I know for many of us who have a child with either a physical or mental limitation, finding contentment can at times be difficult.  Some days it seems as if all is well and we are able to handle whatever challenges life throws our way, while the next all is in turmoil and we feel overwhelmed.  For those days when you are feeling overwhelmed, consider the following exercise:

When you begin to think to yourself that your family's lifestyle, finances, or choices are limited "because of my special needs child." Instead, say to yourself "...because it is God's will."  Because the truth is, we face no hardship that God has not foreseen and that He abandons us to face alone.  It is by His will that we live or die, have peace or hardship and through His support that we persevere. 

I have found in my own life that while God's way sometimes seems very hard, it has led me to a place of greater joy than I could ever have found on my own. 

Here are  a few Scriptures to contemplate as you consider making this change in your thoughts:

Genesis 15:19-20

Esther 4:13-14

Philippians 3:7-11

Romans 8:18-25

We have done some of the free online Jesse Tree readings and studied the symbols for the past two years, but this year I wanted to do something a little different. So I've made up my own schedule of readings for the season.  Given more time, I'd like to find a few more Psalms or other praise verses to add, but I wanted to get the list completed before December was upon us!

Here's our schedule for 2009:

Suggested Family Reading Schedule for Advent (23 days)

Day	Selected Scripture
1	Isaiah 11:1-10
2	Isaiah 9:2-7
3	Isaiah 65:17-25
4	John 1:1-18
5-11	Luke 1:1-80  (divide into daily readings as follows: 1:1-7, 8-17, 26-37, 38-45, 46-55, 56-65, 66-80)
12-15	Luke 2:1-40   (divide into daily readings as follows: 2:1-7, 8-20, 21-33, 34-40)
16	Matthew 1:18-25
17-18	Matthew 2:1-23   (divide into daily readings as follows: 2:1-12, 13-23)
19	1 John 5:11,  John 6:39-40
20	1 John 1:1-7
21	Titus 3:3-6,  John 17:2-4
22	Psalm 96

For those who want to use the King James Version, I actually copied the passages from BibleGateway.com and made a little booklet.  Here's the text version:

Selected Readings for Advent -2009

Isaiah 11

 ¹And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

 ²And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

 ³And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

 ⁴But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

 ⁵And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

 ⁶The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

 ⁷And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

 ⁸And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

 ⁹They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

 ¹⁰And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

Isaiah 9:2-7

 ²The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

 ³Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

 ⁴For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

 ⁵For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

 ⁶For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 ⁷Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 65:17-25

¹⁷For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

 ¹⁸But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

 ¹⁹And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

 ²⁰There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

 ²¹And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

 ²²They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

 ²³They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

 ²⁴And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

 ²⁵The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

John 1

 ¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 ²The same was in the beginning with God.

 ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

 ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

 ⁵And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

 ⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

 ⁷The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

 ⁸He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

 ⁹That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

 ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

 ¹¹He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

 ¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 ¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

 ¹⁴And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 ¹⁵John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

 ¹⁶And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.

 ¹⁷For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

 ¹⁸No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Luke 1

 ¹Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

 ²Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;

 ³It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

 ⁴That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

 ⁵THERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

 ⁶And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

 ⁷And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

 ⁸And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

 ⁹According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

 ¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

 ¹¹And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

 ¹²And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

 ¹³But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

 ¹⁴And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

 ¹⁵For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

 ¹⁶And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

 ¹⁷And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

 ¹⁸And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

 ¹⁹And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

 ²⁰And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

 ²¹And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

 ²²And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

 ²³And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

 ²⁴And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

 ²⁵Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

 ²⁶And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

 ²⁷To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

 ²⁸And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

 ²⁹And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

 ³⁰And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

 ³¹And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

 ³²He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

 ³³And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

 ³⁴Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

 ³⁵And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

 ³⁶And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

 ³⁷For with God nothing shall be impossible.

