–Nathan Wright  (The Trail)

 

Good Saturday mornin’ to yuh, Pard.  Trust yuh had a good week.  Coffee’s on, strong and hot; it’ll tickle yur gizzard plumb right.  Made some of that espresso this mornin’.  Now, Pard, contrary to what folks think, I’m no conusseuer; I just know how I like my coffee.  Why some put on the package, a hint of grape, or lavender, or chocolate.  What I want to know is, does it taste good?  I can’t taste any of those hints.  I came across this coffee ’cause it was on sale and I’ll always try new coffee. Usually not too bad as long as it’s strong enough.  What did the ol’ puncher say, “Life’s too short for bad coffee”?

     Pard, since I’m ponderin’ coffee, I want to be tellin’ yuh that I’ve been ponderin’ a lot this week.  Yesterday I pondered what it must have been like when Jesus was a boy.  I do that quite often.  The good Lord must’ve had a reason to not include much of His young life in the Holy Writ.  Mostly probably, ’cause it has nothin’ to do with His task, His purpose, and our salvation.  Most likely I’ll ponder it some more.

     Just like I’m ponderin’ how yuh can drink that hot coffee so fast.  My mercy, it’ll burns the hair off’n yur tongue.  I reckon yuh done scorched yur throat down to yur gizzard an’ yur holdin’ yur cup out for more.  Pard, sometimes…

     But back to ponderin’.  I’ve pondered a lot of about Genesis, especially the early part.  My eldest daughter sent me a little thought, that caused to stop my slurpin’ and ponder.  Now, I’ve pondered most of this before.  Shem, yuh remember him?  Noah’s son.  Shem would have known Abraham, and I tend to believe that he was the man that Abraham gave honor to–Melchizedek.  Now get this, since Shem was before the flood, he also would have known Methuselah.  Now, go ahead an’ take a swallow, ’cause this is something I haven’t pondered until now.  Methusalah would have known Adam.  I wonder what ol’ Adam told Methuselah?  Think of all that Adam knew.  He walked with God, He talked with God.  He sinned and was tossed out of the Garden.  Did he tell Methuselah what the Garden was like, what the serpent was like, how life changed?  Something for sure to ponder.  But Pard, take it a bit further.  Since Methuselah knew Abraham did he discuss those same things with him?  

     Yuh go ahead and ponder.  Don’t be wrackin’ yur brains over it, but somethin’ interestin’ for sure.  Here’s another thing I ponder.  Why do I always have to be remindin’ yuh to check yur cinch?

     Vaya con Dios.

                    –William MacLeod Raine  (The Sheriff’s Son)

 

     “Get yur hide sanctified, it’s not too late.  Brother get branded, step through the gate…”  Yeehaw, Pard come on and join in now.  “Get yur hide sanctified…”  Oh, yuh need yur tonsils liquefied ‘fore yuh can sing.  What do yuh mean, yuh don’t know that song?  It’s by that ol’ puncher, Wylie from up on that northern range.  Or are yuh one of them that don’t believe in sanctification?  Whew, Pard, that’s a long word, and I’ll tell yuh the truth, it’s a long process.  It takes a person their whole life, and since we don’t believe in that there reincarnation, yuh best be gettin’ on with it.

     Pard, I don’t want to get all theological on yuh this mornin’, but sanctification is one of those almost archaic words in the church, yet it is so vital to our walk with the Lord.  Yep, Pard, coffee’s good, but don’t be changin’ the subject.  When we get that changed heart, are born again, we are sanctified, but then the process begins.  We take up the Lord’s yoke, our cross, and we begin travelin’ the glory road.  We have the Holy Spirit guidin’ and teachin’ us along the way how to be “in Christ” and how to “grow in grace.”

     Yur right, this coffee is good, my ol’ gizzard is doin’ some flips of joy.  But back to what I was a-sayin’, we wear the brand of the Lord now and the enemy, that grim face, evil-eyed one is after us.  We’re safe, ’cause we’re wearin’ the brand of the Lord.  The Holy Spirit has done sealed us, but that don’t mean there’s not a fight.  That’s why yuh have to keep yurself primed, guns loaded and ready for any hostile action by ol’ slewfoot.

     Yuh have trouble with sufferin’, it ain’t the Lord; it’s the devil tryin’ to blot out the brand.  Havin’ toils, and woes, and conniption fits, that’s the ol’ troll tryin’ to steal yur joy, tryin’ to rustle yuh away from the Lord.  Pard, hang tight, he can’t do it…yur safe in the Lord’s herd, that’s why yuh keep on workin’ on bein’ sanctified.  Why Pard, I heard recently of someone I know that purposely was changin’ over to the devil’s herd.  Said life was too hard, too much work and sorrow and sufferin’ and that they didn’t believe in God any more.  My mercy!  Life happens, an’ when the devil throws things on our trail that should drive us closer to the One who keeps us.

     Yuh been listenin’ to me, Pard, or just sittin’ back enjoyin’ that wonderful brew I made.  That’s all right, Pard, I know yur branded by the Lord, it’s just that sometimes yuh don’t use yur noggin’ and check yur cinch ‘fore yuh mount.  That’s just leavin’ an openin’ for that sneaky troll to strike at yuh.  Yuh be primed and ready and doin’ what yuh can.  “Ohhhhh, get yur hide sanctified…”

     Vaya con Dios.

