the transforming Word of God

A great testimony to the power of the Word to beget and sustain faith is found in the story of the conversion and execution of Tokichi Ichii-a man who was hanged for murder in Tokyo in 1918. He had been sent to prison more than twenty times and was known as being cruel as a tiger. On one occasion, after attacking a prison official, he was gagged and bound, and his body suspended in such a way that "my toes barely reached the ground." But he stubbornly refused to say he was sorry for what he had done.

Just before being sentenced to death, Tokichi was sent a New Testament by two Christian missionaries, Miss West and Miss McDonald. After a visit from Miss West, he began to read the story of Jesus' trial and execution. His attention was riveted by the sentence, "And Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."' This sentence transformed his life.

I stopped: I was stabbed to the heart, as if by a five-inch nail. What did the verse reveal to me? Shall I call it the love of the heart of Christ? Shall I cal~ it His compassion? I do not know what to call it. I only know that with an unspeakably grateful heart I believed.

Tokichi was sentenced to death and accepted it as "the fair, impartial judgment of God." Now the Word that brought him to faith also sustained his faith in an amazing way. Near the end, Miss West directed him to the words of 2 Corinthians 6: 8-10 concerning the suffering of the righteous. The words moved him very deeply, and he wrote,

"As sorrowing, yet always rejoicing." People will say that I must have a very sorrowful heart because I am daily awaiting the execution of the death sentence. This is not the case. I feel neither sorrow nor distress nor any pain. Locked up in a prison cell six feet by nine in size I am infinitely happier than I was in the days of my sinning when I did not know God. Day and night . . . I am talking with Jesus Christ.

"As poor, yet making many rich." This certainly does not apply to the evil life I led before I repented. But perhaps in the future, someone in the world may hear that the most desperate villain that ever lived repented of his sins and was saved by the power of Christ, and so may come to repent also. Then it may be that though I am poor myself, I shall be able to make many rich.

The Word sustained him to the end, and on the scaffold with great humility and earnestness he uttered his last words, "My soul, purified, today returns to the City of God."2

Faith is born and sustained by the Word of God, and out of faith grows the flower of joy.

taken from John Piper, "Desiring God"

I really loved reading this section of Desiring God. This truly shows how powerful God's holy scripture really is in a persons life. Even someone who is in jail for murder! I think we really need to remember how transforming His word really is, I know that this little section showed me how God brings people to salvation by just a few Christians advancing His kingdom by doing something very little - sending the New Testament to a guy in prison for murder. I know that I normally think of sharing the gospel as this big thing, but it doesn't have to be big, it can just be small and planting a seed like these two Christians did. What a great reminder!

website for art

I just created a website to post my artwork!

You should all check it out :)

http://brittneejohnson.daportfolio.com/

all done!

I have finished my Junior year of college! I was so blessed with being able to do pseo my Senior year of High School.
Yesterday I moved home from school. Really I do not know how I made it through the week. This years finals have been the worst that I have ever experienced. There were many late nights and early mornings this past week. It was the Lord that got me through this week. I literally was sick two nights in a row because of lack of sleep and no time of rest. Moving out was really bitter-sweet. I will miss my lovely blue hall ladies this summer. The Lord has blessed me with such sweet friends. Next year I will be living with my current roommate, Terra and a friend of a blue hallmate, Jennifer. It will be exciting to go back to school this fall. I already miss everyone. Next year I will be an orientation leader, so I will be moving in a few weeks early. Here is a highlight of this year :)

The Blue Hall group:


This was a dance that my hall did for KnuHa day. It was so much fun and probably one of my favorite things that I did this past year. Our hall bonded a lot through this dance, especially since we all got together to practice every week, sometimes more than once a week.

Here are a few of my favorite art projects that I did this year:
This was a project that I did for my design concepts class. All of us in the class had to make an inflatable for our final. Since I am more of a 2D artist, I struggled with working with 3D projects, yet was actually one of my favorite projects of the year. Also, one of my favorite classes. My professor, Monica, is probably my favorite art professor at nwc.



This was my final project for my sculpture class. These two pictures are of buttons. For our final we could make whatever type of sculpture that we wanted. My idea of buttons came from a sculpture artist named Tara Donovan. I loved her button sculptures and really wanted to make one of my own. Before starting this project, I wasn't sure how I would like the colors and was contemplating spray painting the buttons after I finished gluing them together. After finishing this sculpture I really loved how the colors looked together. Wacky, yet really cool.


