood you with His cleansing waters and declutter your heart <3

In the end, our hearts should look like this:

So that Jesus truly is your heart and everything else comes second. Because some of those things that you may have written aren’t bad, but should come secondary to our Lord and Savior :)

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Let these verses become an everyday prayer <3

-B&B (Becky)

It's been a while...

We apologize for the lack of posting! We need to get better at this whole blogging thing. Hopefully this summer will be full of new posts.

Lets do a quick recap on our lives over the last few months! Enjoy ;]

Valentine's Day...
Luis & Becky celebrated their first Valentine's Day together. Precious <3


HER Night & young(HER) Night...
We had an awesome launching of our remodeled Women's Ministry at Church of the Redeemer called HER (click for more information). It was a super cool night with an awesome word, beautiful worship, and lovely friends.


Birthday Celebrations...
Becky and Aubrey had birthdays!!! So of course we celebrated in style :]


Draw Something...
We were obsessed for a few weeks but our excitement has worn off. Here are 2 memorable drawings. Can you guess who they are? ;]


Babysitting Adventures...
We had so much fun with the Rivera boys. Naiya and Eliana are always so precious. And of course we love spending QT with our little brother. Here are some examples of all the fun we had.


Easter...
What a beautiful celebration of Jesus. We are so blessed to be a part of such an amazing church. Here are some pictures of R-Kids worship team and our family dinner on Easter night.


UPN...
For the last few years, our church has hosted UPN (United Pastor's Network) where pastors and church leaders around the world can come together and grow. It was such a blessing to be a part of it, make new friendships, and worship Jesus together. If you would like more information or to sign up for next year then click here.


Fun with Friends...
Random captures of the adventures we have had.


The books that are blessing us right now: "Worship Matters" by: Bob Kauflin; "Teaching Kids Authentic Worship" by: Kathleen Chapman

The songs that are on repeat: "Wake Up" All Sons and Daughters; "I'm a Lover of Your Presence" & "Holy Spirit" Bryan & Katie Torwalt; "I Am Loved By God" IHOP; "Into the Glorious" Christy Nockels

Well hopefully we will see you sooner than later! :]

love, B&B