elloree's Journal

Looking For The Balance
It’s a job to work on a Fender Strat with a floating bridge. I don’t use a floating bridge on the ones I build, but I will work on them. People just love that whammy bar. Personally, I think it’s hard on the wood, and you always gotta be tuning that thing. It’s just too much of a bother for me. I’d rather have a tremolo pedal. But you ought to see how that bridge actually works. It has strings pulling on it on the top and springs pulling on it on the back. The trick is to get a balance on the spring and string tension so the bridge sits level. Too much string tension and that old bridge rides high. Too much spring tension and the bridge is flat down welded to the top and it doesn’t want to move.

And the balance has to be set on each guitar. You know there are different size strings for acoustic guitars. Well, the same is true for electrics. You got extra lights, lights, mediums, and truth be told, the ones on my personal electrics are bigger than mediums. So one size doesn’t fit all when you start making adjustments. The string tension determines how much spring tension you need. The bridge and spring claw are both made to accommodate up to 5 springs. Sometimes it’s easy. I might put on 3 springs and gosh dog! It’s just right. But sometimes it takes 4. I had one just recently that kept kicking my butt. Three wasn’t enough, but 4 were too many. I ended up taking the fourth spring and stretching it out some so it would give less tension, and that gave us what we needed.

The older I get, the more I wish everything were black & white. There are some easy things I don’t have a problem with. We’ve all figured out by now that there’s nothing healthy about a cigarette. So smoking is something I never need to do. I’ll never get anything good out of snorting cocaine, so I’ll never start. Some things are just easy. I always need to keep up with the maintenance on my truck, always need to be reading the Bible and praying, and being faithful to my wife, and working an honest job, and treating folks kindly. If everything were this easy, my life would be simple.

While I work in my shop I listen to the radio. That’s what I do. Back before Christmas, I started thinking that my life has too much clutter in it – especially my mind. I was starting to see the need to think and pray more, and having the radio going was getting in the way. So I turned it off. To either have it on and let it keep my mind occupied, or to turn it off and clear my mind, are both easy things to do. The hard part, for me, is trying to figure out the balance. Can I listen to it some, and know when to turn it off? Can I get some good out of it without being spiritually sidetracked by it?

I’m about to turn 55. Last year I decided to do something. I thought I might like to see what beer is like. I’ve had too many friends who have either ruined their lives, or lost their lives because of alcohol. So it has been my practice to avoid beer. That was easy to do. Paul Harvey used to tell about the good that was in beer, or wine, if used in the right amount. You’d never know it by looking at me, but I have never been drunk or high. My entire life has been stone cold sober. But I get offered a lot of alcohol and weed, because I look like a guy who often partakes thereof. Since I’ve never been drunk and I’m about to turn 55, I tend to think I’m too old to be picking up what I see to be a bad habit.

But I’m curious enough about the subject of beer that I have started checking it out. There’s more I don’t know than there is that I do know, but I have figured this much out. I like beer the way I like coffee. I like it strong. I always felt like there was no point in weak coffee. Either take it like a man or go home. Some beer just tastes wimpy. And I don’t see the point in the fruity beer. But here’s where I draw the line. I can see that one bottle of beer doesn’t get me impaired. Two might not, but I’m not going to find out. One bottle in a day’s time is all I will drink. That seems like a good balance. If I ever think I can’t hold to that balance then it’s time to go back to leaving it off all together.

Do or don’t! That’s easy. But using liberty and looking for the balance - well, that’s where it gets difficult. When it comes to work, the balance is hard to find. The short story about me is that I feel guilty when I relax. So I work. The biblical command is to work 6 days and rest 1. I don’t have a problem with working 6 days. Then there’s some folks I know who sit on their dead ass and the most work they do is walking to the mailbox at the first of the month to get the check. We are both out there in need of finding the balance. And it seems like most of life is like a tight rope. It’s easy to go off to the left or right. Walking the rope is hard, but it’s where we need to be.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

I Changed My Mind - Again
Recently, you read about how I had changed my mind on something. After some thieving animal came and ate three of our Rhode Island Reds, I made the fence taller and put an electric fence outside of it. I still wasn’t happy. I wanted to kill whatever had gotten in the pen. So I got me some of these cage type traps. You put food in it and when an animal walks in to get the food, he steps on a pressure plate, the door slams shut, and he is caught. I had said I was going to kill whatever I caught, but changed my mind after I caught a skunk.

Well, I talked this story around to a lot of people. Folks thought my close encounter with a skunk was funny, so I kept telling it. There’s a feed store in town where I do most of my business. That’s where I got my water jugs, feed troughs, and I’m always buying fifty- pound bags of corn. There’s one guy there I usually deal with. He has some hens, so when he tells me what I need, I know that he knows what he is talking about. So one day I told him my story about the skunk; only he didn’t laugh. He told me I should have killed that skunk. He said that right here in our area skunks were caught for the purpose of testing them for rabies, and 90% of them tested positive. Well, good gosh and monkey! I didn’t know that! Right then I changed my mind again.

It wasn’t long before I caught another skunk. For the sake of the weak of heart, I’m not going to tell you now I killed him. I figured it was going to be a problem getting a dead skunk out of that cage, and the stink would be unbearable. Guess what? It was way worse than anything I had imagined. By the time I was done dealing with that big mess, I had changed my mind – yet again. I have a dust mask I wear on a regular basis in my shop, but I knew it was no good for this job. I got out the gas mask I wear when I’m down at the paint house spraying a finish. That mask has two big charcoal canisters to filter everything out of the air, and I could still smell that critter. The ground around the cage stunk and by the time I was done I stunk. You know how you can walk into a place where people are smoking, and come out smelling like cigarette smoke? That’s the way it was with Pepe’ Le’ Pue’. I was so sorry I had created such a mess. I reset the trap and went back to my shop.

A day or two later I caught another skunk. Well shit! I didn’t know I’d end up with another. I guess I should have known that Adam & Even thing would be going on. If there’s a boy skunk, there’s going to be a girl skunk somewhere. Since I don’t want to be overrun by a bunch of rabid skunks, I changed my mind one more time. I killed that creature in like manner as I had the first. And it was every bit as big of a mess as the first one. It has been more than a week now, and I haven’t caught any more skunks. I hope that’s the end of this problem.

I am always fascinated with the idea that the Almighty gave us the ability to change our minds. It’s what we call “free will.” I don’t guess animals have a free will as people do. My hens are so predictable. You remember how Rosco P Coletrain used to say he would jump on something like a “chicken on a Junebug?” They really do that. I ain’t never seen them pass up a Junebug, or worm, or grasshopper. For some reason every year at Thanksgiving the president is supposed to keep the tradition of pardoning the turkey. Even though we know it is food we can choose not to eat it. My hens don’t think like that. I don’t think any animals do.

And here’s a bit of truth. I always feel sorry for God. When it comes to this matter of free will, there’s always somebody mad at Him. We have this group of people commonly referred to as Calvinists. They say we only think we have the ability to choose. According to them, God already has everything planned out and everybody is predestined to go to either heaven or hell. The thought of that brings out the worst in some people. They say they want to be able to make their own decisions and make a choice about eternity. The idea of God having absolute control just irritates the hell out of people who want to row their own boat.

And then you got some people who are pissed at the Almighty because of all the evil in the world. They say He either doesn’t care, or He’s to blame, or maybe He’s dead. They love free will but never stop to see that the bad comes from bad choices we make. Somebody gets murdered, or raped, or robbed and we want to blame God. I think the only thing the Lord could do that would please everybody is to let us make our own choices, and then come behind us and rescue us from the consequences of our bad choices. A man gets drunk and drives – no problem. The Maker of us all just steps in and causes him to fall asleep, gently veer off the road into some safe place, and there he sleeps it off. Later, he wakes up sober, drives home and treats his family kindly. No worries. Everybody got to make their own choices, nobody got hurt, no need to cuss and shake our fist at God, and life is good.

Only problem is that life just doesn’t work like that. Everything we do has an impact both now and for eternity. Since I get to choose, I have to accept the consequences. And I’m not changing my mind about the skunks anymore. He gets in my trap and he’s a dead skunk. Only way he gets to live is to make the choice to stay out of my trap.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

CLEAN LIVING
I think James Dobson is the first person I ever heard speak about hydrogenated oil, and that was probably fifteen years ago. Dr. Dobson is head of Focus On The Family, and he is a family psychologist. Often, he speaks about the connection between the physical and the mental. What we eat quite literally goes into the making of our brains, as well as the rest of the body. And our mindset affects the body. Happy people have fewer problems with high blood pressure, heart trouble and the like.

Nowadays everybody is warning us away from hydrogenated oil. But, even way back then, I started paying attention to the subject, because I trust and respect James Dobson. We quite buying margarine and started using Smart Balance. Also, we quit with shortening and started using extra virgin olive oil. I was genuinely starting to feel good about the way we were headed until one day I did a scary thing – I started reading the ingredient labels on food items. We had gone to buying saltine crackers that were alleged to be more healthy than the regular. I read the label, and found they had hydrogenated oil in them. It’s in most cereals, non-dairy coffee creamer, and nearly everything else. I found out that aluminum is one thing that contributes to Alzheimer’s and discovered that it is in self-rising flour, some aspirins, non-dairy coffee creamers, antiperspirants, and the list could just go on and on.

So, I got this idea about eating more healthy; but, it’s easier said than done. When I was a young man I was ten-feet tall and bullet proof. I could work like an Egyptian slave all day, eat anything I wanted to, and I was alright. The body could take the stress, I healed fast from injuries and life was good. The older I get the more I’m figuring out just how fast flesh and blood breaks down. I got a back problem I can’t seem to get past, a torn rotator cuff, and skin that is slower to heal from the cuts, stabs, burns, and abrasions. My idea is to take as good of care of the body as I can, so I can get as much use out of it as I can before I’m dead. I don’t want to spend my last years all broke down and unable to do anything. I really want to go out like my chainsaw. Just before that thing runs out of gas and dies, it runs up to a high R.P.M.

