It Only Happens Once…

Life gets busy. Just when I thought graduation would be the end of my social life, I find myself loaded with projects and tasks, visits and meetings. It makes me grouchy, some days, because I’m getting sort-of ”plum-tuckered” out.

I didn’t want to go to church last night, but I’m glad I did. We had an interesting discussion on personal convictions and Romans 14-15.

After the study, we all split up into self-organized spontaneous groups. I noticed a elderly lady looking around the room. No one was sitting near her, people were praying with their friends. After prompting my mom to go sit by her, we went over and introduced ourselves. We ended up having a lovely discussion with Mrs. Powell, who must’ve been in her eighties! She talked of her growing up grandchildren, and her middle aged son, their missions work and then asked us what we were doing lately. My mom mentioned how busy we were with my graduation party. With her faltering voice, she shook a finger in my face and said “Enjoy it… it only comes once!” Shortly thereafter, her equally elderly husband came out and sat behind her. You could totally tell they were still in love! I was tickled pink when Mrs. Powell mentioned she was engaged to three other men at various point in life, broke it off each time and ended with ‘him’ (as she jerked a thumb at her man) for the last 65 years. Aww!! She patted my knee and said in a mischievous voice: “When you start courtin’ watch out!”

When I’m 80 something, I want to be alive and kickin’ like her!

In the midst of a busy point of life, I was reminded by someone far older than me that a successful life cannot be measured by friends, money, or status. Enjoy the experience. Make the most of every opportunity. It only happens once…

It reminds me of Ecclesiastes 1:10:

Is there a thing of which it is said,
“See, this is new”?
It has been already
in the ages before us.

We need to find wisdom from ages before us. So, look to people from ages before us! We have some catchin’ up to do as young folks.

And then onto 14:

 I have seen everything that is done under the sun,

and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

Life is nothing new. But, by the time 50 comes around, people realize there’s more to life then money. Then they wish they’d known that earlier in life. They were chasing after something that didn’t matter for half their life.

That’s why this blog is called Echoes in the Wind. I’ve seen all the chasing after the wind. Okay, maybe not all of it, I’m 15 days shy of being ten and eight years. But I’ve seen people wasting their young years on a lot of things that don’t matter. Music. Money. Clothes. Fiction not worth reading. Boyfriends.

Echoes come back to you.

Echoes haunt you, reminding you of what’s happened. Perhaps telling you of what could be.

Echoes will come back to you, and continue to, unless you stop making a ruckus. There can be good ‘ruckuses’ and bad ‘ruckuses.’

Echoes warn other people far behind.

Echoes can come from people on mountains. We’re all said to be climbing up a mountain toward God. Not sure if I like that analogy, but it’ll do. 

This blog’s original intent was to stretch and encourage and tell younger girls of what I’ve learned in life. To make you think. To make you want something better. To let God use my talent of writing and creating to inspire you on your journey up a mountain.

Life should be simple. Don’t make “it’s complicated” your life’s motto.

Life is not about frivolity. Clothes don’t make the man. Neither does your color of nail poish.

Life is not a show. Don’t pretend. Be REAL (the link will tell you the wrong definition of real)

Life has ideas. Be familiar with them. Know them. Study them.

Life should be colorful. Be vibrant. Don’t be dull.

Life should focus on serving. Look around for needs. Attend to them. Act like you alone know about a need.

Life should be ultimately about God, and the pursuit of Him.

Now, I’m not blogging to just younger girls anymore. I’m blogging to peers, older young women, friends, young men, married and single adults, and other random people who join for fun or for laughs .

Many people who are tired of chasing after the wind.

For The Sake of Transparency?

For The Sake of Transparency:

Let’s let the emotions run high as we outpour our deepest desires and disappointments in front of the group. Let’s be honest and open and vulnerable to everyone so they can feel and understand our pain. Let’s tell everyone how we got into such a state, and how sorry we feel for ourselves. Let’s rant and rave about the bratty kids we babysit, the goofy husbands we married, and the other annoyances we find so hard to cope with. Let’s share how being a Christian is SOOOOOO hard and not at all like the lovely life you had before you converted. Let’s talk about our defeated feeling and share tips about how to deal with our pride being hurt. LET’S COMPLAIN TIL WE TURN BLUE!!!

