2020 Hindsight

   A whole year has passed since I wrote a blog post on 20/20 Vision on December 30, 2019. We were about to begin a new decade and I wondered what we would find in it. Like many others, we expected life to continue as usual although there would naturally be unknown changes along the way. No one could foresee how life would be turned upside down a quarter of the way through 2020. The enemy was too small to be seen but it spread around the globe and life was disrupted for everyone. We made the best of it and did what we had to do.

  The year started out calmly as I wrote, scrapbooked, and crocheted. In January we put a 1000 piece puzzle together and had no idea we would do a half dozen more before spring came in all its glory. 

  I had a CT scan in February and learned the spot the doctor had been watching on my kidney for several years had grown and was malignant. I was scheduled to have surgery in May but didn't tell anyone. I didn't think it was necessary for people to think about it that long. Besides, we had more exciting news to think about. In February we learned that after waiting nine years a new grandchild was on the way. It was a definite answer to much earnest prayer. "With God nothing is impossible."

  Leroy was off work six weeks after COVID-19 broke out in March. Everything was canceled and church was on livestream from March to June. It was better than nothing but we missed the fellowship.

   Easter came in April but there was no Good Friday or Easter service in church. Leroy went back to working three days per week and we started circulating a bit more. I finished a book I had been working on for a year and a half and sent it to the reviewers. There's still a lot of work before it can be published and I doubt it will be on the market before the end of 2021. I volunteered at the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society for thirteen years, helping Carolyn Wenger prepare things for the archives. They closed because of the virus and then Carolyn died of cancer in April. It seemed like a good time for me to quit. It's something I wanted to do for a long time before I started and now I gave it up.

  Our children came in May to do some yard work for us. They spread mulch and replaced some overgrown bushes. That day I told them I was scheduled for kidney cancer surgery on May 29. 

  Leroy was not allowed to enter the hospital so he could only drop me off and go home. It turned out to be a more major surgery than the doctor anticipated. I was in the hospital nine days and in rehab another seven days. No visitors were allowed all that time but I could talk to people on the phone. Our sons looked after Leroy, cooking and doing laundry for him. I finally came home on June 16. The good news was that they got all the cancer and I did not need any chemo or radiation. 

  Our daughter came from Ohio and was here for a week. I was grateful for her help. It took me several months to make a full recovery and by then the summer was over. The virus slacked off over summer but things were still canceled all year as we went along. In-person church services resumed in June but with some changes in the routine. Restaurants and other businesses that had been closed on the governor's orders were open again but with safety guidelines. Face masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing was a part of life in 2020. 

  Like many other things, the annual Berean Meetings in July were canceled. And cancelations continued through August. The summer passed with no Bible school, reunions, trips, or other things that we had always taken for granted as a normal part of life. Our second great-grandchild was born May 14, but due of the circumstances, we did not get to see him until they came in from Ohio in August. Colton Miller was three months old before we saw him in person.

   Schools had been closed since March but opened again in September with some modifications. My newest book of children's stories was released this month and on September 24 the long-awaited granddaughter arrived. Abigail Ruth Stauffer is a dream come true was a bright highlight in a dark and disrupted year.

   As the weather cooled in October, virus cases began to rise again. But the shutdown in the spring had caused so much damage to the economy the governor knew he cannot do it again. At the end of the month our daughter came for another week to help me with some cleaning. We shivered through the outdoor wedding of a grandson on October 30.

   There was plenty of hot air all year with the presidential election taking place in November. President Trump lost the election and made a fool of himself by refusing to concede and trying to overturn the results. I never in my life saw such a poor loser in an election. 

  Leroy's brother's wife died with the virus after being in the hospital two weeks and I also lost one of my old friends the same week. 

   We had a most unusual Thanksgiving dinner. We planned to have the traditional turkey meal with one of our sons and his family, but he had a sore throat that morning. Any other year we wouldn't have taken that so seriously but out of caution we decided to exchange portions of the food we had prepared and eat at our own tables. We visited by Zoom on our computers while we ate.

  The virus could not stop Christmas from coming in December. I did most of my Christmas shopping online this year and was finished the beginning of the month. My daughters-in-law came to bake cookies, I mailed cards and letters, and wrapped gifts as usual. Our children and grandchildren were here on Christmas day. We wore face masks and kept hand sanitizer handy. The only ones missing were an Ohio grandson, his wife, and two children---our great-grandchildren. 

   The last week of the month one of Leroy's old buddies also died with the virus. Our "youth group" is leaving this world for a better one at an alarming rate.

  Tonight we reach the end of this unforgettable year. Looking back at this year, there was a mixture of joys and sorrows as always but also unexpected things on a scale we never imagined. The virus rages on with no end in sight. We are thankful we have escaped so far. Only God knows how long it will go on. We can look toward the future and the new year of 2021 with the confidence that God is in control and we are safe in Him no matter what happens. 

