I was sorting through the bookmarks on my computer, and I came across this one that I found while we were going the the schooling decision making process. I so wish I could put my thoughts down on paper as clearly as this guy at Challies.com has. Be sure you check out the "Part 2" post, as well. Here are some of my favorite quotes"
"As my pastor says in this article, depending on your view on this subject you may fall into the weak category or the strong category. In either case, you will be “tempted by the devil, the world and your flesh to either despise or condemn those who hold a different view from yours…Depending on whether you are weak or strong, you are being tempted to despise other members of this church or condemn other members of this church. If you deny that, you deny God’s Word. Paul does not say, some of you are in this weak/strong struggle. No, he says all of us fall into one or the other classification.” The strong are tempted to despise and the weak are tempted to condemn. Let’s be sure that we do not fall into either sin."
"Trusting that my children will grow up to be believers, I am convicted that it is my duty as a parent, and as a Christian parent, to prepare my children to fulfill that calling in their lives. I believe they can best heed this call by being in the culture in which God has seen fit to place them. I want them to be with kids who are not Christians, to be friends with them and to love them, to learn what separates them from their friends, and to begin to understand how their convictions make them different from others. I want them to see and know and understand and believe in the superiority of Christianity to any other religion or way of life. I want them to see what the world has to offer and to see that it quickly loses its lustre."
"Now some may argue that young children are unready to be evangelists and that it is unfair to expect them of this. Once again, both experience and Scripture prove this a false assumption. If our children are believers, they are filled with the same Holy Spirit as you and I. They are equipped to reach out to the most tender-hearted segment of the population."
"The key to escaping worldliness is not to avoid the world, but to avoid acting like the world and thinking like the world. To do this we do not escape the world, but allow ourselves to apprehend the allure of the world so it might lose its glow."
"The fact is that worldliness comes from within. Worldliness is not something that is forced upon people or that is extrinsic to them. Worldliness is intrinsic and arises from a person’s sinful nature. A person who never experiences the wider culture can still be worldly. A child who never darkens the door of a public school may be far more worldly than one who does so every day."
If you're thinking through this decision right now, I really encourage you to read all that he has to say because context is important. It's long, so be sure you have a good chunk of time, but it's really worth it, I think.
In his "Part 2" post, Tim links to another blog that I also really like. The author of the Cerulean Sanctum blog is an educator with much experience in so many aspects of schooling...public, Christian, and home. He's a parent who homeschools, but points out the flaws of that system and gives credit to those families who know that homeschooling is not what God has called them to (assuring them that there is no guilt in choosing not to homeschool). There are a bunch of great posts related schooling on this blog, among other good topics.
Both mens' postings were/are refreshing to me as we continue to seek out what God would have us do with each of our children, day by day and year by year.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Crazy Love
My friend got me the book Crazy Love, by Francis Chan, a few weeks ago. I've been wanting to read it for a while, ever since our youth group talked about reading it while they were doing their missions trips over the summer. It's a quick read, but, for me anyway, really kind of heavy spiritually. As I've mentioned before, I'm a slow processer, but I'm really hoping to post a few thoughts on the book and how it is stirring my soul. Unfortunately, my time to think is not abundant at this point, so you're gonna get some small, random chunks...hope you don't mind :O)...
So here is the first quote that struck me:
R.C. Sproul writes, "Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God."
I serve an amazing God. The One who placed trillions of stars in the sky and knows each one by name. The One who is, at this moment, dropping snowflake after unique snowflake outside my window. The One who knows exactly how many seconds my heart will beat on this earth.
In the great scheme of the universe and history of the world, my life isn't more than a speck of dust. Niether is yours. Yet, day after day, we try to convice ourselves that we are something. That we can accomplish something. That we are entitled to the "American Dream". We chase after careers, beautifully furnished homes, perfect children, name brand wardrobes, retirement nest eggs.
Really? These are things we are going to put time and effort into?
This amazing God, who spoke mountains into place and designed every atom in every particle of matter on earth, created us for relationship with Him. Not only did He create us for himself, but He loved us enough that He sent his only Son to die for us. He sent his Son to die for me...to erase every stupid, cruddy, foolish thing I've ever done and will ever do.
And we're going to invest ourselves in things that mean nothing ten years down the road, let alone eternity?
I think our society makes it so hard for us to take our focus off of what the world sees as significant and focus on what God sees as significant. I say this with my own conflict over the idea that I do believe that God wants us to be happy and live life here on earth "to the full"...because that's what anyone wants for those they love. He allows us to experience joy and happiness for a reason. He gives us dreams and passions for a reason. Yet, I feel that we, too often, strive after things that we think will make us somebody, when God just wants us to be His. He just wants us to sit in his "lap", look around us, believe that we are a result of his majesty, and fall crazily in love...
