The Miracle of Transformation | June 2020

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Cultivating Anchored Community MARLIN MILLER KEVIN BILLE SUE WENGERD PHIL BARKMAN MATT YODER

PUBLISHER GENERAL MANAGER SENIOR EDITOR COPY EDITOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

ISAAC HERSHBERGER

GRAPHIC ARTIST

SETH YODER

GRAPHIC ARTIST

LANDON TROYER

PHOTOGRAPHER

BETHANY TROYER

CUSTOMER SERVICE

JAN SCHLABACH

CUSTOMER SERVICE

KAREN RABER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

DR. DAVID MENTON

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

FERREE HARDY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

MERISSA A. ALINK

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

NORITA YODER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

TORRY MARTIN & DOUG PETERSON

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

DR. TERESA HOXWORTH

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

JULY AD SALES DEADLINE

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JUNE 5, 2020

Plain Values is published monthly by Room to Bloom. Room to Bloom is a nonprofit, tax-exempt Section 501(c)(3) organization. Please contact us with any questions regarding Plain Values.

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THE FORMALITIES This publication and its contents are © 2020, Room to Bloom. Individual copyrighted items, trademarks, etc. contained within are the property of their respective copyright holders. No part of this publication may be reproduced or redistributed by any means without authorization from the publisher. Publisher is not responsible for advertisers’ offers, products, or services, and publication neither expresses or implies an endorsement.

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ISSUE 84

CONT FATHER'S DAY CARD HOLDER

// 22

An easy DIY project for children to make for Father's Day.

THE MIRACLE OF TRANSFORMATION

UMCOMMON COURAGE

// 11

Did you know that the miracle of new life from an old creature is something you can see with your natural eyes as well as experience in your own life? One you can watch in a jar on your kitchen counter...

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PUBLISHER'S MESSAGE

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

FUNDS AND BENEFITS

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

ON THE COVER

Thousands of monarch butterflies hibernating on an oyamel fir tree in Mexico.

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// 37

The voices and actions of the women we will be hearing from in the coming months stand as a monument.

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JUNE 2020

SALT REMOVAL ON DEMAND // 25

NEW COLUMN! HOMESTEAD + ROOTS

How is it possible that certain birds can drink salt-saturated ocean water?

Merissa graces our pages with a favorite from her book, Little House Living.

Even in the midst of a world-wide health crisis, God is good.

THE BEAR REMOVAL TEAM

HEARTWORM

GOOD STUFF! WITH KEVIN // 51

// 42

Discover how Torry Martin attracted a bigger bear to his cabin doorstep.

// 29

// 47

A very timely and important topic for springtime –the treatment and prevention of heartworm disease.

SOME GOOD NEWS FOR A CHANGE // 30

Focus on what you can control, and let go of what you can't.

This new 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 for you to find local businesses in times of need, as well as in times of want. // between pages 32 and 33

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MESSAGE from the

PUBLISHER words by: MARLIN MILLER

Gary Haugen, in his book, Just Courage: God’s

simply and making the most of what they have. The

Great Expedition for the Restless Christian, says you

gardening tips, recipes, homesteading advice, and

only really believe something when you do something,

instructions for making everything from laundry

when you act on that belief. You don’t really buy in all

detergent to cheese to homemade chicken feeders

the way until the moment you act on it. I love that! I

continue to inspire us to add new skills. Merissa shares

used to sell stuff for a guy who didn’t care one lick for

project ideas for the whole family to work on together,

words; he cared about actions. He used to say, “Don’t tell

and many of her recipes have become staples and

me, show me!” I wonder if God doesn’t think that about

favorites in our household. To kick it off, we’re sharing

me, about all of us, at times. We say one thing and then

our absolute favorite recipe. Many Saturday mornings,

either don’t follow through or, as I have done in the past,

we use this Chocolate Muffin Mix and bake them in

turn around and do the opposite! We are continuing to

donut pans for a special treat.

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

improve Plain Values with a big goal in mind for the fall!

I am so fired up to share it with you that I can hardly stand it… but I can’t! Not yet! You are just going to have to trust me and wait a little longer. It will be worth it, I promise! We will hand you a wonderful opportunity to DO something and ACT on what you believe.

Something we can share with you is our new column, “Homestead + Roots.” We came across Little House Living soon after they launched their website in 2009. A fellow adoptive family, they also enjoy living

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the miracle of

TRANSFO

FEATURE STORY

GOD OF WONDERS

WIDOW'S PATH

HOMESTEAD + ROOTS

OUR HERITAGE

GREAT OUTDOORS

CANINE CORNER

RMATION words by: KAREN RABER

Do you remember the miracle Jesus performed when his friend Lazarus passed away? Jesus had arrived on the scene, several days after the burial, to find Lazarus’ sisters weeping in despair while many others attempted to offer comfort and consolation. The scene was so dismal and sad that Jesus groaned in His spirit and wept, too.

He asked those standing by to remove the boulder at the mouth of Lazarus’ rocky grave, then cried, “Lazarus, come forth!” Expressions of shock and sheer astonishment must have etched the faces of mourners as from deep within the grave, a shuffling like dried leaves sounded, and a figure cocooned in white grave-clothes emerged.

Jesus asked the gaping bystanders to unwrap him, and they did.

How could it be possible? Lazarus was standing before them in a body of vibrant health! Hadn’t they buried his wretched old body, shrouded in the blanket of death, four days ago? But here he was, pulsing with life! (You can read the story for yourself in John 11.)

It was a miracle. Living in 2020, several thousand years after this incident, it’s tempting to think miracles are elusive or even archaic.

We form these conclusions in part because we are too busy to notice

A MONARCH CATERPILLAR ABOUT TO BEGIN ITS TRANSFORMATION INTO A BUTTERFLY

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the wonders that frequently occur before our very eyes.

changes slightly in color, indicating that changes are

Did you know that the miracle of new life from an old

happening inside its shell. First, it is a buttery yellow,

creature is something you can see with your natural

then white, then grey. On the fourth day, it develops a

eyes as well as experience in your own life? One you can

black spot, which is the head of the larva inside, working

watch in a jar on your kitchen counter, and one that you

its way out of the shell. When it has hatched, the larva

can anticipate in the future for yourself?

commences doing what it does best—eat! It will first

Were we to witness Lazarus’ resurrection today, we

consume its own egg shell, which provides an excellent

would struggle to understand, just as the mourners did.

boost of protein, and then it turns to its favorite food,

Because we wrestle to comprehend the supernatural,

which happens to be beneath its very feet. Milkweed!

God has provided smaller three-dimensional object

When the larvae first hatch, they are the size of

lessons in nature to help us understand. One of these

a human eyelash, making them very difficult to see.

lessons is found in the larvae of the Monarch butterfly.

