Using Our Now

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 are either back ordered or unavailable. I continue to find myself comparing our current state of affairs to my visits in Malawi, Africa where my friends wait indefinitely for everything from eyeglasses to fertilizer. Can you imagine needing to replace a bearing on a combine or a guard on a bean head during harvest and not being able to find parts. We may have more need this fall to help each other out by sharing. Below Kurt is welding a patch on a worn spot on one of our grain carts.

We often order a full load of cement for a small project and then use the extra to pour a wave break along our pond. After finishing a small cement project to accommodate our new auger BJ, Kurt, and Mike helped pour along the pond while I brought them concrete with the skidloader bucket.

Late one afternoon Kasey had returned our skidloader after borrowing it and wanted to say thank you by washing it. When he turned on the power washer all our shop lights started flashing. The short version of this story is we had electrical problems. I was a little nervous with a bin of newcrop corn drying and no electricity. A huge Thank You to brother Bill who took time out of his already full schedule to get us fixed up and running again.

Harvest started Wednesday afternoon here at home south of Oskaloosa. It was a ten acre field just south of our yard pond. It was a 105 day Becks hybrid planted April 3. It was corn on corn. The moisture was 26%. The yield was 25 bushel per acre better than we have ever had on this field.

Remember the story of not being able to find a replacement pit auger? Well the new auger we bought with a swinging hopper in the pull-over pit is working just fine. Thanks to Layton for helping get the dryer fired up, set at the proper temperature and moisture, and automatically moving dry corn into the next bin.

Oskaloosa Christian School celebrated their 75th year teaching grade school students this past weekend. On Thursday morning our crew went to the Nazarene Church in town and helped set up for the Friday evening banquet. I'm very thankful the classrooms in our area are "normal" this fall.

There is a story in the Bible of Jesus healing these ten guys from a bad disease called leprosy. I'm sure all ten were grateful for going back to a normal, healthy life. However only one remembered to "use his now" and immediately go back and tell Jesus thank you. 

Thanks Kasey for showing your appreciation. And thanks to the 4-H kids for the notes in the mail. We all need to remind ourselves to take the time to say thank you to others. Also, we lean on God when times are tough. We need to remember to tell Him thank you when things go right. Even for the little stuff.

Yesterday my nephew Devin and Caitlyn were married at the Nazarene Church. Pastor Darren did a great job officiating. After the ceremony the couple said thank you to the guests by serving cupcakes in the reception line. Those of us that are married need to "use our now" to cherish our spouse. Because there are a number of you that know how it feels to no longer have the opportunity to do that because of loss.

Our nation continues to spiral downward in just about every way. I will offend a few of you with my next comment however I respect all of you and what you believe. I strongly feel we can't go downhill this fast without it being intentional. Folks in charge today are doing everything in their power to try and destroy God and family. The stories out of Afghanistan this week have been so sad as friends of friends are telling the stories of Afghan Christians now with the Lord as the bad guys (I'm trying to stay under the FB radar) are killing them. We need to "use our now" to stand up for the freedoms and values we hold dear.

There is no doubt in my mind we have two battles going on right now and both involve wanting power. Our government wants mandates and control over us. And Satan (yes, he is real) is still fighting for power and control. Our hope is we know who wins in the end!

After the wedding yesterday we attended the Concert on the Square here in Oskaloosa. Since we sponsored the event we were able to meet and visit with the groups. All three groups were amazing folks. America is still the best country in the world. We still have freedoms to worship our God in public. I think we should use "our now" to let our grandchildren, our community, and our country know, "Choose you this day (now) who you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord". Joshua 24:15.

What a blessing for a community to get together, fill our city square, and praise our God. The Afghan Christians can no longer publicly share their faith. Last Sunday Pastor Tom told of "now" brave "bad guys" killing Christians in Africa. It's not a question of "if" but "when" this trouble comes to America since the world now considers us weak. Let's use "our now" to share our time, our stuff, and our faith with others.  Summer is about over and winter is coming. Blessings.