Related Articles : Homeschooling

Are You Still Spoon Feeding? No. 192

Hebrews 5:12-14, “You are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat, for every one that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their sense exercised to discern both good and evil.”

When a baby starts to eat solid food around nine months, it is a joy to feed them. As they continue to grow, and yet do not want their food, we play all kinds of games to make them want to eat it. The spoonful of food becomes an airplane, or the poor little kitchen out in the cold waiting to come into the warm home and so on.

However, the time comes when they grab the spoon away from us and want to feed themselves. They want their independence. It is normal. We anticipate the time when they will eat on their own. We teach them to eat on their own. If we were still spoon feeding our children at five or ten years old, we would be in despair.

Yet, isn’t it amazing that we often still spoon feed our older children their spiritual food. Some are still being spoon fed in their teens. Many adults are still being spoonfed.

Just as a little baby is nursed at the breast and then begins to receive food from the spoon by the parent, so a newborn babe in Christ needs to be nurtured with food. They cannot feed themselves. But growth is part of God’s plan, for physical babies and spiritual babies.

As parents, we love seeing the physical growth of our children. It is exciting to see them take their first steps, to say their first word, and then to grow and develop into adolescents, then teens and then adults, filled with all the wonderful talents God has given them. We should have this same excitement about growth in their spiritual lives.

If they are going to grow, we must teach them to feed themselves. They will stay babies if we keep spoon feeding them.

Many children in Christian homes are taken to Sunday School or Children’s Church every Sunday or perhaps a Bible club during the week and the parents feel they are catering for them spiritually. These are good things, but they are spoon feeding. We have a responsibility to teach our children how to feed for themselves, how to read the Word of God themselves, how to listen for God to speak to them personally as they read.

I am so glad that I was taught this principle growing up in my home. We were taught that it was the normal daily feeding pattern to start the day with a Quiet Time—to read the Word of God and pray. We went to church, Sunday School and Bible clubs, but that didn’t suffice. We learned to read the Word of God personally, to feed ourselves.

At first the Bible seemed dull and boring, but as I learned how to read it, it became the delight of my life. I could not do without my daily nourishment.

When in my teens, I began to read the Word in faith. As I read with expectancy for God to speak to my heart and for revelation to flood my soul, and because I did not want to forget what God said to me, I wrote it down. I wrote the Scripture that spoke to my heart, what I felt it meant, what God spoke to me personally through it, and then I would write a prayer to the Lord.

I still continue this habit to this day. It is true that “Thoughts tend to disentangle themselves when they flow through lips or cross pencil tips.” As I write the Scripture, I see more revelation than when I first read it. As I write what God is saying, more understanding and revelation floods my soul. My spirit is filled up and nourished.

We have recently adopted four teenagers from Liberia, West Africa. I am now teaching them to feed for themselves. As we commence our homeschooling each morning, we start by all opening up the Word of God and reading a certain passage. I teach them to look for God to speak to them.

They then do as I have always done, write the Scripture, write what it means to them and then write a prayer to the Lord. We then go around the table and each one then shares their Scripture and what they have written. They are learning to feed for themselves. We have daily devotions as a family morning and evening, but I inspire the children that this personal time is the most important time of the day.

Don’t let your children be spiritual dwarfs with stunted growth. Teach them how to independently hear from God each new day. If you can encourage them to establish this habit they will keep growing all through their lives.

NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh Lord, help me to have a healthy appetite for your precious Word. Help me to teach my children how to feed from your Word so that they will grow strong in the Lord. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

More about Jesus let me learn,

More of His holy will discern;

Hearing His voice in every line,

Making each faithful saying mine.

 

Many women like to save these devotions. They print them out and keep them in a folder to read over and over again. Some print them out and pin them on the fridge with a magnet to read through the week.