                    –Donald L. Robertson  (Stranger with a Star)

 

Have to be drinkin’ fast, this ol’ fence post has got to be on the road.  Yep, goin’ up to see another couple tie the knot.  So drink it fast, but don’t be a-burnin’ yur lips.  Ahhh, good, I’ll be takin’ what’s left in the pot, well, that is, if’n yuh don’t go guzzlin’ it all up, with me.

     One thing ’bout yuh, Pard, you don’t do any complainin’ lest it’s about my singin’.  Don’t figure that one out either, but least yuh don’t complain ’bout life, work, the weather, or my coffee.  Pard, I’ve seen some run to the sink to water it down, too strong.  Hmpf…

     Speakin’ of whiny babies, my eldest sent a text that showed a whiny baby of the first sort.  Whinin’ that her husband now had to go to work; he couldn’t work from home.  My mercy, she should be thankin’ the good Lord that he has a job.  Whinin’ like that an’ if’n he carries it to work, well, he might just get fired.  She was moaning that she doesn’t get to see him before he leaves.  Mercy, get up, make his coffee, cook him breakfast, then kiss him goodbye an’ send him on his way.  Whiny babies!  Ugh, few things turn the stomach more.  There was more to it along the same lines.  Why aren’t we thankful for what we have?  

     When I worked with the Royal Rangers (for those who don’t know, it’s a boys’ group similar to Boy Scouts) we had a large pacifier made.  The kid who whined had to wear it around the neck until the next boy whined about something.  We also had a rope with a giant knot for those who had been knotty (naughty).  That was rough on the neck.  My classroom pass was a pacifier.  Whiners!  Ugh!  

     Pard, seems to me that too often we are like the children of Israel and want the Lord to just hand everything to us.  The land was theirs for the takin’, but no, they had to murmur and complain–whine.  It’s too hard, they’re like giants, we’re like grasshoppers, why don’t you just smite them Lord.  Goodness, go in and conquer.  No wonder, with all their whinin’ that the Lord got fed up with them.  If they were gonna whine they were gonna do it in the wilderness.

     Hold on, Pard, don’t be drinkin’ that last cup, that’s for muh trip.  Wait, wait, don’t yuh start yur whinin’ on me.  Yuh already had three cups.  An’ yuh weren’t satisfied?  Hmmm, don’t yuh become a whiny baby!  Why Pard, next thing yuh’ll be doin’ will be wantin’ me to check yur cinch for yuh.  So go have a good week, an’ I don’t want to hear ’bout yuh whinin’!

     Vaya con Dios.

                    –Brad Dennison  (Wandering Man)

 

     Did yuh get blowed away?  Guess not yur here in my kitchen ready to guzzle some coffee.  Ol’ Bob Nolan had the wind a-howlin’ last Saturday, not I’m a-thinkin’ of that ol’ troubadour from Aspen, “The wind is the bearer of bad and good tidings, Weaver of darkness, bringer of dawn…”  Yep, if’n it wasn’t for a few phrases at the beginnin’ of the song, the late John Denver described the wind fairly accurately.

     Go ‘head, Pard, that coffee’s okay to drink, even if it came from California.  Yep, middle granddaughter was thoughtful enough to bring me a bag of coffee from the once golden state when she visited a week ago.  Always nice to be remembered, nicer still when they bring yuh back a present, and to top it off, even nicer when it’s coffee.  So enjoy, and I hear yuh are, moanin’ as yuh swaller and yur gizzard sighs.

     Sometimes I can get aggravated at myself.  I had some important things I thought of durin’ the week that I was plannin’ on sharin’ this mornin’ with yuh, but my mercy, I done forgot them.  Reckon, I’ll just speak a few more words about the wind.  We had a good-un.  It was a-howlin’, the trees were a swayin’ and bendin’ in the wind as it swooped down.  But that is the way of the wind.  

     I was doin’ some thinkin’ and readin’ and the thought passed through my mind, fortunately some of it stuck and I remembered.  Back home I remember those Chinook winds that would come through takin’ away all the freshly fallen snow.  Within hours the snow was gone.  That warm wind did its job and did it quickly.  In the summertime I have seen the wind dry up the grass and my tomato plants.  I remember the many times of drivin’ through Kansas.  The wind was hot and would dry out the skin, almost feelin’ as if it were goin’ to blister it.  

     The thought of that hot wind makin’ yuh thirsty?  Go ‘head, drink up, there’s plenty left in the pot.  And as yur a-guzzlin’ I’ll continue on with my discourse.  Remember, Pard, the wind is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.  One aspect is that the wind does wither.  He strips the land and dries up the brooks and streams.  In other words, it would be like me cuttin’ off yur supply of coffee.  Who would you depend upon then?  One of the purposes of the Spirit is to dry up our selfish resources so that we have to depend more upon the Lord.  It is the wind that blows away the chaff allowing the good grain to fall, and it is the wind of the Spirit that works in our life the same way.  “The dark clouds will vanish…if you’ll saddle your worries to the wind…”.  Pard, let that ol’ wind blow yur worries, the dark clouds, the turmoils of life away into the far horizon.  Yep, ol’ Bob Nolan sure knew somethin’ ’bout the wind.

     So think of that this week.  Be lettin’ the wind do its work, just hold onto yur hat or it might get blown all over creation.  Be safe, be alert, ride easy, and check yur cinch.

      Vaya con Dios.