Merry CHRISTmas!!!

"And she brought forth her first firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men"

Luke 2: 7-14


"For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!
I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas as we remember the birth of our Savior and the purpose of His coming.

All the Greatest (John 3:16)

God ... the greatest Lover

So loved ... the greatest degree

The world ... the greatest number

That He gave ... the greatest act

His only Son ... the greatest gift

So that everyone ... the greatest invitation

Who believes ... the greatest simplicity

In Him ... the greatest person

Will not perish ... the greatest escape

But ... the greatest difference

Have ... the greatest certainty

Eternal life ... the greatest destiny

-J. Edwin Hortell

MERRY CHRISMAS!

Bri

My God is Love

1 John 4:9 "That the Love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him"

Can you believe how much God loves us?! It's absolutely incredible. His love was (and still is) so deep for us that He sent His one and only Son to come and save us from the punishment we deserved. So loving; so caring.

It just gives me the shivers to think how eternal, sovereign, infinite, immutable, holy and gracious His love is. I'm so thankful for His forgiveness.

I'm very notorious for posting songs on my blog :) SO I'm doing one this post as well :D And that song would be "O the deep, deep love of Jesus"
As you read the words, think of how His love has impacted your life and what a tremendous difference it's made.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,

Vast, unmeasured and boundless free!

Rolling as a might ocean in its fullness over me!

Underneath me, all around me, is the current, of Thy love

Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious home above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus

Spread His praise from shore to shore!

How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!

Now He watches o'er His loved ones,

Died to call them all His own

How for them He intercedeth,

Watcheth o'er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus

Love of every love the best

'Tis an ocean full of blessing

'Tis a haven giving rest!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus

'Tis a heaven of heavens for me

And it lifts me up to glory,

For it lifts me up to Thee!

Bri

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!
Wow, another year has passed, and more memories have been made; camping, father/daughter banquet, the beach etc. and multiple others. I will cherish them forever :)

Dad, thank you for leading us kids in your care, love, and support. It means so much to us! Whether you're taking care of Lydia, helping Braden with school, assisting Benjamin with his scouts, or cheering for me when I'm on the court, you're there for us. We really appreciate that.
Also, I'm so thankful you teach us God's Word. It helps me increase my faith in our Creator.

Yes ........ and I also wanna thank you for your humorous side. You always know how to put smiles on our faces!! I enjoy joking around and laughing with you. It's something that I will continually be grateful for.

I love you Dad! I'm so glad God gave you to me for a father.

I'm so excited for the adventures that await us next year!

I love you!!!!!!!!

Bri

Find Rest my Soul

Verse 1

My soul finds rest in God alone

My Rock and my Salvation
A fortress strong against my foes

And I will not be shaken

Though lips may bless and hearts may curse

And lies like arrows pierce

I'll fix my heart on righteousness

I'll look to Him who hears me

Chorus
O Praise Him, Hallelujah

My Delight and my Reward

Everlasting never failing

My Redeemer my God

Verse 2

Find rest my soul in God alone

Amid the world's temptations

When evil seeks to take a hold

I'll cling to my Salvation
Though riches come and riches go

Don't set your heart upon them

The fields of hope in which I sow

Are harvested in heaven

Chorus

Verse 3

I'll set my gaze on God alone
And trust in Him completely

With every day pour out my soul

And He will prove His mercy

Though life is but a fleeting breath

A sigh to brief for measure

My King has crushed the curse of death

And I am His forever

Chorus

O Praise Him, O Praise Him, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
O Praise Him, O Praise Him, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

O Praise Him, O Praise Him, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

O Praise Him, Hallelujah

My Delight and my Reward

Everlasting never failing

My Redeemer my God

Psalm 62:1-2, 4-8, 10, 12

(1-2) "My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.

(4-8) "They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; They delight in falsehood; they bless with their mouth, but inwardly they curse. My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

(10) Do not trust in oppression and do not vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, do not set you heart upon them

(12) And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, for You recompense a man according to his work.

