seekFirst

CHAC Baptism May 2010

2010-05-26T08:54:00.000-05:00

CHAC Baptism May 2010

Storm - A Prayer Indeed

2010-04-29T11:34:00.001-05:00

Come Together Now - video

2010-02-25T09:08:00.001-06:00

Come Together Now - Music City Unites For Haiti from Provident Label Group on Vimeo.

Gray

2009-12-23T10:54:00.004-06:00

Gray on gray
In the bleak mid-winter.
Low hanging clouds
impenetrably gray
mocking pain in deafness.
More gray
More gray still.

Must Watch Video 4 Great Cause!!!

2009-12-01T08:36:00.001-06:00

I can't stop laughing ...of course, I keep watching it over and over! What Joy is here!!! What an incredible hospital Staff!

Live From My Church - Jared - Sue's Cousin - Incredible CD!!!

2009-09-28T17:53:00.002-05:00

jared's "Inside" - Get this CD!

2009-09-28T17:50:00.002-05:00

An Angel in Queens

2009-08-10T11:01:00.002-05:00

This was filmed in 2007. Today, he serves between 120-130 every day! He was recently featured as Person of the Week by Charles Gibson. You can help him too - go to his site at http://www.anangelinqueens.org/

Repairers of the Breach - Sing!

2009-04-11T22:42:00.000-05:00

Walk On! AMAZING!! Watch this~Be Encouraged!

2009-04-11T19:32:00.000-05:00

Our Grandson Cohen-What a Laugh!!!

2009-04-07T21:33:00.001-05:00

Fargo Flood

2009-03-31T10:47:00.001-05:00

Life. Imagine the Potential

2009-01-23T15:34:00.000-06:00

And Wisconsinites Wonder Why Others Call Us Crazy?

2009-01-02T10:28:00.000-06:00

The Lion Doesn't Sleep During This Song!!!

2008-12-11T13:21:00.000-06:00

Enjoy!

Straight No Chaser - WOW...To Sing like this!!

2008-12-11T13:19:00.001-06:00

These guys are incredible! Merry Christmas, Indeed!

Teach a boy to fish...

2008-11-28T18:02:00.002-06:00

The year was 1967. The fish was a Northern Pike. The boy was standing in his grandma's kitchen. And standing there in the doorway, just behind the boy...his dad.

Of all the things I learned from my dad, I continue to appreciate the truth that he was always there behind me...maybe not seen by others but there nonetheless.

During this Thanksgiving Season, I need to say to someone how thankful I am for my Dad. And how much I miss him, right there, behind me.

2008-11-17T13:16:00.002-06:00

Meet Mike the Plumber!

I did it! I changed the kitchen faucet! It only took about 1.5 hours, and it doesn't leak!!!

Menards and Home Depot were all part of the process, as was Bethany my Home Improvement Assistant Extraordinare'!

I can now be counted in the running for Cutting Water Consumption! It dripped so much we had calls from Amnesty International inquiring about our use of water boarding!!!

The drip is gone! Long live the New Faucet!

A Place to Come Home

2008-11-10T09:34:00.003-06:00

This past year, following my father's death and mom's move into the nursing home, my brother and his family cleared out the blue-grey with rust-red trim house on 19th Avenue, and put it up for sale. I grew up there, learned to ride bike amidst the prickly plum trees, made forts back by the crick, hauled firewood to the basement window, learned to drive a 3-on-the-column stick tranny, sat by the heat registers to eat my breakfast before school, ran from the bus stop into the house while smelling Mom's fresh baked bread and cinnamon rolls, sat by the basement laundry tubs as Dad cut my hair, and learned to ride a snowmobile in the back yard (that was long after I ate some of the cold cream from the jar Tim and Jerry and I found out back by the rock).

It was home. But no longer; without Dad there, without Mom in her familiar kitchen chair...home was gone.

For these past few months, I've felt detached, unanchored; like a ship cut loose, drifting at sea, fumbling for my compass.

And then, I saw the announcement in the JSOnline - Auditions for Acacia Theatre's Fall production. Deep inside, something stirred; something that felt almost ancient, something I'd forgotten or misplaced.

Yesterday, the eight-performance run of Acacia's The God Committee came to a close. We packed up the make-up, put away the platforms and flats, and hauled away the impossibly heavy credenza (they have to make lighter ones, don't they?)

