Aim For Stetson&Justin&Kelley Quality

Stephen Bly

Stephen Bly

Copyright©1994

Long before radio and TV, even among the cowboys and ranchers of the Old West, brand names meant something to them.

John B. Stetson made beaver hats with high crowns and wide brims like no one else. A man only had to buy one Stetson in his lifetime, unless a footpad or sneak thief stole it.

Another man named Joe Justin settled into Old Spanish Fort in 1879 on the Texas side of the Red River and began making boots. Without help from advertising agencies or basketball star endorsements he managed to gain such a reputation that a pair of Justin's still denote distinctive boots. 

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN HORNSWOGGLED?

Stephen Bly  (1944-2011)

Copyright©1993,2010

The man who called me on the phone the other night sounded friendly…maybe too friendly. It was the old, “Hi, Stephen. How are you doin’? How’s everything in Idaho? How’s the weather treatin’ the ranchers? Well, I know you aren’t thinkin’ about the busy fall yet, but I ran across a deal and you came to mind. Have you got a minute to hear about a truly great bargain?”

I took a breath and jumped right in. “I am rather tied up. Let’s get right to it. What are you trying to sell me?”

“Oh, well,” he stammered, as though I threw him off script. “Can I call back at a more convenient time?”

“I’ll be busy then too,” I insisted.

Dino Power air compressor

He finally admitted he felt sure I’d want to purchase his air compressor. I asked about the price, the quality. Then, I discovered my long lost ‘friend’ worked for a telemarketing company. I explained that a) I had no use for an air compressor, and b) I never buy anything on the phone anyway. 

(As a side note: A week later, I noticed the same product at a warehouse store for $150 cheaper than the phone guy stated -- when you added up the installment payments he emphasized). He had the nerve to try to hornswoggle me. 

PUTTING ON THE FULL STAMP

On the Trail with Stephen Bly

Copyright©1993,2008

A friend sent me a raffle ticket for a drawing on behalf of his favorite charity. Seemed like a worthy cause. And to tell the truth, I didn't mind winning. First prize: a handcrafted, silver mounted, full stamped trophy saddle.

I’ve watched the guys who build these kinds of saddles. I know the work it takes. My own saddles have been slick and plain, because that’s all I could afford. But handcrafting and stamping on saddles means more than just fancy fofarraw. Like everything else connected with cowboy gear, the tooling on the saddle has a practical purpose as well. The rough indentations of the fancy saddle cause friction on the rider’s Wranglers. They help a cowboy sit tight in the saddle without the tiresome leg cramps that sometimes accompany riding a snuffy horse.

Most everything an old-time cowboy did and wore had a logical reason, a purpose behind the action.

Just like St. Paul who said, “I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air” (1 Corinthians 9:26). Every action of his involved a single-minded goal, a well considered reason, a spiritual purpose.

           

Bible principles center around spiritual instruction, practical discipline, respect for the sacred. The eternal perspective.  But that doesn’t mean we can’t add some polish and shine to what we do. For instance, we can have an uproar of a fun time trying to be good.

           

We’ve got a choice. We can do the minimum—with a grudging attitude, just to get by so we don’t seem quite so ornery. Or we can obey with flair, with cheer, with delight. Either way will get you there, if you’ve got Jesus. But one way sure does resonate a whole heap better. And puts the shine of chrome on your life.

           

Sort of like the difference between a plain saddle and one that’s full stamped.

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How are you adding some spit, polish & shine to your duties of this day?

HOW DOES GOD COMMUNICATE?

Janet Chester Bly 

Copyright©1992,2010

God uses many means to let us know what we’re created to be and do, how He will accomplish His purpose through you and me. Here’s some samples from the Bible. . . . 

Sarah heard through an angel talking to her husband: she would bear a son in her old age. And she laughed. (Genesis 18:9-14)

Ruth was filled with a compelling love for her embittered mother-in-law. This commitment drove her to her place and to her true people. (Book of Ruth)

Hannah railed against her barren womb. She prayed long and hard for a baby.  God answered her cries with a special child who became a great leader of Israel. (1 Samuel 1 & 2)

God challenged Esther through her cousin, Mordecai. She was in the right place. At the right time. Now, she needed the courage to do the right thing. (Book of Esther)

God spoke to Mary through a startling announcement from the Angel Gabriel. With a very awkward complication attached. Mary said “yes!” anyway. (Luke 1:26-56)

But dramatic, historic episodes like these are not requisites for hearing God’s voice or knowing what He wants you to do. Begin with who you are. Where you are. Whatever you’re doing.

