Broken but willing to Love

“Feed my Sheep”

-John 21:17

Things can get out of hand on these mission trips...

Throughout the Bible we are called to serve others.  When we share God’s Love, the Word comes alive.  However, I am one of those people who will try to help someone, but I often wind up making things worse.  I remember on one of my mission trips to Mexico, I was supposed to be a youth leader.  However, the work site I was organizing was a disaster.  We wound up trying to build a house on a hill of fire ants and wasps.  The kids kept stepping on broken bits of trash sticking out of the ground.  I forgot to give a child his medication to treat diabetes, and I was pulled over by the Mexican Federal Police for driving too fast.  Finally, the other leaders and I had made a decision to take a kid on the mission trip even though he hadn’t provided the proper paperwork.  The child’s parents and his youth director had promised there wouldn’t be any problem.  (This was back in a simpler time when the border patrol never bothered to check documentation.  They just waved you through.)  However, on this day, the guards asked to see everyone’s passport or birth certificate.  Part of me wondered if I would have been better off staying home in bed instead of trying to share God’s love….

Those trips I took over the summer should have been a disaster!  However, we always walked away with an amazing experience… (Thankfully, the police did not ticket me or throw me into jail, and the border guards didn’t look close enough at our paperwork to realize there was a problem.)  All our kids made it home safely.  We built a house, and God was present.  In this world, we will never be able to serve someone perfectly.  However, if we love, God will still bring hope.  Today, I hope you are inspired to breathe life into the world around you.  Let’s take risks and share God’s Good News!

Blessings!

PB

Snow, Ice, and friendship...

Last week, Kira and I made it out to Red Rock to explore Black Velvet Canyon.  It had been far too long since we were last in the mountains, and we really wanted to make this day count.  We scrambled up icy waterfalls and snow covered rocks to some really amazing places.  It was a perfect trip for a perfect day. 

I love exploring the world around me.  However, I think the best part of any trip is always the companionship I have along the way.  It’s the people who I’m with that really make the trip great.  We may disagree on whether or not we should try and scramble to the top or not, but in the end, other people always make the trip.

Today, we remember that life itself is an adventure, and the companionship we have really matters.  Other people allow us to enjoy in the good times and overcome the dark times.  This week, I hope you find time to appreciate all those around you.  May you be comforted by their grace inspired by their love!

Blessings!

PB

A very incredible place, but not easy to climb up that icy fall...

Ok, some hiking companions are better than others!

The right Teacher...

When I think of studying, my mind often goes back to my college days, when I prepared for exams.  I would sit at a desk on the 3^rd floor of the library, and I would try to stay awake as I memorized different equations and formulas for my classes.  At times, I felt like the only reason I studied was to get a good grade.  In other words, I was just jumping through a hoop.  However, there were a few classes where I left the room inspired to learn more.  The right professor could make anything interesting… even Organic Chemistry or Calculus. Looking back, there have always been teachers who really inspired me to grow, and these people have changed my life forever.

This week, we remember that Jesus was called a Rabbi, or Teacher.  Jesus was an inspiring person, and he opened up his disciples’ eyes to all kinds of new possibilities.  Today, we are still disciples, and Christ is still calling us into new levels of understanding.  We are called to continue learning and studying.  I hope you can be inspired, wherever you are, to continue growing and learning in your faith.

Blessings!

PB