Blanzy Construction Collection

For my graphic design class, we were given the assignment of producing a logo, business card, letterhead and envelope for our first major project. I thought about making something for myself since I don't have one yet, but my dad is launching his website (www.blanzyconstruction.com) and trying to brand his company so I created the project for him instead.

Here is my work (click to enlarge):

I love your presence.

I went to a new church this morning. To be honest, I didn't have very high expectations. I had sort of given up hope of finding a church in Lynchburg that I loved. I'm not really sure why. But this morning, I found out I was wrong.

There were no signs indicating the location of the church out front and it wasn't the easiest place to find. When I walked in, there was a table with coffee and doughnuts, but I was immediately drawn to a glass wall in the middle of the room with photos of children and places from around the world. There was a table beside with bracelets, books of photos and pamphlets telling about a group of people who were traveling the world ministering and taking pictures that could tell the story of the people in this world that need compassion.

When the music began, people started to take their seats and while some conversations lingered during the first song, others began singing and worshipping God. By the next song, everyone had joined in and I found tears filling my eyes. The reason had nothing to do with the building or even the music, though. Tears filled my eyes because for the past several months I have been desperate to really feel the presence of Jesus like I know is possible. And I haven't been able to. But this morning, somehow I felt the his presence. And it overwhelmed me. And I loved it.

When the pastor started speaking, I felt my heart open and ready to be filled with the words of God. And that is exactly what happened. I don't even know the pastor's name, but it doesn't matter. The voice I was really hearing was God's. I think it is so amazing when God uses his children as vessels to speak to others. I wasn't entertained by his message, rather I was filled and challenged by it. I don't remember any great stories. He didn't make me laugh once. But for the first time in a long time, I could sit here and tell you exactly what the whole sermon was about.

He spoke from Matthew 14:13-21--When Jesus was sad after John the Baptist was beheaded, he went off to spend time alone with his grief and with his Father. But as he sought solitude, the crowd followed him and he was moved with compassion for them and healed the sick. Then, when the disciples came and told Jesus to send them away to get food, Jesus told the disciples he had another plan. He wanted them to feed the multitude. The disciples were then backed into a corner and they realized this is something they were not capable of, so they turned to Jesus and Jesus turned their 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish into enough to feed the 5,000 men plus women and children.

In this passage, Jesus had compassion at a time when he was grieving. When he needed time to be alone, rather than be annoyed he was moved with a compassion that in the Greek is called Splagchnizomai. This is the kind of compassion that wells up within you and moves you to do something. We need that kind of compassion. We need to quit stopping at "awareness." We watch videos, join Facebook groups and wear bracelets but what are we doing to change things. It doesn't matter if we don't feel like we have the ability. We need to do it anyway.

Later, the disciples came to Jesus with a plan: Send the people away to get food. How many times to we come to God with our own plans. The disciples had the right intentions. They knew the people needed to eat, but rather than ask Jesus what he wanted to do they had their own idea. But Jesus had another plan and his plan required them to seek him because it was something they could not do on their own. They could easily send the people away. That required no faith. But Jesus told them to feed over 5,000 people. That required God. If we are seeking God's plan, he will usually require something of us that forces us to turn to him.

To tie this all together, true compassion often forces us to seek the Lord's plan and provision. God put us in places where problems are so big that we have to turn to him.

After the Lord spoke to me through this message, we sang a song that filled my heart with joy and love for my Savior. I had never heard it before, but the words spilled out of my heart and I sang them naturaly despite this fact. It was called "Dove's Eyes" This is that song:

Let me hear Your voice

For Your voice is sweet

Let me see Your eyes

For your face is lovely

I love your face

I love your kisses

I love your embrace

I love your presence

I am my Beloved's

And You are mine

Your desire is for me

Nothing can change your mind.

The recurring theme.

I sometimes wonder at how God must feel about us people.

I know He loves us. It is overwhelming at times how much He does love us. But seriously, how does He not just get so pissed off at us all the time.

