I don’t understand why He has put it on my heart to say the things I have to say, but I do honestly feel – I KNOW – that our time here is growing very short, and the words He has given me need to be said, and considered, and quickly if the readers of this are to be able to avoid or endure the tribulation ahead. There are those who scoff as unbelievers, others who get uncomfortable when they think their world is threatened, but this post is not a threat to our existence, it’s an admonition, a recognition that our existence is indeed threatened, but not by this writer. It is witness of a Way through these troubled times we must endure here at the end.
Who is He? How could a person begin to say, within the confines of a website post or the limits of mortal language? I’m speaking of Jesus Christ and am thankful and amazed that He gives a mere human being the authority and the confidence to speak of Him – with such words as we have. He is Jesus Christ and He is very much alive and aware of our hopes, our needs, our fears.
He is the only begotten Son of God, born of a virgin woman and He’s the inheritor of everything in all of creation. He is in the night sky filled with stars, in each raindrop that falls to grace the earth, in the hearts of men, and His love is what holds all of creation together. He can be found in silent, peaceful places in the woods or in crowded bus stops, and in the hearts of people who share their money with strangers. His precious Spirit guides us through difficult times in our lives and shares our joy in times of peace and happiness, such as those wonderful moments when He allows a glimpse of His wonder into our souls. He shares our sorrow when we grieve as only the Man of sorrows could. He knows sorrow and grief as few of us ever will.
His Father is our Father, and He spent those precious few years while He was on the earth telling us just that, and that if we would like to come to the Father, we must go through the Son. He fulfilled a Covenant under which His earthly ancestors had lived for hundreds of years, and established a new one that will last until the very end. After we successfully emerge from the cocoon that is this existence, He will bestow kingship upon His faithful, those who follow Him will have overcome the world.
Courtesy annamariestrawhand.com
He taught those who would listen that our lives on this earth are short, and we need to spend our time in preparation for the next one, which He promises us will be magnificent and joyful beyond our imaginations if we but follow Him. He is a Friend in need, and the most gracious and loving Friend we could ever have. He is our Rock of Ages, our Shelter in the storm. He is at our side in good times, and in front of us during troubled times. He is our Banner, our Victory over this world!
If we are to attain to that victory, we must first realize that there is indeed a battle occurring and understand that there are no non-participant onlookers – we are all in this thing, so we have to pick a side. The question is, do we choose the side (on which we wish to be) based on the promise of a new boat, a private jet, or pickup truck or lots of money for this short time, or do we choose an unseen promise? Are we willing to allow this life to bloom and fade with only a few earthly possessions which will someday be left behind, but with a heart that overflows with joyful love for Him and for our fellow man which we will be able to take with us? Only Jesus can bestow that kind of heart to us, and He will give us what we need to achieve it.
Courtesy mungfali.com
I’m an old man now and I’ve seen many lives bloom and fade. I’ve experienced misbegotten admiration for those famous musicians, actors, businessmen, and others who appeared to be “successful” in this life, then I’ve watched as their flowers faded. Each and every one of us will fade. Unless you’re famous, in two generations, no one on earth will even know you existed. If the world lasts that long, your great-grandchildren will look upon your grave marker and not have even the remotest idea of who you were. Jesus, however, will know exactly who you were, and at the judgement, which is coming, He will require an account of how you spent your time here. Those famous rock stars and actors we all admired will be there, most of them in great fear of what is to come, but none of us considered this eventuality while they were performing in the glitz, nor did they. All lives fade away, and at the end, what is important isn’t how much money we made, it’s how we spent our time.
Freedom Cemetery
Jesus Christ is our King, and we need to recognize that and serve Him as good and loyal subjects. Our reward will be great if we do. Still, there are many who will spend their lives in pursuit of wealth and power, only to part with it at the end and become worm food, with a horrific future ahead for their souls. Then there are those who understand the need to drop whatever few mites we have into the alms collection, bend a knee once in a while and thank Him for His love and His grace, knowing we have a tremendous reward awaiting. We have to get it in gear, folks, our time is growing short to do so.
