Praying for Your Future Husband

Recently I have read the book Praying for Your Future Husband: Preparing Your Heart for His by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer. Now this is something that I've been doing for years in addition to writing him letters and such. But this books really helped me to fill in the gaps with specifics. I love the stories that Robin and Tricia have woven into the book - their own stories and life experiences. Both have drastically different stories, but at the same time, that is what makes this book so special - because everyone has a different story, especially when it comes to love. But to those who waited, and to those who failed to do so, there is something in this book for you. 

As you are told in the beginning of Praying for Your Future Husband, "Love begins in the heart." 

It seems like such a simple lesson - a simple statement. But it holds much truth in it. We need to be preparing our hearts as well as praying for that of our future husband's. 

Some things that this book goes into are what we need to be praying for our future husband, such as we need to pray for:

• His Heart
• Him to be a God lover
• Patience
• Understanding
• Trust
• Loyalty & Faithfulness
• Strength
• Protection
• Intimacy
• "The List"
• Contentment
• Commitment

Beautifully drawn together with powerful stories. You will not want to put this book down and it is great to keep on reference. Additionally, it will help you get into the habit of praying for your husband as it teaches you how you can pray for him and even along the way show you what you can do in your heart to prepare it for him. I really do recommend this book! Come check it out! 

Taking a Stand

Human Trafficking is happening everywhere. It is time to take a stand against this horror. Help raise awareness for Human Trafficking! 

Check out Love 146 - a local outreach that is working to reach Pittsburgh and take out Human Trafficking. Also, on a larger scale, you can check out Pearl Alliance! Take a moment to sign the petition to fight human trafficking and share with your friends.

Change.org|Start an Online Petition »

Awake, Awake, Awakening - Book Reivew

Title: Awakening: A New Approach to Faith, Fasting, and Spiritual Freedom
Author: Stovall Weems
Publisher: WaterBrook Press


Summer is here! What better time could there be than this to go deeper in your spiritual life?! It is time to Awaken! In Awakening: A New Approach to Faith, Fasting and Spiritual Freedom, Stovall Weems leads you through 21 days to revolutionize and revitalize your relationship with God.

This book is filled with so many truths to grasp and at the same time it helps you to open your eyes to see the truth that has been sitting right in front of you.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is, "You're not here on earth simply to exist - you were sent here by God.

During this study I really began to think more and more about why I'm here and seeking God's direction in my life about it. Prayer and Fasting are essential to a healthy spiritual life and a strong relationship with God.

Awakening even includes plans for fasting and helps.

All in all - great message to the book. It was a bit hard to read at times, but was assuredly worth the time. I hope you read it and that it blesses you!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review as a part of their Blogging for Books program.

His Revolutionary Love by Lynn Cowell (Book Review and Giveaway!!!

rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y [rev-uh-loo-shuh-ner-ee]

adjective, noun, plural

1) of, pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of revolution, or a sudden, complete, or marked change.

I am in those years. I see the girls, the guys and the drama. I’ve seen so many prematurely give their hearts away only to be broken again and again. I see the yearning in each girl – to be wanted, noticed, admired – to be valued. Little does she realize her value.

John Eldredge knew what he was talking about when he said, “Not every woman wants a battle to fight, but every woman yearns to be fought for… She wants to be more than noticed – she wants to be wanted. She wants to be pursued.”

Too often in this world I have seen so many not realize their value and they put themselves down and spend so much time comparing themselves with other people and some even give themselves away. But they don’t know that they are more. They don’t know that there is someone out there so madly and deeply in love with them.

He sees her and he sees beauty. He sees her and prizes her. He is enthralled by her. But she is so caught up in the world’s system that she doesn’t even know of this love. She doesn’t know about the love that changes everything. She doesn’t know the love that calls her and pursues her.

In His Revolutionary Love: Jesus’ Radical Pursuit of You Lynn Cowell tells of a love such as this. Oh, the thrills I got from reading this book! There is just something about the pursuit of love that excites you to the core! There are so many romance stories out there (and some are actually pretty good, I dare say it.) But nothing will thrill you more than reading this book! Lynn, I believe has truly captured the heart of the subject.

I was watching the Lake House the other night and just found myself going “wow, he waited for her all those years. He waited just to see her! He knew that she was all he wanted!” His pursuit (I will admit) made my heart melt. What girl does not want to be pursued like that? And who, while watching this movie, would not put themselves in Dr. Kate Forster’s (played by Sandra Bullock) place. We have dreaming hearts. We yearn for that kind of pursuit! Reading this book, you won’t have to imagine anymore, because you are that person being pursued. You will begin to see how the love the Jesus offers is exactly what you have been yearning for all of your life. This love is truly revolutionary. It changes everything.

