Jim went to our pastor with the accusation. The pastor was leaving the church soon and since Greg was no longer on the church board, he did nothing. When a new pastor came, I’ll call Pastor Tom, Jim mentioned it to him. He said Jim must be mistaken and not to say anything about it to anyone. He even made Greg a co-organizer of the prayer group.

Jim and the former pastor had often been the only ones at a prayer meeting. Now several people attended with Pastor Tom and Greg. They usually went around the room asking each person to give a short prayer. This was fine except, Jim said, it seemed like the Holy Spirit wasn’t there. Jim didn’t go often because he felt it was useless.

There was something wrong in the church – some people left, otherwise I can’t remember what exactly was wrong. I do remember that Pastor Tom’s wife gave a good biblical teaching on wives being submissive to their husbands. His two daughters didn’t go to the youth group supposedly because it wasn’t up the standards of their former youth group in South Africa. Pastor Tom’s son seemed apathetic about God and church.

It came time to elect a new church board. Jim was running as was Greg. Unknown to me Jim was fasting until he had more evidence of the misconduct or not of Greg. He had been fasting a few days when we were invited for supper at the home of Roy and his family. Roy was a successful businessman who had been involved in the world till he was recently saved. Jim really wanted to go to Roy’s house to get to know him better and encourage him in the Lord. He decided to go to Roy’s home and fast again afterwards.

We had an enjoyable evening. Roy was an interesting sociable man and his wife kind, hospitable and a good cook. During the conversation Roy said about Greg, “Oh, he’s a homosexual, everyone knows that” (everyone, apparently, except the innocent Christian community). He also mentioned that Pastor Tom owed him a large sum of money which he didn’t pay back. None of these things seemed to bother Roy much, maybe because he was not used to Christian standards.

Jim had the evidence he had prayed for. Since Pastor Tom hadn’t been receptive before, Jim decided to visit Greg at his office as an accountant. Jim asked him to not run for the board. Greg did not admit his actions.

Our son Scott and daughter Jill were eleven and nine when, Sandra was born with a cleft palate. Sandra was not able to nurse so I gave her milk Scott got from milking his goat, and milk I expressed. When I was expressing milk for almost two hours a day, I could not do anything except express milk before an open Bible and pray. One thing I prayed often about was our church.

One day, a few days after his meeting with Greg, Jim got a call from Pastor Tom. Jim was downstairs while I was upstairs in the kitchen. Jim came upstairs and he was shaking. Pastor Tom had called Jim names and said, “I pray that you and your family will be destroyed!” I was elated and said, “the Pastor is corrupt, too.” I had been praying so often that the Lord would reveal to us what was wrong with the church. I wasn’t afraid of his curse: “Like a fluttering sparrow or a daring swallow, a undeserved curse will not come to rest.” Proverbs 26:2

Soon after Pastor Tom invited us to his home for supper. Nothing was mentioned about the previous incident, the pastor mainly talked about all the women chasing him. He didn’t talk about the Lord, but we did talk to his wife about the Lord. She seemed a little distrustful of us, then confused, but she could tell we are genuine lovers of Jesus.

We and others prayed for the right officers to be elected to the church board. It was hard to understand when Greg was elected with the third highest votes. Jim was elected to the board, but in last place. Then it was announced that, because the pastor had not given two-weeks-notice, we would have to vote again. We hoped this time Greg would not get on.

The night of the board meeting, Pastor Tom called Jim in his office. He said that he had a letter accusing Jim of being a homosexual, and he would release it unless Jim withdrew his name from board candidates. Jim only had a moment to decide, but he knew it would split the church – only a few knew of the Pastor’s corruption and might believe his accusations against Jim. Jim withdrew his name. In the election Greg was on but got the fewest votes,
although, as far as we knew, no one and said anything against him.

Jim’s close friend, Don, had tears in his eyes when he talked to Jim in the parking lot. Don said. “Are you giving up the fight, Jim”. Jim just told him, “I’ll explain later.

Don’s mother was church secretary. Some evenings she would drive around crying because she knew what was going on. Another board member’s wife who knew some of the problems, said to me once, “I wonder if I’m crazy”, after hearing one of the pastor’s sermons – it was so good.

The pastor called Jim a Judas and in the next sermon talked about Judas without mentioning Jim’s name so no one except Jim knew that he was connecting Jim with Judas. Jim was considering leaving the church even though Pastor Tom was leaving the church in a few months. I said to Jim, and it turned out to be prophetic, “you won’t need to go to church again while he is here.” Jim drove many people to church, and since Pastor Tom’s sermons were good, those people would have been hurt if Jim left. The pastor was away speaking at times or Jim was away. Jim was sick the only time he would have gone to church when the pastor was there. I went and said to the pastor on the way out of church, “Jim would liked that sermon.” He looked at me strangely, but I meant it – it was a good sermon.

The pastor was planning to go back to South Africa and start Mission Impossible. He gave a church dinner to raise funds and say good-be. I remember sitting at a table and thinking as I watched Christians giving money, “Well, it’s your money, Lord.” Only a few of us knew this pastor was corrupt and dishonest. I believe he supported Greg because Greg was skilled in finances.

After Pastor Tom left for South Africa, we found he had treated another man the way he treated Jim – preaching a sermon on a Bible character he had accused this man of being. We learned from another man who was taking a Bible course online that Pastor Tom’s sermons were coming from a biblical textbook. Though some people left the church permanently, many of the church members became closer to each other because of this experience.

Jim met with the district church leaders concerning Greg. I felt sorry for Jim because although he was confident he had the evidence, the church rejected his appeal and told him to say nothing. Greg had threatened to sue the church. In a short time, Greg left to go to a church in another town.

South Africa was not what Pastor Tom expected; not what it was when he lived there before he came to Nova Scotia. He wanted to come back. Roy was going to pay his way, but Don talked him out of it, saying, “If you bring him here, you’ll have to take care of him.” I saw the irony of God – He had used the money Christians had given Pastor Tom to take him away.

We heard that Pastor Tom had separated from his wife, and that his daughters had to work as housekeepers. We learned later that he had a brain tumor. Both Jim and Dan felt the Lord was especially asking them to pray for him. I pray for his family and hope that he made things right with the Lord before he died.

Though each person has to decide for himself to serve Jesus, there are principles that make the choice more likely. One is found in the following verse:

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

One of the most challenging aspects of parenting is to keep your children “from being polluted by the world.”

Jim and I did our best to keep our children from being polluted by the world. Most of our rules had to do with protecting Scott and Jill spiritually.

Simple Rules That Protect Children Spiritually

Though La Leche League (an organization for breastfeeding mothers) is non-sectarian (does not promote any religion), its concepts guide mothers to wisdom. LLL had a great influence on my parenting.

I heard about La Leche League when Scott was a baby, but it was not until Jill was two months old did I start going to LLL meetings, Later I became a leader. One of the LLL ten concepts is: “Ideally discipline is loving guidance.”

The speaker of a LLL tape said not to make many rules, only those that keep your child from being hurt socially, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I realized that was what I had done. Jill said to me, “Mom, you don’t have any more rules than anyone else, just different ones.”

There were some LLL leaders who didn’t believe in spanking (although the LLL concept doesn’t say that). I tried not spanking Scott. It didn’t work well. Finally, after sitting in front of Scott’s bedroom door to keep him in for a nap, I told Jim he would have to spank Scott. He did and said, “It hurts me more than it does him.” He didn’t spank much, he told the kids once and they obeyed. They didn’t listen to me as well, but in general they were obedient children.

One thing we mentioned at LLL meetings is that if you love, care for and encourage your children, they are more apt to want to please you and learn to obey at an early age.

Jim spanked the kids some. Once when he was taking Jill out of the church, she yelled, “Don’t spank me, Dad”. I was more lenient with them in church.

I only spanked Jill once. She kept getting into the big plant in our living room. I had put the other plants our of reach and made a sandbox outside for her so she wouldn’t need to play in the plant dirt. Spanking seemed to be my best option. I spanked her but told her I loved her and repeated she couldn’t play with my plant. She never got in it again.

When they were older, Scott and Jill seemed to think it wasn’t my place to spank them, and maybe they were right.

The last time Jim spanked Scott was when he was eleven or twelve. When I asked Scott to help he would say, “I’m going to run away.” I prayed about what to do.

One night when Jim was with his friend having an important meeting with the leaders of the Jehovah Witnesses, I asked Scott to help and he disappeared. He had walked into Canning (the nearest town about six miles away) that day. I was afraid he had run away (probably illogical) because I couldn’t find him anywhere. Finally, I called Jim. He and his friend left their important meeting. He looked all over for Scott and was just going to call the police, when he heard footsteps upstairs on the main floor. Scott had been hiding and asleep behind the living room couch! He spanked Scott, breaking the paddle. He told Jill to go to her room and was going to spank Jill because she knew and didn’t tell us (Scott had told her not to). Jim saw Jill’s big tears and felt she had learned her lesson without being spanked. Scott never said he was going to run away again.

Scott said once when he was sixteen that he was going to go against my wishes when he was old enough (eighteen). I prayed – “God, You have two years to change his mind”. Scott had changed his mind before he was eighteen.

