Christian Perspective

Encouragement

May 2007

"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." Psalm 105:4

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Update

I would like to extend a special welcome to those of you we had the privilege to speak with at the MASS Hope convention and at the same time thank all of you who kept the convention in your prayers. I cannot begin to describe the way the Lord held our hand and taught us through the event--His faithfulness in our weaknesses and failures transcends words.

I wanted to let you know about a few updates we've made to our website. I recently added a section to our site on homeschooling around the globe. It doesn't contain a lot of information just yet, but I hope the tidbits there will help give you a flavor for homeschooling abroad and help guide your prayers for our brothers and sisters around the world. I also added some pictures from my recent trip to the homeschooling convention in Spain as well as an article about the trip Sandra Lovelace, an international consultant with HSLDA, wrote. http://www.christianperspective.net/hworld.htm

We also recently reformatted some of our past monthly stories into a little booklet parents could use as short devotionals/bed time stories with their children. Titled "Short and Sweet," this resource is now available as both an e-book and small pamphlet. http://www.christianperspective.net/shortandsweet.aspx

Please continue to lift us before the Throne. We are all getting ready for the Virginia homeschool convention on June 7-9 (see http://www.heav.org/convention). Please pray that the Lord would guide and help us to keep our hearts stilled before Him in the midst of the necessary preparations.

This past month has been one of change for me personally. I have been teaching piano for nearly four years, but the Lord recently closed that door and opened up another. I am now working with our state homeschool organization (HEAV) on developing website content. It never ceases to amaze me where the Lord leads and how He provides.

May we all rest in the knowledge that the King of all is lovingly planning each day, giving each of us just what we need.

His forever,

Katherine Loop

Thought: In Need of Weeding

Isn't it amazing how quickly gardens can be overtaken with weeds? I went out this evening thinking I would plant my tomatoes. Little did I realize that I had a whole bagful of weeds that needed pulled before I could plant anything.

Our hearts, like gardens, continually get overgrown by false ideas, priorities, desires, or concerns. We begin viewing the tasks before us as mere tasks to get done instead of as opportunities to praise and serve our Creator. We fret and worry instead of resting in our Father's provisions. We get consumed with projects and plans instead of stilling our heart before our Creator. We put our eyes on those around us, making others our audience instead of the Lord. We view the difficulties that come into our lives as obstacles instead of blessings in disguise. We base decisions regarding our futures, jobs, days, and basic interactions with others on our own worldly thinking, forgetting that God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor our His ways our ways (Isaiah 55:9).

But praise God! We have a Heavenly Father who lovingly keeps tugging on our weeds, urging us to let Him pull them and bring us back to Himself. Every day, we have the opportunity to come before our Heavenly Gardener and ask Him to take our thoughts and feelings and give us His instead.

As you go about today, I would encourage you to stop yourself frequently and take a "weed" check. Ask yourself, Are my eyes still focused on the King, or have weeds crept in and begun to block my spiritual vision? As the Lord shows you weeds, ask Him to pull them. Continually bring your thoughts and feelings about issues before Him and ask Him to transform them and give you His. Remember that our hearts, like gardens, continually need weeding.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Story: Daddy's Little Girl

Amy walked contentedly along close to her father's side. They were going on a journey to--well, actually, Amy didn't know where exactly they were going. But that was okay with her. Her father knew, and Amy had complete confidence in him.

She chatted merrily with her father while they walked along. She told him all about her thoughts, her fears, and her desires. She listened as he reminded her of his unconditional love. Oh, how happy she felt!

That is, she felt happy until she began to wonder what the future held. It dawned on her that they had not taken enough supplies with them to last much longer. She wondered how they would survive.

Finally, Amy decided to share her concerns with her father. "Father, how will we find enough money for food and clothing?"

Amy's father stopped and put a loving arm on his daughter's shoulder. "Did I lead you on this journey?" he asked.

Amy nodded.

"Are you sure?"

Amy nodded again.

"Then I will provide. You're my little girl, and I will take care of you. Have I ever failed you yet?"

Amy's fears melted away when she heard these words and looked at her father's strong face. Oh, how glad she was to be daddy's little girl!

Many months had passed since Amy had set out with her father on that memorable journey. True to his word, Amy's father had provided exactly what she needed exactly when she needed it, although rarely in the way she had anticipated.

One day, Amy's father sat Amy down in front of a pile of reeds. He patiently taught her how to weave those reeds into beautiful baskets. Amy was delighted. She enjoyed the thrill of learning this new skill. Best of all, she loved sitting by her father's side, talking with him and letting him teach her while she worked.

But then Amy began to think about the people who would one day receive her baskets. What would they think of her baskets? Would they view her as a good basketweaver? When she made a mistake, she worried about what others would think when they saw her faulty work. When she did things correctly, she grew proud over her fine craftsmanship, forgetting entirely that she could only make her baskets because her father had both patiently taught her and had supplied her with everything she needed.

