The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings ta ever one in western Illinois and all readers of "The Quill."
Rain is yet quite sparse in some parts of Western Illinois. The northern parts of our area have received more rain than the southern parts. Down here around La Harpe the pastures are starti'n ta dry up some and fellers are a haven'n ta add hay to make up for the shortfall.
Several cricks have dried up so cattle on pasture have ta have water hauled to them. Maybe by the time ya receive this column to read we will have received rain. Lets hope so.
PRAYER
From time ta time different folk send fer this column, information request'n it be printed. Here is one that might stimulate some thoughts:
What a prayer
There might be hope yet!
A pastor with guts thought you might enjoy this interesting prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your word says, "woe to those who call evil good,'but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, oh, God, and know our hearts. Today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked our during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively.. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa and Korea.
With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called "one nation under God.'
If possible, please pass this prayer on to your friends. "if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.
Well there ya have it then-just as it was sent into us. The boys and I have "dwelled" on it fer quite a spell. It has been enterest'n. What has come up fer discussion. At least none of them threw the prayer down in "Protest" as they read it through. Thank you to the reader that sent the prayer in.
BIG OPERATION
I came across a feller from Lester, IA. that wanted to supplement his grain farm'n with some sort of livestock enterprise. He was try'n ta decide betwixed dairy and turkey. He chose dairy. Now he milks 125,000 cows and continues ta expand his enterprise. He started out with Holstein cows because they produce the most milk. Now he milks Jersey cows. While they produce less milk, they also consume less feed, hence a better return. He produces for cheese production.
The milk goes directly from cow ta truck ta be transported ta the factory. The Holsteins required one acre corn per year each ta keep em go'n. Jerseys require less. He contracts corn from local farmers and also sells "em the manure.
Goodness gracious it looks like farm'n is become'n more and more industrialized with little opportunity fer the small guy-whatever the definition of that is!?
The boys and I probably will have some lively discussions as we dwell on that topic fer a spell.
The United States has plunged into an era of licentiousness, lookin out fer number 1, and the pursuit of prosperity. In the mean time higher things like tradition and history is bein ignored. Tradition and history have proved better fer individuals and nations.
Our divisions have become so strained that we seem ta be at war against ourselves.
It seems we could end in anarchy if'n we do not renew ourselfs. Of course there is noth'n wrong with prosperity if'n it is pursued with peace and order.
The nation seems to be groaning. We have ignored the moral gravity that one kept us grounded, the boundaries that kept us safe. Now we are suffer'n the consequences of this modern supposedly enlightened era.
Have a good rest of the week.
Hope'in to see ya in church.
Remember, wherever ya are, whatever ya be a do'n "BE A GOOD ONE!
Keep on Smile'n
Catch you later
Barnyard Bruke
Catch ya later
Barnyard Bruke