However, the larvae do not remain in this minuscule

Now, you may have an aversion to worms, but before you

stage for long. In fact, by the end of the ten to twelve-

dismiss the idea, look beyond its worm characteristics

day larval stage, a caterpillar will have grown 3,000

and study the complexities and miracles happening to

percent! If you want to do some interesting math, take

the little creatures. Prepare to be amazed, then let the

your own birth-weight and length and figure out how

lesson speak to your heart as it was meant to. Here are

large you would have grown at this incredible rate in

some Monarch facts to get you started:

twelve days. Imagine the amount of food you would

The lesson begins in a mountainous region, far off

have consumed! To accommodate this rapid rate of

in central Mexico. There, in a few select locales, oyamel

growth, the larvae shed their skin, called molting, four

fir trees are swathed in orange layers of Monarch

times. During molts, the caterpillar stops eating and

butterflies. The butterflies are hibernating and hardly

concentrates on shedding its skin. It hangs head-down

move as they cling to the twigs and needles of the fir

from the underside of a leaf by its back five pairs of

trees. This high-altitude region provides the perfect

legs and remains motionless except for occasional

temperatures needed for hibernation—adequately cool,

writhing and the strenuous convulsions which course

but never freezing.

through its body. Its brightly striped skin darkens, when

then completely fades and appears loose and wrinkled.

temperatures begin to warm in March, the butterflies

Finally, it weaves a silky mat to which it attaches itself

bestir themselves and begin what is their sole objective;

with a pair of special hooks and, with forceful jerking

reproducing the next generation of Monarchs. After

motions, wiggles from the old skin, revealing a baggy,

mating, they begin to look for the perfect spot to lay

loose-fitting skin underneath. The caterpillar stretches

their eggs; the milkweed plant. Monarch females

happily in its expanded exoskeleton and, after resting

know that milkweed alone offers the nutrients

for a bit from its exertion, resumes its voracious diet,

their offspring will need. No other plant will do. The

stuffing its skin once more. This action is repeated two

butterflies migrate toward Texas, laying their eggs

more times during the larval stage.

After

hibernating

for

three

months,

as they discover patches of milkweed. Each female

Once the worm has reached its mature size, it will

butterfly will lay approximately 200 eggs. Once they

seek a sheltered spot high on a twig or leaf and prepare

have laid their eggs, cunningly placed on the underside

to enter the pupal stage. Here, its tiny jaws work back

of a milkweed leaf, the adult butterflies die. Under the

and forth, releasing a sticky, silky substance from its

leaf, the eggs lay hidden from predators, bearing the

spinneret. This substance receives its sticky texture

life of the next generation.

from the milkweed sap, which provides the perfect

The tiny eggs are the size of the tip of a ball-point

adhesive compound needed to secure the larvae to the

pen and will hatch in four or five days. Each day, the egg

twig for this third stage. The exoskeleton, or skin, of the

THOUSANDS OF MONARCH BUTTERFLIES HIBERNATING ON AN OYAMEL FIR TREE IN MEXICO

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THE PROCESS OF A MONARCH CATERPILLAR FORMING ITS CHRYSALIS

caterpillar splits open at the head and, for the last time,

literally liquifies inside the shell. While the worm’s

is shed to the ground. After the skin has dropped away,

body dissolves and its worm characteristics die, the

the caterpillar thrusts its cremaster into the sticky gauze

butterfly cells, which have been within its body all

it deposited on the twig and securely fastens itself. The

along, begin to grow. The larva’s stubby suction-cup

cremaster is a tiny, many-clawed structure at the very

feet will now be six slender and graceful legs. Simple

end of its abdomen and adheres to the sticky gauze much

eyes, which saw only lights and shadows, are changed

like Velcro. In fact, it adheres so well that when severe

to complex eyes, which now can see all around it.

weather elements such as wind or rain assail the pupa,

Amazingly, the ever-munching jaws are transformed

it will hold fast. Now the worm hangs upside down, and

into a long, double straw called a proboscis, and even

immediately, a hard shell called a chrysalis forms over its

the internal organs are completely revised because the

soft body. Emerald green in color, the chrysalis will hang

food for this new creature will also be changed. Yes,

there for ten to twelve days.

the butterfly hatching from this shell will still have an appetite, but it will no longer feast on bitter milkweed;

Wouldn’t it be interesting to see what’s happening

instead, it will sip sweet nectar from flowers.

inside? Scientists have discovered a way to peek inside the chrysalis with an MRI, but since most of us won’t

After ten to twelve days, the transformation inside

ever get to sneak-peek, we will have to be content with

the chrysalis is complete. The chrysalis changes in color

imagining what’s happening inside. We do know that

from bright green to black to transparent, exposing the

if you would poke a hole in the chrysalis (which I don’t

colors of the butterfly through its shell. The perfectly

recommend), only liquid would flow out. The larva

formed body gives off a fluid that separates it from the

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shell, then the butterfly will push through the wall of

down for nectar but otherwise keep pushing toward

the chrysalis and emerge head-first. Once its head and

Mexico. This journey takes three months, and once

thorax have emerged, it will pull the rest of its body free

more, the Monarch butterflies have come full circle.

from the shell and turn itself about, hanging its hook-

So, what do you think we can learn from the

like front feet onto the ridges of the chrysalis. At this

Monarch? Don’t you think God is demonstrating what

stage, it is similar in size to a bumblebee. Its body is

He desires to do in each of our lives? If we give up our

chubby, and the wings, though vibrantly colored, hang

worm-like nature, this is what He promises: “A new heart

like wet and shriveled rags. Slowly, softly, it begins to

also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within

flap its wings. The black veins branching out through

you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your

the wings serve as straws to draw air and blood from the

flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26

body. The wings enlarge and flatten as the body grows

KJV). That sounds like a great exchange; brand-new,

slender and aerodynamic. After several minutes, its

pliable hearts for old, stiff, and hardened ones. It also

antennae move forward, and it is ready for flight.

sounds like transformation! Maybe our lives share

As the butterfly lifts off for the first time, it’s fun to

greater similarities with Monarchs than we thought.

imagine how it must feel. We wonder if it looks down

At our conception, we are created in the image of

upon its host plant and marvels at how light and free

God. We are given the ability to think and reason, love

it feels without stubby legs and an overstuffed skin. We

and hate, and be sorrowful or joyful. But because we

wonder if it remembers the yellow and green stripes of

are born into a fallen world and with a fallen nature, we

its humble body as the scales on its gossamer wings bend

immediately seek to use our God-given characteristics

to catch the light, giving it a shimmering, iridescent glow.

to please ourselves. Our self-seeking actions swiftly

And the feeling of gliding and soaring on the breeze—it

progress into a voracious, self-destructive appetite. We

must be exhilarating!

indulge until we feel sickened with the futility of it

This butterfly is one of the first-generation

all. We long to be who we were created to be; a man or

offspring of butterflies from Mexico. It will live for two

woman of purpose. We yearn for freedom from sin and

weeks, dining on the nectar of flowers and drifting

self, but to gain freedom, we must give up our diet—

toward Ohio, laying the eggs for the second generation

our thought patterns, our habits. We may try to break

of Monarchs. These eggs, too, will repeat the thirty-day

these vices on our own, but much like the caterpillar’s

metamorphoses and drift still further north. A third

shedding of skin, we expend large amounts of energy

generation will reach the northern states and the lower portions of Canada, where the fourth generation, also called the super generation, will hatch.

