SALT and LIGHT

BEING TAMED BY GOD

2011-02-08T08:35:00.000-06:00

THE HARNESS OF THE LORD

by Bill Britton

There is a terrific operation of the Spirit going on today to bring the Sons of God into an absolute confinement to the perfect will of God. This is the Day of His Preparation the day in which He is preparing the channel through which He shall pour forth His Glory for all the world to see. This channel is His Body in the earth that glorious company of people who are being conformed through much tribulation and fiery tests to the Image of the Son of God. This is His "battle axe and weapons of war" with which He shall subdue kingdoms and overcome all His enemies. This is His "mighty and strong One" to whom He shall commit the work of judging this world. This is His Overcomer, His "great army" with which He shall bring the nations into submission. The weapons of their warfare are not carnal, natural weapons but they are mighty weapons, mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. These are those who shall "be strong and do exploits."

But before God can commit this great and tremendous ministry into their hands they must submit themselves to the discipline of the Lord letting Him truly be the Lord of their entire lives. We have long since dealt with the question of open sin but now God is dealing with the inward rebellion of our own wills. Some good Christians are not now being so dealt with for they are not in this Firstfruits Company but nevertheless there is a real dealing of God going on within those who are called into the High Calling of God. This is a very real thing and is the work of the Refiner's Fire. To those who are going through it some of its aspects are horrible but very necessary and the end result thereof is glorious as we are brought into absolute and complete submission to the will of our Lord.

It was in a minister's conference and convention in Tulsa, Oklahoma that God gave me a vision which I want to share with you concerning this harnessing of our own wills. There were more than 30 ministers present in this particular Thursday morning service and God, the Father of spirits, was present to deal with His sons, to correct them and discipline them to absolute obedience to His will. There was such a stern dealing in the Spirit that no one could go to the pulpit and minister, there was a reluctance among the ministers to say anything except that which was directly ordered by the Spirit. And as those men of God sat there in the awesome presence of Almighty God, some of them having many years of ministry, some missionaries, all of them capable of getting up and preaching a powerful sermon, I was impressed by the way they responded to the discipline of the Spirit. And in the midst of this terrific dealing of God with our spirits, the Holy Ghost gave me a vision ...

I SAW THE KING'S CARRIAGE

On a dirt road in the middle of a wide field stood a beautiful carriage, something on the order of a stagecoach but all edged in gold and with beautiful carvings. It was pulled by six large chestnut horses: two in the lead, two in the middle and two in the rear. But they were not moving, they were not pulling the carriage, and I wondered why. Then I saw the driver underneath the carriage on the ground on his back just behind the last two horses' heels working on something between the front wheels on the carriage. I thought, "My, he is in a dangerous place; for if one of those horses kicked or stepped back, they could kill him, or if they decided to go forward, or got frightened somehow, they would pull the carriage right over him." But he didn't seem afraid for he knew that those horses were disciplined and would not move till he told them to move. The horses were not stamping their feet nor acting restless, and though there were bells on their feet, the bells were not tinkling. There were pom-poms on their harness over their heads but the pom-poms were not moving. They were simply standing still and quiet waiting for the voice of the Master.

THERE WERE TWO YOUNG COLTS IN THE FIELD

As I watched the harnessed horses I noticed two young colts coming out of the open field and they approached the carriage and seemed to say to the horses: "Come and play with us, we have many fine games, we will race with you, come catch us." And with that the colts kicked up their heels flicked their tails and raced across the open field. But when they looked back and saw the horses were not following they were puzzled. They knew nothing of the harnesses and could not understand why the horses did not want to play. So they called to them: "Why do you not race with us? Are you tired? Are you too weak? Do you not have strength to run? You are much too solemn, you need more joy in life." But the horses answered not a word nor did they stamp their feet or toss their heads. But they stood, quiet and still, waiting for the voice of the Master.

Again the colts called to them: "Why do you stand so in the hot sun? Come over here in the shade of this nice tree. See how green the grass is? You must be hungry, come and feed with us, it is so green and so good. You look thirsty, come drink of one of our many streams of cool clear water." But the horses answered them not so much as a glance but stood still waiting for the command to go forward with the King.

COLTS IN THE MASTER'S CORRAL

And then the scene changed and I saw lariat nooses fall around the necks of the two colts and they were led off to the Master's corral for training and discipline. How sad they were as the lovely green fields disappeared and they were put into the confinement of the corral with its brown dirt and high fence. The colts ran from fence to fence seeking freedom but found that they were confined to this place of training. And then the Trainer began to work on them with His whip and His bridle. What a death for those who had been all their lives accustomed to such a freedom! They could not understand the reason for this torture, this terrible discipline. What crime had they done to deserve this? Little did they know of the responsibility that was to be theirs when they had submitted to the discipline, learned to perfectly obey the Master and finished their training. All they knew was that this processing was the most horrible thing they had ever known.

SUBMISSION AND REBELLION

One of the colts rebelled under the training and said, "This is not for me. I like my freedom, my green hills, my flowing streams of fresh water. I will not take any more of this confinement, this terrible training." So he found a way out jumped the fence and ran happily back to the meadows of grass. I was astonished that the Master let him go and went not after him. But He devoted His attention to the remaining colt. This colt though he had the same opportunity to escape decided to submit his own will and learn the ways of the Master. The training got harder than ever but he was rapidly learning more and more how to obey the slightest wish of the Master and to respond to even the quietness of His voice. And I saw that had there been no training, no testing, there would have been neither submission nor rebellion from either of the colts. For in the field they did not have the choice to rebel or submit, they were sinless in their innocence. But when brought to the place of testing and training and discipline, then was made manifest the obedience of one and the rebellion of the other. And though it seemed safer not to come to the place of discipline because of the risk of being found rebellious, yet I saw that without this there could be no sharing of His glory, no Sonship.

INTO THE HARNESS

Finally this period of training was over. Was he now rewarded with his freedom and sent back to the fields? Oh no. But a greater confinement than ever now took place as a harness dropped about his shoulders. Now he found there was not even the freedom to run about the small corral for in the harness he could only move where and when his Master spoke. And unless the Master spoke he stood still.

The scene changed and I saw the other colt standing on the side of a hill nibbling at some grass. Then across the fields, down the road came the King's carriage drawn by six horses. With amazement he saw that in the lead, on the right side, was his brother colt now made strong and mature on the good corn in the Master's stable. He saw the lovely pom-poms shaking in the wind, noticed the glittering gold bordered harness about his brother, heard the beautiful tinkling of the bells on his feet -- and envy came into his heart. Thus he complained to himself: "Why has my brother been so honored, and I am neglected? They have not put bells on MY feet nor pom-poms on MY head. The Master has not given ME the wonderful responsibility of pulling His carriage, has not put about ME the gold harness. Why have they chosen my brother instead of me?" And by the Spirit the answer came back to me as I watched: "Because one submitted to the will and discipline of the Master and one rebelled, thus has one been chosen and the other set aside."

A FAMINE IN THE LAND

Then I saw a great drought sweep across the countryside and the green grass became dead, dry, brown and brittle. The little streams of water dried up, stopped flowing, and there was only a small muddy puddle here and there. I saw the little colt (I was amazed that it never seemed to grow or mature) as he ran here and there across the fields looking for fresh streams and green pastures finding none. Still he ran, seemingly in circles, always looking for something to feed his famished spirit. But there was a famine in the land and the rich green pastures and flowing streams of yesterday were not to be had. And one day the colt stood on the hillside on weak and wobbly legs wondering where to go next to find food and how to get strength to go. It seemed like there was no use, for good food and flowing streams were a thing of the past and all the efforts to find more only taxed his waning strength. Suddenly he saw the King's carriage coming down the road pulled by six great horses. And he saw his brother, fat and strong, muscles rippling, sleek and beautiful with much grooming. His heart was amazed and perplexed, and he cried out: "My brother where do you find the food to keep you strong and fat in these days of famine? I have run everywhere in my freedom, searching for food, and I find none. Where do you in your awful confinement find food in this time of drought? Tell me, please, for I must know!" And then the answer came back from a voice filled with victory and praise: "In my Master's House there is a secret place in the confining limitations of His stables where He feeds me by His own hand and His granaries never run empty and His well never runs dry." And with this the Lord made me to know that in the day when people are weak and famished in their spirits in the time of spiritual famine that those who have lost their own wills and have come into the secret place of the most High into the utter confinement of His perfect will shall have plenty of the corn of Heaven and a never ending flow of fresh streams of revelation by His Spirit. Thus the vision ended.

INTERPRETATION OF THE VISION

"Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it," (Habakkuk 2:2). "Harness the horses; and get up, ye horseman," (Jeremiah 46:4). I am sure that many of you who can hear what the Spirit saith to the Church have already seen what God was showing in the vision. But let me make it plain. Being born into the Family of God feeding in the green pastures and drinking of the many streams of the unfolding revelation of His purposes is fine and wonderful. But it is not enough. While we were children, young and undisciplined, limited only by the outer fence of the Law that ran around the limits of the pastures (that kept us from getting into the dark pastures of poison weeds) He was content to watch us develop and grow into young manhood, spiritually speaking. But the time came to those who fed in His pastures and drank at His streams, when they were to be brought into discipline or "child-training" for the purpose of making them mature Sons. Many of the children today cannot understand why some of those who have put on the harness of God cannot get excited by the many religious games and the playful antics of the immature. They wonder why the disciplined ones run not after every new revelation or feed on every opportunity to engage in seemingly "good and profitable" religious activities. They wonder why some will not race with them in their frantic efforts to build great works and great and notable ministries. They cannot understand the simple fact that this Company of saints is waiting for the voice of the Master and they do not hear God in all this outward activity. They will move in their time when the Master speaks. But not before, though many temptations come from the playful colts. And the colts cannot understand why those who seemingly appear to have great abilities and strength are not putting it to good use. "Get the carriage on the road," they say, but the disciplined ones, those in God's harness, know better than to move before they hear the voice of the Master. They will move in their time with purpose and great responsibility.

And the Lord made me to know that there were many whom He had brought into training who had rebelled against the discipline, the chastising of the Father. They could not be trusted with the great responsibility of mature Sonship so He let them go back to their freedom, back to their religious activities and revelations and gifts. They are still His people, still feeding in His pastures, but He has set them aside from the great purposes for this end of the age. So they revel in their freedom feeling that they were the Chosen Ones with the many streams of living water not knowing that they have been set aside as unfit for His great work in this end of the age.

