for.what.its.worth

landed

2010-11-04T16:33:00.001-05:00

Landed in LA! Good to be back, now just have to get home.

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Taipei

2010-11-01T08:31:00.001-05:00

Somehow I lost a huge post I had typed about Taipei. Sorry.
The city is amazing. There are some very cool things happening here. It isn't your typical mission location, but God is doing some great things and there is great opportunity for ministry.
There is a great team here on the ground. They are all in their 20s and are ministering to those in their 20s.
Can't wait to share more when I get back. Now I an headed back out into the city. Thank you so much for your prayers. This has been a great trip, and we are not done yet.

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2nd night in the same bed

2010-10-30T09:40:00.001-05:00

Tonight will be the second night in the same bed. That hasn't happened yet. This has been a whirlwind trip, but it has been so good. We've really seen a lot!
Today we went to the weekend market, which was great! It is the biggest market that I have ever seen!

We were also able toeet with a few of the missionaries includig the regional and field director. These people love what they are doing and are passionate about reaching the lost.

Probably the most impactfull thing we have seen so far this trip wasthe slum we visited this afternoon. I have attached a picture. To try and explain what we saw simply is not possible. To utter poverty and lack of hope was simply heart breaking. I will not soon forget that walk through the slum neighborhood.

To end the night we ate at a very nice Thai food place. Not exactly sure what it all was, but it was fantastic.

Tomorrow we'll got to church, then head to the airport to jump on a flight to Taiwan. This trip is flying by. With each country I wonder what we will see. And each time, God continues to exceed anything I could have imagined.

It's time for bed. I think I am finally adjusting to the time change. Tomorrow we go from 12 to 13 hours difference.

I'll update again when I get to Taiwan.

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we made it to Bangkok

2010-10-29T03:33:00.003-05:00

We made it to te guest house in Bangkok. We'll be headed out soon to find dinner. I'll try and post more tonight before bed.
Cambodia was amazing! I am looking forward to the next 2 countries.

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we made it to Bangkok

2010-10-29T03:33:00.001-05:00

We made it to te guest house in Bangkok. We'll be headed out soon to find dinner. I'll try and post more tonight before bed.
Cambodia was amazing! I am looking forward to the next 2 countries.

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temples

2010-10-29T03:29:00.001-05:00

We toured a few old temples today. Wow, they were amazing. They we in Ankor Wat. It is where tomb raider was filmed. The history there was crazy!
We then made our way to meet with more international workers. What they are doing in this city is amazing. This city is a boarder city and many young people end up here hoping to cross into Thailand and find prosperity. There is almost no sense of family here. The church is trying to help these young people. Their dedication and love for these people is admirable.
The food was amazing as well! Best food we've had so far. It was also great to spend time with 3 of the missionary families. The kids were great!
I am looking forward to the rest of the trip, today is the last day of Cambodia. We are headed into Thailand now. And, we get to meet up with Ben, the lost passport guy :)
That's all for now. This post was written on Thursday the 28th.

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quick check in

2010-10-27T20:58:00.001-05:00

Just checking in. Headed out for the day. Don't know when I will have internet again. Could be a few days.
We are having a great time. A really poor area today. Eye opening.

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floating school

2010-10-27T07:54:00.001-05:00

Today we met some of the missionaries and visited the floating school. Amazing!

We then took a 6 hour bus ride through the country to our new location. Just checked in the hotel and ready for supper.

Might post more later. Need to share the internet.

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jet lag

2010-10-26T18:13:00.001-05:00

Well, the sun just came up and I am wide awake. I was able to sleep for a solid 4 hrs tonight. I hear we have a long bus ride this after noon that I am hoping gives me an opportunity to catch a nap.
Hopefully these posts will become a bit more coherent soon. Sorry about that.

Here is an update:
Our flights were long, but good. We've watched far to many movies, and I have played over 100 holes of golf on the little video game (each seat has a personal video screen for movies, games and more)
Our friend Ben, who lost his passport, is now in Korea waiting for a flight to meet up with us. I really feel bad for him. He has spent a lot of time sitting in airports so far this trip. We are looking forward to him joining us and finally being able to enjoy the trip. Please pray that the trip will not be over shadowed by these difficulties for him. I know he must be frustrated.
Today we head to start visiting some of the alliance missions and missionaries. I am excited to see and learn about what is happening here.

It is hot and humid! Last night when we arrived, it was 85 and crazy humid. Weather report for today is more of the same. 90 percent humidity. My hair is going to be so curly!

I can't promise I'll have internet the next few nights. Don't worry, no new posts does not mean anything is wrong. I will at least give a quick update whenever I get internet.
I can actually write posts, and save them to my phone. So when I get a signal, I will post what I've written. Remember though, I am not posting everything we see and experience. I gotta have some stories to tell when I get back.;)

Time for a great day! I'll post again soon.

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we have arrived in Cambodia!

2010-10-26T12:59:00.001-05:00

We are here. After nearly 30 hrs of Travel we have arrived. Some have slept the whole way, others just an hour or two. Me... somewhere in the middle.
The flights have been good. Our transfer in Korea consisted of deboarding. Going through security, and reboardong. It took less than 15 minutes.
The food has been ok. Rice and beef, chicken and rice, and some other thing have been served. It is a great airline! Even we go en slippers for the long flight.

We are very tired and looking forward to sleep, which may or may not come ;)

Thank you all for praying. We look forward to what is on store for us tomorrow and in the coming days. We are hopeful that we will soon here that Ben is not far behind us. Last we were able to hear from him, we were in LA and he was on Chicago hopeful of a midnight flight.

That is all I have for now. Thanks for following along.

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on the plane

2010-10-25T14:59:00.001-05:00

Just got on the plane. Headed to Korea. Last update till after we get settled. We all have passports, one of the guys is still in Chicago but has passport and will meet us in Cambodia.
Thanks for your prayers. It's going to be great! Just a lot of sitting before we get there.

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ready to fly

2010-10-25T08:17:00.001-05:00

We are currently sitting in Chicago waiting to head one of our guys lost his passport, so he is somewhere in Chicago trying to get a new one. We are hoping we will see him once we get to Asia.
Other than that, nothing else is new. A lot of sitting is in our future.
Check it out, they gave us the alliance plane. Actually, its not our plane, but it was at our gate.

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a bit of our schedule.

2010-10-20T13:45:00.000-05:00

Remember all times are "local," so once we land in Cambodia, you'll have to add 12 hours.

Oct. 25 at 9:03am depart Chicago

Oct. 26 – 10:55pm land in Phnom Penh

Oct. 27- Visit floating schools/New Jerusalem Church ESL ministry in am, bus for Angkor Wat in pm

Oct. 28- Angkor Wat and depart for Poipet in evening

Oct. 29- Poipet/No man’s land and depart for Bangkok

Oct. 30- Bangkok Weekend market (amazing!), Siam Square tour ministry, Slum ministry, 

Oct. 31- International Church and fly to Taipei

Nov. 1- Ximen Ministry tour in Taipei

Nov. 2- Tour of Taipei and more Ximen

Nov. 3- Free day in Taiwan

Prayer Card

2010-10-20T13:08:00.001-05:00

Want a reminder to be praying for us as we are on our trip? Just print out this picture and put it in a place that you will see it often. As you notice it, remember to pray for us...

crunch time...

2010-10-19T22:48:00.001-05:00

Time is ticking and I am feeling the crunch. So much to do to get ready for this trip. Tonight I am feeling overwhelmed. I thought I would leave a few prayer requests here so you can be praying as we prepare for the trio.
1. Pray for the prep work - all of us are leaving our student ministries for 2 weeks. There us a lot of prep work to get done. Thankfully I am leaving our ministry in great hands.
2. Pray for good family time. We are all also leaving behind families. We want to maximize the family time before we leave.
3. Pray that God would be preparing our hearts now for what we will see and experience while we are gone.

Thanks for praying. I'd love to hear back from you all. Comment and let me know you are reading. I am excited you'll be following along with us!

Ps... sorry in advance for any typos. This is my first post from my cell phone (how I will be updating on the trip) sometimes the auto correct adds some weird words.

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Living with Hope?

2010-10-14T16:16:00.000-05:00

Caden has just discovered the joy of looking through the Fleet Farm toy catalog (no thanks to his grandma! :)) He cracks me up! Everything that he see, he wants! "Daddy, can I have this now?" It reminds me of when I was growing up, looking through the toy catalog. I'd circle the things that I wanted, which ended up to be about everything.
Remember when you'd find something that you really wanted? If you were like me, I'd tear it out of the catalog and keep it with me. Maybe you taped it to your wall, or above your bed. Maybe you kept it in your pocket, of had it in your locker at school. Whatever the case, you would keep looking at it, waiting for the day that it would finally be yours!
Maybe, you really got excited and you prepared to receive it. You know what I am talking about... you cleared room for it in your bedroom, you got rid of other things to make room, etc. You get the pitcure.

In Romans 8:24-25 Paul tells us we should be looking forward to, and anticipating our eternity with Christ the same way. We must live with the HOPE that we are given through Jesus Christ. If you read in the verses before, it talks about the FUTURE GLORY that will be ours.

* Do you have this HOPE of FUTURE GLORY that is described in these verses?
* Do you look forward to this FUTURE GLORY with anticipation? Fear?
* How can we live with this HOPE when things are so bleak?

