[Johny Joe Hold]

One would have to think God is pleased at watching humans learn and progress. Back in the time of Adam and Eve, humans must have run from animals that could eat them. Today humans have complete domination over animals as God directed them in Genesis 1:25. The best example I know where humans demonstrate this domination is the Western Cowboy Rodeo.

My friend, Mayor Davy Bills of Dayton, IA, an hour north of Freehold, called yesterday to celebrate receiving $800,000 from our Baptist Governor Kim Reynolds. The money is to update Mayor Davy's rodeo arena in Dayton. Every fall there is a huge crowd in Dayton for its rodeo. I teased Mayor Davy that it's not fair, we other Mayors cannot quote Genisus 1:25 and touch the Christian Governor's emotional button.

The rodeo is wonderful because animals try to resist domination by man. When cowboys prevail, the crowd cheers.

Cowboys twist the head of a calf until the nerve to the legs is blocked and it collapses. Cowboys rope calves and tie them up. Bulls who want the cowboys off their backs buck and twist to get them off. All that is done from horses trained to obey cowboys' every command. God smiles at rodeos.

I hope many in Freehold can drive up to Dayton this fall and watch man's domination over beasts. Every time a cowboy wrestles a calf to the ground you can join me in saying, "Thank you Jesus."