A Few Thoughts
13 September 2010
Something a good friend sent me today
A Birth Certificate shows that we were born
A Death Certificate shows that we died
Pictures show that we lived!
Have a seat . Relax . . .
And read this slowly.
I Believe...
That just because two people argue,
It doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
It doesn't mean they do love each other.
A Death Certificate shows that we died
Pictures show that we lived!
Have a seat . Relax . . .
And read this slowly.
I Believe...
That just because two people argue,
It doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
It doesn't mean they do love each other.
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if We understand that friends change.
I Believe....
That no matter how good a friend is,
They're going to hurt you every once in a while
And you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow,
Even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant
That will give you heartache for life.
That you can do something in an instant
That will give you heartache for life.
I Believe....
That it's taking me a long time
To become the person I want to be.
I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with
Loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I Believe....
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe....
That we are responsible for what
We do, no matter how we feel.
I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs
To be done, regardless of the consequences.
I Believe....
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I Believe....
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down
Will be the ones to help you get back up.
I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
But that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I Believe....
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had
And what you've learned from them and less to do with how many
Birthdays you've celebrated.
;
I Believe....
That it isn't always enough,
To be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I Believe....
That it isn't always enough,
To be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken
The world doesn't stop for your grief..
I Believe....
That our background and circumstances
May have influenced who we are,
But, we are responsible for who we become.
I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
Out a secret. It could change your life Forever.
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
Out a secret. It could change your life Forever.
I Believe.....
Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.
I Believe....
That your life can be changed in a matter of
Hours by people who don't even know you.
I Believe....
That even when you think you have no more to give,
When a friend cries out to you -
You will find the strength to help.
I Believe...
That credentials on the wall
Do not make you a decent human being.
I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life
Are taken from you too soon.
That the people you care about most in life
Are taken from you too soon.
I Believe...
That you should send this to
All of the people that you believe in, I just did.
'The happiest of people don't necessarily
Have the best of everything;
Have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything they have.
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26 August 2010
Why Does it Rain on My Hay?
Have you ever wondered why it rains on your hay just when it is ready to bale. Well it happened to me again today. I had 200 acres raked up ready to go and about 30 minutes after I started to bale this afternoon we got a nice little shower, just enough to shut me down. We have had most of our 3rd crop get some amount of rain this time. So why?
This is the only answer I can come up with:
I don't know! They say that Faith can move mountains. I am sure it can move clouds too, and I think I have seen that a few times, but more often than not, "the rain falls on both the just and the unjust" without too much regard for either. Sometimes we love it and other times, though we should never complain about water in the desert, it does inconvenience us.
But what if we could always just have it our way. What if the strength of our faith brought God into agreement with our every good desire. What weak men we would quickly become.
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What do I see in Christmas?
I don't know about you, but I remember well as a boy the excitement leading up to Christmas Day in anticipation of the fun, the family activities, the traditional surprise visits to some of the old folks around town, and yes the climax of seeing what Santa Clause managed to fit down our chimney. I was almost equally excited about these things as our own children came along and grew through their childhood and I watched the butterflies of Christmas Eve flutter in their tummies.
This year it was a little different. Our children are growing up now with our youngest two boys in High School, the oldest two married, trying to get their paths in life established and the middle two single and in college. My wife and I struggled this year with knowing what to give them all for Christmas which would be meaningful. By the time we were done quite honestly there were not many "surprises". But there was one, a BIG one, for my wife and me!
As we took turns opening the gifts from under our tree, we finally were handed a box, kinda heavy for it's size, and as my wife removed the paper and opened the lid we were astounded to see 4 large picture albums completely filled with all of our old family pictures from before the "digital camera" age, neatly organized in chronological order (something we were always going to get to). Yes, Mama cried, and i too was deeply touched by the thoughtful efforts made by my son and his dear wife to give us something that our whole family will now enjoy and cherish for the rest of our lives.
As i have thought more about this the past few days I look back on the our traditional review of the Christmas Story on Christmas morning. This time we read from Matthew, chapter 2 (read more) in the New Testament. Here we learned about the three Wisemen from the East who were watching for the signs of the birth of the Messiah, and saw and recognized a new star in the heavens. They followed that star and about two years later arrived at Jerusalem, seeking of King Herod to know where they might find the child Jesus, "born King of the Jews", that they might worship him.
"When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him."
"And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born."
"And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,"
Now Herod's interest in Christ was not driven by a desire to worship Him, but rather to destroy Him as the story recounts. It is interesting to me that Herod and most of the people in and around Jerusalem had not seen the star and must not have been aware of the birth of Christ at all. On the other hand the Wisemen saw, because they must have been watching for it. For them the birth of this Heavenly King was the beginning of a long and probably joyous journey to find Him and to worship Him. I have to wonder what their conversations must have been around their campfires night after night as they were renewed by the sight of that ever present star that continued to lead them.
What joy, humility and reverence must have enveloped these three Kings;
"when they were come into the house, [and] they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."
I hope that like the three Wisemen (and our new family photo albums), the great gift of Chistmas, our Savior, will stir in me and in you a renewed reverence, humility, joy and hope in the things that really matter for the coming year ahead and that this gift will continue to grow more precious to each of us forever..
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Christmas Eve 2009
As the Senate defied the will of the vast majority of the American people tonight, my hopes for our beloved America necessarily center more fully on the power of the King of Kings whose birth in Bethlehem we celebrate tonight and whose promises are sure regarding this land of America.
A prophet of God in ancient America declared in scripture:
"Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written. "
There are so many good people in America of many faiths. May we ever invoke the power of God in the preservation of our liberty by our faith in Him and by serving Him.
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A few thoughts The Night Before Christmas Eve 2009
Just a few thoughts as I get ready to go home for the night after a late day of work. It has been on my mind lately that all of us in the farming business have an interesting relationship with "Mother Nature". We love her when we get rain when we want it, we sometimes aren't so kindly when we get rain when we don't want it, and we are always trying to find ways to beat her at her game.
We want to get our crops planted before she sends too much rain, we invent things to speed our harvest to beat the rain, and sometimes we complain when we don't get rain. Heck, I've even dedicated a good share of my working years to developing this Dew Simulator so that I sometimes think that I don't even care if I get Dew from Heaven anymore. Gotta be careful now.
Dear Father in Heaven, in all my efforts to beat the conditions I find myself in here on Earth, please do not let me forget where I came from, why I am here, and where I hope to return after this adventure here on Earth is over for me. Help me to remember that the difficulties I face each day are gifts from thee which give me a chance to develope the God given abilities thou didst send me here with. Help me to remember always the daily help I recieve from above and the power to accomplish things which are beyond my simple ways. Please do not let me forget the widow, the fatherless, the aged, the little ones, the poor, the needy. Help me remember who I am and perhaps more importantly who everyone else is. Help me always to remember that in spite of all the innovations of mankind wherein we think ourselves clever, that we are but thy infant children with so much yet to learn from Thee our Father. At this Christmas time help me to remember my family, my friends, my neighbors and even my foes, but help me remember most of all thy Son Jesus Christ, My Savior, My Friend, My Judge, the Light and Life of all things the redeemer of all mankind.
Don't let me forget, ever, that some little farmer carefully harvested the hay on which He lay in Bethlemem.
May God Bless you all,
Dave Staheli
When Things Get Tough, Look Up, Not Down.
"Surely the Lord God will do nothing
but he revealeth his secret unto his servants, the prophets"
Old Testament, Amos 3:7
If ever we have needed the Lord to do something, we need Him now.
He is able to speak to prophets on earth today as much as He ever was
in days of old, and He does!
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