Maintaining Continual Peace in a Broken World, Part 2

Psalm 91 says it all. 

To whom does a believer turn to for security and peace? 

Security of the One Who Trusts in the Lord.

91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
7 A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
8 You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
9 For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
10 No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
12 They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

14 “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 “With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”

(Source here)

Maintaining Continual Peace in a Broken World, Part 1

Believers, every day we need a head check and we need a heart check because what we think governs our emotions. God holds His children to a high standard of holiness and that standard is largely shaped by our mental state. What we think governs our actions and our words. Our thoughts are governed by what we allow to enter our thoughts.

 

We continue to live in a very unique and challenging time. There has always been divisiveness within our world, but it has crept within the body of Christ. There are differing views on the coronavirus and how the Church should be responding to this viral outbreak. Open Churches or keep them closed, wear a mask or stay unmasked, stay at home and keep your distance or stay close to the ones you love.

 

And, then there’s the spirit of fear that seems to be an underlying issue.

Fear of getting sick.

Fear of getting close to others.

Fear of loved ones succumbing to the virus.

Fear of dying.

 

The reality is everyday there is the possibility that today will be our last day, that we’ll take our last breathe.

 

The chance of someone dying in a car accident is 1 in 103 and 1 in 9,821 for death in a plane crash.

The chances of dying from heart disease are 1 in 6 and the chance of death from cancer is 1 in 7.

The probability of flu death is 0.02% and the chances of dying from the coronavirus infection are 0.5% to 1%.

 

Let’s face it, death is imminent.

 

While I don’t know of many people who desire to face death today, even for believers that long to be with Jesus, God calls us to live our days on earth with hope, joy, and peace and not in fear.

 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

 

Fear is so immensely crippling and if the adversary can’t take our salvation (which can never happen because salvation is eternal and always secure in Christ), he can surely make strides to cause us to live in fear and disrupt our mental and spiritual state.

 

What troubles me in this day and time that we’re living in, God's children, who should serve as beckons of light to the world of faith, courage, and strength, are instead hiding in the shadows of darkness in a state of worry, fear, and dismay.

 

Instead of having thoughts of victory in Christ, knowing that God has numbered our days and He is sovereign over our life, we can be tempted to mirror the world in a state of panic and worry. If we stay tuned into the media 24/7, we can feed into the narrative that death is creeping not just outside our doors, but right underneath our noses in the form of unseen viral particles in the local markets, stores, and we could be infected and walk right into death’s door just from the simple embrace of a friend, a neighbor, or a loved one.

 

Surely, the onslaught of this message would cause even the most courageous and faithful Christian to fear.

 

I will be the first one to say that I’m guilty of the temptation of fear and worry and I’ve had to repent of the sinful pattern of allowing discouraging thoughts to plague me. This is such a slippery slope for a Christian because left unattended, it can lead believers into depression, sickness, stress, and bad decision making because your actions are not based on truth.

 

My favorite bible verse tells us exactly where we should keep our minds,

 

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence, and anything worthy of praise, think on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:6-9)

 

We should be constantly seeking the Lord for wisdom and discernment. God calls us to be in the world, but not of the world. The world should not be our source for guidance and wisdom. It's so interesting that we're living in a time where the Church is having to question and reason whether or not it should open its doors, if the congregation should openly sing worship songs because of viral particles in the air, or if people should meet for Bible study and fellowship.

 

These challenging discussions should really bring us to our knees in prayer, asking the Lord for discernment as we know that Satan relishes in being able to thwart the work of the Church.

 

“We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19)

 

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."  (Ephesians 6:12)

 

God has all wisdom and all knowledge. We may never understand why these things are happening this side of Heaven, but God is sovereign and as Jehovah-Sabaoth He reigns above and over all forces both in Heaven and Earth.

 

Christian brother and sister, don’t allow external circumstances draw you away from your Heavenly Father, His promises for you, and the PEACE that He promises to His children. The news and state of this broken world will continue to fluctuate and change, from one day to the next. God’s Word, the security, and hope that we have in Christ are the only things that will remain the same. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on our Savior and experience mental and spiritual peace even in the midst of trying times. 

 

May these truths bring your heart and mind joy!

 

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My right hand. “ (Isaiah 41:10)

“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul. “ (Psalm 94:19)

 

“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” (Psalms 42:11)

 

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, not let it be fearful.” (John 14:27)

 

Books That Point You to the Truth

I wanted to pop my head out from my latest book long enough to share some insights before delving head first back into my next book.

