Think About It: The Danger of Alcohol | April 2021

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PLAIN VALUES

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Cultivating Anchored Community MARLIN MILLER

Publisher

KEVIN BILLE

General Manager

MATT YODER

Sales Advisor // Ohio

AARON STUTZMAN ELAM STOLTZFUS

Sales Advisor // Indiana Sales Advisor // Penn.

NIC STOLTZFUS

Editorial Director

JAN SCHLABACH

Customer Service

BETHANY TROYER

Bookkeeping

ISAAC HERSHBERGER

Graphic Artist

SETH YODER

Graphic Artist

LANDON TROYER

Photographer

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sgt. David Swanson

Marcus A. Yoder

Nic Stoltzfus

Jim Zumbo

Merissa A. Alink

W.H. "Chip" Gross

Ferree Hardy

MAY AD SALES DEADLINE

//

April 6, 2021

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ISSUE 94

CONT OPERATION 6:12

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Their facilities are open to people dealing with drug addictions, sexual addictions, depression, and anxiety.

THINK ABOUT IT: THE DANGER OF ALCOHOL

HELP BEYOND FAMILY

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The United States has less than five percent of the world's population, but uses two-thirds of the world’s illegal drugs. Add to that alcohol, which of course is legal, and it is obvious that our country has a major problem.

MINUTE WITH MARLIN

PLAIN VALUES

Thoughts and ramblings from Marlin Miller, publisher of Plain Values. // page 9

GOOD STUFF WITH KEVIN

This month, Kevin discusses the importance of accountability. // page 51

FUNDS AND BENEFITS

Every month we provide a listing of opportunities to help out those in need. // page 50

ON THE COVER

"Alcohol is the most abused drug, and it is also a gateway into other drug use. " 4

// 31

This Easter season, the words of Christ on the cross captured me, especially what he spoke to his mother, Mary.

ENTS VISION DEVELOPMENT CENTER OF LANCASTER

ARMENIA // 22

A trusted source for solving vision problems.

THE WORD IN PRINT //

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The first book he printed for sale was the Bible in Latin, which became known as the Gutenberg Bible.

// 26

APRIL 202 1

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

// 29

Discover the nations of the world in our new "Prayers for the Nations" section– featuring one country each month.

This old-fashioned chocolate pudding is so good that I could eat it instead of ice cream.

SO... YOU WANT TO HUNT A TURKEY! // 41

FINDING FORGIVENESS IN THE TURKEY WOODS

Jim Zumbo is our newest columnist, introducing “All Things Outdoors."

It was then that my mind registered the terrifying and unbelievable fact...

// 46

This section of Plain Values is devoted to showcasing local goods and services to our readers. Each reader will enjoy one of four editions, depending on where they live. Our hope is that the "Plain Pages” can be a resource in finding local businesses to assist you in your needs as well as in your wants. // pages 34

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ONE MINUTE WITH MARLIN Fanny Crosby was born in 1820 and died in 1915. In between, she wrote more than 9,000 hymns and many lines of poetry. She also memorized the Bible — an amazing amount of the Bible! She could quote the Pentateuch (Genesis all the way to Deuteronomy), the Gospels, Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, and many chapters and verses from Psalms.

She did all these things in the dark. She became ill at two months of age and, with the family doctor away, another man who pretended to be a doctor treated her eyes with a hot mustard concoction. She eventually recovered, but her sight was gone.

It is a wonderful joy to know, deep down, and to watch God use the happenings of our daily lives to mold us and accomplish things that can only be attributed to Him, to the Praise of His glory!

Had Fanny not lost her ability to see, we may not have many classic hymns teaching us simple yet profound biblical truths. Among them are “Blessed Assurance,” “All the Way My Savior Leads Me,” “To God Be the Glory,” “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior,” “Safe in the Arms of Jesus,” “Rescue To our new friend Mike who will be celebrating his 26th birthday on the 17th of April, all of us from Plain Values shout a Happy Birthday in your direction!

the Perishing,” and “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross.”

In what way is He using things in your past to teach you? Are we even paying attention?

I hope so, and I look forward to meeting her someday.

Fanny continued to write her poetry up to her death, a month shy of her ninety-fifth birthday. “You will reach the river brink, some sweet day, bye and bye,” was her last stanza.

What a wonderful poem the Lord is writing with the lives of those who love him!

As always, may you find joy in the simple things. //

MARLIN MILLER publisher of Plain Values // always looking for more friends

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THINK ABOUT IT

the danger

of alcohol

words by: RET. SGT. DAVID SWANSON

Ashley's Story Ashley was a beautiful high school senior. It was a few days before graduation, and Ashley’s grandparents had just arrived from Boston to be with her on graduation day. Ashley was an honor student and was looking forward to a bright future: she had just been accepted to the University of Michigan’s Nursing School. With her love for helping other people, Ashley was going to become a nurse.

That evening, Ashley went out for coffee with two of her classmates, Michael and Andrew.

They were graduating with Ashley in a few days, as well.

The three students had a good time at the coffee shop, reminiscing about their senior year and chatting about their summer plans. When they were finished with their coffee, they quickly ran out to Michael’s car so as not to get wet from the rain. It was a drizzly ride back to Ashley’s house, and Michael was trying to drive with extra care. At the light only a few miles from Ashley’s house, Michael slowed down and stopped when it turned red. The light changed from red to green, and he pulled out into the intersection.

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A vehicle before a drunk driver took the wheel.

PHOTO BY RET. SGT. DAVID SWANSON

could injure or kill me and another one of my friends.

It scares me to DEATH! Literally! If something were to happen, and I can’t say how I feel, please make sure my

The three teenagers had no idea what hit them. A

parents know that I love them and Adam with all my

drunk driver ran the red light at the intersection and

heart, even though I don’t always show it I do.”

t-boned Michael’s car.

In the blink of an eye, four families were changed

The intoxicated driver was a wife and mother of an

forever.

eleven-year-old child. Her softball game that afternoon

As a member of our police department’s fatal crash

had been rained out. Instead of going home to her

reconstruction team, I responded to many serious car

family, she went to a bar. She ran the red light at 86 miles

crashes. In nearly half of the fatal crashes someone was

an hour, so drunk that she didn’t even consider touching

under the influence of a mind-altering drug, usually

her brakes.

alcohol.

It looked like a bomb went off in the center of the street. Everyone in this car crash was killed. I was the

Biblical teaching on Alcohol

police officer who went to Ashley’s home to deliver the

As a police officer, parents would share with me

horrible news to her family: her parents, grandparents,

about how worried they were about their children

and brother Adam.

potentially using illicit drugs. As a Christian I became

On the morning of Ashley’s funeral, her parents

interested, above all else, in what God has to say

found a diary in her bedroom. The diary was Ashley’s

to parents. In the Bible, there is a formula that–if

secret book. Sitting on her bed, Mother and Father

followed–will decrease the use of mind-altering drugs

opened the book and began to read Ashley’s own words:

among young people.

