Friday, July 13, 2007
Tribute to the Hoover Family
Thank You!
The Hoovers just received this from the Meeks Family. Thank you Tish and Tony! We wish God's very best in your lives. Steve and Kristin
The Hoovers just received this from the Meeks Family. Thank you Tish and Tony! We wish God's very best in your lives. Steve and Kristin
Tribute to the Hoover Family
ABC’s Wife Swap was a lot of fun. People ask us all the time “would you do it again” our answer is always “absolutely”. The Hoover family has made a big impact on our family. We believe that God sent them into our lives.
We learned a lot of things while doing the show. In Texas, Tony and Kristin were sitting up late and drinking coffee, talking about rock music, singing praise and worship songs and studying the Bible. In Missouri Tish, and Steve where drinking coffee, talking about life and hoping that Tony and Kristin were getting along as well as they were. Tish really bonded with Emily, Grace and Alivia and talks to them by phone often.
Would the Hoover family be our friends if not for Wife Swap? Probably not, because people tend to stay close to those just like themselves. That is why this experience was so powerful. So many people judge on outward appearances and miss meeting some of the greatest people in the world. The Hoovers are great people. They are an excellent representation of what it means to be Christians and if more Christians were like them, God would be seen by non-believers in a positive light.
Although 3 Kisses is doing great and music will always be a big part of the Meeks family, there have definitely been some positive changes in our home. Since the swap we are attending a Bible study and Tish has been making home made pies.
Tony & Tish Meeks
ABC’s Wife Swap was a lot of fun. People ask us all the time “would you do it again” our answer is always “absolutely”. The Hoover family has made a big impact on our family. We believe that God sent them into our lives.
We learned a lot of things while doing the show. In Texas, Tony and Kristin were sitting up late and drinking coffee, talking about rock music, singing praise and worship songs and studying the Bible. In Missouri Tish, and Steve where drinking coffee, talking about life and hoping that Tony and Kristin were getting along as well as they were. Tish really bonded with Emily, Grace and Alivia and talks to them by phone often.
Would the Hoover family be our friends if not for Wife Swap? Probably not, because people tend to stay close to those just like themselves. That is why this experience was so powerful. So many people judge on outward appearances and miss meeting some of the greatest people in the world. The Hoovers are great people. They are an excellent representation of what it means to be Christians and if more Christians were like them, God would be seen by non-believers in a positive light.
Although 3 Kisses is doing great and music will always be a big part of the Meeks family, there have definitely been some positive changes in our home. Since the swap we are attending a Bible study and Tish has been making home made pies.
Tony & Tish Meeks
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Labels: ABC wife swap, Christian, Hoover, Hoover/Meeks, tish meeks, tony meeks, wife swap #314
Chimney Sweep Saved
Shocked!A Kansas City, MO. chimney sweep was saved by a retired nurse after his ladder touched a power line yesterday.
Here is a quote from the Kansas City Star article:
“The woman continued CPR as paramedics arrived. When she stopped, the man had no heartbeat, and emergency crews used a defibrillator to revive him. But Med-Act spokesman Jeff Johnson said Klein was the reason he survived.
“Absolutely, she kept the blood flowing to the heart and the brain to keep him alive until we got there,” Johnson said.”
This is yet another reminder that my occupation is a hazardous one and safety must always be the first consideration. Whether the safety measures are for carcinogenic soot and power lines, or fall protection, it deserves serious attention. Unfortunately, injury and death of working chimney sweeps is not that uncommon.
I’m glad to read these sweeps are recovering and thank God for that retired nurse!
Steve
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Labels: chimney sweep, CPR, nurse
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Prayer & Praise
Spiritual WarfareI have been looking forward to Women’s Bible Study at the Hoover House today. We had some special guests so there were seven of us. We have been going through Joy Haney’s, “Women of the Spirit” lessons on spiritual warfare. The lesson today was on two powerful weapons God has given us, using the Word of God, and praying in the spirit as the Holy Spirit gives utterance.
