More about the family library. . .
My husband and I were in town for a midwife appointment this morning. On our way home he said, "Shall I get the paper?"
I answered, "Well," and hesitated.
We used to be regular subscribers, and the paper came directly to the house. Every morning there was a race among the children to see who could get the funnies first. Some of the funnies weren't really funny, and some had to be cut out of the paper before the children saw them. The rest of the paper was mostly bad news of the sort I wouldn't even want to think about, much less see them boldly printed for all to see. Certain pictures would get torn out, or black marker would be used liberally.
Finally the subscription ran out. We were ready to move, and decided not to renew until we were settled. We've been "settled" for nearly four months now, and never did get around to renewing the subscription. Now and then my husband would buy a paper when he was in town. Sometimes he'd bring them home, but more and more often he was throwing them away before he got home. The ones he brought home seemed more and more disgusting to me, and I cringed at the thought of my children reading even the "good" funnies. My 16-year-old son commented on the way the paper seemed to sensationalize the news by reporting four or five different occurances of the same hideous crime on one page. All the children agreed that one comic strip was basically nothing more than a teenage soap opera repeating the same basic story over and over and over.
So today when my husband asked if we should get the paper, I hesitated. I did NOT want that thing to come into the house any more. Yet as a pastor, he wants to keep abreast of basic issues going on locally and around Canada. Knowing that, I suggested he get it, but not take it in the house.
We got home, and the 16-year-old asked if we'd gotten the paper. I said we did, that his dad had looked through it, and that we had thrown it away. He asked if that one paper had been that bad, or were we just not going to have the paper in the house any more. I said the paper would not be in the house any more because the news was horrid and the funnies really weren't funny any more.
"Even-----[name of family-centered strip that used to be my favourite]-----is . . . is . . . unrealistic and . . . and . . ." I couldn't think how to describe it.
"Radically anti-Biblical in its theoretical suppositions?" my son finished for me. (The dictionary is one of his favourite books.)
"Exactly!" I said, "Thank you. I couldn't have put it better myself."
I mean, really: several strips in our local paper show the mom ruling the house and bossing the dad around like he's just another one of the children; one strip features a witch and some trolls as the main characters; others show siblings fighting with each other and preferring the company of friends more than family; and so on. All this is supposed to be funny. Is it? No, it's completely anti-scriptural. Is sin (because that's what it is) supposed to amuse us?
Am I saying that no one should ever buy a newspaper again, or that families should not use it in the education of their children? No, not necessarily. But it is one more area in which Christians need to keep their spiritual eyes wide open in considering what will spiritually benefit the family and what will not.
God's grace to you,
Pearl
Monday, February 06, 2006
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Spring Cleaning
". . .Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:25-27).
I am home with a sick little boy this Sunday morning, and decided to take some time to write. I also decided to change the face of this blog in an attempt to make it more readable. I'd really like to change a few other things on here, but I'm not sure how yet.
This morning is bright, sunny, and mild. The forecast, however, is for rain or snow. We have had a very mild winter for this section of Canada. The temperature has rarely gone below zero (Fahrenheit), and I think we've had just about as much rain as snow. On a sunny morning like this the outside world looks fine, like spring is coming early. But on cloudy days it looks dreary, dismal, gray and ugly.
The other day I was commenting on this to my children. The skies were threatening, but the thermometer suggested rain rather than snow. A trailerload of mostly trashy stuff from our old house sits in the side yard, and evidence suggests that the wind, small children, or both have been scattering some of it. The ground around the new well is muddy, with the tracks of heavy equipment still scarring the yard. A branch of the big spruce hangs by a bit of bark, nearly broken off by the well digger. More branches, broken off completely, are piled next to the garage. The garden plot plowed last fall is humpy with lumps of broken sod. Parts of rabbit hutches sit here and there, waiting to be repaired. The front porch sags, the side deck is rotting away, the garage leans to one side. The garage door doesn't shut, so the opening is covered with a blue tarp. What snow is left looks old and tired and dirty. Mud, brown grass, and the remains of dead flowers poke through, and most of the yard is a soggy mess.
Looking out at all this, I said to my children, "Oh, if it would only snow! A clean blanket of fresh snow would cover up all this ugliness and make the yard look pretty again."
But, of course, that would only be a temporary fix. Sooner or later the snow must all melt, and the yard--and all the debris in it--will be exposed for all to see. What this place really needs is a good cleaning and a bit of landscaping. The house needs repaired in many places, and the garage needs to be replaced with a new one (as part of the addition planned to enlarge the place). The trash needs hauled away or burned, the flower beds need cleaned out, the garden needs raked and planted. I could probably name a dozen other things that need done. The yard work will take a few days or so of everyone pitching in. The improvements on the house will take much longer, possibly a few years, to get it all finished.
Do you see the lesson in this? Often there are ugly things in our spiritual lives that we really need to clear away. But this takes work--often hard, painful work--as we take a good honest look at ourselves in the light of God's Word. Sometimes we'd just rather cover up the bad with a blanket good works. But sooner or later, the good works begin to melt away and the ugly parts of our lives start poking through again. Piling on another layer of good works never really works because those kinds of good works can't last. Snow can't stand the heat of the sun because it is not alive and has no root in the ground. Similarly, our hypocritical good works cannot last because they are not rooted in faith and love for God.
We need to strip away the hypocrisy in our lives and humble ourselves under the hand of God. We need to get at the heart of the matter, which is unconfessed sin and pride. All the rubbish needs to be cleared away to make room for spiritual fruit and good works that last because they are rooted in faith. Sometimes this involves a simple apology, taking only a few minutes' time. Sometimes this involves a bit more time when restitution needs to be made in some way. Then there are the things that have piled up here and there over time. These often are harder to deal with, and may require a complete overhauling and remodeling of our hearts and lives. Attitudes of bitterness, selfishness, pride, impatience, laziness, an unforgiving spirit--these don't usually go away overnight. They may take weeks, months, even years to overcome. We may not ever completely overcome them. There may be a constant fight lasting a lifetime. But little by little, if we keep at it, we will see God working in our lives to make us more like His Son and less like the ugly mess we used to be.
Remember this: The best position in which to pull out dead weeds and plant new flowers is on your knees.
God's grace to you,
Pearl
I am home with a sick little boy this Sunday morning, and decided to take some time to write. I also decided to change the face of this blog in an attempt to make it more readable. I'd really like to change a few other things on here, but I'm not sure how yet.
This morning is bright, sunny, and mild. The forecast, however, is for rain or snow. We have had a very mild winter for this section of Canada. The temperature has rarely gone below zero (Fahrenheit), and I think we've had just about as much rain as snow. On a sunny morning like this the outside world looks fine, like spring is coming early. But on cloudy days it looks dreary, dismal, gray and ugly.
