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Joy Sometimes Needs Pain To Give It Birth One of the things that sold us on the house we are living in is the floors. We walked inside the house, and the floors set the place apart. In a world consumed by inexpensive, fake wood vinyl floors, the real deal cannot be mimicked. The wood for the floors came from an old stable in North Dakota. It’s barnwood with cracks and swirls, knots and imperfections that give it character. The homeowner told us he sanded them to perfection, b

It’s Between You & God It’s easy to scroll through the news feed, scratch your head, and think, the world is coming to an end. Pendulums swing back and forth, historically speaking, but the current movement is erratic. The conversation is either too far to the left or too far to the right. There’s no room for middle ground, and if you believe that’s where you are (the middle), the message manipulators will stick you in a corner and try to hold you there until they’ve destroye

Wow, That Struck A Nerve It’s often interesting to me what strikes a nerve with people who tend to lean to the far left. It shows how differently we see the world and solutions to our current problems. In a post last night, I did some nerve damage to some of those who read my content. I claimed, rightly so, that those of us in the middle and to the right of center are actually the counter-culture. We pay a price for speaking out against vaccines, COVID, wokeness, abortion, an

People Simply Aren’t Buying It I posted a video yesterday asking folks what question is out there that they’d like to ask but still fear asking publicly. I received dozens of private messages from frustrated people with real-life questions that, for fear of reprisal, they would not post. I get it. To be counter-culture is dangerous. The cost to business, family, solitude, and standing in the community is real. I spent most of my career in journalism. When I left, I stayed in

It’s All In Your Head I’m listening to a doctor who studies the brain talk about how people really can change their thought patterns by renewing their minds. This is not a new concept to people who read their Bible. Romans 12:2 : "Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” But what does that mean? I was lying in bed this morning as a few dark

Prepare For What’s To Come I remember when the letter of the law used to mean something. There was respect for the rules, and breaking them had a cost. We live in sketchy times. Leaders create their own rules; lawlessness, even when caught, means nothing. They actually use the law to break it. If you and I did the same thing, we’d be locked up. But not them. I’m reading through the 24th chapter of Matthew, and a few things jump out at me. Verses 11 and 12 warn of false prophe

Portland, Stand Up For Yourself, Please I was born and raised in the Portland area. It used to be beautiful, but the decay that began with “Keep Portland Weird” has turned into something ridiculous. Portland is a joke to much of the nation. Once recognized for its scenery, food, and location, it is now famous for riots, ignorance, wokeness, and a place that businesses do not want to be located. The past governor was the least popular in the country. The current is at number 4

We The People Are Fed Up Sitting in a little bar, waiting for our pizza to cook, I stare outside at snow piling up on the streets, and think about the world we live in. Red Lodge, Montana, is about as far away from politics as one can be. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and non-affiliated voters are fed up. We are not hardline party players, but get forced into boxes by folks who wish to discredit us for simply wanting the leaders in our country to put Americans first.

Perhaps We Create Our Limitations! The world is a complex and divisive place. You can no longer refuse to pay attention, or you risk being washed out to sea. The power struggle appears to be between the left and the right. Don’t be fooled, it’s much deeper and darker than that. This morning, I read this line that won’t stop circulating inside my head.  “He will do just as much for us as we let Him do in us.” Think about that? We are His creation. He knows the plans He has for

Why All The Resistance To More Vaccine Research For anyone who has had a family member or friend who struggles with autism, it’s hard for us to understand the resistance society seems to have to making sure there is no link between vaccines and the condition. People cite study after study, but don’t look at who did the study, how the study was done, and most importantly, who funded it. In California, one in eight boys will be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Nationwid

We Won’t Go Back, Ever. Something amazing is happening to the culture in America. While one ideology goes deeper into the rabbit hole of socialism, the other is waking up to fight so that their voice is heard and America is restored. Good and evil make lousy partners. Cries for unity are just smoke and mirrors. What the manipulators of the narrative want is for you and me to shut up, sit down, and go back to the land of apathy. It isn’t going to happen. You fired us up. Where

We Should Not Hesitate  A woman wrote me yesterday questioning my support for Trump. She’s a Republican, but she has problems with Trump. I’ve learned after years of living in the public eye not to just answer someone until I know a little about them. So I checked out her profile. We have some mutual friends, whom I trust, so I answered her.    We had a civil exchange, found things we agree on and many we still disagree about, but the conversation ended on a great note. That’

The Oregon Deep State is Shaking Do you feel it? That rumble just beneath the surface that follows an eruption each time Oregonians fight back against a tyrannical government that refuses to listen to the people. This time, the shaking is not subsiding. In every corner of the state, from the Pacific Ocean to the small towns in the far-eastern, people are showing up to sign a referendum to stop the Democrats and their leader, Tina Kotek, from implementing the 4.3 billion dolla

In order to compete in business, the culture of the workplace is a huge consideration for potential employees. At a lumber company in Philomath Oregon, two strong, amazing young women, and a very supportive board of directors, are changing the way the Timber Industry looks at day to day business.

Life Is Not About How Productive We Are I’m conditioned to think the more I check off my to-do list, the more worthy I am. Why am I like that? Who lied to me, and why did I invest more than 60 years doing this? The reasons aren’t as important as the revelation that it’s bullshit. I believe in hard work, meritocracy, and think entitlement is the road to Hell. But God didn’t make me to be productive. He created me because there is something I’m designed to do with Him. We are t

The Hunt For Meaning There is a cost to everything that matters. Too many times, we wait for the ideal situation before we take action. Yesterday, Kathy and I went hunting for the first time with Jess. As hunters know, you walk lightly and speak in a whisper so as not to scare off your prey. Jess is a hunter; we are not. He takes it very seriously. He knew, if we wanted to have the best chance of finding something, we needed to hike in a couple of miles. Why? Because it was d

The Attacks Are Real I feel like America is being judged. If you conduct thorough research and delve into uncomfortable areas, you will find corruption intertwined in every aspect of our society. When people speak out or ask questions, the alleged “morality monitors” blast them to pieces to try to silence them. This corruption is buried in both the Democratic and Republican Parties. It’s difficult to trust anyone. The Democratic Party has destroyed itself by getting out of st

The No Kings Movement Is Correct Life would be much easier if you and I went along with the flow of culture. But something inside of us refuses to allow our beliefs to be watered down, crushed, which in the end would destroy who we are as God’s people. I found the “No Kings Movement” to be rather humorous. The folks involved want a king, a ruler; they don’t like the guy voters put in charge here in the United States. But make no mistake, they want a king. But the actual “No K

As The World Unravels Is it any surprise that the “new” Epstein emails are released by the extreme left and their propaganda machine, the legacy media, at this particular time? From research I’ve done, those emails have been out and available. So, why now? Oh, wait, the left just had a HUMONGOUS loss by holding America hostage to a political government shutdown. They gained nothing from putting our fellow Americans on the edge of their seats, without pay, without SNAP benefit

Most Say It Can’t Be Done While Oregon’s Governor is reportedly on a little trip to Hawaii, the people of Oregon prepare to hand her back the largest tax increase in history. $4.3 billion for a transportation tax that is more than fixing roads. Laundered in the bill are millions for pet climate change projects designed to be the governor’s legacy. Before the bill was passed by her Democrat legislators, the public screamed 90 plus % against this tax. Republicans said she shoul