When Jill was a teenager. a church youth group was visiting. On their last night, they wanted to stay up and have a party at the beach. We said Jill could, but she had to listen to the youth group leaders. They said no because the youth had to be rested for travel the next day.
Jill had a friend stay over and they were sleeping in our basement. After 12 p.m. her friend’s mother called because she didn’t know where her daughter was. Jim went to find them and noticed the sleeping bags looked strange. They weren’t there! He called the youth group leaders, and after looking for a few hours, they found the young people in the apartment of a youth leader who was away and had one of the youth looking after his apartment.
We grounded Jill for one week. She didn’t think it was fair. I could understand the youth wanting to be with their new friends on the last night, but we had to punish Jill because of disobedience. It wasn’t much of a punishment because she was in school all day.

Otherwise we did not have trouble with our children when they were teenagers. We could have, but God was speaking to them. Jill said she was jogging one morning and thinking about how hard it was to be different. Maybe she should just go party with the rest of the kids. Suddenly she thought of the verse:

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 (Luke 12:31).

Someone said to me, “If you are too strict with your kids, they will rebel.” I thought, “I’m just trying to do what God wants – He will handle the results”. Both Scott and Jill told us how much they appreciated out standards. They had the excuse that their parents wouldn’t let them when they could have been pressured into something.

Halloween

In Montreal when Scott was four I took him trick or treating. I did limit the amount of candy he could eat (I am very health conscious, even more so now). I didn’t see anything wrong with Halloween. I went trick or treating, to Halloween parties, and even directed a Halloween play when growing up.

During the following year the Lord convicted me about celebrating Halloween – it is Satan’s holiday. We had moved to Nova Scotia but were in Montreal for a course for Jim’s work. We were staying in a three-story apartment building with almost no furniture. On Halloween night Jim was at work.
I didn’t want to give kids candy so I bought a box of apples – I didn’t give them out because our apartment manager wouldn’t let in trick or treaters. I was afraid Scott would mention Halloween – he didn’t (maybe because no one came to our door). I wanted to do something so Scott and Jill wouldn’t feel left out. We had very few books or toys in the apartment. I prayed lots.
I felt to read the Bible to them. I had no idea what. We sat in a circle on the floor and I opened the Bible. All I saw was “witch of Endor” 1 Samuel 28. I told them about real witches and demons and Halloween as the devil’s holiday. I felt like we were protected by angels in our apartment. That night there was a rape in our apartment complex and a murder down the street.

We never celebrated Halloween. Some years we went to a church party or prayer meeting, or maybe just stayed home. We lived out in the country in Nova Scotia so didn’t get trick or treaters, but our friends (he was a dentist) gave out toothbrushes and tracts). In Hay River we gave out tracts when we were home.

Scott and Jill heard Halloween stories and drew pictures about Halloween in school – I told them just to remember what Halloween really was). They never dressed up for Halloween in school.

Reading Christian Books

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Jim wanted me to read only Bible stories or Christian stories to Scott and Jill. I had loved fairy tales and associated them with the security of having my mother read to me. One of my favorite magazines had stories about a witch. I had a wonderful Christian mother, but she didn’t see anything wrong with this children’s literature as many Christians don’t. My mother mentioned that there wasn’t many Christian books to read children when we were growing us and agreed with what we were doing. I did as Jim asked and began to notice the meaninglessness or even evil of nursery rhymes and fairy tales.

There are many stories designed to teach reading or facts, but my reading only Bible and Christian stories worked well for our family. That way little of bad influence creeped in, although, of course, they heard nonChristian literature from other sources. Also, not all Christian literature is devoid of bad influence.

I remember reading them the Picture Bible over and over and Danny Orlis novels. I read to them every night. When they were older I read while they were doing dishes. Scott said once, “Why don’t you do dishes since you’re just reading to us. I replied, “Because you have to do dishes, and I’m just trying to make it fun.”

Once Scott brought an Archie comic home and told me I couldn’t throw it away because it belonged to someone else. I said, “If you don’t return it to that someone else, I’ll throw it away.”

When they were older they read to themselves at night. They had to be in their rooms at a certain time, but they could read as late as they wanted.

When they were teens, Jill and I would read to each other when one of us were cooking or doing dishes. Among others, we read Frank Peretti novels. We read Christy by Catherine Marshall three times and recently listened to it on audio over my telephone.

T.V.

We moved from Montreal to Nova Scotia when Scott was four and Jill was two. I felt God wanted us to get rid of our TV.

Scott was so active that the time I could get things done was when he was watching Sesame Street and The Flintstones. When we got rid of our TV Scott calmed down so I had much less trouble getting things done.

Jim’s mother didn’t agree. She said the children wouldn’t learn to read without Sesame Street (she was not a Christian at that time). Jill was reading adult books by the age of 10.

One summer Jim was sent on a course for Control Data to Montreal. A friend let us stay in their home for the several week course. They had four TV sets in their house. Scott wanted to watch Sesame Street “just while” we were there. I said, “I would think/pray about it”. Jim started his course the next day. It was a dreary day, I wasn’t familiar with the neighborhood so didn’t know what to do. I kept praying for God to let me know what to do before 10 a.m. when Sesame Street started. I thought Scott would ask, and I needed an answer.
At 10 a.m. I said, “Let’s play a game.” I didn’t plan to say it, it just came out of my mouth. Scott and Jill looked at me strangely (I’m afraid I didn’t play games with them often) so we played a game. Scott never said another word about the TV. There was a swimming pool and community center just a short walk through a beautiful country-like area and we had plenty to do.

Our children always had lots to do without TV. Scott wrote computer programs, milked his own goats and went visiting with Jim. Jill and I had picnics outside in the summer and around the wood stove in the winter. We played make believe games, for example, she would pretend to be Mary and visit me while I was cooking or doing housework.

When Scott was eleven, he would ask every day for a TV (Jill was only two when we gave up our TV and didn’t care about a TV). At the time, Jim and I were in charge of children’s ministry at church. A young couple named Barry and Nancy came to our church and wanted to help. We decided to have a weekend retreat for the children and Barry would speak.
That weekend, Barry spent the time in his room praying and fasting except when he was speaking. The rest of us took care of meals, recreation, counseling, etc. I remember the Sunday morning service especially – it lasted three hours and the children were glued to their chairs, hardly making a sound. Barry told about how he had fallen away from God as a teen and lived a meaningless life until he returned to Jesus.
After the weekend, Scott said, “I guess I don’t want a TV.”

They did watch TV sometimes. Once a friend was describing how bad a TV movie was. Scott said, “Oh, I saw that.” He had seen it when he stayed overnight with a Christian friend!

They watched TV at Jim’s parents. His parents thought what they allowed the children to watch was okay, but it was not up to our standards. Once I came into the room when Scott was watching a program. It wasn’t bad, but I started praying that God would open Scott’s eyes to see what was wrong. Scott me later, “I didn’t see anything wrong, Mom, until you came in the room.

Knowing Jesus

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:1-4
The main reason our children was obedient most of the time was because they accepted the Lord at an early age. When Scott was six, Jim and I were sorting Jim’s tools in the basement (something I had wanted done for a long time), Scott stopped me when I was going downstairs. He wanted to ask Jesus to come into his heart. I told Jim who led Scott to the Lord. When we came upstairs later, Scott and Jill were kneeling beside the couch. Scott had led Jill to the Lord!

Jill would line up her stuffed animals and dolls and preach to them. She asked our unsaved neighbor who was visiting, “Do you know Jesus?” Our neighbor said, “I know about Him.”

When Jill was young, Jim’s parents asked her to come to their home, but she told them she had to stay home and pick up the things I dropped (I can’t see well). Other mothers would find their children’s boots for them at church, but Jill would get my boots for me. I didn’t ask her – it was on her own imitative.

We lived in the country in Nova Scotia away from everything. I decided to start a Bible school for children the age of my children (five and three). Every Tuesday and Thursday morning we would have a few songs, a Bible lesson and a healthy snack. One time just my kids were at Bible school. We were acting out the story of Jesus raising the widow’s son from the dead (Luke 7:11-17). Scott was the young man and Jill was Jesus. I can still picture Jill, raising her arm in the air and saying in her three-year-old voice “I say to you, arise!”

Jim and I played Christian music in out home. At one time, we were stricter and would only play certain types of Christian music. Scott helped us change our minds. He and another boy acted out a song by Carmen about Jesus defeating the devil. It was powerful. Today I am a DJ on a volunteer Hay River radio station and play all kinds of Christian music.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12
When Scott was eight years old, he told me, “I wouldn’t obey you, except God says I have to.”
A little discouraged, I was telling this to my friend Dorothy. She said enthusiastically, “Jerri, he listens to God!

I milked cows for several years when we rented a hobby farm in Nova Scotia. About the time I had Sandra (she drowned when she was 18 months old – see my book Sandra), Scott wanted a goat. Jim and I said he could, but he would have to milk and take care of it because I was too busy. He did faithfully for two years. In fact, Sandra drank some of the goat’s milk – because of a cleft lip and palate she couldn’t nurse. I expressed some breast milk, but not enough. At the end of two years, we did not have cows and I loved the goats so took over when Scott wanted to quit.

When Scott was twelve, he wanted to be baptized. Jim told him to talk to the pastor. The pastor arranged for him to be baptized. The pastor is a big man – it looked so special to see him and Scott walking together. Scott testified that he wanted to be ready when Jesus returned.

