–Ernest Haycox  (Free Grass)

 

Ol’ Ernie hasn’t nothin’ on me, come in this kitchen, Pard, an’ my coffee will do more than warm up yur gizzard; it’ll plumb tickle it happy.  That’s the way to start the day, strong coffee and readin’ from the Good Book.  As it seems the days are gettin’ more ‘n’ more evil, it’s more important than ever that we be fillin’ our soul with God’s Word.  If’n we’re not careful we’ll be gettin’ ourselves caught up with all the doin’s and goin’s on in the news and the ol’ gizzard along with other innards can easily get riled.  Pard, yuh got to stay in the Book, don’t be a-strayin’ from it.

     Read a story the other day, one that I had heard before.  I don’t recall who was in it, maybe the worker’s name was Bob, or Peewee.  Nah, think the supervisor was Bob; Peewee was shootin’ marbles, he didn’t do much work.  He was ’bout as useless as ol’ Fig Newton was.  Real person, yuh don’t remember him?  I’ll tell yuh, he was some character…I don’t think he ever made it out of the 8th grade, but then that’s another story.

     I want to tell yuh ’bout this lackey who was workin’ for Bob.  He was charged with painting the lines down the middle of the road.  That first day, he did quite the job, finished three miles which was a mite good havin’ to dodge cars.  Why I’ve seen evil men run right after animals that cross the road jist for their kicks…but that’s another story as well.  Day two rolls along, he mustn’t had good coffee for he finished only two miles that day.  But then, the third day came ’round.  Ol’ Bob called this yungster in after the work day was through ’cause he only finished one mile that day.  Bob asked him why his work had dropped so tremendously, at first he thought some fellow might have run him over.  “You started out so well, why has your work dropped off so badly?” questioned Bob, all the time lookin’ him over for bumps or bruises.

     The worker gave a little shrug, “Well, I keep gettin’ farther and farther away from the paint bucket.”  True story, well, at least that’s what I’ve been tolt.  But ain’t it like some of the workers today, not a lick of sense.  Mediocrity, yuh’ve seen it plenty.  But more and more it’s gettin’ to be true of the truth of the Word of God.  Further and further away from the bucket of truth.  The walk is slowed down, and the lines might even be some crooked.  Pard, I won’t blame it on not havin’ some good, strong coffee in the mornin’ and throughout the day–maybe the guy was drinkin’ those cinos.  But the reality of it is that when we start to strayin’ from the source–God’s Word–we can get ourselves in a mess of trouble real quick-like and not even be a-realizin’ it.  Why Pard, if’n that yungster doin’ the paintin’ wasn’t careful he might have got some color mixed in with that road paint.  ‘Magine drivin’ down the road followin’ pink paint, or that there chartreuse.

     Well, I see yur weren’t shy with the coffee this mornin’ as it’s all gone.  Yuh be makin’ yur lines straight, don’t be a-weavin’ and wanderin’ about.  Keep on that straight and narrow glory road.  Pard, onward and upward…that’s what it takes.  An’ let me tell yuh, part of it is always checkin’ back on the Good Book; it’s like checkin’ yur cinch when yuh mount, it’ll help keep yuh in the saddle when the goin’ gets rough.

     Vaya con Dios.

 

Here we are again, Pard.  A day the Lord has made, good strong coffee, and a friend to start it off.  Oh, Talleyrand?  Well, Pard, he was one of them “frogs” from years gone by.  I jist thought I’d add some sophistication to our conversation.  One thing ’bout ol’ Talley–he was a survivor.  Yep, made it through that there French Revolution, and yuh talk ’bout liberal thinkin’, the Reign of Terror, Napoleon’s reign, and was at the Congress of Vienna after ol’ Nap was exiled.  I’m sure he was a bonafide conniver of the first order.

     Ahhh, good coffee.  With all the happenin’s of the past week, yuh jist gotta enjoy what yuh have whilst yuh have it.  I think it was James Michener, who by the way migrated to Texas, who said, “War makes good men better and bad men worse.”  In other words, it brings out the best and worst in men.  Pard, with the devastation that’s been happenin’ an’ especially here in Texas we’re a-seein’ that.  Tragedy brings out the best in men and also the worst.  People are doin’ all kinds of good in the aftermath of that terrible floodin’ that took place.  People are givin’, donatin’, and jist a-gettin’ out an’ workin’.

     Yeah, but Pard, there are those jerks, usin’ this catastrophe for political means, for evil, for lyin’ and tryin’ to get their agenda followed.  Some of them are public officials who ought to be jerked by their suspenders an’ thrown on their can out in the street.  Blame throwin’ and outright lyin’, whilst not carin’ ’bout those who died nor their families.  That’s outright evil.  An’ leave it to the media, those loud-mouthed liars whose father is the devil himself.  Instead of soothin’, they’re a-throwin’ gasoline on the fire just to be gigglin’ at the flare up.  Fools!

     Now, Pard, I’ll admit there are some good folk in the media, but for some reason their voice ain’t as loud.  Add to that the anti-law, those lawless people who are attackin’ our policemen, federal agents, and border control.  I hand it to them, they’ve got the patience of an oyster.  Lawlessness–Pard, there’s comin’ a day when the “man of lawlessness” will be takin’ over.  Sure glad I’ll be up eatin’ at that glorified supper in heaven.  It’s a-goin’ to be chaos down here on earth when that’s a-takin’ place.

