A 2nd Generation of Homeschooling

Raising Indigenous Missionaries

2012-01-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

"And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews... to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law... I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some." 1 Corinthians 9:20-22

Indigenous Missionaries are individuals who originate in a particular region or country and who boldly share the Gospel of Jesus. Since our children are natural citizens of America, and since the ones who have trusted in Jesus as their Savior have been commissioned by Jesus to share the Good News of the salvation that He freely gives, they are perfectly placed to live out the role of an Indigenous missionary.

We can probably all agree that being a native missionary is a commendable goal for our children, though they may also be called to be a foreign missionary as adults. So, what about the training process? Must we wait until they are a certain age? Should they plan on attending Bible college before actively learning how to practically share their faith? What should our focus be in these formidable years?

First, WHO did Jesus command to go?

The Great Commission - Matthew 28:16-20

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'”

In that passage there is something deeper to think over: "Therefore go" is not the best translation. An expanded translation that better reflects the Greek text is:

"As you go through life, wherever you may have been born, wherever God may take you, as a habitual practice of life, make disciples . . ." (Matt. 28:19).

So, while there is a need to go to the ends of the earth and preach the Good News, there is a commission given to EACH believer that tells us to make disciples HABITUALLY, AS we go through life!

Secondly, HOW can this be accomplished?

Where has God called me (Lisa) to go in life? He has called me to be a wife and a mother. Since Mark is my spiritual leader, I am not called to make a disciple of him. But Mark and I have been called, as our children’s parents, to make disciples of them and to train them in the way of Jesus at ALL times (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). The first way our family accomplishes this is through homeschooling!

Another one of the many ways we are training our “little disciples” is to allow them to participate in our ministry – our family’s ministry - to those at abortion clinics. We minister to them where they are and we share with them the Good News and Hope that only Jesus can bring! Many times we get to minister to these men and women, both on a short-term and long-term basis. So in essence, we go about this particular ministry, making disciples by reaching souls outside of abortion clinics. (for more info: check the Pro-Life and Family Ministry categories)

When you train up disciples you have to equip them with the tools they need to share and defend their faith! We train them “as they go”, teaching them through the many opportunities that present themselves in real life, and preparing them before hand through doctrinal overview (discussing why we believe what we believe) and through evangelism training. I highly recommend evangelism training through Ray Comfort’s ministry, Living Waters. Their resources are great! Another good one, for learning about solid scientific defenses for our faith is through Ken Ham’s ministry, Answers In Genesis. Through nightly family worship, we study the Scriptures and hide the Word in our hearts!

What are YOU doing?

So where have you been called to serve? How can you and will you purposefully share your own faith, as well as train your children up to know and experience sharing their faith as children, teens and young adults?

2012 Metzger Homeschool Schedule - Year-round with Multiple Grade Levels

2012-01-03T18:01:00.000-08:00

I'm really enjoying our school schedule this year! Since we school year-round, taking a few breaks during the year and a larger break between Thanksgiving and New Years, our grade levels are "in between" for some of the children. They all go at their own pace and complete their school years at different times during the year. Below is how we have worked it all out! Hope it sparks some imagination in your own home school!

Kaitlyn (12 years, 9th Grade) 2012

Monday – Consumer Mathematics, Vocabulary Cartoons x 3, Oral Language Plus, American Literature, The Daily Spark, Music Theory Review, 4H Projects
Tuesday – Consumer Mathematics, The Daily Spark x 2, Choir/Theory, 4H Projects
Wednesday – Consumer Mathematics, Vocabulary Cartoons x 3, Oral Language Plus, American Literature, The Daily Spark, Online Geography, MOH, God’s Design For Life x 2 @ 4:30, Missions Reading/book report, 4H Projects
Thursday – Consumer Mathematics, Vocabulary Cartoon Review, The Daily Spark, Music Theory Review, 4H, Wilderness, 4H Projects
Friday – Community Service, Geography, 4H Projects, Read and Understand Science x 1

Ethan (11, 7th/8th grade) 2012

Monday – Pre-Algebra x 2, Typing, Reading, Oral Language Plus, 4H Projects
Tuesday – The Daily Spark, FFHA, Reading, 4H Projects
Wednesday – Pre-Algebra x 2, The Daily Spark, Oral Language Plus, Online Geography, MOH, Reading, God’s Design For Life x 2 @ 4:30, 4H Projects
Thursday – Pre-Algebra x 1, Silly Starters with Trey, Reading, typing, 4H
Friday – Community Service, Geography, Read and Understand Science x 1

Trey (9 years, 5th/6th grade) 2012

Monday – The Daily Spark, Math x 1, Typing, Reading, 4H Projects
Tuesday – Math x 2, FFHA, Reading, 4H Projects
Wednesday – The Daily Spark, Online Geography, MOH, Reading, God’s Design For Life x 2 @ 4:30, 4H Projects
Thursday – Math x 2, Silly Starters with Ethan, reading, typing, 4H
Friday – Community Service, Geography, Read and Understand Science x 1

Jake (7 years, 3rd grade) 2012

Monday – Math grade 3 x 2, Language 3, Typing, Reading, 4H Projects
Tuesday – Math grade 3x 1, FFHA, Reading, 4H Projects
Wednesday – Math grade 3x 1, Online Geography, MOH, Reading, God’s Design For Life x 2 @ 4:30, 4H Projects
Thursday – Math grade 3x 1, Language 3 x 2, Typing, Reading, 4H
Friday – Community Service, Geography, Read and Understand Science x 1

Julia (6 years, K5/1st grade) 2012

Monday –Math 1st grade x 1, Reading Advanced K5, 4H Projects
Tuesday – Math 1st grade x 1, FFHA, 4H Projects
Wednesday – Reading Advanced K5, Geography, 4H Projects, God’s Design For Life x 2 @ 4:30 Thursday – Math 1st grade x 2, Typing, 4H
Friday – Community Service, Geography, Read and Understand Science x 1

Ellie (Pre-K) 2012

Monday - Thursday: "Preschool" and Rod and Staff

Judah (Nothing formal at all, just 3 years old) 2012

Monday - Thursday: "Preschool" with his big sister so that he can learn how to count, address, phone number, birthday, days of week, months of year, etc. Workbook from Wal-Mart.

Eva (11 months...play, play, eat, nap, play) 2012

*FFHA is Fun and Fitness Homeschool Athletics (mainly P.E. and pick-up sports games)

*4H for our children includes: Veterinary Science, sewing, Robotics, Wilderness, Animal Sciences, (and in the past - Rabbits, Pre-Flight, Dogs)

*MOH is Mystery of History On the day we do that, we do 3 lessons plus work on our timeline!

*Science reading is nature, animal and Creation sciences that we read aloud. Experiments are also done at that time. Again, we will do two or three lessons at a time.

*Geography Video/Presentation is when one of our children chooses a country in a continent I choose. They find a YouTube video (with me by their side to "screen" them) or a Netflix video. They also do a presentation on that country and everyone learns to locate that country on the globe.

*Games are all educational in nature (money counting, math, geography, etc.)

*Community Service projects are like this and this and more in that section!

*Doubling Up! Our children double up on certain subjects on different days so that we can devote Fridays to more fun activities and to community outreach. Since we school year-round, some subjects are only done 4 days per week.

This plan is not set in stone and will probably be tweaked as the year goes forward! Ahhhh...the beauties of homeschooling!

Merry Christmas 2011! Metzger Newsletter

2011-12-24T12:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from all the Metzgers! We pray you come to know Jesus or to know him better!

HERE is our family's Christmas Newsletter for 2011!

Cities4Life Dinner with Alex Kendrick!

2011-12-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

Cities4Life is another project that Mark and Lisa have been working on all year with other visionary leaders of the pro-LIFE community here in Charlotte. We are thrilled to be able to debut the website this month, as well as host the Cities4Life annual dinner, with guest speaker Alex Kendrick of the hit Christian movie, “Courageous”.

Cities4Life is not simply an event or a ministry; it is a culture. Cities4Life seeks to transform the culture of death brought about by abortion to a culture of LIFE in our cities as we work to mobilize the Body of Christ to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. This is accomplished by uniting and supporting grassroots, Gospel-centered ministries, families, and individuals dedicated to proclaiming the love of Jesus Christ and providing tangible support to abortion-minded mothers at local abortion centers.

We are very excited to see how God will be able to use this ministry to save more lives and souls for His Glory! See Alex Kendrick's message below about Cities4Life!

Jesus' Atoning Blood!

2011-12-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

"But if we walk in the light we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from ALL SIN"!!! 1 John 1:7 Thank JESUS that HE ALONE covers ALL of our sins when we repent and accept Him as our Savior! Thank you, Lord, for YOUR atoning blood!

We MUST TRUST in JESUS ALONE and His sacrifice on the cross. Putting our trust in something WE can do for our salvation brings a curse on us! See below. Love it!

Jeremiah 17:5-8 "This is what the LORD says: ..."Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”"

Free - Prepare your HEART and HOME for Christmas!

2011-12-06T11:06:00.000-08:00

Want more meaning in your Christmas this year, celebrating the real reason for the season?

Read our first issue of Kaleo about preparing your home and heart for Christmas! This is a great FREE online magazine from At The Well, where I write monthly devotionals and homeschool help articles. In this issue, my "article" is featured on the cover - the Advent/Activity Calendar. Enjoy! It's FREE! Click "FULL SCREEN" to see it.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Oprah Denies Jesus...why do Christians insist on following her?

2011-12-04T08:22:00.000-08:00

Blessed!

2011-11-21T17:37:00.000-08:00

See more on this video HERE! And then photos below...

Thank you, Jesus, for your little creation; for a wonderful Thanksgiving gift!

Be in the world and not of it? Is that Biblical?

2011-11-18T13:13:00.000-08:00

How does one apply "be in the world, not of it"? I think, without
sinning, we need to stay current with the changing of the world. I know of youth pastors who have read Twilight so they can better relate to their youth who were obsessed with it, or to stay current on fashion (when it does not become immodest). Becoming immersed in the world is not an option, but staying clear of it's trends isn't an option either. Just because the world changes all of its ways (usually for the worse) does not mean that we have to stay in ours.

The Bible clearly points out that we are to flee sinful things (such as Twilight) and focus on things that are pure. "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." – Philippians 4:8

To focus on vampires for educational purposes of any kind is plain evil. Why do we need to immerse ourselves in evil, in order to abhor and rebuke those entwined within it? Look at what the Bible says about those who eat or drink blood...."'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood—I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. Therefore I say to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood." Leviicus 17:10-12

I don't see where imitating the world is advised in Scripture. In fact, all I see is the direct opposite (see verses below). I'm also wondering where this "in the world but not of it" is coming from anyway?

"...the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one." 1 John 5:19

"When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there." Deut. 18:9

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15

"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." 2 Corinthians 6:17

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. **If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.** As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. " John 15:18-19

"They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified." John 17:16-20 [sanctify means to be made holy]

"Friendship with the world is enmity to God." James 4:4

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:1-2

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

"Do not be deceived: 'Evil company corrupts good habits.' Awake to righteousness, and do not sin...." 1 Corinthians 15:33-34

We need to be set apart for Jesus! Our focus should not be on the world and their ways, but solely on Jesus and HIS plan for our lives. We will be different from the world, and we will be hated for it. Why work so hard on conforming the outside to blend in, when our motives in this world should stand out and be so different?

Great Advent Adventure and Devotional! Jotham's Journey - Great for the ENTIRE family!

2011-11-16T08:19:00.000-08:00

This series is a GREAT Advent story and devotional! A friend recommended this series a few years ago and we have really enjoyed them! Last year we did Bartholemew's Passage for Advent and Amon's Adventure for Resurrection Day. Our children LOVE these and literally begging us to read more every night! What a hit! Click here to see more...

Is Abortion Okay in Cases of Rape?

2011-11-11T17:01:00.000-08:00

Hear one woman's story of dealing with her abortion because of rape. God creates life and NO ONE has the right to take that life away for ANY reason!

Favorite Homeschool Mom Blog

2011-11-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

I just found out that my blog was nominated for "Favorite Homeschool Mom Blog" at The 2011 Homeschool Blog Awards! Please cast a vote for me, HERE, if you like my blog! Thanks! ;)

Great Deals in Your City!

2011-11-02T06:32:00.000-07:00

Check out this new site that is like Groupon for MOMS! I already purchased a great deal! $20 got me a $40 gift certificate to be used at a local super nice children's consignment store. Simply go HERE to sign up and enter in your city to see your local deals! Very nice!

True Knowledge

2011-11-02T05:27:00.000-07:00

Below is an excerpt from my post today on At The Well.

“I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place their child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not increasingly occupied with the Word of God must become corrupt.” Martin Luther, A.D. 1537

Martin Luther’s quote is direct, yet honest and full of truth. Since Luther was a lover of the Word of God, His thoughts were likely based on how he viewed the Bible to be the beginning of all knowledge and how we, as humans, are nothing apart from God. Therefore, he determined that we need spiritual teaching above all other academic instruction. Do we need to throw aside reading, writing and arithmetic? Of course not. Since the foundation determines the stability of all else that is built above, we must look at what the groundwork of our children’s education is, as well as what it should be. Without diligent instruction about our Creator God; without a true understanding of what He desires for our lives, True wisdom and knowledge will never be attained.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning [first-fruits; principle thing] of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7

What is the fear of God? READ THE REST HERE...

Pennies from Heaven: What is a Penny Worth To You?

2011-10-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

A single penny has very little worth. It is small, typically drab in color and when used by itself, can buy virtually nothing! Because they are not seen as valuable, pennies are stored in jars, lost in cars and even tossed to the ground, without any thought.

It is estimated that average American household has $93.75 worth of pennies stashed in jars, empty containers, lost behind sofa cushions, and hidden in old purses.In many ways people today view unborn human life the same way – worthless and without value.

With nearly 3700 abortions performed daily in the US, these human lives are just “tossed to ground” like a worthless penny. On January 22, 1973 a landmark decision was made by the Supreme Court of the United States.

The trial Roe v. Wade ended with a decision to legalize abortion – giving an open door for all women to legally get rid of what they deemed worthless…their baby. Sadly, January 22, 2013 marks the 40th anniversary of this legislation. It is estimated that over the course of those 40 years, 57 million babies will have lost their lives. A number so large is often times unfathomable and when it is applied to human life, it becomes unconscionable!

What is a penny worth to you? Would you be willing to give something so small to be a part of something big?

A group of dedicated individuals are working together to collect 57 million pennies, one for each life lost due to the Roe v. Wade decision. The target date to reach this goal is the 40th anniversary of this legislation, January 22, 2013.

Collection of these pennies will serve two purposes:

1) To create a visual memorial showing the magnitude of lives lost due to this legislation

2) To purchase life saving booklets that will be donated to crisis pregnancy centers, sidewalk counselors and other pro-life organizations that work directly with abortion minded women

Do you see value in a penny? Every time you see one, would you think of baby who was never given the opportunity to take a first breath, who never felt the warmth of sunshine and never experienced the hugs and kisses of a mommy who loved him. Instead of tossing the penny in a jar or on the ground, would you save it and send it to us?

Pennies can be sent to: PO Box 5742Cocord, NC 28027

If they are too heavy to ship and you want to just send us a dollar or more, we will change them back to pennies when received.

To learn more about the Pennies From Heaven project, you can send us an email . Please also like our Facebook page to receive updates. Or you can visit our website at Tiny Hands Book (project information on the website will be available by the end of November).

Life in a Family Integrated Church!

2011-10-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

I cannot say enough about how much we have spiritually grown as a family since attending our family integrated church 3 1/2 years ago. We are blessed to be surrounded by a supportive church family that meets for worship on Sundays, has a weekly fellowship potluck following the service and has monthly prayer and men and women's accountability meetings, as well as other social events!

Moving to a family integrated church was a big switch for us. Both Mark and I grew up in age-segregated churches and after we married we attended one of the largest churches in Charlotte for 9 years before making the big switch. It was different, to say the least.

However, since we began going to our church, Mark has felt encouraged by the other men to LEAD his family in nightly family worship. Was it natural to him? No. He didn't grow up with family worship. Mark tells of how his father, though a Baptist minister, only opened the Bible for family Bible reading twice a year (Easter and Christmas). This family worship thing was something that Mark learned to do. Is he a perfect teacher? No. But, then again, is anyone? Only Jesus!

All I can say, is that when men are "forced" (er, encouraged!) to lead their families in this regular spiritual mentorship, as God has them naturally programmed to do...WOW! God brings together the family in ways that couldn't be done without Dad taking that nightly spiritual leadership role! Men desire to lead their families, but are either never asked, required or allowed to take on that role.

Since starting regular family worship, our kids are now closer to Mark than ever (we have always homeschooled...he's always been very involved, just not in this aspect). They are learning Scripture and understanding Scriptural concepts that most adults can't wrap their minds around. All this is learned either alongside Mark or a day or two behind him! Mark didn't need to go to seminary. He just needed to study Scripture, read it aloud and explain the concepts as he noticed them. The Holy Spirit does the rest...and oh, how cool it is to watch Him move through our worship and Bible reading times!

I'll also say that our pastor has a wonderful way of speaking to all ages. There are concepts that our children don't understand...that's okay. They'll either ask us later (they take notes and write down their questions) or they'll catch what they can for their age and that's exactly what the Holy Spirit had in mind for them! It's kind of like when we have the littles sit in on our history or science lessons. We call it the "school bus stop approach". They listen and their brains "get off the bus" after they have exceeded their attention span. Does that mean it was fruitless? On the contrary...they learn MUCH MORE than we assumed they were able. Same with a family integrated church...we always underestimated the Holy Spirit's workings in our children's hearts and minds! DUH...they have the SAME Holy Spirit we do! ;)

I could go on and on, but I will leave it at that. Oh, and just a few weeks ago...the fathers and sons are on our church's father and son retreat! While they were there they called to say that they were having a blast and that they were all learning so much from the teaching that all the dads were doing throughout each day! I LOVE that!