So here is the first quote that struck me:
R.C. Sproul writes, "Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God."
I serve an amazing God. The One who placed trillions of stars in the sky and knows each one by name. The One who is, at this moment, dropping snowflake after unique snowflake outside my window. The One who knows exactly how many seconds my heart will beat on this earth.
In the great scheme of the universe and history of the world, my life isn't more than a speck of dust. Niether is yours. Yet, day after day, we try to convice ourselves that we are something. That we can accomplish something. That we are entitled to the "American Dream". We chase after careers, beautifully furnished homes, perfect children, name brand wardrobes, retirement nest eggs.
Really? These are things we are going to put time and effort into?
This amazing God, who spoke mountains into place and designed every atom in every particle of matter on earth, created us for relationship with Him. Not only did He create us for himself, but He loved us enough that He sent his only Son to die for us. He sent his Son to die for me...to erase every stupid, cruddy, foolish thing I've ever done and will ever do.
And we're going to invest ourselves in things that mean nothing ten years down the road, let alone eternity?
I think our society makes it so hard for us to take our focus off of what the world sees as significant and focus on what God sees as significant. I say this with my own conflict over the idea that I do believe that God wants us to be happy and live life here on earth "to the full"...because that's what anyone wants for those they love. He allows us to experience joy and happiness for a reason. He gives us dreams and passions for a reason. Yet, I feel that we, too often, strive after things that we think will make us somebody, when God just wants us to be His. He just wants us to sit in his "lap", look around us, believe that we are a result of his majesty, and fall crazily in love...
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Snow Day
It was obvious that we needed to get out of the house and play in some snow after Natalie made a "princess" with her provolone cheese at lunch today.
Here are some pictures of our fun:
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Something Cute
Just wanted to record this really cute story about Levi:
The other night he didn't seem ready for bed when we put all the kids to bed. He hadn't eaten really great at dinner and had taken a good nap that afternoon, so we let him come down and have an extra snack and play around for a bit. After about a half hour we put him back to bed, but he still was rolling around and whining in his crib. About 5 minutes later we heard him get out and come down the hall. We waited as he made his way down the stairs and on his way picked up a random sock that was laying on them. He ran over and handed it to Mark, like that was his reason for getting out of bed the whole time. We said "thank you" and told him to get back in bed.
He slowly made his way up the stairs, and we heard him walk down the hall. We waited to hear some more whining, but, surprisingly, he stayed quiet. About a half hour later we went up to bed and when I turned the light on in our room there he was...he had climbed into our bed, snuggled under the blankets, and curled up to sleep on my pillow. Little stinker got moved to his crib, but not without a few kisses and a wish for a hundred thousand more moments like this!
The other night he didn't seem ready for bed when we put all the kids to bed. He hadn't eaten really great at dinner and had taken a good nap that afternoon, so we let him come down and have an extra snack and play around for a bit. After about a half hour we put him back to bed, but he still was rolling around and whining in his crib. About 5 minutes later we heard him get out and come down the hall. We waited as he made his way down the stairs and on his way picked up a random sock that was laying on them. He ran over and handed it to Mark, like that was his reason for getting out of bed the whole time. We said "thank you" and told him to get back in bed.
He slowly made his way up the stairs, and we heard him walk down the hall. We waited to hear some more whining, but, surprisingly, he stayed quiet. About a half hour later we went up to bed and when I turned the light on in our room there he was...he had climbed into our bed, snuggled under the blankets, and curled up to sleep on my pillow. Little stinker got moved to his crib, but not without a few kisses and a wish for a hundred thousand more moments like this!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
I Am a Work in Progress
I am a work in progress. I see myself kind of like clay in the hands of a potter. The same artist who designed the universe is molding my life into a masterpiece.
Some days I find myself questioning why He seems to work so slowly. Other days I wonder how He's accomplished so much, while I've been so difficult to work with. Thankfully, He sees the finished project and continues to shape as He takes me through life.
Moving away from family and friends, two surprise pregnancies in the first 18 months of our marriage, my husband's back problems, our hard financial times, trying to achieve supermom status, sending our kids to public school.
Each experience shows me that my sculpter's hands never stop working . . . a little less worrying here, a little more trusting there . . . a little less anger there, a little more grace here . . . a little less busyness here, a little more peace there.
Some days I find myself questioning why He seems to work so slowly. Other days I wonder how He's accomplished so much, while I've been so difficult to work with. Thankfully, He sees the finished project and continues to shape as He takes me through life.
Moving away from family and friends, two surprise pregnancies in the first 18 months of our marriage, my husband's back problems, our hard financial times, trying to achieve supermom status, sending our kids to public school.
Each experience shows me that my sculpter's hands never stop working . . . a little less worrying here, a little more trusting there . . . a little less anger there, a little more grace here . . . a little less busyness here, a little more peace there.
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