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My Year in Blogging {2015}

Valerie Basham

December 31, 2015

I can’t believe this year is already over. It seems like yesterday we were planning the events of 2015, which began with a visit from our friend Adam Nixon, from Italy, for our church’s Bible conference.

Memorial plaque for “Miss Heather” at our library.

It’s been a difficult year in some ways. In May, we lost our amazing children’s librarian, Heather Everett, to cancer. That was only the beginning of death for the year. A friend of our family died in July. My first best friend died in October.

Last summer, I got the bright idea to write about Calvinism with a bit of humor. (The most viewed posts of the year.) My husband has been preaching these truths for about nine years, and has talked to numerous pastors, preachers and friends about these things. I didn’t think my posts would shock anyone. Boy, was I wrong. I haven’t had so much feedback from a blog post in my entire eight years of writing my thoughts online. Here are a few of the comments I received:

I’m not up for debate cause I know what I believe but my heart hurts because someone that I looked up to when I was younger has gone so far off. It just breaks my heart. I will pray for you and your children.

And:

I don’t know if it would show up on your blog and frankly I don’t care if it does, this is the only way I knew to communicate with you so here’s my bit. Valerie, I’m just shocked. When studying up on this, your readings would have been by authors that were obviously biased on the subject, as Bumper [my husband’s nickname] would have directed you in that way, anyway, what it all boils down to is..what does the Bible say, not the teachings of man. In A beka or other material I learned from, Calvin we [sic] never painted to be a heretic, or Martin Luther..etc, but I’m not a Lutheran either, I’m a Christian, MY sins were paid for by the Blood Of Christ as well as all humankind. That includes Jews and atheists and satanists and Catholics and Calvinists…and the list goes on. I know this not because of the Sunday school lessons I was taught, or what my parents believe, but because it’s in the Word of God. Not to be added to or taken away from. There is a huge difference between foreknowledge and predestination. Your dad, and mine would be hugely disappointed, but you may never know, if you truly believe what you say, there is a chance according to you and/or Bumper they may not have been in the elect and if you are in that predestined group, and I’ve never met a Calvinist who wasn’t, you may not see them again. But I know “the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). We Love y’all, and God Bless..or Que Sera Sera.

[Note: What this person thinks I believe is not accurate. I tried to address a few points in this post, as well as others.]

Another:

I had unfriended you a couple of weeks ago. I began think that you might believe in the doctrine of Calvinism, but I wasn’t sure…Because I am so strongly against this teaching, that is why I unfriended you. This may sound like a silly reason to unfriend someone, but like I said it is something I feel very strongly about…

There wouldn’t be time or space to include all of the comments. One woman said, “Calvinists think they are so special to have God’s salvation, like they are so unworthy. Makes me sick.” Of course, I wanted to ask this lady, “So, you ARE worthy of salvation? Isn’t that pride? Doesn’t pride made God sick? (Proverbs 16:17-19)” Another person said, “So what did you do, Valerie, to be special enough to be chosen?” Answer: Obviously, nothing. That’s the point. Other conversations devolved into my being called an “idiot” and the like. Very mature responses, wouldn’t you say?

In the days following my blog posts, I heard several sermons via the internet against Calvinism by friends and family. The irony is that every American historical Baptist was a Calvinist. Your American Baptist church, and mine, wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for a few brave Calvinists who landed on Plymouth hundreds of years ago. Calvinism is actually the “old path” for Baptists. Decisional regeneration is the “new” thing. But go ahead and hate Calvinism. Forget the gratitude you owe our ancient Baptist forefathers. The very reason you have freedom of religion was because of a Calvinist. Ever hear of John Leland? Yep, Calvinist. Thankfully, he is in Heaven so he can’t receive e-mail.

Well, I was supposed to visit some of these people at my home church at Thanksgiving. I’m a high-strung person under the best of circumstances, so you can imagine that I was nervous about seeing them. However, at the last moment, my husband received an unsolicited invitation to preach at a sovereign grace Baptist church in my hometown. The Good Shepherd was protecting me.

