Remembering the Home Place

Remembering the Home Place is my very first book. It is a book I felt called to write during a time of stillness and sorrow after the unexpected death of my mom. In the midst of my mourning, I felt the Lord tapping me on the shoulder as if to say, "Don't you remember the joy? Don't you remember I was always with you and will continue to be?" And so, these are the stories and sonnets that emerged.

In January of 1975, I was born in a rented farmhouse during an historic blizzard in Northwest Iowa. Within a few weeks of my unusual birth story unfolding, my dad moved our family to “the home place” – the family farm that had belonged to his father and grandfather before him. My entire childhood – all eighteen years – was spent there…an experience I consider to be one of the supreme blessings of my life.

As this way of life quickly disappears from the fabric of our society, I truly believe that sharing our stories of faith, family and farming is critically important. We need to plant our seeds, we need to sing our songs, we need to tell our stories, and we need to share the sonnets in our souls.

The very first sonnet I published about life on the farm was The Best Things. This poem was the first-place sonnet from the Iowa Poetry Association in 2015 and was published in the 70th edition of Lyrical Iowa that year. Time and time again since then, I feel a sonnet welling up in my soul as I remember “the home place”.

My experience as a “farm kid” not only taught me lifelong lessons about overcoming trials, engaging in hard work, living peaceably, making sacrifices, cherishing the outdoors, and finding joy in the little things…it also served as the foundation for a transformational faith in Jesus Christ.

In Part One of this book, heartwarming narratives blooming with hope and humor are woven together with poignant poems - each one helping you to discover, understand, and value the family farm experience.

In Part Two, you will find a Biblical focus and prayer tied to each sonnet and story. In addition, I have offered some questions to serve as a guide for your personal devotions and/or to generate meaningful conversations within a small group.

Remembering the Home Place is not only an invitation for you to get a glimpse into life on our family farm, it is a reminder for you to see how God is working during each and every moment in your life. Ultimately, this book is a call for you to share the stories God has given to you so that He may be praised, and His Kingdom will grow.