Perhaps we could get America back on its feet and out from under the threat of nuclear annihilation by electing a sane leader who would help us get back into the sane world. Folkpotpourri would like to suggest a search for the ideal candidate for the upcoming presidential election. This site is prepared to endorse a hitherto unannounced candidate whose platform contains the following guidelines, or one who is willing to adopt them:
Our ideal candidate must commit to the absolute and undeniable pursuit of international peace, especially with those nations with whom former administrations (including the current one) lacked the initiative, ability and/or foresight to maintain amicable relationships. Especially applicable to this pursuit are the sovereign nations of The Russian Federation, The Islamic Republic of Iran, The Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, The Republic of Cuba, The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and the People’s Republic of China.
As a gesture of goodwill and sincerity towards Russia and Germany, this candidate would propose initiating an effort to repair the Nord stream underwater gas lines – at the expense of the U.S. government and other countries ascertained to have taken part in the sabotage of the pipelines, with teams of American engineers and construction companies assigned to assist in the restoration. Along with this commitment would be a formal apology listing all countries who participated in the criminal destruction of other countries’ assets. The funds required for this undertaking would come from the budget of the Defense Department as one of many steps toward reduction of the military budget. The International Criminal Court will have the fullest consent and cooperation of the United States government in the investigation and prosecution of individuals who participated in the pipeline sabotage – regardless of whomever may be indicted.
Once it is established that restoration of relations is of preeminent importance and the affected nations are convinced of his sincerity, this president, once in office would initiate a new effort to reduce the threat of war, especially nuclear war, with all involved nations. The new administration would also commit to a sincere one-China policy, and to demonstrate its sincerity, all American military assets would be removed from Taiwan on inauguration day, or as soon thereafter as possible, and there would be no further need for negotiations regarding China’s sovereignty over Taiwan. All military incursions into the Strait of Taiwan would cease without permission of the PRC. Freedom of navigation is not applicable in waters where the same nation owns all boundaries of such waters. Following restoration of amicable relations, the ability of United States private corporations to continue and explore ways to increase trade with both entities, while recognizing that Taiwan is a territory of China and no transactions with the island would be made without China’s consent. Other similar measures would be taken with regard to Iran and North Korea.
The United States defense department would immediately remove its military assets from the Ukraine, along with any personnel that might be there. All other NATO countries would be strongly advised to follow suit, leaving the ultimate resolution of the affair in the hands of the Ukraine and Russia exclusively. All sanctions would promptly be lifted which affect the Russian Federation and the Department of State would be directed to appoint a committee to work with Russian officials to reestablish trade with Russia and assist the European Union in doing so. Mutually beneficial commerce among nations would be of preeminent importance, the United States would commit to working together with Eurasia to enhance global interaction to the benefit of all. Reluctance on the part of Russia to cooperate on such an endeavor would be completely understandable, thus the United States would take whatever measures appropriate to demonstrate genuine good will.
Agricultural, educational, and industrial institutions of the United States would be encouraged to participate with such nations India, North Korea, several of the African nations, and Pakistan in assisting the development of beneficial practices and methods to improve those countries’ ability to sustain their populations as well as working to improve their living standards. The emphasis would be on nations such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and the Ukraine where US actions have caused substantial infrastructural damage. This effort would include cleanup of war materials such as depleted uranium and land mines to the greatest extent possible. In light of water shortages worldwide, funds from the former budgets of the defense department would be redirected to such United Nations projects as desalination plants for countries in need.
Massive Desalinization plant in Dubai (Popular Science)
As a result of improved relations with former adversaries, our country would presumably develop a commensurate reduction of need for military armaments and finally accept the reality of a genuine peace dividend. By extending a genuine hand of friendship and achieving the goal of reestablishing good relations with other nations, there would no longer be a need for NATO, and the participation of the United States in that organization would be reduced, and as our former allies and adversaries commit to arms reductions and other measures to demonstrate their own commitments to improved relationships, NATO would be disbanded, or at minimum the US would leave the treaty – per advice from George Washington:
So likewise, a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification. It leads also to concessions to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others which is apt doubly to injure the nation making the concessions; by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained, and by exciting jealousy, ill-will, and a disposition to retaliate, in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld. And it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation), facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country, without odium, sometimes even with popularity; gilding, with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for public opinion, or a laudable zeal for public good, the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption, or infatuation.
FAREWELL ADDRESS | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1796
Can you believe the wisdom of that man? My emphasis in red – anybody see anything familiar?
