–Louis L’Amour  (The Key-Lock Man)

 

Pard, can’t get the words out of my mind.  Go ahead, the coffee’s on the stove.  Those words by that ol’ Wyoming cowpoke LeDoux keep singin’ in my mind, “I can’t ride the broncos anymore…”  Yuh remember it?  “There’s a lot of parts on me that don’t work no more.”  My aches and pains remind me of those days, and my land, let me tell yuh that I even have to hang on to the rockin’ chair.  Sometimes it gets to movin’ an’ I’d swear it was tryin’ to throw me.

       What’s yuh smilin’ about?  Jist you wait, one of these days yu’ll be ridin’ that wooden frame.  They’ll probably have to add a seatbelt to keep yuh in that chair.  Nah, just kiddin’ with yuh, drink yur coffee.  By lookin’ at yuh, I reckon yu’ve got at least fifty or sixty miles left in yuh.  At least yur not out runnin’ with the rats.  Oh, and speakin’ of rats, remember election time starts next week here in Texas.  We sure want to keep home and hearth safe for there’s a push to bring in those fuzzy thinkin’ liberals.  Wish we could throw all those ideas in the trash can.  Once a people move away from God…well, it’s easier to keep moving thataway.  

       Ahhhh, that coffee’s good this mornin’.  I’m not doin’ any worryin’ over the outcome.  The Lord’s in charge anyhow.  My mercy, though, ain’t the country goin’ crazy?  All kinds of shenanigans happenin’.  Need to pray for an awakenin’ like the such that’s happened before in this country.  That’s the only way to keep from the Lord’s judgment.

       Say, Pard, yuh be doin’ right!  The road is still before us, we just don’t move as fast as we used to on it.  But those words by LeDoux keep ringin’, “Well a man can’t spend his life in reflection, just thinkin’ about the way things used to be…”  Yeehaw, hang on Pard, the Lord is gettin’ ready to ride!  Yuh best check yur cinch now.

         Vaya con Dios.

                     –D.C. Adkisson  (The Shepherd)

 

Been sittin’ here waitin’ for you, Pard.  Nope, not wastin’ time, honin’ the kitchen knives while waitin’ for yuh to ride up.  My mercy, did you realize this is the first time we shared coffee on a Saturday mornin’ this month, an’ the month is half over.  I don’t know if time flies or not, but it sure does scurry along right quick like.  Be right with yuh, I’ll pour yuh a cup while’s yur gettin’ settled down.

       What’s that?  Yuh broke a tooth.  My land, how did that happen?  Cherry pie?  Ah, one of the cherries still had the pit.  Well, ha, that the pits!  Get it, sort of a pun.  Someone didn’t do their job completely and left a pit for yuh.  Some fool is probably sittin’ somewhere a-grinnin’ wonderin’ who bit into the pit.  

       We sure had a time visitin’ kin along with stayin’ with the daughter and her family.  We saw most of Annie’s kin while back East.  It was good for her and a treat for our youngest granddaughter Julee.  She was our travelin’ pard on this trip.  All the granddaughters have now made a trip with us.  Too bad the grandson is not around–we’d take him out West an’ start makin’ him a buckaroo.

       I notice that broke tooth didn’t hinder yuh from downin’ that coffee.  Hang on, more’s a-comin’.  Pits are like those hidden obstacles that come our way in life.  The pie looks invitin’ and most surredly is delicious when “CRACK!”  There goes the tooth.  Now, that’s not life-threatenin’, but it sure is annoyin’.  I remember once when I broke one.  The tooth didn’t hurt but it left a jagged edge and no matter what, my tongue found it and wore a sore on it.   

       Just like the devil–throw something we aren’t expectin’ just to annoy us.  We are bought by the blood of Jesus, but he still does his best to kill or cripple us, and if nothin’ else to just annoy us.  Then he goes off somewhere in a darken corner and smirks.  But Pard, I know an annoyance like a broke tooth, or twisted wrist, or stiff neck won’t keep yuh from doin’ the work of the Kingdom.

       Let’s finish up the coffee so we can be about doin’ the Lord’s business this day.  First off, right after giving some serious attention to the coffee, yuh check yur cinch.

       Vaya con Dios.

                    –Elmer Kelton  (The Smiling Country)

 

Ponder that some, while I pour yuh a cup.  Pretty close to bein’ true, and let me tell yuh another thing.  I’ve tasted some coffee that was pretty near to bein’ dishwater on its ownself, not even bein’ cold.  How some folks can ruin such a delightful beverage is beyond understandin’.  Cold coffee–not fer me, unlessin’ that’s all there is.  An’ if’n it’s cold, a person can always pour it in a pan and place it on the stove.

