Sounds kind of backwards doesn't it?  We have always been taught to put 100% into everything we do, and not to even bother doing something if you aren't going to give it your all.  Well, I am going to disagree with that.  I say, "If it's worth doing, then it's worth doing poorly."  I didn't make this saying up, but heard it from Rob Rienow when he was speaking to men about leading their wives.

You see, many people don't even attempt to do things, for fear of failure.  Many men are scared to open the Bible in their homes because they don't have a degree in theology and are scared they might misprounounce Mahershalalhashbaz...yes that really is someone's name, see Isaiah 8:3.  Men - you don't have to be a Bible scholar to lead your wives!  If you can talk out loud, and you can read...then you can lead your wife!  Just open your Bible to Proverbs or Psalms and read, then shut it.  It is that easy, no hour long sermon is necessary. 

Reading your Bible together along with prayer are the main ingredients to make any marriage flourish.  If praying out loud with your spouse isn't something you have done regularly, then it can be awkward.  Just remember, you are talking to your heavenly Father, He already knows you better than you know yourself, so there is no need for an expanded vocabulary or poetic speech.  Just thank Him for all He has blessed you with, and tell Him what is on your heart.  He already knows, so it really shouldn't be that scary. 

Wives - if a husband hasn't been the leader that your heart desires, then pray, pray, and pray some more.  And when he does step up and lead, don't tell him how he is doing it wrong or make fun of his bumbling speech during a prayer.  Just be thankful that your hubby has taken that step of faith, tell him you are thankful, encourage him, and keep praying for him. 

If it is 11:30 at night and you and your spouse have finally just crawled into bed, exhausted after a long day.  Grab your iPhone, pop open your Bible app and read a few verses (or if you are extra tired, you could have the Bible app read to you...technology is a wonderful thing!).  Then hold hands and thank the Lord for the day you had and the fact that you have a loving spouse by your side.  Next, roll over and have sweet dreams!  See it wasn't that hard and didn't take that long! 

Of course I think the Lord does deserve the best of us, but I also think that reading a few verses and saying a two minute prayer is a lot better than nothing. 

Thanks for reading and I pray this post encouraged you!

Everyone saw the Ram commercial during the Superbowl on Sunday.  The one with Paul Harvey telling viewers how farmers care for their animals, work hard from dawn until past dusk, have family as a top priority, pass their career on from generation to generation, and our stewards of the land.  The Lord needed a special kind of person who was strong in the back yet gentle in the spirit to do all these things, so on the 8th day "God made a farmer." 

With such a strong message. of course this commercial has also caused some controversy.  Just find the video on YouTube and read the comments below.  You are sure to find comments all over the board, things such as...

"And on the ninth day God saw that the "caretakers" he had created were
destroying the natural resources He had made for their own profit. They were
poisoning the ground and water with chemicals, fertilizers and animal waste,
promoting soil erosion and loss of topsoil by over-tilling the land, destroying
wetlands, cutting down trees and generally just screwing up everything they
touched. And always complaining while the largest welfare program in this
country (The Farm Program) supports them."

"I'm an Atheist and I loved this commercial."

"And on the ninth day, when the farmer became lazy, God made Mexicans to pick
the fields."

"SOME of us understand where our groceries come from.
And please thank all the farmers you meet today; you are an invaluable
asset."

"Beautifully made commercial. It's blatantly exploitative and misleading -
relying on an ignorant and easily led audience."

"No Farmers, No Food"

"We don't need farmers. All we got to do is go to the store and buy our food.
Pretty easy, huh?"

"And on the first day, man invented God"

"Farmers are stupid, its a stupid job."

"The whole point of this commircal was to sell the truth.  How our food is
made and where it comes from.  And most of all, how hard farmers work and struggle to
get the job done.  Farmers don't get enough credit and respect for their work."

"On the ninth day, The Devil created GMO's and MONSANTO!!!"

"Most food comes from large corporate farms."

"Being a farmer is one of the most demanding and stressful jobs you can possibly
imagine and when it comes down to it yes it does have one of the worst financial
returns of any other professions for the amount of investment and commitment. If
the government didn't give farmers financial aid, nobody would be a damn farmer.
The government gives those incentives to keep jobs in America and prices down so
when you go to the market you save an extra $.10 cents a potato."

