Bob's Blog

Our family just returned from a mission trip to Mexico. The theme of the trip was "The Aroma of Hope." I won't go into all of the nuances of the "aromas" to which the theme referred. Believe me, when you combine 100 degree heat with hard work and no running water, there were many, both good and bad. But, one of the "aromas" to which the theme referred was the aroma of Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:15-16. According to these verses, we are the aroma of Christ, the "fragrance of life." A couple of years ago, my uncle gave me a bottle of cologne that had belonged to my grandfather, who had died over 20 years earlier. When I opened the bottle and smelled the cologne, I was immediately transported into many memories of my grandfather. I did not just recall them. I felt like I was there. The fragrance awakened many memories that had either been long forgotten or muted by time. But, one sniff of this cologne made them all real again. As I recalled th

If you have attended some of our Men's Meetings or read some of my blogs or have just been around me when I have been thinking of it, you have probably heard me talk about how disappointed I am in how fast time passes.  I recognize that it is probably something all "aging" people think about.  Unfortunately, I guess I must qualify for that category.  I am most keenly aware of the topic as my kids hit certain significant milestones.  It is disappointing to me to realize that I can only remember a very small fraction of the time that we have had together.  If someone has lived in your house for 18 years, one should be able to better account for more than the number of moments that I can specifically recall.  With only a few exceptions, it seems that the minutes, hours and years have mostly blurred into a fuzzy lump.  I experienced something completely different on my recent trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota.  When I am here at home, I get caught up in

My son and I just returned from a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in upper Minnesota, literally a few feet south of the Canadian border.  Actually, due to rookie navigation skills, we did accidentally stray into Canada on a few occasions.  The BWCA is very remote.  There are few people and motorized vehicles are not allowed in most of the area. I intend on blogging a few times about our trip.  But, thought I would start with a journal entry from one of the afternoons in which we were camping on an island in the northernmost part of the BWCA.  Here is that entry... This afternoon I have been sitting here on a granite outcropping a few feet north of our campsite on Camper's Island.   There is a slight breeze, but for the most part the water is calm.  The sun has been out a few times today, but it has been overcast most of it.   I can see about eight pine covered islands from where I am sitting within 200 yards or so in the middle of the Saganaga.  The land masses

I went to McDonald's this morning to have a sausage biscuit and a cup of coffee.  I know that it is very fashionable in some circles these days to malign McDonald's. But as I sat there listening to the conversations, I realized that the local McDonald's in our area is providing an environment for the development of relationships. I have talked with many of you in the past years lamenting the loss of a "third place" in our culture.  A place where people in a community congregate to relate.  Think English pubs, French cafes, coffee houses, small town cafes, etc.  Someplace close to home and easy to get to.  Because of the way we have zoned our neighborhoods, put together with a variety of other reasons, we have lost those places in recent years.  It contributes to our isolation! But, this morning, at least at our local McDonald's, I saw and heard elements of the "third place" returning.  The people sitting at multiple tables behind me apparently kn

In this morning's message at the Blended Church, Pastor Dehner Maurer preached a message about adversity having a purpose in our lives. You can see this message here on ustream. The message starts around the 36 minute mark and I highly recommend it. In this message, Pastor Dehner said, "You need an enemy." A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog entry on "Dying to Self" which included an article by Bill Britton. This morning's message reminded me of another article by Bill Britton entitled, "My Beloved Enemy." I have included some excerpts from that article below. The theme of both of these messages is that God uses our enemies to bring about Godliness and spiritual maturity. "My Beloved Enemy" Bill Britton YOU are not really my enemies at all. in reality you are some of the best friends I have. You who have lied about me, and about this ministry, who have tried to destroy people's faith and confidence in me, who have spread

Just ran across this on a blog written by Tim Stevens. Very good counsel. I have been guilty of all of them at one time or another. Some, many times. The Most Common Mistakes People Make When Communicating Expectations Barking out “marching orders” without making your directions clear enough that people fully understand and accept them. Assuming people need only one explanation in order to understand what you expect them to deliver. Failing to form an expectation clearly yourself before communicating it to others. Excluding any explanation about “why” you want something done within a specific time frame. Asking people to do something, but not clearly explaining when you need it done. Failing to describe the resources available to help people do what you want them to do. Issuing such specific instructions about what to do and how to do it, that people hesitate to “own it” themselves and think out of the box to ensure the result. From the book How Did That Happen? by Roger

In your life, for which of the two are you striving? All too often, I find myself seeking comfort rather than meaning. Then, I wonder why I am bored. To some extent I think it is human nature to seek comfort and safety. Especially in our current culture. We avoid pain at all costs.

After all of these years, I have pretty much decided that my greatest enemy is not Satan. It is me! More specifically it is my selfishness. It's my tendency for my motivation to do anything to be "What can I get out of this?" or "How can I manipulate people, circumstances, etc. to get things to turn out the way I want them?" I don't think these things consciously! It is just obvious when I really evaluate my behaviors and feelings. The irony of it all is that this approach causes me great pain and is very tiring. It is hard work to always be trying to manipulate your surroundings. It is no fun for those who love me either. Many years ago, I worked for a pastor named Bill Britton. He was an author and evangelist. One of the articles that he wrote follows. In the end, it is obvious to me that I am NOT dead yet. Dying to Self Bill Britton When you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set at naught, and you don’t sting and hurt with the ins

Looks like I wrote 23 blogs in 2009, although some of those were just links to interesting stories or videos. I hope to write more in 2010. Sometimes I just lose track of time. As I look back at the topics for 2009, I see some themes emerge. I think God was definitely speaking to be about beauty and its purpose, His Beauty. Here are the links to a few of those blogs: Echos of Eden Ringing the Bell at the Brothel How Do You Like My Office Tiger Woods Is Looking for God! Other themes include mentoring, the Holy Spirit, and what it means to be a Godly man. I am looking forward to seeing what themes emerge in 2010!