Bathsheba – A Revell Blog Tour

Posted by html404 on March 19, 2011
in Books

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

The love story of King David and Bathsheba is known to most of us with a church background. However, for those not familiar with King David, let me briefly share a bit of history.

King David was appointed by God to the throne of Israel as a young lad. Once he was ruling as king, he took many wives, as did many of the kings during that time period. Some wives where taken to keep peace between countries, others were because King David had a weakness for beautiful women and Bathsheba was a very beautiful woman whom he lusted after. The thing is Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah the Hitite, who was an officer in the king’s army.

Uriah and Bathsheba lived next door to the king’s palace and for some reason David happened to see Bathsheba bathing one evening. Lust drove him to send for her and they committed adultery that resulted in Bathsheba conceiving a child.

In Bible times adultery was punishable by death, which David knew, so in order to save Bathsheba, himself and their child, he ordered Uriah to the front of the lines in battle to insure his death. David had Uriah murdered to save his own skin.

Both King David and Bathsheba had to suffer the consequences of their sin, for murder and adultery is sin against God, however, there is a beautiful thread of redemption (atonement for guilt, deliverance from sin), that winds through their story and is present in each of our lives today.

While there were consequences to David and Bathsheba’s indiscretion, they were forgiven and then they were blessed. Bathsheba was no longer barren and went on to bear four sons. She and David shared a love neither of them seemed to have experienced before and David raised a godly son in Solomon, who later became heir to the throne and is known to be the wisest king to ever have lived. Jesus came through the line of David. God used David’s affair to continue His plan of redemption for all of mankind. He could have used someone else, but He did not. I, for one, am glad God chooses sinners to fulfill His purposes.

The best thing about this story is that it reveals the redemption we have in Christ. No sin is unforgivable and God has provided us a redeemer through Jesus Christ. Jesus paid the debt of our sin when He died on the cross. When we accept Christ as our Savior, God no longer looks at us in light of our wrong doing, as we tend to do to ourselves, but He sees us as new creatures without sin. Pretty amazing, but that is the grace of God. Free to all who will receive it.

I loved the way Jill Smith filled in this story with her creative imagination. It made me think again (for I read her previous book on Abigail, another one of David’s wives) what it might be like to be one of many wives and I am very thankful for a monogomous relationship. The thing Bathsheba had going for her was that she was David’s favorite wife and held a very prominent position in his house.

I am eternally grateful to God for using Kind David and his struggles to pen many of the Psalms so that we can know and understand that we can overcome our failures and restore our relationship with the Lord. When we feel far away from God, it is we who have left Him, not the other way around.

Bathsheba is a story of love, hope, forgiveness and the redemption we all long for deep within our hearts.

About the Author

Jill Eileen Smith has more than twenty years of writing experience, and her writing has garnered acclaim in several competitions. Her research into the lives of David’s wives has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Smith is the author of the bestselling Michal and Abigail and lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

“Available March 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

{No comments}

Saturday Rewind

Posted by html404 on March 19, 2011
in Blog Stuff, Family Stuff, Technology/Electronics

I know, I know, I have not been posting this week. I did not get to Monday Motivation or even a Wordless Wednesday! And I have plenty of photos to share. So I thought I would try to catch you up on the happenings around here with a quick little Saturday “rewind” post this morning.

Family/Work

We have been incredibly busy. On Monday we went on a maple syrup tour with friends and had a lovely time learning about maple syrup. The tour was very hands on for the children, who were able to help find a hole to drill in the maple tree, do some of the actual drilling and taste maple sugar. It was a beautiful sunny day. Then I had to work for a couple of hours by attending a meeting with area farmers. I could have even gone out that night to a nutrition meeting, but thought it would have been a bit much to say the least.

Then the past couple of days I have worked a couple of hours at my colleague/friend’s greenhouse helping get her caught up on her seed planting. Onions, kohlrabi, lettuce, broccoli are all sprouted! It is so exciting. Can’t wait to munch on some of those fresh organic veggies! Yummy!

My husband was able to attend yet another farmers meeting last night and learned some new things about what our county is doing to preserve farm land in our area. Do you know that there is a farmer who is 93 who is still driving his tractor and farming? He is the last farmer in his family. Quite amazing. I bet he has some stories to tell.

The children have been enjoying getting to play outside more now that it not only warmer, but DRYER. Yes, we are getting rid of the mud pit out back (out back, what am I Australian? Just kidding! Would love to visit Australia, so I am not implying being Aussie is a bad thing).

