It All Goes Back In The Box

Our week started with plenty of planting, corn and beans both. Soils were warm and dry and crops were coming out of the ground amazingly fast for April.

The sprayer ran continuously to keep up. Corn on corn gets nitrogen as a carrier for it's herbicides and needs to be applied before the corn plant emerges. Special thanks to the crew for long and productive hours.

How many of you remember playing Monopoly? Really it's kind of a mean game where your objective is to acquire property, buy hotels, and bankrupt your fellow players. Being nice to your opponents doesn't win the game.

John Ortberg wrote about playing Monopoly with his Grandmother.

When the game was over and there were winners and losers his Grandma would say, "remember, it all goes back in the box" meaning what you won was not yours to keep.

Jan told me I needed to go through several boxes of farm records from years ago. I saved a few memorable things, but for the most part they were fuel for a soybean bag fire.

I am on a board that meets in Des Moines once a month. It's mission is to strengthen families and help bring our countries culture back to acknowledging God and appreciating our freedoms.

Jan went to Grandparents Day earlier at Sully Christian School and Friday at Oskaloosa Christian. We are blessed to have grandkids in just about every grade school class. 

Friday evening Osky Christian had their spring program. The kids did a great job.

Friday noon four flat bottom fishing boats rolled in and unloaded their stuff in the cabin.

These gentlemen are friends with Mike and Cody and they came to bow fish with them. They are called the MudbuM boys and they have an outdoor show series on cable TV. They are a fun bunch and we enjoyed getting to know them this weekend.

Jan and I attended Leah and Corey's wedding yesterday in Sully. Kurt and Karl sang. They had their 27th birthday this past Tuesday. Congratulations Leah and Corey.

What do we consider important these days? What do we value most? Yes, we have an obligation to our occupations and the support of our families.

Do we take enough time for the people we love? Are we grateful for what we have? Are we willing to share? Do we genuinely care about others needs?

Life should not be like a Monopoly Game where our main goal is to accumulate stuff. Stuff doesn't satisfy. When stuff gets in our way we can't clearly see others and there needs.

There is nothing wrong with having stuff as long as it doesn't have us. When we are finished, it all goes back in the box and the only thing we can take with us is the memories and souls  of our loved ones. Remember life isn't determined by what we get. Life is determined by what we give.