I freely admit that I am prone to getting a little melancholy in the winter time…especially when it has been raining.  What can I say; I’m a California boy at the core.  Bring me the sunshine!

It is very easy to get into a funk (pardon the pun…ok…not really) when it is dark and gloomy and it seems we have not seen the sun for weeks.  There is something about the darkness that makes everything seem smaller, our world less hopeful and my problems much bigger.  I need light!

As a pastor I am probably more likely to hear more pain and tragedy from other people than say a plumber or a CPA.  And that little hangover of being concerned can also affect my mood…I feel for people. 

Anyway, all that to say, that between seasonal sadness and people’s tough times, I sometimes feel like I want to hide or watch hours of mindless T.V….never a good idea.

But here’s the thing – though we sometimes get sad or even discouraged, the one main thing that pulls me through is my connection to God’s Word.  The Bible is such a constant source of strength and insight and it really has a way of improving mood.  Maybe it is the perspective that is gained or maybe it is the insight from beginning to actually understand God’s deep love for us.  I need it…and I mean that. 

Recently at a pastor’s meeting this topic came up.  Of course pastors are supposed to be reading the Bible, but the message that was shared helped me to be reminded of what a treasure it is that we have in God’s word.  I love how the Message translation reads Psalm 119:105: “By Your words I can see where I am going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.”  Wow!

The point of this post is really to challenge you to take another pass at jumping into these wonderful scriptures.  Do it not just out of duty or even forced devotion, but rather do it and discover how illuminating and life-giving (not to mention mood-elevating) it really is.  By God’s words we can see where we are going and they light up our dark (and melancholy?) path with beams of light!

I’m pretty big on setting goals.  As a matter of fact, one of the reasons I love the new year so much is because I get to start over again…I get to set new goals…I get to begin writing the new story that is my life.  For whatever reason it just seems like January 1 offers a new, clean slate.  I love that!

But this year I really want to write a new story.  Literally. 

I’m sometimes shocked at how much of a rut I can get into.  There are things I have always wanted to do and have never done them.  There are things I know need to be addressed in my life but I have never addressed them.  In some ways I feel like my life is a book that I keep reading over and over again expecting something exciting to happen but instead I read the same old things.

But this year I am determined that it will be different.  None of this is easy and as a matter of fact I, like everyone else, am prone to take the path of least resistance and usually this lands me back in my rut.  A rut can be defined as a “grave with both ends open.”  Who wants to be in the grave?  This year my story will be different.  And this is not a resolution.  I am literally asking God to help me writing a different story with my life…a better story.

And most of my new story involves how I view my life and those around me.  I no longer want to be held captive by the story that tends to lead to bad thinking and bad habits.  I want God to help me become something that I have never been before.  The Apostle Paul tells us in Galatians chapter 5 and 6 that we are “Called to Freedom”!

And freedom is what I am after. 

My new and better story will encompass my physical body, my mental state, my professional goals and most of all my spiritual level (we’re moving on up baby!).  I am eagerly looking forward to reading this story at the end of 2010 and I hope you will do the same.  I will be expanding these thoughts in a sermon series called “The Story You Tell” based in the book of Galatians which begins on January 17^th.  But until then, I would love to hear from you.  What kind of story do you want to tell in 2010?  Comment below and let me know.

Looking forward to the next chapter…

PB

Believe it or not, for the first time in a few years, I am anticipating the Holidays with a sense of excitement. 

 Now I realize that Pastors are supposed to like the Holidays anyway — after all, we are talking about the birth of the Savior, right?  But it is not always that easy.  The Holidays actually represent a lot of work for me and to be perfectly honest about it, when they come to an end, I am exhausted and glad they are over with. 

 But not this year…I’m ready…and I’m setting up a pre-emptive strike to help me!

 Here’s what I mean by that — I’ve come to the conclusion that there are a few reasons that the holidays zap my energy and drain me emotionally.

