ON STICKATUATIVITY...

There is just something special about tent meetings. As a child I always looked forward to going to tent meetings when Freddy Clark would be in our area. I remember his big white nylon tent when he had it set up in Caribou, Maine. I’m not sure how many center poles it had but it was huge! Very impressive! I remember when he set up a tent in Blaine, not far from what used to be Smitty’s Truck Stop. One of my uncles gave his heart to the Lord in those meetings!

VBC Website Header

We have erected a tent here at Victory Bible Camp every summer since 2001. It’s a four pole Pikes Tent 35’ X 70’.  We only set up 2/3 of the tents capacity with just two poles rather than four. Today I received 100 chairs from my brother Jason from his church in Brockville.  What a tremendous blessing to get these chairs!

As I was setting up the chairs yesterday, I recalled a story that I just had to share today.

When Esther and I were first married, we lived in Bathurst, New Brunswick for just a few months.  At the time my dad was building the mobile chapel and I was able to give him a hand on the project.

Dad began having Home Bibles with a couple from a small town just north of Bathurst called Petit Rocher (Little Rock). It was during that time that Dad felt on his heart to have a series of tent meetings. News quickly spread that the Pentecostals were coming to town.  We figured people would be excited about a big tent coming to their village! Dad was able to secure a field right on the main road into Petit Rocher. We printed up some announcements and planned to have Bro. Lloyd Williams as the main speaker. It was quite exciting!

I remember bringing everything to the site on the trailer. We had the tent, poles, chairs, ropes, steel stakes, lights, sound system and anything else that was required. Dad and I built a platform. Together we began raising the tent. It was a lot of work!  We worked all one day setting up the tent and placing the chairs. We set up the sound system, hung the lights and got the platform in place. 

That afternoon someone stopped by and gave us a subtle warning that we should keep an eye on things, especially during the night. He said he had heard some rumors going around town that some people were planning to do something. Dad took the warning serious and went home to bring over his travel trailer.  He and I decided we better spend the night in the trailer just to make sure there would be no trouble. Dad said I was the official Security Guard! We went to bed at around 11:00pm and sure enough at 1:30am there was this truck that came barrelling into the field. We were both startled out of our sleep and jumped up to see what was going on. As we looked out through the windows of the trailer we heard a loud “War Whoop!”  And then we watched as the entire tent came floating down to the ground! We stayed inside the trailer until there was no more commotion. Then we both went out to survey the damage. The tent was completely flat! All the ropes had been cut! I remember how sad my dad felt. We had both worked so hard. Dad said “We’ll, worry about it tomorrow.” We went back into the trailer and went back to sleep.

When we awoke in the morning, for a split second I thought it was just a dream that I had had. But as we got up and made some coffee we looked at all the mess. It was like a tornado had ripped through in the night. Now I don’t know if you can picture it, but it wasn’t just that the tent was down but everything that we had put inside was now buried underneath. It was a bit embarrassing because people would drive by and stop and look at the mess. Some would circle back to take a second look. Funny...no one offered to help!  But my Dad wasn’t a quitter! He said, Son, we better get this tent back up because our first service starts tonight.” I said, “Really?” He said, “Why of course! We’re not going to let this discourage us! Let’s get busy! This isn’t the end of the world!”

First, we had to remove everything from underneath. Not a pleasant job! Once everything was out, we began standing the outer perimeter poles and then we stood the center poles just like we had done the day before. People continued to drive by and stare at us. I’m sure they thought we were nuts!

Just as we got the tent up for the second time, a man stopped in and began to talk to Dad. I kept hearing Dad say, “I understand...Yes, I understand. No problem.” The man was an important man in the community and he told Dad that there were a lot of people in the town that were not very happy with what we were doing and he asked Dad to take the tent down. He said if we didn’t take the tent down, he knew it would be even worse that night!

Well, it was disappointing for both of us. Bro. Lloyd Williams arrived that afternoon as we were taking the tent down. Dad felt so bad to tell Brother Williams that there would be no tent meetings.

But guess what?  Dad baptised his first convert in the Bathurst church and she was from Petit Rocher! Her name was Viola Haché.  She became a wonderful blessing to the church and still is! God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform! It was as though God was saying, “Don’t fret...at least we got ONE!”

I learned a lot from that incident! I learned things like, Never quit! Never give up! And never give in! God always has a way of bringing the good out of the bad.

Today the church in Bathurst is still going strong. I will always admire the “stickatuativity” of my Dad! I too want to be determined to push through, even when things look difficult.

C’mon, say it with me STICK-A-TU-A-TIV-ITY. I WILL NEVER QUIT!

ON STEVE'S BLOG...

Greetings Everyone!


Just want to let everyone know that I haven't given up on writing. For that would be a shame! The last few days have been very busy getting everything ready for camp. 


Tonight we have a Spanish Pentecostal group of 60 arriving. They will be here for the weekend and then on Tuesday we begin our 5 day Children's Camp which looks like we will have a very high enrollment. Then the following Tuesday we will begin our 5 day Teen Camp. It's gonna be a lot of early mornings and late nights over the next few weeks. Pray for Victory Bible Camp and for Esther and I.


Then I should be able to get back to writing some more goodies! Feel free to go back and review some of the past blogs I've written.


Love and Prayers,
Pastor Steve and Esther


PS:  Jason drove up from Brockville today!  We had it out! He was limping, rubbing his nose and crying when he left! Reminded me of when he was 3 and had to have stitches! (read the July 27th Blog and you will understand!)


Oh, and thanks for giving the camp 100 chairs today Jason!  You're such a lovely Brother!   :-)

ON MY BROTHER JASON...

Since I did an entire Blog on my brother Joel, it would only seem right to do one on my other brother Jason.

