Two years in and a lifetime to go.

Today marks my two-year wedding anniversary. I can recount every emotion from that day — getting my hair done, hanging out with my mom, sitting with my best friends in anticipation of my pronouncement as a wife and seeing my soon-to-be husband for the first time as we paraded around the plantation grounds taking photos and talking of what would be our life together. I never imagined it so good.

Our first look.

I give glory to God that my husband is the epitome of a Biblical husband. He is patient and kind, always willing to serve. He is committed and diligent. He is hard-working, honorable and selfless. He rises early every morning to commune with the Father. He always looks for ways to serve me better in order to show me Jesus.

I am grateful every morning. I don't want to take my days with my husband for granted because I know so many who would give anything for just one more day with theirs. And I don't want to see the days rush by in hopes of something better to come. But mostly, I don't want to allow my affections for him to place him as a Savior status in my heart.

Bridal party.

The minute I begin relying on John for my every need and want, I have set him up for failure. You see, that is not what God created him for. Jesus is my Savior. He is all I need. John is the sweet gift of grace in my life that shows me just a glimpse of Christ's great love for me. I'm so thankful God has granted me the promise of eternal life and that my earthly life is lined with graces and mercies. I am so thankful John is my bridegroom, leading me to the foot of the cross.

Here's to celebrating two years of marriage complete and entering our third! I pray God will continue to keep our marriage in His hands, knowing it is only by His great work that we are able to live, move and have our being.

Check out our wedding highlights video and enjoy being a part of the best day of my life.

Bear With One Another

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another... (Colossians 3:12-13)

 

Believer it or not, Brittany and I spend a lot of time ministering to new and immature believers. At times, it can try our patience when we talk with middle and high school students who don't seem to be growing in their faith. But, by God's grace, the Holy Spirit is working in the heart of every Christian.

 

We must bear with one another in the characteristics and attitudes mentioned in verse 12—with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. To “bear,” means to help carry another’s burdens or pain. This could be a physical or monetary burden, or even the heartfelt, emotional pain of sin in this world. Paul commands the Colossian believers to carry each other along in patience, understanding and empathizing in the burdens of others. Bearing something extra as you physically walk up a hill will slow you down. You aren’t as free to run quickly or to move side-to-side. The burden you are bearing forces you to be focused on reaching a particular point. Thus, when backpacking, hikers are often very singularly minded when hiking together. They are not worried with playing hopscotch or kicking around a soccer ball as they walk. There is no leisurely walking involved in backpacking, but rather a focused walk that is guided by the lead hiker. So it is with believers in the church. Mature believers can never run on ahead in life, leaving behind new Christians that are hungry to understand how to be more conformed into the image of Christ. The body of Christ is designed and ordained by God to grow and mature as a whole body—not grow stronger in a way that is entirely unbalance and useless to the Father’s plan. God has commanded us to encourage and uplift the weaker brethren, and to serve the helpless and hopeless. Through this the body of Christ is unified, and we grow together in our purpose of being transformed into His image. We must be driven to love each other regardless of what we receive in return—we love because the Father first loved us and gave His son for us!

John

Through it all

I look back over the course of the past two years, and I see nothing but the faithfulness of my God. I was two weeks removed from the most devastating event of my life when I joined the staff of Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters. I left my family mourning the loss of my brother and rerouted my life to the foothills of the Appalachians for the sake of ministry, the Gospel and my soon-to-be husband. I don't know that I realized just how broken I was when I began exhaustively pouring myself out day after day that summer. Student after student, church after church — my language and actions were overflowing with the love of Christ and His goodness.

God is good. God works all things for His glory. But what I didn't understand is how He could possibly work all things together for my good?

My sister-in-law was left without a husband, my 1-year-old niece without a daddy, my parents without their son. We were aching for our brother, nephew, grandson, cousin.

"How is this good?" I questioned.

In the quiet mornings of my time in the Word, I would find myself reassured of God's love for me and His pursuit of His glory in all things. But not once did I think He really meant good things for me.

