Inspiration

Orchestrated

~ mbard ~ Leave a comment

Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. –Hosea 2:14

Swimming was my first love. My name even means Guardian of the Sea, so it doesn’t surprise me that God chose swimming as the sport He’d use to woo me into His warm embrace. On my first birthday, I was splashing around in the creek that runs through my family’s property and at 17 I found myself swimming my last competitive race. This past weekend marks the fourth anniversary of that last swim. I still remember cooling down for an extended period to ensure that no one saw my brokenness, the disappointment that I hadn’t accomplished my goal for that final swim, and that I was choosing to leave my first love to pursue a collegiate volleyball career. In the small Texas town I call home, I was known as the swimmer, and choosing a sport where I had earned fewer accolades and relied on a team for success seemed bogus. Praise God it wasn’t bogus to Him. This past weekend, at 21 years old, God took me down memory lane and showed me a highlight reel of my life that has gotten me to this point. A point where I don’t fear the unknown because I wholeheartedly trust the Creator, I don’t fear death because I know where I’m spending eternity, where I don’t fear not fitting in because I know I wasn’t made to. The life I am now living is life in the fullest.

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If I haven’t bored you to tears, I’d love you to immerse yourself in my story and I pray that it blessed you to TRUST in all circumstances the One who made you for Him.

I was 13 when I walked into the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center proudly sporting my Texas A&M sweatshirt. Mom and Dad had taken me to Wendy’s for lunch where I saw my first traffic cone orange Mohawk. Austin was weird and I didn’t want anything to do with it. My dream was to swim for the Aggies. My parents are the type that taught me to dream big and always promised to catch me if I fell. I had set a goal to qualify for the state meet as a freshman, and they wanted me to see what I was aiming for so I knew how to prepare. We watched and I thirsted to dive into lane 4 where records had been broken and Olympians had trained.

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When I set goals, I plan to accomplish them. Goals aren’t necessarily a bad thing, but I’ve learned when they’re for selfish gain and self-glorification it can be devastating when they aren’t accomplished. My devastation came in the form of .60 seconds. In swimming that’s about a hand’s length difference. In my world, that was about 130 miles, the distance from El Campo, TX to Austin, TX for the state swim meet. Instead of making the journey to actually swim, we drove to watch my competitor take what I thought was my rightful place in the pool. My thirst hadn’t been quenched.

Sophomore year. The year of redemption. It was my time and I was ready to seize it. The 200 Freestyle was my first individual race at the regional meet and I was feeling good. In a little over two minutes I punched the wall, posting my personal best time. Something was wrong. Men in white were at my lane. Fear and disappointed kicked in as they told me my shoulder “twitched” before the buzzer. Disqualified. No medal, just tears. I was a mess, but Momma Bard caught me, held me, prayed with me, and helped me give my disappointment to God. I had to get focused. The 500 Freestyle was my best shot at qualifying for state and tears were definitely not helpful when swimming.

Take your mark. Beep. Off the block. Stroke. Kick. Stay within striking distance. The 500 is all strategy. My competitors were a body length ahead of me and I’d never felt calmer in the pool. It was time to attack.

Stroke. Kick. Inch by inch I overcame the difference until my goal was accomplished. A personal best. A berth into the state meet. Another trip to that weird place known as Austin, TX. Another goal accomplished.

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Volleyball. A sport that allows you to talk while you play, rather than blow bubbles while you swim. A beautiful game that I had began to fall in love with. Swimming was still in the picture, but volleyball had stolen some of my attention. It was time to switch gears and trade in the race of endurance for a burst of speed and precision so that I had time to train for volleyball. Goodbye 500 Freestyle, hello 50 Free.

It was time for the 2008 state qualifying meet. Despite my dramatic event change from the longest event to the shortest event, I was the favorite. Twenty-five seconds was all it took to make it down and back. It was a tight race, but I had won. State two years in a row. Submersion into a sea of burnt orange was on my horizon. This time, qualifying wasn’t enough, I wanted to make it to the championship final and finish in the top eight swimmers in the state. Disappointment struck again. I had place ninth. This time the different was .08 of a second. I had been less than a fingernail from reaching my goal, but during the consolation finals I was placed in lane 4. I was in the center of the pool where Olympians I idolized had swum, but the thirst I felt in eighth grade still wasn’t quenched.

