Articles from Jackie
Here you’ll find encouragement, sage advice, and godly counsel I wish I’d had while going through the difficult seasons of life.
Seasons of Life
As winter begins to fade, teasing us with the promise of spring, it’s tempting to rush ahead. The melting snow and gentle breezes hint at warmer days to come. Like clockwork, I find myself eager to jumpstart the season, already planting seeds indoors under a grow...
What Would You Like For Christmas?
Ask any child that question, and you will get a long list of things they think they can’t live without. When my sons were growing up, they anxiously waited for the Sears & Roebuck Christmas Catalog, pored over each and every page, and circled their wishes. As they...
December On The Farm
The snowy fields glisten as the sunlight dances on the hillside. Winter’s blasts will soon be here. And, as I anticipate them while sitting alone in my warm living room, I remember other chilly nights around this fireplace, roasting marshmallows with my growing boys....
November On The Farm
As the blustery November winds blow across our fields, they sweep the last of the vibrant-colored leaves away. What remains are gnarly brown branches and tree stumps void of color. The harvested fields, too, appear bereft. Squirrels don’t linger; they scurry to bury...
October On The Farm
A Bountiful Harvest Here on the farm, the maple trees are ablaze with glorious red leaves. Hay season has ended, but the harvest is still underway, with soybeans and corn ready for gathering. Harvest generally begins in mid-September and can run as late as...
Power Outage
I am a woman who plans and then works on a plan. My family knows not to stand in my way when I have my checklist - unless they’re willing to help. So, to say the recent power outage disrupted my plans is an understatement. This time, the cause of the outage wasn’t a...
September On The Farm
This year, my March On The Farm post discussed my wild, unruly grapevines that I had neglected for so long. But this year would be different, I decided. Through the spring and early summer, my sons and I worked tirelessly to prune, replace posts, and wire the vines to...
Due to the Shortage in the Supply Chain
These days more than any in recent memory, I see an overabundance of rudeness, anger, impatience, and disdain towards one another. There is a shortage of the Fruit of the Spirit.
It Is No Secret What God Can Do
Grandparents can be the sugar and spice and everything nice in a child’s life. Mine certainly were. A grandparent’s presence-or absence-is crucial, especially these days, when we see more and more grandparents raising grandchildren. How would you describe your...
Hide and Seek
Do you remember playing hide & seek as a child? I could find some of the most amazing spots to hide because who wants to be IT? Not I!
Front Porch
Why is a front porch swing so enticing and relaxing? Is it the rhythmic swaying back and forth? The opportunity to greet neighbors as they pass by? A swing certainly offers an ideal place for appreciating and listening to the sounds of the neighborhood – children...
August On The Farm
Farm to table. This trendy term isn’t new to those of us who live on a farm. Many meals prepared here come directly from the field to the table daily. No shopping at a grocery store or warehouse. And if I am fortunate to grow the right herbs, there is no need to add...
July On The Farm
A century ago, forty percent of Americans lived on a farm. Oh, how times have changed – dramatically. Now only one percent of us live on a farm. So, I’m not surprised that people I meet are curious about farm life. “What do you grow?” “Do you raise cattle and hogs? Or...