Lynn Austin’s series, “Chronicles of the Kings”, is so immensely gripping! I love God’s Word and it’s even sweeter when an author creates a fictional story based on biblical history that makes you want to grab your Bible. 

With each book in this series I have found myself crawling up on my bed with my Bible reading the true account of the stories that Lynn Austin has so beautifully authored in this series. She paints beautiful pictures of these biblical characters in each story and intertwines the truth of God’s Word in with fictional characters and amazing plots that paints a movie in your mind of how their lives may have been lived out. 

Direct quotes from scripture are weaved into the story to provide the skeleton from which Lynn could use her imagination to develop a gripping story. 

Each book so far has been a page turner.

As I've read Books 1-3 so far, chronicling through Kings in the Old Testament, I’ve been reminded in these stories about God’s expectation of His children to remain faithful to Him, regardless of the difficult circumstances that we may find ourselves in. God’s grace is sufficient, come what may. 

I look forward to the continuing story of Kings as I peek into the life of King Manasseh, a man who did evil in the sight of the Lord and the life lessons that I can gain from his mistakes and God's ultimate victory in the life of His people. 

Accountability Groups & Goal Setting

The last time that I wrote about fitness I was working out using my own personal library of fitness VHS tapes and DVDs. Many would have said that my fitness source was outdated (who uses a VHS tape player anymore?), but the medium that you use to workout isn't as important as the workout itself and whether or not you're actually using it to workout.

Since that last post, I've become a part of an accountability group that checks in with each other on a daily basis to share their workouts using an automated system that makes working out actually entertaining! I've written before about how being accountable to someone in your fitness regiment is paramount to being successful with maintaining a regular routine of  physical activity and it's still true.

This very key aspect is the reason that I joined the group in 2019 and have been extremely pleased with how this commitment has further encouraged me to workout on a consistent basis. Whether it is on vacation, cold seasons or hot seasons, knowing that someone is expecting me to workout helps me set personal goals and work to attain them.

As part of this group, I also now have access to an extremely large library of fitness programs that have their own set of fitness challenges that you can take on within a specific period of time. One might think, What's the big deal with setting a goal or fitness challenge? 

When it comes to fitness, goal setting challenges a person to push themselves beyond what they would normally accomplish or even desire to do. Without a goal in front of us, many of us would either do nothing or do whatever is minimally required.

Before joining the accountability group in 2019 I had never taken on a challenge set to a specific set of days and when I was presented with my first one, my first response was hesitation about doing one that would last for 21 days. It's something about being responsible for working out on each day and then having to report to someone that you've done the work that made me a little nervous.

What if I don't feel like working out on a certain day?
What if I have a scheduling conflict that gets in the way?
What if my body hurts too much and I don't feel like finishing the challenge?
What if I have trouble making the time and sticking with the schedule?

These questions and many others crossed my mind before signing up for my first challenge, but I took it on. By day 21, I realized that every answer to the questions that loomed in my head were only excuses.

People fulfill their responsibilities to the things that are important to them.

Everyday most people brush their teeth, they take showers, they cook their food, and they go to work. People do these things because the result of not doing them is unacceptable. Most people don't want dirty teeth, body odor, a growling stomach, or an empty bank account.

So, they do the work necessary in these areas.

I find that it is the same with fitness.
If living life as the best version of yourself is important to you, then doing the work to stay in shape becomes nonoptional. And if fitness isn't that important to you at this point in life right now then I encourage you to change your focus and consider joining a group of other people in the journey of making fitness a priority and then start setting goals to keep you motivated.

If you're interested in learning more about the accountability group and goal setting that I've found extremely useful, please message me!

Book Series Suggestion

Being in the house has fueled my love for reading and led me to take in some great books. Lynn Austin has been most recent, favorite author.

A few months ago I finished a series of her books centered around the time of the Civil War. I gobbled up the entire series of books in a few short months because they were so well written. Lynn does a beautiful job in all of her books making the characters come alive and she has a way of drawing out the emotions and personalities of the characters to the point that as the reader you feel as if you either know them or want to get to know them.

The Refiner's Fire series is definitely also one that will inspire a heart for the Lord and His Word. I found myself crying at some point in all three of the books in this series, Candle in the Darkness, A Fire By Night, and A Light to My Path and folding over pages where such poignant messages are shared so that I can go back and re-read to be inspired again and again. I've been reading many of Lynn Austin books this year and I'm amazed that each one is uniquely different and uniquely captivating.