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By the time swim season arrived my senior year, I wanted to qualify for state, but I had started to live and breathe volleyball. Swimming was placed on the back burner and looking back I have no doubt God was the only reason I ended up in Austin. I wasn’t ready to admit that I was going to choose volleyball over swimming because I knew I was going to disappoint everyone who had journeyed with me over the course of 13 years in the pool. Regionals came around and I placed fourth behind the state record holder and eventual gold medalist, the bronze medalist, and another very talented swimmer. My only hope was a call up and I knew that was a long shot. I cried, a lot, and came to terms with the fact that my swimming career was over. We celebrated at Texas Roadhouse with a few too many rolls lathered in honey butter. As we were walking out, a group of swimmers from another school in our region caught me off guard and congratulated me for qualifying for state. Wait…WHAT?! I was in?!

I had taken the eighth and final call up spot. It seemed that God had intervened on my behalf.

I wore my red and white El Campo swim cap for the last time in Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center and although I was disappointed in my last swim I now realize that it was all a part of the Potter’s plan. At that point I had been offered a scholarship to play volleyball at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX. My future coach came to watch me swim, called me after my race, and told me that my speed off the block (I had the quickest reaction time) would serve me well in volleyball. Just a side note: if a coach who is genuinely supportive of everything you are involved in is recruiting you, tell them yes. They care about you and want you to not only be the best athlete, but the best person you can be. That’s a unique quality that you don’t want to pass up.

I knew it was time to make my decision. I told my parents and my swim coach that I wanted to play volleyball at St. Edward’s. I come from a pretty sentimental family, so we drove to campus and I called my coach to let him know I was committing. Before I could get the words out, he asked where I was and told me to head to the gym to say “Hi”. I ended up committing in person.

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Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. –Hosea 2:14

At 21, I now realize why that thirst I thought I could quench through swimming was never satisfied. My thirst wasn’t to qualify for the state swim meet, it was a thirst for God. I’ve since graduated from St. Edward’s and am pursuing a career in sports marketing. After four seasons on the Hilltop it is clearer to me than ever before that God placed me exactly where I needed to be. Austin seemed like the last place I wanted to be when I was 13, but it became the wilderness God wooed me into to capture my heart for eternity.

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Notice how throughout my swimming story it was always MY goals, MY dreams and MY desires. Although I prayed before and after swims, I wasn’t aiming to follow God. Disappointment devastated me because I was seeking self-glorification when I should have been working towards Christ’s glorification. But that’s the beauty of the Gospel. It finds us where we’re at and changes us forever. When I wasn’t chasing after Him, God chased after me. He has a perfectly orchestrated plan for my life, and YOURS that is falling into place at this very moment. I still occasionally swim for exercise and now I realize a cross marks the end of each link of the pool. A cross to keep everything in perspective. A cross to remind me that in this life I’m not racing to win, I’m racing to glorify the King of kings who died for me.

Meredith

Compelled

~ mbard ~ Leave a comment

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” -Ephesians 5:1-2

Christ-like love is hard to accept because it goes against what we know. It’s unconditional, unending, and undeserved. As Christ followers we’re suppose to love like Jesus. It’s not an option. If we want to be obedient to our Heavenly Father, the sacrificial love of Christ has to be mirrored in our lives.

This simple truth has been on my heart lately and God has shown me practical ways to put Christ’s love into action. Here are a few examples:

  • Cook dinner for friends
  • Buy someone’s cup of coffee
  • Give $5 to the homeless
  • Hold the door for someone
  • Say “Thank You”
  • Wish someone a good morning/afternoon/night
  • FORGIVE
  • If you see something that reminds you of someone, buy it for them!

I know some of these examples seem like common courtesies, but many have been lost in the hustle and bustle of chaotic schedules and selfish desires. I have fallen victim to overcommitment, but God, in all of His goodness, has shown me how to intentionally love His people. It’s incredible to see how your view of people drastically changes when you realize each and every person you pass is designed uniquely in God’s image for relationship with Him and will spend eternity in one of two places. God could have chosen to share His love however He wanted, but He chose me, and He chose YOU to be His hands and feet!

