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It might be said that Bert was a dandy. He dressed in a strange way, had a tiny moustache and drove around in a very large and long green Nash. Bert (and his last name will not be used to protect the innocent) worked in the shoe department of the Lou Lucke Company for many years. In fact one could say that Bert grew old selling shoes at the Lou Lucke Company. He wore black and white saddle shoes all summer long and even wore something that I think were called puttees and what had gone out of style in the 1920’s. Puttees were strips of cloth t...
Q: Since I was a child I’ve been told that God hates sin, and because I don’t always do what’s right, I’ve always assumed that He must hate me also. But now that I’m older I’m beginning to wonder if I’m wrong. Am I? A: Yes, you are wrong—and I’m thankful you’re beginning to realize it! God loves you, and the greatest discovery you or anyone else can ever make is that you are deeply loved by God. Does this mean God doesn’t hate sin? Does this mean He simply ignores it, or even laughs at it and pretends it doesn’t matter? No, not at all. But the...
I went to a large high school in Northern Virginia, where most of the classes had over 30 kids. It was a good school, but I was a lazy student. I spent most of my class time sitting in the back row reading novels or daydreaming. My grades were mediocre and I’m certain I was the source of much consternation to my teachers, largely because I put little effort into my education. Algebra is a perfect example. I hated math in general. It frustrated me to no end because it didn’t come easy. Str...
This has been a tough year for trying to keep grass green and flowers growing. One large Green Spruce in my front yard has lost a whole branch to what I think is simply drought and not enough water on everything around the house. Once my water bill gets over a hundred dollars I start looking at places to stop watering and this year I let the whole front yard dry up which I hope will not kill all the lilacs and spruces that make up my private front lawn. Meanwhile in the back yard, no matter how much water I put on my dahlias, Zinnias, glads...
Q: When you ask God to do something for you, but then nothing happens, does that mean He’s giving you a definite “no,” and you shouldn’t keep bothering Him about it? A: We should never think that we are “bothering” God when we turn to Him in prayer! God loves us, and just as parents take delight in their child’s first words, so God takes delight in the prayers of His children. Jesus said, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask h...
Sometimes I sit down at this old computer and just stare at it, wondering what to write about this week? Getting started on the writing process sometimes is just finding something to write about. Here is something. It is happening already. A lady from far away sent us an email saying how she loves the stories I write about Charlie Russell and Ace Powell. She went on to ask about Ace and Nancy Powell who were both good artists in their own right. I hardly ever write about Nancy and yet her grasp of Native American art was fantastic. She and Ace...
Q: I don’t go to church anymore, because the people in the last one I went to weren’t very friendly, and all they did was criticize and gossip about everyone, from the pastor on down (probably including me). That’s not the way Christians are supposed to act, is it? A: No, it’s definitely not how Christians are supposed to act. When we commit ourselves to Jesus and become His followers, our lives should be marked by love and compassion, not criticism and gossiping. The Bible says, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned...
Jesus, Matthew tells a story in which Jesus and the 12 disciples are in a fishing boat crossing the Sea of Galilee, which is known for sudden and violent storms. Halfway across the inland sea, one of those storms set in and threatened to capsize the boat. The disciples were terrified, while Jesus just slept in the stern. Finally, they woke him up and asked: “Teacher, do you care if we drown?” Jesus got up and commanded the storm to stop, then asked his disciples if they had any faith at all...
Q: I graduated from college last December, and I was excited because the job I got meant I’d be moving to a large city—which I’ve always wanted to do. But I’m so lonely here that I’m beginning to wonder if I made a mistake. Do you think I did? A: Elsewhere in your letter you admit that you never thought to pray about your decision or seek God’s will for your future. One reason I wanted to reprint your question is because I hope it will encourage others to pray when they face decisions like this. God is concerned about every detail of our lives,...
efore I tell you this sad story of woe, let me first tell you that Red Bus Drivers didn’t get paid much when they drove their Red Busses around Glacier and Waterton National Parks. Instead most drivers lived on tips that could be good or bad. Usually I worked out of Lake McDonald since I was living at Somers and drove in each morning. Like most Red Bus Drivers I picked up my passengers on the west side of Glacier and we toured the park for the day then returned to Lake McDonald and I headed for home after washing my bus. There was a primer t...
Q: My biggest fault (or so people keep telling me) is impatience. Like most people, I’m impatient when big things go wrong, but little things get under my skin also. I guess I was born this way, and I’m not sure I can do anything about it. And anyway, what difference does it make? A: Have you ever asked yourself why people keep telling you about this? The reason, I suspect, is because your impatience makes it very difficult for them to be your friend—and that’s one reason why you need to overcome this. The Bible says, “Whoever is patient h...
I think I can honestly say I never met a hot dog I did not like. But I can also say that I have met many that did not like me. If I buy a hotdog from a vender, it comes in a little tray, and has the things I have ordered on it, placed neatly and when I eat that hot dog, most everything manages to stay in place until the last couple of bites anyway. Not so when I cook them at home. One of the problems is I like too much stuff on the hotdog. I love pickles, mustard, mayonnaise, onion, cheese and relish. Then I put the hot dog in and it falls all...