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Today Is Mother's Day

I awoke to the sound of whispering in the kitchen. At least, as much whispering as a nine year old boy and his four year old brother could manage. I was still half asleep, and squashed like a sardine in my queen size bed. It was barely 7 a.m. and I was tandem nursing our 17 month old son, Henry and his new baby sister. Little Sophia had been born abruptly, unexpectedly, six weeks premature in this very bed just three months before.

These days, waking in the middle of the night is all I seem to do. There are, of course, two hungry babies to feed off and on until the wee hours. But what kept me up that night, and most nights, was thoughts of my husband, a naval officer, thousands of miles away in the desert.

It would be about supper time there. I wondered if he had eaten yet and hoped it had been tolerable. I prayed for his safety and the safety of his men. I prayed that he would be a good witness to the crew that he flew with. I prayed for their missions that would ultimately bring both freedom and the opportunity to learn of the true living God to a people who had never known either. I prayed for each of our seven children who all miss their Daddy. When I could pray no more I would fall back asleep until the next round of crying babies or fear awoke me.

There I was, on a Thursday morning in October, completely exhausted, scrambling to compose my thoughts and organize the day’s events in my head when in walked Daniel. At four years old, buzz cut hair and chocolate brown eyes; he was the spitting image of his father. He was grinning ear to ear, wearing nothing but his underwear. I was about to robotically tell him to go get dressed when he proudly announced, “Look, we made this for you.”

He thrust a mug at me, nearly spilling its contents on his sleeping sister. It caught me off guard. Had my four year old really made coffee? Indeed he had, with the help of his older brother. I took an obligatory sip to not hurt his feelings. Hmm. It was actually pretty good.

They had put in just the right amount of sugar and cream, not to mention it was in my favorite mug--a bright blue one with fading gold letters that spelled out Navy and a big chip on one side, undoubtedly from one of the four moves we’ve made in the last two years. Before I could thank him, he came over and kissed my hand, put on his best superhero voice and said “Happy Mothers Day, I love you” then darted from my room, his arms spread out like an airplane, making a loud zooming noise.  

Did he just say Happy Mother’s Day? Surely he remembered that it was October. The leaves were starting to change and it was getting cooler by the day. He had to have remembered how we celebrated Mother’s Day just a few months ago.

It was the day my husband had left on a mission. We were still living in a hotel having just arrived at our new duty station three days before. I dismissed his mistake with a shrug and pried myself from the dimpled arms and legs surrounding me. I was too busy making breakfast, braiding hair, changing diapers, and laying out schoolwork to instruct my son on the calendar.

I didn’t give it another thought as I loaded the car seats, children, stroller, diaper bag, my purse and finally myself into the van. We were in hurry to avoid the crowds at the commissary this morning.

Let’s see--we can put the baby in a cart and let Chloe push it. We’ll need Samuel to push a cart for the eleven gallons of milk we drink each week, and then Jacob and Lydia can push carts for the rest of the groceries. I can push the stroller with Daniel and Henry and balance the eggs and bread on top. 

I smile politely at the people who stare at us as we walk like a row of ducks into the building. It’s overcrowded and the baby is getting hungry. They are out of plain yogurt and the apples are all bruised. We stand in line for nearly fifteen minutes chatting with strangers who always ask the same questions.

I keep smiling and reply, “No, it’s not a daycare; yes, they are all mine; no, the girls aren’t twins, just 15 months apart, and yes, we do in fact home school.” The children all smile and I am grateful for their sweet attitudes.

We finally leave, $428 poorer, pondering how to fit our bounty into the van. “We’ll put the stroller in first then start loading the milk, put the eggs and bread up by me, load in the babies and everyone else find a spot where you don’t squish the food.” On the twenty minute drive home we talk about the changing season, how much longer until Daddy comes home and the fact that the frozen pot roast sitting on Jacob’s lap is making his legs tingle.

The boys spend fifteen minutes lugging in the groceries that take me nearly three hours to put away. I have to stop to feed the baby, put a band aid on a scrape from a fall in the driveway, and figure how to divide all the food between two pantries and three refrigerators.

