That's just the way it goes...

Our school time is running peacefully and precisely! (Well, as precisely as educating two different learners on different levels can go!)

The boys are doing great! We are doing our school year a little funny, starting and ending in April - doing year round school, with week long breaks every 4-5 weeks. It's a great schedule, and I'm happy about it. My oldest has jumped right into Kindergarten, and although all this new curriculum is a bit overwhelming, he just works one subject at a time, and he loves it! I let him pick what order we go in, and let him help me read the schedule, so he feels like he has some control over how his day is going.

The biggest turn around: My youngest sits and does worksheets with us for the full 2 1/2 - 3 hours that we do school. I quit fighting him. I just let him pick what pages he wants to do, and what stories he wants to read, and we just go at his pace. If he doesn't want to, he can go play quietly in his room with the door closed, and guess what? Not ten minutes later he is always back asking to do more school! My heart and head feel better about this, because I don't like struggling through our days - no one looks forward to that!

My oldest has realized that he really can read, it's pretty funny. We had an argument that he can read words, but not books. So I got out one of my big books and had him sound out words on the page, when he realized that words make books, he got really excited. Then he caught me writing my book, and he got even more excited. He is really curious about why I'm writing a book - so I think we'll have a book writing/illustrating lesson tomorrow!

My youngest has discovered that he can cut out anything, as long as he goes slow. So, our new favorite medium: Scissors and Glue. He's one cuttin' fool! Those are his favorite worksheets - and numbers are a close second. He wants to read, but he gets a little frustrated because memorizing the letter sounds seems to be a challenge for him. Well, just a few of them. He's got all but 4 of them down! I keep reminding him that letter sounds come first, then sounding out words, but I may have to find a mix of sight words and phonics for him. I think I'll give it another few months - he's only three right now! I have to remember that!

Well, I'm pumped, I'm loving how our school year has started, and I'm looking forward to all of the learning we will be doing this year!

How is April going for you? Can you believe May is so near?

PS - My book is coming along beautifully! I am very excited about how it's going!

Forgiveness

Luke 6:36-38
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.



God has been reminding me lately just how much He has forgiven me for. Or maybe, since God sends our sin as far as the east is from west, I'm reminding myself. Or growing enough to recognize it. You know what I'm realizing? With as much grace and mercy as has been shown to me, I really have no leg to stand on when it comes to holding a grudge against another. This is a difficult process for me, mainly when it comes to my relationship with Stacy. Yet, as I grow, God is giving me the strength to walk in forgiveness, to live it, to give it. When I read the verses above, it made me realize how much forgiveness I need, to be reconciled to God. I want to be forgiven, which is a great motivator for forgiving. It's always hardest to forgive the people closest to me. When someone I barely know does something that makes me cringe, or hurts my feelings, I just remind myself that they barely know me, and it's pretty easy to let it go. Yet, when someone that I love, that claims to love me, hurts or offends me, I get angry and it seems impossible to let it go. I mean, they should have known better. They love me and know me and why would they do that? or say that?



Do you struggle with forgiveness? Who do you find it hardest to forgive and what is your go-to scripture to help you live a life of forgiveness?

Christianity: Faith For Sale

(Warning: This post may be offensive. This is something that has been weighing on my heart, and it's not a glittery subject. Please comment if you have something to add, say, disagree with, etc. I look forward to and welcome all comments.)

This is an image in my head, not a real event:

Ring. Ring.

"Offices of such and such church, so and so speaking."

"Yes, hi. I'd like to buy a ticket to faith please."

"Okay, that's $10 a ticket and the event is Friday at 7 PM."

"Okay, here's my CC #"

"Okay, thanks."

