To conclude this year...

Well here we are. New Year's Eve, 2006.

I heard an ad on the radio yesterday for safety on New Year's Eve, in that if you're going to go out and get all sorts of sloppy drunk, you can ride the bus home, for free. Now, I drive a van and have 7 kids, so that hardly qualifies me as a bus driver, but I can only imagine (and unpleasantly at that) what it might be like to drive a busload full of drunk people. Ahem.

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on New Year's Eve 1999? For some people, that looming Y2K issue wasn't even an issue, as they simply paid no mind to it and lent no credibility to it at all. Good thing for them it didn't actually turn out to be anything more than a blip on the radar.

For other people though, it was a strange time. I knew (casually) quite a few programmers and not one of them agreed on anything about Y2K. Opinions varied from the position that it was going to be nothing, all the way to "stack up your beans and ammo, this is it, Martha". Kev and I found very little comfort in the fact that even these programmers weren't so sure what was going to happen, so we did what we thought was the wise thing to do.

We bought beans.

We figured, if we stored up as much food & water (medical supplies, personal care items, etc.) as we could, and if nothing happened - then we'd just eat & use what we stored up. At the same time, if something did happen, we'd be prepared. We suggested to friends and family that it would be smart to prepare, just in case.

Boy were we laughed at. It's sort of funny now, looking back at how it all turned out, but I'm glad we did things the way we did. I'm still using the boxed matches we had in the Y2K bin, to light the fire in the wood furnace. I still reach in from time to time to get out an emergency candle. The paper plates came in real handy last summer as well.

So we sat there in the living room that night, and watched the television screen. We waited with anticipation of course, hoping nothing would happen, and indeed nothing did happen. It wouldn't have been funny at the time, but I would laugh heartily years later if someone had been standing in the basement at the breaker box and at the stroke of midnight flipped the main switch off. (I know, I have a twisted sense of humor).

What made me remember all this is not only because it's New Year's Eve once again, but because it really says a lot about how much we trust in the Lord's providence, when we're in an uncertain, frightening, or painful situation. I'll admit, Kev and I were scared. We had 2 baby girls under 2, plus the older girls, and their safety and well being was our first concern. Being able to care for them in less than ideal circumstances was something we wanted to make sure we were prepared in advance, for.

We talked a lot at the time about trusting in the Lord to take care of us, and we prayed a lot more in that regard, that we wouldn't get all caught up in the hysteria that was going on and lose focus of His provision and care.

Since that infamous New Year's Eve Global Blackout That Never Happened, trusting in the Lord in all things, has been a great lesson for Kev and I. We've had many trials, many circumstances that we could have diverted our attention onto the issues at hand, but instead we've tried very hard to stand firm, and hold fast.

For Christmas this year, a friend sent me a silicone wristband, that has that very phrase embossed on it. In English on one side, and in Greek on the other. It came with a little note that says in part:

"This wristband is a reminder of the daily battle that is ours to withstand the pressures that come at us to give ground, to let go, of the gospel of grace. May it remind you to stand firm, to hold fast, to continue exercising faith in the truth by the sanctifying work of the Spirit."

I've never worn a silicone wristband, but this one went on as soon as I opened the package. Not only is the wristband a daily reminder of standing firm in the gospel of grace, but it will be a daily reminder to me as well, that while I sometimes struggle to stand firm and hold fast in my faith in general, I'm not alone. There are those who struggle right along with me, those who pray for me, and there is the One that keeps us all.

So, as we close out 2006 that is my reminder to you, to fill your thoughts and begin a brand new year:

For in him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28) In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. (Job 12:10) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Col 1:17) Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25)(emphasis mine)

And finally, this passage from Romans 8, in case you haven't read it through, in a while:

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (29-39)

And with that, from our home to yours, we wish you a very Happy New Year.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Now this is just too cool...

Several years ago, Kev and I took a road trip out west to my Mom's house. It was probably the most enjoyable vacation I've ever been on, as we took 3 weeks and just piled all 6 kids (only 6 at the time) in the van, and headed out. We even took a little detour down to Oregon so Kev & the kids could see the Sea Lion Caves (I've been, more than once) and the Oregon Vortex (also been there, it's very cool).

This was a hugely expensive trip but we saved forever to pull it all off, and we each had a strict souvenier budget. I gave up part of my budget for the kids to each get a plush sea lion in Oregon though, they loved them so much!

One of the days when Mom & my late step dad Jasper said "get out, leave the kids here, go have fun!" Kev and I took off down to the bay to take pics of blue herons & just goof off for a while without kids in tow. On our way back to my mom's house, we stopped at a little country store right down the highway from their old house. If you've ever been on the old highway between Belfair and Olympia, you'll recognize this scene outside the store in Allyn. If you have no idea where I speak of, that's okay too. We stopped at this store, just to admire the carvings outside.

While inside browsing the gift shop, I came upon a rack of t-shirts. Now for those who know me, you know that I LOVE t-shirts. I have always loved t-shirts and if the Lord pleases to let me live to be 90, I will be a 90 yr old in a t-shirt.

These particular t-shirts though, were unlike anything I'd EVER seen before. They were so nice, so bright and vivid that with all of them it was as life-like as anything. Almost like you could step into the scene, and touch what you were seeing. I couldn't believe how beautiful these t-shirts were. So I did the dirty deed, and reached for the price tag. I suspected there was just no way our souvenier budget was going to allow one of these, but I held out a wee bit of hope. I saw the price and nearly had a fit - they were so affordable, we bought two of them! One for Kev (although he already had a "Sea Lion Caves - Florence, OR" t-shirt that I still wear to this day, lol), and one for me.

Well, for the next few years, he and I wore our beautiful t's all the time, and without fail every time we'd wear them out, people would ask where we got them. Not many people in Ontario were willing to drive to Allyn WA to get one, so they were pretty much out of luck. But then a few years later, while I was Christmas shopping at a teeny little store in St. Jacobs, I couldn't believe what I saw! There they were, these amazingly vivid, realistic looking nature/animal shirts!

Well, they had many more styles than the first time I'd seen them, but I already had my heart set on buying Kev a loon flute (yes, you read that correctly, and the flute shown on that page is the one I bought him - and it sounds like a real loon!), so I made a mental note that THE coolest t-shirts in the universe were available at the store in St. Jacobs. That was several years ago, and I've never been back out there. After the price of gas went through the roof, a drive out to St. Jacobs to go Christmas shopping suddenly became wayyyyyy outside our budget.

Well today, I made a discovery that knocked my socks off, and I wasn't even looking for it. I found an online collection of these shirts, that contains almost 800 products! I said "baby!! come look, our shirts from our trip out to mom's house!!!" and Kev knew exactly what I was talking about, and came to oogle the collection with me.

Now, while you may have seen these before, and this may not be that fantastic of a discovery for you, it sure is for me. I love these shirts, and if you're an animal lover & t-shirt wearer, these are just THE BEST. They're almost as good as my own designs (snicker/snort) but if you can't buy one of mine, you NEED to buy one of these. Kev had the heron shirt and I had a wolf shirt (they've discontinued the particular one I had) and we wore them until they literally wore out. No matter how many times they were washed, the images never faded, and they always looked brand new. I think it was about 5 years before we finally had to get rid of them, since we really did wear them out.

Today, I browsed the entire collection and selected the best of the best, to showcase at Rolfes Amazon. You can view my collection here at The Mountain (the company that makes them) and The Mountain Two. If you buy through Rolfes Amazon, we do collect a small (very) percentage of the sale. This is how I "work at home" by being an affiliate with some of the most trusted online merchants - showcasing only the best stuff!

Now here's the strangest thing...

This afternoon, we got a phone call. I couldn't understand what was being said, there was a lot of "woof" "bark", and "ggrrrufff's" but the caller (I think?) said his name was Wrigley. I did make out the words and "Tulip" and "Sally" and then our insane Beagle flopped her paw on my keyboard and this page came up. If I were suspicious by nature, I'd think there might be some sort of conspiratorial thing going on with that phone call.

:o)

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Prayer Need Incredibly Answered

Earlier today I posted a prayer need. I wrote that I needed "Wisdom to resolve it, grace to address it and guidance to correct it." Without going into detail about the more personal aspects of this particular need, I would like to share how this prayer need was answered today.

This situation is a relationship with someone very close to me, that has become somewhat tense at times, for various reasons. Today when this new issue came to light, I knew I needed to deal with it but I was honestly at a loss as to how. Here is the amazing thing: Even before I prayed (remember the Bible says that He knows what we need before we even ask Him? Matthew 6:8), this person came to me and brought this issue up, in a round-about way. For no other reason than feeling unprepared to discuss it, I excused myself from the conversation and said I needed to pray about it. That was all I really said, except to say that I would like to talk about it later, if that was okay. They agreed and that was that, until later. Or so I thought.

As the day went on this issue was on my mind all day, and later in the day this person came back to me and asked for forgiveness, and shared with me how the Lord burdened their heart with it as well, and brought them literally weeping, to their knees in prayer, over it. This person shared also how God brought it to their mind that He chastens those He loves, and that it's their heart's desire to be pleasing unto Him and good example before others.

All that, without me ever addressing the situation with the person, at all. But God did!

The most amazing thing about all of this is, is that this is a person who is a very young believer, and someone whom I would have never honestly expected to express themselves this way, about spiritual things. It was the kind of expression that comes from a heart truly chastened by the Lord. Someone who has upward (toward Him) repentance, rather than horizontal (toward men) repentance. In their words was love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness & temperance. It was truly above and beyond the kind of resolve I was hoping for. It was all I'd hoped for, and so much more.

For those of you who did pray, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have no idea what a blessing you were today to not only me, but to the person that wept and prayed seeking God's forgiveness and guidance for themselves.

Words seem puny right now, to adequately express how grateful I am. But I will say thank you, once again.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Get Listed

IMPORTANT UPDATE BELOW

Today being the day after the day after Christmas, our postal mail resumes and between today and Friday, we'll receive cards and packages that for some odd reason we didn't receive prior to Christmas. Happens every year this way - and they were always sent early enough to arrive IN TIME, but just got held at the post office. If I live to be 800 years old, I will never understand the inconsistancy of the Canadian postal service.

So today is back to work for many people (Kev does have next week off though, yay!), and back to regular household chores for others. I'll be attempting to make a dent in my post-Christmas messy house today & installing shelves for Jordan and Rachel.

Speaking of convenience and order...

Last night I had yet another conversation with a fellow Christian that was bothered by the fact that so few Reformed Baptist churches were listed on a couple of the bigger RB internet church directories. I've had this same conversation with fellow believers for the last 10 years or so - or ever since the first RB directory showed up online (whichever happened earlier, I can't recall). The problem with this is, there are many people looking for a solid Baptist church that holds to the 5 points, and they can't find one. In many cases it's not because there isn't one in their local area, but it's because either they're not listed in an obvious (we're a 5 point Baptist church) way in the local phone book, and they haven't take the time to list themselves with any of the online directories either.

While one of the more (much more) well-read blogs out there probably could post this plea and make a huge difference, I'm going to do it myself and hope it makes some kind of a difference:

If you are the pastor of a Baptist church that holds to the 5 points of Calvinism (Sov Grace Baptist, Reformed Baptist, whatever you call your church) please take a moment to go to any (or all) of the RB church directories online and submit your church info, so that those looking, can easily find you. New believers, people who have recently moved, or are planning to move, people who will be planning a vacation to your area, or people who have recently embraced the doctrines of grace and would like to be under solid teaching on these very important doctrines. It's a common issue that fellow RB brothers and sisters seem to have a rough time locating a good RB church - and it just shouldn't be that way! These churches have to make their presence known, and this is one way to do it.

Here are the top 3 RB church directories that I'm aware of, that people use the most (I originally listed 3, but more are rolling in!):

• Founders Friendly Churches

  Reformed Reader - RB Church Directory

  Johnny Farese - RB Church Directory

  Reformed Baptist Fellowship (HT: Julie from the comments)

  Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America

  Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals

  Grace Church Planting (HT for these 3: Marie the Uber-Librarian!)

  Founders Friends (HT: Gene Bridges)

  Sovereign Grace Fellowship of Canada (HT: Jeff from the comments)

If anyone knows of other RB church directories, or fellowship associations that would also be helpful in locating a local RB church, please do leave a link in the comments.

It's the least we can do as Christian bloggers, to help people find a doctrinally solid, local church, don't you think?

UPDATED:

Gene Bridges, in the comment section over at The Calvinist Gadfly has shared some info about getting yourself listed, that I think is very helpful:

"Any time my church finds a directory, we add it. One problem is that there are several directories. Another is that, as Carla you rightly note, folks don’t add their names. I’d also add that if you are a Calvinist but not in a Sov. Grace/Reformed church per se, you can still add your individual name to the list of individuals at Founders. I’ve been able to help folks without churches at least find like minded folks in their areas that way. Such is sometimes the way a church starts. In fact, that is, for the most part, the way our church in Greensboro, NC began. We list our church @ Founders and many of us also list our names and contact information so folks looking can find us in their areas. Also, I would point out that it helps to list as an individual if not a church particularly if you are a pastor. I know of several Calvinist and Amyraldian pastors in my area who can’t list their churches as “Reformed” because they are in transition or are not at the point where they feel comfortable listing the whole church as such as Sov. Grace/Reformed. However, by listing their names as pastors of churches, folks of like mind can find them and get to those churches to help fill the pews with folks who are of like mind who can help the pastor(s) in his/their ministry/ies, even if its by being a sound example for other folks to follow. "

So there ya go, list yourself, list your church! Thanks again Gene, this is really good stuff.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

A little of this, a little of that...

Not that I make resolutions for the new year or anything - but there is something I periodically do that sort of falls into that category. Cleaning up my favorites (which is easy since the HD crash wiped them all out last month anyway), removing certain sites from my bloglines subscriptions, and updating the blogroll on my blog.

