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December is here—a time when children eagerly anticipate the celebration of Christmas. For many, it is also a season to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ. However, December 25 is not historically the actual day of Jesus’s birth. The date has roots in ancient pagan winter festivals, such as the pre-Christian Roman festival of Saturnalia. Saturnalia, held in mid-December, honored Saturn, the god of agriculture and time. According to History.com, it involved feasting, gambling, gift-giving, and role reversals between masters and slaves. Tra...
Old Man winter decided to come to us this week and many of us are thinking “it’s about time!” We had a dry summer and as the farmers and ranchers say, “We need the moisture!” Winter always comes, but each year it is a little different. Like Forrest Gump’s Mama said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get!” I hate plowing snow for hours and hours when we have those heavy snow years. I have a small plow made for suburbia, plowing ½ mile of rural access road, so it can be challenging. But we made a choice no...
Well election season is drawing to a close, I wish it were over and done with, but there are probably some things going on that relate to illegal voting, ballot harvesting and general corruption. I think this was very apparent to us in the 2020 election, when things “flipped” overnight. Think about it, who but those intent at winning at all costs in our federal and state elections would object to an ID to vote and verify you are you say you are? It is insane to ask us to show ID to fly, get into the Democratic National Convention, buy alcohol o...
On October 12th, we buried my son Jesse in the Elliston cemetery. His four brothers, sister, nine nieces and nephews, and over 100 friends came to support my wife Lisa and me. Since August 6th, our lives have been full of grief, tears, laughter, and faith. The emotional roller-coaster of losing a child unexpectedly, with no known cause, is indescribably painful. Many of you, unfortunately, know this pain. It has made me reflect on how I’ve responded in past years when friends experienced this difficult journey. I would do things so d...
This past weekend was a great time for our church family to show love and appreciation to each other, to the community, and to strangers who took a chance to come hang out with us at the Wolf Creek School Saturday evening. As you know from my past several “Musings”, life has been a challenge for me and Lisa. But we are so thankful that we have a family that extends way beyond our genetic blood relatives. It is the family of God. If you think that church is nothing but boredom, crabby peo...
I imagine that many who are reading these words are “regular” readers of my column. I hope some of you may be blessing me with a few minutes of your life and are reading Musings for the first time. You see, over the past month I have been thinking quite a bit about how we people spend the time allotted for us here on earth. For instance, if you are 40 years old today, you have lived 350,640 hours. How have you invested these hours in living? Roughly one-third had gone to work, and maybe one-third to sleep. So that leaves you with app...
You may have wondered what has happened to Dave Carroll and Mountaintop Musings. I know that occasionally I miss a week due to the business of ministry and life. Sometimes I just forget, ok? I am human and subject to messing up. But most of you reading these columns can not possibly know that my family has suffered a great loss. On August 6, my son Jesse was found dead in his apartment in Denver, Colorado. He was getting ready for work and laid back on his bed and stepped into the presence of Jesus. It was and is a shock to our family and his...
I have been meaning to write an update after VBS season and camp. Also to get thank you’s out for the wonderful financial support many have provided for camp. A newsletter, etc. That was all on my list of things to do this week. However, on Tuesday am our beloved son Jesse passed on to the next life, in glory I might add. He died early in the day, laying on his bed apparently getting ready for work, trying to get his new phone working. Nothing suspicious, etc. Who knows what happened, God k...
Over the years I have probably met just two or three people would truly say they do not believe in God, or some semblance of the God of the Bible. When people tell me they do not believe in God, I often ask them what they attribute the existence of life to, or how the stars are hung in space to create what we call the zodiac. Usually, they come around to admitting there must be some type of causal agent, but they will not admit to the existence of One so powerful He can speak the universe and all that is in it will come in to being from nothing...
In the past three days I have once again been reminded about the fragility and uncertainty of life. Last Thursday my brother-in-law Kurt texted me that a nephew of his had died unexpectedly from a heart attack. This man was on a detail with the company he worked for and had unusual chest pains. He went to the hospital on Wednesday evening and died Thursday. No prior heart issues. Now his wife, children and family are left with a huge, unexpected void in their lives. Early this morning I received a message from a dear friend who lives on a...
Celebrations can be great fun. I know that most of us today are celebrating the founding of our country. July 4, 1776, is one of the greatest days in man’s history in my opinion. The best one was the day Jesus came out of the tomb and guaranteed victory for all who believe in Him! The second-best day of celebration for me was the day in the spring of 1971 that I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. I must say it took several decades for me to truly appreciate the value that is to me. I still am learning what a great thing it is to be a C...
Over the past several months, I have been very blessed by God and from many of my friends. I even was blown away by Jerry Iamurri, the executive director of our mission’s organization, InFaith-The American Missionary Fellowship. Much of this “blessing” involves various outreaches and ministry work that my wife Lisa and I can do thanks to God’s empowerment. First, I would like to thank God for the 20 kids that were faithful in coming to the after-school Bible clubs in Elliston and Wolf Creek. Those kids were able to learn about God’s wonderful...
