I will be transitioning out of TreeHouse this August. My last day will be Friday, August 15^th. The reason I have come to this decision is because I feel like my first responsibility is to God, then Maggie, followed by my kids. My career and vocation fall into fourth place. I feel God is calling me to transition in to the field of school counseling so I can have a more structured schedule with more opportunities to invest in the lives of my wife and kids.

The past two years have been amazing years of growth, blessing, stretching, learning, encouragement, and clarity. I believe that God has placed me at TreeHouse for the past 2 years so I would have a desire to work with teens who want someone to listen to them. I have polled many kids at TreeHouse about their school counselor and the #1 characteristic they wish was changed was that “they would listen”. I am striving to be someone who listens and genuinely cares about my students.

I have been offered a job as a part-time guidance counselor at Spectrum High School in Elk River, MN and will start working there in August. This is the first year they have had a guidance counselor so I will be breaking new ground at the school. I am also coaching the schools first ever season of girls volleyball. I am excited to see how God is going to use me at Spectrum as the school grows and expands.

Please pray for Maggie and I as we try to figure out how to balance our lives as a family and a couple over the next year. I need to go back to school to take the required classes for my school counseling licensure and it is going to take time and lots of money. The last 2 years of support raising have proven to us that God is in total control of our finances and will continue to provide for us. Keep praying for us to trust Him.

I want to tell you all how humbled and honored I have been to represent you at TreeHouse. Without each one of you supporting me in my ministry I would not have experienced the blessings and spiritual growth I enjoyed ay TreeHouse. I believe in the ministry of TreeHouse and I hope you have seen how amazing and transforming TreeHouse is in the lives of so many youth.

I want to encourage you to continue supporting TreeHouse. Hopefully when life settles down I can volunteer at TreeHouse because I believe God is using TreeHouse is a HUGE way to reach hurting teens. It gives them a chance to hear the gospel message and see it personally lived out. If you decide you want to continue to give to TreeHouse please let me know and I will let you know how to direct your gifts. Thank you all for your prayer and financial support. PLEASE do not stop praying for us! If you have any questions or want to talk about our decision please feel free to leave a comment and I’ll send you my email address or phone number. Thanks.

For more Boundary Waters Pictures Click Here

During the summer we have a few trips that cost the kids some money. The reason we still go on these trips is because of the way the they challenge, stretch, and encourage each teen to do something they never would have thought about doing. Some kids have never spent a night in a tent camping, some have never been on a boat, some kids have never left MN, and a few teens have never left home for an over night stay. Our activities and events are designed to give each teen an opportunity to try something new. In doing so, many of them find out they have talents and gifts they never explored before. It is encouraging and very rewarding to watch their self-confidence grown and their spiritual interest go to a deeper level.

Please consider giving a special designated amount toward our summer events because they have been life changing summers for many teens at TreeHouse. Thanks!

Also, please be praying for the staff at TreeHouse because the summer is our busiest time of the year. We need energy, patience, and grace as we continue to pour into the lives of the teens. Thank you in advance!

One final thing, I have added a page to the website that contains virtually all the talks I have done at TreeHouse. It is located on the top of the website where the tabs are located. I will try to keep that up to date so you can use them. I have also included any PowerPoint or handouts that were used during the talk. I hope they are helpful to you!

Dan

TH Newsletter Summer 2008- Stepping Stones

TH Newsletter Summer 2008- Sponorship Request

If you did not receive a copy of the newsletter in the mail and you would like one please let me know and I’ll add you to the mailing list. Otherwise you can subscribe to the website and you will be notified when the newest newsletter is added.

Have a great day!!

Dan

Spring 2008 Newsletter- “So Close!”

