I laughed until I cried ~ several times!

I am not a Steve ___ "fan". I don't see anything funny or socially redeeming in a movie about the escapades of a "40 Year old virgin", nor do I frequent movies satirizing Biblical events... It just don't seem right i.e. Ephesian 5:4. That said...

My young bride and I went to see the new Get Smart movie this past Friday night ~ and I must admit ~ I wound up just short of "convulsion status" more than once. With herculean effort, my date kept me from completely erupting {which could have drawn a 9-1-1 call, or at least a stern chorus of SHHHHH!} I kept my lid on pretty well, but the pressure valve was really hopp'n and whisl'n... and yes, the tears were gushing...

Those of us who enjoyed Don Adams and never missed a Saturday night episode will enjoy this one. Mr. C does not try to recreate Mr. Adams' portrayal ~ who could. What he does do is create a new Agent Smart... not dissimilar from the original, yet with a unique twist...

If you enjoy a good belly laugh(s) ~ and a bit of 60-70's nostalgia ~ don't miss it!

P..s watch for the original "Sigfried's" cameo!

Stay sharp and well powered!

Way back in 1985, I walked into the lawnmower shop and bought a brand new candy apple red lawnmower. Now it was more than I could really afford at the time, but I've always tried to be a wise trader ~ buying quality, and having the right tool available for the right job...

She was state of the art, cut a clean line and even picked up after herself. Well... after years [{and years}] of hard labor, the ole mower began to skip a beat here and there, the hard rubber tires were worn through ~ she'd begun to more or less shred the grass, leaving clumped deposits all along the way... Then one day, the ole thing just quit on me.

After shopping around a bit {and suffering sever sticker shock}, I decided to just strap a new engine on and sharpen the blades. Well I'll declare ~ that old mower cuts just as clean and true as it ever did, and that got me to thinking...

... maybe if I keep myself properly "powered" and "sharp" ~ maybe, just maybe, I'll do a good job for a while still to come !

Ecclesiastes 10:10 ~ "If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success."

The Pick-up Truck Life

Some dear urbanite friends of ours -ten year old son- exclaimed the other day ~ I want to live the "pick-up truck" life!

Amen little buddy...

Word of the day - VITUPERATION!

When I encountered this word recently, I had no idea what it meant, so I looked it up. It means, abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will.

Where did I run across this word?... in Coffman’s commentary on Romans, Chapter 3.

Following are Mr. Coffman’s ABC’s, serving as reminders of what our lord Jesus Christ endured on the cross…

"A" is for his Arrest, like a criminal hunted by the law.
"B" is for his Betrayal by a friend.
"C" is for his Crucifixion and the Cross.
"D" is for the Desertion of his Disciples.
"E" is for the Encirclement of his Enemies.
"F" is for his Fainting and Falling under the weight of the Cross.
"G" is for the Garden of Gethsemane, scene of tears and blood.
"H" is for the Hall of Herod where they mocked him.
"I" is for the Inscription above his head.
"J" is for Judas.
"K" is for the Kiss.
"L" is for the Lies they swore.
"M" is for the Malefactors on the right and on the left.
"N" is for the Nails in his hands and feet.
"O" is for the Order of the governor under which he died.
"P" is for Pontius Pilate, the priests and the Pharisees.
"Q" is for the Quaking earth that shuddered as the deed was done.
"R" is for his Rejection and the Release of Barrabas.
"S" is for the Smiting of his cheek, the Spitting, and the Shame.
"T" is for the Thorns with which they crowned him.
"U" is for Unjust trials, six in all, Unjust, Unthinkable, Ungodly.
"V" is for the VITUPERATION of his foes.
"W" is for Water where Pilate washed his hands.
"Y" is for the Yells of those who hated him.
"Z" is for the Zeal of those who slew him.
and if it should be supposed that there is no word for "X," let it be remembered that "X" stands for the unknown, that Christ on Calvary was the Great Unknown, and, in that, perhaps, was the bitterest part of it all for Jesus.”

May we always remember our “ABC’s”.

Thieves break in...

Well, it finally happened ~ broken people, broke in.... they cut the chain off the gate, drove onto our property and stole from us!

I'm mad, I'm scared, I'm... thankful! Thankful for a lesson learned.

At the end of the day, its only stuff ~ the good book advises us as follows, in Matthew 6:19 and following,

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

I pray for calm, I pray for a forgiving heart... I pray for forgiveness for thoughts of retribution... thoughts that should not be thought ...

HOLY Cow...?

Well, here's our latest calf ~ Lady-Bug. She's a bit of a mystery... Early last spring our Longhorn bull decided to become a "traveling salesman", so we took him to sale.

We did not replace him until late summer.

Counting back the 285 days gestation period of a cow, we come up with a LBCD [Lady-Bug Conception date] circa late June, hmmm...

My guess ?... that sly ole Mr. Mulberry Bovine ~ came a court'n! No miracle here... just good ole fashioned, jump-the-fence, natural selection.

WHOLE Turnover

Most of us are familiar with the concept of “credit” – consumer credit. For instance, when you go to the grocery store, restaurant, or gas station, you pay for your purchase[s] by cash or check, credit or debit card. One way or the other, your vendor is going to require payment before you leave the premises.

In commercial business, however, many transactions are done by what’s commonly referred to as “open account” or on credit. What this means is that commercial companies buy and sell goods and services, from one another on credit terms. For instance, Company-A buys a Widget from Company-B today, and pays for it in 30 days or so, after receiving an invoice. Unfortunately, some businesses fail ~ whether through economic catastrophe or unscrupulous business practices, i.e. remember Enron? Bottom line credit risk is the risk that Company-B might not get paid!

If Company-B exports its goods and services to foreign buyers, on credit, the risks of non-payment multiply exponentially, but… to remain competitive in the global marketplace, companies must often sell to foreign buyers on credit – exposing themselves to increased risk.

Fortunately, there are ways of mitigating export credit risk. In the world of international credit risk and export credit insurance [that’s right – companies can insure themselves against the risk of non payment], there exists the concept of “whole turnover”. In short, for an exporting company to enjoy optimum [minimum] pricing and maximum insurance coverage, a company must commit to insuring all prescribed credit risk. In a nut shell the insured cannot pick and choose the customers it wants to insure. Ready to shift gears…?

Remember the following lines from the hymn we’ve all sung?

“All of self and none of Thee.”
“Some of self, and some of Thee.”
“Less of self, and more of Thee”
“None of self, and all of Thee.”

The maturing process of you and I as Christians, unfolds as we live our lives for God.

In John 3:30 John the Baptist states, “He must become greater; I must become less.”

Whole Turnover ~ where are you and I in our Spiritual progression? Are we striving toward complete surrender, or… are we picking-and-choosing Christ’s “coverage” – protection that cost Jesus Christ his life, protection/salvation that costs us nothing, nothing more than mere obedience… Whole Turnover…