Choose Joy

I recently had an opportunity to talk with a woman who was filled with joy.  She had this wonderful enthusiasm for life, and I was blessed to be in her presence.  However, as I spoke with her, I started to wonder where all her joy came from.  She had faced a number of very grim moments in her life, and her difficulties seemed to follow her wherever she went.  Nevertheless, in her darkest times, she always found ways to connect with other people.  She made choices to volunteer and meet others in the community.  This has not always been easy, but it has created a wonderful network of friends.  These people were imperfect, but they stood by each other.  They took time to serve.  They took time to love, and they took time to find joy even in moments of sorrow…

Her story was a reminder for me that joy doesn’t come from being perfect.  Perfection would certainly be nice, but joy is a choice that we can make in the face of our difficulties.  If we take time to see love and grace in other people, I believe we will find joy. 

This week we are celebrating the Reformation of the Church.  The Reformation celebrates God’s Spirit working, through the darkness, to bring hope.  It is my prayer that we would all allow God’s Spirit to move in us.  May we be drawn into caring relationships that are filled with hope.  May we also choose joy wherever life may lead us…

Blessings,

PB

Brokenness, Denial, and Grace

How do you handle negative feedback?  I have a very public profession, so there are always opportunities for people to critique me, and it is not always easy to hear.  I know I’m unable to please everyone, but there are times when I will really be convicted.  Sometimes, I’ll realize I have neglected a relationship.  Other times someone will let me know that my words or actions have hurt someone in need.  I am guilty of these kinds of things all the time, and unfortunately, my first response can be denial.  I don’t want to admit that I’m imperfect.  I don’t want to admit my own brokenness or failures, and I can spend an inordinate amount of time trying to justify myself…

In our Bible reading today, Jesus tells us a story of a religious leader who did everything he could to prove he was perfect.  He only listened to the voices of those who told him he had no flaws.  Personally, I think it sounds great to ignore anyone who criticizes us!  However, Jesus tells another story of a man who made some terrible choices that ruined him.  In accepting his failures, he began to see a new path to life.  Understanding his own brokenness was the first step to accepting God’s Grace. 

Today, I hope we can find someone that offers us loving guidance.  I hope we can hear their words, and I hope we can see our moments of brokenness as opportunities to open our eyes to new life!

Blessings!!

PB

A helping hand...

This is not our child, but this kid certainly
has the same spirit of helping... :)

 Recently, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to dig a few holes in my backyard.  Our irrigation system has been leaking for quite a while, and it’s time to start the repair process.  I feel like every time a line is fixed, I will notice two more leaks that need attention.  Sometimes, it feels like the whole system is a flawed mess that will never make any sense.  It can be a time consuming and muddy job, but the hardest part is simply trying to contain our 1 year old child who really wants to “help.”

I don’t think it would be possible to get some of these big chores done if we didn’t have real help.  My parents have been in town recently, and they are always ready to lend a hand.  It’s been wonderful to get so much help, but more than anything else, it’s been great to have family in town.  It’s great to see our little boy start to feel how deeply he is loved.  There is a lot in the world that doesn’t make sense, but if we focus on love, I think we will be centered on what truly matters!

Blessings!

PB

Sharing a Prayer

Living with a one year old is amazing, but it’s also exhausting.  Every day this little guy demands a lot of our time, and the moment we stop paying attention to him he winds up climbing on the kitchen table and smashing food into his hair… Exhausting! 

Earlier this week, Kira and I were attempting to finish all our chores after work, and the baby was being extra stubborn.  We put some food in front of the kid to keep him occupied, but when we looked over he had his hands folded.  He was looking at us wondering when we were going to pray. 

We’ve tried to teach him to pray from a young age, and for a long time it didn’t seem like he cared much.  It’s still hard to say how much he really understands, but he just started to bow his head, fold his hands, and shout “Amen!” and throw all his food into the air. (Ok, he doesn’t have it all figured out, but it’s still pretty cool…)  Seeing our child sitting down ready to pray was a reminder of how important prayer really is.  It doesn’t matter if life is crazy, exhausting, or just wearing you down.  Prayer has value. 

Today, I hope you can all believe in the power of prayer.  May you all find life, peace, and grace wherever you may go.

