Download Darryl Smith: The Standard of Glory
Listen as Darryl Smith tells the story of how God changes lives, like his.
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The Standard of Glory by Darryl Smith – Saturday evening January 2, 2010
Shane & Shane Perform at BWC
The “Shane Everett right-armed Pentecostal fist pump” is the official dance move to the song “Everything is different”, the title track from contemporary Christian artist Shane & Shane’s newest album. Shane Everett, performing alongside Shane Barnard, demonstrated the move Saturday night during their show at the Boston Sheraton Hotel. Campus Crusade for Christ’s fifth annual Boston Winter Conference hosted the concert.
Saturday afternoon, 342 college students checked into the hotel for the five-day conference. To end the first night Shane & Shane took the stage for a public concert.
They have worked with Campus Crusade in the past, and often play shows on the college circuit.
“I guess that’s just who listens to our music,” Barnard said. “We love to play on campus and have the opportunity to be involved with them. That age group is so cool.
Esther Brown, a student at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, won the best seats in the house during the evening’s main conference session, which included the honor of sitting on a couch with friends in front of all the other seats. She was impressed with Shane & Shane’s attitude and approach to worship.
“They were quick to give all praise to God, and that was really neat to see people so committed to God,” Brown said.
This is the type of memory Barnard hopes for when he takes the stage.
“Jesus is what we want people to remember when we leave,” he said. “We hope God shows off.”
In addition to songs from their newest album (released in Nov 2009) they played past songs and even a Christmas song from their recent Christmas tour.
They ended with a song that coincided with the conference theme, Glory. The song titled “Worthy of Affection” was inspired by a verse in Hebrews that says Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God (Hebrews 1:3).
Check out this video from the concert.
We have a winner!
Kathryn Smith from State University of New York College at Buffalo has won the final $50 scholarship for BWC. Congratulations Kathryn!
Have a Happy Half Day
So, BWC isn’t all seminars and worship; in fact, you will have plenty of free time to hang out with your friends and see the city.
The Freedom Trail also zig-zags through Boston, taking you to most of the major historical sites along the way. You can take a walking tour of the trail or buy a map at the Visitor Center at the Boston Common.
A Time for Us, a Place for Us
Boston is full of interesting culinary experiences. All of the ones I’ve listed below are within walking distance of the hotel.
Dinner/Lunch
Cheesecake Factory
(617) 399-7777
Boloco
137 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA
(617) 369-9087
>> Really good, healthy burritos. Think Chipotle goes organic.
The Upper Crust Pizzeria
222 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116
(617) 262-0090
>> Some of the best pizza in Boston, Upper Crust will change the way you think about pizza.
Wagamama
Ste 117, 800 Boylston St, Boston, MA – (617) 778-2344
>> Mind-blowing Japanese food and “raw” juice. They also have really good salad.
McDonald’s
(617) 236-8145
Snacks
Trader Joe’s
899 Boylston St, Boston, MA
(617) 262-6505
94 Belvidere St,Boston, MA
(617) 262-0251
Coffee
Starbucks
39 Dalton St, Boston, MA
Dunkin’ Donuts
153 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA
(617) 247-3861
Au Bon Pain
251 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA
(617) 267-3524
Things to See
The North End
300 Hanover St, Boston, MA
>> Boston’s Italian Quarter, with several good restaurants and pastry shops. The atmosphere is bustling and the streets smell like garlic bread!
Public Garden
15 Arlington St, Boston, MA
>> The scene for “Make Way for Ducklings” and the Swan Boat scene in The Trumpet of the Swan.
Museum of Fine Arts
100 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA
(617) 369-6500
>> One of America’s fines art museums.
The Freedom Trail
(617) 536-4100
>> Starting at Boston Commons and Park Street Station, this is a red painted line that goes all through the city, passing all the major historical points, including Fanieul Hall, Paul Revere’s House, the oldest church in Boston, and the Bunker Hill monument. Pick up a map for $3 in the Visitor’s Center at the beginning of the trail for a self-guided tour, or grab our free audio tour mp3 online for your ipod.
A Penny for Every Time I Said That
I always dream big. I have a few life goals I have yet to fulfill. Here are a few I thought I would share with you….
- Be on a boat out of sight of shore (actually I am pretty sure I did this on a cruise last January, but I couldn’t really tell because the ships only travel during the night)
- Live in a Spanish-speaking country and finally become fluent in Spanish
- Have twins (I know, this one isn’t up to me. I just think they are so cute!)
- Backpack…somewhere…. I just like the idea of living on as little as possible and experiencing life at its most basic.
- See the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg
- Eat Chinese food in China (though I think they eat some pretty weird stuff…)
- Spend a year in full-time ministry
I always dream so big. But when it comes down to it, I never know if I am brave enough go through with what I’ve planned. There are some things in life, though, that are worth making sacrifices for. Think about people who have done truly amazing things – climbing Mount Everest, or discovering an ancient ruin. These people had to give up what could have been a comfortable life at home, but in the end they knew it was worthwhile. I realize going to Winter Conference is slightly less of an accomplishment, but just think of what might be holding you back from going. Is it seriously the 5 days at home, or the $200 that you wanted to spend on new clothes? Think about giving that up for Conference – an experience that may become a “lifetime achievement.”
