Extreme Cedarbrook Makeover - Mall Edition!

It's been some time since my last post ... months, in fact. But, I'm planning on getting "back in the groove" and put some stuff out here on a regular basis so you can check up on us!

We've continued to "Build For the Master" as a family, with the latest venture being a return trip to New Orleans with Joyce and Christi accompanying Dave this time! We worked on Don and Rita Michna's house.


The renovation of this completely devasted house had been going on quite well, but there was a need for some "plumbers" to install two fiberglass shower/tub modules. One was a walk in shower module for Don, who suffers from the results of a stroke.


So, on Monday, July 24th, the "plumbers" arrived to start their work!! ...

The week serving in New Orleans was great experience and we were able to finish the work on the shower and tub. Dave even "christened" one of the showers on the last day!



Building for the Master is taking on a new "wrinkle" for the next month or so. I have been asked to take on the project management responsibilities for local church who is engaged in a renovation project at a local mall. Cedarbrook Church is 4 years-old and has met in a local movie theater in Menomonie, Wisconsin during that time. Due to expanding attendance and additional ministry/space needs, Cedarbrook will move to a space in the "Shops Off Broadway" shopping center in North Menomonie.

I am excited to work with a group of volunteers who not only want to invest the time, talent and treasure in helping to create the physical changes necessary to help Cedarbrook fulfill its mission, but also want to invest in "building with living stones" as they work together to build a stronger community at Cedarbrook. So, if you have an interest in helping out, we're seeking volunteers! As you can see from the picture below, I need all the help I can get!



You can email me at this email address: johnsdb@gmail.com


... or ...





You can check out Pastor Remy's Blog

Stay tuned and check in often for progress reports on how the
"Extreme Cedarbrook Makeover - Mall Edition!" is going!

Keep Building!!

The Block Party

This has been an unbelievable week. Writing a blog about it will be nearly impossible. You'll have to compare the stories in Mark Jensen's blog with mine, because we've lived the last 3 + days together with some huge "God sighting" moments, … seeing Him building with some incredible "living stones."The train ride included meeting Rob, Bob and Jason, with whom I had dinner and laughed so hard my stomach hurt; as well as Frank "Buff Phoon" Bunton, the Christian clown and "balloon artist." It was quite a ride.

But today was a real highlight! Today, Joe (Big Hop) Hopson (aka; Big Joe 3:16) hosted a block party, and he didn't even know he was gonna do it. He didn't plan it, he didn't buy any food for it, he actually didn't do anything but sit in his wheel chair on the porch of his FEMA trailer while a team from Fairmont, Minnesota finished re-roofing his hurricane and flood damaged home in Slidell, Louisiana.














This team worked on Joe's house all week to bring hope and help to one of hundred's of thousands lives, ... by rebuilding one of thousands of homes ... in one of hundred's of neighborhoods that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina last August. There were 2 crews in this neighborhood working on re-roofing homes and our plan was to visit these teams and encourage them with a hot-dog feed.

Right at 12:00 noon, Mark Jensen and I rolled up to Big Joe 3:16's house in Mark's pick-up with a gas grill tied in the back and a cooler with 100 hot-dogs, buns, and all the normal "hot dog fixin's." As the grill got going, we started playing Christian rock (with a little Bob Marley reggae thrown in) through the truck's stereo system.

Team members began to come and get a "disaster dog", as well as go around the neighborhood inviting people to join in. Big Joe simply sat and took it all in. Soon we started to see that as more dogs got grilled, the more the party began to come to life. Another team from another church who were working down the street came by, then guys who were picking up old appliances stopped in, then some neighbors came with boxes of catfish, fried chicken and a big sheet cake! This was true "disaster relief."

The high point of the party came when we presented Big Joe with his new sign; John 3:16, accompanied by an American flag. You see, Big Joe is an avid sports fan and as he watches games on TV he often sees someone in the stands holding a sign that says, John 3:16. But, he never knew what it meant! … until yesterday, when a team member gave Joe a Bible, showed him where John 3:16 was, and what it meant. Big Joe beamed with joy when he heard the true meaning of the sign he'd seen in the football stands. Now, Big Joe has his own John 3:16 sign, and he's telling others what it means! Yes, even hot dogs can be used to build with living stones. And Big Joe can tell you that hope is returning to his neighborhood because of people who know what John 3:16 means.