 1. I do for the sake of doing…instead of with a purpose in mind.

2. I’m so concerned about the externals that I lose sight of the big picture.

3. There are lots of responsibilities (opportunities?) and the pace can really do me in.

4. Too much of everything…enough said about that!

 All of this leads to the snowball of busyness that gets bigger and bigger and faster and faster and all I want to do is stop the world and hop off.  But I have a plan…a pre-emptive strike against letting the Holidays overwhelm me.  And here it is:

 1. Instead of doing just because I am supposed to, I am picking and choosing my investment level based on an actual purpose.  And for me that looks like this:  Thanksgiving needs to be wrapped around the idea of being eternally grateful.  Instead of the focus being on the food and the football, I’m going to instead focus on what I am truly thankful for and engage with my family deeply…and not just my physical family, but my family in God.  Christmas is going to be a constant mirror of the joyful news that God sent His son to earth to become like one of us.  My focus will be on pointing to the reality that Jesus came to us…Emmanuel…God with us!

 2. The older I get, I just don’t get the warm fuzzies so much.  I can’t manufacture emotion when I watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” like I have in the past.  All the external stuff that goes with Christmas is great and fun and festive but I don’t always “feel it”.  Anyone know what I mean?  So instead, I will do my best to remain focused on the reason for the season – Jesus!  When Jesus is the focus…the spiced cider tastes better, the lights are brighter, the food is richer, the emotions more authentic.  When I have my mind on the big picture…all the little picture stuff actually becomes more enjoyable and enriching, rather than just…well…more!

 3. On a practical level, I am setting my calendar up early and not over doing it.  Instead I am going to make sure that my family comes first and that we have time to just be and not so busy doing all the time.  I hope that makes sense because being able to just be at home, or go shopping together, or out to a movie really is a great time.  And in keeping with the focus theme, I’m looking forward to being with my church family at services like Christmas Eve Candlelight, but also going to enjoy the City together and having a party at our house for everyone and even eating Chili at the 7^th Annual Chili Cook-Off!

 4. I am truly going to do my best to enjoy each bite and maybe even have only a little bit.  Nothing is better than the 1^st bite anyway.  I am going to live by the motto that more is not better…but simply more.  I will cherish each handshake, every church service, each and every party and especially every person.  I will put Jesus in my line of sight in every circumstance and with every person.  I will truly engage with and appreciate the Holidays this year.

5. Lastly, I will do everything I can to serve and give to and love those who are hurting, broken or broke!  What greater way to see the real meaning of the holidays than by caring for those whom Jesus cared about the most.  I pray I will be attentive to the last, the lost, the least!  Christmas is for all…

 That’s my plan…and I’m sticking to it!

 I’d love to hear your thoughts for staying sane this time of year.  Comment below and let me know!

Fall has always been a season of change.  I actually love this season…the kids are back to school, the colors start to change on the trees, the mornings and evenings are cool and the days are warm, people are back to church and pumpkins begin to emerge.  And of course those six glorious words are uttered: “ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!?!”

And when you live in Petaluma, the traffic begins to slow on 101 because everyone is checking out the corn maze which they have seen every year for the last decade.  Is something new going to appear?  Sorry…I’m not bitter.

Change is a constant and the seasons are God’s way of showing that to us in vivid color.  The hard part about change is that we don’t always see it coming…we can get blind-sided…knocked off balance.  For some this is their biggest fear.  For others just the way the cookie crumbles.  I’m probably somewhere in between.

Watching my kids grow and realizing that I have a senior in High School and that I have been married for almost 20 years and that I have been in ministry for almost 18 years can be a little disconcerting.  Things are always changing.  Where has the time gone?  Even my goldfish, whom I affectionately named “wing sauce”, died this morning…suddenly…and without warning (sigh).  I got rather used to feeding him every morning and looking at him through the glass and talking to him about football.  I’m actually not even sure if it was a him…

But here’s the thing:  My trust in God is not predicated on everything being “the same” or of being afraid of what is next.  The Bible tells us that God remains the same.  That is a very comforting thought!  “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8) “Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no shadow of turning…” (James 1:16).  He does not change!  

