A refuge is a place of safety and shelter. It is a place that offers protection from any dangers that may affect us from outside. It is a place where we can find rest.
An example of refuge for many of us, would be the arms of our parents when we were young. They were arms that would comfort us when upset, and protect us when threatened. It is the instinct of a parent to protect a child from harm by wrapping their arms around the child, in times of trouble.
To a young child, the arms of the parent are strong. To the child, a father’s arms are the strongest in the whole world. The same arms that can lift heavy weights and wield hammer and tong, can gently lay a sleeping child to rest.
In this picture, there is power to destroy in the waves and rocks. No ship would dare to venture there. On our TV sets, we can witness first-hand the power of nature in natural disasters. We can see and feel the fear from events such as earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, tsunamis, and great storms.
Yet even in the midst of such violent natural disasters, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” If God cares about us in the midst of big events, perhaps He even cares about all the little things that happen to us.
Dear Lord, Wrap me in your arms, not only during the times of turmoil, but also during the little trials that come during each day. Be my refuge during them all. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 46 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.
I’ve been afraid on a few occasions – a near collision on the highway, taxi rides in N.Y. City, almost falling off a ladder.
You know the feeling. Your hands start shaking and your heart is racing. It’s not the time to think about sleep, in fact you may have trouble sleeping for a few days as you ponder what might have happened.
The Psalmist says that he “will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.” This takes amazing confidence and faith. I get concerned if even one person is angry at me, yet we have an image of the Psalmist facing battle and certain death as hordes of adversaries gather against him. The Psalmist sleeps and wakes because the Lord sustains him.
Dear Lord, Help my faith to grow so that I can rest confidently in the knowledge that you care, protect and provide for me moment by moment. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 3 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 3 to music. Listen to a sample below and purchase your own copy at the iTunes store by clicking on the button.
| Psalm 3 – Rain Album |  |
Will RogersJust like Will Rogers said in 1932, voters seemed to “vote against all of ’em” recently. The funny thing was that the Democrats were the ones that overwhelmingly got voted against. The other funny thing is that the Democrats were the ones that didn’t seem to have a clue what the voters were going to do.
I think it works the other way around as well. No politician is going to do anything a voter thinks he will do. The voters didn’t have a clue what the legislators were going to do as we entered the previous legislative cycle.
Healthcare? We didn’t know congress was going to take over one sixth of the economy. Bailouts? Who ever thought GM would become Government Motors. Stimulus and deficit spending? Congress seems to be fine with the idea that our children will pay for it.
Well, the voters voted against ’em all right. They cleaned house. Next time, politicians might want to take note of how the voters feel when they veer off the road of common sense.
This picture was taken during the Will Rogers-Wiley Post ill-fated Alaska trip in August of 1935. Famous Aviator Wiley Post is pictured standing on the pontoon of the aircraft.
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.
One of several reoccurring themes through the Psalms is God’s concern for the poor and oppressed. In Psalm 41, the Lord promises blessings and protection for those who consider the poor.
The Church and God’s people have always had a roll in ministering to the poor. Not only do they look after the needs for health care, clothing, food, and shelter, spiritual needs are considered important as well.
Why should I care about the poor? Because I was once destitute and without hope before someone shared the gospel with me. Because the church and God’s people have helped me with physical needs during difficult times. Because “Blessed is the one who considers the poor!”
Dear Lord, Help me to consider the poor, because I once was poor. Let my gratitude be my motivation, and my Your Spirit give me the strength. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 41 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.
Day to day, I tend to think of myself as eternal. When I go to sleep, I believe that I will wake to another day, and another, and another. When I look around, I expect the buildings and landscape to be the same day to day, year to year. Certainly, the stars in this beautiful NASA image will remain forever.
Then there are those circumstances that remind me of the transitory nature of life. Things change – a friend passes away, a landmark building is demolished, or we move to a new house.
In Psalm 102, the Psalmist comments on the eternal nature of God. I love the imagery of the Psalms. Those “eternal” stars, the heavens, will “wear out like a garment.” It took me four years to wear out a pair of tennis shoes, but stars take a bit longer.
