StillwatersIowa

I stepped out very early on Christmas morning and walked to the shop in the predawn silent night. Yes, all was calm and all was bright. As I gazed up at the stars I couldn't help but think of the farmers on that first Christmas night.   Sheep farmers who were just outside of town quietly doing their job when the sky suddenly lit up with an angel with a message. First there was commotion . They were terrified. Then there was courage . They were told not to be afraid. Then there was communication . The angels told them about the new born King. Then there was commitment . The shepherds decided to check it out. Then there was caring . They adored the new born, bowed, and worshiped. Finally there was celebration . They returned to the farm glorifying and praising God. We started out Christmas week last Sunday morning worshipping with our home congregation at Osky 1. We heard about Mary's visit to Elizabeth and how John the Baptist's birth was the opening act anticip...

As a kid nothing is more anticipated than Christmas and receiving gifts. I'm sure most of you can remember opening a wrapped package. We know it's important to be grateful. To be generous. To be giving. It's also important to receive. When you receive you allow others the joy of giving. You have the opportunity to give the gift of gratitude. The gift of acknowledgement. The gift of telling someone thank you. I appreciate you. Next years seed is starting to come in. I'm sure most of you receive compliments from time to time. We often modestly say, "Oh well", or "No big deal", or "God is good" (which He is) or "I am blessed" (which we are). However be sure and receive the compliment and acknowledge the one who said it with a genuine "Thank you" as not to belittle the gift or the one who gave it. Mark has been busy helping others with many projects this winter with his equipment. This past week's weather ha...

Mondays are still active days at our house with the younger grandkids around. Jayden, Harris, Jackson, and Malaki are cousins building something together with Legos in our sunroom while Grandpa is in his chair after lunch. Of course it's "monkey see, monkey do" when one decides he's warm and decides to take his shirt off. Last evening as I came to the shop after supper I saw two sets of boots sticking out from underneath Gideon's pickup. Apparently he had rode over something and he and his brother John were fixing and welding parts back on. They are using an air hose to blow the floor dust off their coats. While I was in Africa it rained a couple of times and our snow all left except in the ditches. It's still very busy around here for the third week of December with hauling contracted soybeans, selling seed corn, and diving in to all the office work that goes with the end of a crop season. There are also fieldwork jobs left including hog honey if the...

Good morning and greetings from back home in Iowa. Success in agriculture today in America will not to be where things are but to be where things are going. Much of agriculture in Africa is not where things are but where things have been. I think 3 keys to succeed in either country are a willingness to diversify, an ability to build relationships, and a workforce that sees the vision and takes advantages of opportunities. In Malawi everyone grows maize (corn) from folks we visited living in the obscure villages, to our guest house kitchen help, to our room cleaners, to the policeman we encountered, to the airport folks who checked us in the country, to this fellow who brought our guest house fuel every three days for cooking.  We heard and observed from forward thinking folks who shared their thoughts on how to diversify. We were encouraged with their projects and ideas. Growing fresh flowers for weddings, funerals, and get-togethers. Grain brokering meaning buying and sto...