I didn’t actually make a New Year’s Resolution. But, I am wanting to see if I can go all year without any news. In an earlier entry I mentioned how the news affects me badly. Yet, at the same time I got this powerful hankering to hear all that bad stuff. I think it’s sometime in the middle of January that most people flunk out on their resolutions. I haven’t flunked out. But today ain’t over yet! I actually turned the radio and TV off about a week before Christmas, and I haven’t listened or watched since.

And here’s where my plan about the news meets with my plan for clean living. I had no idea it would be so hard to get away from all the bad news. Looks like the news peddlers will stop at nothing to make sure they either worry or irritate the hell out of me. The news is where it always has been: I just never noticed until I started trying to get away from it. WalMart sells some glues, finishes, and sanding supplies I need for guitar building. The newspapers and gossip magazines are at the check-out so I can see how many of our young men got dismembered or killed in this war, and who in Hollywood is banging somebody new this week. I check my email and there’s news everywhere. People call me up or come into my shop and want to talk it. Now that I’m trying to avoid it, it’s like that damn hydrogenated oil.

You know, I’ve heard that a dog on a leash is not disturbed until he gets to the end of that leash. My friend Allen told me I should make good use of that time I used to spend watching and listening to the news. He suggested I read the Bible. Well, truth is that was already my plan. If I didn’t keep busy while the news was on, I was going to be steady wondering what was on the news. So I’m reading the Bible through again. I started in Genesis and I’m presently in Judges. When I came up with the “No news and read the Bible” plan, it seemed like a simple way to clean up my spiritual life. But, I’m starting to feel like that dog on a leash.

A couple of weeks ago Sherry and I decided it was time to clean the bathrooms. I don’t mean the sinks, commodes and bathtub. We knew there was medicine in there that was 20 years out of date and boxes of stuff that hadn’t seen the light of day in 10 years, and probably needed to be thrown away. We knew it would be bad, but we didn’t know it would be that bad. We got knee deep in junk, filled a big trash can bag, and ate up about half the day.

Seems the more I read the Bible, avoid the news, and in general try to include more good in my life and leave out more of the bad, the worse it gets. Like the news and the hydrogenated oil that’s everywhere; everywhere I look I find trash that’s filling my eyes and ears, and ultimately my mind and spirit. Good gosh! What a mess! And the cleanup plan looks easier than the reality of it.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

Museums
To some, going to a museum is a sure sign of boredom, old age, or under the gun with a school assignment. But now, Sherry & I saw the movie “Night At The Museum” and my daughter and I saw part 2 of “Night At The Museum”. So, not all museums are created equal. There are some right good ones out there. Sherry loves a graveyard and a museum. I tell her she has more friends among the dead than she does among the living. The girl just loves history! I like what used to be. What’s happening now just seems to occupy most of my time. So when she gets ready for us to go somewhere, top of her list is to find what museums are near where she wants to go. And that girl knows how to bait me. She’ll look for something I can’t say “No” to.

Sherry & I are not big landowners. We have one and one-quarter acres. And you should see where we live. We have this place loaded up with all the things we like. We have a rose garden, fruit trees, and flowerbeds. Our Rhode Island Red hens are happy in their big fenced-in area. There are a lot of things for the grandbabies to play with when they come. That oak tree out front sports 2 tire swings, and that’s generally where they head first. My girl and I can get us a cup of coffee and sit on the park bench out in the front yard. If we want, we can sit on the swing in the rose garden, or the bench under the grape vines. Or we might just stroll around the property.

But alas, my shop is on the same property as our home. I was talking with a kindly old gentleman who was a Volkswagen mechanic. His house and shop were on the same property. I told him I had the same sort of arrangement. He told me I would live to see the day when I would be sorry my shop and house were so close to each other. He told me that even when he closes, people come knocking on his door. Day and night and even on Sundays, he never gets a break. At the time, my business was so embryonic I couldn’t wait to experience what he was talking about. Well, I have lived to see that day. February will make 17 years that I have been building and repairing. It is an absolute struggle to ever get any alone time with my girl. We like being here, but the phone doesn’t stop ringing, and I can’t bring myself to ignore it. There is always something in the shop needing to be done, and I can’t get it out of my mind. Folks are coming by and there are email responses to be made. So the only thing to do is get out of town.

One day, she asked if I wanted to go to Ferriday. Right away I started into my big whining act. I didn’t want to go there. I had heard of the town, but never heard of anything real eventful. Well, being the kind of person she is, she had already guessed that I would resist. As soon as I started making excuses, she told me, “They have a Music Museum.” “Really?” And I was hooked. I won’t get into the details. You can go see it yourself. All I’ll tell you is that it is about the great singers and musicians from Louisiana. And we have a lot of them to our credit. I was unhappy that they didn’t mention Tony Joe White, and very happy that they didn’t mention Brittany Spears.

When Sherry got ready for us to go to Clarksdale, MS, I was in the truck blowing the horn and telling her to hurry up. Man, oh man! That place has it all. I don’t exactly know how this fits together, but I love the Mennonites and Blues Music. Well gosh dog! They got a Mennonite bakery, and more blues music than you can take in. And you guessed it! They have the Delta Blues Museum. That thing was fun and educational. It was so completely stuffed full of old guitars of different descriptions. I had heard of John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, and Muddy Waters. But it’s amazing how little I actually knew about them before I went through that museum. And Sherry and I don’t rush through a museum. We stand there and read everything that can be read.

Then a guy from the Netherlands had a place down town in Clarksdale. It was a Rock & Roll and Blues Museum. I guess we spent about 4 hours there. When we left, we knew we had only scratched the surface. I guess it would take going everyday for at least a month to get a good grasp on all that he had. The owner stayed out of the way, but would answer any questions we had. And that old boy knew some stuff.

The years have kind of snuck up on me. I’m amazed that I have been able to build stringed instruments for a living. In the back of my mind there were lots of doubts. I thought I might not actually be able to understand the laws of physics that make an acoustic guitar work. Maybe nobody would like the way I built. The hard times might make me abandon the dream. Now that I’m closing in on 2 decades of building, it has occurred to me that I need to organize something to leave behind. C.F. Martin IV said in the early years they didn’t know they would endure and be so well liked. Finally one day, they saw the need for a museum. He said they never held any instruments back, so they had to go out into the public and buy back some of their instruments.

Knowing what the folks at Martin Guitars did has caused me to remember to hold something back. I have made sure to build as many instruments for my family as they want. I know they won’t ever sell them off, so they will remain as a body of work. Also, I have built myself a lot of instruments. Contrary to common belief, I don’t sit around all day sipping coffee and picking a guitar. I’m so busy building and repairing for others that there is not much time left for me. My personal instruments are going to be in almost mint condition.

I really would like to be remembered after I’m gone. And I want to be remembered in a way that is as complete and honest as possible. I think I should not leave it to others to do, so I have been making preparations myself. Now, my life is not defined by the way I make a living. I am defined by my walk with Jesus, and the way I love my family. Still, my job is a part of me, and I want it to be known after I’m gone. I hope my grandchildren and great grandchildren, and so on will like enough of what they heard about me to say that they are proud to be related to me.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

I Changed My Mind
Sherry & I have some Rhode Island Red hens, and we raised them from bitties. A few months ago something started coming across the fence and eating my hens. Three were taken before I noticed what was happening. I made the fence taller, ran an electric fence outside of the existing fence, started closing the hen house at night and put out some traps. Those traps are wire cages. When something goes in, it steps on a pressure plate and the door falls shut. I told Sherry I was going to kill whatever I caught in it. If it were a coyote, or a fox I would kill it. If it was somebody’s pet dog – too bad – I was going to kill it. We have trouble with armadillos here. They root around and destroy our flowerbeds and vegetable gardens. So I told her I was going to kill any armadillos I caught. If it gets in my trap, it’s dead.

I went out and checked the traps recently and decided to change my mind. I caught a skunk. Well, even thought I don’t want to get on the bad side of a skunk, they really don’t cause me any problems. Besides, how would I get a skunk out of the trap and kill it without getting sprayed. I couldn’t even figure out how to get him out of the trap and let him go. I called Sherry and she took me out of my mystery. She told me to take a long pole and open the door. So that’s what I did. In fact I took a long pole and a piece of plywood with me. I hid behind the plywood, tripped the door latch with the long pole, and ran. Old Pepe’le’Pew just sort of mosied on out and left.

I was a child in the fourth grade when somebody came to our room and told us that President John F. Kennedy had been shot and killed. All I knew was what the news was reporting at the time. As I’ve lived and grown though, I’ve come to believe that his death really was a conspiracy. He hadn’t been in office anytime before some of his advisors convinced him that we needed to send troops to Vietnam. Our soldiers had not been there very long before that old boy figured out that he had been hoodwinked. He started making plans to pull our men back out, and was killed soon thereafter. Make no mistake about it – John F. was no saint. Scandals always plagued his family. He was born into wealth and I don’t think he ever knew how to relate to the common man. And that was one guy who absolutely would not be faithful to his wife. But I have always been most impressed with the fact that he had no problem with saying “I changed my mind.”

Changing our minds is often looked at as a bad thing. We’re afraid that if we change our minds, then people will think we’re indecisive, or maybe that we don’t think things through before making a decision. But my hat is off to someone who doesn’t let pride get in the way. And generally speaking, most of our problems come back to pride. We’d rather go on and hold to a wrong decision rather than change our minds and risk looking bad in public. There’s even a biblical backing for changing our minds. See Matthew 21:28-31.

Our president is sending more of our young men and women to fight a war that cannot be won. Even with two thirds of Americans saying they are opposed to sending more troops, he wouldn’t change his mind. I think if you could ever catch him on an honest day, he would admit that he has made a bad decision. But once it has been said, then it has to be done. Otherwise, folks might think him to be weak, or short sighted. He’s going ahead and committing money we don’t have to fight global warming while other scientists are saying we are headed for another ice age. I think he knows he jumped the gun on that one, but he’s not turning around.

