I got an email yesterday from a denominational person asking for some information ASAP. I have never been a fan of the phrase. But this request was pretty cringeworthy. Here is how I read it: So and so #1 is…

(Short on time this week. Here is a column I wrote on October 20th, 2016 – three years ago. I know there was a presidential debate last night. Here is why I didn’t watch three years ago and why I…

Being grateful is better than being envious and taking things and people for granted.

I was hiking through Platte River State Park last Saturday morning. Such a beautiful place. The park is peaceful and quiet early in the morning. The animals move through the forest as the sun rises. Some playing. Some searching for…

It was 3:00 on Saturday afternoon. A giant knot stamped out its authority on my stomach. I sat with about 2,500 people in Skoglund Auditorium. 750 of them were incoming freshman class at St. Olaf College. They arrived the day…

I wish I could do it all over again.  It started eighteen years ago in a hospital room in Sioux Falls. The baby wasn’t breathing. It couldn’t end this fast and it didn’t. With some help from a doctor and a…

Benjamin and I made pizza Sunday night. After 18 years we have it down.  Brush an egg yolk on the crust.  Put the pizza sauce on top of that.  Then the pepperoni. Then the homemade Italian sausage. Then the cheeses.…

Clutter contaminates. We live in a complex, confused, and complicated culture. Simplicity is calling our name. Cutting through the clutter welcomes a clear, calm, and compelling life. Decluttering is not an easy task and society (distraction) and science (entropy) will…