Last Friday night I had the joy of camping with my daughter, Hannah, who was wrapping up her “spring” break. We stayed in our new camper-van as a test run for future mission trips and recreation. Our campsite was in Bay City State Park on the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron. Even though it got down to 22 degrees Fahrenheit at night, we were cozy in our camper. We made awesome chicken alfredo in the instant pot and enjoyed some beautiful...

A word from Heather… I feel like I am always learning, but it continues to amaze and quite frankly humble me when I realize I’m still learning from my own children. Our 18 year old daughter is a freshman at Concordia University in Ann Arbor. Last week one of her assignments was to write a short devotion distinguishing between Law and Gospel with high school teens as her audience. Hannah wrote a beautiful devotion based on Ephesians...

My firstborn child, Hannah, is now a college student. It was a tearful day two weeks ago when we left her on campus. It’s not easy to let go after 18 years of having face-to-face contact with her almost every day. However, my wife, Heather, and I are secure in the knowledge that Hannah is safe “in the Hand.” What does THAT mean? She is secure in the Hand of her gracious Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ. The one who claimed...

I just spent 3 days on Mackinac Island in northern Michigan with 24 youth and chaperones from my congregation, along with almost 1000 other youth. We had a great time learning more about God as our mighty fortress. We focused in on 2 Samuel 22:2, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer….” It was great to be able to gather in the fort built on the rock of Mackinac Island for a group event one evening. It...

Don’t let anyone fool you. It happens at any age. It’s the struggle of parents over how much to intervene in the decisions of their children. Should I stop my toddler before he grabs the burning hot cookie? Should I keep my pre-teen daughter from talking to the boy who’s using her for her brains? Should I make my child go to bed when it’s obvious the morning will come too soon? Should I rush to the jail to make bail for...

Many have asked us for a concise summary of what Heather and I provide to help marriages, families, churches…the world! Here it is!   What we teach… 1. How God’s way for marriage shapes every relationship & particularly shapes our Gospel witness to ALL the world! 2. Sharing God’s instructions for marriage & relationships from Gen. 2:24, Matt. 19:5 & Eph. 5:31f in a SIMPLE, MEMORABLE and CHRIST-CENTERED way, utilizing...