A familiar prayer request used in many churches and homes is, “Give us this day our daily bread…” Matthew 6:11 (KJV)
Today I say, “Thank you” to the Lord. We have received rain. It may be in time to save the corn crop. It is helping the hay crop. It is still hot and now it is humid, but never mind the discomfort.
To the farmer, the corn and hay are the means of the daily bread that God provides. And He has sent us rain. “Thank you, Lord!”
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Drought as defined in World Book Dictionary is:
We have experienced such a season. Our corn is stessed. Grass has failed. The garden has had to be watered.
We have brown grass that has ceased to grow. Mowing has been suspended. As a result some plants that grow with the grass are able to grow and blossom. We are experiencing beauty even in the midst of drought.
Even in a spiritual drought or thirst, all is not lost. Look for the blooming beauty that the Lord has there for you. He makes beauty even in the hard times.
photo credit: Bretta Grabau
The north country of Wisconsin in late July and early August produces scrumptious wild blueberries, ready for the picking.
One day, Dad went out looking for blueberries. He had a spot, where he had picked before. He drove there, parked the car, and pail in hand, found the blue treats hanging ripe on the bushes.
As sunlight trickled through the bushes to the ground while he picked, Dad spied a shoe. Not knowing who might have lost it or where to return it, this good neighbor thought it best to put it in clear view so the owner could see it. The only visible place to put it was the limb of a nearby tree. He tied the laces securely around a branch and went back to picking berries.
Shoe Tree, a native of the north country
Many days, weeks and months passed. But rather than the shoe being found by its owner, other shoes started to adorn that tree. Evidently, others who saw the shoe hanging in the tree thought it a fun custom to contribute work boots, walking shoes and tennis shoes, etc. The tree branches hung low for several years.
At long last the road crew cut the tree down. It must have been judged unsightly. But by then, the custom was so deeply entrenched that shoes began showing up on several other trees on that same stretch of road.
When I go to the cabin and see the Shoe Tree, I remember my dear Dad. Those folks who have put shoes up may not realize it, but they add to a memorial to a gentle, loving man. He is gone now, but I know the tree people gave him a chuckle and they bring me pleasant thoughts of him.
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photo credit: Bretta Grabau
My daughter and I left the farm for a bit of a respite in the north country.
Barely a visitor, this yearling black bear sauntered right in front of our picture window.
Within a few miles of arriving at our destination, we were greeted by a parade of black bears crossing the road about 50 feet in front of us. A mother led the way followed by four cubs. I have see a mother and three cubs one other time, but this was unique. By the end of our northern retreat, we saw another one amble across our yard. This one we could catch on camera. I am glad we were indoors when he came calling.
We really enjoyed our time away from the farm. The woods send forth a fragrant air. Sounds of the wildlife are magnified. Sights of sparking water in the lake mesmerize the onlooker. We reunite with loved ones there. The north woods get-away treated us very well.
photo credit: Bretta Grabau
Do you have a mouse problem at your house?
Many have had to deal with such an occurrence.
Question: If you had to use a tool to get rid of such a pest, which would be the most effective?
A Dust Pan
A Hammer
A Wooden Chest
If you chose the wooden chest, you are right!
Here’s the handy-dandy way to eliminate mice from your life.
Our latest discovery reveals the truth. Mice cannot survive the mass of a chest falling on them. Evidence shows that they get pancaked.
The next time you encounter an invasion of mice, consider the wooden chest technique. You will be glad you did.
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In January, for the past several years, I have spent time reading the book of Job. It is a most ancient writing nestled within the larger volume called The Holy Bible. The Bible and the book of Job do not change from year to year. So why, then, do I read it regularly?
Wisdom comes through the testing of time.
I, as all other mortals, am only allowed a little bit of precious time in which to grow, learn and gain wisdom for this life. By consulting with that which is wiser than I am, I hope to pick up the added insight and the understanding which has endured through the ages. My hope is to let this book have its affect on my life, hence, to wisely use the short while I am given on this earth.