“Dear God, I wanted to write and say I just heard the

Place your faith in God. Follow His ways as best

best poem about a girl who didn’t drink but got killed by

we can and place an importance on this in the home.

a drunk driver. The poem is sad but true. It's never the

This begins with repentance and with surrendering

person who drank who gets hurt. It's scary to think of all

our lives to the Lord Jesus who paid the debt for our

the people I know who drink and maybe a friend of mine

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sins on Calvary’s cross (Romans 5:8-9).

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The family unit is connected. Family prayer, Bible

Societal effects of alcohol

reading, and church are priorities. Someone once

“Alcohol has drained more blood, hung more crepe,

said, “The most important work you and I do in life

sold more homes, plunged more people into bankruptcy,

will be within the walls of our own homes.” Families

armed more villains, slain more children, snapped

need to love, respect, praise, share and grow together.

more wedding rings, defiled more innocence, blinded

Adults must provide, protect and lead by example

more eyes, twisted more limbs, dethroned more reason,

(Deuteronomy 6:5-9).

wrecked more manhood, broken more hearts, blasted

Parents need to be in the home. It's not a matter of

more lives, driven more to suicide, and dug more graves

quality or quantity time, it’s both. Studies have shown

than any other poisoned scourge that every swept its

that when parents speak, young people listen (Proverbs

death-dealing waves across the world.”

22:6). A study by the National Center on Addiction and

– EVANGELINE BOOTH, 4th General of the Salvation Army

Substance Abuse showed that teens who sat down to have dinner with their families six or seven times a

The United States has less than five percent of the

week were about half as likely to use alcohol and illicit

world's population, but uses two-thirds of the world’s

drugs as those who ate dinner with the family twice a

illegal drugs. Add to that alcohol, which of course is

week or less. Wow!

legal, and it is obvious that our country has a major

Respect yourself. Never forget we all are created

problem. It’s time to get angry at all the hurt, death and

by a loving God who has a plan and a purpose for our

destruction caused by mind-altering drugs. Alcohol

lives! Both young people and adults need to place a

is the most abused drug, and it is also a gateway into

high value on themselves (Ephesians 2:10).

other drug use.

On top of that, our future is secure in Heaven if we have placed our faith and trust in Jesus. Now that is good news!

The same vehicle after its intoxicated driver lost control.

PHOTO BY RET. SGT. DAVID SWANSON

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It’s interesting how as a society we became angry at the huge number of deaths caused by cigarette smoking.

The result has been a big decrease in smoking. Same with soda pop. Society, based on medical fact, learned that drinking soda is not good for our health. The result?

People are drinking less soda pop, and some people have even given up soda pop completely!

Alcohol is bad for your health. It causes mental health issues, leads to broken relationships, and can even make you more susceptible to diseases, like Covid-19. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), alcohol compromises the immune system. A weakened immune system increases your risk of catching the virus, and, when you get the virus, it will damage your body more since your immune system can’t fight back at normal levels.

Especially dangerous is the connection between alcohol and driving. According to FBI statistics, over a million people are arrested in the United States every year for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a mind-altering drug, usually alcohol. In 2019 alone, there were 1,024,508 arrests made for intoxicated driving. This works out to one arrest for every 222 licensed drivers.

Even with the good effort by police departments across our country, thousands of innocent people, doing everything right, continue to be murdered every year on

The truth is that mind-altering drugs, of which

our nation's roadways by people who choose to drive while

alcohol is number one, are at the root of many homicides,

under the influence. Additionally, thousands of people are

suicides, drownings, serious car crashes, boating and

injured, some very seriously, by intoxicated drivers.

snowmobile crashes, accidental fire deaths, assaults of all

A lot of money is spent on advertising alcoholic

kinds–including rape – and neglect and abuse of children.

beverages. Here are some of the messages that advertisers

Add to that numerous health issues costing millions of

promote:

dollars. According to the Center for Disease Control and

Drink and be successful! Drink and be popular!

Prevention, 95,000 people die annually from alcohol-

Drink and be happy! Drink and be athletic! Drink and get

related causes. These are classified as preventable deaths.

back to nature! Drink and be a winner!

We can prevent this loss of life.

These messages are not true.

Alcohol is a deadly drug. We need to feel compelled not only to abstain ourselves from drinking, but also to help others, especially our children, to do likewise.

"According to the Center for

Alcohol's effects on the family

Disease Control and Prevention,

cream-puff when it should be treated like a rattlesnake.”

“The problem with alcohol is that we treat it like a – BILL SUNDAY, American evangelist

95,000 people die annually

According to USA Today, in 2017, 90,000 children in our

from alcohol-related causes."

country were removed from their families because of a parent who had a substance-abuse problem.

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"The judge looked the defendant in the eyes and said, 'I hope you live with this for the rest of your life and that you think about it everyday.' I’m sure he will."

How can our society better understand that there

Metropolitan Airport. Happy to be home, James told

are consequences that come with the choices we make?

his wife Betty that he would see her in about half an

In the news today we hear so much about crowded

hour. Betty never got to see her husband again. James

prisons, absent fathers, job turnover, children unable

was only four miles from home when a 23-year-old

to learn in school, violence, assaulting police officers,

drunk driver ran a red light, plowed into the driver’s

and serious health issues. Many of these issues stem

side of James’ car, and killed him instantly.

from the use of mind-altering drugs, of which alcoholic

On sentencing day, James' widow Betty stood

beverages is public enemy number one. According to

in front of the convicted killer and everyone in the

the National Institute On Drug Abuse in over 80% of

courtroom. Through tears and in a quiet voice she said,

the people in our jails and prisons today, mind-altering

“Everyday I push myself to get on with my life that is so

drugs played a role in why they are there.

empty and lonely without him.” The judge sentenced

I’ll never forget bringing to the police station a

the convicted drunk for second degree murder and said

young teenage girl who was walking intoxicated in the

that he had to go to prison for 18 to 50 years. The judge

roadway after her high school football game. As we

looked the defendant in the eyes and said, “I hope you

walked into the police station, she began to vomit and

live with this for the rest of your life and that you think

cry. She said, “I don’t know what happened to me. I only

about it everyday.” I’m sure he will.

had one beer tonight. My dad drinks six beers almost every night when he gets home from work.”

Just Stay No !

Did her father know that she learned how to drink

While

from him? Did he know that his daughter was watching

the

basis

for

avoiding

alcohol

runs

throughout the Bible, it gets no clearer than in

his actions and modeling her behavior on his? If only he

Proverbs 20:1: “Wine is a mocker and strong drink is

had never let the rattlesnake of alcohol bite him in the

raging; whoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”

first place!

The Word of God also has warnings like this one found in Romans 12:9: “Abhor what is evil, cling to what

James' Story

is good.” Part of the definition for evil is harmful. Just

In 1842, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech on

weigh the evidence and look at the truth: so much

temperance and abstaining from alcohol. Lincoln's

harm has come from alcohol.

goal was to encourage people to kindly persuade

When it comes to alcohol and all other mind-

alcohol users to abstain. Lincoln referred to alcohol as

altering drugs let’s not be disconnected from reality.

