1-21-10 Surprise Me God - Day 12

Today's day started off with the usual stuff, prayer, email, scripture reading.

Then I headed off to a meeting with a friend with whom I recently had a difference of opinion. I had been praying that God would use this difference to make us stronger friends and make us better at what we do. God did more than that. We shared our thoughts and feelings, hopes and dreams. In the end, we not only understood each other's opinion's better, we came up with ideas for how we can better communicate in the future. Thanks Lord for transforming struggle into deeper friendship.

At Noon, I picked up my daughter Megan to have our every other week lunch date. I always let Megan pick the place. She picked Great Harvest Bread Company (57th & Louise) The lunch date started with a nice surpise. They were offering samples of bread...mmm, mmm, yummy. It reminded me of God's word, "Taste and see that the Lord is Good." Psalm 34:8. Megan and I talked about her week. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but few things are better than precious time with your daughter.

Thanks Lord for all of the relationships you have given me. I am always surprised at how blessed I am by family and friends. Give 'em Heaven!

1-20-10 Surprise Me God - Day 11

So I woke up thinking and praying, "God surprise me with some really good ideas for our Theology on Tap event tonight." So I sort of set aside that thought and worked through my email. One of my 20+ emails was from Sonia Larson our Ministry Coordinator. She wrote out 7 different spot on questions for this evening's Theology on Tap event. Awesome! Sometime the answers to our questions come from God using others to bring answers to our questions. Thanks God for the whole Body of Christ to help me with Life's Questions!

Another Surprise came that we had a first time guest Donna from Peace Lutheran come to our event. It is always great to see an unexpected friend show up. Donna offered some great insights to the conversation too. Thanks for that surprise too God.

I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings...

1-19-10 Surprise Me God - Day 10

Today I started off doing my normal Monday stuff (since yesterday I did little work, but rather I enjoyed my daughters' day off from school) So I today put together the podcast. (a day later than normal) I was surprised I preached as long as I did. I guess I was on a roll...hopefully no one was too bored.

Later, I met with my surprise friend Matt. You see Matt and I met in an airport in Philadelphia. I was on my way home from my daughter Megan's and my trip to the East Coast to look at colleges for Meg. Our plane was delayed and so I started reading, "Have a Little Faith," by Mitch Albom. Which for those who really know me would be surprised. You see I am more of book on mp3 listener rather than paper reader. But we had lots of time and my voracious reading daughter Megan said, "You should read this book dad." So I did...what else are you going to do in a strange airport waiting for a plane? Well I am sitting there reading Albom's book and Matt (found out afterward is also from Sioux Falls) walks by and says to me a complete stranger, "So what do you think of the book?" That intro question led to a 45 minute conversation, which led to an exchange of business card, which led to a couple of emails, which led to a lunch date, which...you get the picture...which feels like it is leading to a lifelong friendship (I hope!) Well today was my second lunch date with Matt and he is a fascinating man with a wonderful curious, inquiring mind.

Hey God, I cannot thank you enough for all these God-incidences with Matt. And thanks today for another lunch with my new friend. God I am still surprised and amazed that you used a wonderfully uncharacteristic event of me reading a book in an airport in Philadelphia to lead me to a new friend. I guess it is almost poetic that we would meet in Philadelphia "the City of Brotherly Love."

Thanks for the surprises Lord...keep them coming! Give 'em Heaven!

1-18-10 Surprise Me God - Day 9

MLK Day always seems to sneak up on me. I am grateful for a surprise day off with my kids. We had lunch together. I was able to clean some more ice off the driveway once again in just a jeans and a flannel shirt.

The beauty of the Hoar Frost on the trees was another wonderful surprise.

Late in the evening I went cross-country skiing using my new headbad-headlamp that I got at the REI store in Minneapolis last week. (love that store) Love me new toy. Well anyway the conditions were perfect. Just the perfect tempeture for exercising and the groomed grooves on the path were perfect too. It was wonderful to take 6 foot stride/glides. It is just a kick! Sort of like sailing when the wind is just right...you almost want to say "wheeeeeee!" on each stride.

Thanks for the surprise of a nice day off with my daughters and a nice evening skiing

1-17-08 Surprise Me God - Day 8

Woke up at O'Dark:30 as is my custom every Sunday. You see I am not a morning person. I have to fake my body out to thinking the day is mid-day by the time worship happens so that this pastor/evening person/closet-introvert can actually say an intelligible sentence in public. But by the grace of God am I able to preach at all. So for me, every Sunday that I preach is sort of a "Surprise Me" moment.

