On October 31, 1917, Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, nailed 95 Theses for academic debate on the door of the Wittenberg cathedral and lit a fire of Reformation that swept across Europe. The Five Solas of the Reformation restored the glory of the gospel to the church:
Sola Scriptura - The Scripture Alone is the Standard
Solo Christo - By Christ's Work Alone are We Saved
Sola Gratia - Salvation By Grace Alone
Sola Fide - Justification By Faith Alone
Sola Deo Gloria - For the Glory of God Alone
Amen!
May I invite you to join our family in celebrating Reformation Day? Tonight we will be sharing a meal of German and Swiss food, watching the most excellent Martin Luther movie, playing some Reformation games, and singing songs of the Reformation. John Calvin (Young) himself will be host tonight. :-) Email me if you would like to join us.
If you can't come to us, won't you celebrate with your family anyway? Our children need to know the stories of the great men and women of God who came before us. They need to have real heroes to look up to.
Sola Deo Gloria!
For more information on Reformation Day, see last year's post.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Seeker-Friendly or God-Friendly?
Willow Creek just released a study that reveals what many have been saying all along: that if these churches were truly Seeker-Friendly, they would be pointing them toward what they are seeking - Jesus Christ. Bill Hybels has got it right when he says:
Unfortunately, Greg Hawkins, a Willow Creek leader, says:
Thereby missing the whole point. The WORD says in Jeremiah 6:16:
We do NOT need to "replace it with new insights", we need to go back to the
old paths, where the good way is. Dear brothers, teach your disciples to
be Christ's disciples. Teach them to read their Bibles, to pray, to seek
expository preaching, to worship with other believers, to live according to the
Word; then you will see the only kind of church growth that matters - real
disciples.
We don't need more programs, we to get back to the basics: Five Solas.
H/T Paul Chesser
We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of
faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching
people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should
have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between services, how
to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.
Unfortunately, Greg Hawkins, a Willow Creek leader, says:
Our dream is that we fundamentally change the way we do church. That we
take out a clean sheet of paper and we rethink all of our old assumptions.
Replace it with new insights. Insights that are informed by research and rooted
in Scripture. Our dream is really to discover what God is doing and how he’s
asking us to transform this planet.
Thereby missing the whole point. The WORD says in Jeremiah 6:16:
Thus says the LORD: “ Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the
old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find
rest for your souls." But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
We do NOT need to "replace it with new insights", we need to go back to the
old paths, where the good way is. Dear brothers, teach your disciples to
be Christ's disciples. Teach them to read their Bibles, to pray, to seek
expository preaching, to worship with other believers, to live according to the
Word; then you will see the only kind of church growth that matters - real
disciples.
We don't need more programs, we to get back to the basics: Five Solas.
H/T Paul Chesser
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The Next Battle (Parental Guidance Suggested)
It has been deeply disturbing to me to see the radical change in our culture in the past ten years with regard to the acceptance of homosexuality. I live in the Bible Belt South and an agreement that homosexuality was perversion was nearly universal ten years ago and is a vanishing part of our culture today. What happened? The enemy reframed the debate. No longer was the issue is this right or wrong, but it became, "These poor persecuted people. They aren't hurting anyone. Let them be as happy as they can." The new argument immediately casts anyone who opposes homosexual marriage as mean, interfering, persecuting. And it's working. The cultural acceptance of what God calls an abomination grows every year. Who would have thought ten years ago that an open homosexual would seriously run for the Senate in North Carolina?
All that to bring to your attention what I believe is the next battle we face in the culture wars. May we not lose this one as we did the last. I think the next phase in the decline and fall of American culture will be the acceptance of pedophilia and child sexuality. Twenty years ago allegations of abuse at a couple of day care centers made news around the world, with everyone reading each new snippet of news with horror. Now there's a teacher accused of sexual abuse of students nearly every week and the attitude seems to be, "Ho, hum, well we got rid of the one that's a problem." No one seems to notice that there was a different one last week and will be another next week. Just like homosexuality, the incidence is growing and with it, people's consciences are seared - it seems so common.
But how in the world will the promoters of these heinous perversions convince everyone that it is just another variation of normal? I suggest that they will accomplish this by convincing us that it is the children driving it and we can not and should not restrain them from expressing themselves. We see it in the increasingly sexual clothing for children and preteens. What in the world is wrong with a father who allows his little girl to wear short shorts with juicy or sexy written across her behind? Even the world is noticing the incredibly inappropriate Halloween costumes available this year: French Maid, Bar Wench, Playboy Racy Referee -- for 8 to 11 year olds - have we collectively lost our minds? Who do these people think these girls are appealing to? It's certainly not the 8 to 11 year old boys.
Don't think all of this really means anything in the culture wars? Not sure it's really going to change anything? After all, they're just being cute, right? Well, will you believe the advocates of perversion if they tell you openly what the plan is? In Aftenposten, they do:
Well, that's a relief, at least they won't be eating and masturbating at the same time. This is crazy. And it is going to get crazier (read the whole thing) unless those of us with Biblical values (sex is for marriage, for those of you that grew up in Norway) stand athwart history and yell, "Stop!"
Make that Parental Guidance Desperately Needed.
All that to bring to your attention what I believe is the next battle we face in the culture wars. May we not lose this one as we did the last. I think the next phase in the decline and fall of American culture will be the acceptance of pedophilia and child sexuality. Twenty years ago allegations of abuse at a couple of day care centers made news around the world, with everyone reading each new snippet of news with horror. Now there's a teacher accused of sexual abuse of students nearly every week and the attitude seems to be, "Ho, hum, well we got rid of the one that's a problem." No one seems to notice that there was a different one last week and will be another next week. Just like homosexuality, the incidence is growing and with it, people's consciences are seared - it seems so common.
