Thoughts

I didn’t like how I acted yesterday.  It’s been stressful at work lately, like every other teacher I have concerns about how am I going to react to a dangerous situation and then to add the fact Facebook has this incredible way of blowing up with everyone’s opinion on the matter.  Add that UIL is today which, if I’m really going for the oh woe is me bit, no one understands the amount of pressure there is to get 1’s.

So clearly my time yesterday was to act like a petulant child wanting her way and disregarding everybody else’s opinion on any of the matters at hand.  My goodness I hate that,  I hate that I act before I think, I hate that I am brash, and can say things that are selfish and only concerns my needs and no one else’s.  I specifically hate that I am a Christian and act in ways that aren’t Christ like.

This verse let’s me know that it’s forgiven.  That’s why Christ came to this world and died for my brash words, and selfish attitude.  Not that I continue on in my ways but that my heart condemns me and that I ask forgiveness.  For God knows everything and He still loves me, regardless of my actions.

So today, I’m going to seek the glory of the Lord.  For truly God’s glory shines in the hard and in the joy.  In my poor decisions and in my wise choices He reigns.  Hopefully today I will act in ways that honor’s God and shines His glory forth.  How about you?  How are you going to act today?

The Loft

So I’m an orchestra director with the school district here.  I love my job, I’m so incredibly grateful that my fine arts director saw something in me that had potential.  Let’s be truthful here, my interview was an epic failure.  To all my future interviewees out there, never bring your kids to an interview.

Anywho, when I got the job (a huge glory to God on that one) I had nothing to wear, and I mean that. My body had birthed three children, had undergone two major surgeries and I literally lived in yoga pants.  I had nothing to wear.  Do you know how expensive professional clothes are.  I would have had to get a second job to afford professional clothes 😳. I eventually found The Loft, this is my go to store for all my professional clothes.  It fits my skinny girl, no figure, lack of style needs.  It’s affordable and has some awesome sales where you can get fine quality with out getting a second job 🤓

I love the looks they pair together on the models and I essentially shop the look, the best part of this... Is the fact that I can still move in them.  I can bend down without exposing indecent parts to my innocent kiddos.  I can move without sweating because the material is breathable.  I love wearing the clothes because they’re not itchy either.  So there you have it, my go to place to shop for professional clothes, or my mom’s closest but don’t tell her I said that 😏

Truth

This verse hit me today.

This chapter hit me harder.

Friends, I have such a burden for you to believe Jesus Christ is God.  That He died a horrible death to take away our mistakes, to suffer for the wrongs we have committted.  That He rose from the dead conquering death so that we can believe.

What is your reasoning for not believing this?

What is holding you back from having an intimate relationship from the one who died by man’s hand so we can have that relationship with Him.

This isn’t about me.  It’s about a Father God who loves you so incredibly, who knew there was no way you could ever reach perfection, that He asked His son to take your consequence for you.  And Jesus did!  He existed, He lived, He died, and He conquered the impossible so that we can live.

So again, what’s your reasoning for not believing this?

Cup

Today in my quiet time I read a pretty heavy chapter.  John 18 is hard to swallow; the world where Jesus lived is an extremely violent world.  A world where a man can be accused of anything and could be put to death by popular vote.  The death in and of itself is horrible and painful.

That’s how Jesus died, by the majority saying kill him.  That’s why when I read this verse it brought a new understanding to me. “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me” why do I think my life will be easy?  When Jesus drank from a cup that was filled with people rejecting Him, hating Him, and killing Him.

So I have a choice, I can accept the cup that my Father God has given me, or not.  I don’t need to believe that Jesus is God.  My life in the United States would be filled with everyday living, and maybe a few unexpected circumstances.  Or I can accept that God might have something different for me.

The reality is that I can not live without Jesus Christ in my life.  Being separated from God is not an option for me.  So with that being said whatever may come, I accept the cup the Lord has given me.  Whether it’s bitter or sweet, life saving or death sentencing because in the end my reward isn’t going to be in this life but with Jesus who reigns forever.

