"Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray." -Luke 5:16One of the things that we often hear from men is that they feel closer to God when they are 'out in the woods' or 'out on the water.' In general terms, boys are more easily distracted than girls and have a harder time focusing for extended periods of time. But when we are out in creation, even as our eyes and ears and minds are engaging wi...  Read More

Years ago, Laura and the kids were at a stop light in Anchorage when a truck going 35 miles an hour plowed into the back end of them. Thankfully they didn't have permanent injuries, but the insurance Company said that our car was a total loss. Let me tell you something- just because they said it doesn't mean it's true.I bought the car back from the insurance company, and with a sledge hammer and a...  Read More

"They moved." In Alaska this is a very common phrase when speaking of friends. Our state is highly transient. As a pastor, a little piece of my heart goes along every time someone moves. As a Christian, wouldn't it be much more accurate for us to say of those who have died, "They moved"?After all, in the same way, that Anchorage is a place and Fairbanks is a place and New York is a place and Tokyo...  Read More

Physical strength has SOME value. Every boy and man daydreams about being stronger. But if we were able to listen in on funeral conversations, isn't it true that the vast majority of those considered to be a STRONG man or woman would never have won physical strength contests? Why, then, when their lives on earth are over, do people say they were so strong?For some, it was strength to endure- to ca...  Read More

When a little toddler starts to giggle, it spreads through the whole room. Laughter is a gift from God. Teach yourself to smile and to laugh easily- to laugh at yourself- to laugh at unexpected and inconvenient circumstances. Laugh often and laugh well. There is an idea out there that being serious and diligent means you shouldn't laugh or be light-hearted. WRONG! Yes, there are times when laughte...  Read More

I had an interesting experience when buying a battery for my 1981 GMC 1 ton crew cab pickup. The cashier asked me, "What color is it?" On the passenger side the rear quarter panel is brown, the back door is yellow, the front door is blue, the front quarter panel is black, and the hood is red. Tell me, if five different people were passionately arguing over what color their new trucks should be, wo...  Read More

Our mission team from south Georgia arrived last night. They stood by the luggage carousel until everyone was gone but them- no baggage. The service counter informed them that all of their bags were put on a different plane that would be landing in Anchorage shortly. It simply made a very long day a little longer. By the time we got them to the church it was nearly 4 AM Georgia time.Sometimes our ...  Read More

Revelation 4:8 tells us that heavenly creatures surrounding God's throne never stop singing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!" God always WAS. Jesus prayed in John 17:5, "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."But he is not simply a God of the past, He is a God of the present- God always ...  Read More

Life marches on. I know several who, shy of a miracle, will be meeting Jesus soon. I know countless others who will die and go to hell soon- unless... unless... unless like the thief on the cross next to Jesus, they repent and turn to Christ in faith. But how will that happen if you and I are not DOING what God has commanded us to do?Romans 10:12-15 says, "For there is no difference between Jew an...  Read More

In John 17:11 Jesus prayed for his followers, "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world and I am coming to you Holy Father. Protect them by the power of YOUR name- THE NAME YOU GAVE ME- so that they may be one as we are one." The name Jesus (in Greek pronounced Ee-Ay-Soos) literally means "The Lord Saves," or, "God Is Salvation." This is the name the angel told Mary an...  Read More

One of Satan's most effective weapons against believers is a spirit of depression. A wise psychiatrist (who spent decades as a leader in his field) said that when he dealt with people struggling with depression he told them to go into the poorest part of town, find someone who has a need, and then DO SOMETHING to meet that need. But instead of heeding that advice many Christians state, "I suffer f...  Read More

Memorial Day. A day to remember those who have fallen defending freedom around the world. While the continent of Africa (read Mungo Park's journals- he didn't encounter a single tribe in years of travel that was not capturing, enslaving and selling others) along with nearly all of the rest of the world continued to practice the evil of slavery, the United States became the first nation in history ...  Read More