“the angel of death.” He used words like “demon” and

Let’s not live in a fantasy world. Just say no!

“selfish behavior.” Abraham Lincoln could not have

The truth is that millions of young people and

totally understood how profound his words would

adults do not use alcohol or any other mind-altering

become as we clearly see in this heart-breaking story.

drug. Deciding to say no will make you part of a very large group. Think about it! //

Returning from a business trip on a cold April morning, James phoned his family from Detroit

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The Saloon & the Bar The Saloon is sometimes called a Bar, A Bar to heaven, a door to hell Whoever named it, named it well; A Bar to manliness and wealth A door to want and broken health; A Bar to honor, pride and fame A door to grief and sin and shame; A Bar to hope, a bar to prayer A door to darkness and despair; A Bar to honored useful life A door to brawling, senseless strife; A Bar to all that’s true and brave A door to every drunkard’s grave; A Bar to joys that home imparts A door to tears and aching hearts; A Bar to heaven, a door to hell Whoever named it, named it well!

– ANONYMOUS –

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Feature Story

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Business Spotlight

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Prayers for the Nations

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Homestead + Roots

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Widow's Path

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Our Heritage

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All Things Outdoors

OPERATION 6:12 An Organization Dedicated to Defeating Addiction

words by: NIC STOLTZFUS Paul Fehr was an addict. His first

addiction, I don’t care which, but take one

taste of drugs was when he was fifteen

of them!” Paul turned both his life and his

years old. It started with marijuana. He

addiction over to God. Soon after, his drug

then turned to cocaine, then alcohol, and

selling got him in trouble with the law. As

eventually even meth. He began selling

the jail cell closed behind him, he knew

drugs. He knew that doing this was wrong;

this was his opportunity to make a clean

his Amish parents didn’t raise him to be

break with his former life. He felt a lifting

this way. They loved him and cared for

of his spirit; a joy that had been absent

him. What had happened? How had he

for so long rushed into his heart. Paul felt

fallen so low? He turned to God in prayer.

the Holy Spirit touch his heart with this

Paul begged, “Take my life or take my

powerful reminder: “Jesus didn’t die for people who don’t need help, he died for me, he died for the addict!”

"He turned to God in prayer.

Paul had been arrested for selling narcotics, and a judge sentenced him to

Paul begged, 'Take my life or

three years in prison. He decided that he

take my addiction, I don’t care

in fellowship, and reading the Bible.

which, but take one of them!'"

God’s word. In particular, he was inspired

would spend his time in prison praying, In that lonely prison cell, he turned to by the passage of scripture where the Apostle Paul writes about the armor of

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God (Ephesians 6:10-20). Paul knew that it was by girding himself with the armor of God that he was able to defeat his addiction. In talks with a friend in the prison yard, they discussed how to help others defeat their addictions.

After a year in prison, Paul Fehr was released.

Seven years later, in 2013, he started Operation 6:12.

The name takes its inspiration from Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Paul knew that he wanted his organization to be built upon the power of Christ and the protection of family. He knew from his own life journey how addiction can break apart a family, and how Christ is the one who can mend the brokenness. Paul, who is now the executive director of Operation 6:12, said, “We want to go straight to the source: why are you addicted? What is holding you back where you have to continue to put drugs in your body so that you continue to feel like a human being?”

Today, Operation 6:12 operates two residential facilities in the Holmes County, Ohio, region. The women’s facility, located in Sugarcreek, houses ten women. The recently expanded men’s facility, located in Fresno, houses twenty-two men. The facilities are open to people dealing with drug addictions, sexual addictions, depression, and anxiety.

These facilities are open to anyone from anywhere in the United States, and over half of the

"6:12 is a brotherhood of recovery that helps rebuild your life, not just get you clean. When you're feeling down or if you just need a friend, there's always someone there to talk to. Through faith and hard work—the tools needed to live a sober and productive life—comes a freedom from our selfish ways and breaks us down from the bondages of uselessness we once felt as addicts so we can rejoin society as a useful and productive member."

– O P E R AT I O N 6 : 1 2 M E M B E R –

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clients come from plain communities. It doesn’t cost anything to enter the program. The program is seven months long, with a purposeful focus. Paul said, “There is a reason that we are a seven-month program. It takes time for things to come to surface. A renewal of the mind also takes time. It takes months and months and months. You’ve spent your whole life getting to where you are, a place that is unmanageable… You spent all that time eroding your mind, and now it needs to be rebuilt. There needs to be a foundation, uplifting. It’s a thing of great skill watching the Lord rebuild these people.”

During their seven-month stay, clients engage in Bible study, Biblical counseling, prayer nights, weekly church services, and twice monthly Sunday fellowship meals.

Once in the program, clients work part-time to pay for their stay. After graduating from the program, Operation 6:12 also helps with re-entry into society. Staff from the program meet with faith leaders, family members, and loved ones to work out a personalized plan for a client’s success. Paul says, “Our intention is to armor people and prepare them for the battles of life.”

Paul has requested that readers please pray for Operation 6:12 and its future. He says, “We feel the prayers of our supporters. Pray for our staff, pray for the clients. Pray that we will be led and guided

by Christ.” //

If you are interested in participating in the program, call 330-600-0072.

If you are interested in giving a financial contribution, you can send your checks to: Operation 6:12, PO Box 763, Sugarcreek, Ohio, 44681.

For more information, visit their website at www.operation612.com.

"I have had the privilege to be somewhat involved in this program/ministry from the beginning, and I have seen some amazing transformations in people from a variety of backgrounds; from inner city street people to Amish bishops. Drugs is no respecter of persons. Satan goes after all kinds. The program of Operation 6-12 helps addicts who want help. There have been many victories!

Man and women being set free!"

– JOHN SCHMID, Founder and Director of Common Ground Ministries (An Christian organization focused on ministering to inmates in the Ohio Corrections System)

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Feature Story

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Business Spotlight

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Prayers for the Nations

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Homestead + Roots

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Widow's Path

Vision Development Center OF LANCASTER

words by: NIC STOLTZFUS

With over 50 years of experience and over a 90% success rate, Vision Development Center of Lancaster is a trusted source for solving vision problems.

Vision Development Center’s program was developed

by Dr. Arthur Seiderman, the founder of the clinic. Dr. Seiderman not only has his doctorates in optometry, but he also has a master’s in psychology and has been certified

by Yale University’s Gesell Institute of Child Development.

This training has led him to realize the importance that every person experiences a sense of success and improvement as they go through the program, particularly children.

“One of the things that is very important is a child is not allowed to come here and fail. They fail every day in life, or they wouldn't be here.”

Early on in his career, Dr. Seiderman had clinics operating all over the country and worked with sports teams from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Flyers to the Phillies. He has written four books and lectured throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe about vision development.

For over thirty-five years, he has operated the Vision Development Center in Lancaster, and he has a heart for the plain community. The clinic’s treatment program is covered through

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Our Heritage

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All Things Outdoors

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APRIL 2021

Amish Aid, and he has become a trusted source of care

level as her fellow students. Barby’s son Benji is nearly

for many Amish and Mennonite parents.

finished with the program, and he also has seen a drastic improvement in his confidence and calmness.

