Explanation: Living a life for Jesus, as Alfred and Bergit Stadem, as well as Sjur and Oline Stadheim, Andrena Stene, and other Stadems and Holbecks, taught and showed us by their daily living and godly lifelong examples in word and deed.

2. Cultivating a Relationship with the Word of God, in a Family Based on the Bible

Explanation: It is altogether necessary and vital that there be a personal, daily, individual and family cultivation of the Word of God, in prayer, Bible study, and Sunday School work; without this basis for spiritual life, there can be nothing solid or lasting for a person's life to anchor it in the right things and values and beliefs that make for happiness and a fruitful life; with it, the family members can also meet every challenging test of life with strong faith and assurance that God will see them through to the end and fulfill his wonderful promises given his disciples in Scripture.

3. Centering the Family's Spiritual Life at a Bible-Based Church

Explanation: For the family and each person in it, there can be no substitute for God's church and people, the beautiful, beloved Bride of Christ, and faithfully attending Sunday school, Sunday service with preaching of the Word of God; all these are vital to the nurturing of faith and the bringing of each individual to repent for his or her sin, with forgiveness from God and a new start as the result.

Church attendance alone is not enough. There need be an emphasis on a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, with the experience of hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached for the salvation of the lost soul, for we are all conceived in sin, the Bible teaches, and therefore lost sinners who need the redemption of Jesus Christ to be made true children of God. And with salvation and a conscious decision to surrender one's life wholly to the Lord, there begins the process of sanctification, when the saved soul is transformed degree by degree into a saved life, that is, a trained and discipled believer in the Lord who can serve the household of faith, the church, and lead lost souls to the Lord, while we die daily to one's carnal self by submitting to the cross.

4. Continuing the Golden Heritage of Scandinavian forebears

Explanation: Preserving, but more importantly, passing on the wonderful, priceless heritage of old Norway, including teaching and learning traditional crafts, cooking, pioneer farm and immigrant history, observing Veterans Day and other important, national and traditional holidays such as Christmas and Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Thanksgiving, and others.

5. Instilling and Sharing the Right Biblical Values to give our lives purpose and direction, focus and fulfilment

Explanation (A Partial List of Values):

honoring and obeying the Ten Commandments,

practicing kindness and love

faithfulness, dependability, loyality, diligence,

obedience to parents and lawful authority,

a good education,

good, personal hygiene and keeping physically fit,

respect for others,

respect for hard work,

individual creativity and self-initiative,

doing the best with what you have (self-reliance, resourcefulness, thrift),

courage/bravery with integrity, not foolishness or vanity,

prayer and daily reading of the Bible,

hospitality to all,

generosity, caring for others above oneself,

cooperation, unity of spirit, ungrudging help,

loving, timely discipline and correction wherever needed,

self-control,

willingness and cheerful heart in even menial, dull tasks and chores,

perseverance,

a good, clean sense of humor to keep a person's sense of balance and brighten the path for others and oneself.