Will Rogers on Voter Fraud

Will RogersAccording to this Will Rogers quote, folks were concerned about the honest and fair counting of votes back in 1930. We’ve seen our share of vote fraud and suspicious recounts in recent years. It is well known that dead people regularly vote in Chicago, and in many places when votes are tallied, more votes than voters are found. For some reason, in recounts, more votes seem to mysteriously turn up only for one candidate.

Honest folks are offended to think that there are organizations and people that purposely try to throw an election toward their candidate. It’s as unfair as putting grease on the bathroom doorknob.

There is an unintended effect of voter fraud. It tends to energize the opposition. The tactics only work when an election is close and an energized opposition can overwhelm the unfair efforts.

Most folks believe in fair elections, and even though the fraudsters might win a few, in the end, truth will prevail and triumph.

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

Will Rogers on “Congress, Please Don’t Hurt Anybody!”

Will RogersIt’s impossible to add much to a Will Rogers quote like this one! Over the past couple of years, we have watched an overactive congress pass a boatload of some of the most controversial and unpopular legislation ever. Along with that, they have spent and borrowed more money than even a drunken sailor could imagine.

Now that another party controls the House, the press is squawking about legislation designed to undo what was done by the other party. Every day we hear about more legislation for cutting this, defunding that and investigating something else.

As if people weren’t concerned enough about Federal legislation, state legislatures are capturing national attention. To add to the drama, some legislators are even fleeing state capitals.

Protests, rallys, demonstrations, radio, TV, newspapers and the internet are loaded to the limit with legislative news! When will they take a break, and let us relax for a few precious moments?

Image Information: Once Will Rogers found out he could get places faster by flying, he was constantly in the air. If you read his Daily Telegram articles, you will find him hopscotching across the country on a regular basis. In this picture he is standing in front of an open seat airplane, and is holding a flying helmet. Will Rogers was a great promoter of commercial aviation and was also acquainted with many of the great aviators of the day including Lindberg, Mitchell and Post.

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

Enter his gates with thanksgiving – Psalm 100 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

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 to the work.

As we grow in the Lord, we begin to become more accustomed to praise and thanksgiving. It seems unnatural at first, but as our faith and endurance grow we become used to it. We understand better that it is he who made us, and as we look around at all the Lord has done for us, we begin to praise God more and more.

I imagine that the lamb in the picture must be saying “thank you God for green grass and a friend at my side.” Even for the simple things we can praise the Lord.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 100 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.

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.

Spurgeon on “Ancient Treasures & Riches” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

When you have loved somebody for a very long time, it is a special relationship. Perhaps it is a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, or  childhood friend that you have known and loved for decades. You share lots of memories and events between you that nobody else can enjoy in the same way. In some cases, that person knew you, before you knew them, as in the case of parents.

In this quote, Spurgeon points out that our relationship with our Savior, Jesus, is special. He knew us, loved us, died for our sins, and chose us, before we knew Him. In Romans 5:8 it says that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

As we look back into the ancient past, we see that “broad stream of our gracious Lord” flowing to us. This is love so deep that we should seek to nurture the relationship to our Savior  with great passion and energy.

Dear Lord, As I continue to grow into a greater understanding of what you have done for me down through the ages, and how you have loved me before I even knew you, help me to respond with praise and thanksgiving for such a wonderful gift. 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.

Why, O Lord? – Psalm 44 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

When times get tough, it seems natural to ask “Why, O Lord?” It seems natural to wonder “Where is God when I am suffering?” Why isn’t God answering my prayers? Where is God’s comfort?

In Psalm 44, the Psalmist seem to express the deep feelings of our hearts with his words. His pleas echo our prayers. His urgency for help speaks to our needs.

I must remember that these words are from Scripture! They are the very words of God. It means that God knows my heart and my situation. We can put this together with the gospel and the life of Jesus in the New Testament. We can understand that Jesus, the Son of God, experienced human life with all its joy and grief, glory and suffering.