The other day I was commenting on this to my children. The skies were threatening, but the thermometer suggested rain rather than snow. A trailerload of mostly trashy stuff from our old house sits in the side yard, and evidence suggests that the wind, small children, or both have been scattering some of it. The ground around the new well is muddy, with the tracks of heavy equipment still scarring the yard. A branch of the big spruce hangs by a bit of bark, nearly broken off by the well digger. More branches, broken off completely, are piled next to the garage. The garden plot plowed last fall is humpy with lumps of broken sod. Parts of rabbit hutches sit here and there, waiting to be repaired. The front porch sags, the side deck is rotting away, the garage leans to one side. The garage door doesn't shut, so the opening is covered with a blue tarp. What snow is left looks old and tired and dirty. Mud, brown grass, and the remains of dead flowers poke through, and most of the yard is a soggy mess.
Looking out at all this, I said to my children, "Oh, if it would only snow! A clean blanket of fresh snow would cover up all this ugliness and make the yard look pretty again."
But, of course, that would only be a temporary fix. Sooner or later the snow must all melt, and the yard--and all the debris in it--will be exposed for all to see. What this place really needs is a good cleaning and a bit of landscaping. The house needs repaired in many places, and the garage needs to be replaced with a new one (as part of the addition planned to enlarge the place). The trash needs hauled away or burned, the flower beds need cleaned out, the garden needs raked and planted. I could probably name a dozen other things that need done. The yard work will take a few days or so of everyone pitching in. The improvements on the house will take much longer, possibly a few years, to get it all finished.
Do you see the lesson in this? Often there are ugly things in our spiritual lives that we really need to clear away. But this takes work--often hard, painful work--as we take a good honest look at ourselves in the light of God's Word. Sometimes we'd just rather cover up the bad with a blanket good works. But sooner or later, the good works begin to melt away and the ugly parts of our lives start poking through again. Piling on another layer of good works never really works because those kinds of good works can't last. Snow can't stand the heat of the sun because it is not alive and has no root in the ground. Similarly, our hypocritical good works cannot last because they are not rooted in faith and love for God.
We need to strip away the hypocrisy in our lives and humble ourselves under the hand of God. We need to get at the heart of the matter, which is unconfessed sin and pride. All the rubbish needs to be cleared away to make room for spiritual fruit and good works that last because they are rooted in faith. Sometimes this involves a simple apology, taking only a few minutes' time. Sometimes this involves a bit more time when restitution needs to be made in some way. Then there are the things that have piled up here and there over time. These often are harder to deal with, and may require a complete overhauling and remodeling of our hearts and lives. Attitudes of bitterness, selfishness, pride, impatience, laziness, an unforgiving spirit--these don't usually go away overnight. They may take weeks, months, even years to overcome. We may not ever completely overcome them. There may be a constant fight lasting a lifetime. But little by little, if we keep at it, we will see God working in our lives to make us more like His Son and less like the ugly mess we used to be.
Remember this: The best position in which to pull out dead weeds and plant new flowers is on your knees.
God's grace to you,
Pearl
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
'Tis the season
"One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. . ." (Romans 14:5, 6).
It is the last day of January, over a month past Christmas. This post is for those who are questioning whether or not to celebrate the holiday next season. This is actually a response to Rand's question, but when I started to reply to it on his blog, I realized that my response was turning into an article of its own.
Why address this in January? First, anyone dissatisfied with the season will still have that sentiment fresh in their minds. Second, this will give you most of the year to be thinking and praying about how you and your family will handle this next season. Now, I happen to know Rand, his wife, and his three precious children personally, so I suppose I could have answered him privately. But I got the idea that if one person (or family) asks a question "out loud," then others are probably also asking it silently.
I felt free in a way I never felt before, this year, because we did not do one single thing to celebrate a pagan Roman holiday. This was the first year for us to completely treat the day like any other. Last year the only thing we did was fill stockings for the children and eat a big dinner. That was our way of saying one last good-bye to Christmas, and weaning the children away from it. Getting away from Christmas is our way of saying, "No more compromise with Catholicism or paganism." That in itself is worth the bother to us.
Right away I am sure that there are some who object to the very thought of Christmas being Catholic or pagan. Many Christians are of the opinion that the ungodly of this world stole Christmas from the Christians, but, in fact, it happened quite the other way around: Christians, or, more accurately, Catholics, stole Christmas from the pagans in an attempt to attract pagans to the faith. (You can take a look around and decide for yourself whether or not that actually worked, by and large. Compromise rarely, if ever, attracts the world to true Christianity in any lasting, saving way.)
That is all I intend to say on the subject of the origins of Christmas, or whether you should let such origins affect your decision to celebrate or not. The main purpose of this post is to address the question, "So we don't celebrate any more; now what?"
Here are a few ideas from personal experience and from friends.
What to do about relatives:
1. We don't go visiting over Christmas partly because my mom gets nervous about any of her loved ones travelling in winter, and partly because we find vacations more enjoyable in the summer. Both my and my husband's families live hundreds of miles away, so maybe we have an advantage over those whose families live close by. We have found, however, that most of them have more time and energy, and enjoy our visits more, in the summer when their schedules are not so hectic. Sometimes you can offer to come for New Year's instead. There may still be the "holiday spirit," but this tactic will show that you still want to be with the family even though you object to Christmas itself.
2. My parents usually offer us either a gift sent in the mail, or a check. This year I asked for a check to spend on magazine subscriptions and books. I told my parents that was how the money would be spent. If we had chosen the gift sent by mail, we would have been expected to give suggestions. In that case, I'd have listed some books we've been wanting. My dad LOVES to give books as presents, so this would not have been a problem at all. You could suggest things your children need, or things they've especially been wanting, or one thing the whole family can enjoy together.
Both my husband's parents are dead, but if they were still alive, they, too, would have offered money in place of presents.
What to do within your family, with your children:
1. A family we know who used to visit our church gives their children a certain amount of money to spend on Boxing Day sales. Other than that, they treat the actual day as no different from any other day. They homeschool if it's a week day, and do normal weekend activities if it's a Sat. or Sun.
(If you have conscientious, theological children, be careful about the Boxing Day sales. I mentioned to the family that I might go out early the day after Christmas and get some Christmas candy on sale. My 16-year-old son said, "Oh, yes. Go get the meat sacrificed to idols after it goes on sale.")
2. As mentioned earlier, we "weaned" our children off Christmas by gradually doing less each year. Two years ago, we did not bother getting out any decorations except a miniature ceramic snow scene and a few candles. Last year we didn't even do that, and the only gifts we gave were what would fit in the children's stockings. This past season we did nothing at all, making a clean break from the holiday completely.
