News you can use
News you can use
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(Revelation 13:11-14:10) Are we living in the end times? People have been asking me that recently. Some ask me about the mark of the beast. Many people have speculated on the meaning of the mark of the beast in Revelation 13, but however it might be fulfilled, it could "symbolize all our allegiances to the gods of this world or all the emperors who try to usurp God's place." These chapters in The Revelation stir us Christians - who can face life realistically because we know t...
You know, Lord, it was most interesting to recently read a devotional about never being forgotten. The gal wrote how her kids wanted her to start playing the piano again; she mentioned that she had not played the piano for two decades. She was surprised, when she sat at the piano, that she even remembered, then feeling brave, she played seven different scales that she'd learned by heart, years ago. She mentioned that those years of practicing so long ago, had imprinted the...
Luke 9:48 - 'Whoever is least among you shall be the greatest' Out our way, we sometimes mix with a few celebrities - and while some are stuck up snobs, most seem like decent folk who just want to be left alone. The snobs usually get taken down a notch because in Montana who you are is more important than "what" you are. A friend who was from the Big Sky area told me of a time a big Hollywood type came into a local restaurant over that way. She decided to be a jerk because...
Well, here we are at the beginning of Advent - AGAIN. It seems like it happens every year about this time. How many times do we have to remember Jesus' birth before we can stop celebrating Advent every year and just go right into Christmas. I wonder what the value of the season Advent is. I have asked myself this question a number of times over the years and it is only after visiting that question over and over again that I am beginning to get a bit of an understanding of the...
You know, Lord, it was interesting reading a blurb about doing our role, encouraged by 1 Peter 4:10 where it says, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace." It unveiled how two little girls wanted leading roles in a play, but they ended up being flowers, which meant they did vital but not-so-high-profile work but were excited for their friends and enjoyed cheering them on, also sharing in their excitement....
Remembering folks in Holidays, seems good to do just that! Remembering guys in our family who wore a special hat! December is a special time - though it can be quite cold. Our Mamma dressed us in warm coats when we weren't very old. But now many dear ones have left, they flew off straight to YOU! Just thinking back of special days, some days we feel quite blue. There's Birthdays by the dozens, Lord, 'bout half of them are kin! To 'reach' those who remain with us, just where do...
Psalm 97 Out our way, we sometimes refer to the vast prairies as "Big Sky" or "The Big Open." I recall some national radio personality once ridiculed Montana for those terms. "They have the same sky as everyone else." Then he came for a visit. Sometime later he published his script for all the states whose nicknames he had mocked. His reference to Montana had been left out. It is "Big Sky" and "The Big Open" out our way. I love Glacier and Yellowstone, have been many times on...
Today is the day of anticipation for shoppers; of high anticipation for retailers. It's a day of frenzy as shoppers chase after enticing sales, bargain hunters seek out the best deals, and merchants gratefully watch their bottom lines pull out of the red with each crack of the wallet or swipe of a card. Hence, this day has been colloquially named Black Friday. If you are reading this hot off the press, perhaps you were the early bird who hit those red-eye sales before the...
You know, Lord, You give great kindnesses to us, reminding us of one of life's great realities. You not only deserve our love and worship, You also deserve our thankful hearts as everything that is good in life comes from You. We can read that in James 1:17: where it says: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. This verse reminds us that all good things come from...
Matthew 7:14 - "For straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life." Out our way, when pushing the herd to new pasture, you aim for the gate that leads to it. There are many cattle trails that cross, but only one will take you to the gate. That's why Charlie rides point to show the way and I ride drag and sometimes swing to keep the herd moving and on the right trail. Now, as the new guy and tenderfoot herder, I didn't know the way on my own, so I relied on Cha...
When my husband and I moved to Havre in 2020, we often asked people what we should know about living in Montana. People told us a wide range of information, but they often joked, "Are you gonna be Cat or Griz?" That's when we first learned about this historic Montana rivalry. Suddenly, the bumper stickers and specialty license plates I saw around town made a lot more sense! The upcoming Cat-Griz game has me thinking about rivalries. The world encourages us to pick sides,...
You know, Lord, any day it's great to watch things, like clouds, trees, flowers, traffic, you name it, right? Can't we just hear a group of kids using that word: "Let's watch those clouds - they're really moving fast." Angie says, "Since we live in a valley, we like to watch the sun rise over the hills, or see the clouds coming up OR going down behind the hills, my favorite is to watch the full moon rising over the hills." Deb adds, "We live on top of a hill, we get to watch...
Hebrews 12:1 - "With perseverance let us run the race marked for us" Out our way, the long days can be a real test of strength and endurance. Most of you have heard my old joke - at least 10 times, no doubt - of how when Charlie asked me to come cowboy with him I said, "Sure! What can it hurt?" Boy, did I find out! Anyway, those of you who have worked cattle know it can be a long, hard and, sometimes, painful day. The heat of the sun all day, right in your face - even the...
