ETHOS 4 LIFE

How many times in the past month have you taken the time to just lift your head and look up? Especially at night? When is the last time you have taken a look at the stars and really looked more than just to say at yourself “yep, there are sure are a lot of stars tonight.” But today I want you to ask yourself a question. Do the stars matter?

After having taken a long break from writing and thinking on the page I was reading about a group of guys who must have looked at the stars every night. The reason I know this is because they knew that one particular night there was a difference in the heavens. It says “We saw his star when it rose…” They knew something was different and that there was a meaning behind it. These men later found out that this new star was a fulfilling of a prophecy of long ago. Of course, you know the story as the Christmas Story and these men who came to worship Jesus and bring gifts were the Magi from the east.

So, right now you’re wondering what this has to do with you or me???? Right…

Well, what this has to do with you and me is that there are signs all around you that mean something. It could be a star, it could be a word from inside yourself, or it could even be a word from someone else. It’s really not a matter of if you are going to get a sign but will you recognize it and will you do anything with it… I am talking about your ethos and purpose in life. God has uniquely positioned you in the right place at the right time with the right gifts and abilities for such a time as this. Just like He placed a star in the heavens for those Magi to follow, God has placed you right where you are on purpose. Yep, I know the argument you will have with this and you’re going to say “but Bryan, I’m not where I want to be or even where I should be.” and I can agree with that….kinda.

Just like the Magi, they were not where they needed to be but they were where they were. (boy, that sounded profound) I think like many of us we get caught in two different battles. One, we don’t pay attention to what God is doing around us, for us, or in us and two, we think that just because we are not where we think we should be or where we want to be then we are not useful. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The first thing we need to do is understand a little better who God is and therefore who we are. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) God loves you and wants the best for you. God made you different than he made anyone else. You have a different look, a different style, a different set of gifts and preferences and skills. All of this comes together to make the best version of you possible.

Ok, I know I haven’t explained everything to the end but I will start to do this in the next few posts. For now, I want you to take a look at who you are and what God has put together in you. Then we can take a look at the world a little differently. We can look at the world through the lens of what God has put you here for and not just what others want you to do… I think God wants you to look at the stars and marvel in His expanse, His majesty, and His personal love that he has for you today. Then, just as the Magi did all those years ago, we can start our own journey toward the star that God has for you.

God bless and we will talk soon

Bryan

The title of today’s moment can conjure up a lot of different meanings. There are a lot of people that wake up in the morning and either ask themselves, where am I this morning (this happened only to the extent I forgot what state I was in not where I spent the night), what happened last night or even who is this next to me? But for me, I wake up this morning and look around saying to myself. Wow, that was fun and adventurous. We have just spent the last four weeks in an RV and traveled some three thousand miles going from eastern South Dakota through Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks then up into Canada where we saw some of the most majestic scenery ever and now we are back in western South Dakota. But wait, as if that wasn’t enough, we also did it with our two kids and three dogs too. The adventure is by no means over but just step one in a journey that does not have a definite destination. We are fulltime in the 5th wheel and after the 4th of July, our kids will head back to their college town to get ready for their next step in their educational lives at South Dakota State University.

So this morning I wake up with a different kind of reality, one that starts to go from vacation mode to life mode. What does that mean you say? Well, I mean that sometimes in we will experience many different things along the road or life. We will have times of extreme joy and fun. We will have times of pain and sorrow and then we will even experience times where life just kind of trudges along. Each of these are ok and even have their own sense of beauty but none are meant to be the only type of life we are to live. We will all have times of sorrow in our lives, we will all have times of joy in our lives if we look at life right, and we will all have times in our lives where we just seem to click off the days of life heading down the road.