He showed me that though the chastising seemeth grievous for the time and the discipline hard to endure yet the result with all the glory of Sonship is worth it all and the glory to follow far exceeds the suffering we endure. And though some lose even their lives in this training yet they will share alike in the glory of His eternal purposes. So faint not saints of God for it is the Lord that doth bring thee into confinement and not thine enemy. It is for thy good and for His glory so endure all things with praises and thanksgiving that He hath counted thee worthy to share His glory! Fear thou not the whip in His hand for it is not to punish thee but to correct and train thee that thou mightest come into submission to His will and be found in His likeness in that hour. Rejoice thou in thy trials in all thy tribulations and glory thou in His cross and in the confining limitations of His harness for He hath chosen thee and He hath taken upon Himself the responsibility of keeping thee strong and well fed. So lean thou upon Him and trust not in thine own ability and thine own understanding. So shalt thou be fed and His hand shall be upon thee and His glory shall overshadow thee and shall flow through thee as it goes forth to cover the earth. Glory to God! Bless the Lord! He's wonderful! Let Him be Lord of your life, friends, and complain not at that which He bringeth to pass in your life.

PLENTY IN THE TIME OF FAMINE

For in the hour when famine sweeps the land He shall feed by His own hand those who are submitted to His perfect will and who dwell in the secret place of the Most High. When terror stalks the land those in His harness shall not be afraid for they shall feel His bit and bridle and know the guidance of His Spirit. When others are weak and frail and fearful there shall be those who shall be strong in the power of His might and shall lack for no good thing. In the hour when the traditions of the religious systems have proven false and their streams have dried up, then His Chosen Ones shall speak forth with the true Word of the Lord. So rejoice, Sons of God, that you have been chosen by His grace for this great work in this last hour.

The fence which kept the colts in their own meadows and their own pastures mean nothing to the team in the harness for the gates open to them and they go forth pulling the King's carriage into many strange and wonderful places. They do not stop to eat the poison weeds of sin for they feed only in the Master's stable. These fields they trample under their feet as they go forth on the King's business. And so to those who are brought into absolute subjection to His will there is no Law. For they move in the Grace of God led only by His Spirit where all things are lawful but not all things are expedient. This is a dangerous realm for the undisciplined and many have perished in sin as they leaped over the fence without His harness and His bridle. Some have thought of themselves as being completely harnessed and submissive to Him only to find that in some avenue of their life there dwelled rebellion and self-will. Let us wait before Him until He puts His noose around us and draws us to His place of training. And let us learn of the dealings of God and the movings of His Spirit until at last we feel His harness drop about us and hear His voice guiding us. Then there is safety from the traps and pitfalls of sin and then shall we abide in His House forever!

Bill Britton served as Vice President of Pinecrest Bible Training Center for the first three years of its existence and was a great blessing in helping to establish the work at Pinecrest.

For more of these and other messages: Bill Britton P.0. Box 707 Springfield, Missouri 65801-0707 This is a faith ministry, made possible by members of the Body of Christ. Not copyrighted, may be translated or reprinted without further permission. All message free as the Lord provides.

ARE WE THERE YET?

2011-01-23T13:47:00.004-06:00

I have this attitude that I wrestle with a lot. It's the attitude of thinking that I've arrived. It's subtle. It's not flashy or obvious most times. It's even sneaky. I hate it...but it's there. There's a pattern that I see from my past.

Here's how it would go down. I would recieve some enlightment from God or have some victory in my life. That's awesome...but I would let my guard down. I would relax. Lose my focus even. Why? Because the heart is deceitful and I realize that there is no good thing in me (apart from God). I attribute this error to immaturity and a lack of discipline. But you know what...I'm thankful to be aware that it's there. I don't like it...but I know it's there. I'm starting to see that when enlightment comes there needs to be an application...faith without works (action) is not faith at all.

At age 35 (about to turn 36) it's time to grow up. Discipline is good. Responsibility is good. Becoming who God desires me to be is VERY GOOD. It's not easy....but it's going to be worth it. I like Romans 4:20-22 says about Abraham....he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

2010-12-23T12:58:00.002-06:00

WAITING

Serene, I fold my hands and wait,
Nor care for wind, nor tide, nor sea;
I rave no more 'gainst time or fate,
For lo! my own shall come to me.

I stay my haste, I make delays,
For what avails this eager pace?
I stand amid the eternal ways,
And what is mine shall know my face.

Asleep, awake, by night or day,
The friends I seek are seeking me;
No wind can drive my bark astray,
Nor change the tide of destiny.

What matter if I stand alone?
I wait with joy the coming years;
My heart shall reap where it hath sown,
And garner up its fruit of tears.

The waters know their own and draw
The brook that springs in yonder height;
So flows the good with equal law
Unto the soul of pure delight.

The stars come nightly to the sky;
The tidal wave unto the sea;
Nor time, nor space, nor deep, nor high,
Can keep my own away from me.

John Burroughs

I THOUGHT I KNEW...

2010-11-19T17:04:00.002-06:00

I heard a pastor say awhile ago that to take the Lord's name in vain is not what we think it is. He said that if you say "G-d-" you aren't taking His name in vain; you are cursing. He said, and it makes sense to me, that you take His name in vain when you say you are His, i.e. you TAKE His name, and then continue to live below the standard that His name stands for. I don't mean that we will never sin, but that we will allow the Holy Spirit to expose each area of darkness in us as He wills and through His power make the appropriate changes. Love, KDR

THE AWAKENING by KDR

2010-05-25T22:30:00.007-05:00

There is a dark night of the soul
that is wondrous to behold.

When everything you thought you knew
is fantasy instead of truth.

When long-held truths are realized
as nothing more than polished lies;
All so cleverly disguised.

When everything you ever wanted
lies slashed and bleeding at your feet;

When every cherished bond is broken
and beseeching words remain unspoken.

When heart-felt memories, while dying,
haunt the hallways of your mind;

And you find God isn't partial,
the blind could never lead the blind.

But when the hellish night is over;
And, at last, the death knell sounds;

The long, dark night gives way to morning...

Resurrection of the soul abounds.

1Peter 4:1 Therefore since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

1Peter 5:10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

The ElijahList - Prophetic Words and Prophecies

2010-05-11T06:37:00.000-05:00

Article by Bob Jones

SEED...... ANYONE?

2010-04-27T08:19:00.002-05:00

This guy is a happy little squirrel. Plenty of bird seed to munch on. Indeed! This guy can go through a bird feeder full of seed in no time!

We have 3 bird feeders in the front yard and one bird bath. I'm amazed at all of the different type of birds we have in this area. Some of them I swear escaped from someone's birdcage. They look tropical in color. It's a pleasure to hear and see the birds.

A DECADE AGO

2010-04-18T22:23:00.001-05:00

The other day I came in from work and Denise was listening to FED5000. I can't believe it's been ten years since we were a group. It was like I was listening with new ears. I almost thought that the music was ahead of it's time. But like Denise said.....'God's changed something in you....', which makes sense. So anyways, I've been working on these Youtube video's. So far this is what I've got......6 out of 8 complete. I really enjoyed the music.....the experience and other 4 individuals in the group. It's nice to just kick back and say....'WOW! That was a great song!'......-JGR

WHAT I'VE LEARNED THIS WEEK

2010-04-17T20:17:00.002-05:00

Do all things…like you're doing them for the Lord.

Have integrity in the small things (as well as the big). Be faithful in the small things and you can be trusted with the big things.

Strive for perfection in your work. Measure everything by the plumb line. Jesus is a perfectionist. He’s the master builder. All things are measured against him.

Remember to keep your word…..at all cost.

It doesn’t matter what a job costs you to complete….as long as it’s done right with integrity as unto the Lord.

Keep your first love. The Lord is our first priority in life. Keep the Lord always before you.

Be flexible.

Be joyful in all things. No matter how situations turn for better or worse….be joyful in all situations. Count it all joy.

This has been a hard week of work. Long hours....not so great situations....but the Lord has used it to teach me (through experience) His way to do my work.

Eccles. 7:14 - In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also has set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

Actor Uses Power of Storytelling in emStandard Publishing's/em New Release emBetween Two Kingdoms/em

2010-04-12T17:30:00.000-05:00

Actor Uses Power of Storytelling in emStandard Publishing's/em New Release emBetween Two Kingdoms/em

In "Prophetic Act," Former First Nations' Chief on Canadian Cross-Country Tour Urging Tribes to Forgive

2010-04-12T17:27:00.000-05:00

In "Prophetic Act," Former First Nations' Chief on Canadian Cross-Country Tour Urging Tribes to Forgive

New Reality Show, Undercover Boss, Reveals "Virtue of hard work and moral strength" as Well as CEOs' Compassion

2010-04-04T07:14:00.000-05:00

New Reality Show, Undercover Boss, Reveals "Virtue of hard work and moral strength" as Well as CEOs' Compassion

Gettysburg Reenactment

2010-03-20T10:40:00.003-05:00

Not long ago, I posted a story about Abraham Lincoln on this blog. A friend left a comment saying that , although Lincoln was taught scripture by his mother, he never embraced a relationship with Jesus, until he saw the dead at Gettysburg.

This is another story from the book "Pictures Your Heart Remembers" by John Trent:

"On the fiftieth anniversary of The Battle of Gettysburg, there was a reunion of the veterans who fought there. Someone had the idea to recreate the scene of Pickett's charge. The Union soldiers took their place on the ridge. The Confederate soldiers took their place on the field.

Someone sounded the charge, and the Union soldiers came out of hiding, running toward the Confederates. Before they reached each other, though, something incredible happened.

The whoops and hollers turned to tears. And when they collided on the field, they fell into each other's arms, weeping."

Transformation Optics May Usher in a Host of Radical Advances

2010-03-20T09:22:00.000-05:00

Transformation Optics May Usher in a Host of Radical Advances

Transitional Prayer-A Place of Passage by Catherine Brown

2010-03-20T09:13:00.001-05:00

The ElijahList - Prophetic Words and Prophecies

The Day of His Coming-He is Like a Refiner's Fire by Sandie Freed

2010-03-20T09:05:00.001-05:00

The ElijahList - Prophetic Words and Prophecies

VIA DOLOROSA

2010-03-16T18:03:00.000-05:00

A Story about Abraham Lincoln

2010-03-13T21:07:00.002-06:00

The following story is from the book "Pictures Your Heart Remembers" by John Trent:

"Lincoln lived his life trying to bring light and life to every relationship. Even his relationships with his enemies. He was often criticized for it. He spoke kindly not only to his enemies but about his enemies.

Overhearing Lincoln say a kind word about the South, an infuriated bystander confronted him about it. He answered, 'Madam, do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?' "

attitude

2010-03-12T12:19:00.001-06:00

"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts, comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread.

They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms---to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances..."

