StillwatersIowa

Today is the 31st and last chapter of March/2024. We can't go back. However the chapters we're living today have an impact on how the 2024 story ends. Last Sunday our family had lunch together for Palm Sunday. The girls got together yesterday for a baby shower for Gideon and Emily. How many of you are in the first half of your life? How many of you are in the last quarter? Remember, we're not running the time clock. The end of the game is not something we choose to think about much. Yet what we do today has an impact on our last chapters. A good share of our week was working in the shop. It's always beneficial to find weak and worn parts before go time. It also gives us some time in case those parts need ordered. Robin came to do some warranty work on our high speed disk. BJ and Rob are assisting. This tillage tool works well for a dry spring. A field cultivator is probably better for a wet one. No till works best when it is dry and warm. Those decisions will happen soo...

What's the next chapter? In our country? In our personal lives? Will there be troubles? Or will it be our finest hour? Or will struggles bring out our finest hour? Thanks for coming with your Dad for coffee Jade and Logan, and hanging out with Malaki. Since we're living our stories (history), we don't know details of our coming chapters. However we can look back. And remember what and why things happened. This was our first home as a young married couple. It was north of Oskaloosa on the Glendale road which was gravel back then. Earl and Marie were our landlords. Since the house had no water source, Orid would bring us a 1000 gallon at a time with his little truck for seven dollars. We farmed Walter's farm down the road. After three years Walter's kids decided to sell the farm. Once again the next chapter was uncertain. We looked all over for a farm. We put a bid on a farm near Albia. Before that bid was accepted Jan and I went to the Muchakinock Creek bottom, where...

Jan and I arrived home from Arizona last Sunday afternoon. It's great to have family, friends, and a farm to come home to. In the beginning of Deuteronomy 11, Moses is talking to the Israelites just before they come to enter their promised homeland. He tells the people to keep in mind their children have not experienced God's discipline or seen the Lord's greatness, miraculous signs, and powerful arm when this large family left Egypt, and watched their adversary drown in the Red Sea. Or how God cared for them while they were in the wilderness. In verses 8-15 Moses tells them about the blessings of obedience. In verses 16-17 he warms them about the consequences of forgetting God. God's promises, instructions, and warnings don't automatically, spontaneously, through birthright, or unassisted come into the lives of children and young adults. Previous generations are to be intentional. Not just about rules and boundaries. But with personal stories about God's love a...

Last week we went back 50 years to Jan's sister's wedding in 1974. Let's go back one more year to the summer of 1973. I had just finished my junior year year of high school. I was the pitcher for our Osky 1 church softball team #2. Phil and Phyllis came to our game with a friend of Phyllis. They introduced me to Jan who had just graduated from high school. After the game, the 4 of us went for ice cream. Jan rode with me on my Honda 450CL motorcycle. She must have been brave. As we visited, I was impressed with two things. She was cute. And she knew so much about farming. We had a blissful summer. Wow. I was content to date that girl forever. However, that was the problem. I had no plan. All I knew was farming. I hadn't dated any other girl other than hanging out at social events. I wasn't taught to share my feelings. I was just plain boring! And come harvest time 1973, Jan broke up with me.   P.S. Notice our southern border wall near San Luis, Arizona in the picture...