The Manly Stuff vs. The Girly Stuff

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Canadian TV is quite fun to watch. From Little Mosque on the Prairie commercials to the newscaster apologies in the form of “sorey” to the ‘McDoh-nalds doh-llar menu eh’ adverts, we Michiganders have all sorts of material from England and Canada to entertain ourselves with on the CBC network.

As most of you know (or are about to know), “Ho-key Neight in Canada” is a big deal. It’s apparently almost like watching football on Thanksgiving or taking your little son to baseball games. The commercials I see and blogs I read always imply that “hokey neight” is a major event. It’s the night where the guys gather around the TV, root for their favorite team and sweat it out until the end. If their team wins, it’s a serious ego booster. When their team loses, well… there’s always next week!

Growing up seeing these commercials never impacted me until a couple nights ago- when I got the sudden desire to watch a few minutes of this so-called grand and glorious sport.

So, the other night, I sat and I watched perhaps 30 or so men, (who looked more like heavily padded robotic red and white versions of Sasquatch); basically beat each other up on ice. At one point in the ten minutes I watched, three guys started beating on a fallen man with their hockey sticks! It was a battle to power, a fight to the finish- each team wanted to win very badly. I turned the channel in hopes of finding a somewhat calmer show to watch, such as the Greta lady on Fox or Rachel Maddow (I argue with her) on MSNBC.

My opinion: hockey is for men.

A couple nights later, my mom and I watched an ice dancing/skating showcase on the same channel. There was a beautiful performance to a romantic French song I am now playing on loop (“Je Suis Malade” or, “I Am Sick” – if you’re dying with curiousity) by a couple that skated expressively and rhythmically. The timing was perfect, the footwork carefully planned out in tune to the music. The crowd was on its feet by the end of the performance. I’d have to admit, I was made a bit silly by it, and it brought me back to my days as a ballerina dancing en pointe with other girls. I like that kind of stuff. It’s not violent, it looks pretty.

The next day, I began re-reading “Wrestling Prayer” by Eric and Leslie Ludy. In it, they talk of the mighty Christians who “manned up” and fought the spiritual battles. The remarkable life of David shows that God’s power is indeed real and the element of death defying faith is reasonable. Too often, however, modern Christendom leans towards the softer stuff, the girly attitudes that leave Christians picking spiritual flowers and spraying spiritual perfume to cover up smelly odors.

My little noggin’s cogs began turning as I began to think about hockey (or ho-key if you’re Canadian or haa-key if you’re like me) and how it was more of a genuine struggle for power rather than a carefully thought out, always graceful dance.

While God’s rulebook has given us everything we need to know about “doing” church, there’s really no set way to perform church or a certain ritual we should actually follow. If you pray first or last, it doesn’t matter. Just pray. If someone wears red instead of pink on Easter, it doesn’t matter. Be modest. God gives us a model, but too often we make up our own rules and traditions in attempt to make church attractive and more doable.

In hockey, there is a set point in which the game starts and ends, rules to follow and a goal to meet. God gives us rules to follow(and principles to guide us otherwise) and a goal to work toward, but he doesn’t give us every single step to life all at once. Our job is to prepare for the “games” the enemy will play. We learn how to spiritually skate, stop, block, and defend; pad our behinds,elbows, and heads; all in hopes of being ready.

Hockey, much like life, is spontaneous. Just like players in a game, we don’t know if #5 on the enemy’s side will come and attack us with his stick at some point, or how many goals we’ll make. God knows, but how often do people wake up and think “Hooray! I’m going to get in a car accident and die today!” People make plans for the future and have expectations as to what they will do, but they can’t tell you where they will be walking at 11:32 am tomorrow.

As a Church worldwide and local, we don’t treat life and our congregation as such. We’ve made church into more of a dance. It’s all about being ready for performance. We train our people to perform well, but our performances often block out the true idea of Church:  fighting to win the lost and fighting against the Devil!

Too often we’re like girly ice skaters, floating through the same rituals and habits, trying to put on a good show instead of fighting for our best possible walk with the Lord. We care more about wearing our floaty costumes (i.e. “Men about 16 years old should wear ties until noon.” What, is the morning more holy than the afternoon?) than getting suited up for some kind of spiritual battle (Does anyone remember how to put on the full armor of God?).

We all chant the verse about God looking on the heart, and how our heart should be above reproach… but don’t we criticize others for “looking” funny? Today I was criticized by nearly a dozen women who told me I didn’t look very spring-y. Some told me I was wearing fall colors (grey skirt, periwinkle shirt) and white shoes before Memorial Day was a blunder. Does it matter, ladies?