For those who need idea starters on how to do family worship, here ya go! It's not difficult. It just requires a committed, godly man to take up the natural, God-given leadership role that he hungers for whether he realizes it yet or not (and in the absence of the man, the woman can take up that role in her family). For more information on how to find a family integrated church in your area, click here! To see how we teach our children to listen and learn in church, check out this blog post from a while back!

Replenish Your Soul Online Marriage Conference!

2011-10-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I have contributed monthly to the wonderful woman's ministry, At The Well, since it first began. At the Well is a place to drink deep the knowledge and life experience that comes from living a Christ-centered life as a Titus 2 woman. Each of us on the writing team and staff have a heart to see women’s lives impacted by their faith. We take great pride in our Titus 2 roles and seek to encourage and inspire one another to live fully each day embracing what we have been called to do as women.

Replenish Your Soul is a new adventure that we are embarking on to bring the knowledge and life experience of Titus 2 women straight to you!

Our first conference, To Have and To Hold, is going to be on the topic of marriage. We are so excited about the group of women we have speaking and sharing their hearts with you!

Online conferences are a low-cost opportunity to offer encouragement through live sessions right through your internet browser. If you have a computer and internet connect, then you are ready to attend!

You can watch our conference from the comfort of your living room, in your pajamas, without having to travel, and there is no need to get a baby-sitter! Anyone anywhere can attend!

What's Your Homeschool Schedule with 9 Kiddos?

2011-10-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

The most-asked question our larger-than-average family gets is this: "How do you handle all those kids AND homeschool?" Well, to be completely honest, we probably get the "How many kids do you plan on having anyway?" one even more often, but you'll have to ask God for the answer to that one. :) I, however, will attempt to explain how we do all that we do with 9 kids (one, a young adult), all while keeping the peace and order in our humble abode! So, here we go!

Mark and I have 9 blessings on earth so far (and 7 in Heaven), ages: 19, 12, 10, 9, 7, 6, 4, 2 and 8 months. Below is our usual schedule, but with a baby and a toddler and life in general this can all change at a moments notice. Overall, I like having a schedule so that the kids know what to expect and when, but I do NOT let it rule me. It's just a guide. It helps tremendously that we school year-round! It allows for extended holiday breaks and breaks throughout the year when I feel "burnout" coming. :) I am also a firm believer that just because a schedule works well for one family it might not work well for another, so keep that in mind when trying to create one of your own!

Our Schedule

7:00 - wake-up, make bed, tidy up rooms, put away night clothes and eat
7:45 - kitchen chores completed and teeth brushed
8:00 - Devotions/Scripture Memory and then the Preschool! The older kids teach younger ones preschool (it is really neat to have the older ones learn to teach their siblings...it develops their abilities in so many ways!)
8:15 - Seatwork (kids sit at kitchen table and do math/English/spelling/geography/typing - different requirements on different days). Annalise (19) blogs, Facebooks, workd on her ministry, keeps an eye on kids or bakes.
10:00 - Eva (8 months) naps.
12:00 - Everyone has finished school USUALLY. Eva is awake.
12:00 or 12:30 - Lunch
After lunch - outside play time/educational games/reading/educational DVD's or YouTube unit studies (this varies according to my whim...ha)
3:00 - Eva naps
4:00 - Kids are inside. Afternoon chores (usually it's a pretty light workload). Reading time.
5:00 - Get ready for Daddy's homecoming (vacuum, set table, ready dinner, etc.) and wake Eva 6:00 - Dinner
Kitchen Cleanup by kids while Mark and I discuss our days (this is GREAT therapy for Mommy) or read to Judah
7:30 - Family Worship

When do you feel as though you've actually ACCOMPLISHED all that you need to accomplish?

I would say that I feel as though I have accomplished everything I needed to accomplish if I have homeschooled the kids, done at least 1 load of laundry, done some everyday chores (dusting, vacuuming, counter tops, general upkeep, etc.), prepared a good meal, had the kids learn life skills of some kind, and I have basically "worked at home" all day. It varies so greatly what I do each day that I would say that if I felt as though I have been a worker at home, according to Titus 2. I am to be loving my husband, loving my children and being busy at home. If I've done that to the best of my ability, then I've accomplished a lot. However, it can get monotonous and it can feel as though I haven't accomplished much, BUT drudgery is part of motherhood and that's all part of God's perfect plan. See this post! The Proverbs 31 is an ideal woman, accomplishing A LOT. I don't believe that any woman could accomplish all that she did every day, and we need to keep that in mind or we'll drive ourselves crazy! BUT Proverbs 31 is a GREAT outline to use overall!

Any organizing tips or secrets?

1. Never leave a room empty-handed. Always return something to its proper place.
2. 30 second rule....If it takes less than 30 seconds to put away, do it immediately!
3. Have pick up time before Daddy gets home and before lunch time!
4. Teach kids to do chores and to pick up as they go (30 second rule with them, as well)

Any tips on how to get the kids to clean up after themselves?

As I've mentioned time and time again, we are big on "chore training". My kids all have chores. We use this age appropriate chore list as a guide. Our kids have chores as soon as they can crawl and they will pass them on to a younger sibling when the younger sibling is ready. The younger sibling will become the "apprentice" and the older becomes the "master or teacher". The younger will watch the older do the chore between 2 and 5 times before they attempt it themselves. Then they move onto doing the chore themselves, with the older one watching and instructing PROPERLY (no bossing allowed...Mommy's listening in). After about 2-5 times of the younger doing the chore under the older's supervision and instruction, the younger will do that chore on their own. From that point on, Mommy checks up on them randomly to see if it was completed properly. If it was not, then Mommy instructs the younger on how to correct it. Of course, age is always factored in.....I don't expect my two year old to wipe the table the way I would. BUT, they should be doing it to the best of their ability. How old should a child be when they begin having chores? Our kids start chores as soon as they can crawl, and although it's tedious to Mommy in the beginning, I've found that it pays off BIG TIME in the long run!!! What does God think about chores?

Shouldn't kids just be kids?

Unfortunately, today's society has taught us that life should be easy, kids should be kids, take the easy way out in life, but in all reality I can't find where it says any of that in Scripture. In fact, Scripture says that LEADERS and SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE will work hard! Shouldn't we be training up the future leaders of tomorrow's familys and world?

Using the below Scriptures when teaching children about chores and hard work will mold their spirits now and train them for their futures! This is why we believe that children should regularly contribute to household maintenance.

*Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and never succeed. Proverbs 12:24
*He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. Proverbs 12:11
*All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23
*Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:22-24

What are the consequences for not completing chores?

IF chores are not completed with a good attitude and without being asked/reminded, they will either have reading/play time deducted or be given extra chores. This system has worked really well and, honestly, we rarely have an issue with attitudes or chore completion. They know that Daddy and I mean business. They also are used to having chores, because they start doing chores as soon as they can walk. In fact, the older ones are so used to doing their chores and do them with a proper attitude that the younger ones CAN'T WAIT to go into an "apprenticeship" under the older ones to learn the chores! Now, yes, chores get repetitious, but they do get done with correct attitudes and without being told (the majority of the time, anyway - no one's perfect).

I hope this was of some help and an encouragement to you! May you all be WORKERS AT HOME and follow God and His Word in all you do!

Refined, Not Comfortable

2011-10-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

My quote of the week (from a previous sermon from our pastor)...

"Comfortable living produces weak character."

Truly, being comfortable seems quite desirable. Just last week, I heard on Dobson the reminder that the Christian's life is full of adversity, not always comfort and prosperity as this world defines it. So, with that in mind, I would rather be refined by my Father and a woman of Godly character than comfortable.

Apply this quote as needed in your life this week!

Birthday "season" at the Metzgers!

2011-10-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

It's birthday sesason in our house! We began a tradition last year where we have the children draw names, instead of everyone buying for Kaitlyn and everyone buying for Trey and so on. Doing it the old way made for many "discussions" on what's to be gotten for that person. This way makes shopping for that special someone a little more exciting. Mommy and Daddy also give them gifts, but ours are more educational or super-special (ears getting pierced, promise rings, multi-tools, etc.).

Ellie got to buy birthday gifts for Kaitlyn! Analise bought for Ellie! And Jake bought for Julia! Look at the looks on the givers' face...it's almost more excited than the one receiving. So sweet! And SUCH fun!

As is tradition in our home, the birthday person receives one of Daddy's "famous" Mickey Mouse chocolate chip pancakes! Mmm!
Kaitlyn turned 12 years old on September 27th!
Julia turned 6 on October 7th!

Ellie turned 4 on October 8th (she is 2 years and 1 day younger than Julia)!

2011 Life Chain and Julia and Ellie's Birthday Ministry!

2011-10-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to JULIA, who turned 6 on Friday and ELLIE, who turned 4 on Saturday! Both of them wanted to sing Jesus Love Me and tell the moms about how their babies loved them! Precious! TWO Babies were saved from death during those two days of ministry...part of their God-given b-day present! The girls were both so excited!

Our church participated in the national Life Chain event on Sunday, October 2nd in Rock Hill, SC!

How do you celebrate Reformation Day?

2011-10-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

Q. Where do you go in town to celebrate Reformation Day? Is there a party nearby?

A. Well, we just do our party at home. We watch this Reformation video ahead of time and the children make a village and act out various roles, mainly of the Reformers. Though the Reformers were mostly men, our girls act as their wives and/or town people. They all dress in period costumes to the best of what we have on hand. They make "indulgences" ahead of time to sell to one another, along with a long piece of paper with the 95 theses on it! We usually have homemade bread or some treat with spiced cider, too. Here is a great link on how to make your own Reformation Day Faire!

Another fun part of the night is when we light ALL the candles all over the house to remind us of the following verse (particularly the part about what fellowship does "light have with darkness" part).

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God...Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.'"

I hope that helps a little. I found that since we prepare the day before, as well, by taking off of school that the kids REALLY look forward to planning the events of the evening. It might be just our family, but we have a blast! HERE are photos of how our family celebrates Reformation Day! Enjoy!

Reformation Overview DVD!

2011-10-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Our family has enjoyed this movie. It's 6 hours long, but it is manageable in that it's broken up into half-hour segments. WONDERFUL....and available from Netflix!

Reformation Overview - Explore what it means to believe with this thorough program designed to shed light on the Reformation by introducing key reformers and crucial events. Ideal for a classroom setting, these films are divided into 30-minute segments, with convenient topic conversions and forewords. Learn about John Wycliffe, John Hus, Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, The Anabaptists and William Tyndale, whose stories will encourage and motivate.

HERE are photos of how our family celebrates Reformation Day! Enjoy!

Serving the Homeless

2011-09-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took a field trip with our homeschool group to Bright Blessings, which is a volunteer-led non-profit organization that brings joy and support to homeless children. Their programs bring positive emotional experiences to homeless children and their families by lifting spirits, boosting confidence, broadening horizons and supporting critical needs.

The children were able to assemble birthday boxes and make wrapping paper for the books. We also had a news crew present to do a story on Bright Blessings. They told us that it will be a while before it airs and will let us know when it does. The kids were really oblivious, though, to all the camera attention because there were so many activities with which to help!

It was a wonderful experience and we'd LOVE to go back again soon. Perhaps we will lead a community service project with our 4H group to Bright Blessings.

Donations for Moms in Need!

2011-09-22T08:20:00.001-07:00

Annalise (19) received these WONDERFUL, BRAND NEW donations for Helping Hands Saving Lives (the ministry she runs that collects baby shower items for moms who choose life). A fellow sidewalk counselor was gracious enough to give these wonderful gifts for moms in need! Annalise has since passed them all on to Truth and Mercy Ministries, which throws baby showers for these moms who choose life in this area.

Love it! THIS is what life is about...giving and showing Jesus through meeting the needs of others!

Personal Matters: Family Planning

2011-09-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

I just received this comment on another post and thought it brought some things to light that I might not have discussed before. ~ Lisa

Comment: I think this is a personal matter between a couple and God. If you feel God calling you to have another child, fine. Many people feel God is *not* calling them to do so. It's important to listen to God's voice in this matter.

Response: Thank you for taking the time to comment.

You are correct on a few points.

1) It is VITALLY important to hear God's voice in this matter! How do we hear His voice? How do we know his heart? How has he chosen to impart His Will to us? Through the Bible. Have you really searched the Scriptures to know God's heart on family planning? If not, He is outspoken on the matter. I encourage you to look and to keep reading.

2) All choices, whether GOOD or BAD, are between God and the person who is making those choices. The responsibility of choosing what is godly and scriptural is on the shoulders of the individual (or couple) who is making those choices. However, when someone has come to know and understand the truth in any spiritual matter, they are required by Scripture to speak the truth in love. That is my intention with anything I ever post on family planning on my blog.

The problem with feeling that one thing is biblical for one couple and not biblical for another is that if we believe that, we have bought into relativism. Relativism is a very dangerous thought pattern that is fluent throughout our culture and now the Church. There are absolutes, in our culture through established laws, but especially in God's Word. The problem is that most Christians do not study intently on Scripture and truly search and search for their answers. The answers to our problems usually can be found in God's Word. One must be diligent in studying and applying Scripture, as well as questioning the traditions of others. The Bereans are an excellent example of listening to the opinion of others and then searching Scripture to see if it were so (Acts 17:11)!

Having a clear faith, based on the creed of the church, is often labeled today as a fundamentalism....Whereas relativism, which is letting oneself be tossed and 'swept along by every wind of teaching,' looks like the only attitude acceptable to today's standards.

"We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desires." Pope Benedict XVI

I encourage you to seek the SCRIPTURE for the answer to whether or not GOD should be able to create life when He pleases or whether or not we should dictate to Him when He should have the power to create souls within someone's womb. I encourage you to not just check off this as something that is not your business or mine, but to search Scripture and have a Biblical opinion on family planning, as GOD sees it, not as man sees it.

"One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' "Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?" Romans 9:19-21 Who is the Potter and who is the clay? What role are we taking on in this matter of family planning? Is that role Biblical or man-ordained?

For a greater Scriptural explanation on this subject (if you are truly looking for God’s say on this), look here.

Thank you for commenting! I pray you will seek and find God's truth on this matter and embrace children as He does!

And now, we wait...

2011-09-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

Our family is super excited about the upcoming arrival a precious baby boy who was saved from abortion back in April! He is due on October 15th, but could really arrive any day, as his mama has been in and out of labor (and in and out of the hospital because of that) for a few weeks now.

Truth and Mercy Ministries provided everything we needed for the baby shower for this little guy and his mama! Annalise's ministry, Helping Hands Saving Lives, also helped to collect the items needed for this special shower! Every shower is special, but this one is extra near and dear to our hearts, because this mom has kept in close contact with our family...dubbing me her "second mother".

It's been an amazing experience to counsel this girl away from abortion and toward LIFE; to host her in our home; to minister to her from afar (she's 3 1/2 hours away) and to be awaiting this precious little boy's arrival alongside her! Now, we wait on his arrival to take her ALL these items!

By the way...below is the photo of her baby shower items. This is only 9 months worth of clothing and supplies! Truth and Mercy usually provides 2 years worth of clothing, furniture and supplies, but there were space limitiations with this mama, so she requested less than 2 years. Amazing provisions! Praise Jesus for this mama and baby! And now, we wait....

Our family's work continues outside area abortion mills. We have seen SO MANY babies saved and moms change their minds about life! We've even had one salvation with a mom who chose life back in August! Praise Jesus!

(Below) Our good friend and her daughters came out to the abortion mill to work alongside us again! We love them...and are especially fond of Leanne's book that came out in April and was actually the tool that helped to turn the above-mentioned mama away from aborting her son! Leanne is the sister of fellow sidewalk counselor, Jeannette, and the author of Tiny Hands! She has a beautiful testimony of how God has changed her life and has healed her from her post-abortion trauma. If you haven't checked out Tiny Hands, please do! It's THE MOST effective sidewalk counseling tool we have ever come across! The photos are BEAUTIFUL!

Below is a photo of sidewalk counselors (myself included) praying with a mom who chose life for a baby she was carrying from an adulterous relationship. She chose to let her child continue living, instead of covering one sin with another. What a courageous decision! She left with a HUGE smile on her face, despite the fac that she was going home to break the news to her husband about this pregnancy. Please pray for "J" to continue to seek the Lord during this pregnancy!

Family Planning: Surrendering to God

2011-09-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

Q. I wanted to ask you more about your encouragement to let God plan our family. I want to get to the point where I fully surrender this and stop wondering and going back and forth after each baby...my dh was there at one point, but we both get nervous after each baby, seeing our family grow and with so many boys dh is concerned about "how we will feed them all" when they are teenagers. Anyway, it's rare to find someone who truly surrenders this area to God- no holds barred, so I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Thank you. - K.A.

A. Surrendering anything to God is HARD to do. It's dying to flesh; trusting in God more than yourself; picking up your cross without looking back. Bottom line...what does Scripture SAY on the matter? Once you've come to that point of KNOWING what you NEED to do, just do it. Throw up your hands and forfeit it all for Christ's sake.

God WILL feed those He sends. As long as you have your priorities in order (no fancy phone or cable or bigger-than-you-NEED house), the rest will fall in place. "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." Psalm 37:25 He won't send you a "blessing" just to make the child bring curses on your family! Can you do things that will curse your family (overspend, etc.)? Yes. So, keep that in mind when budgeting and living life with 3 or 20 children! It's the person who spends unwisely (usually), and not the extra child(ren) that causes the financial disturbance. In other words, it's the lifestyle that is expensive, not the child.

I will say that most people I know who wisely handle the money they are given, never see hard times. They cut back where they need to and the Lord provides. Does He sometimes stretch their faith and hold back provisions in order to make them depend on Him? Yes. And that's okay...and to be expected.

