Will RogersHave you noticed that Congress seems to live in the land of “good intentions?” Some call it an “alternate universe.” It’s a place of love, happiness and prosperity.
How many times have you heard our legislators proudly proclaim that their legislation will bring world peace, end poverty, end hunger, end unemployment, put a chicken in every pot, cure cancer, clean up the environment, stop terrorism, and leave no child behind.
Noble goals indeed, but without fail there are always unintended consequences which create the opposite effect. The “War on Poverty” hasn’t ended poverty despite spending untold billions of dollars. Treaties never seem to bring peace, extending unemployment benefits seems to correlate with more unemployment, and cleaning up the environment seems to mean that nobody can live, work on, or enjoy the land any more.
The fact that the programs don’t accomplish their original goal, by any measurement, and cause more trouble that good, doesn’t seem to make any difference. In fact, the more colossal the failure, the more money is demanded to finish the work. Just the other day a high administration official remarked that the stimulus spending did what it was supposed to, and that we needed even more money to finish the job!
Will Rogers was concerned about an ineffective gathering of “our boys [and girls]” in Congress in 1931. I’m even more concerned about them gathering today! Not only are they ineffective, they are killing us with “good intentions,” because people are still hungry and unemployed.
Well, the Capitol grounds may be a place of love, happiness and prosperity, but if you wander down the wrong street a couple of miles away, you better be packin’ heat and be wearing a bullet-proof vest.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
I’ve been through some uneasy work situations where it seemed that people were against me and there was no recourse, no where to take my complaint. I felt alone, like the penguin in the picture.
My situation is pretty insignificant compared to Christian martyrs of the past, believers who suffered because of their faith in Christ. The New Testament, particularly the book of Acts gives several examples of persecution against Christians and how God gave them a fearlessness as they put their trust in Him.
The trial and crucifixion of Jesus is one of the most extreme examples of enemies proudly attacking a person because of their faith. On the cross, we see the most horrible picture of “what flesh can do” to a person. With complete trust in God and confidence in the Word, Jesus was not afraid, and because of that we have salvation through his sacrifice.
Dear Lord, Help me to not be afraid of circumstances, but to put my trust in you and your Word. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 56 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
There is hardly any place in Scripture that conveys such passion and exuberance for God as Psalm 103.
Words can hardly describe the praise we would give to the Lord from our inmost being, from the depths of our soul. Even Mr. Billy Goat seems to be quite excited in the picture, as if he could shout “Praise the Lord!”
The Psalmist says that we should praise the Lord because of all the benefits we receive from Him. What are the benefits we receive from our God and King? Forgiveness, healing and redemption are available to those who love and serve Him. We are also crowned with love and compassion.
Dear Lord, Help me to not forget all your benefits, especially the forgiveness that Christ bought for us on the cross. Let my passion for you grow stronger each day. Praise the Lord! Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 103 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Below is an extra treat! The Sons of Korah have put Psalm 103 to music. Listen to a sample below and purchase your own copy at the iTunes store by clicking on the button.
| Psalm 103:1-5 – Rain Album |  |
Years ago, when our oldest daughter was a toddler, she had experienced some seizures. She had a scan done which produced an X-ray type of output and the doctor saw what appeared to be a growth on her brain. We immediately scheduled an appointment with a pediatric neurosurgeon.
The Psalmist always seems to be able to describe my emotions, as he says “my spirit is overwhelmed within me.” For the days leading up to the next appointment I could think of nothing else, except my precious daughter’s condition. God had done so many wonderful things in my life, but now this.
As we waited for the neurosurgeon, his assistant took the X-ray and made some basic observations. Our daughter was playing with an emory board.
When the neurosurgeon came in a short time later, he looked at our daughter as she played, and then told us that there was nothing wrong with her! The “growth” was an artifact of the scanner. The burden was lifted off our backs. The relief was profound.
As I ponder the way in which the Lord has guided us though life, and the lessons of each trial, I hope that it has taught me to long even more for Him. The barren landscape in the image is a parched land that longs for water as I should long for the Lord.