Instead of looking good and acting good, how about just being good with the Spirit’s guidance? If we all read the Bible for it’s worth, we wouldn’t need dumb humanist rules. We would be more prepared to lead because we aren’t butting heads over whether or not we should take on a janitor or paint the bathrooms green. The Church, if everyone could realize the power of the Spirit, would be a much happier place. I’ll admit, I greatly dislike going to church. All I see are self-absorbed, happy, shiny people who sit in pews, hash out cash, and are bent on getting “their” way with everything. The minute you do things differently, (even things like using a different room), you are questioned about your motives. Every Sunday, it’s the same. Three hymns, a couple prayers, and a sermon (that never varies from the topic of salvation). It’s predictable as the sunrise! We don’t even think about what we’re doing… just as long as it looks good.

Imagine what power could be tapped if everyone pitched in and gave it their best- not for the sake of performing, but for the praise of Christ? What if everyone suddenly had the attitude of manning up in their spiritual life and devoted a passion for the truth to winning souls to Christ? We aren’t seeing lost people wander into churches nowadays- and if the lost were to sit in a pew and listen, none of the “get saved” jargon would make sense.

The Church, stuck in a different era, is still acting and training people for a world that is imagined to be an ice-skating rink… when the ideas and worldviews reinventing themselves today make the world to be more of a hockey rink.

So Christians, how about we stop caring about things that really don’t matter (like what so and so is wearing or where to set the flowers on Resurrection Sunday) and get back to things that do matter (like studying Church history, paying attention to intellectual thinkers, reciting the old creeds, and binding up the brokenhearted)? We should stop acting like little girls dancing around for fun on an ice rink and start fighting seriously like men on the hockey arena.

More thoughts on evangelical-soft-headed-ness to come. I’ve been thinking a lot about how ‘emotional‘ and ‘exciting‘ people make church and other religious experiences to be. I think it could all be attributed to the Great Awakening and the ideas that propelled it.

they’re rebellious and i’m loving it

I was on an extremely secular college campus last week. I am planning to gain college credit by CLEP-ing every two weeks at this college, which means I’ll be there often…

Upon arrival, the place looked respectable, with a postmodern art sculpture outside and plants everywhere. As I walked inside, the smell of cigarette smoke mingled with the indoor Subway, loud music blared and people were dancing on the tables. Teachers and staff in inappropriate clothing joined in the fun, stealthily grabbing food from the Subway and throwing it around. A guy walked around with a large portable karaoke system and described every woman he walked past.  Some random guy called out BINGO numbers to no one in particular. I was able to find one staff member watching two homosexuals “interact”; and asked her for directions to the testing center. “Don’t take the stairs, they are not safe,” she cautioned me first.

As I waited for the elevator to take me up to the testing floor, some black guy in an oversized letter jacket saw my Star-Of-David necklace and called me a ‘(expletive) Jew-lover’.

The place was a zoo. I’ve heard of such things ever since I was youngin- college campuses are for wild parties, college campuses are for goof offs, college campuses are godless folks who want to avoid deep thinking… the list goes on.

We see the secular mindset overtaking people everywhere. It seems rampant, especially in places like this.

I also saw a student services board that clearly defined the topic I’m continuing on: demographics. The said board had numbers and addresses of relevant services for students. One under women’s services was the local Planned Parenthood, located conveniently 1-1/2 miles from campus.

It seems bleak to see such behavior, to notice troubling (literal!) signs, to hear things some liberals say. But… aren’t they aborting their offspring? What type of people are having babies?

From my observations:

-In Shipshewana, IN; I played a game with myself all day to count heads in Amish family buggies, broods of kids in flea markets, and families in stores. Most buggies had 3 to 5 kids in them.

-In our Christian homeschool group, I went through the directory and counted kids per family, then averaged the number out. I came up with 4.36.

-At a Christian camp I went to this summer, 1/3 of the people came from families with 5 or more kids. They were all “average” Christian people, too.

-My friends from a particular activity I did when in school were all unsaved/humanistic in thinking. Some were only children, others were the eldest of 2 or youngest of 3, but never more than that. My friend “Yvonne” was teased about her large family of 4 kids.

The point I want to make is simply: The secular folks aren’t having enough kids. Look who is. Though the humanist scholars are producing disciples now, these disciples won’t produce kids later.

What does that mean?

‘Live With Purpose’ (a tidbit of Chapter 1 of my book)

How often do we think ‘September thoughts’? “Since the school year is starting, I will do ____” or “I can have 30 weeks to study ____ a little bit more.” It’s easy to think we can let our schedules and circumstances determine our life; to help our future along. It’s like living on autopilot: letting social life, full calendars, games, appointments, and homework become our purpose for living. And for us college women and beyond, it’s easy to think housework and college and chores is all that’s worth living for.

These activities are all worthy and many are necessary to living. Chores need to be completed. Homework must be finished. Doctors need to be seen. Teeth need to be filled. It’s life.

