This is the time of year that a lot of us set goals for the new year. I like to do a lot of planning and goal setting during this time. With the holidays over and the colder weather on the farm, I have more time to think and plan. I am constantly tweaking these throughout the year and praying and asking for wisdom and help in attaining them.

One of our family traditions for New Year’s Eve on our farm is to have a fun snack and play games after chores and an early supper. One game we may play again this New Year’s Eve is a game we made up for Christmas last week. We had a lot of fun with this, along with a lot of laughs. Even the little ones participated with some help from an older child.

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from the Mentink family! As I look back over this last year, I am so thankful for all the ways the Lord provided for us. The drought made farming/homesteading look a little different this year, but we have made it through with plenty. We also had a lot of time together as a family, which is something we really enjoy!

As Christmas approaches, we are all thinking about gifts for our loved ones and friends and preparing for Christmas. We used to spend a lot of money and time on shopping for Christmas gifts, decorating, making cookies, running around to parties, and more. It was a very stressful time, but not anymore. We have simplified our Christmas significantly, and we no longer feel that financial burden or exhaustion. We have learned to slow down and truly enjoy the holidays.

Our son Aiden has a passion for working with wood and small engines. For several years he has been creating wooden items and giving them as gifts. One Christmas morning Asher received a handmade wooden truck and trailer with wooden hay bales to go with it. We were all impressed, and Asher was thrilled. I was thankful that I didn’t have to worry about the toy being made with harmful substances, and it was very environmentally friendly, since it was made with wood scraps. Aiden makes all of his items with wood from our farm or nearby places. Our family burns wood to heat our home, and we recently bought a saw mill, so we collect a lot of wood, and Aiden enjoys gathering from there. For several years we have used wood that other people didn’t want or trees that have fallen or need to be removed, but we have never cut a tree down specifically to use for heating or milling.

I was told this story yesterday and felt led to share it.

A woman named Judy was 30 weeks pregnant and had been experiencing debilitating headaches. It got so bad that she went to the emergency room in severe pain one day. When she arrived, she was sent to labor and delivery where she was bullied into doing a bunch of tests that she didn’t feel comfortable with because of her pregnancy. At one point they realized her baby was breech, and all the focus turned to this instead of her headaches. She spent most of the day at the hospital feeling defeated, and when she left the hospital, she never felt like she had a solution or reason for her headaches.