Reputations

Fifty years ago this month our senior class of 1974 left early on a Friday morning on two buses for our class trip. After a fun day in the Ozarks we were to be in our rooms by 10 pm for at least quiet time. Later that evening the resort managers let our chaperones know that not all kids were in their rooms. To make a short story shorter, our class was loaded up and headed home early Saturday morning because of being disobedient. As far as I know our high school class was the only one in the 85 year school history to be sent home from a class trip. This event back 50 years ago created a reputation.

Below is the current 8th grade class of Oskaloosa Christian Grade School. Two of our grandchildren, Anton and Adi, are part of these graduates. Thanks for the picture.

Abraham Lincoln said "Character is like a tree and reputation is like it's shadow". Ben Franklin said "It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it". 

Below, Karl and Kristin's Tatum, is hanging out in the farm office with Uncle Mike. Thanks for the picture.

A week ago yesterday on a rainy Saturday afternoon, Jan and I took off for Amish country south of Centerville. Amish farming communities have had to diversify, just like English farmers. And many Amish families have retail stores, bakeries, greenhouses and nurseries, and furniture building shops.

We finished our evening by going out for supper on the north side of the Centerville square at a Greek restaurant that is very much like the ones in Pella and Oskaloosa. All of which have been open and good reputations for over 40 years. It was also Prom evening for the Centerville High School.

Last weekend it rained hard in our neighborhood. We had 2 inches in a 24 hour period.

Our field tile which have been running on and off this spring, are busy running again. There are some "climate change" folks who oppose tile. Saying tile has a reputation of dumping water into our creeks and streams. It's true. It's also clean. Grandson John took some tile water to school one day to show his teacher tile water is clean enough to drink. Rather than runoff over the surface bringing dirt and chemicals with it.

Rainy days bring on extended early morning coffee visits. There is a camaraderie, goodwill, and friendliness among family, help, and friends. It's also a bit of down time following many long days and nights in the field putting in the crop.

We did take a morning to break down seed proboxes. After the tops are removed and flipped over to make it half size, they are returned, along with empty pallets, to the Becks Seed warehouse on I80 just north of Colfax.

The guys also moved heavy equipment. Below Alex went and got Mark's backhoe from where Karl had used it to clean up tornado damage the weekend before.

Cousins and brothers Gideon, Ethan, and John spent yesterday afternoon pulling a motor out of Dan's old pickup. They intend to put it in a pickup Gideon owns. They all have a reputation for tackling most anything.

 This past week we had one window of opportunity to plant up north. About 5 pm on Wednesday Kurt planted 75 acres of corn north of What Cheer, and then 130 acres near Deep River. BJ planted a field of soybeans north of Union Mills, and then finished the night planting beans southeast of Deep River. Alex was able to spray two farms of planted soybeans.

On Thursday evening Pastor Tom and Erin pulled in and are camping at our place while they visit friends in the area, and hang out in Pella for Tulip Time. Pastor Tom has been an interim pastor in several churches in the Midwest during their retirement. They are good friends, and will be bringing the message in our church Sunday evening.

We start our lives here on earth with nothing. Everything we acquire is the Lords and shared with us. It's why we are to share with others. In Proverbs 22:16 Solomon says, "Choose a good reputation and respect over great riches. To be held in high esteem is better than wealth". Riches and wealth won't be remembered. It's all Gods anyway.

How will you be remembered? I personally thought about that while working ground Wednesday evening on a farm where I lived a couple of years as a kid near Union Mills cemetery. 1 Kings 10:1 says, "When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, which brought honor to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions". Despite Solomon's wealth, wisdom, and failures, his reputation brought honor to the name of the Lord. That's how it works folks. Blessings.