Got Organization?

If you looked up the word “organization” in the dictionary, you would definitely not find my picture next to it. Would your picture be there?

I don’t think any of us ever achieve our ideal amount of organization in our households. Even if one is organized by nature I am willing to bet there are still areas of struggle. The expression that “a women’s work is never done,” is doubly true for a homeschooling mother.

Enter The 2009 Schoolhouse Planner to save—yea, even organize-- the day (and the week, the month, and the year!). From creative clutter-bugs like me, to the ultra Type-A personality, this planner offers something for everyone!

There is so much helpful information and forms in this planner, I can’t even fathom being able to use it all. With 375 pages, this baby is brimming with helpful ideas, forms, charts, information and even recipes. The people at The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (obviously homeschoolers themselves) thought of everything. Sort of like the perfect pairing of chocolate with coffee, both creative and organized minds of various contributors have come deliciously together to offer us a really well rounded planner.

When you order the planner from the online store of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, you will receive it in a downloadable file to save on your computer. If you actually received a hardcopy of the planner, you would need to pay a lot more than the $39 price that the planner sells for.

My first thought, when I realized it was downloadable, was that I was going to have to spend another $40 on ink just to print it out! Not so. First of all, you can actually keep the entire thing, and use it, on your computer, if you choose. The calendars and various forms (from chore charts, to menu planning and bible reading) can all be typed on right there on your computer. If you like to have a hard copy of any of these things, you can also print them out and keep them in a binder or whatnot. It is very easy to customize to your personal preference.

So, just how organized am I going to become by using this planner? Well, that remains to be seen, but the potential to become the ultra-organized-super-homeschooling-mom is enormous! Let’s take a look at all the goodies stuffed into these pages!

First of all, there is a section of At-a-Glance calendars, clear through the year 2012, after which there is a large monthly calendar for the 2009-2010 school year that you can write/type in whatever events and plans you have. With each month, comes random but helpful topics that will aid you in teaching, or give a bit of helpful info such as: The Thirteen Colonies, Decimal tips, Emergency plans (in case of fire, tornado etc.), Getting into College and more. Each of these helpful sections are followed by links (at the click of your mouse) to more resources should you want to buy more materials or learn more information. For instance, the section on weather and clouds (September’s topic), has links to pictures of the various cloud formations that you can access right there. Furthermore, each month comes with a couple of really good recipes!

But the calendar is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to talk about and this review is rather long already. Let me just inventory some of the things you’ll find to help with your homeschooling adventure. (By the way, the Table of Contents is nicely set up to allow you to choose the section you want by clicking your mouse on a topic, saving scrolling through pages you aren’t necessarily looking for at the moment).

There are many miscellaneous helpful charts on things such as metric conversions, U.S. Presidents and their wives, a history timeline, famous artists and composers, and more. These also come with links to websites that can tell you more about the subjects. I like the one on important U.S. documents with links to look at them right then and there.

Next the planner offers more homeschooling forms than you can shake a pencil at. Pages for goals, curriculum, report cards, test scores, high school transcripts and more. There are daily and weekly schedules to fill out for working with one child on up to five children. (I suppose if you have more than that you can print out the form for five kiddos and add the other form with the number of kids you are lacking). There are forms for field trip planning, pages to print off for nature journals, handwriting practice and more. I had to laugh that there was even a page for “Unschooling” plans, which kind of seems like an oxymoron in a huge planner like this! There’s not enough space to tell you all the forms available; I don’t think anything was left out.

The last section contains a myriad of household forms that would basically condense anything you already have in this realm into one convenient place. From emergency contact numbers to an address book, from menu planning and chore charts to garden plans and pet health forms, these sheets round out anything you could ever want to get all of your “ducks in a row”.

I think the only negative side of this enormously helpful planner would be feeling obliged to use it all. That thought overwhelms me! However, I know that the point is not that it all must be used; rather it is available if I need it!

So, let me wrap this up with a bit of homeschooling wisdom that I must remind myself of from time to time (now would be one of those times). Don’t be a slave to your curriculum (or in this case, your planner), let the curriculum/planner work for you and serve the needs of your family. I think that all personality types, across the spectrum can get as much or as little as they need from this well thought out 2009 Schoolhouse Planner! If you want to check it out, here’s the link: http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191_193&products_id=10450

We're Not in Eden Anymore, Toto!

In my heart, I am convinced that I have a special calling. I hold this false yet powerful belief that I am called to a life of leisure. After all, I am an American. I can easily justify procrastination and spending money on things I don’t need (they are on clearance, after all). I am also, currently, a Texan. This means I can do both in the comfort of air conditioning. Doesn’t get much better than that!