1) Commit your day to God.

2) Seek His advice on every decision.

3) Do the simplest duties in His Name, in a manner to please Him.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV).

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17 NIV).

In God’s eyes, that’s as important as producing famous offspring. . .or saving a race from extermination. Although ordinary obedience can lead to extraordinary feats.

“There is no such thing as Christian work,” says Elisabeth Elliot. “That is, there is no work in the world which is, in and of itself, Christian. Christian work is any kind of work, from cleaning a sewer to preaching a sermon, that is done by a Christian and offered to God.”

(from “Discipline of Work,” Discipline, the Glad Surrender)

In what ways has God spoken to you?
 

Managing Your Restless Search

Adapted from Managing Your Restless Search

Available at http://BlyBooks.com/store.htm

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GHOST LIVES

Stephen w/family 1950s

STEPHEN BLY

Copyright©1993,2008

Florence, Idaho, at one time boomed as a frontier town. Settled in 1861 with the discovery of placer mines in the Salmon River Canyon, by 1862 10,000 people reached the settlement. Florence, at its peak, produced $50,000 worth of gold per day. Even when the mine played out, many folks hung around. The post office remained in service until 1912.

Idaho’s full of ghost towns. Some of them lasted a few months, others for decades. A few got deserted almost overnight. Some were torn down and moved to another place, piece by piece. Some burned to the ground. A couple still remain as shells of their former selves. An interesting hobby is to search for those traces that used to be thriving communities.

         

There’s not much left of Florence today. No permanent residents. Most buildings have disintegrated into the hillsides. It’s a ghost town. I enjoy visiting sites like that to try to imagine its better days and create stories.

People’s lives can become like that.

         

Do you know someone who’s caught in a ghost life?

         

There’s signs of a once prosperous existence. Perhaps, they had a vibrant  family. A promising career. Awards and trophies. However, that’s all in the musty past. And there’s no hints any of that will return.

Are they considered worthless now…has beens?

 

Not to God. With God's grace, anything’s possible. "You are God's building," the Bible says (1 Corinthians 3:9). He can renew any life. With new construction. Rebuild the faulty structure. Mend the broken years. Even create a prosperous city through them.

 

I’ve seen him do that with folks who seemed destined for destruction. Through the power of His Son Jesus. He stirred new zeal, fresh goals for them. Each of them now has the promise of eternal life, no matter their past.

New novel coming MARCH 2011: Throw The Devil Off The Train

DOGIES ON THE TRAIL

STEPHEN BLY

Most everyone knows the words to a few western songs. Hum some bars of “Home On The Range” and everyone on your commuter bus over 30 will be able to chime in with “where the deer and the antelope play.” They might also know why it’s important to get “back in the saddle again” because that’s “back where a friend is a friend.” And many have heard “get along little dogie.”

However, some pronounce it ‘little dawgies’ instead of ‘doughies.’ That’s because they don’t understand the word’s origin. A dogie is a scrubby calf that has not wintered well. It’s anemic from the scant food of the cold months. According to a cowboy this calf has lost his mammy and his daddy ran off with another cow. They first got their name in the harsh winters of the 1880s when orphan calves, starving to death, ran around with stomachs so disfigured they looked like they carried wads of sourdough in their bellies. “Dough-guts,” they were called...and since unbranded and orphaned calves could be claimed by any rancher, dough-guts soon slipped to dogies in the vernacular. 

Dogie is not a bad description for followers of Jesus. The Bible claims there's "not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble" (1 Corinthians 1:26). No one's a great catch for Christianity, according to heaven’s standards. But God considers you a treasure anyway. In fact, he scurries around the countryside hunting for spiritual dogies.

The western cattleman perceived more than a scrawny stray when he spied a dogie. He recognized the potential for a fine herd, once they were fed, watered, rested. God sees you the same. Rather than roam a vast spiritual desert, on the verge of perishing alone and abandoned, God seeks you, rounds you up, and makes you his own.

Stephen Bly

Copyright@1993,2007

COMING JUNE 2010: COWBOY FOR A RAINY AFTERNOON