Wildflowers from a walk with Mimi, perfectly imperfect.

Summertime in Maine, although full of rain, has been much more abundant and joyous than I remember. Year after year, as I get older and my husband and I mature in our marriage, we watch our children grow, and life looks different. Whether it be a ride to the pasture on the buggy to watch the cows, an afternoon with the slip and slide, or a family trip to the beach, I find myself trying to savor each moment fully.

As I have grown as a woman, I have been in the pursuit of improving myself, and not through the lens of some self-help book, although if that is your thing carry on, but through my Bible and relationship with God. In that I have been blessed so fully and so greatly. Each day is an opportunity to find something to be grateful for as well as a fresh chance to serve and honor my family. Are those days full of mistakes and face palm moments, why yes of course, but without the notion of conviction to do what is right and just by the Lord I wouldn’t have the self-awareness to enjoy life fully. What does this have to do with farming? I’m glad you asked.

Tucking the girls in after late night chores.

We have recently gone through a bit of a situation, with the potential to move off of the farm, and build a house right down the road. With this we were looking at sacrificing being here on the farm every-day and maybe even giving up on our first year of milking our girls. Went it got right down to it, and I mean right down to it, we couldn’t do it. My husband hasn’t told me but I know he came out to find me in the barn one morning and peeped a scene of me giving Daisy a kiss on the nose as I was finishing up chores, headed into the house to see how I could be of any help. I know this tugged at his heart strings and by the end of that morning we realized what we would be giving up was not worth a shiny new house.

Now for us this way of life is a gift from God and, also from hard work by my Grandparents to keep the farm going. Even now we couldn’t be doing this without their giving nature. For others this way of life is achieved through their own hard work and sacrifice. For others still this way of life may not be anything they would want, but something is. Have a vision for yourself, or for your family. Go after it. Do what you have to do to make it happen. Be all in. Don’t compromise.

Already looking forward to growing more of these next summer.

I have this saying, God takes you through the steps you need to go through to get where you need to go, and He definitely did that with this. He lit a new fire in our lives, a brand-new conviction all of our own to be all in, here at White’s farm. Even if you haven’t met God yet. Start noticing the beautiful little things in your life, that you take for granted. Notice the way stopping to check in with your mood and set your heart on joy and gratefulness can change your entire day. Notice the things that you’re going through that are terrible even, and see where they lead. Think back on your life on these things, not with self-pity, but with a heart of strength and vigor, forgiving the hurts and embracing what all the experiences have made you into.

These days I have less room on my plate for vegetables, and more for the meat raised here on this farm, and organic dairy products raised locally here in Maine. My heart is sometimes all twisted up at the mere idea of not knowing what the future holds, but it comes untangled so fast when I take a deep breath and take everything into perspective. We will talk again soon; until then fill your plate with a ribeye, or some savory slow cooker stew beef to welcome a new season.

Be Blessed,

Lorin