Guatemala – Adventure With Brendan

Becoming Okay With Disappointments During The Holidays

December 14, 2021Brendan Scott

It’s the hope that kills you. Cliché right? No, I am not an English football fan, unless you count the Richmond Greyhounds, the team coached by Ted Lasso (Probably my favorite show right now and my favorite episode might be the Christmas episode that I watched this past August and yes it did get me into the Christmas spirit three months early), but I do agree with the sentiment. Hope can kill, especially if you place that hope in the wrong things. That is why I am learning to become okay with disappointments during the holidays because my hope is not in a perfect tree.

No, I am not giving up all hope and becoming a Scrooge for the season. On a side note, how come being a scrooge is a bad thing, since Ebanizer Scrooge turns his life around and becomes a man we should all model our lives after. A Christmas Carol, if I can continue this little aside, makes it clear that Christmas is not about what we buy, but about how we love our fellow man. At the end of the classic novel, Scrooge has a change of heart and realizes he must love those around him which leads him to buying the prized turkey (is it a goose? I think so.) for the Cratchet family. Christ calls us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. But even the message behind A Christmas Carol might leave us disappointed and feeling hopeless. When we love and expect love in return only to be shunned, that is disappointing, but true hope can still remain.

Hope can bring us joy when we let go of our expectations, live in the moment, and let Christ into our season. Expectations are key to the Christmas season. When we place our expectations in the wrong things we can easily become disappointed. From Thanksgiving to Christmas I have expectations of a magical season. I want to experience joy. I want to eat quite a bit and not gain weight. I want to feel that sense of wonder only an early morning sitting in quiet near the Christmas tree can bring. But this year we had to buy a second Christmas tree because Phoenix, our cuddle king of a pup, chewed up our first one. Maybe this is why Scrooge, at the start of the story, is so jaded toward Christmas, someone chewed up his expectations of beauty at Christmas, so his flame of hope died out and all wonder left with it.

Even expecting wonder can bring on disappointment. Just go and watch National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, its streaming on HBO Max if you don’t have the blu-ray like I do. Clark Griswald expects to provide wonder for his entire family. He has always dreamed of having the house with the most lights and when the lights just won’t work he is so disappointed he punches his fake Santa Claus. The entire movie is packed full of hilarious examples of how Christmas expectations can be turned into disappointments. But it is okay to experience disappointments at Christmas, because if our true hope is in Christ we can know that the dark days will be redeemed. His love is coming to rescue us all, even the Clark Griswalds of the world.

I can relate to Clark Griswald and Scrooge because I have felt disappointed during the Christmas season. I remember wanting a race track for Christmas, only for it to come without the full track. We went back to the store after the Christmas season was over only to be told they didn’t have the replacement part. I never got to play with that toy. Even this holiday season has already had its diapointments. I wasn’t able to sleep the night before Thanksgiving because I had an anxiety attack and so I spent the entire day tired, anxious, and disappointed. I know other disappointments will come this season. Maybe I’ll get sick and have to Zoom in with my family for Christmas morning (I’ve had to do this before when I lived in Guatemala and it was not quite the same). No, I don’t want gifts that are broken and no I don’t really want to be separated from my family, but being okay with disappointments is more about where I am placing my expectations.

Through the holidays, especially leading up to Christmas, advent is practiced throughout Christianity. Advent means to wait, to hope. Typically in the church this is observed by lighting four different candles, the first one being the representation of hope and the last one being the Christ candle. If we light our hope candle and place it in any other hands than the hands of Christ, our expectations are not going to be be met and our hope will leave us disappointed.

They are anxiously waiting for Santa to come

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned the beautiful poem Christmas Bells (click the link for the full poem) about disappointment at Christmas. Here are the last two stanzas. Notice how God brings beauty to Wadsworth Longfellow in the midst of his despair. It is beauty that can bring us back to the hope that Christ has for us.

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

So in Advent we wait with a hope that leads to Christ. His love for me is what allows me to feel disappointment at Christmas because I know he is coming back to redeem the wrongs and bring true peace to our world. Through the season I know I will have days that are so lacking in wonder that it hardly feels like Christmas at all, but in the end even if Christmas Day doesn’t go as planned I can remember that I am loved. That Christ came as a baby, lived in our wonderful and disappointing world, and still chose to sacrifice himself for me. That is where the magic of this season resides.

So this holiday season I am going to be okay if I am disappointed because my hope is in Christ and that is a hope that will never kill me.

All she wants for Christmas is a red rider BB gun.

Ten Years Adventuring In The States

June 30, 2021June 30, 2021Brendan Scott

This June marks 10 years since I moved back from Guatemala. If I had known all the joy God had for me, even through the pain and trials, I wouldn’t have bothered spending my first three years dreaming about about returning to Guatemala.

