The other day as I was plowing up some ground I heard an awful noise.
There is nothing more distinct as metal contacting metal, and that's what I heard when a disk blade made contact with a large object.
My wife and I built our home on her parents' land. Land that has been in her family since 1835, maybe even a bit earlier. The land also was sharecropped, so needless to say there is a lot of history buried under the topsoil.
Over the past few years I have plowed up a Grapette bottle, broken dishes and plates, old plow points, mason jars — all kinds of stuff.
What I found Tuesday, though, takes the cake.
After hearing that awful sound I looked back and saw a large circular object half up in the air.
It turned out to be the rim off an old wagon wheel and stood about four-feet tall.
I don't know this, but I would assume there are other parts around the immediate area as the wagon probably was left there to rot.
There is still more plowing to do, so I guess we'll just have to see what we can dig up.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Been away for a while
Sorry for the recent lack of activity. It's been a busy time at work and on the farm.
For those involved in agriculture, this is one of the busiest times of the year, beginning in March (in East Texas, May for some folks up north) through the dog days of summer and into the fall.
The thing that makes spring so special, though, is hope. We've had some good rains around here this spring and that gives us hope that maybe the corn will grow this summer and we can get some hay in the barn to help the livestock through the winter.
The long dry days of summer have yet to grab us, but I will admit Christina and I finally had to turn on the air conditioner last week.
It has been a strange spring. The winter had a lot of cold nights, but nothing bitter, yet in the middle of April, less than a month ago we had a severe freeze.
The weather delayed much of our planting and plans, but I think things are back on schedule.
The peas are in the ground and growing rapidly and the field corn is growing faster than the crows can pull it out of the ground.
Christina and I put in a lot of watermelons and hopefully in about a month we will plant a small pumpkin crop.
Of course the prayer is always for rain. Our ribbon cane crop loves water and fall just isn't the same without the sweet smell of cane syrup rising above the farm as we try our hand at the old craft.
Well, that's enough for now, but I will try and be more faithful.
For those involved in agriculture, this is one of the busiest times of the year, beginning in March (in East Texas, May for some folks up north) through the dog days of summer and into the fall.
The thing that makes spring so special, though, is hope. We've had some good rains around here this spring and that gives us hope that maybe the corn will grow this summer and we can get some hay in the barn to help the livestock through the winter.
The long dry days of summer have yet to grab us, but I will admit Christina and I finally had to turn on the air conditioner last week.
It has been a strange spring. The winter had a lot of cold nights, but nothing bitter, yet in the middle of April, less than a month ago we had a severe freeze.
The weather delayed much of our planting and plans, but I think things are back on schedule.
The peas are in the ground and growing rapidly and the field corn is growing faster than the crows can pull it out of the ground.
Christina and I put in a lot of watermelons and hopefully in about a month we will plant a small pumpkin crop.
Of course the prayer is always for rain. Our ribbon cane crop loves water and fall just isn't the same without the sweet smell of cane syrup rising above the farm as we try our hand at the old craft.
Well, that's enough for now, but I will try and be more faithful.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Getting the Word Out
With the recent passage of the newest set of hate crime legislation to come out of Washington, the time for being an effective and truthful witness for the word of God may be short with the House's vote on HR 1913 expected this week. Preaching on the commandments of God could conceivably be outlawed in this country if this bill passes, particularly preaching on the sin of homosexuality. East Texas lawmaker Louie Gohmert fought tooth and nail against it but to no avail. Please read this commentary from Michael Mickey, and visit his Web site at www.rapturealert.com. He has a solid grasp on what is happening and he is a watchman on God's wall.
(4-23-09)
Yesterday I posted a commentary by J. Matt Barber on H.R. 1913, legislation that could pave the way for Christians who express disapproval or disagreement with the homosexual lifestyle, even from a biblical standpoint, to be prosecuted for having committed a HATE CRIME.