Jason is a lovely brother.


:-)

ON MY BROTHER JOEL...

Leaving the house

My youngest brother was born Caesarean Section....that’s why whenever he leaves the house he goes out through a window instead of the door! It’s just a habit that he was born with!

His name is Joel.  He had the biggest cheeks you ever did see.  What a cutie he was. I didn’t have the opportunity to grow up with Joel since I was already married and gone from the house. It so happened that he was born just six months before our oldest daughter Estelle was born. Joel is now 32.

Joel seemed to have a rough beginning in life. On the night Mom went into labor, dad and I were at the Married Couples Retreat in Fredericton. Dad was one of the speakers so he felt he should go. Esther was in Bathurst with mom. Dad had left his car at home and we went in ours.

That evening everything seemed normal and while mom was talking to Shirley Lewis on the phone, in the course of conversation mom calmly said to Shirley, “I think I’ll be going to the hospital tonight.” Then just a few seconds later said, “Oops, my water just broke, I guess I should be going.” Esther heard what mom had just said and went into high gear trying to get mom off the phone and ready to go!  Mom wasn’t too concerned, in fact she asked Esther to do a load of laundry. Esther threw the clothes in and set the washer to “short load” and then when it just started the wash cycle she jumped it ahead to spin! Esther says, mom just took her good ole time. Finally they got into the car. It was the end of February so there was a lot of snow to contend with. It was the first time Esther had driven dads car, plus she had no idea how to get to the hospital so mom was giving her directions as they went. Every so often mom would grip the door handle really tight, either having a contraction or tense with Esther's driving...we're not sure which. When they got close to the hospital mom said, "Turn here!" But it was the wrong street. Esther got the car turned around and just as she pulled back onto the main street a car was passing in their lane straight toward them. They had nowhere to go because of the high snow banks. Esther said she just closed her eyes, and said, “OH LORD HELP US!” She just knew that there would surely be a head on collision!

Mom didn’t know at the time that Esther was three months pregnant herself expecting our first child, Estelle. There were four in the car! Not just mom and Esther! When she opened her eyes the other car had miraculously passed around them and all was well. They arrived at the hospital and mom was in labor for many hours. Dad arrived from Fredericton before Joel was born and since mom had been in labor for so long the Doctor decided mom would have to have a C-section and said, "We only have four minutes to get this child out!" Joel was born on February 29^th.  A leap-year baby!

At the age of one Joel was playing and somehow got his hands on a large diaper pin that was OPEN and got it into his mouth and swallowed it! He began choking and dad and mom rushed him to the emergency. The X-ray showed that the diaper pin was located part way down his throat, open in a V position with the needle end pointing upward. They explained to dad that there was nothing they could do for Joel in Bathurst and that they would have to rush him to the Hospital in Moncton two and a half hours away. 

Joel, Misty, Gracie, Ava

Dad immediately ran out of the hospital and jumped into the car and took off toward Moncton before the Ambulance left. Dad told us how that he was driving extremely fast down through Harcourt, sometimes burying the needle! Just then he looked in the rear view mirror and here came the lights and siren of the Ambulance literally flying! It passed him like he was sitting still! They rushed Joel into Emergency. Somehow they were able to get the diaperpin out by pushing it all the way down into his stomach, turning it around and pulling it back up through his throat! He recovered fine. Thank God!

Ava and Gracie

Then there was the time the family were at a place where Joel was swimming in a pool and the next thing they knew, there was Joel floating face down struggling to get his head out of the water. Dad quickly rushed to his rescue pulling him out of the water by the scruff of his neck! Another close call! Joel was only five!(see correction below)

I could go on telling about his terrifying situations like his trip home to Oklahoma just a couple years ago when his wife Misty had to rush him into Emergency with severe bleeding ulcers! He was one sick boy!

I think you get the picture. This boy’s life has been spared several times for which we thank God! He has an incredible ministry as he connects with people, preaching the Word of God, in a most extraordinary way! He is definitely an extension of our dad’s Children’s Ministries ability. Joel assists at John and Jody's church in Lone Grove, Oklahoma. He carries a wonderful testimony of God’s protection! He and his wife Misty, have two beautiful daughters, Ava and Gracie! We thank God for this wonderful family!!

Joel just getting home!

Well, I guess I better sign off for now because it looks like Joel just got home!   SRR




STORY CORRECTION BY MOM ABOUT THE NEAR DROWNING: 
Mom says:  I was cooking at the camp site. Dad was talking to Grampie. All of a sudden I said to dad you should go check on the boys. And he started talking again with Grampie. I said in a more firmer voice Ray I feel like you should go right now so he got up and went down. Jo'el was at the bottom of the pool and dad jumped in and grabbed his hair and pulled him up. There were bubbles coming from his mouth while he was under the water. Dad asked Jo'el later were you trying to say something under water, Jo'el said I was trying to say help me! 
Jo'el was standing on the edge of the pool. Randy went down the slide with his arms opened up wide - and by mistake his arm caught Jo'el and swept him out into the pool. And of course Jo'el couldn't swim. It must have been at that instant that I felt Ray should go now and check on the boys. Ray told me later the boys didn't even know Jo'el was in the water. Jo'el threw up a lot of water! It was a miracle!!

ON THE BACK ROADS OF HOYT....

Don’t try this at home, unless you are a professional!

Bell Bridge  Juvenile Settlement

Back a number of years ago, we were spending a couple of nights at our cottage in Hoyt, New Brunswick. We loved that little place! No running water, just a spring at the bottom of the hill. An old covered bridge with lots of hilly twists and turns in the road.