Dear Lord, You are eternal, I am not. This body will wear out. Lord I want to be with you when that happens. Jesus makes that possible – let me come to know him now. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 102 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.
God remembers our prayers! He knows our needs. He cares about His children. What great comfort we can take in this knowledge.
The heavens are vast, as shown in this NASA photograph. Just as the Lord remembers each and every star, he can remember our prayers and fulfill them to our delight, as Spurgeon says.
Yet despair and discouragement always seem to be close at hand as we wait. When our faith is tried, it is important to realize that is when our faith grows. Continue in “earnest supplication,” persevere, hang on, dear child of God!
As we have seen in other Psalms, we need to look back and remember what God has done for us, how He has answered prayers and blessed us, even when we don’t deserve it. God knows our future as we see our past. It is all for His glory.
Dear Lord, Let me glorify you and enjoy you forever. As I pray, help my faith to grow each day, even through discouragement and hard times. Help me to always engage in earnest supplication. 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.
Will RogersWill Rogers attended peace/disarmament conferences during the 1920s and early 1930s, mostly for the humor value. He would telegraph his observations back to U.S. newspapers, such as the January 28, 1930 quote seen here, that ran in his Daily Telegraph syndicated column.
As a keen observer of legislative politics in the U.S., Rogers knew that international politics would hopelessly bog down any “peace” progress with procedures and committees. Rogers also knew that anything approaching common sense would never come out of any conference, therefore dooming any results or treaty to failure in any practical sense.
He was right in 1930, and he is still right today. Starry-eyed dreamers hold up worthless treaties and declare “world peace” while compromising the ability of the U.S. to keep the peace with strong defensive capability backed up with unmatched offensive technology.
Such a display of weakness has encouraged rogue nations to aggressively pursue their own weapons programs that threaten entire regions of the world. Common sense left when the conference met to appoint a commission to appoint a delegation to appoint a subcommittee.
Image Information: Will Rogers loved just about anything that involved horses. He had a polo field built on his property in California and would play matches with his friends, as can be seen in this picture.
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 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.
There are so many great opportunities in government employment these days. With the great pay and benefits, who wants to work in the private sector any more. In fact, government employment is so good, why have a private sector at all?
Recently I learned that there were over 80 jobs available in the Federal Government as tanning salon inspectors. What could be more exciting than examining the books and customers at tanning salons across the country?
If you love to read, you can get a job as a regulator in the EPA. The new EPA regulations required for monitoring green house gasses (GHG) requires lengthy reports from small businesses across the fruited plain. Even if a small business doesn’t need to monitor their GHG emissions, they still need to submit a lengthy report explaining why not. Not only do they need an army of report readers, they need an army of new inspectors to visit every business that has a gas powered engine or storage tank of fluid that might belch out dangerous gasses.
If you love animals you could become a member of the elite bovine flatulation research team. Your mission is to put a cork in the emission of deadly gasses into the atmosphere. Applicants must be vegan, and are required to wear protective clothing, hard hat, hearing protection, respirator and face shield.
If you love to dream, then OSHA is the place for you. Dreaming up new ways people can hurt themselves with common everyday items and then writing new business regulations can be exciting. Oil workers are now safer in their white coveralls that must be changed when soiled by a drop of oil. Day care centers now deploy haz-mat teams in the changing areas to better handle toxic waste.
Applying for a government job is easy. Just sign up at your local unemployment offices. The 12 language 200 page application form is designed to prepare you for your new career as a government employee.
Image Info At the time of his death in 1935, Will Rogers was a major box office draw, second only to a very young Shirley Temple. Movies were only one of the reasons for Will Rogers’ popularity. He was a daily syndicated columnist, radio commentator, humorist and political mover and shaker. If you look closely at the images, you will faintly see the words: “The most beloved man of the masses.” Will Rogers was a great man, an inspiring personality, and is worth remembering even today.
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.
When my children were little, they would come to me for protection and help. “Daddy, he wouldn’t share his crayons, and he hit me!” I would comfort my child by holding them in my arms and try to correct the crayon sharing problem. When all was resolved, they would climb down and go about their business.
