A Word Fitly Spoken

A Youth Outing On The Yukon Delta

2011-08-29T10:40:00.001-07:00

One of the things we were able to do while we were in Emmonak, was take some of the youth associated with the church youth group out of town for an afternoon, go up river and have a picnic outing. When you plan such things, you pretty much have to make a commitment to go rain or shine, or else, you would never go. So, we planned that on the Thursday afternoon we were there, we would go. Phil Kovloski helped us out by rounding up his boat and another to get everyone who wanted to go up river. He also scouted out a suitable place that was high enough to get out of the water, yet not so brushy that you would have to clear a spot out of the alders. He also got a fire started before we arrived which helped quite a bit.
We loaded up about 8 kids - not one wearing any sort of rain gear and about the same number of us - all wearing head to toe rain gear. We left town in the driving rain. The clouds lowered over town, dark and heavy with rain and let loose upon us. Nevertheless, we plowed forward to our destination. Frankly I thought it would just be pretty miserable of an outing, but I was very keen to see more of the territory up close.
We powered up river for about 20 minutes and arrived at our spot. The fire was smoldering and we went to work to put up a shelter of sorts - kind of hard when the tallest bush is only about seven feet high and very spindly. Others went to work on the fire and getting more fire wood split. The rest of us hauled up our coolers full of food and the $60 in soda I have already mentioned.
Interestingly enough, as soon as we had everything ready for getting the food out, the sun came out from somewhere between the clouds and flooded our picnic spot with light and warmth. Suddenly everyone was peeling off layers of rain gear and coats. This brightened up the mood considerably. Soon we were roasting "brats" over the smoldering fire and scooping up a meatloaf casserole with our hands as we forgot to bring plates and other civilized utensils to eat with. Since we were hungry it didn't seem to matter a lot to anyone.
We then sang, shared testimonies and prayed. Then in a spontaneous moment, we had a spear throwing contest. The "target" was an empty pickle jar that had just been emptied. Everyone who joined the contest was very intent on being the one to knock the pickle jar off the stump. There was also a search for some of the edible plants in the area and the usual dodging smoke in the eyes around the fire.
After a couple of hours, the sun let us know it wasn't going to stay around any longer so we loaded up the boats and headed off up river to see what could be seen.
The Yukon River at this point is huge. Once we arrived at the main channel of the river, it might as well have been a huge lake as there was nothing but water on the horizon to see. It was amazing to try to comprehend how big a river could be. There are many, many channels that crisscross back and forth through the river. Someone like me was unfamiliar with the area could take a wrong turn and be lost forever. It is certainly a place where people could disappear easily.
We saw a couple of fish wheels, a family of foxes and some really flat land. Just because the river is wide does not mean it is deep everywhere. Way out in the river we hit some very shallow water which you couldn't tell from the surface as it is very muddy and the wind was blowing which put riffles on the water everywhere.
All in all, it was a fun and worthwhile outing. As we neared town, the rain came back as strong as before and we all hustled to get things back to the church and ready to pack up for home the next day.

Missions Trip Food

2011-08-23T14:16:00.001-07:00

A quote that has been attributed to Napoleon, the French general is, "an army marches on its stomach" (or at least something to that affect). Well, the thought that food is important to anyone who wants to do much at all is applicable. A missions team needs a fair amount of food to do work in bush Alaska. Consider the difficulty of trying to feed a team of 14 people by having to make all the food, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Consider that a lot of kitchen facilities in bush Alaska aren't really equipped to handle this task, and, in both trips we have taken, the kitchen had to be dismantled so work could be done. Consider that there are nearly no restaurants in a bush village, at least any that could handle 14 people all at once. Consider that the cost of procuring that much food in bush Alaska would cost almost as much as the trip itself over a week of being there. That is a lot of considering I know, but you get the idea, food is expensive, in short supply and it is impractical to prepare on site. Enter the great team of cooks and people from New Life Assembly of God to the rescue!
A couple of weeks before departure, numbers of volunteers came forward to prepare and donate an incredible variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees that were ready and frozen in aluminum foil pans to take with us as well as a variety of desserts. Each and every day we had hot meals that were delicious and in generous supply, even with 14 hungry people to consume them. The ladies that came primarily as cooks simply had to heat these meals up in the oven in order to prepare them for the team. We took two large coolers full of these frozen meals with us which covered all our needs.

The other consideration is that with each meal, there are guests. Children, young people and adults all find out there is hot food available and for just showing up, you get a nice plate full, served with a simile. It's one of the best ways of interacting with the community, because even if some people never come, they hear about these visitors that feed anyone who comes by. It's hard not to like someone who readily invites you to share in a hot meal just as soon as they meet you, which is one of the strategies the team uses when we go to these locations. Word spreads and so does the good will. You can't often see a direct result, but because so many are helpful to us when we run into problems you can't help but wonder if this kindness greases the skids when it comes to needing help.
When kids or adults are there, it often leads to ministry opportunities.
That was one aspect of our team I was really proud of. Whatever the need was, they would sense the opportunity to pray, counsel or just befriend someone without so much as a single prompt from me. It was so wonderful to see each person approached with some form of ministry. Not everyone wants prayer or for you to do something, but it was always offered. Food was a catalyst to make these opportunities happen. I don't know how each individual person found out they could come and get a meal, but as I already said, word gets around in a place like Emmonak. So, if you have an opportunity to fix a meal for someone or even for a missions team like ours, it may not seem like a very spiritual activity, but be assured, it is. In a culture where the significance of food and meals goes beyond just quieting hunger, food provides bridges to relationship which in turn provides us with opportunities to minister to other needs in Jesus' name.

Livin' The Dream

2011-08-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

The kids in bush Alaska are wonderful. On the two trips to the Alaska bush that I have made, the children are a significant part of the experience.
Until about the hour of noon, there are no children to be seen in the whole village. About one o'clock, they begin to emerge from their homes to see the curious new people in town. At first, they are a bit shy and cautious. That doesn't last very long. As soon as they determine that you are friendly, it's game on. They tease, they play, they hang on to you. They not only want to be with you, they want to stand in the very place you are standing, even though you are already occupying the spot. Of course they want to "help" with painting or digging or carpentry, dangerous or not, they want to be doing what you are dong.
We developed a strategy in which one of the team members was designated to interact with the children while the others were working. This was the only safe thing to do. One day the ladies held a Sunday School with crafts, lesson, singing and of course food. Another day, Jared, was assigned to build "boats" with the kids which they also painted (in retrospect, not such a good idea to mix kids and paint). Walking around the village, is an interesting study. There is no way in or out of the village except by air or boat. So the kids roam freely without much of a care as strangers are pretty conspicuous. There are limited things to do in the village so they make their own fun. One of the sites they introduced us to was "Mud Hill" which was exactly that. It was a hill about 25 feet high with a sharp drop off. They would run up the ramped side with all the speed they could muster and fling themselves into the air to land in the accumulated softer mud on the backside. Pretty amusing to watch.
Rain or shine these kids dress and play the same. We witnessed them wrestling and rolling on the ground as the rain came down so hard that we had gone inside for a bit. No rain coats, no boots, just hoodies and tennis shoes. There really is not one reason for a person to own a pair of tennis shoes in Emmonak. You could even play a game of basketball on the boardwalk basketball court in your "Extra Tuffs" (boots), that is if there was a basketball. It is wet and mud everywhere. But, that is pretty much all they wear there. A new pair of tennis shoes is new probably about 30 seconds before they are not new anymore. Less time if it is currently raining.The kids are cute and generally pretty starved for your attention. Most of them grow up without ever getting out of the village until they are teens or later. "Big" cities might be Aniak or Bethel. Anchorage is a huge place to them. Of course they know all about popular culture through the internet and video games and dish television. As they become teens, village life becomes understandably dull and many problems are evidenced in the grim statistics that are complied each year. Teens typically dress in the popular "gang" fashions, baggy pants, sideways hats, hoodies, and puffy tennis shoes. The school system tries to address the problem with self-esteem programs, one recent one which was "Livin' the Dream." Several kids were wearing the hoodies they received for completing the course. It seemed ironic at times. Our missionaries have such a challenge to not only meet the spiritual needs of adults in a place like Emmonak, but the teens and children as well. What do we offer them? Where do we take them? Is the key to their survival in Emmonak or would they do better somewhere else? Does the village want to see all their children leave for a more populated area? Hard questions and all of it takes a lot of money and a lot of time. Pray for our ministries in bush Alaska. Without God, I am not sure what if anything might be done.

Working In Bush Alaska

2011-08-11T12:15:00.001-07:00

I know it is difficult to imagine accurately, but try to think of going somewhere to work and having to think of everything you might need to bring with you and anticipate what unexpected things you might encounter that would prohibit you from accomplishing your task. Then try to do all with a very small weight limit. Those are the constraints you must deal with in working in bush Alaska. The team members are limited to 25 pounds of personal gear - that includes your sleeping pad/bag, changes of clothes, personal hygiene and any specialized gear like rain gear. This leaves no room for your own tool kit. Tools on a trip like this are community, which means there is not always enough to go around. So you take turns using certain tools and making the best of it all.
You bring things like different kinds of nails and screws of different lengths, tape, string, extra saw blades and drill bits. It is sometimes the craziest little thing that can bring progress to a halt. Then, there is no guarantee you will be able to find what you need at the village store, and as I have already mentioned in a prior blog, if you do find it, it will cost you dearly. So, you pack and pray for the best. On both trips our teams ran into trouble with plumbing parts. Out of the infinite number of possible plumbing parts which ones might you possibly need?
While pulling out the old kitchen cabinets a hot water line was broken. What we discovered was that ALL of the valves in the building that controlled water were so old and corroded that they did not work. EXTREMELY hot water was pouring out of the wall with no way to stop it. To shorten a long story, there was a lot of drama while a way to shut off the water was found. Then a search to find a copper fitting 3/4" necked down to 1/2" was the need. Impossible to find but a project stopper. The kind men of the village water department gave us one out of their inventory. A working shut off valve was sourced by going into an abandoned building and hacksawing off one off the wall.
Then, there is the obvious, you have to deal with the weather. It is usually raining and most of the time blowing, both hard. If you are working outside, you are working in water. If you are on a ladder 50% of the time you are standing under the edge of the roof where the water drips off besides just being in the rain. If you are on the ground, you are standing, kneeling or sitting in water. This all has implications for safety and things electrical. The picture I included of the decking between the buildings may not seem interesting of itself, but the person who decked this area made it so much more livable. Without the extensive decking, it would all be standing water you would have to slog through. Actually, there is standing water but it is under the decking.
One thing I could not get an effective picture of was of the brave men who actually leveled the building. If you look at the picture, you can see the building is built on a LOT of individual posts. This is the foundation. Not like the foundation under your house. These posts rest on some wood timbers that are literally laying on top of the ground. There is no reason to dig into the ground as there is nothing solid for a very long ways. So the building actually "floats" on these timbers. With the freeze/thaw cycles, they get out of level pretty quick. This creates cracks in sheetrock, doors that won't close, floors that slope and windows that crack. So, every so often you have to jack up the building and level it again. It is a hard, dirty job. I was assigned to this detail with two other men. I felt pretty useless as I don't kneel well for long periods of time and I am pretty much built to change light bulbs not get under buildings. I did try to be a good go-fer and lug the heavy timber to the needed spots while the 20 ton jacks did their work. Speaking of jacks, it is weird to jack something "up" but be actually jacking the jack into ground because it is so soft. As you can imagine a two story building is pretty heavy so it is easier to push the jack into the mud than jack the building up. Yes, it is a hard job.
You will notice, we got new paint on the building. The moment we arrived, it was nice weather and we got right to work scraping and prepping the building. It was a good thing as we barely got paint on and the rain began. Had we not gotten right on it, it would not have gotten done.
Maybe this gives you an idea of what such work entails, not everything is so difficult and most things go quite well, but you can't take it all for granted. Creativity, resourcefulness and prayer all play a part in getting things done in the Alaska bush.

More Alaska

2011-08-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, one of the motivations I have in going to villages in Alaska is to see, more Alaska. Alaska is such a large state and I have seen relatively little of it. Most of what I have seen is "on the road system" which as a system, is pretty basic. I have lived in Alaska about 37 years or so of my 52 and have yet to see so many places of what this state is all about.
Last year, in flying out to St. Michael, I had the great delight to be able to land in a small handful of new places on the way. I was able to see Napakiak, Akiachiak, Bethel, Hooper Bay and then St. Michael. Now, "seeing" them is a bit of a embellishment as we flew over them and then landed at their landing strip. Once you are on the ground in southwest Alaska, you can't actually see much. The topography is pretty flat and if the bushes are taller than you can see over, which is pretty much the case, you can't see anything beyond where you are standing. And with air schedules, it prohibits one from moseying into "town" which is usually a mile or more from the airstrip. Town is in quotes as there really is no town or town center to speak of. Most villages are an odd collection of houses setting in every direction in all kinds of places. Like someone might have a handful of dice, shake them up and spill them out on the table. No real rhyme or reason as to how most of the villages are laid out. And, in a lot of ways, one looks pretty much like the other. But it is a great adventure to be able to see a new portion of our state and to experience the people and the challenges they face in living where they do.
Unfortunately, I can't always take pictures of what I want and when I want. So, I don't have a lot to share. The picture at the beginning of this post is in Aniak. Aniak is a "hub" community in the Kuskoquim region. In other words, all the smaller villages use Aniak as a way to access the larger communities by having to fly there first before they can go somewhere else. So, Aniak is an important location for that reason. We are standing under the wing of the Casa because it is raining pretty hard and you cannot stay inside the aircraft while it is being refueled. The mosquitoes were pretty aggressive too.
Another community we were able to see was Unalakleet on our return trip home.

We had to pick up some fuel there as well. Unalakleet was a great surprise to me. It is a very beautiful place. Not that the other places are not beautiful, but they are so flat that you can't see very far. Easily Unalakleet would qualify as million dollar real estate if it was in a more accessible and warmer place. Beautiful rolling hills that end right at the Bering Sea. Very scenic and pleasing to the eye. You may not see it from my pictures, but taking pictures while the rain is beating down on you and the wind is howling isn't the greatest way to see the potential in a place. Unalakleet the town is a little different as it looks like it was laid out on a grid, the buildings are for the most part in good repair and it has a nice feel about it. It must be spectacular on a sunny day. The Bering Sea was raging while we were refueling and it was impressive.
One of the things I saw here and in Emmonak was wind turbine generators. What a stroke of genius for these villages. One renewable resource that is abundant in these southwest Alaska villages is wind. It blows all the time, usually with great force. If they can use wind power for electricity instead of diesel fuel at $8 per gallon, they could save a substantial amount of money. I hope it is an idea that works.
So, I am really enjoying the opportunity to see more of this great state through these mission trips. I hope we'll be able to keep coming and making a difference for our missionaries who live out in these remote places so they can do their work better, longer and with less difficulty.

Emmonak 2011

2011-08-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

On that theme of "it's been a busy summer", we just returned from our missions trip to Emmonak, Alaska. "We" and "our" refer to our church's missions team of course. If you have followed this blog for about a year, you will recall that I did a series of blogs on our missions trip to St. Michael, Alaska last summer. I will hopefully be able to do some of the same for this trip.
I want to thank all the great people of New Life Assembly of God who have supported these ventures. Without so many who don't actually go on the trip, but support in prayer and finances and making meals, it just couldn't happen.
One of the ministry partners we are fortunate enough to be able to work with is MARC - Mission Aviation Repair Center in Soldotna. They in turn are partners with Samaritan's Purse, the organization led by Franklin Graham. Samaritan's Purse loans their aircraft to MARC when they are not using them. Ministry teams such as ours can then charter the aircraft and MARC pilots fly us to our destinations. It's not inexpensive, our round trip to Emmonak and back will cost us in the neighborhood of $10,000 and that is just for fuel. In a way, it is a bargain as to fly commercially to the same destination per person would be right at $1,000 each and we would be limited to the 50 pounds per person. We took 14 people and about 4500 pounds of food and tools, so if you did the math, we are way ahead of the game cost-wise.
The aircraft is a wonderful thing. A Spanish made "Casa" which essentially is a miniature C-130, military, drop tail style aircraft. It sports twin turbofan engines and has a tremendous lifting capacity and short take off and landing features. All of these are essential in bush Alaska. We used this same aircraft last summer in our trip to St. Michael. Other than being a bit noisy and the passenger seats made for midgets, it is a great airplane. We flew 2 hours each way to Emmonak and back. We wouldn't have wanted to do it in a lesser aircraft. To get the entire 14 member team and all our things in one trip to Emmonak was a real blessing. We appreciate MARC and Samaritan's Purse for their partnership in Alaska missions.

We went for 5 days and accomplished a lot of work on the church/parsonage facility. The challenges to getting things done are great. First, you deal with the weather every day. Emmonak is literal built on water. The elevation of the entire village is 4 ft. above sea level. You don't have to go or dig very far to find water. Most of the time, water is standing on what little earth there is. It rains there hard, almost every day. Second, getting all of your tools, materials and "stuff" on site never happens. 20 boxes of materials were shipped 5 weeks before this trip and 6 boxes are still unaccounted for. Of course you find out which 6 boxes didn't arrive when you need something that was in one of them and you can't find it. Third, the cost of things you either forget to bring or that don't show up or that you didn't know you needed until you got there and must purchase locally is substantial. I purchased three small toothpaste sized tubes of silicone caulk, you know the kind you use to caulk your tub. Normally, I think they would cost about $2-3 dollars each in Kenai. In Emmonak, they are $10 each. We purchased 4, 12-paks of Coke for a special youth outing we sponsored. I saw them today advertised "2 for $7.88" at a local store. In Emmonak, I paid $60 for the 4 12-paks. We also needed 4, 12' 2x4's for some bracing. Again, in Kenai, probably about $6-7 dollars each. In Emmonak, $40 each.

So you get the idea. There are a lot of challenges to doing work in bush Alaska. However, we had a great team. Despite the challenges of 14+ people getting by on 2 toilets,1 shower and little internet/cell phone connections, less than ideal working conditions, I heard not one complaint. There was humor, prayer, worship, sharing, support and ministry taking place all the time either to other team members or children or adults that would come to see what we all were doing. I am really proud to have been part of this team. It was amazing.

I hopefully will be able to post more stories and adventures in the days to come. Stay tuned!

It's Been a Busy Summer...

2011-07-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

I made a promise to myself that I was not going to go more than a week without posting to my blog. So, you can see I didn't fare well in that promise to myself. I feel like life since my last blog posting has been a long blur of events and stuff. The problem with it all is, that it hasn't been very notable, not the kind of stuff you want to blog about. So, with a schedule that has been driven by a constant flow of things that are not especially blog-able, I haven't posted for some time. Not that you were waiting on the edge of your seat for me to do so, but it's the principle of the thing.

As you can see, I finally did something blog worthy this week. Dipnetting season is upon us once again. Over the weekend we had a record count of sockeye salmon enter the Kenai River - 230,000 fish in one day! Highest count ever by Fish and Game. Unfortunately, it brought that many fishermen, campers, boats and gawkers to Keani as well. Might as well live in Seattle for all the traffic and congestion problems we have had around town. It was crazier than ever.

We did finally join the hordes on Monday after half of them went back to Anchorage in the worlds longest funeral procession ever (think 150 miles of bumper to bumper traffic). We caught our goal of 70 fish and this nice little king salmon to boot. I did a "first" for myself in bringing up a net with three fish in it two times in a row. That's about as much salmon as you want to hoist at one time by yourself. In a couple of minutes you have 6 thrashing, flailing large fish on the deck of your boat. It just doesn't get more fun than that in the bright Kenai sun. JoLynn and I stayed up late getting it all trimmed, skinned and vacuum sealed. Not bad, a year's worth of fish in one day and for the actual protein itself, free. There is an investment of time, gasoline, launch fees, vacuum bags, but hey, let's not quibble. By the way, out of the 70 fish, 30 was my take. That gives us 60 fillets to eat, smoke, and give away. Lots of fun.

So, I hope your summer is full of more actual fun than I have been having up to this point. However, it is hard to beat a day of dipnettng on the Kenai River with hordes of other boats, salmon slime, blood, goo all flying around and covering every surface in the boat, including oneself. Note: notice the cooler down by my feet, it's covered in the stuff I just mentioned.

Catching Up

2011-05-21T20:05:00.001-07:00

I am sure people feel it everywhere, but maybe everyone thinks their little corner of the world feels it more keenly than other places. In Alaska, spring feels like a rocket taking off. After months of relative inactivity, all of the pent up energy and desire to get outside is like a fuse that gets lit by dramatically increasing daylight hours and rapidly melting snow drifts. This spring was no different. My last two weeks of April were full of a week of presbytery meetings and then a week of Network Conference. Over that weekend, we had some favorite friends as guests, Mike and Deenie Rose, Mike spoke at the church that weekend.
Two days after they left, JoLynn and I were on a jet to Seattle to be in attendance while Scott walked across the Northwest University graduation platform, got hooded and received his MBA. We applauded him wildly of course. He was the third person of a graduating class of nearly 350 so it was over for us pretty quick.

We then spent the rest of the weekend with Scott, Brittany and Brad doing something fun around the NU campus, like "disc golf" or sightseeing around Seattle. This is something JoLynn and I never tire of. It is great memories for us and there is lots to do there.

We eventually found our way to Chehalis to visit my parents and brother and his wife. It felt like the briefest time there as we were only there about 24 hours, but we did manage to pack a lot into it. One of the nicest things that happened was the sun came out and it got really warm. So, we ran out to Mossyrock where they grow fields of tulips. They were just coming on to bloom and the sights were awesome. We then went to a Chinese restaurant out there and ate way too much food. No kidding, I know everyone has stories about how big the portions are where they go to eat, but here it is really ridiculous. A heaping platter of food all for about $8. Amazing.

We spent our last day with my sister and her husband and two sons in University Place on the south side of Tacoma. Chris and I manage to check out most of the pawn shops or what few there are left of them. We hardly ever buy anything, but it is always fun to look. Chris took me to a friend of his who has some crazy cool cars in his garage - probably the subject of another post. We also stopped at Griot's Garage (http://www.griotsgarage.com check them out)which is a car detailer's mecca. We were allowed to go back to the car showroom and see many of the cars that have graced the cover of the Griot's catalog. The actual garage is immaculate, white tile floors, white walls and spotless every inch. It was cool.
After the same 24 hours we sped to SEATAC airport. I got on a plane back to Alaska and JoLynn went to Billings, MT to see her family for another week. Needless to say, getting home has been a rush of getting caught up and getting the house ready for the brief Alaskan summer, Brad and his friend who will be staying the summer, and Scott who will be coming up on a short visit just to see the old stomping grounds while Brittani finishes up the school year.

Joy vs. Happiness?

2011-04-06T14:45:00.001-07:00

Are they the same thing? Is there a real difference? Does it make a difference? I think there is a difference and whether it makes a difference to you or not is your own decision. I think there is a real difference between what joy and happiness is and it is useful to understand the difference.