The first day that we were there we were driving on the Juvenile Settlement Road out in back of Hoyt, not far from the Bell Bridge. I asked my two girls if they had ever ridden on the hood of the car before.  They both emphatically said, NOOO!!  I said, “Would you like to?” Michelle, our sporadic one, was quick to say, “YES!” But Estelle was a little more cautious. She said “Really, Dad? What if something happens?” I said, “I’ll go slow, you’ll be fine.” To which Esther said, “NO! YOU’RE NOT DOING THAT!” I insisted, “They’ll be okay!” Then she gave me that, “Don’t be so dumb, look!” I said, “Aw it’ll be fun!” The girls, now, were in full agreement! Esther wasn’t excited about it at all!

Anyway, I changed the subject and we continued on our little ride.

The next day Esther stayed at the cottage while I and the girls went for a ride in the car down to the spring to get some water. When we got out of sight of the cottage, once again, I asked the girls if they would like to ride on the hood of the car! Michelle said, “YES!” Esther didn’t object this time. So I stopped the car. We got out and I sat each girl on the hood of the car side by side and told them to lay their backs against the windshield. I said, “Now hold on tight to the windshield wipers. Cause here we go!”  As they lay against the windshield they looked at each other and grinned from ear to ear! The second the car started to move they let out a deafening squeal. Then their screaming turned to hysterical laughter as I accelerated a little. Once in awhile I would turn the wipers on and they would scream their heads off! I would speed up and slow down and they would squeal all the more! I’m sure they will never forget the day when their dad lost his mind and turned the car into their personal roller coaster! Esther still didn’t say a word!

After our episode of fun we went back to the cottage and the girls ran in to tell their mom what THEY had done. She just shook her head!

That afternoon we were at the little restaurant in Hoyt and when we came back to the car it wouldn’t start. I wasn’t sure what to do so I called Bro. David Ferrell who was pastoring the church there at the time. I explained my dilemma and told him I needed to be back to our church that evening for Bible Study and that I didn’t know what to do. He gracious loaned me his car.  I assured him that I would be back with it in the morning.

My family got into his car and as Pastor Dave was standing at the driver’s side window while we were saying goodbye, all of a sudden from the back seat behind me came this little voice from Michelle saying, “And Dad...don’t do anything stupid!”, obviously referring to our ‘hood of the car’ experience. I remember glancing back at her and frowning but not saying anything. Have you ever had an awkward moment? This was mine! I glanced at Pastor Dave and I know he was wondering what in the world could this little girl be talking about. Perhaps he was wondering, “What is this guy going to do to my car?” I was a little embarrassed as I drove away in Pastor Dave’s car. I brought his car back the next morning and I don’t think I ever did explain to him what my daughter was talking about. I’m quite sure he checked all the fenders when he got the car back though!

Well, the moral of this story is.....

Actually there is no moral other than, “Just have fun and make your kids laugh a lot!”

C’mon up sometime and I’ll take YOU for ride on the hood of my car!  It’ll be fun....I’ll just go slowly!  HAAA!  Maybe Esther will join you! SRR

ON THANKS...

Hi Everyone! I have to tell you all how much I appreciate those who are faithfully reading my Blog each day. I have a statistics counter that gives me a daily report and the numbers are so amazing! I had no idea there would be this much interest! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!


I have many more stories that I think you will enjoy! Today, however, is going to be one of those extremely busy days. We have a group of 25 coming in from the Sates to help us get everything ready for our Youth Camps that begins in just a few days. Perhaps I can write you another story this evening.
Have an awesome day!! I love you all!  SRR

ON SERVING HIM...

Our concept of "church" is so very important! In the early 80's, Christianity in North America was characterized by selfishness. A message was preached that didn’t fully line up with the Holy scriptures. Preachers taught people that the church or even God Himself owed them something. And we ended up with people crying, Bless ME! Bless ME! Bless ME!” 

When we preach a message of selfishness we present a wrong picture of the church Jesus desires to have. Too many churches have tried to be a “user friendly” church with a modern self-centered appeal. In doing so, churches tried to please and appease people being careful not to step on anyone's toes in order to build 'numbers', and as a result wound up with very shallow Christians. Don't misunderstand, I'm not against large churches. But church should not be “what I can get out of it” but rather “what can I contribute to it”. Many looked to what God could do FOR them rather than looking at who He is. 

I’ve often said, there are three types of people who followed Jesus; Those who followed Him because He gave them food to eat, Those who followed him because they liked watching Him perform miracles. And those who followed Him simply because they LOVED Him. 

We forget that the greatest reward of Christianity is not "prosperity" or even what the church can do for me. The greatest reward is Jesus Himself! Sadly the church produced a whole generation of "birth defective" disciples who through no fault of their own were taught to value what Jesus could do for them, forgetting that victory is in Jesus Himself! Isn’t it time that we let the world know that it’s all about Jesus and not all about us? We serve Him today because we LOVE HIM! 1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

So let's all go to church this morning with the idea of serving Him rather than being served! I LOVE HIM!! HOW ABOUT YOU?   SRR

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SCARS...

I have three scars on my body! I know...some are perhaps saying we don’t really care about your personal defects, but hear me out!

Wikipedia says: Scars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin after an injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a result of the natural part of the healing process.

To me a scar is a reminder of an adverse event that happened in my life.

Potato diggin' time in Maine

I have a scar on the tip of one of my fingers on my left hand. I was nine years old working in the potato field picking potatoes on a small potato farm in Mars Hill, Maine. It was a wet morning and the field was muddy in certain places. The tractor and potato digger came by my section and just then it bogged down in the mud and was stuck.  Everyone gathered around to watch the farmer as he struggled to get the thing moving again. 

