April 29, 2008 by pamela.

Today

When she gets off the plane she’ll likely look much like all the passengers — probably weary, probably shifting the backpack and carry-on and probably looking around to see familiar faces. But to us she won’t be just any ordinary passenger and this won’t be just any ordinary trip to the airport.

She’s left behind hundreds and hundreds of orphaned children, muddy red clay, deeply rutted unpaved roads and a world of poverty, famine and loss.  Now she’s become very familiar with a whole different way of life and a culture that’s no longer foreign to her.  She’s left part of her heart with friends and loved ones there. She’s left behind the daily arduous tasks of mere survival.  But she’s also left behind armfuls of love… children for whom her love no words describe.  She’s walked hundreds of miles, dished hundreds of bowls of rice and beans, clipped hundreds of little nails and held hundreds of hands.

But today she returns home…  and our hearts are probably as full of love for her as the love she’s left behind.  It’s sort of a bittersweet thing to wish her here with us and yet to know she’s so loved and needed where she was just yesterday.

But today… our hero comes home.

Posted in Kathryn, My life, Family | Print | 3 Comments »

April 28, 2008 by pamela.

I know that for many, the argument would be: there are no ’sudden’ shortages. There might seemingly be ’sudden’ shortages but such shortages would be better described that a realization that supply has been diminishing and media gets wind of it and produces news that sets off a hoarding frenzy. Think of y2k — it was coming… that date, January 1, 2000, was on the calendar. Slowly over time, people began to realize that the potential computer glitches had catastrophic implications around the world. So, in reaction, many stockpiled food, money, weaponry, fuel and water… and the countdown was on. And it passed.

I don’t say all this to say… all this shall pass and there’s nothing to be concerned about. But I think it’s important to not lose sight of, or faith in, the fact that God is our sovereign Lord. We might well get carried away with alarmists who have no hope and who believe every report that’s printed or broadcast over the airwaves.

Should we pay little, no, or some, attention to the news reports? Should we stockpile food and other natural resources? Should we join in the panicked frenzy and buy wheat, rice, corn and gold (and water)? Should we methodically increase food stores? These are questions for which, I believe, there are no hard and fast answers. I guess I’d just continue to encourage faithful patience and wisdom - and action when directed by the Lord to act.

None of these current troubles have escaped the gaze of the LORD and none has come as a surprising turn of events to Him. But, to be sure, a nation that will sanction the shedding of innocent blood will not go unpunished. Surely the goodness, faithfulness and righteousness of God cannot allow for blessing a nation that has turned away from Him - though He has so bountifully and so lavishly provided the abundantly fruitful and breathtakingly beautiful landscape of our nation - He is sovereign to care for His own but God is mocked - whatsoever a man sows, that will he also reap. Everything planted will yield fruit… good and bad - everything yields.

When decisions or reactions are made based on false information or assumptions then the resulting actions will be devastating. Consider all the actions and reactions based on Al Gore’s hypothetical ‘global warming.’ Consider the string of catastrophes as a result of his hypothesis that gasoline emission is destroying our planet.

So… instead of giving the same consideration to those who disprove so-called “global warming” our government (and others) offer an answer to the problem: use a different fuel. Many in government bought this inconvenient truth lie and mandated (and $ub$idize$) the reallocation of crops and the production of ethanol. But this then led to a dramatically decreased production of food for people… and animals. The food grown for animals was diverted. The food grown for people - diverted. Food costs have skyrocketed. The food grown for biofuel? O, it’s there alright - but the staggering amount needed to meet the demand cannot possibly be realized. Now, instead of fuel or need for fuel being the problem - now it’s the people. There is not enough food to meet the growing food needs/demands of all the too many people. Now, the “global warming” is exacerbated by the too many people driving too many cars using too much gasoline. Now, it’s too many people, too many cars, too high emissions… But what about all that goes into (and shortchanged by) the ethanol farmers are *required* to produce?

