Category: General

The more time I spend in nature, the more I am in awe of all around me.  It causes me to stop and really admire many of the daily views I would normally pass by.  For instance, the sun casts an amazing light on a body of water which changes the entire view.  It could look like a swamp before the light pours in through the trees.  It is almost magical.  The way the leaves fall as trees shed for the winter.  The way a bud springs up, seemingly random in a field with none like it.  The way a rabbit checks out what is going on around him before scurrying off into the woods.  These are just a few of the glimpses into the majesty we get to live.  We miss this because we are so captivated by our phones or devices or whatever holds our attention.  But God is still creating.  We just aren’t always paying attention.

This gives me a new perspective as I consider God as Creator.  In Isaiah 40, the writer exclaims, “²⁸ Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.”  He is an everlasting God – no end to his goodness, his love, or his mercy and grace.  He is also the Creator of it all.  He created from the beginning and we get to be the audience of his magnificent work!  We simply get to enjoy the beauty, which should cause us to want to preserve and love what God has created.  

Maybe it is time we look around, realizing we are an audience of THE most incredible work ever created.  We are getting a show from the Creator every single day.  We didn’t need to buy a ticket or wait in line.  We only need to step outside.  What a gift!

Blessings as you step outside and admire the show.

It is easy to get distracted.  With our cell phones dinging, our laptop notifications, folks calling our name and general noise, it is no wonder distractions happen.  And now, since we are more “connected” to our devices, we are even more susceptible.  It seems we never have a moment to turn off and find peace.  It is never quiet.  It is almost as if we are fearful of the quiet.  We can find ourselves craving distractions and feel lost when we have a moment to just be. 

I don’t think that’s the way it was intended or the way our body actually functions well.  I think we are lost in a sea of noise (more like a tsunami of distractions).  We can only be found when we cut it out, if just for a moment.  I find I am most at peace outside, without my phone or any device, simply existing and noticing what is around.  The only “distractions” are the amazing creation all around.  It’s the best kind of distraction.

When we cut it all off, when we dismiss all the noise, we allow ourselves to be.  When I think of simply allowing myself to be, I think of the scripture from Psalm 46: “¹⁰ ‘Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.’ ¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

The scripture speaks to me because it is telling me to be still, to stop, to surrender.  It is inviting me to simply be.  And I can do that because of God.  I can rest because God is my refuge.  I can breathe because God is THE God and I am not in charge.  I can simply be.  What a gift it is to allow God to slow us enough to put away the distractions – if but for a moment.

Blessings as you seek to “be” today.

I often find myself planning out my week and thinking so much about what I have to do that I forget today.  I forget today has gifts and beauty and joy.  I forget today is filled with experiences and sights and hope.  I forget because I am focused on what is to come.  So, in turn, I miss what is right before me.  I essentially think so much about the destination that I do not enjoy the journey.  

When I run in the dark, I have a light to help me see (and for others to see me).  If I shine that light too far out, I can see at a distance but I cannot see where I am running.  I can’t see where my foot will land.  I can find myself looking so far ahead that I trip or lose my balance right where my feet are.  

All of this to say, don’t miss today.  Don’t miss this day.  Pick your head up and look around.  Experience where your feet are, right now.  See the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  We don’t get to repeat this day (sometimes THAT is the gift).  We don’t get a do-over.  We simply get the opportunity to take advantage of what we have, right now.  

Today, let’s do what we are taught in the Gospel of Matthew:  “³⁴ ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”  I might even add, today’s gifts are enough for today.  Today is enough.  Don’t miss it.

Blessings to you as you see the beauty of today.

It can seem that Murphy may have been right sometimes.  You know the law…if something can go wrong, it probably will.  And it can feel like those times build one on the other.  Or, if you prefer, it can feel as though the things collapse one after the other until you are left in a rubble.  Either way, once it begins, it can feel as though this is just the way it is.  

I don’t necessarily think that’s the way it goes, but I definitely FEEL like this is the way it goes.  I think once something happens, we are more in tune and more sensitive to things which would not have bothered us otherwise.  Those other things may have happened and we wouldn’t have even cared.  But the fact they follow one seemingly major problem, it snowballs.  

What do we do when we get caught in this loop?  It is helpful to take just a moment and step back.  It is best if we can get a view from the outside, a glimpse at the reality of the situation.  Do things stink?  Probably.  Are we upset they happened?  Most definitely.  But is this the worst like we feel it is?  Probably not.  Most of the time, a new view or a glimpse of the whole situation helps us to see things are not as bad as they feel.