While most responses were negative, several people did write to say that my posts have encouraged them to study their Bibles more than ever. And that makes it all worth it. Christians need to be students of the Word of God, not of the word of man.

While Calvinism was the most-viewed topic of the year, I did write about other things. I wrote three series this year: Verses I Love in February, A March Through Proverbs in the month of March, and Theological Term of the Week, which is currently ongoing.

In July, my church’s printing ministry, The Watchman Press, printed a Bible study I wrote in 2009 called 31 Days of Proverbs 31. It is now available in Kindle and in print. The cost is $.99 for the Kindle version and $3.00 (plus shipping) for the printed format.

I have read 46 books this year, and my goal was to read 40. I wrote about them in the series called My Book Bag: Year in Review. My hope for next year is to review each book as I read it. Those posts will all be called “My Book Bag” followed by the book title.

I have also tried to consolidate my social media world to save time. I have removed (at least for now) my Valerie Write Now Facebook page and combined it with my personal profile. You can follow me there for blog updates without adding me to your friend list. Just go here if you would like to do so. Or you can subscribe or follow me on other media sites, just check the sidebar.

Well, those are the highlights of my year in blogging. A lot happened this year. There were birthdays, recitals, soccer practice, homeschooling, a bit of drama, and myriad blessings from the Father.

I must close by saying thank you. This blog wouldn’t be very much without readers. I extend my heartfelt thanks to you for reading, sharing, commenting (Even those who disagree! Thank you for writing me!), and for just being here at all.

May the Lord bless you in the coming year!

With love,

Homeschooling Halftime

Valerie Basham

4 comments

December 30, 2015

It’s hard to believe that we are halfway through the school year! It has been a busy one. Lauren is doing well with her work. She is not a fan of American History, but has conceded that she enjoys using Notgrass History more than Abeka. She is using Abeka for literature, and even though she’d rather read British lit than American lit, she has found a few stories she likes. Moby Dick wins the most-hated story so far, but at least it’s in the past. She loved The Scarlet Letter, so that is a bright spot. The Math U See Geometry has been great, and the jury’s still out on the Institute for Excellence in Writing. Basically, if it’s writing, it’s no fun, but I think it’s growing on her. I think.

Lauren is driving alone now. That has been a life adjustment. No more worrying about little ones crawling around getting into the books or starting to put fingers in a light socket, now I’m concerned that they don’t get in a head-on collision! Ah, yes, I’m learning anew to trust in the Lord. It is a great blessing that Lauren is a careful and considerate driver. She lets me know when she arrives somewhere and when she is coming home. It has been so nice for her to drive herself to band practice or to the library.

Lauren with her license! Dec. 8, 2015

Mitchell’s nemesis has been science. He is not a fan of the Apologia Physical Science, but at least we’re on the downhill slide now. He is doing well with Math U See Pre Algebra. I’m so glad we made that change in math!

Leslie and Mitch are both enduring the Notgrass History and literature. I am loving it! Each week we read about a historic place, a biography, an event, and a daily life lesson of the time period. After reading the lesson on Crater Lake in Oregon, I’ve added it to my “places to see” list! We do a core lesson together each day, and then they do separate workbook assignments based on that lesson. The literature, which coordinates with the time period we’re studying, has been excellent. It does take a bit longer than it would if they worked independently, but I enjoy doing this together.

Leslie is a hard worker, tackling each task with enthusiasm. She is doing well in all of her work. Her favorite subject is spelling.

Matt is reading, writing, counting to 100, adding, and even telling time to the hour. I was unable to do much pre-school preparation with him, and I was a bit concerned at how he would do. It has been a relief to see that he is learning. Teaching him adds at least an hour of work for me each day, plus more prep each evening, but we are making it happen. He has battled a lot of sickness this past semester, missing six days of school because of it. It has required my adjusting my lesson plans and being flexible, which is not my strength. So, I am learning, too.

