The downside of teaching your children the Bible

Our oldest daughter needed discipline today after she did something to hurt her younger sister. As we were preparing to meet with the "board of education", she told me that she didn't hurt her sister on purpose. This is a pretty standard defense with a very low rate of success. But then came the kicker. She told me in all earnestness, "But daddy, the Bible says that if a man is out in the forest chopping trees and the ax head falls off and kills somebody, it's just an accident!" That's the first time one of our children has used a quote from Deuteronomy to support their protestation of innocence.

It was a valiant effort, but it too failed in the end. The hardest part was not laughing out loud!

I enjoyed lunch today with some Reformed-minded pastors in Anchorage. Two were Episcopalian, four were Baptist, and I was the lone Presbyterian representative. So, it was quite an ecumenical gathering.

Gearing up for an Alaska winter

Alaskans know how to do winter. I was told to be sure to put studded tires on our cars. Starting September 30th, you are officially allowed to drive on them. You can keep the "studs" on until April 15th. The tire stores have been swamped the last month doing "tire change overs". I thought I'd beat the rush and show up to the tire place 15 minutes before they opened on a Monday morning. I did, but I was still 7th in line and had about an hour wait. But, the Suburban's got the studs now, and we are ready for the white stuff to start falling any day.

An elder at church instructed me in the proper footwear for quick trips outside the house - waterproof boots with a felt liner having a loop at the top that makes them easy to put on. Another family from the church who moved just before we arrived left a huge container of winter gear, including a pair of boots that match this description.

So, studded tires...check, easy-on waterproof boots...check.

It may be too late to put up Christmas lights outside (although I didn't plan on doing it anyway). Apparently, Alaskans don't wait until December comes to get into the Yuletide spirit. I've noticed several houses, including our neighbors, with their lights already on. It must be because if you wait too long, you'll be putting up lights in the snow and ice.

Or, you can do what the previous owners of our house did: put up the Christmas lights, and never take them down. We did take them down, though. They looked awful up there on the house and didn't work anyway.

The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are falling. Yes, we are about to experience our first winter up here in north country. Once we've made it, we'll no longer be such greenhorns.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

However, absence from writing new blogs makes the readership dwindle. When I was blogging on a regular basis I'm sure there were four, maybe five, readers out there who checked out the blog consistently (that would include my wife and my mother). Now, there are probably none. But I asked for it.

Just a few random things to share with the cyber-world.

First, I've been listening to the Psalms read by Max McClean. Reading the Psalms is wonderful, of course, but hearing them read adds another dimension altogether.

My former church history professor at Westminster, Carl Trueman, has written an inspirational piece here on being in the ministry and losing one's hair (not that the former causes the latter, though it very well could). Even if neither apply to you, I recommend reading it. He has some good insights into our obsession in the church with the youth culture.

Finally, a thought-provoking quote from a book I've been reading, Priorities for the Church by Donald Macleod. Macleod writes about Christian growth:

"God wants [his people] emotionally stable, content whatever their circumstances (whether abundance or destitution, as Paul put it in Philippians 4:12). We should be growing in knowledge of our Bibles, in our grasp of the great doctrines and in our ability to apply truth in our personal lives. God wants us better and better witnesses, patient sufferers, stronger and stronger in the face of temptation. He wants us to grow in grace, developing, symmetrically, in gentleness and firmness, in meekness and courage, until we have something resembling that true godliness which simultaneously intimidates and attracts."

I thought that neatly captured the the contrasting and complimentary qualities of a godly character - "gentleness and firmness...meekness and courage...simultaneously intimidates and attracts."

Back from "Outside"

It's been a long time since I last blogged. Life is busy, and things like blogging and exercising tend to fall by the wayside. But since we've just returned from a two-week vacation "outside" (what Alaskans call the other 49 states), I figured I'd jot down some of the highlights of our trip to keep the blog alive.

First, we enjoyed a brief but delightful time visiting our friends the Nelsons who live west of Seattle. We conversed, ate, supervised the kids' playing, and generally enjoyed each other's company. Before that, however, our friendship had to weather our 3:30 a.m. arrival. They showed us great kindness in opening their doors even at that hour and allowing us to stay as planned.

Then we ferried over the water to Seattle, stayed one night with Robyn's brother Joseph and family, and headed out the next day for Missoula, Montana.

The highlight of our Montana visit was taking part in the 10th Annual "Meredith's Golf" tournament. This is a fund-raising tournament my parents began in my sister's name the year after she died after a battle with leukemia. The tournament drew some 160 golfers and raised over $13,000 for a local cancer-related charity. I didn't play so hot, but it was great to see a lot of family and friends from Montana there.

After spending a few more days in Montana, we headed back to Seattle to meet with Robyn's family. One good memory from that visit was getting in an entire picnic dinner just before the rain started dumping on us.

We had a good time, but it is great to be back home in Wasilla. I was again struck by the majesty of the mountains here as we drove up from Anchorage towards our house. And, there is nothing like that first night back in one's own bed. I suppose we'll all be ready for our next family trip "outside" when next summer rolls around, but for now I'm looking forward to continuing getting settled into our new home (and church) here in Alaska.

Installation service

Although I've been serving here at Grace since the beginning of June, I was not technically her pastor until last Friday evening, when the service of installation took place. According to the rules of our denomination, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the minister is officially declared to be the pastor of a local congregation at this service. I made a series of vows to serve the congregation as a faithful pastor, and the congregation vowed in turn to be a faithful flock under the care of the pastor. It is a solemn occasion.

I asked two ministers in our presbytery, the Presbytery of the Northwest, to take part in the service. Rev. Richard Venema of Helena, Montana, preached a powerful sermon on the glory of the gospel message proclaimed by ministers of the new covenant. His text was Hebrews 12:25, in which the the proclamation of the law at Mt. Sinai is compared with God's voice now speaking "from heaven". It was humbling to be reminded that God himself speaks through the minister of the gospel when he faithfully proclaims Christ from the Scriptures.

I thought of a seminary professor who used this same passage to say that our worship in the age of the church is far more glorious than the worship at Mt. Sinai under the old covenant. Although they approached the mountain of God, with a "blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them" (Heb. 12:18, 19), in Christ we come to "the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering" (v.22). The latter is far more wonderful and glorious than the worship of Israel at Mt. Sinai. In the same way, the message of the gospel is the voice of God himself from heaven, not just his speaking from earth.

The other minister who came for the service was Rev. Mark Sumpter of Grants Pass, Oregon. He preached a great message from Acts 9, encouraging the congregation to serve with the pastor in the ministry of Christ. I was thankful for the reminder that we ought to serve expectantly, believing that Christ is able - and will - overcome the barriers of unbelief and agnosticism that seem, humanly speaking, like insurmountable obstacles to the advance of the Kingdom.

On Monday afternoon, Mark visited our house and we had a great time of fellowship together. His coming to Alaska was certainly providential, as he helped me greatly in thinking through some matters that have been on my own mind here.

Both of these pastors once served at Grace, so they also knew many in the congregation.

As I reflect on the call of a pastor to shepherd God's people, I am acutely aware of my shortcomings and weaknesses. I take comfort from the words Christ spoke to the apostle Paul as he struggled with his thorn in the flesh, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9).

Moving Daze

It's hard to believe, but we are actually living in our new house now. It has been quite a week for our family. We picked up the keys to the house on Monday (the day after Family Camp ended), and I started moving things into it with the Suburban. In the meantime, Robyn lit up the phone lines making arrangements for babysitting. Moving and watching small children do not mix well.

On Tuesday, I rented a U-Haul truck to haul to the house the bulk of our possessions, which had been sitting in a storage unit ever since they arrived over the Alaska Highway back in early June. The poor woman who rented me the truck as a dealer for U-Haul was almost beside herself with frustration at the company for their ineptitude. The truck was not available for about 3 and 1/2 hours after the time I was told it would be ready. And even then, it was not the truck I wanted. It was a smaller one. But, with a trailer thrown in, it did the trick.