It also helps if we can write those things down.  Once we see them on paper, they aren’t nearly as daunting.  And they also don’t feel so defeating.  In the end, it is helpful to remember we are loved and cared for – even in the most difficult times.  Even if the situation really is overwhelming and things really are stacked against us, remembering we are loved can help to shift our perspective.  

No matter what, you are loved.  No matter what you may face, you will not face this alone.  No matter how difficult, the battle is not fought without God standing with you.  That really does change everything because God changes everything.  

Psalm 73

²³ Nevertheless I am continually with you;
    you hold my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterwards you will receive me with honour.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.

We are not alone, friends.  No matter what we may face, God is with us.  May you find God holding your hand today.

I am an anxious person.  It just happens to be that way.  I work at keeping it to a minimum.  Exercise and eating well definitely help.  Breathwork helps.  Medication helps.  And prayer helps more than I realize.  

I’ve spend time studying the scriptures and there are many passages which really cause me pause.  There are some perplexing.  There are some convicting.  There are some comforting and full of love.  And there are some which I cannot believe are in there.  This is one of those (From Philippians):

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Why is this particular one cause me so much trouble?  Because it says to worry about nothing.  In my mind, I can only think…NOTHING?  I worry about everything.  What in the world?  

I appreciate the message of it.  I would love to live it out.  And please don’t tell me it’s because I don’t pray enough or trust enough or believe enough.  So what is the key?  I will share my insight:  

The issue with taking one verse is we don’t always consider the whole context.  This is a warning I often give.  And this particular text needs more.  And for me, it is found in the 4 words right before this verse.  And these 4 words clarify it all for me… The Lord is near.

That’s right – the key for being anxious about nothing is the fact that the Lord is near.  He is with us.  We are not alone.  We do not face the challenges alone.  We do not hurt alone or fear alone or deal with difficulty alone.  We do not live this life alone – even when we feel so very alone.  The Lord is near.  

Will I still be anxious? – Guaranteed.  But I am not anxious alone either.  I don’t have to worry simply because the Lord is near.  But if I do worry, he’s still near.  And he still loves me.  And he is with you too.  And yes, he loves you too!  

So just remember – the Lord is near.  May you feel his presence even stronger than before – beginning today.  Blessings my friends!

A new day begins.  This one seems especially different because it is New Year’s Day.  It is a day of new starts, new beginnings, new… Well, you get the point.  It is a new day and a new year.  It can be refreshing to have a fresh start.  It can also be intimidating and overwhelming.  We want changes, but most don’t want to actually do anything for the change to occur.  It seems easier if things just stay the way they are.  This is all fine, until it’s not.  Change is hard.  And it can lead us to just giving up way too quickly.

So here’s something to consider today.  Today is a new start.   It is a day 1.  But guess what?  You have unlimited day 1 moments.  Now is always a good day to begin.  Each day we have the gift of waking up is an opportunity for something beautiful.  It is often right before us anyway.  We are just so stuck in our own rhythm of life we miss it.  We miss this is a new day with a bright beginning.  We miss how we can make small changes to begin to head in the right direction.  We can read a verse in the Bible – we don’t have to read the whole chapter.  We can eat one good meal – we don’t have to eat every meal clean.  We can walk to the mailbox – we don’t have to walk 3 miles or 10,000 steps today.  We can pray with a simple prayer of ‘help me’ – it doesn’t have to be an elaborate, well thought out prayer.  We can simply start.  And that can make all the difference.

Don’t forget, if you mess up today, tomorrow is a new opportunity.  It is a new beginning.  Tomorrow is day 1 too, if you need it to be.  Eventually you will see those days begin to build.  You will see the momentum kick in.  You will see changes happen.  It often comes in the smallest moments.  But don’t miss them. Don’t discount them. 

Finally, give yourself plenty of grace.  It won’t be perfect – life just isn’t.  Where are you heading?  That’s what matters.  Just begin.

Blessings as you start your new day, one more time.

Leo is our dog.  Wendy and I have had dogs in our lives since we were first married.  I brought home our first two and we have had them as an important part of our family continually.  They have brought joy, love and excitement to our household.  

If I’m honest, all of our dogs have loved Wendy.  Even the dogs that started out as one of the kid’s dogs or mine eventually became Wendy’s.  She just has that touch and they all love her.  Most tolerate me, some put up with me only when she is gone.  Then we got Leo.  

Leo is our second Vizsla.  Emma was my running dog who became Wendy’s best buddy.  She was our first Vizsla.  Leo was a challenge when we first got him.  He was all puppy.  And, like Emma, he sleeps in the bed with us.  Leo was different.  Emma would curl up in a ball and sleep at the foot of the bed.  Leo has to lay close enough to touch you, always.  