Remember the HOPE that is described in these verses isn't the same hope that you have in wishing you would receive the latest and greatest gift. As Christians, it isn't IF we will receive the gift, we know we will... Its the HOPE that we have for that day. We aren't hoping FOR the gift... we live with hope BECAUSE of the gift.

What have you been learning from the Bible today? This week? Share it!

PAID IN FULL

2010-08-26T14:37:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to post that my trip has been paid for in full! My plan tickets have been purchased and I am ready to go! I cannot begin to say thank you to all of you who have supported as I raised funds for the trip. I am blown away at the response that I received! Donations from $2.00 to much larger have been a constant in our mailbox. I am so thankful for my friends and family that have been so supportive of me.
From the very beginning, the cost of the trip was the biggest obstetrical. How could I pay for this trip on my own? Could Kate and I really afford to do this? The more I thought and prayed about this trip, the more that I knew that it was something that God was leading me to. The fact that my trip is now paid in full is another testimony of God providing! Before I left on vacation, I was $450.00 short on my funds. As I walked out of church on Sunday morning, I was $10.00 short! Thanks to those who helped support me. My prayer is that God would bless you as you have blessed me!
Now that the trip is paid for, the reality of the trip is starting to set in. I cannot believe that in just under 60 days, I'll be headed to Asia! Looks like I better start getting things in order. I am already excited about what God will do in and through this trip. I know that it is going to be an eye opening experience for our team! I am also anticipating that God is going to use it in huge ways in our student's lives as well.
Thanks for your support of my trip to this point. If you would like to be praying for the team and I, here are some specific ways that you can be praying:
1. Not everyone is fully funded. Please pray for funds to come in for the other teammembers
2. Pray that God would be preparing us for our time in SE Asia.
3. Each of us are leaving behind family and ministries. Please pray for our families. Please also pray for our ministries. Us being gone, means other leaders need to step in and take over for us. Please pray that God would prepare those leaders.

Thanks for your support!

Strange Facts about South East Asia

2010-08-10T10:18:00.000-05:00

There are just 75 more days till I head off to South East Asia with some of the coolest people in the world, or at least Wisconsin. As money continues to come in from my generous facebook, twitter and real life friends and family, this trip is becoming more and more of a reality!

This morning I was searching around the internet to find some fun facts about South East Asia. I am sure that I will be sharing more of them on the blog in the days to come, but for today I thought I would share this little gem. Looks like I'll need to pack a helmet.

Fun Facts About Thailand:

There is a saying in Thailand that you don't have to worry about falling coconuts because coconuts have eyes. Since more people get killed by falling coconuts than sharks each year, they obviously don't worry about sharks either!

There you have it... Looks like I need to learn to walk with my head up looking for falling coconuts! Time to start practicing!

Until next time...

Help put me at 100%

2010-08-02T22:45:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! THANK YOU THANK YOU for those who have supported me on this trip to SE Asia! Whether you sent a check for 2.00 or much larger, I am so thankful that you are a part of this trip, and a part of my team! If you have already given, THANK YOU!
If you haven't, I'd love to have you join my team! If somehow I could get every one of my facebook friends to give just 2 dollars I would reach my 100% goal! I have already raised over 2/3 of my needed funds! Would you consider being a part of my support team?
You can mail any donation to
Chris Folkestad
609 E. Louisiana Street
St. Croix Falls, WI 54024
or if you live in the area, you can just get it to me in person.

Whether you give or not, I'd love for you to be a part of my prayer team. I am currently putting together an email list so that I can keep those who are wanting to pray up to date with current prayer requests. Please email me if you'd like to be included on the list. Chris(at)stcroixalliance.com

Thanks again! Hope to hear from each of you soon!

Chris

Why I'm excited for SE Asia

2010-07-28T09:38:00.000-05:00

I am excited for my upcoming trip to South East Asia! I've been thinking a lot about this trip over the last week and a half. There are many things that I am excited for, some that I am nervous about and still more things that I just don't know. Traveling to a part of the world that I've never been to, and honestly, don't know a whole lot about is an interesting adventure.
I thought I would post a few of the things that are on my mind right now concerning the trip.

Things I am excited about
1. I am excited about our team. I would be exited about spending any amount of time with these guys doing just about anything... but the fact that we will be traveling across the globe and visiting different mission fields is going to be amazing. As we spend time in Thailand, Taiwan and Cambodia, we'll be spending time meeting and praying for the people we meet. We'll also be talking about how our students can connect with some of these people. I am so excited about spending time with our team!
2. I am excited about being able to meet and encourage the Alliance missionaries that are working in the 3 countries that we will be visiting. It's great to have missionaries in our churches sharing about what they are doing overseas, but I am really excited to be visiting THEM and seeing first hand their ministry. This will be my first trip to an Alliance mission field, and I am very excited!
3. I am excited about what God is going to teach myself and our team! I know that every mission trip I have been on, whether it was in North Dakota or Africa, God has taught me about who He is, and what is important to Him. In fact, I wrote a blog post a while back about the different things God has taught me through different mission trips. you can read it here.
4. I am excited to experience a new culture. Our concept of the world is so small. I am excited to see a different part of the world.
Things I am nervous about
1. I am nervous about being away from my family. Its not the time that I will be away, its more the distance. I know that this was the hardest part of going to Africa a few years ago. When I went to Africa I left my pregnant wife at home for almost 3 weeks! That would tough, but I have to be honest, I think that leaving her with 2 kids will be even more difficult. I know that I will be fine, I know that they will be fine, but its going to be difficult to leave them behind. I am excited for a trip that Kate can come overseas with me, and some day, when Caden and Avery can come with us too!
2. I am nervous about the food. It's no secret that I love food. However, I don't love all food. Especially sea food. I am interested to see what kind of food I will be eating while away. I have heard horror stories, and don't want to have any of them to post about on the blog...
3. I am nervous about what we might see. I know that not everything that we are going to see is going to be good. We'll be seeing some things that are going to stick with us for a long time. How do you prepare for what you might see when you don't really know what it will be? I am not sure...

Thanks for processing with me! I am very excited about this trip. I believe that it will not only have a huge impact on my life, and the lives of our team members, but also on our ministries back at home. Our whole purpose of this trip is to come back and be able to better emphasis missions with our students. Specifically, to choose a Field Of Focus for our district student ministries. Eventually leading to a trip back with students to one of the countries.

If you'd like to support me on this trip, I would love it! I need prayer support. Would you consider praying for me as I prepare for this trip as well as while we are over there? If so, please send me an email or comment on this post and let me know. I want to be able to have a list of prayer people so I can keep you up to date with current prayer requests.
Also, if you'd like to support me financially, I would appreciate it. I am raising my own support for this trip. You can read about how you can support me here. Thanks in advance for your support!

All for now...

Help Send me to Asia!

2010-07-21T11:09:00.000-05:00

Hey Blogging and Facebook friends!

In October I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel to South East Asia (Taiwan, Thailand and Cambodia) with a group of youth pastors from Wisconsin. I am very excited for this opportunity to see what God is doing on the other side of the world.

Why am I writing a post about a trip that will not happen till October? Because I need your help! are you willing to help me get to SE Asia (and back)? If all of my facebook friends donated 2.00 to my trip, I would have raise more than half of my trips cost.

Do you want to help? If you do, I would love to talk with you more about my trip! The great thing is that every little bit helps. I would love to be able to count you as part of my support team. Here are my promises to you:

1. Any money that you give will go towards the cost of my trip
2. Any excess money that comes I will donate to needs I see while in the 3 Countries
3. I will keep this blog undated with information about the trip before, during and after the travel dates.

I'd love to talk with you more about this trip! Let me know if you have questions!

I don't expect everyone to give, but if you'd like to, it can be sent to

Chris Folkestad
609 E Louisiana Street
St. Croix Falls, WI 54024

**donations for this trip are not tax deductible due to IRS rules and regulations*

New Post?

2010-06-28T23:19:00.001-05:00

I'd love to post something fun or creative here... maybe sometime I will find time to do so....

Harvest in May?

2010-05-20T13:42:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I had lunch outside. It was just too nice to be sitting in our house! I sat down on a picnic table in downtown St. Croix Falls. What an amazing day! Bright sunshine and everything is green. I really seems like summer is here!
As I sat there today, I brought along my Bible. This week I challenged a student I am meeting with to read the book of John. I decided that since I told him to, I should take another trip through the book as well. So I pulled out my Bible and started reading.
I love the book of John because it is all about the person and life of Jesus! I love that it is so easily understood and so clearly describes who Jesus is, and what is needed to have a relationship with him. It seems like each time I read through it, I am reminded of something different. If you haven't read through the book of John lately, I would encourage you to do it! I promise you will learn something as you do!
As I read through John 4 today, I was reminded of one of those simple truths. You know, the ones that you hear in Sunday School as a little child, then again in youth group, and then again during Sunday mornings from your pastor... The ones that you know are true, but sometimes you never really stop to think about what they might mean to actually put them into practice.
These verses jumped off the pages for me this morning:

34 Then Jesus explained: "My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.35 You know the saying, `Four months between planting and harvest.' But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripes for harvest.36 The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!37 You know the saying, `One plants and another harvests.' And it's true.38 I sent you to harvest where you didn't plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest."

