Will Rogers on “How to Disarm and Die”

Will RogersAfter WWI numerous peace [disarmament] conferences were held. Will Rogers attended for the humor value and sent dispatches back to the U.S. newspapers. He saw the futility in such agreements that tried to limit arms, as if that would bring world peace.

In this Will Rogers quote, he points out that even if we try to limit arms, it still won’t keep nations from coming up with new ways to kill people. Little did Rogers know in 1929 that within 15 years civilization would advance into the atomic age with weapons so powerful, entire cities could be wiped off the map.

Yet this quote still rings true today. Treaties, hailed as advances toward world peace might reduce some aging weapons, but new ones are always being developed to take their place.

But it’s worse than that. The U.S. seems to be willing to lay down arms and even limit vital defensive capabilities, even if the other side doesn’t abide by the terms of the treaty. That doesn’t even take into account rogue nations whose stated intent is to use nuclear weapons to destroy their enemies, including the U.S.

This is real simple. A strong defense is the best offense. Oceans don’t protect us like they used to. If we don’t develop the best defensive and offensive technologies we won’t be able to protect ourselves and our allies from future threats. Nobody wants to find out that we have no defense against an enemy that has a better way to kill us in the next war. But that would also assume we had leaders that possessed common sense.

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

May All Who Seek You Rejoice – Psalm 40 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

Watching various posts, tweets and other social media messages, I see quite a few motivational quotes. They come in the form of “follow your dreams,” “strive to be the best,” “never give up,” “achieve your goals,” “be a winner” and so on.

These pieces of advice can be helpful, but take quite a bit of energy and determination. I have to ask myself, “Do I put as much energy into seeking the Lord as I do other things?”

The Psalmist speaks of rejoicing and praise coming from those who seek Him. The Psalmist also says that God takes thought for the poor and needy.

I admit, it’s easy to quit seeking God and pour my energy into something else. But I need to learn to love His salvation and praise the Lord more and more.

Dear Lord, Please honor my feeble attempts to seek you, and take thought for me. Give me strength and determination to seek you, rejoice and be glad in you, and love your 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.

His Face Shine Upon You – Psalm 67 NASB 2 Minute Devotional

Cindy and I just became grandparents recently. She had the privilege of being with our daughter when the baby was born. The pictures of our newborn grandson are precious.

The closest I can come to the concept of a shining face is that of a new mother gazing upon her baby for the first time. I can see it in the pictures of our daughter and grandson. I remember my wife holding our newborn children. The look of wonder and joy seemed to give her face a certain glow and radiance.

I chose this picture to go with the verse because the sun streaming through the trees dramatically lights up and warms the forest floor. Our desire is that God would grant our lives light and warmth, and that we could pass that on to others.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 67 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 Rogers on “Fools and OUR Money!”

Will Rogers is a genius! In February of 1932 he issued this quote as an observation and warning to Congress. It’s so simple: don’t spend money, until you know where it’s coming from. Even a child can figure out that you can’t spend money you don’t have.

Sad thing is, Congress never got the message. With this blog post, I’ll try and send Will’s message again. Here goes:

Hey Congress! “Every time we appropriate something we got to pass another bill along with it stating where the money is coming from.”

Up until I just resent Will’s message, you would have thought that the brilliant money men in the current administration and Congress were drunken sailors throwing money at anything and everything. They call it “stimulus” spending, but the only thing that got stimulated was the federal printing presses that churn out money.

Well, the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve said the stimulus didn’t help the economy, and the current Chairman said he doesn’t know what’s going on or how to fix it. The (formerly tax avoiding) Treasury Secretary is getting ready to jump ship, and the VP said that “just because the stimulus was a monumental failure, doesn’t mean it’s not working.” The President says we need to get used to a “new normal.”

It’s said that a fool is often parted from his money, but in this case, the fools parted us from OUR money! I hope we are able to some day soon send honest folks to Washington with some good old Will Rogers’ common sense before it’s too late.