I am not really a touchy type of person.  This took more adjustment than I care to admit.  He really liked to be close and knew no personal space boundaries.  I thought for sure he would just end up as Wendy’s dog, especially since he liked to be close.  But, it turns out, he loves us both.  He may be the most loving dog ever.

Leo has been through more than his share of challenges.  He was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder after being almost completely paralyzed.  The prognosis wasn’t great but he powered through.  Most recently, he was diagnosed with cancer and had to have a limb removed.  Again, he powered through.  That’s incredible.  But that isn’t all that makes him so special.

What makes Leo so special is his ability to simply love.  He climbs up next to me, lays his head in my lap and simply enjoys my presence.  He lays as close to us as possible in the bed.  He sleeps a lot more now but never misses an opportunity to be right by our side.

Leo has changed me, slowly and with much resistance on my part.  He has shown me what unconditional love looks like.  He has forced me to crave his presence next to me.  He brightens my morning when I come in simply by the excited wagging of his tail.  And he never ceases to amaze me.  He just loves.  And I am grateful.  So, I’ll treasure the moments we have left.  And his love will always have an impact on me.  What a gift from God.  

We are accustomed to be in charge. We often work diligently to put together the best guest list possible.  Who can sit at this table, who do we need to separate, who can’t tolerate the others – all decisions we make when we really start deciding who will come and who will not.  It happens often, sometimes without us even thinking about it.  We purposely don’t invite certain folks and make sure others feel welcome.  And it’s okay, it is our table and our event and our money.  So it is totally fine.  Well, it is except in our faith.

Jesus had this incredibly unusual habit of inviting people to his table who didn’t belong.  He touched lepers (the untouchables), he hung out with those who had been forgotten, he healed a woman who had been unclean probably longer than she had been clean, he spent time with folks who were culturally irrelevant, and he listened to those who yelled his name, even though they should have no place even near him.  His disciples must have thought he lost his mind when they come back from the market and found him talking to a woman of questionable character from a rival tribe.  She was the least of people to even see, much less talk to or hang out with.  He must have been trying to ruin his reputation.  He certainly couldn’t have seen value in her.  She held no value in most people’s eyes.  And yet, this is the woman who he reveals who he is.  Check it out – he tells HER who he is.  He doesn’t do this for any of those who felt they were worthy.  SHE was the one (read John 4).

In other words, Jesus begins to open wide his invite list.  He even tells stories about inviting the poor and wounded, sick and desperate to the table.  He pushes all the cultural norms to sit with those who had never sat this close to a religious person before.  And if we are honest, the religious folks were extremely uncomfortable.  They had decided already who was in and who was out.  They had a list of rules and things people had to do and none of those people had done them.  They hadn’t completed any of the things that were required or said the right things or even signed the right agreements.  And yet…And yet…and yet…these are the people Jesus offers an invitation.  

Jesus’ list is one we are not in charge of (thankfully).  We don’t decide who is in and who is out.  And we also don’t decide who is worthy based on a list of criteria we have put together.  Jesus defies all of this.  And if we really take a moment, we should be grateful as well.  We might find we didn’t deserve to be at the table even if we did everything we thought was required.  We got the invitation because of Jesus’ love, not our worthiness.  And it just might be, the people we have decided are “those” people…these are the ones Jesus has a special place of honor at his table.  It isn’t our invitation list.  It is his.  And maybe, we become grateful for simply being invited.

I’ve spent way too much of my life trying to be what everyone expected of me.  I would strive to fit the “mold” of whatever I was doing.  If I am a preacher, I need to look, act, talk…be a preacher.  If I am a baker, this is what bakers do…  If I am a father or husband or friend or whatever…there is a list of what is expected.  The trouble is – I am not ever going to fit the description of any of those things completely.  Here’s the deal – I can only be Brad.  Sometimes that is good.  Sometimes…not so much.  I speak before I think and often say things that are better left unsaid.  If my mouth doesn’t say it, my face definitely will.  I am quiet and loud at the same time. And I throw myself completely into my work and I am extremely dedicated.  

I’ve learned that as long as I try to fit into someone else’s description, I will not ever do it well – at least not in the long term.  It isn’t sustainable.  I am Brad… not anyone else.  I will never be a minister like Jerry or a gardener like Gabe or a baker like Duff or a father/husband like Mr Cleaver.   And I have to live unapologetically as Brad.  Except, I feel like I should apologize for being Brad most of the time.  It can be a bit much sometimes.  

So I guess I’m just trying to encourage myself and you… just be you.  The worlds needs you to just be you – your absolute best version of yourself.  I often use the phrase, “highest and best”.  What if we just gave that?  I won’t always but I can sure try.  And If I am the highest and best version of Brad – that has to be enough – it is, after all, all I have to give.