I am so grateful for the big crew that came out from the church to help load the truck (and their own vehicles) with all our stuff. The work went by very quickly with so many hands pitching in. The only damper was the rain, but having the U-Haul saved our stuff from getting too wet. Which is a point in favor of those who believe in renting trucks for such as move as this. On the other side are those who believe the best way is for everyone to show up in their pick-ups and make a lot of smaller trips. I've learned about these two schools of thought since coming here. I'm definitely in the rent-a-truck camp.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Robyn and I have been working feverishly to unpack and arrange all our belongings in the house. My main job is assembler, or I should say, re-assembler. I've put together two tables, three shelve units, two desks, one crib, two beds, and some other things I can't recall now. My other job is the utility-set-up guy. Between these two jobs, I've kept busy.

Things have been a little hectic. But we are so thankful to God for his wonderful provision for us. We love the house so far. Lord willing, we will be here for a while.

The neighbors came by today and introduced themselves. One interesting thing they told us is that the area between our two houses is a major thoroughfare for moose. We haven't seen any yet, but they should be a common sight during the winter months.

And we have been the recipients of the generosity of the folks in the church. They have made us meals and watched our kids, one family even taking on the three older kids for two and a half days. For these kindnesses we are also thankful.

Tomorrow is a special day for us. Two former pastors of Grace are flying up to take part in my installation service. This is a formal worship service at which I will be officially installed as the pastor of Grace OPC. My hope and prayer is that the service will not only be a great encouragement to all there, but will set the right tone for a fruitful season of gospel ministry here in Wasilla.

Family Camp

The first comment most people made when they arrived to the campground was about the weather, how perfect it was. The last time Grace OPC held this Family Camp, two summers ago, it rained more often than not. But this year, the clouds vanished and there was glorious sunshine all day Friday and Saturday. I'm still not used to hearing 75 degree days called "hot" by veteran Alaskans, but the summer Arctic sun does seem to bear down with unusual heat.

The highlight of the camp was the missionary family who spoke, the Proctors. Rev. Phil Proctor, his wife Meredith, and their four children live in Uganda and are presently on furlough. Rev. Proctor introduced us to the joys and challenges of preaching the gospel in Uganda. He works with a group of 12 churches there (of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Uganda) and his focus is on training future pastors. It was a wonderful encouragement to meet a family who has made great personal sacrifices out of obedience to the command of Christ to make disciples of all nations. And, I am thankful that we as a church now have a personal knowledge of the Proctors to encourage our prayer for them.

One of the traditions of the camp is the fishing contest for the kids. The rules are simple. Every child who catches a fish, or tries to catch a fish, or thinks about trying to catch a fish, or has been within 100 yards of the lake in which said fish live, gets a trophy at the end of the camp. And "fish" includes minnows. After lunch on Sunday, TC Wilson, one of our elders, presented the fishing awards to the children. Each child was able to choose their own prize from an impressive display of trophies, each topped with a golden fish. The winner was Naomi Proctor, who was the only child who actually landed a real, non-minnow fish.

I enjoyed the softball and soccer. In soccer, playing with mostly teenagers and younger kids, I noticed I seemed to be the only one wheezing after every run up the field. Taking several turns at goalie saved me from a possible heart attack (although I then became an easy target for the mosquitos).

For me, the worst part of the weekend was losing my voice. In God's perfect timing, though, it happened over a rare Sunday in which I had no speaking responsibilities at all.

It was a special time for Robyn and myself because we attended the same camp two summers ago. At that time, I came as the speaker. In the providence of God, I am now the pastor of the same congregation.

I've posted the pictures I took this weekend here.

Alaska update

Time, in good proverbial fashion, has been flying by for us here in Alaska. Yesterday marked the two-month anniversary of our new life in the Frontier State. We are still very new here, of course, and I won't even pretend that we are in any sense veterans of Alaska (it is something of a badge of honor to have grown up here, or have lived here for many decades). But, Robyn and I were just remarking the other day that we no longer have those moments where we say, "I can't believe we actually live here!" Instead, it is beginning to feel more and more like home.

Which leads to the first update on our life, the house. I have spent much time the last few weeks providing the loan company with all the details of our family finances. The degree of detail is amazing. I'm sure IRS auditors do not use a comb as fine-toothed as these people in pouring over all our financial records. In part of my explanation of bank deposits, I actually had to attest that $20 was a birthday gift from my grandmother!

But we are told the closing date may be next week. So, it looks like our gypsie lifestyle is nearing an end.

Today Robyn enrolled Meredith in an Alaska program called IDEA. I'm not familiar with all the particulars, but the basic concept of IDEA is that homeschool parents enroll their children in a public school district but do all the teaching at home as usual. However, the school district then helps pay for the costs of education - books, materials, music lessons, etc. We've talked with several families that have used it and like it. So, we are going with IDEA, too. Robyn is looking forward to getting 1st grade underway with Meredith.

Next week is our church's Family Camp. This was the camp at which I spoke two years ago, which was our first introduction to Grace. The speaker this year is Rev. Phil Proctor, a missionary from Uganda. His wife is named "Meredith", so I'm sure our Meredith will enjoy meeting her namesake!

The effects of the Fall

Question 35 of the First Catechism asks, "How did Adam and Eve change when they sinned?" The answer is, "Instead of being holy and happy, they become sinful and miserable."

Yesterday, Maggie's answer to this question was: "Instead of being holy and happy, they became grumpy and miserable."

Not only was original sin imputed to the descendants of Adam, but original grumpiness as well. That does explain the mood of our children when they wake up in the morning.

Baseball in Alaska

In talking with those we left behind in the "lower 48", we hear the wisecracks about our living in Alaska: "So, is your new house going to be an igloo?", "How's the polar bear shish-ka-bob up there?", etc. These are the sort of jokes a person might make when he hears that there is a baseball league here ("Do they use beaver pelts for bases?"). But the baseball here is no joke. Alaska is home to one of the premier summer baseball leagues, the Alaska Baseball League. The players are in college or college-aged, and are aspiring pros. According to a friend of mine in Oklahoma, who played college baseball and so knows what he's talking about, the league here is the second most prestigious after the more-famous Cape Cod League.

Our church had a fellowship outing to one of the games last week. The local team is called the Mat-Su Miners, and they play just down the road in Palmer. Since we were watching (and feeding) six children, I couldn't pay as close attention to the actual game as I would have liked. But I was very impressed by what I saw. They played as well as the minor league teams we have seen, and made a few big-league plays. It was great fun to watch.

And if there is a baseball stadium in the world with a more beautiful background, I'd like to see it. It was partly cloudy the night we went, so I couldn't capture the scene very well on camera. But this picture at least gives you a glimpse of the backdrop for the stadium.

A covenant reminder in the sky

Tonight about 10:45 Meredith and I saw this rainbow in the sky. It is one of the few complete rainbows I have ever seen, and it was a great sight to behold.

Meredith was able to remember the meaning of a rainbow according to the Bible. It is a sign of God's covenant promise to Noah, and to all creatures, that he will never again destroy the earth with a flood (see Genesis 9:8-17). A rainbow is a divine sign of the general grace and patience of God, who allows the world to continue in order to bring all his people to repentance and faith in Christ (2 Peter 3:9).

Tomorrow is the Lord's Day, and I will preach on true and counterfeit Christianity from Colossians 2:16-23 in the morning. In the evening, I will speak on gentleness as a fruit of the Spirit.

Professional ministry?

In some ways, serving as a pastor is a "job": the pastor has certain responsibilities to fulfill, he is paid by an employer, he is expected to have basic competence in certain skills such as public speaking. The ministry even has affinities with other professions. There are specialized skills that most pastors are expected to learn (such as Hebrew and Greek), a body of knowledge he is supposed to master, and he is part of an identifiable "guild" of fellow practitioners in his field.

But there is nothing more deadly to the true ministry of the gospel than for a pastor to approach his calling as a mere job, or to only practice his chosen profession. In fact, there is no such thing as a professional pastor. This is the point John Piper drives home in his book written for pastors, "Brothers, We are Not Professionals." He says on the first page:

"We pastors are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry. The mentality of the professional is not the mentality of the prophet. It is not the mentality of the slave of Christ. Professionalism has nothing to do with the essence and heart of the Christian ministry. The more professional we long to be, the more spiritual death we will leave in our wake. For there is no professional childlikeness (Matt. 18:3); there is no professional tenderheartedness (Eph. 4:32); there is no professional panting after God (Ps. 42:1)."