3. Explain to your children why you quit. Even a 5-year-old is able to understand a little about the dangers of compromising with the world (talk about "little" sins committed to save ourselves from embarrassment, or to make ourselves more "popular"). The older the child, the more in depth you can get, perhaps even turning it into a full-blown Bible study done a little at a time during family devotions.
What to do with questioning friends:
1. A popular question during the Christmas season seems to be, "So, are you all ready for Christmas?" (Or, to the children, "What is Santa bringing you this year?") After Christmas, the question goes backward: "How was your Christmas?" (Or, to the children, "What did Santa bring you?") It is easy to say you don't believe in Santa. Harder is to say that you don't believe in celebrating the holiday at all, and that your children got nothing. I did not know how to handle these questions at all, so I asked someone else how they handled it.
Basically, my friend simply says, "Actually, we don't celebrate Christmas, but we had a good day. How was your holiday?" This is said in a pleasant, friendly way that takes a stand without being needlessly offensive.
Most of my children have been able to be gracious about their responses to people, since they don't seem to be as sensitive to popular opinion as I am.
What to do with Christian friends/relatives who see nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas:
1. Are they fully persuaded that what they are doing is to the glory of God? If so, you probably won't be able to change their minds by preaching to them. Instead, simply explain your course of action and your reasons for it, and let it go at that. And only do the explaining if the subject comes up on its own in normal conversation. Usually it's best to say only little bits at a time, unless they want to spend a whole conversation on the subject. Don't be defensive or offensive, just state your case simply and briefly, and go on to something else.
2. Have they given you gifts or sent cards? Receive them graciously in the spirit in which they were given, and say thank you. Enjoy the bits of news you get from the family letters typically sent this time of year. Pray for God's blessing on them.
When friends/relatives simply can't (or won't) understand:
1. Stand your ground graciously, humbly, but persistently, just as you did when your unsaved friends and relatives thought you were crazy for becoming a Christian in the first place. They will eventually get used to the idea and stop bugging you about it. Take heart. The first year is usually the hardest.
I am sure that there are plenty of "what if" questions that have not been answered here. In that case, PRAY. God will lead the heart that is truly yielded to Him. In fact, DO NOT act upon any of these suggestions without first praying for God's direction. And if you are a wife (this blog was meant primarily for wives and mothers), DO NOT do anything without your husband's full, whole-hearted approval (a grudging, get-the-wife-off-my-back okay does not count).
May God guide as you pray through this, and other situations that may arise through the next year.
Pearl
It is the last day of January, over a month past Christmas. This post is for those who are questioning whether or not to celebrate the holiday next season. This is actually a response to Rand's question, but when I started to reply to it on his blog, I realized that my response was turning into an article of its own.
Why address this in January? First, anyone dissatisfied with the season will still have that sentiment fresh in their minds. Second, this will give you most of the year to be thinking and praying about how you and your family will handle this next season. Now, I happen to know Rand, his wife, and his three precious children personally, so I suppose I could have answered him privately. But I got the idea that if one person (or family) asks a question "out loud," then others are probably also asking it silently.
I felt free in a way I never felt before, this year, because we did not do one single thing to celebrate a pagan Roman holiday. This was the first year for us to completely treat the day like any other. Last year the only thing we did was fill stockings for the children and eat a big dinner. That was our way of saying one last good-bye to Christmas, and weaning the children away from it. Getting away from Christmas is our way of saying, "No more compromise with Catholicism or paganism." That in itself is worth the bother to us.
Right away I am sure that there are some who object to the very thought of Christmas being Catholic or pagan. Many Christians are of the opinion that the ungodly of this world stole Christmas from the Christians, but, in fact, it happened quite the other way around: Christians, or, more accurately, Catholics, stole Christmas from the pagans in an attempt to attract pagans to the faith. (You can take a look around and decide for yourself whether or not that actually worked, by and large. Compromise rarely, if ever, attracts the world to true Christianity in any lasting, saving way.)
That is all I intend to say on the subject of the origins of Christmas, or whether you should let such origins affect your decision to celebrate or not. The main purpose of this post is to address the question, "So we don't celebrate any more; now what?"
Here are a few ideas from personal experience and from friends.
What to do about relatives:
1. We don't go visiting over Christmas partly because my mom gets nervous about any of her loved ones travelling in winter, and partly because we find vacations more enjoyable in the summer. Both my and my husband's families live hundreds of miles away, so maybe we have an advantage over those whose families live close by. We have found, however, that most of them have more time and energy, and enjoy our visits more, in the summer when their schedules are not so hectic. Sometimes you can offer to come for New Year's instead. There may still be the "holiday spirit," but this tactic will show that you still want to be with the family even though you object to Christmas itself.
2. My parents usually offer us either a gift sent in the mail, or a check. This year I asked for a check to spend on magazine subscriptions and books. I told my parents that was how the money would be spent. If we had chosen the gift sent by mail, we would have been expected to give suggestions. In that case, I'd have listed some books we've been wanting. My dad LOVES to give books as presents, so this would not have been a problem at all. You could suggest things your children need, or things they've especially been wanting, or one thing the whole family can enjoy together.
Both my husband's parents are dead, but if they were still alive, they, too, would have offered money in place of presents.
What to do within your family, with your children:
1. A family we know who used to visit our church gives their children a certain amount of money to spend on Boxing Day sales. Other than that, they treat the actual day as no different from any other day. They homeschool if it's a week day, and do normal weekend activities if it's a Sat. or Sun.
(If you have conscientious, theological children, be careful about the Boxing Day sales. I mentioned to the family that I might go out early the day after Christmas and get some Christmas candy on sale. My 16-year-old son said, "Oh, yes. Go get the meat sacrificed to idols after it goes on sale.")
2. As mentioned earlier, we "weaned" our children off Christmas by gradually doing less each year. Two years ago, we did not bother getting out any decorations except a miniature ceramic snow scene and a few candles. Last year we didn't even do that, and the only gifts we gave were what would fit in the children's stockings. This past season we did nothing at all, making a clean break from the holiday completely.
3. Explain to your children why you quit. Even a 5-year-old is able to understand a little about the dangers of compromising with the world (talk about "little" sins committed to save ourselves from embarrassment, or to make ourselves more "popular"). The older the child, the more in depth you can get, perhaps even turning it into a full-blown Bible study done a little at a time during family devotions.
What to do with questioning friends:
1. A popular question during the Christmas season seems to be, "So, are you all ready for Christmas?" (Or, to the children, "What is Santa bringing you this year?") After Christmas, the question goes backward: "How was your Christmas?" (Or, to the children, "What did Santa bring you?") It is easy to say you don't believe in Santa. Harder is to say that you don't believe in celebrating the holiday at all, and that your children got nothing. I did not know how to handle these questions at all, so I asked someone else how they handled it.
