The Next Chapter
Another birthday away from home… we’re missing you so far away in Jinja, Uganda… but we praise the LORD for His work in and through you and trust Him to continue blessing and blessing you as He has all of your days. We know that the best place and the safest place to be is in the Hand of the LORD – wherever that is in all the world. Thank you Lord — thank you, Kathryn, for the precious gift of you. Happy Birthday, darling! I. love. you. I. miss. you. today. See you soon.
Over the years of blogging, I’ve become more reticent to share how-to-do-it-right parenting advice. I mean, who wants to be critiqued to death for suggesting an idea or giving advice that, in someone else’s home, might end up being the straw that breaks the mama’s back. So, I guess I try to give advice or encouragement from time to time that will not add to the load of cares or be another burden to bear, but rather to lighten the load and brighten the day. Even if, in the beginning, what I suggest or share seems to add to the already heavy load. Now, I know blog entries on lots of things, including the emergent church or the dialectic, just might be seen as too heavy-handed or critical and that articles on political or economy or food or whatever seem to be too much. If that’s the case for you, then just click on that little red X in the upper right corner… maybe another day the serving will be a better dish for you. I’m not a light thinker – I’m not just here for entertainment or, rather, to be entertained. Life’s too long and too short for all that – but even still, I pray that the joy comes through.
But today I’d like to share a couple of things I will never regret doing as a mother or that we, my husband and I, will never regret implementing in our home. The first is daily Bible study and prayer. We have never had a day that we thought was a waste of time or worthless or whatever other negative. In all candidness, though, we have had days that were a struggle to finish. Now, that’s not a negative, but a reality. And the reality is this: from time to time we will be studying through a passage and what can only be understood as ‘spiritual warfare’ seemed to descend upon our dining room like a dark cloud. It is on those days that Wes has had to stop and pray and ask the Lord to redirect or rededicate the thoughts and attention to His Word. It’s rare, but it happens. But, I digress. What happens most of the time is a meeting with the Lord and the illumination of His Word. And bcz we’ve done this through so many years, we’ve seen His hand, we’ve seen His way over and over again.
Whether we spend months reading 5 Psalms and a Proverb each day or whether we take a book and go through it or whether we just read through from beginning to end, each day we meet at the table and open the Word and take turns reading around. We do this even if we have ‘guests’ at the table or if we’re away from home. Truly, this is when we see that ‘home’ really is where the heart is.
The reading of the 5 Psalms and a Proverb goes like this: on the first day of the month (or whatever day it happens to be that you start), you read Psalm 1, then 31, thne 61, then 91, and finally, 121 and then Proverbs 1. On the second day: 2, 32, 62, 92, 122 and Proverbs 2 and so on, in this manner every day, through the month. On the 29th of the month you would skip Psalm 119 and save that reading for the months with 31 days – you would then, on the 31st of the month: read Psalm 119 and Proverbs 31. Doing this, you will read all the Psalms and all the Proverbs every month – five and one a day. The reading through will likely take quite a while… years, maybe… because of the springboard for discussions, family values, ways of doing things, traditions, etc., etc.
So I said I had a couple of things or pieces of advice or encouragement I think everyone should do. Lots of things that people are convicted to do are things that make some other people cringe or react negatively or defensively. See, that’s why I refrain sometimes. So… in those cases — when I’m just pretty sure that might happen, I just write or locate a pertinent article and put it somewhere on the website in the particular category it fits and then I just trust the Lord to lead a sister or brother to read and heed whatever He leads.
But for today, this is the kind of advice that can be given to all people in all places for all time – it’s not just a personal conviction – the daily reading of the Word – but is commanded by the Lord throughout His Word.
Okay, so here the other of the ‘couple of things.’ And these go hand in hand. We’ve had some of our greatest teaching times or springboards or greatest times of clarity and understanding come from having our children take notes or draw pictures of whatever is being read that day. The clarity comes from correcting a misunderstood word or phrase – such as Amelia’s, “Moses standing in the ‘Presents’ of God” pictures. She had that so clear in her mind and her drawing was so sincere – but it wasn’t accurate. Same as her “ark of the Covenant” pictures that needed to be corrected to show her that the “Ark of the Covenant” wasn’t filled with animals and stone tables… the animals were in *Noah’s* ark. However – the pictures stay in our minds as a very clear picture of standing in God’s presenCe – or the animals in the ark and the tables in an entirely different ark.
