Leaving Changed

As a homeschool Mom I am learning that educating my children can be very stressful and very exhilarating all at the same time.  The key is to make sure you focus is where it needs to be.  A about a week or so ago I attended the Teach Them Diligently Conference in Nashville.  I was really looking forward to it and I love that it did not disappoint.  I knew that by attending I would receive encouragement and some new ideas but I did not expect to be challenged as much as I was.  I attended two workshops that really pushed the way I think and look at our homeschool family.

The first workshop was on instilling independence in your children.  I thought my girls were independent but as I really began to think about our school time I realized quickly that they are not overly independent.   They like me to be sitting with them when they do their work and as I listened to this speaker I realized that they need to learn to motivate and monitor their schedule on their own.  I loved at how this speaker talked about gradually teaching them to structure their day, work through their tasks and take pride in their work.  I loved how she not only talked about school work but about instilling this in their daily chores, their quiet time,  and in taking care of their own breakfast and lunches every day.  The speaker to this workshop was Kim Sorgius who writes a blog called Not Consumed.  Kim really challenged me to think about am I really equipping my girls to be independent and to really take pride in what they do.  This really caused me to think about the curriculum we are using and it in is structured to encourage independence or if it is written for me to be involved through the whole process.  I was amazed at how I came away from the Curriculum Expo having made some curriculum changes and I am really excited for all next year has to bring.

The second conference I attended talked about our children's personality profiles and how that impacts their learning.  This was the most fascinating workshop for me because I not only learned about the different personality types but the speaker really helped us picture how to use this information to improve our learning methods.  I was so excited leaving the session that I bought her book "A Parent's Playbook for Learning" by Jen Lilienstein.  I also loved that they have a wonderful website where you can test to figure out what your child's personality type is to help you as you work with and structure your home.  Her website is www.kidzmet.com. As Jen would describe different personality types I could picture my girls and how completely different they are yet our curriculum and schedule assume they are the same.  I left this workshop really wanting to learn about my girls so that I can better structure our house/schedules to meet their needs and set them up for success.

I have written all of this to let you know that if you are a homeschool parent here are two wonderful resources that I think you will find tools and encouragement to benefit your lifestyle.  If you are not a homeschool family I know that both of these sites/ resources still have tools that I know would still benefit your family.

If we are not careful life today can feel like a freight train running full speed down the track and we are just trying to keep up.  However, this conference reminded me as a Mom to pause and not let the busyness of life get in the way of molding my girls into strong, thinking, self assured women who reflect the Lord in all they say and do.  As I parent I have the biggest influence on my girls and I want to make sure I am bringing glory to God and doing my best in the role he has given me.  I am excited for this upcoming school year because I know that God has a lot in store as he not only grows my girls but he grows me as their Mom.

Are you willing to ask?

As we walk through our lives each day do we have a hyper awareness of the urgency of the gospel?  Are we truly seeking for the Holy Spirit to baptize us with a boldness that only He can give? 

At the beginning of Acts we see the apostles  listening to Jesus as he is trying to pass on his final words before he leaves to go be with his father in heaven.  All through the book of Acts we see the word Lord used and each time it is referring to Jesus.  As I learned this I realized that knowing this changed my perception of the stories I have read in Acts, it changed how I looked at Jesus' interaction with the world all throughout the New Testament.   My Pastor talked about how we can see Christ continuing his ministry from heaven through the work of the Holy Spirit.

What really struck my heart the most was when we were asked the question of if the Holy Spirit will baptize a person with boldness for the gospel…and He is still at work in the world today…am I seeking this boldness?  Do I truly desire for the Holy Spirit to change me, move and motivate me to step out of my comfort zone and really begin to strive to make a difference in the world for the gospel. 

So many times as Christians we get comfortable in our lives and routine.  We interact with people each day, go to church on Wednesday nights and Sundays.  We may even spend daily time in the Bible learning and striving to grow closer to the Lord.  However, if we are not willing to be used to be a witness for Jesus then what in the world are we doing?  Our purpose is to bring glory and honor to the Lord in all we do. 