       Taste that!  Don’t burn the hair offen yur tongue; it’s hot!  Ahhh, pure delight.  Makes unwanted company tolerable.  No, Pard, not meanin’ you, but I’ve had to sit through meetin’s in my time, and do some visitin’ with unsavory types that it was only coffee that helped me through.  Go ahead, yuh can probably take a deep swaller now.

       Yuh heard about the Queen.  Finally went to meet her Maker and the real King of the Universe.  From what I have been able to tell, she was a good woman and a believer.  She shore did live the life.  A stabalizin’ factor with the countries on the continent.  No one can fill her shoes, but we need to pray that Charles stays with the Lord and continues to be a conservative voice.

       Pard, yuh realize that it is the Lord who establishes governments and kingdoms.  Sometimes, in fact most of the time, we don’t understand his workin’s, but He establishes thrones and who sits upon them.  Part of that is to give people the kind of leadership they deserve.  A people who act the fool will get a foolish leader–just look around you.  One of these days, and this ol’ fence post believes soon, the kings of the nations will run for a hidin’ pace.  The true King will appear and they will be afraid, and will go to war against Him.  Oh, foolish men!

       Coffee’s gone already?  My, we must have been thirsty this mornin’ doin’ all our contemplatin’ an’ rememberin’ the Queen.  Maybe she and Granny are sippin’ a cup of heavenly tea (yeah, I said it, I’m not sure how much the Queen enjoyed coffee), perhaps Mary and Martha are involved with the conversation.  Is she in heaven?  Pard, from what I understand she claimed to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ so she’s gonna be there.

       Pard, yuh be havin’ a good day.  Next week, the wife and I along with the youngest granddaughter are travelin’ the steel mount for Maryland.  Hopin’ to be stoppin’ off to see relatives in Carolina.  Yuh can be singin’ that song, “Wouldn’t it be finer, just to be in Carolina in the mornin’?”  But while yur a-singin’ it, don’t neglect to check yur cinch.  I won’t be here to remind yuh.  Be sayin’ a prayer for us.

        Vaya con Dios.

                         –Cliff Hudgins  (Viejo and the Outlaws)

 

My, my, what has happened to our nation?  What is going on in the world?  Good questions, and I have an answer for yuh, Pard.  It’s gettin’ ready for the return of the Lord.  I don’t read the news much anymore, and shore don’t listen to the pundits spoutin’ off, but I’ll read a headline now and then and I came across a couple.

          “Texas Fire Dept. Chaplain Axed for Biblical View of Gender — Under the city of Austin’s standard, no one who openly holds historic Christian beliefs about the immutable differences between men and women can serve as a chaplain or in any other fire department position.”

          “Climate Change Police–Coming to a City Near You — French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin is hiring 3,000 ‘green police officers’ to go after those who violate green-related criminal issues.  The announcement comes after the EU crisis management tsar Janez Lenarcic called for the rapid creation of a Europe-wide ‘Civil Protection Force’ to enforce climate laws across the EU.”

Yuh don’t understand?  Come on, Pard, it simply means that they’re after you and me and others.  And if that ain’t enough the President done declared us to be dangerous to the country.  Folks like us are tryin’ to destroy the soul of America.  That’s just plain insane!

       Pard, it’s sad…  Yep, I spend time starin’ into my coffee cup as well.  Is there hope?  Wal, for sure, as long as yur breathin’ there’s hope, but the question is hope in what?  My hope is in the Lord and His return.  My hope is in my salvation that He purchased with the price of His blood.  More and more, Pard, I don’t look for the government to do more than continue on a downward spiral.  The thing for us to be is on the Lord’s side.

       What y’da say we concentrate on our coffee.  Good, hot, strong enough to wipe the varnish off the tabletop, and fill the gizzard with joy.  Not much we can do about it, ‘cept pray.  More and more I understand why we are to pray that last prayer in Revelation, “Even so, Lord Jesus, come.”  The days are evil and not just evil, but perverse.  The agenda of the Antichrist is clearer to see and the methods he will use.  

       Be ready, Pard.  Be ready as yuh ride out every day.  Be ready and be a-listenin’ for the trumpet.  Keep yur eyes upon the skies, but yuh also need to be watchin’ where yur steppin’.  Oh, and Pard, one of the ways for yuh to be ready is to check yur cinch.

        Vaya con Dios.