A gallon of milk is dropped on the kitchen floor, instantly breaking open and creating a huge mess. Meanwhile a toddler who is going unwatched as his mommy juggles the groceries has gotten into a bag of newly purchased chocolate chips and is making his own little mess.

The groceries are finally put up and schoolwork started when I realize it’s nearly 1:30. I haven’t even started lunch. The rest of the day is spent correcting math, tying shoes, making dinner, catching up on cleaning, doing five loads of laundry and then ultimately bathing seven children and getting them ready to do it all again tomorrow. The house looks like it was hit by a tornado. It takes a bit longer than normal to pick up and tuck them in after our bedtime devotion.

Finally everyone is kissed and sent off to their rooms. There are a few tears for missing Daddy followed by jumping on beds, giggling antics, trips to the bathroom, requests for glasses of water, and then more trips to the bathroom. It is nearly 10 p.m. before everyone is asleep. I have nursed the baby and laid her in the crib in the next room. Henry is snuggled on my lap, trying his best not to fall asleep.

I read my Bible and praise God for my many blessings. I thank Him for his constant love and protection. I praise him for His mercy on my sinful ways, and I thank Him for allowing my husband to have been home to help in the birth of his newest daughter. I ask the Lord to guide me in my husband’s absence and give an extra portion of wisdom in raising these little “arrows” by myself. Then I try my best to fall asleep.

My mind is racing with the day’s events. I try to remember if I locked the back door. I make a mental note to discuss homophones with Samuel. I briefly entertain the idea of getting up to correct Lydia’s penmanship papers.

I hope Jacob hasn’t forgotten to read his Psalm for the day. I remember that I have not changed Sophia’s diaper before putting her down and say a quick prayer that it holds until she wakes up for a feeding.

I notice the basket of sewing sitting near my bed and think about the dresses I still need to cut out for the girls to wear on Thanksgiving. I think about Chloe’s birthday approaching soon and try to remember where I stashed the new Bible her father had bought her.

The house seems extra loud and dark with Doug gone. I decide to turn on the news, hoping it will lull me to sleep. Between the war coverage and stories of sinful people it defeats the intended purpose and I am even more awake.

I decide to spend this quiet time with the Lord. As I finish praying, the phone rings. I look at the clock and realize it is well past midnight. I cautiously pick up the phone. A familiar voice booms, “Hi Honey, did you have a good day?” I try not to get choked up at the sound of my beloved’s voice so far away. “Of course I did. You know today is Mother’s Day.”

LESLIANNE

WEST COAST, USA

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This couple are blessed with seven children - Samuel (11), Jacob (9), Chloe (7), Lydia (6 ), Daniel (4), Henry (17 months), and Sophia (3 months). (Full name withheld because of husband’s secret missions. Pray for Leslianne as she mothers her children for most of the year on her own.)

 

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Educating for Life!

I'm surrounded by my children at the big table covered in bright tie-dyed African fabric in our study. The computer at the desk prompts our daughter Peace, age 12; "Sass...never sass your parents", as she works through her spelling drill work.  Maura (also 12) sits daydreaming out the window instead of reading her open science book, and Heretta (15) waits patiently for me to check her science lesson and meanwhile watches over Peace's shoulder. 

Caleb (10) and Lawson (12) work away at their math lessons at the big table. Hannah works at a nearby lap-top taking care of Children Concerned e-mails. Nikki's off checking that both sets of washer/dryers are still running. Thomas is writing a letter in the quiet of his room. Charlea's finished with her lessons and is off playing with the three little ones. Rachel's hard at work tending to Children Concerned tasks, as well.

Let's see--that accounts for 13 of the children; Jack (21) Jordan (18) Chelsea (17) are out mowing lawns and Ethan (15) is  working with my husband, Tom.

