Remind Me Again....

Remind me again what was so important
that I forgot to send my Mother a birthday card?
Remind me again what was so very pressing
that I didn't have time to call and talk to my Dad one last time?
It's hard to remember what was so significant to my career
that I missed seeing my son hit that home run.
And there must be something wrong with my memory
that the reason laundry and housework made me
miss some very sweet three-year-old giggles.
Is it a genetic defect that doesn't allow me to remember
the reason the payments on the big house and new car
were more important than sitting in a rickety rocker with Granny?
Or why worries over whether I would be in the next layoffs
made me ignore my daughter reaching for my hand when I got home late?
Remind me again of the books on the shelves
that were never read because there were other more "important" things to do.
Remind me of the reasons we ate dinner at different times
so that I could get the promotion... or you could be on the video game longer.
Remind me again why things take priority over people.
Because I keep forgetting.
And the older I get the
more I don't want
to be reminded
of anything
except
those
I love.

What's the big deal about profanity?

Three letter posts, texts, spoken "words" come at us constantly and have become so ingrained in our daily lives most of us do not even think about them.  I refuse to even put their letters here because they make me think the words that go with them.  They are not just innocent letters. Even now, I apologize if the thought of them makes you think those words.  Words matter.  

"Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders."  Matt. 17:17-19

Ouch.  I have used, abused, and spewed out words.  As I get older, I realize the intense power of those words.  And I ponder profanity.  My parents had "rules" - don't say this, always say that, etc.  Unfortunately I learned to obey the rules only, and didn't really understand the reason behind the rules.  It is the kind of thinking when I thought that the Ten Commandments were "don't"s and not understanding that they are all about the difference between our sinful nature and God's Holy One, and that only a loving God would give us rules so that we could find truth. 
and love. 
and joy. 
and eternal life.

Profanity - the opposite of sacred.  I don't want to be profane.  Actually, I desire holiness, sacredness, righteousness, Godliness.  That is the sad part about being surrounded by profanity, the sad part that we are not taught the difference between sacred and profane, respect and selfishness, courtesy and rudeness.  Our culture has trampled on the sacred under the banner of "rights" and "freedoms".  I am thankful for the rules my parents set - we were not allowed to say "dang it" or "darn" because they explained it was simply a more "acceptable" way of using a swear word.  They explained less (if at all) about why using the curse words was profane.  It has been only recently that this hard heart of mine has absorbed the full reality that profanity in any sense is the total epitomy of selfishness.  It does not consider the sacred nature of our own minds or hearts, the sacred in others, the sacredness of what our society could be if it was redeemed by the Redeemer of all.  The profanity of others dirties my mind and heart, but also makes me wonder at why I am not more careful with my words, too.  It reminds me that we are all in need of mercy.  
and grace.  
and redemption. 

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
    keep watch over the door of my lips!"  Psalm 141:3

What song does my heart sing?

A subject that I like to discuss is well stated in the blog below.  Personally, I have swung between all contemporary to no contemporary music just because of my personal preferences and lack of maturity.  At the end of the day, the music style is really a moot point - the lyrics and style should be Christ-focused, the congregation be unified and uplifted as they truly worship and visitors be drawn to the love, joy and unity of the body of Christ,  I have seen those truths clearly in both off-tune versus professional quality performances, the most contemporary rap/hip-hop versus southern-gospel banjo hymns, acappella versus full orchestra, and at the end of the day - it's all about the heart(s).

http://worshipleader.com/culture/why-should-i-play-music-that-old-people-like/

Special Babe

Millions and billions of babies are born,
Each one special - but only One we adore.
Why come as a babe?
Creator of the universe, galaxies and stars -
Orion You set; clouds come when You call.
But You came as a babe.
With beauty and glory arrayed
You tell the beasts of the field to play
Majesty and splendor adorn You
Who created the depths and mountains, too...
And came as a babe.
You tell the deer to give birth,
The seasons when to change the earth;
At Your word the horse is strong
By Your will the hawk flies long
All wrapped as a babe.
The dark spangled sky -
Did it ask why?
As it coldly shone on this tiny babe?
Fields which at your word bloom
Were they silent as tombs
When you cried as a hungry babe?
Your voice as a thunder clap
Your breath of whirlwind slap
In the voice of a tiny babe.

And yet the angels sang
And then the shepherds came
Knowing their voices would sing
To the glorious King of Kings
Who swaddled as a babe
For a moment left glory
To tell us the story
Of love coming down as a babe.
A brief time on earth
To show us our worth
A beautiful cuddly babe
Then a cross, then a grave
and now You are risen again - Hallelujah!
You came as a babe -
How precious the thought -
Your life and your death
Our sin has been bought
Because Love came down as a babe.

What do you think and feel when you see this picture?

This past weekend many millions of people around the world greeted each other with the phrase "Eid Mubarak".  Have you heard it?  Do you know what it means?  This is the traditional greeting of Muslims during Eid-al-Adha - also known as the festival of sacrifices.  It is a very solemn and universal celebration of almost all Muslims as they remember Abraham (Ibrihim) and his willingness to sacrifice his son.  Now we won't get into the discussion about which son (Ishmael versus Isaac) or why the Muslims call Abraham Ibrihim, both very deep and sometimes complicated histories of beliefs.  What I want to focus on is how we - Christian believers - those who claim the name of Jesus Christ - perceive and react to Muslims around us.

