Louie Schmitz, a mentor, a coach, a local hero.

From my earliest memories of growing up in Farmington, MN, skating and hockey were a part of my life. I grew up next to my grandparents and just two blocks away from the outdoor hockey rinks. Both places would become extremely special to me. Every winter my dad, Harris, would flood my grandparents garden. I spent hours skating outside, enjoying the day with all of the neighborhood kids. If you didn't find me in my grandparents back yard I would be playing hockey at the local rinks. There was hardly a time I would be there that Louie Schmitz was not also there. Fire hose in hand, nose running and eyebrows iced up, the cold didn't seem to bother him. He was investing his time in all of us "rink rats". To me, this place was the "sandlot" of hockey. I, on the other hand, was greatly affected by the cold. I can't count how many times I frost bit my fingers and toes. Neither can I count how many times Louie was there to help warm them up. With tears running down my cheeks, he would first have me get off my skates and socks and run barefoot out into the snow. It didn't make much sense to me but he knew that it was quite painful to have them warm up too fast. After I would come into the warming house he would have me take a seat on the old bench and he would place his hands on my feet, keeping them there until color began to slowly come back. A man like Louie teaches you more than the fundamentals of a game. He taught many of us "rink rats" what it means to invest in kids, in community, in what's important. He taught me about caring for others, about putting others before yourself. On November 25th Louie and his family were told that he had stomach cancer and later found out it was Stage 4. Please keep Louie and his family in your prayers as he fights this battle. Louie, as you held my feet in your hands, I am praying that you will know that God is holding you in His hands!

The Joys of Hunting

Nothing like sitting in the deer stand with my girls.

We got an eight pointer at 7:45. Waiting for a few more.

Sent from my HTC Touch Pro2 on the Now Network from Sprint®.

Blizzard of 1991

20 years ago today Darla and I ventured out into the Blizzard to take the Living Hope youth group to the White Heart concert at the St. Cloud Civic Center.  It was crazy.  Cars in the ditch every mile.  We arrived safely for the concert, they sang two songs to the 30 people there and said, "We're outta here".

Two weeks later Darla gave birth to our first child, Mark.  When I look back now, all I can think about was how stupid that was.  Taking my wife out in that storm, risking all of our lives and Mark's.  We really liked White Heart but no band was worth that! :)

What's your memory of that day?

Act Normal Series

Living Hope Church is currently doing the series "Act Normal". This series is based on the small group material by Pastor Scott Wilson.

I invite you to join us for this 7 week series and discover how compassion becomes normal.

The topics include...

1. What Is Normal?

2. Compassion is Normal

3. Sharing Your Faith in Christ is Normal

4. Struggles and Difficulties in Life is Normal

5. Expecting to Hear from God is Normal

6. Divine Intervention is Normal

7. Giving is Normal

We invite you to be a part of our 50/50 challenge. What is that?

Our goal is to have a minimum of 100 people from Living Hope Church that will sign up and commit over the next year to give at least 50 hours of compassionate time and $50 to a neighbor in need, church, missions, food shelf...however God leads you. Click on this 50/50 Challenge link to sign up.

Together, we will make a difference!

Soul Print

I just finished reading "Soul Print", my twelfth book of 2011. Mark Batterson, Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., is the author. I have read his other books and have had the church I pastor, Living Hope, journey through the material in our Life Groups. Well, Living Hope, get ready because this will definitely be another series and Life Group topic in the near future.

In "Soul Print", Mark shares about the joy of discovering who you are and who you're not. By focusing in on God you then discover who you are created to be. Mark shares about five defining moments in your life that will determine your destiny. I love the sentence on the back cover of the book that reads, "God would like to introduce you to yourself".

If you attend Living Hope Church I strongly encourage you to go out and purchase the book today. Don't wait until we start "Soul Print" as a church, enjoy it and live it today.

Kelsey's Prom

Today is prom for Little Falls. It's hard to believe that my daughter Kelsey and her friends are juniors and old enough to go to prom. The picture is of my daughter Kelsey and her date, Mitch. They all converged on Maple Island Park. It was cold with occassional sunshine. Thankfully no rain.

This is another reminder to me of how fast time goes. Cherish the moments!

Sent from my HTC Touch Pro2 on the Now Network from Sprint®.

Packer Coat

I am not sure which way to read into this Packer coat that was left at the church. Either the Packer fan has decided to abandon their team and become a Viking fan or they are trying to taunt the staff. I prefer to believe that God spoke to them in the service and they went to the altar where they released their first love (Packers) to God and put the Lord back into their life as #1.

Sent from my HTC Touch Pro2 on the Now Network from Sprint®.

Can We Change?

Most people would admit that they want to change something about their lives.

We all know deep inside that we’re not yet who we were intended to be, right? We all know, if we’re honest, that we’re not as loving as we could be; we don’t have peace or patience or compassion like we long for; our self-control is often out of control. Truth is, we all have room for improvement.

When asked, most people would admit that they want to change something about their lives. But for lasting, fulfilling change we must understand the process...

Join us on Sunday, April 3 at Living Hope Church as we talk about change. Come and hear an inspiring story from a couple whose marriage was nearly over.