Food For Thought. That was a good man!

Penn of Penn & Teller is a professed atheist. However he makes some very good observations about those who would profess Christ. Listen to what he has to say and ask yourself if there is somewhere you could improve in your own Faith Journey.

Your entrance is everything

This Christmas season you may be having uncle Joe dress up as Santa for the kids. Just remember reindeer don't fly and neither do bodies over the age of 50. So be careful out there. That red suit could get you in all kinds of trouble.

"Remember, Were all in this together, if the women don't find you handsome may they at least find you handy!"
Red Green

Babys

What else can I say! I just like babies. Maybe I will run for office.

Jesus, Meth and Korn

Brian Welch from the band Korn shares his story of redemption in this video. The life of someone addicted to Methamphetamine is difficult to understand if you are not in their world. Yet God is everywhere. Listen to Brian's story and check out the stories of others such as Joe Gibbs, Tony Evans, Darrell Waltrip and more at http://www.iamsecond.com/

This is just cool

Remember, I'm pulling for you

I have a slight addiction lately to the Red Green Show. For one thing it is some of the cleanest comedy's on the tube and you don't have to think too deep as you watch it. Besides that Red uncovers the crazy in all of us because he reminds us of someone we know.

In the midst of all of the humor is a statement that my uncle quotes every time he leaves after a visit. That quote is one that we need to remember after yesterdays elections. There is always someone disappointed by the outcome and the tendency can be to see the downside of our future when we need to remain involved to be part of the solution.

We are always moving forward whether it be good or bad. Time itself in our human existence is linear. Therefore it is consumed right before our eyes. Our mistake comes when we miss the fact we are to take part in this world even though we may not be in control or headed the way we feel we should. Helen Keller said: "I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; I will not refuse to do the something I can do."

Steve Smith who plays Red ends every show, whether he's talking about married life or the way of the world, with "Remember, I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together." We need to remember that we are all in this together and it is our calling to pull for others. We cannot be part of the solution if we are part of the problem. As it was written long ago, our solution begins here:

"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth."
1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NLT)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (The Message)

Winne The Pooh and The Blustery day.

Yesterday I made reference to the windy day that we were having. When I said it was a Winne the Pooh day. Blustery. So today I ran across this and enjoyed the humor in it all. It is nice to start Mondays off with a laugh. What was the writer of this book thinking? I think we should all get together and send a copy of this to all of our young people in college. NO doubt it would make their day!

What You Do In Life Echoes In Eternity.1

Take a few minutes to watch this video of Fred Rogers receiving a lifetime achievement award. So often we underestimate our impact on the people around us. The simplest of things done with the right heart makes the biggest of differences. I encourage you to remember that "what you do in life echoes in eternity".

God Is Not Safe

Standing at the counter of the local gas station, I impatiently waited my turn to pay for my Diet Coke and head out the door. All I wanted was to just pay for my Diet coke and go. I know I’ve got a problem! The three people in front of me, one by one, took turns sharing with the cashier where they have been today and where they were going for the rest of the day and every conversation ended with, “Have a safe trip.” When my turn finally came and I paid the cashier, she looked in my direction and said, “And you have a safe trip too!” Without even thinking, I replied, “I’m not going anywhere I need to be safe.” She just smiled and I headed out the door.

Often we fill the air with the sound of the words, “Have a safe trip”. Its intention is that we would have trouble free travel. So that we would return home at least in the same condition we left. But when you listen to the words and really think about them, it kind of makes you feel all nauseous. “Safe,” “grandma,” they go together. I can’t for the life of me think of one thing I have ever done that amounted to anything that I would have cast upon it a label called “safe.” In fact, safe amounts to boring. It becomes the thing you do to make sure “you don’t.” Know what I mean?

In all of my great times in life, never did I suggest we go out and do something safe.
No one would go! Reading the Bible, I find an incredible image of God. What a guy. The things he got himself into. Really, you find out that he’s not sitting at home, “Playing it safe.” Rather you find him hanging out with some despicable characters, totally unsafe, out walking the streets at “ungodly hours!”

The temptation during tough times is to play it safe. Be a little “Turtle-ish” and pull your head back in to your shell. Be careful. Slow down. Play it safe. I almost want to throw up at the life draining words that just came out of my mouth. Why? Because in all my years, (if they amount to anything) in all my understanding, in all my “Born Days” as Grandma said. I have never met God playing it safe. He is not there. In the midst of the total depravity that was my soul. God met me and it was not safe. He reached across a lifetime of crap to extend himself to me through Christ, but it was not safe. In fact, I have never seen him in such places you could deem safe. He just doesn’t spend anytime there.