And go home feeling… worse than ever, our problems not solved; yet comforted in the fact someone listened to us.

Just let others see through your skin to the real you! It’s okay to cry as long it helps your group “purify” themselves of their guiltiness of not measuring up. It’s okay to drone on to make your point- as long as they see the real you!!! Let’s discuss what that new Christianologist (‘Christian’ psychologist) said about our mind and emotions. It’s okay to veg out and indulge, find time for yourself every day. It’s certainly alright to feel defeated.

THAT’S NORMAL!

If you’ve ever been to a Bible study, youth group girl’s meeting, or a special seminar, you’ll hear that sort of message that “tickles the ears” and leaves you even more bitter and frustrated than before. The idea of being transparent and open and honest for the sake of bragging, complaining, and feeling good is not at all Biblical. God does not command us to tell everyone about ourselves. We should, according to Ephesians, chapter 4- a)speak things that administer grace to the hearers b) speak that which is edifying c) say what we say with love d) speak nothing corrupt. Corrupt here is from the Greek word “sapros” not meaning “dirty” or “bad” as the dictionary says: sapros means not useful, very worthless, not powerful, or even hollow. The idea of being open and honest is a good one, but very easily damaged by selfish motives and Satan.

  When we talk about how our defeat is pulling us down, it may make us seem holier and pious. How Christians began to equate weakness and defeat to spiritual maturity, I have no idea. Christians should not be the ones walking around crying “Woe is me, I have a tinful of problems.” The following is what I wrote in my journal after one experience of a complain fest disguised as a “youth group discussion time”.

  The only thing we studied tonight was narcissism, communication; perhaps even how to justify bitterness at God… I think… that a Christian shouldn’t plan these meetings because they lead to deeper self-worship. “Making time for yourself” isn’t what Christ would ask us to do. I can’t recall Him ever complaining he had no time for himself or that he needed to spend some hours relaxing and getting in touch with His thoughts and desires. As Christians, I also think…we are mirrors. When people look at us and talk to us, the reflection they see should be Jesus. We shan’t talk of all our problems- rather about how God is working through the problems. We shan’t talk about who annoys us- only how we can minister and pray for them. We shan’t gossip, we should keep our mouths shut. The heathen and pagans should see our actions as victory- living evidences that there is a God. A Christian that mumbles about defeat and wants to make time for herself is not a witness.

Christians- triumph! We can’t do anything, including getting the victory over trials, unless we pray. Life would be a bunch of complaining and selfishness if we didn’t live for Him. Stop living like He doesn’t exist: surrender your entire self to Him: your body, your mind, your actions, your thoughts, your words.

 Maybe leave that Bible study, too.

And start your own- with the purpose of growing, not griping.

Fly Around The Room Like A Bird and Spray Paint The Moon Green…

Augustine’s view of God was like that- or so Pelagius thought. God can make the rules- but since he’s God, he can keep the rules. We can’t. We’re ‘massa perditions’- lumps of sin.

If I told you to fly around like a bird, it would be very funny and you’d think me to be halfway to the nut house. But, if a professor at college told you to do these things, and said you’d fail if you were unable, you’d probably get frustrated and leave. Nobody could spray paint the moon green- much less fly around the room like a bird…

  Recently, I delved into the Augustine vs. Pelagius matter (what? My library doesn’t have Pelagius???), and I’m quite… entertained by it. People have argued this for centuries, and if you’re not familiar with the issue, and you’d like a brief summary of the argument, pay attention to this dialogue:

  Augustine: Hey God, since you’re up there as a known fact, how about you make up some rules. Only, since you’re God, you make sure you keep them- cuz we sure can’t…it’s impossible!”

  Pelagius: Hey buddy- are you saying that God would make laws He knows you can’t keep? And punishes you for not keeping them? What’s up with that??? Is that even right?

