I Then Shall Live

This beautiful song was written by Gloria Gaither, to the melody of Be Still My Soul.  The words, a prayer really, are very moving.  I can rarely get through the song without shedding tears.  

I Then Shall Live

I then shall live as one who's been forgiven.
I'll walk with joy to know my debts are paid.
I know my name is clear before my Father; 
I am His child and I am not afraid.
So, greatly pardoned, I'll forgive my brother;
The law of love I gladly will obey.

I then shall live as one who's learned compassion.
I've been so loved, that I'll risk loving too.
I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges;
I'll dare to see another's point of view.
And when relationships demand commitment,
Then I'll be there to care and follow through.

Your Kingdom come around and through and in me;
Your power and glory, let them shine through me.
Your Hallowed Name, O may I bear with honor,
And may Your living Kingdom come in me.
The Bread of Life, O may I share with honor,
And may You feed a hungry world through me.

Amen, Amen, Amen.

Get Your Football Pants On

My husband has a certain sermon that he is well known for.  

It has appeared and reappeared numerous times over the past 12 years,
always inspiring no matter if you have heard it before.
In our BC years, (Before Children) we were great NFL fans.  

He has been on the coaching staff of various football teams 

during our married life, 

and football has been a favorite sport since high school.  

Thus, the illustration of football pants came easily and naturally.

The gist of this favorite sermon seems appropriate for Superbowl Sunday, although I think it is much more fun to have a young man 

attempt the illustration in person, as Brian has done in the past.  

You will just have to use your imagination.

 

In Colossians chapter three Paul encourages believers to “put on” 

the godly virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience… bearing with one another, and forgiving one another as the Lord has forgiven us.  But then, in verse 14 he ties the clincher… 

“And above all these put on love, 

which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

Love is like football pants.

Imagine trying to play an effective game of football 

while trying to hold all the protective pads in place.  

You might be able to hold them in place 

but I will guarantee you won’t be an effective football player!!! 

  

It is the same when we “try” to be patient, kind, compassionate, forgiving, humble, etc. without love.  

We spend all our time policing ourselves 

trying not to “drop” one of the virtues… 

however, if we will truly love… 

all those other virtues will be held in place, 

where they belong.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."

- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

Homeschooling Flexibility

One of the things I so love about homeschooling is the flexibility. 

Second semester, I like to add a new courses on top of the basics,

something interesting to perk us all up from the winter doldrums.  

This year, I chose World War 2 history and Piano.

  Both are subjects I have been quite remiss in in the past. 

We are really enjoying both, 

although I do not recommend starting 4 children

in the same piano lesson at the same time, 

because that means you have to listen to it 

(the 30 minute lesson) 4 times!!! 

AAACKK.

 

Bethany has taken up piano too, 

in a way only an exuberant 4 year old can. 

She likes to sing while she plays. 

The other day she was playing away, when she burst forth in song;

"I LOVE THE SMELL OF AIR...."  (to the tune of Amazing Grace.)

The hilarity of having preschoolers in the house

is that they often want to do everything the bigger children are doing.

  In Gabe's case, he trots after the others,

desiring to be included arms outstretched toward them

saying, "ME, ME!" 

He also colors and tries determinedly to write his alphabet in big kid fashion.

Homeschooling is a great blessing to me. 

I relish time with our children. 

Having the little ones follow the older children around all day 

has wonderful benefits as well,

such as the two year old who knows his alphabet

and the 4 year old that is almost reading..."trickle down" home education.

Not to mention, the older ones can help throw in a load of laundry

now and then when I just cannot get to it, 

or hold the baby while they read their history, or study memory verses.  

We have always home schooled, so I really know nothing else.

It has become a lifestyle. 

I am so thankful for the ability to change things around to fit the adjustments of having a new little one in the house, 

or to accommodate the seasons, 

or combine appointments in town with a field trip.

The flexibility of homeschooling works great with a large family

and a full ministry schedule.