Lately there have been things taking place that sends a call deep into the recesses of my mind that begs I play it safe. It rifles through all the reasons and benefits of “safe.” Of which there are many, it shares the comfort of a safe life and the stress free moments only it can bring. Man, I can see the lemonade now, but I am reminded that God did not play it safe when he reached out to me. Truthfully, he risked everything.

Tonight there was a meeting of a group of women in our church of just the kind of people that Christ has risked everything for. Believe me. If you’re into acting like a Christian, you wouldn’t have survived it. Because it wasn’t safe. Life has not been safe for them. They have stories and struggles beyond most people’s comprehension and yet they are discovering Christ. Not church. Christ! Not how to act, but how to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. That is significant, hard work that only God can bring. That is real live stuff that can’t be contained in a box labeled Church. However, from it comes a real faith walk.

We must stop suggesting to others that following Christ makes everything safe, that if you commit your life to Christ it’ll all be ok. If God is not one thing he is not safe. He is reckless with his love, daring with his desires and completely over the top when it comes to risks for greatness and he expects the same from us. Nothing I have is worth not trading for one person to “get it right,” one family to be made right, one man to see the value he has to God. Nothing!

We have challenges here, but I know we are on the right path. Our struggles to grow a young church sometimes overwhelm us and we are way in over our heads, but God is here. I know it, because it’s “Not Safe Here.”

We’ve Only One Life ~ It Soon Will Be Past ~ Only What’s Done For Christ Will Last

212 Degrees

Ironridge Bulldogs

Just for fun. I put together a video of our Bulldogs. Near the end of the video is a friend of mine Paul Mitton from Colorado. Paul is a great guy. He is also the District Executive Minister for the Rocky Mountain District. Who happens to be a Bulldog lover. I liked the picture of him holding his Bulldog so much I had to include it. Now I suppose I will need to pay him some kind of "Appearance Fee" for using his image. The song in the video is done by a band called Ambrosia that my wife and I listened to when we were dating. The name is "I just can't let go". So whats the purpose? some things you do just for the fun of it. That and the song so reminded me of how I feel about the woman in my life. My wife, Terri. I am blessed. " The years don't change the way i feel inside"

Safe at Home

As a kid we grew up in a very different world than the one that exists now. Although I like Xbox Major League Baseball 2K8 it’s just not the same. Our days running around the neighborhood consisted of one major event, baseball. Baseball was an everyday activity and sometimes lasted all day. It’s what we did and who we were. Baseball was a dream, a chance to live a life bigger than yourself, amongst a rag tag bunch of guys who seldom wanted to be in the reality of the homes we lived in.

I can still remember getting my Johnny Bench facsimile autographed catchers mitt from the local Western Auto store. It was the most treasured $25 piece of leather I had ever owned. Day after day we would head down to the empty lot which I happened to live next to and put together a sandlot game that seemed to go on for hours. More than likely it was probably 50 innings each day.

Our days were spent with each other and rarely did anyone ever come looking for us. We all contributed something. Food from mom’s kitchen, baseballs, Bubblegum or the Chewing tobacco we tried once, but immediately threw up. We either played until it was too dark or until enough of us were called home by the only word that mattered, “dinner”. Those were the most care free times of our lives.

As you grow older and time goes on, you move to other things. Things that need your attention such as family, careers, friends, life in general takes an unfamiliar turn. Then, there are the times when it all comes back. It never fails to come back to me when I walk into Wrigley Field or Dodger Stadium or for that matter any ballpark (Other than that artificial bubble in Minnesota). If there is a sensation of being close to heaven, there it is. Walking in through the gate, through the stone hallways and then through the entrance to the seats above the field. This little piece of heaven reveals itself with incredible colors. The bright lights illuminate the incredible green of the grass and the roar of the crowd brings a surreal sense of exhilaration to your ears. I sit quietly with such awe that I can hardly speak. That is until the first crack of the bat. Then, I’m in.

Really, I guess it’s not quite like heaven. I mean if God is that great and Wrigley field is the best he can do. We may all be in trouble. What it is really about is the dream. The dream makes life possible in the midst of turmoil. The dream makes the pain worth it. The dream leads us to believe that there is greater purpose and ability in us then we ever see on a daily basis.

The reality is though, that a dream can’t be captured. It is always meant to be free and at some level unattainable. That’s what makes it great. It is that boundless arena of life that exists beyond us that is brought together by a promise made long ago; that in a world filled with trouble and pain, God is not finished with us. It is wrapped in a promise that a day is coming so glorious that we best be like children to fully enjoy it. A dream is worth chasing. It is worth dying for and it is worth surrendering all that we may think we are to finally slide in safe at home.

