For a farmer it always begins here…the field and his shovel. For the farmer there will be no clock to punch in & out to get paid…no vacation break or boss to complain about. The farmer must relentlessly put first-things-first by not allowing any distractions. For the farmer knows if he misses the narrow window …
Which Are You…Cockleburs or Soybeans?
One of the things a person learns from the farm is that the ground does not care what it grows. Even though the farmer intends to grow soybeans, grass, weeds, and those pesky cocklebur seeds find a way to the ground. In the summer that became my job…Cocklebur Killer! We walked the bean rows before …
“Maybe He Won’t Know…”
Growing up on Andy’s Farm in the late 1950’s and early 60’s was very different than farming today. The primary weed & grass control method of that time was cultivation. This method was to drive a tractor pulling a cultivator between the rows digging up the grass & weeds. Cultivating soybeans is like threading a …
It “Looked” Healthy & Strong…
How could this happen? The tree had all the signs of life & strength. The birds & squirrels loved and trusted it, yet when the storms came, it broke in the middle. It appears that dirt, water, and seed set up in the fork of the tree. Over time the seeds sprouted, and the tiny …
“I Have an Arrest Warrant for Mr. Johnson.”
It was Sunday night, and we were unpacking from a hard drive after a vacation in Arizona when Mary said, “Robert, there’s a State Trooper at the door with a warrant for your arrest.” I replied, “It’s a mistake…I haven’t done anything wrong.” Well, I had. I made a series of bad choices. I had …
Continue reading “I Have an Arrest Warrant for Mr. Johnson.”
The Board of Education, God School
I first met Danny while working for an organization that advocates for people with developmental disabilities. It was my first job out of college, and with a degree in business, I had no idea what I was doing. I recognize this as a “God School” turning point. It would begin a 30-year journey that would …
Farrar, The Farmer’s Helpmate
In Genesis 2:18, “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” God did a fine work in both of them. They lovingly made each other strong…they filled each other’s blank places. Just like God intended. Farrar & Andy were married 65 …
A Farmer’s Hands…
One of the unique traits of a farmer is their hands. They were usually scared, sometimes missing a finger or two, callused and strong. This was my dad’s hands + they were large. So large that one day after I popped off and told my dad he was too old to catch me, he only …
Even God School Has Homework…
Accounting is a science of processes, rules, facts and order. When the process is done correctly, everything balances. If your numbers don’t balance, something is wrong. Accounting has no feeling. It’s just facts. Close does not count. It was around 2 AM when the bright idea struck me. For hours I had been trying to …
God School Lab, “The Pain Had A Purpose”
It seemed like an ordinary Fall Day at the lake. I had returned from lunch and was walking to the RV when I fell. I heard the snap as my knees hit the ground. I broke my leg (femur). I was by myself, lying in the slow falling rain. In the past, I had ridiculed …
Today's Good News 