Different Perspectives

When I formally studied construction many years ago, I took a number of courses to learn how to draw and read architectural blueprints. One thing they taught us early on was how important it was to get "the big picture" before you worked on the details. In order to do this, we started by making some preliminary drawings which had a number of different perspectives. There were views from front, rear, right and left sides. Often the early drawings also included a proposed "footprint" which showed the general size and shape of the building from "above." From these perspectives, a person could begin to get an idea of what some of the details for the building might eventually work out to be, as well as some of the processes involved to get to the final product.

Most of my "long distance" traveling (anything over a day's drive) was done by airplane. I've gotten pretty used to airports and moving between cities from 35,000 feet. This latest trip is different. Because I didn't decide to go to New Orleans until early last week, airfares were out of the question. Also, there wasn't a real "time crunch" for me to arrive. Arriving on Sunday or Monday was fine with Mark. So, I opted to take the train.

As I write this blog on Sunday evening from Union Station in Chicago, I can tell already that this was a good decision. For one thing, going by train is giving me some "space between the structures" that compose my life. But, more importantly, I am recognizing that traveling by train is giving me a very different perspective on life, people and ministry. What God is showing me is that when you fly and see the world from 35,000 feet, everything is a great distance away and looks pretty nice. Even when you travel by car, especially on interstate highways, things still look pretty nice. But, when you travel by train, you get to see the "backside of the tracks," especially in some of the large cities.

Today and tomorrow I am traveling on Amtrak trains, "Empire Builder" and "The City of New Orleans" … remember the song!? This is the real world. This is where people live. The places where trains go aren't always in the best of condition, and sometimes, the people's lives who live in those areas aren't always in the best condition either. To me, that's a good thing to get a perspective on.

I think we often live our lives from 35,000 feet. We don't enter into, engage, and even enjoy the perspective that traveling by train is giving me. Just like the blueprints that I learned to draw and read, the "view from above" isn't enough. You need "ground level perspectives" in order to effectively "build lives." The train is helping me regain some perspective that I haven't had in a while and I'm looking forward to more. Stay tuned.

Rolling Stones

Most of us have heard the saying "moss doesn't grow on a rolling stone" … or another, more original version, "a rolling stone gathers no moss." (from a 1^st century BC poet named Publilius Syrus, who also said, "Let a fool hold his tongue and he will pass for a sage." … (I think I'll have to use that quote at a different time! ... thanks, Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org).

At various times in my life I have recognized that "living stones" are often on the move. People may move physically and geographically from place to place, but more often, the "living stones" I have been privileged to work with are changing, adapting, growing … yes, "moving" in their own lives as they expose themselves to new ideas, new challenges and new experiences.


For me, the "movements" in my life have often been accompanied by geographic change. In the past 13 years, I have flown over ¾ of a million miles, as well as traveled countless miles by bicycle, car, boat, subway, trolley car and … train. Many of those miles were part of a "trip" which I was taking to look at a project, or consult with someone about their facility needs, but, in conjunction with the physical needs which were being addressed, there always seemed to be an opportunity to help in the "movements" which were going on in the lives of the "living stones" around me.

This coming Sunday morning I am embarking on another "rolling stone" trip. I will board an Amtrak train in Tomah, Wisconsin and travel to New Orleans to meet up with my good friend and colleague, Mark Jensen. After a few days "on-site" with him (where we will be doing some "living stone building"), we will drive back to Wisconsin together.

I am looking forward to this next "moving experience." Recently, I have been sensing that some "moss" is starting to think about growing around here and this living stone wants to keep moving in a direction that continues to help shape me and use me in the way that the Master intends. Stay tuned for more on the "Rolling Stone Trip."

The Stone Mason

One of the earliest areas of building I can remember being involved in when I was a young boy was masonry. My Uncle Duane was a bricklayer and stone mason and my dad had a special interest in stone work as well. Stone work has always had a special appeal to me. I can remember going to a quarry or out along the roadsides with an old trailer and picking up stones that would be used for a fireplace, or a decorative façade, or some other part of a building.

The selection, preparation and placement of stones has always fascinated me. Often the stones were placed in a huge pile outside and we boys brought them one-by-one to Dad or Uncle "Dudie." They would reach down and pick up a particular stone, turn it over in their hands, imagine its placement in the project and then either accept or reject it. Sometimes, even though the stone was accepted, it needed a little extra "forming" in order to fit just right in the spot which "the master" had determined. Uncle Dudie would ask for his stone hammer and chisel and would go to work on the stone until it fit just right.

Interestingly, at the end of the project, seldom were there very many stones left which had been either rejected or unused. Those that knew how to work with stone usually found a place for nearly every one.