There are three parts to this book. They are:

1)His Heart Toward Me

2) His Path for Me

3) His Hopes for Me

Are you looking for something more? Have you found yourself empty or with a longing in your heart that is not filled? Only the Love of God can fill that place in you. Jesus is in radical pursuit of you.

I highly recommend reading this book, ladies! It really will change your life. This love is so amazing. And it never ends. It never fails.

Lynn Cowell has a heart that is so passionate about God and for girls and women to understand in share in the radical love that He has for us. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and three teens and is a speaker with Proverbs 31 ministries. You can visit Lynn’s website by clicking here.

I will be giving away a free copy of Lynn’s book His Revolutionary Love this week! Here is how to enter:

1)  click the following link to go to my main blog and follow the instructions from there. 

2) Comment on there and tell me Why you should be the one to win this book.

3) Tweet about the give away and/or share with your friends on facebook and let me know when you have.

4) Be sure to subscribe and follow me so you can find out later this week if you have won!

His Revolutionary Love - Interview with Author Lynn Cowell and Book Give Away!!!

I have found that in the Single Season there is nothing better than falling so deeply in love with Jesus! It really is the perfect romance. I have written about it previously here in my post Love In the Single Season. But even now, do you realize just now in love Jesus is with you? His love for you is so amazing, so deep and so intimate! And Lynn Cowell talks about this in her book which she just recently published entitled His Revolutionary Love: Jesus’ Radical Pursuit of You.

 

I had the privilege of interviewing Lynn Cowell about her book which I will share with you here.

 

Brittany Ketter: Tell us a bit about yourself: 
 
Lynn Cowell: I am an author and speaker with Proverbs 31 Ministries; I have been a part of the team for three years. I live in North Carolina with my husband, Greg, of 24 years. We have three teens. We love anything we can do outside: white water rafting, softball, hiking as well as music of all kinds. I’m a big fan of sushi, well-worn sweatshirts and anything that combines peanut butter and chocolate.

 

Brittany: You said that you work with Proverbs 31 Ministries. How did you get into that? And what is the best part about that for you?

 

Lynn: Several years ago I attended Proverbs 31′s speakers and writers conference “She Speaks”. This was my first experience with the ministry. A couple of years later, I began to volunteer for the ministry doing data entry (which I still do!). At that time they didn’t have any one on their team who spoke to teens so I filled that niche.
The best part are the amazing women that are on the team. To have nearly 50 women on a team who get along great with no jealously or issues is really a work of God.

  

Brittany: Wow. That is awesome! What got you into writing?

 

 

 

Lynn: I started mentoring teen girls about 10 years ago. When the girls and I headed to the Christian book store to find a book that studied what Jesus’ crazy love for us, we couldn’t find one. I decided to write for the girls each week and would then email them. When I was done, I knew this was teaching that many girls needed thus the book “His Revolutionary Love”.

 

Brittany: Tell us about your book.

 

Lynn: In “His Revolutionary Love,” I help teen girls and their moms:

 

• · Create confidence leading to higher self-esteem by discovering Christ’s life-altering love.
• · Replace loneliness, rejection, and pain with acceptance, affirmation, and approval.
• · Make wise choices that lead to a fruitful future, rather than becoming a victim to emotionally-based decisions.
• · Shift faith in Jesus from just a parental influence to a personal, growing relationship.
• · Learn how to discern the voice and will of God.
• · Develop and stick to boundaries that protect the heart, mind, and body.
• · Communicate with guys and other girlfriends in a manner that’s healthy and positive.

 

Brittany: What was your greatest inspiration while writing His Revolutionary Love?

  Lynn: Someone I love dearly was going through her third divorce. I knew she was looking to guys to fill the love gap in her heart. It became my passion to help other girls find Jesus as the Only One who can give unconditional love to fill her heart.

 

Brittany: What captives you the most about the love of Jesus?

 

Lynn: His love is absolutely perfect. Even knowing our deepest secrets, our darkest deeds and most disappointing moments it change the way He loves us. He doesn’t think we are the greatest one night and dump us tomorrow. He is exactly what we crave.

  

Brittany: Tell us about your publishing process:

 

Lynn: It was so painful! If I had known from the beginning that I would experience 19 rejections over five years, I probably would not have had the heart to make the journey. Jesus knew that I needed this experience to learn humility, dependence on Him as well as time to hone my skills as a writer. It sure taught me perseverance!

 

Brittany: If you wanted to get one point across to your audience, what would it be?

  

Lynn: Love from a guy, whether it is a boyfriend or a dad, can never fill the love gap in your heart.

  

 

Brittany: Seeing that your book is flying off the shelves, are there any future writing plans?

 

Lynn: Yes…I definitely want to write a companion book for girls to “His Revolutionary Love” as well as a version for adult women.

