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Most people know the Biblical book of Daniel from the stories of Daniel and the Lions Den, Daniel’s dream interpretations, or maybe the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being cast in the furnace for refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s idol. Some folks know Daniel from the Apocalyptic prophecies contained in the text. During the pandemic and lockdowns, I taught through the book on Zoom. The book itself has a much bigger message to convey. It is actually about how God is in control, even when it seems as though he isn’t. After more...
Steve Jobs, the late co-founder of Apple, used a particular illustration many times to explain the potential of the personal computer for the betterment of humanity. He would begin by explaining a study that was done with animals to measure the efficiency of their modes of travel over a distance of 1 kilometer. The study placed condors at the top of the list since they need the least energy to travel the given distance. Humans, on the other hand, appeared about a third of the way down. We are not well adapted to efficient transportation. In an...
I officiated my first funeral as a pastor somewhere around 15 years ago. From the very start, I have made it a point to sit down and talk with the families of the deceased as long as possible in order to “get to know” the person I will be eulogizing at the service. As the years have passed, I’ve discovered a secondary benefit to these conversations. I inevitably discover something special that I try to take on as a habit. One conversation of this sort prompted my habit of writing letters to my wife, kids, family members, and friends. I don’t...
An arrogant young man once approached Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher. The man proudly announced: “O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge.” Socrates, who immediately recognized the man’s self obsession, led him through the city to the port and finally into the sea until they were both chest deep in water. Then he asked the man: “What do you want?” “Knowledge, O wise Socrates,” replied the man. Socrates seized the man and held him underwater for 30 seconds. When the shocked, would-be student was released, Socrates asked agin “W...
Christain News Letter available. So why Uplifting? It’s simple. Augustine of Hippo wrote, “The Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot!” For several years, I have been living a dull/gray Christian experience for the most part. In Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster wrote, “In the spiritual life, only one thing will produce genuine joy, and that is obedience.” Writing a devotional book/newsletter has been in my heart for years—YEARS! John 15:11 says, “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy...
Several decades ago, officials at Kruger National Park in South Africa encountered a problem. Their efforts to bring their elephant population back from the brink of extinction had been so successful that they began to experience problems with overpopulation. Their solution was simple: they relocated elephants from their herds to other preserves. The transplanted pachyderms were primarily young males and adult females, due to the fact that the adult male bull elephants were simply too large to transport easily. However, rangers in the reserves...
Father's Day is a relatively new holiday. The first time it was held was in June 1910, but it wasn't officially recognized as a holiday until 1972 by then-President Nixon. This last Sunday, fathers were celebrated. My challenge to everyone is to make it a week-long celebration. My father worked hard but knew how to rest. He laughed easily, especially at the practical jokes he played on others, and loved solitude and peace at his Fort Peck cabin. A smile came across my face when I remembered he...
A Letter of Thanks To Our Community: I wanted to write and thank the taxpayers and community members of Big Sandy for your support of our school district’s recent and successful mill levy election. With the support of our citizens, I am happy to say that the levy passed 186-140. Your support of our mission will ensure that we are able to maintain our programs and services for our students, and that we are able to continue to provide the quality of programming and educational opportunities they require. Unfortunately, in the past two years i...
Dear Editor, As a 4th generation Montanan, I feel privileged to have grown up in one of the many farming and ranching communities dotting the landscape of eastern Montana. I was taught old school values, love of God, family, country, and the merit of a hard day's work. Sense of community was strong, a man’s word was his bond, neighbors helped neighbors, and Sunday mornings found most folks gathered in church. As a WW2 veteran, my father was proud of his service to his country and understood that the freedoms we each enjoy were purchased at a v...
Two weeks ago, I got a message from a high school friend, who I occasionally interact with on Facebook: “Hi Erik. Steve Kille passed. I’m not sure when you last talked to him, but I thought I’d let you know.” I was shocked and continue to be saddened whenever I think about my friend. Though we haven’t spoken or seen each other in nearly 30 years, apart from trading a few emails once I managed to hunt down my friend through the band he played for and some interviews in rock magazines, it seems odd that his passing would loom so heavy in my hea...
For the last several years, I have participated in a cycling fundraiser to raise money to fight children’s cancer. I’ve learned an important lesson along the way: Preparing ahead of time makes a huge difference. Preparation for the cycle challenge involves exactly what you’d expect: cycling daily to improve my cardio vascular health. In recent years, I have tried to take on what is called a zone training strategy. I train at different heart rate intensities to improve different aspects of my heart and lung health. In the long term, those impro...
“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.” Elie Wiesel, the Hungarian-born American author and Holocaust survivor wrote these words which offer us a unique take on the nature of the world around us. To be indifferent to anything is to negate its value completely. This quote came to mind while reading about the nature of God. According to the Bible, God has certain...
I was frustrated with the return to cold weather, snow, and rain. I was walking from my kitchen to the living room, and I was thinking to myself how bored I was. I wanted to be outside! I sat down and asked the kids if they wanted to do something. “What?” I said, “I don’t know…any ideas?” Then there was silence…and I realized I was trying to win a battle against their electronic devices, which meant I would lose. What child wants to hang out with their parent over their phone/computer/gaming device or TV? So, I decided to research fun...
