The Word Is

Vol. 1, Issue 2

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From A Former Pastor's Pen

I was reading a verse on a bookmark in my Bible and it caused me to do some serious thinking about my Christian experience and the way I manage my life. The verse goes like this . . .

As children bring their broken toys

With tears for us to mend,

I brought my broken dreams to God

Because He was my Friend.

But then instead of leaving Him

In peace to work alone,

I hung around and tried to help

With ways that were my own.

At last I snatched them back and cried,

“How can you be so slow . . .”

“My child,” He said, “What can I do?

You never did let go.”

Author unknown

It seems that we spend a lot of time “reacting” to the circumstances of life. We fight. . . we struggle. . . we get discouraged. . . we then decide to entrust them to the Lord. But we do so with a sense of our own defeat and with a kind of last resort mentality. Why must we always do this with a spirit that is close to resignation rather than with a deliberateness that is born of confidence and trust? Can we not, I asked myself, just let them go patiently, deliberately trusting God can work things out?

Trusting our lives to the Lord is not an exercise in desperation and apathy, but a choice. . . a deliberate decision to make God a confidant and partner. Truly an act of faith. David once said “Commit your ways to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Psalms 37:5-6.

I have learned that “to succeed, you must let go.” And to have peace you must “trust the one who carries your toys.” Why not give them all to Jesus. — Reprint from former pastor Wayne Spangenberg

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Where Does The Food Come From?

On Monday morning the truck, driven by Mac Reid, arrives from Feed More in Richmond, VA, to deliver food. We receive USDA food free the first monday of every month. Everything else we receive from them we have to pay for except PUSH products – items like produce and certain dairy items they need to get rid of so those items we get free. We never know what produce, etc, we will receive from them or how much – sometimes it can be nothing and other times it can be two or three pallets stacked high with food.

It’s Tuesday morning, so time to get up and get rolling. DeShayla has a lot to do. She makes her rounds to pick up donated food from local businesses: Sheetz in Prince George, Walmart in Petersburg, and

Food Lion in Colonial Heights. Thursday morning rolls around and she has to return to Walmart in Petersburg and Food Lion in Colonial Heights for more food. The time varies throughout the day and so does the amount of food that is donated. Whatever the amount, it is appreciated by us and the people who come to our food pantry. Once the food is picked up, she has to return to our center and weigh the food and type the amount into an app to report what is donated from the stores. Some of the items received are loaf bread, rolls, buns, and desserts of all kinds — pies, cakes, cookies, donuts, and whatever the store feels they don’t need.

There is a lot that goes on when this food comes in and that will be discussed at another time.

—Submitted by Mary Conner

April Birthdays and Anniversaries

1	Steve Schutt
	Florence Cadet
3	Ben McDaniel
5	Nancy Cannon
8	David Tapp
9	Delores Hines
13	Brantley Stephenson
	Praise Agi
16	Dylan Hicks
18	Ivo Steele
20	Lillie Wilson
	Leon Clay
23	Enez Nunez
24	Ann Williams
26	Barbara Brooks
	Kirsten Anderson Lyons
27	Cindy Carroll
	Rachel Stover
29	Nancy Nabity Martin
30	Bridger Snow



ANNIVERSARIES

15	Gorden & Celeste Dove
27	Dylan & Dionna Young Hicks

Vegetarian Delight

Grandma’s Chicken Casserole

3 cups chopped cooked chicken (vegetarian)

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3 cups finely crushed Ritz Crackers

Mix all ingredients together and pour into 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes

If you wish you can add additional seasonings to suit your taste

—Submitted by Joyce Joyner

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Meet Our Member

Milton Blunt was born in Petersburg, one of six children, five boys and one girl. His father passed away when he was seven, leaving his mother with six children to raise.

He moved to New York as a young man to look for work. He then moved to Baltimore, where he worked in Sterile Processing for St. Joseph’s Hospital. He loves learning, so while employed there, he took a Medical Terminology course to enable him to understand the terms the doctors used when ordering supplies.

He liked his work at the hospital, but after nine years, he wanted to work in a more social environment. He joined the Staff Auxiliary, hospitality arm of the University of Baltimore Business School. Milton enjoyed the social aspect of the job and continued there until retirement. It was there that he was introduced to Adventism.

The University of Baltimore has a diversity of students from many countries. One day while waiting for the elevator, a student, he had never met asked him to attend a Revelation Seminar at her home. It was held twice weekly in the basement of the student’s home and was conducted by a church elder. After attending the seminar and completing the Bible studies, Milton chose to be baptized in 2004. He was privileged to attend the 2010 General Conference in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

He returned to Petersburg five years ago and has been attending our church for approximately three of those years. He has one son who travels often. —Submitted by Sandra Jacobs

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Based on a True Story

During the years of 1963 and 1965 I had the privilege of having two beautiful children, both girls. It was a joy to watch them grow. Both had completely different ideas of what they wanted to do and how to do them even in marriage; but, in Deborah’s case her life was cut short At that time she had two young children that she simply adored and when she found out that she had cancer, she worried more about them than herself. The doctor told her that she had malignant peripheral nerve tumors. They are a rare type of cancer that arise from the soft tissue that surrounds nerves. They are a type of Sarcoma. Tommy and I went to Ohio to be with her during this time to try to comfort her and her family. We prayed for healing but the Lord knew what was the best thing for her and he let her go to sleep to wait for him until the resurrection day.

It is so hard to lose a child and the grieving process is long and continuous, and we know the devil is working hard. One night I could not sleep, so I got up and went into the kitchen to get some water to drink, and on the way back down the hall I heard the devil say “turn around and you will see Deborah”. He knows our weak spots and knew how much I missed her. Chills went through my body because I knew I was on dangerous ground and I knew the voice was not coming from God. My mother taught us children that the Bible states that when you die you know not anything and our church teaches that spiritualism will arise in the later days, so I just kept on walking and went back to bed with a prayer on my lips.

Spirit of Prophecy states “Many will be confronted by the spirits of devils personating beloved relatives or friends and declaring the most dangerous heresies. These visitants will appeal to our tenderest sympathies and will work miracles to sustain their pretentions. We must be prepared to withstand them with the Bible truth that the dead know not anything and that they who thus appear are the spirits of devils. GC 560.1

The Lord has scripture in the Bible telling us how the devil will tempt us and we need to be ready at all times to refute him.

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” and Matt 26:41 “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” —Submitted by Caroline Heartwell

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I have only one recipe for the next newsletter. Please submit articles on the below topics.

Would like an Article From Each Elder

Based on a True Story

Vegetarian Delight

Please place them in a sealed envelope and put them in the Deacon’s Room in the mail tray labelled “NEWSLETTER ARTICLES” or give them to me. This is your newsletter, let’s keep it going.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Mary Conner