At any given moment these days it is likely someone will bust into "Do you want to build a snowman?" or "Let it Go" while walking around our house. If you could not tell by all of the Frozen things I have posted on my social media, I am a little fond of the new disney hit. Okay, that's a bit of an understatement!! My kiddos like the movie almost as much as I do :-). I've read some really good blogs about the movie and I've read some that make my blood boil. People tend to assume the worst about things and go searching for a reason to not like things. I can understand that to an extent considering that most things that come from Hollywood are full of trash. But when they do something this good, supporting it will show them that this is the type of entertainment that the majority of us are searching for for our children..and for ourselves for that matter! But, I've actually seen some things that try to link Frozen with such things as homosexuality and even beastiality. I'm not even going to give that the dignity of a response. I mean, come on, not only was it a beautiful, funny, lovely piece of work, it also gives the viewer some pretty great life lessons. Here are just a hand full of the lessons I got out of the movie, Frozen.
You never know what someone else is going through. Anna assumes that her sister Elsa is being selfish when she shuts her out of her life. She doesn't know the inner struggle that Elsa is dealing with. We can do the same thing with the people in our lives. Assume the worst. But, sometimes, all it takes is getting to know someone on a deeper level in order to find a way to help them deal with the struggles in their lives.
"Love at first sight," is not a real thing. Disney movies from the past are full of stories of the "love at first sight" theme. Frozen not only moves away from that theme, but it basically makes fun of it in a cute song called "Love is an Open Door." I love that Anna finds out what real love is during the course of this movie. Love is many things, but it is not instant. It takes time and it takes work. Work that is well worth it when it is done right!
Sometimes "following your heart" can have bad consequences. Something difficult and scary happens to Queen Elsa. As a result, she runs away and in quite possibly the coolest scene and most beautiful song of the movie, she expresses her desire to do whatever she wants to do and forget anyone and everything else. This works for her for a little while. But, then, Anna shows up and opens her eyes to the consequences that she left behind for her people to deal with while she enjoys life alone. Elsa learned that you cannot just "Let it Go" completely. The power that Elsa possessed was beautiful, and hiding it was not the answer. But, she had to find a balance and learn self control. We have to do the same thing in our own lives. As a parent, I spend some of everyday trying to teach my children to show self control when they want something. It's not an easy lesson, and it's even harder when they look around and see that even adults these days have a problem with lack of self control. I grew up with a generation that preaches that you should always "follow your heart," no matter the consequences. Do what you want to do and if you hurt others in the process that is their problem. It is nice to have a Disney movie that shows that sometimes their are unpleasant consequences when you think only of your own needs. Which leads me to my last point...
"Love is putting someone else's needs before yours." Thank you! There it is! And who does this quote come from? The little guy that kept us laughing from the moment he entered the story, Olaf! What great wisdom from a little comedic relief snowman :-). I love that it wasn't a "true love's kiss" that saved Anna. It was an ACT of true love. It was HER own act of true love...putting Elsa before herself ....that ends up saving them both. Elsa spends most of her life protecting Anna, and in the end Anna sacrifices herself for Elsa and helps them both to have the freedom to love that they always wanted. It doesn't get much more beautiful. Love in action. Love is putting others before ourselves. Every day.
"People make bad choices when they're mad or scared or stressed. But, throw a little love their way and you'll bring out their best." Frozen
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matt 22:38-39
Monday, March 24, 2014
Friday, December 6, 2013
The Hills Are Alive...
This is my mini review of the live performance of the Sound of Music last night. Let me go ahead and say that I had been looking forward to this event since I first heard it was happening. I've loved the Sound of Music since I was a little girl, so when I saw it advertised I was almost giddy about it. I was not disappointed! I went into it knowing that it could never be the same thing as the movie with Julie Andrews that I love so much, but also knowing that the movie version is not what it should have been. It is something totally different...it is the live version of the STAGE version. It seems that too many folks that love the movie went into it with their "claws out," so to speak, ready to pounce on everything about it.
Here are some of the reasons why I liked it:
First of all, I LOVE live theatre. I've been in a hand full of shows, and I've watched too many live shows to count. There is nothing like it. I like that it is usually not perfection. It is live and it is happening right now and it is flawed in little ways. The flaws and the unexpected things that happen add to the show and help you to see how well an actor can adjust. So when someone was standing on Laura Benanti's dress and she had to adjust, or when the man playing the German officer obviously flubbed his lines a little and Stephen Moyer had to cover for him (and they both recovered quickly), it's those little things that make it so exciting to me. It reminds me that, oh yea, this is happening RIGHT NOW, right here in front of me. So, no, this show was not perfection (except for maybe Audra McDonald, she is always pretty close to perfection I'm pretty sure, and has five Tonys to prove it), but, its little imperfections make it so much better to me. Come on people, it was happening LIVE!! They rehearsed it hundreds of times I'm sure, but they didn't get to record each scene over and over again, take after take, like they do for movies. Not to mention, they didn't have someone working on tweaking and editing each scene for months to make it absolutely perfect. One shot, that's it! How exciting!
Secondly, while I agree that Carrie Underwood's acting skills were not the best I'd ever seen, I mean, you'd think that was her first time ever doing live theatre or something, oh, wait, IT WAS!! So, with that in mind I think she did pretty great. I've definitely seen worse. And no one can deny that her singing was absolutely spot on! How awesomely brave to take on such a huge, iconic role. And, while they could have cast a broadway star that could do the singing and the acting, bringing Carrie Underwood to the role brought a whole new generation and introduced a new audience to live theatre. An audience that may not have tuned in had they cast someone unknown to the "mainstream" folks.
And, thirdly, my boys were enthralled. Even my baby girl was swaying to the music. And here is this little new generation who got to experience seeing a live, broadway-worthy show and we didn't even have to leave this house (granted that had to go to bed before it was over).They got to see a show broadcast live, in which the main character says a prayer in front of millions of people nationally, and who also speaks of God and God's will multiple times. And at the same time, learned a little history. That, in itself, is priceless. It was good, clean fun that I could actually sit down and watch with my entire family sitting with me. How often does that happen anymore?!?
If you watch this show with an open mind and a willingness to sit back and have fun, you might actually enjoy it. It was a beautiful event and I'm glad it happened!
