–Donald L. Robertson  (Callum’s Mission)

 

Come on in, Pard, help yurself.  Ahhh, mighty fine tastin’ coffee this mornin’ if’n I do say so myself.  That’s the real stuff, no latte, no cinos, just plain ol’ good, delicious coffee.  I don’t want no deception to muh taste buds.  Nosiree!

     Speakin’ of deception, there’s sure a bunch of it goin’ on.  Goin’ get worser an’ worser as we wait for the return of the Lord.  One day, after we’re gone, the ol’ deceiver himself is gonna rule through the man of lawlessness–the Antichrist.  Talk about deception, I reckon there won’t be any such thing as real coffee.  See, that’s part of the agenda, confuse their taste buds.  Offer them something sweet with just a hint of the real thing.  Cinos they call it, a taste of enlightenment.

     Why, Pard, listen up!  Deception is all ’round us.  Using the guise of peace for deception I saw where the pope, his goodness himself, kissing the hand of a Muslim iman.  Mr. Pope said that all religions “have a role to play.”  Well, Pard, he done right ’bout that.  All have a play in deception including pseudo-Christianity.  That sounds more like the religion of Oprah, all religions lead to God.  Whew, that makes a man want to double the grounds for the next pot.  Seems to me I read in the Bible that to be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God.  Deception, Pard, that’s all it is.  Why they’re a-sayin’ just “help yurself.”

     This week, I decided to add another pet peeve to my list.  One day I need to go through an’ delete a few since some of them relate to my time in education.  But here’s my new one.  Yuh take a swaller as I tell yuh.  AI.  Yelp, AI is on my list.  I look at AI photos of places that this ol’ bones have traveled an’ it’s just plain ol’ deception.  AI is tryin’ to deceive folks by sayin’ what yur a-lookin’ at is the place.  Why, Pard, just the other day, a picture of Boulder Falls was posted.  It was no more Boulder Falls than Niagara.  Then a photo of the San Juans, my mercy, I’ve traveled those lonesome peaks.  It looked more like some of those in the Andes or someplace else.  Pard, they even tried to fool me with some photos of my stoopin’ grounds outside the Indian Peaks.  False photos of Rocky Mountain National Park.  Pard, I tell yuh, it’s all part of the ploy–deception.  Go ‘head, they’re sayin’, believe what yuh see–help yurself.

     That ol’ liar slewfoot is the father of lies an’ he hasn’t stopped.  Why from almost the beginnin’ he spewed forth lies, lies of deception.  Ol’ Eve and Adam bit right into it.  Help yurself–the devil said, an’ they chewed a bite of that fruit an’ evil with all of its deception came forth, an’ the devil laughed with glee.  Pard, one day, an’ the world’s headin’ that way, the people are goin’ to believe the biggest lie of all.  Until that day, the devil just says, go ‘head–help yurself.  It might start with just a sip of cino, or maybe some weed, after all it won’t hurt yuh; or maybe only a drink at a party.  Yep, help yurself.

     Pard, right now, I’m gonna help myself to another cup of coffee, and then do some more readin’ in the Bible; helpin’ myself to some of that bread of life.  The Lord says, He has a table spread, and calls for us to come and dine–to help ourselves to the things of the Lord, not the things of the world.

     Well, Pard, guess I got to preachifyin’ some today, but the coffee was worth it, right?  Yuh be comin’ over long as I can afford it.  My mercy, have yuh been to the grocery lately?  Well, uh, that’s a subject for another Perc.  Yuh be havin’ a good week, guard the truth, don’t be gettin’ yurself deceived, and for land’s sake, check yur cinch.

      Vaya con Dios.

                     –Johnny Gunn  (Terror on Flat Top Ridge)

 

Mornin’ to yuh, Pard.  Coffee’s on, ready for yuh to guzzle, or sip, whichever fits yur fancy.  In the midst of this crazy, mixed-up world, some things are just downright enjoyable.  Yep, some things just lift yuh up an’ make yuh smile.  Yuh know what I mean.  From the first glimmer of graylight in the mornin’ to the dazzlin’ colors of a sunrise tellin’ yuh that yur still alive and breathin’.  The aroma of fresh brewed coffee an’ then the taste of that elixir flowin’ down yur gullet to yur gizzard. . . ahhh, delightful.  Or how ’bout the aroma of fresh-baked bread, or pie, then add to that the smell of bacon a-fryin’.  Yep, most of the time the simple things are the good things.

     Why you just showin’ up this mornin’ and sharin’ a bit of yur time with me–well, that’s a lifter.  I’ll share somethin’ with yuh that really made this ol’ fence post feel good.  I got a phone call yesterday from my ol’ pard, Bob.  Just made me feel good that he was a-thinkin’ ’bout me.  We talked a spell, shared some things–why, it was just like ol’ times.  Made not only my gizzard happy, but my heart as well.  We exhorted each other like the Scripture says, to stay in the faith and to guard the truth.  I recall, Pard, the writer of Hebrews says that we are to exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today.”  (3:13)  

     Go ahead, Pard, pour yurself another cup, there’s plenty and if we empty the pot there’s more makin’s.  Read the other day of an ol’ cowman who put the coffee on every mornin’ out of habit, even though his gizzard won’t accept it anymore.  Now, that’s bein’ faithful to friends who may, or may not show up.  The coffee’s there for them, sorta comfortin’ to know that folks think kindly towards one another.  I remember Grandma always had a pot of coffee on the stove in case anyone came by.  She never drank the brew, but it was always there, ready for a guest or friend.

