ranchmagazine.com

By Lesli Nolen

Published October 2012

I often check the Ranch & Rural Living website at ranchmagazine.com to see how many views each of my articles has received. I noticed that my article, “Common Sayings have Biblical Origins” has over 4,500 views, making it among the most frequently viewed of those listed. Since the topic is so popular, I thought I would share a few more common sayings with you. Not everyone is aware that many of the sayings they hear and use come from the Holy Bible and have been around for quite a while. After all, there is “Nothing new under the sun.”

Scapegoat—A person who gets stuck with the blame.
Leviticus 16:9-10  Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.

By Lesli Nolen

Published September 2012

My mother-in-law sent me an email the other day with an interesting parable and I wanted to share it you.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty pickle jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

By Lesli Nolen

Published August 2012

Google is one of my best friends. She is always there when I need her. Always seems to know what I’m looking for and always has an answer. Having an 11-year-old, I get asked a lot of questions, and when I don’t know the answer, I say, “Google it!”

But what does Google really tell me? Google tells me I have to choose an option below and see if that is the exact information I was looking for; if not I hit the back button and click on the next choice, and so forth. It’s easy, somewhat time effective and usually helps me find what I’m looking for. But lately, for some of the questions I’ve been asked my response has been, “Bible it!”

By Lesli Nolen

Published July 2012

I have a greater understanding of the saying, “Texas is a whole other country.” After spending six days in New York City, this couldn’t be more apparent. I absolutely loved the city, but I am so glad to be back on Texas soil.

We—my husband, Breech, our daughters, Ashley and Skylar, my mother in law, Tina and father-in-law, Bob—all journeyed to New York City together. It was a graduation gift for our daughter, Ashley.

We arrived in NYC on Saturday with no problems. After checking into our hotel we took off walking to see this grand city. We walked and we walked. People were everywhere. Cabs were honking, which I later discovered was the norm there. It was just crazy at first—definitely not what I am accustomed to. We walked to famous Times Square. Wow! What a sight—lighted billboards, stores everywhere and plenty of people, more people that I could have ever imagined.