“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 8:38-39
And when loved ones are going through intensely difficult times, I am thankful this truth belongs to me through faith. The promises of God are not vain empty deceits. They are cornerstones and anchors and sureties and seals and covenants.
To Him be the glory on this day and every day!
for home education, and for homeschooling. It is the gift that I never thought I would give, let alone receive, but it has been a delightful time of opening the packages of my sons’ love of learning.
Home study to me is where life skills are learned, habits are discussed and talents are shaped. This happens in the basement work room where a guinea pig palace is measured, cut and nailed together. Perimeter and angles actually mean something in that exercise. The exactness of an inch versus a half inch realizes a true consequence. Not a red mark needed. This happens in the kitchen with measurements for making cookies and division for fair splitting of the bounty are hot topics to figure out. No nagging with that type of math.
Home education to me is where academics are rooted. The basics of a period, comma and verbal or the language rules of Spanish. The timelines of history and the geography of Lee’s last victory. This is the place where nuts and bolts worksheets and workbooks do exist. A whiteboard features sentence diagrams, or the difference between a comet and asteroid, but this is not playing school at home. Because home education also happens around a kitchen table where WWII is re-strategized and on the couch where Bud and Me are heroes and in the yard with a telescope where Jupiter is found. Firm foundations will lead to strong towers.
Homeschooling to me is where a Biblical worldview is the filter grid for the other two. It is where virtues are discussed and character is built as real life examples of righteousness and unrighteousness exist in our real lives. Repentance between brothers, between parents, between family members takes on life in the “I apologize.” Love has legs in the brother that helps another, in the son that honors Mom and respects Dad. Compassion has arms as letters of encouragement are written to those who are struggling and prayers are offered for those who are hurting.
I am thankful for home study, for home education and for homeschooling.
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fellowship after worship with friends. One of the highlights of the Lord’s Day for us is sharing a meal and hospitality with friends after church. We can discuss the sermon, talk about answered prayers, share new requests and above all, practice the building up of one another by our words and lives.
Today was one of those events where a crockpot full of lasagna, a green salad, Italian bread, rum cake and chocolate chip cookie bars tasted like ambrosia because it was shared amongst four families who delighted first in the Lord and then in one another. The children enjoyed playing together and the adults laughed like children. It was a sweet foretaste of feasting around the Lord’s table in heaven.
I am thankful for Christian fellowship.
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that God knew I needed. They are my polishing stones.
My firstborn taught me what it was to be a mother. To, as the saying goes, have your heart live outside your body. I breathed in as much of his life as he was given. I knew my heart outside my body to be shattered when he died.
My second born was not born from my body. He taught me how to be a mother of flesh to a child not my flesh. He was all gift and challenge, bundled in the tiniest 2 lbs. 6 oz. His life and my heart raced like two lead horses fighting for the title of More Fragile in the restoration of hope. He is teaching me to be a mother in the milestones.
My third born also not born from my body was born of my will. Raising a open hand to heaven, I trusted beyond myself to receive a child named “Gift of God”. He came packaged in chaos and contradiction and continuance. His former memories bear scars, his present life is sealed by redemption’s work. He is teaching me to be a mother in the memories.
My fourth born came inexplicably from a body thought to be done with birthing babies. He came as a testament of God’s promise to give more than asked or imagined. He is a period and exclamation point and question mark all tangled together in expressible joy. He is teaching me to be a mother in the moments.
I am grateful for my children and God’s purpose in giving them to me.
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that lead to a life lesson with the boys. Here’s a recent one from Theodore Roosevelt:
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither suffer much nor enjoy much because they live in the grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.
This quote is found in the flyleaf of the book Bud and Me: The True Adventures of the Abernathy Boys. The book is a fascinating story of two brothers, ages 5 and 9, and their course of adventures in a four year span. My boys are eating it up.
As regards the quote, I had the older two paraphrase it, and then we discussed what it meant. I know that their lives are going to be pocked with wins and losses. I desire to instill in them the willingness to risk, to try hard things without resting on the laurels of a guaranteed win or self-chosen outcome.
From the Biblical perspective, this is a crux point of faith. Obeying the hard things God asks us to do without knowing for sure that the outcome will be in our estimation a “win”. Our assurance with God is that whatever He asks us to do, He will work His perfect will in it to His glory and our good. Our task is to obey His asking.
The world teaches a seeing is believing perspective. God requires though that we believe before we see. That means risk. That means failure. That means victory. I pray that the boys live not in grey twilight of knowing neither but in His light following the call to either that He gives.
I am thankful for quotes that teach a life lesson.
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