We had an awesome & busy weekend. Parties, caroling, open house at a horse trainer's place & a Christmas Cantata at church. We thoroughly enjoyed it all. But last night (Sunday) Hannah was acting miserable & when I asked her what was wrong she said she was dreading the next day (Monday). She said Mondays are always so frustrating because the house is in a shambles from the weekend & we have to do schooling plus cleaning & it seems like most Mondays just don't go well. Plus she's having trouble w/ conversions in Math & didn't want to do it. LOL We talked about things for awhile-math, routines, what she wants to do with her life, etc.
So, this morning, I got up at 5:30 & did the dishes, started laundry, picked up the living room & got some of the school subjects ready. The kids got up, did chores & then I made breakfast. I thought I'd try to make Monday breakfast more special than any other week day. So, we had pumpkin spice pancakes (a mix) with maple cream spread on them & cool whip on top of that. YUM. Also had clementine oranges.
I told the kids it was up to them to help keep the house picked up & the sink empty. My goal was to keep the sink empty & so far it's gone well. Even with deer butchering going on!
So, I'm very pleased with how today went. The baby makes the most mess & isn't old enough to pick up much, but I got her to put some books back on the shelf & push in chairs. Everyone's schooling got done, some extra house cleaning got done & a little Christmas decorating, too. It was a good day!
The third booklet of my Keeping Christ in Christmas Copybooks is ready. This book uses passages from Luke 1 and Luke 2 and focuses on Gabriel’s visit to Mary and her giving birth to Jesus, fulfilling the prophesy of Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Next week passages are from Luke, John, and Galatians about the promise from God fulfilled.
If you missed Keeping Christ in Christmas Copybook-Week 1 or Keeping Christ in Christmas Copybook-Week 2, you can find them by clicking on the respective titles below.
This was kind of fun and pointless - so I did it! I've had such a ridiculous week last week that I needed to do something pointless, if you know what I mean?
So here is a map of all the states in the USA that I have been to. Not bad since it covers over half the states in the USA. Since I have lived outside the states for almost 16 years this is quite an accomplishment!
Outside my window... it's dark and cold, way past my normal bed time
I am thinking... checking off things in my head that I need to do tomorrow, calls to make, and wondering how I'm going to get all the packing done that I want to before this weekend.
I am thankful for... finally having the closing on our house: we are now officially homeowners! Praise be to God, who blesses richly!!!!
I am remembering... my dad's last few months. My dear friend just found out that her dad has cancer and his passing will be soon, and she has asked me some questions which have brought back my dad's passing to the forefront of my mind and heart. It's still hard. This will be our first Christmas without him. I miss him, miss his smile, and the twinkle in his eye when he was teasing.
I am going... to go to Wal-Mart and buy Christmas cards . . . again. Let me tell you the story: two years ago I made some Christmas cards (I like to do rubber stamping) and had them almost all together, when I put them in a safe place until I could finish them---and promptly forgot where I put them. I finally found them about 3 weeks after Christmas. Last year I did not even send out cards, as I was sick the entire month of December. This year I decided to just buy cards and get them done. So I found some with a really nice verse and bought them. I didn't do them right away, as I was waiting for the closing on the house to actually happen before I told people we were moving and our new address. So we had the closing Friday. Saturday, I go to get the cards . . . and I can't find them. How is that possible, to lose Christmas cards twice in 3 years?!! And not even the same cards! Incredible. So I'm going to go to Wal-Mart, buy more cards, bring them home and get them done right away. I have the stamps all ready. jeepers! Too funny!!
I am reading... nothing this week---too busy.
I am hoping... to make some homeschooling friends in our new community; I would especially like the boys to make some friends. We have a couple of possibilities, and so I hope it works out.
On my mind... so much packing to do to get ready for this weekend: the big move---yeah!!!
Noticing that... more people are saying "Merry Christmas" this year instead of the blah "Happy Holidays"---this makes me very happy.
Pondering these words... all good things come in God's timing
From the kitchen... can't wait to get into my new kitchen, with all that cupboard space!
Around the house... chaos, boxes, more boxes---so much to do!
One of my favorite things... my son crawling into bed beside me in the morning, not quite ready to be up yet, and snuggling down for a few more minutes of quiet and warmth.
Dec. 12, 2009
Why Require Unregenerate Children to Act Like They're Good?
Why Require Unregenerate Children to Act Like They’re Good?
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By John PiperDecember 10, 2009
If mere external conformity to God’s commands (like don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t kill) is hypocritical and spiritually defective, then why should parents require obedience from their unregenerate children?
Won’t this simply confirm them in unspiritual religious conformity, hypocritical patterns of life, and legalistic moralism?
Here are at least three reasons why Christian parents should require their small children (regenerate or unregenerate) to behave in ways that conform externally to God’s revealed will.
I say “small children” because as a child gets older, there are certain external conformities to God’s revealed will that should be required and others that should not. It seems to me, for example, while parents should require drug-free, respectful decency from a 15-year-old, it would do little good to require an unbelieving and indifferent 15-year-old to read his Bible every day. But it would be wise to require that of a 6-year-old, while doing all we can to help him enjoy it and see the benefit in it.
So the following points are reasons why we should require smaller children to behave in ways that conform at least externally to God’s word.
1) For children, external, unspiritual conformity to God’s commanded patterns of behavior is better than external, unspiritual non-conformity to those patterns of behavior.
