feedest: read this: Weekend Kindness Contributors

I know, the holidays are over. Because of my schedule and the changes that are going on in my family’s life over the past month since I was told that I had to find new employment, I’ve been a pretty delinquent blogger. That couldn’t stop me, however, from noticing this great post by Christa Taylor at Empowered Traditionalist, and from wanting to take part.

I lost my job. No, seriously. I was able to see God work in a way that I had wanted to for the past year since I started reading Experiencing God. God directed the whole thing to take me to a new place, to work on new skills, and to see my family grow in a relationship with Him. I can’t thank Him enough.

Tough question. I don’t know that I’ve ever ranked them—there are different ones that are special for different reasons, but I don’t know that I have a “best Christmas.”

I know what one I remember the most—the time when my Grandparents gave me a backpack and I thought it was clothing and reacted with the typical “Ugh! Clothes!” As it was, I really wanted a backpack, and when I found out what it was it was still hard to overcome my initial reaction to have my Grandparents believe me.

Don’t know, though this Christmas I was just giving my brother money to help out his surprise trip with his wife to NYC, and I hid the money, folded up, in a box full of Styrofoam peanuts and he thought there was nothing in there. Between him not knowing what it was, my kids having fun with the peanuts, and his wife laughing, they said it was the greatest gag-gift ever.

This year we went through the Christmas story in devotions, the kids were involved in the church’s Christmas play, and we talked about it at different times during the whole season. We knew it was getting through when our oldest (6) was evangelizing his cousins at the family get together!

Without cheating? Because I believe we celebrate all sorts of birthdays, and Jesus’ birth was special—just as was his whole life.

9. Do you think the birth of Jesus deserves such a nearly worldwide celebration?

One thing that I absolutely love about this method is the idea of teaching history chronologically. This is what sent me on the quest to discover more about this method of homeschooloing. It just makes so much sense that I wonder why so many have not realized this benefit. I also LOVE the fact that Biblical history, church history, art history, music history, science history, geography, reading, and even writing, grammar, and spelling can all be incorporated. This method also utilizes real books and not just the textbook format for learning.

The Classical method uses cycles. This means that every four years you repeat the cycles. For example the first year would be studying ancient history and creation. After you have gone through all of the cycles you would once again be studying ancient history and creation only at a higher and more in depth level than before. This is one aspect of the method that makes it easy to combine grade levels. I am able to combine children together while we study and simply adjust reading assignments, activities, the amount of information and understand required to pass the appropriate grade level.

The curriculum that we use the most is Veritas Press. It is not necessarily designed to be combined but it is easy to do. There are other programs that I also enjoy. One of these is Tapestry of Grace. It is designed to be used with your early elementary all the way through high school. Another curriculum that I have recently looked at and am planning on incorporating this year also uses the Veritas Press curriculum. It is called Classical Conversations. Another way to combine your studies is to add in your catechism studies and memorization during your family devotional time.

By combining subjects the children recieve a fuller understanding and comprehension of things. This occurs because children are taught in context and there is an overlap rather than continual division. For example, it is just easier to understand what Joseph endured in Egypt by studying at the same time about the pharoahs and Egyptian culture; and what better time is there to learn the geography of the area and the art of that time period? By combining grade levels the children can learn from each other and glean things above their grade level causing them to excel. Another benefit is that the older can read to the younger; participating in and learning how to mentor. It also frees up time in our day to accomplish other things.

A little trick I learned in high school is to turn to the dictionary when I don’t know exactly where to begin writing.

“Webster’s defines … as” was often used to start English Literature papers, and is going to be used to start this post as well.

Webster’s defines respect (verb tense) as to hold in esteem or honor; to show regard or consideration for; to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with; to relate or have reference to.

If one more definition could be added, it might read something like “respect is the deepest need a man has; without it, he will never feel loved.”

You see, a man values respect even more than love. This is hard for women to understand, but according to Emerson Eggerichs in his book Love & Respect, numerous men in his study agree with the statement “I would rather live with a wife who respects me but did not love me than live with a wife who loved me but did not respect me.”

Over the past few years, we have come to understand unconditional love, but unconditional respect seems an oxymoron. In our society, we still believe that respect must be earned.