Let me use another analogy to explain what I believe the difference to be. If you are a parent you no doubt love your child(ren). That is something as a parent I felt from the moment we knew my wife was pregnant. That will never change. I will always love my children. Nothing can take that away. However, occasionally they have not made me happy. I still love them even though I may not be happy with them. See the paradox here? I love them even if at times I don't like them. Love and like are a lot like Joy and happiness. Love is like joy. Like is like happiness. Love and joy stay for a lifetime. Like and happiness come and go, sometimes several times a day.

You can fall out of like with someone. You can't fall out of love. That's why it is important to understand the difference between the two. Some confuse the two as the same when there is a world of difference. They are confused that because they may not like someone today, they have fallen out of love with them. In fact, you can experience deep love for someone even when you don't like what they are doing.

Getting back the the Joy vs. happiness conversation, I think the founding fathers of our country got it right when they described what we have come to refer to as "the American Dream" as "the pursuit of happiness." That is why the American Dream is a hopeless end. Happiness is fleeting, that is why it must be pursued. Know this, it will always outrun you. You may think you have captured happiness when you get that new house, until the roof leaks or the paint peels, then you have to run after happiness again.

Joy on the other hand is a destination. It is a place of being, it doesn't just run off. Even when i am grieving at the loss of a beloved niece, there is a joy in my heart that she is in the presence of the Lord. A real paradox for sure. I don't have to chase after joy, it is a place I choose to live.

Happiness I know will come and go. I enjoy it when it manages to run past me, but when it eventually runs on, I know it will be back. In the meantime I am sustained by joy.

There Was An Earthquake, Does That Mean Jesus Is Coming?

2011-04-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

I hadn't planned to write this blog installment, but thought I might just in case someone fails to get my previous comments in context and I become the newest person to be branded a heretic.

As a pastor, I get questions often after a world-class disaster, Japan being the most recent, if this signals the end of the world. Many people somehow think that because there is an earthquake, a war, a tsunami, something bad, etc., that this somehow signals that Jesus is coming. Well, a little bit yes, but mostly no. Yes, Jesus is coming, no doubt about that. But listen to what Jesus has to say about this:

Matthew 24:6 (NKJV)
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Did you get the last line of that verse? Seems many overlook it. The truth is, there has always been earthquakes and tsunamis and wars and famine and Hitlers and on and on. I am sure in the darkest days of WWII it felt like the end of the world and Hitler was surely the Antichrist. Nope. It wasn't it. My hunch is, Japan is a bad situation, but doesn't necessarily mean it launches the Great Tribulation.

Quite to the contrary, Jesus described the world just before his coming and it looks quite different:

Matthew 24:37-39 (NKJV)
But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. [38] For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, [39] and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

It sounds to me like just before the coming of Jesus things are going to be pretty good. Reread all of the parables Jesus told describing his return, they all agree that his servants get lax and lazy because times are easy and it seems "he delays his coming."

Why do we think Jesus is coming when things are bad? Let me assure you, things will get bad AFTER Jesus comes for his church.

Matthew 24:44 (NKJV)
Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

When do we expect Jesus to come? Generally right after the latest tsunami, when the national debt finally implodes and the price of gas is $10 a gallon. I suspect it won't be so.

I am not making light of the situation in Japan. That situation is serious and the Japanese people deserve our prayers and our help. Case in point to have created enough margin in your life to help them out.

I am anticipating Jesus' sudden return, any day, any time. But I do suspect that it won't be an earthquake that makes him come. He'll come when the Father says, "it's time."

Creating Margin

2011-04-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

I spoke something in my message last Sunday that like so many things spoken in any given message I did not plan to say. It wasn't in my notes and I didn't think of it ahead of time but it just really fit the need at the time and I spoke it. BTW, if you want to hear the whole message look it up on our church website: www.kenainewlife.org

I spoke briefly about the need to create margin in our lives. This week I have heard from several people who each remarked on that one word I never planned to say. I said it because I am amazed at how so many people live on the razor edge of disaster and that in relatively good times. We used to say "living paycheck to paycheck", but that is long obsolete. So many people live "credit card to credit card" anymore. One hiccup in their world and their whole house of(credit)cards comes crashing down, which it was destined to do anyway.

I was speaking about our response to world disaster like recent events in Haiti, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, New Orleans, Samoa and most recently, Japan. What these events tell us is not that specifically Jesus is coming (don't read me wrong here) just because there was an earthquake but that hiccups or worse, tsunami's happen to us.

Just for the record, download the sermon so you get all of my comments in context.

What we should do in our daily lives is create margin for when the tsunami's of life happen to us, we have some capacity to absorb them and to help others.

Margin applies to every area of our lives. If you live "stressed out" all the time you need to create some emotional margin. If you live credit card to credit card, you need to create financial margin. If you are lonely and isolated, you need to create some relational margin.

Margin is what we prepare in advance of our tsunami's that allows us to survive when a wall of disaster threatens to overwhelm us and the people around us. Thankfully we do not get tsunamis every day of our lives. So if we prepare NOW, ahead of time, when it eventually does come, it doesn't have to devastate us.

Margin is created by living well within your means, by developing deep relationships with other Christians, by keeping your family together in loving relationships, by spending time alone in prayer and scripture with Jesus. I think you get the idea.

I am NOT saying to hoard food, gold, bullets or the like against the end of the world. That all is useless anyway. But have some depth in your life in as many areas as you can identify so that when the time comes, you have the extra capacity to absorb the situation and be a beacon of hope and help to others.

Off To The Races

2011-03-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

I have been contemplating the strange situation that exists for me in finding inspiration in writing/speaking for most of my ministry. Some call it writer's block, lack of inspiration and just a plain lack of ideas. Since I make my living largely from speaking/writing, this is a weekly challenge. Especially when you have been speaking weekly in the same place and to some of the same people for 23 years, seeking out new things to say can become a daunting task.

Take for instance holidays. Something as wonderful as the gospel Christmas story or next on the calendar, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, can become challenging to communicate in a fresh way. The challenge to be fresh is for my own sake, not to become monotonous or uninspired as well as for my listeners. The Sunday to Sunday sermons, er, I mean talks, are less so, but have their moments as well.

In my experience it mostly lies with the decision about what to talk about, whether writing or speaking. Once I determine what I am going to talk about, it is off to the races. I can spend days contemplating and praying about what to communicate with great intensity and then in a moment, I decide and my typing fingers can hardly keep pace with my thoughts. It is amazing to discover what is in inside that you don't know is inside you.

Of course, there is the years of content from reading my Bible through each year, reading widely from books to newspapers and one of the more overlooked sources, listening to what people are talking about. Once the determination is made about what to talk about, the stored up content of scripture, current events and current topics come flooding the the forefront from who-knows-where recesses of the mind.

It is an amazing dynamic. You can stammer around for days thinking you have nothing to say until you find out you do. Once the right thought, topic or event has the attention, a seemingly empty brain becomes flooded to overflowing. For preachers it is determining what we believe God wants said. For others, it is tapping into a personal passion or fascination.

Writing for a blog is an exercise I think would be good for everyone, whether or not anyone else reads it. It is good to allow some of what is on the inside out. You would be surprised that once you pierce the dam of ideas that has had no outlet, it quickly becomes a torrent of words and thoughts.

You, Wealth and God

2011-03-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

“And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” (Luke 16:11, NLT)

It has been said that to keep friendships, a good rule of thumb is never to talk about politics. I think that money is a more sensitive subject myself. Why? I suppose it is different for each person, but I suspect that the most common reasons are, we are afraid that someone is out to get our money, that if people knew how we spent our money they would disapprove, we might feel inferior if people knew they made more money than we do or, if we make more money than someone else they might think differently of us.

It is my personal opinion that God wants to bless His people in every way, one of them being with wealth. However, before He does that, as the above verse implies, we must demonstrate our ability to be trustworthy with what He has given us. I think the following verse gives us a lot of insight to this:

1 Cor. 10:13 (NKJV)
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

I know we don't often think of this verse in regards to God trusting us with more money, but I think it is easily illustrated that some people in regards to their money do not handle it well. Why would God want to give us more of something we do not handle well? So, He keeps us at a level we are able to bear.

On the positive side, when we demonstrate trustworthiness with money, God is able to bring more of it our way. The Parable of the Talents speaks to this point (Matthew 25:14-28). Make no mistake here, Jesus is talking about money, not a "talent" like playing the flute.

Frustrated with your financial situation? Run a checklist on your financial habits. Do you avoid debt? Do you tithe? Do you support missions? Do you save a portion of your income? These questions and others are a way to measure whether or not you are trustworthy enough for God to allow additional wealth to be entrusted to you. Answering NO to any of these questions will spell limitations on how God can upgrade your financial status. Remember, when we are faithful with a little, God gives us the green light to be trusted with something greater.

John's greeting in his third epistle, "3 John 1:2 (NKJV)
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." Gives us the key. Want to upgrade your prospering? Upgrade your soul. How do we do that? Obedience. Avoid debt. Tithe on your income to the Lord. Give generously to missions. Save a portion of your income. As your soul prospers through obedience in your finances you will see a corresponding prosperity in that area of obedience.

My To Sent Rant

2011-03-02T11:46:00.000-08:00

Maybe it is just me, but there is an increasing irony in this day and age of compounding ways we communicate. Actually, it may not be increasing but with the vastly increasing ways we communicate it may be that an already embarrassing situation is being exposed. What I am I about to rant about? I don't know if there is a technical term for it but it does seem there is a deplorable case of poor written grammar of crisis magnitude.

This may have always been the case with the great unwashed. But with all of the Twitter, FaceBook, blogging, etc., etc. going on, people who fancy themselves communicators (they used to be pastors, speakers or professionals in some sense) expose their awful grasp of grammar. An example? OK.

Just yesterday I spotted a sporty, good looking communicator posting on FB. He's got the style, he's got the dash, he is important and in demand. However, he should not be doing his own status updates. He was informing all that, "I am on my way across country sitting next to my daughter on the plain." Really?

Oh, I know, don't get my panties in a bunch. I could let something like that go, but especially for those whom people must trust and put confidence in and esteem as competent, this sort of thing is embarrassing like an open fly with a shirt tail hanging out in front of a crowd.

There are too many examples to list, but some of the more common and pervasive grammar errors are as follows. In number one place is the use of "your" in place of "you're". Did everyone fall asleep in class the day they covered contractions? In number two place is the use of "there" instead of "their." Possessive pronouns must be suffering an identity crisis. In number three place is the use of "here" for "hear" or vice versa. Please. This was humorous back in the day, now it's just the norm. You might as well have a blacked out tooth and a cowlick to enhance your perception of competence.

The saving grace in all this? Most people don't even notice. Since the problem is so widespread it isn't even noticed as a problem. If you ever mention the awkward correction to an offender, most of the time I have found, they don't even care. They are so pragmatic that to them if it sounds the same, it is the same.

I enjoy bits of history and sometimes read a handwritten letter that thanks to the internet and PDF files, you can see the actual document on screen. In most of the documents from the early days of our country, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, the handwriting would pass for calligraphy today. Not only are the words beautiful in form, but the content is articulate and eloquent as well. I would think most people today would think our forefathers were a bunch of hayseeds but that label certainly applies to us. Just read the preamble of the Constitution of the United States. Tell me, who can keep pace with such language as high art?

I suppose I shouldn't be so hard on everyone. My downfall is punctuation. At least most bad grammar offenders spell the wrong word correctly most of the time. That may be more attributable to spell check than competence, but we'll score one on the positive side so you don't think I am just a grouch.

So, I can't wait to ride on a plain at knight, feeling the piece of God while hereing worship music on my iPod waiting to get their. Thanks for reading my rant, I think your awesome.

Solitude

2011-02-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

First of all, to anyone who might have even noticed, I have been off this blog for quite awhile. Like everything that gets disrupted it has been a combination of busyness, forgetfulness and at times a lack of inspiration. However, sometimes a break is good for all involved and I will try to at least be a little more regular in my posts.

I find when I seemingly can't find any inspiration for something to talk about, it really isn't true. All I really need is to identify something for which I have something to say. The problem is, I didn't know I had something to say about it. But once it comes to my attention I can hardly type fast enough to keep up with my thoughts. Something of such has been nagging at my mind trying to get enough attention to become a topic of conversation with me. It is the frequency with which I encounter those who claim to be bored.

I see quite often on FaceBook or some such public offering of inconsequential and meaningless details of life, a single entry on someone's status: BORED.

Honestly, I can't imagine it. I am rarely truly bored, and when I think I am, I can get over it pretty quick. There is always something to do, somewhere to go or a blog post waiting to be written. What I think is more often the case is the "bored" confuse anxiousness and restlessness with boredom. Being bored to me says you have abdicated your ability to think for yourself. I also think especially in this present age that we are confused with moments of not being entertained with boredom. Who can be truly bored when we have so much at our disposal? Things to listen to, watch, the rapidly expanding options with which to communicate are all before us. On my phone of all things, I can communicate with texts, email, FaceBook, Twitter, blogs, a number of ways I haven't even had the inclination to explore and, oh yes, I can actually talk to someone. And that is just my phone.

I think the difference in being bored or not bored is the ability to be by yourself successfully. Not everyone I am discovering can do this. To one, being by yourself is to be alone. To another it is solitude. They are not the same. Being alone is terrifying. The single most hellish part of Hell will be the profound aloneness those who choose go there will realize. Not even prayer will penetrate the blackness of Hell. No ability to reach out to anyone or anything, for help, hope or company. Grim indeed. True boredom is a preview of such.

Solitude on the other hand is far different. It is not a state of being bored or even alone even though you might be by yourself. In solitude, I can pray, I can think, I can wonder, question, read, rest, recharge and renew. I am not afraid to be in solitude. I actually like myself for company. And too, I am never truly alone. I am in contact with God. He did promise never to leave or forsake. Who can be bored in the presence of the Creator of everything? To be bored is to deny the existence of God in the present. You might believe in God, but to be bored is to deny He is anywhere near. You cannot be bored in the presence of God.

The next time you are thinking of letting the world know of your updated status with the single word: BORED, reconsider. It is true or is it telling you something else? Have you lost your purpose? Are you in spiritual desertion, denying the reality of God in your present? There are plenty of options be being bored. Boredom is giving up, being dependent upon something external to keep us entertained. A recent study of those who have suffered a traumatic brain injury depriving them of use of limbs and the ability to speak revealed something interesting. Living with "Locked In Syndrome" and only being able to communicate through eye blinks, they have found a way to thrive. A majority of those who were surveyed were able to communicate that they were happy with their lives. Imagine that! And so many who have everything available to them, the full use of their bodies allow themselves the luxury of boredom.

We can do better.

Maybe It's Time To Simplify Christmas

2010-12-08T14:33:00.000-08:00

One of the conversations I had while I was recently with my brother was about his family's insistence to keep birthdays and holidays in perspective. He said that they actually purchase few gifts in comparison with so many others. What they focus on are family experiences. They actually practice what they say they value in keeping holidays, even Christmas, pretty simple and doing fun things together as a family. Wow, I always think of doing that but it seems I tend to cave in and buy things to avoid feeling cheap and stingy. Mind you, I don't buy things just to buy things, I always want to provide something that is wanted and hopefully needed in some way. But what if we all scaled back a bit on the stuff and spent more time doing some intentionally planned family event? I bet the memories would last longer than the stuff! Think about it, be brave and try it!

Here are three suggestions to apply it:

1. Focus on traditions rather than things.

When I look back on my fondest memories, they're always about the traditions we've enjoyed as a family. What would Thanksgiving be without turkey and dressing and pumpkin roll? What would Christmas be without the reading of the Christmas story, our tradition of making the kids wait until Mom and Dad are up before playing with or opening ANY presents, or driving around looking at the Christmas lights while sipping hot chocolate and playing Christmas carols on the radio? Christmas for my family is a time to celebrate being with each other, not celebrating the latest gadget, toy, or gizmo.

2. Do Christmas your way, not the marketers way.

Why let "a December to remember" cause you financial pain and stress for the next 60 or 72 months? The pressures that Madison Avenue places on people this time of year is something they should be ashamed of. There's absolutely nothing wrong with giving something far more valuable than things - give your time. Take some time to visit people who are shut in. Take some time to play with your children ... down on the floor. Teach someone what you know: cooking, playing the guitar, knitting a sweater, or painting a landscape. Invest your most precious asset - time - into those you love the most.

3. Create a new gift giving tradition.

Some people only give gifts that are hand made. The materials can be bought, but the finished gift must be hand made. Try it with ornaments if you're not ready to go "New Yankee Workshop" or try the Magi Christmas tradition: three gifts and three gifts only. There is a Victorian tradition that says each person should get "something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.
Don't let the stress of the season ruin the meaning of the holidays.

Kara Brown May 9, 1988 - November 30, 2010

2010-12-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday, in the early morning, my niece, Kara Brown passed from this life into eternal life. My brother and his wife, have been battling this blood disease with Kara for the past three and one-half years. How they have managed to maintain their lives and keep strong relationships going with their other children and be healthy themselves is a testimony to how strong faith can be in times like this. Their commitment to fulfill Kara's wish to die at home was amazing. They took training (which after three and one-half years they already knew the drill) to administer medications to keep her as comfortable as possible and were not willing for others to care for her when they could themselves. Kara was never alone.
The Lord allowed JoLynn and me to arrive in time to see Kara, speak to her while she was still responsive. It was a privilege to be there and watch my brother care for her with such amazing tenderness and responsiveness. My esteem for him is even greater than it was before. It was simply amazing.
Through the week, it was such a blessing to have so many people send emails and flowers letting us know they were feeling the loss of Kara even though they had never met her. Bethel Church, the Assembly of God congregation in Chehalis was especially kind in offering the use of their wonderful facility and preparing a generous dinner for all the guests afterwards. This lifted a tremendous burden by the family not having to make these arrangements while they were making other necessary plans and with family members arriving.
The memorial service was such a great event, so many people came that the line for signing the guest book extended out the doors and around the building so far that they just took the guest book away and allowed people to come in and fill the sanctuary to capacity. Kara touched so many lives it is difficult to imagine without seeing all the doctors, nurses who came that gave her care, students from her high school that she mentored, church friends, community friends, work associates and all who took the time to come, some from other states just to be there to honor her memory.
In the end, the disease conquered Kara's body, but it never conquered her spirit. She remained funny, spunky and positive to the time where she could no longer respond. She was a fighter to the end.
Our great comfort in all of this is knowing she is with Jesus and no longer trapped in a body stricken with disease. She is on the "other side" with many of our friends and family members who have preceded us. It will make it all the more sweeter to see her again when our time comes.
One of her final quotes will stay with me a long time, "The only day wasted is a day not spent in serving the Lord."

So Thankful

2010-11-15T11:47:00.003-08:00

I wanted to THANK everyone who was part of this year's Christmas Shoebox effort! Thank you to each one who took a shoebox, went to the store and filled it with fun things and returned it to the church! Thank you to all the ladies who came and packed the boxes and got them ready to take to the Post Office! Thank you to Pam Clark for spear heading this effort again this year! Wow, that is 8 BIG boxes of fun things our missionaries, Linda and Brian Staub will be able to reach out to the village of St. Michael with! We have included the Book Of Hope for each age category as well as warm hats that were knitted for each person.

We did not think to keep a list over the several years we have been partnering with Alaska missionaries, but the places I can remember sending boxes to are: Emmonak, Tetlin, Beaver, Angoon, Ft. Yukon and perhaps other places. Some villages we have sent boxes to more than once.

I know from personal greetings from our missionaries how appreciated these gifts are when received in the villages. This is a great example of true partnership with our missionaries as they endeavor to minister to the least reached people of our enormous state. Each box is a message of love and generosity and....HOPE!

God bless all who have made this effort so rewarding again this year!

Stressed Out?

2010-11-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

I have had a number of people that I know, care for and pastor who have made known to me some huge obstacles they are facing in life just in the last few days. It is amazing how many people seem to be carrying a huge load, more than the usual busy schedule right now. It really seems like a season of spiritual/physical attack over a great number of people at present.

Isn't it like the devil to pile on when life is already difficult? Just when circumstances are taxing he seems to come along and increase the stress level by adding things that stretch us even further. If you are feeling what I am talking about, you are by no means walking your journey alone.

Something that I counsel people as their pastor when they hit these unexpected trials is to be deliberate about setting boundaries in your life. When we take extraordinary hits from the enemy, we must find places in our lives to rest and replenish ourselves. This means being able to say, "no" to the right things. I said that intentionally about saying "no" to the right things. Sometimes we in an effort to find immediate comfort for our empty emotional and spiritual tanks we opt out of everything including the very things that actually assist in replenishing our reserves.

The important thing in our crises and trials is to stay connected to the people who love us and care about us the most. Stay involved in your church, keep teaching your Sunday School class, continue to attend and serve on a regular basis. Now this doesn't mean saying "yes" to everything, but do stay involved. God has intended service to be a life-giving exercise. Cut off our service and we can collapse into isolated and disconnected despair.

Do find ways to create "margin" in your life. Margin is those empty spaces in your day, week and schedule that are empty with a purpose. Filling empty time with activity that is empty of meaning and purpose is not what I am talking about. Creating margin is making yourself take a "time out" to sit and listen to God, to talk to Him and to read His Word. David in his most noted 23rd Psalm includes the words, "...He makes me to lie down" (v.2). Isn't interesting that we must be made to lie down? Why does God make us do this? Because we need it. He created rest for us to renew, replenish and restore (v.3) ourselves.

Another huge help when we are feeling overwhelmed is to talk to someone who is trusted, who loves you and is not too eager to tell you how to correct your problem. In short, someone who is a believer and is good at listening. Sometimes being able to talk about what you are feeling to someone who cares is very therapeutic. Opening up to someone who is caring is good for our soul.

An important help in times of crisis is to have "financial margin". It is too often the case that we live to the edge of our means and even spend more than we make on a monthly basis. Scaling back on our lifestyle, creature comforts and luxuries and putting that income toward paying down debt and increasing savings is a way to create a financial margin that can carry us when the unexpected slams us. "A penny saved is a penny earned" is now considered too quaint to be meaningful. It is still good advice and it does create margin for the "rainy day" that is inevitably coming our way. When crisis comes and we are already over spent it compounds the problem. Better to think ahead financially during good times than to assume we can spend more than we make and that it will always be OK. Our entire nation is hurting because of this pervasive mindset.

Now, a final thought for those who may not be in crisis at the moment but maybe know someone who is, reach out to them. Communicate with them. Do something with them or for them. You may never get an invitation to do so, so you may have to initiate the idea. Don't be afraid of being rejected, it really isn't about you. Regardless, let that person know you are thinking of them and praying for them. You can't do any better than that.

2 Cor. 1:3-5 (NKJV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, [4] who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. [5] For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

Now is a good time to put that into practice.

The Ring of Authenticity

2010-10-29T12:16:00.001-07:00

I had a couple of interesting experiences this week. I was attending our Alaska Ministry Network's board meeting and the afternoon of the first day Alaska Governor Sean Parnell and his wife, Sandy took about a half an hour of their time to come and visit our board. He was promoting his initiative on ending child abuse in Alaska and asking us to support this effort in all the communities we influence throughout Alaska. While we visited, we heard the Governor speak about his personal faith in God. Now I have heard a lot of "God talk" by politicians before. Very often it is awkward and sometimes down right embarrassing they way they speak of how they view "faith." What is obvious is that they are trying to identify with a voting bloc that could help their efforts for re/election by "speaking the lingo" as if they were familiar with it and attempt to convey the idea they talk that way all the time. As I was listening to Sean and Sandy Parnell it struck me that what they had to say had the ring of authenticity. What they expressed about their faith had the feel of genuine faith that only another believer can discern. They had it, it was real.

