God with us

It was an unusually long line at the hardware store, shaped like the letter Y. I was at the top left. Icelanders are notoriously bad at forming lines. Probably because our forefathers sailed from Norway to Iceland, choosing to live independently on a highly active volcanic rock in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, … Read more

Their heart cry

This was several years ago. I had decided to spend 2 hours walking in our small town and ask God for opportunities to engage in meaningful conversations that would lead to the gospel. My time was almost up when I returned to our small church to use the bathroom. I only had 15 minutes left … Read more

A new generation in Europe is waiting to hear the gospel

My son David and I met them last month on our drive to north Iceland where David was playing a soccer tournament. She was from Germany but he from Hungary. I have enjoyed the many conversations I have had with young Europeans hitchhiking in Iceland. I wondered if this conversation would be any different. As … Read more

The Icelandic Mindset: Reddast

A whole nation with a mindset of resilience, optimism, and survival – and all of that communicated with just one word? Yes, the Icelandic word REDDAST is all of that and more. I had the opportunity to share devotions at The Masters Institute this morning, the seminary in Minnesota that I graduated from back in … Read more

Bumps, failure, and death are part of the journey

It’s Easter Sunday, April 12th, 2020. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, the president of Iceland, is addressing the nation on TV during the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic. To encourage people to continue doing the right thing he uses the Icelandic word “REDDAST.” There is a quiet confidence to the president because he knows that the … Read more