2019 what a year

For farmers it has been a tough year.  I had a rough time getting my soybeans planted.  Usually you hope to get planted by third week of May.  This year it was first week of June.  The rain caused the delay.  The  we had some dry weather and lack of rain.  When I harvested I was hoping for 60 bushels per acre and it was instead around 41 to 42 bushels per acre.  That is disappointing.  I contribute it to late planting in better soils and then drier August weather especially first half of August.  I am thankful though to have been able to harvest them before the snow and rain.  The Lord provided just the right moisture for me to cut the soybeans when I did.  Last fall people were cutting soybeans in January and February.  The Lord helped me through this tough year.  My daughter Megan left home in August to live down in West Lafayette and to go to Ivy Tech.  The transition has went better than expected.  The Lord gave me Megan and now has taken her out in the world.  I pray for Megan to walk in Jesus.  She is in the picture below taken this summer.

2018 = selfishness and thankfulness

Hello, this is the first time I am writing for the year 2018.  So far already been quite the year.  My family has got hit with sicknesses.  We seem to be very busy for some reason.  Thankfully with the snow my work has slowed up but I still go in every day except for weekends which is nice.  I am including a picture of my children when we went to Turkey run this past November.  It was on a Saturday.  We had just got done with harvest and we picked up Michaela from school and spent the day as a family.  It was great.

They are growing up so fast.  I am thankful.  I had a situation already happen in the young year where I found out I am pretty selfish.  As humans we all are.  The Bible confirms this.  I was thankful the situation did not happen however it made me realize how selfish we all are.  I and my fellow humans need to be more thankful!!!  This picture is from Turkey Run and though it was a little chilly out(probably about 50 degrees) we made the best of it and enjoyed a nice hike.  I had been working a lot of hours the month before however it worked out best to go when did since harvest was done.  Not many people were there. 
I have been reading my uncle Jacks blog about Obama and different things and he has a lot of good points.  We need to not be sheep in this world.  The number one thing is to follow Jesus.  There will be no churches in Heaven.  I was born and raised in a conservative church.  I am thankful for my upbringing however there are and were some certain traditions about my church that I wondered about.  This past year in 2017 they okayed men wearing beards.  I am not sure why it never was accepted in the first place since it is not against the Bible to wear a beard.  A person must always go to the Bible first and then use that Biblical lense to analyze what a human or organization is trying to do.  I am thankful though for my upbringing we just all need to go to the Bible first.
Everyone have a great 2018, and I will try to write more later.

Been awhile for ben to post

Good evening,  A lot has happened since my last post in October.  I am quite thankful that President Donald Trump prevailed.  His first 100 days has went fast.  I give President Trump kudos on changing Mexico City policy, starting keystone pipeline, nominating Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme  Court.  I am so thankful he made it to office instead of Hilary Clinton.  I feel hopeful.  I know President Trump is not perfect however I am glad I voted for him(though I voted for Ted Cruz in the primary).  He surprised the media who basically told the general public that Hilary had won.  My distrust for the mainstream media has never been higher.  Right now it seems the big news item is North Korea and if they will try to make the United States upset.  I hope not.  I know North Korea is an evil government keeping their citizens in labor camps if they don't follow the government.  I hope someday there can be freedom for the citizens of North Korea.  I hear the North Koreans don't know much about life outside North Korea because the media tells them lies.  I wonder how often our media lies to us.
Been a busy week planting popcorn, spraying pesticides, etc.  We are about 80 percent done with popcorn already due to the dry weather.  My boss is in his 70's and he cannot remember being done planting popcorn before end of April. My daughter graduates next month.  I cannot believe she will be living on her own in only 3 months.
I like to read books, a trait passed on to me from my mom's side of the family.  I enjoy reading my uncle's blog about politics, etc.  I check my uncle's blog a few times a week.
Also my wife and I went on our first cruise.  It was wonderful.  We had stops along Mexico(Progresso and cannot remember other one.)  I would recommend a cruise to anyone.
Well I will type again another time.