Here are some of the reasons why I liked it:
First of all, I LOVE live theatre. I've been in a hand full of shows, and I've watched too many live shows to count. There is nothing like it. I like that it is usually not perfection. It is live and it is happening right now and it is flawed in little ways. The flaws and the unexpected things that happen add to the show and help you to see how well an actor can adjust. So when someone was standing on Laura Benanti's dress and she had to adjust, or when the man playing the German officer obviously flubbed his lines a little and Stephen Moyer had to cover for him (and they both recovered quickly), it's those little things that make it so exciting to me. It reminds me that, oh yea, this is happening RIGHT NOW, right here in front of me. So, no, this show was not perfection (except for maybe Audra McDonald, she is always pretty close to perfection I'm pretty sure, and has five Tonys to prove it), but, its little imperfections make it so much better to me. Come on people, it was happening LIVE!! They rehearsed it hundreds of times I'm sure, but they didn't get to record each scene over and over again, take after take, like they do for movies. Not to mention, they didn't have someone working on tweaking and editing each scene for months to make it absolutely perfect. One shot, that's it! How exciting!
Secondly, while I agree that Carrie Underwood's acting skills were not the best I'd ever seen, I mean, you'd think that was her first time ever doing live theatre or something, oh, wait, IT WAS!! So, with that in mind I think she did pretty great. I've definitely seen worse. And no one can deny that her singing was absolutely spot on! How awesomely brave to take on such a huge, iconic role. And, while they could have cast a broadway star that could do the singing and the acting, bringing Carrie Underwood to the role brought a whole new generation and introduced a new audience to live theatre. An audience that may not have tuned in had they cast someone unknown to the "mainstream" folks.
And, thirdly, my boys were enthralled. Even my baby girl was swaying to the music. And here is this little new generation who got to experience seeing a live, broadway-worthy show and we didn't even have to leave this house (granted that had to go to bed before it was over).They got to see a show broadcast live, in which the main character says a prayer in front of millions of people nationally, and who also speaks of God and God's will multiple times. And at the same time, learned a little history. That, in itself, is priceless. It was good, clean fun that I could actually sit down and watch with my entire family sitting with me. How often does that happen anymore?!?
If you watch this show with an open mind and a willingness to sit back and have fun, you might actually enjoy it. It was a beautiful event and I'm glad it happened!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Caution: You Have Left Your Comfort Zone
It was a Sunday morning and my sweet friend, Christi, and I were rushing to get ready and leave our University’s campus. I was a Sophmore in college and known for being late (I can hear you gasping in shock), so I was trying my best to not only be on time this Sunday morning, but to be EARLY to Bible class. I was teaching this Sunday morning. This wasn’t my first time to teach a Bible class. I had lead devotionals at my social club’s meetings and I had even taught a few ladies classes in front of my peers. This particular morning was different. This Sunday, I was a college student stepping out of my comfort zone.
For a couple months prior to this Sunday I had been volunteering on Tuesday nights to ride the buses of the Inner City Ministry. We would ride into the inner city Government Housing projects and pick up a huge bus load of children and take them to a church building outside of the inner city (different ages went on different buses and to different places). They would have a bible class, snack, and sometimes a craft of some sort. I was sort of a“filler.” Basically, they would stick me on whatever bus that needed more assistance. I, along with one or two other adults, would ride in the back of the bus with the children and help keep things calm; breaking up fights, keeping the kids in their seats…just trying to make sure everyone was safe and happy. I rode the bus there, and sat in a room where the teachers could send the children that got into trouble in the classroom and were asked to leave. I kept those kids along with two other ladies, and then, when class was over, we would ride the bus back to the inner city, drop the kids off, go back to our meeting place and go home. It was craziness, and I usually came back on campus after it was over and crashed, but it was nice to be helping with something important. And, I always, always came back to my apartment with some pretty great stories.
One morning a teacher of mine, who also worked with the inner city children, asked Christi, a few other girls, and myself, if we would come to the inner city congregation to teach a bible class that Sunday morning. They were having a special speaker in the adult Bible class that morning and they wanted to let their teachers have a break so that they could hear the speaker during class, as well as worship. I froze when she asked me. I finally said, “By myself? In a class room?” She sweetly laughed and said, “Yes, you’d be in a class of about 15 children. By yourself. But, I know you can do it!” Every part of my body and mind was screaming, “NO! I can’t. I can’t. I just can’t.” But, for some reason, my mouth didn’t listen and I said “Okay. I will do it.”
So, here I was, rushing to get ready to teach a childrens' class on my own for the first time ever. I was shaking with nerves. Christi and I arrived with about five minutes to spare (so much for getting there and shaking out my nerves before I started) and I was brought to a classroom of about fifteen 8 and 9 year olds. I mean if you are going to start a new adventure of teaching, why not jump into a classroom of 8 and 9 year old inner city children?? Go all in or nothing, right?? I stood in front of these kids trying to get their attention and no one was listening. I am not super authoritative , so I wasn’t sure what to do. So, I just started singing. “Thank you Lord for loving me and thank you Lord for blessing me….” Everybody stopped and looked at me like I was crazy. But, I had their attention. One girl shouts out, “Girl, you can sang. You sound like Brittany Spears. Do another one…” (I’m still not sure if that was a compliment or not, ha!). I said “Sure, I’ll sing another one, if you will sing with me…” And we sang, we did our lesson, and they asked quite possibly 20,000 questions. It was absolutely life changing.
I have taught Bible classes ever since that morning. I still get nervous when I start a new class, with new kids or a new place. When someone asks me to teach I still want to say “no” for some reason. But, I force myself to say yes and I never regret it.I’m pretty sure I get more out of it than any of the kids I end up teaching.
That is my story of stepping out of my comfort zone for the first time ever. I thought about that this weekend as I thought about the fact that my sweet husband has preached more than once in the last few months. If you had asked me ten years ago if I would have seen him preach ever I might have laughed. Not because I didn’t think he would do great, but because I know how painfully out of his comfort zone that would be. But, he continues to amaze me and step out of his comfort zone over and over again in different ways. There are so many ways that I need to step out of my comfort zone today. And that's why I am writing this; to challenge myself.
If we are a Christian, we should be stepping out of our comfort zones constantly. We have so many beautiful examples in the Bible of people showing faith and stepping out of their comfort zones to do so.
