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posted by David on 06/8/09

10 Comments » | posted in Tidbits

posted by Staddon Family on 06/5/09

Our annual trips to the ATI Regional Conferences have always been packed with excitement! On the way to Nashville this year, we passed the time in the van by listening to Focus on the Family’s Radio Theatre audiodrama of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This detailed account of his life was a definite inspiration to live wholeheartedly for Christ. It amazed us how relevant his message is to our time in history; the parallels between the rise of Nazism in Germany and the rise of Socialism in America are alarming.

At the conference, we were impressed with God’s hand of providence. Even though it rained on several occasions, we never had to use an umbrella! The thunderstorms would let up during the breaks as we walked from building to building! We thank God for His sovereignty over the weather.

Courtship was a main theme in many of the sessions. We learned that the man, as the leader in the relationship, is responsible to assist his fiancee in conquering the fears and hurts that result from believing lies in the past. For example, a fear of failure can be conquered by tracing it back to a lie such as, “I can never do anything right”. Quoting the truth instead brings freedom. In this case, the truth of Ephesians 2:10 would apply: “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” As for the fear of rejection, it can be traced to a lie such as “I must be like the world to be accepted.” But the truth is, “…be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). What a privilege it was to sit under the teaching of so many great men of God and tap into the rich truths they have found in His Word!

And, of course, other highlights of the week were the times we spent in fellowship with friends who stopped by our hotel for visits in the evenings. We swapped witnessing stories, shared testimonies, contemplated riddles and enjoyed ice-cream with with the Wilkes’, Westfahls, Christiansens, Allen Parfitt, and Hannah Burnett. Thank you all for letting the Lord use you to encourage our family!

Attending the conference was a huge blessing from the Lord and we praise Him for the safe travels and an edifying trip.

9 Comments » | posted in Family News, Photography

posted by Donald on 06/4/09

The United States of America is 0.6 % Muslim,

75.2 % Christian
18.6 % other
1.7 % Jewish
0.7 % Bhuddist

5 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by James on 06/4/09

I will keep you in suspense no longer! Here are the pictures from our little hike down to the end of the Bates’ driveway; you see, that’s where the mouth of the cave was.

Despite it being 10:30PM by the time the days work was done, dinner was cleaned up, the family meeting over, and the thunderstorm past, Dad and Mom let us go exploring. After all, it was the last opportunity.

At first, I thought it would be a relatively small cave; but it wasn’t long till I was assured that days could be spent in the exploration of this place!

The cave was full of winding tunnels, tight passages, and huge rooms.

It was important that each person had their own light, just in case. Because we were shy on flashlights, the Bates’ brought out their kerosene lanterns. It greatly enhanced the experience!

We had to watch out for many things, including drop offs, water collected on the floor, jutting rocks at head level, and old, rusty junk from previous visitors near the entrance of the cave.

Our time at the Bates’ was well spent. It’s refreshing to interact with a family so totally sold out for God. We experienced firsthand a clear principle of relationships: as each individual draws closer to God, they all become closer to each other. As seen at the Bates’, our Father is not only a creative Designer, He is an interpersonal God.

Well, this is just the end of the beginning of our trip to the Regional ATI Conference. Tomorrow, we head to Nashville!

7 Comments » | posted in Photography, The Bright Side

posted by Esther on 06/3/09

Driving up to the construction site, we were welcomed by happy children who pulled back the sheets to invite us into their home. You see, a grand addition to the house had been under way for the past eleven days which required knocking out the front of the house. However, exhaustion from the work and the fact that they had been entertaining a constant flow of company, did not stop the warm hospitality of Gil and Kelly Bates and their sixteen children. As we went through introductions, I wondered how many of these names I would remember; but I was sure of one thing — their genuine spirit of hospitality would not be forgotten!

We found both work and play to be delightful with this like-minded Christian family and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. If you had been there you would have seen joyous moments of sharing testimonies in the living room, feasting on the delicious home-cooked meals around the huge dining room table and exploring the nearby cave with late-night hikers. You would have  heard constant storytelling, the roar of drills on the roof and the thud of oranges (not to mention the eggs!) as they fell  past the hands of the jugglers in the kitchen.

As we pulled out of the driveway after our sad farewells, there was one thought that went with me. I was motivated to trust the Lord through everything instead of getting uptight  and worried over unexpected complications. In the midst of an unfinished house and a very busy schedule, there was peace in the Bates’ home; the same peace of God which can flood our hearts in any situation.

There are too many pictures of the late-night hiking escapade to include here. You will have to wait to see them in the next post, coming up tomorrow night!

29 Comments » | posted in Family News