Our self-seeking actions swiftly

The super generation is distinctly different from the previous generations in that it will not immediately

progress into a voracious, self-

mate and die. This generation will now live for eight months and fly the nearly 2,000 miles back to Mexico.

What’s even more amazing, these butterflies will fly

destructive appetite. We indulge

back to the same forests in which their great-greatgrandparents had hibernated! How do the butterflies

until we feel sickened with the

know? Secular scientists are still unable to explain these details, but it isn’t difficult to see the hand of our creator

futility of it all. We long to be

God. He directs and cares for each of his tiny creatures, and the Monarchs are no exception.

who we were created to be; a

As the fall temperatures begin to lower, the metabolism of the super generation changes, and they

man or woman of purpose.

know it is now time to migrate south. Drifting along like a leaf on the wind, these tiny but mighty insects touch

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FINALLY, AT THE BECKONING OF GOD’S SPIRIT, WE REALIZE THAT OUR LIVES HOLD NOTHING GOOD OF THEMSELVES. yet remain the same, like larvae feasting on bitterness.

Finally, at the beckoning of God’s Spirit, we realize that our lives hold nothing good of themselves. We need a complete transformation.

That’s when we enter the pupal stage, and as we surrender our heart and will to Him, God refashions our lives. Inside our heart, the old nature dies and the new nature of Christ begins to grow. Just as the caterpillar has in it the building blocks of the butterfly but can never become one without first dying, so every person is created in the image of God but can never experience the life of Christ without dying to self. When we emerge from the chrysalis, everything has changed! The Bible states it this way, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).

Now, like the butterfly, we are light and free, and our appetites have changed completely. We rise above our bitter host plant and see it for what it was—self. God has now given us the power to overcome our old lusts, and gone are the feastings on carnality. Instead, we desire nectar, the Word of God. Our lives now have purpose; instead of living for ourselves, we strive to bring others to the kingdom of God. We go forth with a burning desire to bring the next generation to the threshold of this transformation.

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THE FULLY-FORMED MONARCH BUTTERFLY EMERGING FROM ITS CHRYSALIS

Unfortunately, after our new birth, we continue to live on an imperfect and fallen earth, and hardship and opposition surround us. At times it may seem that all the forces of evil have united to bring us to extinction.

Butterflies don’t have an easy life after their transformation, either. While the previous narrative of the Monarch metamorphosis may have sounded carefree and simple, their populations have been dangerously close to extinction. In 2012, it was calculated that Monarchs were 90 percent extinct.

Why? Well, several reasons play into the decline of this favored butterfly species. For one, they have natural predators such as birds and other insects, which eat both the eggs and the larvae and, sometimes, the adult butterfly. Looking at the big picture of our ecosystem, predators play a significant role in keeping the Monarch population under control, ensuring that the food supply and butterfly ratio are balanced.

Another reason for the monarch’s decline in recent years is the agricultural practices of mankind, which have swung the pendulum from a natural balance to the endangered species list. It’s easy to blame deforestation in Mexico’s Monarch wintering grounds and several untimely weather events as the culprits of the decline, all of which are true. Still, other reasons may lie closer to home. Many farmers in the United States use highly concentrated chemical sprays to keep both invasive insects and weeds under control. While these sprays have strict guidelines for application, overspray onto the milkweed and larvae growing along fencerows and borders has had dire consequences.

And coming even closer to home, our endeavors to keep our properties immaculate have been detrimental as well. If we wield weed trimmers in every corner of our properties and along creek banks, we may have unwittingly destroyed the milkweed and other wildflowers essential to butterfly reproduction. With such a combined force of opposition, it’s no wonder the Monarchs were disappearing!

By 2013, people began to notice the decline of Monarchs with alarm. They began research of their 17

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own, and then joined the efforts of scientists and conservationists to help the butterfly population make a comeback. Schools began to educate children on the importance of helping the butterflies in our ecosystem by planting butterfly gardens and raising the larvae. Children took the ideas home to parents who also joined in the battle against extinction. While most individuals are only able to help several caterpillars to maturity, every one of them counts! By 2017, in five short years, the Monarch population in Mexico went from two acres to ten acres, and in 2018, conservationists found a brand-new colony of Monarchs!

And now comes the best part of our transformation. A Monarch will undergo metamorphoses only once. When they die, they will cease to exist. We, whose hearts and lives have been changed, are transformed twice!

On earth, we live in failing and limited human bodies. We are subject to time and weakness, ill health and old age. We cringe from dying because the grave holds no beauty or attraction. We weep as the mourners did for Lazarus because we know that our body decays and turns back to dust. But the grave is the chrysalis our body must enter before the eternal soul within us can be transformed into a new and vibrant being.

John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, said this: Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2 NIV) We shall be like Him! Our bodies will never again know death or pain, abuse or persecution, shame or reproach. We will have new bodies that will live forever. We no longer need to fear that day, but anticipate it with joy!

Paul wrote of that day to his fellow believers in Thessalonica: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 KJV, emphasis mine) We will be with Him! Can you imagine how a place must look and feel where the Lord lives and reigns? If a Monarch on planet earth can dazzle our eyes with its colors and beauty, we would be speechless with amazement if we could see what the Lord has in store for those who love Him! We get a glimpse of this place when we read Revelation 21 and 22, but we struggle to comprehend even that. We can only imagine because “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for those that love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV). It is indeed a mystery, but that should only heighten our thankfulness, love, and zeal for Him. And until that day, let us seek out the object lessons—miracles—He hides for us in nature, like the Monarch! //

RESOURCES AND INFORMATION FOR THIS ARTICLE HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY BUTTERFLY ENTHUSIAST MARY ELLEN THORNBURG, AS WELL AS THE WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA AND LITERATURE FROM THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES WILDLIFE DIVISION.

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SALT REMOVAL ON DEMAND

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FEATURE STORY

GOD OF WONDERS

WIDOW'S PATH

HOMESTEAD + ROOTS

OUR HERITAGE

GREAT OUTDOORS

CANINE CORNER

words by: DR. DAVID MENTON On Day Five of Creation Week, God created the birds and all creatures that live in the water. While some of these creatures live only in freshwater and others live only in saltwater, some creatures, including many birds, are able to live (and drink) in both freshwater and marine environments. Since about 97% of the earth’s water is saltwater, the ability to drink seawater presents a big advantage, but also a big challenge.

Seawater has about three times more salt than is found in the blood and other body fluids of most land-dwelling vertebrates. If any of these creatures are to survive drinking seawater, they must somehow rid themselves of excess salt.