"Don't let this throw you. You trust God, don't you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I'm taking." John 14:3


“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” Ashley Smith

Wrigleyville church

Well we are in Chicago today. Beautiful weather just a couple blocks from the home of the cubs.These are perfect fall days and I think we best enjoy them while we can. Here is a couple of pictures of the church that we are meeting in. Wrigleyville church, Chicago Illinois

Chicago bound

I will be in the great city of Chicago Wednesday and Thursday for a Converge USA Church Planters think tank meeting. part of the reason I will be there is to give a report on the Converge USA Assessment center. The other part will be because the Cubs are playing the brewers! It is a tough call on which part is the more important one. Hmmm. Let's say the think tank meeting! Go CUBS!

Sunny Tuesday

Here are a few pictures I took today as I was traveling to pick up my wife from Work. The seasons are changing and you can sense that fall is just around the corner. Hopefully we will slide into it with an extended period of nice weather. Unlike our transition into spring. There really was no spring. Just an extended opening of the heavens above, with an usually long Iowa Monsoon!

Rainy Monday...But How about those Bears!

All is well in the NFL. The Chicago Bears outplayed the Colts at every turn last night. Football always reminds me of my childhood hero Walter Payton. I can remember cold Autumn days playing football in the neighborhood and every kid seemed bigger than me. Bumps, bruises and sometimes blood. All with visions of Walter in my mind. Oh wow! It makes a rainy Monday a better day.

"If you forget your roots, you've lost sight of everything" Walter Payton

Zombie Likes Turtles

I started out today with a laugh. There is something funny about a Zombie that likes turtles.



This has, like everything on the internet gone viral and shows up everywhere. Even T-shirts

Worth The Risk

I was driving to Decorah Saturday when I noticed a large flock of birds. I was in awe of the incredible creatures God has created as I watched how they dipped and swerved in unison.

Just a little further a bird dipped into my line of travel and hit the windshield. I turned around and went back to see what type of bird I had hit. It was a bluebird. “Oh wow. Of all the species I could have hit it was a bluebird,” I said to myself. Bluebird populations have declined due to encroachment of humans into its native grassland habitats. Bluebird houses have helped, but the bird has not returned to the populations it once knew.

It is a part of our human history that we catch things and keep them in cages for our enjoyment. The song of the bird pleases our ears. Its beautiful colors up close and the intricate lines their delicate feathers create amaze our eyes. The thought crosses my mind. If only it was in a cage this wouldn’t have happened. If only it was in a cage, captive and safe. Where no harm could come to it and where it had food and water all day long. There, seasonal temperatures would not be a factor in its daily routines and no risk of predators, storms, or fast cars buzzing through its world.

To see it that way would be to ignore the God given things. Ignoring the purpose it was created for. That little bluebird would have had to surrender its freedom, the wide open fields. It would have had to give up the adventure of new surroundings everyday as it migrates through the seasons. It would have to relinquish the magnificent ability to fly through the air at incredible speeds turning on a dime in mid-flight. It would forgo finding an amazing array of foods at a banquet table set by its creator. It would have to give up its reason to sing. Experience the sunshine only through wire bars and the only thing it would receive in turn for all that surrender is… safety.

Safety is nothing more than a false sense of security. Believing you can actually manage a better future for yourself by hiding from what you cannot control. Safety is a promise made by those who cannot see beyond themselves. By those who fear dreams, who hide from life itself and those who would sell their souls for a perceived comfort.

The truth is. Safety is a lie. It does not exist. The very God who made you, took a risk that through all of this you might love him! There is no life in safety. It is a prison that holds you till you expire. You will exist never having really lived. It will steal from you the wonder you had as a child and the essence of life itself. No. The bluebird bird was right. In a world filled with dangerous things, it’s worth the risk to fly free!

“Every man dies. Not every man lives” Braveheart

Find Time to Live

Finding Time to Live and enjoy the Blessings we have been given can be tough. Today was a day that we decided to do just that. Enjoy some of the Blessings we have been given and not let important moments slip away. The Cell phones were left at home and we slipped away into another world for a couple of hours. Just like when we were kids. We can still feel the wonder of the world around us. The breeze on our face. The birds slipping through the trees unnoticed. The silence of the woods. It is still all there. We just have to set our minds on wonder, close our eyes and feel. I hope your having one of those kind of days

God said, "My presence will go with you. I'll see the journey to the end." Exodus 33:14

My Twin?

