Christian Home School Hub

“It is often in the unguarded moments that our talk reveals our inner life.” Mille Stamm

This is one of the many reasons I journal. I've gotten used to pouring my heart out to the Lord, sometimes complaining and sometimes rejoicing.

Regardless of which mode I’m in the Lord listens patiently to my despair or enjoys (I hope) my rejoicing. Today I want to address those journal entries that contain my complaining. What good can writing down your complaints do? Well, for starters it’s a good way to get something “off your chest” without hurting anyone. There have been times that I’ve hurriedly written down my angry, frustrated thoughts and feelings. After that I usually feel calm enough to read what I’ve written. That is usually quite eye opening for me.

I discovered when I began homeschooling that I am a very visual learner. (Isn’t it amazing how much we homeschool mothers learn while we’re teaching?) So having a chance to see in writing what I’m thinking and feeling usually surprises me.

I find myself thinking that’s quite a strong word. Do I really feel that strongly about this? Hate…did I really say that? I guess I don’t hate it as much as I dislike it or perhaps I’m just uncomfortable with it. Why am I uncomfortable with that?

You get the picture. As this Scripture from Matthew says, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Matthew 12:34 KJV
I've learned that there is an advantage to taking my thoughts and feelings to the Lord in writing. It really helps me get them out in a way that doesn’t harm others, yet allows me to work through them instead of just stuffing them so my mouth speaks them out at the wrong time or place.

I guess it helps me distill them down to what I really need to deal with - my sin or sometimes the sin of someone against me.

It brings me to the place where I can seek forgiveness or forgive, neither is a bad place to be. I usually commit the whole thing to the Lord – thoughts, feelings, situation – and trust Him to use it for good in my life.
How’s that for a happy ending?

2 Timothy 1:12 KJV - For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Finding Joy in the Journey,

Phyllis

I would love to have the opportunity to keep in touch with you. Please sign up to be notified of new entries and to receive my Free E-zine. (Your address will not be shared)

Please sign up and receive your free copy of Dan's Doodles I 
Phyllis Sather
Proclaiming God's Faithfulness at:
http://www.Phyllis-Sather.com

Contact me Contact me

© 2013 Phyllis Sather
All rights reserved

In the winter we keep the temperature of our home at between 66 and 68 degrees. When we’re up and moving around its comfortable and if we are sitting and feel cold we just put on a sweater.

We installed a new furnace a couple of years ago to replace our 35 year old one and have enjoyed paying less for heating with a more efficient system.

This winter our basement family room and bedroom are always the coolest places in the house, winter or summer, but this winter they seem to be much colder than usual. We’ve had a fire in the fireplace almost constantly, checked for leaks at windows and doors, running a little space heater, but it still seemed colder.

Since our home is 3 stories and heat rises, we always open the third floor vents in the summer and close the basement vents and do the reverse in the winter. Last night Eric happened to look up and see that the ceiling vent for heat/AC wasn’t opened. At first he thought we had just forgotten to open one but we soon discovered that none of the vents in the basement were opened.

That just might explain why it’s been so cold there.

There is a parallel in our Spiritual life.

Mat 7:7 says – “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”
You could have a new Bible, great devotional material, a special place to have a quiet time with the Lord, but unless you sit in that chair, open and read that Bible and devotional material, spend some time praying and listening your heart will be as cold as our family room has been.

So, if your “vents” are closed – go open them like we did.

Now for the winner of the devotional: And the winner is Renee Skeate – I’m choosing to use Experiencing God Day by Day by Blackaby. I’ve ordered it and am ready to use it after my 21 days of A Life of Gratitude by Shelley Hitz . I’ll be giving you my favorite devotional – My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.
Finding Joy in the Journey,
Phyllis

I would love to have the opportunity to keep in touch with you. Please sign up to be notified of new entries and to receive my Free E-zine. (Your address will not be shared)

Please sign up and receive your free copy of Dan’s Doodles I
Phyllis Sather
Proclaiming God’s Faithfulness at:

http://www.Phyllis-Sather.com

Contact me Contact me

© 2013 Phyllis Sather
All rights reserved

We have all heard the stories of praying mothers and grandmothers like Susanna Wesley, whose children and grandchildren became great men and women of God. This week I realized that I need to become part of that group and spend more time praying for my children and grandchildren.

Today more than ever there is a need for Godly men and women to stand in the gap for the next generation.

Psalm 106:23 “Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy [them].” – Psalm 106:23 KJV

This generation is faced with more opportunities and choices than any generation in history. Therefore the need for prayer is greater than ever.

Please take time each day to pray for your children. There really is no greater thing that you can do for them.

Here are some resources I have used that I think you will find helpful.

The Power of Praying for Your Adult ChildrenBy Stormie Omartian / Harvest House PublishersYou can stay involved in your adult child’s life through prayer! As your grownup child steps out into the real world, they will need your prayers more than ever. Through prayer, you can entrust them into God’s loving care. Using stories from other parents and insight gleaned from personal experience, Stormie Omartian will help you seek God’s guidance regarding your adult children and their career choices, sense of purpose, marriages, parenting skills, leadership, struggles, addictions, faith, and other important decisions they’ll have to make. Paperback.

The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children Book of PrayersBy Harvest House PublishersSmall enough to tuck into your pocketbook or glove compartment, this book of prayers makes it easy for you to pray for your adult child any time of the day or night. Each of these sixty prayers focuses on a specific area of life in which you want your child to succeed – relationship with God, marriage, parenting, career, finances, purpose, etc. Your daily prayers will help you have peace and confidence as you watch your adult children experience life on their own. Stormie’s also included a key Scripture verse and prayer note section for each prayer, and a presentation page in the front of the booklet. Paperback.