Is your soul resting in God alone? Is He your rock, salvation and fortress?

Bri

Christmas hat ...

Today when my little sister got home from school she showed me her Christmas 'lights' hat. How cute!!! I love you Lydi!!!!

Bri

Just an update

Well I haven't really given a lot of 'updates' on what's going on. So I'll do that now.
I finally went to get my drivers permit with my dad at the secretary of state. I was very happy :) Only I haven't driven with it yet ..... so I have no hours in. I should probably work on that, hopefully soon. The only thing that's a bit annoying is that I'm going to have to drive on the icy roads a lot if I want to drive this winter. :( Not really looking forward to that .... So you'll probably want to pray my family will keep their seat belts on as they go on a couple of wild roller coasters this winter lol

Also, I had an exam in biology today :/ fun, fun, fun ...... Ok, I guess it wasn't that hard, I'm just not the type of person that enjoys tests/exams/quizzes whatever you want to call them. So I had a lovely time studying this past week.

AND it's snowing!!!!! YAY!!! I was thrilled when I looked out the window this afternoon and saw little particles of snow falling through the air. I know not a lot of you are excited for the cold, snow etc. but I certainly am! I love waking up and looking outside my bedroom window and seeing a huge blanket of snow. :)

We also have our Christmas tree up and decorated. One of my favorites things to do with my family; Setting it up, putting the beads and ornaments (which is a lot! :) ) on while listening to Christmas music.

I still can't believe it's December!! This year has gone by incredibly fast!!!!! It feels like yesterday it was spring and we had no school :) lol

Hope you all have a splendid weekend!

Bri

My God wants me to be thankful

Ephesians 5:20 "Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father"

Since this is Thanksgiving weekend, I thought talking about what characteristic God wants from us would be cool. And that would be thankfulness.

Tonight's church service my pastor also talked about the thankfulness of the heart. The passage that he taught on was Luke 17:11-19 about the 10 lepers that Jesus healed; 10 physically and 1 spiritually. That one leper that came back to thank Jesus for healing him. I'm sure the other 9 were thankful that they were cured from the disease, but this one leper made a huge difference. That really stuck out to me tonight.
So often I will ask God for something; I might be praying for it for 10 months or a year. And when I get what I wanted, I forget to thank God. My pastor said that if we ask God for something, no matter how long we ask for it, our thankfulness back to Him should be everlasting. I don't thank God as much as I ask for things from Him.
There's so many things I could thank Him for in a couple seconds; 1) I have hands that I can use so I can type my blog :), 2) I can wake up in the morning and get out of bed, 3) I have parents who are there for me to say 'good morning' to me. (and 'I love you', my favorite :)) 4) A fridge for Thanksgiving left-overs. I could go on and on.

In everything give thanks!

Bri

Happy Birthday Braden!

HAPPY 11TH BIRTHDAY BRADEN!!!

Wow! It feels like yesterday dad was visiting you in Viet Nam just before you turned 3, and now you're 11! These 8 years have gone by way to fast!!! But it's been an unforgettable experience watching you grow. One of those 'experiences' was during your very first soccer game. It's a day I'm never going to forget; you scored the first goal with a huge grin on your face. Then the next, and the next .... lol Their team won 11-1. You always go out on field and give your all. I'm so proud of how well you're doing and I'm excited for your season to conclude in the spring so I can see you tear up the fields!

Besides your zeal for food that amazes me, your engineering and tinkering with all sorts of technical stuff is very helpful. When something's broken, all we have to do is tell you and you're working away at it. Last October our miniature Tv was broken because a video tape was stuck inside it by the film. It was really cool seeing you take it apart and putting it back together again. The video tape was out but the tv was ... done. We were still happy for you :)

Braden and I tend to get into 'cat-and-dog' fights the most. I know we get frustrated with each other but that will NEVER change anything. Life would be so boring without you and you're determined personality. I love you so much!!! Thanks for being an amazing, loving, (not to mention cute!! :) ) brother! I'm really thankful for our relationship and I hope it will continue in the future.