I hope this encourages you to "just do it"...what you know to be right and honorable in the eyes of God! Remember, GOD is the potter and WE are the clay! Allow HIM to form (or not form...you're not promised continued fertility!) the little souls within your womb. :)

Major Study Links Suicide and Other Mental Health Problems to Abortion

2011-09-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

An important meta-analysis published in the prestigious British Journal of Psychiatry demonstrates that nearly 10% of mental health problems in women are directly attributable to abortion. "Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995-2009," by Priscilla Coleman of Bowling Green University, shows that women with an abortion history have an 81% increased risk of mental health problems and 155% increased risk of suicide. This meta-analysis combines 22 studies of 877,181 women, 163, 831 of whom have had abortions. A meta-analysis is an especially powerful type of study because it includes a large number of subjects, and by combining studies is much more reliable than a single study. Read the rest HERE...

Metzger Spring Homeschool Schedule 2011-2012

2011-09-07T15:06:00.001-07:00

Ellie (Pre-K) 2011-2012

Monday - Thursday: "Preschool" and Rod and Staff

Judah (Nothing formal at all, 2 years old) 2011-2012

Monday - Thursday: "Preschool" with his big sister so that he can learn how to count, address, phone number, birthday, days of week, months of year, etc.

Eva (7 months...play, play, eat, nap, play) 2011-2012

*FFHA is Fun and Fitness Homeschool Athletics (mainly P.E. and pick-up sports games)

*4H for our children includes: Veterinary Science, Robotics, Wilderness, Animal Sciences, (and in the past - Rabbits, Pre-Flight, Dogs)

*MOH is Mystery of History On the day we do that, we do 3 lessons plus work on our timeline!

*Spirit Controlled Temperament is a high school requirement for Intro to Psychology. It is part of what we require in 10th grade for our students!

*Science reading is nature, animal and Creation sciences that we read aloud. Experiments are also done at that time. Again, we will do two or three lessons at a time.

*Geography Video/Presentation is when one of our children chooses a country in a continent I choose. They find a YouTube video (with me by their side to "screen" them) or a Netflix video. They also do a presentation on that country and everyone learns to locate that country on the globe.

*Games are all educational in nature (money counting, math, geography, etc.)

*Community Service projects are like this and this and more in that section!

*Doubling Up! Our children double up on certain subjects on different days so that we can devote Fridays to more fun activities and to community outreach. Since we school year-round, some subjects are only done 4 days per week.

This plan is not set in stone and will probably be tweaked as the year goes forward! Ahhhh...the beauties of homeschooling!

Foolish Talk

2011-09-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

Q. Is it okay for Christian boys to call each other names like "homo" or "retard"?

A. Name-calling terms, such as "retard" or "homo" aren't Biblically permissive to call another person. One is in regards to a sexually perverse lifestyle and the other is making fun of a birth defect.

Philippians 2:3 - "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself."

James 3:17-18 - "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

One could argue that these terms are being used figuratively, rather than literally. No matter how LITERAL you are being in such name-calling, it is still not Biblically permissible.

Also, as Proverbs 22:15 says, "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." As parents, we are to be encouraging our children to become disciplined in the ways of Jesus, not in the ways of their peers and other foolish thinkers. Discipline in someone's life does not come naturally, when they come of age. Rather, it is something that is taught to someone and practiced until it becomes a part of who they are.

One more passage to consider is Ephesians 5:4 "...and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks."

All that name-calling is foolish talk and is not suitable for those who are to be being trained in how to be a godly young man. I love Ephesians 5! It instructs Believers on how we are to be as children of God. This is a beautiful passage after which to pattern one's life.

Consider your talk momentarily. Does your language represent Christ? Are you teaching your children to become disciplined in their speech?

Homeschool Grade Tracking

2011-09-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

I know that a lot of relaxed homeschoolers do not care to keep track of every little grade, but the nit-picking perfectionist in me needs to do so. It's an obsession-thing! :) Actually, I really do not do it for anything more than for peace of mind, something I can refer to if someone "questions" me as to what we've done, and to check of that beautiful "to-do" list! It also is just makes keeping my records in one place that much more easy. Everything is there, and all backed up for safe-keeping!

As for how our family corrects/grades school work, see THIS post on At The Well. After I correct and grade each of the children's assignments or after each project is completed, I enter them into a computer program called The Homeschool Tracker.

This system (screenshot above) allows for so much flexibility. I use it to keep track of attendance and enter assignments for each day, attaching documents, as needed. That is pretty much all I do with this program, but there is so much more that one can do with it, if you so desire! There's help with keeping track with lesson planning, field trips, transcripts, goals, reading logs/progress, memorization and more! I could go on and on, but wouldn't you rather just check it out? The Homeschool Tracker

Easy Way to Teach and Learn The Ten Commandments!

2011-09-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

60% of Americans cannot name even five of The Ten Commandments. Are you one of them? Have you always had trouble recalling which commandment was what number? Take THIS test or THIS test to see how well you fair and then watch the video below on how you can better recall each commandment in order!

This is an ingenious way of remembering them using mnemonics, which is a learning technique that aids memory! Sit down with your children and watch this 11 minute video and you'll forever remember each of The Ten Commandments in order! Very cool...

Here are some additional activities to do with your children as they learn The Ten Commandments!

Coloring Page of Moses

A maze

Spelling Lesson on The Ten Commandments

A Lesson in Hebrew on The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments Craft

If your children learn The Ten Commandments, they can send away for a FREE reward manget HERE!

Homeschool Overhaul

2011-08-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

Lately we have found that our family needs a different plan or a change of plans in our homeschool. Since our year-round school year starts on September 1st, I'm reviewing everything we do and tweaking it. I will blog about the changes as time allows. The kids and I sat down this morning to talk about our school year and all it involves.

In today's discussion I told the children that each week I will assign a "project leader" to each choose a project for the week (starting with Ethan, as the oldest boy, choosing a project for the boys...and Annalise**, as the oldest girl, choosing a project for the girls). The "teacher" must choose the project and gather or ask for the materials to complete it. Then they must find links/videos to instill the knowledge on a more creative platform. For now, they are choosing our project ideas from the Teaching Good Things website.

The children will be able to "ask the experts" (Mom, Dad, grandparents, etc.) about the things they are learning. For instance, if it's a "dangerous" woodworking project, they would consult an expert (Mark) about safety issues and Mark would help guide them through the project.

We're doing the same with geography. I will assign one child a continent and the child must find a Netflix documentary or two on the country of their choosing within that continent, as well as links or online games that teach about something about the country they choose. This makes geography fun and exciting!

My goal is that these new ideas and strategies will bring another aspect of "ownership" over their education and allows them to be excited about teaching things to their siblings. So far everyone is excited in planning what their projects and countries of interest will be!

[**Annalise has graduated in 2010 from our homeschool, but she naturally enjoys teaching children. In fact, she is helping to teach a preschool class locally. So that's why she's included her in these projects, as her schedule allows.]

Does Scripture REALLY say NO to birth control?

2011-08-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Conception is not a chance or a risk - babies are an intentional creation, every single one of them. Acknowledging this is a huge step towards surrender. It's not such a scary idea when we're not risking something. And once we surrender Lordship to Christ, and open up our grip on our own plans for life so that we may receive what He has for us, then there is no perceived "loss". Only gain. And we gain freedom from feeling torn between desiring babies but fearing it would be irresponsible to have more due to life circumstances; freedom from guilty feelings that come with knowing we're out of obedience with our Lord; freedom from financial fears, because our priorities and values become new and God's provision is perfect.

Read the rest of this wonderful post HERE!

For all who are wondering, I do not agree with the author in that there is no sin in using birth control. While sins are not always rebelious sins, they are always deviations from God's perfect plan for us. We, too, at one (thanhkfully short) period of time were ignorant of what God had to say about "filling the earth" and how God alone should be the One who decides when to create life (after all He is my Creator...who better to trust with big decisions like that than He). Since only God can see further down the road than I can, only HIS plan in creating life can be the perfect one. We can't both be right. ;)

Carry Me - A Miscarriage Song

2011-08-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

Having lost seven precious little ones at 6, 8, 9 and 16 weeks, I know well the pain of miscarriage; of holding a little one in your hand that is clearly a baby! How sweet this song is!

This song was written by Todd (the male lead singer) after the death of his newborn daughter who only lived a short time after birth. Such a beautiful testament of how God choses each child we conceive and gives them as a gift to us, no matter for how long or short a time we get with them.

Sharing Your Faith - In a nutshell

2011-08-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

Do you want to share your faith, but have no starting point in which to do so? Below is a simple, straightforward approach to sharing the Hope that you have, laid out in 1 concise video.

Wonder why I believe the things I do and speak out in the ways that I do? Are you interested in why I'm so "fanatical" about the things of God? This video sums it all up!

If the video below doesn't play, go HERE!

A Good Daddy....

2011-08-06T13:18:00.001-07:00

I took these photos today of Mark, Judah and Ellie on his new hammock that we all bought him for his birthday! They were taken after the kids all went swimming in the pool with Mark!

"The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out." Proverbs 10:9

"As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him." Psalm 103:13

"As ye know how we exhorted and comfortedand charged every one of you, as a father doth his children." 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

"Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching. For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother. Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. herish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.” Proverbs 4:1-9

Ainura Annalise - Her Adoption Story In Photos

2011-07-31T18:26:00.000-07:00

This is Ananlise's adoption story. Her story in photos is below, along with the videos we played at her homeschool high school graduation celebration!

In 2002 Mark and I set off on the adventure of adoption. We wanted desperately to adopt a 10 year old girl from Kazakhstan. We first discovered Annalise’s photo on an internet site with photos of children from around the world who needed forever families.

God’s hands were already on the process, even before it began, because I had specifically searched for a child who was closer to our own biological children’s ages. We were thinking of a child that would have been maybe three years old or younger. Annalise was 9 years old at the time, yet God had this “older child” come up in my search for 2-3 year olds. After going to bed that night that I saw her online, I could not get her out of my mind, so the next day I requested a video from her adoption agency.

The video was eye opening and heart-wrenching! The only things this little girl wanted were a bucket of raspberries for Christmas and a mother who would love her. Our hearts ached for her!

Mark and I married during Mark’s last semester of college. We found out we were pregnant with Kaitlyn when we had been married a little over a month. When Kaitlyn was 6 months old, we found out that we were expecting our son, Ethan. Mark had started a new career right out of college, which requires years to build up a client base, so we pinched many pennies. We had only been married for a little over 4 years, and had no savings, when God sent Annalise into our family’s picture. We were unsure as to how we could afford the price tag of $27,000 for a Kazakhstan adoption. After praying, we felt the Lord’s gentle guidance and decided that it was the Lord’s Will to take a leap of faith. So, we started our home study.

Upon making this gigantic decision, we humbly shared our plans, as well as our needs, with our friends, family and Sunday school. We shared our hearts and our financial need, without being specific. During this time, we prayed fervently and we asked others for prayer. Our specific prayer was for doors to be opened or shut according to God’s perfect Will. We sincerely desired God’s plans to come about for us and for that little girl who was thousands of miles away.

The Lord constantly proved His faithfulness by providing the money needed for each home study payment, agency payment, passport fee and INS fees. One day we desperately needed $200 for a home study payment, which was due that afternoon. When we opened the front door, there was a check for $200 from our neighbors! Again, when it was time to travel, we had no money for airline tickets to fly over to Kazakhstan, to meet and pick up our little girl who was waiting for us. My parents were provided by God with extra tithe and offering money to be able to pay for those plane tickets. God worked again and again like this! It was amazing to see God working through others during this time! It was surreal.

The Saturday before we left for Kazakhstan, our Sunday school class gathered at a member’s house for a get-together. After laying hands on us and praying for our journey, they handed us an envelope for our trip with a lot of extra cash. At that time, we did not really see a need for this money since everything was already provided for financially for the entire trip. However, the Lord can see much farther down the road than we can! We ended up with an unexpected stay in Kazakhstan of 36 days due to some problems with our newly adopted daughter’s visa. If it were not for this extra money that we received, we would have had no extra cash for food and lodging for us, our two biological children and our new addition. We would have been in a strange country, with no interpreter, knowing only a few words of Russian, in below zero weather with no lodging and no food. God saw the need even before we did and met it before we even left our comfort zone, setting out to venture out into the unknown! He provided for us and saw us through!

God provided us through each step of this adoption! The money was not there a day later than when we needed it throughout the process! And when we did need it sooner, He provided then, too! His perfect Will was carried out through willing vessels that trusted in God, prayed and waited for God’s timing! Now, we have four beautiful children, Annalise, Kaitlyn, Ethan and Julia, with more to come through adoption in the very near future!

Annalise, our adopted daughter from Kazakhstan, asked Jesus to be her personal Savior shortly after learning English! She, now, wants to go back to Kazakhstan someday as a missionary to the orphans. If we had not been willing vessels; if we had not asked for and obeyed God’s perfect Will and had not taken leaps of faith; if we had trusted in our own power, instead of His; if we had not waited on HIS timing; if we had not prayed and asked for prayer, our Annalise might not be the young woman of God that she is today! And the most exciting thing is that only God can see what our prayers, trust in God and obedience meant for the people that Annalise will touch down the road!

(Above) Ainua Annalise Metzger - The first photo we ever saw of her! Mommy could not get her out of her mind and heart!

Annalise answering questions on a video about how she "likes ice cream very much".

This video was made by another adoptive family who adopted for the first time in 60 years from this orphanage in Kazakhstan! They lived only 2 hours away!

Annalise just found out that she's to be adopted (May 25, 2002) by a family in the U.S.! She opens a gift box from us, as a different adoptive family takes photos!

Lisa's father dubbed this the "$25,000 smile", as that was what it was to cost in order to bring her HOME!

Looking at photos of her new home and family with the orphanage director!

(Above) Another adoptive family (the ones who lived 2 hours from us) bought ice cream for the entire orphanage, as we too did when we were over there! This was Annalise's first time having ice cream!

(Above) Annalise coming in and meeting us for the first time!

(Above) Our first family photo!

(Above and below) Annalise made birthday gifts for Kaitlyn out of "trash" that she found around the orphanage! She was preparing to meet her little sister, who had just turned 3!

(Above) Annalise helped to prepare this "Kazakh tea" for us!

(Above) Mark bought flowers for Annalise and gave them to her on another meeting at the orphanage!

(Above) Mommy and her kiddos!

(Above) Daddy and Annalise - this was at a restaurant...the first time Annalise had pizza!

(Above) After the adoption was finalized! This was the courthouse!

(Above) Annalise with her favorite teacher at the orphange, Svitlana!

(Above) A farewell, traditional Kazakh dinner at our coordinator's home! We all sat on the floor and ate some wonderful Kazakh foods!

(Above and Below) After we left Pavlodar, we had to stay in the capital, Almaty, until we received a visa to travel to Moscow with her. Here we were at McBurger (a Kazakh-style McDonad's). They had a great play area for the kids!

(Below) Finally we made it to Moscow! It was 14 below 0 (a warm day) in the Red Square. We didn't stay out too long at all! Brrr!

(Above) Back in New York City! Home at last!

Below is a photo collage of her adoption from Kazahstan when she was 10 years old. Watch the video HERE!

Blessed...

2011-07-31T18:21:00.001-07:00

As one God has blessed with a home, my duty is to create and maintain a
space that honors God, nurtures the spirit, enhances growth, and ministers to
others. My delight is to enjoy the home I've shaped and the sense of
accomplishment that comes from obedience. - Donna Otto

God Opens the Doors - Adoption!

2011-07-31T07:46:00.000-07:00

Adoption is a topic is very near and dear to our family's heart! Mark was adopted at birth and grew up knowing his biological family, and we have been blessed to adopt three precious children - Annalise (19, adopted from Kazakhstan at age 10) and Trey and Jake (9 & 7, adopted from MO at 5 & 2). With Annalise, the adoption is closed. We would love for her to be able to find her mother and sisters, but the records that were/are kept in Kazakhstan are few. Maybe someday she will be able to locate them! Trey and Jake have an open adoption, like their father! They talk to their biological mother on the phone once a month. Their birth family has also come to visit them twice (photo below) since they were adopted. From left to right: Aunt Molli, their cousin Asiana, Aunt Savannah, Gramma Monica and Aunt (their bio mother) Mandi.

Anyway....today I have a guest blogger, Mrs. Joseph Wood, writing about ADOPTION! Please welcome Mrs. Joseph Wood of "A Moment with Mom".

Adoption- the word brings forth a well of emotions no matter what side of the story you are on. Birth parents, child, adoptive parents, friends and families involved, even strangers each have a unique roll and view adoption through such different lenses.

When my husband and I were first married we knew we wanted to adopt children as much as we knew that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. We had such confidence that God would bring us children through adoption and yet had no idea when. It was 12 years into our marriage before the Lord brought us our first blessing through adoption.

While it may have been 4,380 days since my husband and I had sat day dreaming about adoption, it was not a neglected topic. Our birth children knew that mommy and daddy had hearts open to children that did not come from our body physically. We talked about how God can put a family together. God is not limited and is often willing to cross nationalities, borders, and even oceans if needed to bring a family together. We originally thought we would adopt internationally and had friends working in orphanages in Africa that could help us through the process.

As we prepared to get our home study in order we began sharing our excitement with others. At that time, we owned a Christian bookstore, when a customer came in and through some conversation learned about our desire to adopt. She asked me the life changing question, “Why are you going oversees to adopt? Why not adopt children here in the U.S?” I was so naive at the time I didn’t even realize that there were children in the U.S. that needed adoption. Through some more conversation we learned more about children in the Foster Care system.

After prayer, we talked with my parents, our children and decided to proceed. It was a whirlwind of activity. God opened every door and within just a few weeks our son was brought to us through adoption. He was 13 months and suffered terribly from neglect and FAS.