After hanging up the phone, I turn to announce to my husband that I have just purchased two tickets to faith, and should, on Friday, be turned into a better Christian. This should sound good to him, being a better Christian would in turn, make me a better wife. The week passes, and I arrive to receive my purchased faith. I go in, get some sort of handout, pamphlet, book, something to show for my time. Then I sit and listen. I listen to some speaker comment on the book they wrote, or even better, a book someone else wrote. Sometimes they comment on someone elses comments about something someone else wrote. By the time my two hours is up, I'm not sure what scripture has been talked about, but I get a gold star for attendance, right? Another event is marketed, and I buy that ticket to faith. Upon arriving home, my purchase has made little impact in my life, and my husband can't see a difference.

How often is this the case? With so many "bible" studies that come with a ticket price, and someone commenting on a book they wrote, or someone else's book, isn't it like trying to buy faith? Yes, I'd like the $10 plate today. Any chance you'd add an extra scoop? My faith is waning. It's a funny image, then again, it's not so funny. Faith can't be bought and sold. I cannot sell you faith. And Christianity is just the next business opportunity. We sell Christianity like a gold-star, like a team t-shirt, like a fad diet. Here, come try this! It's only $10. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. I can't find any reference to Jesus charging people to hear him speak. Or how about the disciples? You think that Matthew stood at the door selling tickets, while Peter preached? Think again. That's not how it was. The message of salvation is free. The healing, hope, peace, and faith that only God can give us, is free for us. I can't sell you faith. I can't buy my faith.

Now, am I speaking out against public speaking? Sharing wisdom? Writing? No. In fact, I love to write. And I hope to publish a book. I even am interested in speaking on matters of faith. I know publishing isn't free, and I'm not against book sales in certain ways. Such as...bookstores? Amazon?

This trend needs to be reversed. When a study is offered, it should be from the Bible. We should study the bible together, read the Word together, pray together. And you shouldn't have to pay to take part in that. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." I believe that we help one another grow. I think that we should accept Godly counsel, and we should let other people speak into our lives. More importantly, we should let God speak into our lives, and we should seek Him and who He would have us listen to. Obviously the example given us in the gospel is that Jesus & His disciples spoke. They spoke in small meetings and large. They shared the gospel. They wrote letters. They encouraged, and even corrected. Yet, I don't see any account of them charging people to hear the message they had.

(Final note: this is not about tithing, either. Tithing is biblical, and we should all be doing it. I will have a follow up post about tithing, and forgiveness.)

My "Perfect" Children

I think society places to much emphasis on how perfect children are. Now, I agree that children are a gift from God and a blessing! I believe we have a great calling to lead them in the way they should go, in pointing them to God, and helping them to live in honor of Him. I do not think; however, that children are perfect. I've come to this conclusion due to the horrible cycle of guilt that comes when I over react. I need to learn to not over react, but something that is helping my patience is realizing that I'm raising SINNERS. Yes, I said it. I just accused my children of being sinners. Now, I'm not playing judge and jury here, I'm not about to decide their eternal fate. I am; however, much more burdened to lead them to the cross. Sinners need the cross. PERFECT little blessings don't. And if they are PERFECT, and I'm the only sinner in this house, then all of the times I don't have enough patience, are simply my fault, and only my fault. And I am a bad mom. But, if I'm a sinner, raising sinners, then guess what? Yes, I'm the adult, but they are truly misbehaving (sometimes) and when I over react, that is just my sinful nature showing through, much the same as their disobedience is their sinful nature showing through. This revelation has helped me take a deep breath, it has reminded me that Christ has the victory, and it also put my kids into a better perspective. It's been easy for me to teach "lightly" on the subjects of salvation, partially due to their ages, and even more due to the fact that everyone tells us our kids are perfect! They aren't perfect. They are created the way God made them, and they have talents we should encourage them to use. They are not perfect. They are sinners. Born sinful, and they need grace as badly as I do. So, I will work harder to model grace to them, while taking on grace as my identity. I am forgiven, I will forgive them repeatedly, and I will not allow Satan to trap me in a cycle of guilt. Jesus already won the battle!