It's writing like this that makes me like John Piper. He makes his points clearly and forcefully. I found myself encouraged and challenged with nearly every chapter I read of this book. And often convicted. The temptation a pastor faces, as I've experienced the ministry, is not so much to fail to do the job, but to just do "the job".

Which is why I need to read books like Piper's. I am reminded of what God has called me to do: not to make a living, but to make Jesus Christ known to others for their salvation and joy. No one is sufficient for this, but God has chosen the weak and frail instruments of human ministers to make God's Word known, both his Word of warning and his Word of promise and hope.

If you are a pastor, I recommend this book for you. If you are a Presbyterian pastor like myself, you will not agree with all the particulars of Piper's vision for ministry. But you would do well to hear his reminder to you that you haven't been hired by the church to be their pastor, but called by the Holy Spirit to be Christ's instrument for eternal redemption. And there's no better job than that!

Exploring Alaska

One of the enjoyable things of moving to a new place is the opportunity to explore the area. Alaska is so huge, and there is so much to see and do, I don't think it is possible for anyone to explore it all, no matter how long they live here.

Today we took the kids to a trail just outside of Anchorage for a little hike. The skies were clear and the temperature was just right - a glorious summer day in Alaska! From the trail, which overlooks Cook Inlet, we were able to see Mt. McKinley in the distance. If you look closely at this picture, you can see the peak on the right.

About a mile and a half down the trail, we stopped and had lunch. A German tourist asked me to take a picture of him and his wife. His English was not great, so all he was able to communicate to me, other than asking me to take their picture, was that Germany was ten hours ahead of us and they are now sleeping. He put his head on top of his two hands, palm to palm, which is the international sign for "asleep"!

Just behind us on the trail was a major airport, presumably mostly for cargo traffic judging by the planes flying above us. Every five minutes or so, a jet would roar overhead, on its way to some distant locale. It is amazing how busy the skies are in Alaska. In addition to the jets right on top of us, there were passenger airliners landing at Anchorage International Airport, military planes flying to or from Elmendorf Air Force Base, and the occasional floatplane or other small craft buzzing around in the skies.

Here is a picture of Anchorage. One couple we met on the trail, who were transplants from Long Island and had lost none of the accent, called it "an ugly city in a beautiful place." Some Alaskans might disagree with the first part, but there is no question about the second; this is truly a beautiful place.

Bear Paw

"Bear Paw" is the name of an annual festival that takes place each year in Eagle River, the town where we are currently living. This morning we took part in some of the activities.

I ran a 5K race while Robyn watched the kids. She had a greater endurance test than I did. First, for about 10 minutes leading up to the start, Meredith was in tears and near hysterics because of the fact a gun would be shot to begin the race. Then, as soon as the race started (thankfully with a very quiet gun), Sander began bawling because he also wanted to "take the race." After he got over that disappointment, the girls had to go to the bathroom. So, between traumatized children and potty breaks, Robyn saw none of the actual race.

Which is fine with me. I'm definitely not the runner I used to be. Not that I was ever anything special, but I would have run the same distance at least five minutes faster in college. Every time I run a road race like this, I think to myself, "Wouldn't it be fun to devote myself daily to training and see if I can get back to anything near my previous speed?" Then reality hits: too little time and too many more important things to do. And there's that little aging thing, too!

After the race, we watched a parade. It was a typical small-town parade like you would find anywhere in the U.S. One difference was that it is the middle of summer but everyone was wearing long pants and jackets. Then we had lunch. I had a Philly cheese steak sandwich. With the caveat that it is impossible to have an authentic Philly cheese steak anywhere outside of Philly, it was pretty good. Robyn went native and had a salmon quesadilla.

Tomorrow is the Lord's Day. I will preach on the meaning of Christian baptism in the morning, and on faithfulness - God's and ours (or our lack of?) - in the evening.

"The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

One of the books I've listed below in my reading pile is "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok. Robyn and I read through this book together, usually on Monday nights after the kids were in bed. I would read, and Robyn would knit. We finished it this past Monday.

The story is about two high-school Jewish boys living in Brooklyn during and after the years of World War II. One is the son of a secular Jewish scholar, and the other the son of a respected Hasidic rabbi. The story is about the friendship they form despite the polar differences in their Jewish upbringing and training.

The author explores many different themes in the course of the novel, but I was most intrigued by his depiction of the world in which the story takes place. The country I know, the U.S., but the culture is as foreign to me as could possibly be. I've known very few Jewish people in my life, and have only seen from a distance those from the Hasidic community (I remember seeing some Hasidic families at a theme park in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. There were also several Amish families at the park. I wondered if perhaps the two groups didn't share more commonalities than differences.). So it was quite illuminating to learn about the traditions and concerns of these two groups within Judaism.

I also reflected upon the relationship between family and faith. We probably underestimate the deep influence our upbringing has on the beliefs we hold dearest to our hearts. We tend to think that we have chosen our own beliefs solely on the basis of their merits. This understanding is betrayed by those parents who say of their children, "We are not going to raise them in any one religion. When they are old enough, they can choose what religion, if any, they will believe in." But that is naive. What these parents are really teaching their children is this: religion, and by implication God, ultimately exists to serve you. They are in effect indoctrinating their children in a particular world view just as effectively as the Hasidic Jews or Amish.

If family upbringing profoundly influences our beliefs about God and ourselves, this is no accident. God created the family, and he has ordained the family as one means of bringing his people to salvation. God did not just save Abraham as a individual, but he saved him as the father of a nation. His promise was for him and his children, and his promises to those in Christ are for them and their children (Gen. 17:7, Acts 2:39). God works out his saving purpose through families. The same God who created the family before sin entered the world uses the family, now restored by grace, to bring redemption from sin and its consequences (which, incidentally, is one big reason why I believe in baptizing infants).

This is not to deny the necessity of faith, of course. It is just to say that God often engenders saving faith through ordinary means - like the influence of your parents. There are exceptions of course. Paul was saved out of a Pharisee upbringing that was probably not unlike the Hasidism in the novel. And many secular parents are surprised to find their children "getting religion". But as wonderful as God's grace is in these situations, it is no more wonderful or gracious than if he uses the simple faith of a mom and dad to reach the heart of their child with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

House - sweet Home!

It's not ours yet, but we have settled on a price with the seller. So, now it is a matter of getting to "closing". That will no doubt involve another mountain of paperwork to sign.

We had a friend of our realtor's give the house a close look-over yesterday. He has been building or remodeling homes in Alaska for about 30 years, so he has an expert eye to detect potential trouble. Thankfully, he found no major problems.

Since we've been here, we have probably looked at over a dozen houses, and many more on the internet. This house was only on the market a day (actually, back on the market) when our realtor called and said we should take a look at it. It had almost all we were hoping for in a house - plenty of bedrooms, storage space, not far from the church, etc. In an ideal world, there would be a few things different about it (for example, it would already have a yard). However, we figured out early on that the "right" house was not the perfect house, but the one with the most going for it within our budget. So, we are very excited. (I have daydreams of the snow falling gently outside on a cold winter day, and I am sitting next to the gas fireplace with a steaming cup of coffee and a good book while the children are quietly and cheerfully playing together upstairs. Sounds nice, anyway).

Looking back over the last few months, it is remarkable the way the Lord has provided for us so that we could purchase this house. Now, we are praying for his blessing that the house would not just be a roof over our heads, but would truly become a home for our family. After all, God is far more interested in the home than in the house.