Steve is on my careload and has been since he started coming to TH last summer. He is one of the smartest kids I have ever met. He thinks very abstractly, understands hidden meanings, and always seems to ask questions I had never thought about. His gift has also been his curse. Steve told me that he has always been able to outsmart or explain away religious ideologies with “What if….?” questions or the use of logic. The only Person he has not been able to outsmart is God. When I first met Steve he made it very clear that he did not believe in God or religion. He was totally closed off and disinterested in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I can think of a specific time when I was sitting outside looking at the stars one night (7 months ago) and he said he did not want to believe in God because he didn’t want to waste his time believing in someone he was not convinced even existed. These are his words on faith; “It is like jumping off a huge cliff and not knowing what is going to happen. I don’t want to get to the bottom (the end of life) and realize I had just wasted that time and belief for nothing.” I was blown away by his honesty and passion. He was seeking and desiring to know but he did not want to throw his emotions and feelings at the door of just any religious idea or thought. He wanted to know the truth.

Over the past few months I have talked with Steve about God, truth, relationships, and faith. I truly believe that God has been working in his heart over the past few months because our conversation last week gave me a small glimpse into the work the Holy Spirit is doing in him. We pulled up to his house and sat outside in the van and talked about God, faith, trust, truth, and what Christianity looked like in a practical sense. He asked so many great questions and listened intently as I tried to communicate the message of God’s redemption as best I could. I told him these three things. 1. You need to come to a point where you know you have sinned and missed the mark. You will only ever seek for God when you realize you need help. 2. Jesus Christ paid the price for you on the cross so you do not have to pay for the penalty of your own sin. All you need to do is accept that free gift. 3. Once you have accepted that free gift and asked Him to forgive you of your sins your should have a desire to serve God out of gratitude for all He has done for you, NOT because you have to but because you want to. Steve has a LOT of knowledge about God but he summed it up this way. “I know more about God than most of my friends but there is a difference between knowing ABOUT God, and KNOWING God.” I looked at him when he said that and smiled because only the work of the Holy Spirit can get someone to that point. He said he is at a crossroad now. Does he accept the truth and the facts about who Jesus Christ is or does he continue to do what he has always done and try to outsmart God.

Steve did not give his life Jesus that night but I am very encouraged as I anticipate the day when he does accept the free gift of salvation. I asked him what is keeping him back from taking that step and he said he needs a little more time to think about it. I got the idea that his thinking wasn’t focused on denying or refusing the facts but rather a time to get the facts and truths sink in and become his own before deciding to step over the line drawn in the sand; eternal and purposeful life vs. eternal and purposeless life.

Keep praying for Steve and his salvation. I think it is close and because of that I believe Satan will do everything he can to distract and detract him spiritually. Please pray that I will have godly wisdom as I talk with him. Thanks! I will let you all know when he joins the family of God and begins his spiritual journey.

Thanks!

HOME: Both kids are getting really big! Maggie and I were looking though our pictures from this summer, fall, and winter and we were both shocked at how grown up Ruby looks. She is definitely becoming a little girl and not a baby/toddler. She’s 2 1/2 now and doesn’t miss anything we say! She always has a comment or question about our conversation and we’re starting to spell words so she doesn’t know what we’re saying. Unfortunately, I’m not a great speller so sometimes Maggie has to pause and unscramble or edit my attempted spelling Thankfully I have a wife who can spell. Every Thursday morning our whole family goes to the community center to swim. Ruby LOVES to swim and does really well playing in the shallow-end and is also pretty daring in the deeper end where she can barely touch (she tip toes around with her face looking up toward the ceiling). She is also our “gopher” when it comes to diapers, wipes, clothes, etc…

Titus is soooo cute! He loves to smile, laugh, and be tickled. He can sit up all by himself and can rock on his hands and knees like he’s preparing to crawl. He really enjoys his Johny-Jump-Up and is totally in love with Ruby! Every time she talks to him he smiles and laughs. He will watch her whenever she’s in the room and likes to listen to her read books. We have an appointment set up at the Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis to help us with his eating habits. Over the past few months he has totally refused to drink his milk from any bottle/cup possible. He does eat baby cereal with veggies so he’s getting food but he’s not getting the nutrition he needs. We’ll let you know what they have to say and what happens, but until then keep praying that he continues to stay healthy despite not getting all the vitamins and minerals he needs. Thanks!

