March in MN

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And here we thought spring was coming early! Just starting to enjoy those bits of grass peeking through the snow, just adjusting to the mud tracked in, and now they're calling for a foot or better of snow in the next couple of days. That's MN for you! I love it, really. I love the change, the unpredictability. I love watching it struggle to become spring.

Hungry

A few years back our family began participating in Lenten fast.  Being from a varied church background, I wasn't exposed to the idea when young.  Finding it to be a beneficial exercise, we decided to make it an annual event.  

My husband and I and the old-enough-to-understand children each pray for God's leading in how He would like us to fast.  It's always very individually appropriate to each person.  This year, tho, I've been praying for at least a month for God's leading in how He wants me to fast and not getting a conclusive answer.  All I had was parts of Isaiah 58:6-7 running through my head, "Is this not the fast I choose?  ...to divide your bread with the hungry...".  I kept thinking, but how do I do that;  we don't even know anyone hungry.  (Not because we keep such exclusive circles, but rather because we live in a prosperous nation.  We do help out the local food shelf.  But the one time I served at the soup kitchen, I was disappointed to see that the people that came were grossly overweight.  We're giving food to those who'd rather not get it for themselves while people around the world are truly starving and unable to feed their children anything but dirt!??)

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So anyway, one morning it dawned on me that I could  "divide my bread" by halving my usual portions, suffering some hunger myself, and so relate to and pray for those hungry around the world.  What an eye-opener it's been!  I've discovered the obvious:  the hungry people around the world are ...hungry.  And an awareness of the abundance and excess I participate in each day.  What I call deprivation would be lush for many.  How sad that it's made so difficult for us to help, that governments stand between us and those to whom we would give half (or more) of our food.  So much prayer needed for these poor people.  I also pray that God would somehow take what I'm not eating and feed someone needy.  He is able.

And a funny little p.s.  Our upcoming Weaver (curriculum) unit, set to begin in about 3 weeks, is on famine and water.  God is always doing this --providing a little teacher in-service to prepare me for each unit.  Makes me smile...

Why Is This Hope Within Me?

(from the March 8th Evening devotional in Daily Light, ESV)

I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able.  

2Timothy 1:12

Able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.   
Ephesians 3:20

Able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.   
2Corinthians 9:8

Able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 2:18

Able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:25

Able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy.   
Jude 24

Able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.   
2Timothy 1:12

Who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.   
Philippians 3:21

"Do you believe that I am able to do this?"  . . . "Yes, Lord."  

"According to your faith be it done to you."
Matthew 9:28-29

Loving Weaver

 














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Do you realize God provides all the pieces for that nest, as well as the talent and understanding for the building?  The bird just ...does the next thing.

Jonah

 
















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We are now in vol. 1, chapter 5 of our Weaver Curriculum.  Jumps off from Abraham obeying God's command to go "to a land which he did not know", to pursue the theme of faithfully obeying God.  The second lesson is Jonah, as an example of the opposite response, not going when God commanded.  This afternoon I sort of retold the story with my Bible open on my lap (while rocking my little one) and interjecting my own "voices" into the story.  Did you know Jonah didn't run away because he was scared??  I thought I did, but you read enough kids' stories and you sort of forget.  The Word clearly says, Jonah clearly says, that he ran away to delay ...so that Ninevah would be wiped out before he got there!!  It got me thinking, was it something like a Jew being sent to the Nazis?  Had he been personally wounded by some act of the wicked Ninevites?  So I started out the Bible lesson time by having each of my olders think of someone or ones that they strongly dislike and/or are afraid of.  Then imagine God telling them to "Go!"  They could suddenly relate to the story at a whole new level.  


God recently began revelating me to a new aspect of faith by thinking of the "confidence" aspect of it.  Where's your confidence?  There's your faith.  If you are self-confident, you trust yourself, you are confident in yourself to achieve what needs doing.  This put a whole new perspective, for me, on those listed in Hebrews 11, the Hall of Faith.  Their confidence was in God, so obviously they acted on that confidence.  Then, this showed me a whole new side of Jonah.  No wonder God pursued and disciplined him so.  He knew God!!  He really knew God!  He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God would show mercy if the Ninevites repented.  He knew that, so he ran, hoping to delay the inevitable.  Wow!!  His confidence was in God.  He just also happened to be an average, weak human.  No fear, tho.  God had all kinds of "appointments" lined up for him.  :)  What a delicious story of God's sovereignty over His creation and His faithful reproofs of those whom He dearly loves!


It amazes me.  I so often go into a lesson not having any idea what direction to take it, what activity to do to bring it alive.  Yet God consistently directs things so that we all learn and grow.  Truly, His eye is on the sparrow. 

Addition to Homeschooling Page

Just a note to inform that I've added our daily schedule to the Homeschooling Page.

The Good Shepherd

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I'm so thankful that God is my Good Shepherd, that He "gently leads those that have young".  I need Him every hour!

Where Are the Boundaries of Praise? --by Steve Ham

 (Originally published by Steve Ham, AiG Biblical Authority Devotional, Feb. 28)

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Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens!                                            Psalm 148:1–4

Today’s big question: where are the boundaries of praise?

All of creation praises God, and in today’s passage, we get a glimpse of the great praise from the heavens. The host of angels praise. The sun, moon, and stars praise. All aspects of the heavens—the hosts, lights, constellations, and celestial beings—praise God.