When I was younger, I developed a terrible habit. I would listen to sermons and think about all the people I know who should be hearing the message because it dealt with an area of sin I saw in their lives. Sometimes, this would happen when the folks I was thinking about were actually in the room with me. In those cases, I would find myself peeking over to see if they were paying attention and learning their lesson. I was young and dumb back then. Now that I am older, and hopefully wiser (or at...
Q: How much do you have to believe about God in order to get into Heaven? I’m getting older, and I don’t want God to slam Heaven’s door on me when I die. A: Only one thing will keep us out of Heaven—and that is our sin. And only one thing will enable us to enter Heaven—and that is to be cleansed of our sin. Let me explain. You may not think of yourself as a bad person—and compared with some people, you probably aren’t. But God is absolutely holy and pure, and even one sin—just one—is enough to banish us from His presence. That may be hard for y...
In the 1950’s if I recall, famed Montana author Dan Cushman wrote his most famous book entitled, “Stay Away Joe.” Cushman had been born and raised in the Box Elder and Big Sandy communities and at the time was living in Great Falls. The book was a story about a Native American named Joe and his Family’s efforts to get ahead in a world which was geared mostly for white people. The book was laugh out loud funny. Or it was so sad people cried when they read it, depending on where those people were coming from. One of the best scenes in the boo...
I have maybe written this story for you dear readers before. If I have it is good enough to demand a repeat and if you are hearing it for the first time, you will never forget it. The Hugh Black family came to the St. Mary area of Glacier National Park after World War II armed with a contract to tear down the old St. Mary Chalets. While there they purchased a tiny slip of land just off the Park and started building tiny cabins on it. Every time Going-To-The-Sun Road was open the cabins were full at all times and they always needed more. It got...
When borrowing money for large purchases, your credit history will generally have a significant impact on your ability to get a loan and the terms of the loan. Each individual has his or her own credit score so when applying jointly, the creditor will scrutinize both scores. Credit scores range from approximately 300 to 850. When locking in an interest rate, the higher the score, the better the terms of credit you are likely to receive. You may be surprised to know you have more than one credit score. The credit scores are based on the...
Last week, I started studying the life of Samson for the sermon series I’m currently working through. Samson is an interesting figure because he is basically an action hero. His story is a collection of crazy adventures, battles, and love affairs. Strangely, most folks miss the point of his story. Generally, the misunderstanding begins with his hair. Most people identify Samson’s hair as the reason he was so tough. However, this isn’t accurate. Samson was commanded by God to live accor...
Q: I saw an article in our newspaper the other day about a local group of people who say they believe in witchcraft and black magic and things like that. Do you think they are sincere, or are they just trying to get attention? A: I don’t know this group’s true motives, of course—but I can assure you that some people today do believe in the kind of occult practices you mention. Furthermore, not only do they sincerely believe in them and practice them, but they often seek to persuade others to believe in them also. The Bible is very clear, howev...
I know it is after July 4th but there are still plenty of picnics to go to and plenty of times to get together with good friends for feasts and libations. In my youth, two cousins, Louie and Ray Clack were famous for their Fourth of July punches. Both were very potent, both tasted very good and both were easy to make. These made their punches in a gallon thermos bottle filled with ice that would keep the drinks cool all day long. First, Louie Clack’s famous Fourth of July Punch. 1 can frozen pink lemonade 1 can white rum 2 cans water and l...
Q: We have legal custody of our son’s children, because he’s in prison for another 20 years, and his wife’s left him and is into all sorts of bad things. But now she’s threatening legal action if we don’t give them back. We love them, and we can’t stand the thought of giving them up. Is it morally wrong for us to want to keep them? A: No, it’s not morally wrong for you to want to keep custody of these children; you love them and you want what is best for them. You’re concerned about their future, and from what you say, they probably wouldn...
I suppose that by now most everyone has heard about our new congressman who body slammed a reporter and broke his glasses. I guess the new congressman was at the end of his tether. I have been there as well. Only thing is it happened when I was a child and acted like a child. You would never know now by looking at me but at one time I used to be fat. Matter of fact one day when I was about 10 and playing with my friends on Second Avenue there was one small bully who kept screaming at me all morning long, “Robby, Robby, fatty, fatty two by four....
I first got to know Ace Powell, the famous western artist when he got a commission from Havre Federal Savings and Loan to paint three paintings about the prairies around Havre. He came to Havre and my uncle Al took Ace around to sketch scenes that might be used in the paintings. I would see Ace every morning at the Lou Lucke Company where he would be sitting in the so called “President’s Chair”. He would have a dozen little note cards with him and would always be drawing a bear or a teepee or a cabin or an Indian on a horse or something. When...
There is a story in the Old Testament about a prophet named Elijah. Elijah’s job was to speak on God’s behalf to the people of Israel, a job that often made him unpopular in a time where traditional Jewish religion was very unpopular in ancient Israel. The day after Elijah experiences the most spectacular victory of his life, he leaves a party where God’s people are celebrating the end of a long drought and returning to their belief in God. Elijah is forced into hiding to escape assassins sent...
Blue Green Algae Poisoning in Livestock The following overview of blue green algae poisoning in livestock was written by Rachel Endecott (MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist). Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are photosynthetic bacteria that live and grow in aquatic environments. Many species exist: some species are harmless, while others can affect the nervous system and liver function of livestock. Large blooms of cyanobacteria can occur when conditions are favorable, leading to elevated concentrations in water sources. When livestock or oth...