Who Can Find a Virtuous Woman?
In the past few weeks, we have had the opportunity to honor the birthdays of two special women… two women that have impacted our lives in many special ways.
The first was when Mrs. Staddon’s birthday fell on the day that the Staddon family arrived to help us with the NC FEW Conference! It was such a joy to make the cakes, pick out her favorite ice cream flavors, and decorate the house in her honor! Thank you, Mrs. Staddon, for the way that you portray the attributes of a woman who fears the Lord! Your diligence, transparency, faithfulness, joy, and perseverance have been a blessing to us! Your children rise up and call you blessed; your husband praises you. We pray that the Lord would give you fruit abundantly for your labors, and that your works will forever praise you in the gates! (Proverbs 31:28, 31)
The second opportunity was through a surprise birthday party thrown for our friend Mrs. Tammy. We could never record all the ways that she has given of herself to bless us throughout the many years we have known her! She is the kind of person who is always there for you. Many times she has watched our animals, brought us a meal (which she did last week when we were sick with severe head colds!), cut our hair whenever we decided we needed it, helped out with our big endeavors (like hosting FEW Conferences 
), and once she helped us straighten up the house and get out the door when we had to go on a 14-hour emergency trip. Thank you Mrs. Tammy! You have inspired us to serve the Lord by serving others! We are often encouraged by your smile and contagious giggle. 🙂 May the Lord continue to give you strength, creativity, and wisdom to bless everyone you come in contact with.
“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” Proverbs 31:10
Missionary Night – Austria/Germany
I love missions work – hearing about it, reading about it, experiencing it, and talking to those who are serving on the field where God has called them. I am very blessed to be in a family that loves people and hospitality, and to have parents who do everything they can to develop relationships with Godly people and meet those who are following the Lord whole-heartedly. Thus, I have the opportunity to know several missionary families who are serving every where from Florida, to Lithuania, to Mexico, Togo, Honduras, South Africa, Ireland, Uganda, Germany and Austria.
Several months ago, I wrote to our friends who are serving in Austria/Germany, Todd & Kim Lapato. I asked Mrs. Kim for a sample menu from over there – a common meal for the average people. My idea was to re-create that meal here for my family as well as I could, and have a special evening highlighting the Lapatos’ ministry while eating food from that country. (Since we enjoy food so much, I thought that might be a good way to make it more meaningful and memorable!) Her response was quick, mouth-watering, and far more detailed and thorough that I had even hoped for! So then came the next step: finding the perfect evening for our “missionary night.” For me,that was a little more difficult than the initial planning stage, and several months passed before we actually did it. (There were MANY nights that would’ve been great, except that we didn’t know that we’d be home or we didn’t have all the supplies or we just didn’t think about it until it was too late in the day to prepare everything!) However, the idea was “cooking” in the back of my mind all the while (pun intended 
), and we finally did it – exactly five months after she sent me all the menu ideas and recipes!
It was great!! I enlisted Mom and Kathryn’s help, and we made schnitzel (a very thinly pounded filet of chicken that is dredged first in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs), fried potatoes, and gravy, as well as a big salad, German style. (Mixed greens on top of individual piles of corn, kidney beans, green beans, grated carrot, and thinly sliced cucumbers in the bottom of the bowl; it was served room temperature, and the dressing was plain oil and vinegar.) Our beverage was equal parts mixed of carbonated water/apple juice – very yummy! (Again, the beverage was room temp, since Europeans don’t usually use ice in their drinks.) Dessert was apple pie (as a substitute for apple strudel) and coffee. Dad even let all the kids have coffee since it was a special occasion, which was quite a treat!
It was a delicious way to “experience” the Lapatos’ mission field, and everything was a smashing success! 
I’ve heard several requests since then for “Austrian chicken” (schnitzel), so I know everyone really liked that. The potatoes turned out softer than I had expected, so I want to do those again and see if we can make them a little crispier. We put Montreal Steak Seasoning on them (which is a grilling seasoning with black and red pepper in it), and they were really good, although probably a little spicier than they would normally be in Austria. Some of the salad “toppings” (they STARTED in the bottom of the bowl ) were a nice break from our norm, and I heard several votes to make salad like that again. We really enjoyed the whole menu, and I have a feeling that this won’t be the only time we have it!