Laci is doing great with all of her work, and even enjoying it (most of the time). 😉 She has learned long division and how to find a variable in an equation. She likes Bible reading, spelling, and her literature books. She just completed science for the year (it’s only one semester for 3rd grade using Abeka). She made an animal science notebook as a project. She had to find at least five pictures of the following animals: Mammals, Invertebrates, Fish, Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians. She had to write the characteristics of each category and she also drew several pictures for the notebook. Here are the photos of her work:

Lauren also made an animal notebook in third grade! Here they are side-by-side. Lauren and Laci both turned their notebooks in on the same day, seven years apart. It was also Laci’s birthday!

We have been busy not only with school, but with church activities, band practice and concerts, piano lessons, basketball and volleyball. I must say I’ve enjoyed this time off for Christmas break. I needed a breather to get ready for the New Year. I look forward to it with great anticipation, for my hope is in the Lord.

With love,

Oklahoma and Goliath

Valerie Basham

6 comments

December 29, 2015

Our area was impacted by winter storm “Goliath”, but just as in the biblical story of David and Goliath, the Lord protected us from this giant which hurled not spears of brass, but of ice and sleet. We had had lovely, sunny, mild weather all week, so this change was a drastic one. Strong winds and heavy rain began on Saturday afternoon. This turned into sleet and ice by Sunday morning as the thermometer dipped 30 degrees colder. Our services were cancelled on Sunday, not only because of the slick conditions, but also because of the 50 mile per hour winds. This “blizzard force” wind lasted Saturday, all day Sunday, and Monday morning. By Sunday night, our power lines had taken all they could and gave way leaving us in the dark.

And let me tell you, our house is dark. I have made it through a few strong storms in Oklahoma (if you’ve lived here longer than a month, then you probably have, too) but this was the first time we lost power. When the power went off at 9 PM Sunday, the darkness was palpable. I felt my airway constrict like I was suffocating. I know! Isn’t that crazy? Thankfully, I got a grip and we found candles and used our phones for flashlights. Since it was bedtime, we all made our way to bed, beneath lots of blankets since the heat wouldn’t work without electricity. We were blessed not to have needed to eat, so we made sure the fridge and freezer doors stayed closed. The lights came on for about an hour between 2-3 AM, which gave me time to charge my phone to 100%. (Yes, I have my priorities right.) During the night, I could hear the sleet hit the windows, sounding like someone was throwing gravel against the glass. The wind whistled through the eaves and across the chimney pipe, creating a mournful sound in the darkness. I was thankful for strong walls and a good roof!

We all slept late Monday morning on purpose because, well, when you don’t have power, what can you do? We couldn’t do laundry, iron clothes, write blog posts, cook, vacuum, or even shower! The hot water heater has to have electricity, too. We tried to start a fire in the fireplace, but the wood wouldn’t light. The house was growing colder and colder, and we had no idea when the power would be restored, so we got dressed and made our way into town.

The damage from the winds wasn’t wide-spread, but it was noticeable. The awning over the gas pumps at a nearby gas station had fallen, balancing precariously across the pumps. The Subway restaurant sign had turned 180 degrees. Lots of dead tree limbs and trees were toppled, and some living trees were blown over at the roots! When we moved in almost three years ago, we had two dead trees in our backyard. Some sweet folks in our church helped us cut them down and haul the branches away, and we burned the wood for fuel that winter. I am so thankful that we got rid of them promptly, because had they not fallen before, I feel sure they would have in this recent storm. We were so blessed! We sustained no other damage than the loss of power.

Well, after driving around town for a while, eating lunch at one of the few places that were open, and dropping by the library to pick up a book that had come in, we checked the church to see if there was power there, and there was! We went back home and collected a few blankets and computers to take to church to try to pass the time. We also put our milk and a few other things in the snow to try to save them from being ruined, and turned on our porch light so we could see if the power was back by just driving by the house.

