The Adventures of Hay Rake Slim and Shorty

Twas the night of the big dance
All the boys had a grin
But the brown cow nonetheless
Had to be milked again

See a cowboy takes to milkin'
Like a doctor takes to flu
But when the little crippled calf won't suck
There's nothin' else to do

They got the cow up in the chutes
B.W. held the pail
Hay Rake went to milkin'
While Shorty held her tail

Then they got Ol' Cripple up
And fed him thru' a tube
Then rushed to finish evenin' chores
Their spirits unsubdued

But when the dance was over
And home they laughing rode
An awful shock was waiting
On them to be bestowed

For in the rush and hurry
To put on dancin' boots
The cowboys had run off and left
Poor Brown Cow in the chutes

And there she stood her head hung low
Lookin' so forlorn
But when they rushed to let her out
She hooked 'em with her horns

See she'd stood there several hours or more
Like a cowvict in a jail
And when she finally got a'loose
She had a tale to tell

She ran them boys all down the pens
And made 'em climb the fence
But Shorty paid a higher price
A horn through sunday pants

So let this be a lesson
To cowboys everywhere
Don't be in such a hurry
And save your underwear

The End

Word Pictures

In Psalm 86, David uses the phrase, "Incline your ear [to me], oh Lord."

Ever see a scared kid in a big group of people? They might need to tell their dad something but they won't come right out and say it. Instead, they grab his hand and beckon for him to bend down to their level so they can whisper their fears and insecurities into his understanding ear.

That's the picture here.

The Acacia Tree

In Exodus God instructs Moses to build almost everything in the tabernacle out of Acacia wood. When I read this I wondered what was so special about this particular tree. Why did God show such particular favoritism towards one type of wood?

So to Wikipedia I went. I found out that the Acacia tree has a host of interesting and useful properties, and is linked to many different myths and legends of ancient religion.

But the thing I found most interesting about the Acacia tree is that, when milled for paper, it produces a product with high yield and low bulk. This means that it can be used to make extremely thin paper that is most commonly used for the pages of Bibles.

So the tree that God chose for the construction of His dwelling place in the Old Testament is used today to convey His message of Salvation and Life to the World.

Coincidence...I don't think so.

Jake and I have said many times the past couple of days that we needed to post something. But I really haven't had anything that I deemed post worthy..... that is until tonight.

This afternoon I took my sister Anna to see a movie with my Aunt Linda. On our way home I tuned the radio to a station that I know plays only Christmas music after Thanksgiving. Anna loves Christmas music. Quick side note: for those who may be reading this post and do not know - Anna is my older sister and she has Down Syndrome.

Sooo as we were driving down the road the song "What Child is This" came on. This is the conversation that followed (I have tried to remember the conversation exactly as it transpired. I hope I am accurate):

Anna: This is about Jesus being born.
Me: Yes it is - and who is Jesus?
Anna: He is Lord
Me: What else do you know about Jesus?
Anna: He was a baby and Mary had him in a barn.
Me: And then what?
Anna: People came to see the baby Jesus in the barn.
Me: And what did Jesus do for us?
Anna: He died
Me: And then...
Anna: He rose from the dead.
Me: And why did he do that?
Anna: To save us.
Me: To save us from what?
Anna: ummm
Me: From our...
Anna: Sins
Me: And where do we go when we die?
Anna: Home to be with Jesus
Me: And where is home?
Anna: In heaven.
Me: You are exactly right Anna.
Anna: That is what the song is about.

After the conversation I had to wipe tears from eyes. It really is that simple. I am very thankful for my sister and her simple but very true and real faith.

Entry One - Hello, World.

Welcome to our blog. Our plan is to update periodically - either together or separately - with ideas, stories, and anything else interesting. In the mean time please check out the "about us" section and click back soon for new posts.

J-R