But, when we start to look to our calendars to determine what’s next, our lives are set to live on autopilot. And when a huge change comes (like graduation, for example), we aren’t sure what we’re supposed to do. We feel lost, like our social life has been stripped away; we feel like we have no reason to exist: like we have no purpose… like God has taken everything we liked to do away!

I confess I used to live on autopilot. Looking to the next thing on the list to determine what I should do. It is how we young single women start to feel discontent when we’re 18 or 21 or 30 and not married- or even seeing anyone. We’re too used to everything coming at us in an orderly fashion, being in control of our lives. When things like a job, marriage, or college don’t come our way, the discontentment sets in.

In reality, God is not taking anything away from us. WE are living without purpose.

“Our hearts are restless, Lord, until they rest in You.” Saint Augustine

So often, we’re caught up in living life to simply live life, we forget what we’re here for. We were made for God, not the next big thing! It is only when we live for God do we genuinely begin live vibrantly, wholly, and fully.

How do we do that?

Well… that’s what my book is all about!

Free To Be Me?

K Love is a CCM station that doesn’t proclaim itself to be Christian. I find myself listening to it anyway. The music is quite seeker-oriented, which isn’t all bad, but seeking God seems to be a new ‘fad’ among the church. Finding Him and staying put with Him? Not so much.

Anywho, there’s a song that totally goes against God’s word. It’s called Free To be Me

Here are the lyrics, questionable content in bold with commentary at the bottom

At twenty years of age I’m still looking for a dream
A war’s already waged for my destiny
But You’ve already won the battle
And You’ve got great plans for me
Though I can’t always see

(Chorus)
‘Cause I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
On my own I’m so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see
I’m free to be me

When I was just a girl I thought I had it figured out
My life would turn out right, and I’d make it here somehow
But things don’t always come that easy
And sometimes I would doubt

(Chorus)

And you’re free to be you

Sometimes I believe that I can do anything
Yet other times I think I’ve got nothing good to bring
But You look at my heart and You tell me
That I’ve got all You seek
And it’s easy to believe
Even though cause I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
On my own I’m so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see
I’m free to be me

Lookin’ for a dream? Why should a Christian be following his own pursuits? “Not my will, but thine?” 

Perfection is my enemy? “be perfect, as your Father in Heaven is perfect?” Your Father in Heaven is perfect, so He’s your enemy, apparently. Perhaps she means by herself, perfection is her enemy. Doesn’t quite come across that way.

I’m free to be me? So when you hop on God’s shoulders (which I’ve never heard of doing???), you can be whoever you want to be? Gays could use this song to make their point they were born that way…

I’ve got all You seek? God is SEEKING YOU? Whoa! The Holy Spirit can grab ahold of your heart, but God is as close as you want Him to be… Besides, aren’t we all slaves to the flesh? You’re saying God is seeking us? This song just gets crazier and crazier…

It’s easy to believe? From my experience, I have to think like a little kid sometimes to have faith in God. If it’s easy to believe God is seeking you…

This may sound a l’il weird to some of you who come from a charismatic background. But, if you think about it, what is the theme of the song?

Me. ME.

Yes, the gospel makes us more human. But a song of “praise and worship” like that one leaves me wondering if the worship is of self.

Hmmm…

“I must become less, so He can become great.”

I have nothing against the woman who wrote this song, but her theology could use some Ephesians.

Speaking of theology, I peeked through the Left Behind series the other day. We have three or four sets of the entire series in our church library. Whoa! Those authors assume too much and add very little for Christian- much less the unbeliever who may read them. It’s cool to imagine what will happen, but the theology behind those books is waaaay too warped. I’m glad I haven’t read them. The story looked riveting, but the theology? Read the Bible instead!

The armor of God…

…should be used in full. Most people put on just the helmet of salvation and leave it at that. Might I ask how you’re going to withstand fiery darts from Satan without a shield?

Maybe that’s why many people don’t change after salvation. They go back to their old habits because they aren’t preparing for battle.

Ephesians 6: 13 ESV- Take up the WHOLE armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

INCH

Well, I’m not so flighty after all. I’m actually posting about INCH!

{grin}

Today, I heard a glorious two hours of Leslie Ludy, talking about femininity as it ought to be. Nothing new, but my fading vision for what my future could be was renewed; my perceptions of what I am going to make myself changed.

I’m not going to make myself great.

God will- but only if he chooses.

It’ s alright to dream about some tall, dark, handsome guy to come sweep me off my feet and take me to Israel someday to spread the gospel to the Jews and Arabs living there. It’s alright to dream about making a little house into a home with tons of kids (to help with the demographics). It’s okay to dream about getting a husband smarter than me… though people tell me it won’t happen and a mean little voice in my mind asks me “what if you never marry?????MWHAHAHAHAHAHA.”