I usually go to the library as my primary source for my personal reads, but with them being closed I've been using online used bookstores like ThriftBooks and AbeBooks.

Happy Reading!

Creative Minds Want to Know

Who would have guessed that we'd all be spending an exorbitant amount of time indoors with our families, rotating between reading books, playing board games, and for many searching for family-friendly Netflix shows in order to pass the time? I say "searching" instead of watching because if your family is anything like mines, you spend more time searching and reading about shows that are family-friendly than you do actually watching the shows.

I really wanted to like the network Pure Flix, but after signing up for the free offer and checking out the network, we decided not to continue into a paid membership with Pure Flix. Many of the Christian shows on this network are available on Netflix and the shows that are specific to Pure Flix did not have high caliber acting in our family's opinion and the connectivity seemed to be very sketchy. The shows and movies that we watched kept having to pause while they tried to load and it had nothing to do with our internet connectivity. On some shows the people's mouth movements were delayed behind the actual sound. Altogether we just didn't think that the network was worth the monthly investment, which was sad because I was really hoping that there would be shows that we could pick from in this network without having to worry about investigating ahead of time to be safe for our family to watch. 

I will say that the productions that they had available by Ken Ham and the Creation People, as I like to call them, were very engaging and interesting. We watched Ken Ham's debate with Bill Nye the Science Guy as they toured the Ark Encounter. 

In addition to our search for something family-friendly to watch together, my hubby was inspired by Trey's latest hobby of Legos. We've started holding our own Lego races in the living room after dinner. We each craft our very own Lego race car, name them, and then race them. 

We started out our race night with a cardboard race track and it didn't take long for Leon and Trey to head to the basement and design and build a much more studier track that would last many races.  Trey and Leon are Lego building naturals. The girls and I have to work a little harder to craft vehicles from our own creativity, without any easy to follow instructions. 

It's just amazing to me the creative things our minds can be entertained by when your options are limited! 

Many of our races were very close calls!

Just Different.

School with this little guy is nothing but interesting! I had no idea what I was in for when I started homeschooling Trey. For starters there was a level of fear within me as I wasn't sure how I was going to teach him to read.


When we started our homeschool journey almost seven years ago, Love and Lea were entering the home as readers as they had learned to read in private school. Lea was a new reader, but a strong, new reader. In many ways as I look back I can see how God blessed our homeschool beginnings with kids that could already read.

We could jump right into 2nd and 4th grade with simply learning and enjoying the experience while having a little infant by our sides. Fast forward to Trey's beginnings as a student and I wasn't sure what to expect.

I decided to use the same curriculum, ABeka, that my girls had in private school and that put me a little at ease with starting to teach Trey. What was beautiful in the whole experience was how naturally Trey gained an interest in learning. I remember setting him outside our school room door with his little movie player to keep him occupied when he was about 3 years old and as I worked with his sisters he would creep in the school and say, "Mommy, I wanna do school".

Just a few moments out of each school day I'd get on the floor and go over the letters of the alphabet or he'd sit up in my lap and want to trace his letters. That interest in learning seemed to grow everyday that by the time he seemed ready to do Preschool level material, he was so excited to "do school" like his big sisters. His face would light up when he saw all the brightly school colored pages that were all his.



Eventually though, I came to the realization that educating a little boy is a totally different ball game from little girls. About 3 or 4 months into his first grade year of school, the excitement of the brightly colored school pages seem to wane and I found myself bargaining with him on how many pages I could get him to read before lunch time. After doing some research and consulting with several Moms of boys I realized that there were some critical components of school that I had to ensure that I was integrating into Trey's day:

Games, rewards, and competition.

Game time created a stark difference in by boy's school day compared to his sisters' school days. As youngsters, Love and Lea could have cared less if we played a game during the school day. As long as they could freely sing and dance whenever they wanted, they were happy reading, writing, doing math, science, and anything else I threw at them for school.
　
At first it seemed a bit annoying to my conscience to have to go through the rigmarole of incorporating these things, but once I began to slowly do this our school days turned from a nightmare to a beautiful dream. It was literally a night and day difference.

I knew boys were active creatures, but I just didn't realize that incorporating activity was a necessity for learning for my son. Practicing phonics sounds went from completing worksheets to "Phonics Flashcard Baseball" in our basement. Math drills were ALL timed for increased competition and we started keeping a log of his times so that he could see how he could beat his best time each day. I created a reward chart and logged a smiley face for each day that was a "good" day without any whining about school work. When he obtained a lengthy, consecutive number of "good" days, his Dad would reward him with a treat.