I'm no farmer (but I did marry one) but I know that May is not the month for harvest. I also know that as I sat at the picnic table in downtown St. Croix Falls, I realized that I was smack in the middle of the field that God has placed me. The people, the culture, the youth and the city are ready for harvest! God has placed me where he has, not just so that I could work in the 4 walls of a church building, but so that I could be a part of the harvest of this field. This ins't anything earth shattering to me. But reading these verses while sitting in the middle of the "field" was powerful for me today!
In verse 36 it says, "What Joy Awaits both the planter and the harvester." I am excited to experience that Joy! My prayer is that I would be a part of the planting and a part of the harvesting in this Valley! Where has God placed you? Do you see the harvest around you? Are you a part of the planting? Are you experiencing the Joy of seeing the rewards of the hard work?
Would you do me a favor? Take your Bible, go into the middle of your town and sit down and read John 4:34-38. Maybe you need to drive your car to downtown and park and read these verses, maybe you can go to a park or a coffee shop, but find a way to get out of your normal surroundings and read these verses. After you have read them a couple times, take time to pray. Ask God to show you the harvest. Ask him to give you the boldness to plant seeds, and ask him to kick you our of your comfort zone and get start being purposeful about sharing your faith in Christ with the people around you.
This isn't a message to pastors. It is a message to believers.

PLEASE, if you read this post, do what I am asking. Then come back here and share how it went for you. It's only May, but the harvest is here!

(thanks to Yetta Olmstead for the photo of "my field.")

Olympic Cake

2010-02-17T10:33:00.000-06:00

There are times I open my mouth and speak before thinking. This may come as a surprise to some of you, but it is true. I know, I know, you are shocked. ANYWAY, I told the small group that Katie and I attend each Tuesday night that I would make a cake for dessert last night. I had many grand thoughts and ideas, but I settled on a more simple cake since I didn't have a whole lot of time, or ambition.
I decided on an Olympic theme with lots of color. Here are a few pictures.

Above: a picture of the top of the Cake. Its the Olympic guy.

Above: a picture of the "rainbow" layers. Everyone was rather impressed with my layering skills :) Used the colors from the dude on top to also color the cake. 6 layers and it didn't even lean that bad!

A special thanks to Amanda from our church. She is the cake/cookie queen! I used her recipe for the rainbow cake. Her stuff is amazing! Check out her blog here.

My Mission Experiences

2009-12-30T14:56:00.000-06:00

I am sitting here in my office thinking over the different mission experiences I have had in my life. I was raised in, and now work in a denomination with "missionary" in its name and DNA. (Christian and Missionary Alliance). Missions has always been close to my heart. So the opportunities that I have had to go on different mission experiences, and even lead these experiences, have been amazing for me!

I know that each person who follows Christ is called to be a missionary. Where and how we do that varies vastly. For some, it is a lifetime commitment to move their families to other countries to serve God. For others, it is to be an example and witness for Christ in their workplace and neighborhoods. Neither is more important, both are needed! I have had the opportunity to serve Christ here in my neighborhood as well as in other countries. Here are some of the mission experiences I have had.

Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation - Dunseith, ND - Turtle Mountain Alliance Church
When I was in Junior High, I was able to go on my first mission trip to Dunseith, ND. My first youth pastor, Mike Palkie, led this trip. Our main purpose for this trip was to do clown and puppet ministry for the Children at the church and in the neighborhood. It was a great stretching opportunity for me, and the rest of the team.
On this trip is where I first learned that things doing usually go as planned when you go on a mission trip. We had so many problems on this trip! We had the trailer separate from the van and crash into the ditch (breaking our puppet stage before our first show, damaging the sound equipment and scattering puppets throughout the ditch. So there we are, in our clown outfits walking through the ditch picking up puppets. It was so strange, that one truck pulled up and said the man inside said "I am headed home from the bar and I had to come back and make sure I really did see clowns in the ditch." yeah.... that's my strongest memory haha) we also had a boat break down on a HUGE lake. Ask Mike Palkie about the trip, and he might start twitching.
It was a great trip though. It was were I first saw the importance of missions. It is also interesting that I am now friends with the youth pastor at the church. God is still working there!

Piedras Negras, Mexico - Repairers of Broken Walls
The summer I graduated from high school, I was able to go on another mission trip. This time, I got to leave the country! Even if it was just a few miles across the boarder. My second youth pastor, Matt Drietz, was our leader for this trip. We teamed up with Repairers of Broken Walls for this trip. RBW is a mission organization who helps churches go on short term trips. It was the beginning of a great relationship between myself and Carol and Enrique Acosta (RBW Missions).
On this trip, I experienced HEAT! I remember working hard in the extreme heat! I remember mixing cement by hand, and putting in a decorative driveway at the mission we were staying at. I remember attending a church service that was conducted in a different language for the first time. This trip opened my eyes to the rest of the world. I saw poverty in ways I didn't even really know existed.
We did service projects at the mission, visited an orphanage, and hosted a Vacation Bible School. We were able to see young people give their life to Christ through our time there. I remember coming away from this trip thinking, THIS WILL NOT BY MY LAST MISSION TRIP. Thankfully it wasn't!

Sabinas Hidalgo, Mexico - Orphanage - (version 1)

After graduating from Crown College, and becoming the youth pastor at Sebeka and Menahga United Methodist Churches, I was able to team up again with RBW to lead a trip to an orphanage in Mexico. This was exciting for me because I got to work again with RBW and because instead of being a student on a mission trip, I was now the youth pastor bringing students along!
On this trip we worked at the orphanage, visited churches, and hosted a VBS. Again, we were able to see young people come to Christ through our work there. We were also able to help the orphanage as they were just beginning. We painted and did whatever other work was needed around the orphanage.
My favorite memory of this trip was seeing our students grow closer to God through their service. These students saw more of the world that they had ever seen before. For some, it was like a light bulb went off in their head. I will never forget the trip we took to hand out clothing in a poor neighborhood. We had car troubles and things didn't go as planned (all part of the mission experience). That night when we were debriefing, one student said "All I wanted to do was run out and give the people clothes, but then I realized, if we don't give them Jesus too, they are no better off then before we gave them clothes." Still one of my favorite mission trip moments.
I also was able to see our students come up with $500.00 to give to a church that was wanting to build a new building! That 500 bucks came from their extra money that they had with them. AMAZING! We came back to church, told our congregation about the need, they responded with almost $1000.00 to help build a new church! It was amazing! All spearheaded not by me, but my the students!

Tanzania, Africa -
I have always wanted to go to Africa for a mission trip. I don't know if it was because growing up, my aunt and uncle were missionaries there, or because we always here about Africa when talking about missions. Whatever the case, I have always had a desire to go there.
So when the opportunity came for me to go, I TOOK IT! It was different from any other mission trip I have ever been on. I went with two older ladies from the church I was working in. Our purpose for going was to work with an organization who put in water wells and taught hygiene and sanitation. We were able to provide clean water while talking about the LIVING water! It was a great experience. I was also able to preach in one of the churches that we visited (through an interpreter). I was able to assist in repairing wells, as well as work at the beginning of a new well project for a Masai Tribe. I was able to go on a safari and see animals I had only seen in zoos and books. I was able to talk with a group of young seminary students about the importance of youth ministry, and give them a few resources (donated by Simply Youth Ministry). This was a great trip!
The thing that I walked away with from this trip was one though. In Africa (and I am sure, in other parts of the world) people are Christians because they need it to survive, but in America we are Christian because we don't want to go to Hell when we die. I realized that my faith was small...

Sabinas Hidalgo, Mexico - Orphanage - (version 2)
Fast forward a few years from the last trip to Sabinas Hidalgo, Mexico. I am now the youth pastor at Alliance Church of the Valley. I again was able to team up with RBW to go back to Sabinas, this time leading different students, from a different church, even a different state! It was great to be able to go back and see how God has been working in the orphanage.
The orphanage was almost 3 times larger! It was so great to see more young people living there! We were able to help with painting, and other projects around the grounds. The orphanage facilities are much better now!
We again were able to host a VBS and again see young people come to know Christ. One little girl in particular was amazing. She was visiting her grandmother and happened to come to VBS. She was actually from Texas. We were able to talk with her in English! So cool! We traveled all the way to Mexico to share the Gospel with a young person in English.
My favorite moment of this trip was the night before we left. We got in a circle and prayed for the children and workers of the orphanage. As we were praying, it was amazing to our students with tears in their eyes as they prayed for these children. Their hearts were breaking for them!
It was also amazing to go back to that church that needed money to build a new church building (so they could stop meeting in the pastor's home). The Church is now built! In fact, the pastor remembered me, and thanked me fore the gift the students made, as well as the $1000.00 the church raised! I didn't remember what the totals were, but he did. So cool!
Another GREAT EXPERIENCE!

I could write many blog posts on each of these trips (in fact, this blog started because of the Africa trip. If you go back in the archives you can read my blog posts from Africa. Each of them has changed my life to some degree. Each of them taught me something different and new about who I am, about who God is, and about missions and my role in it.

So... what's next? Well, right now I am currently planning a trip to South East Asia along with other youth pastors from our district. You will hear more about the trip on this blog in the near future, and for sure while I am there. But for now, just be praying for myself and the team as we prepare for this trip. Fundraising is always a daunting task. We will be gone October 18-19, 2010! We will be traveling to Taiwan, Cambodia and Thailand! I am excited to see what God will teach me though this trip. I am also excited that it might lead to more trips to one of the countries!

Stay tune fore more!