“The more I work with the plain community the

For Barby, sending her two children through the

better I like it because they are such good people.”

program has been a positive experience.

At Vision Development Center of Lancaster, many of their clients are from the plain community. Here is

“The kids love it here. They never say, ‘I don’t want to

one positive story of how the Center made a positive

go!’ They always leave with a smile, and they’re satisfied

difference for the children in the family.

and happy. It’s a super-nice atmosphere here and they’re good with kids. And Dr. Seiderman is honest; he’s trying

Barby's Story

to help us and do what is right.”

Barby’s daughter Lydia was a first grader at the

Vision Therapy and How it Works

local school and was having trouble concentrating and staying focused. Lydia was starting to fall behind in her

Around one out of every five people experience

classwork, and Barby became worried for her daughter.

vision problems. Here are some common vision

She knew she had to do something; however she didn’t

problems: Imagine seeing double but thinking everyone

want to use medicine, but wanted to try therapy first. She

sees the same. Imagine words that jump or disappear.

heard about Vision Development from Lydia’s teacher

Imagine letters in mirror or word reversed images

and other family members who had been through the

such as d/b, p/q, 9/6 or order reversals making you see

program. She sent Lydia through the program and, after

“was” instead of “saw” and “lap” instead of “pal.” Sounds

the first couple of weeks, began to see a difference: she

confusing, doesn’t it? Well, it is.

People can have perfect 20/20 eyesight and still

was more relaxed and had a lot more confidence.

Today, Lydia is in 4th grade and she works hard on

have serious visual problems like those just described

her schoolwork and finds reward on being on the same

because each eye is working independently and not

Does Your Child Need Help With Visual Skills?

Here is a list of urgent signs of possible visual problems. If the answer to any one of these eleven questions is yes, the child should get a full evaluation of visual skills.

1. Does your child see double?

8. Does she say that the print in a book is blurred,

2. Does she get frequent headaches?

or that it blurs in and out of focus?

3. Does he have a short attention span while reading?

4. Does she frequently lose her place while reading, or use a finger as a pointer?

9. Does he have difficulty seeing the chalkboard in school?

10. Does she make frequent reversals, such as

5. Is he in the lowest reading group?

“was” for “saw” or 34 for 43?

6. Does she have very poor handwriting?

11. Does one of your child’s eyes turn in or out?

7. Does he avoid reading?

Unfortunately, children with perceptual problems seldom are brought for evaluastion as early as they should be. A couple of years of repeated failure will do considerable damage to such a child. Even if she does catch up in her perceptual skills, she may never catch up academically, because her appetite for learning has been stunted, and, in the effort to get by in school, she has formed poor scholastic habits that will outlast their cause.

To prevent this from occurring, schedule an appointment with a trained behavioral optometrist as soon as you see signs of a problem. To schedule an appointment with a therapist at Vision Development, call 717-656-0534.

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working together as a team. Working together as a team

The vision therapy treatments at the Center are

is often referred to as “binocular vision.” Consequences

administered by a team of trained therapists working

of poor eye coordination seriously affect a person’s

under direct supervision of Dr. Seiderman. Lenses, 3D

perception and interpretation of the world around

activities, prisms, and specialized computer software

them. When vision is distorted, thinking is distorted.

are all utilized for the patient’s treatment. These are the

The process of correcting vision is known as vision

primary tools therapists at Vision Development Center

therapy. It is similar to physical therapy, with the

use when working with their patients.

major difference being vision therapy is specific to the

Most treatment programs require one or two

eyes. Vision Development Center of Lancaster offers

90-minute office visits per week accompanied by 15

vision therapy for patients in Lancaster County and

minutes of home therapy 1-2 times per week. Most vision

the surrounding region. Their program is non-invasive,

related problems can be eliminated, or improved, in 12

drug-free, and is personalized to each individual patient.

office visits. Depending on the specific problem, both

Since each patient’s program is different based on

children and adults can benefit from vision therapy.

their individual needs, Dr. Seiderman’s program measures

For more information or to schedule an appointment

the overall success of patients using these two methods: 1.

with one of our certified experts, please give us a call at 717-656-0534. //

Patients demonstrate improved performance in concentration, learning, hand-eye skills, balance, fine and gross motor skills, improvement with

2.

eye strain, and headaches.

Vision Development Center of Lancaster

Diagnostic and evaluative tests, which yield

phone: (717)656-0534 / fax: (717) 656-0510

152 E. Main St., Leola, PA, 17540

objective results before and after treatment.

www.helpadvisiontherapy.com

Corina's Story Corina’s son was having problems—he couldn’t focus, he had headaches, and he was having difficulty reading. She took him to her local eye doctor, but a simple eyeglass prescription didn’t help. She needed something more. Corina wasn’t sure what to do, until she saw an article about Vision Development Center of Lancaster.

She was hopeful that her son’s problems could be fixed without the use of medication. Excited that vision therapy could help her son, Corina gave the center a call and scheduled an appointment for an evaluation. The trained therapist at the Center decided that Corina’s son was a fit for vision therapy and they enrolled him in a therapy program specifically tailored to the needs of Corina’s son.

In the days following the first session, Corina was surprised at the difference in her son—not only had his concentration improved, but he was also more confident. The therapy was working.

At the end of the therapy program, Corina’s son said to her, “Mom, I actually like reading now.” She couldn’t believe what she had heard—Corina had never heard her son say “like” and “reading” in the same sentence before!

After experiencing the success that vision development had on her son, Corina trained to become a therapist at the clinic. She is now an advocate for the program and encourages other parents who are uncertain about vision development to at least come by Vision Development Center for an evaluation. At the Center, a trained therapist can determine if they can help your child.

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words by: MERISSA A. ALINK Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that are so good. What do you think about when you think of chocolate pudding? If you think about those little plastic cups that you stick in a lunchbox than throw that image away! This old-fashioned chocolate pudding is so good that I could eat it instead of ice cream. Seriously, it’s rich and chocolaty and just yum! You have to give it a try!

what you need • 1 T. Sugar • 2 t. Flour • 2 c. Milk • 1/2 c. Chocolate Chips • 1 t. Vanilla

...................

.............................................................................. homemade chocolate pudding ..............................................................................

In a saucepan, before you turn on the stove, whisk together the sugar, milk, and flour. Heat over medium heat until the mixture boils, stirring constantly. Continue to boil until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove your saucepan from heat and add in the chocolate chips and the vanilla.

Serve warm or refrigerate and serve cool.

..............................................................................

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HELP BEYOND

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FAMILY words by: FERREE HARDY

This Easter season, the words of

I also wonder, though, where was

Christ on the cross captured my thoughts,

Mary’s family? Although her sister stood

especially those that he spoke to his

beside her at the crucifixion, she had other

mother, Mary. “Dear woman, here is your

adult children besides Jesus. Scripture tells

son.” I cringe at the thought of my Lord

families to be responsible to care for their

being crucified. The crowds passed by

widowed family members (See I Timothy 5,

mocking him, bloody signs of torture

for example).

were everywhere; how could he somehow catch his mother’s eye to speak to her?