Abraham left his home country to go to a land where God would send him (Genesis 12). I can’t imagine leaving behind my parents, brothers and sister-in-law and friends and never looking back. But that’s exactly what Abraham did. It was a long journey. He made mistakes, he watched two cities destroy themselves in evilness; he had joy, sadness, and frustration. But, he trusted God, and he was so blessed for it.
Moses stepped out of his comfort zone when he went to confront the Pharaoh. He complained about it some and said that he was not good enough. He gave excuses and obviously had an inner battle going on and lack of confidence. He ended up taking Aaron with him to help out with the part that scared him the most, but he still went! Sometimes we have to use help and take someone with us to support us when we step out of our comfort zone, but what matters is that we are willing to go.
The apostle Peter, after seeing Jesus walking on water, stepped out of the boat (his comfort zone) to walk to Jesus (Matt 14). After a few steps he doubted and started to sink, but he showed faith in stepping out of the boat to begin with. Sometimes, when we step out of our comfort zone we are going to slip and fall flat on our faces. It won’t always be rainbows and butterflies and happy, singing children. Sometimes, it will be so hard and we might fail. But, I can guarantee you; we will learn something every single time. Even when it doesn’t work out like we had hoped. .
It’s hard to be uncomfortable. Especially in a world that is telling us that we have no right to tell anyone anything about anything. Keep to yourself. You do your thing, I’ll do mine. But, we are called to do so much more than keep to ourselves. (Mark 16:15-16).
Here is my challenge to you (and myself), next time someone asks you to do something out of your comfort zone...especially something that will further the cause for Christ and His Kingdom, try it! You may surprise yourself!
(From Paul to Timothy) "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel," (1 Tim 1:6-10, ESV)
For a couple months prior to this Sunday I had been volunteering on Tuesday nights to ride the buses of the Inner City Ministry. We would ride into the inner city Government Housing projects and pick up a huge bus load of children and take them to a church building outside of the inner city (different ages went on different buses and to different places). They would have a bible class, snack, and sometimes a craft of some sort. I was sort of a“filler.” Basically, they would stick me on whatever bus that needed more assistance. I, along with one or two other adults, would ride in the back of the bus with the children and help keep things calm; breaking up fights, keeping the kids in their seats…just trying to make sure everyone was safe and happy. I rode the bus there, and sat in a room where the teachers could send the children that got into trouble in the classroom and were asked to leave. I kept those kids along with two other ladies, and then, when class was over, we would ride the bus back to the inner city, drop the kids off, go back to our meeting place and go home. It was craziness, and I usually came back on campus after it was over and crashed, but it was nice to be helping with something important. And, I always, always came back to my apartment with some pretty great stories.
One morning a teacher of mine, who also worked with the inner city children, asked Christi, a few other girls, and myself, if we would come to the inner city congregation to teach a bible class that Sunday morning. They were having a special speaker in the adult Bible class that morning and they wanted to let their teachers have a break so that they could hear the speaker during class, as well as worship. I froze when she asked me. I finally said, “By myself? In a class room?” She sweetly laughed and said, “Yes, you’d be in a class of about 15 children. By yourself. But, I know you can do it!” Every part of my body and mind was screaming, “NO! I can’t. I can’t. I just can’t.” But, for some reason, my mouth didn’t listen and I said “Okay. I will do it.”
So, here I was, rushing to get ready to teach a childrens' class on my own for the first time ever. I was shaking with nerves. Christi and I arrived with about five minutes to spare (so much for getting there and shaking out my nerves before I started) and I was brought to a classroom of about fifteen 8 and 9 year olds. I mean if you are going to start a new adventure of teaching, why not jump into a classroom of 8 and 9 year old inner city children?? Go all in or nothing, right?? I stood in front of these kids trying to get their attention and no one was listening. I am not super authoritative , so I wasn’t sure what to do. So, I just started singing. “Thank you Lord for loving me and thank you Lord for blessing me….” Everybody stopped and looked at me like I was crazy. But, I had their attention. One girl shouts out, “Girl, you can sang. You sound like Brittany Spears. Do another one…” (I’m still not sure if that was a compliment or not, ha!). I said “Sure, I’ll sing another one, if you will sing with me…” And we sang, we did our lesson, and they asked quite possibly 20,000 questions. It was absolutely life changing.
I have taught Bible classes ever since that morning. I still get nervous when I start a new class, with new kids or a new place. When someone asks me to teach I still want to say “no” for some reason. But, I force myself to say yes and I never regret it.I’m pretty sure I get more out of it than any of the kids I end up teaching.
That is my story of stepping out of my comfort zone for the first time ever. I thought about that this weekend as I thought about the fact that my sweet husband has preached more than once in the last few months. If you had asked me ten years ago if I would have seen him preach ever I might have laughed. Not because I didn’t think he would do great, but because I know how painfully out of his comfort zone that would be. But, he continues to amaze me and step out of his comfort zone over and over again in different ways. There are so many ways that I need to step out of my comfort zone today. And that's why I am writing this; to challenge myself.
If we are a Christian, we should be stepping out of our comfort zones constantly. We have so many beautiful examples in the Bible of people showing faith and stepping out of their comfort zones to do so.
Abraham left his home country to go to a land where God would send him (Genesis 12). I can’t imagine leaving behind my parents, brothers and sister-in-law and friends and never looking back. But that’s exactly what Abraham did. It was a long journey. He made mistakes, he watched two cities destroy themselves in evilness; he had joy, sadness, and frustration. But, he trusted God, and he was so blessed for it.
Moses stepped out of his comfort zone when he went to confront the Pharaoh. He complained about it some and said that he was not good enough. He gave excuses and obviously had an inner battle going on and lack of confidence. He ended up taking Aaron with him to help out with the part that scared him the most, but he still went! Sometimes we have to use help and take someone with us to support us when we step out of our comfort zone, but what matters is that we are willing to go.
The apostle Peter, after seeing Jesus walking on water, stepped out of the boat (his comfort zone) to walk to Jesus (Matt 14). After a few steps he doubted and started to sink, but he showed faith in stepping out of the boat to begin with. Sometimes, when we step out of our comfort zone we are going to slip and fall flat on our faces. It won’t always be rainbows and butterflies and happy, singing children. Sometimes, it will be so hard and we might fail. But, I can guarantee you; we will learn something every single time. Even when it doesn’t work out like we had hoped. .