Victor Frankl

The ElijahList - Prophetic Words and Prophecies

2010-03-12T10:07:00.000-06:00

The ElijahList - Prophetic Words and Prophecies

LEGACY

2010-01-04T10:26:00.009-06:00

My favorite coaches are Bryant, Stallings and Saban. Not surprising coming from an Alabama fan, but there is more to it than that.

I don't know much about Wade and Thomas, featured along with Bryant and Stallings in the picture. I do, however, know a bit about Coach Bryant, and I believe he helped to lay a good, strong foundation for the football program based on these principles:

1. Strong discipline

2. Responsibility (Both taking responsibility and delegating it)

3. Graciousness

4. A Father's Heart

It is obvious from the testimonies of players such as Namath and Stabler that Coach Bryant set strong standards of discipline for his team and made good on the consequences.

I've always personally admired how he would take responsibility for a loss. I've known many coaches to blame the officiating. One good coach actually blamed his own player, setting the player up for public ridicule. I don't think it was false humility in Coach Bryant. I think he truly believed that good coaching could and should overcome occasional bad calls and botched plays.

I also appreciate the graciousness of Coach Bryant. He didn't believe in humiliating another team by running up the score. Instead, he put in less experienced players. That was not only gracious to the other team, but wise, in that inexperienced players could get valuable playing time. Coach Saban did the same this season. Taking a knee twice against Florida instead of going for a score was beyond gracious, in my opinion.

Besides strong discipline and firm consequences, there are countless stories from many who played for Alabama indicating that the Coach truly had a father's heart for them. He not only helped make it possible for them to realize their dreams, but also helped make it possible for their children. An inheritance of sorts...

I believe that Gene Stallings walked in these same principles and Nick Saban appears to be as well. I don't think they practice these things in order to win, but rather, they win because they practice these things, even if it costs them.

In the words of Paul of the New Testament, and I paraphrase, "We have a lot of good coaches, but not many with a father's heart."

2009 INTO 2010

2009-12-22T22:37:00.013-06:00

It's almost like a magic trick.....2009 transforms before our eyes into 2010. I'm just sitting in the audience watching in amazement that it seems to have happened to quickly. I ask myself...."Where has the year gone?". I don't know.....but it's gone. I'm not in anyway sad about it. I'm excited to see what 2010 brings. Setting aside all partisan politics......health care reform....global warming.......I'm looking for God to do great things in 2010.

My prayer for my family is for a transformation into His image.....an awakening of our spirits to a deeper love for Jesus....to walk in truth and light sanctifying our minds..... to be a true Son of God.

Anyways.....I look for 2010 to be a great year. I also look for The University of Alabama to be the BCS National Champions........it's gonna rock!

I thought this gobbler was cool. This photo was taken in Cade's Cove.

Two streams converge into one.

Deer are so graceful and serene.

Imagine having to live here. The idea doesn't sound too bad to me......of course it was only 40 degrees this particular day......I might think differently below freezing.

This guy was only 2 feet long.....but still scary enough!

Sharks are awesome!

These next 3 photos are my favorite. The beauty of God's creation astonishes me.

So as 2009 ends I am very thankful. I've seen many beautiful sights. 2010 will hold even more.

CHANGE IS GOOD

2009-11-19T21:20:00.005-06:00

I was just thinking.......'What has facebook done to the Blog?'.

Just wondering.

It has been a long time since I've posted anything on here. I attribute it to facebook and ....laziness. It's so much easier to go to my home page.....see what's going on and go about my way. That's technology for ya!

Denise and I have been working together now for a month or so. It has been nice seeing her throughout the day. I wasn't sure how it was going to workout at first......but it's worked out nicely. I'm seeing a new side of her. I really appreciate her attention to detail. We're at a phase where we are finishing one job and about to go to another. I'm excited about the change. The job we're finishing has been a wonderful experience. It's stretched both of us into areas that we never knew we could walk in. I'm very thankful for the experience. I never realized how much faith it takes to do what we do. Faith helps us to work hard and finish well. Like I said.....I'm thankful for the experience. I'll post before and after photos soon.

I'm looking forward to the holidays. Thanksgiving is at our doorstep and Christmas is around the corner......time flies. I guess I've been so busy with work that I haven't paid to much attention to the time. It just really dawned on me today how close we were to the end of the year. I feel like I'm just now getting used to 2009......now 2010. Like I said....I'm thankful for the experience.

I guess I'm in a reflective mood......thinking about the last year...last few months....this has been a good year.

Deut. 30:16 'For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.'

-JGR

WE FIVE

2009-10-27T18:19:00.000-05:00

BRANDON HEATH

2009-10-27T18:03:00.002-05:00

FUNNY VIDEO

2009-10-19T22:09:00.001-05:00

This is soooo funny.

http://<a href="http://www.cmt.com/video/" target="_blank">Tom Mabe: Eavesdropping</a>

Tom Mabe: Eavesdropping

Goodbye Garden

2009-10-11T21:42:00.002-05:00

I had planned to chronicle this year's garden in pictures and prose. I didn't. But, today, I picked the last of the butter beans and green beans; only enough for a meal; and thought of things I've learned.

One verse that kept coming to mind is 1 Corinthians 3:6 "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." Now, I know that Paul is speaking of spiritual concepts here; but, somehow, experiencing this reality through the garden, has brought me greater understanding spiritually.

For instance, in 2006, we were still picking butter beans by the five gallon bucketfuls in November. In 2007, the green bean vines were so laden that it would take me 3 hours to pick two medium rows. Last year, 2008, two very small rows of cucumber vines produced exceedingly well. We had freshly sliced cucumbers every meal, every day. We canned approx. 140 pints of sour pickles and 7 gallons of dill pickles. We gave away approx. 5 or 6 five gallon bucketfuls to family and friends. Each of these years, the other crops produced fairly well and one stood out.

This year has been the strangest. Nothing really stood out, though every thing that produced tasted exceptional, as always! The cucumber vines were looking great, but one afternoon, following a heavy rain, the sun came out and burned them up; no cucumbers. The tomatoes didn't do really well. The green beans did best, I suppose; we had more of them to can. We really enjoyed the corn and okra that we had, and had plenty of a variety of peppers. The butter bean vines were as big and pretty and green as I have ever seen, but produced very little.

Each year, we did all we could do; but ultimately, God gave the increase. We did what we could do, and thankfully enjoyed the increase each year, whatever it was. We didn't become anxious or strive over it because we knew we couldn't make those plants grow or produce.

I can love people. I can pray for them; intercede for them. I can even provide wonderful teachings and music for them. But I can't change their hearts. Only God can change their hearts. So, there is no reason for me to be anxious..."Have faith in God." kdr

STRENGTH OF MY LIFE - P.O.D.

2009-10-07T06:45:00.001-05:00

This song came across my mp3 player this morning.....it really spoke to me.

http://

Foolish talk

2009-09-14T11:07:00.004-05:00

Ephesians 5:4 "Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes--these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God."

1 Timothy 6:20-21 "...guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness. May God's grace be with you all."

Since I can remember I have always been uncomfortable with obscene stories and coarse jokes. It saddens me even today to hear fellow believers and friends engaging in these kinds of things. But this didn't stop me from engaging in foolish talk and discussions, even in childhood. Maybe it was an attention-seeking device for me, a way to relieve boredom or to appear witty, clever and cool. Or maybe it was because friends and family said I had no common sense...I was very smart in some areas but struggled in others...

It really doesn't matter. What matters is , it became a habit that is displeasing to God. Since I became aware of this among other things on March 1st of this year; much thanks to the Jackson Family!!!; I have made progress in this area, though I haven't completely defeated it. I know that I will since I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me! Because NO amount of human attention or approval or wittiness or coolness according to human standards is worth the displeasure of our God, our Father, the Love of our lives...

I have been totally undone and I will not be satisfied until, by His love and grace, I have achieved the level of holiness He is calling me to..."Come up here!"

kdr

THE DAY AFTER ELEVEN

2009-09-12T10:04:00.003-05:00

I'm not going to harp on this much. It's all fresh in our memories again. I remember how we came together as a nation the day after 9/11/01. We were a unit.....a big community......it was cool how people came together and the little things that normally bug us about each other were no more. And even though there were some things about G.W. Bush that were typical of any other President........he was definitely the right guy for our nation. It was amazing to see photos of him before 9/11 and to see him when he left office............the job had really aged him. I don't doubt that it's a stressful job......not at all.

But back to 9/12/01...........to see how divided we are as a nation today........it makes me long for those days when the national spirit was best described as compassionate......caring.......we stood with one another. It's quite a contrast with today. Our only true hope is God.

II Chronicles 7:14......... if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

God is truly our only hope........

2009-08-20T21:54:00.006-05:00

It has been too long since we blogged; we are very busy with home projects, Jose's work and the garden; plus we are making an effort to honor God more with our time both together, and when we're apart. The thing is we don't want to stop...

I have posted some things on facebook but don't know how to embed them on the blog.

The greenbeans are the cream of the crop this year. In 'o7 it was the butterbeans, last year it was the cucumbers. Jose' and I picked greenbeans on Mon. afternoon. We broke them up from around 7:30 to 11:30. On Tuesday, I washed them and packed them and my dad pressure cooked them. There were 27 quarts! And this was the third time we've gathered this many and more. We've given alot of them away. I don't care if I don't see another green bean for awhile...:)

In some ways, things have been hard...but God is GOOD...ALL the time...

I'm gonna end with an invitation from a song called "Inner Court" by Suzy Wills Yarei and Paulette Wooten. Wish I could post a video or audio of the entire song:

"There's the highest priest, Jesus, waiting there
With His open arms calling us closer
Let's go further in with a faithful heart
Without wavering washed in His water, we

Come into the inner court
Hear the sound of the Lord
Come into the inner court
Hear the Lion roar

Come into the inner court
Hear the song of the Lord
Come into the inner court
The veil has been torn...

WOW! Who could resist such an invitation...
Who would WANT to ...

kdr

1 Corinthians 13:1-2

2009-08-13T19:41:00.003-05:00

(NLT) " If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing."

When I love others as God does, then my revelations and discernments won't lead to self-righteousness and will truly be relevant...kdr

Something Told The Wild Geese By Rachel Field

2009-08-06T10:27:00.005-05:00

Something told the wild geese it was time to go,
Though the fields lay golden
Something whispered, "snow. '

Leaves were green and stirring, berries, luster-glossed,
But beneath warm feathers
Something cautioned, "frost."

All the sagging orchards steamed with amber spice,
But each wild breast stiffened
At remembered ice.

Something told the wild geese it was time to fly,
Summer sun was on their wings,
Winter in their cry.

Good Story!