Love you Braden James Hien!!!

Bri

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Already I can smell my mom's baked cheesy potatoes Mmmmmmm ...... :)
I'm going to share with you a couple things I'm thankful for .....

Salvation. I'm so thankful that God sent His only Son to pay for all the sin I've committed in my life. He carried the cross for me, took the beatings, and the dying pain. His love was so deep for us. He did it all so we could live forever with Him.


Yes, I'm thankful for sports :) lol I love playing basketball, soccer, basketball, floor-hockey, oh yeah I almost forgot, and basketball. lol


Music is another think I'm very thankful for. Whether it's classical, hymns, praise and worship or Christian contemporary, I love to praise God with music. Psalm 135:3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.


I'm also thankful for my friends. The ones that make me laugh, the ones that are crazy, the ones that love me for who I am, the ones that encourage me, and especially those that stick with me when it's not easy. Proverbs 17:17a A friend loves at all times


Last but not least, I'm thankful for the family God has blessed me with for nearly 16 years. My Dad and all the work he's done to support us, and he's always helping me with my basketball and giving me advice. My Mom has been my school teacher since kindergarten, I don't think any other teacher could love me as she does. She's more then a teacher though, an amazing ping-pong player! lol AND a wonderful mom :) Benjamin, who really knows how to make me laugh/smile. Braden, one of the smartest kids I know; if I ever have a question about engineering, he's the one I can ask. Lydia's singing is always music to my ears. It just makes me want to sing along right with her!

Hope you all have a blessed and memorable Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Bri

The season has started!

It was a dark night as I heard the annoying buzzer sound in the small gym for the players to get ready to start the night. I stood there besides the bench, butterflies going wild in my stomach. As my team, coach and I huddled before the buzzer went off again, I quick said to myself, 'Ok God, this game is in your hands! Please help me to play my best for You!' (Seriously! I was praying almost the entire day, if that shows you how nervous I was.) Me, 4 of my teammates, and 5 of the other opponents went out to the center of the court to begin the game. TWEEEEEET! (lol) went the whistle, and the referee tossed the ball in the air for the tip-off.
haha ... ok, if you haven't caught on, I'm kinda dramatizing my first basketball game that occurred last Thursday (my first game of this season AND I was actually praying a good majority of the day!). It went very interesting and was quite intense during some parts. I had a total of 2 points .... and a total of 4 fouls ...... whoops; that's kinda not good!!! I was 1 short of fouling out of the game! AND my first 2 were literally in the first 90 seconds!!! That also wasn't good!! I had to sit out for the rest of the 1st quarter and half the second. My lesson from that experience is: don't play defense by reaching your hands out for the ball (very bad idea. lol) soooooo .... during halftime my dad said to me 'Use your feet!!!!!' (very good idea, which I already knew but forgot to apply. whoops again:) ) Anyway, to shorten it out, we won 35 to 31!! Yay!!
Hope you all have a blessed week!

Bri

Beautiful Beyond Description

You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words

Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard








Who can grasp your infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depths of your love

You are beautiful beyond description

Majesty, enthroned above

And I stand, I stand in awe of you

I stand, I stand in awe of you

Holy God to whom all praise is due

I stand in awe of you

Yes I stand in awe of you

I stand in awe of you

Bri

Rake-N-Run

Ok, like I said on Saturday, my youth group had a Rake-N-Run. What is a Rake-N-Run? Well, what our youth group has done for the past couple years is we go to the elderly people in our church and go rake their leaves for them, get back on the church bus, and go to another house!! At one house we were given donuts, so we obviously accepted them. lol We had gorgeous weather and a great turn-out. We hit about 4 houses and were at each for about an hour and a half each; or something like that.

Only one of our many piles of leaves. :)

Obviously we still managed to have fun at the same time. It took us like 5 takes to get this!!!

We would use tarps like this blue one to put the leaf piles on it then take them to a field an dump the leaves there.

Ahh .... leaf blowers; one of the best tools there :-)

Raking ....

