Mark is "Student of the Month"

I want to congratulate my son Mark on being named the Little Falls Community High School male "Student of the Month". Darla and I are so proud of him. Here is a link to read the article in the Morrison County Record.

Surround Yourself by Truth-Tellers

Today I read an article regarding leaders surrounding themselves with people that will tell them the truth. Part of the article stated, "It is extremely important for leaders gather people around who are willing and not afraid to tell them the truth. It can be deadly for a leader to be surrounded by individuals who will blindly march in lock-step. This usually because those kinds of team members are either too fearful, timid or really do not care what happens to the ministry. They are also easy to find and few organizations need any more than they already have. Leaders need to be secure enough in who they are to seek to gather around them people who give them diverse and honest opinions so the leader you can make the best possible directional decisions".
Ralph Heath, Leaders Must Surround Themselves With Fearless People, 4/17/09

After reading this article I took some time to evaluate who is currently surrounding me, speaking into my life. Do I give them the freedom, the right, the opportunity to tell me the truth, from their perspective, without facing any negative consequences? Am I afraid to hear the truth?

I realize that everyone has a blind-side. There are things that we just can't see or perhaps refuse to see. It is a real blessing to have people that care enough for me, that feel our relationship is secure enough, that they will share with me things I don't see.

Whether you view yourself as a leader or not, we all need to have people in our lives that will have the freedom to speak the truth to us.


"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ". Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)

Take a moment and ask yourself, "who surrounds me and have I given them the permission to speak truth into my life".

Baby It's Cold Outside

This picture says it all! I hope it puts a smile on your face. Tell me again why people think global warming is happening.

Day 4 of One Month to Live

The church I pastor, Living Hope church in Little Falls and Rice, MN has just started the series, "One Month to Live, 30 Days to a No-Regrets Life", by Kerry & Chris Shook. The book by that title is a New York Times bestseller.

Today is day #4, "Power Surge, connecting with the ultimate source".

"People who know their lives will soon be over tend to feel a desperate urge to change. But a desperation to change is not enough. In order to sustain the changes, we have to be connected to a power source beyond ourselves-a power source that never wavers, flickers, or leaves us in the dark. We have to move from willpower to the real power that comes from a connection to our Creator." p. 26

As a pastor I have witnessed several people who have had a "death-bed conversion". Upon their reflecting on life and the final days that are nearing, there is a realization that something needs to change. Their life without God has been incomplete. This has always motivated me to evaluate my connection to God. We all know it can be easy to "drift" away or at the very least, loose our motivation. Power for living, whether it is one day or 100 years comes from our connection to our Creator.

Take a moment and ask yourself, "What is one thing you can do today to connect with God in a greater way?" Now...enjoy the power surge.

2010 Bible Reading Plan

When I come to the end of a year, one of the decisions for me to make is, "how will I read the Bible this coming year". I like to go into the year with a plan. I may choose a translation that I don't often read or I may choose to try and read the entire Bible in one year. Some years I like to slow my reading pace way down to give me more time to reflect on fewer things.

If you need some help in determining a plan for 2010 and if you wouldn't mind doing some of your devotions by using your phone or computer, I have an idea for you.

If you go to youversion, there are about 20+ reading plans that they offer. Choose one that seems to fit and enjoy spending time with God in 2010.

Primal, by Mark Batterson

I just completed “Primal, a Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity”, the latest book by Mark Batterson.

If you are a part of Living Hope Church, where I pastor, his name will be very familiar to you. In the last couple of years we have gone through two books authored by Mark; “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day” and “Wild Goose Chase”.

I love the fact that this book draws me back to the heart of purpose, why I was created, to love God and love people.

There are certain books that when I read them I must have a highlighter in hand. This is one of them. Nearly every page I found myself marking at least one phrase or thought. It had me thinking, “this is good, this is something that I need to remember and apply”.

Let me share just a few of the many with you.

“Going back to that most primal place helps us find our way forward”.

“You cannot listen to just half of what the Holy Spirit has to say. It’s a package deal”.

“…it’s much easier to act like a Christian than it is to react like one”.

“The most primal form of love is not doing things for God. It is receiving with gratitude what He has already done for us. And then reflecting it in our lives”.

I highly recommend this book to you. This is the first book you should read this year. You can purchase the book at RandomHouse.

Dan Kornbaum Reaches Milestone

My son Mark's friend, Dan Kornbaum, reached a great milestone in his high school basketball career. Last night he scored his 1,000th point.

Goals and milestones are significant in life. Without setting goals most people tend to drift through life aimlessly.

Take a few moments in these closing days of 2009 and establish some new goals and reevaluate any past ones to see if you are still on track. As Dan needed others, his team, to help him, realize that you will need others to be a part of the process of making milestones.

Dream big and enjoy the journey.