And that is a very clear demonstration to us all that we all need correction when we read something and come to an inaccurate conclusion. This might be done through using the concordance or the Bible Dictionary or the Webster’s 1828 Dictionary or Strong’s or whatever. But whatever the case, we have found that great teaching and learning happens in little bits, snippets of time, around the table. The youngers have pictures to remember and the olders have notes in their own hand at different ages… both are wonderful mementos of days gone by. I think they also serve as reminders that we have been this way before… even if we forget what we’ve read or let slip what we’ve learned – I think that’s one of the most damaging tools of the enemy – the nudging that maybe we’ve never read something or never heard something before. The notes and pics serve as reminders of what God has said.
The only reservation or word of caution I must give you in suggesting these two (what I consider to be) parenting ‘imperatives’ is this: be prepared to bite your cheeks when pics are drawn by imaginative children and you have to sit quietly listening to the interpretation you’re hearing (and then formulate an thoughtful reply and/or subtle correction to the understanding). Just so’s ya know.
Yep… it’s one of those days. Bcz… last week was… long.
I’m mulling over lots of things today as I clean bookshelves and re-order the movies, dvd’s and cd’s. The dust on some of them gave me a bit more necessary information when I questioned: Do we watch this anymore? Did we ever watch this? And, as always, I walk down memory lane when I go through belongings I haven’t looked through in awhile. Today’s purging of outdated or unused materials is absolutely nothing at all compared to the great purge of sixteen years or more ago. At that time we made, for all intents and purposes, a virtual clean sweep of practically all the movies and music we owned. Really… and that day has been etched in our family’s history as: The Day Daddy Went to the Dump.
So I came downstairs to get a cuppa tea and write some notes when I happened upon an email from Vision Forum. And after reading it I was left pondering several things – one, our departure from most all things Disney happened a couple of years before The Day Daddy Went to the Dump time period of our lives.
We had been to Disneyland the year before and came home with the overwhelming thought: hey, that place is not right… the whole premise is deceptive – but it was so fun – or was it? Anyway, then it was around that time that The Little Mermaid had come out and in the stores were all things Mermaid. And we got to thinking… is this what we want to say and do? Is this the right message? Is this the right anything? I will never forget Wes walking by the television set where The Little Mermaid was playing and he heard, at that moment, the intro to the movie: “Ariel, the rebellious teenager…” And at that moment, he said. “No.” He did not want our daughters dressing like that, talking like that, looking like that, acting like that or —thinking— like that.
Those were hard days. Hard days that were worth every heartache, misunderstanding, expense, etc., etc. Because those days were the shaping of our family. It was as if, in those days, a stake was driven into our family’s foundation and history and it was the ‘day of decision’ — one of those days where we said, from here on out, we are going to follow the LORD in what we say and do and what we see and hear – and it’s got to line up right. We had been walking with the Lord and were believers, but I think we had allowed too much of societal norms to shape our home and teaching of our children.
Looking back now, I wish we had said more, done more, thought more, acted earlier on many things — one of which was the catastrophic influence of: most all things Disney — even though I agree wholeheartedly with the “Examples of Good” in the following list I’ve quoted below.
But I think the whole “Disney issue” that people deal with now is much like other issues Christians face… we often wake up and smell the coffee quite awhile after it’s been brewed and quite awhile after it’s been cooking on the hotplate of the coffeemaker. It’s often not until the smell of scorched coffee starts to assault out senses that we say – wow, we can’t drink that! I know, coffee’s a pretty bad analogy. But the point can be seen.
Think of all the things that you, now as a conservative Christian, may have, at one time or another, not been too offended about. Okay… take music or movies or dress or dating, or public school or birth-control or careers vs. ‘staying home’ or college away from home or whatever… what was passable or acceptable or even just accepted is now questioned in light of Scripture. I guess that’s really why I take such a hard stand and will continue to take such a hard stand against the merry-go-round of the meet-your-felt-needs- and the entertain-you-to-death church trends of the last 10-15+ years. It’s why I write about the things I do – because things are so subtly slipping into our homes and lives and they are really off — they are really contrary to the Word of God.
