Follow Through

Greetings from Cisero, Indiana. More about that next week. You've heard the joke about what the 4x4 sticker means on a farm truck. 4 weeks of planting in the spring. 4 weeks of harvesting in the fall. And 44 weeks vacation. 😏 Well, this morning's stories are about "following through" after planting season with just a few of the projects that happen as we look forward to summer and prepare for fall. Below BJ is helping run a tile line to catch the overflow water from our pond.

To follow through is to keep one's word. To finish a task. In short, to simply do what you say. To act with integrity. Mark is using his trackhoe on a farm near What Cheer for my brother Doug to install an old railroad tanker car used for a creek crossing. Thanks for the picture Doug.

It's a good feeling to have crops in. However we need to follow through by cleaning up and repairing equipment, getting ready for the next time it's needed. Below Alex sharpened the mower blades on Jan's mower and is washing it for her.

As you all know, yards don't stay neat on their own. Kurt and I loaded up a mower and our Roundup sprayer, and went and tidied up the yards on a couple of rented farms.

 Joe has been busy scouting crops and collecting empty seed boxes. One of these days we are going to need to have a box breaking down get-together when we make them half size getting ready for their return.

 

Remember we talked last week about the list our guys have. We're still working on them. Below Kurt, Joe, and I are moving some furniture.

 It's time to get the skinny tires on the sprayers as we prepare to start spraying second pass corn acres. We have found that spraying corn acres twice is actually more economical and insures weed free fields.

Last year we visited about Jerry and his crew strengthening low tonnage bridges for the county by driving I-beams in the ground with a dragline. They finished this bridge this past week just west of our place. It's been closed for over a year. 

Fencerow spraying usually starts around Memorial Day however I was able to get a number of farm fencerows and road ditches completed already. I enjoy seeing weed and tree free ditches, fencerows, and terraces. We use a product that kills woody plants and broadleaves but not grass.

 

Last week the men in our church had special music for Mother's Day. Guys, how can you "follow through" as an example with your children? Show them you love and cherish their mother. Gals, you can "follow through" by respecting, encouraging, and appreciating your husbands. A spouses day can be made or lost based on how we treat each other. Thanks for the picture Karen.

Last Tuesday evening our friend Mike and his group of after high school young adults got together at our place for a camp fire and fellowship.

I've heard Pastor Mike from Hope Luthern say, "God's plans are bigger than our dreams". Following through doesn't happen when we just try harder although we need to try hard. I have a farming story from the 1980s I've shared with you before about just trying harder on my own. It happens when we surrender to God and ask Him to write our story. Below I shot this picture of cousins "catching up" last Sunday morning at church coffeetime.

The past months have given us all kinds of reasons not to follow through. Covid says that we have excuses. We don't need results. Fear says not to follow through because we might get sick. Our current government is saying you don't have to follow through. We will take care of you and send you money not to work. We have a severe current parts and equipment shortage because of folks either afraid, not allowed to, or just choosing not to work. And good folks are falling into this Covid excuse because of the big companies they work for allowing it. Remember, a government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take away everything you have. Below Jayden, Sydnie, and Lane are helping Grandma make homemade noodles.

Friday evening Jan and I went to Joshua Christian Academy's banquet. JCA is an inner city K-12 school in Des Moines that gives kids a chance to "follow through" with their education. Jan and I are class sponsors for the 6th grade this year. JCA was the only school in the Des Moines metro area that had 5 day a week in person classes all year. They have started a second campus and are planning a third. Kudos to Chris, Cheryl, and their team.

I'd like to wrap up reminding you of an old story. It's about Joshua and it's recorded in the Bible. When Moses led the Israelites out of captivity under the government of Pharaoh (remember earlier Pharaoh had given them everything they needed), Joshua, as a young man, was one of two spies that wanted to "follow through"  and capture their promised land with God's help. Except the people were afraid and had excuses so they wandered for 40 years in a desert. Fast forward. Joshua becomes an excellent leader. He leads folks into the promised land. He conquers their enemies. He divides up the land between the 12 tribes. And at the end of the book and near the end of Joshua's life he is telling the story. He reminds folks of the successful story that God had written for them. He also warns them what will happen if they try and write their own story. And then he dies at 110 years old. He "followed through". I'm not 110 yet, however I'm closer to the end than the beginning of my story. I think Joshua is an example worth following. "Choose you this day who you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord". Thanks for your time.