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Fun Fridays with Mom

Valerie Basham

December 5, 2016

We, like most people, live busy lives. As a homeschooling mom, you would probably assume that I spend a lot of time with my children. I do, but it’s always time-with-a-purpose. I’m teaching them school, or how to do a chore, or talking to them about the upcoming activities, or correcting them. I rarely spend “fun time” with them. Before our schedule became so packed, I would take a different child grocery shopping with me each week. We would talk and they got to pick out a few of their favorite things for the week (like cereal or yogurt). Life required an adjustment to this routine and therefore, we no longer have this one-on-one time.

I had really missed our shopping trips so I instituted a new thing: “Fun Fridays with Mom”. Each Friday, I take a different child to lunch, their choice of restaurant (fast food). If we have time after lunch, we will go look in a store for something, go to the library, or get a Starbucks drink. It’s not a time for me to lecture them on something or teach them something, it’s just a relaxing time with them alone. I have enjoyed being able to focus on each of them individually this way; to be able to listen instead of talk.

I haven’t taken a photo every week (because I forget sometimes), but I did get one of each of the kids the first time we did this. I took them in birth order, so Lauren was first.

Lauren and I went to Dairy Queen together for the very first “Fun Friday with Mom”. The weather was pleasant enough for us to eat outside!

Mitchell asked for Greek food, then we went to K-Mart to do some clothes shopping for him.

Leslie picked Chik-Fil-A and then shopping at Goodwill. (She is very good at putting outfits together!)

Laci also picked Chick-Fil-A and then we went to the mall to find her an autumn church dress. (I took Leslie and Lauren at anther time.)

Matt picked Wendy’s and then we went to Walmart so he could spend some of his savings on this:

If they start up the draft again, Matt is ready!

It’s been a hectic few months with homeschooling, co-op, church secretarial work, and housework. Add in a kid getting hit by a car, some sickness, and the death of our family pet and you could say it’s been downright difficult. The Lord has been so gracious to hold us up through all of the ups and downs. We are bountifully blessed!

It may be a crazy life, but it sure is a wonderful one.

With love,

Theological Term of the Week: Preservation

Valerie Basham

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December 5, 2016

This week’s term: Preservation – The work of God whereby He, by grace, controls and guides all circumstances around and within His elect, which results in their being unquestionably, and without exception, delivered unblamable into His everlasting kingdom. This work is totally of God, always perfect, and never enhanced by human cooperation.

Last week’s term: Adoption – In Biblical terminology it means to be placed as an adult son. We presently enjoy this position by faith through the Spirit of God within us. (Romans 8:15) We shall enjoy it in a fuller sense at the redemption of the body. (Romans 8:22-23)

Theological Term of the Week: Adoption

Valerie Basham

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November 28, 2016

This week’s term: Adoption – In Biblical terminology it means to be placed as an adult son. We presently enjoy this position by faith through the Spirit of God within us. (Romans 8:15) We shall enjoy it in a fuller sense at the redemption of the body. (Romans 8:22-23)

Last week’s term: Salvation – Deliverance. The word properly carries with it the general and composite effect of all its various aspects, such as redemption, reconciliation, regeneration, calling, preservation, perseverance, and glorification. The word, in its general sense, should not be confused as being inherently synonymous with any of the words describing particular details thereof.

Theological Term of the Week: Salvation

Valerie Basham

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November 21, 2016

This week’s term: Salvation – Deliverance. The word properly carries with it the general and composite effect of all its various aspects, such as redemption, reconciliation, regeneration, calling, preservation, perseverance, and glorification. The word, in its general sense, should not be confused as being inherently synonymous with any of the words describing particular details thereof.

Last week’s term: Sanctification – The state of being sanctified, or holy. Scripturally, this state of the believer is to be seen in two different aspects or senses:

Positional Sanctification: That is the position of holiness, innocence, and perfection, which we have in the sight of God, through the imputed righteousness of Christ.
Practical Sanctification: The realized and progressive growth in grace, which we have in the sight of ourselves and others, as a result of the imparted righteousness of Christ.

Make a Difference

Valerie Basham

4 comments

November 16, 2016

Mom and Dad, at Mom’s farewell party at Jessieville Elementary School. Photo courtesy of her friend and colleague, Mrs. Cheryl Kastner.

She’s sort of like a doctor, only for learning disabilities. She worked hard for many years helping hundreds of students who struggle. She makes learning fun. She knows how to teach the mind and touch the heart- a rare combination. I suppose that’s why her success rate is so high. In the end, she knows it’s not about the grade average or the test score, it’s about the student’s feeling of success. Are they smiling more? Do they laugh? Is there a sparkle in their eye that wasn’t there when they first walked into her classroom? Have they gone from “I can’t” to “Maybe I can!”? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then she has succeeded.