It took us approximately a year to finalize his adoption. We were delighted with this sweet blessing and thought that we were done adopting, or at least for now, only to get a phone call from a social worker a few months later. She had heard about our family through the grapevine and informed us about a little boy being born who was going up for adoption. We were able to meet the birth mom and take our second son home to wait for the adoption process to finalize. Things happened and about 9 months later a birth grandmother stepped forward saying she would care for the little boy. We were devastated. The courts ordered that he be “returned” to his grandmother within two weeks. I did all I could to send him with his favorites, tell her about his likes and dislikes, even sent my rocking chair so he could still be rocked to sleep each night.

It was one of the hardest moments in my life when I handed him over and walked away. I still remember the tears that were uncontrollable to the point that I could not drive. As I sat for what seemed like hours crying, I felt like the Lord told me, “If you give him to me, I’ll give him back.” I didn’t know how but it was enough to get me home that day. It wasn’t long before the phone rang and it was the grandma asking if we would babysit. She worked during the week, had baby in daycare, and on weekends she was exhausted. She wanted to know if we could take care of him on the weekends. I was delighted and even offered to watch him in the week too. Maybe this is what the Lord’s plan was. I was happy to have any part at all in his life. We learned that he also had a half brother and sister that were older who were also cared for by the grandmother. Often they would all come to the house for the weekend and we would have good conversations, childlike fun and tried to offer them some precious childhood memories.

A few months later we received a phone call in the evening from a social worker that informed us the children were being removed from the grandma’s care and asked if we would be willing to adopt all three children. “Of course!” was our response.

Life trials happened but over the course of the next few years our adoption was finally complete and we had four children that the Lord brought to us through adoption. I often remind the children that God doesn’t have plan B’s only plan A’s and this was His plan all along. Somehow, in some way, that we cannot understand this is how He decided to build our family and bring us together. Joe and my heart remain open to as many children as the Lord would graciously give us.

This last month, He decided to do just that and gave us a baby boy through private adoption. While we’ve never adopted internationally, or at least not yet, God has brought our family together in unique ways. From where I look, unique is beautiful! I am honored to be the momma to these 11 blessings while some came from my heart, some came from my body physically, some come with special needs, and some come at older ages!! Each are unique… each child is beautiful and perfectly fit for our family. I couldn’t imagine a day without one of them! If you’ve considered adoption, I would suggest you keep it a matter of prayer. Trust the Lord to do what He’s promised even if it takes longer than you anticipated. Don’t be afraid of those that offer you comments of fear. When God brings you your children, no matter how old they are, where they come from, or how they come to you, you will recognize them and know they are the ones He has always planned for you to mother!

If you would like to read about our latest addition you can do so by visiting our blog HERE!

Because of His Love, Mrs. Joseph Wood

Mark, me, Annalise (15), Kaitlyn (7), Ethan (6), Julia (1 1/2) and Ellie (unborn) meeting Trey (5) and Jake (2 1/2) and their birthmother, Mandi!

Mark, Me, Kaitlyn (3), Ethan (1) meeting Annalise at her orphanage for the first time!

The Lord does beautiful things through adoption! The path to adopt is almost never easy, and is never done in the way that is planned, but the Lord works it all out for the good of them that follow Him in faith! Have you considered adoption? Maybe a special needs adoption or an older child adoption? Those older and special needs children are often overlooked, because many would rather have a baby to cuddle and hold. But remember that older children and those with special needs also need cuddles and hugs and HOMES! Pray and see where the Lord might lead you in the area of adoption!

Equip Your Children and Do It Anyway...

2011-07-25T19:27:00.001-07:00

"[Our children have] learned to go on the offensive; to confront
evil; not to entertain it [evil], but to defeat it...We have got to provide outlets to serve the Lord and have impact in our nation." Rusty Thomas

The video below shows why we home educate and this is why we take our children out to these places of sin and destruction! We INCLUDE our children in the family vision! We do not separate the family-world and the ministry-world. Instead our children observe - for themselves, firsthand - the difference between good and evil; right and wrong; life and death! We must teach our children that all in life must be discerned as to whether or not something is right and good in the eyes of the Lord, and not what is acceptable and "normal" in the eyes of the world.

Equip your children! Do not TELL your children only what NOT to do, but train them up in righteousness and SHOW them what TO do!

Are you scared to step out like this and "come out from among them" [2 Corinthians 6:17]? DO IT ANYWAY! God will enable you and equip you, but FIRST you must step out in faith! Enjoy this great message from Rusty....

Now that it's over...

2011-07-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

"A local abortionist in Orlando came to our OSA rally on Friday and viewed this video. He also heard strong prophetic preaching denouncing abortion and the offer of God's abundant pardon, if he would repent and confess the truth. His name is Randall Whitney. Please pray for his conversion in Jesus' name! "- Rusty Thomas

Action August! Will you?

2011-07-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

"Action August"

Sometimes all it takes is being asked…will you carve out two dates in August to come out to an abortion mill in Charlotte? Ever thought about it? Gone before, but it’s been a while? Nervous? Thinking ‘no way!’? Prayerfully consider picking 2 Friday or Saturday mornings and say “I’m going to do it!” Your presence makes a difference. It really does. Feel free to contact me with ANY questions or concerns. Send me some days and times you are available and then put it on your calendar. You won’t regret it!

The Recent Invention of Adolescence...

2011-07-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

"Adolescence is now accepted by most Americans as a strange and difficult period marked by wild swings of mood, outbursts of temper, rudeness, rebelliousness, and personality changes — all involuntary.

They would be surprised to learn that this period was unknown, unrecognized, and unseen in every previous civilization, culture, and society throughout the immensely long history of humanity. It is, even today, unknown in large areas of the inhabited world."

Read the rest HERE...

Change The Mood In Your Home!

2011-07-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

Repost from 2007

Written by Nancy Campbell

Do you use a timer when cooking and baking? Are you like me? If I don’t use my timer, I end up with burnt offerings. I am usually doing so many things at once, that I’m prone to forget that I have put something in the oven. Often I’ll put the bread in the oven to bake and then come downstairs to my office to answer Above Rubies letters. If I don’t bring the timer with me, I’ll forget all about it – then guess what kind of bread we have to eat?

Recently, I found another use for my timer. It all happened as I was reading the Word one morning. I was challenged by Colossians 2:7, NAS where it says we are to be "overflowing with gratitude" or as the King James Version says, "abounding with thanksgiving." Not only are we to have a daily "attitude of gratitude" but to be overflowing and abounding with gratitude. What does this word ‘abounding’ really mean? The Greek word is ‘perisseuo’ and it means ‘to super-abound, to exceed, to excel, to be in excess – enough and to spare, over and above; it goes beyond that which is necessary.’ Wow! I was challenged! As I continued thinking, I was reminded of how God’s Word encourages us to praise the Lord all day long! Not only are we to be overflowing with gratitude and thanksgiving, but we are to be continually thanking and praising the Lord.

‘How can I continually praise the Lord?’ I thought. ‘How can I constantly have an overflowing spirit of thankfulness?’ I find that I get taken up with what I am doing and the hours go by without thinking about praising the Lord. As I prayed and walked up and down our long driveway (this is where I take my morning prayer walk) God put in my mind the idea of my kitchen timer. Yes, that’s it. What a great idea! Thank you, Lord.

I decided to put the timer beside me as I work on the computer, or when I am busy in the kitchen preparing meals, or cleaning. I set it for half an hour. As soon as it rings, I stop for a minute or two and thank and praise the Lord. I then set it again for another half an hour. Now I am getting into a habit of continually thanking the Lord all through the day. It changes my whole day.

I’m sure you’ll find this a great idea too. You can set the timer each day as you work in your home with your little ones around you, or as you teach your children. When the timer rings, stop for a moment and thank the Lord together. Encourage your children to thank the Lord too. What a wonderful way to teach them to live a life of constant thankfulness and gratitude. Establish this habit pattern in the lives of your children.

By the way, this idea is not just for the days when everything is going great. It’s for the trying and difficult days too. This is when you need the timer the most! Maybe the timer will ring just as the children are fighting and squabbling. This is the very time to stop, hold hands, pray, and thank the Lord together. Maybe the timer will ring just as you are ‘blowing your stack’ and the house is in turmoil. Oh what a blessing to have the timer! You are reminded to stop, repent of your attitude, and praise the Lord instead.

Maybe you are not very happy with your husband about something. The timer rings! Stop and think of five good things about your husband and thank the Lord for him. Or perhaps there is an urgent matter for prayer in your family or for people you know. What a great idea to have the timer ring every half-hour to remind you to pray.

Maybe the timer will ring when you are in a slough of self-pity. This is just the time to praise the Lord. Of course, you may not feel like doing it. Don’t worry. Feelings come and feelings go! Don’t let your life be governed by your feelings. Thank the Lord anyway. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 tells us that God’s perfect will for our lives is to thank Him in every circumstance and at all times.

I’ll never forget the first time God used this scripture to speak to me. It was about 35 years ago when we were first married. I was four months pregnant with Wesley, our first baby. My husband, Colin, left me in New Zealand to serve the Lord on a mission in the Philippines with Tell the Nations Crusade. The horrific part was that I didn’t know when he was coming back. They didn’t know whether the mission would take them three months or three years. In my emotional pregnant state I imagined that I would never see him again. I wondered whether this baby would ever see his father. I was heartbroken.

I went home from airport devastated. I cried inconsolably. Then the Lord spoke to my heart; "Do you want to do my will?" "Yes, Lord," I sobbed. "Then thank me, for this is my will concerning you," I heard God whisper to my heart. Because I wanted to be in His will, I began to thank the Lord for taking Colin to serve the Lord. I didn’t feel like it. I felt the opposite. I thanked Him in cold-blooded faith. I continued until I really felt thankfulness entering my heart. I won the victory. From that time, I lived in the joy of the Lord. God was good and Colin safely returned shortly after Wesley was born.

Dear wives and mothers, I trust that you will find the timer a wonderful idea in your home. You might even need to purchase a couple of extra timers, and keep them in different rooms. Set it every half-hour. Make it a habit of your daily life. Let love, joy, peace, praise, worship, thankfulness, gratitude, forbearance, forgiveness and longsuffering super-abound in your home. Remember, the word means ‘to overflow with more than is necessary – above and beyond.’

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE ALL DAY LONG

"I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1

"My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long." Psalm 35:28

"In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name forever." Psalm 44:8

"My praise shall be continually of Thee…I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more." Palm 71:6,14,15,24

"Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise and with Thy honor all the day." Psalm 71:8

"Give thanks always for all things." Ephesians 5:18-20

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving." Colossians 2:7 NAS

"Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 8

Anti-Choice? A Dishonest and Inaccurate Term

2011-07-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

"The reason why I oppose the choice of human fetal abortion is not because I oppose choices; it is because I oppose a specific choice – human abortion. If one opposes the choice of a man to hit his wife, is that person “anti-choice”? Of course not. The essence of opposing the choice of a man to hit his wife stems from an opposition to violence, not an opposition to choices. Likewise, the essence of opposition to human abortion is not an opposition to choices, but an opposition to killing human life. By definition, someone who is “anti-choice” would be opposed to ALL choices whether they be about feticide, stealing, or eating food." Read the rest HERE....

Testimonies from women who chose LIFE!

2011-07-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

"Hi! I saw you 3 days ago. I was going to give my baby up and I’m happy I didn’t do it. I want you and the people that you were with to know that it meant the whole world to me to know that you all care about me, not even knowing me. Thanks! I hope to hear from you soon. Any time you want [to call], because [if it weren’t] for you I would have done a really bad thing.” – Jennifer (pictured above)

"No words can tell you how I feel [to have] a person to drive all this way (40 minutes) to bring a stranger food. You are truly an angel." – Anna (a mother who chose life for her baby, but needed food for her other children)

“I just wanted to say again, God Bless you all and thanks for all you are doing to help me and my family.” – Samantha (a mother who received additional help after her choice to choose life for her child)

"I was very scared to come [to the abortion clinic]. I didn't know what God was going to do to get me out of this situation. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." – Rochelle (changed her mind and chose life for her 17 week old baby)

Above is the ultrasound of a baby BOY that is due to be born this fall! His mother thanked us time and again for being there the day she went into an abortion clinic to obtain an abortion. She also has thanked us for being "like family" to her throughout the pregnancy. We cannot wait to hold, hug and love on this precious little baby! It has been an honor to serve his mama the last few months, as God knit her heart to his!

Our family is blessed to hear testimonies like this that are given from women who felt as if they had no other choice than to exercise their right to abort their own baby. How awesome is our Creator God that He saw fit to allow us to hear just a fraction of those testimonies! We are nothing less than blessed to have met and come alongside these and many, many other women who just needed open arms to run to, a shoulder to cry on, ears to listen and a helping hand! JOY is the word that comes to mind when I think of each mother we've been able to assist! Praise JESUS for the work He's done in Charlotte so far!!!

Homeschooling and Socialization - The Great Debate!

2011-07-19T16:18:00.001-07:00

Repost from 2006

Since I was raised in a "pioneer homeschooling" family, it has given me so many opportunities to observe, experience and debate the homeschooling vs. socialization issue. By far, it is the most criticized and worried about subject pertaining to homeschooling.

I have many, many articles on socialization with homeschoolers and the studies done by non-homeschoolers that prove that the outright majority of homeschoolers are getting more real-life socialization than their public school counterparts. For instance, homeschoolers are socialized VERTICALLY, rather than HORIZONTALLY. They socialize with their peers, as well as their 4 year old sibling and the 16 year old neighbor down the street. They can even successfully carry on a conversation (yes, an actual conversation) with an adult. Now, when any child reaches adult hood, will he be then socializing horizontally or vertically? Which is more practical for "real life?" After all, isn't "real life" what we're preparing our children for entering, whether homeschooled or otherwise? If so, homeschoolers are right on track! The horizontal socialization vs. vertical socialization is my favorite defense for homeschooling! I always have that one tucked away for my defense of my choice of education.

Some other good socialization points are as follows:

Research conducted by Michael Brady entitled Social Development in Traditionally Schooled and Homeschooled Children, a Case for Increased Parental Monitoring and Decreased Peer Interaction endorses this idea. Brady states, "There seems to be an overwhelming amount of evidence that children socialized in a peer-dominant environment are at higher risk for developing social maladjustment issues than those that are socialized in a parent monitored environment."

Research supports this. According to Home Schooling and the Question of Socialization by Richard G. Medlin, "Home-schooled children are taking part in the daily routines of their communities. They are certainly not isolated; in fact, they associate with--and feel close to--all sorts of people."

Hope that helps someone with this issue!

Helping a "save" in need...

2011-07-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

"N" is a sweet woman, who was a "save" (a mom who chose LIFE, instead of abortion for her baby) from our primary abortion mill where we minister. Not long after she chose life for her 3 month old baby, she called Chrissie (the sidewalk counselor who first talked her out of the abortion) and said that she desperately needed food for her, her fiance and two children for the next 2-3 weeks until they moved to a new town. Chrissie, being out ministering at the abortion mill 5 days every week, asked if we could find help for "N". Of course, I jumped on that aspect of our pro-life ministry without hesitation!

As soon as I got off the phone with Chrissie, I started searching for food ministries. Well, they are really mostly overloaded, SOOOOO....I turned to all my Facebook friends for help. We got SUCH a response! In less than 3 hours, we had enough money to support this family with food for 3 weeks! Amazing how the Church, even when separate by many miles, can come together to help those in need and to show them how JESUS would have us all to work together!

Last night Mark and I went to a big sale at a discount food store. I was able to get even more than I thought I could get on my budget of the funds that were raised! And this morning, the children (pictured above with our supplies) and I headed over to deliver the food to "N"!

"N" and her family were SO SWEET and very much in need. "N", her relatives and fiance were all very grateful. I also got to meet her daughter, "M". Little "M" is 3 and her brother is 6. "M" would just look at me and say “thank you” over and over with a sweet look on her face! Precious!

At one point during our visit, "N" was showing me what little food she had. Without hesitation, she offered me some of what little she had. In her fridge she had three big bags of uncooked Wendy’s french fries that the local Wndy's had given her after she told them they desperately needed food. When she showed these bags to me she said, “Would you like a bag of them?” Like I said, she is so sweet!

Shortly after I left, Chrissie (the sidewalk counselor) called and told me that she had heard from "N", who said how grateful she was for connecting all of us so that they could receive all the food. As soon as I hung up with Chrissie I got a text from "N" that said, "No words can tell you how I feel for a person to drive all this way (40 minutes) to bring a stranger food. You are truly an angel."

Please pray that we can find a church to the new town where they are moving! We also need a woman/family that would take "N" and her family under their wings in this new church. We are not certain that "N" is a Believer, so please pray on that, as well!

Thank you to ALL who gave to this precious lady and her family who were very much in need! You have shown her JESUS!

The Savior Weeps...

2011-07-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

First Family Ministry to Hebron Abortion Clinic...

2011-07-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

This was our first time ministering as a family at this other abortion mill in Charlotte. TWO babies were saved today from this mill and FOUR from our "regular" mill on Friday! Right now there are very few Christians out at this mill during the week. We are praying about switching to doing our main ministry at this mill.
All our children are learning to speak on the mic and proclaim the Truth to the moms entering the abortion clinic. Above, Ellie (3) is speaking to the moms with her sweet little voice. She tells the mothers how their babies love them! To hear a sweet child's voice can really speak to a woman's heart.
Judah (2 1/2) sings Jesus Loves Me and tells the moms that their babies are precious!

Kaitlyn sings and speaks boldly and gently to the mothers. She tells of when she was able to hold the baby I miscarried at 16 weeks along. She tells of how perfectly formed he was at that young age, and of how the EMT's and nurses in the ER were surprised at just how perfectly formed he was at just 16 weeks! From the mouths of babes....