After supper, we read an update letter from the Lapatos’, and we enjoyed hearing more about what life is like for them. We also got on their blog and read their list of prayer requests, and then prayed for each one specifically during our family prayer time. All in all, it was a fun (and delicious!) way to experience a little piece of missionary life, and we almost felt like we were “with” the Lapatos while we read their updates and prayed for them. Even though we couldn’t physically travel to Europe to see our friends, Missionary Night was a great way to take a mental journey there and visit them in spirit, while we also enjoyed some of the wonderful food like what we might have eaten if we did visit in person! The prayer time was very special, and we enjoyed having a whole evening devoted to just one family, so that we could pray more directly for their specific needs.
So what about you? Do you know anyone who is serving the Lord on a foreign field? Could you set up an evening devoted specifically to updating your family about their lives and ministry, learning about the culture they are living in, and praying for the needs that they have? Read their prayer letters and learn about their ministry. Find out what their needs are, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, so that you know better how to pray for them. Contact them and ask any questions that you may have about their field or lives. Tell them that you are thinking about and praying for them, and if you are going to have a Missionary Night, tell them that, too. I promise, your interest in what they are doing will encourage them greatly, and will also be a blessing to you and your family!!
2011 NC Family Encouragement Weekend
Recently the Lord blessed our family with the opportunity to host the 2011 NC Family Encouragement Weekend Conference (FEW Conference) with the Wilkes and Staddon families!! As we all labored together to make this vision a reality, it was a delight to watch the Lord pull everything together according to His perfect plan!
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
The Lord’s ways truly are far above ours, and His plans for the conference once again surpassed our imaginations! The “Conference Team” discovered that when we willingly offer ourselves to His service and surrender our will completely to His, that He loves to take our humble offering and turn it into something beautiful – of real value.
Throughout the weekend, attendees heard biblical teaching, fellowshipped with like-minded believers, and participated in Christ-honoring worship through song. During a game time for the young people on Saturday, older children were given the opportunity to disciple little ones. Special family prayer times allowed fathers to lead their families in a time of searching their hearts, confessing bitterness, and seeking the Lord.
We praise our Heavenly Father for the work that He was doing throughout the weekend! We pray that each family walked away from it encouraged to press on toward Christ-likeness by spending more time in His Word together and striving to build strong, lasting relationships within their homes.
Soli Deo Gloria!
A special challenge to all who attended:
“He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…” Philippians 1:6
“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of Whom thou hast learned them…” II Timothy 3:14
To see other reports and pictures, please visit:
Chosen Vessel
The Master was searching for a vessel to use;
Before Him were many; Which one would He choose?
“Take me,” cried the gold one, “I’m shiny and bright.
I’m of great value and I do things just right.
My beauty and luster will outshine the rest,
And for someone like you, Master, gold would be best.”
The Master passed on with no word at all,
And looked at a silver urn, narrow and tall.
”I’ll serve you, dear Master, I’ll pour out your wine
I’ll be on your table whenever you you dine.
My lines are so graceful, my carving so true,
And silver will always complement You.”
Unheeding, the Master passed on to the brass,
Wide-mouthed and shallow and polished like glass.
”Here! Here!” cried the vessel, “I know I will do,
Place me on your table for all men to view.”
“Look at me,” cried the goblet of crystal so clear,
”My transparency shows my contents so dear.
Though fragile, am I, I will serve you with pride,
And I’m sure I’ll be happy in your house to abide.”
The Master came next to a vessel of wood,
Polished and carved, it solidly stood.
”You may use me, dear Master,” the wooden bowl said,
”But I’d rather you used me for fruit, not for bread.”
Then the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay,
Empty and broken it helplessly lay.
No hope had the vessel, that the Master might choose
To cleanse, and make whole, to fill, and to use.
“Ah! This is the vessel I’ve been hoping to find.
I’ll mend it and use it and make it all mine.
I need not the vessel with pride of itself,
Nor one that is narrow to sit on the shelf,
Nor one that displays its contents so proud
Nor the one that thinks he can do all things just right,
But this plain, earthen vessel, filled with power and might.”
Then gently He lifted the vessel of clay,
Mended and cleansed it, and filled it that day.
Spoke to it kindly — “There’s work you must do!
Just pour out to others, as I pour into you.”
–B.V. Cornwall
When Life Becomes More Than You Can Stand…
… kneel.
Every day we face trials. Some are bigger than others, but all tend to stretch our faith, cause some pain, and test whether or not we really believe that the Lord governs each little area of our lives!