We were only at church for about an hour when a church member, who lives near us, said they had power at their house. They were kind enough to drive by our house to see if we had power (thank goodness for that porch light!) and we did!

We headed home and rejoiced at the sight of lights! We got the heat on and surveyed the damage to our perishable food, which wasn’t much, thanks to the snow and cold temps outside. It didn’t take long to clean up, start laundry and get a much needed shower.

It was a wonderful blessing to awaken today to a warm home, with light! I’m sorry to say that I often take for granted the blessings of electricity, but not today.

With love,

Theological Term of the Week: Infinity

Valerie Basham

no comments

December 28, 2015

This week’s term: Infinity (Non-Communicable) – The quality of being infinite; endless, or unlimited in space, time, distance, quantity. Having no limits or bounds concerning knowledge, power and holiness; extending beyond measure or comprehension; without beginning or end.

Last week’s term: Veracity (Communicable) – The quality of being truthful. As an attribute of God, it is to be seen as absolute, which can be said of no human being. God cannot speak inaccurately in any sense, either from lack of knowledge, fear of reprisal, protection from exposure, or any of the other reasons men lie. It is not a moral responsibility God exercises, but an involuntary attribute of His character.

Merry Christmas!

Valerie Basham

6 comments

December 24, 2015

I hope you and your family are enjoying this festive season. Here’s a Christmas treat for our friends and family far away.

In case you couldn’t understand him very well, he was quoting a poem for Christmas called “What Can I Give Him?” by Christina Rossetti. Here are the words:

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part.
Yet what can I give Him?
Give my heart.

Merry Christmas, from our home to yours!

With love,

Theological Term of the Week: Veracity

Valerie Basham

no comments

December 21, 2015

This week’s term: Veracity (Communicable) – The quality of being truthful. As an attribute of God, it is to be seen as absolute, which can be said of no human being. God cannot speak inaccurately in any sense, either from lack of knowledge, fear of reprisal, protection from exposure, or any of the other reasons men lie. It is not a moral responsibility God exercises, but an involuntary attribute of His character.

Last week’s term: Holiness (Communicable) – The quality or state of being holy. As an attribute of God, it means to be absolutely flawless in all characteristics and activities. In this sense it is not to be seen as excellence in God’s conduct, by which He perfectly follows holy principles, but the basic personal attribute of God, from which all other attributes flow, and by which the principles of holiness become principles.

Do you enjoy this series? Please share!

Christmas Break Has Begun

Valerie Basham

4 comments

December 19, 2015

Wow. What a week! We began last Monday with a funeral of a dear lady in our church. God gave her 97 years to live and love and serve. My husband preached a wonderful Gospel message.

On Tuesday, I began feeling ill. I soon realized I needed to see a doctor. We had planned to go out to the Wildlife Refuge and take our family Christmas photo using a tripod, but my doctor’s appointment and subsequent pharmacy trip made that impossible. Leslie and Mitchell had piano lessons, but my husband was able to take them for me. Lauren had her Christmas band concert that night also, but I was able to go even though I felt terrible.

Wednesday, we snapped a family photo in front of our fireplace for our Christmas card. It wasn’t as nice as an outdoor photo, but I think it turned out okay. After that, we went to church, which was a huge blessing. In the midst of shopping, teaching, cleaning, decorating, wrapping, and sickness, I needed to hear the great preaching. I was also able to get some church work done before services, which saved me a trip back later in the week.

Thursday was a break. Well, we still had school, but there was nothing that evening. I went to bed early and slept well.

Friday, we finished school! My husband took me out to eat at Outback Steakhouse, where I bumped into some dirty dishes on a table, broke a glass and cut my finger. (Thankfully, no one was seated there at the time.) The staff quickly got a band-aid for me and asked me over and over if I was okay. I was humiliated, but there was nothing they could do about that! My finger throbbed for a while but soon settled down. No stitches were needed. From there we went shopping for Christmas gifts. Thankfully, I didn’t break anything else or hurt myself again. *insert sigh of relief*

Now, I get to focus on mailing Christmas cards, finishing my shopping and wrapping, and doing the normal housework thing. I am finally feeling much better and I hope next week is a little less exciting. 😉

I hope you are having a relaxing holiday season, wherever you may be.

