StillwatersIowa

Late one afternoon this past week a storm rolled in.  It rained so hard we couldn't see across the yard. I was glad to be inside. As the front rolled through the winds came. The trees leaned and cracked. Things flew across the yard. I was concerned about the crops. Then it was over. It all happened in less than an hour. Things were bright and clean. And then a rainbow showed up. A promise. Will there be storms, struggles, or hard jobs in your life? Of course. Sometimes there is even damage. However God says, be strong, be secure, be selfless. I promise to take care of you. We have grandkids about early grade school age that love to help and are always asking for jobs. So I try and plan my summer Mondays with them in mind. Thanks Ezra, Elliot, and Elijah for helping lay bricks. Of course any job that includes driving tractor is especially fun. I made them practice their driving skills by asking them to back out this cornhead. It took a long time but they finally...

I read on a fellow farmer's office wall this week that "Farming is not just a business, it's a way of life." We are two weeks away from harvest starting at our house. In any business we need to ask ourselves, what are our goals here, and who are we the face of? Last evening after checking crops up north Jan and I stopped in New Sharon for supper. I added value to my meal with ketchup, salt, and pepper. Some of you know I love pepper. I usually have to take the lid off to get enough added. With grain prices down we try and add value to the products we produce by forward selling and minimizing loss. We try and add value to our business by keeping things neat and clean and being efficient. We try and add value to the folks that work here with affirmation and encouragement.  Most folks are good at something however everyone is not good at everything. We happen to think that Cat has a high capacity combine that makes us more efficient. However we don't think t...

When the water in our pond is moving due to wind or activity in it, it doesn't have a reflection. However during quiet and calm times it looks and acts just like a mirror. Sometimes in life we need to stop and look at where we are at and listen to where God wants us to go.  As we are just ahead of a busy time I really like it when we take the time to keep things neat. It reflects an appreciation for what we are entrusted with by God and others. Thanks to Brian and Becky for getting me a ticket, I attended the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit simulcasted to 300,000 folks in 125 countries. Any organization will only be as healthy as it's leader wants it to be.  On Thursday afternoon Jan picked up Brian and Becky's kids and headed for the State Fair. We met her there after the first day of the conference and attended the Francesca and News Boys concert. During the concert their was an hour and a half rain delay and Jan and I headed home. Hennie is a frien...

It doesn't matter whether you are farming, building, selling, marketing, teaching, preaching, or homemaking, the more intentional you are about getting ready the more successful you will be with whatever you are doing. Ezra, Elliot, and Elijah helped move some bricks this week. Most compact tractors have a button under the seat that causes the tractor engine to shut off without weight so it takes the weight of two grandsons to keep the tractor running. Giving kids responsibility helps them get ready for adulthood. John came earlier this spring for some sweet corn seed. He came back recently to show me a stalk that had four ears on it. Hope that's an indication of how the field corn might yield. BJ, John, and I attended a farmland leasing workshop put on by Iowa State University and led by Steve J. It was mostly attended by landlords and lenders. It was a good meeting with good information. It reminded tenants and renters to keep their landlords informed. It reminde...