God understands our situation and pain, because of the life of his Son, Jesus. Furthermore, from the example of Jesus’ life, and the teaching of Scripture, we find that everything that happens has purpose and meaning. Even bad things have purpose on God’s plan for our lives. The best example is the cross of Christ. We can also look at the life of Joesph in the Old Testament, and the life and writings of Paul in the New Testament.

The idea of God’s purpose and meaning in the things that happen is called the Doctrine of Providence, and it is a sweet and comforting thought, and guiding principle when times are tough. The Puritans referred to difficult times and severe trials as a “frowning Providence.” Faith is not shaken when we understand the providence of God, even in the darkest of times.

Dear Lord, You understand the darkest of times of my life. You have purpose and meaning in every event, every trial, every grief. Let the knowledge of your providence be boosted by the understanding of your steadfast love for me. As I read your Word, let these truths encourage my heart. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 44 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.

Sing Praises to Our King! – Psalm 47 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

Sometimes when I look back, I realize that God was working in my life, and I didn’t realize it at the time. If I could truly see all that God has done for me I think I would praise the Lord with a bit more energy.

In Psalm 47 the Psalmist shouts and sings praises to God. It looks like our sea lion friend in the picture is shouting out in his congregation. I think a deep faith brings forth great praise to God. As our faith grows, so does our praise.

Let’s sing together, brothers and sisters! Let’s sing praises to our King!

Dear Lord, Help my faith to grow, that I may more clearly see the great things you have done for me. Let the praise spill out in abundance as I marvel at your love for me. 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.

iPhone Daily Quotes by SOM – Distinctives

Matching the daily verse with a unique image is the main distinctive of the Daily Psalm and Spurgeon Daily quotes apps.

When I started working on the basic concept of the daily Psalm app on the iPhone two years ago, There were two issues that concerned me. First, was there enough space to store over 365 images, and second, was the screen resolution high enough to render a quality image? I was pleasantly surprised that the answer to both was yes! There was more than enough space, and the images were stunning, even on the small iPhone screen.

Reading through the Psalms for quotes was a joy. From there I needed hundreds of images to work with, and to keep  the cost down, I needed images in the public domain. I found that government websites were loaded with quality images. The credits with each application give a list of the websites if you are interested.

Each image is from some nature setting, and none of them show people or human objects such as roads, fences or houses. The one exception are a few images of the pyramids when the psalm mentions Egypt.

Matching an image with each quote was the next challenge. Images were matched through some keyword, thought or concept whenever possible. The result was that the image gives the verse more meaning. In some cases, the combination is quite stunning. If you go to the product pages, you can see some sample screen shots to fully comprehend what this means.

When the verse mentions “under the shadow of his wings” the images I found, include eagles with outstretched wings, or a small bird in a nest covering her young with her wings. When the verse mentions wine, an image of a grape vine might be used. In some cases the images give a bit of humor when it seems that an animal seems to be talking or gesturing. Beavers, otters, and penguins are some of my favorites.

I hope you enjoy the verses and images each day. Drop me a line and let me know what you think. Rating the application will let other know you have been blessed by the app.

iPhone Psalm Daily Quote NIV – for today

I like the way this image and quote match. Trying to count grains of sand scooped up in your hand is difficult. Trying to count grains in mile upon mile of desert sand is a number so vast we can’t comprehend it. Even so are the precious thoughts of God toward us as the Psalm brings to our mind.

This quote and image are from the Psalm Daily Quote NIV iPhone app available on the Apple iTunes Store. I hope it will be a blessing to you.

Will Rogers on “Crap Shooters at NYSE”

Will RogersIt was 10 degrees F (-12C) this morning and I had to do some work on my car. After a few minutes it was becoming more and more difficult to do even the simplest manipulation with my fingers. Not only that, it was painful.