This last week, I needed an injection in my eye. They numbed it well, so I didn’t feel a thing. They used an Eye Speculum to keep my eye open so I wouldn’t shut the eyelid. I instantly thought of the scripture in Matthew 13: “So they show that what Isaiah said about them is true: ‘You people will listen and listen, but you will not understand. You will look and look, but you will not really see. Yes, the minds of these people are now closed.” Numerous times in the Old Testament, the prophets would say they have eyes, but they don’t see. The we...
Easter seems early this year, and I’m not ready to celebrate it. The holiday allows me to contemplate my relationship with Jesus and what it means to be a Christian. I often fall into the trap of wanting God to take care of me, to fill my needs, and not allow hurtful or difficult things to happen to me, creating a utopia where everything is good. I found this short article and wanted to share it. I thought it was so good. “I would have pulled Joseph out. Out of that pit. Out of that prison. Out of that pain. And would have cheated nations out o...
Years ago, before my wife and I had kids, she would commute about 40 minutes to work every day. When I had days off in the middle of the week or came home from work early, I would sometimes use the time to surprise her. This would usually involve cleaning the house thoroughly, knocking out a handful of “honey do” items, and then making an elaborate (for my level of cooking prowess) dinner. One thing I remember from those days is racing the clock to get everything done that I wanted to do before she got home from work. I remember that I did not...
This year, I have been preaching through the book of Genesis’ accounts of the lives of the Patriarchs of the Jewish faith. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are considered to be the founders of the Jewish faith and the starting point for God dealing with humanity in the Bible. All of those men had something in common: they were all sojourners. Sojourners are people who live in a land that isn’t theirs amongst people who are not their own people. In the ancient world, sojourners had no rights or legal protections. In addition, they were lim...
Kierkegaard once wrote: “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forward.” To be more accurate, this is a summary of a journal entry he wrote. The idea is quite simple. We can only really understand our lives by looking back at what happened. Events, challenges, choices, difficulties, losses, and everything else must be experienced day to day. The challenge is that in the moment, we lack the proper context to find meaning in our experiences or to make sense of them. The challenge is that we can only live moving forward. This...
Many years ago, not long after I first got married to my wife, I worked in a retail electronics store for about 6 months while looking for work as a youth pastor. That included several months of Christmas retail sales. It was pretty genuinely terrible. I was often shocked at how angry and nasty the customers were as they were supposed to be preparing themselves for the joyous Christmas holiday seasons. I remember one guy, who had waited a long time to make his purchase because the store was really busy. When I finally rang him up, he was...
A few years ago, I participated in the Master Gardener class that was offered at the Big Sandy Library. Learning about plants, soil, landscaping, and other topics was quite informative, but I think the best part of the class for me was learning about how plants live/operate. In more than a few occasions, I spotted tidbits of information that helped me understand the teachings of Jesus in a clearer light. I also caught a few life alessons. One that has hung with me and comes to mind often relates to the rings trees develop as they age. Most peop...
The biblical book of Genesis in the Old Testament tells the story of Joseph. Joseph was Abraham’s great-grandson. He had 11 brothers but was favored above the others by his father. His father’s open favoritism toward one son and early signs that Joseph would be favored by God over his brothers kindled jealousy amongst the siblings. Eventually, the other brothers hatched a plot to get rid of Joseph altogether. From that point forward, Joseph’s life is a series of successes and setbacks. It’s noteworthy because the setbacks are pretty univers...
Best restaurant in town! The SENIOR CENTER has an amazing menu! Fantastic, cooks and exciting foods that I had never heard of. They really put a lot of a love and creative work into their meals. My favorite was chicken stirfry on rice cooked just right, with a crisp Chinese mandarin almond salad. I am away from my real home in Big Timber, during fall and winter to work harvest in Big Sandy. It has been a lifesaver for me that the town of Big Sandy provides a warm, balanced meal, so I don’t have to eat a cold sandwich in a cold shop. It is nice...
I have been writing columns for the Mountaineer for around 11 years. At different times, these articles have dealt with marriage, family, spirituality, depression, other mental health issues, and a plethora of other topics. Every year over New Year’s, I find myself reflecting on what to write that will help folks who are making resolutions. I’ve talked about S.M.A.R.T. goals, given tips for consistency, and other bits of advice to help readers of the Mountaineer with simple, life change advice. This year, while reflecting on the topic, I had...
A new year is always a time for reflection. During December, I heard the word hope many times and realized I needed to renew my hope. Life is hard, and sometimes depression tells us the future is bleak. Listening to politics never mentions how the future looks bright! I was challenged by an article I read to eavesdrop on conversations around me and see how many of them had hope in the tone of their conversation. And to be honest, that day, there was none. I hope those who read this paper realize that I am a Christian; if not, let me clarify...
Are you a reader? I am a definite wannabe reader! I absolutely love searching for books, buying books, and having a ton of books! Have I read them all? NOPE! I have good intentions of reading them, and sometimes I do, but if the book doesn’t capture me in the first three pages, I stop reading it. How about when someone says to you, "You wanna read a good book? I have a good recommendation." I immediately think, "No, I don’t want your recommendation because I’m a book snob and want to find books on my own." But I do give in, and I’m thankfu...