 

Brittany: That is awesome! I look forward to it! Thank you for being with us today, Lynn. It was a pleasure to hear from you about His Revolutionary Love. Thank you so much for sharing!

 

 

 

 

Check out Lynn’s website here for some awesome posts! This woman truly has a heart that is so passionate about God and for girls and women to understand in share in the radical love that He has for us.

 

 

 

I will be giving away a free copy of Lynn’s book His Revolutionary Love this week! Be watching for my review of His Revolutionary Love to find out how you can win!

 

  

Blessings!

 

 

 

Brittany L. Ketter (1 Peter 3:4)

 

 

 

DREAMS

Dreams are something that are a part of us from the very beginning. As a child we dream of what we will be and do when we get older. Over the years, many times our dreams may change, but the fact that we have them usually doesn't.

What is life without dreams? It is being stuck in the same mundane routine with no hope of something more for tomorrow.

It is contentment with your current character with no desire to go farther.

It is to deny God's call to go after Him and be more. Because to dream is to go beyond yourself. And to go beyond yourself requires the hand and divine guidance of the creator of the universe.

Someone once said that "dreams are the touchstones of our character". Over the years I have found this to be true.

We all have different dreams.

I dream of being an author and speaker and wife and mother. I dream of missions to India and Haiti. I dream of a life in ministry.

But as I said not all dreams are the same.

My friends have different dreams than I do.

One wants to be a missionary.

One wants to go after a music career but also work with abused horses and dance.

One wants to be a statistician! (told you we were all different).

I know others who just want to be homemakers and raise families and some even want farms.

My point is though, no matter how big or small you might think these dreams are as you read - they are big to the people that carry them. Our dreams define so much about who we are and what we stand for. It is only natural for us to dream. God has called us all to something greater and to dream as I said is to go beyond ourselves.

I will leave you with this:

What are your dreams?

Dream something so big that you need God to fulfill them! He is faithful!

It might just be a dream, but if you don't know how to dream, you don't know how to live.

Dare to dream!

~Brittany L. Ketter (1 Peter 3:4)

Here I Am - Lord, Send Me! (My call to India)

"Go." 

Wait. Did that seriously just happen? Did I seriously just hear that?

"Go"

I heard the voice again as the visions danced before my eyes. I could see many places and images of India, Haiti and several other places flashed before my eyes. This continued for some time. I lost track of exactly how long. When I opened my eyes, I could see the "soak room" was filled with women crying out and seeking God - all of who were here for the Women Without Walls Spring Retreat which was themed "For Such A Time As This..."

The "Soak Room" was 1 of the 4 sessions being offered that Saturday. It was a time to bask in the presence of the Lord and to seek His face and praise Him. And wow, did He meet me in that room! One word. One simple word and a vision. He gave me a desire that has long been planted in my heart. 

But I couldn't leave it at that. I prayed that the Lord would bring me a confirmation as to what I heard and saw that day in the soak room. 

Several hours later, I found myself back in the community room for worship and our final session before we departed. I was talking with several women and one of them told me that I should come to India. Pause. Right there! That was my confirmation! Praise the Lord! 

In 2009 I was in Orlando for National Fine Arts (Assemblies of God Fine Arts Festival) with my Fine Arts Church group. That week was amazing and one of my favorite memories! One of the events that we did there was called the Eurasia Experience. This basically was us being thrown into a huge drama where we were shown what it would be like for us to go to one of those countries as a missionary. They had a whole market place set up and people dressed the part. It was crazy! You really thought that you were there! They even took girls out of the groups and at the end, we were brought to this other room where they were selling these girls! I remember being in shock that this really does happen! It really opened my eyes. And it was that week that a heart for India was born in me. Why India? I'm not entirely sure. But that is where I latched on to. And I've desired to go there ever since. 

India - Located in Southern Asia is a land of both extreme riches and extreme poverty. As they still hold their caste system in place, if you are born poor, you will always be poor and there is no way out of that. The contrast between the castes are amazing. On one hand, you can see the buildings that boast of riches, and on the other hand you see in the slums the houses are mostly like tent-like structures made of mud, straw or coconut leaf, or palm leaves. India is also known to have a very high rate of human trafficking. 

"India, along with Thailand and the Philippines, has 1.3 million children in its sex-trade centers. The children come from relatively poorer areas and are trafficked to relatively richer ones. (Soma Wadhwa, "For sale childhood," Outlook, 1998)" 

This just breaks my heart. There are so many children there that day after day are bound to sexual slavery. They are raped and beaten and abused. And for many, they spend years in this lifestyle before they are thrown out. 