What words, what love, what unspeakable thoughts swelled in their hearts? Mary’s sister was there, another woman or two, and one of the disciples. Then Jesus said to the disciple, “Here is your mother” (John 19:27), and it was understood that the Apostle John would help provide for her.

I wonder—where was Joseph, Mary’s husband? He hadn’t been mentioned since Jesus was age twelve, so church tradition has accepted that Joseph died during the Lord’s teenage years. I’m touched that some of Christ’s last words were for the care of his mother, a widow.

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It’s interesting that Jesus told John to care for his mother. Perhaps today there are also times when the best person to help a widow is someone who has been closer to her than family members. The Apostle John, standing beside Mary, had seen the blood, heard the groans, and saw the torture. He had the kind of firsthand experience that gave him a great respect for her courage and faith. Sometimes family members don’t know what a woman’s been through; sometimes they don’t have respect for their mother; sometimes they don’t share the same faith.

"EVERYONE CAN, AND SHOULD, PITCH IN TO HELP TO ONE DEGREE OR ANOTHER; A WIDOW’S NEEDS ARE TOO NUMEROUS FOR ONE PERSON TO ABSORB."

Everyone can, and should, pitch in to help to one degree or another; a widow’s needs are too numerous for one person to absorb. They’re too numerous for the widow, too! It’s important that a widow is given time and training to adjust to taking on many of her husband’s responsibilities. Help beyond the family can often be something good to consider.

Widowed friends of mine recently shared with me the following ways their friends helped them. Dear Reader, if you recall ways you helped, or were helped, during widowhood, I’d love to mention your experiences also in the months to come. I’ll be looking for distinct ways friends, family members, and widows can help widows. Please mail in your stories to my address at the end of this article. I cannot promise to use every example, but if I do, names and locations will not be mentioned, so everyone’s privacy is protected.

How Friends Helped – In Widows' Own Words •

One dear friend called every month on the death date to check in on me. I didn’t even realize it until six months later. It meant so much to me that she remembered the date.

•

A friend came in regularly and simply sat alongside me. No Bible quotes, lectures, or chastisement for crying. She sometimes cried with me; that was shared mourning.

•

When my husband died, two friends came to my house and worked together to take care of me in the wake of the news. They answered the door and protected my privacy when they saw I needed some time alone. They just did what needed to be done, no questions asked. But

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now, months later, I wish I would get invited to

•

•

lunch or something. Or a card in the mail that

turns phoning me every other night. They

says, “Just thinking about you.” I wish someone

knew I wasn’t sleeping, so one would call one

would let me talk about my husband.

night, and the other would call the next night.

They did this for about the first month or so

When I arrived home the morning my husband

after my husband passed.

unexpectedly died at the hospital, my friend had come by and left all sorts of items—paper

•

plates, plastic ware, paper towels, soap, juice,

A very dear friend had me gather all my husband’s sweaters, and she made patchwork

bottled water, canned goods, donuts, pastries,

throws for me, my daughter, and my son. (My

groceries, etc. It was such a kind gesture, full

husband had collected a lot of sweaters!) We

of love and concern for us! I needed all those

loved cuddling up in them. When my second

things, especially the zip lock bags for all the

husband passed away after only three years of

food to come. I will never forget walking up

marriage, ladies from the church came and sat

to my front door and seeing the abundance of

with me, wept with me, and made sure I was

items so necessary!

•

I had two very dear friends who would take

eating and drinking round the clock—about 36

Someone visited me, and on the way out

hours of constant vigilance. I thought I wanted

they noticed an ambulance bill and water bill

to be alone, but I was wrong. The Lord knew,

clipped on the refrigerator. They grabbed them

and my pastors knew I needed that care. I’d lost

and paid them! That was a blessing!

two husbands in less than eight years.

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"PERHAPS TODAY THERE ARE ALSO TIMES WHEN THE BEST PERSON TO HELP A WIDOW IS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN CLOSER TO HER THAN FAMILY MEMBERS."

•

•

A friend took me to the store, let me pick out

and did nothing for a few weeks. They insisted.

groceries, and she paid for them. She also

They said they didn’t have money to buy

bought me a new pair of shoes. She was a great

flowers, but they had two hands that worked. I

help during a very difficult time.

still appreciate it to this day.

One of the men from church started showing

These may seem like the simplest of things

up at my house unannounced to shovel my

compared to employment training, financial planning,

driveway in winter, mow my lawn in summer,

tax help, childcare, counseling, grief therapy, health

or put air in my tires whenever needed. He

issues, and a host of other concerns a widow might have

never knocked on the door or stayed to chat. He

to deal with. But these are starting points; we have to

just showed up, did the work, and then drove

start somewhere.

away. He did this for almost two years until we

May Christ be your ultimate help, but may you also

moved away to be closer to my family.

•

be blessed by help from family and beyond. //

The flood of sweet cards, letters, and desserts

Until next month,

was special, but the nicest thing anyone did

ferree l

was to come and clean my house! I was in shock

To learn more about widowhood, order a copy of Postcards from the Widows’ Path – Gleaning Hope and Purpose from the Book of Ruth. It’s a gentle, biblical guide for widows that has many saying, “This is the best I’ve ever read!” Contact your local Christian bookstore or mail a check for $14.99/copy (paperback, 248 pgs.), along with your address to: Ferree Hardy, 244 Sweetwater Landing, Dr., North Augusta, SC 49860. Allow 2 – 3 weeks for delivery.

Free shipping for all Plain Values readers!

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www.WidowsChristianPlace.com

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THE WORD IN PRINT words by: MARCUS A. YODER

By the time of the Reformation, the Church had been in existence for over fifteen hundred years. In much of Europe, it had become the dominant force. It owned a vast amount of land and employed over ten percent of the population. It was also a strong political force, especially so in the German lands. Germany had not yet been formed as a nation, so each small area had its own separate ruler. Imagine if Ohio’s eighty-eight counties were each a small nation with its own system and leader!

While much remained the way it had for hundreds of years, some significant changes and inventions came into being that would lead the way to the Reformation. The most significant invention in this period was the moveable type printing press. Many historians think that this is the most significant invention ever. Why would a simple machine that printed pages be such an important thing? To understand the answer to this question, we must think about how books were made before this.

Throughout history till this point, books were most often hand-copied!

Scribes, as they were named, would individually copy books one by one.

This made books not only expensive but also rare. In fact, one of the largest private libraries at the time had thirty books. Bibles were so rare that they were often chained to a table in the churches so that people would not steal them.

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When Johann Gutenberg developed the moveabletype press in 1430, it allowed for multiple pages of the same format to be printed much less expensively. The first book he printed for sale was the Bible in Latin, which became known as the Gutenberg Bible. Fortyeight copies are still in existence today. They were not inexpensive; these Bibles sold for about the equivalent to three years of wages for a common laborer. But what it did was allow people to see that books and pamphlets could be printed and spread in much greater quantities than when they were hand copied.