I, of course, saw a crowd and proceeded to put on a little show. I got beside the digger and pretended that I was pushing the digger out of the mud.  Just then the farmer raised the hydraulic mechanism of the digger blades and my finger was at the wrong place at the wrong time.  All of a sudden I let out a blood curdling scream that could be heard all the way to Presque Isle. My finger was caught and wasn’t released until the guy on the tractor saw what was happening and lowered the hydraulic system. The pain was pathetic!  Blood was literally pumping out of the end of my finger! They wrapped my hand in an old T shirt and rushed me home to Grampys place. Everyone at home was determined that I was going to the Emergency to get stitches but my great-grand mother, who understood me, calmed everyone down and said he's going to be fine and she proceeded to doctor my finger. Thank God for Grammy Chase! Today, I still have a tender spot and a scar on the end of that finger and it serves as a gentle reminder of the cost of “showing off”! Since that day, whenever I decide to "show off" a little, I think I can feel a little bit of pain in that finger.

I have another scar right on the bald portion of my head. As an infant baby, I was lying in my bassinet on the floor in front of the kitchen stove. I still have a question why I was even there in the first place...Mom?  Grampy Bell was removing a very hot, chicken pot pie from the oven and he dropped the whole pie and it landed right on my face! Mom says, her mom, Grammy Bell was right there and as fast as lightning, swooped me up into her arms and quickly wiped the hot pie off my face with her hand! She said it was a miracle that I didn’t have terrible burns on my face. My grandfather was so upset when he saw what had happened that he ran out of the house and vomited in the back yard! It so happened that when they were cleaning me up they missed one little pea that had stuck to the top of my head that burned a spot and left a small scar. Hair never grew on that small spot. Perhaps this is where the term "pea brain" came from." Today, you can’t really see the spot because now my “old man bald spot” has taken over!

The third scar that I have is on my back. It happened when I was sixteen as I was splitting fire wood for dad in the back yard in Hoyt, New Brunswick. I had stood the double bitted axe against the wood pile and for some reason lost my balance while bending over. I fell backward and the edge of the very sharp axe cut my back open leaving a nice two inch gash! It gives me chills when I think about it, realizing it could have been a whole lot worse!

I told you all that to say this. Each scar on my body serves as a reminder of something dramatic that happened in my past. Each time I see them I remember the story of how it happened. They somehow teach me lessons that have helped me guard against it ever happening again.

I recognize that the scars I carry are minor compared to some of the scars people carry today. Some scars are not visible but are hidden deep inside the heart. Emotional scars are as real as a scar in the hand or foot. You see, some people have events that have wounded so deeply that they cannot seem to forget or forgive. My heart goes out to those who carry such hurts.

All around the world people are carrying scars from their past. Although it may be hard to forget what happened, there is a miracle in forgiving whatever caused the scar. Self inflicted wounds are sometimes the hardest to forgive.

The Bible is clear, “As Christ has forgiven us, we must also forgive!” May we never forget the nail scarred hands of Jesus! They serve as a reminder of the pain He suffered for us on the cross.  SRR




STORY CLARIFICATION BY MOM:The pie story is a day I'll never forget!  You were 2 months old and by the way you was near the table not the stove.... Grampie took the pie out of the oven and was on his way to the table his foot hit the legs of the bassinet,he was in a hurry because the pie was terribly hot, that pie literally went face down on your face, it is a miracle that you did not have scars on your face. The quick thinking of my mom saved you....All I could do is scream.....
I had forgot about the finger cutting incident LOL!!

ON TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE...

Grammy and Grampy Bell  1963

Ransford Reuben Bell was my Grandfather. Grampy was born at Beachwood, New Brunswick, right at the end of the Beechwood Dam on the Upper Kent side. There were five boys and six girls in Grampy’s family. In 1930 he moved across the lines into the State of Maine at the age of 17 with his brother Frank in search of employment. Grampy was married to Phyllis Reta Bell who passed away in 1974 with multiple sclerosis. Grampy was married a second time to Mary Lewis the General Manager of Newberry’s Department store in Mars Hill, Maine. She passed away in 1997.

Ransford was born May 1, 1913 and died May 20, 1995 in his 82^nd year. I remember him well, and recall that he was a very loving, kind, and soft-hearted individual. When I was a little boy, he wouldn't let me leave his place until he reached into his pocket and gave me a quarter, or a fifty cent piece, or sometimes a dollar bill!

Upon arriving in Blaine, Maine, he worked a job for a short time and then began working fulltime for the Adelman Brothers Potato Farm at age 18 and worked for them until he retired. One of Grampy’s younger bothers, Ronald, moved to Maine sometime in the 40’s. A little later when Grampy’s parents were unable to live alone they moved to Maine and lived with Ronald.

Grampy Bell was a hard working man serving as the general foreman of the entire farm. He also had an ingenious mind and was known to many as an ‘inventor’.  He had invented and designed a lot of the equipment for planting, harvesting and processing potatoes for the Adelman Brothers.  They still operate special conveyors and potato scrubbing machines that he created.

Me and Rudy on the Trike Grampy built

Since Grampy was an inventor, he made some pretty neat stuff! I remember we were visiting one time and he realized that Rudy, my uncle, had a trike to ride, but I didn’t.  So he said, “I can fix that!”  In no time he had Rudy’s trike cut in pieces and recreated into a “tandem trike”. Now that was special! I would definitely say, “Two are better than one!” What fun we had on that little contraption!

There are many reasons why two are better than one. One reason is because of multiplied perspective. My wife and I can accomplish so much more when we work together as a team rather than separately. Often times I may only see things from a limited perspective, but when her mind is incorporated, all of a sudden the perspective increases dramatically. It’s the same in any relationship. It could be at work or at play and even within the church.