Basically, my friend simply says, "Actually, we don't celebrate Christmas, but we had a good day. How was your holiday?" This is said in a pleasant, friendly way that takes a stand without being needlessly offensive.
Most of my children have been able to be gracious about their responses to people, since they don't seem to be as sensitive to popular opinion as I am.
What to do with Christian friends/relatives who see nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas:
1. Are they fully persuaded that what they are doing is to the glory of God? If so, you probably won't be able to change their minds by preaching to them. Instead, simply explain your course of action and your reasons for it, and let it go at that. And only do the explaining if the subject comes up on its own in normal conversation. Usually it's best to say only little bits at a time, unless they want to spend a whole conversation on the subject. Don't be defensive or offensive, just state your case simply and briefly, and go on to something else.
2. Have they given you gifts or sent cards? Receive them graciously in the spirit in which they were given, and say thank you. Enjoy the bits of news you get from the family letters typically sent this time of year. Pray for God's blessing on them.
When friends/relatives simply can't (or won't) understand:
1. Stand your ground graciously, humbly, but persistently, just as you did when your unsaved friends and relatives thought you were crazy for becoming a Christian in the first place. They will eventually get used to the idea and stop bugging you about it. Take heart. The first year is usually the hardest.
I am sure that there are plenty of "what if" questions that have not been answered here. In that case, PRAY. God will lead the heart that is truly yielded to Him. In fact, DO NOT act upon any of these suggestions without first praying for God's direction. And if you are a wife (this blog was meant primarily for wives and mothers), DO NOT do anything without your husband's full, whole-hearted approval (a grudging, get-the-wife-off-my-back okay does not count).
May God guide as you pray through this, and other situations that may arise through the next year.
Pearl
Friday, January 27, 2006
The Family Library
"I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me" (Psalm 101:3).
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret" (Ephesians 5:11, 12).
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).
These three verses have been the standard by which we judge our children's reading material (and, indeed, our own). Books need to be profitable spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Books with swearing, immorality, witchcraft or magic are definitely off our shelves. Books that put evildoers in a "good" light are also out.
All right, that was easy. After all, those things are blatantly anti-Scriptural. Now for the hard part. What if most of the book's content is good, but there's this one little section that is questionable? This dilemma was faced recently in connection with one of my favorite books from childhood. The whole book was good, I thought, except for one minor section, which I merely skimmed over. But wouldn't you know it, that was the ONE section of the entire book that one of my younger sons enjoyed the most! He thought it was hilarious as he retold it to the rest of us, wanting us to join in the laughter. At that point I realized that I needed to re-evaluate that book, and perhaps others on our shelves, as well.
Spiritually profitable books are those that tell a story or a biography in the context of accurate biblical truth and sound doctrine. We have had to be especially careful with biographies and historical fiction, since the doctrinal bias of the author colors the life of the person he/she is writing about. For example, I once read a fiction book that included the real Jonathan Edwards as one of the minor characters. In the story, he was called to the bedside of a dying girl and asked to pray with her. In the process, he gave the gospel to this girl. He basically led her through the standard "sinner's prayer" and pronounced her saved. Any one who has studied the life and writings of the real Jonathan Edwards will immediate recognize the error here. He would NEVER have dealt with a sinner this way! Dying or living, child or adult, that person would have been asked to examine their hearts in the light of Scripture, and encouraged to pray by themselves. He would have waited for the Lord to burden the individual about his/her sin, and left them alone to pray their own prayer before God alone.
Similar things have been written of John Bunyan, Charles Spurgeon, and others. Spurgeon, especially, would be greatly grieved to read the things he is now supposed to have believed. He fought tooth and nail against those things, and that fight so wore on him that it led to his death.
Mentally uplifting books are those which give accurate information without wicked, gory details. This is the hardest for me to judge. Since we homeschool, we have lots of resources on our shelves that give historic and scientific facts. Scientific resources aren't hard to deal with. We just keep evolution off the shelves, and the rest takes care of itself. Historic resources are harder. Here, again, the bias of the author will color the information given, whether it be a documentary, biography, or historical fiction. The most awful things will be presented in a favorable light, while anything having to do with true righteousness and godliness will be given a mere footnote at best, or criminalized at worst.
Once again, it is easy to keep away the blatantly bad. Harder is to sort through the material that looks good. Christian conservatism, especially in the United States, has done a lot more harm to our historical reference materials than many would like to admit. To read most of their histories, you'd think all the great men who are called the Founding Fathers of America were the most godly men you'd ever hope to meet. Were they? Absolutely not. Most were deists who denied the diety of Christ and believed God had no real influence in the modern world. The infamous "Jefferson Bible" is full of holes where Thomas Jefferson cut out everything he believed to be in error. Benjamin Franklin spoke of a "higher power" but never bowed his knee to the God of the Bible. Most of these men were idolatrous Masons.
Emotionally uplifting books are those which encourage good character qualities such as self-control. The average romance novel does nothing of the sort. Characters whose anger, hatred, selfishness, sibling strife, etc., are seen as normal behavior do not encourage good character in our children. Sorting out the bad, again, is easy. And difficult, again, is dealing with books from "Christian" authors and publishers. What about the "Christian" romance novel? Even the "best" of these appeal to the flesh and the lusts thereof. How are family relationships portrayed? Do brothers and sisters fight a lot? Do mothers support the fathers? Are wives submissive to husbands? Are dads seen as doofuses and laughed at? Do children look up to and respect their parents? To whom do the children go most often for advice--their parents, their peers, or some other trusted adult?
I added a new link to my sidebar: the Castleberry family. They are a homeschooling family who write and publish their own books. I have come to share their philosophy regarding books for the family, and recommend them to you.
Two other book-related links are listed. Grace and Truth Books distributes books written mostly from a sovereign grace perspective, but let the buyer beware: we have encountered a few questionable items from them. Nevertheless, most of their stuff is fantastic. I have almost decided to remove the other link for Christian Book Distributors. I've left it on only because they sell homeschool curriculum at discounted prices. A look at their most recent homeschool catalog, however, reveals that they are becoming more and more ecumenical in what they recommend and distribute. Buyer be doubly aware.
I have not mentioned videos, DVDs, cassettes, TV, newspapers, magazines, or radio, choosing to focus on books. Yet all the above applies to these as well.
God's grace to you as you look at your bookshelf,
Pearl
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret" (Ephesians 5:11, 12).
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).
These three verses have been the standard by which we judge our children's reading material (and, indeed, our own). Books need to be profitable spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Books with swearing, immorality, witchcraft or magic are definitely off our shelves. Books that put evildoers in a "good" light are also out.