In my shop I’m always having to change my mind. Sometimes it looks good in my mind, but it just doesn’t work in real life. If I didn’t change my mind, alter plans, scrap ideas, and rethink things, I would have been out of business long ago. Only thing I want to know is this – if changing one’s mind works for an average white boy like me, then how come better men can’t see that they could be helped by doing the same thing? I tend to think that if we could get past the stigma and let everybody know it’s OK to be wrong even after our best efforts, then we’d all feel more free to change our minds and do better.

You know, years ago I said I wasn’t going to build any more banjos. I know some think I’m wishy-washy when I change my mind. But over the years I’ve thought of some things I’d like to do on a banjo. So don’t hold me to what I said way back when. So, if you hear me talking about something I’ll always do, or I’ll never do, you might not want to take that as the final word. I’m liable to come along and change my mind.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

Resolutions
Looks like that big name golfer guy sure stepped in a turd this time. Last count I think we were up to at least a dozen women he had on the side. And how ‘bout that war? Everyday I hear about somebody else who strapped on a bomb, killed himself and others and went to claim his 72 virgins. Man! The things people will do to get laid.

That gay American Idol boy sure knows how to get on TV and express his sexual desires. We got us some local celebrities. Several Mayors right here in our area are getting recalled and maybe going to jail for stealing taxpayer money. Every day I listen to hear what the latest development is on their cases. The president’s kids got a dog and saved a turkey. And some spotlight seeking couple found a way to sneak into the White House party.

You know, I’ve been trying to remember if I have ever made a New Year’s Resolution. I don’t think I ever have. I tend to agree with U2 when they said, “Nothing changes on New Year’s Day.” Word is that most New Year’s Resolutions are broken after 6 weeks to 2 months. I always figure that if something is worth committing to, there’s no need to wait till the new year begins. I can make a commitment anytime of the year. And that’s what I do. I committed my life to Jesus in July of ’72, and to Ms Sherry in June of ’75.

I’ve been thinking about a resolution. And here’s where I gotta do some repenting. I either laugh at or bad mouth those who make a New Year’s Resolution and then so easily break it. And I have always sighed and rolled my eyes at those who say they are going to break a bad habit, and in 2 days they are back to whatever that bad habit is. I’ve never had much understanding or compassion concerning the struggle involved in changing something about our life. Well, up until now? Now that it’s coming home to me, I got all kinds of compassion and mercy. I already know that the odds of my success are very slim. I know what I need to do, but the problem is that I DO NOT want to do it.

Here’s what I’ve been thinking about committing to. I know it would be good for me not to read or listen to any news reports. I grew up with a teaching that I think is not right. I was always taught that I need to stay informed, and I never questioned that thought because it came from so many adults that I respected. There’s only one thing I can think of coming out of the news that I always need to know and that is the weather forecast. In the building of stringed instruments, the weather affects everything I do. But I absolutely cannot think of one more thing I need to know. If you end up wanting to tell me my mind is bad; well, I already know that.

I can hear about a child who has been mistreated, or neglected, or maybe even killed; and I lay blame at my feet. I always try to work it out in my mind to see if I could have kept that harm from happening. I can hear about a child living on the west coast, and I still feel responsibility. I can’t resolve it, and I can’t get it out of my mind, and the conflict eats me up from now on. And every other child I hear about only adds to the weight.

I know we have lost fewer young men and women in this war than we did in Vietnam, but, one is too many for me. Everyday I hear about how many died and honest to God, I feel like I lost a family member. I can’t bring them back: I can’t stop the war: I don’t know them or their families, and I can’t move past their death. It infuriates me when our leaders want to honor those who have fallen. They want to call them brave heroes. But, I agree with Andy Rooney. He said he would rather have his friends back and celebrate peace and life. But, our leaders are not the ones going and fighting, and dying. And they won’t shut the hell up. I don’t personally know our leaders, and I’m not going to crash a White House party to try to meet them. And they are sending more young people to this war. I can’t stop it from happening, and I can’t live with it happening.

Oh, my gosh! Everyday there are a steady stream of Hollywood bed-hoppers. And seems most of them go into rehab at least 2-3 times. Mel putout the “Passion of the Christ”, and then left his wife for another woman. And we just can’t get enough of hearing about how a good man fell. There are TV shows and newspapers devoted to the excessive, abusive adulterous lives of those in entertainment. There is nothing I can do to stop them, and there’s nothing about them I need to imitate.

Here’s my big problem. I’m a man in a world full of men just like me. I don’t belong to this world, but sadly, the world is what it is because I have helped make it this way. The news does me no good, but I am just like my first parents. I want to know good and evil. And apparently I have spent a lot of my life wanting to know evil. I keep turning on the TV and the radio to find out what new shameful thing has taken place.

I am trying to approach this resolution with seriousness. What I am thinking to do is go without the news for a year. My love and hate for the news is such that I genuinely don’t know if I am man enough for the job. Can I leave the radio off, and avoid the TV news for a year? I don’t know. Seems almost impossible to do. I sure do enjoy the Amish. They concern themselves with what pertains to them, and they let the rest go by. And I bet they sleep better at night.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

Warning
The “check engine” light came on in Sherry’s truck. Even without that light though, I knew something was wrong. When I cranked it, that thing popped and farted, and ran real rough. For better or worse, I’m the mechanic on our vehicles. I wouldn’t want to do that sort of work for a living, but I’ll take care of ours. So I started checking around to see who had the best price on one of those little hand held testers. I have an old one for our ’93 Escort, but it won’t work on her 2003 Ranger. But, then my son-in-law took me out of my misery. He told me about one of the auto supply houses in town that would diagnose your vehicle without charge. Of course they figure that if you come by and they tell you what is wrong, you’ll buy the parts from them. And that’s what I did. They diagnosed and told me what was wrong: I bought the parts and made the repair, and life was good.

I always think it’s a good idea to pay attention to warning signs. Sherry had a cousin who was the kindest redneck I ever met. He loaned somebody a car and told him to keep a check on the oil level. Well, as is often the case, the folks borrowing the car didn’t have much appreciation for it because they didn’t have to buy it. So they drove it for 3 days with the “check engine” light on, and the engine finally seized up. A warning sign gives us prior notice about a danger that could be avoided. All we have to do is heed the signs.

I have a torn rotator cuff. I helped my son build his house and one thing we had to do was dig and form up so we could have the concrete foundation poured. I could tell something was wrong, but I didn’t want to stop, so I ignored the warning sign – pain. By the time we were done I was in bad shape. The doctor tells me it won’t ever get better without surgery. In my line of work, there’s no such thing as health insurance, so this is a permanent injury. If I had only heeded the warning!

I’m a follower of Jesus. Here’s one that only the followers of Jesus can understand. We have someone who lives inside of us. We are possessed – in a good way. The One we refer to as the third person in the trinity is the Holy Spirit. Billy Graham speaks of Him as being like the wind. He says we can’t see the wind, but we see the effects of the wind. I can’t see the Holy Spirit, and I don’t know how to describe what He sounds like when He speaks; but when He speaks, His voice is unmistakable. He has helped me to avoid trouble when I listened to His voice, and I have gotten into trouble when I refused to listen to His warning.

But, here is something else I know. Even thought everybody is not following Jesus, He is still the Maker of us all. We are all made in His image and even though we are fallen, we still bear a resemblance to the One who made us. His likeness is still stamped in our hearts. Without the Ten Commandments, we still know that stealing, killing, lying, and adultery are wrong.

It is Christmas time and there is a reason this holiday is so controversial. To those who don’t want to follow Jesus, that baby in the manger is the biggest threat they ever face. They know who He is, but they don’t like to think about it. When we get past this season, we remember the truth. He was born that night for the express purpose of dying to save us from hell - And not just some of us, but all of us. Not just the serial killers, child molesters, and drug pushers – regular sinners like me were going to hell. That’s why some get equally pissed about Easter. At Christmas He came making a claim, and Easter proved that He was who He said He was. Everybody who is rejecting Jesus knows they are going to hell, but they hate to be reminded of it. It just sort of spoils the day.

Have you ever noticed that Jesus is the real problem? People want to hear “Happy Holidays!” instead of “Merry Christmas!” If you say “Christmas” then you’ve mentioned Christ. “Christ” is the word that means “Chosen or anointed one.” He, God Himself, chose to die in our place. There’s this Christian comedian I like. I like him because he’s funny and attitudel. He said nobody says “Happy Holiday!” concerning the 4th of July, Valentine’s Day, Labor Day, or any other holiday except Christmas & Easter. If we could just keep it about Santa and the Easter bunny, then the Jesus haters could live undisturbed.

But the warning signs! We’re all in trouble if we ignore the warning signs. There’s warning signs all along the road. They tell us about curves, and deer crossing, and we’re told to slow down. And we all know stories of tragedy because people ignored the warnings. Do you think if we took the signs down that the dangers would go away? No! We can stop saying “Christmas”, and we can stop mentioning the resurrection in April. We can shut down the churches and burn all the Bibles. But there’s no getting around the fact that we are still in danger. We tell children that Santa is real if we believe he is real. Some make the mistake of thinking the same thing about Jesus. They think if they don’t believe in Him, then He will just vanish. It doesn’t work like that. Reject Him, turn a deaf ear, do your own thing, say He’s not real – nothing changes the fact. That baby grew up and died for you and me. And since he died for us, then it presupposes that he was right when He said we were sinners. And make no mistake about it – ready or not – we will all face Him one day.

We have all been warned. All that remains is the question – Will we heed the warning and live?

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

Be
Some things are. Not everything, but some things. Some things never need to become anything else. There are times when we need to let it be. Dogs bark, fish swim, birds fly. They don’t go to a training school; it’s just what they do because of what they are. Todd & Copper were playing together. The dog barked and the fox asked, “Why did you do that?” The dog answered, “I don’t know.”

Our nature is to have dominion. The Almighty put it in our first parents when He put them in the Garden of Eden. We still have that nature, and that’s a good thing. Without it there would be no such thing as an explorer. The Wright Brothers never would have tried to do what birds do. Those who could hear the music never would have built the instruments to give birth to what they heard. Our nature caused us to build and seek and dive and send men to the moon.