Tackling the budget deficit would be among the priorities of the new administration. Although this measure would undoubtedly meet stiff resistance from powerful interests, the entire banking system would be reviewed by government auditors with an eye towards nationalization of all banks. The Department of the Treasury would be repurposed and authorized to investigate banking activities of all entities involved in appropriations and government expenditures.
By executive order, all private funding of candidates for national elections would cease, and just as President Roosevelt threatened to appoint several justices to the Supreme Court, the new president would reserve the authority appoint whatever number of justices deemed appropriate to review all recent decisions of the politically appointed benches, with emphasis on such constitutional travesties as, and including Citizens United for blatant constitutional incongruities.
The department of Justice would be instructed to investigate significant Congressional campaign donations and their sources for illicit activity and comparisons of voting records to campaign contributions with the goal of discovery of impropriety and bribery. Improprieties would include stock purchases and sales during times of pending legislation that would affect the prices of said stocks, or insider trading. All political action committees who financially support candidates would be required to publicly disclose who they represent, what monies they contribute, etc. and AIPAC, if allowed to remain in the United States, would at a minimum be required to be registered as a foreign lobby. New laws would be encouraged that would prohibit contact between lobbyists and congresspersons or senators outside the presence of appointed civilian committees who would be assigned to monitor such contacts. The Epstein contact logs would be made public.
The policies and practices of government agencies who spy on American citizens would come under the highest scrutiny with an eye toward completely eliminating the DHS, DNI, NSA and other agencies whose primary activity involves espionage against American citizens. The FISA court and warrant scam would be immediately declared unconstitutional and abolished and the Fourth Amendment protections stringently reinstituted and rigorously enforced.
The new presidential candidate would ideally be an independent with no former association with either of the two main political parties, at least to the extent possible. Associations that included the candidate’s membership in either party in an official capacity would automatically disqualify him/her from running. The complete elimination of political parties would become a goal of the nation – as was intended by George Washington himself:
“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”
FAREWELL ADDRESS | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1796
We really need a president like this – again!
The Defense Department would be required to nationalize all major defense contractors under the direction of the DOD and all future profits from said entities would go to the coffers of the federal government – the former defense contractors would thereby become able to supplant the burden on taxpayers from defense department expenses. All American troops would immediately begin repatriating to American soil and all foreign bases would be closed and their properties turned over to the nations in which they are located. This alone would be an incredible reduction of unnecessary military expenses. New initiatives would be commenced to eliminate or further reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles of all nations possessing them. If any country possesses nuclear weapons, they would be required to declare themselves to be in possession of them and sign on to the NPT Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or they would be forced – using whatever measures necessary – to relinquish their nuclear weapons.
The State Department would be required to set up a team to work with China to explore ways to enhance bilateral trade, with the expectation that China would contribute to the improvement of bilateral trade considering the interests of the United States as well as their own. The People’s Republic of China has done this with many other nations who have sought their assistance, and there is no reason to suspect they wouldn’t be willing to extend the benefit of improved trade relations with America, once they become convinced that our efforts are sincere. In all transactions, the US will consider and strive to ensure benefit to other countries as well as our own.
A new investigation into the events of 9/11/2001 will immediately be reopened with any entity objecting to such investigation being placed on a list of “interested persons” or nations who, by their objection will become suspect of culpability and will be thoroughly investigated. This applies to any and all members of the US government who may have taken part in the commission of the attack. If persons or entities are found to have participated in the attacks, they shall be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of whether or not they were government employees including elected officials up to and including the president and vice-president.
A similar investigation will be undertaken on all aspects of the Covid pandemic and the development and administration of MRNA vaccines. If the vaccines are determined to have been knowingly created to be harmful to humans, especially American citizens, all who were involved in their research, manufacturing, and compulsive vaccinations at the risk of job terminations or other penalties will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law up to and including the death penalty.
The United States will opt out of any recognition of authority of any entity or organization outside the government of the United States, including the WEF, WHO, IMF and/or any other entity that poses a threat to the sovereign authority of the United States, nor will the United States recognize the authority of any such organization or entity inside any other sovereign nation. The United States will shun any and all attempts at globalization which would infringe on US sovereignty. Recognition of the United Nations’ authority will be limited to areas congruent with national sovereignty of the United States and the sovereignty of all other states which might be subsumed by unelected entities. No entity, global or foreign, will be allowed to supersede the sovereign authority of the US or the United States Constitution.