My thanks to Lendall

After three years of seminary, I had the privilege to serve a year-long internship at Bethel OPC in Wheaton, IL. My supervising pastor was Rev. Lendall Smith, who had once been a missionary to Taiwan but returned some years before to serve as the pastor of that congregation. Last week Lendall retired from the ministry. I wrote him the following letter of appreciation. This may not mean as much if you have not met Lendall, but I think it is worthwhile reading as it gives you a glimpse of a man with a true pastor's heart. Here it is:

June 30, 2007

Dear Lendall,

Whenever I think of the year I spent as an intern at Bethel Presbyterian Church under your mentorship, I give thanks to God for giving me that opportunity. While my wife and I came to love the people of Bethel and immensely enjoyed the fellowship there (and still do enjoy our friendship with them), for me as a future pastor the greatest benefit of the year was witnessing up close the day to day work of a faithful gospel minister. In both the joys and challenges of pastoral ministry, you exhibited the heart of a true pastor in loving God’s people and always seeking to draw them to a closer communion with Christ.

Serving as a supervising pastor for an intern required much sacrifice of time and energy on your part. But I never sensed it was an unwanted burden for you. Rather, you not only showed genuine interest in me and my family, but you communicated to me in many ways that you sincerely desired to see me grow as a pastor. I believe this was an act of faith on your part, for in this way you were sowing seeds for the Kingdom of God that would only bear fruit in the years ahead. I am confident that the time you invested in my life, and in the lives of the other interns, will ultimately bring honor to the name of Christ as we seek to practice what we have learned from you in our own respective ministries.

I fondly remember our conversations on Tuesday mornings about the sermon I preached the previous Sunday evening. You were always encouraging in your counsel, but you did not withhold from me the helpful and necessary criticism I needed to grow as a preacher. I also remember our frequent discussions about various aspects of the gospel ministry. You said many things which still come to mind whenever I reflect on my own service as a pastor. I am also thankful for the times of prayer we shared together in the afternoons, as we interceded for one another and for the needs of the church. Of course, I also enjoyed the occasional game of golf with you! Is it possible you will be out on the course a little more often after July?

Just as profitable for me was simply watching you serve as a pastor. Your genuine care for the flock, your gentle but forthright dealings with people, your diligence in sermon preparation and study, your faithfulness in not shirking the more difficult tasks you faced as a pastor, and the many other ways you sought to “fulfill the ministry” (Col. 4:17), all provided for me a flesh and blood example of what a pastor should look like. Believe it or not, you are still teaching me in that I sometimes wonder, “How would Lendall handle this situation?” You would be last to say this, but you served Christ and His Church in such a way that you could have admonished your interns with the same words of the Apostle Paul when he told the Corinthians: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).

I know your retirement will be a loss for Bethel. But, I trust your contribution to the greater Body of Christ is far from over. May the Lord bless you and Sherrill as you continue to faithfully follow His call to serve Him with your lives, wherever that call may take you in the future.

Sincerely in Christ,

Scott

4th of July

Our July 4th was atypical - no parades and no fireworks. Instead, we had a very enjoyable time at the home of a family from church who invited us over for grilled hamburgers.

Since today is the today we celebrate our nation's freedom, I was thinking of Jesus words, "the truth will set you free" (John 6:32). It is ironic that our culture tends to equate truth claims with oppression and bondage. Truth, or at least the claim to truth, is seen to serve the interests of enslaving power. However, Jesus says the very opposite is the case. True freedom is found only where truth is believed and embraced.

And what is the truth? Jesus answers, "If you abide in my word, your are truly my disciples, and you will known the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 6:31, 32). Is Christianity, or better, belief in Jesus Christ and his word, the only way to true freedom? According to Christ it is. Freedom without truth is slavery, and captivity to the truth is freedom.

As for our nation's birthday, we should be thankful for the freedom we enjoy in this nation, and for the men and women who serve and sacrifice to preserve this liberty. No matter what happens in this world, we can never lose the perfect freedom we have in Christ. But, the freedom we enjoy to practice our faith can be lost and I am thankful for those that serve to protect it.

Iro Iro

"Iro Iro" is Japanese for "various". Below are some various items with no connection between them.

First, it is late Saturday night and tomorrow will be a long day. I will preach in the morning and then administer the Lord's Supper for the first time since we've gotten here. I'm beginning a series of sermons on the significance of the Lord's Supper which I'll preach each time we observe it for the next several months. Tomorrow's message is on the death of Christ. I find myself feeling wholly inadequate to preach on this, but who is sufficient for such things? Then, there is a short congregational meeting, followed by a time of fellowship at a family's house, followed by a prayer meeting, followed by the evening service. In the evening, I will give a message on "kindness" as the fruit of the Spirit.

On Monday morning, we are hoping to make an offer on the Craig Stadler house (see previous blog entry). We are excited about it, but realize (in our minds at least, if not always in our hearts) that God is sovereign over this, as well.

I met an elder for lunch the other day and among other things, we spoke about guns. Many people carry some kind of firearm when they go hiking into the woods, and he (along with most Alaskans) recommends I do the same thing. He's taught gun safety classes so he's ready to train me in the proper use of handling and firing a deadly weapon. It sounds like a good idea to me. While the chance of actually being attacked by a bear is quite remote, it would give me some peace of mind to know that at least I would have a chance to survive. And, I've always wanted to say, "Go ahead, make my day".

Finally, I've been delighted to happen upon my daughter from time to time reading the Bible. She is an eager Bible student, which warms the heart of this pastor. I also like the way she enjoys singing hymns around the house. Don't misunderstand; she's not ready for sainthood just yet, but it is great to see her interested in the things of God.

Bear!

We knew we were in Alaska when we saw a small black bear sauntering across the backyard late Sunday night. He walked past the swingset (gulp!), around the side of the house, across the front walk, and then he trotted off into the woods.

Then we saw a much larger bear the next day, but this time it was nowhere near the house. We took a day trip down to Alyeska, which is a ski resort town south of Anchorage. Just before beginning a two-mile hike, we saw this big fella crossing the road and walking into the woods. Then, after we started the hike, we spotted him again about 30 yards down the trail. This got our hearts pumping a little. We were sure to make a lot of noise the rest of the hike, which is a piece of cake with four children six and under.

On another topic, our house-hunting continues. We've probably looked at a dozen so far. This evening we got a call from our realtor, Terry (who also is a member of the church), about a house that just became available today and would suit our needs quite well. We drove out to Wasilla, took a look at it, and liked what we saw. One interesting fact about the house is the address: 880 N. Craig Stadler. That's correct, "Craig Stadler", as in the golfer, as in "The Walrus." I wonder if he knows he has a street named after him in Wasilla, Alaska? All of the street names in that neighborhood are golfers: Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, etc. Robyn recognized exactly zero of the names. But, she does know who Tiger Woods is.

Summer Solstice

Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Here in Wasilla, the sun will set tonight at 11:42 p.m. It will rise again in the morning at 4:19 a.m. But even during those hours it will be more or less light outside, like a long dusk.

Our time in Alaska has gone well so far. But we have only been here just under three weeks, so that we often catch ourselves saying, "I can't believe we actually live here!" I sometimes think that one morning I'll wake up back in Norman after having this dream in which we moved to Alaska. Because it is so far away and so different from other places we've lived, it feels like we've moved to another country at times. Apparently we are not the first to feel this way. A sign posted at the hotel in Tok said, "Alaska - The Last Foreign Country Still Friendly to Americans."

But we are thoroughly enjoying it here so far. I love the sight of the mountains, the occasional moose sightings, and hearing people talk about how "hot" it is at 75 degrees (to be sure, 75 degrees in the sun here feels much warmer than the same temperature in other places we've lived). I also enjoy the coffee kiosks on nearly every corner. I've become hooked on Americanos (an Americano is just a shot of espresso mixed with piping hot water. I like them because they are hot, strong, and cheap).

I'm enjoying preaching at Grace. I was just speaking to another minister about how preaching to a larger congregation is easier than to a small one (the church here usually has about 90 to 100 people present on Sunday mornings). One might think the opposite is the case; the fewer people, the less stress on the speaker. But actually for some reason, the more people there are, the more enjoyable the experience.

