Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on February 6, 2026

Most folks set their sights too high. They demand too much of life…. Let me tell you…the happy man is the man who is content with just what he needs…just so he has it regular.”
–Louis L’Amour (Where the Long Grass Blows)

“But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.”
–Psalms 73:28 (NIV)
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“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.”
–Philippians 4:11(NKJV)

Paraphrase: “I find a sufficiency of satisfaction in my own heart, through the grace of Christ that is in me. Though I have not outward comforts and worldly conveniences to supply my necessities, yet I have a sufficient portion between Christ and my soul abundantly to satisfy me in every condition.” (Jeremiah Burroughs) We see that contentment is closely related to yesterday’s study regarding gratitude and thankfulness.
I recall an old Gene Autry movie (yes, I know some of you don’t have a clue). There was one scene that comes to mind. An eastern woman was posing as a cattle rancher. Gene asked her what kind of cows she raised. She hadn’t a clue, then spotted a box of condensed milk that had on the label, “our milk comes from contented cows.” She immediately said, “we raise contented cows.” No clue, and more, we don’t have much of a clue today what contentment is. We have the means, the availability, the goods, and yet we are probably the least contented people in the world.
We have to realize that contentment is a soul business. It is being satisfied with what God does; knowing you are in good condition. External contentment doesn’t last long. Man wants freedom, he claims that he is free, even in Christian circles, but they are slaves to their passions, their desires, their want of material things, and it doesn’t stop there as the next step is more, better, bigger, louder. People stand in line for a movie, a game, a new phone. The one who is discontented will also find that their heart is unruly. They are not satisfied for any length of time with what they have, therefore it comes forth as anger, bitterness, and hatred.
There is a need for the soul to be silent before God. Yet so many prefer the noise of the crowd, the stadium, the concert. No wonder they cannot have a quiet spirit. No wonder they are in turmoil. Jeremiah Burroughs says that, “Christian contentment is that sweet inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every direction.” Contentment being a soul business is being satisfied with what God does; knowing you are in good condition. The world seeks to deceive us by presenting contentment as having more than we already have. We have not only enough, but we have all we need. It is important as we go through this life that we realize the things of the world are temporal, they are but momentary and not everlasting. We need to be good stewards in the things we already possess. We need to fulfill our duty of serving God in the circumstances in which we find ourselves. It is the battle between self-sufficiency versus God-sufficiency.
Let me finish with some thoughtful words by Richard Dresselhaus. Perhaps if we would evaluate ourselves more we might be more content. He says:
Gratitude–you can’t complain and give thanks at the same time.
Grace–you can’t complain and still live in the fullness of God’s favor.
Worship–you can’t glorify God while complaining about His ways.
Service–you can’t have a positive impact on people…and be negative at the same time.
The words of the Amplified put it this way, “satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted.” Learn to be thankful, learn to be content. As these become part of your lifestyle and character then more will be added. Know this, “It is possible to have enjoyment all your life if you take it from the hand of God.” (Ray Stedman)

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on February 5, 2026

He realized how easy it is to become so obsessed with the less important things and forget about eternal matters.”
–B.N. Rundell (Bear Gulch)

“Since then we have been given a kingdom that is ‘unshakeable’, let us serve God with thankfulness in the ways which please him, but always with reverence and holy fear.”

–Hebrews 12:28(Phillips)
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Something we all need to ponder, especially on this day in which we live, is the question that I’m going to bring to you. It is so easy to “get” things today, many of them we do not need, so from time to time we should take inventory.

Question: What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today?