Will you accept the cup the Father has given you?

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Sex

Ha,
I got your attention didn’t I :)

Ok now that we are talking about a subject that is definitely for the mature and ready person please let me advice you to not allow your child to read this!  For the love of Pete I’m already slightly blushing and I’m a married woman!  And gentleman, you don’t need to read this either, move along there bucko.

Why am I bringing up this book.  Here’s the deal ladies I’m going to be blunt and I’m sorry if I offend anyone but this is a Christian blog with Christian viewpoints.  Jesus Book Girl has Jesus in the title for a reason.

So when I got married I was a Virgin, I had literally no clue what sex was unless you count the smut books that I read and they totally down played the amount of pain a Virgin would have.  At least on my end of the deal.  I remember reading Kevin Leman’s book Sheet Music and though he was very analytical he didn’t cover the emotional side of sex.  Ladies we are all about the emotion.  If we aren’t feeling there is no way that we can get pleasure from the experience.

This book The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex,  I found when I had been married for a while and all I could think was I wish this was written before I got married.  It explains so much about the woman’s thought process and why we feel the way we feel and how we can get true intimacy in the act.  It also goes over many things that are incredibly helpful to the Virgin and experienced woman when they want an intimate relationship with their spouse.

This is a great book and I really have benefitted from it, but here’s one last thing that I tell all my soon be married friends (this is for healthy relationships only, if you’re in an abusive relationship physically or verbally please get help).  Have sex, a lot of it, even when you’re exhausted, or not in the mood.  It’s amazing to me how my man becomes more affectionate, talkative when that side of their life is filled.  Ladies put your big girl pants on, brush your teeth and hair and choose to love on your husband.  The benefits far out way the time spent being intimate.

Best of luck and know that I’m praying for you!

Money

I remember first learning about this verse at a Christian chamber music camp.  Incredibly, it didn’t really register that my talents, money, and anything else was given to me by our Father God and it should be used to glorify God.  Being 17 I was more concerned about being homesick and these kids (some of them were virtuoso 8 year old musicians) wanted to practice 24/7.  Ok sorry totally went down a different path 😂

But now as I look back I see what this verse can mean in my daily life.  I understand my natural talents being from God, I understand the many blessings that God has bestowed on our family like jobs, a house, and numerous other things, but for some reason money doesn’t register as being God’s.  Todd on the other hand is great at recognizing that it’s not ours but the Father’s.  He told me several years ago when we were struggling to get by on a monthly basis that he wanted to increase our giving every year.  I was shocked, in my mind I rationalized that God got our ten percent and isn’t that enough.  Thankfully, I respected my husband’s leadership and each year we have been able to increase our giving.  Numerous people and charities have seen the glory of God because my husband got that our money should be used for the glory of God.

Friends, is there an area in your life that you are not giving God the glory too?  Mine was money, I felt justified to only give my ten percent because I didn’t realize that God was the one who gave it to me.  For you, it might be something incredibly different.  Know that I’m praying for you, and that if ever you need prayer you can comment.  Love you all.

Feet

These verses amaze me.  Go ahead read it.  It should shock you too.   When have we ever read a national leader wash someone?  If they have done it, it will never make the news.  I feel sometimes we get so immune to this passage that we forget it.  Jesus Christ, Lord, God, creator of the earth, and universe washed people.

What’s your moment?  Where have you served that really truly is a thankless job where you won’t get recognized?  Friends be confident that you follow the steps of Jesus when you serve in such a way.

Love

So this is my Todd :). I know I didn't talk about love on Valentine’s Day but I thought I would broach the subject a few days after.

We’re not perfect, our fights have been epic, our tears have been real, we have enjoyed moments of pure beauty and have walked through hardships.  He’s my friend, a leader among his peers, and one of the wisest men I know.  