It was, for me, more than nightly rehearsals and line memorization and audience appreciation. It was going back to a place I'd spent so much time, growing up, learning, becoming.

This morning, with muscles aching from set strike, and my mind gently packing away the lines, I've realized something - I've felt something - I've rediscovered something I've missed so much.

I've found home again. Like a warm kitchen with incredibly delicious smells, and a table filled with familiar & brand new loved ones.

"Don't be a stranger!" one person said as I left the theatre last night. Before I could answer, another said, "He won't be...we've got him now."

Inside, I knew I'd come home.

Years later, it's Opening Night once more.

2008-10-30T08:18:00.007-05:00

After many, many years, I have the privilege of acting again. The show is challenging, intense, and full of meaning. I feel strangely alive, as in some lost memory. My age, however, does factor in, as I find myself in need of more rest, while my brain tries to keep up. Friday is opening night. Nervous would be an understatement. How wonderful to work with such a great director and fellow cast members! You've made me feel so welcome.

Thanks, Acacia Theatre, for the opportunity to wrestle with such a play and such a character. I want to believe that I can still do this, but most of all, that it matters to the One Audience Member Who Matters Most.

Washed By The Water

2008-10-21T09:58:00.002-05:00

I love the passion and message of this song! Can't stop listening to it!

CAN

2008-08-27T08:39:00.002-05:00

WOW...WOW...nothing short of WOW!!!!!

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?'.
The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'.
They went on to complete the marathon together.
Father and son went on to join other marathons,
the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going
through the race together.

One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.'
To which, his father said 'Yes' too.
For those who don't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever.
The race encompasses three endurance events of
a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim,
followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and
ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon
along the coast of the Big Island .
Father and son went on to complete the race together.

Now...watch the video!

Now THIS is For Whom the Bell Tolls!!!!

2008-08-26T07:46:00.000-05:00

GO PACK!!

Surprised by Hope - Bishop Tom Wright

2008-07-29T07:38:00.002-05:00

A brief taste of what Wright's powerful book, Surprised by Hope, contains. Well worth a serious consideration, and definitely a solid and must read for all who are interested in heaven.

Vision...it's not about the eyes or I's

2008-07-11T14:52:00.005-05:00

So here she is, in Africa...our daughter who has had a vision and heart for a continent she'd never visited until now.
The temperatures are cold (it's winter there now)
The work is exhausting (up early early...working late into night)
The friendships are growing

The people are nothing short of wonderful!

I miss her, but I'm so proud of her...so happy for her.

My heart is bigger...but will always hurt a little.
I guess that comes with the territory of being a ...
Dad

"Two Ways Out of Hibbing" by Nathan Rogers

2008-06-03T15:16:00.003-05:00

I took neither, but Hibbing was home...a place where my dad worked harder than anyone I've ever met...a place that built character or tore it down...a working town...and, frankly, it was good...it was what I knew...and it will always be a part of who I'm becoming.

Cinderella by SCC

2008-06-01T09:13:00.000-05:00

Maria Chapman & her Dad

2008-06-01T09:01:00.000-05:00

South Africa's Department of Education & Thrive Africa

2008-05-20T08:55:00.003-05:00

WOW! The more I learn about the ministry that Johanna is going to intern with this summer, the more I'm praising God! Please click on the title of this entry and go to Thrive's description of what's happening with AIDS Education in the schools in the nearby villages. The admission by the Department of Education of why the program is working, and where they would like it to go is such a powerful testimony of God's power working through a humble ministry.

I see His Kingdom advancing through ministries just like this!

I wish I could serve there! I'm glad our daughter can go!

Please pray for her safety, for God to use her mightily, and for the necessary funds to come in soon.

Jo & Thrive Africa

2008-04-30T14:59:00.002-05:00

So, God is leading - (and as parents we're finally releasing...and it appears as though He's opening the door for) - Jo to go...
we'll have word of her confirmation status in about a week. And there's more than one opportunity on the table at this point.

Africa - a passion and heartache for her for years.

God, whatever You should make of all this, may it be to Your Glory Alone.

2000 Frames a Second!

2008-04-25T18:43:00.001-05:00

That's some fast shutter speed!

When Failure Stands on Your Heart

2008-04-04T08:17:00.004-05:00

It's Friday, April 4th...and all the juggling I've tried to keep going is collapsing around me. I guess I'm not as good at all this as I let myself think...or others think.

