Our Greater Purpose

We often hear about the good ole days. Looking back often gives one a better perspective. I was asked recently what time frame I would pick for our grandkids to live if there was a choice. You know, there has been this overall battle between good and evil, between acknowledging God and denying Him, between truth and lies, since the Garden of Eden.

Last Monday Jan and I were in Old Mexico. We asked our friend Israel to have this dessert scene painted for us while I had my boots polished, purchased our medications for the year, and had coffee and chips with the Mexican people. I asked him to add the words "Pray and Work" and then sign his name at the bottom.

Last time we visited we were in Tuscon, AZ attending a Dordt University Presidents weekend. After a Saturday evening concert, Keith and Kristyn Getty led us in the music at our last Sunday morning worship service. Finishing with the doxology that morning was pretty cool. A doxology is an ending chorus that gives praise and points to God. Our greater purpose.

I'm an early riser. Especially on Sunday mornings. Seems Keith Getty is as well. So we had coffee together and hung out for an hour before anyone else was up. Keith is 47 and Kristyn is 41. They have 4 girls and spend half their time in native Northern Ireland and half in Nashville, Tenn. Keith wrote the hymn, "In Christ Alone" when he was 25 yrs old. And he and his wife have been writing hymns ever since. Last Saturday Kristyn wrote a song about the hurt in Ukraine and sang it for the first time at our Sunday worship service. They often write the music first and then add words.

Last Sunday afternoon Jan and I drove from Tucson to Yuma, AZ. It's agriculture country in Palo Verde, a valley located in the lower Colorado River, along the AZ and California border. They grow crops mostly year around. I noticed farmers were experiencing help shortages just like everywhere else. The rightmost two rows of this harvesting machine was not manned. There is no farming done here on Sundays as the Mexican people meet for church. A greater purpose.

This is our friend Israel who is also a friend of Pastor Tom and Erin. He and his family live in Algodones, Mexico where he runs a scene painting shop. He introduced us to many of his church family and friends. He painted last week's lead blog picture last year for us.

With gas prices soaring in southern California, and with Iowa temps about as warm as the southern US late last week, we decided to head for home a day early. We got up at 3am in order to get through the greater Phoenix Valley rush hour before 7am. We drove just short of 1000 miles and stayed overnight in Guyman, Oklahoma. 

I'm suddenly reminded to express sympathy to friends and customers, Keith and Julie, who lost a son to cancer last week. Jesse was a vet, and ran his wife Kristen's families dairy in Clovis, New Mexico. He was 40 years old and attended PCHS with our kids. He and Kristen have 3 small children.

Also sympathies to Rich, an old friend, and his four daughters and their families. Rich's wife Kathy passed away after a long battle with cancer. Rich's father was our landlord when we lived on the Ponderosa in Union Mills when I was in 4th grade and Rich was in 8th grade.

We arrived back home in southern Iowa late Wednesday. On Friday morning shortly after 5am Jim called and said he had truck troubles. A rod had come loose on this Cummins engine, knocking a hole in the block near the Eldon exit on hwy 34.

We have been busy working on planters. Kudos to the crew for helping get our shop across the road cleaned up for our planter get together this Wednesday. Kudos to Matt, who's family are customers, for allowing us to use their CIH planter for the planter clinic. And son Mark, who is bringing his Kinze planter. With our green JD planters we should be mostly covered. More details in a couple of pictures.

We are full of Becks seed with more coming soon. One of Karl and my main goals this winter was to be sure we had the seed our customers have purchased. We have around 14000 bags on hand with just under 4000 bags left to come. With shortages and back orders abounding everywhere this year in our country, we wanted to be intentional about available supply.

Ever since Covid, most machinery dealerships have dropped having clinics where you get together and talk about planter readiness for the coming planting season. So this Wednesday, March 9, at 10 am until noon, here across the road in our new shop, you are invited to come and listen while Greg talks about Becks PFR planter trials where you get the most bang for your buck on precision planter attachments and technology. Then Randy will talk about JD planters. Derek about CIH. Kain about Kinze. And Jarod about Precision equipment and technology. This is not a seed meeting. We want to be a value to our community. It's our greater purpose. Although RSVP is not required it would be good to send me or Karl a text if you're coming so we have plenty of food for an awesome lunch at noon.

It's 7am already so I need to use less words. Thank you Governor Kim for signing a Save Girls Sports bill. Thanks for your common sense response to the State of the Union message. And thanks for your clarity and courage as you have helped make Iowa a great place to live during tough times. You are serving a greater purpose.

I am so impressed with the Ukrainians patriotism and strong spirit. When our president asked the Ukrainian president if he needed help fleeing, he responded he needed ammunition, not a ride. Below a Ukrainian family is around their kitchen table singing, "He will hold me fast". A hymn the Gettys sing often. The Russian dictator has painted himself in a corner and can't afford to lose. This will not end well. The losers will be the people of Ukraine, Russia, USA, and others.

Two years ago when Covid came there were some things our leadership did that intentionally went against helping and common sense. One, was not using, and even trying to ban effective early treatment for sick folks. Now our leadership it seems is intentionally creating a shortage of energy. 24 months ago the United States was completely independent on fuel, plus exporting some. Today we are totally dependent on Russia and others for fuel. I think we will have problems getting fuel for planting season. Which directly relates to food prices already soaring. Even our help shortage is showing we have become more of a consumer rather than a producer country. And that scenario does not have a good ending. The need for greater purpose leadership is never more evident than when it is missing.

 Our thoughts and prayers for Madison County and others who were devastated by tornadoes last evening.

Yesterday I had several grandkids help. Below are cousins from four different families eating Jan's lunch. What will our future hold for these little ones? Things in America are changing. We have executive orders. We hear little of Congress any more. Godlessness has permeated much of our culture. Whats our greater purpose? Seek truth. And then engage in that truth. And "pray and work" like our plaque that Israel made us says. Pray as if everything depends on God. It does. And work as if everything depends on us. Not good theology. But good use of God given abilities. Sorry were late this morning. Blessings.