As I look at our lives, I often wonder if each life isn't quite similar to each of those stones. For the untrained eye, each stone is indistinguishable from the others, and often they're seen as simply being in one big pile. But the "Master Stone Mason" knows that there is a place for each stone in the final product and at the right time, it will fit into just the right place. Yes, sometimes the Master must "take off a few unnecessary bumps" in order for the stone/life to fit just right, but then, the fit is perfect alongside all the other stones and "the project" is one step closer to being finished. I'm thankful for the careful way that the Master Stone Mason selects, prepares and places each of us in "His Building!" I want to continue to allow the Master Stone Mason to examine my life and fit me for just the right place alongside all the other beautiful stones so when it's all done, the final product will truly be a wonderful thing of beauty to behold!

Support Structures

Even the firmest of foundations is insufficient to build a complete life. Throughout my life I have seen that the "supporting cast" of people around us forms a sort of support structure for our lives. Not all of those structures necessarily provide strength. But those that do give strength are essential in the building of a life of strength … one which has direction, purpose and mission.

For a while I'm going to share some personal vignettes which look at the way people provide support structures for our lives. I'm not sure how many I may be inspired to write about, but I do believe that one of the most important issues of "building with living stones" is to recognize how the people around us provide the support structures which, in turn, give strength to our lives. The following "building maxim" is one way to look at the strength which other lives give to ours: "Strength always provides more strength to the components around it." Here's the first "support structure" story.

Family is the place where many of us gain our first support structures. As I mentioned earlier, parents can be a part of a strong foundation, but there are other "support structures" in and around families which build lives. From my earliest recollections, family and faith were inextricably tied together. Grandparents can have an integral role in the support structure of lives. One person who, although physically frail and weak, gave support structure for my life was my maternal grandmother, Martha Onsrud. Her life of faith, love and devotion to her God and her family left an indelible imprint on me as a young person. Her faith had remained strong throughout her life, even through the premature death of her teenage son and later her husband, my grandfather. As a teenager myself, I watched her suffer and eventually die from the debilitating disease of rheumatoid arthritis. Even before she passed from this earthly life in 1973, she had shown me that we could have strength to face incredible challenges, both physical as well as emotional, as life brings them our way. In addition, she gave me a strong picture of the potential for “new life” that was available to those who loved God with all their heart. I truly saw that “new life” in her and it gave me strength that continues today. Thanks, Martha Onsrud, for your life. It's still providing strong support for other lives.

Dig Deep If You're Gonna Build High!

A strong foundation is an essential part of any building. I have worked on many buildings with weak foundations which in the end cannot support the building and it crumbles. To effectively build lives that are strong begins with building strong foundations. One component of building a strong foundation is the family.

Building has been a part of my family's life for as long as I can remember. From my earliest recollections, our family was always together. We often looked out for one another and cared for one another. We enjoyed one another's company and spent many hours playing and working together. My two brothers and I worked together with Mom and Dad as a family in building since we were old enough to swing a hammer or lift a trowel. Each of us has a love for construction and woodworking that continues today.

As young boys growing up in the 1960’s, there were ample opportunities to explore life together as brothers and "build" with a host of neighborhood friends. Organizations like Little League, Boy Scouts and church groups provided some additional “bricks” for the foundation which God had established through my family’s heritage. Certainly there were the occasional questionable "building projects" and of course, “sibling rivalries” . . . which, when we got out of hand, we were duly recompensed with appropriate discipline. But, even so, we knew a healthy and loving relationship with our parents throughout our childhood that provided the strong foundation upon which to build our lives.

My parents are truly two of the most important people in my life’s journey, and continue to this day to be great friends who are always available with a listening ear and/or counsel. They are great encouragers to me and my family, as well as many others. Thanks Mom and Dad for helping to build a strong foundation!

Start Building

I am fascinated by the building process. Since I was very young, the process of taking a pile of raw materials and putting them together to create something useful, beautiful, attractive and beneficial to others has been a passion.

It has been my joy and privilege to be involved in the building of structures and facilities for over 40 years! This passion has opened doors for me and taken me to places which I could have only dreamed of as a boy.

Interestingly, as I have grown older, I have experienced the same wonder in the building process as lives are "built." Over and over again I have seen that each person is, at the start, a "pile of raw materials" which can be "put together" to form something useful, beautiful, attractive and beneficial to others. Then when individual lives are built, they help build and strengthen the lives of those around them resulting in an even more attractive and useful "building" ... made up of people, who are being built together for a greater purpose.

My hope is that those who read this blog will benefit from these musings and see their lives "being built" inwardly, and then building with others in an outward manner, for the benefit of others.