It’s hard to be uncomfortable. Especially in a world that is telling us that we have no right to tell anyone anything about anything. Keep to yourself. You do your thing, I’ll do mine. But, we are called to do so much more than keep to ourselves. (Mark 16:15-16).
Here is my challenge to you (and myself), next time someone asks you to do something out of your comfort zone...especially something that will further the cause for Christ and His Kingdom, try it! You may surprise yourself!
(From Paul to Timothy) "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel," (1 Tim 1:6-10, ESV)
Monday, November 4, 2013
What was I thinking!!....Homeschooling Part 2
The day had arrived. It was August 2012 and the majority of the public schools
and private schools around this area were starting school back that morning. I
live in a busy neighborhood and I could hear the buses driving by and the kids
chattering as they walked to the nearby elementary school. I looked at Facebook
that morning and my newsfeed was flooded with adorable first day of school
photos. As I sat there scrolling, I started to panic. There I was, 8 months
pregnant, with the cutest, but quite possibly the most stubborn two year old on
the planet sitting next to me. I looked at my kindergarten age son across the
room, and my mind was suddenly flooded with insecurities and fear. Fear of what
he might be missing out on. Fear that I would fail at teaching him to read. Fear
that I couldn't do what needed to be done once the newborn arrived. And then, a
thought crossed my mind...."What.was.I.thinking!!"
I'm pretty sure that anyone who has gone the homeschool route has had this thought, at least a time or two. Doing something that goes against the norm is a scary thing! But, I am so thankful that I fought those fears that I had been feeling that morning. Through prayer, His word, and the wonderful spouse He blessed me with, God gave me the strength I needed to see beyond the insecurities. I started school with that excited, ready to learn kindergartener and we pushed our way through. Through the fear, the tears, the brand new addition to our family, the nap wars, the reading and handwriting wars, the sleepless nights with a newborn, the nursing, sicknesses, hospital stay (when the 2 month old had RSV), the occasional complaining, the search for what was going to work for our family. Some really great days and some really bad days. Yep, it was a bumpy first year for sure. But, I will tell you this, I am better for it. I think my son is, too. I learned as much as he did that year. He was learning to read, write, study his bible, and the beginnings of math. I was learning patience, perseverance and what unconditional love means. By the end of our first year of homeschooling we had a pretty great routine going, and it kind of makes me happy to say that on our last day of my son's kindergarten year, he cried because he did not want to take a "break" from learning. He asked me nearly every day of our summer break if we could start the new curriculum. So, here we are nearly half way finished with our second year of homeschooling. Here are a few things I've learned:
The things that my son and I are gaining through homeschooling are outweighing the things that I feared he would miss out on. I pictured missing out on seeing him off to school that first day, dressed all cute with a cool looking back pack and matching lunchbox. I pictured him experiencing field trips and participating in his school programs for special occasions. It worried me that he might be missing out. What I didn't realize was how incredible it would feel to get to be the one that he read his first chapter of a chapter book to and how we would dance around in pure excitement together after he finished. I couldn't foresee how rewarding it would be to see him finish an assignment that we struggled through together, just knowing that we persevered and we got it done! There was no way for me to realize how much joy he would get out of helping me decide what projects to do with whatever subject we are on. I didn't realize how many hours 7 hours of the day really is. I really do believe that he gets more biblical and practical application lessons in those 7 hours at home with me and his siblings, than he would at school. I didn't consider the fact that I would have all of this time with him to teach him how to be kind and be respectful and make sure that it is being practiced every single day. So, it is my belief, that the trade off is so worth it! (And, by the way, thanks to the growth of homeschooling and our homeschool group, he doesn't miss out on many of those things that I found myself worrying about).
When you homeschool, you talk about homeschooling...A lot. I used to think, wow that's all homeschooling folks ever talk about. I almost perceived it as people being "in my face" about it. But, now, I realize, we talk about it so much because we think about it constantly. "The world is our school room," I've heard it said. So, we are constantly getting ideas and making lesson plans and thinking about the next school day. It becomes your passion, your way of life, your hobby, and your extracurricular activity all in one. Sounds overwhelming I know, but it's pretty great :-).
When you do something that seems out of the ordinary, people are going to question it, and sometimes say unkind things to you. Some people are sincere in their questions; see previous blog post, I was one of those people that found it questionable at first. So, I get it. Maybe that's why I am tough skinned about it. It doesn't bother me (often). In the beginning, with my insecurities, if I had come in contact with a lot of negativity it may have discouraged me. I guess it's good that during that first year, with everything going on, I just didn't get out much! ;-).
You can't do it all. I'm still working on the balance thing. Schooling takes up a lot of time. It's a full time job (and the pay and benefits are pretty incredible). But, I also teach bible class, teach a class at our co-op, have a 3 year old, a 1 year old, a family to cook for, a house that needs to be cleaned, laundry to do, etc. if you saw my house right now you would know which of these things I've had to "let go of" to an extent. It is sanitary, don't get me wrong, lol, but it is frustratingly messy at times. But, everything CANNOT get done that needs to. So, we let things go here and there. It is also helpful to have a husband who is more than willing to help pick up your slack. I was blessed with one of those!! He is as dedicated to homeschooling as I am and is willing to do whatever he can to help make that possible. I'm hoping one day I will be one of those super-women that can single handily get it all done, so that he can relax when he comes home from work, but until that day, it's nice to have such awesome (and incredibly attractive) back up :-).