Wow...lots of people, farmers and non...have stong opinions!  Here is where I throw in my two cents.  I loved the commercial, Ioved hearing Paul Harvey's voice speak once again and read his famous essay that was first given as a speech in 1978 at a Future Farmers of America Convention.  The tribute to farmers has since been passed around by farm families as an anthem to the work in their lives, and it was so wonderful that the whole nation got to hear all those wonderful words and see all those gorgeous pictures.  Putting the spotlight on agriculture and God during the nations biggest televised event was a bold thing to do...and it was awesome!  

Things have changed in farming since 1978, just as most things in our day to day lives have changed since 1978.  But the core values are still there and many negative comments that people are posting in response to the commercial are simply untrue.  Farmers care for the land, we take many steps to preserve the land that is our life blood for many generations to come.  Farmers are the last people who want to see our fertile soils get eroded and they do many things to prevent that.  On our farm we do extensive no-till and cover crop practices to ensure land preservation. 

Most food does not come from large corporate farms...the vast majority of farms in America (90%) are owned and operated by individuals or families.  The next largest category of ownership is partnerships (6%).  The “corporate” farms account for only 3% of U.S. farms and 90% of those corporations are in fact family owned.  Many farm families have formed modest-sized corporations to take advantage of legal and accounting benefits of that type of business enterprise.  We do not currently operate as a corporation, but we may change that in the future.  Corporation or not, our farm is a true family operation, Brady is the 6th generation who will take it over as head farm manager one day.    

Contrary to popular belief, Satan did not create Monsanto and GMO's...as the world's population continues to increase, so does the demand food.  Farmers and agricultural workers have taken this challange head on.  This increased demand has been met (and exceeded) with the aid of large-scale equipment and machinery, improved crop varieties (including GMOs), commercial fertilizers, and pesticides. 

Farmers really are amazing people.  To be a successful farmer you have to wear so many hats.  You have to be an agronomist, grain marketer, mechanic, livestock caretaker, tax man, heavy equipment operator, manual laborer, and more.

Please watch and share this video of the commercial.  Every time someone watches and shares the video, Ram makes a donation to FFA and to assist in local hunger relief and educational programs!  

If you know a farmer, shake his or her hand today.  And if you are married to a farmer like I am...you can do even more than that ;)

This is the devotional that Brady and I are reading during 2013.  I am a huge fan of the "I am Second" movement and I love watching the videos on their website. 

In 2012 Brady and I didn't read any devotional, we just read our Bibles every day.  A few weeks before Christmas as Brady and I were driving to church with JR and Dustin we asked them if they had been reading their Bibles lately...JR replied no, and he didn't even know where his BIble was at the moment.  When asked why he wasn't reading, he simply replied that he didn't even know what to read or where to start. 

I can definitely relate to the feeling.  After that conversation I really felt like we (Brady and I and the boys) needed something to supplement our Bible reading in 2013.  One day while I was traveling for work, I sneakly swung by the Christian book store and picked up three copies of this bad boy...one for Brady and I to share...and one for each of the boys.  Even though they are twins and they live together...I figured I would be nice and not make them share =)

We are really liking this devotional so far.  Since we have been on vacation we have been reading it at all different times of the day, but we are going to start reading it in the morning, which I am pumped for, because I can't think of any better way to start our day.

Through 365 daily readings, the book challenges readers to imagine what thier life would be like if they put Jesus first.  The book has some really neat features that aren't offered by any other devotionals that I know of?  It is split into 12 sections, and each of those sections is split into 4 or 5 weeks that dig deeper.  So every month there is a main topic, and every week there is a sub topic that helps you dig in deep.  I love it!  The overall topic for Janurary is Discover God and the 5 subtopics are; Perfect Ruin, Abraham, Coming Hero, Firstborn, and Death and Life.  Each day's reading is centered around a key Bible verse, but the book promts you to read the whole passage from your own Bible.  The book also leads readers through talking with God, practicing what you have learned, and even sharing what you have learned through social media.  

If you want to purchase "Live Second" you may do so by clicking on the picture of the book cover.  If you want to learn more about the I am Second movement, then click here.

Are you using a devotional to supplement your Bible reading in 2013?  If yes, what one are you reading? 

A few weeks ago our church held a challenge that people could participate in to spread the love of Jesus.  30 people from the church each got an envelope with $40 in it from the church general fund.  They were supposed to take this money and bless someone else with it to show them the love of Christ.  Many more people in the church pledged to do the same thing, only not with Rock Prairie's money but with their own.

