Two Finished Titles

I completed two different books this week. One was Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham. It was one I have been chewing on and digesting for quite some time. It has been like steak, potatoes and vegetables -- a full course meal. In fact, it was so powerful and thought provoking that I am going back through each chapter and will post a brief synopsis here in the coming days and weeks. Watch for it!

The other one, Tristan's Gap by Nancy Rue was a quick-fiction read that was well written and it kept my attention (took me about 1 1/2 days to complete) but as I read it, I kept having small, red warning flags. Because I have been know to over react too quickly in the past, I read slow, made mental notes and plowed along to the end.

The gist of the story was of a Christian family that apparently had religion but not relationship. The sixteen year old girl runs away partly because of her "patriarchal father" and "submissive mother". Prayer was mentioned, but the traditional church was somewhat mocked. In the end, she is found pregnant, delivers a baby that dies, the mother learns to stand up to the father and everybody lives happily ever after.

I have learned to trust small red flags in my conscience. I did a quick google search and found the author's blog. You can learn a lot about a person's belief system from their links. What I found were links to Brian McLaren, a known Emergent leader who has strayed so significantly from the core beliefs of Christianity. I do not know if Nancy Rue believes these things whole-heartedly, but some of the things that came out in her fiction book definitely lean this way.

My purpose is not to bash her or this book, but gently remind readers that we are called to be discerning as we read. I think the fiction genre makes this harder to accomplish due to our emotional attachment to the characters and story line. But this is no excuse not to compare everything with the truth of the only accurate standard - the Bible.

Homeschool Seedlings

When the issue of homeschool comes up, so often the words "socialize" or "sheltered" are soon accompanied by it. Recently I read a very good devotion about sheltering that summarized part of my passion for beginning this new adventure called homeschooling.

Here are some excerpts from that devotion that I found especially powerful:



Most caring parents draw a line and set limits on what they allow their children to experience. The only difference between my sheltering and theirs was that I had simply drawn our children's line in a different place. R-rated movies, magazines and books that promoted sex outside of marriage, violent video games, and other activities that violated God's Word were not a part of our family life. The standards I wanted to set were for training in righteousness, not for training in the ways of the world. Learning how to be in the world but not of it is difficult for Christians both young and old.

The unbelieving community sees us as trying to live "holier than thou," but sometimes we must allow God to sanctify us by removing ourselves from the temptations that would lead us into sin. God even commands us to run away (flee) from idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14) "and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11).

However, Jesus also gave us the example of reaching the lost by meeting them in their homes and on the streets. Finding the balance between loving the lost and not getting caught in sin takes discernment and wisdom that comes from studying God's Word, praying, and listening to the Holy Spirit.

So, how much do you shelter your children from the evil in the world without quenching the redemptive work of Christ? After all, as Christians, we are to be salt and light.

My answer to that question came one day while gardening. The Master Gardener showed me that if I transplanted my seedlings that I started inside the house into the outside garden too soon, they would die from the exposure to the elements. However, if I moved them at the right time and carefully nurtured the seedlings for a time with extra protection and fertilizer, they would grow into strong, healthy plants that would not only resist bugs, heat, and hail, but also produce an abundance of fruit.

Don't let anyone's sheltering argument convince you to transplant your precious homeschooling seedlings too early!

Lord, give me discernment to hear Your voice on how to homeschool my children, so they are effective witnesses for You. Help me ground them in Your Word and fertilize them with Your truths, so they not only survive in the world, but also flourish and change it. In Jesus' name, Amen.

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Feb. 7

The sermon for the first Sunday of the month is generally a communion or thematic message, taking a break from the regular series in Revelation.

Pastor Paul took the pulpit to give Pastor Jack a week to concentrate on his healing broken ribs. The sermon text was from Hebrews 2:8b-11. He reminded us that while Jesus was a good teacher, an example in ethical living and a good example, none of these was the primary reason he came to earth. He came to provide salvation for all who would believe.

He pointed out that the horrendous punishment Jesus experienced on the cross for 3 hours will be experienced for eternity in hell by unbelievers. Reflecting on the intensity of this sacrifice is humbling.