Math and Science are definitely Trey's favorite subjects and it seems he could do endless sessions of both subjects. While Trey has always loved trips to the library, as he's become a reader himself, he gets frustrated when he has to pause and apply phonics rules to read. To increase his interest and ignite excitement in his reading time, I started incorporating Chapter book read alouds. These read aloud books are at a reading level progressively higher than what he could do on his own, but the storylines are very engaging, many times humorous, and maintain his attention.

While I read aloud, Trey finds enjoyment in building with his Legos and I will pause after a page or two to ask him reading comprehension questions to ensure that he's following along and understanding the storyline. 

We've read some awesome stories and even tuned into the movie that goes with the books as a reward when we finish it.

These things culminated together have really orchestrated a sweet time of teaching Trey in his initial years of school. With much prayer and following the cues of this growing little boy, we're finding that doing school with a boy is different, but just as enjoyable as it has been with girls.

I will post a book list soon of the Read Alouds that we've enjoyed thus far! (Go here for that list)

Changing Seasons of the homeschool life: Elementary to High School

I wish I would have had a heads up about the progression that would occur in our homeschool journey from elementary, to middle school, to high school. I am sure that there was at least one, veteran Mom that shared this reality with me either at a homeschool conventation talk, at a co-op class, or even over a lunch date or something! If they did, I must not have been listening well. 　

Somehow this change slowly crept into my home and one day, "boo!", it woke me up and shook me into a reality that the way that my 8th grader is now doing school is vastly different from when she was in 2nd or 4th grade. I'm not sure that I have time to pinpoint and highlight every single little detail of the changes because they are subtle, but very noticeable. 


If I could put the change into a few words, here's how I'd describe it,

"The younger the homeschooler is, the more hands-on I need to be. The older the homeschooler gets, the less they will rely on me."

For a while I think that I was in denial that my two oldest weren't needing me that much and my feelings wavered between, "Should I be doing more?" and "Should I let them figure this out on their own or step in and show them how this needs to be done?"

The beauty of homeschooling is the opportunity the child has to learn with direct, one-on-one help and attention from the parent who guides them in their learning. It's like having a tutor 24/7, though the beauty in it for the parent is that you don't have to have the answer to all subjects and be an expertise in every subject area in order to serve as the home educator. What I have found over the years is that as my kids tackle their curriculum day after day with me at their side, you become a "partner" with them in their learning experience and you're able to guide them, whether its a little guidance or lots of guidance. The more a child learns with having direct one-on-one guidance from a parent, with the tools of a homeschool curriculum, the homeschooled child is able to independently process and guide their own learning experience.

The things that your child may struggle with, though you may not have an immediate answer to the challenge, you find yourself working TOGETHER to discover solutions. This is where so much learning takes place for the homeschooled student as they dig and study together with their parent(s) to solve problems.

To be 100% honest, my 10th grader has matured beyond a level that my 40 year old mind wants to tackle in her Math and Science Courses. She is doing Math as a 10th grader that I didn't venture into until college. It's beautiful that within the homeschool community there are a plethora of resources available to address subjects that is above the home educator's pay grade, whether it's online courses, videos, books, or your husband that has an advanced degree in Math (though this is not a common solution, I thank God everyday that my hubby loves Math).

Many of the curriculum products that we've used to date (i.e., Saxon Homeschool Materials, Apologia Science, Sonlight, etc.), are designed in such a way that a student can read and follow the author's instructions to learn the specific material. Apologia's Science material for example is written in a conversational manner, as if the teacher was talking directly to the student to instruct them in their daily lesson. Saxon homeschool material is designed in the same manner.

This process has naturally come to fruition in our home and now that I have an kid in their elementary years, one in middle school, and the oldest in high school, there is a stark contrast in their daily schedules and my interaction with them. By the time that my oldest reached middle school, I began to take notice of her ability to guide her own self through her school schedule and then report back to me with her daily progress. She no longer found it necessary to wait on me to tell her what she needed to proceed to from one subject to the next and that left me without having to provide direct interaction and guidance in her daily work on what to do. Instead of me having to explain school work, she found it sufficient to read her curriculum herself and then come to Mom so that I could explain something that she could not understand on her own and I also have the responsibility to check their daily assignments, tests, and grade them.

As I work daily now with my 6 year old, the progression that will one day come with him saddens me a little. As a budding first grader we work together everyday in all subject areas, taking breaks when appropriate to give his little mind a chance to relax. I find myself relishing in the breaks too!