If you have ever wandered outside in the country on a clear night and looked into the sky, you know what it is like to be amazed at the vast array of lights. Seeing the Milky Way spread across the sky like a river and knowing it is filled with countless stars, many of which are multiple times bigger than the sun, is a jaw dropping experience. The earth is a seemingly insignificant speck in a galaxy within an ocean of galaxies, and God created it all. No wonder these first four verses in Psalm 148 continue to repeat the command, “Praise Him.”

The light that rules the day—Praise Him. The lesser lights that rule the night—Praise Him. The heavenly hosts—Praise Him. The angels that witnessed creation and burst out in glorious adoration at God’s limitless power— Praise Him. The words in the Psalm are not meant for us to simply look at and gain information that God is to be praised. We should catch the same vision of praise that was in the psalmist’s heart.

Today, we get to look at the very same stars, moon, and sun. We know that the holy angels have been in constant adoration since the beginning. We join them and the psalmist. Praise God.

Don’t just read but join the symphony of praise. Praise God. He is the Creator. He is the Sustainer. He is the Savior. He is the exalted one. He is above all. He rules all. He will ultimately restore all. The most distant galaxies have not reached the boundaries of His praise. Praise God. Say it, sing it, live it, and love it.

The praise of God to the glory of God is the existence of the saints, and we join with a spectacular chorus already in full voice. Not only is there no distant boundary for the praise of God, but also there is no distance in time. God is to be praised everywhere for all time.

Dimples

Thank you, God, for the delicious dimples you put on my son.

Why "Christian Stewardship" Trends Are Unbiblical

     And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked  with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

Luke 8:14

     Many, many declared Christians are being choked into fruitlessness and immaturity of faith by worldliness.  What I find more disturbing is church leadership promoting love of the world rather than love for God and the pure truth of the Word.  One area that I have recently observed this is the deceiving argument for "stewardship".

Do not be anxious for your life. ...Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. ...But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.

Matthew 6:25, 26, 33

 

  
Various Christian voices encourage me to wisely steward

• the gift of health by removing white flour, sugar and high fructose corn syrup from my family's diet, serve whole-grain breads with organic fruits &; vegetables, and if we must eat meat, make sure it's grass-fed beef, for goodness sake!

or

• the financial gifts God has given by living debt-free, keeping to a budget, paying cash-only, and tithing 10% (because "God rewards a cheerful giver"), 

or

• our earthly home by recycling, saving energy, conserving water, and avoiding pesticides,

or

• the gift of my life, time and energy by good choices, simple living, and balanced activities.  I should declutter, live smaller, get back to basics, smell the roses.

     These things are definitely not bad in and of themselves.  If simply given as good advice to follow for a long and healthy life, there's not much wrong with them.  But when we make it a God-ordained responsibility, we say that to do these things should form a large part of a life devoted to pleasing God.  I believe that these various areas of so-called stewardship are contrary to faith, contrary to true righteousness for the following reasons:

     1.  They address earthly concerns using earthly wisdom, thus setting our minds on "things on earth" rather than "things above".   

     If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.    

Colossians 3:1-2  

     If we are focusing our energy and attention on how to live well, eat right, and manage money wisely, our attention is directed almost entirely to earthly concerns.  Unless God is clearly revealing His concern that we live in a certain way and, therefore, we do so out of direct obedience to Him, I believe all our "stewardship" is an abominable stench to God.  It's us, working on us, to benefit us, saying it's for Him.

     2.  They are an assault on faithful dependence. 

      If we continually seek Godly wisdom from above, He will lead us in what He desires for us for that time.  Sometimes (often), God's wisdom doesn't match human wisdom.  We have to be willing to do and be what seems foolish, weak, or despised in order to be found in Him.

     For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;  but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong. 

1Corinthians 1:26-27

     God often directed the prophets to live in a way that we would call unhealthy.  Would we be willing to follow Him there?  Would Abraham have been willing to leave everything familiar and secure for an unknown land if he'd have been following stewardship principles?  Jesus Himself didn't exactly steward His finances well, infuriating Judas. 

      We are supposed to walk by the Spirit, not by Nourishing Traditions or Dave Ramsey.

3.  They are self-serving, insulating us from hardship.

     Do not look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 

Philippians 2:4-7

     Throughout Scripture we are taught to lay ourselves down, to present ourselves as living sacrifices.  I can't see how this message gels with the message of stewardship at all.  Paul tells us to count ourselves as dead to this life.  How are we supposed to be dead and concerned with this life at the same time?  

      I think stewardship speaks to our desire for safety and security.  "If you do x, y, and z, you will have a healthy, secure, and happy life ...unto the glory of God, of course."  But Jesus taught in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5, Luke 6) that we are blessed if we are poor, grieving, hungry & thirsty, hated, ostracized.  He told us that it's bad ("woe to you...") if we are rich ("for you are receiving your comfort in full"), well-fed, laughing.  We are supposed to lose the world, not gain it.

     Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ."

Philippians 3:7-8

4.  They dilute our witness.
     I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me...

Romans 15:18

     We are to be known as those transformed by the life of Christ, those who love Him and speak of Him at all times.   Rather, I find other Christians to be known for being debt-free or eating mostly vegetarian.  Is the world coming to us to hear about the wonders of God's redemption or how to use essential oils?  At the end of our life, will we be represented as radically loving God or really smart with money?

     In everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the Word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.

2Corinthians 6:4-10