This is really important for us to wrap our heads around because change is going to follow us wherever we go, and rather than getting freaked out about it, perhaps we need to embrace it.  Why?  Because the source of our life doesn’t change…God is that steady, calm, rock of Gibraltar that is for us an “anchor for the soul.”

So as the colors begin to change on the trees and the mornings get a little cooler and football is once again blaring from your television screen, take it as a reminder that even though the seasons of our life change, God never does.  There is something about that deep truth that puts a little spring in your step and makes you straighten up just a bit.  Things change…but He does not!

I would love some of your own thoughts.  Please respond to this blog posting by commenting below.

I love the state I live in…California I mean.  I have driven up and down the center of this awesome place so many times there is no possible way I could count.  This is “My California” (Apologies to Justin Fox).  I love the foggy bay area and the dry, boring center of the state and the beach filled…and smog filled southern portion of it.  Most of it is beautiful and huge and I have family who have lived all over the golden state so have had many opportunities to check it out. 

Recently I was close to San Diego, Fallbrook to be exact, to say see my grandmother.  We were called to her side because it seemed to be the end.  I had a wonderful time with my Aunts and Uncles and of course Grandma as we shared stories and just basically hung out together.  Grandma wasn’t able to speak too much.  I can’t tell you enough the sense of perspective this trip offered me as I drove through Southern California, particularly at dusk, and thought of my families place in this state of California.

We have been offered so much…simply look around!  I am grateful for our connections and the family and friends we share life with.  This trip helped to remind me that life is precious, that family is important, that the church is a gift to us and that no matter the circumstances, God is good!  Can you see that?   Lord help us to live each day with a sense of gratefulness and expectation as we engage this world and love those we have been given to love!   May we never stop dreaming and looking ahead and using our lives as a signpost to point people to true life in Christ…this is my California dream.

Please press the pause button…

There is a word in the Old Testament of the Bible that is used a lot in the book of Psalms. The word is Selah. It can be a difficult process to take Hebrews words or terms and bring them into the context of our daily life in 2009. Without going into too much detail, the word means “to weigh”, as in “The lawyer should weigh his words carefully.” And what is really being implied is that this word means to take a moment and consider carefully what is about to be said or done.

It really points to the idea of a purposeful Pause. Wow…I like that.

Beginning on May 31st we will embark on a 12 Sunday adventure into the book of Psalms. This will be our summer series. What a great way to look at summer time – Pause. The word Selah figures prominently into the book of Psalms…as if to say, “Wait a second, pause here for a moment.”

Everything moves so fast and our lives are filled with so many responsibilities that we really don’t take much time to pause…over anything! Food is consumed quickly, friendships are maintained hastily, and errands are done as if we were being timed for some sort of record. Race, race, run, run. It’s like we are trying to shove everything we can into just a short period of time. And what we end up with is perhaps quantity but very little quality.

For me this hurts the most in my spiritual life. I study for sermons, or read the Bible too quickly just to get through the Bible Reading Schedule. We live in this amazing time where we can get more “spiritual feeding” that anyone could possibly consume. I subscribe to multiple podcasts from other churches and leaders. I have magazines and devotionals, books and commentaries and Christian radio and, and, and, and….

Anyway, maybe it is just me, but I really feel like it is time for us to take a moment to Pause…to Selah…to weigh carefully…what God is sharing with us in his Scriptures. The Psalms are a great place to settle in and Pause and we are going to do that.

So what does it all mean? Well, I wish for myself and I wish for all of you that we would slow down and enjoy every bite that we take of God’s word. My wife is fond of saying that the first few bites of any awesome food are always the best. And sometimes more is not better…it is simply more. So slow down, take a small portion, twirl around in it a little bit and ask God to help you savor each bite. Don’t go for quantity so much…go for quality. I think we will all be amazed at how much we can grow and change by marinating a little bit in His love letter for us. What do think? OK…ready…set…pause.

Believe it or not I have a few reoccurring questions that people ask me.  One of them I would like to share in this Blog.  It usually comes in a couple different forms.  One might be: “If you were sent to a desert island and only had 5 faith building books to take with you, which books would you take?”  A follow up question might be: “If you could only put 10 songs on your Ipod, what would that playlist look like?”  I want to take a stab at the first question and I will get to the second sometime down the line.

