"America's greatest deficit is not in reading, math, or science - although our national scores in these areas are woeful. Our greatest deficit is in our ability to create and maintain stable families." - Michael P. Farris (excerpt from the article 10 Lessons I've Learned from Thirty Years of Homeschooling as published in the Home School Court Reporter.)
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
2011 Focus
RELATIONSHIPS - GLORIFY - DESIGN
Relationships - Love the Lord and Love his People!
Glorify - Bring glory to God in all we say and do!
Design - Discover who we are in God's eyes and what His will is for us!
This is our mission statement as a family and in our home school. Our priorities!
Relationships - Love the Lord and Love his People!
Glorify - Bring glory to God in all we say and do!
Design - Discover who we are in God's eyes and what His will is for us!
This is our mission statement as a family and in our home school. Our priorities!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Blizzard Aiden
A picture of Blizzard Aiden from inside our home.
We are reading The Children's Blizzard right now.
How cool to go through an actual blizzard while reading a book about one from 1888!
Having an actual blizzard hit our area while we are reading this book, made it possible to more visually imagine what it was like for the people described in the book. The real life struggles they endured are amazing. How lucky we are today with how far we have come technically speaking, as well as, in terms of comfort and convenience!
The Children's Blizzard discusses the weather in detail, almost like a meteorology class. We've been tracking the weather daily just like they do in the book. We were able to log the weather indications both prior to the storm and post storm, and compare them to what was logged in the book. 'Cold Wave Warning' comes to mind. (You'd have to read the book to understand! Go ahead, it's an excellent read.)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Summer Vacation - Road Trip
We're back from our road trip vacation where we logged over 3000 road miles with three kids ages 16,12,2 and survived! We went to Minnesota first for a family wedding, then on to De Smet, SD to the Laura Ingalls Homestead (my favorite), to Rapid City, SD (Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Bear Country, Custer State Park, Ironwood & Needles Highways), to Cody, WY, and Yellowstone National Park.
We weathered tornado warnings, hunkering down with other guest in the hotel's main floor where we were staying until the storm passed.
We surveyed the damage as we drove through the path of the storm the next day. There were trees and branches down through the entire state of Minnesota and very wet conditions.
We experienced temperatures reaching 102 degrees in some cities on our trip. Dry heat they tell us is better than the humid heat we are use to, but hot is still hot in my book.
I am afraid of heights. Let me rephrase that, I am desperately afraid of heights. Driving through the mountains, with steep grades and drastic drop offs, was a life threatening experience for me. I was in tears at times driving through the Buckhorn mountains to Cody, WY. I should have known better when the highway signs approaching the route we were going to take offered up another route that was safer with less grade. Seriously, there were three billboard sized signs suggesting another route. I begged my husband to heed the signs. He finally did - on the return trip! I had to endure the unsafe route on the trip to Yellowstone but we took the alternate on the way home. I have no pictures of the trip west through the Buckhorns because I was glued to the middle of the car and both of my hands were hanging on for dear life. Now, I know why they put those little handles above the window in the Jeep doors. I was petrified!
Our second night in our cabin (in the wooded mountains right outside of the East entrance to Yellowstone and an hour away from the next town),a ten minute rain spell produced one lightening bolt that hit the transformer that powered our cabin and the lodge that supported us. Did I mention this happened right at dinner time. Remember, the next town is 60 minutes away, the territory is mountainous and curvy, and the route not one I want to drive too often, much less in the dark. I was slightly worried I might not get an evening meal. However, we had a perfect dinner in the dark with the other guest. They were able to grill anything we wanted because that required gas, not electricity. Worked out ok.
During the power outage, everyone sat outside where it was lighter, so we all either saw or heard the car accident that happened at the end of the lodge driveway. Everyone was ok although they did take the pregnant lady to the ER to make sure. It was quite the night of excitement for the girls.
At one of our stop over cities on the drive home, we had interesting pool guests. A couple, ex-hippies, I'm guessing, spent the entire day in a routine that looked like this. Drink a can of beer while sitting at the table, go outside and smoke a cigarette, dive in pool and swim three laps, hug each other a few times, slide the cooler to the hot tub and enjoy beer and hot tub, slide cooler back to table, enjoy another beer, go outside for a cigarette, etc. This went on like clockwork all day. Oh, there was the minor interruptions when the guy had to take the cooler back to the hotel room to restock the supply, otherwise the routine was fairly consistent. To me, it just looked like a death sentence waiting to happen. I could not have survived it myself.
Thank God for my husband's laptop and a million DVDs checked out from the local library! Keeping the two year old entertained was critical in preventing her from kicking her sisters in the face every five minutes. In a car seat, the only thing she could really move was her arms or legs. So, kicking and pulling hair helped her pass the time. You can just imagine how well teenage girls handle shoes to the face and their hair being messed up. Now, that I think about it, it was funny. At the time though, not so funny.
Anyway, all kidding aside, we had an amazing trip. We were blessed to see God's beautiful country, the diversity in landscape, the clouds form into storms, and meet people from all over the United States and Canada. It was truly a memorable experience. I'm a history buff and there's so much history in the towns we traveled through to see and experience firsthand. However, as a Christian we had to filter out all the references to evolutionary theory and the suggestion that it took millions of years to form some of the things we saw. How about one major flood caused by God's anger at the world?
It's really beneficial to get the kids out into God's world and out from behind a textbook for a while. We were able to see things we had learned about in books and they came alive for us in a whole new way.
Hope you all are having an educational, relaxing, interesting, exciting summer vacation yourself.
We weathered tornado warnings, hunkering down with other guest in the hotel's main floor where we were staying until the storm passed.
We surveyed the damage as we drove through the path of the storm the next day. There were trees and branches down through the entire state of Minnesota and very wet conditions.
We experienced temperatures reaching 102 degrees in some cities on our trip. Dry heat they tell us is better than the humid heat we are use to, but hot is still hot in my book.
