Dear Christian...

 Dear Christian, what sin were you committing before you got saved?

With all the hoopla over Josh Duggar, I decided to write a post to voice how I felt about it.

I in NO WAY whatsoever condone what he did.  He was wrong.  But he was wrong 12 years ago.  He said that after that incident he REPENTED, got saved, and changed his behavior.  Whoa - what?  He became a Christian?  He doesn't commit that sin anymore?  Then why the uproar?  Because he comes from a conservative, in-the-limelight family that liberals hate.

How many people do you suppose were waiting in anticipation for something to come to light?  Regardless of when it happened, I'm sure they were jumping up and down for joy.  Who cares what it was or when it was.  A Duggar messed up!!  God forbid any of our sins should be put out for the general public to see.  Oh wait, they wouldn't care because we're not on TV.  If the Duggars were not a famous family that the whole world sees, no one would have know and no one would have cared.  The people involved could have lived their lives without having to relive the whole thing all over again.

What's the saddest part about this whole thing?  That Christians are the very ones leading the pack to burn Josh Duggar at the stake.  I've seen and read so many comments from professing Christians that crucify him with their words.  The very people who should understand and should have experienced the same redemptive work in their own lives, are turning their backs on a brother in Christ and throwing him to the wolves.

Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

I think that kind of speaks for itself.

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?  Be not deceived: neither fornicators, no idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."  1 Corinthians 6:9-11


And that's all I'm going to say on the matter.


Until next time...


JenT

change...it happens

Times change.

People change.

I've changed.

Have you?

Do you ever sit back and think about your life?  What were you doing ten years ago that you wouldn't dream of doing today?  Five years?  One?

How has your thinking changed?  How has your view of this world changed?  Of people?  Of events?  Of policies?  Of anything?

Most people want to improve themself.  Do you think you've improved?

Have you changed any habits or a way of thinking about a certain topic?

I have.

It's called growth.

You grow and change.  Hopefully it's to become more like Christ. 

If not, what is stopping you?  What is holding you back from making those choices that will grow you?

Until next time...

JenT

are you a pancreas or kidney?

You hear church members talk about the glorious parts of the body (the body of Christ; the church).  Ever been in a debate on what body part you are?

"I think I'm the feet.  I'm always going out telling others of Christ."

 

"I must be the hands.  I give a lot."

 

"I'm the eyes.  I see the needs of others."

All well and good.  But ever notice how it's always the parts that we see?  The "pretty" parts?

Also have you noticed that it's always parts that we can live without?  It would be difficult to be deaf, blind, crippled, without hands.  But you can actually LIVE without those things.

What about your kidneys?  (Both of them).

 

Your liver?

 

Your pancreas?

When was the last time you heard someone say.  "Well, I'm the liver."  
Who claims these parts?  The unsightly, "ugly" parts.  You can't live without them.  You can have a transplant, sure.  But if you are in a wreck and one of those is damaged, it's a life-threatening situation.

Just how important are those parts?

So...what are you in the body of Christ?


Until next time...


JenT

do you get...

...so much going through your mind that you just have to veg out for a while?

Read a totally frivolous book?

Watch a hilariously funny movie?

Just sat and watch your children play?

Or even join your children in their play?

Go on a "Sunday" drive (even if it's not Sunday)?

Just something I thought of late tonight.  Thought I would share. :)

Until next time...

JenT

growing up

So there comes a time in every parent's life when their kids get to that point when they can go on trips by themselves.  Yes.  We have reached that stage in parenthood.  It's scary - but exciting.  You pray, you worry a little, you pray some more.  You let go and trust God to take care of them.  You trust them to remember what you have taught them over the years.  It's not that they are leaving permanently.  It's just a little jaunt off to the grandparents' house.  But it's the beginning.  It's a new journey in life that we must adjust to.

What am I rambling about?  My two oldest went waaaaaaaay out to California last week to spend the 4th of July at their Grandpa's.  They are only 13 and 15.  Only!!  lol   Well, they had fun and I'm glad.  I see more trips in the future, but we will cross those bridges when we get to them.  Such is life, eh?

Until next time...

JenT

cover up!

Dear Young Woman in the Kroger parking lot who changed her shirt next to our van - please don't.

My young impressionable boys were in that van.  I have a 12 year old who is becoming an adolescent.  Must you make it more difficult for him?  I am trying my best to shield them from things they are too young to handle and shouldn't be exposed to.  I realize that they will be bombarded with immodesty in public.  But really?  Changing your shirt in your vehicle?  In the Kroger parking lot?  Next time, leave the pjs at home and go out in public properly clothed.