What I'm desperate to fix, I cannot.
What I'm longing to say, I have no words.

Sorry to all of you.

When failure stands on your heart, it's hard to breathe.

ReThinking Mission Trips

2008-03-26T14:46:00.002-05:00

Here's real "food for thought". I've been on a handful of overseas mission trips, and Claudio has it right I think...have a look, take some time....think about it.

Thanks to Randy for directing me to this rethinking.

Jared's New CD - Available Now!

2008-03-15T17:44:00.001-05:00

Name it, Claim it? John Piper names it for what it is!

2008-03-14T20:34:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Brandon for this powerful presentation,
Thanks to John Piper for his clarity and conviction.

My Dad, My Hero

2008-03-06T22:12:00.003-06:00

Today, March 7th, would have been my Dad's 83rd Birthday. The photo above was taken at the celebration of his birthday last year. He smiled that day so big...but then he always did. Whether it was because Red Skelton had done yet another hilarious act, or if my Dad himself had teased someone with such love...Dad's smile lit up the world. Within a few short months, he was gone.

I miss my Dad so very much...I wish we could've gone fishing one more time, that he could've seen his grandchildren grow up, that he could've done just a bit more. And yet, he gave so much in the time he was here. He will forever be my hero, the one man I've looked up to and longed to be like...his love, his care, his focus on others. His commitment that was unwavering; his loyalty unfaltering. In the last years of his life, after I'd moved away from home and had a family of my own, my Dad began to express his love more...with words and hugs, always hugs...big, Dad-sized hugs that I never outgrew. So many times lately, I've wanted to just call him, hear his voice again, see him open the back door of the house, and step out onto the concrete steps, his big hand on the railing, his shoulders so broad that had in these last years become bent over with years of weight that Dad carried...When I think of my Dad now, it's hard to breathe...tears fill my eyes, and I struggle just to get beyond the moment.

Last time we were in Hibbing, we went to the cemetery. The stone marker was there...from the Army, and it was cold...the snow had drifted around the stone, and I just couldn't let it remain...I brushed away what I could...I had to see his name...was it really true? So cold...so hard. We drove by the house, but didn't go in...couldn't. It's not home anymore...my Hero, My Dad is not there, and Mom now lives in the nursing home in Chisholm. It's so hard...when you come to that point when you realize ... home as you once knew it...is gone.

Dad...thanks, for being my Dad, for being my Hero. I miss you.

John needs our prayers

2008-02-20T13:57:00.002-06:00

John R. suffered a massive stroke this past Sunday evening, leaving his left side without feeling. He's currently in NICU at a local hospital, much in need of our prayers. John is one of the most gifted worship leaders and keyboardists I know; a man truly dedicated to his Lord, to his Amy, to his boys Jake and Andrew! At only 41 years of age, John is so young to be hit with this tragedy. Please, please join in praying for John. May God be totally glorified in his healing! I just know that John and Amy and boys will give all the glory to Jesus!

Monday

2008-02-15T14:04:00.000-06:00

This is one of the best!

God Understands

2007-12-30T19:45:00.001-06:00

Thanks Scott for sharing this...

Thanks to Logan for calling in to KSJB 89.3 Radio with wisdom beyond me

You can listen to KSJB at www.ksjb.org

Hmmm...Could this be the one?

2007-12-03T16:35:00.000-06:00

Eleven years ago, I purchased a used snowblower from a dear friend in ministry. The machine had just been gone over by a local repair shop, and was set to go. But now, all these winters later, the tires (hard rubber, not inflated) are worn down to no tread, the motor doesn't want to start, and even when it does, it struggles to move snow at all. I end up huffing and puffing a lot ...almost as much as when I shovel.

So, I've started to look at getting a different snowblower. This one, by Craftsman, has pretty good reviews, has lots of power and features that would make cleaning the driveway a LOT simpler.

But...yeah, I'm not sure purchasing it now.

Need to think more...look more...pray more.

Is Jesus saying something to you this Thanksgiving?

2007-11-21T16:56:00.000-06:00

For our guy El Hadji in Mali...

Thanks to Compassion International & World Vision,

Thanks to You, Jesus.

