This week in class we talked about covenant.

To be honest I didn't have much of a reference point myself on what "covenant living" looks like. In our world the most obvious form of covenant is the covenant of  marriage which rarely lives up to the terms promised on the day you decide to ask for his and her bath robes and a toaster.

So you can imagine it was a lot to wrap my mind around (in a good way).

I've learned so much since being here in Spain...so much about who I am and honestly reevaluating what I stand for. Learning how to focus my passions and (outrage) in a way that brings change. Learning why it is I just want to love people. In turn learning that it is a good thing.

I have so many new, deeper thoughts on just how christianity turned out the way it looks today in the church .  I don't believe it looks, smells, tastes the way God intended....there needs to be more love less doubt more freedom less regulation more voice less silence.

I believe the days are coming that are of love and violence....yes. I said violence.

There needs to be people willing to stand up for the things the bible promises....you know the whole His glory will fill the earth...that wasn't just a poetic thing to shove in there. I know the earth will be filled with glory with goodness with love. This means we "the church" need to be fighters. Fighters of injustice. Someone needs to stand up and fight for the women and children who are sold and traded into the sex industry, someone needs to do something for those child soldiers in the LRA, someone needs to LOVE their neighbor.

Of course I do not say these things blaming the church or even saying that I could fix it all....just a few things to think about. We need some fierce people to rise up and make a change in this world....being a christian is not a passive mousey thing it means you have something and someone to fight for.

So let your yes be yes and your no be no.

ONE QUESTION:

what is your purpose?

anyone?

bueller, bueller?

Today was a good day.

Sometimes we need to have a little more silly in our lives.

Today Kate Emily and I were dying to get of this little mountain so we decided to go to plaza mayor which is an outdoor shopping center roughly 45 minutes away from where we live. So we caught the bus then the train and before you knew it our little hearts were excited to be somewhere new.

We had no intentions other than spending time together and maybe even escaping all the business, blogs, emails, calls, and thoughts of being separated in a little less than a month. We went in nearly every store. Sometimes it's fun to just be a girl....honestly trying things on and dreaming of new clothes. Sadly I've developed the habit of thinking of how much an item weighs and how much room it will take up in a suitcase before I deem it worthy of purchasing. This may be why I ended up with a pair of "jeggings" yes I just said jegging.

As the day went on we had tried a million things, stomped all over the plaza, and it was time for lunch. So we walked over to the restaurant section and spotted a gelato joint. We wanted some but it was that or food so.....

Today we ate gelato for lunch.

It's days like today that I know that I know that I know I was made for this. For community for friendships that I can't even sum up in words. It's moments like these that teach me not everything is so serious. Being with people is a million times more productive than anything I could have done at home today. So friends kick off your boots and grab a friend and go get some ice cream. Delight in the simpler things of life. Crack a smile & pee your pants laughing.

"Of course I peed my pants, everyone my age pees their pants. It's the coolest. "

1st one to name what that quote is from is my best friend. 

So in January of 2009 I was going to school and going nowhere at the same time

I worked, went to school, spent most of my time with friends.  Some weekends I would go to Stillwater, OK to stay with a friend. While in Stillwater I became friends with one of his roommates: Stephen. He is an everyday average guy who happens to love playing 21questions, scrabble, and has some great tastes in music. All very good qualities if you ask me.

He has had a lot more influence on my life than most would think. It was at a very interesting time in my life that we met. I had chosen to live very far away from the love of God  which left me trying to figure out things on my own. This is the part where I would go spend my free time in Stillwater, hanging out, doing nothing, watching the auction channel, the usual....then there was Stephen.

He is different than anyone I knew...he would chill out all weekend,he would stay up late,  have a beer, play supersmash bros, talk about actual  valuable  things AND he would go to church on Sunday mornings.  This blew my mind.  That a normal person my own age would get up no matter how late we had been out the night before and willingly choose to go to church. It was this weird little thing that sunk into my thoughts. wow you can be normal, fun, lively and go to church with-out your parents prompting.

I had never seen that. Most of you know I wasn't exactly living my life for God for a long time before I choose to become a missionary.  I guess it was Stephen who made me realize you can be real and love God. There was nothing fake or unattainable about him. It encouraged me to the point of change that only God can bring. When I stayed the weekend there I ended up going to church with him on Sunday mornings and even back at home in Tulsa I started going to lifechurch.tv on my own.

Then in March(2009) I was researching missions trips and stumbled upon the world race. I read everything I could then promptly showed my mom and the first words out of her mouth : this was made for you, you have to do this. So I did before I knew it I was in Georgia for training camp in may then in August left for the world race which is 11 countries in 11 months.

So I left my old self and walked right into new life.

I say all this to say.  It's about relationship. It's about living your life out in a way that blesses people, not exactly extravagant but beautiful. I think the rawness of who you are, your core values should shine through your everyday average self.

So sometimes I wonder if Stephen hadn't been completely himself would I be where I am now?

sometimes I think about the things that may never be normal in my life.

Things like: I may never own a home. Not the kind you dream of owning when you get older, I don't see a white picket fence in my future these days. I may have to line-dry my clothes for the rest of my life. There's no telling really but these are little thoughts floating in my head. Someone said to me yesterday "You're at the age of finding your husband and getting married" I guess sometimes I forget the average flow of life.  I thought I would have just graduated College this week like the rest of my friends who are living a more by the book lifestyle but that's not the case.

I instead am living in a house with 10 other people. In Spain. I live in a room with 3 other girls and we sleep in bunk beds. Yes. Bunk beds not the most glamorous thing about my life that's for sure. I hang dry my clothes, and we rarely have hot water for showers. I am not complaining it is just a fact of life when you are living in a foreign country you just learn to deal in any circumstance. So yeah. If you would have asked me when I graduated high school 4 years ago where I would be at this point I would have NEVER guessed I would be in a foreign country let alone a missionary.

This is where I am. I cannot work due to visa requirements but I need to be here in Spain learning, and being equipped for the next step of life. I would have never guessed I would have to be so humbled by asking people for money to live. For housing, food, utilities, and class. Man it has been an experience so far but it is where God has me. I will do my part and ask and know that God is  promise keeper. He will provide and He will continue to love me (and everyone else) through every season.

If you would like to donate to my support account you can click here:

http://www.g42leadershipacademy.org/donate

make sure to specify that you are donating to : Brittany Grant

I am believing for being fully funded by my birthday which is in 7 days.

much love & blessing. always.

-b

a few words from yours truly

Just a little ditty about me, this current season, & the next.

enjoy. <3

p.s. all I want for my birthday is to be fully funded, seriously.

Only 8 days til I'm twenty-three.

Here is some coverage of the rally that was Held in the states for MATTOO:

click it. I dare you.

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/05/14/minn-men-stand-up-to-human-trafficking/