Maggie is still working hard and being a great mom, wife, and friend. She is currently working every other Friday and Saturday night with one other shift between her weekends. She does a great job with both kids at home while I’m at work and continually does whatever is needed to help our family. Since the snow has started to melt Maggie has been hit pretty big with the spring/summer warm weather bug. I can’t blame her either because it will be so nice to let Ruby and Ti play outside in the backyard now that we have grass back there instead of a pool. We bought a little swing for Ruby and Ti and we can’t wait to get some use out of it. Maggie has been a huge encouragement to me lately and I am very thankful for her grace, forgiveness, and selflessness. Thanks Maggie!

WORK: Since I last blogged I have experienced a lot of great change at Chaska TreeHouse. We have been praying for new kids to come to TH (TreeHouse). A lot of the “core” kids at TH are in high school which is great for leadership, activities, and maturity. But, it is also very important to have a younger base of kids to grow, teach, and effect change in their lives. Typically we would have 5 to 10 middle school students attend program nights. Since we started praying we have seen incredible growth in the number of middle school students. For example, we had a Chaska TH Spring Retreat at Lake Owen Camp in Cable, WI and the number of middle school students who came was almost HALF of the total number of students attending. We are now noticing a shift from high school dominant to a good balance between the grades. Approximately 8-10 NEW middle school kids have been coming over the past few weeks. We are talking about splitting the group by high school and middle school so we can effectively reach each age group. It is exciting to see how God is bringing the right kids to TH and how they are beginning to positively impact the culture, atmosphere, and direction of TH. Continue to pray that God will bring us new kids who need to hear the truth of God’s Word. We have also been able to see some fruit from the work of God in the lives of some teens. A number of them read their Bible every day and are now going to local churches! So encouraging!

Well, I think this is long enough so I won’t make you waste any more of your time I will upload some new pictures pretty soon so you can see how big the kids are getting! When I do, I’ll let you know.

Thanks for your prayers, thoughts, and support! This year you all have blessed me and TH so much with your gifts. Right now I am approximately 10%-12% OVER my financial target! Thank you SOOO much. You don’t know how much of a blessing it is to have that much support. Some staff have to spend a lot of time and energy asking people to help them reach their target throughout the year and even more so at the end of the year. Thank you so much for letting me focus more on my ministry and less on continually raising support!

Dan, Maggie, Ruby, and Titus

Here are also highlights from WinterBlast!

 124 Teens went on WinterBlast this past weekend! It was the first time that we had teens from our Plymouth TreeHouse. Minnetonka TreeHouse even had a waiting list!  Brian (program director) reported that 15 of these Teens made their first commitment to Christ and 30 renewed their commitment!  These are amazing numbers.

This year we had the largest group of kids at Winter Blast EVER! Chaska TreeHouse has 19 teens and 5 staff go and out of those 19 teens 2 accepted Christ for the first time and 4 recommitted their lives to Christ. It has been awesome seeing the hunger and thirst the kids have for God and His Word after a retreat like the one we just had. We are now in a place where we are building upon their desire to know more by starting up a few Bible studies during the week. Yesterday was our first Bible study and we had 11 show up which is very encouraging. Pray that we will be able to communicate the truth of God’s Word accurately and relevantly. They have so many misconceptions about who God is, what His Word says, and how it applies to their lives, so hopefully the Holy Spirit will be able to work on their hearts and minds over the next few weeks. Pray that their hearts and minds would receive the truth and it would change them.

On a more somber note I wanted to ask you all to pray for a family that is involved with TreeHouse. Two of the teens in the family attend TreeHouse and were at Winter Blast with us last week. When they got home their mom told them that their dad had died on Saturday. Their dad is in an out of state prison and suffered a deadly heart attack. Over the past few days we’ve been trying to help the family figure out a way to get to the funeral because they can not afford plane tickets for all 5 family members. Several of the tickets have been purchased by individuals who know the family but there are still a few tickets left to be paid for. They left today for the funeral so please pray that they would experience closure and be able to grieve their lose in a positive way. If any of you know anyone who would be willing to donate money toward a ticket for the family please let me know and I’ll pass the information on to the right person. This family really has no money. Both kids come on Winter Blast and did not have any money to put toward the trip ($110 per kid was the cost) so I gave them both a scholarship. If anyone would like to send money to my scholarship fund to help cover their costs I would appreciate it very much. Thanks!