Ugly Sweater Contest

2009-12-21T20:00:00.000-06:00

Last night at youth group, we had an ugly sweater contest! It was a ton of fun to see many of the students come in their mom or dad's sweaters. I did receive a facebook message from a mom "complaining" that her daughter wanted to wear one of her sweaters to the ugly sweater contest. :)

It made for a very fun night. I am sure that it will not be the last time that we have an ugly sweater night! Guess I need to keep my eyes out for next year's sweater. I was not a part of the contest, but I think that I would have had a good shot at winning if I were.

To capture the night, we brought in a photographer to take pictures of everyone. Here is the picture of my sweater.

My last week...

2009-12-15T16:40:00.001-06:00

I realized that I haven't made any updates about my week on the blog yet, so here it goes.

I am now the daddy of the cutest little girl ever! Avery Joy was born on December 10th and was a whopping 6 lbs 4 onces and 18 inches long. We've really enjoyed having our Christmas present come early! She is so much fun to cuddle with. Since we got a stocking from the hospital, we thought we better take the "Christmas Picture" so here it is...

I also got to spend Monday night in the ER with Caden. He had a croupy cough and was having troubles breathing, so we brought him in. A couple Nebulizer treatments, 2 x-rays and 3 hours later, we were home. I was able to be back in bed by 4am. He did a great job at the ER. Didn't fuss a bit and let the doctor do all sorts of different tests. They did have us get a nebulizer so that we can avoid trips to the ER in the future, which will be very nice to have.

here's a pic of Caden in the ER. doesn't it look fun?

That's what's been happening in our world... What has been happening in yours?

Things to be thankful for

2009-11-26T22:36:00.000-06:00

Today is thanksgiving, and I have much to be thankful for. This year, because of our little guy that's on the way, we were not able to travel back to Wadena to celebrate with our family. Though this was a bummer to us, we still found ways to celebrate here in SCF. It was a good thanksgiving, but I have to admit, it just doesn't seem the same not being with our extended family.

The day started with a trip to Wal-Mart to pick up a few items for the meal we were preparing. I picked up apples and whip cream and brown sugar for the pie, and eggo waffles for breakfast (just cause they sounded good), Walked to the check-out line and checked out. I grabbed my bag and headed out the door. As I pull out of the parking spot, I notice this big 6'3, 300+ lb guy come barreling out of the store. I smirked at the sight, but didn't really give it much thought till I hear him knocking on my driver side window. Struggling to catch his breath, he asks if I had purchased brown sugar. I told him I did. He informs me that I had forgotten one of the bags on the carousel and that he would bring it out to me if I drove up to the door. He smiles and takes off running back into the store. Sure enough, I pull up and this out of breath guy hands me my brown sugar. As much as I wanted to break out laughing at this dude completely out of breath over a bag of brown sugar, I couldn't help but be thankful for his thoughtfulness. The smile on his face was a clear indication that he was glad to help me out. I don't know that man, but today I am thankful for him.

We were able to have a nice Thanksgiving lunch with good friends, the Scottums ( - Nate). Because they were going to be having turkey for supper, we decided to go with a smoked ham on the egg. Great decision! It was so tasty! Smoked Ham, green beans with bacon, cheesy potatoes, and biscuits made for a great thanksgiving feast. It's always great to hang out with good friends with good food! I am thankful for the friends we have!

I am also thankful for the nap that I enjoyed after they left!

After my nap, we put together a new shelving unit we picked up at IKEA. its for the baby's clothes. Its fun to see us starting to prepare our home for our new addition. Tomorrow, we get to go and see another picture of our little guy! I am excited for that!

Finally, we hung out in the living room, read bedtime stories with Caden, and watched the Gophers win!

I am thankful for many things, but today I am so thankful for my family! Kate and Caden are the greatest people to spend time with, and today I got to hang out the whole day with them! I hope that everyone had a great thanksgiving and nobody spends too much on Black Friday... but if you feel the need to spend money, I would love an ipod touch.

I'll leave you with this picture of our smoked ham. Come on over for left overs!

Need to get back to the blogging

2009-11-05T14:43:00.002-06:00

Here are a few things that are on my mind right now:

1. My desk is a mess and I need to clean it up
2. How can people hear stories of missionaries and just think, "that's neat" but do nothing about it?

- You can give

- You can pray

- You can go!

3. Can't wait to see my new son! Now if only we could give him a name...

4. This is going to be a different Holiday season with the new one on the way. Thanksgiving and Christmas will more than likely be spent with Kate, Caden, #2 and I (Hopefully Christmas is the only one he is actually here for). excited non-the-less.

5. I have a great family, job, and life...

I will try and stop by the blog more often. That is if there is anyone besides Brad who still stops by...

True Hall of Famer

2009-09-16T20:13:00.003-05:00

This past week, David Robinson, Michael Jordan and others were inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. This is the biggest honor for Basketball players and coaches. As always, each of the individuals were able to give a speach, thanking the appropriate people and saying whatever it might be that they would want to say.

David Robinson was one of my favorite basketball players growing up. I loved the fact that he was good, and a Christian. One of the things that continues to stand out is that he is a man of class. I hope that when I am older, I can carry myself in a simular fashion. Please take the 8 minutes to watch David Robinson give his speach. It is worth it. Especially listen to the end.

Jordan also was inducted and gave a speach. Jordan is probably the best basketball player to ever live. He played at a higher level than anyone for a super long time. As a basketball player, he has earned the respect of many, including myself. I am not here to say that his speach was bad or selfish... you can make your own decision. I do think that it is interesting though that David and Jordan gave their speaches on the same night, and they couldn't have been more different. Watch and see what you think. **Be Warned... he does swear once at the begining of the speach** if you don't have time to watch the whole thing, at least watch the last minute or so of his speach.

Thoughts?

My thought is this: David Robinson has class! What a great role model... still today!

2009-08-31T12:55:00.002-05:00

Caden and I went to the St. Paul Saints game last night with some friends. It was so much fun! Twins games are great, but Saints games are were the fun is at... especially with kids! And the fireworks that followed the game were the best fireworks I think I have ever seen! Next year, grab some friends and tickets and go to a Saints game! And what's best, our tickest were $12.00 and that was the most expensive ticket we could have gotten! Great seats!

In the Line of Fire

2009-07-20T08:54:00.003-05:00

I like working in the Christian and Missionary Alliance. There are good people, great churches and I believe that theologically, its a sound denomination. What I really like about being a part of the Alliance, is the deep history of missions that is continued with a continued passion for covering the globe with the message of Christ.

This passion is an expensive one. The value of the US dollar continues to put a strain on the missions work through the Alliance. In an economy that is causing people to re-evaluate their giving, and causing others to stop giving all together; the mission of sending others becomes a daunting one.

This morning I came across this link that reminds me of two things:

1. The "cost" of missions is high

2. The cost of missions is worth every penny...and life given.

After reading this article and seeing this video, I am again reminded of the importance of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. But even moreso, the importance of doing our part to bring the message of Christ to the nations. What part can you play?

http://www.cmalliance.org/about/history/in-the-line-of-fire/

Sad week...

2009-07-01T13:38:00.003-05:00

This week I lost a fellow youth worker and a friend. Nathan Loved life, Loved music, especially concerts, (I remember that he brought his new born to SonShine to have a picture with a band, I believe it was Switchfoot) Love the Word of God and loved serving young people. I am so thankful for the time that I had with him. Just this past year we took a 3 day training together through Youth Leadership. It was good to connect with him, and to hear his different thoughts on ministry. Nathan was a thinker.

As I look back on this tragic situation, I cannot help but to think about how Nathan's life was an example of Christ. The compassion he had for others was Christlike. The love that he had for others was amazing. He was always finding new ways to connect with our culuter and to share Christ with others. And, ultimatly he put his life on the line for another.

Jesus, while we were drowning in sin, gave His life so we could HAVE LIFE. Because of that sacrifice, and ONLY because of that sacrifice, we have the oportunity to have a relationship with Christ and we have the security of eternaty with Him. Have you accepted this? Do you have a relationship with Him? Nathan lived this relationship out on a daily basis, and now he is experiencing the ultimate reward, eternity in the presence of God!

Here is an article writen in the Star Tribune. Please read it to know more about who Nathan. http://www.startribune.com/local/49558237.html?page=1&c=y

Thanks Nathan, for living out your relationship with Christ on a daily basis! May I do the same.

A trust fund has been set up to help support Nathan's family. You can find out more information here.

Mexico, here we come!

2009-06-29T13:21:00.004-05:00

Very excited about our upcoming trip to Mexico. On July 7th, 14 students and 5 adults from our church will be headed to Sabinas Hidalgo, MX. I am excited to be able to be leading my second trip to the Orphanage there! This morning we had our last meeting together as a team before we meet up to pack the trailer and head to the airport! I'm very excited!

My excitement was "cooled" a bit when I che

cked out the weather for Sabinas Hidalgo. I did the 15 day outlook (which will cover the days we are there) and it looks like it is going to be a warm one! Check this out!

If you want to follow our progress while we are on the trip, you can check out acvmissions.blogspot.com for out up-to-date information as well as nightly (hopefully) updates on the progress of the trip.

Just WRONG

2009-06-18T16:19:00.002-05:00

So, today I stumbled across something that I think is just plain wrong. It does, however, remind me that this is infact how many people view Jesus. Remember the good old Magic 8 Ball? Well, there is now the "Answer Me Jesus" doll.