This is the scene on any average morning at our home. It's nearly 10am...the dishwasher hums away, the kitchen is cleaned up and the evening meal defrosting on the countertop (lunch will be leftovers), bathrooms and bedrooms are tidied and the day’s work is written upon a dry-erase board. Each child is assigned work equal to their abilities; roughly one-hour's worth. 

Soon we will gather in the living room to read God's Word and pray. Currently we are working our way through Revelation. The children read one to three verses depending upon their abilities as we go around the room. We give this about 45 minutes; then pray. Afterward, I read aloud a chapter of a book. Today I'm starting an old favorite, Appointment in Jerusalem.  (The phone rings, but we leave it go to the answering machine.)

11:30am--reading time is finished. The children wrap up their lessons and most have begun their housework from the dry-erase board for the day. With so many able-bodied children to do the work, we can keep the house running! One very helpful resource in training workers is a Kent Hovind video entitled, "How to Make Money and Spend it God's Way".  (I say it should've been called, "A Mother's Sneaky Way of Teaching Children to Become #1 Workers"!)

Let's face it; teaching is training. What my children learn (educationally speaking) doesn't matter as much as HOW they learn. My children will pick up my attitude easily. If my thinking is, "How can I get the best for them?" but I fail to teach them to lay down their lives--then I cannot complain when I see my children as self-centered adults who care little for others.

Curriculum

Many home-educating years ago, I remember lamenting over which curriculum to use with my precious little ones. They were blossoming into eager learners and I desired to give them ALL I COULD as any good parent would. When I sought the Lord in prayer, asking Him what He would have me teach them, He asked me a question. "Candy, what if all your sons turn out like your husband and all your daughters become JUST LIKE YOU?" Suddenly, what to teach was of little importance!

My focus became less about my children's education and more about becoming the person I was in Christ. I became more concerned with living in a way that would bring honor to my Lord. They were watching how I was handling situations, and would model my behavior.  I needed to focus on what mattered to God, and I knew I needed to turn my thoughts more to loving and supporting my dear husband, also.  The best thing we parents can give our children is a good marriage! It will bless their lives far more than anything else we could provide, aside from salvation.  

Life’s Stages

There are seasons to our lives--these may last weeks, months or even years. Our life seems to ebb and flow every other year depending upon a pregnancy or new baby, or an adoption. It seemed to be the pattern that every other year we would have a terrific year of advances in our children's education and the in-between year we'd simply maintain. We'd keep in sight our overall goals and remind ourselves that Home Education is a lifestyle.  

There are days we get behind in the house and I call a strike on the lessons. Laundry gets messed up, we can't find things, office supplies can no longer be found! Meals in the freezer are eaten up and a big cooking day needs to be scheduled again. This is LIFE.  Sometimes cleaning and creating order is more necessary than lessons. It is education; life education.

It comes down to the question, what really matters to us? What are our goals for our children's future?  Do I want them to be geniuses but live in disarray or possibly forsake their faith? That may sound extreme, but we must remember that what we do today will become the pattern for the future!

Flexibility

Many a Sunday evening I've gone to bed with grand plans for the upcoming week. What educational heights we were going to hit!  Where we would go and how the children would be able to get so much out of it--only to awaken Monday morning to sick little ones or maybe I didn't even make it through the night myself; being up with a small baby. Through it all I learned what was needful that week! 

When I was pregnant every other year, so sick, unable to do much for them or myself, they took care of me! This would last four to five months each pregnancy. I would lament, "Oh! I'm unable to be the wife/mother everybody needs! Their education is suffering. They have to take care of the house and each other and ME!" 

But my fears were all unfounded! No one complained (other than me) about them having to care for the little ones or Mom. My eight year old daughter learned to cook simple meals. The six year old became an expert at caring for her toddler brother! The three year old and the toddler learned to play well together, and no one was the worse for my lack of involvement! We'd actually come out of it stronger as a family! Yes, we had some catching up to do in the house and lessons once I was on my feet again--but a child can accomplish a lot in three to six months time!

