Orion, Phil, and Norman

Over the last several months, I read two autobiographies and a biography that I enjoyed.

The first, You Can't Dream Big Enough, by Orion Samuelson.  For over 60 years, Orion was/is one of the most respected broadcasters in American agriculture.  He spent most of his career at WGN, and broadcast-ed from the WGN studios on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago.  The most honored Ag journalist in the country, he was a staunch defender of the American farmer.  He took every chance he had to educate consumers about where their food came from.  I had the chance to meet and shake hands with him a few years back.  We could use a lot more in the media like him!

Next came Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson.  Phil is the patriarch of the bearded Robertson clan that got rich selling duck calls.  They now star on the A & E reality show Duck Dynasty, the most watched cable show ever.  He was a college football quarterback who played ahead of Terry Bradshaw, but quit playing after his junior year so he could spend more time hunting in the fall..  He had the opportunity to play in the NFL also, but turned it down to hunt ducks.  Phil repented at the age of 28, and has been a zealous, unashamed Christian and evangelist while hunting, fishing and making duck calls.  I have never seen the show, but I appreciate the fact that he is using the show and his fame to spread the Gospel.
He just became controversial and was fired from the show for quoting the Bible and calling homosexuality a sin in an interview.

We Christians are quickly losing Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion in this country.

The latest book that I read was, Our Daily Bread, The Essential Norman Bourlag by Noel Vietmeyer.  Norman Bourlag was perhaps the most important man in the world that nobody has heard of!  A great humanitarian, his wheat breeding discoveries literally saved billions of people in third world countries from starvation while transforming the economies of whole countries.  He took on the governments of several nations and the scientific establishments in the process.  He is one of only 5 people to have received both the Nobel Prize and the Congressional Medal of Honor.  I didn't think a book about wheat breeding could be interesting, but I actually found it fascinating.  He was also the person who introduced Little League baseball to Mexico while he was working there.  The team he started and coached eventually went on to win the Little League World Series.

   He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
Psalm 147:14

Winter

Last Saturday we attended the funeral of dear Sister Esther, and I was honored to be asked to be a pall bearer.  It was a bitter cold winter day, but dressed properly it was bearable.  I forgot how awkward it is to carry a casket without kicking or stepping on the other pall bearers' feet.  The spacing is too close, but I think we managed it with dignity.
 The old farmers wife remembered a poem from her youth that she thought fit Esther.

 I CAUGHT YOUR FAITH

I saw you stand
Bravely for years
But saw no trace
Of senseless fears.

I saw you stand
Calmly through stress
But caught no glimpse
Of bitterness

I saw you stand
Prayerful in grief
But saw no trace
Of unbelief.

Though you spoke well
Of Jesus Christ
I caught your faith
Watching your life.

Last night we had the first real snow of the winter.  It fell softly through the night, and ended up with 6+ inches by mid-morning.  Because we didn't have wind with it, it created a beautiful covering over everything.  I went out early and snapped some pictures.  Gus seemed to think he was to pose for me.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Proverbs 31 (various)

Normal?

After two busy, stressful weeks, life is starting to return to normal for us.  Full time volunteers are starting to take over the coordinating and logistics that we locals had been doing, allowing us to get back to work.  The clean up is far from being done, but the work is going at a much slower pace, now that all the emergency work is done.  We are working with much smaller groups of volunteers now.

We had a very nice, laid back Thanksgiving here at our house.  It was a small group this year with much of the family going with their other side.  We have much to be thankful for!

I went out Christmas shopping Monday night for the first time.  It ended up being mostly a scouting trip.

Our loader tractor had been used in the fields north of town for debris clean up, and it came home the other night with 3 of its 4 tires flat.

We took a day off and went to the Peoria Farm Show yesterday.  The topics of discussion seemed to be more about tornadoes than farm machinery.  The first of the beefs took a trip to the locker plant also yesterday.  It was the first time in my life that I helped load cattle.  I would say it's a little easier than hogs, but because of their size, you don't push them around, and it's more dangerous.

The first seed catalog arrived in the mail today!

And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
Genesis 18:7