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” -2 Corinthians 5:14-21

Step out of your comfort zone and love like Jesus! Yes, you may get some funny looks, but that just proves you’re doing something right! In the world’s eyes it wasn’t logical for Christ to die on a cross 2,000 years ago for people who constantly turn away from Him. If we’re to mirror the Love shown at the cross why should our lives and our actions look logical? Be radical. Love unconditionally, expecting nothing in return!

Praying Christ’s love compels you to love!

Meredith

P.S. This was a wish I made towards the end of 2012. Let’s make it a reality!

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What Christmas Really Means

~ mbard ~ Leave a comment

As we celebrate Christmas, I thought I’d share a story that my mom’s best friend shared with her. We get caught up in gift giving, decorating, and cooking and it can be easy to forget why we are celebrating – God made flesh through the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Enjoy!

Just last Christmas Eve I had a strange visitor. This is how it happened;

I had just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door of the front room, and to my surprise, I saw Santa Claus himself stepping out from behind the Christmas tree. He placed his fingers over his lips so I wouldn’t cry out.

“What are you doing here…” I started to ask, but the words choked up in my throat as I saw that he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know. As I stood there in my robe bewildered, Santa said, “We’ve done it all wrong. You need to teach the children.” My perplexed expression still showed in the near darkness.

Fumbling in his sack, he drew forth a bright shining gold star.

“Teach them the old meaning of Christmas – the meanings that Christmas nowadays has forgotten. Teach the children that the star was a heavenly sign of promise long ages ago. God promised a Savior for the world and a sign of the fulfillment of that promise was the great Star of the East. The star now reminds us of God’s love for mankind and of God fulfilling His promise. The countless shining stars at night now show the burning hope of all mankind.

Santa gently laid the star upon the fireplace mantle and drew forth from the bag a glittering red Christmas ornament.

“Teach the children, red is the first color of Christmas. It was first used by the faithful people to remind them of the blood which was shed for all people by the Savior. Jesus Christ gave his life and shed his blood that every man might have God’s gift to all, eternal life. Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the greatest color of all. It is the symbol of the gift of God.”

As Santa was twisting and pulling another object out of his bag, I heard the kitchen clock begin to strike twelve. I wanted to say something, but he went right on.

“Teach the children,” he said as the twisting and pulling suddenly dislodged a small Christmas tree from the depths of the toy bag. He placed it before the mantle and gently hung the red ornament on the Christmas tree. The deep green of the fir tree was perfect background for the ornament. Here was the second color of Christmas. “The pure color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round,” he said. “This depicts the everlasting hope of mankind, and the everlasting life we can only get through His Son. Green is the youthful, hopeful, abundant color of nature. All the needles point heavenward – symbolic of man’s need to focus on heaven. The tree itself is a symbol of that other tree, the one that became a cross. The great, green tree has been one of man’s best friends. It has sheltered him, warmed him, made beauty for him, formed his furniture.”

Santa’s eyes were beginning to twinkle now as he stood there. Suddenly I heard a soft tinkling sound. As it grew louder, it seemed like the sound of long ago.

“Teach the children, that as the lost sheep are found by the sounds of the bell, so should it ring for men to return to the fold; it means guidance and return to God; it further signifies that all are precious in the eyes of the Lord. He left the 99 and went in search of the one.”

As the soft sound of the bell faced into the night, Santa drew forth a candle. He placed it on the mantle and the soft glow from its tiny flame cast an eerie glow about the darkened room. Odd shapes in the shadow slowly danced and weaved upon the walls.

“Teach the children,” whispered Santa, “that the candle shows man’s thanks for the star of long ago. It signifies the Light that shines within all God’s people. A light that should never be hidden. It’s flame seems very weak, but it chases away the darkness, just as the starts do. It’s small light is the mirror of starlight. At first candles were placed on the Christmas Tree – they were like many glowing stars shining against the dark green. Safety now has removed the candles from the tree and the colored lights have taken over in remembrance.”