Above and below you can see a camera watching us on the sound system. Mothers with their young children are apparently a cause for concern. :) Seeing as though we only offer love and support...food, baby showers, free prenatal care and delivery, housing, etc....I can understand their cause for concern. They risk losing business in light of our offers of long term help and support.

Above Julia (5) and Ellie (3) hold signs to show the moms as they enter the mill.
Jake (almost 7) shows the horrors of abortion to cars coming in. As sad as these photos are, they make many aware of just what will happen to their son/daughter before it is too late. After seeing abortions occur before my eyes, these are sadly the TRUTH of what abortion does to babies. This is why we are there. This is why we are teaching our children what we believe and WHY we believe it.

Trey (9) with Joshua W. (9) showing the truth.

Theresa (13), Kaitlyn (11 1/2) and Annalise (19) sidewalk counseling at the entrance to the clinic. Smiling faces help to speak the truth in love to these moms!

Ethan (10) shows the truth to moms and support people. These signs have been used time and again to save lives. Most all women are stunned to see what will happen to babies who are so small. Doctored photos? No. I wish. Sadly, this is what happens to countless unborn babies every day here in our country and around the world.

Would you like to know what our children feel, think and believe about this issue and our family's ministry out at the abortion clinics? Ask away. They will all be glad to answer your questions and concerns.

Good vs. Better

2011-07-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

We are all given a choice between wrong and right; between what's good and what's BETTER! Those who base their decisions and "CHOICES" on their feelings, instead of God's Word are in for a big surprise when they stand before their Maker and account for why they rejected His plans for their lives!

Reinventing the Wheel - Birth Control

2011-07-12T08:26:00.001-07:00

Even with Natural Family Planning, the reasonings behind birth control are still the same whether "natural" or "un-natural". Birth control is the attempt to control the procreation and prevent God from creating when He pleases. Whenever we try to reinvent the wheel in family planning we end up causing more harm than good. There is so much relief and peace in just letting God do what He does best...create life at His whim. :) I would hate to try to plan when or if I should have another...and then schedule my love life around all of it. Too much stress for a marriage!

So you want to be a Supermom?

2011-06-30T12:11:00.001-07:00

Over the last few years I've heard many moms vent their woes as to why they feel like they are terrible wives and mothers. They usually digress that they are unable to juggle all that life requires of them on top of the fact that they haven't completed projects X, Y and Z before week's end.

The vast majority of these moms have been reading other moms blogs, comparing their own actions and inactions in light of this wonderful supermom who is portrayed on the screen in front of them as having it all together.

Is reading inspiring blogs wrong? No. So, what's the real issue here?

There are a few reasons that these moms usually feel overwhelmed at their imperfections.

They feel convicted because of a lack of motivation or lazy attitude

They are setting their expectations too high

They are over-committed to outside interests and activities

They are letting opportunities take over while their so-called priorities are put on the back burner

They are comparing their lives to another mom's life, instead of letting the blog properly motivate or encourage them in their calling

They are spending too much time on these blogs, instead of digging into God's Word for instructions on how to become a better wife and mom

Because of the many homeschooling blogs out there these days, many people, I'm sure, assume most large family, homeschooling moms must be supermoms. While I believe that raising a large family does indeed take dedication and organization, it does not mean that all dedicated and organized women are born superheroes! While each of those women might have natural abilities and giftings, each are probably working hard to tweak areas of shortcomings in their lives. As women we must remember that each woman who appears successful on her blog struggles herself with her own set of inadequacies. We ALL face the fact on a daily (if not hourly) basis that we are imperfect creatures!

Homeschooling

We ALL need to stop comparing ourselves to another family or friend. It is tempting...especially in homeschooling circles. However, the BEAUTY of homeschooling is that everyone is supposed to be different from the next. If we're all using the same cookie cutter approach, we'd all turn out the same type of child. Pretty boring!
We do need to make sure, as homeschooling mamas, that we stick to our set priorities when making a schedule for our homeschool year or our summers! If we commit to all these wonderful activities just to find that we've abandoned what is truly important to God and our family, then we have failed. Prioritize and stick to the plan!

Housekeeping

As far as keeping one's house up to par. Well...see some of us (ahem, ME!) are borderline OCD with the house. We [I] can let it take over with how we want it. While you might look at my house on a visit and comment on how orderly and perfectly kept it is, I know that my weakness in this area is to let the perfection of my house take over my priority list. That's about when my flesh starts to envy you for being more relaxed.

If you are struggling with laziness, take heed that ALL humans are lazy at times. Commit to God to work harder and earn your keep, so to speak, as wife, mother and homeschool teacher! Don't let the ways of a sluggard sneak up on you. Instead, surround yourself in God's Word and memorize Scriptures that will rid you of a lazy attitude and lifestyle.

Join the Club!

I know that sometimes people have commented on how our family has it all together. Bwahaha! Nope. I don't think so! Nobody has it all together...we are ALL only human! No matter what you might see, hear or read about such "together" families, I can guarantee you that if you look a little deeper or ask what struggles they face as a family, we would get an earfull as to what brings them down a notch or two!

When we get down to it, we're really all a mess in some way, shape or form! We're ALL imperfect! It's LIFE!

So, join the club...we're all imperfect moms and most of us are just trying to do our best! Don't be fooled...we're all human; none of us are true supermoms! We all just rely on the fact that we can "do all things through CHRIST who strengthens" us to be all to all that He gave us to manage and care for!

Which Road?

2011-06-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

We are all given a choice between wrong and right; between what's good and what's BETTER! Those who base their decisions and "CHOICES" on their finite feelings, instead of God's infinite wisdom, found in His Word are in for a big surprise when they stand before their Maker and account for why they rejected His plans for their lives!

Which road will you take? What feels good or what is good?

Over 1,000 Babies GIVEN LIFE Because of Christians in Charlotte!

2011-06-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord! Since October 2008 over 1,000 precious babies (that we KNOW of) now live because faithful Christians stood outside of an abortion mill and proclaimed the truth of Jesus! Over 1,000 moms have chosen to let life CONTINUE in their wombs, and have steered clear of choosing death for their children. Read more about it at the ministry site, Helping Hands Saving Lives, that my daughter, Annalise operates...HERE!

Milk vs. Meat

2011-06-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

VERSUS

In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul states of how he is feeding "Christian infants" with milk, rather than meat. Spiritual milk would be classified as basic biblical truths and spiritual meat would be something more theological or "deeper" in meaning. However, unlike many churches in America today, Paul is very careful to encourage these new believers to GROW in their knowledge, not continuing to consume the milk (basic and simplistic biblical teachings).

1 Cor. 3:10-15 "But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames."

Paul was careful to admonish the Corinthians to build upon their faith (grow in maturity).

2 Peter 3:18 says that we should grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. We are encouraged to GROW spiritually.

Hebrews 6:1 says, "Therefore, leaving the elementary message about the Messiah, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God."

If a particular church is not actively encouraging and speaking to its fellowship to change and grow; if Christians justify such churches as being the "milk", then when will these believers grow into the maturity of Christ and leave to go to a church that is more "meaty"? At what point does this church move people on to pursue their own spiritual growth? I see no plan for that in the view of most seeker sensitive churches. I see only contentment to stay in that spiritually simplistic atmosphere for entertainment purposes.

I understand that we need to start somewhere as new believers, but the discipleship atmosphere that Jesus modeled with His disciples seems to be a great way to start! Bring them up to a higher level..."as iron sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27:17)!

In case anyone is wondering...no, I do not consider myself even close to reaching the pinnacle of spiritual knowledge and maturity. That can never be attained on this earth. Still, I will strive to get as close to it as possible by challenging myself by placing myself around Christians and under a pastor who encourages me to GROW in my salvation!

Below is what Matthew Henry had to share about this chapter of 1 Corinthians 3 and how Paul was chastening them for lacking in spiritual maturity.

Paul blames the Corinthians for their weakness and nonproficiency. Those who are sanctified are so only in part: there is still room for growth and increase both in grace and knowledge. Those who through divine grace are renewed to a spiritual life may yet in many things be defective. The apostle tells them he could not speak to them as unto spiritual men, but as unto carnal men, as to babes in Christ, v. 1. They were so far from forming their maxims and measures upon the ground of divine revelation, and entering into the spirit of the gospel, that is was but too evident they were much under the command of carnal and corrupt affections. They were still mere babes in Christ. They had received some of the first principles of Christianity, but had not grown up to maturity of understanding in them, or of faith and holiness; and yet it is plain, from several passages in this epistle, that the Corinthians were very proud of their wisdom and knowledge. Note, It is but too common for persons of very moderate knowledge and understanding to have a great measure of self-conceit.

The apostle assigns their little proficiency in the knowledge of Christianity as a reason why he had communicated no more of the deep things of it to them. They could not bear such food, they needed to be fed with milk, not with meat, v. 2. Note, It is the duty of a faithful minister of Christ to consult the capacities of his hearers and teach them as they can bear. And yet it is natural for babes to grow up to men; and babes in Christ should endeavour to grow in Stature, and become men in Christ. It is expected that their advances in knowledge should be in proportion to their means and opportunities, and their time of professing religion, that they may be able to bear discourses on the mysteries of our religion, and not always rest in plain things. It was a reproach to the Corinthians that they had so long sat under the ministry of Paul and had made no more improvement in Christian knowledge. Note, Christians are utterly to blame who do not endeavour to grow in grace and knowledge.

Others build wood, hay, and stubble, on this foundation; that is, though they adhere to the foundation, they depart from the mind of Christ in many particulars, substitute their own fancies and inventions in the room of his doctrines and institutions, and build upon the good foundation what will not abide the test when the day of trial shall come, and the fire must make it manifest, as wood, hay, and stubble, will not bear the trial by fire, but must be consumed in it. There is a time coming when a discovery will be made of what men have built on this foundation: Every man's work shall be made manifest, shall be laid open to view, to his own view and that of others. Some may, in the simplicity of their hearts, build wood and stubble on the good foundation, and know not, all the while, what they have been doing; but in the day of the Lord their own conduct shall appear to them in its proper light.

(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Ear-splitting Rejoicing in Church...is it appropriate?

2011-06-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

I have listened to and commented on the numerous, and sometimes heated, discussions about a local church that removed a 12 year old boy with cerebral palsy from a Resurrection Sunday service because he gave an "amen" at an inopportune time. Bottom line...I wasn't there. However, if it happened like the article I read says it happened....how dare they remove someone (especially a handicapped person) from a service because of their vocal worship of their Lord!

During the Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus' followers and disciples made many loud and apparently obnoxious "amens". The Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke His followers. But how did Jesus answer? "I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out!" If His followers had not rightly and properly celebrated aloud the Messiah's coming, the very rocks would have been given a voice by God.

The Hebrew transliteration of the term used to describe how the rocks would have cried out is: (krad'-zo); to "croak" (as a raven) or scream, i.e. to call aloud (shriek, exclaim, intreat). So, had the followers not given Jesus the CORRECT welcome He so deserved, the rocks would have shrieked, calling aloud in praise!

And when we look at how this very instance of crying out was predicted back in Zechariah we see this..."Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." [Zechariah 9:9] The transliteration for the word "shout" in the above passage actually means "to split the ears with sound", while "rejoice" literally meant "to spin around under the influence of great emotion".

Since Jesus and His Word show us that those who were present at his entry into Jerusalem were supposed to give him that kind of loud, "ear-splitting" exclamations upon His arrival, how should we then imitate in the same way when worshipping Him on a Resurrection Sunday (or any given Sunday), when we recall His gift to us through salvation? I just don't see why anyone could condemn this type of action, when it is so well grounded in Scripture!

Can we display true reverence (deep respect tinged with awe) while also being vocal with our praise and adoration? Apparently we can, because Jesus thought it was not only permissible, but also required.

Eva's Praise Report!

2011-06-17T16:00:00.001-07:00

We just heard back about Eva’s chest x-ray...she is well on her way to being 100% better! There is just a trace of pneumonia left in one of her lobes in her right lung! PRAISE THE LORD!

Now we just wait on her complete healing and then follow up with a pediatric pulmonologist for her asthma that resulted from her battle with RSV and pneumonia at 2 weeks old.

Thank you for faithful prayer! We appreciate each and every one of you!

Biblical Homeschooling - Is there an absence of God in your schooling?

2011-06-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

Q. I really respect your blog and wanted to know what you think about this...I am just starting to homeschool my son and have been connecting online with other local moms. The question of whether we should form a co-op has come up. I felt led me to ask whether the co-op will be Christian and Bible-based. Of the responses I received, some said that they would really prefer it to be Christian based but didn't want to exclude people of other faiths...that we didn't need to have all subjects Bible-based, like sewing, art or cheese making (thought that last one was funny!).

And it's interesting that I had just read your posts about associating with those continuing in sin and the scripture about bad company breeds bad company. I was also just looking now at your Philosophy of Education post and reading about how you want to instill godly principles within your children.

I think my thoughts on this is that I'd rather it be Christian based. And yes, sewing is not Christian (as odd as that sounds), but its the whole approach and application that needs to be Christian based, focused and directed, and this is where the real teaching is. Also, wouldn't there be logistical issues when we are trying to decide whether school will be closed for Ramadan or celebrating birthdays (issue for Jehovah Witnesses..) etc.?

So anyhow. what are your thoughts and sorry for the ramble. - Erin

A. Well, before I could respond to Erin's question and comments, I read her wonderful blog post on the subject.

...on the need for exclusivity within a homeschooling co-op

It's well worth the read! I encourage all of you to take the verses she refers to in the post and file them in your long-term memory so that you can access them for when you face a similar situation.

Each parent instills a worldview in their children. Whether this process of instilling a worldview is purposeful or accidental on the part of the parents, a worldview is passed down to their children nonetheless.

Be careful which pair of worldview spectacles you choose to look through. Which pair of glasses do you regularly choose to look through from the pile that the world (and the devil) has to offer? Do you consider how the influences that surround you affect the way in which you see the world? If you surround yourself with sin (even in small amounts) or things that have an absence of God and His principles, then you are doing a variety of worldview-altering things.

First, you are telling yourself and others that God is boring or that His ways, commands, or instruction somehow waters down true wisdom and knowledge. Second, you are desensitizing yourself to sin by allowing God's principles to be pushed to the backburner and the world's principles to take presedence, which allows you to become more and more accepting of that which God hates. Lastly, your choice to engage the world in the ways that you do, pushing God into the shadows, demonstrates to your children that God is not the center of life, and that God is not interested in the "small" things that we enjoy or learn about in life. You are telling them that it is okay exclude God (which is what you are doing by allowing Him to remain absent) as long as we are doing something beneficial for acquiring "wisdom".

What is wisdom? Solomon, the most wise man that has ever or will ever live tells us in Proverbs 1:7 that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." Our knowledge or wisdom in life begins when we learn to fear or display reverence for God. The Bible says also, in Psalm 111:10, "The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all they that do his commandments."

So, what does God, Whom we fear, command? "This is the command...Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." [Deuteronomy 6:5-9] We are to teach our children to fear God, to love God with all our being and to TEACH this to our children...when? ALL THE TIME.

So, tell me...how can you separate this command from walking in the Truth of God's Word every minute of every day? You can't. We all need to search for God's truths in everything we do, learn about, and explore. There is no end to where God and His truth can be found! This is His world. All within it points to the Creator. If God is the supremecy of all human knowledge, why in the world would we want to look for knowledge anywhere else to begin with?

Are you a HEARER or a DOER? Ouch!

2011-06-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

This is a MUST SEE! If you feel that you've never been "called to" go to an abortion clinic, but call yourself a Christian...listen to RC Sproul's message below. Play it in the background, if you think it might be too lengthy (start at 21:00), but do not ignore this! Be DOERS of the Word, and not HEARERS only! Let the BIBLE motivate you to serve the least of these!

"This is God's alarm clock for you...If you're uncomfortable with it [Bible], it's not because it's misguided; it's not because it's directed in the wrong direction...it's YOU that has to change...Texts that trouble us show us where our weaknesses are, because His Word has no weaknesses....The Word calls us back to the Word. The answer to our not doing is not failing to hear. The answer of our not doing is to HEED what we hear." - R.C. Sproul Jr.

"But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror; for he looks at himself, goes away, and right away forgets what kind of man he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts—this person will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks he is religious, without controlling his tongue but deceiving his heart, his religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:22-27

Eva has 2nd round of Pneumonia

2011-06-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

The last week all the little ones have battled chest colds. Eva got bad really fast and had been wheezing. They did a chest x-ray last Wednesday, which showed that it could be developing into pneumoia. Well, Eva had another chest x-ray today and she has pneumonia (again). The doctors are seeing her again tomorrow morning. Until then...more breathing treatments.

Poor baby! This is her second bout of pneumonia in her 4 short months of life!!!! We’d prefer her to stay out of the hospital, because with asthma, she’s so prone to other lung diseases. We’d really appreciate another round of prayers for her!

Thank you!

Abortion Clinic Ministry Training Videos

2011-06-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

We are working on putting together abortion ministry training videos sometime in the near future, but first we need input from those of you who have an interest in this type of ministry, but don't know where to start! What things would you like to see addressed? What would you like to observe us doing exactly? What training video topics would you like to see covered?

Below are our topic ideas so far, feel free to add topics and let me know what questions you'd like to see answered. Thank you for any input y'all can give! I will add subtopics after comments are made!

Family Ministry

Baby Shower Ministry

Proclaiming and Sidewalk Counseling

Logistics

Concerns

Abortion Risks - Be An Informed Woman!

2011-06-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

The abortion industry LOVES an uneducated and uninformed woman to enter their facilities. The less questions that are asked; the more complete trust that is placed in the abortionists, the better for the abortion clinic. The less a woman knows about possible complications; the less she knows about her abortionist's medical track record; the less she knows about the clinic's track record, the better for the abortion clinic.

Learn about the complications that abortion has been found to have caused by going HERE. Do not allow the used car salesman tactics to sway you in this life changing and life ending decision.