As I am just beginning my ministry here, I am reminded of something one of my former mentor-pastors said to me. He said that in the ministry, you must take a long-term view of things. Real change and real fruit will take years to come. The Spirit will work through the means of grace, but his timetable is often much longer than ours. This is good to remember when the press of each week's duties intensifies; I may be anxious about this Sunday's sermon or tomorrow's appointment, but God's time-horizon stretches far beyond the immediate. So I pray that the little I do each day will culminate into a ministry that bears fruit over the long-haul, and ultimately for eternity.

Alaska - our new home

We've only been here a week, so there are times when I look around and tell myself, "I can't believe this is where I live!" I'm sure the novelty will wear off sooner or later, but for now everything feels very new to us.

One thing that reminds me that Alaska is a unique place is the fact that in one week's time we haven't seen darkness yet. It is light when we go to bed (even as late as midnight), it is light when we wake up. If it is getting dark sometime in the night, we haven't been awake to see it. Thankfully, it hasn't disturbed our sleep at all!

We are learning a little bit about what it means to be a pilgrim people, as we are planning to live in three different houses over the next few months. First, we are staying in a beautiful house in a secluded setting in nearby Palmer. The family who owns this home is away on vacation and kindly offered us to house sit for them. Not only is the house comfortable, but we have had a couple of fun moose sightings while we've been here (this definitely makes us newbies to Alaska - people who have lived here a while don't get excited about seeing moose).

Next, we are going to house sit for another family who lives in Eagle River, which is actually closer to Anchorage than it is to Wasilla. It will make for long commutes to the church, but should be a good arrangement for both us and the family that owns the house. Then, a woman who lives near the church has offered to have us stay with her for a time. Again, a very gracious offer for which we are thankful. She has two young children so the kids will love it. Her husband is in the military and currently serving in Iraq.

We are now looking for a house to buy so we can quit our nomadic lifestyle. It is a good time to purchase a home here in Alaska, since supply seems to be greater than demand.

I've unpacked my boxes for my office at church and have officially "moved in". I have met with some folks in the church and have cracked open a few books for study. It feels good to be engaged in ministry again after a month or so of being in transition.

Day Nineteen - Wasilla, AK

We made it! Technically, we are not yet in Wasilla, but in the neighboring town of Palmer. A family from the church here has graciously allowed us to house sit for them until they return from vacation later this month. But, the driving is finished, and by the grace of God, we made it here with our bodies and minds intact (mostly).

Today was not the easiest day of the trip, though. It began with another early-morning Maggie throw-up. This time it happened at 4:40 a.m. We got up, dressed the kids, packed the car, ate breakfast, and finally hit the road about 8:00 a.m.

The drive started out fine until Meredith threw up...in the car. However, I was able to find a plastic bag, open it up, and shove it in front of Meredith's face just in the nick time. I don't think I've ever moved that fast in my life. But there's something about a child on the verge of vomiting that makes the adreline surge.

So Meredith's clothes, the surrounding toys and books, and the car were all spared by the bag. Actually, the credit goes to Meredith herself for her self-control. I am very grateful that we avoided what could have been a real mess.

Soon after that episode, we hit road construction that slowed us down considerably, even forcing us to stop at one point for about 20 minutes. Under usual circumstances, it wouldn't have been so bad except that we were just a few hours away, we were all tired, and some of us were sick. I think we pushed the poor kids to the limits of their physical ability. But, as we say in our family, they were real "troopers" during the entire trip.

I just checked our trip odometer and it reads 5,678 miles. I set it at "0" when we pulled out of the driveway in Norman. That included some side trips, of course. But it is still our family's record for driving. We drove about 5,000 miles a couple of summers ago for a vacation. I don't believe we are going to top this one anytime soon. If we do, it'll be in about 20 years.

Now we are here, and are excited about the days ahead. Tomorrow is our first day at Grace OPC in Wasilla, so my pastorate here is about to begin. I have believed that our coming here has been by the leading of God. Now I am anxiously looking forward to see how he may use me, and our family, here in this church and in this part of the world.

Day Eighteen - Tok, Alaska

We have finally made it to Alaska! The place we are staying at tonight is located on Mile 1314 of the Alaska Highway. Although the highway goes on for a little while longer into Alaska, this is our stopping off point. So we drove a little over 1,300 miles on the Alcan. A long drive, but it is hard to imagine a more beautiful one.

The day started early at 5:00 a.m. with a wake-up call in the form of Maggie throwing up. Thankfully, that was her last time to get sick, but Sander picked up the baton later at lunch time, throwing up at a rest area. I have to give the kid some credit - at least he did it after he got out of the Suburban (whether that was planned or not is another question).

I am amazed that no one, including Robyn and myself, got sick in the car today. For about 300 miles, the road was extremely bumpy. The bumps were not small ones like speed bumps or potholes, but more like tiny hills. So for hours the car went up and down like a ship on the high seas. Since our belongings travelled down the same road in the moving truck, we are wondering how all the china held up.

We went through customs today with no problem. After I explained who we were, and what we were doing going into Alaska, the border patrol officer interviewed Meredith to verify my story. Meredith did an excellent job answering all of her questions, confirming for the officer that she was in fact our daughter, the other children in the car were in fact our children, and that the dog was in fact our dog.

Meredith was genuinely excited to be here. She said after we crossed the border, "I can't believe we are finally in Alaska!"

We have enjoyed the drive and the scenery. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But, we are glad tomorrow is our last day on the road. The hours in the car take a toll both on us and on the little ones. But it is not as though we have merely survived; the trip has been alot of fun, and we will have good memories of it for years to come.

Day Seventeen - Teslin, Yukon Territory

I was looking forward to the drive today, and was not disappointed. The further north and west we travel, the more beautiful the scenery becomes. It seems that just as we pass one majestic mountain range, an even more majestic range looms directly ahead. We pass ice-blue mountain lakes, gently flowing rivers, and miles and miles of unbroken forest. We have marveled at the beauty of God's creation.

This morning's highlight was a bonanza of wildlife sightings. To make things more interesting, we decided this morning to make a game of seeing wild animals, assigning point values to each species. So, a black bear is 15 points, a deer 5 points, a caribou 10 points, etc. The jackpot would be to see Sasquatch, which we set at 1,000,000 points. At first, the animals were far and few between, so we started giving ourselves points for the more mundane species: 5 points for a rabbit and 3 for a squirrel. Then the animals started coming out in masse. We saw caribou, black bear, and a whole flock of mountain sheep. And, so as not to leave our wildlife "hunt" incomplete, a big moose made an appearance. At the end of the day, we racked up 435 points. Our goal was 500, but we did much better than I had really thought we would.

We had lunch at this interesting place. Somehow the idea caught on to pilfer the place signs of one's community and nail them to a post in a small outpost town in the Yukon. Now there are thousands of such signs from all over the world. The only sign I found of any place I lived was one for Amarillo, Texas.

This picture is from this "sign forest". It was taken literally moments before Maggie threw up. The cause was probably just too many miles and too much sugar. Thankfully, she's doing fine now. I read in the museum next to this park the incredible hardships the men who built the Alaska Highway had to endure: mosquitos and flies in the summer, sub-zero temps in the winter, and generally tough conditions all-year round. I thought, "Sure, but how many of them had to deal with a throwing-up 4-year-old, a panicky 6-year old, a stinky 2-year old, and a fussy newborn all at the same time?" Alright, it's not really comparable, but travelling long distances with young ones can be quite challenging at times.

For dinner, we treated ourselves to a meal in a restaurant. This is actually the first time we've eaten out in Canada; until now we've been eating hotel continental breakfasts and sandwhiches. We found a great restaurant up the road from our hotel that had a daily salmon bake. The bonus was a trip on a houseboat included with the price of the meal. When I asked the girls what their favorite part of the day was, both of them said the ride on the houseboat. Now if we could only get a car as big as that boat, this drive would be no problem!

Day Sixteen - Fort Nelson, British Columbia

With each passing day, Alaska draws closer and closer as we keep heading northwest. Today we arrived at "Mile O" of the Alaska Highway, which will take us all the way to Tok, Alaska, on Friday night. The Alaska Highway, or "Alcan", was built during WWII out of military necessity since there was no land route to Alaska. Some of the people we've talked to about it have driven it when it was still unpaved, but thankfully it is paved all the way today. This picture is the monument that marks the beginning of the highway at Dawson Creek, BC.

