Time At Home

Hi everyone :)

I'm sitting in the guys' office a few miles away from our house, taking advantage of some hi-speed. The Shanes are in Orlando for the next day and a half, so since the hubby is away, I'm trying to make some progress on important things like... a Texas driver's license. Yeah. And registering my vehicle. Yeeeeah. All things that should have taken place oooh, maybe three months ago? But it's all good. I had a very relaxing morning at the house (gotta admit, I was a bit scared of spending the night there by myself- the bad side of having an imagination) ... woke up two hours after my alarm, made coffee, turned the sprinklers on for Shane (which is very frightening, since the faucet is hidden behind all these bushes that rustle and move whenever you get close to them... girlfriend does NOT like her any lizards, spiders, snakes, or rodents!) ... and then read and sang and prayed. Let me tell you, He is doing a work in me.

I'm in this very rare season-- at least it is for me-- where everything I've been reading about, singing about, listening to sermons about, is in full color. I sat next to a man in church yesterday morning who had a Hebrew Bible next to him, and a Greek one in his lap. He was reading the Acts passage that was being preached on in the Greek... I kept staring at it out of the corner of my eye. I asked him afterward if he spoke both languages, and he said he only read them. I kept asking questions about it, and one wondering if reading the Bible was a richer, deeper experience, from knowing the original words. He said he had heard it put like this- reading the Bible translated into a Western language was like watching black and white television; reading it in Hebrew and Greek was like watching it in color. I'm not sure why I'm sharing that except to say that 1) I would really love to learn those languages some day, and 2) I feel like He is making some things clearer to me now than they've been before. And you know what, if that wasn't happening, it would still be such a GRACIOUS thing for Him to give me understanding at all! But I am definitely thankful for this season.

Well, I should be going. I'm headed to a friend's house for movie night tonight and I have a lot to get done before that. Know that those who WAIT on the Lord are the ones who truly get to enjoy Him for who He is. I so badly want to learn that... and for y'all to come with me in it. Hope you're enjoying your summer days, and that you had a wonderful fourth of July. :) See you guys soon. Beth

Currently listening : Albertine By Brooke Fraser Release date: 2008-05-27

5:31 AM - 27 Comments - 36 Kudos - Add Comment

Off to Plano

Hello :) Well, I am sitting here in my favorite coffee shop, the White Rhino... it's about a mile from our house. It smells good, it looks cool, the people are nice. And... the coffee is amazing. And espresso. I would recommend it to everyone living in the Dallas area, but... stay away... it seems like our little community is catching on to this gem faster than I wanted. We had to wait for a couple of minutes to find a parking spot this time! :)

I only have a few minutes to write- we are headed over to the guys' office in a couple of minutes to grab some merch for their show tonight in Plano. (Can't wait to see y'all who are coming!) I'm excited, because I get to be the merch girl tonight :) I've always wanted to know what that job was like... I'm sure I'll have a new found appreciation for my brother after tonight!

Also, for all of you who enjoy cooking, I wanted to pass along a gold mine that I have found recently... allrecipes.com - I'm sure most of you have heard of it, but I have been a cooking FOOL lately! I mean... FOOL! I made my first loaf of bread yesterday... tried to do the healthy thing, whole wheat flour, organic, unrefined sugar, blah blah blah... and it actually turned out pretty good. I should post a picture of it sometime. ;) It's been such a blessing to be able to kick back this last week and enjoy 'nesting' (I've heard some people call it that)... cleaning, cooking, swimming, hanging pictures, spending time with Jesus, reading, having friends over. It's so good for my soul, and I know it is for Shane's. Summer is such a sweet time to drink in, huh? :)

Alright, well I'm gonna hop off and grab another cup of my "bottomless" cup of coffee... I want to write a journal in the next few days about this passage that blew my mind the other morning in Daniel...

