Need some strength?

In case you're tired and feeling like you can't pull it together for another week, here's good news!  In the Great Exchange, the Lord gives us His strength for our weakness.  I'm drinking at this well today!

"The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace."  Ps. 29:11

"Your God has commanded your strength; strengthen, O God, what You have done for us."  Ps. 68:28

"Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'"  Joel 3:10

"...the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold."  Neh. 8:10 (Amplified)

"As for God, His way is perfect...It is God Who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect."   Ps. 18:30, 32

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart.  Wait, I say, on the Lord."  Ps. 27:14

"He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength--causing it to multiply and making it abound...those who wait for the Lord...shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired."  Is. 40:29, 31 (Amp)

"As your day, so shall your strength, your rest and security be."  Deut. 33:25 (Amp)

"...through the greatness of His might, and because He is strong in power, not one is missing or lacks anything."  Is. 40:26b

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."  Phil. 4:13

"For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, In returning to Me and resting in Me you shall be saved; in quietness and in (trusting) confidence shall be your strength."  Is. 30:15 (Amp)

"God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect."  II Sam. 22:33

Be blessed this week in His strength!

Jesus is winning!

We had a neat church service today.  Our pastor is just back from an evangelism conference in Hong Kong with 3,000 Christian world leaders in attendance.  It was thrilling to hear some of his report:

-  There were representatives from 100 countries there.  Of the 3,000 attendees, 1100 were from China!  What does that tell you?

-  God's work in India is accelerating in spite of the terrible persecution there.  In 2001, 2% of the population were baptized believers; in 2005, 7%; and now it's from 10%-12%.  Yay, Lord!

-  In China, the number of believers has multiplied 100 times in the last 60 years.  10% of the population is now Christian, meaning 160 million.  And this is largely through the underground church movement.

- The really ASTONISHING statement was the consensus of these leaders is that with the exponential growth of the spread of the gospel throughout the world, it is possible for every person on the planet to have heard the gospel within the next 10 years!!  According to the Word, then Jesus can come!  Let's really commit to prayer over this; even if we can't "go" and do the preaching, we can do the enormous groundwork through prayer and generous giving.  I'd like to recommend the book, "Operation World" by Patrick Johnstone to use as a daily pray-for-a-country resource--it's fantastic.  Tells the specific prayer needs, gives a myriad of statistics, has maps and other info.  Their website has each day's country up for prayer with all sorts of links.  You can view it here.

And finally, consider this wonderfully encouraging set of statistics.  This tells how many believers there were in the world from 100 years after Jesus's death and resurrection to the present at key times:

-  100 A.D.       1 out of every 360 people

-  1000 A.D.     1/220

-  1500 A.D.     1/69

-  1900 A.D.     1/27

-  1950 A.D.     1/21

-  1980 A.D.     1/11

Now.......1/5 or 1/6!!

This figures to 2 1/2 billion people from 639 people groups 100,000 people or more (6500 different language groups in the world) that still haven't heard about Jesus.

We've got work to do!!

I love the Sabbath

A wonderful rainy, thundery day here with tons of rain.  Wow, how we need it and how good of God to lavish this gift on us.  Second storm in 24 hours so surely our trees and growing things will explode with happy growth this week.  Good to have a legitimate excuse to nap, read, sip hot tea and soak in the refreshing, inside and out.

It's been a whirlwind few weeks here finishing up the end-of-year activities...a very fun Field Day with our support group, a mini-writer's conference for SweetPea and a couple of her friends, piano recital and Piano Guild for her, a few days' at-home vacation time with Hubby, and all the daily stuff.  Yet to come in the next couple of weeks are the push to finish Sonlight Core 6, SweetPea's biennial testing, switching out winter for summer clothes (you should see my mountain of ironing!), a wedding, and the fun prospect of a visit from a folks for a couple of weeks.  And of course, the yard work looms; I've hardly begun raking, much less pruning and planting.  Ah, well...what's really important will get done and I'll just content myself with that.

I've now gained the significant distinction of being the mother of a teen-ager!  SweetPea turned 13 this week, excited but feeling some qualms about all the horrors she's heard about the teen years.  I've seen some lovely growth of character in her the last couple of months, and I hastened to assure her that as long as her heart kept the Lord in first place, He would be faithful to make these years blessed and good.  My parents were always my best friends and I pray that I will give my daughter the trust and closeness they always gave me.