We made it to Mile 300 today, to Fort Nelson. The drive was beautiful; it took us through the Northern Rockies and many times afforded postcard views of still-snow-capped mountains. The highlight of the day was seeing a mother Black Bear with two cubs. I pulled over and took this picture of them - at a safe distance, of course! The scary moment of the day was braking suddenly to avoid hitting a deer in the middle of the road. Thankfully for him and for us, he darted out of the way of our car.

We were surprised how warm it was. It hit the high seventies today, which around here is considered "hot" (the motel clerk warned me this morning that it was going to be hot today, 27 degrees, but that figure didn't really register with me!).

The kids are holding up, but we're trying to find ways of releasing some of the pent-up energy from sitting for hours in their car seats. Today we took them on a forced march around the hotel, along with plenty of "the last one to such-and-such is a rotten egg" races. Meredith has decided she doesn't mind being the rotten egg.

We're going to try and get an early start in the morning. I can't wait to see what the Alcan has in store for us tomorrow.

Days Fourteen and Fifteen - Calgary and Valleyview, AB

Oh, Canada! Our trek to Alaska took us across international borders yesterday as we drove into Alberta, Canada from Montana. The border crossing was very easy; the friendly border agent asked us a couple of questions, looked at our driver's licenses and the childrens' birth certificates, and waved us through. They must not have seen Brinkley in the back, or they did and didn't care, because they didn't ask to see the official letter from the vet that she was current on her rabies shot. My parents, in the car behind us with three of our children, had no problems either. The only potential trouble was a caterpillar that Meredith had caught earlier that day. She told my parents, "Tell them about the caterpillar." They didn't, and there was no search of the car, so off we went into the Great White North with the possible contraband.

We drove north to Calgary, taking a scenic route that skirted the Rocky Mountains to the west. It would have been far more scenic had the clouds lifted, but it was a beautiful drive nonetheless through rugged ranch country.

On the whole, Calgary, or at least the little we saw of it, looked like any American city with all the familiar brand names - Home Depot, Starbucks, Wal-Mart, etc. One difference was the total absence of billboards. Although I have no problems with advertising, I have to admit it was nice not being bombarded with giant signs along the roadside.

My parents continued with us today until lunch time, which was spent at a rest area just south of Edmonton (which, by the way, is the proud home of the supposedly largest mall in the world; just because the Canadians ban billboards does not mean they are opposed to all forms of crass materialism!). Then we said our goodbyes, and the six of us continued north while Gran and Papa Paul headed back home to Missoula. They were a great help to us in driving with the kids for a day and a half to give us a bit of stress relief.

This afternoon we drove past Edmonton and headed west, then northwest, to a small town called Valleyview. We are not yet on the Alaska Highway, but we are definitely approaching the more isolated parts of Canada. We are seeing fewer and fewer vehicles on the road.

What we have found in abundance, though, are mosquitos. Since we are heading to Alaska with their legendary mosquitos, I imagine it is only going to get worse from here.

This is the only picture I've taken in Canada so far! Maybe if we run out of gas sometime, Brinkely could give us a pull? If so, she'll be ready for the Iditarod!

Days Twelve and Thirteen - Missoula, Montana

We've had two activity-packed and enjoyable days in Missoula. It's been nice to stay put in one place for a couple of days, but we are eager to hit the road in the morning and begin the long drive north. Including miscellaneous driving here and there, we've logged nearly 3,000 miles on the Suburban since we pulled out of our driveway in Norman. With about 2,400 miles between us and Wasilla, we are over the hump and on the downhill side of the trip. However, the road ahead may be the most challenging yet - hundreds of lonely miles through the Canadian wilderness on the Alaska highway.

I've had the vehicle looked over by my cousin Sarah's mechanic husband Josh. Not only that, but he gave me a quick tutorial on how to replace the serpentine belt just in case it breaks somewhere out in the Yukon. I told him, "I think I can handle that." Pray that I won't have to try!

We are excited about starting the trip in the morning, but we will leave with some great memories of our short time here.

On Saturday morning, my mom, Robyn, and I all participated in a 5K run/walk in Missoula. Some things are just too good to be true. First, my time was under 18 minutes, faster than I had run in years. Second, I got first place in my age division. Now the catch: the course was at least half a mile short (really, a "4K"), and I am pretty sure I was the only runner in my age division. But hey, what a confidence booster!

In the afternoon, Robyn and I took the kids to the Carousel in Missoula. This place is special for us, as the original ride director was my great uncle Ron, who passed away a few years ago. Eight years ago, he gave us a private tour of the Carousel, including a free ride. His memory lives on there, as his image is part of the mural painted on the inner part of the carousel.

Later, we a had a family cookout and campfire at a local park. What a wonderful oppurtinity to see many relatives I had not seen in years. The fuel for the fire was almost entirely scraps from my mom's past woodworking projects, projects that make up many of the furnishings of our house (or rather, that make up many of the items packed on a truck currently located who-knows-where).

This morning, we worshipped at Garden City Presbyterian Church in Missoula. The pastor, Ron McKenzie, was a tremendous influence in my journey from new Christian to pastor. He is still there, faithfully ministering the Word to his small flock. Ron preached an excellent message from Acts 16 on prayerfully submitting to God's leading in our Christian service, not imposing our own agendas on God's plan. He said much more, of course, all of which was good food for thought and reflection as I prepare to serve the congregation in Wasilla.

One highlight of our visit here has been meeting Robyn's brother Joseph and his wife Tuan, and their one-year old Lily. They treated us to a sushi dinner tonight. Just tasting the food brought back memories of living in Japan.

Today is a very special day because it was exactly seven years ago that I married Robyn. I am telling the truth when I say that it has been the best seven years of my life. God has blessed me beyond all deserving in giving me such a godly and beautiful woman as my wife.

I joked with Robyn earlier, saying that after giving it much thought, my anniversary present to her would be a trip to Alaska and we are leaving in the morning. Thankfully, she's used to this kind of humor by now.

Days Ten and Eleven - Missoula, MT

We made it to Missoula about dinnertime on Thursday night. It's great to be back here after a two-year absence. In this picture, you'll see the damage we did to the nice clean bedroom my parents had waiting for us. Here's what'll happen to your house if the Johnsons come visiting!

The highlight of the day was the hotel we found in Billings. After hearing the cost of a room at the La Quinta (Spanish for, "overpriced"), we checked out a local place across the street. What a bargain! Not only was it almost half the price, but it was clean, roomy, and dog-friendly. On top of that, a hot breakfast from a restaurant next door was included. Since it was a bar/casino and minors were not allowed inside of it, I had to pick up the breakfast and bring it back to the room. It took a medium-sized box to fit it all (I found myself thinking, "hmm...we should save this box for packing...wait a minute, we don't need boxes anymore!). Anyway, nothing like a good bargain to warm the hearts of these penny-pinchers.

Today was spent in Missoula. Robyn and I are sitting right now in a coffee shop writing out this blog. They are about to close in five minutes, so I'll make this to the point: Scott - golf with Dad, Robyn - watching kids, Kids - finding worms and meeting next door neighbor's rabbit. There is more but I better wrap this up!

Here is a picture of one of the hummingbird feeders my parents have behind their house. One of the little birds even landed on my finger for a second!

Day Nine - Billings, Montana

The Johnsons keep trucking. We logged 665 miles today, driving from Fergus Falls, Minnesota, to Billings, Montana. Lord willing, we'll be in Missoula sometime tomorrow.

Lunch was challenging. We exited off the highway at Dickinson, North Dakota, to find some kind of covered area for a picnic lunch since it was raining off and on. We found a nice pavillion in the middle of a large grassy park that gave us some shelter from the wind and rain. The only problem was that for some reason the closest parking space was about 100 yards away. So we heard some tearful complaining as we forced the kids to walk through the cold wind to the picnic area.

On top of that, the break took far longer than we expected (though we should expect it by now) because of all the usual activities: nursing Moriah, walking the dog, changing diapers, taking kids to the bathroom, etc. Nearly three hours later everyone is fed, pottied, cleaned, and we are ready to hit the road again.