Sometimes you might link to a site that at the time, seems useful, helpful and informative. Only to find later that it's consistantly depressing, discouraging and the one site you skip over all the time. While I do intentionally read blogs & sites that will keep me informed, one can only take so much bad news, railing accusations, and discouraging information, before one begins to feel bitter and bummed out about all sorts of things.

I much prefer to feel a sense of assurance, edification and exhortation - don't you?

So that's what I've done this morning - a bit of house cleaning, if you will. You'll notice that my blogroll hasn't changed (so if you're listed you can breathe a sigh of relief that I don't find you depressing), but there have been numerous "behind the scenes" changes, that I feel pretty good about. Relieved, in fact.

Now I have a prayer request that will not contain any other details except to say it's a close-to-home-issue that's making me pretty heavy hearted. Wisdom to resolve it, grace to address it and guidance to correct it. That's what I need, if you would remember me in your time spent with the Lord?

Finally this morning, a big ole THANK YOU to Alan Kurschner, aka The Calvinist Gadfly, aka fellow channel rat in #pros, for linking to and posting a small blurb about getting your church listed on the RB church online directories. Like I said in the comments there:

"After being online for almost 14 years and 13 of them as a Christian, this is by far the one biggest complaint I’ve heard from other Christians: “I can’t find a decent church in my area”. As Christian bloggers, we can do something about that."

If Frank can build a well (and my hat is off to him for making a good effort on this) for those without water, surely we can connect people at home with a local assembly to be nourished in the Word.

Right?

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Free Stuff

Free stuff. Period.

How easy does it get?

Go here, enter & tell your friends.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Resolved

UPDATED: My apologies for all the typos & grammatical boo-boos. My brain was at a faster clip than my fingers, and I should have proofread before I published. I think they're all fixed now, however.

-----------------------------------

Last night as I was drifting off to sleep, my thoughts turned to all the different kinds of resolutions people begin talking about, and making for New Year's Day. I'm not a big resulotion maker/keeper, so I really never got into that whole process. I think I tried once, maybe twice many years ago to make some sort of effort on something, but obviously it didn't last and it wasn't even important enough for me to remember it.

Everything from losing weight & getting healthy to making job changes, being a better parent, a better kid, fixing things around the house and more. The list is pretty much endless, and covers everything you can think of, and then some.

For reasons I suppose I only partially understand, people have this inner drive to better themselves. To be a new and improved version of themselves. To be kinder, thinner, healthier, smarter, faster, etc. I think it's safe to say that part of this is just plain old fashioned pride and envy - simply wanting what the world dictates as desirable, whether that be beauty or financial or social standing - but at the same time I don't think it's all pride. I think for many people they can honestly assess themselves and see where they fall short according to a general type of moral standard, and have a real desire to improve in those areas.

The real tragedy is that while people can be honest about where they fall short, they will deny that the One true power that can change them is worth any time to consider. Of course I refer to the power of the Holy Spirit to regenerate.

Yesterday I received one of those email forwards that we all get, and it listed the differences between a medical doctor, and a pastor. One of the things on this list that really stood out to me was how people will listen intently to their medical doctor and take him or her quite seriously, and yet the moment a pastor tells someone something they really didn't want to hear, folks will simply write them off as someone with another opinion, and one that doesn't have any real bearing on their own lives.

This is how the world views Christianity. It's an option, fine for some people, just another religion... but not quite their cup of tea. Then this same unbelieving world will look inside themselves and assume that somewhere in there they have the power to change themselves to a better person, come New Year's day. It's quite ironic, that people see a need somehow for change, yet miss the whole point. Worse, miss hearing how real change is achieved.

For Christians, New Years Resolutions happen every time we bend the knee in prayer. 365 days a year, we turn to our Heavenly Father and confess our faults, seek wisdom and direction, plead for mercy and grace to follow the right decisions and be the kind of people He has called us to be, through His word. We don't have to wait until December 31 to determine that we're going to do this, we get to do it each and every day throughout the entire year! We also do not delude ourselves into thinking we have some magical, mystical inner strength to affect these changes on our own. We know we don't have what it takes, and that's why we turn to Him. We know with Him, all things are possible, and that through Him we live, and move, and have our being.

Man cannot change himself, period. Of course we can lose a few pounds, make a few more dollars in a wise career move, or try a little harder to be nice to the neighbors. But in the time span of eternity, those temporal changes mean absolutely nothing. Changes like that can be fairly and realistically compared to putting a fresh coat of paint on a condemned building. Sure the new paint looks nice for a while, but the paint clings to rotting wood that will soon be nothing but a pile of rubble.

The real change that people need is an inward change that comes only through hearing the word, and responding to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That inward change, changes everything else about your life. Your wants change, your likes and dislikes will change, you will have a brand new desire to be kinder to your neighbor not because it earns you any kind of social status in your community, but because it's the right thing to do and it pleases your Heavenly Father. This kind of change demolishes the rotting old wood, replaces it with a sure foundation that is built upon Christ, our cornerstone.

If you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ, and plan to make a New Year's resolution, I wonder if you've asked yourself why you're really doing that. Do you honestly believe you can improve yourself on your own, and that it's really going to matter in the grand scheme of things? Or, is there something you're missing, and something you know just doesn't fit right - but something you can't quite put your finger on? You're certainly not alone, many people wrestle with this every year about this time.

I have a suggestion that you might want to take under serious consideration. Find a local church here, or here and this year on New Year's eve morning, go and hear the message you really needed to hear all along. Intentionally surround yourself with Christians on New Years eve morning, and find out what it is that they have in their lives, that drives them.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Pics & Stuff

First, and most importantly, as of 8:25 pm eastern time, it began snowing softly. So we got snow for Christmas afterall. How cool is that! :o)

Here are a few sneek peek shots of our Christmas today. The rest are at Flickr. I didn't take nearly as many pics as I normally do, for some reason. Caryn has a brand new (incredibly cool) digital camera, and I know she took lots of pics so I hope to snag a few of those as soon as she lets me know they're up!


Absolutely no one, on the face of the planet, is as cool as me in my Abominable Snowman slippers. Kev said he saw these and thought they were made JUST for me. I completely agree.

They're very warm too. :o)


Well ooookay, almost no one on the face of the planet is as cool as me, but there are exceptions to every rule. But I bet he doesn't have these slippers. Tah!

This is my new board game. I can't wait to play it, it looks incredibly cool. Agent Bauer is our leader, and helps us save the US from pesky terrorists that hate us.

Now admit it, who among you wouldn't want to do that?!


I don't think it's possible for me to have had a more enjoyable moment this morning, than this one right here. Jen was preparing to go home so I had to get my last few snuggles in before she took this little squishy away from me!

We had a surprise visitor for Christmas too, but you have to go over to Flickr to find out who it was.

ROFLOL...

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

It's the most, wonderful time of the year...

Well, the day is coming to a close, and now I have a few thoughts about the last 36 hours.

1. I have been reminded all over again how important (and fun) it is to have so many family members all in one place.

2. My house is an absolute, complete, and utter disaster area, and I do not care.

From the living room, through the dining room and into the kitchen, are kids toys, plastic packaging, and more kids toys. The bedrooms & hallways are the same. And I still don't care, and here's why:

Last night dinner went very well, and everyone ate until they were full. Having so much food that you can do that, is such a monumental blessing in itself, that if that's all we had it would be more than enough. It's tradition here that everyone brings a wide variety of desserts, and I prepare the main dishes. Of course I can't just do main dishes, I have to make fudge & other things as well, so we always end up with an entire table full of sweets & treats. Everyone did the taste test on those before dinner (along with several varieties of cheeses, crackers and the veggie tray), so by the time the turkey came out of the oven, pretty much everyone had already been half-filled up!

One dinner was over and the kitchen cleaned up, we had the first, annual, public Rolfe Academy Christmas Concert. We do this every year, but we never perform for the whole family. This time we did, and it was wonderful! The kids practiced so hard on these songs for the last 3 months, and it really showed. I taped it and so did Caryn, so eventually I hope to have it available to view right here online.

Then it was time for jammies, dessert & A Christmas Carol, black and white version, with Alistair Sim. No other version will do, and everyone sits to watch it. I did cheat a little bit and went upstairs to make 2 beds and straighten up the kids rooms to prepare for today. I wanted to make sure they had nice and clean rooms for the new toys they'd get today. I returned with a fresh coffee, just in time to hear Ebenezer ask his nephews's wife if she could find it in her heart to forgive a pig headed old man. I love that scene! My most favorite scene though is when Ebenezer gives his maid the coin for Christmas and she responds with such a excitement she shouts 'BOB'S YOUR UNCLE!" and runs out the door. I know it's just a movie but I always get so excited for her!

I could sit here and detail every moment of last night and today. Each of those tiny, rather insignificant moments made up so many wonderful memories for me, that each of them were worth their weight in gold. Laughing with Caryn and Jennifer, see Kev's sister's face when she opened a gift she's wanted for so long, watching Jennifer and Jessica sing the Sisters song from White Christmas, watching Caryn, Jessica and Rachel's faces light up with pure love as they held/talked to/made baby Jocelyn laugh and smile, listening to Jennifer's lame excuses as she kept making her way back to the goodie table, and SO much more.

Kev and I both spent the last several hours putting together toys, making breakfast, installing batteries, reading directions to kids, preparing dinner (buffet style cold turkey sandwiches and a full veggie tray) and simply serving our family. Oddly enough, it's the most fun I have Christmas day. Sure the gifts I received were very cool (especially the slippers that look like the feet of the Abominable Snowman, and the 24 - DVD Board game!)

You know in the Bible when it says that it is better to give, than to receive? How true that really is. I've taken my first break since yesterday morning to detail a few of these things, and I'm about to head to the living room to give a little more (as in time, to begin the Christmas night clean up!) in just a few minutes.

It's been a wonderful 2 days. Simply wonderful. You know want to know something else? The older I get, the more I come to appreciate that I am able to give the important things, such as time, a listening ear, talents and abilities. Those are the things that seem to matter more than anything else, and for whatever reason, it's taken me nearly 40 years to begin to really "get" that.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too. I have a house to clean up now, and a cold turkey sandwich to eat.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Thinking ahead...

And one last thing before I put the turkey in the oven and begin preparing for the next 36 hours of fun, family, food & frolic...

This is my new, official Saturday uniform. Had I thought of it in time, the design would have went up much earlier, but I never got a chance to get around to it until yesterday. If I had this shirt now, it would be my official Boxing Day shirt, as I plan to remain firmly in my sleep gear and do little or nothing around the house (especially not leave the house) on Tuesday.

On the list of things TO do after Christmas, will of course be to eat fudge (if there's any left), and play with the kids toys.

Its a lot of work pulling off a big dinner like this, and I'm sure glad I'm still able to do it. I am now off to Kitchen Land, where all sorts of things await their debut onto platters, bowls, trays and assorted serving ware.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and the very best of God's blessings for your family.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

A Blessed Christmas

Well here it is 11:22pm as I begin my Saturday morning blog post. I'm not really sure where the day went, but I think it might be mixed in with the stuffing, or the crepes. Maybe it's in the quiche? Not sure, but I do know I've been in the kitchen from pretty much the time I woke up at 6:13am this morning.

I just noticed TeamPyro had a Christmas party today, and I missed it! I'll assume everyone had fun, and all the paper cups and wrapping paper were cleaned up right away. :o) The pictures over there made me laugh though, and I got to thinking about bloggers, friends, and the Christian fellowship & real friendships that have resulted due to blogging. I'd be really sentimental about it all right now (because it's sure how I feel) but I'm so tired I can't hardly make much sense of what it is I'm even trying to convey here.

I've had the pleasure of having a mini-blogger get-together with a few bloggers, and it was really a lot of fun. How much more fun would it really be to have a real live Christmas party with all your favorite bloggers? Boy, that would be such a blast. As long as Buggy and Cent didn't get started in a real live debate, then we'd have to throw them in the snow.

I'm rambling, but I mean every word. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and I hope your whole weekend is filled with nothing but blessings and events that keep your focus on Christ, allow you opportunities to share your love for Him and faith in Him with the lost, and that this "seasonable" feeling that the world sort of taps into once a year, remains with you throughout the entire coming year.

I don't think I'll be blogging much the next two days, so until then...

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

My video skills stink...

Not a clue if this will work or not - but I hope so. This was Rachel last Sunday in the church play. Sorry for the poor quality, I clearly have no idea what I'm doing, lol.

UPDATED:

I tried to embed the video from youtube but it was too wide and broke the formatting. I have no idea how to fix that, so if you want to watch the video you can go here to our brand new youtube channel (more videos to come, this is lots of fun!) or just click this link directly and watch Rachel in her acting debut.

:o)

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

The REAL bonus

It occured to me after re-reading my Kev the bad guy post, that I might have inadvertantly given the impression that I might be bitter or ungrateful about our current sans-employee-bonus circumstances. I just wanted to take a moment to not only clarify, since I don't feel bitter or ungrateful at all - but also to shift the focus onto the real bonus in our lives.

When I made the comment that the irony of his "replacement" gift of a $4.00 box of chocolates is ridiculous, since he used to receive a Christmas bonus, I said that because it's (for nearly all the employees there) what replaces the token of appreciation the company extends to their workers. At least it was this year. Last year they didn't even get that much.

When Kev started there 15 years ago next month, it was understood that as part of the job, your bonus, vacation time, pay rate, shift, and even some of your health benefits were contingent on your time on the job, and your proficiency in your job. The longer you were there, the more you earned seniority in shifts, pay rate, etc. so forth and so on. Seemed fair and reasonable and everyone from senior management to lowest guy on the totem pole was okay with that.

Employees that worked hard and worked well, worked their way off the brutal midnight shift onto day shift, earned more vacation time each year, received a larger bonus, etc. It was part of the job, to earn your way into a better position, and Kev worked hard for it.