Benjamin and Kyle

Ha, what do you know! More raking!! lol This was the last house.

Benjamin :D I think I know his older sister, but I'm not sure ....... lol

There you have it!! Obviously we all couldn't resist at times to jump into the leaves ;) What fun would it be not doing that!? lol

God bless y'all!

Bri

My God is light

John 8:12 "Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, 'I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.' "

God is the one that lights our paths and life. We would be so lost in worldly darkness if He didn't give us His word to light our ways. The Bible provides illumination to walk without stumbling. Just like it says in Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" He'll continue to lead us to the end.

Also, we don't need to be afraid of the darkness in the world. We can use the Bible to comfort us. Whenever I'm in a 'dark' situation I quote Bible verses to myself and feel God's presence light the way. Psalm 27:1 states: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?"

His light will lead us to redemption and out of condemnation.

Bri

Tagged ...

There seems to be a series of tags going around .... I love reading them on other peoples blogs. Sometimes I crack up reading them.
I was sort of tagged by Josh. Thanks you Josh!! (I think .... lol)

1) Do you like to write?
Uhhh .... sometimes. I like to write my blog.

2) Favorite books?
I have waaaaaaaaay to many!!! lol

3) Do you compose music/write songs?
Well .... I write songs about what's on my mind but I never finish them!! lol
And I'm learning to improvise

4) Do you like poetry?
I never really read it a lot

5) Love someone so much it made you cry?
Yes. GOD!!! He's so amazing and changed my life when I was 8
I get emotional sometimes when I listen to "I'm deep in love with you" by Michael W. Smith. That's one of my top favorite songs!

6) Broken a bone?
Surprisingly, no. But I've twisted/sprained my ankle like 2-3 times :D

7) Been in a police car?
ha, yes!!! Don't worry, I wasn't arrested ....

8) Been on a boat?
Oh yeah, a lot!

9) Fallen asleep in school?
Not that I'm aware of ...

10) Did you sing today?
Yes, while I raked leaves with my friends :)

11) KFC, Popeyes, or Church's?
I would say have to say none.
What in the world is Church's????? Never heard of it before!!
Also, Popeyes is a strange name ... lol

12) Chick-fil-a or What-a-burger?
Neither

13) Starbucks or McCafe?
Ugh!! I hate coffee! But probably Starbucks?

14) What is your favorite time of year?
Right now!

15) Do you ever talk to yourself?
Oh yes!! like 24/7!! I have so many random conversations with myself!! lol You'd be surprised what myself and I find to talk about! lol

16) Do you have a favorite treat you like to buy on occasion?
Only if I really need it ..... CHOCOLATE!!!! Especially dark chocolate :D I LOVE CHOCOLATE!! lol But I never really go out and buy it.

17) Do you believe the Bible is the literal word of God and infallible?
Absolutely without question not doubt about it!!! In other words; yes!!

18) What's you favorite sport?
I like Basketball, hockey, soccer, and sometimes football

19) What color is your iPod?
I don't have an iPod; I have a brain to memorize songs :D

20) If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Tough question; I would have to say ..... boy, I really don't know!!! I've already been to Africa which was AMAZING!!! I would have to say either England, Viet Nam, or South America

21) If you could go to any fictional place, where would you go?
Narnia!!! lol

22) Do you love to write, or do you just like writing? Or do you write at all?
OK, I don't really like writing for school. I like to write songs about what's on my mind, life, God, etc.

23) What do you want to be when you grow up?
Whatever is God's plan for me. I have a big heart for missions so I'd like to be a missionary or something like that

24)Favorite animal?
Otters!!! They're so cute!!

25) Favorite song?
'Deep in Love with you', 'My soul finds rest', 'A new Hallelujah', and about 100 more!!

26) Do you like school?
It really depends on the subject and my mood.

27) Are you a people person?
Yes definitely!!! I love people!! People make me happy!!