2009-08-03T07:48:00.008-05:00

A Demonstration Of The Kingdom by Rick Joyner from The Harvest VolumeII

"One of the greatest demonstrations of the Spirit that I have ever witnessed was not a miracle-it was the demonstration of profound peace and thoughtfulness in an airline ticket line. Because of problems with incoming flights and other delays, the line to one connection had grown to many more people than could be processed in the short time before the flight was to depart. Strife and impatience were rising to the point where I seriously thought that it was going to get out of control.

At the worst possible moment, just after more bad news had been announced, two large, boisterous women, each carrying two large suitcases, started pushing their way through the line demanding to go to the front. I do not recall ever witnessing more obnoxious attitudes in aanyone, much less in a situation like this. I was watching, fully expecting someone to deck them both. Then, to my dismay they headed right toward my friend who was in line for the flight. As the clamor behind him grew, he turned to see what was happening.

As others were actually beginning to jostle the two women, my friend instinctively raced to their assistance, asking if he could help them with their bags, and offering them his own position near the front of the line. This action was so contrary to the prevailing spirit in that place that it stunned everyone. A great quiet came over the entire scene. I looked around and almost everyone was staring at my friend with obvious amazement. As he picked up his own bags and moved to the back of the line it seemed that every eye was on him. The two women seemed undone by the unexpected, and unquestionably undeserved, act of kindness. A powerful peace came over the entire line.

The agents, who had also witnessed the scene, suddenly became agreeable and somehow the flight was delayed enough to get everyone on it. I have witnessed many miracles, but that airport scene still stands out to me as one of the greatest demonstrations of the kingdom I have ever witnessed. As hell was fast gaining control of a volatile situation, and moving it towards potentially serious strife, it seemed Satan brought in two of his biggest guns in the form of a couple of very ill mannered women, aimed them right at the Christian, who quickly and easily disarmed the enemy and his entire host with one genuine act of kindness.

We have been given this same power, in every situation. When strife arises in our family or at the office, we can join the side of the enemy or the side of the Lord. Who gains the victory in that situation will almost certainly be determined by our choice. If we join the Lord it does not matter if anyone else joins Him with us. One person and the Lord always makes a majority. If we allow the fruit of the Spirit to prevail in us, He will ultimately prevail in any situation we find ourselves."

kdr

WHAT'S IN THE HEALTH CARE BILL

2009-07-29T08:20:00.001-05:00

http://www.morningstarministries.org/Articles/1000054411/MorningStar_Ministries/Media/Special_Bulletins/2009/Special_Bulletin_19.aspx

Click the link above.....it's pretty eye-opening!

Bible Study (NLT)

2009-07-23T11:34:00.006-05:00

Romans 2:29 "No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather it is a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people."

-We need to cry out from our hearts for God to change our hearts by his Spirit.-

-When our hearts are truly changed, it won't matter to us if our family and others don't praise us or our efforts.-

Romans 4:3 "For the Scriptures tell us, 'Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.' "

Romans 4:16 "So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, IF we have faith like Abraham's..."

Romans 4:20-24 "Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous IF we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead."

-Faith is not just a matter of believing in God; that there is a God; but BELIEVING GOD; believing his promises.-

-We cannot receive the promise if we don't believe God will do it in his time; against all odds.-

-If we do waver in believing God's promise, that is sin; so repent and believe.-

Romans 8:1-2 "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death."

-The promise is that there is no condemnation if you belong to Jesus; so, stop living in condemnation. If you feel condemned because of sin in your life, BELIEVE that the Spirit has freed you from the power of sin and stop sinning. When you sin inadvertantly or out of habit, repent immediately and cry out to God to deliver you from sin and to change your heart.-

1 Corinthians 10:13 "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

-The promise is that you CAN overcome temptation; just ask God to show you the way out!-

Embracing the Power...

2009-07-17T22:18:00.005-05:00

2 Timothy 3:5

KJV "...Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away."

NLT "...They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!"

Have you ever heard an elderly person say "I'm too old to change; I'm set in my ways."? Or maybe a younger person say "Well, that's just the way I am."? Neither of these are good reasons to stay the way we are, when the way we are is wrong. Most people who say these things have actually tried to change themselves only to fail; so they give up eventually.

I have tried to change in my own strength and failed. But as a believer, I have the power of God available to change me. When I cry out to Him; He will change me by His Spirit. I have experienced this and am currently experiencing this; I recognize things in me that need change and I really want these changes. I still have a long way to go, but I am aware that God's power is truly working in me and the changes are coming. I see it in little ways and I am encouraged.

Zechariah 4:10 NLT "Do not despise these small beginnings..."

Embrace the power of God for change.

kdr

"I Was Only Joking..."

2009-07-15T15:33:00.004-05:00

Ephesians 6:23 "Honour thy father and thy mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it might be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."

So often I hear children of varying ages speak disrespectfully to their parents. Some parents attempt to correct their children, the child responds with "I was joking", and the parents accept this explanation. Other parents will just excuse their children, saying "Oh, that's just how we relate; I know they don't mean to be disrespectful."

I wonder if we are doing our children a disservice in teaching them it's really ok to be disrespectful if they're only playing. This stood out to me so clearly that I asked God, "What is it I'm doing?"

Uh Oh ...I do seem to remember times when I say something disrespectful to my husband and yeah, I'm only joking...

Forgive us, Lord!

kdr

The Roots

2009-07-13T18:32:00.004-05:00

I recently planted some radish seeds in the garden; later, when hoeing weeds and morning glories, I realized I wouldn't recognize the radish plants and might hoe them as well. I meant to look in the produce section at the store, but forgot. So I watched the posted video.

I already knew that the roots grow down as the leaves grow up, but never really thought much about the roots. For years, I spent most of my energy trying to push through that top layer of soil and produce some nice green leaves. I wanted people to recognize that I was a good, useful plant.

But those roots; they don't care what people think, they're not even seen; they're intent on going deeper and deeper into the soil to provide a strong, sturdy foundation for healthy growth.

Who knew I could learn from a radish?!!!

kdr

Two Prayers

2009-07-07T08:02:00.004-05:00

The Bible is loaded with wonderful prayers; and over the years I have made many of them my own; simply because they so adequately expressed things in my heart that I had been unable to put into words.

At this point in my life, two prayers stand out for me. One is the prayer of Jabez. I had heard of it and seen books about it, but had never read any of them. Some friends brought it to my attention recently and I found it to be a concise way to express the desires of my own heart. It can be found in I Chronicles 4:10.

"Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!" kjv

"Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!" new living translation

The other is near the end of Psalm 19.

"Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me; then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression."

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." kjv

kdr

ANYWAY [anon.]

2009-07-06T13:01:00.006-05:00

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may cheat you;
Be honest anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous and resentful;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may never be recognized by mankind;
Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give your best anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them, anyway.

kdr

The Voice of Wisdom

2009-07-04T12:58:00.003-05:00

As I listened to Sarah Palin's speech yesterday, I was struck by the wisdom with which she spoke. I was reminded of Deborah, a judge of Israel long ago. Her story is recorded in the book of Judges in the Bible. Barack, a man of her time, respected her wisdom and listened to her words from God, and so Israel was delivered once more.

I wish that the Barack of our time would likewise listen to the Voice of Wisdom, that we would be delivered as well.

Happy Birthday, America!

kdr

A STORY ABOUT DALTON

2009-06-29T21:31:00.002-05:00

My mother recently forwarded me a story written by Thomas Lake of the Atlanta Magazine. It's a little long...but it's was worth the read. It's been 14 years (or so) since I've lived in Dalton. I grew up in Dalton....and even though I don't know the city as it is now.....I remember it the carpet mills, streets, people and places....and the way it used to be. The story touched me.......

http://www.atlantamagazine.com/june2009/dalton.aspx

MOTOWN 25th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

2009-06-27T19:38:00.002-05:00

I remember sitting at home on the floor playing with my toys watching TV. I never knew who Michael Jackson was....until this moment. He had been singing a song or two from his youth...then all of the sudden he changed......he had stepped out on his own. I remember being in the 3rd grade and I somehow managed to get the Thriller album. I took it to school the next day and showed it to all of my friends. We were all so excited that my teacher Mrs. Woodsworth let us listen to the album in class. Those were the days.........

GOATS AND HORSES

2009-06-27T08:48:00.001-05:00

This is my first attempt at uploading a YouTube video.

KING OF POP

2009-06-25T17:37:00.002-05:00

We just heard that Michael Jackson just died a few minutes ago (just after 5pm). It's incredibly sad news. Whether or not you were a fan or even liked the guy.......the man had talent.....a gift.......and an ability to entertain and create. I personally believe this was a gift from God. Denise and I were just discussing the Motown Special that aired in the early 80's. He went from being a member of the Jackson Five to Michael Jackson with one song....Billy Jean. That TV concert made an impression on me as a child. To hear this new is sad. Our prayers is that he reached out to Jesus.

TOOS-DAY

2009-06-23T11:09:00.005-05:00

The garden has been planted. I'm still amazed at how things work. You plow the ground up. Cast a seed and it grows. How cool is that. From one little seed comes a plant with the potential to produce food. We'll post some photos as the garden progresses.

This is Bear. I'm not sure how old he is......he's still a kitten. He's probably 2 months old. He's a cool cat.....has a personality like Garfield. He's a bobtail. He loves our guitar cases. I don't know why......but he does.

My Grandmother passes away several weeks ago. My sister Carol made this collage for the family. If you squint hard enough you can see (in the middle picture) my sister and myself sitting with my Grandmother. I remember those days. They almost seem like another life. I was always curious when I visited my Grandmother's house. She had so many interesting nicknacks and trinkets. As a child it seemed that the house was so big and the walls were covered floor to ceiling with photos. I remember the smell of a wood burning heater. Like I said....it seemed like another life......so long ago. Outside....I was just as curious as I was inside. Her yard was fun to play in. She had a yard full of flowers. Most of which I never knew what they were called. I remember lots of roses and elephant ears. My Grandmother is survived by many children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. From one came many.

OUR WEEK IN PICTURES

2009-06-11T17:14:00.005-05:00

WHAT A WEEK!

2009-05-30T21:36:00.009-05:00

This week has been a full week.

We've had family in the hospital.

(They're doing well now)

We've had family to graduate.

We've had to travel out of town.

(Ate at the Olive Garden *YuM*)

We've been sick. (We're recovering)

We've worked hard.

We've farmed.

We've suffered loss.

We've been to the movies. (UP was good)

It's been a very full week.

And I'm glad it's over.

A new week begins.

There are somethings that I just don't think about anymore. One of those is High School. When I graduated.......that was the last time that I set foot in that school. I was shocked years later to find out that the school had metal detectors at the entrances. I couldn't believe it. Things change and evolve naturally over time. I think that's good (but maybe not in this case).

