Will Rogers on “Rushing to Wisconsin”

Will RogersThere’s a lot of rushing around these days. In Wisconsin, legislators are rushing out and protestors are rushing in where they have no business. Like Will Rogers says, they should have never left the place where they came from.

Normal working folks don’t have time to protest because they are busy earning a living. They do make time to vote, and they elected the Governor to take care of business.

Normal legislators are about the people’s business. Running away from their jobs just doesn’t seem right to most people when there are tough decisions to be made.

It seems kind of odd that the people that don’t pay Wisconsin taxes are coming in to the state to protest, and the people that are responsible for deciding how to best manage the tax money are leaving the state.

I think the good people of Wisconsin can take care of their own business without all the rushing around.

Image Info: Once Will Rogers found out he could get places faster by flying he was constantly in the air. From the early days of open cockpit aircraft, like in this picture, Will Rogers was part of the birth of commercial aviation. He knew all the famous pilots including Billy Mitchell, Wiley Post and Charles Lindberg and passionately promoted 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

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.

Cast Your Burden on the Lord – Psalm 55 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

Don’t you wish you could be like the sea otter in the picture? Not a care in the world. Even catching food looks like a game for these fun-loving creatures.

Burdens come in many forms, relationships, financial, school work, pressure at the job, child rearing, and many others. They stick to us like Velcro to felt, and in many cases, we learn to live with them.

Suppose you are a busy housewife with a couple of toddlers at home. Exhausted, you answer the door, and a friend offers to watch the kids and pick up the house so you can get some rest. Later, you wake refreshed and find the house clean and the kids happy. Your friend took your burden willingly and gladly.

What relief, what joy, when the burden is cast away! We are not alone, gentle reader. We can cast our burden on the Lord, and He will sustain us. We can put our trust in Him.

Dear Lord, Help me to cast my burden upon you, the cares and worries of this life that weigh me down. Most importantly, lift the burden of sin from my life, that I might know you and trust you more each day. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 55 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 heart is not proud – Psalm 131 NASB 2 Minute Devotional

Years ago I was giving a professional presentation. It was a proud moment – to have the attention of my industry peers, to be the expert in my field. The room had a mirrored wall in the back, and several people had laptops open in front of them. As I was presenting, I noticed through the reflection of the mirror that one of the attendees was playing solitaire on his computer! I guess what I was saying wasn’t as important as I thought.

Pride creeps into almost everything we do, yet in Psalm 131 the Psalmist gives us a beautiful image of humility starting with “O Lord, my heart is not proud.” The doe and fawn in the picture convey a beautiful and quiet humility.

What could be more content than the weaned child resting against its mother?

Dear Lord, help me to compose and quiet my soul. Let my heart not be proud. Help me to hope in you from this time and forever.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 131 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.

Longing for God – Psalm 143 NASB 2 Minute Devotional

There have been a few times in my life where I’ve been really thirsty. You know how it feels – throat parched, tongue thick, mouth feels like cotton. Fortunately in our modern world, water is usually nearby at a fountain or faucet.

I’ve seen movies and read books about people who have suffered from severe dehydration and thirst. Perhaps the person is lost in the desert, like the one pictured on the left. There’s nothing but barren rock and scrub brush. No streams, no ponds, no springs, no water anywhere.

I think the Psalmist captures the feelings of a thirsty wanderer in Psalm 143. The spirit is overwhelmed with the thought of finding water. All thoughts are consumed with the search. The mind drifts back to times when the glass was full, thirst was quenched, water was flowing in abundance. Then there is the mirage, the pool of water just ahead of us. We stretch out our hands and stumble toward the illusion.

Can I thirst for God, like the body thirst for water? Does it consume me, does it move me to long for Him and meditate on his blessings in my life?

Dear Lord, let me thirst for you and long for you in all I do. Help me to find the water of life in your scriptures and in the preaching of the gospel, in prayer, in worship, and in service to your people. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 143 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 “Safe upon the River” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

As I have been reading the Psalms, I have noticed that the Psalmist regularly encourages us to remember, remember, remember. Remember what the Lord has done for us. Remember God’s many blessings in our lives. Remember answered prayers. Remember his salvation. Remember his deliverance. Remember his mercy. Remember, remember, remember!

In this quote, Spurgeon also encourages us to look to the flowing river of our experiences. I hope that our rivers may be wide and deep, like the one in the picture.

The bulrushes, or reeds along the river mark our specific experiences. They can be gathered and woven together in to an ark, or small boat. Spurgeon indicates that this will help us “float safely on the stream.”

When our “infant faith” is tested, we must rely on our experiences of God’s past faithfulness to help us float in safety over rough waters. For example, when I face financial hardships, I remember all the times that God has provided for my needs in similar circumstances. For that I can praise the Lord in the current difficulty, trusting that He will see me through, just like He has so many times before.

Dear Lord, Please help me bring to remembrance all the experiences of your love and mercy, so that they may sustain me in difficult times. Especially let me remember your great salvation, through Jesus Christ, that will sustain me to the end. 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 “Congress vs. The People, & Gophers”

Will RogersJust about the time you think you’ve won the “big contest” as Will Rogers says, something else pops up. It’s like that “hit the gopher” game. No matter how many times you knock the gophers back into their holes, more keep popping up.

We thought we had health care knocked down, and at the last minute it popped up and passed. Now there are “health gophers” popping up all over the place; in the congress, courts, radio, TV, doctors offices, insurance agencies, internet blogs, etc.

In the last election, lots of gophers got whacked, but then all those whacked lame gophers popped back up for one last bit of mischief. Now the budget gophers, tax cut gophers, clean air gophers, deficit gophers, and a hundred others are showing up. You can’t walk a straight line across the lawn in D.C. without stepping in a hole.

