News you can use
News you can use
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Matthew 7:15 Out our way, as I have written many times before, a cowboy's hat is his ID and history. Now most folks are respectable enough to have two hats - a respectable one for being in public; and the worn out one for when riding fences and working the herd. It is the second hat that tells the tale of the wearer. THAT is the real Cowboy hat ... the wearer's true ID. The other day I was in my work clothes as I ran into the store - and a guy called out "Nice hat, cowboy!" I...
One of the hardest parts of Christmas for me-and maybe for you-is the gift-giving. My husband is a gift-giving pro, while I am scrambling on Christmas Eve to wrap the last box of Girl Scout cookies, forgotten for months behind the rice and pasta, and pass it off as, "Look, dear, I got these Thin Mints just for you!" My dad, my aunt, my brother...all were or are gift-giving geniuses. (Yes, that past tense and the fact that loved ones are no longer here with us is THE hardest...
You know, Lord, 'Sheri' shared about her one night in London - she was there for a meeting. It was pouring rain, she was late so she rushed through the streets, turned a corner and then stopped! Dozens of angels hovered above on Regent Street. Their giant shimmering wings, made of thousands of pulsing lights, stretching across the traffic. She said that it was the most amazing Christmas display she had even seen. She wasn't the only one captivated - hundreds also lined the...
Matthew 7:15 'Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inside are ravenous wolves' Out our way, most of the folks who look like cowhands actually ARE cowhands. They seldom are seen with clanking spurs in town, normally do not go about with their jeans tucked into their boots, and their hats are generally beat up and weather worn. Of course one can have all that and still not be much more than a dust eater like me - relegated to ride drag on drives and...
Planning for Advent is one of the most difficult tasks for the preacher, particularly for those of us who have preached a lot of Advents over the years. It's that time of year when your local Walmart store has been stocking Christmas items since late September, when Christmas carols play 24-7 on certain radio stations, and when shopping ramps up to a frenetic pace. People in church clamor for Christmas carols during Advent services. That bouncy song "We Need a Little...
You know, Lord, another friend shared about a prayerful 'blurb' she'd recently read which reminded her of where she'd lived or visited. 'Jenny' mention that she was having morning devotions near a window that looked out over a peaceful pond; which is way South; out of our state. Anyway, she heard the birdies singing, saw the sky was dusted with soft shades of blue and white which made her aware of Jesus's presence. But she'd lived in other places, where views were less serene...
Havre Weekly Chronicle would like local churches to let it know what special services they are having for Christmas to be printed in the Dec. 19 edition of the paper. Please email Tim Leeds at [email protected] with information about any special services....
1 Corinthians 13:1 - 'Though I speak in the tongue of men and angels, if I have no love I am but a clanging gong ... ' Out our way, a good cow horse is essential for working the herds. Now my cow pony stood 17 hands high, was a "4 left hoof wonder" and was like riding a jack hammer. But he had a cow sense and taught me a lot...hence his name " Doc". He was my Professor with his Doctorate in Cow and Horse Sense. More than once he disciplined me for failing to pay attention and...
John 8:7 'Let him who is without sin cast the first stone' Out our way the test that matters for a cowhand is not what he says he can do, but what he does. There is a reason I am the designated "dust eater" at the round ups and when we move the herds to summer or winter pasture. I can talk the talk but not really walk the walk. ("or ride with pride") Granted, Doc's outstanding klutziness and jackhammer gait, are factors - but even on smooth riding Babe, you could tell my...
This past Sunday, did you light a candle on an Advent wreath? If you did, what was it called? Some churches might have called it Love, or Peace. At First Lutheran, we lit the candle of Hope. No matter the order, all Advent wreaths I've ever met have had a candle of Hope. Hope. NOT optimism. In day-to-day conversation, we might use hope and optimism as synonyms, like one farmer saying, "I'm hopeful we'll get a lot of moisture soon," and his buddy replying, "Yeah, I'm...
You know, Lord, a friend shared that she had read about slowing down time - and that so much has changed since the electric clock was invented in the 1840s! That was most interesting to watch or think about how we today keep time, no matter where we go or what we do, it seems like most folks, especial the younger ones, all know about smart watches, smart phones, and laptops. Chuckle chuckle! Seems like the entire pace of life seems faster now - even our leisurely walking has...
Partings do come, as loved ones leave, many hearts are broken. When loved ones go, its lonely here - many words unspoken. We want to remember dear ones - the bond that we did share, But the pain in our hearts and minds, it is so hard to bear. May the winds of love blow softly and whisper so you'll hear. We will always love and miss you, and wish that you were here. The memory gates will never close, the days that used to be How rich in kindness, love and care, how dear you...
You know, Lord, it's a blessing to say 'THANKS' – that's an honor to God. That thought popped up as several guys were discussing the cancer diagnosis of their uncle. 'Johnny' spoke, stating that he'd been in the room with his uncle when the Dr. came in, suggesting he start each day by giving thanks, "For at least three things," she suggested. 'Dan' stated that Uncle starts out each day with words of praise; Thank You, God, for a good night's sleep. For my clean bed. For S...