Any thoughts? I know that its just a joke, but still... Wrong

Busy, busy times

2009-06-03T21:54:00.002-05:00

Its been a busy couple weeks. We celebrated our seniors in our student ministry, closed out the school year ministry schedule and Kate and I made our way to Louisville, KY for the National Council for the CMA.

Summer is now here, and the schedule doesn't look like it is getting any slower. Next week I will be spending the week as the camp speaker at one of my favorite places on the face of the earth... Big Sandy Camp. I am excited that Kate and Caden are going to be able to come and join me for the end of the week :) Always fun to have them come along to camp.

The remainder of the month of June is jam packed with friends, family time and some fun youth group stuff. (YUCKFEST to name just one).

Here's hoping your summer schedule doesn't get too crazy. Let me remind you of one important thing as we come into the summer schedules... Don't forget about the important stuff, specifically your relationship with Christ. So often we get so busy completing our schedules that we forget about that which is the most important. Schedule time into your day for some time with Him. Schedule time in your week to spend an hour at church. It's not always easy to do, but it will be the most important thing on your schedule!

Have a great summer! I look forward to keeping you updated on things in my life. Please do the same!

chris

Did I just hear that right?

2009-05-15T10:27:00.008-05:00

Can you say Tax Break? I can!

My son is so awesome!

2009-05-05T21:30:00.003-05:00

Swine Flu in Wisconsin... Dang, I think my son has it!

Wow, I guess I need to get on here more

2009-04-24T19:58:00.003-05:00

So its been a long time since I was last on this thing. Sorry... Life has been crazy the last few month. I miss blogging, even if nobody is reading. It is good for me. It makes me think. It makes me pause. It helps me to think about what is going on.

Here are a few things that are currently on my mind:

1. Will my schedule ever get any easier?

2. Will I get my sermon finished up before I preach it on Sunday?

3. Will I ever get back to the gym (I am paying for you it you know!)

4. Will I ever get back on track with my Ordination stuff? (WAY behind now!)

5. Will the Twins get things together? (Especially the pitching staff)

6. Will I actually continue to blog my thoughts in the coming days and weeks? (I hope so!)

Until next time my friends!

The New Addition Announcement!

2009-03-05T14:38:00.003-06:00

Here is the new addition to our family... The Big Green Egg! I will be smoking, grilling and even baking on this this VERY soon... like TONIGHT!

Hope everyone is ready to come over for some good food!

Brad, does this help encourage you to come for Easter? I sure hope so! Can't wait to grill something for you guys!

I haven't named the egg yet, but maybe I should.

Our family is growing!

2009-03-04T20:57:00.001-06:00

More details to come soon...

Finally, a solution!

2009-02-12T10:32:00.001-06:00

We've been trying to decide how our family could be more "green." Well, I think that we have our answer! It's about time!

Drop it like its hot

2009-01-26T09:47:00.003-06:00

Caden loves to come to youth group and listen to the youth worhsip team practice. Last night, when I started youth group, he climbed up on one of the chairs next to one of the students. So instead of sending him to the nursery, I let him hang out for a while. While True Faith was playing, I was in the back getting things ready for the night. When I came to the front, I saw Caden and one of his friends dancing away. It was so awesome! Finally we caught him dancing on video!

Sermon prep with Chuck

2009-01-22T14:36:00.004-06:00

Just thought I would share my new sermon prep notebook. I used to use a really nice Moleskin notebook to jot down ideas and sermon outlines. I was in WalMart and was inspired to change my sermon prep up a bit by using this amazing new notebook. Be honest, you want one!

I love my job!

2009-01-19T20:36:00.002-06:00

On Sunday we held an event for our senior highers at the Mall of America. It was called MIA @ MOA. What a fun night! I lined up 12 different adults to disguise themselves and hide in the mall. Our students walked throughout the mall with their small groups looking for the "hiders." As they found them, they signed a picture that each group had of them. I think everyone had a grea time. 2 of our hiders didn't get caught even once. (groups walked right by them) and the group that found the most people only found 7 of them. Fun was had by all...

Here is a quick example of the hiders...

Photo in need of a caption

2009-01-16T15:25:00.002-06:00

This is risky, but I am looking for a good caption to this photo. My buddy Gabe sent this to me this week. At any rate, let's hear your captions:

now that's cold

2009-01-13T14:07:00.003-06:00

And it was only -4 when I did this! Think of what would have happened if it really would have been cold!

BBRrrrrrrr @ Yahoo! Video

Cold

2009-01-13T09:45:00.004-06:00

(*disclaimer*) I know that my brother in Bemidji, and much of my family in northern Minnesota are experiencing even colder weather. This post is for my friends around the country who think they know what cold is.

Here is what weather.com is reporting at 9:46am today. Keep in mind, it has warmed since early this am.

This afternoon I will post a video of what -30 wind chill looks like. Stay tuned.

For the record, I love this weather!

Things I am excited about...

2009-01-12T12:52:00.003-06:00

Gophers Basketball - They're rated 17th in the nation and they are playing some exciting basketball. Maybe the best part about it is that they will almost all be back for next year. 9 for 9 from the three point range is amazing.

Oasis - Our district youth retreat that is being held at Camp Forest Springs. Great speaker, great band, and skiing/snowboarding... what could be better. Oh yeah, and a broomball tournament as well! The end of the month cannot come quick enough!

MIA @ MOA - a fun scavenger hunt at the Mall of America. Adults will be "hiding" in the mall while small groups try to find them. Always a good time!

*update* 24 - I almost forgot about 24! Excited to see where the season will lead to! It's been a good start. Hopefully tonight will not dissapoint. My guess, they will front load the season with surprises and twists. They need to keep and gain attention, they've been off for nearly 2 years.

what are you excited about?

WOW!

2009-01-12T11:11:00.002-06:00

You know it's cold when warnings like this are put out!

Emergency officials warned people need to be on the lookout for frostbite and hypothermia during this week's cold snap.

Wind chills of 20 below can cause frostbite in just 15 minutes. Anyone with loss of feeling and a white appearance in their extremities should get medical help.

People also should watch out for uncontrollable shivering, disorientation and drowsiness -- all signs of hypothermia.

Stay tuned to see a video illustration of just how cold it really is.

Who says only girls have bad hair days?

2008-12-10T13:52:00.002-06:00

This is what graced my inbox after my staff meeting today. No matter what kind of day you are having, this is sure to bring a smile to your face! At least it did mine!

He's the best!

apparently it has been a while....

2008-12-08T15:57:00.000-06:00

Sorry for not updating this in the last...ohh... month. But based on the amount of complaints I got (none) I don't think that I was missed by anyone. I have been actively Twittering, so if you really want to know what is going on in my life, follow me there.

Things have been really busy, with no signs of slowing down till after Christmas sometime.

I am uninspired already. I guess I will blog again later. Have a good one!

What have you been up to in the last month?

Chris

Monday Miscellaneous

2008-10-27T10:59:00.003-05:00

I thought I would add a few pictures to this week's edition.

The first picture is my bacon cheese burger from the Red Brick Grill. Its the best place to get a burger in SCF, and will rival about any burger I have had. Look at the generous amount of bacon they give you. MMMMM tasty!

The second picture is of ONE of the smokers I had in the back yard on Saturday. It was AMAZING! 2 hams, 2 roasts, 2 racks of ribs, 1 chicken, and fried cheese curds and onion rings. It was SO MUCH FUN! We are already planning for the 2nd Annual Folkestad Pork Fest! Next year, 3 smokers! I don't want to brag, but we did a great job! Especially the Ham!

This week was rather busy. Katie has been working really hard planning the Harvest Party for Church, I've been working a youth group stuff, and prepping for a few speaking engagements I have coming up. Other than the Pork Fest, its been rather uneventful this week.

Caden has been his usual self. He now loves to dance to music and has started to sing some songs. We just don't know what song he is singing. As soon as we can catch him dancing on camera, I will post it here.

God's love during Monday Night Football

2008-10-23T12:22:00.002-05:00

Don't know if you saw this commercial during the Monday Night Football game, but I thought it was interesting. Yeah, its a bit on the cheesy side, but I think its something that other companies wouldn't be willing to do, even if they believed it. I am impressed! Thank you interstate Battery. The following is a quick interview with the chairman, then the commercial that ran.

Monday Miscellaneous

2008-10-20T18:29:00.002-05:00

What a great day off! We slept in till about 9:00am, ate Chicken Tenders at The Village Pizzeria (Amazing!), I hung out with Caden, and now I am just sitting on the couch watching Caden tip-toeing around. I love Mondays!

This past week has been so busy! We had our Middle School Retreat on Friday and Saturday. The highlight of the weekend was that on Friday night, the guys were in their sleeping bag and the lights were out by 11:30! It was a great weekend!

Did you see the Vikings game? Crazy! All I can hope for is that we will have a new coach when we come out of the bye week. I don't think that it will happen, and to be honest, it probably isn't the best thing for the team, but we need new leadership.

This week I hope to settle down and organize a bit. I feel like I have been out of my office for the last two weeks straight. Its time to clean my desk my inbox. I have a fair amount of speaking to do in the next few weeks. Its something I love to do, but takes time for prep. Here's hoping for creativity.

Finally, I am 6 points ahead in fantasy football this week. I have had a HORRIBLE week with only 2 players scoring. For whatever reason, I am still 6 points ahead. If Sammy Morris stays out of the endzone and Gostkoski doesn't kick any field goals, I'll pull off a win with only 12 points. Yeah I know, I'm gonna lose!

