This past weekend we went to family retreat event.  This is the 3rd year we’ve been to a Labor Day weekend event hosted by this family. It’s 1.5 days of hearing about how other families stay strong, build each other up, stay firm with Jesus, etc.  It’s always a great time and God has given us beautiful weather these last years too! 

If that sort of thing interests you too, I’d highly recommend signing up for their newsletter. They send a (free!) actual paper newsletter in the mailbox where you get to be inspired 4 times a year by their family and work.

Some of our family also went to Rollag, MN to visit the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion.  I’m not sure how prevalent threshing shows are outside the midwest, (do you have any idea what I’m talking about if you’re from outside the area??) but we love them as we get an idea of what farming and industrial work was like over 100 years ago. 

This show is one of the largest in the area. LOTS of volunteers bring their restored tractors and steam engines to give the rest of us lots to look at. This show also had 2 moving steam locomotives to give rides around the grounds. 

It’s always amazing to me the massive power many old fashioned industrial machines had, especially for the time!

It’s also interesting to think of the sights and sounds of life of that time. Like the almost ever-present smell of burning coal. Was that a regular thing back then?  Or the very loud sounds of some of the machines.

Another place the boys in particular liked was the building of miniature engines. Usually no more than 8 inches high, lots of very creative and mechanical folks took the time to machine and assemble these. Truly amazing! One guy told how each assembly took him about 500 hours of time to construct. Wow!

I’m not a huge machine person, so my favorite part was the horses. The complete opposite of the machines….generally quiet and the smells of cut grain and dust. 

This team of mules was harvesting corn. Fascinating to watch the machine gather up a number of stalks, then tie them and lay them on the ground.

The grounds of this event is also on some very rolling hills. These strong mules pulled this machine up a very steep hill to get them to where they are on this picture!

Such a fun day!

What’s in the farm kitchen this week

A couple months ago, we bought a brand new but stuck-in-a-storage-unit-for-25-years Diamant grain mill.  This particular model has been on our purchase list for many many years, but this one was finally in our price range.  The wheat I ordered finally came and Arthur was super excited to try it out.

I didn’t make any bread with it yet, but the banana muffins I made tasted amazing and fresh and nutty with the freshly ground flour. 

I determined the grind to be too course, but by the time they turned the dial enough to make a very fine grind, it was a complete upper body workout by Walter. Haha!

Luckily this can also be powered by a belt and motor, so when they get tired of spinning this, there’s another option. 🙂

Bible inspiration this week

There are MANY passages in the Bible that show the utterly amazing  majesty of God.

This passage in another one.

He counts the number of the stars.
He calls them all by name.

Psalm 147:4

Isn’t it incomprehensible that he can count the stars? And they all have names??

And know all the workings of the millions of miles of universe around us.

And gives the earth seasons of seedtime and harvest.

And gives the ants meaningful work to do everyday.

And gives us food and clothing.

God isn’t too small to manage the heavens and he isn’t too big to be there for Christians every single day of our lives.

Encouraging you to take comfort in our ever-present and almighty God who is there for big and small things every day.