I can’t say that I fully understand it and know how to carry it out myself, but I know that the Bible tells men to love their wives and women to respect their husbands, and I know that God would not tell us to do something that is unnecessary or impossible.

Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:33 (NIV)

Take a few minutes to write down the definition of respect and keep it where you can look at it and understand it. Write it in your own words and come up with ways to show respect to your husband.

As I gain understanding of this, I want to share it with you. As you gain understanding of respecting your husband unconditionally, please leave a comment and share it with me.

Yours for the celebration of marriage,

Claudia

Here are more great books to strengthen your marriage.

Part of the problem today with marriage is that it is being devalued by a umber of things, not the least of which is the idea that a couple can get together without being married and have all the “benefits” of marriage.

While purity is something that should be pursued by both people in a relationship, traditionally the woman has held control over a relationship, insisting on a commitment before providing the companionship.

Children

Let’s face it, women have children, and the best environment for children is with a committed father and mother in the family. Biology states that women have children, and when you’re in a non-committed relationship, you’re possibly denying your child their father.

Hard to Get

That is why it’s not just a tactic, it’s important for women to play hard to get. A guy shouldn’t get your emotional or physical love until he’s given you a commitment:

Too often I’ve seen women who long for marriage give companionship—kindness—to a man who they hope will propose only to realize that they are doing effect exactly the opposite. They are taking away his incentive to commit.

Saving For Tomorrow

It’s hard to wait—we’re programmed and told over and over that we can have what we want when we want it. The problem is that, whether it’s a car or a husband/wife, seldom is the thing that is right in front of you he best that you can do. When it comes to debt, yes you can “have it now”, but you’ll pay double. Same goes for a marriage or relationship—sure you can have a companion right now, but you may pay much more emotionally and physically if the relationship dissolves because you took Mr. Right Now over Mr. Right.

Over the weekend I finally got a chance to watch The Dark Knight, and true to many of the things that I’ve heard of it: It was dark, and it was a powerful movie.

While there were many interesting lessons/topics to discuss coming out of the movie, the interesting thing at the top of my head this morning was that I wondered if Rush Limbaugh could actually be the Dark Knight for the country.

He Won’t Run For Office

We all know that Rush makes more than any public servant. It also stands to reason that he’s wise enough to know that he has probably saved and invested enough money at this point that the whole money question is moot.

What we also know, though, is that he is the most listened to talk radio voice, and the most vilified. If there was ever a big target, it would be him. He has millions of hours in the vaults at the future “Limbaugh wing of Museum of Broadcast Excellence” and you could be sure that they would find and twist anything they could. Indeed, though Limbaugh could make a passionate argument for conservatism, he’s also hampered by the amount of exposure he has to the public spotlight, as well some of his personal struggles with morality.

He Still Fights the Bad Guys

Though a Rush Limbaugh candidacy would be an uphill battle all the way, his current location, “behind the golden EIB microphone” allows him to stand up for principles every day, and he is able to educate people in a way that he wouldn’t be able to as President.

Just like Batman was able to use fear and the cloak of the night to scare villains to work in the daylight and inspire the White Knight, Limbaugh is able to talk through the left’s talking points and shape the culture from his current perch.

Yes, the transparency has its costs—as did the physical and emotional wounds Bruce Wayne had to endure different wounds—but in order to take them and soldier on is the mark of the Knight.

He Takes the Fall

At the end of The Dark Knight, Batman acknowledges that he can never be the hero that Gotham needs. He can be their protector, he can look out for their best interest, but he cannot be the one that inspires them. His reputation is not pure enough.

Ultimately, our perfect example is Christ—and as believers we know that any other example will have tarnish. But apart from this, I believe that Limbaugh is a Black Knight simply because his position and his morality issues precludes him from being a White Knight. I will not list his sins, either you know them or you do not. But for the public nature of the man, and for the morals that he supports while not at the same time keeping them himself, he would not be able to fill the White Knight position.

Renae of Life Nurturing Education and I will be hosting a monthly Twitter Chat for Heart of the Matter. All homeschoolers are welcome to attend and we would love to have you join us! It will be the second Monday of every month from 8 until 10PM Central Standard Time. I wrote up a bit more introductory information about getting started on Twitter for those of you who are not on Twitter but would like to participate. If you are already on Twitter, just scroll to the bottom and read the section on “Joining in the Chat.”

