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posted by Michael on 01/31/07

I know these posts are supposed to be short, but today was long. The plan for today was to work for Mr. and Mrs. McClanen. Simple enough: probably split wood for hours on end and enjoy the new verses I was memorizing and meditating on. God had other plans, but I still enjoyed the Scripture verses.

It was snowing off and on when I called the McClanen farm and since Mr. McClanen wasn’t up yet to make the final decision, Mrs. McClanen said he would call me back. This was very nice because I hadn’t had a chance to read the Bible yet. Now I didn’t just have 5 minutes, but half an hour! When the phone rang I answered it quickly but SURPRISE! it was Robert!! After a short but very nice talk, the phone had barely touched the hook when it rang again. This time it was Mr. McClanen who said I could come on over and get to work.

Mom had to be at Grandpa’s by 9:00, so she could go to Clarksburg with him for his surgery and do some shopping. We were soon rolling down the driveway in the truck. On the way we began hearing a strange scraping or groaning sound so I looked under the truck but nothing was dragging. In Salem it got worse, and when we turned in to Grandpa’s house, it was a terrible and VERY loud SCREECH! We were very concerned. Mom took off right away with Grandpa and Grandma and I went in to make phone calls. The McClanens were very flexible and we rescheduled the work day to tomorrow. After talking to Dad we decided to leave the truck at the repair shop and Donald would come and pick me up. The mechanic said it was probably a stripped out-hub since the problem only occurred while the truck was in 4-wheel drive. It was a good thing that I didn’t work at the farm today because the snowfall became so heavy that I would have been drenched. It was also a good thing that we were able to get the truck in the shop today because we could be needing it real bad with all the snow that is expected. 

It was a prosperous day inside: I ordered 25 holly bushes from Musser Forests, PA which we would be planting to help shelter our beehives from the relentless winter wind. Fortunately, they will be able to ship them in early March before the Sabbath Year begins because the plants are in plastic pots, not bare root. 

The rest of the morning was spent putting together a couple braces which would be used to help assemble beehive frames in a uniform manner. Most of the afternoon was spent typing information that I would use to help teach the beekeeping “school” in March: a basic overview of beekeeping from July to December. I was able to cover the month of September pretty well. Praise the Lord!

Just before supper I answered a call from our good friend Mr. Wilkes in VA. It looks like he and Dad will be off together for an exciting time in Indianapolis, IN tomorrow morning! At supper it was a joy to hear about Jonathan and David’s antics in the snow this afternoon. It was particularly good to hear that Grandpa’s surgery went perfectly and the cancerous place on his head was removed before it had a chance to enter his bloodstream. He has to keep the place elevated above his heart as much as possible, though. I guess he just won’t be able to do any hand stands or summersaults! But we praise the Lord it will not interfere with his healthy, productive lifestyle!

So there’s a day at the Staddons’ house. I am glad that every day is different, but today God’s goodness to us was very evident. And I finally got around to writing my first blog post! O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!

7 Comments » | posted in Family News, The Bright Side

posted by James on 01/30/07

For a summer job last year, I worked for a funeral home in town run by Mr. and Mrs. Greathouse. They were unable to do most of the manual labor of keeping up the property, so I was able to serve them by weed-whacking, mowing, weeding, trimming bushes and so forth. By the time the grass stopped growing and the job was over, we had gotten to know each other rather well. It wasn’t just a job anymore; it was a ministry of love.

So the fall and winter passed; Christmas and the New Year came and went. Then in early January, there came a letter simply addressed “The Staddon Family, Buffalo Calf Road, Salem WV.” Because the envelope had no return address, I waited with curiosity as Mom opened it. The colorful greeting card enclosed contained a warm, hand-written message from Mr. and Mrs. Greathouse expressing their gratefulness for the work I had done last summer. Wow!

I was reminded that the same love you sow in service, you will reap in gratitude. I encourage you to take your normal jobs that involve normal people and make them a ministry of love that will live forever in the hearts of those you serve.

7 Comments » | posted in Family News, Tidbits

posted by Donald on 01/27/07

Oats! Their hearty whole grain taste is one of my favorites. In this recipe Mom combines them with coconut, honey and wheat germ to make the granola bars that we’ve come to enjoy both at home and on the road. They’re delicious but not overly sweet, packed with energy and easy to transport. Try for yourself!

1 cup of raisins
2 eggs

5 cups of oats
1 cup of whole wheat flour
½ cup of wheat germ
½ cup of coconut
½ cup of sliced almonds or sunflower seeds
1 cup of dry milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla
½ cup of oil or applesauce
1 cup of honey
¹/3 cup of water

Soak raisins in eggs for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine dry ingredients. Add raisins, eggs and wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Firmly press into greased 9 x 13 pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before cutting. Let cool completely before removing from pan. Makes about 30.

5 Comments » | posted in Recipes

posted by Robert on 01/25/07

It has been a little over a month now since I returned from a three-week expedition to the Philippines. Looking over the pictures, however, brings each experience and opportunity freshly back to mind!

Several times I was surrounded by groups of eager children, curiously watching and patiently listening as I explained the message of the Gospel using the Wordless Book or the EvangeCube. What a joy!

All I had to do was take the time to show an interest in them. It wasn’t always the easy or natural thing for me. But genuine love is all about giving of yourself to be a blessing to others. And truly, “it is more blessed to give than to receive”!

One great example of sacrificial service was the missionary couple who hosted us. Mr. and Mrs. Guill have hearts full of love for the Filipino people. What godly examples! They were very hospitable as well, even when it wasn’t easy…

Quite a few of us got very sick with the amoeba during the trip. I inadvertently drank some contaminated water and was out of commission for a few days. Thankfully, the Guills knew just what to do to get us back on track. The Lord used the sickness to draw me nearer to Him and to bond us closer together as a team. I had some great times in the Word together with the other guys as we were recovering.

Teaching Character in the schools was tremendously fun! We even had the opportunity to give training to groups of teachers and even principles who wanted to see Character taught in their school classrooms. We were also often allowed to freely share about Christ, who is the true source of all good character and the only one through whom our lack of it can be forgiven before God.

Another ministry opportunity was to share testimony and song in churches, homes and seminaries throughout Cebu. Eric, Andrew, Derek, and I enjoyed singing “Oh, the Deep, Deep, Love of Jesus” as a men’s quartet.

A memorable part of this adventure was hearing Brother Yun, “The Heavenly Man“, speak in person. This is a man whom the Lord has used greatly to advance His Kingdom throughout China and around the world. His example of enduring persecution for the cause of Christ is truly inspiring!

It was an awesome privilege to be a part of this team of like-minded believers, committed to wholeheartedly serving the Lord in the Philippines. Only eternity will tell the full impact that each seed, prayerfully sown, will have for the Kingdom of God. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

6 Comments » | posted in Ministry Reports

posted by Jonathan on 01/23/07

For Christmas David and I got Scratch Art. Because of its details, it was more of a challenge than any other scratch art we have ever tried to do. That was the sea horse and the fish. 

David also had another kind of scratch art that he got for his birthday. You could make any picture you wanted. I did the sunset and the island and David did the dolphin. We try to make our art work reflect God’s creation accurately. It was a exciting project to do together. Fun things like this are great ways to build relationships with younger siblings.

3 Comments » | posted in Art Work, Family News