At a wedding, on Saturday, I met a young lady involved with missions in Hong Kong. While there, she worked with a group who ministers to heroin addicts. She shared how their experience shows a recovering addict who prays in tongues has a much quicker recovery time and less side effects from the detoxification. This recovery center has around the clock prayer time with these individuals, with each worker taking a four hour shift.
Well that, my friends, went right along with my lesson on Spiritual Warfare. Christ has empowered the believer with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) and even gives victory over the fiery darts of addictions! I asked this young lady to come to our study and to give her testimony. Her mother also came to give her burden for helping addicts in our own area. It is so beautiful how God is stirring up our community!
Other GuestsToday, my mother and father are here for a summer visit. My mother, Judith Bentley, also blessed our ladies meeting with her anointed ministry.
Through our participation in the show, I met up with an Assembly of God pastor’s wife from a neighboring city. She has become a dear sister to me. She and her husband asked Steve and I to speak a few weeks ago. On Pentecost Sunday, we shared our testimony of how God has moved through the TV program, and spoke on the infilling of the Holy Spirit. That night a lady received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and several others were refilled. Praise the Lord! This pastor’s wife joined us today for the Bible Study on Spiritual Warfare. We all had a great time in the Lord.
God is so good!
Kristin
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Fat Of The Land
TherapyOne of the great joys in my life is growing and eating my own vegetables. Something about the process, even the “sweat of the brow” part, is rewarding and provides a sense of accomplishment. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if it was all about me… no children, no yard and garden, no properties and structures to maintain, no wife, just a small apartment and my weekly psychiatrist appointments… No thank you! I am a blessed man!
OK, so it’s not the four acres of asparagus and strawberries we had growing up, but it’s the thought that counts – right? It really is something I love and desire to pass on to my own children.Steve
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Weddings and Funerals
Here comes the Bride
Over the weekend Steve and I attended a wedding in a “liberal” Mennonite church in our town. The bride was lovely beyond words, and it was a grand celebration.
When one speaks of the Amish, there is generally no doubt they are referring to plain folks, however it is quite different when you speak of the Mennonites. Many Mennonites dress as typical denominational Christians do, however Steve’s family is part of smaller segment that drive horse and buggy, dress very plainly, and live mostly agriculturally.
It is quite different going to an ‘Old Order’ Mennonite wedding than the one we attended this past weekend. An Old Order wedding is always scheduled at the bride’s home on a Tuesday or Thursday so as to not interfere with weekend chores and Sunday preparations. Weddings are also held only during early spring or late fall of the year, avoiding planting and harvesting conflicts. Services start at 9:00 AM with cookies and wine served as an opening ceremony. There is a ‘caller’ who calls out the seating arrangement. For instance, he’ll cry “Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hoover!”, and we’ll be seated next. Or if single and dating, he would call, “Stephen Hoover and friend!”. When everyone is seated, a congregational hymn is sung during which the bride and groom come in and take their seats. The groom dresses plain, in his best Sunday suit (no tie), and the bride wears a plain, light grey dress, signifying purity, but reserving purest white for the Bride of Christ. There is not a single “Pastor” in the Old Order congregations, but rather a group of ministers who are chosen by “lots”, consisting of a Bishop, Preachers and Deacons. During the wedding, I patiently endure long lectures about marriage, mostly in a language (Pennsylvania Dutch) I barely understand, all the while nudging my husband to stay awake!
Ahh… but then the food! Piles of homemade noodles, mashed potatoes, meats, salads, homegrown vegetables, homemade breads, and the desserts are heavenly. It is always worth any effort in going. Steve tries hard not to miss a wedding invitation – it really is a special day.
Rest in Peace
Steve’s father died suddenly in June 12 years ago. I learned much from Steve’s father about Christian living, and he was very well respected in the Mennonite community. There were around a thousand people attending the funeral. Steve and I rode in a buggy with his sister and her husband, following a horse drawn hearse. The pine casket was opened one more time at the burial site, where his father lay in a pure white garment. Hundreds of people walked by, and some of the children walked with bare feet. Steve and his brothers lowered the pine casket with ropes into the final resting place, and shoveled in the dirt. Everything was very simple, and even without flowers.