There are several groups that are working with Touching the Hem of His Garment Ministries to build The Redemption Home. This home will help bring young girls out of the sexual slavery. There they will be cared for and educated, be taught a life skill and most important - learn about Jesus and how he sets them free! The land for the Redemption Home has been secured, however, for the building to take place, there is still money to be raised. (You can donate to the Redemption Home by clicking this link and following the instructions). I will post updates on the Redemption home as they come. I am so excited for the building of this home! There are other ministries already working in India to help these children and women. Project Rescue has a book which I read not too long ago by David and Beth Grand entitled Beyond the Soiled Curtain: Project Rescue's Fight for the Victims of the Sex-Slave Industry. It is a tough read but is filled with so many amazing stories of how they are working in the lives of these girls and women by ministering to them and helping them find hope and healing - physically, emotionally and spiritually.

I am so excited about being called to minister in India. I cannot wait to see what God will do through this! 

In His shadow,

Brittany L. Ketter

Time Speeds By....

We celebrated Maddie's 2nd birthday today! I can not believe how old she has gotten!mom made her Veggie Tales cakes - Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber! I made her smaller cake on which she blew out her candles! :) here is to 2 years of being blessed with Madison!

You are beautiful, Maddie and so smart. I am so honored and blessed to have you for a sister. I love you!

Pictured is a picture of the cakes and the birthday girl!

For Such A Time As This...Part 2

Well now, it took me a lot longer to get to this second part than I originally anticipated. And I have so much more to write on other things as well, but I'll play "catch up" today and do this post before I get started on other things. Back to the Women Without Walls Retreat:

On Saturday we had break out sessions and had to pick 2. I went to Judge Cheryl Allen's session first where she had a powerful message also based in Esther about how your circumstances do not define your destiny because God equips those that He calls. I believe I covered a bit of that in the last post, so I won't get too in depth with it now.

The second session I went to was actually the "soak room" which was a time to bask in the presence of the Lord and pray. It was here that God called me to India. And really, it was an amazing time in God's presence. I highly recommend this! Surrounded by so many other Women seeking God. His presence was so strong around us. It was awesome!

Finally, we had our last community session after worship. Pastor Patricia Cherry was speaking and wow was the Word anointed! (As it had been all weekend, but still!)

The whole weekend we focused on Esther. After all, the theme was, "For Such A Time As This...". There is so much that can be taken from that book. I love seeing how even when the name of God is not mentioned in the entire book of Esther that throughout the whole thing you can see his sovereignty! Wow!

Predestined. Called. Justified. Glorified.
 If God is for us who can be against us?!

"For Such A Time As This..." Esther was called to a position. God had called her to her position as queen.

This is where we get to - What we think we know, gets in the way of who He made us to be.

Esther could have sat back and said, "I'll never be chosen",  or "I'm just an orphan". If she had focused on what she knew, she might have missed who she could be, and did end up being.

It took time. Preparation is a process. When Esther and the other girls were first brought to the palace, they had to go through  months of preparation and beauty treatments. Esther found favor in the eyes of the eunuchs. She also had a teachable spirit and she learned all that she could from them.

When Mordecai (Esther's cousin) sent word about the plan to destroy the Jews, Esther reached a pause. A pause. Not an arrival time. A pause - a hesitation moment, a transition.

Esther 4:11-15 -

 ¹¹ “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

 ¹² When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, ¹³ he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. ¹⁴ For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” ¹⁵ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶ “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

It was here that Esther reached a pause time. She had to realize that she was not safe either.

Esther's next destiny step had arrived. She had to step ahead of her queen title which was obtained in beauty and favor, and she called for a fast (unity fast).

"If I perish, I perish" - With these words Esther took her next destiny step. She made her decision. She knew very well that she could lose her very life by such an act. But she took advantage of her "For Such a Time As This..." moment. And because of that, the Jews were saved.

Jesus had a pause time too in Luke 22 where he prayed in the Garden. And He took His next step when he said, "Not my will, Father, but yours be done."

It takes one person to bring about fulfillment.

God will position those he calls and He will order their steps.

In Esther 5 - this is Esther's posture time. She set her mind and obtained the King's favor.

What will you do with the anointing placed on your life? You need to move into your position.

For Such A Time As This...Part 1

Last weekend I went to the Women Without Walls Spring Retreat at Antioch Village and Conference Center. It was such a blessed time in the Lord and in so many ways God met me there. The theme for this spring was For Such A Time As This... Speaking that weekend were Patti Carver, Pastor Patricia Cherry, Kathy Blythe, Honorable Cheryl Allen and Honorable Patricia McCullough.

Friday night opened up with Patti Carver bringing forth the message.There was so much that night that really hit me so I'll try to get into that as much as possible.

"And who knows whether you have not come to the Kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14 NIV


Just a background on Esther, she was least likely candidate to be queen. Think about it. She was a Jew and was orphaned at an early age and her cousin Mordecai raised her. Based on her circumstances, Esther was not a likely candidate for Queen. 