It's amazing how much you can learn in a year and a half. I feel like I've come a long way and that God has truly blessed me and my family in so many ways. But, I've learned enough to know that we are never done learning. I guess these type of blogs can always end with a "to be continued." :-)
I'm pretty sure that anyone who has gone the homeschool route has had this thought, at least a time or two. Doing something that goes against the norm is a scary thing! But, I am so thankful that I fought those fears that I had been feeling that morning. Through prayer, His word, and the wonderful spouse He blessed me with, God gave me the strength I needed to see beyond the insecurities. I started school with that excited, ready to learn kindergartener and we pushed our way through. Through the fear, the tears, the brand new addition to our family, the nap wars, the reading and handwriting wars, the sleepless nights with a newborn, the nursing, sicknesses, hospital stay (when the 2 month old had RSV), the occasional complaining, the search for what was going to work for our family. Some really great days and some really bad days. Yep, it was a bumpy first year for sure. But, I will tell you this, I am better for it. I think my son is, too. I learned as much as he did that year. He was learning to read, write, study his bible, and the beginnings of math. I was learning patience, perseverance and what unconditional love means. By the end of our first year of homeschooling we had a pretty great routine going, and it kind of makes me happy to say that on our last day of my son's kindergarten year, he cried because he did not want to take a "break" from learning. He asked me nearly every day of our summer break if we could start the new curriculum. So, here we are nearly half way finished with our second year of homeschooling. Here are a few things I've learned:
The things that my son and I are gaining through homeschooling are outweighing the things that I feared he would miss out on. I pictured missing out on seeing him off to school that first day, dressed all cute with a cool looking back pack and matching lunchbox. I pictured him experiencing field trips and participating in his school programs for special occasions. It worried me that he might be missing out. What I didn't realize was how incredible it would feel to get to be the one that he read his first chapter of a chapter book to and how we would dance around in pure excitement together after he finished. I couldn't foresee how rewarding it would be to see him finish an assignment that we struggled through together, just knowing that we persevered and we got it done! There was no way for me to realize how much joy he would get out of helping me decide what projects to do with whatever subject we are on. I didn't realize how many hours 7 hours of the day really is. I really do believe that he gets more biblical and practical application lessons in those 7 hours at home with me and his siblings, than he would at school. I didn't consider the fact that I would have all of this time with him to teach him how to be kind and be respectful and make sure that it is being practiced every single day. So, it is my belief, that the trade off is so worth it! (And, by the way, thanks to the growth of homeschooling and our homeschool group, he doesn't miss out on many of those things that I found myself worrying about).
When you homeschool, you talk about homeschooling...A lot. I used to think, wow that's all homeschooling folks ever talk about. I almost perceived it as people being "in my face" about it. But, now, I realize, we talk about it so much because we think about it constantly. "The world is our school room," I've heard it said. So, we are constantly getting ideas and making lesson plans and thinking about the next school day. It becomes your passion, your way of life, your hobby, and your extracurricular activity all in one. Sounds overwhelming I know, but it's pretty great :-).
When you do something that seems out of the ordinary, people are going to question it, and sometimes say unkind things to you. Some people are sincere in their questions; see previous blog post, I was one of those people that found it questionable at first. So, I get it. Maybe that's why I am tough skinned about it. It doesn't bother me (often). In the beginning, with my insecurities, if I had come in contact with a lot of negativity it may have discouraged me. I guess it's good that during that first year, with everything going on, I just didn't get out much! ;-).
You can't do it all. I'm still working on the balance thing. Schooling takes up a lot of time. It's a full time job (and the pay and benefits are pretty incredible). But, I also teach bible class, teach a class at our co-op, have a 3 year old, a 1 year old, a family to cook for, a house that needs to be cleaned, laundry to do, etc. if you saw my house right now you would know which of these things I've had to "let go of" to an extent. It is sanitary, don't get me wrong, lol, but it is frustratingly messy at times. But, everything CANNOT get done that needs to. So, we let things go here and there. It is also helpful to have a husband who is more than willing to help pick up your slack. I was blessed with one of those!! He is as dedicated to homeschooling as I am and is willing to do whatever he can to help make that possible. I'm hoping one day I will be one of those super-women that can single handily get it all done, so that he can relax when he comes home from work, but until that day, it's nice to have such awesome (and incredibly attractive) back up :-).
It's amazing how much you can learn in a year and a half. I feel like I've come a long way and that God has truly blessed me and my family in so many ways. But, I've learned enough to know that we are never done learning. I guess these type of blogs can always end with a "to be continued." :-)
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
And the Journey Begins...Homeschooling Part 1
Homeschooling. Who would guess that this one (or two, depending on how you write it) word could stir up so many emotions for so many people. But, it does. You need some drama in your life? Just post why you think homeschooling is a better choice than Government Education (or vice-versa) in your FB status and you will have enough "drama" to last you for quite a while! So, why is it so controversial? It's controversial because it is important. How you are going to educate your child is a big, important, life-shaping decision. Caring parents research, pray, and sometimes argue over this very important decision. Do we homeschool?; Do we send them to the public school?; Do we pay for private school?; Can we find a half-day program within a reasonably driving distance? So many choices, so many prayers, and so many tears go into this. Here is this innocent little five year old that we are solely responsible for and this decision could shape their future. Whoa! Yea, that's a lot of pressure.
No matter which of these things a parent chooses they will feel pressure and they will lose sleep over their decision. I think we need to be sensitive to that when we talk about it with each other. I'm not saying we can't have or state an opinion on the matter. Trust me, I have a convicted opinion that the choice that my husband and I have made is best for our children. But, as passionately as I feel about it, I hope that my speech will be graceful and seasoned with salt (Col 4:6) so that I don't alienate those who have made a different choice than I have.
We make a decision. We obviously think that's the best decision, other wise we would have picked something else. Sometimes, we choose what we have to because of our circumstances. Different things are going to work for different people. I, obviously, think that the public school system as a whole is a flawed system. Ask me why one day and I will tell you, but that's not why I'm writing this particular blog post. I'm writing this one to tell you my homeschooling story. To tell you how I began this amazing journey.
Let me start at the beginning. Growing up I went to A LOT of schools. A lot. My wonderful father is a gospel preacher and although one might say that it is a life (the PK life) that comes with some "drawbacks," I loved it. I didn't mind moving quite a bit, and I loved meeting new people. I had (and am blessed to still have) godly parents who loved me and worked hard for me and my brothers and taught us to love God more than anything else. They made our childhood wonderful, no matter what our school situation was. My favorite school experience was Georgia Christian School in Valdosta, GA. I attended that small school from pre-k through half of my second grade year. I loved my teachers, my friends (some of whom I am still in contact with after all these years), and most of all, I loved that my mom taught high school French and English there, just a building over from me. It made me feel like I was home, knowing I could see her anytime. Leaving Valdosta made for a hard transition. After such a great experience came a series of ups and downs. A large public school right outside of Atlanta, a horrible experience, but thanks to my hard working and self-sacrificing parents, it was short lived. A private school called Greater Atlanta Christian was a good experience. Public -schools (elementary school, the sixth grade center, and then the middle school) in Lake City, Florida, no big issues for me, a private school in Prattville Alabama, where I faced more temptation than anywhere else and my brother had a rough time. He ended up graduating from there with a class of 17 students. And last, after a lot of prayer and debate , I ended up at Prattville High School where I graduated in 2000 with a class of almost 400 students,( just in my class). I did it! I survived! Thanks to a small group of good friends at school, a wonderful church family to encourage me, and a strong family waiting at home for me, I survived! That is eight schools from kindergarten through graduation.
