The Power Is Out!

We recently had some severe storms in the area that knocked our electricity out.  Our house is at the end of the line for the local electric co-op.  That means we're the first to lose power and the last to get it back.  It's the price we pay in return for living out in the country.

I remember as a boy the excitement I would feel when the lights went out.  It meant that my brother and I got to pretend that we were back in the "old timeys" as we called it.  The big thunderstorms always seemed to roll through late in the afternoon, and if we were lucky the power would stay off until after we went to bed.  No power = no water, so we didn't have to take a bath.  As it would begin to get dark, Mama would light an old hurricane lantern, and she and Daddy would sit around and tell us "old timey" stories.

In the early 90's, we had what the media labeled "The Storm of the Century."  This was a blizzard that made it all the way into south Georgia in early March.  I don't remember there being a lot of snow, but the wind was at hurricane levels for about three days.  And cold!  It was unbelievably cold.  The electricity was off for several days, and our home became the defacto meeting place for our extended family due to one simple fact - Mama had the only gas stove, so our house was where the food was!  What a great time we had, sleeping in a frozen little house under piles of blankets and quilts.  School was canceled, so it was one big play time for us children.

Of course, as I have gotten older, the novelty of being instantly thrown back into the 19th century has worn off.  The lack of almost every modern convenience, even for a very short time, gets old in a hurry.  We're so accustomed to air conditioning, refrigeration, and lights that we hardly know how to function without them.  You've heard the old Ben Franklin saying, "No one misses the water until the well goes dry?"  Let me offer you a new one.  "No one appreciates a light switch until the power goes out."

Now it's your turn! What does your family do when the power goes off?  Do you have any memories of extended power outages?  Thanks again for reading, and I look forward to your comments.

Drought

Have you ever been in a drought? We're in the middle of a severe drought right now in south Georgia. Summer water restrictions haven't kicked in yet, but they will shortly without significant rainfall.

Drought is the result of a prolonged period of little to no rain. It is often accompanied by extreme heat. Reliable sources of water such as ponds, creeks, and even wells can dry up. Crops suffer and don't yield at their usual levels. Extended drought over large areas of land can even bring famine, starvation, and even death.

As detrimental as this can be, there is a different kind of drought that is even worse - a drought in the soul. Our nation, many of our churches, and individuals that we know and love are in the grips of a drought right now. Ever been there? Yeah, me too.

A spiritual drought is a prolonged time of not feeling God's presence. It is often accompanied by Satan "turning up the heat." Reliable religious routines are insufficient, and in turn the soul gets weaker from lack of water. If the drought engulfs enough souls, spiritual famine will ensue.

How can we make it through a drought, whether spiritual or natural? By seeking out more water. Dig a deeper well to tap into unused water. Pray more earnestly, fast, read more of God's Word. Keep the faith. Bring an umbrella to the prayer meeting. Lastly, simply endure. Rest assured that at some point, it will rain again. Who knows? Today could be the day that the heavens open up and bring the droughtbuster we so desperately need.

Isaiah 58:11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Morning Rounds

There is no such thing as a typical day here on our farm. Our routines vary greatly from season to season and even day to day. So, let me give you a snapshot of my rounds this morning before I climbed on the tractor for another day of planting peanuts.

We are irrigating our watermelons, and had left the center pivot irrigation system watering all night.  The first order business then is check that everything is still functioning ok with it.

Next it's off to take a look at the cantaloupes since I haven't had the chance to check them all week.  They are blooming heavily, and a few are setting some fruit.















On the way around the fields I pass the beehives, where the honeybees are just beginning to venture out for the morning. Bees are essential for pollination for our watermelons and cantaloupes.












Finally, on the way to the peanut field, I stop to check on some emerging cotton. Last evening, it was only cracking the ground. This morning, it's up.



All the preliminaries out of the way, I get on my tractor for another long day of planting peanuts. Have a great day!

Tractor Time

America is on the move.  Ever think about how many cars you meet on the road on a daily basis?  Ever figure up how many hours a week you spend behind the wheel? 

It's a little different scenario for me in some aspects.  I don't do much driving right now except behind the wheel of a tractor.  Even then, I have an automated GPS that does all the driving for me.  I just have to turn the tractor around at the end of the row. So, like many of you, I have a lot of time on my hands.

Modern technology has enabled us to make this time productive if we so choose. In my case, since I don't have to keep my eyes on the row, I use my smartphone to stay in touch with other farmers, keep up with commodity markets, and many other useful things. I can listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and radio from all around the country right from my phone.

If we're not careful, however, we allow this time to become endless hours of mindless entertainment. When I first started driving tractors, if the radio worked at all I only got a few local stations. I therefore spent a great deal of time singing to myself, praying, or just thinking. Now, if I don't like what's on the radio, I have endless other "productive" options to occupy the time, and my mind.

In this busy, always-on-the-go society, we have become afraid to be alone with our thoughts. In otherwise still and quiet times, we turn to our gadgets to keep up the noise. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti technology. I'm just saying we will have more to offer others if we will just spend a little more time with ourselves. So I think I'll put down the phone, turn off the radio, and just listen to me for a little while. What about you?

Another Sunday Down South

I'll be eternally grateful to my parents for many things.  One in particular is the teaching that Sunday is a day of rest.  The only time I ever remember working on Sunday was in March 2009, after a 6" rain on Saturday night that nearly destroyed a field of plastic mulch to be planted in watermelons.  The proverbial ox was in the ditch, and if we didn't get the edges of the plastic covered with dirt, the high winds that day would have destroyed the field by Monday.  Not only did we work all day with shovels in our hands, about 75 neighbors and church family turned out to help us too.

That, however, is the exception to the rule.  We go to church twice on Sundays, so it's not like we lay around in the bed all day.  Matter of fact, some Sundays wind up being as busy as any other day.  Get the kids ready for Sunday School, go to Grandma's after church to eat lunch, maybe take a little Sunday drive or a nap, get ready for church again, and then hurry home to get in bed before another busy week.

Still, with all the busy-ness, Sunday has a different feel to it.  There is a slowing down of the state of mind.  There is no rush, no deadline, nowhere else to be, nothing else that absolutely must be done.  For many weeks out of the year, Sunday is the only day of the week that we get any actual face time with our friends.  It's a day to spend some much needed time away from the farm; to realize that there are other things to think about besides how dry it is, how high fertilizer is, and how cheap prices are.  It's a day to actually spend some quality time with your wife and kids.  Most importantly, it is a day of worship; a time to reflect on the many blessings of life and be thankful.

I feel a certain sympathy towards those who choose to work seven days a week, and those that have no choice in the matter.  When do they recharge their batteries?  How do they make it day after day without a break?  I've never known that feeling, and I hope I never do.  Let me encourage you; if at all possible, take a break this Sunday.  Go to church, go visit your family. Just slow down a little, sit on your front porch, and drink some of the nectar of life (flavored with lemon).  That's how we do it Down South.