This week’s term: Humanity of Christ – The truth that Jesus Christ did not merely assume a human form by and in which He acted as and appeared to be man, but that He actually became man when He was born of Mary.
Last week’s term: Deity of Christ – Jesus Christ’s state of being, before, during and after His earthly life, that is, eternally God.
If this series is a blessing, please share! Thank you!
Blue Willow by Doris Gates is a book we read this year as part of Notgrass History. It was a new title to me, and one which enriched my life. I don’t know why our library has failed to offer this Newbery Honor book in its inventory, but it did. I was able to get a free copy from Paperbackswap.com – a wonderful resource for book lovers and homeschooling moms.
This book is the story of ten year old Janey Larkin, her hardworking dad who was misplaced due to the Dust Bowl, her mother, who is weary from the hardships of the transient lifestyle, and the ceramic blue willow plate, that offers Janey an escape into the picture etched into the plate. Janey and her family land in the San Joaquin valley to pick cotton. Janey meets Lupe, a young girl living nearby and embarks upon her first friendship. Janey hopes against hope that this will be the place they can stay “for as long as we want”, but trouble starts. The rent for the shack they live in is high, and her mother gets pneumonia. Can Janey possibly help the family? You’ll have to read and see.
The story is lovely, and fully brings to life the hard times of the Great Depression. It’s a quick read and should definitely be on your child’s (or your own) summer reading list.
This week’s term: Deity of Christ – Jesus Christ’s state of being, before, during and after His earthly life, that is, eternally God.
Last week’s term:Eternal Sonship of Christ – The truth that Christ did not have a beginning of sonship at any time, either by a pre-creation act of God or by His incarnation, but that He was eternally and without beginning, the son of God.
We are beginning a new category of terms this week!
Words and Terms Describing Doctrines of Christology
This week’s term: Eternal Sonship of Christ – The truth that Christ did not have a beginning of sonship at any time, either by a pre-creation act of God or by His incarnation, but that He was eternally and without beginning, the son of God.
Last week’s term: Sovereignty – (Communicable, but only in a very limited measure.) – The state or quality of being totally independent, unaccountable, and unquestionable. The right and ability to do all that one purposes, without outside approval or accountability.
My mother once said that her parents raised two families of three children each, because there was a gap between children numbers 3 and 4. If that’s true, then my parents raised three families of one child each. There is a considerable gap between each of us. We each share similar, yet separate memories of Dad. My brother knew Dad as a lost man, and saw him lose his temper without remorse. My sister knew Dad during his busiest season of life, and enjoyed her place as the baby and the only girl for many years. When I entered the world, my brother had moved out before I had any realization that he had even been there. My sister and I were close when I was small, but as time has a way of doing, it turned her into a mature teenager, and only made me an awkward and annoying “tween”. I suppose I knew Dad in his most relaxed season of life. He had been saved a long time and was growing as a Christian. I was his “partner” and he was my only friend. We rode bikes together, shopped at hardware stores – or did any errand- together. In short, we were inseparable, until I said “I do”. Fortunately for me, Dad loved my husband almost as much as I did, so we agreed together to allow Terry into our “club”.
It was a devastating blow when the Lord took Dad home so suddenly in 2004. He still worked hard in the heat, whistled loud, sang silly songs, and had a constant twinkle in his eye. It didn’t seem possible that he could be gone when my life was just starting, I was only 26. The worse part was that I hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye.
In July, it will be 12 long years since I last heard his voice, or saw his smile. I’m sure you think I should be over it by now; that his death should just be a painful, yet fading, memory. But it isn’t.
Immediately following Dad’s death, I dreamed about him most nights. I’ve never been to a psychologist or counselor (I’m sure I’d be a real study!), but I have always assumed that the dreams were my brain’s way of dealing with the tragedy, of making sense of it, of holding on to something intangible so that I wouldn’t lose it forever. For instance, I dreamed that he told me he was okay. I dreamed that I finally got to say, “Thank you for my life.” and “I love you.”, and “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” Some of them were so vivid, that if I weren’t firmly grounded in the Word of God, I would have been convinced that the Lord was sending Dad to talk to me. The dreams stopped about a year after his death.