Who is this miracle worker? She is someone I know quite well, she is my mother.

I’ve seen it happen over and over. Parents would walk into Mother’s classroom on a summer afternoon while we are setting up, decorating bulletin boards. Sometimes they have their child with them, sometimes not. They see me standing on a chair, stapling wavy, corrugated border onto a cork bulletin board and instantly feel as though they have interrupted. What they need to say is private. Mother steps out into the hall. I see her shadow as she is talking quietly, and listening intently, to this concerned mother. Her child is struggling, and not only do they struggle with learning – a monumental trial for any child – but they also deal with the insults from their peers. After only a few minutes of conversation with Mrs. Courtney, however, that mother feels the burden lifted. She has hope, because her child has hope – a mother’s greatest desire. She knows that her child has a friend, an ally, a partner, in a little red-headed teacher some call “Mrs. C”.

The school year begins, and this wonder woman has an enormous task ahead of her: helping a group of students beat the odds, which are not in their favor. She writes the IEP’s (Individual Education Plans) for each child, and begins executing those plans. She has some discipline problems, but nothing she can’t handle. There are peaks and valleys, wins and loses. But through it all, Mrs. C keeps her smile, her energy, and her cheers for the student who is ready to give up. She loves the underdog; she loves to see the one who is discounted, count. And each one leaves her classroom knowing that they mattered to her.

Not one parent ever asked my mother how she voted. They never questioned her as to whether she was a racist or asked her religion. They judged her character by her actions, and therefore knew she was a good person and a great teacher. That’s the real world. It isn’t what we see in the headlines or on the morning news shows. It’s the people we know in the life we’re living now. We all make a difference when we give of ourselves to the world in which we live. We offer our skills, our love, and our time to a real person, and hopefully, we make them better for having known us.

That’s what my mom did. And that’s what I want to do, too.

And of some have compassion, making a difference: ~ Jude 22

With love,

Theological Term of the Week: Sanctification

Valerie Basham

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November 14, 2016

This week’s term: Sanctification – The state of being sanctified, or holy. Scripturally, this state of the believer is to be seen in two different aspects or senses:

Positional Sanctification: That is the position of holiness, innocence, and perfection, which we have in the sight of God, through the imputed righteousness of Christ.
Practical Sanctification: The realized and progressive growth in grace, which we have in the sight of ourselves and others, as a result of the imparted righteousness of Christ.

Last week’s term: Justification – The aspect of salvation which deals with judicial righteousness or vindication. It is never self-acquired, but always given as the result of Christ’s substitutionary work (Romans 5:9). It is realized by faith (Romans 5:1). It is demonstrated by works (James 2:22-24).

Theological Term of the Week: Justification

Valerie Basham

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November 7, 2016

This week’s term: Justification – The aspect of salvation which deals with judicial righteousness or vindication. It is never self-acquired, but always given as the result of Christ’s substitutionary work (Romans 5:9). It is realized by faith (Romans 5:1). It is demonstrated by works (James 2:22-24).

Last week’s term: Covenant Theology – The Catholic, and later the Protestant “Reformed”, doctrine which states the “Church of the New Testament”, like the “Church of the Old Testament”, is formed on the basis of the same covenant, namely the covenant God made with Abraham (Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge, p. 549). Therefore, they conclude that the children of believers have the right to baptism by which they are actually regenerated. (Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge, pp. 546-547). This notion is essentially held by all infant baptizers.

My Book Bag: A Brilliant Solution

Valerie Basham

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November 5, 2016

I purchased A Brilliant Solution by Carol Berkin for my Kindle back in July. Kindle books are not my favorite format to read and I rarely use that app on my iPad. Out of sight, out of mind. Before long, I’d moved on to other books and forgotten about this one. In an effort to get my reading life more organized, I gathered all of the books that I had not finished (including Kindle books) and began completing them one by one.

I was very happy I picked this book back up. I found this concise telling of the “inventing of the American Constitution” (as the subtitle reads) very intriguing. Her description of the primitive times made me appreciate the physical sacrifices these men made to create a brand new government. My only disappointment was that Ms. Berkin did not include any information on how the Bill of Rights came to be added. Other than that, this is a great place to learn about the writing of the Constitution.

Since I finished reading The Real Lincoln, I was fascinated to read that states’ rights were an issue even in the 1780’s. It was startling to read that Madison and Hamilton pressed the delegates to allow the national legislature the right to veto any state law. (p. 98) I am happy that that did not make it into the final version of the document.