Nutrition

Besides going against the status quo, spiritually, Jim and I (especially me) went against it in our eating habits. I started changing my habits as a teenager when I read that sugar is harmful to the teeth and is involved in diabetes. I gave up extra sugar. In my late twenties I learned about reading labels and stopped buying foods with sugar and preservatives added. When I was pregnant with Jill, I noticed how so much of the foods in the grocery store wasn’t good for you. One LLL concept is “Good nutrition is eating a variety of food in as natural a state as possible”. LLL had a library with several books on nutrition. I started reading nutritional books like Sugar Blues – William Duffy and books by Adelle Davis. It was suggested that if you don’t let your children have sugary foods when they are young, they won’t crave them. That sounded like a good idea to me. But when I tried to live it, what a fight! After so much opposition, I wondered if I were wrong and reread parts of the books. I determined I was right and fought.

One of the first things that happened was that the grocery store had someone giving out candies. I politely refused them for my children. Jim’s mother added lots of salt to everything and she did lots of baking with sugar, although didn’t buy much sugary food from the store. She thought I was harming the children at first but after some research was more in agreement with me. Also, she had dentures since she was 18 and Jim’s father had to cut down on salt for health reasons. She gave Scott and Jill oranges instead of cookies, etc.

Her mother (Jim’ grandmother) thought I wasn’t giving them the sugar they needed and gave them cookies, etc. I let them have cookies at her home (she was in her 90’s, and we weren’t there often) but threw away the cookies she sent home with Scott and Jill.

My family tried to do what I wanted, but sometimes it was difficult. I tried to buy them grapes, etc. that they didn’t have at home (we lived in the country and didn’t get to the store often) so they wouldn’t feel so deprived.

Church was the hardest challenge because most of our social life was at church. People of all ages, from different walks of life and different traditions all coming together is wonderful but sometimes challenging. It had helped that we had always eaten foods good for health at home (even for birthdays I made nutritious cakes), and Scott and Jill knew what we believed. I brought nutritious foods for pot luck suppers (and some of the foods others brought were nutritious) and I offered to bring the snacks for children at church.

At Jim’s brother’s wedding when Jill was about three they had much good food, but Jill wanted the candy on the table. I said no but decided not to argue with her. I went away to talk to someone but watched her out of the corner of my eye. She stood looking at the candy, then she disappeared. I didn’t see where she went, but soon felt a hug around my knees. She had decided to obey. I know she bought candy with her allowance when she was older – at least that was all I knew about she did that I didn’t like.

Both Scott and Jill have had an influence for good nutrition on their families

Church

Jim expected us to be in church for most services and events. I found this difficult at times. Our church had long services and expected everyone to stand during worship. My back would be sore, and sometimes I wondered how I could be thankful. One day Jim’s cousin’s wife who had mononucleosis visited our church. She said, “If God expected me to stand, He would give me the energy.” I realized that I didn’t have to stand.

Sometimes, I wanted to complain the service was too long, but realized how much was accomplished either for myself or for others. Even when we went through hard times as a church, it would bring us closer to each other and closer to God.

Sunday were busy days for us. I would milk our cow, walk with Jill (which we enjoyed) while Jim and Scott went up on the mountain (by Nova Scotia standards) to get people for Sunday School and church. After Sunday School Jim would drive the children home and after church he would drive the others and us home. We had dinner, then napped till church at night. The evening service was the longest and often most exciting time with amazing times around the altar. We would drive people home going up on the mountain. Bobby, one of the young hill-billy young men and the only Christian in his family, would play his harmonica and we would sing. Bobby was from a poor family and lacking in social and intellectual skills, yet he was kind and friendly and could memorize long poems. Once Bobby felt bad because he had gotten mad at his family and didn’t act the way a Christian should. I told him, “Bobby, you apologized the way a Christian should.” We got to know so many interesting individuals by driving them to church.

After church we would have supper. I went down our driveway to get the milk our neighbor left after milking our cow. He would take the milk he wanted in exchange for milking our cow once a day.

One Sunday I was especially tired and wondered why I went to the evening service. When we came in the house Scott said to Jill, “Did you hear what the pastor said about…” Jill said, “Yes, and did you hear him say…” I thought, “That’s why I came to church.” The service had blessed our children.

Another time we were in Montreal and went to a church at night. Scott was excited. “They are playing our songs.” They were playing the songs our church played in the evening.

Scott and Jill liked church and grew up expecting to go to every service. They accepted Jesus at a young age, and their friends went to church. They knew attending church was a priority so never asked to stay home or go to another event or take a sport on Sunday. They got their homework done before Sunday.

On Saturdays Jim would visit members of our church, especially the ones to whom he gave rides. Sometimes he took Scott or a friend along. Some of the people on the mountain were dangerous, even the police didn’t want to go there. Jim got to be friends with many of the people. We gave a ride to a sweet older lady named Kathleen. Her husband Rufus stayed in a shed behind their house with a fridge that didn’t work but served as a cupboard.
They had several children. Sometimes Rufus was Jim’s friend and other times he tried to kill Jim.
One night, when our family was bringing Kathleen home from church after dark, Rufus was hiding in the ditch. He tried to get in our van on the passenger side where I was sitting. Jim reached over and locked the door just in time. Rufus pushed a two-by-four into the back of the van, just missing Scott and Jill. All the way home Jill kept saying, “We have to get him a Bible.”
Jill and Jim got him a Bible. He probably never used it, but it was a treasured possession of Kathleen’s.

Once Scott told me what he thought he should be allowed to spend every other Friday evening with his nonChristian friends since he went to church twice on Sundays, Wednesday evenings and Youth Friday evenings. I thought this was a reasonable request (He would make a good lawyer). He had nice nonChristian friends, I wasn’t always happy with Youth (once the pastor’s wife took charge of youth when the leaders were away and they watched TV and ate junk food (neither of which we allowed). I said okay. The next Friday Scott went with his nonChristian friends. They played the weegee board. Scott left and walked home even though it was quite a distance in the country and never went with them on Friday evenings again. When he was a teen in Hay River he stressed going to Youth on Friday evenings even when other not-so-strong Christian friends wanted to do something else.

Hay River

God protected Jill in a similar situation. A girl not much younger than Jill, but whom Jill babysat, asked if Jill and her could just go look in the window at the dance (we didn’t allow Scott & Jill to go to dances). I said they could, but afterwards wondered if that was wise. I really prayed – asking God to keep Jill from harm. When Jill came back she said, “Mom, when I got there I couldn’t look in.” We did let Scott & Jill go to the prom.

Jill felt alone in Hay River. She had had close friends in Nova Scotia. Later she became close friends with Tracy in Hay River. Tracy had a poor home life. Scott led Tracy to the Lord and dated her some. He took her to the prom. Now Jill had a close Christian friend.

Jill went with a Christian boy to the prom, although she didn’t date him otherwise. He went drinking with his friends afterward, but Jill wouldn’t go.

When they were in high school, Scott would read his bible in the halls and often ended his English papers with the gospel message (his teacher asked him not to do that). He wasn’t persecuted because he was intelligent, friendly and good at sports.

Once Scott showed me the script of a play he, Jill and other Christians were going to be in. He didn’t think I would approve, and I didn’t. We parents had a meeting with our teens, and they wanted to handle it. The school cancelled the play even though they had already bought some of the props. The director chose another play, and that was almost as bad. We wouldn’t let Scott and Jill be in it – when Scott started to explain, the teacher/director said, “I know Scott, I know.” The other Christian parents let their children participate. As it turned out that play was also cancelled, but Scott and Jill were in the community play “Little Abner.” The other Christian kids weren’t in that play because they had chosen to be in the high school play which was cancelled.

The church youth put on plays and skits, also. Scott played Jesus in one – that play was performed in other towns.

The youth group in Hay River was very close. They stayed close even though the church went through hard times.

I led Precept Bible studies taught by Kay Arthur. In Montreal, where I went to classes several years and trained to be leader, no one was allowed to come to the two-hour group class without doing the five-hour weekly study on their own. In Nova Scotia at one time I led two groups and spent about 20 hours preparing. In Hay River there wasn’t as much interest. I did lead a few courses and studied the course on Revelation twice on my own. Scott wanted me to teach Daniel, much of which is also concerned with end times to the youth. The president of the youth group, a boy Scott’s age, wasn’t that excited. The pastor said youth didn’t want their parents to teach. I said, “Scott asked me to.” Scott was persistent with them, and I finally did. A few came but I think Scott benefited most. He started a Monday evening class on end times for the youth without asking the youth group leaders. He asked us if he could use our house but didn’t say why. Lots of youth came.

In the church where he goes today, Scott has taught on end times. He sent us a book, The Pre-wrath Rapture of the Church by Martin Roseinthal. That book meant a lot to Jim & I because it logically explains the endtimes.

When Scott was a Senior, Jim and I started to go to the Reserve church Sunday evenings. We went to the Chapel (Pentecostal church right in town) Sunday morning, but the Reserve church was the place where we belonged and tithed. Scott, Jim & I started a youth group. It was going well when Scott was there as a role model, but he left to go to college. Then it wasn’t so effective and soon ended. We felt badly that such a needed program ended – hopefully it did some good. Scott & Jill never felt part of the Reserve church although they liked the people and the people really liked them. The Chapel was where they grew up and where their friends went.