 

Have you ever had the thought, “I wish I had just one more hand!” or, “If I just had another person to help me!” We can function individually but when we incorporate others and allow their contribution, it’s amazing the things that can be accomplished.  I think this is even more amplified in the church community because of the scripture that metaphorically says, “How one can chase a thousand, and two can put TEN thousand to flight!” Think about it in relation to prayer for example. One person praying about a need can accomplish a certain amount of result, but look how it is multiplied when a second person is integrated into that prayer. It is exponential! TEN times more effective! WOW! No wonder “prayer chains” are so powerful! No wonder things happen when we all pray together! If ONE can do good, and TWO can do TEN times more good....what can TWENTY do? Logic says, “If two ARE better than ONE, then THREE must certainly be better than TWO!”

Now here’s another thought that comes to mind. The scripture says, “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Simply said, “A two strand rope is good, but a three strand rope can’t be broken.” Go ahead and try it with some strands of yarn. I did! I was able to break a single strand with no problem. When I added the second strand, it was harder, but I did break it, eventually. But when I added the third strand it was impossible.  I know what someone is saying...You should have let Esther try it! LOLZ!  But seriously, if you apply that to a marriage, you have a two strand cord which is definitely better than one, but when you include God in the marriage now you have a three strand rope that cannot be broken!”

I think I’ll go build a “six seater tricycle” for all my grandkids!  SRR

ON JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT...

In keeping with Father’s Day, I need to tell a couple more stories about my dad.

In 1974 I was living in Hoyt, New Brunswick.  Dad was always coming up with something fun, different, and sometimes “off the wall stupid things to do!”  Like the winter when I had gotten skis for Christmas. There were no real ski hills around Hoyt so dad devised a plan and we went over onto the Gillett Road that was always snow-packed. He tied a rope to the back of the Impala and set me up to do this kinda water ski stunt where he would pull me behind the car at 90 miles per hour! He really thought I should tie the rope around my waist! I said, “What do you think I am....some kinda nut?” He just smiled! I chose to hold the rope rather than tie it! Even then the road had its limits and so did I since I didn’t have a clue how to ski! When he ran out of road....I didn’t!  I remember shooting across the 101 down into someone’s field nearly wiping out into someone’s shed!.  What a dad! We were doing this JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT!

Solex Moped

One day, dad and I were in Fredericton, New Brunswick just exploring and doing it JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT! My dad loved to explore! We found ourselves in Marysville at a new cycle shop that was importing Solex mopeds from France.  They were quite an item! It was a motorized bicycle with a single cylinder, gas engine that was attached to the front wheel. They carried a price tag of $650. I really wanted one. So dad bought me one. I scooted all over Hoyt on that little contraption. It could travel at the speed of sound.....well, actually 23mph, downhill, and with the wind at your back...and pedaling!

There was an elderly man who lived in Hoyt named Jonathan Kingston.  He lived in a tiny one room house in the village. My dad thought the world of Jonathan and would visit him often. His little house was always spotless.  He loved to show us how he could bounce a quarter on his bed! Jonathan always spoke with a raspy voice not much louder than a whisper. Whenever he would see you he would sneak up behind you, tap you on the shoulder with one finger and say, “Ya don’t like me, do ya?” He would wait for you to respond, “Oh yes, I like ya Jonathan!” Then he would smile from ear to ear showing his all three of his teeth. He had his own bicycle. Jonathan went everywhere on that bike.

Dad thought perhaps he would like to have one of these mopeds so we showed him mine.  Jonathan loved it. He said, “I want one!” So he shelled out $650. and we took him to Fredericton and we bought a Solex for Jonathan. He had some trouble understanding how the engine actually worked and often would stop the Solex and would forget to lift the engine off the front wheel resulting in the friction wheel burning the rubber on the front tire.  We would see Jonathan from time to time and the blue smoke would be rolling off the front wheel. After totally destroying the first tire within the first month, dad said, “I don’t think this is working too well for Jonathan.” So dad bought the Solex from Jonathan which now meant we had two instead of one.  Dad was able to find Jonathan a different type of moped that worked much better for him.

I shall never forget the day that I got off the school bus at 4:10 and my dad jokingly said to me, “We should take the two bikes to Saint John JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT!” Dad was always very spontaneous, so this didn’t surprise me. I was so excited! I said, “Let’s do it!” We tried to figure out exactly how long it would take to get there and back. Dad thought we should be back home in two or three hours. I think our figuring was a little off! Anyway, I persuaded dad to do it, so off we went, clear to Saint John on two Solex bikes and without eating any supper.

So here was this grown man and a 15 year old son trekking to Saint John some 45 miles away on two motorized bicycles that only travelled a little faster than a man could run and we were doing it JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT!


Route 101 out of Hoyt wasn’t too bad but when we got onto the Broad Road, the transport trucks were terrible! When they would pass us they would nearly blow us off the road. We had no helmets on, which wasn’t a law then, so dads hair would blow straight up and back in the wind!  Dad kept me laughing the whole way to Saint John! When we finally arrived, we were both very hungry, so we went to the Dixie Lee Takeout and had some chicken and fries.

We rode around for a little while that night in West Saint John just exploring and then dad said, “We probably should head for home.”  Going home was the longest trip of my life! And coldest trip of my life! I remember we didn’t laugh as much going home but it was still fun! I know I had saddle sores for a week...I’m sure dad did too! I thought we would never make it! We didn’t arrive home until 4 in the morning and I had school the next day!  We were gone almost 11 hours!

Perhaps some would say, “What a waste of TIME and sleep!” But I have to tell you that I will never forget that my dad took the TIME to ride to Saint John JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT with me! I wish we could do it again....Just once more!