The excretion of salt is one of the main jobs of the kidney, but few land-dwelling vertebrates have kidneys capable of handling seawater. Still, some vertebrates, including many birds, can live by drinking seawater. But for birds, it is not just their kidneys that make this possible. Rather, their survival depends on a pair of special salt glands located above the orbits of the eyes that

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excrete the excess salt via ducts that drain through

of a few days to survive on seawater, permitting it to

the nostrils. This explains why some seagulls appear to

live in a coastal marine environment. When exposed

have a runny nose.

to saltwater, small and inactive glands lying over the

Salt glands are present in at least 10 of the 27 living

orbits of the eyes grow rapidly in size and salt-excreting

orders of birds, but functional salt-secreting glands are

ability. The consumption of excess salt triggers the

generally restricted to orders containing species that

release of hormones and other factors that promote

inhabit marine environments. The remarkable thing

the full functional development of the salt gland.

is that some birds that generally live on freshwater

Even in unexpected ways we find marvelous

are capable of quickly adapting to live on seawater by

evidence of God’s providential care for birds. God’s

developing salt glands. To some this might seem like “fast evolution,” but God has provided them with access to the

Word reminds us that not a single sparrow will fall to

amazing salt gland, which lies dormant until needed.

the ground apart from our heavenly Father’s will—so

For example, a mallard duck living on freshwater

don’t be afraid when challenges come your way. You are

ponds and lakes is capable of adapting in a matter

worth more than many sparrows (Matthew 10:29–31). //

When seabirds drink ocean water, huge quantities of salt enter their bloodstream.

So God gave them a special gland to get rid of excess salt that would otherwise kill them. These birds actually have two salt glands, one above each eye. The excess salt flows down ducts through the nostrils and onto the beak. This concentrated salt solution then drips from the beak. That’s why seabirds sometimes look like they have a runny nose.

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FEATURE STORY

GOD OF WONDERS

WIDOW'S PATH

HOMESTEAD + ROOTS

homestead

OUR HERITAGE

+

GREAT OUTDOORS

CANINE CORNER

roots

words by: MERISSA A. ALINK There is just something about a chocolate muffin that makes it so much more tempting to me than all of the rest.

I have a feeling that thing is... chocolate.

When I imagine the perfect chocolate muffin, it is full of rich chocolate flavor in a moist muffin. I've spent many years trying to figure out how to make the perfect Chocolate Muffin Mix recipe to store in my pantry because all of the muffins usually turn out dry, or just don't have that strong flavor that I'm hoping for.

I think you will love this simple Chocolate Muffin Mix recipe that I've finally settled on. It's easy to make and store in your pantry until the day comes that you want to enjoy a yummy muffin. Plus, thanks to the addition of sour cream in this recipe, these muffins stay moist for days. They also freeze well so you can have them on hand for a quick snack or breakfast anytime.

muffin mix

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour ~ or All Purpose Gluten Free Flour • 1 cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder • 2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda • 1/2 teaspoon Salt • 1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chips • 1 1/4 cups Sugar

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

chocolate muffin mix recipe ..............................................................................

....................................... to bake

• 1 jar Chocolate Muffin Mix • 1 Egg • 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil ~ melted coconut oil or mild olive oil work great • 3/4 cup Sour Cream ~ or yogurt • 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

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Combine all of the "Muffin Mix" ingredients in a large bowl. Divide the mixture into two equal portions and pour into an airtight storage container. I prefer to use Mason jars closed with a plastic storage lid. This Chocolate Muffin Mix will store for up to a year if kept in a cool, dry place with the lid in place.

This recipe will make two jars of Chocolate Muffin Mix. Each jar makes twelve muffins. When you are ready to make your muffins, simply grab your jar of Chocolate Muffin Mix and follow these directions: Combine all of the "To Bake" ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well until all ingredients are combined and no dry ingredients remain.

Scoop into a greased or lined muffin tin. Each jar of muffin mix should make twelve regular-sized muffins.

Bake the muffins at 375˚ for about twenty minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Enjoy warm.

JUNE 2020

FEATURE STORY

GOD OF WONDERS

WIDOW'S PATH

HOMESTEAD + ROOTS

OUR HERITAGE

GREAT OUTDOORS

GOOD for a NEWS change some

words by: FERREE HARDY Do you remember what it was like in April? All “non-essential“ businesses were closed. Schools were closed. Churches were closed.

You couldn’t eat in a restaurant. Grocery stores could only allow a few people in at a time, and they had to follow the arrows. Post Offices taped squares on the floors, six feet apart, to show people where to stand. Hospitals and nursing homes isolated the dying patients; loved ones couldn’t come close. Funerals and weddings went on hold. Graduations were canceled. People scurried in and out of their houses like mice. Many wore masks. The streets were eerily empty of traffic. And if you did go out and anyone came near, each of you swerved away as if wearing a gigantic invisible bubble to keep a social distance.

When you got a chance to talk to someone, briefly and loudly because of the six feet between you, the conversation lit up with bursts of complaints, confusion, and concern.

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CANINE CORNER

When will this be over? I can’t stand this! I need a

into a room; they misplaced their keys more than usual.

hug! I have to get out—the walls are closing in on me!

“This is grief, folks!” she wrote on her Facebook

This is crazy! I’m losing so much money! I need food!

page on the Internet. She went on to explain that even

Someone’s sick?—Oh no! I’m so lonely! I don’t even

if we don’t get sick with COVID-19, it’s still a trauma;

know what day it is anymore. Where are all the toilet

there are many losses to experience and things to

paper and hand sanitizer? Now what do we do?

recover. That is so true!

A widow friend of mine noticed this, too. The effects

We often only associate grief with death, but other

of this pandemic are everywhere. She’s a businesswoman

things cause grief, too; the pandemic is one of them.

in Colorado, putting her children through college. Her

Grief shows up in many behaviors. Some people find

husband died when they were missionaries in Mexico.

themselves extra irritable, angry, anxious, or in a mild

She’s been through dramatic changes in the few short

shock. Uncertainty is unnerving. It’s also hard to sleep

years since his death, yet the memories and strong

when disasters loom.

emotions are always quick to surface and easy to

It’s not that we’re spoiled or weak if we have these

recognize. She listened as friends and co-workers told

feelings; we’re just human. It doesn’t matter if you’re a

her how disconnected and shocked they felt. They were

man or a woman, young or old, rich or poor; we all have

numb and often found themselves doing nothing but

these challenges. Here’s my short list of things besides

staring off into space. They’d forget why they walked

death that are surprisingly normal to grieve about:

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•

Loss of employment and financial security

•

Change of plans for the future like missing out

BECAUSE OF JESUS, WE KNOW OUR FUTURE IS SECURE

on vacations, retirements, weddings, parties, etc.