Baby boy is on the move, crawling, walking along furniture and wouldn’t you know it, he donks his eyebrow square with a corner two nights ago. I couldn’t sleep last night for fear he’d break his wound open again. It is bad, but not bad enough for stitches. I need to hurry so I can relieve the girls from “holding” duty. Yes, I am “holding” him captive by cradling him in our arms to keep him safe while his owie heals.

Here he is, but he’s quite happy despite the “check mark” owie. The children think it looks like a check mark, what do you think?

Techie Problems

My laptop had to be sent to be repaired, again. My dear husband and three year old were playing beside me while I was typing away and dear son did one of his somersaults and smacking his head against my screen cracking it pretty much from top to bottom. 🙁 Thankfully, the accidental warranty/insurance covers it. I was worried it wouldn’t. Oh and Nookie’s head is just fine. Obviously he hit it hard, but I don’t remember him even crying much. He’s a tough little cookie….has to be with two big brothers.

My faithful Green Drive is not working properly either, so I have been trying to get the company’s help on figuring out what is wrong. So far they have not asked me to send it back, if only it could be resolved easily without sending it back or risking losing all my data and photos.

Our printer is also on the blitz, I just think I need all new office equipment, what do you think? Maybe I should enter one of those business grants/contests and see if I can win. The thing is I have tried and usually give up because it seems that no one votes for me when I try to promote it. Maybe I give up too soon though and an entrepreneur should not give up easily. (Can you hear me pouting here….believe me I am pouting!)

So that about sums up the rollercoaster week we have had, how about you, what is new in your neck of the woods?

{One comment}

The Mountains Bow Down – A Litfuse Blog Tour

Posted by html404 on March 18, 2011
in Books

The Mountains Bow down is an intriguing murder mystery. FBI special agent Raleigh Harmon goes on a vacation cruise, but ends up working not only on a case, but with an arrogant colleague whom she starts to have feelings for…while still being engaged, and trying to keep her career choice a secret from her mentally fragile mother.

I really liked how the story kept me guessing right until the end. I also liked that it was a murder mystery rather then a mushy, gushy, romance novel. Guess I was ready for a change! (wry smile)

The life choices of some of the murder suspects makes me very thankful for my life – a life that is free from substance abuse and addiction. The only thing I can say I’m addicted to is work and chocolate! The way some people choose to live is very sad.

Raleigh’s character portrays devotion to both her parents. While her father was dead, she honored him in her care of her mother. I enjoyed seeing her commitment to her mother played out throughout the book.

The Mountains Bow Down is not a predictable novel. It is a great read that will keep you clueless as to who the murderer is and it gets a two thumbs up from me.

About the Author

Sibella Giorello grew up in Alaska and majored in geology at Mount Holyoke College. After riding a motorcycle across the country, she worked as a features writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Her stories have won state and national awards, including two nominations for the Pulitzer Prize. She now lives in Washington state with her husband and sons. Find out more about Sibella and her other books at her website. www.sibellagiorello.com

The Mountains Bow Down CRUISE Giveaway

Sibella’s celebrating the release of The Mountains Bow Down by giving away a Cruise prize pack worth over $500.00!

One Grand Prize winner will receive:
A $500 gift certificate toward the cruise of their choice from Vacations To Go.
The entire set of the Raleigh Harmon series.

To enter go here!

And enter soon – the giveaway ends on 4/1! The winner will be announced at Sibella’s Raleigh Harmon Book Club Party on FB April 5th, 2011! Don’t miss the fun – prizes, books and gab!

{One comment}

Weekend Poll

Posted by html404 on March 18, 2011
in Blog Stuff

I am seriously considering redesigning the look of Faith and Family Reviews (FFR) and would like to get a feel for what you think of when you come to visit. So in lieu of that I would like to conduct a weekend poll or week long poll (I will continue receiving feedback until I find hear from enough readers). Therefore, would you humor me and give me a word, phrase or sentence for what you think of when you come to visit FFR? I need inspiration if I am going to approach a graphic designer and ask for a new theme because to be honest, I am drawing a blank. Yeah, I know I should know what I am all about but if I don’t get your feedback how will I know what draws you here? I have been told that this WordPress theme is pretty popular and that my sidebar needs centering, those are the things I am starting with, thus the request for feedback. I thought if I knew what you thought of when you visited, then I could possibly come up with an image or two or three that I could create a theme from your input, make sense?

Or if you are a blogger, maybe you can share your experience in changing the look of your blog.