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.-Psalm 16.11

The path of my life should be measured in decades and not in days. God is teaching me to go slow. He can change my life overnight, like when I met April back in 2016 or in January 2021 when we found out that we were expecting, but for the most part He has been taking time to make me into the man he meant for me to become. That idea of becoming takes time. 10 years ago this month I was not the man I am now. Even more so, 20 years since my family packed up our home in Oklahoma and returned back to our roots in Colorado. God has done amazing things since then, but if I were to look at my day in day out life back then I am not sure I would have known what He was up to. Only now I can see Him guiding me.

Over the last ten years I have learned to be a better teacher, friend, son, brother, and husband. God set me on this path when I decided to leave all I had come to know and set out on a new adventure. Guatemala started out as the adventure of a lifetime. Each day was so foreign that all I could do was rely on God. When I felt alone as I had not made any good friends yet, he was my portion. When I didn’t speak the language well, felt like I was invisible at work, or just didn’t know how to teach, he met me there and gave me strength. Each day in Guatemala something unexpected could happen and I loved it.

Yet, I moved back because I felt God wanted more for me and from me. While living back at home in Colorado hasn’t quite felt as challenging as life in Guatemala (or maybe just not challenging in the same way), I’ve learned I need God just as much now as I did then. In Guatemala each day I could face some sort of natural disaster or go off and hike a volcano. I knew I needed God to get me through the day. But then I moved back to the states in June of 2011, life was a vacation, I mean we went to Hawaii to celebrate my little sister’s high school graduation and then we went to Virginia to celebrate my cousin’s wedding.

After all of the parties ended life set in and so did depression. This is when I realized I needed God just as much as I did in Guatemala. I couldn’t see the adventure in what seemed to be a normal life here in the states. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, but God knew my path and he protected me as I searched for purpose. My days filled with tasks that helped give me things to do, but then those tasks started to fill my days with monotony and anxiety. And day after day I realized I needed an adventure. Slowly, God showed me that adventures can happen no matter where I am or what is going on in my life. He reminded me that to love and to truly live in his love is an awfully big adventure.

If I hadn’t moved back from Guatemala I would never have needed to trust God in my daily life. I never would have gone to Regis to earn my masters in Education. I wouldn’t have worked at The Neighborhood Church where I was given the chance to share Christ with a great community of children. I never would have started teaching at a title one school with a high hispanic population, nor would I have been given a chance to coach basketball. The relationships that I have been blessed to form through being a teacher and a coach have made me a better man. But most of all I wouldn’t have met and married April. She alone is worth the move I made back to the states, but she’s not the only blessing God has brought into my life. Sofia, our baby girl will be born in August.

I can’t forget to mention Gryffin and Phoenix! They are my little adventure dogs! A little over ten years ago my family had to say goodbye to Anastasia. She was such a fun, kind dog and it took a pandemic for me to add doggie joy back into my life. Right now Gryffin is sitting at my side begging to go on a hike. Hopefully as we hike my eyes will be open to the beauty God has for me today. But I know I don’t have to go on a hike to see God’s love and beauty. That can come on a day where I didn’t sleep well or when I am stuck inside for work. God shows up huge on those days too and I would almost rather have that day, because I am with God, than a day in Hawaii

I hope that in ten years I can look back and see God’s blessings sprinkled through my life. If it is anything like the last ten years, I know He will fill me with joy, even in the difficult times. Here is to treating each day as an adventure where I need God’s provision. He has been teaching me that all sorts of adventures come into my life, if I only open my eyes and trust that a life with Him is better than any life separated from Him. I know I cannot love April perfectly enough, so I must give her to Him and I will have to do the same with Sofia. Surrendering what and who you truly love, in hopes that God will provide, and provide better than I would ever be able to, is the true adventure. Here is to another ten years adventuring with God here in the States!

Hiking up East Lake Creek with Anastasia

2020: Under Construction

December 31, 2020Brendan Scott

Driving down I-25 here in Denver is exhausting. Lanes are constantly closed for construction; will it ever end? Yet, I am like I-25 as I too am under constant construction. 2020 has been no different. I could choose to let the challenges of this year frustrate me in the same why I grow frustrated by the constant highway construction. But I am a man becoming more than I am, so I proudly announce that I am under construction.

The question driving my bid for renewal is twofold. Who do I want to be in ten years and who was I ten years ago? I find that if I look at my life as incomplete and under construction (like I-25), I can give myself the grace to take risks, go on adventures, and be a better husband and friend. While we all want road construction to end, it is freeing to know that I am in the state of becoming.

So who was I ten years ago? I was a man who longed for a passion to ignite a true adventure.

2010: I was a loyal friend struggling with what I wanted to do for work. My adventurous job in Guatemala, a resource teacher at The Inter-American School in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, was fun, but I felt a longing for more. I loved my job that year, but I knew I couldn’t just play tag with Kindergartners for the rest of my life, so I decided that after the end of the school year I would move back to Colorado.

