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This is a correction to the Letter to the Editor. Well, the talking heads on MSNBC and FOX have given me a few chuckles. The former says the Democrats have a mandate to change because they didn’t win the popular vote and the latter says the Republicans have an overwhelming mandate to-do whatever they want. The numbers don’t support either claim. The 2024 elections had almost 245 million eligible voters. Of these Harris got 30.46 %, Trump got 31.47%. There were nearly 4 million voters that didn’t vote for either of these candidates. Natio...
Over the weekend, I was talking with a friend of mine who has an upper management job in a large international organization. He was telling me about a documentary he watched on happiness that featured the story of a Vietnamese rickshaw cab operator. In the interviews, the man talked about his life and was surprisingly positive given the level of poverty he experienced. He spoke of how much he enjoyed his job because he got to work outside and be active. At the end of the day, he had enough money to eat a good meal with his son, who he was...
A new congress assembled today (Jan 3, 2024) and it’s the first time since 2007 my schoolmate of yesteryear and dear friend of today won’t be there. It’s a new era. I’m referring, of course, to Big Sandy’s own Jon Tester, former teacher and school board member, former President of the Montana Senate, former senior US Montana Senator , and current farmer and neighbor to Big Sandy residents. He’s gone from Congress, and Montana lost a powerful ally and advocate; it’s the nature of our political system. Tenure brings with it more influence--po...
A 2019 study looking at the work habits of 1000 employees found that nearly half of all employees believe that they could perform better at work if they were not worried about making mistakes. The study found that employees were hampered as much as 40% of the time by fear of failure. As a pastor and counselor, I have spent no small amount of time talking through past mistakes with those who lament their errors in judgement, missteps, wrong moves, and outright mistakes. It seems like the easiest thing to do in life sometimes is to carry our...
Well, the talking heads on MSNBC and FOX have given me a few chuckles. The former says the Democrats have a mandate to change because they didn’t win the popular vote and the latter says the Republicans have an overwhelming mandate to-do whatever they want. The numbers don’t support either claim. The 2024 elections had almost 245 million eligible voters. Of these Harris got 30.46 %, Trump got 31.47%. There were nearly 4 million voters that didn’t vote for either of these candidates. Nation wide 36% of eligible voters --- didn’t vote! Neither...
The second week of advent is peace. When Jesus was born in Luke, it says. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” So peace was mentioned immediately after He was born! Isaiah 9:6 says Jesus is the Prince of Peace. This is 700 years before Jesus was born. Perfect peace is possible through Jesus. This Christmas lean into Jesus. Cut out, tape to refrigerator, and read daily. December 11---Romans 12:18: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” December 12--Romans 14:19: “Let us t...
Advent means the arrival of Christ. As most of us know, the Advent Calendar opens each day to help us prepare for the celebration of Christ’s first arrival. For the next four weeks, I’ll offer you scripture to read. Cut it out of the newspaper and tape it to the refrigerator. This first week of Advent, we will be looking at Hope. There were 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testaments, but that didn’t mean God wasn’t working. Alexander the Great had conquered the world, there was a new way of learning, which encouraged people...
With Thanksgiving weekend upon us, Big Sandy prepares for a short week followed by visits with family, sleepy afternoons after eating turkey, pumpkin pie, and ideally a day of grateful hearts for the gifts and blessings God has provided to us in the past year. Growing up, I remember learning about the Puritans, though they were always called Pilgrims, having their first harvest meal with the natives in the new world while making “hand turkey” crafts for my mom to hang on the fridge. When I got older, I heard all manner of other tales, myt...
Is Thanksgiving even still a holiday? There’s so much controversy around it. There’s a genuine concern, lately, that Thanksgiving perpetuates racism, colonization, and oppression. And then there’s the superficial aspect that no one celebrates because they love Christmas. And why wouldn’t they? Every store known to man has Christmas stuff up before Halloween! So again…is Thanksgiving still a holiday? I will be honest: I was one of those people who had to wait until Thanksgiving was over before we decorated for Christmas. But I have a daughter...
God's creation inspires me, but the creativeness of humans also inspires me. I am reminded that I am made in His image, and I believe, to my core, that if we aren't doing something creative, we aren't satisfied with life; there's something missing. Genesis 1:27 SO GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGINE. I'm not talking about just creating art, sculpture, or painting with oils or watercolor. I'm not talking about what we would see in art. You can be an artist by making an engine purr. You can be an artist when you work outside in your yard and make...
For those driving by my place they may notice a preponderance of German vehicles: Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volkswagens, and even the Mercury Capri. I’ve always admired German engineering, physicists, and metallurgy. So I was always in a quandary as to how Hitler came to power. If the Germans were so smart and accomplished, how could they allow a fascist dictator to rule? Pushing ultra-nationalism and xenophobia, creating unfounded fears, and blaming others for problems, whether they existed or not, were all tools of this dictator. Hitler a...
Theodore Roosevelt was once praised by another man for his prowess as a marksman. The man had heard stories of several spectacular shots the president had pulled off while hunting and gushed over the level of skill required, including hitting a pair of pronghorn at long range from the back of a moving horse. Laughing, Teddy responded that he was actually a poor shot. He explained that he had poor eyesight, a fact that was exasperated by a detached retina he suffered in a boxing match at the Whitehouse that rendered him partially blind. Rather,...