"As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took His seat... the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened..." (7:9,10)

But until then, have a wonderful weekend, everybody! Happy Friday, beth :)

Currently listening : Spring and Summer By Jon Foreman Release date: 2008-05-27

2:55 PM - 19 Comments - 29 Kudos - Add Comment

He Has the Ability

We got home from church this afternoon, and since it's ninety degrees here (but feels hotter), we decided to go for a swim... and then I had a hankerin' to write a journal. So, in order to do that, I had to hop in Lucy (my Honda :)) and drive a mile down the road to Panera for free internet. It's kind of a blessing and a curse: a blessing that we don't have internet at our house so we aren't on our computers all day, and a curse because gas is so stinking expensive. :) Anyway, I just got here about five minutes ago... snuck an orange in my bag (the more this journal goes on, the cheaper I feel!) and got a small iced tea... which, I was very surprised to find out that it comes UNsweetened. I mean, aren't we in the South's South? TEXAS? When a girl's got a sweet tooth and wants her some good ol' sweet tea, shouldn't she be able to find exactly what she's looking for in the heart of Texas? You THINK that, but it isn't true. And sugar in the raw just doesn't cut it.

So... not sure how I got on that rabbit trail... but I cleared a table by an outlet here in the back corner of the restaurant, enjoying some smooth jazz in the background, and I'm typing a journal for you.

It's funny figuring out my personality. Well, I guess every person is like that... very, very simple, but somehow, very complex. I love the outlet of writing and sharing, but when I get in a busy/full season, I feel like my brain is fried for a little while. I think it still is in some ways. And really not "fried" in a bad way. Just kind of taking a few steps back from everything that had occupied my time and staring at all of them. It's been such a good week with the Lord... being called out in my selfishness, and in a very mercifully mysterious way, the Holy Spirit has been encouraging me to sever ties with those things.

Sounds easy... it ALWAYS sounds easy... and then...

I realize I'm not that good at it. I don't know if you're like me, but at the first sign of failure-- or even imperfect execution-- I'm out. Finished. Wash my hands of it. Can anyone say that's item 1 that needs to go?

So, how could it ever get accomplished? How could a refining process happen? Alright, if any of you are churched kids like me, I'll speak slowly so it may not miss you like it always seems to do with me... I need His HELP. His... HELP. HIS help. Learning how to integrate that in my prayer life has been very interesting-- and tiring to my flesh, honestly.

"Jesus, I'm praying toward your will in this relationship- HELP me be a reflection of You. Jesus, give me a praying spirit... HELP me remember to pray throughout today... And for my family, and all that's going on with them... HELP them to love you more."

When a word starts showing up every sentence, it starts to hit you that it really isn't YOU who's going to be doing any of it. Very humiliating for my spiritual-ego, but..... big flippin whoop. The only way I will ever see (and have already seen) any change in my heart is by asking HIM to do in me what I can't do for myself. I feel so foolish typing something this simple, but really, I STILL don't get it, so maybe this is more for me than you. :)

I started reading the book of Daniel a few days ago when we were laid over in St. Louis for a night. My heart had been so hard toward pursuing His presence. I always convince myself that it's okay to run on a word from Him for a few days... but my starving soul eats it right up, and then I just run on fumes until I am so miserable I can't go anywhere but Him. (Item 2 He is dealing with.) And what an amazing week it's been, reading those stories. It's hard for me to really imagine them playing out... reading up on the exile of Israel to Babylon, feeling the anguish in the prophets' hearts like Jeremiah's who warned Israel beforehand and during, stories of evil kings of Israel having their families murdered in front of them and then their eyes gouged out and being put in prison for the remainder of Israel's captivity. What a sorrow FILLED time in God's chosen's history.

"Then the king commanded Ashpenaz... to bring some of the people of Israel... youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans... Among these were Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meschach), and Azariah (Abednego), of the tribe of Judah..." [daniel 1:3-4,6]

As time passed, Daniel and his friends rose to the top, and because of the "excellent Spirit within them" they gained the favor of the king. Pretty amazing to think about the horror that those men had just seen in their own nation, dragged to Babylon, and decide to be men of integrity and good leadership in a ruthless nation... at a very, very young age.