But alas, we are fallen. Our parents rebelled and Eden is no more. And we are distorted from the fall. That nature to dominate often comes out as a desire to manipulate, to exploit, to enslave and capitalize, and even to destroy. Sometimes that nature drives people to terrorize. Before the lie tricked us into rebellion, our nature could be trusted. Now, the thing we need to dominate over most of all is our own selves. Bob Dylan sang, “Man thinks cause he rules the earth, he can do with it as he pleases. And if things don’t change soon, he will.” He goes on to say that our evil desire to dominate has invented our doom.

Sherry keeps reminding me that every tree doesn’t need to become a guitar. Perhaps it doesn’t need to become anything. Maybe it is what it should be. The squirrels can climb it, the birds can nest in it, and the wind can make the leaves sing. We can see it and sit under its shade, and otherwise leave it alone. Everybody loves that pond. But the developers don’t necessarily need to subdivide and fence it off and build houses around it. It can just be a fishing hole, and a place where the boys learn to swim.

Rich Mullins said, “The world can’t stand what it can’t own”. Our dominant nature causes us to lay a hold of and claim for our own anything we like. And it causes so much trouble among us. One man wants another man’s wife. He knows she’s married, but he wants her still. Bobby D said, “Man is opposed to fair play. He wants it all and he wants it his way.” We dam up rivers for our own use and withhold it from those further down the line.

The word “Amen” means “Let it be.” I always liked that old Beatle song and wonder if they knew that was the definition of “Amen.” The intent behind ending our prayers with “Amen” is that we are saying, “Let it be the will of God.” One problem we have in our selfish desire to dominate is that we will even fight against the One who made us. In our smallness, in our mortality, in that little bit of time and space we occupy on this earth, we still think we know better than the Eternal One. Who was that country singer? Somebody had a song where he talked about God’s greatest gifts being answered prayers. Many men have fought against their Maker until they got what they wanted; only to find that it was not what they needed. On an honest day, I think most would agree that God knows best. But since we are flawed, and since we get to choose, we assert our dominance.

I have a hard time trying to let it be. With my limited vision, the lines are always a bit blurred. When should I put my hands to the plow and when should I let go? What is my responsibility, and what should I let the next person do? Most of all, where does my job end and the Lord’s begin? I don’t want to hold on tight when He wants me to let it be. And I don’t want to give it up too soon if He wants me to press on.

There are always things that need to become something more. The seed wants to become a tree. The child wants to become an adult. The beginner guitar player wants to become a good guitar player. I want to become more patient and understanding. But then some things need to be. They don’t need to be exploited or dressed up or made useful in any way. We show ourselves wise when we can tell the difference between the two.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
There are some things all people have in common. We might be rich and important, poor, pretty, or plain, a terrorist, a prisoner, a Democrat, a young one, or a senior citizen. We all sleep. Sherry & I sometimes see a mattress advertisement on TV. They always show some beautiful woman sleeping. She wakes up and sits up and her hair falls into place. The sun shines in just right on her face, and she’s alert, happy, all smiley, and ready to face the day. I always look over at Sherry and tell her “that ain’t real.” And it’s not real. No matter our station in life, we’re liable to snore. At my age, I have to get up at least once or twice during the night to take a pee. When we wake up we all got a doodoo smell in our mouth, and it looks like a rat has been spinning out in our hair. There’s nothing pretty or dignified about sleep; unless it’s a baby that we’re watching. But we all need to do it, and nobody has to be taught to fall asleep.

I do know that I am a rich man. Some say our house is too small, but it’s just right for my girl and me. In the last 30 days we’ve gotten about 30” of rain. Our roof doesn’t leak and we get to stay dry inside. If it gets too hot, we have an air conditioner to cool us off. If we get too cold, we got us a heater. Our house is about 1200 square feet. Sara came by and showed Sherry and me some pictures she took while visiting her sponsored child in the Philippines. Our dining room is bigger than most of those people’s houses.

We cook our food on a good stove, or maybe in the microwave, or that big toaster oven. And we have a refrigerator to keep our food in. We own a washer and dryer, a dishwasher, a bathtub and a water heater. We have a bath and a half, and when we flip the switch, the lights come on. How could I ever complain or ask for more? And, oh my goodness! They are all getting kind of old, but they are paid for and they run well.

And the same thing is true when it comes to the bed we sleep in. Now, we don’t have one of those adjustable, memory foam, water type mattresses. I don’t even remember what brand it is. All I know is that we sleep well in it and we don’t wake up with aches and pains from it. We have a headboard, but not a footboard.

I hear about what folks sometimes have to contend with at night, so I gotta tell you, our sleep is good. We never go to sleep with the fear that somebody will break in to steal, kill, or destroy. We have never laid our head on the pillow with the sound of gunfire in our ears. We’ve never been awakened in the night, nor at dawn by gunfire. We have some neighbors who worry us, but I know that our little complaints are nothing compared to what some folks face everyday. My girl and I have never been drunk or high, and we’re too old to start now. I’ve heard about the terrors of living in the house with someone who is a drunk or an addict. But we lay down to sleep without even having to give a thought to such worries. Solomon said it’s better to live on the corner of a rooftop in peace, than to live with a cranky woman in a mansion. I think the same thing applies to a cranky man. When Sherry & I were younger we thought there were things to argue about, but the older we’ve gotten, the less we can think of to argue about. It sure feels good to be saying kind words to each other as we drift off to sleep.

I hear that sin is a sleep stealer. When a person has some shady business going, he is always having to look over his shoulder. When we’re asleep, we’re defenseless. If a man has enough money, he can pay someone to stand guard over him while he sleeps. Even the toughest of guys are scared to go to sleep if they know they are doing things that are liable to get them hurt or killed. And if a bad man can’t afford a bodyguard, then he’s doomed to fitful, broken sleep. And it definitely can’t be called rest. I have neglected some people and have been mean to others. It stole my sleep until I repented.

There’s something about sleeping in a tent that I love. Maybe it is something in my nature that goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. I don’t want to sleep on the ground and get bitten by mosquitoes all night, but I want to be close to the ground. We are of the earth. We were made from it. I don’t want to get rained on, but I like to hear it on my tent and know that I’m just inches from it. I like to sleep among the animals and wake up every now and then to hear the nocturnal ones moving around. And then to have a mocking bird let me know when it’s time to wake up – that feels good.

For those of us who are following Jesus, when we get up out of this world, He doesn’t say we died, He says we have fallen asleep. You know, I’ve seen some people who were asleep, and as God is my witness, they looked like they were dead. They weren’t snoring or tossing around, and I had to listen close to see if I could hear them breathing. That’s the way it is when Jesus’ people leave here. From all appearances, it looks like the end for us. It looks like we’re dead. We are still alive: we just moved on to the next life. At that point we’re no longer following after Jesus; we have arrived at home. And waking up in heaven makes this life look like just a dream.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

Money Matters
Sherry & I grew up about 1200 miles apart. But, for all that distance it’s amazing how much our lives were alike. Our parents lived within the same income bracket. There were 4 siblings in her family: 2 boys & 2 girls, and the same is true in mine. She’s the next to the oldest and so am I. Both our dads were newly married when they went into the armed forces. Her dad served in Hawaii and mine was in the Korean Conflict. And both of our dads learned a trade while working for Uncle Sam that directed the occupation they chose for life. For all the things our parents taught us while we were growing up, one thing that was noticeably missing from our education was the matter of how to handle money.

Our folks grew up in a different time. I remember once when the bank in Elloree contacted mom & dad to let them know they overdrew on their checking account. It was a point of severe embarrassment to them and they went to town and put some more money in their account. There was no overdraft fee. I’m sure my folks apologized and promised to do their math better in the future. I bet back then there were people who intentionally wrote bad checks, but I never heard of them. They were definitely in the minority. Our parents didn’t own a credit card. They paid cash, or worked out payments with the store, or did without.

Buying a house is the biggest debt I’ve ever taken on. My dad never had that burden on his shoulders. I have clear memories of my life as far back as 2 years old. And since I never got into drugs or drunkenness I have no missing years. We lived in a rented house until I was 3. My dad bid on the old school house that had been condemned and he won the bid. He dismantled it and used the lumber to build the house we grew up in. He sold the hard wood floor out of the auditorium for more than he paid for the whole school building. So he built his house without incurring debt. And this ain’t no humble house. Sherry & I like our quaint little house, but there is nothing quaint about what my dad built. He and mom are retired now, and they still live in that house.

Money matters have changed a lot since I was a boy. Rarely do you ever hear about somebody getting into a house without a sizeable debt. As a boy, I often saw people pay for their house as they built it. When we moved into this house, we were looking at a 30-year note. Sherry took the grocery bill, light bill, all kinds of bills, and I concentrated on paying for the house. I was thankful and relieved to be able to pay it off in 17 years.

And a credit card is something neither one of us was prepared for. Since our parents didn’t have credit cards, there wasn’t much they knew to tell us on the subject. The big thing I remember hearing is that the credit card people would check you out thoroughly and would only give you a line of credit that they knew you could pay. Sherry & I definitely saw a shift in that thinking over the years. We started getting the calls and mail like everybody else. We were amazed at all the people who wanted us to know we had been approved for the Gold Card. It didn’t take long to figure out that these people would let us run up a debt that we’d never be able to dig out from under. Right now I have 2 credit cards with a total credit line of $27,000. Now for some folks, that’s not much money. But Sherry & I are out of debt and we’re sure not looking to incur more. A sizeable amount of the debt we have now paid off was credit card debt. Buying was made easy: interest charges snuck up on us, and before we knew what was happening, we were in over our heads.

I don’t think many people my age were taught any more about handling money than I was. But with all the financial pit falls out there these days, and the generally poor condition of the economy, I think everybody needs as much education on the subject as they can get. I needed to go to my daughter’s house this morning, and while I was there I saw one of my granddaughters studying a book on finances. She’s 9 years old. Of course that girl is an entrepreneur and at her young age she has several different paying gigs. I was telling her how proud I was of her for wanting to know how to handle money when she asked me if I knew that there are 2,350 verses in the Bible that talk about money. Well, the truth is, I did not know the Bible had that much to say about money. I don’t doubt it; I just didn’t know it.

