Sunday, November 12, 2017

Called To Honor

Yesterday was set aside to honor veterans. At the state football playoffs yesterday a coach from each team was selected to be recognized. Jeff from Iowa City Regina and son, Mike, from Pella Christian were selected and honored for their service to our country. Mike was in the Marines from 1995-1999.
The Pella Christian football team made the state playoffs this year and played at the UNI dome yesterday. Even though they lost a close game by two points they gave it their all. Thanks to the players, the coaches, the cheerleaders, and the fans for a good showing.
I was honored to help Andy with his plan yesterday. On Friday evening he asked if he could make a quick trip to Des Moines. He was planning on chiseling his new farm on Saturday afternoon and asked Amara to ride along. He placed a large rock in a waterway with an engagement ring underneath it. While chiseling together they noticed the rock  and Andy asked Amara if she would help him pick it up. I wasn't there for the details however Amara found the ring. Andy asked if she would marry him. Amara said yes! Congratulations both of you. Love, honor, and cherish are words that make for a great marriage. Honor involves recognizing the value of your spouse and your relationship.
Friday morning has been our chilliest morning so far. Around 5:45 I received a call from Andy that my pickup had died at Casey's in New Sharon. After helping him try all the correct ways of getting it started like recycling the ignition a bunch and removing and replacing the battery cables we finally just went with the old reliable way and used a can of either. I'm not sure why it decided to be contrary unless it was actually cold enough to jell diesel fuel.
Last Tuesday Kyle came with his crane and helped Jeremiah and BJ put up truss rafters. Jeremiah hopes to have BJ and Cassia's new home enclosed in two weeks.
Last Sunday afternoon Jan and I drove over to check on building progress, walk through the floor plan, and dream about the future of BJ and Cassia's new home. We also wrote Bible verses on the stud walls and framing. Family and friends have been writing verses on their new home for a couple of weeks now as they come and visit. If you would like to come, see progress, and write your favorite verse this is your invite. Struggles in life like losing a home to a fire make us dependent. Writing Bible verses honors God. It also reminds us where our help comes from. Psalms 121 reminds us where our help comes from. Your homework for today.
Getting ready for next years crop is in full gear. Kurt and Alex have been busy applying NH3. NH3 is anhydrous ammonia. It's a nitrogen source for next years corn crop. It's comes in those white tanks you see running around the country side these days. It can be dangerous. It's what burned the cornea off both BJ's eyes in an accident four years ago. We still thank God for the miracle of BJ's site today.
Karl and I have been hauling hog manure. It's also a source of fertilizer for our corn crop. Corn produces hogs. Hogs produce manure. Manure produces corn. It's a cycle in farming country that helps feeding the world stay economical. Thanks to American agriculture we spend less percentage of our income on food  than anyone else in the world. I've been to Africa three or four times helping folks farm. Just about 100% of their time, energy, and resources go into keeping their families fed.
We have also been spreading dry fertilizer for ourselves and others. This source is mainly phosphorus and potash. These minerals are taking up by the crop next growing season.
Mike took a break from dozing a couple of days and helped chisel corn stalks. Our family grows a lot of continuous corn. That means a corn crop every year rather than rotating to soybeans every other year. Continuous corn builds organic matter in the soil as does cover crop as the old crop residue rots and is worked back into the soil.
Sometimes crop residue such as these corn stalks are used for cattle feed and bedding. Then the cattle manure is spread back on the acres that were used for harvesting corn stalks. I'm raking and BJ baled these stalks for Kurt who feeds cattle for our landlord and friend, Jerry.
In the old days the fields around the farm building sites were the most fertile because the old timers always spread their livestock manure close to home. The past two weeks we have been tankering hog manure to farther away locations for others. Thanks to Jim, Matt, and Pablo for keeping this outfit running. 
I took the time to gather some used tires for Jan's next project. Stay tuned. You will enjoy her next venture.
 Honoring others has an impact on folks. It inspires them. It even empowers them. God calls us to love our neighbor as much or more than we love ourselves. That means giving others credit, maybe even for some of our own success. That's not always so easy. We want to feel self made.
 Dishonoring others either intentionally or unintentionally has an impact on folks as well. Discrediting, humiliating, degrading, to make less of, and diminishing other's efforts can take the feet right out from under a person like the steer in the pic below. If you listen to the news today (which I no longer do) our culture is constantly pointing out the failures of others and blaming others. It's not productive and does nothing for self esteem even though that's why we often do it.
Today is Sunday. Today is set aside to honor God. How do we do that? We rest from our work. We go to church. We talk to God and teach our kids and grandkids to talk to God. Finally out of gratitude for what God does for us we reach out and honor others. Take care. Thanks for your time. Let's visit again next week.
 
 

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