Woman knows nothing of the risks involved = more likely that Woman will go through with the procedure

Woman goes through with the procedure = monetary ($) profit for the clinic

Garden Fresh Pesto - Large family and Freezer Style!

2011-06-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

Garden Fresh Pesto

6 cloves garlic
4 cups garden-fresh basil leaves (mmmm!)
1 cup olive oil
1 teasp salt
1 teasp pepper
1 cup parmesan grated
1 cup cashews (pine nuts are too pricey for us)

Mix all in food processor. Make extra, as this can be frozen, too!

Apologia General Science: A Chemical Reaction

2011-06-11T12:07:00.001-07:00

Apologia General Science 8th Grade
Module 1

A Chemical Reaction
Experiment 1.3

Kaitlyn (11) and Ethan (10) witnessed the effect of a chemical reaction. In a chemical reaction, one or more substances interact to form one or more new substances.

When the baking soda hit the vinegar, the mixture bubbled and fizzed, and the balloon inflated. At the same time, they noticed a color change. The mixture turned from a pinkish color to a bluish color.

Are you SURE you're 100% Pro Life?

2011-06-11T05:50:00.001-07:00

Hormonal birth control can be abortifacient. Very few know about that, even within the pro-life movement. [See the video and links below]

If you know there is a chance that it can abort babies and still use it or condone the use of it, you are not 100% pro-life. Now, if one changes the definition of when life begins, saying that life begins at some point other than conception or argues that the research involved in determining that hormonal BCs are abortifacient is false, then one could continue to call themself pro-life.

However, believing you are something that you really are not, does not make that something true.

Are you willing to take the risk that the manufacturers’ inserts on these BCs might just be correct? As Ronald Reagan wisely said, “If there’s even a question about when human life begins, isn’t it our duty to err on the side of life?”

Better yet...what would JESUS have you do if there's even a possibility that a life is ended through these methods of birth control?

Proverbs 24:11, 12 "Rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter. If you say, "But we didn't know about this," won't He who weighs hearts consider it? Won't He who protects your life know? Won't He repay a person according to his work?"

Rest assured. God will repay you according to what you knew to be true (or even thought MIGHT be true). Nothing you do is hidden from His sight. Fear God.

Does Life Really Begin at Conception?
Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?
Ethical Issues Regarding Oral Contraceptives
The Harms of Contraception - From One More Soul

Psalm 37:23-26 In Light of Family UNplanning...

2011-06-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

"The steps of a good man are established
[prepared] by the LORD, and he delights in his way."

Your life, lived within God's Will, is under Divine guidance and control! He does not idly create and send your family a new child! Your ways; your baby's ways are PLANNED by God! Are you taking PLEASURE in the path the the Lord has set before you? Are you complaining about where He has led you in family UNplanning? God has prepared this way for YOU. Rejoice in the way and praise God through all times!

"When he falls [a temporary calamity], he will not be hurled headlong,
because the LORD is the One who holds his hand [God "upholdeths"]."

So spiritually, whatever falls the believer may have through his own weakness and corruption, and Satan's subtlety, the Lord 'having begun a good work' in him, "will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil 1:6). A beautiful type of this is Christ's stretching forth His hand to catch and save Peter from sinking in the waves (Matt 14:31).(from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary)

Are you fearful of falling or failing while treading that path that God has laid before you? Take heart, God promises to be there to hold your hand. You will not be destroyed! Place your hand in His and TRUST your Creator God!

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen
the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

Nor his seed begging bread - i.e., continuously. Temporarily David had in his destitution begged sustenance from the rich Nabal. The very object of the psalm is to counteract the temptation to fretfulness at the temporary wants of the godly. But, alike in the Old and the New Testaments, the godly are exempt from permanent abandonment as to the needs even of this life. He who commands us to pray, Give us this day our daily bread, will not mock His children by withholding that which He Himself has encouraged them to ask, with the implied promise that He will grant it. He does not raise hopes only to disappoint them. They who make heaven their end will not be allowed to want any necessary on the way (Matt 6:33; Ps 84:11; Rom 8:28,32).(from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary)

Are you afraid of not being able to provide for those little ones that the Lord might (or might not) send you? David says in this psalm that the RIGHTEOUS and their descendants have never been known to beg for food continuously. Now, will you reap what you sow? Yes. So, be careful to be righteous in your actions and God will reward you and provide for your own accordingly. Does this mean that you will have everything that you ever dreamed? No. God will provide for all our NEEDS as He see fit!

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: the neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!" Luke 12:22-24

"All day long he is gracious and lends [he is compassionate], and
his descendants are a blessing."

Be gracious and giving! By living a life of faith and compassion your children will prove to be the BLESSINGS that God has always intended them to be.

Follow in HIS ways; Hold HIS hand and all will be well for you....not perfect, but well!

Adoption vs. Letting God Plan Your Family

2011-06-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

Q. How can adoption play a role in [letting God plan your family]? In many adoption cases, pregnancy disrupts a case (which can be paralleled to losing a baby). Therefore, my husband and I felt it necessary to use natural planning (and sometimes barrier methods -- but never anything that would be abortifacient) to space our biological kids in order to respond to God's call to care for orphans. But I definitely agree with your post [HERE] as far as 'peace of heart' being a fault decision maker. I want what we do to be in line with God's will but I can't figure how to do both? Also, in several of your posts you mention God controls how many kids we should/will have. I agree, but wonder how you respond when people say we are messing up the possibility of adopting (obviously I don't agree with people that would think that, but I'm having a hard time articulating an answer Biblically). Additionally, and this is slightly off topic -- I wondered about the abortion-counter on your site, is it also including babies being aborted thru birth control? I imagine it'd be difficult to get an exact number, but I was just curious whether those numbers should be much higher for those poor sweet babies that don't even have a change to implant in the uterus.

A. First, the abortion counter on the side measures only surgical abortions...not the ones caused by birth control and not the ones caused by the abortion pill (medical abortions). So, yes...there's even more sad numbers to add to those! :(

Second, I believe that people should pursue adoption while still allowing God control of their wombs. We did NFP when adopting Annalise 8 1/2 years ago (photo above), as we were unaware of the Biblical premise for letting God have that control over the womb. But when we were in the midst of looking to adopt in 2007, we had four children at the time and were leaving my womb completely open to the Lord. We were looking into doing foster to adopt, were open to all ages (through 12) and sibling groups of ANY size. But...our family was considered "too large" to adopt from the foster system. We hired an agency in Washington state to send out profile to social workers and "go to bat" for us, so to speak. Even then, we were told by social workers ALL over the country that having four children was "too much".

We found out I was pregnant and kind of put adoption on the back burner, thinking that no one would want us to adopt if I was pregnant on top of having four children! We thought God had closed the door to adoption and we were at peace with that. BUT...right after we found out that we were pregnant with a girl (Ellie), I got a call from our agency in Washington state. They had a birth mother with a sister agency in Missouri who needed a home for her older boys who were 2 & 5 and she wanted to look at our profile. We told them she could, but that there was something they should know...I was 20 weeks pregnant. They said that would likely be a "deal-breaker", but said that they'd tell the birth mother anyway. Well, long story short, we talked to their mom on the phone and she chose our family to adopt her two boys. We were out in Missouri 2 weeks later (photo above)! We were told that adopting or gaining custody when the adoptive mom is pregnant is unheard of! Bottom line...it was God!

I find it very interesting when you said, “I want what we do to be in line with God's will but I can't figure how to do both?” Well, you really don't have to figure out how to do both! God will do all the figuring for you! That's one of the beautiful things about faith and trust in God...have faith and trust and the rest is up to Him! All you have to do is to learn to leave it ALL in God’s hands.

You never truly know if you will even be able to get pregnant or keep the babies that you become pregnant with (miscarriage). Most who knew Mark and I early in our marriage would have assumed that since I conceived and gave birth to two babies so soon after being married that we would have had baby after baby. After all, our first baby was our "honeymoon baby" and the second baby I became pregnant with when the first baby was only 6 months old. They would have envisioned us to have been in the position of the Duggar Family by now! However, their assumptions were incorrect. Mark and I have lost 7 precious children. Early in our marriage we had taken our fertility for granted, assuming that it would be there when we wanted.

We just never know what life will bring, and THAT is why God is the only one who knows what’s best for us! If you look at all my posts on letting God plan your family, ask yourself this when reading the Scripture and listening to the logic... "Can this be refuted or superseded by another Scripture having to do with the caring of orphans?” I have found that answer to be ‘no’.

Take some time and really ponder these questions below...

God tells us that pure religion is to take care of widows and orphans. Are there more than one way to do this?

Is God not capable of working around your pregnancies, like He did with Trey and Jake’s adoption?

Can God choose to postpone a pregnancy without your help?

If you do have child after child when handing over your womb to God, is there not another way to take care of widows and orphans? [You might want to read about our ministry to the unborn. This is just one way to help take care of the widows and orphans.]

Will God send you a biological child at a time that is anything less than perfect?

Will God send you a biological child to spite the poor child that you were set on adopting? Or is it that He knows and wants what's best for you and for the child that you want to adopt?

Are you open to GOD's timeline and plan for sending children to your family through adoption or are you trying to control that way of planning your family, as well?

These are some difficult questions, but I think they are ones that really uncover someones motivations and reasoning when contemplating whether or not to adopt and whether or not to use birth control to limit the number of children God may or may not send you during that adoption process.

I believe that Scripture points to God, and God alone, having control over our wombs. If we really believe that He has and deserves the control to create a new soul as He pleases, HE will lead and guide us to our adopted child(ren), in accordance to His Will. I truly believe that. Do we need to actively pursue adoption? Maybe yes, maybe no. Our family actively pursued adoption in the past, whereas now we are open to adoption if He leads us to a particular situation (possibly through our pro-life work). Whether your pursuit of adoption is an active or passive pursuit should be based on where God directs you.

Botom line....if you can find Scripture that allows you to dictate when children should be sent to your womb so that you can do _____ (in your case, adoption), then you have found a “loop hole”. If not, then God still desires to be in control of creating life.

Look more around my site on family planning! I think you’ll find a ton of “meaty” Scriptures on this subject!

Oh....and before anyone comments on how I am discouraging people from adopting and promoting the birth of biological children as more important than the adoption of a child....I am not. I am wholeheartedly FOR adoption! However, I think that God is wholly capable of deciding when and if to send us biological children, just as He is wholly capable of deciding when and if to send us children by way of adoption. I think we, as humans, think that God needs our help with this...and we make it much more complicated than it needs to be. If you follow what He says in His Word, you cannot go wrong. If you believe God is the Creator or life, then He will send you children when He deems is best...even if it be in the middle of another adoption. God is sovereign. We are called to obey. That is it. The outcome we envision is never promised.

Homeschool Failure - Refuse to Fail or Burn Out

2011-06-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

There are so many moms who need to know that they are not failures in God's eyes and that Jesus has given them every tool they need to complete their task set before them. Every homeschool mother has dealt with doubt, discouragement, or feelings of inadequacy at one time or another. No mother should believe that she is alone in her feelings of failure.

One thing that you must set forth to do is to refuse to give into the feelings that creep in through Satan’s lies and our own finite human reasoning. Keep your eyes set on the author and finisher of your faith as you go about your daily housework and homeschooling tasks.

Where to Meet Jesus: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." [Matthew 11:28-30] The stressful and the commonplace days can take our focus off Jesus and put the load solely on our own shoulders. The weight brings us down into despair when all He asks is for us to share our troubles with Him.

The Way to Go: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” John 15:7 Pray and ask for daily help according to the promises in His Word. He is there to help you. All you have to do is ask according to Scripture.

How to Go: “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me.” Acts 20:24 Focus on the end goal, leaving your personal struggles to God.

How to Keep Going: "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." John 20:21 Go in faith, accepting the task God has given you. Let Him determine the logistics while you press on in peace.

Accept the vision God has revealed to your through His Word. Recall the vision regularly. Move toward the finish line while casting your burdens on Jesus. Fix your eyes on the only one who is the finisher, the motivator and the only unfailing source of strength.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

If Jesus had the ability to endure the cross and still see the joy before Him, we, too, can foresee our joy at the finish line, but first we must fix our eyes on the only One who can see us through – Jesus!

Keep watching for more posts that encourages those who feel like "Homeschool Failures". Sign up to receive e-mails or follow this blog on the left hand sidebar! Check out other posts under the category: Homeschool Failure!

Homeschool Failure - A Firm Foundation

2011-06-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Establishing your recorded goals on a firm foundation is a vital component of a plan that will enable your vision to withstand many storms. That firm foundation is the Word of God that will never pass away. Assign as many of your visionary inspirations as possible to Scripture, such as the ones listed below. You compilation of verses will serve as a motivation, as well as effective ammunition against any doubt as to why you should continue homeschooling.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

Matthew 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

1 Peter 3:15 "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

Luke 6:39, 40 "Jesus said: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher."

Jeremiah 10:2 "Learn not the way of the heathen."

Proverbs 13:20 "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."

Psalm 1:1 "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers."

Job 23:11-12 "My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread."

Proverbs 13:20 “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.”

Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Isaiah 54:13 “All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace.”

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Proverbs 22:6 “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.”

Psalm 119:97-104 “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.”

Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7 “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”

III John 4:3 “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”

Exodus 24:7 “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and will be obedient.”

How to BIBLICALLY work with those in sexual sin...

2011-06-07T04:40:00.000-07:00

Our family works with women living in sexual sin (at the abortion mills). We have hosted them in our home (and yes, ate with them), but when they choose to reject Christ and to *continue* to willfully live in sin...that's where we cannot yoke with them. That's where the *bond* MUST be broken, according to Scripture. Sound harsh? Look at the Scriptures below and see where Jesus' compassion alligns with His commands and warnings...

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (NIV): Do not be yoked together [associate; befriend] with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship (associate) can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

Matthew 10:14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.

Acts 13:51-52 So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

..... to shake the dust of any city of Israel from off one's clothes or feet was an emblematical action, signifying a renunciation of all further connection with them, and placing them on a level with the cities of the Heathen. (from Adam Clarke's Commentary)

Ephesians 5:11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them (reprehend severely; rebuke; convict).

James 4:4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred (hostility) toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy (hostile) of God.

[Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world] How strange it is that people professing Christianity can suppose that with a worldly spirit, worldly companions, and their lives governed by worldly maxims, they can be in the favour of God, or ever get to the kingdom of heaven! When the world gets into the church, the church becomes a painted sepulcher; its spiritual vitality being extinct. (from Adam Clarke's Commentary)

Regarding associations with perpetual sinners who call themselves believers....

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 "I have written you in my letter not to associate (keep company or be intimate) with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat (directly translated that we are to not eat, "not even in a continue negation"). What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel (remove) the wicked man from among you.'

It is vitally important to understand that we are not to judge those who are outside the church (non-professing Christians), but we are to remove those who practice homosexuality from our Church body (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). We cannot "police" the homosexuals (that's not our job), but we can remove them from our presence, as stated in the aforementioned verses.

Psalm 1:1 - Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

Psalm 26:4-7 I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, Nor will I go in with hypocrites. I have hated the assembly of evildoers, And will not sit with the wicked. I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O LORD, That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works.

Proverb 29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, And he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.

This is crucial........

1 Cor. 15:33 "Do not be deceived (led astray): ‘Bad company (companionship) corrupts good character (habits, customs).'"

There is no difficulty in this saying; he who frequents the company of bad or corrupt men will soon be as they are. He may be sound in the faith, and have the life and power of godliness, and at first frequent their company only for the sake of their pleasing conversation, or their literary accomplishments: and he may think his faith proof against their infidelity; but he will soon find, by means of their glozing speeches, his faith weakened; and when once he gets under the empire of doubt, unbelief will soon prevail; his bad company will corrupt his morals. (from Adam Clarke's Commentary)

When comments have been said to me about how Jesus hung out with and associate with unbelievers and those in sexual sin, I urge them to look at his friendships with them. My friend had an excellent response...

Jesus had dinner with "sinners", but they were not in His circle of "friends". There is a huge difference, IMHO. There is a distinction between interacting with homosexuals (or whichever other "sinner") and "yoking" yourself with them in a friendship that entails regular interaction. We are known by whom we associate with (sad, but true) and we are also influenced by whom we associate with. Do you want your kids hanging out with the kid who smokes and sneaks alcohol from their parents' cabinet? Or do you want your kids hanging out with the kid who - while they aren't perfect (because no one is) - does their best to make good choices? I know which one I want my kids hanging out with. I know that it has become politically correct to be "tolerant" of homosexuals (which is watering down the fact that according to the Bible, it is a sin, an abomination), and I AM "tolerant" of homosexuals (my SIL is a lesbian, and has been in a relationship with the same woman for over 10 years), but I am not going to befriend a homosexual. All of the examples (addiction to porn, lusting, having affairs) are done in secret. It isn't as though people engaging in those things show up at church with a sign around their neck saying "I'm a porn addict". Those examples are red herrings. If a man DID show up at church with a sign that said "I'm addicted to porn", I think that the article Lisa posted [HERE] would apply. But to answer your question about "how do we choose who is moral enough to keep company with", the answer is spelled out very clearly in several places in the Bible. I've already gotten long-winded, so I won't quote the scriptures or even post the references. Don't be deceived into thinking that you have to be "friends with" an immoral person in order to witness to them. You can be friendly, without being "friends". A former pastor of mine used to always say, if you're standing on a chair, it's much easier for someone to pull you off the chair, than it is for you to pull them up on it with you. - Kathy H.