You Are Not Your Own
I am 21 years old, and still asking myself what I want to do when I grow up. As a senior, I’m soon actually going to have to find (or ad lib) an answer to that question. I feel like my life journey has brought me to the edge of a cliff and left me wondering where exactly to go next. Right now the temptation is to just jump off the edge and hope I land somewhere soft. But there has to be a better way….
Sometimes I wish there was just a map to life. A big part of me has just always expected that at some point I will be handed all the answers. At first I thought it would be high school graduation – choose a college, choose a major, and then suddenly your life path appears on the horizon. Or maybe at some point in college I would suddenly know which lucky guy friend I will end up marrying. But as of now, this has not become a reality, and I am starting to realize that maybe God doesn’t work that way. Yes, He calls us to be obedient, and to follow Him, but He sometimes leaves us in doubt as to what exactly that means. Like for instance, now, when we are standing on the edge of that precipice, looking out on the Rest of Our Lives.
There have been times when it should have been clear. I feel like there are a lot of examples in my life where I can look back and see a fork in the road, one marked “God’s will,” and the other marked “Danger! Danger!” But it is never that clear when you are in the midst of it. There is a fog of selfishness and sin that obscures the road sign and leads us happily down the wrong path.
In my case it was thinking that a relationship with a boyfriend was the most important thing in my life – worth sacrificing relationships with others and my relationship with God for. The lie was perfect because, of course, relationships are a good thing. I still think so. But small compromises, physically and spiritually, made me hide things: first from the people in my campus ministry, then from my close friends, then from God. I fled, like Jonah, to the least secure of all the places I could hide: my own heart.
This is how I walked away from where I know God was calling me. I knew I should have been taking time for others in my campus ministry, where I was on leadership, but I felt like I was the one who needed to be ministered to. God has me at college to minister to my friends and to work hard in my classes, and to live out the freedom of the Gospel on a campus that sometimes seems to be all about rules, but I was trapped in fear and guilt.
I can’t say that this understanding of his will for me is something that God proclaimed to me through one of His people, or that He told me in a dream. It comes from the calling that we all have to live openly before Him, confessing our sin so that we can have fellowship with God. It comes from being open with others and learning how to live in deep, honest relationship. But this calling will lead us to where we are supposed to go later on in life. If you are living honestly with God, you can perhaps follow the wrong path. But when you realize it, you fix your mistake, confess it to Him, and move ahead. It doesn’t have to cripple you.
God may have specific plans for you, like going on the missions field, or going into a specific career. But what He wants from you right now is just you. Give up your past and future to live now for Him, and He will guide you. God’s will might come as a map for the life ahead of you, but most likely it will come in tiny, bit-by-bit steps. He asks us to trust Him and just look at His face as He places our feet on firm ground.
So right now, when you feel like you’re standing on the edge of a cliff, God is probably building a bridge for you to cross. It may not look like the straight, solid bridge you might hope for, but He won’t let you fall. Even though you can only take one step at a time, God knows where you’re going, and He will show you where to place your feet.
Winter Conference has been in my life a place to stand convicted, to let God show you where you have slipped – but also a safe place to learn how to listen to God’s voice. It offers four days free from distraction, and teaching that will help you begin to trust God, step by step.
$50 before Noon on Tuesday
One more person will win $50 for BWC in the next two and one half days.
Tuesday, December 15th at noon EST is the deadline to pay only $195 for four days and five nights at the Sheraton Boston Hotel for BWC. In order to get this great rate you must register for BWC with a $50 deposit before Tuesday’s deadline. After Tuesday, it will cost you $30 more to experience the faith building reality of the Boston Winter Conference.
Don’t wait, register now. If you have friends who haven’t registered, tell them to do so now.
Why?
Someone who registers with paid deposit between now and Tuesday at noon is going to win a $50 scholarship to BWC. Watch this space for the winner after Tuesday.
Jump in, so you can win. BWC will be worth far more than what it costs. Don’t miss it.
Today’s Winner of $50 from UNH!
Andrea Dorr from the University of New Hampshire has won a $50 scholarship to BWC just for posting on the wall at the BWC fan page. Congratulations Andrea!
This week, anyone going to BWC can win $50
That’s right. Whether you have already registered for BWC or are about to, you can win cash for BWC this week.
Here’s the deal:
Just go to Boston Winter Conference on Facebook and post a comment on the wall about why you are excited about BWC. You will become eligible for a $50 scholarship. On the morning of December 12, a winner will be chosen and it could be you (if you have a paid pre-registration for BWC). Be sure to register here.
Why are you excited about the Boston Winter Conference? Share it and you might win.
I’m excited because we almost have as many students pre-registered as attended last year, and the pre-reg discount continues until Dec 15th!