Augustine: Of course, that’s exactly right.

(bold- adapted from dear old Dr. Bauman)

 This ages old argument intrigues me. Filius Dei vs. Massa Perditions (Children of God vs. Lumps of Sin)

  There are too many different sides to each story…

This battle is one not over God’s nature, but I believe it’s over human nature.

Ah well, to elaborate on this topic would take fifty lifetimes. I’d encourage you to get lost in this matter, too. Read the books. Study the people. Conclude for yourself…

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  During my break, so much GOOD happened! But, I doubted a lot for several weeks. I felt like doing nothing, I felt very sick, and bad news kept coming. There was good news, though. An answer… but more on that later.

   “Winter… what a pretty word for such a long, dreary time…”

  We thought it was over, the feet of snow that had piled up around us was melted, the field were flooding, the air was warm- if you’d call 35 degrees warm!

  Then the temperatures plunged below the 20 degree mark, and took my high spirits with it. The snow came again, ice too. The ice came around my heart and tempted me to become bitter at, well, everything. The woman I thought was going to be a nice lady to talk to and learn from ended up just being nosy and jealous because she wanted to know what it was like being a “sheltered” homeschooler- and wondering why I was so good when her foster daughter was so bad. 

The women at church talked of meeting once a month for lunch, {exciting prospect}, but I learned they only met to discuss “Christian” romance novels {Will Levi Miller catch Susanne Zook? Find out now in this cut and dried yet excitingly distracting new Amish romance!!}. My chair was taken away at choir and I was moved to an area far away from the action. The news came I wasn’t going to the internship came that Tuesday. I was not asked (once again) to be in the church’s Resurrection Sunday drama. I sat alone every Sunday in Sunday school. Nobody talked to me, people purposed to leave me out. To rub it in, a lady told me to “bloom where I was planted”. What if I haven’t been planted? Or, if I have… what if I’m not getting a chance for sun, water, and Miracle Gro? Maybe I’m wilting?

 I re-read Contentment by Lydia Brownback over two nights, reading the verses and soaking up the thoughts. It blessed me, and had me asking questions about my life. Your comments, dear readers, also helped to motivate me to seek God’s will. 

 I decided to wholeheartedly see what God had in store for me. I decided to try my hand at being patient and waiting for my time to serve.

  It seemed God blessed me for that decision. On a night where once again, I felt like crying my eyes out and blaming Him for everything, I heard a whisper in my ear: “Trust me.”

  So I did.

I woke up that morning and to my utter amazement, I felt… joy. For the first time since that awful week full of bad news for me, I actually felt remotely happy. I sprang out of bed and leapt around my room listening to the Getty’s, over to my window to throw open the curtains wide. A view like none other greeted me. Overnight, the snow and ice had all melted, and there, sitting on the roof of the neighbor’s house were two robins! Spring was on its way! It was an exhilarating sight. The goldfinches and doves had returned as well. A few days after that, the doves began to coo- a glorious sign of spring. SPRING!! I haven’t heard that wonderful sound since September… ah!

  My thirst for books struck anew- if that is possible. More, more, more, MORE! I’ve re-read my whole collection in a matter of nearly 2 weeks. Hungry to learn. Hungry for more… I’ve checked out every single book at the library on the Russian communist revolt of 1917-1991. I want to learn! I’m going to study every single major event in history this summer.

  It seemed encouragement and hope was popping up around the corner- little girls at AWANA hugged me and told me they loved me, and that God loved me too. A little deaf girl hung on my arm, smiling up at me with an unparalleled cuteness. I signed “I Love You” to her, and she signed back “I love you more more more.”

  There were spectacular sunsets to behold, wonderful songs to be written, verses to commit to memory. There were friends to meet, Sparks to lead, and fellowships to attend. God kept me busy, indeed. He gave me so much more than He’s ever taken away! Has God ever really taken anything away from me other than my sin? I wondered. Every good gift comes from above…all things work together for good…

Even when things happened that were bad to me, I realized- nothing is bad if it means I get to grow closer to the King of Kings. Really think about that name… King OF Kings. He wants me? Why would He want me- or even want to do good for me? I wondered what the “good” was.