I’ll spare you all the “you should be using a real browser” lecture for right now, and just let you know: I’ve tried to post a comment to my latest post in IE7, and I got stuck on the wp-comments.php page. Right now, I don’t know whether it’s a WordPress bug, an IE7 bug, or something in my theme since I’ve upgraded to WP 2.7. So, for all of you that want to leave a comment and can’t, rest assured that I’ll get to fix this when I can!

Oh, and by the way, commenting is working for me in Firefox 3.0.5, and it’s a free download.

Another holiday season has come, and one thing is certain—we’ve all had a lot to eat. I’m not sure where the tradition came from, but what I am certain is that this is not just the season for presents and good cheer, it’s also the season to make exotic dishes in the hopes that family will eat them.

It’s also the time of year where people that would not darken a church door find themselves in the pews singing familiar songs and hearing a message of child born in stable whose destiny was a cross.

This Christmas season, as I sat in my church in the row of seats I practically always sat in and heard the message one more time, I began to wonder not only about the people that come on holidays, but about us as a Christian people. The question that came to my mind was “Have You Had Enough?”

Have You Had Your Fill?

You see, a lot that I see around me says that many Christians have “had enough.” Not that they are frustrated or are quitting out of spite, but that they have simply had enough, or have had their fill, of spiritual things such that they can go without.

It’s what goes through my mind when I think of people that just attend on the holidays—that attending that one or two services during Christmas time is about as much as a person needs or can take, and that they don’t need any more of it until the next year passes.

Priorities

We live in a time period where many things vie for our attention—and it seems like there are more every day. We have places to go, things to do, and you multiply that number by the number of children you have and you can quickly find yourself way over booked.

In my mind, when a family chooses to do a sports activity or promotes a sports event over a church event, that says something about what that family thinks about how important the church event is. I’m not saying that you have to make service every time the doors are open—though it would be good.

What I’m saying is that if you willingly choose to engage in an activity that occurs at the same time as your regularly scheduled worship service and you don’t see any problem choosing the sport or game activity then I believe you’re making a statement about your inner man.

I believe that you’re making a statement that says “I don’t need to hear from God at this time as much as I or my child needs to be at soccer or football.”

Answer: “Yes, I’ve had enough—or more than I need—so I can go without this one meal.”

Involvement

Many people attend church, but that’s all they do. They view the church as a place that they should come to and get ministered unto. After all, that’s why I put my money in the plate, right? These people miss the point that the church is about ministry one to another, not ministry to them only.

This also has a secondary outcome—those that do feel burdened for the nursery, children’s ministry, etc. will work themselves to point of burnout to keep a ministry going while many able bodied people believe that they don’t have to get involved because someone else will.

They say that 80% of the work in the church is done by 20% of the people. Is this something that should be going on in the church of God?

Answer: “That was a fine meal, but I can’t help do the dishes or clean the table.”

Missing the Message

This last group is the group that’s doing all the work, making all of the services, but tuning out the message. This is the group that I struggle with making sure I’m not a member. This is the group that hears the Gospel message and realizes that it’s special, but no longer feels its power.

This is the group of people stuck in a rut. They are doing what they always did because they’ve always done it. They “go through the motions” and do the job, but no longer feel the thrill of knowing that their sins are forgiven, understand the agony of the pain of the One who died for us, and don’t know why they don’t feel anything anymore.

Answer: “I’m full,” they say, while they still have a bunch left on their plate.

God’s Command

God tells us that we can never have too much of Him. He promises that if we will open our mouth wide, He will fill it. He tells us to drink deep of Him, and that if we will pursue Him, we will find Him if we search for Him with all of our heart.

While I’m not equating your local church as the only place where you can find Him, I am saying that a heart that longs to have more of Him will be where His people are, longing to hear what He has to say.

It was said, during the revivals, that the bars had to close, and business on Sunday ground to a halt. When the Lord moved in people’s lives, people wanted to hear all they could, and lives were changed.

What our Answer should be: “No Lord, I haven’t had enough. Give me more!”