The printing business spread rapidly, and soon Europe had access to books like never before. The Catholic Church tried to regulate what was printed but soon had its hands full with the rapid increase. By 1500, there were printing presses in all the major cities in Europe. One of the most popular forms of print were small booklets or pamphlets, and often their focus was a sermon or other spiritual matter. They were known in German as flugschriften. If one translates this literally, it means “flying words.” And they did fly! By 1530, there were about six million of these pamphlets in circulation in Europe. Considering that only a small percentage of Europeans could read, this reveals that ideas were spreading rapidly.

Most

historians

agree

that

most

of

these

flugschriften were meant to be shared with large groups of people. Because so many people were illiterate, those who could read would often do so out loud. Reading silently was discouraged since it seemed like you were hiding something. These small booklets were designed to be read aloud to groups of people. As noted, many of them were about religious or spiritual matters, and in this way new ideas and dissatisfaction with the powerful but distant Catholic Church began to spread.

These flugschriften are also important in our Anabaptist history. Most scholars agree that much of the early literature from our history is written in this fashion. They are meant to engage the common person and move them to action. The early ballads or songs that were written, which would later be collected and bound in the Ausbund, are written in this style.

Without a doubt, the development of printing allowed the spread of Anabaptism in this manner.

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The invention of the moveable-type printing press is most significant for two reasons: first, it allowed ideas to

If you wish to read more about this, see chapters

spread rapidly. It allowed voices that had not been heard

twelve and thirteen in Cathedrals, Castles and Caves:

to gain an audience. Think about our own lives today:

the Origin of the Anabaptist Faith, written by Marcus

we learn most often by the printed word. The print we

Yoder and published by JPV Press. This publication along

read may sometimes be on a screen in our world, but

with others like it, are available through the Amish &

it is still the printed word. Secondly, it allowed for the

Mennonite Heritage Center. If you would like to know

preservation of ideas. Instead of one copy, now suddenly

more about the history of our people, please visit the

there were multiple copies. And if many copies were lost

Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center. We offer guided

or destroyed, the chances of a few surviving were much

tours of "Behalt" - a 10 ft. x 265 ft. cyclorama oil-on-canvas

higher than if there was only one. This allowed for the

painting that illustrates the heritage of the Amish and

rapid spread and the preservation of ideas in ways that

Mennonite people from their Anabaptist beginnings in

had never happened before.

Zurich, Switzerland, to the present day. Behalt means

Fifteen hundred years before the invention of

“to keep” or “remember.” We are open Mon-Sat 9:30-4:30.

the printing press, the Immortal God spoke and said,

You can find us at 5798 County Road 77, Millersburg, OH

“In the beginning was the Word.” While words would

44654. Please call (330) 893-3192 for more information.

change European ideals in the Reformation, what really changed people’s hearts and led to the development

MARCUS A. YODER IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AMISH &

of new ways of thinking about Christianity was the

MENNONITE HERITAGE CENTER AND THE OHIO AMISH LIBRARY. HE IS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF CATHEDRALS, CASTLES, & CAVES: THE ORIGINS OF THE

printed Word of God. The Holy Bible was printed in the

ANABAPTIST FAITH.

language of the common people and would go on to change Europe in ways it had never seen before. //

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O P L A I N VA LU W T ES

all things outdoors words by: JIM ZUMBO Jim Zumbo is Plain Value’s newest columnist, writing for the “All Things Outdoors” column. Jim has hunted all fifty states for deer, has fished in most states, has hunted elk in all the major western elk states, and has hunted on four continents. He worked for fifteen years as a forester, game warden, and wildlife biologist and has two degrees in forestry and wildlife management. Jim has been able to draw on these experiences to share with the wider public: he has hosted a TV show on the Outdoor Channel, was a full-time editor/writer for thirty years for Outdoor Life magazine, and has written 23 books on hunting, fishing, and conservation. He currently lives in Cody, Wyoming, with his wife Madonna, two Labrador retrievers, and one cat.

For more information, visit www.jimzumbo.com.

April means one thing to America’s 2.5 million turkey hunters – turkey season has arrived in most states. To many of us, turkey hunting causes anxiety and anticipation as we count the days to the opener of the season. Camo clothing, hunting boots, and decoys are laid out and turkey calls are tested. Scouting begins in earnest to ensure the birds are in their old haunts and not two ridges away on property closed to hunting. If the birds are on your property, so much the better.

Wild turkey behavior is predictable, up to a point. Here’s what we know to be true: they breed in the spring, and mature gobblers try to accumulate as many hens as they can in their harems. The birds are active only in the daytime, and as the late afternoon shadows grow long, they fly up onto a 41

APRIL 2021

tree branch where they roost for the night, remaining on that branch until a new day is born. Soon, usually before sunrise, they fly down to the ground and start the same routine. This happens every day in their lives.

But in the spring, turkeys think about reproducing their own kind.

Since every state in this country allows only male turkeys to be hunted in the spring, the strategy is to entice a gobbler within shotgun range. Therein lies the challenge, and it’s indeed one of life’s great challenges in the hunting woods.

Why is it such a challenge? Chalk that up to a gobbler’s incredible eyesight and phenomenal hearing.

It’s said that a turkey can see a ladybug on a cornstalk at 100 yards and hear a frog’s heart in the neighbor’s pond. Well, almost. Benjamin Franklin was so enamored with the intelligence of the wild turkey he wanted to name it our national bird, but the bald eagle won out.

Having given a turkey kudos for being so smart, I need to say it has a terrible sense of smell. Veteran hunters believe that if a gobbler had the nose of a whitetail deer, it would never be killed.

In a perfect world, here’s how you would kill the perfect turkey on a perfect hunt: you would quietly ease around in the woods in late afternoon and either see or hear birds flying up into roost trees. At that point, you slowly back off. Since the birds are now elevated, they have a high vantage point and would easily spot you if you tried an approach. Besides, it might be illegal in your state to shoot a turkey on a roost, and most hunters consider it unethical. After a sleepless night with an abundance of tossing and turning and dreaming about that gobbler in the tree, you punch the alarm clock at three am or thereabouts, gulp down breakfast and coffee, and hurry out to meet your companions. But wait. You shouldn’t get terribly excited because there’s

skips a beat, and a big grin stretches between your

a truism that is often too accurate in the turkey woods.

ears. In the dark it might be tough to judge how close

As veteran nationally-known turkey hunter Ron (Cuz)

you are to the roost tree, but now you have a better

Strickland likes to say, “Roosted Ain’t Roasted!” Believe

idea. You advance slowly, as noiselessly as possible, and

it. Cuz speaks the truth.

then you settle on a place to call from. You sit next to

So now, in the perfect world, you’re in the woods

the bottom of a big oak and get comfortable. You put

long before there’s a glow over the eastern horizon.

your face mask on, pull out your calls, and ease shells

You make your way toward the roost, using a flashlight

into your gun. The turkey continues to gobble. He’s

sparingly, if at all, and listen. You may hear a dog barking

about two hundred yards away.

in the distance, a rooster crowing, an owl hooting, a

Now it’s your turn to make the correct move. The

cow mooing, and then you hear it! A gobble! Your heart

universal strategy in hunting spring turkeys requires

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you to imitate a hen. That’s true everywhere turkeys are hunted. By doing so, you hope to entice that lovesick gobbler to make his way in your direction, close enough for a shot. That, folks, is the essence of spring turkey hunting. Your calling efforts are critical. So, in a perfect world, you’ll make a call the gobbler likes, and he’ll come running into your lap until his progress is interrupted by a load of well-aimed pellets, whereupon you’ll thank the Lord profusely and go home with your beautiful prize. Your family will call you a hero.

