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LEGACY: Week 3

January 27-February 2

So this week started out a little differently than the past two. Everything was normal in the morning, we woke up, ate breakfast, prayed, BUT then Francois called us out. As we group we were tired. We weren’t really all there. Most of us were dozing off and it was obvious. He more-or-less said that everything he was doing was pointless if we weren’t going to fully be there. He knew everything he was teaching and there was no need for him to reteach himself. He asked us, “Have you prayed about this week? Did you spend the weekend praying about the upcoming week? Have you maximized your time this weekend?” The truth was I hadn’t. Come Friday, I mentally shut down. I didn’t spend the weekend praying through the things I had learned the week before. I didn’t spend the weekend seeking the Lord. I just waited for Monday to start back up again. So Francois sent us out on a walk to pray and prepare ourselves. I walked out and didn’t make it very far before I just came to my knees before the Lord. I begged and pleaded with the Lord for Him to come to my rescue and meet me where I was. I wanted more and was desperate for Him to come and touch me. You see, I watch other students and it seems to me they all get “it” so what was I missing?

Tuesday was another knife to the gut teaching, but what really stuck with me was within the first five minutes of the morning. Francois asked us “Who is God to you?” I really took that question to heart. I prayed and asked myself all week who He was to me. The truth is I still don’t know if I have a definite answer, but at least I am asking the questions.

My favorite teaching of the week was on the Tree of Life! Man, I loved it. I even attempted to watercolor a picture of it in my journal. Lets just say it came out more like a four leaf clover and I’m sure my goddaughter could’ve done a better job. Something that Francois said that hit home with me was that we manifest what we receive. It makes sense actually. If my source and means and way is God then my result is God. So now I am currently praying through the fact that the source that fuels me is not 100% God. Yes, He is most of it, but if I am completely honest there are other things that fuel me. I encourage everyone to watch the teaching “The Tree of Life is God’s Economy” on the legacy website. Go to www.legacyencounter.org and sign up. You won’t regret it. Plus my blurbs are not near as good.

Every Monday and Friday we have “optional fun,” which is just another word for exercise. Well, I decided it was time to get back into a rhythm and in shape. I would prefer that my thighs didn’t talk to each other when I walked “You go, I go, you go, I go…” Soooo I decided to participate in “optional fun.” BIG MISTAKE. I had my first experience with Insanity and the name doesn’t do it justice. After the warm up, I was lying on the floor barely breathing. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a little bit, but it was crazy. Luckily only a few got to me see gasping for air and begging for water. The verdict is still out on whether I will continue to participate in “optional fun.”

I had the best snail mail week ever this week! I got a letter from Britton and it was such a surprise. Britton, if you are reading this. Your letter is coming. I also got a giant envelope from Sallie. Inside was the cutest koozie and letter asking me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. I am so excited for her and this season she is in.

Friday night is our Family Night. We have a special dinner and have a time to bless one another and then play a game or watch a movie. This week we got to watch a video of the comedian Tim Hawkins. OHHHHH MY LANTA. I don’t think I have laughed that hard in a long time. I mean I cried.

Saturday was a wonderful day, except for the fact that the power went out and that means our heat also went out.  You see, at any point of the day you can find me sitting by the pellet stove. Remember that time I talked about it being cold here? Yeah, nothings changed. So to escape the cold I went for a ride to Tuscaloosa with 5 of my brothers to grab a burger. One of my favorite brothers here had just gotten done with a first date and he needed a burger and a debrief… I mean we did practice how he was going to hug her. Sweet boy.

---> I really have been blessed with incredible friends who are boys. I seriously sometimes look around and pinch myself because I have to be living in another world. They are incredible. Their wives are going to be so blessed. These fives brothers are great additions to my already fabulous crew.----->

So in short: We can never pray enough, God needs to be my fuel, I am out of shape, and I attract friendships with studs (any girls wanting to me set-up, come to me). Thank you for all your prayers. Please continue and pray that the Lord would touch me and I would have an encounter with Jesus!

xoxo,

B

LEGACY: Week 2

January 19 – January 26

2 weeks down and this week flew by – evidentially the first week is the longest. This week was a normal one combined with teaching, work,and chores. We have a pretty strict schedule. Everyday we wake up at 7 and have quiet hours and breakfast till 8:40. From 8:40 to 9 we all stand around in prayer to start our day. From 9 to 12 we have teaching and then lunch! At 1 we begin working in the vineyards and prune, prune, prune until 4. We have free time from 4 to 6, and then dinner. 6:30 starts chores (yes, I am 23 and havechores) and then teaching again at 7. At 9 o’clock we get time to wind down and just be. Quiet hours begin at 10 and then lights out at 10:30. I couldn’t tell you the last time I went to bed at 10:30 on a regular basis and was excited forit. The days are so l o n g and my too-close-to-the-fan top bunkbed feels ooooh so good.