What if instead of genetically modifying food, instead of shipping food all over the world, instead of foolishly assuming Al Gore’s theory is correct, we were to repent of the atrocities that have marred this nation, return to the Lord, return to using the abundant and natural resources and replenishing and restoring them… and instead of sending food to other countries send missionaries to proclaim the gospel, make disciples of all nations, demonstrate the proper use of available resources for aiding the production and use of indigenous natural resources rather than shipping goods that spoil enroute. Instead of giving a man a fish to feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and feed him for a lifetime.

God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.”
Hudson Taylor

So… a genuine food shortage? I thinking, rather: misuse, a misguided approach and misallocation of resources. of. many. sorts.

Posted in More Slices of Life, News DuJour | Print | 1 Comment »

April 25, 2008 by pamela.

We had a little family outing last night… an exciting trip to a large grocery store north of our home. I don’t know if it’s bcz we don’t always take everyone with us to shop for groceries or if the trips for some are far and few between, but in recent years one of the great adventures is to go to the grocery store. Everyone’s going? a few called out with delight. So, that was our ‘family night‘ activity. Pushing the cart through the aisles, I was keenly aware of some of the empty and nearly empty shelves. Yes, the rice hoarding “shortage” had hit this store hard. Where there is normally quite a large volume of rice on lengthy shelves, last night the only evidence was a grain of rice here and there and the price tags lining the fronts of the shelves. Similarly, the shelves of assorted flour were notably sparse. The power of media.

I wondered… what will it be like when out and out panic sets in and people read and heed the warning to stockpile food as seen in the Wall Street Journal? The power of media.

Then I considered… if this is what media can do in a few days by what it’s sharing… what is not being shared, or rather, what is being twisted to produce a particular outcome?

Consider Matthew 24.4-12

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.”

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”

Every day… the news seems bleaker and the trials greater. Everyday the cares and concerns of this life seem heavier — more burdensome. But God. But God. I think we forget that sometimes. The LORD tells us:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
John 14.1, 27

We may all be watching the price of things skyrocket, we may be dismayed at the tripling of the cost of wheat and oil in the last couple of years… we may fret about the unavailability of many things… we may feel the pinch so acutely that we fear we’ll not survive this mess. But we are not without a Saviour. We are not alone. We may have troubles and trials we’ve not known before. Things may be breaking, things may be wearing out, things may be disappointing us, people may be letting us down… But we are not without a Saviour. We are not alone. What’s being taught as “truth” in many “churches” may have you and me just reeling and we may feel we have no voice and yet must scream. We may be watching the dismantling of the Sacred Truths and the selling of the Truth and the buying and swallowing of lies… all of these things are abounding yet more and more. But we are not without a Saviour. We are not alone.

The enemy would have us to believe otherwise. Let not your heart be troubled.

Posted in My life, devotionals, News DuJour | Print | 2 Comments »

April 24, 2008 by pamela.

Whenever we attend a HomeSchool conference or listen to a message espousing the benefits of home education, we tend to talk about it for days — weeks, even. But our enthusiasm or dedication to home education is not limited to or sparked by those times. Our dedication to homeschooling is strengthened, though, by such times as we just experienced this past weekend. Our enthusiasm is occasionally dampened by some failure or some personal discouragement, but truly, for twenty years, our enthusiasm to press on has not waned.

I suppose I could just say that occasionally we run into those 2 Corinthians 4.8 times: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;” It is in those times that we have learned to step back, evaluate the day, evaluate the curriculum, evaluate the level of understanding and stand still for a bit. It’s in those ’standing still’ times that we can best determine our next step (for that child, or for all the children, as the case may be) and not hastily toss in the towel. All is not lost, all is not for naught as the enemy might entice us to believe.

Sometimes we take on too many things for a season and need to shelve things for a bit. Other times (and this is more often the case) we need to *add* some more things to the daily study load. Now, that might seem like a contradiction - but no; sometimes the weariness or the naughtiness stems not from too much to do, but too little. That’s why the ’standing still’ times or the evaluation times are so necessary.