Oh, wait. What am I thinking? I have four kids, two of which I currently homeschool. I have one child that has some disabilities as well. Furthermore, we are not rich and cannot afford maid service nor a cook or chauffer. So, why do I feel I have some sort of right to pursue a life of ease?

Well, if I listen to the world of advertising: I am worth it! I deserve it! I have earned it! If I listen to my flesh: I’m too tired…I don’t feel like it…I’ll do it after (…I finish this other thing that is a distraction and requires a lot less energy on my part). My other lame justification is: I am a product of the 80’s. That was the “me” generation, after all.

Ok, excuses aside, life still must go on. There is laundry to wash and dinner to cook. The kids need to be taught their multiplication tables and U.S, history. So what’s a lazy girl like me to do? I think Nike summed it up quite succinctly: “Just do it.”

As much as I like to try to spiritualize my motivation for doing something, it all comes down to a series of choices each day. I must submit my will to the Holy Spirit and then choose not to “grow weary in well doing.” (Galatians 6:9).

It is amazing to me how much of a battle there is in my mind, daily, for the ability to choose. Choosing to get up early and have a quiet time, choosing to exercise, and choosing to eat right are my big, daily battles. Then there are the smaller skirmishes: time on the computer vs. mopping the kitchen…time reading a good book vs. vacuuming and dusting. Every day the choices are- basically- the same and every day they still seem tough! I am such a wimp!

There are so many that have it much harder. I know that. I know that I am SO blessed to live in America and not a third world country. I am truly grateful for the freedom to worship the Lord as my family feels convicted. The freedom to homeschool is also such a privilege. I know that I am blessed to live in this century, where I have every modern convenience I could want. I can get impatient waiting in the fast food line, whereas my ancestors had to watch their food grow. Things could be a lot worse.

Don’t misunderstand, in no way do I feel sorry for myself! I am not whining or thinking “why me?” I KNOW I have it better than most in the world and many in America. I am very conscious of my blessings and am grateful for each of them. So, why the battle? Why the constant foot dragging? I should be eager to take advantage of all of my—well—advantages, right?

I spend a lot of time contemplating this inner turmoil. (Probably contemplating it is another way I put off actually doing something about it!). I feel like a broken record with prayer requests of the “help me…” variety. One conclusion I have reached is that the struggle keeps me humble. Keeps me coming back to square one: “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, my sin nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (Romans 7:18) and, “…apart from Me, you can do nothing.” As much as I want to “just do it”, I really cannot. Yet, to some degree, there is still a responsibility on my part that, “Whatever (I) do, (I must) work at it with all (my) heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…” That comes back to making the right choices. The Holy Spirit will not force me to do what I should, but He will provide the strength to choose to use my time wisely. I just all too easily shut out that still, small voice. Ok, sometimes I drown it out. Brings to mind another verse: “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:17). Ouch.

Secondly, though my problems are paltry compared to someone in, say, the underground church of China, they are still the set of problems I have to face. As a friend of mine is fond of saying, I need to “put my big girl panties on” and actually face them each day (my problems, not the panties). As much as I like to write fantasy, I cannot live in a fantasy world. However, this is a fallen world; it is cursed, and will always have its share of trouble and effort involved with any endeavor. Therefore, any delusions I may have concerning living a life of ease needs to be rectified right away. Guess I can thank Adam and Eve for that.

I’m certain everyone, this side of eternity, would like to have a few choice words with those two. Can you imagine how startling it was for them-- having tasted perfection and beauty and intimate fellowship with the living God-- to suddenly be banished and met with pain and death and thorns and sweat and hang nails? What were they thinking? Yeah, like I could do any better.

In conclusion, I must come to grips with the fact that today I must face a certain amount of “stuff.” I’ll go out on a limb and guess that you may have some similar issues. Our stuff may not look just the same but it likely seems a self-perpetuating machine in your life as well. Sorry that it seems there just isn’t a nice way to wrap up this dilemma. It will always remain a dilemma as long as we inhabit flesh and blood on the earth. It is a dilemma that we have an opportunity to take hold of, and make good choices with, each day.

For now, it is a matter of Paradise Lost. But, I know the times that I set my mind to do joyfully what I am called to as a mother, wife, teacher and friend, a bit of paradise is found once again. Happiness is not just a choice, but rather, a series of choices every day.

"A Bride in the Bargain" Book Review

Much like a mug of Seattle-based Starbuck's Coffee, I found Deanne Gist’s novel, “A Bride in the Bargain” rather addicting. Also based in Seattle, in the time period of the Washington Territory, Mrs. Gist uses lively and believable characters, rich and scenic descriptions, and a great combination of turmoil and romance as a perfect blend...rich as a good cup of java.