Dear Lord, help me to long for you and quench my thirst with your word, that I may follow you more closely.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 143 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
“Before the first of the stars began to shine!” We were on God’s mind in eternity past, when the covenant was formed, and Jesus expressed his love for each of us (his elect) as he became party to it. Can we even begin to comprehend ages so vast, or love so deep?
Words and images are simply inadequate in describing concepts such as everlasting and eternity. Spurgeon’s imagery, however is beautifully stated and wonderful to ponder. The background image is from a NASA photograph of deep space, to give further perspective to the long ages of eternity.
But how can I know if I am one of God’s elect? Because of God’s love for his people, he will surely communicate his love and salvation to us. There are several ways He communicates. God has provided his Word to us, the Bible, to communicate the gospel message to us personally. Pastors and christian friends share God’s word with us, and finally God’s Holy Spirit actively works in our lives. We are not alone!
If you are unsure of God’s grace and salvation in your life, pray for His help, and look for His answer. Complete assurance of salvation may not come all at once, but it will grow over time.
Dear Lord, Grant me a deeper understanding of your eternal love. Speak to me through your Word, christian friends and by your Holy Spirit, that I may know your salvation and be counted among your elect. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Being searched at the airport now days is quite an experience. Your bags are checked with X-ray machines, and full-body scans render you naked on somebody’s screen. You body and possessions are fully exposed to try and determine if you are a terrorist threat.
The one thing that they can’t do at the airport security station is determine the intent of your heart. If they could do that, no other security measure would be needed.
Exposing yourself to airport security is humiliating, which is why there is so much controversy about it. The Psalmist, however, says “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” This is a much deeper exposure and intimacy which takes a great deal of humility.
Our tendency is to want to hide ourselves from God, just like Adam and Eve tried to hide themselves in the garden after eating the forbidden fruit. Opening up to the Lord can bring great blessings though. The Psalmist asks “lead me in the everlasting way.” The image shows a beautiful, peaceful wooded path to go with this Psalm.
Dear Lord, Help me to open up to you, even if just a little. Search me and know my heart, and help me to know you better. Lead me in your path and teach me your ways. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 139 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Will RogersLike Will Rogers says, when Congress adjourns you can count it a blessing. Well, almost. You see, the problem is that during their recess, they all return to their districts where they stir up trouble with fundraising and campaign speeches.
The only way to get rid of them is for them to return to Washington, but that means Congress is back in session, which means watch out for your freedoms, and hold on to your wallet.
What to do? If the current crop doesn’t do their job, get rid of them in the next election and hope the next batch does what’s right for the country.
Image Info: Will Rogers loved to fly. With his busy schedule, it was the fastest way to get places. From open cockpits to the dawn of commercial aviation, he was constantly in the air.
The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
My prayers always seem to be most earnest when I’m in the midst of a difficulty, when I’m sinking, or when I’ve gone under. When Peter was distracted by the wind and waves in Matthew 14 he began to sink. At that point Peter cried out for Jesus to save him.
I’m so thankful that even when we get distracted, Jesus is merciful and hears our frantic prayers. May the Lord help us to remain focused on Him!
I chose this picture of the walrus to go with the Spurgeon quote. This strange creature doesn’t look like it should float, yet it is perfectly adapted for the water.
I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Sin is so repulsive to us that we try to cover it any way we can. We rationalize it, hide it, laugh at it, or try to balance it with good works. None of this actually works in the long run because we still have a sense of shame. We know instinctively that something is wrong and needs to be addressed.
If you believe the Bible, the problem of sin is as old as the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve tried to hide from God, and covered themselves with leaves to further mask their shame.
If you don’t believe the Bible, I have a simple question for you. Why do you wear clothes? It’s not just because of the weather, is it? Covering specific parts of your body is as old as the Garden of Eden.
Covering our sin is as important as covering our body. The shame of having no covering is to painful to bear. But, while covering our body is simple, covering our sin is not. In fact, it is impossible to cover our sin without God’s help. There’s simply too much of it, and even if part of it can be hidden, other sins become visible.