If I heard it once this week. I heard it a hundred times. "Hey you look like that guy from the shield!"



I only see one thing in common

When one pans not enough

Some Have asked me how Ozzy is doing after his surgery. Well I think he is back to his old self. He always had a thing about pans. So here is the proof. He is back.

Lompoc California

This is the Lompoc Veterans Center where I performed the Wedding Of Tony Siminski and Jessica Lewis




This is Trevor trying to perk up with a little caffeine. In the newspaper box on the front page is a story about Tony and Jessica getting married on 08-08-2008


This is Batman outside of the Veterans center in Lompoc.



Trevor again enjoying the cool California weather



The Hills around Lompoc

Ventura Pier and Community Presbyterian Church

Ventura Highway in The sunshine...

Well we arrive in LA after traveling all night.

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Ended up waiting for our chauffer to pick us up, he was stuck in traffic for awhile

The Wanderer

The monster under the bed

There is a lot of fear about these days: fear of the economy failing, fear of job loss, fear of a foreign aggressor taking our peaceful existence from us, or the fear of McDonalds “two fish fillets for a $1” being discontinued. It just seems to be everywhere. So in a country that is driven by its consumerism I have to ask the question, “Who’s making a living off of all this fear?”

I have seen people over the years whose lives are ruled by fear. Every decision they make or don’t make comes at the hand of fear. It becomes their constant companion in the night, and in a strange sort of way, their sick friend during the day. They won’t go anywhere without him and in fact they take better care of him than themselves.

Fear becomes their excuse for why they don’t or why they won’t. Fear becomes their reason for why they are where they are and why they never expect to be where they want to be. The only one making a living from all this fear is fear itself. It is simply an old wives tale that blows away in the wind when we refuse to feed it. It holds no power over us if we don’t let it. It is simply the monster under the bed that exists only in our minds.

What we really need is someone to show us the shadows on the walls in our darkened room are only shadows. It's just like a child’s imagination playing tricks on itself giving life to what doesn’t exist.

Maybe one of the greatest quotes ever is

“Don’t be afraid, just believe”
-Jesus

It may take some time to accomplish, but it is developed as we walk down the trail of life. The more we see, recognize and understand what little there is to fear. The faster we will be transformed by not being afraid. Greek philosopher Epictetus said, “What ought one to say then as each hardship comes? I was practicing for this, I was training for this.”

How we see the present is directly affected by how we see our journey’s purpose. If we see our purpose to be no more than to put in our time we are limited to the tangible items our world offers us. If we see our purpose to discover who we were created to be everyday is an opportunity to turn a corner that will reveal a new victory. If we expect the hardship, the trial, the test, than what Epictetus said becomes our strength. This is what we trained for. Jesus said, “In this life we will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world.” So the door is open. The secret is out. “There is nothing to fear, but fear itself.” The monster under the bed has been exposed. He is not real!

You have no more excuses for not really living life. “Don’t be afraid, just believe”

Check out this video about Bobby McMullen. In a world he can't see he knows no fear.

Lessons from a Bulldog

Standing at the edge of the operating table, I watched my bulldog Ozzy undergo surgery. I couldn’t help but see the frailty of life as I watched his chest rise and fall. I have always been somewhat of a ‘farmer’ of sorts when it comes to animals, but my experience with Ozzy 3 years ago changed that.

Ozzy was just four months old when he contracted the Parvo Virus. If you don’t know what Parvo is, let me say that it is the ugliest of the diseases that puppies can contract before their own immune system comes up to speed. It causes massive dehydration and kills in just 48 hours without treatment. Even with treatment many don’t survive the dehydration and intestinal tissue loss it causes.

It was July 4th and we rushed our little bulldog to the emergency vet. The prognosis was not good and 3 days later with IV’s to replace lost fluids, we were taking Ozzy home with what the vet felt was little hope of recovery. I spent the next ten days sitting with him in our basement, Changing IV bags, cleaning up after him and trying to will him to live. He was hit by depression as well as the physical effects of the disease, but he fought on.

Ten days later, I emerged from the basement with him alive and on the road to recovery and I had a new friend for life.

Life and death demands center stage. It grabs you, stops you and causes you to set everything else aside. Our lives here are but a vapor. Here today, blown away by the wind tomorrow. A bulldog lives on the average 10 years. What a waste of such great personality. In those ten years, they struggle with all kinds of maladies known to afflict the breed. Still, when they look you in the eye with that smile from a head the size of an overfilled basketball and his tongue hanging out, you can’t help but realize the impact that they have on your life. You can’t help but smile. Why? Well, because they are nothing more than what they were created to be; a short bodied, large headed, wrinkled mass of joy!