July 8th, 1866 Miss Anna Ivey arrives in port at Seattle’s Puget Sound. (On a personal note, 103 years plus 7 days later, I also arrived in Seattle, all 8 pounds of me, but that’s another story…). She is greeted by men that look like hungry vultures; all having waited for months for their mail order brides, most of which did not arrive. She is looking for her new employer, a lumberjack named Joseph Denton, whom she believes hired her as a cook for his logging crew. What she finds is a tall, handsome tough guy with a soft side, who thinks she has come to be his bride. It seems their “contracts” with the middle man don’t exactly match up. Neither do their personalities, most of the time!

If Joseph doesn’t get married soon, his land is in jeopardy. However, Miss Ivey is certain everyone she loves ends up getting hurt so she has vowed never to marry. They are both stubborn and head strong and find themselves in quite a quandary. But, he does need a cook and she owes him the money for her passage to Seattle…so there is an agreement worked out for the time being.

Though you can likely see where this story is headed, there are many detours along the way that keep you turning the pages, captivated by the relationship between the characters and intrigued by their complex personalities. The dialogue is witty and engaging, and there is much to love about all the main characters in this book.

Placed in the rugged Pacific Northwest, the land and the lumber are some of the characters brought to life as well. In some ways, the taming of the wilderness, and the settlement of the land, parallel Anna’s and Joseph’s relationship. The people and the terrain play off of one another and both are important to the story. Both draw you in and make it hard to leave.

If you enjoy historical romance, you will certainly find “A Bride in the Bargain” a solid read. Though it is a Christian romance novel, I would like to note that the story has no deep theological issues that are wrestled with. Christianity is more of the tone of this time in history and is part of the foundation and underpinnings of the character’s lives. This is the kind of story you read solely for the enjoyment of getting swept away!

Christian Fiction Review: "How Sweet It Is."

"How Sweet it is," by Alice J. Wisler is a Christian fiction novel that did not satisfy my sweet tooth. Though the book is targeting those that want to have a fairly light-hearted read, I felt the book lacked anything inventive in the story line and was extremely predictable.

Deena Livingston is a young woman that recently survived a serious car wreck that left her body, as well as her heart, severely scarred. Leaving a promising career behind as a chef, she tentatively looks for a fresh start in a small mountain cabin that her grandfather willed to her when he passed away. She moves from the big city to a small, close-knit community, hoping to begin a cake-decorating business of her own while ditching her past.

Much to her surprise, there is a stipulation in her grandfather's will. He would like for her teach cooking to troubled kids at an after school program for six months in order to enjoy ownership of his cozy cabin. This is something way out of her comfort zone (especially now that her heart is so relationally raw; all she wants to do is insulate herself from any emotional pain). But day by day, she finds the strength to move ahead, even though it feels like baby steps... and often like she is moving backwards instead.

There are many poignant moments: Ms. Wisler writes in the first person, present tense, and she keeps you inside Deena's thoughts as she tries to move on and forget her past. Using flashbacks, it is evident that rather than moving ahead, she is nursing her wounds with the balm of unforgiveness. It takes learning of her grandfather's faith (faith that she once had but presently lies dormant), stretching herself to reach out to the troubled kids she must teach, and allowing herself to trust some new relationships for her inner turmoil to begin to heal.

If you are looking for a lighthearted read, this book would certainly meet that need. Personally, I felt much of the thought life too neatly packaged and the story line blatantly obvious. I like a little twist or some sort of surprise along the way. This story, though charming in parts, generally falls flat and tastes bland. During the process of reading the book, I began to have my own nickname for it: "How Predictable It Is."

The Good Kind of Tired

I must confess I am totally wiped out! It has been a long two months in the Pier 211 household (my nickname for home...insider's lingo). All four kiddos finished up with school, one of the four finishing for the last time--unless she goes on to college! We have had rehearsals and recitals and award banquets and graduation festivities galore, with an extra helping of company in town to help celebrate!

It has been a very satisfying close to our school year but I am just plain, worn out. I haven't had much time to check email, let alone write something semi-interesting to post on this blog. Just not enough brain cells to spare. Thanks to those of you that have come back and checked in on me.

I am happy to say that I have been accepted as a The Old Schoolhouse Magazine product reviewer and so things should be getting busy this summer as I test and review homeschooling products. I really hope you find the reviews helpful and that you will give me your feedback on articles that you find helpful or have a question concerning. There may even be some give aways, so keep tuning in!