Hmmm, what would you have? Your clothes, your shoes? Your car, your pets, or your phone? Most of us thank the Lord for our food at meal time, but what about the plates, the utensils, the table where we sat? Do you thank Him for a full pantry and refrigerator?
Going too far? Maybe, then again, maybe not. We take so much for granted in our life. Now, I understand that and the quietness of gratitude can at times be assumed. For example, we don’t continually thank God for our salvation. We just sort of take it for granted after we thanked Him once. We have a grateful heart, and we don’t have to be constantly saying “thank you, Lord for saving me.” Trust is part of that, I understand it. Having a thankful attitude is a big part. But stop, look, at the blessings of God, and be thankful, truly thankful.
Look around you and what do you see? Trouble and trials; the world coming apart; stupidity at its highest; hatred and bitterness. Chad Bird brings the totality of life back to us “We see our struggles with clarity while being nearly blind to the blessings in which we swim every single day.” Take time to thank God for the small things. In recent days, with the cold and having to turn off the water, I am thanking the Lord for running water, for hot water, for the availability of it. No, we don’t have to be blabbing, “thank you, thank you,” all the time, but it should become a heart attitude.
There is the argument about the glass being half-full or half-empty instead of being thankful for the glass and whatever amount that is in it. I try every morning to thank the Lord for keeping us through the night and for a new day. Perhaps we should be more thankful; I recall the words of Billy Bray, “As I go along the street I lift up one foot, and it seems to say, ‘Glory!’ and I lift up the other, and it seems to say ‘Amen;’ and so they keep on like that all the time I am walking.” In other words, be thankful for life. Joseph Alleine would say that we should be thankful for the week before us, the day in which we find ourselves, the hour in which we are working and breathing. Another old preacher, Pappy Flynn wrote this about being thankful, “It begins the moment we realize that every breath is borrowed, every sunrise is a gift, and every blessing carries the fingerprint of a Father who never lets go.”
Perhaps it is age that helps us realize that we do need to be thankful people. We begin to have an understanding of what Paul says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Maybe thankfulness is not something we feel, but as someone said, “it’s something God grows inside us.”

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on February 4, 2026

You don’t talk to skunks unless you plan on getting sprayed.”
–Rod Collins (Bitter’s Run)

“The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves.”
–Proverbs 13:5 (NIV)
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“Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.”
–Proverbs 10:6-7 (NKJV)
“The godly are showered with blessings; evil people cover up their harmful intentions. We all have happy memories of the godly; but the name of a wicked person rots away.”
–Proverbs 10:6-7 (NLT)

I have fond memories of my Grandma working in the kitchen, striving to put something good on the table for us to eat, and almost always there was some kind of dessert. I can see her in my mind’s eye sitting on her bed, Bible in hand, reading it. Perhaps you have fond memories of someone, a memory that might make you smile. I like what the NKJV Study Bible says about these verses: “When a person’s name was remembered by future generations for good, that person’s life was believed to have been of great value. But when the memory of a name rotted away, it was as though that person had never lived.”
Have you noticed in the recent decades that there is an attempt to smear the lives of the men and women of the past. Don’t recall the good, but instead show that they were bad, evil people. Why? It is part of the attempt of wickedness to discredit good. We see so often today that there is an attempt by the media to make the criminal the victim. There is an attempt to cover up evil intentions.
In reality, now in this life, we are building character. It is who we are. “Character yields a present blessing or a present curse.” (J.L. Flores) How we deal with life, with others, and most importantly with God speaks volumes of who we are. “The just man’s memory is blessed because he leaves behind him reproductions of his own character.” (Flores)
Perhaps you have heard this said, “He’s just like his dad.” Or, “she takes after her mother.” This is true for better or for worse. All of life reproduces itself, not just genetically, but realistically as well. As Christians, born again believers, it should be our life goal to be like our Father in heaven. We should seek to emulate the holy walk of Jesus and let the fruit of the Holy Spirit be nurtured in our lives.
Evil abounds, that is a fact. When I was a principal I had a good idea of what the home was like when I looked at the child. I remember one event when I had to bring in a parent because the boy was speaking out in obscenities–the mother came. I asked where he got this talk and what straight out told–“that’s the way his father speaks at home.” Look at the news, see the evil, and realize that it will and does have an effect. But know this–these verses will have their complete fulfillment at the Great White Throne. Evil, those who rejected the redeeming sacrifice of Christ will be judged, found guilty, and cast into the Lake of Fire. There will be no memory of them; it will be as if it has rotted away.
However, there is the other side, as Dan Dick writes, “The memory of the just is truly blessed.” It is blessed in this life and will continue on into eternity. Therefore, one of the most important things a person can do is leave a lasting, godly legacy. “Such is the blessing and curse of God, long after the men had passed into eternity.” (Charles Bridges) We choose today whom we will serve and it will carry into eternity. Choose wisely–that is what the book of Proverbs is all about.