I was recently asked if I believe every Christian parent should homeschool their children. You know, I used to give a politically correct answer to this question - fearing reproach for emphatically stating what I erroneously thought was just a personal conviction. So, as I am now accustomed to doing, I answered with resolute conviction and said, yes. Yes, I do believe all Christian parents should home educate their children.

I believe it to be a scriptural mandate and now, more than ever, a culturally necessary decision. I don’t say this to stir controversy or to cast aspersions at all, but rather, because of the nature and scope of government eduction. I/we could never endorse a great deal of what’s commonly taught in government schools - and believe me, I/we do recognize the great wealth of information available to government school students - that’s not questioned at all. However, those benefits are far and away overshadowed by the immoral teachings and presuppositions, philosophies, theories taught as fact and behaviours that are antithetical to Scripture and our Creator — not to mention the fact that the Word clearly delineates who children’s teachers ought to be and what they’re to teach.

So, these are my heart thoughts: Home is where the heart is. Home is where the learning begins. Home is where each child’s story is written and history is recorded and where the glory of the Lord is walked, talked and the Word is read and lived out. Home may not have all that the world has to offer, this is true… but, I have to ask: is that what we want to give our children anyway?

Home. Don’t miss it for the world.

Posted in My life, Parenting, Homeschooling, Family | Print | 6 Comments »

April 23, 2008 by pamela.

Really… why go to Homeschool Conferences year after year?

As I’ve spent all these quiet hours here in bed, I’ve pondered the last several days… the keynotes and the workshops. There was sort of a hidden blessing to getting sick at this time. In the meantime I’ve had opportunity to give thought to the Christian Heritage Homeschool and Family Discipleship Conference… not only to the remarkable effort on the part of those who laboured to present such a fine conference, but to all who participated and to all the families in attendance. It really was quite an unforgettable and inspirational weekend.

I always appreciate listening to Doug Phillips and am inspired by the ‘veteran’ moms who share their ideas, methods and encouragement. I love browsing the vendor hall exhibits and seeing all the wonderful new material each offers. But, I suppose more than all of those things, I love seeing the old friends and familiar faces and meeting new ones as well. It’s the sort of thing that bolsters my resolve and joy to carry on in home education and child training. Having a website that addresses all of those things has given me the privilege of corresponding with people in many places and occasionally I have the great honour of meeting them face to face — such was the case this past weekend. What a delight to meet women who were familiar names to me and now those names have faces in my memories.

We’ve had the distinct honour and privilege to attend many, many such conferences and conventions through the years — to try new curriculum and programs — but I suppose age and perspective makes these more recent conferences more meaningful to me than the earlier ones though, truly, time does not erase the memory of great excitement and anticipation in those early days when everything was new, fresh and uncharted.

Perhaps it’s the fact that we’re not attending conferences looking for ‘the key‘ any longer… you know, that key to success that unlocks the mystery - the mystery revealed that will produce the bright and shining faces we so long to see in our children. You might laugh, but truly, there was a time when I saw all the bright smiling faces and I thought it would truly be worth anything to have that in our home. I thought the outward was indicative of the inward — and it often is… but it often isn’t. So we bought… or were caught, hook, line and sinker. And we bought and bought and bought — until we stopped. buying. that. We eventually went back to a very basic education with a great emphasis on missions and knowing the Word of God. We determined to just train up the children in the Ways of the LORD… and not in the ideals of a particular man or program.

Now, in attending homeschooling conferences, we’re not hoping to see or meet someone who will tell us it will be worth it all… we’re not hoping to buy just the right curriculum to make every day run smoothly and we’re not hoping to see or meet the ‘who’s who’ in homeschooling and see if we can duplicate their story and success. No… none of those things draw us… because we know it is worth it all… we know it’s our life, our mandate from Scripture and is our joy. It is our honour to have our children in our care from sunrise to sundown to sunrise day after day. It is our privilege to train them up in the ways of the LORD and to walk, talk, rest in the Word. I think there is no greater honour than to train up children in the Way of the LORD. And truly, no greater joy than that our children walk in Truth.

