Guest Blogger: Brandon’s Bout

I’m honored that Court would share the limelight with me and let me write on her magnificent blog today!  Isn’t she a fantastic writer?  She loves writing for you and making you guys happy!  Today is her birthday, so be sure and let her know how much you care about her!

I’ve had such a wonderful day so far and I wanted to share why.  I was at a conference a couple of months ago and I remember hearing Francis Chan say that we as Christ-followers need to be people who brag on GOD when he see him work.  Today has been one of those days and I need to brag on our GOD.

I’ve had a toothache for the past two-and-a-half weeks and I woke up this morning knowing that today was the day that I had to get a root canal.  I was tired of it hurting, but I definitely was not looking forward to my dentist drilling on one of my teeth for 2 hours. 

I made breakfast for Court and we got to enjoy some time together before she went to the Christmas Village with her mom, an annual tradition that I’m sure she’ll tell you about.  As she was getting ready, I got a text from a good friend of mine saying that he had some great news and he wanted to tell me over the phone.  So, I called him and he informed me that he had been studying scripture, seeking the heart of GOD, listening to GOD’s direction and he wanted to give his life to Christ and get baptized.  I’ve known this guy for almost 6 years- so you can imagine the excitement I was feeling as he told me.  I just kept thinking, “The angels in Heaven are rejoicing, Jesus is writing his name in the book of life and he will spend ETERNITY with GOD!”  I got down on my knees outside and just thanked GOD for his mercy and his pursuit of us.  He never stops pursuing us!

I came back inside and was scrolling through all of the updates my friends had posted on Twitter.  My favorite preacher, besides Dave of course, is Matt Chandler, who is the Senior Pastor at this huge church in Dallas, TX.  I had heard him speak before and to be honest, he just has a way of teaching the Bible that makes you want to obey and makes you want to live fully for GOD.  Anyways, last Thanksgiving Day, he had a seizure and passed out.  His family rushed him to the hospital and the doctors discovered that he had a malignant brain tumor, a very aggressive and dangerous one.  I’ve listened to his podcast all throughout the year and I’ve been amazed at his faith in GOD and in his divine plan.  Matt never publicly lashed out at GOD, he never shook his fist at GOD, he never he hung his head.  He kept preaching, week in and week out, that GOD is good.  So I watched his video update that he uploaded to Twitter this morning and his cancer is gone!!!  I sat on the couch and praised GOD!  What touched me the most was the fact that GOD does not need Matt to advance his Kingdom, to save his people, to teach his church, GOD alone can handle all of those departments.  But, for some reason, GOD spared him. 

It’s cool because I’ve been praying for him and it’s just so awesome when GOD answers us.

A couple of minutes later I got a call from this lady from around Murray, KY, which is my hometown.  To make a long story short, there is 2-year old boy who lives with his foster parents in a little town right outside of Murray.  They were bringing him to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and this woman was going to be sitting with him all day every day until, well, you know.  She had asked if people from our church would be willing to take her place and sit with this sweet little boy while she got some fresh air just for an hour a day.  Our incredible church lined up to help her.  So, I got a call from her and she said that she had fantastic news…..he was getting to go home.  I didn’t get to ask questions because the Dr. just walked into the room, but she said it was a miracle.  Again, I just thanked GOD.

So I go to the dentist thinking about how incredible GOD is and how much he is letting me see him do and to be honest, they could have pulled all my teeth out and I wouldn’t have cared.  I was just enjoying watching GOD work and nothing was going to steal my joy.

I got home around 2 and I got a call from my co-worker, Dave, who had just been to lunch with one of the ministers at one of the churches in Nashville.  I need to catch you up on some things: A couple of months ago, Courtney and I felt like GOD was leading me to leave the job that I loved at Lipscomb and give all of my time and energy to our church, Ethos.  So, we prayed and talked and we pulled the trigger.  One of the hardest things for us to do was to deal with the fact that we were leaving a steady paycheck and great benefits to go to a job that had neither.  But, we trusted that this is what GOD wanted for us.  This might be too much information, but it’s important for you to know the whole story.  We ended up taking out a personal insurance policy, which was fine, it just wasn’t nearly as good as the one we had at Lipscomb.  Here is where we were having a hang up; it didn’t have maternity, which was really scary for us.   Having a baby and not having insurance is really expensive.  We aren’t trying to have a baby but GOD has his own plans and we would of liked to have been ready just in case…But, we knew this was from GOD, and the thought of not taking this job just because we didn’t have maternity insurance was foolish.  So for the past two months this is what we’ve been doing.  So back to today and the phone call.  Dave told me that a certain church in Nashville decided they wanted to add us to their insurance policy, which if you don’t know anything about insurance, group insurance policies are always better and oh yeah….it has maternity too!  I called Courtney and I just sat in the floor and cried.  This was out of nowhere!  I mean, this wasn’t even on our radar.  Yet GOD, in all of his goodness, decided to give us this!

I don’t know what kind of a day you’re having, but hopefully this blog helps you see that our GOD is awesome!  He is good!  Take some time today and stop and think about all of the good things GOD has given you. 

I want to leave you with this verse. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever.  Ephesians 3:20,21

Brandon