 It’s okay to have desires. But God made those desires. He knows them so much better than I do.

Wow.

Who wouldn’t surrender them to God?

But girls, I’ve fallen away from that trust. I haven’t exactly taken the pen out of God’s hand, but I have nearly forgotten about the commitment I made several years ago to live passionately for God every day- including the days of singleness that stretch on unbending in my future.

So I’m going to try again and remember to do live passionately EVERY day. Not just once or twice a week, but EVERY day. I needed that kick in the pants. Or knock on my thick head. Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in doing, not worshipping. I want to bring that feminine mystery back into my life. I can’t imagine how I lost it. Or wanted to.

After two full hours of the true gospel, true beauty, and true feminine grace; I was able to meet and talk with one of the people I look up to in faith… Leslie Ludy. (Apparently, she pronounces it Less-lee instead of what we say- LeZZ-lee) It was a lovely little chat, though it lasted only 3 or 4 minutes. Girls, she really means what she says in her books! You can see how deeply she wants the girls of today to embrace the great faith of yesterday. The gospel, though old, is never changing!

Then, I went to hear Dr. Voddie Baucham, who helped me learn a little more about kids and their attitudes. I’m barely “growned upped”- but I sure forgot how kids act. I needed to hear that. His  Family Discipleship was an applicable lesson on kids and authoritie, the instituions that shape us, and the people who try to tear us down. I highly recommend his “Family Driven Faith.”

I did take notes that session right in my dashboard. Wrong call.

I lost the internet connection, and hence my notes.

Ouch.

After that, I heard several more sessions by the Ludy couple, soaking up all the insights they shared. We talked about what God is to be in our lives (My portion, my redeemer, my maker, my deliverer, my salvation… among 60 and some other things).

After buying the book “Why We’re Not Emergent…by two guys who should be”, I settled into another session with Voddie Baucham. This guys has a sense of humor. He really does.

Whilst making fun of home educators who start school the same day ‘government mass academia institutions’ begin, he yelled out in his BIG, booming voice “Repent!” (clapping) Silence. “If you can’t say amen, you oughta say ouch!”

Tomorrow, I’m gearing up for some Phylicia Duran, some Ludy, some Baucham, and some Phillip Telfer.

Now, I am going to attempt to get what resembles a good night’s sleep.

In a hotel.

I can try…

Oh Joy! Quotes and Notes!

~~Little Paragraphs and Deep Thoughts, Big Facts and Scrawly Notes That Churn ’Round In My Noggin~~

“Legalism is merely the futile attempt to do in our own strength what the Spirit of God means to accomplish on our own behalf.” ~ Leslie Ludy Set Apart Femininity

The form in which ideas are expressed affects what those ideas will be. (The MEDIUM is the METAPHOR) ~ Neil Postman Amusing Ourselves To Death

If you asked 2o good men today what they though was the highest of the virtues, 19 of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you had asked almost any of the great Christains of old, he would have replied, Love. You see what has happened? A negative term has been substituted for a positive, and this is of more than philosophical importance. The negative idea of Unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not of primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves, as if our abstinence and not their happiness was the important point. I do not think this is the Christian view of Love. The New Testament has lots to say about self-denial, but not about self-denial as an end in itself.  ~ CS Lewis, The Weight of Glory

It is a sin to be dumb! ~ John Stonestreet- Summit lecture

A real woman is a woman who recognizes that she has been exquisitely and perfectly created by a loving God for a unique purpose. Out of geniune gratitude, awe and a desire to please her Maker, a real woman joyfully embraces her femininity and submits every aspect of her identy to God’s original and unique design for her…Unlike feminists, we know God’s design for women. This gives us the upper hand. Will we use it? ~ Elizabeth Botkin So Much More

America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within. ~ Josef Stalin (from the opening of the documentary, Agenda) And what’s happening in our world???

The flood of rampant homosexuality will not ruin a nation. Why? Because rampant homosexuality is a sign that the nation is already ruined! ~ John Stonstreet Summit lecture

Godly womanhood, the very plance sounds strange in our ears. We never hear it now. We hear about every other type of woman: beautiful women, smart women, sophisticated women, career women, talented women, divorced women. But seldom do we hear of godly women- or of a godly man either, for that matter. We believe women come nearer to fulfilling their God-given funtion in the home than anywhere else. It is a much nobler thing to be a good wife, than to be Miss America. It is a greater acheivement to establish a Christian home than it is to produce a second rate novel filled with filth. It is a far, far better thing in the realms of morals to be old fashioned, than to be ultra modern, The world has enough womee who know how to be smart. It needs women who are willing to be simple. The world has enough women who know how to be brilliant. It needs some who will be brave. The world has enough women who are popular. It needs women who are pure. We need women, and men too, who would rather be morally right than socially correct. ~ Peter Marshall

When God’s Spirit is given His rightful place in a young woman’s life, He transforms her personality to reflect His beauty… He can overtake any kind of personality. . .You decrease, so that He might increase…~  Leslie Ludy The Lost Art of True Beauty      (This book was a great book for me. I tend towards shy, and for the first time, I realized I could go outside of myself- types are just types… but I recently went to http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp to take a personality test anyway. The test revealed my weaknesses and strengths. I am an INTJ – Which type are you?)