Two years ago, all that hard work went out the window. The bonus stopped, the vacation time & the way they allot for it also changed. This year, the seniority on shifts also changed, and it didn't matter that you'd worked yourself sick at times (literally) to earn the day shift, even the employees that have been there 25+ years were stuck on rotating midnights without a word to say about it. The company changed hands twice, and the new owners couldn't care less about the way it used to be, or the fact that there wasn't an employee there that didn't like working there, at the time. It was literally the place to get a job, as they treated their employees very well.

Last year right about this time (I think it was about 2 weeks before Christmas), with no warning whatsoever, the company downsized and let people go. It was huge news all over the financial papers in Ontario - as they let go of so many people, and did it in such a backhanded way - especially right before Christmas. No one knew who was next, and each day Kev went into work we prayed hard that no matter what happened, we'd be at peace and trust in the Lord to provide for us.

The ones that had the flexibility walked off the job and looked elsewhere. The ones that weren't able to do that, stayed and said very little, thankful that they still have a job - but understandably feeling treated very poorly for so many years of hard work. Kev falls into the latter category. It's a regular conversation around here between Kev and I, how the company he works for has done this, or that, and how that affects us personally. We take turns keeping each other in check and reminding one another how blessed we are that he's still bringing home a paycheck.

Our focus is not our circumstances. Although I do confess at times one or both of us do slip and it becomes that way - if only temporarily. God is always faithful to bring us back to focusing on Him, and reminding us that no matter what, our lives (and finances, and health, home, kids and everything else) are firmly and completely in His hands. No matter what, period.

The world we live in may treat us unfairly, we may suffer and suffer a great deal in a wide variety of ways (sin in the world is the cause of that, something to always bear in mind), and things may seem to fall apart at the seems... but nothing comes to pass without Him allowing it, so that's something we try very hard to keep in mind. His will, His way, for His glory.

That's where we strive to keep our focus, and what we teach our kids. It's not easy sometimes, but it is the goal. That's the real bonus in our lives - and we have it 24 hours a day, all year long, not just at Christmas.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Friday BlogFodder 12/22

One of the benefits of blogging is connecting to other bloggers around the world. In many cases, not only do you become regular readers of their blogs, but you also discover a friendship there that you didn't have, prior. Say what you will about modern technology, blogging for many has become a wonderful resource to connect the family of God from all points around this big rock we're on.

Toward that end, I give you this week's edition of the BlogFodder Files:

• Albert Mohler goes off, on "KGOY" -- or Kids Growing Older Younger: The Message of Barbie and the Bratz. DO NOT get me started on this one...

We quit buying regular Barbie for the girls when the choices in her
outfits came down to Extremely Whorish, and Slightly Whorish. Thankfully she does come in a variety of styles such as the FairyTopia line which isn't at all, sleazish.

• James White is at it again in his Pastoral Theology files: Think on...What is Righteous (Brother James' pastoral theology files are an excellent model of what Christian blogging should be all about!)

• Campi's got some unique gift giving ideas for your local pastor that has jumped on the irreverant preaching bandwagon. Gift wrapping may not be available in all areas, and we cannot guarantee arrival before Christmas.

• Andrew Lindsey at Call to Die refutes Tim's reasons for not homeschooling, with a few reasons of his own. Your interest in this topic may have hit the high road, but for many it's a topic that is always timely. Terry Staufer at New Lumps also chimes in this week with some sound advise on this issue.

• Tom Ascol at The Founders blog posts a quote from the Prince of Preachers that just stops COLD, the pulpit crimes being perpetrated in our day, in our churches. It's so good, you might want to read it twice.

• Buggy & Cent (aka Neil and Frank) are going rounds on the topic of abstinence (alcohol) for Christians over yonder at the debate blog. I've heard the refreshment stand is open but the eggnog is not spiked, so you're safe on that front.

• Pastor John MacArthur has a sermon here called The Doctrine of Regeneration, that you will be thoroughly blessed, to give a listen to. Preaching from James 1:18, Pastor John digs into what this really means. Don't miss this one.

Just a few of the links that blessed me this week. There were more, but time gets away from me and I don't always save the links that really made some sort of impression on me. How about you? If you'd like to contribute to the Friday BlogFodder files, please do leave a link in the comments!

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

OH Man this is sick!

You know, I'm supposed to be doing chores right now but I've been somewhat delayed.

In any event, the next time your kid refuses to take a bath, show them this article.

WARNING: it's incredibly GROSS, so make sure you're not eating when you read it.

Off to bathe a kid whether they need it or not...

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Kevin the Bad Guy

Yesterday at work, Kevin had an employee review. He had to fill out this long form to assess his own performance, attitude and all that sort of thing, then turn it in to human resources to have it evaluated. He hates doing that sort of thing because he's never sure what to say on it. He went ahead and filled it out & yesterday was the day for the big evaluation.

He received a glowing report without any negative marks at all, so as a gift for being such a good little worker bee, he also received this little box of Ovation - dark chocolate covered peppermint sticks. In a way, the irony of this is just ridiculous, since the way it used to work, was that he got his Christmas bonus to the tune of about $500.00. (Let's be real - which would you rather receive for a year of hard work - a $4.00 box of chocolates or a bonus big enough you could go Christmas shopping for all your 900 kids?) That's how we did our Christmas shopping every year. The bonus no longer comes though & that's been a monumental adjustment for us to make.

In any case - he came home with this box of Ovations, opened them, gave all the kids one, then sat them down on my desk. Opened. Right next to my coffee warmer (but not so close that they'd melt or anything).

He should not have done that. He has placed before me a stumbling block that I may not be able to resist. Exemplary employee indeed! He's a troublemaker and we all know it!

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Mom Stuff

Last night at church we had a mother/daughter tea. Now I'm not the kind of mom that does "tea" so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I supposed there'd be tea there (yes I know, I'm very astute about these things), but beyond that, I was clueless. As it turned out however, it was a lot of fun, and there was even coffee there. :o)

We played a little game with the girls, then we did a baking craft together and had cookies & drinks. They enjoyed themselves and so did I. I still don't like tea, but that's not the point.

The thing is, I was reluctant to go to this thing, because I'm home with the girls all day long, Monday through Friday. Because we homeschool, it seemed strange if not redundant to have an "event" where we were going to do the same things at the church, that we do at home. No doubt the event wasn't planned with that in mind at all, but planned to have a special time for mothers & daughters. Besides all of that, it cut into my errand running time that I normally do on Tuesday evenings, and I was feeling very selfish with protective over my time.

Needless to say, because all the mothers and daughters (including the ones in this house) really did have a fun time, it only made me feel even worse about being selfish with my time. That of course made me think about things I've heard older parents say for years, such as "enjoy your children when they are young".

You know, I'm going to be brutally honest here and admit that this is often hard to do. Especially when one of them steals a cookie, then five minutes later another one writes on the wallpaper with markers (and if anyone gets Ruth markers for Christmas, you get NO dinner, or the butter tarts I've made, or fudge, AND you get a lump of coal in your stocking, so TA! you have been warned), another one wants to tattle on another one, and the one being tattled on wants to protest louder than the last sonic boom you recall hearing. Squish all that into a 5 minute time span, then every 30 minutes or so from 7:30 am until 8pm, repeat in various order with a broader variety of conduct you'd normally expect from 4 kids aged 3 to 9.

Remember the Calgon commerical where the lady says "take me away!"?? Yeah, there ya go.

The truth is though, like so many veteran parents tell us, they grow up way too fast and you miss them being little. Of course you don't miss all the hectic stuff & replacing wallpaper or repainting (although I never did like the yellow in the loft anyway), you do miss them being short people, and that time you had with them.

I only know this because my two oldest girls are on their own and have been for a couple of years now. Truth be told dear reader, I don't like it much. I know kids grow up and go out on their own, but that's for other people, not me. My kids are supposed to stay little and cute, and be filled with questions about the world and why the sky is blue, grass is green, and all the knuckleheads on the news talk about evolution. Alas... it doesn't quite work out that way. Before you realize it they're all grown up, have their own lives, their own ideas about things, and pay their own bills in their own house.

They might come home for Christmas, but they might not, and you hope they remembered to send a card to gma this year. In many ways it's enough to make your heart ache, and in other ways you're sure glad they're buying their own cereal now so that they realize it's not coming from an endless cereal-fountain in the back of the pantry. It's a very strang thing, this chapter of motherhood.

So, the next time I'm supposed to have a mother/kid thing, I hope I don't feel selfish and not want to go. If I'm not careful, they might actually all grow up and move out one day, then I'll have to make oatmeal for myself & not them - and I'll be wondering if they remembered to take their vitamin C today, wherever they are.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

It.Is.Later.Than.It.Should.Be!

Well rats & mice! This Christmas break is great and all since I have lots of time to get things done, but it's turning me into miss oversleep! I had started a lengthy post last night about treasuring your children when they're young, but it got late and I wasn't done so it went into the "I'll finish this first thing in the morning and post it" file. Yeah, like that's going to happen. It's 8:33 am and I'm only on slurp/gulp/sip #4 of my first coffee.

Oh well, there's always later, right? I have more fudge to make today (round #1, white chocolate peppermint is already in the freezer), this batch is just plain, old fashioned fudge. Then a batch of butter tarts (ty Kim for the recipe) and cherry tarts. Who doesn't love tarts? Mini-single-serving-pies. You can't NOT love them, I believe there is a federal law about this covering all of north America.

So I'm pressed for time this morning, but I'll tell ya, Friday's BlogFodder files are getting fat. Bottom line? Bloggers ROCK, and there's no two ways about it.

I shall return later today for that treasuring your little ones post. It matters. Oh yes, and one last thing before I go make oatmeal:

Pray for Phil today. He's feeling blech and blah and under deadline pressure. A fresh burst of energy and a sense of well-being would not only do him a world of good, but it would be a relief and blessing to his dear wife and my dear friend Darlene as well. May the Lord be pleased to remove this illness and restore Phil's health & Darlene's peace of mind.

Off to the kitchen for me...

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Unofficially Official

Well, it's official. Unofficially, that is.

I've checked the local weather, even checked the 14 day trends for the two closest (north and south) weather stations, and the forecast for Christmas day is either snow... or not. Of course this is all high-tech guesstimation since it's beyond that 2-3 day window, but it would be nice to have snow for Christmas. Preferrably that snow-globe kind of snow without any wind at all, where the snowflakes are the size of cookies and they seem to float in an animated dance from the sky. That's the best kind of snow!

Not being from Ontario Canada where it almost always snows at Christmas, I'm not used to the locals being up in arms over a "green Christmas". Okay maybe they're not up in arms, but close. However, being from Washington where you can almost bet your last rubber boot that it's going to rain Christmas day (and here's the forecast, just to make my point), the reaction here about a green Christmas, is the exact opposite reaction in WA, when we'd get a forecast calling for snow on Christmas day. In all my years there from 1964 to 1997 I can only remember for certain, having snow on Christmas day, twice. That would be 1969 and 1989. If the pattern holds, 2009 will be the next white Christmas for my hometown. (My mom, who reads this blog, might have a better memory than me for this one!)

The more I hear about all this "what's it going to do on Christmas, rain or snow?" (and I've been hearing it A LOT the last week or so) the more I feel sort of antsy and just want to say "who really cares?". I know, that's not very sensitive of me is it? But really, what difference does it make? For me, what makes a perfect Christmas is one where as many of my family members as possible are all in one place (preferrably my house, so I don't have to get out of my jammies!), and we can spend the day together. I don't care if it's sunny (close the curtains), snowing (send the kids out to play in it), raining or a varied combination of all three. Sure it would be nice to have that snow globe snow (I'd actually prefer that on Christmas eve), but what's better is to have all the people you love all in one place.

It's not easy being away from "home" on Christmas. I miss my family and every year (this is #9 in Canada) I get a little bluesy knowing that I wont see my mom or grandma or sister. I'd rather have them than snow, anyway. Although I wouldn't mind throwing a snowball at my sister. THAT would be the best of both worlds, wouldn't it? Afterall, it's incredibly tricky to have a rainball fight with your sister. You'd have to be from Washington, to master that skill.

So all that to say, I really don't care what it does Christmas day, I miss my mommy but at least I'll have all my kids and my precious grand-daughter here Christmas day. I still can't believe I'm a grandma. I sure am, and here's the proof.

How cute is that!

:o)

Have a great Tuesday, and don't forget to listen to the DL, at 1pm eastern. It's good for you, and has zero calories.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

2006 Lists

'Tis the season to see lists. Lists of favorites, worsts, bests, strangest, coolest, prettiest, ugliest, etc. so forth and so on. List of people, cars, toys, gadgets, passings and more.

Well, I have a list too. You already knew that, didn't you?

Over at dictionary.com the other day, they had a mention of the words of 2006. I didn't really pay much attention to it, but it struck me that I have a word list for the year.

Most annoying words over/mis-used in 2006, among evangelicals. You may or may not agree with me, and you may even have a few of your own, but here are mine:

• authentic
• contemplative
• dialog
• emerging/ent, engage
• friendship
• generational
• incarnational
• journey
• meditative, missional, mystic, mystery
• practioner
• redefine, re-image, resonate, reinvent
• spiritual
• transformational
• unpack

So there ya go. You likely have your own word list for 2006. Feel free to add yours in the comments.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Do you have these?

I had a really good talk with a dear friend on the phone today. At one point I said to him that I was a little worried he might think I was a freak because of something I said prior. I'm often misunderstood (big shocker, I know), so I was a tad bit concerned about it. Here was that part of the conversation:

Me: I was hoping you didn't think I was some kind of a freak when I said that

Friend: oh no, not at all! Besides, I already thought you were a freak for plenty of other reasons

At which point I "lol" for real. It's good to have friends that understand you, and also have a demented and witty sense of humor. I needed a good laugh today, and with friends like this, it's good to know they always come through.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Friday BlogFodder 12/15

Welcome to Friday once again. This week's BlogFodder files are very small, for a few reasons. Health issues (me) heavy school workload (kids) and for those two reasons, I was negligent in saving the links to the things that impressed me through the week. I do have a few, however:

• Dear brother Dr. James White posts this week one of the more encouraging, convicting, and Biblically accurate exhortation to every single one of us. Dont miss this one, and don't miss the point, either.

