F.O.M.O. It’s a real thing. It stands for Fear Of Missing Out. According to Wikipedia, it is “the feeling of apprehension that one is either not in the know about or missing out on information, events, experiences, or life decisions that could make one’s life better.” In a world with constant activities, the latest fashions ..read more

When you film video for as long as I have, you notice a certain mindset as you film. You begin to see the camera as some sort of reality barrier; in that you feel like you’re not a part of what’s happening in front of the lens. The job is to observe and capture moments ..read more

I was in the car with my kids and there was a crazy driver – you know the kind – that speed around you and cut you off, just missing you by inches. My initial reaction was, “You idiot!” but as soon as that came out of my mouth, the Holy Spirit filled me with conviction. First, I shouldn’t have said that in front of my kids – what kind of example am I being? Second, I shouldn’t judge as I do not know what that person is going through. And third, it’s just not nice to call people names. James 1:19 came to mind “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” So, I to ..read more

Most people do their yearly reflections in January.  Which makes sense, right?  A new year is starting.  A new slate to begin new habits.  A time to reflect on what went well over the last year and what didn’t.  I’ve never been one to do the whole new year’s resolution thing.  It feels like most of them don’t last longer than a month anyways.  However, the new year hit me a little harder this year for some reason.  I couldn’t quite pinpoint why at the time though.  It just felt different.  As the months flew by, as they seem to do as you get ol ..read more

“But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear in them, nor be troubled but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as Holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” 1 Peter 3:14-15,18. What hope do I have in Christ? What hope do we have in Christ? What hope do we have when doctors’ appo ..read more

When I was a kid, I loved Christmas and tolerated Easter. To this child, Christmas was about presents, good food, and most importantly, several days off school. Easter on the other hand was about getting dressed up in uncomfortable clothes and having to pose for lots of pictures with my family in those uncomfortable clothes. There wasn’t much comparison between these two major holidays, one was a dream come true for all my childhood indulgences and the other paled by comparison. Growing up, and more importantly, growing in a relationship with Christ, has changed my perspective. I’m not sure th ..read more

Have you ever showed up to worship on a Sunday and been so distracted you found that by the time worship services ended you wondered if it was even worth attending because you were so distracted? Most of us have been there. Unfortunately, our society and culture have high demands on our time and we could live in a distracted state of mind for decades before addressing it if we are not careful. Therefore, I want to share a few thoughts with you. Things that I know will help you to worship in a way that will bring you life and help you to give to the LORD and receive from the LORD during worship ..read more

A few years ago, when we were walking through the book of Genesis during a sermon series, we studied how Abraham would pause to build altars and remember all that God had done in the past. Throughout Scripture, we see a pattern of the Israelites recounting the awe-inspiring miracles that God performed for them time and time again. Throughout that series, I began to realize the importance of pausing to recount all that God has done for me, because I realized that I often prayed for things but rarely returned to thank God or even remember how He answered that prayer only a few days later. In our ..read more

As you are looking ahead to all that this new year may hold for you, I’d like to issue a simple challenge. Read an old Christian book this year. I suppose I should challenge you to read two old Christian books this year. Certainly, your soul would benefit from regular encounters with God’s Word – a two- to four-thousand-year-old book. But in addition to a regular diet of Scripture, read an old Christian book this year. We live in a culture that highly values novelty. Whether it’s cars, appliances, homes, phones, or even apps on our phones the message tends to be the same: newer is generally be ..read more

Have you ever felt like your prayers are not being answered? Like, “What’s the use? Nothing is changing?” Those were the thoughts of the missionary couple who wrote a baby congratulations card and prayer to my parents when I was born. My father was 18 years old, and my mom was 25 when I was born. He was a member of the Spirit Lake Sioux Nation on the Ft. Totten Indian Reservation in North Dakota. Mom was the grandchild of Norwegian immigrants whose family homesteaded on the reservation in the early 1900s and I am the 6th generation to have lived there.  “Now it is my prayer that you will ..read more