Good morning. How are you all doing? I hope and pray, wherever you're at, that you and your families are good. That you are staying healthy. That you have things to do. That you have relationships, someone you can talk to, if even from a distance. Natalie and Allison came with their dads, BJ and Mark, to the office early one morning. They talked Kasey into catching a litter of kittens for them to play with.
We all need a reason to get up in the morning. Especially nowadays. We need things to do. It's called our purpose. Some of you are extra busy with kids, with changes, with adapting. Others of you may be quarantining yourselves because of where you've been, or because of health, or because of a compromised immune system, and life seems to have stalled. Below Jackson is replacing field cultivator shovels while Jaydon and Grandpa are taking a coffee break.
Last Monday the forecast was indicating a gray week both mentally and weatherwise. At coffee our crew made a list of job goals. It's good for us to stay resilient in both mind and body. We started by cleaning the shop.
Alex hauled 3 loads of rock and Kasey spread it on our yard to spruce it up a bit and keep us out of the mud.
We're working hard to get everyone's seed delivered so when spring and whatever else comes our customers are ready to plant.
BJ and Kasey plowed in some waterline for Terry and Lois south of us. Thanks for the picture Kasey.
Mark and Mike were able to work together between rains and build a couple of terraces northeast of Oskaloosa. Thanks for the picture Mike.
Children need a structured life as well even if they're not going to school right now. At Mark and Stacy's house they have lots of new life and chores with baby goats, a bucket bottle calf, and chicks. Thanks for the picture Stacy.
Jan continues to bake and cook and often brings meals to the office. Friday Ethan (Mark and Stacy) and Gideon (BJ and Cassia) stopped during their lunch break from work. Since there is no high school right now they are at Outer Limits repairing trucks. Rachel and Amelia also came. Rachel is BJ and Cassia's 9th grader and works part time helping customers at a feed store. Amelia is Mark and Stacy's 8th grader and helps with livestock chores at home. I also enjoyed having Cody, Mike and Suzanne's 11th grader, help deliver seed.
Schools are working to keep the kids working on their studies online. Thanks for the picture Stacy.
Companies are also being resilient. Our friend who owns and operates My Pillow has stepped up and converted his business into making masks for caregivers. Good job Mike. Other companies have converted to assisting in or building breathing ventilators.
I stand the risk of offending some of you however I strongly feel not everyone has our country's best interest in mind. I don't want to lose the freedoms, values, and opportunities which we've benefited from all our lives. It's no secret there are folks who want to be in charge of everything and are using this crisis to promote their agenda.
We are such a resilient country. We have a purpose. Countries from all over the world depend on us to be a leader. To be a helper. To have a stabilizing economy that effects the rest of the world. To defend. To protect ourselves and others from evil. In the last three weeks we have had just a taste of what it would be like to have others making decisions for us.
Sorry. Enough about politics. There have been rewards to our last couple of weeks. There seems to be an underlying simpleness and quietness under all this change and uncertainty. We are truly trying hard to keep our elderly and those with compromised health safe. We are having sincere compassion for those without an income right now. We have been given opportunities to help others. The has been a resurgence in refurbished family time including meals and spending time together. We realize things we have long taken for granted. We are learning to hang on loosely to material things. We are realizing just how fragile our lives actually are physically, mentally, and financially. And finally and most importantly we have all been reminded that we need God. He created us. For a purpose. Holding on to His promises not only gives us resilience but optimism.
There are also risks to the way we are living right now. More risks than just this virus. What we have to decide as a country is what is worse about this crisis, the cause, or the effect of the cause. It feels like we as a country are back on our heels right now and vulnerable. There are risks to flying yet I still fly. As you can see below there are dangers to farming. Yet it is a risk we take and count it a blessing to farm. We are not thinking on our own right now. Others are doing our thinking for us. And everyone feels we need to get in line and follow because that is saving lives. Is it really? I think the medical field vs. the economic and social fields will be having conversations soon.
Yes, we need to protect our vulnerable. However as a grandfather if I have to choose between my health and the future of our 21 grandkids, I'm willing to risk my health, even my life, for the chance for them to live in a country with the same opportunities that I've had. If this way of life continues indefinitely we are close to sacrificing our countries economy, maybe for a long, long time. What does that look like down the road for our kids and grandkids? Let's be resilient. Let's have a purpose. Let's keep thinking on our own. Let's not be afraid. Let's not get down in the dumps. Let's keep washing our hands, and looking for opportunities to help and serve others. Take care friends.
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