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.

Will Rogers on “The Crime of Taxation”

Like many people, I give to my local church and other charitable organizations. My expectation is that the money will be used in the most efficient way by these organizations to further the goals of the various ministries.

Suppose it is found out that members of the charitable organization are living high-on-the-hog, buying luxury items, or engaging in inappropriate activities. Then, after that revelation, the organization demands that you continue to contribute to their “cause.” Indeed, this has been the downfall of organizations, and I’m sure several come to mind.

This also holds true for businesses that are found to lack integrity in their practices. They will not survive in the long run. We’ve seen a number of spectacular crashes of businesses that looked good on the outside, but were rotten on the inside.

And now, gentle reader, we come to our Federal Government, and the money that flows into and out of its treasury. We look at the way it spends its money and unfortunately we have little say in the internal policies and practices.  Plus, some of the spending borders on criminal activity in the minds of many americans. Then there are revelations of massive fraud in the handling of taxpayer’s money.

Unlike giving to charitable organizations I don’t have any choice but to pay taxes to the government. When they demand more taxes to compensate for irresponsible spending, I get a little concerned.

I get concerned because more taxes means less money for my family and it means I have less money for charitable giving. Let’s say I’m a “fat cat” with lots of disposable income. Large gifts to charitable and other foundations are directly affected along with the ability to pass funds on to  heirs (death tax). The knowledge that my desire to gift money to charitable foundations is now forced to becomes a “gift” to the Federal Government is frustrating.

Along with Will Rogers, I wouldn’t feel the taking of my tax dollars was a crime if I knew that the spending of my hard-earned money by the governenment wasn’t such a crime. Thanks Will Rogers for a piece of great insight form 1932!

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. Famous aviator Wiley Post is pictured on the right.

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 on “Control Those Arms”

Will RogersCongress wants to START down the same old worn out and ineffective path again. During Rogers day, in the aftermath of WWI, diplomats had numerous conferences on disarmament. Funny thing was that they could never agree on what battleships to scrap, or weapons to destroy. Rogers attended a number of these conferences for the humor value, and sent his dispatches back to the U.S. newspapers.

If you are a nation intent on peaceful coexistence, you would like to at least have a good defense. If you are an aggressor, you’re not going to give up anything, so what good does it do to try to define what weapons can be used, or not used?

Today, the diplomats have put together another grand masterpiece of useless agreements on weapons restrictions and reductions. The danger today is that we’re the only ones that seem to take it seriously, to the point of dangerously weakening our defensive systems.

Can you imagine one of those diplomats coming face-to-face with some thug on a Washington, DC side-street? The diplomat confidently points out that he has disarmed according to the treaty, and that  the thug’s gun is not to spec, and that he is not wearing the proper uniform. The thug then confidently pulls back the trigger and says: “Your money or your life!”

Image Information: Will Rogers was an expert with the lasso. This rope loop is called the big crinoline and the size of the loop, plus the fact that he is on a running horse shows Rogers’ expert skill.

The image was taken directly from photographs 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

Will Rogers on “Worried or Confused?”

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 that the current administration doesn’t appear to know what they are doing. They promise hope, but change seems to be going in the wrong direction. I’m confused about why they don’t appear to care.

Image Information: The image of Rogers is from his 1921 silent film Guile of Women. Rogers plays a Swede named Yal who travels with a friend to America to seek his fortune. After misfortunes in love and business, his girlfriend finally arrives from Sweden.

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

Spurgeon on “Would your Zeal Grow Chill?” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

Have you ever been excited about something? I just received my new iPhone 4 in the mail the other day, and the anticipation of opening the package and using my new phone got my heart racing. Only a geek would understand!

All of us have our passions – things that set our hearts to racing in anticipation. Spurgeon reminds us in this quote that our love for God should excite us as well, and it should impact everything we do.

The beautiful image of frost on the trees in winter fits well with Spurgeon’s final thought. We should make God our only object – we need to focus on Him so that our zeal would not grow cold. I’ve got a long way to go, but I thank God for the help of His Spirit.

I hope you have been blessed by this quote from Charles Spurgeon 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.

Give Thanks! – Psalm 109 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

Why do we thank people? Normally it’s because they have done something for us and we feel some debt of gratitude. We should say “thank you” much more often – to our spouse, children, friends, pastor and others for what they do for us.

It is especially true that we should thank God more often. As Psalm 109 says, we should give “great thanks” to the lord. We should also understand that we are the “needy one” and God has saved us from death.