Let your comments/sharing roll…..and please don’t let this post be silent in the comment section! (hint hint!)

{No comments}

Costume Discounters Review

Posted by Brande on March 18, 2011
in Children's Clothing, Family Stuff, Fashion, Seasonal Stuff, Shopping

Have your kids picked out their Halloween costume yet? No!? Halloween is only 7 months away! Well, let Costume Discounters help out the whole family! They have an extensive collection of costumes, including Easter, mascots, infants, and plus size.

My Review:

I received a Girls XS (3T-4T) Deluxe Toddler Alice in Wonderland costume for my daughter.

The deluxe costume comes with dress with attached pinafore, ruffle trim petticoat, and headband with a teal blue bow. The dress is 100% Polyester in a beautiful teal blue color. The attached pinafore has a silver edged ruffle with a lovely picture of Alice holding a cup of tea on one side and glittery tea cups on the other. The bow has a plastic piece in the center with a picture of Alice on it. The petticoat that goes under the dress is 100% Olefin. The dress and petticoat both have velcro closures. The headband is plastic, but has a good strectch that seems like it won’t break easily. The entire outfit needs to be hand washed separately in cold water, line dried, and cool iron (if needed).

We are heading to see a certain mouseland this year. This costume will be perfect for our trip. If you’ve been down there in the past few years you’ll notice the little girls in their princess outfits. Those outfits in the parks are VERY expensive. My advice is to buy your princess, fairy, or pirate outfit from Costume Discounters before you head out the door on vacation. Here’s a link to the princess costumes.

These opinions are my own.

Editor’s Note: We do not endorse all of the costumes found on this site to be family-friendly.

{One comment}

How to Organize Your Coupons

Posted by html404 on March 17, 2011
in Guest Post, Organization, Saving Money

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post. While we appreciate our guest writer’s submissions, this does not constitute endorsement or agreement to the opinions expressed in the articles featured.

by Diane Johnson

Taking the time to find and cut out coupons may be a time-consuming process, but it can save you hundreds of dollars each year. However, even when you take the time to cut out the coupons, if you don’t have an effective way to organize and store your coupons, you’ll be more likely to miss out on the savings, simply because you can’t find the coupon you need or the coupon’s expiration date has slipped by you unnoticed. Learn to organize your coupons effectively, so you can take advantage of the savings awaiting you!

1) The first step to evaluate your coupon-clipping habits is to make sure you’re only cutting the coupons that you will actually use. Coupon clutter is a common culprit of coupon disorder. Avoid the clutter by collecting coupons for products you actually buy and for the stores at which you actually shop.

2) After you’ve determined to quit the coupon clutter, the next step to organizing your coupons is to determine how to sort your coupons. There are several ways to sort and categorize coupons, so experiment and find the most effective way for you. One of best ways to sort coupons that many consider to be the most intuitive is to organize by corresponding aisles in the store. Another common way is to divide your coupons up into categories such as “Beauty”, “Produce”, “Cleaning Products”, etc. And, of course, another simple and effective way to sort coupons is to sort by expiration date. The system isn’t important as long as it works for you.

3) The next step in organizing your coupons is to determine how to store your coupons. There are several viable options, so choose the one that works best for you. One viable and easy option is to use a series of sandwich bags or envelopes—one bag or envelope per category. Another simple way to store your coupons is to use an accordion file. These come in many sizes, some as small as a wallet, so you can easily toss it in your bag when it’s time to go to the store. Still another option is to store coupons inside a binder with sleeves or page protectors where you can store all the coupons according to your sorting system. This method of storage allows you to easily see how many of each type of coupon you have.

Once you have determined how to best sort and store your coupons to fit your needs, having an organized system of coupon clipping will lead to tons of savings as you can easy sort, find, and use your coupons. Happy saving!

About the author: Diane Johnson primarily writes about online education and anything else that interests her. She enjoys traveling, shopping, and sports.

{5 comments}

St. Patrick’s Day!

Posted by Brande on March 17, 2011
in Articles, Education, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Holidays, Seasonal Stuff

I’m far from Irish, but like many other people I will be Irish for a day! I’ve got my corned beef & cabbage in the slow cooker. So, join in on the fun!

Who is St. Patrick?

http://familyfun.go.com/st-patricks-day/st-patricks-day-history-971546/
People all over the world celebrate on the 17th day of March in honor of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Some cities have parades, most revelers wear green, and a few families commemorate the day with traditional Irish fare for their meal. However, everyone may not know who St. Patrick is.