I am afraid of heights. Let me rephrase that, I am desperately afraid of heights. Driving through the mountains, with steep grades and drastic drop offs, was a life threatening experience for me. I was in tears at times driving through the Buckhorn mountains to Cody, WY. I should have known better when the highway signs approaching the route we were going to take offered up another route that was safer with less grade. Seriously, there were three billboard sized signs suggesting another route. I begged my husband to heed the signs. He finally did - on the return trip! I had to endure the unsafe route on the trip to Yellowstone but we took the alternate on the way home. I have no pictures of the trip west through the Buckhorns because I was glued to the middle of the car and both of my hands were hanging on for dear life. Now, I know why they put those little handles above the window in the Jeep doors. I was petrified!
Our second night in our cabin (in the wooded mountains right outside of the East entrance to Yellowstone and an hour away from the next town),a ten minute rain spell produced one lightening bolt that hit the transformer that powered our cabin and the lodge that supported us. Did I mention this happened right at dinner time. Remember, the next town is 60 minutes away, the territory is mountainous and curvy, and the route not one I want to drive too often, much less in the dark. I was slightly worried I might not get an evening meal. However, we had a perfect dinner in the dark with the other guest. They were able to grill anything we wanted because that required gas, not electricity. Worked out ok.
During the power outage, everyone sat outside where it was lighter, so we all either saw or heard the car accident that happened at the end of the lodge driveway. Everyone was ok although they did take the pregnant lady to the ER to make sure. It was quite the night of excitement for the girls.
At one of our stop over cities on the drive home, we had interesting pool guests. A couple, ex-hippies, I'm guessing, spent the entire day in a routine that looked like this. Drink a can of beer while sitting at the table, go outside and smoke a cigarette, dive in pool and swim three laps, hug each other a few times, slide the cooler to the hot tub and enjoy beer and hot tub, slide cooler back to table, enjoy another beer, go outside for a cigarette, etc. This went on like clockwork all day. Oh, there was the minor interruptions when the guy had to take the cooler back to the hotel room to restock the supply, otherwise the routine was fairly consistent. To me, it just looked like a death sentence waiting to happen. I could not have survived it myself.
Thank God for my husband's laptop and a million DVDs checked out from the local library! Keeping the two year old entertained was critical in preventing her from kicking her sisters in the face every five minutes. In a car seat, the only thing she could really move was her arms or legs. So, kicking and pulling hair helped her pass the time. You can just imagine how well teenage girls handle shoes to the face and their hair being messed up. Now, that I think about it, it was funny. At the time though, not so funny.
Anyway, all kidding aside, we had an amazing trip. We were blessed to see God's beautiful country, the diversity in landscape, the clouds form into storms, and meet people from all over the United States and Canada. It was truly a memorable experience. I'm a history buff and there's so much history in the towns we traveled through to see and experience firsthand. However, as a Christian we had to filter out all the references to evolutionary theory and the suggestion that it took millions of years to form some of the things we saw. How about one major flood caused by God's anger at the world?
It's really beneficial to get the kids out into God's world and out from behind a textbook for a while. We were able to see things we had learned about in books and they came alive for us in a whole new way.
Hope you all are having an educational, relaxing, interesting, exciting summer vacation yourself.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Why Homsechool? - An article explains for me.
Below is an encouraging article published in the Homeschooling Helper email I subscribe to that describes perfectly the reason we decided to homeschool. We can give you a list of reasons that we have discovered through our process to get here but the only one that truly matters is the fact that God has called us to it. This article explains it much better than I could ever do. Only he knows the plans he has for us.
The Compelling Purpose of Homeschooling
By Carole Adams
From the Homeschooling Helper
Parents choose to bring their children home for many reasons, which increase as secularism's rising tide assaults the family, children, and the nature of American education. When a neighbor asks why you homeschool, it is often difficult to state one major reason your family decided to create a handmade school when the neighborhood schools are "free" and convenient. Sometimes the quizzical looks remain in your mind, particularly on days when educating your children seems harder than other days.
The Real Reason Your root motivation to homeschool is the only sustaining reason to continue; you are educating by God's providence-by His calling, His preparation, and His purpose. What our faithful Father calls forth, He faithfully enables. He has led your family off destruction's path to a higher, often challenging, route for His supreme and eternal purpose.
The theme in the May/June 2010 issue of Homeschooling Today is the ark-the metaphor for God's move in this generation to bring millions of families "into the ark" of educational preservation. How exciting to be part of this historically significant movement. We cannot yet know the greater plan; however, like the sons of Issachar, we can see the signs of the times.
You and the Ark "But with thee, will I establish my covenant, and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. . . . Thus did Noah: according to all that God commanded him, so did he" (Genesis 6:18 and 22). God called Noah to build the ark, and He prepared Noah with specific instructions on a timeline. Noah was aware of God's requirements (like you when you began homeschooling). The Scripture says he was righteous and "walked with" God. Was it only to reward Noah that God called him and made His covenant with him? I don't believe so, because God always works generationally within His purpose for man's redemption. Noah knew he was playing a role in a larger purpose. In this case, the necessity of eradicating the overwhelming evil in the world imposed the equal necessity of saving a remnant. God's purpose of preserving righteousness from the "waters of the flood" remains today. Your homeschool, like Noah's ark, is an instrument in the great design of the Gospel; it is God's purpose in this generation.
That idea is large enough to sustain home-educating parents. We cannot maintain the effort only for escaping a hostile culture; the effort is too arduous and lonely. Let's consider the definition of ark.
Ark: "A small close vessel, chest or coffer, such as that which was the repository of the tables of the covenant among the Jews. . . . The vessel in which Moses was set afloat upon the Nile was an ark of bulrushes. 2. The large floating vessel, in which Noah and his family were preserved during the deluge" (Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary).
The imagery is inspiring! Your homeschool is a repository of the covenant and a vessel to preserve it. The word preserve raises further questions. What exactly is God preserving? A look again at the definition gives further understanding:
Preserve: "To keep or save from injury or destruction; to defend from evil. 2. To uphold; to sustain. 3. To save from decay; to keep in a sound state; as, to preserve fruit in winter. Salt is used to preserve meat. 5. To keep or defend from corruption; as, to preserve youth from vice" (Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary).