Santa turned the small Christmas tree lights on and picked up a gift from under the tree. He pointed to the large bow ribbon and said, “Teach the children. A bow is placed on a present to remind us of the spirit of the brotherhood of man. We should remember that the bow is tied as me should be tied – all of us together, with the bonds of good will and love toward each other. Goodwill forever is the message of the bow.”

Now I wondered what else Santa had in his bag, Instead of reaching in his bag, he slung it over his shoulder and began to reach up on the Christmas tree. I thought he was hungry as he reached for a candy cane, purposely placed high on the tree. He unfastened it and reached out toward me with it.

“Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherds crook. The crook on the staff helps bring back the strayed sheep to the fold. The candy cane represents the helping hand we should show at Christmastime. The candy is the symbol that we are our brother’s keeper. The red represents the Blood of Salvation, and the white the Purity that only comes from it’s cleansing flow.

Santa them paused. He seemed to realize her should be on his way. Later would be his big day. As he looked about the room, a feeling of satisfaction and relief showed in his face. He reached into his bag and brought forth a large holly wreath. He placed it on the fireplace and said, “Please teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the eternal nature of God’s love; it never ceases, stops or ends. It is one continuous round of affection. The wreath does double duty. It is made of many things and in many colors, It reminds us all of the things of Christmas. Please teach the children.”

As I gazed at the wreath, he slipped away, his job done…pointing people back to the real meaning behind this celebration.

I pondered and wondered and thrilled with delight, as I saw and viewed all those symbols that night. I dozed as I sat in the soft candlelight, and my thoughts were of Jesus and all He made right. To give and to help, to love and to serve, are the best things of life, all men can deserve. Old Santa Claus that jolly fat little elf, is not the best symbol of Christmas itself. Jesus gave us the gift of love and of life, the ending of evil the ceasing of strife. Santa’s message to me on the pre-Christmas night, has opened a treasure of deepest insight. The one thing on earth we all ought to do, is the teaching of children the right and the true.

Merry Christmas! God Bless!

Protection, Provision and Port-au-Prince, Haiti

~ mbard ~ Leave a comment

We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. -Hebrews 6:19

I’m just a product of grace spreading hope to the hopeless. In everything I do, I want to shine a glimmer of hope into people’s lives in their darkest hours. As a Christ follower, I want to help people realize better days are coming and have been promised by our Sovereign God. When we feel like the flood of life threatens to drown us, God is still sitting on His thrown making all things work together for our ultimate good. In the storms of life, He is the anchor of our soul keeping us afloat.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. -2 Corinthian 5:17

Over the course of my college career, God has transformed my heart and He continues to mold me into who He wants me to be daily. In the past four years I have served wholeheartedly for Fellowship of Christian Athletes at St. Edward’s University and throughout Texas at summer camps and retreats, and in Memphis, Tennessee over spring break. Every opportunity to serve has impacted my life and closer aligned my heart to God’s ultimate plan to make His name known across the globe. I’ve felt unworthy, uncomfortable, and fearful many times, but God has revealed to me that all of those insecurities are lies and has used these experiences to show me that my love story defined by His passionate pursuit of my heart has the power to impact lives for His kingdom.

A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps. -Proverbs 16:9

Recently God has laid it on my heart to once again use my spring break to make much of Him and less of me. In the last month, I’ve been praying for discernment for where He wants me to go. All of the options were appealing (Memphis, South Padre Island, Haiti) and would require me to take a leap of faith outside of my comfort zone to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Internally and externally I’ve toyed with safety issues and the uncertainty of raising support for whichever trip I chose. After all, I’m graduating from college in a month, have no definitive plans, a dwindling savings account, and currently no place to live. So much of my life is up in the air, but oddly enough I’m worry free. Maybe, just maybe, this control freak is beginning to grasp what it truly means to let go, and let God determine my steps. Woah.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” -Isaiah 6:8

After much prayer, two weeks ago I made my decision. I’ve never felt more convicted or excited to share that I will be spending a week in Haiti with Mission of Hope. Serving in Memphis revealed to me what it’s like to have little in the United States and how God can make beautiful things out of dust. In Haiti, I look forward to seeing beauty amidst destruction, seeing joy in smiles of the children at the orphanage, and witnessing to the hope found in the Haitian communities.

