Clear Eyesight

Our eyes tell our story. Often more expressive than words. By simply looking one can see if someone is tired, worried, afraid, angry, defeated. Or happy, content, bright, engaged, and confident. This past Wednesday Jan was feeling blessed, serving tenderloins, onion rings, and french fries that Mike helped deep fat fry in our farm shop during a regular visit from our chiropractor.

That's right. Dr. Mark makes house calls to our farm. In 2020 when our government leaders required us to social distance, we told him life was normal at our place, and invited him just to come out and adjust us on the farm. And he has been coming on a regular basis ever since, helping get the kinks out from motorcycle oops, bouncing in a tractor hauling dirt all week, hoeing in the garden, or power washing for hours.

3400 years ago Moses was born during a ban on Israelite boys in Egypt. He was hidden as a baby in the Nile river, raised in the palace of the enemy, worked as a shepherd for his father-in-law in Midian for 40 years, finally listened to God at the burning bush, led the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt, and put up with 6 million complaining, rebellious people in a dessert for another 40 years. Uff da!

Alex ordered and Kurt and Dean welded on a new jack on a trailer we use and gets loaned out all the time.

Elijah, Zach, Jackson, and Elliot wire brushed, power washed, and painted slip plate on the inside of a couple of gravity wagons.

Karl tried his hand at spraying his own fungicide and foliar fertilizer on his corn acres. He got along fairly well.

Elliot pushed a little dirt with Uncle Mike's 2nd dozer. Pushing in an old pond dike.

Jayden, Lane, and Ezra helped pick up sticks on a chunk of ground that was cleaned up and planted to late beans.

The northern part of Mahaska County had a deluge of rain in a short time this past week. Hill water covered many roads and again flooded two bottoms we farm a second time.

We still have some planting equipment hooked up. This week's weather will determine whether we try and re-replant these fields a third time.

On the 4th of July evening Jan and I were invited to BJ and Cassia's for supper with their family. Which includes two married kids, Gideon, Emily, and little Oakley, Rachel and Carson, John, Adi, Natalie, and Cassia's parents, Mike and Melanie. Thanks kiddos. We were blessed.

Early one morning 3400 years ago God told Moses this was the day he was going to die (Duet 31:14). And to climb Mt. Nebo, a 4600 ft. summit, across from Jericho, to see the promised land his successor, Joshua, was going to lead the Israelites into. Duet 34:7 says, "Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever". Moses finished strong.

How about you? Is your eyesight clear? Your eyes show your heart. Moses finished strong and was effective because of his close relationship to God. We celebrate the 4th of July wondering how much longer we will be blessed with our land of the free and home of the brave. We have a government that wants to be god rather than a republic, and politicians that want to be kings rather than servant leaders. But remember, Moses's clear eyesight came during really tough times. Continue to do what your good at. It might be growing food. It might be feeding grandkids. Blessings.