I was reading in Acts today and saw what Stephen was saying to the people. "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you." (Acts 7:51)

As Christians, we have the Word of God and the gift of the Holy Spirit to provide us with clear direction about how to live in obedience to God and so much of the time, we just don't.

Throughout history, this has always been a recurring theme. Continually, the human race has chosen sin and ignored God. And continually, sin has had consequence and God continues to redeem and forgive.

Don't you wonder if he ever gets tired of it? Its not like he left us to wander through life with no direction. Yet we don't listen to it. And then, when we are at the bottom; when we have messed up so many times that we can't even remember; then, we turn to Him. We ask Him to save us, help us, redeem us. And He always does. That is the God we serve.

When I view the patience with which he deals with His children. The lovingkindness of our Creator calls to the depth of my soul creating a desire in me to be obedient. He is so faithful, and so I desire to be.

When I dwell on the sinfulness in which mankind continues to perpetuate itself and the continual love and compassion of our God, my heart swells with amazement at God. For while he is perfect in all ways and righteously hates sin, he still can look past our mistakes every time--no matter how bad we mess up, no matter how stupid we are--and still love and forgive us. It just makes me desire even more to not disappoint my Jesus.

Symbiotic Fusion

"But then there's also that word Chesterton used: union. That's one of the most explosive words in my Christian vocabulary. The daring metaphor of Jesus as bridegroom suggests that the living God seeks more than an intimate relationship with us. The reckless, raging fury of Yahweh culminates, dare we say it, in a symbiotic fusion, a union so substantive that the apostle Paul would write: 'It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.' (Gal. 2:20 NASB)"

My dear friend Joy convinced me that I absolutely must read The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning and while I am only 32 pages in, it has already been a worthwhile read if only for that passage. I absolutely love the way Manning expresses the concept of our relationship with our Creator.

The union that we have with Jesus Christ is more substantive and deep than any relationship we can possibly have on earth. When we enter into covenant with Him, He comes and lives INSIDE of us. No other relationship that we cultivate on this planet can even come close to that intensity.

The reality of another being actually dwelling inside of us is something I think it is difficult for us to wrap our minds around. But Paul said it so truly when he said that when we make Jesus Lord of our lives, we die to to ourselves--we no longer live--and Christ lives IN us. Therefore the lives that we live are actually an expression of the Hope that is in us. Paul, ever eloquent, says in Colossians 1:27: "To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

We mustn't forget, however, that as amazing as this is, with the dwelling of Christ in us comes responsibility, for we are now ambassadors for Him. We are Christians. We are Jesus to the world. Brennan Manning quotes the footnote to Gal. 2:20 from the Jerusalem Bible, "The living acts of a Christian become somehow the acts of Christ."

I was trying to think of a word to describe the impact of that phrase and all that it entails, but I am lacking the eloquence of Paul at this moment and the only word I can think of is "Wow".

Decisions and the Will of God.

I was thinking today about how a lot of the time we pray and so desperately seek the counsel of the Lord regarding decisions that we have to make in our lives and so often he seems silent or we simply cannot discern his voice.

I came to the Muse and was talking with Brian about the possibility of the Muse moving to a different location and he told me he was trying to make the right decision and he felt like God was just watching him to see what he would do rather than leading him one way or the other.

It might seem non-spiritual to say that I really don't think that God always has a specific plan laid out for every detail of our lives and I felt that way at first but then I started thinking that when we don't have God shouting directions at us about every decision we make, we have to seek him more and yes, even trust him more.

When I was trying to decide whether to come to Liberty or go to Appalachian State, I couldn't hear from God. I didn't know where I was supposed to go, so I just came to Liberty. In choosing the school I did, throughout my 3 years here so far, I have been drawn so much closer to the Lord as I have been in situation after situation where I have had to seek his face.
I believe the same could have happened at Appalachian State and honestly the decision I made didn't matter nearly as much as my heart and my desire for closeness with my Creator.

