News you can use
News you can use
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1 Kings 18:21 "If the Lord be God, follow Him, but if Baal, then follow him." Out our way, ranches can cross county and even state lines. Years ago I had friends whose ranch had such an issue. The region of the Nebraska panhandle and eastern Wyoming is called "Wyo-Braska" by the locals and the ranch house sat right on the line. The ranch had to be registered in one state or the other, so the debate was which state had jurisdiction: Wyoming or Nebraska? Eventually the states...
Exodus 20:3 - 'You shall have no other gods before Me' Out our way, a well-trained cowpony hardly needs the reins, but aside from the circus, I haven't seen many riders who ride without them. Ole Doc was pretty well-trained when I got him and he attended to my leg directions, "clicking" and "kissy" sounds. But even so, I never let go of the reins ... just in case. There were times when he needed to back up or make a hard turn and I needed to use the reins. I never abused...
The Scripture Readings for last Sunday were Joshua 24: 1-2a,15-17,18b also Ephesians 5:21-32 as well as John 6:60-69. The reading from Joshua presents Joshua confronting the Hebrew people with a time of decision. They are to choose which God they are going to worship. They can choose between the God who led them from slavery to the promised land or they can choose to worship other gods. Then Joshua states as for he and his household they will worship the one true God. The...
You know, Lord, several of us girls were together, enjoying our time when Alyson spoke: "My grandmother emigrated from England in the early 1900's with her husband and two little girls. Their home was a simple bungalow. Water came from a cistern, the toilet was at the end of the garden, and the heat was a wood stove." We perked up our ears. Alyson sighed and continued: "The family had little by today's standards. They lived on my grandfather's income as a streetcar conductor...
1 Corinthians 15:52 "In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, the trumpet will sound, the dead shall be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." Out our way, the weather is sometimes rapid in its changes. An "Alberta Clipper" will transform a road that was dry and clear yesterday into a huge snowbank today. Ranchers and farmers and rural folks know these things. But we also know they won't last, that time passes, and, sooner or later, the snow melts. But the wait can...
It's not easy raising kids. Any parent will tell you that. But the rapidly changing times that we live in certainly emphasize, if not compound the issues that parents face in our culture today. Worries have always lurked for any parent that will entertain them – concerns about a child's behavior, the friends they choose, whether they are being bullied in school (or if they are the bully), are they completing their homework (and turning it in), do they stay buckled in the car,...
You know, Lord, Cindy shared how her grandma sometimes grumbled; "Hey! It's Family Reunion Time. I'm ready for some hugs, cake and ice cream." Cindy added: 'Our family would giggle and wonder, Grandma, where were you last month when we have a fun time with a meal and laughter. We didn't say that out loud but, we all thought it, I'm sure.' Ginger commented that Auntie Beth always loved reunion time because she'd be introduced to some young guys who were her niece's boyfriends;...
Ecclesiastes 3: 1 'To everything there is a season and time to every purpose under heaven.' Out our way, we sometimes say that winter is the price we pay for the glorious spring, summer and fall seasons we so cherish. I recall driving in a blizzard on the Hi-Line, barely able to see and with the defroster and heater on full blast . Along the road were cars being pulled out of the barrow ditch by some tow truck, heavy four-wheel drive pickup or even a tractor. At the café, I...
Greetings Hi-Line, May the grace and peace of God our Father overwhelm you today. I hope that your summer has been filled with good times, good recreation and good ministry. It seems that the first two are so easy to do but the last one, ministry, is something we have to work at. But ministry is one we live daily, minute by minute because our lives minister to everyone we have contact with. Whether you are Christian or not your life affects others, family, friends, co-workers...
You know, Lord, while thumbing through a pile of old papers, one could come across some interesting items. One that was found was called "Day Brighteners" listed like this: Ah! August ..................................................... Harvest .......................................................... Heat ............................................................... Wheat ............................................................ Vacation's over .......
Psalm 56:3-4 - 'When I am with You, I will not be afraid!' Out our way, you can see why we call it "the Big Open. When I was in seminary back east, I was claustrophobic as so many buildings and other structures blocked the view. I have shared how a friend was so excited about his apartment in New York City and "the great view" - when all I could see was hundreds of other buildings. Concrete, brick, and some glass - but no sky, trees , birds, or anything but more buildings....
You know, Lord, some folks have a "swarm" of friends and kin who have lots to celebrate in August, which means birthdays and anniversaries. One gal has a name and date on every single date on her August calendar! Deaths also are listed; as we are born to die and fly back "home" to heaven to be with Father God... But while down here, how about a party? Mentioning this, friend 'Sue' giggled and asked if she'd be invited to one of our early parties as her kin all had late August...
Mark 6:14-29 14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him." 15 But others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised." 17 For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account...