All right, that was easy. After all, those things are blatantly anti-Scriptural. Now for the hard part. What if most of the book's content is good, but there's this one little section that is questionable? This dilemma was faced recently in connection with one of my favorite books from childhood. The whole book was good, I thought, except for one minor section, which I merely skimmed over. But wouldn't you know it, that was the ONE section of the entire book that one of my younger sons enjoyed the most! He thought it was hilarious as he retold it to the rest of us, wanting us to join in the laughter. At that point I realized that I needed to re-evaluate that book, and perhaps others on our shelves, as well.
Spiritually profitable books are those that tell a story or a biography in the context of accurate biblical truth and sound doctrine. We have had to be especially careful with biographies and historical fiction, since the doctrinal bias of the author colors the life of the person he/she is writing about. For example, I once read a fiction book that included the real Jonathan Edwards as one of the minor characters. In the story, he was called to the bedside of a dying girl and asked to pray with her. In the process, he gave the gospel to this girl. He basically led her through the standard "sinner's prayer" and pronounced her saved. Any one who has studied the life and writings of the real Jonathan Edwards will immediate recognize the error here. He would NEVER have dealt with a sinner this way! Dying or living, child or adult, that person would have been asked to examine their hearts in the light of Scripture, and encouraged to pray by themselves. He would have waited for the Lord to burden the individual about his/her sin, and left them alone to pray their own prayer before God alone.
Similar things have been written of John Bunyan, Charles Spurgeon, and others. Spurgeon, especially, would be greatly grieved to read the things he is now supposed to have believed. He fought tooth and nail against those things, and that fight so wore on him that it led to his death.
Mentally uplifting books are those which give accurate information without wicked, gory details. This is the hardest for me to judge. Since we homeschool, we have lots of resources on our shelves that give historic and scientific facts. Scientific resources aren't hard to deal with. We just keep evolution off the shelves, and the rest takes care of itself. Historic resources are harder. Here, again, the bias of the author will color the information given, whether it be a documentary, biography, or historical fiction. The most awful things will be presented in a favorable light, while anything having to do with true righteousness and godliness will be given a mere footnote at best, or criminalized at worst.
Once again, it is easy to keep away the blatantly bad. Harder is to sort through the material that looks good. Christian conservatism, especially in the United States, has done a lot more harm to our historical reference materials than many would like to admit. To read most of their histories, you'd think all the great men who are called the Founding Fathers of America were the most godly men you'd ever hope to meet. Were they? Absolutely not. Most were deists who denied the diety of Christ and believed God had no real influence in the modern world. The infamous "Jefferson Bible" is full of holes where Thomas Jefferson cut out everything he believed to be in error. Benjamin Franklin spoke of a "higher power" but never bowed his knee to the God of the Bible. Most of these men were idolatrous Masons.
Emotionally uplifting books are those which encourage good character qualities such as self-control. The average romance novel does nothing of the sort. Characters whose anger, hatred, selfishness, sibling strife, etc., are seen as normal behavior do not encourage good character in our children. Sorting out the bad, again, is easy. And difficult, again, is dealing with books from "Christian" authors and publishers. What about the "Christian" romance novel? Even the "best" of these appeal to the flesh and the lusts thereof. How are family relationships portrayed? Do brothers and sisters fight a lot? Do mothers support the fathers? Are wives submissive to husbands? Are dads seen as doofuses and laughed at? Do children look up to and respect their parents? To whom do the children go most often for advice--their parents, their peers, or some other trusted adult?
I added a new link to my sidebar: the Castleberry family. They are a homeschooling family who write and publish their own books. I have come to share their philosophy regarding books for the family, and recommend them to you.
Two other book-related links are listed. Grace and Truth Books distributes books written mostly from a sovereign grace perspective, but let the buyer beware: we have encountered a few questionable items from them. Nevertheless, most of their stuff is fantastic. I have almost decided to remove the other link for Christian Book Distributors. I've left it on only because they sell homeschool curriculum at discounted prices. A look at their most recent homeschool catalog, however, reveals that they are becoming more and more ecumenical in what they recommend and distribute. Buyer be doubly aware.
I have not mentioned videos, DVDs, cassettes, TV, newspapers, magazines, or radio, choosing to focus on books. Yet all the above applies to these as well.
God's grace to you as you look at your bookshelf,
Pearl
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
If you're thinking of spamming my blog...
...be forewarned that you will be automatically deleted. Although I was not able to post here during the past eight months, I did keep tabs on the place through my e-mail. Some unsavory characters posted links to porn sites, while others used my blog to promote their own agendas and/or favorite websites. Rather than taking the time to sort good from bad, I have adopted the policy of deleting any and all posts containing links to other sites.
This is MY blog, and I will post the links I think are necessary.
Thanks.
Pearl of Grace
This is MY blog, and I will post the links I think are necessary.
Thanks.
Pearl of Grace
Why I haven't been here in a while
I must first apologize to anyone following my blog for not having kept up with it during the past 8 months. After getting back from my sister-in-law's funeral in May, life suddenly became extremely busy for our family.
For several years we had been considering buying our own home--a first for us since we have always rented. We had been looking around rather casually, not really getting too serious about it, since we really couldn't afford the average house-with-land-in-the-country that we needed for our large family. A few days after we got back from the funeral, I was surfing through our local real estate websites, and came across a fixer-upper on an acre of land offered for a very low price. The Lord seemed to go before us the whole way through the buying process, and in less than 6 weeks' time we went from not having any prospects on a house at all to first-time homeowners.
The next 3 months became a whirlwind of activity, with us scrambling to make this non-habitable house somewhat habitable before winter set in. With paying rent and mortgage, plus utilities at two homes, we were also feeling a severe financial crunch, so we were trying to hurry. Our rented home had become a sort-of mini farm by then, and we had a huge garden to harvest, chickens to put in the freezer, and rabbits to move. All this in addition to sorting and packing. The packing was tricky, since our new house is much smaller than our old one, and much of our stuff had to go into storage. We really don't have a lot of we-don't-use-it-every-day stuff, so it was hard to decide what to put in storage and what to leave out.
Somewhere in the middle of all that it was confirmed to us that we are now expecting our ninth child in March, adding midwife visits to our list of regular activities.
And then there was homeschool. We finally moved sometime in October, and I started then to look over the books we had and what we needed to order. My husband and I decided that this year we needed to use a more self-teaching curriculum because of all the upheaval in our lives, so I began ordering curriculum accordingly. We got four of our children started in November, and are only just this week getting our two oldest enrolled in a video correspondence high school. (They had some things to finish from the previous school year so that I could count it for transfer credit, hence the long wait.)
Even though we started some school in November, we got off to a pretty rocky start. For one thing, our budget would not allow us to order all the curriculum at once. For another thing, we were still trying to settle in, and still had some remodelling to do. My attention was divided between so many things, and I was not able to give my fullest to any of them.
