Good morning, Reader,

I’m so happy you’re here. I’m sending this message while making the long drive back from Kansas, where we picked up our new pastured pig farrowing hut. It has been a month of over 3,000 miles of travel—from the foothills of South Dakota to the woods of northern Minnesota, and even a flight out to Washington, D.C. I feel like we made up for years of staying home on the farm in just a few weeks! Through it all, I’ve been reminded again how much I love the people and places that fill this life.

I want to start by saying thank you to all of our beef CSA customers for your grace in letting me switch our pickup day to Friday last week. That flexibility gave me the gift of heading up north with my daughter, Sue Ellen, for the early youth deer hunt at her great-uncle Wayne’s.

Uncle Wayne is a retired deputy sheriff who’s seen a lot of sad things in his lifetime. He’s rough around the edges in all the best ways, with a loving heart that has shaped many young lives.

I still remember the first time I met Wayne. My very first "official" date with Benj—more than twenty years ago now—wasn’t dinner or a movie. It was his grandpa’s birthday party! Pretty much every aunt, uncle, cousin, and relative was there, loud and happy and sharing memory upon memory. Wayne was among the first to welcome me, booming with laughter and telling me how his wife, Lizzy, was an angel for loving someone trouble like him. Then he winked and said since his nephew Benj learned how to be trouble from him, I must be an angel too. That’s the kind of love and humor that pulled me right into this big, messy family—and I’m so grateful to be part of it.

Being around Wayne makes me reflect on how powerful it is to be truly seen and loved by someone. He has a way of making you feel special just by being with you. He is not focused on fixing you or offering advice—he freely gives time and love, which he has showed to many young people, our family included, by taking them hunting, trapping and fishing. I love the bumper sticker on his old truck "kids who hunt, trap and fish don't mug little old ladies."

Wayne can't see very well anymore, so this weekend I sat in the woods next to my 11-year-old daughter for more than ten hours—just the two of us, quiet except for the wind in the golden birch leaves and the chatter of an occasional red squirrel. There was no talking, and not much doing—only being. And in that stillness, I had the luxury of uninterrupted thought.

It made me think of how our Lord loves us. He knows our flaws, our failures, and all the things we wish we could change—and yet, He chooses to stay with us. His love is not conditional or hurried. It’s patient, steadfast, and full of mercy.

Sometimes we rush to fix, teach, or correct the people in our lives, but love comes first. Real love, the kind God shows us, is what opens hearts and heals souls.

As the leaves fall and the air turns crisp, I’m holding close this truth: The people in our lives are a great gift. And what a reflection they are of God’s own love for us.

Thank you for being part of our farm family—for your kindness, your encouragement, and your presence in this community. May your week be filled with peace, quiet moments in nature, and the joy of knowing you are deeply loved by your Creator.

With love,
​Leah & the Matzke Family​
Great Heritage Farm

Prayer:​
Lord Jesus, thank You for the people You place in our lives—those who love us as we are and point us back to You. Help us to slow down, listen, and show that same kind of love to others. Amen.

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