Continued

The prime rib I had at The Depot was very good, as well the turtle cheesecake I had for desert. Unfortunately, there had been a request by Ron for a quartet to sing "Bless Them Lord" after dinner. With full stomachs and no warm up the quartet (who shall remain nameless), didn't sound very good. Following introductions, speeches, a slide show, and the quartet, Eric capped off the evening with his rendition of "The Things You Don't Say To Your Wife".

Sunday morning we were a little worried if the wedding would go as planned. Ron was up most of the night very sick. Dr. Randy rushed to the scene and prescribed treatment. By noon he was feeling much better and made it to church in plenty of time to get married. There was Gatorade by his seat, and the best man was alert for any wavering.

The "middle-aged" bridesmaids all looked nice in periwinkle blue, especially the old farmers' lovely wife. No chuckles were heard as they strolled down the aisle. The reception was large and the food good; pulled pork sandwiches, pasta salad, and brownies and ice cream.
And then it was over.

And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
Luke 5:31

Busy Weekend

Last weekend was a busy one for us. All the family was in town for the big wedding. We had 27 guests for supper in the old farm house Saturday night and we weren't even here! The daughters fed the crowd while we were at the Rehearsal Dinner. Then we had eight overnight guests. Grandma would have been proud to see her house full.
Saturday morning after chores I had to run to church to learn my ushering duties. In the afternoon we quit early so that we could attend Rachel and Austin's wedding. It was very nice, but unfortunately we couldn't stay for the reception. I would have loved to have shared that time with their family and friends. After the rehearsal dinner at Garden Gate, it was back to the fellowship hall to make sure everything was set up for the reception Sunday.

Growing up, Kary was like another little sister. Vernie worked late most evenings as a car salesman. Pearline would often bring the kids out to the farm, so several nights a week they were at our supper table. Sunday after church it was usually lunch call at one or the others' house. With Mom and Pearl being sisters from Iowa, we took many a trip to Lester together. Both families bought camping trailers, so most of our vacations were taken together. Canning, freezing, and butchering was done together. Holidays were spent together. After we married, Kary was like an aunt to our kids.

For the last 25 or 30 years, I have worked regularly with Ron. He is our fertilizer and chemical salesman/supplier, and he has been an asset to our farming operation. He has done most of our crop scouting, and in his younger days did a lot of soil testing and custom application for us. I trust his fertility, chemical program, insecticide, fungicide, and liming recommendations so much that I have become lazy in the agronomy department. I have admired his hunting, fishing, and musical talents. Ron has been a widower for over three years and has a neat family of five adult children.

Ron and Kary are both from big families, and they both made lots of friends over the years. Sunday, they were united in Holy Matrimony. It was one of the largest weddings we have ever had in our church.
Congratulations and God's blessings Kary and Ron!


Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
Matthew 22:4

Flag Day

Since today is Flag day, I thought I would post the lyrics to The Star-Spangled Banner. The last three verses are rarely heard. I think the fourth verse in particular is often overlooked in our society today. Few of us have sacrificed to obtain the freedom that our flag represents. Many forget that God has the power to raise Nations or put down Nations. Too few are grateful for all that we have.
None of us have done anything to deserve the spiritual freedom that we can have.

The Star-Spangled Banner

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
Acts 22:28

Update

Saturday night seven tornadoes touched down in central Illinois. One of them passed about five miles north of us. I spent most of today (along with about twenty-five others) helping clean up a farm that took a direct hit from the tornado. They lost the roof off of the house, many trees, a barn, two machine sheds, two hog houses, several grain bins, and a grain leg. Much of the machinery in the sheds was damaged. It was a huge mess and will take a lot more work to get it all cleaned up.
We lost power for 5-6 hours twice last week. Our flashlights and candles are getting a workout. It keeps raining, and we are about 5 inches above normal year-to-date already. We were able to finish planting soybeans last week and were able to replant the drowned out patches this week. Our custom applicator got into the wrong field last week, and before he realized it he had killed the end rows in one of our soybean fields. I replanted that on Monday. Hopefully they will grow.

I received a phone call from young man that was in the car accident. He thanked me for helping at the scene. He is back at work and says he has no permanent damage. The good Lord was watching over him!

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Acts 2:2

Wooden

John Wooden, perhaps the greatest basketball coach ever, died this week. Here are some of his quotes that I like.

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think of you."

"Be prepared and be honest."

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."

"Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights."

"If you don't have the time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it over?"

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

"Never mistake activity for achievement."

"The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones."

"Talent is God given. Be Humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful."

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
I Peter 5:6