News you can use
News you can use
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 1563
1 Chronicles 7:14 "If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven,forgive their sin, and heal their land." Out our way, it is calving season. And new life begins again. It is also time for renewal as the summer pasture lies fallow and begins to be stored for the coming year when we move these calves up the ridge. We have taken the herd down below and the high country...
1 Peter 1:3 - Believers begin a new life when they are born again by the Spirit Out our way, though spring is months away, we enter into the new season of life at the end of January and into February. The cold gets greater, the nights seem darker, and the sunlight just isn't as strong. To the rest of the world it is the "dead of winter." But for the rancher and cowhand, it is the life of winter ... for it is calving season. It will be months before the pastures are green and...
(Mark 2:13-17) It was only a few words, yet the man left the tax booth immediately. Mark records no conversation, no preaching, no confession of faith, but the response is as abrupt as that of Simon and Andrew and James and John as they left their nets or their father. See Mark 1:14-20). Why? Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), who was imprisoned and executed by Nazis, says that the cause behind the immediate following the call by response is Jesus Christ himself. It...
You know, Lord, Elvina, a supporting friend, stopped by, sharing some thoughts/actions, she'd been privileged to be part of; she thought she'd share: "You know, it snowed the other day so I shouldn't have been surprised when the snowplow guy showed up - mercy, he was good, he got everything done like I like and in hardly any time at all! He was fast; reminded me of me elder brother - point him to a job, off he went, got it done in no time and did it perfect. "You know, I'm...
This week we have celebrated the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" with breakfast and devotions at 7:00 a.m. each weekday morning at the St. Jude's Parish Hall. Each morning a different church provided the breakfast and the devotions: MONDAY - Van Orsdel United Methodist Church; TUESDAY - Havre Assembly of God Church; WEDNESDAY - First Lutheran Church; THURSDAY - Community Alliance Church; and FRIDAY - St. Jude's Catholic Church. Our central text from the Bible was Luke...
Zechariah 9:9-16 Out our way, most cattle now graze in fenced in pastures, and while not 100% free of predators, by and large the coyotes and lions in the area tend to steer clear. I have had run-ins with both over the years and found they have learned to respect humans. I have shared before my time riding in the sandhills of Wyo-Braska - the area where the Nebraska panhandle meets the eastern edge of Wyoming. I used to ride at the Empire ranch which was on both sides of the...
You know, Lord, good news or good messages abound. For example, unsettled weather plays havoc with roads so when family or friends have visited and we've all had a jolly good time, it's good news when they let us know that they've arrived safely back home. It's good news when tires only need to be rotated, not replaced or when Marylee's grades go up, or when friend Annemarie's blood tests come back with a good report, plus a dozen other pieces of good news that reach us. And...
Mathew 2:1-12 Out our way, Epiphany isn't as big a celebration as Christmas, but it is still important. It is the celebration of the coming of the "Magi" as commemorated in the hymn, "We Three Kings." Sadly, many people don't understand the significance. Briefly, most scholars attribute the title to a class of priests that were common in the Persian Empire. They were often used as advisors to the kings of that time due to their reputation of great knowledge of nature,...
Holiday - it's a word that originated from an old English word meaning "Holy Day." It's a fitting word for our end of December celebrations - no matter its old English or modern English contexts. But here in the thick of January, the glitter of Christmas has faded. The echoes of new year celebrations have diminished down a canyon of life moving on per usual. As lights disappear from the eaves of houses and the parched evergreens lean against back door steps, the extended hours...
You know, Lord, listening to some gals talking about their Christmas, even though most had already taken down their Christmas decorations, was interesting - they chuckled. "Jane" shared that she was so pleased to have gotten some cookies from a neighbor, and hoped she'd said "Thank you!" "Anna" mentioned the lovely bouquet she'd received from friends, way across the state! What a lovely surprise. She taken a picture to send, to show and thank them for the lovely bouquet; t...
Luke 1:46 - "For behold! Your cousin Elizabeth has also conceived in her old age and this is the sixth month of her who was called 'barren.'" Out our way, a cowboy's hat is a signature, autobiography, and ID all at the same time. Years ago, the cartoonist JR Williams had a comic - for which this column is named - called "Out Our Way." Many of his cartoons revolved around cowboys, and I especially remember one showing the cowhand Curly wearing and using his hat in all sorts of...
An annual event that our ministerial association sponsors each January is the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity" Jan. 15-19, 2024. Each morning at 7 a.m., followers of Jesus Christ from our various churches in town come together for devotions and breakfast at St. Jude's Parish Center. I hope that you will be a part of this event. We always encourage those that have to get to work by 8 a.m. to go first so that they can eat and get on their way in good time... Begun in 1908,...