2011: I was lost and lonely as I struggled to find love, work, and friends. Upon moving back into my parents’ house I was depressed because my desire for more seemed like I and settled for much less. But I began to dream about moving back to Guatemala. This move wasn’t to be, however the strong bonds I had built with my former students led me to realize I missed teaching and so I applied for a graduate teaching program at Regis University.

2012: Grad school started as I was working for The Neighborhood Church as the Kids’ Minister. I took my church to Guatemala to lead a mission trip, came back and started with a job at Chipotle, it didn’t last long, but I did learn how to make really good guac! I nearly dropped out of grad school after my first day off class because I didn’t want to write a paper, but fortunately I had made some friends who could tell me to suck it up and press on. I am not a quitter so I wrote that paper.

2013: I completed grad school and did my student teaching at Columbine. I also stopped blogging because I didn’t think my life was worth sharing. Looking back at this year I see a man who was insecure so he stopped writing.

2014: This year was a hunt for a job. By summer time I had been rejected so many times I felt like giving up so I went back to Guatemala to celebrate the graduation of some of the coolest kids I taught. While I was there I was offered a job at a middle school here in Denver. Between finding a teaching job and going to Guatemala my brother-in-law invited me to a Wild At Heart bootcamp in Georgia. To prepare for the bootcamp, I reread Wild At Heart for the first time in over a decade and was hit by the idea that God wants me to be fully alive in him. Not just that, but that the world needs men who are truly alive. Before this, I truly felt stagnate in who I was. Even though I had obtained my maters and was on my way to finding a job in an important field, I felt directionless in my quest to find a passion to ignite my life. Coming to life took work though. I had to let go of the shame that had intrenched itself in my life. I had been stuck on things I had done that I was not proud of, which were making me think I didn’t deserve love, especially that of a woman. 2014 taught me that I didn’t need to be perfect to find love and that it was okay to be under construction because that meant I was letting God move in me so I could lead a life that was fully alive.

2015: I nearly died. Life is strange in the way that I know I can only grow if I face challenges. 2015 was a challenge I didn’t want to face. In July I decided to go visit Harry Potter World (AKA Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida). The trip was awesome, but I came back with pneumonia. I have talked about this experience a bit, but here was my take away. As I was drugged up after my second surgery that September, I decided I needed to be more deliberate with how I lived my life. This meant I needed to take risks with love again.

2016: In February the Broncos won the Super Bowl, and more importantly, I met April. We did not meet at a Super Bowl party because she hates football, but at the movies because, like me, she loves great stories. Without going to the Wild At Heart boot camp and hearing that my heart matters and then nearly dying of pneumonia, I would never have been able to open up my heart to her (it still took nearly all year for me to realize I was worthy of a relationship anyway, but that is another story). Thankfully, God led April to not give up on me and by December I was a man in love and I knew she was the one I wanted to adventure with for the rest of my life.

2017: I took the biggest risk of my life. While work was not going well and everything seemed unsure, I bought a ring, took April to Harry Potter World (AKA Universal Studios California) and proposed to her in the driving rain on my birthday. In July we said our vows. This year changed me for the better, but it was a challenge. I wanted to be the best man I could be for April.

2018: I took my wife’s world on my shoulders. Perfection was my goal. Apparently I had forgotten that it was okay to be under construction. I thought I needed to earn enough money to defeat the debt that April and I occurred, save for a house, and provide for our daily needs. I stopped sleeping well. Sleepy and anxious, God reminded me that he provides more than enough. He provided the money for our wedding and had calmed things down at my job, so he would come through for me in our daily needs. I was a man in need of God.

2019: April and I bought a house! This would not have happened if I had been trying to do life all on my own. Through our marriage, my anxiety over work and sleep, God pulled me closer to him. On one of my walks before April and I moved into our new home God reminded me that I needed to give myself grace. I was listening to a podcast and the host was talking about being frustrated with his son. He didn’t know what to do about his son’s behavior and was contemplating a harsh punishment when he walked by a building with a large sign on it. It read: Under Construction. God then reminded him that his son was under construction. He was not yet the man he was meant to be and then God told the podcast host, that he too, was under construction.

2020: I’ve been under construction all year. At times it has looked like April and I just sitting on our couch watching a movie or doing a puzzle. But there are no justs in life. This year has been one for the ages or something like that. But with all the chaos and maybe because of the chaos and the pain I have experienced, I have been able to let God use this year to work on me. I’ve been challenged to give up things I love, like being in my classroom with my students or coaching my teams, all for the safety of my health. This year has been a year of mourning the loss of normality, but then again I started off this year desiring a beautiful adventure. God has given me one, but I have had to look for it in the small daily activities. Through my walks with Gryffin and April (but mostly Gryffin) God has opened my eyes again to the beauty of nature. These walks and all this time at home has given me the opportunity to think about what kind of man I want to be.