I never really kept up with any of my friends from High School. It's been 16 years since my graduation. Wow! Time has flown by. I remember being excited about college. I didn't know what to expect.....other than it had to be better. It was. I enjoyed my college years. So in the spirit of celebrations we CONGRATULATE THE GRADUATES!

NOT MUCH TO SAY

2009-05-22T21:46:00.002-05:00

Lately it seems that I've not had too much to say as far as blogs go.

We were both doing a blog a day (sometimes more) for a while. I guess the reason is that we've been busier lately.....work has picked up some......I've had lots of projects to complete around the house and we've been getting to go to Florida next month.

As far as business goes....I've been taking on smaller jobs (and been thankful for it). It seems that there are lots of big time contractors out there who love the larger jobs. But you know what? I like smaller jobs. You see results quickly and people seem to be easier to please. Plus it's less of a headache.

We've been trying to plant a garden all month long. As thankful as were are for the rain.....I wouldn't mind it slacking up a bit and allowing the ground to dry up some. Hopefully we'll get it in the ground before we head to Florida.

At the barn it seems that we're overrun with baby goats. I love'em. They're growning like weeds too. Those born in December/January are now weaned and ready to go to auction. To our suprise we had two born a week ago........we were really suprised. Yesterday was Rosie's birthday. She was born 2 years ago (May 21st 2007). Boy has she grown! She's as big as her mother.

I've been reading The Half-Blood Prince in preparation for the upcoming movie. Even though the movies are a bit altered from the books........we still enjoy them. Speaking of movies...... lately we've seen Star Trek and Wolverine. We enjoyed both. I wasn't expecting Star Trek to be as good as it was.......a top notch movie. Today we took the little girl to watch Night At The Museum. It was good...had some funny moments.....cool special effects.....action......good family movie. I love a good movie...........

Excerpt from "A Tale of Three Kings" by Gene Edwards

2009-05-19T20:17:00.011-05:00

"Why. David, why?"

The place was another nameless cave.

The men stirred about restlessly.
Gradually, and very uneasily, they began to settle in. All were as confused as Joab, who had finally voiced their questions.

Joab wanted some answers. Now!

David should have seemed embarrassed or at least defensive. He was neither. He was looking past Joab like a man viewing another realm which only he could see.

Joab walked directly in front of David, looked down on him, and began roaring his frustrations.

"Many times he almost speared you to death in his castle. I've seen that with my own eyes. Finally, you ran away. Now for years you have been nothing but a rabbit for him to chase. Furthermore, the whole world believes the lies he tells about you. He has come, the King himself, hunting every cave, pit and hole on earth to find you and kill you like a dog. But tonight YOU had HIM at the end of his own spear and you did nothing!

"Look at us. We're animals again. Less than an hour ago you could have freed us all. Yes, we could all be free, right now! Free! And Israel, too. She would be free. Why, David, why did you not end these years of misery?"

There was a long silence. Men shifted again, uneasily. They were not accustomed to seeing David rebuked.

"Because," said David very slowly (and with a gentleness that seemed to say, 'I heard what you asked, but not the way you asked it'), "because once, long ago, he was not mad. He was young. He was great. Great in the eyes of God and men. And it was God who made him king-God-not men."

Joab blazed back, "But now he is MAD! And God is no longer with him. And, David, he will yet kill you!"

This time it was David's answer that blazed with fire.

"Better he kill me than I learn his ways. Better he kill me than I become as he is. I shall not practice the ways that cause kings to go mad. I will not throw spears, nor will I allow hatred to grow in my heart. I will not avenge. Not now. Not ever!"

Joab could not handle such a senseless answer. He stormed out into the dark.

That night men went to bed on cold, wet stone and muttered about their leader's distorted, masochistic views of relationships to kings, especially mad ones.

Angels went to bed that night too, and dreamed, in the afterglow of that rare, rare day, that God might yet be able to give His authority to a trustworthy vessel."

AHHH....THE YOUTH OF TODAY

2009-05-15T20:56:00.004-05:00

This is so funny........

The Gods of the Copybook Headings by Rudyard Kipling

2009-05-10T22:21:00.012-05:00

This poem was published in 1919. A copybook was an exercise book used in schools to practice penmanship. The pages were blank except for the horizontal rulings to write on and the headings printed perfectly at the top. The headings were usually proverbial in nature. The gods of the copybook headings in the poem represent wisdom to me; while the gods of the marketplace represent beautiful lies and demoniacal doctrines. Written long ago, it has a feel of today, in my view. Oh, Stilton is a specific cheese made only in a few places in England.

"As I pass through my incarnations in every age and race
I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place.
Peering through reverent fingers I watch them florish and fall,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all.

We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turn
That Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn:
But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breadth of Mind,
So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed the March of Mankind.

We moved as the Spirit listed. They never altered their pace,
Being neither cloud nor wind-borne like the Gods of the Market Place;
But they always caught up with our progress, and presently word would come
That a tribe had been wiped off its icefield, or the lights had gone out in Rome.

With the Hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch,
They denied that the Moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch;
They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings;
So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things.

When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace.
They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "Stick to the Devil you know."

On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life
(Which started by loving our neighbor and ended by loving his wife)
Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "The Wages of Sin is Death."

In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promise abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said, "If you don't work you die."

Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew
And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and we began to believe it was true
That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four-
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more.

As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man-
There are only four things certain since Social Progress began:-
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,
And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire;

And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!"

A Merry Heart

2009-05-03T21:43:00.003-05:00

Proverbs 15:15

KJV "All the days of the afflicted are evil; but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast."

NAS "All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast."

NIV "All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast."

Amp. "All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances]."

CAP AND TRADE?

2009-05-03T10:24:00.001-05:00

Cap and Trade......Kyoto Treaty part two.......

Al Gore strikes again......

THE LORDS PRAYER (1973)

2009-05-01T07:29:00.000-05:00

by Sister Janet Mead.......I believe she was a Nun.

RIVER MONSTERS

2009-04-29T05:22:00.002-05:00

I've started trying to watch a new show that comes on Animal Planet on Sunday nights called River Monsters. Basically the host travels the world in search of legendary freshwater river fish. This particular episode he's in Europe searching for a catfish that attacks humans. I was shocked at the size of this fish (being that he caught it on a rod/reel). Other episodes he caught a 100+ pound Alligator Gar....swam with piranhas....caught a 100+ pound catfish in South America.....etc. Personally I don't think that I would want to catch a fish of this magnitude. Probably freak me out and I'd never fish again or I'd get grossed out (face it.....fish tastes good but isn't always pretty out of the water).

1982

2009-04-24T20:50:00.003-05:00

1982.......just a year after the debut of Mtv.

I remember that.....most people do.

Back in the day when Music Television played 'Music Videos'........(now a thing of the past). I think the last time I watched Mtv was in the 90's. Anyways.....it's 1982 and I'm watching music videos. Men Without Hats had their only chart topping hit (that I know of)......

To me it was a fun song. A silly song. Made me want to get up and dance. The songs no Beethoven's Fifth.....but that's ok.....it's just a fun song. Enjoy.

"Tilly"

2009-04-19T11:43:00.009-05:00

"Tilly" is a book written by Frank Peretti. It is not a long book, but it is a powerful one. In it, a woman is somehow translated inside her home to heavenly realms. She is married and has two living children. But, during her experience, she meets Tilly, her aborted daughter. Tilly is overjoyed to spend time with her mother, but is also hurt and confused that she was not allowed to experience life on earth with her family. The book is about forgiveness, healing, reunion and reconciliation.

Some of my friends had chosen abortion and were remorseful; other friends had experienced the sorrow of miscarriage. I had never thought of these little ones as being in heaven; it had just never occurred to me. This book was encouraging and hopeful.

Later on, a friend related her story to me. With her permission, I am relating it as best I can, as it is along this theme.

The woman had borne two children. She had also had two abortions. One was at the urging of her doctors and her husband, as, because of some complications, it was doubtful if either she or the baby would live. The other was because, during a time of separation from her husband, she had an affair. She had reconciled with her husband, not realizing she was pregnant.

Years later, when both children were grown, the woman begin to experience health problems. She was scheduled for a delicate surgery in which the odds were, by no means, certain. In talking inwardly to God, she felt He asked her if there was anything she wanted as she prepared for surgery. She responded that she wanted her children with her. Her request was granted as they were both able to be there and at her side in the hours preceding surgery.

After they were asked to leave and she was given anesthesia she had another experience. There were two strong, young men in the room beside her. She thought they must be her guardian angels. She spoke to them; one was responsive and friendly while the other turned his head at her greeting. "Why are you mad at me?" she asked, as the anesthesia took its full affect.

After a successful surgery, she often thought of this encounter, and would frequently ask God, "Why wouldn't the one angel talk to me; why did he seem to be mad at me?"

Tears streamed down her face as realization struck full force, and remorse, love and gratitude filled her heart. Those weren't angels. God had fully granted her request.

IT'S BEEN 3

2009-04-15T06:51:00.003-05:00

People have their song......their movie......and even their restaurant.

We have our tree.

Three years ago today Denise and I were married under a Dogwood tree at Noccalula Falls. It was about 2 in the afternoon.......we were married by Richard Trader. It was a beautiful day. I know many of you guys have been married years...maybe decades longer.......but 3 years have flown by so quickly. One thing I can say about being married.......there are no voids in my life. Everyday is full of life. Nothing like being happy and having a good wife!

Proverbs 18:22

He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the LORD.

HOO-RAH

2009-04-14T21:26:00.001-05:00

HEROES

2009-04-12T19:16:00.003-05:00

There are still heroes out there. Most real heroes are never awarded medals.....never recognized....but they are heroes none the less. I'm not talking about those on TV....in Hollywood.....but real men and women working 9 to 5 and serving others with a passion in their heart. I was inspired by Capt. Richard Phillips heroic sacrifice for his crew. How he was held hostage for days and had a nation behind him...praying for him. We were so happy this afternoon when we heard of his daring escape and freedom from pirates. Real heroes.

KEITH GREEN

2009-04-11T09:55:00.000-05:00

THIRD DAY

2009-04-11T09:50:00.000-05:00

EASTER AND TAXES

2009-04-10T23:42:00.003-05:00

Coming upon Easter I reflect on many things. This year Easter, taxes and our anniversary fall within a few days of each other. With taxes behind us now.....I'm thrilled to be able to focus on the other two.

This year (on the 15th) it will be our third anniversary. I can't believe it has been that long. Time has flown and I could not have been happier.

Growing up I was a fan of Easter because of the candy and the candy. It wasn't until I got older (in my 20's) that I started attending church regularly. I never fell under the conviction of having to dress up on Easter (suit and tie) in the church I was attending. I'm thankful for that. Now being in my 30's I can enjoy the kids who love their candy on Easter, see them dressed to impress (they are really cute) and appreciate the real reason for Easter. Without the Resurrection.......we'd be lost.

