Hope vs. Hate

I fell asleep last night listening to the Hawkeyes play the Badgers of Wisconsin on WHO Radio 1040 out of Des Moines. When I woke up, the radio was still on. A radio preacherman was giving a sermon and I was very intrigued by his message. He was speaking about how the devil tempts us and tries to silence the Gospel. This is a topic dear to my heart. As a fan of C.S. Lewis and The Screwtape Letters I rolled over towards the radio and listened intently.

What I heard was a long rant on witches in our churches, boogiemen behind the doors and that one driving factor should bring us closer to our Savior... FEAR!!! Fear of everything.

After about fifteen minutes I couldn't take it anymore. I turned the channel to Iowa Public Radio. There I heard stories that inspired. Stories that shared the amazing glory of the Lord. They made me want to jump up and down and run out into the street and share a testimony of His power. There was a story of stained glass windows in the Bethlehem Cathedral in Washington D.C. and how their kaleidoscopic light shines in the dark worship hall as a metaphor of how Christ's Light shined into our darkened world as in the first chapter of the Gospel of John. Next folk music icon Emmylou Harris sang a song called 'The Pearl' which brought me to tears. It was the most beautiful song I have ever heard. Her haunting voice called through the radio like a ghost. These and the stories that followed shined a bright spotlight on God's awesome power and how only He can pull us up.

I thought about how glad I am that I was a Lutheran. I am free of fear. I can ever live in that freedom that Mike Williams used to preach on... A freedom in Christ to stop worrying and start reaching out to others in Christian Love. Light calls me to Christ... not fear of the dark.

The Gospel is filled with the message of LOVE and rescue. 90 percent of it is about love. The other 10 percent may warn us of how we falter and trip up but why would a ministry set out to inspire the masses with a doom and gloom. Christ wants us to reach out and spread love and life. He wants us to be the Light of the world... and how we do that is to show the AWESOME HEALING POWER OF HIS TRUTH AND HIS LOVE.

I am glad that I am free to live a life that FREE in Christ. WHO SHALL I FEAR??? Nothing can stand in the way of me and my Jesus... Not angels or demons or men or boogiemonsters. NOTHING.

Life Lessons by Brant Bollman

Lesson- Always brush your teeth with the lights on.

Reason- Vitamin A and D Ointment makes a very poor toothpaste!

Hey friends

Sorry I have been absent. Getting settled into a new school is really crazy. I have so much work to do right now its dizzying. Yearbook is a challenge and setting up a new course is kicking my butt time-wise. But I like my new school and have met some good friends.

I made this site private for a while. I may lift that sometime but I had a lot of high school students looking at my tattoos and stuff and that's not the point at all. If they want to see my tatts that can follow me to the pool or something. I guess I should look at the bright side, I'm kinda like a celebrity.

Personally, life is kind of crazy. Mary is looking to move again closer to Ottumwa to save on gas. This means that the kids will be farther way from me and overnights during the week will be much harder. But we are working things out. We will have more secure daycare and that's good.

Chris, Eric, Amanda and I went to a hawk game two weeks back. It was a great time. I will not mention what transpired this past Saturday. I am still in denial.

Pray for me... I am still walking the rocky road.

Grace and peace,

Brant

PS- I have a poem coming soon. Stay tuned.