"And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood" (Genesis 7:6-8).
Preserving What God Values
Your homeschooling preserves the words of the covenant when you teach them to your children. "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, NKJV). Jesus, God's instrument to redeem mankind, stands quietly at the center of this generation, misunderstood and often unnoticed, but nevertheless, the dominant figure in history for the past twenty centuries. In Jesus alone, your children will find answers to the confounding questions of life. He alone satisfies the soul's awesome need for relevance, meaning, and completion at the deepest level. You have the calling, preparation, and purpose to preserve the covenant by teaching Jesus-the Word of God and the Bread of Life-to your children.
Noah Webster, in his 1823 "Letter to a Young Gentleman Concerning His Education," says the "first questions a rational being should ask himself, are Who made me? Why was I made? What is my duty? The proper answers to these questions, and the practical results, constitute . . . the whole business of life." He explains further that God's Word alone can give answers to life questions. Jesus alone has the proven ability to speak to, heal, and empower the individual to wholeness, strength, eternity, and the life we hunger for-the life that makes sense of human existence.
The Ark's Promise
"The Lord will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 22:5 NKJV). As the old preacher says, we know the end of the story because we've read the book; it ends in victory! There is certainty in God's Word. It remains forever and never changes when trends, fads, styles, and fashions fade away. "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8 NKJV).
This is the surety of the covenant when life is unsure. Your homeschool's mission is generational, Gospel-driven, far-reaching, and full of promise. Do your children know what they are part of? Do they understand that they are preserving the covenant for the ages? Do they realize that beyond grammar and penmanship they have a story to tell about God's providence in their lives?
Introduce your children to Noah Webster, father of American Christian education, and let them grapple with the three questions he says are the "whole business of life." Something happens to us when we lift our eyes unto the hills toward God's governance of the universe and His perspective. Give your children this view and your homeschooling daily business will be elevated to a true mission, cooperating with the Holy Spirit according to God's purpose in your family. Your homeschool is an ark in this generation. God calls you, prepares you, and gives you a purpose. Count it a privilege!
The Compelling Purpose of Homeschooling
By Carole Adams
From the Homeschooling Helper
Parents choose to bring their children home for many reasons, which increase as secularism's rising tide assaults the family, children, and the nature of American education. When a neighbor asks why you homeschool, it is often difficult to state one major reason your family decided to create a handmade school when the neighborhood schools are "free" and convenient. Sometimes the quizzical looks remain in your mind, particularly on days when educating your children seems harder than other days.
The Real Reason Your root motivation to homeschool is the only sustaining reason to continue; you are educating by God's providence-by His calling, His preparation, and His purpose. What our faithful Father calls forth, He faithfully enables. He has led your family off destruction's path to a higher, often challenging, route for His supreme and eternal purpose.
The theme in the May/June 2010 issue of Homeschooling Today is the ark-the metaphor for God's move in this generation to bring millions of families "into the ark" of educational preservation. How exciting to be part of this historically significant movement. We cannot yet know the greater plan; however, like the sons of Issachar, we can see the signs of the times.
You and the Ark "But with thee, will I establish my covenant, and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. . . . Thus did Noah: according to all that God commanded him, so did he" (Genesis 6:18 and 22). God called Noah to build the ark, and He prepared Noah with specific instructions on a timeline. Noah was aware of God's requirements (like you when you began homeschooling). The Scripture says he was righteous and "walked with" God. Was it only to reward Noah that God called him and made His covenant with him? I don't believe so, because God always works generationally within His purpose for man's redemption. Noah knew he was playing a role in a larger purpose. In this case, the necessity of eradicating the overwhelming evil in the world imposed the equal necessity of saving a remnant. God's purpose of preserving righteousness from the "waters of the flood" remains today. Your homeschool, like Noah's ark, is an instrument in the great design of the Gospel; it is God's purpose in this generation.
That idea is large enough to sustain home-educating parents. We cannot maintain the effort only for escaping a hostile culture; the effort is too arduous and lonely. Let's consider the definition of ark.
Ark: "A small close vessel, chest or coffer, such as that which was the repository of the tables of the covenant among the Jews. . . . The vessel in which Moses was set afloat upon the Nile was an ark of bulrushes. 2. The large floating vessel, in which Noah and his family were preserved during the deluge" (Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary).
The imagery is inspiring! Your homeschool is a repository of the covenant and a vessel to preserve it. The word preserve raises further questions. What exactly is God preserving? A look again at the definition gives further understanding:
Preserve: "To keep or save from injury or destruction; to defend from evil. 2. To uphold; to sustain. 3. To save from decay; to keep in a sound state; as, to preserve fruit in winter. Salt is used to preserve meat. 5. To keep or defend from corruption; as, to preserve youth from vice" (Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary).
"And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood" (Genesis 7:6-8).
Preserving What God Values
Your homeschooling preserves the words of the covenant when you teach them to your children. "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, NKJV). Jesus, God's instrument to redeem mankind, stands quietly at the center of this generation, misunderstood and often unnoticed, but nevertheless, the dominant figure in history for the past twenty centuries. In Jesus alone, your children will find answers to the confounding questions of life. He alone satisfies the soul's awesome need for relevance, meaning, and completion at the deepest level. You have the calling, preparation, and purpose to preserve the covenant by teaching Jesus-the Word of God and the Bread of Life-to your children.
Noah Webster, in his 1823 "Letter to a Young Gentleman Concerning His Education," says the "first questions a rational being should ask himself, are Who made me? Why was I made? What is my duty? The proper answers to these questions, and the practical results, constitute . . . the whole business of life." He explains further that God's Word alone can give answers to life questions. Jesus alone has the proven ability to speak to, heal, and empower the individual to wholeness, strength, eternity, and the life we hunger for-the life that makes sense of human existence.
The Ark's Promise
"The Lord will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 22:5 NKJV). As the old preacher says, we know the end of the story because we've read the book; it ends in victory! There is certainty in God's Word. It remains forever and never changes when trends, fads, styles, and fashions fade away. "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8 NKJV).
