I just finished reading Zac Bissonnette's book, Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching off My Parents. I first heard about the book through an interview that Dave Ramsey did with the author on his radio program. I have to say, this is a fabulous book that every high school student and every parent of a student considering college needs to read! Zac has a wonderfully casual style of writing while also loading up the info about how to get a great college education.

The first two chapters especially are vital reading for students and parents. They are eye-opening in ways that you would not believe.

The rest of the book is filled with great information, as well, though you may find yourself skimming some chapters depending on your background and biases. The only area I would take issue with Zac is in the area of faith-based colleges as I don't think he sufficiently factors in the benefits a Christian college can offer to students who are Christ-followers. However the book overall is phenomenal and one I would highly recommend. I've checked it out twice from the library and may end up purchasing my own copy for my kids to read and eventually to lend to others.

Today marks the one year anniversary of the first time we attended the amazing Evergreen Community Church in Pine City, and we couldn't be more excited.

Having just come off of an extremely painful experience on staff at another local church at the end of last year, we were hesitant to even attend another church in Pine City, not to mention getting involved in ministry. We had been burned too severely and needed time for our family just to worship anonymously outside of the area. We spent a few months going to the wonderful Eagle Brook Church at their Lino Lakes campus. Although we loved (and still love) that church, the 50 minute drive to the Cities every weekend was wearing on our family and prevented us from engaging more fully there. We knew that attending Eagle Brook was a short term solution, but we didn't anticipate staying in Pine City very much longer and it seemed like a good interim solution.

The last Sunday in December last year one of our former students and a good friend of ours was being baptized at Evergreen and invited us to attend. We had considered visiting eventually, anyway, and it seemed like a good excuse to finally check out this young church we had heard so much about. We knew right away that we had found something special.

Fast forward a few months. We had been attending Evergreen worship services regularly, but still thought we would soon be moving out of the area. We began making plans to relocate to my hometown of Bradenton, Florida. As we explored the possibilities of moving south (a very appealing prospect in the middle of a long Minnesota winter!) we felt God's tug to remain in Pine City. One of the primary things that caused us to remain was the opportunity to attend and serve at Evergreen. We decided to stay in Pine City and opened ourselves to involvement with ministry at church. I began volunteering on the tech team on Sunday mornings and later on as a youth sponsor with the junior and senior high groups. Rosalie began to help out with the kids program on Sunday mornings.

Now, a year after our first Sunday, I am preparing to join the leadership board at church, having been elected at the annual meeting a few months ago. I have been privileged to be able to help with pulpit supply from time to time. Also, through a variety of circumstances, I find myself in the role of lead youthworker - at least for the time being. At our youth group Christmas party tonight we went around the circle and shared something that we were thankful for. I shared that for me, one of the things I am most thankful for is our church.

It's hard to put into words exactly what it is about Evergreen that makes it so amazing. Certainly the world-class preaching and spectacular worship are a part of it. But it's about more than just what you observe on a Sunday morning. It's about what is at the heart of the church. It's about the people, the leadership, and the commitment of the local church to follow Jesus and be the Body of Christ. It's about the heart for people far away from God and the desire to see people say "yes" to Jesus.

I could write for pages and still have trouble describing what it is that is so incredible. I guess that's the way it is when God's Spirit so infuses and uniquely blesses a congregation. I may write more later and try to describe it better, but unless you have experienced it I'm not sure I can adequately convey how blessed we feel to be a part of this church.

The other day I finished reading Nicolas Meyer's wonderful memoir,The View From the Bridge: Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood. Highly recommended for anyone who is either a Star Trek fan or who wants to know more about how movies are (and aren't) made. (More details and a wonderful review here.)

One of the passages I found most interesting is at the very end of the book (p 236). This sums up my feelings, as well.

Watching movies at home, on a screen however large and a sound system however noisy, is simply not the same thing as seeing them in a theater. My dad used to say that watching movies on TV was like getting kissed over the telephone. What's missing in seeing a film on television is a central component of what it means to be human - the assembly. Whether it's at a church, at a play, or at the movies, the idea of losing your identity at a gathering of others - known or unknown to you - while sharing a common experience, a journey, an event, is uniquely human, and in my opinion we abandon such practices at our peril. Gatherings are important, and certainly better than going through life with ear buds. Never mind the theology or medium in question, concentrate on the part where you rub shoulders with strangers. Cities are places you walk or ride the subway, places where you look at people, they look at you; you don't pass them on the freeway at seventy miles an hour. At the end of a performance of Beethoven's Third, you and the audience have shared an adventure, at one individual and collective. The experience make you a better person. Don't ask me how or why, but it does. There isn't any movie shown on television that wouldn't be better in a movie theater. Art is fragile - it can be interrupted by crying kids, the telephone, the neighbors, what have you. Gatherings, whether for music, church, plays, films, or ballets, are experiences to which you must make a commitment and in making that commitment, in leaving your home to devote yourself to that communal experience, you reaffirm your humanity.

