Month: August 2015

How to Keep from Landing on People

Post author By Douglas Brauner
Post date August 24, 2015

Eugene, Oregon Copyright Douglas P Brauner

Christ Is Our Example of the Importance of Looking Out for the Interest of Others.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
Philippians 2:4 New Living Translation

I stood on a peninsula in this half-dried pond in Eugene trying to take pictures of blue heron taking off and landing. This heron was in a perfect place for me to capture its landing, however disappointment seized me when I viewed this picture on my computer. I had my camera setting adjusted properly. I panned my camera with the bird as it glide into the pond and pressed the shutter button.

When I upload this picture to my computer I realized that those $1,500 to $2,000 pieces of glass attached to the front of your camera make a difference when it comes to taking tack sharp images. My $300 lens couldn’t capture all the details of this magnificent bird.

I was about to trash this picture when I saw the turtle on the log and I wondered what he or she was thinking as this over-sized flying machine was about to land on it. Did the heron see it? Did the bird think that its need to land where it wished was more important than the turtle’s safety?

Too often we’re more interested in our own needs being met than helping others meet their’s. We afraid that we’re going to lose something if we don’t take care of our needs first. If we have time and energy then we’ll address the concerns of someone else. Yet, Paul isn’t saying that we’re not to take care of our own needs but that we ought to consider the needs of others too.

Jesus took care of himself. He ate, slept and got plenty of exercise as most of his journeys were on foot, yet he graciously took care of our need for rescue from the hell that we made of our lives. His compassion drove him to his cross. His mercy is our salvation.

May God fill us with Christ’s compassion that we’re willing to put aside our interests and help others meet their’s.

Tags compassion, kindness

PWTE Daily Devotion

Nobody Wants to Get “The Look”

Post author By Douglas Brauner
Post date August 23, 2015

We don’t need to be afraid to approach Jesus when facing pain in our lives.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding.
She had suffered a great deal from many doctors,
and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them,
but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse.
She had heard about Jesus,
so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe.
Mark 5:25-27 New Living Translation

After taking many pictures of this Blue Heron, he wanted me to disappear. He gave me “the look;” that look that says, “Really, don’t you have something better to do than to disrupt my fishing. I’m hungry. Move on to some other unfortunate creature and leave me alone.”

I’m often surprised that Jesus didn’t have the same response to the demands of people. Why didn’t he tell people to leave, to bug off, to get lost. He had to be tired. He must have needed a vacation, and yet, people continually made demands of him; people who were desperate.

So, a woman comes up behind Jesus simply to touch the edge of his garments hoping that her ever-present flow of blood would stop. Was she thinking of Jesus? Was she thinking of the pressing demand to heal a synagogue leader’s daughter? Probably not. She knew what she needed. Nothing was going to deter her from the hope of healing.

She touched his clothing and was healed. She knew that she was cured. Now it was time to get out of Dodge before Jesus said anything; no need for further embarrassment.

“Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” (v.34)

This Blue Heron might have given me “the look,” but Jesus will never give us that look. His love for this woman who in fear and faith touches his garment is the same love that he has for you and me in our fear and faith. He will not turn his back on us.

The healing of this woman is more than a hope of physical healing, it is a picture of ultimate healing. One day our “flow of blood,” our suffering, will stop. Our pain will be over. Because of Christ’s blood flowing from his cross, we hold on to the hope of that day when, having touched the fringe of Jesus garments by faith, God heals us.

Text and Picture Copyright Douglas P. Brauner

Tags healing, pain

Spiritual Formation

Joy in the Detours – by Jennifer Brukiewa

Post author By Douglas Brauner
Post date August 21, 2015
1 Comment on Joy in the Detours – by Jennifer Brukiewa

The Spiritual Discipline of Prayer and Thanksgiving

Copyright Han Kim, Because Why Not? https://goo.gl/2Cg5LY http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This last week has been full of detours making my already hectic week even more hectic. A power outage zapped my birthday plans for dinner and a movie with my family; a broken down washer shattered a 4-hour window to do piles of laundry; rushing home late to make dinner and realizing I had forgotten to buy a key ingredient. Hitting… Every… Red… Light… Use your imagination to add to the list, throw in some emotional meltdowns, shake it up and you have a good idea of how my week went.

I assume you have had days or weeks like this filled with a lot of little things to trip you up. In the craziness it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by anger or fear, isn’t it? A couple of days into my week it occurred to me that there was more going on than daily life. It is certain that many of these obstacles were strategically placed in my way by the enemy who is hell-bent on stealing away my family’s joy and focus on God. This realization was helpful and I remembered that even in the detours God is extending an invitation to engage Him and delight in the journey.

Here is what it has looked like for me to walk into that invitation this week. Perhaps it will inspire you in your own response to His invitations to you today.

I have been more intentional about taking deep breaths, exhaling my stress to God and letting go of the tension in my body, noticing and relaxing the tight places. I’ve acknowledged God’s presence with me (whether I felt it or not) asking for peace and direction from Him. I’ve been taking my own detours in my mind from the racing thoughts, if only just for a moment, to gather up some small gifts of grace hidden in my day; the laughter of my children, the sun peeking through the clouds, my unhindered access to God in Christ. Then I breathe out a word of praise and thanksgiving for His goodness. Once I suddenly uttered a stern, “NO! I choose Your joy!” in a moment where fear began to take over. Words are powerful, as my kids will attest to. They were quite startled from whatever they were doing by my sudden, forceful tone which also brought the pleasant side effect of laughter at how crazy their mom is! Laughter is wonderful for breaking cycles of worry.

I have not had time to stop so I have taken these moments as I work, or in the car often with loud music and energetic kids happening. Even though the craziness has not slowed down and the obstacles keep popping up I have been more aware that God is with me in the detours and joy has surprised me even as I hurry along; such gifts of grace! Take that, you stupid joy-stealer!

May the God who walks with you bless you this day. May you have grace to breathe in His goodness and breathe out words of thanksgiving. And may you find joy even in the detours as you remember the goodness of the One Who goes with you. Amen.

______________________________

Several years ago, Jennifer Brukiewa set aside her professional stage career and gig as a Disney World actress/singer to pour into the lives of teens working alongside her husband in youth ministry. Currently, as a retreat leader and Certified Spiritual Director, she is honored to create safe places for others to share their stories, joys and struggles and explore with them ways to listen for the heartbeat of God and “breathe the gospel” in their day-to-day life. She loves to garden, art journal, and admits to being slightly addicted to the BBC show Dr Who. Her home is in Elbert, CO where she lives with 1 dog, 3 cats, 14 chickens, 1 hermit crab, 2 rats, 3 daughters (15, 12 and 8) and her incredible husband of 22 years. She and her family have been members of Holy Cross Lutheran Church since 2007. To learn more about her ministry in Spiritual Direction go to www.attendinggrace.com

Tags breathing, prayer, stress, thanksgiving