Living Unoffended Without Regrets

Alive is about family and friends during that dash between the day we were born and the day we die. Life is about what we believe in and how we spend our time. Living is about 10% what happens and 90% how we respond to what happens. Pride is what about me? Humility is what about others? Offended is being hurt because we don't agree. Unoffended is I'm fine whether we agree or disagree.

There is an awkward silence in America. On the one hand we have runaway inflation, shutting off domestic fuel production, constant talk about climate change, media untruthfulness, uncertainty about who's a boy and who's a girl, indoctrination of our children, disallowing early virus treatment and not recognizing natural immunity, vaccinations and mandates, political overreach, dying suddenly, and defying God.

On the other hand we are again watching sports on TV. We are again traveling. We are finding fuel. Our shelves are not empty. Our kids are in school. We are buying and selling. We're starting to wonder who we can trust. We are even asking questions. And we're watching the life of Jesus on The Chosen series. All sort of. These two lifestyles will collide in 2023.

One day after walking to Capernaum, Jesus asked his disciples what they were discussing on the road? They didn't answer him because they had been arguing about who was the greatest. So Jesus sat down, called his disciples over, picked up a little child in his arms, and told them that whoever becomes humble like this child will be first. And whoever is proud will be last. Jesus showed there was power in serving. He upset the apple cart on leadership. Yet he never backed down from truth. How do we lead in our culture today using Jesus' example?

This past Thursday we were asked to host a cover crop meeting in our shop sponsored by our local NRCS office, and Iowa State University. About 80 folks attended and the speakers and panelist did a great job.

The boys grilled burgers and brats. And we all helped Jan serve the noon meal. Besides the meat the menu included Kurt's baked beans, Jan's potato salad, sweetcorn, chips, and a variety of bars and cookies.

The heart is the center. And the pulse of what happens. Interesting enough a tile plow is much the same. The four hydraulic motors on this machine that make things happen were all replaced this past week. It's ready for another tiling season.

We hauled grain, seed, equipment, waste oil, and wood-shavings this week. Mike did some mulching for Caden. We graded the ice off our gravel road so semis would find traction. And we continue to service machinery and vehicles in the shop.

Matt helped out with some installations in the bunk house. John got our furnace in the basement working. And Randy replaced a couple of 13 year old computers this week.

We had some good meetings with our bankers Brian and Mark. I had a neat visit with Jim in Des Moines. And below, we put together a list for our crop inputs this crop season with Brent and Jim for our families operation.

Thanks to Barb, Becky and her family went to the State Capital Thursday morning to watch Governor Kim sign the School Choice bill.

I attended Eggs and Issues yesterday morning at Smokey Row in Oskaloosa. Thanks for the coffee Sandy. State legislatures Ken, just 3 days after hip replacement surgery, Helena, and Barb were the guests this month. The discussion was mostly around the legislation of school choice. I have two opinions on this. The first is it's ultimately the parent's responsibility, not the government's, to make sure their children are getting a quality education. The second is I think this bill will do more to improve the public school systems, than to fill the private schools. Since parents now have some financial help in their choices, public school boards will do their jobs of cleaning up the wokeness, the uncertainty of bathrooms, who's a boy and who's a girl. And maybe help out the teachers by enforcing respect by the students.

We continue to help out folks with medication for early treatment that has been scoffed at by our government which in turn scares the medical community. We all need to be intentional about discerning truth. And when our government, with the help of the media, is truthful. And when it is not.

Mike and Suzanne went to visit Cody in NW Iowa this weekend. Cody not only has a scholarship for playing football. But also one for helping out the cheer team. Thanks for the picture.

This is the second time already in this new year we have heard about God in NFL football. God's ways always amaze me. Our culture tries so hard to push fear in, and faith out. And then poof. God shows up. Kudos to Brock, an Iowa State alum.

It's time to wrap up. I'll let you in on a secret. I tried all week to get a picture of a cracked pot, with light shining through the cracks. To illustrate how "light"(God's) is starting to shine through our brokenness and failures in this new year. And how He is, and will continue to use us in reflecting His light, in an unoffending way, in our dark world. Well, I couldn't find a cracked pot. So I used our machine shed, though not near as effective. 😊

So why is "without regrets" in our title this morning? We are living in a time that makes us think and wonder about the future. I don't want anyone to have regrets about eternity. And I don't want to have regrets when I meet Christ, and He asks me why I didn't have the courage to talk to my friends. Blessings to you all. And thanks for stopping by.