Most Important

We all make mistakes. Jim says, “It’s not because of us that our children turned out well, it’s in spite of us.” What he means is that Jesus deserves all the credit. We need wise Christian counsel including books, etc. and the prayers of others, but the most important thing we can do is to be close to Jesus, obeying Him in everything and seeking His guidance.

Many people have had more experiences with dogs than I have, but I’m writing because my dealings with dogs show how God has been faithful even in small ways.

When I was growing up we usually had a family dog. One dog would come in on cold winter night and be allowed on the rug near the door. Another dog we had was nice to everyone except one neighbor who had been mean to him. I remember my mother crying when one dog was killed by a car.

I had a paper route and remember a dog following me and instinctively turning around and saying, “Shame Honey” when I thought she might bite me. I liked to walk and would sometimes go quite a bit out of my way to avoid a dog. Walking by farms in the country was unpleasant not knowing what to expect.

One house I walked by had a black lab and he would join me for my walks returning to his home when we came back. I remember the security that gave me to have him with me as protection both against people and other dogs.

When we lived in Nova Scotia, a long time later, I had a paper route. I didn’t enjoy it because of a fear of dogs. I was thinking about quitting when I read:
“The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!” Proverbs 22:13
“A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!” Proverbs 26:13
The sluggard or lazy person is afraid to go outside because there is a lion – I’m afraid because there might be a dog! I decided not to quit. Instead, remembering my experience as a girl, I prayed for a dog to go with me. That was a specific request and the Lord gave me a specific answer. One of the first houses on my route had a large golden lab. She barked at first but soon we were friends and she went with me for my paper route returning to her home when we were through. She was as afraid as I was and would come close to me whenever she saw a dog. Because she was so big, no dog ever hurt us. We were both happy and I enjoyed my paper route.

On Sunday morning my husband Jim would pick up children for Sunday school. I don’t enjoy riding, but love to walk. I decided to get out of the bus and walk while Jim was picking up children on the mountain. When he came back down he would pick me up on the way to church. Usually my daughter Jill would come with me. Jill and I had spent quite a bit of time together before she started school, but now she was gone often. I realized what a blessing it was to have that time alone with her. She was a comfort to me even thought if a dog tried to hurt us I would pick her up. I was afraid of one dog that was tied up. One day it wasn’t tied up, but was friendly and I realized how ridiculous it was to be afraid.

Another time I was walking alone while Jim was on the mountain. He didn’t come when he usually does so I had to keep walking into town past unfamiliar territory. I was sick of being afraid so I prayed, “Dear God, don’t let me be afraid.” As a neared town a dog on a lease got away from his master and came running out to me. I just stood there, unafraid. The dog bit the end of my coat and then returned to his master. I realized that if I had been afraid, it might have bit me.

Several times in my life I was almost bit by a dog, but only once was I bit and that time not very hard. Where we now live in the NWT, our neighbor’s collie seemed not to like me, but because no one had ever mentioned him harming them, because I didn’t see him often and because he looked like another dog I knew I didn’t pay much attention. Only when he actually bit me (though not hard) did I realize I needed to be careful. I arranged with my neighbor that whenever I was going to walk by I would call first to make sure the dog wasn’t outside. She was an older lady who loved her dog. She died soon after and one of the relatives took the dog.

When we moved to a larger property in the NWT Jim wanted a dog. I didn’t care. We almost got a dog from SMCC, but he had short hair and we wanted an outdoor dog. I didn’t really like him. He wasn’t mean but not friendly either.

Now we have our own dog and he is a joy! When a man from the Native Reserve asked Jim if he wanted a dog, he jumped at the chance. When it came time to get the dog, his little girl didn’t want to give up the white dog. We took a brother of that one named Cocoa. I petted Cocoa all the way home to assure him everything was okay. Because he prefers women to men, but mainly because God had a special gift for me, Cocoa became attached to me. He waits outside for me to go for a walk with him and usually won’t go with anyone else unless I am along.

He loves Jim, too, and when we come home (I go into town one day a week when Jim goes for work or we go to church) he gets so excited and runs to me to be petted, then to Jim, then to me, etc.

When he was young we kept him tied to his dog house till he knew where his home was. One day Jim & I came home and Cocoa’s tie rope was tangled around his leg. Jim cut the rope and we rushed him to the vet. He was fine, but bwe found him just in time.

When he was young we couldn’t leave our shoes outside or he would run off with them. One day the purse of one of the girl leaders was missing. We found it in the back yard with the contents out on the ground. She thanked Cocoa for finding it, when undoutably he was the thief.

He’s smart. When our granddaughter Gracie was about three, she was kneeling by the river, Cocoa came running and knocked her into the water. She cried and cried. After that Cocoa stopped short before he reached her.

He has thick fur and smells I’m told (I don’t smell well). He only had a bath once. He was loaded with briars so Jkm took him to be bathed and groomed. He looked perfectly groomed, but it didn’t suit him.

Another time, one of our friends planned to give him a bath. He must have known because we couldn’t catch him. We usually can – Jim often picks him up.

A few times he disappeared. Once we looked all over for him – maybe a wolf got him, someone took him. He was hit by a car, etc. After a few days we found him the garage (which we didn’t use every day), happy as could be. He had gotten into a bag of dog food stored in the garage and could drink water from an indentation to collect excess water. He had come into the garage (where he knows he shouldn’t be) with me and I didn’t notice him.

Several times he has gone into one of our camp cabins and has been shut in till we find him. He should know he’s not supposed to be there, but since the campers don’t always abide by that rule (even me when I was trying to get him to stay on our property instead of going to the neighbors during a thunderstorm), it must be confusing.

He usually is very obedient. Jim had to tell him only once not to beg for food at a barbeque. He sits and waits until we are finished when he gets the scraps. He does visit the neighbors sometimes. Some neighbors like him but others are annoyed. It’s hard to make him understand that he shouldn’t go to some neighbors.

He is a different dog when he is afraid. He is terrified by loud noises. He has broken through the screen on garage doors and our house window screen. He has come into neighbor’s house and won’t leave. He even bit one man on the hand when he tried to get him to leave, Thank goodness, this man was tolerant. Cocoa has lots of room on our property and he go could under our deck.

I try to remember to pray every day that he will stay out of trouble. I thank God for him all the time and pray for God to bless him and let him be a blessing.

I wrote this poem based on a plague my mother gave my father years ago:
TO COCOA
You are our strong protecting cur.
You gottun muscle, mostly fur.
You thinkum you one handsome hound.
You needum bath, otherwise you’re sound.
You not much good; you heep big pain.
We love you plenty, just the same.
Signum, Jim and Jerri, your owners/parents/servants

“To my Chief,
You are my big strong Indian chief.
You gottum muscle, mostly beef.
You thinkum you one handsome brave.
You needum haircut, needum shave.
You not much good; you heep big pain.
Me love you plenty just the shame.
Signum, Edna, your squaw.”

“One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord…You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” Romans 14:5-10
Each of us has an opinion on how to celebrate Christmas or the birth of Christ. The most important rule for us, as Christians, is not to judge one another. Unity is extremely important to God:
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity,” Psalm 133:1
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” Philippians 2:1-2
We make the joy of God complete by being united – “being one in spirit and of one mind” – not necessarily agreeing on every detail. The matters which are very important for agreement are clearly made known in Scripture. The celebration of Christmas is not one of them. The only thing that matters is that we are fully convinced in our own mind that our beliefs give glory to God, and we don’t treat someone who thinks differently with contempt.

I’d like to tell what Christmas means to me, hopefully to bring some insight that brings you closer to God.
I grew up in a family that was very traditional. Near the beginning of December, we would go to a Christmas tree lot, select a tree to bring home and decorate. We had lights and an ornament or two in the front yard.
I remember picturing the manger scene among the lights and decorations of the Christmas tree. I would feel joyful and secure going for a walk and looking up at the stars, picturing the manger scene.
My mother was the teacher of the younger children in the village community center where we had a nondenominational a Sunday school. Every year my mother organized a Sunday School Christmas program. She had been a teacher by profession and was comfortable with children. We would practice often during the weeks before the program. I would draw pictures on each of the four large blackboards with colored chalk. Usually, these would be from looking at the scenes from Christmas cards.
The night of the performance, we would walk the one block up a slight hill to the one room (at that time) community hall. It was packed, often with standing room only, because the whole village would come.
The congregation would sing Christmas carols, Younger children would often say a poem they had memorized. I was often one of the leading characters in any skit. We would all take part in acting out the Christmas story, wearing appropriate costumes. At the end of the evening we would receive the gift that another child had given us according to a name draw a couple weeks earlier. We were each given a bag of candy, nuts and an orange. I loved this event.
I would often save the popcycle wrappers I found while walking along the highway to get coupons for Christmas gifts. Buying gifts for my family was fun. I remember buying a jewelry box treasure chest for each of my three brothers, Eugene (Gene), Steve (Steve) and Matthew (Mickey). I don’t know as they thought the treasure chests were as special as I did. I have one of the jewelry box treasure chest today!
On Christmas Eve all of our close by relatives would come – Uncle Walter, Aunt Ruth and Grandma Harmer, my father’s mother, who lived with them. Aunt Ruth was my dad’s sister and he worked for them as a livestock dealer. Their son Tommy, his wife Janet and their children (younger than us and not born till we were older), Tommy’s sister Allene, her husband Bob and their daughter Stacy (close in age to Tommy’s sons). My sister Linda and I idolized Janet and Allene – Janet was a beautiful blonde and Allene had dark thick hair – they dressed perfectly. They received beautiful gifts from their husbands. We thought their lives were perfect. We children were shielded from the struggles they went through. For instance, Allene’s husband, whom she had met as a dance instructor, turned out to be a homosexual. After many years of trying to help him, they separated. He had a beautiful voice and had testified about Jesus in a choir. He died an alcoholic.
We had the same meal every year – waffles, ham, fruit and marshmallow salad. All night long we could snack on pop, juice, popcorn balls, nuts, candy, fudge, brownies, decorated cookies and other cookies of all sorts.
Everyone brought their gifts (which would fill at least ¼ of the living room) and we would spend several hours opening gifts one by one. After you had received a gift and opened it, you would hand out the next one. I’m not sure I would have the patience to do that now, but then we found it exciting to see what everyone got.
Christmas morning Santa Claus would have come. Like most children, we woke early, but had to wait till everyone was ready to enter the living room. We had a special breakfast of grapefruit, sausage. eggs, toast and orange juice, eaten along with the candy in our stockings.
At noon we were to Uncle Walter’s and Aunt Ruth’s to have a special meal served on good china. We would stay for the afternoon to play games (someone would surely receive new ones) and we had sandwiches of leftover turkey for supper.
It was a wonderful time, and the same every year.