In 2021 I want to be a man who lives in the moment with those around me, especially April and Gryffin. I want to build deeper friendships. Friendships where we pray and fight for one another. I want to be okay that I am not a finished product. I want to make mistakes and learn from them. I want to take the time to laugh and play. I want to be the man who is okay with the man I used to be. It is okay that I have been insecure, perfectionistic, and full of shame because without those traits I wouldn’t need God’s grace. His grace is what saves me and so I want to be a man who lives in God’s grace.

Peyton versus Eli!

September 8, 2013May 1, 2017Brendan Scott

Football season has tarted, school is back in high gear, and I am blogging again!

First, I would like to apologize for abandoning my readers. I’ve been quite busy for the last couple of months. I finished all of my masters classes and I’ve now started student teaching at Columbine High School here in Denver. It is great to be back in the classroom. I really feel like I am learning lots.

During my time teaching in Guatemala I tried to keep a blog every other week. Now that I am teaching again, I am going to try to keep that same commitment. I loved sharing all of my new experiences with my readers while I was in Guatemala and so I hope you all will enjoy reading about my time in the classroom here in Denver.

On my first day of teaching in Guatemala, one of my students, who was part Guatemalan (her dad is from Guatemala and her mom is from Indiana) told me that I looked like Peyton Manning. At the time I didn’t know that she’d grown up in Indiana, so this comment really caught me off guard.

People have been telling me I look like Peyton Manning since I was in the 7th grade, around the time Peyton was a senior at Tennessee. Once Eli became a star in the NFL, people started to claim I looked like him instead.

People started to argue. Families were split, I know how the manning family feels when the two play each other (Which is happening on September 15th, Go Broncos!!), all over this single question: no, not which Manning is the better QB, but who do I look more like, Peyton or Eli?.

And so I thought that my students here in Denver would jump right into this argument. Who do I look like more, Eli or Peyton?

I didn’t bring it up, not wanting to distract my class, but I was sure that one of the football crazy students would say something. I mean Peyton is the quarter back of our home town team. But it took two weeks for any kids to bring anything up.

Midway through last week a girl in my freshmen class raised her hand and said, “Mr. Scott, has anyone every told you that you look like Peyton Manning?” I think she was hoping she would’ve been the first to have this thought. Like any good teacher, I shattered her dreams. “Yes,” I replied seriously, “we’re related.”

Sadly, I am not related to the Manning, and no I didn’t actually tell her that I was related to him, but I wish I could’ve. I wish I actually was, because then I might not be only five feet eight inches tall. Oh well! I’ll just live to accept being a stunt double for either Peyton or Eli. I’m just sad that they didn’t ask me to be in their F.O.Y.P. commercial.

So who do you all think I look like? Peyton or Eli?

The First 101 Days Of The Year

April 13, 2013April 13, 2013Brendan Scott

I can’t believe that it’s already April. Last year for the first 100 days of the year my mom and I did burppies every day. It was a great challenge, one I decided not to repeat. I decided to take on a different challenge this year. Go to the gym every day for at least the first 100 days.

Well, I made it through the first 103 days of the year without missing, and technically I’ve gone 104 days in a row as I went to the gym on New Years Eve.

Going to the gym came easy, its what happened when I wasn’t at the gym that has been a different type of challenge.

The first 30 days flew by. Other than making it to the gym on January first, when I felt too tired to do anything, it wasn’t difficult to make it to the gym every.

Even though I thought making it a week straight would be the real challenge, as 6 days in a row was my previous top, but I set my mind to it and January turned into February. But as you may have read, my year came crashing to a halt on day 45. If you do the math. you’ll know this was Valentine’s Day, the day my Pathfinder died.

But this didn’t stop me from going to the gym. Still in shock from the accident, I made my way to the gym late on the night of the 14th.

Two days later, when I was preparing my house for my birthday party, I nearly ran out of time to go to the gym, but while the pork was marinading and the rice was cooking, I dashed off to the gym and did a quick 100 sit ups (my goal was to go to the gym every day, not have an extreme workout every day, and every little bit counts).

After those hiccups, it didn’t seem like anything could stop me.

Well, not a huge blizzard that canceled worship at The Neighborhood Church on March 3rd, day number 62 of the year.

Then the gym closed. But did that stop me? No, I didn’t let 24 hour fitness’s decision to remodel their Kipling location hinder my workouts. From the 8th of March to the 13th I drove to the other 24’s in my area. I thought about taking that time off, but since I’d made it when my car was wrecked and when I had hardly any time, I couldn’t let the inconvenience of having to drive 15 minutes stop me.