Now, when we go to conferences and see dear old friends and dear acquaintances it’s like I want to just smile and raise my hand to them all…. sort of a: high-five y’all - let’s stay at it… it really is: worth it all.

Posted in My life, Homeschooling, Motherhood | Print | 1 Comment »

April 23, 2008 by pamela.

It seems that for the last several weeks the tide has come in and gone out stronger and higher day by day.  It seems that in all the get up, clean up, wash up, hurry up, make more food and clean it all up and put it all away… lather, rinse, repeat another day, we’ve just barely kept pace with all the demands of the day.  And then the tide rolled out…

I’ve been in bed the last couple of days… cough-cough-cough-ing.  I was in almost a panic as I thought — with dread — that I was  entering another bout with pneumonia.  It’s been three-plus years since I last had pneumonia and several years since that episode.   It’s always sort of stunning to me to get sick like that — Whaaat?? Noooo.  not. this.  And then for weeks I battle the giant.  Well, this current sickness has not actually been much of a surprise as I’ve sort of been shelving it for a few weeks - visitors and guests have brought different gifts… some in our family have accepted the gifts (colds, flu, achy bodies, coughs) and all have been short-lived gifts.  It’s sort of been like: sorry, no time for that right now, come back later.  It did.

Ahhhhhhhhh for this little laptop.  thank you, wes.

Posted in My life | Print | 1 Comment »

April 17, 2008 by pamela.

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April 17, 2008 by pamela.

Another birthday away from home… we’re missing you so far away in Jinja, Uganda…  but we praise the LORD for His work in and through you and trust Him to continue blessing and blessing you as He has all of your days.  We know that the best place and the safest place to be is in the Hand of the LORD - wherever that is in all the world.    Thank you Lord — thank you,  Kathryn, for the precious gift of you.  Happy Birthday, darling!  I. love. you.  I. miss. you. today.  See you soon.

Posted in Kathryn, My life, Family | Print | 2 Comments »

April 17, 2008 by pamela.

This, though sounding like a line from a mainstream ‘pastor’ in the States, is from the last paragraph of Tony Blair’s “Faith and Globalisation” lecture: “If people of different faiths can co-exist happily, in mutual respect and solidarity, so can our world. And if faith takes its proper place in our lives, then we can live with a purpose beyond ourselves alone, supporting humanity on its journey to fulfilment.” And this is the opening line of the lecture: “Let me summarise my argument to you this evening. Under the momentum of globalisation the world is opening up, and at an astonishing speed. Old boundaries of culture, identity and even nationhood are falling.” [sic]

So, I’m contemplating — no, not spirituality ;o) — all that’s going in the world and I guess I’d really have to agree with one of his comments: “the world is opening up at an astonishing speed.”

Here’s a little more, from the same lecture:

The foundation will concentrate on certain key specifics. The first will be to help the different faith organisations to work together in furtherance of the Millennium Development Goals [*]… which are, in many ways the litmus test of the world’s values. Faith groups do great individual work in this area…. if helped also to combine together. The MDGs are stark in their ambition and necessity. We are falling short as a world in meeting them. It would be a great example of faith in action to try to bridge the gap and awaken the world’s conscience. The second will be to produce high quality material – books, websites, every means of communication… The foundation will concentrate, in the immediate term, on the six main faiths, the Abrahamic three and Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. But, though the foundation will expressly not be confined to the Abrahamic faiths, we will partner existing organisations that promote better understanding and co-existence between Christians, Muslims and Jews, notably in The Coexist Foundation’s [**] vision of creating Abraham House here in London, where people of those faiths but also others, can encounter some of their traditions, explore their roots and, without glossing over their differences, discover what they share. We will also help partner those within any of the faiths who stand up for peaceful co-existence… But I freely confess there is a broader objective.”
[* The UN Millenium Development Goad link added - only for info, not endorsement]
[** TCF link added - only for info, not endorsement]

