When Jesus was on the Earth, He healed the sick, made the blind to see, the lame to walk and raised the dead. We often look at those miracles as far away and long ago, but they still happen today.

The dynamic of the family is constantly changing. In my youth, it was common for the mother to stay at home, and the father would have a job to provide for the family.

It’s been my privilege over the years to write many stories about life on our farm here. I’ve been blessed over the years to get a fair bit of feedback on my stories and my book.

We did something stupid. A couple of years back, my wife and I took the kids to the animal shelter in town on Free Cat Day and let them pick out a couple of kittens. But that wasn’t the stupid thing.

I read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen several years ago. It is a story about Brian, a 14-year-old boy whose plane crashes into the wilderness. It took both physical and mental fortitude for Brian to survive. He could be called a mental warrior.

I had the privilege of hearing Billy Cordasco talk about the legacy of the Babbitt Ranch in Arizona. He spoke of generations that have poured into the ranch and now, as a large family, they utilize a board of directors. But it didn’t start out that way.

Spring is in the air. The daffodils and crocus are blooming. A new emerald green spreads across the lawn covering the crackling brown of winter. The birds twitter in the pink blossoms. It is so beautiful, but I know it will be short-lived. 

When my children were growing up, I tried to instill in them the idea of making crucial decisions in advance and sticking to them. Big decisions you only have to make once if you are committed to keep them. 

God is omnipotent and omnipresent. In other words, God is all-powerful and all-present. He is infinitely aware of everything and has the power to reach out and stop the eruption of a volcano, turn the night into day and to cause mountains to become valleys.

In the weariness of winter, I start to think about planting my garden. I know it is way too early to put seeds in the ground, but peat cups and potting soil are my friends. I plant my tomatoes, peppers and cabbages in peat cups so they can get an early start on the season.