Whirlwind of Thoughts

Ever have it when you have a million things running through your mind and it seems as if that hamster living in your brain never takes a rest?  That's me...right now.  It seems as if every turn I take, every door I open or every chance I take, I'm faced with a million thoughts, questions and find my mind wandering all over the place.  


The last nine months of my life have definitely felt like I have been on a roller coaster...sort of like the Superman roller coaster at Six Flags.  You start sitting up on the ride until it turns you so you are facing the ground then off it goes!  Once the ride is complete you are sat back up and feel like life is back to normal.  Trying to find that "normal" is what's been challenging me lately.  Right as I seem to feel like I'm getting back to my old self and starting to move on, let go and live for the future...it happens. SMACK! Someone makes a comment, brings something up or I am faced with something that reminds me of my past.  


Trying to find that happy-medium in life is a challenge.  I've always wondered how those people who don't have Christ in their life make it each day.  I know that I would be such a mess, more of what I am now, if I didn't have a relationship with Him!  But, as I struggle to make it through some days or try to keep my chin up I'm reminded of the love that Christ has for us and His promise to never leave us or forsake us.  


Isn't it amazing to know that someone so  powerful, all-knowing and loving is ALWAYS there for us?  It's always neat to get to see how He works in the lives of others and in our own lives.  


As I push forward this semester at Purdue, I'm looking forward to May.  May is when I will receive a diploma from Purdue University and will close a chapter in my life, only to start a new and exciting one.  Life is full of choices and it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, but you must always remember there is nothing greater than the grace of God.  Don't let life allow you to forget who your creator is and who has already made the plans of your life.  

Remembering 2011

Growing up on a dairy farm hasn't always been easy, but it has been the best experience of my life.  After my parents got rid of the cattle in November of 2010, my family experienced a major change of life.  2011 has brought many good and positive things to my family and I as well as a few negatives, which is expected.  Life isn't about living it perfect but about going through the obstacles and events that are put in your way that help you learn from your past and make your future brighter.    

Celebrating the birth of the first grandchild in my family was one of the highlights of our summer.  Not only did our family receive a new addition, but my aunt and uncle also became grandparents for the first time the same day my parents did.  Adalyn Jean, sure is a blessing to my family and she brings so much joy into all of our lives. We also have another exciting addition to our family that will arrive early June of 2012.  My parents, siblings and I will once again get to meet another grandchild/niece/nephew in a few months.  

December 5, we lost a very loved member of the family.  My mom's mom finally made it home.  Having a stroke about 10 years ago, my grandmother now can walk, run, jump, and speak like she did before her stroke.  We miss her, but are rejoicing in the fact that she is now dancing on those streets of gold and making that room her own that God has had on reserve for her.  Oh what a day it will be when we get to see her again!  

As we reminisce on the happenings of 2011, we are reminded of that cold, still night in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago.  As the Christmas day approaches, we count our blessings and thank the one above for his continued love, mercy and grace that He shows us daily.  Life is a challenge, it wasn't meant to be easy, but there is a God that is always there for you, no matter what the challenge is.  

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a very blessed New Year!  

Sweet moments of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is more than turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and all the other Thanksgiving traditional foods served.  There is more to Thanksgiving than traveling to see friends and family, more than doing chores on the farm early to get to a family gathering, watching the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, or the beloved dog show.  Many get wrapped up in all the festivities but often forget to thank the person who made these holidays a major part of our lives.

If it wasn't for God, there would be no turkey, no ham, no food at all.  Through his never ending grace and mercy He provides for our bodies by allowing us to take care of his land and people by growing crops and raising animals to feed the world. 

Some individuals this Thanksgiving, are mourning the loss of a loved one, a husband, a grandfather, an uncle, a brother, a father.  Even though we hurt here on earth from this indiviual passing through this world and finally reaching his final destination, I can only imagine the smile he has on his face being able to walk right next to our Lord and Saviour.  He will be missed, but those of us who have a faith and realtionship with Jesus will see him again.  Oh will that be the day!

As you continue celebrating Thanksgiving, remember to thank the Lord for the many blessings He has given you. The love of God sees no end.  He will always be there to guide and protect you.  As we approach Christmas, don't stop counting your blessings.  Remember each day, each breath is a gift from God.  I like to think that each breath I take is me consuming a little bit more of the love God has for me. 

Psalm 107:1 reads, "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." 

Oh how I love to know the love of the Lord endures forever and ever!      

Wishing you all a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving this year!

And Oh how thankful I am  for this bundle of joy !! Love my niece!!

Telling your story brings positive outlook on agriculture

The agriculture industry is in a constant battle about animal welfare and care and it has become a very serious issue over the past couple of years. However, I feel that many farmers don’t necessarily know how to react when attacked by certain animal-rights activist groups or even just the general public.


Not every individual is an excellent speaker in front of an audience, but as for farmers, being proud of what you do and how you take care of your animals and land speaks louder than words itself.


Each year my family travels to the Indiana State Fair and I always look forward to that time. Not only do I look forward to showing our dairy cattle, but I have a passion for talking with the public about what we do with our cows and how we care for them like they are a part of our family. I always like to tell them that we have a sign in our barn that says, “In this barn, every cow is a lady. Treat her with kindness.”


As we milk the cows at the state fair, we usually get a large crowd of people watching us. That’s when the questions start. I have heard many different questions and I love being able to answer them and inform the public and the individuals who really want to learn about what we do and how we take care of our animals.


Many consumers don’t know where milk comes from and some even think it is actually made in a factory. Some people think that by milking cows, we are hurting them, when in actuality we are reducing their stress and pressure which makes them more comfortable. We are stewards of the land and animals, and I like to make sure the public at the state fair know that we treat our cows as if they are one of us.


