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

Occasionally when I am out in the mountains I will 'sense' danger. Often my adrenaline surges and every part of me is on high alert. When you and I are walking with the Lord the way we ought to be, we experience that same sense of danger when Satan tempts us to sin. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man. And God is faithful. He will not let you be ...  Read More

Simplicity is one of the keys to enjoying life. Let me give you an example. Let's say that you have a few acres of land and want horses. Aside from the initial cost, the vet bills and farriers, you still need saddles and tack. You'll also need a trailer. Then you'll discover that you need a bigger truck to pull it. Suddenly there is a truck payment and much higher insurance, and we haven't even ta...  Read More

The Scripture tells us to "beware of false teachers." But how do we know? Certainly not by their popularity because many false teachers are very popular. Not by the size of their church, because many false teachers pastor large churches. Then how? God actually spells this out very clearly in Scripture. He said of new Christians in the city of Berea, "Now the Bereans were more noble than their brot...  Read More

First I heard a twig snap- then another. I was straining my eyes and ears- listening for sound- looking for movement. And just like that, there was my bear... at 11 PM... after 4 hours in a tree... The key to caring for all wild game is to keep the meat clean and then get it cold. This is especially true of a bear because their thick hide is like a thermal blanket and will quickly sour the meat. I...  Read More

So there I was- reading a book- sitting high in a tree- at 10 o'clock at night. I could have scraped the mosquitoes off my headnet by the handful. I had to wear medical rubber gloves to keep them off my hands. Though reading, I was also concentrating on the sounds surrounding me- listening for a twig to snap or even the breathing of a large animal. Other than a couple of squirrels chasing each oth...  Read More

I'm one of the worst 'still hunters' in human history. Sitting still when I'm out in the woods- much less sitting still for hours in the freezing cold or when I am being eaten alive by mosquitoes- is not my 'gift.' I've had to learn to deal with this, because sitting still is essential for hunting success in Alaska. The hours spent looking through binoculars or a spotting scope pay off when an ani...  Read More

Many years ago I was teaching at Colony Middle School in Palmer, Alaska. Opening day of moose season fell on a school day, so right after school I headed into the mountains around Hatcher Pass. Still wearing my khaki pants and button down shirt, I made my way into a small clearing in the middle of the black spruce and began 'calling.' Just before dark a bull stepped into the clearing and I put him...  Read More

Wild fish and game was a large part of our diet when I was growing up. Duck, pheasant, grouse and venison were staples, as well as walleye and northern pike, bass, panfish and trout. My mom can make an excellent meal out of just about anything. My one-year older brother John is somewhat of a modern day Daniel Boone, and this was every bit as true when he was a young boy. When we walked to the Zumb...  Read More

Resurrection Sunday was a beautiful day. After an amazing worship service led by pastors Zech and AJ, a service that included the opportunity to share the gospel with over 500 visitors and first time guests, we had five families for Easter dinner and games. Of course, Laura filled over 100 eggs for a hunt for all the kids. I met with a small group of men early yesterday morning in Anchorage and th...  Read More

For many years I've spoken of my love for mountain climbing. To be honest, I love BEING in the high places much more than I love the process of getting there. The process is not simply physically demanding, it's often grueling and unpleasant. But then- so is lifting weights or training for a marathon. GETTING strong and STAYING strong is hard work. The same thing is true spiritually. Strength come...  Read More

EasterCelebrated in over 150 nations, this is the day that we celebrate the most important event in human history- the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The man who claimed to have come from heaven to rescue humanity from the penalty of our sins is the same man who was put to death on a cross- killed publicly- at the hands of Jewish leaders and the Roman government. For three years he taught like no o...  Read More