Curriculum Review

I am taking a moment to review a curriculum we are trying out for our Homeschool.  Over the next month, I'll post honest reviews of this particular curriculum.  Here is the official disclaimer.

I've been invited to try Time4Learning's online education program in exchange for an honest review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so come back and read about my experience! For more information, try their lesson demos or find out how to write your own curriculum review.

No Excuses!

I wonder how your Bible reading has been going? It's confession time. Mine has suffered greatly! Life is too busy these days, yeesh! But I knew myself well. That is why I planned to do it at least 3 times this year. I figure by the end of the year, I'll at least have read through the Bible one whole time.

We just finished our missions conference at my church and I was greatly convicted over many things. But one recurring theme God has been bringing to my heart over the past 6 months is that American Christians have no excuse for not reading and studying their Bibles. So many countries have cultures where, in addition to not having the Bible in their language, they will be dis-owned by their families or even killed for following Christ. We have such luxuries in Western civilization with regard to our religious freedom. Why are we wasting it? Why aren't we trying to protect it? Why aren't we telling everyone we talk to about the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Tough questions, I know. And I know they're tough because I've been wrestling with them through conviction in my own heart for months. How about you? Am I the only one? Be encouraged, beloved readers!

I Want to Know Him

It's 2011. Aren't we supposed to be living in space and traveling around in floating vehicles by now? Funny how some things don't change as much as you dream they will, isn't it? There is one thing that never changes, however. And that's God. But because of Him, we can change - drastically. And for that, I'm ever grateful.

A friend of mine got me thinking that this really could be the year that Christ returns. Regardless of your current relationship- or lack of relationship- with the Father, wouldn't you like to know Him if 2011 is the year He calls His Church home? I know I would like to know Him so much more. Just imagine with me for a moment that Christ returns and you must face your Lord. Wouldn't it be nice if we recognized Him?

Friends, we can know Him. All we need to know is contained in one book. Through reading, really reading, the Bible we can know every thing God intended us to know about Him, His character, His love, His grace, His glory . . . everything! I am issuing a challenge to all my readers, Facebook friends and anyone else who would like to come along. I plan to read the Bible completely through at least 3 times this year. I am using this 90-day plan. Won't you join me? I already have 4 committed friends who've decided to put God first this year. Where does He fit into your life? Is He first? Or just an afterthought?

Now, some reading suggestions. I recommend that you read from a thought-for-thought translation rather than a word-for-word translation. This is a suggestion, not a rule. Some very read-able thought-for-thought translations are New International Version (NIV), English Standard Version (ESV), and New Living Translation (NLT). The website I am referencing is a King James Version (KJV) website. KJV is a word-for-word translation. Two more great word-for-word translations are Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) and New American Standard Bible (NASB). HCSB and NASB are both more modern English wording. The reason I make this suggestion is for read-ability. I believe that word-for-word translations are the best for studying but thought-for-thought are the best for a reading period. It takes about 30-45 minutes a day to read the Bible in 90 days, so you're going to want something that will make sense to you and something that you can comprehend and retain.

The most crucial component to any reading plan is prayer. Before you even open your Bible, pray that the Lord will open your heart and mind to receive what you are about to read and that you will retain much. The power of prayer is a subject that I must cover in another post. Suffice it to say for now that you will not get anything out of your readings without the power of the Holy Spirit. And prayer is the key that unlocks that power.

Please comment below if you are planning to read along with us. We will begin Monday, January 10th. As always, I pray you were blessed and encouraged by today's post.

More Godly Women

I have a rare quiet few moments in my home and I'm taking advantage of it! I am going to continue on my quest to honor the Godly women in my life. Read through the descriptions of my Inspirational Influences and see if you have these women in your life.

Inspirational Influence #4 - The One With Wisdom

This is actually a description of two precious women in my life. I have two that I call immediately when I'm seeking Godly counsel on any matter. I think it's important to have women in your life that are of all different age groups. But it's crucial to have older women as a regular part of your life who have been there, done that and can help you figure out how to do something - or how not to do something. Wisdom can be attained at a very young age, but there is no substitution for age and life experience. These precious women also tell me, every single time, what I need to hear - whether I want to hear it or not. That's the measure of Godly wise counsel. If you are seeking counsel from those who will "tickle your ears" as Paul said, you are seeking the absolute wrong counsel. I pray every woman has at least one example of this in her life.

Inspirational Influence #5 - The One Who Perseveres

This incredible woman has been through some particularly tough times, yet is completely steadfast and incredibly encouraging. No matter what God allows in her life to refine her, she hangs on to Him and draws strength from Him alone and perseveres. He is her Rock, her Strong Tower and her Shelter. She just trusts Him, no matter what - and no matter how hard it is. If I can have even an ounce of her resolve and dedication, I will consider myself blessed.

Inspirational Influence #6 - The One Who Laughs

Being the 'class clown' that I am, this could easily describe me - but I have a friend who is just fun, no matter what. I believe with all my heart that if God created us in His image as He said He did, then He has a sense of humor and, as a result, gave us one. How on earth can we face some of the things we must face without a sense of humor? This friend is someone who I always receive a smile and fun moment from. She's got an incredible perspective on this crazy world we live in, and she embraces life with an outlook that few others possess. I am simply happy when I'm with her and I'm thankful she's my friend.

My quiet moment has come to an abrupt, brutal end, so I must go be mommy to my incredible boys. I hope reading this has blessed you and made you ponder the incredible women God has put in your life. And if you're in a season of your life where you feel like you don't have these examples, but need them, take it to the Lord, sweet one. Ask Him to give you these relationships and to give you the courage to cultivate them. He is faithful and He designed us to need relationship with others. He will provide if you simply ask.

