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posted by Michael on 03/7/10

Although the weather station predicted about three inches of snow on Thursday and Friday followed by partly sunny weather for a few days, the snow didn’t stop and by Saturday morning, thirteen inches had fallen on top of the existing eight inches and more was still expected the next two days! Although very snowy, it has not been exceptionally cold, and the accumulation of slush on our long driveway has made getting in and out very challenging at times. When it warmed up enough to check on our beehives we found a couple of them had died. And as the snow began to melt further, we discovered a baby deer that had starved to death right in our yard. But along with the hard and the sad comes the due share of joy. Jonathan has once again headed up our backyard sugaring operation which is looking like the best year we have ever had. It is a joy to see honeybees flying and deer and turkeys that made it through. We know that soon the  crocuses will come up and the maple trees will bloom. For winters like this, here is a wonderful song we received from a pastor in Taiwan that is very fitting for the season. The title is "How tedious and tasteless the hours", words by John Newton and music arranged by Lewis Edson from Bach’s cantata 212.

How tedious and tasteless the hours
When Jesus no longer I see;
Sweet prospects, sweet birds and sweet flowers,
Have all lost their sweetness to me;
The midsummer sun shines but dim,
The fields strive in vain to look gay,
But when I am happy in Him,
December’s as pleasant as May.

His name yields the richest perfume,
And sweeter than music His voice;
His presence disperses my gloom,
And makes all within me rejoice.
I should, were He always thus nigh,
Have nothing to wish or to fear,
No mortal as happy as I,
My summer would last all the year.

Content with beholding His face,
My all to His pleasure resigned,
No changes of season or place
Would make any change in my mind:
While blessed with a sense of His love,
A palace a toy would appear,
All prisons would palaces prove,
If Jesus would dwell with me there.

Dear Lord, if indeed I am Thine,
If Thou art my sun and my song,
Say, why do I languish and pine?
And why are my winters so long?
O drive these dark clouds from the sky,
Thy soul cheering presence restore;
Or take me to Thee up on high,
Where winter and clouds are no more.

3 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Michael on 02/16/10

Along with all the troubles of being without electricity, God also gave us the beauty of the snow and the joy of wintertime fun. Here are just a few of our pictures of this memorable time. As I write this, snow is pouring down outside again, but this time it is so cold that it is not sticking to everything. Please continue to pray for many who are still without power and who got up to four times as much snow as we did. This is victory, when God’s love and truth reign freely in our hearts no matter what.

9 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Michael on 02/9/10

The power has been out here for over 4 days now, longer than ever before in our family’s experience! On Friday evening, February 5, the rain turned to sleet, and then to a thick snow that stuck to everything and mounted up to twelve inches. The scenery was breathtaking, especially in the forest where even the tree trunks were white and small trees bent over with the weight of the snow. But even more beautiful has been the way neighbors have looked out for one another. There have been hundreds of thousands without power. Unlike our adventure in the snow on Rt. 77 back in December, when we were quite well prepared, this time we were caught off guard. We have been learning to communicate, do without, help each other, and just relax, trusting the Lord. I am able to write this because our good neighbor and Christian “friend in need” has allowed us the use of his generator so that we can run some basic “necessities”. We praise the Lord for the sacrifice of so many who are working day and night in all kinds of weather to restore power to homes across the disaster zone. We also praise the Lord for those who use their preparedness to help others, rather than just enjoying personal comfort. This is as Christ has commanded: “…Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Hope to have some pictures up soon!)

7 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Michael on 01/20/10

This morning part of our regular Bible reading was Daniel 4, in which God deals with the pride of king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who then acknowledges the power and supremacy of the Almighty.

“At the end of twelve months… there fell a voice from heaven, saying, ‘O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee…’

“And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored Him that liveth forever, Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, ‘What doest Thou?’

“Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all Whose works are truth, and His ways judgment: and those that walk in pride He is able to abase.”

4 Comments » | posted in Historical Glimpses, Politics

posted by Michael on 01/11/10

Returning home on the last leg of our Florida journey, we made one last stop at our grandparents’ house in Salem, West Virginia. After all, there’s no place like home – except Grandma’s. Robert, Esther, James, and Daniel especially relished the visit before heading off to the mid west once again. The thick blanket of snow outside made our supper and conversation in the warm house all the more delightful.

Finally we bundled up and re-entered the white night for the short drive home, two miles down Buffalo Calf Road. As we made our way over the packed snow, we were all thinking about the last obstacle to overcome: “the hill”. Our van was not four wheel drive, and this hill, with  its sharp curve at the bottom to prevent a running start, was just steep and long enough to make it a major obstacle at certain times of the year. It had been the scene of a couple hair-raising events in the past.

We were all praying as we approached the hill. Dad got as much speed up as he could at the base of the hill, and we spun and slid just a tad at the curve, causing us to fishtail as we started the ascent. We could tell we were losing momentum. Now we were really praying. Our tires started spinning and we were about to come to a stop. “Jump out and push!” Dad yelled. I was buried in baggage, but Donald and Robert, who were by the doors, bailed out. “O no!” I thought, “What if we start sliding with them back there!” I burst out of the bundles and climbed to the door to warn them. But we were still going forward! Dad said later that he looked down and when he looked up we were cresting the hill. Donald said he hadn’t really even pushed the van because the van was going forward while they were slipping in the snow. We all cheered in relief and amazement as we stopped at the top of the hill to let Donald and Robert back in.

But we were not home yet. We came to our driveway to find that someone had plowed it for us! What a blessing!

How fitting to conclude our journey with one more reminder that God is the One Who preserves our going out and our coming in “from this time forth and even forevermore.”

7 Comments » | posted in Family News