•

day since their husband died. Social distancing? This

Imposed physical limitations like quarantine,

frequently happens, especially with the English widows

reduced traveling, and keeping a social distance •

I know. The first week or two they are the center of

Disrupted routines like irregular workdays,

attention with the funeral and all, but after that, it seems

church closures, and canceled meetings

they’re forgotten. They feel like they have a disease and

If the pandemic has brought unwanted change,

people are avoiding them. Financial strain? You bet! This

remember that grief over the changes will come, too.

is one of the hardest things they’ve ever gone through.

I hate to admit it myself. I’d rather pretend it doesn’t

And it takes longer than anyone ever would guess. But

bother me, but the reality is that changes cause

they get through it! They call on the Lord, and He shows

problems until we learn to adjust. I know that’s not

up! That’s good news!

good news, but stay with me.

There’s so much talk about producing a vaccine

Please let me put in a word of praise here for widows.

for COVID-19. We hear that things will not get back

Like my friend in Colorado, they have been through

to normal until we have the vaccine and testing

worse situations. Isolation? Many experience that every

procedures for everyone.

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JUNE 2020

Ultimately, though, things will never get back to normal. This will be like 9/11 was for all Americans. Life before 9/11 and life after 9/11 didn’t look the same. Life before and after COVID-19 won’t look the same, either.

We will need a lot more than a vaccine can offer. We will need what widows (and widowers) who’ve learned to trust in God can teach us: HOPE. Our biggest problem is not coronavirus. Our biggest problem is not that we’re going to die. Our biggest problem is if we die without that hope in Christ. God offers us a “vaccine” to protect us and give us eternal

OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS NOT CORONAVIRUS. OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS NOT THAT WE’RE GOING TO DIE. OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS IF WE DIE WITHOUT THAT HOPE IN CHRIST.

hope. Placing faith in Jesus Christ is like accepting that vaccine. God’s “vaccine” covers us with the blood and “antibodies” of the righteousness of Jesus.

What could be more complete? Romans 8:32 gives us a lot to think about and a lot to hope for: “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” It’s a lesson in humility for me when I consider this verse.

God delivered His beloved Son Jesus to die for my sins— therefore He will freely give me all things? He will see me through to Heaven and also through a pandemic and everything else I need? Yes! All means “all!”

Well, it’s the month of June now; April has passed.

May has passed. Perhaps COVID-19 has passed too. If so—Hallelujah!—but there will be a ripple effect, and things might get even worse before they get better. But because of Jesus, we know our future is secure. If you have trouble believing that, then talk to a widow (or a widower) or anyone who knows the hope found in Jesus. She (or he) is waiting for you with some really good news. // Until next month,

ferree l ADDRESS CHANGE! 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, 122 Breckenridge Dr., North Augusta, SC 49841. Allow 2 – 3 weeks for delivery. Free shipping for all Plain Values readers! www.WidowsChristianPlace.com

PLAIN VALUES

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35

JUNE 2020

FEATURE STORY

GOD OF WONDERS

WIDOW'S PATH

HOMESTEAD + ROOTS

OUR HERITAGE

GREAT OUTDOORS

CANINE CORNER

UNCOMMON COURAGE words by: NORITA YODER The courage it took for women such as Felix Manz’s mother to choose re-baptism fades against the canvas of Anabaptist history unless we shine a light on what it meant to be a woman in sixteenthcentury Europe. The majority of the people were peasants who lived in poverty due to wealthy landowners and rulers who abused their power.

Waves of war, the bubonic plague, and

famine

had

swept

across

Europe in the decades leading up to the reforms. In this world, women and children lived at the bottom of these corrupt and abusive power systems. When reforms broke out in the early 1500s, The Holy Roman Empire and feudalism had ruled the

PART OF THE "BEHALT" MURAL

37

JUNE 2020

Germanic-speaking part of Europe with its Frankish

the situation for women under Roman civilization and

influence for over 600 years, and women, in particular,

Christian influence.

Although these changes were made, many of the

had paid the price.

Anabaptism and early lasting reforms sprang up

old ways remained. Women were beaten and misused

first in the Germanic-speaking region of Europe that,

and still regarded as children in many ways. They had

prior to Charlemagne, was ruled by the Franks. In early

few, if any, legal rights, and were viewed as the property

Frankish culture, women were bought and sold as wives

of men. That Christianity was submersed in the various

with no say in the matter; they were beaten, they had

cultures throughout the Holy Roman Empire is evident

no legal rights, they did not own property, and they

in the writings of the church leaders. In the 1200s,

could not read or write. They were treated as perpetual

Albert the Great, a German Catholic bishop, writes that

children incapable of making adult decisions. Moreover,

“woman is a misbegotten man and has a faulty and

if a husband died, his wife did not receive custody of her

defective nature.” Pictures, used to tell stories since most

children; instead, they were given to a male heir. These

people could neither read nor write, often depicted the

abuses were in addition to the daily toil of survival.

Genesis account where woman first ate the apple in the

Any complication or abnormal pregnancy generally

Garden of Eden. It was a common story used to enforce

meant she would die while giving birth due to a lack of

the abusive and pagan practices. Since the only legal

medical help. Under this system, women lived a slave-

language was Latin, and the common person could not

like existence.

read or write, these practices and teachings drove the narrative for women.

As Roman Catholicism was spread throughout the world, Christian practice and Roman civilization

At the time of the reformation, feudalism was in

generally improved the lives of people in ways that

place for well over 600 years as the system that allowed

were significant for the times. By AD 800, Charlemagne

the Holy Roman Empire to work at a local level. Under

decreed that no polygamy was to be practiced among

feudalism, a wealthy 10–12 percent of kings and queens,

his subjects, a practice the Germanic men kept even

lords and ladies, and popes and priests ruled over the

after accepting Christianity. Eventually, women were

remaining 88–90 percent of people. In the fifteenth

permitted to keep their children and inherit at least

century, a middle class began to rise due to the wars and

some, if not all, of their land if their husbands died.

travel. While this provided new opportunities for men

Girls could also no longer be bought as a wife by a

and women alike to both produce and sell merchandise,

man they did not wish to marry. Moreover, a single girl

the majority remained as peasants scraping an existence

could inherit her father’s land if there were no male

from the land while bowing to and serving the nobility

heirs. All of these changes fundamentally improved

and rulers.

In some sense, the peasant women had more freedom, provided their husbands or fathers were benevolent-hearted people. They worked alongside their husbands, planting, harvesting, and caring for the land and the animals.

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Ladies born into nobility had maids and servants.

Noblewomen were legally permitted to wear fashionable dresses with ruffles and lace and pointed shoes, according to their status. Under the law—and the threat of beating or imprisonment—peasant women were required to wear a particular type of clothing that signified their low status. Yet, even women of nobility were viewed as property of their husbands and most could not own land. Neither peasants nor women of nobility were taught to read or write outside of the few at the very top of nobility. Although there were some differences for women depending on their social status, childbirth was an equalizer, since one out of twenty women died from complications during childbirth. Moreover, since their husbands were military men, women of nobility spent little time with their husbands.

