Entries by Josh

What I learned about people from the Trump presidency.

The Trump presidency is behind us and I say thank goodness for that. I normally don’t care much about the president or get too opinionated politically. This time around though I was struck by not only a really horrible president, but by the influence and power of that position over other people. Two things really […]

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Untangling Christmas

This is a journal entry I wrote the other day about Christmas and the need to untangle some of the traditions that get all jumbled together. As my kids get older I feel the need to make some sense of this! If you have ideas about how your family does this I’d be curious to […]

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Vinyl. Untethered music at it’s finest.

Vinyl records are totally redeeming the way I enjoy and listen to music. Yes, you heard that right- vinyl records. You know… the things that came around and were popular during the 1960’s. Yep, those. It’s pretty astonishing the way vinyl records are making a comeback. So what’s up with records anyway? Well, for starters […]

We Made It

I see that the last post we had on this blog was from last year, Aug. 2017. And that was quite a LONG time ago. You know, the funny thing about having a lot going on in your life is that you never have time to write about it. You have a lot to say, […]

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Communicating Christmas to our Kids

Having a “Christian” Christmas in America is challenging. By Christian Christmas I mean a Christmas that truly celebrates Christ- Jesus’ birthday, and doesn’t get confused or lost in the mess that Christmas has become. Ever since we returned to America Kim and I are constantly thinking about culture. We think and talk about culture all […]

Taking a Missions Course

Kim and I signed up for the Perspectives course for next January. The Perspectives course is a missions 101 type class. We’ve heard great things about it from various people over the years, and always thought “hmm, maybe one day. . .” Well, you know us- we never wait for anything- so we signed up. […]

Training #2. Adoption is a life long process.

Kim and I just got back from another adoption training. The first one was with LifeLink in Chicago (our placing agency). This one was with our home study agency, Lutheran Social Services, in La Crosse. So what’s it like to attend adoption training? I should start by saying it’s just really cool to be in […]

Faith and Assurance

I’ve been doing a personal Bible study on salvation. I’ve been studying scripture for the better part of a year in an attempt to understand the ideas of lordship salvation vs. free grace or ‘easy believism’. If you’re not familiar with these terms, it’s okay, neither was I. Terms aren’t important, but they represent two […]

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The Value of Community

Taken from Josh’s journal, 7.17.2016 Community. I see a pattern running through my life lately, a thread that binds the pieces together, and it all comes down to community. Kim and I just had a good talk where we really examined this core desire in our heart and how it has manifested itself especially over […]