Heck when I lived in Guatemala I used to walk 45 minutes to get to the gym. I guess that’s how I managed to make it all the way to 100 days in a row without missing a workout.

On the way to 100 Days I bought a car to replace my wrecked Pathfinder. My car insurance really helped me recover from that wreck. And then just as I passed 100 straight days at the gym, on day 101, my new car died on me. It’s not fixable either. That Thursday night, frustrated about my car problems, I found myself at the gym. I didn’t want to be anywhere else.

Well, maybe in Guatemala where I didn’t need a car. But I couldn’t go to the gym everyday there, as my gym in Xela was always closed on Saturdays. But something I could do in Guatemala, and I’ve continued to do every day here in Colorado is read my Bible and trust in God. This is something I’ve tried to do every day for the last 8 years.

And that part of my day, the time in prayer and the Bible, is what really helped me make it through the first 101 days of the year.

Spending time with God every day made going to the gym easy. If my eyes are focused on him, my true prize, running, biking, and lifting will come easy. The hard part is trusting God when everything seems out of control. Like when my car died.

But here is what I read out of the Jesus Calling that night after going to the gym to burn off my frustration over the loss of another car, “This is the day that I have made. Rejoice and be glad in it. Begin the day with open hands of faith, ready to receive all that I am pouring into this brief portion of your life. Be careful not to complain about anything, even the weather (or cars in my circumstance), since I am the Author of your circumstances. The best way to handle unwanted situations is to thank Me for them. This act of faith frees you from resentment and frees Me to work My ways into the situation, so that good emerges from it.

To find Joy in this day, you must live within its boundaries. I knew what I was doing when I divided time into twenty-four hour segments. I understand human frailty, and I know that you can bear the weight of only one day at a time. Do not worry about tomorrow or get stuck in the past. There is abundant Life in My Presence today.”

Going to the gym helps me feel good. I like how I feel right now after setting aside time to be active each day, but spending time with God, reading his word, and praying to him, gives me true hope for a future filled with Joy, because he is in control.

He will redeem this day and he just might do it while I’m at the gym.

10 Things I Will Do In 2013

January 4, 2013January 5, 2013Brendan Scott

2012 was a banner year for me. I did some things I said I wouldn’t do (Against my will I used American Airlines), but I also did a lot of things I wanted to do. In August I kick started my masters program at Regis University. I’m now well on my way to holding a masters degree in teaching. While restarting school made my year feel busy, I was able to have a lot of fun in 2012. So much so, that I have a few adventures that I want to repeat.

1. I will Bike to Pine, Colorado! On October 12, 2012, I rode my bike mountain bike up the Colorado trail from Waterton Canyon to Pine Colorado. After months of training the ride was almost ruined by a violent flat tire, which exploded on me, bending my wheel and shooting me like a cannon ball into the air. With a new wheel and better tires I pedaled my way through the rain to end of the trek, just in time to see a bull elk boss around his harem. Interested in doing this ride? Join me this summer and we can make the trek together.

2. I will visit Guatemala! Last March I spent a week in Guatemala helping lead the Spiritual Emphasis retreat for my old school. Sharing Christ’s love with my former students was the highlight of my year. I don’t know when I’ll fly back down to my second favorite country, but there are several people who want me to be there for their graduation.

3. I will continue to live my life like a Hobbit! Okay, I’ll wear shoes, but Hobbits tend to live with a unique sense of excitement and hope ; they never give up. I don’t know what is in store for me this year, but I want to be like the Hobbit, Sam, who doesn’t lose hope when he is facing mount doom and sure death! You’re right, if you guessed that I’m already excited for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug to come out later this year, but I want to live with excitement and hope in all things in my life.

4. I will run another half-marathon! I plan on running the Pikes Peak Half Marathon this year with a couple guys from my small group. Running halves has taught me a lot about life. To run a half you need to know how to be committed. Training takes months and once you start the race, if you want to finish, you’ve got to know how to keep the feet moving. I know that running up to the top of Pikes Peak will be hard, but it will make a great adventure.

5. I will continue to learn how to cook! On New Years Eve I baked my first cake, an oatmeal brown sugar cake that turned out very sweet. I also learned how to make the marinade for my family’s Christmas dinner. We had Tacos al Pastor. The pork meat turned out so tender my sister thought it was Chicken! I want to try to cook a meal for my family at least once a month, so send me some recipes.

6. I will finish my short story! I have been working on this particular story for a little over a year and a half. I want to submit it for publishing by next September. Keep me accountable, so that I keep writing.

7. I will finish my masters in teaching! The masters in teaching program at Regis Jesuit University has really been a great challenge. I’ve been learning a lot, and even though I’d rather be teaching the information, than writing papers on it, I’m excited to complete my education. This time next year I’ll be looking for jobs!

