Friday, July 31, 2009

Contest Winners and Cow Chip Classic

The Winners of the New Words Contest are:

First Place, Terri Tiffany with her guess of 1965;
and two Second place winners, Jessica and Jill, who both guessed 1969. Congratulations, Ladies! Please email me at levellies75@tigerpaw.com and send me your street address.

The actual date of publication of this Webster's NEW World Dictionary was 1962. Remember, a word must be in common usage for several years before it is considered for publication in the dictionary. So we probably won't be seeing Sherrinda's "cranky pants" or my "booger brains" anytime soon!

And now, a fun devotional to start your weekend;









When I shook Jeremy Bennett’s hand today in church I glanced down at his bright red shirt and read: “Cow Chip Classic, 2006.” Don’t get me wrong. I was not a bit upset that Jeremy wore that particular shirt. I was thrilled he chose to spend his Sunday morning worshiping God and fellowshipping with other believers, regardless of what he chose to wear. Besides, it gave me an opportunity to find out what a Cow Chip Classic is…


Being a city transplant, I envisioned guys out in a field throwing cow chips like discuses at a track meet. The one who threw the farthest got a prize, like a new milking stool or a branding iron. Is that how it was? I asked Jeremy.


“No,” he said, smiling politely (I think “POLITE” was stamped on Jeremy’s forehead when he was born). “We just raced across the field, dodging cow chips along the way.”
I wrinkled my nose as I asked, almost afraid to discover, “Did you step in any?” “A few,” he answered, still smiling.


I grinned back at him, but I couldn't help thinking: Why would anyone want to run through a field of cow chips? That’s way too much like real life!


A few days on this earth are sunny and bright. The chickadees sing sweetly in the peach trees, the smell of new mown hay tickles your nose as you drive down the highway, and the price of gas is lower than last week. No cow chips in your field. But most days are like this…
It’s raining again, all the chickadees in all the peach trees are either pouting or scrapping with each other, the only smell as you drive down the highway is a dead skunk, and gas prices are up again. Your field is full of those darn cow chips. You can’t help but step on a few.


Life stinks sometimes. No matter how deftly you dodge between the cow chips, you cannot avoid them all, and by the time you hit seventy, eighty or even as young as fifty, you’re messed up and dirty.


Jesus predicted as much when He told His followers, “In the world you will have tribulation (John 16:33).” To His credit, though, He didn’t stop there, or we may have said, “Thanks a lot, Lord. Tell me something I don’t already know.” His next words add a fragrant scent to our smelly situations: “But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” The Amplified version says, “I have deprived it of power to harm you.” Wow! No matter how many times you’ve tripped or fallen in those cow pies, no matter how stinky your life has become, there is hope for you. If you trust in Jesus and His amazing promises, all the cow chips in the world cannot permanently harm you. He has deprived them of their power over you. He has overcome the world. For you!

My word for that kind of love? Classic.

copyright Jeanette E Levellie, 2009

15 comments:

  1. What a beautifully written devotion, Jen! Thanks for sharing it! You do indeed have a gift for sharing God's truth through your writing! I can't wait to get a whole book of your devotions some day!!

    The words resonate true! Life is so full of stinky stuff! I love the Amplified version that he's deprived it of the power to permanently hurt us. In fact, it's amazing the muscle power and character he develops in us when we're running through that field of cow chips!

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  2. Cow Chips? Now I've never heard them called that before. That's a great devotional, Jen. Very down to earth, but poignant.

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  3. Awesome post!! I love it, and so funny. And yuck. LOL Dodging cow chips... I guess it's entertainment for some people. Snort!

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  4. Thanks, dear friends. I needed this encouragement today!
    Blessings,
    Jen

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  5. Awww, how wonderful, Jeanette! You write so beautifully and I am blessed!

    Now, am I ever and always to be linked with cranky pants???? lolol...how fun is that! Love it!

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  6. I believe I saw a cow chip throwing contest on one of the cable networks one morning. Whoever could throw it the furthest, won.

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  7. Congratulations! Great post. GOD BLESS. Thank you for your prayers for Ellen and others on my blog.

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  8. I loved loved your devotion! You write them so well!
    And thank you again for choosing my name as a winner!!

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  9. How do you know exactly what I need when you write these devotions? Thank you so much for sharing them. And I felt like I was right there on the farm with you. Terrific descriptions!

    Oh, and thanks for the prize! I can't believe I got it right! Ha!

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  10. You're so funny! I love how you turned something silly (smelly & gross perhaps?) into a devotion!

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  11. Excellent devotional, Jen! And congrats to the prize-winners!

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  12. That was a lovely devotional. Thank you for sharing it.

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  13. Thank you for those encouraging words. Some days I trip and fall on my face in those paddies, but God still picks me up and comforts me in all my mess. :)

    Good words for my weekend.
    Blessings

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  14. Thanks you guys. Because of some poops in our field last night, i started out today kinda stinky. But you picked me up with your kind, fragrant wishes from Jesus' heart. Now I'm all better!
    Jen

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  15. Am I ever glad I stopped in! You blessed me so much with the words from the Amplified version. I love Jesus so much and this is why!!!!

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Oh, it's YOU! I'm so happy to see you here today, and look forward to reading your comments.