by MS Christian Living | Aug 1, 2024 | Inspiration, Outside In
By Chris Bates We were building a gazebo in July in Mississippi. The heat was oppressive, and it was a cloudless weekend without a wisp of wind. In those conditions, just standing outside can be draining, but we were constructing a slab with no shade while working...
by MS Christian Living | Jun 1, 2024 | Columns, Inspiration, Outside In
By Chris Bates Amazingly, they escaped unscathed, but both of them could have easily been killed. My brother Scott and our friend Brian encountered the power of a swollen river firsthand. The Bitterroot River, nestled in a high valley of Montana, is breathtaking,...
by MS Christian Living | May 1, 2024 | Columns, Inspiration, Outside In
By Chris Bates We rarely if ever consider one primary thing that Jesus’ disciples did perhaps more than anything: They walked. Several of them walked up to Jesus on the shore when He called them. They traversed from city to city, from one home to another. They walked...
by MS Christian Living | Feb 29, 2024 | Columns, Inspiration, Outside In
By Chris Bates The Maroon Bells peaks provide some of the most majestic views in the Rocky Mountain range. At over 14,000 feet, they are truly breathtaking from below, and are daunting and challenging to scale. One July weekend, my cousin and I set out to do just...
by MS Christian Living | Dec 27, 2023 | Columns, Inspiration, Outside In
By Chris Bates We had far too little rain prior to duck season this year, as has been the case many times. The main challenge this presents on our land is that in areas where we normally can boat out to our blinds, the low water levels leave behind soft, sticky mud...
by MS Christian Living | Nov 2, 2023 | Columns, Inspiration, Outside In
By Chris Bates There are few things as intense and impressive as a working dog in the outdoors. On one opening day, my black Labrador retriever turned to me with that intense gaze to see which direction I would send her for the first retrieve of the morning. In a...