     Yep, Pard, with all the evil around, and all the wicked folk who sit in high places we need each other to encourage us in this evil day.  “Comfort one another”, we are told.  So hope, my few words along with the coffee will give yuh some comfort this Saturday before yuh head out for the day’s duties.  Fact is, I’m comforted knowin’ that yuh checked yur cinch.  Sure does ease the mind.  Yuh be havin’ a good week!

       Vaya con Dios.

                    –C. Wayne Winkle  (A Dangerous Beginning)

 

“Ridin’ down the canyon, to watch the sun go down; a picture than no artist e’er could paint.”  Sing along, Pard, for that’s ’bout as close as we can get to a canyon here in East Texas.  Reckon I could go up on the hillside to look out over the pasture land at sundown, that’s a right nice view.  But nestled in our little cottage in the woods we don’t have that view.  “Course the last rays of the sun filter on down through the trees; that’s right nice as well.

     Sorry, was thinkin’ ’bout that view, an’ most forgot yur coffee.  Since yuh don’t want to sing, sit down and I’ll pour yuh a cup.  Ahhh, that delicious brew, now if’n we could only be lookin’ down the canyon.  ‘Course the sun ain’t comin’ down, it’s just a-risin’ tellin’ us that there’s a new day approachin’ and that we need to be doin’ our best for the Lord.

     Did I watch the convention?  Pard!  What’s got into yuh?  Why should I watch a bunch of clowns?  Just watchin’ some of them makes the ol’ gizzard queasy.  Makes me think of the words of our Lord when he said that a group of people just wanted to carry out their father’s desires.  By father, He meant ol’ slewfoot hisself–the devil.  Remember, Jesus said that he, the devil, speaks his native language, for he is a liar, and no truth in him.  Why those folks are just carryin’ out his wishes, and who’ll become the recipients?  Yuh got it, us folk out here.

     Pard, yuh done got me on my soap-box.  Yuh drink yur coffee whilst I go on an’ say somethin’ else.  We’re headin’ down a wicked, evil way, an’ it has to stop or the Lord is goin’ to put a stop to it.  Hmmm, or maybe not, He often allows folks to get what they want; bad thing is other folk suffer right along with them.  But, Pard, unless the Spirit speaks to them they ain’t a-gonna listen.  They don’t belong to God so they ain’t gonna recognize His voice, nor do they want to.  They want to do what they want regardless of the right and wrong of it.

     Whooeee, Pard, yuh hang on to the truth!  Don’t let no woke person who’s really asleep turn yuh aside.  They ain’t got no more sense than God gave a rock.  Yuh right straight an’ true an’ tall in the saddle.  Yuh tighten yur cinch as yuh travel this road of life, enjoy the sunrise, the sunset, and good coffee.

       Vaya con Dios.

                      –Ernest Haycox  (Saddle and Ride)

 

Come on in, Pard, sit yurself down, I’ve just been ponderin’ whilst sippin’ my coffee.  Been awhile since I’ve drank straight from the pot or pan; guess I’m what yu’d call sophisticated now.  Big word for such a simple fella.  

     I quoted from that ol’ puncher Lou Bradshaw the other day ’bout the monsters bein’ set loose.  I haven’t heard anything ’bout him in the last couple of years.  Wonder if one of those monsters got him, or he succumbed to a pestilence or the elements.  Most likely he’s crossed over the Great Divide.  Sure hope he went peaceful; I’d hate if one of those monsters came ’round to snatch him.

     Don’t be a-doubtin’ me, Pard.  Those monsters are real.  Why even ol’ Peter hisself spoke of them, saying the devil was like a lion seekin’ someone to devour.  Pard, just hold yur cup for a minute and think, if’n that’s possible for yuh.  How many have you known that some monster has grabbed an’ sent them down to perdition?  Good folks, who at one time were doin’ the Lord’s work and they up an’ give in to the monsters that were chasin’ them.  I read of Hugh Glass bein’ chawed on by that monster grizzly.  That ol’ boy survived an ordeal like few others have been through, and yet, sad to say, some get a kitty scratch and go into fits like they had the hydrophoby.

     Ahhh, good coffee, helps bring the memories back of days gone before.  Pard, don’t get me wrong ’bout that kitty scratch.  I reckon I know it could get infected and the lockjaw could set in, but mercies’ sake sometimes we are so feeble-kneed and whiny that a person would wonder.  I have had the mountains on my mind a time or two, but I wouldn’t succumb to the jaws of the monster.  Yep, back in the summer of ’15, the ol’ heart was smacked by a monster, but my faith was in the Lord, an’ He took care of me and has continued to do so.

     Don’t get me goin’, Pard.  I know that we all got to face that last enemy–Death.  Why he stalks us all the time, and his cohort the devil are always lookin’ for ways to bring us down.  He’s an outlaw for shore, but we know that Death has been defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ.  How we come to face that outlaw, we don’t know.  It may be a monster after us, or a storm, or pestilence, or a battle, or just plain wearin’ out, but one thing we do know is that the Lord is with us.  Yuh need to lay hold of that for a fact!

     Sorry, if I seem a little melancholy, but Pard we got to face those evil monsters out there.  Some are after our family an’ it might be time to tote out the ol’ .44.  Sayin’ that it’ll be a shame if yuh met yur demise by failin’ to check yur cinch.  Yep, sometimes it ain’t the monsters that get us, but those little imps.  Yuh, be careful this week, have yur weapons ready in case yur attacked–hang on to the faith!

      Vaya con Dios.