I was talking to a couple friends the other day about how in the south it is easy for us to lose our sense of urgency for the gospel.  When the majority of people I know are Christians, when the majority of my children's friends are Christian's it can make life seem like a country club.  It is so easy to just "do church" and not truly push ourselves to step out of our comfort zones to truly be used by the Spirit in the world around us.

One of the things I shared with my friends is that when I lived in Salt Lake City, Utah it was easier to keep my sense of urgency because the majority of people I knew were not Christians.  They were lost and dying and did not know it.  I was forced to not just know what I believed but why and be able to share it with others.  So many religions sound like Christianity but they are not, and if we are not able to truly talk about what we believe and why only through the saving grace of Jesus can salvation be found, we are not a useful tool in furthering the kingdom. 

I don't want to be comfortable, I don't want my girls to be comfortable, I want my family to be ready, willing and able to truly seek out opportunities to show and share the love of Jesus.  I want to have my heart in a place I am willing to seek for the Holy Spirit to truly baptize me with boldness. 

So my question for you is what do you want?  How do you want to live your life?    John 3:16 tells us that God loved the people of this world so much He sent his only son to die on a cross for our sins.  This is a gift that no one deserves or could ever earn yet it is there for everyone.  For more information on salvation if you are seeking please check out this website http://billygraham.org/story/have-you-heard-the-good-news-of-salvation/ .  This site is a wonderful place for information and assistance for it is my desire along with the Lord's that none shall perish.

If you are a Christian then my question for you is are you willing to step out of your comfort zone, step into the fray to really begin to make a difference for the kingdom?  This is a journey and experience that you don't want to miss out on and the Holy Spirit is waiting and ready to equip you for all that the Lord has in store.

Public Fail

"Whether we believe Jesus rose from the dead should cause us to strive to point all people to Jesus."  This statement really struck me as I sat and thought about how I do live my life.  What am I reflecting each day when I teach my girls, when I do my Bible study, when I prepare my Sunday School lesson. 

  

Last night I failed at my reflection.  I was out with several friends having dinner and I made a statement about someone who was not even there.  I said she was a few french fries short of a happy meal.  Then one of the ladies at the table said, "Oh I know her, she is really sweet."  It did not really hit me until I was in my car but then it landed like a ton of bricks.  My words did not reflect kindness.  As I sat at the table talking I let words fly from my mouth that don't belong.  Driving home I realized that all my talking to my girls about their words always reflecting kindness and Jesus was something I did not reflect last night.  It hurt my heart.

When I got home I sent a text to S. who was the friend who said something and apologized for my lack of kindness.  She was so sweet and forgiving telling me she did not take it as a mean statement at all.  I am grateful for that but this morning as I think through it again I realize that if people were at that table who don't know Jesus or me very well then my life did not reflect my Savior. 

Does my life truly reflect my belief in the resurrection or am I living as if it really does not matter at all?  Where is my sense of urgency?  Am I ready if the Lord presents an opportunity to share the love of grace of my Savior?

Unexpected Visitors

The other week I had some unexpected visitors knock on my door in Nashville.  When I opened the door a giggled because they were Mormon Missionaries.  I giggled because I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah and I am very familiar with their church.  We had a nice visit but what I loved was the Lord used that to renew my desire for urgency when it comes to the gospel.  Below is a blog post from my former blog in November of 2013.  I want to share it again as Easter comes and we begin to prepare our hearts for celebrating our Savior's Resurrection.

I love to read.  I love to curl up with a good book, a cup of coffee in my sweats and just spend the day reading.  My book selections vary from fiction to non-fiction and I am very picky about my books.  I will not read trash. I will not read really good books with some trash.  Any more that sometimes makes my book selections a little more difficult and I depend a great deal on reviews and recommendations from friends and family.  My latest book has been one of my favorites, not because it has a great plot, stirring characters but because it is the story of a family and their journey finding the true God of the Bible and His grace.  The book is called "Unveiling Grace" and it is a story about a families journey out of Mormonism.