 ³⁸And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

 ³⁹And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

 ⁴⁰And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

 ⁴¹And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

 ⁴²And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

 ⁴³And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

 ⁴⁴For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

 ⁴⁵And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

 ⁴⁶And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

 ⁴⁷And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

 ⁴⁸For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

 ⁴⁹For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

 ⁵⁰And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

 ⁵¹He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

 ⁵²He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

 ⁵³He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

 ⁵⁴He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

 ⁵⁵As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

 ⁵⁶And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

 ⁵⁷Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

 ⁵⁸And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

 ⁵⁹And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

 ⁶⁰And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

 ⁶¹And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

 ⁶²And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

 ⁶³And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

 ⁶⁴And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

 ⁶⁵And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

 ⁶⁶And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

 ⁶⁷And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

 ⁶⁸Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

 ⁶⁹And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

 ⁷⁰As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

 ⁷¹That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

 ⁷²To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

 ⁷³The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

 ⁷⁴That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

 ⁷⁵In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

 ⁷⁶And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

 ⁷⁷To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

 ⁷⁸Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

 ⁷⁹To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

 ⁸⁰And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

Luke 2

 ¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

 ²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

 ³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

 ⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

 ⁵To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

 ⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

 ⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

 ⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 ⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

 ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

 ¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

 ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

 ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

 ¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

 ¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

 ¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

 ¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

 ¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

 ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

 ²¹And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

 ²²And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

 ²³(As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

 ²⁴And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

 ²⁵And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

 ²⁶And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

 ²⁷And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

 ²⁸Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

 ²⁹Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

 ³⁰For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

 ³¹Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

 ³²A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

 ³³And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

 ³⁴And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

 ³⁵(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

 ³⁶And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;

 ³⁷And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

 ³⁸And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

 ³⁹And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

 ⁴⁰And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Matthew 1

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

 ¹⁹Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

 ²⁰But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

 ²¹And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

 ²²Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

 ²³Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

 ²⁴Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

 ²⁵And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Matthew 2

 ¹Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

 ²Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

 ³When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

 ⁴And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

 ⁵And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

 ⁶And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

 ⁷Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

 ⁸And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

 ⁹When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

 ¹⁰When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

 ¹¹And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

 ¹²And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

 ¹³And when they were de

Our's societies' behavior hasn't changed as much as you think:

The Bolter- Book Review

(caution- some passages would get an "R")

The history of dress, note in the French Revolution and Empire periods, women's garments were often translucent- yeah, see through.  Note the low cut of the dresses at Napoleon's coronation. 

History of Dress

I wish I could find a better reference.  When I studied this subject in college, we learned that during various periods of time different body parts were considered more or less attractive and dress was designed to feature the desired part of the body.  There were periods when the bosom was completely revealed and other times when sheer fabrics were used.  So while today's fashions are immodest- no argument there, I don't think the desire of humans to act and dress immodestly is so far changed from the past.  It's just that there's not a lot of focus on modesty and moral practices in most history classes so we assume what we don't know about must not have existed. 

Many folks have recommended this devotional, and I think I have in the past as well, but it deserves mentioning again:

Streams in the Desert

This link indicates that the featured devotion is for November, but it was actually the May 10th entry in my hardcover copy.  If you click "next" you can continue to read the devotions in order. 

Here's the reading for today:

Streams in the Desert March 7

I found March 6th's entry to be very convicting as well.

Crosswalk also provides daily readings and archives from Streams in the Desert, but the daily readings don't match the dates in the hardcover copy of the book.

I can't recommend this devotional enough.   Each day I gain new wisdom and courage from the passages I find.  I found my copy at a used book store and it's still available at CBD and elsewhere if you like to read your books "in person." 

This was the February 1st entry in Streams of the Desert, I really gained a lot from it and wanted to share:

This Thing is From ME

Have a blessed day.

I found this website today and wanted to share it:

The Grace of God

During the next few days, please take the time to remember those who dwell in a country where they are not free to worship their God or even to choose the number of children they may raise. 

http://www.persecution.com/ 

This is the book I'm reading to the kids right now.  I read one story a week most weeks.  It's a collection of stories about early missionary workers and evangelists.  I'm hoping to inspire the children to think beyond our little corner of the world. 

One thing I have noted about the stories though is that in many of the instances, the person being profiled is not the first in his or her family to serve God in a mighty way.  Some are first generation of course, but over and over again I am reading that the person's mother or father was a missonary or a minister or just a devout parent who guided their child to dream big for the Lord.

So, this book is actually inspiring me whether it inspires the children or not.  What I do, and what you do, does matter.  You don't know what your child will grow up to do but you can impact the foundation upon which his or her future is built. 

John 15:8

I'm reading through a Bible study by Charles Swindoll on Solomon and it's a pretty thorough study.  Through references to the Scriptures in Kings, Chronicles and Eccelsiasties I am learning more about Solomon- the heights that God raised him to and how he fell. 