The unity message was hitting pretty close to home this past week with several international ‘guests’ in nearby Seattle at the Seeds of Compassion conference. Now, to be clear, I’m really not opposed to ‘leaders’ from other areas, nations, etc., visiting — so, it’s not what I’m referencing here at all. It’s just so disconcerting to hear supposed Christians refer to these guests as if to endorse or even be in agreement with what they stand for. In addition to referencing the use ‘his holiness’ or ‘holy father’ in connection with any earthly man - but particularly those who are guests in the US this week - I feel greatly discouraged that opportunities to tell the Truth were not only missed, but because they were missed, the Truth was essentially denied. There is only one holy Father and that’s God - only one Holy and that’s Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Just because a prominent man is called thus and such by his own followers, does not mean that a believer in Jesus should ever refer to that man as ‘holy’ or ‘his holiness’ or whatever.

In these last days… O, how I pray God will raise up men who will stand in the gap - and though there doesn’t seem to be a radical, visible gap yet when “Christians” like Rob Bell refuse to take a stand for Jesus - the day is likely coming when those who stand for the Cross and those who don’t will be clearly seen. Though given an incredible opportunity to proclaim the Truth, Rob Bell seemed more aligned with those who don’t follow Jesus than with those who have even a little or maybe even no understanding of the Truth. What a pitiful shame he never used the platform to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and salvation by faith in Jesus alone and did not distinguish himself as a Christian and therefore, by default - his own fault - was (perhaps unwittingly - perhaps fear? perhaps something else?) appeared to be in alliance with the one-worlders and complicit with other ‘religions.’ Jesus said, in Matthew 10.33, “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”

I feel quite sure that those of other “religions” were/are surely not sympathetic with followers of Jesus Christ as Rob Bell apearred to be with other ‘religions.’ Rob Bell answered one of the questions from the audience: (as best I could transcribe from the audio)

…Life is journey… and journey is a fundamentally different way to understand life than destination and on a journey all I am responsible for is the next step and that’s all I’m e-v-e-r asked for - is the next step I don’t have to have it all figured out, I don’t have to defend it all I don’t have to have it all nailed down and and if you can shift from destination understanding to an to to journey it frees you - to take life as it comes let it be what it is and do the next right thing.”  — Rob Bell

The moderator was…   well, decide for yourself - listen for yourself to Rob Bell here (see second video as quoted in part above).   I’m thinking Ingrid correctly states: “The emerging emporer is without clothes”

The Berean Call’s Ancient-Future Heresies - McMahon

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April 15, 2008 by pamela.

I would like to ask you to pray for Marilyn Moll (aka The Urban Homemaker) and the Moll family as they mourn the loss of  husband and father, Duane.  Marilyn’s husband Duane passed away suddenly and unexpectedly Sunday night.

I’m struck once again with the brevity and fragility of life and how mere moments can make such an incredible difference.   I consider how my husband’s life so suddenly and dramatically changed when he had a heart attack the day after his birthday last fall.  How stunning that was to me.  I attempt to grasp what she must be feeling tonight… every night now.  Every night alone.  I marvel… my husband’s the same age.

I don’t know Marilyn personally — but feel as though I do.  First, eagerly  reading her column in the early Gentle Spirit magazines which I truly loved and then for the last nearly ten years linking to the Urban Homemaker on my website.  What an inspiration she has been and no doubt will be as the Lord surely deepen her message.

May God bless you, Marilyn, with His care and His gracious and tender mercies day by day.

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April 15, 2008 by pamela.

Well, if there’s any money today, it’s all theirs. And all along you thought it was the IRS. Well, if you’re like us, you’ve spent this day wisely calculating every penny and every documented deduction, receipt, form, etc., etc. And if you’re like us, you’ve taken a look at your bank account and have reached the annual conclusion that it’s all theirs — or break that word up and see it: the irs.