And we do hit the road, for all of 10 miles. At that point Maggie announced that she really had to go to the bathroom. So, we pulled over to a visitor center in the Badlands to take care of Maggie. But, while we're there, Robyn realizes that Moriah is actually ready to nurse again! So, she nurses Moriah, we all go potty again, and we're ready to go. It's here at the visitor center that we saw this big guy lounging next to the parking lot. He's our first wildlife sighting.

The only problem with the stop is that Maggie couldn't really go after all. So, we try again about 50 miles later. Again, no dice. She finally succeeds later after dinner.

Speaking of dinner, we returned to a steak restaurant that Robyn and I discovered in Miles City, Montana, four years ago. It's called the "Boardwalk Restaurant" and is a local favorite, judging by how busy it was. If you are ever driving through Montana, be sure to stop there for dinner. Everything about it is unpretentious and the food is great. Plus, they give free cheeseburgers for kids and free ice cream for every diner.

We spent most of the day driving straight into a very strong wind. I calculated our miles per gallon in one stretch to be just under 12!

After tomorrow we'll have a break from driving for a few days as we visit family and friends in Missoula. This is good, since the level of toys, books, jackets, empty water bottles, etc., is steadily rising in our Suburban. A few more days without repacking everything and it will be about the level of our eyes.

It was a long day of driving and we are all ready for the much shorter day on the road tomorrow.

Day Eight - Fergus Falls, MN

We made it to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, tonight after a smooth day of driving. The highlight of the trip was listening to "How to Eat Fried Worms," one of the many books-on-tape we brought along for on-board enterntainment. In fact, most of our luggage consists of books, toys, and other diversions for the kids.

We've travelled over 1,800 miles so far, although not all of those have been on the highway. Overall, the children are doing great. It's not easy being a young kid overflowing with energy but confined to a car seat for hours at a time! As for Brinkley, she's just happy being along for the ride.

Tomorrow is a long day of driving - a little over 600 miles to our destination, Billings, Montana. Our plan is to start early and hit Miles City, Montana, by dinnertime so we can eat at a little mom and pop restaraunt we discovered there a few years ago. If it's half as good as I remember it, it'll be a treat!

Days Five - Seven, Shawano, WI

Day Five of our excellent adventure began with a visit to Grandy, Robyn's grandfather. We are thankful that he is out of the hospital and slowly but surely gaining strength. After our visit with him, we drove north from Wheaton to Shawano, Wisconsin. The worst part of the trip was getting gas; I paid $3.47 per gallon in Chicago. I never thought I'd be hoping that gas would get "cheaper" than $3.00 a gallon, but what can you do about it?


Shawano is a small town half a hour west of Green Bay. My wife Robyn grew up here. The first thing you should know about the town is that it is not pronounced "Sha-wa-no", but "Shaw-no". It has a silent "wa". And while I'm on the subject of place-name pronunciation in the Dairy State, you should know that it's not "Green Bay", but "Green Bay". True cheese-heads always accent the "Bay", not the "Green". My wife schooled me in these things soon after we met.

After arriving to Shawano, we ate dinner at Luigi's, a local pizza place. Here in America's heartland, there is a seeming abundance of ethnic restaurants. We've had breakfast at a Mexican place, and dinner at Italian and Chinese restaurants. But we didn't miss out on local fare entirely; at a church luncheon on Sunday, a very Wisconsin snack, cheese curds, was served.

We spent the night at the house of Robyn's dad, a.k.a Papa Joe.

On Day Six, Sunday, we went to church with Robyn's mom. There are two OPC churches in the area that are very unique. Both consist primarily of Native Americans. One, Old Stockbridge OPC, has historically been made up of the tribe by that name. The Old Stockbridge people were originally evangelized in part by Jonathan Edwards way back in the 18th century. The other church, Menominee OPC, ministers to the Menominee people nearby. (We worshipped Sunday at Old Stockbridge, but a few years ago I had the privilege to preach at the other church. I understood quickly that I was in a cross-cultural setting when I saw a boy about 12 in the congregation wearing a T-shirt that featured pictures of three famous Indian chiefs and read, "Homeland Security...Fighting Terrorism since 1492"!)

After an edifying worship service and delightful time of fellowship, Robyn's mom hosted us for lunch along with Robyn's brother's future wife and in-laws. This picture was taken right next to her cottage on the Red River.

Today, Day Seven, began with breakfast with Robyn's dad and his girlfriend Pattie. Then, we spent the rest of the day at a local state park with our friends Karl and Allison and their three young children. Karl is the pastor of both the churches above, and is faithful and beloved minister of the two flocks. With seven children and four adults, we found ourselves playing zone defense - keeping the children from falling into the water, prodding along the stragglers, and generally trying to prevent the usual mischief.

Tomorrow begins our serious push west as we set out for Missoula, Montana. We are hoping to get as far as Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

Day Four - Lombard/Wheaton, IL

Today was uneventful as far as travel goes. We mainly visited people in the area.

First, the whole gang invaded Grandy's hospital room at Du Page Hospital to see him there. The good news is that he was feeling better and was discharged later in the afternoon. Then, I had lunch with my former pastor/mentor under whom I served as an intern for one year at Bethel OPC in Wheaton. It was great to catch up with Lendall and John, who is also a former intern there.

Finally, tonight I spent some time with Rob, a friend from Japan. He's just finished law school and is starting a job at a firm in Chicago this fall.

It's now almost 12:30 a.m. so I will keep this short and sweet. Tomorrow the travels begin again. We are heading north to Wisconsin to visit Robyn's family there for a few days.

Day Three - Lombard/Wheaton, IL

Today was a break from driving. We spent time with our friends in Lombard, and some time with Robyn's family in Wheaton.

Robyn's aunt, grandfather, and cousin are all suffering from one sort of ailment or another. Aunt Ginny is recovering from hip replacement surgery earlier this week, Grandy is in the hospital with dehydration, and cousin Shannon came home early from school sick. Health is something we take for granted until we don't have it. I hope we leave them in better shape than we've found them.

This time on the road has afforded me the opportunity to hear some of the "darndest things" our kids say. Here is one from Meredith today:

"Dad, I spend so much time holding Moriah, or reading a book to Sander, or playing with Maggie, or telling Brinkley to come inside - will I ever get old enough that I can just relax a little bit?" Nobody said being the six and having three younger siblings was going to be a bed of roses!

Day Two, Lombard, IL - Slow going

I'm writing this at 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday night, or Thursday morning to be accurate. We made it to Chicago after a long day on the road.

The highlight of the day was meeting an old high school friend in St. Louis, Rob. We met him at Ted Drewes, a locally famous frozen custard place. I haven't seen Rob for about 15 years or so. He looks older, of course, but still seems to be the same guy I knew in high school. He has a full head of hair, so naturally I resent him for that.

Robyn and I were just talking with our gracious hostess, Kristy, about how our stops add so much time to our driving. A normal person could have traveled the distance we did in about 11 hours or so. It took us 16 hours. We are the model of inefficiency:

First stop - nurse the baby, walk the dog, buy coffee, take the kids to the bathroom. 30 minutes.
Second stop - exit highway to search car for missing driver's license and Visa. Thankfully, they were found. 10 minutes.
Third stop - go to Wal-mart to call Rob and let him know we are running late. Leave two messages on two answering machines, one of which required phone card located in Suburban circling the parking lot. 20 minutes.
Fourth stop - meet Rob at Ted Drewes, nurse the baby, take the kids to the bathroom, make picnic lunch, order frozen custard, go to park to eat frozen custard, walk the dog, get gas, make two phone calls to Chicago to let people know we are running late. 2 hours, 45 minutes.
Fifth stop - visit downtown Sprinfield, Illinois, to find a "Taste of Chicago" fair heard on radio, find out it wasn't really open to the general public, go to first restaurant, hear about 45 minute wait, go to second restaurant and eat. 2 hours.
Sixth stop - exit highway to take Maggie to the bathroom, discover she can't go after all. 15 minutes.