How has the perception of children being "perfect" affected you? Does it make it easier knowing they are sinners in need of grace, just the same as you?

Extending Grace to My Kids

I am the mom of two amazing little boys, and most days, I feel blessed beyond all measure. They are truthfully the most amazing people I've ever learned anything from. Sometimes, I think parenting isn't about teaching children, it's about learning as an adult. However, there are days when I want to scream, with my eyes bugging out, and jump up and down because they just won't listen. I've been thinking about grace, and the beauty of it. God doesn't scream at me like that. Sometimes I'm sure He gets frustrated by me, though! And each day is NEW in His eyes. How many times have I gotten up in the morning, anticipating a day like we had yesterday? My poor children are then subjected to my apprehension. Inevitably, we have a rotten day. So, how about the beauty of grace? Can I extend that to my children? Let's see how this looks the way I'm doing it now:

Today, you were careless and spilled your water, so I put you in timeout.

Tomorrow, same thing. So you had to put your nose in the corner in timeout.

The next day, same thing. So, I swatted your butt.

At what point does the progression have me strangling you because you just aren't listening?! Too often we allow offenses to build on offenses. Whether they are the same or not. We should treat each offense as a new offense, and deal with it as such. Discipline is necessary, progression, not so much. A repeat offense doesn't mean they are being stubborn (sometimes, but not usually), they are small and they forget. I am big and I forget! So, I'm going to stop progressing my discipline and holding a grudge against them for yesterday's offenses...or the offenses of an hour ago. Or ten minutes ago. I'm going to deal with each incident as it's own separate incident, and see how much better we do.

This is forgiveness in action, and if I'm going to teach it to them, I have to demonstrate it. Forgiveness is not holding an account of the offenses against us. That includes when our children commit an offense against us!

How do you deal with discipline, poor choices, mistakes, and the simply "forgotten" rule?

Life Changing

Is it enough if I just write life changing words? I should think not. I hope that my words bring hope and transformation to you, but as I reflect on them myself, I realize how much I've grown, changed, transformed. I also realize, in reading through past posts, how much room I still have for growth. If all I'm doing is writing great words, but I'm not experiencing change, growth & transformation then my words are empty. If I spend my days hidden in this cozy room, in my fuzzy robe, writing about the great things that need to be done in this world, but never set foot out the front door to do anything, does that make me a hypocrite? I think so.

I don't just want to write great things and do nothing. I don't just want to sit here, with my perspective, write it out, publish it on the web, then sit back and drink my coffee, hidden inside my house. I want to write the right words, I want to write the words that God lays on my heart, not just the ramblings of a less than perfect girl. Yet, at the end of the day, I want to have done more than that. I want to be an example to my children, an example to my neighbor, an example to my community. Being Christ-like is a call to action. Jesus didn't sit somewhere, writing letters and blogs, hidden from plain sight. He was in full view of the public eye, healing the sick, raising the dead, and encouraging the broken.

As I write, and hope to help someone, hope to encourage someone, hope to reach out to someone, I've realized something. My own growth seems to flourish more fully when I write. I am the one learning. I am the one growing, changing, and being filled with hope. When I started this blogging journey, I thought it was going to be a fun means to an end. I would monetize my blog, and this would be fun and profitable. Then, I removed the monetize feature from my blog (more about that here). After a lull and trying to figure out what direction to go with the fun side of blogging, I started writing for you, the reader. Or for the web. I don't have a very clear topic for my blog, other than it being about the life of a girl seeking Christ as she raises two kids amongst other life-challenges. I wanted to be hopeful, funny, encouraging.

Now, a few months later, I'm realizing that sometimes, more often than not, I'm writing for me. Not in as selfish of a way as that sounds. It's just like, as I write something profound, it strikes me and suddenly I realize that I need to do something different in my own life.

What is life changing for you? How do you learn best? What do you need to change in your life and how are you prioritizing it?