I remember being in college and praying to God that I needed to be content with where God had me as a single woman.  My heart hurt friends thinking that just maybe God needed me to be single for the rest of my days.  Then one day while hanging out with a friend of mine she spoke these encouraging to me, “Bre it’s ok to pray for a husband.”  My prayers changed that night to God.  I would normally gloss over my prayers not really being vulnerable with God thinking He needed to be prayed in a certain way, but that night He heard my anguish, my longing for a husband, and a relief came over me that I had never known before.   My heart opened up to a whole new relationship with Jesus Christ, and my prayers definitely became better and increased.

Friends, if you’re holding God at arms length can I encourage you to stop.  Open up to him; believe that He’s listening to you and wants to help you.  This is an amazing Father who truly desires to listen to you!  He will never abandon you or leave you, and he most definitely won’t forsake you.

So you’re probably wondering if God immediately gave me Todd :). In a way He did. It it took me awhile to realize it.  This one guy would come regularly  into the coffee shop I worked at ordering an iced coffee and then would go sit in a corner to read his Bible.  He was the opposite of me, quiet.  His eyes were the most beautiful blue, and for three years he would come in and I would serve him coffee and he would read his Bible.  I fell in love with that guy and three years after my heartfelt prayer God answered my prayer by us talking, eventually going on a date, and then marrying but that story is for another time.
Be open in your prayers dear friends and don’t forget that God loves you and wants the best for you.

“His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”
‭‭The Song of Solomon‬ ‭5:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Guilt

Guilt is an interesting thing, because it can be a two way street.  There are people in this world who don’t have it and do terrible things to mankind, and then there are some people who have it so immensely that it stops them from living the life God meant to have for them.

I read John 9 today in my quiet time and it was about this guy who was blind at birth.  You see back then someone who had an affliction was considered to have sinned.  Can you already guess the conundrum?  This man was blind at birth so was it his parents who sinned or did the guy sin within seconds of entering the world.  Neither, Jesus told his peeps; this man was here for the works of God.  Now this is a side that I would love to get into another time, but I don’t want to :). My heart right now is for talking to the Christian.   So friends, go to your Bible and read John 9 if you don’t know this story and then come back to my blog to get my wandering thoughts.

Jesus heals the man but there is this epic argument that is going on between the local pastors (I.E. Pharisees). Is the man (Jesus) from the devil or is he truly the son of God.  They are looking at a man who can now see and they themselves are blind to the miracle that Jesus Christ did for him.  Why, that’s my question.  How can something so amazing be turned into this bitter pill to swallow for them.  I don’t know if I’ll ever understand, but Jesus explained it to us.  And friends I really don’t want to upset you but here are His words John 9:39 “For judgement I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”  As he said these words some of the local Pharisees asked him are we blind?  What a question, and Jesus replied in John 9:41 “If you were blind you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

For when you see you immediately realize that Jesus Christ is convicting you of the deeds you’ve thought or the deeds you’ve done.   Your heart is then open to seeing that Jesus Christ is the miracle giver, Lord and Savior who we all desperately need in our lives.

Jesus may we see you so our guilt remains, to be fully cleansed and forgiven by you because it is with your mercy we are a holy blameless child of God, by your act of dying on that cross and conquering death so we may live.

Humble

Humble:  Having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s own importance.

Let’s be honest,  I am not one to do that.  I want the world to see how great I am and to succeed in life, to make my name known across the world of musicians.  I had ideas when I was going to college to be this grand educator (just like my mom and my grandma before her). I was going to fill these forward motion ladies shoes and I was going to have to get me my own rockin’ shoes because I filled their shoes so well (at this moment my mom would say that’s a lot of “I’s”  Breanna Laine).

Then we moved.  We moved to a place where Fiedler isn’t known.  Where I was no longer part of a legacy of awesome music educators who pioneered their own music programs.  I was an unknown who had no clue what she got herself into.  No one cared about the legacy that was up north, they cared about results, and I had no results to show.  Friends I was brought low, and it was eye opening.

So when I read this verse it brings comfort to me, because it doesn’t say Jesus will abandon you when you exalt yourself, it doesn’t even say that He will shove it in your face, it says you’ll be humbled.  If out of this whole process I learn that my strength is not enough and I need to depend on Jesus Christ then I consider it a job well learned.  So humble yourself dear friends, learn from my lesson and be it forever in your head that whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

I love you and know that I pray for you readers daily.

