Blog
My great uncle several times removed was Daniel Boone the American frontiersman. As the Applegate Wagon Train moved through western Oregon in the winter of 1846 one of the wagons was occupied by his grandson, Alphonso Boone. In the same winter snowstorm that trapped...
Several years ago, I wrote a small book titled, Thoughts to Leave Behind. It was a compilation of small essays I wanted to leave behind for my church staff who would assume the leadership role of our church once I transitioned away from pastoring to a ministry of...
“Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character” (Psalm 105:19). The more impactful the fulfillment of a dream will be the more intense the testing of our character will become as God moves us forward toward a time and place of...
Early one morning an experienced pilot took off on a flight from a small Montana airport with two friends on board to fly across the Rocky Mountains. This ill-fated flight disappeared from the radar screen about ten minutes after departure. The remains of the crash...
Recently, I was driving home from my office to pack for a leader's conference my wife and I planned to attend in California. On the commute home my route takes me through some beautiful farm land and rolling hills. On one long section of road I noticed ahead of me the...
“I will lead you back into old battlefields where you once suffered loss. I will lead you into these places to do a work of restoration and return to you what the enemy has taken. The fear of reentry will flee before us as you and I walk together into these places. My...
Most of us have written something in the margin of a book or a Bible. As we read along we have thoughts and observations that we want to remember. We connect those thoughts and observations with what we are reading by making notes in the margins of the text. There is...
When I was 8 years old I was a Cub Scout. I still have my little blue Cub Scout hat and yellow bandana. Being a Cub Scout was a big deal for me because it was the first time I was able to wear a uniform. Kids with uniforms feel important and big. My mom and dad were...
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." I Corinthians 4:20 It is easy for those of us in the Western Church to be enamored with our technology, our education and our programs. These things are not wrong - they simply can be done without God. The...
When I was a young cop I was taught about crime scene investigation in the Police Academy. We learned about blood evidence. Later, after years of working the streets, I became a detective. When a murder would take place I would arrive at the scene and begin to collect...
When I was a kid growing up in California I lived in the Silicon Valley before there was much silicon. Our street had only six houses on it, all on one side of the road, and in front of our home lay the great adventure land of Mr. Dardanelli's orchard. Behind our back...
Recently, I watched one of those cable shows about modern technology. They described a new breed of missiles. These missiles have the ability to loiter. Up to this point I always thought “loitering” was something that was prohibited. In the small town where I grew up...
I like getting to the bottom-line of things. If I know the bottom-line in a given situation I know where I stand and I know what I am required to do even when life is confusing and seems directionless. Maybe it was all the years I spent as a cop responding to...
When I was a police officer I saw many strange things. My life in law enforcement was many years ago, but the memories still linger. One morning I got a call right out of the station to meet a man who would lead me to the site of a motor vehicle accident located on a...
Several months ago while I was in my study at church a dove landed on the sidewalk just outside my office. I like doves so I got up from my desk and went to the window and spent some time enjoying the bird. The next day the dove showed up again. This went on for the...