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The Boy Who Walked Away Alive

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Have you heard about the boy who died? There is a scene in Acts chapter 20 where Luke records something miraculous that occurs in the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Late one night in a well lit upper room, Paul is sharing the good news of the Kingdom of God with a group of disciples in Troas. As night wears on, a young listener named Eutychus is overwhelmed by sleepiness and tragically falls out of a window to his death. Paul descends the stairs of the building and hovers over the boy. In the same way that Jesus assured the ruler whose young daughter had died, so Paul issues forth comfort in his speech, saying, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him” (Acts 20:10 ESV). This calls to mind life-giving resurrections told of in the ministries of Elijah and Elisha as well. The miraculous happens again, and they took away the boy alive. How can this be? How can the dead be made alive? Who invests this resurrection power to defeat this solemn and universal enemy? Truly this is t...
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Reflections on COVID-19 and Easter

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The four things that the book Strength Based Leadership says that people want (and follow) in leaders: 1. Trust 2. Stability 3. Hope 4. Compassion (From my paraphrase): 1. Trust - the leader inspires trust 2. Stability - the leader provides a sense of stability, resolve 3. Hope - the leader produces hope and points to a greater future 4. Compassion - the leader demonstrates merciful thinking and a compassionate heart For anyone in any form of leadership during COVID-19, these four traits will be critical. Do people trust you? Have you demonstrated strong character? Are you stable? Are you caring for yourself well? Do you inspire hope in others? Are you an opportunist? Are you compassionate? When we are pushed to our limits and put to the test, our true character shines through more clearly. Will we step up with resolve and resiliency? Will we remain hopeful? Will we consider others and show mercy? The truth is, we can't. We panic. We get anxiety....
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A Retirement Tribute to My Dad

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My Dad, Mike Stiver My dad, Mike Stiver is retiring in a couple of days. He and my mom came recently to St. Paul to visit Allison and I, and we went out for dinner. During the meal, he recounted his entire work history to all of us, which started as a paperboy at age 7, running up and down the streets of Merrill, WI early in the morning.  When I think about both of my parents, I'm often reminded of the strong work ethic that they instilled in us. When I think about my dad's work career, I think about his hard manual labor in paper mills and other places, all of his hard work focused on honoring his upbringing and taking care of his wife and kids. (NOTE: My mom is an amazing worker and also did tremendous things for our family, but she ain't retiring, so no tribute for her....yet - this one's about Dad). One of the biggest things that ever happened for our family was that my dad got hired as a maintenance man at Wausau Paper in Brokaw, Wisconsin. This happ...
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A Prayer For 2019

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2019 is here, people! Out of the abundant favor of God, we are here in Nebraska as I write this, staying at a lovely AirBnB as a family, celebrating the holiday and enjoying time together. Last night, we were studying Ephesians 3 as we prepared for the New Year, and it seemed like such a fitting and beautiful prayer to ring in 2019, that I wanted to pass it along. Here is the prayer that I am joining with the Apostle Paul almost 2000 years ago in praying for myself and others, and for you and for those you love. Prayer for Spiritual Strength 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and ...
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The Joy of Living

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In Edmund Morris' robust biography, Theodore Rex , which chronicles Theodore Roosevelt's ascendency into the office of President and his first term, we get a window into the mind of the man. At this point, Roosevelt has solemnly sworn his Oath of Office, shortly after President McKinley's assassination, and has begun to reign in what would be his first term. After a couple years, Roosevelt embarks on a massive train tour of the nation. One of the stops on his tour was through the Dakotas. Morris writes, "When the train drew near the Badlands, darkness already had descended. The President went onto this rear platform and watched coulees etch themselves into the grassland, black out of silver, like a giant printer's block. Medora lay the deepest cut of all, a clutch of houses by the sand-choked Little Missouri. Here, twenty years before, he had come to shoot his first buffalo, and found himself "at heart as much as Westerner as an Easterner." (...
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