28) Do you like to talk?
You should ask my friends that question .... lol

29) Favorite food?
CHOCOLATE!!!! lol

30) Hobbies?
Acting, sports, youth group, music, blogging,
wait, isn't this in my profile? lol

31) Favorite author?
I have way to many!!

32) Favorite weapon?
The Sword (Bible)

33) Is this a fun tag, or are you getting bored?
It's quite fun actually :D

34) Do you like Hannah Montana and all those other girly people and movies like High School Musical?
I'd have to say no. I like the Chronicles of Narnia

35) What are you scared of?
Ha, I have a very, ... wild run-away imagination!!! So I can kinda scare myself pretty easily!! You'd be surprised with how my mind wanders!

36) Favorite flower?
There are so many beautiful ones in God's gorgeous creation!

37) What is the expression on your face?
Right now, solemn, oh wait, now I'm laughing!!!! lol

38) Color of your eyes?
Hazel/green



There ya go!!! 38 more facts about me!! Hopefully I didn't bore you.


Also, I had a Rake-N-Run with my youth group today. It was awesome and went really well!! The weather was perfect for raking leaves! I took A LOT of pictures!! Oh yes!!! I found my camera!!!! I probably took around 200 pictures; don't panic I'm not gonna post all of them! Once I load them on the computer I'll post them.

Hope you're all having a great weekend!!

Bri

Blogger Award

I've been awarded by Jenna with the "Favorite Blog" award. Thanks Jenna!!

1) Do a post about the person who awarded you and their blog
2) Give the award to a couple of your favorite blogs
3)Answer the 10 random questions
4) Have fun!!!


A) Jenna is an amazing, young godly lady and is like a sister to me :) She loves the barn, animals, her family, and most of all, God!! Oh yes .... and babies ;) She really inspires me and I love her a lot!!
I love her blog cause I like hearing about her farm life :) I love visiting their farm :) Also, I always enjoy the pictures of her mouth-watering recipes :) And I like reading about her faith in God.
B) I award this award to ....

Josh @ http://www.while-imwaiting.blogspot.com/
Emii @ http://www.girlz4godrok.blogspot.com/



I) Have you ever ridden an elephant? No .... but my parents and brother have; they said it was really bumpy :D

II) Have you ever eaten squid? *gag* nope. and i never intend too :)

III) What is something crazy you have done with your best friend?? ha ha ha .... trust me, you don't want to know ;) I have a few best friends; One of the 'crazy things' I've done is go on the tallest roller coaster with my friends Allison; The Top Thrill Dragster!! 420 ft. tall, 120 miles an hour, 17 seconds long, 90 degrees straight up and down, ahh .... it was a blast :D One of the most thrilling times in my life!!! lol

IV) Have you ever held an alligator? Sadly ..... no :( I hope to someday :D But I have held a python

V) Have you ever let a snake slither through your fingers? lol look at the question above :)

VI) What is your first and foremost dream in life? I have a couple .... To honor God. And maybe get married and have an amazing family!!

VII) What is your dream vacation? Either Arizona or New Zealand

VIII) What is the funniest movie you have ever seen? Ice Age 3

IX) What is your favorite song? Don't ask me that question!!! lol umm.... probably "Healing Rain" or "My Soul Finds Rest"

X) If you could change the world in one way, what would you do? Get rid of abortion


Well there you go!! 10 random facts about me.

Bri

My God is merciful

Titus 3:5 'He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit'

Did we deserve salvation? No. There was nothing we could've done that would make us perfect. We were condemned to death and be separated from God forever!

But God showed unconditional love for us and gave mercy. How often do we get wronged by someone and have anger instead of mercy? In Matthew 18:20-21 it says: "Then Peter came and said to Him, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven'

If God didn't show mercy, we would be on our way to the lake of fire. We take His mercy for granted and don't think what would happen if he didn't have compassion on us.

David thanks God for His wonderful mercy in Psalm 145:8 'The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.'

Our God is a God of mercy!

Remember Gods mercy this week!

Bri

The final day!