But Esther found favor with those who were around her. She had a teachable spirit and was gracious and she knew who she was in God. She was not afraid to be what God called her to be.

When Esther heard of the plan to destroy the Jews, she acted on it. She was willing to commit her life to the cause.

Obedience is key. If we don't do it , God will surely rise another up...but I believe that there are circumstances that we find ourselves in and there are moments that come that we were called to act upon. For such a time as this...God has brought us here. He has orchestrated our circumstances and people...He has orchestrated these "For such a time as this..." moments in our lives. But we have to submit to Him and we need to be confident in knowing who we are and be who God made us to be.

We need to stop letting others define who we are, how we act, and what we say.

We need to know who we are and be confident with who God made us to be so that when we come to those "For such a time as this..." moments, we can act accordingly.

In Ephesians 2:10 it tells us that we are created to do His purpose for us. We were created to do good works with God had prepared in advance for us to do.

God is positioning His people "for such a time as this..."


Another thing that was talked about at WWW was how we need to have haves. Stay with me here - this really got me! In Acts there is a very familiar passage of scripture where Peter and John are going to the temple and they pass this beggar who is asking for silver or gold.

Peter says to Him, "Silver and gold I have not. For such as I have I give to you.." The lame beggar walked again.

What did Peter have there? He had haves...for such that he had he gave....

You get a "have" by being in the presence of God and by being filled with His Spirit.

What do you have?

We need to spend time in His presence for when those "for such a time as this" moments come that we have haves to pull out and use. We need to be filled with the spirit and constantly in the presence of God.

Lastly for Friday night, we went over the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25. You see in this passage that  these women had a lot in common.

-They were all virgins.
- They were all going to the wedding.
- They all had lamps.
- They all had fire in their lamps (at one point.)
- They were all tired.
-They were all waiting.

BUT
They did NOT all have extra oil.


Why is it that they didn't have extra oil? It doesn't say. But maybe they were too busy? Maybe they didn't think they would need it? Maybe they thought it was too expensive? But whatever their reasons, they did not have the oil.


Can you picture this? The ten virgins are waiting for the bridegroom to come and getting very tired and suddenly they hear that the bridegroom is coming! And then they go and turn up their lamps and those of them who didn't have extra oil realized that they wouldn't have enough and are asking their friends, "Hey, can I borrow some of your oil?"

And they respond, "If I share my oil, I won't have enough. Go get your own oil!"

We need to get our own oil and not be feeding our flame off of other people's experiences. We need to have haves and to get into God's presence so that when those "For such a time as this..." moments come, we have a have to pull out and we will be ready.

I'll sum up the weekend later, but this is all for now! Friday session was amazing!

Dancing in the shadow of His cross,

Brittany

A Rare Beauty [And a SheSpeaks Scholarship Opportunity]

Today is one of those rare days where I did everything right.

•   -My hair went the way I wanted it to go.
•   -My makeup went on nicely in a fun way I decided to wear it today. (Bonus: it covered up my blemishes and spots on my face.)
•  -I wore the "right outfit" that is both modest and complements my looks and personality.

This is a rare day where everything I wanted to go right with my appearance did. But when it came down to it, I remembered my verse I sign next to my name, 1 Peter 3:3-4:

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

I am quite happy with my appearance today; but at the end of the day when I’m sitting in my big comfy chair in my sweats and an over-sized T-shirt with my hair in a messy ponytail on top of my head and my makeup washed off, I want to be beautiful. I’m not talking about the outer beauty that is here today, gone tomorrow, and ever-changing by the world’s standards. I am talking about the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit – a young woman who is humble, loving and compassionate to others. And whose outer character is a reflection of her inner character. I want my beauty to be genuine, and a reflection of who I really am and who I am in Christ. 

In our world, people constantly are saying how you have to look and dress and act. They are constantly pressuring us to conform to what they say is beautiful. Please, tell me, who are they to say what is beautiful? Who are they to say who or what is worth more? God’s creation is beautiful, and He doesn’t make mistakes. When you start thinking along the lines of what the world says about beauty and putting your appearance down, you are saying that God did a bad job - which is anything but true! God knit you together in your mother’s womb and ever so perfectly he formed you with great intention. From your eye color, to your hair color to your personality, your genes, God purposely created you this way, and you know what? He is enthralled by your beauty. (Psalm 45:11) [Emphasis mine].

Do not believe the lie that your worth is based on your looks. But know the truth that when you realize just how beautiful you are and see who you are in Christ - that is true beauty. 

1 Samuel 16:7 says:

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 

Your beauty is found in a heart that serves God and that is sensitive to His presence and obedient to Him. It is found in a heart that follows God's leading no matter what feelings may be present. If He calls you to stand, you stand even if you do so alone. If He calls you to write, He will give you the words. If He calls you to speak, open your mouth in faith that He will speak through you using you as a vessel. There is such a beauty in obedience. There is a beauty in having a quiet heart. There is a beauty in stepping out in faith and knowing that God orchestrates everything so beautifully. The beauty is in fearing God. 