Our family proclaims the truth to those we meet who are living in sexual sin. This can be done while still obeying the Scriptures. We encourage them, in love, to break free from sin (aborting their babies; continuing in sexual sin). We never know when someone will be called into eternity. There is no time to let those that we are supposed to love and care about feel comfortable in their sin. Jesus never made sinners feel comfortable to stay in their sin. He spoke the truth and yoked with those who sought forgiveness and repented from living in sin. When we meet young women at the abortion clinics, we meet their practical needs, present the Gospel, fulfill our promises to them and eventually move on if the Gospel has been rejected. We check in on them now and again and continue to minister to them. BUT...we never yoke together or befriend/hang out with, etc. Quite a difference there...

We *all* sin, but it's what we do to prevent that repetitive sin and Who we've accepted as covering for our sin that makes the difference.

The Word is very clear on this. I cannot debate feelings (we all feel differently about many things...what we prefer to eat, what style home is our favorite, what clothes we prefer to wear, etc.). If you want to show me IN SCRIPTURE where it refutes the Scriptures I listed, I'd love to see it. For me...I take Scripture as it is.

Associating with Homosexuals Regularly - Is it Biblical?

2011-06-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Reposted from 2008

If you believe that associating with homosexuals is just the same as associating with any other type of sinner, I am urging you to consider these verses and warnings about associating with the sexually immoral! The Bible is very clear on this. I have concluded that God would have us to present the truth to an unbeliever and try to persuade them, but if we remain in their presence after the Gospel has been rejected, we are taking the chance of being brought down by them and/or becoming desensitized toward that sin.

I am certainly not saying that we should isolate ourselves from the world. If we are spiritually mature *AND* trained appropriately in how to minister to people with particular sins we should mix with unbelievers in the world to minister to them and help them. But we should not be living or working with the same unbelievers for an extended period of time, if they refuse to repent and believe. It is good to mix with unbelievers to love and convert them (our family does this regularly). If you can share Jesus with them, then you can happily yoke together. We should revisit some people even if they don't believe at first, as conversion can take time.

Jesus did the right thing by loving and mixing with sinners and tax collectors for the purpose of converting them. But he did not yoke, work and live with the same people if they did not believe. Jesus and the Apostles moved on if people did not believe, and met other people, trying to convert them. **The fact of the matter is that Jesus did not CONTINUE to spend time with sinners (tax collectors, prostitutes, etc.) if they refused the TRUTH presented to them.**

The following passages refer to the sending forth of Jesus' disciples to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Obviously, Jesus was teaching his disciples that if some people will not listen to the message, their time could be better spent going to someone who will listen. **The Greek/Hebrew direct translation in parenthesis in order to better understand the words literally. **

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (NIV): Do not be yoked together [associate; befriend] with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship (associate) can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

Matthew 10:14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.

Acts 13:51-52 So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

..... to shake the dust of any city of Israel from off one's clothes or feet was an emblematical action, signifying a renunciation of all further connection with them, and placing them on a level with the cities of the Heathen. (from Adam Clarke's Commentary)

Ephesians 5:11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them (reprehend severely; rebuke; convict).

James 4:4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred (hostility) toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy (hostile) of God.

[Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world] How strange it is that people professing Christianity can suppose that with a worldly spirit, worldly companions, and their lives governed by worldly maxims, they can be in the favour of God, or ever get to the kingdom of heaven! When the world gets into the church, the church becomes a painted sepulcher; its spiritual vitality being extinct. (from Adam Clarke's Commentary)

Regarding associations with perpetual sinners who call themselves believers....

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 "I have written you in my letter not to associate (keep company or be intimate) with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat (directly translated that we are to not eat, "not even in a continue negation"). What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel (remove) the wicked man from among you.'

It is vitally important to understand that we are not to judge those who are outside the church (non-professing Christians), but we are to remove those who practice homosexuality from our Church body (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). We cannot "police" the homosexuals (that's not our job), but we can remove them from our presence, as stated in the aforementioned verses.

Psalm 1:1 - Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

Psalm 26:4-7 I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, Nor will I go in with hypocrites. I have hated the assembly of evildoers, And will not sit with the wicked. I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O LORD, That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works.

Proverb 29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, And he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.

This is crucial........

1 Cor. 15:33 "Do not be deceived (led astray): ‘Bad company (companionship) corrupts good character (habits, customs).'"

There is no difficulty in this saying; he who frequents the company of bad or corrupt men will soon be as they are. He may be sound in the faith, and have the life and power of godliness, and at first frequent their company only for the sake of their pleasing conversation, or their literary accomplishments: and he may think his faith proof against their infidelity; but he will soon find, by means of their glozing speeches, his faith weakened; and when once he gets under the empire of doubt, unbelief will soon prevail; his bad company will corrupt his morals. (from Adam Clarke's Commentary)

Now before everyone jumps in to say how wrong I am....please do not attempt to debate without Scriptural references that refute the verses I listed above. Sola Scriptura! May we strive to please Jesus in all we do!

Homeschool Failure - Expect Opposition to the Vision

2011-06-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

“He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44b

Many homeschool mothers make the detrimental mistake when they believe that planning their course of action is sufficient preparation for success. They set a lofty expectation, thinking that because they have a recorded vision in their hands it makes them exempt from attack and discouragement. In reality, a vision is just one of the many tools used to combat the “father of lies”.

When you engage in the valiant fight against the prince of darkness, you must come to the understanding that you will unquestionably engage in spiritual warfare and experience assaults from Satan. Satan will undoubtedly detect your desire to succeed at something which he hates – parental involvement and godly instruction in the life of your children. He hates to see God’s Word honored and children growing up to genuinely love the Lord. Be assured, he will fight against your efforts every chance he can get.

The enemy’s game plan will take on many forms such as doubt and discouragement possibly stemming from the disheartening words from family and friends. Do not let these thoughts take root in your life by entertaining the lies he whispers in your ear. Remember that he is the “father of lies” and deception is his native tongue. Instead, build a hedge of protection, knowing why you have established these goals for your family by basing your decisions on Scripture. This might not be an easy task, but when you set up this barricade against the arrows of the enemy you will have a secure place in which to rest in your choice to educate your children at home.

Homeschool Failure - A United Vision

2011-06-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

After you have chosen how to record your homeschool’s mission and vision statement, choose a quiet place and time to develop a united vision with your husband or support person. List the ideas that sparked your interest in homeschooling and led you to believe that this was a positive choice for your family. List the academic benefits that homeschooling offers, as well as what skills and character traits you desire to see your children attain by the time they graduate. And, most importantly, secure that firm foundation by listing your Biblical reasons which support your decision to homeschool your children.

Quiche in a Bag - Easy Freezer Recipe

2011-06-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

Serves 12-18

3 c. Cooked meat (any meat diced or browned and crumbled)

2 1/4 c. Vegetable (any raw, blanched; thawed frozen; or canned, drained)

3 c. shredded cheese (you can exclude this or just add feta)

3/4 c. diced onion

3 c. milk (can sub dry milk and water, soy milk or rice milk)

12 eggs

1 1/2 c. flour (may substitute rice flour)

2 tbs. baking powder

Containers: 1-gallon freezer bags

Assembly Directions: Combine meat, vegetable, cheese, and onion. Place this mixture in a labeled 1-gallon freezer bag. With a mixer or blender, combine the milk, eggs, flour and baking powder. Pour into the bag with the meat/vegetable mixture.

Freezing and Cooking Directions: Seal and freeze. To serve, thaw completely. Shake bag well and pour into a spray-treated or greased deep dish pie plate or quiche pan. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Bake at 350º for 35-45 minutes, until lightly browned on top and well set in the center. Cool about 5 minutes before serving.

We made this with bacon and broccoli. It was so good and super easy! I make two meals at a time!

Homeschool Failure - Recording Your Vision

2011-05-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

If you were to embark on a long-term home improvement project, you would certainly have a finished result envisioned before you even thought to pick up the phone to call a general contractor. If this project was to build a house, you would need blueprints that depicted the inside and outside of the structure. It would be essential that you had an end to which the team you hired would be working toward.

Neither you nor the professionals you hired would just pick up some lumber and start hammering away. Where would you be without a plan; without blueprints; without goals? If that was to happen, no one on the team would have a unified vision of what was to be built and complete chaos would ensue. Soon enough you would become disheartened and discouraged at the lack of progress that had been made. The homey cottage you envisioned would look more like a dog house for good ol’ Rover. Sure, you might be able to pick up the pieces and make something of your effort. But how much pain could you have saved yourself if there had been a vision, a plan, and goals in mind? Vision is needed, and a vision needs goals.

Just as you would require having a hard copy of a plan when building a house, it is just as essential that you have a recorded vision for which to aim, in order to be successful in your undertaking of homeschooling. Whether you are a brand new homeschooler, just starting out, or a veteran with many years served, each and every homeschooling family should record the reasons why they have chosen to educate their children at home. These reasons should be kept in a place where you can reference them without delay. Being able to see these goals regularly will prove to be an encouragement to you, urging you to press on toward the goal when the inevitable days of discouragement stare you in the face.

The first thing to consider is whether you would prefer to record your thoughts and reasons in a one or two-page vision summary or, if you are a little more creative, a vision notebook.

A vision summary can be saved to your computer’s hard drive, edited periodically and printed off as needed. This short synopsis can be hung on the refrigerator or placed in a devotional or Bible as a visual reminder. A vision notebook could contain headings with a bullet point list of goals that fall under that heading. You could also record successes made under such headings as Biblical knowledge, academics, chore training or character development, so that you can easily view the progress that has been made in each area. Other things to consider adding to your notebook are encouraging quotes related to homeschooling or homemaking, encouraging Bible verses or a list of blessings you receive by being a homeschool and stay at home mother.

Consider, also, keeping a running list for each child that includes issues that call for improvement and objectives to achieve. These areas could be related to academics, spirituality, chore training and character traits. You might even list each child’s strengths to encourage and weaknesses on which to improve, as well. As with the summary, this notebook should be kept within reach and should also be easily accessed when the days of feeling like a failure come.

It does not matter which tool you decide to use to record your vision as long as you refer to it often, reminding yourself of why you are doing what you are doing. This will prove to serve as an encouragement and a motivator when you encounter a difficult day or time period in homeschooling.

Homeschool Failure - The Business Model and a Philosophy of Education

2011-05-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

When a company embarks in its business venture, the board of directors develops a business plan, which includes a vision statement and a mission statement. The vision statement is a detailed description of what the company desires to accomplish within a set number of years, which serves as a guide for directing the company toward completing the long-term goals listed. A mission statement describes why the company exists, as well as the company’s current capabilities and focus. Essentially a mission statement is where the company is presently, and the vision statement is where the company plans to be in the future. Both of these serve as an important tool in the development of a strong and successful business. Neither of these can be eliminated if the company wants to be successful in their business venture.

Some might think it a bit excessive to develop both a mission and vision statement for your homeschool, but it is not. A business can be defined as serious work or an endeavor that requires an investment with the expectation of making a profit. Could a homeschool be described in that manner? Home education is certainly a serious work that requires an investment of time, money and sweat equity, in which you hope to produce a young adult who is adept in various life skills. The outcome your child experiences is your profit, or positive gain. So, why not plan your homeschool as you would a business? Plan for success and stick to the plan!

Homeschool parents should be in agreement of their homeschool’s objectives and motivations, in order to provide a measure of accountability and to be like-minded in this endeavor. If you are married, your husband, as the head of your home, should either help plan or approve the mission and vision statements of your family’s homeschool. If you are a single parent, you are in charge of your homeschool and might consider seeking outside counsel to assist with accountability and the focus in your mission.

When Mark and I began our own journey of homeschooling we decided to join a local support group, so that we could experience the support and friendships of those who were climbing the same mountain that we were beginning to ascend. This particular support group was somewhat of a pioneer homeschool support group, of which my parents were members when I was homeschooled. These seasoned support group leaders prudently recognized the need for vision and consequently required that each prospective member develop a “Philosophy of Education”. This proved to be an excellent requirement that charged each member of the group to determine and to put in writing their chief objectives behind their decision to homeschool.

Our family’s philosophy of education included similar concepts that one might find in a business’ mission and vision statements. In establishing our own educational ideology we were recording the reasoning behind our choice to home educate. Through this simple, yet inspiring, one-page summary of our thoughts and goals, we preserved our purpose for our family’s home education course. Through the years we have modified our philosophy of education to better fit our family’s revised vision, while continually implementing the principles in our summary. This has proved to be a driving force, compelling us closer to the established goals for our children.

Take a look at our family's Philosophy of Education for some idea starters and tune in next time for more on how to develop your plan and set your goals! Sign up to receive e-mails or follow this blog on the left hand sidebar! Check out other posts under the category: Homeschool Failure!

Homeschool Failure - A Heavenly Vision

2011-05-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

"I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision."
Acts 26:19

Many eager new homeschool mothers, like the one described below, excitedly anticipate and plan for the start of their child’s first year of homeschool. This particular mother, to which many of us can so easily relate, spent month after month researching the many homeschooling methods, attending book fairs, as well as deciding which homeschool support group to join, what extracurricular activities to engage in and which curricula to order. In August, she made her first school supply trip to Wally’s World, rounding one corner to face a spectacular aisle full of lined paper, bright crayons, and themed notebooks for every subject. After she filled her cart and making these purchases, she ran home to find a beautiful big brown box sitting on her porch. While attempting to rip open the box, wrapped securely in many layers of packing tape, she scampered off hurriedly to find the scissors. After finally opening the box she reached in and pulled out various crisp new textbooks wrapped tightly in cellophane. She tore open the wrappers and flipped through each book, envisioning the excited look of her child as he completes each day of assignments with joy and excitement.

After surveying her treasures, she sat down one evening after another mapping out the lessons plans that would strategically guide her every move. She thoroughly studied the teacher’s guides and made countless notes as to how to teach each and every lesson. Upon the completion of her first few months of lesson plans, she felt satisfied. She was confident in the important decisions she had made and in her preparedness for the year ahead.

On the first day of school, this new homeschool mother carefully prepared a nutritious meal fit for her little scholar. After breakfast and the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, she carefully placed her pristine and meticulously prepared lessons plans on her desk and arranged the school workbooks and tools on the desk of her child.

A few months later, as the schedule set in and the feeling of drudgery loomed overhead, she surveyed the damage. Before her stood a laundry pile that was close to the size of Mount Everest. She could not remember the last time her family ate a meal that was not brought in from outside world. The rooms in the house needed to be vacuumed and dusted, the dishes needed to be washed, the bathrooms needed to be cleaned. Frankly, the house work was overwhelming and out of control.

On the academic side of things, she had discovered that her child was slow in learning to read. He often seemed distracted and did not want to remain still for very long. Academically, he seemed much better off when he had been enrolled in the local school, and the house was certainly more intact and clean when she did not face the distraction of homeschooling. Maybe she should just throw in the towel, admitting her failure, and send him back to a school where teachers were more qualified to teach and instruct him, and which allowed her to accomplish simple daily tasks without constant distractions and interruptions.

Oswald Chambers once said, “At the beginning we saw the vision but did not wait for it. We rushed into the practical work and when the vision was fulfilled, we did not see it.” Did this mother formulate good plans? In some ways, yes, she did. She planned the academic work and extracurricular activities with a vision in mind, but she failed to prepare a detailed vision of the end result of years of homeschooling. She focused on the struggle of the here and now, attentive to the bullet points on her list of practicalities, rather than pushing forward while relying on a documented long-range vision of success.

She really was making progress, but she failed to see the progress she was making, because she was rushing around, worrying that she was not able to check off what she viewed as being most important to a well-rounded education. She failed to keep her eyes fixated on the finish line, for which she should have been aiming all along.

Successful execution of a mission, such as home educating your children, demands a resolute and unwavering vision driven by goals. When the goals are established and a method for accomplishing them is developed, the goals create a vision which motivates and sets a finish line for which to aim.

Homeschool Failure - A Plan of Action

2011-05-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

Over the last few years, I have received numerous visits to my blog after women searched the World Wide Web for articles or websites related to the term, “homeschool failure”. One of the articles on this blog, which mentioned the phrase “homeschool failure”, prompted the search engines to list my blog as the top search result. The many hits I received prompted me to ask myself who was searching repeatedly for articles pertaining to failure in home education. The answer was one of two possibilities. These cyber investigators either consisted of those looking to scathe the respected reputation of homeschoolers; searching the web for a list of people that have given up in their endeavor to educate their children at home, or they were homeschool mothers reaching out to desperately seek encouragement, after feeling trampled in the undertaking of homeschooling their children. My guess is that it was the latter, more often than it was the former.

After seeing these website visits appear again and again, year after year, I began to search on my own for resources that addressed the feelings of these homeschool mothers that felt as though they have failed or are in the process of failing at home educating their children. Much to my surprise, I found that there was little more than a short encouraging word or a to-do list that addressed this issue that faces every homeschool mother at one time or another. While the attempt of the author’s article to solve the problems of these mothers is worthwhile, they were not specifically addressing these concerns with Scripture and realistic solutions that one could apply to many different areas of concern within this broad definition of failure in homeschooling. One of the handfuls of articles contained a concise to-do list, but it still lacked the all-important spiritual foundation on which to firmly plant one’s feet. A Biblical base is something so essential to the survival of a family’s home education journey that I have a tough time understanding just how this watered down information could offer a woman a permanent and long-lasting solution. There was so much more that could have been said about this subject that I felt the leading of God to write a series on the subject of "Homeschool Failure".

Whether or not you realize it, all mothers deal with issues of inadequacy and inferiority on a regular basis. We all feel as though we are failures at one time or another. You are not alone. When beginning to conduct research for this topic, I heard from many mothers who felt as if their shortcomings were destroying all that their children “could be”. They felt their fear of failure encouraging them to pull out of their homeschooling endeavor. These precious moms desperately needed to know that they are not and never will be failures in God's eyes. God has given each of us every tool and resource we need to complete the task placed before us. Each and every homeschool mom – myself included - needs to come face to face with the limited capabilities of our humanness. We must become skilled at continually abiding in God’s infinite power to sustain us in our calling, remembering that there is no such thing as a homeschool failure when the proper foundation has been laid down. You can do this with a focused direction, a graspable vision, a clear plan of action and God’s help!

