Heart of the Matteris having an on-line discussion on the book:
Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by :Todd Wilson here are my thoughts on the first chapter of the book.
In this first chapter Todd points out the foundation of lies and where they originate. Boy is he right on.
John 8: 44 "… your father the devil, …..and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
In order to combat the lies we must get a good grip on where they come from.
Here is the list that Todd gives in the Book as what we need to know about lies:
1. Lies are not the truth.
2. Satan is behind every single lie.
3. Women are prone to believing lies.
4. If believed, lies become truth to the one who believes them.
5. Life is about what you believe.
6. Lies leave the believer feeling defeated
What lie might I fall prey to?
If I don’t keep my focus it could be:
They’re not getting a good enough education. But then I just step back and rethink it. Oh, yes they are I have to tell myself. I can see it in that many high schoolers out of public school can’t even give simple correct change, or don’t even know who the president or vice-president are, OR even they don’t have the foggiest clue as to geography. So then I have to tell myself that is a lie and I’m doing my best with God’s help.
Or maybe the lie of socialization. I have to say. Forget it my girls can carry on a conversation with any person; old and young alike. They will talk your leg off if you let them. Daughter # 1 is 16 and in the 11th grade - has been promoted to shift supervisor at her job, and given the responsibility of fielding complaints that come into her work place. Now, tell me if she can’t socialize how could she have gotten the job.?
We all hear lies from time to time. It’s what we do with them that counts. Do we dwell on them or discard them with the truth. We need to have our armour on and be ready for battle at all times.
I Peter 3:8 – "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
Eph. 6:10- "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"
When I say goodmorning I mean to say: G-od
O-ffers us His
O-utstanding
D-evotion to
M-ake us
O-bedient &
R-eady for a
N-ew day with Him.
I-nspire others please, and
N-ever forget
G-od loves you!
Heart of Matter posted a quote for those who wanted to comment on it to do so. It got me to thinking. I'm going to think in my post here today. The quote is this....
"Clearly there is an appropriate kind of sheltering. When those who are opposed to homeschooling accuse me of sheltering my children, my reply is always, 'What are you going to accuse me of next, feeding and clothing them?" ~R.C. Sproul Jr
Shelter what is it anyway?? Dictionary defintion:
• to protect or sheild from storms....
• to protect from troubles....
I don't think I've been accused of this before, at least not to my face verbally. Not like the socialization one. Though back in Feb. I did post an article on my blog about this very subject. Sheltering our children. You may read it @ my Treasure Box blog We can't shelter them too much is my view. I grew up in a Christian home, went to Christian schools-elementery, HS and college. My husband on the other hand was opposite and he has many scars and regrets and things he'd wished he hadn't done. I grew up nieve not sheltered. My parents never talked to me about private matters. I want to be the one to tell my daughters about the birds and the bees not have them hear about it in some group setting or on the playground or where ever else. I know some that send their kids to public school and they say they are too 'street smart'. Most kids know far more than what they need to know. We have to live in this world til God takes us out of this world. But that doesn't mean we have to be like the world. Is there such a thing as being too cautious? I don't think so! They'll learn it soon enough. I'll tell them what I want them to know when I want them to know it. Thank-you
I don't mean we need to keep them nieve about things. But I want to be the one to give them the information not some friend that has heard it from a friend, who heard it from a friend and so on. This is the way I was brought up. You didn't talk of certain things. I remember a friend one time when she was spending the night at my house discussing the matter briefly with me. I truly didn't know about the birds and the bees when I got married. My mom never talked to me about the whys or whats of my monthly. It just happened and I learned to live with it. I did things different with my girls they knew about it and when it happened I was there to guide them through and explain the whys. I wouldn't want anyone else to explain this to them. When the time is right we'll go into more detail but that is for me to decide as a parent. I decided a long time ago my girls would go to their wedding night with mom's knowledge not nieve like mom was. If sheltered is getting information to your kids when we know they are ready to handle it then more power to it. I'm all for it. Each child matures at a different rate. That's for the parent to decide. Birds and the Bees isn't all that we want to shelter our children on I was just using it as an example.
My girls are in no means isolated from the world. They see things in other teens at church. They have actually broken down and cried for those teens in our church. I dare to say that the other teens have cried for my girls. Sheltered they aren't they see it all around them. We just are teaching them to see it from God's eyeview. We are here to help them understand it.
I don't believe sheltering is bad, if done properly to train our children not only to discern right from wrong, but have the ability to choose right rather than wrong. There is an appropriate kind of sheltering as we seek to raise our children according to God’s standards of right and wrong.