I genuinely do feel sorry for folks who are deeply indebted at this time. While I was paying for our house, that debt stayed on my mind all day, everyday. Our economic future is not real bright and I’m sure that folks who have debt are at least as burdened as I was – or maybe more. I don’t want to be a fool with money, but I don’t want to put my trust in it either. Even though I didn’t know about the 2,350 references to money in the Bible, I do remember a verse I read somewhere in Proverbs. The writer said money could sprout wings like a bird and fly away. I sure understand what that means. We’ve all heard the stories of riches to rags. Life has so many twists, and turns, and surprises, and our money can vanish from right in front of us. I think I tend to agree with the Pope. He said the worse the world economy gets, the more people will see they need to trust in God and not riches. Smart man. Maybe that’s why they gave him the job.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

My Grand Adventure
I grew up in South Carolina. We lived about 3 miles from Elloree and about 6 miles from Santee. When I was a boy, going to town was a big thing. We didn’t just head that direction every day. And when we did go, we already had in mind what we planned to do. The 5 & 10 was the only place in town with an ICEE machine, and that was always on the list. There was no movie theater, no computers or video games, and we had never even dreamed of the idea of a cell phone. So, a simple pleasure like an ICEE was a big thing. And since we only appeared in town every now and then, we had to be clean and dressed nice. If we looked bad and didn’t come back to town for another two weeks, folks might think we were white trash; just based on that one time they saw us.

I had to go to town this week. It’s hard to get away from your raising, and I just can’t bring myself to got to town any more than necessary. And when I do go, I got me a long list of things to take care of so that when I get back home and to my shop, I don’t have to leave again for another week or two. I took care of everything on my list, like I always do, but this turned out to be a most unusual trip. My reclusive nature makes me avoid people as much as possible, and just stick to the business at hand. And especially during this H1N1 flu season, I want people to stay away from me. In my work, there’s no medical insurance, no sick days, no nothing. If I don’t stay on the job and work, there will be absolutely no money coming in. But sometimes, for reasons beyond my understanding, I feel like being friendly. I don’t know why. It just happens like that sometimes. And this was one of those days.

In this life, there is one prescription pill I have to take. My thyroid has been on the skids for years. The law says I have to have my blood checked once a year to make sure my dosage stays right. Since that blood-taking place opens at 7:30 a.m., it was first on my list. Even though I was genuinely feeling friendly that day, I always start chattering when somebody pulls out a needle and looks at me. I guess I’m trying to occupy my mind with something other than the inevitable. So I told the nurse about how my dad, my brother, brother-in-law, and I, we’re all wood workers. And then I asked her what got her into the medical profession. She had an interesting story and I could tell she was glad to share it.

Everybody down at the post office knows me. I’ve been taking my instruments to those folks for 7-8 years now. So we always get talking about something. And these postal workers at the windows have done it all so many thousands of times that they can talk and work at the same time. For some reason, the people standing in line think it’s like the library. They think you’re supposed to be quiet – until I get there! When I come bustin’ up in there and talking to the employees, everybody figures out it’s an open conversation, and they get in it too. I don’t know how long it keeps going after I leave, but I like to think I get something started. I met a banker lady in line that morning and she told me stuff about a debit card. Since I’ve never had a debit card, everything she told me was something I did not know.

Now those folks who take my blood don’t want me to eat breakfast before I come. They say the reading is more accurate if I don’t eat anything 12 hours before they draw blood. It’s not the going without food that’s so bad, but it’s the coffee. When the Almighty made the coffee bean, He had me in mind. Sherry, being the motherly type that she is, gave me $5.00 so I could go to McDonald’s for breakfast. I tried to assure her I had money for breakfast, but she insisted. She felt bad because I cooked her breakfast, even thought I couldn’t have any of it. So I went by McDonald’s and paid with the $5.00 she gave me. Since I don’t eat out much, I couldn’t remember when was the last time I had gone by McDonald’s for breakfast. I sat facing a window as I ate my breakfast. I saw an Oriental man coming across the parking lot. After he was in the building, I looked and there was his wife coming across the parking lot. He had just walked off and left her. Oh Hell No! My girl and I hold hands when we’re up town, and I open the door for her. I didn’t have much time to think. I wanted to get up and hold the door open for this lady, but I gotta tell you, I don’t know how Orientals think. I didn’t want to offend the man. I went to a black church for about 7 years, so I have a little bit of an idea about how black folks think. Well, before I could figure out what to do, she was in the building. I went back to eating.

I looked up again and there were 3 little old senior citizen ladies coming across the parking lot: one black lady and two white. I could see that they were together. When they got close I got up and held the door for them. The idea of holding a door open for a lady was already on my mind. I spoke to them: they thanked me, and they figured out that chivalry was not dead. And I went back to eating. Angie came in and we talked a little bit. I don’t know many people, so I can’t afford to pass up speaking to somebody I do know.

As I was finishing up, the Oriental man passed me on his way out. I looked back and saw that when he got finished eating, he got up and walked off and left his wife to clean off the table. I was about to throw away my trash, so I kinda’ lingered a little bit so I would get done just ahead of her. I didn’t want to look obvious, so as I was walking out, I gave the impression that I just happened to look back and see her. So I held the door for her. She got a big smile on her face and thanked me, and patted me on my arm, and then my back, and then my little hiney butt. I was able to keep it together until I got back to my truck, and then I sat there and laughed. It struck me as funny. And then I thought about her husband. That little ass rub could have been his if he would have been a gentleman.

Well, I’m not going to expect my twice a month trips to town to be that eventful. Before you know it, my friendliness will wear off and I’ll get back to normal. But, here’s a bit of truth. I don’t get cleaned up and dressed up to go to town the way I did when I was a boy. People up town who know me might see me and think I’m domestic. And how would that look?

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

Means of Grace
I read a lot of old books and I see why some have stood the test of time. But then again, I also read “Catcher In The Rye”, and I have no idea who was able to convince anybody that that was a good book. Our language keeps changing and every few years we hear about new words being added to the dictionary. And there are always words that fall into disuse. I love a lot of the phraseology the old folks used. They didn’t talk about going to church. They said they were going to meet at the church house. Or maybe they’d just say they were going to the meetinghouse. And here’s a phrase you don’t hear much anymore. The old folks would talk about availing themselves of the means of grace.

What they meant was that there were some ways and places where the Almighty was known to show up and speak to them. Since He was known to be in these places, then those who wanted to hear from Him would make sure to be in those places too. Since He’s known for speaking to us through the preaching and singing down at the Church houses, millions of people head that direction every Sunday morning - or on Saturday, if you are a Seventh Day Adventist. Everybody knows we are liable to hear from Him during our personal prayer time – so we pray. The Bible is His Word to us and we know He’ll give us understanding as we read it – so we read.

Even though we know He’s liable to make His presence known in certain places and at certain times, we can’t hold Him hostage and make Him appear when we want Him to. A person who likes to fish does his best to catch fish. He gets the right bait and goes to what he thinks is the best place at the best time. Still, he might come away empty handed. A good fisherman is not deterred though, because he knows that if you don’t give up, then sooner or later you’ll get what you went for. And there’s a biblical principle here. He wants us to be serious about hearing from him. Sometimes we turn on the TV just to see if there’s anything worth watching. He doesn’t honor that approach. He wants us to keep asking, and seeking, and knocking ‘till we get an answer.

I chase grace. I hate to have to admit it, but I am a shameless beggar. There’s just no getting around the fact that the Lord has what I need, so I’m going to beg for it until He either gives it to me or tells me “no”. There are some good doctors in this world, but they cost more than I can afford. So I’ve had occasions where I had to beg for healing. I know He is able. It’s just a matter of will He? He has healed me on numerous occasions, and sometimes He has said “no”. But, I continue to chase grace. There are things I need to know and only He can tell it to me. So I follow Him around like a child behind his mother – “Can I? Please, please, please? Can I? Huh? Can I?”

And you better bet, I’m going to be where grace is known to be found. I’ll get down to the church house on Sundays, and I’m going to be ready when I get there. I’m going to get to bed early on Saturday night, and I’ll have a good breakfast on Sunday morning. If I’m not nodding off or distracted by hunger, then I might hear when God speaks. And I’m going to be reading my Bible and praying all week long. I’m not choicey either! He can tell me something through the normal means of grace, or He can use abnormal means. It’s all good for me! He has told me what I needed to know thought dreams, conversations with others, books, and songs. I’m not sure what this says about me, but I have always found more grace through songs than I every have through sermons. And they don’t necessarily have to be what we refer to as a Christian song. The two greatest songs I have ever heard are “Amazing Grace”, and “Cat’s In The Cradle.” He gives me grace thought movies, nature, and events. I accept it all. If He will just give me what I need, he can use whatever means He chooses.

I’m not mad at anybody, but I think some people get it wrong. Some think there is no grace to be had. Or, they think that answers cannot be gotten from God. But when I get checking, I find the big problem is that they are not availing themselves of the means of grace. The person who does not go where the fish are is not going to catch fish. The person who goes fishing a time or two, catches nothing and gives up, will never catch fish. So many of the questions people have would get answered if they did something as simple as read the Bible. I’m not real bright, but hell man, I can read. Too many of us stay bogged down, and sidetracked, and wondering what to do, and the answers are in a book we put up on a shelf years ago and never opened.

People talk about how they went to church but for some reason didn’t go back. You remember Grandpa Jones on Hee Haw? Somebody would come to him and say, “Doctor, I broke my arm in 2 places.” Grandpa Jones would roll up a newspaper and hit them with it and say, “Then stay out of those places.” So you didn’t like that church! Well, find one you do like. This ain’t no drive through fast food we’re talking about here. We’re talking about grace. It’s a treasure you have to hunt for. And the promise is that if we hunt for it and don’t give up, we’ll find what we need.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

Grace
Seems everybody who thinks on the subject agrees with John Newton that grace is amazing. We are surprised by it. By definition, grace is the opposite of justice. Justice will give me what I deserve, and that ain’t no good thing. I hate thinking about it, but because of my crimes, I deserve to go to hell. Mercy is where He doesn’t give me what I deserve, and grace is where he gives me something good that I don’t deserve. Even though we are made in the image of God, I am definitely not like Him. I would put justice on most; and save grace, mercy, and patience for only a few. I’m glad He’s in charge and not me.