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live:

John 20: 1-18 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

I believe at that particular point Jesus made a bridge between us and the Father. Forever making us apart of His Kingdom.

The Sea Declares His Majesty

2009-04-07T11:35:00.010-05:00

"Who shut up the sea behind doors

when it burst forth from the womb,

When I made the clouds its garment

and wrapped it in thick darkness,

when I fixed limits for it

and set its doors and bars in place,

when I said, 'This far you may come
and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt'?"

Job 38:8-11

"They that go down to the sea in ships,
that do business in great waters;
These see the works of the Lord, and
his wonders in the deep.

For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind,
which lifteth up the waves thereof.
They mount up to the heaven, they go down again
to the depths:
Their soul is melted because of trouble.

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
and are at their wits end.
Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble,
and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves therof are still,
then are they glad because they be quiet;
So he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

Psalm 107:23-30

The Right Kind of People by Edwin Markham (1852-1940)

2009-04-05T11:33:00.004-05:00

Gone is the city, gone the day,
Yet still the story and the meaning stay:
Once where a prophet in the palm shade basked
A traveler chanced at noon to rest his mules.
"What sort of people may they be," he asked,
"In this proud city on the plains o'erspread?"
"Well, friend, what sort of people whence you came?"
"What sort?" the packman scowled; "why, knaves and fools."
"You'll find the people here the same," the wise man said.

Another stranger in the dusk drew near,
And pausing, cried, "What sort of people here
In your bright city where yon towers arise?"
"Well, friend, what sort of people whence you came?"
"What sort?" the pilgrim smiled with lifted head;
"Good, true, and wise."
"You'll find the people here the same,"
The wise man said.

EAST WEST

2009-04-04T20:01:00.002-05:00

Another mp3 tread mill song.....

I've only seen these guys once in concert....and I have to say that they were among the nicest guys I've ever met. Don't let this song fool you.......these guys are screamin' metal heads. This is a good song......

OLD SCHOOL METAL

2009-04-04T19:46:00.001-05:00

Another song I listen to on the tread mill.....

SAVIOUR MACHINE

2009-04-04T12:59:00.002-05:00

THE CHAMPION

2009-04-04T12:54:00.001-05:00

TWINS

2009-04-03T16:11:00.003-05:00

Wednesday our pygmy goat Cleo had her babies. We've been waiting for a while for her to have her kids. She had gotten so big and seemingly uncomfortable.......we expected them a month ago. According to a site search I did on Google.....a pygmy goats gestation period is about 5 months. Both kids are male and mostly white. I honestly didn't think that she would get pregnant because she's so small and the billy we had was so tall............I guess where there's a will....there's a way! We also worried about the size of the babies......again because she's so small and Boer babies are larger than pygmy babies at birth. We're proud of the babies. I'm going to try to play with them a lot as they are growing so they'll make good pets. Being that they are both boys.....we won't be able to keep them. We'll enjoy them all that we can.

The Beauty of Submission

2009-04-01T08:37:00.006-05:00

John 13:2-5 "The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him."

Matthew 26:36-39 "Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane and he said to them, 'Sit here while I go over there and pray.' He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.' Going a little further, he fell to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.' "

Philippians 2:1-8 "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing; taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and become obedient even unto death-the death of the cross."

1 Coritnthians 6:7 "The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means that you have been competely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?"

Ephesians 5:21 "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."

The willingness of my heart to submit, to what degree; the level of maturity.

kdr

I JUST KNOW

2009-03-31T18:23:00.005-05:00

I've been listening to my mp3 player while working out at the gym. I pulled out my CD cases a while back and downloaded songs onto my player. I've rediscovered so many treasures from my past. One of these is Disciple. I was just coming out of the world and felt lost (musically). I didn't have any new music to listen to and at the time didn't like most Christian music. The church I attended had some awesome worship songs......and that was cool.....but I still loved heavy bass driven solo screamin' loud rock music. These guys were a breath of fresh air.

Disciple is a Christian rock group originally out of Knoxville Tennessee. Back in 2000 David Hopper, a good friend of mine, invited me to hear them at Wallace Hall here in Gadsden. These guys preached. Their songs were heavy with scripture. The music was worshipful for me. I got fired up for God.

I had a new favorite band.

The band started out as a trio. And they ROCKED! It didn't take me long to buy all of their albums. This Might Sting A Little was the first CD I bought. Two of my favorite songs from the album are 'I Just Know (Jesus is the way)' and 'Big Bad Wolf'. I also purchased their first CD My Daddy Can Whip Your Daddy and their second What Was I Thinking. I eagerly awaited their fourth album By God....which is awesome.....and their fifth album Back Again. I believe the last time I saw them was in 2005 in Boaz Alabama when their fifth CD was released. Since then I've heard that they've gone more commercial and added new members and lost some original ones. They've had a few more albums as well. But for me.....this song is the reason I fell in love with their music.

THE GADSDEN FLAG

2009-03-31T10:52:00.003-05:00

I ran across this article today. This was all new to me. I love this flag....especially now with all that's going on in this country. Today it became even more endearing.

An Article by: Chris Whitten

I like seeing all the American flags. I do have my complaints about the American government, especially about how intimately the Washington D.C. politicians feel they should be involved in the daily lives of their subjects, I mean, citizens. But the flag isn't just a symbol of the American government. It's a symbol of shared American values -- especially our highest common value: freedom.

When it comes to symbolizing freedom and the spirit of '76, I do think there's a better American flag. With all due respect to the stars and stripes, I prefer the yellow Gadsden flag with the coiled rattlesnake and the defiant Don't Tread on Me motto.
The meaning of Old Glory can get mixed up with the rights and wrongs of the perpetually new-and-improved government. The meaning of "Don't Tread on Me" is unmistakable.
There's also an interesting history behind this flag. And it's intertwined with one of American history's most interesting personalities, Ben Franklin.

Benjamin Franklin is famous for his sense of humor. In 1751, he wrote a satirical commentary in his Pennsylvania Gazette suggesting that as a way to thank the Brits for their policy of sending convicted felons to America, American colonists should send rattlesnakes to England.
Three years later, in 1754, he used a snake to illustrate another point. This time not so humorous.

Franklin sketched, carved, and published the first known political cartoon in an American newspaper. It was the image of a snake cut into eight sections. The sections represented the individual colonies and the curves of the snake suggested the coastline. New England was combined into one section as the head of the snake. South Carolina was at the tail. Beneath the snake were the ominous words "Join, or Die."

[Benjamin Franklin's woodcut from May 9, 1754.Newspaper Serial and Government Publications Division,Library of Congress.]

This had nothing to do with independence from Britain. It was a plea for unity in defending the colonies during the French and Indian War. It played off a common superstition of the time: a snake that had been cut into pieces could come back to life if you joined the sections together before sunset.

The snake illustration was reprinted throughout the colonies. Dozens of newspapers from Massachusetts to South Carolina ran Franklin's sketch or some variation of it. For example, the Boston Gazette recreated the snake with the words "Unite and Conquer" coming from its mouth.
I suppose the newspaper editors were hungry for graphic material, this being America's first political cartoon. Whatever the reason, Franklin's snake wiggled its way into American culture as an early symbol of a shared national identity.

The snake symbol came in handy ten years later, when Americans were again uniting against a common enemy.

In 1765 the common enemy was the Stamp Act. The British decided that they needed more control over the colonies, and more importantly, they needed more money from the colonies. The Crown was loaded with debt from the French and Indian War.
Why shouldn't the Americans -- "children planted by our care, nourished by our indulgence," as Charles Townshend of the House of Commons put it -- pay off England's debt?
Colonel Isaac Barre, who had fought in the French and Indian War, responded that the colonies hadn't been planted by the care of the British government, they'd been established by people fleeing it. And the British government hadn't nourished the colonies, they'd flourished despite what the British government did and didn't do.

In this speech, Barre referred to the colonists as "sons of liberty."
In the following months and years, as we know, the Sons of Liberty became increasingly resentful of English interference. And as the tides of American public opinion moved closer and closer to rebellion, Franklin's disjointed snake continued to be used as symbol of American unity, and American independence. For example, in 1774 Paul Revere added it to the masthead of The Massachusetts Spy and showed the snake fighting a British dragon.

[Paul Revere's modified "Join or Die" snake from the mastheadof Thomas's Boston Journal, July 7, 1774. Newspaper Serialand Government Publications Division, Library of Congress.]

[The seal from a 1778 $20 bill from Georgia. The financial backing for these bills was property seized from loyalists. The motto reads "Nemo me impune lacesset," i.e. "No one will provoke me with impunity."]By 1775, the snake symbol wasn't just being printed in newspapers. It was appearing all over the colonies ... on uniform buttons ... on paper money ... and of course, on banners and flags.

The snake symbol morphed quite a bit during its rapid, widespread adoption. It wasn't cut up into pieces anymore. And it was usually shown as an American timber rattlesnake, not a generic serpent

.
We don't know for certain where, when, or by whom the familiar coiled rattlesnake was first used with the warning "Don't Tread on Me."

We do know when it first entered the history books.

In the fall of 1775, the British were occupying Boston and the young Continental Army was holed up in Cambridge, woefully short on arms and ammunition. At the Battle of Bunker Hill, Washington's troops had been so low on gunpowder that they were ordered "not to fire until you see the whites of their eyes."

In October, a merchant ship called The Black Prince returned to Philadelphia from a voyage to England. On board were private letters to the Second Continental Congress that informed them that the British government was sending two ships to America loaded with arms and gunpowder for the British troops.

Congress decided that General Washington needed those arms more than General Howe. A plan was hatched to capture the British cargo ships. They authorized the creation of a Continental Navy, starting with four ships. The frigate that carried the information from England, the Black Prince, was one of the four. It was purchased, converted to a man-of-war, and renamed the Alfred.

To accompany the Navy on their first mission, Congress also authorized the mustering of five companies of Marines. The Alfred and its sailors and marines went on to achieve some of the most notable victories of the American Revolution. But that's not the story we're interested in here.

What's particularly interesting for us is that some of the Marines that enlisted that month in Philadelphia were carrying drums painted yellow, emblazoned with a fierce rattlesnake, coiled and ready to strike, with thirteen rattles, and sporting the motto "Don't Tread on Me."
Benjamin Franklin diverts an idle hour

[Benjamin Franklin, portrait by David Martin, 1767. White House Historical Association.]In December 1775, "An American Guesser" anonymously wrote to the Pennsylvania Journal:
"I observed on one of the drums belonging to the marines now raising, there was painted a Rattle-Snake, with this modest motto under it, 'Don't tread on me.' As I know it is the custom to have some device on the arms of every country, I supposed this may have been intended for the arms of America."

