Everything truly good that ever had a beginning can be traced back to our God! (James 1:17)   All that we are or ever will be, that is of any profit at all, can be attributed to His work in our lives, his daily provisions for our needs and his never failing love for us!  To believe otherwise is to live in ignorance or denial of spiritual reality.

Mankind has taken a beautiful, pure and holy world entrusted to them and filled it with every vice, evil, suffering, turmoil and wretchedness that exists on this planet. It began with Adam and Eve who were blessed with purity and had no sin in them. God didn't want their obedience to him to be obedience compelled by force, so he gave them both a free will so they could choose between loving Him or rejecting his commandments and doing their own thing.  Adam and Eve chose disobedience, and mankind has followed their example ever since.  The daily overt evidence 

of man's disregard for God and his commandments is abundantly clear to anyone who can think rationally and objectively.

Among the things that God established with Adam and Eve was the marriage bond between the husband and his wife. (Genesis 2:24)  Sadly 

this has been abused in every generation to the point that the divorce rate has escalated to a ridiculous degree and now our generation has determined that it is time to redefine what marriage is.    This redefinition satisfies the secular mindset, feeds into the lust of wicked men and women, and bears little resemblance to God's intended plan and his intended purpose established from the beginning of time.

But God also knew that there would always be those who would choose to follow his laws in regard to marriage, for he knows all things from the foundation of the earth and throughout all eternity past, present and future.  He knew that Rick and Beverly Shaffer would marry, put Christ at the center of their marriage, and raise seven children to love and serve Him.  This portion of the ministry site is the story of that marriage from the beginning, through college and some ministry experience.  At the time of creating this site Rick and Beverly have been together over 36 years, have raised seven very special children and are now grandparents to thirteen beautiful grandchildren. They are living in the town of Rick's birth where life is relatively peaceful, and Rick is ministering as the Lord gives him opportunity.  The children are now adults and visit dad and mom when they are able.  The family has a strong bond of love, and there is constant interaction between all the children either online or locally or 

over the phone because of that love connection God has established in them.  Rick and Beverly have been blessed above measure. They're thankful that God is still sending people by that they can minister to from time to time, but now it is time to meet and minister to some new people 

in the hope that they will be able to bring more souls into a right relationship with God through Jesus their Savior.  Currently this ministry is done online for the most part as Rick waits on the Lord to give him further direction.

The format of this bio is designed to tell their individual stories and then continues with meeting in Bible college and their lives from then on.  It spans a time period beginning on September 27, 1942 to 1980 and beyond.    There is much here that would benefit anyone who reads it. 

There is joy and sorrow, pain and healing, sickness and health, and all that accompanies day to day living under a vast array of different circumstances.  It is a story of children, the joys and pressures of serving in ministry, worldly living, drugs and alcohol, suicide attempts, a great God, confrontations with and casting out demons, miracles of healing and more.  It is the earnest prayer of Rick and Beverly that what is written here would touch the lives of all who read their story in a way that will lift them up and bring them closer to loving their God and giving their hearts and lives to serve Him.  We're certain that there is no genuine peace or contentment in life apart from Jesus!

Please leave bias and subjective thinking at the door before you read this story and read it for what it is - a true history of two lives, joined together and blessed far beyond measure through the loving care and tender mercies of our God.