Category Archives: Farm Diary

Emergence of Winter Wheat

Posted on October 9, 2021 by John

Martin Luther was smart enough to remember what we all forget. Every day we forget how great life can be if we live to the potential God has built into us. Sadder still, we forget how much God does to … Continue reading →

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Pentecost 8B: Tucker Carlson, Vaccines, and the Gathering God

Posted on July 13, 2021 by John

The readings for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost are: Old Testament      Jeremiah 23:1–6 Psalm                    Psalm 23 New Testament     Ephesians 2:11–22 Gospel                   Mark 6:30–34, 53–56 Well, the latest, is that Tucker Carlson has told his loyal followers … Continue reading →

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Fresh Blessings of Spring

Posted on May 26, 2021 by John

In the darkest days of the siege of Jerusalem–surrounded by the miseries of starvation and spiritual despair, the author of Lamentations wrote that the Lord’s mercies never end, but they are new every morning. If this witness could see fresh … Continue reading →

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It’s Life! Lambs at Heatherhope

Posted on May 4, 2021 by John

Consideration of torn ligaments, aching joints and joint replacements have caused Connie and me to not breed and lamb these past couple of years. The absence of lambs has left a hollowness in our lives each spring. Because, like all … Continue reading →

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Enough snow and wind!

Posted on February 6, 2021 by John

Zac and Betty looked like ghosts. Temperature about 5 degrees, going down to 15 below later this week. Wind from 25 to 45 miles an hour. Drifts up to my waist. Lots of profanity as I try to open gates, … Continue reading →

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Christmas Eve B: On Them Light Has Shined

Posted on December 23, 2020 by John

The First Reading for Christmas Eve is Isaiah 9:2-7, which starts with this oracle: 2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. Here … Continue reading →

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The Household Power Structure Changes!

Posted on December 16, 2020 by John

Pictured here are Connie, with Sméagol the cat, and Nell the sheepdog. I’m John, taking the photo. In the life of Heatherhope Farm, over the 18 years of its existence, Sméagol has run things inside the house. He meows like … Continue reading →

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Advent 2 B: Plague Days as Messy Beginning

Posted on December 3, 2020 by John

It’s starting to look a lot like winter here on the farm. First things first: Out of bed just as dawn is breaking I fortify myself with warm clothes from head to toe, and brave the dark, cold and windy … Continue reading →

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Like Goliath, They’ll Be Conquered

Posted on September 1, 2020 by John

Depicted here, on the high utility post in front of our farm, is a scene that we see often: The tiny takes on the mighty. If you look close you will see a tiny red-winged blackbird sitting on top of … Continue reading →

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Passionate Parenting and God

Posted on August 16, 2020 by John

In Matthew 23 (as well as Luke 13) Jesus knows he is about to love us perfectly, even if he gets killed for it. His grief overwhelms him and he says, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and … Continue reading →

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