Check out the pictures in the post below. Our friend Yetta took some pictures for us. We think that she did a great job.

A day at the park

2008-10-20T13:14:00.000-05:00

Thanks to our friend Yetta, we have some family pictures. Caden didn't enjoy it too much, but it was a fun way to spend an hour at the park.

Monday Miscellaneous

2008-10-13T17:28:00.003-05:00

Its been a crazy week!...
The week started with watching the Vikings beat the Saints on Monday Night Football. It wasn't a great game, but it was a good win. I wish that I could say the same about yesterday's game. Yeah it was a win, but man it was UGLY! Hope they can work something out for this week with the Bears. Childress, I hope you don't make it through the bye week!

I was able to spend Wednesday with a family at the hospital. Its not the most exciting part of being a youth pastor, but it sure does remind me why I do what I do. Glad to see that they are now at home and doing well!

Thursday - Saturday I spent at Youth Leadership's COMMUNICATE class. It was a great training! It has made me think about what I say, and why I say it. Most people would have been bored out of their mind in a training about communication, but I had a great time and think that I walked away with some valuable information that will impact the way I do ministry. I highly recommend taking a training session by Youth Leadership if you have the chance (and you are a youth worker).

Tomorrow I head to Green Bay for another training session with the district youth leaders. It should be a great time. I just hope I don't hear "Go Pack Go" too often (like NEVER). I am sure that I will be twittering along the way.

But now for the best news of all! I got a new phone. I picked up the Blackberry Curve. I really like it. I didn't have to change my plan and I get internet, turn by turn directions, lots of sports stats and even TV. It is gonna be fun! Its no iphone, but I am happy with it so far!

Monday Miscellaneous

2008-10-06T12:43:00.002-05:00

- It's 12:45 in the afternoon, the house is destroyed (toys everywhere), Caden is now napping, I am vegging out on the couch, and neither of us are dressed for the day. This has been a great Monday! Now its time to clean the house, shower, get Caden ready and head to the store to pick up some supplies for supper with friends tonight. BUT FIRST, I will procrastinate for a few more minutes with this edition of Monday Miscellaneous.
-Yesterday I didn't feel the greatest, and it showed at youth group. Man, I couldn't talk. I kept referring to the Pharisees as the Philistines. Let's just say it wasn't the greatest talk of the year. Which is too bad, cause I was really excited about it's content. It was, however, still a great night! I am still amazed the 4-square ends up being the highlight of the night.
- The billion dollar bailout confuses me. To be honest, I don't have an opinion in the whole thing. I haven't taken the time to actually think about what it means, and if it is good. I have, however, been thinking about the whole concept lately. Hundreds of billions of dollars to bail Wall-Street out of debt. That is a HUGE DEBT! A debt that couldn't ever be paid without a bail out from the US government. I have some debt, but I can't relate to the size of that financial debt. I can relate to being bailed out though! 810 Billion dollars couldn't bail me out of 1 sin in my life. Forgiveness cannot be bought, even for 810 billion dollars! Today, I am thankful that my debt has been paid, not by a government, but by God, who loves me. So much He gave His son as payment for my mess ups. Now that's a bailout I can't live without. Can you?
- At the end of this week, I am heading to a COMMUNICATE class presented by Youth Leadership. I am really looking forward to the class. You can follow me on Twitter for updates.
- That's all I can think of for now. Time to shower up and clean this house. YUCK!

Ordination Reading.

2008-09-30T21:18:00.002-05:00

I have been working on my ordination reading lately. I just finished The Four Fold Gospel by A.B Simpson. It doesn't sound like the most interesting book in the world, and to be honest, it wasn't the most interesting book in the world. However, I was suprised by it.
Reading the chapter on Christ The Coming King, I was reminded of how great it is going to be to be re-united with Christ. We were created for a relationship with Christ, and finally, on that day, we will be reunited in that relationship. Its something that we don't really think about, either because we don't want to, or because it just seems so far off. But reading this book has reminded me that isn't not just something we can read about in a book. Its something that we will experience one way or another.
It seems like America, and probably the entire world, comes up with more excuses as to why the don't want to believe in God, or the second coming of Christ. Its a fairy-tale, we can take care of ourselves, I haven't seen God work in my life, if God was really loving, there wouldn't be some much crap in the world, ect. Why do we make these excuses? Do we really think that we'll convince God? Are you serious?
I think especially of the celebrities. The got all the money, fame, cars, homes and influence. It seems like the law doesn't apply to them. They can do what they want, when the want, and to whoever they want. If they do get caught, they'll just pay the right amount of money and all of the sudden, they are free. Its amazing.
Its also no wonder why many celebrities feel that they don't need a relationship with God. Sure, they say, "I'd like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" when they accept awards, but lets be honest, most celebrities don't have a relationship with Christ (sorry if I am off on this). Who needs heavenly help when they can just get whatever they want now?
Fame and fortune may get you out of a speeding ticket or murder (what up OJ), but there will come a day when the fame and fortune that we have all gained will mean nothing to us. The ONLY thing that will matter is what we did with Jesus Christ. Did we accept Him into our life, and receive the forgiveness that He gave His life for, or did we rely on our own strengths and abilites to go through life.
Either we will die, or we will experience the second coming of Christ, but either way, we will be accountable. Without Christ, the future is bleak! With Christ, the future is an amazing thing to think about, and some day experience.

So what does this mean? It means we need to examine our lives. Are we relying on our own abilities and stregnths? Are we looking for pleasures here on earth to fill the void and cover the pain in our lives? Are we too busy with our jobs and friends and families and hobbies and laziness to take time to have a relationship with Christ? I sure hope not.
God has offered a way to restoration. He longs for a relationship with you... yes, you! You may not be a celebrtity, you may not even have many friends, but God is crazy in love with you. No matter what your past is, no matter what you have or have not done in your relationship to Him, no matter how many times you have said no to Him. He still loves you. He still wants a relationship with you. He still wants to forgive you. He still wants to bring you home.

Its amazing isn't it? It's all yours if you want it.

Do you?

Monday Miscellaneous

2008-09-29T11:57:00.002-05:00

Let's try this again.
Today I took Caden to the store to get something for lunch. I got cheap hotdogs, and cheetos. That is a healthy lunch right? They were the baked cheetos. Either way, it was tasty, and now Caden is sleeping.
Last night was a great night at youth group. I am really loving the split of the ages. I think that it is providing for more interaction between leaders and students, as well as more interaction between students. Everyone seems more willing to hang out and share. I still don't understand why the senoir highers love 4-square so much. But I gotta admit, I had fun playing last night.
TWINS... WOW what a week! I was lucky enough to go to the game with 3 guys from church. It was amazing! It was loud, it was fun, it was a HUGE WIN for the Twins. Then they go and lose the next two to the ROYALS of all people! Now we have to watch the White Sox game today to see if the Tigers roll over and play dead. In that case, I'll have to watch the Twins and White Sox play on Tuesday. I don't have a great feeling if that is the case. Oh well. I picked the Twins to finish 3rd this year in the division.
This week is going to be a busy one. I have to edit a video, prep 2 messages, prep a SS lesson, and work on details for the middle school retreat and future SS book study. I will also have a few meetings dropped in along the way. I am looking forward to it though. It should go by really fast.
Here's to hoping the twins win and next weeks post talks about the playoffs!

Tell Me Why!

2008-09-25T08:37:00.003-05:00

Tell me something. Why are Minnesota State Lottery Sales up 4% in July and August? With everyone afraid of a recession and the horrible personal and nation finance picture, WHY ARE PEOPLE BUYING LOTTERY TICKETS? This just does not make sense to me! I am not the greatest money mind in the world. In fact, I could use some "smart money 101" refreshers! But I am not giving my money to the lottery!
This just doesn't make sense. I am announcing that I will now be taking donations. If you give me donations of 1, 5 or 20 dollars, I might give some back to you. In fact, if you give me $10, I will give you $2 dollars back. GUARANTEED! You can send the cash or checks to me. Thanks for at least giving your money to a needy cause!
Save your money!

t-shirts half off (don't worry, I am fully dressed)

2008-09-24T15:04:00.005-05:00

randomshirts.com is having their biggest sale ever. EVERYTHING is 1/2 off! I love their stuff! I have bought several shirts there for myself as well as for gifts. Go and check it out. They have some very funny shirts. And no, I am not getting any money for this commercial. Just wanted to share the info on a great sale.

Let me know if you get anything.

Monday Miscellaneous

2008-09-22T08:38:00.002-05:00

I am all about copying good ideas. @kurt and @Josh both do a Monday Miscellaneous post on their blogs. (Full disclosure would point out the Josh stole the idea as well). Its a good idea, so I am going to steal it. There are many things that happen that just aren't blog worthy on their own, but coupled together with all the other worthless things happening and BAM, you have a completely worthless post! I am all about that. So here I go!