The next morning another gentleman was brought into our morning devotions. His first name was Joany which sounds almost like Johnny. He is from Burkina Faso, Africa. He pastors a church there which now numbers around 5000 people. He spoke to us about prayer. Not only were his words compelling, but when he was done sharing his teaching on prayer, he prayed. Oh my, he prayed. You cannot fake prayer. The person who really prays will always be able to expose the one who only postures themselves as one who prays. He prayed a powerful prayer. One had the feeling that it was making a difference right then. It was the real deal.

In a world of facade and appearances, it is exciting when you find the authentic. I pray that others will find my words, my actions and my life full of the ring of authenticity.

Make It An Even 40

2010-10-02T23:06:00.000-07:00

Nothing serious here this post. I just wanted to report on my quest to be a healthier, happier Stephen. I am down 40 pounds from the first of 2010. The interesting thing at this point is, I am not trying to lose weight so much as to eat less irresponsibly. To be honest, I miss the carbs. I love the crunch of crackers, the taste of bread, the sweet of sugar and the smoky goodness of chocolate. However I like feeling better, fitting into my clothes, not being out of breath just bending over and tying my shoes, not falling asleep in the afternoons at my desk and not having acid reflux after I eat better than the carbs. So, I just have to remind myself of these things. I had my blood pressure taken this past Wednesday in the doctor's office: 110/64, one of my best ever. My cholesterol numbers are nearly where they need to be, my A1c blood sugar level is just .1 over "normal" and I am still not taking any medications of any kind. I want to keep it that way.

At the doctor's office the doctor said that they see someone lose weight and change their diet so rarely it almost never happens. He held up my screening form and noted all the "no's" that were checked for symptoms and medications and said it was very rare to see such a sheet. I share this to say that all of that was on the brink of going away and I would have become just another health statistic adding to the slide of the decline of health in America. Makes me shudder to think I felt I couldn't do anything about it. I can and I am. God help me discipline myself to stay as healthy as I am able to be for as long as I am able to be so I won't have to ask you to do for me what I should have done for myself.

Ideally, I wouldn't mind losing another 10 pounds, I might really fit into a 34" waist instead of it being marginal at this point. More importantly, I think my numbers would improve to the point I would not be considered at risk for diabetes or high cholesterol.

Just in case you are wondering what system I am using, I am using The South Beach Diet as a guideline. It is no longer my diet, it is just the way I eat now. I don't diet any more, as that implies I will go back to eating irresponsibly again in the future once I lose some weight. Not going to do that. This is just the way we eat now and frankly I like it. Hope I can inspire anyone else out there to find out what they need to do to feel better. I do believe each body has it's own unique needs and the South Beach approach may not work for everyone, but find out what does and stay with it. It's worth it.

Burn A Quran?

2010-09-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

Can you believe the national, rather, international froth whipped up by this Pastor Terry Jones in Florida saying he and his church were going to sponsor a Quran burning day? Unbelievable.

First let me clarify my position. I will address why later, but no, I don't plan on burning any Qurans.

What I want to know is how a church of some 55 people got the whole world stirred up into a frenzy? I mean, how did they find this guy? Seems like the media was looking for a pretext to sell some advertising. Seriously, if all 55 members (and if it is anything like the church I pastor, 20% are going to be absent for one reason or another) burned a Quran what kind of monumental atrocity does this amount to?

I have some observations to make about this whole tempest in a teapot.

1. Why doesn't the media get all upset when Bibles or churches or Christians are burned like in the Sudan or Indonesia or Iran or wherever else real atrocities occur? You never hear a word about it. Things far worse than a burned book occur every day to people who are of Christian faith and suffer injustice and violence with some losing their lives. Why isn't the media frothing about that?

2. This once again shows how INTOLERANT Muslims are. The media reports that large demonstrations in Islamic countries were taking place with threats of violence and retaliation. The top general of the U.S. armed forces feared burning Qurans would further endanger U.S. troops. Why isn't this angle picked up on? Muslims are the least tolerant people on the planet. Islamic countries lead the world in human rights violations. Somehow, Christians look like the bad guys in even this scenario.
Muslims can threaten the world and the media always gives them a pass. The Imam who said if the mosque planned to be built near ground zero was forced to move to another location it would result in increased violence. That my friend is a threat. Why is it never exposed as such? The Muslim can threated anyone and we look intolerant if we stand up to it? Give me a break.

3. Burning Qurans is a stupid idea for a lot of reasons. First of all, it is stupid to go provoking trouble. There is enough trouble out there, why create additional and unnecessary trouble? Save it for something that counts. Burning Qurans proves nothing. You haven't convinced anyone to change sides by burning a Quran, it is wasted effort. It is stupid because it furthers the stigma the media is trying to make stick to Christians everywhere. While Islamic terrorists are only a "few radicals" so we shouldn't characterize all Muslims as such, Christians always get the full blanket treatment. The militia that had most of its members arrested in Michigan some months ago were all characterized as "Christian." Actually none of them were and they didn't claim to be a "Christian Militia." However, the media would like the world to think Christians all play army in the woods and plot to overthrow the government. It's OK to profile Christians but not anyone else. Throw enough mud on the wall and some of it will stick.

4. I don't think Jesus would be burning Qurans. I know everyone has their own answer for "what would Jesus do?" but I don't see Him burning books.

Well, I don't know if you agree with me or not, but that's the way I have read this thing. In this war of ideas that we are presently engaged in, it will take a lot of intelligence, informed dialog, faith and behaving ourselves wisely. We can't play into our detractors hands. We must decide what hill we will die on defending what we hold dearest and let the rest go. There isn't room in our lives or enough resources to go doing and saying stupid things. Live smart. Live in faith.

Perspective

2010-09-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Isn't it amazing when someone sits down and studies the obvious? We can all drift around assuming we kind of understand and have things in control when we haven't done the homework and the reality is, we don't know what we don't know. Then someone comes along and states the obvious and suddenly we have a point to draw perspective from.

As you might suspect, this blog post was inspired by a perspective I gained just today. How do you get perspective on the number "trillion?". What does trillion mean? Well, it's a lot of something. But since I don't run into a trillion of something on a daily basis(except bad drivers), it is hard to really appreciate what a trillion represents.

Here is the piece of perspective I ran into that I will share with you:
1 million seconds of time takes about 11 days to run out.
1 billion seconds of time takes 32 years.
1 trillion seconds of time takes 32,000 years.
Mind you, that is counting every second 24/7/365, not just the "waking hours" of the day.

Does that smack you between the eyes? Let's then give 32,000 years some perspective. If Adam and Eve the moment they were created from the dust of the earth (which Bible scholars believe was 8 to 10 thousand years ago) started counting 1...2...3...4...etc. they would not be one third of the way to reaching 1 trillion yet! It would take them 22,000 more years!

So, where was the last place we heard the word trillion tossed around like...loose change? Does this give you some perspective? Does this make you shake in your boots?

In the recent past, our country has descended into the pit of debt an additional 7 trillion dollars. Let's see, I am not too good at math, 7 x 32,000 = 224,000. Am I right? It is said that the United States of America carries a debt that including unfunded mandates, national health care, Social Security promises, etc., etc., of 107 trillion dollars. You do the math this time. The analogy is that if we paid back our national debt one dollar per second without sending another dollar (basically forever and ever) we would never pay off our national debt.

One thing that perspective can do for us is make the truth much more applicable to our lives. If this doesn't cause you to go to your knees in prayer, you might need a little more perspective.

I Agree

2010-09-07T17:39:00.001-07:00

This is another blog installment that was inspired by a blog I ran across on CNN.com. I am posting a link that I hope you will take a moment to to this article and read. http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/09/07/tf.quit.drinking.friends/index.html?hpt=C2

Understand that I am not endorsing this person's lifestyle or language but I recommend reading this article to point out the fact that it is logical to come to this conclusion even if you are not a Christian. Drinking and Evangelical Christianity were once largely mutually exclusive terms. Growing up in church I was taught that drinking alcohol was simply not part of a Christian's life. As far as I am concerned, that teaching has kept me in good stead for 51 years. Not one dui, under age drinking citation, or alcohol related offense has ever been perpetrated by me. Not a single cent has gone to purchase any alcoholic beverages saving me untold thousands of dollars not only in the non-purchase of such beverages but related costs such as accident damages, taxi fares, jail bail, and the like. To me, I think it is smart to not drink all the way around. The upside of drinking? Can't think of anything worth the risk. There simply is no compelling argument to drink. Any pleasure I might get from an alcoholic beverage I can certainly get from something without alcohol. I have NEVER heard anyone say, "I make my best decisions after I have had a few drinks." Why is that?

All of the logic aside, which by the way is plenty enough for me, the Christian testimony aspect of the argument to not drink is also very important to me. I feel drinking alcohol lessens the effectiveness of my Christian testimony. Let's say, I drink a few drinks and despite my attempts to be disciplined about it, I get a little tipsy, or a lot tipsy or just plain drunk. Seeing I have a history of a lack of discipline around food this is not unimaginable. Is this a great way to represent Christ? What difference am I demonstrating that Christ makes in my life? Even not being "tipsy" am I giving Jesus the advantage by holding an alcoholic drink in my hand? I don't think so. By the way, it isn't good to abuse food either, it also lessens my testimony but let's not get sidetracked.

The odd thing? I have been in this person's shoes (the person who wrote the article) many times, most of those times it was a Christian person questioning why I do not drink. Who cares? Why does it bother anyone else? Why is this strange? Is drinking alcohol the admission to a secret society that I don't belong to? The situation is really odd to me.

Does not drinking make me a better person than someone else? Not in God's eyes. It might make me a more productive person or a more responsible person, or less likely to commit an alcohol related crime or stupid decision, but not of more worth to God than the skid row bum. Simply, not drinking alcohol makes me a better me. It makes me closer to the person I want to be. I am not perfect, most likely won't ever completely be perfect but one less area to screw up in is a good idea for me.

So, to those who can live without alcohol, I applaud you. I know there seems to be some leeway in this area as a Christian, but there being so little benefit and so much risk, why? Keep an open mind and heart to the possibility. I think it is a better way.

The High Cost of Irresponsibility

2010-08-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

I have not posted a "philosophical" blog in quite some time. Usually, I like to talk about adventures or people I have enjoyed being with or places I have been. I suppose it is the preacher's itch that prompts a diatribe on a topic now and then.
I have been reminded again and again about the high cost of irresponsibility. The current economic malaise our country has been experiencing for the past couple of years is the most recent reminder. The irresponsibility of so many has brought our country to a very low and humiliating point. Irresponsible people who loan money to irresponsible people who spend more than they earn are some of the ones who have created the current problems. The high cost involved with this? We ALL bear it in one way or another. Some lose their job because the economy is bad. Some have to lay off employees or not hire additional people. The highest cost to all of us is usually additional government intrusion into our lives. With each "crisis" we are told that the government will save us from certain doom by bailing out the most irresponsible ones who created the problem in the first place and making those who have behaved responsibly and did not create the problem pay the bill the irresponsible ones created. It is insanity. Rewarding irresponsibility and penalizing responsibility is a recipe for enslavement by government. As more and more join the ranks of the irresponsible as they are the ones being rewarded by the growing government, there are fewer and fewer responsible ones to pay the bill. Soon, like a boat that grows top heavy, we capsize and everyone drowns.
It is easy to talk about "other people" and complain about their actions. But what are we, ourselves doing to contribute to this problem? Are we voting and participating in our governance processes? Are we spending more than we earn? Do we expect the government to make our life cozy and without problems or do we feel that is our own responsibility?
Many complain about government "waste" and prolifagate spending and "pork". But do we demand that the politicians we elect "bring home the bacon"? We hate our tax dollars being spent on other states projects, but want it for our own. We must examine our own wants and desires if we are to make headway on this growing problem.
From babies being born out of wedlock and their mothers joining the welfare ranks to the person who buries themselves in enormous debt with credit cards, consumer loans and outsized mortgages, we will all pay the high price of irresponsibility.
The problem is, when we are the irresponsible ones, we easily justify ourselves and do not see ourselves hurting anyone other than ourselves or worse, feel we have a "right" to our irresponsible behavior. We feel is it no one else's business that we spend more than we earn, or have sex with people we are not married to or take illegal drugs or abuse legal drugs. How then do we feel it is everyone else's business to bail us out when our problems overwhelm us? Why do we feel everyone must pay for the mess we ourselves created?
I am appalled at current ads advertising "we can cut your credit card bills in half", claiming that they will just magically wipe away money you owe to other people for things you said you would pay for. That is just plain stealing! Our government has enabled us to legally steal from others. This is a farce anyway as those so eager to wipe out our debt simply charge the amount to you that you supposedly "save" to pay themselves. So, in reality we are duped into enabling other people to steal from other people. Money we said we would pay to others is now being paid to someone else that does not have any right to it.
The correct word for irresponsibility is simply, sin. That's what it is. When we sin, it is a problem for everyone. Irresponsible behavior is sinful behavior. No matter what we act in irresponsibly, we are sinning.
This is a terribly unpopular message. Anytime a person raises a moral standard, we are told not to "impose" our morality on other people. What that really is saying is, "I am imposing my morality on you." The truth is, we will operate by someone's view of morality. It is also a farce that insisting on a high moral standard is imposing anything. It has ALWAYS been wrong to steal from others. It has ALWAYS been wrong to have sex outside of marriage. It has ALWAYS been wrong to lie. We are imposing nothing, we are attempting to enforce what has ALWAYS been. So those who accuse us of "imposing" our morality are actually the ones guilty of imposing a new, lower, less moral, morality.
In order to bring about any change, we ourselves must adhere to biblical, moral standards that God has set forth for us to follow no matter the contemporary aversion to moral absolutes. We ourselves must reject justification for our own irresponsibility and the idea that other people are responsible to clean up our own messes or to bail us out of our stupidity. Until we realize there are absolute consequences for sin that we might delay for a time but will eventually catch up to us and our children, we are all riding on a boat ready to swap up for down.

A Preacher's Day Off

2010-08-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

My wife and I were recently blessed to host one of our Alaska Missionaries, Austin Jones and his summer intern, John the Baptist, a.k.a. Ricky the Zion Bible College student. Austin pastors the church in Emmonak which is located on the lower Yukon River in Southwestern Alaska. Somewhat in the same region as St. Michael. Austin came out of Emmonak this trip to take some much needed R&R after a very busy summer. Emmonal is the "hub village" in that area and the staging grounds for the Bible camps the Alaska Ministry Network sponsors each summer. Many people, village adults, children, volunteer helpers, interns and Assembly of God personnel. A lot of the logistical responsibility falls on his shoulders due to the fact he lives in Emmonak and is the "go to" person who can gather and expedite the resources needed to run the camp. So, he contacted me to see about some fishing on the Kenai. I was glad to borrow a boat and supply the fishing equipment as I knew I would enjoy spending time with Austin and get out on the river myself, something I have not had much opportunity to do this summer due to my busy schedule and this being the wettest summer in the recorded history of the Kenai Peninsula.The Lord was gracious to us to limit the amount of rain that fell on us the two days we were able to go out. The Lord did not deem it necessary to provide an abundance of the fish we were seeking however we did catch a few. It was fun to share our home with Austin and John the...er, Ricky for two days. We not only fished but shot billiards at our favorite local billiards place. We also had a brief sunny afternoon which enabled us to take the 1968 Mercury Cougar, the coolest car in the world to play billiards. We also share an affinity for fine firearms which we enjoyed using at the range. JoLynn fed us sumptuously with delicious cookies, halibut and other good things from her kitchen. Austin and Ricky were headed to Seward to continue fishing and preach on Sunday before Austin headed back to Emmonak and Ricky back to Zion Bible College. Since Austin and I are currently both Presbyters with the Alaska Ministry Network, we'll see each other again in October and have lots of stories to share.

Guy Fun

2010-08-12T16:49:00.001-07:00

Recently our men's ministry when on what is now our second annual white water raft trip. What an exciting trip! The anticipation builds all morning en route to the place where we don our dry suits, life jackets and helmets. The safety pep talk on the shore of the six-mile river has the effect of pumping adrenalin into your blood stream as they speak of danger of the white water variety. The first thing once all of that is out of the way is for you to jump into the river and swim across to the other side. In a stream that is flowing pretty swiftly and about 40 feet across at that point and 40 degrees it takes about 120 yards to get across. This is the hardest part of the trip. When you clamber out on the other side with any bare skin, principally your hands, aching like an ice cream headache you are thinking this might be more than I am ready for. But, at that point you load into rafts and are introduced to your river guide and you embark on the adventure. Aching hands and cold are of less importance as you face the upcoming rapids.

I took this video with my little camera tucked into my life jacket so it doesn't get the best pictures but hey, I was busy paddling. It does give you an idea of the action we enjoyed bouncing through the rapids with our fearless river guide barking out paddling commands. Outrageous fun! The back you see much of the time in the video is Brad, my son who took the day off to go with me on this trip. I was so glad he was able to go and we could share the adventure.
We all managed to survive the day and one of the group had the dubious distinction to be the only one who fell out of the raft going down the rapids. He not only was the only one who fell out, but he did it twice. Needless to say he was the target of the many comments disparaging his abilities. Man talk for bonding. This final picture ist he "after" picture at the end of the day. Yes, this is the same handsome group of men as the beginning but wetter, tired and feeling the rush of a great day risking death and living to tell the tale.I hope there is a third annual event, it is one of those things I want to see if I still muster the sense of adventure and expend the energy to enjoy the older I get. It is also a way to spend some quality time with friends and experience life in a new way.

St. Michael Missions Trip Pt. 13 Things We Take For Granted

2010-08-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

You may wonder why I would show a picture of a common P-trap to open this installment of my blog. Well, in St. Michael, a P-trap is not common. When was the last time you thought about a P-trap? Maybe you never have thought about a P-trap. When the missionary's house in St. Michael froze up last winter the P-trap under the bathtub/shower had water in it as it was supposed to. However, when water freezes, it expands which isn't usually a good thing for plumbing. So, when showers or baths were taken, water leaked onto the floor. No problem you say, just go get a new one at the store or call a plumber. Good thinking unless you live in St. Michael. No P-traps at the local AC and no plumbers either. A little problem becomes a big problem. What you are thinking is that tangle of pvc is probably about $10 worth of stuff. Unless you live in St. Michael. Then that little conglomeration of plumbing is about $130. Let me tell you why. We could have brought one with us, even if it meant that Dennis restricted us to only 20 pounds of personal gear on the plane, but at the time no one knew this P-trap was broken. It was only discovered after our arrival. Such situations are afact of life there.

This man is Ray Schemanski. He is one of the miracle workers we had on this trip. We had miracle workers with flooring, electricity, carpentry, paint and Ray pretty much everything else, plumbing included. The closest P-trap to St. Michael he could determine was in Nome. So Ray called an air service in Nome and asked them to expedite the needed parts to St. Michael on their next flight to St. Michael which happened to be in two days. Mind you, we could have had them fly that day, but that would make the P-trap about $300 more expensive. We were only going to be in St. Michael 4 days, but two days would work. So, Ray spent nearly the entire morning working out an order (try describing plumbing parts to an air service secretary over the phone), paying the price of the parts, the expediting charge, the haz-mat fee (for the cement to bond the parts) and $10 parts quickly become $130 parts. Only instead of arriving in St. Michael they ended up in Elim, another village many miles away. So, more phone calls, more time spent describing the parts, and arrival literally hours before we were to take off back to Kenai.
This is life if you live in St. Michael. It takes a lot of time and effort to do just about anything, oh, and lots of money too. Things we take for granted in the world we all live in are not to be taken for granted in St. Michael. Lots of patience, ingenuity, creative solutions, salvaging, re-purposing and money are needed to live here successfully.
I have included a video I have already posted so you can watch it for something that may have slipped your notice the first time. First, forgive me for the long video. I am learning taking video is much more interesting than watching most of the time. When you watch this time, as we fly over the village, note the silver lines that connect all of the houses all over the village. This is another thing we often take for granted, water and sewer. Those silver snakes that you see in several previously posted pictures and this video are the village's water and sewer system. Yes, it is above ground and the boardwalks and roads all must work themselves around or over this grid. It can't be buried in the ground as the ground is frozen year around except for a squishy top layer in the summer, and if it were to break down or get damaged in the winter, getting into the ground when it is frozen just isn't going to happen. So, one pipe in these silver snakes is for fresh water, which by the way is excellent, coming from one of the volcanic crater lakes in the area, and the other pipe takes alway everything that goes down the P-trap and more. The pipes of course are separate from one another (everyone asks this question) and the rest is insulation around an electrical wire to keep it warm and flowing in the bitter cold of winter. The residents call this their "million dollar" water and sewer system. Not because it cost that much, it cost much more than that, but because that is how much it costs to produce the electricity to keep it from freezing which is diesel generated. All very sobering to think about. However this affords the village with wonderful, safe water to their homes and flush toilets as opposed to hauling water in,in buckets and hauling out everything that goes down the P-trap and more also in buckets. When was the last time you were thankful for your water and sewer? Live in St. Michael awhile and you will think about it a lot and be thankful. 17 people from Kenai who shared one flush facility were thankful!
Without belaboring the thought, there are a lot of things we take for granted in our lives that we probably shouldn't. There being so many of these things that we would be too overwhelmed to try to list them in any meaningful way, we just pretty much forget they are there until something goes wrong and then we get mad. When you support your missionary on the field somewhere, remember they may not have all the conveniences of your home. Keep them in prayer and keep your support for them strong.

St. Michael Missions Trip Pt. 12 MARC

2010-07-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

One of the great advantages we enjoyed on this missions trip was the services of MARC. Mission Aviation Repair Center in long form. This ministry operates to serve mission stations all over Alaska regardless of affiliation. If you know anything about Alaska, you know that only a very small percentage of our communities are served by road access. You simply cannot drive to most communities in Alaska. So, the aircraft is a vital link in transportation. This is where MARC comes in. Lets say, a team of people want to go to St. Michael to do some work on the facilities there and they need to take a lot of stuff with them. Since there are no commercial air carriers who fly into St. Michael, there would have to be a more complicated and expensive route to get there. MARC will fly such a team directly to any destination with their stuff. It is a huge advantage.