This is the surety of the covenant when life is unsure. Your homeschool's mission is generational, Gospel-driven, far-reaching, and full of promise. Do your children know what they are part of? Do they understand that they are preserving the covenant for the ages? Do they realize that beyond grammar and penmanship they have a story to tell about God's providence in their lives?
Introduce your children to Noah Webster, father of American Christian education, and let them grapple with the three questions he says are the "whole business of life." Something happens to us when we lift our eyes unto the hills toward God's governance of the universe and His perspective. Give your children this view and your homeschooling daily business will be elevated to a true mission, cooperating with the Holy Spirit according to God's purpose in your family. Your homeschool is an ark in this generation. God calls you, prepares you, and gives you a purpose. Count it a privilege!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Irony
Yesterday afternoon, my daughters were enjoying swimming in their little pool while I sat nearby reading a book.
The book I am currently reading is titled, Team of Rivals The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Godwin. It's one of those tough read books where the sentences are a whole paragraph long and if you get interrupted (which happens when you have kids) you have to reread the entire sentence again to understand what you are reading. It is taking me a long time to read it but is well worth the time. The history, the time, the ways of the people, the literature of the time, etc. are all in there, which makes for a fascinating read for a history buff like me.
So, I am in the chapter where the Dred Scott case is being decided by the Supreme Court and James Buchanan is President. The Supreme Court decision on March 6, 1857 takes the position (7-2) that 'blacks' were not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word 'citizen' in the Constitution (Team of Rivals The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln). This decision was a stunning blow to the north who opposed the slavery mentality of the south.
As I am enjoying the laughs and giggles of my girls, and trying to get a sentence in here and there from the book, a man comes up behind me and excuses himself. After the initial freaking out, I come to understand he is Frank Lasee, a politician running for our State Senate. He notes the book I am reading, and suggests that considering what I am reading, I probably have some important questions for him. We begin a dialogue about what is important to me as a Wisconsin citizen and about what his views are on things or how he wants to address issues in office.
Now, here is the irony. As I am speaking to this politician in my backyard who is soliciting my vote to get him into office, I realize how far our country has grown.
The time frame of the chapter in the book I am reading is prior to blacks being considered citizens, and thus, are not yet legal voters. This meant it was a time prior to women being able to vote. But, here in my backyard, is a man who is concerned about what I need from my state government, interested in what I think, and what is important to my family.
After he leaves, my daughters and I have a conversation about this irony. We discuss what to look for in a person wanting to be a leader in our government. We discuss the great privilege of living in an age where women's ideas are important, and the great responsibility that comes along with that privilege.
I want my daughters to be educated, informed, and wise so that they carry out this responsibility of having a voice, and being heard, in an ethical and godly manner. To not waste the privilege on babble, unimportant ideas, or misuse of justice. I want them to use their voice for the betterment of society, the protection and edification of the family, and for glorifying God.
The book I am currently reading is titled, Team of Rivals The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Godwin. It's one of those tough read books where the sentences are a whole paragraph long and if you get interrupted (which happens when you have kids) you have to reread the entire sentence again to understand what you are reading. It is taking me a long time to read it but is well worth the time. The history, the time, the ways of the people, the literature of the time, etc. are all in there, which makes for a fascinating read for a history buff like me.
So, I am in the chapter where the Dred Scott case is being decided by the Supreme Court and James Buchanan is President. The Supreme Court decision on March 6, 1857 takes the position (7-2) that 'blacks' were not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word 'citizen' in the Constitution (Team of Rivals The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln). This decision was a stunning blow to the north who opposed the slavery mentality of the south.
As I am enjoying the laughs and giggles of my girls, and trying to get a sentence in here and there from the book, a man comes up behind me and excuses himself. After the initial freaking out, I come to understand he is Frank Lasee, a politician running for our State Senate. He notes the book I am reading, and suggests that considering what I am reading, I probably have some important questions for him. We begin a dialogue about what is important to me as a Wisconsin citizen and about what his views are on things or how he wants to address issues in office.
Now, here is the irony. As I am speaking to this politician in my backyard who is soliciting my vote to get him into office, I realize how far our country has grown.
The time frame of the chapter in the book I am reading is prior to blacks being considered citizens, and thus, are not yet legal voters. This meant it was a time prior to women being able to vote. But, here in my backyard, is a man who is concerned about what I need from my state government, interested in what I think, and what is important to my family.
After he leaves, my daughters and I have a conversation about this irony. We discuss what to look for in a person wanting to be a leader in our government. We discuss the great privilege of living in an age where women's ideas are important, and the great responsibility that comes along with that privilege.
I want my daughters to be educated, informed, and wise so that they carry out this responsibility of having a voice, and being heard, in an ethical and godly manner. To not waste the privilege on babble, unimportant ideas, or misuse of justice. I want them to use their voice for the betterment of society, the protection and edification of the family, and for glorifying God.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Holy Spirit's Nudge in Mothering
My daughter mentioned that a girl in school recommended she read a particular book which she was able to pick up at the middle school library. My radar did not immediately go up because it was a book in the school library. However, that alone should have been cause for me to question it.
Anyway, I noticed that she would go into her room and lock the door whenever she was reading it. She said it was to keep her little sister out so she could read in peace in quiet. Still, no alarm going off in my head.
In my prayer time yesterday, I asked God to give me a heart for my children's needs and to know what areas of their character, etc. might need some guidance. Well, after supper last night she is back behind a locked door reading this book and I paused to contemplate that and felt the Holy Spirit's nudge to get in there and review that book.
I asked her to scooch over so I could lay on the bed with her and read along with her which is something she normally loves to do but not this time. She instead handed me the book, almost with a sense of relief, and walked out of the room to play. I sat down and began to read.
The book is titled Thirteen Reason Why by Jay Asher. It is about a girl who committed suicide and left behind these cassette tapes talking about why she did it and a boy finds them and listens to them and discovers he is part of the reason why she did. So topic number one that I don't want my daughter reading about is suicide.