My reclusive nature makes it to where I don’t have many friends. Rusty is one of my oldest friends. Back when we were young, he met and married on of my old girlfriends. Sometimes when you see two people together, you can tell just by looking that Adam and Eve have found each other. That was the case with them. Sherry & I have been married for 34 years now. I think they got married maybe 2 years after we did. He’s a preacher, and they both are teachers. They have raised 3 boys, and lost one before birth.

Bobby is another friend from my youth. He & I hung out all the time, got into some trouble on occasion, and we’re both thankful we lived through some of our stupidity. My Mom emailed me a few months ago to tell me Bobby’s wife had died. I emailed Bobby, then, he called. That’s the first time we’ve talked in at least 25 years. I didn’t keep up with him like I should have. I had heard decades ago that his wife was having mental and physical problems. When Bobby & talked recently, he told me he never really had a marriage. Soon after they were married she started hearing voices. A darkness settled over her mind and never left. They kept each other “till death do us part”, but Bobby told me he was mostly the caregiver of his wife. I have no idea what that would be like. Maybe I’ll ask Sherry – she’ll know. She has been my caregiver.

Well, as Bobby & I talked on the phone, I was reminded of how much grace I have been shown. In addition to catching up with him and getting confirmation on some rumors I had heard about his wife’s condition, he told me something that shocked me. Rusty & Margaret had recently gotten divorced. Sometimes I have to stand still and be amazed by grace. There is absolutely nothing good about me to cause Him to give me so much.

Sherry & I have had, and still are having, such a good life. We’ve raised 2 good children, and boy, oh boy! We got the best grandchildren. And we never did have to bury a child. I know it’s grace and not justice that leads my life. Not everyday, but often, I thank Sherry for keeping me. That girl could have done a hell of a lot better than me, but I’m glad she’s not looking to do better. It’s been at least 5 or 6 years since I’ve seen Rusty & Margaret, so I don’t know what has led to the parting of their ways. I do know that if my girl ever started looking for an excuse to get gone, she wouldn’t have to look far. I’ve given her enough excuses over the years.

And what have I ever done to cause Him to let me live through all these years in my shop? Much better wood workers than me have been dismembered and even killed on the job. Mack is a better man than I’ll ever be. He’s a cabinet maker, and our homes and shops are on the same road. He’s missing part of a finger, and his shop burned down a few years ago. My 16 years in this shop have been covered by an unbroken chain of grace.

The dangerous thing about being showered with grace is that I might get used to it, and eventually get to thinking I deserve it. That’s such an amazing story about how the Almighty brought the children of Israel out of Egyptian captivity. On their journey to the Promised Land He gave them grace for every need. They lived in the presence of miracles everyday. They were shielded from the scorching sun by a cloud that followed them everyday. And then at night a pillar of fire gave them the most excellent night-light you could ever have. He brought water from a rock, and food fell from the sky. And their clothes never wore out. Amazing! And they bitched and moaned every step of the way, and kept talking about how they would rather go back and be slaves in Egypt. If I don’t watch myself, I’ll become just like them. I’ll forget about all the good He gives me and I’ll start pitching a fit about something I don’t like.

Now you know, there ain’t no free meals. If somebody feeds me for free, then that means somebody else picked up the tab. Sometimes a poor teenager will come to my shop with a broken guitar. I’ll repair it for pennies on the dollar, or often I’ll do it for free. When they leave, I wonder if they learned anything. Do they know they just got kindness they didn’t deserve? Do they realize I paid the bill they owend? Here’s the best definition I’ve ever heard concerning God’s Grace: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

No Clear Direction – Part II
I don’t trust the government. I don’t trust the local, state, or federal. I don’t trust the governments of other countries. Locally, one police officer killed his police officer wife and then himself. Another was caught exchanging sex for dropping traffic tickets. There’s a long list of offences that our local lawmen have committed. I don’t know these people personally, but I was told to trust them. When I see any of the others, the question rises in my mind – “What are they doing that they haven’t been caught for?” When they tell me there’s nothing they will allow me to do to prevent a crime, and there’s nothing they can do until a crime has been committed; then I have no confidence in this present law system. But what to do!

It’s a sure bet, I’m not in favor of anarchy. Even a poor government is better than no government. Judges 17:6 tells about a dark time in the history of the nation of Israel. It says, “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” That’s anarchy. There’s no justice of protection. It’s just one big free for all where everybody does whatever they want. It will absolutely tear a place apart.

But I don’t like the idea of being ruled by organized crime, either. Sherry & I have read about the wild west, and every now and then we see a western movie. It’s entertaining, but I would not have wanted to live in those early western towns. More times than not, the sheriff also owned the saloon and the whorehouse. And the sheriff and his deputies were a bunch of criminals who had seized control of the town. And the law was whatever they determined it to be. As much as I hate to have to admit it, I believe that’s the way the government of my town works. The lawmen feel like they are above the law. If you’re not a lawman, but you know one, then they can take care of things for you. One man told me he and his family don’t pay traffic tickets. He told me it’s just one of the perks that comes along with knowing the right people who are in the right places. Seems everyday we hear about mismanagement of public funds by those who are in authority. But these people won’t even offer a defense or apology. They just carry on like they know nothing will ever get done. And it appears they are right. This is not a good form of government.

I trust the Almighty. I do not trust people just because they claim to be coming in the name of the Almighty. In the Old Testament there’s a long list of Jewish Kings and Priests who committed some terrible crimes in the name of God. I’d like to say we’d be better off if we had a Christian government. But there are a lot of different ideas about how a Christian government would operate. In its time, the Spanish Inquisition claimed to be carrying out the will of God.

There have been times in our own nation’s history where good people found that they could no longer depend on the law. To have any kind of justice and safety, they had to take the law into their own hands. The word “vigilante” comes from the word “vigilant”. “Vigilant” means “to keep steadily on the alert.” That in itself is a good thing. If we would all be more alert concerning the condition of our soul, and our family’s health and welfare, and the times and conditions we live in, we’d be much better off. From what I understand, there was even a time when the KKK did some good. A man might be beating his wife and children and not providing well for them. For whatever reason, the law was not willing to step in. So this vigilante group took the law into their own hands, beat the shit out of the offender, and helped him understand the error of his ways. But, is vigilante force the answer to our problems now? I don’t know. I don’t think so. I sure don’t trust the Klan. Those boys seem to be too closely tied to Nazism.

I think there are a lot of possible forms of government that would work. I think there are several legitimate ways to maintain law and order. I believe our problems always start when you bring people into the mix. This is a fallen world and we are all a part of it. We hire lawmen, but they are sinners just like everybody else. I believe Henry Kissinger was right when he said that power corrupts. I think power is a poison. I think anybody who gets power is eventually contaminated and ruined by it. Sooner or later they come to believe that, because they have power, they can do whatever the hell they please.

We would have justice and equity if the Almighty would come back and take control of this old world. And without a doubt His Kingdom will come soon enough. But until that day, we are left down here trying to figure it out. I can’t figure it out. I’m sure not going to run for office and try to straighten out this mess. I know my heart; I’m a sinner too. I might start out trying to be the answer to the problem, but you give me enough time and I would become the problem. So I remain without clear direction.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

No Clear Direction – Part I
The car came by my house with the tires screaming. I’m too old to try to be playing it safe in life. So I got in my vehicle and drove until I found where that car went. We live on a dead end road, so he couldn’t have gone far. I got there right after everybody had gotten out of the car. As God is my witness, I approached the driver with kindness. He was young and had been driving with his girlfriend. This was not his home, but was the home of his girlfriend. He felt the need to look like a hotshot in front of his girl, so it was not possible to have a productive conversation with him. For every constructive thing I tried to say, he would start shouting about how I need to mind my own business. And technically speaking, he really was none of my business. And I guess if you would have brought the law into this thing, they would have declared me to be a trespasser and would have made me leave. This young man kept assuring me that nobody could tell him what to do. I have thought back many times on what I did next, and I still don’t think there was any other good decision I could have made. Seeing that we weren’t getting anywhere – I left. A few months later that boy wrecked his care and killed his girlfriend.

Ben was in the same grade with our son. Ben never finished school though. He was a dropout. He would drive by at the speed of light. Once I was out close to the road when he came by and I looked at him with my forehead wrinkled, and the question written on my face was “What are you doing?” As he went by, he looked back at me with his neck stuck out and his eyes all big. The question written on his face was, “What are you gonna do about it?” Well, technically he’s none of my business. I started praying for him. Not too much later, he wrecked his truck and he is a paraplegic for the rest of his life. Even though I’m told that it’s none of my business, I felt like I had good reason to be concerned and to pray. Just months before he wrecked and disabled himself, he wrecked and killed on his passengers.

Our experiences change us. I have personally seen 5 wrecks in front of our home. And without a doubt, I have been permanently changed by what I have seen. It is permanently fixed in my mind that nothing good is going to come from driving too fast. And I don’t just mean driving too fast in front of my house. I mean that nothing good is going to come from folks driving too fast in front of your house, or anybody else’s, or on deserted roads, or whatever. For me, there’s a simple answer. More of our loved ones would still be with us if we all would drive slower and more safely.

I’m not a prophet. Hell, man! I’m not even too bright. I’m just getting old. I’ve lived a long time. I’ve seen a lot – too much. Anybody with half a brain knows that when you slam those big heavy hunks of steel, that we call cares, together; nothing good is going to come of it. And I gotta tell you, rarely does anybody ever react kindly when I ask them to slow down in our neighborhood. One guy told me he was driving fast because he was mad. One said his care was over heating, several said they were running late, and one said his speedometer was broken. Most get irritated at the very thought of being asked to slow down. But no matter what the excuses, the years have shown me that sooner or later, driving fast will bring harm.