That's all.

- concerned mom

In this world we live in, I see that modesty has flown out the window.  Men, women, boys, and girls alike are going out in public in such a state of undress.  Almost every time I go into the store I see someone in their pajamas.  Is it that much of an effort to change your clothes?  I make sure that my 1 year old is dressed every day for just hanging around the house - and a 20 year old is in the grocery store in the clothes she slept in?
It's a sad, sad society.
And that's not even half of it.  Not only does this young lady feel that it is ok to change her shirt in public, most feel it is all right to dress in clothing that doesn't cover much more than underwear.  Or that it is cool to let their underwear show.  When I was young, we told our friends when their bra strap was showing.  Now you don't even have to wonder what color a young girl's bra is.  I guess it's even the fashion to wear clothes that show it off.  Or the guys that let their boxers show.  Tsk, tsk.  Some of us know where that came from and it's not a good thing.  Or the short shorts, mini skirts, peek-a-boo blouses...you get the idea.  It's no wonder that there is so much promiscuity in teenagers today.  There is no waiting, no mystery, no modesty, no purity.  Sexually transmitted diseases, abortions, and heartache abound.  Where will it all end?

Well, I highly doubt that the girl at Kroger today will ever see or read this, but I feel better getting it off my chest.

Until next time...

JenT

overprotected, isolated, non-socializing children

Ever wondered what those kind of children look like? I'll show you:



































These pictures have been taken over the last few years. They have been socializing with children and adults alike, from all parts of the country. We have taken trips (more than I took as a child), met new friends, and seen a lot of things. They have friends from Texas to Maryland and several points in between. They have seen several zoos (we love them :) ), a few museums, and some historical sites. And we would like to see many more.

So when people say that homeschooled children are overprotected, isolated, or non-socialized, they don't know what they are talking about.


Until next time...

JenT

practicing divorce

Is dating practicing for divorce? I think it is. How is it not?

How can you give pieces of your heart away to many of the opposite gender and expect to come to a marriage whole-hearted?

I read a story of a girl that had a dream right before she got married. She was standing at the front of the church with her groom. They were waiting to take their vows when from the audience another woman stood up and walked down the aisle to stand next to the groom on the other side. Suddenly another woman stood up, then another, and another. The filed up the aisle until 10 girls were standing with her groom. He turned to her apologetically and said, "I know I promised you my whole-heart, but I had to give these girls a piece of my heart, too. They each have a little. But you can have all the rest." Boy, did she feel cheated.

You may think that sounds silly, but in essence that's what happens. A person gives each boyfriend/girlfriend a little piece of their heart until the one they fall in love with, the one who is expected to share the rest of their life, is left with the scraps.

What message does that send our young people? That's it's ok to break up with someone when "things just aren't working out". The practice carries over into marriage. It seems that everything is disposable these days. Even relationships. Divorce is just as common in the Christian circles as it is in the non-Christian crowd. How is dating any different? They are "trying out" different people. Trying to "find" the one they are meant to marry.

I believe that if the Lord wants you married, He will send you the mate He wants for you. Instead of wasting your time trying to find him/her, spend those years in service for God.

Now that doesn't mean that you isolate yourself or your children from everyone. Meet new people and develop friendships with other families who are like-minded. Give your children the opportunity to meet plenty of people. You don't know how the Lord will bring a spouse to your child. They need lots of friends; a potential spouse may be among them. Then, let God guide them to "the one". But caution them to not play the dating game. And who knows, maybe they aren't even meant to be married. The apostle Paul wasn't married and look what he did for God. He even recommends that a person stay single so that he/she may concentrate solely on the things of God.

Dating is very harmful to the marital relationship. So many people carry baggage into their marriage from earlier relationships. Sometimes, they may not even realize it. It can cause hurt feelings and misunderstandings. It can stir up feelings of jealousy. It can bring divorce.

Yes, I believe dating is practicing divorce.

And people wonder why we don't want our children to date.



Until next time...

JenT

God's school

Are you passing your grade? Or is God going to put you back in to repeat the year?

I sure hope I pass the grade I'm in. I really don't want to go through all of this again. I know I'm learning a lot, and I hope I learn all I'm supposed to learn.