Born in Britain during the 4th century, St. Patrick was kidnapped and enslaved by Irish raiders when he was a teenager. Although he was able to escape after six years and become a priest in Britain, he later chose to return to Ireland as a missionary, in order to help spread the teachings of Christianity to pagans. According to Irish folklore, he also used a shamrock to explain the Christian concept of Trinity to the Irish. In spite of continuous opposition from pagan leaders, he continued to evangelize for thirty years while baptizing newly converted Christians and establishing monasteries, churches, and schools. He died on March 17th and was canonized by the local church.

St. Patrick’s Day was first publicly celebrated in Boston in 1737 where a large population of Irish immigrants resided. Nearly 200 years later, the first St. Patrick’s Dayparade in the Irish Free State was held in Dublin in 1931. During the mid 90’s, the Irish government also began a campaign to promote tourism in Ireland on March 17th.

While many Catholics still quietly celebrate this day of religious observance by going to mass, St. Patrick’s Day slowly evolved to become a celebration of Irish heritage. Through the years, along with legendary shamrocks, many symbols were included in festivities that are reflective of Ireland’s folklore, culture, and national identity (think leprechauns, ethnic cuisine, and wearing green).Other places that join in on this celebration include Japan, New Zealand, Argentina, and Canada, along with many cities across the United States.

Here’s a fun family dessert for everyone to help out with also from Family Fun Magazine! I’ve made them, and they are really cute! http://familyfun.go.com/st-patricks-day/st-patricks-day-recipes/st-patricks-day-desserts/clover-cupcakes-687369/

Clover Cupcakes

It doesn’t take the luck of the Irish to make these St. Patty’s Day treats look so sweet — just a clever baking technique.

Ingredients

Cupcake batter
Cupcake tins and liners
Aluminum foil
White frosting

Green food coloring
Toothpick
Green licorice (we used Twizzlers Rainbow Twists sold in a pack with other colors)

Instructions

Place paper liners in 32 standard muffin cups, then fill each halfway with the batter.
For each cupcake, roll three balls of foil (ours were 2/3 inch in diameter) and insert them evenly around the perimeter between the liner and the tin, as shown.
Bake the cupcakes for a few minutes less than the package suggests (because there’s less batter per cup than usual), or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool, then remove them from the tin.
Cover each with green frosting (our ratio was 1 teaspoon of green food coloring to one 16-ounce can of white frosting).
Use a toothpick to draw leaf veins, and insert a 2-inch-long piece of green licorice for a stem.

{One comment}

2D or 3D Frame Review

Posted by Brande on March 16, 2011
in Baby Products, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas

Z-Access Display Frame made by the Lewibelle Company developed this product. Upon visiting their website at www.displayit3d.com, they have 7 different colors. The have 2 styles of frames 6″ x 4″ Frame with Base and the one I’m reviewing a pink 6″ x 4″ “Rotating Frame-Within-A-Frame”. It is a wood frame with film insert so, it stretches. It has two (2) “U” shaped clamps to keep the frame together. According to the instructions enclosed, “The 6″ x 4″ frame size will normally display items with volumes up to thirty-seven (37) cubic inches. This volume relates to an item size of up to 5″ x 3″ x 2.5′.” It can hold an object up to three (3) pounds. They go on to state that the films are tear resistant and the films can be replaces. However, I wouldn’t be poking at it with anything sharp.

My Review:

The instructions are understandable and the frames opens and closes with ease. All you need to do is turn the inside frame (Picture 1) and pull off the two (2) “U” shaped clamps (Picture 2), put your object inside, and put the “U” clamps back on. Slide on the base, and your all set.

Picture 1

Picture 2

The hardest problem I had was trying to decide what to put in it. Finally, I selected one of my daughter shoes she had as a newborn. Picture 3 shows the frame with shoe head on. Picture 4 shows the frame from the side, you can see the shoe “sticking” out.

Picture 3

Picture 4

I removed the shoe to see how the film stretched. It did a little, but not enough to where I couldn’t put something else in it. I would suspect if you were to put a baseball in it for an extended time, it would stretch further.

I love it and have gotten many compliments on it. I’m buying this frame for the next baby shower I attend. Check out their site at www.displayit3d.com. This is a great gift for a sports fan also!

Opinions are my own.