I must be honest and tell you that I still have days of feeling inadequate, discouraged, or irritable,

(doesn't everyone?)

but by and large, each day is a joy and delight.

Speaking of delights,

Here's the latest of miss Olivia:

Freedom From Legalism

My own journey from legalism to a life of grace 

has been a long and arduous one.

  Naturally a controlling, critical type of woman,

I easily found my comfort in a legalistic lifestyle, 

working out my own righteousness in extra-biblical rules

(enslavements)

that allowed me to think too highly of myself

and look down my nose at those poor souls who were not willing

to live a more holy life, as I saw it. 

What this looked like was taking biblical principles 

and adding to them until I had a hard and fast rule to live by,

such as “dresses only.” 

The Bible clearly teaches that women should look like women and not men,

be feminine, and have a wholesome appearance,

being appropriately dressed. 

I noticed, when I was in an apple tree pruning,

that my denim jumper was not all that appropriate. 

This was also true tossing hay bales, riding the 4 wheeler or my horse,

or climbing bleachers in a gymnasium.

In Fact, in these cases, wearing a dress

made me more immodest than wearing pants. 

This presented me with quite a problem in my keeping

the “rules of righteousness” as I saw them.  

Then, I visited a friend from college whom I had not seen in 15 years. 

Imagine my shock when I discovered her children

to be the most respectful, obedient, kind children I had ever been around,

and it completely upset my legalistic world to find that

they were public schooled!!! 
The Lord used this experience much like  a 2x4 on the side of my head.  Something was wrong with my system of holiness. 

I was convicted about my sinful pride in assuming 

that I could follow a list of do’s and don’ts

and it would make me more Christ-like.  

This was all dashed to ruins as I considered my dear, sweet friend from college, a beautiful feminine woman, with a true gentle and quiet spirit who also wore….PANTS! 

Truly, the man looks at the outward appearance,

but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Sam 16:7)

The truth of the matter is, God loves us so much that

WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS

Christ died for us. 

He couldn’t possibly love us more than he does at the cross,

and it doesn’t matter what we do, he will never love us more.  

The Bible tells us that God hates pride,

yet nowhere does it say that he hates women who wear pants. 

Jesus lived with grace to those he ministered to,

and he despised the Pharisees with their extra Biblical rules of holiness,

calling them white washed sepulchers. 

How I ever managed to overlook the mote in my eye,

I don’t know, but I am so grateful for that 2x4, 

for God’s cleansing power to forgive the pride in my life,

and for ridding me yet more and more each year of my critical spirit. 

It is humbling to realize that we are all a mess, 

with nothing of value to offer a holy God. 

It is pointless to try to dress up our pride with a pretty bow 

and offer it to God as a gift.  That is how I see living in legalism.

Now, we teach our daughters to be modest,

self controlled and wholesome in their appearance,

but more importantly,

that what God really values in a woman is the content of her heart;

kindness, meekness, gentleness and trust in Him.

  Now, to be sure, homeschooling is not, in and of itself, 

the path to godly children. 

Instead, living humble and teachable before your children, 

letting God be your Savior instead of a myriad of idols,

(such as self significance or family reputation),

gives far more promise for the next generation

than a list of do‘s and don‘ts. 

You can do that whether you homeschool, private school, or public school.

My husband adds:

” The advantage to homeschooling is your children

can see you LIVE with God all the time. 

That can be really good or really BAD… 

depending on your insistence on self-righteous law keeping

or living life in the presence of God and your children watching you

love Him and being loved in return… without all the list keeping.”

 Having said that, I mostly wear dresses and we homeschool.
 We do try to shelter our children until they reach a higher maturity level,

so they can stand in godly convictions in the world.
 We do endeavor to follow Phil 4 as a guideline

for everything that comes in our home.

However, we are free from having to follow a list of rules

to be pleasing to the Lord,

and are lavished by his grace as we seek to love Him

and live a cross centered, repentance oriented life.

  The bad attitudes of criticism and superiority fade in the distance

as we dropped the cloak of legalism

in exchange for the freedom  to be loved by God no matter what.