It’s not until that reality strikes believers in the face that decisions are reevaluated or wake-up calls are heard. Just watch, it will not be too long before more in the church say: Hey, this mysticism, this relativism, this conversation, this revisionist writing of the Bible, this carnal teaching, this denial of the omniscient, inerrant, omnipotent, Triune God…. wait, this… this… this just isn’t right. When did this happen? How did this happen? And by then the church will have been carried away with all of that and more for years.
Just consider the abortion industry. It was well into the practice that the wake-up call was heard – and believers began to gasp at the horrific atrocity of the death of innocent unborn babies and the highly profitable abortion industry. Things go on and people are told to mind their own business, don’t offend other people, don’t say things that will rock the boat. We’re told or conditioned to just be quiet and let people do what they want even though… well, you know… you and I don’t do those things… it’s not really for us to judge. and on and on.
I think that’s what’s gone on with the Disney lie all these years. And now, people are waking up to the fact that Disney, generally speaking, has been a promoter of all sorts of things that have become foundational teaching diametrically opposed to the Word and Way of the Living God and, subsequently: society, traditions and cultural behaviours have been not only accepted, but endorsed as right or good. And fun – because it’s… just Disney.
So, this from The Vision Forum… read more here. This is an excerpt from the letter I just received:
“Evaluating the Disney Legacy
These messages examine the Disney philosophy of filmmaking, the history of the Disney empire, and the impact of Disney’s many innovations on film and culture. Also included is an analysis of the philosophical and theological perspectives often presented in Disney’s children classics, both for good and for evil.
Examples of Good
· Walt Disney’s personal emphasis on the family as a basic unit of society.
· Appreciation for science, investigation, exploration, and innovation.
· Cultivation of virtues of heroic boyhood.
· Gratitude for the American legacy of freedom.
Examples of Bad
· Moralism without sound theological foundation.
· The “cutification” of witchcraft and evil.
· Reliance on pagan myth and fantasy, rather than biblical icons and worldview.
· Promotion of Darwinian evolutionism. “
Just think of situations where Disney has infiltrated or formed your thinking… you may not even realize it, but you might say, noticing the lateness of the hour: O, I need to leave… or O, the clock’s about to strike twelve, I’d better leave before I turn into a pumpkin.
But more, and probably worse, is that many of us have said, O, it’s okay, it’s a Disney movie… it’ll be okay. Disney used to be synonymous with family friendly. But was it really?
After seeing our family’s singing debut (with the happy birthday video we made for Timothy so could see & hear us singing to him from the other side of the world) our friend called me, Mama Lolli Pop. I already have a mousy voice — but increase the speed of a video a few notches, and I really have a mousy-lolli-pop voice.
Well, then, I just had to share a pic that makes me smile – the lolli pop is totally and completely coincidental!! Samuel and Hannah had walked to First street… looked through some of the antique shops and ended up at Sammie Jo’s candy store where Samuel bought a lolli pop. It proved to be too much for him, so he passed it on to ‘melia. I didn’t realize she was hanging on to it when she went to take a rest… so, couldn’t pass up the photo op when I went in to check on her. so, I guess this makes her — baby lolli-pop?
We’re sure missing our boy today… on his birthday, and every day. Hannah made a birthday cake for Timothy, put it on the Red Plate… we lit the candles and sang the ‘happy birthday song’ while the camera was recording. So, here we are, early this morning, singing to our boy… 7500 miles away.
Happy Birthday, Timothy. We’re missing you! From all of us, with love.
Give me Jesus.
Wes’s dad died eight years ago and at his memorial service his own mother spoke of the son she loved, was so proud of and would greatly miss. She shared some poignant stories and a few humourous anecdotes that really engaged the crowd gathered there to celebrate his life that day in the church he had pastored for many years. She closed her remarks about her son saying, “Goodnight, son, I’ll see you in the morning.”
Well, today was that morning. I’m sure: a glad and happy reunion. The dear and precious woman we all call grandma passed from this life into the arms of the Lord; her hope, her strength and her Redeemer. She longed for home — longed for heaven — longed to see Jesus face to Face.
Born in 1908, she was nearly 100 years old and lived a marvelous life of faith and joyful obedience to the Lord — much of her life in full time ministry. The Lord was good to her… in and through her. What a testimony to His merciful kindness, His faithfulness, protection and provision. She was a remarkable woman, ever eager to share the hope of the Gospel, to visit and to help others — ever ready to host a prayer meeting or a Bible study and just as eagerly to listen to one in need, despair or rejoicing.