Whenever I meet with the beautiful mothers at Above Rubies retreats, I am asked, "How do you do what you outlined in the “The Life of a Queen” in # 64 Above Rubies? I do not have it all figured out, I just know what works for the Zackeys. What the Lord has revealed to me, works for us. He'll have a plan for you, too, as you seek Him.  

What to do

Figure out what your overall goals are. Keep the Big Picture in sight. For instance, one goal may be that the children have a good working knowledge of Scripture. Well, then, are you making Bible time? Will it be a subject of great importance, and how often will you have instruction in the Word? What about Scripture memory? If you want your children to memorize God's word, you must apply yourself to helping them ENJOY memorizing each day!

We assign a chapter of Scripture to the entire family for the month.   We discuss together which one to do, and then DO IT! I break it down into four parts and require they meet the weekly goal by a particular day. I always tie a privilege to the accomplishment.

Don't require things that are drudgery (other than math). I remember a friend (back in the early years when we all attended Home Education support groups) asking a home educating father, who happened to be a school teacher, how she should best direct her son.  He responded with a startling question, "What do you love to do?" As he wisely explained, our children will love to do what we have a passion for.  Do you love playing guitar?  If so, you will be able to REALLY teach your children to play, or pass on the desire to want to excel! 

I LOVE to read great literature!  I always make time to read to them and discuss symbolism, foreshadowing, etc. and talk through the book when we've finished reading. All my children love reading. In fact, several of them have gone on to study great works, beyond what I ever sought out. 

What I don't love or excel at (like Geography), I find creative solutions for. In the case of Geography, I put the US map and the world map under a see-through plastic tablecloth at the dining table. The children loved it! They would quiz each other on the capitals of countries and US states and learned all about where everything was in the world.  

State Requirements

We have always had a good district to work with, even when we lived in Florida.  Here in New York we are required to provide a list of syllabi at the start of each year telling what teaching materials we will use, and provide quarterly reports and annual assessments for each child on Home Instruction. 

That may sound daunting, but we've made it simple! I write out an IHIP (Individualized Home Instruction Plan) for each child.  Really, I just use the same one for each grade and change the child's name. It spells out the minimum to meet state requirements in each subject. I count the housework as learning time, as well as any time spent reading aloud.  I call it “Applied Studies”.

Our older children are allowed to work at a desk in their room. They appreciate the quieter atmosphere. They take their IHIP and break it down into goals for themselves and we meet to check over their progress weekly.

But then we do more!  Meeting the State requirements doesn't take all our time; we also keep a list of what we want to learn, what we want to study, where we want to go (field trips), etc.  Some years its following an interest in studying about the blind, dinosaurs, African wars, explorers, ice skating, sign language, quilting, sewing, nature, etc.

Contentment and Focus

But even in the hard times, when “extras” are not part of what we're doing; we must stay the course of what's important. Loving each other and keeping things together are goals as well! 

At the end of the year, what do you want your children to remember?  I know what I don't want them to remember. I don't want them to think back and say, "Mom was always too busy for us. The computer and everybody else took her time from us.  She was on the phone..."  I don't want them to have wasted their time on the computer or in front of the television either!  Some years we have set the goals to be “learning to get along with each other” above any educational accomplishments. For our younger adopted children; their first year home was, “learning to play and adapt to our family” as they had so much to take in changing cultures and never having played with manipulatives like blocks or dolls.  Those were important goals. 

Adoption has taught me a lot about what's important. Our African children have come with gaps in their education, some more than others. Rather than say, "Oh! How terrible! They're so far behind!"  We have chosen rather to see the blessing. What an opportunity to spend quality time with these, my children, which I have not raised until now. Helping them fill in their learning gaps strengthens our bonds with each other and makes them confident in their abilities! What joy!

