StillwatersIowa

This coming week I've been asked to talk to a group of high school students on how to prepare for a career. I thought I'd share a portion of the presentation with you. We need to start by setting goals . Goals can range from as big as life goals to as little as a list of jobs for the day. Sometimes we get ourselves in a pickle. We shouldn't be afraid to ask for advice . We are never to old to learn. If we want to be successful in life we need to be an example . To our fellow students, to our families, to our co-workers, even our employers. God has given us all different gifts. We need to identify what gifts we have and then use them to be a leader . No matter how much or how little we have we are to share what we have been entrusted with. When we become generous by being a blessing to others, God is blessed and so many times the giver is just as blessed as the receiver. No matter what careers we pursue or how well things go we need to remember that everything we have is a...

Last Sunday Jan's side of the family got together for a late Christmas. We celebrated her father's 88th birthday. The gals also had a baby shower for a new set of twin girls. They would be my father-in-law's (Gene) son's (Paul) son's (Levi) two girls. It was a blessing to celebrate four generations of family. These are the three children of my father-in-law along with a neice Michelle, the younger one on the right. Donna is the firstborn (rather than oldest) and is married to Arlin. Jan is next and is married to me. Paul is the youngest and is married to Gayle. Each of the three children have a set of twins in their family. Donna has twin grandaughters, of which one is not that into picture taking with two big guys, Jan has twin sons, and Paul has new twin grandaughters. I had locked the upstairs bedroom door in the cabin. Since I have a terrible time remembering where I put keys I just hid the key on a small nail up high. Well as you can see it wasn't hidd...

One of the biggest assets of a family farming operation is the interaction between children and adults. Children grow up with a sense of purpose when they have things to do and people to watch. Proverbs 17:6 says "Children's children are a blessing to the older, and parents are the pride of their children." Here Ezra is watching Uncle Mark replace a clutch in his pickup. In this picture the older grandkids are trying to decide who is going to ride and who is going to push. In a comical way it kind of reminds me of our government. When you have more people riding in the wagon than pushing the wagon you don't get very far. Jestina is showing and telling Mike how to clean a 3-wheeler. She came with her father Pablo who is cleaning up a combine. I attended chapel at Osky Chr. Grade School one morning this week where the second graders were talking about courage. This is Cody and a couple of his classmates. In the future when your children ask you, "what do these s...

Yesterday we attended a wedding in Kilgore, Texas. My brother Bill and his wife Julie's oldest son Matt attended college there for law enforcement and that's how Matt met Megan. Since Jan and I were driving down we invited Jan's sister Donna and her husband Arlin to ride along. This is Jan and Donna figuring out a photo. Since neither one of them enjoy being photographed I had to take it on the sneak. Although I didn't admit it to them I enjoyed watching sisters team up to check out quilt stores between here and Texas. While we were in Texas we visited an army buddy of Arlin's. They were stationed together overseas many years ago. It was fun to listen to them tell stories and get reaquainted. This is outside the First Baptist Church of Kilgore. The boys were waiting for things to happen. It was around 70 degrees out. This is inside the First Baptist Church of Kilgore. These are the wives and girlfriend of the boys outside. This is Bill and Julie's daughter Hanna...

Ecclesiates 3:1 says "There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven." I don't know what 2011 holds in store. My resolution is to try harder to enjoy the activities that each day, each week, and each season brings my way. This past week was full of family activities. Since last Monday was Christmas break Jan had extra grandkids over. I shot this picture when I stepped in to check on everybody and ask how many she could handle for lunch. The older grandkids played on the pond or hung out in the shop in front of the knipco heater to warm up. Jan scheduled an overnight outing for everyone in Iowa City at a motel with a pool and waterslide. The afternoon and evening included shopping, swimming, pizza, playing games on the floor in the hallway of our rooms, and late night icecream. In this picture Emily, Stacy, and Kristin were gracious enough to take me shopping with them to help me find a compact camera that everyone had given me for Christm...