Topics 2,3,4 are bullying, partying/drinking to the point of puking and passing out/and rape! I was just about sick. She is in the sixth grade and this book was in her school library.
I asked her what she had read so far and she said pretty much the same stuff I had read. I went in my room and prayed and cried because I was angry that my daughter had lost part of her innocence with what she had read - about people, about the world, about hope, and about the beautiful nature of sex in the way God designed it to be. I didn't even have "the talk" with her yet. It's all skewed now by the world's ugliness and Satan's lies and activities. I was heartbroken.
God reminded me that Hunter had signed a purity covenant last year though church and I went and dug it out. Together, we reread it out loud, talked about why reading this book went against what God wanted us to do, and that we needed to ask him to forgive us and restore us. She agreed and we prayed, for her, for me, and for all the other kids at school who may read this book. She, then, asked if she could resign the covenant. I thought it was a great idea and showed a recommitment to the covenant she made with God and I felt she was sincere in her repentance.
She knew it was wrong to read it but she got caught up in the lure of what Satan had to offer. That's how he works. He's a deceiver, a liar, and destroyer. She needed her mom to step in and pull her away and she was grateful for the rescue.
Today, I read the reviews on-line of this book, and so many people tout it as the best book written on suicide. In the back of the book, the author has a question/answer section,and in one of his answers he says:
Some people, primarily adults, would rather there be no books dealing with controversial subjects, even if those books help start a dialogue between teens and adults. Thankfully, I've heard from a lot of parents and teachers and librarians who are using this book for that very reason."
Well, my daughter would have read it with NO DIALOGUE, if the Holy Spirit wouldn't have stepped in, because it was chosen for the MIDDLE school library for kids to check out and read for fun. It is not that kind of dialogue I want my innocent daughter to be having at this age. I don't know how books are chosen for these libraries but I do know they are not chosen with the best interest of our children in mind. At least, not a biblical best interest, maybe a worldly one, but not a biblical one.
Next year, our daughter will be home schooled. This book, and others like it, will not grace the shelves of our school library! That decision does not make me foolish as the world would like to claim that I am but rather it makes me wise and discerning and God-Fearing.
Lessons learned:
1. A parent cannot effectively parent without being led by the Holy Spirit to be made aware of those things we would not see or overlook.
2. Other people cannot have the same level of interest in my daughter that I have nor do they want to protect her like I do. I am the best person to raise and educate my children.
3. Satan is so deceptive and clever. EVERYTHING must be examined through the lens of God's Word before determining good. If it doesn't hold up to God's Word it's a lie or a trap! Don't let Satan lull you into complacency in your parenting. Guard yourselves, too. There is so much that on the surface looks good, sounds good, everyone else has bought into as good, etc. that ISN'T. Don't fall victim to Satan's deceit.
4. Forgiveness is available when we fail, fall down, retreat, etc. We need to seek it, ask to be restored and healed, and then move on. Don't give up doing what is good because of a temporary setback. God can make everything new again, give hope where hope was lost, and give you strength to start anew. He has the power to guard and keep you.
This is the message the book fails to give but it is the only message that really has the power to overcome the world's lies!
Anyway, I noticed that she would go into her room and lock the door whenever she was reading it. She said it was to keep her little sister out so she could read in peace in quiet. Still, no alarm going off in my head.
In my prayer time yesterday, I asked God to give me a heart for my children's needs and to know what areas of their character, etc. might need some guidance. Well, after supper last night she is back behind a locked door reading this book and I paused to contemplate that and felt the Holy Spirit's nudge to get in there and review that book.
I asked her to scooch over so I could lay on the bed with her and read along with her which is something she normally loves to do but not this time. She instead handed me the book, almost with a sense of relief, and walked out of the room to play. I sat down and began to read.
The book is titled Thirteen Reason Why by Jay Asher. It is about a girl who committed suicide and left behind these cassette tapes talking about why she did it and a boy finds them and listens to them and discovers he is part of the reason why she did. So topic number one that I don't want my daughter reading about is suicide.
Topics 2,3,4 are bullying, partying/drinking to the point of puking and passing out/and rape! I was just about sick. She is in the sixth grade and this book was in her school library.
I asked her what she had read so far and she said pretty much the same stuff I had read. I went in my room and prayed and cried because I was angry that my daughter had lost part of her innocence with what she had read - about people, about the world, about hope, and about the beautiful nature of sex in the way God designed it to be. I didn't even have "the talk" with her yet. It's all skewed now by the world's ugliness and Satan's lies and activities. I was heartbroken.
God reminded me that Hunter had signed a purity covenant last year though church and I went and dug it out. Together, we reread it out loud, talked about why reading this book went against what God wanted us to do, and that we needed to ask him to forgive us and restore us. She agreed and we prayed, for her, for me, and for all the other kids at school who may read this book. She, then, asked if she could resign the covenant. I thought it was a great idea and showed a recommitment to the covenant she made with God and I felt she was sincere in her repentance.
She knew it was wrong to read it but she got caught up in the lure of what Satan had to offer. That's how he works. He's a deceiver, a liar, and destroyer. She needed her mom to step in and pull her away and she was grateful for the rescue.
Today, I read the reviews on-line of this book, and so many people tout it as the best book written on suicide. In the back of the book, the author has a question/answer section,and in one of his answers he says:
Some people, primarily adults, would rather there be no books dealing with controversial subjects, even if those books help start a dialogue between teens and adults. Thankfully, I've heard from a lot of parents and teachers and librarians who are using this book for that very reason."
Well, my daughter would have read it with NO DIALOGUE, if the Holy Spirit wouldn't have stepped in, because it was chosen for the MIDDLE school library for kids to check out and read for fun. It is not that kind of dialogue I want my innocent daughter to be having at this age. I don't know how books are chosen for these libraries but I do know they are not chosen with the best interest of our children in mind. At least, not a biblical best interest, maybe a worldly one, but not a biblical one.