Controversial Issues

 The election is finally over and that fuss has died down. I was exceedingly weary of and disgusted with all the political posts on social media. But while that has faded out, other controversial subjects continue to swirl on social media.

People are posting things for and against wearing a mask, for and against vaccines. Each side presents "convincing evidence" for their position. How are we supposed to know who is right in these completely opposite positions?  

I've come to the conclusion that the only thing I learn from the things people post is what they think. If someone is against vaccines, that is what they will post. Same for masking or unmasking, voting in elections, abortion, sexual abuse, racism, and other controversial issues. Social media gives people a virtual soap box from which to shout out their opinions.

I know what I think on these subjects but there is no point in me posting anything on social media about it. If people do not agree with me, what I post will either be ignored or start an argument. I got sucked into that a couple times before I learned to keep my mouth shut.  What I say won't change their minds and they won't change mine. The things people are wound up over will eventually dissolve and they will go on to something else.

In all fairness, there are some advantages to social media. It helps us keep in contact with family and friends who live far from us. In an instant, I can hear from my niece in Bangladesh and see pictures from the refugee camp where she works. I can get the news from the lives of my brothers in Canada and Guatemala without waiting or needing a stamp. It's a great improvement over the snail mail we used years ago. 

Social media is like all other forms of communication. These things are not wrong in themselves. It's how you use it that makes it right or wrong. 

Newborn at Christmas

 Yesterday I had the privilege of babysitting Abigail while her mother did some shopping. It's been a long time since I had a baby in the house, but a mother never forgets how to care for an infant. 

Neither have I forgotten some of the thoughts I had the Christmases I had a new baby, especially those who were born in the fall and were still tiny and helpless at Christmas. Holding a newborn at Christmas helps to bring the true meaning of Christmas to life. This was even more so yesterday when I held this long-awaited little girl who was born in answer to prayer. The Jews had waited thousands of years for God to answer their prayers to fulfill His promise to send the Messiah. And when He did, they couldn't believe it because they were not expecting the Messiah to come in the form of a tiny newborn Baby.

This morning I spent nearly an hour hunting a poem I remembered from those Christmases years ago when I had a newborn. I finally found it in a yellowed paperback book of meditations for new mothers. This was written at a time when mothers (like me) did not have nurseries but put the baby in a crib beside their own bed.

Within the crib that stands beside my bed

A little form in sweet abandon lies

And as I bend above with misty eyes

I know how Mary's heart was comforted.

O world of Mothers! blest are we who know

The ecstasy--the deep God-given thrill

That Mary felt when all the earth was still

In that Judean starlight long ago!

Anne P. L. Field (1874-1947)

The Spoiled King

There was once a great king who was very wealthy. He was the most powerful man in the land and was always able to buy anything his heart desired.

One day the king saw a lovely vineyard and decided to buy it. But the owner refused to sell at any price. The king had never in his life been in a situation where he could not buy what he wanted. He stormed and pouted like a spoiled child. He lay on his bed and refused to eat.

Determined to get what he wanted, the king began plotting to unlawfully seize the vineyard. When he managed to do it, God passed judgment upon him. This story is in 1 Kings 21 but you can read the modern version in today's newspaper.

If you want your children to grow up to be men and women of integrity, don't give them everything they want. Make them work for it or learn to do without. And when they lose at playing a game, teach them that being a good sport and gracious loser is more important than winning. If they don't learn these things when they are young they will make fools of themselves when they are adults.

Seven Men

    Seven Men Who Rule the World From the Grave is the title of a book by Dave Breese. I read the book ten years ago and wrote a blog post about it. I just went through the book again and will only give a summary this time. 

   The seven men who rule the world from the grave and their ideas in a nutshell are:

Charles Darwin--evolution

Karl Marx--socialism

Julius Wellhausen--humanism

Sigmund Freud--sexual revolution

John Dewey--liberal education (no absolutes)

John Maynard Keynes--government economics (deficit spending)

Soren Kierkegaard--situation ethics

  Things have certainly not improved in the last ten years and the book is just as relevant today as it was the first time I read it.

If you would like to read the longer version, you can find it here.

https://stauffer-scribbler.blogspot.com/search?q=seven+men

Take-Aways

 Last evening was the concluding service in a week of revivals meetings at our church. Kevin Hurst was the speaker and delivered excellent messages. We may be a tiny bit biased because he is our nephew and grew up in our congregation. But it's more than that. He is a deep thinker and dug to the root of the subject. Here are a few of my take-aways from the week.

1. "You don't HAVE a soul. You ARE a soul and have a body."

Because we are temporal human beings we tend to think of things in the here and now. The fact is that we are eternal souls housed in a physical body. The soul continues to live on after the body dies. Where it goes depends on the choices we made while the soul was in the body.