Until a few nights ago.
Lauren has been selected to play the trumpet in a state-wide homeschooling band in April. In my dream, Dad was there in the audience, smiling and enjoying the performance. I was so thrilled he could be there, but when I tried to go talk to him, he was gone.
Unlike the dreams immediately following his death, I awoke from this one feeling happy that I had “seen” him again, and that he seemed pleased. I was reminded that, while I felt frustrated at not being able to speak to him in my dream, I know I’ll catch up with him one day soon. I even felt thankful. Yes, I’m grateful that, even though his smile is absent from our lives, there are little pieces of him still with us, like the gleaming trumpet that Lauren can play just as loudly as he ever did.
It has taken an awfully long time, but I finally feel that I am living with my grief, rather than grieving that I live.
With love,
How God Sent a Dog to Save a Family is the fifth book in the “Building on the Rock” series of devotional books written by Joel R. Beeke (Beek-ie) and Diana Kleyn. A few years back, I found it in a box of books given to me by a friend. I placed on the shelf and proceeded to forget about it. Recently, while cleaning out the shelves to make room for more *ahem* books, I placed this one in the giveaway pile. But before I gave it away, I asked Terry if he thought someone wanted it.
“We should read this to the kids.” he replied.
“Really? Is it good?”
“I don’t know. We could see.”
So I did.
I began reading it aloud several weeks ago, one story each morning. It didn’t take long to realize that it is excellent! The stories are based upon true happenings, many taking place in the late 1800’s – early 1900’s. I have never read a children’s devotional that pleads more earnestly with a child to seek after Christ, repent of sin, and call upon Him at all times and in all circumstances. On many mornings, I was wiping tears away as we completed the chapter. There are a few biographical stories of Christians about whom I knew nothing. What a blessing that these unsung heroes of the faith are remembered to us so many generations later through these pages.
Most chapters have an “S” or an “L” at the beginning. This indicates if they are short or long, so you can pick one based on how much time you have that day. There is a question from the lesson and a Bible passage to read for each chapter. The answers to the questions are in the back of the book, along with “Prayer Points” for each chapter, and a Scripture index. One example of a “Prayer Point” is the following:
“Thank God for the provision of food and drink. Thank Him that He knows what it is like to be human and that when He was on the cross He was thirsty and suffered so much for sinners. Ask God to give you a hunger and thirst for Him. Pray that instead of yearning for things and possessions, you will long to know Him.”
If you’re looking for a devotional book to read with your children, you might consider this one. I am hoping to get the other four books in the series!
Killing Patton by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard was the only book in their “Killing Series” that I hadn’t read. I wanted to, especially when I saw that my husband purchased it shortly after it came out. But he mailed it off to his friend, Evangelist Tim Green, before I could get my hands on it. I finally broke down and borrowed the library’s copy.
It took me a while to get into this one. I don’t know much about warfare, which exposed a huge gap in my education. I know about certain battles, and the victors of those battles, but I don’t know much “battle lingo”, like names of weapons. (It took me half the book to figure out that a panzer was the name of a German tank.) I also discovered that I didn’t know much about the geography of Germany or the names of many Nazi leaders. But, the fact that I was ignorant was probably a good reason to read the book. I now feel more knowledgeable, and even more interested in WWII and the Battle of the Bulge, in particular.
The actual killing of Patton was only a few pages of the whole 368. There is a wealth of information on Eisenhower, Roosevelt, Churchill, Hitler (and those around him), and a few details on Truman, Marshall, Bradley, Montgomery and MacArthur. If anything, this book made me want to read a bio of Patton, and a few of the others.
There was a lot of information which was painful, if you’re a sympathetic reader. I could have done without some of the descriptions of battle injuries and the murders of Jews. Those pages ripped my heart out. However, I believe it was factual, and even though history is horrible, it is history, and should not be forgotten.
Please note that there is mention of romantic liaisons that you may not want a child to read about. But, if you want to know more about the Battle of the Bulge then this is the book for you! I believe I could use the book to recreate the battle in a diorama. If you’re interested in Patton or WWII, I think you’ll enjoy reading Killing Patton.