Later Christmas Eve was also a special time for me. Once I found out I could move in with other girls into the apartment for which I had applied. Another year, having had a brain tumor which left me deaf in one ear and blind in one eye, I received a grant from the government to finish my education degree. Jim asked me to marry him on Christmas Eve.

A milestone came when we were first married. We were away from our families and I wanted to make Christmas as special as I could. I made a special meal on Christmas Eve with the same foods we had had growing up. Jim didn’t come home from work when I expected him. When he did come home, he was drunk. I was mad. He said I was right, and then went to sleep.
I went for a walk to get over my anger and talk to God. I looked in the sky and said, “All I need for Christmas is You, Jesus.”

Now Jim has accepted the Lord and is devoted to Jesus. He considers a tree, etc., worldly and we do different things every Christmas as the Lord leads. Sometimes we are close to our families and sometimes not. But because I made that decision when we first married, traditions are not important to me, although we did have some when our children were small.

I do some things every year. I play Christmas music and read portions of the Christmas story on my radio program. I help teach about the birth of Jesus in Kid’s radio and Christian Education – renamed Children’s Christian Club (CC Club). We give gifts to our immediate family. I feel Christmas is an opportunity for people to hear about Jesus. I love Christmas because of the joy I feel concerning the wonderful story of His birth.

This year I only put out a small one piece manger scene for Christmas. We went to a Christmas Eve service at church and someone invited everyone to their home. Christmas Day Jim had lots to do, changing tires, loading a water tank and snowmobile to go on an outreach mission the next day. I finished my Christmas letters and added a few things to our meal to make it special. We talked to our family on skype.

Last year after visiting our son and family in North Carolina where our daughter and family had also come from British Columbia, I stopped at Minnesota the day after Christmas for a few days to visit my siblings and their families for the first time in twelve years. My family has changed as I have – they eat healthy and give very few gifts.

We have some friends that don’t celebrate Christmas at all because of its pagan connections. We have other friends who keep their Christmas tree up all year. Following the principle of regarding “one day as special does so to the Lord” Romans 14:6 both these approaches are acceptable to God. It seems that what He cares about is that we love Him, try to please Him and not judge others. We should agree on the important issues like our love for God and others:
“One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:35-40
Anytime we disobey His Word, we are breaking these commandments.

I would only suggest not to be like Martha:
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
Martha loved Jesus and had invited Him into her home. But she was so “distracted by all the preparations” that she couldn’t enjoy Him. We should each determine how our actions concerning Christmas glorify Jesus.

Anything that the Bible says “is of some value” is worthwhile. Also, physical training (which includes a healthy lifestyle) will affect “the life to come” because an unhealthy body takes time, money, energy and perhaps desire away from spreading the gospel.

The most important thing we can do for a healthy body is love and serve Jesus:
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16
“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:7-8
“My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.” Proverbs 4:20-22
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

Eating well, getting enough sleep and exercising are important. Following is my story of pursuing health:

I grew up in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. In 10th grade English we had to read a book from several different categories, one of which was science. I asked the teacher to help me find a science book. She asked if I would be interested in science fiction. When I said no, she directed me to a whole section of nonfiction science books. One of the first books I looked at was on health. That looked interesting so I began to read.

I read that sugar was harmful to the teeth and was a factor in diabetes. That was the first time I had heard this, and it really made an impression on me. I hated going to the dentist having many cavities. My grandmother on my father’s side and great grandmother on my mother’s side had both lost a leg because of diabetes. I later learned that my grandmother on my mother’s side had diabetes, but could control it by limiting sugar. My mother cut the sugar in recipes in half.

I started to change my eating habits. I stopped having sugar on my cereal and grapefruit. My mother had various places for foods – crackers, cookies, candy, fruit, etc. and we could usually serve ourselves for snacks. Before shopping she would see what food group was low and buy more. It was easy for me to switch from cookies to fruit, for instance. We ate fairly well at home having a large garden, but also many processed foods. I remember my mother being excited because homogenized milk was available (now I only drink raw milk or a milk substitute). We had mainly unhealthy foods for birthdays and holidays like most other families.

I wrote my term paper on “The Proper Diet”.  Maybe not the most imaginative title, but it was research which I wanted for myself.

Even before that time I started walking the 2 ½ miles to school instead of taking the bus. I also walked home and had a three mile paper route. At that time girls didn’t have paper routes, but this one ws officially my brother’s (I also played boy’s basketball after school with other girls who weren’t satisfied with the modified girl’s basketball). Every Wednesday I walked 3 miles back in to the other side of town for ballet lessons and home again. I walked more in the summer.

During the next several years I didn’t learn much about nutrition.  During that time I had a brain tumor which left me blind in my right eye and deaf in my right ear. I took tap dancing in order to regain my coordination on my right side. As far as I can remember I ate fairly well.

At one time when my husband Jim and I lived in Toronto, Canada we had little money. I tried to buy the least expensive food, buying cans of beans and fruit on sale. I was sick at one time, (realizing later it was mostly because of a weakened immune system due to lack of nutrition). Jim’s cousin pointed out reading labels on food – the most prominent ingredient is listed first, the second is listed second, etc. I realized the fruit I was buying was in a heavy sugar syrup!

Later, after our son Scott was born, I started reading books about nutrition such as Sugar Blues by William Duffy. I devoured them for several months and came to the conclusion I was not giving our children any sweet sugary food so their taste. When there was opposition to my decision, I reread some of the books before reaching a firm conclusion so stick to my course.

It is one thing to eat entirely healthy yourself and another thing to have your children do so. First, the local grocery store was giving candy to children. I said no thank you, I didn’t want my children eating candy, just like I had said no thank you to some company giving out cigarettes in college.

There was family. On my side, they wanted to please me but were puzzled that I didn’t want my former favorite foods given to my children. On Jim side, his mother was especially concerned when I didn’t want them to eat much salt, but after doing some research herself she cut down on the salt for Jim dad’s health, She gave oranges to the children as a treat at least when I was there. Jim’s grandmother insisted Scott and Jill needed some sugar and gave them sugar cookies. I let them eat them while we were there (which wasn’t often) but threw away those she gave us to take home.

Then there was Jim. He thought it was great the children weren’t having sweets, but he wanted the sugar bowl on the table for himself. Also, I had to make cookies for him without wheat germ and whole wheat flour. I made some for him and some for me and noticed when his were gone he started on mine. I prayed that he would change his mind before Scott was old enough to be influenced. He did! He read an article on fiber and changed his way of eating. In fact, at one time hot dogs were on sale. I was in conflict because we didn’t have much variety and needed something fast and easy, but they contained sodium nitrate. I asked Jim’s opinion and he said to buy them. Later he researched sodium nitrate and told me to throw them away!

We moved from Montreal and rented a small farm in Nova Scotia. I milked a cow (unfortunately Scott and Jill didn’t like the milk) and later we had our own meat. We had vegetables from our garden and from Jim’s parents and brother who raised apples and vegetables. We lived six miles from town and seldom went to a store, although Jim work was in a larger town twelve miles away so he bought feed for our cattle and could buy other things.

At Jim’s brother’s wedding there were all kinds of delicious nutritious choices, but Jill (3 or 4 years old) wanted some candy. I told her no and tried to convince her to eat one of the many other foods. We argued about it awhile, then I thought,  “I am the mother”, so I just said no and walked away. I visited with someone else glancing to see what Jill would do. Suddenly I didn’t see her. Then she was hugging me around the leg. She had made up her mind to obey.

At church, usually they didn’t have the same nutritious choice. I offered to bring the snacks for the Sunday School and worked hard finding nutritious delicious snacks. Our church improved, hopefully I helped influence them.

It was encouraging that Jim’s cousin and his wife were also “health nuts”. I was a leader with La Leche League and their statement on nutrition has been our guideline “Eat a variety of foods in as natural a state as possible”.