Eventually, the pressure of thinking about others began to take its toll on Amy's countenance. Amy ceased to delight in the work before her. She grew listless and discontent.

Amy's father noticed the change in his daughter with sadness, but he waited patiently for her to talk with him about her troubles. His face lit up with joy when Amy finally called, "Father?"

"Yes, my darling daughter," he replied instantly.

Amy explained as best she could the listlessness that had ceased her. "I just don't want to do it anymore!" Amy finished.

Amy's father surprised her by asking one of his simple, probing questions. "Who gave you this work to do?"

"Why, you did, Father," Amy replied in surprise.

"And who supplied all the materials you needed?"

"You did, Father."

"Then you are responsible to me, not to those around you. Stop letting what others think rob you of your joy. Just delight in being my little girl. Rejoice in the tasks that I give you and do them unto me"

Amy hung her head. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she whispered.

The next thing she knew, Amy found herself in her father's arms. "I love you, Amy. You are my little girl, and nothing can ever change that. "

Amy dried her tears and smiled. She returned to her weaving with joy in her heart again. Oh, when would she learn to simply live in the joy of being daddy's little girl!

Now that Amy was enjoying her work again, she got carried away with imagining how successful she would be and what a great basketweaver she would become. Her mind dwelt on the idea of having a store of her own with lots of customers. Everyone would hear of her baskets.

Although Amy did not realize it, she began to ignore her father. Her mind was too busy planning to really talk with him like in the past. Oh, she still talked to him, but she no longer just sat at his feet and basked in his presence.

One day her father's voice startled her out of her thoughts. "Amy, can I have your dreams?" he asked.

Amy looked up in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you have begun to build all these dreams for your future. Many of the dreams are good dreams, but they will rob you of the present if you let them. I want you to enjoy today and be content just being my little girl. Let me take care of whether or not you end up successful in this world's eyes or not."

Amy smiled broadly as she caught the meaning of her father's words. Once again, she had forgotten to live like daddy's little girl! "Oh, yes, Father! Take the dreams. Take me. I want to just be your little girl."

Homeschool Tip: Ship in the Sea or Sea in the Ship?

--By Cris Loop

"It is appropriate for a ship to be in the sea, the danger comes when the sea is in the ship. " Marv Rosenthal.

The above quote is one I have framed so I can read it over and over again. Although we often forget it, we live in a fallen, sinful world. Even though we are homeschooling our children and doing all we can to protect them from the world, they are still going to be exposed to this world's thinking and philosophy. Just like a ship resides in the ocean, we and our children live in this fallen world. Let's face it we really can't escape the world, can we?

There is no danger for a ship to be in the sea. The danger comes when we allow the sea into the ship. As God-fearing parents, one of our goals is to keep the sea out of our children’s ships   : ). Here are a few "ship keeping" ideas.

1. Start by making sure your own ship is water proof. Ask God to show you any of the worldly thinking that you may have adopted (it's amazing how easily it pours in!). As He shows you "water leaks" in your thinking, repent and repair them with the truth of God's Word. Continually coat your heart with His Word and fortify your mind with the truth of who He is.

2. Teach your children how to "repair the holes and mop the decks." Everywhere we go, worldly thinking splashes on our decks and leaks in any crevice it can find. We are constantly bombarded with the world's ideas on health, education, wealth, science, etc. And it's so easy to let the world's ideas affect us! For example, we often see others doing things and think, Okay that looks like it is working, perhaps we can give it a try. Before we know it, we've gone and done what others are doing instead of seeking God for what He wants us to do. Parents, we need to continually stop and hold our thinking up to God's Word!

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Let your children see you seeking to be transformed by God and His Word. Then point out to your children the worldly thinking that they encounter/believe and teach them how to "repair the leak" with the truth from God's Word. My prayer for you this month is that you would daily ask God to help you keep the sea out of your ships.


Hymn/Poem: Approach, My Soul

--Author Unknown. Living Hymns for Use in the Sabbath School, Christian Endeavor Meetings, the Church and Home. Compiled by John Wanamaker. Published in Philadelphia by John J. Hood, 1890.

Approach, my soul, the mercy-seat,
Where Jesus answers prayer;
There humbly fall before his feet,
For none can perish there.

Thy promise is my only plea,
With this I venture nigh;
Thou callest hardened souls to thee,
And such, O Lord, am I.

Bowed down beneath a load of sin,
By Satan sorely pressed,
By wars without and fears within,
I come to thee for rest.

Be thou my shield and hiding place,
That, sheltered near thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
And tell him thou hast died.

O wondrous love! to bleed and die,
To bear the cross and shame,
That guilty sinners, such as I,
Might plead thy gracious name.

 

 

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.