But how in the world will the promoters of these heinous perversions convince everyone that it is just another variation of normal? I suggest that they will accomplish this by convincing us that it is the children driving it and we can not and should not restrain them from expressing themselves. We see it in the increasingly sexual clothing for children and preteens. What in the world is wrong with a father who allows his little girl to wear short shorts with juicy or sexy written across her behind? Even the world is noticing the incredibly inappropriate Halloween costumes available this year: French Maid, Bar Wench, Playboy Racy Referee -- for 8 to 11 year olds - have we collectively lost our minds? Who do these people think these girls are appealing to? It's certainly not the 8 to 11 year old boys.
Don't think all of this really means anything in the culture wars? Not sure it's really going to change anything? After all, they're just being cute, right? Well, will you believe the advocates of perversion if they tell you openly what the plan is? In Aftenposten, they do:
Pia Friis, leader of the popular Bjerkealleen Barnehage in Oslo and a well-known
pre-school educator, told newspaper Dagbladet on Tuesday that children should be
allowed to express their own sexuality at day care centers. She doesn't want to
stifle what comes naturally. Children, she said, should be able "to look at
each other and examine each other's bodies. They can play doctor, play mother
and father, dance naked and masturbate. "But their sexuality must also be
socialized, so they are not, for example, allowed to masturbate while sitting
and eating. Nor can they be allowed to pressure other children into doing things
they don't want to."
Well, that's a relief, at least they won't be eating and masturbating at the same time. This is crazy. And it is going to get crazier (read the whole thing) unless those of us with Biblical values (sex is for marriage, for those of you that grew up in Norway) stand athwart history and yell, "Stop!"
Make that Parental Guidance Desperately Needed.
Monday, October 29, 2007
IBCLC Again
Just wanted to let you guys that prayed for me back in July that I have received word that I passed the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiner's exam and I am a International Board Certified Lactation Consultant for another five years!
I was pretty pleased to see I made a 90 on the exam (passing was 67) and I think it shows, once again, that there is no need to change the requirements so that only those with a background as a healthcare provider can sit the exam. My background is as a mother of seven and long time La Leche League leader and the first time I took the exam I made one of the higher scores in the world. I just don't think we benefit from requiring a certain educational path in professions which have a certifying exam such as this one, or others like law. It is a labor-rationing scheme, a gatekeeper if you will, to limit the supply of professionals and I think the market would do a much fairer job.
I was pretty pleased to see I made a 90 on the exam (passing was 67) and I think it shows, once again, that there is no need to change the requirements so that only those with a background as a healthcare provider can sit the exam. My background is as a mother of seven and long time La Leche League leader and the first time I took the exam I made one of the higher scores in the world. I just don't think we benefit from requiring a certain educational path in professions which have a certifying exam such as this one, or others like law. It is a labor-rationing scheme, a gatekeeper if you will, to limit the supply of professionals and I think the market would do a much fairer job.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
A Bachelor's Degree in Burger-Flipping
What John Edwards doesn't know about economics could fill a library. Read what he plans to do if elected president:
I am reminded of a Gilbert and Sullivan libretto. Now, this is a little long, but I urge you to read the whole thing, because there's more good economics in this silly song than I've heard from any democratic candidate:
There lived a King, as I've been told,
In the wonder-working days of old,
When hearts were twice as good as gold,
And twenty times as mellow.
Good-temper triumphed in his face,
And in his heart he found a place
For all the erring human race
And every wretched fellow.
When he had Rhenish wine to drink
It made him very sad to think
That some, at junket or at jink,
Must be content with toddy.
With toddy, must be content with toddy.
He wished all men as rich as he
(And he was rich as rich could be),
So to the top of every tree
Promoted everybody.
Now, that's the kind of King for me.
He wished all men as rich as he,
So to the top of every tree
Promoted everybody!
Lord Chancellors were cheap as sprats,
And Bishops in their shovel hats
Were plentiful as tabby cats—
In point of fact, too many.
Ambassadors cropped up like hay,
Prime Ministers and such as they
Grew like asparagus in May,
And Dukes were three a penny.
On every side Field-Marshals gleamed,
Small beer were Lords-Lieutenant deemed,
With Admirals the ocean teemed
All round his wide dominions.
With Admirals all round his wide dominions.
And Party Leaders you might meet
In twos and threes in every street
Maintaining, with no little heat,
Their various opinions.
Now that's a sight you couldn't beat—
Two Party Leaders in each street
Maintaining, with no little heat,
Their various opinions.
That King, although no one denies
His heart was of abnormal size,
Yet he'd have acted otherwise
If he had been acuter.
The end is easily foretold,
When every blessed thing you hold
Is made of silver, or of gold,
You long for simple pewter.
When you have nothing else to wear
But cloth of gold and satins rare,
For cloth of gold you cease to care—
Up goes the price of shoddy.
Of shoddy, up goes the price of shoddy.
In short, whoever you may be,
To this conclusion you'll agree,
When every one is somebodee,
Then no one's anybody!
Now that's as plain as plain can be,
To this conclusion we agree—
When every one is somebodee,
Then no one's anybody!
And so, if Edwards is elected president, you'll need a college degree to flip burgers. It's called education inflation. Somebody clue this guy in.
H/T Matt Drudge
Edwards, a former Democratic senator from North Carolina, says the federal
government should underwrite universal pre-kindergarten, create matching savings
accounts for low-income people, mandate a minimum wage of $9.50 and provide a
million new Section 8 housing vouchers for the poor. He also pledged to start a
government-funded public higher education program called "College for Everyone."