Throughout that summer our worship band proclaimed:

You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning
... You work all things together for my good. (Jesus Culture)

They repeated it over and over.

You work all things together for my good.

I clinched my fist in rage.

"This is not good," my spirit yelled at the Father. "Nothing about this is good! I know you are good, and I know you love me, but I just can't believe that you work all things together for my good."

I was broken, confused and ashamed. I was like the Psalmist David in Psalm 42 — "My tears have been my food day and night while they say to me continually 'Where is your God?'"

But David had to remind himself of the faithfulness of the Lord and of how simply he could forget the Lord's goodness. "Hope in God," he encourages his soul. "By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me."

Piece my piece the Lord began to restore my spirit. "I am the Lord, and there is no other," he promised. "I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me" (Is. 45:5-6).

Two years and three summers later, I am still exhaustively pouring myself out. But my story is much different.

I know I still make mistakes
But you have new mercies for me every day
Your love never fails.

I believe that. Even in the darkness of confusion and in the silence of despair, I am chosen by God. That is His ultimate goodness for me — that in the midst of my sin and rebellion, He placed His wrath on His innocent and perfect Son and offered hope and redemption for me. The consequence and pain of this world's sin will not be erased, but the offer of hope to the hopeless and life to the dead is a far more precious prize.

"You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!" (Ps. 30:11)

Looking forward — What's to Come

It's hard to believe that the summer of SWO'12 is drawing to a close. We have seven camp weeks in the dust with three more in front of us. The entire summer seems like a blur, and we pray that we have been faithful about our Father's business.

As summer wraps up, we are immediately propelled into our ever-growing Retreat Season and straight into fund raising for our annual Honduras mission trip. Every December, Snowbird's entire full-time staff heads to Orphanage Emmanuel in Guaimaca, Honduras to minister to more than 600 children who have been orphaned by a number of circumstances. We have been ministering at this same orphanage annually for nearly a decade.

It is an honor to love on the children, play games with them in their yards and pour the Gospel into their lives. It also is an honor to show the children what it looks like to live in Biblical community as our staff works together to minister to these children and their leaders.

I humbly ask that you consider partnering with us this year. We are always in desperate need of financial help to get to Honduras. Fortunately this year, our cost per person is only $850 ($1700 for the Ragon family).

God called me (Brittany) to an ongoing relationship with Orphanage Emmanuel when I first visited there in 2006 — long before I knew of Snowbird. I served during the summer of 2007 as  short-term volunteer. It wasn't until 2009 that John began work with Snowbird and the two of us, together, committed to long-term ministry. This commitment was prior to our knowledge of Snowbird's annual trips. It has been a huge blessing to see the Lord fulfill His calling in our lives through Snowbird's ongoing partnership with Emmanuel.

We couldn't fulfill this call each year without your help. We ask that you consider sending a check to Snowbird Outfitters, 75 Mae Johnson Way, Andrews, NC 28901 with "Ragon — Honduras" in the memo. And pray for us, for our team of 65 and for the children there. Pray for our words, our playtime, our flexibility and our endurance. We want to run the race well and glorify our Creator God.

We live our lives for sake of pouring out the Gospel to students who come to our doorstep week after week. But Nov. 29-Dec. 6, we want to be the ones to take the Gospel to someone else's doorstep. We would love for you to be a part of our journey.

You may also consider supporting us with an ongoing monthly donation. We would welcome the help. Snowbird graciously offers us a minimal salary to help with our daily needs with the encouragement to partner it with additional support from believers. We would love for you to be a part of the ministry God is doing at Snowbird on a long-term basis. Email me (brittany@swoutfitters.com) or John (john@swoutfitters.com) to learn more about what this might look like.

Thanks for love us!

Brittany Ragon
www.swoutfitters.com

The Halfway Point

It's official. SWO12 has hit its halfway point. We have six weeks behind us and six weeks ahead. We are experiencing the physical wears and tears of high-adventure summer camp ministry. It is in these weary days that we see the strong presence of the Spirit and His empowerment in our daily lives. It is only by God's power that we are able to operate in Biblical community and faithfully live out the calling He has given us to make disciples.