As reported by OneNewsNow.com, the entire foundation of H.R. 1913 was stripped out from under it yesterday when it was proven that said foundation was built upon lies - blatant lies that the House Judiciary Committee somehow managed to get around by today and pass the measure which is now expected to go to a full vote before the House of Representatives next Wednesday. A Senate version of the legislation is to be considered next week as well, this legislation apparently burning a hole in the pockets of our liberal members of Congress due to their obvious desperation to forward the homosexual agenda as quickly as possible.
A lot can happen in a single day
Just yesterday, mere hours after I posted Matt Barber's commentary on this issue, the OneNewsNow.com article indicates that Andrea Lafferty, executive director of the Traditional Values Coalition, was sensing the measure was in trouble with good reason. The Democrats had lied and been caught in it, according to Lafferty:
H.R. 1913 On The Fast Track
by Michael G. Mickey(4-23-09)
Yesterday I posted a commentary by J. Matt Barber on H.R. 1913, legislation that could pave the way for Christians who express disapproval or disagreement with the homosexual lifestyle, even from a biblical standpoint, to be prosecuted for having committed a HATE CRIME.
As reported by OneNewsNow.com, the entire foundation of H.R. 1913 was stripped out from under it yesterday when it was proven that said foundation was built upon lies - blatant lies that the House Judiciary Committee somehow managed to get around by today and pass the measure which is now expected to go to a full vote before the House of Representatives next Wednesday. A Senate version of the legislation is to be considered next week as well, this legislation apparently burning a hole in the pockets of our liberal members of Congress due to their obvious desperation to forward the homosexual agenda as quickly as possible.
A lot can happen in a single day
Just yesterday, mere hours after I posted Matt Barber's commentary on this issue, the OneNewsNow.com article indicates that Andrea Lafferty, executive director of the Traditional Values Coalition, was sensing the measure was in trouble with good reason. The Democrats had lied and been caught in it, according to Lafferty:
"We exposed the fact that they claimed, they have fraudulent claims that there was an epidemic of hate against homosexuals and drag queens, transgenders -- and that claim was the foundation of the bill," she notes. "They claimed that homosexuals are fleeing across state lines to avoid persecution, and that perpetrators are crossing state lines to commit crimes against these gays, lesbians, and transgenders, and that they have trouble purchasing goods and services or finding employment. We nailed them on the fact that that's a lie."
Lafferty says during yesterday's markup hearing, Democrats neglected to mention that in America -- a country of 300 million people -- there have been only 1,521 cases of hate against homosexual, bisexual, and transgender people.
An Epidemic of Hate?
Homosexuals having to flee across state lines to avoid persecution and, beyond that, perpetrators of crimes against them chasing them from state-to-state? The very premise of such a claim reads like a scene from a homosexual version of "Smokey and The Bandit", doesn't it?
And then there is the laughable issue of gays not being able to purchase goods or services. How stupid do our members of Congress believe we are? Show me someone with a fistful of dollars in their hand and I'll show you someone who can purchase most anything they desire in this nation of ours. Give me a wad of cash and within an hour or two I'm confident I could buy something illegal to even possess, but we're to believe that there is an epidemic problem of homosexuals being unable to buy groceries, a haircut or get someone to fix a broken water fixture in their home? Baloney! All of it!
The issue isn't that homosexuals can't purchase goods or services. No, my friends. That isn't it at all. The real issue is they can't, under present law, command a Christian catering service, for example, to handle their "wedding reception" for them. Sure, they could find any of a blue million catering services that wouldn't mind doing it in the first place, but it just isn't fair for anyone to demonstrate disapproval of their lifestyle or be committed to their religious faith to the extent that they wouldn't bow to the homosexual community's agenda.
And homosexuals can't find jobs? Pffft! I know quite a few homosexuals who are gainfully employed. Not only that, I can't recall even once seeing a job application that required one to indicate their sexual orientation, but we've got ourselves an epidemic of employment discrimination afoot in this nation of ours, a large portion of it directed against homosexuals. I can't get past the irony of this last supposedly problematic issue raised - employment discrimination. And why would that be? Because I know of a young woman who was denied the title (or job) of Miss USA because a flamboyant homosexual judge who goes by the professional name of Perez Hilton admittedly gave her a ZERO during her interview process during the Miss USA pageant just a few days ago. Why did he do that to her? Because she didn't sign off on gay marriage in response to a question posed to her by him on that politically-loaded topic.
