About



Do you like to ponder? I do.

In fact, I spend most of my time pondering.

Though I don't always use the word ponder.

Often I think about my family and the things that are happening in our lives.

Everyday I process what I will say in my sermon on Sunday.

Other times I imagine hiking in the mountains of Colorado.

In the mornings I will meditate on Scripture.

When I finish reading a book I will contemplate how the lessons apply to my life.

There are moments when I need to consider the advice I have been given.

In the evening I will prayerfully reflect on the happenings of the day.

I am a ponderer. For good or bad the way I make sense of the world is through time spent thinking about what goes into my mind.

Pondering is what this blog is about. It is a product of my thoughts, the things that get my mind moving.

My name is Paul Steele and I am the pastor at Bethlehem Church in Austin, MN.

Being a pastor means that much of my time is spent reading the Bible, reading books about the Bible, and listening to podcasts about the Bible.

This is the reason why the majority of my thoughts surround what it means to follow Jesus. It is what I seek to do and it is what I teach other people to do. I want people to know Jesus and to follow him.

I also believe that as a Christian that it is important to be good stewards of the life God has given to me. As I near 50 and deal with recurring blood clots I will spend time thinking about how to live a healthy life: mentally, physically, and spiritually. 

This means most of my thoughts will center around the themes: Christian living and Spiritual formation.

Join me in this journey to share my thoughts.

It is true that I love to share my thoughts with people. It is also true that I want to know what you are thinking.

I believe that when we take the time to listen to each other that our capacity for respecting each other and processing new ideas grow. To allow a dialogue to happen I will always leave the comments on so you are able to share your thoughts with me.

Enjoy your time reading my ponderings.

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