As soon as I committed to the trip I had butterflies in the pit of my stomach in anxious anticipation for how God is going to reveal Himself to the Haitians I will be serving and to me. All the fears of safety and finances that consumed my thoughts have dissolved and as I begin writing support letters through tears of joy I’ve never felt more trusting of my loving Father. God has had His hand on me from the beginning of time and looking back it seems ludicrous that I ever feared for my safety or questioned His ability to provide for something that is apart of His will for my life. No, I have not raised enough support for the trip, but I have five months to watch God work and have complete faith in His provision. In the process, through conversations, support letters, and blogging, I get to share why I’m going to Haiti as another way to attest to God’s glory. How cool is that?!

Bondye Bon (God is good),

Meredith

P.S. If you are interested in supporting my trip, prayer is greatly appreciated. If you feel called to support financially, you can donate online at the link listed below. Be sure to include HAITI & MEREDITH BARD in the description line.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

 

A Game of Grace

~ mbard ~ Leave a comment

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” – Psalm 103:8

An act of grace that I experience everyday, but often overlook, blind-sighted me this past week.

I’m a collegiate volleyball player with only a handful of matches left before I join the NARP (Non-Athletic Regular Person – no offense intended) life. I have played 122 games under the guidance of my coaches before realizing their forgiving and gracious nature that so closely mirrors that of Jesus (If you’re reading this, thank you for doing way more than what’s required. You both are awesome!).

My coaches are disciplined. If you wear the wrong shirt to practice, or wear it inside-out in some of my teammates’ cases, you run. If the team falls short of a goal, we run. If you forget your team notebook, also jokingly referred to as the volleyball bible, you run. If you forget to collect grade reports from your professors, you run. And the list goes on and on. We have rules that we are expected to follow, and when we fall short – and all of us have – we run. After completing the fun-time (don’t let the name fool you), egg, or suicide, the incident is forgotten and we move on.

I don’t know if you’re catching my drift, after all it took me almost four complete years to realize it, but that is a pretty darn good example of God’s grace. In the Old Testament we’re given rules to follow, but we cannot live up to the expectations of those rules. Knowing that we couldn’t walk in righteousness without a crutch, God sent His son to follow all the rules in flawless fashion. What a stud. After 33 perfect years, Jesus died a criminal’s death on a cross that WE deserved as sacrifice for all of our sins – past, present, and future. All we have to do is declare and BELIEVE Jesus is Lord and that He resurrected from the dead and our sins are graciously forgiven.

Although my coaches display grace and forgiveness, our debt for breaking the rules still has to be paid. Here’s where God’s grace becomes an absolute steal for Christ followers. While my coaches say do *insert consequence* when we mess up, Jesus says our mistakes have already been forgiven at the cross. We don’t have to pay back our wages of sin because “the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Yes, God wants us to realize our mistakes, but He doesn’t want us to dwell on them. He simply wants us to repent and believe.

Although our debt has been paid, that doesn’t mean we won’t sin. Just like I have forgotten to turn in grade reports and my team has failed to reach a goal, in our walks with Christ we will face bumps in the road. During those hard times, and the good times, we’re repeatedly given God’s grace through Jesus as a crutch to help us limp through the pearly gates onto the streets of gold.

I can’t praise God enough for the beautiful example of His grace displayed through my coaches. As thankful as I am for their presence in my life, I am eternally grateful for the grace shown at the cross.

Grace and Peace,

Meredith

“But God, who is abundant in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. By grace you are saved!”                       -Ephesians 2:4-5

Pencil Me In

~ mbard ~ Leave a comment

“…Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.” -Mark 2:17

God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called. He doesn’t call those who are able, but those who make themselves AVAILABLE! I have been reminded of these two thoughts over and over again as I’ve served. So often I catch myself thinking I’m not good enough to be used as a vessel to lead others to Christ, but that is a flat out LIE! I am capable, and so are you! The key is being available. If you offer up your time to serve wholeheartedly, God isn’t going to let you fail. He’s too good for that.