This picture of Will Rogers entering the seaplane piloted by famous aviator Wiley Post is among the last photographs taken of Rogers before the fatal crash in Alaska on August 15, 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 Daily Quotes 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.

Exalt the Lord – Psalm 99 NIV 2 Minute Devotional

In this wonderfully uplifting Psalm, we find our two themes of praise and remembrance again. It seems that when I get focused on myself and my problems, that I forget to praise God and remember his blessings.

We also find in verse 8 the remarkable thought that God is a forgiving God, though he punished Israel’s misdeeds. If a parent doesn’t punish and correct their child, they don’t truly love the child. The same is true with God. Because he cares for us, he chastens us, but there is also forgiveness and mercy. At this, the Psalmist proclaims in verse 9: “Exalt the Lord our God!”

The cross of Christ goes even further. Jesus bore our sins and received our punishment. He received the chastisement and wrath of God in our place. Even if we received no other blessing from God, we should remember this. And for this blessing of forgiveness and salvation, we need to “Exalt the Lord our God!”

Dear Lord, If I have never known your forgiveness, and if I have never exalted you, help me to begin now. I receive Jesus into my heart. Let me always remember this moment, and exalt you this day and forever. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 99 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.

EXTRA!

Below is an extra treat! The Sons of Korah have put Psalm 99 to music. Listen to a sample below and purchase your own copy at the iTunes store by clicking on the button.

Psalm 99 – Rain Album

Spurgeon on “Lessons from the Whale” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

When I read about Jonah, or the Israelites in the wilderness, my first instinct is to think: “What a bunch of stubborn boneheads! Don’t they ever learn?”

Just about the time I start to congratulate myself on what a fine example of obedience I demonstrate, compared to others, the Lord sees fit to humble me. It’s me, Frank, in the belly of the whale taking another dip under the water, just like the image on the left. It’s me, Frank, walking through the wilderness, until I learn my lessons.

When I am deposited on the beach, I’ll brush the seaweed out of my hair, preach the gospel to the (stunned) fishermen, and ask directions to Nineveh!

Dear Lord, Let me yield myself to you rather than strive against you. Help me to humble myself, so that I may serve you without delay. 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 Rogers iPhone daily quotes

Anyone passing through Oklahoma will  notice the name Will Rogers. Highways, schools,  counties, buildings, streets across the state bear the name, and if you look a little closer, you will probably find a Rogers’ quotes. His quotes are humorous and always carry some profound truth.

I saw one of his quotes on a chalkboard at a church in Tulsa earlier this year and thought it would be worth learning more about Will Rogers. A quick survey of the web indicated that there might be enough material for a daily quotes application. For one years worth of material it takes well over 365 images and quotes, so I contacted the Will Rogers Museum in Claremore, OK to see if they would support the research needed to gather the material.

The museum director, Steve Gragert, and his staff were wonderfully supportive and I was able to gather  the hundreds of photographs needed for the project. My reading consisted of multiple volumes of Will Rogers Daily Telegrams, which supplied a treasure trove of Rogers’ quotes.

What I found was a great man who has largely been forgotten over the years. His observations and writings about life and society are as relevant today as they were then. I’ve been inspired by his life and I hope this daily quotes application will inspire you as well.

Check it out at the iTunes Store: Will Rogers. If you are ever passing through the Tulsa/Claremore area in Oklahoma, be sure to stop by the Will Rogers Memorial Museum.

Wondrous Deeds & Thoughts – Psalm 40 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

Is God a personal God, or is He only concerned with the big picture as an impersonal force? In Psalm 40 we see that God is very personal! His wondrous deeds and thoughts are multiplied toward us.

Simply pondering the physical world around us would lead us toward God. The wondrous complexity and beauty of the flowers in the picture speak of a creator. Scientists study diligently in the field of botany and continue to discover mysteries beyond comprehension. Pick any field of science and we quickly find there are wondrous features so complex that only a creator God can explain such things.

