The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings ta ever one in western Illinois and all readers of "The Quill."
Happy New Year ta one and all and best wishes as ya move on in the months ahead.
You've had the follow'n before but it's worth another run fer the New Year.
It is told about a feller named "I".
The Bagpiper
Lay down whatever is bothering you, breathe in the fresh air and listen to this story.
Time is like a river. You cannot touch the water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Enjoy every moment of life.
As a bagpiper, I plays many gigs. Recently, I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man.
This homeless man had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Nova Scotia back country.
As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions.
I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone, and the hearse was nowhere in sight.
There were only the diggers and crew left, and they were eating lunch.
I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late.
I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place.
I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.
The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out his heart and soul for this man with no family and friends.
I played like he had never played before for this homeless man.
And as I played "Amazing Grace", the workers began to weep.
They wept, I wept, we all wept together.
When I finished I packed up his bagpipes and started for his car. Though I's head was hung low, his heart was full.
As I opened the door to his car, I heard one of the workers say, "I never seen anything like that before, and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."
There ya have it then.
Apparently "I" is still lost..it's a man thing.
Hope it brought another chuckle fer ya fer the New Year.
Concern' n the new year, here's something fer ya ta think about as we go into the rest of the year:
A Quarter Dollar
Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas.
Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area.
When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.
As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, "You'd better give the quarter back.
It would be wrong to keep it." Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount?
Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a "gift from God" and keep quiet.
When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change."
The driver, with a smile, replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town?"
"Yes," he replied.
"Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship.
I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday."
When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, "Oh, God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter."
Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read.
This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test!
Always be on guard, and remember, you carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself "Christian."
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits,
Watch your habits; they become character,
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
There it is then something fer the boys ta dwell on in betwixt chore'n and handle'n this winter's weather.
Faith can be thought of as daring, the soul ta go beyond what the eyes can see.
Of course the boys got into a discussion about politics and the electoral college.
Cornelious had been doing a little research and found out the follow'n:
"In their infinite wisdom, the United States' founders created the Electoral College to ensure the STATES were fairly represented.
He sez: "Why should one or two densely populated areas speak for the whole of the nation?
"The following list of statistics has been making the rounds on the Internet," Cornelious sez.
"It should finally put an end to the argument as to why the Electoral College makes sense."
Why The Electoral College Makes Sense
When you have a country that encompasses almost 4 million square miles of territory, it would be ludicrous to even suggest that the vote of those who inhabit a mere 319 square miles should dictate the outcome of a national election.
Large, densely populated democrat cities (NYC, Chicago, LA, etc) DO NOT and SHOULD NOT speak for the rest of our country!
Well the boys felt Cornelious had some pretty good points and fer me, I am going to ponder on that for a spell.
Me and the boys have really been concerned about the murders in Henderson and now Hancock counties and we've really have been a feelin' badly for the families of these lost loved ones. What's the world a comin' too?
We is also a hopin' boards cut down on allow'n so much alcohol in towns and that adults think about the effects alcohol can have on people, families, and kids. But that's fer another column.
We're a hope'n ta see ya in church with your relatives, neighbors, and friends.
Remember, where ever ya are, what ever ya be a do'n "BE A GOOD ONE!"
Keep on Smile'n,
Count your Blessings,
Catch ya later,
Barnyard Bruke