This kind of sheltering as I see it isn't locking them away from the bad; It's exposing the bad according to God's Word. And I want to be the one to do it not let someone else do it for me.
You know I've heard the saying, "You are what you eat." Before but I saw it in a different light after reading this little article that was in a newsletter that I receive. Was kind of interesting so just thought I'd post it for others to ponder.
GOD'S AMAZING AND CREATIVE DESIGN
Author unknown - Posted in Mar. 5th, 2008 addition of
HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled by Lois Breneman
GOD'S AMAZING AND CREATIVE DESIGN
A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye ... and YES science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Eggplant, Avocadoes and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female -- they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility.
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.
Grapefruits, Oranges, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.
I'm trying to clean out my 200 + e-mails today and ran across this thought provoking diddy so just thought I'd give you all food for the thought today.
What equals 101%?
Take a look at this...
101%
From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:
What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?
Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?
We have all been in situations where someone wants you to GIVE OVER
100%.
How about ACHIEVING 101%?
What equals 100% in life?
Here's a little mathematical formula that might help answer these
Questions
If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Take twelve whole months.
Clean them thoroughly of all bitterness,
hate, and jealousy.
Make them just as fresh and clean as possible.
Now cut each month into twenty-eight, thirty, or
thirty-one different parts,
but don't make up the whole batch at once.
Prepare it one day at a time out of these ingredients.
Mix well into each day one part of faith,
one part of patience, one part of courage,
and one part of work.
Add to each day one part of hope,
faithfulness, generosity, and kindness.
Blend with one part prayer, one part meditation,
and one good deed.
Season the whole with a dash of good spirits,
a sprinkle of fun, a pinch of play,
and a cupful of good humor.
Pour all of this into a vessel of love.
Cook thoroughly over radiant joy,
garnish with a smile,
and serve with quietness, unselfishness,
and cheerfulness.
You're bound to enjoy your year as you partake of it!
This came through my desk and just thought I'd post it. While out Christmas shopping I was taken back when the clerk actually said, "Merry Christmas" Why? I guess because anymore you don't hear clerks say that we have to be politically correct now days. I'm going to make it a point to call the store and praise the clerk for this. Looking back on it I should have right then thanked him for doing so. I'm not a very impromptu person. I always think of things after the fact. Anyway just thought I'd post this thought for you all and wish you all a Merry Christmas before it comes and goes and I don't get to do so.
Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
The "politically correct" police had taken away
The reason for Christmas - no one could say!
The children were told by their schools not to sing
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
"It might hurt people's feelings," the teachers would say.
"December 25th is just a Holiday!"
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit,
pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X Box, an I-Pod.
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa,
in hopes to sell books by Franken and Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down,
At Lowe's the word Christmas was nowhere to be found.
At K-mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas, it won't touch your ears.
"Inclusive", "Sensitive", "Diversity",
Are words that used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, now Darden, now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen,
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
to eliminate Jesus in all public matters.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith,
forbidden to speak of salvation by grace.
The true gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded.
The reason for the season stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate "Winter Break" under your "Dream Tree",
sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say!
Shout, "MERRY CHRISTMAS," not "Happy Holidays."
We don't celebrate Halloween but here is a neat little object lesson thought to think on today. It isn't my original. Author is unknown to me. It just came across my desk so I'm sharing it.
A woman was asked by a coworker, What is it like to be a Christian?
The coworker replied, It is like being a pumpkin.
God takes you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt
off of you.
Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.
He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed.
Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside
of you to shine for all the world to see.
Matthew 5:16 - "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (KJV)
I have come across a website that is just beautiful. I have seen if several times and will probably watch it again when I need a fix for our beautiful America. Watch this video and travel across the Great USA. It is Absolutely Gorgeous! http://oldbluewebdesigns.com/mybeautifulamerica.htm
Choices, Choices we make them everyday! It keeps coming back in different ways through personal devotions, personal reading or in my hubby's preaching. We all make choices, young and old alike. Some are simple and easy to make others take more time and effect us more than other choices we make. God has given us a free will to make our own choices. We read in the Bible and in literature of many choices that were made some were good choices and some not so good. God gives us these examples in the Bible to learn from and either follow or turn from.
Some examples of those who did right are: Josiah - II Chronicles 34:3, 31, 33 "... he began to seek after the God of David his father: ...And the king ...made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.; And Josiah ...departed not from following the LORD,... " (KJV) Job - Job 2:3 "Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity,.. (KJV) Joshua - Joshua 24:15 - "...choose you this day whom ye will serve;... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
Our first and main choice should be to seek the Lord in everything we do.