If you've never heard The Pineapple Story, I urge you to listen to it. The whole thing. I tried to find it online so that you could listen maybe download it, but I couldn't find it. Maybe some of you can. Just search The Pineapple Story by Otto Koning. I did find three of them though, here. Just scroll down until you find his name on the left.

If you can't download and/or listen for free, you can order it through IBLP. You may be able to find it on amazon.com or ebay.com also.

Anyway, it's a series of very good missionary stories to listen to. Our whole family loves them. We've heard the whole series at least 2 or 3 times and some stories more than that.

Just thought I'd share.


Until next time...

JenT

alternative lifestyle

Had you going there for a minute, didn't I?

No, this is just the alternative to the post I did yesterday; way of the world. If you haven't read that one yet, do so. This will make more sense if you do.

Homebirth, homeschool, quiver-full minded (meaning letting God decided when and how many children we have which also means no use of birth control), courtship, debt-free, simple, clutter-free lifestyle; these define what an atypical American life looks like. There are probably other areas, but these are just what I can think of right now.

Now let me clear something up before I get step on some toes unintentionally. I am not against those things I listed in my first post. That is to say, I'm not going to go around castigating those people who choose to do those things in their life. What I am saying is that we, as a family, have chosen to NOT do those particular things. And for that decision we have been talked about, made fun of, treated as though we are idiots, and just generally not liked.

Now frankly, I really don't care what other people think. But it really bugs me when people say things to my children about how they think we are not doing something right. These children were not given to them to raise. God gave them to my husband and me. We are their parents and they have no right to talk bad about us to them.

Ok, back to our regularly scheduled program...

Some people may be interested in one, some, or all of those things listed above. Some people are even doing more to get out of mainstream America. And that's their choice. Get it? We have a choice. I'm not just talking about as Americans. I'm talking about how God gave us all a free will to choose how we would live. Of course we also have to live with the consequences of those choices. But the thing is that we are the ones making that choice.

Now some may argue and say that we are not giving our children any choice at all. They are, after all, being "forced" to live the way we choose. Well, as I mentioned above, they were entrusted into our care and we are doing what we feel the Lord wants us to do. We will answer for our choices. And actually, they will answer for their choices, too. They are also making decisions every day; will they obey mom and dad, or not? And that is really the only commandment in the Bible given directly to children. Lest some think that we are forcing our children to do certain things, just know that we also show them the other side of the story.

For example: evolution vs creation. We have explained to them about both ideas. We have let them watch videos and had them read the Creation account in the Bible. They have come to their own conclusion; that evolution is a myth and that God created everything in six literal days.

For the most part we let them choose what they wear. We do require that they dress modestly and we have explained from the Bible how we came to our conclusion of how modesty is defined. They have chosen to agree with us and in some instances are even more conservative than we are. (Of course we do have times when the boys will run around in just their underwear pretending to be Indians - we're not perfect :P ).

Dating vs courtship - well, we haven't gotten to that stage yet, so I'll keep that for another time.

Debt-free - it is pretty self-explanatory. It is so freeing to not be in debt. We are still working on that one.

Quiverfull minded - I think I'll leave that one alone too. I mean, if you haven't figured it out yet after 10 children, well...

We do homebirths unless an emergency came up like it did with my 9th baby. We love it! And we love our midwife! If you are in the east TN area and need a midwife, I can recommend one. :) If you are considering a homebirth and are not sure, I suggest you research it out. Talk to a midwife (I know one :) ).

Homeschool - that's another post entirely.

A simple, clutter-free lifestyle - we try to keep things simple. We shop at thrift stores and Goodwill for clothes and shoes. If we absolutely can't find something necessary like a coat, we will buy one new at the store. Or shoes. But so far, that has been very seldom. We also have people give us clothes and shoes pretty often; along with several other things. We try to eat simple foods. In fact, when we experiment with rich, processed foods we sometimes get sick. We would love to have a little land with some chickens, goats, ducks, geese, and the like, but it seems that that's not what God wants us to do right now. We had that last year and had to move quickly. So we had to get rid of everything. Someday...maybe. We try to keep toys simple; bikes, balls, cars, dolls, toy animals, board games, building blocks and other materials, books. We don't have video games. We have movies, but they are family friendly, conservative, mostly Christian movies. No tv. We have watched it and let them watch it before. But we prefer to not have it. Good grief, the commercials alone...

So there you have it folks. The odd lifestyle we choose to follow. :) I hope you enjoyed this little peak into our life. A few things I mentioned above really need their own post so maybe sometime in the future I'll expand on those things.