Just as my children knew where their “hiding place” was, God provides us with a hiding place where we can go for comfort. Just as the bird in the picture has a safe place among the rocks, God provides us a safe place when we need protection.
As I share these Psalms with you day-by-day, I have noticed that God’s word is always a necessary part of the Psalmist’s message. In this Psalm, in order to enter God’s hiding place, we must hope in his word.
Dear Lord, help us to know your word better, that we may find a hiding place and that we may be upheld according to your word. Amen
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 119 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes KJV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Systems of Merritt, Inc. has added some great new features to its line of iPhone applications.
The help and tips options give the user lots of information on how to use the program. The splash screen option simply shows the splash screen.
Staying in touch with customers is important to Systems of Merritt, and the contact Frank option allows the user to easily compose and send an email directly to the developer.
The information section has some additional useful options. If you want to know were the images came from touch the credit option. The share option is a great way to share the quote and image to a friend. If you enjoy the application, please use the rate this app option so that others will know. The option takes you to the iTunes store where you can add your ratings and comments to the app page.
Finally, there is a products option that will list all of the Systems of Merritt products. If you enjoy this product, you might also enjoy on of our other fine products.
Are there some more features you would really like to see? Let us know with a quick note from the email the developer option. We love to hear from our users!
There is perhaps no more beautiful expression of a desire to seek God than “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Once the image is in your mind, you can never forget it. Musicians have crafted it into their melodies (see Sons of Korah below) so we can sing it in the congregation or hum it to ourselves.
Yet the Psalmist, just like all of us, struggles with the question “Where is your God?” We pour out our hearts with tears as doubts creep in and our desire to seek God grows chill. What can I do?
I can remember happier days. Days when my heart was on fire, days when worship excited my soul. Those memories of God’s blessings can help carry us through the times of doubt, but why do we have to go through the valleys? Perhaps, because during time in the valley, my faith can grow even stronger. As my soul begins to thirst after better days I can “pant for streams of water.” I can be drawn toward Christ, the living water (John 4:10).
Dear Lord, Let me thirst for you. Let the dry times increase my desire for you, not diminish it. Let me remember past blessings and praise you for all you have done for me. Let me drink of the living water. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 42 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 42 to music. Listen to a sample below and purchase your own copy at the iTunes store by clicking on the button.
| Psalm 42a – Rain Album | |
If ever a Will Rogers quote was relevant today, it is this one. When I send my hard-earned money off to Washington, I hope that they would spend it wisely. Is that too much to ask?
Apparently so! When I hear about the pork barrel spending and waste, it just burns my grits. We’re talking about huge amounts of money here folks. When a government accountant sneezes, a million dollars goes up in smoke. When a politician blinks, a billion dollars vanishes and when the president gives a speech, wealth disappears.
The President is a rich guy. His tax bill this past year was over $400,000. He talks about the rich people needing to pay their fair share, but if I sent that kind of money to the government, I would expect a “thanks,” and a little accountability.
Instead, my money is spent on failed programs, by the billions. We have a Federal Education department that hasn’t improved education by any measurable result. The War on Poverty has had more negative results than positive. Yet we hear how important these programs are, and that more money is needed to fix the problems they created in the first place.
Any belief that elected officials in this administration posses any special wisdom and common sense went out the window when the Vice President said: “Just becaust the Recovery Act was a monumental failure, does not mean that it is not working.”
My only hope is that candidates in the next election come up with something better to offer than empty promises. Is that too much to ask?
Image Info: Wiley Post is pictured with Will Rogers in this colorized image. Post was one of the most famous aviators of the 1930s, and set records for high-altitude and round-the-world flights. Rogers and Post were killed in a plane crash in Alaska in August of 1935.
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.
When we see a beautiful sunset it can trigger a moment of thanksgiving and praise to God. It speaks of the order and wonder of the universe put into place by the Lord for our well being and pleasure. This simple event that happens each day also speaks of eternity as we consider its vast distances and unending regularity.
