A Year We'll Remember

When you think back what years do you remember?  I dare say they are probably the years with either extra praise or extra pressure.

Many of the years we remember involve people. Either people we have gained or people we have lost. If you are having a year of extra praise look out and up and thank people and God that have helped you. If you are having a year of extra pressure look out and up and lean on people and God to help you. 

I stopped at Pablo and Paula's house to help Alex hook up the drill for a fall seeding job. Since it was just going to take a minute I left my truck running and door open. When I returned this chicken was in the passenger seat waiting for a ride to somewhere.

I took this picture yesterday thinking I was going to visit with you this morning about not seeing the whole picture of our lives when we are up close. When we experience those years of praise or pressure we often don't see the complete picture until we look back and remember years later. 

Eight years ago this is Mike, Coach Kac and his son David. Today Mike and Coach K are working together coaching young men and David is playing football at Dordt college.

In the spring of 2008 Kurt and Karl were graduating from high school. The next spring Mike, who had been operating the families dozer, purchased his own. Our family was busy with crops as well as helping build a football field. Mike and Suzanne's son Cody who was in kindergarten was helping his dad pack the field area with a sheepsfoot while Mike was building up the sidelines for the stadium seats.

Today Cody is playing football on the field he helped build. Thanks Troy for letting me borrow your picture. Your photography abilities are amazing.

As I explained last week we had to over dig BJ and Cassia's basement and ended up hauling and adding 600 ton rock for the foundation to set on. I got a picture of you Ruth. Thanks for the visit. Harold and Ruth are Suzanne's folks.

The rock had to be packed in as it was added and spread.

Yea. Friday Brett and his help got the walls poured. This view is from the south looking at the walkout end of the basement.

Because of the dry weather some CRP acres were released in our county. BJ and Andy are loading the bales that Alex, Kasey, and Andy had baled the day before.

We have been slowly starting to harvest. The ten hybrid test plot just east of our home yielded about half of what it did last year.

No one had as much rain as they had hoped for this growing season however I think the heart of the dry area seems to be further south and east of the acres we farm. Yield is not the only concern. Test weight and absence of aflatoxin are needed in order to have a sellable crop.

For the past ten years we have worked with Cargill/Eddyville delivering our crop straight out of the field and helping them with their September corn supply. This next week we hope to start delivering our contract obligations.

Guess what. We have another little girl in the family. Sydnie was the first baby born Tuesday morning in the brand new birthing unit at Pella Hospital.

She is the daughter of Karl and Kristin and joins her brother Malaki as part of the family.

I can't finish out this visit without remembering the folks in Houston, Texas and their struggles with Hurricane Harvey. I wish I was down there helping out. While our country has angry, negative, self-centered people pulling down statues of heroes not wanting to remember the past we have regular folks who often get talked bad about, often get called red-necks, dropping what they are doing, hooking up their fishing boat to their 4-wheel drive pickup, and driving to Texas to help out and make this a good year to remember. They are the quiet, unsung heroes.

Let's help make this a good year to remember. We do that with relationships. We do that by helping others. We do that by example. Remember, when folks look back, our examples will outlive our achievements.

Also remember, God uses the pressures in our lives to help mold us into what He has planned for us. See you next week.