A Legacy

 The Christmas season has always been a special time. As a child I remember a chrome tinsel Christmas tree with a revolving colored light. As a teenager I remember friends and events. One of those events was a Christmas banquet in the gym of the old Pella Christian High School. As a young parent I remember enjoying our kids looking forward to going with friends. Now as a grandparent the legacy continues as our grandchildren are attending. Pictured below at the Christmas banquet meal at PCHS are Cody (Mike and Suzanne) and his friend Kennedy. Ethan (Mark and Stacy). Rachel and Gideon (BJ and Cassia) and Gideon's friend Emily. Thanks for the picture Cassia and Stacy.

On our trip last month we had the privilege of being invited to join a young Jewish family for their Sabbath meal on a Friday evening. In Israel the purchasing, planning, preparing, and partaking of a meal is an event. The Jewish families value this time together.

When I was a kid meal times were important as family time. We began and ended the day together as a family with devotions and conversation around the table. Today we as a culture have gotten in a hurry and quality meal time as a family has been pushed aside. Everything we're involved with is hollering for attention, and immediately. This past Thursday evening we as a farm crew and our spouses gathered around the table together for good food, devotions, a thank you, quality time, and conversation.

 A legacy is something handed down from one generation to the next. Jan and I are so blessed to be given children that we can share life together with. My prayer has always been that we would pass down a legacy of love and caring for God, each other, and others.

All of our children as well as our help have the ability to relate well with others. They all have a strong work ethic. And they have a love for their occupations.

Now our children are passing down a legacy to their children. I took this picture Thursday evening at our after harvest supper. These young men all helped with harvest and represent all of our children's families. One of them is not a grandchild. Jacob came on Saturdays with his father Matt, and helped.

Early in the week we were able to apply NH3 on snow covered ground. Our ground is now borderline hard with frost because of a couple of cold nights.

It's time to put some machinery away. Thanks BJ for getting the cornheads inside.

Mike has been busy. Below he is reshaping waterways for us on rented farms. Thanks for the picture Mike.

I'd like to tell you about some acts of kindness shown to us this week. Neighbors dropped off a gift and Christmas wishes. Thanks Melvin and Joan

We had a tractor break down trying to finish chiseling for corn on corn next year on South Skunk River bottom. Our landlord loaned us his Quadtrak so we could keep chiseling yesterday. Thanks Jerry.

I was working on seed business on my computer when a friend walked in. She stopped with an act of kindness for us in memory of one of her lost loved ones. Thank you Marla and Claire.

When I was small we used to ride to school with these kids in a blue suburban bus. Their parents were Art and Jeanette and they had nine children. When the youngest was four their mother got sick and died. Sometime later Art married Velma. Later in life Art and Velma together would pray for their large family by name every day. God blessed their faithfulness with a legacy.  Thanks for the picture Phil.

Today that legacy has spread to the Philippines where Art and Velma's grandson Dusty and his wife Dawn and family are missionaries and operate an orphanage. Bev was the MC for an event last evening explaining the families' dedication and passion for this work. Dusty talked about how he is using the character building things he learned from his family growing up in New Sharon in his work there on the mission field. His parents are Duane and Linda Sue.

Four of those young brothers you saw in a previous picture sang last evening at Dusty and Dawn's get-together at the Vermeer Pavilion. Their cousin Kathy accompanied them. Kathy also accompanied her other cousins Larry, Carol, and Wayne.

A legacy is a piece of one's history left behind for others. What do you hope to leave? Have a good week looking forward to Christmas. Jan's birthday is always just 7 days before Christmas and this coming Wednesday. Happy Birthday Jan. I love you and have loved creating a legacy together.