For the moment, I just needed to check in and say hello. I am still here, at Pier 211, plodding along, hoping for a good nights sleep...enjoying being the "good kind of tired". It is a happy weariness of having many reasons to celebrate God's faithfulness in our family, and the joy of celebrating this through fellowship with friends and family!

Here's to summer!

Healthy Ramen Salad

Well, it is crunch time at my house. My oldest is graduating Sunday! I had breakfast with her this morning before school and my husband met her at the school door with flowers. After 10 years of homeschooling and 2 at a small Christian school, her childhood journey officially ended today!

I won't get all philosophical at the moment. This is supposed to be a recipe, right? Just letting you know WHY I am kind of quiet over here...too busy getting all the last minute stuff together to have any sort of deep pondering or wandering of any sort!

So, here is a FABULOUS salad that always gets requests. I have tweaked the more fattening original recipe through the years to make it fairly healthy. Can't tell the difference, personally!

There is a lot of room for customizing as you will see...

One package of either shredded slaw or broccoli slaw
Toast about 3 Tbl sesame seeds.
Toast 6-8 Tbl slivered or sliced almonds, Pepita's, peanuts, cashews or any combination thereof! (I toast in a heated pan, no butter, stirring frequently. You can use a tsp. of butter if you want!)


Dressing:
1/3 C salad oil (safflower, canola etc. Expeller pressed is healthiest!)
1/3 C beef or chicken stock/broth (beef adds more flavor)
3-4 Tbl sugar (to preference)
4-5 Tbl. white or rice vinegar (may substitute 1 or 2 T with raw apple vinegar for extra healthy oomph) to preference.
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp pepper
1- 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

Optional:1-2 tsp toasted sesame oil (If you have it. Totally optional).
Optional: Grilled chicken, bite sized. Great if you have leftover chicken.
Optional: one package (MINUS THE SEASONING PACKET of Ramen Noodle soup *the cheap stuff, doesn't matter the flavor since you aren't using the packet!) Break up the noodles in the package. These are fattening and unhealthy so I don't usually use them. BUT they are tasty!!!

Do not dress salad until ready to eat! Whisk the dressing in its container immediately before pouring over slaw. Add nuts and/or noodles, stir really well and serve.

A girlfriend and I once ate a whole bowl between the two of us, it is so yummy! If you find you have more dressing then you care for, add another half to one whole package of slaw to the bowl! Enjoy!

Recipe for a Happy Memorial Day

Here's a quick reminder of what it takes to have a happy Memorial Day: THANKFULNESS! Without our soldiers, those that have paid the ultimate price and those that served both now and in the past, we would not have the freedom to celebrate Memorial Day the way most of us do: self indulgently.

I don't say that with a pointed finger. I say it to myself as much as anyone. It is so easy to plan fun for the family or work for the yard or whatever, and just be glad you have the day off to get it done! We don't have to fear arrest for doing what pleases us such as worshipping how we feel convicted, nor do we fear tyranny to work for the state or die. We can do pretty much anything that suits us 365 days a year in the U.S. of A.

Why can we go about our business independently absorbed in scrapbooking, blogging, weeding, swimming or whatever else we can find to pass the day? Because of a lot of brave men and women that have fought for the right to make it so. They have fought for the freedom of those that want to burn flags, spit on soldiers and force prayer from schools. Freedom to express our opinion, our outrage, our dreams, and our religion. Freedom to be individuals and yet part of the whole of America.

It is a thankless job in many ways. One taken for granted and way, way under appreciated. I cannot fill the void of favorable, well deserved public opinion in this one, little blog. But, I just want to remind those that may peruse my "two-cents worth" of advice to take a moment and say a prayer for those that have sacrificed so you can have this leisure time...and wonderful ownership of computers, cushioned chairs to view them on, and an air conditioned home to enjoy it all in...pray for the soldiers, the law enforcement and fire departments too. Most of all, notice how great you have it!

Notice your blessings, be thankful for this free country that God has blessed you with, be involved in keeping it that way, and thank those that have fought for your right to vote, to worship, to play! Remember that freedom isn't really free.

The recipe for having a happy day, any day, is always thankfulness! But on this Memorial Day I hope you will pause and really think that over and pray for those in our government, in civil service, and most of all those in harm's way (and behind the scenes too), all while you are deadheading those petunias or slapping on the SPF.

When I Grow Up...

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" That's a fairly common question when you are a child, or when you converse with a little one. My oldest daughter will be graduating from high school in just a few weeks and she is getting a bit tired of the question, "What are your plans after graduation?" Like me at that age, she wasn't so sure what she was going to do for certain after high school and that can leave one feeling a bit unsure; sort of like your letting circumstances dictate your life rather than having a decisive vision of your future.