CANDY ZACKEY

Akron, New York, USA

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Tom and Candy Zackey are blessed with 17 children: Jack (21), Rachel (19), Jordan (18), Chelsea (18), Ethan (16), Heretta (16), Hannah (16), Nicole (15), Thomas, Jr. (13), Maura (13), Peace (12), Clay (12), Caleb (11), Charlea (9), Hawa (9), Olivia (5) and Cecilia (3).

 

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Computers and Children

Computers can be great tools for our children to use, especially if used in great educational ways! When my children were young, I got sucked into buying a lot of "educational software". We had the Jumpstart Preschool program and Reader Rabbit preschool programs etc. My children loved them and I'm sure they learned some from them. But, they can be very addictive and I found my children needing that entertainment stimulation in their computer time. It became hard to control the use of it and was often more like entertainment than education.

While reading a book by Steve Maxwell called Preparing Sons, I read his suggestion to limit computer use to things that are truly educational. We cut out entertaining educational programs and allowed our children use the standard computer programs that come on the machine--the Microsoft Paint program, Home Publishing program, and Word program. The results have been GREAT!

My eight year old has just finished writing his second book on the computer. Both of them are his own made-up Curious George books. He uses our Home Publishing program and inserts pictures he gets from the clip art or off the web. His last story was 12 pages long with a decent story line and plenty of illustrations.

He also has gotten quite good at using the paint program. He knows how to open a picture in it, edit the picture, save it and re-insert it into his program. You go to www.google.com, click on Images and type in the word for your picture. Of course, as a parent you need to be right there to watch for inappropriate items through the internet or have really good internet filters.

After getting the picture off the web, he opened it in the Paint program and "painted in" Curious George onto the horse he got off the web. Then he inserted it into his "book". Why go through tons of workbooks and Language Arts programs when he learns more by this kind of schooling? He not only learns computing skills, but story telling, spelling, typing and layout skills! He now wants to save his dollars to buy his own computer as we all fight over computer time here.    

One of my four year old twin boys also loves the computer.

He LOVES drawing on the paint program and typing on Microsoft Word. He recently taught himself his numbers up to 100 (by counting and following along in a Bible the chapter headings). Then I found him typing the numbers up to 100 (minus the spaces) and typing the alphabet from A to Z. This taught him his capital letters as the keyboard is in capitals. He was also trying to type the alphabet backwards one day. Now, he asks us how to spell words for him to type on the program. He’ll probably teach himself to read!    

I don't share this to brag, but to encourage parents to limit the time their children use "entertainment" type programs on the computer and get them to do real computing.    

Encourage your children to learn to type. Use a home publishing program for them to make cards, newsletters, stories etc. Let them do "art" on the paint program. Let them insert digital camera pictures onto papers to print out. These are all great skills for them to learn. I have Paint Shop Pro which is a fairly complicated program for working with images. I recently decided I should assign my son the task of learning all the different things that can be done with this program. Then he can teach ME how to use the program better!

With doing all this work they have to print out TONS of stuff! It can get expensive to print so much stuff which makes me grateful for our business as we refill all our own ink cartridges.

MELANIE CHRISTENSON

Mason, Wisconsin, USA

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The Christenson website for ink refills is www.encoreink.com

On this website, Melanie also lists a free typing program on the Homeschool/Family section.

 

 

 

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Mothering Moments

I talked with some young mothers at a child’s birthday party. A mother of five young children, one a new baby, was full of guilt because she could not manage to spend individual time with each one of her children each day. She said she woke up guilty every morning, wondering how she could give enough attention to them. She was under the impression that she should give an hour of her time to each one individually every day.

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The Generation To Come

Our power and influence as parents, not only affects the destiny of the nation, but future generations. God not only sees the present generation, but future generations. He also wants us to have this mindset. He wants us to live our lives in the context of future generations.

