People tend to see the public schools as the enemy instead of a place where the enemy lives. It needs to be enveloped with the love of Christ. It is a battlefield and Christ does not call us, as adults, to withdraw into our Christian circles but to be warriors in an eternal battle for the souls of these children and their parents. At the same time, being examples of a fearless parent to our children, willing to advance the kingdom through discipleship and obedience on the battlefields of our home and our culture.

Are We Wasting What We've Been Given?

I have read articles and books about people in other countries and times in history and how they have suffered, and wondered why God put me in America in this time period. It just didn't seem "fair" that I would have it so well, while others suffered so horribly. These people used those horrible circumstances to bring glory to God and to give thanks in all things.
Joni Earekson Tada, a quadraplegic, says in her article for Answers Magazine, " I'm convinced my response to my wheelchair has a direct bearing on my capacity for joy,worship, and service in heaven. Of all the things I may waste here on earth, I do not want to waste my quadriplegia!" John Piper writes in his article "Don't Waste Your Cancer" on http://www.desiringgod.org/, about 10 ways to waste your cancer, to not utilize the crisis that God has put in your life for His glory.
I don't have any of those problems. Isn't it even more evident that I should not waste being an American? Having the liberty to share the gospel freely and in the public arena, including the schools? And taking advantage of opportunities that lay themselves at my feet?
God has put me in America in the 21st century to NOT waste what he has given me. He did not put me in America during the Civil War to be a part of the underground railroad, or in Berlin during World War II to hide Jews. But he has asked me to adopt a sibling group of five children, to share the gospel in the public schools and to trust Him more in ALL circumstances. I see everyday how I have wasted opportunities, my money and my time on things that just don't matter. Ellen Vaughn in Time Peace, tells us that "God gives us enough time each day to do His will for that day." We all are here in America for "such a time as this". How much of your time,which is given to you by God, are you wasting?


This blog is about ways that God has shown me to NOT waste the opportunities which have been given to us in America.



Saturday, January 23, 2010

Resources for growth

Here are some of the resources that our family has used over the years to instill biblical truths.

Wonder Devotional Books are good for elementary age kids from Child Evangelism Fellowship -http://cefpress.com/home.php?cat=7 - these books are great ways to learn about the basic attributes of God and the Trinity and learn to witness to others. As you advance through the series it becomes more dependent on the child to find the passage in the Bible.

Pray Kids- from Navpress-http://www.navpress.com/store/search.aspx?q=pray+kids -these are a great series to really help kids learn how to pray like Jesus prayed, how to prayerwalk, pray for the lost, intercession etc. There are over 20 different topics having to do with prayer. Their prayer cards are also fantastic. Even my teenagers like to do this series, it doesn't have be to be just for older elementary age kids.

Bible Study for All Ages worksheets- http://www.biblestudyguide.com/- Every page has a review section with either a time line or map and random questions from previous lessons to refresh and reinforce their memory on top of learning a new lesson. When you have finished with the whole series you will have read the whole bible! We are not finished with it yet, but we plug along doing 2 per week. (one side a day for homework. There are different levels of worksheets depending on the age and reading level of the child. You also HAVE to get their Song CD. The songs on there are awesome and make memorizing various items about the bible a cinch. We can riddle off the days of creation, sons of Jacob and all the judges in order!

Memorizing the Ten Commandments- I can say without a doubt that having a picture as a memory tool for the Ten commandments is fantastic. I have never been able to memorize them in order but now we all know them and it took just a few minutes to have them down!http://www.livingwaters.com/index.php?option=com_rokdownloads&view=file&Itemid=237&id=32%3Ateach-kids-the-ten-commandments&lang=en

Learn geography- we learn geography so that we know where missionaries are in the world and where there are people being persecuted for their faith. http://www.wartoft.nu/software/seterra/ is the geography game that we use, it is a downloadable so you don't have to worry about your kids being on the internet. I get the Voice of the Martyrs newsletter/updates every week and we subscribe and give money to Christian Aid and they have this wonderful prayer card that they send you every month. Being aware of the world in which we live and what is happening on the Christian front in other nations is so critical!

Book of the Bible Song- we learned the Cedarmont Kids song, but there are others available for free off the internet.

Book of Virtues- here is a free unit study by Shiver Academy for the Book of Virtues compiled by William Bennett- we just started this.http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ShiverAcademy/ scroll down right hand side until you get to Book of Virtues information.

This should be enough to get you started :)

I'll have more for you in another post

Blessings
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