If God was like a boss telling us what moves to make, where to go and what to do, our need to actually cultivate relationship would diminish. If we KNEW constantly that we were doing exactly what we were supposed to do because the Lord was clearly telling us, the need to SEEK him would be gone.

First of all, the Lord doesn't want any of us to be robots, following a list of instructions. Second of all, Jesus wants to be so much the center and the all of our lives that wherever we go and whatever we do we should be wholly filling His will for our lives which is to bring honor and glory to his name.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

So, when we are faced with decisions in our lives, whether they are big or small, the question should always be less "What decision should I make? Where should I go? What should I do?" and more, "How will I be able to most fulfill the perfect will of God in Scripture by bringing glory to his name?" And if the answer lies in more than one place, then yes, seek council and pray but know that if you are desiring to bring Glory to the King of kings, you will fulfill his will simply by doing that. Every day.

Jesus in the Wilderness.

"I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said." (John 1:23) John the Baptist said to those messengers sent by the Pharisees to find out who in fact this wild man with the mane of a beard who lived off of locusts and honey actually was. In further explanation, John says, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." (v. 26-27)

John the Baptist was baptizing the multitudes when all of the sudden, there in the crowd, stood the One to whom his life was dedicated to preparing the way for. There in that crowd stood the Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah, the Son of David, the Savior of the World. My body reacts with excitement even thinking about being in the presence of Jesus Christ like John and the rest of the crowd that day were. But even as I think of how amazing it would be to be in the presence of the Lord like that, I wonder if my excitement in reading this passage is so great because the very presence of the Lord is here with me. And even within me, the Holy Spirit of God resides. As I read the Bible and God is revealing His word to me, this wonderful feeling of joy never ceases to amaze me as I know that here, sitting in the presence of my King, reading His word, there is nothing better than this.

My road to Emmaus.

Shortly after his resurrection, Jesus began walking with two disciples on the road to Emmaus. At the time they did not recognize him and this whole story presents a lot of things I could write about, starting with that, but what stood out to me this time was Luke 24:27--"And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."

How wonderful to have Jesus explaining the Bible to you! Wow. I mean, we have Greek and Hebrew Lexicons, concordances and commentaries galore, but these two men had Jesus literally explaining the Bible to them. This makes me so jealous (in a good way). I am so desirous for the Word to be made known to me in the fullness of its intended meaning.

As I thought about this more, it came to me that in pursuing Jesus, he reveals himself more and more to us, especially through his word. As I open my heart and mind to him and read the words of the Bible, the very Christ who spoke truth to those men on the road to Emmaus reveals the truth of his word to my mind and heart and spirit. How incredibly wonderful.

Die to Live.

Something that I often find myself contemplating in the paradox found in Christianity that in dying to ourselves, only then can we really find life. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." (Luke 9:23-24 ESV).

Most of us have heard this said a million times, but how do we make it real in our lives? What sort of application does this instruction from Jesus actually have? The next verse hits the hardest: "For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself?" (Luke 9:25).

Over the past few months, I have been especially considering how much of my life is lived for me. How often do I find myself asking questions like "What do I want?" and "Is this the best choice for me?" when I should be asking "What is the Lord's will? How can I bring glory to Him?" and "How can I serve others?" I think life has changed for me as I have come to understand that its purpose is far more eternal than temporal. This world will pass away. I say that not in the least to suggest that things we do in this life don't matter or that we shouldn't enjoy and get the most out of our lives, but rather quite the opposite.

As we lose ourselves in Jesus, every pleasure and joy in life is magnified. For he is the Creator of all things good. As I sit at my favorite table at The Muse Coffee Co. sipping a white chocolate mocha that Brian made for me out of a red mug, I can't seem to stop this huge smile from spreading across my face as I think about how much better Jesus makes everything! The days I don't read my Bible or pray I notice such a difference.