Curriculum Choices

Well, as you've probably already gathered, we are homeschoolers. I want to talk about the recent doubt, second-guessing, fear that overtook me. I've been researching curriculum for probably close to 3 years, because I knew I wanted to homeschool, and I didn't know what curriculum I wanted to use. As we have grown and moved forward, I had narrowed it down to the curriculum I grew up using, and the curriculum a friend is using with great success. It came down to time to order, and I honestly was stuck. Looking back, I probably should have hit my knees at that moment (oddly enough, we want a VERY God centered curriculum...so why didn't I? Maybe I should blog about it...). I finally decided on a curriculum, partially due to cost, partially due to familiarity, partially due to accreditation. Oh, and testing. I like testing. So does my oldest offspring. So, I made my choice, made my order, and waited. Two days later (I think?) I got the email asking me and my oldest to get online and take the big entrance test. He did STELLAR - of 75 questions he only missed 2, and they were in different subject areas. Let me tell you now, I didn't want to let him get those questions wrong. I knew we were dealing with a touch of boredom, and we had reviewed that particular lesson the day before. But, I swallowed my Mommy-pride and let him answer for himself.

Fast forward, test results are in, books in transit (and I'm checking FedEx obsessively) and a catalog comes in the mail. From my other very possible option for curriculum. And as I turned the pages of a full color catalog, and read all of the great reviews, and reconsidered that my friend is using it with so much success, I panicked. What had I done? Why didn't I pick "this one"? It is so much better, it's this, it's that, the list went on, and I cried. Oh yes, I did. Because my kids are important to me, their education is important to me, and just brushing this off was not okay with me. I want the best for them. I want to push them without plowing them over, I want to challenge them, without creating a brick wall to stop them. I want this process to be the best we can make of it. Suddenly, this full color catalog catapulted me into "failure Mom" thoughts. How could I have picked the wrong one? I put the catalog down and got busy on the house. I wondered about returning the other books. I wondered about selling them on Craigslist and just buying the other curriculum.

The day progressed like this. I worried endlessly. Then Stacy got home. He discussed with me all of the pros and cons for both programs. Certainly the pros are much greater for BOTH programs. I was still worried. I'm the only person I know using the curriculum I picked. Then, the very next day, our books arrived.

Guess what? They are as amazing as I knew they would be. My son is as happy and excited as I had hoped for. I made the right choice for our family for this year. Oddly enough, making that choice didn't come lightly, but all it took was one full-color catalog to make me doubt myself. The other curriculum looks fantastic, and I'm glad it's one that is out there and offered. And you never know, I may need a completely different curriculum for boy #2...he learns different than my oldest.

Well, I have lesson plans to write! If you want to know more about the curriculum I picked go to: http://www.homeschools.org

Word Count

I have a question. How long should a blog post be? I think it's supposed to be a fairly quick read. Not something that takes an hour to get through. People read blogs on lunch and during their 15 minute breaks at work, right? I know that if a blog is too long, I don't read the whole thing, but what is too long?

I've become obsessed with Word Count. Suddenly, my novel revolves around Word Count; my blog: Word Count; my devotional: Word Count. You got it. I'm not stuck on page numbers or chapters. Word Count got me. It grabbed me by the chin, spun me around, and forced me to pay attention. So now, I'm obsessing. I keep trying to tell Word Count that content is what matters. Somehow, I find myself wondering though, if content is what matters, but it takes an hour to read my blog post of the day, is it ever going to get read? I'm sure there are some diehards out there that wouldn't give up after the first 5 minutes, but then again, are there?

So then I break the super long posts into two, or three, posts. Is that good or bad? What if someone doesn't know the back story, does post 3 still make sense? My goodness, I'm in a tail spin now!

So, how long should a blog post be? How long will you spend reading one post before you move on to the next? Is it entirely dependent on content, or does length have an effect on you?

Life: Full Steam Ahead!