 

Many of you may not know that I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah.  My family moved there from Texas just before I turned 5 and my family is still there.  Growing up I learned about Mormonism and the differences in our beliefs.  I remember staying to my parents one day as a child that we believed the same thing as my best friend Debbie, except they read the Book of Mormon and we read the Bible.  At the time I did not understand the differences, but when I would talk to Debbie she would tell me how she did believe in Jesus, how she believed he died on a cross and how the Bible is the Word of God.  Now as a child that seemed good enough for me but I remember my parents responses were very dramatic in their answer of "No, we do not believe the same thing!"  It was at that point I remember my parents being very deliberate to help me understand exactly what I believed and why it was different than the Mormon church.  This was one of their greatest gifts to me because it has helped me all throughout my life, not just in Utah.  There is great power in not just being able to talk about what you believe but why you believe it and be able to defend it with scripture.

When I saw that my sister was going to read this book I wanted to read it but it was not in my budget at the time.  Then I received a sweet email from her letting me know she bought me the book and wanted me to read it.  I was so excited to dive in.  Part of my desire to read this book was to understand why a good friend of mine from Utah who is apart of the Mormon church would not leave it.  She heard the gospel and was receptive to it, even came to church with me but finally told me one day that she could not talk about it but she would NEVER be able to leave the Mormon church.  I did not understand.  I will tell you now after reading this book I still don't totally understand but it has given me wonderful insight into their beliefs and how hard it is to leave and walk away from.

My favorite thing about the whole book is you can see the hand of the Lord and his grace all throughout their lives even in the Mormon church.  Times the Lord would reveal himself trying to draw them.  What I loved most about the story was that this family did not leave the church based on anything anyone said or argument anyone made to them.  They left because one member had been challenged to read the New Testament.  When he did it allowed the Holy Spirit to do it's work to minister, speak, challenge and draw him.  Then you see this spreading throughout this family.  I loved how you were able to see the Lord doing all the work and meeting this family where each member was, in a very personal way dealing with how they think and react, yet you see each of them have their eyes opened to the Word of God and the power of its truth.

What I have learned most about reading this book is the reminder that when we just point people to the Lord, challenge them to read His Word, then we are allowing the Lord to do the work and it gets us out of the way.  When you care about people it is hard to not get emotionally involved and want to say the right thing that will draw them but that is not our job, its the Lord's job.  Growing up in Utah allowed me to really learn about ministry in everyday life, what it is like to purposefully stand out so people don't assume you are Mormon, share the gospel with people feeling like it is falling on deaf ears and then see some of them die knowing they did not know Jesus and the pain of that.  Living there kept me on my spiritual feet all the time because the reality of ministry everywhere was there and in your face.

Now I live in Nashville, TN and I have to work so much harder to be vigilant.  There are truly Christian churches on every other corner and most of the time the question is not if you are a Christian but where do you go to church.  Compared to Salt Lake the churches out here are huge and the perception of ministry is so different because the culture is so different.  I know that the Lord will probably never take me back to Salt Lake to live and I am good with that because I want to be where God wants me.  However, I desperately want that vigilant heart and desire for ministry I had there.  It was easier there and here it is easier to be comfortable and complacent.  The Lord has used this book to remind me of that heart and give me a desire to have it back.  It has also reignited my desire to pray for the lost, wherever they are.  My prayers have also changed from just the lost finding salvation but that the Word of God would go out each day with power, changing the hearts that read it, drawing people to it and equipping those to minister and assist as the Lord directs.

"...so My word that comes from My mouth will not return

to me empty, but will accomplish what I please

and will prosper in what I send it to do."

Isaiah 55:11