Last month I found myself playing “let’s make a deal” with my primary care physician. Some results on my annual blood workup prompted her to suggest some medication that I remember seeing in the medicine cabinets of my grandparents and parents MANY years ago. It just couldn’t be! Not now….not ever!!!! (Well at least, not now ) I’m not a fan of prescription meds and thus the “deal making” began.

 She said she would hold off on those meds and suggested I take some more natural over the counter stuff and I agreed to do that as well as, continue watching my weight control AND begin an intentional exercise program on a regular basis. We even cut a deal on the time of the next check up – - from 6 weeks to 6 months (I knew my own procrastination tendencies).

 I did the first two elements of my part of the deal right away, but waited until this week to get started with the exercise part. At least I started…right? The verdict is still out on the impact of my procrastination.

 Which brings me (finally) to the point of this Connection: how do we “connect” intentions with discipline? How do you intend to lose weight and actually start the process? How do you intend to finish that home improvement project and actually “get er done”? How do you intend to stop that harmful habit and actually do it? How do you intend to fix your marriage and start the counseling? How do you intend to cultivate a closer relationship with Jesus and actually begin to do that?

 Funny thing about intentions…they sound good and feel right…but they can deceive us. They can lead us down a path of “my goal”, “my aim”, “my purpose”, “my desire”, but without a disciplined follow through, can bring us to the destination of regretful “should have, could have, would have” or even worse, “if only I had….”. I don’t think anyone ever wants to end up at the doorstep of regret; at least that’s not their intention! So what can we do?

I believe we have to consider the “value” of what we intend to do and its effect on us, on others around us and the honor we bring to the Lord. Then we must make the committment to do it…even if it’s our least favorite thing (like exerecise). It’s amazing what discipline will do! The intention becomes reality. We feel better for the accomplishment. And usually we end up saying something like, “Why did I wait so long!?”

 Let’s follow through with our good intentions! Especially those that bring us closer to God and to each other. I’m trusting that you are not only intending to be in church this Sunday, but you will make it a reality . See ya there!

 Love ya,
PB

In our visit to Seattle and even in a brief chat with my daughter in Chicago on the way home, I saw God working in the lives of my adult children. You know what that does for a praying parent!?

When I asked Donna Dodson about the health of her husband, Chuck, she shared the news of his turn for the worse physically, but the goods news of his turn to Christ spiritually! And you wouldn’t believe God’s timing in coordinating those two events. You know what that does for a praying spouse?!

Over the weekend Sue and I took our first short ride on the bike and guess what…we had a flat. But not until we had come off I-88 and cruised down Rte 2 toward Sterling. God allowed us to get to Fulfs Rd and not only that, he sent a neighbor (who I’ve never met) by in a pick up who just happened to live around the corner from us, who just happened to have a motorcycle trailer and just happened to be heading home after helping his brother that day! You know what that does for those of us who pray for “traveling mercoes”?!

And yesterday I watched God bring a couple to Jesus Christ; I got to watch the Holy Spirit working in the heart of a wounded, former SFC attendee who wants to follow the Lord “for real and for family”; and I watched the Holy Spirit stir the heart of a spouse that has been prayed over for some time now. Do you know what that does for all the intercessors who have been lifting these people up before the Lord for quite some time?!

FOLKS – - God is alive and well and working in our midst!!! Keep praying! Keep believing!!! Keep “being Jesus” to those in your sphere of influence!!! God will come through! IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS!

See you this Sunday–Mothers Day! Let’s celebrate the influence mothers have in our lives.

 Love ya,
PB

What do Easter Sunday and Commencement have in common? They are both endings and beginnings.

Commencement is the end of one level of education and the beginning of the next phase of growth in your life. Easter Sunday marks the end of the Lenten season and the beginning of the next phase of spiritual growth in our lives. The resurrection of Jesus was like a fresh new start for the disciples.

Luke writes in Acts 1 that over the next 40 days Jesus showed himself to many groups of people proving that he was alive. Talk about “energizing your base”; that certainly would do it!

And think about the many witnesses. Out of all those people, history records no one with a disagreement or argument against the fact of Jesus’ appearance. Only a handful of Jewish leaders, with much to lose religiously and politically, drew attention to themselves with a self-inflicted scandal.

As the two travelers on the Emmaus road exclaimed, “It is true!” The resurrection is truly amazing and the reason for the hope we have as Christians. And one more thing: while we move forward from commencement empowered by what we have learned, we move forward from Easter Sunday in the power of the Risen Christ Himself!

Lent is behind us. The lessons we learned in spirtual discipline will make us stronger. Now we have a new beginning of sorts; a fresh new start. Let’s move forward in Christ’s power to defeat anything Satan throws at us and to live for Him in our sphere of influence. Be encouraged. See you Sunday!