Upon inauguration of such a candidate and in order to begin the process of restoring relations with countries in the Arab world, the United States will recognize the nation of Palestine and it shall encompass all property that existed as Palestine prior to 1967 with Jerusalem as its capital. The United States would immediately stop supplying arms and weaponry to Israel should the massacre of civilians in Gaza still be in progress when this president takes office. The United States will ensure that all hostilities in occupied Palestine cease. The United States and Israel will share the expense of rebuilding the Gaza area of Palestine, and the United States will once again only recognize the city of Tel Aviv as the capital of Israel. If the new president chooses to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, the US embassy will be returned to Tel Aviv. Those citizens, including dual citizens of the United States, who object to this provision and attempt to undermine it will risk having sanctions enacted against them which may include seizure of all financial assets and property in the United States as well as possible criminal penalties, depending on the nature of their objection if actions have occurred. Funds which were once directed to the country of Israel will be redirected to rebuilding Palestinian properties. No further economic assistance to Israel will be forthcoming from the US government, but the US government will not prohibit private donations to Israel. Financial assistance to foreign countries will be based on compelling need, and in no circumstances will US taxpayers be required to support or assist any country with an equivalent or higher per capita income than Americans.
All Civil Asset Forfeiture legislation will be immediately suspended with full reimbursement to citizens who have suffered loss of assets or have been financially penalized, i.e. robbed by the authorities without criminal convictions.
Folkpotpourri recommends that we find this candidate and talk coerce him into running this November.
Feel free to add more qualifications in the comments – maybe we can find a candidate.
High up on the tops of the ridges, forest became lea.
Yesterday his sister called and said his water wasn’t working. I was kind of busy, but as I’ve become accustomed, dropped everything and went over to see what needed to be done. I’d already put a temperature-controlled heater in his pump house, but it’s not sufficient in extreme cold due to the gaps in the walls. You’d have to see that collapsing old pump house to appreciate what it’s like to try and work in there, but we’ve had some -10F temps this winter, and a hydrant valve must have frozen and busted. Now that it has warmed up, the thing was spraying, and had been for who knows how long. Anyway, I had to make a trip into town and get a new faucet and put it on, and the job went smoothly enough. Afterwards I reconciled myself, as always, to the obligatory visit in which to hear stories and anecdotes on how clueless all the young people are nowadays and hopefully hear some of his unparalleled stories of the old days. I always listen – I enjoy listening to those tales, even the ones I’ve heard before, which by now is most all of them. After doing the job in that wretched pump house, it was nice to be out and sit and talk with him. I’ve also learned over the years that when it’s time to go home, it’s not necessarily impolite to leave him talking. He doesn’t seem to mind; in fact, he doesn’t really seem to even notice. There’s just no other way to go about it. He doesn’t stop. And as it’s so captivating to listen to him, if I don’t keep in mind that I have to go, I could get hooked for hours, and believe me, I have.
Old dilapidated pickup trucks and pieces of road maintenance equipment, some from the 1940s, silently sit in varying states of rust and decay, some hidden in the woods, others proudly rusting in the open sunshine of hay fields where beef cattle grazed not so long ago. It’s almost as if they’re watching; waiting, but for what?
Many years ago, and for years, he cleared the hill tops of the hardwood forests that are prevalent in this part of the country. Cleared timber and rocks to make hay fields and grazing pastures, and there are acres and acres of them. Said his dad paid him ten cents a wagon load of rocks, long piles of which are still lying along the fence lines where he took them all those years ago.