The Psalmist says in this passage, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” In the Bible, we find that it was Jesus who bore OUR sins upon the cross. The beaten and bloody body of Christ was hung on the cross, naked, for all to see. The ugliness and shame were real, personal, deep, painful. Jesus did that for me, for you, that our sins might be covered if we believe.
Dear Lord, Please cover my sins. I ask for your forgiveness and your help. Take my shame, and give me life. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 32 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
This quote from Will Rogers in March of 1932 is certainly relevant today! Sometimes when I read one of his brilliant humorous quotes, I have to laugh out loud. But as I ponder the meaning, it sends a chill up my spine. This is one of those quotes.
One of the reasons it costs so much to govern today is because we are over-governed ten times as much. Federal programs and regulatory agencies reach into virtually every area of our lives – health care, food, property, transportation, etc.
The latest victim of government over-regulation it our old buddy Tony the Tiger. It seems that the FTC, CDC, FDA and DOA have linked Tony and his evil friends to childhood obesity. Either make your cereal taste like cardboard, or fear the wrath of the Federal Government.
This administration seems to have blundered into about every possible means to drive a business into bankruptcy. After one oil spill, they shut down all drilling. Insurance companies don’t insure everybody, so why not force them to? Force airlines to pay for tighter security and then humiliate passengers and make them late for their flights. You have to seriously wonder if anybody in the current administration has ever run a business in the real-world.
Recently, the president complained that automation, in the form of ATM machines, was the reason for the lack of hiring. Now, this might explain the huge surge in government hiring. Rather than use computers, and put accountants out of work, the government must be getting rid of outdated computers, COBOL programmers and IT staff; ordering truckloads of paper ledgers, #2 pencils and thousands of accountants that just graduated from college and couldn’t find a job.
Business people learn from failure. If something isn’t working, or isn’t profitable, they move on. In government, spectacular program failures are rewarded with more funding. Our Vice President put it best with this quote: “Just because the stimulus was a monumental failure, doesn’t mean it’s not working.”
I think we should all stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Tony the Tiger and demand some common sense from Washington. We’re tired of paying ten times as much to fund a government that cannot govern one-tenth as good, as Will Rogers says.
In this image, Will Rogers is shown in front of the pontoon aircraft flown by Wiley Post on the fateful Alaska trip. On August 15, 1935 the aircraft crashed killing both men. It was a sad day for America.
The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
Will RogersI was shocked when I came across this Will Rogers quote. He was referring to an industry convention of motion picture producers at the time. I normally think of Shirley Temple movies from this time period, not movies with sexual content.
Can you imagine stepping through a time warp from 1934 to today to witness the filth that saturates every broadcast medium today? It seems that Hollywood is always pressing the limits of decency, portraying all manners of social and sexual deviancy as justifiable and even normal.
Somewhere along the way however, movie makers discovered that consumers wanted to see “an old fashioned movie,” as Will Rogers says.
Image Information: This image is a Will Rogers’ publicity shot from the late 1920s or early 1930s.
The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
Will RogersAs usual, Will nails it with a quote from 1933! It’s not just that people look to government, but government entitlement programs draw people in. The government creates dependents who don’t need to do much of anything but draw their government check each month.
It seems that the bigger government grows, the more people expect. Unfortunately, failed programs and broken lives litter the landscape. Perhaps smaller government and more independent people are the better way.
The picture is from the 1935 Will Rogers movie The County Chairman. Will plays Jim Hackler, a local party-boss in a Wyoming county, who has to decide to do what’s right and lose the election, or what’s wrong and win.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
I forget lots of things, people’s names, phone numbers, where I left the keys, important papers, etc. I didn’t mention family birthdays, because some things you don’t dare forget!
Things that are close to me, aren’t forgotten as easily, like family relationships. When others become a part of my circle of friends, it takes a while before I remember names and details. If I value the relationship, I make the effort to be with friends more often so I won’t forget them.
Can you remember when you first turned to God? Can you remember when you first read some of the great stories from the Bible? Can you remember a particularly meaningful sermon you heard? Can you remember an event where God did a significant work in your life? Do you remember when a friend brought you encouragement from the Lord, when you needed it?