{2 comments}

Interview with Dietician Katherine Brooking

Posted by html404 on March 15, 2011
in Health and Nutrition

March is National Nutrition Month (don’t you just love the image above? I do!) and last week I had the privilege of interviewing Katherine Brooking, a registered dietician, who has appeared on national morning shows including the TODAY show, Live with Regis & Kelly, The Early Show on CBS, and Good Morning America Health. You can access her full bio here:

Interview

Moms are busy, what kinds of tips can you offer to help us take care of ourselves while taking care of our families?

Yes, we moms tend to put ourselves last, but we need to put ourselves first because our health is critical to our family’s well-being.

Double meals. Doubling them does not take that much more effort and will give you a meal for another day.

Buy frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. Cut up fresh veggies while on the phone or the night before so they are readily available the next day without much thought or effort.

Munch on veggies while talking on the phone.

Carry healthy snacks in your purse. Apples, pears, bananas, baby carrots will all transport easily, if you are a mom on the run.

Get enough calcium/vitamin D. Did you know that 1/2 of all women over 50 will break a bone. Bone health is very important. Yoplait is still offering their Free cup giveaway of 1 Yoplait Original, which contains 2x calcium of other brands. This is an easy way to get the DRA of calcium our bodies need. They are also easy to carry and take with you.

Maintain an healthy weight. Do something active every day.

http://www.appforhealth.com/about-us/katherine-brooking

What are some nutritional myths we may believe?

There are so much weird info about sugar out there. Be mindful of added sugar in products because added sugar has no nutritional value. For example: A diabetic may not be able to eat a ripe banana because it has its highest sugar content at that stage. However, they may be able to eat a banana has lower sugar content when it is less ripe, plus it has potassium and vitamin C that everyone needs. It will depend on how they are maintaining their sugar levels. (if this question seems a bit “off” it is because I kind of interrupted with a blurb about how my mil, a diabetic, could not eat bananas or at least a whole one)

Carbohydrates. There is a lot of confusion surrounding carbohydrates even though we are out of the Atkins fad diet. Carbohydrates are important in a healthy diet. The USDA is now recommending more whole grains, but choose wisely. Things like barley, quinoa, oats rather than cakes and cookies.

Don’t eat after 7-8pm. So often TV watching triggers eating or a stressful day or you may just be a night time eater. If you eat after 7 o’clock, again make wise choices. It is the quality and quantity of food that matters. Choose low caloric foods and know that the body treats calories the same no matter what time of day it is.

What can we do to teach our children to eat a healthy balanced diet?

Many children have a relunctancy to eat new foods. Be a role model. Our example is important. They are more than likely to to follow our example. Therefore, if we are eating right, they will most likely eat well too.

Contrary to popular belief, we do not have to serve 3-4 meals. As parents, we control the shopping, we choose the foods our families eat. Not in an ogre way; we don’t have to be short order cooks.

Eat together.

Be patient while introducing new foods. It takes 15-20x of exposure to a new food for it to grow on a child/person. This is not in a force way but a gentle way. Give options to pickier eaters, at least a couple of times in case one fails. This also gives a child the option to choose.

Be persistent.

Talk to children about healthy eating, not just about the food choices. Relate to them that if they want to be healthy and strong then eating healthy foods will help them grow, help them run faster. Children relate better to that official health terminology.(Not that we are advocating you eliminate health terminology from your vocabulary but often quick words of encouragement are more readily accepted.)

What does “Eat Right With Color” mean and what is the easiest way to do this?

It means a variety. Different colors offer different nutritional value. Seasonality is important too, if possible. Frozen veggies can play a huge role in this. Availability affects eating seasonally. Research shows there are more health benefits to eating more fruits and veggies.

Finally, what kinds of things can you suggest we do to celebrate National Nutrition Month to make it fun for our families?

Of course it will depend upon the ages of your children, but here are a couple to get you started:

~ Visit a local farm, it’s fun, shows children where our food comes from and shows support for local food.
~ Start a strawberry patch. Grow your own food.

Thank you, Katherine, for sharing your expertise.

Free Cup of Yoplait Original

Remember, you can still get a free cup of Yoplait Original yogurt as part of the “Million Cup Giveaway” by going to www.facebook.com/yoplait or the direct link is http://www.facebook.com/Yoplait?sk=app_168462209855664

Feel free to visit Katherine’s website too at

{One comment}

Orchids and Greenhouses

Posted by html404 on March 13, 2011
in Education, Encouragement for Moms, Gardening

by David Niblack

“We have someone new!”

The leader’s voice broke through the speakers. I had crept in late, hoping no one would notice me.

“Stand up and tell us your name and where you go to school!” the speakers boomed.