2. "Be an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." Although this was written to a young man, Timothy, it applies to every believer of any age. Professing to be a Christian isn't enough. We must live it out in every area of life---in the words we say, the lifestyle we live, the way we treat other people, in our attitudes, in difficult circumstances, and moral purity. Those five words encompass every area of life. And living it out takes a lifetime.

3. Joseph is one of the few men in the Bible that nothing bad is said about him. His faith was built on a solid foundation and made it possible for him to (a) resist temptation (b) endure suffering (c) forgive quickly. According to human reasoning, he had every right to pity himself and give up on God. But he was faithful and eventually saw the big picture. He told his brothers, "You meant it for evil but God meant it for good." It is not wrong to be tempted or to wonder why. It only becomes sin when we yield to the temptation or doubt God.

4.  It only took one sin for Adam and Eve to be exiled from their garden home. No amount of good deeds could buy it back. We cannot save ourselves with any amount of good deeds. We need someone who can forgive our sins and save us from our foolish selves.

5. "Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne,—

Yet that scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own."

(James Russell Lowell)

East and West Meet at Lancaster

 On Friday evening, October 30, we attended the wedding of our grandson, Marcus Stauffer, to Irene Mbilinyi.

Marcus was born in Haiti and brought to this country by his adoptive parents twenty-four years ago when he was two years old. Irene was born in Tanzania and came to this country from and orphanage at the age of nine. She went back and forth several times but spent most her time in California with her foster family. She knew someone in Lancaster, Pa. and went there to attend college. That is where she and Marcus met. They were born on opposite sides of the world and lived on opposite coasts of the United States. Whoever would have dreamed they would get together?

They planned to use a small barn on a relative's property for the wedding but then decided it was too small for the 75 people who would attend. So the ceremony was held on the lawn behind the barn and the reception in a tent. That would have been perfect except for the weather. Fortunately, we were warned to dress warm so we had heavy coats and a blanket. But the poor bridal party shivered through the ceremony with no protection. Halfway through the ceremony Marcus took his suit coat off and put it on Irene. Black skin isn't any warmer than white skin!

The ceremony was short and sweet and then everyone made a beeline for the tent where it was a little warmer. We braved the cold long enough for a grandparents photo. We are the only grandparents Marcus has.

The buffet table at the reception offered us an array of choices. It was all very good and plentiful.

Marcus and Irene took the weekend for a short two-day honeymoon and will be living near Lancaster while continuing their studies in nursing. We wish them success in all their endeavors.

Witwer Homestead

 Last Saturday we went to an Open House at the Witwer homestead along Route 322 between Hinkletown and Blue Ball. This is where my five times great-grandmother, Elizabeth Witwer, grew up. She married Jacob Stauffer (ca.1747-1821) and is also Leroy's four times great-grandmother. 

   Elizabeth was the daughter of Michael Witwer. He was the son of Hans (John) Witwer who immigrated about 1717. A survey of 632 acres in Earl Township was made in 1731 for Hans Witwer, but he did not receive the patent before he died in 1741. 

   In 1736, Michael bought 56 acres from Jacob Sensenig. This land adjoined the land of his father, Hans. He bought an additional tract later and got a patent for 145 of acres. The house and mill were located on these acres. 

   The old stone house has no date stone. There may have been one on the left gable before the small addition was made. However, the type of construction indicates it was probably built in the 1700s. There are deep windowsills and wide floor boards, some measuring eighteen inches across. Trees that huge disappeared long ago.

   There is also a summer house next to the main house. A later owner moved an old log house and attached it to the summer kitchen to connect it to the main house. The original fireplace is inside of the summer kitchen. The hole in the wall provides access to the beehive oven outside.

The beehive bake oven covered with a red tile roof is attached to the end of the summer kitchen.

The springhouse near the pond is a later construction.

The property around the house has shrunk to 3.5 acres. The barn across the road from the house and the rest of the farm land has been sold off in pieces. Electric and plumbing has been installed in the house but much of the original construction is intact. I am always glad to see people who value and preserve old things. We are who we are because of those who lived before us.

   

Dream Come True

 And now, here are Abigail's official newborn photos taken at two weeks.

Grandma's Brag Book

 Page 1--First week of Abigail Stauffer's life

The happy parents

Daddy's pride and joy

Grandma and Grandpa time

Wide awake

Cousins meeting

A Gift of Life

 We waited for this day for nine years and it finally came! A new little granddaughter was added to our family. Abigail Ruth Stauffer  arrived at 9:19 this morning, weighing in at 6 lbs. 5 oz. and measuring 18.5 inches. We are overcome with joy and praise to God for this gift of life.

Gerald and Kelly have been married nine years and this is their first child, born by extraordinary means. Check my post from March 6, 2020, for the whole story.

