Jennifer DeFrates's Blog, page 2

Should I Read the Bible? What Christians Should Know

Wondering Should I read the Bible? Maybe you’ve never picked one up. Maybe you’ve only skimmed it and never really read it with purpose. Either way, the answer to Should I read the Bible is yes. If you’re a Christian or wondering about Christianity, nothing will change your faith and life more than reading the Bible. Reading the Bible daily is the most important habit any believer can have. It’s so important to read God’s word, deeply and thoroughly, that I say all Christians should be saturated in the Bible. Becoming deeply saturated in the word changed my relationship with God forever. I spent too many years full of misunderstanding and carrying legalistic burdens because I didn’t have an accurate understanding of the Bible and didn’t really know God for myself. My superficial relationship with His word had stunted my spiritual growth. I had missed so much of who God is and His messages for us. It was a process of slowly walking in truth for me. I used to read my Bible using the flip method. I would pray, flip open my Bible, and stop on a random passage. While the verse was always something useful and almost always related to my circumstances, my knowledge of the scripture through this methodology was pretty limited. Nothing was connecting to anything else. I wasn’t so much saturated in the word as much as slightly damp. God’s words are always good words, but just using the random flip method really limited my knowledge to the Bible stories I heard as a child, and verses from sermons at church, and these snippets from my daily reading. I didn’t even realize how much more there was for me to know. What happens when you read the whole Bible? I became more than a cultural Christian. About six-seven years ago, God grabbed a hold of my heart and helped me understand grace in a way I had never personally grasped. That moment of lightning bolt clarity eventually led to my fervent prayer surrendering all of my life, all my sins, all my desires, all my quirks, everything to God. And that moment felt like scales falling from my eyes. The world went from black and white to color in a spiritual sense. I was flooded with the Holy Spirit who gave me discernment and wisdom. Since that moment, I began to study God’s word differently, and that has made ALL the difference. Read the WHOLE Bible – At least the first time, start at Genesis and go through Revelation. (It’s really okay if it doesn’t all make sense at first.) Follow a reading plan – I use the YouVersion Bible App. They have several great read through the Bible in a year plans. I have tried several and learn something new each time. Learn to use complementary guides or inductive studies to help you understand what you’re reading. I’ve personally found historical context commentary especially powerful in understanding the Bible. Find some great apps to help – the Blue Letter Bible app is wonderful as a study aide. In the years since, I’ve read through the Bible nearly six times cover to cover so to speak although I’ve followed several different plans (and only one was in order from Genesis to Revelation). What happens when you read the Bible everyday? First, reading the Bible everyday helps you become Biblically literate. You recognize the names and places. The terms become familiar. Books of the Bible become comforting friends. But the craziest thing happened as I became increasingly Biblically literate, I began to better understand the character of God. I now see how strange Mosaic laws relate to the cross. When you read the Bible everyday, you begin to understand the character of God. Even some of the harder passages started to be clear to me. I understand now why God could command violence against some people because I know they were burning infants alive as sacrifices to their gods. Reading the Bible everyday, I started to see the thread of Christ’s redemption that ties the entire Bible together. And I began to be able to tell the truth from a lie… When you read the whole Bible, you stop falling for Satan’s lies. And his lies are hard to spot. They are dipped in chocolate, wrapped in pretty ribbons, masked within the truth. Because the hardest lies to spot are the ones that are almost truths. Almost true, almost right, almost Christ-like, almost good, almost what that verse means . . . Is almost good enough? Would you drink Windex? It’s over 90% water. Water is good. Water is necessary. So why wouldn’t you drink Windex? Because it’s not pure water! It’s mostly water with a little bit of poisonous chemicals. Satan’s lies are just like Windex. We think Satan’s lies are the big ones, the obvious whoppers, but he’s been doing this a long time. He knows just how to get to us. A lot of good stuff with a little bit of worldly poison. That is why we must be truly saturated in God’s word. We have to be able to discern the truth from a lie. Matthew 10:16 ESV “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Because the lies we believe become splinters separating us from God. Lies about who God is. Lies about our past. And lies about reality. When we don’t recognize who God really is and what the Bible really means, we get off course, maybe just a few steps off course at first, but over time even one step off course can become miles off target. If our target is spending eternity with God, we have to make sure we are on the narrow path. Matthew 7:13-14 ESV “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. God gave us His Word so that we can know Him. Jesus extensively quoted the Old Testament. He never contradicted what the Old Testament taught, except when He established the new covenant, which replaced the old Mosaic covenant. The Bible is how we hear from God. The Holy Spirit often brings a verse to mind or directs my thoughts, but He can’t bring to mind a verse I’ve never read. If we want to know and follow God’s will, we have to read the whole Bible and be saturated in His wisdom. Being saturated means to be so totally filled that it permeates your very essence. When you think someone like that, does someone’s face come to mind? Peaceful, Patient, Gentle, Kind, Loving, Faithful. She always exudes peace and joy, no matter her circumstances, even when life is hectic, you never get a sense that she feels frantic or rushed. I yearn to be that kind of Christian woman who reflects Jesus in every interaction. If you’re still wondering Should I read my Bible?  Reading the Bible daily is how can we grow to have that kind of relationship with God. It starts with being saturated in the word, which is how we begin to truly know God and discern “almost right” from His real truth in the world around us. What kind of relationship do you have with your Bible? I want you to know how to passionately love your Bible and ache to dive into its pages, to long to be saturated in the word. Are you in that place? Or is it on a shelf somewhere, dusty from neglect? Maybe it’s sitting at the ready on your nightstand, only to let busy days distract you from reading it. Maybe you spend a few minutes each day reading your Bible, but don’t feel like it’s really making sense. I challenge you to get into a habit of reading the Bible daily. Pick a plan and spend a few minutes everyday reading toward the goal of reading the entire Bible. It might take you longer than a year if you stop and deeply study some sections, but have a goal and work towards it. Even if having a busy day means you only read a verse or two, if you stay on your plan, you’ll find that your understanding and knowledge will grow deeper as you also find over and over the messages of grace, forgiveness, love, and redemption are woven through every part of the Bible. I’d love to hear how studying God’s word has changed your life! Let me know in the comments here or on social media!

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A Morning Prayer to Start Your Day with God

I wrote this morning prayer a few years ago, when I needed to learn how to pray to God to start my day with the right heart and attitude as a wife and mother. (Free daily prayer printable below) After becoming a stay at home mom, I felt very convicted about how I started my days. No rush to get to work, I would usually roll over, grab my phone, and check Facebook. Blessedly, I had the luxury most mornings to gradually open my eyes, covered in snuggles with my little. But starting my day without a morning prayer, I found myself worrying about this, stressing about that, completely letting the world into our home before I even put my feet on the floor. The world’s anger, fear, ignorance, intolerance, vulgarity – I was letting it in before putting on my armor! Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, … Why had I let social media and it’s bitterness and ire become the focus of my morning routine? As if that were more important than checking in with God. It was affecting my attitude and home. Something had to change. How to pray to God to start your day? First, set aside time before your morning needs to begin. I started a new morning routine of praying myself awake. I set my alarm a few minutes before I actually need to be up. And the second I’m awake, I pray. I love how it quiets my heart and sets my eyes on Him. It starts my day even better than coffee.