Gotta go smell the air outside!  It must surely be medicinal.

All things bright and beautiful

I've been basking in the incredible joys of spring these past few days.  It's finally been both warm and sunny so we've been able to really enjoy our back yard.  And as with every year, I forget how astonishingly colorful the whole scene is, like Dorothy stepping out of the house that just landed in OZ.

The blessings of the week...

- lilacs bursting into bloom, dispensing their heady fragrance

- roly-polys, spiders, and flies doing their bug thing

- the sound of lawn mowers buzzing around the neighborhood

- smells of flowers, warm soil, fresh-cut grass

- gaudy splashes of pure flower color everywhere

- dirt under your fingernails you can't get clean

- a puppy crazy with spring excitement

- flip-flops and bare feet (too sensitive from a winter entombed)

- first sunburns

- first BBQ's, picnic lunches

- dinner on the patio to soak it all in

- green, green, green, green

- happy, happy, happy birds

- the end of school and schedule pressure, the prospect of lazy, free days stretching ahead like a golden beach

Sigh.  What a gracious reprieve and gift after the long, gray months indoors.  Thank You, Lord of All.  We'll see if this year I can get all the projects done this season inspires!

Why I like old movies

There are a lot of reasons, of course--nostalgia for a simpler, more virtuous time, quality stories, moral uprightness, wonderful actors.

But watching the original "Father of the Bride" with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor last night for Friday Night Family Night, I was struck again with one of the very significant changes that has taken place in children and their relationship to their parents in our culture.

Throughout the movie, "Kay" was respectful and loving to her parents, trying to submit to their wisdom and keep the peace, quick to forgive and not hold a grudge, very connected relationally to them, especially her father.  No sassy talk or backtalk, no rebellious overtones in everything, no implications that her parents were the get-a-life dummies to be tolerated.  Even the young fiance showed the same basic respect and honor for his elders.

I've seen this in so many other old movies.  Two wonderful kid movies that come to mind are "Flicka" with Roddy McDowell (and it's sequel, "Thunderhead, Son of Flicka") and "Misty" with David Ladd.  Let me tell you, it's almost a shock to see their "Yes, sirs" and submissive hearts to their parents and grandparents.  Not to mention, deeply refreshing!

I could almost cry for the loss of this fundamental--and Godly--virtue in our society's family structure today.  It shows up in cocky independence that hides only thinly behind a veneer of niceness if it's demanded at home, school, on the job, or wherever.  The fruit is that we carry a basic suspicion about people.  We don't trust them, believing they really have a hidden agenda or attitude of scorn or mocking.  If you compare the old movies with the fare produced today, you see what has amply fed this downward spiral.

This whole idea makes a case for selective viewing, doesn't it?  I pray that these 'voices from the past' will continue to speak a better way to this generation.

That's my Saturday Soapbox!

  

Some R & R

Well, spring break is nearly done here and it's been a great week.  We've been so schedule-driven in recent months that it's been wonderful to just...do nothing!  While it makes me a bit nervous to be so unproductive, I recognize the need for rest and space to just be.

The weather was mostly cold and snowy on and off all week so we didn't get a lot of outdoor time.  But SweetPea finished reading the 8-book "Anne of Green Gables series" she's been on for a few weeks and we watched the movies to go with it--what a fun story.  In fact, she and a friend are going to reinact three funny scenes from it for a teen public speaking class she's a part of.

I don't even know what I did!  I think a lot of reading and thinking and keeping up with the basics of home and cooking.  I think we're both ready to get back to our school life now.

A school observation:  In the early part of our Sonlight Core 6 history studies this year we read D'Aulaires Greek Mythology and a book about the Trojan War.  I was not impressed with either one of them and was sorely tempted just to ditch all those gods and goddesses living their crazy lives on Mount Olympus.  I wasn't convinced about why we really needed to study this.  However, we stuck it out and now I'm glad we did.  I can't believe all the times across the breadth of our daily experience--the news, books, movies, etc.--I hear references of one kind or another to Greek mythology.  I have never studied it before in my own education, but it's good to understand the context now.  Just today on the radio I heard the intro of an opera at the Met where they were explaining how the hero of the story was a lady-killer like Paris of ancient Greek lore.  I knew what it meant! 

Anyway, my two cents worth.

A wise woman

I've been challenged this morning in I Samuel 25, the story of David and Abigail, another wonderful picture of doing things God's way.

