Month: April 2007

I’m still mulling over and basking in the blessing of the time spent at the Christian Heritage conference this past weekend. I need to take time to review my notes to keep them fresh in my mind and to make application and incorporate the things I noted to apply in our own lives/home. As the speakers said at different times, the things they were teaching or the things we were hearing were not new and were not “original” with them. I agreed… and it’s generally that way: the things we hear at conferences or even in sermons are generally not “new things” but are old things-old truths — framed in a new way or worded in a new way—not distorting the truth or original meaning, but simply amplifying the truth.

I attempted to take copious notes and actually went through a pen full of ink to do so—not bragging, just attempting to convey the volume of note taking. I wanted to post this week some of the thoughts or quotes that were particularly noteworthy and so, here’s one:

Don’t renege on your
opportunity to disciple your children.”
—Voddie Baucham

So I think on that… and I consider our home, our children, our life. I think of the hundreds of letters I have received at A Christian Home.

Many of us promised before God at the birth of our child(ren) that we would do everything possible to train them up in the fear and admonition of the LORD. We vowed to be faithful to train them, we intended to be the best parents possible, to not make the same mistakes our parents had made or that we, ourselves, had made. And then… well, then, for many of us, life happened and little encroachments happened, little foxes came in and spoiled the vine and we got busy and time passed and days became years that we failed to train up our children in the fear of the LORD and we forgot to remember what we thought we’d never forget to remember and never fail to do.

And you know what? The enemy would have you and me to believe that that’s just too bad. That it’s just too late… too much failure, too many mistakes, too much water has flowed under the bridge of good intentions. But wait. Is that what God would say? Is that the voice of the LORD who ever lives to make intercession for us? No. No, it’s not too late and no one is too far from the LORD and the LORD’s arm is not shortened that it cannot save — not at nine, not at nineteen, not at thirty nine, not at sixty nine and not at ninety nine. The arm of the LORD is not shortened that it cannot save. HE is the redeemer. He IS the redeemer. He is the REDEEMER.

It is not too late to do what the LORD has called and planned for us to do. It’s not.

There is immeasurable value in seizing great opportunities and making significant sacrifices on behalf of our families. These sacrifices might include, time, money, missing other good things, discomfort, inconvenience, etc., etc. But, through the years we, as a couple and as a family, have seen the greatest blessings come from great sacrifice of any one or all of the sacrifices listed above.

I think we often underestimate the value of hearing great teaching and, perhaps, we overestimate the retention of things we’ve heard or think we remember from past teaching (especially when we’ve heard and agreed with great teaching but never bothered to apply it). For example, one might say: “I’ve already read that stuff.” Another might say,”I’m getting too old and that sort of teaching or that sort of conference really isn’t applicable to me at my stage or phase of life.” Still another might say, “Been there; done that.” O, may we never become so egocentric or so complacent that we’re satisfied with our experience enough to reject future opportunities with: “been there; done that” mentality. That mentality is selfish and dead-end. But our lives are so not dead-end. We mustn’t let the world creep in and destroy or distort that message and the world is creeping in—so much so, it’s creepy.

For example… what if I said and lived the “been there; done that” in mothering or motherhood? Would I be living according to the Word? Where’s the Titus2 message in the “been there; done that” mentality or way of living. It’s not. No Titus2 message there. But that’s the world’s message, it’s the world’s mentality, isn’t it? Once you’ve been there, once you’ve done that, your done. I’m seeing now, it’s only the beginning! It’s not over!I have to guard against that humanistic tendency—that self-centered view or the “been there; done that” mentality. I must guard against the “I already did all that stuff or heard all that stuff” sort of thinking—and believing.

O, more and more I see the tremendous value in sitting down and listening to men and women who open the Word of God and teach – teach the Word of God. We’re reticent to spend time in study or spend time in the Word but so readily open the Times newspaper or People mag or other tales and fables, but it is in The Bible we read from God’s perspective: man’s position, proper aim and end and God’s plan and design for all three.

So… we were at the Christian Heritage conference this past weekend… and my-o-my, what a blessing. What a blessing to spend time with believers seeking to train up children in the ways of the LORD by homeschooling instead of relinquishing children to the care and training of government schools. O, what a blessing to see all the young(!) families training up faithful sons and daughters. I smiled as I watched them soaking in all the teaching and I prayed that they would stay on the path and not dabble in the things that derail families and destroy convictions. And, what a sweet blessing to meet men and women I’ve only talked with on the phone or corresponded by email… and to see old friends. And I do mean old. ~smile~

I must say, the messages of truth and purpose of parenting/homeschooling as presented by Voddie Baucham were, undoubtedly, among the greatest I have ever heard. And I do not say this boastfully, but we have had privilege through the years to see, hear or read some incredibly gifted and powerful teachers and teaching—but the impact of his life, training, and understanding was tremendous. I’ll be sharing a few of the notes and quotes in the days ahead.Incidentally, I was also so very blessed to finally meet Stacy McDonald as I have talked to her by telephone and chatted by mail numerous times throughout the last 8 years, but, as yet, never had opportunity to meet face to face nor to hear her presentations -all of which were very encouraging. It’s easy to feel like a lone voice in the “christian world” today on matters of home, modesty, feminine dress, homeschooling, design of marriage and family… but contrary to what the enemy would like us to believe, we’re are, indeed, not alone and these truths neither fall on deaf ears nor are spoken by the lone few.

So: Homeschool!
Home’s cool. It’s where it’s at. It always has been.

More later…

I stayed up a bit too late last night corresponding with Kathryn, sending out her letters and reading through more notes.
I need to go… I am the mother.
I need to live it. And I am glad.

Kathryn’s Letters