Thanks to a tip from my parents, Eric and I took Micah and Rachel to see the movie Up today. We'd both highly recommend it for both being family-friendly and having great lessons to talk about. I'd have to admit the 3-D was a fun twist. (It is a bit too intense for small children.)
If you like brass music, check out http://www.kingsbrass.org/. Tim Zimmerman and the Kings Brass was in concert at our church several years ago. I recently remembered them when Micah and Josiah were enjoying the 1812 overture from a Kindermusic CD, looked them up online, and ordered a couple of CD's. They are awesome!! If you live in Central IL and have no plans for tomorrow night, they are in concert at Gibson City Bible Church.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
easy, tasty recipes
Rachel and I have found that the recipes in Highlights' High Five Magazine are very kid-friendly. As we began planning to make some things together this summer, I found more recipes on their website. Check it out at:
http://www.highlights.com/mt/parents/activities_for_parents_and_kids/recipes_from_high_five/
http://www.highlights.com/mt/parents/activities_for_parents_and_kids/recipes_from_high_five/
Thursday, June 4, 2009
The Rebelutionaries
As I continue to read anything I can get my hands on about the teen years, I stumbled across this book by (teenagers) Alex and Brett Harris, Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations. Though written for teens, many adults could benefit from their message. Check out their website at http://www.therebelution.com/.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
back to Colossians as promised
A little sample of the three question method at work!
Colossians 1:1-2
Content:
Who and what: Paul (an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God), Timothy (our brother), brothers (saints and faithful) in Christ at Colossae, God (our Father), grace and peace to Colossians from God
Where: Colossae, we find out later Paul was in prison, Timothy also seems to have been there as Paul's companion though not fellow prisoner
When: not given in text, most scholars agree book was written in or around A.D. 60
Lessons:
-Paul's apostleship is by the will of God. Ponder for awhile all that this brings regarding the authority of the book and the Colossian church, who had never met Paul yet were expected to hear and apply what he wrote them especially regarding false teaching and the deity of Christ.
-Paul was an apostle by the will of God. As we serve the Lord, it is important to know we are in His will. Paul's encounter with God on the road to Damascus shaped the rest of his life and ministry. Our encounter with God's grace will also shape where we minister and what we spend our life pursuing for His kingdom's sake.
-Timothy was Paul's partner in ministry. We cannot serve God alone but need the help of others who are faithful to His service. Those partners will have a heart for God's work wherever it may take them and will be an encouragement to those they serve as well as those they serve with.
-The Colossians were regarded as saints and faithful brothers. Their faith was evidenced by changed lives, in this case faithfulness. The term "saints" reflected both their position before God and their practice before men.
-Grace and peace were given by God to the Colossians. We must have God's grace to experience peace with Him.
Application:
1. In what area am I serving "by the will of God?" This should not be some kind of service I dream up for myself, or sign up for reluctantly because someone has highlighted an area of need, but something that God has led me to do. It will be something for which He has prepared and equipped me uniquely, and will flow out my encounter with His grace on my life. Where can I serve and say, "Leah, a ________ by the will of God." (There is nothing too big nor too small if it is by the will of God!)
2. With whom will I begin to partner in ministry, or who is my ministry partner? Is there an area of service where I am trying to go it alone? Do I see someone else serving whom God is prompting me to get behind and support?
Just a scratch, digging with a spoon where I need an excavator. How deep is the truth of the word of God when it penetrates our hearts and thinking!
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..." (Col. 3:16)
Colossians 1:1-2
Content:
Who and what: Paul (an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God), Timothy (our brother), brothers (saints and faithful) in Christ at Colossae, God (our Father), grace and peace to Colossians from God
Where: Colossae, we find out later Paul was in prison, Timothy also seems to have been there as Paul's companion though not fellow prisoner
When: not given in text, most scholars agree book was written in or around A.D. 60
Lessons:
-Paul's apostleship is by the will of God. Ponder for awhile all that this brings regarding the authority of the book and the Colossian church, who had never met Paul yet were expected to hear and apply what he wrote them especially regarding false teaching and the deity of Christ.
-Paul was an apostle by the will of God. As we serve the Lord, it is important to know we are in His will. Paul's encounter with God on the road to Damascus shaped the rest of his life and ministry. Our encounter with God's grace will also shape where we minister and what we spend our life pursuing for His kingdom's sake.
-Timothy was Paul's partner in ministry. We cannot serve God alone but need the help of others who are faithful to His service. Those partners will have a heart for God's work wherever it may take them and will be an encouragement to those they serve as well as those they serve with.
-The Colossians were regarded as saints and faithful brothers. Their faith was evidenced by changed lives, in this case faithfulness. The term "saints" reflected both their position before God and their practice before men.
-Grace and peace were given by God to the Colossians. We must have God's grace to experience peace with Him.
