April Round-Up

April is the tender gateway into the full glory of Spring: Shoots of grass pushing their way up and out of the soil, with scattered snow and rain showers urging them on. Gloriously warm days that prompt baby calves to lie flat and soak up sunshine through their black fur. Cool, windy days that urge the horses to turn their faces to the south. Meadowlarks constantly singing their whistling tune from the tip-tops of sagebrushes.

Ranching

We are now down to 9 heifers left to calve (for non-ag people, a heifer is what we call a female bovine from the time they are born until they are 3 years old, at which point they graduate to being a cow).

Here are my husband’s and my favorite cuties:

She looks absolutely shocked and terrified, which I’ve heard is a common new-mom experience.

Watching and Listening

I finished zero books this month (unless you count the ones in the Bible). I have been reading How To Hear God: A Simple Guide For Normal People by Pete Greig for like… 5 months now. I used to be a voracious reader, but as an adult, I feel guilty for reading because it doesn’t allow for multitasking. TV-watching, which allows me to simultaneously scroll on my phone, is, of course, incredibly mentally stimulating and productive. Truly. (Sarcasm).

I’ve recently started watching The Chosen. I held off on it for a long time because I am generally disappointed by book-to-movie adaptations, and the Bible is an even bigger deal than The Silmarillion. However, I’ve been pleasantly surprised, and I find myself getting teary-eyed during each episode. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not without faults, but it does put the Gospels in a new light for a visual learner like myself.

I also listen to a lot of podcasts, and the one I’m currently most enamored by is Church History and Theology by Timothy Easley. The first season is a series of over 50 lectures that average 90 minutes each. It’s a lot, but so informative. It’s on Spotify, but I have no idea if it’s on Apple, Amazon, or Rhapsody (jk lol) or whatever else the kids are using these days to stream podcasts.

Ministry

I have a lot of upcoming ministry opportunities that I would love for you to pray for. I’m teaching at a week-long youth camp in June and a different 10-day youth camp in July, and while I have a few ideas of what to teach, nothing is set in stone yet. It needs to be something both middle school and high schoolers can grasp, but I also want to challenge them to think bigger.

I’m also speaking at a women’s night in January 2026. It’s a ways off yet, but I have no ideas yet, at all, for a topic. So yeah, prayer would be great!

Theology on the Prairie

In April, I wrote about the Christological theologies of crucifixion and resurrection:

A name of God, Jehovah-Tsidkenu, which means “The LORD is our righteousness”:

And for the “big word of the Bible,” I wrote about covenants:

I dropped the ball this month and didn’t get something written for the Monday after Easter. I’ve no excuse but procrastination and dessert comas.

Looking Forward

May is probably in my top 3 favorite months of the year, but it’s always the busiest. The ranch work starts to ramp up. Community events like end-of-school activities, graduations, birthdays, and weddings keep the calendar full. And of course, there’s always a horse sale to attend, even though I definitely do not need another horse.

I look forward to continuing to serve you through writing. As always, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email at prairietheology@gmail.com. Much love, God bless!