How to Be a Peaceful Parent When You’re Overwhelmed

Becoming a peaceful parent is the fervent desire of my heart. But it is not the default setting of my nature. And is especially challenging when I am overwhelmed! Nothing reveals our sin nature more than our families with whom we let down our guard and unfortunately, too often take for granted. We are at our most comfortable and vulnerable in our own homes. It is there we are tired, sick, weak, stressed, and do not put on the mask of calm competence that we often wear in public. Unfortunately, being vulnerable and comfortable, also makes us vulnerable to selfishness and sin, especially when I’m overwhelmed. I found out the hard way that I am not immune to sin as the parent. I thought I was a patient person, until I become a mother. Schedules, labels, and organizational bins make me happy in weird little places in my head. And while those things help me be an organized parent, they are not traits that help me be patient in midst of the disorder and chaos of parenting. Turns out little people don’t know the plans you have made and generally do not care about your schedule, which can be insanely frustrating. Dealing with my frustration and impatience has been the most challenging, sanctifying journey of the past couple of years. I am still a work in progress as a peaceful parent, but God has definitely done a HUGE work in my heart in the past year. I have learned so much about myself and the condition of my own heart from watching my daughter respond to me. Through her, I see how my rebellion and defiance and selfishness must look to God. And through Him, I see how I should love her. Philippians 2:3 ESV “… in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” When I look at her dragging her heels on her math assignment, throwing our schedule into disarray, am I thinking of her more highly than myself? Or am I selfishly getting angry because she has disrupted my plans? To stop the cycle of frustration and anger, I’ve learned to address my own heart first. I have to get un-overwhelmed. I need to be peaceful before I can be a peaceful parent. By searching my own heart for what is causing me distress, I can better address those feelings without letting them control my behavior. Most of what determines the peacefulness in my home is my attitude and actions. It’s easy to say, “I would be a peaceful parent if she obeyed more often, didn’t talk back, treated me more respectfully, etc.” But the truth is, God gave us these amazing, adorable, sinful little beings to disciple, not just discipline. If we want them to act in healthy ways, we need to model those behaviors. Psalm 4:4 ESV Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah It’s natural to FEEL anger. We don’t have to act on it. The Bible tells us to be silent and think about what is happening. Sometimes we can’t take a full mommy moment, but we can . . . Hit PAUSE – Pray for clarity, wisdom, gentleness. I usually pray to see this moment with God’s eyes. Assess what is happening in your heart and home. Is it spiritual, emotional, physical? Understand your goal as a parent is to raise children who glorify God. Sympathize with what your child is feeling or needing in that moment. Engage with your child in a peaceful, positive manner. Pray Prayer needs to be our first defense against angry parenting. The more upset I am, the more I’ve learned to recognize how deeply I need God in that moment. Pray for the Holy Spirit to intervene in your heart and mind. Ask the Holy Spirit to work in your child(ren). I often ask God to give me His eyes for my daughter or the situation. Let me see how you would handle this, Lord. After praying, which sometimes is more of a cry from my heart in a heated moment than organized thoughts or words, I need to figure out what is happening with me. Assess A few questions I ask myself to regroup as a peaceful parent. Am I feeling panicked or overwhelmed? If so, why? Can the plan for the day be flexible so we can relax in this moment? How can I prioritize the needs of my home, job, children, spouse to reduce stress? Are my emotions out of control due to other issues or circumstances? (for example COVID) What lesson am I trying to teach my child here? Will my anger accomplish that goal? How is God looking at this situation? Can I take a parenting time-out? Am I teaching my child self-control and a positive way to deal with emotions through my actions? When I can identify what I’m feeling and why, I can get to the source of it and refocus my heart and mind on being the parent God has called me to be. Understand that I am called to raise children who glorify God. My primary goal of parenting is not a peaceful home. It is not obedient children who make me look wise and wonderful. I am called to raise a child who glorifies God. A peaceful home and obedient children are what result from shifting our focus to glorifying God in our lives and parenting. When I change my perspective, I start to see that much of my anger and frustration comes because I am not in control. I want my daughter to do what I want her to do. But, we truly can’t control our children. They have to learn to control themselves. If we do manage to control some of their behaviors only through fear of punishment or too firm of discipline, then we’ve done a grave disservice to our kids. We’ve taught our children to act rightly to keep us appeased instead of acting rightly for righteousness’ sake. James 1:20 ESV For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. We should be striving to produce the righteousness of God in our children. Our anger with them, even when it is just, will not do that. Free Sunflower Printable of James 1:19-20 As a mom, I have to hold this truth at the front of my mind when my daughter hears me ask her to do something, looks right at me, and does the exact opposite. A normal human response is to be upset. I’ve been ignored and disobeyed. But being a peaceful parent isn’t a normal response. Peacefully parenting when your children are at their worst, takes intentionality, mindfulness, and often an intervention by the Holy Spirit. We are called to respond to life differently than the world, which includes our parenting. Romans 12:2 ESV Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Some of the intentionality has to start before we need it. We’ve got to be saturated in God’s word so our hearts and minds are being transformed to His ways. When I expect her to sin, to rebel, and am prepared ahead of time with a response, I am better equipped to be the peaceful parent I want to be. Sympathize with what they are feeling or needing. While children are selfish and sin just like adults, kids are often being difficult because they are having a tough time. Our children need us to demonstrate God’s unconditional love, grace, and instruction when struggling with their human nature. Ask what is going on with them and listen. Are they tired? hungry? bored? If your littles are not verbal yet, sometimes just stop and sit with them a moment. What feels like a battle of wills, might be a physical issue that is hard for a little one to cope with. I can’t tell you the number of meltdowns I’ve curbed by giving my daughter a snack, the fights over school work that was due to a headache. (Hint – even if that is not the issue, a drink or healthy snack can be a great distraction.) If we assume it’s only an obedience issue, we miss a chance to love them in the struggle. Validate their feelings, even if you must constructively discipline their behavior. Engage Sometimes breaking the tension of a moment is a simple as a peaceful engagement. Try softening your voice to just above a whisper. Proverbs 15:1 ESV A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Another strategy is a trick I learned teaching high school. One secret great teachers use to maintain classroom discipline is proximity. Sometimes just being close to someone changes the entire dynamic. Walk over to where your children are. Touch a shoulder. Get on her level. Look in his eyes. Hug her. I’m constantly amazed at how this changes my heart, too. I can feel myself unfurl and calm down. The times I’ve stopped in my anger and hugged my child deeply, I’ve seen the entire situation transform. Sometimes a sweet whisper during the hug helps too. I’m having a hard time right now, too, but I love you so much. If the situation is too volatile for a hug, try a joke. Laughter is a great way to reset our hearts as well. A tickle, funny face, terrible pun are all wonderful ways to engage with your child peacefully to reset a tough situation. Reset the entire tone of your home by turning on music. A dance party to worship music is so uplifting. For their side Now that you’ve done all the things you can about controlling your feelings, keeping yourself peaceful, we need to address the part that is up to the kids: their attitude and behavior. Like I mentioned earlier, we can’t control their behavior or hearts, but we can control how we respond when they don’t get it right. Be consistent. Establish, clear and consistent consequences for misbehaviors and bad attitudes. Having a set consequence helps not disciplining from anger and helps her flex her self-control muscles because she knows the exact consequence she is facing and must decide if an action is worth it. The more I parent consistently, the more I see my daughter know what I expect of her. Another teacher trick I like to use is to set procedures for how we do things instead of prohibitive rules about how not to do things. Teach children the proper way to make the bed, feed the dog, respond to a request, even express frustration and hurt feelings. Don’t expect your kids to get it right. This is where we show them grace, undeserved love. When she is at her whiny worst, I remind myself of how deeply I love her, and respond to her as if she were being the best version of herself, kind of like how God sees Jesus when He looks at us. Also, that if whining works, it will be what she uses, so don’t allow it to get attention or results. Show them how to be frustrated without being inappropriate. If her tone is incorrect, I’ll model an appropriate tone and dialogue, then have her repeat it. The younger your children are the better this technique works. Give them the words to express hurt feelings, frustrations and you’ll build a healthy relationship in which feelings are validated even if behaviors need modified. Modeling the correct tone, helps me keep mine calm, too. Being a peaceful parent may not be easy, but it can be simple when we hit PAUSE to seek God’s face and search our own hearts. At the end of the day, our children won’t remember many details from their childhood, but they will remember how we made them feel. Let’s try to get that part right.

