65!

Sixty-five years ago today in the small town of Lester, Iowa, a young couple said their wedding vows.  After a short honeymoon ( the hay was ready to make!), they established their home on a farm southeast of Washington, Illinois and proceeded to raise grain, livestock, and a family. Last Saturday night, we held a family dinner in their honor.  The best man and maid of honor were both in attendance.  They have set a great example of what a Christian marriage looks like for their children and grandchildren to follow.  When asked what the secret to a successful marriage, the answer was the same from both; Having a strong Christian faith and their spiritual heritage.  Their lives and marriage have truly been a blessing to their descendants.

The old farmer's parents.

After supper this evening, Son#2 looked out the window and said,"Dad, are there supposed to be pigs walking around in the yard?"
We hustled out for the roundup.  A pen of pigs had broken out of their gate in the finishing building and had walked out the open door and were wandering around.  Fortunately they hadn't been out long and they remembered where they came from, so they went back in easily.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:23

A Bible and a Belt

The cherries were ready this past week.  We picked twice, and the old farmer's wife made a fresh cherry pie.

More rain this week; over 2 more inches.  In one of the ponds behind our farmstead there was a pair of Mallards enjoying themselves.  When I was scouting the back field, there was a Heron in a pond.  If I could have gotten close enough I would have taken a picture, but it was too muddy.

As today is Father's Day, I am thankful and blessed that I still have my father to turn to for advice and support.  He is 90 years old and still relatively healthy.  Much of who I am is a result of his teaching and example.  I am blessed to be a father myself and it has been a great privilege that I am still not sure that I am mature enough to handle or deserve!
In honor of the day I am going to post the lyrics to a song by Joey and Rory about being raised with a Bible and a belt.  Similar to the way the old farmer was raised.  You can watch the video here.

A Bible and a Belt

They were both made of leather, both black and frayed and worn.

I was brought up to respect them since the day that I was born.

One came here from England; it's been handed down for years.

The other one was ordered from a catalog at Sears.

One my mamma read to me till I was well into my teens.

I thought all the other one was for was to hold up daddy's jeans.

Till I told a lie and learned it had another purpose too.

Out behind the shed my daddy said, "This'll hurt me more than you."

Cause one had my daddy's name on it, the other said King James.

With love they taught us lessons but we feared them both the same.

One led us to heaven and the other left a welt 

Those were the days when kids were raised with a bible and a belt.

I remember when I was twelve I stole a dime store comic book.

How Mamma read where the scriptures said to take back what I took.

When I refused my daddy grabbed my arm and said, 'Come on'

I needed more, he knew, than just Matthew, Mark and Luke and John.

Well sometimes they made me cry, sometimes they made me fightin' mad

And I wished I'd been raised without them like some other children had

But now I'm grown with kids of my own and I know just how they felt

You know it seems to me what the world still needs is a bible and a belt.

Cause one had my daddy's name on it, the other said King James.

With love they taught us lessons but we feared them both the same.

One led us to heaven and the other hurt like hell

Those were the days when kids were raised with a bible and a belt.

A bible and a belt.

We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, 

what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

Psalm 44:1

Again

We received a total of 6" of rain last week.  The low areas are ponds and the crops are looking uneven.  A week of sun would be appreciated, but it is still raining.

The wildflowers in the ditches are starting to bloom.

We had another busy weekend.  Friday/Saturday we attended cousin Bob's (that Bob!) visitation and funeral.  The second to die from that generation.  A life taken too soon.  And yet, to leave this life instantly and peacefully on the shore of a beautiful Canadian lake would be an ideal time and place to meet our Savior.
Sunday I worked at Michelle and Merle's reception under the direction of my wife.  It was a beautiful wedding and service, and the reception went smoothly.
That was the third wedding in four weeks.  We have a break now for a while.

  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
I Corinthians 2:9

Busy

Life has been busy.  A week ago Saturday we drove to Gridley for Uncle Bill's 90th birthday party.  Then back west for Trent and Candice's graduation parties.  I ate supper 3 times that day!

Did you hear about the man who had to have his left side amputated?

He's all right now!

Sunday was a wedding reception in Goodfield followed by potluck in the evening.  Monday afternoon we did a little shopping in Bloomington then the choir sang at Bloomington's VBS in the evening.  Saturday I attended a meeting put on by Chad Colby of AgTechTalk about UAV's, FAA regs, NDIV and thermal imaging.  Sunday was Josh and Amber's wedding in Washington followed by the reception in Roanoke.

Sunday storms brought us 2.3 inches of rain with wind.  We had a lot of branches down in the yard and I lost one of my apple trees.  Last night we had another 1.6 inches of rain, so we are close to 4 inches for the week with more forecasted.

Tuesday night we took my folks down to C-U for nephew Ned's masters recital. He performed pieces by Bach and Beethoven for over an hour from memory. He played very well, but the music was so sophisticated that I wouldn't know it if he did make a mistake.  I met his instructor afterword. She is a member of the Jupiter String Quartet, the Quartet-in-Residence at the U of I School of Music. She said she could get us some tickets for one of their concerts sometime.:)  After the reception, we took the Oldest Farmer and his wife for a short campus walk.  It was the first time the Oldest Farmer had seen the Morrow Plots.  We showed them the Carillon on the South Quad, Mumford Hall, walked over the Undergrad Library, past the Observatory, by Foellinger Auditorium, and onto the main Quad.  I think they enjoyed the little tour.  We then drove to Neal and Kim's in St. Joe for ice cream and some visiting before heading for home.  It was a late night, but a good time.

Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
Psalm 81:2