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I can’t help but comment about our responsibilities as citizens of this state and our great nation following the mid-term elections. It was a great turnout, but it can’t end there. Whether your candidate won or lost it is our responsibility to stay engaged with the issues facing us. I remember a Montana Senator once told me a number of years ago that he had gotten a lot of letters concerning an issue and he decided he needed to research it to see what he could do to help. I was curious and I asked him, “How many letters did you recei...
This morning, while I was making breakfast, my 5-year old came into the kitchen with a book he got a few weeks ago: The Jurassic World Survival Guide. He wanted to talk to me about how important the book would be in the event we encountered dinosaurs or if we take the time to watch the Jurassic Park movies again. He told me all about the reasons a guide book would be useful. During the time that I cooked the morning eggs, I learned a great deal about dinosaurs and guide books in general. Later in the morning, I told my wife about it and she...
While I was at a conference recently a statement was made that has stayed with me. She said, "Remember in this day and age perception is more powerful than truth." It reminded me how currently to many people only listen to, read articles and books, and watch only the news that already proves what they believe. Our perception drives our vision. It reminded me of a photo I took. It had been a very stressful day. I took my camera and went for a walk down Hopp Road. I had walked this gravel road so...
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham Q: My wife tells me I am addicted to golf and that God is not pleased with my obsession. I work hard to provide for my family and golf is a release from the tensions that build up during the week. Is this wrong? A: Obsessions can bring harm to relationships. But golf can be a useful game. When the value of what may be considered a leisurely activity is explained, often it can relieve the anxiety it may create in others. The apostle Paul wrote about physical exercise and competition of his time. The...
Q: Can a person really find a soul mate to share the deepest things of life? A: From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham Matchmaking has become a booming business in our culture’s restless search for a “soul mate.” Online services promise to bring light into your life by matching you up with someone just right for you. “Relationship experts” teach clients to practice “self-love” in order to attract a potential partner. One such expert wrote, “We have the power to create our own personal movie-like narratives, love stories based on our ow...
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham Q: Several times a year I do prison visitation to bring encouragement to inmates who feel they have no one to turn to for a listening ear and a word of hope. Some are so hardened it is like talking to the cement walls, but others warm to the message that God will pardon them and give them a new purpose. Many people tell me I am wasting my time. Am I? A: History reveals that there are those who have actually refused a pardon. From the records of the U.S. Supreme Court comes such a story of defiance. In...
As a part of my ongoing effort to be a healthier person, I have started making small changes to my routine every few weeks. For example, months ago I started adding more fruits and vegetables to my diet. I’ve also cut out most processed foods. These changes have been easy. The one I recently started has proven significantly harder. I’ve been tracking my sleep in an attempt to get the recommended 8 hours every night. Oddly enough, I rarely get over 7. In fact, I find myself stretching to make time to sleep. It’s so much easier to sleep a littl...
I started 4-H like most women my age with cooking and sewing. I couldn’t wait to pick out my first pattern project. Now keep in mind my mother was a National 4-H Women’s Sewing Champion. She had sewed a Make It with Wool suit with lined jacket and calf length skirt, but she was not my sewing leader. My sewing leader had helped pick me out a strait shift pattern after measuring me and had determined I was a petite. Keep in mind I was tall and skinny. My mother tried to tell me it was the wrong pattern size, but I wouldn’t listen because my 4-...
This morning, while scanning the morning’s headlines and checking my Twitter feed for anything of interest, I came across a tweet from a nationally known figure encouraging folks to shun any family members that support the opposing political party. I intentionally leave out the political affiliation, because this way of thinking isn’t foreign to any point of view right now. Discourse in our country has become increasingly acidic, a fact both sides readily blame on the other party. The thing about the tweet that I read this morning is that it...
I read a story about CS Lewis years ago in which a friend asked him if attending church is a necessary part of following Jesus. In response, Lewis answered “No” and pulled a coal from the fire and placed it on the hearth. In response, he asked his friend to describe the coal on the hearth. The answer was the sort of thing you’d expect: hot, glowing, etc. The conversation continued before Lewis turned the conversation back to the burning coal and asked again for a description. This time, the answer was different: cold, dark, etc. As the coal...
Partial Life or Complete Life Even in a small community, and maybe because I live in a small community, I often live in a bubble of my own world. My life is busy, doing and going, and I quickly don't seem to have time to continue my own development. I've left behind the dreams of my youth, I don't even stay connected friends I've had for a long time, and I seldom make time to venture out of my own comfort zone. This last week, I became more intensely aware of the longings of a friend. I...
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham Q: I enjoy making money and doing things that please me. My mother tells me about the stories in the Bible about how riches can corrupt. Is her interpretation correct? A: Luke 16 is the famous passage about a rich man whose disobedience to God led him to reject the very thing he longed for—eternal life. God does not condemn people because they are rich, nor does He justify others because they are poor. Poverty is not a virtue, nor are riches themselves sin. But Jesus did say, “It is easier for a cam...