By the end of December, I felt we were doing great. We were getting consistent with school work, and were adjusting to the new routine a new house brings. Then one morning late in December my second oldest son came to me complaining of "bumps" all over his head and "blisters" all over his chest and arms. Oh, joy! Chicken pox! Two weeks later, the other seven children got them all at the same time. And I got a really bad cold!
I think we're done with all that now, and I think we can get back to "normal"--whatever "normal" may be. We haven't really had a "normal" for months. My husband is in the midst of preparing for our annual church business meeting, and asked for my help in remembering the highlights of the last year for our church. I honestly could not help him much. Most of the year is pretty much a blur to me!
Well, that catches me up to the present. This has been a longer post than I'd like; the next ones will be shorter (and hopefully more spiritually uplifting!).
The Lord has given us much grace in all of this--our family actually seems closer now than before we bought this house.
Pearl of Grace
For several years we had been considering buying our own home--a first for us since we have always rented. We had been looking around rather casually, not really getting too serious about it, since we really couldn't afford the average house-with-land-in-the-country that we needed for our large family. A few days after we got back from the funeral, I was surfing through our local real estate websites, and came across a fixer-upper on an acre of land offered for a very low price. The Lord seemed to go before us the whole way through the buying process, and in less than 6 weeks' time we went from not having any prospects on a house at all to first-time homeowners.
The next 3 months became a whirlwind of activity, with us scrambling to make this non-habitable house somewhat habitable before winter set in. With paying rent and mortgage, plus utilities at two homes, we were also feeling a severe financial crunch, so we were trying to hurry. Our rented home had become a sort-of mini farm by then, and we had a huge garden to harvest, chickens to put in the freezer, and rabbits to move. All this in addition to sorting and packing. The packing was tricky, since our new house is much smaller than our old one, and much of our stuff had to go into storage. We really don't have a lot of we-don't-use-it-every-day stuff, so it was hard to decide what to put in storage and what to leave out.
Somewhere in the middle of all that it was confirmed to us that we are now expecting our ninth child in March, adding midwife visits to our list of regular activities.
And then there was homeschool. We finally moved sometime in October, and I started then to look over the books we had and what we needed to order. My husband and I decided that this year we needed to use a more self-teaching curriculum because of all the upheaval in our lives, so I began ordering curriculum accordingly. We got four of our children started in November, and are only just this week getting our two oldest enrolled in a video correspondence high school. (They had some things to finish from the previous school year so that I could count it for transfer credit, hence the long wait.)
Even though we started some school in November, we got off to a pretty rocky start. For one thing, our budget would not allow us to order all the curriculum at once. For another thing, we were still trying to settle in, and still had some remodelling to do. My attention was divided between so many things, and I was not able to give my fullest to any of them.
By the end of December, I felt we were doing great. We were getting consistent with school work, and were adjusting to the new routine a new house brings. Then one morning late in December my second oldest son came to me complaining of "bumps" all over his head and "blisters" all over his chest and arms. Oh, joy! Chicken pox! Two weeks later, the other seven children got them all at the same time. And I got a really bad cold!
I think we're done with all that now, and I think we can get back to "normal"--whatever "normal" may be. We haven't really had a "normal" for months. My husband is in the midst of preparing for our annual church business meeting, and asked for my help in remembering the highlights of the last year for our church. I honestly could not help him much. Most of the year is pretty much a blur to me!
Well, that catches me up to the present. This has been a longer post than I'd like; the next ones will be shorter (and hopefully more spiritually uplifting!).
The Lord has given us much grace in all of this--our family actually seems closer now than before we bought this house.
Pearl of Grace
Monday, May 23, 2005
Safe in the Arms of Jesus
My dear friend and sister-in-law was welcomed into the presence of her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ this afternoon. We rejoice greatly over her final victory over sin and death and look forward to being reunited with her when our turn comes.
Over the last couple of weeks, our six-year-old daughter has been asking to sing one of her favourite hymns:
Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace;
In the mansions bright and blessed
He'll prepare for us a place.
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We'll sing and shout the victory.
While we walk the pilgrim pathway
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when trav'ling days are over
Not a shadow, not a sigh.
Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving ev'ry day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.
Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we'll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open--
We shall tread the streets of gold.
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We'll sing and shout the victory.
Over the last couple of weeks, our six-year-old daughter has been asking to sing one of her favourite hymns:
Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace;
In the mansions bright and blessed
He'll prepare for us a place.
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We'll sing and shout the victory.
While we walk the pilgrim pathway
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when trav'ling days are over
Not a shadow, not a sigh.
Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving ev'ry day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.
Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we'll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open--
We shall tread the streets of gold.
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We'll sing and shout the victory.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Precious in the sight of the LORD...
The word precious is used many times in the Scriptures. Most of the time it describes things--jewels, ointment, the crops of the field, etc., things that we humans might value. However, only three times are we told of something that is precious in the Lord's sight. In Isaiah 43:4 and Psalm 72:14, that precious thing is His people, whose welfare is His prime concern. The third precious thing in God's sight is the death of His saints.
Psalm 116:15 says, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Someone once said, "If we knew what God knows about death, we would clap our listless hands." I have been holding on to that thought all this afternoon. My dear friend and sister-in-law is at this moment in a deep sleep, dying of pancreatic cancer. We received word today that her body appears to be shutting down. At any moment she will enter the presence of her Lord and King, the Saviour she has served so faithfully. By her side as she awaits that moment are my brother and their two young boys (ages 14 and 12), her pastor and his wife, my mother, and several close friends.They are singing to her, and praying.
We are told to "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep" (Romans 12:15). It is easy for me to weep with my brother and the boys. Indeed, I weep for myself, and the loss of someone very dear to my heart. But how hard it is for this frail human to rejoice with Christ Who is receiving His child Home! Yet once she's gone I would not for one moment wish her back from that Glory that awaits her.
God continues to give peace and comfort to us all.
Psalm 116:15 says, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Someone once said, "If we knew what God knows about death, we would clap our listless hands." I have been holding on to that thought all this afternoon. My dear friend and sister-in-law is at this moment in a deep sleep, dying of pancreatic cancer. We received word today that her body appears to be shutting down. At any moment she will enter the presence of her Lord and King, the Saviour she has served so faithfully. By her side as she awaits that moment are my brother and their two young boys (ages 14 and 12), her pastor and his wife, my mother, and several close friends.They are singing to her, and praying.
We are told to "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep" (Romans 12:15). It is easy for me to weep with my brother and the boys. Indeed, I weep for myself, and the loss of someone very dear to my heart. But how hard it is for this frail human to rejoice with Christ Who is receiving His child Home! Yet once she's gone I would not for one moment wish her back from that Glory that awaits her.