The founders were concerned about possible future abuse of the government they were creating, and tried to put up safeguards against such. But Benjamin Franklin was optimistic about the future. He believed that “despotism, when it came, would be the result of the innate corruption of the people themselves.” (p. 163) I give a hearty amen to that! Are we not seeing a reflection of the people in the leaders we have chosen? In the end, the men realized that no government is perfect, and no other men would be less fallible than they to create a government. They moved forward in an act of faith in Providence.

Ms. Berkin does her best to bring each character in this historical drama back to life. Quirky personality traits and styles of dress and manners are included with each man to help the reader keep them separate in his mind; which is a difficult task for fifty-five men, many about whom there is very little known, and some of whom had similar names. There were several “Williams” and two Charles Pinckneys! At the end of the book, there are brief biographies of each of the men, which makes a nice reference guide. Also included in the appendix is copy of the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.

I had always credited James Madison with the actual wording of the Constitution, particularly the preamble. While Madison certainly had a strong hand in the writing of this document, it was actually a peg-legged man named Gouverneur Morris of the Pennsylvania delegation who styled the words which we now enjoy.

On the story of President Washington’s inauguration, Ms. Berkin writes: “Scores of New Yorkers assembled in churches, where they heard their ministers ‘implore the blessings of Heaven on the nation’. Coming out of church, they saw the clouds dissipate and the sun shine brightly, a sign to many that the heavens had responded to their request.” (p. 197) May it be so today, as well.

This is not a drab book of political jargon. It is a story of a few men and their courageous undertaking. It’s a story of men who argued – oh yes! – but ultimately came together for the good of the future.

Goodbye, Good Friend

Valerie Basham

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November 1, 2016

If a dog is man’s best friend, then we had the best of the best. Our sweet dog, Libby, died this morning. I’m not really a “dog” person, but my heart is hurt by this loss. I grew up in the city and my parents were not pet people, so I have had little experience with animals. On May 8, 2001, Terry was working at Panther Valley Ranch in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A little dog ran up to him, a dog that had just been dropped off by its owners to roam till it died. Terry took pity on her and brought her home.

We needed a name for her, one that our almost-two-year-old, Lauren, could pronounce. I liked “Lady”, but that was so common. Somehow, we settled on “Libby”. Lauren could say it. Libby would run along beside Lauren while she played and lick at her legs now and then. She would let Lauren pet her and comb her and do just about anything to her. She never, ever barked at her. She did this same thing with the other four children to come. She seemed to know that little people were good people. She would, however, bark at strangers and other animals loud and clear! I always knew when the mailman was at the house, or when someone was riding by on a bike.

She was never used as a hunting dog, but she killed more squirrels than I can count. She killed a possum once…well, we thought she killed it. Turns out, it was playing “possum”! She has gotten in battles with snakes and even a skunk. She won every time. She ran away more times than I can count, too. But she always found her way home. Speaking of homes, Libby moved with us four times to four different states.

Her last few years were calmer. She didn’t bark anymore or chase squirrels. But we loved her and cared for her, dreading this day – the day when we would have to say goodbye.

Libby’s death is one more piece of my dad gone from this old world, too. Dad’s last act on earth was building Libby a doghouse. Libby lived with them when we lived in an apartment that would not allow pets. Dad loved her.

I know that dogs do not go to heaven. But if there are dogs in heaven, I’d like to think that they are all like Libby.

I’m going to go through my photos more thoroughly in the days to come for the kids, but here are two of my favorite photos of Libby, with our oldest and youngest:

Lauren, almost two years old, with Granddad and Libby. We had had Libby for about a month here.

Matt with Libby February of 2015.

It with a grieving heart that we say goodbye to our good friend. She will be missed.

With love,

Theological Term of the Week: Covenant Theology

Valerie Basham

no comments

October 31, 2016

This week’s term: Covenant Theology – The Catholic, and later the Protestant “Reformed”, doctrine which states the “Church of the New Testament”, like the “Church of the Old Testament”, is formed on the basis of the same covenant, namely the covenant God made with Abraham (Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge, p. 549). Therefore, they conclude that the children of believers have the right to baptism by which they are actually regenerated. (Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge, pp. 546-547). This notion is essentially held by all infant baptizers.

Last week’s term: Regeneration – That aspect of salvation which describes the infusion of life into the dead soul. It is the aspect of salvation which is referred to by Christ as being “born again” (John 3:3). It is also the aspect of salvation which is illustrated by the resurrection of Lazarus.