I am reminded of a Gilbert and Sullivan libretto. Now, this is a little long, but I urge you to read the whole thing, because there's more good economics in this silly song than I've heard from any democratic candidate:
There lived a King, as I've been told,
In the wonder-working days of old,
When hearts were twice as good as gold,
And twenty times as mellow.
Good-temper triumphed in his face,
And in his heart he found a place
For all the erring human race
And every wretched fellow.
When he had Rhenish wine to drink
It made him very sad to think
That some, at junket or at jink,
Must be content with toddy.
With toddy, must be content with toddy.
He wished all men as rich as he
(And he was rich as rich could be),
So to the top of every tree
Promoted everybody.
Now, that's the kind of King for me.
He wished all men as rich as he,
So to the top of every tree
Promoted everybody!
Lord Chancellors were cheap as sprats,
And Bishops in their shovel hats
Were plentiful as tabby cats—
In point of fact, too many.
Ambassadors cropped up like hay,
Prime Ministers and such as they
Grew like asparagus in May,
And Dukes were three a penny.
On every side Field-Marshals gleamed,
Small beer were Lords-Lieutenant deemed,
With Admirals the ocean teemed
All round his wide dominions.
With Admirals all round his wide dominions.
And Party Leaders you might meet
In twos and threes in every street
Maintaining, with no little heat,
Their various opinions.
Now that's a sight you couldn't beat—
Two Party Leaders in each street
Maintaining, with no little heat,
Their various opinions.
That King, although no one denies
His heart was of abnormal size,
Yet he'd have acted otherwise
If he had been acuter.
The end is easily foretold,
When every blessed thing you hold
Is made of silver, or of gold,
You long for simple pewter.
When you have nothing else to wear
But cloth of gold and satins rare,
For cloth of gold you cease to care—
Up goes the price of shoddy.
Of shoddy, up goes the price of shoddy.
In short, whoever you may be,
To this conclusion you'll agree,
When every one is somebodee,
Then no one's anybody!
Now that's as plain as plain can be,
To this conclusion we agree—
When every one is somebodee,
Then no one's anybody!
And so, if Edwards is elected president, you'll need a college degree to flip burgers. It's called education inflation. Somebody clue this guy in.
H/T Matt Drudge
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Where am I?
I am sitting in front of the computer desperately trolling Google in the hopes that someone in San Antonio will live blog the results of the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival's Awards Ceremony. Why? My son John Calvin is down there and his film treatment, The Patriot Pastor, is a semi-finalist in the Treatment Contest. If I get down there next year, I'm going to live blog the whole thing! Why isn't someone doing that already? For that matter, why aren't you, John???
Friday, October 19, 2007
Homeschooling and Divorce
Here's a letter I posted in response to a homeschooling mother who told an email list that she was thinking of divorcing her husband because she didn't love him anymore and they were not getting along at all. I hope if you are thinking of divorcing your mate, that you will read this very carefully and think it through.
Dear Friend,
I wish I could give you a hug! I'm so glad you asked for help instead of going to a lawyer!!!!! I believe God will intervene in this situation!
Now for the tough love part: a real, practical, earthly reality check. We are state homeschool leaders and sooner or later, many problems in the homeschool community in our state cross our desk. We see a lot of divorce situations! How in the world, you're probably thinking, would a divorce affect homeschool leaders? Here's the reality check: when you divorce, you are telling the state that you can no longer run your own family, that the adults in the marriage are no longer in agreement, so can not be allowed to make decisions about the children. When you do this, the family judge has, hear me, **complete authority** over your family. Most family judges are older people who are ignorant about homeschooling and they will jump on the slightest excuse to *order* you to place your children in public school. Now, I know that there are exceptions to this, but you can't decide what judge your case comes before. Our state homeschool board members and those in other states will testify if asked, but generally to no avail. And HSLDA will not help you in custody situations, even if homeschooling is the issue.
Now, you may think that you and your husband are in agreement about homeschooling, but when it comes to a divorce, *anything* can be used as a weapon. When someone is cut to the quick - and tearing apart a one-flesh relationship definitely does this - they can react like a wounded animal. We see parents reporting each other to social services, calling the state oversight agency and making complaints, asking the judge to give them total custody, asking the judge to stop the homeschooling. We see this a *lot*because the hurt or angry mate knows how important this is to his wife. Often these are Christian, homeschooling families that no one ever thought would be in this situation.
Even if you can possibly get through the judicial situation, you are not done with your husband. When a couple with children divorces, I think they seldom realize that they will be tied to each other forever through the children and courts. One of my dear, homeschool-mom friends is allowed to homeschool, but her husband has custody every weekend (and if it is a situation where no one has done anything wrong, 50/50 custody is the norm), so she almost never gets to go to church with her son, never gets to relax on a Saturday with him. Every other holiday is alone. He is gone a lot of the summer to make up for the 5 days she has him to every 2 his father does during the week. This, if you can believe it, is one of the best situations I know - not much of a best is it?
I can not urge you strongly enough, that nothing short of a real, physical, abusive situation or unrepentent adultery is even close to worth submitting your family for the rest of your children's childhood to the authority of a probably unsaved, probably hostile judge! Trust me, we see a lot of tough situations, and divorce will not take away your problems, they will just become problems you are not allowed to change - court orders.
The next thing we see, is moms who have gotten through all that and now they have to support themselves. Generally, judges will *not* order the husband to completely support the family as before since he sees no reason the wife should not work. And if you go to work, you can bet the judge will want to know who is supervising the children and not believe you can homeschool, too. It's a vicious cycle.
Now, there are people who get through divorce more easily than this, but can you take that chance?????? If Satan cares enough about wrecking your familyto spend two years tempting you away from loving and respecting your husband, do you think he will stop when victory is in his grasp???