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What to Do if You Want to Pursue Homeschooling

Are you wanting to pursue homeschooling after experiencing a small taste of what it can be during quarantine, but aren’t sure what to do next? AWESOME! Homeschooling has transformed our family. And I love encouraging others on their homeschool journey! I want to help you bridge that gap from traditional education to homeschooling. Let me assure you that even though it might feel overwhelming and scary from time to time, you can do this! I was so nervous when I started. I thought for sure I was going to ruin my child’s education. But instead I redefined what I expected education to be. Is education just what she can learn from a book? or is education about developing a person more than anything else? God really changed my perspective on education when this blog was born. The entire concept of Heaven not Harvard was to shift my perspective on success from an earthly one to a heavenly one. I began to prioritize raising a Godly girl more than simply excelling in curriculum. Even so, I had every intention of going back to work once she was in full-time school. But God had other plans for us. While I never felt directly called to homeschool, I could clearly see God was walking my husband and I toward this decision. One of the major reasons we decided to pursue homeschooling was the ability to grow our family relationships and make faith and character the centerpieces of her education. But making the decision to pursue homeschooling was just the first step. First, you need to know the laws and requirements to homeschool in your state. Each state has different legal requirements for withdrawing students from public schools and establishing a homeschool. Another legal resource is the HSLDA, or Home School Legal Defense Association, which offers lots of information on their site and provide legal protections for homeschool families. After learning the legal things, I had to shake off some of my ideas about school. Even as a teacher, I had a lot to learn before I could homeschool bravely. Because not everything about school belongs in homeschool. And that is the biggest lesson every family has to learn: only do what works for your family. Keep what works, toss what doesn’t, experiment with new ways to learn. And you may need to spend some time evaluating what you want and expect out of educating your children before you go much further. A few questions to ask yourself – Why do I want to pursue homeschooling? Does my family do better with or without structure? Are there multiple ages/grades to educate? Do you/your children prefer more book work or less? Is there a local, active homeschooling group or co-op? Will your child(ren) have access to extra-curricular activities or classes? Does your schedule allow you to have the flexibility to homeschool? How much can you spend on curriculum and extra-curricular activities and resources? What kind of family support do you have from you spouse, parents, siblings? What is your end goal for your children? If these questions lead you away from homeschooling, that’s okay. I believe homeschooling is a wonderful option for many families, but that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. Some families must have two full-time incomes. Others may have special needs children who need some support from professionals. Even if you decide that full-time homeschooling isn’t for your family, you might find that you institute some new ideas about education into your family. But if these questions help solidify your intention to homeschool, the next step is to step out of the schooling box. Learning is what we do. And it’s fun. I try to look for ways to make everything we do together all day learning opportunities. We do use an organized curriculum set, but primarily, I work with my daughter on learning how to learn. Once she learns to have a teachable spirit, to read well, and to think critically, she’ll be able to learn anything she wants. Everything we do all day is educational, and by incorporating the concepts or skills from school lessons into our daily lives, we can empower her to become a life-long learner. Homeschooling doesn’t have to look like school at home. What most families are experiencing during this quarantine is not quite homeschooling. It’s closer to school at home, which isn’t quite the same. If you’re using that as a frame of reference, keep a couple of things in mind. Homeschool doesn’t have to be hours in front of a screen or a bazillion workbook pages. You have the freedom to take it out of the box. If you homeschool, you’re responsible for creating, organizing, or planning all content. Luckily, there are so many different types of curriculum and plenty of resources to help you review the different ones. And you might try a few before you find what works for you. We did! But there are all different levels of curriculum from open the box and learn to creative unschooling where children’s interests guide what they learn while you help them learn how to learn. Educational opportunities are everywhere. Homeschool doesn’t have to happen at home. A trip to the grocery store can teach organization, nutrition, math, recipe planning, and money management. We also do field trips to the theater, science center, library, to re-enactment villages, museums, zoos, and more. We learn fractions in cooking and science through all sorts of outdoor learning opportunities. How I teach her lessons and reinforce what she is learning can be whatever works. We might watch some YouTube videos or a movie as a supplement to what she is learning. We can travel to reinforce a geography lesson! At least when there isn’t a global pandemic. This week, we used a floor puzzle of the U.S.A. to teach and practice states and capitals for her geography lesson. She loved using the hands on activity of putting together the states each day. Plus, she learned to orient the map, identify geographic features and learn where the states are located on the continent. My husband is a homesteader at heart, so when he was out hunting and gathering for some necessary supplies and saw baby chicks, he was sold. And now we’re raising chickens. Raising the chickens has become her science project, research report, and character development all in one. She is learning about animal nutrition and biology. Caring for animals teaches gentleness, selflessness, and responsibility. Our purpose went from raising a child who excelled in school to a child who would know how to excel in life as an adult and Christian. We teach laundry next to long division, baking bread and chemistry, citizenship and raising chickens. You’ll be amazed at the ways you’ll be able to take learning out of the classroom for your children. Homeschooling is a journey, not a destination for your family. That’s okay. Enjoy the ride, because that really is the most important part.