I could share more about all of that, and you probably already know a lot of it. The king's disturbing dream that only Daniel could interpret, the burning fiery furnace... both stories, by the way, caused at the time, the world's most powerful ruler to worship YHWH: "... Then King Nebuchadnezzar FELL UPON HIS FACE... and said to Daniel, 'Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.'" [2:46-47] And this one: "'...Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue this way.'" [3:29]

Sounds like a man who has been convinced, right?

Let me tell you a little of this next story... well, actually, I'll let Nebuchadnezzar do it:
"I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in my bed the fancies and visions of my head alarmed me. So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream..."

The king asked all those men to interpret, but guess what... they couldn't. So, they called Daniel in... the man from Judah.
The king began to tell him,
"The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. the beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lives in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
"I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold,a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. He proclaimed aloud and said thus: 'Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. Let his mind be changed from a man's, and let a beasts's mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. The sentence is... to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.'"

Once Daniel heard the king's dream, the passage said he was dismayed and alarmed... with a heavy heart, he told the king that the tree was him. And a decree had been made for the tree to be chopped down, and for him to go dwell with the beasts, until he knew that it was the Most High who reigned EVERY kingdom of the earth. Daniel warned the king to be humble before the Lord to prevent such a terrible thing from happening. But...

"At the end of twelve months [King Nebuchadnezzar] was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Bablyon, and the king answered and said, 'Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?' While the words were STILL in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, 'O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.' Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws."

I mean, are you kidding me? That sounds more like a Chronicles of Narnia book than an actual, historical event. To stand back and acknowledge the passion of God for humility is terrifying. I SO often consider the verses about the fear of the Lord as passive, you know? That He draws near to a broken and contrite spirit, and the prideful one He sees from afar.
Yeah... the prideful one He sees from afar... or... just makes them lose their mind.
No less, the most POWERFUL king in the world!
What a radical, jealous God! What an extreme way of showing the king AND his kingdom who has authority in heaven and on earth. I love the worship that comes out of the beat-up king next:

"At the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, 'What have you done?'
"At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me..."

(I love this part)

"...Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, PRAISE and EXTOL and HONOR the King of heaven, for ALL his works are right and his ways are just; AND THOSE WHO WALK IN PRIDE HE IS ABLE TO HUMBLE."

This man, who was king of the nation who captured Israel (with God's knowing, of course), king of a pagan nation, who was sent into the wilderness for "seven periods of time" with the mind of an animal, returns to his palace and says... God is ABLE. He IS the King. I know it now. I WORSHIP Him for it... I worship Him for sending me into the wilderness, causing me to completely lose my mind. How RIGHT that was!

That story makes me love Him more.

And, honestly, I don't get it entirely. I was talking with Shane about it the other day on a walk... and maybe you could meditate on this Scripture and ask these questions, too...

Why did God do so many radical things in the sight of Nebuchadnezzar?

Why did God warn him, and want him to acknowledge that He was the true God? Why did He bother with THIS king?

Was Nebuchadnezzar saved after this massive event? Nothing else is said about his life... the book of Daniel goes straight into the writing on the wall story.

How did it effect his kingdom, and the quality of life for the exiles, that he had had so many encounters with the Most High?

What was Daniel praying for during the king's "seven periods of time"?


Anyway... I love the Lord. I'm glad he causes even the most prideful and seemingly most "powerful" to bow and confess who He is. I love His mercy revealed in that.

Alright, it's almost 5:30 and we're leaving in a little while to go out to eat with some friends... I should head home. Sorry for this absurdly long blog :) See you all soon... I promise!

Beth

Currently listening : Pages By Shane & Shane Release date: 2007-08-28

9:42 PM - 45 Comments - 71 Kudos - Add Comment

Oh my doodness

Hello friends! Geesh... it has been... what? Four months? I'm ashamed of myself. :)


A saying from my little brother, Joe, seemed fitting when I opened up the "admin" page that lets me post blogs... "oh my doodness!" So much has been going on lately, and not that I haven't stopped to process it as much as possible, but sitting down to blog-process it makes me feel like I'm telling all of it for the first time. Does that make sense? Putting words around January through May makes those four-ish months look like a huge tidal wave in my head! Anyway... it has been GOOD. Probably the most refining months of my life so far.