At this point in the summer, I (Brittany) would like to ask you to pray specifically for the Transition Team -- a small group of girls who are in a transition phase between having served on SWO's servant team and preparing to serve on our summer staff. These girls are recent high school graduates who are about a year away from being able to serve on summer staff but have previously received preparation through our high school servant program. These girls work with students alongside an older summer staff member and receive weekly discipleship in a group setting with me. We meet a couple of times a week. This summer, we are working through the book "Life Together" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. 

It's been a great journey so far as we are learning what it looks like to operate within a Biblical community, which is - sadly - something very foreign in the Church today. These girls are learning how to relate to one another in the way they would relate to Christ and to come to one another in humility, reverence and joy. It has been such a pleasure being able to walk through this time together.

Please pray for me, personally, that I will faithfully lead these girls in the way Christ would desire. And pray for each of them that they would grow tremendously and learn more what it means to be disciples of Christ and a part of His Church.

Thank you for your continued prayers for us.

Brittany

SWO12

It's hard to believe but today begins week 1 of SWO12 summer camp at Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters. Amid fixes to last-minute items, landscape preparations and cleanings, our staff has been filling its heart with knowledge and wisdom from the Word of God.
You see, no matter how hard we work or how much we prepare for students' arrivals, our work is trivial if not for the life-changing message of Jesus Christ we proclaim week after week. This is our call. This is our mission:

To see students transformed by the saving work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and through the centrality of this Gospel, to disciple students in such a way that the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God will conform them to the image of Christ.  

Today more than 450 students and student leaders will arrive on our campus, and we will have the privilege of ministering the Gospel to each one of them. What a precious honor. It is something we do not tread upon lightly.

"Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Col 1:10-14)

This summer we will walk students through the Supremacy of Christ in All Things and show students what it means to "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord." Join us in prayer as come into this journey — that we will remain faithful, that God will give us rest in sleepless nights and that our hearts and minds will be set on things above.

Because of Him,
Brittany

Two CDL drivers!

John and I are officially Commercial Drivers License holders. We are excited and relieved that we both passed our tests last week and are prepping to drive for off-campus recs this summer. We are always needing more bus drivers to shuttle students from campus to our dozen off-campus rec sites, so we are excited to be a part of filling that need.

Please pray for us as we shuttle students four days a week for 10 weeks this summer. Pray that we will be faithful to pursue intentional conversations. Pray that we will be rested and alert as drivers. Pray that we will seek out opportunities to minister even during our fun recreation times.

Our summer staff will arrive for two weeks of training in 13 days. Our first group of students will arrive for week 1 of summer camp in 27 days. Pray for all that God has in store for us and for them.

-Brittany

The Woman and the King: Proverbs 31 Chapter Overview

If you are a woman (and maybe even a man) then many times when you think of Proverbs 31, you instantly jump to verses 10-31 and begin considering how you can be (or locate, if you are male) the scarcely found "excellent wife." While this is the ultimate desire and the part on which we will focus most of this study, I also would argue it is important not to dismiss verse 1-9 where we learn about the oracle King Lemuel's mother taught him.

We don't know very much about King Lemuel except that he was a king, really. We don't know for sure the time that he lived, where he reigned or his nationality. These are debated topics. The curiosity of any connection between the first portion of the chapter and the latter 21 verses also is a mystery. Some commentators would say there is a clear linkage between the two parts, solidified by the nature of the topics thus maintaining a consistent author (being the Queen Mother). Others would argue there is no connection between the two, because of the use of a different writing language. We do know that verses 1-9 are more than likely an oracle that King Lemuel's mother recited over him as an infant and something he is now ( in this chapter) reciting from memory.

In this specific study, we will not necessarily consider the connectedness or lack thereof. But I encourage you to look more into it and at some ideas that could prove it true or false — Did the Queen Mother write both portions? Was King Lemuel reciting verse 1-9 and then trailed into the ideas he wanted as a wife? Was the Proverbs 31 woman King Lemuel's wife and he began describing here? If she was his wife, what was his role as the "husband" in "the gates" (v. 23)?