In spite of Hilton's discrimination against her, Miss California (Carrie Prejean) still almost won, finishing as the first runner-up. But the bottom line remains the bottom line: She isn't wearing the crown of Miss USA today because of the wrath of a homosexual! And yes, it was wrath.
How do I know it was the hatred and intolerance of Perez Hilton that cost Carrie Prejean the title of Miss USA and not an objective and tolerant look at the answer she gave in response to his question? All one has to do is review how Mr. Perez has acted beyond the pageant!
Being homosexual and oppressed as Hilton and so many homosexuals are today, he has, as noted earlier, admitted giving her a ZERO on her interview. He's also referred to her as a "dumb b*tch", acknowledged a desire to refer to her as a c*nt, and, as I understand it, took the liberty of posting a picture of her on his website with a penis drawn across her face. Pretty obvious, isn't it? But are we hearing any outpouring of support for Miss California in the mainstream media? Any at all? Uh, no. That would be because tolerance is a one-way street that flows away from God and all that is right - the same direction the vast majority of the mainstream media flows, proving the accuracy of the Bible when it refers to Satan as "the prince of the power of the air." (Ephesians 2:2)
If you're hearing support of Miss California on any significant scale, you're hearing it from Christian and conservative websites and talk radio, which H.R. 1913, should it become the law of the land, may place squarely in the crosshairs of the homosexual community. And make no mistake about it, if this bill gets past the House and Senate, our beloved Christian president, Barack Hussein Obama, will sign it into law faster than he'd drop to one knee in submission before the Muslim leader of a foreign country or shake hands with a dictatorial enemy of the United States like Hugo Chavez.
How much longer, Lord? How much more of this must we endure?Friday, April 17, 2009
Going it alone
I am no Rick Perry fan, but I will admit, I enjoyed his talk of Texas going it alone.
I know he is not in favor of secession, and he is just pandering to us extremists, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, to which I can say I am proud to be one if being an extremist means being a Bible believing, Constitution supporting, gun rights supporting TEXAN. The nerve of these people.
I say send most of the current Texas politicians to live elsewhere, we'll be better off without them when the time comes for us to go it alone. This nation has abandoned its founding. Trust me, a Republican will not help us get it back. It starts with us, and it starts by kneeling before Jesus Christ. After that, everything else will just take care of itself.
Remember, we never have to go it alone, Christ is always there for us.
I know he is not in favor of secession, and he is just pandering to us extremists, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, to which I can say I am proud to be one if being an extremist means being a Bible believing, Constitution supporting, gun rights supporting TEXAN. The nerve of these people.
I say send most of the current Texas politicians to live elsewhere, we'll be better off without them when the time comes for us to go it alone. This nation has abandoned its founding. Trust me, a Republican will not help us get it back. It starts with us, and it starts by kneeling before Jesus Christ. After that, everything else will just take care of itself.
Remember, we never have to go it alone, Christ is always there for us.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Evil in the World
A recent poll by the Barna Group found that 60 percent of professing Christians don't believe in the existence of Satan.
I say, what?
How can someone see the evil in the world and not believe the devil exists? More importantly, and even more worrisome is the fact that people are reading the Bible, God's holy word, and claiming Christ's name for themselves and then dismissing it as a well-written story.
Folks, remember what Christ said, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" — Matthew 7:22-23
The poll also stated most Christians do not believe the Holy Spirit is a living force.
The man behind the poll had these chilling words to say, "Most Americans, even those who say they are Christian, have doubts about the intrusion of the supernatural into the natural world," commented George Barna, founder of The Barna Group and author of books analyzing research concerning America's faith.