A Web Master's Phenomenal Artistry Mirrors One Greater

2007-09-20T18:32:00.000-05:00

Just out for a walk with Angel, our Westie. Passing through the neighborhood, midday, checking out the flowers and bushes without a great deal of attention, when there it was...one of the larger spiders I'd seen, just hanging in the sun. I'll bet it was close to 4 inches long including the legs, the body about 1.5 inches or so.

I had to return with the camera; so I walked Angel home and returned with the Nikon, hoping that it hadn't left for some other web. Sure enough, still there, and more than willing to be photographed. I didn't have the macro lens along, but I moved around to the other side of the web and got as close as I could and still have focus....WOW, the colors and beauty of this spider!

Granted, spiders aren't everyone's idea of beauty, but you have to admit, this one is amazing. Yet another example of The Creator's Phenomenal Artistry and Joy in HIs Work!

And so easily I could have walked right by, missing His Handiwork.

I do this more often than I'm willing to admit, with more significant creatures than a spider.

I wonder...how many times have I walked right by others....probably even you, and missed the Creator's Phenomenal Artistry and Joy in Having fashioned YOU?

Not today. Today, I want to proclaim God's Glory for YOU, designed right into YOU!

Yes YOU...You're Phenomenal!

I've Got A PROBLEM...and so do YOU!

2007-09-10T21:53:00.000-05:00

Look...you've got to read this book...Don't let the title give you reason to ignore it...this book is for anyone who ever interacts with any other person. Couples, families, groups, businesses, office staffs...anyone.

A close brother recommended that I read it, so yesterday I went to Barnes and Noble and found a copy, thinking I might get a chance to read it while traveling. I did...like FAST...I read the book on the plane here and encouraged (did I mean to say "ordered"?) him to read it...FAST!!!

I don't even know where to start, but I'm convinced we all have the same problem that is talked about in this little book. And as the writers suggest, we don't even know we have the problem which actually keeps us from getting help! And within one single reading, I'm more than convinced that the problem we all have can only be addressed in the manner the writers of this book prescribes.

HINT: When you and I are prompted to put the needs of another out front, but then fail to act on them, we're betraying ourselves. We begin responding to other persons from inside our box. Ever pretend to be asleep when the baby cries? (Ahh, she'll get up, besides I work early) Or consider filling up gas tank for someone else, but then deciding to just go home and let them do it?

Get the book...please. Read it...FAST!!! (Or SLOW, or MEDIUM, or Read it TWICE!) Just READ it!!

This "box thing" that all of us do...it's hurting everyone...

Sometimes the water

2007-09-09T20:28:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, the water is just not deep enough.

The huge iron ore carriers that sail the Great Lakes are long, narrow giants that plow their way from Duluth/Superior to the eastern steel mill cities. They are weighed down with hundreds of tons of ore, the raw material that is smelted in furnaces of Nebuchadbezzar temperatures. But the danger for those who sail such ships does not lie in the smelting furnaces, but in the cold depths of the Great Lakes on which they sail.

Icy cold, even in the summer months, the water runs deep and dark. The waves roll and toss, and in the late shipping months of November/December, gale force winds have taken way too many ships to the dark depths.

But sometimes, the water is just not deep enough.

When the ships come in for repair, or drift too near the rocky coast line of the North Shore of Lake Superior for example, there is simply not enough water to float the massive carrier. In the latter, the ships run aground, often ripping huge holes in their hulls, taking on water, losing fuel and cargo, and sometimes life. In the former, the ship is brought in on purpose, the water is drained slowly from its berth, leaving the ship's hull exposed to the elements of air and sun, something that parts of the hull have not seen since construction.

At such shallow depths, propellors will only grind away at the sand or rock; rudders are locked in place, frozen not by the cold water, but by its absence. The ship is going nowhere...for awhile anyway.

But while it lies in dry dock, it is being cared for, repaired and refurbished. New iron panels, new rivets, new paint, enhanced electronics, more comfortable crew facilities. The owners who rarely step aboard these beauties, are detemined to see them perform at top speed and with top loads. These ships are made to haul...and then do it again.

Perhaps...right now in my life...the water is just not deep enough because my Owner has determined I'm in need of some refurbishing, some repairs. Such a thought, while only that, is a bit reassuring in this dry dock called now.

A Not-So-Distant Shore Shrouded in Fog

2007-09-02T14:18:00.001-05:00

So much seemed clearer...not so very long ago.