I know, I know.. You are getting my whole life story here. But I say all of this to show the experience that I have behind me. Public school, private school, big school, small school, Christian school, non Christian school. Been there, done that. Different schools bring different experiences; there are really good public schools and really awful ones. There are really great private schools and really awful ones. Yet, again, making our decision as parents harder.
Fast forward four years later, 2004. I have graduated college, Tommy and I have been married for almost a year and Tommy is given a blessing of a job at Apologetics Press (where he still works). One of our AP friends tell us that they are planning to homeschool their children. My thoughts? Interesting. I will never homeschool. (Wonder how many times in my lifetime I have eaten my words). But, it did make me curious. I didn't think about it much after that, honestly. Didn't have much of a reason to. But, then in 2006 I was given my first reason to think about it a little harder; my first son was born!
When my son was almost a year old I was given a wonderful opportunity to work with an after school program. I enjoyed it, got paid part time, and got to bring my son to work. It was a blessing in another way, too. It opened my eyes back up to a school-type situation and made me, for the first time ever, truly consider homeschooling. Tommy had already told me that he was seriously considering homeschooling and now, here I was thinking about it, too.
By the time my son was four, the homeschool network in this area had grown substantially. I knew quite a few families around me that homeschooled and I started "picking their brains." What made you decide to homeschool? Is it hard? Are you afraid your kids are going to be weird? Yes, we have all asked that! Ha! One time a friend jokingly said " I guess I would rather have 'weird' kids by the worlds's standards, knowing I did everything to equip them with God's word before sending them into the world, then to just throw them in and hope they survive." There's that word again! Survive. I realized in that moment that survival is exactly what school was for me my middle school and high school years. It had it's good things; I excelled at sports and made decent grades. But, for the most part, I just tried to survive. Survive until the bell rings at 3:00 and I can go home to my family. Survive until the weekend when I would spend time with our youth group; Survive until Christmas break; survive until summer break; survive until graduation. Survive until I can make it home again; my sanctuary. It was in that moment that my heart was convicted. I knew what I needed to do. That scared me to death! I didn't know how to do it, or where to start, but it was happening. I knew I wanted my children to do more than just survive and there was a way to help them do that staring me right in the face!
So, here I am, the "product" of the public school system, at least partially, and I've decided to homeschool? I was blessed enough to have good, Christian parents who spent a lot of time undoing some of the things that we learned at school (more from the other students ,than the teachers. I always had good teachers). Honestly, most people didn't even know that homeschooling was an option at that point in time. You sent your kids to school, it is what you did. I don't know that I had ever heard of such a thing as homeschooling until I was in college. It's weird to have such conflicting feelings. I, honestly, wouldn't change my school experiences. Even the bad ones. I am who I am today because of those experiences. I used to think, well, I don't want to keep my children from having those character building experiences. That was one of those things that kept me from letting myself give in to my desire to homeschool at first. It's also one of those fun accusations, disguised as questions, that people will throw at you when they find out that you are homeschooling. But, I realize now that just because we have chosen to keep our children home for schooling, doesn't mean they won't ever experience things that will help them learn to survive in the world. It just means I'm tipping the scale a little bit. Their feeling of safety vs. feeling the need to survive ratio has been flipped and I'm hoping it will give them the advantage they need when they are adults.
So, that's how the journey started. Stay tuned for what I have learned so far......
No matter which of these things a parent chooses they will feel pressure and they will lose sleep over their decision. I think we need to be sensitive to that when we talk about it with each other. I'm not saying we can't have or state an opinion on the matter. Trust me, I have a convicted opinion that the choice that my husband and I have made is best for our children. But, as passionately as I feel about it, I hope that my speech will be graceful and seasoned with salt (Col 4:6) so that I don't alienate those who have made a different choice than I have.
We make a decision. We obviously think that's the best decision, other wise we would have picked something else. Sometimes, we choose what we have to because of our circumstances. Different things are going to work for different people. I, obviously, think that the public school system as a whole is a flawed system. Ask me why one day and I will tell you, but that's not why I'm writing this particular blog post. I'm writing this one to tell you my homeschooling story. To tell you how I began this amazing journey.
Let me start at the beginning. Growing up I went to A LOT of schools. A lot. My wonderful father is a gospel preacher and although one might say that it is a life (the PK life) that comes with some "drawbacks," I loved it. I didn't mind moving quite a bit, and I loved meeting new people. I had (and am blessed to still have) godly parents who loved me and worked hard for me and my brothers and taught us to love God more than anything else. They made our childhood wonderful, no matter what our school situation was. My favorite school experience was Georgia Christian School in Valdosta, GA. I attended that small school from pre-k through half of my second grade year. I loved my teachers, my friends (some of whom I am still in contact with after all these years), and most of all, I loved that my mom taught high school French and English there, just a building over from me. It made me feel like I was home, knowing I could see her anytime. Leaving Valdosta made for a hard transition. After such a great experience came a series of ups and downs. A large public school right outside of Atlanta, a horrible experience, but thanks to my hard working and self-sacrificing parents, it was short lived. A private school called Greater Atlanta Christian was a good experience. Public -schools (elementary school, the sixth grade center, and then the middle school) in Lake City, Florida, no big issues for me, a private school in Prattville Alabama, where I faced more temptation than anywhere else and my brother had a rough time. He ended up graduating from there with a class of 17 students. And last, after a lot of prayer and debate , I ended up at Prattville High School where I graduated in 2000 with a class of almost 400 students,( just in my class). I did it! I survived! Thanks to a small group of good friends at school, a wonderful church family to encourage me, and a strong family waiting at home for me, I survived! That is eight schools from kindergarten through graduation.
I know, I know.. You are getting my whole life story here. But I say all of this to show the experience that I have behind me. Public school, private school, big school, small school, Christian school, non Christian school. Been there, done that. Different schools bring different experiences; there are really good public schools and really awful ones. There are really great private schools and really awful ones. Yet, again, making our decision as parents harder.