We have a hidden place on our farm, where I love to go and just sit. It's a sand coulee where the Cotton Woods have grown so tall. In the spring, a river goes through there, but in the fall, it is just a dried-out water way full of different kinds of brush and Choke Cherries bushes. It is the most magical place as the leaves are so beautiful. I am reminded of a quote from John Burroughs, "How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days." You can only see the...
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham Q: The world’s approach to life is that we should spend our time securing our future through education, health plans, financial security, etc. The Bible seems to teach that we should live one day at a time when it says: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things” (Matthew 6:34). How should we live? A: From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham One of the dangers in taking advice is taking it out of context. The Psalmist reminds us, “The entirety of Your word is truth...
Martin Luther King Jr. once said: “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Taken alone, they’re pretty words. They sound good and are inspirational at their face. I think the real power of a quote like that is found through deeper investigation. Specifically, because they were spoken by the leader of the modern civil rights movement. They gain a great deal of additional weight when placed in the context of a life spent fighting to make the world better. It’s easy to offer statements about remaining hopeful from an...
I recently read about a study that was done on National Spelling Bee contestants. The study compared intelligence and hours spent studying words and language. The interesting fact that was revealed by the research was that intelligence was not the major determiner of success at the national level of competitive spelling. Rather, a more reliable measure to figure out who would advance further in competition was the number of hours a week the student spent studying language and spelling. Students who put in more hours tended to do better. To be...
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham Q: It seems that more and more people believe that when we die we reemerge in a different form and have a second chance at life. Some try to say that Christianity teaches this. Could this be possible? A: The Bible does not teach reincarnation. Scripture makes it very clear that we live only once and that when we die we go into eternity. The Bible says, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). For mankind to hope for a second chance reveals the knowledge tha...
This weekend, I replaced my dishwasher. The old one broke down a few months ago, and for various reasons, I chose to hand wash dishes rather than replace it. Finally, I decided to go and get another one. While installing it, I learned an important lesson: if you let a dishwasher sit for a few months, any liquids inside it sit too. Not only do they sit, they begin to smell awful. I learned this lesson when I unhooked the old one and tipped it over to disconnect it. Though I couldn’t see water in the machine before doing so, it was there. D...
Q: Is misrepresentation to protect myself a lie if it doesn’t hurt anyone else? — T.T. A: The Bible teaches that proper conduct includes truthfulness. God’s Word teaches that we should be truthful in our representations of ourselves. Jesus denounced the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees! In the Sermon on the Mount, He rebuked all hypocritical giving, praying and fasting. We should be truthful in speaking of our past achievements in our particular vocation. God does not ask us to understate the facts, but neither does He want us to overr...
Kim Sheehy a Big Sandy Hero Every town has its heroes. Some of those heroes everybody knows, others do their work so no one knows. That is what Kim Sheehy did. She quietly did her advocating for people with Developmental Disabilities for over 20 years. It is difficult to measure her impact, but you can understand when I tell you that if a strong woman like Kim fought for the rights of an individual you know they were strengthened by the process. Kim was a strong woman and she brought to the table that strength and fought to make sure that the...
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham Q: As a student of archaeology, I am studying what is called the myth of the great flood. My professor says that anyone who truly believes this account fails to believe truth by evidence. What can I say to refute that? A:“Archaeology substantiates Noah’s Flood,” said the London Times in 1929. The article that followed gave an archaeologist’s view of the civilization that existed prior to the flood. The Bible also gives a vivid account of the corruption and the sin of that day. At least 2,000 years o...
For the last several years, I have occasionally filled in as a substitute teacher at the school. I’ve really enjoyed the experience and have been impressed over and over at the high quality of the school in Big Sandy. Last week, I helped out washing dishes a few times in the school cafeteria. I also really enjoyed this and was impressed at how hard the folks there work to take care of our kids. It was the first week of school and the younger kids were learning the etiquette for visiting the cafeteria. The teacher walked with them and p...
Q: I am tired of hearing spiritual people talk about the right way to live and then they live like the devil. My grandparents were wonderful people and while I am not of the same faith they were, I could always count on them to tell me the truth. But I don’t see this lived out among many today, especially leaders. Why is this? A: From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham Actually many people, regardless of spirituality, tend to talk one way and live another and it is something to guard against. Not too many years ago, honesty was the h...
In the last several years of writing this column, I’ve mentioned my High School English teacher several times. Every time it was to talk about how much her efforts as a teacher meant to me as a student. This is particularly the case since I was a very poor student. I didn’t really try at all, but she put a effort into engaging and encouraging me. It would have been much easier to simply write me off, but her efforts made a difference in my life. A couple years ago, when I talked about this teacher, a good friend of mine approached me and enc...
One of my favorite quotes from the boxer Muhammad Ali is about training: “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” I have a good friend who says it a bit differently: “Training is better than trying hard.” The idea behind this is simple: the key to becoming good at anything is training. Exerting effort every day over the course of months and years accumulates into excellence that cannot be matched by putting effort forward in the moment. When I worked with kids in...
