Our Next Chapter

Kish asked his son to to go look for their donkeys. They had gotten out again. Saul took a hired hand and searched for three days without success. Finally the hired hand suggested they go see the prophet Samuel since he was known as "The Seer", and had insight on many things. I Samuel 9.

Is 2025 going to be a good year or a bad one? Who decides? It could be a great year. Do our attitudes make a difference? I heard a pastor say in a funeral message this past week to find God in the mystery of the circumstances we face.

Ezra, Elijah, Elliot, and Jackson washed the last combine on Old Year's Eve. BJ and John continue to pattern tile for neighbors. Mike starts a terrace in the morning and finishes it that same day. Otherwise frost gets deep in bare dirt. Ezra and I took a load of 1st cutting alfalfa to the Amish auction in Drakesville yesterday for BJ.

Do you have any goals for our new year? I'm not talking New Year's resolutions or business objectives, both of which are good by the way. I'm suggesting thinking about patience, contentment, joy, gratitude, generosity, and relationships.

I had a landlord once that never looked back. Success or failure, he was always looking forward to his next adventure. It served him well. The Isaiah verse below is good advice. Thanks for the picture Ryan.

Live life fervently in 2025, both for yourself and others. Can you be happy in seeing others succeed? Per the picture below, if you're the one doing the kicking, think twice. If you're the one being kicked, count to ten before responding.

A fun story and a new chapter. BJ and Cassia's oldest son, Gideon and his wife Emily, have purchased the Sully Locker and Market, and are moving to the Sully Community.  Congratulations kiddos. And thank you to the previous owners, Rick and Cheryl, for believing in and giving this young couple a chance.

One more Grandpa Bill story. After coming to America at 16 years old and working for his uncle in south Chicago, Bill married Christine DeVries and soon moved to Iowa to farm. His youngest brother John came later leaving 7 brothers in Illinois. Bill and Tena had 10 children. I'm guessing the picture below was taken around 1960.

As I mentioned last week, shortly after World War II started, Bill's brother-in-law John, who was married to his older sister Cornelia, was apprehended for preaching the gospel and helping Jews. He was sent to a concentration camp. Every day Bill and Tena would send their 8 year old son down their long lane west of Rose Hill to the mail box to look for a letter saying John had been set free. A letter finally came, and said John had been executed by the Nazis in 1942.

That 8 year old son that went to the mail box every day was my father. He told Jan and I this story many years ago. And he distinctly remembered his parents' grief. My father, Harry, passed away in 2020. And my mother, Bynie, is doing well in Oskaloosa Care Center.

Remember our earlier story about Saul looking for his father's donkeys? Well the prophet Samuel was told by God to anoint Saul king of Israel when he came to ask about the lost animals. He also told Saul the lost donkeys were home safe and sound. In this story what started to be the main thing wasn't really the main thing.

We will set out to do things in 2025. However in our endeavors, God may have a different purpose for us. May the new year bring you new blessings. We visit about farming and family on these Sunday mornings. However as I think you already know, my goal is for you to think about your walk with the Lord, and your relationships with others. For the first time in many years I will not be writing our blog story next Sunday. See you in a couple of weeks.