Sunday, August 29, 2010

It Takes Dedication


The summer of 2007 was supposed to be an exciting summer for our family. My grandparents were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and we had been planning for over a year for this joyous occasion. We invited friends from all around the nation, ordered all the food, and had everything in order. Then the unexpected happened…my grandma became deathly ill a week before the big celebration. Doctors told us to cancel the big celebration and to start praying.

This was nothing new for our family. Grandpa and grandma had their share of difficulties over the years, but what we learned through it all is that…it takes dedication.

On the day that we were supposed to have their big celebration, we had a smaller get together at the hospital in Fargo. We brought grandpa up from the nursing home and from the moment he got there ‘til the moment he left he stayed at one place…by grandma’s bed side. He stood by the bed, held her hand, and gazed into her eyes for the whole day…it takes dedication.

That is probably one of the greatest lessons I learned from my grandpa and grandma…it takes dedication. They taught me, my whole family, and probably everyone they came in contact with…it takes dedication. It takes dedication to raise a family, survive farming mishaps, an elevator fire, and a long list of other things. The crazy thing is that they never complained about it.

The legacy that my grandma and grandpa have created is one that includes a lot of dedication. The one thing I want you to take away from this blog entry is that life…takes dedication. Success…takes dedication. Love…takes dedication. Agriculture…takes dedication. But if there’s one thing that I know it is this: the dedication you put into whatever you do is well worth it. My grandpa and grandma were able to celebrate 50 years of life and love together because they understood…it takes dedication.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Living Life


Growing up on the farm has been by far one of the most influential things to have happened in my life.I honestly believe that the lessons that I have learned growing up on the farm wouldn’t have been learned anywhere else. And that these lessons will be a solid foundation as I continue on in life.

Farm life teaches you the importance of hard work and determination. Farm life teaches you to respect others and to always thank God for what he has blessed you with. Farm life teaches you that you have to work hard and that there are rewards if you have the patience to wait for them. Farm life teaches you that each and every one of us has unique talents and we each serve a different purpose. Farm life teaches you that worrying is inevitable but pointless since we are not in control. Farm life teaches you to think outside of the box...what works for one person won’t always work for the other. Farm life teaches you to never take life for-granted.

In our home we have a large picture with a poem by Bonnie Mohr. The poem is called Living Life and I would like to share it with you and challenge you to really think about what the poem says. There is a lot of truth in it, for those involved in agriculture and those who are not.

"Life is not a race - but indeed a journey. Be Honest. Work Hard. Be Choosy. Say "thank you", and "great job" to someone each day. Go to church, take time for prayer. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh. Let your handshake mean more than pen and paper. Love your life and what you've been given, it is not accidental ~ search for your purpose and do it as best you can. Dreaming does matter. It allows you to become that which you inspire to be. Laugh often. Appreciate the little things in life and enjoy them. Some of the best things really are free. Do not worry, less wrinkles are more becoming. Forgive, it frees the soul. Take time for yourself ~ Plan for longevity. Recognize the special people you've been blessed to know. Live for today, enjoy the moment.

How will you live your life? How will you be remembered by those around you? How will the lessons you have learned (whether on the farm or not) allow you to live a better life? How will your life be defined? Each of us has a unique purpose in this life, but the big question is this: how do we live our life while trying to fulfill our purpose? How is our life going to make a difference in the lives of those around us. Will the difference we make be a positive one? Think about it...

Monday, August 16, 2010

Lessons Learned

Yesterday after work I headed straight to the field. I always love helping on the farm and combining is one of my favorite things to do. Yesterday my two older brothers, Jason and Justin, and I were in charge of running the combines. As we went around and around I got to thinking about how awesome it is to be out in the field with my brothers; even better was the fact that my mom, dad and sister in-law Amanda were also busy helping to keep everything on track. I feel truly blessed to have grown up in a family who loves to be together and who are passionate about agriculture.

Growing up on a family farm I understood from an early age the importance of what we do. I also learned that every job is important, whether that means making the guys supper, cleaning the house, or running a combine; each job is vital to the success of our operation.

When I was younger the lessons I learned were different that those I'm learning today. When I was younger I learned: the floor of a combine is an excellent napping place, the guys love when you make cookies, and if you go with dad for the day he just might take you to the cafe for breakfast. Now I'm learning: the floors of the combine are a lot smaller than they used to be, the guys still love it when you make cookies, and the rewards for hard work are well worth it.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is this: I have learned so much by being a part of my family's farm. The more time I spend in the field the more I learn and the more I love what we do. Life is about learning lessons. Sometimes we learn from the mistakes we make and sometimes we learn from the mistakes others have made. But the most important thing is that we learn something. I'm sure that when I head to the field after work today I will learn another lesson...and that's just fine with me. I could spend the rest of my life in the field, and I'm sure there'd still be lessons to learn!