Fortunately, she can now answer that question with relative confidence. She will be going into mission work; combining her love for the Lord with her love for horses in Wyoming. I couldn't be more thrilled for her to go out and fulfill the great commission and do something she loves! I wish I had more of a surety of God's direction at that age!



But, God is good and He is faithful and I just walked forward in the light I had at the time. Which is perfectly where God wanted me to be, though I didn't always know it. I haven't any doubt that I married the right man for me or in any way did any sort of disservice to the Lord by starting a family and being a stay at home mom. I regret none of that. I know the Lord was right there with me through all of that as we raised our children in a way that honors Him.



However, my youngest is now 10. I can see the end of the road as a home schooling mom. Seven more years and I am retired! Or, out of job...depends on how you look at it. Either way, that time is going to zoom by, just as it has with my oldest. Either way, I am going to be one bored individual if I don't have something on the horizon to do with myself!



Thankfully, being a mom stretches you in ways you never thought possible. Causes you to do things you never dreamed you would be doing (picking nits? playing in the rain? enduring someone learning an instrument? cleaning up--what is that? learning to bake homemade bread??? me???) yes me...and I would bet you too! It's all good, isn't it? But, then what? Sure are a lot of question marks in this paragraph...and often in my life.



During this time of stretching, one thing the kids and I have thoroughly enjoyed doing together is reading books (might I suggest the Gregor series?). That is, I read, they listen and beg for more. All of this to the peril of school work because I get into the books at least as much as they do! In fact, I have had so many ideas spring from books we have enjoyed and life's events that I have started to write books myself. I have discovered that I have a love for words, for writing, for story telling and also illustrating.



I have discovered what I want to be when I grow up! I want to be an author. Not bad after almost 40 years, eh? So, my plan is to take college classes, a few each year, over the next seven that are left with my youngest, and actually have something beyond being a Barrista at Starbucks as a career option for myself! This was a scary decision, in some ways to come to. Sort of late to do something like this, my fear-of-failure side would remind me.


I wasn't sure how my husband would feel about putting ME through college when we have a bunch of kids that are likely headed that way; but he was wonderfully supportive. I told him I was having a special kind of mid-life crisis-- a loss of identity sort of thing-- when I view my future as an empty-nester, and he totally understood. He was a bit disappointed, I think, with me not being a Barrista and all; he was hoping for some free coffee.



Okay, so, how about you? Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? Is it too late to contemplate that question? I think not. It is never too late. Perhaps in another blog I will explain how I probably have no business teaching ballet because I didn't begin dancing until I was an adult. Yet I am really enjoying using this gift to teach kids to worship.When I look at someone like Helen Keller and see all that someone with her challenges was able to achieve, I have to chide myself for being a big lazy scared-y cat! Get a hold of a biography of her and then see if you don't believe that God has gifted you with many things to accomplish. I am not just referring to career-oriented gifts; we can all use our talents in many ways, we just must submit them to the Lord, in all of our ways "acknowledge Him", and see where he takes us as we mature.



I once heard a preacher say, "pray you grow up, before you grow old." How true that is on so many levels. When I heard that, I thought I was grown up (all of 18 years old that I was). Now, I really can appreciate how long that process takes. It has taken my kids growing up, physically at least, to make me take a hard look at what God wants me to do as a grown up walking in a new phase of life. Where is He leading you?

Rain, the Underappreciated Weather

Today is a deliciously rainy day. Just sort of a slow, steady drizzle, wrapped in fog and tucking me nicely into my armchair at Starbucks. I sit here, computer on my lap, coffee (really good coffee!) at my side and my "Portland, Oregon" shirt proudly displayed. If you don't know me well, you probably think I am sitting in Portland, in a Starbucks, looking at the Pacific Northwest Rain, perhaps a bit delusional.

Ahhh, descriptions can be deceiving. Though I wish that were the case; in actuality I am sitting in Fort Worth, Texas. Yes, it is certainly a Portland sort of day here, however, and I am basking in it! It is May, just 65 degrees and all around me are groups of people talking, nay- fellowshipping, whilst jazz plays and mist shrouds and softens the mood. Mmmm.

Being that I was raised in Portland, I can get really revved up (in a weird, mellow sort of way) on a day such as this! I want to bake cookies, read a good book to my kids and, well, drink really good coffee. I know; sounds like a recipe for laziness and adding mucho poundage to my backside. Could be. I'll never know since there aren't a lot of these sort of days here in Texas, especially in May. Hence, I tend to romanticize this weather and feel a calling to help others see what they are missing in the midst (or is it "mist"?) of it. No surprise, then, that on the first day of Autumn, I throw a party (soup and baked goods included) to celebrate the survival of another Texas summer and the arrival of cooler weather.