In Proverbs 31:30 we find, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." 

I believe with all of my  heart that God has called me to speak and to write. He has already promised that He would give me the words. All that I have to do is listen for Him. In July the SheSpeaks conference is in North Carolina. SheSpeaks is all about women connecting the hearts of women to the heart of our Father God.  

Check out the scholarship opportunity by clicking here

Also, take a look at the She Speaks site by clicking here.

My prayers and blessings go out to all of you. 

Dancing in the shadow of His cross,

Brittany L. Ketter

Redeeming Love and other greats! :)

Of all the books I've ever put on the shelf saying that I'd never read, I'm so glad that I pulled down Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers! Initially, I thought that it wasn't my type of book and that I would not be interested. My pastor's wife suggested it first and then my dance teacher, and then multiple people afterwards. Finally, I was convinced that I had to read this book to see what the hype was about.

My friend and I read it together....or rather I should say she started it and I decided I could beat her to finishing it and picked it up 2 days later! I was not able to put it down and had it finished in 2 evenings! WOW! What more can I say about such a story? That book is AMAZING! I was quickly hooked and went on to read The Atonement Child (Thanks to Mimi who knew I would love it and bought it for me! :D ) and The Last Sin Eater as well as some other Titles! I love these books!

And because I love these books, I believe that you should all check them out! there is also a contest going on and you can find out more about it here:

http://www.tyndale.com/blog/?p=1042

or on Francine Rivers' page on Facebook!

All the best!

~Brittany

What Are You Waiting For? Yada, Yada, Yada and Much, Much More!

When I first received this book, my first reaction was one of excitement. (I LOVE NEW BOOKS!) My second reaction was "Oh snap! Now everyone is going to know I read this!" But I am reviewing it nonetheless and I hope you stick around to hear what I have to say about this book.

Back in 2007 I went to one of Dannah Gresh's Pure Freedom events and ever since then, when I would hear the word "yada" my mind would instantly take me back to that event where I learned the true meaning of the word. It's not the equivalent of "blah, blah, blah" as I had initially thought, but it's real meaning is "to know, to be known, to be deeply respected." This is something that I have held onto ever since the Pure Freedom conference all those years ago.

In What Are You Waiting For? Dannah takes this word, "yada" and traces it from Genesis to Revelation shedding light on God's view and purpose of sex. (Oh I just said S-E-X. Are you feeing uncomfortable yet?) Well, if you are this book will be a hard read for you. 

This world has turned sex into something that is no big deal and something that "everyone is doing" and has completely disregarded the sacredness of it that God had intended.

What Are You Waiting For? also brings in several other topics including

-"Friends with Benefits"

-Masturbation

-Pornography

And other topics as well. In short:

Friends with Benefits - Not only is this a sin, but it's also impossible for both parties NOT to be hurt in the process. With the way God made us and because this is not in His plan for us, it leaves you broken, confused, and having "benefits" in there is a complete lie! There are no benefits.

Masturbation - This is addressed directly and as the sin that it is.

Pornography - To quote a friend of mine, "Pornography cheapens sexuality, objectifies the human body, reducing it to an object of gratification. " Dannah expands on this topic more in her book.

Other topics include homosexuality and other difficult sexual issues.

What Are You Waiting For? Is written in a blunt manner and could be an uncomfortable book to read. That much Dannah writes to you on the first page. As this is written to an older audience (mainly senior high and college girls) I would recommend it for the audience to which it is written and no younger than that. The direct style in which it is written is much needed in the world today. The main message in this book is abstinence.

Before you might have been thinking "yada, yada, yada" as in  "blah, blah, blah" but after reading this book, I know that when you hear "yada, yada, yada" it will have a whole new meaning to you!

SoulPrint - Discovering Your Divine Destiny by Mark Batterson

"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal." - C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory


In SoulPrint, Mark Batterson takes you on a journey of self-discovery while exploring the life of King David and walking through his destiny getting a clear view of his soul print.

When I picked up this book, I knew it would be a good read - but it did not occur to me how it would change my own mindset on my divine destiny.

Mark takes you through this journey hitting on key points to help you discover your destiny. Some of these points include:

• Confidence
• Divine Delays
• Letting God lead
• Integrity
• Willpower
• Your Own Weaknesses
• Your Strengths
• And there are others!

Mark expertly takes you through and raises questions to bring you to a place where you must question your own divine destiny.

God created us uniquely. And each of us has a unique calling on our life and a different journey of getting to where we are called. Our calling and our journey make up our soulprint. But the purpose of our soulprint is to show the very prints of God himself as He has shaped us to be!