Love ya,
PB

 I don’t know if it’s God enlarging my heart through years of ministry experience or the appreciation of life’s journey the older I get, but I have become keenly aware of just how much the cross and the empty tomb mean to Christians. They are more than historical events. They are more than critical points of theology. They are even more than the defining foundation of our faith. They are REAL to us and actually usher in access to a forgiveness of sin that transforms us and access to a power for living that sustains us.

 What’s refreshed my awareness is the journey with some of our people over the past few months and even this week. We have some dealing with physical trials; some with financial hardships; some with marriage challenges; and others with family/relationship issues. While every person and every situation is different, they all have one thing in common: we are believing that the risen Christ is the Answer and will come through!

 It’s God’s work on the cross through Jesus’ sacrifice that changes our perspective from ME to HIM; from earthly concerns to heavenly hope. And it’s God’s power displayed in the resurrection that gives us the assurance that if God did it THEN, He will do it NOW!

 I’m listening to their voices of trust. I’m praying prayers of faith with them. We are actually believing that God IS Who He says He is and that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. We believe that Jesus didn’t die for nothing and that He was raised to life for everything! These are the things that have awakened my faith and spirit.

 Let’s keep on believing and trusting the crucified, yet resurrected, Jesus Christ our Lord! 

 Come join us for the special services this week and the celebration of Easter this Sunday…and bring a friend!

 Love ya,
PB

What does a set of old drapes and heart purity have in common?

When I was a youth pastor in Kansas City, my office had a window facing the west. In the late afternoon the sun could be brutal in both light and heat. To shield that exposure there was a set of old drapes; the heavy kind with thick material and linen backing. One afternoon late in the fall while I was working in my office, I walked over to pull the curtains shut and CRASH, the wall anchors gave way and the valence, with the curtains, fell to the floor.

As the sunlight came flooding in, I actually had to squint to allow my eyes time to adjust to the brilliance of the light. What I saw next has been a great spiritual lesson I’ve never forgotten. The air in the room was filled with minute particles of dust and lint. While I’m sure they had always been there, I had never seen them before. It took the absolute brilliance of pure sunlight to reveal what a manmade light fixture could not.

The scripture tells us that man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart. While the smallest detail; the most secret of sins, can be hidden from human sight, it will be revealed in the light of God’s brilliant holiness. The good news is that when God reveals it, the Holy Spirit will be faithful to convict us and give us an opportunity to repent and seek God’s purifying grace. Our hearts can be pure, but only by God’s power.

If the curtain of your heart was removed, what would be revealed? Will you seek a pure heart?

Hope to see you this Palm Sunday!

Love ya,
PB

 A little boy was looking out a picture window one winter’s evening when a small bird, seeing the flickering shadows of the fireplace, swooped down and hit the glass. The little boy yelled when the lifeless body of the bird fell to the ground.

His father came running into the room to make sure he was okay. “What’s wrong?” the father asked. The little boy told him what happened to the bird. Then he asked if the bird was dead. The father reassured his son that most likely the bird was unconscious from the blow and would be up and flying in no time.

Feeling somewhat comforted the little guy kept staring out the window as if he expected his father’s prediction to come true any moment.

As his father turned to leave, the little boy said, “Dad, I wish I could help those birds to not get hurt by the glass.” “How would you do that, son?” his father replied. “I’d become a bird myself and fly near the window warning them of the danger. Hopefully they would hear my voice and not get hurt.”

That’s exactly what God in Jesus Christ did for us. He became one of us and eventually provided a way of salvation on the cross. He calls us to follow Him away from sin’s darkness into the true light of His fellowship. He calls us from death into life.

Are you responding to His voice? You don’t have to be hurt anymore. There is help, hope and healing in Jesus Christ.

 Love ya,
 PB

 What a wonderful spirit in our service last Sunday. I know God wants to meet with us every week, but it is up to us to come prepared with our hearts open to hear his voice and obedient to do his will. This Lenten season is a time to humble ourselves and draw closer to the Lord. I believe what we see in our worship service is a reflection of what you are experiencing in your daily time with the Lord during the week. Please continue to enjoy the sweet fellowship of God’s presence so that you may bring his Spirit with you into the service this Sunday.

 I also believe that the themes of brokenness we’ve been studying in the Beattitudes is speaking to our hearts. Keep in mind that Jesus, God in the flesh, is teaching these lessons. So we can be assured that these truths are life transforming because the principles are grounded in the very nature and character of God. Also Jesus’ death and resurrection make the provision for these principles to become reality in and through us and the Holy Spirit, who moved on us last week, makes the effectiveness of Christ’s servanthood and humility a personal journey for each one of us. God wants to honor our commitment to the Way of Brokenness. See you all on Sunday!

Love ya,
PB