I'm not going to go into the spiritual and emotional rebuilding advice, because I think you are getting a lot of great help, except to say, God would not command us to love one another if it wasn't something we can choose to do and not something that comes and goes without our decision.
Dear friend, I really don't want to see you go through this! You may even be in our state. I don't want to have to see a judge take over your family. Please count the cost and ask God to restore your marriage.
With much love,
Melanie Young
Dear Friend,
I wish I could give you a hug! I'm so glad you asked for help instead of going to a lawyer!!!!! I believe God will intervene in this situation!
Now for the tough love part: a real, practical, earthly reality check. We are state homeschool leaders and sooner or later, many problems in the homeschool community in our state cross our desk. We see a lot of divorce situations! How in the world, you're probably thinking, would a divorce affect homeschool leaders? Here's the reality check: when you divorce, you are telling the state that you can no longer run your own family, that the adults in the marriage are no longer in agreement, so can not be allowed to make decisions about the children. When you do this, the family judge has, hear me, **complete authority** over your family. Most family judges are older people who are ignorant about homeschooling and they will jump on the slightest excuse to *order* you to place your children in public school. Now, I know that there are exceptions to this, but you can't decide what judge your case comes before. Our state homeschool board members and those in other states will testify if asked, but generally to no avail. And HSLDA will not help you in custody situations, even if homeschooling is the issue.
Now, you may think that you and your husband are in agreement about homeschooling, but when it comes to a divorce, *anything* can be used as a weapon. When someone is cut to the quick - and tearing apart a one-flesh relationship definitely does this - they can react like a wounded animal. We see parents reporting each other to social services, calling the state oversight agency and making complaints, asking the judge to give them total custody, asking the judge to stop the homeschooling. We see this a *lot*because the hurt or angry mate knows how important this is to his wife. Often these are Christian, homeschooling families that no one ever thought would be in this situation.
Even if you can possibly get through the judicial situation, you are not done with your husband. When a couple with children divorces, I think they seldom realize that they will be tied to each other forever through the children and courts. One of my dear, homeschool-mom friends is allowed to homeschool, but her husband has custody every weekend (and if it is a situation where no one has done anything wrong, 50/50 custody is the norm), so she almost never gets to go to church with her son, never gets to relax on a Saturday with him. Every other holiday is alone. He is gone a lot of the summer to make up for the 5 days she has him to every 2 his father does during the week. This, if you can believe it, is one of the best situations I know - not much of a best is it?
I can not urge you strongly enough, that nothing short of a real, physical, abusive situation or unrepentent adultery is even close to worth submitting your family for the rest of your children's childhood to the authority of a probably unsaved, probably hostile judge! Trust me, we see a lot of tough situations, and divorce will not take away your problems, they will just become problems you are not allowed to change - court orders.
The next thing we see, is moms who have gotten through all that and now they have to support themselves. Generally, judges will *not* order the husband to completely support the family as before since he sees no reason the wife should not work. And if you go to work, you can bet the judge will want to know who is supervising the children and not believe you can homeschool, too. It's a vicious cycle.
Now, there are people who get through divorce more easily than this, but can you take that chance?????? If Satan cares enough about wrecking your familyto spend two years tempting you away from loving and respecting your husband, do you think he will stop when victory is in his grasp???
I'm not going to go into the spiritual and emotional rebuilding advice, because I think you are getting a lot of great help, except to say, God would not command us to love one another if it wasn't something we can choose to do and not something that comes and goes without our decision.
Dear friend, I really don't want to see you go through this! You may even be in our state. I don't want to have to see a judge take over your family. Please count the cost and ask God to restore your marriage.
With much love,
Melanie Young
Sunday, October 07, 2007
The Library: Learning at Home and Time Management
A few resources to go along with my workshop on teaching your little ones at Kennebec MOPS:
Getting Ready for School:
The Three R's by Ruth Beechick
Devotions:
A Catechism for Boys and Girls
Divine and Moral Songs for Children by Isaac Watts
Your Bible - read early and often to them!B
uy several copies of the hymnbook your church uses for use at home!
Character Training:
For Instruction in Righteousness
The Brother Offended Checklist
Science Resources:
Spring and Summer in North Carolina Forests - These are older than this age range, but nice to begin reading aloud.
Fall and Winter in North Carolina Forests
The Nature Readers
Pets in a Jar
Usborne First Book of Nature
Lyrical Life Science
History Resources:
Greenleaf Guides
Tapestry of Grace
Veritas Press Their catalog alone is a great resource. You don't need scripted lessons at this age!
Your local library :-)
Getting Ready for School:
The Three R's by Ruth Beechick
Devotions:
A Catechism for Boys and Girls
Divine and Moral Songs for Children by Isaac Watts
Your Bible - read early and often to them!B
uy several copies of the hymnbook your church uses for use at home!
Character Training:
For Instruction in Righteousness
The Brother Offended Checklist
Science Resources:
Spring and Summer in North Carolina Forests - These are older than this age range, but nice to begin reading aloud.
Fall and Winter in North Carolina Forests
The Nature Readers
Pets in a Jar
Usborne First Book of Nature
Lyrical Life Science
History Resources:
Greenleaf Guides
Tapestry of Grace
Veritas Press Their catalog alone is a great resource. You don't need scripted lessons at this age!
Your local library :-)
No, I'm Not Dead
Just busy. Really, really busy. We've done nine major college visits in the past 5 weeks, I've written 9 or 10 AP syllabuses and we've started school. I'm hoping to post a lot more in the next few weeks. I've got some great stuff queued up. This is where I'm supposed to say, "Thank you for your patience." Right? Okay! Thank you for your patience. Seriously. I appreciate you guys!