So another year… a few more dollars… $6. in gas to drive to the post office to receive the permissible April 15th after hours post mark. I’m always glad that Samuel’s and Kathryn’s births occurred on the dates they did - the 12th and 17th - and that they were not born on April 15. I think some birthdays would have been rather awkward had either of them been born on the 15th. O, I know… we have 365 days to prepare for this day — or perhaps more accurately, we have about 100 days to do so, but alas… we’ve only on very rare occasions had our return in the mail before the 15th. It’s on these days that I am grateful that Wes keeps such meticulous records and every single receipt and documents in the exact same manner year after year every single expenditure and source of revenue. An early brush with the IRS taught lifelong lessons and, experience being the best teacher, we’ve never forgotten the importance of precise record keeping and full and timely payment of taxes due. Yes, an early major business failure taught us exceedingly valuable lessons.

It’s that sort of experience that taught us to back-up, back-up, back-up our computer data. And that resolve and importance of backing-up data early and often was surely demonstrated yesterday when Wes came to his computer and the screen was black and nothing at all could be done to restore the program’s function - what to do, what to do? Usually, when something like that happens, we think: O, no… well, hopefully the important communiques are still there… the websites, the documents, the photos, etc., etc. But yesterday Wes was struck with the thought: O, no… I need to do the taxes. So then, over lunch, we discussed the problem with our son who works in downtown Seattle - he’s in computers, IT, etc., etc. He said: bad news - your hard drive’s toast. Okay… well, that news is bad on most any day of the year but on this particular day that news is, well, particularly bad.

Fortunately… don’t you just love fortunately or words that seem to imply luck or chance? Well, then, providentially, Wes had bought another computer to have for the children to work on in his office and he was able to use that one to access files and information on a back up. Uh-oh… somewhere along the way in March, the back up failed to do so and so some information that he needed had not been backed up. However, it took little time to work around that relatively minor problem and he was up and running again… and then there was a minor problem with his tax accounting program that continually shut down following a sequence of operation. Again… working around that problem he was able to manage. So all this to say, if you’re experiencing glitch after glitch in processing your information and filing your tax return, take comfort in knowing you’re not alone - that, and the fact that after this - well, you don’t need to worry about a thing for 364 days - 365 if you procrastinate.

As for the money? Yep… once again, it’s all the.irs.

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April 15, 2008 by pamela.

When days are busy, there’s just no way around it — not everything gets done that ought to have been done - but haphazard or intentional (or vice versa) what’s really most important usually does (get done - even if poorly). That’s how things have been or have seemed in the last couple of weeks. I’ve wanted to blog so many things - for there have been so many great things going on - so many things to comment on or to share with you. It seems that for the last few weeks life’s been almost a blurry series of hurry up, clean up, make food, hurry up, wash up, eat up, get up, clean it up, make food… and it’s all good. There’s a big difference between being tired in ministry and being tired of ministry.

For the last ten days we’ve had missionaries, students and other guests here — and before that, we had family from all over. Now, all the hurry, hurry, hurry has passed and all those days, events, and activities are part of a mental scrapbook of sweet memories. So, today is the first day of the new normal. I’m trying to unwind the reel and review the events - and as I do, I’ll write about a few of them… you know… now that things are back to normal (?). Through the years I think we redefine normal about every three weeks or so — for that’s about how long things seem to stay essentially the same — about three weeks. Maybe two. Maybe a day.