• Speaking of good stuff, while in #pros last night James mentioned Skype, and wondered if anyone in the channel
had it. No no no, Skype is not a chronic skin disorder (sounds like one though, doesn't it?), it's an extremely cool, free internet calling system that you can even use to call regular phones in the US and Canada for only 15 bucks a year. Yes, you read that correctly, 15 dollars for a full year of unlimited calls anywhere in the US or Canoodia. Calling pc to pc is free, downloading is free, and from what I've been told, it's super-duper easy to
use. I tried to download it last night but with DaiLup Syndrom it's going to take a bit of time. I'll be downloading it today, so I can call my mommy's 'puter and annoy her! :o) (Yes mom, you have to download it too, and I'll walk you through how to use it, it's very cool, you'll love it).

• A Relatively new blogger on the scene, Connie at Practicing Theology has a Monday series she's beginning called Theology 101, and a Friday series as well, called Radically Feminine. Both look good, so swing over there and drop her a note of encouragment.

• And finally, Phil goes to London and a tornado follows him. This isn't really too surprising, is it? :o) Go over to Adrian's anyway and watch this video. How fun it really is to meet fellow bloggers! (Does that sound like I just implied that Adrian is a tornado? Naw...) I've done it several times and really do enjoy it.

That's it for me this week. Yesterday was our last day of school until after the new year, and today we're having our annual Christmas party. Crafts, cookies, Christmas music & general irresponsible goofing off. Super-busy schedule begins tomorrow with one last rehearsal for the kids' Christmas play/concert at church, then a trip to Barrie for an early Christmas with the grandparents & a mad dash back to church for the performance on Sunday.

I plan to do some videotaping, and I wonder if someone might be able to tell me how I upload video to my puter, with just a regular video camera? Do I need a special chord to plug it in, or just how do I do that? It can't be that complicated since so many people do it, right? Or do they just record on a digital recorder & upload it the same way they do with pic files? Any insight on this would be mucho appreciated.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Is Time on your side?

HUGE RED DISCLAIMER:

In no way, shape or form do I mean to offend anyone by this post - this is just "where I am right now" as it pertains to the topic of who/what I let influence my kids. Mileage may vary, and your results may not be exactly the same as those presented here... also, objects in mirror are closer than they appear.

As it often happens, someone's blog post (or the comments it generates) become the seeds for someone else's blog post. It brings up a thought or a topic the the next blogger finds interesting or worthwhile to write on, and so it goes.

This week, Tim "The World's Most Famous Christian Blogger©" Challies posted in two parts, the reason him and his wife have made the decision not to homeschool their kids. As you can imagine, these posts have generated a rather large amount of comments, on both/all sides. One of those comments brought up a question about "qaulity/quantity time" that PS (public school) parents have to spend with their kids, in light of the amount of time the PS educators and/or enviroment is influencing your kids.

Now this might seem like a trivial or a petty question or topic to get into, unless you're someone who has actually been in the position of considering these education options. Once you begin to really think about who/what you are going to allow to influence your kids, it really does become a big issue. The basic question is this: "how much time do public school educators actually have, to influence the way my kid thinks, and mold his or her young mind, compared to, how much time/influence myself and my spouse have?"

I wrote about this years ago, but after my recent HD crash, it's no longer available on my pc,and I couldn't find it at any of the archived sites I have. It may still be around somewhere but looking at it afresh is actually going to be more accurate.

Five years ago, we caved into our oldest daughter's pleadings and put her back in public school, after being HS'ed for a year. For the record, the whole thing fell apart at the seems after a grand total of 3 weeks. Yes, she lasted 3 weeks before the peer pressure and influence at public school, sent her the other direction. Now, because we live in the country and rely on school district transportation, this is the way it all pans out, if we were to actually put our kids into public school:

They would have to be up, dressed, fed & ready to be out the door by 7:00am. The bus stops at the end of our driveway at 7:05. School starts at 9. They'd be then dropped off in the same place, 8.5 hours later, at 3:30pm. Not including any kind of afterschool activities at all, our kids would be out from under our influence, and under the influence of others (peers, bus driver, teachers, staff, counsellors, etc.) for 8.5 hours a day.

Now here's where all the weird math figures come in.

8.5 hours per day x 5 days per week = 42.5 hours per week

42.5 hours per week x 36 weeks per school year = 1530 hours per year

1530 hours per year x 13 years of public education (k-12) = 19,890 hours

Let's look a little closer at that now. Between the time your kid is 6 and 18, out of those 12 years on this planet, the public education system has had 19,890 hours to directly, purposefully and intentionally indoctrinate your child, with not only the state/province approved curriculum, but also with moral/sexual/social/religious messages which we will all agree are more and more ungodly and unBiblical all the time. Not only that, but mix into that, the time spent in that 19,890 hours with their peers. Anyone who even has a faint recollection of what many little kids and teens are like, when they think no one can see/hear them, will no doubt take a pause right about now, with this information. Stop right here and thank our Heavenly Father for good kids who love Him and don't act like little heathens. They might be rare, but they do exist and they're a blessing to everyone who know them.

Now, let's contrast this with the time YOU have, in those first 18 years of your kid's life.

Allright, you've got the first 4-5, that's a given. Unless of course you work and so does your spouse, and Junior is in daycare. After that, Junior starts kindergarten and depending where you are he either goes every other day for full days, or he goes every day for half days.
Either way, during kindergarten Junior and you spend a decent amount of time getting ready for school, then afterschool it's routine chores, housework & that sort of thing - plus - talking to him about what he learned that day.

Kindergarten is sort of a toss up because it varies so much from place to place. So let's just say you have the first 6 years all to yourself, to be the primary influence in Junior's life. Great start!

Now first grade begins. (Remember please, none of this is scientific but it IS realistic). You get Junior up and get him ready for school. He's out the door somewhere between 7 and 8, and home sometime after 3:30. There's dinner to prepare, chores, homework, bath, hopefully family devotional time, and whatever else your family does between "afterschool" and bed time. Not taking into account any sports or clubs that Junior (or you) might be busy with during this time frame, during the week. Bible studies, sports practice, kids clubs, youth groups - these all have to fit in their somewhere, somehow. You have almost zero time in the morning with Junior for anything other than getting him ready for school (and if you have more than one Junior, you literally have no time at all for anything else), and that afterschool time from 3:30 to bedtime (8-9pm?) is roughly 5.5 hours spent with your attention divided into a wide variety of projects/routines. Being extremely generous, I'd guess you might have 1 hour to set completely aside to spend time to talk to Junior, about important things. I'm trying hard to be generous. So what do you have, per 5 day week with Junior? Around 5 hours. Take a good look again at what the PS system gets: 42.5 hours.

Now I can hear the gasping from hear. "But but but, what about weekends!?" you're thinking. I know, I did this little exercise myself long before we ever decided to homeschool to see this on paper, for myself.

Okay, let's toss a normal weekend into this. From Saturday morning to Sunday night:

Grocery shopping, various errands, visiting friends/family, sports practice/games, clubs, various activities, Sunday school, church, sleepovers with friends, nights out for mom & dad, finishing any homework/school projects, etc. so on and so forth. All of this (and more) is commonly packed into weekends. Being even more generous for the weekends, we'll say you get 2-3 solid hours each day (exclusively) with Junior. So that's 5 hours for the week, and 6 for the weekend, for a grand total of 11 hours of YOUR direct influence and guidance in little Junior's heart, compared to that 42.5 that they have among school peers & school system teachers, etc. to shape their ideas on moral things, sexual/social things, religious things, and a general worldview. This is where the foundation in your child's life is being layed.

If you're a sports fan, the score is now

Home Team - 11 v. Away Team - 42.5

This is just first grade. Doesn't look very encouraging does it? Now do your own math figures for how much time you honestly get to spend with your kids all summer long, then multiply those figures to account for the next several years of their schooling, from grade 2, until highschool graduation. Please keep in mind that the older they get, the more involved they become with all sorts of afterschool/community/church clubs, and the less time you actually have with them.

What does all this mean? Does it mean that every kid going through the PS system is going to turn out like Ted Bundy? Obviously not. But does it mean that all those kids (and every adult reading this) are going to be adversely affected? You'd better believe they will be, and the things going on in the PS system are manifoldly worse today, than they ever were when we all went through school, or even 5-10 years ago.

Can God sovereignly spare these kids this kind of influence? You better believe He can!

You reach your own conclusions on all this - do your own math - assess your own situation yourself. I did this for one reason and one reason only - to see it for myself. Once I did the math myself, and really took a hard look at just how much my kids would be influenced by evolutionists, homosexuals, drug users/dealers, gang members, promiscuous kids, and the massively wide variety of ungodly teachings and lifestyles, the decision for me, was real simple.

Of course God could spare my kids such influences, but He could also spare a 6 month old baby being hit by a train on the tracks, after being placed there intentionally. The real question is, are we supposed to be putting the baby on the tracks in the first place just to prove how powerful He really is?

Someone is bound to say that the time spent with your kids isn't about quantity in the first place, and they'd be correct. Plenty of parents spend time with their kids and actually waste the time they do spend with them. But the thing is, if you don't have the quantity to begin with, how do you squish any quality into that time?

For us (and I stress, for us) sacrificing that time to the PS system, and then trying so hard to undo the damage done for 8.5 hours a day (and yes, we had some in PS and others being HS'd at the same time) was enough for us to be thoroughly convinced that it wasn't worth the juggle to find quality time to work with.

So there it is. Just a part of the reason we decided TO homeschool, based on the time factor. Someone once said to enjoy your children when they are little. Someone else once said you can't get this time back. Someone else came along and said trust the Midas touch. Huh? Sorry, I have no idea where that came from, but the point is, parents who have already raised their kids and are honest about what worked and what didn't, have much wisdom to share with those of us who are still doing it, and are willing to pay attention. I hate that I've made mistakes in parenting, and I desire to make none at all. I seriously doubt that's going to happen, but if I can learn anything as a mom, I'd like to learn from those who have already done this parenting thing, and have a few things to say about it. Even the ones I disagree with, lol. Sometimes, they change my approach too!

Believe it or not, I wasn't even going to write about this. But I saw a comment at Tim's place that I felt deserved an answer.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

There's still time

With all the hustle & bustle (what exactly is a bustle, anyway, and do we still bustle in this day? I guess that's a question for dictionary.com) of their being only 9 days left to shop for Christmas, let me set your mind at ease a bit. And save you some money, while I'm at it.

There's a new hi-tech gadget on the market, that I honestly can't see any reason why any Christian, wouldn't want, or shouldn't have. It's a bit pricey for a family of 7 kiddos on an uber-thin budget, but as far as I can tell, it's SO worth it.

You may have notice the little promo ad in my sidebar for the GoBible? Well, let me just say, GETBible, and you'll be as impressed as I am. Yes, this IS a plug for the GoBible, and I don't impress easily with gadgets that are generally out of my budget plan.

My gift GoBible arrived yesterday, and I had to immediately hide it because it's Kev's Christmas present. This morning however, I opened it up, plugged it in and started playing around with it. This little thing is so cool, I'm not sure why I didn't get two of them, one for Kev and one for me! I need this! I need to stick it in my pocket while I fold laundry, clean bathrooms, and sit at my sewing table. In fact, if I thought about it long enough, I could easily come up with oodles & scads of reasons and locations where I would use this, and why I would use this.

So here's the thing - if you order yours and use my special uber-secret-JamesBond/JackBauer-top-security-special-ops-clearance-special-code, you get yours for 10% off. No hoops, no spam, no junk - just order yours and use the code located right over yonder in the sidebar, and you save a few dollars. Plus, there's still time to get yours before Christmas, and totally impress AND bless someone, with a gift you can be sure they do NOT have, and WILL love.

I'm tellin' ya, you will love this thing, and so will whoever you get one for. And remember the code! It's just like this: GOBIBLE-CARLA (all caps, dash between GOBIBLE and CARLA).

Currently they do not ship to Canada (boo hiss!!) and the only reason I got one, was because it was a gift. However, they do ship to anywhere in the US (incuding Alaska and Hawaii) and if you order TODAY (yes, today, 12/14) you're looking at 1-2 days processing, plus 5-7 days shipping time. That means it'll arrive JUST in time for you to play with it before you have to wrap it and give it away. Yes, you HAVE to play with it first!

You know what though? Even if you don't get it before Christmas, order one anyway. They're so cool, whoever you get it for will be thrilled with the belated Christmas gift.

Now go, off with you, go order your GoBible & use my code to save a few dollars in the process.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Toxic Church? Detox it! (pt.2)

I didn't want to just title this "toxic", hence the additional title.

When I posted about some of the things that might make up a "toxic church", aside from the issue of unfriendly people I listed several other issues:

Traditions of men that don't have any Biblical endorsement, along with apathy, complacency, compromise, unBiblical theology, unBiblical doctrinal positions, laziness and lack of church discipline.

To be completely honest with you dear readers (all 3 or 4 of you), I don't have enough wisdom or insight into human spirituality to address the complex solutions to most of those things I've listed. Spotting the problems is easy, offering comprehensive solutions takes A LOT more work, and a lot more wisdom than I possess. I could certainly give it a good shot, but it wouldn't be as comprehensive as I'd prefer and I'd feel like I did a dis-service to those who do read this blog.

So for that reason, I'm going to focus on the one area I do have some experience with, and the one area where I know for a fact that you or I as individuals can work on, that can make a real difference in our churches, our homes, neighborhoods and anywhere else we spend any amount time.

