unPHILtered: The Way I See It Read Online Free PDF

poor? Sure, it’s a lot more fun having money in the bank, instead of having to worry about how you’re going to pay your bills every month. I guess having money in the bank gives you a little bit of peace of mind, but it really hasn’t changed our lifestyle very much. When I was fishingthe Ouachita River for a living, I made about $225 a week. I had to break my back every day to earn the money. It was hard work, but I never complained. Even though we didn’t have much in terms of money and material possessions, the Robertsons were a happy family. We managed to make do with what we had, which wasn’t much, and I don’t think my boys ever felt like they were missing out on anything. We always had enough bait, ammunition, and patience to catch or shoot what we needed to eat, and Miss Kay and my parents grew plenty of fruits and vegetables in our garden. I took ol’ Ben Franklin at his word: “He that waits upon fortune, is never sure of a dinner.”
    We’re certainly eating a lot better now than we were before. Instead of having crappie, catfish, duck, or crawfish seven days a week, we’ll eat a rib-eye steak or lobster every now and then. But we’re still eating a lot of duck and crawfish—our appetite for those delicious foods will never change. We’re living in the same house we purchased in 1976, and I’m still driving a pickup truck. I guess some things will always stay the same. However, I have noticed a few big changes since the money came rolling in. Miss Kay had bigger closets built in our bedroom because our stuff was piled up in a little tight space. We have a pretty small house; there’s a kitchen, dining area, living room, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. It’s nice to have a bigger closet to hold more camouflage clothes, guns, and ammo for duck season. She also added a bigger pantry in the kitchen to store more canned goods, such as mayhaw jelly, chowchow, and pickled vegetables.
    Miss Kay recently had an outdoor country kitchen built next to our house so she would have a bigger space to cook when we entertain family, friends, and other guests. It has a bigger stove that makes it easier for her to cook, and it doesn’t get so hot in the kitchen during the summertime when she’s frying fish and preparing other dishes. We have more grub, more camouflage clothes, and more shoes for Miss Kay. I guess those are the first things rednecks buy when the money starts coming in.
    Now, I have to admit that I have expanded our duck hole a little bit. I purchased an additional twenty acres on one side of my property and about forty-five acres down the way. We were trying to make our duck hole a little more productive, and now there is additional land to plant more corn and other crops to try to attract more ducks. My sons will inherit my land when I die, so it will give them a place to hunt with their kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. It will pay off in the future for my sons, and the property will stay within the Robertson family. I’m leaving them a good inheritance.
    But more important, I’m thinking about the inheritance my family will have in the afterlife. Romans 8:14–17 tells us: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
    You have to understand this: God adopts people who come to Jesus. When you come to Jesus, you’re born of God. You are free from sin and death because Jesus paid for your sins on the cross and because God accepted His sacrifice. Once you’re born of God, He becomes your Father. You end up inheriting what your Father has.