MARC was a fairly small operation for many years, begun in the earlier era of less regulations and red tape by an incredible man, Rold Amundsen. They used their personal aircraft to fly missionaries back and forth, supplies, groceries and the like with the meager funds that were available. But it worked and the ministry kept going. Eventually they added missionary pilots, mechanics and office personnel who were supported by outside churches and missions agencies. The real boost came fairly recently from the organization Samaritan's Purse, led by Franklin Graham.
Franklin has a great interest in Alaska and comes to our town often. Samaritan's Purse has done a lot of work in the Alaska Villages. Perhaps the most significant was Hooper Bay. A couple of years ago the village suffered a catastrophic fire that burned several houses and buildings in the village. You don't just go to Home Depot and get some lumber and start rebuilding. It is a huge effort. A village that suffers such a blow as that can simply cease to exist because the logistics of rebuilding are so great. Samaritan's Purse spearheaded the effort to get teams of people and materials out to Hooper Bay. It must have cost millions of dollars to do what they did. Much of it was run through MARC. Because of this relationship between MARC and Samaritan's Purse, MARC is able to use the aircraft of Samaritan's Purse for other missions efforts such as ours.
What you are able to load on these aircraft is pretty incredible. Essentially if you can fit it in the door, it goes. Weight of course is of great concern so other things get limited. For instance Dennis, our team leader limited us to a total of 25 pounds of personal gear per person. That 25 pounds included our sleeping bag, pillow and foam pad - if you wanted to bring such things. Yes, I did. I told Dennis that I have lost 30 pounds since the first of the year so I could then take 55 pounds? No dice. I didn't tell him but my stuff actually weighed 26 pounds altogether. I got away with it! Ha! Anyway, we were loaded pretty heavy.

Back to the great advantage MARC affords us is we are able to "piggy back" on trips they are already scheduled to take. In our case, the large aircraft we took was scheduled to deliver goods to White Mountain which is much further North than St. Michael. So, we piggy backed on the return route as the aircraft was empty. We only had to pay for the return leg, not a whole round trip to pick us up. The same with the smaller aircraft on the way out. It was already scheduled to fly into Hooper Bay which is not far from St. Michael (relatively speaking). So we only had to pay the
leg from Hooper Bay to St. Michael, only one hour instead of the whole round trip. Also, the flights are direct instead of having to change out planes to go from one place to another. It's really the only way to fly. My pilot, Brian was a great guy, we had great fellowship on the way stopping in Napakiak (Na pok iak), Bethel, Hooper Bay and St. Michael. What a great adventure!

St. Michael Missions Trip Pt. 11 Problem Solver

2010-07-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

I have to introduce you to a man who is an incredible leader. Dennis Merkes. That's him in the middle of this picture. Dennis is an extraordinary problem solver. Really, he is amazing.
This trip happened at all because of the gift he has to tackle a problem and find a solution. 36 hours before departure for St. Michael we received a phone call from the missionary, Brian Staub who was in St. Michael a day ahead of us, telling us that the container with all the materials in it with which we were supposed to work with was not going to arrive in St. Michael as it was scheduled in time for us.

Game over. That was my thought. There just isn't enough time to find a work around solution, or so was my thinking. Not Dennis. I dropped the bomb on Dennis about an hour after the phone call which was about 6 pm. Without going into a very detailed and lengthy description of someone who is determined to make a plan work, suffice it to say, Dennis had us back on track to go to St. Michael with materials. A few phone calls and a lot of manic effort to purchase and gather replacement materials literally hours before our scheduled take off brought us all back online. The other 13 team members were none the wiser as everything to them went just as we planned.

This next picture looks like everything is going just fine. It is actually, but you don't know why it is. When you land in St. Michael, the airport or we should just say the landing strip is at least three miles out of the village. No shelters, no place to make a call, nothing. You are dropped off, the plane flies away and you are there all by yourself. Where is the missionary? He was supposed to be here to pick us up. Nothing. So, Dennis sees this pickup truck coming up the road. He meets the driver. No, he is not there to pick up a group of people. So, Dennis asks, "could we load our stuff in your truck and you take us into town?" With a little monetary persuasion a deal is made and 14 people, all the stuff we brought with us pile onto and into this Nissan pickup truck.
Now I am not mixing up my numbers, we took 16 people total to St. Michael, I had not yet arrived (another blog post to come) and Dennis Doss (we had two Dennis', two Larry's on this trip) hitched a ride with the same Yupik Eskimo man with the 4-wheeler/trailer that was to help us out in a couple days (I think he is actually an angel God sent to help us out on this trip). The way it all worked out you would have thought it was planned.

Now the reason the missionary did not meet our group at the airport was because the truck he had would not start. So on arrival in town, Dennis goes to work fixing this truck because it is very clear we are going to need this truck while we are there. As they determined the battery wass dead, a little Yupik lady walks by on the boardwalk. "Do you know someone with a battery charger?" Dennis asks. She nods. In a few minutes she returns with a battery charger.

This next photo is a great example of Dennis' gift. See that large, heavy, hard to move piece of iron we are hauling away? It has set behind the house in St. Michael for who knows how long. How did it get there? Why is it there? Who moved it? Questions that will never be answered. In my mind it was there when God created the heavens and the earth. It was destined to be there until the end of time. Then Dennis walks around the back of the house where I was working and questions why this thing is there. He says, "hey, I think we should move this thing out of here." I think but do not say, "Right! Not on my back!" So Dennis pushes on this thing as it is standing upright and tips it over. "See?, he says. Now we can roll it." So I am automatically drafted into this new endeavor. As God saw this going on, He sent a wonderful little Yupik man by on his 4-wheeler pulling a little trailer. Dennis says, "could you haul this thing to up dump for us?" The man nodded and we roll this thing onto this trailer that looks like it could tow about three little kids. I thought we were going to bust the axles out from under this little trailer. Since God thinks of everything, He also sent angels to keep us from breaking this man's little trailer. It was amazing. Mission accomplished and Dennis went off to solve another problem somewhere. I was left standing there shaking my head how this whole thing worked out in about a minute and a half. What a lesson learned.

The whole trip was pretty much that way. I think Dennis was pretty exhausted by the end of the four days, but after getting home and resting for a day, he was ready to go again. I have learned that the best thing I can do around Dennis is to stay out of his way and let him work out whatever he is after, because he will find a way to get what he feels is important. God bless him.

St. Michael Missions Trip Pt. 10 Boardwalk

2010-07-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

You might think I am talking about a space in the game of Monopoly. Not. Nothing close. Navigating around St. Michael is done mostly on foot. If you don't have a 4-wheeler or a truck, you get to walk. Since everything is easily within walking distance it's not too inconvenient. Who built these boardwalks is an unknown. When they were built is also unknown. I saw a picture in the local government building where we were given free showers by the generosity of the local people in charge there, of young native men putting up "new" board walks by salvaging material from "old" board walks back in the 1930's as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps (in case President Obama is reading this, it is pronounced "core" not "corpse" as in Marine Corps). So board walks have a lengthy history in St. Michael. It is a necessity not just a niceity. The board walks keep you from disappearing into the mud of the landscape. Yes, the landscape looks like a green carpet but do not be fooled, that is only a creative covering for bottomless mud. It's not like quicksand but more like "slowsand". Everything does sink that sits on the ground very long. If a person were to walk in the same place day after day, say like on the way to up dump, it would quickly become a muddy trench where water collected and never dried up. The ground here is at the water table pretty much, even on the sides of the hills around the village. Even on top of the hills it is in the water table. There will never be a forest fire in St. Michael as first, there are no trees anywhere, but more to the point, there is way too much water for anything to burn.

It must have been some time since the board walks were built as some of them, in particular, the ones in from of the church are in pretty rough shape. If you were not watching your step, you could easily twist an ankle or break a leg or at least take a nasty fall. It gave rise to an idea that on a return trip to St. Michael we would make repair of the board walks on the block that the church is on a priority.
As you can see, the boardwalks are not just for walking, but really a hard somewhat level surface where people can meet and the children play. It would be nice for the church to have boardwalks that people could do these things without the dangers of falling through the holes.

I made an interesting discovery one day when wandering through the weeds. The board walks have evolved over time. I found in the tall grass older, smaller board walks of two side by side planks that were apparently no longer used and overgrown. These meandered all over, most likely places previous residents often went. Now, they are slowly becoming part of the earth again. These older board walks seemed a little more pragmatic, not really laid out in an organized fashion but purpose built to go to specific places as directly as possible. For the most part these board walks stayed closer to the little bluff above the beach and offered a scenic walking tour of the beautiful vistas that surround St. Michael.

St. Michael Missions Trip Pt. 9 - Things to Do

2010-07-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

Fortunately it was not just work in St. Michael. We did have the evenings to look around the village and see whatever there was to see there. I really enjoyed walking around the village and seeing how the people there live their lives. Especially on the fist two days, there was such beautiful sun and relatively warm temps, it made walking around very pleasant.

For newbies like us, there was a lot to see as we were first timers and it was all an adventure. For those who live there, well, not a lot to do except what you make for yourself to do. It becomes very real to a person when you are standing in St. Michael to realize that if you are not connected to the land in a very strong way, fishing, gathering, hunting, etc. it would be a very bleak existence indeed. I suspect this has much to do with the high suicide rate in these villages. When you get cable TV and the perception is that the life "out there" is like what they see on cable programming, it becomes very dissatisfying to go outside to hunt and fish. So much of ministry in a village like St. Michael is giving the people hope and encouragement.

There are basically three things to do in St. Michael. The first is walk the beach. Now this is very interesting to do. There is the huge remnants of a previous civilization left on the beaches of St. Michael. 100 years ago, St. Michael was the last stop the stern wheeler boats made before they landed on the gold rush beaches of Nome, just across Norton Sound. St. Michael offered a protected bay from the numerous fierce storms that develop on the Bering Sea. At one time, there were 10,00 people in St. Michael. It is difficult to imagine. Sometime in the 1920's the whole gold rush came to an abrupt end and the sternwheeled boats were left on the beaches. I saw historic pictures in the local government offices showing these huge boats hauled out on the beaches. Almost all of the wood is very long gone as the elements make quick work of that. However the immense iron members of these boats remain.

The second thing to do is to visit "Up Dump". What? Simply it is the village dump and it is located over the hill from the main village. So, you have to go "up" to the dump. Everyone calls it "up dump". To be honest, it is a jolt to the system to come over the rise to up dump. One gets to taking for granted that everything is beautiful and pristine and wild. Seeing up dump reminds one that the realities of modern existence and the things we throw away are an issue, and especially so in a place like St. Michael. Living in a city our trash gets hauled away from our sight and we assume it doesn't exist anymore.

Apart from the shocking reality of up dump, it is a little entertaining and interesting and sometimes a place of resource as most dumps are. A perfectly good purse is laying on the ground, and you wonder, "why did they throw this away?" With all the dead 4-wheelers laying around the houses (dozens of them) in town, why don't they haul those to up dump instead of cluttering up their yards?" It goes on an on like it would if you visited your local dump. Going personally to the dump is just a part of life in Alaska for most people. Going to up dump reminded me of the many times I went with dad to toss out some perfectly good trash. He would sometimes remind me that if I didn't do well in school, I could always get a job at the dump because they paid you and it was all you can eat as a side benefit. I didn't know if he was joking for a long time. I think it was a subtle hint to do well in school or a life of up dump was something I could look forward to.

I mentioned the dump as a place of resource. This was true of our trip. The picture of the missionary, Brian Staub shows him extracting some lengths of PVC pipe that came in handy for burying an electrical line that they ran to the quonset hut. There was lots of it in the dump for some reason. It's kind of like a free hardware store.

The last "something to do" option in St. Michael is the AC. I think I might have mentioned that AC stands for "Alaska Commercial Store". It was formerly "Northern Commercial" which had served the needs of Alaskans for many decades all over the state, but now under a new owner, it mainly provides staples for bush residents. Interesting enough, in St. Michael, the AC is the going concern. In Stebbins, it is the Native Store that is the main provider of goods. The native store in St. Michael went out of business and the AC in Stebbins is pretty small. Regardless each carries lots of things we crave enough to consider paying the price they charge. Doritos are $9 a bag, Sunny Delight breakfast drink is $16 a gallon. Milk is $10 a gallon. Soda is 2.50 a can. A Wii you can buy at the local department store for $200 is $400 in St. Michael. You get the idea.

St. Michael Missions Trip Pt. 8 Stebbins

2010-07-15T17:44:00.001-07:00

The second day we were in St. Michael we had a small break in the afternoon to go 11 miles away to Stebbins, another Yupik village on the same peninsula as St. Michael. Stebbins is the larger of the two villages. St. Michael is about 400 in population, Stebbins 800 or so. Stebbins is a neat little village, a couple things stand out about it. First, you notice someone must have planned for all the houses and building to be laid out in a neat grid. The streets are for the most part pretty straight and the houses all spaced evenly apart from one another. St. Michael looks less planned in comparison. I still never got the logic of the street system in St. Michael. Most likely because

their logic developed their streets from the foot paths that followed the path of least resistance or went wherever due to need to go there. Interesting enough, Stebbins being bigger and having a few more amenities like the Native Store (much bigger than the AC) and a real Post Office, two amenities are not present here. A sewage system and a water system. Don't know how they missed out on those two things when St. Michael enjoys both.

So, the honey bucket is still a reality in this village. All the honey buckets are brought from the houses to little collection containers around town for someone to haul the contents away. In fact we saw the man who takes the collection containers to be emptied by towing them behind his 4-wheeler. We noted that he drove very slowly. We also noticed he was very lonely, probably because he didn't have much of a sense of humor.

While we were in Stebbins we checked out the Assembly of God church there. This is where missionary legends lived and ministered. Harriet Brown spent many winters here. John Covlasky also ministered in Stebbins and helped B.P. Wilson and Ken Andrus construct the original building in 1961. John Covlasky would travel by boat when weather permitted from St. Michael to Stebbins to minister in the days before there was a road and snowmobiles were very reliable.

While we were there a young Yupik lady showed up and asked if we wanted to get inside the building as we were showing it lots of interest. She had a key! So, we went in to inspect it. Small. The living quarters were pretty small. There was a little kitchen with a "vintage' electric range and a refrigerator. Winters might be pretty long in such a small place. By the way, click on the picture of our group standing in front of the church and see the address. I don't know if that is the real address or not!

A ways off from arriving in Stebbins we were met with a rather distinct pungent odor. We surmised this was a honey bucket village, but something told me this was a smell of a different kind. It was different. Herring. LOTS of herring drying everywhere. This last picture is me standing (up wind) in front of racks and racks and racks of drying herring. Two weeks it takes to dry herring due to their tremendous oil content, at that in a pretty constant stiff breeze right off the Bering Sea. If I thought St. Michael had a lot of king salmon on racks, Stebbins had those beat ten to one on herring. Didn't see much salmon drying in Stebbins.

The herring are just split open whole and left whole. They are then woven very skillfully into braids of dry beach grass. It is fascinating to see. I couldn't do it that way to save my life. They acted like it was no big deal. So there are hundreds of little herring sticking out from these braids of grass by their heads. The residents really like their herring.

On this trip half the team went to Stebbins. The next day the other half of the team went the 11 miles into Stebbins. I wish I had gone the second day as sometime early that day the villagers of Stebbins spotted a pod of beluga whales near shore in the Bearing Sea and were able to harpoon one and bring it ashore. Our team were able to watch them butcher it up. I haven't seen pictures of this yet, but will attempt to include them if I do.

St. Michael Missions Trip Pt. 7 Yupik Culture

2010-07-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

One of the really great things about being in St. Michael this trip was being able to see the residents putting up fish for the winter. The primary fish they were processing was king salmon. One of the testimonies given at the Sunday service was thanksgiving for the strong fish harvest. Apparently it stronger than in recent years and their drying racks were filling up.

Speaking of drying racks, they were lots of places. I passed by one home and the entire porch was a lined with drying fish, little huts made of driftwood and what might be considered a "clothesline" in our neighborhood sufficed for drying fish. The blue tarp is also employed quite often for the occasional rain shower. What would we do without our blue tarps?

Apparently the men do the catching and bring it home, the women do all the processing. Did I mention I like some aspects of Yupik culture? Actually the women really seem to love it. I really mean that, they seem to very much enjoy working with the fish. They visit and work away. Each one seems to do a certain part of the work. The oolu knife is very much a work tool there. They have several of them, different sizes and with different shaped blades. No tourist item here, they are very sharp and not for show.

In a matter of maybe two or three minutes the fish is gutted, headed and filleted. It is then placed in a brine for a time and "washed", then hung over a pole in the drying hut or porch or clothesline. The winds blow and keep the bugs off and gently dry the moisture out of the meat. The heads of the fish are collected for "dog food". The rest is taken out to the bay to feed the King Crabs which they also catch for free. It is fascinating to watch them go about their work. They were quite patient with us asking questions and looking over their shoulders.

Oh, just a little moral to the story, don't get caught stealing salmon out of the net. That little harbor seal learned that lesson the hard way. Actually, they were very happy to get the seal. They render the seal fat for oil, into which they dip most all their food, especially the dry salmon. In the harsh environment the Yupik people live in this provides long lasting energy and body heat to stay warm in spite of the cold and wet. You don't stay warm long eating twinkies in the cold of St. Michael. One friend who tried some described it "like turning on a heater inside your belly". I'll take his word for it until I need to try it for myself. Not that I am afraid mind you. I'm just not cold at the moment.

From the looks of things the ones out there working will eat well this winter. Less business for the AC perhaps but lots of prime king salmon to enjoy.

A Note To Readers

2010-07-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

I am no computer geek. I recently discovered that if you "click" on any picture, you will get a full size picture instead of these tiny ones. The details emerge that are lost on the small pictures. Give it a try! When you are done looking at the picture, just hit your "back" button on your browser and you will be returned to the blog.

St. Michael Missions Trip Pt. 6 Heavy Lifting

2010-07-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

One of the more significant tasks we undertook on this trip to St. Michael was fixing and leveling the floors in the house and the quonset hut. We were totally unprepared for this but it became very obvious this is something that needed to happen.

Right off, walking into the house it was very obvious that the floor was not level. A check from the front of the house to the back proved that the back of the house was 9" lower than the front end. Putting any work into fixing cracks in the walls or trim would be an exercise in frustration if the house itself wasn't level.

This is where our leader, Dennis really shines. One of his greatest strengths is that he is an amazing problem solver. If it had been left up to me, my assessment of the situation would have been, "hmmm....that's too bad." Not Dennis. No matter we did not have 10 ton jacks with us on this trip. No matter we didn't even have a real level - ever hear the expression, "that level is half a bubble off of plumb"? That was our level. No matter this project wasn't even on the radar screen when we took off to St. Michael. Dennis plunged right in and set about finding a way to make it happen.

Over and over again it was so obvious that the Lord provided things we required to do work that we would just be astounded. So it was with the jacks. A "chance" meeting with one of the residents of St. Michael resulted in him supplying two heavy lifting jacks for us to use. Once our electrician, Jim was working a rewiring project and couldn't go any further because he needed two romex clamps. They couldn't be found on site, at the AC or in the next village, Stebbins. So, Jim went to look again, through the bits and pieces of salvage material we had saved to see if he could make something work. Just as he exited the church building and was crossing the "street" (not really a street) he intersected with one of the village residents and greeted him. He mentioned to him what he was looking for. The man said, "I think I have two of those at home." He was gone for about 10 minutes and came back with three. That sort of thing happened so often we realized how involved the Lord was in this trip.

So, Dennis assigned Ray and Mark to crawl under that dank, dark space under the house to begin the process of jacking up the house. The house has been there for about 30 years. There are no true foundations under houses in St. Michael. Because the ground is so saturated in water, there is no practical way to pour a conventional foundation, neither is there any way you could get enough affordable concrete to St. Michael to make it possible. So, all the house are built on pilings. Over time these pilings sink into the soft soils during the short summers. As I mentioned the back of the house was sinking faster than the front of the house, most likely because it receives far more of the sun. So, Ray and Mark worked most of one day jacking and stacking more piling material under the floor support beams until the house was pretty much level. Inside the house this made an amazing difference. Walls that were separating came back together, cracks disappeared and you could walk across the room without feeling as if one of your legs was shorter than the other.

The next similar but different project was the quonset hut floor. This being the original building from the early '60's we assumed wrongly that the floor was rotted out. Not the case. What a testament to US Army engineering. It was quite solid and sound despite being inches above the watery ground for decades. What had happened, was on a previous construction project, the building materials were stacked in the quonset hut to be stored until they could be used. It obviously exceeded the weight limit of the floor and broke the main beam, collapsing the floor. So, once again, Dennis decided this had to be fixed.

They opened up the floor, quickly seeing the problem and went to work. They put treated blocking under the broken beam to use as a base to first jack up the floor. Once they started jacking it was obvious that the floor was not going up as expected, but the jack and the blocking were being pushed down into the watery ground. Another layer of treated blocking (all this blocking was found laying outside the church building, obviously there for some time) was required before the upward force was greater than the downward force. Once the floor was leveled it was supported and repaired and the floor sealed back up. It now will become a youth and children's ministry center instead of an unusable building.

St. Michael Missions Trip Pt. 5 Church!

2010-07-08T12:46:00.001-07:00

Spiritual encouragement was a great part of each day. We began the day with devotions and ended the day with devotions. Several members of the team shared some thought or scripture as assigned, sometimes minutes before it was to be delivered (Dennis, not me!). Usually before the devotional thought or scripture we would sing. You can see how hard pressed we were for musicians as I was the main one. I haven't played guitar for years. You can tell by the fact the ONLY songs I can play are "vintage", you know, "This Is The Day", "Come Bless The Lord", "Just A Closer Walk", that sort of thing. What a great team, they all said how much they appreciated the music. It was enhanced greatly with an acoustic bass played by Bill and another guitar player Tommy. The occasional percussion instrument joined in as well. The percussion thing got a little out of hand for me as I was leading the Sunday service. There happens to be a cardboard box FULL of noise making instruments on the platform of the Assembly of God church in St. Michael. These were liberally handed out to any child willing to "play" them by well meaning team members. The resulting cacophony was too much for this rhythmically challenged worship leader. I not only could not hear myself play my own guitar or the other players I think I could have replaced the words to "Give Thanks" with the Pledge of Allegiance and no one would have known.

We had a great service on Sunday. Each day we were in St. Mike we would invite the residents we met to our "potluck" we would sponsor on Sunday. We had no idea how many would come which is a concern as that being our last day we only had so much food left and running to the AC was not only pricey but maybe inadequate for what we might need. However, it was all very manageable in the end. The ladies prepared all the remaining food and put on a nice spread. The reason I put "potluck" in quotes is that we were the only ones who brought food. We ended up feeding about 24 adults and 25 children. We had a great time. Lots of visiting and sharing with the residents and enough food to go around.

Well meaning team members started handing out balloons sometime after the kids were pretty much done eating. This was a great hit and made these people very popular with the kids. They loved squealing the balloons and batting them around the room. I was brought by one of the children a balloon that had obviously been inflated and deflated, inflated and deflated a number of times. It looked "moist". I was asked if I would blow it up and tie it for them. I hesitated. I thought I might change my sermon text to Mark 16:18. I tried best I could to blow up this balloon without putting my lips on it. I am still alive. Fun pandemonium. Great for a potluck, not so good for church. When church started the kids hardly noticed. I was trying my best between the aforementioned cacophony and the balloons.

Anita, bless her heart, had a sudden thought that she and another volunteer, Larry would take the kids to the next door quonset hut with the newly fixed floor (more on that later) for children's church. This enabled us to have a more subtle time of church for the adults and we had a very nice service in which there were testimonies, thanks giving for the abundant fish run and my message which everyone participated in from Hebrews 13:8. Two people responded for salvation!