I just don't understand why the average person dislikes the rain so? What's up with the suicide rate climbing in areas that get a lot of precipitation? That's a tragedy in any climate but why is rain to blame? It seems to be that there's a lot of brainwashed people out there! The weatherman is the pied-piper of badmouthing wet weather and most people just mindlessly agree. Tragic, absolutely tragic. Rain is every one's pessimistic scapegoat.

Have you noticed the way the local meteorologist will furrow their brow and shake their head in disapproval while grumbling, "We've got an 80% chance of rain today. I'm afraid this soggy, nasty weather will continue for at least the next few days. It is not until the end of the week that we'll finally get a break and see the sunshine." Come on, is 95 degrees in the shade really something to look forward to?

Why not rephrase that and say, "Good news! There is just a 20% chance of sunshine. If we are lucky, this rain will stay with us for awhile, giving us some lovely cool weather and giving our flowers a long slow drink. Make some soup, bake some cookies and enjoy some family time while it lasts!" Now, wouldn't that make people respond a bit differently to the mood of the day? If you had heard this in the weather report all of your life, I bet you would party in the wet weather as well!

Yes, people, I think you have been duped! Here me now! I am like a voice, calling out in the wilderness, calling out from the marvelous mist and the resplendent rain. I want you to see that when it is raining, the glass really is half full!

OK, half full of rain water, you say?

Good point.

Under Authority: Blooming Where You are Planted!

I Thess. 5:12
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.


Hebrew 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

I Tim. 5:17
The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

I am amazed and saddened by the amount of division that I have seen and heard about in churches. Somehow, in this great land of democracy that we are blessed to live in, the general Christian population has the idea that the church is a democracy as well. Deacons run the church, congregations vote in or out a pastor, people up and leave on whim when things don't suit them. After all, they give regularly to the offering, right? I've heard of people threatening the loss of their financial support and pew warming if programs they wanted weren't soon implemented.

How that must grieve the Holy Spirit! Why are the ideas of submission and honor to those in authority so foreign? Why do we feel the right to haughtily question those that the Lord has placed over us to shepherd us? How is it we can feel comfortable about disregarding their advice or reasons because they don't agree with our own? We are elevating our opinion over theirs, sitting in judgement on their God-given position and walking away in rebellion.

Please note that I am not referring to a pastor that does not adhere to scriptural interpretations or that has no accountability. I am not speaking to the exception to the rule but to the average, humble man of God that seeks to protect and lead in humility and godliness. So many good men have burned out before their time because of friction with the body. They give all they have and get little but complaints and whining in return. The door of the church seems to revolve, letting people through that are looking for their needs to be met in their particular way and when that doesn't happen, they go out that door in search for someone who caters to their idea of how a church should operate. We place our own feelings on the throne making our opinion our god.

Jeremiah. 25:17
"But you did not listen to me," declares the Lord, "and you have provoked me with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves."

Having been in the church all of my life and having a husband that served as an elder for many years, I am not talking on circumstantial evidence. I have seen the way men of God try to walk with those that struggle, try to help and serve and explain their convictions and positions, only to be left staring at their back (so to speak) as they walk out the door and don't return. Many times their grumbling takes others with them, adding to the division in the body. This can often be "best-case scenario" in which a member actually comes to the leadership voicing their complaint. All too often, members just leave one Sunday and don't come back, no explanation offered.

I know it is our human nature to want to be in control. We chase lustily after that illusion in every area of our life. It seems a safe, comfortable place until circumstances rock our world and remind us of our frailty. But the life of a Christian is the life of dying to self. It is not (as I heard someone rightly state), God making something beautiful out of our sinful lives. It is God crucifying that life and giving us an entirely new one that is diametrically different from the one we had; the one that the world tries to resurrect and dangle before us.

Being raised in the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave compounds the problem. We take for granted that the church is here to serve us, not the other way around. If it doesn't work out, we can go to the church down the street and so on. What do we know about "community"? About Body life? Truthfully, what do we care? We are all wired together through technology and pulled apart by the busyness of trying to keep up with it. Please, don't interrupt! Especially if you are going to step on my toes and get in my business.

We all shrug off accountability with the justification of it not being anyone's business but our own. This attitude damages the church, tarnishes the name of Christ and, in the end, causes us to lose out on growth and blessings that the Lord would have for those that are walking in order within their homes and Body.