Work

Calling

Relationships

Family

Friends

Love

But that's no longer the case...

The shoreiine that once seemed firm and well defined
has eroded; washed away by an undertow
I did not see coming.

With it came an uncertainty,
a lack of clarity in most everything...I think.
And this fog has crept inland,
swallowing what lies just beyond...what once was seen.

Angry inside, disappointed with so many aspects of life
Aiming angst at those who are closest.

Tired...but cannot sleep
Sinking in expectations...never was very good at swimming.
Disabled by mountains of the undone.

Anxious...but struggling to trust
Fearful of what's to come...
like a child in the night on a fold-up roll away bed
whose closet curtains move too much
when there is no window open.

I know
I know
I know

Like the shore that I know is there,
the knowledge too has been eroding...slowly
Like the fog that my eye sight cannot penetrate,
my soul sight struggles to perceive.

Going Home: Image as spiritual pathway?

The Fog rolls in...

Not all who wander are lost (but some not lost do wander)

If we don't cry out...

2007-08-25T20:02:00.000-05:00

Right there, on the street outside the little church on Delfin Street, was this incredible tree. The closer I got to it, the more amazing it became...It was similar to trees I'd seen before, except for these incredible "blossoms" or petals.... Look at this....this beautiful blossom is about the size of your hand, and the tree was covered with just such beauty...

(Click on the photo for a closer look at this incredible blossom!)

Everywhere...everything is crying out....GLORY, GLORY TO GOD...The Creator of EVERYTHING!

What did YOU see today that invited you to join in the praise?

Did you? Go ahead...do it...Praise!

My Brother Larry

2007-08-21T21:41:00.000-05:00

One year ago today...

I miss him...not because I lived very close to him these last years...in fact, we lived miles apart, my life having taken on the usual twists and turns, moves and changes...his having remained steady, constant in the face of so much change-just the way he liked life. No, I miss him because he profoundly impacted my growing-up years, who I became and who I am today.

Larry loved photographs, phonographs, 8-track tapes, and the boxes that housed them.

He was a collector, a keeper, a horder of all things he could find. Nothing was not good enough to save...and he did so admirably.

He loved processed cheese, regular cheese, and diet soda... usually all three before he went to bed at night...that is, before he went to live at the Range Center. After that, he was placed on a diet...for his weight and his diabetes...and he did so well.

Larry loved Christmas...he'd light up long before anyone's trees or decorations were up, and his worn-out catalogues from JCPenneys or Montgomery Wards and Sears were the usual fare come fall at the DeLong household.

Dad wouldn't put up the tree too early; Larry simply couldn't handle the excitement. But then, just days before the big opening, he'd be there supervising the set up of the tree and wanting to help bring out all the gifts to sort them under the branches.

He'd sit in his worn-down, much-loved recliner next to the tree..half on the edge of his seat...counting and recounting the gifts. His teachers didn't believe he could read...but we knew otherwise...he knew which gifts were his...and he would stack them just a bit closer to his chair each day as we approached Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Eve, when Grandma still lived on 39th Street, Dad would pack us into the old '57 Chevy and take us over to her little house, where Larry and I would sit on the fold out couch/bed, waiting for Grandma to finish wrapping each gift. It was there that I learned to love ribbon candy, and where Larry would wait and wait for all the gifts to come out, signaling to Grandma which ones he thought were his.

Larry wasn't able to speak like the rest of us, but he knew how to communicate...in ways that always amazed me, often frightened me (he did have a temper!) and in ways that reminded me of how limited I was in my own communication...especially in communicating love...something Larry was able to do with a simple smile ... like in the photo above.

Somehow, though all my theological training gives me little information about persons like Larry, I do believe that the Lord has grace and mercy in special measure for persons like my brother.

I know, because God graced me with the special privilege of having many years growing up in a little house in a shared bedroom with Larry, my brother.

In the past 12 months, two very significant men in my life have died...first, Larry - just one year ago today. And second, and somehow I believe in response to or relation to the first, my Dad - just 6 weeks ago.

My life has been so touched by these two people...and is now so empty without them.

Over Our Heads - Way Over!

