Plant a Tree

This summer we had the best cherry crop from our cherry tree that we have ever had. Our early apple trees(Transparent) were loaded with apples and our peach crop is excellent. It looks like we will have a good fall apple crop and our pear tree has lots of pears on it. Its a satisfying feeling when trees you planted and cared for bear much fruit.

I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: (Eccl. 2:5)

A very old man was in his yard one spring day planting a tree. His neighbor looked across the fence and asked what he was doing. "I'm planting an apple tree," replied the old man. "Old man," the neighbor laughed, "you will never live long enough to eat the fruit of that tree." "I know," said the old man, " but my children will!"
Are we planting "trees" that will benefit and bless the generations that will follow us? Fruit trees nourish, shade trees provide comfort, windbreaks protect, and hedges set boundaries. The decisions we make today and the habits we form today will affect those who come after us. We have lots of things that we can pass on; the unadulterated Bible, the Gospel message, Judeo-Christian morals and ethics, the freedoms we enjoy in America, the economic opportunities we have, our work ethic, and our spiritual heritage and traditions. We plant these trees in the choices we make, starting when we are young. Our choice to accept and submit to the Gospel, our choice of a church and fellowship, our choice of a spouse, our choice of a job or career, how we spend our leisure time, how we entertain ourselves, our choice to be apethetic or to engage the culture, how we excercize our rights to influence political decisions, our character and public reputation, and the list goes on. All these things influence the next generations.
Plant trees, but make sure the seedstock has proven to bear good fruit.

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples (John 15:8)

Where there is no heritage . . . each generation starts over.

Farm Humor

A very zealous soul-winning young preacher recently came upon a farmer working in his field. Being concerned about the farmer's soul the preacher asked the man, "Are you laboring in the vineyard of the Lord my good man?"Not even looking at the preacher and continuing his work the farmer replied, "Naw, these are soybeans.""You don't understand," said the preacher. "Are you a Christian?"With the same amount of interest as his previous answer the farmer said, "Nope my name is Jones. You must be lookin for Jim Christian. He lives a mile south of here."The young determined preacher tried again asking the farmer, "Are you lost?""Naw! I've lived here all my life," answered the farmer."Are you prepared for the resurrection?" the frustrated preacher asked.This caught the farmer's attention and he asked, "When's it gonna be?"Thinking he had accomplished something the young preacher replied, "It could be today, tomorrow, or the next day." Taking a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiping his brow, the farmer remarked, "Well, don't mention it to my wife. She don't get out much and she'll wanna go all three days."



A bus load of politicians were driving down a country road one afternoon, when all of a sudden, the bus ran off the road and crashed into a tree in an old farmer's field.Seeing what happened, the old farmer went over to investigate. He then proceeded to dig a hole and bury the politicians.A few days later, the local sheriff came out, saw the crashed bus, and asked the old farmer, "Were they all dead?"The old farmer replied, "Well, some of them said they weren't, but you know how them politicians lie."

I Stink

I smell really bad tonight! My family told me so in no uncertain terms! This morning we sorted market hogs from a hoop building, getting my clothes splattered in the process. I sweat all day working outside in this heat, thus my clothes were wet from the inside out. I climbed inside our soybean meal bin to scoop humidity caked meal. I had ground feed rain on me from an overhead auger(and you wondered why farmers always wear hats). We unrolled 6 round bales of straw in the new hoop. And we moved 280 nursury pigs to the new hoop this evening after supper. I smell really bad like sweat, feed, and manure. I'm looking foward to and am thankful for a hot shower.

So is my family. :)

New Building

Out of the cornfield on the farm this week, a new building grew. It is a Cover-all Hoop building; a fabric covered truss arch frame with 6 ft. sidewalls and a full concrete floor. The cover is white with green trim. The size is 50' X 80'. It's really a nice looking building and would make a great picnic pavillion, all weather swimming pool "dome", roller rink, gymnasium, or revival tent. But, alas, it will get filled with pigs this week and therefore its use from now on will be somewhat restricted. The pigs will enjoy the deep bedding, natural ventilation and light, and unrestrained freedom. It will make more work for the old farmer, but hard work keeps me out of mischief(. . . well, usually!).


1Cr 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

Sunday School

Sunday morning I taught my last Sunday School lesson of my term, and I finished my term as superintendant. A sigh of relief is heard. We had a good year with lots of activities, good students, and I had good co-teachers. I really enjoyed working with this group of young adults and I appreciate the participation, respect, and support we received from them. Teaching Sunday School has been a blessing even though it requires a lot of time, effort, study,preparation, and discipline. And those are really all positives. Its been good for an old farmer because it makes you seek the spiritual needs, life trials, heart needs, and insecurities of teenagers, and then try in some small way to guide and teach them using what age and experience has taught you. And I emphasize "in some small way". I pray that God will bless each student.