They are so sure of themselves. They are not even afraid to fart in the company of people they have never met before. We’re not talking about a little stinker, but a full fledged “who died!” gut wrenching gaseous burst of death. You look at them and they just act like, “Wow, wasn’t that something?”

With the surgery finally complete, Ozzy struggled to overcome the effects the anesthesia had on his body. Still groggy we took him home to recover. That was two days ago. Tonight he is standing here in front of me. Catching treats I flip to him and simultaneously sneezing and farting and he just smiles.

There is a lot we could learn from Ozzy:

1. Not to get caught up in things we can’t control.
2. Enjoy each day no matter what it brings.
3. Nothing is that bad.
4. Never give up.
Oh and 5. Real friends don’t care how you smell!

Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.
- Mark Twain

RAGBRAI

The new Ragbrai jersey is all Iowa. RAGBRAI is still planned to take place on the scheduled route on July 20-26, 2008. Despite the flooding that so many community's have experienced. Are you planning on riding all or part of the route this year?

Healer of our hearts…lover of our souls

I know what it means to have my heart healed. It just took a long time to understand that Jesus was the Lover of my soul!

Though there are many words written about those short sentences. The reality is that often it takes time. Time requires commitment. But not in the way that religion would require it.

I remember at one point in my journey considering the monastic life of the monks and wondering if that may be what God requires from us. Well I would not have been much good at being a monk. Monkey maybe, but not a monk. Besides the fact that brown is not my color. I am much more of a Johnny Cash black guy. At another juncture I was sure what He wanted was for us to be like certain religious people around us. But then I couldn’t learn to cry on demand. Dead end again.

It was only in a tree; bear hunting in Newfoundland after 14 days of 6 hour stints of setting nauseatingly still and tuning out the clouds of rumbling mosquitoes that something struck me. With no one to talk to, not a bear in sight, No electronic gadgets to pre occupy my mind. Not even a burnt stick to scratch my name out on a slab of bark. I remembered this verse “Be still and know that I am God” and in that moment I realized the magnitude of those words “The Lover of my soul”. It did not matter if time suddenly ceased. There was nothing more to attain. For the one who knew me before I was in my mother’s womb, Loved my Soul! I knew that if my life went no further and they found me in a pile of bear dung some forty miles into the wilderness. I had found my reason to be. Every time I make a trek to the woods it reminds me of the Lover of My soul! I was there yesterday. I talked to him. He hasn’t changed. He is still the Healer of our hearts…The lover of our souls

Marlan

POUNCE

The Serval is an African cat that is one of the most successful felines. It has large ears that it uses to locate its prey in the tall grass. Its long legs allow the Serval to get a bird’s eye view of its surroundings and leap ten feet into the air to catch birds. All of the Serval’s special abilities converge to do what it does best, pounce.

There is nothing in this cat that would cause it to leave what it is naturally good at to try to develop the skills that some other animal might have. In fact, even in surroundings other than its natural African habitat, it will still do what it does best, pounce.

Everyday I see people who are downplaying their gifts and abilities for some “New Way” or “New and Improved” methods or ideas. The end result usually ends in disappointment. As humans we tend to want what we see in others and fail to use our own gifts in a productive way.

If we are to find success in our life we need to follow a few simple guidelines.

First: Stop trying to measure up to those around you. In case you have not noticed. You are not them. God made you different for a purpose.

Second: Stop wanting the gifts others have been given and really look at how to maximize your own gifts. What are they? How can I use them to benefit others?

Third: Start being yourself. You were made for a purpose! Most of who you are may still be undiscovered.

Fourth: Start giving yourself time to develop. Find a mentor, a church, a friend who sees the best in you and will encourage you to grow and develop your gifts.

Then, when your opportunity comes, Pounce!

Oh, just be careful when attempting to jump off of someone’s Fridge!



I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver

Where the Hell is Matt?

What if our most successful means of communication is the child like spirit that lives inside us?

The web is full of so many opinions, facts, and comments, just like our world. There are so many ways to try to deal with the struggles and various thoughts we see playing out each day in our world. For every action, there are various opposing actions and nothing seems to be the answer. Our world continues to struggle driven by greed and self promotion of the individualistic needs of its people and centuries upon centuries have changed nothing.

Now, I am not much for the Doomsday theories. I have a positive attitude in most situations. I just wonder. How long will we look within ourselves for the answer to our existence? How long will we consider our own selfish needs over the importance of others?