The Baha’i faith believes in one God, but there are many ways to seek/experience God. Minimize theological differences and work together for harmony of faiths, freeing slaves and seeking justice. Affirmative action. Socail Justice. Service to humanity is highest goal. Baha’i believes in one God in one person- unitarian theism- it’s roots are in Islam, but they also accept YAH, Jesus, and Brahma as the same person- these are just other names. ~Len Woods      (Is the new Zach Hunter “Be the Change” movement founded in Baha’i? Whether he knows it or not, unknowingly, yes. The affirmative action movement is combining various religions to do things in God’s name. Is there a way to do hard things the wrong way? Yes! Baha’i followers will be among those to whom God will say “Depart… I never knew you…” Pluralism is one of the worst of the false worldviews).

To understand reality is not the same as to know about outward event. The best informed man is not necessarily the wisest. The wise man will seek to acquire the best knowledge- to recognize the significance in the factual is wisdom. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer (He is a good writer, and I like his “Cost of Discipleship”, though his theology on salvation was messed up…)

“We live in a dictatorship of relativism… what people say and do becomes normal, but not right.” ~Scott Klusendorf.

“Waiting for Godot is the Humanist’s dream. It’s about two guys waiting for a friend who never comes. Notice what the friend’s name is… GODot.” John Stonestreet on Beckett plays. (Seriously, look them up. They are hopeless)

“For I seek not to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order I can understand, study, and learn. “

Ideas have history, they come from somewhere. Ideas have feet, they will go somewhere. Ideas have consequences: they will do something to you or for you. Doc Noebel

If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out it has no meaning. Just as if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would have no meaning. ~ CS Lewis

In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair. The sin that believes in nothing cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, remains for nothing, and has nothing for which it will live for or die. ~Dorothy Sayers (Sounds like Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World- a place so hedonist and so limited by… love)

This so-called tolerance is nothing but a huge indifference.  ~Alexis de Tocqueville

“We are all part of one. Intellect is error…” ~Bhagwhan Shree Rajneesh - (Haha If we are all part of ‘one’, how did we get away from that oneness into many religions? Just asking, Mr. Rajneesh)

Sloppy language makes sloppy thought possible. ~Michael Bauman

Be the first you, not the second me. Education is learning to think, indoctrination is teaching you how to think. ~Michael Bauman.

The probability of life originating from an accident is comparable to the probability of the unabridged dictionary resulting from an explosion in a print shop. ~ Edwin Conklin

He that knows nothing will believe anything.

If God wants to use you, he wants to use the real you. Not the person you want to be. God doesn’t use imaginary people. He wants you to be who He made you. Christians should not feel guilty by this… they are fogiven. What we feel is conviction.  Rowan Gillson (IPS)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read as many books as you can- I often wander the aisles of the library and pull of non-fiction books, take them home, and read them completely. You’ll never know how much you can know until you start to learn.

Pressure To Just Let Things Go…

Yikes.

Don’t ever get 12 inches of snow.

Ever.

On top of previous totals.

I think I spent 4 hours shoveling yesterday. At least my snow removal business is booming.  At least I burned over 1500 calories.

Oh yes, I’m used to a fresh inch or two of snowfall overnight that just dusts off your car every morning…but 12 inches at once. Sigh.

Any whoo, I did my devotions this morning with Lydia Brownback’s “Trust” (I got all four in her series for Christmas). It talked about clearing sin and putting faith fully, openly in God.  I sat down at my desk and began to write this post when I was through:

When you get snowed on (like what happened here), the first thing you should naturally do is dig yourself out. If you don’t, you won’t get very far. You’ll sit and spin your tires, and not go anywhere.

But it can get worse.

When snowplows go by, the end of your driveway gets 2 or 3 feet of extra snow piled in, making passage impossible. The end of your driveway is the outlet to freedom…but when the little red truck with a giant blade swipes the snow in your way, you end up (as in our case) with 2 1/2 feet of snow blocking freedom.  Dig yourself out.

The same goes for sin. Let me tell that little tale again.

