Alva Review-Courier -

Focus or just as importantly, the lack of focus is very important to living a good life, if not just for keeping us alive. It wasn’t very long after Deb and I got together that we all went down to the corrals and sorted off some cattle. I took our...

Are farmers and ranchers ever happy? Are regular people ever happy either? I’m not sure we ever stay happy for very long. We people involved in agriculture always find something to gripe about. First it didn’t rain. I mean we prayed and pleaded...

We have had goats on the farm on and off, mostly on, for close to 20 years. We’ve had Boer goats, which are meat goats, and we have dairy goats as well. Deb makes goat milk soap, when she has time, and it is wonderful. It is great for your skin...

Ramblings of a Redneck Farmer This time of the year means lots of things, but in particular this part of the calendar means a couple of things in Oklahoma. One, school has started and if school has started that also means Friday Night Lights has...

I almost had my article for the week completed when Deb asked what I was writing about. I told her I was writing about my struggle with soda pop. She said, “Do you think Northwest Oklahoma wants to hear about that for a second week?” The more I...

I have a love/hate relationship going on right now in my life and it isn’t with anyone. It is with soda pop. That stuff is going to be the death of me. It is syrupy goodness. It is diabetes waiting to happen. It is the nectar of the gods and yet it...

I am in constant awe of how God intertwines his words in our lives and then combines them with others stories to pack a powerful punch. Thursday of this past week I made a political post on my personal Facebook page about Ryan Walters our state...

I didn’t know if I was ever going to get this written this week. We were out of phone and internet service for three days this week because of a storm. You never know what you are addicted to until you don’t have it! I’ve been thinking about...

Today, I received another lesson on why to be grateful for the little things. We got ready to leave my great nephews 4th birthday party and I started up our vehicle. The ole Expedition went to squalling and squealing and I knew something was wrong....

I read an article this week, which is apparently old news, about the health status of former President Jimmy Carter. According to the article, he is having some major issues, not unexpected at 98, but still serious enough for him to decide to opt...

Dad would say a lot that there wasn’t anything this country couldn’t grow, if we just got the moisture to grow it. Apparently, this year we are growing grass and weed seeds. This ole country looks so different than it did three months ago. Then,...

I have tried to write this article all month long. I’d have it almost finished and Jesus would tell me to hit the delete key. Then I’d pray on it and start writing again. I’d rewrite my article and it just wouldn’t sound like I wanted it to,...

Deb and I spent some of Sunday helping in Laverne after the storm went through. We cut up limbs and hauled them to the curb. I crawled up on a roof to inspect damage and inspected some other homes and businesses for damage. Can I just say, I am...

We have finished our study over John and moved to Jeremiah in our Sunday school class. What that also means is I am now in charge of helping lead the discussion about the scripture. If you aren’t familiar with the book of Jeremiah, don’t feel...

We are green. I don’t mean we are tree huggers even though farmers and ranchers are likely to be more green than those environmentalists. I am talking about our grass is green. Our weeds are green. Our topsoil is wet. Our attitudes are wet. Our...

Deb and I finished helping with Vacation Bible School this week. Our group consisted of T-1 and 1st graders. To be honest, helping might be too strong of a word. Our jobs were to control chaos. There were times when we achieved our goals and...

This is the time of year that I do a lot of recollecting. I remember family members who have come and gone before me. Today I have been thinking about my Granddad Little. I never got to know him much. He died when I was eight, and he was in bad...

Jesus said in Matthew that it rains on the just and the unjust. I don’t know what category we fall in – I probably do, but don’t want to admit it – but we got some rain today. In fact, this week we are at about 2.5 inches. To put that in...

Most of you know, but for those who do not, I attend a Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study on Tuesdays and sometimes on Thursdays, just depending on what is going on. We can have anywhere from six to 16 men at either of the breakfasts and I’d say...

I haven’t been a good Christian the last couple of weeks. I’ve barely opened my Bible. I have had no quiet time with Jesus. Life has just gotten in the way the past couple of weeks. Sleep has once again become an award I rarely win. My mood has...

There are many different definitions of grace in the dictionary. Webster's best defines grace as approval or favor. So, when you take that definition and apply it to the grace that God rains down on us when we believers put our faith in him, it...

Do you ever wonder about what your life would be if you were a better person? If you were more engaged with people? If, at times, you put others ahead of yourself, would your life be any different? How do you be a better person? There are probably a...

This article is going to surprise a lot of people. I’m not sure I even believe it myself, but I sure have some issues with what the Texas legislature is trying to do. Let’s make sure the record is clear. I will shout from the mountain tops that...

I detest politicians. I mean most of them are slimy and honestly, not very good people. I admire leaders. Politicians will lie to you and trick you and tell you whatever they think you want to hear, right? I mean they kinda suck as human beings. Lead...

Does anybody remember the show “The Twilight Zone?” I feel like I might be living a real life example of that show and it is all because of TikTok. If you haven’t been keeping up with our government leaders, they are entertaining a bill that...