So, we’ve had students here from the same mission’s school that Timothy attended. It was great to see them bright and early each morning, to listen to their classes and to serve them meals each day. They had opportunities each day to go street preaching, witnessing and to do door to door evangelism. From Oregon to Seattle provides quite a different venue and mix of people to talk with. They had ample opportunity to sharpen their skills, to listen to the LORD and to *see* people. It’s one thing to walk along and see the masses, but it’s wholly another thing to *see* people and hear their stories and share with them the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And around Seattle — at Pike Place or Union Square or at the University of Washington, or Western Washington U, there were plenty of people with strong views - plenty of people gathering ‘knowledge’ but none of that knowledge will save, none of that knowledge has eternal value. So, they talked… they walked… they heard and they spoke of the Truth. We pray for God’s Word to not return void - that those who spat on them, those who burned tracts, those who ate tracts would one day come to the knowledge of the Truth - and we pray that God will continue to strengthen the church that the church would see the mandate to go into all the world preaching the gospel and making disciples.

We had a tremendous answer to prayer… One of the young women Wes was talking with, on one of the days street preaching, was a woman new to the area. She asked if Wes was a believer in Jesus - and when he said, yes, she asked if he was a born again Christian — a follower of the Saviour, Jesus Christ the Son of God? She wondered if there were believers in the area - Wes told her he didn’t know specifically in that particular area - but that if she was looking for an opportunity to hear the Word, to sing and to fellowship that she could join us in our fellowship of beleivers on Sunday. Problem - no transportation. Wes told her no problem - he & our family would pick her up. He gave her our phone number. She gave her address - no phone. So, Sunday when looking up her address on Streets ‘n Trips, no location found for that address. Sigh. What to do, what to do? Mapquest? No such address found. So later he came downstairs and asked us all to come into the kitchen and pray with him that Ruth would call. He prayed in earnest to the Lord that the Lord would have her to call, that he would be able to bring her up to our fellowship that was to meet later in the day to accommodate all the guests, students and families. He prayed; we joined him and asked the Lord for His will to be done. Riiiing, riiiing…. Riiiing, riiiing… (we have caller ID announce) call from _________. We had never heard the name before (nor could we understand it), but we knew who it was and we praised the Lord that He had, indeed, heard our prayer and He intentionally answered.

Wes and a few of the children went to pick her up and eventually brought her to the home where our church met. I had gone ahead with a few of the children and waited there for his arrival. When he arrived, he introduced the beautiful Ethiopian woman, Ruth, to the church and they welcomed her. It was lovely. What seemed haphazard was truly an intentional blessing of the Lord. She was blessed and was a blessing. At the end of the day when Wes and I brought her back to our home briefly, she looked at all the photographs in our living room and her eyes landed lovingly on the photos of Kathryn and the Ugandan children and Timothy in Ghana… she turned and saw another photo of Kathryn kissing a Ugandan baby — her eyes welled with tears, she smiled and hugged our younger children… they hugged her with smiles and told her they’d see her again. We drove her home — talking the whole way about her life here and her desire to find work. I don’t know what the Lord has in store — but I do know He did bless that meeting — some might have called haphazard or coincidence.

The students saw the hand of the Lord - we all saw His hand. They saw the intentional work of the Lord when believers simply walk in His ways and follow Him. I don’t know when or if we’ll see her again — she lives such a far distance from here… but God knows — and now, more than ever, I’m sure He’ll make it very clear. Intentionally.

Our lives may be or seem pretty haphazard sometimes.  Praise God He loves us so.  So intentionally.

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April 5, 2008 by pamela.

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April 3, 2008 by pamela.

I think about this verse a lot — I’ve thought about it a lot over the years. What does it mean and how do I practically apply it? What do we, as parents, needs to keep as our focus when we’re training up our children in the way they should go? I think a lot of us started out thinking of this verse and using it as sort of a boundary verse. You know, train up the children in Sunday School and church, pray with them at their bedside after they’ve brushed their teeth at night… be sure they know the books of the Bible and John 3.16 - throw in the 23rd Psalm and Amazing Grace and they’ll pretty much have a firm foundation (and hopefully, cavity free teeth).