8. I will continue to study Spanish! Acquiring a second language has slowed down over the last two years, especially since I started back to school. I’ve been listening to Spanish music and trying to start up conversations in Spanish (This is the hardest part). This means I need to actively look for people to speak Spanish with, let me know if you know anyone.

9. I will spend more than a month without sugar! Last year I spent July and a little bit of August without sugar. I was amazed by how much better I felt when I subtracted sugar from my life. I was going to live 2013 without sugar, but I still have leftover cake and so I’ll have to eat that first.

10. I will continue to live spiritually! In 2012 I challenged myself and all the people in my life to look for God in all aspects of our lives. My goal, to engage with life and God every day, meant I continued to read my bible each day. Daily, I started looking for things I was thankful for, things I found joy in, and blessings I felt God let me be a part of. Last year was a true adventure and I am looking forward to engaging with all that God has for me this year.

Field of Dreams: My All Star Moment

July 11, 2012July 26, 2017Brendan Scott

Dreaming is a tricky thing.

I’m not just talking about the kind where you place your head on a pillow and close your eyes, although night time dreams can inspire our waking dreams or desires. When I was twenty I had a dream I married a girl name Sarah. When I woke up I believed it was actually going to happen, so for two years I didn’t talk to girls, unless her name was Sarah. This is a slight exaggeration, but I let that dream hinder how I lived. Fortunately, that dream died, later than it should have, but only after I made myself awkward around a few too many Sarah’s.

The other night I dreamt that I was back in Guatemala. Dreaming I’m back in Guatemala is pretty typical. Most mornings when I wake up I tell myself, “well, guess I didn’t dream about Guatemala last night, must be over it now,” but then ten minutes later my dreams come drifting back through my mind and yep, I was in Guatemala again. I feel like I dream about Guatemala so consistently because the country and the people there mean so much to me. I am very grateful for all of my dreams, but unfortunately another aspect of my dreams is most of the time they turn out unresolved.

In my last dream, I was in Guatemala for the graduation of some of my students. It felt so right to be back. In my dreams it’s raining, as it is always raining in Guatemala. I am teaching again, but IAS looks different. It is more like a castle, which is odd, but not odd enough to tip me to the fact I’m in a dream. My students are listening to my every word, and who can blame them, my lecture is flawless. Bam, I know it’s a dream. Then, in a flash, it’s time for graduation and I want to celebrate each kid, tell them how special they are. But before I have a chance to tell anyone how great they are I have a light saber battle with Lord Voldemort. But before I strike the killing blow, I wake up. Always. I never see it to the end. It’s horrible.

Crazy, right?

Waking up from an unresolved dream is annoying, but living life in a dream world is a tragedy, because you never actually live. Like when I was dreaming about a girl named Sarah. Yet, I would be lost if I didn’t drop off at night and let my mind create. Sadly, if all I did was sleep, living in my dream world, I would be even more lost. I believe we must dream in the real world and go after those dreams, because “If we are afraid to dream grand dreams, then we live empty lives.”

I have many dreams or desires in my life. I want to write professionally, have a family, become more like the man Jesus created me to be, and maybe go back to Guatemala to teach again, and it would be a shame if I didn’t go after those dreams. If I live my life just dreaming I’ll never reach my potential. I must take action.

In Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone Harry comes across a strange mirror. It’s a mirror that can tell the dreams of a man’s heart. The mirror is aptly named the Mirror of Erised (desire backwards). In the mirror Harry sees his parents, who have died. He spends hours just staring at them, settling for the unreal fulfillment of having his parents with him, instead of living his life and creating actual relationships. In the book, Dumbledore, Harry’s headmaster, warns Harry away from spending too much time in front of the mirror. Dumbledore tell’s Harry, “It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

Living is part of taking action. I can spend all day dreaming about life in Guatemala or becoming a writer, but if I never write, I will have never lived. I will have never reached out and taken a risk.

And so as I have grown up my dreams have changed. I have let go of my dream to be a rock star (can’t sing), being president (not corrupt enough), or Robin Hood (Don’t like Wearing Tights). However, it is important to remember our childhood dreams and remember that God can redeem our past hopes and their innocence, but that is a blog that will come later.

When I was little I dreamed of playing in the major league Unfortunately I didn’t even make it as far as Moonlight Graham, who played one game in the bigs, but didn’t even get to bat. I retired after the 5th grade. I’d had a great year at third base, but my team was downright awful. Most of the kids didn’t have a passion for the game, they were just playing because their moms and dads wanted to watch them pick dandelions out in center field.

I played hard, but struggled with migraines the entire year. When my school didn’t have baseball in the 6th grade I decided it best not to play, mostly because of my migraines. My dream ended quietly, but I had school to distract me from the void not playing baseball.

I didn’t let myself stand in front of the mirror, but I moved on, and I’m glad I did.