The greatest gift of LOVE is TIME.  Not expensive gifts or gadgets. Just giving some of your time is worth more than money could ever do.  That’s one thing Jesus gave to people...His time. He felt that giving of his time was of more value than anything else.

To all the dads out there, go ahead, do something bizarre. JUST DO IT FOR THE FUN OF IT! Your son or daughter will love you for it! Do it before they get too old and before you’re gone! It’s all about creating memories and building a relationship.....JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT!

ON SECOND CHANCES CONTINUED...

A continuation from yesterday’s blog. If you have the time, take a moment and read that one first.

1987 was the “turn around” year for my wife and I.  We both had been working secular jobs and found ourselves at a crossroads, and "Thank God", we chose the right path.  That path has led us to where we are today and now we wouldn’t trade our life for anything!

During the Special Meetings at Pastor Oliver’s church in Old Town, Maine I renewed my consecration to the Lord and to follow the “first calling” that God had placed on my life in 1977. In some ways I think the two week revival in Old Town was more for me than anyone else.  There were so many things that happened in those meetings, but one event stands out in my memory.  It was about mid-week in the first week and during the night service that a lady came to the front for prayer. She explained that she had suffered much pain in her arm and shoulder and the doctors felt it necessary to operate and to remove part of a bone that was causing so much pain. They had warned her that she perhaps would lose the use of that arm. She went on to say that after the operation, she had indeed lost total use of the arm. We could see that it hung loosely to her side with seemingly no life.

The anointing of God’s Spirit was very strong that night and the faith level was very high. We prayed for her as she raised her good arm to the Lord! The following night she came to church and once again I called her to the front and Pastor Oliver and I prayed for her healing. Still no change.  Each night we prayed for her and then on the last night I was sitting on the platform as the service began. As I was looking over the crowd, I noticed this same lady. She was wearing the most beautiful smile and it caught my attention. Then I saw it! She had BOTH of her arms straight up in the air praising God. I waited for my opportunity and I asked her to come to the front. I said, “Something has happened to you since last night!” She said, “Yes there has!” She proceeded to tell us that when she went home the night before, she was in her kitchen and all of a sudden there was a “SNAP” in her shoulder. And ever since then she had full use of her arm! The church erupted into praise and worship. That was the night that Pastor Oliver asked if I would like to continue meetings for a second week.

It was during the second week that I wondered what I would do after this. Pastor Oliver suggested to me that I should book more meetings and continue this renewed path. So that week, with his help, we began to call Pastors. Before I knew it, I had special meetings booked all the way through until the end of May! I was thrilled.  Esther came over during the second week and joined me with her accordion and special singing. It was marvellous!!  God surely was doing a “NEW” thing!

Well, upon arriving home to Westfield, New Brunswick, I made plans to sell the Town and Country News to one of my advertisers who had said if I ever decided to sell the business to give her first option. She bought it and it was like a heavy burden had lifted! I continued to fulfill the special meetings that I had booked. We found ourselves in a rural country church in Four Fall, New Brunswick in the month of May. Strangely enough, it was the last set of meetings that we had booked and it seemed that we couldn’t get any more places to minister. I started to feel a little anxious and one morning I began to share my story with Pastor Perley Hatheway. He said, “Well, it could be that the Lord has another plan.” I wondered what it could be.

The Hatheways invited me to go to Fredericton with them the next morning. On the way, Pastor Hatheway happened to mention a place called Springfield which is located just north of Fredericton near the Mactaquac Dam. I had never heard of the place. Sister Hatheway said, “They don’t have a Pastor right now in the little Springfield Pentecostal Church.” Then she continued to say, “I think Hubert Perkins is looking after the work as an interim Pastor until they can find one.” As she talked, something jumped in my spirit!

Springfield Pentecostal Church

Now here’s the neat thing! When we arrived in Fredericton that day, we went to the shopping center first. I believe it was K-Mart on Smythe Street. And just as we walked through the doors, the Hatheways met another couple that were just leaving. Their names were Irving and Grace Reed. They lived in Springfield and attended the Pentecostal Church! Pastor Hatheway introduced me to them and said, “This is interesting....we were just talking about the little church in Springfield.”  As we went back to Four Falls we drove through the community of Springfield and I saw the little church for the very first time.

Well, to make a long story short, we made connections with Pastor George Clark and Brother Hubert Perkins who were looking after the work in Springfield. Those men became, and still are, two of my most cherished friends! I will share more about my connections with Brother Clark a little later. What a great Man of God!!

Springfield, New Brunswick

One thing led to another and within just a few weeks we were loading a U-Haul and moving into the Parsonage in Springfield, New Brunswick.  What a nice country community! And what an awesome church! The people there treated us like a King and Queen! They were so good to the Roaches!  We still have many wonderful friends connected to that church and we cherish the three and a half years we spent with them. May God continue to bless the Springfield Pentecostal Church!

When I think back on how God planned everything and strategically placed us where he wanted us, we cannot help but rejoice in the Lord for His Amazing Grace!!

We serve a God of second chances!!  SRR

When writing the story of YOUR LIFE,
don’t let anyone else hold the pen.

ON SECOND CHANCES...

Everyone has at least one in their lifetime. Some would call it a crossroads!  An intersection in the road where you must make a decision that alters your future forever. Some would call it an option. I would call it a "second chance".

It’s usually a place and time where you have literally hit bottom! It can be a very unsettling time in one’s life when you have two roads that intersect and you stand at the center wrestling to choose the right path. You know that this decision will change everything!

The year was 1987. Esther and I had been down a road that ushered us away from our first calling.  We both had attended Bible College and we both had definite plans to follow our “God calling” into fulltime ministry.  Our first calling was to work for the Lord.