In some sense, the peasant women had more freedom, provided their husbands or fathers were benevolent-hearted people. They worked alongside their husbands, planting, harvesting, and caring for the land and the animals. And they bore children. If a woman survived childbirth—one in twenty women did not survive—her child had only a 50 percent chance of living past twelve years of age. This was the reality of life.

sat in storehouses where it rotted or was eaten by rats.

Aristocratic women such as Hildegard Bingen had

Additionally, waves of the bubonic plague swept across

the option of entering an abbey and taking the vow of

Europe from 1348 through the 1800s. In the first four

a nun, a luxury available only for those wealthy enough

years, nearly one-third of the population died. From

to pay the costs of rent or land to the abbey. Yet, it was

this harsh existence, riddled with hunger and disease

the one place a girl could learn to read and write—they

and poverty, the Peasant Wars of the 1520s broke out as

could not choose both love and literacy—and it was an

the people rebelled against the system. Yet, there were

option envied by many women. At times, young girls

changes in the air.

were left at the abbey to be raised by nuns, against the

The use of the printing press was blowing a

child’s wishes, of course. Elizabeth Dirks is an example

fresh wind. It allowed ideas, such as the reformers

of such a child left at the abbey by her widowed father.

were advocating, to be preserved and rapidly spread

While the nuns mostly treated her with kindness, she

throughout the Holy Roman Empire. This wind picked

was imprisoned for nine months as a teenager when

up velocity when Luther translated the scriptures into

caught reading scripture on her own. After her release,

the German language. For the first time in 1,200 years,

Elizabeth escaped from the abbey by dressing as a

people were hearing the scripture and Truth in their

milkmaid. What must life have been like if becoming a

own language. Like people starved and with no water

nun was the best life possible?

The

nobility

and

church

rulers

for a long duration of time, they gathered for Bible

demanded

studies, drawing a new kind of strength from the words,

increasingly heavy taxes and tithes, which were used for

and women were deeply involved.

building castles and cathedrals while the peasants went

One-third of all martyr accounts in the Martyr’s

hungry. At times, food the peasants were required to pay

Mirror are of women. In the region of Tirol, Austria, two-

39

JUNE 2020

THE VOICES AND ACTIONS OF THE WOMEN WE WILL BE HEARING FROM IN THE COMING MONTHS STAND AS A MONUMENT.

VIEW OF THE ALPS FROM MODERN-DAY TIROL, AUSTRIA

thirds of all Anabaptist participants in civil records were

both the push and the pull these women faced. The push

women. That we have these court records is remarkable,

of desperation to escape the centuries of oppression

considering women were not to speak in court. When

for something better. The fantastic and liberating pull

arrests began happening for re-baptism, it was ruled

at discovering a Truth that set them free. That these

that since these women had requested adult baptism

women would endure terrible persecution and torture

by their own mouth, by their own mouth they would

of their physical bodies even to the point of death

need to testify before the court. This ruling is the reason

tells us how heavy were the chains of oppression that

we have their voices today—it tells us the importance

otherwise bound them. They began acting on what they

of their actions, both for them and for their world. If

long felt; that women were not children, and God was

the ruling was intended to demean women, it instead

not a tyrant.

As they cast off the shackle of lies they had long

elevated those formerly at the lowest rung of society

been told and had themselves believed, they burst into

and provided a space for their voices to be heard.

The voices and actions of the women we will

the freedom of Truth. Truth that individuals are formed

be hearing from in the coming months stand as a

in the image of God and thus worthy of respect. Truth

monument. They reveal to us the tremendous force of

that every person is created with a voice and agency to

PLAIN VALUES

40

choose between faith and unfaith. Being thus created

beginnings in Zurich, Switzerland, to the present day.

and freely choosing for faith freed their minds from the

Behalt means “to keep” or “remember.” Hours: Mon-Sat

inner constraints that bound their souls and bodies more

9:00-5:00. Location: 5798 County Road 77, Millersburg, OH

surely than any outer force. Grasping this Truth set them

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

free to live differently in their real lives and nothing in

information or to schedule a tour.

the world, no torture or persecution, not even physical death, could persuade them to return to the former NORITA YODER IS A HISTORIAN AND THE ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR OF

imprisonment of the inner shackles. They had seen the

THE AMISH & MENNONITE HERITAGE CENTER.

light, and nothing in this world could stop them. //

Bainton, Roland H. Women of the Reformation in Germany and Italy.

Gies, Frances and Joseph. Women in the Middle Ages.

If you wish to hear more historical stories like this,

Gordon, Dr. Bruce. “Anabaptism and Peasants War” Class Lecture, Reformation Europe.

Haude, Sigrun. “Anabaptism” in The Reformation World, edited by Andrew Pettegree.

please call or visit the Amish & Mennonite Heritage

Kimberly D. Schmidt, Diane Zimmerman Humble and Steven D. Reschly, Eds.

Center. We offer guided tours of "Behalt" - a 10 ft. x 265

Strangers at Home: Amish and Mennonite Women in History.

Marshall, Sherrin. Women in Reformation and Counter-Reformation Europe: Public

ft. cyclorama oil-on-canvas painting that illustrates the

and Private Worlds.

heritage of the Amish and Mennonite people from their

McKee, Elsie ed. Katharina Schütz Zell Church Mother: The Writings of a Protestant Reformer in Sixteenth-Century Germany. Chicago

41

JUNE 2020

FEATURE STORY

GOD OF WONDERS

WIDOW'S PATH

HOMESTEAD + ROOTS

OUR HERITAGE

GREAT OUTDOORS

PT Part

One

I

THE BEAR R E M O VA L TEAM

words by: TORRY MARTIN & DOUG PETERSON Then he went tearing around the trees, sprinting in a half circle, and wound up back at the cabin’s front door. At last, he looked down and finally spotted the big bear, sprawled out in front of our cabin steps. He went suddenly quiet and stared at the bear for about a second or two. Then it was back to what he did best— barking. “THERE’S THE BEAR THERE’S THE BEAR THERE’S THE BEAR THERE’S THE BEAR THERE’S THE BEAR!” By this time, Rob was running late, so he left for the airport, putting me in charge of disposing of 250 pounds of bear. So I did what any normal person in Alaska would do when they have a bear on their doorstep. I called Alaska Fish and Game and asked them to bring in someone to cart away the carcass—a free food removal team, you might say. Without a hunting license, we were not allowed to keep the bear. The state would keep the hide and give the meat to the first name on a special list maintained by the state.

By about midmorning, a free food removal team drove out

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CANINE CORNER

43

JUNE 2020

to claim the meat—a real Alaskan meat and greet.

animal, I left the youth pastor to his gory work, went

Imagine my surprise when I saw that the group was

back to the cabin, and finished packing. On the way

comprised of a youth pastor and four teenagers. In the

to my Jeep, I had to step directly over the dead bear,

Lower 48, church youth groups play games and go to

luggage in tow.