For those of you unfamiliar with turkey hunting,

"That, folks, is the

you might say, “What’s the big deal? Where’s the

essence of spring

too often things go south in a hurry, and you find

challenge?” Remember, I said in a perfect world. Far yourself being outsmarted over and over again by

turkey hunting.

elusive gobblers that haven’t read the textbooks.

First off, you might not have located turkeys in

Your calling efforts

roost trees the afternoon before you hunt. That means

are critical."

by turkeys and call and wait, or you slowly walk up old

you either sit in a blind in a place usually frequented wood roads and up, down, and along ridges and hollows,

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APRIL 2021

or across fields until you hear birds in the distance.

Hen turkey vocalizations vary widely. A good

Calling “blind” as you go often triggers a response from

hunter will know how and when to call. The easiest call

a gobbler. Then you sit down and go to work.

to use is a box call. It can be mastered in seconds. More

Let’s say you’ve located roosted birds and have

difficult is the mouth call which requires much more

successfully worked your way into position in the dark.

practice. There are many other types of calls as well.

If that gobble you heard is followed by hens talking,

The best way to learn how to hunt turkeys if you’re

you have your work cut out for you. Why should that

a novice is to accompany a turkey hunter and learn

lovesick tom respond to your hen call when he’s got

first hand. Be aware this is a wonderful activity for the

all his girls with him? Nine out of ten times he won’t

entire family. And when you’re sitting there in God’s

show. You can be the world champion turkey caller,

spectacular woods and watch a big tom with a beard

and he won’t move a feather in your direction. In fact,

touching the ground come into your call, gobbling and

show me a hunter who can call a gobbler away from

strutting, you’ll understand why these big birds have

his hens, and I’ll show you a seriously savvy hunter

such a following. You’ll never be the same if it’s your

who truly knows his/her stuff.

first turkey hunt. Next year won’t come soon enough.

That’s a promise. //

To add more frustration to the mix, you might have a conversation with a solo gobbler with no hens. You’d think he’d be a lead pipe cinch to call in, but instead he gobbles and keeps his distance. Why is that? Only

JIM HAS HUNTED ALL FIFTY STATES FOR DEER, HAS FISHED IN MOST

a turkey knows. There are dozens of scenarios where

STATES, HAS HUNTED ELK IN ALL THE MAJOR WESTERN ELK STATES, AND HAS HUNTED ON FOUR CONTINENTS. HE WORKED FOR FIFTEEN YEARS AS

you’re outsmarted by gobblers that will make you

A FORESTER, GAME WARDEN, AND WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST. JIM DRAWS ON

want to enroll in anger management class. There are

THESE EXPERIENCES FOR HIS MONTHLY COLUMN “ALL THINGS OUTDOORS.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.JIMZUMBO.COM.

also dozens of strategies you can employ to get that red, white, and blue head within range.

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Turkey Woods words by: W.H. "CHIP" GROSS It felt and sounded like a firecracker exploding in my left ear. I was knocked down, but not unconscious, and my mind immediately tried to figure out what was wrong— what was happening? At first, I thought my shotgun had blown apart.

I had been turkey hunting and carrying the 12 gauge on a sling over my shoulder and thought that one of the three-inch magnum shells in the magazine had detonated for some unexplained reason. But I had been carrying the gun over my right shoulder, so why was my left arm and the left side of my face stinging as if hundreds of hornets were attacking?

I remember sitting up and seeing my camouflaged shotgun lying intact on the ground. It was then that my mind registered the terrifying and unbelievable fact: I’ve been shot!

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APRIL 2021

W.H. "Chip" Gross, Ohio Outdoors writer and photographer

"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to on another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."

EPHESIANS 4:30-32

prayer, then took a handkerchief from my pocket and pressed it to my head. The cloth quickly filled with blood, but thankfully within a few minutes the bleeding began to subside. However, it was then that my left eye gradually began filling with blood. It’s a strange feeling watching your own eyesight growing dimmer and dimmer until it’s gone.

That hunting accident happened to me on May 5, 1986, in Mohican Memorial State Forest in Ohio. I Within seconds I could hear brush cracking uphill

was hit with about 20 pellets from the other hunter’s

from where I lay. “Help!” I yelled in a coarse voice that

shotgun at 30 yards. I still carry most of those lead shot

didn’t sound quite like my own.

with me today in my left upper arm, neck, and the left

“Where are ya?” came a reply from up the hill.

side of my face. The doctors said that it would do more

“Down here,” I said. “You shot me…”

damage to remove the pellets than leave them in. But

A plaid-shirted hunter stepped from a downed

my left eye had suffered the worst of my injuries; a pellet had penetrated the eyeball. Unfortunately, after

treetop and yelled, “Where ya hit?”

“I’m hit in the head. Please, go get help!”

three painful surgeries over a period of several months,

“Where should I go?” he asked without coming

I eventually lost all sight in that eye—permanently.

An irony of the incident was that at the time I

closer, his voice now starting to quaver.

worked for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources,

“There’s a farmhouse over the hill. Go get help!” I

Division of Wildlife, as a certified hunter education

pleaded.

“Oh, my…,” he said, and I could hear him running

instructor. I trained new instructors who in turn taught

away through the woods. I could only hope that he was

students hunter safety. And I always thought that if I

not leaving me for good.

hunted safely, I’d never be involved in a hunting accident.

But now I was a statistic.

It was then that the heaviest bleeding started.

The leaves on the forest floor beneath my head were

Physical pain is one obvious result of a hunting

quickly covered with blood, and I remember thinking,

accident, but emotional distress in response to the

“I’m bleeding too much, I could die here…” I said a short

traumatic situation can be just as difficult for a

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victim. During my first week home from the hospital,

It took me four years to feel comfortable enough

I experienced a growing bitterness and anger toward

to step back into the turkey woods and begin hunting

the man who’d shot me. I did not know him, but

again. Since then, I have taught my two sons to hunt

nevertheless my frustrations grew on a daily basis. I

and am now teaching my grandsons. Yet the hunting

remember thinking:

accident is never far from my mind, and I realize now

“How could anyone be so stupid, so careless and

just how fortunate I was to survive—and how quickly

negligent as to shoot another hunter? Do I look like a

life can change and be altered forever.

turkey? Did he see a gobbler beard hanging from my

It’s been 35 years since my hunting accident, which

chest before he pulled the trigger?”

has given me much time to reflect on it. Being a writer,

Yet, I soon realized that dwelling on such questions

one of the ways I dealt with the incident was by writing a

was only fueling my negative emotions. In truth, it was

fictionalized account of the story in a novel titled Home,

tearing me up inside, creating all kinds of mental turmoil.