Her smile was a comfort and a consolation; her laughter was infectious and her zest for life contagious. I loved her as my own grandmother all these years and she treated me as such… for I’m pretty sure she never distinguished the “in-law’s” any differently that her own grandchildren. My mother-in-law is just the same toward me, too. How grateful I am for my husband’s Christian heritage on both paternal and maternal sides of his family… how grateful I am for the loving kindness they’ve shown all these years… what a blessing and testimony they are to me – to our family. Grandma loved us and prayed for us… for these two things I am eternally grateful and it is these two things that makes it bittersweet to say good-bye for now.
So… instead, I will say, O, what a day that will be when I see you again. Until then, thank you, Grandma — for a life well lived, for an example to follow, for a promise to keep, for memories to treasure, for joys to remember, for the honour of being your family, for your loving kindness and tender concern for us, for our children and for our grandchildren. I’ve loved you – and I will always.
Goodnight, Grandma, I’ll see you in the morning.
I thought I’d just start this post off with a bang: vasectomies. Writing the rest of it will be easier now, comparatively speaking. Well, with the exception of replies to comments – but that’s probably the good thing about not receiving lots of daily comments here.
I don’t know of an elective surgery that is more emotionally charged than vasectomies – with the exception of tubal ligation. Every week I receive letters from women — men and women — couples — who ask for prayer for conception and pregnancy – most requests are posted on our site. In addition to those, we receive letters inquiring about birth control and vasectomy or tubal ligation reversal. So many aches. So many questions. So much regret and disappointment. So many broken hearts and marriages. Week after week, couples plead for prayer on their behalf that God would be merciful and grant them conception… that God would provide a way for a vasectomy reversal… that God would forgive a bad or foolish decision.
If you’ve visited our site or have known me any length of time you will readily know my strong opposition to the big fix. It’s a lie… the big fix is no fix at all – for breaking things that work just fine isn’t a solution or a fix-all. Very, very rarely do I ever talk with a person for whom pregnancy is or would be fatal or detrimental health wise. Very rarely do I read of situations where a woman should not — must not — get pregnant. And most of the time, my estimation of birth-control is this: it is for people who should not get pregnant. And who should not? People who are not married. to. each. other. Sincere or Medical cases of necessary abstinence are rare – much rarer than are cited.
Responsibility is a marvelous gift to men and to women. Responsibility requires necessary restraint and composure, resolve and commitment. Vasectomies remove a substantial restraining factor in men’s lives and behaviour. That’s something that’s probably not mentioned when men seek a vasectomy. It’s not like the doc sits there and says, now, brother, you do realize that you now have total sexual freedom, don’t you? Are you sure you can handle this?
Of course not.
Instead, docs ignorantly praise a man for the decision he’s making (the great financial benefit, notwithstanding) and how now he’ll be free to enjoy secs completely and his wife will never have to be burdened again, blah, blah, blah. Based on the number of women who’ve written to us, and we’re nobody!, and I will tell you, women cry over the foolish decision and men ache with shame and regret for making a decision based on convenience. and doubt. and fear.
Page two, Local Section of this morning’s Seattle Times has an article about a doc in Oregon who is offering “premium vasectomy appointments” to men who want to time their vasectomy just right to enable them to watch March Madness college basketball… “It’s snip city.” the ad in the article proclaims.
Another sad consequence: older men acting on impulse; younger men instructed. Older men paving the way for younger men to neglect God.
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. — Psalm 19
Problems? Headaches? Tired of being tied down? Kids interrupting your game or game-plan? Make an appointment to cut them off today. You’re in charge of your life – why be bogged down with children and family, why bother?
So light and so cavalier is the view of the great gift of life. Pragmatism makes many foolish decisions. For which man could know what God has in store for him? Who can know the great mind of God on matters of life, offspring and posterity – except that He says children are a blessing and a great heritage to the man who has them. Decisions with eternal implications made in a moment of frustration or despair… based on a most convenient scenario.
I wonder how many will be grieved five minutes or six months later when the gravity of the decision is realized. It is a grievous thing to cut off the possibility of children – the heritage of the Lord. The big fix is a lie.
We know many who have sought forgiveness for the hasty or ill advised action and have joined in prayer and have sought reversal: “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me…”
God help us.
Or, missionaries make great homeschoolers. Or is it, homeschoolers make great missionaries.
Timothy… in Ghana
Kathryn in Uganda