In fact, I’d completely forgotten how passionately I dreamed of playing in the majors until I had my Field of Dreams moment. Fortunately, unlike Adam Greenberg who was beaned in the head by the first pitch he faced in the majors, which ended his career, all I did was ride the pine in the Colorado Rockies’ dugout four hours before a game.

I was on a tour of the Coors Field for my job. I’ve been working as a summer camp councilor with Ken-Caryl here in Littleton, Colorado. I have a feeling none of the kids at my camp actually grasped how cool it was to sit where the likes of Todd Helton or Troy Tulowitzki have sat. But as I sat down, as my butt touched the wooden bench, I felt transformed. It was as if God was saying, “you might not have made it to the majors, but here’s a little taste of what it is like.” It was awesome.

I didn’t think I would feel such a rush as I sat on the bench, but I did, guess that’s what dreams do to you. I have been on the bench of a major league baseball team. And even though I only sat for a couple minutes it was enough for me, I knew I couldn’t sit there for my entire life, holding onto the greatness of that moment. Life had to move on, nor could I sit their dwelling on what could’ve been. God has more for me than that. And so, I stood up feeling fulfilled.

Adam Greenberg knows that life must move on. After being hit by a pitch to the head, he was plagued by bad eyesight and dizzy spells, which negatively impacted his game. Sadly he has never made it back to the majors, but he did get to face the pitcher again in a minor league game. He came away with a hit in the at bat and he knows that’s good enough. He can move on with his life.

I will never reach my dreams if I keep my head on my pillow. I left Guatemala because, while I loved living there, God was giving me new dreams, like going back to school and being a part of a healthy church community. Those things couldn’t happen if I stayed in Guatemala. And right now, even as I dream about the country every night, my real life dreams can’t happen if I go back at this point of my life. I have to let go a little, and live my life and trust that God wont let my true dreams end unresolved.

What are you dreaming of? Are you living your life or are you stuck looking at the Mirror of Erised?

4th of July: What Does Independence And The Flag Mean To You?

July 4, 2012July 4, 2012Brendan Scott

I love taking pictures of the American flag. The flag’s outward beauty is evident, but I think what it represents is even more beautiful; Independence. Freedom to worship without the government telling me how I need to pray or not to pray.

Personally, I have never known religious oppression, but I know it still exists. Growing up in the United States, I thought everyone had those same freedoms. When I moved to Guatemala I found out that I was wrong. Now, Guatemala is a much different place than it was even twenty years ago, and most people are very free to go to whatever church they like, but throughout Guatemala’s history the country struggled to find the right balance between secularism and religiosity. Mainly the Catholic and Protestant populations fought for control of the government.

Each group tried to impose it’s will onto the rest of Guatemala. This is a very simplified view of the centuries long struggle in the country. To go deeper we would have to consider racism, classism, and greed. Needless to say, Guatemala struggled because it wasn’t founded on independence and the freedom of religion like we were in the United States.

Maybe the reason why I love taking pictures of the flag is because America allows me to love my God. America lets me place God first in my life. I can abstain from saluting the flag if I feel like it is overtaking my allegiance to God. Just think back to the 1930s, in prewar Germany, people had to give the “Hitler Salute” or face severe punishment. And Germany was supposed to be a “Christian Nation.” But then again, that’s the same Nazi Germany that murdered millions of Jews just because they didn’t believe in Christ, which doesn’t sound like religious freedom to me, or very Christlike. I think it was Christ who said love your neighbor like yourself.

I know America has its flaws, but when I look at that flag, I see some of the things we’ve done right. I thank God for my country, and I pray that some day everyone will experience true independence, true adventure; a free life with God.

I hope you get a chance to take a look at your flag and think about what it means to you. Happy Fourth Of July!

The Mountains Win Again

June 27, 2012Brendan Scott

Call me a mountain man, well a mountain man who lives in the city, likes to shower every day, and keep a clean shaven face. But call me a mountain man anyway. My heart swells at the sight of the Rocky Mountains. Maybe it’s because I lived in Vail, Colorado for seven years, or maybe it’s because I’m a Colorado native who grew up in hot, flat, Oklahoma. My love for the mountains just must be in my blood.

My family has always held the mountains in a special place. Back in the 90’s when we were still living in flatlander Tulsa, Oklahoma, my family went on a mission trip to Costa Rica. As we were driving through the cloud forest in the mountains someone mentioned Psalm 121, you know, the one about mountains and how awesome they are and how our help comes from them. Ever since then I’ve had a strong connection between God and the mountains.

I came home from Costa Rica with a love for the mountains in my heart and a passion for God in my soul. That short week is why I eventually moved to Guatemala. Heck, I even lived in the mountains while in Guatemala. There’s just something about the mountains.