Only in Alaska.

water parks. In Alaska, youth groups gut bears.

At first, the youth pastor began to do the gutting

As I left for the airport, I assumed that the youth

right there at the foot of our cabin stairs, but I was

group would dump the bear guts in the woods, far from

having none of that.

the path to our cabin. Little did I know that after the youth group had finished gutting the bear, they tossed

“I’m not going to have guts right in front of our

the entrails just a few feet off our path. (Isn’t there an

cabin. You’re going to have to take it down the trail.”

old cowboy song about that? “Happy entrails to you,

So the youth pastor and the teens dragged the

until we meet again… ”)

carcass halfway down the trail, chatting happily. “The backstrap of a berry-fed bear is much better than

Thanks to the guts near our trail, when Rob

the backstrap of a fish-fed bear,” the pastor said. (Try

returned from his short work trip, he was shocked

saying that eight times really fast.) The backstrap, by

to find a full-grown grizzly directly on the path. The

the way, is the best-tasting part of a bear.

creature had been lured there by the discarded guts

“I’m really glad you guys live up here on the

and was having himself a jolly feast. This grizzly had to

mountain,” he continued. “That means this is a berry-fed

weigh close to 800 pounds, making the black bear look

bear, not a fish-fed bear. The backstrap of a fish-fed bear

as small as a cuddly Star Wars Ewok.

Rob backtracked to his car and spent the next two

tastes fishy, but the backstrap of a berry-fed bear doesn’t.”

PLAIN VALUES

I think I followed all of that.

days at a friend’s house until it was safe to return to

When the group found a good place to skin the

the cabin.

44

The crazy thing about this story is that about four years later, when I was no longer living in Alaska, I returned to the state to do my comedy routine, telling stories about the Last Frontier. I just happened to tell the tale of the black bear and the grizzly, and a man at the back of the room suddenly started waving his arms and announced that he was the youth pastor who had gutted that bear. After the show, he told me he was sorry about leaving the guts by the trail, but at least I got a good biblical message out of it.

That’s right, I can even find a parable in bear guts.

In Matthew 12:43-45, Jesus says that when a man drives an evil spirit out of his life, it will try to return to the man, and it will bring seven other spirits more wicked than itself. “And the final condition of that man is worse than the first,” Jesus said.

Those ugly guts are a lot like the evil spirit from Jesus’s story—the spirit that had been driven from a certain man. When my youth pastor friend tossed those guts right by the trail, they attracted a grizzly that was far more dangerous than the original bear.

The grizzly was like those seven spirits, which were far more wicked than the first spirit. After all, that grizzly don’t let God occupy your life, you become like an

was more than three times the size of the black bear.

In the previous chapter, the one about the moose

abandoned house, open for spiritual squatters.

poking its nose in the window, I talked about keeping

So once you dispose of the “guts,” make sure you

evil out of your life. But there’s another part to the

invite God into your life, for He’s the ideal lodger. He

lesson. When evil invades your life and you boot it out,

helps around the house and provides you with living

make sure you get rid of it completely. When you drive

water, and I hear He sets a nice table in the wilderness.

a particular sin from your life—when you’re disposing

By the way, this is by no means a lesson that I have

of the guts, so to speak—make sure you drive it far from

mastered, and I have to remind myself of it daily.

you. If you don’t completely clear the sin away, you’re

After all that happened with the two bears, I am

going to attract something far more insidious than

happy to report that Rob was eventually able to get

the original sin. You’re going to replace that 250-pound

back into our cabin, and I made it safely to the airport

black bear in your life with an 800-pound grizzly.

and flew to the Christian Artists Seminar in the

Here’s another important lesson to draw from

Rockies.

Matthew 12. After you drive away a sin, replace it

There, things got even more interesting, but that’s

with God. In Matthew, note that when the evil spirit

another story. //

returned, it found the house “unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.” Although the man got rid of the evil spirit, he didn’t invite the Lord into his house to replace the diabolical lodger. The house, which symbolizes the man’s life, was left unoccupied and abandoned. And

TAKEN FROM: OF MOOSE AND MEN. COPYRIGHT © 2016 BY TORRY MARTIN

we all know what can happen to an abandoned house.

AND DOUG PETERSON. PUBLISHED BY HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS, EUGENE,

It becomes the perfect place for squatters. When you

OREGON.

WWW.HARVESTHOUSEPUBLISHERS.COM.

USED

BY

PERMISSION.

45

JUNE 2020

46

FEATURE STORY

GOD OF WONDERS

WIDOW'S PATH

HOMESTEAD + ROOTS

OUR HERITAGE

GREAT OUTDOORS

CANINE CORNER

THE CANINE CORNER

HEARTWORM words by puppy expert: DR. TERESA HOXWORTH A very timely and important topic to write about in the spring is the treatment and prevention of heartworm disease in dogs. Due to the increase in breeders raising larger dogs which spend more time outdoors and also the increased number of breeders that are building outside run and exercise areas, the exposure to mosquitos which carry the deadly heartworms is also considerably greater. We will discuss the life cycle of the heartworm and how it is spread to dogs. I treat dogs frequently for heartworms, and I feel it is very important that breeders should be aware of this parasite.

Heartworms are spread to dogs by mosquitos. Dogs CANNOT become infected just by being exposed to another dog that is infected with heartworms.

The heartworm must travel through the mosquito in order to become infective to the dog. A mosquito must first bite an infected dog and ingest the larvae that are circulating in the blood of the infected dog. The larvae have to develop inside

47

JUNE 2020

Treatment involves strict rest after the injection of at least two doses of a medication called Immiticide deep into the muscles of the back on either side of the spine.

This treatment is risky and costly. It is much easier to prevent heartworm disease than to treat it. There are many types of heartworm prevention available, most of which involve giving a medication to every one of your dogs every thirty days. I recommend discussing heartworm prevention with your veterinarian, and they will be able to prescribe the best type of prevention for your particular situation. It is important to administer the prevention as prescribed in order to prevent adult heartworms from developing. Heartworm prevention will kill the circulating larvae before they develop to adults and begin to cause signs of heart failure or even sudden death.

