Toroweap - Camping at the Canyon!

As a pastor, I don’t have normal weekends.  However, I typically get Sunday afternoon through Monday evening off.  It can be hard to fit an epic adventure into that short amount of time, and that certainly hasn’t gotten any easier since we’ve added a baby to the equation.  However, too many weekends at home had us ready to get out of town. 

It took all week for us to prepare to take the baby camping for one night.   It’s amazing how much the kid needs.  I think he applies more ointment in a day than I’ve used in my entire life, but I suppose he has to keep his skin looking young and fresh... :) Anyway, we checked and double checked that we had enough for him.  Then Kira and I quickly threw a few things together for ourselves on Sunday morning, and we took off after church.  We drove to Toroweap, on the western end of the Grand Canyon.  If you haven’t been there before, it’s pretty exciting.  You have to drive over 50 miles on dirt roads, and there are moments of 4-weeling up mountainsides and through some muddy sections of standing water.  Good Stuff!

We finally arrived to watch the sun go down over the canyon.  It was amazing!  We took in some wonderful hikes, and we ate some great food.  Somehow, we were also able to spend over 9 hours in the car with a wild little baby, and we kept him from rolling off any cliffs!  In the end, it was wonderful to let go of life’s daily distractions and focus on what matters most.  I’m thankful for all our modern day luxuries, but I am also so grateful to be able to spend time with people I love in an awe inspiring place. 

This week we are celebrating All Saints Day at Community.  We are taking time to remember all those who have died.  We are also remembering the love those people shared with us.  This week, I hope you remember the people who have shown you love, and I hope you take time to enjoy this world with the people who matter most to you!

Blessings!

PB

A pretty awe inspiring place...

Praying...

Last Sunday afternoon, I started to feel a little off.  I didn’t want to believe I was getting sick, but I was.  There was a time, before I married Kira, when I would eat all kinds of rancid things hiding in the back of my refrigerator.  Not surprisingly, that made me pretty ill from time to time.  However, when Kira started bringing home foods that had not hit their expiration date, most of those problems went away.  So I’m not sure what hit me earlier this week, but it sure knocked me out for about 24 hours.  At first, I thought if I could ignore the problem, it would go away.  I tried hopping on my bike and going for a quick ten mile ride… Surprisingly, this didn’t help.  Instead, I needed was to admit that I needed help from others.  That was what really got me though.

There are times I can convince myself I can conquer any problem on my own.  However, there are other moments when reality sets in.  I realize I need help.  This week we are looking at the Lord’s Prayer.  This prayer plugs us into a power beyond ourselves.  It brings hope, grace, and peace, and these are things I know I need every day.  I hope we can all let go of our own selfishness and pride and realize it is okay to ask for help.

Blessings!

PB

Trying to keep up!

Agile, mobile, and hostile!  Just try and keep up with this guy!

I love being a dad.  There are so many new experiences that have brought me so much joy these last few months.  However, I am also learning about humility...  I am realizing just how much I really need help and support.  Recently, the baby started crawling.  I will turn my back on him for a second only to find him eating a plastic bag, chewing on a power cord, or banging his head into a cupboard.  Try as I might, I can’t keep up with him!  It’s scary to think how little control I really have… What will happen when he starts growing up?  What happens when I can no longer force him to make all the right choices?  It makes me realize how fragile life really is.  I can try to convince myself of my own power.  However, if I am honest, I know I need a power beyond myself.  I need God.  I need other people.  Without the grace of others, I am nothing.  We all receive gifts every day.  Whether we wake up to find the sun on our face, or a smile from a friend, these undeserved gifts give each one of us life in a real way.

In the Bible, there was a man, named Jabez.  Jabez realized he needed God’s grace.  His prayer for help has survived, and it has provided guidance to countless people over the years.  Today, I hope whatever we are going through, we would know it’s okay to seek help and grace.

Blessings!

PB

Answering Prayers...

There are people in this world who pray several times day.  Other people may go their whole lives without uttering a single word to God.  Personally, I believe prayer can be incredibly powerful, but I also believe it can be incredibly mysterious.  There are times when I will cry out to God, and hear only silence.  In that sense, prayer can be exhausting.  It’s hard to pray at someone’s bedside as they slowly slip away.  In the end, it can make me wonder what the purpose of prayer really is. 