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A Simple How to Study Your Bible

Do you want to know how to study your Bible, but don’t know where to start? Maybe you’ve felt overwhelmed by the sheer size of it or remember reading a King James Bible that sounded really old-fashioned and hard to understand. But now, you’re feeling called to get into studying the Bible. First, I want to encourage you. If you want to study your Bible, hurray! You rock! I love hearing about women pursuing a closer relationship with the Lord. God wants to have a relationship with you. He knows the inside of your heart and loves you. Reading the Bible is one of the most important parts of having a relationship with Him. Because God reveals Himself through His Word. Studying the Bible was the most transformative element in growing as a believer for me, and I get so excited when I hear other women wanting to dive in! But this journey is not a sprint. Relax, settle in. If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, this journey through the Bible begins with a single book. God’s word is rich and deep. It’s okay to take time to grow in your understanding as you learn to study your Bible. Maybe you need to start by choosing a Bible. English has so many different translations and paraphrases. How can I choose just one? Don’t. You can use several! If you don’t own a physical Bible, you’ll have to choose a version for that. While e-readers and apps have their place, if you want to retain what you read, good old-fashioned paper is the way to go. Our brains process differently on paper. Additionally, being able to highlight or take notes next to the passage is better than electronic highlights. As you read through multiple times and grow in your understanding of a passage, it’s nice to see your previous notes and thoughts. I would recommend any of the following: English Standard Version (ESV), New International Version (NIV), Holman Christian Study Bible (CSB), or New American Standard Bible (NASB). These are based on the largest amount of the original ancient texts and were translated by teams of scholars, reducing the likelihood of bias. I personally LOVE my cultural backgrounds study Bible! It really helps me understand the cultural references that the Israelites or early Christians would have understood that we don’t today. It’s like a cultural cheat sheet that helps bring my Bible to life. (Want to understand the background of some of the most popular translations? This video is thorough and easy to understand.) However, online Bibles or Bible applications often allow users to switch easily between several versions. I use the YouVersion Bible App and the Blue Letter Bible (also has an app) and Bible Gateway on my laptop. Blue Letter Bible has so many free resources to offer. You can click on tools next to any verse and see the original text, the meanings of the words, how those words are translated in other verses. It’s a wealth of knowledge. Comparing several versions is a great way to study your Bible because we are able to have a fuller sense of the original meaning. The reason I like to use several different versions is because I don’t read Aramaic, Hebrew, or Greek. Scholars who are familiar with these ancient languages did their best to translate the passages faithfully in most of the main English translations. But translating is an art. Words have nuanced meanings. By looking at how several different teams chose to translate a verse, you get a better picture of the original meaning. Time for a little tough talk – Be wary of paraphrases like the Passion, Message, and NLT. They are not truly translations. They are the author’s impression of a passage and often lack foundation in the original text. They can be full of bias and error. God’s word is one place I want to keep as clear and error free as possible. Plan how you will study your Bible. If you’ve never read a Bible regularly at all, you might want to start in the New Testament. The New Testament has the life and teachings of Jesus as well as the teachings of the apostles. A young Christian will likely find these books have the most relevance to daily life. Proverbs is a book that you can read a verse or two a day and gain a lot of wisdom. This is a great addition to reading other books. Ruth and Esther are some good, brief Old Testament books that have some lovely messages about loyalty, obedience, redemption. Do you want to start at the beginning and read through to Revelation? If you’ve been a Christian for awhile, but have never undertaken seriously studying the Bible, reading it from start to finish is going to be spiritually empowering. Many of the stories in the Old Testament foreshadow Christ’s coming and sacrifice. And the books of the prophets have a lot to say about a people who have turned to sin and idleness over following God. I find many parallels to our modern culture. Reading the entire Bible may take you years, but is going to connect so many stories for you. I have learned more about the Bible just reading it over and over. Names that once sounded foreign and got jumbled with other names start to sound familiar. Events that in my head were once stand alone Bible stories are now connected to the rest of the Bible. It didn’t happen all at once. I still have so much to learn, but over time, the Bible has begun to open it’s secrets for me. And I’ve been empowered and emboldened in my faith through knowing God’s word. Knowing the Bible well can also help you know God’s will for your life which has been tremendously beneficial when it comes to decision making. Word or topical studies are another method to use when you study your Bible. We can look at the different verses in which a word like fear or love is used. Sites like OpenBible will even have a search feature for words or phrases and pulls relevant verses from the entire Bible in seconds. But use caution doing word or topic studies. Understanding context is key. Originally there were no verses or chapters in the Bible. They were only added in the mid-1500s for convenience of finding a text. So, when you use a topical or word method to study your Bible, read the passage surrounding a verse for clarity. Decide how and when you will read daily. Organize a plan to keep you on track and accountable. It doesn’t have to be a formal plan. You might simply set aside thirty minutes each morning to read the Bible. Personally, I really enjoy using the app on my phone for my daily reading. I can listen to the audio Bible while I’m working around the house. I often prop up my phone where I can read along while I fold laundry or put on my make-up. For my more in-depth daily studying, I primarily use the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible because I love all the notes that help me understand the historical context of my reading. So each day, I do a quick read through of several chapters and an in-depth reading of one chapter. Keep a notebook, highlighters, pens next to you while you study. You’ll want to mark special passages or highlight a verse. And having a place to write down questions or notes for later use is important. Trust me you won’t remember it five minutes later if you don’t write it down. Lastly, do a little prep work before you dive in. Know who wrote the book you’re reading, when it was written, who was the audience. Knowing this information will help clarify what you’re reading. One excellent resource that is fun and helpful is the Bible Project. The Bible Project has videos that summarize all the books of the Bible, explain major thematic elements, and more. Watching one of their short videos before reading a book of the Bible is an excellent way to preview the book. The videos are engaging and very informative. I loved their read through the Bible in a year plan on YouVersion. It was such a great way to read through the Bible and grasp some concepts and details I had missed before. Mostly, just do it. The most important factor in studying your Bible is you spending time in your Bible. The more you do, the more you will grow in wisdom. Each time you read a book, verse, or the entire Bible, you will learn something new. It’s one of the mysteries of God’s word. It can be as familiar as the back of your hand and yet startle you with a new insight every day. Remember, it’s a journey of just one faithful step daily. If you get overwhelmed or discouraged, ask God to give you a hunger for the Bible, for encouragement to keep going. He will always answer genuine prayers for wisdom because He loves communing with us through His word and prayer. I hope you’ll really grow to love it as well.

