Couragous In Crsis

Being courageous during an uncomfortable time involves having some grit. It means staying calm when our culture suggest fear and anxiety. It means taking risk and being vulnerable. It means leading instead of following.

Jan and myself spent some time in Minneapolis, MN this past week. Believe it or not we are already making plans for the 2023 crop year including helping folks with their seed needs next year. Becks Seed had a summer camp kick off with family, staff, and dealers.

Speaking of summer camp, on the way to Minnesota we stopped at Riverside Bible Camp just north of Story City where I attended after my freshman year in high school. Fifty years ago summer camp was sometimes an opportunity to interact with girls that were not sisters or cousins. And I was about as uncomfortable around girls as an Amish boy in a tractor store back then.  A not so courageous story. It was a Wednesday at camp. The girls were to catch the boy they wanted to spend the evening at chapel with. The whole campground was in-bounds. Now there were boys that wanted caught. I could name names.😊 Rumor had it there were two girls after Wayne and I. We saw them coming. I told Wayne I was heading for the corn field to the north. Wayne said. "But that's out of bounds". I still feel bad just telling you the story. Poor girls. They went to chapel without a date. So did Wayne and I.

Believing in your influence and being courageous in what you believe was the message at our Becks get-together. I appreciate the Becks family and their seed business, now the third largest after Dekalb and Pioneer. I believe our family can spread hope and courage in a world that desperately needs it by using the businesses we are engaged in to not only doze, or tile, or truck, or custom farm, or sell seed. But to build relationships.

Karl was a finalist in a seed box flipping contest. He did well. I am thankful and blessed for all my kids.

Kirk, from the 1980s TV show Growing Pains, was the keynote speaker. Kirk talked about infusing faith in your business plan. And having God as a business partner. In real life he married his girlfriend from the TV show and they have 6 children. Kirk loves the Lord and goes around the country telling his story. Thanks for taking the picture Sonny.

We didn't talk hybrids, genetics, and traits. We discussed principles. We talked about the foundation of a business needs to include honoring God and serving others. Thanks for letting me borrow your slide David. David and his wife Kate have been friends with Jan and I for a number of years.

Back home 3rd cutting alfalfa is blooming and most corn acres are fully tasseled. Our crop still has much potential despite being quite dry.

Our sweetcorn looks good this year and if we can keep the raccoons out hope to be freezing corn by the end of the week.

Spraying 3rd pass fungicide on corn with a helicopter and beans with a ground rig is an expensive trip. However with crops and in life, if you want to reap bountifully, you need to sow bountifully. Just like David's previous slide suggest.

Elijah helped Grandpa mow waterways earlier this week.

Some of these jobs are probably starting to sound repetitive to you all. We keep cleaning and getting ready for next year.

A courageous tree in crisis story. This Black Walnut tree is about twenty years old according to measurements. It had been growing through an inch and a half crack in six inch thick concrete.

This picture doesn't due justice however this tree trunk was limited by that small crack. Yet it was determined not only to live, but thrive. Son-in-law Brian's message last Sunday was Joy in the Cracks. I spent an hour beating out concrete so this tree could have more room and water.

On Friday Jan, I, and friends attended The Family Leader Summit in Des Moines. Dr Tony talked about II Chronicles 15 where it says God gave Israel troubles of every kind so they would leave their idols, seek God, and come back to Him. Today some of our countries' idols are self, power, race, politics, culture, and class. Dr Tony also said the gospel is more than salvation and getting to heaven. That's "Love the Lord your God with all your heart". It's also impacting the culture here on earth. That's the "And love your neighbor as yourself" part.

Foster was a mutual friend of Tucker and myself. And we enjoyed visiting about how Foster was courageous, shared his faith, and impacted his culture. Especially with his generosity. Tucker talked at the Summit about how Washington DC no longer wants to serve. Tucker is courageous, often in crisis. He dares to ask hard questions and speak the truth. And he has the number one political commentator news show on TV. He has been married 31 years, and he and his wife Susan have four children. And live in a small town in northwest Maine.

There could be so many analogies this week. However I don't want to bore you all with words. I'd like to wrap up with reminding ourselves how many opportunities Christians have. The madness and crisis in our culture today has created not only an opportunity, but an expectation for our churches to have an impact. The church is the last levee in this flood of good against evil in our country. Our country is slipping and we all know it. Putting life in neutral and hoping things change will not will not work. Apathy and uncertainty are evils biggest tools. Every Sunday we hear the content of the gospel. We must also hear about the scope of that same gospel and how the church must engage in our culture. Let's be courageous.