"Hollywood has made evil accessible and tame, making Satan and demons less worrisome than the Bible suggests they really are," he said. "It's hard for achievement-driven, self-reliant, independent people to believe that their lives can be impacted by unseen forces."
Unfortunately, as Christians we have failed to take ourselves out of the world and instead we have let the world shape our thoughts and our beliefs. The Lord Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and is not moved by the whims of the world. People should realize that before it's too late, because to not means there is hell to pay.
From that poll, though, there was something that made me weep and pray for this country, because I know the end is coming soon.
The poll found that 39 percent of professing Christians believed that Christ sinned at some point in his life.
Our Lord God, who knew no sin, was perfect in all respects. He had to be or his sacrifice on the cross was for nothing.
If nearly 40 percent of Christians out there do not believe Christ, God incarnate, was not without sin, then where is their hope of salvation?
May God have mercy on us all for our lack of faith.
For those who put their faith in the infallible hands of Jesus, then look up, our redemption draweth nigh.
I say, what?
How can someone see the evil in the world and not believe the devil exists? More importantly, and even more worrisome is the fact that people are reading the Bible, God's holy word, and claiming Christ's name for themselves and then dismissing it as a well-written story.
Folks, remember what Christ said, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" — Matthew 7:22-23
The poll also stated most Christians do not believe the Holy Spirit is a living force.
The man behind the poll had these chilling words to say, "Most Americans, even those who say they are Christian, have doubts about the intrusion of the supernatural into the natural world," commented George Barna, founder of The Barna Group and author of books analyzing research concerning America's faith.
"Hollywood has made evil accessible and tame, making Satan and demons less worrisome than the Bible suggests they really are," he said. "It's hard for achievement-driven, self-reliant, independent people to believe that their lives can be impacted by unseen forces."
Unfortunately, as Christians we have failed to take ourselves out of the world and instead we have let the world shape our thoughts and our beliefs. The Lord Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and is not moved by the whims of the world. People should realize that before it's too late, because to not means there is hell to pay.
From that poll, though, there was something that made me weep and pray for this country, because I know the end is coming soon.
The poll found that 39 percent of professing Christians believed that Christ sinned at some point in his life.
Our Lord God, who knew no sin, was perfect in all respects. He had to be or his sacrifice on the cross was for nothing.
If nearly 40 percent of Christians out there do not believe Christ, God incarnate, was not without sin, then where is their hope of salvation?
May God have mercy on us all for our lack of faith.
For those who put their faith in the infallible hands of Jesus, then look up, our redemption draweth nigh.
Monday, April 6, 2009
A new type of forage
After talking with Bill Bretherick with East Texas Seed Co. in Tyler earlier today, I want to let you know about a new forage legume they are marketing which was developed by Auburn University. It is called, AU Grazer, a sericea lespedeza. A long name, but what it basically is is a summer legume that can be grazed or baled.
There will be more information in next week's Farm & Ranch News, but it is worth checking out. Oh, and for the goat raisers out there, the forage also fights internal parasites, which also can be a bonus for cattle raisers. It was mentioned in the Goat Gossip column in last week's Farm & Ranch News and we will expand it some.
For more about AU Grazer, a sericea lespedeza, contact East Texas Seed Co. at 800-888-1371 and they can tell you where you can get this "Poor man's alfalfa," as Mr. Bretherick called it.
There will be more information in next week's Farm & Ranch News, but it is worth checking out. Oh, and for the goat raisers out there, the forage also fights internal parasites, which also can be a bonus for cattle raisers. It was mentioned in the Goat Gossip column in last week's Farm & Ranch News and we will expand it some.
For more about AU Grazer, a sericea lespedeza, contact East Texas Seed Co. at 800-888-1371 and they can tell you where you can get this "Poor man's alfalfa," as Mr. Bretherick called it.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Gone for a while
Christina and I will be taking a few days off, but we will be back next week.
May the Lord bless and keep you,
Wayne
May the Lord bless and keep you,
Wayne
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)