When you start to backslide and let your faith go,  the only thing you can do is choose to stop being complacent and lazy and get growing again. If you don’t do anything and choose to ignore the Holy Spirit’s prompts,  you’ll go nowhere. You sit and whine that you don’t feel as on fire for God as you once did. You start living for yourself. How wonderfully useful your life becomes (not). Your faith is your outlet to the narrow way. Let your heart harden, and your faith stands still, the sin piles up, blocking the way to knowing God intimately. There is no freedom in this! It is up to you to CHOOSE to obey the little voice in your head. The voice that is saying “Come back!”

You can dig yourself out of the pit with asking for forgiveness and for a desire to grow.

This pressure comes from Satan, who is always looking stunt someone’s spiritual growth.

I know I’ve been feeling this pressure lately. I haven’t been keeping up with studying the 1,000 verses I’ve set out to memorize. I’m only at 77 at the time of this writing. I’m about 10 behind. I’ve also felt the temptation to read romance novels very strongly as of late. See the connection? I did, and I’m working hard at getting passages in my head again!

On the lighter side, my dad made cookies this past Sunday for the first time… and nobody died {yet}!

Also, I know some of you have done Mrs. Morecraft’s writing course a few months ago. Well, I hear she’s having a new course soon! I’d like to do this, but it looked kind of … umm, confusing? The syllabus was all relating to food (language and eating… is there a connection?), and her style came across as eccentric. (Like she’s a few fries short of a happy meal) But, what I was able to understand looked like it was worth looking into. So, what was your opinion of the past class, what’s she like, did you learn anything, and are you doing the next part? I’d like to know!

Pressure to Give Up

Discouragement. What an awful word! It’s not a very easy word to have embodied in real life.

Why do we get discouraged?

Because we’re not seeing results as we’d like to see them.

Maybe you began a weight loss program for the year, and have only lost two pounds so far. Or you decided to memorize a Bible chapter a week, and are stuck on the third verse of the first chapter! Or maybe you lead a Sunday school class, and the kids ignore what you’re saying and aren’t learning anything.

If you’re like me, you like to see results, tangible evidence that what you’re doing – or having done- is working. You want to know you’re reaching others, doing things right, and affecting others. Press on!

It seems God likes to show His power in other ways in my life. Instead of letting me see ahead, he takes it one step at a time. Some of my friends needed to raise money for something, and they sent prayer letters, and got an enormous response. I didn’t send a letter, and there was no way I could get that kind of money. It was discouraging, and I wanted to give up right there. But, a few weeks later, a certain amount of money, exactly what I needed, came in the mail from none other than the IRS.

Awhile ago, I felt like closing the blog. You see, I know a lot of people read the blog because of my hit numbers everyday. But, very few of you ever comment. I felt really discouraged at the time, I so began to wonder: maybe I’m writing what has already been written, and, maybe I’m just entertainment for a bunch of liberal’s liberals. I like to see results, to know what’s in people’s heads, and I still don’t know why most of you don’t leave feedback! But in any case, I learned to overcome that hurdle by accepting the fact I get the numbers. I learned to be content with just that.

That’s a huge, difficult lesson to learn. Sometimes our discouragement comes when we refuse to accept any progress as good. I used to get 5 visitors a day when I first started! I praised God for the number of people subscribed and left it at that. So, praise God you’ve lost those two pounds. That’s two pounds closer to your goal! Shrug off the fact you’re struggling to memorize. That’s okay. That’s a few more verses than you knew before. You’d be surprised that those kids at Sunday school might have learned something after this long. It happens to me a lot at my study group. Occasionally I’ll get told by a girl that a lesson (a lesson 45 weeks ago) really stuck with her!

But what if something really is a lost cause?

Don’t hold onto something that wants to run away. After reading the book Already Gone, I began noticing kids at church who fit the description in that book perfectly. It happened when I was fill-in teaching Jr. Church. We talked about helping others, and encouraging others. We made cards for a lady who had had surgery, and took turns praying for her. But, when a young boy’s turn came, he refused to pray. “I HATE God, I don’t like being here. It’s stupid.” Most of the kids were shocked, as was I. How do you respond when you feel like a failure?! Sometimes, kids really are a lost cause. The only thing you can do about it is pray. When your ministry that once went well falls off the edge, pray. When you lose hope that your mother will ever get better, pray. When the bill comes that you can’t pay, pray. When you feel so lonesome and guilty, pray. Prayer is the weapon of the church.

The valley of discouragement will come, but God will always be faithful. He provide you with the most wonderful hope! He will lead you through these uncertain and discouraging times when you feel like a failure to make you realize it’s not all about you. Remember what God did for you! He saved you from hell- you did not save yourself. When you run the race with perseverance, it’s not for lost cause. Anything done truly for Him is going to receive a reward- maybe not now, but very soon. I can’t wait for heaven! (not that I would kill myself just to go early…) But, I can’t wait to see all of the people affected by the ripple effect of any ministry I’ve been involved in. To know that some people may be in heaven because of simple obedience to God through times when I wanted to give up, oh! That’s wonderful feeling. No results now? Expect them later!