Can you imagine how difficult it must be for crap shooters when it’s that cold. Will Rogers noticed that in February of 1934. Those poor crap shooters at the NYSE had to wait until they could warm up their hands and fingers before they could roll the dice and place their bets.

Image Information: This picture is from the entrance to Will Rogers’ Dog Iron Ranch in Oologah, OK. It is a working ranch and features Will Roger’ Oklahoma home and historical artifacts. It is maintained by the Will Rogers Memorial Museum which is just a few miles away in Claremore, OK.

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

Spurgeon on “Remember Who Upholds the Universe” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

I forget lots of things, people’s names, phone numbers, where I left the keys, important papers, etc. I didn’t mention family birthdays, because some things you don’t dare forget!

Things that are close to me, aren’t forgotten as easily, like family relationships. When others become a part of my circle of friends, it takes a while before I remember names and details. If I value the relationship, I make the effort to be with friends more often so I won’t forget them.

Can you remember when you first turned to God? Can you remember when you first read some of the great stories from the Bible? Can you remember a particularly meaningful sermon you heard? Can you remember an event where God did a significant work in your life? Do you remember when a friend brought you encouragement from the Lord, when you needed it?

As we walk with the Lord, we gather memories, from Scripture, from preaching, from people and from experience. Spurgeon’s quote encourages us to put these memories in perspective, and to never forget that God is able to “fulfil his own promises.”

Dear Lord, Help me remember that you “uphold the universe,” and that you fulfill your promises. If I have strayed, receive me back as I remember your goodness and grace to me. Let the memories from today increase my faith, and love for you tomorrow. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Will Rogers on “Democratic Campaign Contributions & Religious Benefits”

Will RogersIt’s very important for a charity, such as a church, that receives gifts to make sure the donor understands the tax requirements. With the donation receipt a statement must be included such as “With this gift, you did not receive any goods or services in exchange for your donation other than religious benefits.”

With Democrat pastoral leadership, from various high profile Reverends, rallies and meetings take on the air of revival, complete with fainting, screaming and chanting. So, why not toss a few dollars in the collection plate for all the religious benefits? Of course, it’s clear that no goods or services were exchanged for the donation, unless you happened to be the Governor of Illinois.

Now, things got a little confusing and disorganized over time, because people were expecting more than just religious benefits. They were expecting new kitchens, more unemployment benefits, cheaper health care, lower taxes, transparent government, and so on. People that took Will Rogers’ advice and “charged off” Democrat charitable campaign contributions got into trouble with the IRS.

The Democrat campaign is in trouble now. Charitable contributions are down. It’s a classic case of “over promise, and under deliver.” It looks like the only religious benefit left, is unemployed Democrat politicians praying for a job.

Image Information: This pictures shows the Rogers family in a Model A Ford.  Pictured are Will Rogers, Jim, Mary, Will Jr., and Betty.

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

Uncountable Blessings – Psalm 139 NASB 2 Minute Devotional

I’m always interested in contests where we are asked to guess the number of jelly beans in a jar. I might make an attempt to count some of them through the glass, but soon give up in frustration. Usually I make a wild guess, which turns out to be nowhere the real number.

I’ve never seen a contest where the challenge was to guess the number of grains of sand in a jar. Somebody has to actually count all the grains, and even a small jar of sand has a huge number of individual grains.

As we read the scripture and listen to God’s word preached we can begin to understand some of God’s precious thoughts toward us.

There’s a lot of sand in this world, and even trying to number the grains of sand in this image is an impossible task, for the number is too great for us to comprehend.

Consider our infinite God who would bend his thoughts toward us in infinite detail. Our only response can be worship and praise!

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 139 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or  Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

NIV Psalm Screen with “Bambi”

I really like the “Bambi” images because they fit well with a number of Psalms. The iPhone screen shot below shows the fawn with Psalm 18:35 (NIV). I thought this fit well with the contrast between humility and greatness mentioned in the Psalm. The screen shot comes from the Daily Psalms NIV product.