ccm Cross 0276 Walden Hill Pine River, MN

Walden Hill
2881 44th St
Pine River, Minnesota 56474
ccm Cross 0276

GPS/DMS 46°38’46.2″N 94°24’35.1″W

Additional Photos After Testimony

5216 cdd Hope and Inspiration
Cyber Daily Devotion
Volume 21 Number 203

Today’s Author: Pastor Bill

Scripture: Titus 3:4-5
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” NIV

Hello fellow cdd readers, My name is Pastor Mick Scott from Walden Hill in Jenkins, Minnesota. I grew up in Richfield, Minnesota across the street from Metropolitan Stadium where the Minnesota Twins played. I was the 2nd oldest of four boys. It was not unusual to find us on hot summer days at Metropolitan Stadium chasing down foul balls during the Minnesota Twins practices.

Growing up my dad was a HVAC repairman and mom worked overtime enjoying us boys grow up. We were a church family only to motivate us boys to attend confirmation classes. We attended but the meaning was lost in our anticipation to get through the classes.

In 1978, I was 20 years old and it was the beginning of the roller disco era, so, I moved from the metro area of Minneapolis purchasing the disco roller rink in Nisswa, Minnesota. We were in the Brainerd Lakes Area the center of the vacation capital of the state and disco kept the crowds coming in.

Over the next 5 years of owning and operating the disco roller rink I met Kris. We married and had 3 of our 5 children while in Nisswa. When the disco craze waned, I sold the rink and went to work for a company that built rinks and similar facilities around the entire Midwest.

It was then in 1983, while building a roller rink in Hudson, Wisconsin that I encountered Jesus in a life changing way. I was alone in my hotel room and picked up the Gideon Bible from the bedside table; I have no idea what I read but suddenly everything I had heard in Sunday School and Confirmation classes made perfect sense. The light bulb went on: Jesus Christ is Lord! The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to new life in Christ!

But God wasn’t done speaking to me, in the same breath he called me to full time pastoral ministry. WHAT?? I had never gone to college and was making good money building rinks so why would I quit and go to school — make nothing? Well, I talked back and forth with God for a few weeks and finally I had to admit that he was Lord, and I would follow his will.

That fall I was enrolled at St. Paul Bible College and God even found me a job that had family housing with it. I was the night man and caretaker of the funeral home in Buffalo, Minnesota. Later I would also become the chaplain and do funerals for people that didn’t have a church home — I became the original “rent-a-reverend!”

I graduated from St. Paul Bible College with degrees in Bible, Theology and Education. I was hired by the Buffalo Covenant Church as pastor of evangelism; at the same time, I began my Master of Divinity studies at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Jump forward a couple years, while still at Bethel, Kris and I were sent out by the Covenant Church to begin a church start up in Monticello, Minnesota. I was licensed as a student to Pastor the new church. After three exciting years of seeing many people come to Christ, the new church was launched and doing well so it was time for me to graduate from seminary and move on.

Both Kris and I had always wanted to return to the Brainerd Lakes Area of northern Minnesota but there were no Covenant Church opportunities. After much prayer and discussion, we decided that I should seek ordination in the Lutheran Church as it was an open mission field for an evangelical pastor such as myself, and there were several churches in our target area. I completed the ordination interviews and was called to a church in Nisswa, Minnesota. Kris and I were back where it all began!

We Pastored two Lutheran Churches in the area. Then the opportunity came to purchase 40 acres on Walden Hill. It was during this time that I became ill. No one knew quite what was wrong, but I kept getting worse. I eventually had to leave the church as I could no longer keep up the pace. I tried teaching at the local college but after a couple years that also got to be too tough. The next few years were exceedingly difficult for us and our family.

I was eventually diagnosed with DPD (Dissociative Personality Disorder). It was brought on by a brain injury I received several years before while falling off a horse. My brain was no longer producing the level of chemicals it needed for daily living. It led to erratic behaviors including seizures and heavy drinking. The trouble was that after the diagnosis was made and they began trying different treatments, I kept getting worse.

Prayer and anointing helped but God was not through working within me. I had much to learn. Though there is no known cure for what I have, in 2013 things began to get better. Over the next several years I improved slowly.

I ended up transferring my ordination to the Riverview Community Church in Pine River, Minnesota, joining their Pastoral Team and began to assist the ministry there. The Holy Spirit’s healing has now brought me to the place where I can again teach, preach and minister at churches in our area.

My trials have also allowed me to be open to the hurts, habits and hang-ups that people are working through as I Pastor our Celebrate Recovery Ministry group. It certainly helped me through my most painful times.

We have been ministering Celebrate Recovery for more than 14 years. Our team meets with 35 – 50 participants each week. The addictions we experience on a weekly basis includes Overeating, Overspending, Overworking, Sexual Addiction, Depression, Divorce, Co-dependency, Drug & Alcohol Addiction, Anger and many more too numerous to mention.

We continue to live on Walden Hill, 21 years now, and that is where we are planting this Cross. Walden Hill is visible for over a mile around and the Cross will stand out to everyone who travels our road as a symbol of hope and inspiration. It will also be the centerpiece of the groups and gatherings we have on Walden Hill..

This Cross to me is a symbol of Christs grace. Jesus loves us so much He couldn’t live without us. Jesus can’t keep His eyes off us — He loves to watch over those who love Him. Jesus cares for us even building in pauses in our lives as an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to open our hearts. Don’t miss any opportunities!

We are thankful for the ministry of Pastors Bill & Carol and join with many other believers around the world who have planted Crosses for hope and inspiration in shouting “Fire in the Hole!”