There has to be a way, a way that removes the pain of the struggle. A way that let’s us feel the freedom of not having to appease ourselves all the time. A new way that cuts through the disease that permeates our hearts and leads us to the truth of our own humanity. Restoring us to the freedom we so long for, that exists only in the deep recesses of our souls. Is it possible? I believe so.

A long time ago it was written, “and a child shall lead them…”

Thirsty Traveler said...
"Dancing" speaks of:
...Life. Life is a dance with the triune God.
...Freedom and joy. Laying down our cares, worries, and burdens, living and celebrating each moment.
...Adventure. Not knowing where you will be tomorrow, but celebrating each "today."
...Commonality. There are many different cultures, dress, and dances. It's not how we dance, but that we dance that matters. That we are willing and able to let go and dance.
...Community. There is joy and celebration in dancing solo, but greater joy and impact is found when we share our dance with others.
Share your dance.

Ok. Seriously. This stirs something in me. Watch it. Then click the word 'comments' below the video. tell me what your thoughts are about this. What comes to your mind. Then I'll share some ideas with you about it. When you click comments you can do so anonymously so Let's see if we can get a bunch of comments.

Marlan


Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Joy Comes in The Morning

“Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Sometimes life gets to be a bit too much with all the challenges, stresses of our routines, or the loss of someone special to us. We have been given a gift from God. One that we should realize is a lot more important to us than it is. That gift is laughter! If your week has been tough for one reason or another, get yourself something to drink, lean back in your chair and watch this video. I guarantee it will make you smile. If it doesn’t, call me and we will setup some counseling sessions. It is a little long, but is well worth the time. The older gentleman seated in the middle has something contagious. It’s a laugh that will make you laugh. We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, "What amazing things the LORD has done for them."Psalm 126:2

The Gas Crunch and Smokey Robinson

It appears that summer may finally be here. The waters have receded from the recent floods and the Gas prices continue to be on the move upwards. With summer comes the traveling season and the inevitable mile after mile of crusin that the youth do each evening in town. Remember the gas crunch in the late 70's early 80's? What better sound than Smokey Robinson to cruise to. This might bring back a memory or two.

"What We Do In Life, Echoes In Eternity"

Memorial Day Challenges

Memorial Day we went for a ride through the Decorah Trails. Temperature was great. Sun Shining. Perfect day to get out. This is my son Trevor. Tearing up the trails. Here is an excerpt from an article he wrote called 'Challenges'

Biking has become one of the most cherished ventures in my life. Although I have a risk of acquiring injuries, those risks don’t stop me from riding at all. Every challenge I undertake gives my life a meaning and a purpose. Martin Luther King Jr. expressed, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” I will never quit pushing myself to try new experiences or to get better at current hobbies. I won’t ever stop. In fact, my dad and I are planning to ride across the US. When that happens, I’ll have reached another one of my goals. Trevor

Follow The Leader

I can still remember when my so called “friend” came running around the fence waving his arms. That was the signal to slip through the fence and take the 4 lawnmower tires that we needed to build our go-cart. That signal meant that old man Munson was busy pumping gas and the coast was clear to take what was not ours. What we didn’t see was Mr. Ramlo watching us from the adjacent yard. We were12 year old thieves caught in the act.

I remember Mr. Ramlo telling me. “Keep hanging out with that guy and he will get you into trouble you can’t get out of. He only cares about himself!”

Following can get you in a lot of hot water at times, especially when the people you are following have only their own interests in mind. We base so much of what we do in life on how we are accepted or rejected by others. At times, we find ourselves doing things that we never would have done just to find acceptance from someone. Just to be liked.

We judge our worth by how many so called friends we have and we would do almost anything to just belong, be liked, or be loved. The truth is that real friends exist to make your day. Not to make you pay. They would never ask anything of you that would bring you shame.

Therefore we have to choose wisely who we are following. After all, our future is a stake.

Tim Keller on Religion Being a Problem in the World

I saw Tim Keller in Orlando last month. He does make a point.Tim is the pastor of Redeemer Church in New York

It's alright to fight

I was reading Bike, a cycling magazine, today when I came across an article entitled “Still Life, The recovery of Tara Llanes.” Last September, Tara Llanes was competing in a dual slalom bike race when she crashed and broke five vertebrae in her back, paralyzing her from the waist down.

I have been watching her blog and reading about her tough road to recovery since her accident. What a terrible thing to have to deal with at such a young age, or for that matter, any age. As I continued to read the article, I saw a picture that particularly struck a chord in me. It was a picture of her room at the Craig rehab center where she was rehabbing immediately after surgery. On the wall, in the picture, next to the hand washing station was a sign that read, “Everything will be ok in the end. If it’s not ok, it’s not the end.”