 The day or so after the news came about the internship; a song touched my heart- one that I had never heard before. It’s called “A Greater Yes.” After listening to that song, I wondered, “What’s the greater yes to all this? It seems so fragmented, it doesn’t make sense… I’m confused!!” Everything was seemingly working together for Iowa… but now what?

   The answer came a few days later:

“Dear Laura,

“We are happy to inform you that you have been accepted to attend our worldview camp in Wisconsin…”

This August, God is calling me to Summit once again. All that working together for what seemed like that opportunity for interning was working for Summit.

That’s not all…

For the past several years, I’ve asked to teach Jr. Church and at VBS, but when I was 13, I was told I had to be16. When I was 16, I was told 18. This past week, I was given not only one but THREE teaching jobs. I am teaching at VBS in July, Jr. Church during the month of July, and JR. Jr. church in November. These jobs would not have been possible if I were in Iowa…

I’ve worked on my book, getting it into a more organized format. But, I only write about 5-6,000 words about a topic and can’t think of anything more to say! Not sure what I’ll do about that. I seem to have idea bursts that go away after 20 minutes of typing.

  I’ve been reading, studying, and analyzing my collection of Clive Staples Lewis- taking notes, reading critiques online. I highly recommend the Weight of Glory. [A good order to read CS Lewis in is:  Mere Christianity, Abolition of Man, Problem of Pain, Screwtape Letters, Miracles, and Weight of Glory. After that, I’d have to say any order, because they do not expound or require prerequisites].

  I’d also like to order as many DVDS and CDs from Vision Forum as I can! I am almost being overtaken by this hunger to LEARN!!!!!! I want to especially buy the Homestead Blessings series- if any of you have a set or one DVD, pretty pwease tell me about it. Or, recommend a CD or a book- if you’d like.

 Now I close this {really long} return post by saying~ I’m back! And I shan’t leave you again… until August. Oh, and this year, you can send me mail/letters and packages [hopefully full of letters, Twizzlers and Cheezits] while I’m at camp- address and details to come later. I love mail- and getting a lot of mail at camp would be so wonderful! Really, it would. I’m serious. {not to hint or anything}

PS~ I’m going to be at Midwest Homeschool Convention, and am planning on meeting up with a Bright Lights leader I met through blogging- Allison. If anyone else from bloggy-land will be there, please let me know- I’d love to meet you. Don’t think you’ll just run into me eventually- cuz this conference is HUGE (rumored to be 18,000 people there this year). The place is enormous- it takes about 30-45 minutes to get through the main halls from one back corner to kitty front corner. 

  Yahoo! I feel as though I could cram my brain with just about anything!

{insert a very happy, contented sigh right here}

It feels good to press that publish button again…

In the announcer-voiced words of my radio dad:

*We now return to our regularly scheduled programming*

Make Them Believers

From Vision Forum’s “How To Think Like A Christian”  {paraphrased}

You have arrived at college and are walking around campus. Suddenly, a masked man jumps out in front of you and says “Your money or your life.” He points a knife in your face, waiting for you to act or refuse.

Well, knowing you would have days like this, you remember you have a loaded gun on your person. So, you say to your would be mugger “I’m sorry, but I have a gun, and I will shoot you.”

To this, the mugger says “Well, I belong to a knife club and I don’t believe in guns!”

So, you put the gun away and he takes your money and runs away.

Sound ridiculous?

Okay… let’s try this scene:

You have arrived at college and are walking around campus. Suddenly, a masked man jumps out in front of you and says “Your money or your life.” He points a knife in your face, waiting for you to act or refuse.

Well, knowing you would have days like this, you remember you have a loaded gun on your person. So, you say to your would be mugger “I’m sorry, but I have a gun, and I will shoot you.”

To this, the mugger says “Well, I belong to a knife club and I don’t believe in guns!”