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Tax Free Weekend
Well, I'm pooped tonight because I was up until 3am ordering my curriculum for this year because this weekend is tax free weekend and I object to giving the government more money than I absolutely have to. In fact, I decided 25 years ago when I started voting to never vote for a tax increase until the government starts using the money it already has wisely. You just don't offer an alcoholic another drink :-)
Monday, July 30, 2007
Deja Vu!
I nearly didn't click on this article because of the sensationalist name, but I'm so glad I did and I hope you will read it, too. There are some extremely alarming things happening in Russia that are very reminiscent of Hitler's rise to power. The first few paragraphs of this article emphasize the sensational aspects of the situation, but you really need to read the whole thing. The Whole Thing. Evidently, there is a rise of "Putin Youth" that needs no strain to bring to mind the HitlerJugend. That coupled with the rewrite of Russian history to sanitize, even idolize Stalin, one of the biggest mass murderers of all time (responsible for between 10 and 60 millions deaths), while denigrating Russia's brief foray into democracy ought to make your skin crawl. If it doesn't, you need a history lesson. Go back and click on all the links. When you know the history, you will be alarmed.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Young Update
Several things going on the next week that we'd really appreciate your prayer about:
Lots of you have been following our adventures this past year in establishing a new international business - with the goal of becoming a business as mission company and supporting ourselves in a way that would allow my husband to disciple our six sons by having them work alongside him. We are on the verge of a breakthrough - possibly just a couple of days from getting this thing moving. Won't you please pray for the sale that is pending to go through?
Monday I am taking the exam to retain my certification as an IBCLC - international board certified lactation consultant. As you know, I don't work outside of the home, but this certification has been a real blessing in my Titus 2 ministry. When I help a mother with her nursing problems, it is so much more effective when she approaches her doctor, to say "my certified lactation consultant suggested we look at..." rather than "my friend Melanie said". This is a very intense six hour exam and I have just not had the time to study like I did five years ago when I last took it. Please pray I will pass this thing.
Our dear son is on a "mini-vacation" (4 days) with my brother and his wife, their 11yo, their 2yo nephew and grandmother and the governess. Everyone has been working so hard that they are all a bit cranky and the children are feeling a bit sad. Please pray for our son's testimony with them during this family time. I don't think any of them know our Lord and I feel sure some have never heard the gospel at all.
A busy and important few days for all of us. We are so grateful for your prayers.
Lots of you have been following our adventures this past year in establishing a new international business - with the goal of becoming a business as mission company and supporting ourselves in a way that would allow my husband to disciple our six sons by having them work alongside him. We are on the verge of a breakthrough - possibly just a couple of days from getting this thing moving. Won't you please pray for the sale that is pending to go through?
Monday I am taking the exam to retain my certification as an IBCLC - international board certified lactation consultant. As you know, I don't work outside of the home, but this certification has been a real blessing in my Titus 2 ministry. When I help a mother with her nursing problems, it is so much more effective when she approaches her doctor, to say "my certified lactation consultant suggested we look at..." rather than "my friend Melanie said". This is a very intense six hour exam and I have just not had the time to study like I did five years ago when I last took it. Please pray I will pass this thing.
Our dear son is on a "mini-vacation" (4 days) with my brother and his wife, their 11yo, their 2yo nephew and grandmother and the governess. Everyone has been working so hard that they are all a bit cranky and the children are feeling a bit sad. Please pray for our son's testimony with them during this family time. I don't think any of them know our Lord and I feel sure some have never heard the gospel at all.
A busy and important few days for all of us. We are so grateful for your prayers.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Letting Boys Be Boys
My dear friend, Wendy Orth, posted this message on MOMYS and I was so encouraged by it that I asked her if I could share it with you:
One of the best "classes" we've given our boys is the Frontier Skills DVD series Little Bear Wheeler has on things like skinning wild game, making a wilderness survival pack, throwing knives and tomahawks and trick roping. I'll confess to some trepidation on the knife throwing... ! But my boys were 13, 15 and 17 when we gave it to them (it's pricey) and they have loved it and so far haven't skewered anyone. We here at our home believe in letting boys be boys and doing boy stuff! Our living room walls are decorated with bows and arrows, swords of all kinds, and reproduction antique pistols! My boys hike and climb and mountain bike. They weld, and construct and love to use an ax, hatchet and (oh, their favorite!!) a chain saw. They can drive tractors and my 16 yo is well sought after to operate medium heavy equipment to do landscaping work. They all can repair most anything and build most anything. Yes, I've had anxious moments as I've come across them scaling the beams in our 25 foot high upper barn! But I just pray and let them go... they will be awesome men some day!!! (Okay, technically Daniel is an adult now, but we're working on that.... !)
One of the best "classes" we've given our boys is the Frontier Skills DVD series Little Bear Wheeler has on things like skinning wild game, making a wilderness survival pack, throwing knives and tomahawks and trick roping. I'll confess to some trepidation on the knife throwing... ! But my boys were 13, 15 and 17 when we gave it to them (it's pricey) and they have loved it and so far haven't skewered anyone. We here at our home believe in letting boys be boys and doing boy stuff! Our living room walls are decorated with bows and arrows, swords of all kinds, and reproduction antique pistols! My boys hike and climb and mountain bike. They weld, and construct and love to use an ax, hatchet and (oh, their favorite!!) a chain saw. They can drive tractors and my 16 yo is well sought after to operate medium heavy equipment to do landscaping work. They all can repair most anything and build most anything. Yes, I've had anxious moments as I've come across them scaling the beams in our 25 foot high upper barn! But I just pray and let them go... they will be awesome men some day!!! (Okay, technically Daniel is an adult now, but we're working on that.... !)