I love this picture of “Mr. Beaver.” It looks like it came from a Disney movie. With a raised paw he seems to be admonishing us to “Give thanks to God! Give thanks!”

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 109 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.

Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit – Psalm 31 NIV 2 Minute Devotional

The first phrase of Psalm 31 is quoted by Jesus on the cross. In fact “Into your hands I commit my spirit,” are the last words Jesus spoke before he died. They were uttered with his last breath. These words are the final act of faith as he leaves his earthly life.

When I was very young, I had complete confidence that my parents would take care of all my needs. They fed me, clothed me, protected me and loved me. If I was sick, they watched over me.

For some reason, it seems difficult to have such complete confidence in God. Probably because God isn’t flesh and blood like my parents. I can’t touch Him or see Him.

But I have God’s word, the Bible. I know that Jesus was flesh and blood. I know about Jesus life, death and resurrection. I know of his love for sinners, like me. I also know of his forgiveness and redemption of sinners. The Psalmist says God knows about my affliction and anguish of my soul.

Can I commit my spirit into God’s hands? Yes! Can I have complete confidence that God will take care of all my needs? Confidence will grow as your faith grows. Your faith will grow as you draw closer to God by reading the Bible, seek fellowship with other believers and listen to the preaching of God’s Word.

Dear Lord, Help my faith to grow so that when the end comes I can say, “Into your hands I commit my spirit. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 31 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.

God’s Choosing – Psalm 78 NIV 2 Minute Devotional

As I look back across my life, I am continually amazed to see God’s hand in events large and small. God called me out of a life of sin and self-destruction. He has guided my path step-by-step, through dark times and blessings.

In Psalm 78 we understand that God chose David. Had this not happened, David would likely have tended sheep for the rest of his life. There would have been no record of his life because there was nothing remarkable about him. Instead God lifts an unknown and unremarkable young man from obscurity to become one of the major figures in Scripture.

The story of David’s choosing can be found in I Sam 16.  From this passage, God makes it clear that the choice of David was His choice alone, and not a choice based on human reasoning, luck or chance. God chose David, David didn’t choose God.

I think the same is true of my life. God chose me, I didn’t choose God. In fact, Had it been up to me, I never would have chosen God. Furthermore, had I made all the choices in my life, it would have been a mess.

Ask God daily for his guidance. Look back and acknowledge God’s day-by-day work in your life. Thank God for the many blessings he has brought your way. It is a great comfort to know God chooses my path and directs my life. If I had to trust in my own choices, I would find no peace, and God would receive no glory.

Dear Lord, Help me to trust in your choosing. Let me earnestly seek your guidance each day, that you might be glorified. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 78 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.

Will Rogers’ Passion for Christmas

Gentle Reader,

I have a special treat for you today. Below is an article from the Will Rogers Memorial Museum website about Will Rogers and his passion for Christmas.

Here is the original link for the article: Will Rogers Christmas. Enjoy!

Will Never Outgrew Passion for Christmas

CLAREMORE — Will Rogers never outgrew the child’s passion for the Christmas holiday. Traveling the world as an actor or cowboy or at home in California with his children, the season took on a special sense, one of joy and sharing with family and friends.

It’s been 80 years, but one Christmas remains vivid for Coke Meyer of Bartlesville, Will’s great-niece. One of Coke’s earliest memories of Christmas was made special by her Uncle Will. She was six and living with her ailing grandmother Maude Rogers Lane in Chelsea.

“I’ll never forget he sent electric lights from New York … No one in Chelsea had ever even heard of lights on trees, except candles and then with care,” she said.

Her father, Chelsea pharmacist Cap Lane, and Monday, a preacher for a black church and the man “who helped Granny in her dairy,” decorated a tree at the end of the lane at the gracious Lane home on Chelsea’s east side.

Coke remembers spending two days moving the mechanical hospital bed Will had sent for Mrs. Lane, relocating her to the “tower room” where she could see the tree. The grandchildren helped fill sacks with and an orange and candy to be distributed to those who stood beneath the window and sang Christmas carols. Mrs. Lane died five months later.

While Will never came home for the holiday after she was born, Coke and her cousin Tim Milam remember his generous Christmas checks. Checks were made personally to the older ones. “He could never remember the last name of cousin Lasca, so he just wrote Lasca on a check and sent it to Dad, who would forward it,” Coke reminisced.

“We always took our money and bought a new pair of shoes, then pooled the rest for a summer vacation.”