My oh my! Life is insane right now, in the best way ever! In 23 hours I will be getting on the highway with one of my girlfriends so she can do research for her novel, so I can take a retreat to dig deeper into mine, and so we can just enjoy a few days of Mom time! In the midst of preparing for all of that, our new school books arrived!!

So, I now have to make sure I write next weeks lesson plan, so we can start on Monday. I'm going to try to get about 6 weeks of lesson plans ready next week, so I'm not worrying about it every weekend. I can just look it over, make sure we are ready to tackle the material I planned for, and we can do it.

Am I nuts for thinking Kindergarten is so much bigger of a deal than Pre-K? I mean, it's not like I'm a total rookie to homeschooling. I was homeschooled. I have been a huge proponent of being my child's first teacher, yet all these books, all the planning that I get to do, seems so much bigger! It's like Kindergarten is official, how silly is that?!

Thankfully, I chose a well rounded curriculum that sent all of the books I need for the year. We will go to the library for some extra reading/non-school or to expand on what we are learning, depending on the topic. This year our subjects are: Bible, Reading, Spelling & Handwriting, Grammar & Phonics, History, Science, Math, Health, and the option to add "other" - I'm thinking that "other" can come in later years!

What are you doing this spring? Are you staying busy?

The Book of James

I seem to turn back to the same book repeatedly in the Bible. I have, in front of me, roughly 1100 pages of wisdom from God, and there is one book that sticks out to me time and time again. Maybe it's just that it's the easiest book in the Bible for me to find. Okay, wait. It's the easiest book in my personal Bible, for me to find. Why? Because some darling, precious offspring of mine decided to take my pink highlighter, and highlight....the first two pages of James. Unfortunately, to adult eyes, his attempt at highlighting looks way too much like scribbling. Yet, God has even used pink highlighter in my Bible to help me gain a better perspective on things.

I learned that, while what is written in the Bible is wisdom for leading a life honoring to God, the actual book, sitting in front of me, is just printed pages. If I worship these printed pages more than I worship God, I have chosen an idol for myself. I also learned that my son's know my Bible is special, and they want to know why. They want to be part of the times that I read it, they want to read it, they are familiar with the pages of my Bible. They like my Bible more than they like their own. Maybe, if I avoid harsh words about a highlighter incident now, then when they can read, they will still love this ol' thing, and will read it. Maybe their adoration for my Bible will ultimately lead them to the cross and an adoration for Christ that will propel them forward in all the things they will face in this life.

I don't want them to be afraid of any Bible, let alone mine. I don't want my kids to think printed pages are more important than them. I don't want them to think they can't share these truths with me. So, as I sit down to read James, I am thanking God for the scribbles. My Bible was not something my children considered off limits, and I am thankful for that. I hope to impart a better sense of how to take care of the things we are stewards over, don't get me wrong, I'm not all for tearing up literature, especially the Bible. But, I'd rather have a few more lessons about taking good care of our blessings, than trying to repair the damage of over reacting to an incident that really shouldn't be that big of a deal.

"Wherefore, my beloved breathren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." James 1:19, 20 (KJV)

Faith and Works

Faith and Works

I read this a few days ago: http://donmilleris.com/2011/04/05/unlike-todays-church-leaders-none-of-the-early-disciples-were-professional-educators/

Then today, I read this in James 2 (NIV, 2011):

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.

16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?

17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is dead?
21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

First off, my mindset, and point is action, far more than leadership (which is what the other blog was about). I believe that we all have a calling to leadership - but that does not look the same in each life. We are not all called to be Pastors, but we all have a circle of influence, people looking up to us, and we get the opportunity to lead them. As for action, watch out, I sometimes get up on a soapbox about this stuff.