Lately, the idea of being available has pulled on my heartstrings. When you look at the lives of people in the Bible, they are always available to share the Good News we’ve also been blessed to hear. Take the apostle Paul for example:

“For although I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, in order to win more people. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law – though I myself am not under the law – to win those under the law. To those outside the law, like one outside the law – not being outside God’s law, but under the law of Christ – to win those outside the law. To the weak, I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some.” -1 Corinthians 9:19-22

Paul became whatever he needed to be in order to share the Gospel. Take a moment to think about where God has placed you to serve. Whether it be behind a desk, on the sidelines coaching, on the court/field playing a sport, in a classroom learning, etc. you’re there for a specific purpose. Our entire life goal is to make much of God and less of us (John 3:30). When you’re interacting with a coworker, teammate, or classmate, eternity is on the line and you have the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through you to make an impact on that person’s life that completely changes the game (Stick that in your juice box and suck it Satan! – sorry, inner monologue…). You may be the only Jesus that person sees, live like that is a big deal! Are you willing to make yourself available in whatever environment you’ve been placed in?

In Romans 8:29 we’re told to conform to the image of Jesus Christ. Well guess what?! You guessed it – Jesus made himself available!

“While He was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were also guests with Jesus and His disciples, because there were many who were following Him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.” -Mark 2:15-17

Jesus was God in the flesh and the only righteous person to ever walk the earth. If we were capable of  walking in righteousness, He wouldn’t have needed to come to save us all (John 3:16). He dined with sinners because He knew they needed Him. That person you run into on a daily basis may need you to show them Jesus too. Even if they may not be the first person on your list to grab lunch or coffee with, make yourself available like Jesus and Paul did.

Living our day to day lives without making ourselves available to share Christ is like knowing the cure to cancer and keeping it to ourselves. We know the cure, its our time to share it! Be a nurse who relays the message from the doctor (Jesus) to the patient! You never know if the patient is pleading for you to pencil them in.

Your sister in Christ,

Meredith

 

“My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with a boldness, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death.” -Philippians 1:20

When they see me, do they see You?

~ mbard ~ Leave a comment

Music convicts me.  I love singing at the top of my lungs to my King (it’s not pretty, but its certainly joyful!). During worship, my surroundings fade away and the only thing I can focus on is Him. It’s cliche, but I love standing with arms high and heart abandoned in awe of God. In these moments I feel closest to Him.

The most convicting song to me of recent is “Live Like That” by Sidewalk Prophets. I want to be remembered for sharing the good news of the Gospel and living a Christ-like life. I want my life to be a reflection of the love Christ has shown for me. I want my life to be an arrow pointing straight to the cross. I want to be a light in the dark. I want to be more of Him and less of me. “Live Like That” reminds me of my life’s ultimate goal. It reminds me that to that one person, I may be the only glimpse of Jesus they ever see and that it can be life altering if my life is evidence of the grace of God. I want to live like that.

Sometimes I think
What will people say of me
When I’m only just a memory
When I’m home where my soul belongs

Was I love
When no one else would show up
Was I Jesus to the least of those
Was my worship more than just a song

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I’ll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

Am I proof
That You are who you say You are
That grace can really change a heart
Do I live like Your love is true

People pass
And even if they don’t know my name
Is there evidence that I’ve been changed
When they see me, do they see You

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I’ll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

I want to show the world the love You gave for me
I’m longing for the world to know the glory of the King

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I’ll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

“Live Like That” – Sidewalk Prophets

Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!

~ mbard ~ Leave a comment

“But the angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.” -Matthew 28:5-6

The past month I’ve spent a lot of time in cemeteries. Over spring break I helped clean a cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee and today I visited my grandma’s grave with my family after church.

As a kid cemeteries scared me, but as I’ve grown older and my walk with Christ has strengthened they aren’t as intimidating. Actually, I don’t fear them at all. Why? Because of an empty tomb. Death was conquered by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I don’t have to fear death (or cemeteries) because Jesus conquered death by death.