There's something truly magical about Fall. The world transforms into a canvas of vibrant colors, each leaf a masterpiece in its own right. It's a season that fills me with joy and awe at the beauty of nature. God gave us so many colors if you stop to think about it. The trees, when green, have so many different shades of green. Why did God do that? Then there's dirt. Where I live, the dirt is that brownish gray. In Oklahoma, the dirt is red, and the dirt smells different in both places. It may...
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" Proverbs 15:1 What is my response to abrasive people? It's a constant struggle. I can usually keep my mouth shut, but not always! If harsh words stir me up to be harsh back, I'm no better than the person who offended me. It's a battle of self-control and understanding. Walking in the cool September weather after the nice rain, I found myself taking pictures of odd things, like always. But the picture of the thistle growing by a...
When I was in Junior High, I watched the movie Glory. The 1989 war epic tells the story of the Massachusetts 54th Infantry regiment, one of the first black regiments to fight for the Union army in the Civil War. The story follows Col. Robert Gould Shaw, played by Matthew Broderick, as he raises and leads the regiment. It is one of my favorite films. I’ve lost count of how many times I have watched it. I’ve also worn out several cassette copies of the soundtrack. The closing credits of the movie run over photos of a bas relief sculpture dep...
In the age of wooden sailing ships, navigation was a matter of life and death. A small navigational error that put a ship off by a fraction of a degree would compound over the miles, days, weeks, and months, resulting in a vessel missing its target altogether. The problem with ocean travel is that the ocean is big and flat with no landmarks to use for directions. Early sailors used the stars, in particular the North Star. In fact, sailors from cultures all over the world throughout history have used the North Star as an anchor point for navigat...
Learning keeps you young and vibrant! It was my mother's favorite activity, always attending different workshops. I've spoken to many older individuals who credit learning new things for their vitality and zest for life. The spice of life is trying new activities. Are you bored? Try something different! At the farm, there is a pit that has a mother duck and six ducklings. We watch them daily. We questioned how and when they would learn to fly and get up over all the plant life and hills...
Most people know the Biblical book of Daniel from the stories of Daniel and the Lions Den, Daniel’s dream interpretations, or maybe the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being cast in the furnace for refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s idol. Some folks know Daniel from the Apocalyptic prophecies contained in the text. During the pandemic and lockdowns, I taught through the book on Zoom. The book itself has a much bigger message to convey. It is actually about how God is in control, even when it seems as though he isn’t. After more...
Steve Jobs, the late co-founder of Apple, used a particular illustration many times to explain the potential of the personal computer for the betterment of humanity. He would begin by explaining a study that was done with animals to measure the efficiency of their modes of travel over a distance of 1 kilometer. The study placed condors at the top of the list since they need the least energy to travel the given distance. Humans, on the other hand, appeared about a third of the way down. We are not well adapted to efficient transportation. In an...
I officiated my first funeral as a pastor somewhere around 15 years ago. From the very start, I have made it a point to sit down and talk with the families of the deceased as long as possible in order to “get to know” the person I will be eulogizing at the service. As the years have passed, I’ve discovered a secondary benefit to these conversations. I inevitably discover something special that I try to take on as a habit. One conversation of this sort prompted my habit of writing letters to my wife, kids, family members, and friends. I don’t...
An arrogant young man once approached Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher. The man proudly announced: “O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge.” Socrates, who immediately recognized the man’s self obsession, led him through the city to the port and finally into the sea until they were both chest deep in water. Then he asked the man: “What do you want?” “Knowledge, O wise Socrates,” replied the man. Socrates seized the man and held him underwater for 30 seconds. When the shocked, would-be student was released, Socrates asked agin “W...
Christain News Letter available. So why Uplifting? It’s simple. Augustine of Hippo wrote, “The Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot!” For several years, I have been living a dull/gray Christian experience for the most part. In Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster wrote, “In the spiritual life, only one thing will produce genuine joy, and that is obedience.” Writing a devotional book/newsletter has been in my heart for years—YEARS! John 15:11 says, “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy...
Several decades ago, officials at Kruger National Park in South Africa encountered a problem. Their efforts to bring their elephant population back from the brink of extinction had been so successful that they began to experience problems with overpopulation. Their solution was simple: they relocated elephants from their herds to other preserves. The transplanted pachyderms were primarily young males and adult females, due to the fact that the adult male bull elephants were simply too large to transport easily. However, rangers in the reserves...
Father's Day is a relatively new holiday. The first time it was held was in June 1910, but it wasn't officially recognized as a holiday until 1972 by then-President Nixon. This last Sunday, fathers were celebrated. My challenge to everyone is to make it a week-long celebration. My father worked hard but knew how to rest. He laughed easily, especially at the practical jokes he played on others, and loved solitude and peace at his Fort Peck cabin. A smile came across my face when I remembered he...
A Letter of Thanks To Our Community: I wanted to write and thank the taxpayers and community members of Big Sandy for your support of our school district’s recent and successful mill levy election. With the support of our citizens, I am happy to say that the levy passed 186-140. Your support of our mission will ensure that we are able to maintain our programs and services for our students, and that we are able to continue to provide the quality of programming and educational opportunities they require. Unfortunately, in the past two years i...