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Christianity Has Answers in a Crisis

Are you stressed, scared, and wondering if Christianity has answers for you in these difficult circumstances? If so, you’re not alone. Almost everything we considered normal has changed. Our illusions of control have vanished. We’re in a global pandemic, and it’s pretty scary. Whether you’re concerned about the virus, educating your children, or the government, there is a lot to be worried about right now. Even if you’re trying not to worry, anxiety creeps around the corners of your mind like the title to a song you can’t quite remember. But you want to have faith and confidence that there is a reason for this awful situation, but don’t know where to look for peace. Christianity has answers about peace and hope and faith. When nothing is certain in my life, I turn to the one thing I am certain of. God is in control. Isaiah 45:6-7 ESV That people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things. God formed the universe. He makes peace and disaster as part of His plan. Even when we feel like life is out of control, like in a pandemic or personal tragedy, God isn’t asleep at the wheel. And He loves us. 1 John 4:8b ESV . . .God is love. He is love. God isn’t full of love. He doesn’t feel love. His very essence is love. But it’s really difficult grasp the meaning of God is love because we define love on human terms. It might be an affectionate or romantic feeling. Sometimes, it’s even a choice or commitment to care for others. But our ideas about love are limited by our human nature. Often our love is limited, conditional, even self-centered. So we can’t quite grasp how great the Father’s love for us is. How great is God’s love for us? God’s love is eternal, unconditional, and perfect. God created us, knowing we would sin, and knowing that He Himself (through the person of Jesus Christ) would take our punishment for us. Romans 5:8 ESV But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. His whole plan from the very beginning was to take the death we deserve on Himself. God chose to punish Himself, through the person of Jesus, for us. I can’t say that enough times. Jesus is God. We say He is God’s son, but He was not a son in the human sense of the word. He is part of the divine nature of God and became human to walk among us. Emmanuel, one of the names for the Messiah, means God with us. He gave up all of His heavenly kingdom to experience human life: suffering, joy, poverty, hunger, rejection, friendship, torture, and then death. And He died so that we could become the children of God and have eternal life with Him. 1 John 4:9-10 ESV In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation (atonement) for our sins. God’s love is that great for us. He loves us so much He would go through all that to reach us. And God is patient with us. He doesn’t want any of us to die separated from Him. God’s desire is to save everyone. 2 Peter 3:9 ESV  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. God’s word makes clear that everything in God’s plan is to bring as many people to salvation as possible before Jesus will return. From choosing one people group as an example to the world to sending Jesus when He did, all of it was done at the perfect time (the Bible calls it the fullness of time) to save as many people as possible. Does Christianity have answers as to why would He allow suffering if He loves us so much? First, we live in an imperfect, fallen world. Some awful things we experience like rejection, pain, illness, injury are products of living in an imperfect world with imperfect people. God never wanted this world for us. He wanted us to live in a perfect world in perfect relationship with Him and all of His creation. However, we cannot love God or each other without having the freedom to choose love. In order to have a world that allowed for love, He had to give us free will. But free will also means we also, sometimes, freely choose to reject Him. And that rejection has a price. Our world has sickness and disease. People are sinful and selfish. However, Only Christianity offers hope. Only Christianity has answers for how justice will be done in this broken world. Only Christianity has a God that is unchangeable, loving, and personal. Jesus was both fully God and fully man. He lived a sinless life among us, died on the cross, and rose again the third day. Isaiah 30:18 ESV Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. While we suffer in this life due to sin, we have hope for eternity because Jesus conquered the grave. John 16:33 ESV I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” We have reason to hope even if we do not know why we’re facing a tragedy or difficulty. Sometimes that answer is God’s alone. He knows all the ways a circumstance might change the heart of a person or the direction of a nation. God may be allowing this virus to get the attention of our world. More people are seeking Him than ever. Some stores have seen their Bible sales increase dramatically. And the shutdown has made us all realize how important the people in our lives are. While we cannot always know for sure what reasoning God may have for allowing specific tragedies in our lives, we do know God weaves together tragedy and beauty. I’ve seen it happen in my own life. 4 hip surgeries and 4 hip dislocations with lengthy recoveries in the last 7 years has really been hard. But in it I’ve seen God grow me as a wife and give me time to focus on motherhood in a way I would not have been able if I had gone back to work, which was the plan before all this. I’ve seen my marriage strengthened. And I know God has used this situation to sanctify me as a Christian. I am a better wife, mother, mentor, and friend because of the lessons I’ve learned in suffering. While we can’t always know the entire purpose God has in allowing troubles into our lives, we can trust that He won’t let it be for evil ultimately. Genesis 50:20 ESV As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. God uses hard things to save others, to bring us to repentance, to demonstrate how His people respond in a crisis. But sometimes the goodness of God doesn’t seem clear. We go through heartbreaking tragedy that does not seem to have an end or purpose. But we can grow to understand the character of God, which is where we find Christianity has answers. God’s plans are timeless. While we see our mortal lives and short-term plans, God sees eternity. One of our most favorite verses about God’s plans for our lives follows a passage about how God will allow Babylon to conquer His people and enslave them for 70 years so that they will repent of their sins and return to following Him. Jeremiah 29:11 ESV For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. He had a plan for His people that would culminate after the lifetimes of some. He instructed them to build homes and marry their children while waiting for Him to fulfill His promises. They had to trust, even as some died in captivity, that God would come for them. And He did. God always is true to His word. And we can know that if we belong to Him, God planned our lives before the foundation of the world. Nothing will happen to us that is outside of His perfect will. Ephesians 2:10 ESV For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. And He prepared good things for us to do. I’ve grown the most when I stop asking God, why me?, and start looking for What are you teaching me, Lord? By looking at what I can be doing, learning, teaching, sharing, I see God’s hand at work even in the most awful moments of my life. And seeing God work in my life despite all the hard things has given me hope and purpose. I know suffering is not in vain. And my spirit is encouraged. Proverbs 18:14 ESV A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? With the hope and joy we find in Jesus, we can suffer the temporary afflictions of this world. We can trust that God uses all things for good. 2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, Christianity has answers for our questions and offers a peace that no other worldview can. God is in control. He loves us more than we can grasp. God wants us to turn to Him. He has a plan to give us an eternal life without sickness, without tears, without death. And this Easter weekend, I joyfully celebrate Christ’s resurrection even in the midst of this momentary crisis.

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A Christian How to Talk to Your Kids About a Crisis