The pictures of Anita and the kids in the quonset hut are awesome. Anita said she had to think of every Sunday School song she ever knew with motions and all the Bible stories she could think of and some she made up to hold their attention. The picture of the little guy on the steps is cute. He is not praying, he is peeking through the hole in the bottom of the door. Too shy to go in, he still wanted to see what was going on inside. He was coaxed, he was encouraged to join in with the fun (for the kids). Nothing could persuade him to enter the quonset hut. Until the one magic word was spoken. Candy.

St. Michael Missions Trip Pt. 5 Kids!

2010-07-08T11:52:00.001-07:00

The children of St. Michael are precious. For not having a lot of the conventional distractions that city kids take for granted, they seem to be pretty content. Of course in a place like St. Mike, they have run of the entire place and they keep their own hours. Typically They stay up late with the summer sun and sleep in until about noon. This was evidenced by the fact that when we began our work which was about 8 in the morning, nary a child was to be seen until lunch. From then on, they were ever present.

They all seemed to have bikes, all in various states of hammered condition. One little boy had a bike with a pedal that was hardly there. I tried my best to think of how to improve it to no avail. However, his chain kept falling off as well. I scrounged a couple of wrenches and tightened it up some. The lack of lubrication made it difficult and I could not find a can of WD-40. I resorted to using a piece of drift wood that was shaped somewhat like a hammer to pound the axle back far enough to give sufficient tension to the chain. He rode off quite happy that his chain would stay in place a little better.

Some of the more experienced and thoughtful people on our team had the forethought to bring treats for the kids. This was a stroke of genius. The first time the children appeared they were offered candy which is like gold. It probably was not good for their dental hygiene but since that was not a likely concept it most likely didn't do any additional harm. It did buy us favor. Through the next couple of days bouncy balls appeared which could only be bounced on the only available hard even surface which was the church floor. Scratch bouncy balls for the next trip. Jump ropes were especially popular with the girls. Some had never jumped rope before. Jumping rope was possible on the boardwalks which are all over town (more about that later). The little balsa wood gliders were especially popular with the boys. Anyway, it was very thoughtful for the team members to think of the kids beforehand and bring them some unexpected treats.

One of my favorite quotes of the trip came from one of the three boys that were helping me take a load of trash to the dump (more on that later). To make conversation I was asking them questions about life in St. Michael. Their favorite thing to do in St. Mike was "go to the AC". Why? I asked. "Candy." I asked them if they had ever been to Stebbins, the next village 11 miles away by road. Two had, one had not. I asked if they had ever been to Anchorage. One little boy replied, "I sometimes always never go there." I am still figuring that one out.

St. Michael Missions Trip Pt. 4 Food!

2010-07-08T11:16:00.001-07:00

You may think this not fully serious, but food is an enormous consideration on a trip like this. Now, you can buy food in St. Michael. However at the "AC" (Alaska Commercial Store) you might want to be careful how much you pile into your grocery cart. For instance, one bag of your favorite flavor of Doritos corn chips (as long as your favorite is what is on the shelf) will set you back $9. Yep. That's one bag, not a case. That makes buying a gallon of gas in St. Michael seem a bargain at $8 a gallon. Since they all drive 4-wheelers and buy it a gallon at a time, it doesn't seem so bad. But I digress...

The generous people of our church provided the bulk of our meals. They were asked to pre-cook a meal, Lasagna, stew, stroganof or some other delicious meal to feed 25. Now we took 16 people to St. Michael. We did eat like kings, it was all very good, especially after working so hard each day. However, like magic, several of the village children would suddenly appear at meal times, it was amazing. There was no dinner bell, they just seemed to know. They were pretty hungry kids and you got the feeling they didn't eat as well as this most of the time. They really loved the apples and oranges too. Probably not something they get frequently. So, we usually had 6-8 kids show up to eat and often 3-4 adults that would also appear and be invited to join in. Sometimes they came in and ate and left without a single word, sometimes they would join in the conversation. It was all interesting to be part of the culture there.

Now the kids were really well behaved. They would wait patiently to be served - that is an important distinction to make as we served the meals to them. Some were so very grimy that for the sake of the possibility of ingesting something noxious we insisted on delivering the food to them. But they were polite and patient to get their food. They certainly would get squirrelly at times but a single instruction and they would comply, no back talk, no arguing no pouting. Great kids. Very curious and wanting to "help" you with whatever project you were working on.

I also wanted to draw your attention to the kitchen facility or the lack of such. We hauled the stove from the house over to the church so we could cook and serve food in a large enough area, which necessitated special wiring to make it work. The size of this little stove is important too. I think we could have put it in a phone booth (what is that?) with room left over to cook too. It was small which necessitated that all the meals be prepared in a careful sequence of heating and combining. The ladies did an amazing job with that. Notice their smiles, that wasn't just for the camera, they were always that way. Of course they were cooking for a captive audience. They could have served sawdust with cheese sauce and it would have tasted awesome. As it was we didn't have to eat sawdust because the food was soooooo good and there was enough for everyone. Hard to believe you could gain weight working in St. Michael.

St. Michael Missions Trip Pt. 3 Paint!

2010-07-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

The team was in St. Michael for only 4 days total, the fourth being Sunday and we were planning for an open invitation potluck and church service and leaving that afternoon, so there was no real time for work on Sunday. So what had to be done had to be done in three days. So, with not a moment to lose, work started right away on the painting of the church. If you look close, you can see how dry the wood is. Who knows when if ever the church ever has received new paint in it's 30+ year life.

The team sprang right into action and before very many minutes had passed paint was going on the walls. Some of the building, like the front absorbed the paint like a sponge. Because we had a minimum of paint with us and Home Depot was about 400 miles back in Kenai, extra coats of paint were hard to come by. The front in particular got about three coats and from the rate that paint was being absorbed it could easily have used three more. As it was, we literally ended up with about a cup of paint left over, which was used to paint the toe-kick in the parsonage when the new floor was installed. Nothing went to waste.

One thing that is difficult to appreciate is that all the exterior trim (except the facia) had to be replaced. Since there is no Lowes (where there is more of everything) in St. Michael, and we had no trim material with us, it had to be created from what was at hand. Each piece of trim had to be ripped with a skill saw from lumber. No luxury of a table saw, actually there was no luxury of a table on which to set up. A couple of saw horses (where those came from I have no idea) and a scrap or two of lumber and plywood became the sturdy (or not) bench from which everything had to be hand produced. All the corner trim, all the window trim and even the crosses had dry rotted to crumbling powder when you pressed on them. It all had to be replaced. This took immense patience and skill to produce each individual piece from scratch. Well, if we had to mill our own logs for lumber then cut them into trim it could have been harder so we had the luxury of having lumber to cut our trim from. The lone skill saw which was the lightest duty unit I have ever seen and left-handed to boot eventually broke and had to be repaired with duct tape (what else!?) but now did not all any angle adjustment to be made. That too had to be done by eye and patience and skill. Obviously I was not in charge of making trim. All of this was often interrupted by those other hard workers who were working on other jobs and needing the use of the single skill saw that was available. That one saw blade cut lumber, plexiglass, and aluminum which soon did the obvious in making the blade dull as a cob.

What an adventure! We'd all do again in a heartbeat. Seeing that the Lord provided everything we did need or made available material that could be improvised with was amazing. I'll share more as I add more pictures.

St. Michael Missions Trip Pt. 2 Getting Started

2010-07-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how many parts the St.Michael blogs will fill, or how I will choose to tell the story. I am still collecting pictures of the trip and cannot really tell it all sequentially so I will mainly tell eclectic moments of inspiration.

The first picture is of the church building as we arrived. The little quonset hut next to the church on the left is the original church building. The quonset hut was the original house /church in St. Michael. It was built in the very early 1960's. The information on St. Michael is sketchy, but a number of missionaries and people have ministered in this village since that time. From what the missionary who is now there, Brian Staub, told me, the church was built some time in the early 1970's, 1973 I think. I don't know if it has had paint since then, but it was in need of paint when we arrived. That was the first project the team attacked as the weather was excellent (not a given in St. Michael) and it was one of the priorities of the trip.

The second picture is of one of the congregation members who was at their fish site when the team arrived. She brought a nice, fresh king salmon to the team as a welcome and a gift for our meal. This was typical of the kind of welcome we received throughout the village. Very friendly, open and helpful people. The Assemblies of God is well thought of there and the people were glad to see us arrive. They are very happy to have missionaries there after the 38 years of ministry of Phyllis Fenstermaker. It is not easy to find people who will go to places like St. Michael but God has provided for the Staubs to be there. We were happy to contribute to that ministry.

The third picture serves two purposes, one, to prove that I was actually working and the real reason is to show some of the work we did in the parsonage. Last winter when the house was unoccupied, the heater quit working for some reason. In St. Michael in winter this is not a good thing. The house froze up and broke the pipes and flooded the house with about three inches of ice on the floor. When it was discovered, all the flooring had to be removed and the floor fixed in places. So, the picture is of me sanding some of the remaining flooring. It was a big job, one that was helped by one of the villagers lending us a power sander - PTL! I was also reassigned to another task and someone else took over the sanding responsibilities.

St. Michael Missions Trip

2010-07-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

After living in Alaska for nearly 40 years of my life, I had a "first" experience. I recently had the opportunity to travel to "bush" Alaska, St. Michael, specifically. Our church, Kenai New Life Assembly of God sent a team of 16 people there to do some work on the buildings the Alaska Ministry Network has there. Last winter, the boiler in the house quit working and the house froze up which is really tough on plumbing. The house flooded inside as pipes cracked and spilled water. Then, because it is very cold there, the water froze leaving a layer of ice 3" deep on the floor throughout the house. Needless to say, it wrecked a lot of stuff. So, our team came to help put things back together and make other improvements.

The video isn't the greatest but gives you some idea of the terrain and uniqueness of western Alaska. It is mostly flat, tundra and lots of water. The area around St. Michael is also very volcanic which was very unexpected to me. Typically, most of this part of Alaska is very silty and muddy of a bottomless sort. There is LOTS of mud here, but many, many outcroppings of volcanic rock. The beaches are all black sand and lava type rocks.

There are so many things to share about this trip. The people of St. Michael, the team who went, the Missions Aviation ministry that transported us, the work that was accomplished and the adventures of it all. Unfortunately, my camcorder/digital camera inadvertently got left on and shoved in a coat pocket and burned up my batter life just as we were entering St. Michael. That was on the first day. So, I was not able to get pictures or video of the rest of the trip! However there were many other cameras and I no doubt will get copies of those pictures to share with you in future blogs.

This trip was outstanding in so many ways, not the least of which was paying our own way to do volunteer work that makes a difference in a very remote place. It was good for the soul. Lots of hard work was done, several mammoth projects completed in such a short period of time. In the end, it will help missionaries Brian and Linda Staub be able to live there comfortably and spend less time trying to cope with the contingencies of living in such a remote place and more time in ministry to the people of St. Michael.

Look for new updates on this trip soon as I obtain more pictures from team members of the trip.

New Staff Pastors

2010-06-15T11:47:00.001-07:00

We are pleased to announce that Nick and Tamra Higgins have accepted our invitation to come on staff at Kenai New Life as our new youth pastors! They are busy packing boxes and getting ready to transition from Sand Point, Idaho to Kenai.

Nick has a tremendous amount of experience in ministry already for being "only" 28 years old. He has been a youth pastor, a senior pastor, been involved in two church replants and a building program. He is also a musician, techie, comedian and a dad.

We are looking forward to this addition to our church staff and ministries of our church. We covet your prayers for their safe and swift journey to Kenai.

They're Here!

2010-06-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

This is Nick and Tamra Higgins, currently from Sand Point, Idaho. They are here in Kenai this week for interviews for our youth pastor position which is currently open. We are excited to host them for a few days and show them our community and perhaps some of the Kenai Peninsula. Hopefully the weather will allow some nice sunny days while they are here. Their two little ones are with Grandpa and Grandma in Castle Rock, WA while they are in Alaska.

We are looking forward to hearing Nick preach tomorrow morning in church as well as Wednesday night. Thanks for your prayers as we both consider the possibilities.

Port Chattum

2010-05-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

This is the head of Jackalof Bay. This isn't the greatest footage I admit. I was trying to get three river otters which were swimming upstream just before I pulled out my camera. Anyway, this is where we also hunted black bears. Right at the beginning of this footage is where we stalked one and I missed my shot. It's a beautiful place too.

This is one of the lagoons at the head of the bay in Port Chattum. It is incredibly beautiful. I spent the better part of a day here, seeing no bears but enjoying the solitude and beautiful surroundings. I would love to do some more exploring some day.

30 Lbs. A milestone

2010-05-31T10:16:00.000-07:00

Today is Memorial Day. I do not wish to detract from the significance of its meaning whatsoever. However in my little journey to better health, I have reached a significant milestone for me this morning. I weighed 30 lbs. down from January 1 for the second day in a row this morning. Hitting a low weight once is a triumph, two days in a row doubly so. Especially since the last two pounds I have lost have seemed to have taken as much dedication and patience and discipline as the previous 28 lbs. I have lost. Every once in awhile you hit a barrier that you can't seem to break through, like maybe this effort is lost as I can't seem to lose any more weight. You feel like "what is the use?" and all the "depriving yourself" is in vain and "since I am not losing any more weight" I might as well just give up. Wow, the justifications really pile up quick.

However, as I said some time back in this blog, this is not a temporary deal. This is the way I am going to live for the rest of my life. It still is its own reward, I still feel better than I did before I started, I still remember what it was like to bend over to tie my shoes and be out of breath! I am not going back there!

I was reading this morning that the food police have deemed the "PB & C" milkshake made by Cold Stone Creamery is the same calories count as 68 strips of bacon or 30 chocolate chip cookies. Over 2300 calories if I remember correctly. As I read that, I thought, "you know, I don't even feel tempted to try that." Feeling this much better is so much better than the momentary indulgence the worst beverage in America could provide. Frankly, I think I might enjoy the 68 strips of bacon a little more, definitely the 30 chocolate chip cookies.

So, I won't continue to bore anyone who would take of their free time to read this blog with non-ending obsessing with my weight, but I did want to post my accomplishment of losing 30 lbs. to reinforce my motivation to continue. It's funny, with the 80 degree weather recently I did allow myself to take off my shirt while I worked in the garage. Occasionally passing my a mirror made it obvious that 30 lbs. is not enough...on to 50.

P.S. Does anyone know why "lbs." stands for pounds? Does it have Latin roots or something?

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

2010-05-13T15:13:00.000-07:00

One of the treats we were able to enjoy on our recent trip to Seattle was for Scott, Brad and I to attend the Mariners vs. Angels baseball game at Safeco Field. Now, we won't talk about the game as that was a disaster for the Mariners, but we were able to enjoy the excitement of the event with friends. Our Network Superintendent, Bill Welch arranged for our group to get a block of seats together for the game on that wonderful and beautiful evening.

It was a real adventure to find parking for the game that night, you would think they would have a better system than what they have which is a hodgepodge of little bitty lots that charge a lot of money here and there and very poorly marked or attended. Once we found parking and fearing we would get towed the whole night, we went to a really great restaurant for a good meal before the game. Once at the stadium, were all given a "bobblehead" which as I kid I had always wanted to own but never had the chance. I have a brother-in-law and nephew who are avid Mariners fans which I sent it to, so I didn't own it long, but now have that desire fulfilled.

Safeco field is impressive to say the least. It is very user friendly and easy to get around. They even have enough food stands so you don't have to miss several innings of the ball game which wouldn't have hurt on this particular night of slaughter, but in case they improve their performance, would be nice.

The game went long, mostly because the Angels enjoyed many at-bats each inning. Just a word of advice to anyone who may go to Safeco field in May, it gets pretty chilly once the sun goes behind the stadium, wear several layers. Some in our group only had short-sleeves on and pretty much froze. I fortunately had a sweatshirt and was fine for the most part.

Not knowing that part of Seattle very well and the ONLY well marked I-5 entrance was closed for construction, we inadvertently toured a good many neighborhoods east of I-5. Eventually we found an on ramp (you could hardly call it well marked) and found our way home. No matter, it was a great time and one that I would like to do again providing the Mariners act like they want to play baseball.

A World of Change

2010-05-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

My personal and professional schedule of late has been a collusion of events and opportunities of a magnitude I didn't anticipate in such a consecutive series of things. I do have a week to do some very needed catch-up, but then leave for another week of adventure. It makes my head spin!

One of the subtle themes through all of the busyness was significant change in my world. Many of the relationships in my life are changing, mostly from the natural evolution of family dynamics but also through some of the things life sends our way. It was wonderful for us to see our daughter-in-law, Brittani receive her master's in teaching degree and be 'hooded" on the large stage at graduation. Scott will follow suit in a few more months. Most likely at that point they will cease to be students and out into the big world of life, work and family. Lots of choices coming their way for sure.

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Another change has been our Alaska District Council becoming the Alaska Ministry Network. It is more than a name-badge change, it signals a change in philosophy and priorities in the Alaska Assemblies of God. I am part of this change and I am excited to see us reaffirm some things that will never change but at the same time streamline our scope and vision to be more effective and strategic with kingdom resources. It is a good change.

Our youth pastors for the past four and a half years will be leaving soon. Ryan and Heather have done a great job in Kenai. Arriving here to a dispirited and fragmented youth ministry and emerging with a great group of motivated and spiritually strong group is a legacy they will be proud of. We are in the hunt for someone to come and take up the shepherd mantle of our youth.

I hit a new milestone at turning 51 this past month. I too, am changing.

The speaker for Brittani's commencement was Denny Davis. His subject was on the topic of change as it was the 75th anniversary of Northwest University. He had a long litany of things that have changed in those 75 years. He ended with a reassuring message that some things have not changed. Jesus is still the same and will remain the same. Truth as expressed in the Bible will not change. Our eternal destiny will not change. In a world awash in change, it is like a firm rock to know we have something we can always count on and use as our compass to keep our course.

Am I a "Christian Atheist?"

2010-04-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Seem like a contradiction in terms? To define what a Christian atheist might be, it might be someone who actually believes in God, who may even attend church, is in harmony with Christian values and morals but, one who actually lives as if there was no God. They make their decisions, do what they want to do, spend their money and live their lives with very little difference from someone who is not a Christian at all. They may identify themselves as a Christian, but the evidence to support that identity would be lacking.

This can be more subtle than we think. But always the bottom line is, does my belief in God actually impact the way I think, the way I steward my money, my behavior and my choices? Do the things I participate in and enjoy reflect Christ? Does my conversation include Jesus? Is Jesus a part of my family life? These are deep questions we ought to take more than a moment to examine within our own lives.

What is a the core of this dualism is the idea that we can fashion our "religion" into whatever we are comfortable with. The very popular thought that the universe revolves around me also includes the idea that our relationship with God should fit in where we like it and not bother the places we don't want to change. The Christian atheist doesn't like to be challenged to change on the inside. They will make concessions for God, but then fair is fair, God should make concessions for us.

The truth is, faith doesn't work that way. Faith in God is not for convenience or for our fancy but is intended to transform us from what we are to what God intends for us to be. That is more than just being a good person or a good neighbor or just content with the status quo. Real faith in God demands that we crucify our flesh daily and live a life wholly to God.

I have been examining my thoughts and life to uncover the hidden places I act as if God did not exist. It's a tough process. What I am finding out and having to face are the areas I really don't want to change. I want to say it is good enough but know better. I hope that you might have the courage to face the truth and make the necessary changes to live as if God really does exist and that He cares about our lives.

Hanging In There

2010-03-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I have had time or the presence of mind to take the time to blog. I am sure this hasn't been a problem for anyone, but I haven't kept to my once a week goal to make my blog entry.

As I have shared in a previous blog, my doctor said it was time to get serious about losing some weight and changing my diet - forever. I have had to really shift my mindset to make this "forever" idea fit. I have lost a significant amount of weight before, but through this experience I discovered I did not have an end of game plan. When I was done losing weight (40+ lbs.) I simply thought I would go back to eating "normally" but in smaller quantities. No. I gained it all back and then some in about half the time it took to lose it. Not good.

So, I have set my mind to the path that this is the way it will be for life, the rest of my life. When I reach my weight loss goal, I will maintain my weight by staying on my diet. I will allow myself some variation on occasion but for everyday life, it will be the new routine. When I gain weight, I will go into loss mode until my target is reached and then maintain it again.

Right now I am still in the loss mode. I recently reached a plateau that has been very difficult to break through. For over two weeks, I have remained at 20 lbs. lost. Now don't get me wrong, I am loving being down 20 lbs. As I said before, it is its own reward. However, I am not to my goal yet. So, each day for two weeks, I have said to myself, "better be 'good' today" to no avail. Day after day I would see no progress. It was feeling like my plan was no longer working. Questions raced through my head, "should I do something different?", "should I quit this?" "If I'm not losing weight, why am I depriving myself?" I fought through all of that temptation to quit and stayed with the program. Then I lost two more pounds, and seemed to reach another plateau. The whole mind game returned, it quickly felt hopeless again. Frustrating.

So, the status quo with my new routine didn't seem to be working anymore. What to do? I upped the exercise end of things in addition to "being good". My reward? I was down an additional pound this morning. Wow, hanging in there does work.

I don't know why most of us, myself included think that when we hit a barrier that we just want to quit. Like when many people read their Bible. If they miss a day, they feel disqualified and want to quit. Why not just pick it up where you left off and keep reading? It isn't going anywhere and there is not use in quitting or feeling like you have to start over. Just get back on track and keep reading.

So it is with my weight. If I quit I will just go back to my slide toward diabetes, tight fitting clothes and feeling badly. So, why not just keep hanging in there and see what happens? As I found out again this morning it is worth it. I am a total of 24 lbs. down from the first of the year. Yes, it does feel good. No more mid afternoon blood sugar drops and loss of energy. No more acid reflux. No more wondering if the button on my waistline is going to make it attached to my pants at the end of the day.

So why quit? What is there to go back to? To be honest, there is nothing worth going back to. That is often what I tell a new believer who is discouraged. What do you want to go back to? What was working for you so well before you were saved that you want to return to? Nothin'.

So, if you hit a hard place in your life, an obstacle, a struggle, a barrier, discouragement, just keep hanging in there, your breakthrough will come.

Careful...

2010-02-26T14:01:00.000-08:00

1 Cor. 10:12 (NKJV)

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

Yesterday I got up, looked out the window and saw that we had received two inches of snow over the night. So, I got suited up to go start up the snowblower to clear my driveway. As I was on my way out the garage door, I remembered thinking, "be careful, snow on top of ice is very slippery". So, I thought I knew what I was doing, but alas, as I stepped on a very slight slope next to my shed, I slipped. I was thinking all the way down (6', 6" is a long ways to fall and it felt like slow motion) "how is there ice on a slope?" As I landed on my back I could hear my fifty year old bones crunch as if an overzealous chiropractor were taking out his frustrations on me. I was able to turn over but not get up so I laid in the snow until I could. I am typing this blog with a very sore neck and shoulders today.

The point is? You can't be too careful. I thought I knew where the ice was, and it was where I thought I was, it also was where I wasn't counting on it being. I should have moved slower, should have paid more attention. I should have put on the ice grippers. I should have... The context of the text I have cut and pasted to this blog is still great advice. Temptation is deceptive. It certainly shows up where we expect it many times, but it shows up too often where we don't expect it. You can't be too careful.