2007-08-19T17:45:00.000-05:00

An army surrounded our house while we were in Mexico...a heavily armed militia that had been assembled, not so much in the usual way, but through a call that went out via many avenues. And they answered...in droves. This army lay seige upon our house, landing on the roof as their point of entry. They took chainsaws to offending trees, causing the branches to fall and the menace to retreat from the roof.

Ripping, scrapping, shoving...this band of warriors skinned the roof, slicing away layers of old asphalt shingles (in some cases two layers). They found water-logged boards here and there, and ripped them from their moorings. The bricks of the chimney came toppling down, the inner pipe dislodged and heaved from its once glorious heights. The television attenna, no longer connected nor functional, was given flight...as was the rooster weather vane...banished to some more welcoming home.

And then...the army of well-trained if not well-loved and selfless workers...proceeded to rework the roof, to lay down new water and ice shield, new valley tin, new board, new paper and finally most beautifully, new shingles.

Okay...enough dramatics...but can you blame me? Our roof was in such dire straights...rotting away, shingles deteriorating in the 20+ year sunshine and brutal weather of Wisconsin. I knew it needed replacing...but such a task simply wasn't in the budget...nor the time schedule.

Little did I know that while hosting a grad party for our son, the "contractors" of this secret invasion were scoping out the project of love, determined to get this work done on the sly...they had chosen a time when we'd be gone...to Mexico, and had begun to work on all the details. Even a serious motorcycle accident to one of the "founding contractors" couldn't stop the work.

The week before we left, the insurance agent informed me that the company we'd recently switched to for homeowners had decided to cancel our policy because the "roof was in need of replacement" and the "tree branches were touching the roof" unless we replaced it quickly (like in days!!!). That same day, later in the afternoon, our son (in-law) called to break the silence re: the roof and let us know that it was indeed happening.

The roof is spectacular...the army of many unknowns to us worked so beautifully. Sue and I are blown away (not the shingles, they have a strong warranty against wind damage)...we are so thankful for such love and concern. We praise the Lord above who knows all our needs...we know that He is glorified through this invasion.

To all who helped ... in any way and in all ways... we say THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH! You have touched our hearts and lives in ways we cannot begin to explain....know this, that God has used your actions to bring about special healing to our hearts, and your selfless actions have touched more people than any of us may ever know. The story of all this will be retold again and again....You are all loved...Thank You...for your actions are over our heads...your love...and HIS...is WAY OVER OUR HEADS INDEED!

Tluhauc, Mexico: 8/3-13/2007

2007-08-16T09:53:00.000-05:00

A Journey in Faithfulness (not mine, not the team's, but God's Faithfulness) began with a restless night (make that a couple of hours) of attempted sleep at a church in Chicago, followed by an early morning wait for NWA (read "North Worst Airlines) ticket counter folks to arrive. Once checked in and on board, we had an uneventful flight to Detroit, followed by a great cup of CARIBOU COFFEE (available in the Detroit airport...why not O'hare or Mitchell??). Our 3+ hour flight to Mexico City was smooth and relaxing, with a meal served to boot.

Upon arrival, an army of local believers was present to help us with luggage and transportation to the suburb of Tluhuac on the southeastern edge of the largest city in the world. The colors and sights were awesome, the people smiling and friendly, the reception far more than we deserved.

God is faithful...leading others to His Son, providing health and strength to the team, and blessing us with new incredible friendships that we trust will last through eternity.

LESSONS:

"-ish" time is more relaxing and more relationship-focused than North American time

-People with little to give often give more than they have to those of us who have more than we should.

-Futbol (soccer) can be played with the heart when the feet don't know what on earth they're doing.

-"In a Park," like many ideas, can be easily "lost in translation"

-Don't believe the skeptics re: temperature in Mexico in August; children on mission trips; hail storms in worship!

-God knows where the funds come from and where they end up, even when we don't have a clue.

-Seeking God (like seeking a precious jewel - say a diamond from a wedding ring?) - to give up I'd be a fool.

-Children are more apt to continue seeking long after adults have given up.

-I am, way too often, a fool.

-Preaching through an interpreter leaves all results to His Holy Spirit - Gloria Dios!

-God's gifting is to be used for His glory...and must be...even after the world seems to steal it from you.

-I miss the pulpit; I love cross-cultural ministry; I feel God's pleasure when I am about both.

-My wife Sue is my best friend and partner in all the world...I love her so very much and serving God with her is the VERY BEST.