Right now, my heart is literally racing as I revel in the joy that I have in my Savior. [Oh man, a doo wop version of "Stacey's Mom" just started playing in here. I know that's totally off topic but this is hilarious. Jesus has to be laughing too.]

Anywhays (said like Jack Black in Nacho Libre), I was just reading farther in Luke, contemplating in the back of my mind ways in which I can die to myself and live for Christ and as thoughts of being a friend to people I don't particularly like and volunteering at nursing homes ran through my mind, I came across a verse a few chapters later that really spoke volumes about the life application of Luke 9:23-25. Luke 12:33-34 says, "Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." I love how Scripture all ties together.

So I'm thinking, "how can I do this?" I don't think Jesus necessarily meant the we all have to sell everything. I think he was just making a point. Rather, I think this verse means I should think about how much I have compared to how much others need. How much to I need and how can I give. I believe in giving far above and beyond "10%". The question shouldn't be how much do I have to give, but how much can I give?

After contemplating all these things and becoming very excited in my desire to live a life of generosity, giving, loving, serving and taking up my cross, I then came home and listened to a sermon podcast from Matt Chandler. He spoke about the parable of the steward in Luke. As this post is already getting rather long, I won't go into detail, but it just further reinforced the importance of giving. Not storing up treasures on earth. Making a life that serves Jesus my goal.

*Download Matt Chandler's sermon on iTunes through "The Village Church." The sermon is dated 11/22/08. Definitely worth your time to listen.

all of you. forever. every day.

The two greatest commandments that the Lord gave us are both centered around one four-letter word that the world we live in barely seems to even begin to grasp. Love. "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all you strength. The second is this: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31 ESV)

Modern language puts such a limit on love. Just those four letters creating one word that can mean anything from having a particular fondness for Peanut Butter Cup Perfection ice cream at Coldstone to the Creator of the universe sending his one and only Son to die for the sins of all mankind. How can that one word mean both of those things?

But perhaps even more than the English language limits love, WE limit love. In our depravity, we cannot even know the meaning of this word without Christ in us and even with Him our minds and hearts limit love so much.

Love is SELFLESS. More than anything else, it is that. Love is dying to yourself in every way. Sacrifice and commitment.

And in this, we find the most fulfillment in this world that we could ever hope for because in living a life os selfless love we get the closest glimpse of God that we ever can in this life.

So--love the Lord your God with all of you. Forever. Every day. The Lord is our ultimate lover. He wants all of us. As we give ourselves to Him fully and seek his heart, the richness of love and life is most deeply felt and more utterly amazing than any words I could find in even the best thesaurus could express.

And then, as we love God--love him in the real sense of the word--loving others becomes second nature. And as we live this life of selfless love and devotion to Jesus, we have found what it is actually all about.

[i forget to] Remember to be astounded

Reading in Mark 6 just now, I came across the old familiar story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish. i read it through without taking any extra notice of it and then I came to the next event in the chapter where Jesus walks on the water to the boat where his disciples are at. As I was just casully reading along--which is so easy to do when reading the gospels and the stories you have heard your whole life, however miraculous and amazing they may be--verses 51 and 52 jumped out at me as if they were in bold print:

51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves but their hearts were hardened.

Their hearts were hardened. These men were Jesus' apostles. The twelve he had chosen out of all men to spend his three years of ministry on earth with him and then carry it on when he was gone from this world. And their hearts were hardened.

What does that mean exactly? I think that the disciples perhaps were used to Jesus. They had seen his miracles and while they could not explain them, they were no longer in awe of Jesus, the God-man. So when Jesus fed 5,000 men, plus women and children with five loaves of bread and two fish, the disciples didn't even respond in awe.

Sadly, this reminds me of myself every time I read these stories of Christ's miracles. I forget to be in awe because I have let my heart harden. Not in a way that I turn my back on God or anything like that--but possibly worse, I sit and read the freaking Word of God every day and am told of the A-mazing things Jesus did and more often than not, I read it like a storybook and the realization of God's indescribable power and awesomeness so often passes me by because I forget to be astounded.