One thing I'd like to interject is: what if the pastor makes a wrong decision? (Gasp! You mean he's human?). Again, I am not talking about leadership abusing their position, walking in habitual sin or preaching heresy. But, what if the Lord desires, for example, that the youth group be part of an outreach program and yet the pastor declines that idea? Well, that is between the Lord and the leadership and you need to prayerfully let God deal with them. They must answer to Him, not you. The same is to be said for decisions your husband makes that you may not agree with...you must trust that the Lord will use His Holy Spirit (which isn't you!) in your husband's life on His timetable; don't compound the problem by acting out of line, taking matters into your own hands. Rest in the fact that you are where you should be, the Lord will bless that quiet, content spirit! Content as in: accepting of the answer, regardless of whether it was the outcome you wanted, not grumbling and complaining within yourself. When our reaction is out of line, even when the leadership or our husband may be as well, we now are an added element that the Lord must deal with in setting things aright in the family or the Body.

Our wrong response leaves our pastors and teachers to respond to this rebellion in one of two ways. They may cave and conform to the desires of those that are trying to control the church, running it more like a democracy than a theocracy. Or, they can stand on what they feel the Lord is showing them to be the truth and trust Him with the outcome, although the response to this choice is not always a godly one. Sometimes it leaves them with The Incredible Shrinking Church.

I am not implying that we do not go to the leaders of our church with concerns. Nor am I saying that leaders do not need to listen to the desires and distress of congregants. There is definitely a healthy place for this sort of interaction. It is just so often done in the wrong spirit, with the wrong motives and reacted to with fleshly responses that may be cloaked in spiritual jargon. All to the peril of relationships and resulting in division.

You may be reading this and thinking, "That's not me. I love and respect my pastor. I would defer to his judgement and not act that way, even if I disagreed." I am glad you hold that position and I do as well. However, how many of us (yes, I am the guiltiest of all), listen to our pastor's and Sunday school teachers etc. week after week and walk away unaffected by the message? On Wednesday can you recall what your pastor spoke about the previous Sunday? Have you asked the Lord to make what the pastor shared a reality in your life? Asked how you can apply it to yourself?

This is likely the biggest problem the pastor has with his congregation. Far more insidious than the openly rebellious member. Plain ol' apathy and complacency are a danger we all have been guilty of partaking in. We must realize that the Lord's tool for instruction in the church, His spokesperson and mouthpiece that He uses in a collective way for the edification of the Body needs us to do more than warm the pew and nod in agreement. Passive disobedience is still rebellion...something I try and teach my children but often fail to recognize in my own life.

Jesus is in the business of changed lives. Not just once, at our conversion, but in a continual refining process, known as sanctification, through those that are placed in leadership over us (besides one on one in His word and prayer). When we tune out in church, wonder how long the line will be at Chilis?, when we verbally agree with an, "Amen," and walk away and give no thought of applying what we have heard to our lives, there is great tragedy and danger that is very subtle and so easy to fall into.

James 1:23-25
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues [in it], and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Submission is not the most popular word these days. It is a shame. It is a word that represents great freedom! When we recognize and respect the structure that God has set up in all aspects of our lives, whether that is in our job (that's not part of my job description, why should I do that?), school,(if the teacher gives him detention, I will just go up there and complain to the principal), family (my husband is always late paying the bills, I'm going to start managing the checkbook myself), or church (there's no way I'm helping in the nursery, I paid my dues teaching Sunday school last year), when we see that the place God has us is a place of value, we can find security and true joy despite less-than-perfect circumstances. Our obedient response in these situations glorifies the Lord to those around us, speaking volumes about our walk with Christ.

When we are in line with where God wants us to be, when we are operating in the structure that the Lord has set in place (in our attitudes, not just for show or to get approval), then we are free to enjoy the benefits of God's blessings, walking in the truth that sets us free! When our reactions to authority are fleshly, judgemental and rebellious we open ourselves up to being a tool of the enemy. Furthermore, God will either discipline us or just leave us to the fruit of our own devices (which can have way more repercussions than His discipline!). Either way, it is His tender, patient love for us that will use these tools to get us back where we need to be.

Romans 2:4
Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Unfortunately, any behavior can become a habit that can take years to recognize and overcome; in the mean time, it has wreaked havoc in our own lives and that of other believers, pastors included. Prayerfully consider your attitude toward those that God has placed over you. If you are one that has walked away from a church in rebellion and judgement, what should you do? It is not an easy task to humble oneself and apologize for something that may have happened years prior. Thankfully, if the Lord has brought you to the place of recognizing this sin, it is His Holy Spirit that will give you the strength, the humility, the words and timing to repent and seek forgiveness. Jesus is in the reconciliation business! Look what He has done in reconciling sinful you and me to His holy being! Truly nothing is too hard for our Lord, not even years of ingrained habits. He will do the transforming, just respond to His gentle nudging and experience the peace of embracing the place God has created especially for you. Truly we can learn to bloom where the Lord has planted us!