Just when we think we have the enemy all figured out, that we are safe and secure and we are sure we won't get duped, Satan sets a new trap for us. While we can spend our time avoiding the old temptatio, we walk into the new. We need to take time to arm ourselves with precautions like prayer, the Word and godly counsel. Just like ice grippers could have kept my shiny side up on the ice, so the Holy Spirit can keep our eyes open to the way of escape that is provided in every temptation.

So, I am taking my aspirin every four hours and vowing to be smarter in the future. I will take the time to avoid another fall, maybe next time it will be with older bones and more consequences. I will also continue to prepare myself daily to walk in the Spirit and avoid the trap of the enemy. On both accounts I will save myself a lot of pain.

Margins

2010-02-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

Creating margins in our lives is an incredibly important subject, however, one that we perhaps do not often give enough thought to doing. We in some ways may do it intuitively but also run the risk of not paying attention to this important issue if we do not plan for it.

Margins? Margins are the spaces we need in life to renew, refresh and restore ourselves in between our busy moments in life. Some people create margin by sleeping in, some by going out and doing something they enjoy, others by reading or whatever gives you the opportunity to refill your spiritual, emotional or physical "tanks". When we are constantly booked up and running from one event to another, we use up our spiritual, emotional or physical resources much like a car uses fuel from the gas tank. At some point, we have to make a purposeful stop and fill it up again. Margin is when and where this happens for us on the spiritual, emotional and physical level.

Some may say that they actually like being booked up and running all of the time, that they wouldn't know what to do with themselves if they were not busy. Some people do find that activity does fill a need in their lives. That is, if everything continues to go smoothly. An analogy might be like the person who has multiple credit cards with maxed balances. They can keep up with the minimum payments just fine, so what's the problem? Well, everything is fine until something goes wrong. Illness, loss of job, an accident, you know, Murphy's Law applies to our lives. Something will eventually hiccup in our "running like clockwork" world and then it seems everything comes apart. This is the problem with not having margin in our lives. It is deceptive to think that everything is fine running at 100% all of the time until it isn't fine anymore. I have found that long periods of stability are always followed by seasons of instability. How we survive the seasons of instability is predicated on how well we create margin into our lives in the long periods of stability. Going back to the credit card analogy, if we use the long periods of stability to prepare ourselves as best we can to pay off our debt, the better we will weather the period of instability whatever it may be.

Jesus was an excellent model of creating margin. Often just before or just after a big event or significant moment, Jesus would retreat to a "lonely place" for prayer either with his disciples or alone. It must have been an important time for him to reconnect with the Father for renewing his spiritual, emotional or physical strength. David throughout his life also sought margin. A common phrase you will read as you follow David's life is, "he encouraged himself in the Lord". Many of the Psalms that David wrote also speak to margin, Psalm 23 is perhaps the most obvious as he speaks of "green pastures and still waters", "he restores my soul" and other illustrative phrases.

A friend of mine is going through one of the most significant emotional challenges of his life. His wife, one that was perceptively the perfect picture of health, experienced a catastrophic heart attack. He blogs about what a toll this has taken on him emotionally. She is miraculously recovering by the way thanks to God's grace. But because of his discipline of prayer, Bible study and a healthy lifestyle, he has had the margin to absorb the stress of watching his wife struggle to survive. Life just has too many unpredictable twists for us to live on the edge all of the time. We need margin in our lives.

We each need to inventory our souls and see if we are living too much on the edge, counting on the deception that life will always be manageable. What can you do to refill your spiritual, emotional and physical tanks on a regular basis? What can you do now in the stable moment of your life that will prepare you for less stable times? Wisdom comes from God as the Holy Spirit leads us and directs us if we take the time to listen. I encourage you to take the time.

Catching Up

2010-02-16T16:00:00.001-08:00

Wow. I feel as if I have been through the wringer. I haven't been sick as I have been this past week in a long while. My wife, poor thing, had it worse than I, but I only pity her because of my love for her as I suspect she was the carrier of whatever bug that bit us. So, I didn't keep my goal of at least one post per week last week. I am sure there are legions of heart broken fans.

I did preach this past Sunday, I wasn't sure my voice would hold out, but with lots of help from others in the service, I was able to preserve my voice enough to preach my message. The weakness of my voice was incentive to keep the length of my message shorter which I am sure was appreciated by many.

By the way, my wife who was feeling too sick to attend church Sunday morning was able to watch via the internet through our church website. I am finding the internet webcast to be more and more amazing with the people it is reaching. We have had people watch our service while on vacation, at home sick, as visitors checking us out before they walk through the doors, and former members who live far away and like to keep in touch. Too amazing, too easy and too simple to not do. Technology opens some interesting doors.

I was also thankful that we had scheduled the Marriage and relationship seminar for this past Sunday and Monday evenings. Not only was the material presented in a very entertaining and humorous way, but the material was shared in a very effective and practical manner. The material that was presented is material that I have not heard shared before. It was important and needful information that the church needs to know and to share. We had a fun but important time the two evenings, the turn out was really great too.

Thanks for checking out my blog, I apologize I am not adding much this week. I hope to be back on task for next week's installment.

LOVE - Is it give or take?

2010-02-04T16:32:00.000-08:00

I was giving a lot of thought this week to what the difference is between real, true, love and well, you know, love. It's a word that we apply to everything from hot dogs to Jesus. There is something fundamentally wrong with that. So how do we explain the difference? What is the real thing?

It occurred to me that so often things or people that we "love" are things or people that we take from. The pleasure derived or the benefit to us causes us to "love" that thing or person. It's very self-centric. Being a pastor, it has been my experience to ask prospective young couples to be married, "why do you love _____?" The answers are always self-centric. Typically, the responses are; "They make me feel wonderful", "he/she does so many things for me", "I love the way take care of me", so on and so forth. The answers reveal the heart. The answers essentially say, "it is all about me."

God gives us a picture of what true love is all about. In perhaps the most memorized passage of scripture in all the Bible, John 3:16, the picture is very different.

"For God so loved the world that He gave..."

There it is right there. God's love gives, it doesn't take. God the Father gave us Jesus, His only begotten Son. He gave us forgiveness, He gave us eternal life. Real, true, love gives.

What a contrast to the world around us. It's all about what we can take from each other. In marriage it is all about how the other can please us. When our spouse no longer pleases us, we discard them. Real love? Not at all.

God's love gives and gives and gives. It never gives up! Maybe we ought to examine our "love" for others and be honest with ourselves about how much taking we do as opposed to giving. Real love gives.

Mixed Metaphors - An Art Form

2010-01-31T23:06:00.000-08:00

The subject of this blog installment is pretty silly. I am pretty sure it does not qualify for "a word fitly spoken" but it is about words. That aside, I have to share with you my delight in the art form of the mixed metaphor. I absolutely love a good mixed metaphor, it does such funny things in my mind. The hardest part of relishing a good mixed metaphor is being able to catch it as it is being said. That is the beauty of the whole thing. Often times a good mixed metaphor is a good scramble of two or more metaphors but the outcome is the same if you understand what I am saying. For instance, here is a mixed metaphor I actually heard a very astute man say one time; "that guy got the raw end of the stick". Not a pretty word picture, but an excellent example of the art form. Let's dissect this little jewel. The two metaphors were, "a raw deal" and "the short end of the stick". Put raw and stick together and you get "raw end of the sick". Awesome! It is so messed up but the person hearing it actually understands exactly what is meant that the whole thing is seamless to the point you may not even catch it. A common mixed metaphor you may hear all of the time is; "it's not rocket surgery". The two obvious metaphors: "it's not rocket science" and "it's not brain surgery". Once again it rises to the form of art as you know exactly what is meant even though there is no such thing as "rocket surgery", neither do sticks have raw ends. Amazing.

This is now a family sport between my wife and I and our two sons. When we come across a jewel such as these, we share a moment of pure joy. It qualifies as part of the "family humor", you know, the sort of inside jokes that only your family understands. There needs be no explanation between the family members as what may appear to a non-family member as something that just does not make sense in any way. Ah, but it does. What the outsider lacks is the context in which such a thing was originally spoken. Just the mention of the punchline is enough to bring back all of the humor, joy and delight of the thing.

Speaking of this, my wife caught the ultimate jewel the other day. It was so good I had to email my sons within minutes of my wife opening this beauty. This mixed metaphor is so AMAZING that I didn't even know it could possibly exist. A TRIPLE MIXED METAPHOR! I cannot tell you how much mileage I have gotten out of this, it is simply genius. She was listening to a speaker telling the audience how we must be prepared and flexible at all times, that we must be able to (here it is...) "shift on a dime's notice". WOW! That is simply the most complex and wonderful mixed metaphor I have ever heard. It was presented so smoothly and seamlessly that it appeared that no one else in the room was even able to catch it. If there had been, there would have at least been several people scratching their heads trying to figure out what was just said.

Let us examine the complexity of this crown jewel. Three metaphors: "shift gears", "stop on a dime" and "in a moment's notice." Mix them and you get "shift on a dime's notice". This is absolute genius level metaphor mixing. I am in awe. Given years I think I might have only come up with "shift on a dime" if I was inspired. To add the third metaphor messes the message up so amazingly but the message is the same. I simply am humbled by this person's ability and cranial capacity. I have met a master metaphor mixer.

So, if you like mixed metaphors please share them with me. You may have to "burn the midnight oil at both ends" to think of a few, but the sacrifice of time will be worth it. This is an under appreciated art form that deserves to be preserved. Perhaps we can work together to collect and publish these beautiful (and sometimes not) word pictures that can transform speech into something of marvel and mystery.

How Do You Do Missions?

2010-01-20T19:39:00.000-08:00

The immense difficulties of world missions is at times staggering. From the value of the dollar on the world exchange, immigration policies of individual countries, training, languages, culture to raising enough funds from reliable sources to get there, one can wonder that missions can be done at all. Hearing this past week of the challenges our missions departments face was amazing. The fact that we are actually gaining ground in planting churches and spreading the gospel is a miracle of great proportions. Essentially, three things are needed in abundance to make missions work: 1. People who are called 2. Correct strategies 3. Money.

Fortunately the first category seems to be percolating along fine at the moment. However, it is not something to be taken for granted. Missional vision must be implanted into young people at an early stage. A calling comes from a prepared heart. It takes someone who would rather help others than make a lot of money or spend all of their time thinking about themselves. The possibility of living this way must be presented in a way that holds this kind of worldview high. What we champion, celebrate and who our heroes are will communicate to a young person the kind of life they will choose to live.

The second category is also presently doing well, although it is in great change. The classic missionary strategy that sends a missionary to a foreign country to get an unrestricted visa to live in that country for an indefinite period of time is quickly becoming and even now may be obsolete. Many missionaries are having to do their work on temporary two to three month “tourist” visas as it is. Even “friendly” countries like England have put people like Benny Hinn and Don Fransisco on the next plane out of the country when they tried to get through customs on a religious visa. We have previously called these countries “restricted access” countries. We are now calling these countries “creative access” countries. These countries who doubt the value of Christianity still want people who will bring value to their countries like teachers, or business people. Going to a Bible school and then into missions work will probably only survive in the short term. What is needed now are doctors, nurses, language teachers and business people who can do the missionary work while employing their professional expertise. The strategies to do missional work must continue to evolve as the political environment of the world changes.

The third category is the troublesome one. There never is or rather, never has been enough money. The need is a yawning chasm at every turn. Not only because of a shrinking dollar but because of the nature of how the strategy of missions is changing. One of the open doors to us is humanitarian aid. Medical missions needs a lot of money. So does feeding orphans and helping people in poverty. It is a hole so deep you can’t fathom the bottom of it. But we do what we can with what we have so that we might save some. How do we continue to raise funding for an increasingly large missions force? We must simply find ways. Plant churches, grow churches, ask every Christian to give to missions, find ways to harness the non-Christian world to fund missions. How do we do this? That question has to be asked each day, every week and all year long. Recessions or not, the Great Commission takes no time off and makes no excuses. It simply must be done. What can you do? What can I do? What can we do together? I am confident that the Lord of the Harvest will give us current strategies and ideas to answer the questions we raise. In a day where we are reaching further, opening previously unopened doors, and seeing more people won into the kingdom than ever before, we cannot slack now. Maybe we might actually have to consider personal sacrifice in order that we may do more. We might have to actually win more people to Christ than ever before to spread the vision of missions. Whatever it is, it will take more from us than it is at present in order to do what God has asked us to do. I’m up for it. Are you?

And That Would Be Where?

2010-01-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

I had quite a nice time at the Pastor’s Missions Forum here in Atlanta this week. I met a lot of nice people and heard lots of information about missions around the world. Getting back to the meeting lots of nice people part, I still am amazed at the celebrity status one has just being from Alaska. Alaska! Is the response you usually get right after they ask where you are from. Next they want to know about Sarah Palin, do you know her? Do you think she is ready for being president? It all makes for unending small talk. Several of the pastors I spoke with had actually been to Alaska to work on a MAPS project, most in places even I have never been after living in Alaska for 37 years. I thanked all of them for their contribution to our district and encouraged them to come back again and again as we really need volunteer help across our state.

And then, there was the usual ignorance about Alaska. I met one pastor from Florida in the hall as we walked to the meeting room together. He had heard I was from Texas. I responded, “no, I am from the larger state.” He looked at me with an absolute blank look on his face and said, “and that would be where….?” Alaska, I said, the state twice as big as Texas. Oh, yes, he said. Even most of the ones who seemed to know where Alaska is, there is that pause where after you tell them where you are from they have to go through their mental file to place that location. That’s just before the Alaska! part.

Then finally there is the segment of those who cannot possibly imagine anyone actually living in Alaska. I was riding the hotel shuttle back to the airport and a nice lady from South Carolina, that would be South Carolina, or however you might write with a very significant southern drawl. When I said I was from Alaska, her face became very pained looking, and I thought she was going to scold me. “Ooohhh” was all she said. I think it was sympathy or something close to that, pity perhaps? Even though the guy flying to Minneapolis sitting next to me was going to encounter temperatures far colder than I was going to step off the plane into in Kenai, I got the sympathy or pity, and not the guy from Minneapolis.

That’s OK, I guess. I like where I live. I don’t miss the traffic, or the crime (they chain-link fence and lock everything there in Atlanta), or the humidity, or muddy disgusting looking rivers and their “mountains” that hardly qualify as a rounded bump on the topography. No, living in Alaska has been good to me and my family. I think I’ll stay right here.

Alaska to Georgia is a long ways...

2010-01-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

I think I was not made to travel much. Nothing fits, not airplanes, not hotel beds, not shuttles or whatever else moves the public in mass transportation. After a very long day I feel like I have had a massive workout, my hamstring is feeling like it wants to double up, the small of my back feels tweaked and for some reason I just kind of ache all over. All from doing nothing? It reminds me that Alaska is a long ways from Georgia. One of the legs I flew, it was sunny and clear and I looked out the window down on some parts of the country we were flying over. Incredible mountains, flat, flat farm country, some with roads and little houses, some vacant and immense. Whoever wrote "America the Beautiful" must have seen what I saw. What a beautiful country we live in.

The Excuse

2010-01-14T17:01:00.001-08:00

In case you haven't heard, I recently went to the doctor for an annual physical. To be honest, I wasn't feeling the best but there was nothing really wrong with me. I wasn't expecting anything to come up or be of concern, except how much I weighed, but hey, everyone gains weight, right? Well I knew something was up when the nurse called me back to get another blood sample. A week or so later I was scheduled for a little talk with my doctor. He was a little concerned that I was a near diabetic. I was a mere three-tenths of a point away from being officially diabetic. However, with a change in my diet and the addition of some regular exercise this could change. That did it, I had the excuse to make some changes in my life.

These changes I understand can't be temporary or just until I shed some pounds. I am fully convinced that I must live differently from the first fifty years of my life. I have the excuse I need to make some real changes in my life. I am actually happy about all of it. After just two weeks of eating differently I am feeling so much better. I am not experiencing some of the symptoms of being tired and constant hunger any longer and I am just feeling good. It becomes its own reward. So, I am in this for life. I am not temped to go back the the old way of eating because I know it is a downward spiral. There is nothing there for me any longer. I am content with the good things I can eat and that is fine with me.

I was thinking how similar this experience is to someone who comes to Christ out of a life of sin. Just as I can't make a "sort of" break with my old eating patterns and expect it to work, neither can the person who comes to Christ continue to live the life of sin and expect Christianity to work in their life. Just as there is nothing good for me to go back to in the old way of eating, neither is there anything worth going back to in our old lives of sin, it didn't work for us then and it won't work for us now. It is the total break and the obedience to living differently that is necessary.

The bottom line? It becomes its own reward. It's just a better life. The benefits from serving Jesus become the motivation and joy that keeps us here. Just and I am already experiencing the difference of how I feel by eating differently and know it is making my body healthier, I have no desire for a donut or pie or cake or cookies as good as they might taste, I know they will do nothing good for me. Neither will sin. We must separate the desire we have to sin from what it will do for us so we can see it will take us no where good.

Well, a year from now you may not recognize me. My Wii Fit tells me I am already down 6 pounds. I can't wait until that number is double digits. I am ready to feel even better.

Discover

2010-01-07T14:52:00.000-08:00

We all live, but what makes you excited to be alive? I have a theory that discovery is a common denominator to making the majority of us feel alive. To some discovery is achieved by reading a good book, others by defying death on a bungee cord, and to the rest of us, something in-between. For me, discovery is my adventure. Discovering a place I’ve never been before, discovering something new about myself, discovering new knowledge, discovering a treasure in the midst of the mundane. Sometimes the discovery is long sought, sometimes it is a sudden surprise, all the time it is exciting.

The adventure is not in the things I have discovered, but in the next discovery. The next discovery is why Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, why Lewis and Clark signed on the “Voyage of Discovery”, the Wright brothers went to Kitty Hawk and why men have walked on the moon.

A component of my theory is that discovery can’t sit on the shelf, it has to be experienced new. An old adventure is no adventure at all. Most of the books that have fed my thinking now sit on the shelf, their influence over. The places I have discovered I don’t really need to go to again except to reminisce. The treasures I have placed on the shelf cease to interest me before long. Discovery needs to be a current affair..

Now I can’t go treasure hunting every day and I can’t travel as often as I like, nor does my wife want me to defy death daily, especially when she is with me. That is why I do pick up one book daily and read it again and again. In it I discover something new every day. At my last count, I numbered 40 examples of this same book in my library. I have read this book of discovery from cover to cover now over 27 times. I learn new things, go to distant lands, ponder the infinite and discover truths I find no where else. This book doesn’t rest on the shelf but travels daily, in my heart and my mind. My discoveries are limited only by the time and effort I give to searching out the words of this book. My drive to discover from this book is fed by who the book is about. With this book I am a life-long learner, a perpetual student and an adventurous sojourner.

Many people have passed this book over, mistaking it for the mundane when it is the treasure hidden in the field. Many come near to finding its bounty but place it on the shelf, closing the door to discovery. However, many have discovered what I have discovered and I would also say have discovered more than I have discovered and yet have not exhausted the adventure. You know which book I am speaking of, the book of books, the best seller of all time, the most documented, most studied, most debated, most praised, most criticized, most published, most translated most read book in the history of the world. I urge you, reader, begin your adventure of discovery.

New Year

2009-12-31T15:47:00.000-08:00

I suppose it is somewhat obligatory to contemplate ourselves, do some self evaluation and make assessments at the first of every year. I do think it is a healthy and worthwhile process with an eye toward improving ourselves, our relationships and our commitments. While the term "resolution" seems to be falling out of favor, I think setting personal goals is a good idea. To make goals toward which we can progress is a positive endeavor.

Something on a kind of reverse thought to self assessment, while we are identifying areas in our lives to make improvements, we ought to also identify areas of our lives that we are doing well. Our introspective views shouldn't just be looking for faults or shortcomings, but areas of our lives in which we are performing well. Often we are our own worst critics, but let me suggest that we also give credit where it is due. Discover and identify the things in our lives we are proud of, do well and feel competent in. It shouldn't be all doom and gloom.

I am inspired by the writer of Hebrews who in 12:1 tells us: "...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,". What kind of "weight" do I have in my life that is slowing my race? In my case, it is literally some weight that the doctor tells me I must lose in order to restore my health. Losing my health would really slow my race down. What sin are we tolerating in our lives that is costing us the ability to place well in this race of life?

I think it interesting that that verse refers to both physical things and spiritual things that affect the quality of our life. Think of what wears you down. What things prevent you from giving your best energies to your most important relationships? I spoke with a parent recently who admitted that they were feeling worn out from all of the constant running they were doing to keep their kids in several different programs. They felt like they were neglecting other important things that should be getting done but weren't because their time and energy was already used up. Sounds like a "weight" that needs to be laid aside.

What sin "besets" you most often? What would it take to gain total victory over it? Think of what it would mean for your life if you were free from it once and for all. Think of the power of freedom in living free from that negative influence. I speak to many Christian people who want to do things for the Lord, be in ministry and help others but are full of guilt from a sinful condition in their lives. For fear of hypocrisy they are sidelined in the race they are called to run. Why not conquer it? It is possible with God's help.

Well, I hope 2010 goes well and you accomplish your goals. I thought by now we all were supposed to be living the life of the "Jetsons" and in some ways perhaps we are. However, until we are zooming around in personal spacecraft we have to put one foot in front of the other, running our race one day at a time. Pursue God will all your heart and He will help you live the best year of your life in the next 365 days.

Our Full Family Chirstmas

2009-12-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

JoLynn and I are especially blessed this year being able for the first time to have our whole family together for Christmas since Scott married Brittani. Last Christmas was our first Christmas without Scott as he and Brittani spent their Christmas with Britanni's family. We haven't had this much excitement for some time. As you can see, everyone is finding something to do, the girls decorated the tree, Brad is catching up on friends home from school and some reading, Scott is busy making history on the Wii by capturing all of the first place finishes on all of the events. We have played lots of games and shared a few stories and as usual, eaten a lot of good food. We did have some outdoor plans which the weather is interfereing with at present, but we will always find a way to improvise. The real truth is, it is fun just being together and what we do is less of a concern than just being able to enjoy each other's company. We hope that everyone has a great Christmas celebration and that all will sense and know the very presence of Jesus with us.

Meaningful Contributions To Others

2009-12-19T15:37:00.000-08:00

One of the secrets to making Christmas less commercial and more meaningful is to make meaningful contributions into the lives of others. I dare say that if Christmas has come to be more of a hassle than special, you might want to up your input into the lives of others. The thing that escapes us often is that when it is "all about me" or "my family" or our own little circle, we really can't do enough. We are disappointed and feel oddly that Christmas has diminished in that special quality we love to feel. Include someone outside yourself, your circle or your comfort zone and watch what happens. A wonderful sense of happiness returns to us and we "re-center" somewhere besides our self.

Three really good examples of this recently took place at New Life Assembly. People stepping out to bless others. Terri Springer led and organized a "Simple and Tasteful" L

adies Tea. I wasn't there so I didn't get any pictures to share, but what a great example of making a priority to take out her busy schedule to put together a fellowship opportunity for the women of our church and some of their friends they brought with them. Bless you, Terri!