Fast forward four years later, 2004. I have graduated college, Tommy and I have been married for almost a year and Tommy is given a blessing of a job at Apologetics Press (where he still works). One of our AP friends tell us that they are planning to homeschool their children. My thoughts? Interesting. I will never homeschool. (Wonder how many times in my lifetime I have eaten my words). But, it did make me curious. I didn't think about it much after that, honestly. Didn't have much of a reason to. But, then in 2006 I was given my first reason to think about it a little harder; my first son was born!
When my son was almost a year old I was given a wonderful opportunity to work with an after school program. I enjoyed it, got paid part time, and got to bring my son to work. It was a blessing in another way, too. It opened my eyes back up to a school-type situation and made me, for the first time ever, truly consider homeschooling. Tommy had already told me that he was seriously considering homeschooling and now, here I was thinking about it, too.
By the time my son was four, the homeschool network in this area had grown substantially. I knew quite a few families around me that homeschooled and I started "picking their brains." What made you decide to homeschool? Is it hard? Are you afraid your kids are going to be weird? Yes, we have all asked that! Ha! One time a friend jokingly said " I guess I would rather have 'weird' kids by the worlds's standards, knowing I did everything to equip them with God's word before sending them into the world, then to just throw them in and hope they survive." There's that word again! Survive. I realized in that moment that survival is exactly what school was for me my middle school and high school years. It had it's good things; I excelled at sports and made decent grades. But, for the most part, I just tried to survive. Survive until the bell rings at 3:00 and I can go home to my family. Survive until the weekend when I would spend time with our youth group; Survive until Christmas break; survive until summer break; survive until graduation. Survive until I can make it home again; my sanctuary. It was in that moment that my heart was convicted. I knew what I needed to do. That scared me to death! I didn't know how to do it, or where to start, but it was happening. I knew I wanted my children to do more than just survive and there was a way to help them do that staring me right in the face!
So, here I am, the "product" of the public school system, at least partially, and I've decided to homeschool? I was blessed enough to have good, Christian parents who spent a lot of time undoing some of the things that we learned at school (more from the other students ,than the teachers. I always had good teachers). Honestly, most people didn't even know that homeschooling was an option at that point in time. You sent your kids to school, it is what you did. I don't know that I had ever heard of such a thing as homeschooling until I was in college. It's weird to have such conflicting feelings. I, honestly, wouldn't change my school experiences. Even the bad ones. I am who I am today because of those experiences. I used to think, well, I don't want to keep my children from having those character building experiences. That was one of those things that kept me from letting myself give in to my desire to homeschool at first. It's also one of those fun accusations, disguised as questions, that people will throw at you when they find out that you are homeschooling. But, I realize now that just because we have chosen to keep our children home for schooling, doesn't mean they won't ever experience things that will help them learn to survive in the world. It just means I'm tipping the scale a little bit. Their feeling of safety vs. feeling the need to survive ratio has been flipped and I'm hoping it will give them the advantage they need when they are adults.
So, that's how the journey started. Stay tuned for what I have learned so far......
Monday, October 14, 2013
Driving Me Nuts
I'm thankful for my kids for many reasons but one of the things I am most thankful for is the fact that having them in my life, depending on my example, has made me want to be a better Christian. I want them to see Jesus in my actions and words. I watch my words more carefully, I am much more picky of what I will play on my television, I try to talk positive about people in front of them, which makes me look for the good in others, even the ones who "drive me nuts." Yes, I obviously slip up and speak out of anger and say things I shouldn't (way more often than I should). But, those kids that are ALWAYS listening are very quick to point it out..to me and anyone else they may come in contact with. And because of that I learn from them as much as they learn from me.
In a world that often times seems over run by evil and sin, we have the power to make a difference. If we can be the Christians that we are suppose to be, not just in public, but in the privacy of our homes, then our children will have a fighting chance when they are outside of our homes. If they can see us "walking the walk," then, just maybe, they will grow up to "walk the walk," too.
I hope that I can continue to improve daily for my kids' sake. But, more importantly, I hope that I will strive to do better and be better for the sake of our God, who is awesome and almighty and deserves our very best. My children know my actions and can see through me when I am not sincere. Even more so, The Lord knows my heart and knows every "secret thing." As soon as we let go of self and live for Him, the better chance we give our children...who are always watching.
"In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you." Titus 2:7-8
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matt 5:16
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.For God will bring every work into judgment,Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil." Ecc 12:13-14
Monday, October 7, 2013
Self Improvement
After a three year break, yes, you read that right, three years, I am finally going to give this blogging thing another shot. There could not be a blog long enough to catch up the three year gap between this post and the last, so here is the summary: Some good things happened, some bad things happened, some great things happened, like the addition of a blessing of a baby girl named Lela, I've grown a lot and love God and my family even more than I did three years ago.
So, why, you may ask, pick up blogging once again after such a long break? It's something I've wanted to do for a while. I'm a writer by nature so I feel better when I have a creative outlet. Also, to have a place to share/record our family happenings and to have a place to share my thoughts,opinions, but most importantly, God's word. And, the main goal, is for improvement. To improve my spiritual life, to improve my attitude, to improve my writing skills; to improve my own and maybe other's understanding of certain subjects using God's Word, and just maybe, sometimes, to help to improve someone's day. Okay, woah there. That's quite a bit of pressure. I don't really expect all of those things to happen, but, the goal is improvement of some kind. Any kind.
Making improvements in our lives can be so tough. It's tough on us to change the habits and stubbornness that need to be changed to make whatever improvement we are trying to make. And, it's hard on those around us who don't quite understand why we are making the changes we are making to improve ourselves. We are imperfect human beings living with and around fellow imperfect human beings, who are filled with insecurities, self doubt, and a longing to be better.