Action is being the hands and feet. Action is defined this way: something done or performed; act; deed. There is one calling on all of our lives that I am certain of. This call is action. I don't believe God commissions any of His followers to be lazy. Laziness is against scripture, and it is against the very nature of God Himself. He was not lazy in His pursuit of us, or in His pursuit of His own glory. We should not be lazy in our pursuit of Him, or His glory. By lazy, rest assured, I don't just mean sleeping through our quiet times. Don't get me wrong, quiet times, times of prayer, and reading scripture, are habits we should strive for, even Jesus spent time in prayer and connecting with God, away from the crowds.

Lazy, as I am referring to it here, is just that. It is just a 6 AM quiet time, two or three days a week, with church on Sunday. Great message, Preacher, have a good week! Then it fades from our mind, and more importantly our action. We go about our daily lives, not displaying or doing the Word. We don't talk about it unless someone is in our Christian circle.

How many of you know someone that is hurting? What can you do today? Can you take them dinner? Call them? Send a card? Go to them and pray with them? Can you offer to run some errands for someone that needs a little help? You don't have to look far to see the call to action, there are hurting people all around us. There are people in our lives that are hurting, and we don't even know it. Pray for God to open your eyes, pray for courage, and step out in faith. Your faith should be compelling you to action, and that little voice that is saying it's not worth it, you can't do it, they don't need it, you are too busy, that, my friend, is the enemy. He is tempting you to be lazy, he is tempting you to ignore the very calling that is upon your life. He is hoping that you will quite simply, do nothing.

I'd love to hear your comments and know what actions you take. Which actions are easier for you? Which ones are harder? Is it easy for you to hide behind a quiet time and forget to reach out in action?

Always Learning

I try to take an always learning approach to blogging and writing. I want to learn how to write better stories. I want to learn how to reach out to people more. I want to captivate my audience. My audience. Who is my audience? I’m still struggling with defining who, exactly, I want to write to.

Here are the things I currently do to keep learning:

I subscribe to the Merriam Webster online dictionary word of the day!

My word on 4/2 was:

meshuggener:

noun

a foolish or crazy person

I don’t think I had ever heard that word before.

How about this one:

farouche

adjective

1. unruly or disorderly : wild

2. marked by shyness and lack of social grace

Wouldn’t it be easier to just say children? No, no, no! Farouche (pronounced fuh-roosh) is far more fun to say!

I enjoy learning new words, and refreshing my memory on old words.

I also read. Mostly I’ve been reading other blogs. I like to read books too. Usually I pick fiction for my book time, but lately I’ve even found my nose in a few books about writing. Books about writing clearer, getting published, and what to expect along the journey toward being a real writer.

Why do I keep getting stuck on that? A real writer. As a friend and I recently confirmed for each other, we are real writers. We spend hours perfecting this hobby of ours. We won’t use the term author until we are published, but published or not, we pour our hearts into this craft. For now, this is a time consuming hobby. For the future? I have no idea.

What is your hobby? What do you do to improve your skill?

Me, a Morning Person?

Could it be? I certainly never thought so, yet I’m writing this post at 3:30 in the morning, I’ve been awake for two hours, I’m not regretting it…yet. My house is quiet, my fingers are tapping away at the keyboard, and I’m getting the “me” time that every Mom I know craves.

My trick? Well, for starters, I went to bed at 9pm last night. I’ve been trying to get up at 5am – which is very early for me. In my efforts, I’ve been pushing my midnight bedtime back a little every night. 9pm is the magic hour. I fell asleep within ten minutes, slept like a rock until 1:30am, then I sprang up out of bed, ready to go! I switched some laundry, brewed some coffee, got a cup of water, and here I sit.

I did, unfortunately, wake up the snoozer – which was not my attention. My advice, from personal experience: Skip the laundry at this hour. Just get your coffee, use the bathroom, wash your face, and retreat to your personal space. I spent half an hour of my “me” time apologizing for my blunder. Not that I had to. I just felt really, really badly.

So badly, in fact, that while I desperately want to put the clothes that just finished washing into the dryer, I won’t. Not until daylight gleams through the windows and the people in this house expect to wake up.