Next year, our daughter will be home schooled. This book, and others like it, will not grace the shelves of our school library! That decision does not make me foolish as the world would like to claim that I am but rather it makes me wise and discerning and God-Fearing.
Lessons learned:
1. A parent cannot effectively parent without being led by the Holy Spirit to be made aware of those things we would not see or overlook.
2. Other people cannot have the same level of interest in my daughter that I have nor do they want to protect her like I do. I am the best person to raise and educate my children.
3. Satan is so deceptive and clever. EVERYTHING must be examined through the lens of God's Word before determining good. If it doesn't hold up to God's Word it's a lie or a trap! Don't let Satan lull you into complacency in your parenting. Guard yourselves, too. There is so much that on the surface looks good, sounds good, everyone else has bought into as good, etc. that ISN'T. Don't fall victim to Satan's deceit.
4. Forgiveness is available when we fail, fall down, retreat, etc. We need to seek it, ask to be restored and healed, and then move on. Don't give up doing what is good because of a temporary setback. God can make everything new again, give hope where hope was lost, and give you strength to start anew. He has the power to guard and keep you.
This is the message the book fails to give but it is the only message that really has the power to overcome the world's lies!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Diagnostic Testing Has Begun!
The Alpha Omega diagnostic testing came in the mail yesterday for our middle school daughter.
As you know, we are considering home schooling next year and we need to understand where our daughter is at academically in each core subject and if there are any learning gaps that need to be addressed. She is currently in the sixth grade.
Alpha Omega is the curriculum we would use initially if we proceed down this route, and from what I see so far, is much harder than the curriculum she is currently using in school. It is possible, based on this curriculum, that she would not start out in the grade she would be at in public school in all of the subjects because it just seems like more challenging work.
We will be testing in five areas: Math, Language Arts, Science, History & Geography, and Bible.
Our testing packet is for grades 2-8. We start two grade levels below or current grade and work our way up until the work becomes too difficult for her to complete. The test is then graded. From this we will identify gaps in prior grades that need to be reviewed and can also determine the proper grade placement to start out with in each of the core subjects. It might show that she is in a grade ahead in one subject and a grade behind in another.
She was so excited that she wanted to start the testing right away last night - even after being in school all day. I thought that showed real initiative and a real desire to get us to the point of deciding for home schooling for her. See, she has been asking us for over a year and has been praying about it just as long. She's waiting on us to get to where she as already arrived.
The fact that the test may show she is a little behind does not discourage her at all. Her contention for home schooling as always been because she wants to be smarter and if the test show she is behind in something it just reinforces for her she is not getting the education she desires. In her mind, it will not be her fault but the public education systems fault. She is very positive about all of this.
Each grade level of the test can take up to an hour or more so just in the math area it could take 3-4 hours to get to the point where she can't go any further. She completed two grade levels last night and we will keep plugging along until we have completed them all.
I noticed one thing already about her study/work habits. She likes to talk out loud through her problems. She makes inquiries to herself, exasperated comments, etc. as she works out the answer.
One thing I over head that I am still laughing about this morning is her response to a question about the point at which freezing occurs. She read the question out loud and added in an exasperated tone, " How am I suppose to know - it's different for everybody!"
I am sure she knew the answer and that it is just her personality that comes out in her thinking process but regardless I thought is was hysterical. Seriously, though, I can see already how she might feel restricted in a traditional classroom setting because she cannot be free to express herself while she is problem solving.
We have hours and hours to go yet just to determine her aptitude in each topic. I'll keep you posted on our journey.
As you know, we are considering home schooling next year and we need to understand where our daughter is at academically in each core subject and if there are any learning gaps that need to be addressed. She is currently in the sixth grade.
Alpha Omega is the curriculum we would use initially if we proceed down this route, and from what I see so far, is much harder than the curriculum she is currently using in school. It is possible, based on this curriculum, that she would not start out in the grade she would be at in public school in all of the subjects because it just seems like more challenging work.
We will be testing in five areas: Math, Language Arts, Science, History & Geography, and Bible.
Our testing packet is for grades 2-8. We start two grade levels below or current grade and work our way up until the work becomes too difficult for her to complete. The test is then graded. From this we will identify gaps in prior grades that need to be reviewed and can also determine the proper grade placement to start out with in each of the core subjects. It might show that she is in a grade ahead in one subject and a grade behind in another.
She was so excited that she wanted to start the testing right away last night - even after being in school all day. I thought that showed real initiative and a real desire to get us to the point of deciding for home schooling for her. See, she has been asking us for over a year and has been praying about it just as long. She's waiting on us to get to where she as already arrived.
The fact that the test may show she is a little behind does not discourage her at all. Her contention for home schooling as always been because she wants to be smarter and if the test show she is behind in something it just reinforces for her she is not getting the education she desires. In her mind, it will not be her fault but the public education systems fault. She is very positive about all of this.
Each grade level of the test can take up to an hour or more so just in the math area it could take 3-4 hours to get to the point where she can't go any further. She completed two grade levels last night and we will keep plugging along until we have completed them all.
I noticed one thing already about her study/work habits. She likes to talk out loud through her problems. She makes inquiries to herself, exasperated comments, etc. as she works out the answer.
One thing I over head that I am still laughing about this morning is her response to a question about the point at which freezing occurs. She read the question out loud and added in an exasperated tone, " How am I suppose to know - it's different for everybody!"
I am sure she knew the answer and that it is just her personality that comes out in her thinking process but regardless I thought is was hysterical. Seriously, though, I can see already how she might feel restricted in a traditional classroom setting because she cannot be free to express herself while she is problem solving.
We have hours and hours to go yet just to determine her aptitude in each topic. I'll keep you posted on our journey.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Taking Our Cue From the Birds
In Luke 12 verses 22-34 Jesus talks about replacing worry with faith. He says do not worry about what you will eat or what you will wear.
Verse 23 says, "Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes."
He then gives an example of the ravens and how they do not sow or reap, yet God feeds them.
Question: If life is not about working for food or clothes, what is it about?
I contemplated the life of a bird this morning and this is what I saw.
