You might say I was thinking kind of big picture this past week, where our country has been shooting balloons and objects out of our atmosphere. This picture includes all of us, no matter what country you live in. In 5th grade our teacher, Ruth, taught us about the nine planets in our solar system in science class. When I looked to confirm if in fact earth was third from the sun, I found out 30 years ago they no longer included Pluto as a planet. Interesting.
Last Sunday morning after our visit I noticed on social media that all Oskaloosa residents were out of water. So I drove to town just before 7am. An old 12 inch water main had broke about 4 blocks south of our church. A water department worker told me they had been notified just after midnight. The repair was finished shortly after lunch.
On my way home I noticed a fellow leaving a Caseys store with a gallon of water and a six-pack of beer. This got me thinking how inconvenient being without water could actually be. We posted on FB that folks were welcome to come out and use our bunkhouse for water, bathroom, and showers. We had a couple of takers.
Back in the 1980s Howard always told me February and August were traditionally the two months to purchase fuel. Other than the goofy things that have happened over the past three years, this has generally been true. Last Monday Jim and Dean went to Pella, loaded a 2000 gallon tank, and brought it home. BJ also went to Kay Tanks in Janesville, Iowa to pick up a new tank we purchased. Our goal is not only to capture some less expensive diesel prices, but to have some inventory around for our own spring needs as well as fuel for helping others in our custom work business in case things get goofy again. Thanks for the picture Jon.
Kasey helped BJ Friday haul wood shavings. Thanks for the picture Kasey.
Chuck, our Cat mechanic, is recovering from hip surgery. So Mike got a hold of another Zeiglar mechanic to go over his dozers next week. Every winter Mike gets them in the shop, drops the belly pans, checks for oil leaks, cleans the dirt out that always seems to collect, and get ready for spring.
You'd be surprised at how many meetings, get-togethers, classes, and recertifications we are either invited to or required to attend in the winter months. Below are all the commercial sprayer operators in our community attending a three hour required class. A commercial sprayer operator is defined as spraying for hire for others. There are seven of us in our crew licensed to spray commercially for hire.
Jan and I attended one of Osky Christian's last 7th and 8th grade basketball games of the year. Kudos to the team. They were fun to watch. And a big thanks to Mark for volunteering his time to coach the boys.
If you think about the states in America where life has been more normal the last three years than much of the rest of the country you will find a very common thread. Our own Gov Kim, from Iowa, Gov Kristi, from South Dakota, Gov Sarah, from Arkansas, Gov Ron, from Florida, and this gal, Kari, who actually won the governors race in Arizona, all love and serve the Lord. I have personally asked three of them about their faith, and have heard testimonies on the radio from the two I haven't met. There may be more I'm not aware of. Over the last 6000 years, history has proven again and again we can not do life without a relationship with our Creator. I asked the security fellow on the left of this picture if he and the security fellow on the right were brothers. He grinned and said yes. They looked like twins.
Have you ever had a really good conversation with folks you totally disagree with. It's totally possible. And can even be fun. Brian, Mark, and I were invited to a round table lunch at Calvary Church in Pella along with the rest of the folks around the table in the picture below. The national lobbying group we visited with main issues on their website were climate change and fossil fuel reduction. As Christians their goal is creation care. Mitch, their CEO quotes, "redefining social and environmental determinants of health". Thanks for the conversation Jeff.
Since our leadership has shut down much of our domestic fuel production, our fuel and fertilizer (made from petroleum) costs have quadrupled in the last three years. As a farmer I feel blessed to help feed the world. However it's getting harder. Farming has taken on a "Walmart mentality". More for less, and diversification. In the early 1980s we went to Taylorville, Illinois to buy a used cultivator like the one below. We killed weeds that escaped our herbicide and added N in the same trip. Then in the 1990s Roundup (which gets a bad rap) came out. And we could kill the weeds instead of the soil. It changed the weed control world and was stewardly at the same time. Today narrower rows, crop canopy, GMO traited crops, and less trips across the field (no till) have about eliminated cultivating. I know, the good old days often look better. However they are not profitable and possible. Profitable is not about the money. It's about staying in business.
Here's my thoughts on climate warming, or change, or crisis. I looked up the Milky Way. Google says we have around 200 billion stars. And there are another 100 to 200 billion Milky Ways. I'm not sure about the size of our universe. However I'm sure about the size and power of the Creator of that universe. And even as we work to be conservative and stewardly with the ground we are entrusted to use (on loan from God, as Rush used to say) so our grandkids find us faithful, I'm a speck of dust, living on a dot called earth. Who am I in God's great creation to think that I can change God's plan. Thanks for the picture. I obviously didn't take it. 😊
That same great big awesome God of the universe is also relationship. And He wants to have a personal relationship with me, a speck of dust, and with you all, who live on the 3rd dot from the sun we call earth. Jackson, Jayden, Logan, and Lane, who is trying to fix Mikes dozer, were over hanging out yesterday with their Dads.
Our culture today wants us to be in love with ourselves and addicted to government. That's totally backwards. It's why this place we call earth seems "out of kilter" as the Amish like to say. Being in relationship with each other is the being in God's image part. So instead of government and self, it's supposed to be God and others. The greatest commandment, right? These five brothers below, who their mother is enjoying coffee with, have heard me say often: Work hard. Don't be scared of responsibility. And care about others. So now I tell my grandkids. Blessings.
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