"Book Learning" - Homegrown Ep. #1188

0:00Howdy, friend, welcome to Homegrown. I'm your host, R.P. Smith. The first calf of the season arrived on Monday of this week. That seemed like a long time ago, but you might remember that it was a little chilly that morning. I was grateful to see the mama had taken good care of her baby, and it was doing fine. The birth would be considered unplanned. I knew what had taken place to bring it about, but was perplexed by the timing. My reaction to the mystery was to get the hospital trailer and portable corrals moved to the river place, just in case this incident of spontaneity became an epidemic. That evening I looked at last year's cabin records, and saw that the new mother was one of the very last to-cab last season. One of the strange things that we do on our place is run the bowls with the cows that have not capped. This keeps the bowls happy, and consolidation gives me one less group to work into pasture

1:03rotations. Pairs are sorted off every couple of weeks in order to keep the next cabin season from starting ahead of time. Apparently I was about a day late, getting my last sort done, and this cow-cab two months sooner this year than last. I was happy to have the calf, but also happy that the entire herd would not be starting right now, and it's really great to have the pins almost set up and ready to go. Looking at past records can clear up a lot of mysteries. My early morning reading today covered the birth of John the Baptist, which preceded the birth of Christ. Both of these births would have been considered unplanned, if we had been observing them at the time they were happening. The historical records of that time, for the few that understood them, would have taken away some of the mystery. In our current world situation, contending with wars and conflicts around the globe, drought

2:03and fire closer to home, it's pretty easy to get discouraged. The Lord has not only given us the Bible as a historical record, but also as a record of the promises that have been given by the Creator the entire universe of the love that he has for those created in his image. The poem I'd like to share this morning is one that I call book learning. I saw some information I could use one day while reading in a book about an outlaw of old, a lesson a modern cowboy could learn from his life of daring and actions bold. This book said that when swimming is horse through deep water, in order to avoid a pinch, no matter how big a hurry the outlaw was in, he would take the time and loosen the cinch. This way wouldn't cut the horse's wind, and would have a safer ride, because this deed could take a deep breath and expand himself, and both man and mount would reach the

3:08other side. A long while back, while checking heifers, I saw one needing doctored for foot-rot. In the preceding chase scene she got in the dam, because my loop was missing every shot. My brother said just ride him beside her, and drop on her your rope. And sadly in this bad situation there seemed a gleam of hope. I gave no thought to the words I'd read, though I suppose I thought them right. But when Jimmy and I reached the middle of that dam, my horse Jimmy sank out a sight. This kicked in the learning process, it wasn't just words anymore, and I was mighty thankful he got his nose above water as we kangaroo hop to that opposite shore. Every day in life is a learning lesson, if we take the time to analyze, and not long after

4:08my boots and saddle had dried, something good I came to recognize. Book learning is a wonderful thing, but it has to be applied, and it would sure be nice to learn our lessons before we take that faithful ride. I saw some information I could use one day, while reading in the Bible about the saints of old. A lesson a modern cowboy could learn from their lives of daring and actions bold. This book says that when treading and life's deep waters it won't always be a cinch, take your eyes off the world and look to the Lord, and He will help you through the pinch. And as I study these lessons from God, I need to take a second look. To be sure it's something I use in my life, and not just something I read in a book.

5:11Thanks for riding along on Homegrown this morning, hoping that the Lord blesses you real good today, that He is reigning on your place, and that are happy trails, cross again soon, I'm Arpe Smith.