Frozen Troughs, Mindset Shifts, and Larson’s Favorite Word
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." — 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Wow. What a week, am I right?
We went from breaking out the summer gear to completely freezing, all in the span of a few days. I’m sure you all felt that whiplash just like our family did. We had completely transitioned into spring mode—moving forward on projects, jobs, and life—and then, suddenly, we were thrown right back into December.
Out on the farm, a weather shift like that means immediate chaos. We went from enjoying the sunshine to suddenly battling frozen water troughs and scrambling to make sure all the animals could stay warm. It was a grind. We got through it, thank God, but it definitely took a toll.
And by "took a toll," I mean it took a toll on my attitude.
My wife, Nicole, noticed it first. She saw that my overall mindset was starting to turn negative. I was getting salty. I was starting to fall into the "oh, poor me" trap, complaining about the cold, the ice, and the extra work. That is not usually who I am, but the frustration was getting the better of me.
Thankfully, God paired me with a mentally strong woman.
Proverbs 31:26 says, "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." That was Nicole this week. She called me out on it. She looked right at me and basically said, Hey, you need to change your lens. You need to start looking at this from a positive mindset and be thankful that you are even able to do these things. Boy, was she right. I had to get that "poor me" hooplah out of my head immediately.
Once I was intentional about shifting my mindset, I realized there is another way to look at these frustrating moments. And honestly? It’s a page right out of Larson’s playbook.
When Larson was little, if he didn’t like something or things weren't going his way, he didn't beat around the bush. He would just look at the situation and say, "Bullshit." He would just go around saying it! It got to the point where we actually got a call from his preschool telling us we needed to "fix" his vocabulary. We had to try so hard not to laugh on that phone call.
But looking back—especially on weeks like this one where the water troughs are suddenly frozen solid and the work is piling up—I realize the kid had a point. Sometimes, you just have to look at a frustrating situation, call it exactly what it is—"Well, this is bullshit"—have a good laugh, and then just keep going.
You can't let the hard moments steal your joy. You have to acknowledge the mess, smile at the absurdity of it, and get back to work.
When you really step back and look at it, this life is amazing. The fact that I get to learn and work on this farm, the fact that I get to assist people in finding their homes through real estate, the fact that I am learning more every day about running a commercial coffee roastery... it is incredible. It is a privilege to carry this load, and I need to praise Jesus for the opportunity to do it, even when the troughs are frozen solid.
Once I made that intentional shift, the whole week began to turn around. We ended the weekend beautifully by having family up for church and hosting friends at the house to celebrate Lily getting into nursing school! We are so incredibly proud of her. She use to babysit Lincoln and Larson for us. Our families were inseparable back then. It was good to get them together so Lily could get some time with Lincoln and Landry. Time doesn't stand still it continues to move.
Times are going to get tough in this life. The weather will turn, the work will pile up, and the storms will come. We will all have to deal with it. But my prayer for all of us is that we choose to tackle those hard things with a smile and the determination to get through them.
Keep your head up. Keep moving forward. Don't let yourself get stuck in a salty mindset, and most importantly: ask for help and allow the people who love you to help you.
Believe it. It works.