On a side note, I wonder if there will be a “Killing McKinley” or a “Killing Garfield”?
It’s that time again – election season in a Presidential year. Oh my, how I hate it! As a young girl, I experienced my first heart palpitations while listening to preachers proclaim the evil-incarnate that was Bill Clinton. They told us to go home and kiss our religious liberties goodbye, because Clinton was on a mission to rid the world of all things Christ-related. I wept the night Clinton was inaugurated.
This morning, because of God’s grace alone, I read my Bible in freedom.
If only I could go back and speak a bit of wisdom to my younger self. You see, the truth was something more in the middle. Clinton wasn’t out to banish religious freedom, nor was he out to protect it; he was out to do that which furthered his favorite cause: Bill Clinton. And, that’s just what he did for eight long years. But Billy-boy wasn’t the only politician who loved himself more than all others…no way. If we made a list of those people, we would have to include Obama, Bush (both of ’em) Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, LBJ…you get the idea. One thing that each of those men have in common, along with all of their competitors for that high office, is that they all have a thirst for power. Whether their intentions are good or evil is for God alone to know, but they want that power. And we need someone to have it. Our nation must have a leader, a good one, if God would allow it, and He uses us to determine that leader.
This year, I have been amazed at the choices available on the GOP side of the race. (The Dems didn’t surprise me a bit.) People are downright angry at a certain candidate named Trump. They are simply gaga over one who smiles and says, “TRUSTed”. I’m a little disgusted with the extremes on both sides. As soon as the masses declare a politician “evil”, I tend to think, “He’s probably not that bad.”. As soon as they say, “Savior of the Constitution”, I tend to think, “He’s probably not that good.”
But I hesitate to share too many political thoughts on this blog or social media, because of the following:
#1. I don’t have time to fend off the attackers.
#2. I do not think anyone really cares how I’m going to vote.
#3. And, I know this sounds heartless, but I don’t care how they’re going to vote, either.
I am done letting others (even preachers, ladies and gentlemen) frighten me about the future. The Lord rules and reigns all things, and He will decide my future, and yours, too. This is not an excuse to sit back and do nothing. People are the tools the Lord uses to bring about His plans. I will vote, I will pray, I will obey the leaders God installs over me as much as I am able. But I am refusing fear, and that’s hard because I’m naturally a skittish person.
“But, Baptist preachers everywhere are telling you to vote for Mr. So-and-So! Shouldn’t you listen to them?” you may ask.
No, and here’s why:
I’m not married to them.
Here’s my political plan: Read my Bible, pray, and vote the way my husband does.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. ~ Ephesians 5:22-24
God honors those who obey HIM, not man, and the wife is to be in subjection to the husband. Here’s some good news: when the victory and concession speeches are long forgotten, there is one thing that shall stand forever, and that is the Word of God:
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. ~ Isaiah 40:8
Thanks for reading.
And don’t forget to vote.
Here’s an old video I found and recently uploaded to YouTube for our friends and family. I “caught” Matthew getting his own cup from the cabinet in a way that would not require his climbing on anything. I thought it was pretty creative. It was taken on May 19, 2015, when he was just four years old. I hope you enjoy it.
Since I began studying – against my will – the Doctrines of Grace, I’ve been surprised at the places you will find declarations of God’s power in Scripture. This morning, I read these verses from Job 23:
Verse 10 is a famous passage which is clearly speaking of Jehovah:
But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
What a comfort those words are! But there is more, as Job continues to talk of the one, true, living God in verses 11-16:
My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him. Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him. For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:
There it is, the lovely doctrine of God’s omnipotence! “But he is of one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me:” There is no room for our complaints with God, or for our thoughts. Job says, “when I consider, I am afraid of him, For God maketh my heart soft.” Yes, God makes hearts soft, and he makes them hard, too (remember Pharaoh in Exodus 7:13?).
You don’t need to pull out a concordance, or do a search online, looking for a few obscure passages in God’s Word to prove that the Doctrines of Grace are Bible doctrines, you just need to read the Bible!
It’s everywhere you look.
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