I've never been passionate about ice fishing. This is because I froze my toes to the point of tears every time I ever went as a child and never once to my memory did we catch a fish. I might enjoy it more nowadays, because I see these beautiful shelters with satellite dishes out on the ice. In fact, some are actual campers. I could see myself watching a football game and cheering for my favorite t...  Read More

The temperature was −32° and getting warmer. I called my buddies and said, "Let's go." We had agreed upon −30° as our 'cut off' for whether or not to go ptarmigan hunting on our snowshoes. As crazy as it sounds, we had learned through trial-and-error in the severe cold that we were able to hold our shotguns with bare hands at that temperature. Not right out of the truck, of course, but after pilin...  Read More

Yesterday in Alaska and around the world, thousands of men, women and children had their first true taste of the resurrection of Christ. What I mean is, for the first time in their lives they heard and responded to a clear presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul, formerly an enemy and persecutor of Christians, said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the POWER of God u...  Read More

He is risen! The man who told us he was with God before our world began. The man who told us that he and God the Father are 'one.' The Miracle Worker who taught like no one ever taught before and loved us like no one ever loved us before. The one they crucified and sealed in a tomb. The one who said he came to SAVE us. HE is risen! This earth-shaking news spread quickly throughout the Middle East ...  Read More

For those who had been WITH Jesus, the Saturday that he lay in the tomb was the darkest day of their lives. By 'with' I mean that their HEARTS were with him, their LIVES were SURRENDERED to him, their FAITH was RESTING in him. For THOSE people this was a dark day. Why were they confused? Why, after Jesus had told them that he must die and rise on the 3rd day, did they not see what you and I can se...  Read More

GOOD Friday. A day of weeping as the Savior was taken from us.Matthew 9:14-16 says, "Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them- then they will fast."One of the beautiful, w...  Read More

To RESOLVE- to have fierce determination- this is what is needed in the Christian life. You must RESOLVE to get up early enough in the morning to have quality time with the Lord. You must RESOLVE to keep a prayer journal with all of your friends, loved ones, leaders and their needs. You must RESOLVE to be kind, generous and encouraging. You must RESOLVE to maintain a healthy diet and exercise. Fro...  Read More

My biggest problem in life has always been ME. SELF. Pitiful, but true. SELF-denial is something I was never naturally good at. I began at a very early age to work hard and save money, but the goal of both was still so that I might buy things for mySELF. But then I'm not the only one, am I? Selfishness is a part of our fallen human nature. Let's call it what it is- SIN. This is why Jesus said, "If...  Read More

Jesus said, "WHEN you pray..." and then told us how we should position our hearts for prayer. He also said, "WHEN you fast..." In the same way that Jesus expected his followers to pray, He also EXPECTED us to fast. Like prayer and reading your Bible, fasting is a spiritual discipline that will strengthen your daily life. Through fasting bad habits that have become strongholds can be broken. This i...  Read More

In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus said, "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father who is unseen. And your Father, who se...  Read More

When I am by myself, I often do NOT do good things (or healthy things) that I would ABSOLUTELY do with someone else. The first place that I ever served in ministry as a new Christian was as 'game leader' for a high school youth group. I only agreed to serve because others were doing it with me. This was also true of the first time I attended a Bible study, the first time I attended a Sunday night ...  Read More

Men, in general, are more reserved when it comes to singing out loud in front of other people. In worship, this can cause us to become more SELF- conscious than we are GOD- conscious. But don't imagine it's because Christian men won't worship. We love it when ours is one of many voices that become ONE voice. This is what happens when you fill a room with godly men... or godly women... or Christ fo...  Read More