My thoughts today revolve around what kind of life are we driving and where are we taking it? Are you driving your life or are you letting someone else drive your life for you? I’m not talking about a country song where you say “Jesus take the wheel” but rather I am asking you who is making decisions in your life? I recommend using the map that Jesus gives us as to travel the road of life but ultimately you will have to decide what road you are going to take. Jeremiah wrote what God told him “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jer 29.11

As we traveled over the miles we drove on roads that ranged from smooth blacktop and concrete to gravel and even a stretch of mud and muck that made quite a mess of everything. You and I will experience the same thing in each of our lives. One day we are cruising down the road of life and everything is great. Another day we have to slow down to navigate the uneven gravel roads of a bumpy life and some days we even have to pull over to wait out a storm and even after its past the mud and muck of life is still there to remind us we are not where we want to be. But remember this, God wants you to make the right decisions in life even when things are not going as we would like them (I mean come on, whoever looks forward to road construction) and keep both hands on the wheel. Work hard to make a living, Love hard to enjoy the wife of your youth, play hard to enjoy a Sabbath, and worship hard to remember that God is the creator of everything and he is due our praise.

In a post like this, it is impossible for me to fill out every thought but remember this “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph 3:20–21) Happy travels and if you would like me to pray for you, feel free to respond and I would be honored to do so.

Happy travels!!

 

So, we crossed the border into Canadia. The border crossing was the easy part. A simple showing of our passports and rabies certificates (for the dogs, not the kids) and we were on our way in a matter of a couple of minutes to Cranbrook BC and then to Radium Hot Springs BC where we currently are. Yes, the country is beautiful and the weather has been cool. High’s in the 60’s and low 70’s with lows in the 40’s.

Once we were in Cranbrook we did a little looking around and happened upon a store called the Real Canadian Superstore. Well, it looked a lot like a Costco and if you know me at all, I can always go wonder around a Costco. To my family’s dismay, I pulled into the parking lot and said: “let’s goooooo”. One by one they trickled out of the pickup knowing the loads of fun they were sure to have. They all had something to add on the walk into the store. Things like: “we probably need a membership card.” or “If it wasn’t fathers day we would not be here but since it is we will give you this one.” Wow, what an inspirational bunch and adventurous spirit’s we have in the group.

Once in the store, the Real Canadian Superstore, we learned it was a Canadian version of a Walmart. Cool, we needed a couple of things like milk, steaks, and of course Jelly Bellies that you buy in bulk. This is where the real schooling begins.

I told Jaron we are most likely going to need a cart…..He responded with a typical teenagers response: “Umphhh” or something that sounded as if he was saying “really dad, let’s just go home.” But being the great kid that he is he turned around to go get a cart. As he was away finding a cart I headed back by the kitchen and BBQ tools and the girls went to girl clothes or something totally not needed like that.

It was about ten minutes later that Jaron finally came with a cart. He had this look on his face that told me things had not gone as smoothly as he had hoped. You know that look your kids give you when they feel a little conflicted between feeling dumb, mad and wanting to laugh at what had happened. As he came strolling up he says: “Do you know what a loonie is?” I, of course, knowing all there is to know said “ummmmmmm, no what” (yes, it is a one dollar coin) Jaron proceeds to tell me that he didn’t either but when he went to go get the cart he was following a little girl that walked up to the carts, (O by the way all the carts were chained together) well, the little girl walks up to the cart and pulls out the chain that held her cart to the rest and proceeded into the store. Of course, Jaron tells me that he walks up to the carts and pulls on the chain and nothing happened. After several attempts at trying to free up a cart a “wonderful” women that worked there came up to Jaron and said: “Do you have a loonie?” He tells me that the first thing that popped into his head was “yea, my dad’s a loonie” but he just said no…..what. She says again “Do you have a loonie?” I think it was the long pause of silence that had given him away. She then says “Are you from the United States?” and her tone was not the O, I’m glad to meet you tone and Jaron tells her he is and then she reaches into her pocket and pulls out some sort of key that unlocks the cart. We found out later that you have to stick a coin into the handle of the cart in order for the chain to unlock. Well ok, lesson one learned.

Now that we have a cart, my arms are filling up quickly with milk, steak, a grill brush and that’s when I came across the largest bulk section I have ever seen. There must have been close to a hundred bulk bins from nuts to dried fruit to all sorts of candy. Well, you guessed it, I came across the best deal I have ever seen. They were selling Jelly Bellies for only 1.49 a pound. At least that’s what my brain told me. So I filled a bag and then thought “I should probably weigh this” and so I did. Wow, it was only about a pound. So, I loaded up a little more thinking that a pound and a half was probably enough. What I had so innocently overlooked is that we were now in Canada and in Canada, they don’t have a lot of use for things like miles per hour or ounces and pounds. So what I thought was going to be about two or three dollars ended up being about 900 grams… That’s when it clicked in my mind that it was 1.49 per 100 grams and not a pound. Sooooooooo, what turned out to be about two pounds of Jelly Bellies ended up costing me just short of 13 dollars. Lesson number two learned. I knew at this point it was just time for us to leave the greatest Canadian store ever, or so they think. But we did have milk again so life is pretty good.