Our oldest grandchild is 27 and we already have two great-grandchildren. As the years rolled on and Gerald and Kelly remained childless, it seemed we would not have any more grandchildren. But God answered our prayers and gave them this beautiful little girl. 

Unfortunately, because of COVID, we are not allowed to visit in the hospital. Kelly had a C-section so they probably won't come home before Sunday. I will be there the first day they are home to cuddle this precious little girl. Rest assured more pictures will be coming later.

To Mask or Not to Mask

 The Coronavirus pandemic has unleashed not only illness and death across the country but sharp division as well. This week a District Judge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, invalidated key parts of Governor Wolf's pandemic restrictions, calling them unconstitutional and an overreach of power. This included his orders requiring people to stay at home, placing limits on gatherings, and shutting down thousands of businesses deemed “non-life-sustaining.” The Democratic Governor defended himself saying what he did was necessary to keep people safe. He blamed the Republicans for promoting conspiracy theories and spreading misinformation about the virus and the status of the Pennsylvania economy.

The division is not limited to politicians. Unfortunately, Christians have gotten caught up in conspiracy theories and misinformation posted on social media. One of the big issues is the wearing of masks. Some insist masks are useless and adamantly refuse to comply saying that is taking away their freedom and preparing us to accept communism. One church I know of lost a lot of members when their leaders said they should comply with the law. 

I realize some people have medical conditions (such as asthma) which make it difficult for them to breathe while wearing a mask. Exceptions have been made for that. What disturbs me is people who claim to be Christians but lie and say they have a medical condition simply because they do not want to wear a mask. 

I don't enjoy wearing a mask but the Bible says we are to obey those who have authority over us. It does not say we should obey the laws we like and ignore the ones we don't like. The only exception is when man's laws violate God's Word. Then "we ought to obey God rather than man." Wearing a mask does not violate God's Word. 

I wear a mask when I got out in public. Whether it helps or not is beside the point. People can see I am a Mennonite and refusing to comply with the law is a poor testimony. I wear a mask because I want to honor God in everything I do.

A Chance to Be Brave

 My newest book arrived today. It's a collection of short stories for children through age eight. All of the stories are about boys. I had a lot of boys in my life to provide story ideas.

The book is available from Christian Light Publications. https://www.clp.org/

This is my thirteenth book. Other titles are:
Hidden Riches

Circle of Love

Sandi's Anchor of Hope

Annie's Day of Light

A Home for Sarah

Crayonbox Collection

Aaron's Civil War

History of the Mid-Atlantic Mennonite Fellowship

History of the John F. Martin Company

Esther Starts From Home

Loyalty Test

Led By His Hand

Musselman Deed

 Once in awhile things turn up where you least expect it. Last spring we saw there was going to be an estate auction almost two miles from our place. It was a small house and didn't look like much but it was crammed with antiques and old stuff. The auction was canceled because of the virus and finally held yesterday. 

We stopped in the day before the sale to look at the things I was most interested in, a Sauer Bible, a collection of more than twenty old deeds, and two patents from the Penn family. I didn't think I had much chance of getting anything but I wanted to see the deeds in  case there was any connection to our families. They did not but there were two Musselman deeds that interested me because I knew where the Musselman homestead was in the New Holland area.

We were having a family picnic Saturday evening and I had food to make. I didn't have time to sit at a sale all morning but Leroy went. He called me when they were selling the deeds and managed to snag one of the Musselman deeds for a reasonable price.

The patents from the Penns sold for $300 or more and the 1761 Sauer Bible for $3,100. That was beyond my reach. It did not have any family records in it and was purely antique value. 

I was delighted with the one deed he bought. It is for 86 acres Christian and Mary Musselman sold to their son John N. Musselman. John was a grandson of Christian and Magdalena (Shelly) Musselman who was a son of Christian and Mary Musselman, son of immigrant Hans Musselman. The Musselman homestead has been passed down through the generations and is still owned by one of the descendants of Hans Musselman.

The 86 acres on this deed was not part of the Hans Musselman homestead but it was just across the road from the southern end of the homestead. It was originally part of the Martin Huber homestead. The thing that makes it more valuable is that it was never recorded in the Lancaster County courthouse. This is the original handwritten deed from 1842 and the only one in existence. Unrecorded deeds are a valuable source for genealogists and often contain information that was missing.

I was surprised and delighted that we could salvage this unrecorded deed. It will be of interest to the descendants of this branch of the Musselman family.

It Might Have Been

  Forty-two years ago our fifth child was stillborn. Infant death and miscarriage are seldom understood by those who have not experienced it. I felt ripped off that I never got to know this child and had no memories or photos of him as keepsakes. All we have is a little gravestone with his name. 

