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It was August, 1993 in Chesapeake, Va., when we heard the tornado warning. My husband immediately yelled, “Get into the closets!” Soon I heard the deafening roar of the proverbial ‘freight-train.’ Terrified, I thought, ‘This can’t be happening!’ “Something” made me, I mean made me, cry out loudly, “HAIL, MARY, FULL OF GRACE!” Then all was calm. We looked outside to behold a bizarre sight. There were six huge pine trees twisted off about 20 feet up but just a few shingles sheared off the ridge of our two-story home. Sadly, other families suffer...
We don’t read the word of Elohim like any ordinary book but rather to look into the mirror – the esteem of Yahuwh. Its transforming power of authority is enough to change your life to set apartness. 1 Corinthians 3:17-18, “Now Yeshuah is the Spirit and where the Spirit of Yeshuah is there is freedom. And we all, as with unveiled face we see as in a mirror the esteem of Yeshuah, are being transformed into the same likeness from esteem to esteem as from Yeshuah the Spirit.” We don’t have to agree with Ha Satan and be defeated by behavior...
What is the difference between something being conditional versus unconditional? How much can such a difference actually affect our lives? One example from modern history is WWII Japan. While the ferocity of Japanese soldiers had been seen from the outset, this became markedly more so as American forces reached homeland soil; specifically Okinawa and Iwo Jima. The bloodiness of battles there were such that even today terms kamikaze, seppuku, and banzai are familiar. Yet it can be argued that it was this very same fantacism that, in part, shaped...
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...
Billy Grahams' "Decision" magazine published parts of this many, many moons ago. On one of those timber tramps to Alaska, I was bunking near an Indian village. No logg'n camp so had to use the two washing machines in a makeshift building. The only time to find them empty was late at night. The only occupant was a tall Indian women about 30 folding her clothes and humming a hymn. She acknowledged me and I her. I dumped my bag into the washer. As it chugged along the only sound was dogs barking...
Looking back at the summer Olympics in 2016…there are so many questions about why are there so many ties in swimming? Going back several decades, there have been many instances in ties. Even in Rio, in 2016, there was a three-way tie for a silver medal. The question is…in our day and age, why isn’t there better measuring technology to avoid so many swimming ties. But the issue did not come down to the need for better timing systems…but the need for better pools. It turns out that there is a pretty big allowance for structural differe...
We are children of God. We are all different. We look different. We sound different. We act different. No two fingerprints are the same. We were created in the image of God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus the Christ. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:” (Genesis 1:26). We are of the family of God. We were not all alike in heaven. We know we were sons and daughters of Heavenly Parents. We possessed different talents and abilities, and we were called to do different things on earth. We all have different cha...
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) We’ve enjoyed a wonderful summer with a steady stream of family and friends coming through our state. Many of them put their hands and hearts to work projects at our home and throughout Montana, encouraging us along the way. In Hawaii they have a saying – “Lucky we live in Hawaii.” In Montana we should say, “Blessed we live in God’s country.” One of the topics that came up frequently with our guests throughout the summer was this – there are certain things that are simply har...
In Matthew 10:24-25 it is written, “A taught one is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the taught one to become like his teacher and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!” John 14:21 it is written, “He would possess My commands and guards them it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father and I shall love him and manifest Myself to him.” I love the Scriptures, the Word of Elohim. If anyone will spend mu...
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...
I heard recently, by way of the backwoods telegraph, that some LDS Church members wanted to get away from the name Mormon. Possibly they thought it left some stigma on the church out of their past. Name me one person besides Christ that wouldn’t like to forget something out of their past? Or perhaps they see some need for revival. The body of Christ, regardless of denomination, is in great need of revival. Jesus said to the church in Lacodicea who scholars say is the end times church, “you are lukewarm,” be earnest and repent! Anyway, enter...
“There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28) Many of us do not know who we are if we aren’t opposing something or someone. There’s such great energy underlying angst and rage, such momentum in the desire for retribution, in the urge to assert one’s agenda. How long, O Lord, how long? How long will we continue to do battle from the security of our ideological fortifications? We feel so safe behind walls built of ego and fear. We...
Concerts are a major industry and there are countless stories of music artists that list out lavish demands that concert promoters are required to take care of before the rock star will agree to come. One of the most notorious requirements came from the rock band Van Halen. Each of Van Halen’s contracts insisted that a bowl of M&M’s be provided backstage. However, every single brown M&M needed to be removed from the bowl. If the band arrived and saw that the bowl had any brown M&M’s in it, then they were free to cancel the concert and recei...
I love this beautiful world God has created for us to live in! Even with all the chaos going on around us, I thank Him for the privilege of living here; for the opportunity of learning the things I need to know and do; and for His gospel that strengthens me spiritually and helps me endure through this life. Every day God blesses us in ways we may never know. So what can we do to show our love and gratitude to God and his son, our Savior, Jesus Christ? In John 21:15-17 Jesus, talking to his disciples, asks Peter to “feed my sheep.” Who are his...
Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” This verse is part of a passage describing the new life that a Christ follower should exhibit. There should be a lying aside of the old self and putting on of the new self which is to be the likeness of God. That last part is a tall standard to live up to and one we fall short of. Fortunately, that is something that should result from our salvation rather than something that will earn it for us. However, we sho...
“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.” Mark 10:18 We all want to think of ourselves as good and moral people. But are we? To answer that means we have to define what “good” really means, but more importantly, who defines it. It can be argued that last part breaks down into three main sources, myself, society and God, all of which are often intertwined to varying degrees. The first one is easy...no explanation needed, including the tacit dangers thereof. “Society” is far more complex and far too much to g...
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...
Yup the climate has changed all right. Think of what it was like back when Eastern Montana was a swamp. The proof is in the dinosaur bones found there. All that goes back to the great flood of Noah’s day. Course we can deny that too. Twerent no cars or planes back then….hmmm. We now have a 29-year-old expert telling us we have 12 years to save the planet. We’re doomed. Personally, I think it’s laughable. If we did away with trucks, store shelves would look like a third world country in no time. Or like Venezuela eating our pets. All these s...
I received an email from one of my favorite online bookstores where I especially like to order Bibles from. The opening of the message certainly caught my attention: “Shop our selection of slightly imperfect” That really doesn’t give me a lot of confidence buying Bibles from a “slightly imperfect” discount sale. Now…I know what they mean…this is sort of a Bible bookstore version of a “scratch & dent” sale. I’m sure these Bibles don’t have the book of Romans missing, or the first 11 chapters of Genesis. Probably the cover might be blemished or...
In this busy world in which we find ourselves, it is sometimes good to take a step back and ask the question, what is this life all about? We can often get caught up in so many trivial events that we don’t take time to ponder the eternal things. Perhaps, as the Savior noted, one of the greatest of these is to love thy neighbor. The question is how can we show that love? We may love a person, and recognize a need they have, but feel inadequate to respond. But it doesn’t have to be a big thing. For some, the giving of a smile, a friendly “he...
By and large, humans are innately self-centered. We are consumed with the pursuit of pleasing ourselves, doing what we want and getting what we want. So often our priority in life is SELF-LOVE. We are self-focused, self-indulgent, self-centered, self-absorbed, self-important, self-promoting, etc. Our perspective is inward, and we exude a single-mindedness toward self-satisfaction. Let’s face it, even if we don’t say it out loud, we all generally think “life revolves around me!” With the explosion of technology and social media, particularly wit...
Matthew 7: 13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Where will your journey without end take you? A journey by the Spirit of Truth will lead a few to one day hear “Well done. Come inherit the Kingdom that was prepared for you.” Very unfortunately “the many” are led by the spirit of deception, (A blend of truth and false-hood) “Depart from me.” John 5:28-29 “Do not...
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...
Back in the day when I was a lad and ol’ Shep was a pup, if anyone got angry and said something off color, most grown ups would say “watch your language!!!” or threaten to wash our mouths with soap. However, just up the road from the old homestead where we lived was another homestead where two older brothers lived. I can still see them with the team and bobsled heading for the timber to get wood. The older one named John would demean the younger one and cuss at him til the air was blue. Taking the name of the Lord time and time again. It did s...
Often we receive advice: advice from friends; advice from family; advice from fellow workers. Advice generally comes in two types: good and bad. Though usually well intended, it is not always sound advice. We should always take care to seek advice from Godly people. People we know will give Godly counsel. I recently did just that. As I struggled with a problem, I received some of the best advice I’d ever received. This longtime friend of mine advised, “Pray about this!” But, he continued, “...as you pray about it, pray in the Spirit, not in...