Psalm 81:12-16
"But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would [have] none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels. "Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn My hand against their adversaries. The haters of the LORD would pretend submission to Him, But their fate would endure forever. He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you."

Finding Balance

Balance is defined as, "poise; to be proportionate to; to be in equilibrium; be even". Not that I know this from experience, on the contrary; I know this because I just looked it up in the dictionary! But -oh!- isn't that what we all long for in life?

Whether we home school or not, it takes very little effort to swing the pendulum of busyness in one direction or another. We all tend to live in a lopsided world. We eat too much, we clean too much (not my particular hang up), we work too hard, we watch too much TV, we play on the computer too long (guilt, guilt!). One way or another, we all tend to be drawn to certain things, at times compulsively, and to the detriment of many other things in the process.

Homeschooling adds a whole new dimension to this little foible. We can bury ourselves beneath the load of school work and laundry, never to know who we really are at the end of the day. We can get way off on a tangent and study something to death, neglecting all other subjects. (For me, it is always a temptation to read good books to my children FOR HOURS)!

As the teacher, we can become so consumed with teaching we forget about about mothering or being that fun-loving wife our husband once knew. It just doesn't take long to find ourselves so far off balance that we live in regret, guilt and remorse. We are overweight, under rested, and a bundle of nerves that aren't much fun to be around.What's a woman to do?

QUIT!

OK, not really. I think one key idea is to learn to say "no" to some things we would really like to do (plan that field trip, design that unit study), and learn to say "yes" to some other things that we really should do, but often do not want to! So many of us don't take the time to read a book for ourselves, to exercise (not just for ourselves but to be good examples to our children and to have a quality of life with them and our husbands), and most importantly: spend time in the Word getting a real perspective on things! I am guilty, guilty, guilty of all this and more.

Thanks be to God that His mercies are new every morning! So wonderfully true, but how can I take a step toward changing life long habits? What are some pointers that can help us stay on the pathway of balance? There are several practical steps that can be taken.

A good place to start is by talking to your husband. Tell him how you feel. Chances are he feels the same way about much in his life and it will be good just to discuss these issues together. Ask your husband where he thinks you may be "living lopsided". What are some things that may be important to him that you perhaps never manage to do? I think we must truly start by serving our husbands. Our children should not demand the first portion of our priorities, if they do then we are starting off out of balance and that just causes further complications.

Secondly, talk to your kids. Are you wearing them out? Are they wearing you out? Are there some subjects that can be let go of or done less frequently? Are you slave to the curriculum when there are some things that could be skimmed over or skipped all together (some of you may be choking on such a thought!)? Are there chores that can be delegated to the children? Are they so busy with school they have no free time nor time spent quietly with their heavenly Father? Often putting balance in the lives of our children will cause us to strike more balance on our own.

Remember, you are HOME schooling. Key word: HOME. Sometimes we just become a taxi for our children's climb to the top of Mount Valedictorian.

Finally, above all, ask the Lord to reveal to you what your priorities should be. This may be a process that happens through some of the above suggestions. It may be something he shows you privately. It may be through a friends caring remark...but you won't know it if you aren't looking for it!

I remember being convicted about using the expression, "there aren't enough hours in the day." That is really a lie from our overly scheduled culture. The Lord has given us 24 hours and He has set before us a home and a family and a vision for both. He has a designated time and season for everything, even our messy, crazy lives!

Now, if I can just remember everything I said here, maybe tomorrow I can get it right.

I Blog, Therefore, I Am

Welcome to my blog!

I have, it seems, been living in the Dark Ages of technology. Sticking to reading books made of paper (gasp!), using Snail Mail (well, just occasionally) and sticking to email (I guess that would time warp me from Dark Ages to the Victorian Era).

Alas, I have finally crawled out from under my rock and have gone cyber! Today is a brand spankin' new day for me; I have created a Face-book (something friends have been urging me to do) AND began my own blog (something I have been urging myself to do)!What kind of writer am if I cannot communicate my thoughts and opinions at light speed? Certainly not one cut from the fabric of the "relevant-writers-market," that I long to be a part of!

I will point out that all of my original books are kept neatly in a "Word" document and not in a pile of messy papers floating around the flat surfaces of my home.

So, here's to a day of new beginnings! Maybe because the "Big 4-0" is looming dangerously close, I feel this need to reinvent the wheel...or at least myself!I really hope what I post here will be useful, thought-provoking, and encouraging for all who link their way to my opinions.

Many blessings, many blogs!
Heather