HOSPITALITY

I know that many people are simply born with the natural gift of hospitality, or have the outgoing personality type that is conducive to being hospitable. They host the best parties or events, they're so organized and well planned with everything they do, you often wonder if they don't have an extra pair of hands somewhere. They're the go-getters, the folks that plan things well, get things done and always have the prettiest decorations! In a word, they rock, and we'd all be lost without them.

As Christians however, we're all called to practice being hospitable to not only one another, but to complete strangers as well. In school today our lesson was about the kind of behavior our Lord expects from us toward others, and the text was on the Good Samaritan. It couldn't have come in a more timely manner. We are to reach out, and give. How much more timely is this message of giving and being hospitable, at this very time of year? (I assure you, I did not plan this, it's just the way it's all worked out).

I will be completely honest and open here and admit that it's been a very long time since I looked at this topic from Scripture, so I gave myself a refresher course on it today. I knew what it said, but it's vitally important to remind ourselves of what it says - because we tend to get caught up in the day to day of life and sometimes forget important things. I tell the kids this all the time, and had to tell myself again today.

Here's just a few places the Bible addresses being hospitable. It's lengthy, but I think it's important to see a larger context to really remind us of this important issue:

1Peter 4: 7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging. 10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Romans 12: 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. 14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

1Timothy 3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 8 ¶ Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

If I have read this accurately, not only does this address individual believers called to serve Christ, but it also applies specifically toward our brothers in the faith who are called to lead, and their wives. In essence, it really does cover every professing believer.

I love what the passage in 1Peter says about having "fervent charity" among ourselves (believers). Looking closer at that wording, as best as I can get ahold of this it's saying we're to have earnest, diligent and passionate concern and love for our fellow believers. It brings tears to my eyes to read this, as it convicts me so greatly. I do not always have this fervent charity for my brothers and sisters, and the Bible says we're to do this, to be this way. It goes on to say we're to use hospitality toward one another without grudging. In other words, we're to intentionally and purposefully be gracious and giving with fellow believers, without any kind of inward or private debating with ourselves on whether we should be this way or not. I'm not sure but I suspect for most people that might entail thoughts of why this person or that person maybe might not deserve our hospitality - trying to remind ourselves of some offense they've engaged in that let's us off the hook as far as being hospitable toward them. The Bible is very clear here and says do it without grudging. No grudging allowed!

I wont offer any additional commentary on the other two examples I've listed here, but I do hope that they're read as a reminder of why/how we're supposed to be.

So you might be wondering at this point, "Okay, what does that all look like, literally?" I'd like to list a few ways that you can put this into practice. I'd also dearly love any other suggestions from folks who read this, as I know I'll leave something out, that you might think of as you read.

• In church this Sunday, say hello or good morning to everyone you see. Everyone!And smile when you do it. A smile and a warm greeting goes a very long way toward making someone feel welcome and acknowledged, at your church.

• Set aside 1 hour a week, and send a card to someone in your church. It doesn't have to be a long, handwritten novel, but just a note to say I'm thinking about you and praying for you. I think you might be quite surprised at how such a gesture makes a difference to people.

• If your church has prayer needs in the bulletin (or birthdays or anniversaries or other special notices like that), call the person on their special day and just say "happy birthday, I hope you have a wonderful day" or whatever greeting the occaision calls for.

• If you see someone new at church, welcome them and introduce yourself. This might not be easy for people who are introverts, but try it anyway. A simple "good morning, my name is Carla, welcome to our church" will open a door that wasn't open before. You might not want to tell them your name is Carla, unless it is, or they might look at you really strange. Especially if you're a man.

This last one I'm listing here is huge. Don't leave the welcoming to any official welcoming committee at your church, or the church leaders. Go out of your way to say hello to new people and make them feel welcome. It does matter, and especially if they're new believers themselves, you'll be modelling hospitality for them, and offering a good example.

I know there are many other ways that we can show hospitality towards others, but this is already much longer than I intended it to be. If you have suggestions that I have not covered, please do feel welcome to share them in the comments. Even if your church is miles away from what you might think of a "toxic church" being like, these reminders to model hospitality are still of great benefit to any believer.

I'd like to recommend a couple of books here, that may be of great benefit to you, in this area. Both are on my own personal wish list:

Twelve Extraordinary Women By John MacArthur

Join best-selling author and highly esteemed Bible teacher John MacArthur as he studies the lives and faith of key women from both the Old and New Testaments. Written in the same style as his popular book Twelve Ordinary Men, each chapter includes a biographical summary of each woman as well as spiritual lessons drawn from her life. Let Pastor MacArthur show you how God transforms ordinary women into extraordinary servants of Christ!

Twelve Extraordinary Women Workbook

Armed with the success of his best-selling Twelve Ordinary Men, Dr. John MacArthur turns his attention to twelve of the most remarkable women of the Bible. Summarizing their lives and the depth of their individual faith, he demonstrates the way in which God also requires women to fortify His kingdom. Drawing from both the Old and New Testaments, Dr. MacArthur highlights a wide range of heroines, including Anna, Eve, Hanna, Lazarus' sisters Martha and Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary, mother of Jesus, Rahab, Ruth, as well as the woman at the well, the poor woman of Luke, the seductress of Proverbs 7, and the believer of Proverbs 31.

The Hospitality Commands: Building Loving Christian Community By Alexander Strauch

Christian hospitality is a very effective means of evangelism and of building a loving Christian community. It can help your church grow and to become a friendlier, more loving body. Unlike other books on hospitality, The Hospitality Commands expounds every Scripture on hospitality, explores all the Biblical examples, and then lists the biblical fruits of Christian hospitality. It also contains study questions and assignments for group study, making it an excellent resource for an adult Sunday school class or small group fellowship.

Where I said above that I have experience with this, I do not mean that I'm the example to pattern yourself after, when it comes to being warm, gracious and welcoming. It means that I have been in churches that weren't, and how I wished they were. The more I was around that, the more discussions Kev and I had about how we might be part of the solution, rather than simply experience the affects (and grumble about it between ourselves) of the problem - or worse - become cold and distant ourselves. Therefore, I determined to battle my own insecure personality and make every effort to be hospitable, and greet people with a smile. Even when I don't feel like it :o) Funny how obeying the commands of Scripture, even when you don't feel like it, always makes you glad you did, and actually changes your mood, and DOES make you feel like it.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Mid week smattering of misc. stuffage

I've recently decided to set aside my evening writing time to take a church history course, of sorts. What I'm doing, is listening to at least 2 audio lessons from Dr. James White, in his 49 part series on church history. So far, I'm done with lessons 1 through 4. I've got a long way to go, but I'm determined to devote the evenings (when I can) to church history. You can find them here, if this is something that interests you as well.

I had every intention of composing part 2 of Toxic Church this morning, but I woke up very late, and now I do not have the time to do that. I hope to be able to get to that today because part 2 is actually the GOOD part, of the whole message.

I also had every intention of posting a lengthy message about homeschooling, in response (sort of) to Tim's post from yesterday, but that's not going to happen this morning either. While I obviously do not agree with Tim (if I did, my kids would be in public school, right?) I do appreciate that he's brought this topic up again and opened the floor for discussion. I have high hopes that it will be of benefit to many, in various levels. I also appreciate that Tim is trying hard to avoid the myths and stereotypes of homeschooling families, that many non-homeschoolers have and tend to repeat without realizing that they are myths, and unfair stereotypes.

And since I'm not able to really devote any quality time to a good post this morning, why not go over to Pulpit Magazine and get in some good stuff on The Truth War, and Grunge Christianity? The good folks over there were kind enough to include me on their blogroll (twice, via this blog and ENo) so it's the very least I can do to send you back to them! Besides, they post stuff far more hard hitting than I ever do. If their material doesn't make you think deep, you don't have a thinker.

Normally, these links would show up in Friday's BlogFodder, but you shouldn't wait until Friday to read this stuff.

Finally, thank you to everyone that wished me a happy birthday, here at the blog, in email, and the uber-nice folks in #pros. I even got a topic line in the channel that said happy birthday to me! I've never been a "topic" before, so that was really nice.

Oh, and before I forget...

Folks who sign up for the newsletter at my store, do so with complete privacy. What that means is that while I can see how many subscribers the newsletter has, I cannot see names or email addresses. Those are strictly confidential, and I'm glad it's done that way. So unless someone emails me, I do not know who you are. For that reason, for those who have signed up through this blog and for those who have been buying from the store over the last couple of weeks, THANK YOU for your business. I had no idea the 24 addicted shirts and the mom likes me best shirts would be such big sellers, but they indeed are. I'd like to thank you personally, whoever you are, for your business, but this public thank you will have to do. If the sales continue like this, January might see a really REALLY cool giveaway.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Are you reformed?

Lord willing, I'll get to Toxic Church Part 2 sometime today or this evening. Until then...

I'm fairly certain that I'm a rebel. Not because I set out to be one, but just because status quo doesn't and never did work for me, when it comes to most things in life.

For example, going to job interviews and getting a job. Um... no thanks, I'll be my own boss, start my own business and pay myself. I did that once with a mobile home maintainence company and I still have to laugh when I think about the time my grandma said "oh Carla, why don't you get a real job?" Gma's can be so funny. It didn't happen overnight, but by the time I sold the business 9 years later, I'd worked hard enough to build a client list of 400+ regular customers and made a pretty decent earning for 7 months out of the year. (Exterior MH work is hard to come by in the winter months). I just figured, either I could do what I was doing for someone else, and get a measly paycheck at the end of the week, or I could do what I was doing myself, and pay myself what was left after expenses. I found out that it was harder to do the business end than I thought, but also that hard work payed off, in the end.

Another example of being a rebel was the very first time I heard the word "reformed" in a Christian context. The person I heard it from attached all kinds of historical names and doctrinal positions to the word, and actually complicated it all so much it meant very little to me. Confused me, in fact.

So I thought a lot about it (I knew it was important, I just didn't know why) and asked myself what reformed really means.

To me, it meant changed from the old, to the new. Improved, made better, re-made into something useful. I thought about the stories I'd heard as a kid, of bad kids being sent away to "reform school". They went away bad, and came back good (or so the theory went). I thought about the literal application and the one thing that came to mind was how little kids play with play-doh. You make something with it, and when you aren't satisfied with that shape anymore you smash it flat and re-create something new, something better.

Immediately what came to mind when I thought about the literal application of reforming something, were these 2 verses:

• Romans 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

• Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

I was still fairly young in the faith at this time, but I'd recently heard a really good sermon on Romans 9:21 explaining why we are clay and how He is the potter, so this made a lot of sense to me. I recalled a friend I had in grade school who's mother had a potter's wheel in the basement of their house, and would often be found down there shaping her craft. I loved to watch her hands on the wet clay as the wheel spun around, noticing how she moved her fingers to make the ugly old lump of wet clay turn into something quite stunning. The comparison between us and clay, Him and the potter was perfect. My friend's mom would reform a lump of clay into something beautiful, and my Heavenly Father was doing the same thing in me. Reforming me from the old, to the new. Note the occupation title in my blogger profile. For several years now when I have to fill out one of those goofy profile things, this is the occupation that I list.

The second verse that came to mind did so more because of one word, than anything else. "Workmanship". You know how oftentimes a word used in Scripture has multiple meanings or a completely different meaning than our common use of the word? Well, this one doesn't. It means exactly the same thing today it meant then. We are His workmanship - something that He has made, by His own will, for His own purposes, for His own glory, exactly the way He wanted us made.

Can you imagine for a moment a lump of damp, shapeless clay standing up and saying "now just hold on there a minute, I think I should be formed this way, or that way" and then the potter going "oh, good idea, glad you thought of that!" Um... hello? Doesn't happen that way.

Formed once in the flesh, REformed by the hand of the Potter - the inward change that is solely His workmanship, on a lump of clay.

So that's what the word reformed means to me. Of course I know it has historical significance, and I also know it's hotly debated all up one side and down the other. For me it's real simple though, someone who is genuinely born again, regenerated by the Holy Spirit and walking with Christ, is reformed and continually being reformed. Whether they know it, or admit it, or not. Nailing down whether they are willing to profess the 5 points of Calvinism or not, is another matter. :o)

Now I know a lot of people that wont like my definition of this word because I leave off the very important historical context of the word. I certainly don't mean to simplify it all to the point that the history behind the Protestant reformation doesn't mean anything (because I sure do believe that it does), but at the same time I just wanted to share a slightly different way of looking at it, from a bit of a more practical application.

Your results may vary, batteries not included.

I now have a science lesson to teach, then have the DL to listen in on. You should listen too, it's always good stuff.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Toxic Church pt.1

Last week sometime I was reading either an article online, or maybe it was in a magazine - I honestly can't recall. I wish I could remember where I read this so that I could give proper credit and quote some of what I read, but my memory fails me on this one. In a nutshell, what the article was about was criticizing local churches & the behaviors found there.

As I read, I nodded in sympathy and found myself relating to a lot of what I read. Especially the part about being a newcomer to a church and feeling like you're invisible - or worse than that - purposely avoided and/or ignored. Been there, done that.

Then today I read this article called Evil-minded parishioners making life hell for clergy

Now I haven't bothered to google it, but I seriously doubt I'm the first person to come up with the phrase "toxic church". It's just the first thing that came to mind as I recalled the article from last week, then read this article today.

• toxic: pertaining to a toxin or poison, capable of causing injury or death

• church: a body of Christians worshipping in a particular building or constituting one congregation

Someone once said, when someone else was lamenting about their local church and their negative experiences there, that the local assembly of believers is nothing more than a group of sinners - so when they act like it, don't be too surprised. While I understood the point behind the statement (and even the off-the-wall humor of it), it really wasn't a very reassuring thing to say to someone who has had an unpleasant experience in a Christian church.