Today, I'm the only person in the office today. Everyone else is out playing, and I am here answering the phone and trying to get things done. Really I don't mind, I can have my music loud. I might change my mind if the phone starts ringing off the hook. So far so good...
This weekend I took our leaders to Menomonie for a training seminar. It was good. I was dissapointed that 10 of our leaders couldn't make it to the training. It was well done and the information was very usefull and practical. Its the kind of thing that you hope you never have to use, but if you do need to, you are glad that you have had some training...
Becuase of the training, it turned out to be a good excuse to bring Caden to the farm for the weekend. Grandma and Grandpa always want to spend time with Caden, so we thought this would be a great opportunity. Katie and I enjoyed a fun Saturday afternoon and evening without Caden. We went shopping, out to eat, and just hung out. It was GREAT... until the phone rang at 12:30am. Katie's parents had just gotten back from the ER with Caden. No big deal, he just was having troubles breathing... WHAT! Thankfully he is doing better now. Katie will be picking him up this afternoon and they have an appointment later today in St. Croix. Here's to hoping the ER bill doesn't keep us from shingling our roof this year! It doesn't matter, I am just glad that he is ok!...
VIKINGS WIN!!!! - Frerotte about it!
Finally, we had a great time at Sr. High Youth Group last night. There were several new faces there, which is always great! I am really excited about our Sunday Nights! Its going to be a lot different than the middle school night. Both of them have their unique advantages. I am just excited to be able to hang out with so many students. The highlight of the night was Luke puking up the red onion! NICE! Oh yeah, and our Sr. Highers started playing 4 square afterwords. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That is an elementarty game!

Told you it was random.

2008-09-18T19:58:00.001-05:00

saw this over marko's blog. Can you saw CHEESE! Its so bad, its almost funny. I gotta see if I can't book him for the middle school retreat :)

No, this isn't my church...

2008-09-18T11:15:00.003-05:00

For those of you wondering, this is not the church that I work at. Thanks to John for sending me this pic. It did make me laugh!

Just to hold Josh Accountable

2008-09-17T11:42:00.001-05:00

This is a post just to see if Josh is checking his igoogle at work. Did I catch you?

a proud day as a father!

2008-09-08T10:03:00.003-05:00

Doesn't get much better than this! Even has a black eye in honor of the start of the football season!

Greatest Birthday GIft EVER

2008-09-04T10:56:00.004-05:00

My wife is amazing. She got me the greatest birthday gift in the entire world this year! She got me a brander for steak! Yeah, its amazing I know. Please don't be jealous, its not good for your health!
So come on over and have yourself a "Folkestad Steak!"

Thanks babe for the great gift!

you simply have to read this!

2008-08-21T11:12:00.004-05:00

So today I stumbled across a very disturbing find. David Hasselhoff has started a new social network site of sorts. This is just too crazy to be true. Does he REALLY think that he is this special? Here is a clip from the website.

In my travels round the world I have always been surprised that no matter where I go people recognize and know me, from Europe, Australia and India to the Philippines and the Zulu Nation in South Africa. This got me thinking... I realized that while two people from two entirely different countries and backgrounds may seem to have nothing in common, the only thing they might have in common is me... So I decided to start a network where people from across the world might come together and get a conversation started over me. Where it will lead, I don't know but the world would be a better place if everyone talked a little more to each other...

So here is HoffSpace. There are videos and photos of the adventures of my life (THAT NO ONE ELSE GETS TO SEE) and also from the lives of other members. Read the discussions or start a forum on a topic that interests you. Check out Hoff TV, where I go live often. Chat with other members from around the world and make friends. Design your own home page. Add music and share your lives with others. Send me the weird, wonderful and wacky things that are happening in your life. Tell me the stories of how you are making a difference in your life and, if you need my help, ask... One man or woman CAN make a difference...

I am speachless...
check it out for yourself!

kansas city roadtrip

2008-08-13T22:32:00.005-05:00

Brad, Bryan, Nick and I took a quick trip to Kansas City to watch the Twins play on Friday and Saturday night. It was a BLAST! We saw some great baseball, ate some GREAT BBQ and saw a couple cool museums and the college basketball hall of fame.
here are a few pictures from the trip.

Caden the Jet ski man

2008-07-31T10:20:00.003-05:00

Had a blast at our Middle School beach party! Huge thanks to the Fisk's for allowing us to crash at their cabin for a few hours! It was a blast, but the highlight of the night was taking Caden out on the Jet ski. Not sure he knew what was happening, but it was a fun time! I had to make sure that Uncle Kevin wasn't the first to get him out on the Jet Ski :)

Good times! Good times!

Crazy Sky

2008-07-16T09:46:00.003-05:00

Saw these amazing clouds this am. As always, the picture doesn't do it justice. But check it out anyway. Did anyone else see them? CRAZY

Chris

I'm not dead

2008-06-28T21:50:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post to tell you that I am not Dead...

In the past 7 days I have been to 3 Twins games, Valleyfair, been the only pastor in the office, hung out with the family, prepared a sermon, worked on messages for a wedding and Big Sandy, and prepared a sermon for Sunday. Whew! I can't wait for Sunday afternoon!

In my "spare time" I did make up this promo picture for our Biker Sunday coming up in August. It started out as a joke, but I actually like it...

My new workout plan

2008-06-11T14:46:00.002-05:00

Watch This video and get a sneak peak into my new workout plan.

Think it will work?

Do Hard Things

2008-06-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

I just started reading a book called Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. They are twin 19 year olds who are challenging teenagers to "rebel against low expectations." I've made it through the first couple chapters and have to say that I am impressed.

Here are some early impressions:
1. The authors think highly of themselves (not necessarily cocky)
2. The authors are motivated and have great ideas
3. They think for themselves
4. They had solid parents who expected great things from them

I think that this book would be a great book for any teenager (or parent of one) to read. Teenagers are too often just tossed into a meaningless age grouping. Too old to be children, but not good enough to be an adult. The Harris' fight that stereotype. They want more to be expected of them, and of other young people their age. I think more people should think this way! (both teens and adults about teens)

Quote from the book:

In the chapters that follow, we want to show you that deep down you want to do hard things, and what's more, you can do hard things. What you'll discover is a whole new way of living your teen years and of living the rest of your life. God's Word and all of history demonstrates that we are far more capable than we think. This world is trying to trap you by tying its pathetic piece of twine around your ankle. We want to help you break the twine.

As I said, I've only read the first 3 chapters of the book. From what I have read, I am impressed. These are things that teenagers, and young people (like myself) need to hear. What's the best part about the book? It doesn't come from a 50 year old that has forgotten what its like to be a teenager. (no offense intended) It comes straight from two 19 year olds who have been Doing Hard Things for a while now.

Go check it out. Have you read it? I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.

Caption Needed...

2008-05-22T15:11:00.002-05:00

This picture was just too awesome! Do you have a caption for it? I wanna be like this when I am old.

And you thought you had a big mouth!

2008-05-21T10:22:00.002-05:00

Next week at youth group, we'll be talking about how our mouths sometimes get us in trouble. So, today I was searching through the internet for examples/illustrations. I found this video that absolutely blew me away! Check it out!

That is ONE BIG MOUTH!

For what it's worth
Chris

Not your normal delivery

2008-05-19T08:41:00.002-05:00

Found this clip over at my buddy's blog. This might just be the craziest delivery in the history of baseball! Although I don't agree with the umpire's call at the end, it does confirm my that umpires are blind, no matter what country they work in.

field of dreams

2008-05-03T13:17:00.000-05:00

We just created a sweet softball field at chuch! We always had the field, it just didn't have an infield. So, we ordered some dirt, got a sod cutter, and all of the sudden, we got a nice field to play on. Should be fun to break it in against the old guys from church.

Some day, I'll have one of these of my own for wiffleball! That would be amazing!

My Son The Rock Star

2008-05-01T13:07:00.003-05:00

Caden was enjoying a free concert thanks to LT and the Hillsong cd that was playing. Who cares if you are the only one in the room! The front row is the front row! I think LT has his first fan! Fun stuff! LT is a great person for Caden to look up to!

Busy...

2008-05-01T09:11:00.001-05:00

AAAHHHHHHHH! It's busy!

district conference

2008-04-21T23:42:00.003-05:00

So I am spending a couple days in Wausau for district conference. Its always good to connect with some good friends from around the district. The highlight so far... TV's in the bathroom of each room. Is this excessive? YES! But is it great to brush your teeth and watch sportscenter.

I'll be back soon. I miss my Caden! (and Katie too)

First Twins game of the year

2008-04-19T08:52:00.000-05:00

Sure hope last night's Twins game isn't indicitive of what is going to take place for the rest of the year! We simply couldn't get anything going! 2 hits? Crazy! Oh well... it was a great night at the dome with Caden and Katie. Decided after work to run down and see a game. Bought some cheap seats on the street and spent a fun night with the family. Caden LOVED all the lights and the jumbotron. I can't wait to take him to more games as he starts to understand what's going on. He's going to love baseball (I hope).

I am sure he'll post about his experience on his blog too.

Chris

I better let you in on the secret...

2008-04-17T12:01:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to let you in on the secret to my recent drop in weight. I feel like I owe it to the world to share how I was able to/and continue to drop pounds. Well... Here it is... You can thank me later.

life's pleasures

2008-04-11T18:50:00.002-05:00

I seem to have gotten a nice little cold. Not fun! Caden and Katie were nice enough to pick up some Simply Orange Juice from the store for me. They even left me a message to tell me they got it so I could feel better soon. I must admit, this is the greatest OJ ever! If you ever feel the need to fill my refrig with Simply Orange, feel free!

preaching on Sunday

2008-04-10T21:25:00.002-05:00

Its been a busy week. Sometimes vacations are more work than rest. Sure it was nice to be away in the frozen tundra of northern Minnesota (Brad, you got the shovel working again?) but getting back to quickly prepare for youth group on Wednesday, drop kids off at Crown, and now get ready to preach on Sunday make for a busy couple days.
I'm excited for Sunday. I'm doing a first person narrative, which is way out of my comfort zone but I think its going to be fun. I've written it, now I just got to finish memorizing the 8 pages of transcript. Should be fun though.
I'm excited to take a 30 minute break and watch the office tonight. Gotta love that the show is back! Speaking of the office, its about that time. Gotta run!

chipolte....yum!