Sylvia Gunter’s book For the Family

Another one you that is easy to carry with you and read and pray while you wait.

Finding Joy in the Journey,
Phyllis

I would love to have the opportunity to keep in touch with you. Please sign up to be notified of new entries and to receive my Free E-zine. (Your address will not be shared)

Please sign up and receive your free copy of Dan’s Doodles I
Phyllis Sather
Proclaiming God’s Faithfulness at:
http://www.Phyllis-Sather.com

Contact me Contact me

I’m always on the look out for a great devotional that all my children can enjoy, that is quick but yet adds to their knowledge and love for God – enter Big Truths for Little Kids.  The short stories, questions, discussion area and Scripture all make for a lively and relevant devotion time for you and your children.  I will say this was right on target for my younger children whose ages are almost 6 and almost 8 however my 10 year old was a little too old for the stories but I won’t say she didn’t learn anything – anything that teaches God’s Truths is relevant no matter how it’s done.

The goal of this book is to teach children how to live for God by integrating Scripture, discussion, prayer and memorization.  Before you begin, it’s recommended that you, the parent or person leading the devotion memorize the answers to the questions for reading #1 – that is questions like “who made you?” and “how can you glorify God?”.  As you go through the book you add in the other questions but only work on having the children memorize reading number one’s, then when you go through the book again add in memorizing of reading number two, and so on.  Eventually children will be able to answer questions that relate back to their Faith and the Bible and giving them a good foundation to eventual deeper study of the Word of God.

The 160 page hardback book with it’s black and white illustrations is a lovely addition to your Bible time and your family’s library.  My only caution in this devotional is to read the questions ahead of time as some may not align with Scripture or your families belief.  Two of the questions that raised issue for me were:

• “Who are to be baptized?”  “Believers and their children.”
• “Why are we baptized, even as infants?”  “Because God’s command to Abraham is obeyed in our baptism.”

Again, these have been the only two questions and I would probably skip those two and rework the story or use it to illustrate along side Scripture why infants aren’t to be baptized.  Otherwise, this is a great devotional that can be used by Christians who do not believe in infant baptism.

**Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book from Crossway in exchange for my honest review, no other compensation was given.

You can read more reviews and our adventures as a family at my blog Growing For Christ.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13, NIV)

Today’s big question: what is our hope?

We saw in the previous devotional that faith is essential for every Christian. As we explore the second of the “big three” from today’s passage, a logical order becomes apparent. Hope follows faith, since our hope naturally springs from faith: “For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith” (Galatians 5:5).

But what is true hope? We often use this word in daily conversation to describe something that we would like to happen but are uncertain whether it will actually occur. For example, I hope the economy improves, and I hope I don’t get sick this week, but neither of these “hopes” has any real certainty. This common idea of “hope” is very different from what the Apostle Peter wrote: he called it “a living hope,” which is “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

Even in the face of death, Christians have “a living hope” of eternal life. Our hope is far greater than just a “wish” or “desire”; it is a sure expectation based on the word of Christ (John 11:25). We live now “in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:2). Since God cannot lie, our hope cannot be in vain. Therefore, “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

Hope is our (Continue reading on Answers in Genesis)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1, NASB)

Today’s big question: is biblical faith blind?

Critics and skeptics like to mock Christians as having “blind faith.” Sadly, many Christians have fallen for the notion that our faith is blind, in the sense that we must take a leap of faith or a stab in the dark, and hope that our belief is correct. This view of faith is patently unbiblical.

Hebrews 11 has been described as the “Faith Hall of Fame” because it highlights Old Testament examples of great faith in God: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Moses, and more. The chapter spends more time on Abraham than anyone else, so let’s examine a few of the verses about him:

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (Hebrews 11:17–19)

Abraham’s faith in God was put to the ultimate test. God instructed him to sacrifice the son he had waited so long for. Imagine being in Abraham’s “shoes.” What would go through your mind? Would you question God or think He was being unreasonable? Would you be willing to sacrifice your child or would you flat-out disobey?

Without Hebrews 11:19, this particular subject (Continue reading in Answers in Genesis)

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Today’s big question: what is unique about faith, hope, and love?

We have previously discussed each of these important concepts in our devotionals but we are now going to devote an entire series to faith, hope, and love.

The Bible has a great deal of teaching on each of these three words, and the New Testament often places them within the same context. For example, Paul reminded the Thessalonians about the importance of “putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:8).

We have all used these words, but do we understand how unique the biblical meanings of these terms differ from the way the world views them? Do we recognize the unique significance that faith, hope, and love should have in the life of a Christian? While they will be further explained in forthcoming devotionals, let’s briefly examine how each of these terms is unique when compared to worldly understanding.

Faith is often thought of as something that requires (Continue reading on Answers in Genesis)

And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:23–25, ESV)

Today’s big question: how can praise help us share the gospel?

One of the most common accusations unbelievers have against Christians is that we are hypocrites. When our walk does not match our talk, the world sees through our façade and ignores us when we share the good news of salvation. All too often this happens because Christians fail to trust and rejoice in the Lord.

A trial comes into our life—whether it’s physical, financial, relational, or something else—and our first response is to worry. We quickly forget that the situation is completely in the hands of our caring Father who makes “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

You have probably never faced the kind of intense persecution Paul and Silas encountered in Philippi. After being severely beaten for sharing the gospel, these men were locked away in the inner prison. Sitting in the darkness with the blood and searing pain from the lashes still fresh on their backs, they certainly could have despaired. Instead, they prayed and sang praises to the Lord.

Praise is essentially the opposite of (Continue reading on Answers in Genesis)