A bird is born and is first cared for by its' bird parents. The parents teach the bird what it means to be a bird and how to live and act like a bird. Eventually, the bird goes off on his own, mates, and they reproduce. They then care for their offspring and teach them how to live like birds. They also fly and soar peacefully in the sky for others to see and be in awe of their beauty and ease. Basically, their life is about relationships, caring and teaching their young, and bringing glory to their Creator by staying within the framework of who God created them to be.
A couple of quick differences between birds and man I noted were:
1. A bird doesn't say he would prefer a bigger nest and thus decide not to reproduce so he has more time to work on getting and keeping the bigger nest.
2. A bird doesn't say he doesn't have the time, the resources, or the know how to raise a child and so then decide to kill their own baby bird out of convenience for them.
3. A bird doesn't care what the other birds say about them. They just keep on being who they are.
4. A bird doesn't try to be something their not. I've never seen a bird trying to be a giraffe. I don't see them envying what others have or wanting to be different.
5. I don't see birds sending their children off to someone else to be taught how to live as a bird. A bird doesn't send their offspring to a fox to learn how to be a bird. They take the responsibility on themselves knowing the best way for the little birds to become adult birds is to teach them themselves.
The question was, if life is not about food and clothes, what is it about?
If we take our cue from the birds, maybe it's about relationships, caring and teaching our offspring, being content with who God created us to be, and bringing glory to him in all we do.
Are we living the life God created us to live? Are we soaring in the sky? Are we content, peaceful, and beautiful because we are resting in his providence for us and being obedient to his way and plans?
Doesn't that sound like an awesome way to live? I desire to soar today! I hope you do too!
Verse 23 says, "Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes."
He then gives an example of the ravens and how they do not sow or reap, yet God feeds them.
Question: If life is not about working for food or clothes, what is it about?
I contemplated the life of a bird this morning and this is what I saw.
A bird is born and is first cared for by its' bird parents. The parents teach the bird what it means to be a bird and how to live and act like a bird. Eventually, the bird goes off on his own, mates, and they reproduce. They then care for their offspring and teach them how to live like birds. They also fly and soar peacefully in the sky for others to see and be in awe of their beauty and ease. Basically, their life is about relationships, caring and teaching their young, and bringing glory to their Creator by staying within the framework of who God created them to be.
A couple of quick differences between birds and man I noted were:
1. A bird doesn't say he would prefer a bigger nest and thus decide not to reproduce so he has more time to work on getting and keeping the bigger nest.
2. A bird doesn't say he doesn't have the time, the resources, or the know how to raise a child and so then decide to kill their own baby bird out of convenience for them.
3. A bird doesn't care what the other birds say about them. They just keep on being who they are.
4. A bird doesn't try to be something their not. I've never seen a bird trying to be a giraffe. I don't see them envying what others have or wanting to be different.
5. I don't see birds sending their children off to someone else to be taught how to live as a bird. A bird doesn't send their offspring to a fox to learn how to be a bird. They take the responsibility on themselves knowing the best way for the little birds to become adult birds is to teach them themselves.
The question was, if life is not about food and clothes, what is it about?
If we take our cue from the birds, maybe it's about relationships, caring and teaching our offspring, being content with who God created us to be, and bringing glory to him in all we do.
Are we living the life God created us to live? Are we soaring in the sky? Are we content, peaceful, and beautiful because we are resting in his providence for us and being obedient to his way and plans?
Doesn't that sound like an awesome way to live? I desire to soar today! I hope you do too!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
State of the Nation 2
State of the Nation 2
Our family gathered around the computer last night to listen to this web cast live.
I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend EVERY CHRISTIAN to watch this.
It's about the spiritual state of our nation, how we got here, and what we must do about it.
Mr. Ken Ham talks about how the 'church' has been duped into believing things that aren't true and I have seen that first hand. This is the very reason we left our old church.
I know everyone is busy but this is just so, so important! Please take the time to watch and then ACT!
Our family gathered around the computer last night to listen to this web cast live.
I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend EVERY CHRISTIAN to watch this.
It's about the spiritual state of our nation, how we got here, and what we must do about it.
Mr. Ken Ham talks about how the 'church' has been duped into believing things that aren't true and I have seen that first hand. This is the very reason we left our old church.
I know everyone is busy but this is just so, so important! Please take the time to watch and then ACT!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Be Fruitful. . .
I have been searching the scriptures for information of education recently. I want to see what education looks like from a biblical perspective, What did the first glimpses of education look like for Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, etc.? I suspect we have gotten off track along the way and I just had a desire to look into it a little deeper.
I didn't get far into the chapter of Genesis before I came to a few verses that took me down a rabbit trail.
Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
I had always glossed over that 'be fruitful' phrase assuming it meant the same as multiplying and filling the earth. However, when I got to the story of Noah, I noticed that God used this same phrase with Noah. In fact, he says it three times. It must be pretty important.
Genesis 8:15-17 Then God said to Noah, "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it."
Genesis 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.
Genesis 9:7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it."
These were the first commands given by God to Adam and then to Noah. Did he only want them, including the animals, just to multiply and fill the earth or is there more to the command?
I looked up other verses in the bible that talk about fruit or being fruitful in the hope of understanding this better. If I had a bible with the Greek meanings of the words, I would have used that, too. But I don't, so you go with what you have.
Psalm 1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
God is often called the living water. We often talk about being rooted in God's Word. Fruit is often referred to as Godly characteristics or works. Is this verse to describe a person who draws life from God, is rooted in God's Word, is maturing and growing in their faith, becoming ready, to be and do what God has assigned, sustaining and persevering his whole life in the faith, and is successful because he does the will of God? Is this what God meant about being 'fruitful'?
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
This verse looks like evangelizing; rooting others in God's Word and leading others to eternal life.
So far, we have a picture of 'fruitful' being both personal growth and helping other to grow in the knowledge of God.
Matthew 7:16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
Authentic, life saving fruit cannot be produced if the life source is anything other than the Godhead himself. So, 'be fruitful' is also telling us the source of life, and of fruit, is God and nothing else.