By the Bible’s own testimony, “The Word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 KJV)
If this book has the ability to divide the soul from spirit, to affect the body and to understand what is going on in the heart of a man or woman, then it is worth exposing myself to its teaching influence. It is “quick” or alive and “powerful” or active. The Holy Bible has the ability to change hearts and lives. And since it is the revealer of the mind and heart of God to man, I come obediently to sit under its instruction.
Another reason for regular use of the Bible is because it is like a deep well. It is filled with the cool, refreshing water…living water. One sip gives a taste, but if only sipped slightly and infrequently, it cannot totally refresh and invigorate the soul who fails to drink deeply from it.
This Word of God has so much in it, one nibble is good, but there is much more to be gained and to learn. Reading, reviewing, studying and pondering what is written in the Bible reveals new inspiration that one may have missed the first time through. Larger regular doses will satisfy whereas a nibble or sip may not.
Let us get back to my experience with Job.
You may recall that Job is well-known for the trying experiences he endured. He lost most of his family, his fortune and even his health in a very short time. Yet he took it patiently. He did not curse God for all that had happened to him. Rather, he blessed God. “And he said: ‘The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.’” (Job 1:21) Job suffered much.
With the suffering, Job understood despair. He spoke of weariness of life.
Does that ring a bell?
We all have those times when life is hard. We, too, have trials. They may or may not be regarding family, fortune or health as Job’s were. But as our lives unfold before us, we experience its twists and turns, its ups and downs as surely as the sun rises and sets. We really can identify with Job.
So let us consider another thing he said in Job 6:14. “For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend so that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.”
Job is not so unlike us. He knew what would help in despair…Kindness from a friend.
Can you think of someone who is in need of your kindness? You might take to him or her a meal, send a handwritten card, make a phone call to say that you care, or make a date to get together to just talk. You may just offer that one an hand on the shoulder or a hug to let your friend know you care. You might even get creative and fill up his/her wood pile. You can have a big ministry in kind deeds.
It may seem unimportant to you today, but Job does not see it that way. Remember, yours could be an act that helps your friend to “not forsake the fear of the Almighty.”
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I had a delicious snack of cheesy, corny chips. Then I headed outdoors to do some yardwork.
My tulips and daffodils needed trimming. The grass grows thick in the ground around them. So I have to take the hand clippers to do the job. The wind and the sun made the task comfortable. The cats came around to purr and relax around me as I labored cutting the long grass.
One of the younger cats came right up to me. He could smell the snack on my hands. It tempted him. He nudged up to my hand, expecting to taste something super. He prepared to bite a treat, applied pressure slowly and 
his sharp tooth broke my skin. Neither of us got anything good of the deal.
So I quit my work, cleansed the wound and went back to begin the job again.
The moral of the story is: wash the snacks off your hands, before you go out to work.
“God entrusted Heritage Farm to Randy and Wendy Grabau through the faith, dreams and hard work of their forebears. Stretching over the span of 150 years, the Grabau family has tilled the soil, raised animals, and nurtured new generations of men and women in the Christian faith.
Homegrown stories coming out of this lifestyle echo God’s truths on a day-to-day basis. For a peek into the diminishing lifestyle that has made our nation and families strong, take some time to sit a spell. Ponder a poem or consider a devotional message from God’s Word. As you cozy up with this book, you will find stories fit for adults and children.
“Heritage Farm is a small dairy farm nestled in the hardwood forest hills of southeastern Minnesota. My great-great-grandfather, John Grabau, purchased this land on September 21, 1856, two years before Minnesota became a state. Five generations of Grabau families have owned this farm…
…In the early 1980s, while searching for a name, I came across Psalm 16:5, 6. They say, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; Thou holdest my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yea, I have found a goodly heritage” (RSV). Those verses provided the name “Heritage Farm.” Heritage Farm has been a place to grow up, a place to raise my family, a place to make a living. Heritage Farm has been for me as that verse describes, a “pleasant place” and a “goodly heritage.” Heritage Farm is my home.
We hope you will be encouraged and challenged as you read glimpses of life on Heritage Farm.”