To fast forward, we are in Chatham, Ontario, today. It's a beautiful day! Shane and I just sat outside on a blanket for about two hours... singing... reading... enjoying the sun. Kind of an out-of-the-norm day on the road, which made it all the sweeter. The Canada leg of this tour has been good... as probably most of you know, the first week of it was intense post-Abbotsford show. The Lord really spoke through that though... and even beyond it... He used it to kind of call out other things that had been "hidden" before. He is SO in our business! Praise Him for His mercy in that!

Starfield, the Shanes and I are all getting up at some ungodly hour tomorrow morning (I think 6ish) to do a TV show here in Canada... which will be fun, but we're all kind of dreading the wake up call :) Especially when both Shanes help load out after the show and pack the trailers, so they aren't on the bus until about 12am-1am. And I've been staying up late hanging with everyone.. which I always say I won't do, but it's extremely hard to resist :) A group of us watched a movie and ate some snacks last night... that's the pay off of being gone from home and having bizarre schedules... getting to hang out with dear friends.

Rewind: the wedding was wonderful. WONDERFUL. I wasn't much of a planner... didn't really have it all mapped out since I was 8... so it was kind of like, "Ummm... which flowers are cheapest? Cool. Those ones. Uhhh... which napkins sort of match and we could have them for free instead of ordering? Yeah, let's get those. My dress? Ooooh... that's inexpensive and pretty!" Ha :) No, really though, it was such a sweet day. The Lord really moved Shane and I's hearts... small group of friends and family.. my Uncle Dale married us... low-stress. Neither one of us really felt anxious the whole day. My mom kept saying, "You're freaking me out, you're so calm!" :) The peace of God... so awesome to have on your wedding day, let me tell you.

Loving Dallas... we can't wait to get home in a few days and enjoy the beautiful (very warm) weather. It was awesome to be there a few weeks after the wedding before we left for tour again... it felt like Narnia it was so beautiful. Does that make me sound nerdy? Oh well.

Bummer! I was hoping to share more, but it's dinner time and I need to go eat before doors open and the concert starts... I'm on at 7pm sharp, and if I don't have about an hour to digest, I'll be burping through the whole night. :) Just wanted to stop by and say hello to all of you! I'm excited to start back up blogging again. Love y'all. Talk soon.

Beth... Barnard :)

2:43 PM - 42 Comments - 74 Kudos - Add Comment

It’s been a while :)
Current mood: busy

Friends! How are you all doing? I have been meaning to get on here and journal for a few weeks now, but, alas-- it's been a bonkers couple of months. :)

A little over a week ago, a caravan of one mom, one sister, one nephew, one sister-in-law, and two aunts made their way down to Dallas to see my new town and to... PAINT! Shane bought a house last summer and there hasn't been time for either one of us to dig in and make some headway. So, it was sweet to have them here and show them around :)

THEN, Shane and the crew left for the K-Love cruise going through the Caribbean (it's a rough life!) and the day after, my dear, dear friend Kari flew down during her break from Taylor University... she spent three days with me and then flew home yesterday. So, these are kind of the first few days I've had with no agenda in a while... it's been awesome to get wedding plans done and go to the gym and hang out with my "roomies" (Hunter and Becky Hall- our friends that I'm living with) :) ...

And the Lord is saying so MUCH! I can't wait to dig in with y'all verrrry soon... until then, just wanted to say hi. :) I'll get on in a day or so. Love y'all.