Here’s where I have no clear direction. I have talked with our lawmen on more occasions than I can count. I’m not happy with what they tell me. Basically, they tell me there’s nothing I can do. Allegedly, since I’m not a lawman, there’s nothing they will allow me to do to prevent a crime or to save a life. They say they are the only ones allowed to intervene, and their eyewitness account of a crime is the only one that can be trusted.

First of all, I don’t believe this. And eyewitness account is always seen as good evidence. And 2 eye witnesses; well, that’s hard to get around. But they have told me that an eyewitness, or an alleged eyewitness might be a liar, just trying to get someone in trouble. And when they tell me they can’t do anything until after a crime has been committed, I don’t believe that either. We are always hearing the stories about someone who appears in public with a firearm. Even if they haven’t shot anyone, it is apparent that they intend harm. A couple of brave souls tackle the armed man and they become heroes. Nobody throws these guys in the lockup for intervening before a crime was committed. I think the same should hold true for someone who is driving recklessly through our neighborhoods. Just because they are not seen by a policemen, I don’t think that gives them a “get out of jail free” card.

OK! I better put a lid on this and pick it back up next week.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

Just In Case
When Sherry & I got married we were so incredibly broke. We were young and dumb and needed everything. And neither one of us had a privileged upbringing. Our parents were in the same income bracket, and according to the government, we were all in poverty. So, not having much helped shape my thinking. Every time I changed the spark plugs in our car, there would be a least one that didn’t look too bad. I figured I better hold on to it – just in case. The same thing went for the fan belt and tires. Now, I didn’t hold on to the old oil filter or fuel filter. But, I started to develop a pattern.

Somebody was getting rid of a stove. I didn’t need another stove, but I could see that the heating elements and infinite switches were things I might want to keep. I saw somebody throwing away some plywood. I wasn’t building anything at the moment, but since I’m liable for doing that sort of thing, I picked it up. A funeral home director was giving away a casket a few weeks ago, so I tried to get it – but somebody beat me to it. I didn’t need it at the moment, so I thought I’d store it and hold on to it – just in case. Wait, a minute! What am I saying? Ain’t no “just in case”. It’s more of a matter of when.

Out in my shop I have a lot of “just in case” stuff. That fire extinguisher is right where I can reach it. Hope I never need it. A wasp scares the crap out of me. I’m not even allergic to them. They just hurt real bad when they sting. So I keep a can of that 20’ spray just in case one comes flying in.

And I don’t think I’m that abnormal. People are always coming into my shop with their guitars. They open the case and there is an extra set of strings just in case they break one in the middle of a real hot jam session. They also have a couple of picks in case they break or lose one. Some even carry an extra guitar – just in case.

I have an old aunt who used to have anything you could think of in her purse – just in case. If you had a booboo, she’d come out with a band-aid. Got a little hungry in the tummy? She had a pack of crackers. Oh my! You got a headache? Just so happens, she carried BC Powder. Some women carry pepper spray – just in case. My old aunt, she never carried pepper spray. She’d just use that big purse for a weapon.

Sherry & I met in college. Sherry’s mom loved to cook, but mine did not. When we got to college I absolutely loved the food in the cafeteria. Sherry always thought it was substandard. One of the cooks was a black lady, and she was funny. She did something I’ve never seen before or since. She committed all the recipes to memory. It was on of those “just in case” things. When folks asked her why, she’d say, “you lose that cookbook – where you gonna be then?”

In life, I think the only thing that has to be done one way is salvation. Other than that, I think everything has options. People bring a guitar into my shop for repairs and right away I see several ways the job can be done. And I always need a “Plan B” – just in case. I’d be scared out of my mind if I didn’t have a backup plan. Often, my “Plan A” doesn’t work. Sometimes I go through “Plan B” and “C” and even “D” before I can convince that guitar to act right. Since all guitars are not built the same way, I need to know as many different approaches as possible – just in case.

The old folks are inspirational. They weren’t brought up to look to the courts, or insurance companies, or the government to bail them out of a bind. They would prepare – just in case. Our grandparents would talk about saving up for a rainy day. They would put vegetables up in jars and they might stay in the pantry for several years. If they had a good garden the next summer, then they didn’t need to open the jars. But, they had lived long enough to know that sooner or later there would be a summer where there was not enough rain – or maybe too much rain.

The Bible says a lot about staying prepared – just in case. This is not a good day for me to be a slouch. I need to walk with Jesus just in case this is my last day. I need to approach each day with the same attitude, and one day it will be my last. Proverbs 31, that tells about a wise woman: says she will look outside and see the cold winter and have a big laugh. She and her family are safe, warm, and well fed because she prepared for winter. She didn’t know if it would be a cold winter, but she prepared – just in case.

When I get up out of this life, my children know they are going to have a good barn burning. When they start clearing out my shop and they find all this stuff I never used, they’re going to ask why I kept it all. And there’s only going to be one answer to the question – Just In Case!

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

If We Would Just
I don’t know man. It feels to me like somebody is lying. Seems everyday another group comes out with a report on how much better our lives would be if we would just do whatever it is they are recommending. If we would just stop throwing our water bottles in the landfills, we would be decreasing waste by so many millions of tons per year. If we would stop using hair spray, there would be fewer holes in the ozone. If we could get the cows to stop farting, and if we quit using our lawn mowers, we could get rid of the green house gasses. If we get rid of our incandescent bulbs and replace them with florescent bulbs, the earth would be cooler. I think if all this is true, and if we could succeed at doing at least 2 things that’s being recommended, we’d be facing a damn ice age.

Now, Sherry & I have never paid for TV channels. We’ve never had cable or satellite, or anything else that might be out there. If it’s not on network, we probably don’t know anything about it. But, I have heard that there’s a TV channel out there that is nothing but advertisements. And I have seen a couple of those selling programs come on network TV. The physical fitness equipment that’s available now looks like the biggest bunch of nonsense. I can see me bustin’ my butt by trying to exercise on one of those big beach balls. They advertise all this stuff like they’re amazed we’re still alive since we’ve never used what they’re selling. And over and over they keep saying, “If you just.” If you just pick up the pone and have credit card in hand: if you just us their product for 30 minutes a day.

Sherry & I were out in public last week, and before the main show got started, this police officer came out to talk about safety. He went into great detail in telling how many people drink and drive, and how many ride without a seat belt. Well, I’ve never been drunk in my life, and I always wear my seat belt. But then he wanted to make us believe that our automobile insurance is so high because of drinking and driving and not wearing our seat belts. He told us if we would just correct those 2 things, our insurance cost would go way down. Bullshit!

I recycle – and I mean I recycle everything I can. You ought to see all my containers I use for sorting out everything. I keep our vehicles in good shape so they get the best gas mileage possible. And I have replaced most of the bulbs in our house with florescent. It’s just my nature to conserve. I absolutely cannot live with myself if I waste anything. But, do I think the earth would be cooler if we would just…? No! I don’t. I think if there were no aerosols, we would still find holes in the ozone. One man told me the ozone would be OK if we would just stop sending space ships up. He said they were punching holes in the ozone the way you can punch holes in a piece of paper. Well, OK! That clears it right up. If we quite raising cattle and McDonald’s was to shut down, I believe we’ll still have green house gasses.

You got backaches and high blood pressure? Are you stressed and can’t sleep? Depression getting the best of you! There’s always one more person out there with a pill, or a drink that will cure what ails you. You’ve tried a lot of different things to get relief, but if you would…

Well, I got me a confession to make. I have a list of things that if we would just do. But the nice thing is that I don’t have anything to sell. And truth be told, I’m not about to say anything that we don’t already know. These are all things I just have to keep reminding myself of.

If we would just follow Jesus! It’s still going to be a fallen world we live in, so we’re never going to get it all together in this life. But, at least we have a firm rock to stand on. If we would take as good of care of our body as we do our automobile, a lot of our physical problems would just go away. If we would just use the brain the good Lord gave us! Before we ever got into something stupid or harmful, or whatever, we already knew it was bad idea. But, we ignored the little voice in our head and we ended up in trouble. And remember what the old folks told us, “If it seems to good to be true, then it probably is.” If we would just use a little common sense! We know if we don’t clean our house, then it ends up being a trashy house. If we don’t clean the land, then we end up with a trashy earth.

We don’t have to be too smart to know what we ought to do. Some of it we were taught as children, and some of it we can figure out just by looking around. And since we all know, there is no excuse that can be given. If we would just do what we know we ought…

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

Lookin’ Good
Back when I first started building guitars, there was an extreme amount of poverty involved. For the first 5 years I managed to build and sell a half dozen instruments a year. The most of what I did was repair work, and we probably would have lost the house without it. So, I did part-time work for everybody. I worked at the civic center when they needed brainless muscle. I made the rounds and did home appliance repairs, and Jim let me work as much as I wanted to in a musical instrument distribution center.

When it comes to business, there is a perception. If somebody is busy, then the impression is that they are good at what they do. And, by the same token, if a man is not busy, then folks figure there must be a reason for that. Maybe that person is no good at what they’re trying to do. So, even though I didn’t have a lot going on, I didn’t want anybody to know that. If I was in the shop and I heard somebody drive up, I would make sure to look busy. I’d start sanding a piece of wood, or trying to figure out a wiring diagram for a bass, or something – anything. But, I was not going to let a customer come walking up into my shop and catch me idle.

And years ago, I had one of those old dial phones in my shop. When it rang, I wanted to make sure to put my best foot forward. I knew not to answer it on the first ring because that might give the impression that I was twiddling my thumbs and watching the phone. So, I’d let it ring 2 or 3 times, pick it up, announce that it was Elloree Guitars, and I’d try to have a tone in my voice that would make the caller think I was busy. Of course, back in the day, the caller was often a telemarketer letting me know I had been pre-approved for the gold card. Now, I have a cordless headset with caller ID and an answering machine. I really have gotten busy, so I don’t have time for those who are going to slow me down. But, in the beginning, it didn’t matter if business was good or slow. I was always going to be lookin’ good.