The first place I visited after my birth was the nursing home to see my grandma and until December 11, 1998 I went to the nursing home every Sunday after church with my grandpa. I have never heard the sound of my grandma’s voice (she had a stroke before I was born), but as I laid next to her in bed — and played with the pets the nurses would let me sneak in… they were wrapped around my finger 😉 — my grandpa would read to her from a daily devotional book handed out at church. She may not have been able to verbalize her thoughts, but from her expressions I could tell every word was sinking in. I have no doubt her soul has found its eternal resting place in Heaven.

Today in the cemetery those beautiful memories from my childhood flooded my mind and caused tears to form. Here’s the cool thing, they weren’t tears of sadness, but of joy!

“For this day of victory makes everyday a gift” was printed in today’s church bulletin and has stuck with me. Christ’s victory over death for our salvation is the most amazing gift and it keeps on giving. Each day I get to wake up and live for the glory of the One who gave it all for me. These gifts from God are a scandal that I keep receiving abundantly. I deserve to burn, but He chose the nails. As I reflect on the meaning of Easter I have realized part of death losing it’s sting is that when my time on earth comes to a close I’m not only going to spend eternity in the presence of my mighty and loving God (which is going to be totally awesome…I’ve heard there ain’t no party like a Holy Ghost party cause a Holy Ghost party don’t stop, WHAT!), but that for the first time in my existence I will hear the sound of my grandma’s voice as she sings praises to our King. I won’t only hear her voice, I will hear her sing. What a gift.

As we celebrate Christ’s resurrection today I pray we don’t undervalue the free gift given to us at the cross and those God continues to bless us with everyday.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Happy Resurrection Day,

Meredith

“Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?” -1 Corinthians 15:55

Die Daily

~ mbard ~ Leave a comment

A cross – I wear one daily, but do I really live out the call of my life defined by the cross? It’s not an easy question to ask myself and really makes me examine the state of my heart.

Over the past two weeks Luke 9:23-24 has literally popped up in my life everyday, multiple times.

“Then He said to them all. ‘If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it.'”

This is a little different message than the traditional “Jesus died for you! You’re saved by grace!” Although those messages are true, there’s a crux. We must DENY our flesh and CARRY A CROSS.

In Jesus’ time, a cross was a symbol of shame. Crucifixion was reserved for those the Roman government wanted to publicly humiliate in death. Jesus wasn’t just nailed to a cross, although that would be more than my pain tolerance could bear. He had a crown of thorns crushed into His skull, was tied to a post and beaten with a whip, and then forced to carry a 125 pound wooden post on his back – Remember that whipping? Yeah, that meant he carried 125 pounds on open wounds – along a road called Via Dolarosa (the way of suffering). After that, he was finally nailed to a cross and stabbed in the side with a spear to make sure he had taken his last breath. The cross was a symbol of death. A death he suffered for you. A death he suffered for me. They were bloody and back then we certainly wouldn’t be wearing one around our necks.

My challenge to us as believers is to not devalue the cross and the call to follow Christ. I’ve been reading a book called “Not a Fan” by Kyle Idleman. It is all about being a follower of Christ rather than a fan. Being a fan cost you nothing, being a follower costs you everything. Followers deny themselves and carry their cross daily. They lose their life to save it.

In evaluating the state of my own heart I’ve realized there are seasons in my life where I’m dying daily and following Christ. Unfortunately, there are other times when my flesh wins and I’m merely a fan. Following Christ five days of the week isn’t enough, He wants all day everyday for the rest of my life. I’m challenging myself to die daily and I’d like to encourage you to join me! I’m tired of just wearing my cross. It’s time for me to carry it. Dying doesn’t sound very appealing, but that’s what is amazing about our God. We die to ourselves and in return are given an abundant life. We aren’t committing our lives to misery, we are giving it up for a life we’ve desperately wanted all along!

Today is Good Friday. Today we wear a cross that reminds us of the love shown for us at Calvary. Today we remember the blood of our sinless Savior that was shed on a cross 2,000 years ago for the forgiveness of our sins. Today we remember that when only love could make a way Jesus gave His life in a beautiful exchange. Today we carry our cross and walk with Jesus down a road leading to our own death in exchange for an eternal crown.

God Bless,

Meredith 🙂

In the words of Lecrae: “Jesus saved my life, HALLELUJAH! “