StillwatersIowa

I often write what's been most relevant on my heart for the week. As BJ dropped me off late last evening from the field, and I thought back on our week, grace came to mind.  What is grace? I've heard it described as goodwill, being polite, free gift, divine favor, unwarranted merit. My definition of grace this morning is undeserved blessings from God. In late summer of 2015 I received a call from Jim. He said he and his wife Carol were considering slowing down some and asked if we could visit. Kurt and I met him and Carol in the same field back then where Emily brought our crew supper Thursday evening. Because of that "undeserved blessing" Kurt, Emily, and family now live and farm west of Leighton. In 1998, after being our county supervisor, Jim was elected to the Iowa legislature as a representative and served 6 terms until he retired in 2012. Jim passed away this past week after a long illness. Our thoughts and prayers are with Carol and their son Jeff as they conti...

Good morning. I've driven by this cattle coral on a ranch in the mountains on Highway 14 near Walden, Colorado many times during visits. No one lives here anymore. 20+ years ago as a young man working out here one winter BJ used to pick up these rancher's kids and take them into Walden to school. My point is times continually change. Our country is currently experiencing an unraveling of society. Regardless of the circumstances life is an attitude. Make sure the folks you interact with have a positive experience. About 10 days ago Cargill closed for annual maintenance. So Jan and I hooked up the camper and enjoyed some time together in northwest Colorado south of the tiny town of Gould at around 9000 feet elevation in the mountains surrounded by lodge-pole pines and colorful aspen trees. I was truly able to relax away from phone, internet, electricity, farm, and our countries circumstances. Since we took our Ranger along we enjoyed God's creation by riding trails up the mou...

Twenty years ago we all remembered where we were at when our world stopped on 9/11. I was getting bins ready for harvest. Jan was taking the twins to school. Becky called from Dordt College where she was a freshman. Later that day we watched Airforce One with two F15s fly over. They were the only aircraft allowed in the sky. I also remember our churches filled as our country went to God for help. Mainstream news reporters asked us all to pray. Today our country is doing everything in it's power to share life without God. And it's not working out so well. Today my heart is full. The dark things in this world make the bright things so much more vivid. And I want to share a few of my life's bright highlights with you this week. I'm so thankful we live in the heartland where God and family are still acknowledged as the center of life. On Labor Day Ezra, Eliott, Zach, Harris, and Hazel helped me start another sidewalk project after we had combined a few loads of corn for the...

Labor Day weekend reminds us summer is nearly over. The days are getting shorter. Early mornings are cooler. The crops are changing. We need to appreciate and make the most of our warm, productive, and opportunistic weather. Because winter is coming. Kudos to Scott for cleaning, fixing, and calibrating our moisture tester for our upcoming harvest. Scott Ag Solutions is the place to call if you need to update your grain sampler. Thanks to Jayden for helping Grandpa test some corn. While I was greasing one of our grain trailers I noticed we could use some new brake shoes. On a semi air pressure turns a set of S-cams to push the shoes up against a big brake drum. Gideon, Ethan, and John have all worked for Brett at Outer Limits Truck Repair during their high school years. So it was a breeze for Gideon to come after class and show Alex and I how to attach the springs and install the new shoes. We need to "use our now" for preparation and parts. What I mean is more and more things...