So now, as I continue to read these gospels, I hope I see them in a different light--the way the disciples did after Jesus walked on water. I hope I don't forget to remember to be astounded.

The Woman with the Alabaster Flask

Matthew 26:8-13 Jesus Anointed at Bethany  

8And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? 9For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor." 10But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. 13Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her."  

After I read these eight verses I couldn't even finish the chapter without picking up my journal to write about the significance of them.  

The woman with the Alabaster flask is the woman I want to be. Her relationship of love with Jesus is a beautiful thing and something she had no desire to hide. The Bible doesn't say how great of a sacrifice this woman made by the gift she gave Jesus, but Mark does tell us it was a very costly ointment with which this woman anointed the head of Jesus. She gave him her best.  

I think this woman shows us the stuff of what our relationship with Jesus should be. Our relationship with our Saviour doesn't begin with giving to the poor (which is a good thing). We don't form the basis for our relationship with him on our church attendance or how many worship songs we can play on the guitar (which are also good things). Rather, the very core of our relationship is what the woman with the alabaster flask understood--it is absolute devotion to Jesus. We need to be in love with Him, sold out to Him, we need to give our best for Him because our hearts desire is nothing less. Only then--in that passionate love we can realize only in Christ--can we truly love and serve others and worship and glorify our Creator.

Reviving the Soul

Psalms 19:7-10 spoke to me in a really beautiful way today. It says:"7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb."

I love the first verse most of all: The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. It is amazing the way that law--when it is good and from God--is a beautiful thing. It makes our souls refreshed and pure when we live in it.

As I sit here sipping my iced mocha at Starbucks, I think about how if they hadn't followed the instructions for this drink it wouldn't be this good. its sort of like that with our lives. Not through a life of legalism and rules, but rather a life of commitment to walking in the ways of the Lord--his love and kindness--and fully realizing the excitement and adventure that comes with wholly embraicing Jesus and His beautiful plan for our lives. One of my favorite quotes that Adrian Rogers that my youth pastor often referred to when I was in high school is "He who is a slave to the compass has the freedom of the seas." Freedom is such a beautiful word and the absolute fullness and realization of it can only be found in Jesus and walking with Him.

Its like every word that we use and place value in takes on a whole new level of reality when it is embraced through Christ. He redefines what humanity limits because of our finiteness. The excitement that comes from the idea of living in freedom--true freedom, the freedom of Jesus--is way overpowering the little buzz from the caffeine in my Starbucks drink and I can hardly contain the joy in my spirit as I stand in absolute awe of who God is.

In the Shadow of His Wings

One thing that I love most when reading the Word is coming across verses that have meant a lot to me at some point in my life or have always stood out to me as being extra wonderful. This morning-well, really it was afternoon, but I just woke up- I was reading Psalms 17 where in verse 8 it says "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings." I love that imagery.

I am reading The Shack right now where "Papa" is constantly telling Mack that she is especially fond of people. Finally, Mack says, "You seem to be especially fond of a lot of people. Are there any who you are not especially fond of?" Papa looked at Mack and said, "Nope, I haven't been able to find any. Guess that's jes' the way I is." I think that is such a beautiful picture of how the Father loves and cares for each and every one of His children as a favorite child. Even though He may get angry with us or have to discipline us at times, He loves us all the same and that will never change. I know its hard for me as a human being to not let my feelings towards a person be affected and changed when they mistreat me, ignore me or even deliberately turn their back on me, yet God in his infinite love, mercy and grace will still love His child that does all these things. They will still be the "apple of his eye."

Even more beautiful to me is being able to hide in the shadow of His wings. It just brings such peace and comfort to my heart knowing I can rest and hide in the Lord and He can completely cover me. Nothing can penetrate the protection that God can provide for me. He is the ultimate loving Father and I feel so safe to just be able to rest in Him.

I am so thankful to the God who created the universe that I am the apple of His eye and He hides me in the shadow of His wings.