Beth



P.S. hey! The Vision of You tour starts up in a week! Go to my myspace: myspace.com/bethanydillonmusic to get a listing of shows... Starfield, David Nasser, my personal favorite, Shane & Shane, and yours truly. it's gonna be fun. :)

Currently watching : Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series Release date: 24 April, 2007

1:24 PM - 26 Comments - 42 Kudos - Add Comment

Nostalgia

There's nothing to compare to pure, sweet, runny-nosed nostalgia. Yeah. Runny-nosed. We're in Lowell, Massachusetts, today and it has only increased my love for the New England states. We were just doing a run of shows up the west coast, had some days off (unpacked my flip flops and threw in some sweaters) and then flew to Conneticut yesterday morning. Five more shows before the tour ends... crazy, huh? Anyway. Back to having a runny nose. Aaron and I walked around downtown today... found a coffee shop named Brewed Awakening (some characters in there, let me tell ya) and a community art museum called The Revolving Museum. SO awesome... had my red hat pulled over my ears, multiple layers, my new brown coat that my sweet Shane bought for me, and breathed it in... nostalgia. Walking down old brick roads... smoke stacks on top of old buildings... 100+ year-old churches... I just wished that I could somehow swallow it. And THEN... we got back on the bus, and Ratatouille was on (I bought it last night at the grocery... love that movie, I'll admit it). What a perfect afternoon. I had read, made a pot of coffee, walked through an old, quaint downtown with a chai, stared at creativity in a bunch of frames on walls, and then sat on a warm bus watching a movie set in Paris.

My heart is just happy. :)

Well, hope you guys are doing well and enjoying the goodness of the Living God today! Seek to be satisfied in HIM only... it's a worthwhile fight. Love y'all... see some of you tonight.



Beth

Currently watching : Ratatouille Release date: 06 November, 2007

6:08 AM - 29 Comments - 47 Kudos - Add Comment

Evidence of the Experience

Just left a very stuffy room... walked out into the rainy parking lot at Bayside Church here in Roseville, CA. I heard some thunder earlier this afternoon and it sprinkled a little, but tonight... it was pouring when we hopped off the bus to go inside to start the show. And wouldn't you know it- the power went out. Not just once. Not even twice. Or three times! I'm not sure if I have enough fingers and toes to count how many times that big ol' room (and all the shiny stuff onstage) turned pitch black, followed by many a gasp/squeal/chuckle/grumble/sigh. So, semi-long story short, Will (drummer dude) and I just went out and did kind of a worship thing and hung with everyone... sooo stinkin fun. And sweaty. And now, I'm sitting on a quiet bus with a little-bit-eaten cookie on the counter staring me down as I type this little journal to y'all. (I may lose all will power at any moment. With the cookie, that is.)



So, that's just what happened in the past hour or so... but today was such a good day. As Shane would say, I felt like a "spiritual ferret" today (i.e. distracted) but He STILL spoke in it. Pretty amazing that there's absolutely no way for me to stop Him when He has something to say!



Now, this is gonna be pretty transparent, but I think you guys can handle it. :) Last night, I was sitting in the back lounge of our bus, about to leave Yorba Linda Friends church for Roseville, talking to my wonderful fiancee on the phone... I'd had SUCH a good day... the Lord had really been speaking to me about my fallenness and how much I am NOT selfless or truly compassionate... which may not sound like the ingredients for a good day, but it was. His discipline is like nothing else, let me tell ya. Soo... I'm all in my "spiritual-mode", if you know what I mean- asking about his day, trying to be encouraging and a good listener, sharing about my day-- all good, good, good, until.......



Hello, Miss Attitude! Out of the clear blue sky (whoda thunk?), something very very very small rubbed me juuust wrong and that was it. I was ticked. Why? I'm not exactly sure. I mean, I remember what the catalyst was... but it's not even big enough to mention. And the worst part? I KNEW that I was being a jerk, and didn't do anything about it! And wouldn't you know it, as soon as sweet, sweet Shane got off the phone (I'm in awe of how gentle he is in the face of my crappiness) I wanted to call him right back and apologize until I got blue in the face.



Instead, I texted him. :) Something really restrained, you know? Restrained in that... my HEART wanted to really repent, but my flesh still wasn't letting me.



Rewind a little: Shane and I have started reading this amazing book by a man named Gary Thomas called "Sacred Marriage"... we found it at their studio on his desk... no clue who put it there, but there were two copies. What really grabbed us was the subtitle: "What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?"... yeah. :) Pretty awesome. So, we've been reading it together... every chapter gets better somehow. The last one I read was about marriage cultivating a deeper prayer life. This morning I went to the back lounge with my coffee and cereal, cracked open the now-worn-in book to the next chapter, and winced reading the title:



"The Cleansing Of Marriage: How Marriage Exposes Our Sin"



Ooouuuuch....