A respectful and mannerly 5-year-old unbeliever is better for the world than a more authentic defiant, disrespectful, ill-mannered, unbelieving bully. The family, the friendships, the church, and the world in general will be thankful for parents that restrain the egocentric impulses of their children and confirm in them every impulse toward courtesy and kindness and respect.
2) Requiring obedience from children in conformity with God’s will confronts them with the meaning of sin in relation to God, the nature of their own depravity, and their need for inner transformation by the power of grace through the gospel of Christ.
There comes a point where the “law” dawns on the child. That is, he realizes that God (not just his parents) requires a certain way of life from him and that he does not like some of it, and that he cannot do all of it.
At this crisis moment, the good news of Christ’s dying for our sins becomes all important. Will the child settle into a moralistic effort the rest of his life, trying to win the acceptance and love of God? Or will he hear and believe that God’s acceptance and forgiveness and love are free gifts—and receive this God in Christ as the supreme treasure of his life?
The child will have a hard time grasping the meaning of the cross if parents have not required of him behaviors, some of which he dislikes, and none of which he can do perfectly.
Christ lived and died to provide for us the righteousness we need (but cannot perform) and to endure for us the punishment we deserve (but cannot endure). If parents do not require external righteousness and apply measures of punishment, the categories of the cross will be difficult for a child to grasp.
3) The marks of devotion, civility, and manners (“please,” “thank you,” and good eye contact) are habits that, God willing, are filled later with grace and become more helpful ways of blessing others and expressing a humble heart.
No parents have the luxury of teaching their child nothing while they wait for his regeneration. If we are not requiring obedience, we are confirming defiance. If we are not inculcating manners, we are training in boorishness. If we are not developing the disciplines of prayer and Bible-listening, we are solidifying the sense that prayerlessness and Biblelessness are normal.
Inculcated good habits may later become formalistic legalism. Inculcated insolence, rudeness, and irreligion will likely become worldly decadence. But by God’s grace, and saturated with prayer, good habits may be filled with the life of the Spirit by faith. But the patterns of insolence and rudeness and irreligion will be hard to undo.
Caution. Here we are only answering one question: Why should parents require submissive behaviors of children when they may be unregenerate rebels at heart? Of course that is not all Christian parents should do.
Let there be much spontaneous celebration verbally of every hopeful sign of life and goodness in our children.
Let us forgive them often and be longsuffering.
Let us serve them and not use them.
Let us lavish them with joyful participation in their interests.
Let us model for them the joy of knowing and submitting to the Lord Jesus.
Let us apologize often when we fall short of our own Father’s requirements.
Let us pray for them without ceasing.
Let us saturate them with the word of God from the moment they are in the womb (the uterus is not sound proof).
Let us involve them in happy ministry experiences and show them it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Let them see us sing to the King.
Let us teach them relentlessly the meaning of the gospel in the hope that God will open their eyes and make them alive. It happens through the gospel (1 Peter 1:22-25).
Still seeking to grow in my role as a father (of our family and our church),
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We had so much fun at our Christmas party yesterday!! My friend, Louisa has quite the flair for entertaining. There were close to 50 kids there & many of them played outside sledding & participated in the mystery scavenger hunt. There was a bonfire out there, too. The dads hung out there. There were kids running every which way-it was so fun to watch from inside the warm house. LOL
There were also games in the house that were really fun. They played a game called "Catch Phrase" that was a big hit. There were all sorts of yummy treats to eat & warm drinks, Christmas music playing in the background.
All of us moms shared about the cookies we brought, including special stories that went along with them. I only knew 3 adults there, but everyone was so friendly, it didn't matter. I don't usually like to do big crowds without my dh. He had to work a double shift & couldn't make it unfortunately.
Alyssa had a temper tantrum at one point because she loves cats & their cat wouldn't cooperate with her & stay still to be petted. LOL. They have a gorgeous slate gray European Great Dane who gladly tolerated all of her attentions, though. He's used to 7 kids in his household & is amazing with children. When you sit down, this dog rests his head on your shoulder, not your leg. LOL
Today, Jonah has 4-H from 10:00 to 1:00. His group is metals & machines & he loves it. Today they're tearing down an engine. He can barely wait. :)
Hannah helps out with a therapeutic riding class every Saturday, so she has from 12:00 to 2:00. The riders are either physical or mental challenges or have learning disabilites. She really enjoys helping with this.
Tonight I'm super excited because we're going Christmas carolling. We've not ever done this before & I can't wait! We're going house to house in a group. I hope it won't be too terribly cold for Alyssa, though. That's my only concern. She's a tough little nut, so hopefully we'll be good to go.
Merry Christmas, everyone!!
JESUS IS COMING SOON! MARANATHA LORD!
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Hi friends, if you need to silence the music just hit the play/pause button on the player in the right sidebar, just below the black horse and the copyright notice.
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Well, I promised I would post pictures when we finished decorating the tree, so here goes.
First a few picts of the kids decorating the tree.
And now for some of the finished tree:
We didn't get much homeschool done, but at least its starting to look like Christmas around here!
If you want to see a few more of Christmas pictures, head on over HERE and check them out.
Musings from the me.... I am married to my very best friend, who happens to be perfect (for me!!) and am honored to be the Mama to the best four children in the world. The Lord has surely blessed me most abundantly!!!
You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel like an adult, and you're optimistic about life.
You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.
You're still figuring out your place in the world and how you want your life to shape up.
The world is full of possibilities, and you can't wait to explore many of them.
