What are you afraid of?

What are you afraid of?

This week the issue of fear has come up in a number of conversations with people, and so I have been spending some time reflecting on fear.

There is a lot of fear in the world, and this fear can either paralyze us or it can challenge us to grow.

Growing up my greatest fear was snakes - I still hate the critters. I always had a fear of being bitten (growing up in rattlesnake country) and what might happen if I was. For a while this fear kept me from playing on the Rims (some rock formations that surrounding Billings that were breeding grounds for rattlers) and exploring with my friends. Because of this fear I missed out on a lot of fun. Finally, a friend of mine pushed me out of my comfort zone and got me up on the Rims to explore. The snakes were still there, but if I was careful, and respected the snakes and their space, things were fine.

If we let fear dictate our lives, we miss out on a lot. We miss new experiences, we miss time with friends and family, we miss growing in a variety of ways.

I think one of the keys with our fears is to face them - and to do so with the support and care of others. There is the story in the Bible where the disciples were afraid of what might happen to them after Jesus was raised from the dead - and they holed themselves up in a locked room - paralyzed to move. But after they were blessed by the risen Jesus, and given the gift of the Spirit, together they faced their fears and continued the mission, the opportunity, that they were given to form the church.

We need to do the same thing when it comes to our fears - to gather with others and face the fears we have. We still respect the fears - as I respected the snakes - but we do not let the fears govern our lives. In doing this we are freed to experience the great gifts of God in new and exciting ways.

So my question today is - what do you fear? And how can we, the Church, the body of Christ, help you to face those fears and continue to grow?

Being Fed - Movie Time

One of the ways I am fed is by being able to let go of everything that is going on in life and enter into another world, and movies have always been able to do that for me.

I remember the summer after my Freshman year in college. My buddy, John, had moved in with us for the summer and even though we worked a lot of opposite shifts, we would often find time to sit down and watch a classic. I cannot count how many times we saw Casablanca that summer. I still look back on that time very fondly.

And now, when I have those insomnia-driven nights, I search Netflix for something to watch. It may be a classic, it may be something new. Whatever it is, I search for something that will take me away from my thoughts, my worries, my .... whatever may be going on inside.

Sometimes being fed is about being able to truly relax and be renewed, whatever that form may take.

Funny of the Week - Sierra naps

Sierra, our oldest, has never been a napper. From the beginning, she has not liked naps and done whatever she could to avoid them.

So on Monday afternoon I went to pick Sierra up from school. It was a typical pick-up. I got there a few minutes early, looked at the construction being done on the building, visited with some of the parents, and waited for her to come out.

Her class was late, but eventually she came. She took my hand, as she does every day, and we walked hand-in-hand to the car talking about how her day went.

Then she said, "I have something silly to tell you dad."

"What's that?" I asked.

"Well today, during our Take 5 time, I took a nap."

"What?"

"I laid down by the magazine rack, and I just fell asleep. No pillow or anything. I was tired."

Sierra, the non-napper took a nap at school. I was shocked.

But I was also impressed with the teacher who told her to lie down since she was so tired. A tired Sierra is a cranky Sierra, and after her nap she was much better I am sure.

So, the funny of the week for me is imagining Sierra, lying on the floor of her classroom taking a nap. I am sure this will never happen again.

Of course, I never would have thought it would have happened this time, either.

What I Am Reading - CPR

Tonight some of us at the church are going through a CPR class. It is part of a new Health and Wellness ministry at the church and hopefully we will have the funds to open it up to more of the congregation soon.

So I have been doing a little advanced reading before the class starts. The last time I took a CPR class was when I was studying to be an EMT in Savage, MT. So it has been a while.

In looking through the material I was reminded how important it is to continually grow in our education - whether it be for class work, personal growth, or just because. The joy of learning, and learning form others is a true gift.

So may you try something, learn something, new today.

Mentors in the Faith - Anna

Anna was one of the saints at my internship congregation in Big Timber, MT. She was involved in many aspects of the church, truly showing me how it was the women who kept the church going.

And she helped to mold me into the pastor I am today by her advice, seasoned words of wisdom, and gentle corrections when I started to wander a little.

Internship was the first time that I truly had a leadership role in the church, and Anna helped me to see what it means to be a leader, especially a leader in a faith community.

She also introduces me to lutefisk, but I will forgive her for that :)

Pentecost

Acts 2

I love Pentecost.

I love the celebration. I love the meaning behind it all. I love what God does - gathering people from all walks of life into one community, one body.

Yes, I love Pentecost, and it scares me.

It scares me because it is one this day that we are reminded that we are not in charge, God is.

And with God in charge, freely blowing his Spirit wherever it wants to go, who knows what might happen.

Sins might really be forgiven.

Outsiders might really be welcomed in.

The unclean might really be made clean.

The dead might really be brought back to life.

These things won't only be on the pages we read or the stories we hear. They will really happen, and happen to us.

Pentecost is scary because it demonstrates that God is really about action - loving, forgiving, grace-filled action.

And he is working in us just as he worked in the lives of the disciples on that Pentecost day so many years ago.

So as you enter into this Pentecost day, may you feel the breath of the Spirit in your life, and may you be open to the way God is working in and through you.

Joy of the Week - Dilly Bars

Thursday was a beautiful day here in Beloit. After I got Sierra from school we went home, transplanted some hostas, and then mowed the lawn. It was a great afternoon to get yardwork done and work up a wonderful sweat (which isn't hard for me to do :)

After dinner Jennifer went off to choir, and I decided to take the girls out for a treat. So we went to Dairy Queen for Dilly Bars. Sierra had been treated to a Dilly Bar is school earlier in the week and Scarlett wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

We picked up our Dilly Bars, sat at the table outside, enjoyed the amazing weather, and had fun laughing with each other.

It was a beautiful evening. Ice cream and the girl's laughter made for a night to remember.

Often times it is the little things that slip by unnoticed. but when we take the time to celebrate them, to treasure them, it brings an amazing amount of joy into our lives.

So may you notice the little things today, and be filled with joy.