Building Up or Tearing Down
"Your words have stood men on their feet; you have helped the tottering to stand." (Job 4:4)
Someone sent me an essay today that was headed by this verse. I was immediately convicted. I come from an incredibly open, loving family! We share everything and speak openly. Unfortunately, this also means we criticize each other a lot. Now, it's never meant to be in a hurtful way, it's always meant to help the other put their best foot forward. However, this tendency, coupled with the tendency to get angry too quickly, can be pretty demoralising. When you need bucking up, you really don't want to hear what you need to do to improve yourself.
I promised myself long ago that I didn't ever want my children to feel that they just couldn't meet my standards. I didn't want them to ever feel like I saw them as failures for just normal challenges of life. However, I find myself all too often rebuking and instructing when I should probably be comforting or loving.
How do you help the tottering to stand? It's certainly not by helpfully telling him it would be easier to stand if he were thinner; or held his feet differently; or hadn't gotten himself tottering in the first place! Instead, you give him a hand until he's steady on his feet. Lord, make us parents whose words stand men on their feet and help the tottering to stand.
Someone sent me an essay today that was headed by this verse. I was immediately convicted. I come from an incredibly open, loving family! We share everything and speak openly. Unfortunately, this also means we criticize each other a lot. Now, it's never meant to be in a hurtful way, it's always meant to help the other put their best foot forward. However, this tendency, coupled with the tendency to get angry too quickly, can be pretty demoralising. When you need bucking up, you really don't want to hear what you need to do to improve yourself.
I promised myself long ago that I didn't ever want my children to feel that they just couldn't meet my standards. I didn't want them to ever feel like I saw them as failures for just normal challenges of life. However, I find myself all too often rebuking and instructing when I should probably be comforting or loving.
How do you help the tottering to stand? It's certainly not by helpfully telling him it would be easier to stand if he were thinner; or held his feet differently; or hadn't gotten himself tottering in the first place! Instead, you give him a hand until he's steady on his feet. Lord, make us parents whose words stand men on their feet and help the tottering to stand.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Happy is the Man...
Who has his quiver full of them... Psalm 127 clearly lays out the Lord's perspective on children: a gift, a reward, a heritage, a source of happiness and pride. Why then do men persist in thinking that restricting the bearing of children will bless a nation? Perhaps they've never heard:
I was very surprised to read this article tonight, because a few days ago, a correspondent told me it had recently been announced that two children would now be allowed everywhere but in this province. The juxtaposition of these two bits of information tells me a couple of things: (1) It is not about population, and (2) It is all about control of the people.
Pray for our brethren who do not have the freedom and safety we do.
In a multitude of people is a king’s honor,
But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.
I was very surprised to read this article tonight, because a few days ago, a correspondent told me it had recently been announced that two children would now be allowed everywhere but in this province. The juxtaposition of these two bits of information tells me a couple of things: (1) It is not about population, and (2) It is all about control of the people.
Pray for our brethren who do not have the freedom and safety we do.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
82nd Carnival of Homeschooling
Mamahadeen is part of the 82nd Carnival of Homeschooling today, hosted this week by Tami Fox at Tami's Blog There are a lot of great blogs there - including my favorite - the first blog listed today! Check it out!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Teaching Boys to Be Men
Did you know that John Quincy Adams was private secretary to the ambassador to Russia at 14 years old and Admiral Farragut commanded his first ship - a prize - when he was 12 years old?
When Hal and I first read that, we were floored. We remembered how amazed folks seemed to be that we were getting married at 22, "That seems so young." We wondered what changed to make our culture go from viewing 12 year olds as young adults to seeing 22 year olds as barely able to care for themselves. When we read books like The Underground History of Public Education and the primary source documents of our country's past, we realized that young people today were raised very differently than they used to be. We decided that though we had no idea what the Lord had in store for our sons, that we wanted them to be ready. We wanted to raise them like the generation that founded our country.
Today it is common for young people to have all the freedom of adults (to make their own decisions, to choose their entertainment, to have life-changing romantic relationships) and yet to have none of the responsibilities. They are not expected to support themselves, to bear the consequences of their sin themselves, to do their work without supervision, to look after themselves. This is backwards from Scripture. The Word says, "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much," so we had a plan: give the boys as much responsibility as they could handle as soon as they were able and give them more as they showed themselves faithful. Here's how:
Chores: I try to ask myself, "Who is the youngest person who can do this job right now?" Now sometimes, that'll mean the oldest. If we're in a hurry or I have no time to see that it's done right, but it has to be, then the oldest who is home (we call that person, "the senior brother") does it. Often though, I have plenty of time to supervise and even teach the chore, but I don't want to. That's when I try to make myself choose the youngest who can do it. This keeps the older ones from feeling overwhelmed, frees them up to learn to do new things as they mature and makes sure the house doesn't fall apart when they leave! As they get older, we expect them to help out in our ministry opportunities - from setting up chairs to babysitting little ones at home - and in our business - marking samples, holding the backdrop for pictures, cutting fabric swatches, praying. They are a part of all we do and they are not paid - it is their part of helping to support us - of building their own inheritance.
School: We try to give the children more and more independence in their school work. We go from constant supervision and checking by me, to working independently with occasional checking, to only grading tests and answering questions as needed [N.B. I'm talking high school here, don't panic because your 7 year old can't work on his own :-)] Sometimes we've had children show themselves unfaithful - skip lessons or do shoddy work as long as they weren't caught. Those children move back a step. They earn more supervision, more work, redoing the shoddy work and discipline. Those who are faithful, are given more responsibility and freedom - to plan their own schedules and to organize the work flow. By the time they graduate, they should be prepared for the independence of college work. For some, this is a much bigger challenge than for others.