Later, we moved into town. We said Scott and Jill couldn’t buy junk food (or ungodly books, music, magazines, etc.) with their allowance and they didn’t (perhaps occasionally they did when we didn’t know).

People had said that if we were too strict our children would rebel. I listened to a tape from La Leche League after my children were grown – make only rules that keep your children from being affected negatively physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. That’s what I had done. Jill once said when she was in her later teens, “Mom, you don’t have more rules than any other parents, just different ones.”

Thankfully, Scott and Jill have written and mentioned often how much they appreciate the way they were raised. They eat well now and have influenced their spouses and children (our grandchildren) to do so. They don’t have the same standards as I do, not even Jim does, but they are good. I won’t eat anything that I know isn’t good for me (but sometimes I do eat too much of a good thing).

After I had a mini-stroke in June 2004 I have become even more health conscious, doing research and eating organically when possible.

I am constantly learning and changing. Thank God for the internet. Thank God for many other blessings – we have our own meat and my neighbor and I order bulk items, many of them organic. I have a small garden and can buy from her because she sells produce from her organic garden. I also order some items from iherb.

Jim and I run a summer Bible camp and try to plan nutritious meals, although not organic because of the expense, I want to live the fullest life I can, influence others for good and not die because of my own foolishness, although ultimately we die when God has ordained:
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31 (See Luke 12:6-7)

They say good things come in small packages. Well, I think that sometimes big changes come in small moments as well. When I was in grade 8, I went to the eye doctor and was told that I needed glasses and that my eyes would never get better – that I would need glasses for the rest of my life. By grade 11 I moved on to contact lenses. I felt prettier without glasses, besides, glasses fogged up in the cold, and since I loved the outdoors and at the time lived in the Northwest Territories, glasses were impractical to me. For 17 years I happily wore contacts, until one sad day my eyes went pink. Thinking it was nothing; I took my contacts out and gave my eyes a break for a few days before trying a new pair. Within a few hours, my eyes were pink again. That’s when I found out I’d developed a sensitivity to my contacts. I tried a few different times, and a couple different contact solutions with no success. One day, I decided to just give contacts a try again. It had been a couple of months, and I had another pair of contacts at home. Saying a big prayer, I prayed that God would heal my eyes so that I could wear my contacts again. Then, I got them out and put them in. My husband was away at the time on business for a few days, and we had 2 young children. Within a couple of hours one of my eyes was pink. So, I took my contacts out and went to put my glasses on, and couldn’t find them. I searched frantically for a while, and then decided to try again later as my kids needed some attention. So, through blurred vision we went through our day. I still hadn’t found them by the next morning when it was time to go out. So, I put a contact in my eye that wasn’t pink and drove us to where we needed to go. By that night, I was praying to find my glasses. When I found them the next day, my prayer had changed from “please heal my eyes, I don’t like these glasses.” To: “Thank-you God for my glasses! Thank-you we live in a country and a time in history where we can just go to the eye doctor and get exactly what we need to be able to see!” and from that moment I changed from ungrateful to contented. And it went into other areas of my life, seeing how I’d been ungrateful and needed to change my attitude. In that one small incident, my whole life and perspective was changed. It was a remarkably ordinary moment.

One of the most remarkable times in my life was one of the most ordinary things I’ve ever done. When I was about 13 years old, my mom, dad, brother and I moved from Nova Scotia to the Northwest Territories.  I had major culture shock and missed my old life and friends. I’d grown up in a good and happy Christian home and at a young age of 4 years old I had prayed and made the decision to follow God. I had been surrounded by things of God my whole life. When I moved to the Northwest Territories, my whole world was shaken. The culture was a lot harder in the Northwest Territories and the way to fit in was to go to parties and dances of which I wasn’t allowed. I felt left out and lonely and for the first time in my life I was the outsider. I wanted so badly to just ignore my parents and God and to fit in. I struggled immensely with this. Then on this one remarkably ordinary day I went for a jog and I said to God, “God, I don’t know if it’s worth the price for me to serve you. It’s so lonely, and how do I even know you’re real?” Suddenly I thought of the verse “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.” from Matthew. I had sung this song since before I could remember, but had never once thought about what I was singing. But this day, I suddenly understood it. And in my heart that day I really, truly decided to seek, love, and follow God with all of me, even though it meant being different from my peers. I was still lonely after that day, but I had God as a friend and I made other friends who are wonderful friends even now. God really added to me. To this day, when I pass the spot on the road where I understood and made that decision, I still feel that same feeling of relief and peace I’d felt years ago. I think sitting on the fence between God and friends is one of the hardest places to be, and for me that day I was relieved to get off the fence and live a life for God.

These are only a couple of examples of my experiences with the remarkable ordinary. I hope that one day I can share more with you.
 

"On February 1, 1981, on a Sunday evening, Jim, my brother Steve, and I went to a New Covenant church service in Northfield. We did not know what to expect, never having been to this church before. The service was held in a large room in the local high school. Everyone sat in a circle. There seemed to be no preacher although a few people spoke for a short time. The freedom and moving of the Spirit of God impressed us.

After the service a young man with a beard came to speak to me. He said, "I’m embarrassed to tell you this, but God told me to tell you, you are going to have a baby. Are you planning to have a baby?" We said "no" but thanked him for telling us. The young man was so kind and sincere, but we had no plans to have another child. A boy and a girl seemed enough in a stressful, changing world. Now I realize that God will provide everything needed for any child He gives to you.

At the time my mother was the only one I told. After that I forgot this incident until about two months after Sandra’s death."

Sandra: A True Story About God’s Comfort in the Death of a Little Girl has been published and is no longer available online.  To purchase a copy:

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“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort those who are in trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present age are not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18 

There were some advantages to having your father as a livestock dealer. We could ride horses whenever we wanted. There was a steady turnover of horses and after having several run away with me, I lost any desire to ride. However, my brothers rode quite a bit. There was a large arboretum connected to one of the colleges in Northfield (two miles from Waterford) where we could ride and walk.

 My father‘s work was exciting to us. Sometimes we would go with him to livestock auctions. Because he was a well-known livestock dealer and did not want other people bidding on an animal just because someone with experience did, he gave a sign to the auctioneer when he wanted to bid. He always wore a cowboy hat and would reach up and tip the corner of his hat.

Sometimes we went with my father to the big pasture where extra animals that couldn’t fit in the smaller pastures at the Pritchard farm were kept. A huge windmill was there to interest small folk.

Waterford was a wonderful place to grow up. It had only one store unless you called the gas station across from where my father worked part of Waterford. There were only a couple houses between our place and where my father worked so the gas station was not really in the village. There was the beautiful Cannon River with wood paths on the side closest to us and on the other side was the arboretum. The people in Waterford were friendly and looked after each other. We children played games like “Hide-and-Seek,” “Red Light Green Light,” “Sardines,” “No Ghost-Out-Tonight,” “Kick-the Can, “Aunty I-Over”–mostly at our house. My mother had been a teacher and loved children. She also knew how to keep a firm hand on any that got out of control–children love a safe environment and ours was. We had an acre property with lots of paths around the house and a road in front on which to ride bikes back and forth. We played baseball, touch football, and “Red Rover” and “PumPum Pull Away” in the community park.

My mother organized a Waterford parade each year where we children would decorate our bikes or ourselves and go around the block (the dirt road that went in a square throughout the houses) about 6:30 p.m. when the fathers were home from work. She also organized a Christmas program for the Sunday school each year (the Sunday School and Christmas program were held in the Community Hall). I would draw Christmas scenes on the four blackboards with colored chalk and the children in Waterford would say poems and take part in the manger scene or Christmas plays. The whole community would come and we would exchange gifts and have bags of candy, nuts and fruit.

We took May baskets around each May 1, putting them by someone’s door before ringing the bell and running to hide so that person couldn’t catch and kiss us.

My father worked six days a week, ten hours a day and sometimes he had to do chores on Sundays as well. He had a two-week vacation every summer and one of those weeks we spent in a cabin on a lake. The other week we spent at my grandparents farm twenty-three miles from the town of Staples in northern Minnesota. When we grew older we children would spend a couple weeks with our grandparents. That is when I first really had experience with cows. Although my father worked with them, they were just objects, something you didn’t go close to, especially the bulls.

My grandfather had a small farm with two work horses, Dick and Major, that we got to sit on sometimes when my grandfather was leading them to and from work, a few chickens (it was fun to look for and gather the eggs), pigs (a slop pail was kept for all the peelings, left-over food, etc. for the pigs) and cows.

One incident that my grandfather used to tell was that one fall I asked him the names of his cows. When he told me, I said, “That’s not what you told me in the spring.” His cows had their own personality and they all looked different to me. Bluebell was black and white, mostly black and she was the bell cow (she wore a bell around her neck so grandpa-and my mother when she was a girl-could find the cows when they were in the large wooded pasture behind some of the fields on their farm). Spotty was a large Holstein with black spots on a white coat. Most of the others cows were Jerseys–Daisy, Rose, Violet, etc. I learned to milk by hand and usually milked one or two of the easier to milk cows every morning and evening when I was there. My grandfather always had a bull in with his cows. Some were dangerous and all of them we avoided. I remember him teasing us once by taking a big two by four and dancing around the bull saying, “Come on and fight.” We were so afraid for him, but he knew there was no danger. One of my brothers used to get on the backs of calves in a small stall and pretend he was in a rodeo.