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How We Taught Our Children To Work

Let's face it. There is a lot of work involved in running a house. The stream is endless: laundry, dishes, cooking, sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, mopping, cleaning windows, etc, not to mention all the other tasks associated with small children such as changing diapers, picking up toys and books. And if you are a homescooling family like us, it can be worse since our children are mostly home all day.

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Our Journey Out Of Debt

It’s one o’clock in the morning. The incessant humming of mosquitoes fills the air. I’m flashing the torch around our room searching for the culprits that have succeeded in making sleep impossible. I’m wondering how we’ll survive a steamy summer with even more of these unwelcome visitors. "There must be a sign on this net, "All you can eat smorgasboard!"

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Our Love Affair

At 18 years, my husband and I both left our childhood homes. As soon as we were old enough we married. Life, for the most part, has been like an incredible movie - romantic and fun.

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Against All Odds

As a young teen of 15 years I wondered about the truth of the Bible and the reality of heaven and hell. I didn’t receive satisfactory answers from my mother, my stepfather claimed to be an atheist so I prayed to the God I wasn’t sure existed. “God, I don’t know if you exist or not, but if you do, I don’t want to come to the end of my life and find out that I made the wrong choice.  So if one can know here on earth, I would like to know.”

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Pure In A Perverse Generation - No. 135

Luke 24:47, “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

We don’t use the word ‘remission’ very much in our society today, do we? The understanding of this Greek word, aphesis, means ‘to send away, the deliverance from the power of sin, although not from the presence of sin.’

For what reason did Jesus suffer, die upon the cross, and rise again? To deliver us from the power of sin! He has not chosen to deliver us out of this sin-sick world, but through the blood of Jesus that was shed for us, He has given us the power to live sanctified lives in the presence of this sinful world.  God forbid that we should limit the power of the blood of Jesus to keep us clean and pure in the midst of this evil world. Thank God frequently that He has forgiven your sins and for the power of the blood that keeps you cleansed from sin.

We need to also teach our children that Jesus came to bring remission of sins. It is our responsibility as parents to protect our precious “olive plants” and keep them from the wiles of the enemy. We protect them from evil people, we protect them from the lustful garbage on TV and from humanistic and ungodly education.

We do not do this to hide them away forever. We do it to establish them in a strong foundation in the ways of the Lord. We do this to prepare them for their future. We train our children in the sanctuary of our home in order to one day send them out into this sinful world --  to be lights in the midst of the darkness, to wave the banner of God’s truth in the midst of deception and to bring justice in the midst of perverted judgment.

This world is desperate for truth-upholding, sin-exposing, salvation-preaching, holy and  uncompromising believers, who will not hide away, but who will come out, filled with God’s Holy Spirit, and shine His light into the midst of the darkness.

Jesus said, “The world… hates me because I testify of it that its works are evil.” (John 7:7) Jesus did not compromise with the spirit of the world but testified against its evil. You, and even your children, will never be hooked into the world when you stand against it. Instead, you will be hated by the world. Again, Jesus said in John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” God has chosen us out of this world system, to go back into it with His love and truth.

You don’t have to live in a house in the country, away from civilization, to raise godly children. You can do it in the midst of your city street and evil all around you. God gave you His Holy Spirit to enable you to do this. He  promises in Deuteronomy 28:3 that He will bless you in the city and in the country, and he mentions the city first!

Most of our children were in their teens when we moved from the little country of New Zealand to pioneer and pastor a church on the Gold Coast, the tourist mecca of Australia. Our church was opposite the big Jupiter’s Casino and from the windows of our home we looked out upon it. I cried out to God that He would keep our children in the midst of this materialistic and evil environment where most people walk the streets scantily clothed and the topless sunbathers line the beach.

God answered and they came out on the offensive. The older children started open-air preaching in Cavil Mall. Rocklyn was only 13 years old, but in bare feet and jeans, he preached with power and passion and gathered crowds around to listen. Even 11 year old Pearl often preached with her little squeaky voice!