The men's group recently sponsored a trip to Anchorage to go out on the streets to talk to, pray for and bless whatever person the Lord directed them to. About a dozen men spread out in

downtown Anchorage and each team had a great experience to report. They prayed for healing for one person who was in a wheelchair, they prayed for families that were breaking apart and they also passed out warm hats, gloves and socks to those who needed them.

Then Forrest Nelson and her army of volunteers threw a "Happy Birthday Jesus" party for all the kids and their friends. Over 40 children came to celebrate, dressed up and wearing their "Prince" and "Princess" crowns as children of the King! It was a very special time. Many visitors came and all the children were so excited to be there. What a special time for everyone.

And really, we know it's extra work, expense and time at a really busy time of the year. However, the secret is that it makes a very special time for those involved . The ones to make meaningful contributions into the lives of others don't have to be convinced of the value. Those who think they are too busy or have nothing to give will never know the joy of this special secret. Bless all of you who make it a priority to include others in your lives!

Discover Connect Serve

2009-12-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

The board, staff and I have been in a protracted discussion concerning future vision and involvement for our church. We sense there is something new that God may be directing us into. We want to be responsive to this and be bold enough to consider traveling in some new paths that we haven't gone down before.

Part of this process is defining who we are as a church. It takes a lot more time and soul searching that you might think. For example, write a mission statement for yourself. Define yourself and why you are taking up space on the planet. My guess is that it will take you longer than you think. With an organization as varied as a church, there is a lot of thought that needs to be processed. Once you define yourself how do you express that thought in a succinct and memorable way? It is challenging. It is more challenging to do in a group. Try to come up with a mission statement for your marriage and for your family. More minds, more ideas, more opinions.

We offer up this definition and mission statement for discussion: Kenai New Life Assembly of God is a place to, Discover God, Connect with others, and Serve the world. Discover, Connect and Serve. This is the most succinct statement we have yet come up with to communicate who we are. We want our church to be a place of ongoing discovery about God, from salvation to glory we want each time we meet to help people discover something new about the infinite God we love. We also want our church to be a place to connect with other people. Relationships and fellowship cannot be overrated. They are vital to us. We also think our church can connect to other churches and organization in our communities. We believe we can influence our communities in a positive way that makes a difference. Finally, New Life Assembly can be a base from which our members can serve the world. From hands-on local service to world-wide missions support we can be a powerful influence by our service.

Everything we do can fit into one of those three statements. The conversation is on-going and we may change things yet to better communicate who we are, but this is the results so far for our new mission statement. Discover, Connect, Serve. See if you can remember it. More importantly, see if you can make it happen.

Anticipation

2009-12-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

My wife and I are trying not to think too much or too often about the fact, all our kids are coming home for Christmas in Kenai this year. Scott and Brittani and Brad will be spending their Christmas break with us. That's a first for us! Only 10 days away as of this writing. We haven't struggled too much with thinking endlessly about them coming yet, we have had plenty to do in the mean time. Take today for instance.

It is Wednesday so I automatically have things on my calendar. I do take the step of arriving at the church and going to the back room to take out the accumulation of "recycling" (it used to be trash) to the borough landfill. There is so much it is blocking the back doors which are a fire exit... so someone better take care of it. So off I go to recycle all this stuff. When I get back to the office I have enough time to answer some email, call our ministry guest for Sunday and give Jean some things to do for me before heading off to the Kenai Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting. I meet some people I know there and meet several for the first time. When I get back, I meet with Ryan to load up the 8 (heavy) boxes full of shoe boxes headed to Fort Yukon to take to the Post Office. We load them up, deliver them at the PO and wait in a fairly long line for our turn. It takes awhile to weigh all the boxes and get them shipped. We notice the church van needs a new windshield wiper so we stop at Napa to get a new set. Finally getting into the office I return phone calls, make some calls and start working on the Christmas Eve service that is coming up too quickly. I then turn my attention to pull together some scriptures and ideas for my Sunday evening message. I work on this for the rest of the afternoon. Then I meet my wife for a quick dinner before church. When we meet for dinner like this, it is rarely a leisurely moment of respite but more often another planning session. My wife has ideas, lots of ideas. So we work through some of them and then it is off to the church to greet everyone and get things together. Soon the foyer and all the rooms are humming with people conversing and kids getting excited. It is an intense time of short conversations and "how-do-you-do's?" I now have a short period of time before we greet everyone as they leave for home. To make use of the time I am catching up on this blog because I haven't posted yet for a week. I also have to make a call to enlist some help for an idea I am working on. When it is all over, we are expecting someone to come over to the house to look at a piece of furniture my wife is selling on Craig's list. I also have to test some dvd's I have been burning as I have been attempting to transfer my VHS tapes over to digital format. Then I am going to fall fast asleep.

So, that's my day, not much room for daydreaming or wishing the kids could get here sooner. In fact if they did I wouldn't be able to see them anyway for all the stuff I am attempting to get done.

2009-11-28T14:40:00.000-08:00

This week's blog will no doubt be a hodge podge of different items, it has been a varied week for sure. First of all, this past Sunday, it was a pleasure to make the acquaintance of Andrew Kirya from Uganda. What a gentleman and a fellow brother not only in the Lord, but in the great family of the Assemblies of God. It was an incredibly wonderful feeling to hear him preach the same biblical truths that we believe. Wow, the Assemblies of God is truly a worldwide organization. What a great privilege to meet someone in this life I would normally never have the opportunity to meet until heaven. Just another great reason to anticipate going there!

As many people did, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. It was the first time ever that JoLynn and I were all alone for this particular holiday. Brad was in Montana with Jo's family and Scott and Brittani were with Brittani's family in the Seattle area. Phone calls and "texts" kept us up on their activities. It helped with not having them home. However, we were not really alone as we were invited to share the day with some wonderful friends. As I surveyed the wonderful food spread out before us on the counter it was an incredible feast! I then thought how many times is this being repeated around our country today? Millions of times! What a blessed nation we are! What abundance and plenty and extravagance we enjoy. Not only food to keep us alive, but delicious, wonderfully prepared meats, vegetables, breads and treats. Not only food, but beautiful place settings and warm homes and wonderful people to share it all with. Thankful? How could we not? God is so gracious and good to us.

As the day wound down, there was the inevitable curiousness of what special "deals" were in the offing for "the day after Thanksgiving shopping". As I perused the ads that also came in abundance I was taken with the feeling of amazement of HOW MUCH STUFF there was advertised that I neither needed nor wanted! Amazing! I did end up going on a special errand on "Black Friday" to one of the big box stores to pick up some things for the church. However, I slept in, took my time to blow the snow off the driveway and then go into town. I was smiling at how relaxed I felt walking up and down the isles not anxious in any way, visiting with lots of people and enjoying myself very much. I was in a fairly short line and out before very long. What a great day.

I am reminded at how God as blessed us in amazing ways, friends, family and the things we both need and enjoy. This week was full of such things and I am thankful to be connected to the family of God, our church family and our family. God is good.

The Turkey Shoot

2009-11-21T22:28:00.000-08:00

Today was our men's "Do Something" event, the Turkey Shoot. What a great time. We had 6 guys show up at the church at 6:30 am to cook a HUGE breakfast (eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon) for 50 men. Heath Fulk gave a great devotion and then everyone headed off to the Snowshoe Gun Club for the shoot.

It was cold. How cold? Well not as cold as it has been but +10 degrees is pretty cold when you are trying to hold as still as possible, like when you are trying to hit your target. Fortunately, the club has a warm up shack with an old fashioned barrel stove which was stoked with firewood and giving off a warm glow. Pies had been donated as prizes for the shoot, but someone had the GREAT idea of putting them on the stove rack to warm them which lead to another great idea to carve them up into pieces so everyone could have a bite which we did, some more than once.

We had shooting skill levels from "needing development" to "right on the dot". Everyone fit right in. There was lots of laughter and good natured fun as each one took their opportunity to shoot for a free turkey to take home for Thanksgiving. Free t-shirts and Cabela's ball caps were additional prizes for those who fared well in the shooting.

Steve Sturman and Dan were the organizers of this great event with lots of men helping to set up, clean up and cook up. We are having so much fun at our "do something" events and hope that all our men who haven't yet tried them will check it out. Monday Men's Meeting is the place it all happens so we invite you come out and be a part of what God is doing in the lives of men.

Some Thoughts On Christian Leadership

2009-11-18T16:36:00.001-08:00

Leadership is both an art and a science. Some are "born leaders" while other leaders develop over time. We need to keep in mind that there are many kinds of leadership, not one style will fit every leadership need. Without trying to explain every style of leadership in a blog of all things, let's consider some general ideas about what a Christian leader might aspire to. This would apply at home with your family or on the job where you might work. The same principles apply.

The Christian Leader:

1. It's not "top-down", but "bottom-up".

Matthew 20:25-28 (NKJV)

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. [26] Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. [27] And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-- [28] just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

I won't elaborate too much after Jesus states the case so well. The idea is, Christian leaders (husbands, fathers, supervisors, employers, etc.) don't "boss" their people around. They demonstrate what it is they want done with the intent to teach others. Teaching is the key to serving others. Patience is the key to teaching.

2. Not "Lone Ranger", but collaborative leadership.

Who is interested in some "masked man" swooping in to "rescue" the situation and then leave? It might work for westerns but it really doesn't work in life. The Christian leader cares about every person of the organization and what they can contribute to the process. A Christian leader seeks out the contribution of each member.

Romans 12:3-5 (NKJV)

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. [4] For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, [5] so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

Again, I'm not going to try to improve upon the Apostle Paul, but you might want to study further what he says on this subject: Romans 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12: 14-21

3. Not absent, but present.

It is self-evident, if you aren't there, you can't lead. Now the obvious application to our way of thinking is physically being there. There is a lot of merit to being there in the room when you are leading. More importantly is being there with your mind. How many times are you actually standing in front of someone while they are talking to you, but you are really far away? Being 100% present is a key principle of a Christian leader. Ever talk to someone on the phone while they are surfing the 'net? It's the least satisfying kind of conversation. You know the "ya, uh huh" on the other end of the line is dead and lifeless. They don't hear what you have to say. It's just as bad when you are physically present but not paying attention. Four times the Lord tells us, "...I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deut.31:6, 8; Joshua 1:5; Heb 13:5). He is 100% present all of the time. We should be too.

4. Not first in line for benefits, not last in line when there is risk.

When there is danger, risk or fear, the Christian leader is first in line to confront it. The Christian leader doesn't hide behind others when there is difficulty ahead. They are the first to meet it. Jesus didn't hide behind the disciples when the pharisees came around. Jesus stood His ground when the legion of Roman soldiers came to arrest Him in the garden and the disciples all fled. Jesus was fearless when there was danger, he protected the innocent. Jesus is the good shepherd, He cares for His sheep. Christian leaders make sure their "sheep" are well cared for before they take care of themselves.

Conversely, when there is benefits to be had, the Christian leader is at the end of the line letting others go before him. God will see the true heart and promote us at His choosing.

Luke 14:8-11 (NKJV)

"When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; [9] and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. [10] But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. [11] For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

That's probably way more than enough to chew on. May we model Jesus in our leadership!

Watch this and pray...

2009-11-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

This video is something I hope you will watch and let it motivate you to pray. Think about the effect legalized abortion has had on our future. Think about when man in his limited knowledge and inability to know the future tampers with the order that God created. Our judgment is self-created. If you believe what you will see on this video, it may not be too late to repent and turn from our wicked ways as a nation and see God restore us. If not, we have no one to blame but ourselves. Not a guilt trip, but a sobering thought.

Inaugural Post

2009-11-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

This is my first post on Blogger. I felt the need to switch as my former blogging service was too limited and hard to work within. So, with a steep learning curve ahead of me, I am going to forge ahead and try on this new blogging service. Hopefully it will serve well and not prevent me from getting to the point - being able to leave some thoughts that will encourage, help, motivate, appreciate and teach or just improve someone's mood for the day.

Bless you for taking the time to read.

Pastor Stephen

Something to Think About...

2009-11-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

What implications for ministry might this presentation have? Watch it and think over the role technology might need to play in ministry and church in the present and future. What priority of resources would it take to harness technology to help us spread the gospel to others? Is technology something we should use or is it not necessary? Should we ignore what the world is plugging into and expect them to still come to us? Some thoughts to ponder...

M3 - Ladies Night

2009-11-10T11:11:00.000-08:00

Last evening, Monday night our Monday Men's Meeting (M3) hosted a "Ladies Night" with the intent of promoting better communication between men and women. The evening began with a great dinner of a baked potato bar, lots of choice toppings, veggies, salad and beverages. It was all put togehter by our men. I have linked two short videos, one of the men in the kitchen - wow! It was a hive of activity! and another of the tables that were set up to accomodate everyone. I took this video a little too early as it shows a mostly empty room. However, we actually had to set up two more tables and every chair was occupied!

We enjoyed dinner first (always a good idea), then watched a "teaser" of the video seminar on marriage we will promote as a weekend over Valentine's Day which everyone seemed to throughly enjoy. Then, the ladies were given a series of questions to respond to which they did in groups and each group chose a spokes woman. This was a very interesting and enlightening time! Answers to the questions posed were interesting indeed. It was all very positive and the men had designated "scribes" taking down the answers which will be discussed at the next M3 meeting.

There was so much positive energy in the room! Men who want to be better husbands and fathers. Men who want to be better men. Women who want to help those two objectives. The communication that was fostered no doubt will serve us well. This is part of the on-going "quiet revival" I sense God doing among us. Transforming lives, marriages and homes is what revival is all about and that is what is happening. Lots of honesty is going on and a greater openness among our men and men with their wives. We pray that we just let God do what He seems to be doing and not interfere but cooperate.

A Quiet Revival

2009-11-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been asked and have asked others what a revival actually is. As is often the case, we sometimes identify everything around a revival as the revival, but miss the actual essenence. At least in my mind, revival incorporates positive life change. I know we think of a lot of celebratory worship, demonstrative encounters with God, a general feeling of excitement and lots and lots of church services sparked by larger than expected attendances. As I said, these external signs are things we often associate with revival but are not revival itself. True revival is about a life changing from sin to set free. People being convicted of their sin, confession of their sin, repentenace of their sin and then empowerment to live apart from sin. That is the essence of what revival really is. When this kind of movement begins to take place on a larger scale, there is often an exuberent response to seeing people's lives changed, thus the celebratory worship, and other outward manifestations.

Because we tend to characterize revival is such ways, we might miss such a "move of God" if it wasn't heralded by music, waving flags and overflow crowds. What if it was, quiet? No special speakers, no worship bands, no "Jericho Marches". Let me challenge our status quo thinking on revival. What if men were gathering together for three hours out of hunger for God instead of staying home and watching Monday Night Football on TV? What if men were risking embarassment to admit their shortcomings spiritually to other men? What if men were being convicted of their sin and confessing that sin and repenting of that sin? What if all of this was done without fanfare, exuberance and demonstrative exhibitions? Could it still be revival? You can be certain the answer is yes. Emphatically yes. What I have just described is exactly what is happening in our M3 men's meetings. It is humbling and amazing to watch happen. Men are responding positively to the challenge to "step up" and lead as spiritual leaders in their homes, to confess their sin and pray for one another. To apply the turths of scripture to their actual lives instead of living a double life.

So far there isn't a lot of attention being generalted outside the circle of M3, but that doesn't lessen the truth that a revival is taking place, a quiet revival. I am enjoying it very much. It is a wonderful experience to pastor a group of men who don't have to be cajoled into attending, or browbeat into being hungry for God. I am mostly just a participant with the group and allowing God to work in my own life as well as the lives of others. It's the real thing. I'm loving it.

Exciting Times!

2009-10-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

I had to opportunity to reconnect this past weekend with two former youth group members from the last youth group I pastored some 21 years ago. I hadn't seen them in all that time so it was especially fun and interesting to reconnect again. How did we reconnect? Facebook, how else?

Well, the opportunity came in the form of an invite to join them (they are brothers) in their last fishing expedition for the year. Now, it is cold in October, especially in the morning and especially on the river in the morning. The bite is slower but the prospects of larger fish (we were hunting for rainbow trout) are generally better. So, given the opportunity I thought it would be a great way to see my friends while doing something we all enjoyed.

What a fabulous Alaska day it was! We saw moose, eagles, a spotted seal (yes, in the Kenai River), bears and some extradinary rainbow trout. The temperature never really warmed up above 40 degrees and it was lower most of the day. All in all, it was a great day of reconnecting and seeing the outdoor things we all enjoy seeing.

At the end of the day, we were hoping to see some brown bears we had seen earlier but had run off when the sound of our motor was heard. So, we shut off the motor to float by more silently and take some pictures. This worked well and we were able to see the bears and take a picture or two. The only problem was, we ran aground on a sand bar since we were not under power. I was the only one with boots on so I jumped over the side and began pushing the boat into deeper water. When it was floating again and time for me to jump back on, I don't know how to say this...I missed. Yes, I missed the boat. You hear a lot about missing the boat and I actually did. It was a combination of being very cold all day and not being able to move well, and general clumbsyness I guess. So, I fell into the water was soaked to the waist in about 30 degree temps.

Yes, it was cold. Fortunately the trip to their cabin did not take long and they even had a working dryer there. While I thawed out at the wood stove, my jeans were drying in the dryer. How nice was that? Well, that ended a memorable day, everyone seemed to have had a great time, some of it at my expense. But who could blame them?

09 Kenai Peninsula Minister's Institute

2009-10-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, 16 credentialed ministers of the Peninsula Section, plus other church staff and interns, our District Superintendent and the AKSOM leadership team all gathered at Peninsula Christian Center for the 2009 Peninsula Section Minister's Institute. Rev. Mark Zweifel our DYD (District Youth Director) was our presenter on the subject of "Build A Winning Team". I asked Mark to present on this subject as I have watched him do that very thing very well in our district in the 9 short months he has been here.

I observed Mark already demonstrating what he was going to be teaching us before he taught it. Mark has a great gift in pulling people in, building them up and turning them into great leaders. There was a lot of great practical ideas shared as well as the philosophy and mindset of the person who endeavors to build a winning team.

We also were priviledged to host our District Superintendent, Bill Welch and his wife, Dori. Bill shared news from around our District. The diverse challenges and logistics of serving a district as large as the state of Alaska are immense. One of the great needs of our state is to have pastors in many of the villages and small towns off the road system. The lack of employment opportunities, the remoteness, the inability of a very small congregation to support a full time pastor are huge obstacles to overcome. We also need to better resource our camping facillity, Little Beaver Camp. What is the answer? The Lord of the Harvest!

The AKSOM leadership team also shared about the fantastic growth of this equipping and training traveling Bible School. Lattis Campbell shared that his goal was to have 50 students enrolled this year. As of this meeting, there are now over 170 students enrolled. It seems to grow every week. The momentum AKSOM has gained is propelling it to new venues and more students. It is obvious that this has the approval of the Lord on it! After many other attempts to accomplish the same objectives as AKSOM over many years with much smaller results, this seems to be the answer to the unique needs of our immense district.

We ended the day with a great dinner at Froso's. With all of the spouses and ministers, we nearly filled the banquet room. There was lots of happy sounding conversations going all at once as each one enjoyed their dinner. It was a long day, but a good one. It is awesome to be part of a great organization like the Alaska District of the Assemblies of God!

The Destiny of Nations

2009-10-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

Psalm 33:12 (NKJV)
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

Without attempting to sound negative or doomsdayish, I have been keenly aware of how our country is declining in influence and losing its standing in the world. Now I know that America has long had its detractors and enemies, ever since we were a nation it has been so. But this current situation is different. Before, the world needed America. They may not have wanted us, but they did need us. We were the economic engine of properity of the world. American inventiveness, work ethic, honesty and positive attitude simply made us the indespensible nation on the planet. We have been "the arsenal of democracy", the winning element of world wars and the exporter of goods and services. What we are seeing take place daily before our very eyes is the nations of the world coming to the realization that the USA is no longer needed. In fact, we are a weak, bloated, impotent, unwanted weight on the world in the eyes of more and more nations each day. Pathetic tin-horn dictators can swagger and denounce the USA, flex their newly found muscle in defiance of our best interests without any repercussions. Since we need them, for their oil and their immigrants to fill our needs at home, we can't do a thing about it.

It was recently observed that the destiny of nations could be traced to their missionary furvor. In the 19th century, Great Brittian was the bastion of missionary activity. The majority of missionaries were sent from there as well as an enormous amount of resources to build churches, schools and industry. Before Great Brittian was Europe. Following Great Brittian has been America. As each nation in turn once lead, powered by the churches robust support of missions, each nation declined as the church cooled in its interest and support of the Great Commission. In the 20th century, "The American Century", America held the torch for missions high. No other country on earth has ever done as much as has America in the past 100 years. However, the signs of our decline are beginning to show. The church in America despite the number of "mega churches" which are very visible and influential, is in decline. In America it is measured that the net closure of churches annually is 3000 churches. Most of those churches were once lively, vital congregations but eventually lost interest in missions and the Great Commission. They began to decline, young people ceased to replace the elderly and soon there was nothing left to save.

The point of all of this is, from the local church to the health of the nation, missions must be in our blood. The Great Commission must be a focal point for each church to exist. This is true in the macro and micro sense. Our nation needs us to maintain our vitality and support for missions around the world. God gave us the wealth of the world in order to do this. If we turn away from Him to pursue our own interests, if we become inward and selfish with our resouces, overspend and plunge ourselves into debt, God will simply move on to the next nation that will carry out the Great Commission. We will find ourselves the very mission field we once supported. Great Brittian is now more of a mission field than Africa. Fewer people attend church in Brittian than ever before.

Our decline seems to be taking place before our very eyes. The momentum seems to be with Asia. The rise of China first, but looming greatly just behind them is India. The wealth of the world is leaving America, we are the largest (by far) debtor nation on the planet. Our prosperity is but an illusion. I recently read and was warned, that people my age (50) and younger should not count on Social Security when we retire. There won't be any Social Security. What I have paid to the government all of my working life has been squandered. They still keep taking my money but tell me I won't get it back when I need it. What has been our way of life for generations is slipping out of our hands. The answer to this is simply with the individual believer. We must personally have a vital interest in and support of the Great Commission. If we lose interest and support, God will move on to those who will eagerly take our places and experience His blessing on them and in turn their own nation

I encourage you to evaluate your own missionary support and how interested you are in the cause of missions. How keenly do we feel our need to evangelize our neighbor and friends? By no means do anything out of guilt, but out of conviction that the right thing is what we must do. With God's help we can.

What Kind of Time?

2009-09-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

I just had a little piece of revelation today. I was pondering two kinds of time mentioned in the scriptures (there are at least three). With my Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words in hand, I did some digging. The more familiar usage to us is Chronos time, or the time that we refer to most often measured in seconds, minutes and hours. What we commonly call "a watch" that we wear on our wrist, used to be called "a chronometer". Read the fine print on the face of a Rolex watch and you will see the words, "superlative chronometer". But I digress. The second kind of time is Kairos time or what we refer to as seasons, ages or eras. Both are time, but counted differently.

