I have been politically involved from a young age - not going door to door, but I follow those up for election, read the propositions, vote, stay involved, etc. I am not apathetic towards government. I am finding myself more and more perplexed by the "state of the state" and am not sure what there is to be done about it.
I am a Christian and know that my faith infuses all that I think and do, but I guess what I am trying to figure out is at what point (in a free society like ours) does one's personal faith affect the faith/lack of faith of others? This is a great puzzler for me as I am not sure what my responsibility as a Christian is with regards to moral issues in the public square. There are certain things I hold to be biblically immoral, but I am honestly asking how this plays out in a country that has freedom of religion? What is my responsibility and where do I have to draw the line? Does my moral compass determine what is right for others because I know the Bible to be God's inspired word? At what point does "freedom of religion" turn to "forced into my religion?"
I have no desire to return to the times of a state-run church or to the Spanish Inquisition where those who did not "tow the line" were eliminated. I have read enough history to know that I don't want to live faith by force. How does that play out in our world? How do we maintain a moral world when everyone's morality is different?
When it comes to answering questions like:
"Government should not censor any speech, press, media, or internet." and I have to answer "Yes, Maybe, No" which do I choose? As a freedom-loving American, I don't want my own thoughts and freedoms of faith in jeopardy, but there *are* inappropriate pictures on the internet, there are other horrifying things there too--and not just on the internet. Of course I don't want them available - so I do embrace censorship to some degree. There *are* appropriate things to censor. So who gets to decide what is censorable and where does our faith fit into it?
I was very interested to see the groundswell of support for Huckabee when he first came on the election scene. It seemed like he was embraced with fervor because he had all the right buzz words. His record didn't vouch so highly for him. (At least in my opinion.) I am not a person who believes that this country will be saved by politics or even by the actions of God's people. My Savior is not of this world. This does not remove our responsibility to be involved though--we have to be in a free nation or we have no say at all. Just how far though, do we go as Christians? What is our God-given, biblical calling, in the political arena? I am not talking about leaving our faith at the door of the election box--no way! I am trying to process the phrase, "You cannot legislate your morality." Do we draw lines? If so, what lines and when?
I would love to hear your thoughts. I am obviously mulling this around in my mind. I want to honor God in all that I do--to obey all His commands for me, and to glorify Him in all that I do. How do we do that politically?
God does and is everything impossible. Oh, how I love that! I have been in a discussion about faith in God and His work in creation and you know, sometimes it is just so hard to explain faith to those who don't share it. It truly is "...the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." (Heb. 11:1) God is just like that, isn't He? I just love love love Him for that. How easy would our faith be if Jesus walked with us face to face here on this earth? How much would we have to trust in His saving, life-giving, purifying, providing hand?
The discussion has once again brought the quandry of faith versus sight into view. This is so key in our homeschools, isn't it? Our all-important faith is not something we can convince another of. It is truly a gift of God, lest we boast. Oh God, grant that my children walk in the faith you have so beautifully given me!
As I was sitting here working, I was listening to Mercy Me's album, Undone. The song, "Everything Impossible" just spoke to me! There are others who wonder and marvel at our Creator God! He is all we could ever need - even if we don't have all the answers. Let Him be praised. I hope you enjoy the lyrics as much as I. They met my heart tonight.
"Everything Impossible"
I was taught to be practical in everything I do
Holding on to what is tangible, and then came You
That's when I found myself so far away, from everything I knew
I took a leap of faith
Even though You're difficult for me to explain
I know I'll never be the same
You're everything I cannot see
You're everything I cannot say
I know it all seems so illogical
But that's okay
You're the love You give to me
You're the love I give away
You are everything impossible
And that's okay
That's okay!