The Saga of Miles Forrest

by Ira Paine, Posted on February 3, 2026

It is better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool!” –Ecclesiastes 7:5 (NLT)
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It’s amazing what a difference a week makes. Most of the snow is gone except the snow banks and in the shadows. But my, oh my, the roads are a mess. Muck, slush, horse droppings, mud; Leon Castillo and his boys have been busy cleaning up the best they can. Mateo convinced the city fathers to hire them to clean up the streets. Normally they would do it every other day, however they have been at it steady for the last couple days. I think I’ll drop by to see Parker and Newsome urging them to give them a bonus. They are working hard for the Lord only knows when the next snow will come. It’s only the first of February and there’ll be plenty more before the season is up.
The diner has been exceptionally busy for some reason. Molly has been coming in to work every morning to make pies and work the morning rush allowing Marta to stay home with the baby until around ten. Lola has been working full time and has been joined by Mateo’s niece, Mona. Emelda is the main cook with Molly only helping with pies and other baked goods. She has refrained from making anything else to sell not wanting to start a rivalry with the Williamson’s bakery. Theresa Williamson is the owner, a widow woman with two girls who help her. I want to say that she makes some delicious cream puffs. I stop in whenever I visit Floyd’s barbershop. Old Floyd DePoy has been cutting hair and shaving men since I’ve been in Durango.
The Feeneys have been working well and staying in the jail at night. They’ve been helping Norm Street bring in wood , cutting it, and helping to deliver it to folks in town. There’s talk of bringing in coal. That will save on cutting down the timber; folks need to remember that it takes some time to replenish what has been cut. The mountains up around Silverton and Telluride are bare, the timber being cut for buildings and for use in the mines.

Mateo and Lucas would switch out duties every four days. The two men could barely cover the town by themselves anymore and Lucas was just now coming on as full time deputy. Charlie was gone over half the time with his duties as sheriff; in fact, he was out of town now riding to Mancos. The road to Telluride was still closed, but as soon as it was open he would be traveling there. The telegraph was still open and he was sent notifications by the justice of the peace that several eviction notices were ready for him to serve. Knowing Charlie, he might be dragging his feet there a bit waiting until the hard winter was over before serving those notices.

Lucas was working the night shift. He would come on at ten and work a twelve hour shift. I had worked it out with Mateo to make the rounds with Lucas at night, then first thing in the morning. Help him out, sort of guide him. He was good, a quick learner, and after I left Molly at the diner I went to meet him at the jail. He was taking a final sip of coffee when I entered the office.

“One thing about being cold, Senor Marshal, it keeps the rats from coming out of their el pozo,” he said with a laugh. “Course there is old Muggins who would start something just so he could have a warm jail to sleep in at night and some biscuits and gravy for breakfast.”

I smiled, I knew that Mateo and Charlie both let Theodore Muggins sleep in the jail. He was a broken down, once successful miner, who had gone to the dogs. Wife died and daughter died in a fire that Muggins thought was his fault. He’s slowly drinking himself to death, and I reckon one of these cold winter mornings we’ll find him in some alley frozen stiff.

While Lucas was putting on his coat I glanced back in the cell room. The Feeney brothers were sleeping soundly. They had made quite a change in their demeanor, especially Mort. “Lord, protect us,” I prayed as we went out the door.

“Do you always pray, Senor, when we walk the town?” asked Lucas sincerely.

“Always,” I responded, “if not audibly at least in my mind.”

“It is good that you do. El Dios is excellente, and it is good to have Him walk with us.”

We had just come back from checking the cantina and small market in the barrio. Looked in to see a light on in Moss Vexler’s livery. He would be heating the forge up for Vinnie Scarbo the blacksmith who didn’t come in until eight. We had crossed the street from the livery. I stopped a moment to kick some slush off my boot when a shot chipped the corner of the building sending a splinter into my arm. Lucas stepped up against the building, I fell to the ground in the muck and slush. Lucas had his pistol out, while I was pointing the Greener up the street from where the shot came.

“You okay, Senor Miles?” sounded a concerned Lucas.

Gray light was now upon us. We stayed still for several minutes, then I muttered, “I’m going up the street for a looksee. You follow behind me to the other side.”

Crouching I took a step up the street, then another moving slowly. There had been too much traffic so I couldn’t see any fresh tracks. I was up by Vexler’s corral, and I took another step…