Now I know none of you are really thinking that any of this was my fault. But it was, and that’s ok. Every now and then we all do things with the best of intentions but they don’t turn out the way we had planned it. We may have to even learn a lesson or two about what we didn’t know before. The thing both Jaron and I learned that day was that it is ok to make a mistake. Very rarely in life does making a mistake turn out to be something that is irreversible. Most of the time we have learned and told ourselves that making a mistake is the worst thing that could ever happen and we get stuck. We get stuck thinking that we are worthless and hopeless and will never amount to anything.

There was a guy a long time ago that made such a mistake. His name was Peter and because of his mistakes and what he eventually learned from them, and let me tell you he made a couple of real doozies.  This one time he denied that he knew Jesus, the creator of the universe. There are other times too but we don’t have time for that right now. What I want you to think about is that no matter what kind of mistakes you have made or you think you have made. God loves you and want’s you to learn from them and grow because of them. In the Bible, in John 21, Jesus shows up and talks with Peter after Jesus was crucified and rose again from the dead. The interesting part is that Jesus didn’t remind Peter of all the things he had done wrong, although he could have. No, in fact, what Jesus did was ask Peter a very simple (we learned later a very complex question) “Do you love me?” Jesus then goes on to ask Peter to tell others about him and begin what we now know as the church. Out of Peter’s so-called mistakes came one of the most influential leaders in the church.

You are the same as Peter, full of potential and made with a purpose in mind. I want to encourage you to seek out more about yourself and how God made you. Ask questions like, why do you have the personality you have or why are you wired the way you are and how can you use your strengths for telling others about God? It’s time to step up and step out and learn a little more from our mistakes.

Have a great day!!

As we travel on to Livingston Mt. and West Glacier Mt. I am captivated by the beauty of both Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.

But even more than that is the beauty of my family. We have come through places like I have never seen before. Yellowstone is so diverse in ways that I did not expect. From belching hot water to pools of water that are laden with acid all the way to the natural water that cascades down the side of the mountains. Each place is different from what it shows and in what it leaves behind.

Once we left Yellowstone we headed north to Glacier National Park. With similar views that we had in Yellowstone except its very different at the same time.

This is what a family is like.  A beautiful piece of God’s creation with many different parts. As I write this on Father’s day I am at my first Starbucks in about three weeks and I am starting this morning with a caramel macchiato as my family gets moving back at the RV.

As I reflect on the journey so far, we have encountered storms that created a delay in our timing, beautiful mornings on the patio with a cup of coffee and a chill in the air. A day of rain with no wind so you could sit with the awning out and just listen to the rain and smell the freshness of the mountains. We have seen lots of wildlife from deer to elk to antelope but to my daughter’s dismay, no bears. (yet)

I find that a family, my family, just the same as yours, is as diverse as the countryside. We all have times where we experience some gloomy times that don’t go according to plan, times where we are a little acidic to one another in our attitudes, and this is the greatest of all, we have those times where we are able to just sit and enjoy what God has put right in front of us, each other. Just like when you look at the mountains, the family is a wonderful view of God’s majesty of creation. The beauty of my family far outweighs the small inconveniences of the rough times.  Remember that, not only today but every day that we need to look past the hurts of life and family and see the beauty of what is right in front of us.

As the Apostle Paul reminds us “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

Have a great father’s day to all of you and Happy Father’s Day to my dad and all that he has taught me through life. Blessings to you all!!

Next Stop, Cranbrook BC

As we headed west to Yellowstone Park we had to make an unexpected pit stop in Broadus Mt. What? You’ve never heard of Broadus Mt on Hwy 212… Well, I hadn’t either until a line of thunderstorms carrying 60-70mph winds and golfball size hail made us think differently. Thanks to some friends that happened to be on the same road about 70 miles ahead of us. They called and said, “get off the road if you can and sit this out until it passes.”