Time, they say, eases the heartache and disappointments of life. I would add to that it also diminishes the highlights, the wonderful things of life. By that I think of the many championships my children won playing baseball, basketball and softball, and even myself as a young guy. At the time the victory is sweet, I mean it is always better to win a championship game than lose it right? But the fame and exultation soon fade, and life goes on. As young adults, married with kids (most of them) they are busy working and raising their families, an...
This coming weekend is supposed to be dedicated to the honoring of, remembering of the soldiers who have died in defense of the country. It is supposed to be a somber time, a time of reflection on sacrifice. For a soldier and their family, to suffer death on the battlefield is truly the ultimate sacrifice. I have had people in my life whose families had lost uncles, fathers, brothers, cousins and friends in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, during special operations in the 1980s-90s, and the endless war on terrorism since 2001. It is for sure a lif...
Many of you have been hearing about ballot initiative 14, some of you perhaps not. This is one political item that you do not want to ignore. What is it you ask? It is a proposal written by Planned Parenthood (national group) that if enough signatures are gathered by June, will place on the fall ballot a proposal to enshrine unlimited abortion in our state constitution. As you read this many paid for, out-of-state proponents of abortion are canvassing our towns and cities asking people to sign the petition to get this on the fall ballot. It is...
I imagine that many who read these articles would call themselves “Christian”. But I am not so naive as to think everyone who reads them would be, as Jesus says, “born-again”. There are many religious souls who feel they are right with God, when in fact they are not. So many strive for “victory”, over finances, sinful habits, work situations, etc. We think our striving and efforts will give us “victory” in the spiritual realm because it works in the physical realm. But with God, victory usually comes after we have been defeated. What...
In a few days the world will be celebrating Easter. The first Easter was the day in which the disciples and enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ discovered that the tomb in which Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus had laid the body of Jesus was empty. The disciples of Jesus were perplexed and sorrowful over the empty tomb. Even though Jesus had been telling them for months, and even years that He would be rejected, crucified (he used the term “lifted up”) and then rise from the dead after three days, in their sorrow and confusion they did not und...
If you have not read chapter 3 of the Gospel of John lately, I hope you will read the entire chapter today. I want to draw your attention to a few things about this wonderful teaching from Scripture. You may know it covers the talk Jesus and the Pharisee Nicodemus had at night, and a few things John the Batist had to say about Jesus. Here is that discussion as given in the New International Version of the Bible, John 3: 1-21. Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at...
Though still a month away, my thoughts this morning are on the celebration of Easter. The event that forever changed the world. The event that impacts every soul that has ever lived. The first Easter was the day the disciples and enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ discovered that the tomb in which Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus had laid the body of Jesus was empty. The disciples of Jesus were perplexed and sorrowful over the empty tomb. Even though Jesus had been telling them for months, that He would be rejected, crucified (he used the term...
This Musing will be the final one dealing with the theme of your phone book of life. I hope these have been useful for you. You must read the scripture to benefit from the wisdom they contain. Even if you are not a Christian, you can benefit from the guidance and timeless truths the Bible has, as you navigate life. Here are several more “emergency numbers” to add to your phone book of life. Psalm 91 is a portion of Scripture that has been carried into battle by many soldiers over the years. It is often called the Soldiers Psalm. When the act...
I want to share with you some more great numbers to call when life throws you a curve. As I mentioned last time, to go out unprepared in severe winter weather, or life, is to invite disaster. The journey we call life and death requires a person to have things in order, if it is to be satisfying and successful. The Bible has some emergency numbers that are the best resource to turn to when you encounter difficulties on your journey. Here are several more to add to your phone book of life. Over the years I have worked with, ministered to and befr...
Last weekend was a real Montana winter event, wasn’t it? It is amazing to be bundled up and outside when the temperatures are 30 below and the wind is blowing. But, when I do go out in that cold, I am equipped for it. To go out unprepared is to invite disaster. Driving in those conditions will reveal what systems in your car need attention. Extremely cold (and hot days) will let you know if all systems in your car are functioning properly. Good maintenance will ensure you arrive at your destination. If you break down then it’s a call to a fri...
The following is an article I wrote for the January 8, 2015, paper. Although the names of some politicians may have changed, the deficit number and pork spending has sky-rocketed, and my main points are still valid I think. I hope that the people of this country will wake up and step up to the plate at the voting booth, and many will run for office. We are being led to slaughter by these lifetime politicians. A new year is upon us, and I hope that for you and your family it will be a good year. I hope you will grow closer together. I hope your...
This fall we have had some wonderful weather in my opinion. I guess we could have had a bit more snow, it definitely helps for hunting. But these warmer days have been quite enjoyable. Not having to drive in icy and wintery conditions is good. But we know the time is coming when winter will settle in and we will be shoveling, plowing and slipping on the ice! Winter is inevitable. It will come and we will survive. We really are guaranteed to have it due to where we live. It is a result of our decision to live in western Montana. In getting...
Anyone who thinks that the foreign policy of the current administration, which is really Obama Policy part 3, is working for the American people and the world at large, must have a different definition of success than I do. In fact, their definition of success cannot possibly align with the hundreds of millions of people living in Muslim controlled countries. I am not even thinking about the horrific border /immigration policies of Comrade Biden. In 2018, an estimated 11.39 million unauthorized immigrants lived in the United States. This is an...