The thing is, I think we've all got a story or 15 about things that have happened in a local church, that in our minds and in our understanding of what Christianity and Christians in particular, just should have never happened. I'll give you one that's quite common, from what I understand:

New family begins attending a local and very well established church. This church has been a pillar of the community for many many years and most of the families and extended families in this church are second or even third generation members. As the new family attends with a more regular schedule and tries very hard to fit in at the new church, many if not most of the established church families do absolutely nothing whatsoever to make the family feel welcome or included in any church function.

Eventually, the new family just can't stand it any more and leaves to find a new place to worship where they feel welcome. Interestingly enough, it doesn't really matter if the family went to the old church for 6 months or several years, it's commonly reported that once they leave the unfriendly church, very few (if any at all) of the members there ever call on the family to see if they're okay, or ask why they left.

Now as you read that you might have noticed some familiar things that pertain to your own situation, or one you've heard about. Several months ago I had a good long talk with a pastor's wife about this very topic, and she shared with me that in all the years her husband had been pastoring different churches, this was the most often reported issue within churches. This actually happened to Kev and I, and I had never heard of it happening to anyone else, at the time. I honestly thought it might have been a local thing, or maybe even an issue against Americans. Believe it or not, there is some amount of real Canadian snobbery against Americans. It's generally more pervasive among the younger, non-Christian crowd, but it does exist among adults as well. More than once at this particular church's Sunday school that we attended (and that knew I am an American), anti-Bush and/or anti-American "jokes" were told and comments made. It certainly did make me feel rather awkward, to say the least.

Regardless, we became members of this church and made every possible effort, and took every opportunity to become involved. For over a year we tried, and it just didn't work. Suddenly out of nowhere, with very little information given, the church began to fall apart and welcome in all sorts of heretical junk, and it wasn't long before Kev and I took the kids and left. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but one that we did make after much prayer.

What I really wanted to look at though, was what might make a church, a "toxic church"? What is it about a church that might be spiritually injurious to someone's walk with Christ? Aside from rude and snobbish conduct from church members, which is bad enough all by itself, there are all sorts of things going on in local churches in our day that could really make a church a spiritually dangerous place to be. Even more importantly than the problems, I honestly believe are the realistic solutions, and how you or I could actually be part of the solution, rather than the problem that goes into the make-up of a "toxic church".

At the risk of sounding "watchbloggy-ish" which never sounds like a compliment - and while I do think there is legit cause to be concerned for these things, I do see the need to state what the problems are, but I don't really see that as the place where our focus needs to be. But before we can look at the solutions, we do need to point out the obvious causes of the problem. There are many, and they all stem from the fact that we're all fallen sinners and prone to saying/doing/thinking ungodly things at any given moment if and when we're not keeping guard of our thoughts. They also stem from this annoying thing we all do called defending our traditions.

"We've done things this way in this church for one hundred and seventy two years, and we're not about to change now!" Does that sound familiar at all? It's one thing to stay with what is good and right, according to the Bible, but it's quite another thing to defend a tradition for no other reason than "it's tradition". If we're not willing to look at our traditions honestly this way, something's wrong.

However, the short list (and you can come up with your own list I'm sure) of what could make a church a dangerous and potentially destructive place to be would be such things like apathy, complacency, compromise, unBiblical theology, unBiblical doctrinal positions, laziness and lack of church discipline. I haven't really examined it all that closely (and maybe I should?) but I suspect that a church's position on all those other things, might actually stem from their theological and doctrinal position to begin with. If these things are afoot in your local church, there will be problems and they will affect everyone there in a personal way, sooner or later. They can't not affect everyone.

So what is the solution? A realistic, individual "what can I do about it" solution? I'll address that in part 2 of this. I was going to include it all in one post, but the second part is probably going to be longer than this one, so it'll be best to break it up into two parts.

Until then...

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Bible Promises: Righteousness

(From the Bible Promises series found here)

I have a vivid memory of being in the 5th grade and one day after school the idea coming to me that the next day at school, I was going to be a completely different person. I was going to be nice to everyone, well mannered and polite, and make all the right choices. I really don't know why I had this thought, but the more I thought about it that day, the more I wanted to be that person. It never came to pass, as the next day at school I was the same person I was the previous day, but that thought stuck with me all the same.

It would be really good to be the kind of person that makes the right choices every single time, wouldn't it? Being able to do that would require in a sense, an inner character of perfect righteousness that would govern every decision, every word, every thought.

We simply do not have that character, apart from Christ. We are fallen human beings with a corrupt nature - corrupt emotions and corrupt thoughts that seek to place ourselves and our own deisres at the center of our will. Yet even with Him, by His grace and through faith in His finished work on the cross, we still battle with the flesh, that "old man" that seeks to place ourselves at the center, and often make the wrong choices due to that very battle.

We might find ourselves in a situation where we can deliver words of grace to someone that will bless them and encourage them, but for a wide variety of reasons our corrupt and impure emotions might take over and we don't always say the best thing, or the right thing to them at all. It can be and is indeed discouraging at times knowing that as Paul said in Romans 7:14-25 that the thing that we would like to do, is often the very thing that we do not do, and the thing that we do, is the very thing we wish we would never do. This is that battle with the flesh that every Christian deals with.

Yet there is hope, and there is great assurance from Scripture that it will not always be this way! Not only do we have forgiveness through Christ, but as we grow in grace and mature in His ways, we find that it's because of that righteousness in Him, that we become more like Him, over time. While we will always struggle with the flesh, the struggle becomes less difficult as we walk with Him and learn more and more to seek His wisdom, strength and guidance for each day. It is a daily discipline that we must make our own, to actively and intentionally humble ourselves before Him to seek His will and His ways, and not our own.

It would indeed be a wonderful thing to make all the right choices, always do and think the right things - for the very simple reason that it is the right thing to do. It is well pleasing to our Heavenly Father when we do the right things, and it is a blessing to those around us, and to us as well.

Here are some verses about righteousness that I hope will bless you and encourage you today:

• For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2Cor. 5:21)

• For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)

• For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. (Eph. 5:8-10)

• But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26)

I have made it a part of my every day prayers that He might be pleased to make me a vessel of grace to those around me. That every word, every action, every thought might be only those things that bring Him glory and minister grace to those around me. I confess that I often fail miserably at this, but I will continue to seek it, and continue to follow only after His ways.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Is it really Monday again?

Well, only one more week of school before Christmas vacation officially begins. Where in the world did the fall go, anyway? Usually it seems like the period from the first day of school in fall, until Christmas vacation is much longer than it was this year. Strange how the passing of time sometimes seems quick, and other times seems like it's taking too long.

Yesterday at church I heard one of the best messages I've heard in a long time. It was a reminder message that at this time of year our focus shouldn't be so one sided - considering only the birth of Christ and His first coming. We ought to also be taking into consideration that this was only a part of God's plan of redemption. The other part is "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). I'd like to go into more detail about the message and why seperating His first coming and His return shouldn't be something we ever do, but I'm not feeling so hot this morning.

Ever since I had my last bout with IBS I haven't felt so great at all. Part of why I'm glad we only have 5 more days of school before our 3 week break. I think I look forward to it as much as the kids do.

So this week we'll finish off a few academic things, then on Friday we'll have our Christmas party. It'll be fun. We'll do some crafts, have some cupcakes or cookies & listen to Christmas music on the stereo. I think this year we'll do glittered pinecones for the tree.

Have a great Monday!

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

One very busy day

The kids have all gone home, or to bed, or to their friends houses. The dishes are washed, the tree is decorated, the pics are up at flickr & I'm dog tired.

Turning 42 is exhausting. Now I need to go do some ironing & go to bed.

Birthdays are lots of fun, but I'm glad we only do it once a year. I'd be a lot more tired, a lot more often!

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

People are funny

You know, people are funny. Not haha funny but incredibly unpredictable and peculiar funny. Gearing up for the Christmas season, I had this silly idea that folks might be interested in some lovely winter/Christmas designs for clothing & home decor. So, like a gigantic knucklehead, I went el-bezerko and created all sorts of really fun Christmas designs.

PFFFFFFFT.



The top search (hands down) that leads people to my store these days, and the top selling design over all my others, is this one right here. Any takers on who this very happy person might be?

The funny thing is, it's the easiest design out of the 2100+ products in the whole store! I think it took me all of 5 minutes to create. Not that I'm complaining or anything, it was fun to make & I enjoy that people are buying this T (and mug, and mousepads, caps, etc.) but I have to laugh about it. The one design that took the least amount of time to create is the one that sells the best. Who knew?

Now here's some more irony...
You'd think (if you were a thinking person) that of all places on the net to find a Christian themed graphical T-shirt, people would actually buy Christian t-shirts, at a Christian t-shirt shop, right?

WRONG!

Well, not entirely wrong but mostly wrong. Sorta like mostly dead, which has everything to do with how you feel when Jack Bauer gets ahold of you after you've betrayed your country and aligned yourself with terrorists.

Only 4 more weeks and Jack's back. None too happy about being kidnapped by the Chinese, either.

I suppose people are buying these for the diehard 24 fans in their lives, just to torture them and taunt them since we haven't been able to see the show for the last EIGHT MONTHS! Whoever's idea that was, should be tossed on that ocean liner that took Jack away.

So I have a Christian t-shirt shop and I sell whimsical designs created to taunt your siblings, and pop culture designs that enable support for fellow 24 addicts.

Go figure. That's why people are funny.

And there you have it, my commentary on the mindset of human beans.

I have to go now and fold the 92 trillion loads of laundry on the couch, because all my kids are coming today for my birthday & it would be nice to have a place to sit for them when they get here. Not that they're not used to seeing 92 trillion loads of laundry on the couch. Hey, maybe I should just leave it there and have them fold it when they get here!? Now there's a plan...

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Friday BlogFodder 12/8

Well here we are again, the end of another week. It's been an eventful one for me offline, to be sure. Getting my driver's license renewed to the tune of $82.50 nearly shocked me out of my boots. I have no idea why it costs so much money to be a licensed driver, but it sure does here in Ontario.

I ended up in the ER this week as well, due to a hum-dinger of an IBS episode. Thankfully God's grace works on a different time schedule than the on-call ER doc, since I never was actually seen BY a doctor. The episode ended as quickly as it began, about 90 minutes later so I just went home. I had a stunning bit of info when I told the nurse I'd just call my family doctor in the morning. She informed me I no longer have a family doctor, as he's moved back east. No letter from his office, no notice whatsoever. The nurse said his move orphaned about 5,000 patients in town, who are all now being seen at the ER, if/when illness or injury occurs. Not a very pleasant bit of information, but it's not the first time this has happened here. Our first family doctor we had after moving here, died. No notice from his office, I found out about a year later when I called to make an appointment for a check up for one of the kids.

So, the week was what it was, and Friday morning we pile the kiddies in the van and make the annual trek to the tree farm for hot cider, sugar cookies and picking out our tree. Yay! Then Saturday all my kids show up and bring me presents for my birthday & Kev cooks dinner. This year he's making breakfast for dinner - french toast, bacon & eggs, corned beef hash - all the goodies. You're all welcome to come, just bring chocolate :o) (My birthday isn't actually until the 12th, but we almost always have it the Saturday prior & decorate the fresh tree on the same day).

Now that I have all that out of the way, let's do a short bit of a Christmas Friday BlogFodder!

Here's some great stuff from this week:

• If you're looking for some really great new Christmas recipes, you need look no further than Rebecca's Christmas Recipe Roundup

• One of the entries on Rebecca's list is Rosemary's Christmas Home Scent recipe which would make a really nice & unique gift for just about anyone.

• Every year at Christmas, we try to find a new and/or classic cd of Christmas music to add to our collection. We have a 5 cd changer and we have Christmas music playing all day Christmas eve, and Christmas morning. This year we found THE perfect new addition, and we think you'll love it too: Todd Lindstrom - Christmas Morning "Beautiful Music that celebrates the birth of our Lord" (free shipping - get yours now)

• Brother Dan at Pyromaniacs lists a few good resources - and on that list is another list - and this list is a list worth listing! Say that 10 times fast, outloud to the closest person to you. Then smile like the Chesire Cat. They'll be glad it's Friday. (I found 2 free programs on that list that I really wanted to download but I'm pc memory-challenged right now.)

So there you go. Have a great weekend.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Calvin did what?

I read something this morning that I've read countless times before, that caused me to wrestle with some questions I've wrestled with before.

What I read was this:

"I am among those who count Calvin as a great theologian and one who was used by God to restore to the church the wonders of the doctrines of grace." - Tim Challies

Regular Challies readers (and who isn't?) might recognize that this comes from his short review today John Calvin: His Life and Influence by Robert Reymond.

I would agree that John Calvin was greatly used by God not only in his day, but in a way that has continued for the last 500 years. Tim has it right also when he says in his review of this book that you either fall into one camp or the other when it comes to Calvin - you either love and appreciate him for what he held to (at least the parts you agree with), or you find him repugnant, or worse (my words, not Tim's).

That isn't the issue I have with this statement that Tim has made, and many many others have made that stir up questions for me - but since Tim's is the one I read today - I'll pick on him. He wont mind, I'm sure. If he does mind, I'll just sue him for a lifetime supply of homemade Dutchies. (Inside joke, sorta).

Tim says that Calvin was used by God to restore the doctrines of grace to the church.

Okay - which church? Calvin's specific, physical church? Calvin's denomination (which was Roman Catholic, as most of us know, I assume*) or the Christian church in general? This is something that always bugs me since no one ever really goes any further when they say this. Were the doctrines of grace actually "restored" to the Roman Catholic church the way the reformers had purposed and intended? Were the doctrines of grace ever part OF the Roman Catholic church to begin with?