Those were my first experiences with cows. It was good, associated with love and fun times.
LESSON:
When God wants you to do something later on, He often prepared your heart well in advance. His many little acts of love are preparing you.
The little things parents do for their children are always worthwhile: “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children…” Proverbs 13:22 God planned it that way.

Many years later my husband, Jim, and our two children, Scott and Jill moved to a small farm in Nova Scotia. Jim is from Nova Scotia and his parents lived about twelve miles from us on an apple farm. I had had no experience with cows for several years. However, when we moved to this farm, I really had a desire to have a cow and milk her.
LESSON:
God often puts a desire in your heart for the things He wants you to do.

I had asked Jim to buy a cow for me (small request!). He was very busy so it didn’t get done. One day I was standing in the foyer at church. Carl Gates was the only other person there. I felt since Carl was the one Jim planned to ask about purchasing a cow, maybe I should say something. I did and he sold us a cow.
LESSON:
Even if you have a capable husband God expects you to do some things for yourself. Proverbs says of the wife of noble character, “She considers a field and buys it…” Proverbs 31:16

We were planning to buy a cow from Carl for about $800. After Jim and Carl spent one day trying to catch her, Jim came home with another cow that had cost $1000. That cow was gentle, healthy and gave us years of service.
LESSON:
God can use what appears to be a difficult experience to change the circumstances so that you will do what is best. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

When I went down to the farm to see her, the first thing I saw was her horns over the top of a stall. Perhaps this was going to be more than I expected!
LESSON:
God often gives us a strong desire because we need it in order to follow his leading.

We named our cow Cookie. She was a large Holstein–white with black spots. I asked God to take the fear away from me of our cow. I thought I would testify in church if He did. Several months later I realized that He had. I had forgotten all about it-it had been so gradual. Then I testified about it in church.
LESSON:
Sometimes God does things gradually. Often He has to change our hearts to cause a permanent change.

Our house was in a beautiful location on a hill overlooking the Minas Basin. Our neighbor, Ralph Connell, lived at the bottom of the hill across from our barn. He was a retired farm hand. At one time he had milked over thirty cows by hand and walked five or six miles to get to the farm on which he was working by 5:30 a.m. We spent several hours talking to him. He would milk the cow in the evening and take the milk he wanted.
LESSON:
God often supplies miraculous help (if we recognize it as that). I didn’t realize how much I needed to know in order to keep a cow successfully.

I first milked our cow when Jim and Mr. Connell were with me. The first morning I had to milk the cow alone, I thought I would do it before Scott (age 4) and Jill (age 2) were up. However, it didn’t work that way. By the time I was ready to milk, Scott and Jill were ready to wake up. I had to leave them with breakfast all ready, directions with what to do if they needed me and a prayer for God to take care of my children. It took over an hour. When I got back the kitchen was a mess, but everyone was happy. Scott has been fussy, expecting me to do everything for him. He and Jill had been arguing about every little thing. This morning when I was gone Scott had to climb up on the counter to get something for Jill, which made him feel useful and competent. Jill realized that her brother was good for something. It had worked out well, although I wouldn’t advice other mothers to leave their children alone at that age for that long. Much more often today fathers and mothers do not spend the time they should with their children or give them the protection they should have.
LESSON:
God will take care of your children if you can’t be there.

Since it would take me about twenty minutes of very repetitious work to milk each morning I decided this would be a good time to pray. The only trouble was that after about five minutes, my mind would start to wander. Cookie would kick every so often. She was a gentle cow so I could quietly put kickers on her. Kickers are iron cuffs with a chain between them so the cow can move her back legs only so far. I put them on before each milking. Every so often Cookie would decide to kick when I was milking, but with the kickers it would only hurt her. However, when she would kick it would remind me how much I needed God and to get back to praying.
LESSON:
God uses ingenious ways to teach us to pray. And what seems harmful He can use for good.

I had to go down to the barn each evening to pick up the milk that Mr. Connell had left. Sometimes I would be so tired at night, but this was something that had to be done.
LESSON:
“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

I often had much more milk than we could use. I learned how to make cottage cheese, butter and yogurt. Sometimes, when we had company coming, we would make ice cream with strawberries or raspberries from our farm or other fruit. We started giving some of our milk away. I would put it in two quart glass bottles and Jim would deliver it on the way to work. After some time it began to bother me that some people wouldn’t return their bottles. I was complaining to the Lord one day and He said, “Yes, pray for them.”
LESSON:
Sometimes people irritate us because God wants us to pray for them. That is the Christian response. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Romans 12:14

The people to whom we gave our milk were spending their money foolishly in my opinion. We gave milk to our Pastor but other than that we tried to choose people who we felt needed the milk. It was difficult not to judge the way people were spending their money when it was money saved from us giving them milk. The Lord spoke to me and said, “The integrity of the upright guides them.” Proverbs 11:3
I decided right then that I would charge for the milk. We did and fewer people received it (which made it easier for Jim to deliver), but they bought more. I charged a few cents more then the store so only the people that appreciated raw milk would buy it. Soon the store increased its prices and I never did, but the goal of having appreciative customers was accomplished. Later, Jim told me that the fifty dollars we made a week from selling our milk paid for the gas to run the church bus for his bus ministry (picking up people for Sunday School, church and other events and taking youth and others to events in other communities). I felt that the money I was earning was being used for a worthwhile purpose.
LESSON:
Sometimes people do not have money because they will not work for their money or are unwise in spending the money God has given them. The truly poor person is poor through no fault of his own. Sometimes God would have us give to someone that has wasted his money, but we should not assume that just because a person looks poor we should give to him. We should learn to listen for God’s direction in giving our money: “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.” Proverbs 14:15

We wanted Cookie to have a calf. Cows will not produce milk forever without having a calf. Having a calf to milk later or raise for meat seemed lucrative and fun. We borrowed a bull from Carl Gates. We kept the bull in a stall and every day lured her over to Cookie who was in a stanchion by using a dish full of grain. After the bull was there awhile we had to lure him back. It was scary business, which we did for over a month hoping Cookie would come in heat. Even though the bull was peaceful, one little push from the huge bull could be serious. The bull didn’t seem interested in Cookie so we used artificial insemination.
LESSON:
Sometimes God allows us to do something just to teach us. Often we appreciate the services and choices people make the more we learn about their business.

Cookie had a calf which we named Honey. Honey was easy to milk. The only trouble was Honey was nervous when I milked her and I was nervous when I milked Honey because she might kick anytime. She wouldn’t let me put kickers on her so the time of milking her was tense. She didn’t kick often, but I always had to be ready to take the milk pail out of the way in case she did. I asked the Lord to clear up that situation. He did.
One day Honey kicked so suddenly that she put her foot in the milk pail slashing milk everywhere. Honey didn’t like that so she never kicked while I as milking her again. We had to buy a new milk pail, but it was worth the peace of mind.
LESSON:
Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. Sometimes what we are asking requires drastic happenings in order to accomplish the answer.

Carl was kind enough to loan us a cow. He would not have to milk her and, we could use the milk because we did not have a cow that was producing milk at that time. She gave a large amount of milk, but unfortunately cows that produce a large quantity of milk are more apt to get mastitis. We threw most of her milk away because it was unappealing to drink. Taking care of a cow with mastitis is an added expense and trouble. Jim had to give her a shot of medicine each day, which neither Jim nor the cow appreciated.
LESSON:
Although the cow Carl loaned us caused more trouble than she was worth, we had to see that the mastitis was cleared up before we returned her to Carl: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39 “Do to other as you would have them do to you.” Matthew 7:12 Luke 6:31

Honey got her nose full of porcupine quills. Mr. Connell helped Jim get them out. He used pliers to pull them out saying that if they were left in, they would go deeper and deeper into Honey and eventually enter her brain and kill her. Curiosity can kill a cow as well as a cat.
LESSON:
We sure appreciated God’s gift of Mr. Connell.

Every year we had the challenge of getting hay for the winter. We had enough extra grass in our pasture so most years we used that. We had to borrow equipment, usually from Jim’s uncle. His uncle and sons were capable of fixing machinery, but still we felt responsible if something broke while we were using it, which it sometimes did. One year we planned to borrow equipment from Bram and Koos Lohr, but it was against their principles to work on Sunday. Not working on Sunday cost them money, but God honored this family’s decision to honor Him and they prospered. The year that we wanted to borrow equipment from them, our crop was ready on a Sunday, and we did not want to borrow it that day. It looked like rain that night so we really prayed that the rain would hold off. It rained some, but our hay was mostly dry the next evening when Bram came with his equipment and some of his workers and helped us get the hay in the barn, something we were not expecting.
The challenge of getting a hay crop never ended. Even at a later date when we decided to buy hay, there were problems. For instance, one year we bought hay that was poor quality from a church member.
LESSON:
Sometimes God allows us to go through less than perfect times (even though we pray) and sometimes we don’t understand why. One reason might be that people that read this article can learn about a godly farmer who honored God and prospered.

