Relationships

Do you remember helping your dad or mom when you were young? I do. As I grew older it made me feel needed, taught me responsibility, and helped me be comfortable around other adults in our community.

 Asking your children what they think when they are young and helping, and then listening is one of the greatest compliments you can give them. Then when they grow up you have to ask them all the time out of necessity.

Mike, Mark, and BJ  worked for Joel and Hayley this past week getting a site ready for a new cattle building.

Brad, Alex, Kurt, and I worked on some landscaping around our home. We have a long way to go.

BJ, Mark, and Alex went to a couple of combine clinics for Deere and Cat. That's where you talk about monitor calibration, settings and adjustments, maintenance, and of course, lunch. 

We had a landlord and neighbor have a close call with heart troubles and is recuperating in ICU at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. We are praying for you Ron, Cindy, and family.

Harold and Ruth and our Pastor and I attended a seminar on discipleship at Grace church this past Friday. To be an effective church, members need to hear about and experience relationships.

We have a produce table at our church during the garden growing season. Folks can leave their extra vegetables and pick up anything they can use.

Friday night was PCHS first home football game against neighboring PCM. I was thankful for our field because it was a wet night.

In 2009 this is son, Mike, and grandson, Cody, doing the dirtwork on the football field. Mike now coaches and Cody chases the stray footballs.

It's interesting how often folk's lives intersect in small communities like southern Iowa. We work together, celebrate together, and hurt together.

We start young working together often helping out around the farm and home.

We celebrate together not just as families but also as neighbors, landlords, customers, and friends.

And we hurt together and my last story is a sad one. I received a call last evening from a landlord that we had lost a mutual friend and neighbor.

Gary, Jay, and Jerry were working on trails, getting ready to camp and ride over the following Labor Day weekend. The 4-wheeler Jay was riding overturned going up a hill and he was killed.

 It happened on the farm we farm southwest of Lovilla. It's the same farm this cave is on that I have used on this blog before. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to Jay's wife, Wanda, and their children Justin, Jeremy, and Michelle and their families.

I have a memory about Jay. When we were small kids and at Christmas program practice at church on a Saturday morning Jay asked me to go for a ride with him in his parents car around the church parking lot. He being older than me made me feel special. We both got in trouble. In relationships folks will seldom remember what you say, however they will never forget how you made them feel.