Matt. 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;..." (KJV)
Col. 3:23 "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord,..." (KJV)
We all can make a difference. How big of a difference are you going to make? The choice is up to you. What are you going to do to make a difference today? The choice is up to you. Who are you going to represent today? The choice is up to you.
Some just make a bigger splash in life than others. How big of a splash are you going to make?
We all like to have our little comfort zone and stay there. Change is hard and it doesn't come easy for most people. This weekend change has been in much of my reading and all so I feel impressed to make a few comments on what I have read and heard about change.
Change happens one step at a time. Maybe it is for the good and I do hope that is the case, but we can also take steps backward and change for the bad, which I hope won't happen. Isa. 53:6 - " All we like sheep have gone astray;..." (KJV) Usually, it is so gradual that we don't even notice the change taking place until we step back and take a look and evaluate our situation.
II Chron. 7:14 - "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (KJV)
What are some things God would desire to see changed in us from this verse?
* our attitude - "humble themselves" we need a servant's attitude.
* our spirit - "pray" we need a spirit of dependence on Him alone.
* our patience - "seek My face" we need to be willing to wait for God's timing not our own.
* our obedience - "turn from their wicked ways" we need to repsonsed in obedience to His command.
Though we are now under grace God has given us His Word to help us live our lives and use the principles that are preserved there. God hasn't changed and He never will. Mal. 3:6 - "For I am the LORD, I change not;..." (KJV)
God isn't going to force us to change. We can drift along and stay in our comfort zone. Change depends on one thing - US, our desire! We must want to make the proper changes. My prayer is that you will desire to change and walk with God.
Not often does it happen but I'm the only one home now. The house is quiet!! Too quiet. Be still my soul.
God commands us in Hs word to "Be Still" Ps. 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God:..." (KJV)
It is when we are still that we can hear things. Wait listen the house is quiet and what do I hear.
The russel of the leaves as the wind moves through them.
The clicking of the dishwasher as it is on the dry cycle.
The flag on the front porch waving in the breeze.
A car that goes by on the street.
Kids playing in the neighborhood.
Chirping of birds.
Chattering of the squirrel.
Pecking of the woodpecker.
A lawn mower in the distant
A faint dog bark.
The hum of the clothes dryer.
The garbage truck in the alley.
The rain that is coming down.
Thank you God, that You have given me ears that hear! May my heart be open to hear Your voice in the quietness of the day.
Today as I was getting ready for the day a thought came to me from months ago.
As my family and I was visiting with friends at a restaurant one evening, their grandson (who was in 1st grade) was with them and was cutting up so my friend proceeded to talk to him and try to get him to straighten up. His comment was: "Grandma, I'm never going to grow up" So we prceeded on in his conversation asking him why was that? He said, "Because grown-ups forget how to laugh." Bingo he had hit the nail squarely on the head. I looked him squarely in the eye and said, "You know you are right."
Kids don't have a care in the world and can laugh at everything. Grown-ups are afraid to let lose and laugh. We feel we must be serious at all times. What will others think of me? But want does the Bible have to say about laughter? God says there is a time to laugh; after all who created laughter?
Ecc. 3:4 - "..... a time to laugh;....." (KJV)
Prov. 17:22 - "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:......" (KJV)
Prov. 15:13 - "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance:......." (KJV)
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." (KJV)
Yesterday as I was having my quiet time this verse was given and then again today same verse different source. So I figure I'd better take notice.
What is true Beauty? That is what I have been studing about. I'm working on putting together a home-ec course for my daughter(s) and beauty is the subject on which I'm working on right now.
Beauty is when Christ shines through and people don't see you they see Him.
I remember hearing a pastor's wife talk about being a broken vessel. She talked about the most beautiful kind of vessels are the broken ones; ones where when a candle is put inside and then lit the light shines through the cracks. Though the pot is ugly because it is cracked and broken the light shining through is what others see not the ugliness of the pot. Christ being the candle and us being the pot.
It is my prayer that people see Christ not Abi as they look at me. A heart of love and compassion for others that is what I want.
We all must have a lighter side to us and I'm hoping that in my blogs to share crafts, game ideas, recipes, funny happenings etc. I have another blog with my quiet spiritaul thoughts as well.
You give your love and friendship unconditionally. You enjoy long, thoughtful conversations rich in philosophy and spirituality. You are very loyal and intuitive.