Knowing how to talk to your kids about a crisis is hard. I don’t want to scare her unnecessarily, but I do want to equip her with truth. And that is the best thing we can offer our kids as Christians, the truth. Because while the world panics, we have reason to hope and trust in a good God who loves us. Romans 5:5 ESV And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Why you have to talk to your kids about a crisis – It’s really tempting not to. However, the world is going to give them answers. Whether from watching television, seeing something on the internet, or hearing the neighbors talking, we cannot keep our children in the dark about the darkness in this world. And I want my child to get her answers from me. First, the HOW to talk to your kids about a crisis. Calmly. The strongest statement we can make is to live in God’s truths ourselves. The last few years my life has been one surgery and emergency after another. While I’ve had a lot of difficult moments, for the most part, God’s grace has enabled me to live with much joy and peace. And my daughter has seen me living in real faith, even when I still can’t see what God is doing. 2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV For we walk by faith, not by sight. What makes God the most real for our kids is when we live like He is. And when I faced this thing all over again last fall, I was so sad and frustrated. But my sweet girl held my hand and said, “God has a plan to use this for good, just like Joseph.” And in an instant I got a glimpse of God using my struggles to prepare her for the road she will walk. And the story of Joseph is a good one to hold onto. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. But God knew that through Joseph, He would save all of His chosen people. Because Joseph was faithful to God, trusting Him through slavery, false accusations, prison, and famine, Joseph saved the people through whom God chose to reveal Himself and the Messiah. God’s power and glory are all the more evident in the darkest times in this world. Romans 8:28 ESV And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. What Satan means for evil, God will use for good somehow, every time, even when we cannot see how. So, before answering our children’s questions and calming their fears, it’s important to pray for the self-control to trust in God. 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV  For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Take some time to pray and worship. Trust in God’s providence yourself before you sit down with your kids. It’s okay not to know quite what to say. This crisis is unprecedented in our lifetime. We’re all going through this together. It’s okay to be real about being sad and even a little scared. But that is when we need to double down on prayer. We can pray to have the right words for our children and for the situation. Also, praying with your children in hard things is a great example of going to the Father for peace and comfort in trying times. And we can teach them that prayer is our first response, a constant attitude. Secondly, keep it simple. Our answers should be consistent with our children’s intellectual and emotional development. Kids generally aren’t looking for a CDC report. They are looking to reclaim a sense of security. So, I try to only answer her actual questions. I don’t want to inadvertently give her more reasons to worry because I offered too much information or made it too complicated. But mostly I try to rest on – we know how this story ends. Psalm 56:3-4 ESV When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? No matter what happens God is still in control. We can trust in Him. God controls it all. And He loves us. Matthew 6:26 ESV Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? But trusting God doesn’t mean everything in this life will be easy. God doesn’t always protect our loved ones. He doesn’t always miraculously heal. And we need to be honest with our kids. John 16:33 ESV  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” In this world we will have trouble, but our lives don’t end in this world. Eternal life with Christ awaits. We can walk by faith here, in this crisis, because we know that God is using everything for the ultimate good. His ultimate plan is to bring as many people to salvation as possible. 2 Peter 3:9 ESV  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. How can we help Him do that in this crisis? Turn the focus from our fears to our faith. Taking the focus off ourselves is a Godly response to fear and uncertainty. When I think about myself, I become fearful and anxious. When I think about how I can glorify God, I am joyful and bold. Give the kids a mission! People often seek His face the most in dark times. And people are scared and lost without God. We need to do what we can to show them where to find Him. Especially in this moment in which our church buildings are closed, we need to BE the Church, in our neighborhoods, at the store, online. Brainstorm ways your family can be the hands and feet of Christ in this crisis: do grocery shopping for an at-risk neighbor, take a meal to a widow, do sidewalk art for those walking the neighborhood. Lastly, delve into God’s word for comfort… Sometimes, when I know I most need it, my flesh tries to keep me from the Bible. Our sinful nature wants us to revel in fear and anguish instead of seeking God’s answers and the peace that passes all understanding. But when I sit down and open it, I always find hope and truth. Teach your children to seek answers there now. We Christians need to be saturated in the Word, not the world. Joshua 1:9 ESV Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Sign up at the end of this post for exclusive access to this adorable Joshua 1:9 Printable!) These are just a handful of the verses God’s word has for us on fear and trusting Him. I had a hard time choosing my favorites. Romans 8:38-39 ESV For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. John 14:27 ESV Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Isaiah 41:10 ESV Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. These are just a handful of the many verses God’s word has for us on fear and trusting Him. I had a hard time choosing my favorites. If your children are old enough, copy some together. Meditate on them, pray them. I believe God responds mightily when we pray His word. The strongest answer we can give our children in a crisis is that God’s word is eternal, true, and He will walk with us through whatever we face. Sometimes answering the big questions of our children is scarier than the reality we’re facing. But opening the door for my daughter to ask tough questions builds our relationship and her faith. I get to pour into her God’s wisdom over the world’s fear, often reassuring myself in the meantime. I hope you find the same true for your family.

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Helpful Advice for a New Homeschool Mom from a Veteran

My best advice for a new homeschool mom is GRACE and patience. Be gentle with yourself and your kids. This homeschool gig is not easy. Expect an adjustment period. I’ve been homeschooling since 2012 if you include pre-school. And we still have days it’s really hard. I’m a veteran educator with 17 years in the classroom. I often joke that teaching one unruly 4th grader is a million times harder than 150 high school students ever was. And I’m kind of not kidding. Teaching your own child involves many different dynamics, like obedience and discipline have to be balanced with family relationships and math. You and your child(ren) need time to mentally and emotionally adjust to new roles. Give yourself and your children some grace to adjust to the new normal. You and your children are not used to this new routine. Start slowly. Homeschool doesn’t have to look like school school. Ours does a little more than some because my child needs the structure. We tried a more laid back approach for a couple of years and she struggled. She needed more organization. But we get up late somedays. We stay in our pajamas somedays. Today was the trifecta – slept in, still in pjs, and skipped a lot of the normal chores and routine, but hopped right into reviewing the metric system over breakfast. It doesn’t have to look any specific way. Take a few days and see what works for you and your family. And understand that everyday might look different until you find just the right routine for your family. I am IN LOVE with how we start our day reading and discussing the Bible together. Read more But whatever routine you establish, try to keep to it fairly well. Even on days like today, we kept the basics to our routine, just a little later and less hurried start. Generally, kids are most productive first thing in the morning. But it can take awhile to figure out how to balance getting everyone breakfast and started on school. If you have children old enough to help with breakfast, assign them tasks in the morning. Younger kids learning to read can read their lesson or book to you while you supervise pouring juice and cereal. Planning ahead will be your best friend. I hate making breakfast in the morning. I’m not awake, have not had caffeine, and now I have to cook too?!? UGH. I have to take my attitude about cooking to Jesus OFTEN. But it has made me creative. I cook large batches of waffles and pancakes. They keep in the fridge for a week or more. We make a large breakfast casserole which will feed our family for several mornings. By planning breakfasts ahead of time (and sometimes making them the night before), our mornings run a little smoother. The same is true of lunches. Invariably, we are clicking along in a lesson and getting a lot accomplished when everything grinds to a halt with, “Mom, I’m hungry.”  Somedays, we take a break and cook something together as a family. But often, taking too long a break destroys any flow we had going. I try to have a plan for lunch so I can heat something up easily while she reads her next science or history lesson out loud. Lesson planning is key. I spent years in college learning how to write lesson plans, but in homeschool, you’re kind of thrown into the deep end without much instruction. Start with objectives for each day. What are your goals? (It’s okay if your objectives are just to survive at first. Establishing a routine and daily expectations can take awhile.) But each lesson should have an objective or purpose, like learning about our galaxy. What do you expect her to learn? The definition of a galaxy, the name of our galaxy, how we study the galaxy? By prioritizing the purpose of each lesson, you can focus your attention on covering those things. And keep the lessons simple. Decide how you will asses learning: oral questions? a worksheet? a quiz? We do a lot of oral discussion. One idea is to make her teach the subject to me if it’s really tricky because teaching something requires the highest level of understanding. I try to end every school day by planning what I want to cover for sure the next day and what subjects we will cover in the morning and after lunch. I use a little planner and write down what the plan for each day on the monthly calendar, and later I write down what we actually accomplished on the planner page for each date. My most important educational advice for a new homeschool mom is to adjust how you look at learning. Not everything we need to know is in a school book. School books are foundations for the knowledge we need to function. We can teach kids how to use what they are learning in their books in real life. For example, cooking lunch together is a different kind of learning. It’s learning to measure, use fractions, and read/follow directions. Cooking and cleaning are lessons in adulting. It’s not wasted time to teach your kids how to do laundry and prepare healthy meals. But what about school work? Teaching our children school work is not really different from what we do everyday, but being responsible for their education can feel terrifying. I had to get over this idea that it was my job to make sure she knew everything, at least everything the public school children were learning. It took me awhile to realize that all kids will have learning gaps. Every school makes choices about which books to read, which portions of history to cover each year, which math system to use. All kids will have gaps in their learning! Trying to keep up with everyone else made me feel overwhelmed and panicked when my kid couldn’t do x, y, or z. Your kid isn’t every kid. Your job is to teach your child. That will look different from what I do for mine because our kids are different. My perspective changed when I realized my primary job is to make sure she learns HOW TO LEARN. Which as a Christian homeschool mom, means spending a lot of time on the condition of our hearts as sinners and followers of Christ. Learning how to be a humble learner takes a lot of heart work. Learning to work hard in your chores and school work as part of glorifying God doesn’t come naturally. It doesn’t come naturally to ME! I’m still a work in progress. My biggest struggle is my temper, and I have to take that to God often. So before we focus on school work, we focus on character: obedience, respect, patience, self-control. Somedays, go completely sideways and we all end up in tears, but those are the days we take to Jesus. He can do the most work in our hearts and lives on those days we recognize how great our need is for Him. Then we work on the building blocks for learning: how to read for information, organize her thoughts, answer different types of questions, do research, and perform basic math functions. Beyond that, she is going to learn different information at home than she would at the local private school or the local public school or the Christian private school. Knowing how to learn is the goal because once she knows how to learn and think for herself, she can fill in any learning gaps she might have. Some practical advice for a new homeschool mom. Balancing parenting, homeschool, housework, maybe working from home, and being a wife takes skill and practice. It’s juggling a lot of balls. It’s okay to drop some for a time. Multi-task and triage. The new normal (at least for now) is going to throw you for a loop. Keep your expectations reasonable. The house may not be as clean. You might need a new laundry schedule. Learning to prep dinner and use your slow cooker or instant pot, will help you spend less time in the kitchen in the afternoon. A friend of mine, the AweFilled Homemaker, has complied a great list of beginner recipes for your instant pot or pressure cooker!  My best advice for a new homeschool mom? Make the most important things the most important things: family togetherness and faith. Use this time to read some faith building books together like Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side by Natasha Crain and the Bible. Let God use this homeschool journey to grow you and create strong family bonds that will last always.