Application:
1. In what area am I serving "by the will of God?" This should not be some kind of service I dream up for myself, or sign up for reluctantly because someone has highlighted an area of need, but something that God has led me to do. It will be something for which He has prepared and equipped me uniquely, and will flow out my encounter with His grace on my life. Where can I serve and say, "Leah, a ________ by the will of God." (There is nothing too big nor too small if it is by the will of God!)
2. With whom will I begin to partner in ministry, or who is my ministry partner? Is there an area of service where I am trying to go it alone? Do I see someone else serving whom God is prompting me to get behind and support?
Just a scratch, digging with a spoon where I need an excavator. How deep is the truth of the word of God when it penetrates our hearts and thinking!
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..." (Col. 3:16)
so serious
Today I helped a very excited 2 1/2 year old assemble a Thomas floor puzzle. When done, Josiah pushed himself back to get a good look. "Isn't it beautiful?" says he, shaking his head.
Monday, June 1, 2009
summer days
After school got out last Thursday, I took the kids directly to the library to sign up for the summer reading program. I have rarely seen Micah without a book in his hand since that morning! Rachel, too, has been reading more than usual, and playing with toys I haven't seen out for months. Three cheers for summer!
Josiah was afraid to touch it at first...I think the idea grew on him quickly.
Did I mention it is 7:45 a.m. and the kids are still in bed???
To go along with the reading program, I gave the kids bingo sheets with book titles I would like for them to read this summer. This keeps Micah from getting stuck in a Star Wars/dragon book rut and challenges Rachel to read some things she may otherwise not realize she can handle. There are 25 squares to mark off, and some of them are free choice. They get prizes for reading 5, 10, and all 25 books, easily coordinated with the prizes from the library reading program. For instance, the final prize is dinner out at a favorite restaurant, and Micah is planning to use his book bucks to buy a Chili's gift certificate at the library.
There are math facts to learn (with help from a program borrowed from Eric's sister), 4-H projects to start, writing journals, memory verses (one from each book of the New Testament)...and lots of restful summer days with bike rides, trips to the park and pool, the library program, and day camp ahead. It's great to have my school-age kids home again! And now I get to indulge a little in the homeschooling desires that still rage in my heart. They have come to expect a little academic work as much-anticipated part of each summer.
Rachel and Josiah enjoyed playing in shaving cream yesterday. This picture cracks me up; I didn't realize I'd also captured Micah reading in the background.
Josiah was afraid to touch it at first...I think the idea grew on him quickly.Did I mention it is 7:45 a.m. and the kids are still in bed???
Friday, May 29, 2009
not the road I anticipated
From the time my first son was born, I anticipated homeschooling my children. I read books, looked at magazines, scoured the library, ate and breathed homeschooling. Home was structured as a learning environment, and I did get to homeschool Micah through preschool.
All through those early years of my children being born and growing up into preschoolers, I simply assumed homeschooling was God's best way of educating children, so I never thought to ask Him what He'd like us to do. So it was rather odd when I woke up one winter morning just before Micah's kindergarten year with the strong impression that God had another idea.
God had been on the move in my life, so while I wouldn't necessarily counsel anyone to live by strong impressions, I did get on my knees, pull out my Bible, and searched out the mind of God on what He might be asking us to do. Eric and I talked, I visited the school whose name was on my heart and mind, and we wrestled over the decision. Finally, we enrolled Micah at Calvary Baptist Academy with much fear and trembling.
I remember the first day of kindergarten vividly. The teacher invited the parents to the classroom for a story, after which we had say goodbye, turn around, and walk out the door. I knew I'd left my son with a woman who would take great care of him (the woman who this year was Rachel's second grade teacher), but it was a separation I had not anticipated making so soon. The first day I dropped him off at school and watched him walk in on his own made my heart swell with pride and break at the same time.
Yet God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. After 5 years at CBA, I can see in many ways how God has blessed our family through my children's enrollment there. While I can't recount them all here, I can name a few. It has allowed me to participate in ministry that I feel as called to do as I might feel about mission work (not the reason this decision was originally made but instead an unexpected consequence of it), it has brought people and friends into my children's lives who have modelled the example and love of Christ to them, and has given them a firm foundation on which to build what I hope and pray will be godly lives. They've been stretched academically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Many friends and family members homeschool and as that is still where my heart is, I gladly support their amazing efforts. I hope I am less likely to judge anyone for their schooling choices so long as they are following God's call, for my view on homeschooling was very narrow before I felt God's leading in our own decisions.
With such a great experience at Calvary, it has been another hard year as we have again wrestled with how God is leading on Micah's schooling. How could we ever think of taking him away from such a positive learning environment? Yet in my heart and Eric's is a growing yearning for our children to learn to shine the light of Christ in the world in which we live. We want them to learn to make godly choices in their friendships, lifestyle choices, and Christian witness while they are still under our roof and influence. And I want them most of all to learn to engage our culture with the truth of Christ. Micah has expressed a desire to be a witness, and so again with much prayer, we feel God has guided us to enroll him in public school.