What a timely word He brought through that! And then, followed it up with these verses in 1 John:



"Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen Him or known Him.



"Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is EVIDENT who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil; whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother." (3:4-10)



Did John HAVE to thrown in that last line? Man. What a SHARP Word to hear! Those lines kept going through my brain: "no one who keeps on sinning has either seen Him or known Him"..."the Son of God appeared... to destroy the works of the devil"..."by this it is evident who are the children of God"...



I am diving head first into gut-wrenching repentance over those lines! Well, I'm praying that He'll help me do that.. and not just move on to the next thing. I NEED to let that sink in. My life in Him depends on it! My unbridled, selfless, whole-hearted love for others (especially Shane) is directly related to my love for the Almighty! And, beyond THAT, it is the evidence if I have seen Him or know Him at all. Wow.



I went back and read some of these words from 1 John 2 (and it gave me some vision in the murkiness of my confession-mode): "And now, little children, abide IN Him, so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at His coming."



So, walking around the parking lot today, my iPod playing Isa Couvertier's "Pressing Into You" on repeat (<-check that song out, you'll be glad you did), looking at the beautiful clouds and trees... I just started asking Him to show me what abiding IN Him looks like. And having a life in Him that is evidence of experiences with Him...



In summation: I'm fallen, human, needy, depraved, whatever you want to call it... and I know today only scratched the surface! But PRAISE the Most High, that SO isn't the end of the story! Or the most important part... but that HIS strength be proved in my weakness. HIS salvation seen within a messed up person. HIS Spirit at work within an otherwise hopeless creature... and inspiring a love for Jesus that overshadows everything else and points undoubtedly to Another Place.



Alright... my hand's feeling a little cramped, I may go now. :) Hope you guys are good. See some of you at Chico tomorrow!







Beth







p.s. Today is exactly 5 months away from the big day! :)

Currently reading : Sacred Marriage By Gary L. Thomas Release date: 01 February, 2000

10:43 PM - 39 Comments - 72 Kudos - Add Comment

Slow down, you’re moving too fast...

Sorry, I was just thinking about how this journal is going to be about "rest" and I started humming that Simon & Garfunkle song. :)

How are you today? How crazy it was to have awakened in muggy, rainy North Carolina yesterday morning (still love you, NC) and then to wake up here in Virginia and have to pinch myself because it's so beautiful! I went to sleep around 10pm (I'm so not a rock star) and after some crazy dreams, got up around 8 this morning. After drinking the last little bit of an Odwalla smoothie I had in the refrigerator, I stood there in my groggy confusion and thought about what else to have for breakfast. Aha! Catering should have breakfast out! I thought... and mosied inside. After searching through this massive church, a group of us found the room... I could smell the aroma of coffee down the hall :) ... and then, from breakfast, I walked out a side entrance of the church and stared at the most unexpectedly breathtaking scene: the morning sun dancing its way through a family of young, autumn-colored trees. And the smell! Man... I love the way fall smells. And the birds... HIS birds... were singing the sweetest songs. I couldn't help but feel like He had set that up for me today... kind of like someone setting up a candle lit dinner, with flowers and lovely, inviting smells.

All of that to say... in my pursuit of community (BEGGING for Him to enlarge my heart to change in that area), I was hit with the tension there is between spending time with Him... and them. You know what I mean? I think in the past I've felt like, Well, I'm either going to give my time to Jesus or to people... but, really, that isn't the case. At least not for me, not in this season. He is the MEAT of my day... everything (and everyone) else is just the marinade. Not that HE needs it!- or that He is lacking in ANYthing! Have mercy if I ever even considered that... no... but it tenderizes MY heart. It makes my very imperfect, needy, hungry time with Him to be more flavorful. Does that make sense? I wish we could be sitting with cups of coffee right now and I could share with you face to face. :)

Anyway,,, I was fed with the finest of wheat this morning, friends. Not because I'm all that deep, or smart, or driven. But because HE really is able to draw me into a place of rest. These are some verses that have healed my thoughts about resting with and in Him (when it has seemed IMPOSSIBLE... unproductive... and let's be honest... boring):

"O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have CALMED and QUIETED my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me..." [psalm 131:1-2]

Having a soul like a weaned child... wanting nothing... no agenda... not being lifted too high, but staying low. Quiet. Calmed. Waiting.