  The first year was difficult, but then acceptance came and with that a peace that God knew what He was doing even if we didn't understand. And yet, I will never cease to wonder what might have been.

                  For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been'. 

                                                                (John Greenleaf Whittier)

Labor Day Musings

There is still a couple weeks until the official first day of fall, but today is Labor Day which marks the traditional end of summer. Summer ended nearly two weeks ago for some students and those who did not go back to school in August will go tomorrow.

This has been a summer like none we ever experienced with all the disruption and changes brought upon us by COVID. Most of the things we normally do each summer were canceled and fell off the calendar like a row of dominoes. In the spring when the whole thing started I thought surely we would be back to normal by Labor Day. It was not to be. Although we have resumed in-person church services and other things, some of the usual activities have been canceled in October. Other things we had hoped to do are not possible. Now we wonder if life will ever be the same.

This summer was especially cut short for me with surgery the end of May and the following six weeks slowly recuperating. It was the end of July until I felt I was back to normal. It was a time of blessing and also humbling to receive so much help from our children and church family. What do people do who don't have faith in God or the support of a church family? 

This was an exceptionally hot summer. I'm glad the heat waves are over but I'm not excited about the cold winter coming again. September and October are nice months so I'll enjoy them and try not to think about winter.

When fall arrives I usually have a list of things I want to do over winter. My list for this winter is rather short. I am wrapping up my latest book manuscript and don't have another one burning a hole in my computer.  I've had plenty of suggestions but nothing feels right. I will just write short stories until something appealing comes along. And if it doesn't, I'll find something else to do.

Instead of complaining about all we can't do, I am thankful for all I CAN do. I'm well aware that life could be much different if my kidney cancer had not been caught in the early stage and removed. I don't have to take chemo or anything and can go on my way. Yes, I still have health issues to deal with (as most people my age do) but they are not life threatening. I am blessed and grateful. This was a summer I will ever forget. 

Losing A Generation

We Are Losing an Entire Generation – Part II

First it was radio. Then it was TV. Later VHS tapes became popular and we became addicted to the screen. Why could we not say, “no?” Now, with cell phones and tablets, it is at our immediate availability.

Older believers, parents and leaders must set the pace and the pattern for holiness of life. We must protect the youth from this media pandemic. Youth should not have access to the world-wide-web without the presence of a trusted adult. We must model and teach holiness of life to the rising generations. If we do not, we will lose the next generation. That is already happening. This is not as simple as moving from the horse to the car. This current situation is vying for the souls of each and all of us.

Jesus prayed for us. “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” John 17:15-17.

Jesus prayed for us. We live in the world. Jesus prayed that His Father would keep us from the evil one. He prayed that we would be set apart by His Word of Truth. That is possible if we will apply ourselves to His Word.

Jesus also said, “I am sending you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.” The wolves are winning. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Are you following the Good Shepherd or are you allowing the wolves to deceive you into thinking that evil is good or wrong is right? The wolves are not afraid of you. They are afraid of the Shepherd.

We are in a pandemic of internet sin. Will you survive or will you die – Spiritually die at the hands of a silver screen designed to deceive you into sin and death? The real problem is that digital natives can easily be controlled by the impact of the media. They have not learned to think. They are controlled by pleasure, not by discipline. Media does not require discipline.

You can drive a car without driving to places where you should not go. You can use the internet without clicking on places you should not go. The question is, “Why can we not say no?”

There are 4 rules for life: (should be learned by 3 years of age)
1. Learn to accept love
2. Learn to give love
3. Learn to choose the good and reject the bad
4. Learn to respond correctly to Godly authority

Those rules help children realize that life is not all about me. Raising children on the world-wide-web destroys those 4 principles for life. Raising children by parents who are controlled by the web destroys their ability to think and choose truth and good. The Devil has not changed his course. Ignore what God said. Challenge what God said. Do what you want to do. Now. The Devil is winning. The wolves are winning. What are you doing about it?

Historically parents responded to a child’s request or demand to want and have something they see in the store with a “no.” No more. The child gets what he/she wants. That is easier than explaining why he/she should not have it or just saying “no” and dealing with the child’s disapproval. That is the edge of this slippery slope. From there on, the battle is lost. I will get what I want however and whenever and whatever that is. The web makes that possible – that is the problem. Just say “no.”

Eve and Adam should have said, “no.” They did not. God did say, “no.” God said, “Either you obey me or you will not live in my Garden.”
God is still God.

If He is your God, you will live by His Word and Spirit and not fall into the traps of the Devil. The Good Shepherd will protect you from the wolves. Stay close to Him and He will protect you and your children. Children are His gifts to us. Our opportunity and responsibility is to make them disciples by raising them for Him. They are God’s gifts to us. Do not lose them.

by Biblical Brethren Fellowship, August 21, 2020

We Can "Bearly" Wait

 I'm a week late, but "better late than never." 