Brady and I took that challenge almost a month ago and at the beginning of this week we still hadn't spent our $40.  We prayed and looked for opportunities to bless someone with this money but nothing ever came up.  On Monday I was traveling for work and I stopped at Panera for lunch.  There were a couple of elderly ladies in line behind me, I overhead them talking and I could tell from their conversation that they were having a hard time reading the menu. 

I felt the Holy Spirit tugging on my heart and I knew I was supposed to buy lunch for these ladies.  My heart started beating really fast and I got really nervous!  When I got done ordering my meal, I handed my credit card to the cashier and told her that I would like to purchase lunch for those two women.  It made me sad to watch the one lady order, the cashier had to repeat herself about three times when she asked "would you like a pastry item for 99 cents?"  Then she told the lady her total but told her that I had already paid for it.  The woman looked at me and gave me a big hug.  I told her that my husband and I feel so blessed and we just want to share that blessing with others.

I then got my food and proceeded to sit down by myself with a smile on my face.  One of the ladies then came to my table and asked if I was eating all alone, when I told her yes, she insisted that I come over and eat lunch with them. 

Turns out their names are Fiona and Wanda, they are both over 80 years old, and they are both widows.  We had a wonderful lunch together.  They told me all about their children and their church.  They asked me about my job, faith, and family.  We also prayed before sharing our meal together. 

When it was obvious to me that they were Christians, I felt like I kind of failed the challenge because it was supposed to shine the light of Christ to unbelievers.  But Brady reminded me of all the Bible verses where we are called as Christians to take special care of widows! 

I am not writing this post to toot my own horn; in fact I rarely ever do things like this.  But I am going to start.  I have witnessed a great example in Billy and Vonda of blessing others in monetary ways and I wish I would have started earlier.  As Americans we are so attached to our money, but it's just money!  Also it isn't even ours, everything belongs to our Father in heaven, He has just blessed us with certain things and we are giving the responsibility to be good stewards.  The $22 I spent on their lunch was worth so much more than that. 

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. - James 1:27

Brady and I have a couple of neighbor kids who we lovingly refer to as "the boys".  We met the boys shortly after buying our house a little over a year ago.  If we were working outside in our yard they would just stop by to say hello, often times standing around awkwardly and talking way longer than we had time for.  During these conversations we quickly learned a lot about the boys and their lives.  They are twins, even though one looks older than the other.  Their names are Dustin and JR and they were 17 years old...now 18.  Their mom didn't work and they were going through some rough financial times but she was looking for a job.

When we learned that the boys and their mom were having some financial issues it didn't come as a huge shock to us.  We hadn't ever been inside their home, but from the outside you could tell that it wasn't taken care of very well.  The grass was two feet long, there was a fallen down tree just lying in the front yard, and the house emitted a very disgusting dirty smell.  All these things of course were the effect of not only poverty, but also laziness...which often go hand in hand.

Over the winter is when we found out things were really bad.  We would drive past the house at 6:00 pm and it would be pitch black...their financial status had fallen so low that they could no longer afford to pay the electric bill.  They had two horses in the pasture by their house that were both wasting away from starvation.  Those ended up getting taken away by the county, thank God.  One of them survived but one was too weak to even stand up to get onto the trailer to be taken to its safe haven and he died.  Yes it was very sad seeing those horses shrink to skin and bones in the freezing temperatures.  But what was even more sad was the two boys who were living inside that home, also freezing, dirty, and hungry. 

Brady and I started employing the boys around the house and the farm...just doing odd jobs for us here and there.  We would pay them $20 and they would go home like they just won the lottery.  It broke our hearts when we learned that whenever we gave them money...money that they had worked hard for and earned...the first thing that they had to do with it was ride their bikes into town and buy their mom cigarettes.

The more we hung out with the boys the more our hearts grew for those goofy kids.  Sure a lot of times they would annoy me...they still do, but what teenage boy isn't annoying?  Our relationship with Dustin and JR grew and Brady told me one night that God had layed on his heart that we were going to play a big role in our lives and God placed us as their neighbors for a reason.  I laughed, shrugged it off, and secretly prayed to God that Brady's premonition wasn't true.  We were 24 year old newlyweds; the last thing I wanted was to be responsible for kids, especially 18 year old twin boys! 

