When Jesus sent out his disciples to proclaim the good news- "God himself has paid the penalty for our sins and Invites us to become his children"- this became the centerpiece, the driving force, the all-consuming passion of those men and women. Why? Because Jesus, the miracle worker, the man crucified by the Romans because of the demands of Jewish leaders, walked out of the grave alive! Jesus PRO...  Read More

What activities fill your day? Life itself takes a lot of work, doesn't it? Cooking, cleaning, laundry, yard work, chasing after kid activities, our own hobbies... all of that before we even talk about earning a living. If we don't INTENTIONALLY keep our relationship with Jesus Christ (and our mission) at the center of our lives, we will unintentionally LEAVE GOD OUT. My prayer life has not been w...  Read More

And so it begins. Our longest day of the year was gloriously sunny, but now we start marching the other way. For the next six months each day will be shorter than the one before it. We have four months- maybe a few weeks more- before the snow comes to stay. Between now and then, life for 'outdoorsy' Alaskans becomes almost a little frantic. Hiking, climbing, camping, fishing, dipnetting, berry pic...  Read More

Small irritants can cause big problems. When ignored or not dealt with properly, they can negatively impact how we think and speak and act in other, more important situations. I was by myself and knocked a bull moose down in heavy brush. I was in a 'walk in only' area. The 'no-see-ums' were so thick and biting my exposed skin so relentlessly that I could hardly stand it. I started cutting very rap...  Read More

When Solomon was made king, God told him that he would grant him whatever he wished. Did he ask for wealth? Did he ask for long life? Did he ask for victory over his enemies? No, none of those. He asked for wisdom so that he could rule the nation of Israel with justice. God was so pleased that he gave him greater wisdom than any person who ever lived on earth (and whoever will live on earth). But ...  Read More

I hauled a large extension ladder deep into the woods. Don't ask me how- that's a story in and of itself. I also carried in a large 2-seater ladder stand piece by piece. I climbed about 20 feet up the ladder with a drill and 2 eye-bolts. It was a little precarious, but I drilled a hole in each side of the tree and screwed in the eye-bolts.Then I threaded a rope through each 'eye' and pulled it dow...  Read More

We see a great battle between good and evil being played out in America today. A single political party is orchestrating and paying for riots across America. It's the party of slavery, the party of the Ku Klux Klan, the party of segregation, the party of the welfare state, the party of illegal immigrants casting votes, the party of many billions of dollars of secret government corruption, the part...  Read More

There is a remnant in Israel. God's 'chosen' people are to be respected, loved, and honored. Salvation of mankind came first TO and then THROUGH the Jews. Our Savior, Jesus, was a Jew. This is why Satan has always hated Israel. They are a constant reminder to him of God's mercy and grace and of Christ's victory over sin and death. Consider the striking difference between Israel and her enemies. If...  Read More

On this Father's Day I want to give thanks for my own father. My grandmother (his mom) told me that my dad took his first job at 10 years old, earning $2.50 a week. She told me that he gave her two dollars of that money to help pay the bills. My dad gave his three sons a picture of a strong, masculine man. He was a hard worker, an excellent employee, and demanded that we also work- even as very yo...  Read More

Another glorious morning. We can pretend that the weather doesn't matter, but it does. We know that sunshine is a gift because in a perfect world, at creation and all the way to the days of Noah, the sun was shining every day. But it wasn't Arizona desert sun. God watered the earth every day with morning dew and with springs bubbling up out of the ground. And what do we receive from the sun? Heat ...  Read More

A weary body is one thing. A weary soul is quite another. A body that is weary from the hard toil of serving others- of working to provide- of physical exercise and training- soaks up rest like a dry sponge soaks up water. But physical rest becomes very difficult when a person has a restless soul. Every soul that is not anchored in Christ is in danger of drifting into troubled waters. People seek ...  Read More

Spontaneity is a great thing. Many of life's great moments are unplanned. In the same way, many great opportunities are missed by those who refuse to set aside their schedule and plans. The problem comes in when so many people, especially men, say, "I like to live spontaneously" as an excuse for a lack of commitment or irresponsible living. God tells us that a wise builder makes a plan and conside...  Read More