So many times we live our lives as if we are trying to catch that moment where everything was trouble free. The perfect day, the perfect dinner, the perfect words spoken to the perfect person in our perfect lives. We go on thinking that is the goal of life: to achieve those sensational, trouble-free moments again. Because of that chase, we are left feeling like we are on the down side of life more than on top of it.

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble…But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Funny thing about that Jesus guy; He always gets it right, doesn’t He?
Sometimes I wonder if we have all gotten soft. Have we no desire to fight it out? After all, what’s life without a good fight? It is part of our human history, but more often than not, we just want it the way we want it. Our very souls demand we fight! That we don’t give up. We are not quitters: whether it is against an enemy who would take our freedom, a disease that wants to steal our days, or a catastrophic injury.

The best part is that we are free to fight. Free to believe that we can. In fact, what are we if we do not? We have and will always be inspired by those who fight. It was Winston Churchill who said, “Never, never, never give up” and he brought a country to its feet to achieve what seemed impossible in defeating an aggressor that was determined to overwhelm them.

Maybe today you have had one of those moments where you have just wanted to give up. There is no glory in quitting, but there is in following. The one I am following told me to expect trouble in this life. But he also said, “Take heart for he has over come the world.” The sign read. “Everything will be ok in the end. If it’s not ok, it’s not the end.”

I know what the end looks like. It’s not here. It’s out of this world. Go for it Tara! It’s worth the struggle.







In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an
invincible summer.

-- Albert Camus (1913-1960) French Writer

See the Signs

Sometimes our preconceived ideas about how God is working in our lives keep us from the very joys that he is trying to give us. It is easy to get in the position of seeing God as if he is a genie in a lamp. We can feel as if he is just here to provide us with what we want, when we want it. God is really asking us instead to talk to him and listen to him. It is a relationship, but in our frantic world it probably looks more like we are demanding and trying to “kick his door in” to get him to respond to us.

One of the great secrets of a simpler life is found in
Psalm 46:10
"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

Paul said after knowing Christ for 15 years "That I may know him." That was still his main goal in life. Although we may struggle at times with the whole, “knowing God” thing, the proof is in the journey. We must pace ourselves and commit to the whole trip. It is not an overnight thing. It takes time and we will grow in him in unexpected ways.

Isaiah 40:31 says:
"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
We have to stop trying to kick his door in and instead listen to that still small voice. He might be pointing to the very thing we have been looking for. We were just too focused on our own ideas to notice it. The answer was there all along.

Never Give Up

My Mother told me there would be days like these



Never give up. Victory is just around the corner. We are called to persevere!

James 1:2-4: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything

Check this out

Drove by this last night. Wow it gets windy down here!

Hoping For the Right Connection

While traveling through the Chicago O’Hare airport, you get a sense of an uneasy tension that exists. While people are shuffling about at all kinds of paces, heading to some great destinations, the one thing that everyone here has in common is that they are all hoping for the right connection. The wrong connection or a missed connection means disaster for the traveler. Hope of a restful vacation or a big business deal is lost if the wrong connection is made. What was supposed to culminate in a memorable moment is now enveloped in disappointment and loss.

How much planning does someone put into a trip? From the reservations, the saving of the money needed, to all of the hours of thought. All in hoping that the expectations they carry for the trip will go off without a hitch. This all depends on connections.

What has gotten you to this place in your life? How many connections that you’ve made have been the difference in you getting what you want? Such as getting the job you have waited for, the house you hoped for or maybe even the woman or man of your dreams. How successful would you be with out good connections?

I have way more than exceeded my dreams in life, and it is not for lack of dreams. I have had and still do have many. Many of them in fact are huge dreams that will take much more than I to make come true. I have dreams. And with help, guidance, and the right connections, those dreams can become reality.

We are all on a trip. We are just passing through earth, looking for the right connections to be able to continue our journey. We all need someone to help connect us to the source that will guarantee our journey continues.

Everyday I connect with the only source that knows me better than I know myself. The only source that can guarantee I will reach my undeserved destination. It is the one who has made me, who loves me, who has patience beyond measure with an impatient soul. He is the one who created the stars and the heavens, the one who breathed life in to my two sons, and who gives me a reason in the midst of airport confusion…to smile. It is God, The Lover of My Soul.

I am in Orlando at the National New Church planters conference

Orlando is warm. It also looks like an amusement park.

