Will Rogers on “Government Loot”

Will RogersThose poor Democrats just couldn’t get their message out. They raided the National Treasury for enough “stimulus” loot to build a highway to the moon and back, and borrowed enough money for Amtrack rails and trains to Mars. Did the voters appreciate being showered with all those billions? Apparently not.

I think that the shovel-ready jobs must not have had enough shovels ready. Nobody got charged up about all the new fangled electric cars that cost so much to build. Nobody got any change from all the hope out there, not even a dime.

There are an unusually large number of Democrat lame ducks gathered at the Congressional pond these days. Their once-proud  feathers are ruffled and frayed.

I have one last question for them. Where’s did all that loot go?!

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.

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Will Rogers & “Voters Can’t Remember”

This Will Rogers quote must be true. How else do you explain how legislators get reelected after scandalous behavior or legislating against the will of the people. It’s just astonishing that some of these politicians have any credibility left, but they keep getting elected. It’s as regular and predictable as the milking schedule on a farm.

Strange thing seems to be happening these days however. If the last election is any indication, people do seem to be remembering. People turned out to vote and sent a large number of legislators packing. Several legislators resigned or didn’t run in order to avoid defeat.

I recall that these defeated legislators, along with the current administration passed legislation that was extremely unpopular. Not only that, but people understood that the unpopular legislation was passed through manipulation and trickery, without review and accountability. Anyone remember the Speaker of the House’s famous proclamation that: “We have to pass this bill to find out what is in it.”

Don’t know about you, but I don’t take kindly to being manipulated, tricked or lied to by legislators or the media. I expect something better; something more honest; someone with integrity; someone accountable to the people they serve. People and businesses can’t conduct commerce by lying to each other. We don’t do business with people that lack integrity. So why is politics any different.

There’s a movement underway, where people seem to be remembering more than two months. They are holding politicians accountable. They are looking for some integrity and common sense coming from Washington.

The next election is more than two months away. We’ll see if this Will Rogers quote still holds true.

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.

I Delight to do Your Will – Psalm 40 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

Why would God not delight in sacrifice and offerings? After all, He had set up the sacrificial system to provide His people with a means of dealing with their sins.

The Psalmist makes it clear that our delight should be to do God’s will, and that it should be written on our hearts. Going through the motions of obedience is not enough, it must be from sincere motives and delight in God’s law.

You’ve probably heard the story about the child that was disciplined by his parents, and told to go sit in the corner. His response was: “I may be sitting down on the outside, but I’m standing on the inside.” I can remember a few of those occasions, can you?

Jesus always seemed to deal with people in a way that touched them right at the heart of their motives and needs. We can think of the “Rich Young Ruler,” “The Prodigal Son,” and many other parables and miracles.  Jesus’ dealings with people in the Bible were so intimate that no miracle or healing is ever duplicated exactly.

So it is that Jesus touches me, right at the heart of my motivations, so that I may know how much he loves me. As he teaches me to delight in His will, I can only respond with my obedience.

Dear Lord, In your mercy, help me to delight more and more in your will. As I read the Scriptures, let your law become written on my heart. Jesus, please work in my heart, that I may understand your great salvation. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 40 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.

Songs of Joy – Psalm 47 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

Have you ever felt the exuberant joy described in Psalm 47? Have you ever been overwhelmed with the wonder of the greatness of God that you just had to praise Him?

I’ve been in audiences where the person on stage received a standing ovation. We clapped and shouted. Everyone had a smile on their face. All attention was focused on the one person whose performance was beyond expectation, to the delight of all in attendance.

There have been church services that I have attended, where folks have stood and clapped and shouted praises to God in the midst of songs of praise. Most church services are a bit more subdued, but regardless,  there is something special about joining together in song and praise to God. That’s why singing together is such an important part of the service.

What has God done for me that deserves such a response? Actually, it’s more than just God’s greatness as creator and king. It’s His salvation of my soul. It’s what Jesus did for us/me on the cross. It’s something that I couldn’t do for myself. Salvation is something that I don’t deserve, but that God chooses to give me grace.

That is worth all the praise I can give to God; clapping, shouting, singing with all my being!

Dear Lord, Grant me salvation that I might praise you. Cover my sins that I might sing and shout for joy; that I might love you with all my being. Amen

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 47 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.

Spurgeon on “Keep me from Sinking” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

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.

Will Rogers on “Elect the Liars?”

Will RogersThe “bog hole of financial misery” a couple of years ago was at an unemployment rate one half of what it is now. After the election, people were asking the former candidate for new kitchens, jobs, chickens in every pot and better healthcare. Farmer Jones wanted a new barn and more hogs to slop.Will Rogers might have called someone who promised so much a liar, but my mama told me to never call names. Maybe the candidate exaggerated the truth a bit, making so many promises. A lot of people believed him and voted for him.