We see David, who is still living in the wilderness, hiding from Saul, sending messengers to Nabal requesting food for his men.  He reminds Nabal how respectful and helpful he and his men had been to to Nabal's sheepshearers before.  Nabal scorns him and refuses aid, acting according to the meaning of his name, "Fool."

Here is where David gets off track.  Normally, he seeks God in every situation and then obeys--"Shall I attack?  Shall I pursue?"  The Lord always gives him specific instructions and perfect victory is the result.  But here, David's mind of the flesh takes over and he reacts in anger, even making a rash vow to kill every male in Nabal's household.

Enter Abigail, Nabal's wife (her name means "source of joy").  She is declared in the Word as a "woman of good understanding," and she is told of this perilous situation.  Her response is courageous and very wise:  she takes food for David's army and heads off to meet him.

I love her approach, which shows something very key.  She couldn't have had "good understanding" without having known God's Word!  Watch how His wisdom permeates her appeal and counsel.

First, she agrees with David's righteous indignation and admits to Nabal's foolishness.  Then, she goes to the heart of the matter--David's own sin in avenging himself.  The Law in Leviticus 19:18 says, "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people."

Next, she presents the lavish gift of food to these hungry men.  Proverbs 21:14 says, "A gift in secret pacifies anger, and a bribe behind the back, strong wrath."  One could argue that Proverbs hadn't been written yet, but this was obvious practical wisdom that was a common practice when approaching a ruler or king in any culture.

Then, in her impassioned speech, the Lord actually gives her prophetic words as she reminds David of who he is--the anointed king-to-be--and saves the punch for last:  "And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has done according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you...that this will be no grief to you...that you have shed blood without cause...or avenged yourself."  A king shouldn't act like this!

Her wise words wake David up and he sees that God has provided a way to keep him from sinning.  When he gets out of the way, letting God be his vindicator, God quickly intervenes and Nabal dies.

This amazing story is concluded with a final step in doing things God's way--both David and Abigail gather the spoils.  David takes this beautiful and wise woman to be his wife, and she is moved by God from a very difficult marriage to a place of blessing.

Wow.  A lot of truth here to chew on.  I have a personal saying that this illustrates:  You can't go wrong doing the right thing.  Having your mind renewed in the Word gives you His wisdom for any situation.  Choosing to be Spirit-led rather than flesh-driven puts you in a place of safety, with God handling all the "stuff."  And there's also this idea that we need to skillfully and courageously point people to God's truth, that His blessing may be upon them.

Thank You, Lord, that your Truth is ever new!

A call to PRAISE!

Some wonderful thoughts from Psalm 107 this morning...

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever.  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy."

We are redeemed--"set free by avenging or repaying" according to Strong's.  It foreshadows the full work of Jesus' work on the cross for us.  But look at the fullness of our redemption:  we're redeemed from...being lost, hungry, thirsty, faint and longing... redeemed from affliction and distress caused by our own rebellion and rejection of God...redeemed from foolishness and sickness and sin...redeemed from trouble without and fear within...redeemed from poverty and lack, barrenness and loss and sorrow!

And what does He do for us in our redemption?  We are delivered from our destructions, led by the right way, established and satisfied, our chains broken and bars of iron cut in two, saved out of our distresses and healed of our sicknesses by the Word, brought to peace in the storm, brought to our desired haven, led to drink from springs in the wilderness, established and blessed, given a dwelling place, a fruitful harvest, increase and abundance, families like a flock, and peace!!

Good grief, what has He left out?  Nothing!  Every need met by His love and goodness and mercy.  This is my own testimony and to Him is all my praise.  No matter how difficult things get in the world, His "mercy endures forever."

The Hebrew style of poetry in music shows up so beautifully in this Psalm; four times is this wonderful refrain, "Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men," with this added in verse 22, "Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing."  Lord, today I declare Your goodness and mercy with profound praise and thanksgiving.  You are good!

And as a majestic finale to this call to praise, the last verse gives us our challenge with a promise, "Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD."

Amen!  "Let the redeemded of the Lord say so!"

 

Spring fever

I'm so glad it's spring break time at our house because we're dealing with a major case of spring fever!  The whole natural world around us is waking up early this year and it's nigh unto impossible to stay inside.  I can't wait to wrap my hands around a rake and start snipping with the pruning shears.  SweetPea and I spent a lazy morning today planning our gardens and some kind of "fort" project for her.

Let's see...how about a quick update on our lives...