I was flipping through one of my old journals this evening and “stumbled” across some excellent notes from a message from Mr. Scott Brown we listened to on one of our trips last summer. I hope these are a blessing to you seek to trust the Lord as He sends each struggle into your life today. Remember that each one is a specially-designed tool for conforming you into His image!
“Trials are God’s gateway to far better things for your life.”
“Suffering is often the only way to victory.”
“Mighty trials, responded to in a righteous manner, will make you into a mighty individual for Christ.”
“The Lord often disguises blessings as disasters.”
“Your trials will either make you, or break you.”
“The kind providences of God often arise out of our worst failures and disasters.”
“Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.” Ecclesiastes 7:3
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
Judas and the Door
Jesus said, "I am the Door."
While we know that it was God’s sovereign plan for Jesus to die for our sins, and that some will be saved while others reject Christ, we also have to recognize that we are responsible for our decisions. Although God planned every detail of the world, Judas wasn’t forced to choose to betray Christ, and his story should be a fearful warning to those who think they can live in their own strength.
A chosen few were picked by God
To walk beside His Son on Earth,
But one man of the honored twelve,
Refused to see the Savior’s worth.
What went through the schemer’s mind
When silver clanked into his hands?
How strongly Satan’s greed took hold
And tightened its enslaving bands!
The stage was set, the night was dark,
To veil the traitor’s treach’rous deed.
God withheld His mighty pow’r,
To let Satan’s plan succeed.
What searing guilt the apostate felt
When his murderous act was done!
His screaming conscience took his life;
For he’d betrayed God’s perfect Son.
He stood for three years at the brink
Of Grace’s free, o’erflowing Well;
But he who kissed the Door of Heaven
Spends eternity in Hell.
Still the Tempter lives today
Within the hearts of wicked men
Who will not turn to Christ for help,
And lack the strength to fight their sin.
It was for all that Jesus died –
He bore our punishment in full
That we might have eternal life,
Beloved by God, forgiven, whole.
We’re just as faithless as the man
Who his Lord and Friend betrayed,
If we turn from Jesus and ignore
The redemption price He paid.
The power of the Evil One
Was crushed when Jesus gave His life;
He broke the curse of sin and death —
Our vict’ry through His sacrifice!
You’re given opportunity,
And although some will still rebel,
Do not kiss the Door of Heaven,
Yet spend eternity in Hell.
Wild Savage Adventures…
… while Dad and Mom were away!!!! Ha ha ha! :):):)
Anyway…
This weekend Dad and Mom were gone to the Wilds for their Overnight Sweetheart Getaway! 🙂 If we had been there, we would be telling you about what a fantastic time we had, the powerful messages we heard, the delicious food, all the stairs we climbed, the thrilling ride on the famous Giant Swing… and much, much more… But since we weren’t there, you’ll have to hear about that some other time, and for now, be content with an overview of the activities that took place on the home front.
To say the least… we had a delightful time!! It seems I am continually being reminded that time with my family is immensely precious… something not to be taken for granted because it will not last forever! The message we heard on Sunday following all of the adventures (which I will recount for you in a moment) called us to remember relationships: first of all, with Jesus Christ, and second, with our families. Relationships are of upmost importance. If you think about it, that is the one thing that separates Christianity from all other “religions.” Christianity is based upon a personal relationship with the God of the universe, rather than how we can try in our own strength to be “good enough” to measure up to His righteous standards. Thus, the focus is on Him, not on us. The parallels to be drawn from this regarding the family are amazing, for the only way to have a truly good relationship with someone is to be constantly thinking of them, not ourselves. This is a conviction to me even as I write it, but may we always have this “others focus,” and look for ways to bless those the Lord has placed around us!
With those thoughts in mind, one of the highlights of our time together was heading outdoors to be wild savages, or at least, to do our utmost to reach that lofty status. 😉 With painted faces, braided hair, ponies, a “pale face prisoner,” and some good-ole Injun grub, we made our way to our secret hideout in the woods and succeeded in building a wigwam – of sorts! Talk about memories!
Some other memory-making activities that took place were experimenting with our own version of Mocha Freeze drinks, reading The Island Queen by R.M. Ballentyne, making dozens and dozens and dozens and… LOTS of cookies to freeze for the upcoming FEW Conference, and sleeping in late. 🙂
“Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
So, I would challenge you to get out with your family and make some memories together… lasting ones. You won’t be sorry!
Treasures… in the Form of Sisters!