I hope you have a blessed Sunday. I need to finish getting ready for church and get my kids up to do the same.



Until next time...

JenT

way of the world

If you march to the beat of your own drummer, sometimes you get kicked out of the band.

You can live your life the way the world thinks you should or you can live your life the way you feel God leading you to. Sometimes when you follow God, people think you are stupid. They may even tell you that; or just treat you like you are.

What does the typical, American life look like these days anyway?

First: Hospital birth; sometimes even a c-section. Not that I am totally against those; after all, I had to have one with my 9th child. But they have their place. It was an emergency situation. Many people just plan them for the convenience or because their doctor recommends it. I say, get a second opinion and do the research yourself. So many c-sections can be avoided by taking precautions beforehand or by just knowing your facts. Research, research, research!!!

Next comes the typical childhood: public school, sleepovers, dates, prom, not to mention all the extra-curricular activities that fill up a child's evenings and weekends. So what happens when you don't do that with/for your children? You're labeled over-protective, isolating, or non-socializing. I'll suggest the alternatives in a later post.

After graduation comes college, which means debt. (Oh, unless you can get a free ride from the government). Then possibly marriage, with the expected 2.5 kids. Usually for over 89% of the population a divorce is scheduled in there somewhere. And for some more than one divorce takes place in their life.

A mortgage, car payments, vacations, brand-name clothes, toys (big and small), junk to fill up their overpriced house, entertainment to dull the mind; these all line up and take their place in life. (And I've probably forgotten a few). On top of that a few credit cards attach themselves to the tail of the line.

You're not happy, you're stressed out because the pay check doesn't begin to cover your living expenses. What do you do? Just struggle along and dream of "someday" getting ahead in life. Why does it have to be "someday"? Why do people follow the way of the world? And why is it that when other people choose to live their lives differently those that are in the band get angry? Is it because they're miserable and they can't stand to see someone else happy? Misery loves company. "If I'm not happy, you can't be happy." That seems to be their motto. Or "you're going against what I believe you should be doing and I don't like that". Well, that's fine, but I'm not living to make you happy.

Ultimately we will all answer to the Judge someday and we won't be judged according to what the world thought we should do with our lives. We will by judged according to the Bible and what it says. We will answer to what the Lord told us to do and not what society dictates.

This is just some stuff I've been thinking about lately. I've thought about it before, but now I'm putting it into words.

And for another look at life, stay tuned for the next post.


Until next time...


JenT

when?

Sometimes I wonder where we are going and how long it will take to get there.

But I have to trust that God is in control.

The hardest part is the waiting.




Until next time...

"...blessed be the name of the Lord."

"Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."
~ Job 1: 20-21

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I wrote about my miscarriage in a previous post. Well, it wasn't over. The hospital told me to come back if I had more problems like I had that brought me in. I did. Sunday afternoon we went again; this time by van because I knew as soon as it started what I needed to do. We got there around 4:30 or so. Later that night they decided I needed a D&C. Thankfully, the OB doc that was on call was one I would have picked if given the choice. (The same one was the one on call Thursday night and I already had a follow-up appointment scheduled with him). The D&C took place around 1 a.m. Monday morning (long night) and I was discharged by 3 a.m. A first for me; I've never had a surgery where I had to be put to sleep before. It was definitely a different experience. But all went well and I have a different follow-up appointment in two weeks.

So, why the verses, you ask? Some people may find it odd that I'm not totally tore up about this loss. Yes, we wanted this baby. But God gives peace in the midst of pain. I know where this child is. At least I'm pretty sure. Remember David? If you're not familiar with the story I'm referring to, read 2 Samuel 12, especially verses 15-23.

I'm to give thanks in everything. It is the will of God.

Yes, it may be hard at first. I felt guilty thinking if I had done this or this, nothing would have happened. But you see, I'm not the one in control. God is.

I cried. I mourned. But I didn't fall apart. Because God is in control and I'm to give thanks.

I'm thankful for the short amount of time the Lord loaned this baby to us. I'm thankful for the EMT guys that came. I'm thankful for the ER docs and nurses. I'm thankful for a Christian OB that is not afraid to ask if he can pray over me before surgery. That was such a blessing.

I'm thankful for everything that happened, because that was the will of God.

Thank you all for praying for me and for your comments. I do appreciate them.