Errands: I always try to take one of the older boys along with me to carry things and to protect me. They love this. Makes them feel manly. Hal told them years ago that I should never carry anything unless everyone else's hands were full. They love to take things out of my arms. As they learn to do these things, I'll let them check out for me - teaching them to use cash and then my debit card. Later, I'll send them in by themselves to a small store while I anxiously watch the door :-). Eventually, they are able to drive to any store and do any level of shopping without help. This is kin to what we do when they get their learner's permit to drive. They drive every single time we go somewhere - even to downtown D.C. We want them to encounter everything possible while we're there so they have confidence and experience when they get to the time when we're not there.
Finances: Just like my parents before me, we give each child who shows enough maturity his own checking account at 13 years old. We teach him to use it, balance it and use Quicken. At 14 or so, we get them a credit card in their name on our account, to be used when we tell them to buy things or when they travel. We teach them about credit cards and how they work and how they don't (paying interest is foolish!). As they desire spending money, we encourage them to get part-time jobs or to start micro-businesses. Our oldest has made good money cleaning a mega-church once a week for a couple of years. His friends can't believe he pushes a vacuum and cleans - he can't believe they work for a third what he does :-). It's the perfect job for someone in a family like ours - he can do it any time between Wednesday night and Sunday morning and he is free to bring younger brothers to help him (and learn from him).
Opportunities: I look for opportunities that will allow the boys (remember our only girl is 2) to stand on their own for a time in a situation that will challenge them to grow, but one in which they are likely to succeed. Some of the things we've done are to send the boys to a Challenge Camp at about 11 or so. This camp is enormously physically challenging (rappelling, obstacle courses, etc.) and there is a mix of boys - likeminded ones and NOT - but the camp is led by a godly friend of ours who keeps the boys with him. It's a good opportunity to be tested and stand, while knowing it's not forever, only a week. I think the constant grind of no escape like going to public school is counterproductive and more likely to lead to "the companion of fools shall be destroyed." We've also gratefully accepted my mother's invitations to send a boy or two traveling with her overseas. When our oldest showed himself faithful in those things, we allowed him to fly by himself to San Antonio to attend the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival and Academy. He stayed with some friends of ours there. This summer, he's taken another step: living on his own in a closed country, living with those who don't speak his language and working and living with no known Christians in his cirle. He's doing fine.
My standard is this - do they have a way of escape from bad influences and can they handle the responsibility? For example, I sent our oldest to Christian Worldview Institute for Students - (a great program with a very likeminded group of Christian students) with no problem, but when I sent him to The Free Enterprise Leadership Challenge where there would be a wider variety of students, I talked to my friends and one of his close friends went with him and they roomed together. We have always made sure they were able to call us at any time, as well. I think the secret is just what Scripture lays out. A tiny bit of responsibility is given. When that is handled faithfully, more is given. If at any time, the child can't handle it, then things are tightened up until they are prepared to try again. Working step by step like that, there is much less chance for disaster!
So, how do you avoid the disasters? How can you let them find their feet to stand alone without letting them have a fatal fall? I believe it's through knowing their hearts and understanding where they are spiritually. A young man can't stand alone if he doesn't know God. He can't resist temptation if he is spiritually weak. You have to know. There is no way to do this other than taking the time to really talk to them often. If you don't really know them, you can't hit this careful balance of challenge and growth versus failure and danger.
We've had lots of back and forth motion, and have found you can't expect constant growth in maturity. I've had times I've been so delighted with a child's progress, only to see them fall down. Maturity comes like any part of the Christian life - through battle, despite opposition, in slides backward and baby steps forward. I believe, though, that if you consistently strive for your young men to be young men; if you encourage them to stand for themselves and prepare them to do so; if you are aiming them towards an independent stand for God; you will be amazed at what they become. Our eldest is lightyears ahead of where we were at his age - and that's a great thing! May all our children exceed us in the things that matter - the things of God.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Truth and Consequences
Every time I think about this I get mad, so it must be time to write one of my banging my head against the wall screeds. I recently attended a very pleasant barbecue with a number of brethren in Christ visiting from a church overseas. These were thoughtful, well-spoken Christians who were in the states to attend a conference and to encourage a couple of families from their assembly who were planting a church here.
While we were chatting, the conversation turned to the state of the church and by way of explanation, the relationship of the citizens to their government in a communist tyranny I have personal knowledge of. My fellow Christian asked didn't they have elections in that country and I answered that ostensibly, yes, they do, but that they made no difference whatsoever in the government as you had no choice who to vote for. This serious, intelligent brother then said, "Well, I don't see that it is any different there than it is in the United States!" !!!
I couldn't believe my ears, so I said, "Huh? What do you mean?" "Well, he said, voting doesn't make any difference in what they do in Washington. America's no more free than [that country]." I was stunned. I pointed out that we were sitting out in the open, worshiping God together. That no one in America was afraid to worship or evangelize for fear of going to jail. That no one had been tortured for preaching. That no one in America was afraid of speaking the truth for fear there would be a knock on his door that night. That people had the right to choose their education and occupation. That we had the freedom to even abandon all institutional schools and teach our children ourselves - discipling them, when I personally knew people in other countries whose children were taught against the values the parents stood for in a way we don't even understand here and they had no choice at all - their children must attend public school by law. That we had the right to vote against politicians we disagreed with and see them lose their seat. "What in the world do you mean there is no difference?"