So, you tell him to wait and you scramble to find all sorts of information about how guns usually kill and that 90 some percent of people die after being shot and how effective guns are…

But he doesn’t listen and mugs you anyway.

Okay, that’s not realistic either.

Try this scene:

You have arrived at college and are walking around campus. Suddenly, a masked man jumps out in front of you and says “Your money or your life.” He points a knife in your face, waiting for you to act or refuse.

Well, knowing you would have days like this, you remember you have a loaded gun on your person. So, you say to your would be mugger “I’m sorry, but I have a gun, and I will shoot you.”

To this, the mugger says “Well, I belong to a knife club and I don’t believe in guns!”

Pull the trigger and make him a believer!

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

In the same way it sounds ridiculous to banter with the mugger, or just give up and let the guy win, think about who the mugger is and who you are.

Mugger= Humanist/Unbeliever/Atheist

You= The church

The church is afraid to stand up for what they believe! They try to be nice and not hurt the unsaved’s feelings, or read books about the Bible without reading the Bible itself, but they never use the Bible (gun) directly. The truth is, the Church is afraid of “legalism” “being radical” or “offending” someone. Well, hear this: God’s Word is unchanging. It won’t change the truth to “appeal” to people. It will offend those who fear being holy in the light of it’s radical stance. They usually aren’t offended by you. It’s the message you bring.

Can you imagine God changing his Word every other year to update it and bring it to date? Doing that would make it unreliable. The Bible is reliable no matter how you look at it. Historically verifiable prophecies, little details and parallels that cannot be ignored, and wonderful teachings that still ring true for us make relaibility a fact! So why are Christians so afraid of using it? Maybe they don’t really know what the Bible really says. Maybe they are afraid of being hurt or getting embarassed. God will give you the strength you need- not a textbook about God!

Though I don’t advocate shooting at unbelievers, please use the Bible when witnessing and arguing. Not Wikipedia.

Don’t give up!

Never ever ever!

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Last night, I cut out the pattern for my sewing project. Here is the material I’m using. It took me about an hour to decide on the fabric at Hobby Lobby~ they must’ve thought I was a very indecisive young woman… I think I’ll have to make a bunch more aprons so I can use all the pretty material!

It looks a li’l yeller, but that’s because I didn’t change Herbie’s settings

And the pattern: we got it on sale for $1.99!

I’m using the one on the far left, with the lobster fabric. I’m not doing the frilly edging on the hem and neckline, nor the pockets.

I’ll start sewing soon, Lord willing. (sigh)

Also, my mom and I made cookies on Sunday, and here is how they turned out~ 

We were trying to imitate SweetHearts from Necco, and I’d say (other than the smooshed writing from being stacked on one another) they came out pretty well!

My mom has a cookie business that she uses to bring in extra income. We bake nearly 200 cookies every Tuesday and package them into 3′s- and sell the packs of threes for $1. My dad actually takes them into work and his coworkers buy them! We usually sell about 60 packs a week. We save up the money and use it for hotel rooms whilst travelling, curriculum, savings, etc. It’s an easy way to save up extra money!

Have a wonderful day!

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…

And the winner is…

…media!

Thank you to all who voted on the poll! I will include the other choices in my postings soon. (Interviews, guys, worldviews, etc)

Don’t worry. This post will not be as serious or long as the Communism one below.

What’s the point of media? Is it there to educate you?

 Outside of newspapers, I highly doubt it.

 Is it neutral, covering all sides of the story?

Nope. Media is not completely neutral. It’s there to make a point.

Media is entertainment. Entertainment is…

…basically good?

…basically evil?

…utterly hopeless?

…okay for some, but not for others?

Fill in the blank as you wish, you can do that, it’s open-ended!

My point of view, you ask?

The movie, music, and television industry is silly and there to amuse you.

Amuse. Let’s take that word back to it’s Latin roots. Do you know the word atheist? ‘A’ means ‘no’ and theist means ‘god.’  Well, in amuse, ‘a’ still means no, and ‘muse’ means to think.

