The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.


 The Wisdom Of Barnyard Bruke: "EASTer IS a year around process!"

Greetings to everyone in western Illinois. It was shore enough pleasant to have the sun out Easter weekend.

There was a slight mist or rain a go'in on Saturday night at 11 p.m. I'm a hope'n it was not close enough to Easter Sunday to call for seven more Sundays of rainy weather.

Some of the fellers with seed corn in the ground for over two weeks now, is plenty nervous. It almost seems if'n they don't quit dig'n to see how it's a do'n, there won't be seed left to grow. If'n they'll just be patient it'll come in good order as soon as the heat degree units pile up high enough to entice the plants out of the ground.

Talk amongst speculators and weather prophets has a worried note on the weather and this years corn crop prospects. Parts of the southwest U.S. is mighty dry. Whilst some of the wheat crop there is near lost, there is still plenty of wheat supplies to go around. Some of them there speculators are a guess'n we'll run short of needs come August of this year.

Others are a think'n late plant'n will only add to the shortage. As for meself I'm a plan'n on keep'n one bushel back for that time period just in case the market goes wild. That-a-ways I can proclaim I got in on the runaway market in case it goes wild.

In the meantime the balance of last years corn crop goes to my banker as a reward for lend'n me money, and to the crop input providers as a reward for provide'n seed, fertilizer, chemicals, and fuel. Of course some of it will go for taxes as well. It's an enterest'n cycle of circulate'n money.

With the dollars value dropp'n lately what we buy and/or import costs more. The rest of the world is demand'n the U.S. get its deficit spend'n in order and raise enterest rates.

Hang onto your hats if'n that happens fer reflect'n back on the 80's reminds me we could be in for a wild ride. Some sez it might start gradually happen'n around June. As for me I'm a lock'n in some fixed enterest rates just in case.

I'm a hope'n everyone had a joyful Easter and that the Lenten season served a useful purpose. For me, a story comes to mind that happened years ago. I likes to reflect on.

A pastor met a boy in front of his country church carry'in a rusty bird cage. Inside the cage were two little birds flutter'n around the bottom.

The pastor asked the boy, "Son, where did you get those birds?" The boy answered, "I trapped em out in the field." "What are you go'n to do with them?" the pastor asked.

"Why, I'm a go'in to take "em home and play with "em and have some fun with "em."

The preacher asked, "What will you do with them when you get through play'in with them?"

"Oh", said the boy, "I guess I'll just feed "em to an ole cat we have out in the barn."

The preacher then asked how much he would take for the birds. The boy answered, "Mister, you don't want these birds. They're just little ole field birds and they can't sing very well."

The preacher replied, "I'll give you ten dollars for the birds and the cage."

"All right", said the boy, "It's a deal, but you're mak'in a bad bargain!"

The exchange was made, and the young lad went whistling down the street, happy because he had ten dollars in his pocket. The preacher took the cage out behind the church and opened the door of the cage. The birds flew out and went soaring into the blue, sing'in joyfully as they went.

The next Sunday the preacher took the empty bird cage to the pulpit to use in illustrate'n his sermon. Then he explained, "The little boy said the birds could not sing very well, but when I released them from the cage, they went singing away into the blue, and it seemed as though they were singing, redeemed, redeemed!"

This story is an illustration of redemption. The story of redemption in the Bible begins with two people who were caught and trapped in a cage of sin. Not only were they caught, but all of their offspring after them would be born inside this cage of sin.

After Adam and Eve sinned against God, they were driven from their paradise of Eden into the world and the cage of sin. They once enjoyed the freedom and habitat of a perfect sinless environment. Now they are captured in a cage of sin, they lost their Godly glory; they were naked and ashamed before God and had no song to sing.

The only hope of a song to sing was in a little spark of a promise from God before He drove them out of Eden. The hope of a song to sing was that the spark would burst into a bright light, "to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace". (Luke 1:79).

"A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel" (Luke 2:32). Their hope was that this light would be a Redeemer, One who would come and open the door of the cage of sin and release them.

The message of redemption is woven throughout the scriptures like a scarlet thread in a well made quilt. It goes from one end to the other.

Now another Easter has been observed to remind us of that redemption, if'n we will only accept it.

The Bible refers to redeem, redeemer, redemption, etc. at least 160 times. The word means to buy back, to set someone free by paying a ransom, to rescue from loss, and something to loosen with.

Jesus Christ is the Redeemer. He is the one who paid the ransom price to rescue us from the curse of sin.....and gave you a song to sing!

He gives forgiveness of sin through the ransomed price of His shed blood.

What say ye we remember the message of Easter throughout the year!

Speak'n of birds - try "Raptoreagle.com" on your computer. Go to "Decorah Eagles" and you will find a live Eagle with three little ones in a nest. It is very enerest'n to watch them feed and grow!

Keep on Smile'n
Catch ya Later
Bruke Barnyard