...We're moving steadily through Sonlight's Core 6 and will probably finish it by the end of May.  I've really loved the in-depth study of world history this time around (we did an intro in Cores 1 & 2) and have really gotten a better picture of how things connected in the Roman and Medieval civilizations.  We loved "Master Cornhill" as a read-aloud and for the first time I really understand the Plague and the great fire of London.

...SweetPea is doing pretty well with Saxon 8/7 though we've slowed the pace a bit.  I'm more concerned she really master the stuff with algebra in view.  Math is just not her thing but she's trying anyway.

...She's part of a special baroque piano concert in a week so is busy polishing her three pieces.  It's been quite a discipline to do this type of music--not her favorite, but I think she's gained some valuable skills.

...She's loving Apologia General Science.  What a well-written program and suited so well for independent work.

...I'm trying to focus on better nutrition for all of us--less sugar, more alternative grains, interesting new recipes.  I get lazy and default to "quick" foods but then we don't get enough fruits and vegetables.  It takes time to wash them and cut them up!  But we all really need the benefit of these good foods God made so I'm recommiting myself to a more diligent effort.

...We're all waiting for really warm weather to try out our new canoe!  Hubby got a wonderful-condition used one that has some features I like...non-tippable, non-sinkable.    I guess some fishermen designed it so it should serve us well.

...I'm enjoying a book study with some other homeschool moms, "Age of Opportunity," by Paul David Tripp.  A great approach to parenting teens, with some excellent and very practical ways to keep their hearts.  I highly recommend it.

Blessings on your weekend!  May the Lord be especially sweet to you today.

A writer's checklist

In working on the third rewrite for a homeschooling article this past week, I learned (or re-learned!) an important lesson, one that I'm going to make sure I teach my daughter...that of really organizing your thoughts before you begin writing.

Sounds pretty elementary, I know.  Most language arts or writing programs we use in the homeschooling community teach this.  But I've seen again in my own writing that while you may think you know where you're going with a piece, you can quickly find yourself in a mucky swamp of words, not sure where you're headed or how to get out of the mud.

So I'm going to use a master checklist something like this from now on, both for myself and for my daughter's assignments.  I want to make sure this analysis will include both pre-writing and post-writing editing.

1.  In a sentence or two, state clearly what you are trying to communicate to the reader.  (A "nutgraph" for your writers out there.)  Narrow it down as far as possible.

2.  Describe who your audience is--who you're trying to influence or persuade.  Then talk to them.

3.  What will your tone be?  Playful?  Serious? 

4.  What point of view will you be writing from?

5.  What format will you use for this piece--an essay?  A story?

6.  What anecdotes, quotes, and references will you use?

7.  How long will your piece be? 

8.  Have you done an outline?  Include intro/hook (what type), all sub-topics, conclusion.

Writing books will tell you that the real craft of writing happens in the editing phase after your first draft.  I wish it weren't true but it is.  Rarely--if ever--will you come up with something really stellar the first time around.  This is the hard part with kids; they don't want to work and rework their words.

So when your final draft is ready, it's good to sit on it for a couple of days.  Then go through and check:

1.  Did you promise something in the intro that you didn't deliver on?

2.  Have you used smooth transitions to lead the reader from one thought to the next?

3.  Can you change any passive verbs ("was") to active ones?

4.  Have you used colorful, sensory descriptions?  Metaphors?

5.  Reread each paragraph carefully.  Does it follow the topic sentence/supporting sentences format?  Does anything need to be put elsewhere or in a new paragraph?

6.  Did you show us, not tell us?

7.  Have you done a grammar and spelling check on the piece?

8.  Do any of your facts need to be double-checked?

9.  Have you had another pair of eyes read it for an objective view and input?

I'm sure there's more but these are some key things I have to walk myself through in my writing.  It's hard to keep all this in mind at once!  But I think it will come easier with practice, as with most things.

 

The birds are back!

And that only means one thing...no matter what they say...SPRING is coming!

I cleaned out the bird feeder outside our kitchen window yesterday and we've had the funnest time getting reacquainted with our bird family...pretty orange-breasted finches, squawky blue jays, robins, chicadees, juncos, flickers, and sparrows.  The finches are busy searching out their old nest sites in the ivy by the window, fussing and funny in their efforts.

No matter what craziness is going on in the world, the simple sweetness of the birds and the order of their lives rest my heart in the knowledge that 'God's in His heaven and all's right with the world.'