A couple of weeks ago something major happened for my family in the mountains. My sister, Emmy, decided to have my dad baptize her in Piny Lake.

Emmy led our family over to Piney Lake as the sun crept over the majestic Gore Range. The morning was warm, but the water was cold. My dad spoke confidently, saying:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
²My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

³He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

⁷The Lord will keep you from all harm —
he will watch over your life;
⁸the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Emmy turned her eyes to the mountains and made a statement that she would always look to the Lord for help. The Gore Range and Piney Lake will never be the same for me. When I think of them I will think of how great my God is and how He saves us.

What do you see when you look up to the mountains? I’m always reminded of how much God loves me. That is why the mountains always win.

5 Reasons My Mom Is Better Than Your’s

May 13, 2012May 13, 2012Brendan Scott

In honor of Mother’s Day I thought I’d tell you why my mom is better than your mom. Now I could easily name more than five reasons why she is the best, but I don’t want you to get all upset. I mean if I listed seven reasons why my mom is better than yours, you’d feel seven times worse about your mom.

I really can’t help it that my mom is the best. I mean she brought me into this world, toilet trained me, and even put her foot down and said no to me a couple of times. Mother knows best! But those are things every mom has done, or should do.

Here are the five reasons why my mom is better than your mom:

1. She Will Not Steal Even If It Is Free.

How many of you take those free sugar packets from Quicktrip or 7-11? Not my mom. One day, after my older sister, Katie, and my Grandma came back from the gas-station, they were talking about their free sugar packets. “You take extra packets too, Grandma,” said my sister. “All the time,” replied my Grandma. My mom, who was standing right next to the two thieves, cut in, “That’s stealing. Taking one is okay, but to take more is wrong.” For the next thirty minutes she let my sister and her mother-in-law have it. So much so, that they swore off gas-station sugar packets.

My mom has morals. That’s why when I went to print out a picture for her Mother’s Day gift at Wal-Mart I made sure to pay for it. The machine printed out my picture and never charged me. I could have just walked right out of the store, but I knew my mom would never accept a stolen gift. So I found the nearest employee and asked to pay for the picture. My mom has taught me well.

2. My Mom Would Jump.

The crystal clear lake lay forty feet below. One, two, three . . . jump! This was Guatemala 2009, Lago Atitlan to be exact. We were all standing at the edge of the lake urging each other to jump. I jumped, made a big splash. My dad said no (Chicken). Emmy, my little sister, jumped on her first try (She’s awesome).

My mom is not a chicken, nor is she just awesome. She is a mom who jumped off of the highest cliff on Lago Atitlan. When my dad wouldn’t do it, my mom faced the big drop and showed her family how cool she is. My mom jumped off of a 40 foot cliff into the lake. As beautiful as Lago Atitlan is, with it’s stunning blue waters and the three volcanoes dominating the view, I will always remember that lake for my mom’s death defying jump.

3. My Mom Kicked Me Out Of The House

Okay, she didn’t litterally kick me out of the house. Five years ago, I was working at a job I hated. This lame job scheduled me to work on Mother’s Day. Three months later I found my self living in Guatemala. And my mom had everything to do with my move. No, it wasn’t because I wasn’t able to celebrate her on Mother’s Day. She told me to go to Guatemala because she saw my passion for missions and wanted me to have a chance to serve.

My mom is better than all the other mom’s out there because she has faith. She knew that she had to let me go so that God could work in my life. I would never have lived in Guatemala if it wasn’t for her.

4. My Mom Teaches Kindergarten

I know, I know. You are thinking that Kindergarten is easy. Those kids take naps. But in reality teaching Kindergarten is more like this video.

My mom pours her life into those kids, which means they are lucky. She is a fantastic teacher, who works super hard to make sure all of her students are socialized, and know their A, B, C’s, and know not to stab one another with scissors, and how to read, and how to deal with bullies, and how to do calculous, and how to write responses to their favorite Dr Seuss book, and when is the right time to go potty and where is the right place, and how to have fun all while staying in the lines. My mom doesn’t back down from any challenge. She teaches Kindergarten.

5. My Mom Would Impersonate You

My mom is immensely tallented at doing voices. Not a day paces by without her coming home from work with a story (remember she teaches Kindergarten) and those stories are always accompanied by a creative impression of her student. She always keeps her impressions tasteful and never stops surprising me with her versatility. She can pass as an old man, little girl, British nanny, and even my dad. Sadly I don’t have any video of my mom impersonating anyone, but she’ll do a voice for you if you ask her.

You might not be able to see my mom impersonating you, but that shouldn’t stop you from impersonating her. You should love kids like she loves kids. You should love your family like she loves her family. You should love and follow God they way she loves and follows God.

My mom is better than your’s because she showed me how to love and be loved.

Thank You Mom! Happy Mother’s Day!