As we walk with the Lord, we gather memories, from Scripture, from preaching, from people and from experience. Spurgeon’s quote encourages us to put these memories in perspective, and to never forget that God is able to “fulfil his own promises.”
Dear Lord, Help me remember that you “uphold the universe,” and that you fulfill your promises. If I have strayed, receive me back as I remember your goodness and grace to me. Let the memories from today increase my faith, and love for you tomorrow. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Our form of government is truly amazing. Power peacefully changes hands as often as every four years. Votes and not machine guns determine the outcome of elections. If you don’t approve of who is in office, there’s always the next election.
The image is from one of Rogers’ silent movies called Jubilo from February 1920. Rogers plays a lazy roving hobo who encounters a rancher’s pretty daughter and reforms, slowly, painfully, but completely.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
Will RogersBack in 1934, Will Rogers indicates that folks were concerned about sensational advertising. Today, they’ve just about run out of sensational things to use. It all seems pretty boring, and nothing is shocking any more.
I have to disagree with Will on his statement that “You can’t make a picture as bad as the ads lead you to believe it is.” How do you explain movies like “Aliens vs. Cowboys?!”
It makes you question the theory of evolution. Are motion pictures evolving to a higher, more noble art form, or are they deteriorating into random collections of moral depravity?
There are some bright spots in the motion picture offerings these days however. Perhaps the viewers will choose the more noble and uplifting movies and leave the “sensational” ones to the dust bin of motion picture history.
Image Info: Will Rogers and Dizzy Dean at the 1934 World Series. Jay Hanna “Dizzy” Dean (January 16, 1910, Lucas, Arkansas – July 17, 1974) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953.
The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1930s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.
Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.
I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.
When I went to vote, I had to stand in line. I don’t like to wait, I’m pretty impatient. I did get to visit with friends, but I would rather have been on my way. There’s no better picture of patience than the penguin. Male penguins sit atop their nest for weeks in order to …
Have you left the church? Do you find problems with the pastor or certain people there? From this quote you might ask, “how can Christ delight in the church, and how is it beautiful?” Those people are unfriendly, hypocrites… and the list goes on! I have to learn every day, with God’s help, that I …
Will RogersIn this quote from April 23, 1933 Rogers indicates people are worried about inflation. Recently the Fed expressed its concern about inflation. With the current economy, and all the brilliant economic minds saying different things, I’m not sure what to think. I think I’m actually both confused and worried according to Rogers. I’m worried …
These past years have been a financial struggle for us, as it has for many of you. Financial struggles, however, seem to teach us how to depend on God to meet our needs. One of the things we did was to drop the cable TV expense. Interestingly, my wife and I, and three kids don’t …
Rogers understands nationalistic pride, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We should be proud of our country. The problem comes when such pride is bent on the destruction of other countries. Germany under Hitler would be a good example. Even today, there are problems. The leader of Iran says that Israel must be wiped off …
Being searched at the airport now days is quite an experience. Your bags are checked with X-ray machines, and full-body scans render you naked on somebody’s screen. You body and possessions are fully exposed to try and determine if you are a terrorist threat. The one thing that they can’t do at the airport security …
“The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.”—Will Rogers It’s just a simple printing press, but it just happens to be the printing press in Washington that prints our money, and it’s got the whole world upset. Everybody knows printing more money brings trouble. Let’s hope …
Praising God is special. For who he is, for what He does, for good or bad, in any circumstance, we can praise God. Praising God in the congregation with song is, to me, even more special. I don’t sing very good, but when the congregation sings together, I can lift my voice as well. There’s …
Have you ever been blamed for something you didn’t do? I think all of us have at some time or another. Actually, movie plots are filled with these types of stories. The protagonist is cast out of society unjustly and has to fight against the odds to prove their innocence. The Psalms are filled with …
How could Rogers know the consequences of cutting back on our defense in 1933? He had lived through WWI, peace conferences, and disarmament talks, and he had an amazing insight into human nature. Today we have many of the same issues. We look to the UN for peace talks. We talk about nuclear disarmament. Some …