To end on a more positive thought I want to reiterate how awesome it is that we had 15 kids come to know Christ as their personal Savior for the first time! There is a serious party going on in heaven now! The work has only begun though because now the seeds need to be watered, pruned, and cared for as they grow. Please pray that we will be able to help them in that journey and they will be able to sustain their desire and yearning instead of it being a once-a-year feeling they get at a retreat.

Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts. Please remember Maggie and I in your prayer as we are thinking through some tough decisions for our family that may be coming up in the near future. Thanks in advance. Prayer really works!   I’ll update you soon!

So, in the last month a lot has happened. I won’t bore you all with the details and such but I will give you a general idea as to what has gone on.

Thanksgiving was great with my whole family around. We had fun spending time catching up and letting the grandparents bond with the grandkids. I was especially happy that Pop Pop (my grandpa on my Dad’s side) got to see all 3 grandkids because I don’t know when our next trip to PA will take place. When they all left our house it was really quite and empty. It was good though because it gave Ruby and Titus a chance to get back into their sleeping/napping/eating routines. All in all it was a great week with everyone around.

Things at TreeHouse have been really busy this month. Typically we have program nights on Tuesday and Thursday nights with another event every two weeks or so. So far in December we’ve had the regular programs but we have also had an event each week. It’s fun to give the kids an opportunity to get out the house and experience community but it is also hard on my family because I am gone more than usual. Last week the earliest I was home was 9:30pm (except for Monday, that was a “normal” workday). Weeks like that can get kinda stressful at home. Pray that Maggie and I are able to learn how to balance work, family, personal time, and time together so each need is met. Thanks!

It has been great seeing the progress some of the kids here are making. Sometimes its hard to see because we’re in the midsts of it but when I think back and look at where a few kids were and where they are now I am encouraged and grateful to have been a part of that transformation. I don’t feel like I do a lot for some of the boys I meet with but thankfully God works in ways I have no idea about! It is good to know He is faithful despite what I may say or do in these kids lives.

I am in charge of our Winter Blast event which is a huge event for TreeHouse and the kids. We are going to Camp Forest Springs in Wisconsin for a weekend retreat. All the TreeHouse locations will be attending so it’s gonna be a huge event! Thankfully I’m not in charge of all the TH locations, only Chaska, but it’s still a big responsibility. The trip costs $110 per kid so it is hard selling a trip of that cost to kids who struggle with the $5-$20 trips and activities we do throughout the year. So far though it has gone well but I am still trying to figure out how many kids are going to need scholarships and how much they’ll need to pay. I think I’ve got it all figured out for now but please pray that I’m able to be financially responsible with what has been given to Chaska and what each one of you have given me.

Lately I have been challenged with a quote I read in a devotional booklet I read online. The quote was this. ” No day is complete without worship.” It was in reference to the word “Selah”, seen mostly in the book of Psalms. (What Does Selah Mean?) The author was talking about the meaning of the word and how we need to have a “Selah” moment each day. A time where we are quite, reflective, and meditating on God’s Word. Our lives get so busy and crazy that we often skip the opportunities for “Selah” in order to get more work done, to catch up, or busy ourselves with more work. I have been challenged because that’s what I a lot. I don’t know if anyone can relate to this, but I have a problem with always coming up with something else to do when I arrive at the time of the day where I want to spend time with God in His Word and in prayer. I always seem to find something that I need to quickly do before I start. Normally that “quick” little project becomes a huge project and before long I have wasted my time on other things. Again, I don’t know if any of you can relate to that or have experienced something similar before but that is usually the reason I miss my “Selah” moments during the day.