Last Sunday, August 9, we had a baby shower for Gerald and Kelly whose first child is due in early October. I'm not good at party planning or decorating and was recovering from surgery so I was glad to let Kelly's family do the planning and decorating. I provided some of the food and the paper supplies. They did a very nice job of decorating with a woodsy/bear theme.

The verse on this display is very fitting. We prayed for this child for nine years. 

We had a good response with nearly 60 people attending. They got a lot of nice gifts that will give them a big boost in furnishing the nursery.

Our gift was a glider rocker which is on order and could not be there. I couldn't go without anything so I gave a couple small gifts. The onesie says "Worth the long wait." And there is a story behind the teddy bear. Gerald was ten years old when we had my mother's estate sale. I don't know why, but he told me to buy this bear. He was too big to play with teddy bears so I kept it all these years waiting to give it to their first child. Twenty-seven years after my Mom died, she was represented in this gift. I think she would be happy to know she gave a gift too.

There was one gift especially for Gerald. With these detailed instructions, he should be able to handle the job.

Everyone who brought a pack of diapers could put their name in the basket for the door prize. It was a big basket of bath and body products tied with the yellow ribbon. Kelly drew the name and my sister, Betty Ann, was the shocked winner.

No party is complete without food. I am not a cake decorator. Kelly's mom made the cute bear cake and bear paw cupcakes. 

The party was a great success and now it gets harder to wait as the time comes closer. They do not want to know what they are having. I can "bearly" wait to find out and see the little one we prayed for so long.

Mennonite Nazis

Mennonite Nazis:  A Lesson from History

Dean Taylor

Pulling into the local pretzel shop here in Lancaster County, the scene was pretty predictable. Buggies, horse ties, and old bicycles outside. Inside the old building, a plainly dressed, Old-Order Mennonite lady took my pretzel order. I paid and was about to head out to my car with my nice, warm bag of salted pretzels when I noticed two stacks of papers sitting on the counter. Looking closer I discovered, to my surprise, that these papers were actually voter registration forms and a “tract” explaining why voting for the conservative President was the only “Christian” choice. 

Picking up the paper I asked the young lady, “So I didn’t know that conservative Anabaptists voted. When did this start?”

To this the Mennonite lady responded, “Well, it’s getting so bad that they are starting to.”

I answered back, “Historically it has never helped the church to get involved in politics.”

Yes, it’s election time again, and the headlines are full of statistics and touching stories, all proclaiming their different sides of the political arguments. Depending on which news source you read, it would be easy to believe that the other side is Satan himself. Conservative Evangelicals are putting up quite a stink over this election and unquestioningly preaching the idea that voting in this election is a moral obligation. 

History has proven that for serious Christians with conviction, voting for the “lesser evil” is a bad idea. Whether we want to admit it or not, the facts of history cry out that when the church has thrown in their lot with the different “lesser evils” of their day, it has led to both the church and the state losing out.

Throughout history when the politicians have vied for the attention of the church, their issues have appeared so justifiable—so important. The political activists have made it seem apathetic, un-American, and yes, even un-Christian not to get involved.

However, when the records of history are reviewed, it is amazing how the church’s entanglement with these seemingly “good causes” has littered the trail with casualties, often leading entire communities off course.

A painful example of good intentions turned really bad is the case of the Mennonite political involvement in Germany during WWII.  By the late 1700s, the Mennonites of northern Germany had enjoyed more connection with their conservative Protestant and Evangelical neighbors. Economic and societal pressures bit by bit diluted the German Mennonites—almost completely—into mainline society. By the time of the Franco-Prussian wars of the 1890s and WWI in the 1920s, many Mennonites were getting involved with politics, nationalism, and even starting to fight in wars.

After WWI conditions were tough for all Germans—Mennonites included. The penalties placed on the German people by America and their allies crippled the economic stability of Germany. Farmers were hit particularly hard. Many farmers incurred large debts and were even forced to export their crops to support the surrounding countries hurt by the war.

The stock market crash of 1929 made a terrible situation even worse. Not only did it further crush the German economy, it also caused an uneasiness by revealing an unexpected weakness of western industry and capitalism. The ripple effect of this crash in the already-struggling post WWI Germany was devastating. Everyone longed for a new, bold nationalism that would restore their honor and protect what little wealth, freedom, and property they had left.

At this point a zealous, strong-handed political conservative by the name Adolf Hitler came to the scene. Hitler promised a unification of the German people, protection against the Communists, and a list of new “economic stimulus packages.” All these ideas promised Christian morality and prosperity for all good Germans.  When it became election time, it was the “issues” that people voted for … and Adolf Hitler had the political cure of the day. The conservative Evangelicals, along with the German Mennonites, gave their vote for the new guy with the little mustache … complete with their new motto, “Heil Hitler.”