Oh well, better late than never.

Day One – Joplin, Missouri

Today we are officially “homeless”. We loaded all of our belongings onto the moving truck and we returned the house keys back to our landlord.

Nearly everything went smoothly. The Bogert family arrived with their tractor-trailer in the morning, and with their help and the help of my parents and many friends, all the furniture and boxes were carefully and tightly packed onto the truck.

If you’re into packing, like my dad, you’ll be interested to see that even the car was put on the trailer.

Moving is just not something you do by yourself. You need the help of others, and we were blessed to have so many lend a hand to us today.

I said “nearly” everything went smoothly. The only mishap occurred when I neglected to properly secure the lid to the car-top carrier on our Suburban. As my mom was driving north on I-35 to drop off our kids at a friend's house, the lid opened up and luggage began flying off the car onto the highway. Another driver signaled to her the problem, and no sooner had she pulled over to see what was wrong when another driver pulled over with the lost luggage he had picked up for her.

Thanks to the kindness of these people, my mom not only pulled over before more luggage was lost, but she also recovered the two that had flown off the car. Thanks to the goodness of God, the flying bags didn’t cause an accident. A potential disaster was averted.

It was a good lesson to learn. I think I’ll be extra careful in securing it for the rest of the trip. Otherwise, we may have left a trail of underwear and socks on the highways up to Alaska. Someone mentioned that at least that would have made it easy to find our way back.

We covered 257 miles today. Robyn pointed out that we were already 1/20^th of the way there!

Day Zero

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

As he reflected on his life and many experiences, Solomon wrote these words to express one key lesson he learned on the way - in life timing is everything. There is a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to pluck up what is planted, a time to mourn, a time to dance, a time to seek, and a time to lose, a time to keep, and a time to cast away, and so on and so on.

Timing is everything. More accurately, God's timing is everything. In his gracious providence he leads and guides his people through those changes he has planned for us from all eternity.

In God's providence, he has led our family to a time of change. Having accepted a call to minister to a congregation in Wasilla, Alaska, we have sensed God's guidance in our lives. We are leaving behind a ministry, and a life, in Norman, Oklahoma, in order to begin a new ministry and life in Alaska. In many small ways, the Lord has confirmed to us his hand in this move. All of the pieces have fallen into place for us, and we are now prepared to load our worldly treasures onto a moving truck and set out for the long drive to Alaska.

My parents, who have more experience moving than most, and who work harder than most, drove down from Montana to help us pack. We couldn't have done it without their help. The garage is now full of boxes and stuff, and we are tying up the loose ends of packing. Tomorrow morning, Lord willing, the moving truck will arrive and we will begin our long journey from OK to AK.

As you think of it, please pray for our safety during the next two and a half weeks. And as we are driving with four children six and under, and a dog, pray for our sanity as well!

I hope to maintain regular updates on this blog about our trip to the The Last Frontier. I am also hoping to take some pictures along the way to share with you.

Timing is everything, and it is almost time for bed. Stay tuned for more updates.

An odd Saturday night

The night was odd because I was not preparing a sermon for Sunday morning. It is a rare Sunday that I am not in the pulpit, so this evening has felt a bit strange for me.

But it has been a busy day nevertheless. My parents arrived earlier in the week and they have been helping us with all the packing we need to do for the big move on Tuesday. So, I've spent most of the day either packing up stuff, moving stuff, or throwing away stuff. I think the last is my favorite!

I sometimes cannot believe that by this time next month, if all goes according to plan, we will be living in Alaska! I sometimes forget in the midst of the stress of packing that we are making a very big move.

It is during these times of change and busyness that I often feel spiritually dry. With so much to do, and so much to preoccupy my thoughts, it is almost impossible for me to carve out time for prayer, reading, and meditation. And even if I do carve out the time, my mind refuses to think of anything else but what needs to get done that day.

But I know the Lord is with his people in all the various seasons of their lives, even in those times when the press and pull of life seems to sap the desire for spiritual things. It is a wonderful truth that God never leaves nor forsakes those he has set apart in inherit eternal life in Christ. I believe this, but do I live out of this belief?

"I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24)

Less than a week to go.

After months of planning, the date of our departure for Alaska is now very near - less than a week away. Our family has lived in Norman, Oklahoma for just over 3 1/2 years now. In that time, we've added two children (our "Okies") and one dog. So, we are leaving a bit bigger as a family, and a bit more tired and stressed as parents.

As excited as we are about this opportunity for service up north, there are some things I am going to miss about living in Norman. It goes without saying I will miss the friends we have made here. The hardest part about moving away is saying goodbye to them. But, other than friends, here are some things I'll miss (in no particular order):

1. Golf in January. I'm pretty sure this is out of the question in Alaska. However, I was told there is a golf tournament held each winter up there on a frozen lake.

2. OU football. We never actually got to see a game, but it's been fun to root for the Sooners.

3. Rusty's frozen custard. Next to Ted Drewes in St. Louis, the best I've had.

4. Oklahoma Redhawks baseball. Nearly everywhere we've lived, there has been a minor-league baseball team to watch. Great professional baseball at a fraction of the cost of going to the big-league parks.

5. Convenience galore. We live 2 minutes from the mall, the bank, the vet, Sam's Club, Blockbuster, Borders, Kinkos, Starbucks, a grocery store, and a gas station that sells cheap gas. We're about 5 minutes from Wal-mart and a host of restaurants too many to list. We've enjoyed having almost everything we need practically next door.

These are just a few things that come to mind. When you include the friendly people, a person could a lot worse than making Norman his home.

I do believe the Lord in his providence is calling me to serve the church in Wasilla, and is leading our family to live and minister there. So, I am very excited about the move, and am looking forward to beginning my gospel labors there. It's just that I'll miss some of the little things about life in Norman.

Heaven.....Boring?

Once a week, I meet with a friend, Bob, at Starbucks to discuss 25 pages or so of the "Institutes of the Christian Religion" by John Calvin. Before Bob arrived I read the following quote on my cup of piping-hot Columbian:

The Way I See It #230

Heaven is totally overrated. It seems boring. Clouds, listening to people play the harp. It should be somewhere you can't wait to go, like a luxury hotel. Maybe blue skies and soft music were enough to keep people in line in the 17th Century, but Heaven has to step it up a bit. They're basically getting by because they only have to be better than Hell.

—Joel Stein, columnist for the Los Angeles Times.

Now, it isn't worth getting too out of joint about Mr. Stein's thoughts on celestial matters. It's a catchy blurb on a coffee cup and is surely not meant to be a serious reflection on Christian teaching. It's short and provocative, perfect reading material for the caffeine-addled.

Maybe Mr. Stein has reflected on the Scriptures' teaching on heaven and hell, has carefully studied Christian theology, and has arrived at this mature view point after much thought and consideration. That could be the case. Or, it could be that he has just accepted the cartoon versions of heaven and hell without seeing much need to investigate matters further since no thinking person really takes such notions seriously. It seems like this is more likely the case.

To be honest, I have to agree with him. That is, if heaven is just lounging around on the clouds, listening to harps, and pruning one's wings from time to time, I'm definitely not interested! That does sound boring.

Leaving alone the unfair suggestion that the 17th-century was populated entirely by dolts, Mr. Stein's understanding of what heaven is all about is seriously mistaken. The Bible's focus on the life to come is not an ethereal existence in the clouds, but resurrection life in a renewed creation. It is a place where God brings to complete fulfillment all that life on earth was meant to be, and more - joy, peace, love, laughter, and the eternal enjoyment of the company of other people and God's creation. In contrast to the cartoon version of heaven and hell, the real living - the real partying! - is going to be in the former, not the latter.

Most of all, heaven is the place where Christ will be present in the midst of his people. For anyone who has come to know him, and the eternal life he freely gives, there is no other place he'd rather be than in his presence and worshipping him. For the believer, heaven, whatever it is, is where Christ is present.

I suppose staying in a luxury hotel for all eternity wouldn't be so bad. Especially if there is cable. But I'm afraid that if that is one's notion of heaven, the real thing would be a big disappointment.

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11).