What we have to remember is that both the early and latter portions are included in this chapter. In this study, we will consider both portions and learn about why each of these are important to our growth as Godly women.

In the first third of the chapter, we see the description of an excellent king — we see the actions of the type of man he needs to be, despite what culture says. The second two-thirds of the chapter describes a Godly woman and what it looks like for a woman to be an excellent wife. As single women, this is a great opportunity for you to see what a man of good character and Godliness looks like. Don't skip this part!

Throughout this study, we will focus on how we can be Godly women both in our marriages and in singleness. But let's look at the men, too. If you are single, consider the type of man God desires for you and then hide yourself in Christ. If you are married to a Godly man, consider the ways your husband strives to maintain this kind of character for you. If you are married to someone who does not know Christ, pray this over him that God may draw your husband's heart to Himself.

I pray this is a journey of prayer for all of us to become better than we are as we are more conformed to the image of Christ. Next week, we will look more specifically at King Lemuel's words, at the character his mother longed for him to maintain and how those words apply to us today.

I look forward to learning with you.

Brittany

The Gospels

For the past month, I've spent my time nursing a right knee after a major ACL surgery. God has used it to re-focus my energy on my New Testament class through Southern Seminary (SBTS) and I can't imagine a time when I more needed to focus specifically on the life and teaching of Christ.

I have spent the past four weeks studying one of the Gospel accounts each week...Mark, Matthew, Luke, and now John. For one, reading through the Gospels consecutively has opened my mind to the importance of all the Gospel accounts, and how the Holy Spirit inspired each writer to record specific details and aspects of His life. It is an glorious thing that God determined before time for us to have the New Testament 2,000 years later to spell out the Gospel in its entirety?! Every word was divinely inspired and every detail carried through, commanded by the Father and obeyed by the Son.

"Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name."

John 20:30-31

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

Luke 19:10

The Gospel has been made clear to us, but yet it must be revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. This was true of the disciples and it is true of us. There are seven "I am" statements made by Jesus in John's Gospel that completely spell out the deity and purpose of Christ while He was on earth. I am the bread of life (6:35). I am the light of the world (9:5). I am the door (10:7). I am the good shepherd (10:11). I am the resurrection and the life (11:25). I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6). I am the vine (15:5). From this, I am learning that Christ is all that I need. He alone is my sustainment and my joy. Eternal happiness does not depend on my ability to be independent of others, or even enjoying sports outside in the sun. As believers, our sustainment is always found in being tethered fast to Jesus. I think of Mary, the sister of Lazarus, pouring out all of her wealth on the feet of Jesus and washing his feet with her hair. There is also the woman at the well in John 4, who realized there was nothing in her that deserved the love of Christ.

We must continually abide in Christ. He is our lifeline of righteousness and sanctification before the Father. As God's children, we are powerless apart from our association with Him. He is the creator and sustainer of the universe, but also the daily sustainer strengthening our lungs to breath. In John 15:11, Jesus says that He has spoken these things "that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." Christ's purpose for our life does not necessarily entail a fancy house and healthy family. It is summarized in His desire for us to be holy, and to find our total joy in Himself, because that is the eternal promise we have--perfect, sinless fellowship with a holy, righteous God.

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

John 15:4-5

And thus, God the Son glorified God the Father, may our lives exist to glorify Christ Jesus. May the way I spend my time, my money, and my energy always be driven by an eternal purpose. Our Lord lived a life of sacrifice in this world. He lived for the sole purpose of dying.

"Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world keeps it for eternal life."

John 12:25

In Christ alone.

John

A reason to sing

Today would have been my big brother's 28th birthday. And although Eric would have shuttered at the idea of getting closer to 30, we would have gone out to dinner and celebrated just right. My heart aches at the lack of his presence even after two years. We rejoice in the time to come but my aching is ever present and very real. Time doesn't heal pain, not from death. Time simply allows for adjustment to pain. It enables you to figure out a way to cope, a way to drag your numb body out of bed each morning and press through the grief. 