Are you a morning person or a night owl? What does your “me” time look like?

Making Life Easier….One Post at a Time

I have discovered my newest blogging tool:

http://explore.live.com/windows-live-writer?os=other

Windows Live Writer.

No, I am not getting paid to say this. I mean it. Honestly. In fact, it was even my idea to write this post.

I downloaded the program a week ago, per another blogger’s suggestion: http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-do-you-do-it-all.html

After download, it sat. Just sat. That’s it. I didn’t open it. I did not look around. Well, today I’m using it for the first time, and I am thankful to have stumbled upon it!

I don’t hardly know anything about it yet. What I do know: When inspiration strikes, I can use it to write as many posts as I’d like, and I can schedule when they post. Date and time. How cool is that? So, if I whip up 7 posts for the week, they can post one day at a time, at the same time every day. This lends to some consistency that I’m not the best at.

I love to write, and I often have a folder full of blog posts, but they don’t get posted with any form of regularity because I’m the brainless wonder of the century. So, this is my tool for regulating when my posts publish. How cool is that?

What do you use to make blogging a more streamlined process?

Temptation: The Hidden Opportunity

I have to be honest and say this post was inspired by our small group study. It is relevant, and I’ve been stuck thinking about it.

Too often, I think we look at temptation as the sin itself. I wonder why we do this. Maybe it happens because we feel weak and powerless to stop it? We can’t control when it happens to us? It is catered to us so perfectly, we don’t feel strong enough to resist?

Yet, temptation is not the same thing as sin.

By Definition:

Temptation:

–noun

1. the act of tempting; enticement or allurement.

2. something that tempts, entices, or allures.

3. the fact or state of being tempted, especially to evil.

Tempt:

–verb (used with object)

1. to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral.

2. to attract, appeal strongly to, or invite: The offer tempts me.

3. to render strongly disposed to do something: The book tempted me to read more on the subject.

4. to put (someone) to the test in a venturesome way; provoke: to tempt one's fate.

5. Obsolete. to try or test.

Sin:

 

–noun

1. transgression of divine law: the sin of Adam.

2. any act regarded as such a transgression, especially a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle.

 

So, by my understanding, temptation is the desire to do something, the appeal to do something, and we should avoid it when the desire does not line up with the Word of God.

Sin is the action of wrong-doing.

Therefore, temptation is an opportunity that should have two arrows on either side of it. Showing the opposite directions of the given opportunity.

Take the opportunity! But do so with caution, the opportunity you want to be taking is to deny Satan, walk away from temptation, and therefore to begin to look more like Christ.

This is, by no means, a challenge to readily expose ourselves to temptation. We can’t hide from it, though. So, why not be ready? Why not etch the truth on our hearts, follow Jesus’ perfect example, and face the opportunity without fear? Temptation is not a curse. It is an opportunity to grow. It is an opportunity to choose to obey our Heavenly Father, the God who loves us, created us, and watches over us.

What is your approach to temptation? Do you recognize temptation when it appears, or does the recognition come after it has passed?

facebook Friends: part 2

Part 1: http://perceptionsby1.blogspot.com/2011/04/facebook-friends.html

So, after two comments on my FB page about this post, I am adding more thoughts.

Oddly enough, the two comments came from two ladies that were my childhood heroes, and I had lost contact with them over the years.

I didn't have either of their phone numbers, or addresses. (Not saying I couldn't have gotten them...)

With the addition of them to my FB friends list, we have shared many comments back and forth. So, in light of this, I am forced (pleasantly) to reevaluate some of my post. There are people in my life, that I get to share tidbits of life with, thanks to FB. I even have a friend that I met on FB, have never met in person, and love dearly.

FB is not all bad.

Another friend called me last night, reading my post inspired her to call, and we had a great visit. I even called her back later. I talked to my sister twice on the phone yesterday. It felt so good to hear these voices, to share a verbal conversation. I truly enjoyed touching base in such a way.

