Friday, May 27, 2011

A Year in the Life of a Homeschooler

With another school year under our belts, and books returned to “The Shelf” until I begin preparing for next year in another thirty days or so, I thought I could recap our year for you just a bit.

June 2010: “Yes, Ms. Arthur (our representative at the school district) I really want to work hard next year so I can graduate early – maybe even January!”

July 2010: “Wow, it’s July already? Mom, can I hang out at the pool today?”

August 2010: “Whaddya mean we’re starting school today?! Nobody else is doing school work in August!”

September 2010: “Can’t I just skip math? When am I ever gonna use this stuff anyway?”

October 2010: “Why do they always have to have PSAT’s in the morning?”

November 2010: “How many days do I get off for Thanksgiving?”

December 2010: “How many days do I get off for Christmas?”

January 2011:       CHRISTINE: “Can’t we just take one snow day?"
                                 ME:  "How about a one hour delay?"

February 2011: “Isn’t Valentine’s Day a holiday?”

March 2011: “How many days am I getting off for Spring Break?”

April 2011:       ME: “What are you doing?”
                           CHRISTINE: “Practicing my Greek alphabet.”
                            ME: “You take French.”

May 2011: “What’s a footnote?”

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

How Do Ya Like Me Now, Betty Crocker?

The fast food industry is an empire built on instant gratification.  Our society loves instant -- instant potatoes, instant auto tags.  When I was a kid we had jars of popcorn.  You had to get a pot, put in a little bit of oil, wait for it to heat to just the right temperature, put in the popcorn kernels, and wait until the very last pop.  If your oil was too hot or too cool?  Do over.  My kids would pass out if they had to wait for all that today!


We've even found incredible ways of improving on "instant."  As a kid, if I wanted to see The Wizard of Oz (Strike that, I never wanted to see The Wizard of Oz) -- but if I wanted to see Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, I had to wait until it came around on the Late Night Movie Show again, and hope I'd be allowed to stay up and watch it, or at least, Mom would be asleep and I could sneak it.  Then along came cable!  With channels that were nothing but movies, it increased our chances, like, tenfold!  Then, the end-all-to-beat-all, video.  Ooh, aah.  You could go to the video store (most were open 'till 11 on weekends!) and choose from a plethora of movies -- Drama, Action, Kids, Horror. Our video store in South Philadelphia even had two floors!  It was like Bass Super Stores for couch potatoes!


Then it happened.  The cable industry rebounded with "On Demand."  Then "Netflix."  Now Smart-phones make it possible to watch a movie anytime, anywhere -- instantly!

And yet...

It's still not as instant as the justification supplied us through the death of Christ on the cross.  The second -- the instant we turn our eyes to Jesus, we are His, He is ours -- and all that it brings with it.  Now that's "instant!"

Monday, May 23, 2011

Grace Upon Grace

Another word from Spurgeon:

I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. (Psalm 91:14)

"Does the Lord say this to me? Yes, if I have known His name. Blessed be the Lord, I am no stranger to Him. I have tried Him, proved Him, and known Him, and therefore do I trust Him. I know His name as a sin-hating God, for by His Spirit's convincing power I have been taught that He will never wink at evil. But I also know Him as the sin-pardoning God in Christ Jesus, for He has forgiven me all trespasses. His name is faithfulness, and I know it, for He has never forsaken me though my troubles have multiplied upon me.

This knowledge is a gift of grace, and the Lord makes it to be the reason why He grants another grace-gift, namely, setting on high. This is grace upon grace. Observe that if we climb on high, the position may be dangerous; but if the Lord sets us there it is safe. He may raise us to great usefulness, to eminent experience, to success in service, to leadership among workers, to a father's place among the little ones. If He does not do this, He may set us on high by near fellowship, clear insight, holy triumph, and gracious anticipation of eternal glory. When God sets us on high, Satan himself cannot pull us down. Oh, that this may be our case all through this day!"

From Me:

I know "Grace Hill."  "Grace Heights!"  For God does not aim low!  Just when I think my heart will burst, when I think God has given me the victory -- God gives more grace!  The redemption from death is mercy untold -- everything else is grace to us!  The food on our tables, no matter how sparse or plain it may be -- grace.  Our health, no matter how poor or painful -- grace.  The money in our pockets, no matter how little or great -- grace.  The opportunity to worship and serve, to give glory to the King of Kings, to obey and suffer with Him -- grace.  The privilege to turn to Him for strength even in our deepest grief and darkest of hours -- grace.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Live: At World's End

Beautiful day here in Post-Judgment.  Just hope everyone is enjoying this glorious Sunday morning as much as I.  I don't mean to gloat, beacuse I do feel truly sympathetic toward those who were led astray by Harold Camping and his blasphemy.  But...

1)  "The Bible says..."  We've heard more on the news, about the Bible and Bible prophesy in the last two weeks than we have in the last two years -- two decades.  PRAISE GOD!!!

2)  "Jesus said..."  How can these people be so easily swayed by a man, but reject the truth set down for us by God Almighty in His Word?  While I feel for lambs led to the slaughter, they should have been born a little higher on the food chain -- or at least, acted like it.  I shake my head in disbelief and pity at people who insist on following the words of a man, whether he claims to be preaching the Bible or not, but never check it out for themselves -- Huh? Good grief, we ask for a receipt when we buy $70 worth of gas!!  You don't look for verification before you quit your job? sell your house? give away your life savings?

3)  "Momma always said..."  There, but for the grace of God go I.  And that's the truth, Harold.