2008-03-30T21:27:00.003-05:00

Just got done with a great weekend with or adult leaders. It was great to get away and spend time hanging out. We got to eat at Famous Dave's (3 feasts) and lunch at Chipolte. Gotta love both places. I was very excited about Chipolte until April informed me that one burrito is nearly 2000 calaries. Normally that wouldn't faze me, but I on the home stretch for this "biggest loser" deal. It wasn't enough to stop me from eating about half though! Tasty stuff!

In all it was a very productive weekend. We built some great memories and friendships, talked about what we are/aren't doing well, and made some big decisions about who we are and where we are going as a ministry. I have a great group of adults who do an awesome job! Now we just need to find a few more for next year.

I am really excited about what the summer is going to bring! Big Sandy Camp, Valleyfair, Beach Parties and the 5 dollar mystery night are going to be amazing! Should be good times!

Wanna join the team?

Caption This...

2008-03-24T17:29:00.000-05:00

My son is running a little contest over at his blog. He's seeing who can come up with the best caption to this Easter photo of he and his cousin. Why not click over there and join in the fun. :)

NOTICE: Stop talking about my bald head or else!

2008-03-08T09:57:00.003-06:00

Will Penner, a popular youth speaker reminded me of a very important passage of Scripture this week. I love it! Read it, internalize it, memorize it and REMEMBER it next time you make a comment about my bald head! I've now been to the school of Elisha and am ready to unleash the power of the she-bears! The Bible is a fun book to read, I hope you don't just see it as boring words that were recorded way too many years ago. Give it a chance, not only is it a fun book to read, its life changing if you allow it to be!

2 Kings 2:23-24
23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. "Go on up, you baldhead!" they said. "Go on up, you baldhead!" 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. 25 And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

Good stuff!

We have NO LIFE

2008-03-03T18:33:00.002-06:00

So, thanks to our friend Josh Mann, Katie and I spent my day off sitting on the couch trying to type faster than eachother. Currently, as you can see below, I am the speed typer in this family. Although compared to Josh's 98, I got nothing. Go ahead, try it, and let us know what your best time is. A good way to spend a day off (yeah not really, Josh find something better for us to do for next Monday please!)

70 words

Speed test

Fun weekend!

2008-02-29T09:38:00.002-06:00

Looking forward to a fun weekend! Kate and Caden are finally feeling better, so it will be good to get out of the house and have some fun!
Tonight were going to The King and I Thai resturaunt. It should be amazing! Now lets just see if I can stay within my diet there :( I've been good, so tonight, I'll enjoy some good food!

This weekend some friends from back home will be here! We're excited to grill Salmon, hang out and have them join us at church. It's always good to catch up with them.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Deal or No Deal

2008-02-19T10:57:00.003-06:00

My friend Aaron (From Stand Your Ground) is a finalist for being on Deal or No Deal. he has gone through a great amount of work to get onto the show. TRUST ME he is one you want to see on the show! He has done everything required to be on the show, but now he is putting together a survey to send in to Deal or No Deal.
All you need to do is CLICK ON THIS LINK and fill out the quick survey. We are talking only 30 seconds max. You don't even need to give your social security number! :)

Click on the link and lets watch Aaron on Deal or No Deal!

So bad, SO SAD

2008-02-15T10:22:00.002-06:00

Great News, the writers strike is over! Bad news, 24 will not return until January of 2009. Can you believe it? Oh well, guess we will have to find something else to fill our Monday evenings from 8-9pm.

On another note, Happy Late birthday to my Brother and Brother-in-law! I really didn't forget about either one of you, but didn't have a chance to call you guys. Sorry. Hope you had a great day!

All for now,

off for a few days!

2008-02-10T20:57:00.000-06:00

We're off for a few days away at the pastor's and wives retreat in central Wisconsin. Should be nice to be away for a few days with just Katie. Kate's Mom has come to stay with Caden, so it will be a nice break away for just the two of us.

I'll see if I can find time to blog while were there, but we'll see.

Big Day!

2008-02-09T13:52:00.000-06:00

This is a big day! I was in our local Wal-Mart today and saw what may be the greatest deal in Wal-Mart history! 2008 Calendar by with motivational pictures from "The Office." Gotta love it! To make it better it is a 16 month calendar. It sounds like a good deal, but really it isn't. They just put the last 4 months of 2007 on one page. Oh well, still great pictures! ALL FOR 2.50! Great deal! Thanks Wal-Mart!

The Power of Google

2008-02-08T16:33:00.000-06:00

I think that there are seriously people who think that I can do this on my computer. I know, I am on my computer a lot, but come on. This isn't possible...yet :)

Stuck in the women's department with nowhere to go!

2008-02-02T09:01:00.001-06:00

So last night, Caden, Katie and I went on a nice little "buy a carseat date." I have to admit, it was a ton of fun! We went to the Macaroni Grill (with a gift certificate!), shopped at Babies R Us, Target, and Herbergers. It was a great night with the fam! (We even discovered a Jimmy Johns in Forest Lake, though we didn't eat there)

Herbergers however, offered some challenging situations for me. I found a great sweater (75.00 marked down to 19.99) so I thought it was only fair to see if there was anything for Katie. We make our way to the women's department and find a cool pair of pants for her. But apparently women's cloths are different that men's clothes. So she tried on a couple different pair. This left me and Caden's car seat and diaper bag in the middle of the women's section alone!
At first I didn't see this as too big of a problem. That is, until I started noticing all the ladies looking at me strange. Its not like you can just look through the clothing, that is even MORE strange. I didn't know what I could do. Here I am a fat guy, hat on backwards, smack dab in the middle of "no man's land."
So, I did what any good man would do. I positioned myself by the ugliest sweaters I could find, and stood there. There was NO WAY anyone could think I was trying to hit on anyone in this section! These were not your ordinary sweaters! (sorry for any of you who may own one of these). They were so ugly, I pulled out my camera and took a picture! See below.

Unfortunately, I didn't think about the fact that taking a camera out of your pocket and taking a picture made me look even more strange and suspicious. Thankfully Katie and Caden returned from the dressing room soon after and I was saved.
All in all, it was a great night with Katie and Caden, but please, and we not return to the women's department for a while? At least at smaller stores I could have moved to a different section. THE WHOLE FLOOR was women's!

Is Church Condemning?

2008-01-31T10:12:00.000-06:00

In preparation Wednesday night, I was reading a book, What's so amazing about Grace by Philip Yancey. I like his stuff! he uses stories and can really keep the readers attention. However, I was disturbed by one of the stories he shares to start off the book. It's a quote from a friend of his from Chicago:

A prostitute came to me in wretched straits, homeless, sick unable to buy food for her two year old daughter. Through sobs and tears, she told me she had been renting out her daughter--two years old!-- to men interested in kinky sex. She made more renting out her daughter for an hour than she could earn on her own in a night. She had to do it, she said, to support her own drug habbit. I could hardly bear hearing her sordid story. For one thing, it made me legally liable - I'm required to report cases of child abuse. I had no idea what to say to this women.
At last I asked her if she had ever thought of going to a church for help. I will never forget the look of pure, naive shock that crossed her face. "Church!" she cried. "Why would I ever go there? I was already feeling terrible about myself. they would just make me feel worse."

How sad. Are all churches really condemning? As a pastor, our church or student ministry to be a condemning place. I want church to be a place that people flock to for help. Yancy reminded his readers that in the Bible, prostitutes and criminals flocked toward Jesus and took refuge in him. Is the church of America too busy with ministry that we forget about those who need Jesus? Are we too worried about what others might think of us to welcome in those who need Jesus? Are we too comfortable with who we have now, that we don't seek to open our doors to others?
My prayer is that the church would be a refuge for people; all people. Each of us are on in a different place in our relationship with Christ. The church exists to help people continue to make steps toward Jesus. It sounds so easy here, but its not. I want to help people become Children of God, and experience what that means.

One word of clarification. Being a refuge for all people does not mean that the church should accept the sin that one is living in. I don't believe Jesus accepted the sin, but He did love the sinner unconditionally. He also spoke truth to them and challenged them to change.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about this. no matter where you are in life, I'd like to hear how you feel when you walk into a church, if you do. How can the church be more of the refuge that Jesus was, while still challenging people to take their next step with Christ?

Santana, we'll miss you

2008-01-29T16:46:00.000-06:00

Am I sad Santana is gone? YES... Will my life continue, most likely.

All I can say, is they better be some amazing prospects!

At least he will be in the NL where he can hit. (and we don't have to watch him pitch against us!)

My brother is CRAZY

2008-01-19T09:06:00.000-06:00

All the props in the world to my older brother Brad for running in the Brrrrrmidji Polar 5K race in Bemidji this morning. Currently, the weather in Bemidji is -21 with a windchill of -34! That is not the weather I would like to be running in (oh wait, I wouldn't WANT to be running in any weather!)

Good luck Brad, you're nuts!