This is a drawing I did of my roommate, Christine. My intention of drawing this picture was to submit it in the "Food in the Door" at the MIA. Unfortunately I did not get to submit it because there was too many entries when I went to bring it. Even though I did not get to submit it, I still love it and am happy that I got to draw Christine.

joy in worship

Today was our last praise chapel here at Northwestern. The Lord has constantly been reminding me that when I worship, it is not about me or how I feel, but it is by giving Him praise. He deserves the praise, not any of us. Thinking about chapel this morning, I know that my God was smiling down at His children worshiping and praising His name. This brings me joy in my heart, knowing that our God Almighty cherishes our worship.
All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. Psalm 86:9

updates about me

A week from Thursday I will be moving out of my dorm and heading home. I'm not sure how to feel. I'm really excited, but also sad about leaving all these people here at Northwestern that I have grown so close to. Of course, it will be really stressful with so much to do in so little time. I have been constantly reminding myself not to worry. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:34 I have noticed that a lot of people are worrying way too much during this time. I'm guilty of it too. Every time that I worry about something and it passes, I wonder why I made it out to be such a big deal. It will especially be hard to be intentional about spending time with people. It will be hard leaving here. Especially since my roommates Terra, Christine and I will not all be roommates together next year (terra and I are still rooming together.) We have only a week and a half left of living with each other. I have grown to love and care for both of these girls throughout this school year.

The Lord has been so good to me. He has led me to South Carolina this summer to strengthen my relationship with Him. I will be going with around 100ish students from a ministry called Campus Outreach. The Summer Training Project is designed to help students grow in their walk with God. I will be working a full time job while at project, along with Bible studies, evangelism training, ministry training, and different types of activities during the week. I'm am super excited, but also nervous with what God will be revealing to me there. It will be hard being away from home for two months, but I know that the Lord has led me there and that His will is so much better than what I have in mind for my life.

This year I have learned much about myself. The Lord has convicted me with how selfish I really am. It has been hard to recognize this, but also great that because I see this in my life, I can work on being less selfish. It has definitely been a great experience noticing this in my life and being able to share it with other people. My roommates see this firsthand. The Lord put's us in these situations to help us grow. The book of James has taught me that my trials give me joy because they will eventually help me to become mature.

Spiritually I have grown a tremendous amount these past few months. The Lord has been revealing himself to me in a whole new way. I think it was around March that my thirst for his word actually started to rise to a whole new level. Since then my relationship with Him has been so sweet! I have learned how to really talk with God on a more personal and intimate level.

The Greatest Love letter ever

My Beloved...
You may not know me, but I know everything about you...Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit and when you rise up...Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways...Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered...Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image...Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being...Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring...Acts 17:28
I knew you even before you were conceived...Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation...Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book...Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live...Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made...Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother's womb...Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born...Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me...John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love...1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you...1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your father...1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could...Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father...Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand...James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs...Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope...Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love...Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore...Psalm 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing...Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you...Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession...Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul...Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things...Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me...Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart...Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires...Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine...Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager...2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles...2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you...Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart...Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes...Revelation 21:3-4
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth...Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus...John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed...John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being...Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you...Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins...2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled...2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you...1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love...Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me...1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again...Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen...Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father...Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is...will you be my child?...John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you...Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Father, Almighty God

Philemon 1:7

Well, I have not written on here in so long! Here is a quick summary of how my life has been in the last year:
I transferred to Northwestern. I was so nervous transferring. I loved Crossroads and I really wanted to stay there and be with the friends that I made. But God had a much better plan for me. He provided for me all year long. He gave me such AMAZING friends. I have no idea how life would be if I did not have these girls in my life. He gave me a loving RA, sweet roomies, and awesome hall mates! Anyways, God has been so good to me this year. He has revealed so many blessings to me including children. Oh, how my love for them has grown this year.

There has been really tough times for me this year as well. I have not had a job, which has made things really difficult. But, I know that God has done this for a reason. He wanted me to get to know the girls more. He knew that with my busy schedule, I would have a really hard time fitting a job in there. He is so good. I have gone through trials throughout this school year, but they were all done because He loves me.
Something I would like to share with you is something that I think we can all benefit from. I went through a time of discouragement. Probably for about two weeks. I did not even notice until my roomie brought it up. Then one of my friends came to visit me for the day. Wow, it was so amazing. She encouraged me so much with so many things that I was struggling with. I cannot even describe in words how God blessed me on this day. I just really wanted to share this because for me, I need encouragement. So many times I doubt myself. God has helped me realize this. And because I went through this, I feel led to encourage others.