This coming Sunday's gospel reading is the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids found in Matthew 25:1-13. Here's the takeaway: What can one do to avoid being embarrassed like the five bridesmaids whose lamps ran out of oil, or - to use a modern metaphor - whose smartphone batteries were deader than disco? To fully understand the power of this parable, it's necessary to review how Matthew arranges Jesus' red-letter words of the two previous chapters: 23 and 24. Chapter 23 is full of...
You know Lord, 'twas fun listening to kids talk about numbers. Here's a bit of what they said. D. J.: "My grandma's having a hard time trying to remember her cellphone number, but when her phone rings, even in her old age, she's smart enough to answer it." Chuckles. Taylor said, "My dad reminded us that we should remember our house number, P.O. Box number, our area code, probably what size shoe or shirt we wear as well as today's date." Sally laughed about that. Eddie added, "...
Job 19:26-27 - "I know that my redeemer lives!" Out our way, we all know the old saying, "Ain't a horse that can't be rode; ain't a cowboy can be throwed." And that is pretty much true for all walks of life. Everybody gets tossed now and then. But sometimes it seems some end up "sunning their moccasins" more than others. If into each life some rain must fall - some of us end up under a waterfall! I can certainly testify to that! If you regularly read these columns, you know...
The night of fright has passed. Those costumes that were eagerly obtained with high anticipation of being donned around town are now crammed into already forgotten corners of bedroom and closet floors, thrown into the shadows of exile, perhaps never to be worn again. As buckets of candy are consumed, little wrappers fall like autumn leaves - shiny, plastic costumes never to be worn by any other confectionary again. Perhaps not since some holiday on the other side of summer...
As we grow old, our hair turns gray, oh, yeah! We're made of clay. Where's the thrill of yesteryear? We sit alone each day. We miss our dear ones, oh, so much, Lord, help us when we're low! Our bodies healing takes so long ... of this You surely know. Empty, lonely, lower that dirt; our dear ones died, they're gone. Oh, Lord, we ache and still we hurt, why do we linger on? Useless, hopeless, we're like dead trees. Where's hope in our last days? If we have strength to read...
You know, Lord, it might be fun to go back in time (for a short time) when life moved at a slower pace. We'll leave behind: high speed internet, cellphones, telephones, TV, GPS and electricity. Back then, daily chores were milking cows, gathering eggs, cleaning coop and barn, slopping pigs, feeding bucket calves, hoeing garden and plum trees, cooking meals from scratch and, in autumn, making jams, jellies, canning fruits, vegetables and meat, making soap, making some of our...
Acts 7:54-60 - "When they heard these things they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen ..." Out our way, working cattle usually means work! There are times when things go smoothly. You gather the herd who come together without resistance, somene takes point and the herd follows. Yes, there are such times, but not many. Most of the time, Charlie and I had to spend a good deal of saddle time getting the herd together, and then you spend the next hours trying to keep...
Some topics are harder to talk (or write, or read) about than others. This article is about one of those topics. October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and while hard, it's not rare. Miscarriage and infant loss affects one in four women. According to the March of Dimes, between 10 to 15% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage. (A short primer on terms: "the death of a baby before 28 weeks of pregnancy is typically referred to as a miscarriage; and the death of...
You know, Lord, when company visits, the kids love looking out the west window; amazed to see a sunset, especially since they live "down town" and don't often see sunrise or sunset! They hollered, "Come quick - a golden hour up here is about to happen, 'cause the sun is about to set! Come; see the sun, quick; it's almost resting on the horizon! Come look!" There is a moment when the sunlight shines on housetops in the neighborhood across the valley from us, and onto the hills...
Isaiah 30:21 - "And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears shall hear a Voice behind you saying, 'This is the way! Walk in it!'" Out our way there are few things more fascinating to me than the skills of a good cutting horse. I have attended rodeos, horse shows and even a few brandings where the amazing feats of a quality cutting horse have been demonstrated - and I am impressed. As you know, the cutting horse approaches a herd, a cow or calf is selected, and...
(Read the Book of Jonah) Sin runs rampant in society - daily headlines and overflowing prisons bear dramatic witness to that fact. With child abuse, pornography, serial killers, mass shooters, terrorism, hate groups, racial hatred, extremist groups, corrupt elected leadership, poor leadership, anarchy, and ruthless dictatorships, you add to the list, the world seems to be filled to overflowing with violence, hatred and corruption. Reading, hearing and perhaps even...
You know, Lord, we all know we're born to die, but when that happens to our family, friends or loved ones, sometimes it just takes us by surprise. Just heard that an elderly mom slipped away. Some families were near, others were not yet able to get there. We/they know that You, Lord, will come again, but not to deal with our sins. We also know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love the Lord and are fitting into His plans. Later, friends chatted about...