John 15:2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.
God is the Gardener who perfects us and our fruit! We can rest in His work in us because it has a perfect purpose, although painful at times.
Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
These are characteristics a fallen world cannot produce on their own without first having known such shown toward them and then having been transformed by God himself.
I never noticed the last line of this verse before. What does it mean against such thing there is no law? I wondered if before the fall - when there was yet no need for the law - did these things come naturally to Adam and Eve because of their intimate relationship with God? Which led me to the next verse.
Rev. 22:2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Adam and Eve had access to the Tree of Life until sin entered the world. We will once again have access to the Tree of Life when Jesus restores all things back to their former eternal characteristics.
Psalm 128:3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.
Wives have children (increase and multiply). A Christian Mother who raises her children in the fear and knowledge of the Lord is being 'fruitful'. In fact, she must first be drawing life from God herself. She must first be rooted in God's Word. She is then able to show her children where to draw life from and how to stay rooted in God's Word for themselves. She understands who the perfecter of her faith is, and the faith of her children, and she diligently teaches her children to walk in God's ways and to rest in his will. By doing so, she fulfills both Psalm 1:3 and Proverbs 11:30. Mothers have suck a divine priviledge!
The first instruction of education is to know God!
The second instruction is to always walk with him and in His will!
The third instruction is to teach your children to do the same through example and diligent teaching!
How do the three commands given to Adam and then to Noah conflict with what the world teaches?
The world teaches there is no God or that you are your own god. The world teaches no Creator but rather chance. The world doesn't acknowledge a divine life source because they don't believe in a heaven or hell. The world doesn't value children or the call for mothers to raise them in God's Word. The feminist movement puts a womans value elsewhere. The U.N. and agencies like Planned Parenthood would rather control the population and limit it's growth. A generation who isn't drawing from the authentic eternal life source isn't able to teach their children to do so either.
If no one heeds God's command in this area, the next generation may be similar to the one of Noah's generation. However, I know there are Christian families all over the world who do heed God's command, although we are in the minority. We must be even more diligent and reliant on God so that our children may be a beacon of light to the world. May God bless the efforts of those who obey.
I will continue to look up what education looks like in the bible, but the first and most important aspect to knowledge and wisdom is the fear and knowledge of God.
I didn't get far into the chapter of Genesis before I came to a few verses that took me down a rabbit trail.
Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
I had always glossed over that 'be fruitful' phrase assuming it meant the same as multiplying and filling the earth. However, when I got to the story of Noah, I noticed that God used this same phrase with Noah. In fact, he says it three times. It must be pretty important.
Genesis 8:15-17 Then God said to Noah, "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it."
Genesis 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.
Genesis 9:7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it."
These were the first commands given by God to Adam and then to Noah. Did he only want them, including the animals, just to multiply and fill the earth or is there more to the command?
I looked up other verses in the bible that talk about fruit or being fruitful in the hope of understanding this better. If I had a bible with the Greek meanings of the words, I would have used that, too. But I don't, so you go with what you have.
Psalm 1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
God is often called the living water. We often talk about being rooted in God's Word. Fruit is often referred to as Godly characteristics or works. Is this verse to describe a person who draws life from God, is rooted in God's Word, is maturing and growing in their faith, becoming ready, to be and do what God has assigned, sustaining and persevering his whole life in the faith, and is successful because he does the will of God? Is this what God meant about being 'fruitful'?
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
This verse looks like evangelizing; rooting others in God's Word and leading others to eternal life.
So far, we have a picture of 'fruitful' being both personal growth and helping other to grow in the knowledge of God.
Matthew 7:16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
Authentic, life saving fruit cannot be produced if the life source is anything other than the Godhead himself. So, 'be fruitful' is also telling us the source of life, and of fruit, is God and nothing else.
John 15:2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.
God is the Gardener who perfects us and our fruit! We can rest in His work in us because it has a perfect purpose, although painful at times.
Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
These are characteristics a fallen world cannot produce on their own without first having known such shown toward them and then having been transformed by God himself.
I never noticed the last line of this verse before. What does it mean against such thing there is no law? I wondered if before the fall - when there was yet no need for the law - did these things come naturally to Adam and Eve because of their intimate relationship with God? Which led me to the next verse.
Rev. 22:2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Adam and Eve had access to the Tree of Life until sin entered the world. We will once again have access to the Tree of Life when Jesus restores all things back to their former eternal characteristics.
Psalm 128:3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.
Wives have children (increase and multiply). A Christian Mother who raises her children in the fear and knowledge of the Lord is being 'fruitful'. In fact, she must first be drawing life from God herself. She must first be rooted in God's Word. She is then able to show her children where to draw life from and how to stay rooted in God's Word for themselves. She understands who the perfecter of her faith is, and the faith of her children, and she diligently teaches her children to walk in God's ways and to rest in his will. By doing so, she fulfills both Psalm 1:3 and Proverbs 11:30. Mothers have suck a divine priviledge!
The first instruction of education is to know God!
The second instruction is to always walk with him and in His will!
The third instruction is to teach your children to do the same through example and diligent teaching!
How do the three commands given to Adam and then to Noah conflict with what the world teaches?
The world teaches there is no God or that you are your own god. The world teaches no Creator but rather chance. The world doesn't acknowledge a divine life source because they don't believe in a heaven or hell. The world doesn't value children or the call for mothers to raise them in God's Word. The feminist movement puts a womans value elsewhere. The U.N. and agencies like Planned Parenthood would rather control the population and limit it's growth. A generation who isn't drawing from the authentic eternal life source isn't able to teach their children to do so either.
If no one heeds God's command in this area, the next generation may be similar to the one of Noah's generation. However, I know there are Christian families all over the world who do heed God's command, although we are in the minority. We must be even more diligent and reliant on God so that our children may be a beacon of light to the world. May God bless the efforts of those who obey.
I will continue to look up what education looks like in the bible, but the first and most important aspect to knowledge and wisdom is the fear and knowledge of God.
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