What was the effect of Nazi nationalism on the Mennonites? Historically, the Mennonites had a heritage of separation from worldly politics. Could they get involved in politics and still stand against this new mindset? In a word—no.

Sadly, the Mennonites of Germany joined in with the jubilant nationalistic feelings that were spreading. As a matter of record, the German Mennonites were so happy with their new Führer that they wanted to express their official gratitude to him. In a telegram written September 10, 1933, the sentiments of a church council that had just taken place were expressed:

To Chancellor Adolf Hitler, Berlin:

The Conference of East and West Prussian Mennonites, assembled today in Tiegenhagen, Free State of Danzig, feels deep gratitude for the powerful revival that God has given our nation through your energy, and promises joyful cooperation in the upbuilding of our Fatherland through the power of the Gospel, faithful to the motto of our forefathers: No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ.”(Emphasis and italics mine.)

Hitler replied: 

         For your loyalty and your readiness to cooperate in the upbuilding of the German nation,                         expressed in your letter to me, I express my sincere thanks. —Adolf Hitler

To the defense of these German Mennonites, we have to remember that the atrocities that Hitler committed were not completely known at this time. On the other hand, there is a very important lesson to learn from just that point. When the church gives its support and affirmation to the ways of this world, when the church condones “lesser evil,” it finds itself praising an antichrist.

Caught up in the feeling of the day, in 1933 the United (Vereinigung) Mennonites stopped asking for special treatment as conscientious objectors from war. In 1934 “nonresistance” was removed from the Mennonite confession of faith.

In 1939 when the German armies took over Prussia bringing the Mennonites of Danzig to be united with the rest of Germany, the Mennonites saw it as an act of God. Emil Händiges, of the United (Vereinigung) Mennonites wrote:

Our German peoples have endured unspeakable difficulties under the Polish yoke during its twenty year foreign rule. The most difficult at the end. Then God, the Lord, helped them through the hand of our Führer and freed them. We thank our Führer for this act of liberation.

 By 1940 the subtle influence of this political leaven had almost completely taken over the German Mennonites. Issuing a proclamation representing the political posture of the Mennonite Union during this time, the United Mennonite church wrote: “The Conference will not do anything that would even have the faintest appearance of opposing the policies of our leader (Führer).”

Reading this stuff, I had to ask, “Could this still be called Anabaptist?” I don’t personally think so. But more importantly, can they be called followers of Jesus? These changes were a pretty far cry from the decree of separation from the world and shunning of earthly government that was espoused by the early Anabaptists in the words of the Schleitheim Confession of 1527. It is obvious that their original convictions had grown stale.

We know how part of the war story ended. Germany lost the war, Hitler committed suicide, and soon all the atrocities of the Nazi party were being broadcast to the world. The Mennonites as well as conservative Protestant, Catholic, and Evangelical groups repented of their support of this antichrist. Mennonite leaders even repented publically. The German church that emerged out of WWII Germany was anemic. Secularism has claimed the day, and today radical Christianity is virtually unheard of there.

When I lived in Germany 20 years ago, I was a new convert to many of these Anabaptist ideas like nonresistance and separation from worldly politics. Walking into a Mennonite church there, I noticed on the walls the war memorials of Mennonites who had fought in the war. My guide was a man in his seventies who remembered the war period well. I asked him, “How did this happen? How did the Mennonites get swept up into all of this Nazi nationalism?”

He somberly told me, “It came over us like a revival.”

 I now think that the compromise was more insidious than the Mennonites were aware of. As the years go by and I watch the way modern conservative Mennonites respond to politics, I can somewhat understand how this could happen again. Instead of being a sudden change, it rather happened because of a long time of slow compromise. James Peter Regier says it well in the conclusion of his excellent essay on this historic time period of Mennonite history:

It seems then, that the biggest flaw of the Mennonites was not any immediate error. Instead, it was the natural consequence of years of gradual theological adaptations and compromises to better fit within the German community. When National Socialism came, the Mennonites no longer had the capacity to resist.

 Have we learned our lesson? Have we learned that trusting in “good” political strategies is a really bad idea? The Mennonite lady at the pretzel bakery said that things are getting so bad that Mennonites simply have to start getting involved in politics.

I disagree.

It is exactly because the world is getting so bad that it is time to leave the failed solutions of the world and to start showing a model to the world of what the world would look like if we all would simply follow the teachings of Jesus.

As we have seen, the issue is a subtle one. On the one hand, it seems so innocent. We might ask, “So what’s wrong with just telling someone who our choice would be for President?” That may seem innocent enough, but perhaps it is just this type of subtlety that warranted Jesus casting this rebuke: “Beware of the leaven of Herod.” Akin to the insidious pathos of pharisaical thinking, Jesus warned that the infection of “worldly political thinking” can grow in us, leading to our eventual spiritual destruction.

