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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...
My daughter turned 11 this weekend. When we moved to Big Sandy, she had recently celebrated her first birthday. I am scratching my head as to how the time has gone by so quickly and how few years I have left before she is an actual, legal adult and going off to college. I know that this is not a unique realization, and I have been well aware that her growing up was inevitable. Still, every birthday and milestone is a reminder that time is going by. In context of this discussion, I want to point out one of the best decisions I have made as a par...
Early in my career in ministry, a particular author wrote a series of popular books on dating and marriage. He was a young man and had been married for a short period of time. He was also good looking, charismatic, and had a great marketing department pushing his work. That individual made a great deal of money selling dating/marriage advice. Recently, he put out a statement indicating that his books were not very wise, and that he was sorry for any damage he caused. He mainly did so because Christian folks who read his work and followed his...
Editor’s Note: Continuing story first ran January 19 page A5. What could possibly go wrong? If you read the previous article, you will probably have guessed many things could go wrong on this arduous trip. Before we could pull out of the driveway, I had hired some men to load the truck. Everything was loaded on except for some bedding. The morning of the leaving, I was racing through the house, making sure everything was packed. Getting birds and the cat into travel containers was especially fun. One parrot( Plato) clung with desperation to the...
When I first moved to Big Sandy, my daughter (who was one at the time) and I started visiting a resident at the nursing home. She loved having my little girl visit, and we both enjoyed our conversations. During my time visiting with her, I learned a very important truth. That truth was that we only have as many days as we have. That seems sort of obvious, but it is easy to live life as though we are going to live forever and have all the time in the world to do everything we want to do. The problem of course is that this is an illusion. My...
Our oldest has been playing trumpet for several years in the school band. My wife loved marching band as a student and has taken the opportunity to give him lessons. It has the benefit of helping him play better, and it gives her a chance to do something she loves. Watching the pair over the last few years, it is obvious that they love playing together… most of the time. Sometimes, their music lessons lack harmony. There are times when one or the other is cranky or some particularly difficult to learn song or technique comes up. In those instan...
“You have to assemble your own life yourself— action by action. And be satisfied if each action achieves its goal, as far as it can. No one can keep that from happening.” This line was written by the second century Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius in his collection of reflections on life. The point is simple: You create who you are and your own life. Every action you take is a step in the direction of what you are. You will spend time reading books, exercising, watching tv, scrolling social media, or whatever else. Each decision regarding how y...
