Light for the wAy Teaching in Parables

other financial documents such as bank statements or invoices before disposing of them.

Do not put outgoing mail in or on your mailbox. Drop it into a secure, official Postal Service collection box. Thieves may use mail to steal your identity.

If regular bills fail to reach you, call the company to find out why. Someone may have filed a false change-of-address notice to divert your information to his or her address.

If your bills include suspicious items, do not ignore them. Instead, investigate immediately to head off any possible fraud before it occurs.

Regularly review your bank statements and monitor your online accounts.

Periodically contact the major credit reporting companies to review your file and make certain the information is correct.

Be proactive and protect your identity. Do not be a victim of identity theft.

By Pastor Wayne Bernau, Immanuel Lutheran

Most people would agree that Jesus was a great teacher. What made Him such a special teacher? I believe that there were at least five important things.

Jesus spoke with authority from God and as God. Jesus knew what was in people’s hearts and what they really needed. Jesus knew how to vitally connect with and engage His audience.

Jesus was a masterful story teller. And Jesus was also a master at answering as well as asking questions.

In Matthew 13, we have seven of Jesus’ forty parables recorded. They include the parable of the Sower, the parable of Weeds in the Wheat, the parable of the Mustard Seed, the parable of Yeast, the parable of the Hidden Treasure, the parable of the Pearl of Great Price, and the parable of Fish Caught in a Net.

A parable is a simple, earthly story with a deeper, spiritual meaning. It is an engaging teaching style, because it involves discovering what that deeper meaning is. Jesus often taught in parables, and when He was alone with His disciples, He would explain the parables to them.

Many of Jesus’ parables deal with the nature of the kingdom of God. In fact, six times in Matthew 13 we read the phrase, “The kingdom of heaven is like”, followed by a parable. In other words, this is what God’s reign in the hearts of His people looks like. And a third of Jesus’ parables deal with being prepared for the final judgment. We are called to faith, watchfulness, and faithfulness.

What is your favorite parable that Jesus taught? Some of the more wellknown ones are the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, the House on the Rock, the Unmerciful Servant, the Lost Sheep, and the Rich Farmer Fool. All of these parables are recorded in the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Luke and Matthew contain the most parables, and John has the least.

A parable was often used to spark interest in the mind of the hearer.

Sometimes Jesus would explain the parable further to His disciples. At any rate, many people were bound to ponder the parable beyond just a statement of fact that Jesus might have simply stated. Interaction with a story is always a good way to learn and reinforce a central truth.

There are several things to remember in seeking to interpret a parable.

First, each parable has a main point. Try to find that point by studying the parable carefully in the context of the Scripture in which it was given. There may be minor points to the parable as well, but don’t miss the main message! Seek wisdom from the Lord to understand and apply His Word to your life. If Jesus gave a detailed meaning, as He did to the parable of the Sower and also the parable of the Weeds in the Wheat in Matthew 13, then we have the answers we seek directly from Him. May God’s gracious Holy Spirit guide us to study the parables with renewed interest and may God bless us as we more fully understand and apply to our lives these vital lessons from our loving Lord!

Strategic Farming: Grain Marketing and Climate Outlook

St. Paul, Minn. (01/16/2022)—

During the launch of Strategic Farming, Ed Usset, University of Minnesota Extension grain marketing economist, laid out a bullish argument for the next six months. Ending wheat stocks are projected to be the tightest in 15 years, excluding China’s stockpile. The same is true with world corn ending stocks. In addition, the basis is strong.

On the other hand, factors favor a bearish outlook, such as a strong dollar, high prices and lagging export and ethanol demands. Brazil is also expecting a record soybean harvest, offsetting the drought in Argentina.

An analysis of years with similar low wheat stock to use percentages after 1990 showed that Minneapolis May spring wheat futures rose from harvest until the following April in five of six years. The pattern for corn is similar, with rising May corn futures in seven of nine years.

“Although May futures are currently down for both corn and wheat, the fundamentals are still favorable to the market,” said Usset. However, there are a few caveats, including high prices, the war in Ukraine, ending stocks to use is a projection, and a three-year corn price rally is rare. Could soybean biodiesel production bring another golden age of high crop prices? One such age was prior to and during World War I. A second oc-

Daytime running lights cannot be used in lieu of actual headlights during the times that actual headlights are required to be on. During those required times of headlights, all the other lights also are required (e.g., tail lights, marker lamps, etc.). Those other lights are not always on when the so-called “automatic” lights are on either.

You can avoid a ticket — and a crash — if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention and always drive sober. Help us drive Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths.

