A lot has happened since I last posted. We've finished harvest, deer season has been going on, it seems like it's been a really busy time. But the biggest change in our lives in the last week or so, has been the passing of F. Dale Hostetler.

F. Dale was the one person that I would have chosen as my second grandpa, and perhaps that's at least partly because he was a first cousin of my grandpa. He died peacefully in his sleep last Friday night. It's hard to put into words just what I'm thinking, but F. Dale was to me a fixture of stability and godliness that will be greatly missed.

F. Dale was one of my dad's landlords as well as a minister in West Fairview, and as such I knew him from a young age. He always raised quality quarter horses, and it was through him and his generosity that we boys were able to have horses of our own. He taught us a lot about them, and I'll always remember that. Many of my favorite memories of F. Dale come from being around horses with him. I remember the time he took me (I'm not sure why it was only me) with him to a horse sale in Grand Island. I must have taken the day off of school, and I think it shows how he took time for others that he bothered to take along a schoolboy who didn't really have much to offer in the long drive out and back. I remember us and others going with Dale to the famed Pitzer ranch sale in Ericson, Ne. I'll never forget F. Dale helping us 'break' Princess. (No one there will forget that time :) I'll always remember the annual "going out to eat with the landlord" at Pizza Kitchen in Milford, going to their house afterward, looking at old pictures of horses, and hearing stories from Dale. I and others from church could always count on F. Dale for good humor, stability, good counsel, and a godly example. His life will continue to be an encouragement to me to faithfulness, and an inspiration to godliness.

I could go on about who F. Dale was, and things I remember, but I don't think I will. To those who knew him, you have your own memories, and to those who didn't I don't want to risk boring you about the life of a man who meant a lot to me. Perhaps this in some small way reflects the feelings of our church at this time:

A place in church is empty
A brother whom we've known,
Has gone to his eternal rest
For he has been called home.

A husband, father, brother
a grandpa and a friend,
Whose days on earth are over
His life work reached its end

But in the lives around us
And in our hearts a place
Where he has been a blessing
Our tears cannot erase.

For he has been a lighthouse
For all of us to see,
Pointing us to Calvary
To life eternally.

And though in grief and sorrow
We know and understand
That Jesus who he served and loved
Will hold us in his hand.

And now we can remember
That empty place once more
Knowing we who love the Lord
Will meet at Heavens' door.


Dedicated to F.D.H.

Still Here....

Hi all, I just wanted to let you know that we are still here and we are still busy even though our revivals ended Sunday night. We had a good time of meetings, many people made new commitments and renewed old commitments. We are blessed once again to have the Spirit of the Lord move among us, instilling in us a new desire to serve him faithfully.

As fall continues here on the plains we are hoping to wind up harvest in the next week or two, assuming the weather cooperates. So, our lives are still busy! Jenny and I look forward to a trip to Colorado to see my cousins over Thanksgiving. Other than that I've no news to tell that I can think of, so I better get off to work!

~GB

Busy times in Nebraska

Here in the "Good life" state of Nebraska, we find ourselves rather busy this week. There are several reasons for that, but the two most important are the fact that we have revival meetings this week, and the weather has cleared up enough for harvest to resume again. Both of these things are very good, and we're quite thankful for them.

As you may have gathered from my past blogs, the weather has been quite unsatisfactory for harvest this season, as it seems to rain about every three days. The damp weather has contributed greatly to the grain not drying down properly in the fields, but with sunny weather predicted this week, we have hopes of that changing quickly. I helped Dad with harvest this afternoon for awhile, the soybeans are dry enough, but at a few places he was going through standing water with the combine. Oh well, at least we're about done with them.

Paul Shirk from Macon, Mississippi is here preaching revival meetings for us. We've had two very good sermons so far, tonights was on the 10'th chapter of Mark, regarding the "one thing" that we can have lacking in our lives, as the rich young ruler. He spoke also about other "one things" in the chapter, such as marital relationships, family relationships, fear of the future, or attitudes such as pride. As a side note, I think he gave the best intellectual argument that I've heard for not calling your children "kids". I shall attempt to paraphrase what he said, as I cannot recall well enough for a perfect quote. "Kids are the offspring of goats. There is coming a time when the Judge of all the earth will separate the sheep from the goats. We want our children to be among the sheep not the goats, therefore let us raise them as sheep, not goats, and not refer to them as "kids"." He said it with a smile, and I don't think I was the only one smiling in return. I don't think that's probably a point on which to base doctrine, but.....

Do you want to see the latest in our remodeling of "George's" bedroom?



We think that we like it, what do you think? ~GB



P.S. For those of you who like to read what Jenny has to say, I might mention that it is an encouragement to post comments......