I’m on vacation this week. Lent was a long and challenging six weeks, broken up by some tremendous worship services. It was time to shut off for a while. Time alone. Time with God. Time with my family. No schedules, no email, no appointments. Time outside. Time reading a book for fun. Staying up too … Continue reading Away.
I have a cross in the back of my head. It's true - for better or worse - my "bald spot," where my hair is most thin on the back of my head, is in the shape of a cross. I don't know why my hair does that - frankly, I think it's weird. But … Continue reading In the Cross Hairs
As we continue on this stationary journey of social distancing and relaxed home arrest, the information I share as the Lead Pastor of Peace Lutheran Ministries is all "Need to Know," in the interests of not overwhelming our people with communications. That also means that everything I write is pretty serious. So, although I had … Continue reading 14 Random Things About Me
This Sunday, February 23rd, is a very special day for our family. 13 years ago, Daniel Grady Schmidt, our second child, was born not breathing. It's just "one of those things" that can happen that you never think will happen to you. We were blessed that he survived. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, which … Continue reading Meet Our Son, Daniel
One of the tricky parts of having a public presence on the web is figuring out how much personal information to share, especially regarding your children. But my kids are also a huge part of who I am, and their stories obviously intersect with mine. That said, I want to introduce you to my oldest … Continue reading Our Christmas Miracle
Yes, I am a Lutheran Pastor. Yes, I am an adult. And yes, I believe in Santa Claus. I know of a great many Lutheran Pastors who love to get their Grinch on by criticizing, making fun of or outright scorning the right jolly old elf, but I say this is due to their hearts … Continue reading Redeeming Santa Claus
Back in March, I received a call (an official job offer in our church body) from Peace Lutheran Ministries of Saginaw, Michigan, to serve as their Lead Pastor. At the time, I was happily and comfortably serving the wonderful people of Community Lutheran Church in Flat Rock, also in Michigan, as their Administrative (and sole) … Continue reading On Getting (And Taking) a Call
If you've hung with me for the first two posts here and here, congratulations! The meandering journey of how and why I became a Pastor concludes this week with a post encapsulating two big moves, two miracle babies, and a series of awakenings... How I Became a Pastor, Part 3: The Thrilling Conclusion In a … Continue reading Why a Pastor, Part 3 (The Last Part!)
In the last post, I began telling the story of how I ended up being a Pastor. Because it's a lifelong story, I found it takes more than one sitting to tell. So if you're still interested, the story continues below: How I Became a Pastor, Part 2: The Best Laid Plans... I arrived at … Continue reading Why A Pastor, Part 2
I am often asked what made me decide to be a Pastor, when I knew I wanted to be a Pastor, how I knew what God was calling me to do, etc. Well, as much as I have tried to boil it down into a short answer, it's actually a long story - one that … Continue reading Why A Pastor?
Honest Musings from a Regular Guy... Who Also Happens to Be a Lutheran Pastor 