The people are trying to win, but nowadays, even when Congress adjourns, gophers still play their games.

I have faith that the American people will overcome this gopher challenge, and pound those rascals permanently into the ground. Unless, of course, gophers are declared an endangered species by the Department of the Interior.

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 “Labor Day”

Labor Day is a funny name for a holiday. It’s a day when nobody works, or wants to work. Labor unions started observing a labor day in 1882, and Congress passed an act in 1894 making the first Monday in September a national holiday.

In 1929, Will Rogers noted that: “How Congress knew anything about labor is beyond us…” I guess, not much has changed since Will Rogers’ day. Congress didn’t pass a budget last year, they spend money like a drunken sailor, unemployment is up, and the administration hires another professor from academia to advise the president on economic affairs. Do we have any confidence that anyone in Washington knows what they’re doing when it comes to business and labor?

Here’s the latest word from the genius economic advisors in the administration. Unemployment checks are good because people spend the money and stimulate the economy. The more checks, the more stimulus! I don’t think these guys can tell the difference between grits and sawdust!

As if that weren’t enough, the EPA, DOJ, INS, NLRB, and every other Federal agency is burdening business with regulations and lawsuits that kill job growth.

Well, that’s all I’ve got to say about that. Now I have to submit Form GOLB1024 to the Dept. of Communication, confirming that this blog was non-partisan and meets the kindness threshold for internet blog posts. By the way, the form states that the Office of Paperwork Reduction has cut the length of the form in half by reducing the size of the type from 12 point to 6 point.

Have a great Labor Day!

Photo Information: Once Will Rogers found out he could get places faster by flying, he was constantly in the air. In this picture, Will climbs into an open cockpit airplane.

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 “Appreciate What We Have Here”

When I was young, I was a Navy brat. My father was a career military man and we lived in a number of different places, including abroad. We also travelled across Europe, following his ship from port to port.

I’ve seen the beautiful cathedrals, Roman ruins and great works of art. I’ve also observed the cultures, but there’s something truly special about being an American.

As usual, Will has a great point to make with the accompanying quote. If we truly understand the greatness of our country by not only seeing our national parks, Washington, D.C., etc.,  but also understanding the uniqueness of our form of government and the freedoms we have, it will help us put things in better perspective when we travel abroad. Not that we should be filled with an arrogant pride, but rather that we should be filled with thanksgiving for the blessings God has given us.

Will was a true cowboy. He loved roping and herding cattle, but I don’t think he ever worked a steer as large as “Big Jim” in this image.

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.

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.

God is Good – Psalm 145 NIV 2 Minute Devotional

What a glorious Psalm about God’s goodness. To ponder such great goodness, brings about praise as the Psalmist says: “Your saints will extol you.” Not only is God good now, but His goodness extends through all generations and beyond.

Sometimes I struggle with why so many bad things happen to me. Bad things are all around me, death of loved ones, job loss, family strife, natural disasters and so much more. How can God be good if that is the case?

In this fallen world, the real miracle is that anything good can happen at all! The good we see in this life is a glimpse of God’s goodness and love toward us. It is the undoing of the curse of sin. Many times we find that something good comes out of a seemingly bad situation. Even for this we can praise God.

If you look at the life of Jesus, you see the undoing of the effects of sin through healings, mastery over wind and waves, changed hearts and lives, and many other miracles. For the good things Jesus did, what was his reward? He was crucified by evil men.

All the evil in this world could not overcome the goodness of God however. After the crucifixion came the resurrection.

Dear Lord, Show me your goodness, that I might praise you. Save me from this sinful world through the work of Jesus on the cross. Raise me from the dead and give me new life. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 145 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.

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.

Spurgeon on “Light Without Darkness” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

This world is stained with sin. We can’t get away from it, no matter how hard we try, or how far we go. It manifests itself personally in our lives, and in nature.

In our personal lives and relationships, we see pride, envy, lust, hatefulness, and all sorts of sin that manifests itself in our lives each day. We might be able to overcome some sins through the sheer force of will, but sin itself is so deeply embedded in our being that it can never be overcome completely.

In nature we see imperfections and decay everywhere. Our own bodies wear out after a period of time, even though the average lifespan has increased in recent years. Natural phenomena such as tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and many other events indicate that this earth is unstable. Pain and suffering are all around us.

But Spurgeon (and the Bible) talk of beauty and perfection that doesn’t exist on this earth. In a place called heaven we will find it.

When Jesus came to this earth, he showed us that He could reverse the effects of sin in this world. Jesus healed many people reversing the effect of disease in their bodies. He controlled the weather by calming a storm, and he controlled evil spirits by casting them out of the people they tormented. He also preached the gospel, which by faith, can cleanse sin from our lives.

Dear Lord, Only with your grace can we reverse the effect of sin in our life. Only by faith can we prepare for heaven, where sin shall be no more, and we will see your “glory without cloud.” 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.

When I am Afraid, I WIll Put My Trust in You – Psalm 56 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

I’ve been through some uneasy work situations where it seemed that people were against me and there was no recourse, no where to take my complaint. I felt alone, like the penguin in the picture.

My situation is pretty insignificant compared to Christian martyrs of the past, believers who suffered because of their faith in Christ. The New Testament, particularly the book of Acts gives several examples of persecution against Christians and how God gave them a fearlessness as they put their trust in Him.

The trial and crucifixion of Jesus is one of the most extreme examples of enemies proudly attacking a person because of their faith. On the cross, we see the most horrible picture of “what flesh can do” to a person. With complete trust in God and confidence in the Word, Jesus was not afraid, and because of that we have salvation through his sacrifice.

Dear Lord, Help me to not be afraid of circumstances, but to put my trust in you and your Word. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 56 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.