This morning we took a walk down to Prairieland Elementary to get a glimpse of the students at their play day. We were directed to the office where a friendly secretary greeted us and took us on an impromptu tour of the school. I had met with the principal a few months back for the same tour, but this was Micah's chance to see for himself just what he had to look forward to. His eyes began to take on some excitement as he looked over the library, computer lab, the classroom pods, the gym...and heard a few of the things 5th grade had in store. It seemed that wherever we went, we ran into kids and parents we already knew, and I observed teachers who really look into their student's eyes and care about them as a person.
I can't know where we are headed next! What did Moses' mother know of God's plan for him when she placed her infant son in a basket of reeds and watched him float away down the Nile? Yet I think her heart yearned for a few of the things God had in mind. God gave her son back to her for a time, back to Israel for a legacy. Had she held on to him as she would have desired, he would have been gone from her forever.
What a privilege it is to parent a child while placing him into the hands of God!
Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
Micah with Mrs. Hodge. I can't imagine how we could have done 4th grade without her! She set high standards in a loving way and the kids couldn't help but want to meet them. 
Rachel's awards for Book It and "Two peas in a pod," describing her relationship with her best friend at school.
All through those early years of my children being born and growing up into preschoolers, I simply assumed homeschooling was God's best way of educating children, so I never thought to ask Him what He'd like us to do. So it was rather odd when I woke up one winter morning just before Micah's kindergarten year with the strong impression that God had another idea.
God had been on the move in my life, so while I wouldn't necessarily counsel anyone to live by strong impressions, I did get on my knees, pull out my Bible, and searched out the mind of God on what He might be asking us to do. Eric and I talked, I visited the school whose name was on my heart and mind, and we wrestled over the decision. Finally, we enrolled Micah at Calvary Baptist Academy with much fear and trembling.
I remember the first day of kindergarten vividly. The teacher invited the parents to the classroom for a story, after which we had say goodbye, turn around, and walk out the door. I knew I'd left my son with a woman who would take great care of him (the woman who this year was Rachel's second grade teacher), but it was a separation I had not anticipated making so soon. The first day I dropped him off at school and watched him walk in on his own made my heart swell with pride and break at the same time.
Yet God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. After 5 years at CBA, I can see in many ways how God has blessed our family through my children's enrollment there. While I can't recount them all here, I can name a few. It has allowed me to participate in ministry that I feel as called to do as I might feel about mission work (not the reason this decision was originally made but instead an unexpected consequence of it), it has brought people and friends into my children's lives who have modelled the example and love of Christ to them, and has given them a firm foundation on which to build what I hope and pray will be godly lives. They've been stretched academically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Many friends and family members homeschool and as that is still where my heart is, I gladly support their amazing efforts. I hope I am less likely to judge anyone for their schooling choices so long as they are following God's call, for my view on homeschooling was very narrow before I felt God's leading in our own decisions.
With such a great experience at Calvary, it has been another hard year as we have again wrestled with how God is leading on Micah's schooling. How could we ever think of taking him away from such a positive learning environment? Yet in my heart and Eric's is a growing yearning for our children to learn to shine the light of Christ in the world in which we live. We want them to learn to make godly choices in their friendships, lifestyle choices, and Christian witness while they are still under our roof and influence. And I want them most of all to learn to engage our culture with the truth of Christ. Micah has expressed a desire to be a witness, and so again with much prayer, we feel God has guided us to enroll him in public school.
This morning we took a walk down to Prairieland Elementary to get a glimpse of the students at their play day. We were directed to the office where a friendly secretary greeted us and took us on an impromptu tour of the school. I had met with the principal a few months back for the same tour, but this was Micah's chance to see for himself just what he had to look forward to. His eyes began to take on some excitement as he looked over the library, computer lab, the classroom pods, the gym...and heard a few of the things 5th grade had in store. It seemed that wherever we went, we ran into kids and parents we already knew, and I observed teachers who really look into their student's eyes and care about them as a person.
I can't know where we are headed next! What did Moses' mother know of God's plan for him when she placed her infant son in a basket of reeds and watched him float away down the Nile? Yet I think her heart yearned for a few of the things God had in mind. God gave her son back to her for a time, back to Israel for a legacy. Had she held on to him as she would have desired, he would have been gone from her forever.
What a privilege it is to parent a child while placing him into the hands of God!
Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
Micah with Mrs. Hodge. I can't imagine how we could have done 4th grade without her! She set high standards in a loving way and the kids couldn't help but want to meet them. 
Rachel with Mrs. Heidebrink. Rachel wrote in her note, "You're the best teacher I ever had." I'm so blessed that both of the kids have been able to have her. She is FUN, a great teacher, and truly loves those kids!
Micah's awards for Book It!, scholarship, and the Voracious Reader award "for reading almost everything in sight."
Rachel's awards for Book It and "Two peas in a pod," describing her relationship with her best friend at school.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)