"For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, 'In RETURNING and REST you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength...'" [isaiah 30:15]

Hmm. Anyway, I just wanted to let those words fall on your ears... it's good marinade. :)

Have a great day.



Beth

Currently reading : Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses (P.S.) By Bruce Feiler Release date: 02 August, 2005

1:48 PM - 36 Comments - 58 Kudos - Add Comment

Questions, Questions...
Current mood: Tour-tastic!

Hey everyone, how are yall doing? We are in good ole Dallas today (what what) with Steven Curtis Chapman and Sanctus Real. If you are anywhere near here, or any of our other stops, you HAVE to come see this show -- it's amazing!

Anyway, I was talking with Bub today and we decided we want to get to know you guys a little bit better. We want to know how we can make this page better for you guys, and find out what you guys really want.

SOOOO... here are a few questions that we'd LOVE for you guys to take a few minutes to answer. Thank you in advance!! Can't wait to hear about you all!! And oh yeah, on Saturday, October 13th we are going to randomly select 3 of you to win a BRAND SPANKIN NEW Bethany Dillon T-Shirt autographed and shipped to your home!

**Please send responses to bethanydillonmyspace@hotmail.com OR, if you must, you can just copy and paste and send this information in a message to this myspace, but please DO NOT respond on this journal with this information.


FIRST NAME:
AGE:
CITY/STATE YOU LIVE IN:
WHEN DID YOU FIRST HEAR OF BETHANY?:
WHAT BETHANY DILLON RECORDS DO YOU OWN?:
HAVE YOU HEARD ALL THREE RECORDS?:
WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE BETHANY DILLON RECORD?:
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BETHANY DILLON SONG?:
HAVE YOU SEEN BETHANY LIVE?:
**IF YES, WHERE AND WHEN HAVE YOU SEEN HER LIVE?:
WOULD YOU SEE HER AGAIN?:
IF IT WERE A TICKETED CONCERT, HOW MUCH WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PAY?:
DO YOU OWN A BETHANY DILLON T-SHIRT?:
**IF YES, WHICH SHIRT DO YOU OWN?:
DO YOU READ BETHANY'S JOURNALS?:
**IF YES, DO YOU READ THEM OFTEN?:
ARE YOU ON BETHANY'S WEBPAGE OR MYSPACE MORE?::
HOW OFTEN ARE YOU ON HER MYSPACE AND/OR WEBPAGE?:
ARE YOU PART OF HER STREET TEAM?:
LASTLY, WHAT ARE YOU TOP FIVE FAVORITE CHRISTIAN ARTISTS?:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Thank you so much. This information will help us to make this myspace more for YOU, as well as helping us to know what you want and what you like.

Again, please copy and paste this and respond to bethanydillonmyspace@hotmail.com

We'll hear from you soon!!!

beth and aaron

1:42 AM - 1 Comments - 14 Kudos - Add Comment

LIVE IN THIS MOMENT Tour- Premium Tickets

Steven's Curtis Chapman's LIVE IN THIS MOMENT Tour with Sanctus Real and myself hits the road September 20. If you would like to grab some great seats when we come to your town? Here's your chance! There will be a limited number of premium seating tickets will be available in most markets through an exclusive sale at StevenCurtisChapman.com.

Premium tickets for this exclusive opportunity are in the floor section* in rows 5 through 20, where we seat our guests. In markets they are available, there are 100 or less so I'd grab them quickly. Click on the poster below to access the site.

I am really looking forward to this tour and spending time with Steven and those incredible Sanctus guys. See you out there!

Beth

10:35 AM - 0 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment