Last weekend I spoke to about 200 teens at Camp Barakel. Among them was a large group of young people from Grace Church in Granger, Indiana, where our son Kyle is the Youth Pastor. It was a perfect winter weekend.
There is really no way to describe the fellowship, the birds outside the dining hall, the purity of the white snow, the sun rising over the frozen lake, the trees dusted with snow, the laughter of the campers, the fragrance of wood smoke hanging in the air, the warmth of …

Check out the Tebow Family Website
This has been my most popular blog post ever Our family has great admiration for the Tebow family and how they have devoted their lives to the honor of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We used the same home-education program to train our families so we have followed Tim Tebow and his family with great interest. Since you surfed in I hope you will take a few minutes to check out some of my writing while you are here. There are over 1000 original …

This weekend Lois and I flew to Texas for a wedding. I officiated and Lois photographed the whole beautiful affair. It was a Christ-honoring wedding held at a lovely country estate about an hour outside of Houston. We stayed in a huge house set back almost a mile from the road. I had some time on the porch to drink in the wonderful quietness before the flourish of wedding activity began.
The couple, Jorge and Alisa were young people we met on a missions trip to Mexico. Alisa is from …

Classic Re-post from 2005
Here is an interesting quote from J. H. Jowett’s Yale Lectures on Preaching, “The Preacher, His Life and Work.” I read this Saturday night while preparing my heart for the pulpit: Andrew Bonar wrote in his journal… “By the grace of God and the strength of His Holy Spirit I desire to lay down the rule not to speak to man until I have spoken to God: not to do anything with my hand until I have been upon my knees: not to read …

Classic re-post from 2002
If you know me you know I like to tell happy stories about good things. I like to tell stories of love and goodness. I make excuses for celebrations every day. I like to point others to God’s good gifts all around them. I find this especially easy to do when spring overcomes winter and when summer turns to autumn. Evidence of God’s goodness abounds in autumn. But sometimes even in the autumn heartache silences laughter and tears drown …

Read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. It is the true story of Louis Zamperini. It is a page-turner with an amazing plot-twist toward the end. She is a very gifted storyteller.
I found it interesting to notice that Laura Hillenbrad was once a student at Kenyan College in Gambier, Ohio near where we ministered for ten years.

Re-posted from September 2005.

Last week Lois and I took our girls to Mackinac Island for a mini-vacation. They had never been on the island before and I promised them that someday I would take them. Tuesday was “someday.” It was perfect weather to enjoy the island.
From the balcony of the Inn where we stayed a big waning moon rose over the harbor. Hope and I took a moon-walk, the most beautiful I have ever taken. We walked out to the eastern shore of …

When God’s people have something to celebrate
When they are crushed beneath the weight of sorrow
When they are struggling up the dark backside of a question-mark
When they are burdened with guilt or shame
When they are too weary to take another step
When they feel unloved or lonely
…there is a place
Where believers celebrate together
Where the body of Christ shares the weight of sorrow
Where questions are considered in the bright light of God’s truth
Where burdens of guilt and shame are lifted
Where weak and weary ones are strengthened for another week
Where those who feel lonely …

I’m closing out a couple sweet days of ministry in Texas this evening. The Duggar Family was here, Tom Harmon, Rick Grubbs and Don Richardson.
The sun is setting. The trees are in full green leaf and the Wood Thrush is ringing evening vespers. A train whistle blows in the distance. It is balmy, cool. Gentle air stirs the breeze. The Dogwoods here have already flowered.
I made some new friends like Dave Stelzl and renewed fellowship with some dear friends. We left some of them tonight with joyful, grateful …

About to go to bed at the end of a difficult day I did not want my spirit clouded by darkeness so I wrote out this prayer:
“God of Heaven; Make me mighty in spirit so I can inspire others to be mighty in spirit. I would like the gift of a robust spiritual appetite so I will grow into a man with a big, healthy soul. Never allow me to descend to flounder in the foul swamp of pettiness. Help me see beyond the sinfulness of …