But there is more! God gives us a book, the Bible, that reveals who He is, and what He has done for us. We find out in the Gospels that Jesus became human, so that He understands us in all our physical and spiritual weaknesses. Where we fail and sin, Jesus provided a wondrous deed. He died on the cross and through his resurrection provides salvation for us, personally, and individually. His thoughts are directed toward us in every circumstance. For this I can only return humble praise and proclaim His wondrous deeds toward me.

Dear Lord, The complexities of this world are beyond comprehension, yet you have revealed your salvation to us through your son Jesus. By pondering your wondrous deeds in the physical world and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, grant me faith to receive your 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.

My Hiding Place – Psalm 119 KJV 2 Minute Devotional

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.

Hind’s Feet on High Places- Psalm 18 NASB 2 Minute Devotional

Have you ever been in the right place at the right time to see something special? A few weeks ago, after a late afternoon thunderstorm, I looked outside to see the most magnificent rainbow. In fact, there were two rainbows. The colors of the dominant one were so bright and vivid – it was breathtaking. A few minutes later it was gone.

As I think about my life, I can see that God has led me with love and precision. He has placed me at the right time in the right place to accomplish his purposes. One step to the right or the left would not have accomplished his purposes and would have led to disaster.

When I look at the image of the mountain goat perched on a ledge, I think of the precision of each foot placement and how one misstep can lead to disaster. Yet they live and thrive in the high places.

I know it’s not my skill, strength or intelligence that sets me on high places. To God alone be the glory for leading me every moment of every day.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 18 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 Rogers on “Nothing Left but Government!”

Will RogersWhen you get used to something, it’s kind of hard to give it up. Can you remember the day your were born? One minute you are nice and warm, perfectly content and at peace. All of a sudden you are painfully squeezed through an opening so small it’s a wonder anyone could survive. Next thing you know it’s freezing cold, with lights so bright tears come to your eyes. To top it off, some one grabs you  upside down by the heels and slaps your behind. Now if that don’t wake you up in the morning, nothing will!

A quick “jobs protest” internet search shows that all over the world, people are upset about salary and job cuts from union and government jobs. They thought all those wonderful benefits would last for ever. They were very comfortable, until recently, when someone slapped them on the behind.

Then we hear stories about government workers that watch porn for 8 hours a day, workers that make exorbitant salaries, and my personal favorite, union workers that get paid not to work.

Normal businesses have the ability to cut salaries and jobs during a downturn, but try to cut a government or union job and you would think the world was coming to an end. Normal businesses strive for higher efficiency to save money, but everybody knows “government efficiency” is an oxymoron.

So where will all that money come from to make up for the government’s inability to pay for workers and benefits in an economic downturn? More taxes, of course! More borrowing and more printing of money to be sure.

It seems that these measures will only put off the day of reckoning. Like Will Rogers says, one day we will end up with a government “where there is nothing to left to divide.” What then? How about a minimal size, pro business government. It’s either that, or “slap me again!”

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

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.

Will Rogers

Heavens are the Work of Your Hands – Psalm 102 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

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.

Will Rogers on Speeches & World Peace

Will Rogers delivers another zinger with this quote. He had a genius for teasing politicians without offending. We also find Rogers’ quotes as relevant today as they were in the 1930s. I don’t like to fish myself, but I’m sure that if I did it would keep me out of trouble!

I took this picture at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, OK this spring. It was a beautiful sunrise behind the statue of Will Rogers.

The museum is a great family destination. The exhibits are great. I couldn’t walk by one of the video exhibits without stopping to watch for a few minutes. It featured a movie showing some of Will Rogers’ roping tricks. Some of his tricks have never been duplicated.

I spent three days in the archives collecting images for the iPhone app. The staff was great and without their help the project wouldn’t have been possible.

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.