God continues to give peace and comfort to us all.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
How God Saved a Preacher's Kid, part 3
The Bible college I attended was Presbyterian. In my Bible doctrine class, a debate came up over infant baptism vs. believer's baptism. Not recognizing myself as the hypocrite I was, I argued fiercely for believer's baptism. Not until I transferred to a Brethren college where I attended a believer's baptism service did I realize my own need to obey God in this matter. The more I prayed about it, the more I was convinced that I needed to go back to my home church and make this right. I talked to my parents about it, confessing to them the lie I had been living, and asked my father to baptize me again.
Going before my church was not nearly as hard as I had expected it to be. In fact, it was a huge relief and a source of great joy. People I'd known who no longer attended my church brought their families to witness my baptism. This meant a lot to me because I had always been considered the "big sister" to their children, and I had not always been the good example to them that their parents thought I'd been. I was thankful for the opportunity to tell these children the truth myself and to apologize to them publicly for failing to point them to Christ as I should have.
At the same time that the Lord dealt with me concerning my baptism, He also showed me plainly another path He wanted me to follow. I was increasingly becoming dissatisfied with college, and was doing badly in all my classes. I had never really wanted a career, and couldn't see the point in continuing to pursue a degree in elementary education. My heart's desire was to be a stay-at-home wife and mother. The only problem I had was that I didn't know anyone I really wanted to marry. After much prayer, it became clear to me that God wanted me to quit college, go home and live with my parents, and wait for Him to bring me the man He wanted me to marry.
In May 1986, I came home from college. Along with the baptism issue, I needed to explain to my parents why I was not going back to college. They accepted this better than I thought they would. Other people were not so readily accepting, but one couple saw the hand of the Lord in this and decided to help me out. Largely through their arranging of things, my future husband and I got together. We had our first date in June, and were married the following November. Several people protested to my mother that we had not known each other long enough, but she reminded them of Isaac and Rebekah, who had never met until the day they were married. She said that God had clearly brought us together, and that He would see us through.
And He has seen us through. We have been happily married for almost 19 years (at this writing in 2005) and God has blessed us with eight children. From the beginning He knit our hearts together with a desire to serve Him with our lives and our service. The path He picked for us has not been an easy one. I've often failed Him and have had to learn many bitter lessons the hard way. But God is faithful, and I trust Him to finish the work He has begun in me.
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).
Going before my church was not nearly as hard as I had expected it to be. In fact, it was a huge relief and a source of great joy. People I'd known who no longer attended my church brought their families to witness my baptism. This meant a lot to me because I had always been considered the "big sister" to their children, and I had not always been the good example to them that their parents thought I'd been. I was thankful for the opportunity to tell these children the truth myself and to apologize to them publicly for failing to point them to Christ as I should have.
At the same time that the Lord dealt with me concerning my baptism, He also showed me plainly another path He wanted me to follow. I was increasingly becoming dissatisfied with college, and was doing badly in all my classes. I had never really wanted a career, and couldn't see the point in continuing to pursue a degree in elementary education. My heart's desire was to be a stay-at-home wife and mother. The only problem I had was that I didn't know anyone I really wanted to marry. After much prayer, it became clear to me that God wanted me to quit college, go home and live with my parents, and wait for Him to bring me the man He wanted me to marry.
In May 1986, I came home from college. Along with the baptism issue, I needed to explain to my parents why I was not going back to college. They accepted this better than I thought they would. Other people were not so readily accepting, but one couple saw the hand of the Lord in this and decided to help me out. Largely through their arranging of things, my future husband and I got together. We had our first date in June, and were married the following November. Several people protested to my mother that we had not known each other long enough, but she reminded them of Isaac and Rebekah, who had never met until the day they were married. She said that God had clearly brought us together, and that He would see us through.
And He has seen us through. We have been happily married for almost 19 years (at this writing in 2005) and God has blessed us with eight children. From the beginning He knit our hearts together with a desire to serve Him with our lives and our service. The path He picked for us has not been an easy one. I've often failed Him and have had to learn many bitter lessons the hard way. But God is faithful, and I trust Him to finish the work He has begun in me.
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).
Saturday, May 14, 2005
How God Saved a Preacher's Kid, Part 2
The summer I was 16, I was asked to be a counselor at a Christian youth camp. I could not refuse without "blowing my cover" and confessing that I was lost. I spent a miserable week with twelve 9-12-year-old girls, most of whom had come to camp for the first time. Everyone thought I was having a rough time because I'd never been a counselor before, but I knew that the real reason was that I had nothing of any spiritual value to offer them.
During the next year, I did a lot of soul searching. I began to be seriously concerned about my spiritual state. I tried to make myself believe that maybe, after all, I really was saved. I had "prayed a prayer" at the age of six; maybe I would be all right in the end. I tried to ease my conscience about this by saying if-I'm-not-saved-please-save-me-now prayers. I confided my struggles to a friend, who promptly told our Christian school principal. She talked to me privately, sharing some Scripture with me that she felt would "give me assurance." She told me that I really was saved, but that I only needed assurance.
I read those verses, but I was not "assured." Deep down I knew this was because I still did not want to fully yield my life to Christ. I was doubling up on my school work in order to graduate a year early, and looked forward to getting out from under my parents' roof so I could "cut loose." I dreamed about all I could experience once I left home. The only problem I saw was that my father wanted me to go for at least one year of Bible college. The only college I thought I could attend was the same one my older brother and sister attended. How could I do my own thing there, with them to see and write home about me?
The summer after my high school graduation, I was again asked to be a camp counselor at the same Christian youth camp. Although I again agreed rather than confess to my deception, this time I knew I'd have to deal with myself. I cautiously approached another counselor, a good friend who was older and wiser. I was half afraid she'd try to "assure" me as my principal had, and half afraid she'd blow the whistle on me. She did neither. When I told her I thought I might not be saved, she wisely (and rather bluntly) said, "Well, you'd better go pray and find out!"
She could not have given me better advice. Only the Holy Spirit can give a true witness to a sinner that he or she has been converted. I did pray that day, and often throughout that week. I believe I was converted then, though not everything changed overnight. During the next three years I began to grow more in the knowledge Christ. The growth was slow and gradual, but it was there. I prayed a lot, and read my Bible a lot. I did go to Bible college, where I learned a lot more from fellow Christian students than from any of my professors.
There was one problem--I still had not come clean before my parents and my church. The deception was still there, though it had changed form. I was embarrassed and ashamed to confess that big lie to all those people. I wanted to think that it was okay for them to think I really was saved when I was baptized at age twelve. After all, I was saved now, and had been baptized; did it really matter that much that the baptism had come first?
to be continued...
During the next year, I did a lot of soul searching. I began to be seriously concerned about my spiritual state. I tried to make myself believe that maybe, after all, I really was saved. I had "prayed a prayer" at the age of six; maybe I would be all right in the end. I tried to ease my conscience about this by saying if-I'm-not-saved-please-save-me-now prayers. I confided my struggles to a friend, who promptly told our Christian school principal. She talked to me privately, sharing some Scripture with me that she felt would "give me assurance." She told me that I really was saved, but that I only needed assurance.