If the doctrines of grace weren't ever a part of RC'ism (and from what I understand of the origins and history of Roman Catholicism they never were), then they weren't restored to the RC church in the sense that they were brought back after having been disregarded or untaught for a time. Nor were they warmly welcomed when many at that time began to consider them and genuinely dig into Scripture to understand these teachings that clearly contradicted the doctrines of Rome.

So then, that leaves me to wonder which church they were restored to, seemingly to implicate that there weren't any churches in that day that were teaching these truths all along.

Is that actually possible? Were there no Christian churches anywhere that had been declaring God's sovereignty over all creation, until the reformation happened? Or, were there churches that never submitted to the papal rule to begin with, and had been proclaiming these truths the whole time?

If that is the case, and from what I can recall of church history, that actually is the case and there were indeed Christian churches proclaiming and teaching the doctrines of grace all along, then when we say the doctrines of grace were restored to the church via Calvin and/or the reformation, what exactly are we saying? How does that make sense?

These are serious questions and I'd really appreciate some feedback on this from those in the know (read: those who have studied it and know what they're talking about, lol), who can also provide links for further reading. I'd really like to get this issue settled in my own understanding.

-------------

* Correction:

After speaking with someone who is much smarter than I am when it comes to these things, it was brought to my attention that while Calvin was raised up RC, he was actually former-RC. I should have thought that through a bit more than I did before I posted that so I apologize if that was misleading in any way.

It has also been pointed out to me that historically, things were just not the same way then, as they are now. I think I understand that a little bit, but I'd like to understand it better. So I welcome your feedback on this one.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Mommy Wars, or flat out rebellion against God's written word?

When I woke up this morning I certainly had no inclination to sit down here and write about a thoroughly deceived, psuedo-philospher who fancies herself and her me-centered ideas the answer to all of our societal/anti-feminist issues. Then I read Albert Mohler.

I have no doubt that other stay at home moms have read what Linda Hirshman has to say about them, and responded in a much more thorough, analytical way than I am about to.

I will say, I have not read her book Get to Work: A Manifesto for Women of the World, and have no desire to. Her statements in the interview at belieft.net are enough for me to know I wouldn't waste the money on a book filled with these kinds of ideals. If she was hoping to generate interest in her book or her work through this interview (and no doubt this is exactly what's she doing since according to this Washington Post article she says "I'm a philosopher, and it's a philosopher's job to tell people how they should lead their lives."), I can easily say that it worked, but probably not in the way that she was hoping.

If you're a stay at home mom, taking care of your kids, your home & your husband, according to Ms. Hirshman own words from this interview, you are:

• lacking

• deluded

• afraid to honestly examine your choices

• not using your full human capacity

• not doing more social good than harm

• making a mistake

• incredibly stupid and foolish

• unwilling to think through what you're doing

• destructive

• dangerous

• harming all women in society

Just to give you an idea of what goes into shaping the mind of Ms. Hirshman:

When asked by intereviewer Alice Chasan what kind of message she has to deliver, Ms. Hirshman responds with the idea that her message "has to do with the fundamental question of morality: What is the content of a good human life?" She then goes on to make it clear that the answer to this question should by no means be "thinking that the only source of understanding of what is a good life is the Bible or some variation of the Bible."

For me, this sets the stage. She calls this a "devlish divide" between choosing relativism on the one side, and/or choosing religion on the other hand. For any Christian who does indeed treasure the written word of God as the final authority in all matters of faith and practice, it's clear that Ms. Hirshman is deceived by the solutions & ideals of the world.

Here's proof:

When asked how she came to conclude what makes a "good life" for women, she first mentions Plato and Aristotle:

"Does it fully use the capacities that make you human, specifically, the capacity for speech and reason?"

Next she mentions the thinkers of the Enlightenment:

"Does it allow you to be free and independent and morally autonomous? Do you get to make decisions about your life yourself rather than having them dictated to you by others?"

Then her next "standard" came from the 18th & 19th centuries:

"Does the life that you lead do more good than harm?"

Finally, in her own words, Ms. Hirshman fully admits that her standard is certainly not the Bible at all, and suggests that our standards also should not be just the Bible. Interviewer Alice Chasan asks:

"You've commented that in writing this book you did something akin to "wandering into ground zero of the mommy wars." What did you say exactly that caused all hell to break out? "

Hirshman responds: "I said that just because you choose to stay at home doesn't make it right, and that you have to examine the decision for its worthiness up against some kind of standard other than what St. Paul told the Ephesians. And if you're going to put it up against the standards that don't involve talking to God, if you're going to evaluate it according the standards for human behavior, that it's going to be found lacking."

Finally, to further understand what ideals make up the motives of Ms. Hirshman, she's apparently convinced that the methods of gay-rights movement are something to be held up as a good example for how the feminist movement should be pushing forward:

Interviewer: You argue that the gay rights movement is a model for the direction feminism should take now in making social change. Can you explain?

Hirshman: They figured out that you cannot simply ask for tolerance of your lifestyle. You have to say, “What we're doing is right.” And that's what I'm trying to do for working women. You cannot simply say, “Oh well, whatever floats your boat,” because the next thing you know 100,000 right-wing women are telling you that you're life is nothing but a pile of pay stubs. You have to say, “Here's why what we're doing is right.” The gay-rights movement began to make a moral argument for the goodness of their lives, and that's what I'm trying to do for feminists.

Whew. All that on one cup of coffee. I have to go now and delude myself further into believing I've made the right choice according to my convictions - oh - and get some more coffee. I will say that when I first heard of this nonsense several months ago, it made me angry and perturbed that such a seriously flaked out view of modern, domestic life, would have such an eager listening audience with a twisted double standard when it applies to choices. The liberal party line says we're to respect everyone's "lifestyle choice" but when it comes to respecting the Christian's lifestyle choice, it's open season for ridicule, mockery and lack of respect. Where I come from, if you're someone who is known for pusing the liberal party line, but can't respect the lifestyle choices of those who disagree with you, that makes you a liar, and a hypocrite. You either believe what you say applies to everyone, or you're a phony with an agenda to push. That part does make me angry, but the more I thought about it though, the more it makes sense.

When God's standard for your life, is not your standard for your life, you will be lead around and deceived by the wisdom of men. Linda Hirshman admits she is someone who considers the wisdom of men a more valuable standard, than the wisdom of God. That's not something that should make anyone angry, it should grieve us for her. She thinks she's a philospher and that it's her job to tell us how to live.

She ignores the fact that we already have a standard for that, and it's not her.

1Cor. 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

You can't say that!!!

I was going to wait and add this to Friday's BlogFodder but something this good shouldn't wait.

Do you have this game? Have you ever played this game? If no, then you NEED this game. Just hearing the name, makes me smile. The more I think about the sessions our family has had with the game, the more tempted I am to laugh outloud. (Like tonight while I was stuffing more wood on the fire, all by my lonesome and started to laugh when I remembered "Battle" - story to follow).

Some of those sessions actually became a legend in our family, and at least two of them were videotaped. We can't even watch them without laughing as hard just watching, as we did while playing.

Even if you're not a "board game" person, you will just love this game. I confess I'm not a big fan of board games, since most of them are just plain boring. This one is so different, it shouldn't even qualify as a board game.

Things that will happen as you play this game:

• You will laugh more often and with more intensity than you have in a very long time (at yourself and everyone else)

• You will hear the funniest, weirdest, most creative things come out of your own mouth, and the mouths of others

• You will find out that you might just be a tad more creative than you thought - or that you fold like a cheap suit under pressure!

• You and your family will want to make this game a regular part of family get togethers, holiday parties, etc.

If you like to laugh, you'll just love this game. Click the link or graphic above to purchase through Rolfe's Amazon. (Be sure to also read the customer reviews). Proceeds from the sale of this game go directly to the Rolfe Family Taboo Fund, to replace our damaged version of the game. You need this game, and WE need this game!

Now for the Battle Story... (Caryn, I know you're reading so you can vouch for me that this really did happen and that Papa cheats!)

I think there were 6 of us playing, one birthday party. The little ones were in bed and the big kids (ahem) pulled out the Taboo game. It was Caryn's turn to give the clues for the word she couldn't say. The timer was set, she started to open her mouth to give her first clue, and before she ever uttered a peep, Kev (her cheating team-mate) shouted out BATTLE!! Caryn nearly fainted. Battle was indeed the word she was about to describe, and there is just no way in the world Kev could have known that. We all thought she was kidding (including Kev) when she said that was the word, but when she showed everyon the card, you have never seen so many people snort & fall on the floor like lunatics. From that day forward... every once in a while (like a crazy person with no sense whatsoever) someone in this family will shout out, completely out of context from the current conversation:

BATTLE!!

And without fail, everyone laughs. It might not sound all that funny just reading about it, but if you were there, or saw the video, you couldn't help but laugh until your face hurt. I'm not even sure how the rest of us got through the game that night.

Anyway - buy this game, you wont be sorry. Plus, it makes the perfect family Christmas gift, for just about any family (including your own!) - then you will have your own BATTLE stories to fondly remember.

:o)

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Completely Unreal

While minding my own business this morning, following the ever-famous link-crumb trail left all over the internet, I happened upon this very cool item. It instantly transported me back to the late 60's when either my mom or my gma (or both of them?) had one of these way up high on the shelf, where little hands weren't allowed to go.

I remember the first time it was taken down and I was allowed to touch it, look inside and examine the craftsmanship that went into its design. I don't know how old I was, but I was old enough to remember the Little House on the Prairie stories, and began to wonder what it would have been like to travel for months at a time in such a vehicle. I'd like to think it would have been a great and fantastic adventure, but I suppose for people back in the early days of the "old west" it wasn't all that great or fantastic.

This reminded me this morning about how we tend to romanticize the past (something I'm just as guilty of as the next person). The more common phrase we all hear is "back in the good ole days". Just how good were they? Were they really any better than the current era? I suspect they likely weren't.

I was reading a book by David Wells not too long ago where he went into great detail about just how bad those good ole days were. He described the Victorian period and it made me very grateful that I live in the modern era with hot running water. I have a fondness for showering, you know? Ahem...

It's weird, but we tend to do the same thing with people. Either people who are famous or people we've known who have passed on. We forget (or never knew to begin with) what they are/were really like and we turn them into these superstar celebrities in our own minds. We especially have a tendency to do this with people we loved who have passed on, as we purpose to remember only the best things about them (afterall, who really wants to remember that great Uncle Hubert had chronic bad breath?).

Like the picture of the covered wagon, romanticising the past, or people in our past, is unrealistic. That covered wagon (while very cool) isn't a real picture of what one really looked like. It doesn't smell like one smelled (probably nasty), it doesn't have the stains of dirt and horse manure on it's wheels. It doesn't have the tool marks in the wood that were once held by hands that worked hard and died young. It doesn't have any sentimental value to anyone looking at it that remembered the family that owned it - the hard working mother or the kids, or the extended family.

We might look at that covered wagon & think only the good thoughts. Sort of like we do with people who have passed on, or famous names we know. But isn't that self-deception in a way? Should we really do that, and pass that information on to others?

I recently read something referring to the deceased loved one of someone where the writer said "this man was awesome". I thought about that for a minute and concluded "no, he wasn't". I knew the man this writer was referring to, and while he was a good man, good father with a genuine heart for the Lord, he certainly wasn't "awesome" and would have been hugely uncomfortable being described that way.

I understand that remembering someone fondly is the preferred option, but it just seems all wrong somehow to remember someone with this false idea of who/what they were really all about. When I die, I don't ever want anyone to say "she was awesome". I might have some admirable personality traits or talents (like making fudge!) but that certainly doesn't elevate me to "awesome" status. It just means I can do a few things and do them well. Big whoop-dee-doo, and lah-dee-dah, lots of people can do that.

Along with my talents and abilities I also have many areas of my personality and maturity that I utterly detest, and so should anyone else. I have a temper, I'm completely impatient, I have a militant attitude about a clean house (and don't have one, ever). I've been known to say that I am a Felix Unger living in a house filled with Oscar Madisons. Were it not for the grace of God, I would be as neurotic as Felix was. Sometimes I think I am anyway. I'm also prone to being borderline paranoid about the idea that people don't like me. How retarded is that? Why should I care if people like me or not? I don't know, but there are a few examples of why I should never be thought of as awesome. I don't inspire awe, and if I ever did, it was a complete accident and/or fluke.

Just a few random blatherings this morning on being realistic and not being self-deceived. As much for reminding myself, as for anything else.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Magic Disappearing Christmas Fudge

(This is my contribution to Rebecca's post on the Christmas Recipe Roundup - be sure to check out the other contributions as she posts them this week!)

I'd post a picture with this recipe, but it's cooling in the fridge as I type.

Back in the day when our grandmothers stood at the stove for what seemed like forever, stirring and stirring and stirring that Hershey's Cocoa fudge, the rumor was that it took so long to get it to set just right, that it was only made once a year. For those of us who loved gma's cocoa fudge, we waited all year long for her to make it, too!

Well, this is not your granny's fudge. This takes a maximum of 10 minutes and that includes prepping the pan. It disappears in record time too:

Magic Disappearing Christmas Fudge

3 c. chocolate chips*
1 can (300 ml/10 oz.) condensed milk
2 teasp. flavoring**

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, dark, white - your choice) with condensed milk until the mixture is thin & easy to stir. About 3 minutes.

Remove from heat & stir in your choice of flavoring: vanilla, lemon, cherry, peppermint (if using peppermint - reduce to 1 teaspoon), orange, maple, etc. Pour into wax paper or parchment paper lined 8" square pan. Chill for 4 hours. When set, cut into 1" squares.

(For white chocolate fudge, you might like to place a few red or green drops on top of the fudge while it's still warm, then swirl the coloring into the fudge with a wooden pick or knife tip).

Enjoy!

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Have I got a deal for you...