God who is ageless and eternal is not subject to Chronos time. He isn't concerned with seconds, minutes and hours as we are. These things are very important to us as we only have a limited supply of them. God on the other hand has a limitless amount, so in reality they really don't apply to Him. We are very conscience of our Chronos time, less conscience of our Kairos time.

So, with this thought in mind, think of this verse of scripture:

2 Peter 3:8 (NKJV)
But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

It's all the same to Him. Being eternal, one in terms of Chronos time is as good as another. However, it doesn't work that way with Kairos time. Consider this verse of scripture:

1 Thes. 5:1 (KJV)
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

Interesting that both "times" and "seasons" are the same word, Kairos. It is times and seasons that are most important to God. We might think of it as "at the right time."

This factors in a lot to us. While we are so wrapped up in Chronos time, we tend to think that God is late so often, that God delays unnecessarily. We want answers to prayer now, within minutes, hours or days. God moves in seasons. I know that seems terribly inconvenient to us who are dominated by the clock most of our lives, but God is who He is, I AM.

So if it seems God is constantly showing up late for your need, remember, it is times and seasons, not minutes and hours. Hard to accept, but I am thinking that is the way it is.

As a secondary side note to all of this, a further revelation occurred to me. Wives are a lot like God in this way, much more than husbands. Husbands are very bound to Chronos time. Wives are much more oriented to Kairos time, times and seasons, "when the time is right". So, when a husband asks his wife, "when will you be ready?" or when they drive up to the mall, "when will you be back?" she intuitively understands that we husbands do not relate to Kairos time and gives us Chronos time so we can have something we can understand. The wife will say, "I'll be ready in five minutes." Now she is not telling us an untruth, but since we wouldn't understand it if she said, "when the time is right", or "in season", the answer of 5 minutes conveys the message that she is not ready yet. Remember the day versus a thousand years?, yep, wives also think one is as good as another. Five minutes is as good as half an hour or more. 5 o'clock is as good as 7 o'clock. It is all within the same era or season.

Honestly, I dont' know how theologically sound all of this is, but it sure helps me understand some things better. I hope it helps you, dear reader as well.

What if....God

2009-09-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

I have been pondering quite a bit lately about how some people can truly believe there is no God. I cannot conceive how any person who thinks (ah...maybe I've hit on something here) can embrace the idea that everything is a cosmic accident. Aside from theological arguement, which are valid and necessary, but just playing the "what if..." game leads one to see the utter impossibility of life being possible without God.

For instance, what if we just eliminate one thng from the world as we know it? What if there were no gravity? Now I know men and women live in space capsules without it, but think here and now, life would just not be possible. We coudn't drive, things would be a mess to say the least, and there would be no way we could raise children, make dinner or a million other things we take quite for granted that makes life possible. It sounds pretty silly, but really, rivers would cease to be rivers and rain would no longer fall and what would keep the oceans in their place? The more you ponder the problem, the less silly it becomes.

When one thinks of the perfect balance of everything that works together to support life, the complexity of it all leads one quickly to the conclusion, there has to be a God who put this all together so perfectly. An accident? Now that's silly.

Rev. 4:11 (NKJV)
"You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created."

A Bear-ably Nice Day

2009-09-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

It was getting on toward the end of summer and the "bite" was on for rainbow trout on the Kenai River. This is positively my favorite time of year on the Kenai Peninsula. I "had" to use my birthday present from the church of a guided fishing trip with Jimmie Jack Guide Service. David Drake was the guide on this spectacular day.

Guide - David Drake, We watched a brown bear eating some salmon early in the day (see the attached video link for a YouTube clip) and we caught a lot of fish, silver salmon, Dolly Varden, Whitefish, and my favorite, rainbow trout. There is something very special about Kenai River rainbow trout. They are (sometimes) huge, they are spectacularly colored and speckled and they leap and fight in and out of the water with a wild frenzy that is addictive to a fisherman. We had such a day. I was blessed to have caught a beautiful specimen near the end of the day, a perfect way to cap off a great experience.

The other aspect of this day that was exciting to watch was being in the boat while Dave, the guide, witnessed to the other client in the boat, a older gentleman named, Jerry. Jerry was pretty resistant to talk much about faith the whole day, but that did not stop or intimidate Dave! Every little bit, Dave would mention Jesus or thank the Lord when we caught a nice fish.

Jerry would not respond most of the time, but through the day, he was softening up. He talked about his religious upbringing and about all of the difficult things he experienced being a soldier in the Viet Nam war. Each time Dave would say something positive about what Jesus meant to him and gave assurance of God's love for Jerry. It was a marvelous thing to watch Dave mix his professional skills as a guide with his personal witness of Jesus. You could tell this was not a special put-on because the pastor was in the boat, but a lifestyle of witnessing about Jesus to everyone he meets.

At the end of the day, Dave was telling Jerry he hoped he could come back again next year to fish with him again. Jerry said that he would need God's help to do it as he is currently battling cancer and has been advised that he may not have that much time. Dave, pulled the boat up to a convenient bank and laid hands on Jerry and prayed for his healing and for Jesus to make Himself known to Jerry.

Wow, what a great day! the personal enjoyment of my favorite fishing and being on the front row of watching someone give a persistent and passionate witness of Jesus to someone who was obviously not used to talking about his faith. Way to go, Dave! Not only for a great day of fishing, but for touching someone with a witness of Jesus!

What Really Matters

2009-09-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

I don't kow about you, but I like to think a lot when I am working with my hands. I think about a lot of different things, What will heaven be like? Why does life have to be so hard sometimes? and recently I was thnking about, What really matters?

Maybe it was the fact that I was helping a friend clean out their garage. It was like reliving history as things stored away came out to the light for the first time in a long time. It reminded me of how life changes and things we were once passionate about are now forgotten or ignored. We put so much time and effort into things that we eventually lose interest in. We expend our resources toward things that only matter for a while and then we are off on to other things.

What really matters? My relationship to God. My relationship to my family. My relationship to those I love. When it comes right down to it, it has to be relationships. As I ponder this, I think relationships are on the high priority list wth God as well. He sent His only Son to die on the cross so that I could have relationship with Him. To send your only Son to die in my place tells me that must really matter to God.

I want to streamline my life a little more. Be less cluttered with stuff and more focued on what really matters. I know stuff can make life interesting and I have no problem with that, but neither do I want it to get in the way of the thngs that are most important. I want to love God, my wife, my children, my family, my friends. I want the expenditure of my resources to reflect those priorities. My time, my money, my attention I want to make the greatest impact in those priorities than anywhere else. Hopefully when I go to be wth Jesus there won't be much to haul away to the dump as the things I chose to put my resources into are eternal. I pray that for you too.

Back To School

2009-08-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

I did not post last week, my parents were in town and we were out and about doing the activities of summer and visiting loved ones. It was a very busy time, one of those times when it seems like there is a collision of schedules into a very short time frame. One of the significant events was sending our youngest son away to University.

This past Monday was the beginning of school for our public schools. I read many entries on Facebook of parents taking their children to school either for the first time and of course many to a new grade. It begins again. Some have high school seniors, some are sending their children to kindergarten, it is a day of excitement, sadness and emotions.

As JoLynn and I are again, "empty nesters", let me impart some perspective to parents who are somewhere in the middle years of raising children. I know you have heard it before, but do treasure these early years of raising your kids. These are the years they are most dependent upon you for everything and the years they are most impressionable. If in general we raise our children for 18 years before they begin to leave home for school or careers (it does stretch out past 18...) then we have to realize by the time they turn 9 years old, our job is half way done! But it isn't just a math realization. The second half is not equal to the first. Things significantly change after age 9. Our children grow more decidedly indepentdent, they want to make more and more of their own decisions, especially about spending their money and fashions being worn to school. In the second half they begin to develop friends that generally take more of their time, activities that take more of their time and then there comes their ability to drive. Before we are aware enough to catch it, our time with our children slips away and we feel like our home is only where they sleep, eat and shower before they are off again.

I write to share my thoughts with you on this matter so that you can take steps now, set priorities now to help you not fall prey to the tyranny of your children being swept up and away from you before the time is right. Other than the basic dependecies of where they live and eat, it seems like our children are in a functional way leaving home earlier and earlier. A wise parent will see this and help preserve the integrity of the family.

I encourage families to continue to go to church together, to not allow extra-curricular activities interfere with family or church ministries. It is a natural thing for children to begin to want to do other things than go to church as they grow (they also want Snickers candy bars for dinner instead of meat and potatoes) but I encourage parents to hold the line, set the priorities and the agenda and lead your children instead of the other way around.

These child raising years will be the minority years of your life eventually, even though they may represent half your life at this point. Make these years count for your family and for God. Do whatever you can to help shape your child's spiritual future by keeping them close and on track.

Unexpected Sources of Help

2009-08-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

I am amazed and yet not amazed at how God comes through. I am amazed because I never know how God will answer our prayers but I am not amazed that God does answer our prayers. I got word to day from my good friend, Pastor Mike Rose who pastors the Juneau Christina Center in our Captiol City. Two years ago they embarked upon a very ambitious vision to build a community youth center. Financially this was going to be and has been a stretch, yet they plunged into the project with everything they had. From personal experience, I know that every project has a low point, a place in the life of the project where all the tanks run dry it seems. Financial tank, emotional tank, energy tank, resource tank, etc. all seem to point to empty at the same time. It is at this point that doubts come in, fears can enter the heart and all your critics seem to have voices louder than those who believe in you. It can be a dark time for a leader, a time when all your friends seem to be somewhere else. It can be a dark time for a church when you wonder if the project will ever get completed and the financial strains will ever ease. A descriptive phrase about times like this, "not my favorite."

Well, Pastor Rose and JCC were at this low point of their project. It was stalled as they were out of cash and that is what was needed to order the last work to be done so they could open the doors. Lots of critics began to wag their tongues, there was no obvious place where help could be found. This past Sunday they made a presentation to their church about what was needed to open the doors and begin this new ministry. Not knowing what to expect they trusted God. There was no obvious sign that what they needed was on its way. If there is anywhere in Alaska that the recession we are experiencing nationally is affecting our state, it is our Capitol.

The outcome of this past Sunday? They received an offering of over $100,000 dollars! One hundred thousand of that offering came from one individual! Who would have known? Who could have predicted? The person who gave the large gift had never done so before. It was a truly unexpected source of help. Wow! Way to go, God!

The point of this? I am amazed at how God works. I am not amazed that He does what He does. That is good for you and I as well. At our low points we can believe for the unexpected. How God will do it, we may never know, that He will do it, we can expect.

Men's Do Something!!

2009-08-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

What a time we had! 19 men set out to shoot the rapids on the six mile river on the way to Hope, Alaska. It was an exciting experience, definately one that anyone who is interested should try. Chugach Outdoor Center was the rafting company. Their guides treated us very well and the equipment we used was excellent. The day really started after we were briefed on all the rules and donned all the equipment. We were instructed on how to swim 100 yards down the six mile river to the other side. It was a bit intimidating to plunge into that frigid glacial stream when you are nice and warm and dry. However, that is when you discover how good your gear is. Mine was great, dry as a bone after my swim. At that point we broke into teams to paddle the rafts.

The first river miles are spent learning commands from your guide, "Forward 2", "Left turn", "Back 3", you get the idea. Nervousness rises as you approach the first rapids. You shoot through without a problem. Confidence swells. And so the day goes. Our raft was an exceptionally good team and that helped us out a great deal. There would be several sets of rapids to run and then beautiful periods of drifting with great scenery.

The day climaxes as you enter the "third canyon" which the guide has been building up all day. These rapids are bigger, trickier and more dangerous. Anxiety rises, confidence wanes as the sun that has been warmning you disappears behind the steep canyon walls and the roar of water fills the silence.

The third canyon is a bit more of a challenge, as one rapid in particular caused some problems for two rafts, one of which was ours. Believe it or not, this actually increases the excitement and fun. Such great laughter and team action make it such a great experience.

We all had a great day which was topped off with moose and caribou sausage on the grill. There was a lot of talk about making this an annual event, so if you missed this trip, be ready to pounce on the opportunity when it comes up again next year.

Contradictory Behavior

2009-07-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

As a pastor I have seen a lot of contradictory behavior, like someone stealing a Bible from the church. Yeah, I know, that isn't just a cliche, it really has and does (once in awhile) happen. My real hope for anyone who does that is that they actually end up reading it, at least until they get to Exodus 20:15, and then just ask for a Bible which we would gladly give to anyone who asks. Speaking of contradictory behavior, I actually read a news item recently reported by Scripps News Service that took place in St. Lucie, Flordia. A person who was employed as a Weight Watchers Demonstrator (how do you demonstrate that?) was caught shoplifting cupcakes at the local grocery store. How embarassing to make headlines with that! I wonder if they lost their job? I wonder what their excuse might have been?

These things of course are contradictory behaviors, like getting the Diet Coke with your Big Mac and Super Sized french fries. I wonder how many times I am guilty of contradictory behavior? (That's OK, you don't have to tell me.) One thing we do know for sure, is that as Christians we are always under observation for contradictory behavior. Just respond to someone in anything less than a completely patient way and pow, you get nailed as a Hypocrite. Hypocrite is the name for someone who practices contrary behavior frequently.

It's so easy to act contrary to our message, isn't it? Someone just today was telling me about an incident of road rage they got caught in the middle of. Even though they weren't the one driving on the shoulder of the road and making rude gestures, their blood was pumping hard and they were feeling both fear and anger at the same time. Responding correctly sometimes is really tough.

That is why it is a necessity for us to walk in the Spirit all the time. Be Spirit controlled. Be Spirit led. The Bible promises us that if we "Walk in the Spirit", that we "shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)." So, if you love Jesus, alow Him to help you keep from acting out any contradictory behavior. It may keep you out of the headlines.

Men's Do Something!!

2009-07-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, our Men's Ministry sponsored another Do Something! activity day. Dennis Merkes and Ray Schemanski hosted a King Salmon Derby. We had the best weather - sun, warm, blue skies, good food - brauts and hot links on the grill, lots of boats and equipment and about 20 guys ready to fish. The fishing was great! The catching was a little on the slow side. Tommy Brister hooked a large fish but had to release it. Near the end of the day, Aaron Broyles hooked and landed the derby winning King Salmon on Ray Schemanski's boat. It was great to have a winner after such a long day fishing on the river!

It was a great day, another great Men's Do Something event and everyone had a lot of fun. For a little live video action of the lunch break.

A Preacher's Day Off

2009-07-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

I have made a commitment to post to this blog at least once a week to keep it current and worth coming back to. I am a little later than usual as my summer (like yours) really heated up this past week with activity. This past Monday, I had the great privilege to spend the day fishing for halibut with two other Assemblies of God pastors. Pastor Mike Rose from Juneau and Pastor Greg Newell from Homer. What a day the Lord gave us! I have to admit the seas were a little choppy in the morning, by noon, the sun had burned throught the fog and it was warm and calm. Fishing for halibut in t-shirts is a fine thing to do on a day off! I was blessed with two really nice fish, one a "30 pounder" and one in the 60 pound class. It was a great day in several respects, the weather was wonderful as I have already mentioned, we were able to reach our limit of fish easily and with nice sized fish, and most of all, the chance to fellowship with two other preachers who are also great friends is a rare occasion indeed.

Michael Jackson

2009-07-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

As perhaps a billion people (media estimate) will watch the memorial service for Michael Jackson today, I wonder how many of them, Christians included will believe he is in heaven. I have not said a lot about this but I have heard much around town, on the television and in conversations.

First of all, let me say that I am not God, I am not the judge of the living or the dead. However, it is my place to warn all that I can to know that there is a heaven, and there is a hell. Sincere faith in Christ for the forgiveness of our sin is the ONLY way to salvation, everything else does not avail us whatsoever when it comes to salvation. This is what we know for sure because the Bible makes this very clear to us.

Unfortunately, many people assume that God thinks and feels the same way we do. That God makes decisions based upon His like or dislike of things or people the way we do. So, if we happen to like Michael Jackson for some reason, well then God must also and since we like him, he must be eligible for heaven. News flash: it doesn't work that way.

We don't go to heaven by majority rule. We can't gain entrance to heaven by the title, "King of Pop". We don't go to heaven by being a nice person. We will not be granted entrance to heaven by doing good things, selling millions of records or being tolerant of every lifestyle or being "cool".

A lot of people want to take charge of God's heaven and become the one who gives permission to enter or not. Do not be deceived, God isn't giving anyone the right to decide who enters His heaven or not, including me. He alone will be the judge and the one who makes the laws we must abide by to enter. So, if you think I have said that Michael Jackson is going to hell, read this again carefully, I haven't said that. If you ask what I think will happen to him, I might say that most of the external evidence I have seen would lead me to believe that Michael Jackson was not a believer in Jesus as his personal savior. I am not God, I do not get to say if Michael makes it or not, I do not see Michael's heart as God does. Despite all of the visual evidence to the contrary, if Michael knew Jesus as his savior and Lord, then I am sure he will be in heaven. However, if he did not, there is not any amount of talent or popularity that can make up for the most important relationship of all.

God is "... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) So, the path to heaven was as open to Michael Jackson as it is to anyone else, just like the rest of mankind, we must choose it. I hope that he did. I am glad I have. I hope you do too.

Deadlines

2009-06-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

Recently I published an article in the Peninsula Clarion about the power of a deadline. I can get writer's (or preacher's) block and have difficulty finding a subject. But as the deadline draws near, from somewhere within comes creativity, ideas or divine help to meet that deadline. I am not talking about procrastination, that's another topic!

The problem for deadline oriented people is when there is no deadline. Things that are important often don't come with a specific deadline. Like telling your wife or husband or children that you love them. No deadline, great importance. Or having that talk about forgiveness with someone who has wronged you. Or making your peace with God.

Yesterday, two well known celebrities ended their earthly journeys, Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Both dying before their time, both wealthy and popular people. Their deadline for life was the same day. I pray they had met that deadline with their eternity certain by having Jesus as their savior. Someone on my Facebook page remarked, "The King of Pop meets the King of Kings!" Wow, I hope the King of Pop was prepared for that introduction.

Speaking of deadlines, when will we share with our neighbor about their need of Jesus? Hopefully we will do it before their deadline with eternity comes due.

Independence Day

2009-06-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

I have in my electronic files an essay concerning the signers of the Declaration of Independence. It is a brief history of their fates following the signing of that foundational document of our country. You may not have ever read their histories, much like the fate of the Lord's disciples, once their moment in history is fulfilled, they quickly fade from view. I did not author this essay but share it with you for some depth of perspecitve concerning this "holiday".

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Have you ever wondered who the men who signed the Declaration of Independence were? What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and plantation owners; they were all men of means and well educated. They signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that if captured, their penalty for signing would be death. By signing, they pledged their lives, their personal fortunes, and their honor to this cause of America becoming a land of freedom and liberty. Have you ever wondered what happened to these 56 men who signed? Five signers were arrested by the British, sentenced as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in combat while serving in the Continental Army; another had two sons who became prisoners of war. Nine fought and died from combat wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his trading ships attacked and sunk by the British Navy. He had to sell his home and properties to pay his debts and died in poverty. Thomas McKeam was so hunted by the British that he was forced to move his family constantly. He served in the Continental Congress without pay while his family was kept in hiding. Eventually his possessions were confiscated, and he became penniless. Soldiers sacked and looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr., reported that the British General Cornwallis had taken over his family’s home for his headquarters. He urged General George Washington to fire upon it with artillery. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home razed and properties destroyed. His wife was imprisoned and died within a short time from the appalling conditions of the British prison. John Hart and his 13 children were driven from their home while his wife lay dying as British soldiers attempted to capture them. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. His fields and his gristmill were laid waste. A few weeks after returning home, he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates. Common were such stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These men were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken gentlemen of means and education. They had wealth and security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." Their sacrifice and service gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books do not tell much about what happened to individual people in the Revolutionary War. It wasn't just about fighting the British, we were British subjects at the time. We were fighting our own countrymen and government! Some take our liberties for granted because we didn’t pay, we didn’t sacrifice, we were not deprived. Their pain, sacrifice and deprivations were their gift to us. Their service bought us the freedoms we so enjoy, even if we are ignorant of the struggle that provided them. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember freedom is never free! It's time we get the word out that patriotism is not a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and civic parades. God bless America!

Men's Do Something!!

2009-06-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I really enjoy in the summer months with our men's ministry are the "Do Something!" activities that occur throughout the summer. We had our first one this past Saturday evening at the Bennings. What a blast! We took advantage of the location with the Benning's back yard about 100 feet above the beach on a steep bluff with Cook Inlet lapping at the bottom. We teed up our golf balls and drove them off the top of the bluff as far (or not) out into the water as we could. Pastor Ryan took top honors for longest drive with his brand new 460cc Taylormade driver.

A unique activity of the evening was testing out the slings that the Peru Team brought back from their mission trip. When I say "sling" that is the David-and-Goliath vareity. Yes, the kind that you swing wildly around and let go of one side and send the stone flying....somewhere. Actually, it wasn't nearly as difficult as we anticipated. We felt pretty good about the fact that no windows got broken, no one was sent to the hospital and (most) the stones acually went where they were supposed to go at least in the general direction that was intended. That was actually pretty impressive. A 'bulls-eye" was made down on the beach with the 4-wheeler which we all started slinging stones at. All I can say is that I can assure you that we will have no Philistine invasion anytime soon with our slinging skills.

Then of course, we had good eats on the grill with lots of good fellowship and friendship shared as well.

We will have more Do Something! nights through the summer, I encourage all of our men to come on out and have a great time. You never know what we will be doing but it is always fun and usually unique. Stay tuned for the next event!

A Day Well Spent

2009-06-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

James 1:27 (NKJV)

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

This past Saturday I was reminded of one of the reasons I enjoy pastoring Kenai New Life Assembly so much. It's you! It's the people of our church family that give in so many ways. The specific situation was the effort so many of you joined in to help paint Becky Smith's home.

I want to thank Roy Smith for coordinating the effort with all the contacts and equipment and so many who brought such great food and of course the great crew we had to actually paint. With two sprayer units going, lots of hands to mask windows and doors, painting trim and all the clean up, it was a busy time! We got the entire house painted with much of the trim either done or started and some other projects completed as well. The Lord blessed us with optimal weather for the day as well. THANK YOU for your help, you make me very proud!

Remember to Pray

2009-06-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

1 Tim. 2:1-3 (NKJV)
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, [2] for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. [3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

I was privileged to attend today the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce luncheon where our governor, Sarah Palin was there to sign bills passed by the legislature into law and to announce the state's new attorney general. It reminded me that we continually need to pray for our governor. Recent vicious, crude and ugly attacks upon her by David Letterman as well as other media figures remind us that the very same values you and I hold are the very same values Sarah Palin is being attacked for. If it was you or I in her place, we would receive the very same treatment for what we believe.

There was a very long line afterwards to speak to the governor, so I did not take the time to wait, but if I had, I would have told her that we are praying for her. I would ask that you would pray for God to lead, guide and protect her and her family. It is not often that we, people of faith, have such a friend in a place of high authority. We need to remember how valuable this is to us as we "lead a quiet and peaceable life" that we enjoy so much.