2008

Out of Narnia - Thanks - Soli Deo...

This week concluded my sabbatical time.  In some ways it felt like visiting Narnia.  I stepped out...

Visited the Gathering at Wooddale

My brother Dan’s church offers an electic worship experience, using the weekend sermon.  A...

The Gathering - at Wooddale

Carolyn with one of her three kids.  The church is currently...

Visited Substance Church

On the recommendation of Tony Dunham, I checked out the church he attends when he is at Bethel.  I...

Substance Church Website

Link to Holly's music and website

Two much prettier faces.  Linda and my sister in law...

Two smooth operators.  My younger brother Dan turns 40 next...

Breakfast with an elder.  Chris Matula took me out to...

A book I'm reading on Humility

“Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is, fromt...”
— Andrew Murray, Humility

“The subjects we teach are large and complex as...”
— Parker Palmer, The Courage to...

Here’s the window view of W. Miner Lake in the Chain...

Which cabin you ask?

Okay, it wouldn’t be a Mike story if something didn’t go wrong.  I don’t try to...

A book I'm reading on leadership and personal...

At the Cabin

It Tuesday night and I’m out at the cabin in Ripon for a few more days of prayer, reading,...

What a great game.  Lotsa hits.  Lotsa runs.  In the first,...

Josh is back in town.  You might remember Josh Chappeau, the...

I miss my church family

Sabbatical has taught me this.  I miss my church family.  It has been good to see the Kingdom of God...

“When all the pieces come together, not only does your work...”
— Jim Collins, from Good to...

“I have seen and spoken to men and women making a difference...”
— Thom Rainer from Breakout...

“The body of Christ was alive, no longer trapped in...”
— Shane Claiborne commenting on...

A favorite site of mine for doing a simple...

A link to Calvin Miller's books, art, and...

A shot from our winter/spring family getaway to a borrowed...

Reading and Recommending

It is a known fact that I love to read.  I usually read a number of books at the same time, not...

A book I'm reading on the art of persuasion

A book I'm reading on teaching

A book I'm reading on church leadership

A books I'm reading on following Jesus -...

A book I'm reading on how to keep spiritual...

Back home

Tuesday night I arrived back in Little Chute.  I am now deeply immersed in home life and continue...

Lunch with Barry

On Monday, I had lunch with Barry the sr. pastor at New City Fellowship.  They are deeply immersed...

On my way home to WI, I stayed two nights in St. Louis with...

A sculpture of pastors praying  a striking contrast to the...

A bronze statue from Kelly Ingram Park, the scene of police...

16th Avenue Baptist that was bombed in 1963. Four little...

Samford wrap up

Did my exit interview, turned in receipts, and went to a class on evangelism and church growth....

About five minutes from my hotel is bluff hills. ...

More writing

I spent the day doing re-writes on all that we went through on Wednesday, plus wrote a new chapter. ...

Wednesday we wrapped up editing my stuff and spent time...

A picture of Calvin Miller overlooking his amazing...

Sunday Hike and Monday Missional...

Sunday, Linda and I went to find a hidden waterfall.  We had a nice two hour hike, but were unable...

I met a new friend at the antique store.  He likes listening...

A slice of the rotunda in the medical school.

“(Our spirtual calling) - The place where God calls you to is...”
— Frederick Buechner

Life without a truck.

A shot of Linda on a leftover piece of a Corinthian column. ...

On two hills south of my hotel are two replica temple dome...

My Friday class was on Evangelism and Spiritual warfare. ...

Linda and her new friend.  She went on a trail ride at Oak...

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your...”
— C.S. Lewis From The Four Loves...

A Mike Classic

Okay, stop me if you’ve heard this one before.  I’m on a trip and the car starts acting...

“We studied churches that are reaching the unchurched, but we...”
— From Breakout Churches by Thom...

This is the church that the professor Dr. Danny Wood leads. ...

Here’s a shot of the Divinity School.  Samford is big...

How to contact me during sabbatical

You can email me at collisoncrew@aol.com or use my...

Another glimpse into a fully developed...

During my sabbatical orientation, Michael, the director and I were chatting about what our church is...

I took a break and went back to try my hand at the mountain...

Work Station 2.0 - the library.  The early clay tablet...

Work Trip Fever

For years and years the only time I ever drove to the South was spring or summer work trips.  It is...

Here’s the local sweet spot for mountain biking and...

Writing

I’m spending as much time as I can focus trying to put together another book.  I am truly...

“The Word of God must become incarnate in the life of the...”
— Brennan Manning - The Wisdom...

My work station 1.0 is not pretty, but works well. God bless...

“You can want to do the right thing. You can even want to do...”
— Stephen Covey

How to contact me

Please email me at collisoncrew@aol.com during my sabbatical or you can hit me at my facebook...

PHONE option if you want to call me

You can reach me by phone at 205-943-0114 suite 210.  I have no cell to call you back though.

The spiritual vows of community the sisters take. Amazing! ...

The St. Bernard Abbey church

The Benedictine Sisters chapel

An unfired Saturn launch platform. Sweet!

Prayer at the Convent

I stopped in Cullman, AL to spend some time in prayer and reflection.  I landed first at the...

Travel stuff and random thoughts

The Chevy Malibu is getting 32mpg I’m happy to report.  Sunday morning I played radio roulette...

Christian Badvertising

As I drive through KY and AL I’ve seen a few full-sized billboards advetising Heaven or...

Hanging out with Aunt Joyce, Uncle John, and Jonathan in...

For sale:  One used mattress with markings

Power nap break in Indiana by a river park area, note...

Mike, Eric Omdal (Calvary Bible), and John Wilcox (Faith...

NE Wisconsin in Spring

How to contact me

Please email me at collisoncrew@aol.com during my sabbatical or you can hit me at my facebook...

A Truly Missional Church

“Who are you praying for outside the church? The answer to...”
— Dan Kimball’s question...

It has begun

Most of the ice and snow have melted in NE Wisconsin allowing spring to do its warming work and my...