This week, we are going to be looking at a Bible story about a man named Gideon.  Gideon had faith in God, and he believed in prayer.  However, Gideon lacked faith in himself.  He prayed that God would solve all his problems, and God was indeed with Gideon every day of his life.  However, God wanted Gideon to answer his own prayer.  God was calling Gideon into action, and that was a response that Gideon wasn’t ready for. 

Sometimes, we are willing to pray.  We can ask God to solve our problems, but there are times when God seems unwilling to answer.  Perhaps these are moments when we are called to listen.  Perhaps God is calling us in some way.  We may doubt in our abilities, but there may be some hidden way we can offer hope.  God is calling each one of us…  Do you believe you can answer?

Blessings!

PB

Conformation Retreat!

Exploring the Slot Canyons   :)

Last weekend, I traveled to Camp Lutherwood with the youth group.  I was one of the leaders for the conformation retreat.  Lutherwood is a beautiful camp located in between Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon.  Typically, Kira loves joining me as a leader on these trips.  However, we have a baby now, and at first, that raised too many questions… How would the baby handle camping?  Would he scream the whole time?  Would he get too cold at night?  Would he ruin the experience for the kids?  There was a lot to worry about, but at the last minute, we decided to give it a try.  It turned out to be an amazing trip!  There were mountains, canyons, long smelly car rides, and so much more!  Besides, when else were we going to have the chance to change a diaper at the bottom of a slot canyon?  (Imagine an exceptionally dirty diaper, a kicking and screaming child, and sand and rocks flying everywhere…)  It did take a little extra effort, but the kids were really the ones who made the trip incredible.  We really had 20 babysitters who were ready to help whenever we needed it.  The trip was rejuvenating for me, and I hope it was just as life giving for the kids.  It’s always powerful to watch a group of young people become united for God and for one another!

The conformation retreat was a great time for the kids to come together.  It was also a time for the kids to see God in new and exciting ways.  This week at Community we are starting a new sermon series on Prayer.  On the conformation retreat, I saw God answering prayers in so many surprising ways.  Today, I hope we can open our hearts and minds to listen for God.  There are new opportunities available to each one of us… if we just take the time to listen.

Blessings!

PB   

Bryce Canyon

Do you have hope?

A few days ago, I met with a woman who asked for a pastoral visit.  She was not a church member, but she really needed help.  Her home was filled with trash, partially eaten food was lying around, and everything in her house seemed to be falling apart.  Anyway, this woman was also mentally ill.  She suffered from depression, anxiety, and a fear of all kinds of evil.  She didn’t believe God, or anyone else, could love her.  I desperately tried to share the Good News with her.  I tried to show her Christ’s love and proclaim God’s message, but it didn’t feel like I was getting through to her.  Instead, everything I said seemed to make her even more depressed… Not exactly a fun way to start the day.  By the time I got back to the church, I was feeling pretty burnt out.

There are times when it’s hard to have hope.  However, I believe God loves each and every one of us.  Even when we give up on God, God does not give up on us.  In our scripture lesson today, Jesus says we all need to share the Good News.  We have to work together, use one another’s gifts, and find ways to share God’s Love.  I need to remember, it’s not just up to me to save someone.  Jesus said we cannot do this all on our own.  It feels hopeless when we try.  We need each other in our walk with Christ.  I hope you can all share God’s Love this week, because this world needs each of you!

Blessings!

PB

The Blessings of Life

On a normal day, the baby will wake me up between 4:30 and 5:30 am.  Kira does the night feedings, so I wake up early to change his diaper, do some chores around the house, and then I’ll pack him in his stroller for a run.  When I get home, Kira and I are in a rush to eat breakfast, get ready for work, and get the baby set for day care.  Although we have so much to be thankful for, it’s easy for life to turn into one big rat race.  We just rush from one thing to another.

At the end of the day, I usually head over to Hill and Dale to pick the kid up from day care.  Some days are exhausting, but nothing can beat the feeling I have when the baby’s eyes light up to see me.  He gurgles, smiles, squirms, and just recently, he started snorting for joy when I show up. (As a father, nothing makes me prouder than a snorting child!) There may be so many things in life that I ignore or rush through, but I am so grateful to have these moments. 

This week’s scripture passage says:

Jesus took a little child and put it among the disciples; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me’”

Today, I hope you all can find the joy of God’s Kingdom by welcoming others, or by being welcomed yourself.  Life is a blessing.  I hope we can open our eyes and appreciate the gifts of the Kingdom.

Blessings!

PB

Oh, and in case your interested, I attached a video of the baby learning to snort... enjoy