Pressure To Be “Smart” and “Successful”

A good education [through books, documentary, magazines, sermons, teachers, elders, and the like] provokes thought.

The teachers don’t think for you.

They don’t shove watered down indoctrination down your throat.

They let you do the thinking.

They let you decide for yourself what conclusion makes sense.

If you’re not asking good questions, you’re not thinking. If you’re not thinking, you’re not getting educated.

It’s that simple.

Colleges really don’t care if you exit their campus  with knowledge. They want your money and your heart sitting obediently in their laps. Universities divide and conquer by belittling, student “organizations” and the coveted A… which is only placed on the papers that spit back what your professor told you.

Colleges are out to indoctrinate you- they aren’t big promoters of free thinking and speech. Look at all the colleges that have hate speech codes! The college campus is a dictatorship of relativism, a horrible dominion or atheism, with a whatever floats your boat, goes. {exception: Christianity} You won’t find the dean very sympathetic to your complaints of low grades on biology papers. They won’t tolerate your ‘intolerance’ (which, by the way,  is intolerance).

The University was once a pinnacle point to be if you wanted to become a thinker… a free thinker… but now, they are places for liberals to produce minions,  the young to learn Communist doctrine, and a haven evolution studies.  If you think about the whole open-minded, tolerant issue, they are the ones that are narrow minded and intolerant!

Because we hold college so high on our list of great things to do, success becomes synonymous with a piece of parchment with words that mean “Sue Public is educated.”

Let me tell you about some people who didn’t attend university, but became great leaders, thinkers, and speakers. Some of these people have character that is amiable, people I’d like to be like…

Abraham Lincoln~ Even though he started the whole tax thing, the admirable Mr. Lincoln’s fight against slavery and steadfast faith in God is what got him to the Civil War Presidency.  Not a degree. President Lincoln was a first rate speech giver, though quiet and thoughtful by nature.  This man self taught himself trigonometry and algebra, and simply read books to become a lawyer. That’s thinking.

Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin~ Homeschooled authors of So Much More, co-stars of Return of the Daughters and Homeschool Dropouts did not attend college.

Andrew Jackson~  This US president was homeschooled and taught himself law, made it to congress, and was a judge.

Ben Franklin ~ A little eccentric in his style, Ben Franklin never went to school! His mother and father taught him, later on he learned through discussion with the people in his city.

Christopher Columbus~ Be thankful that this guy had the initiative to studiy maps and geography, figures and languages, because without that, he might not ever had made it the “Indies”. Perhaps we would be European? Though he didn’t discover America, as the fable tells us, he did discover the fact of another continent.

Henry Ford~ He didn’t invent the car, but he did invent the assembly line. This man who grew up just miles from my house didn’t even think to go to college, and studied human actions and time saving qualities until he came up with the assembly line!

Joyce C Hall~ Started Hallmark Cards after spending his time working odd jobs to supplement the family’s income. His faith in God propelled him to step out in faith selling cards… and eventually he started the business. He never went to college, but studied some business on the side

Rachael Ray ~ Though she annoys me to kingdom come, it is amazing that she never went to college, attended culinary school, or took a formal cooking class. She taught herself.

Sarah Mally~ Founded Bright Lights, a discipleship group for girls; leads Strong in the Lord Conferences; and wrote a book. Never went to college, and the same with her brother and sister, whom she wrote another book with.

Thomas Edison~  This guy was homeschooled, and worked on the railroad at age 12. Studied subjects that interested him, which developed into the invention of the movie camera, lightbulb, and others.

There are so many more degree-less people out there who are just as smart (or smarter) than those with degrees!

Going off to college is actually not Biblical. Sure, young adults back in the day went to a group learning session or two a week, but it didn’t require them learning away from home and living at the school. They came and went and weren’t required to believe everything that their teachers did. The teachers were elders who were wise, skilled, and old: with lots of experience behind them. This is the best kind of teaching! If they wanted to learn specifics, they did live with a relaitve or dear friend who knew a lot about the subject at hand.  Don’t leave your father’s house to go live in a place full of deceivers and mockers. Why should a Christian girl purposely immerse herself with these kind of people?

There are alternatives to going to live on a college campus. Here are some things that help you gain knowledge the right way!

1. College Plus ~ a system that I am planning to do once I graduate this spring. This is an online course through Thomas Edison State and Bryan Colleges. Using CLEP tests and distance learning, you stay at home and work through your own pace. I’ve heard of some people who get their degree by age 15, 16 or before they graduate! When I first heard that, I was shocked, thinking “But they are too young!”