Just because we do not currently see all things subjected to Him, the fact is that all things are indeed subject to Him, and one day all creation will acknowledge this fact.

Quiet Time Connect

Our family began a new series of devotion books for our personal quiet time each morning. They were recommending by our former associate pastor, Kevin Boaz.

The absolute beauty of this system is that Word of Life offers Quiet Times for all ages:

• Early Learners (ages 4- 6)
• Children (grades 1-6)
– Challengers (grades 1-2)
– Conquerors (grades 3-4)
– Champions (grades 5-6)
• Students (grades 7-12)
• Adults (includes brief commentary of the passage)


All the Quiet Times CONNECT because they are based on the same passages.

• Adult and Student versions contain the entire passage.
• Grades 3-6 cover a few less verses in the same passage.
• Early Learner and grades 1-2 cover one key thought and use identical verses.

Age-specific goals define the progression of purpose for each Quiet Time age group:

• Early learners—Establishing Biblical Thoughts
• Children—Establishing Biblical Habits
• Teens—Establishing Biblical Principles
• Adults—Establishing Biblical Lifestyles


Phil and I and each of the 3 girls are anxious EVERY morning to get up and read the passage and do the activity/journal for the day. Phil or I go through Timothy's with him.

One great thing is to bring it all together as part of our family devotions in the evening. We ask each other, “What did you learn from your Quiet Time today?” Because we are all studying the same passage, we supplement our own devotion time by listening to insights that each other have shared.



A sample page from the adult book (Phil and I each have our own.)

A page from the same passage from Tim's book.

And from Lindsay's book.

Throughout this year we will cover the following:

Psalms 77-103 for 5 weeks.
Ephesians - 3 weeks
Joshua - 3 weeks
Titus & Philemon - 1 week
Revelation - 7 weeks
Judges - 2 weeks
Amos & Obadiah - 1 week
John - 10 weeks
Proverbs 16-20 - 2 weeks
Zechariah - 3 weeks
Hebrews - 6 weeks
1 Corinthians - 6 weeks
2 Timothy - 2 weeks
Jonah & Micah - 1 week

Here is a picture of Allie up very early one morning working on her devotion for the day.

The suggested template for Quiet Time Connect is:

1. Passage: Read the passage out loud before you discuss it. You may have one family member read it or all participate by taking turns reading a verse.

2. Participation: Although you may have certain family members take a lead role, strive for participation from everyone.

3. Principle: Discuss the key thought of the passage, realizing that family members may have focused on different aspects of the passage. As a parent, you can get help with this in your commentary each day.

4. Practical Truth: Discuss some ways to apply the key thought in everyday life.

5. Practice: (Application) Have each person decide an action step to apply in their personal life. This may come from your discussion of the practical truth. Your goal is to help your family learn how to go from the principle (truth) to practice (lifestyle).

6. Preview: Take time to mention the next day’s Quiet Time and create some excitement and anticipation.

7. Prayer: Don’t just begin/end in prayer, but use a variety of ideas for your prayer time.

This devotion series has been amazing tool in our family and we are so excited that there are 5 more years worth of books so that we will cover the entire Bible in our devotion time. As one of the pages in my book points out, "Rather than using the Word to illustrate a point, the Word of God is the point."

You can download the PDF brochure here. Feel free to ask questions by commenting below.

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Jan. 31

Victims and Vengeance was the title of the sermon from Revelation 6:9-17. The main truth from this section was powerful: Believers who suffer the wrath of man will be vindicated by the wrath of God.

The fifth seal is martyrdom and Pastor Jack made a very insightful point regarding being a martyr. He said that while most of us may never have to be physically killed for our faith, we should all be prepared for it and realize that dying to ourselves daily in terms of worldly pleasures and passions is just as important.

Judgment is coming and those that know God best do not judge HIM for the coming wrath, they worship HIM. For they know that He is holy, perfect and just and His love is never compromised in righteous judgment!

Would you be willing to die physically for your faith? What about daily?

"He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Jim Elliot