Thanks to their call, we were able to miss the hail. In fact, we were off the road for about an hour before the storms even made it to our location. So we pulled out the slide on the camper, turned on the generator, and made some roadside dinner and watched wheel of fortune until it came. Once it came though it came with a vengeance! We pointed the trailer into the wind and rocked and rolled for about another 45 minutes until the storm passed. After about a two-hour rain delay we headed back on the road and made it to Billings where we tucked in with the big-rigs at Flying J and slept like rocks till morning.

This reminds me that in life, sometimes things don’t always go according to plan. But don’t forget or maybe you didn’t know “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” Psalm 46:1-2 (NIV) And Jesus also said in John 16:33 “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

What He means by that is, sometimes your life is not going to go as you may have planned it. We didn’t plan on driving until midnight just to get some sleep but we did. You may have not planned on that unexpected expense that drains your bank account but it does. You may not have planned on hearing your son has cancer at 30 but he does. You may not have planned for your long time marriage or relationships ending but unfortunately, they do. So what are you going to do? As a friend of mine has told me many times “it may not be the way you planned it but all you can do is adjust and drive on.” Those are great words when we so easily forget what is important in life.

Remember to make God a priority in your life so you have a refuge to rest in. Make friendships a priority so you can live in a community and especially remember that even though you may have to pull over once in a while unexpectedly, you can still enjoy those you are with and then get back on the road when the storm blows by.

Next stop Yellowstone

I would love to hear your comments and feedback as we do life together. Have a great day!

Today we are in Sioux Falls, SD. We are taking an exit off the road on our way to the farm and stopping at a rest area of sorts. We are using a few days to finish our organizing and finalizing what will make it in the RV and what is proving to be more painful, what will not be making the trip with us. This is a rest stop on the road we are on and it reminds me that we all need to take an exit off the highway for a rest area of life once in awhile.

I can remember as a kid when we were traveling on vacation, that a rest area was just a waste of time. I can remember thinking, “We need to get there!! Fun is what is waiting for us when we get there.” A rest area was just getting in the way and delaying my fun of being there. It wasn’t until years later that I recognized and even needed a rest area in my travels. Now I need a rest area to rest my tired eyes or to take care of another problem caused by to much diet coke or coffee. Either way, what I viewed as a problem or delay as a child became a much needed and cherished stop along the road.

Maybe that’s what you need today. To put on your blinker and take that exit to a rest stop for just a moment. Take a nap, play in the water, go for a walk with someone you care about or even just stop whatever it is you’re doing long enough to take a breath and gain a better perspective of life. Whatever you need to do, taking that much-needed time of rest is as important to your mental health as much as it is to your physical health.

Moses was given this command by God on the mountaintop to only work six days and rest one. Let’s give that a try in our busy lives. Work hard in all you do but then take a break and let’s see what kind of an impact it can have on us, our work, and our relationships. Remember, we are not stopping the journey we are just getting ready for the miles that are yet to come.

Enjoy the trip and don’t forget to pull off the road once in a while and enjoy the scenery.

Have a great day!!

 

Today is the day I wake up for the first time with an RV in my driveway. We will put all of the things that are most dear to us in their proper place and then drive away. Seems simple enough. Open, load, close, drive. But again, there is a perspective at play here. If we were just going for the weekend or a few weeks there are no emotions except anticipation, happiness, excitement, and joy. Now for me, those emotions are there but there are added ones like nervousness, sadness, and even a little fear.

Whenever we undertake something new there is a moment or even a season of hesitation. That is normal but we can’t let it freeze us in our tracks. In order for the movement to take place, we must get in the truck and put it in drive. As we embark on this journey of ethos we will encounter lots of emotions. Some will be easy and some will be hard. Webster defines ethos as this: “the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution”.

God created you for a journey in life. In the book of Jeremiah, God tells Jeremiah that he was created on purpose for a purpose, to lead the people of Israel. The Apostle Paul tells us to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

We are all influenced by our moral nature and beliefs. What are they? Who do they benefit? Where do they take you?