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Ways to Pray During a Crisis

Do you need some ideas of ways to pray during a crisis? I know that having a list when I sit down to pray really helps me focus my prayers. If I don’t use a list, halfway through praying I’m drifting into the thousand other tasks swirling around my mommy brain. First, I thought of all the people and groups for which we should pray and ended with ways we can pray. Pray for our leaders In any crisis, our governmental leaders have to make many difficult decisions. They try to weigh out the cost-benefit ratios, but in the end, can only do their best to make wise choices. They have a difficult job. The fate of our nation and our neighbors rests on their shoulders. Pray for wisdom as they listen to experts reporting on the situation. Give them a humble attitude to be willing to take recommendations from the right people. Pray for emotional and spiritual protection as they deal with long days, frayed emotions, competing values. Many difficult decisions won’t make everyone happy and there are always consequences. Pray for their physical health. Long challenging days are exhausting and leave them vulnerable to illness. Especially during the Corona Virus crisis we are facing currently, they need our prayers to stay healthy so they can continue to serve our country. Include the state and local officials in your prayers as well. Many local decisions will affect you and your family more closely. And we tend to have more direct access to local leaders. Our mayors and governors and school superintendents will have to make decisions that can really upset people. Take this opportunity to pray for people to stay calm and be gracious even when we disagree with some decisions. Pray for our communities Pray during a crisis for protection for the people in our communities who can’t just stay home. First responders – police, firefighters, ambulance drivers, EMTs Medical personnel – nurses, doctors, radiologists, x-ray technicians, etc. City workers – water, electricity, utilities. As long as we have running water, electricity, tv, internet, most of us will be fine in our homes for several weeks. Store employees – cashiers, clerks, personal shoppers, etc. While the shelves might be bare, these people have dealt with some of the worst of this crisis so far and are so necessary as we move forward. Postal employees – USPS, Fed-Ex, UPS They are getting what we need to our doors. Online shopping warehouse employees – God bless Walmart.com and Amazon right now. Military and National Guard – they are prepared for any crisis even when everyone else stays home Farmers – continue to grow food, provide meat, milk, cheese, oats, wheat, vegetables Truck Drivers – move goods around the country so we are not at the mercy of the local economies. Manufacturing employees – Charmin, Lysol, Purell While staying home is inconvenient and might be limiting or boring, as long as these people keep doing their jobs, we will be able to survive a crisis. Pray for them to be physically protected from the virus and able to continue to do the things that allow us to function in a quarantine situation. They keep showing up and making sure we are cared for so we can stay quarantined. Pray for the Pastors and Churches While many churches are closing Sunday services to protect worshippers from spreading the virus, most pastors are not staying home. Our worship team, pastor, and audio-visual team met to have service online for us. Many pastors are trusting God to protect them while they continue to minister to the needy around them. They are still bringing groceries, checking on shut-ins, providing meals and more. Please take a moment to pray for these servants of God who are serving Him in the midst of this crisis. Pray for the elderly and medically at-risk Many of our church members and communities are older. Pray for them to stay safe. Pray for people in their neighborhoods to step up and check on them (safely). Do more than pray if you are able. Get them groceries. Put yourself on severe lockdown so that you are able to volunteer at the nursing home if that is possible. Call the local nursing home or senior living community and see what you can do to be a safe volunteer. Call your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. We may have to quarantine physically, but we can make sure we’re reaching out as much as possible. Pray for yourself and family Sometimes, I’m hesitant to pray for myself. It feels selfish, but God tells us to come to Him with all of our requests. I am praying for me to stay healthy and to be wise. I’m praying not to have a spirit of fear, but to also be cautious and wise. 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control Pray for your family, children, spouse to stay healthy and safe. Financially, our country is facing a challenging time after a period of great prosperity. It’s ok to pray for God to protect your family’s finances, home, jobs, etc. Pray to be a light in the dark times. As Christians, we know how the story ends. We have no need to fear. Any difficulties and suffering are temporary. We have hope in an eternity without sickness, without pain, without death. Pray to let those around you see the peace of Christ in you. John 14:27 ESV Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. We need to remember to be that light for those that we know who don’t know Christ or who need encouragement and hope in this crisis. Pray for those who need salvation. Be open and available to share your testimony. Learn HOW to talk to people so they will listen. Greg Koukl’s website and book Tactics is a great way to learn how to lovingly, gently open the door to conversations about faith. Especially since much of our communication will be online for a few weeks, please pray for Christ to shine in your social media message. Lastly, WAYS to Pray in a crisis when we’re not supposed to meet. Write your prayers. Keeping a prayer notebook or journal is a great way to focus your mind as you pray and have a place to record how God answered your prayers. Organize on Facebook. You can create a post asking for prayer requests on your timeline. Creating a prayer group on Facebook or in Messenger are other ways to commit to praying as the body of Christ. The YouVersion Bible App now has a prayer request feature. And you can stop and pray for these requests when you log in to do your daily reading. Use technology! We can pray together over the phone, in an email, with video chats, or even audio or video messaging apps. Pray scripture! While we can’t always claim the Old Testament promises to the Israelites for ourselves, they do demonstrate the character of the God we serve. And we can pray to receive these promises today! 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (ESV) 13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Verses like this are strong reminders that no feast or famine is beyond God’s providence. Our world has become exceedingly Godless. We should expect God to try to reach us through some fairly drastic measures. People seek His face the most during a crisis. The best way to pray during a crisis is for God to move in the hearts and minds of the people who need to know Him. And be ready to answer questions for those seeking the peace we have in Him.