OK…first of all, the Bible is a given.  We would really struggle without it and so the Bible is number 1.  And by the way, I am not just saying that because I’m a pastor and I have to…I really believe it. 

Alright…here are numbers 2-5 in no particular order…sort of…

1. My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers.  I was given this daily devotional at my College Graduation 20 years ago.  I must admit that I had never heard of it before and it came with a nice dedication from the person who gave it to me.  I have pretty much read it daily since then.  It is broken down into 365 devotionals, all of which challenge me every single day.  I recently picked up a copy that uses modern “American” English and it reads a bit easier…I recommend that version.  Chambers was British and some of the wording can be cumbersome. 
2. Shadow of the Almighty by Elizabeth Elliot.  This was one of those books that changed my life…literally.  It is really a story of love and longing…for God first and then for a woman.  The story is pieced together by Elizabeth Elliot as a memoir of she and her husband Jim’s life together and then as missionaries to Ecuador, where he was eventually martyred at 29 years old.  Jim Elliot has become one of my heroes of the faith and I highly recommend this book.
3. Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer.  Tozer was one of those guys who was amazingly brilliant but made the faith so real and tangible that it is remarkable.  I love guys like that…I want to be like that!  My favorite chapter is a chapter called, “The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing.”  Sounds heady, but when you dive in you will be really encouraged!
4. A Severe Mercy by Sheldon VanAuken.  Ok…this book will take you on a roller coaster that will bring you much laughter and many tears.  It is a love story that turns into something so much more when the couple meets C.S. Lewis in England.  A true story, you will be sorry this book ever ends.  This young couple comes to faith through Lewis and their lives are turned upside down when one of them gets sick.  I loved it and read again every few years.

OK…there are my five.  I would be interested in hearing your top 5.  Respond to this blog by clicking on the comment link.  I can’t wait to get your recommendations.  Please remember that all comments are subject to the censor (me) and once approved will be posted to the website.  Thanks!!!!

pb 

Scratch and Sniff Image...Try it!

Once a week I drive a bread route through the wine country.  I get up on Friday morning at 2am and drive to the bakery in Sonoma to load up the fresh bread and then head out to various stores to deliver it.  If you have never been inside a bakery that produces amazing sourdough bread, you don’t know what you are missing.  The smells are unbelievable!  And when it comes right out of the oven you wish you could grab a stick of butter and an entire loaf and just go for it.  I can honestly say that this special Basque bread is some of the best I have ever tasted.  It is sooooo good!

This bread is delivered daily; there is a desire for it each and everyday.  The bakery bakes each day of the year with the exception of Christmas Day.  It truly is “daily bread”. 

While driving the bread to Calistoga one Friday morning I had a bit of an insight.  We are designed for fresh bread every single day.  What I mean by that is that we are literally in need of having food every single day.  We can go without for a period of time, but our bodies are created in such a way so as to need the energy that food gives us.  And if you think about it that way, then it is not only daily bread, but life bread. 

In John 6:35 Jesus says this: “I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry…”  Bread was a staple food in those days.  All who heard this understood what bread was for people.  And here is Jesus saying that He is the Bread of Life.  Later, when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, one of the things He tells them to pray is, “Give us this day, our daily bread.”

It isn’t difficult to see that we are designed for fresh bread…for daily bread.  Jesus wants to connect deeply with us and we need to connect deeply with Him.  This really is a relationship.  He wants us to take of this bread…the bread of life…or more simply, Himself!  How do we do that?

I want to hear from you.  Tell me what you do to connect with God everyday.  I want to hear the great stories of how you engage in relationship with Him.  Share a story of a watershed moment for you in this regard, or when you finally sort of “got it” that you need fresh bread everyday.  Tell me your story…and share it with all of us.  Maybe it came out of a painful time or even a remarkable victory. I am looking forward to hearing from you!

By the way, if you actually scratched and sniffed the computer screen where the image of bread is….fess up and let me know.  You can comment on all of this below.