Friday, October 19, 2012

Messages from God

Do you ever know God is talking right to you through your bible? A few years ago when we still lived in the city I had spent a lot of time searching for answers. I had already become a Christian and had been baptised but was still searching because I didn't think becoming a Christian was enough to forgive my sins, and it was shortly after my baptism that I got pregnant with I, and not with my husband(to whom I had already been apart from for years). I also was feeling like I would never be able to remarry anyone since I was still married and divorce is not exactly seen as okay. I had this devotional book that when you opened it one way it had devotions for each morning and when you flipped it over it had devotions for each night. I read the devotion for the day and was praying over it and decided to randomly open my bible up and knew that the first thing I read would be God speaking to me. So I did so (and really wish I had written down the verses back then), but it really got to the heart of what I was asking. So I shut the bible but didn't feel quite done, so I opened it again. Again it was a different verse and applicable so I shut the bible and once again felt not done. (normally once I shut my bible that is that). SO I finally said Lord what on earth are you trying to tell me? Put it in plain english. I reopened my bible and there in red lettering was the words "You are forgiven". And at that moment I felt done. I knew I had gotten his message loud and clear in perfect english.

Today something similar happened and I am dieing to tell someone. Over the last 3 weeks at bible study we have been discussing keeping covenant practices. There has been a lot of talk about God's promises to us and the differences between a covenant and a promise and how we have to do our part to have God bestow His part onto us. I sit through these discussions feeling sorry for myself. Clearly God doesn't find me worthy of these promises, after all what do I have to offer Him? I am not a good Christian, I waver in my faith every other day, I don't even go to church or pray consistently. I have a short temper, judge constantly, and frankly don't particularily like people. None of these are the hallmarks of one of God's people. But then something was said last night that got me thinking. Many of the people God chose to be His people and bestoow the greatest blessings on were the lowliest and most sinful people that turned things around for Him. So tonight I was knitting granny squares (thanks Imp for telling me yesterday how to do them) and talking to God. I was saying how I knew these covenant were made but how in the heck was I worthy of them when I was such a sinner, such a bad Christian. How I am sick of being without a husband but in order to have one again I would have to chose to sin etc.

I got that feeling in my gut that said put down the sinning and pick up your bible. It fell open to Hosea 2:17-19. Now I have never read Hosea before, those pages were pristine so it wasn't because the bible was used to opening there kwim. I will not type out the whole verse because this post is long enough, but you can look it up. But it speaks of a covenant he will make with Isreal and make her His wife, only I didn't feel it was about Isreal but was about me. I felt it was saying if I did my part the covenant being made was a promise that He would be my husband and take care of me, no need for me to sin to find one here kwim. So then I asked how I know that I am living my part and when I randomly openned my bible it was to proverbs 14. As I am reading it I was thinking that I need a bit more help than that my temper gets the better of me often. I closed my bible, randomly opened it again and it came up to proverbs 15.

I know what I need to do to fullfill my part towards teh covenant with God. A covenant that before tonight I did not feel worthy of because I had nothing to give Him. I have a long way to go to correct my thoughts and actions etc bt I have the path before me now and I know that if I follow it God will provide for me as well as any husband would.  I no longer need to worry about my worth, He sees me as worthy.

 



Saturday, October 6, 2012

Week in Review weeks 3-5

Life has been a little on the hectic side so this is a post about the last 3 weeks all rolled into one.  Extracurriculars have now started in full swing.  C dances in the studio 6 hours a week, Tuesday she does Ballet and Jazz, Thursday is stretch and lyrical, Friday is tap and Saturday she does 2 classes of acro.  Shortly after her jazz class starts I drive A over to cadets, then back to the dance studio and as soon as jazz is over I drive C over to cadets.  It makes for a very long evening for us all.  Thursdays as posted in other weeks A and C have their online poetry class, it ends at 5.  Her stretch class starts at 5, in a town 15 minutes away... you do the math.  Right after her lyrical class(which is right after stretch) we all head to the church so H and I can do kids church, A and C do youth group and I go to the adult bible study.  In all that mix on Fridays right before C's tap class I had her preschool ballet/tap combo class and she has an acro class on saturday sandwiched between C's 2 classes.  All in all it makes for a lot of running around and very little time to update the blog.

Academically the following 3 weeks have been full and yet the list doesn't seem long enough.  A and C have continued to succeed in their online literature class and in their online poetry class.  In the last 3 weeks they finished off the Hobbit and have read 2/3 of the Iliad by Homer.  They have to have it finished for next class.  In poetry they have now studied Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, Assonance, Consonance, Euphony, Cacophony and poems such as The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Highwayman, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, The Bells, All Day I hear the Noise of Waters and several more.

H has continued in his online lit class too.  In the last few weeks he has heard and discussed "The Husband that was to Mind the house" and "The Wonderful Weaver".  He thought the one about the husband was hilarious.  He also said the moral of the story was never switch places with your wife, you can never do her job as good as her.  Smart boy!

As far as other school work goes, we finally got our backordered latin books and physical science kit.  So we did our first experiement from Physical science which had them run a current through copper wires with the energy from a battery and create copper hydroxycarbolate.  They thought this was extremely cool. 

We started Christiana Latina I this past week.  The focus was on goals and an introduction to the history of Rome.  All 3 of the older kids are studying this together.

A and C also worked on their titanic lapbook, completed a winter count craft for their study of aboriginals, worked on spelling, writing, penmanship and math. 

H worked on form drawing, math, roman numerals to 5, reading, writing, penmanship, grammar and like mentioned above latin.

I focused on the story of Super Sam and the dragon.  We prepared for and celebrated Michaelmas.  We were not able to bake the dragon bread in time for the feast so instead we are baking it today to serve with our Thanksgiving feast tomorrow night.  She finished to the end of lesson 12 in language lessons for little ones, did phonics, math and penmanship.

Fun parts of the last 3 weeks...we brought home some new pets.  Zeus and Hera the Syrian tortoises are great fun to have.  We picked up our new car to replace the one that was wrecked in the car accident in August.  Last week the neighbors living behind us invited the kids over to pick apples which they loved.  And of course I have been sending and receiving a ton from postcrossing and swap-bot.

Here are some pictures from the last 3 weeks.

C showing off the goggles that came in the science lab kit

A attaching the wires to the battery

copper hydroxycarbolate on the wire

Watching the progress of their experiement

First ever written lab report

Working on his lab report

I picking apples

C up the tree to get the apples

A had to repair some damage he did to the new car before he could pick apples with the others

Zeus and Hera enjoying the dandelions topping their salad

Zeus and Hera