My Book Bag: Across Five Aprils

Valerie Basham

5 comments

December 17, 2015

Well, I have wiped the tears from my eyes in order to tell you that Across Five Aprils is a book that everyone should read. I had read it when I was thirteen or fourteen, and while I loved it very much then, I lacked the maturity and understanding that only time could bring. The added years and my greater knowledge of the Civil War have given me a much greater comprehension of the true events that this novel is based upon. Also, having married a man from southern Illinois, I have traversed the area in which this book takes place, and that, of course, gave me a fuller picture as the story unfolded. I love this book, and I just know you will love it, too.

In these pages, you will see how the Civil War affects a nine year old boy. You will see in your mind’s eye the horror and hatred that brought about the war between the states. You will see Abraham Lincoln in a way that no biography can show him to you. You will feel the stillness of the hours as they slowly pass for a family on an Illinois farm. You may feel fear or anger, and you might, as I did, scratch your head in amazement at how our country could be willing to pay such a high price for a disagreement. Surely God was orchestrating these events for His own purpose, one that none of us may ever understand until we reach Heaven’s shore.

We read this book aloud for our history class, and it’s an excellent choice. The southern Illinois dialect did sometimes trip me up, but after a while, it flowed more easily.

I hope you will take the time to meet sweet Ellen, her strong husband, Matt, and their children. I hope you will walk the corn furrows with Jethro Creighton as he grows into a man across five unforgettable Aprils.

With love,

The Christmas Concert

Valerie Basham

1 comment

December 17, 2015

Lauren is thoroughly enjoying playing in the homeschool band! She had the opportunity to play at a Christmas concert last Tuesday night. I wanted to share her performances for loved ones near and far away who would have liked to have joined us.

This last one was my favorite of the evening.

I hear Lauren practicing long and hard everyday, but I admit that the long pauses in her music and the odd portions which have no true rhythm on their own, sound much more lovely when I get to hear her perform with the entire band. The other instruments fill in the gaps; they add their melody to her harmony and vice versa. I love hearing them play! It is wonderful that she is learning music and teamwork at the same time. Our band directors, Mr. and Mrs. Haas, are excellent!

Lauren is in the “Advanced Band”, which, as the director explained to us, means you have been playing your instrument for 3-5 years. For Lauren to be in this category after only 1.5 years of experience was a great blessing! I know her Papa would be pleased, and I can’t help but hope that he was able to pause for a moment in Heaven to listen.

Thanks for reading, and for watching.

With love,

My Book Bag: Passin’ Through

Valerie Basham

1 comment

December 14, 2015

To understand my husband, I read the Bible and Louis L’Amour. I’m not sure I have a favorite genre, but I know my husband does, and western novels is it. He often quotes Louis at the strangest moments, usually the ones where I am in desperate need of a smile.

And you know what? It always works.

Passin’ Through begins with a noose sliding around our hero’s neck. This cowboy was just passin’ through, but he finds himself in a passel of trouble. Now he must decide between heading for the mountains, or staying put and resolving his problems. This book has everything a L’Amour western should have: shooting, horseback riding, fighting, and of course, a beautiful woman.

Louis is extremely quotable. Here are some of my favorites:

Besides, what does a name mean? Nothing until a man makes it mean something.

Most murders were people of low intelligence no matter what their income or station in life, and murder was a difficult thing to hide.

When somebody wanted to know who I was, would I have to say I was just Passin’ Through? Well, that’s what we all were doing, in a way, but when a man cashes in his chips he should leave something a little better than he had found it.

If you enjoy westerns, then give this one a try. You won’t be disappointed.