I was wonderfully surpised by Karen Lukens before worship who came up to me and began by praying with me over our friends in Haiti. Needed that!

I was wonderfully surprised to see several new faces in worship this morning. I know it does not make God any more present when new faces are "in the house," but the place just feels more electric on days like today.

I was surprised when Lindsay said after the pre-worship prayer, "We are going to really rock it today." And they did...well I should say...God used them to rock the place! Mom's were dancing holding their children. Little kids were swaying to the music. People had their hands raised giving praise to God. (no small task for Scandanavian Midwesterners!) Not only that but Shane's scripture readings and prayers between songs were spot-on inspired. Great day of worship!

Earlier, Sonia asked me before worship...how are you doing/feeling? I shared how I was uncomfortable preaching after such a difficult week...Haitian tragedy and being away from home for 3 days at a conference did not help either. I shared, "If any good comes this week, God gets the complete and total credit!" I am not sure how it was received...I guess the hearer has to judge that.

After worship, Confirmation. The Forsman girls once again brought a friend. We ended sooner than usual...duh...there was Vikings game going on!

Ugh the Vikings game...the ViQueens (my team) was playing the favored CowGirls of Dallas. I have a strong dislike for the boys with the star on their helmets. (the 99 yard Tony Dorsett run on MNF, the debacle of the Herschel Walker trade...can you say Russell Maryland, Darren Woodson and Emmitt Smith to Dallas 5 players, 5 other draft picks for one worn out running back...and oh don't even mention the Drew Pearson Push Off play 34 years ago...ugh....don't get me started)

Anyway surprise, surprise the boys in purple came to play...whodathunk?!? 34-3 Lovin' IT! I suppose the Vikes could get blown out next week in New Orleans...but today was a wonderful surprise.

After the game I shoveled snow/puddles...without a coat in January. What a great surprise.

Last, the day ended by going to the Sioux Falls Stampede hockey game with the Forsman's. Our boys won in overtime! Someone from Family Wellness just gave away the tickets after worship. What a great surprise. What a great game. To top it all off, we were surprised to see the Behrend family at the game sitting just below us.

What a great day Abba-Daddy...thanks for the Surprises!

1-15-10 Surprise Me God - Day 6

Today's surprise moments were as much of reminders as they were surprises. I had just gotten home my trip to the Twin Cities, unpacked and checked my 33 emails for the day.

I decided to call Dave Oswald and see how he was doing. I think I surprised him, but he seemed to genuinely appreciate my phone call. He talked mostly. I listened mostly. Then we prayed, cried a little and then did the best thing we could do, leave things in God's hands. It was good to be a friend and be reminded I am blessed with awesome friends!

After the phone call, Suzy reminded me of my Johnny Corino's gift certificate from Christmas. Love this restaurant! So we surprised the girls and took them out for dinner.

Surprisingly, we hardly had to wait. In the little moment or two of waiting for a seat, I got a surprise text from my son Ben telling me he loves me. Those sorts of surprises never get old.

There are so many choices on the Corino's menu, but tonight I chose not to be surprised. I went with my old standard, Spicy Chicken Romano...sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, bow-tie pasta and chicken in a spicy cream sauce...mmm-mmmm-yummy! Maybe after the topsy-turvy week of Haiti news, I just needed something that felt like normal. Sometimes on a chaotic week, normal can feel surprisingly delicious. You are blessed...now go and be a blessing!

1-14-10 Surprise Me God - Day 5

Today's main surprise happened through God's word. A troubling Bible text for me and for many scholars has always been, Luke 13:1-9. http://bit.ly/6hOehX In it Jesus and his followers discuss why evil happens.

Even more difficult is Jesus telling a confusing parable of cutting down an unfruitful, 3 years unproductive fruit tree in response to their conversation on evil. Sometime our life and death questions provoke more questions with few answers.

You see I have been wondering what to say about Haiti. Today I heard Mike Housholder, pastor of Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines teach on this text. I never would have guessed this troubling text would ever be an aswer to any of my questions.

I realised this is a text for Rejoice! This is a text for all hurting over Haiti. Come Sunday to hear more....

The second surprise was nothing earth-shaking (maybe that is a bad choice of words...forgive me) My 2nd surprise was just a simple lunch date with my son. We ate at a new favorite restaurant of his. Nothing profound happened, but sometimes the best moments are not Hollywood-esque, but maybe some of our best moments are when two loved ones get together and share time together and enjoy each other's company. Thank you God for this simple surprise.

Well my friends, hug someone you love today...may you be surprised at how profound this simple act can be...Give 'em Heaven!