It’s been a couple of years now and the economy has been stimulated to death. We’ve been looking for “shovel-ready jobs,” but we can’t even find out where the shovels are. I heard Farmer Jones had to lay off the hired hands and eat the hogs. His son got a temporary job from the government counting chickens in Seed-tick County for the chicken census.

People round here don’t take kindly to lying. We like to believe that folks abide by their promises. A few years ago we followed politicians’ promises like hogs called to dinner, but right now that bog hole deeper than a hogwaller.

I think we got even with ’em a couple of years ago in the elections according to Will Rogers – we elected ’em. Now what do we do with ’em?

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.

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Will Rogers on National Defense

Will Rogers quote for today summarized why we need a strong military. Most people can’t explain in in 20 minutes what Rogers expresses in just a few words. Additionally, Rogers’ humor drives the point home.

The debate still rages today over military power. Does cutting back our strength bring peace?

I took this picture at the Will Rogers Ranch in Oolagah, OK. They’ve done a great job restoring the house and furnishing it with period pieces as the picture shows. It’s a wonderful place to visit, right on the lake – very peaceful.

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 Rogers on “Mister, Can You Spare $10 Billion?”

The saying: “Mister can you spare a dime?” typified the poverty and despair during the depression years. My Grandmother told me that young, out of work, men would travel from place to place looking for jobs. Many times they would come to her back door to ask for a bite to eat. Those were difficult years for many Americans.

On Jan. 5, 1934, Will Rogers published this quote in his Syndicated  Daily Telegraph column. Well, the numbers have gone up by more than 10 this time. The President looked the country in the eye recently and said: “Mister, can you spare $800 billion?” That $10 billion in 1934 looks like 10 cents today!

What in the world are they going to do with all that TAXPAYER money? Why stimulate the economy, of course.

By the time the government hires millions of administrators for all the programs, accounts for inefficiency and waste, plus fraud, some of the money might create a few jobs. But that comes after bank and union bailouts, even foreign banks we now find out.

Here’s a novel common sense idea! How about if the government cuts its bloated spending, and lets me keep more of my own money that would have gone to taxes. That way I can stimulate the economy with my money, without all the government inefficiency, waste, fraud and bailouts!

Image Information: This picture was taken at the Will Rogers Ranch in Oologah, Oklahoma. The farmhouse where Will Rogers lived has been preserved and is administered by the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in nearby Claremore, Oklahoma. The Museum and Ranch are great places to visit if you are ever in the Tulsa area.

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 Rogers and Definition of “Lame Duck Congress”

We’re going to hear a whole bunch of lame ducks quacking real soon! The congressional pond will be alive with flapping and splashing.

Rogers’ definition of “lame duck Congress” is dead on! The bums that were thrown out for not doing their job get one last chance to do some damage. Let’s pray that they don’t “burn the house down!”

Image Information: This image is from a Will Rogers’ silent movie called An Unwilling Hero, released in 1921. Rogers plays Whistling Dick, a hobo who loves life and classical music. He loves just about everything except work.

The image was taken directly from movie stills 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 Rogers on “Dying to pay Taxes”

Will RogersThe inheritance tax, as Will Rogers calls it, is today more affectionately known as the “death tax.” If you make the mistake of being too successful over the course of your life, the government feels obliged to take a cut.

Wait a minute, you’ve paid all the taxes on that “wealth” – worked hard, built a business, expanded a your farm, hired people to work for you. In my simple way of thinking, that seems to be a tax on money that’s already been taxed.

Not to worry. If I was a rich man and I die my patriotic death, my heirs can do their duty and pay the taxes. So what if they have to liquidate the business, sell the farm and fire the employees. They can proudly say: “We paid our taxes!” We’re patriots, one and all.

Actually, suppose I’m just one of the little guys – I’m not wealthy. When I die, I’ll pass on my old jalopy to the kids, along with the contents of my kitchen cupboards in the rental trailer. It’s been a good life, loving family, great kids, and a good job at the local factory.

The boss died last week, and all of us little guys are wondering what will happen. They say that they’re going to have to shut down the company to pay the taxes. The boss was a good and generous man, and we all loved him. I know he was a patriot, he loved his country, and always paid his taxes. I’ve been with the company a long time, but I guess I’ll do my patriotic duty too – look for another job.

Image Information: This picture was taken during the Will Rogers-Wiley Post ill-fated Alaska trip in August of 1935. Rogers was dispatching his Daily Telegram column up to the day of the crash on August 15.

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.

