What Our Children Must Know

This past weekend, I attended a curriculum/bookfair, and I had the privilege of hearing R.C. Sproul, Jr. speak. A few years ago, my husband worked in the public schools and it wasn't long before he came home and said, "There's no way our kids are going to public school." We checked into private schools and found that they were all far beyond our budget, so we decided we would teach them ourselves. I was terrified at first, but was pleased to find that teaching a child to read was not that difficult. We naturally transitioned into the higher levels as they grew and we haven't stopped since. We just completed our seventh year of educating our children in the home, and I'm enjoying it. Yes, there are hard days, but the rewards are great.

So, back to the bookfair.......R.C. Sproul, Jr. gave me the answer to a question that I've struggled with over the last couple of years. I was cramming information down my kids' throats and pushing them to succeed at stuffing facts and numbers into their heads in order to make sure they would pass with top scores as they enter college. Where do you draw the line between academics and spiritual training? How do I balance that? R.C. said that the most important thing is that they know God's Word and who they are in Christ. No one else is going to teach them that. This is the time, this is the moment to teach them the most important thing. Once they leave our home, we won't be able to pour into them as much. Christ came to give life abundantly. Am I more concerned with good scores or abundant life? Hmmm. That should be an easy question to answer.

I feel that my focus has shifted and I'm thankful for the time we had at the bookfair. There is so much for children to learn and so little time, it seems. I have to remember what kind of world I will be releasing them into in just a few years. When I stop to consider our society and the things that my children will face, I realize that their foundation needs to be sure and solid. Jesus is the Rock that won't crumble and they need to be fixed upon Him. There is a reason that God wrote Deuteronomy 6:4-9: "Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thine soul, and with all thine might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."

In Response....

In response to a few comments I've received, I agree with you that there are pastors who have abused people and acted as THE authority instead of allowing God to guide the people. I personally have never met any of those pastors, but I know a family who submits all of their family decisions to the pastor and board of their church. They wait for a response and then have to follow the directions of their leaders. If they do not follow, then they are accused of breaking covenant. This is NOT the biblical model for shepherds. I am sorry for anyone who has been abused in such a manner. Pastors who do such a thing have severe consequences to pay because the Bible clearly warns us about this type of treatment. The people are not taught to listen to God, but to a man.

At the same time, the pastors that I have known and met over the years have good hearts and truly love their people. They don't beat them over the head with strict rules to follow and they certainly don't rule over each family's lives. I am pretty certain that the number of true pastors outweighs the number of abusive ones. I write what I write because of my experiences in which I have seen many burned out, wounded ministers and their wives. I know that my husband was accused of 'mistreatment' of a certain person in leadership because he removed the person from a position. What people didn't know was that my husband was aware of some things that the person had said and done that were detrimental to the church body. He gently tried to remove this person from position, but in a loving manner. The individual felt mistreated. Sometimes, a pastor has to make decisions to protect his people. A shepherd is there to protect.

If I ever meet an abusive pastor, I'll be sure to give him/her a knock on the head. : )

Sweet Tea and Chocolate

Well, the weather in Texas is blazing hot with record-breaking heat for the month of June. How thankful I am for airconditioning and sweet tea! Today, I have already made two gallons of it. My husband is a northern boy who once never thought of drinking tea. Now, he drinks it daily.

Okay, another addiction of mine is chocolate. Even in the hot Texas summer, it melts so beautifully between my fingers! Mmmmm. I have to admit that I sometimes eat chocolate and drink tea for breakfast. I know....terrible nutrition, but is it really? Experts say that tea is a good source of anti-oxidants that cleanses our bodies from toxins and even aids in fighting cancer. Studies also show that heavy tea drinkers are four times more likely to survive a heart attack. As far as chocolate goes, it contains lecithin which helps your cholesterol. There. Have I justified my breakfast habit?

Today, I'm trying something new. I'm mixing Tetley brand British Blend with one Bigelow "Constant Comment" tea bag. My, is it tasty! I like tea so much that I thought about selling it, but the only avenue I have found for doing so is through Dr. Sanjay Gupta's Tea Connexions and he thinks so highly of his teas, I can't afford his start up kit! He specializes in Darjeeling from India. I suppose I haven't arrived at the proper status level to attain such a treat, yet. But with God, family and friends, tea and chocolate by my side, I am on my way!

Cheers!

The Wicked Prosper?

"Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb." Psalm 37:1-2

Have you ever felt envious of someone who seems to have it all, yet they do wicked things? After reading Psalm 37, you may find that you're thankful for what you have. Verse 13 says that the Lord laughs at those who plot against the righteous. "The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who are of upright conduct. Their sword shall enter their own heart."

Everywhere we look, we see the upright and just persecuted and ridiculed, but do not fret! Their day is coming. Not only will the wicked be cut down, but those who are righteous are promised blessing, even to their children. "Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright, for the future of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked shall be cut off." Psalm 37:37-38

Now you can thank God for His faithfulness and have a happy day, for you know His promise is sure.