Well, it's been a loooooooong month; school, youth group, homework :P, family, ..... am I forgetting something??? Ah yes, Drivers Ed! Today was one of the most scary days ever; the test .... ;) One of my friends and I were clinging each other as we waited for one of our instructors to call us up one by one and grade it. The palms of my hands were sweaty and shaking as I sat in a chair, trying not to fidget.

When I finally looked at our teacher I felt wave of relief come over me as I heard him say 'Well, you passed' Right away I wanted to shout for joy but I restrained myself. Instead, I celebrated by dumping my wonderful homework in the trash bin :)

So Praise God!! I can't tell you how long I prayed last night for the test.
Also, I should warn you to look out when you go out on the roads now. lol

One more thing, I noticed that my post about the characteristics of God didn't post. I have NO idea why. When I tried to find it it was gone. Sorry about that! Anyway, I will do it on Monday. I can't Sunday b/c I will be gone all day.

In Christ,

Bri

God's Creativity

Our God is SOOOOOO creative!! His imagination is huge; and to prove it just look at the world that's around us.

One of my favorite things that God created is: sunsets

I think they show His love for us and how amazing He is! Sunsets remind me that God made the universe and they didn't just appear by accident. I think He made them so that we could enjoy them and praise Him.

Revelation 4:11 "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

Bri

What do I know about my God?

In Sunday School this past Summer my teacher was talking all about the different characteristics of God. There are so many of them!!! You could go on and on just by looking at verses in the Bible.

In Psalm 18:1-2 it says "I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my deliverer, My God, my rock in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" In that passage God was telling David HE is our strength, rock, deliverer, shield, horn, and stronghold. But what does that mean? It means God is our protection and is all we need in life's tough battles.

So, for the next couple of months every Sunday I will being doing a characteristic of God along with a verse. I don't know how long this will take but I think it will be really cool to see some (ok, probably A LOT lol) of our All-powerful God's characteristics!!

In Christ Alone,

Bri

playlist ....

ok, so a couple minutes ago my dad and I thought we'd try one more time to put my playlist on ... it worked!!! :D So ... hope you enjoy it!

Creed

Ok, so I finally downloaded a play list for my blog. Small problem .... I don't know how to post it on my blog :/ so .... I will hopefully soon talk to some of my friends and they will show me how :)
My favorite one is the first one on the list; Creed. This is such an inspiring song! It shows what we Christians believe in:




I believe in God the father
Almighty maker of heaven and maker of earth
And in Jesus his only begotten son, our Lord
He conceived by the Holy Spirit
Born of the virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate
He was crucified and dead and buried

And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man

I believe that He who suffered was crucified, buried and dead
He descended into hell, on the third day, rose again
He ascended into heaven where He sits at God's mighty right hand
I believe that He's returning
To judge the quick and the dead and the sons of men

And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man


I believe it, I believe it
I believe it
I believe it, I believe it

I believe in God the father
Almighty maker of heaven and maker of earth
And in Jesus Christ His only begotten son, our Lord
I believe in the Holy Spirit
One holy church
The communion of Saints
The forgiveness of sins
I believe in the resurrection
I believe in a life that never ends

And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
I did not make it, no it is making me
I said I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man

I believe it, I believe
I believe it, I believe
I believe it, I believe it
I believe it, I believe it
I believe it, I believe it
I believe it








So ..... do you believe? Do you believe in God the Father? The ALMIGHTY maker of heaven and earth! We have such an awesome God!!



The line 'I did not make it, no it is making me' really got me thinking; It's not the works we do that will get us into heaven. It's the work and sacrifice God's only begotten Son did for us. He died and rose again!!!


Anyway, sorry my play list isn't up yet; I will put it on as soon as I can.



In Christ Alone,

Bri

You might want to pray for my neighborhood ....

Wow .... The month has finally come; I'm taking drivers ed!

I just finished my 3rd day in class. Tomorrow I will learn from behind the wheel. I'm so excited and a little nervous at the same time. Thankfully, I've driven before (gasp! lol) to and from our church.