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Will Rogers on “Senate Investigations”

Will RogersWe’ve just received a report from the Debt Commission. Their conclusion: “We’re in debt.” Well shucks, I guess all us poor folks outside of Washington would have never figured that out. I don’t suppose we’re smart enough to know what to do about it either, but must rely on brilliant legislative minds and investigating committees.

Truth is, us regular folks know how to solve the debt problem. We quit spending money. We don’t spend money we don’t have,…because we don’t have it!

Us regular folks also sense that those people in Washington are not only holding back relief, as Rogers says, but are causing a lot of our misery.

I think the solution to this is unemployment,…for any Senator or Congressman that can’t look in the mirror and acknowledge the problem. Elections can be used to hire some of us regular folks, that know how to balance our own checkbooks.

Image Information: This image is from a Will Rogers’ silent movie called An Unwilling Hero, released in 1921. Rogers plays Whistling Dick, a hobo who loves life and classical music. He loves just about everything except work.

The image was taken directly from movie stills 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.

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Will Rogers says: “Congress Wants Everybody to go Broke!”

Will RogersThere’s a lot of “Oinking” going on in the halls of Congress. It takes a big hog waller to handle all the pork, so big in fact, that it’s impossible to manage all the hogs. They’re running here and there, squealing and oinking, as Congressmen and aids try to gather them up and ship them back to the home district. Some crooks have been caught stealing hogs by the trainload, but nobody knows how many trainloads are unaccounted for.

Many Congressmen are in the middle of the hog waller, covered in mud, yelling “More Pork! I demand more Pork!” Even the Vice President surfaced from under the mud saying “The first porkulus wasn’t enough! We need more pork to finish the job!”

A massive protest is forming called the “Wild Hog Party.” Folks are concerned that so many hogs have been taken in taxes, that in a few years there won’t be any hogs left at all on the farms. Protest signs are saying: “I gave my hog to the government, and all I got back was two lousy pieces of bacon!”

Someone asked the “Boss Hog” what was in upcoming hog-care legislation. She said: “We need to pass the bill before we can find out what’s in the bill.” “But what if we run out of hogs and go broke trying to pay for everything?” The Boss Hog said, “It’s no problem, we can always print more hogs! Oink, Oink!”

Image Information: The image is of Will Rogers, his wife Betty and their three children.

The image was taken directly from movie stills 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.

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Will Rogers on “The Rich get Richer”

Will RogersWill Rogers was a champion of the downtrodden and unfortunate who suffered in the aftermath of economic downturns and hardships. He tirelessly raised money for the Red Cross to help those who had been affected by natural disasters, especially farmers who suffered during the “dust bowl.”

In spite of his fame, Will Rogers was loved as a man of the people. Ironically, Rogers was friends with some of the richest and most influential men in the world, including Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller. He often praised them for their achievements and generosity. Here’s an example quote: “Hurrah for Mr. Rockefeller, 96 years old today, one of the very few men that knew how to give money away so that every dollar does good. That’s more than our government can do. It’s more than anybody can do.”

I think Will Rogers had little patience with wealthy politicians of the day who bloviate about their concern for the farmer, while proposing programs that do little to help. Here’s a Will Rogers classic quote: “Farmers are learning that the relief they get from the sky beats what they get from Washington.”

Perhaps this explains Rogers’ quote. People who get rich at the expense of their fellow man or show no concern for the well-being of others were pretty low in Rogers’ estimation.

Will Rogers knew what it was like to be poor, and he also achieved a level of financial success. Through it all, Rogers lived a humble life of generosity which should inspire us all.

Image Information: Once Will Rogers discovered he could get places faster by flying, he was constantly in the air. From open cockpit through the dawn of commercial aviation he flew coast-to-coast and everywhere in between.

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 Rogers

Flourishing in the House of God – Psalm 52 NIV 2 Minute Devotional

What has God done in your life? Anything? If we understand the Bible, everything has purpose and is for God’s glory. Even what we might see as bad things have purpose. God is with us through it all.

In order to truly understand Psalm 52, and praise God as the Psalmist does, we must know God. Jesus made that possible for us. We can know God through his Son!

In this fallen world, the true miracle is that good things can happen to fallen people. In Romans 5:3 it says that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” The curse of Genesis is reversed, one sinner at a time!

If we have that relationship with Christ we can begin to flourish. We can begin to trust in God’s unfailing love for ever. We can praise him for all he has done for us.

If you want to seek a relationship with God, may I suggest you read the gospel of John in the Bible. Observe how Jesus brings hope to a fallen world, and ask him to bring hope to you as well.

Dear Lord, Help me to know you, that I may flourish in your love. Help me to understand the gospel, the good news of hope that you bring to the world. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 52 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.