Fear of missing out (or as the young people say -- FOMO) can be summarized as “the fear that if you miss a party or event, you will miss out on something great.” Have you ever experienced that? I know I have felt that way. Whether it’s tickets to a sports game, a social gathering with friends, or a chance to get a free meal, I’ve experienced it in some way.

If you’re a football enthusiast, you already know what time it is. Fall is one of the most exciting times of the year around our office. Between NFL, college, and high school football, we always have something to talk about. It comes with new hopes, new possibilities, and the excitement of cheering on your favorite team.

During my (Dave Skahen) childhood years, my brothers and I would be very competitive with each other. Whether it was baseball, basketball, football, or a game we made up that day, we played to win. Each of us was skilled in different sports, but my younger brother benefitted the most from two older siblings. He would make bigger strides quicker because he consistently played with older and tougher athletes. Proverbs 27:17 comes to mind when I reflect on this, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another (ESV).” However, this is not only true when playing against tougher competitors in athletics; it’s a principle that applies to all of life, especially as it relates to our walk with Christ.

I (Dave Skahen) have 20/20 vision. Actually, I have 20/16 vision in my left eye. I’ve never needed glasses, but that could change as I get older. I’m grateful to the Lord to be able to see things in short or long distances without the help of prescription glasses. However, we all need more than 20/20 vision to navigate life and the world around us. Everyone sees the world a certain way: It’s what’s known as a worldview.

Today is our Wisconsin State Fall Partisan Primary. Do you ever get tired of voting? We hope not! What a blessing it is to have the right—and we would say, responsibility—to vote as citizens. As believers, this world is not our home. But it IS our home for now, and we are responsible to be good stewards of our privileges and opportunities. (Jeremiah 29:4-7 comes to mind.)

On October 6, 1993, at the height of his career, Michael Jordan shocked the world by announcing his retirement from the NBA. The Chicago Bulls had won their first “3-peat,” but Jordan was worn out. With the murder of his father 3 months earlier, Jordan said that he lost motivation to play, and that “Physically, I was getting exhausted. Mentally, I was way past exhausted.” In other words, his skills had not diminished, his level of dominance hadn’t changed, but he was burnt out.

Has a date on the calendar ever snuck up on you? I (Dave Skahen) feel like my kids’ birthdays sneak up on me every year. I can think of a few times when a birthday was just few days away, and I had a panic moment because I didn’t remember to buy gifts. Thankfully, my wife stays on top of these things and the family calendar much better than I do. She reassures me in those moments that she has already purchased what is needed.

In early adolescence, my parents informed me that they put money into a financial services account for my future. At first, I was confused. I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t just give me the money now. They informed me the money was an investment to be used when I got older.

As you read this, LEAD camp is taking place on the campus of Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown. 130 young people from all over Wisconsin, a few from Michigan, and even one from Tennessee are with us for the week.

When you hear from us next week at this time, we will be in the middle of our LEAD Wisconsin camp. The mission of LEAD Wisconsin is “equipping teens to become effective Godly leaders who engage the culture from a biblical perspective.”

At the Fond du Lac Memorial Day parade, our family, on behalf of our church, hands out outreach invitations. Every year at the parade, we see signs that say, “Freedom isn’t free.” This sentiment is also true as we reflect on Independence Day later this Thursday.

The year was 2004, and I (Dave Skahen) remember watching the ALCS between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The Red Sox at one point were down 3 games to zero, and all hope seemed lost. No MLB team had ever come back to win a series after trailing by that margin. However, the Red Sox rallied, went on to win the series, and then swept the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series. It was a massive swing of emotions on both sides.

It’s been attributed to Charles Spurgeon saying, “Advice to a thirsty soul. Try coffee.” While it’s possible that Spurgeon made his statement a little “tongue in cheek,” there’s some truth in it.

Have you reflected lately on the difference that it makes for there to be a dad present in the home? In a recent Wisconsin Family Action weekly email, the following was noted: “The Institute for Family Studies issued a report that finds that strong families are associated with less crime in cities across the United States. Specifically, their analyses indicate that the total crime rate in cities with high levels of single parenthood is 48% higher than those with low levels of single parenthood. When it comes to violent crime, cities with high levels of single parenthood have 118% higher rates of violence.”

If you’ve watched TV or been on social media over the weekend, you probably have seen the culture celebrate the beginning of LGBTQ Pride Month. These celebrations won’t just stay on our screens but will be brought to our local communities through picnics, drag queen story hours, parades, and other public events.