Innocent Before Him

I want to continue to honor the Godly women in my life, but I'm taking a brief detour today. I am in the midst of studying the book of Daniel. I just finished Chapter 6. I wonder how many of you were taught (or assumed), as I did, that Daniel was a young man in this chapter? This is the chapter where Daniel is thrown into the lions' den.

If you're like me, you pictured a young man going to that room in his house and kneeling 3 times a day to the Most High God. You pictured a young man being framed by the satraps and commissioners so that he would no longer hold the king's favor. But do you realize that Daniel was about 81 years old during this chapter? I didn't know this until I was studying this time. Isn't it exciting how God always shows us something fresh when we turn to His Word?

As I was thinking about Daniel's age at this point in his very faithful life, I started thinking of my own relationship with God. Would I have the steadfast faith that Daniel and even Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego had? If you believe as I do that everything contained in the Bible is about a real event that involved real people, this should cause some self-reflection. These aren't fairy tales from some long-ago time about make-believe people. These were real, flesh and blood men and women of God that were put to the test and found faithful. If that doesn't make you shout 'Glory!' you better check your pulse, honey!

The phrase 'Dare to be a Daniel' takes on a whole new meaning when you realize that he's 81 facing those lions, doesn't it? Would you be that steadfast and true? Would you be "found innocent before Him" as verse 22 says? O fellow disciple, I want to be able to answer these questions with a hearty YES! Don't you?

Godly Women

I've been thinking quite a bit lately about all the incredible women God has given me the pleasure of knowing in my adult life. I'm going to dedicate this entry (and maybe some future ones - there are quite a few) to honoring these women in my life. I will not give them names, but rather, descriptions of the roles they play in my life. I'm going to call them my Inspirational Influences.

Inspirational Influence #1 - The One Who Prays

While this title could fit just about every woman on my list, because, to be Godly one must be in consistent prayer, there is one who simply prays - no matter what. And her prayers are like a sweet fragrance that fills your senses. When you are blessed with the opportunity to pray with her, you can almost feel Jesus' feet as you are bowed before them. There are no fancy words, no profound statements, she simply talks to the Lord like she knows Him.

Inspirational Influence #2 - The One Who Suffers

I have one dear friend who always seems to have one crisis or another in her midst. Yet she is the most humble, inspiring, encouraging woman I know. She certainly could be classified as 'The One Who Prays,' but I see her as so much more. In 1 Peter 4:12-16, we are told not to be surprised by our suffering, but to "rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ." This wonderful woman of God lives this principle before my eyes every day. And she truly counts it a privilege to get to suffer with Christ. What an incredible perspective to have!

Inspirational Influence #3 - The One who Weeps

Have you ever met someone who seems to be overly-sensitive and cries at, well, everything? That is my next influence. This precious woman of God cries at movies, commercials, weddings, birthdays, communion, music, and anything else that touches her. She cries when she's happy, sad, grieving, rejoicing, angry and depressed. She just cries. As someone who barely ever cries, I used to consider this particular gift a curse. But as I've come to know more about who God is, I've learned that crying is, indeed, a gift. This dear woman has a capacity to feel another's pain like no one I've ever known. She has compassion that runs deep and she really sees people through the eyes of Jesus.

Have you ever wondered why John 11:35 "Jesus wept" is so short? That's the only time in the entire Bible that we see Him grieve and we're given two words worth of insight into the moment. Having had the delight to know this sweet woman, I think I might have some idea why God was so brief in this verse. Crying with someone is so much more powerful than crying for them. To have that sort of compassion is to get a small taste of the love Jesus must have felt for all humankind while on Earth. Not everyone can handle that sort of gift. I know I can't.

That's it for now. Beloved, if you know someone in your life like those I've described, go thank God for allowing you the sheer grace to have them in your reach. Then tell her how much you love her.

Blessings.

Going Home Again

Please forgive me for the heaviness of my last post. I had a rare moment where I got caught up in statistics and facts. Don't fear. It probably won't happen more than once a year or so.

Over the past year, God has been teaching me that the only place a believer can truly be comfortable is wherever He is leading us. But therein lies the rub. It's an easy thing to say you want to follow Jesus. It is a far more complicated thing to actually know where He's leading you.

I had a chance to "go home again" in a way today and it was a frightening, unsettling, bizarre, yet completely wonderful experience. Ever been there? Thomas Wolfe once said "You can't go home again." I think he was right. And wrong.

Let me explain. If "home" to you is the way things used to be then, no, you probably can't go home again. Because circumstances and people are constantly changing. And if you go back to whatever it was - church, hometown, old relationship - with the expectation that things will be exactly the same, you will be very disappointed. Expectations are what cause us disappointment. One of the greatest truths I have come to know as a disciple of Christ is that the only thing that never changes is God Himself. And if you have expectations of any human you will, at some point, be completely disappointed.

But I must disagree with Wolfe at the same time I agree with him. Sometimes you must go home again. I discovered today that, indeed, things were not the same. Additionally, there were loose ends that I left unraveling everywhere in my heart. I needed to go home to realize this. I could have spent the rest of my life pushing those issues down in my heart, but they would be no more healed than they were when I left. And it's not within human power to mold my heart. That's a work that must be done by God alone. But sometimes you need to be in the thing to accept that fact.

God is bigger than any past experience you or I have. He can handle it and He's waiting for you to let Him. Because you didn't go through it without His knowledge and permission in the first place. Let Him handle it. If you don't think He can - you just might need to remember that God is who He says He is. I know it's a lesson of which I am reminded regularly.