Just after we left Nova Scotia and after a less than desirable journey that I won’t indulge into just now, we found ourselves back in New Brunswick.  Having been in Pastoral ministry from 1980 until 1985 we had entered the secular field and at the same time we were raising two little girls. Esther had become the Manager of a couple of jobs during that time and I began to pursue my printing skills working for Norman Wade Company and then a short time later secured a very good position in Display Advertising at The Citizen Newspaper in Saint John.  

In 1985 that company went into receivership leaving me without work. Since I was already heavily involved in the advertising division in the Saint John region, I decided to start my own local advertising paper under the name Town and Country News.  We were amazed at how quickly the paper “took off”! Many of the advertising clientele followed me to my little paper. I implemented many things I had learned at The Citizen. We grew from an 8 page spread to a 32 page spread overnight. I was forced to hire some people to help carry the heavy load. I found myself so engrossed in the operation and success of this local advertising paper that I saw myself rapidly getting further and further from my "first calling". Sad to say, because of the business demands, my spiritual level declined. It was during that time that I was befriended by several wonderful people. One such person was Pastor Lindsey Burt. On occasion, he and I would meet at the YMCA to play racquetball.  We had some great times together. I recall the day that I was to meet Pastor Lindsey and an emergency arose for him that prevented him from coming.

As I was waiting on the racquetball court, while warming up, I paused for a moment and sat down on the floor in the corner and all of a sudden I was overwhelmed with a sadness and sorrow that I cannot explain.  It was like a heavy weight was pushing down on me that was too much for me to bear! All I know is that I began to weep uncontrollably! I remember laying face down on the court sobbing as God began to talk to me. 

He asked me what I was doing. He asked me if I was happy. He asked me if I had forgotten my first calling.  To all of these questions and several others, I trembled inside because I knew the answers all too well. And all the answers were negative. I knew that I had been heading away from that first call and to say I was unhappy with myself would be an understatement.  It was at that point I felt like I was trapped with no way out. I had two little girls and a wife at home to support. 


Just before I drifted off to sleep, I remember pleading with the Lord to give me a second chance. I recall that I fell into a very deep sleep there on the floor. I’m not sure how long I was there but when I awoke the lights were all off and I lay there in total darkness, alone. I recall there was a dreadful heaviness on my heart. Immediately I was impressed to call two people.  So I did. 

I went directly to the payphone and called a long time friend, Pastor Alston Oliver who was pastoring Old Town, Maine at the time.  He was surprised at my phone call. As I spoke with him I found myself asking him if I could come to Old Town to his church to speak.  He immediately said he was planning to have a week of meetings and wasn’t sure who to ask and he said this must be what the Lord wants and took my phone call as a confirmation that I should be the speaker. All of a sudden I began to feel that heaviness lift. I was delighted! After I got off the phone with him, I called the second person, my dad. Before I could explain anything that I had been dealing with over the past few hours, he said, he had just got a call from Pastor Ronnie Libby in Charleston, Maine inviting him to his Ministers Conference. Dad had told him that he would not be able to attend, but perhaps his son, Steve could go.  Bro. Libby told my dad to have Steve call him. I never did get to tell dad what I had been feeling or even my new plans to preach in Old Town. Instead I concluded my call and called Bro. Libby that evening.  I didn’t know Brother Libby, but when I spoke with him he made me feel so accepted and important. Again, I felt more heaviness lift as I spoke with him. He insisted that I should make plans to come to his conference and that he would look after all my expenses. I thought, “What an incredibly nice man!” What I didn’t know at that moment was that my life was about to change, drastically!

I went home and shared with my wife everything was happening. She was excited!

It wasn’t too long afterward that I was getting on the bus in Saint John on a dark, stormy, night. I remember looking out the side window at my little family with tears in my eyes, not knowing for sure if I was doing the right thing. I went to Old Town. The services were amazing!  Once again I felt the anointing of God’s spirit as I spoke each night. We even witnessed some miracles during those meetings that I will share with you a little later. I remember the services were so powerful that Brother Oliver asked if I would continue for a second week. I agreed! Not only were those meetings a confirmation to me that I was once again on the right path, but then in April I went to the Charleston Ministers Conference. There, I connected with ministers from all over who became such a great blessing in my life. Many of them are still very dear friends to this day who love and support our ministry.

I sold the newspaper which is still operating today under a new name.

I realize now that I had come to a crossroads in my life. I am grateful to the men of God who were encouragers for me to pursue God’s calling on my life. Since that time I have never looked back and God has been so good! 


If you are standing somewhere at a crossroads today, I encourage you to listen carefully to the words of God.  He will nudge you toward the right direction! He will give you a second chance and even a third and fourth if necessary!

I’m so glad we serve a God of second chances!!

Matthew 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto VICTORY.

When writing the story of YOUR LIFE, 

don’t let anyone else hold the pen.

On.......the Motorcycle

My Word Fitly Spoken for TODAY is.........MOTORCYCLE!!


See ya tomorrow! Vrooooom!    
HAHA!!

THIS LITTLE PIGGY IS GOING TO MARKET!!

ON FATHER'S DAY...

In Memory of the most wonderful Dad
a boy could ever want.

Raymond J. Roach

1941 - 2005

I loved my Dad and not a day goes
by that I don't think of him.
I remember his hearty laugh and
how he loved to make others laugh!

I miss you Dad!

Steve

ON I WANT YOU BUT I DON’T NEED YOU...

Today is Father’s Day and I would have to say that my dad was one of the wisest men I have ever known.  He ranks right up there with Mr. Solomon in my estimation. I say that because of the times when I witnessed how he handled situations that would arise, especially in the church.

