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After a couple of years of uncertain times due to COVID-19, we now find our lives hit with new uncertainty due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. We are again undergoing an historic event that will alter the world we know going forward both in the immediate future and potentially for generations to come. The questions continue to mount: Is this the start of World War 3? Will the United States be drug into war yet again on another continent? Will this escalate into a nuclear conflict? What should our involvement be? Will energy prices cause...
It seems like we are regularly bombarded with conflicting truth claims. From advertising (who makes the best truck/dishwasher/phone) to politics (which candidate or issue should we support) to sports to religion and other everyday conversations, we constantly have opportunities to evaluate what we believe is true. If you have had the opportunity to sit on a jury, you were involved in a process of trying to evaluate the truth of the case. Christmas is nearly here and is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. He was born a couple of...
Mid-June is smack dab in the middle between two patriotic holidays: Memorial Day and Independence Day. Both of these commemorate past times and heroes of our country, as well as the ongoing freedoms enjoyed and ongoing sacrifices made for those freedoms. Recently, Israel has been in the news over a serious, violent conflict with their neighbors in the Gaza Strip as well as violent rioting and conflict on their own streets between Jews and Palestinians. Considering the situation in the Middle East, and our life here in the United States, I have...
I think I have both heard and used the word pandemic more in the last 10 months than in the previous almost 50 years of my life combined. Along with the word pandemic, many other previously rarely used words have become commonplace, such as r-naught, COVID, asymptomatic, social distancing and on and on. It’s been an unusual year. Along with these newly used words, I thought I would introduce another one: pan-Christmas. The prefix “pan” simply means “all.” So pan-Christmas would mean all-Christmas - all, as in, for everyone and everywher...
My wife and I moved to Seeley Lake in August of 1993. Wayne and his wife Sandee were among the first people we met here in Seeley Lake. In fact, during our first Sunday worship service at Mission Bible Fellowship, back when service was still held upstairs, I believe we literally met everyone who attended that morning, and it seemed to me most of them had the last name of Cahoon! There was Melvin and his family, John and his family, Ralph and his family, and Wayne, Sandee, David and Chelsea (Christian and Joshua had not yet been born). Wayne...
We once more have arrived at the great celebration day of our nation’s adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Blood, sweat and tears were shed so that we can enjoy benefits such as free speech, life, liberty, independence, freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, etc. This year is unique from all other Fourth of July’s in my lifetime, in that many events have been canceled due to COVID-19. That does not mean that we cannot celebrate in different ways. I thank God for the sacrifices made so that we have something substantial to celebra...
Well, this is a new one. At least, it is for me, and for the vast majority of you who read this, and the vast majority of Americans. We are undergoing an historic event that will likely alter the world we know going forward and we are being required to stay at home, except for essential activities. This event has taught me a few lessons, with more to come I expect. Let me share a few. First, life is uncertain. We do not know the future and no matter what anyone tells you is going to happen, we do not know if it will happen until it does. This...
As most of you probably know, on New Year’s Day, tragedy struck our valley in the form of the death of two snowmobilers buried in an avalanche. This is not the only tragedy so far this year but is one that hits fairly close to me. I am an avid snowmobiler and also had the privilege of being part of the group who assisted in the recovery. It is a struggle for me to know what to say about the incident and how to organize my thoughts in a logical way, so I am going to just share a couple of things on my mind relevant to that incident. 1. I say it...
One of the amazing and wonderful things about Scripture is the way that it comes alive to impact our lives in different ways and at different times. We have been reading through 2 Chronicles together lately as a family, and came to chapter 21. I don’t know how many times I have read 2 Chronicles 21 in my lifetime, but has probably been quite a few times. Up until a few days ago, I could not have told you what the chapter was about or who King Jehoram was. This time, however, was different, and it made an impact on me. Jehoram, as son of King J...
If you follow the news at all, or if you are on social media at all, you have certainly seen some nasty treatment of and language toward those who hold differing views from one another. This is certainly evident in political discussions between left and right. It is also evident in church matters, family matters, local government matters, even, (dare I mention it?) sewer district matters. Sometimes I think it is worse than it used to be, and continuing to get worse, but then I also recall that our nation went to war and killed each other on...
When traveling to other countries, I have noticed that virtually everywhere we go, there are people who are proud citizens of their nations. These citizens could be called subjects of their country, though that is a term that is not used as commonly as it used to be, and could give a bit of negative connotation to those who may bristle at the thought of being “subject” to authority. This use of the word subject also is related to the word submission, which likewise often has a negative connotation. However, we are all subject to someone or som...
When you read this, it will be after this year’s Memorial Day. However, as I write, the day has not yet come, but I was reflecting a bit on what Memorial Day is all about. As you may or may not know (I had to look it up), Memorial Day started after our nation’s civil war in 1868 by Major General John A Logan, the commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic. He started it, calling it “Decoration Day” as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. In 1971, the US Congress established it as a federal holiday...