Marlan

Daily Dose of reality

Perspective makes all the difference. We live in a world that is driven by individualism and success. Almost from birth we are saddled with expectations and goals. We are to have the perfect job, marriage, life.

Thursday I was returning from a trip to the Minneapolis Airport. I dropped off a puppy at the northwest air cargo dept. at 5:00 AM to be delivered to its new home in Las Vegas, Nevada. An hour later I stumbled into the first coffee shop I found. Caribou coffee in Rochester, MN

A Mocha espresso with an extra shot of caffeine. that should wake me up. I grabbed a table and looked at the mornings headlines. As my mind started to wake up I overheard two guys at the table in front of me. They were reading E.M. Bounds book, Prayer. The one gentleman said to the other, “There are so many expectations in life. So many things to keep up with, the mortgage, family, car payments, education… Is this really the way that God wants us to live?”

He’s right, there are so many expectations. The world spins so fast that sometimes we just want off. When we see ourselves as the center of the universe we are always in danger of spinning out of control. It is only when we see Jesus as that center that everything begins to balance out. I say "begins" because it happens over time as our relationship with him grows. It takes effort on our part.

Scott Stapp from Creed wrote a song called "You Stand Here With Me." In this song he says, “I’ve learned the world is bigger than me, you’re my daily dose of reality”.

My daily dose of reality is found every time I read the bible. Every time I talk to him. It puts me and my life in perspective. It changes my thinking from I am the center to understanding that God is and that he is in control. Man does that take the pressure off! Have you had your daily dose of reality?

"Stand Here With Me"

You always reached out to me and helped me believe
All those memories we share
I will cherish every one of them
The truth of it is there's a right way to live
And you showed me
So now you live on in the words of a song
You're a melody

You stand here with me now

Just when fear blinded me you taught me to dream
I'll give you everything I am and still fall short of
What you've done for me
In this life that I live
I hope I can give love unselfishly
I've learned the world is bigger than me
You're my daily dose of reality

You stand here with me now

On and on we sing
On and on we sing this song

'Cause you stand here with me

Peace Like A River flows

I can remember as a boy. A bunch of kids from the neighborhood made up a young troop of adventurers who would run all over town on our bikes. We traveled through the streets, the fairgrounds, the dump and back alleys. It was almost as if everyday was another episode of Indiana Jones. We never really got into big trouble. But we lived each day as if the world was open to us for the first time.

As the summer grew hotter we had to find new ways to cool off from the Iowa summer heat. Our travels eventually led us to a great place known as Dunning Springs. Just at the edge of town.

We would race to the springs. Climb the side hill to a little waterfall and step into the water. Leaning into the falls the cold spring water would run over our bodies, cooling us from the summer heat. It not only cooled our skin, but it felt as if the cold water was flowing through the core of our bodies. What an incredible feeling. Refreshed and drenched we would jump on our bikes and continue the day’s adventure.

I realized today. That is the exact feeling you get when you forgive others. All the weight of un-forgiveness is washed away as the spirit of God that lives inside us, flows through the core of our being and sets us free. The heat of the hate and anger is washed away and the freedom that Christ gives us flows through us just like standing in that waterfall. Forgiveness brings Peace Like a river flows.

Oh, The bike back then. It was a 5 speed Schwinn Stingray, with a stick shift. It was the coolest thing on the road. Isn't life great!

Little Wing.

One more turn Please

OK, It just won't stop raining here. We have not seen the sun since it was made! And I am not sure if this is spring because it looks and feels a lot like fall. Maybe we missed summer. Maybe I am just anxious to ride. I recently got a new bike and it is not doing much for me as a wall decoration. It's time to ride. Come on planet. Spin a little faster

You just never know

You Just Never Know. The older I get. The more I see the importance of that little sentence. You Just Never Know. So much of what we know is shaped by our experiences, personalty types, and the lens that we have been looking through for so long.

It is almost as if everyone is at one of those viewing sites at Mount Rushmore with those viewing binoculars you slip a quarter in for an up close look. For a lot of years I marveled at the view I was getting from my Lens. You could see so much! You could determine where you would look and what you would focus on.

Then one day I had a strange idea. "I wonder what other people are seeing". I mean, I just assumed everyone was seeing what I was seeing. After all it was so incredible. There could not possibly be anything more spectacular than the view I had from my lens. "I wonder what other people are seeing". If you have a thought twice it must mean something right?:) So I decided to have a look. I looked through the lens of others around me. I saw it!

Sorry I can't tell you what it was, you will just have to look.

You Just Never Know