I like to think of it as an opportunity for me to use my knowledge of communications and also my knowledge that I have learned as I have been raised about the dairy and agriculture industry. Speaking positively about the industry and not bringing up the negatives of the industry is key when speaking to the public.


As the battle continues for the agriculture industry, it is important for individuals to positively promote the industry and be brave about talking what you do and how you do things on your farm with your animals. Being proud of being a farmer is the key to delivering a positive speech to someone when needed.


Personally, I feel that expressing the love that I have for taking care of animals is one of the most positive thoughts you could give to the consumer. Letting them know that you truly care and love the creatures you work with will allow them to see that you actually care and have a passion and that it’s not about self-enjoyment. For me, raising animals and working with God’s land, is very therapeutic for me. Whether it be riding my horse or milking cows, I find that time to search myself and release stress.


Communicating to the public in a positive, fun way is the key to letting them know that we as farmers are helping take care of God’s creatures. I feel he created humans to take care of the land and animals. Even though there are individuals out there who mistreat the animals they own, I would say 98% of animal lovers and caretakers do just the opposite. I know for a fact that when we lose an animal on our farm from an illness or unknown reason, it feels as if I lost a part of my family. So, with that in mind, farmers love what they do and love their animals. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be a part of the agriculture industry.


Make sure you challenge yourself each day to tell your story. Tell about the ups and downs and the roller coaster of life that you experience working in the agriculture industry. You never know what might ignite in the eyes of the consumer when you talk about delivering a new baby calf, helping save an animal’s life or planting the seed that will end up being the food on their table.

This is Home

Born in the frigid winters, dairy-loving state of Wisconsin, my passion for the dairy industry and dairy cattle was born there.  Spending only a short time of my life there, a little less than the first year of my life, I still feel like I'm at home whenever I travel to Wisconsin. 

Speaking of the feeling of being at home, I recently traveled to Wisconsin for the World Dairy Expo and in a couple weeks will leave the states for the FIRST time and travel to The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto.  I'm not sure if I will enjoy my trip out of the states, but am certainly looking forward to this new adventure for me.  I'm not sure I'll feel like I'm at home when I am in Toronto!


It is silly sometimes, I refer to my college apartment as home. It seems like home at times...I mean I only spend 4.5 days a week at it, the rest of the week I either travel to Illinois to work or the place where I truly feel at home.  But, at times I catch myself and think...hmmm..did I really just say I have to go home (referring to Purdue)?

And then there are the numerous days in my life where I want to get out of Indiana....go travel and see the other 49 states. I have even said that I will not apply for a job in Indiana...which is still true to this day but I believe I have landed a job for when I graduate from Purdue in May 2012 in the neighboring state of Illinois with some pretty special people!  

Having an experience this summer, unlike any other, I have felt extremely torn about the possibility of living in a different state than my family and my niece who was just born in July 2011.  The prettiest baby I have ever seen...I struggle to stay away from her! 

No matter how much I don't like it...Indiana is my home.  It has been for the past 21 years and will always be home no matter how many miles away from it I live.  My family is in Indiana...most of my friends and loved ones are here as well.  I won't have to live here my whole life to know this is home...but knowing that I have a place in northern Indiana makes me get that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

 Home is where the heart is.


 

People That Come Into Your Life

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be (possibly your roommate, neighbor, co-worker, longest friend, lover, or even a complete stranger) but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some people move our souls to dance.
They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. 

Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints in our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.

And sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart. 

Everything happens for a reason, nothing happens by chance or by means of luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. 

Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless. The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience help to create who you become.

Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.

If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, FORGIVE them, for they have helped you learn about TRUST and the importance of being cautious when you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.

Make every day count!! Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. 

Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Say, "I love you" to your friends, family and those who are special to you...for you never know when life will end.

Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself; for if you don't believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you.

You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.

The Roller Coaster of Life

"God doesn't let bad things happen for no reason...something GOOD will come out of it."

 Hearing that on the radio the other day, I realized that in life things happen and we never know why.  Some things are worse than others, yet we feel there is no hope and no love at times.  Life is full of obstacles and usually one failure leads to a great success or blessing.

Recently going through an extremely challenging time in my life, I have been challenged by God to find His peace and love.  It is so easy for us to get wrapped up in the worldly things and put our hope, love and trust in them...but in the end they all will parish.  I constantly think of those individuals who seem to think that their world is perfect....but they don't have God in their lives.  I don't know how they survive each day or each hardship they endure.  Then you seem to hear them grumble about all that has went wrong in their lives! Crazy!  Sometimes I feel like saying to them...do you ever feel this certain tug on your heart but you don't know what it is or how to follow it?  You might just want to go the direction it is pulling you instead of ignoring it.  It also saddens my heart for those individuals who think us "bible thumpers" are nothing but judgemental people.     

Even though I have experienced this tremendous challenge in my life the past couple of months...I have also had the greatest blessing in my life so far.  I became an AUNT on July 14, 2011 to the most beautiful, precious, perfect baby girl....Adalyn Jean Kingseed.  Not only did my sister have her first child, our family was also blessed with another baby girl that my cousin and his wife had.  All I can say is family gatherings will be so much fun with not only one but TWO baby girls to LOVE on!   

The past few months have been an emotional roller coaster for myself...but I am finally starting to find peace.  Letting go and moving on from someone who was a significant part of my life for a year was extremely hard...but each day it becomes a bit easier.  This chapter isn't 100% complete in my life...it is getting closer each day.  I heard a quote that said, "Everything is okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end."  Oh how I can't wait until that quote fits my life perfectly.