“And Zerah the Ethiopian came out against  them with an army of a thousand thousands, and three hundred chariots. And Asa went out before him, and . . . called to Jehovah his God, and said, ‘O Jehovah, it is nothing to You to help between the mighty and him with no strength. Help us, O Jehovah our God; for we rest on You, and in Your name we come against this host’” (II Chronicles 14:9-11a,  Interlinear Bible).

 
The topic for the Virginia FEW Conference was maturity. A mature person can take great pressure and be changed for the better, as coal is changed into a diamond through pressure. A mature Christian can handle the trials of everyday life when viewing those pressures as God’s “character development program”, intentionally allowed by Him for good. Going further, we can picture a mature Church as a group of maturing Christians who have purposed to learn and grow together in the face of pressures and uncertainties. And guess what: a mature family can do the exact same thing. What could be more encouraging?!

With a couple weeks having passed since the conference, many of us have been refreshed to go over the many notes we took and remember the simple things that were shared there. Allowing   pressure to make us better (rather than bitter) helps us to get on God’s side of the battle. Then we can deepen our message and let God widen our ministry.

For more pictures and testimonies go to the websites of the Wilkes, Hynes, Neelys, or Girottis. For a list of character qualities and their operational definitions see this comprehensive list. Lord-willing, we will have the messages up and coming at www.FEWconference.com.

Combine dry ingredients and mix well:
6 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sweetened or unsweetened coconut
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup raw or roasted wheat germ
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds or raw chopped walnuts
1/2 cup oat bran (optional)
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Add and stir in wet ingredients:
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup local raw honey
1 1/2 Tbsp molasses

We’ve never used a processor to mix the thick wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, so we get a healthy work-out doing it with a big wooden spatula. Try to chop up the clumps and mix in the loose powder from the corners of the bowl. If you would like to bake it, you can bake it in an ungreased casserole dish at 350 degrees until it reaches the desired doneness, perhaps 1/2 hour, but be sure to take it out of the oven and stir it once about every 10 minutes. When using it for breakfast cereal, we like to top it with fresh or dried fruit.

Other ingredients to try in place of or in addition to similar ingredients above include: dry milk, grape nuts cereal, chopped walnuts, peanuts, or other nuts, pumpkin seeds or other seeds, vanilla flavoring or other spices, flavorings, and extracts. It is fun to make “theme” granolas such as “pumpkin granola” using pumpkin seeds, pieces of pumpkin leather, and pumpkin pie spices like ginger and nutmeg.

Here is criminologist John Lott’s concerns over Kagan’s anti-gun stance. Severe concerns have also been raised by Americans United for Life regarding Kagan’s record of support for partial birth abortion.

This Senate decision may affect our country for many, many years. Supreme Court Justices are usually in office for life. Take responsibility as an American citizen to call your senators as soon as you possibly can. Politely make it clear that you will not tolerate your representative voting in favor of Kagan for the Supreme Court of the United States. Senator Ben Nelson (Democrat, Nebraska) decided to change his stand and oppose Kagan as a result of hearing from the people of his State. You can find your senators’ phone numbers right here or call the Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for them by name.

We spent the afternoon boxing up pictures, books, and canned goods. When we had first contacted Karen about the possibility of visiting, she had written back, “Your visit is of God!” and explained how perfectly timed it would be to help with the preparations for their move. We were very much grateful for their kind hospitality, even amidst all the busyness of this big transition.

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.

We celebrated thanksgiving the next day with both sets of grandparents, while the Wilkes spent the day in Elkins with their cousins. One of the major blessings we are thankful for is our grandparents love and prayers for us! Good family relationships are not to be taken for granted and it is good to set aside a day to express our gratefulness to the Lord.

The next morning, we gathered in the living room for a good time of sharing what God is doing in our families to make us spiritual salt and light for Christ in our culture. In the afternoon, we followed Jonathan’s special treasure hunt all over the property from the dog house to the loft in the barn! It was unique how Jonathan researched facts and used Thanksgiving trivia to develop this fun game. Obviously, it was designed for a crowd because it’s more fun with everyone!

We were eager to have a game of Settlers of Catan but only had one board. It would simply not do for only half of us to play because it’s more fun with everyone. So we started thinking. Before long we came up with a quite complex rotation plan that worked splendidly! There were also about 5 different versions of ping pong invented over the weekend to expand the range from 4 to 14 players. Why? Because it’s more fun with everyone!

I see an analogy between this week and the way the church functions. Not independently or competively but in unison as the body of Christ. “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members of another.” Romans 12:5 It was a motivational week for us as we experienced this truth in the many opportunities we had for everyone to participate. We found that it is truly more fun with everyone!

Between twelve and fifteen families attended totaling about 140 people. Not only did families from Virginia show their dedication to seeking God’s best, but also travelers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, West Virginia, and Tennessee.

It was so encouraging to see fathers and sons writing out their family goals. What a sense of purpose there is when families hear from the Lord and are unified in working toward His plan for them. We were blessed to see the openness and responsiveness to God’s Word as the final authority in life. There was also much joy as we joined in singing, praying and sharing fellowship together.

How exciting to meet so many like minded families who are listening to God’s call to come out from the world and seek God’s best! For more details and pictures be sure to read the Hynes and Wilkes overviews of the weekend!

Some of the progress has included clearing trails, fixing computer problems, helping Grandpa and Grandma Brown, and assisting our friends the Elliots with their move.

Isaiah 65:22  "Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands." May this verse also be true for you as you complete today’s work for the Lord.

Before noon, it was 90 degrees up there in the sun. They had to get off the roof for 4 hours because of the heat. We enjoyed the time with Grandpa and Grandma as well as other friends and family who had come to enjoy a hot dog roast in the shade.

The men climbed back up that evening and the next morning to continue the work. Yes, it was hot but we were grateful for the opportunity to honor Dad’s parents. “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” Ex. 20:12