Who knew when I, a city girl, married my farmer nearly 34 years ago, I would write about my one-of-a-kind life experiences. God did, and thankfully he fortified me to learn to bloom where I am planted.

Having a kindred spirit to share the city-girl-to-farm-wife adventures resulted in collaborating with Beth Gormong on a new book. “Growing the Fruit of the Spirit: 100 Devotions for Farm Families” is full of our daily efforts to put up with pungent livestock smells, praying for our husbands’ safety through mishaps, and creating memories with our children amid crazy schedules.

Making the project even more fun is that Beth’s husband, Jeff, and my husband, Terry, are cousins and grew up on farms close by. They suggested independently of each other that we do a farm life devotional book together.

We city girls had huge learning curves — the kind that began with major culture shocks. We realized quickly farmers don’t work 9 to 5, they have terribly dirty laundry, and harvest doesn’t respect holidays. Thankfully, we both had farm wife mentors who encouraged us and lived out what we needed to know about life on the farm.

The book chronicles everything from life-threatening farm accidents to prayer answered before our eyes. Whether Beth was surviving a farm-style Valentine’s Day date with Jeff or I was accepting that Hereford cattle are part of Terry’s and my getaways, we embraced our life on the farm.

For answers about how Beth’s Valentine date turned out and how Terry met Herefords in England, find the book on Amazon or Kindle, or at one of our book signings. You’ll find inspiration and joy.

Hayhurst writes from Terre Haute, Ind. She is the author of Hayhurst’s Hayloft in Indiana Prairie Farmer.