I am not a Muslim scholar or converted Muslim.  I do not live in a Muslim country.  But I do personally know (and previously worked with) quite a few Muslims - both Sunni and Shi'ite - from different backgrounds, countries and cultural and education levels.  This has made me ache for the missed opportunities.  You see, when I was in daily, almost constant contact with these precious children of God, I was not living for Jesus as the Lord of my life.  I heard them, talked with them and learned many of their perspectives in a sort of vacuum, not being in a heart position, or maybe just not being willing to step out, to offer them truth in place of error, hope in place of condemnation, joy in place of hatred, love in place of self-righteous works.

So now I watch the news and my heart breaks for people who greet each other with "Eid-Mubarak" - "Blessed Celebration".  How the evil one distorts truth with a slight twist to make it ring true in our sinful ears.  How very many are deceived to think earthly sacrifices are sufficient.  Some of my friends wonder how suicide bombers can think like they do.  We are all desperate for God, or totally making our selves into "god".  I get it.  They are desperate to win favor with their Creator.  Don't we all do ridiculous things with our hearts, minds and/or bodies to try to "please god"?  The true God, the true Creator, the Holy One of Israel, can never be pleased by any sacrifice, thousand prayers, rituals, "good" works, suicide bombs or anything else we humans can conceive or do.  So my heart breaks.  For they are so very desperate for the relationship we all want with the true God.

Does this photo make you angry?  scared?  worried?  sickened?  It makes me remember - "Suffer the little children to come to me".  Those were the words of Jesus.  They should be our thoughts and words, too.  Children of 8 or 18 or 80 who have never been able to mature into the truth because they have been deceived into thinking sacrifices are about rituals or prayers or good works or suicide and not knowing the price has already been paid.  Jesus, help us love. Then help us pray in love.  Help us look at this photo and many others like it and feel only love.

Homeschool Tip #3 - Avoid Addictions

How do you know if you are addicted to something (or some habit)?
Technically, there are several signs:
1 - Withdrawal symptoms - the patient has physical and mood-related symptoms. There are cravings, bouts of moodiness, bad temper, poor focus, a feeling of being depressed and empty, frustration, anger, bitterness and resentment.
2 - Social and/or recreational sacrifices - some activities are given up because of an addiction to something.

3 - Obsession - an addicted person may spend more and more time and energy focusing on ways of getting hold of their substance, and in some cases how to use it.

4 - Denial - a significant number of people who are addicted are in denial. They are not aware (or refuse to acknowledge) that they have a problem.

5 - Excess consumption - in some addictions, the individual consumes it to excess. 

Now why in the world do I bring up addictions related to homeschooling?  Do I think the pressures cause some to revert to drugs or alcohol?  Well, possibly, although I have yet to come across anyone yet.  But I do know of a significant number of homeschooling Moms with an addiction problem - addicted to electronic communications, that is.  They absolutely cannot go more than 15-30 minutes without checking their phone (see point 5 above - some cannot go more than 5 minutes).  Many cannot plan or implement a lesson without hours and hours on Pinterest.  Many are so tied to facebook that they constantly change their minds about what they are supposed to be doing based on what others have (or have not) posted.  More time is spent on perfecting an Instagram photo than was spent on the art project itself.  

Yes, addiction.  Addiction to data.  Addiction to electronics.  Addiction to wanting the "perfect life".  I've been there, done that.  And as a recovering addict, I can easily see the symptoms in others who have yet to realize that they are either addicted to social media, pinterest, electronic "communication" (I use that word in quotes purposefully), or just the need for instantaneous gratification by posting every move they make to try to get validation of their work.  or worth.  or acceptance.  Believe me when I tell you - it's a sad life with lots of wasted time.  

Why do we blog, post, instagram, tweet?  To get attention.  or validation.  Forgetting all the while that we are never worthy.  But the Creator and Master of the universe loves us anyway.  So much better than 500 "friends" hitting the "Like" button or 2,000 people retweeting our comment.  Enough said.  I have to get back to my recovery meeting.  With my Mentor.  HE is also my role model.  Let's help each other to recover by pointing each other to the One who wrote the code of our lives.  He's always ready to help us over our addictions.  

Homeschool "Tip" #2 - The Comparison Game

“How much time he gains who does not 

look to see what his neighbour 

says or does or thinks,
but only at what he does himself,
to make it just and holy.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations


Once upon a time there were two homeschooling Moms. One was organized, detailed and precise. The other was creative, innovative, and gracious. Organized Mom felt quite superior, "Look how much better my home and yard look than hers." Creative Mom glanced across at her neighbor and thought "Oh, she is so pitiful - her children do not even play with playdough!" Outwardly they smiled and waved, inwardly they both grew in self-righteousness.

But over the days and weeks Creative Mom had one - then two - then three-in-a-row of "those" days. She sighed as she struggled to color code her paints and date order her children's math pages so that she would be more like Organized Mom and spend less time hunting for things. She still smiled and waved across the fence, but inwardly she steamed, "She has it so easy because she is naturally organized and doesn't have to deal with the chaos I have with three little boys!"

On the other side of the fence, Organized Mom was facing her fourth day-in-a-row of "those" days. Baby had spilled not only his own food, but big sister's drink and used the markers to draw on the walls, while oldest sister, almost a teen, whined constantly about being bored. She sighed heavily and said "Oh, my neighbor has it so easy because she always has creative ideas and doesn't freak out with spills like I do."

And every day they smiled and waved across the fence amidst their frustration of comparison.


“Peter must have thought, "Who am I compared to Mr. Faithfulness (John)?" But Jesus clarified the issue. John was responsible for John. Peter was responsible for Peter. And each had only one command to heed: "Follow Me." (John 21:20-22)”
― Charles R. Swindoll