Changing churches

This is one of those things I really dislike--finding a new church.  It's like moving; you leave behind old friends and connections, have to go through the whole adjustment to a new body and how they do things, try to find the right classes for everyone, and forge new relationships.  Sometimes the reasons for leaving a church are unpleasant or hurtful, leaving you aching and cautious.  And inevitably you leave behind some good things that can make you wonder if you did the right thing.

Well, we've moved on to a new church without all that!  It's been an amazing experience, peaceful and full of blessing.  For several years we've gone to a very large church, a wonderful one, but this last year it was becoming obvious that things were changing for us, not the least of which was SweetPea.  She found she really disliked the youth culture/youth group and got involved as a Sunday School helper instead.  While that's good experience, we were concerned at the lack of spiritual input from her church experience, as well as a rather jaded attitude we saw in her about church in general.  We weren't really thinking about changing churches, but the Lord had other plans.

Due to some health issues I have had for a few months, our attendance over the summer was sketchy, and when fall rolled around, on a whim we decided to visit a nearby small church a homeschool friend attended.  It was wonderful, an unexpected joy.  Mature leadership, Spirit-filled teaching and worship, and a very loving body who welcomed us with open arms.  And SweetPea loved it!  After her first time in the tiny youth group, she said, "Mom, we actually use our Bibles!" 

Within weeks we were marvelling at God's wisdom and timing.  Most of the families in this church are homeschoolers with their own support group and activities.  I began to realize how isolated I had been feeling in the large church, and with our families living out of state, how I really missed the family aspect of church life.  It's a vigorous body, full of vision and outreach.  And they remember our names!

Anyway, it's been such a refreshing and unexpected change.  Best of all in my book is the eagerness I see in SweetPea--she can't wait until Sunday.  She's digging into the Word, hungry for God, and soaking it all up like a dry sponge.  And it might even be that the Lord will have opportunity for her to use her piano skills, something which couldn't have happened for years yet in the large church.

And all without striving and angst on our part.  What a blessed relief.  And what a profound reminder that Jesus is our Shepherd.  He's charting the path ahead of us, planning loving and good things to surprise us with--all wrapped in Peace.  Wow.  I'm overwhelmed at His goodness, at His thoughtful and tender care.

Form follows function

One of the interesting things I've observed about our daughter growing up is how her changing stages affect the functionality of our home.  Just when I have the rooms of the house organized, and furniture set to meet needs in each room, and shelves, drawers, and closets in good order, I wake up one morning and realize that "we" have moved on and need a whole new 'functionality.'

So today I'm looking in our schoolroom--which only a few months ago was 'set' for the next five years (ha!)--and I realize that SweetPea is hardly ever in here!  With a new desk in her room, that is where she chooses to do school.  Or curled up on the couch.  Or sprawled on the floor somewhere.

I suddenly notice that bins of crayons and markers, stacks of construction paper, math manipulatives, and other elementary-years stuff, won't probably be needed anytime soon.  (Do high schoolers still color?)

Which means that maybe I can put away some of these irrelevant items and move some of my sewing stuff from the dark and unappealing basement to this lovely, bright room!  It's a sad thought and a happy one.  I thought homeschooling would go on forever, that in some distant decade I would have time to focus once again on 'my' stuff.  While I'm loving SweetPea's independence in her studies, with only one offspring in the house, it means we're steadily moving toward being done.  Homeschooling has defined our life for so long that I quaver at the thought of the changes being done will bring.

But as with other major changes in my life, I must remember that each season of life God gives me, His favor and blessing and high purpose will cover it.  I can choose to see this coming changes as part of the adventure of living, under the masterful hand of the One who defined my life before the foundation of the world.

So I'm going to enjoy sewing in this happy room and savor every minute of this wonderful time with my beloved SweetPea.  Thank You, Lord!

A visitor, a play week, and a good book

A fun week on the way...no school!  One of those privileges of homeschooling.  We started school early in August to be able to take some time off during the year, this week being one of them.  My beloved aunt, who is like a big sister to me, is coming to visit from AZ and we're gonna play.

I'm looking forward to endless cups of tea and some rollicking laughter.  I don't know if it's our chemistry or what, but my aunt and I can laugh till we're crying.  I'm due for some of that!  She is one of the neatest people I know and one of my all-time heroes.  (She was The Agent that introduced my beloved Hubby to me!)  She had a long career in missions, serving in South and Central America, retired now, but still full of the joy and zeal of the Lord.  I'm glad SweetPea is going to have the chance to just soak her up this week and glean some treasures.

And wouldn't you know it...we're welcoming her with SNOW!  We're due for some tomorrow and more later in the week.  Seems too early somehow.  Ah, well, once our yard is really cleaned up from fall leaves (they're still falling), then we can go into "cozy" mode indoors.

We just finished reading Escape Across the Wide Sea as a read-aloud.  It follows a French Huguenot family in the mid-1600s who have to escape religious persecution and end up on a very long journey to freedom.  While the book was neither really long or deep, it was a very compelling story, based on a true story.  We learned about the slave trade, sugar plantations in the West Indies, and how the French Christians finally found a place to put down roots in America.  A good story--I'd recommend it!

 

And fall danced...

Funny the small drama that played out around me on my walk yesterday. The wind, though not cold, blew and blustered around me in fits and gusts, no rhyme or reason to its direction. It blew and drove clouds of gold, red, and brown leaves about my feet, rattling and dancing and scuttling and swirling across the road in front of me. Trees bent to its invisible force, releasing their burden of colored leaves in showers about me, looking for all the world like flocks of birds scattering in wild array across the crystal blue Colorado sky.

The scene sparkled with action and color and aliveness. Neighbors raked and tried to keep up with the piles-in-the-making, and in the distance I could hear the drums of a high school marching band practicing for a game...homecoming, maybe? How good to be able to walk and smell and hear and see all the richness about me.  How good to see the Lord's hand everywhere.  He loves fall, too.

A wonderful time of year!

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!