Consider SoulPrint a guide in taking your first steps towards self-discovery and to finding your soul print. What mark are you destined to leave?

This is a must read! You will be challenged, encouraged and blessed by the message that Mark Batterson shares in this book!

Fine Arts 2011 - "Compelled By Love"

Okay….so this will be pretty short because I am absolutely exhausted….But…I justs have to say…

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE FROM NEW DAY ASSEMBLY WHO PARTICIPATED IN FINE ARTS TODAY!! YOU WERE ALL AMAZING! LOVE YOU AND VERY PROUD OF YOU!!!

To start our day off, Jodi did her vocal solo to Lead Me To the Cross and totally rocked it! :) She will be advancing to the district level for it! Way to go girl!

Then we had Lydia’s vocal solo to a song that I unfortunately do not know the name of….lol…But she totally rocked! AND she also was chosen to do her solo for everyone there at the awards at the end of the day. Way to go Lydia!! She has advanced to the district level. 

Erica also had her solo, which once again, I don’t know the song, and I missed hers as we had an overlapping schedule. But everyone said she was great! She is also going to districts. 

Aaron did his guitar solo which was absolutely amazing!!! (Forgive me, my dear brother for saying this…) but He is so cute!!!! lol. He would play and look up and randomly smile here and there, but mostly focus on his playing. But he is so stinking cute! (Sorry Aaron, I just had to say it. LOL.) He has advanced to Districts! WHOOO!  (I couldn’t be a prouder sister. :D ) 

Erica and Lydia did a duet to Addison Roads “What Do I Know Of Holy” both playing guitars. They sounded awesome! And they are going to Districts! :)

Rosalie did a vocal solo to Natalie Grant’s “Human” which I heard she did very well! :) Go Rosalie!!! 

Lydia did songwriting and once again advanced to districts!!  (This I didn’t get to see, but heard it was awesome!)

Rosalie did a short sermon! She did great! And she is going to districts!!! WHOOOO!!!! <3

Erica did songwriting and advanced to districts!

Erica also did a dance solo to…well I don’t remember the song title, but she’s headed to districts!!

Rosalie also did a poetry entry which is going to districts!!! CONGRATS!!

SEND JUDAH FIRST (consisting of Eden, Erica Shaffer and Jodi) danced to “Beautiful History” by Plumb. They were awesome!! And are also headed to Districts! 

Sarah Fullerton did the most amazing stained class piece! It was absolutely gorgeous! You must see it!!! This is also going to districts!!! Congrats Sarah!

My apologies if I have forgotten something! If I did let me know. lol. But it’s been a long day and I’m exhausted. :D

So my final words - I’ll say CONGRATULATIONS to everyone! You were all amazing and I love you all! It is such a privilege to watch you use your gifts to glorify God. Over the years it has been so amazing to participate with you, but this being my first year sitting back, I love how I actually get to see what you are doing and that just really blessed me! Love you all!! Couldn’t be more proud! 

Blessings to you and wishing you the best at Districts!!

WE’RE GOING TO HERSHEY!! <3 

D.I.E.S.E.L - Fueled by the Spirit!

DIESEL Youth

Brittany Ketter

February 13, 2011

D.I.E.S.E.L – Fueled by the Spirit - Short Sermon

So I’ve been thinking a lot about this youth group as of late. And originally I had a message that went along with the compelled by love theme with Fine Arts, which seemed like it would fit quite nicely considering tomorrow is valentines/singles awareness day. Either way you see it – spread the love.

But anyways, last week God changed my message up a bit and so tonight I’m going to be talking about what this youth group is and what it means to be a DIESEL. I’ve been in this youth group long enough to see a lot of changes come about. One that stands out to me the most right now is the last winter retreat I went on with you guys – remember Wayne Northup – well that week everyone came back so on fire for God! And so pumped! And youth group was so amazing there! You all came with an attitude of expectancy – you expected God to be here when you came and you expected God to move in mighty ways. And He did. There were healings and baptisms in the Holy Spirit and deliverances. And it was so amazing! It is so awesome to see that and to have that in this youth group…and I can’t say I know what changed, but I believe we need to be stirred up and to get that fire blazing again.

Tonight, I want to talk to you about what I see that it means to be a DIESEL.

Our name says that we are “Fueled by the Spirit” and our verse is Acts 1:8 which says:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

I believe that being a DIESEL means to be radical for Christ. And that’s not just this youth group, but any Christian.