The gathering then went inside for the funeral service. The building would not seat them all, and many gathered around the doors and windows. Men and boys sat on one side of the church and women and young children on the other. The benches were constructed of plain wood, hardwood flooring, and no air conditioning available. If necessity occured, there were outhouses.
The service was conducted in English and German to accommodate the many visitors from outside the community. The funeral sermons are not merely a recital of a single life’s work, but focus on the shortness of life, duty of man, and his relationship with God.
The “English” with us were fascinated by the cultural differences, but also enthralled by the number of horses and buggies at the funeral.
Many children’s stories are centered around characters able to travel into another time by some magical invention. I am a blessed woman to have the ability to experience first hand the goodness and simplicity of a bygone era.
Kristin
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Over the weekend Steve and I attended a wedding in a “liberal” Mennonite church in our town. The bride was lovely beyond words, and it was a grand celebration.
When one speaks of the Amish, there is generally no doubt they are referring to plain folks, however it is quite different when you speak of the Mennonites. Many Mennonites dress as typical denominational Christians do, however Steve’s family is part of smaller segment that drive horse and buggy, dress very plainly, and live mostly agriculturally.
It is quite different going to an ‘Old Order’ Mennonite wedding than the one we attended this past weekend. An Old Order wedding is always scheduled at the bride’s home on a Tuesday or Thursday so as to not interfere with weekend chores and Sunday preparations. Weddings are also held only during early spring or late fall of the year, avoiding planting and harvesting conflicts. Services start at 9:00 AM with cookies and wine served as an opening ceremony. There is a ‘caller’ who calls out the seating arrangement. For instance, he’ll cry “Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hoover!”, and we’ll be seated next. Or if single and dating, he would call, “Stephen Hoover and friend!”. When everyone is seated, a congregational hymn is sung during which the bride and groom come in and take their seats. The groom dresses plain, in his best Sunday suit (no tie), and the bride wears a plain, light grey dress, signifying purity, but reserving purest white for the Bride of Christ. There is not a single “Pastor” in the Old Order congregations, but rather a group of ministers who are chosen by “lots”, consisting of a Bishop, Preachers and Deacons. During the wedding, I patiently endure long lectures about marriage, mostly in a language (Pennsylvania Dutch) I barely understand, all the while nudging my husband to stay awake!
Ahh… but then the food! Piles of homemade noodles, mashed potatoes, meats, salads, homegrown vegetables, homemade breads, and the desserts are heavenly. It is always worth any effort in going. Steve tries hard not to miss a wedding invitation – it really is a special day.
Rest in Peace
Steve’s father died suddenly in June 12 years ago. I learned much from Steve’s father about Christian living, and he was very well respected in the Mennonite community. There were around a thousand people attending the funeral. Steve and I rode in a buggy with his sister and her husband, following a horse drawn hearse. The pine casket was opened one more time at the burial site, where his father lay in a pure white garment. Hundreds of people walked by, and some of the children walked with bare feet. Steve and his brothers lowered the pine casket with ropes into the final resting place, and shoveled in the dirt. Everything was very simple, and even without flowers.
The gathering then went inside for the funeral service. The building would not seat them all, and many gathered around the doors and windows. Men and boys sat on one side of the church and women and young children on the other. The benches were constructed of plain wood, hardwood flooring, and no air conditioning available. If necessity occured, there were outhouses.
The service was conducted in English and German to accommodate the many visitors from outside the community. The funeral sermons are not merely a recital of a single life’s work, but focus on the shortness of life, duty of man, and his relationship with God.
The “English” with us were fascinated by the cultural differences, but also enthralled by the number of horses and buggies at the funeral.
Many children’s stories are centered around characters able to travel into another time by some magical invention. I am a blessed woman to have the ability to experience first hand the goodness and simplicity of a bygone era.
Kristin
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Labels: funerals, mennonite, PA. Dutch
Temporary Fixes
I just read the "Simple Life or Abundant Life" By Cara Baker (Davis)
She writes, "But although people are looking for escape, and finding it (everywhere from yoga to the movies to extreme sports), most are only looking for a temporary fix."
I agree. Many also say they would like to withdraw from the helter skelter rat race they find themselves in, but few will do so for any length of time.