I write a new entry for my website every week. Sometimes people think I’m half wacked because I think about some abnormal stuff. Well, here’s a bit of truth. I hand write every entry and then my wife types them and sends them to my daughter, who does all of my internet work. Since I write a lot, I’m very picky about what kind of ink pen I use. If I have to press down hard to make it write, I got no use for it. It just wears my hand out. If the pen is too big around, then it’s too hard to hold. I like these gel pens that have a nice cushion grip around them. I can write fast, it is readable (more or less) and my hand doesn’t wear out. But eventually the ink runs out. What a bummer! And at that point I always do the same thing. I hold it up and look at it. It is still lookin’ good! The point still rolls easy, nothing broke or came apart: and I just have a hard time with the fact that it’s no good anymore. I could put the top back on it and it would look normal. Nobody would come by and see it and say, “Oh hey! I see your pen is out of ink.”

I know I haven’t figured out something new. The old folks had lots of sayings in this regard: all that glitters is not gold: you can’t judge a book by its cover: and beauty is only skin deep. And they couldn’t be fooled by the looks of a dog. He could be big and the fast and loud, but if he couldn’t pick up the scent and hunt, he was of no use. They would say, “That dog won’t hunt.”

And of course the Bible is full of warnings about being fooled by appearances. Proverbs 31 goes into great detail about finding a good woman. Instead of me doing a commentary on that chapter, I’ll let you read it yourself. Jesus said the Pharisees were hypocrites. “Hypocrite!” Now that’s an interesting word. It was a theatrical term. It meant, “to put on a mask and play a part.” Sometimes an actor would play several different parts. They would wear a mask to fit the occasion. Jesus used that to illustrate how some people are in real life. And times have not changed much. We see actors and actresses up on the big screen, and we like them based on the part they played. Then later on we see them in the news doing things that disappoint us. My favorite show on TV is “24”. I love to watch Jack Bower save the day. But, the real life of Keifer Sutherland is quite a different story. And have you ever seen some of the actors and actresses without their makeup and special lighting. They look down right ordinary.

We all know that looks are deceiving. So if any of us get fooled by appearances, then shame on us. I’m signing off with something completely unrelated. It just keeps coming to mind because of the subject “Lookin’ Good.” I really like that old Cheech Marin movie, “Born In East LA”. He was down in Mexico and he taught some guys how to blend in when they snuck into the United States. So when they appeared in LA, the police were watching them as they walked by, and the police determined they must be US citizens because of their mannerisms. They had this jive walk and they were talking like they were from the hood. “Hey! Wassa happenin’? Lookin’ good mama!”

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

Foxes
I despise folks who are out there trying to take from me the money I work for. Truth is, I am in the same pay range as the folks who mop the floor at fast food restaurants. My job never has been, and probably never will be, a high paying job. Still, I really like what I do. But, there’s just no margin for error. I can never get extravagant or wasteful. There’s no money available for hiring myself a helper. And I have absolutely no time, patience, or money for the people who make a living trying to scam me out of my money.

And they put out bait that they are sure I will go for. There’s always an email from some single girl in my area who supposedly wants to hook up with me. There’s messages presumed to be from PayPal telling me my privacy has been compromised. They want me to sign in and give my password. Different African queens tell me they have millions in an American account that they can’t get to. If I will help them out, they will cut me in. The whole daily occupation of some people is to try to con working people out of their money.

Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” I guess there have always been those looking to take what doesn’t belong to them. Solomon noticed how small and sly foxes could squeeze in through cracks in the walls around the vineyards and eat up and ruin everything. He was actually using the analogy of foxes to refer to sneaky people who come in to steal or destroy what is precious to us.

In a very literal way, I have been having to deal with a fox. Sherry & I have some Rhode Island Red hens. We used to have 13, but now we are down to 10. I’m pretty sure it was a fox that came in 3 nights in a row and took a hen away. I am so mad. That fox didn’t buy those bitties. That thief didn’t build the coop or buy the food. He didn’t put up the fence or keep clean water for them. He just came in after they were grown and killed 3 of them. I made the fence taller, put an electric fence outside of the existing fence, and I’m going to buy a trap. I won’t be content until I get rid of that fox for good. But, you can et on this. I’ll get rid of him, but there’ll be another thief to take his place. We have coyotes, dogs, and bobcats. There will always be a threat, and I always have to be watchful.

Sherry & I have a lot of fruit trees and vegetables, and you should see it all. I put up a fence around the vegetables to keep out the armadillos. The electric fence around the grapes is to convince the raccoons that those are not their grapes. The pie pans hanging from the limbs of the fig trees will twirl and reflect and bang against the trees when the breeze blows. It all just unnerves the birds that are there to eat my figs. If I didn’t go to all this trouble every year, we wouldn’t have a thing.

I guess our town is like most other towns. We have our share of punk-ass street gangs. They are all a pretty degenerate bunch. They don’t work. They would rather take from those who do work. They would rather rape a girl than to be a real man and get married and commit their life to that relationship. And they don’t want to live amongst other gangs. Leaches don’t live off of other leaches. Gang members don’t actually add any good. They are just takers. If they lived with people who are just like them, the whole sorry bunch would starve to death. To survive, they take clothes and food and shelter from those who make or buy what they want. They are too stupid to know how to make a gun. They steal them from people who are looking to protect themselves.

There’s no doubt about it that the devil is the worst fox of them all. He’s the driving force behind all the evil in the world. The Bible refers to him as a lion, a serpent, a wolf, a liar, a deceiver, and a destroyer. He has lots of other names, and none of them are charitable. He’s like the gangsters we have to endure. He doesn’t do anything good. All he does is take, and ruin, and lead astray. But, the stakes are the highest when it comes to him. He’s not after my grapes and figs. He’s not looking to kill and eat my hens. He is playing for keeps with our souls. We have a Creator who loves us and died to redeem us. Our enemy hates. He hates us, and the Almighty and, his one big plan is to separate us from God forever.

It’s not possible to be too careful when it comes to Satan. We teach our children to “just say no!” That’s not a bad idea, but that old Destroyer doesn’t take “no” for an answer. If he can’t get at you one way, he’ll be looking for another. Until I catch and kill that fox, he is steady trying to figure out a way to get around that electric fence and either over or under the main fence. I can never let down my guard. Other threats will always be coming. So here’s the tip for the day: Keep you powder dry, your fences repaired and walk with Jesus.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

The Knowing – Part II
I guess I’m like everybody else: I know a few things. And I think everybody else could do what I do here. I write a new entry every week. Some have asked me how one person can know so much and always have something more to say. But, if you were to go back to the very beginning of my writing, you would see there are only a few subjects I talk about. I keep coming at the same topics from different angles. And since I’m always learning, I speak about what I now know on those several matters. I’ll always throw in a story or two that lends toward the point I’m trying to make, and before you know it, I’ve put another entry together. But, over the years I’ve learned a few things about the knowing.

When I was young, I knew it all. Seems most young people do. My world was so small but I thought it was all the world that existed. The older I’ve gotten and the more I’ve learned, I’ve come to see that for every thing I know, there are thousands of things I don’t. And I’m talking about those few areas where I know something. I’ve built about 1200 guitars and mandolins over a period of 16 years. And I’ve gotten to the point that I build a pretty good instrument. But, it seems that every week I learn something new on the subject. It’s not something new to the world. Somebody already knew it – I just didn’t know it. And this has gone on for so long I can tell that there’s no end to it! Until the day I die, or quit (I’ll probably quit on the day I die) my instruments will continue to evolve because of what I’m learning.

In all I write I try to come from a Biblical perspective. When I was a teenager I read the Bible cover to cover. You should have seen me when I got done. I walked a little taller and I felt like “Yep! I believe that I got that one covered now.” Then a few years later, I read it cover to cover again. And as God is my witness, I found things in the Bible that couldn’t have been there the first time I read it. I’m sure I would have remembered if they had been there. Then I read it in its entirety again. And it looked like somebody had snuck some more stuff in that wasn’t there before. Aside from having read the Bible cover to cover 3 times, there are some books I’ve read at least 75 times. And it looks like the more I read, the less I know. The picture just gets bigger and bigger, and everything is not as neat and simple as I once thought. I conclude my Bible readings with 2 truths: Jesus was God in the flesh who died for the sins of the world, and the mind of God is beyond my figuring out. Beyond that, I’m not totally learned on anything.

I think the knowing is over rated. Knowing stuff doesn’t necessarily make us better people. Hitler had a brilliant mind and a clear plan. I see doctors and nurses who know a lot about the workings of the human body. They know what lends toward good health and they know what will ruin the body. Yet some of them smoke, and get drunk, and use drugs. Policemen are supposed to know the law so they can be keepers of the law. Recently a local lawman killed his wife, then, killed himself. Preachers try to lead us in our walk with God. Yet, how many times do we hear about their excesses and abuses. And none of the folks I’ve mentioned have failed because of ignorance. They know; but the knowing is not all we need. The Bible tells us that knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Paul Harvey said that if we gain knowledge without God, we just become clever devils.

In fact God says He can’t get much use out of people who are wise in their own eyes. They are too full of pride and can’t be led. Most of the New Testament was written by men who had average to below average education. In Christian history, we had a few great minds like Paul and Charles Finney. But there were herds of people like Peter Cartwright and Billy Bray, who could write their name on a good day. They didn’t know much, but they had enough. They knew Jesus wanted to save everybody and they loved God.

I have a set of World Book Encyclopedias from 1967. Since I don’t know much, they are still very useful to me. Well, OK! They don’t have any mention of microwave ovens, cell phones, moon landings, or anything else that happened after their printing. But I can still open those books and get an answer to most every question I have. I’m continually learning what others already know. Every day people die without passing on what they know, and we’re doomed to travel the same path ‘till we learn. This world is so big and beyond my finding out, and yet it’s only one of the worlds He made. Did He create life on other worlds? I don’t know. Maybe! He sure could if He wanted to. Everything, and everybody bears His fingerprint. He knows everything about everything, and nothing is hidden from him. I don’t know how this one thing can be so comforting and scary at the same time. But I sure am thankful that He commanded me to love, and that He doesn’t require me to be real smart.

Makin’ sawdust & Diggin’ the music

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