Well, the long longer I’ve lived and, actually, the longer I’ve been parenting, I’ve come to see this verse as much deeper and much more important than my earlier understanding from the first cursory reading and subsequent years of listening to radio programs or hearing child-training talks at retreats or homeschooling conferences or when reading how-to books on child rearing. Now, I’m not disparaging the use of oft cited verses for support of parenting methods or directives - not at all, what I mean to say is that there is much, much more to each verse than might be initially understood - or, rather, I think we too often take a very simplistic view of a particular passage. We too often focus on the outward behaviour — and that is very, very important - but what we want to do is reach the heart — train the heart.

Take the Deuteronomy 6 passage, for example. We read it, accept it, believe it and *say* we want to apply it. Now, do we? Do we really? Or do we, in reality, just want to believe it — want for it to have been applied when we look back at our parenting years. I mean, it’s an exceedingly worthy — but extremely challenging standard to bear and goal to attain.

Consider: “… shall teach them diligently unto thy children… shall talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them… and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house and on thy gates.” (for emphasis, italics mine — Deuteronomy 6.6-9)

Train up a child in the way he should go… I think we, as parents of young children, are so busy with the dailies and the tyranny of the urgent, that we lose sight of the long haul or the end result — the *way* they should go. We get caught up in the “today they shall go” instead of the long “way they shall go.’

Train up a child in the way he should go.
Train up a child in the way he should go.
Train up a child in the way he should go.
Train up a child in the way he should go.
Train up a child in the way he should go.

Too often, we get ahold of some training book, parenting method or homeschooling program, or we go to some seminar or join some organization and we attempt to implement all the right stuff and think that in doing so, we’ll come out with children all trained up the THE way - we see sparkling faces and think: that’s what I want, shining children. We think if we put in all the right stuff, we’ll pull out perfect looking children. And I think we miss a whole bunch. I know *I* did (and, sadly, still do sometimes). We miss the deeper stuff of what God is teaching us in His Word. His Word is great, it’s deep and it’s worth mining. And minding.

I think I erred or missed in the early days the training up a child in the way he should go - bcz God has a specific and marvelous plan for each child. Each child is a story - each child has a story - each child is a unique gift going a unique way and needs unique training for the way he/she should go. O, my, I think I missed that early on. I thought I understood the training — the shaping the will without breaking the Spirit… (Yes, a product of the 70’s parenting and Dobson’s Focus on the Family 6 week film series) the daring to discipline and all of that. I was wanting to do everything right for a proper immediate response and was not focused on the very long term end result so much. You know… sort of like in Willy Wonka… when Mrs. Salt says, “Happiness is what counts with children, happiness and harmony.”

I/we was/were looking for a happy, ‘well adjusted child’ and we did have that — but somewhere along the way, I missed a key point in the training of the first two boys - we both did, my husband and I. We mistook outward obedience for a yielded heart. We see that we really ought to have attended more to very specific idiosyncrasies of each boy - each boy’s bent - or, the way each *he* should go. We knew we were to instill a love for the Lord, a love for His Word - but I think the heart wasn’t always yielded. In the end, it’s to Jesus, it’s for Jesus, it’s with Jesus. So, what I am saying is that there is a way each child should be treated - though using the same material, the same information, the same everything — perhaps the way it’s delivered or the style, etc., will occasionally be unique to each child - thus, a child trained up in the way he should go.

I know we’ve sure had ample opportunities to implement this ‘theory’ over the years. What ‘works’ for one child will not or does not necessarily ‘work’ in or for another one. One discipline method for one would be totally excessive for another. In the initial training phase, one child can hear a direction and I can be fairly certain it will be obeyed - another child can hear the same command and will always probably need to be supervised or checked on. After the initial training is done, the discipline to follow through will be different with both children or more. My goal is still the same - my method is not necessarily the same.

In the end, my hope and prayer, my only desire is that our children walk in Truth and that they love and follow Jesus. Wherever He takes them. Whatever the cost. I pray none be lost and that all be found occupying, serving the Lord till He returns.

Timothy in Ghana

Kathryn in Uganda

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