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The Best Tips for Surviving Quarantine with Your Kids

As a homeschool mom, my best tips for surviving the quarantine with your kids is mostly to change your perspective. Apparently, the biggest concern many people have about surviving quarantine is running out of toilet paper. But for many parents, the toilet paper is just the tip of the iceberg. Because the quarantine means schools are closing for several weeks beyond the normal spring vacation. For us homeschool parents, this won’t change much, although, we may end up taking in neighborhood kids when parents have to work. If you can, help working parents in your community by watching their children. Personally, after a lengthy recovery, surviving quarantine is what I do. But a lot of parents will wake up Monday as new homeschoolers for the next several weeks. And with public places closing and events starting to cancel, you may find yourself sequestered at home for a few weeks. If you’re new to homeschooling, this can seem daunting! But it doesn’t have to be. Surviving the quarantine means making the most of each day! While it would be tempting to let all schedules slide, kids crave routine. Sleep in a little later, be more flexible, but have a rough schedule planned for the day. Some school districts are planning on some version of online classes. I don’t know how much flexibility you may have if this is your situation, but I would imagine that classes will be an hour or two at most a day. The rest of the day will likely be up to you. How you start your day sets the tone. I am so in love with the way we start our day. After getting dressed and having breakfast, we spend thirty minutes reading the Bible. She reads her NIrV (a young reader’s version of the NIV) and I read the same passage in my Historical Context Bible and/or Apologetics Study Bible. I interject history facts or apologetics concepts or just ask her questions about what she is reading. We have so many great discussions! Reading Talking With Your Kids About Jesus really helped me use this morning Bible time more effectively. If we want our kids to know Christ personally, we have to be able to talk with our kids about Jesus and really contend for their faith. This time of surviving quarantine might be a great time to jump start their faith in God. Starting the day reading the Bible has several purposes. We both start centered in God’s word. She has time to settle into quiet activity after the flurry of getting ready for “school”. I have time to prepare my heart for the day (and let some caffeine kick in). She is READING for 30 minutes – sneaky, I know She is learning to study her Bible, to read critically, and to ask good questions. If your children aren’t old enough to read, use the YouVersion app and choose a version with an audio Bible and listen together instead. Another great resource is the Bible Project on YouTube. They have excellent videos that summarize and explain each book of the Bible. Break the day into manageable chunks: morning, lunch, afternoon, dinner, evening. Educational activities or lessons ideally should take place in the sweet spot following breakfast and Bible. The kids are full, awake, and hopefully peaceful. If your school district doesn’t have recommendations for educational activities, there are some simple ways to keep your kids learning. Khan Academy has all sorts of FREE classes with video lessons and practice questions. Their math content is especially helpful and will keep kids engaged and learning. Here is a link to a site with tons of free printable math pages. This link is to a running list of educational sites offering free access to parents or school districts during school closures. Some of the sites are always free so those might be worth checking into for helping to avoid the summer slide! Teaching life skills is a great way to survive the quarantine! Meals are a great time to teach some life skills. One of the best parts of homeschooling is that we get to teach more than just school to our kids. While preparing simple recipes, kids can learn many basic cooking skills: Recipe planning Measuring and weighing ingredients Age-appropriate knife skills Knowledge and use of different kitchen tools and utensils Cooking skills and baking methods Dishes and cleaning the kitchen Cooking together is a great way to explore new cuisines, get your kids to try more vegetables, and share family recipes. Plus talking about important or heavy topics with older kids is sometimes easier while you’re busy working on something. Use the afternoons for one, one, and one. 1 – Tackle one household chore a day. Turn on the worship music and clean one room for 30 minutes – an hour. Their future spouses will LOVE you. You can even work on teaching them to organize their things and selecting items to donate to charity. 1 – Spend time doing one creative activity a day, whether crafts or imaginary play or creative writing. My daughter loves arts and crafts. After her main lessons are done, she often sketches or paints. Find something creative your kids enjoy. 1- Play one game. Electronics and video games have sadly replaced a lot of family game time. Bring it back! Get out Yahtzee. Dust off those Uno cards. Teach the kids to play Scrabble or chess. Playing games teaches children how to read and follow directions, take turns, play strategically, and be good sports. Playing games together is also a great way to set down your phone, set aside the chores and just enjoy your kids. When life is all rush and hurry, it is easy to forget to enjoy these sweet little treasures we’re raising. Reading aloud is also something that we forget when life gets busy. Even older kids love taking time to relax and enjoy a book as a family. Pick a great chapter book like The Chronicles of Narnia and spend time reading together. Older kids can even write a short essay on how the book and movie compare and contrast as part of keeping up with some educational activities at home. Surviving this quarantine may start feeling a little overwhelming, but you just might end up loving the way having your kids at home enhances your relationships. My daughter loves conversation card kinds of activities. She loves to hear stories of my childhood and ask questions about everything. I’m glad I have time to invest in those moments with her. But it won’t all be easy, and it wouldn’t be fair if I wasn’t honest. You’ll have to discipline and disciple. However, in those moments, you get a chance to teach them how to love like Christ. You can show them grace and be firm in your expectations. Watching my daughter struggle with conflicts between her friends as they play in the yard, I realize how lucky I am to get to model conflict resolution and having a Christ-like attitude, and repentance when I don’t have a gentle spirit either. I get to use the days to guide her through and prepare her for difficult moments. Having your kids at home for a few extra weeks will be challenging, but it could be an amazing opportunity to be intentional with your children in ways that are hard when life’s busy. You can have mornings the plans go out the window and everyone has quiet reading time in pajamas. Pancake breakfasts don’t have to wait for weekends. Education doesn’t have to stay tied to books. Homeschooling is a delicate balance between schedule and flexible, school and unschool, that’s what makes it so great. Surviving the quarantine might just be the most fun you have with your kids this spring.

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