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; (Eccl. 12:1)

Back Home Again

Hey, it's good to be back home again
Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend
Yes, 'n, hey it's good to be back home again

So its back to the extreme heat and humidity of central Illinois. Vacations are nice and I really got fat and lazy. But it's still good to be back home. Especially back to my own bed - I have a great bed with a down mattress pad. The main problem coming back is all the work that is awaiting and trying to get motivated to do it! You work overtime to get everything ready so that you can be gone with minimal work for the hired help, then you work overtime to catch up when you get back and you wonder if it was worth it. Yes, vacations are always good for you and your family, so go anyway. This one to Michigan was a little short(6 days), but we can live with that. The good news when we got back was that we received almost 2 inches of desperately needed rain while we were gone, and the crops have responded by looking great. Of coarse the weeds appreciated the rain also and are growing. Farmers can always find something to complain about :) And the prices have been going up because of the dry weather concerns. Life is good.

13And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
14That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
15And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
(Deuteronomy 11)

Vacation

I've been spending some time on a deck on the bluff overlooking the shore of Lake Michigan. We've been watching and listening to the waves as they relentlously land on the beach, and watching the beautiful sunsets over the lake. Relaxing from the stress of life. A blessed day of worship and fellowship in Alto, catching up on old friendships and making new ones. Catching up on my reading. Sleeping late(something I can't seem to do at home). Smelling the fresh sea air. Feeling the warm sun. Hearing the call of seagulls. Walking the beach, beachcombing. Happy sounds of children diving into the oncoming waves. Playing late night games of Rook with the masters. Cases of Dr. Pepper disappearing. Grazing on snack foods and candy all day.
Vacation at the beach with family!

The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. (Psalms 93:4)

Still, I prefer to vacation in the mountains.

Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; (Psalms 36:6)

Amber Waves of Grain

O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!

Wheat is generally considered a western cornbelt/great plains crop(yes - Kansas!). But, we grow a field every year here on the farm in central Illinois. It helps us spread our workload among the different seasons, we need the straw for bedding, we need a place to spread manure in the summer, and it provides needed cash after all spring crop expenses have been payed.
Wheat is a beautiful crop. It greens up early in the spring when all the other fields are still barren and trashy looking. Then, when all the other fields are lush and green, its ripe amber color adds contrast to the landscape. When the wind blows the ripe wheat, the amber waves move across the field like an ocean.
This week we harvested our wheat. This old farmer had a first happen - I jumped a bedded deer out of our field. Since we are probably 2 miles from the nearest timber, that was very unusual for us. We also set a new yield record for our farm - 113.7 bushels per acre! We spun an axle on our truck, so we had friend offer to bring his semi and haul for us. We were very greatful for the help.
After harvest is complete, we bale straw. We try to get lots of strong young men to help. We usually start baling late noon, take a lunch break around 3:30, then finish for a late supper. We've accomplished our goals if we get 2000+ bales in the haymow and have a lot of exhausted people. It's a great farm tradition! We also hire a friend to make large round bales for us - 90 this year. It's a great feeling to pass this point in the summer, because it means that now we can go on vacation!

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest (John 4:35)

And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. (Revelations 14:14,15)

Are we all ready for the eternal harvest?

Answered Prayers

I recognize my weaknesses as a Christian, a husband, and a father. That is why it is so important to humble ourselves(myself) before God and rely on his grace and guidance. Since the birth of each of our children, one of my most regular prayers has been that God would make up for my weaknesses, that he would do far above what my abilities were in raising them, that he would add to my feable efforts. He has been faithful! Add to God's help, a wonderful fellowship and a strong family heritage of faith.
This weekend we were able to gather in Church as two of our children(and 3 other young adults) gave their testimony of faith before our congregation. A testimony of repentance and conversion, forgiveness and peace. A testimony of the redemptive power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Today, as a public confession and symbol of being dead to sin and living a new life in Christ, they were baptised before a church full of family and friends, brothers and sisters. What a blessing it has been to watch the faithfulness of God! What a blessing it was to be surrounded by the love of Christ! Undeserving, I have truly been blessed, and I am thankful.
But, the greatest blessing goes to those who remember the creator in the days of their youth, who are willing to submit to his word, and seek to serve him all the days of their lives. The reward is eternity in heaven with our Savior.
Answered prayers.
Keep praying!


Psalm 1
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.