Timberline Road in the Fall
There’s an old barn down the dirt road, Timberline Road, that he built with his own hands as an adult, but also many years ago. Due to all of the cow fertilizer which accumulated there, and the fact that the cows are gone, weeds and vines are growing profusely all around it, winding up through rolls of used wove-wire fence, unidentifiable pieces and parts of farm equipment, and rusty gate sections. Back in the days before he got into the beef cattle business, he ran dairy cows there and attended to all the labor-intensive operations of feeding, milking, delivering calves, and the numerous other duties required. The fading and peeling white paint testifies to the many silent years gone by since the milk days. He morphed from dairy to raising beef cattle somewhere along the line, but in the last few years, he sold off his herd – just got too old to work them anymore. He sure has been lonesome there with all those old cows gone. Sometimes in decent weather I go over and ride with him on his ATV, and we go over his property, just like we did when we rode around to see his cows, but now that they’re gone, he just stares wistfully across the lonely fields he spent so much of his life working. Sometimes I wonder if he still sees cows and hears them lowing out in those silent fields of yesterday.
The Old Milk Barn
I’ve been living here going on five years, sort of across and about a half-mile down the dirt road from his house, an ancient homemade hardwood mountain hovel with a rusty tin roof – all precariously perched on the east slope of the hollow. I live in the bottom of the same hollow sort of on the west side. Not long after I moved here, there was a big dead tree still standing on his side of the road and since I had already done some odd jobs for him (free of charge of course), he always wanted to pay me for helping him but I wouldn’t take any money, so I went over to his place and asked him if I could cut it – we could square up with firewood – the tree needed to be felled because eventually it would come down in a high wind and land on the road. He okayed it and even grabbed his chain saw and showed up on his giant tractor to help. I was impressed that a fellow his age could still get out there and sling a chain saw like he did. Someone forgot to tell him he was too old to do that. But alas, age has overtaken him now, and he couldn’t work firewood anymore.
In the years I’ve known him, I’ve spent many an hour listening to his stories of life here in the Ozarks – mostly stories from long ago. A tough customer of a hardscrabble life in the Ozark hills, he’s suffered his share of accidents – once in a sawmill a piece of wood flew out of a saw and hit him in the left eye. He had to go find a friend to take him to Springfield (about 75 miles away) to the doctor, but they couldn’t save the eye. Years later as an old man with only one eye he can still see deer in the woods that most folks (including myself) don’t see.
He was working out in the woods cutting timber when he was younger, and felled a tree which came down in an unexpected way, and landed on his leg. He called his friend who was working with him to help him and he got free and finished cutting wood and loading the truck. It was only after he got back to the mill that he took off his boot and looked at his injury – his lower leg and ankle was broken in three places! And he’d kept on working. He tells another story of operating a tractor that flipped over backwards and trapped his foot under the steering wheel. He said gasoline was pouring from the tank right next to him, and the engine was still running. He had to cut his boot off to get free, and he did. He never said whether the tractor burned up after he got away. He was definitely a tough old codger.
He’s got a big buck cape mount covered with dust in the living room of his farm house. It’s got a huge spread – one of the biggest racks I’ve seen in person, but he never had it scored. I’m sure it would make book. He relishes telling the story of how he got it. Wasn’t even hunting. He stepped out of the door of the farmhouse down the road where his sister now lives, and saw the giant buck about 75 yards away, and went back into the house and got his gun and stepped back out and bagged it. There were family members in the house when he walked back in and told them he’d shot a big buck, they walked out in disbelief to see it. Sure enough, a monster buck was on the ground out there.
There’s a lone walnut tree in the hay field south of his house, on a slope down to the road. He tells me that’s where he wants to be buried – right under that tree. The tree stands patiently waiting. Maybe that’s what the old relic barns and vehicles scattered around are waiting for too. Who knows?
He’s grown old now, and his health is failing. Has diabetes, heart problems, arthritis or gout in his knees that hurts him so bad he can barely walk, and the good Lord only knows what else might be going on in that old carcass. He has to use a cane to get around anymore. His mind wanders and he has a lot of trouble remembering things. We recently talked and he mentioned that he might be interested in a nursing home. I encouraged him to do that, he is at a point where he can’t take care of himself. Hopefully he will make that call, I’m sure he’d be better off, but this old neighborhood and those hay pastures will never be the same without him.
Ya’ll please be patient, I’m in the process of reorganizing the whole site. The old posts are gone, but hopefully there’ll be plenty more nonsense to peruse on those cold winter days as the new categories get populated.
I’d like to keep posting things which are enjoyable and/or interesting, so please let me know in the comments what ya’ll would like to see more. Got a lot of fall pics from this past beautiful autumn, and I’ll be inserting them as often as I can.