How awesome is that?! Interesting implications for internet churches, but explains why video venues for churches, conferences, and simulcasts are just as effective as those where the speaker is present physically. Food for thought, for sure.

Hard to believe that summer is over already and the kids are back in school. Now we have both Jordan and Jonah in junior high and both in sports (Jonah in cross country and Jordan in football). Such great boys - we're so proud of them!

Saw this excellent post about a youth pastor's job description. So true! Here is a great clip.

Here are some examples of what I do: pray, study, read, keep up with teen culture (not very easy to do), preach, teach, share, text, email, facebook, administrate, organize, make phone calls, return phone calls, conflict resolution, plan activities, hospital visits, confront, encourage, get frustrated, strategize, buy new tools for ministry, edit video, clean up, talk to parents, support my pastor, go to meetings, travel, meet new people, raise money, balance my time with my family, go to school events (concerts, games, …), develop leaders, update website, share life with others, stay up all night, drive a bus and go out to eat!

If you missed the last time I preached (Time Out! on July 5) and wanted to see the video, you can find it on the church's website - EvergreenPineCity.org - under the Message tab. (Make sure you check out some of Pastor Seth's messages - he is a truly gifted communicator who could probably preach at any church of any size. We are incredibly lucky to have him at our church!)

I read a great post in Donald Miller's blog today and wanted to share a quote. It's a bit longer than I usually share, but it's only a portion of an ever longer, better post. This is a beautiful way to understand God and our relationship with Him. Here's a clip.

I had a long conversation with a distinguished scholar last month whose lifelong expertise is story structure. He is not a Christian. And as we talked, he said something that fascinated me. He said this:

“I understand you Christians. I understand the essence of your message. It’s this: If you are not a good person, you are going to burn in hell for all eternity.”

As I said, this man was a distinguished scholar and so it surprised me when he made this statement from a position of absolute knowing. There was no doubt in his voice. He wasn’t asking me to confirm. He knew. But he was absolutely wrong. That isn’t the essence of the Christian story, and anybody who believes so is a heretic.

Our story, and by our story I don’t mean the Christian story, I mean humanity’s story, is this:

The Trinity existed forever in a completely loving community. They were and are other focused, without what we think of as ego (though I believe they have something like ego, we would not recognize it in comparison to our own) and they created an existence, including you and I, to enjoy their company. That is the most loving thing a perfectly loving being could do. But love cannot be controlling, it has to set it’s muse free, so they gave humanity an option out. And humanity took it, thus, by necessity, there was a separation between pure good and anything other than pure good. So now, we who have been designed to be complete in God, seek affirmation and validation from each other as though our lives depend on it. But it doesn’t work. Nobody has agency but God. So God sends his son to earth and his son essentially says this:

“You guys have all walked away from God. He can’t have anything to do with you, because he is purely good. But look, I haven’t walked away from him, so if you marry me, and we become one, you’ll be reunited with the Trinity. He’ll look at you and see me. We’ll do this at a wedding in heaven. Until the wedding, though, just have faith. It’s as though it’s already done. But it’s going to kind of suck until then.”

So that’s where we are in our story. We are waiting for the wedding, and until then, we have hope, and we have an explanation for our hope.

Be sure to read the entire post: "How the Stories You Believe are Screwing With Your Mind". Not a complete theological treatise or explanation of the Gospel, by any means, (nor is it meant to be) but it is a wonderful starting point for discussing our faith. I can't wait to read Don's next book: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. It's about the personal implications of story and it should be fascinating.

If you watch any of USA Network's awesome original series (Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, In Plain Sight) you'll get a kick out of this hilarious tribute video for Monk. It's amazing how many great shows USA has put together. Our family enjoys all of these very much. Great storytelling and wonderful characters.

What's the difference between having a blog and keeping your Facebook status updated (or Twitter, or MySpace, etc.)? Isn't it the same thing?

I've been a Facebook fan for some time now and recently added my 300th friend. That may seem like a lot to some, depending on how long you've been on Facebook and your age. Others may find this quite a small number - usually younger people or those who friend at random anyone they've ever met. But I digress.

For a little while now I have been much better at keeping my Facebook status updated but have allowed the blog here to languish. Part of this is the assumption that most of the people I know are Facebook friends and can "follow" me there. Recently, however, I have begun updating my status a lot less frequently. I started updating my status only when I felt that I had something more significant to share than "heading to work again" or "staying up late tonight". I weary of reading some of my Facebook friends' updates that are constantly filled with trivia. It's not that I don't want to know what they are up to, but there is a point when the trivia becomes trivial. (For instance, there is the new habit some of my friends have gotten into where they post lines from a song as a status update. Sorry, guys, but I just don't care unless there is something in those lines of particular significance to you. If so, then explain it. Otherwise you may end up in my "hidden" list of status updates.)