Growing up in the public school setting, this unique way of educating my children has inspired me in many ways to see how God has designed our minds to grow and mature as we learn and mature.

As we draw our seventh year of homeschooling to a close I can say with certainty that this journey has literally been a walk of faith. While there are lots of "how to homeschool" books to do this thing called home education, the most effective teacher for the homeschool parent is the Lord God Himself. In His sovereignty, He has been so faithful to guide and lead each year of our journey as we've sought Him in prayer. We will continue to walk by faith knowing that He will be our guide through all our homeschool seasons.

Times Like These

It's been a ridiculously long time since I've blogged and it's taken a pandemic to draw my fingers back to typing my random thoughts and once again put words to my computer screen again.

Life goes on from one day to the next and it's moments like these that halt our daily routine. It is when we're shaken out of our daily, sometimes monotonous, routines that we have a very unique opportunity. A momentous period of time has presented itself in the life of a believer as the COVID-19 virus has entered our world.

It is a time to demonstrate by our actions if we believe what resides in our heart and mind from the Word of God.

One of the greatest joys in my life has been studying God's Word. I wish that I could say that I've always had a love for reading and digging into my Bible, but that would be a lie. This joy has culminated itself through much prayer and seeking the Lord for a passion and yearning of His truth over the course of my walk with Christ. For years I was discouraged each time that I would sit down with my Bible because I just didn't know how to go about studying.

God has answered this prayer in many ways by bringing biblically-sound teachers into my life and equipping me with study tools like the Precept Inductive study method. The result has been an unending journey into the Word of God and growing more and more in love with my Savior as He's taught me of Himself. I've learned so much about God's character, His Son, the past, and what the future holds. It’s an unending journey this side of Heaven. So much to learn and discover. All of this knowledge has filled my mind and heart with truth.

While all of this biblically-academic learning has fed my mind, there have not been an infinite number of opportunities in my life to EXERCISE all of the many truths that I have trusted to be true from God's Word.

Just to put it plainly, its TIMES LIKE THESE, that believers have an opportunity to demonstrate what they know to be true about God, His promises, and His provision.

There are many truths to stay reminded of in this unique season of life, but specific ones came to mind...

The truth is that God DOES cause ALL THINGS to work together for GOOD.

These things that God is working may not feel "good" at the time.

As parents, sometimes my husband and I make decisions for our family that initially doesn’t sit well with our kids. Our decisions may upset them or hurt their feelings because they don't like the decision we've made for whatever reason, but because we're acting in an authority role and doing what we feel is best for our family, our kid’s emotions take a back seat in relation to our ultimate decision to do what's best for them. Our kids are also not entitled to an explanation of why we choose to do something that impacts their life for their good. That’s all part of the role that God has entrusted to us as their parents.

While our kids may not like what's happening around them as a result of our decisions, our love for them remains intact and unconditional as we act in their best interest.

Are we striving to look for the good in all things that our Heavenly Father allows in our lives?

God promises to never leave us or forsake us.

God says that He's a loving Father (1 John 3:1) and that He will never leave or forsake us (Joshua 1:9).

Are we, in return, clinging to Him for the strength that we need to endure?

God provides for His children.

We're told not to worry about our needs because God already knows what we need. Instead of worrying, we're told to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything that we need will be provided for us.

Do we trust God to provide for our needs?

James 1:2 tells us "Consider it all joy, my brethern, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance."

and then in verse 4, "LET endurance have its perfect result...."

What an opportunity we have as believers.

We get to endure and then experience the result of becoming more complete, lacking nothing and spiritually growing stronger.

This time in our world is a time for us to wrestle with our natural, fleshly response to what's going on around us and how God would have us to respond based on the Word of God.

Our flesh is finicky. When something happens that we don't like our flesh responds in an instant, in a selfish way because the flesh desires to please itself.

Part of our responsibility as believers is reining in the flesh and being controlled by our Spirit.

Are we walking and being led by our flesh or the Spirit of God?

The Holy Spirit would have us walk by faith, trusting our Heavenly Father that brings good out of everything that He does, will never forsake us, and will provide for our needs.

In many ways it's easy to live out the way God expects us to when life is smooth and minimally challenged, but in the face of trials we have the opportunity to display and allow God's Word to come alive in us by how we respond to the challenges God allows in our lives.

Now is the time for us to act the way that we know we ought to.

Our actions speak volumes to a lost and fearful world.