After most of our children were married, I remember one time lamenting to Howard, Evangeline’s husband that I pined for the days when all the children were still home and we sat around the family meal table together. His reply came as a rebuke to me, “Mother, didn’t you train them to send them forth as arrows into the harvest field?”

I have recently returned from a mission trip to orphanages in Liberia. As we left, four of the girls were crying profusely. “Why are they crying?” a returning missionary asked Tom Zackey, the team leader. “They are concerned about leaving their brothers in this war-torn country. The boys are going out to do evangelism in the bush.” “Isn’t that what you raised them for?” replied the missionary.

I am also thinking of David’s words in Psalm 23, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” We live in the midst of enemies. But in the midst of evil enemies all around us, God prepares a table for us. It is His divine presence. As we keep daily cleansed from sin and live in the presence of the Lord, we can live purely even in the presence of sin!

 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

 

PRAYER:

I thank you, Lord  for shedding your pure, precious blood to cleanse me from my sin. I thank you that you died to save and deliver me from sin. I thank you for your keeping power in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation.

 

AFFIRMATION: 

 

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Enough Hours In The Day? - No.26

Matthew 6:34, “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” 

Are you like me? I have so many visions, so many ideas, and so many things that I want to do but can never find the time to do them all. “If only I had more time! I need 48 hours in every day!” I would constantly repeat. But not any more!  I will no longer let these words pass my lips.

I was convicted about this recently when listening to a preacher who was also convicted of the same thing. He shared how he spoke similar words in the hearing of a dear old missionary who answered him, “Brother, God has given you 24 hours in every day. That’s all you need!”  Those words really spoke to me! If God wanted me to have more hours in the day, He would have provided more hours. What He has given is enough for each day. I work hard, but am now learning to be content with what I accomplish each day. It is never as much as I want, but it is enough in God’s eyes. 

Perhaps you find it hard to accomplish everything each day too. Maybe you have been frustrated as I have. Relax. Don’t get upset over what you can’t finish today. There’s another day tomorrow. In the light of eternity, it’s not going to matter whether you finish your task today or the next day.

Are you a home educating mother? I know that often you find it hard to get through all the teaching you have planned for the day.  Dear mother, God only expects you to accomplish what is possible in the hours He has given you. You don’t have to get everything done. Be content with what you can accomplish. There is a new dawn tomorrow. 

It is more important to set the right tone in your home and create an atmosphere of rest, peace and harmony, than to make everyone tense by getting through something just for the sake of getting through it. True teaching is not just finishing a lesson, it is taking time to make sure the child understands the lesson. One thing well learned is more effective than rushed lessons that are not understood, will be forgotten, or which are taught in a tense atmosphere. Just do what you have time to do. That’s all God expects.

There is no need to put expectations upon yourself or your children that God doesn’t put upon you. Listen to these words from Psalm 103:14, “He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” Isn’t that comforting? God understands our frame, because He is the one who created us. He created us with the ability to work for one day, not to put two days of work into one! 

Of course, there is no excuse for laziness and negligence. It is most important to set goals and a good idea to write your list for the day. Some mothers like to write their list the night before, others like to do it in the early morning quiet before they start the day. You will accomplish a lot more with a list. But remember, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t cross off everything on your list! I don’t think that I have ever been able to do this in my whole life.  Even if you cross off one or two things, you are accomplishing something.  When my children were little, sometimes I would only complete one extra task! At least it was better than nothing at all!

Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“I thank you, Father, that in your wisdom you have given us day and night for our blessing. You have given us the night to rest and the day to work. I thank you that you have given me the right number of hours for each day. Give me wisdom to use my days wisely. Help me to relax and not get upset when I can’t do everything I planned. I love you, Lord.”

QUOTE:

 

P.S. You may like to look to look up the poem, “One Day at a Time” by Annie Johnson Flint which is on the Above Rubies web page.

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