All the things that make no sense to me, draw me to You
Like finding freedom by surrendering, can it be true
With everything I can and cannot know
This mystery is bringing life to me
And all this love I have for You I can't contain
I know I'll never be the same
You're everything I cannot see
You're everything I cannot say
I know it all seems so illogical
But that's okay
You're the love You give to me
You're the love I give away
You are everything impossible
And that's okay
That's okay
What's so hard to understand
What I cannot comprehend
Is that You love me the way I am
You're everything I cannot see
You're everything I cannot say
I know it all seems so illogical
But that's okay
You're the love You give to me
You're the love I give away
You are everything impossible
And that's okay
Life at our house has been pretty busy as you can probably tell by my extreme lack of attention to this blog! :+) So much has been going on that I have not had five minutes to compose an entry. So I am stealing time tonight and sharing photos. My seven year-old has lost her first top tooth. She was quite the happy girl once the deed was done, but it hurt so much to get the very loose tooth out that the tooth fairy gave her $2.00. :+)
We spent one of the nicest days at a tremendous gold rush living history site near Coloma. Below are a few photos from that wonderful event. If you click on the photo you can see a larger version. Here are the children hand-dipping candles. I was amazed at how many dips it takes to make a candle! It was well over 40.
Here are the beautiful finished products. Don't they look so pretty hanging there?
Here they are making rope with twine. They were making a very long rope the old fashioned way!
Here is another gorgeous shot of the area we were enjoying that day along with the rope twisters. :+)
Here they are making butter, ice cream, grinding wheat, and making fresh whole wheat tortillas by hand. All were wonderfully fresh and delicious!
Here is Abigail churning butter. This was such wonderful butter!
Here is the gold rush country in the spring. This picture was taken right by the American River as we were panning for gold. We did find some and now I finally know how to do it! There was not *much* to be found as I was only able to take gold dust, but boy, I could see the lure of it. It was something to figure out how to glean the gold from the riverbed!
Life has been hectic, but it has been so beautiful here. The weather just yesterday was 85! We have planted our garden and the flowers are all starting to bloom. It is a lovely time of year and we have had hardly any allergies! What a blessing. I hope you are all doing well!
"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak."
Have you ever seen that verse? I know I have read it before because I have read the whole of the Bible and that is in Matthew 12:36, but I have never read it in the way I did today. My children and I did a study this morning on the tongue because their mother had an issue keeping hers in check. The words we read today were hard and brought many tears.
"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil?For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matt. 12:33-34)
Out of the abundance of my heart my mouth speaks. What is in my heart if I have spoken something sinful? A fellow blogger has a "campaign" of sorts to root out gossip in the church. Gossip is probaby spoken more by women than by men. I have no real proof of that, but I would wager a good guess that it is so. I know that I have been guilty of it more often than I care to remember and it is almost always with another women. I don't share what I share with you to accuse you, but to encourage you to keep your tongues too.
This morning, by not bridling my own tongue I hurt a dear and precious friend. I repented of this sin, but it grieves me still. I share this with you so that you too may be thoughtful because I think it is so easy to open our mouths when we should be silent. Even when we think we are justified - are we honoring the person we are speaking of? Would we speak this way to their face?
"There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." (Prov. 12:18)
The scripture has so much to tell us - to warn us really - about the tongue. James is especially potent:
"Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!" (James 3:4-5)
Ladies, it was a painful lesson to teach my children this morning. It was hard to sit and admit my ugliness to them, to encourage them to keep their tongues pure and their hearts guarded, but the times of refreshing in God's word - even after reading these scriptures that cut the heart - was true and beautiful to me. I don't know what my children will take away from the lesson this morning. I don't know what they will have learned, but I have learned a hard lesson today. I praise my Savior for His kindness to me. I praise Him for His forgiveness when I don't deserve it. I praise Him for His longsuffering over me. I praise Him for the ability to be humbled. I pray that I will remember that it was Jesus who said, "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak."
Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Refrain
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus my Savior;
Vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord!
Refrain
Death cannot keep its Prey, Jesus my Savior;
He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!
