Born in the Big Sky Country of Montana and now living in the Buckeye State of Ohio, Richard is the creative mind behind Big Sky Buckeye. Retired after 40 years of teaching, I enjoy writing, photography, traveling, and following a healthy lifestyle.
The Pharisees were great on loud, dogmatic commands, lengthy requirements, and drawn-out demands. Oh, how they loved the sound of their own words! But when it came to doing, they struck out. In other words, don’t talk compassion; lend a hand. Don’t pound a pulpit about generosity; give. Just do it.
From James 1:22-24: “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.”
Pete lines up his tee shot on the first hole. Will his golf game be up to par?
He takes his stance, and his graceful and controlled swing looks perfect. Well it should; after all, it was just his warm-up swing.
Swinging for real, Pete’s tee shot flies away and looks to be splitting the fairway right down the middle. Suddenly, the golf ball changes direction as its speed shatters the sound barrier . . . hooking and hooking, left and more left!
Through the fairway.
Into the backyard of a home, sitting along the fairway’s left rough.
This tee shot looks hungry to score.
Through the kitchen window.
Right into Fred’s morning “Cup of Joe.”
Filled with a swagger and some pumped up jazz, Pete wanders up to the kitchen window and peers inside.
He confidently asks Fred, “Do you mind if I play through?”
Puzzled, Fred looks down at the golf ball swimming in his cup of fresh brewed coffee. Without saying a word, he seems to be singing the blues!
Never try to live the life with God on any other line than God’s line, and that line is absolute devotion to Him.
From John 6:67-69: “So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'”
If you are as happy in entering the White House as I shall feel in returning to Wheatland, you are a happy man indeed.
Abraham Lincoln
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.
With the American Civil War preparing to knock at the door of the White House, James Buchanan was looking forward to returning to his home near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Abraham Lincoln would take office and face the most intense trials and challenges of any American President.
Earth Day is a yearly event on April 22. Many view “Earth Day” as an every day activity to preserve our planet for future generations. These verses from Psalm 95:3-5 bring to mind God’s wondrous creation, which deserves our fullest attention in being excellent stewards of what He has given us.
“For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods. In His hands are the depths of the earth; and the heights of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for He made it, and the dry land, which His hands have formed.”
From Philippians 4:4-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
There are days during this Covid pandemic in which I feel at a loss. The roller coaster ride of life suddenly takes a dark turn, and I feel left at the gate. This poem was written following one of these “blue” moments in my life. Together, we can continue to share prayers and encouragement with others. God’s peace!
Growing up in my childhood neighborhood, there was a little store just a few blocks away. My brothers and I made many a journey to the store for milk, bread, and other quick-to-find essentials for our mother. I cannot recall forgetting the milk and bread, but having a few coins in my pocket was treasure waiting to be spent on the candy found there.
The poem lists a few of the types of candy found back in the 1960s. Do you have a favorite candy from your childhood?
Big Sky Buckeye 