Luke 1:78 "A new day will dawn on us from above ..." Out our way new technology often comes slowly. I was on the Board for a national Church committee and had to go to Atlanta. I saw a "Krispy Kreme" donut shop, and although I had heard of them, I hadn't even been to one. So I went in. Standing in line, a gorgeous blonde came up and started talking about the various flavors. I was flattered she had struck up the conversation with me, but later learned she was actually talking...
I love the season of Thanksgiving. It's wonderful to have a day set apart to remind ourselves to be thankful for the abundance we have in our lives. If we don't overlook Thanksgiving in our charge toward Christmas, we would observe that this holiday is more than just a fly-over state. We see preludes of Thanksgiving when the harvest comes in, when the fall colors brighten the store fronts, and when pumpkin spice returns to the menus. It's all a foretaste that prepares our hear...
You know, Lord, sometimes while out shopping, it can be quite interesting when passing by several others who are/were chatting away. One gal seemed to do the most chatting and mentioned how overwhelmed she was, just thinking about the future and all the problems that she and her hubby had to tackle - which all seemed, right then, that they were way too big. Her friend then spoke and said, "Marty, you sit right near me in church, didn't you hear Pastor mention that WE are to...
1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the Apostles ... At the round up and drives. Out our way, as I have explained before, the folks in back who push the herd and eat the dust, are usually the least skilled and hands. Given the woke media's fascination with sexual deviations, to say I rode "drag" is often misunderstood by urban folk; so now I simply refer to my normal position on roundups and cattle drives as that of the "dust eater." Interestingly, some of you have...
We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express (Romans 8:26). "Pastor, I made a big mistake in my prayer life," said the parishioner. "I asked God for something, and I got it!" "I shouldn't have prayed that way," comments, another parishioner. "I forgot to add, 'If it be Your will, O Lord.' I was concentrating on what I wanted!" How often we misunderstand how to pray and what to pray for. We err when we...
You know, Lord, it might be fun to go back in time (for a short time) when life moved at a slower pace. We'll leave behind: high speed internet, cell phones, telephones, T. V., GPS and electricity. Back then, for us, was daily chores: milking cows, gathering eggs, cleaning chickencoop and barn, slopping pigs, feeding bucket calves, hoeing garden and plum trees, cooking meals from scratch, and in Autumn, making jams, jellies, canning fruits, vegetables and meat, making soap,...
Three little girls ran down a block, said Grandma was the best! They'd sing and play, read some and dance, then sit down for a rest. Their Dad and Mom encouraged them, they knew Grandma loved girls. Gram helped them pick out pretty clothes and loved their long blond curls. They always loved when Grandma read, for that they'd sit and wait, She'd talk with them, and then she'd read - her reading was so great. She told them just WHO JESUS was, and how to find Him, too. They...
Let's face it, we've all faced some dreadful days lately. Don't even try to deny it. As I write this, voters have yet to go to the polls. Even today, I dread going to the mailbox only to find it stuffed with paper representations of money well wasted. I dread answering the phone when it nags in the evenings. I dread turning on the TV at home, turning on the radio in my car, even checking my e-mail that's spattered with click-bait political ads. And I'm convinced that you...
You know, Lord, a quick glance at the large colorful thermometer by the Beauty Shop shows "how the weather is doing", as weather is one thing most folks love to talk about, besides grain prices and grandkids, this thermometer 'sort of' lets you know "how the weather's doing." While chatting, Joni said, at the beauty shop the other day, conversations about church, café, kids, clothes, were quickly put aside, once the weather of the day and week started to be discussed. We...
Romans 13:12'The night is far spent and the Day is at hand' Out our way, in addition to being a local pastor, I got to live a lifelong fantasy as a cowhand from time to time, riding with my Pard, Charlie, as we moved Big Mike's herd on Tiger Ridge up in the Bear Paw range. Like many kids, I wanted to be a real cowboy when I grew up - and while I never got that wish, I came close when I mounted up ole Doc and rode with Charlie to push cows. Now as anyone who rode with us or...
[Psalm 146] The nation goes to the polls on Tuesday. Here are some helpful ideas that come from a surprising source: an ancient composer of songs. After a long and brutal race for the White House, we need a few laughs. Presidential campaigns have become a slugfest, and most of us are not feeling particularly lighthearted as we prepare to enter the voting booth. But regardless of what happens on Election Day, the earth will keep turning, the seasons will change, babies will be...
You know, Lord, in a few days a 'time-change' is coming up - like when we get up and when we go to bed. Not everyone likes to deal with 'Time Change'! Oh - it probably only affects people; it probably doesn't 'bother birds, beasts, beavers or bears' - 'nor the chickens', one gal added. But remembering WAY back when we were kids at home and had to 'help' do the chores; milking the cows, for a while, we got a bit less milk in the milk bucket but the cows soon 'adapted' to the...