This was our first week in the vineyard and I really enjoyed it. The task is quite monotonous, but I enjoy it. In the summer of 2009 I worked at JH Ranch where my job was to provide food for anyone who left the ranch property…in short I made at least 1,000 turkey sandwiches a week. I was hidden in a back room where no one could see me and the other 2 workers and we just worked away. It was in this summer that I learned about the beauty and the peace in the silence. That year turned out to be quite a doozie and I was so grateful for that lesson. I have high hopes for this job too. Standing for 3 hours and only moving maybe 20 feet a day is disappointing though and killer on my back. I am going to need a good massage at the end of this season (hint hint: mom and dad). Also I should’ve been given a stress ball when I was accepted into LEGACY because my hand strength is that of a child. It’s a good thing I don’t mind asking for help when I need it because there were many times when I couldn’t cut the vine all the way so I just tapped the shoulder of a dear brother and said “excuse me…..help?” At the end of this season though, you better believe I will be able to open any jar.

 We started our small groups this week and would you believe it or not my leaders are a newly married couple. The other two groups have Zach and Buxton (the other staff) as their leaders…it seems that love and marriage follow me everywhere. They are really fabulous though. I worked with Morgan at the Ranch in 2009 and she attended LEGACY in 2010. She met her husband, Taylor, in her Fruits and Nut Production class at Auburn in fall 2010 and he decided to come spend time apart at LEGACY in 2011. They were married this past May. They really are wonderful. We are currently reading the book The Divine Romance and I love it so far. When I say we are reading a book, I literally mean we are reading aloud page-by-page. Now tell me the last time you read a whole chapter book out loud. It is quite entertaining though because when it comes time for us to read, we all become illiterate. Seriously, if you listened in you would think we had never been to school before. Church becomes challenge, divinely becomes divinity, and sometimes people even skip words (me).

This week Francois has continued to talk about our spirit and really laying the foundation. I thoroughly enjoyed this weeks teaching because I had a break through and that is that the entire Christian walk is all about one man: JESUS. In the past I have more or less gone up and down in my walk. When I couldn’t have breakthroughs I would try harder, sing louder, fast, attend more things, give up things, etc and essentially just became really frustrated. However one day this week I had “Further Teaching” meaning I didn’t work in the vineyard one day and instead had more teaching and this week was about Discipleship. We received notes and one bullet point was “The danger arises when students believe that gaining new understanding and knowledge is the same as gaining reality. Teaching, Knowledge, Status, and Spiritual disciplines do not produce reality within a believer.” We gain the reality of Jesus when we get to know him. So I ask you, what do you know about the man Jesus?

We had another incredible teaching on Friday called Born Again of Water and Spirit. I can’t even do it justice so again I urge you go to www.legacyencounter.org and watch the videos. You can like the Facebook page too and get updates that way. I wish I could share more, but the truth is I don’t know where to start.

Last night was worship and I had to lead – meaning I had to sing in front of 50 plus people ON A MICROPHONE and lead them in worship.

----->Let me just take you back in time to my 7^thgrade year when I sang the National Anthem for districts for swim. I started an octave too high and when it came time for “and the rockets glare” and “the land of the free” I had to speak it. I WAS M O R T I F I E D. I cried and that was that, but the truth is I have always loved singing and when I was 10 years old I swore I was going to be the next Britney Spears. Well that experience slapped me in the face with reality.--->

 So when Francois said that Katie (who has the voice of an angel) couldn’t come that night to lead and he needed someone, my name got volunteered. I found out after I had just destroyed lunch and we had chili. I wish I had known before so I would’ve had a peanut butter sandwich because that is much more pleasing coming back up in front of a crowd. I went back to my room and started to cry because I was so nervous. I called my sweet friend Jessi and she reminded me so sweetly that the people were coming for a night of worship, not to hear my maybe talent. That was all it took for my nerves to go away. It was a good thing too because we didn’t get to practice so when I got up to sing, it was the first time I had ever sung with Francois. The night came and went and the angels miraculously didn’t touch my vocal chords, but I had a sweet night worshipping our Lord.

I can’t believe it is already the start of a new week. I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for me this week. Keep me in your prayers!

xoxo,

B