When the pieces seem too shattered

to gather off the floor

and all that seems to matter

is I don't feel you anymore

No, I don't feel you anymore

I need a reason to sing

I need a reason to sing

I need to know that you're still holding

the whole world in your hands

I need a reason to sing

I'm still figuring out what that looks like, especially on days like today.

When I'm overcome by fear

And I hate everything I know

If this waiting lasts forever

I'm afraid I might let go

I'm afraid I might let go


I need a reason to sing
I need a reason to sing
I need to know that you're still holding
the whole world in your hands
I need a reason to sing

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I know my hope is not found in what is left on earth. I rejoice in that. Christ has given me a hope of glory that cannot be stained or tarnished neither by human hands nor by human emotion. I take heart in that, knowing I will be reunited with my brother one day. And even more, that he will be reunited with his wife and daughter.

If there be a victory

will you sing it over me now?

Your peace is the melody

will you sing it over me now?

If there be a victory

will you sing it over me now?

O Lord, your peace is the melody

will you sing it over me now?

So today I focus on the legacy he has left. Not simply the legacy that he and Bridget gave birth to Launa Kate, his pride and joy. But his legacy of Godliness that will live on even now that he is gone. A huge part of that responsibility falls to Bridget, serving as mommy and daddy —  a task she never knew she would have to take.
But Eric spent the last few months of his life dumping it out at the foot of the cross. He was eager to serve God. He knew there was no time to waste. He knew the life-changing message of the cross of Jesus was far too precious to hold back. He lived with great urgency. My pastor says, "What you have poured out for Jesus is only valuable based on what He has poured out for you." Praise God that He poured out everything.
My greatest grief is that Eric didn't have more time to make even more of a difference. That he didn't have more time to lead his family in the ways of Godliness, to teach Launa scripture, to show her how much her Heavenly Father loves her through his love for her.
The day I found out about the accident, I laid in my bedroom floor sobbing before the Lord, begging Him for Eric's life to mean more for Him on earth than it would in heaven. God knew something I didn't.

I need a reason to sing

I need a reason to sing

I need to know that you're still holding

the whole world in your hands

And that is a reason to sing

He is holding the whole world in His hands. God. My God. My Creator, Savior, Father, Friend. He made the plan. He knows the outcome. I only see small parts of it. God is in control, and He is good. He does things for my good and for His glory. Even when I don't see it as good. I didn't. For a long time. I still don't a lot of days. But I trust Him because I know His character. And I know what He gave up for me.
If He loves me enough to have sent his only Son, willingly, to die for me. Why would He not want good things for me? He knows the sting of death, first-hand. He watched His only Son be crucified for a people that despised and rejected Him. And He allowed it because He loves us. He loves us.
And that IS a reason to sing.
"Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet your by his love. He will exult over you with loud singing." (Zephaniah 3:16-17)

Song by All Sons & Daughters, "Reason to Sing." Watch the video.

New study coming soon!

What's happening now

The past few months have been an eventful time for the Ragons. Since returning from Honduras, we have been on the road a lot and the time we haven't been traveling has been spent with hundreds of students on campus and at Cataloochee ski resort. It's been incredible to see our campus filled nearly every weekend. God is so faithful to bring them. I pray we are ever as faithful to share the truths of scripture with them.

The past few weeks have been exceedingly difficult as John and I both sustained leg injuries. John tore his ACL, meniscus and MCL, playing soccer when we were in Honduras (he is scheduled for surgery Feb. 14). And I sprained my ankle a little over a week ago while snowboarding. We've both been hobbling around the house and trying to take care of one another as best we can. God is providing healing though.

More groups come in this weekend and we slowly work our way up to Snowbird's first purity weekend — Make War [Not Love], to be held Feb. 10-12. We are excited for the nearly 400 students and leaders to flood our campus (and our town's local hotel) for this event. Please join us in prayer that we will faithful convey God's plan for our purity and our pursuit of His holiness.

Brittany