Jen is running a fantastic contest and here are all the details:
From Jen:
Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while -- next week they are unleashing a brand new curriculum, and you can WIN the *all new* Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3… FOR FREE!
This is a $219 program (and believe me it's worth every penny!) and the winner gets to pick from any of these 14 languages: Spanish (Spain or Latin America), English (American or British), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Hebrew, or Russian.
This will also include a headset with microphone, and students will participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well, in addition to speaking. Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they're included! For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports.
To win this most excellent program -- in the language of your choice -- copy these paragraphs and post it in (or as) your next blog post -- then to enter the contest, go to the original contest page HERE and leave a comment with the link showing where you blogged about it. And please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post it. And good luck! The winner will be picked randomly on March 26, and will be notified thru the link they left to their blog pg. And if you have more than one blog, you can post them and enter those separately for more chances to win. Yay for free stuff!
Well, if you have been following the weather report for CA (and I am *so* sure so many of you have - LOL) then you would see that we were supposed to have a storm or two with rain. Not so. Not that I am complaining because I am not. It has been just gorgeous here. Here is some proof:
And then this happens! My smallest person no longer needs training wheels! It almost seems wrong somehow. :) I am really happy for her but it is the end of an era here at our house--everyone rides on their own! She is a happy happy girl. :+)
Many of you have read about the court situation in Southern California. It is so easy to get upset or worried about the things happening today, but I want to offer what is real consolation and comfort to me. Our God is a mighty God!
Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come, behold the works of the Lord
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
I am in the midst of many deadlines and the insanity that is getting out all the current product review hoard sitting in my computer area. :) SO, please forgive me for being silent like the grave.
Because I went a little crazy at Rainbow Resource. I realized that we were pretty much out of all the fun crafty things that little folks like to use to craft up their mother's kitchen tables so I went to town in my order tonight:
001634 - Fuschia (Magenta) Glitter
007206 - Sequins and Spangles
007833 - Craft Sticks (colored) box of 500
009408 - Washable Glitter Glue - Gold
009412 - Washable Glitter Glue - Ice White
009417 - Washable Glitter Glue - Red
009418 - Washable Glitter Glue - Silver
010587 - Glitter Glue - Ice Royal Blue
012552 - Peel ’n Stick Wiggle Eyes 125 pcs.
012561 - WonderFoam ½ Pound Tub
016383 - Felt Shapes (500 / pkg)
023649 - Ultimate Soft Handle Student Scissors
023708 - Construction Paper 76# 12”x18” Assorted
023724 - Construction Paper Fade-Resist 12”x18” Bright
023743 - Construction Paper Fade-Resist White
024167 - Puffy Paint (6 colors)
027347 - Heavyweight Glitter Const Paper 12x18
028737 - Mini Glue Dots
030468 - Wacky Tack Repositionable Dots 3/8”
033358 - Prang Glitter 8 color Set with #9 Brush
033359 - Prang Metallic 8 color Set with #9 Brush
036010 - Student Watercolor Pads - 9”x12”
038550 - Peel & Stick Gemstones - Geometric Shapes
038717 - Wood Shapes - Asst Natural (1000 pc/bag)
And for "official" school:
023945 - Spelling Workout 2001 Level C Student Edition
009921 - Explode the Code Book 7
Does that not look like fun?! I know they will be so excited when the box comes and I will be just as excited as they will be to open it. It feels good to be the fun mom. I am not always ordering crafty things and just knowing how happy they will be makes it all worth it. :+)
I love to read, I love my husband and children, I love my Savior. I enjoy dark roast coffee with cream and sugar, Earl Grey tea with scones and clotted cream, long walks in forested areas and Redwood trees. I have a mad passion for history, strong sound Reformed theology, and good creation science materials. I have strong opinions, but respect those of others. I am grateful for my life, for every breath, for each day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice in His mercy.
Not that I am complaining because I am not. It has been just gorgeous here. Here is some proof:
