One thing about our incessantly difficult weather is that most of us TREASURE a beautiful day. I spent 5 hours with two friends this week drinking in the sunshine. From our 0° start to the day, the temperature by mid-afternoon had risen more than 20 degrees. The trail in was both difficult and unpleasant, but we eventually broke into open country with deep powder. We prayed together and openly tha...  Read More

A week ago I climbed an inactive volcano named 'Koko Head.' During WWII they actually lay rail tracks up the vertical slope and put defense bunkers on top. To get to the top, you must climb what seems like thousands of railroad ties one step at a time. Some things in life can only be accomplished that way. If you want to be a nurse, you must first graduate from high school or get your GED. Then yo...  Read More

Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." We are naturally good 'receivers.' That's easy. Just make certain that your children open one gift at a time and then walk over to thank and hug the giver before they open the next gift. Receiving well takes a little practice, but the joy of giving is something that needs to be TAUGHT to our children, MODELED for them, and PRACTICED daily. ...  Read More

Each year our church fasts together and then breaks the fast together with communion and a simple meal at our Good Friday service. Why fast? 1) Fasting is an act of OBEDIENCE. Giving instructions to his disciples, Jesus said, "WHEN you fast..."  He did not say, "IF you fast..." 2) Through fasting, we force our flesh to come under the control of our Spirit. SELF-discipline is hard for all of us to ...  Read More

Successfully fishing Southeastern Minnesota trout streams requires expert casting. The first reason for this is that the streams are lined with brush and low-hanging branches that dangle just above the surface of the water. Those who can't cast well spend more time with their hooks snagged on the brush than they do fishing. My brother John and I spent hours practicing in the backyard with a 1 oz s...  Read More

I just got back from an amazing weekend with 50 other men. Pastor Dean Burris challenged us with great messages on Biblical Masculinity. We had ring toss contests and ping pong, golf on the lake and trap shooting. Men played board games and cribbage, skied and rode snowmachines... We had incredible times of worship, laughed together, made new friendships and strengthened ties with those we already...  Read More

My brothers, John and Jim, are good hunters. I told them that if they would take vacation time the first week of August and fly up from Minnesota to hunt with me, that I would buy their plane tickets. I told them to come for a minimum of 10 days, but they were each only able to get 5 days of vacation time. I drove over 200 miles to pick them up at the airport and then drove over 800 miles to hunt ...  Read More

When Laura and I taught school in rural Alaska, we were each allowed to take one caribou. The problem (from Laura's perspective) is that she was not a hunter. In fact, she would not even cut up a whole chicken that you bought at the grocery store. I, however, had no intention of shooting HER caribou. We needed the meat- she needed to hunt. It was that simple. But I had an even stronger motive for ...  Read More

I talked about the importance of having a partner when you get stuck. What about those times when you are utterly alone? I was on a narrow trail in a spot that looked like you sliced the 3' tall sides of a trail with a knife. I was high centered and could not stand on either side of the machine to lift, and I did not have a winch or a rope. In my frustration and impatience I expended a tremendous ...  Read More

A person who is afraid of 'getting stuck' simply can't hunt on Alaska's trail systems. Countless times I have driven into a bad place that I KNEW I couldn't get through. Why? Because there was NO OTHER PATH. So- how DID I get through? With the right tools and partners. I have a heavy duty winch, a strong rope, hip boots, and at least one other person. We help each other get through. There are so m...  Read More

Your name is important to God, but only because it is attached to you. YOU are important to God- important enough to die for. 1 John 4:10 "This is love- not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." In the same way that a young man works overtime for months so that he can buy his future bride an engagement ring, love ALWAYS sacrifices. But imag...  Read More

Our common travel today was unimaginable even 150 years ago. I am reading the life story of a missionary to the polynesian islands around 1810. It took him a full year to sail there from England because of continuous storms and difficult weather. Today we would get on and off the plane the same day and complain about a 'long' flight. From the standpoint of sharing Christ, our ability to travel gre...  Read More