I love to read books and this book is one of my favorites. It's called  "A Song for Your Honor" written by Kay Evans. I'm sure many have read this book. It's a true story about a new widow  with six children who goes on the run after her in laws pressed charges against her claiming she was an unfit mother. It's a story of courage, faith and forgiveness. You can get this book from Christian Light Publications. I'm sure it's available at most Anabaptist  book companies.

I've been thinking how spiritually dark the area I live in is. We have gang violence,gay and lesbian pride festivals, organizations that support Planned Parenthood etc.

What we need a revival here. I think about how much time,money and energy was spent trying to get Prop 8 passed here. I think so much energy was put into getting it passed that we totally forgot about the most important thing these people are lacking... a relationship with the Lord Jesus. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Prop 8 did pass but there is an aggressive effort  by gay rights activists to get it overturned.

Chances are it will be overturned and you know what? Fine because that's just one more thing leading to the return of Christ to take His bride-The Church. I say Come Lord Jesus Come! Our fight isn't against the gays and lesbians and the gangs. It's against the enemy and his forces. See Ephesians 6:12.

Again I say Come Lord Jesus Come

My husband and I were talking after reading our daily devotion about how many Christians have compromised their convictions in favor of what the world offers.

I have to confess sometimes the world's offerings look so inviting. Things like rock concerts, worldly music, clothing fashions etc. I don't know whose brilliant idea it was to say that it was okay for bra straps to be seen. Do we really care to know you are wearing a pink bra with your green top?

 Many of the world's offerings are disguised as "Christian". I saw an article in the newspaper recently about a "Christian" vampire book series that if I remember correctly will be out in the fall. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that something like that is pure evil and Christians need to avoid it.

I saw an episode of Touched by Angel a few years ago about a young teen who let evil in by getting involved with tarot cards. It was scary to watch the destruction of this person but of course in the end the now adult found God and there is a happy ending.

In the real world there isn't always a happy ending. Friends we need to return to our first love, who is the Lord Jesus Christ!  We need to stop this spiritual "adultery" and get back into regular prayer and Bible reading, meditating on His Word.

Or maybe it's the other way around? Sadly I've seen so many Christians involved with worldly things and it just breaks my heart.  Satan has really put blinders on many of God's sons and daughters and they don't even realize it until it is too late.

I posted in the past about avoiding the appearence of evil. The new Harry Potter movie opened at midnight and I know there were many people dressed in their wizard costumes and other Harry Potter related costumes. Sadly many of them are Christians.  I don't buy the " Well that's fine for your family, but our family will ____________(you fill in the blanks) mentality. There is no such scripture that says everyone but the Shea family(that's us)  are to obey God's Word.

I don't know when the "rules" changed from following what the Bible says to following "whatever works with me and/or my family".

We as parents have got to be very careful with our children and what we expose them to. I wish I had learned this early in my parenthood. We have exposed our children to magic,  witchcraft, worldly ideas about dating etc. All of this via various TV shows and movies. We are working to correct this and our daughters are starting to understand that that many things of this world is not of God.

Maybe we think God doesn't want us to have fun. Perhaps we as Christians are looking at the world and thinking "Wow that looks so much more fun than than my boring lifesytle"

Friends, you can have fun if you will without giving up your Christian principles and without going against God's Word.

Romans12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

I saw this poem a couple of years ago and I want to share it with you readers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Church Walking with the World

The Church and the World walked far apart
On the changing shores of time,
The World was singing a giddy song,
And the Church a hymn sublime.

"Come, give me your hand," said the merry World,
"And walk with me this way!"
But the good Church hid her snowy hands
And solemnly answered "Nay!

I will not give you my hand at all,
And I will not walk with you;
Your way is the way that leads to death;
Your words are all untrue."

"Nay, walk with me but a little space,"
Said the World with a kindly air;
"The road I walk is a pleasant road,
And the sun shines always there.

Your path is thorny and rough and rude,
But mine is broad and plain;
My way is paved with flowers and dews,
And yours with tears and pain.

The sky to me is always blue,
No want, no toil I know;
The sky above you is always dark,
Your lot is a lot of woe.
There's room enough for you and me
To travel side by side."

Half shyly the Church approached the World
And gave him her hand of snow;
And the old World grasped it and walked along,
Saying, in accents low:

"Your dress is too simple to please my taste;
I will give you pearls to wear,
Rich velvets and silks for your graceful form,
And diamonds to deck your hair."

The Church looked down at her plain white robes,
And then at the dazzling World,
And blushed as she saw his handsome lip
With a smile contemptuous curled.