Phillipians 1:23 - "I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ ... but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body" Out our way, the long days in the saddle can be wearying - and as the sun starts to dip down, the idea of "heading for the barn" becomes a constant thought. Charlie had a red stock trailer in which we loaded the horses , and I can tell you those last miles of riding up one ridge and down another were sometimes pretty draining of b...
You know, Lord, listening to friends chatting about their Travel Plans is fun. They didn't seem concerned about the cost, travel agent, or where they'd stay! "I like vacation time," Julie said, "The best trip we had was on a ship along the West Coast, not sure of the cities we visited, back then but we liked the entertainment and the food." Lia added, "Dave and I loved the flight to and from Honolulu, Hawaii. We loved the place where we stayed, near the ocean; plus, the scener...
Grief may be normal, natural and necessary, too; It doesn't make life easier, 'because we're missing 'you'! Our hearts do ache – we have no peace; built-in response is shock. Someone we loved has gone ahead; we can't turn back the clock. We're dazed, confused, our minds may blur, we'll shed more than one tear, No longer can you call or come, but we still sense you're near. To grieve, we must – or grief's unhealed; we need to share and care; But DON'T compare – we need our t...
How do you define a hero? How do you define a biblical hero? Often, we think of heroes as people who live sacrificially, people who take a risk on behalf of others. Clearly, Jesus is the biggest hero in the Bible - the biggest hero ever, since he sacrificed not only his life but all the power and privilege that comes with being God's Son to save the whole world. But it's important to have heroes who are a little more on our level, a little more relatable. When I think of...
Matthew 7:15-20 Out our way, a cowboy’s hat is his autobiography — and while you will see them wear a fancy Stetson at dances and public events, when working cows with other cowhands, the work hat is the one they wear. When I was in high school and was required to take a foreign language, I opted for German. As part of the fun, we learned an 18th century German song called “Mein hut er hat drei ecken” The song is a silly children’s song that basically says, “My hat has thr...
You know, Lord, Jonna, shared a story her friend, Sally, told her, which happened a few years back, at the birth of Sally's third baby, when she'd lost her newly born baby girl. It was a cold autumn day when they stood at the graveside service of baby Shenna. Sally recalled the large pine tree that shadowed the open grave which looked like a wound in the ground. Her dad was there, holding firstborn Gary, then only four years old. Little 18-month-old MaryJo wriggled in her...
Psalm 23 Out our way, we still have vast herds of antelope, deer, bighorn sheep, and elk. We also have mountain lions, and in the Bear Paws we occasionally have attacks. I know I have shared this story on numerous occasions, but it is the tale I was given to share again with you about "Jack, the Rez dog." I won't go into the details again of how Jack and I came together, so let's just get into the account of when the lion popped up on a back trail in the Bear Paws. Doc and Jac...
1-2 Wilderness and desert will sing joyously, the badlands will celebrate and flower-Like the crocus in spring, bursting into blossom, a symphony of song and color. Mountain glories of Lebanon-a gift. Awesome Carmel, stunning Sharon-gifts. God's resplendent glory, fully on display. God awesome, God majestic. 3-4 Energize the limp hands, strengthen the rubbery knees. Tell fearful souls, "Courage! Take heart! God is here, right here, on his way to put things right. And redress...
You know, Lord, we're into summer - big time! Some out-of-state company popped in, wanting to view the City Scenes - said their grandparents used to live here - years ago! So, off we went. They'd never been to this town so were surprised to know there was an airport, even a train station, let alone taxicabs, and more schools than their grandma had mentioned; many years back. More chuckles when they saw several benches along the streets for folks to sit on. They had a seat,...
1 Timothy 5:8 "If anyone does not care for his family he had denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." Out our way, cow-calf operations have a number of bulls. When the cows are in season, the bulls rule the roost - often battling each other and sometimes causing severe injuries. But after mating season, they forget the cows and the calves, and old rivalries, and hang out in "the Good Old Boys Club." I first discovered the "club" when getting ready for the gall drive...
Summertime is a time we often consider as a season of rest, a season of play, a season of taking time off, even if just for a little while, to escape the routines of life and refresh our energy. It's the season of vacationing that was incorporated into our psyche from the days of our youth when we anticipated an extended break from school. Those of us grown into adulthood still cling to those nostalgic daydreams of a lazy, carefree summer as we remain constrained to our forty...
You know, Lord, fun things sometimes happen, if we notice. We were to meet Lilly at her favorite café in her town. We found the café, a parking spot, then went in, found her, with her back to us but we spotted her red hair and giggled. Since it was noonish, the café was nearly full. Six folks sat four tables to our right. There was chatter all over, then we noticed a waitress bringing them their salads. The 'grandpa' spoke, "Bow your heads, we need to pray". He spoke loud en...
