2025: Abide, Rest & Shalom
The New Year is bringing forth some new words and a new name for the farm!
Hello Friends,
We have some pretty big & exciting news for you today…
(Hold on to your goats - this is going to be a long one!)
But first, as we looked back over the last year, we know that God has been with us; he has provided for us and he has allowed us to connect with so many people through our little farm. We are so thankful for each and every person we have had the opportunity to get to know over the last year (yes, that means you!) ❤️
As as result of God's provision we have decided to turn our little hobby farm into an official Limited Liability Company (LLC).
The Problem with “Penner Mini Farms”
Sadly, we ran into a huge roadblock right from the start… the name "Penner Mini Farms" was not available (the name is too similar to another already established farm business in Nebraska).
However, we saw this as an opportunity to seek God and think about the vision of our farm and what we would like it to represent to the community of Lincoln, Nebraska, and the surrounding areas.
Since using our name was out for the business, we decided to complete a word study to find what new direction the farm would take.
In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights.
Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.
^^This video from the Bible Project does a great job of explaining Shalom.
A Life (and Farm) of Shalom
After considering several different options for the farm, we landed on the name "Shalom Farms LLC" as our new official business name (operating under the trade name of "Shalom Farms").
We hope you will continue to join with us as we say goodbye to Penner Mini Farms and fully embrace the life of Shalom Farms in 2025.
Words for 2025
For 2024 our commitment was to seek to develop a heart of contentment: We sought to live out the Psalm 23 life - a life of complete satisfaction and contentment under the constant care of Jesus as our Shepherd.
As we focused on having a heart of contentment, two other life-giving heart conditions surfaced that we would like to put as our focus for 2025:
Abiding in Christ
Rest
A heart of contentment flows out of a daily walk that is abiding in Jesus Christ. We desire to be people who live life completely dependent on God for all things in all situations.
To be dependent on God means that we are abiding in Jesus, submitting ourselves to Him, obeying His commands, and listening to His voice.
Abiding in Jesus means we are committing each and every day to God’s care and trusting Him completely with contentment in our circumstances and in His daily provision (His “daily bread”).
We also believe that the result of Abiding in Christ and developing a heart of contentment under the care of Jesus as our Shepherd is Rest!
Rest for our souls as Jesus has promised in Matthew 11:28-30.
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
As we set our minds on God (renewing our minds and thinking rightly of God and his love for us and his goodness towards us), and surrender our hearts under his authority and reign (his yoke), then we find Rest for our souls and a life where we truly lack nothing.
So, over this next year, we are praying that God will meet us daily as we seek to commit ourselves to his care and teach us to be completely dependent on Him for everything in all circumstances.
We desire to have God develop in us a character (a heart) of abiding in Him and trusting God to care for us, provide for us, and lead us into the opportunities he wants for us. And as a result, we are seeking lives full of Rest in God.
And we desire the same for you as well.
We love you, and thank you for being a part of this new adventure with us and invite you to pray for a year full of abiding and rest in God as we continue to balance our work life, farm & home life, and now the task of rebranding to Shalom Farms.
Your friends,
Jeffrey and Lorraine Penner