On that note, I just wanted to share this little insight:

The Bible says that Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived.  He was given the most knowledge and wisdom.  In Ecclesiastes Solomon tells us that this wisdom did not leave him, even when he sought to indulge his every physical whim in an effort to seek happiness.  So he remained wise beyond all imagination throughout his life.  Yet, despite having this wisdom, he still made horrible destructive choices, betrayed friends, indulged in sin and turned away from God.

Thank God we are forgiven!  Because if a man with that level of wisdom can't control his nature and turn away from a destructive path, then there is no hope except for the guidance of God himself and the Holy Spirit. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding!

"When an opponent declares,
'I will not come over to your side.'
I calmly say, 'Your child belongs to us already…
What are you? You will pass on.
Your descendants, however,
now stand in the new camp.
In a short time they will know nothing
else but this new community.'"

~ Adolf Hitler

Just a note to my non-homeschooling friends- I don't have a problem with anyone's choice for schooling.  I know our choice is ours and it isn't the right one for every family.  But I believe it should be a choice, for you and for me.  I believe that the schools should serve the family and not the other way around.  Your children should be free to learn how to read, write, compute and research without being forced to accept values or beliefs that are not yours.  My children should have the same freedom.  I hope that all of our children will be free to learn in whatever setting you and I choose without being subjected to the indoctrination of the week. 

I have been very reluctant to comment regarding the recent court ruling in California to anyone but my DH because I know that each of us is called in a different way at a different time.  We must choose our own actions and sometimes we are called to wait, sometimes not.  Quite honestly, I don't know what my calling now is so I can only observe and wait for my direction to come. 

But...

What I *see* is one more step being taken down a path that I don't want to be marched down.  IMO, if there was a 20 year history with a particular family that necessitated intervention by the courts on behalf of the children, then a finding could have been made using those facts that resolved the issue without creating a constitutional question.  Perhaps the appellate court felt that it could not do so because of the need for deference to the trial court on issues of fact. But it is my experience that if a judge wishes to make a ruling, his clerks can find a way to make it happen.  Thus, for me personally the decision by the court to create a constitutional issue is telling.  This is a step toward an ultimate federal constitutional challenge in which we face the outcome being a declaration that the state's right to indoctrinate and socialize our children to conform to the state's standards supercedes individual parental interests.

I'd like to think that such a ruling would never happen in this country.  But look around and you'll see that it has been happening, step by step for some time.  The court is the final determinator between the state's interests and yours.  That's why you are pushed to vaccinate your child, regardless of his or  her personal risk of infection.  That's why certain behaviors are outlawed and others made compulsory.  The state has a recognized interest and to the extent your choices interefere with that interest, the court will decide whose interest supercedes. 

This situation (and it isn't new- just newly relevant) impacts every parent, yet many parents will never realize that they are next until it is too late.  Don't count on the next generation of jurists and citizens to be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to maintain liberty for all.  Complacency is not the standard bearer of freedom. 

We know that we serve an awesome God who is all powerful and laughs at the plans of man.  But know also, He has told us that the day will come when we are persecuted for His sake.  Know what you believe and why and always seek His guidance. 

Recently I was again reminded that many parents believe that their child is better behaved, smarter, more polite and generally all around superior to his or her peers because of the parents’ own choices of faith, teaching style and discipline.  To this I say, it may be correct that the parents have made “good” choices that are to the benefit of their child,  but to take credit for those choices, to look down upon someone else or feel the right to judge others who don’t meet these individual standards to me is an offense.

Now I will concede that I am being quick to take offense, particularly since I don’t really know the individuals expressing these opinions personally nor do they know me or my child.  I apologize for my impatience.  But I feel strongly that every now and then we all need a reminder that God didn’t just die for us personally but for each and every one of the many people we encounter each day- even the ones who don’t always behave as He might wish, especially for those.  How we think of those people we encounter, how we treat them, how we minister to them has eternal impact not only on their lives but on our own. 

Consider the following lessons that God has given us about holding ourselves in too high esteem:

Daniel 4

"The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?' While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.'

and

Daniel 5

"But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.

Ecclesiastes 5:7

For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.