One year getting our hay crop in did go well. It was ready on a Sunday. We do believe in setting aside Sunday to worship God and rest. But we also believe there are no hard and fast rules: “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers each day alike. Each man should be fully convinced in his own mind.” Romans 14:5 We should do everything for the Lord, doing what we feel He wants us to do.
Jesus, allowing His disciples to pick grain in the Sabbath told the Pharisees, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27
We went to church on Sunday morning, had a quick bite to eat, and went out to bring our hay into the barn. Our neighbors, a girl and a couple (all good workers) came to help us. We did not ask them. They just saw us working and knew we wanted to get done so we could go to church in the evening. They did not know Jesus or go to church themselves. What a testimony for Jesus was our example of the importance of going to His house and what a blessing for us that they noticed our need and helped us!
LESSON:
God will glorify Himself and take care of us if we seek His will.

Cookie had been sold. Honey, her calf, was easier to milk, and it is wise to sell a cow before she gets old. I prayed long and hard that she would find a good owner. She did. I never prayed so much for a cow after that, but sometimes the first seems so important.
LESSON:
Sometimes God will give us what we want even though He knows the problem is not as important as we consider it to be.

Honey was a perfect cow for about five years. She had a calf each year. One year she was expecting a calf, and we checked on her after we got home from church. She was in distress so we called the vet. Her calf was in a breech condition. The vet and Jim had to cut the calf’s head off in order to get it out of Honey. Jim had to put his arm into Honey up to his shoulder to make sure that all of the calf was out of her. Poor Honey. At least she survived, but she did not produce milk. Unless we fed her grain, which would be expensive, she would lose weight. We had to butcher her. Several men spent a long time trying to catch her. Finally Jim asked me to help, I just went into the pasture, and she came running to me. I had to lead her into the truck to haul her away. I felt I had betrayed a friend. We kept the meat, which saved us a great deal of money. Jim sometimes said we were eating honey burgers, but the rest of us didn’t appreciate his joke.
LESSON:
Someday animals (and humans) won’t have to die: “…Death has been swallowed up in victory.” I Corinthians 15:54 This was one more reason to look forward to heaven

Jim decided to butcher a cow and invite the whole church to a feast. We planned it for a Saturday afternoon. The Friday night before a young teen-ager, son of a dearly loved family in our church, was in a serious car accident. Many people spent the night in prayer. The next day, since we had already made most of the preparations, we went ahead with the feast. Only a few people came. The young man died. We had a huge 50-pound roast left over to take to the family.
LESSON:
God had put it into Jim’s heart to have a feast because He knew that the meat would be needed. God plans and provides for our needs before we even know that we need them. Before our little daughter, Sandra, died suddenly, God had arranged for us to have another refrigerator in our home for the food gifts of others.

Cookie had one calf and Honey had another. Both calves were almost to the stage of producing their own calves and by that producing milk. I had to get rid of one of them since I couldn’t care for them both over the winter. I chose to keep Cookie’s calf simply because it was younger and would start producing milk at the later time when it was needed. We tried to find a buyer for Honey’s calf, but weren’t able. It was a sad day when we decided to send her to the butcher.
LESSON:
God was preparing me to give up the “cattle business.” I loved cows too much to see them come and go so frequently.

We chose the wrong calf. Honey’s calf had been gentle. Cookie’s calf was wild. We never milked her.
LESSON:
God had opened the door and now He was closing the door. Even though we had made the “wrong decision” in the light of which cow would have been better to keep for milking, it was the right decision according to God’s purposes: “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?” Proverbs 20:24

By then we had goats. My son, Scott, really wanted a goat and promised to care for her. He did faithfully for a couple years, which was an excellent experience for him. Then what we had predicted happened. I fell in love with the goats, and when he decided to move on to another enterprise, I took over the goats. I learned one special lesson from goats that I would like to include.
We wanted our goats to have babies, but artificial insemination was expensive and not fully reliable. I prayed for that situation, and God miraculously answered. A lady that had several goats had one male goat that she needed to get rid of, but because he was so special she didn’t want him killed. She gave him to us! He was a beautiful goat-mostly black, but with orange and white. He was shy so stayed away from people and was not at all mean. I was so excited when we got him. I was jumping up and down praising the Lord. Suddenly I knew that this was only for a season.
In one year we had to give up the goat business because we had moved into the town where they did not allow goats. Although we could get buyers for the female goats, no one would even take our male goat, and we had to send him to the butcher.
LESSON:
God is concerned with our every desire for the here and now.

I learned lots from having cows, probably much more than I realize: “…for it is God that works in you both to will and to act according to his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13 What a comforting thought to know that God is working in us to chance us into the likeness of His Son: “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…” Romans 8:29 Sometimes we have to suffer in order to accomplish being made into Jesus’ likeness, but more often God does it in fun and interesting ways.

P.S
This is written in November 2010. We live near Hay River, NT in Paradise Valley where we have started the first Bible camp in the Northwest Territories—Paradise Bible Camp. 
We have had several beef cows. We bought May, and her son Sirloin. We named him Sirloin so we would remember why we kept him. May had another calf and we named him T-bone. Two years ago we butchered Sirloin and T-bone. They escaped from the pasture and went to visit the neighbor’s lady cow. We couldn’t drive them home or entice them with grain so Jim decided the butcher them. It was difficult getting help to clean the cows. One cow was finished in a short time, but the other cow was not cut and frozen for a few days in fairly warm weather. Although we have eaten the meat from the second cow, it has a strong smell so we saved most of it for our dog, Cocoa. Jim planned to give quite a bit of meat to the man he had asked to help us. When he didn’t show up, Cocoa got the meat that was to go to him.
LESSON:
How much do we miss out on when we are inconsiderate and lazy?

In the spring of 2008, May had a female which we named Chocolate. In the early spring of 2009, May had a male we named Blackberry. October 1, 2010, we butchered Blackberry, who had gotten a little mean. We planned to butcher him before winter.
Butchering these cows didn’t bother me. However, last Saturday, November 13 we butchered May. She was fairly old, and Jim didn’t want to keep cows over the winter (but we are keeping Chocolate). He has to do most of the work for the cows. All I do is water them when he is on a business trip.
Our neighbor said that May might be pregnant because she was a little fat. The father would have been Blackberry, her son. I really didn’t want to butcher May. I prayed and prayed for wisdom and God’s will to be done. I even prayed in tongues:
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27 
Jim had lots of help so they butchered May. When we butcher her we  could tell she was pregnant. Perhaps she would have had her calf in the coldest months, making survival difficult. But that speculation is sour grapes.
I felt sadder than I knew I would feel. Maybe I should have been more forceful in my objection. However, I have to believe that because I prayed earnestly, God’s will was done.  
LESSON:
Even when it seems things are not God’s will, if we pray we can believe that God’s will is done. There is a reason, which might be evident someday.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
LESSON:
I felt intently that because of man’s disobedience to God, there is death. God must ache when He sees His beautiful animals die. I can’t wait till the millennium when Jesus sets up His kingdom. There will still be death although not nearly as prevalent as at this time. After the 1,000 years death will finally be completely erased from existence. These Bible passages explain in part:
“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea Isaiah 11:6-9

“On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.
In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”” Isaiah 25:6-9

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.  They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.” Isaiah 65:17-25

“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” Romans 8:19-22

“And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. e seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.” Revelation 21:1-7

by Jerrilyn Forsyth

By Andrew Varner

There are three reasons why I am Christian; He died for me, He lives, and I’m completely convinced. To some, this statement might imply a false notion that I have always held this position. To those, this statement may come off as naive. They might assume that I was brought up in a religious home. To some, this statement is simply preposterous. After all, we live in a increasingly secular society where seemingly the furthest thing from everyone’s mind is a God that would become flesh, live with us, die for our sins, and rise from the dead. Then to some, my faith is admirable. These people might have a profound respect for me in spite of the fact that they don’t share any one of my moral or spiritual convictions. To them, I’m “religious” – not in a bad way like Reverend Jim Jones, but in a good way like the Dalai Lama. The truth is that I know many people who would tend to agree with my “reasons.” I think these people would go as far to say, “Yes, I, too, believe that Jesus died for me and that he lives. And, yes, I’m completely convinced as well.” But secretly, I would oppose their position.

Since I became a Christian, I’ve learned more than any 25 year old should have to learn. But, in a way, I’m glad that I did. I feel I have much to share to someone who might be as lost or as hurt as I once was. I want to share the fact that there really IS a right and wrong. And it doesn’t take faith to believe it. I think I have the evidence – I can make the case. I’d say, “If you could be completely honest with yourself for just a moment, wouldn’t you have to admit that your lifetime isn’t nearly enough time to come up with the answers that are required to give you complete peace of mind? Life is too full of uncertainties. If it wasn’t full of uncertainties, why are scientists trying to make certain of everything? If it wasn’t full of uncertainties, tell me exactly what will happen to you tomorrow. If it wasn’t full of uncertainties, tell me the exact day you will die. While you’re at it, tell me the hour and the minute too. You can’t even trust the certainty of the weather – just consider how often the weather man on TV gets it wrong. But wouldn’t it be nice to be absolutely certain of something? Perhaps in a God that has all the uncertainties worked out? A God that knows all? A God that is never surprised? A God that sees your yesterday, today, and tomorrow and knows every question you’ve ever pondered and every problem you’ve ever faced? A God that cares for you more than anything in the world? He does. I’m completely convinced."