I'm so blessed to have parents that are willing to let me learn how to drive. Thank-you Mom and Dad!!

Well, sorry I have been neglecting to post. I will strive to do better in the future.


In Christ Alone,

Bri

Happy Birthday Benjamin!

October 2008

Summer 2009

14 years ago today, Benjamin John Van Dyke saw the world for the very first time with his little brown eyes; 8lbs. and 1 oz. and 21 in.

As I look back, I have so many unforgettable, hilarious and wonderful memories of him. Jokes, playing beanies babies together, late night talks, getting distracted during school ;) etc.

I have enjoyed watching him grow through the years. He's getting so much taller! I still have him by a couple in. but, I know that's not gonna last long ... lol

But most importantly, I've enjoyed watching him increase his faith in God. I'm so thankful to have such a godly brother that watches out me, loves me (which may seem a bit impossible at times ....) and encourages me. I pray that he will keep on being a young man after God's own heart.

I have 2 favorite talents of his: One is his voice when he praises God; he has an amazing voice (which he has trouble admitting sometimes :) ) I love listening to him when he's having his voice lessons, practicing, in the shower ;) He'll sing pretty much all the time at home.

The 2nd, is his hilarious sense of humor. That's what our family loves about him. What would the world be like without brothers with a good sense of humor? Pretty boring ....

I'll be having a bad day and suddenly Benjamin will tell me something that makes me giggle. I can always count on him to make me laugh. Always. Like I said a couple posts ago, he's the family clown :-)

Other then singing and joking around, Benjamin has many other hobbies. Like boyscouts; He's in First Class, almost in Star. I'm so proud of what he has accomplished.

Benji has loved animals his entire life so he's really into biology or anything that has something to do with God's amazing creatures.

Benjamin is and always has been, my best friend for life. I'm so grateful God specifically chose him to be my brother.

I can't wait to see what God has for his future. All I know is that we will never end this awesome journey with him.

I love you so much Benjamin! Hope you had a fantastic 14th birthday!!!

Bri

Past 3 years ...

One of our first pictures of her when we were waiting for her Spring '06

Don't you just wanna pick her up and hug her!?!?! When we first got her. This is in our hotel Aug. '06

November '06

March '07

Decemer '07

April '08

August '08

May '09

June '09

These past 3 years seem like a whirlwind! When I got up this morning to get Lydia up I remembered it was her 'Gotcha Day' 3 years from today dad, Benjamin and I were in Ethiopia getting our adorable little Lydia from the orphanage. I remember getting on the plane to fly across the Atlantic. I also remember holding her for the first time (Benji and I had a contest to see who hold her first. I won :)) She was like a little angel placed in my arms. I wanted to cry but ... I didn't. As I look at her now, I just want to hold that little 5-month-old baby again! :( I'm so privileged to be able to have watched her grow. It's been amazing to see her crawl, walk, run, climb, talk, sing, etc. just being with her is an adventure! Like I said a couple posts ago, her giggle is one of my top favorite things about her; it's contagious!

Sometimes when I get annoyed with her, I forget about how special she is in my life. I'll see the 'bad' part of her and forget the fun part of her. God has truly blessed me with Lydia and these past 3 years and they will be unforgettable. My biggest memories of her is when she said my name for the first time (bri-bri) and (ofcourse) when I held her for the first time, and when she first walked.

Lydia, I love you so much! More then you'll ever know! I can't wait to see what God will fulfill in you life!

God Bless,

Bri

Comforting Words

Psalm 18: 1-3

'I love You, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies'


These are some of my favorite life verses. They always bring me comfort when I'm distressed/worried, scared/afraid, depressed, lonely, doubtful, hurt etc. I even read them when I'm happy, excited, amazed, etc. b/c they bring not only comfort, but joy.

When I read them I see that God is actually saying these words to me!! When we pray, we are talking with God. The way God talks to us is through His word: The Bible. That's how He communicates with us. Those are His words put down on paper for us to read what He's saying to you and me.