That is the wrong kind of thinking. Just because you’re 18 it doesn’t make you magically ready for higher learning! That is the Darwinian view that “young can’t understand because they haven’t evolved…so we need different levels- segregated by knowledge…” or the Communist view of “divide and weaken, then conquer…” (This is why churches have 5th grade Sunday school, 4th grade Sunday school… break up the family, weaken the church) Age doesn’t equal smarts!

2. Ask to have an elder, wise person to write down things that they wished they’d known at your age. This is very helpful. There are a lot of older ladies at my church who randomly give me great (and I mean GREAT) advice! Our church has a mentoring ministry for older to teach the younger. Though I think parents should teach the topics, I think it’s nice for those who have families who won’t teach their kids. Some topics our church covers are: canning, sewing/mending, knitting/crocheting, mechanics, gardening, cooking/baking, home repair, etc.

3. Start a home journal with recipes, ideas for cleaning and design, notes to self in the future… focus on your home!

4. Do an internship! I’ve applied to go intern with the Mally family in Cedar Rapids IA this summer. If I am accepted, (which I am praying fervently that I am!!), I will gain experience in running a business, organizing conferences, leading ministry effectively and efficiently, and other little things like sharpening my initiative (living away from parent’s reminders to do my laundry, haha), improving budgeting, and smart grocery shopping. I will be living away from home, but it is with a very strong Christian family who will support what my parents have taught me and strengthen my walk with God, not tear down or mock. This is ideal! I have several friends who are going to internships this summer. A few are going to intern at the Michigan capitol as assistants to state house reps, one is going to the Associated Press for a photography course, one is going to work with a designer, one is going to live at his friend’s farm and learn farming all summer, and another is going to a local photography business and still living with his parents. There are so many internship opportunities out there, and the best news is, many of them are free or of little cost!

5. Read. Read. Read some more. Read again and again and again. Don’t’ just read anything. Read something that’s got something profitable in it. Then read it again. And again. Until you know the book so well you could explain the whole gist of it to another person. I re-read all of my hundreds of books at least three times through the whole year. (If I get accepted for that internship, I may haul a bunch out with me) I am always carrying a good book around with me. I started a book blog for that purpose:

6. Community college- You stay at home and attend classes during the day or evening. Most of the graduates from my church attend a community college, and it works well. The only downside is, you may have a prof who thinks you’re stupid because your faith. Since you are near to your parents and church, you’ll be able to go home and discuss possible rebuttals – easy!

7. Ellerslie School of Honor ~ This is like a Christian college without being a real college. There is no writing, math, or geography or whatever else ‘real colleges’ teach. Eric and Leslie Ludy teach you about living the Christian life and remaining set apart- it lasts for an entire semseter. I’d like to go here someday!

8. Summit Semester/Oxford ~ Study in Oxford or in CO, but this is a more academic semester for serious student who want to think. I know a couple people who’ve done this, and they said they started out asking a couple of questions every day- and left asking hundreds every day. It really got them thinking! Plus, the teachers often won’t give you straight answers, they direct you to a pile of books to bring yourself to a conclusion.

9. Rivendell Sanctuary~ This is relatively new, so you may want to check out their website. This is a basics course, and there are opportunities to study abroad. I’ve heard it’s like Summit Semester… only in Minnesota (no mountains?! oh man…)

10 Attend a lot of conferences throughout the year. Homeschooling conferences usually don’t care if you’re a graduate, and you can learn a lot about teaching kids just by sitting in on some of the parent’s sessions. I’ve always loved going to conferences, and this year, I’m going to Midwest Homeschool Convention in Cincy.

11. Other online courses, like Vision Forum’s occasional writing courses. I didn’t participate in Mrs. Morecraft’s writing course, but I heard it was excellent!

12. DVDs~ Order as many DVD documentaries as you can, watch them all and take notes. Start with Answers in Genesis, then check out Vision Forum

13. CD’s Order as many CDs as you can. Tomorrow’s Forefathers has several great ones, as does Vision Forum. Listen to sermons and lectures online (a favorite pastime, I’ve learned so much!)

14. Read three or four different translations of the Bible together. See which one is most correct. The NIV Bible is actually no different than the Jehovah’s Witness Bible. The NIV just has footnotes. ESV, NKJV, KJV, and God’s Word Translation are good to compare. Write down the differences and see what changes have been made. You’ll never know when you’ll need to argue against some faulty idea.

15. Take advantage of any class your church may offer. Bible study? Attend it if you can! Nutrition or cooking? Go! Women’s prayer and fellowship? Give it a try! Don’t grow weary in going, even you think you may not learn anything. If possible, start a singles women group and discuss the book Sacred Singleness. Encourage others to overcome their false view of marriage and singleness, and serve together in your community. Make a quilt and send it to a missionary in Sudan or another refugee-filled place. I remember doing this with some friends before I knew what Sudan Christians were facing. Do something that counts!

There are a lot more options out there!

Read… and you will be educated…