Proverbs 14:12

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

Proverbs 28:26

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

Philippians 2:3

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Luke 18:9-14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:

"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

So, as you contemplate your many blessings, God’s grace in your life, and the suffering of others (or your own) remember that just maybe it’s not all about you.  Maybe it’s not all about you and what a great parent/Christian/homeschooler/housekeeper/wife/lay leader/ etc. you are (or are not). Maybe God has a plan for you and He’s guided your steps and your decisions to fulfill that plan.  Maybe the only reason you made a “good” parenting choice or were led to homeschool or have lots of energy to volunteer is because it serves His purpose.  Maybe the only reason you’ve faced challenges is because it served His good will.  Maybe it’s for His glory.  

1 Corinthians 13:3

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

May we all remember that but for God's grace, we would remain broken and without hope.  I know I sure couldn't do anything good on my own! 

This is for the ladies who have been or are married only. 

On Marriage

but as a note to myself that I've decided to share. 

I was disrespected this holiday season.  I went out of my way to do what I thought was nice and appropriate and received a less than gracious response to my efforts.  It genuinely hurt my feelings.  I had to take a week or so to shake off the ill will that came about as result of this interaction.  (Because I failed to take that initial ill thought captive.)  But I did get over it. 

Now, since it was a holiday issue, I could have chosen to be twice as upset as is customary when one receives a holiday “dissing.”  You know about holiday insults, right?  Your children aren’t invited or they are but your schedule wasn’t taken into consideration; you bought one gift but are expected to give something else; you bought a gift and one wasn’t bought for you; your kids didn’t get as nice a gift as someone else did; you are broke but the whole world is buying stuff and telling you about it; or you don’t “do” gifts but someone insists on getting your children something nice anyway and then it’s not even educational (the nerve!)   The list goes on and on and we tell ourselves we’re entitled to be really angry over each slight because it is after all, Christmas. 

But then what purpose would my deciding to fuss about how my “season” has been disrupted serve?  How does a perceived insult to me really impact my ability to celebrate the birth of my Lord and Savior? 

That’s a pretty easy question to answer- it doesn’t.  Unless of course, I’ve forgotten that Christmas is about celebrating the birth of my Lord and Savior and instead decided that it was about honoring my husband, my children or me.  Now, as I mentioned, it did take me about a week to get over being upset- so I’m not immune from putting the focus on “we” instead of He.  But that’s not what I want to do. 

If I can’t remember that I’m celebrating God’s gift to all mankind because I am so stressed out about purchasing and paying for gifts and pouting in my room because I have to purchase a gift for someone who I don’t really even like and who isn’t going to appreciate it or because I’m so angry that someone isn’t coming to see my child in the Christmas play or scheduled their party at the same time as mine then something has gone seriously wrong in my spiritual life.  If it can’t be “Christmas” because I’m not going to be in the town I want to be in or am not able to purchase the gifts I want my children to have, then I have a mistaken idea of what “Christmas” is;  or maybe I don’t and I need to really think about what Christmas in our society has become. 

Think about it.  If all I wanted to do for Christmas was celebrate God’s wondrous gift then nothing could stop me from doing that- not poverty, mean people, imprisonment even!  Unless you are in a coma, you can always celebrate the birth of Christ. 

But that’s not all we want to do.  We want to tell ourselves that we can celebrate God’s greatest gift AND have the parties, make the crafts, buy the gifts, deck the halls and not get off track.  Maybe we can, but it’s going to take a lot of effort.  You can’t just throw ten times the amount of normal activity (and spending) into your life and expect not to have some stress.  So if you find yourself getting angry with your in-laws, shouting at your spouse and honking at the car that just cut you off you may need to drop a few things from your schedule and get back to the basics. 

Just remember when you start dropping things out of your life not to start with God.  Don’t stop having times of prayer and study.  Don’t stop asking God his opinion on how you should handle difficult situations in your life.  Don’t forget that your purpose here is to worship Him. 

Because dear friends, nothing else matters.  It may seem like other things are very important, but do not be deceived.  Nothing else matters- only your relationship with your Lord and Savior. 

This week we celebrate a gift of incomprehensible value.  It’s a gift that was chosen especially for us and was completely undeserved. 

Let’s show our gratitude to the Giver by remembering the instructions that came with His gift. 

Here are just a few that I try to keep in focus amidst all the worldly distractions-

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; (Matthew 6:33)

But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. (Matthew 6:20)

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you… (Matthew 5:44)

Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" "I tell you, not as many as seven," Jesus said to him, "but 70 times seven… (Matthew 18:21-22)

As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and don't turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. (Matthew 5:40-42)

Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.  But the greatest of these is love.  (1 Corinthians 13:12-13)