"I will change my dress for a costlier one,"
Said the Church, with a smile of grace;
Then her pure white garments drifted away,
And the World gave, in their place,
Beautiful satins and shining silks,
Roses and gems and costly pearls;
While over her forehead her bright hair fell
Crisped in a thousand curls.

"Your house is too plain," said the proud old World,
"I'll build you one like mine;
With walls of marble and towers of gold,
And furniture ever so fine."

So he built her a costly and beautiful house;
Most splendid it was to behold;
Her sons and her beautiful daughters dwelt there
Gleaming in purple and gold.

Rich fairs and shows in the halls were held,
And the World and his children were there.
Laughter and music and feasts were heard
In the place that was meant for prayer.

There-were cushioned seats for the rich and the gay,
To sit in their pomp and pride;
But the poor who were clad in shabby array,
Sat meekly down outside.

"You give too much to the poor," said the World.
"Far more than you ought to do;
If they are in need of shelter and food,
Why need it trouble you?

Go, take your money and buy rich robes,
Buy horses and carriages fine;
Buy pearls and jewels and dainty food,
Buy the rarest and costliest wine.

My children, they dote on all these things,
And if you their love would win
You must do as they do, and walk in the ways
That they are walking in."

So the poor were turned from her door in scorn,
And she heard not the orphan's cry;
But she drew her beautiful robes aside,
As the widows went weeping by.

Then the sons of the World and the Sons of the Church
Walked closely hand and heart,
And only the Master, who knoweth all,
Could tell the two apart.

Then the Church sat down at her ease, and said,
"I am rich and my goods increase;
I have need of nothing, or aught to do,
But to laugh, and dance, and feast."

The sly World heard, and he laughed in his sleeve,
And mockingly said, aside-
"The Church is fallen, the beautiful Church;
And her shame is her boast and her pride."

The angel drew near to the mercy seat,
And whispered in sighs her name;
Then the loud anthems of rapture were hushed,
And heads were covered with shame.

And a voice was heard at last by the Church
From Him who sat on the throne,

"I know thy works, and how thou hast said,
`I am rich, and hast not known
That thou art naked, poor and blind,
And wretched before my face;

Therefore from my presence cast I thee out,
And blot thy name from its place."

"...you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have
separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine." Leviticus
20:26

"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what
fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion
has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or
what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has
the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living
God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. I
will be their God, and they shall be My people.'

Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate,' says the
Lord. 'Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will
be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,' says
the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The thing is nothing happened to me that was scary. What was scary was the world's reaction to Michael Jackson's passing. I sw plenty of idolatry,disrespectful behavior, gossip just to name a few. All of this is really hurtful to the Lord.

I'm sad that Michael is gone but I'm not sad for me. I'm sad for his mom who has lost her child. No mother should ever have to face losing her child no matter how old that child was when he or she passed away.  I'm sad for the children because they have to grow up without a father and will most likely have to go through a public and nasty custody battle. I'm also sad they will have to deal with cruelty from the evil press because of their race. I'm sad that Michael may have died without knowing the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Finally I'm sad for the fans because unfortunately many of them had elevated Michael to "god" status and now that their "god" is gone they feel they have no hope.

But there is Hope! That Hope is in the person of Jesus Christ who died for our sin.. 

Some of you know that I love to sing hymns and I heard this one for the first time a few months ago. I love singing this. Songs I post are from the The Cyberhymnal and they can be found at  http://www.hymntime.com/tch

Here's the link and the lyrics follow http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/i/l/ilttts.htm

Well I've been trying to figure out my curriculum for the fall on some of my subjects. I'm looking into Christian Light for some subjects and Rod and Staff for the rest.

 Lord willing, I will be homeschooling  9th,7th and 3rd grade in the fall. I already have my English curriculum for all grades. It's all the other stuff I need to plan.

 I just read that Kevin Jonas of the Jonas Brothers is getting married to a very lovely girl named Danielle Deleasa. They make a very sweet looking couple and I'm very excited for him.

 My daughters are rather shocked but I think they are happy for him. It's so nice to read something happy in the news instead of all the sad stuff that we have been hearing. So now we need to pray for them and their marriage. I'm sure it can be tough being married to someone who has such a busy schedule.

In light of what is happening with a possible custody battle with Michael Jackson's children, do you have a plan for your children in case you and your husband died while your children are still minors?

Last year Tim and I were in a car accident that totaled our car. Thankfully our children were not with us at the time. We were both okay but it could have been a whole lot worse. What would have happened to our children if we had died?

I don't like to even think about such things but I hope that parents do take the time to write out their wishes for the care of their most precious possessions---- their children.