At Last, Is the Hunter. The book follows the life of a young

I’m a Christian—and have been since I was a teenager—

turkey hunter, Jeff Stewart, who learns to hunt the wild

so knew that an attitude like I was experiencing was

turkey from his beloved grandfather. But the book is

wrong, but how could I overcome it?

more than just a hunting story. It’s also the tale of young

I eventually turned to God in prayer, asking Him to

man’s spiritual journey from boyhood to adulthood.

Wishing you safe turkey hunting this spring. //

help me forgive the man who’d shot me. Forgiveness is a process, so it took time, but the bitterness and anger gradually began to subside, and today I harbor no ill

W.H. "CHIP" GROSS IS AN OUTDOOR WRITER AND PHOTOGRAPHER. HE IS

feelings. Incidentally, at the time of the accident, the

A GUEST COLUMNIST IN THIS ISSUE OF PLAIN VALUES MAGAZINE.

man who shot me was 51 years old and claimed to have been hunting all his life. I was age 34.

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FUNDS an d BENEFITS //

25TH CRIPPLED CHILDREN'S AUCTION

June 25–26, 2021

Friday: Supper is served at 4:00 pm, sports auction begins at 5:00 pm.

Mt. Hope Event Center

Saturday: Breakfast is served 6:30–9:00 am, auction begins at 8:30 am.

8076 State Route 241, Millersburg, OH 44654

Health Expo and Grilling Demo:

(330) 674-6188

Friday, 3:00–8:00 pm, and Saturday, 8:00 am–3:00 pm

A lunch stand will be serving veal sandwiches, pork, and barbecue chicken. Donations are needed. If you are interested in donating items, please call (330) 674-6188. All sports items for the Friday night auction will be new. Quilts from across the area are donated, with more than one hundred quilts being auctioned. When donating quilts, have all quilts marked with name and size. Friday night Sport Auction and Saturday Auction funds will go for children born with birth defects and medical problems. Thank you for all your continued support. //

DAVID ALLGYER FUND

A fund has been set up for David and Annie Allgyer. Their son, Aaron, was injured in a hunting accident, and they have a large hospital bill. Thankfully Aaron is on the way to recovery! Let’s show them we care. Make checks payable to: David Allgyer Medical Fund. Memo: Account #737408401. Mailing Address: First National Bank, PO Box 35, Logonton, PA 17747. Thank you for your generosity! //

ABDUL SAMAD FUND

A fund has been set up to help Abdul Samad get bionic hands. When he was a teenager, he lost both hands from a land mine explosion in Afghanistan. Today, Abdul lives in Somerset, KY, with his wife and four children. Due to his handicap, it is a struggle to support his family financially and perform daily tasks. Abdul was fitted for bionic hands in January. However, these hands come at a high cost: $30,000 to $50,000. Abdul and his family need our support—together we can help Abdul have a better life. Donations can be made payable to Mt. Hope Charities, PO Box 19, Mt. Hope, OH 44660 Attn: Bionic Hands for Abdul.

If you want a copy of the book he wrote about his childhood, his accident, and the series of events up to the present, call Nathan @ 330-275-9149 or write Nathan Mast, 5082 TR 419, Sugarcreek, OH 44681. For more information on the situation, you can call Nathan, or these committee members: Eli A. Miller @ 330-893-2270; Eli I. Weaver @ 330-893-0017. //

A FAMILY IN NEED

Recently a local family lost everything they own in a house fire. They have a child with special needs and could use our help. They are all in need of new clothes and shoes: 18-year-old male: 34x30 jeans , L/XL shirts/jackets , size 6 shoes, 21-year-old male: 36x30 jeans, L/XL shirts/jackets, size 10 shoes, Grandpa: XL jogging pants, 3XL/4XL tops, Grandma: L/XL shirts, size 8.5 shoes, Any size: jackets, hats, gloves, Additional items: clothes/food/gas vouchers, 2 weighted blankets, and dog food.

If you would like to help, you can send your donations to: Plain Values c/o A Family in Need, PO Box 201, Winesburg OH 44690. /

P L E AS E N O T E

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If you are conducting a fundraiser to assist with medical or hardship expenses, please let us know and we will be happy to feature it for one month at no cost.

Funds must be payable to a bank, church, or charitable organization.

PLAIN VALUES

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Hey, what’s the good word!

milestones with clear, measurable, objective targets.

ACCOUNTABILITY. This is not simply taking the

If any of these targets slip, jump on it immediately.

blame when something goes wrong. Accountability is

Brainstorm a solution, identify a fix, redesign the

about delivering on a commitment. It’s the responsibility to

schedule, or respond in some other way that gets the

an outcome, not just a set of tasks. It’s taking the initiative

person back on track.

with thoughtful, strategic follow-through.

3.

And it’s necessary at all levels of the chain of command.

critical. People should know where they stand. If you

Executives high on the organization chart can’t really be

have clear expectations, capability, and measurement,

accountable unless the people who report to them also

the feedback can be fact-based and easy to deliver.

follow through on their commitments. This is a struggle,

Is the person delivering on his commitments? Is he

of course.

working well with the other stakeholders? If he needs

So, what can we do to foster accountability in the

to increase his capability, is he on track? The feedback

people around us? We need to aim for clarity in three areas: 1.

Clear feedback. Honest, open, ongoing feedback is

can also go both ways — is there something you can

Clear expectations. The first step is to be crystal clear

be doing to be more helpful? Give feedback often, and

about what you expect. This means being clear about

remember it’s important to be transparent and helpful.

the outcome you’re looking for, how you’ll measure

These are the building blocks for a culture of

success, and how people should go about achieving

accountability.

the objective. It doesn’t all have to come from you. In

Remember the question we started with, the one that

fact, the more skilled your people are, the more ideas

plagues so many leaders: “How do I get my people to be

and strategies should be coming from them. Have a

more accountable for results?”

genuinely two-way conversation, and before it’s over,

It depends. Which of the three areas have you

ask the other person to summarize the important

neglected?

Now that’s GOOD STUFF! //

pieces — the outcome they’re going for, how they are going to achieve it, and how they’ll know whether

Please feel free to reach me anytime with your thoughts at kevin@plainvalues.com or:

they’re successful — to make sure you’re ending up on the same page.

2.

Clear measurement. Nothing frustrates leaders

Plain Values Attn: Good Stuff with Kevin PO Box 201 Winesburg, OH 44690

more than being surprised by failure. Sometimes this surprise is because the person who should be delivering is afraid to ask for help. Sometimes it comes from premature optimism on both sides. Either way, it’s

Hungry for more Good Stuff? Join Kevin as he discovers it.

completely avoidable. As a leader, strive to set weekly

Listen to dozens of eye-opening podcasts on www.youtube.com.

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APRIL APRIL 2021

PLAIN VALUES

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