And I promise, the next post will be a bit more lighthearted. :)

Until next time...

Help!!

The month of May is super busy for me. I need your help. I have 6 birthdays and 1 gradauation. Thankfully they are pretty spread out. The dilemma is that 5 of the birthdays are of the male persuasion. What do you get a man/boy for his birthday? When it comes to my sons, no problem. I know what they want. Another toy. My brother? I have no idea. My dad? Same. Two male cousins? Nada. Zip. The female cousin and the graduate are female. I can manage something for them. So, for those of you out there that know what the guys want for a birthday present - please, please, please tell me! Should I go with an actual gift? A gift card? The good-for-any-occasion money gift? Actually, since I have so many cousins I'm just sticking with cards for them. So all I really need are ideas for my brother and dad. And to make this even easier - my dad and I aren't really close, so it doesn't have to be spectacularly personal or anything. Hey, maybe I'll just get him a card. *sigh* See? I have no idea!! HELP!!!


Until next time...

More Controversial Subjects

Some interesting questions came up when I posted my view on Easter.













We also don't do Santa or the toothfairy (I totally forgot about that little tradition). We spent a few Christmases by ourselves or with other families that don't "do" Christmas, but since some of my family moved close by, we spent Christmas with them a couple of times. By not "doing" Christmas I mean we don't do the tree or stockings or decorate or anything really. We used to in the beginning of our marriage, but studying things out made us quit. I don't want to make this a long post, so if you want to research it the internet has a plethora of information on the subject. A good place to start is here. A good short article on the history of Christmas can be found here. Here and here are a couple of links that compares Jesus Christ to Santa Claus. Scary? I also know the story of St. Nicholas who was actually a real person. I wonder what he thinks about the figure known as Santa Claus? And that some people believe it to be modeled after him?

Another good comment mentioned the fact that we worship on Sunday instead of the Sabbath (Saturday). Well, technically, our family can't be accused of that since we don't go to a traditional church. :) We meet with other believers whenever we can, and sometimes that is in the middle of the week. I believe that was the way the 1st century Christians did it. They were being persecuted, so they didn't exactly advertise where they would be meeting next.

I could get into a really long discussion on holidays vs holy days, but I'll leave that to others.

Just so you know, we don't go around telling everyone that they are wrong to celebrate these days. In this country, we have the freedom to "esteem one day above another". One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. (Rom 14:5 ) We visit family when they are celebrating and don't go around preaching at them with a sour face, being holier-than-thou. By the same token, we would like to have the freedom to NOT celebrate certain days. If anyone asked us, we simply state that we don't do those things and leave it at that. We don't use that as an opening to blast them with our beliefs and say that they are less of a Christian than us because they do those things. (If I came across that way in my original post, I certainly apologize). If they honestly want to know why we don't celebrate, I would give them the information we've found, and let them decide for themselves.

And if someone argues that I put this on a public forum, well, it's my personal website and I said that I would be writing down some of my thoughts. These are my thoughts. Thank you very much. :)

Everyone is growing and learning new things throughout their life. My question is: Does what you do glorify Christ? I myself fall short so many times. It is a lesson I learn daily, moment by moment. If you think I'm wrong the best thing you can do is pray for me.

I must ask, please don't make this a flaming, YELLING discussion. I welcome comments, but keep it nice and clean. Please.

Until next time...

Aftermath, or not

Well, according to my counter I got a lot of hits, but not many comments. I kind of expected that. Oh well. Not much of an aftermath. Good. I prefer it that way.

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In other news, my 2 year old's tongue is healing nicely. He is graduating to more solid foods, but not hard or crunchy. And he's still taking his medicine.

My 8 year old son hit a baseball in the backyard yesterday when I specifically said not to. I told all the kids that the baseball hitting had to stay in the front yard (which is huge) so they wouldn't bust out any windows. Well, you guessed it, the windshield on the van is spiderwebbed. So we are staying home until it is fixed. Which will be mucho bucks. It's a 15 passenger van. Which reminds me, I need to call the library and renew the books we have checked out. Because we can't return them, see. BTW, he is in big trouble. He was also disobeying by sneaking out when he was supposed to be sweeping the floor. Trouble times two. Whew! He will be working quite a bit in the future.

Some new additions to our canine family:




Aren't they cute? They are Chihuahuas and some of them are going to be long coats. Their mom is a black short coat and their dad is a white and peach long coat.

Well, that's about it for now. Maybe more later.

Until next time...