Well, before we have to write an “Update 3,” we had the brilliant idea that we’d just better keep up with all that’s going on around here!! 🙂
Last week we had the spur-of-the-moment and DELIGHTFUL experience of having the Wilkes ladies here for a couple days! Some of the guys came south for a farm show in TN, used us as a hotel, and brought the ladies with them to keep us company! For several days, we just lived life, including school work, celebrating Hannah’s birthday, evening visits from Mr. Traylor – a business associate of Daddy’s and now a great friend of the family, and Jennifer Jennings, also a good friend of ours, house cleaning, afternoon rest times, an overnight visit from Jon Hynes, and even a tea party!… All of this (and so much more!!!!) took place with the extra special blessing of having four extra special ladies around. Sisters, both biological and adopted, 🙂 are such treasures from the Lord! Words fail to describe the beauty of our time together… but I can’t give bunches of pictures to help out because sadly, the ones from this are few due to the absence of one camera during the visit and the loss of the shots from the other! But praise be to God that we have memories (and journals :))…
But I will leave you with the reminder to truly treasure the times you have with your sisters, both biological and your sisters in the Lord! Learn from each other! Disciple each other! Laugh together! Talk… for hours! Make fun and unusual memories!
The bond of love that will be created is priceless!
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment…” (Philippians 1:9)
“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another… to the end that he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13)
A few more pictures from the times when the guys were in…
Update… Part 2
By the time you’ve finished reading this post, you should be well-informed as to what we’ve been doing…. At least for a few days…. until we go off and do something else. 
Sometimes you just never know what we’ll do next…. in fact, sometimes we don’t even know what we’ll do next. Who knows, we may decide to take a trip to the moon!! (Well, that is a little “far out” – literally, and there aren’t any plans right now to do something that drastic…. but then again, you just never know… 
)
The Monday following Christmas, the Staddon family came for an all-too-short visit. It is hard to accurately put into words everything that happened. There’s an old saying that goes something like, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” so we’ll just show you the pictures. 
Next on the schedule was a trip to Bainbridge, GA to visit Grandmama (Dad’s mom) and “Uncle Fudge.” Long-time friends of the family, “Uncle” Bill and “Aunt” Peggy Chapman, who we hadn’t seen in three years, were also there.
We had been asked to sing in two churches down there, one pastored by one of Dad’s science teachers, and our aunt, uncle and cousin go to the other. Both services went really well, and we praise the Lord for the opportunities to minister!
We also did some hunting while we were down there, but unfortunately did not have the opportunity to pull the trigger, except on a couple of armadillos. Oh well…. maybe next year….
We are disappointed to not have any pictures of that eight-point buck, or even a nice doe, which we were really hoping to see…. but we do have some pictures of the times that we weren’t in the woods. It was truly a wonderful time to visit with friends and family for a few days!!!
We were home for a couple days, and then friends from Atlanta, the Barnes family, came for two days. And it was a great visit! We even got to go sledding… with snow and real sleds.
Whew! Now I think you have been pretty much updated… oh and two weeks ago all of us had dentist appointments, we got a foot of snow, and Mom and Dad went away for the weekend and left us kids home with a friend. This week we’ve had more doctor’s appointments, and day trip to Greenville, and more company… life moves on. We look forward to what the Lord will bring across our path in the days to come… and hopefully we won’t fall too far behind in our blogging!
Update…. Part 1
Well, it has been a while since we’ve posted anything. The Lord has opened several doors of opportunity for our family, and with any opportunity comes responsibility. It has been a busy winter season, but it is definitely well worth it!!
Enough introduction…. here’s a brief summary of recent happenings….
We were blessed to be asked to present a Christmas program at a local church in early December. It truly was a blessing to fellowship with other believers!
The Hynes family came for a brief visit at the beginning of December. We had a delightful visit with them, which included snowball “fights” and photography talk, and many games of Checkers.
Next on the agenda was a much anticipated trip to Louisville, Kentucky to minister in music at Landmark Independent Baptist Church. It was a fabulous trip, leaving us uplifted and encouraged. Matter of fact, we had such a wonderful time, that we neglected the camera, and ended up with a select few pictures. Oh well… the memories are still sweet! Here are some of the pictures we did get… 
We got home from Louisville on December 20, and quickly began doing last minute Christmas preparations. We also went to a Christmas program at a friend’s church, which was very well done, and a huge blessing! On Christmas Eve, we sang at our local nursing home, then went caroling through our neighborhood. Christmas day was quiet, but very restful, allowing us to focus on the Reason of Christmas and to enjoy time together as a family.
Part 2 coming soon!
