Don't let stress win...

What stresses you out?

 

Do you have a strategy to handle anxiety?

 

I live a pretty blessed life, but there are times even the simplest things can overwhelm me.  Just last week, I was making a quick run to the grocery store, when my two year old called out that he had to go pee.  I pulled him out as fast as I could, but then I realized my other child was missing a shoe!  My two year old was still yelling that he really had to pee, so I gave up on the shoe and carried them both to the public bathrooms.  I feel like we must have been a sight to see.

 

I can smile about that incident now, but if we aren’t careful, we can let the small things get to us.  I also encounter people everyday who are dealing with very serious problems.  It is easy to get lost in the anxieties of the world.  Fear can send us inward.  We tend to focus on ourselves and neglect the needs of others.

In our upcoming sermon series, we are going to look at the idea of:  Living Generously.  We don’t want to let fear and anxiety win.  Christ gave us the gift of grace to live with open hearts ready to share God’s love with the world.  Every day we are alive there will be things to worry about.  Let’s not let those fears define us.  Let’s live with open and loving hearts!

 

Blessings!

 

 

Pastor Brian

An Inspired Life

Do you feel inspired?

 

Fifteen years ago the direction of my life changed forever.  Before that point, I had been focused on graduate school.  I was looking at a path that would lead me to a career in medicinal chemistry.  However, I also felt a calling to inspire people in a different way.  I loved building relationships through the church, and I loved connecting with others as a camp counselor.  Eventually, I decided to take a leap of faith and begin the road to ordained ministry.  When I was following this call, I felt empowered in a way that I had never experienced before.  I felt hope in a new way, and I felt a need to share this with the world.  

 

Looking back, I can see following God’s path was life giving.  However, I am struck by how deeply I tried to ignore the call in that period of time.  I had my plan and my agenda.  Even when the Chemistry lab just seemed like a grind, I put up with it to focus on my plans.  When I finally walked into seminary, it gave me a sense of freedom.  I was living with hope, and I was going to have the opportunity to share God’s Love with everyone.  I was inspired.

 

Today, it is still easy to get caught up in my own path.  I may be a pastor now, but we should never stop looking for the new ways God is calling us.  We still have our plans, and it is easy for anyone to get stuck.  When I look at the stories of Jesus, I am often drawn to the calling of the disciples.  Jesus called men and women from the most unlikely places, and he led them to a completely new life.  They had the opportunity to see the world in a new way, and it changed their lives forever.  Their stories are very similar to ours.  Even though the disciples followed Christ, it was still easy to fall back into their own habits.  As Christians, we are called to look for the Holy Spirit and live an inspired life.  Today I hope you can take a breath and experience new ways God is calling you.

 

Blessings!

 

 

Brian