Plain Attractions
Twenty five years ago, after the Academy Award winning "Witness" was released, the Amish and the plain people of Intercourse and Lancaster County suddenly found dozens of wanna-be-Amish in their communities. Attracted by a lifestyle seemingly oblivious to the cares of the greater world around them, some even entered the probationary phase for membership in Amish Churches. Needless to say they fell by the wayside, and one insider tells me that none of the "Witness" converts became devotees in the Amish churches of PA.
Steve
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
She writes, "But although people are looking for escape, and finding it (everywhere from yoga to the movies to extreme sports), most are only looking for a temporary fix."
I agree. Many also say they would like to withdraw from the helter skelter rat race they find themselves in, but few will do so for any length of time.
Plain Attractions
Twenty five years ago, after the Academy Award winning "Witness" was released, the Amish and the plain people of Intercourse and Lancaster County suddenly found dozens of wanna-be-Amish in their communities. Attracted by a lifestyle seemingly oblivious to the cares of the greater world around them, some even entered the probationary phase for membership in Amish Churches. Needless to say they fell by the wayside, and one insider tells me that none of the "Witness" converts became devotees in the Amish churches of PA.
Steve
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Labels: Abundant Life, amish, Intercourse, Lancaster County
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Triumphant Tuesday
Hoover Girls Rock the Library
Today was the final celebration for the library’s Summer Reading Program, “Get a Clue.” Everyone was to attend in some sort of disguise. I happened to get a glimpse of Darth Vader, Zorro, an eagle and a multitude of masks and mustaches. Emily dressed with clown shoes, wig, and several other oddities. Grace had a clown nose, princess crown and sunglasses. I was able to talk Alivia into dressing as a Clue character with me. I went as Mrs. Scarlet with the wrench in the Library, and Alivia went as Mrs. White with the candlestick in the Library.
The two eldest won first prizes in their categories for the number of books read, and the youngest, Alivia, won second prize with 200+ books read to her. I was disheartened when I found the first prize had changed from a savings bond to a package of movie tickets. ARGH!!!! I was able to trade with someone else for Wal-Mart gift cards.
Today was the final celebration for the library’s Summer Reading Program, “Get a Clue.” Everyone was to attend in some sort of disguise. I happened to get a glimpse of Darth Vader, Zorro, an eagle and a multitude of masks and mustaches. Emily dressed with clown shoes, wig, and several other oddities. Grace had a clown nose, princess crown and sunglasses. I was able to talk Alivia into dressing as a Clue character with me. I went as Mrs. Scarlet with the wrench in the Library, and Alivia went as Mrs. White with the candlestick in the Library.
The two eldest won first prizes in their categories for the number of books read, and the youngest, Alivia, won second prize with 200+ books read to her. I was disheartened when I found the first prize had changed from a savings bond to a package of movie tickets. ARGH!!!! I was able to trade with someone else for Wal-Mart gift cards.
Other Summer FunTears rolled down my cheeks when I saw Grace riding her bike without training wheels for the first time on Saturday. After a week of me panting along side her, she can finally do it on her own. My “Gracie Bear” is growing up.
There are two young boys in our area trying to raise money to support their passion for soccer. They have formed a soccer class which my girls (and I) have been attending. The boys are very good and have already taught my girls quite a bit. When they hit their pillows tonight they were out cold. How I do love sports!
I have a bicycle with a caboose for the younger ones, and we have enjoyed riding around town. I used to be somewhat self-conscious to go on biking wearing a skirt, but since we were on television, and the entire world now knows where we stand, the only redness in my cheeks is from climbing the last hill pulling 100 pounds behind me.
Kristin
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Labels: Bicycle, Library, Soccer
The Comforter Has Come
The Comforter
In 1906 William J Seymour was not only teaching the blood of Jesus cleansed from all sin, but also that the Holy Spirit baptism should be accompanied with the physical evidence of speaking in other tongues, much like the initiation in the Upper Room and throughout the recorded Acts of the Apostles.
Holy Rollers
The media reports of the new revival were biased, peppered with intentional insults like "Disgraceful intermingling of the races”, and “They have a one eyed, illiterate, Negro as their preacher”. The cartoons depicted caricatures with “Holy Roller” tags on their backs or labeled them with other derogatory slurs.