I love the desert. From the dry heat to cool nights to flash floods, there is a mystery about the desert to me that causes me to be filled with wonder at it. Having never lived in the desert, there is an unfamiliarity to it that seems to keep me slightly on edge when I am out in it. Parts of the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States at first glance sometimes seems to be nothing but endless stretches of uniformity in its plant life and topography. It can have a feeling of harshness, making it hard to imagine how the Native Americans...
One of my favorite biblical characters has always been King David. From when I was a boy, reading about the exploits and bravery of David as a youngster (lions and bears and Philistines!), until now when in mid-life I also admire David’s wisdom, humility and desire to follow God wholeheartedly. The historical accounts of David’s life found in the Bible will remain an example to all of us for eternity of an imperfect, sinful man who God used in a mighty way. David lived a life full of conflict, turmoil, battle and bloodshed. He was one of the...
There was an airline pilot flying over the Tennessee mountains and pointed out a lake to his copilot. “See that little lake?” he said. “When I was a kid I used to sit in a rowboat down there, fishing. Every time a plane would fly overhead, I’d look up and wish I was flying it. Now I look down and wish I was in a rowboat, fishing.” Contentment can be an elusive pursuit. We go after what we think will make us happy and content only to get it and find out that it didn’t work. Our nation shows our lack of contentment in many ways, such as our high...
There is a tension between liberty and security, between our freedom and our safety. Of course, we would all prefer, and choose if we could, to have both complete liberty and complete security. However, that is not the world we live in. For example, we desire for others to not steal our possessions, so we secure them, with locks or cases. But in order to secure those possessions with a lock or in a case, we give up a little bit of our freedom to have easier access to those possessions. Most of the time we weigh the cost of the freedom that we...
If you follow the NFL at all, you know that there has been on ongoing controversy surrounding certain players who decided to not stand during the singing or playing of our national anthem at the beginning of the game. And recently the NFL instituted a new rule that stated that all players on the field during the singing of the national anthem had to remain standing. I have found it rather interesting that the instigator of this controversy remains currently unemployed as an NFL player, but even more interesting to me is the fact that he, and...
I am in the middle of listening to the audio version of the book “The Road to Wigan Pier” written by George Orwell and published in 1937. In it, Mr. Orwell describes in detail the living conditions of thousands of common working class men and families living in northern England in the years before World War II. I have not finished the book yet but my time listening to and considering it have led me to share a couple of thoughts that have been sparked in my head by it. 1. I have nothing to complain about! If I gain nothing else from the boo...
Today is my 25th anniversary! I can honestly say that it has been the best 25 years of my life and I thank God every day for giving me a godly, wonderful, intelligent, beautiful wife who loves and respects me, and sacrifices herself to take care of her family. Our oldest daughter got married just over a month ago, so between that and our 25th anniversary, it seemed fitting to write some brief thoughts about marriage. What is the purpose of marriage? God created marriage (see Genesis 2:18-25), and ultimately, everything God created is for the...
It’s shortly after the dawn of another new year, and I just thought I would share a few thoughts with you. Its always good to reflect on the past, being thankful for what God has done, and look forward to the future, being thankful for what He is going to do. This last year, every one of us who lives in, visits, has family living in, or is somehow associated with the Seeley, Swan, and Ovando valleys, can be thankful that we were spared from catastrophic damage during the fire season. I am thankful that God has given me another year to enjoy l...
One definition of perspective is “a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.” We all have a perspective and that perspective can greatly influence our outlook on life. A good perspective, a good attitude, results in a positive outlook on life, whereas a poor perspective, a bad attitude, results in a negative outlook on life. We all have ups and downs throughout the course of a year, but I think that this season of holidays, particularly Thanksgiving and Christmas, can be a great time to stop and reflect on wha...
Exodus 20:1-3, “And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me.” This is the opening to one of the most well known passages of the Bible, the Ten Commandments. Most of us are probably fairly familiar with this passage. “You shall have no other gods before me,” is the first of the Ten Commandments, and, as is commonly the case with the first of a list, is of particular importance. You may be like me when you hear or...
It has been a hectic week, filled with uncertainty, upheaval, flames and smoke. If you live or recreate in Seeley Lake, you know exactly what I am talking about. If you do not live or recreate in Seeley Lake, you probably still know what I am talking about as our normally sleepy small town community has become a headline story as we face the very real threat of a wildfire sweeping through our homes, businesses and property. So far, due to God’s grace and providence and His gifting to men and women the ability and willingness to fight fire, w...
I write this as Father’s Day is drawing to an end. You won’t be reading it for another few days, or possibly later than that, but I still found myself reflecting on my father today and decided to share a bit with you. My father was a great father. He still is! He is a godly man who loves the Lord with his whole heart and has played an active role in the lives of my sister and I while loving us unconditionally. I respect him greatly, love him dearly, cherish my many wonderful childhood memories of him, and continue to look forward to the tim...
It was 24 years ago March 11 that a beautiful young lady flew to Anchorage, Alaska, to meet me to embark on the wonderful life-long journey together that we call marriage. I believe my wife Missy is the best gift God has given to me outside of life itself and the gift of eternal life through the forgiveness of sins offered by His Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. I thank God every day for the gift of a godly wife who I can call my best friend, companion, lover and mother of my kids! And I thank Missy for being willing to love me in spite of my...