My FB page is....for the time being....here to stay! I do get to visit with and comment on many people's lives and daily activities, that I would have no connection with whatsoever if it weren't for FB. I also let too much time pass by between phone calls sometimes. So, while I think balance can be a huge distraction, maybe this is an area that I will try to find a little balance in.

I love hearing your opinion, thank you for commenting on what I write!

facebook Friends

I've been thinking lately, and I'm noticing this sad trend on my beloved FB wall. See, I know that some of my friends are facing hardships...and some of the people I don't really know all that well, but I kind of recognize are too. I also notice that people that I perceive to be the "best friend" of these various friends are commenting with questions and question marks that cause me to assume they don't know what's going on either.




Why don't we just pick up the phone anymore? Why don't we call?



I know with two kids running around the house, meals to be made, school to be completed, text conversations make my life simpler. I also know that people around me are hurting and maybe hearing a compassionate voice would do more good than a FB heart.



Don't get me wrong, I send FB hearts. I don't pick up the phone. It's hard to call. It's hard to hear the broken heartedness of someone going through a trial. A heart is so much easier to type than listening when you have absolutely nothing to say.



Yet, I know I am missing out. I have been blessed with a few special girlfriends in my life, some of them I never speak to anymore, some I speak to more often, some I don't even know where to find or how to get in touch with. With those relationships I have shared hours of phone conversations, the sharing of hearts and heartbreaks. I have visited well into the wee hours of the morning, dreaming about life, mourning the losses, finding joy in success and wondering what God intends to use it all for. Now I'm missing out. I don't call. I text. I check FB. It's easier.



Now, don't let me steal the validity of this form of communication, either. I have some very dear girlfriends that I rarely "speak" to, but I visit with all the time. One in particular I text nearly all day long, and she has been a huge inspiration lately!



I'm just pondering the connectedness that FB leads us to believe we have, how false that is at times, and how much of an impact a phone call, or even better, a visit, has on someone. I know that I love when my phone rings. I know I love to hear a knock on my door. Yet, as I get more immersed in social networking and texting conversations, the more awkward I feel on the phone.



How do you feel about this? Does talking on the phone feel awkward to you because of internet communication and/or texting?

Coloring Books...Better Than Movies?

Who knew? It seems in my house a coloring book provides as many hours of entertainment as a movie...more actually, because I don't limit coloring time! Looks like I need to go get some new sketch pads, because they both love blank paper, and I appear to have two little artists emerging. As I watch them develop their coordination, I can't help but wonder what their talents and skills will be.




As I wonder about their talents and skills, I wonder if I am equipped to lead them to live into their talents and skills. So I asked myself this:



Have I identified my talents and skills?



Writing, baking, mothering, photography, and I have a passion for farming.



Then this:



What am I doing to build my skills and talents?



Can we let writing be self-explanatory - seeing how I'm writing this blog and all?

Baking: I usually bake something once a week, sometimes twice.

Mothering: DAILY SKILL BUILDING!! LOL

Photography: I have been using my camera mostly regularly, and enjoying it.

Farming: The first step, in my opinion, is getting debt free. We are working on a budget to do

just that.



Then this:



Am I seeking God in the development of my own skills?



Not like I should. God is really asking me to pray and read His word to help develop my talents and passions right now. I have another post about all of the things I want to do: http://perceptionsby1.blogspot.com/2011/03/so-many-dreams.html
and I believe God wants me to be seeking Him to discover which talents and skills should be a priority, and which other things are merely interests.



and finally:



Am I praying and seeking God for His strength and guidance in guiding my boys?



Again, not like I should, but I am growing. I will continue to pray for them, and as they continue to grow I will encourage them to seek Him. I want to become more intentional about my prayers for them, praying for specific guidance, and praying for specific wisdom when it comes to raising them.



How about you? What are you answers to these very same questions?