Jesus’ use of the metaphor “leaven” in this context is sobering. This word picture brings to mind the way we use leaven (today called yeast) in cooking. The small amount of yeast necessary to make a loaf of bread rise starts out seemingly innocuous and insignificant. However, once added to the dough, it is not long before that small bit of yeast affects the entire loaf, often swelling it to two or three times its original size. It happened to the Mennonites in Germany during WWII, and it can easily happen today if we look to worldly politics for our answers.

We must learn from history that the world never has, and never will, come up with a lasting ultimate solution to their problems. Their shortsighted cures will always lack the clarity to see the root causes of their disease. As Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

If through this political season you have felt yourself infatuated with the agenda of worldly solutions, then please accept this lesson from the Mennonite Nazis.

These are some excerpts from six pages written by Dean Taylor. You can read the entire article here:

http://www.ephrataministries.org/remnant-2012-11-mennonite-nazis.a5w?fbclid=IwAR0IMf0ma8vl1jMcHuN1S78yQp1WLuZ_4AdUiUxpPuFKwt_QliWc1RiQT3M

Be a Barzillai

Barzillai first appears in 2 Samuel 17:27-29. He was a Gileadite who lived at Rogelim.

King David and his supporters fled to Mahanaim on the east side of the Jordan River when his son Absolom seized the throne in a civil war. 

Barzillai and two of David's other loyal supporters, Shobi and Machir, took relief supplies to David and his company. They "brought beds, basins, earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans, lentils, honey, curds, sheep, and cheese, for they said,'The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness'." 

Barzillai seems to have been a wealthy man or perhaps a chief in Gilead. He was an old man but when he heard of David's humiliation he hurried to offer him sympathy along with substantial gifts for his exhausted followers. He may have been the one who spearheaded the relief effort as we hear no more of Shobi and Machir. At any rate, Barzillai seems to have been the most loyal as we find him again in 2 Samuel 19:31-37.

After Absolom was dead and his rebellion crushed, David returned to Jerusalem. Barzillai traveled about fifty miles (probably on foot) from Rogelim to escort David across the Jordan and welcome him home. He appears to have had a traveling companion, perhaps a relative, named Chimham.

David remembered Barzillai's kindness to him in exile. Before he crossed the river, he invited Barzillai to come with him and offered to care for him for the rest of his life. Barzillai turned down the offer for a life of ease and listed his reasons. He was eighty years old and wanted to die at home, not in a strange city. His failing health would prevent him from being an asset to the royal court. He would just be an added burden to the king, the royal slaves, and the tax payers. 

Barzillai suggested David bestow the honor on Chimham. David agreed and decreed that Chimham should cross over Jordan with him and receive all the benefits he would have given Barzillai. David again expressed his gratitude to Barzillai, promised to do  anything he would ask, kissed and blessed him before crossing the river with Chimham among his company.

David did not forget Barzillai. He appears again in 1 Kings 1:7.When David saw his end was nearing, he told his son Solomon to show kindness to the sons of Barzillai and let them eat from his table, or in our terms, give them a SNAP card. 

Three character traits make Barzillai an unforgettable person and an example to us:

1. Pity and compassion for the fallen 

Barzillai came to David with words and deeds of kindness during his time of bitter reverse and altered fortunes. We should never trample the fallen at the moment they most need help. In Matthew 25:41-46, Jesus told us what would happen to those who don't have a heart to minister to those in need.

2. Unselfish loyalty

Barzillai could have chosen to remain neutral and not gotten involved, staying quietly at home with his flocks and inheritance in the south. Or he could have gone with the popular side and joined Absolom. 

Befriending the outlawed king was a serious risk for an old man. Absolom and his army might cross the Jordan and conquer David's exhausted force. If that happened, Barzillai was a marked man for befriending David. Though the odds were against him, he determined to do what was right and leave the results to God. 

3. Humility 

Barzillai was offered the friendship of the greatest king of his time and a home in the palace. He would have riches and honor and be the envy of the other chieftains. Who would not covet that honor? But he was not interested in being rich and famous. He had not gone to David's aid to better his position or receive a reward. He had done it because it was the right thing to do.

There are needs all over the world today. Are you sitting quietly at home enjoying your good life and ignoring the needs of the exhausted and starving masses? Are you getting involved without thought of recognition or reward? 

Be a Barzillai.

Common Sense

This obituary was printed in the London Times.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;

- Why the early bird gets the worm;

- Life isn't always fair;

- And maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. . . . 

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. . . .

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death

-by his parents, Truth and Trust,

-by his wife, Discretion,

-by his daughter, Responsibility,

-and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers;

- I Know My Rights

- I Want It Now

- Someone Else Is To Blame

- I'm A Victim

- Pay me for Doing Nothing

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.