Like many men, Will was a last minute shopper. In a book written by his wife, Betty, she tells how he did his own shopping, “usually the day before Christmas.” Remembering everyone who worked for or with him, he would come home with “mountains of toys and clothing” and spend Christmas Eve wrapping gifts.

Often on Christmas Day, the family would retreat to a little log cabin on their property, where they could spend the day in seclusion. The children took turns at being Santa. Once when it was Mary’s turn, she fixed her pony with Christmas trappings, packed a sack and rode the pony into the house.

Only once after his marriage was Will away from home. He sent gifts home in 1931, then spent a lonely Christmas in Shanghai.

His first Christmas gift to Betty was a “little lace handkerchief” sent the winter after he had taken her to Chelsea to meet his family. He was away from home, but sent her the gift he had carried with him since purchasing it in Africa years before while buying lace and needlework for his sisters.

He had been saving it for a special time. The old Indian lady he bought the lace from gave him the handkerchief and asked if he was married. When he said no, she told him to give it to his wife when he married.

He carried it with him through Africa, through Australia, and then home, always intending to do as the old woman said. That year, just a few years before he and Betty were married in 1908, he decided it was for her.

I hope you have enjoyed this article from the Will Rogers Memorial Museum website. Please visit the Systems of Merritt  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

Praise the Lord- Psalm 145 NASB 2 Minute Devotional

Years ago, when I was a teenager, I had no interest in God. I certainly didn’t want to follow Him or be accountable for the wrongdoing and sin in my life. I was in a downward spiral toward destruction. In this Psalm, it says God will destroy the wicked, but I am so thankful for God’s mercy. I think of Romans 5:8 where it says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Now that I have the benefit of God’s mercy and grace, I have a desire to love and serve the Lord. I have the opportunity to cry out to Him for my needs and praise him for answered prayer.

Dear Lord, If I am numbered among the wicked, as the Psalmist says, show me your mercy and grace in Christ Jesus. Rescue me and give me the desire to follow you that I may come to praise you with my whole heart. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 145 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.

Spurgeon on “Fiery Trials” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

When I visited Pompeii years ago I was struck by the suddenness and completeness of the destruction of the city by the Vesuvius volcano. People were found frozen in position. Artifacts were preserved by the covering ash.

Some volcanoes move more slowly, as in Hawaii. The hot lava spews from vents as in the picture and moves slowly down the mountain to the sea.

Intense heat, pressure, explosive power and widespread destruction describe some of the physical effects of a powerful volcano. I imagine these effects in a spiritual sense when I think of fiery trials.

The severity of the trial can become so intense that we may fear for our very lives. We can’t imagine any escape from the pain, or can we? The fiery furnace in Daniel 3 is a great illustration of God’s power to override even the forces of nature to protect his children.

Spurgeon reminds us in this quote that God’s presence is both our comfort and safety. “Fear not, for I am with you” is God’s promise to us.

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.

God’s Glory in the Heavens – Psalm 19 NASB 2 Minute Devotional

There are scientists that dedicate their entire lives to the study of the stars. The complexity is so vast that we routinely see news articles about new discoveries that baffle scientists. Some of these scientists that are baffled by the wonders of the heavens hold to a belief that all of these wonders are somehow created by random chance.

I was talking to a friend of mine last week who said that after pondering the wonders of the universe over a number of years, he eventually came to faith in God. Psalm 19 tells us that the heavens speak to us. They tell us of the glory of God.

The picture of the stars in this NASA image shows a beauty of the heavens. If we could magnify our telescopes a million times more we would continue to see the beauty and glory of the work of God’s hands in the sky. May it draw us to God, and faith in his son, Jesus!

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 and “Don’t Buy Stock If It Doesn’t Go Up!”

Will RogersThe week prior to the date of this quote was the week the stock market crashed in 1929. Leave it to Will Rogers to find a bit of humor in such times.

The Roaring ’20s was a time of prosperity and optimism that expressed itself in not only the culture, but the rising stock market as well.

Many people were invested, not just the wealthy, and furthermore, many people bought stocks on margin. That was great, if the market continued on an upward trend, but if the market went down the leverage could be devastating.

This Will Rogers’ quote beautifully expressed the attitude of the 1920s. Investors gambled their savings on the market continuing to rise, but never considered the fact it would go down. According to Rogers, they should have never gambled in the first place.

Image: Will Rogers flew everywhere once he found out it was the fastest way to get places. From his flight suit, you can tell he was getting ready to fly in an open cockpit airplane. Later he would be a prominent promoter of commercial aviation.

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

Psalm 46 on “God is our Refuge and Strength” – ESV 2 Minute Devotional

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.