These same insecurities can cause us to lash out in an unkind way to someone who is searching for improvement. Take, for example, someone who is trying to better themselves physically. They are excited about their changes, it's on the forefront of their mind, so they may talk about it. A lot. Here I was, feeling pretty good about myself for only eating one Krispy Kreme donut for breakfast instead of the three that I really wanted to eat and my friend comes over and tells me about how she hasn't had any junk food in 100 days and she just ran 13 miles backwards. My little bit of improvement seems pointless now. So, I may as well eat those donuts after she leaves. (Let's be honest, I'll take any excuse to eat a donut). Someone starts talking about physical improvements and my self doubt and insecurities, along with a little bit of guilt are at the forefront of my mind and all of the sudden my hearing ability is compromised, too. Friend says: "I've started this new healthy, organic eating and I feel great!!" What I hear: "I can't believe you are eating those Cheetos. You must feel awful." And, so I may throw out a sarcastic comment, or try to downplay her success at improvement. So, here's this friend, working hard on something and feeling excited about it, not being haughty or condescending about it. And instead of being excited for her and encouraging her, I've made her feel bad.
Don't we sometimes do the same thing to people who are trying to improve their spiritual lives? They are excited and talking about the Bible all of the time. They mention the Bible studies they are involved in; that they have gotten rid of their television so that they can teach their children to focus on spiritual things instead; that they can't see a movie because they researched it and don't feel it would be a good thing to watch; that they dropped an extracurricular so that they can give more money to the church. Whatever it may be, and all of the sudden our insecurities, self doubt, and possibly a little bit of guilt, makes our hearing distorted once again. We hear "you don't study the Bible enough, you are a sinner for owning a TV, and I cannot BELIEVE you pay for your kids to play that sport." So we lash out with unkindness. We call them names and tell others how self righteous so-in-so is. And in the process, we back track on the improvements that we were trying to make in our own spiritual lives. I am so very guilty of this. Instead of encouraging a fellow Christian who is excited about improving their spiritual life, we discourage them by our attitude and words.
Please don't walk away from this blog saying that crazy Carol Leah thinks it's a sin to eat a dessert or own a television. Every one who knows me knows that I am the queen of chocolate and I love a good show! But, shouldn't we all be trying to improve our spiritual lives everyday? We should be growing in the word every day (2 Tim 3:16-17, Rom 15:4) loving God and others more every day (Matt 22:37-39), and focusing on what is pure and right every day (Phil 4:8). And we should be encouraging each other daily and "rooting each other on" as we strive for improvement and strive for the same goal. We can learn from each other's improvements and help each other to be more like Jesus. We should welcome each other's advice and even rebuke if it is needed. If we are walking that narrow way together (Matt 7: 13-14), we are not in competition with each other, even if it feels that way sometimes. Instead, we should want the best for each other.
Now, please excuse me while I go try to work off those donuts ;-)
"But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." (Heb 3:13)
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Eph 4:29)
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Heb 10:24-25)
(drawing by Thomas age 6))
So, why, you may ask, pick up blogging once again after such a long break? It's something I've wanted to do for a while. I'm a writer by nature so I feel better when I have a creative outlet. Also, to have a place to share/record our family happenings and to have a place to share my thoughts,opinions, but most importantly, God's word. And, the main goal, is for improvement. To improve my spiritual life, to improve my attitude, to improve my writing skills; to improve my own and maybe other's understanding of certain subjects using God's Word, and just maybe, sometimes, to help to improve someone's day. Okay, woah there. That's quite a bit of pressure. I don't really expect all of those things to happen, but, the goal is improvement of some kind. Any kind.
Making improvements in our lives can be so tough. It's tough on us to change the habits and stubbornness that need to be changed to make whatever improvement we are trying to make. And, it's hard on those around us who don't quite understand why we are making the changes we are making to improve ourselves. We are imperfect human beings living with and around fellow imperfect human beings, who are filled with insecurities, self doubt, and a longing to be better.
These same insecurities can cause us to lash out in an unkind way to someone who is searching for improvement. Take, for example, someone who is trying to better themselves physically. They are excited about their changes, it's on the forefront of their mind, so they may talk about it. A lot. Here I was, feeling pretty good about myself for only eating one Krispy Kreme donut for breakfast instead of the three that I really wanted to eat and my friend comes over and tells me about how she hasn't had any junk food in 100 days and she just ran 13 miles backwards. My little bit of improvement seems pointless now. So, I may as well eat those donuts after she leaves. (Let's be honest, I'll take any excuse to eat a donut). Someone starts talking about physical improvements and my self doubt and insecurities, along with a little bit of guilt are at the forefront of my mind and all of the sudden my hearing ability is compromised, too. Friend says: "I've started this new healthy, organic eating and I feel great!!" What I hear: "I can't believe you are eating those Cheetos. You must feel awful." And, so I may throw out a sarcastic comment, or try to downplay her success at improvement. So, here's this friend, working hard on something and feeling excited about it, not being haughty or condescending about it. And instead of being excited for her and encouraging her, I've made her feel bad.
Don't we sometimes do the same thing to people who are trying to improve their spiritual lives? They are excited and talking about the Bible all of the time. They mention the Bible studies they are involved in; that they have gotten rid of their television so that they can teach their children to focus on spiritual things instead; that they can't see a movie because they researched it and don't feel it would be a good thing to watch; that they dropped an extracurricular so that they can give more money to the church. Whatever it may be, and all of the sudden our insecurities, self doubt, and possibly a little bit of guilt, makes our hearing distorted once again. We hear "you don't study the Bible enough, you are a sinner for owning a TV, and I cannot BELIEVE you pay for your kids to play that sport." So we lash out with unkindness. We call them names and tell others how self righteous so-in-so is. And in the process, we back track on the improvements that we were trying to make in our own spiritual lives. I am so very guilty of this. Instead of encouraging a fellow Christian who is excited about improving their spiritual life, we discourage them by our attitude and words.
Please don't walk away from this blog saying that crazy Carol Leah thinks it's a sin to eat a dessert or own a television. Every one who knows me knows that I am the queen of chocolate and I love a good show! But, shouldn't we all be trying to improve our spiritual lives everyday? We should be growing in the word every day (2 Tim 3:16-17, Rom 15:4) loving God and others more every day (Matt 22:37-39), and focusing on what is pure and right every day (Phil 4:8). And we should be encouraging each other daily and "rooting each other on" as we strive for improvement and strive for the same goal. We can learn from each other's improvements and help each other to be more like Jesus. We should welcome each other's advice and even rebuke if it is needed. If we are walking that narrow way together (Matt 7: 13-14), we are not in competition with each other, even if it feels that way sometimes. Instead, we should want the best for each other.
Now, please excuse me while I go try to work off those donuts ;-)
"But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." (Heb 3:13)
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Eph 4:29)
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Heb 10:24-25)
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