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When I was a kid, my favorite books were the Choose Your Own Adventure series. These books usually told some sort of adventure story about time travel, monsters, knights, detectives, or some other exciting tale. Every few pages, when the main character reached a major decision, you would make the choice for them. Based on the path you decided, the story to take you would jump to a different page and continue on. I loved these books because I got to steer the story. One of the habits I developed was keeping a finger on the page where I made a...
So much has been written about mothers and so much misunderstood. So many topics concerning mothers have not become newsworthy. We, as mothers, know this. It’s only been relatively recent that miscarriages have been acknowledged as the traumatic event they are. That grief can continue no matter how short the pregnancy was. Popular sentiment amongst the medical profession was to “get over it; you can always have another.” Despite the fact, of course, that some would never have a viable pregnancy. Even though this pregnancy represented a son o...
We can complain all we want about gas prices. We can't go places as we want. Our fast pace style of living must slow down. We can't afford to go 100 miles an hour. We can blame it on a wide variety of reasons. Political rhetoric is off the charts. Let's stop. How can we use this for our good? My granddaughter Faith Cator made an idea jar a couple of days ago. It was painted like a strawberry with Summer Ideas across the front. One of the ideas was to camp in their backyard. Everyone family...
I got my first job when I was 16. I worked at a bakery/deli making sandwiches, serving customers, washing dishes, and doing other minimum wage-type restaurant work. Since then (for about 30 years), I have rarely had a stretch of time where I did not work. I’ve unloaded trucks, tracked inventory, made concrete roof tiles, been an exterminator, been a salesperson, done ministry work, and about everything else you can think of. At some point along the way I learned an interesting lesson. Mark Twain once said that “If you find a job you enjoy, you...
This Memorial Day week reminds me of Memorial Day's most powerful lesson learned. I was in Washington DC making the rounds of all the memorials. There is very little talking while you soberly view each monument. My father was in the Navy and served during the Korean War. It was important to me to see the Korean War Memorial. I walked slowly, quietly, thinking of my father and his experience. His job was to watch where the bombs landed. So he saw women and children, besides soldiers, being torn t...
When I was growing up, none of my family swore. The only exception to that rule happened maybe twice a year when I would hear--DAMNIT!!! A hammer usually preceded it on a finger or something similar. I first used that word at the tender age of five. I had been given a dog much against my parent’s wishes, and I loved her dearly. However, that particular Easter Day, she became a damnit dog for the day. I had been thrilled with my Easter basket that morning. I received no candy other than at Easter and Christmas, so it was a very big deal i...
Around 17 years ago I was hired to work as a chaplain at a metal health facility for kids. I had been a youth pastor for a number of years and was decent at working with kids. That was about all I had going for me, apart from interviewing well. I suspect that within the first few months, it became clear that I wasn’t quite ideal for the job, and I am absolutely certain I made a ton of mistakes over the years. The biggest redeeming factor for my time there came in the form of a few men who invested in me. They talked me through my errors and m...
I’m moved to write this letter of appreciation to the local pastoral community for their continued efforts to address suicide by sponsoring the weekly National Suicide Prevention Hotline advertisements in The Mountaineer. It’s important to note their efforts are directed to the entire community, not just their own congregations. They offer help to all, regardless of religious affiliation, church attendance, etc. I’m painfully intimate with the work they do. My brother, Randall Tyler, and I grew up on the family farm on Lonesome Prairie. We gr...
We are all too familiar with the serious, devastating addictions pervading our society. The one happier addiction hardly ever mentioned is that of the bookaholic. The bookaholic draws little interest as they conduct their addiction behind closed doors unless they sally forth to a Book Club. They might as well say, " Hi, my name is ----and I’m a bookaholic." There are some drawbacks to being a bookaholic. Unless you rely on your library for your "fix’" you can tally up some hefty bills at Barnes and Noble and other book stores. Then the...
I have been preaching through the book of Acts at my church for the past 8 months, taking time off for a Lent and Christmas series. This past Sunday, I reached chapter 17 and began delving into Paul’s visit to Athens, in ancient Greece. While reflecting on the text, I had an interesting realization. Paul arrives in Athens with the goal of waiting there for several traveling companions to meet him. Most translations say that he looked around the city and was troubled by the excess of idols. The word in the original Greek would be stronger t...
When I first moved to Big Sandy to a farm out southeast. A huge cottonwood tree greeted everyone at the start of our farm. Over the years, the tree was poisoned by weed spray from airplanes spraying the crops right above it. It finally died and stood for years with its white skin against the blue sky, but ultimately, my husband cut it down. Years later, I saw what I thought was a fantastic picture-a sunflower growing out of a dead tree stump. I've come to understand its message to me. We...
A few times in my life, I’ve read a news story involving someone who was shot by a friend while “testing” their brand new bullet proof vest. I’ve also seen videos of the same stupid stunt. I will say confidently that I would not test out a bulletproof vest if I owned one. This is mainly because every time I read about these “tests” they go wrong. It’s an example of when it’s easy to trust something when it doesn’t matter, than be put in a position where I have to act on that general sense of belief. While studying for the Easter sermon thi...
Yes, I am calling myself a dinosaur, as I’m sure many young mothers will view me as such. The thing is, being a dinosaur has taught me lots of things. Scientists learn many things from studying dinosaurs. Study my dinosaur ideas and see if you learn something new!. In the movie “ A Boy’s Life,” “ I know a thing or two about a thing or two!” I couldn’t have said it better. I will make some things plain at the beginning. I loved raising my children; I had a great time. Of course, there were down days, but I look back on those being the best of da...
I recently read that employees, by a wide margin, prefer recognition for their work and contributions over bonuses or financial incentives. This seems counterintuitive, but there is a strange truth about what motivates humans in life: we want to know our work is meaningful and appreciated. This isn’t to say that money isn’t important. There are limits to this idea. Very few people would go to work every day in order to receive nice words and encouragement. However, one of the areas where employers often fall short in motivating their peo...
The Big Sandy Senior Citizens Center Respected Editor, The State Unit on Aging, housed in the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, recently became aware of the struggles of the Big Sandy Senior Citizens center. I, along with our Nutrition Program Manager were fortunate to have the opportunity to support your community at the board meeting held on March 22nd at the center. We were warmly welcomed by the Big Sandy community! With the show of attendance, it’s obvious this community deeply cares for their seniors, and the m...
The nation of Ethiopia, which is in Northeastern Africa, was once a lush, fruitful, and green nation. Over the past century, that situation has changed. The nation has seen nearly 40% of its forests cut down and sold off. The result of these actions has been that the once green nation has been turned into a vast desert. The famines of the 80s, which captured the attention of the American media, were a direct result of the ecological disaster that has taken place. Over the weekend, I came across a photo collage of Ethiopian Orthodox Churches...
A person can immediately think of tons of negatives caused by the pandemic. Some are terrible, and others are just irritating. News articles and general talk amongst people have concentrated on the downside. I know I am a constant complainer because I saw my family in Canada twice in the last two years and have not seen them since September 2021. Right now, the risk in Saskatchewan is very high, and so I sit and chafe at the bit, bemoaning all I am missing. However, on reflection, all has not been lost. They talk about absence making the heart...
Dear Editor, I’m writing concerning the article on the front page of the March 2, 2022, edition of the Mountaineer about the Big Sandy Senior Citizen Board seriously considering closing the Big Sandy Senior Center. Like they stated, “closing the Senior Center would be a terrible loss and will continue to look at options. May I respectfully suggest one option may be to encourage people giving memorial donations to a charity of the donor’s choice, to consider giving to the Senior Center. Not only is the Senior Center practically a life line...
This morning we found a dead cat across the street. I doubt it belongs to anyone. It spurred me to write this letter to the people of Big Sandy. Cats begin their breeding time roughly from March to the fall. Each cat is capable of having four to eight kittens per litter. A cat can begin having kittens between 4 and 12 months old. Some cats produce five litters per year. I’ll save you the math--that means a possible 40 kittens for each stray cat. We usually have around 8 cats coming into our yard in the nice weather.These poor souls have no h...
Over the last few years, I’ve begun to rely more and more on reading glasses. Last Sunday, I forgot to bring a pair to the pulpit when I went up to preach the sermon. I asked my son to run down to my office and grab a pair. He brought back a pair of black framed readers that came from a drawer in my desk. As soon as I saw them, I realized that they were a pair of fake glasses I picked up for Halloween a few years ago. I didn’t want to stop talking and explain why I needed a different pair, so I put them on and did the best I could by squinting...
In late 2020 I became a board member for the Big Sandy Senior Center. I feel the community needs to have a better understanding of what is happening with the Center, as there is a lot of misinformation being spread around the community. The Center is experiencing a HUGE FINANCIAL DEFICIT which is why we are considering closing hopefully temporarily. For the past year we have been monitoring the Center income and output of money. Unfortunately, the Center has shown losses for the past 13 months. There are reserve funds which we have used to...
Sometimes getting away from home gives you new insight. On my recent trip to Oklahoma, I discovered I couldn't buy an airplane ticket unless I promised to wear a mask the whole time. I was reminded of that fact listening to a video repeatedly while waiting for the plane about the law of wearing a mask while on the plane. When I got on the plane, I was reminded again. So those who create a scene aboard a plane about not wearing a mask planned on making the scene. While on the plane, I had great...
Valentine’s Day is over for another year. For that day, it seems as if everyone is madly in love, with partners, children, and even pets! Special meals are prepared, cards given and received, and candy abounds. How wonderful to love and be loved is undoubtedly the theme of the day. Lord Alfred Tennyson was the person who originally wrote, " Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved." I have always questioned that sentiment. We all know those people who love meagerly, shallowly, and mildly. There will never be any extreme highs...
John Dewey, the American psychologist, educator, and philosopher once said: “Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes.” Dewey’s words represent something far larger and more profound than it seems on the face of it. For years, I had my own version of it: “I’d rather hear what I can do better next time instead of what I did great today, because knowing where to grow is the only way I will improve.” Failure is scary. Falling short, missing the mark, saying the wrong thing...
Editor’s note: Part 3 of 3 First dates published: 1/19 and 2/2 You will think that nearing the end of this terrible journey, I was in the clear of trauma. How wrong you are! We arrived in Regina, driving up to the storage center where I had booked a unit. I had family and friends waiting. This had to be a fast unload as JC had to return the truck to Great Falls, boarding a plane the next morning. Organized mayhem. Another friend, whose name also happens to be Shirley, was there with her family. I will call her the “ good” Shirley as she calls h...