I was always the drummer in my dads church and had pretty much claimed ownership of the position. I started playing drums in church when I was thirteen. Dad always liked my drum playing. If I saw someone showing interest in playing the drums, I would say, “Nah, you won’t enjoy it as much as playing the xylophone or accordion.”  I became very protective of that corner of my world!

When I was 15 something happened in the church orchestra and I was really bothered by it. Things just weren’t right and I decided to take things into my own hands. Rule #602: Sometimes it’s better to keep your nose OUT of things. Things have a way of backfiring and noses can get hurt!

Well, I waited for the right opportunity and went to dad’s office.  I explained the situation to him.  Since he was the Pastor, I figured he’ll correct the situation. But when I explained my concern he didn’t seem to be agitated at all like I was. I figured he would drop everything he was doing and go after it!  But all he said was, “Hmmm!”  And then he tried to change the subject.  I said, “Whoa, just a minute!....THAT’S IT? Aren’t you going to do something about it?” He said, “No!” So I proceeded to tighten the screws a little, thinking I could persuade him to act, so I boldly informed him that I would no longer be playing the drums!  He simply looked at me and said, “Okay.” I was really agitated now because he wasn’t supposed to respond like that.  As I turned to storm out of his office he said to me, “Son, I want you but I don’t need you!” Those words, I shall never forget!

The next service came and I was still bothered. I went to church and sat in the second row rather than taking my place at the drums. In my mind I was saying to dad, we’ll see if you need me or not. As the song service started without a drummer my dad got up from his seat and came down from the platform toward the people.  I thought, “He’s coming down to get me and to tell me he was sorry for not immediately fixing the situation that I had complained about.” Instead, he walked right past me! He didn't even look at me! He went directly over to one of the other young guys and leaned over and whispered in his ear. The guy got up and walked up onto the platform and took his place at my “throne”!  I was livid!!  I kept hearing dad’s words, “I want you, but I don’t NEED you!” Sadly, the guy actually did a pretty good job playing the drums.

I probably don’t have to tell you that I didn’t get much out of that service! But before the next service came around, I was back in dad’s office.  This time my tone had changed and I found myself apologizing for meddling in something that wasn’t any of my business.  Dad responded by saying, “I kinda like the other guys playing. He did a great job! I think you should take a little time off!” Dad graciously allowed me the "time off" to get my spirit right.

What I didn’t realize is that dad already knew all about the situation long before I did and was dealing with it even before I tried to insert my two cents worth. Time went on and the problem corrected itself and I should have just kept my nose out of it!  It would have been a lot easier for ME.   

2 Hezekiah says, “He that meddleth in his neighbours business shall surely be put off the drums!”  :-)    There are actually a couple places in the Bible that do advise against meddling.  They speak of, “meddling to thine OWN hurt.”

Lesson learned!  Thanks Dad!  SRR

ON FINDING MY WAY HOME...

Stevie in front of 464 Pierce Ave.

There was a day when I was very upset with the way things were at home. I had made up my mind and I told mom, “I’m leaving home and never coming back!” I was three! Yes, that’s right, 36 months old and I had had it!  I can’t recall exactly why I was so upset, only that I was fed up! It was probably that mom hadn't made a chocolate cake or something serious like that! Sure enough a little while later I was gone!  Mom had everyone in the entire apartment building searching for Stevie! We were living at 464 Pierce Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota. They found me! It was 1962 and dad was in Bible School at ABI at the time.

Mom said I had this thing about running off or hiding on her.  She said I used to scare her to death! We would be in a store and all of a sudden I would be missing.  Often I would be hiding in amongst the clothes or running down some other aisle. One time she said I went missing in a department store. As they were frantically trying to find me, all of a sudden over the intercom came this announcement, “We have found the cutest little boy that has lost his mom.  He is here on the fourth floor!”  Mom was on the first floor.  One of the clerks directed her to the stairway and sure enough as she was heading up the stairs I was coming down with a store clerk! “My word and honor...what a kid I was!”

One time, while I was still three, I had walked to the Piggly Wiggly with dad to buy some groceries. The Piggly Wiggly was a fair distance away from our home.  All of a sudden I was missing. Once again, dad was frantic trying to find me and commissioned a number of store workers to help in the search.  After searching for quite some time without finding me, dad ran home to get mom.  As he turned toward our apartment building at 464 Pierce, there I was, standing in my front yard!  Dad was shocked and almost collapsed when he saw me because I had gone all the way home all by myself. But here’s the really disturbing part! In order to get back home I had to cross Snelling Avenue which was a “four lane” avenue. One of the busiest thoroughfares in St. Paul! Mom says, “How Stevie got across that avenue without getting hit by a car or being picked up by someone was a miracle!” For me to find my way home all by myself had to have been because I had walked that way many times before with mom and dad.  I had perhaps become so familiar with the landmarks on the way that it enabled me to know my way home. Landmarks are important but no doubt I had a legion of angels with me too!

That reminds me of another little boy who was trying to find his way home. It was a foggy, rainy, night and he was lost in the city where he lived.  A police officer noticed the little boy and said, “Son, are you lost?”  The little boy said, “Yes!” And he asked the policeman if he knew where the “big cross” was in the city. The policeman said, “Yes, I know where it is.”  The little boy said, “If you can lead me to the cross I can find my way home from there.”

Someone reading this today may be running away from the pressures of your life or perhaps you are lost in all the chaos and you are trying so hard to find your way to a place of peace that you can call home.  May I suggest to you that there is a way to find your way home and that is by way of the CROSS. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the Life." Let someone lead you to HIM! Jesus Christ paid a very high price for you just so you could find your way home! Come to the Cross and you will see!  SRR