I read those verses, but I was not "assured." Deep down I knew this was because I still did not want to fully yield my life to Christ. I was doubling up on my school work in order to graduate a year early, and looked forward to getting out from under my parents' roof so I could "cut loose." I dreamed about all I could experience once I left home. The only problem I saw was that my father wanted me to go for at least one year of Bible college. The only college I thought I could attend was the same one my older brother and sister attended. How could I do my own thing there, with them to see and write home about me?
The summer after my high school graduation, I was again asked to be a camp counselor at the same Christian youth camp. Although I again agreed rather than confess to my deception, this time I knew I'd have to deal with myself. I cautiously approached another counselor, a good friend who was older and wiser. I was half afraid she'd try to "assure" me as my principal had, and half afraid she'd blow the whistle on me. She did neither. When I told her I thought I might not be saved, she wisely (and rather bluntly) said, "Well, you'd better go pray and find out!"
She could not have given me better advice. Only the Holy Spirit can give a true witness to a sinner that he or she has been converted. I did pray that day, and often throughout that week. I believe I was converted then, though not everything changed overnight. During the next three years I began to grow more in the knowledge Christ. The growth was slow and gradual, but it was there. I prayed a lot, and read my Bible a lot. I did go to Bible college, where I learned a lot more from fellow Christian students than from any of my professors.
There was one problem--I still had not come clean before my parents and my church. The deception was still there, though it had changed form. I was embarrassed and ashamed to confess that big lie to all those people. I wanted to think that it was okay for them to think I really was saved when I was baptized at age twelve. After all, I was saved now, and had been baptized; did it really matter that much that the baptism had come first?
to be continued...
Friday, May 13, 2005
How God Saved a Preacher's Kid, Part 1
My father entered his first pastorate two months before I was born. For the next 30 years or so, he pastored churches in New York, Maine, and Pennsylvania. I never knew any other life than that of a "preacher's kid." Being raised almost literally "in church," I became gospel hardened. I wasn't exactly grateful for the godly influences in my life. The world looked pretty good to me, and by the time I was twelve I'd developed a charade to help me get out into that world without my parents' knowledge.
My father started out as an Arminian, meaning that he believed that all sinners have the free will to choose Christ or reject Him. An Arminian rejects the sovereignty of God in the salvation of sinners. This sort of belief system allows a sinner to accept Christ's salvation if he chooses to, and to later choose to make Christ Lord of his life...or not. Although my father later came to understand and embrace the Doctrines of Grace, I think he subconsciously kept some of his Arminian thinking. I say this because I don't remember him ever confronting me about the possibility of my not being truly saved once I made a profession of faith.
I had made a profession of faith, and had been baptized at the age of twelve. I remember clearly making a conscious decision to do this in order to deceive my church. I wanted people to think I was saved so that they would leave me alone about the whole matter. All along I knew I was not saved, nor did I wish to be. Of course, I did not want to go to hell, but I was willing to take my chances because I did not want to live the Christian life. So I began a path of deception that would last another eight years.
During my teen years, I developed a strategy of acting "Christian" around Christians, and being my own wicked worldly self around everyone else. At church, and around church people, I was the model Christian Teen: a good example to the younger children, substitute Sunday school teacher, camp counselor, etc. At school, on the bus, and around my non-Christian friends, I lived the worldly life I loved.
The deception was harder to pull off at home. I made life miserable for my mother by insisting on having my own way and making my own decisions. I didn't want my parents telling me what I could or could not do. I listened to rock music on the school bus and at my friends' homes, and one song in particular became my theme: "I don't care what you say anymore, 'cause it's my life...." I pushed all the rules past the limit, and getting caught only made me try to do the same thing again so as to not get caught. During these years my parents never once doubted my salvation; nor did they ask me why my life did not match my words. Although they tried to discipline me for my rebellion and lying, they never questioned my testimony.
In spite of my lust for the world and its passions, I had a great love and respect for my father and never wanted to do anything to hurt him or his ministry. I believe God used this love and respect to keep me from many a sin. I wanted the world so badly, but I couldn't figure out how to get it without hurting my father. At times I got a taste of it when I was sure my father would never find out, but it wasn't enough.
to be continued...
My father started out as an Arminian, meaning that he believed that all sinners have the free will to choose Christ or reject Him. An Arminian rejects the sovereignty of God in the salvation of sinners. This sort of belief system allows a sinner to accept Christ's salvation if he chooses to, and to later choose to make Christ Lord of his life...or not. Although my father later came to understand and embrace the Doctrines of Grace, I think he subconsciously kept some of his Arminian thinking. I say this because I don't remember him ever confronting me about the possibility of my not being truly saved once I made a profession of faith.
I had made a profession of faith, and had been baptized at the age of twelve. I remember clearly making a conscious decision to do this in order to deceive my church. I wanted people to think I was saved so that they would leave me alone about the whole matter. All along I knew I was not saved, nor did I wish to be. Of course, I did not want to go to hell, but I was willing to take my chances because I did not want to live the Christian life. So I began a path of deception that would last another eight years.
During my teen years, I developed a strategy of acting "Christian" around Christians, and being my own wicked worldly self around everyone else. At church, and around church people, I was the model Christian Teen: a good example to the younger children, substitute Sunday school teacher, camp counselor, etc. At school, on the bus, and around my non-Christian friends, I lived the worldly life I loved.
The deception was harder to pull off at home. I made life miserable for my mother by insisting on having my own way and making my own decisions. I didn't want my parents telling me what I could or could not do. I listened to rock music on the school bus and at my friends' homes, and one song in particular became my theme: "I don't care what you say anymore, 'cause it's my life...." I pushed all the rules past the limit, and getting caught only made me try to do the same thing again so as to not get caught. During these years my parents never once doubted my salvation; nor did they ask me why my life did not match my words. Although they tried to discipline me for my rebellion and lying, they never questioned my testimony.
In spite of my lust for the world and its passions, I had a great love and respect for my father and never wanted to do anything to hurt him or his ministry. I believe God used this love and respect to keep me from many a sin. I wanted the world so badly, but I couldn't figure out how to get it without hurting my father. At times I got a taste of it when I was sure my father would never find out, but it wasn't enough.
to be continued...
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
New to blogging
I'm not sure how this works, I'm still trying to learn. My purpose will be to take a passage of Scripture and describe my attempts to work it out in my own life. I'm going to center on passages that reflect my desire to be a godly wife and mother. I don't plan to be on here often, so this may move rather slow. I have purposely limited my time on the internet for the sake of my family.
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