The benefit of blogging is that there is the opportunity to expand on a thought and really flesh out items of more significance. No, I won't be giving up Facebook, which I think is a wonderful way to keep in touch, network, etc. But I think a nice balance of blogging is a great way to keep my communication skills sharp (as Seth Godin pointed out in my blog post yesterday.) Also, as these blog posts get highlighted in my Facebook status updates, there will be opportunity for interaction via the Facebook comments rather than on this site. Hopefully I can share some helpful, interesting, thought-provoking, or simply entertaining things on the blog and we can discuss together via Facebook. Let me know what you think.

Saw this today and thought it was brilliant. Certainly something worth aspiring to, for sure. I'm going to give it a try. We'll see how it goes.

Meeting Dave Ramsey and sitting in on a taping of his radio show was one of the highlights of 2007 for me. Rosalie and I also were able to host a Financial Peace University class at our home early the next year. But the one thing I've always wanted to be able to do but never had the chance to is to go to one of Dave's Total Money Makeover LIVE events. These events are held in various large cities around the country, but there has never been one close enough for me to be able to attend.

That's changed now that Dave's September 19 live event will be simulcast to thousands of locations around the U.S. Our church - Evergreen Community Church - is privileged to be able to co-host this event along with Our Redeemer Lutheran Church which will be held at the Evergreen Community Church campus - 710 5th Ave SW, Pine City. The event runs from noon until 5 p.m. with the doors opening at 11 a.m. The cost to attend is $25, which includes a workbook.

This is a high-energy 5-hour event where Dave shares great information about taking back control of your money. Whether you are married and need to get on the same page or single and need the tools to stay financially focused, this event is for you! Dave shares personal experiences, stories, and information not found elsewhere. It's packed with humor, energy, and incredible information.

Because we're hosting this locally, you won't have to drive to the Cities, try to find a place to (pay to) park, and fight huge crowds and long lines. Instead you'll be able to gather with a couple of hundred people from east-central Minnesota right here in Pine City to laugh and learn together.

I'll be the key contact person at Evergreen and Glenn Westing is the person to talk to at Our Redeemer. Checks for tickets can be dropped off at either church office or given to either of us personally. Reserve your spot now as the facility will accommodate about 200 people and we anticipate this filling up quickly.

Stress, overwork, pace of life, burnout. These types of issues are epidemic in our society. But that's not the kind of life God calls us to. So how do we take advantage of the Time Outs that God gives us? That's what we'll be talking about this Sunday at Evergreen Community Church.

I am excited about the opportunity to share with our church. Pastor Seth will be out of town taking advantage of a wonderful Time Out with his wife and kids and he has graciously asked me to share this week from God's Word. If you're in the area, we'd love to have you join us. There are two services; one at 9 a.m. and one at 10:30. We meet at our facility at 710 5th Ave. SW in Pine City (the old Methodist Church building). We have an incredible worship leader and terrific time worshipping together each week. Hope to see you there!

Congratulations to Jonah for his Presidential Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence! Way to go!!
Congrats also to all of the other recipients in the sixth grade class. Only 12 students received this honor this year from our school.
Jonah also received several other awards this morning as the students celebrated the last day of school - and the last day of elementary school for them! The year has gone so fast! Seems like just last year I was blogging about Jordan winning this award. Oh, yeah, I was.

I can't believe I'm now the father of two junior high boys! They're so awesome!!

Well, moving day is finally approaching. This Thursday we'll be moving out of what has been probably our favorite and best house we've ever lived in and moving about four miles away, just outside of town on Cross Lake Road. The place we'll be renting is the former Crafter's Cottage scrapbooking retreat house. It's a wonderful house and a real blessing for us to be able to find something so nice this close to town.

Of course, it wouldn't be moving day for the Spahrs without some type of inclement weather. This time we're expecting rain but hoping it won't last all day long.

If you're in the area and want to drop by and give us a hand for some of the day, please do so. We'll have some food for you, too! We're starting shortly after 8 a.m. and going until we're done (which hopefully won't be too late in the afternoon, depending on the weather).

One of my new favorite things! Pepsi throwback, made with "real sugar". More info here. I just tasted the Pepsi I bought down at Cub yesterday ($3.50 for a 12 pack of cans). Don't know if Walmart or Nelson's here in Pine City has it or will be getting any, but if you like Pepsi at all, you have to get some! It will only be around for about eight weeks, so get it before it's gone.

The Pepsi has a very smooth tatse and none of the dry aftertaste the corn syrup sweetened pepsi usually has. Can't wait to try the Mountain Dew. (Coke has some "Coca-Cola Natural" coming out that is also made with real sugar, but I haven't found any yet.)