This anonymous writer, having "nothing to do with public affairs" and "in order to divert an idle hour," speculated on why a snake might be chosen as a symbol for America.

First, it occurred to him that "the Rattle-Snake is found in no other quarter of the world besides America."

The rattlesnake also has sharp eyes, and "may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance." Furthermore,
"She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. ... she never wounds 'till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her."

Finally,
"I confess I was wholly at a loss what to make of the rattles, 'till I went back and counted them and found them just thirteen, exactly the number of the Colonies united in America; and I recollected too that this was the only part of the Snake which increased in numbers. ...
"'Tis curious and amazing to observe how distinct and independent of each other the rattles of this animal are, and yet how firmly they are united together, so as never to be separated but by breaking them to pieces. One of those rattles singly, is incapable of producing sound, but the ringing of thirteen together, is sufficient to alarm the boldest man living."

Many scholars now agree that this "American Guesser" was Benjamin Franklin.
Franklin, of course, is also known for opposing the use of an eagle -- "a bird of bad moral character" -- as a national symbol.

Although Benjamin Franklin helped create the American rattlesnake symbol, his name isn't generally attached to the rattlesnake flag. The yellow "don't tread on me" standard is usually called a Gadsden flag, or less commonly, a Hopkins flag.

These two individuals were mulling about Philadelphia at the same time, making their own important contributions to American history and the history of the rattlesnake flag.
Christopher Gadsden was an American patriot if ever there was one. He led Sons of Liberty in South Carolina starting in 1765, and was later made a colonel in the Continental Army. In 1775 he was in Philadelphia representing his home state in the Continental Congress. He was also one of three members of the Marine Committee who decided to outfit and man the Alfred and its sister ships.

Gadsden and Congress chose a Rhode Island man, Esek Hopkins, as the commander-in-chief of the Navy. The flag that Hopkins used as his personal standard on the Alfred is the one we would now recognize. It's likely that John Paul Jones, as the first lieutenant on the Alfred, ran it up the gaff.

[Commodore Hopkins, portrait by C. Corbutt, 1776. Click here for a larger image. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.]

It's generally accepted that Hopkins' flag was presented to him by Christopher Gadsden, who felt it was especially important for the commodore to have a distinctive personal standard. Gadsden also presented a copy of this flag to his state legislature in Charleston. This is recorded in the South Carolina congressional journals:

"Col. Gadsden presented to the Congress an elegant standard, such as is to be used by the commander in chief of the American navy; being a yellow field, with a lively representation of a rattle-snake in the middle, in the attitude of going to strike, and these words underneath, "Don't Tread on Me!"

The Gadsden flag and other rattlesnake flags were widely used during the American Revolution. There was no standard American flag at the time. People were free to choose their own banners.
[Flag of the Culpeper Minute Men.]

The Minutemen of Culpeper County, Virginia, chose a flag that looks generally like the Gadsden flag, but also includes the famous words of the man who organized the Virginia militia, Patrick Henry, i.e. "Liberty or Death."

The First Navy Jack features an uncoiled rattlesnake winding its way across a field of thirteen red and white stripes.
One of the most interesting variations is the flag of Colonel John Proctor's Independent Battalion from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
[Flag of Colonel John Proctor's Battalion, raised in 1775. The "I.B.W.C.P" above the rattlesnake stands for Independent Battalion, Westmoreland County, Pennsyvania.]
Tradition holds that in May 1775, when the citizens of Westmoreland gathered at the Hannastown Tavern and issued their own Declaration of Independence, they tore down the British flag that was flying there and made some modifications. The original flag had an open red field with the British ensign in the upper corner. They painted a coiled rattlesnake and its "Don't Tread on Me" warning onto the center, as if ready to strike at the Union Jack. This flag is one of the few that's still intact. It's at the William Penn Memorial Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

After the Revolution, rattlesnake flags became less common. General Washington and many members of Congress preferred stars, stripes, and more conventional symbols, such as the eagle.
Over the years the Gadsden flag has become more and more associated with rebellion and totally disassociated with pride in one's government. Some say that this makes it a lousy symbol for the Fourth of July. But I say that makes it a great symbol for celebrating the spirit of July 4, 1776.

PENNIES by Joyce Kilmer

2009-03-30T09:25:00.005-05:00

A few long-hoarded pennies in his hand
Behold him stand;
A kilted Hedonist, perplexed and sad.
The joy that once he had,
The first delight of ownership is fled.
He bows his little head.
Ah, cruel Time, to kill
That spendid thrill!

Then in his tear-dimmed eyes
New lights arise.
He drops his treasured pennies on the ground,
They roll and bound
And scattered, rest.
Now with what zest
He runs to find his errant wealth again!

So unto men
Doth God, depriving that He may bestow.
Fame, health and money go,
But that they may, new found, be newly sweet.

Yes, at His feet
Sit, waiting us, to their concealment bid,
All they, our lovers, whom His love hath hid.

Lo, comfort blooms on pain, and peace on strife,
And gain on loss.
What is the key to Everlasting Life?
A blood-stained Cross.

Dollar General and Badminton

2009-03-29T19:35:00.005-05:00

I just returned from the nearby Dollar General. I bought vitamins and dog food. I used to drive an hour to go to Sam's Club to buy my vitamins; liquid ones with all this neat stuff added, like noni juice and pomegranite extract; about 30 dollars a bottle. Today I bought the Dollar General version of one-a-day for women; a 60 day supply for $2.50 minus the noni juice and other extras.

There were several families in there pushing carts; it was rather crowded. They have a brand of dry dog food that can be purchased for $3.95 and it is a 15 lb. bag.
This weekend Jose' and I resurrected a cheap, fun form of recreation; badminton! I remembered playing for hours in my backyard as a child. We bought a set with two racquets and two birdies for under 7 dollars at The Academy. We didn't get the set with the net, it was more than double the price we paid and besides, who needs a net? Our object was not to keep score, but to see how long we could keep the birdie engaged; we played in our front yard and later in my parents driveway. It is also great exercise!

kdr

A RESOUNDING VOICE

2009-03-27T08:49:00.002-05:00

More than just a good tongue lashing......Daniel Hannan speaks the truth to his Prime Minister. My question is this......where is the voice of truth in our Congress?

2009-03-26T11:11:00.002-05:00

HEBREWS 11:3 - By faith we understand that the worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen hath not been made out of things which appear.

I like the faith chapter in Hebrews. But here lately it's been on my mind. Today I started to read it again and couldn't get past verse 3. I read it like 10 times.....then it dawned on me. GOD HAS FAITH!?!?!?

In the beginning the cosmos was created by God.......by faith. I always thought that faith was something that we had to have. I never thought of God having faith. I understand that Jesus had faith his 33 years on earth. I never thought of God having faith prior or post to that time.

How deep does this go?

I will go as far as to say that God can't just have faith.......He is faith. For us to have faith is to be like him. Maybe that's why faith was so important to Jesus when He was on earth. His currency was faith. For us to be Christians we have to continue in that faith. Someone told me a while back......'start off small (in faith)'. Hence the mustard seed.

Keep dwelling........

"The Pig Bomb" Discovery Channel

2009-03-26T09:59:00.003-05:00

This was a program about a wild pig problem primarily in Abbeville, Georgia. It also talked about wild boar hunting in the U.S. and Great Britain. It talked about the Eurasian Boar in Russia.

There were several people who spoke on this documentary. There were several people in Georgia, a guy in England, and a Russian man speaking Russian. But the amusing thing is that only the Russian and a young hog hunter from Georgia had subtitles. The young man from Georgia did speak with an extreme southern accent and some incorrect grammar...but subtitles?!

kdr

TREES

2009-03-24T23:27:00.006-05:00

We both love Trees. In all seasons we enjoy seeing their expressions.

Joyce Kilmer

1886–1918

Trees

I THINK that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

2009-03-24T20:09:00.005-05:00

From the ministry of Bob Jones

http://www.bobjones.org/

While in a trance on the afternoon of July 26, 2008, Bob heard the audible voice of God say “America has forgotten Kate Smith’s song……..God Bless America! They are cursing America more than blessing her with their words. Their words have power. I have not forgotten her; I love her. If they don’t begin to bless America, she will go down!

Bob felt it necessary to issue this warning! Bless America, don’t curse her. God has not given up on her, neither can we. Our words have the power to bless or curse so we need to begin to bless America with our conversation. (Duet 30:14-20)

God Bless America
Lyrics by Irving Berlin

God bless America,
Land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above;

From the mountains to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless America,
My home, sweet home.
God bless America,
My home, sweet home.

March 23, 1775

2009-03-24T16:31:00.007-05:00

I know. I'm a day late in posting this. It's from my book, "The American Patriot's Almanac" by William J. Bennett and John T. E. Cribb.

"With hostilities between Americans and British troops breaking out in New England, Patrick Henry stood in a packed St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia, and made a fiery argument to the Second Virginia Convention that the time had come for the colonies to gather their strength and commit themselves to action. His ringing words still remind us that freedom must be defended:

'Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of Hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?...The battle, sir , is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat, but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged, their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable-and let it come! I repeat, sir, let it come!

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, 'peace, peace'-but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!' "

I felt awhile ago that America's voting for Big Government was in essence comparable to Israel's asking for a king. They felt more secure with a king, not realizing, though Samuel warned them, the consequences that would come with that false security. It's too high a price to pay, y'all. It's not worth it.

1 Samuel 8:

10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who had asked of him a king. 11 He said, “This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. 12 “He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 “He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 “He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants. 15 “He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. 16 “He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. 17 “He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. 18 “Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”

I think it would help to remember our past as we look to our future. Back then, it was King George, now it's King Big Government. But there was courage and hope then, and there is courage and hope now.

In writing this, I would like to say that it's good that those old wounds between Great Britain and America have long ago healed. Since then, we've fought many battles together. I personally will never forget on 9/11/01, I think it was during the changing of the guard, but not sure; anyway, they played "The Star Spangled Banner". How classy is that?!

kdr

SPY CAMERA

2009-03-23T18:20:00.005-05:00

I got the idea a few weeks ago to set up a wildlife camera down at the pond. I just wanted to see what's going on down there. Plus, there had been a few killings over the past several months (mostly ducks and chickens). I just wanted to see who's down at the pond.

Of course Opal set off the camera. She loves to walk between the pond and the barn on a daily basis. She does fly....but prefers to walk.

I was surprised to get a photo of this crane.

Then there's the culprit..........

RACCOON!

Well I guess that's that! Raccoons are notorious for killing ducks and chickens.