Aah…

If media’s purpose is to amuse, it’s goal is to make you not think. By not thinking yourself, they think FOR you! Of course, the producers know this, so they make their message strong, yet subtle… so you don’t think.

Consider this disturbing quote:

Bob Pittman, owner of MTV

“The strongest appeal you can make is emotionally. If you can get the kids’ emotions going, make them forget their logic, you’ve got them. At MTV, we don’t shoot for the 14-year olds, we own them.” 

Hmm. That ain’t neutrality. Logic is thinking. MTV wants to make you forget to think.

Entertainment is not in and of itself evil. It depends on HOW you use it.

So we need Christian entertainment?

Not exactly.

If entertainment is silly-

Christian entertainment will make us silly Christians.

Don’t Spill the Beans!

Most of us can say that we’ve had an experience where a friend divulges a huge secret. It hurts.

How Do We Respond?

1. Don’t get revenge or tell one of her secrets. If you hated what she did to you, then why make her hate your actions? Two wrongs do not make a right.

2. If your friend thinks it was harmful to keep the secret, ask her why. Think through your secret. Was it really doing harm to yourself or somebody else? (A friend was breaking curfew at college. Your middle school sister was trying drugs. You were planning to play a mean prank on your high school teacher)

3.  Tell her how you feel. Don’t make an appeal to pity, however. Focusing entirely on your emotions isn’t the right thing to do. Tell her morally why it wasn’t right to tell. Give her a reason why the secret should have been kept.  (It was my grandma’s surprise party. I didn’t want anyone to know about my A+ until Christmas)

4.  If the secret was about a boy, you should probably never tell anybody a guy related secret again. Talking about guys causes run-away thoughts. One minute, we’re talking about how we like his hair, the next, we’re fitting our first name with his last name. Don’t tell anybody who you have a crush on. If you feel you’re going to burst, (and you won’t), tell your cousin you rarely talk to, or your aunt in Alaska, or your dog. Or your cat. Or your pillow. It will save a lot of heartache and embarassment. These people usually do not tell on you.

5.  Be faithful in keeping important secrets, if any. At my house, we have a good secret to keep. This secret will bless some friends in the near future. This is the kind of secret to keep. I try not to keep random secrets, and if my friends say “Can you keep a secret?” I will usually say no. When I was younger, I used to go by the quote: “If I can’t tell my mom, you can’t tell me.” If the secret makes you blush at telling your mom,  don’t choose to hear it!

A  talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.  Proverbs 11:13

Be a faithful spirit.

We Should Never Cause A Guy To Stumble

Hey! This is another scheduled post! I wonder what I’m doing right now at Summit. I’ll bet I’m having the time of my life right now!

Of course, I may be bored out of mind, too…

But anyway…

Today, I’m writing about guys again.

How we dress affects others. (Wow! All new information, Laura! Way to go!…not). This should be ingrained in our heads by now! But how often do we put knowledge into practice? Not often.

I’ve seen too many girls say they’re for modesty and later walk by guys with low cut shirts and too tight jeans. Guys notice things. Things as in body parts under your low cut shirt and too tight jeans. They aren’t paying attention to the embellishment on your shirt. They aren’t blind! We shouldn’t dress like we don’t know they’re looking, because deep down inside, we know they are. We become hypocritical and think of what ‘he’ would think of you if you wore this or that outfit. That’s not modesty- that’s manipulation.  

We should never cause a guy to stumble because of what we’re wearing. If that means throwing out your size 10′s and exchanging them for looser 12′s, do it. If it’s donating that cute, new, yet low cut shirt from Aeropostale, go for it! It honors God to be modest, and it will please your future husband. I personally choose not to get anything from Abercrombie and Fitch because of the posters on the store walls. I don’t want to wear things associated with that store’s reputation.

Purposeful immodesty is actually like flirting (see flirting post below). Instead of words and actions, you’re using clothes to ‘lure’ that guy to you. Manipulation!

Now, I’m also not saying that we should live in fear, wondering if this shirt or that skirt is going to cause a guy to be offended. We sometimes can’t control what others thnk of us. (whoa, let’s do that again)

We can NEVER control what others think of us.