We are all on a journey, we all have an ethos, and my desire is for you to step out and step into what God has created you for. Start with your character, you can choose both how you treat people and how you do your job. Do a good job.

Get up, put it in drive and enjoy the ride!!

Next stop, the farm… Let’s plant some seeds and see what grows.

Well, here we are at step one of a new journey. The point where we step from everything we know, feel and do; to a step where almost nothing seems familiar. It’s that first step that really gets you. Let’s be honest, and I am no different. We love to know what we know. We love to be safe where we control the things around us. (by the way, we never really control the things around us we just tell ourselves that)

So, let’s take that first step in our journey of ethos and life. For me, it brings with it all sorts of firsts. Things like having a rummage sale, to sell all your treasures that have been gathering in the treasury. I know they are treasures because I would never buy things that are junk or I don’t need on purpose….then when most of our stuff is gone, we take what’s left and put it in a box (storage unit) that we pay others to watch to make sure when we come back they are safe. After that, we sell our home, our only place on the planet we can come to and can go inside without having to knock first. After that, we put a few last possessions into a fiberglass box that can go hurling down the highway at light speed as to make it to the most beautiful places God created. (At least that’s what I’ve been told) And if that were not enough, we do it with no jobs, no kids (for the most part), no permanent home or destination, and no set timeline to complete.

It all seems kind of crazy from one viewpoint; but, if you look at it from another viewpoint things start to look kind of different. We have a rummage sale and let go of those things that at one time seemed valuable to us but now they are things that get in the way and hold us back. Whether it’s stuff, a job, bad relationships, addictions or even a house, they can get us stuck and we find ourselves caught holding on to things that only take up space in our lives and hold us back from being able to move forward.

Taking on a new adventure of downsizing and being mobile are teaching us to hold on to the things that are truly important to us. The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 3:13-14 “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

So when you are feeling the push or pull to switch jobs, change homes or towns, or just deciding its time to try living a little different, it takes the first step to start down a new road. God wants you to pay attention to your ethos (character). You have a limited amount of time here on this planet so take hold of your life and step out to accomplish what God created you for. As the Apostle Paul said, “Live a life worthy of the calling you have received” Ephesians 4:1. If you don’t know where to start, just do the next right thing and see where God leads you.

Don’t be afraid of an adventure…..you never know where it can lead you! What has God called you to be?

Next stop, moving into the RV. See you soon

Thanks for joining me!

As I enter this journey of blogging, that really began long ago, I often wonder what the point is or why would I even do this? I often find myself thinking about what’s the point in my everyday life? And why does it matter what I do or who I am or even what makes my life any better or worse than it could be.

Character and Purpose are what make this different.

Some people like to think that life is all about them, and to a point they are right. God created you on purpose for a purpose. Not so you can just think about yourself, if that were the case then you become narcissistic, but instead it is so you can understand who you are inside, who you are doing life with, what you are going to succeed at, and who/what you are doing all this for. I would like for you to understand where you have come from and where you are going for the betterment of others.

Let me ask you a question. Why were you created? Or, Why do you exist?

If you can’t answer that question with purpose and clarity then this journey is for you. In fact, if you ask most people that hang around me they will say the two things I talk about most are “Why were you created?” and “What’s the why behind the what?” both are the basis of why I am on this journey to help people and organizations discover what their purpose in life is.

To catch you up on a little of my life. I was born in the midwestern state of South Dakota and grew up working with my hands in a family construction business my father started  and I worked with for 25 years. I then was inspired to leave that work and begin the work of vocational pastoral ministry where I have been for the past five years. During this time I can see how God has been shaping me for asking others the question “Why did  God create you?”

How do you know where you’re going if you don’t know what road your on? And better yet, how do you know if you’re on the right road? That my friends is the journey of Ethos.

I use a biblical perspective in my journey and want to help others understand that God has created you for a purpose.

As I write this, I am in the middle of taking a real step toward what God has created me for… To help others become. That’s it, I want to help you become who God created you to be. You can do it. Its part discovering who you are, part how you were put together, and part who you are going to do life with. I will promise you this, it’s a crazy fun ride to step out in faith to become fully who God made you to be.

Get ready, set, let’s go….

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.  -God