He'd never thought of it that way. He came from a pretty free country, and a liberal media that makes ours all look like moderates. He really didn't know that Christians in [communist tyranny] are horribly persecuted and have no freedom in the important things of life. He thought we in America had no control over our government, that it was totally under the control of our president, who had run amuck. He really didn't have any understanding that America was free and that our government was responsive to the people and that many of us supported our government's international actions based on principle.
Here's what makes me mad: my brother in Christ was rendered incapable of supporting God's people intelligently in prayer and of understanding the issues of world politics because of his source of knowledge about the world - his country's very biased media. From the very beginning of printing, Christians have been at the forefront of the information revolution. This is one reason why.
How can we depend on those who are opposed to all we are to provide us with the information we need to make decisions about the world? How can we depend on them to share the good news of Jesus Christ? How can we trust them to tell us the true state of the church? We can't. They will ever try to lull us to sleep, to spin the news to make us choose sides against our own principles, to highlight scandal within the church like it was the secret norm, to discourage us in the battle we face. We will be in sad shape if our only source of news is the enemy's propaganda.
I recently told a correspondent in a not-free country what Christians in the free world were hearing about - that persecution had been stepped up in his country. That foreign missionaries had been expelled and that church activities had been raided and leaders arrested. He had not heard - the media is under state control there and most of the Christian internet is blocked. He was thankful to be able to pray for his brethren and to know to be cautious for himself.
This is why sites like WorldNetDaily and Voice of the Martyrs are so important. They tell the stories the mainstream media ignores. We need to accept the responsibility to inform ourselves and to be seekers of the truth. That's why the guerilla bloggers who risk their lives in other countries to inform their countrymen are so important. That's why the organizations that strive to bypass the firewalls and internet restrictions of those governments and to provide safe and changing ISPs for free communication are so critical. Let's support these Gutenbergs - in prayer and financially - as they strive to give the freedom of the mind to closed countries - that the gospel would be preached and God's people protected.
While we were chatting, the conversation turned to the state of the church and by way of explanation, the relationship of the citizens to their government in a communist tyranny I have personal knowledge of. My fellow Christian asked didn't they have elections in that country and I answered that ostensibly, yes, they do, but that they made no difference whatsoever in the government as you had no choice who to vote for. This serious, intelligent brother then said, "Well, I don't see that it is any different there than it is in the United States!" !!!
I couldn't believe my ears, so I said, "Huh? What do you mean?" "Well, he said, voting doesn't make any difference in what they do in Washington. America's no more free than [that country]." I was stunned. I pointed out that we were sitting out in the open, worshiping God together. That no one in America was afraid to worship or evangelize for fear of going to jail. That no one had been tortured for preaching. That no one in America was afraid of speaking the truth for fear there would be a knock on his door that night. That people had the right to choose their education and occupation. That we had the freedom to even abandon all institutional schools and teach our children ourselves - discipling them, when I personally knew people in other countries whose children were taught against the values the parents stood for in a way we don't even understand here and they had no choice at all - their children must attend public school by law. That we had the right to vote against politicians we disagreed with and see them lose their seat. "What in the world do you mean there is no difference?"
He'd never thought of it that way. He came from a pretty free country, and a liberal media that makes ours all look like moderates. He really didn't know that Christians in [communist tyranny] are horribly persecuted and have no freedom in the important things of life. He thought we in America had no control over our government, that it was totally under the control of our president, who had run amuck. He really didn't have any understanding that America was free and that our government was responsive to the people and that many of us supported our government's international actions based on principle.
Here's what makes me mad: my brother in Christ was rendered incapable of supporting God's people intelligently in prayer and of understanding the issues of world politics because of his source of knowledge about the world - his country's very biased media. From the very beginning of printing, Christians have been at the forefront of the information revolution. This is one reason why.
How can we depend on those who are opposed to all we are to provide us with the information we need to make decisions about the world? How can we depend on them to share the good news of Jesus Christ? How can we trust them to tell us the true state of the church? We can't. They will ever try to lull us to sleep, to spin the news to make us choose sides against our own principles, to highlight scandal within the church like it was the secret norm, to discourage us in the battle we face. We will be in sad shape if our only source of news is the enemy's propaganda.
I recently told a correspondent in a not-free country what Christians in the free world were hearing about - that persecution had been stepped up in his country. That foreign missionaries had been expelled and that church activities had been raided and leaders arrested. He had not heard - the media is under state control there and most of the Christian internet is blocked. He was thankful to be able to pray for his brethren and to know to be cautious for himself.
This is why sites like WorldNetDaily and Voice of the Martyrs are so important. They tell the stories the mainstream media ignores. We need to accept the responsibility to inform ourselves and to be seekers of the truth. That's why the guerilla bloggers who risk their lives in other countries to inform their countrymen are so important. That's why the organizations that strive to bypass the firewalls and internet restrictions of those governments and to provide safe and changing ISPs for free communication are so critical. Let's support these Gutenbergs - in prayer and financially - as they strive to give the freedom of the mind to closed countries - that the gospel would be preached and God's people protected.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Please Pray for the Business
Dear Friends,
Hal is meeting with a customer tomorrow morning and may receive that order we've been praying about so long. This customer is a fellow believer and we really enjoy working with him. Would you join us in asking for God's protection and blessing in this venture if it is His will?
Thank you so, so much!
Hal is meeting with a customer tomorrow morning and may receive that order we've been praying about so long. This customer is a fellow believer and we really enjoy working with him. Would you join us in asking for God's protection and blessing in this venture if it is His will?
Thank you so, so much!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Triple Coupons
Tomorrow Triple Coupons start at Lowe's Foods, so I'm off to sort through my coupon binder and the Lowe's ad to plan the day. I've learned so much through the smartspending_nc group at yahoogroups - I highly recommend it!
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