Dear Burn Friends and Family,
I’ve been studying art for the last four years- so its been awhile since I’ve made any pictures with words and not paint. Please forgive any grammar errors and hopefully this will make sense.
After a long year of lots of school hours and lots of outside commitments summer finally came.
I spent last weekend at my parents house- leaving my list of things to do in corpus- I arrived with no agenda other than to do my laundry for free (big deal for a college kid) and help my mom.
One instance brought me on the living room floor with my Bible- and guys its been a long long long time where I haven’t just checked off my “daily bible reading chapter.” And for the first time in a long time- I was soaking. I was praying and singing and randomly skimming- reading- eating and BE-ing in the presence of God. Re-remembering our privilege and our duty of communing and connecting with the Father!!
Later in a sleepless night I turned on the lamp and flipped my Bible open to John 15. And began to read. (This is the part you, dear friend, get out your Bible and read John 15- so we can be on the same page on the next sentence 
)
And I smiled and sighed and nodded my head.
ABIDE:
verb (so its an ACTION- its something we DO)
it means: to stay, to remain, to tolerate, to submit to, to agree with, to remain steadfast or faithful to, to endure, to await, to wait for, to suffer for.
By abiding in the vine- we LIVE… without that connection our spiritual man dies of thirst and lack of nutrients.
By abiding in the vine aka JESUS we will bear fruit.
By abiding in the vine we will have enough water to support the fruit we bear- because guys- if a plant bears fruit but then stays in Corpus Christi heat for too many days and no one gives it water- its fruit shrivels up and dies!
And guys sometimes its as simple as staying in His presence past our “check off the list of things to do time”
sometimes its staying and resting until Holy Spirit says, “ok move”.
Sometimes its “enduring” and “suffering for” and staying in the fire because you know the outcome will be worth it! Because refinement is sweet in the end! Abide.
Sometimes its “waiting for” God to even make Himself known because all of a sudden He feels crazy far away- abide.
Its in this abiding that our desires become His because He is teaching us how to be crucified to our flesh- how to forsake our old ways and old wants and run hard chasing after His…
Its in our abiding that our ears get in-tune to His voice…
and our fears and insecurities and weaknesses and any hindrances become coupled with His Strength and His perfect love that casts out all fear and He gets to show us how super-natural He really is.
So anyway.
Please come to the Burn.
This Friday-Saturday.
at Gateway Church in Gregory
Come to abide- let that be your only agenda.
What a perfect place to abide in.
Burn is not about hype or songs or shows…
guys really the musicians are there because that’s how they (we cuz I’m a singer) abide! We love lifting our songs to Him! Its how we connect the best! But we’re not there to perform or even lead anyone in worship. We’re just there to abide and sing to our awesome great big God and tell Jesus how cool He is and how much we’re falling in love with Him.
Artists are there to paint and play cuz again that’s how they pour themselves out to their King.
Dancers are there cuz their feet never stop moving and who better to dance for than the God that delights in watching His creation dance.
And we are all called to pray-
to TALK TO GOD.
Again why not abide together- corporately- where God is in our midst?
I’m excited for this weekend… hope to see you all soon!
-Rachel