When I got baptized in September '07, these were the verses I said after I gave my testimony. The reason I chose them is b/c they bring comfort and joy and they have helped me in my walk with God. These verses are like an everlasting and eternal stronghold that will never let me down.


God Bless,

Bri

Blessings from God

Lydia, the cute and giggling one.

Braden, the mechanic in our family, a great smart kid!

Benjamin, the family clown and a God-fearing person

Siblings. What do you think when you say/think that word? Me .... ? Well .... I think a bunch of different things!! Intelligent, fun, hilarious, always hungry, gifted, annoying ;), precious, awesome, quirky, pesky, outgoing, oh brother!! etc.

But, besides those, I think (well, I try to :)) of them as blessings from God. Thru the 15 1/2 years of my life I've seen 3 blessings come into it. When I was almost 2, Benjamin John was born and I held him when he was barely a day old. I obviously don't remember that but I will always carry that picture in my head. He is one of my best friends and has a great 13-year-old sense of humor that could make me laugh for hours! 6 years later Braden James Hien flew home with my parents from Vietnam. He was only 3 and now he's almost 11!!! He's very smart and he is always there when we don't know how to fix something that's very complex! Sometimes he just 'knows'. Braden is full of eagerness and determination. 4 years after that God put Lydia Joy Adama into our lives. When we went to get her in Ethiopia she was 5 months old and one night when we were in our hotel room, Benji was making her laugh as hard as she could. Her laugh is always a great sound to my ears! Now she's 3 and still laughs out loud!

I won't be posting for about a week b/c I'm going camping.

God Bless!

Bri

Mathematical formula

This is SO COOL!

101% from a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What' equals 100%? What does it mean to give more than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been in situations where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 100%? What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help answer these questions:

If ...

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z equal ....

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 (you know, A=1, L=12, W=23, get it?)

H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%


K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5= 96%


A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E

1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5= 100%


THEN, look at how far the love of God will take you:


L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D


12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4= 101%



Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While hard work and knowledge will get you close, attitude will get you there, it's the LOVE OF GOD that will put you over the top!





Pretty cool, eh? Don't ask me if I came up with this cause I (obviously) didn't! Math isn't my best friend :) I got this in an e-mail.

God bless,

Bri

Camp Pictures

The bus ride there (16 hours) we stopped @ a hotel on Sunday night and we went swimming in there pool but they didn't have the right amount of chemicals and I always swim with my eyes open. So .... i was REALLY bloodshot that night! ow! We got to the WILDS after lunch on Monday

My cabin (my cabin was the plankwalkers on the Sapphire Bay Schooners! blue)

3 .... 2.... 1 .... GO!

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

This was one of my fav.

This was where we had our lake day!! The jump tower was THE BEST!!! It felt like slow motion when you were in the air.

Me and Erika. It was SO HOT!! We were all miserable until we got to the falls

The looooooooooooooooooooooooooong walk! But it was totally worth it!

WOW!! isn't this just breathtaking??!! When I saw this I thought to myself that nobody but God could've been so creative to make something as gorgeous as a waterfall!! Amen!

I was sliding dow the slippery slope. really fun

me and Allison

you can barely see my head on the bottom left

amazing ...

The reason I'm all sandy is b/c my cabin had a competition with our brother cabin to see who could say all of their verses first. As you can see, we lost. So we had to jump in the river and roll in the sand. It was actually a lot of fun :)

This was where we ate all our delicious meals; but that's only half the building! there's a lot more campers to the left and right!

Like my blue make-up? he he he :) don't worry, i wasn't the only one!

My cabin celebratin' cuz the blue team won!!! yay! (that was only part of our cabin, there's 4 others)

Me and my awesome counselor

(no, she didn't dye her bangs!! lol It's a barret that you can clip in your hair)

Me and Michelle, sad and happy to be home. We already missed camp once we left :(

Ok, so it's been almost a month since camp and I finally have all my pictures loaded (thx dad). The waterfalls were AMAZING! They're always the best part!

God Bless,

Bri