As some of you may have heard, a few men from ReCAST went camping last weekend. I’ll give you a minute to put two and two together. Yes, “polar vortex” last weekend. Yes, camping, like thin nylon tents and sleeping-bags camping. When sharing about this now annual adventure of ours, I’ve heard responses that usually…
In honor of pastor appreciation month, I want to say how I appreciate the one and only, Donald Filcek. Seriously, I do. Don is an incredibly smart individual with a sincere passion for Christ and a driving desire to build a gospel-centered, people-loving church in our community. He’s a guy who loves his wife, cherishes…
I’m not an animal lover. I like the idea of a dog, I guess––having a trusty companion who always accepts you, waiting for you at the door when you get home with wagging tail. Car commercials with a man and his best friend packing up the camping gear on a mountain top at sunset looks…
I’m blogging from my iPhone, in the dark, in my Big Agnes Wolf Mountain 6 person tent with sleeping wife and three half snoring kiddos by my side. Our tent is expertly pitched on site 224 in Brimley State Park campground with Lake Superior waves quietly falling to shore 40 yards north of where I…
I love big cities! There is something about the hustle and bustle of city life that energizes me. I attended a conference for Pastors in Chicago this past week, and if I am honest, I was more excited about being in Chicago than I was about attending the conference. But God met me on His…
Certainly the Supreme Courts consideration of the same sex marriage ruling has grabbed some attention in the media (and by media I mean social media). We are certainly a culture of moral diversity, ubiquity of self-expression, and a lot of red equal signs. Despite the reality, that any blog on this topic will likely not…
Today is my 40th birthday. I fielded a few jokes today but in reality I have had a little time to reflect on how quickly forty years has flown by! Scriptures refer to life as a mist that burns off when the sun rises or is blown away by the wind. It is a fragile…
At the end of every year I am making it tradition to share my reading list from the previous year and give a brief summary. This year I have read more fiction than ever in my life and I think that has been impacted by my use of the Kindle app on my iPad. For…
I picked up The Lord of the Rings from the library shelf as a freshman in high school. It was thick had little print and was completely unlike anything I had ever checked out from a library. I always spent time in the nonfiction section somewhere between astronomy and biology. Little did I know that…
Anybody else finding themselves at least a little distracted by technology? There are suddenly so many ways to connect with people, so many gadgets, so many modes of communication. But has it genuinely improved our relationships at all? I can text, email, message on Facebook, tweet, give a +1, Chat, send a postcard, comment on…
I didn’t win the lottery yesterday! I woke up totally bummed that my life wasn’t radically changed by mountains of cash. The promise of mansions and exotic vacations disappeared with the announcement of the winning numbers. I’m still buying a used Kia Sedona instead of a 2013 Honda Odyssey. I’m not going to be able…
Lord, This thanksgiving, I am grateful for Linda, vows, and a God-given helper! She is truly a gift! I thank you for Adam, Luke and Leah . . . for laughter, joy, energy, and the constant test of my parenting skills. This year You have graciously shown us the Grand Canyon, the St. Louis Arch,…