In Revelation 3:15-16 it says:

“¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

A lukewarm Christian is half-hearted and almost going through the motions. They are apathetic and are not wholly devoted to Christ. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be lukewarm. I want to be hot. God would rather you be cold than to be a lukewarm Christian. But ultimately he wants us to reach repentance and to be devoted to him. We should be on fire for God. Do we really live like we believe what we do? You are a Christian. What does that mean to you? What makes you that? “Christian” actually means “Christ follower.” It isn’t over when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior – that is only the beginning. There is more for us. We are called to follow Christ at any cost. We are called to be Radical.

What does that mean for us as DIESEL youth?

Being radical is not compromising. It means believing in something so strongly that you do not back down and you live in a way that shows and fully supports what you believe. Being radical means pushing past our feelings and going out to do the work that God has called us to do. It means to be on fire for God – and to live like it.

I’ve taken our name – DIESEL, and I have made something out of it to show what I feel that it means to be a DIESEL – and to be radical.

D – Die to self.

            Matthew 16:24 says: "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

            ~We need to put to death the desires of the flesh and take up our cross to follow God.

I – Invite the Holy Spirit to Interrupt.

            So often we can get stuck in routines. Sunday is church. Youth group Sunday nights. Church on Wednesday nights…sometimes we let it become a routine and those days we are here are the days we are here to listen for God’s voice and for some good fellowship with each other. But every other day of the week when you’re at school and work and everywhere else you’re hanging out. Are you expecting to hear God? We need to get in tune with the Holy Spirit and when we wake up in the morning we need to invite the Holy Spirit to interrupt our routine. It could be anything – even just a prompting from the Holy Spirit to go talk with someone who might be hurting or that is having some problems or to give an encouraging word to someone or to pray for them. It could be something that you really don’t want to do…or that will take you out of your comfort zone, but God has given you the power by His spirit to do that. So don’t pass those moments up. Pray for them to come.

E – Evangelize.

            The great commission – you probably all know but I’m going to read it anyways.

            “Then Jesus came to them and said, all authority on heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

            Reading this we see we are commanded to go and make disciples and to witness. And you have a promise here that Jesus will be with you always. He gives us the power and the authority to evangelize. In our age, it has never been so easy to evangelize and yet so hard to disciple. Like I said earlier, accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior isn’t the end. So in bringing someone to Christ, you don’t just stop there. Discipleship is important! We have so many means of evangelizing these days. Radio, TV, Internet etc. But we need to remember discipleship.

S – Step Out.

            Sometimes it’s hard to step out because it’s not a comfortable thing to do. But being radical means that we need to step out – and step out of our comfort zone. This stretches our faith and I have found it to be a place where I completely rely on God. It is time to step out of the crowd and speak not only with words but with actions that we are radical for Christ. Stepping out takes faith. But God will lead us in it. It won’t always be easy and sometimes it can be scary. But it says in 2 Timothy that God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” It’s time that we step out of our comfort zone. Personally, I’ve found that when I do that – God moves in such amazing ways – even in me.

E – Expect God to move.

            An attitude of expectancy is something that we should always have. In Acts 1 Jesus commands that the disciples wait for the promised Holy Spirit and they did wait. While they waited, they chose a disciple to replace Judas and constantly prayed. When we continue to Acts 2 we read that:

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. And Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them where filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them to.”

We see here that they waited and even though they were doing other things, their hearts were prepared with an attitude of expectancy as they waited for God to move. We continue in Acts 2 and read how Peter preached a message and about 3,000 were saved that day.

If you come here and expect God to move – He will.

Anywhere you go, if you’re living with an attitude of expectancy – You will see God moving.

L – Love.

            Jesus commands in John 13:34:

“Love one another as I have loved you. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

People will know we are Christians by our love. This is what I desire us to be like. What we have here as a youth group is special. I know you all love each other. You know its love when you can insult each other and not be offended. But really, we have something different here. And the way that you love each other is very apparent. We need to take that love we have here out there and show this love to the world.

            “God is love and he who abides in love abides in God and God in Him.”

This here is what I believe a Diesel to be. It means we

Die to Self.

Invite the Holy Spirit to Interrupt

Evangelize

Step Out

Expect God to Move

Love

I want to challenge you tonight to really think about this. Think about what it means to be part of DIESEL and to be radical and on fire for God.

Where were we as a youth group when we came back from winter retreat last year? What has happened that people aren’t being saved? What has happened that we don’t pray with each other anymore? What has happened that people aren’t being baptized in the Spirit? Have we become lukewarm? I think it is time to stir up that fire and I believe that tonight we need to have a new vision for ourselves as a youth group.

We want to see salvations.

We want to see healings.

We want to see baptisms in the Holy Spirit.

We want to see what it is to be a youth group that is on fire and fueled by the Spirit again.

We want to see God move in this place.

I think it is time that we step out of the familiar and push for the supernatural. It is time again that we come together…When we stop compromising, and when we will start living like we really believe what we believe, that I think is when we are going to see God move in supernatural ways.