The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Recently, the testing scores for Intelligence Quotient (more commonly known as IQ) have been observed to be in decline. Specifically, scores related to abilities in verbal reasoning (logic, vocabulary), visual problem solving/analogies,...

During the first few centuries that the church existed, it face a handful of internal struggles on top of persecution from the Roman Empire and hostile neighbors. Most of the struggle, both internally and externally, came about because the gospel...

An ad in the paper got me thinking about what a great school board member would look like. Someone whose goal is to serve the children of the community by working with others to provide the best learning experience for each and every one of them? Or...

One of the neat features of Facebook that turns up in my timeline every day is the flashback from the same day in past years. Last week, an 11 year old picture popped up. It was my wife in a borrowed coat, holding our 1 year old daughter, in a...

Your time is like water. Water naturally flows from higher places to lower ones. In the same way, everyone has both strengths (higher places) and weaknesses (lower places). We tend to spend less time in our areas of natural talent and more in areas...

The 18th century Danish Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once wrote a story about a circus performance. With a large crowd out front, the performers were preparing to a start the show, when suddenly a fire broke out backstage. Knowing that the huge...

While doing sermon prep this week, I came across an obscure quote from a book from the period between the end of the Old Testament and the birth of Jesus. The book of Sirach was written by a Jew who was watching his country struggle to remain...

Dear Big Sandy Community, I want to take this opportunity to first thank this community for welcoming me in with open arms. Over the past year and four months, I have drove back and forth from Fort Benton to work as your Patient Account...

Coach Bob Wooden led the UCLA basketball program to 10 national championships in 12 years. His success as a college basketball coach is legendary. The philosophy that he implemented in his record breaking tenure at UCLA has come to be known as the Go...

I’m sure everyone remembers parents and grandparents talking about " making do." I have used that expression also. Out of any beef, you might turn to using cans of tuna in a recipe. Sometimes that making do is due to not wanting to make another trip...

1. Detox yourself from social media. Are there benefits to social media? Absolutely! You can share information about your job and get your information out there to the world. You can discuss game times with your school, teachers, and coaches. You...

Lately, I have been having an overwhelming feeling (in a good way) to praise God. I want you to feel this feeling of joy and peace too! So keep reading! So let's talk about what people do for a "new year." We talk about getting in shape, losing...

It all started with Mary. Since then, the expectation has been that women do everything central to Xmas. The men may bring gifts, I say may, but that’s pretty much it. Oh yes, I hear a man yelling as he sets up the Xmas tree. Well, sometimes you d...

If you have watched any of the Hallmark Christmas movies, as I have, you will notice a pattern very quickly. The story begins with a problem, be it a person’s job, boyfriend/girlfriend/ lack of money, etc. The movie then slowly twists and turns u...

With the end of the year fast approaching, there is still time to make those tax-deductible donations. Donating to a worthy nonprofit organization or group is a great way to give back and support them for doing good work for our community. One local...

I spent the majority of last week studying the history of Christmas and the Bible’s account of the angels announcing Jesus’ coming to Mary and Joseph. Every time I drill deep into the story of Mary and Joseph, I find myself taken aback by what was...

Many times over the last couple of decades, I have encountered a strange argument about Christian Christmas observances. The argument is that Christians adopted pagan customs for their own religious observations. One example that is frequently cited...

Last weekend my children and I were blessed with the opportunity to participate in the Big Sandy Community Theater play: “It’s a Madhouse.” One of the coolest moments for me took place when my daughter came out in her lawyer outfit for the first...

You don’t know him. You don’t need to know him. His name is Dean Moen, my cousin. Dean was born with an intellectual disability, and when he was 15 years old, he was also in a car accident, which caused a brain stem bruise resulting in a coma for wee...

Joking with a friend recently, I commented that the Montana state tree is, in fact, a fence post. Though the Ponderosa Pine is the actual state tree, the prairie boasts far more fence posts than trees any day. When I first came to the area, the...

James Garfield, who was the 20th president of the United States, is only remembered for one thing. He was shot by an assassin in July of 1881. In an interesting twist, he did not die until two and a half months later. The length of time between his...