We started taking the boys with us to church and shortly afterward they both got saved!  Every Sunday we tell them to come to our house at 8:15 for church, they usually arrive at 8:00, Bibles in hand, huge smiles on their faces just so excited to praise the Lord and hear the Word of God preached to them.  This just blew my mind because in my shallow worldly mind, they didn't have much to be thankful for, and when I was 18 I was never excited about going to church...I was usually trying to find excuses to get out of going!

Dustin and JR also got plugged into an awesome youth ministry in Sharpsville called Teen Blast.  A very Godly couple lead that ministry and they have helped the boys more than we could ever wish to.  One day the boys were helping out at a Teen Blast car wash and when they returned home their mom was gone.  There was a note on the counter telling the boys that she had left them and since they were 18 they were on their own.  She left her children to move to the UK to be with a man who she met while playing games on Facebook using the computers at the library...this is all true...I can't even make this stuff up.  She had kindly left the boys $100 so they could get the electric turned back on, what a great mom...insert sarcasm here.  Now even though the boys are 18, they are mentally about 15, they both need a little extra help in the classroom and they have very poor social skills as they weren't taught anything by their mom.  And as you might have guessed, they have a dead beat dad who left the boys at a very young age and they haven't heard from him or seen him since.  Their dad has also done some horrible and unthinkable things to the boys, but out of respect for them and their privacy I won't share these on a public blog. 

The date their mom left was May 19, this is a day I am sure the boys will remember forever because this was the day that their mom abandoned them.  She was the person on this earth who was supposed to care for them, help them with homework, kiss them, love them, and always be there for them.  But instead she just left them with a note and a hundred dollars so she could run away from all her problems and be with her Facebook boyfriend in another country. 

As you may know, in a small town word travels FAST!  While many people complain about this and it isn't always the best thing...in this situation it was.  Within two weeks of the boys mom leaving them the community has poured so much love on Dustin and JR it's amazing.  People have brought them food, they are getting lined up with a male mentor at our church who will act like a father figure for the boys, they are going to the dentist and doctor to get checked out, their electricity is back on, and from the exposure to more people the boys aren't nearly as awkward as they used to be.  Many people in town have also employed the boys to do odd jobs for them and the boys have raised enough money to get their electricity turned back on all by themselves!  They are also cleaning their house from top to bottom...Brady and I gave them some bleach and some rat poison and told them to get to work.  They have been working so hard on their house that when Brady saw the inside for the first time post cleaning, he was FLOORED.  They still have a long way to go on the house, but Brady and I told them that if they keep making good progress this whole week than we will celebrate this Friday with a fun night where we will go out to eat and go to the batting cages and do whatever else 18 year old boys like to do.

The generosity and love of everyone towards these boys has absolutely stunned me.  We haven't even asked anyone for anything and people are just stepping up out of the kindness of their hearts.  We have a fund (an envelope, haha) for the boys with over $1300 in it...all from people just handing us money saying they want to help "the boys"!!!!  We are taking the boys to the bank this week and we are going to open checking accounts for both of them.  We will supervise these accounts for the boys and teach them proper money management.  Dustin and JR also have both applied for multiple jobs this summer and hopefully they will be working sooner than later! 

We are planning a major spring cleaning of the boys' house to be done in the next couple of weeks.  While the house is ten times better than it used to be, it is still nowhere near sanitary.  Tom List has volunteered his dump truck and we are looking for a crew of people to come out and clean until you can't clean anymore.  We will give everyone rubber gloves and masks.  I will write again as soon as I know exactly what day we are doing this, but the more people who can help the better!  Also if anyone has any handyman experience then that would be a huge asset to this project as I know of a few things around the house that need repaired, and I am sure there are a lot more that I don't know about.  Also if anyone has any old furniture or boys clothes that are collecting dust at their house, then please send them our way!  The boys have very little so any way that anyone can think of helping them will mean a ton! 

These are great kids and just because their parents didn't do their jobs doesn't mean we can't do ours.  As Christians God calls us to help those in need, especially the fatherless and poor.  1 Samuel 2:8 says "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he eats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor."  My interpretation of this, is that in heaven I will be mowing the boys' yard and cleaning their floors on my hands and knees.  But until then it is still our duty to help these boys...it is my prayer for them that a year from now Dustin will be graduated from high school and he will be on his way to college in the fall.  JR has dreams of getting his GED and enlisting in the military, and I also hope that this becomes his reality in a year or less!  Please contact Brady or I if you want to help in any way and I will keep the blog updated as things progress.  "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God." Proverbs 14:31