Do you find yourself always in a hurry? Why is that? Jesus said that he "did everything the Father gave him to do" and yet we never read that he was late. We never read that he was in a hurry. We never read that he missed an appointment. The usual problem is that you didn't get started early enough. True, there will always be unexpected delays. That's a part of life, but when you get up earlier or...  Read More

It was a big river of unknown depth, literally rushing out of the foot of a glacier. The problem? I needed to cross. I walked to the widest spot in the river, tossed a stick out into the channel, and told my Chesapeake Bay Retriever ('Tucker') to "Fetch!" I wanted to see how far he could wade and how far he had to swim. The first spot was definitely no good, so I tried again and then again. I slow...  Read More

Yesterday I had a new experience. Out in the middle of the forest I had a bird land on my hand. It chirped when I told it to sing praises to God. It fluttered just a few feet away as I reached into my pack and pulled out some cheese. I put a small piece in my hand and it flew over and stood on my palm and ate. Then it looked up at me waiting for more. As it stood on my hand- so trusting- it remind...  Read More

There is no end to the needs that surround us. How do you decide where to help? After all, you can't do two things at once and you only have so much money to give. To begin with, I would tell you to be very careful before giving money or time to organizations that do not proclaim the gospel. I'm not saying don't do it. You might have a chance to witness when you volunteer. I'm simply saying that y...  Read More

Sarah Cooke, Amanda Smith, Elizabeth Fry, Jessie Penn Lewis, Amy Carmichael, Bertha Smith, Marie Monson, Catherine Booth... just a few of the women used mightily of God to change their generations. How? By walking so closely with Jesus that they knew His POWER! They knew what it was to be not simply 'indwelt', but FILLED with the Holy Spirit. As I've read through decades of journals and reflection...  Read More

Prayer changes THINGS. All throughout history, we find that it is the unchanging nature of God to CHANGE his plans based upon the prayers of his people. Very often he is WAITING for us to pray- DESIRING that we would pray. Why? Because prayer changes US! We know ABOUT God through the Scriptures, but we KNOW God through the intimacy of constant communication and a love relationship. His Spirit test...  Read More

"You shot me!" Two friends and I were hunting ptarmigan on our snowshoes north of Paxson Lake. We were walking beside each other in a line about 40 yards apart. The birds flushed right in front of us and I shot straight ahead. As my dog retrieved the bird, I turned and shuffled as quickly as I could over to help my wounded friend. I knew that I hadn't shot in his direction, but I figured our other...  Read More

May 5 and the last little snow patch in my yard will be gone today. Soon the trees will be budding and the grass will start turning green. Spring is a very short season in Central Alaska. The days have been getting longer since last December, and will be getting shorter again in less than 6 weeks. This is the cycle of life in the far North. But here's the deal- new life ALWAYS comes. ALWAYS. I saw...  Read More

Sunrise on top of a mountain. This time of year that takes an early morning climb, but it is so worth it. Though I've been doing this for many years, my least favorite part of a climb has never changed- it's the first 10-15 minutes. My body is adjusting to the exertion, I have an unpleasant feeling that borders on nausea, and I feel like quitting every single time. But slowly (I wish I could say '...  Read More

Isn't it great to laugh? To be with good friends or loved ones in a joyful atmosphere builds us up- it literally strengthens us. God did not simply command feast DAYS, He commanded WHOLE WEEKS be given simply to celebrating his goodness with one another. These were parties in the very best sense of the word. All business and work was put on hold, they broke out the food and the musical instruments...  Read More

Back when it was legal for moose hunters to take any bull, good hunters had a distinct advantage. When the state implemented rigid antler restrictions, 'dumb luck' became far more important than skill for those who hunt off the road system. In a typical year I call in several bulls right to me, but in a typical year NONE of them are legal. Last year I passed on 5 bulls. At the same time, many novi...  Read More

How much do I pray? Not as much as I should. If we really believe that God hears and answers prayer, we should pray about EVERYTHING- ALL THE TIME. As Christians, we should be praying for our lost friends and relatives. We should be praying for our lost co-workers and neighbors. We should be praying for our lost government officials. We should be praying for our churches and leaders and missionari...  Read More