Good from Evil
In the early days of the Azusa Street Revival, there was little money collected at the meetings, but God used the media scrutiny as a catalyst to spread the word, not just around the country, but around the world. The media was, in fact, providing free advertising for the Los Angeles Azusa Street mission.
A century has passed, and the Azusa Street Revival has morphed into a movement, transcending denominational lines and infiltrating even the “High Churches” with endued power from on high.
At the recent 2006 Centennial Celebration of the Azusa Street Revival, it was documented that nearly 600,000,000 Christians today trace their roots to the mission on Azusa Street with the one eyed preacher.
May we never forget a lesson from Azusa Street; what an adversary intends for evil, God in His wisdom, can most certainly use for good.
An Anniversary
Today, July 10th, it was 22 years ago that I myself received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was at the old open Campground in Westphalia, Mo. T. F. Tenney was the Evangelist. After the sermon he invited those who wished to receive the Spirit to come up front to receive the laying on of hands and prayer. This is a biblical practice and I responded. As I prayed I was overwhelmed with the Spirit of God. I would describe it as a strong burning in my heart that would not be quenched, and I spoke in tongues and glorified God for quite some time.
The Promise is Unto You
If you love Christ and desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit as were the apostles and the early church in the book of Acts, simply ask him to fill you as they were filled.
Jesus Said;
“Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
Today is a great day! Blessed be the name of the Lord!
Steve Hoover
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Labels: Comforter, Holy Roller, Holy Spirit, T. F. Tenney
Monday, July 09, 2007
Tribute to the Meeks Family
Tribute to the Meeks Family
Our experience with ABC’s Wife Swap was a good one. We thank God for the Meeks family and their continued friendship with the Hoover family.
While our parenting styles differ, we see much in the Meeks family that is honorable and noteworthy. Basically, the Meeks children Benji and Hannah, are well mannered, taught to treat others with respect, and do share quality moments with their parents.
From their fundraising efforts in “Susan G. Komen for the Cure” to their ability to pursue a dream, the Meeks family is indeed extraordinary. Tish’s generosity and genuine love for children, and Tony’s willingness to reconnect to God are tokens of the greatness in their hearts. They “Rock”!
Both Tony and Tish possess leadership qualities to impact their world in a positive way, and we expect many lives will be affected in their realm of influence.
The Hoover House will never quite be the same … with electric guitars and “Kristin’s Night Off”, “Everybody Loves Spring”!
Steve and Kristin Hoover
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
Labels: ABC wife swap, Hoover, meeks, Rock
Sunday, July 08, 2007
UNMASKED
AMISH DOLLS
I have observed tourists come into communities of “Plain People” hoping to get a glimpse of a life that is seemingly a world apart from their own. The attraction is more than a nostalgic longing for the ‘good old days’ with an absence of modern conveniences, and is often primarily focused on the Amish/Mennonite people themselves. The intrinsic desire to find that curiosity behind the beard and beneath the hat is rarely satisfied by a drive through a community.
Lancaster County, PA. the heart of Amish Country, has become a major tourist attraction. Spurred on by a generation of entrepreneurial Amish, who market wares from hand crafted swing sets to hand stitched quilts and, of course, those faceless Amish dolls.
Son of Man
Commenting on his 1964 “Son of Man” painting, Rene Magritte stated; "Everything we see hides another thing; we always want to see what is hidden by what we see, but it is impossible. Humans hide their secrets too well."
The outward appearance of men is often quite deceptive. A smiling face on the street may wield a load of pain in her heart. The kind salesman with the honest eyes may have just sold you a lemon.
In the end we are more the same than we are different. In spite of our oddities and curiosities we mostly experience that which is common to man and are in similar condition. Our need for a Savior is universal. Only God can see beyond the tattoos and the bonnets in all of our lives.
Our best efforts to discover what is behind the costume or façade, is often no more revealing than a big green apple or a faceless Amish doll.
IN CHRIST
You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. 2 Corinthians 10:7 NASB
- Steve Hoover
Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!