Place Setting

So upon reading all of the important things about your why in joining Mary and Martha I’m going to tell you min.  See that picture above?  That’s my why 😂 

This place setting for a table is gorgeous and simply beautiful.  

I fell in like with the plates, bowls and cups.  I’m a fairly frugal person and Todd and I have agreed that if we want something that we have to sell something first.

So here I am friends selling a product so I can get product because it’s really a great product!  Quality and beauty graced with the powerful Word of God on it.

Go ahead friends and help this gal buy these place settings :). Click on Bre’s Mary and Martha!

Foreknew

I had totally planned on talking about a different verse, but this urging keeps saying you need to talk about this.  Ok Father God, I hear you :)

But before I do, let me preface this.  When I blog, I’m not talking to you from great intellect or years of education.  It’s just God revealing something to me that I never knew before.  It’s my time with God that I’m sharing and friends if you don’t have a time with God get your butts up and start doing it, because the truth is, it is the most intimate time and the most beautiful time you will ever have.

This verse got me today.  I’ve read over it hundreds of times but it finally hit me how Jesus foreknew how He was going to die and by whose hands He would die from.  Does that not shock you?  I can not imagine that.  Jesus knew how he was going to die and by whose hands he would die from. He then continued on loving them and giving them clear adamant warnings begging them to choose otherwise.  As I’m reading the gospel it is littered across the scripture.

This is the perfect picture of predestination.  He foreknew yet still preached and loved on them.  Their decision would lead to great suffering for Jesus yet He knew that if He made them choose otherwise, many others would suffer.  What an incredible sacrifice.  What an incredible God.

Will

How often do you seek the Lord’s will?  Why is it as Christians this seems to be the hardest thing in the world?  In fact there was a Christian book on will that was very popular when I was in college.  Let’s be honest here friends, you don’t need that book.  You just need one book to seek God’s will and that’s the Word of God, the Bible.  How often do we ignore it to read the next book that’s on the Christian top list?  So many times we choose to ignore God’s will for us to listen to another person’s will.

Let me encourage you today to seek His will.  In this verse Jesus Christ is talking to a group of people explaining why He was sent to earth.  He was adamant that he can do nothing on His own.  His words are simple and true.  If the Savior our Christ seeks the Will of God how much should we?  So today friends, spend some time with God knowing that you can’t do anything on your own, but seek the will of the one who put you where you’re at today.

Love you, and let me promise you that God has you where you’re at for a reason.  Realize that you can do nothing on your own is the first step, and seek His will because our Father God sent you here for a purpose.

Home

Growing up I was a homebody, I kid you not.  My friends in high school can attest to the fact that I would have rather stayed home watching a movie with my parents then go out late into the night.  That continued even into my marriage.  My poor husband made many a trips back to my parents house so I could be home.

Now that I’m an adult and live 17 hours away I had to eventually put on my big girl pants and make my own home.  But that feeling still sneaks up on me when times of stress or hardship come upon me.  Home is a place of comfort, and complete acceptance for me.  It got me thinking about how as Christians this world really isn’t our home.  That Jesus Christ himself said in my Father’s house are many rooms and that he prepared a place for us.  What must it be like to have a room prepared by our all knowing, all loving, and all powerful Father God.  He knows us inexplicably, our room will be better then Chip and Joanna Gaines fixer uppers, it will be better then anything we could have ever imagined.  The best part of all of this is, that we will truly be home.

New Spring Collection!

Some of you are probably wondering what in the world is Mary and Martha.  This picture right above explains it to a tee.  Ladies and Gentleman, if you’re a Christian who needs serving war for your home, or would like to decorate your home with faith based product my business is the place to get that!  So today I am going to post pictures of all our awesome 2018 Spring Collection feel free to go to this website Bre’s Mary and Martha and shop the product.  Not only will you be filling your house with beautiful things for your family but you’ll also be filling it with the Word of God.  How cool is that!
So let the new product and pictures begin!