Remember on Friday's Blogfodder post when I mentioned the GoBible? Well, see the new link in the sidebar over yonder --->

Go check it out, and if you like what you see (and who wouldn't?) take the exclusive 10% off by using the promotional code GOBIBLE-CARLA (just like that, case sensitive, dash included) at checkout.

Spread the word & tell your friends too. :o)

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Traditions, why YES!

If you're a regular reader of Rebecca's, you already know she's got a Christmas Recipe Roundup planned for this week. Go on over there to read about it and get your recipe in. I'm sure this will prove to be a great resource for Christmas recipes - as the response to Rebecca's call for things like this is usually pretty good. I haven't submitted a recipe yet, but I plan to go through some of mine and pick a good one.

After the calendar page turned from November to December, I pretty much went into auto-pilot for the month. It happens every year like this, it's as if suddenly Christmas is really here, and I'm hyper-elf. Lights, decorations, crafts, recipes, all that sort of thing.

The one thing I just love about this time of year, are the traditions. Say what you will about traditions, I really do think they are part of what make up the backbone of precious & cherished family memories. I read something many years ago that as parents we ought to try to capture as many moments as possible to "make a memory" for our children, and I've tried to do that as much as possible as they've grown up (and now, as the little ones are still little!). I'm not sure if it's working, but I certainly hope so.

Some of the best memories I have of Christmas, are from the traditions my own family had when I was a little girl. Every year on Christmas eve we did the exact same thing:

We'd go over to gma & gpa's and along with all the uncles, aunts & cousins, enjoy watching gma & gpa open their Christmas gifts. Gma always had several little side tables filled with goodies like nut trays, fudge, divinity, penuche, ribbon candy & oranges. Along with gifts, at least one person almost always bought gma one of those gigantic boxes of creme filled chocolates. The really GOOD kind! Gma did the same thing every year - she'd open it, take one, and then pass it around the family. (It's funny, but I do the same thing when I get a box of chocolates).

After they were done opening their gifts, they'd load up various cars with kids & grandkid's presents to take home and open in the morning.

When we'd leave gma & gpa's house, we never went home. No sirree Bob, we'd drive right across the bridge and head over to the east side to drive very slowly down Candy Cane Lane. All the houses & yards were brightly decorated with the coolest and most original Christmas decorations you'd find anywhere.

Once we finally did get home, mom would let each one of us kids open one Christmas present. Just one! That was always torture, because we didn't have that many to begin with and we always hoped to pick the SUPER cool gift and open that one. After that, it was bedtime and mom put our presents under the tree. What we didn't know when we were little, was that mom almost always had a secret stash of wrapped gifts in her room, that her and grandma had been shopping for, for likely several months ahead of time. (My brother and I accidentally stumbled across the secret stash one year, and we felt horrible that we found it. We weren't in my mom's room looking for them, we were just goofing off in her room where we weren't supposed to be to begin with. Mom was not too happy with us when she found out we were in there.)

So when we woke up Christmas morning around 6 am, we were always dazzled to see all those gifts! under our tree.

It was the same routine every year, until I moved out at 18. That was the same year I began my own family traditions, and many of them have stuck, ever since.

Like my mom & grandma, we do a lot of the very same things in this house that I did growing up. The one big difference is that we have our huge, family dinner on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas day, like my gma did.

Here are a few more family traditions we enjoy:

Hanging of the candy ribbons on December 15th. These are like advent calendars. My mom had them for us kids when we were little, and then she made some for the older girls when they were little. I've since made more for the younger ones, and this year I have one more to make for Ruth. Next year baby Jocelyn gets her first one!

Watching A Christmas Carol every Christmas eve. It has to be the black & white version with Alistair Sim, and everyone has to be in their jammies before the movie starts. A Christmas Carol comes after dessert and before bed time. Once it's over, the kids are ushered upstairs while the over 18 crowd puts the presents under the tree.

The Christmas Eve sleepover. This started about 9 years ago - when we moved to Canada. Every Christmas eve, family members come for dinner and stay over for Christmas morning. As the older girls grew up and moved out, they've worked in the Christmas Eve sleepover into their holiday plans as much as possible. This year our oldest and Kev's sister will be the sleepoverers. :o) (Good thing I got one of those inflatable air beds a few years ago for my birthday, it's come in real handy for this purpose).

We don't have a "Candy Cane Lane" here, so I made one myself in our own yard. It's a little different each year, but the yard is decorated and there is always a path into the faerie garden lined with lights and candy canes, complete with a sign that says Welcome to Candy Cane Lane. It's not much, but it's something we all look forward to, as we all love Christmas lights. :o)

It's sort of odd, but every year after the gifts are put under the tree I stand back and think the same thing: this is just too much. The thing is though, is that there are so many people here having Christmas, that when broken down it's more like 3+ families all having Christmas in the same room. This year their will be even more, as there will be at least 12 of us here Christmas morning. That's a big difference from the 4 of us that gathered in our living room Christmas morning, when I was a little girl.

You know, as hectic as this time of year can be, and for all that can be said about the commercialism of Christmas, I absolutely love this time of year, and look forward to it EVERY year. I love the way it smells, I love the way it looks, I love having my family together (but I miss my mommy!!!) and the conversations we have. I love the food (if I ever become a ruler in Canada, FAT will be a Canadian law), and I love that the Lord has provided us with these blessings of family.

The thing is, we don't have much money, so Christmas shopping isn't a big deal for us. I joke every year that if the kids get 1 gift each from us, they'll be lucky (although I'm not really joking). I think it's sort of funny when I hear or read others go on about their shopping dilemas because I can do all my shopping in one day, at one store. There are advantages to being broke, lol.

The big deal for me, is that my kids are all here, the fudge disappears in record time, and as the kids grow up they have a very special place in their hearts for the memories of Christmas. We might alter our traditions from time to time, but they really are a special thing in this family.

So, tomorrow officially becomes day 1 of baking for me. Lord willing, there will be several flavors of fudge, candied walnuts, breads, pies & cookies. Christmas morning will bring out the bacon quiche & strawberry/lemon crepes, with croissants. There will be egg nog, and I will drink a lot of it, because I love it! There will be wassail, and I probably wont get any of it, because it will disappear quickly. There will be turkey, taters, mom's special stuffing, the veggie tray & the cheese tray. For the next few weeks the kitchen will be a mess, but it will smell good in my house. Everything will be off limits until Christmas eve (except the nibbles here and there when I'm feeling especially merciful toward the kids and Kev with the sad puppy faces), and there wont be any room left in my freezer by the time I'm done.

We have 10 days left of school before we break until the new year. Oh yes, I'm looking forward to this time of year!!

Bring on the traditions, and the egg nog.

:o)

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Modified?

Yesterday as I was listening to Thursday's Dividing Line, a thought occured to me regarding a statement I recently read.

James White was playing clips of Jerry Vines' recent sermon, and Vines said something that I'll do my best to paraphrase here. Vines was going on about the evil, wicked, putrid doctrine of Calvinism, and made the statement that one of our beliefs is so incredibly abhorrent, that even among Calvinists that many of us reject one of the doctrines and call ourselves "modified Calvinists". That doctrine of course being the L in TULIP, Limited Atonement.

When I heard that clip it reminded me of a statement that someone (I have no idea who) recently made about a pastor who calls himself a modified Calvinist. The person said that he's a real fine example of a solid, orthodox, reformed pastor. Knowing a modified Calvinist call themselves a 4-pointer, I thought "huh???". How is a 4 pointer, a modified Calvinist considered a fine example of a solid, reformed pastor?

It seems odd to me that anyone who knows their doctrine would say this. In our day we have a wide selection of public figures within evangelicism that could be considered to be genuine examples of solid 5 pointers. For whatever reason though, this person wants this particular pastor to be thought of in the light of being soldily reformed. But the important question is, is historically (and more important than that, Biblically) is a 4 pointer or a modified Calvinist's position on the atonement actually orthodox?

I confess I don't know as much about this as I'd like to know, but even in my limited understanding, it seems that denying or rejecting limited atonement or particular redemption is not the position that's going to land you squarely in the "solid, orthodox Calvinist" end zone.

I found it unsettling in a way that Jerry Vines, a man who clearly does NOT understand the reformed faith, even finds limited atonement so repulsive that he uses modified Calvinists to make his very points against our faith - while at the same time - others who are reformed, defend modified Calvinism as orthodox, Biblical teaching.

It all seems like a big, mixed up jumble.

I know folks who have issues with limited atonement - and while I do not desire to offend them in any way, I also make no apologies for saying outloud that I am a 5 pointer. I do believe in limited atonement, and I do not believe that this is a doctrine that we can "modify", nor would I consider a 4 pointer who is a pastor, a good example of someone being solidly reformed.

The thing is, I had no intention whatsoever to post about this today, but it seems to come up everywhere I go. Blogs I read, news items at Christian news site, mp3s, etc.

My real post today was going to be about Christmas traditions. Maybe I'll post that one later on after pancakes & laundry.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Friday BlogFodder 12/1

It is NOT December 1st already, is it? Wow, where did this year go?! In any case, I'll wrap up another week by showing off what impacted, impressed or interested me in the last week. I must say though, with making an attempt to recover from the crash, illness in the house, and everyday chores & errands, I haven't had the time to read as much as I'd like. Nevertheless, I have some goodies for you:

• As we all know, James White and Tom Ascol had the opportunity to present the truth about the reformed faith to the students of Liberty University essentially ripped out from under them, when the moderator of the scheduled debate with the brothers Caner changed the format at the last minute, completely disregarding the signed agreement. Honestly, I think the folks at Liberty were threatened that the students might actually hear what brothers White and Ascol had to say, and become ###gasp!### dirty rotten Calvinists.

The debate was toast, but our faith sure isn't. If you know any LU students that really wanted to hear what brothers White and Ascol would have said, you can direct them right here. They've put together an mp3 for you. From James White's blog:

"As we promised, we are making available an mp3 of the presentation made by myself and Tom Ascol at our national conference in Orlando. In that presentation we both gave a presentation summarizing what we wished to say in our opening statements in the debate-that-never-was. Then, we played clips from the sermons of Ergun and Emir Caner against their flawed understanding of "Calvinism," and replied to their most common arguments. This isn't the same as a debate, but it is about as close as you can get.

We truly encourage folks to give this mp3 to anyone who is at all familiar with the events of 2006 relating to the Caner situation, Liberty University, etc. Feel free to distribute it far and wide, particularly amongst the students at Liberty. They deserve to hear the other side! While we are making this available at no charge, please remember that such things are not, in fact, free, and keep us in mind as you consider supporting the Lord's work. Here's the message. May the Lord bless it to His glory!"

• Speaking of James White, don't miss this either. Everyone ought to read this book, very carefully. Then they ought to buy a second copy for their church library and encourage their pastor to read it.

I had the priveledge of reading it in rough manuscript form, and was so blessed my socks fell clean off. Get it, READ it. You will be glad you did.

• This isn't really blogfodder (or maybe it is?) but I'm just overwhelmed with the amount of people that have signed up for my store's weekly newsletter. Since I know the vast majority of those subscriptions first hear about it from this blog, I just want to say thank you, thank you, and thank you for your interest in our store. As of this week we have over 2,100 unique products there. THANK YOU for your support of our Christian online store, it's a huge encouragement.

• Dr. Albert Mohler reviewed a movie this week called The Nativity. Kev and I saw a preview of this movie a couple of weeks ago and we both thought it looked really good, and held out some hope that it might be Biblically accurate. Dr. Mohler had the opportunity to enjoy the movie at a pre-release screening, and has some good thoughts for us on this. The movie opens nationwide, today.

• Calling all Canadian Weather Geeks - come one, come all and download this handy dandy little gizmo called ChillDex. We've been using ChillDex for several years, and it was one of the first things I reinstalled after the crash. You can set it to English or French, select your province and a few other small bells and whistles. It's very simplistic but gives you the real picture of just how cold it REALLY is, when the wind starts to howl. It will only slightly impress weather geeks, and no one else.

• Something else I had to reinstall right away this week, was my online Bible. I know everyone has their favorite version of a free, downloadable Bible, and this one is mine. I've been using this since 1998, and I just love it. If you're looking for a free online Bible, go have a look.

• Speaking of Bibles, Ingrid at Slice mentioned this yesterday and I'm SO excited about it, I want one RIGHT NOW. Actually I want two of them, one for Kev for those long shifts at his press, and one for me when I'm doing chores around the house. I've checked into their affiliate program to promote the product, and I hope to be able to offer these extremely cool Bibles at a discount, RIGHT HERE in the near future. Nothing official yet, but stay tuned!

You can read all about this nifty little gadget at their site, oddly enough called GoBible. They've got Alexander Scourby narrating the King James Bible on here... how can you beat that!?

• From the odd files...

Last week I was rather impressed to see someone surf into this blog from Viet Nam. I don't think I've ever had a visitor from their, so at first I thought this was cool. Then I took a look at their google search that landed them here and it said "chat hacking tools". Grr. I don't offer chat hacking tools, that's a great big moral and legal NO NO.

This week however, my favorite stat from sitemeter:

See, I bet you didn't know there was a place called Tally Ho in Australia, did you? Well, maybe you did (especially if you're from there!) but I didn't until this week. You can't even read that without audibly saying "tally ho", and in your best British accent. Yep, I heard you. Now you're going to say it all day, in that same British accent.

See, blogfodder is more than just blogging, it's useful information, and cheap entertainment!

:o)

Have a great weekend, and if it's snowing where you are, go make a snow angel with your kids. If you don't have kids, go make one anyway. You'll be glad you did.

Whoa!! I almost forgot...

I included this at the last minute in the store newsletter that went out today:

Play the Holiday Sweepstakes & Win BIG!

Each day from November 30 through December 11, 2006, a special CafeCash Voucher will be given to a lucky winner drawn at random. Just click on today's prize for details and entry information. The prize value changes everyday, so be sure to check back daily and get in on the excitement! Click here and get in on the fun!

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts