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It is easy to look at other folks and get the sense that they have it all together. I talk to folks often who tell me about how they wish they were more like other people around them. I once talked to two different moms in a week who pointed at each other while claiming they wish they had their lives together like the other one. I have spent years talking to folks who struggle with depression or anxiety lamenting that their lives are not as orderly or happy as their neighbors. This is a tendency that is growing more common with the increased...
There is a thinking error that we see in our world often: “The Fallacy of Change.” It refers to the idea that you can change other people through your efforts. It’s hard to see this as a thinking error, because we don’t like the idea that we cannot change others. However, if you think on it carefully, the idea becomes clear. The most common version of this is the stereotype where a gal will date a “bad boy” because she knows she can change him if she just tries hard enough. This rarely turns out well for the young lady who hopes of reforming h...
I like reading autobiographies because I enjoy getting to know people. I find them inspirational. I have never read a movie star's autobiography, and to be honest, I don't care, but I was impressed with his comments on creativity. And have struggled to express them myself. I believe we are created in the image of God; therefore, because he is creative, we are. If we aren't creative, we can't live fulfilled lives. Now I'm not saying that creativity is only in the arts. You can make a mean...
One of my favorite arguments to stoke while hanging out with friends is the “Ford-verses-Dodge-or-Chevy-or-whatever” debate. I don’t have strong opinions on the quality of many vehicles or a loyalty to any brand of car. I jut like teasing folks about things like that. The interesting thing to me is when a person in the argument reaches the point where they make crazy absolute statements, like “Ford has never made a car worth owning.” This would mean that in the entire 118 year history of making cars, they never made one vehicle that wasn’t a...
(Editor’s Note: The follow is the opinion of Ann Denning and should not be considered an endorsement. Please see a doctor before any dieting.) A quote by Lord Tennyson says,” In spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to love.” I can’t say this is so. I would’ve guessed a new car or truck. I can say with some authority that the coming of spring prompts many a woman to decide to diet. A lot of us are horrified to discover that being sequestered in the winter, not to mention being in during the pandemic, has caused our assets to bloom, as i...
In ancient Israel, the Jewish people followed a very strict set of dietary laws. There are a lot of reasons for these laws, most of them having to do with reminding the Jews that they were separate from other nations and holy. In Acts 10, the apostle Peter has a vision in which he is told that the dietary laws are no longer in effect. There are two huge reasons for this taking place. First, because Jesus fulfilled God’s law and filled the need for holiness a spiritual effort rather than a matter of washings and diets. (This is a really s...
“If I have a superpower in life, it’s the ability to find almost anything interesting.” My brother told me this last year during a conversation we were having related to how to become a renaissance man. A renaissance man is a well-rounded individual. It really refers to the breed of person who develops abilities and skills in a wide range of areas. It was coined in reference to the type of men who emerged during the Renaissance period who made art, studied philosophy, studied the sciences, and mastered anything else they could access. I’ve spen...
There’s a difficult bit of teaching in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus talks about picking the sawdust out of your neighbor’s eye. The idea is that anyone who is going to set about cleaning the eyes of their neighbors should check their own eyes to make sure they aren’t in worse shape. Jesus’ humorous description is of a guy with a log hanging off his own face while looking for specks of others. The analogy shouldn’t be too surprising coming from a carpenter, who likely had to deal with sawdust in his vision pretty regularly. The cool thin...
Maybe you have noticed. After the first of the year, I had a good look at the direction the Mountaineer was taking and realized I needed to do more. It still felt like we were struggling to stay connected, to feel a part of a rural community. It felt like we still separated due to COVID-19 and political rhetoric. I wondered what the Mountaineer’s role was to make sure we were a tool to help heal the division. I decided to create Project Connect. The idea was to make sure I do everything possible to help the small business, including an a...
In the first century, when Jesus lived and taught, the Jewish people were living under the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire. The Jewish people were violently opposed to the Romans, a fact that resulted in more than a few violent uprisings that set out to liberate the nation of Israel. They did not succeed and eventually angered the Romans enough that they destroyed the country completely, exported its citizens all over the empire, and outlawed the Jewish faith in Israel entirely. This desire to be liberated seeped into the popular...
In the ancient world, Jews and Samaritans hated each other. The conflict between the two groups went back hundreds of years and frequently reached levels of venom and spite that we rarely see in our culture. It was common for Jews to kick the dust off their feet before leaving Samaria to make sure they didn’t bring any Samaritan soil with them to their own countries. Jews often crossed the street and spit in the road when they passed Samaritans. Jewish rabbis didn’t even consider Samaritans to be a class of neighbor when discussing the “Lo...
Targeted COVID Package Will Reopen Our Economy One year into this pandemic, Montanans are finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our vaccines are safe and effective, COVID cases are falling thanks to the tireless efforts of our frontline health care workers, and Spring is on the horizon. But even with this good news, we still have work to do before we get through the worst public health and economic crisis in generations. Over the past year I’ve had hundreds of conversations with families, workers, doctors, educators, v...
I find it strange myself. So it's ok if you do too. Easter is only a few days away, and writing a movie review as a way to celebrate Easter just isn't done. I clearly know that Walt Disney movies are not spiritual truth personified, but this one, "Raya and The Last Dragon," speaks truth to me nonetheless. When is the right time to say hope is possible and trust, although it may be challenging to find, possible to practice. I have had too many discussions with community members in person and...
A few weeks ago, I made a peanut butter sandwich for my son for lunch. He took his sandwich with him to his room, where he ate and played. Because he’s a typical four year old, it didn’t take long before he forgot about the sandwich and wandered off to do something else. When he remembered his lunch, he returned to it and found that the dog had eaten his lunch, which he had left on the floor in his room. Frustrated, he came to me crying over his lost meal. I made another sandwich, which he took with him to his room. Sure enough, 30 minutes lat...
For me, the adventure began in the late 80s. My first memory of going to Andy’s Supper Club is with my grandpa and grandma Ron and Betty Bitz and my grandfather’s uncle, Reinholt, and his wife, Lucille Bitz. Reinholt was a hoot, and Lucille, “his girlfriend,” was always smiling. Golly, those old Bitz boys were fun to be around! Andy’s was so much fun. Its aquariums delighted the eyes, and as a child, my personal fishing goals became outrageous. It wasn’t unusual for a random child to slowly walk by your table, glossed over in amazement and curi...
I deal with a handful of hard deadlines every week. By Sunday morning, I have to have a sermon written. By Monday morning, I need to complete two articles and a column. Monday through Thursday I have to have the kids out of bed, dressed, fed, and out the door by 7:30 AM. There are a few others, but I suspect most people deal with similar hard deadlines and goals. The thing is that these deadlines don’t necessarily coincide with the larger objectives of my work and personal life. They are important, but I have to do lots of other things in o...
When the British first introduced the game of golf to India, after building their first golf course, they discovered a problem with the natural environment. The indigenous monkeys around the course were fascinated by the little white balls. They began to steal the balls, disrupting the games. The British tried all manner of methods to solve the problem of monkeys interfering with play. They built fences, but the monkeys simply climbed over them. They made loud noises, but they eventually learned to ignore them. Finally, after all else failed, t...
Life is often hard. It's ok to learn that early. This year the Big Sandy Lady Pioneers lost every basketball game, and the Big Sandy Boy lost a game they wanted to win at the end. I loved watching both teams and am so proud of their improvement! The Big Sandy Pioneers who went to state in wrestling lost at state and did not place. The funny thing is in sports, very few know the feeling of winning at the end-most lose. But in losing, there are so many lessons learned; it's essential to discover...
If you turn on a tv, open a web browser, pick up a magazine, or look at any medium that presents you with an advertisement, you’ll encounter all manner of messages and ideas. One of the unifying themes in all advertising is the idea that you should be comfortable and happy all the time. It makes sense that this would be the case because no one is going to buy a product that promises them hardship or to make their lives harder. It’s good advertising and sorta makes sense in other settings. Being comfortable seems good and desirable on the sur...
I woke up at 2:30 this morning. After tossing and turning for 30 minutes, I finally gave up on trying to get back to sleep and got up. I’ve got to admit that I wasn’t all that happy about getting up many hours before the alarm. After finally giving up on getting back to sleep, I got out of bed, started the coffee maker, and settled in for a long morning. I started the morning reading a novel, followed by studying for the morning sermon, cleaning the kitchen, changing bed sheets, and a few other chores. The quiet house and extra time gave me...
My Mimi was my dad’s mom. She was a feisty 5’1” woman who could fix a car, run a store, patch a tire, and bake the best Buttermilk Pie, Carrot Cake & Texas Sheet Cake you’ve ever tasted. And those were just her hobbies. She loved the Lord, and wasn’t afraid to share Him with you. Recently, with everything that’s been going on, I’ve been thinking about something she used to say to me, “Don’t be ugly.” Since many of you aren’t familiar with Texas-speak, this meant “don’t be hateful.” I’ve noticed that many of us are being hateful to each other. I...
Over the weekend, I spent some time thinking about life changing moments. I suspect that there aren’t a whole lot of them for most people. For me, I can identify a handful of experiences that have changed things radically for me. One of those times was a Sunday morning a little over 15 years ago. Our church brought in a guest speaker one Sunday who talked about the ministry done by Bashor Children’s Home. He spoke about the lost and abused kids that came to live there and how the home helped to bring healing and restoration to their lives. That...
I have heard that Covid hits everyone differently. For me, it began like a cold. I was working on my car one evening, and I began to feel run down. Every December, I catch a cold, so I wasn’t that surprised when my throat started hurting, a headache set in, and my energy level evaporated. I was prepared with Robitussin, because the same cold hits me every year around Christmastime. The sore throat passed quickly, and then I just felt tired. I also coughed a bit and was congested. It wasn’t that bad, so I carried on as normal. The first sig...
Because my family moved every couple of years, I attended a handful of schools growing up. I think this is the reason I don’t really remember any of my teachers before High School, except for one. I will always remember my second grade teacher: Mrs. Strickland. As an adult, I marvel at how appropriately named she was. I was in her class at Valparaiso Elementary School in Florida. I remember her clearly because that school still utilized corporal punishment for dealing with discipline problems. In the second grade, I had terrible ADHD (really, I...
I don't want to write this article, but after mulling it over for some time, I believe it should be written. I am presently grieving the loss of three pets. My Koda, 15, passed in March after a nine-month battle with cancer. Erica Chauvet, our local vet, came to my house at 6:30 a.m. to be with Koda and me and help him pass peacefully in the comfort of his own home, surrounded by love. My dear Chance, my thirty-two-year-old horse, died December 3. Erica Chauvet had come out twice before and was...