But you get credit for trying!

Have any of you ever made the commitment to not offend a guy by your dress? I’d be delighted to hear from you.

Do You Know What Happened on June 17, 1993?

Today is my daughter’s birthday- Laura is 17. Her mom and I are proud to have a daughter who is growing in the LORD. We are excited to see her wanting to serve the LORD through her blog, and other activities at our church. Happy birthday Laura, and may the LORD richly bless you on your 17th birthday.  Love you, Dad.

Happy Birthday, Laura!  It’s amazing how fast the years have gone by.  You have been a blessing to us in many ways. You have grown and matured into a daughter we are proud of.  Your crazy sense of humor, your fierce love of right, and desire to know more about God and defending your faith are all wonderful attributes we see in you that bring us joy.  We anticipate the future with prayer and wisdom as we continue to guide and teach you all that we can, when we can.  Psalm127:3-4  Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 

May God give you a glorious day and may you give God the glory!

Love you,

Mom

Thanks mom, thanks dad. I feel loved and blessed to have two wonderful, functional, amazing, edifying people to call my parents.

I know I’m a wacked out handful sometimes…well most of the time, but you put up with me, and that’s awesome. (Like just now as you were typing this, I was singing nonsenical tuneless tunes and hugging my gym ball, rolling around on it in the background… [peep behind the scenes]) You two are the best parents in the whole wide world!!! I love you so much!

(hey is there any way to make that bigger?)

Laura

What’s Your Name?

“Lauralea…”

“Lauralea?!”

“Hey, Lauralea, would you please get over here?!”

For years, I have forgotten my real, full name is Lauralea. I actually got my name from a lady on Wheel of Fortune. I’m serious, my mom was watching and a lady named Lauralee was playing. Mom was expecting me soon, she and dad were trying to come up with a name. They liked this lady’s name, so they simply changed the spelling to Lauralea in order to honor my mom’s middle name, Lea. (Thank you very much, Lauralee on Wheel of Fortune…) I’ve just gone by Laura for so long, when I hear somebody calling me Lauralea, I think, “That’s not my name…” and ignore what they’re saying to me. Funny, isn’t it? Everybody just calls me Laura- and that’s what I’ve told people my name is for years! (Not to lie, but really, I don’t think of my full name when I’m introducing myself! Sad, huh?)

So, recently, I decided to start at least signing my name and making the honest effort to introduce myself as Lauralea.

“Okay Laura- er- Lauralea, where are you headed with this..?”

My question is to you: do you remember your name? The name you take on when you accept Christ as savior? That name is ‘Christian’ and there’s nothing to be ashamed about saying you are one! But so many people simply explain their deeds with the phrase: “Oh, I have morals.”  We should never forget our name, and be happy to call ourselves a Christian. If you are serious about living the Christian life, try not to forget what your name is and who you represent. Try not to be a hypocrite, either. We should try to govern ourselves with the best behavior- Christians often call themselves so, then go out and do things even lost people wouldn’t do. We shouldn’t try to show the world our likeness to them- saying “Hey- it’s great to be a Christian, you just have eternal security and that’s it. The rest of your days can be spent anyway you please!” We should show the world a different story.

When we are saved, our desire should be to explore that hunger God gives to us. But as my pastor put it, that hunger often goes unexplored. We should be ready to serve Him anyway we can, and be willing to do His work. but our attitude is “God, here’s my life, but I expect something back,” or, “God, I give you my future, as long as you make it good!” No no no! I believe that once we surrender our life, it should be ‘completely complete’ as I put it. No ifs, ands, or buts. God’s desire is to bless us, to give us a bright future, but until we learn that surrender should be complete, our lives may seems a little dim. Sure, we’ll be consumed with our desires, but it doesn’t satisy like God’s blessings do!

Once we are Christians, we need to remember what that means: giving our time, money, talents, and sometimes our life for God, after all, He saved us! Try to be a Christian with your life, not just by saying you are.

What’s your name?