     Until then, Pard, we’ll go onward and upward ev’ry day.  Enjoyin’ our coffee when we can, stayin’ alert always, and bein’ the good folk that the Lord intends us to be whilst we wait His comin’.  Yuh ride straight an’ sit yur saddle tall, an’ if’n yuh do that yuh most likely won’t forget to keep yur Bible near, yur gun oiled and loaded, and checkin’ yur cinch.

     Vaya con Dios.

                    –J.V. James  (Old)

 

That’s what I’ve been doin’ Pard, sittin’ and contemplatin’.  Thinkin’ of the foolishness and the stupidity of those out there protestin’ and riotin’.  Most are paid, most are socialist in nature, most favor anarchy, most are shiftless bums wanting to complain, magnify the flaws of the country.  They riot but do nothin’ to help the country.  They murmur, but they are not grateful for all this country does and stands for.

     Take a sip, ignore my agitation.  Guess that’s what Moses saw when the people complained about the bounty that God had waitin’ for them, but didn’t want to take to task the burden of facin’ the “giants.”  

     Pard, I was contemplatin’ the 4th of July and the freedoms that we have in this country.  Then my mind went to the word, “redeem”.  According to Vine, and I’m gettin’ a little scholarly on yuh, the term means “to buy out, especially of purchasing a slave with a view to his freedom.”  We have been redeemed of all iniquity.  Think of it Pard, redeemed means to free men from lawlessness, the bondage of self-will which rejects the will of God.  But we must know that redemption, true redemption only comes through Christ.  And one day, Pard, when we get to glory, we will have complete redemption.  No more frustrations over the fools about us.

     That’s what I’ve been ponderin’, that and sittin’ down to enjoy our time together and the coffee; of course, the coffee.  I’ve been ponderin’ that most of us do not understand nor fully realize how good we have it in America.  I’ve been ponderin’ the redemption of God that is offered to all, an’ then why, oh why, don’t the fools out there realize that it is there for them.  Guess that’s why they’re called “fools.”

     I was sittin’ there, drinkin’ my coffee, and the words of that wonderful hymn came up on the music I was playin’.  Ponder them, and try to get a glimpse of what the Lord has done for us.  

           “Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

          Pardon there was multiplied to me;

          There my burdened soul found liberty,

          At Calvary.”

Ol’ William Newell was on to somethin’.  Liberty comes only through the redemption provided by Christ on the cross at Calvary.  Whew!  What a thought!

     Well, Pard, time to be a-leavin’.  I’m glad to see yuh still have all yur fingers; yuh mustn’t’ve not shot off any firecrackers.  Yur gettin’ smart in yur old age, why I saw that when yuh mounted yuh even checked yur cinch.

    Vaya con Dios.

                     –Nathan Wright  (Marshal Warrix)

 

Mornin’ to yuh, Pard, grab a cup, the coffee’s hot and waitin’ to be drunk.  Get yurself ready for I’ve got some sermonizin’ for yuh.  Mercy, for sure there’s a great day a-comin’.  I don’t know exactly when, but something has to give sooner or later.  Take a sip first, that way we’ll start with something good.  Ahhh…

     First, Pard, I know my ol’ stalkin’ grounds has gone to pot, go ‘head an’ laugh that’s an intended pun.  Yep, thinkin’ they’re bein’ progressive and wise my home state of Colorado has a law that bans sex-exclusive spaces.  Go ahead, slap yurself upside the head.  I’ll tellin’ yuh what I read.  But let me give yuh a glimmer of hope.  A Christian camp won a lawsuit against the state when they said that boys would be allowed to stay in the girls’ cabins.  Man cannot continue to be ignorin’ God’s moral laws; it’s like tryin’ to slap Him in the face.

     Pard, take another sip, and I’m tellin’ this so’s yuh can watch yur backside in a crowd.  This here happened just last week.  Thank the Lord it wasn’t in our country, but if it can happen in France it can happen here.  I don’t know what these folks were thinkin’…well, they weren’t thinkin’ right that’s for sure.  Seems like 145 people at a music festival were stuck with syringes.  Authorities aren’t sure yet what was in those needles, but imagine idiots goin’ around pokin’ folk.  At the time of the article fourteen fools had been arrested.  Yuh see why I tell yuh to be wary when yur in a crowd?

     Whooee, Pard, then take a look at all the stupidity.  Duh, don’t folks know what the term “illegal” means?  Nope, yur right Pard.  It’s like callin’ my coffee–tea. Most of them are just riotin’ with no notion of what’s goin’ on.  Don’t any of them have jobs?  People are so moronic, they want to gripe, act like fools, but then when someone goes to stop them, they become the victims.  I sure do take my hat off to those officers and guardsmen that have to put up with such nonsense.  They must have some kinda special patience bone; I mean, I’d just want to slap them silly, maybe try an’ knock some of the foolish notions out of them.  Pard, I’m reminded of the words of our Savior when He said, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”  Uh, that’s from Matthew 24.  Look it up, ponder it an’ see if’n it might not relate to all the evil we’re a-seein’ around us.  

     Coffee’s gone, it’s time for me to quiet my preachifyin’, but let me give yuh one more thought.  Pard, let me ask yuh, wasn’t it just twenty-four years ago nearly 3000 people lost their lives to attack led by Muslims in New York City?  Now they’re got this socialistic Muslim runnin’ for mayor.  Pard, sometimes the Lord allows our foolishness to punish us.  Some things are just too hard for my simple brain to be a-comprehendin’.  

     The mornin’s most over, the coffee is gone, an’ I know yuh gots to be leavin’.  Watch out Pard, don’t let no one stick yuh with a needle.  That could end up bein’ worse than yuh forgettin’ to check yur cinch.  For sure we must be travelin’ with the Lord.

     Vaya con Dios.