The Whitehall Ledger - Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

Generosity goes beyond simply giving money; generosity permeates all areas of our lives. One area which we tend to forget in applying generosity is in our relationships, specifically forgiveness. Have you ever wrestled with an unforgiving attitude?...

Most of us remember a time or two when our behavior was haughty and arrogant. Today’s meditation takes aim at the condition of being proud that usually causes such behavior. Again, I’m focusing on Jesus’s parable contrasting the Pharisee and...

Jesus often spoke in parables to make clear points; in the Gospel of Luke he compares a tax collector and a Pharisee. Most of us think negatively of both individuals. We are tempted to think the tax collector is like an IRS auditor today. Such a...

Generosity, according to dictionary.com, is the spirit and action of freely and frequently giving to others.” Most often this characteristic is associated with those of religious ties, being celebrated world-wide. One can also be generous without a...

John Maxwell, well known author and book seller, said “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” He also observed “Development is a lifetime journey, not a quick trip.” Two key factors play a major role in the...

This weekend we like to celebrate fatherhood. It’s time to crank up the BBQ, get out into nature, and spend some leisure time together. The history of Father’s Day is directly tied to a West Virginia church which commemorated the death of 362...

I have been entertaining the question: What will the church be? History says the church in the world builds life. “You cannot pray at home, like you can at church, where there is a great multitude; where exclamations are cried out to God as from...

We all have wishes for the future. Saying it best perhaps was the iconic movie character, Doc Brown in Back to the Future, “The future’s unwritten. It’s what we make of it.” The Barna Research group recently reported, “Christianity in the (...

Some subjects are easy to address while others are very difficult. This is today’s case. Abuse of any nature whether physical, emotional or sexual is extremely traumatic and sinful. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1 i...

Does a day go by without news that America is a racist country? Isn’t it one of the most divisive matters of modern America? Media outlets are complicit, and they fan the flames, while at the same time chiming in “Racism has to stop.” The...

Just last Sunday many of us celebrated Mother’s Day. It is one of those distinctions that contributes to our civilization. As a matter of fact, in America, Mother’s Day dates back about one hundred years and was signed into law by President Woodr...

Imagine yourself for a moment as an outdoor enthusiast, on the first leg of a five-day backpack journey. You are loaded with supplies, map and compass in hand. You have charted your course and plan to be at your destination by Day Two. At first, you...

Are you tired of political bantering? It is incredibly complex. But, does it need to be? Every issue seems to be politicized, medicine, immigration, the environment, social justice, even sports. During the 2021 NCAA tournament, commentator Charles Ba...

It’s quite common for people to say, “I’m a good person. I do good things for others. I volunteer a lot.” I’ve heard a version of the following a time or two, “I love God, go to church and say my prayers.” Another candid conversation fo...

A danger we may not have taken seriously enough, a danger that has grown throughout the present generation and now may be in clearer view, is that objective truth has been canceled. The effects of Cancel Culture are raging all around us; we see this...

Navigating life is a challenge, and it is an arduous challenge without friendship. For many of us, our days are filled with work, meetings, events, and just earning daily bread. But, have we lost something that our grandparents cherished? How often d...

I often have conversations with people struggling with life’s complexities. Particularly this last year, people have brought loss of health to me. But over time, I think, lost relationships are the most baffling. Yet, in this, I’m often...

Being rejected by your average eighteen year-old should be a healthy thing say the psychiatrists. But, who of us loves rejection? My assessment, no one. Yet, many wrestle with the feelings associated with rejection whether accurately founded or under...

Blame is something that gets tossed around. Truthfully, we don’t like to admit we are wrong. In opinion shaped by studying the Book of Lamentations, a very great lie clouding humanity’s judgment is the foolhardy notion that sin is no big deal....

“The pursuit of happiness,” Thomas Jefferson equated with “Life and Liberty,” when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. More than a century later, from 1930 until 1940, America and the world strained under the greatest decade of...

“Great is your faithfulness…Lord,” is the most known verse in the book of Lamentations. Throughout church history hymns and choruses have been born out of it. I suspect you’ve sung along with one recently. The background, its context, is unbe...

The great poet Dante, sometimes referred to as the “greatest poet and writer of the seventeenth century,” wrote, “There is no greater sorrow than to recall being happy when we grieve the deepest.” Uncertainties plague life, and he also said,...

The judgment of God, all would agree, is complex. So not making this a “can of worms,” let me be as direct as possible. God’s purpose being to create loving people who love Him back, let us humans leave His judgement large. But, let me put...

The Blueprint series will continue next week, with Christmas approaching I wanted to share with you some important thoughts regarding why we celebrate Christmas. Have you noticed that there is some confusion about Christmas? Over time the...