Blog
Jump! For God's Sake (pt.1)
Not all fathers are heroic but I'm unmovable in my conviction we are all meant to be. And that we can be.
I witnessed it myself in the remarkable story of my father. It’s likely my dad’s greatest lesson for me was when he taught me how to jump.
Becoming Priests
I've been a full time pastor, a company CEO and have probably led a thousand more people in other capacities over the years, but these offices have proven mere child's play compared to offering a simple Bible study with my family.
I know few fathers today who crack open the Bible with their family...
I am your father. Sorry.
Becoming a True Son - Part 1
The first miles in my journey as a father are reminiscent of the Titanic's maiden voyage. Just below the calm surface of my manhood was an iceberg my son's ship was destined to hit. When it finally happened we were both ripped open by the collision.
No man can foresee that fatherhood, which usually begins so promisingly, will inevitably require a violent pruning of our manhood.
Real Men Sighted at Dunkirk
Maleness is beautiful.
It may be a little awkward to say, but isn't maleness beautiful? There are no arguments about whether femininity is. Many would now argue that diversity is. And tolerance. But who is arguing that authentic masculinity is? Nobody. And it is killing our sons. It is frankly killing us as men too.
A SHREWD INVESTMENT
Baer and I have mud stains in our pants that will never come out and memories of a shared adventure that no thief can steal. I am a wealthy man.
It was an expensive trip, but I think it would have been more expensive to not have taken it.
REBEL YELL - Part 1
With tack-sharp clarity I recall the day I was handed the keys to my family's 1978 Chevy Impala station wagon. Turd brown. It was there and then, as I stomped on the accelerator, that I began to road test a new strategy for coping with personal pain.
North Pole. South Pole.
By the hand of providence, I have a friend in Russia and a few in Scandinavia who are laboring for the gospel courageously. Like the running salmon that draw fishermen from all over the world to that region, there are a few men swimming furiously against the swift current of a culture that is attempting to neuter the God-given hearts of men and women. The result is the recasting of male and female
There and Back Again
I love seeing how through random relationships with kingdom minded men and women, the Father has outlasted my resistance. He continues to shock me with the intimate way He offers himself in both fathering and friendship. Somewhere along the way in the journey of my becoming a son, the Wild Goose called me into a relationship with a wildly glorious Russian saint,
...that's what it's all about.
It has taken me a lifetime to begin to understand what you are saying here, Jesus, and I am beginning to believe, and it is changing everything. Thank you for showing the Way. I'm right behind you.
CORNER OFFICE
...a pinecone from the Grand Canyon. ...the cyrillic "Pilgrim" branded water bottle from a Russian convenience store.
...the fishing buoy from the beach on the Barents Sea where Yura and I made a bonfire.
BIGGER IS BETTER. Part 1
When I was 10 years old I payed good money to see Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark nine (9) times in the theater. Regular price was a whopping $1.25 but the matinee was only $.75, leaving money for a soda. That Summer I carried a makeshift whip at my side and changed my name to Indiana.
LITTLE LIGHTS
In defiance of darkness' historic claims on me, I chose to install lights in my backyard today instead of letting my joy be stolen by the pressure of preparation for an upcoming mission. My heart's ache and desperation, historically addressed by striving and over-preparation, found true healing today by stringing up little luminescent reminders of what's to come
WE STAND ALONE TOGETHER
It doesn't work for a man to walk alone.
When the idea was first proposed that God designed a man to walk in close fellowship with other men, I quickly dismissed it. Through the use of its masculine caricatures, Hollywood had me convinced early on
THE WOOKIE
On Sunday night, after over a year's worth of digging my heels in, I felt the Father say "Go with it". Meaning... "Get your daughter the dog she's been begging for." So I went with it.
NITROUS JOY BOMB
I snapped this shot of myself right before the doctor began carving the roots out of my #19 molar. I sent it to my wife with a love note to say "Wish you were here." To help patients relax, the nurse offers a few amenities, including a thick blanket, a comfy leather reclining chair, drugs
FEEDER ROAD
"Let's not do today" was my first involuntary thought as the alarm clock made its callous announcement. There are days you hate before they even happen. Today promised only slog, and the need to deal with
STRENGTH FOR SONS
I've recently been medicating myself with the adventures of Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman in "Long Way Round", a 10 episode documentary on an around the world motorcycle adventure I wish I could be on right now. Netflix has been my night time cocktail
A THIN PLACE
I was skeptical when I first learned we'd be getting lessons in Arctic survival from a Lutheran priest. But there we were, with snow all around and the tundra sticking it's face up through the remaining mask of Winter.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Fast forward a quarter of a century and you will find me coaching soccer to 11 year old boys and 9 year old girls...
BEAVER WOOD LEADS ME TO JESUS
There are moments when beauty hurts. Sitting with my bare feet in the cold running water I watched my kids frolic. We'd been here catching bugs and other critters for a while to stretch our legs after hundreds of miles on the road. We needed to carry on if we wanted to cross the continental divide while it was still light. But this small stream had exactly what I wanted.