spahr tracks

Finally got around to watching Section 31 last night. I guess didn't hate it as much as I thought I was going to, which is faint praise,...

My column for the local paper this week. Here's a copy for those of you that live far away. Life Is Like A Rubik’s Cube Rubik’s Cubes ...

While I'm still waiting for Coffee-Mate to resume production on my favorite Creme Brule flavor, I've been trying different flavors, ...

There's a new 5-episode limited series on Netflix right now called Treason that Rosalie and I watched over the last week. I'm always...

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes...

I've often wished that I had recorded every time I finished a book or a movie in my life. It would be fascinating to see the list. And b...

How do you identify?  There are so many labels that we use to categorize and distinguish ourselves - our job, nationality, region of origin,...

[This is from part of my challenge at church this morning.] I think it's interesting how we characterize and categorize years - like the...

I made it! I set out last year to write a new blog post every day this year, and (with just a couple of exceptions) I was successful. It...

I finally had the opportunity to see Avatar: The Way of Water today with my sons, Jordan and Jonah. We ended up seeing the movie in 3D down ...

What do you want to be when you grow up?  For a younger child, that's a fun question because you get to hear their imagination run wild ...

Today we finally got time to play some broomball - the first time this winter. It was a beautiful morning and we had about 20 people who up ...

Why is it so hard for some people to have a normal conversation? The art of conversation seems to be lost. A good conversation will have som...

What did you get for Christmas? That's always a good conversation starter, especially if you don't know the other person well or you...

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. We actually celebrated Christmas at our home this year instead of heading directly to Ripon to visit ...

I think one of my favorite gatherings of the year at our church is our Christmas Eve candlelight service (in spite of the challenges I chron...

Christmas Eve services are always a challenge for me, especially the longer I serve in ministry. How many different ways can you find to pre...

Out for a run this morning in the cold. I waited until it was -7 (about -25 with wind chill).  Truthfully, I'd rather run in the bitter ...

I've mentioned Timothy Zahn before, but I wanted to highlight him here. He is one of my favorite science fiction authors and one of his ...

I love listening to podcasts and I've collected thousands of episodes over the years from all the various ones I've come across. Som...

It's fun to look at old pictures of the town you grew up in or the town you live in now (maybe it's the same for you!) I wish there ...

I'm not a fan of winter, which makes it ironic that God brought me to Pine City to minister. If it weren't for broomball, I would pr...

I love that there are so many translations of the Bible readily available online or through the YouVersion Bible App. (If you are a Jesus-fo...

I saw an interesting study today that said wearing bright clothes can make you happier, so if you're struggling with the blues (no pun i...

Oftentimes when high-profile people like celebrities, athletes, or even well-known pastors fail morally, it's because they have isolated...

Jim Butcher is probably best known for his urban fantasy series, The Dresden Files , which is maybe my all-time favorite series. But he has ...

I’ve often wondered if there’s someone who would be a good friend, but I never know about it because I never meet them. Maybe they live too ...

There's a great app out called Upside that I've been hesitant to post about for a few reasons.  First, they really want you to share...

I finally got around to watching Ms. Marvel. I had put it off for a while because I had heard some mixed reviews from various sources. So I ...

I've often bemoaned the fact that there are no Krispy Kreme stores in the upper Midwest. The closest one is down in Iowa, a couple hundr...