If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson – Minnesota State Patrol at 2900 48th Street NW, Rochester MN 55901-5848. (Or reach him at, Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us)

mN dePt of AgricuLture

Updated Minnesota Groundwater Protection Rule Map Now Available

St. Paul, MN: The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has issued an updated map that will help farmers across the state comply with the Groundwater Protection Rule. The rule restricts fall application of nitrogen fertilizer in areas vulnerable to contamination, and it outlines steps to reduce the severity of contamination in areas where nitrate is already elevated in public water supply wells.

The MDA has made changes to the Fall Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Restrictions map which is accessible on the MDA website. There have been changes to the Drinking Water Supply Management Areas (DWSMA). One DWMSA was removed and two DWSMAs had boundary changes. Additional information on the fall application restrictions and exceptions to the restrictions can be found on the MDA’s website. The restriction of fall application of nitrogen fertilizer on these acres will begin September 1, 2023. Farmers are encouraged to check the new map prior to the fall of 2023 to determine if their fields are subject to these restrictions.

Walz Orders Flags at Half-Staff Honoring CA Shooting Victims

[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim

Walz has directed flags at all state buildings in Minnesota to be flown at half-staff effective immediately until sunset on Thursday, January 26, 2023, to honor the lives lost in the shooting in Monterey Park, California on Saturday, January 21, 2023.

“Gun violence has no place in our society. Everyone deserves to be safe and free from violence in schools, community gatherings, workplaces, at home, and everywhere in between,” reads the proclamation issued by Governor Walz. “Minnesota joins states across the nation to remember and honor the victims whose lives were lost on January 21, 2023.” curred from 2007 to 2014 when ethanol production was rapidly expanding. In these examples, war and rapid demand growth were catalysts for higher prices.

Minnesota joins the nation in remembering, mourning, and honoring the lives lost in Monterey Park. Individuals, businesses, and other organizations are also encouraged to join in lowering their flags.

Currently, several new soybean crushing facilities or expansions are planned within the next few years. While these plans shouldn’t affect the market this year, they may in the future as crop acres are juggled to meet increased soybean crushing demand.

Usset urges growers to look for pricing opportunities for the 2023 crop.

“Don’t stand by and be overly bullish,” he advises. “Aim for a good average price and take advantage of pricing opportunities, since they are still above production costs.”

Can this winter’s snowfall mitigate the drought? Pete Boulay, Assistant State Climatologist for the Minnesota DNR explained that after a wet period from 2010 to 2019 where Minnesota had surplus moisture, 2020 began a series of dry years. The peak of the 2021 drought occurred in northwestern Minnesota in August. The drought continued and shifted south through 2022, peaking in November and it continues today.

Throughout much of 2022 in the hardest hit areas of the state, soil moisture levels kept dropping.

Then in November, Minnesota started getting precipitation and most of the state has received about an inch of precipitation above normal levels since then.

During early fall, approximately 38% of precipitation will soak into the ground. Efficiency can increase to about 70% during late fall with no crop and less intense rainfall. If snow melts during the winter, efficiency can range from 5 to 50%, depending on soil frost conditions.

So far this winter, the frost is not deep. With little frost, precipitation efficiency could be as high as 50% when snow melts, according to Boulay. Between the recent above average precipitation and lack of a deep frost, there is hope for soil recharge going into the spring. After below average temperatures in December, we’ve seen above average temperatures during January. The short 8-14 day projections are that this trend will continue through the month.

However, the odds of hitting temperatures way above normal are slim, due to significant snow cover.

The short-term precipitation trend looks to remain active not just for Minnesota, but for a good portion of the U.S. this month.

The Climate Prediction Center indicates that we are still in a La Niña pattern, so we have equal chances for above or below average temperatures from February to April. However, the

La Niña pattern is starting to transition into a neutral phase, indicated by warming sea surface temperatures. The longer range precipitation outlook is tilting toward being above normal in the northern half and southeastern corner of the state. Equal chances are predicted for the rest of the state. “It takes a while to get out of a drought scenario,” explains Boulay. “The waning La Niña pattern and above normal precipitation is an encouraging trend, but we will see what the spring brings.”

The University of Minnesota’s Strategic Farming: Let’s talk crops! webinar series, offered Wednesdays through March, features discussions with experts to provide up-to-date, researchbased information to help optimize crop management strategies for 2023. Join us next week for “What’s bugging my corn?” For more information and to register, visit z.umn.edu/strategicfarming.

For more information from the University of Minnesota Extension, visit extension.umn.edu/crop-production. Thanks to the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council and Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council for their generous support of this program.

For more news from U of M Extension, visit https://www.extension.umn. edu/news.