You know, Lord, a new year has dawned and as we flick the calendar to the new year, we come face to face with the fact that our days on earth are numbered. As we turn to this clean, fresh, new page on the calendar we're also aware that we have a new day, a new year, in our lives. It is up to us to fill in those pages. Please help us to choose wisely, Lord, as we forget about the past and begin to look forward to what You have in store for us. Your Word is full of promises for...
Three friends chatted, sharing sad news, they paused to pray and cry. 'Jill' lost an aunt, 'Bill's' Buddy's Dad ... they wished folks didn't die. Jill told 'bout aunt, cookies she'd bake; sometimes, a few she's sneak! Bill's friend, Buddy, his dad was cool, he'd climbed a Mountain peak! Sue knew these two, her special friends; she loved 'Jill's' Auntie's 'stew'! And Buddy's dad, a special guy, he taught his kids 'to DO!' They chatted some about these two, whom God had just cal...
Psalm 23 Out our way, there are several roundups. The ones for branding and tagging and such, of course, but there are also the ones each fall and spring when it's time to move to fresh grazing. Riding drag and pushing the herd, I didn't see much but dust and the rear end of the herd. Charlie rode point and got the big view, and occasionally, if the herd was sizable, a few others rode swing, watching for strays taking off that had to be herded back. But even from my post, it...
There's a type of service that's been growing in popularity for the last few years. It's called a Blue Christmas. A Blue Christmas service is meant for people who are just that - kind of blue, even during Christmas. While the rest of the world croons about holly jolly Christmas and the most wonderful time of the year, a Blue Christmas service gives people space to rest, weep, and hold grief with one another. This service names our pain. It's often held just a few days before...
You know, Lord, a friend shared that as this year ends, she sensed You, Lord, telling her to "Receive My Peace." She realizes that peace is probably everyone's deepest need; that You, Lord, long to pour Yourself into our neediness. She added that her pastor shared 2 Corinthians 4:7; she quoted, "But we are this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." She already knew we're all made as a jar of clay, that we're set apart...
Luke 1:44 - "As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leapt for joy." Out our way, you get to see great sights on a regular basis - especially if you are one of the lucky ones who gets to see the world from the saddle. Watching the thunderstorm in Canada 60 miles away from atop a ridge while Doc and I catch our breath is one I have shared before. The sight of herds of deer and antelope racing across the prairies in the late afternoon is...
(Read John 1:1-18) Jesus the Word is the creator of everything: this is his world. This passage not only underscores Jesus' full ownership of all creation as his rightful possession but also serves as a foundation of his love and providential care for all he has made. Jesus, the Creator of the world, was unwilling to leave his "very good" creation to the destructive powers of sin, but rather, he came to redeem his handiwork. The Incarnation has profound implications for...
You know, Lord, Christmas is just around the corner! Friend, Linda, shared that when she was young, she'd been told to hide Your Word in her heart, Lord, mentioning how she loved Hebrews 2:1; "We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." She added that we're to be alert and attentive in all areas of our life, especially spiritually. Linda then shared what she remembered about what had happened quite some time ago,...
Isaiah 40:1 - "Every valley shall be raised up and every hill and mountain leveled, the twisted places straight and uneven ground leveled ... ." Out our way, I am amazed at how the cattle trails always seem to be the easiest roads to follow. Occasionally we have new pastures as Big Mike will lease out different grazing grounds, but Charlie rides point and guides us in the best and easiest route. He knows where the water is and the gate that opens into fresh pasture, and also...
When you are waiting for something special, time seems to come to a stand-still. For children anticipating Christmas, it can feel like an eternity waiting for Santa to make his world-tour. For adults rushing to get every last holiday detail in place, Christmas can come too soon. And yet the span of days for the children is the same span of days for adults, making our experience of time relative to our frame of reference. Einstein had a theory when it came to our experience of...
You know, Lord, the month of December usually puts us in a giving mood, right? For some folks it's typically cash, but it needn't be cash; clothes, shoes, socks, also toys could also be donated, as well as art, or like one friend we heard about, he gave an automobile to a gal who had lost her car in a wreck. Now and then, just giving time is also a wonderful item to give, when thinking about giving something. Another friend loved making quilts; each year, she'd pick a family...
Romans 12: 1- 8 Out our way, the spring and fall roundups are a big deal. Of course it's nothing like the old days, when trail drives went clear cross country and lasted for weeks. For us it is within the confines of a large fenced area and likely takes less than a day. Even so, the process of moving the cattle remains the same and even when four-wheelers often replace cow ponies in the process, the herders pretty much have the same job as their predecessor The top hand(s)...
(Revelation 13:11-14:10) Are we living in the end times? People have been asking me that recently. Some ask me about the mark of the beast. Many people have speculated on the meaning of the mark of the beast in Revelation 13, but however it might be fulfilled, it could "symbolize all our allegiances to the gods of this world or all the emperors who try to usurp God's place." These chapters in The Revelation stir us Christians - who can face life realistically because we know t...
