StillwatersIowa

The fourth Thursday of November has been designated in our country to be set aside as a day for Thanksgiving. Often we think of the timeframe of Thanksgiving in other ways. Like, we better get our work done because our fall season is over. Or Friday shopping. Or Wow, it's Christmas time already. If you think about it Thanksgiving is actually two words. Being thankful is a state of mind. It describes our attitude. It's who we are. Giving on the other hand is an action. It requires being intentional. It's what we do with who we are.   We are down to bits and pieces on helping others finish harvesting. The weather late in the week was a gift as soybeans just barely got dry enough to combine. Thanks for the picture from the graincart Kasey. Cold weather comes with a whole new set of jobs. Early in the week the trucks all had to be parked where they could be plugged in so they would start on early mornings. Jan and I missed the frigid week earlier in the month. ...

Good morning from home in southern Iowa. Our delegation from Israel arrived back in the states late Thursday. I'm going to borrow a line from Jan by saying our experience was unbelievable, even sometimes unexplainable. We met new friends from both our group and from Israel. We were briefed on the current state of Israel and their neighbors. We were protected and kept safe from rocket and missile fire. We saw Bible stories come to life. And we experienced the life of Jesus 2000 years ago as well as felt the presence of God today. I won't use a chronological timeline this morning. Last Friday evening we had a Sabbath meal with two young Jewish families who live, work, and raise their children in Jerusalem. Last Sunday evening we went to a church service in the Muslim side of Palestine where Arab Christians are looked down on and pay dearly for their faith in Christ. The area we visited below is where the Philistines lived in Bible times. We saw valleys where ...

Greetings from Jerusalem. Jan and my mind and heart are full as we visit people and places. And our little group has become family these two weeks.The weather in Israel has been unusually warm here for this time of year.    As you might guess the only farming pictures this past week are the ones the kids and crew have snap-chatted us. You in Iowa know better than I but it seems it's been a busy week of harvest. One morning when we got up I saw the crew was still working. As a father I missed our kids, our help, and my occupation when I realized they were working day and night. However as most of you already know, our harvest is in very capable hands. Thanks for the picture Karl. So this week our visit is going to be a little different. Our time here has been packed from 7 am to evening every day with people, places, events, and food. So let's start with people. Last Sunday we went north up into the Golon Heights and Miria briefed us on Syria and Lebanon after spe...

It's not often that we have a significant snow event in southern Iowa in October. Let alone twice. We had measurable snow both Monday and again on Wednesday evening. This picture was taken by Emily in the field with Kurt and their boys while she brought supper to the combining crew. The guys started the week as soon as Sunday was over harvesting Bill and Andy's corn near Deep River. Thanks for the picture Alex.   BJ and Cassia's 8th grade grandson John stayed home from school and helped Grandpa combine smaller fields closer to home. Well, by Thursday morning there was enough snowfall to stop harvest progress so the guys went to tiling so Mike could finish our terrace project across the road from the shop. The ground conditions were muddy and our dozer was needed to pull the trencher. No matter what your occupation is or was, it's always good to see the positives in what we do. I'm also thankful for the opportunities we were able to take advantage of...