Blessings!

PB

Open hearts...

Last Wednesday morning, I was outside as the sun was rising.  It was really an incredible sight.  The clouds and rain showers were just breaking up, and the sky was becoming this brilliant shade of orange.  Just when I thought it couldn’t get much better, a rainbow appeared in the sky.  It was one of those moments I felt like I had to share.  I ran inside the house and grabbed Kira and the baby so we could all see it together.  We took it in, and then after a few minutes, it all faded away…

Amazing Fall Colors near Cedar City on the way to the
Conformation Retreat!

I love sharing new experiences with other people.  Last weekend, I also had the opportunity to go on a conformation retreat with some of the youth from our church.  I have gone on a lot of trips like this in the past, and I love them every time.  Each trip offers new opportunities to share love and grace with others.  It’s incredible.

This week the scripture passage we are going to look at comes from the book of Habakkuk.  This book is not very well known, but it’s pretty important.  In the book, God says He is going to do something new.  He wants the people to wake up and see the world differently.  The journey God takes the people on is not an easy one, but in the end, God offers hope.  Together, the God’s people share moments of heartache, but they also find hope.  That is my prayer for each of us.  May we find a community that opens our hearts to something new every day!

Blessings,

PB

Hope over Despair

I heard a news story recently on NPR about a man named Yisrael Kristal.  At 113 years, Yisrael is currently the world’s oldest man. (There are several women who are older than he is, but he is the oldest male…) I was fascinated by this man’s story.  He was born to a Jewish family in Poland in 1903, and he established a successful candy factory when he was a young man. (Does that say something?… the world’s oldest man spent his life making candy!)

Yisrael looks pretty good for being the world's oldest man!!

Although he had a lot of success when he was young, he also faced more than his fair share of trials.  He was a boy when World War I took place, and during World War II, his family was placed in a ghetto and eventually moved to Auschwitz.  He endured forced labor, and he had to witness the death of his wife and children.  In the midst of these terrible times, Yisrael says he never lost his faith.  He clung on to his belief that God was with him.  He certainly spent time mourning all that he had lost, but he also believed God would bring new life to the world.  When the camp was finally liberated, he was able to find new hope for himself as well.  He was eventually remarried, and he rebuilt his candy factory. 

To this day, he still refuses to give in to despair.  He believes God is always doing something new.  As if to emphasize that point, on Yisrael 113^th birthday he decided to celebrate his bar mitzvah.  Typically a Jewish man will celebrate his bar mitzvah at age 13, but Yisrael’s family was dealing with World War I at that time.  He decided that his 113^th birthday would be a great time to celebrate his faith in a new way!  

This week we are hearing a Bible story of a woman who felt God’s calling even though she faced plenty of trials.  In all she faced, she never fully gave into despair either.  It is my prayer that we could believe that God is still bringing something new to each of our lives.  May we believe there is always more to our story, and may God continue to do amazing things in us!

Peace,

-Brian

Courageously Called!

Do you remember what it feels like to start the first day of a new job?  I’ve had several different jobs in my life.  When I was a kid, I mowed lawns.  In college, I worked in a chemistry lab.  Today, I am a pastor.   For me, it didn’t matter what job I had, the first day was always a roller coaster.  Without any experience, it was hard to know if I was if I was in over my head or not.  I would anxiously fuss over the smallest details.  In those moments, it was pretty easy to question myself.  I wondered if I was good enough, and I wondered if I really deserved the position I was in…

 

Personally, I know I made it through those difficult moments, because I was supported by some pretty incredible people.  I had mentors who showed me a ton of mercy and grace.  They allowed me to make mistakes, and they didn’t let me give up on myself.  They knew I wouldn’t be perfect, but they trusted me to learn and figure things out.  Without good mentors, I don’t believe I would have made it anywhere.

In our scripture passage this week, we are looking at a man named Timothy.  Timothy was a young man who was entrusted with a great responsibility.  In some ways, he seems to have been in over his head, but he had a great mentor who pushed him to become something incredible.  Today, I pray that you would be forever encouraged on your journey.  I also pray that you would take a little bit of extra time to encourage someone who is in need around you.  

Blessings!

PB