WAS IT A MORNING LIKE THIS

2009-03-23T09:11:00.004-05:00

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I first heard this song at an outdoors sunrise service in the 9o's. I was taken with the idea of the earth itself rejoicing that Jesus had risen. kdr

A Poem By Helen Keller

2009-03-21T12:06:00.003-05:00

"They took away what should have been my eyes,
(But I remembered Milton's Paradise).

They took away what should have been my ears,
(Beethoven came and wiped away my tears).

They took away what should have been my tongue,
(But I had talked with God when I was young).

He would not let them take away my soul--
Possessing that, I still possess the whole."

kdr

LAZY WITH THE BLOGS

2009-03-20T21:08:00.003-05:00

So we've been really busy this week.............and lazy about doing blogs.

Work picked up this week for us. Nice! The weather has been wonderful.

I haven't paid too much attention to what's going on in Washington D.C. .......I could guess though......'spend money....blah blah blah.......it's Bush's fault....blah blah blah.....pork......blah blah blah'. I have missed watching Glenn Beck. I was wondering one thing today......I heard on the news that P.B.O. (President Barack Obama) was figuring out the budget all the way to 2019. How can that be? Even if he gets re-elected he'll be out by 2016 (or so). Unless.....he's planning on doing the Chavez thing...do away with term limits. Anyways.....even if P.B.O. gets two terms...how can he control the budget that long. Plus! How can congress do that as well. Hopefully most of those guys will be out next year or the voting cycles after. Shouldn't they budget the gubment this year only?!?! Somebody explain that to me!

Enough of that........

This week has been good. It seems as though there is never enough time in the day to do all that I want to do. Especially now that the sun's setting after 7pm now. The farm animals are loving the spring weather.... the new grass...... warm sun.

Get out and enjoy these beautiful spring days!

O DANNY BOY

2009-03-17T21:37:00.001-05:00

AS ONLY THEY CAN DO IT......

IN HONOUR OF ST. PATRICK

2009-03-17T21:34:00.001-05:00

"Seek the Lord and live..."

2009-03-15T12:06:00.003-05:00

This is a quote from the Spring 2002 issue of The Morning Star Journal by Rick Joyner:

"Resistance to change is one of our most deadly enemies. This is often called 'the tyranny of the familiar' that compels us to derive our security from our environment rather than from our living relationship with the Lord. That is why we are warned in Amos 5:5-6:

' But do not seek Bethel, nor enter Gilgal, nor pass over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing. Seek the Lord and live...'

All three of these places were where Israel experienced previous visitations from the Lord. He was saying by this not to seek the places where He visited in the past, but seek the person of the Lord."

There are so many changes effecting me right now; from personal relationships to national issues. I don't think that most of the changes taking place in the government are good ones. I believe that the ones in my relationships are for the ultimate good. But whether are not they are good; they are all hard.

When I read the letter from Rick, I began to realize just how very much I derived my own security from my environment instead of my relationship with the Lord. I have to determine daily to "seek the Lord and live..."

kdr

Okra

2009-03-10T17:50:00.006-05:00

Every spring my dad plants a garden and okra is always included. We were wondering where it came from. We found that it originated in Ethiopia. It was exported from there to Egypt via the Nile River. It was carried into Spain by the Moors; then from Spain to France. When the French settled Louisiana, they brought it with them.

I help in the garden every year. But I usually stay away from the okra. It is very prickly and causes me to itch and sting. If I do gather it, I wear long sleeves and gloves.

This year, my sister and her family are going to come and help plant the garden. I'm really looking forward to it. Maybe we'll grill out and make ice cream!

kdr

Each In His Own Tongue by William Herbert Carruth

2009-03-09T15:46:00.006-05:00

A fire mist and a planet,
A crystal and a cell,
A jellyfish and a saurian,
And caves where the cave men dwell;
Then a sense of law and beauty,
And a face turned from the clod —
Some call it Evolution,

And others call it God.

A haze on the far horizon,
The infinite, tender sky,
The ripe, rich tint of the cornfields,
And the wild geese sailing high;
And all over upland and lowland
The charm of the goldenrod —
Some of us call it Autumn,
And others call it God.

Like tides on a crescent sea beach,
When the moon is new and thin,
Into our hearts high yearnings
Come welling and surging in;
Come from the mystic ocean,
Whose rim no foot has trod —
Some of us call it Longing,
And others call it God.

A picket frozen on duty,
A mother starved for her brood,
Socrates drinking the hemlock,
And Jesus on the rood;
And millions who, humble and nameless,
The straight, hard pathway plod —
Some call it Consecration,
And others call it God.

A THOUGHT OR TWO

2009-03-08T21:47:00.005-05:00

ROMANS 8:

35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You know....God really knows what He's doing.

I've been thinking on these verses all day today. I believe that God's plans and purposes are eternal. He is working through all of this economic turmoil.....shaking all that can be shook. That includes me! There's a shaking going on in my life right now.....really in my family. But I know deep in my heart it'll be fine. Why? Nothing can separate us from the love of God. You either believe it or you don't. That's what I tell myself. You either walk in faith or fear. My thoughts lately have been on the state of our nation and the direction we're heading...as are most people. Regardless of what comes out of D.C........I have to keep my focus centered on God.

My hopes are that the events that are taking place now will cause us (as a nation) to redirect our focus and values toward God. I know that regardless of what happens God's love will never change for us.....but I also know that chastisement comes out of love too.

Revelation 3:

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

FUNNY STORY

2009-03-05T22:16:00.002-06:00

A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So, the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day.
The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room. He decided to send an email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address, and without realizing his error, he sent the email.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband’s funeral. He was a minister who was called home to glory following a heart attack. The widow decided to check her email expecting messages from family and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted. The widow’s son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor passed out.

He looked at the computer which read:

To: My Loving WifeSubject: I’ve ArrivedDate: March 2, 2009

I know you’re surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones. I’ve just arrived and have been checked in. I’ve seen that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then!!!!
Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

P.S. Sure is freaking hot down here!!!!

WAITING by John Burroughs

2009-03-05T22:07:00.005-06:00

Serene, I fold my hands and wait,
Nor care for wind, nor tide, nor sea;
I rave no more 'gainst time or fate,
For lo! my own shall come to me.
I stay my haste, I make delays,
For what avails this eager pace?
I stand amid the eternal ways,
And what is mine shall know my face.
Asleep, awake, by night or day,
The friends I seek are seeking me;
No wind can drive my bark astray,
Nor change the tide of destiny.
What matter if I stand alone?
I wait with joy the coming years;
My heart shall reap where it hath sown,
And garner up its fruit of tears.
The waters know their own and draw
The brook that springs in yonder height;
So flows the good with equal law
Unto the soul of pure delight.
The stars come nightly to the sky;
The tidal wave unto the sea;
Nor time, nor space, nor deep, nor high,
Can keep my own away from me.

Integrity and Humility

2009-03-04T22:58:00.006-06:00

The following is from a book by Rick Joyner entitled, "Leadership, Mangement and the Five Essentials for Success".

"Integrity is more than just being honest, it is doing what is right...Even the greatest leaders make mistakes. The better the leader you are the more costly and visible your mistakes will be. Recovering from mistakes is an important test of true leadership ability. Complete recovery will not take place without accepting such mistakes and taking responsibility for them. The greatest leaders learn to turn their failures into opportunities for achievement and victory. In many cases failures will turn into the best opportunities for victory. Wellington, Napoleon and Lee accomplished some of their greatest victories because of their ability to turn their enemy's achievements into traps for defeating them. The Japanese used defeat in war as a springboard for economic victory in peacetime. Vision and leadership can turn the worst catastrophe into opportunity.

To his credit General Lee never blamed anyone but himself for the defeat at Gettysburg. His subordinates failed him a number of times in that battle; the compounded effect of these failures led him to make the desparate decision that led to defeat. But Lee never mentioned any of his subordinates' failures. After the war when one of these generals publicly and bitterly blamed Lee for the defeat, Lee agreed with him. This humilty endeared Lee to the entire world; he actually became the most respected man in the nation after the war. His humility soon caused even his worst critics to acknowledge him as one of the great men of their times."

Hope and Simplicity...

2009-03-04T22:38:00.007-06:00

This is another passage from the writings of Rick Joyner. His website has a word of the week. It's entitled "Discerning the Times". I think it currently has 19 parts. I don't recall which one this is from.

"As things tend to get increasingly complicated in the world, one of the ways that we can be a light is to keep the simplicity of devotion to Christ. He is the answer to every problem we have. The ultimate witness of the gospel of the Kingdom is that the King is coming and He will fix everything.

Don't ever forget that, and it is just as good a promise for our personal lives as it is for the world. Even if we are in a mess because of our own foolishness, greed, or any other sin, the world likewise is in its mess for the same reasons. He did not come to condemn, but to save."

kdr

If...by Rudyard Kipling

2009-03-03T23:09:00.006-06:00

by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

but make allowance for their doubting too:

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;

If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same:.

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings,

And never breathe a word about your loss:

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!

THE MORE YOU KNOW

2009-03-03T21:19:00.002-06:00

.........the less you really know.

That's definitely the case with me. I had one of those moments Sunday where I came to the end of my wits and decided that I don't know a thing.

But I'm cool with that.

There is such a depth and richness to God and the bible.

ROMANS 11:33
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

AIN'T THAT THE TRUTH!

2009-02-28T22:39:00.002-06:00

THE FOOL'S PRAYER

by: Edward Rowland Sill (1841-1887)

The royal feast was done; the King
Sought some new sport to banish care,
And to his jester cried: "Sir Fool,
Kneel now, and make for us a prayer!"

The jester doffed his cap and bells,
And stood the mocking court before;
They could not see the bitter smile
Behind the painted grin he wore.

He bowed his head, and bent his knee
Upon the Monarch's silken stool;
His pleading voice arose: "O Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool!

"No pity, Lord, could change the heart
From red with wrong to white as wool;
The rod must heal the sin: but Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool!

"'T is not by guilt the onward sweep
Of truth and right, O Lord, we stay;
'T is by our follies that so long
We hold the earth from heaven away.

"These clumsy feet, still in the mire,
Go crushing blossoms without end;
These hard, well-meaning hands we thrust
Among the heart-strings of a friend.

"The ill-timed truth we might have kept--
Who knows how sharp it pierced and stung?
The word we had not sense to say--
Who knows how grandly it had rung!

"Our faults no tenderness should ask.
The chastening stripes must cleanse them all;
But for our blunders -- oh, in shame
Before the eyes of heaven we fall.

"Earth bears no balsam for mistakes;
Men crown the knave, and scourge the tool
That did his will; but Thou, O Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool!"

The room was hushed; in silence rose
The King, and sought his gardens cool,
And walked apart, and murmured low,
"Be merciful to me, a fool!"