Most heartworm preventives will also kill adult heartworms gradually. This can be a dangerous way to kill adult heartworms, and it may also result in the death of the dog. Because of the slow kill of the adult heartworms, you cannot predict when these large adult worms may die, and you cannot monitor the dog and keep it quiet during the time the worms are dying. Therefore it can be somewhat risky to administer heartworm prevention without knowing

the mosquito for several weeks before they can become

if your dog has adult heartworms. If you have not

infective to other dogs. After the larvae mature inside

been consistently giving your dog monthly heartworm

the mosquito, and this mosquito bites an uninfected dog,

prevention, it is recommended to test them before

the mosquito can inject the heartworm larvae into the

starting them on prevention. It is also recommended

uninfected dog. These larvae travel through the tissues

to test dogs yearly for heartworms even if they have

of the dog’s body until they develop into mature adult

been on monthly prevention.

heartworms. It takes about six months from the time

Because mosquitos spread heartworms, mosquito

an infected mosquito bites a dog until adult heartworms

control around the dogs also helps to minimize

develop in the heart of the dog.

exposure to your dogs. Keeping dogs indoors at night

The adult heartworms cause the clinical signs that

and the elimination of standing water in and around

you may recognize in affected dogs. These signs include

dog pens will help minimize mosquito exposure. Also,

lethargy, coughing, and difficulty breathing. As the

dogs with longer, thicker coats are less likely to get bit by

disease worsens, you may also see episodes of fainting,

a mosquito than dogs with shorter coats. Heartworms

fluid buildup in the abdomen, and weight loss. In the

are a complex subject, and there are many layers to the

early stages of the disease, there will be no signs.

treatment and control. If you have further questions, I

A blood test is required to diagnose heartworm

recommend that you work with your veterinarian for a

infection in a dog. There is no way to tell just by looking at

control program for this disease. //

a dog if they are infected. Dogs do not pass heartworms out in their stool; this parasite lives in the bloodstream.

Bloodwork and X-rays will need to be performed, and if

IF

YOU

HAVE

a dog tests positive for heartworms, then a treatment

PREVENTION

plan will be recommended based on the results.

(740) 599 - 5991.

PLAIN VALUES

QUESTIONS

OR

TO

ABOUT

SUGGEST

HEARTWORM

FUTURE

TOPICS,

DISEASE DR.

OR

TERESA

HOXWORTH CAN BE REACHED AT DANVILLE VETERINARY CLINIC -

48

49

JUNE 2020

FUNDS an d BENEFITS //

CRIST M. AND ESTHER MILLER FUND

A fund has been set up for Crist M. and Esther Miller. Crist was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer, is currently taking chemo treatments, and has ongoing doctor and hospital bills. Any donations and prayers will be greatly appreciated. Thank you, and God bless you for sharing. Tax-deductible donations can be sent to Mt. Hope Charities Inc., PO Box 19, Mt. Hope OH 44660. Attn: Martins Creek East Church.

//

AQUILLA KING FAMILY FUND

A fund has been set up for the Aquilla King family. They have six adult children living at home with myotonic dystrophy, a muscledisabling handicap. The costs increase as they age. Thank you. Send to Coatesville Savings Bank, 185 E. Lincoln Hwy, PO Box 390, Coatesville, PA 19320. Make checks payable to Aquilla King Family Fund.

//

LEROY & ESTHER MILLER FUND

A fund has been set up for Leroy and Esther Miller. Esther had a bike accident and broke her leg in multiple places. She needed three surgeries and therapy afterward. Their son Eddie was in an accident in 2011 and still needs assistance and therapy. Tax-deductible donations can be made to Mount Hope Charities Inc., PO Box 19, Mount Hope, OH 44660. Attn: Mt. Hope Middle East Church #125.

//

SUSAN HOCHSTEDLER FUND

A fund has been set up for Mrs. Susan Hochstedler and her family of five children, ages one to thirteen years old. Her husband, Clemance, died in a farming accident on January 9, 2020. All donations are appreciated. Make checks payable to Mt. Hope Charities Inc., PO Box 19, Mt. Hope, OH 44660. Attn: Salt Creek North Church.

//

DANIEL STOLTZFUS FUND

Dan was in and out of the hospital in Florida for three months with heart and lung problems. He has a huge hospital bill and is currently off work. He is on oxygen and has ongoing medical expenses with very little income. Coronavirus put a stop to benefit sales.

Make checks payable to Daniel Stoltzfus Fund and send to Coatesville Savings Bank, 1099 Georgetown Road, Christiana, PA 17509.

//

MILLIE BONTRAGER FUND

A fund has been set up for Millie (Lavern) Bontrager, a widow in District 66. Funds will be used to help pay for a new house; we would like to start building in early August. Checks can be made payable to the Millie Bontrager Benefit Fund and mailed to Farmers State Bank, PO Box 1010, Shipshewana, IN 46565 or dropped off at any Farmers State Bank location. Thank you for your support.

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ARLEN AND WANDA MULLET FUND

A fund has been set up for Arlen and Wanda Mullet. Arlen, 31, fell at home and fractured several vertebrae in his neck. He is currently paralyzed from his chest down. They are facing large medical and rehab expenses. They have two children, ages 2 and 7.

Thank you for your prayers and support. Make checks payable to Mt. Hope Charities Inc. Po Box 19, Mt. Hope, OH 44660. Attn: Fairview West Church.

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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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GOOD STUFF! wi th Kevin Hey, what’s the good word!

To control or not to control, that is the question. Being able to differentiate between things we can control and things we can’t makes a difference in our lives.

Personally, I think it’s a game-changer, an opportunity to bring both clarity and peace to our lives. But it will require daily discipline on our part, and that’s where we tend to struggle.

It certainly is a practice rather than a one-time event. It’s also the difference between consuming things and creating things. Sitting around worrying about all the variables and outcomes beyond our control keeps us in a state of inactiveness.

Sometimes it takes discipline to keep moving forward step by step, even when we feel vulnerable and uncertain.

When we focus on what we can control, we don’t worry as much about what we can’t. For me, it’s Where can I make a difference? The more I know that I’m doing as much as I reasonably can in that area, the more peace I feel about all the variables outside my control. Now this doesn’t mean I’m absolutely free of nerves or anxiety, but that effort does give me deeper self-trust.

We can control our input, but we can’t control the outcome. I can control how I show up in my relationships, but I can’t control what other people think of me. I can control how much time and effort I put into preparing for a job interview, but I can’t control whether I end up getting the job. In all of these situations we can influence the outcome, but we can’t control it.

I continually remind myself to refocus on how I can make a difference, rather than spend precious time and energy worrying about all the areas in which I can’t. One thing I’ve learned from this process is that focusing on what we can’t control often takes our energy and attention away from what we can control.

And that’s the key! Focusing on what we can’t control makes us less effective

Please feel free to reach me anytime with your thoughts at kevin@plainvalues.com or: Plain Values Attn: Good Stuff with Kevin PO Box 201 Winesburg, OH 44690

and potentially leads to the outcomes we fear the most. The more time and energy we’re spending on the things we can’t control, the less time and energy we’re spending on the ways in which we can make a difference.

If you're dealing with uncertainty in a particular area of life right now, start to clarify where you have control, where you don't, and how to focus on what matters.

So, ask yourself, “How can I focus more on things that I can control? What would that look like?” And once you identify that, I challenge you to make that a part of your daily discipline.

Now that’s GOOD STUFF! //

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JUNE 2020

PLAIN VALUES

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