The sunset image fits well with Psalm 72 and I hope it will help us remember to praise the eternal God and “increase His name” in our lives daily.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 72 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 RogersWill RogersHow come we’re in such an economic mess with a “sea of [government] economists” and a Treasury Secretary who runs the IRS, but can’t get his own taxes right? These guys just stimulated the economy into oblivion, and now are printing money and raising taxes to make up the difference. Every market that comes to their attention, they have managed to throw into chaos – oil, health care, auto, private aircraft, travel, airline, and the list goes on. It’s like pulling legs off a crawdad! Each missing leg slows it down, until finally it can’t move at all.
Now, Will Rogers was a man of common sense, and I think most of us regular people are as well. We know that you can’t continually spend more than you make and have a stable economy. We know that you shouldn’t overburden industry with regulations that are ineffective and useless. We know that you can’t overtax people and expect economic growth.
And by the way, don’t try to push the class envy, “tax the rich” argument. Can you argue that their money does more good taken by the government in taxes, or spent in the economy? Let them spend! Let them spend extravagantly if they want. That money goes directly into jobs, services and possessions that benefit the economy. Or perhaps you argue that it is better that a bloated government “invest” that money in bureaucrats and bailouts.
So here’s the message to the ivory tower economists, arrogant administration officials and elitist legislators: “Keep your fingers out of my grits [oatmeal for northerners], or you’ll get a fork in the back of your hand!” I think they felt a “poke” in the last election, but they seem to keep coming back for more.
It gets personal when they mess with MY grits. Mess with my job, mess with my salary, mess with my company, mess with my industry, or touch my junk, and suffer the consequences in the next election.
What can we do? For now, just laugh at them, keep spirits up, hope they don’t do much more damage, and vote them out in the next election. Meanwhile, watch your grits!
Image Information: The picture is a movie still 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.
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 my children were little, they would come to me for protection and help. “Daddy, he wouldn’t share his crayons, and he hit me!” I would comfort my child by holding them in my arms and try to correct the crayon sharing problem. When all was resolved, they would climb down and go about their …
I can’t sing very well, or keep a rhythm. It’s even hard for me to clap and sing at the same time. But there’s just something about worshiping together in the congregation. As I lift my feeble voice with others, perhaps I sense a little glimpse of heaven. Many of the hymns we sing, especially …
I’ve been so sick on occasion that I didn’t feel like doing anything. I didn’t even want to sit up and read because my eyes were sore. Sickness, grief, depression and other afflictions can get us down to where it feels like our soul clings to the dust, and our soul melts from heaviness, as …
Never has temptation and sin been so near as in this internet age. It’s only a click away! After the first click, another click, and another, and another. Sin makes us feel dirty. So how do we get clean? Psalm 119 gives us some answers. The KJV says, “By taking heed according to your word.” …
Have you ever listened to a political speech and wondered what in the world was that guy talking about? Perhaps you fell asleep during a speech and woke up to find out you didn’t miss anything. Will Rogers had heard his share of political speeches. He regularly attended the conventions of both parties and reported …
How much is integrity worth? It’s hard to say, but if we are truthful and honest in our business, social and family life, we can walk blameless before the Lord. Those around us will also be blessed. How much is lack of integrity worth? Judging from some of the huge corporate and investment frauds in …
Will RogersWhenever a company tries to idiot-proof a product, along comes a smarter idiot! Whenever congress tries to “protect” us from ourselves however, there always seems to be what they call “unintended consequences.” But wait a minute, what about a little common sense when it comes to legislators? For example, if you take more and …
I was talking to my wife the other day, lamenting the fact that our flower beds are pretty much finished for the year. I remember, however, the beautiful flowers from seasons gone by. Things of beauty seem to imprint themselves on our memory. This passage in Psalm 119 directs us to the beautiful and wondrous …
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 …
I try to run on a regular basis. Not that I particularly enjoy being out of breath and exhausted at the end of the run, but because I know it is good for my health. I also know that it takes time to build endurance, and that after time, my body will become more accustomed …