"I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:17

Does the feeling of peace make birth control okay in God's eyes?

2011-05-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

Reposted from July 2010

Q. If a couple prays and God gives them peace to use birth control, are they in God's will regardless?

A.The below verses show why I have a problem with seeking "peace of the heart" when making a decision. Peace doesn't necessarily equal God's Will. Peace can accompany God's Will, but it should not be a determining factor when making a decision. We are all prone to foolish thinking, which is why the study and meditation on the Word of God is so vitally important when making ALL decisions.

Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"
Proverbs 28:26 "He that trusts in his own heart is a fool..."
Proverbs 12:15 "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes..."

That's why since GOD is the only Creator of human life, I trust HIM alone with the decision as to when He should create a human soul! How could I time having a child better than the Creator Himself? To think I could/can/should do so would make me a FOOL!

Having Many Children is Poor Stewardship in this Economy!

2011-05-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

Reposted from July 2010

If any of you reading this have ever entertained this thought, please show me Scripturally where family planning is considered good stewardship. What is the opposite of wise stewardship? Foolishness, right? So, you are basically saying that those who choose to trust God in creating when He chooses and sending them blessings as He wills, are fools. We are fools to trust in the Creator of the universe to create when and if He so chooses. That is either a poorly thought out argument or complete and utter arrogance in regards to God Himself!

Bill & Kim Kinderman put it this way: "Another major problem with the argument is the alleged authority of the steward. The steward works for someone else who has established the parameters of his stewardship. The steward does not make their own rules – they do what the boss says; they accept what He gives and the blessings He sends. So, with this in mind, remember – God is boss and has told human stewards of His world to be fruitful and multiply. So how is it legitimate without some further word from God on the subject for the steward to just up and decide one day "He does not really want me to do this – He left it up to me to decide." The Bible, in other words, nowhere tells man He has the authority to decide that God’s command to be fruitful and multiply no longer applies. Man may claim authority to decide this, but the Bible does not indicate God intends for man to assume such authority. Who do we think we are, to tell Him what blessings we will and will not accept, guided by our selfish desires for comfort, prestige, the praise of men, or other carnal motives?!!

Obeying God in this area will create such a strain on God’s ability to help you financially that it is unwise stewardship to just let the blessings (kids) keep coming?! He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, but He needs your help in limiting the kids so that there will be enough funds left for Him to spread enough around so that each couple will be able to reasonably support [them] financially”.
Is God not capable of sending you the EXACT amount of children He wants to send? Will He call you foolish and a poor steward if you "allow" Him to create a child? Can you really see Him scolding you for poor stewardship of your resources when HE alone is the one who creates life? Can you see Him accusing you of poor stewardship when it goes against His thoughts on children being the UTMOST blessing?
By thinking that we should be in charge of whether or not (or when) God creates life makes us look like we believe that we are the all-knowing ones who took this "burden of prevention" off of God's shoulders and put it onto our own shoulders. We, as the clay, are looking at THE POTTER and saying that we will take on the burden of helping Him prevent His own creations. This is *complete arrogance* to assume that He gave us charge of creating or preventing souls, especially in alignment with stewardship.

Here's some food for thought (Scripturally) for you...

One of the best verses in the Bible to point out that only GOD knows when our quiver is full is this: "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain." Psalm 127:1

* The word “builds” in Hebrew is “Banah,” which actually means “to obtain children.”
* A form of "banah" is also used for the word "house," which is translated as "especially family."
* Then, the word "keep" is shamar" which is translated, "hedge about/protect/preserve."
* "In Vain" is "shav" = "or shav {shav}; in the sense of desolating; evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain)"

****Remember, This is also the same Psalm that talks of how happy a man is who has a quiver full of children! Wow! Amazingly laid out all in that one short chapter! Is that a command in this instance? No. BUT it is a warning.

From the fears you have concerning the economy's impact of procreation and God's provision, I doubt that you would reject the "blessing" of more money and a better economy. You'd take more money and a better economy, yes? But yet you would plan and possibly reject God's most-talked about blessing of children out of fear that you aren't managing your household well enough. You're afraid that GOd might send you a "punishment" of a child because you were a poor steward in not using birth control to control God and His creations. Wow. Yes, that's what that argument of stewardship in family planning entails....that God wants you to better manage the creation of children and if you do not, you will be "punished" with less money and resources because God "had to" send you additional children because of your failure to use birth control, and ultimately control God in giving you blessings of children. Logically AND Biblically this whole argument holds no water. Search the Scriptures, if you dare, to find the truth in this. I pray you will learn to trust GOD and accept ALL the blessings He chooses to send (or not send) you...money, housing, a better economy and most importantly, ETERNAL souls....CHILDREN!

Here is an EXCELLENT article from a godly man in regards to the age-old "stewardship" argument in regards to birth control. I challenge you to read it and share your thoughts. Here is an excerpt:

"Imagine, if you will, this parable starting in a different way. “There was a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and attempted to deliver unto them his goods, but his servants refused.” Eesh. You can almost anticipate the response from the man who had just had his authority personally attacked and rejected. If this Master was upset at a servant who received a talent but did nothing with it, do we really want to know how he would respond if his servant refused to accept the stewardship at all? And yet, when it comes to birth control, we do that very thing! And then have the bravado to claim we are doing it in “the name of stewardship”! Think for a moment about what stewardship really means. At its very foundation, as we saw in the parable above, it implies (and demands) acceptance of that which is to be stewarded. Webster’s defines it as the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care. A servant who refuses to accept the Master’s talent may be many things, but he is no steward – in fact, he is the negation of a steward – one who refuses to carefully and responsibly managing something entrusted to one’s care."

The Faith of a Child! A Small Miracle at the Abortion Clinic!

2011-05-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

TWO babies were saved from abortion this past Friday while we ministered at our local abortion mill! Our children, along with the Wilson children, prayed for this nasty music to stop (played by a father to drown us out). Within 2 minutes of the children starting to pray, the music started fading in and out. Then, it STOPPED completely within 4 minutes. AMAZING! PRAISE GOD! See the video below.

"...and a child will lead them." Isaiah 11:6

Homeschool Record Keeping System

2011-05-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

Q. How do you keep your children's homeschool records? What is your homeschool Record keeping system for a large family? Also, what tests do you use for your children? ~ M. B.

A. I got a big binder, enough to hold YEARS worth of records for each child...all in one place!

Inside the binder I keep immunization religious exemption forms (attached, too)...

...NC attendance records....

...the test scores...

...and in the front, I keep a current copy of our HSLDA card, in case I need to quickly reference it!

Each child has a section and I just add to it each year. I also keep 3 years worth of each child’s school work in copy paper boxes (just in case I need to prove anything), and scan and save test scores and attendance sheets...all are saved on my hard drive. I also take photos of the kids doing various projects and save them in Word. Everything on my hard drive would be retrievable if something happened to the computer, as it backs up to Carbonite. Now, I probably won’t need to have any of this on hand, BUT it is nice to know where I can find things in case it is needed to prove something someday.

In addition to this type of record keeping, I use Homeschool Tracker (please use referral code B95HF if you decide to purchase it). It’s a computer program that records grades and work that your children have done or have yet to do. It is super cool...many, many features! I like entering every project (seatwork, lapbook, unit study, community outreach day, etc.) into the program. It gives me my beloved “to-do list" and lets me see what needs to be done next in school. When it comes time for a transcript or an average grade in a course, it’s super easy to just print it out! Love it!

As for testing...we use Seton Testing Services ($25 a pop) for two years and then switch to Iowa Tests of Basic Skills every three years just to see where they are exactly (we’ve also done the Kauffman Test for Annalise once). Because I don’t put much value in testing my children (I know them best and no test can tell me anything I really don’t already know), I like to cut costs as much as possible. So that is what we do to meet North Carolina homeschooling requirements!

Testing for Pregnancy Disorders and Fear of What Might Happen

2011-05-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

Q. Hi, I remember reading your post before your last pregnancy. You talked about having blood test done to find out if you had a clotting disorder. Why did you have that done? Did Insurance pay for it? I have 4 children. I have had pre-eclampsia with my 2nd and 4th. The last one was bad enough that I had an emergency c-section at 33 weeks. My Dr. of course does not want me to have anymore. He tried to talk me into getting my tubes tied. I thankfully declined. I can not imagine not having more!! Did you ever consider stopping after your problems? I have to admit the thought of being pregnant again scares me. Thank you!

A. Have you ever encountered bleeding issues after birth? If so, you might want to have them test you for clotting disorders. There are numerous disorders to test for, but pre-e is a common result of the autoimmune/clotting disorder. I have antiphospholipid syndrome. I ended up with severe Pre-e with Eva and was induced at 37 weeks. I’ve had it with other children, as well.

Yes, our insurance covered the testing, as it was ordered by the OB who treated me in the ER with Levi. They needed to find out why I had lost so many and experienced such dramatic and sudden blood loss after each of my births and losses (13 total). They may or may not consider your testing medically necessary, BUT ask your OB that they "code" it as that, so that it is covered!! (on a side note, you should look into Samaritan Ministries Christian Healthcare....we have done it since Levi's loss and LOVE it...wish we'd done it YEARS ago!)

ANYWAY...yes, I did have doubts about having more, but only when I was in the "thick of it"...when I had lost Levi and was in the ER. I was passing in and out of consciousness in the hospital and was told later that I had come within an hour of dying. I remember telling Mark that I thought that Judah was our last. At the time I said that, I was getting my first of four blood transfusions and had already been in shock when the ambulance came for me. It was very surreal...very scary. So, yes, at that point I felt that we would have no more children.

HOWEVER, after I could gather my thoughts and seek God (just days later), I reevaluated my beliefs about God's sovereignty in creating life and re-thought and re-read what I said I believed all those years. This was the conclusion we came to: It is BECAUSE of our belief of Who God is that Mark and I both hold fast to our beliefs about family planning. God has numbered each of our days (including mine and Levi's) and He would not create a child in my womb that was to cause my death without His foreknowledge and planning! God would not create a soul that we "should have prevented," just to take my life away to prove to the rest of the world that He needs our help in family planning. The fact is that He needs no one's assistance in the creation or prevention of life. The Creator can handle it all without our finite wisdom and help. He does not need our assistance in family planning in the least. Why do we worry so? Because...we are human.

My view of God is a view that He is all-powerful and all knowing. He is our protector; our shield. He is our comforter. He loves us with a love unspeakable. He holds us all in the palms of His hand. He numbers the very hairs on our heads, therefore He will not let anything happen to me in childbirth that He didn't have planned from before my own birth...He does not curse us (take away our lives needlessly) because we did not limit the blessings of children - His creations. If I were or am to die in childbearing, that was planned from before the beginning of time! This life is but a vapor (James 4:14 "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."). Because my life is a mist, I will choose to let God watch out for my well-being while He takes over the creations within me. After all, who could know what's better for me and my babes, but the all-knowing God; Creator of Heaven and earth!

I trust in God - and God alone. I trust NOT in my limited human understanding. I have a peace that goes beyond understanding, knowing that in following His plan for our family that He will continue to watch out for us, whether I am here to mother or not; whether He chooses to bless us with more children or not. I TRUST IN GOD'S Wisdom, as only HE can see down the road ahead! I rest in His hand! Humans cannot fathom His love. We should not attempt to second-guess His decisions (although it is okay to tell God about our human feelings...He wants to listen to His children).

Because I trust so in my Creator...and the Creator of my children, present and yet to come...I will keep my vow to let HIM plan our family! "I will fulfill my vows to You, O God, and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for Your help. For you have rescued me from death; You have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in Your presence, O God, in Your life-giving light." Psalm 56:12-13

HERE are some thoughts on risking death in childbearing. It might be of some encouragement to you!

I hope I was able to answer your questions and encourage you some with this!

Want to Minister at Abortion Mills - Spouse Concerned

2011-05-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Q. I have watched your posts with much interest, and I'm thinking about becoming active in our prolife movement where I live. But my husband has some reservations, because most of the protesting he has seen is brash and offensive.Can you share just a little bit about your methods, and the results you have seen.

A. Hi! Thank you for writing me! I'd LOVE to share about our methods and such. The best way to get a feel for what we do as a family is to read some blog posts about it. I'll post them below.

One day with three babies saved

A mother who chose life stays with us over New Years

Our 8 year old's prayer ministry at the mill

Our 11 year old's request to go out to the mill on her birthday

International encouragement from other pro-lifers

Our family helping a mom who chose life

A mom who chose life comes to the mill to thank us

Starting a pro-life ministry: Here and Here

Our family, as you can see above, is involved in handing out literature at the clinic, speaking the truth on a mic, praying for those who come in (and go out), singing (the kids love to do that...sometimes on the mic), providing the women who come out with long term resources (doctors who deliver babies for free, a lady who would throw them a baby shower, free formula and diapers, a church referral for their area, etc.) and so much more. We actually even develop lifetime, long term relationships with some of those whom come out and choose life! It is an AMAZING ministry that needs more volunteers!!

There have been wonderful saves at "our" mill. One young woman came from TN for an abortion and because of the help and love of some folks on the front lines at the clinic. She has since moved to Charlotte, been served by our wonderful pro-life doctors in Concord, baby-showered by Truth and Mercy, saved, baptized, discipled, and she delivered a beautiful baby girl this month! Now that’s an eternal victory!

Another married couple looked so lost when they arrived at the mill, they were overwhelmed by an unexpected pregnancy when they thought they were “done.” She had some health issues, he needed a good job. We’ve reached out to this family and assisted them in finding better housing and connecting to a church. She will have a baby shower coming up this fall. They couldn’t believe “how nice” the people were that stopped them at the abortion clinic. When one of the sidewalk counselors offered to take them out to lunch to talk, the wife replied, “Oh no! You guys need to stay out here for somebody else!” Imagine the ways we could help with the help of the whole body of Christ!

In April, a young woman, named “J” (pics on my Facebook photo page), and her sister-in-law came all the way from Florence, SC to abort a child whom they thought at the time to be 8 weeks. After choosing life, she found out that her baby was actually 16 weeks. If she had gone through with the abortion at Latrobe she could have experienced horrible complications since they were unwilling to verify the baby’s age via ultrasound and would have either given her pills to induce abortion or surgery on a baby who was much farther along than they had thought.

When in the clinic, “J” asked to speak to someone about the abortion procedure, but was told that she could not talk to a doctor, nurse or even a counselor about the procedure. Instead, the front desk personnel described the “painless and quick” procedure of abortion using a highlighter and pencil.

Another “save” from that day had a supportive husband, “R”, who was with “J” in the clinic. After he spoke to a male sidewalk counselor, he wanted to get his wife out but they had already taken her back. “J” saw how upset he was about it, and after talking to him for a while she told him to go get her. The staff wouldn’t let him back and they wouldn’t even pass on his message to her about supporting her in walking away from this. “J” felt so badly for him. She never knew until 4 weeks later that “R” did reach his wife by phone and got her out! “J” also shared that every woman in the clinic was uneasy and pacing that morning. Each one asked each other if they were going to go through with it. “J” said that not even one said yes. Every woman was unsure about their decision to abort. We have been told time and again that the women can hear the loving and caring voices of sidewalk counselors while in the building. And that is why the staff chooses to have the death-scorts blast foul music in the parking lot.

After “J” chose life and left the mill I received a text message that read: "Hi! How are you? I saw you 3 days ago. I was going to give my baby up and I’m happy I didn’t do it. I want you and the people that you were with to know that it meant the whole world to me to know that you all care about me, not even knowing me. Thanks! I hope to hear from you soon. – Me, myself and I” Lisa replied and asked her if she could call her the following. She replied: “Anytime you want [to call], because [if it weren’t] for you I would have done a really bad thing. So just whenever you would like would be fine.”

This young girl is so grateful to be 20 weeks pregnant with her 2nd child. She has a sweet heart and is now a Believer! She was even able to spend time in the Metzger’s home, experiencing the love of Jesus first-hand. She looks forward to delivering her baby this coming October.

These are just SOME of the MANY stories we could share with you about just OUR family's ministry at the abortion mill. There are MANY, MANY more that other pro-lifer people could share with you. From October 2008-May 3, 2011, there have been 1002 babies saved in Charlotte because Christians were willing to stand outside these clinics and pray, offer help, hand out literature and speak to these women on a microphone.

We have seen SO MUCH FRUIT (with the women, the fathers, the support people and even with the employees) by remaining calm and gentle. One of the reasons we have a microphone is so that we are not raising our voice to be heard (sometimes that can sound like screaming...ya know?). The mic really allows us to be gentle, but for our voices to carry across the parking lot and even into the building! It's a great tool. Here’s a video of me speaking at the abortion mill on an “extra busy Saturday” when many pro-aborts turned out to “celebrate” Roe vs. Wade. It will kind of show you how we use the mic for sharing the Truth.

I believe that all pro-lifers should go out to their local clinic at least one time. I think it's SO important to see the reality of the situation in order to stay vigilant and active within the pro-life world. I do not believe that EVERY family/individual is called to be on the "front lines" regularly counseling/praying. In fact, we're working with others to start a brand new ministry (you'll hear more about this later this year via my blog and FB page). The ministry is designed to plug Christians into different aspects of pro-life ministry in order to support the abortion-minded women and those pro-lifers on the front lines. Right now, the front line people are doing everything...."saving" the babies, taking the women to church and dr. appointments, being at births, throwing showers, paying for literature, etc. It's not ALL about being out there at the mill. We really need other Christians to come help in MANY areas. Just like the Body of Christ has many parts and roles, we too can all be involved in SOME WAY in this ministry. That said, I think every Christian should be out there at the clinic at least once to experience that first-hand. It will impact you like nothing else!

Let me know if I left out anything and if you or your hubby have any other questions!