My challenge for you this Christmas season is to remember that “No day is complete without worship.” Whatever it takes for that to be accomplished needs to be done. Ignore those ‘quick” little tasks that seem to come up when it is time to enter our prayer closet or kneel before Him in the Holy of Holies. This is something I am working on and I know it is something others struggle with so please continue to pray for me and each other in this. We are a community, a body, not a lot of different random parts trying to figure it out on our own. Supporting and lifting each other up is very important and impactful.

Well, I have to go pick a kid up to hang out but I’ll keep you all updated more frequently! Promise! Thanks for all your prayers, support, and encouragement. They keep me going each day.  Have a great Christmas (yes, I said Christmas, not Holiday because it’s about Christ) and I’ll talk with you all soon!

Dan

“No Day Is Complete Without Worship” 

WORK: I created a simple and quick website for Chaska TreeHouse (www.chaskatreehouse.wordpress.com) so the kids can keep up to date on whats going on, when events are scheduled to start and end, and what is coming up. Tim (my brother) has been helping me look at some other options for a more user friendly and interactive website for the youth here. It should be pretty sweet when it’s all done.

Over the past few days I’ve been asking kids what they are doing for Thanksgiving. The responses have varied. Some have talked about going to relatives houses, others have mentioned their house as the “host” house, and a good number of kids have said they are not doing anything at all. No special dinner, no relatives, no change from the ordinary. Each time I’ve heard that I’ve felt so sad inside because the family get-together holidays are always a lot of fun. For me, it has been the only times I get to see my cousins. It has also been a time to just relax and talk with family. For so many of the kids here “family” isn’t anything important of special to them. They’d rather be with their friends or alone than with their family. I would be so mad and full of bitterness if our Thanksgiving dinner was sitting at KFC. I know that sounds like a joke but I know it will happen this year for a few of the kids here. It’s just another day. Nothing special. No family to enjoy and laugh with.

I have so much to be thankful for and yet I take it all for granted. I don’t know if any of you relate to what I am saying or have noticed that despite all we have and all we can do (physically, financially, and many other ways) we don’t take time to give thanks. I think about the nation of Israel in the book of Judges. They would experience awesome blessing and grace from God and would begin to trust themselves and wouldn’t recognize Him as their Jehovah Jira. As a result they would fall into deeper sin and suffer the consequences of their actions. Only when they hit rock bottom would they return to their first love and repent.

This is a cycle I do not want to fall into. I want to be thankful always. It is super hard because I get so distracted with my own thinking and selfishness. I think I had something to do with the amount of money we made during the month or the way we were able to put money into our savings account. But when I look back over the past year I can see that God has TOTALLY blessed us in huge ways and I have yet to fall on my knees to praise and thank Him for being my Jehovah Jira.

We have so much to be thankful for this year. I want to challenge and encourage you to take some time today to think about how God has been your Jehovah Jira. Have you properly thanked Him for His awesome blessings? Don’t let another day pass without doing it!

Psalm 95:1-6(KJV)

“O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”

Psalm 107:1(NIV)

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

I was able to have several awesome conversations with a few of the Chaska guys who came on the trip. One in particular has been on my heart the last few days. Please pray for me as I continue to share the truth of the character of God is and how He is not some universal “god” that all religions believe in. This youth said he is having trouble trusting God (“god”) because if he does and is let down than it would have been a waste of time and it would just add to the hurt. Pray that I am able to accurately communicate to him who God is and how He will never let us down. This kid is amazingly smart and intellectual so he tends to rely on logic and brains a lot. At some point the facts, proof, and logic have to step aside so his heart can be reached. Pray that he is able to get to that place quickly. He has so much potential for spiritual growth, knowledge, and peer influence that it would be awesome to see him begin to impact his friends for Christ while still in high school.

I took a bunch of video of the trip but I didn’t get any pictures! Sorry! I might be able to get some from other kids and staff so you can see what the retreat was like.

Thanks in advance for all your prayers and thoughts. If anyone has any questions about the United Way info in the newsletter please let me know. Thanks!

Dan

PS…. I have been having trouble with my website so if you leave a comment and you don’t see it or it has an error message don’t worry. I am trying my best to fix it. So far I haven’t figured it out but don’t let that keep you from commenting on postings or other things. Thanks!