“My name is David and… I don’t go to school— I’m homeschooled.”

“What was that?”

“I said, I am homeschooled—I am taught at home.” I replied.

The leader squinted, trying to place me. After a pause, the voice resumed. “OK, cool! Did you say `homesachooled?’ Let’s give an applause!”

After the lesson, the assembly broke apart, drifting into little groups bubbling with laughter and exclamations that rose over the background music. I knew nothing of Jennifer Knapp and had not been to the high school football game. I was clueless of the upcoming prom or the latest air-filter add-on for 4×4 enthusiasts. My peers spoke a language that was nearly incomprehensible to me. Quietly, I escaped out the side door.

I didn’t realize at the time that what was causing my awkwardness in the popular youth culture would build a sanctuary for my faith. As a pioneer homeschooler I was “weird” to my public school counterparts, but little did I know I was on the front edge of a movement that would give a radically new freedom for young people to live out their faith.

Homeschooling has provided my generation with a greenhouse for their faith. Greenhouses are different than conservatories. In conservatories, plants grow all their lives indoors because they are never able to withstand life outdoors. Greenhouses serve a different purpose. The gardener places the plants he wants to grow strong into the greenhouse where fragile limbs and roots can grow form. When the plant is strong, the gardener can confidently move it outside where the plant will withstand even the harshest conditions.

After high school, I attended a liberal arts Christian college in southern California where I met Nathan. He was a greenhouse homeschooler. Raised in a logging town in northern California, I could tell he was more comfortable in the woods than in the trendy sunglasses-and-palm-tree life on campus. He wore plaid shirts, a big belt, and wire-rimmed glasses. His straight-leg blue jeans ended right above his ankle, creating an awkward gap between the hem of his pants and the top of his hiking boots.

I assumed he was a “sheltered homeschooler” until the day I slid my meal tray next to his in the cafeteria and spent half an hour hearing his story. Politics were his passion, and he had worked in elections and interned at the state capital. He had a vision of life that transcended the whims and trends of youth culture. Beneath his unassuming exterior was an articulate man of courage who as a freshman in college was already having a godly political influence in our state. I saw that he was out of tune with the popular youth culture; he simply played in a different orchestra.

The “independence” of today’s adolescent is a misnomer. So often breaking away of the emerging generation is not fresh independence but simply a transfer of the old dependence; from family and parents to the popular dictates of the youth culture. Few are free to be who they really are, and I had met no one as free as Nathan. As I listened, I realized that his plaid shirt and too-short blue jeans were not a mark of oddity, but a badge of freedom. This young man was free. Free to wear what he wanted, free to act as he wanted, and most importantly, free to live his faith unhindered by the pressures of the popular youth culture.

The next spring I discovered how God used this same freedom in my life. I was invited to speak to the staff at a summer camp the week before camp started. The staff lounge was quiet, and my hands were trembling as I awkwardly opened my Bible to give the message. Camp counselors intimidated me; they were often the loud, popular types, full of energy, jokes, and spiritual savvy.

I was nervous, but started speaking. Stillness came over the room and I noticed the counselors’ expressions change. Their faces are unforgettable; the deep look in their eyes, brows furrowed in thought, and I could tell something was stirring a deep spiritual hunger. I closed with a prayer. The room was quiet and hushed. “So that is what they are teaching you at Bible school, eh?” one of them asked me. What a hard question.

I only said, “Yes, I have some very good classes and I’m learning a lot.” But the answer was hollow. I wish I could have told him that in fourth grade my parents took me out of school and taught me at home because I was bored with the tedious pace at school. I wish I could have told him what life was like growing up in an environment set apart from the world of my peers. I wish I could have told him how, when camping with the Boy Scouts, I was so shocked at the locker-room jokes and stories of the other boys that I buried my head in my sleeping bag clutching my little New Testament close to hide my tears for friends that did not know God.

I wish I could have told him how difficult it was getting older and reaching the place where I was starving for an identity, rejecting the identity of my parents, and yet unable to find one with my peers or my school and being driven to find the purpose of who I am in God. I wish I could have told him what it was like being homeschooled in a house with no TV and being clueless of Seinfeld, Friends or Jim Carrey, and instead discovering Dickens, Shackleton, and John Piper.

I wish I could have told him how it felt to hear the stories of high schoolers – their stories of proms, of dating, of honor classes – and to go home and do school work that night with my parents. I wish I could have told him what it meant to have a life where God had drawn me to live away from what was popular so that I could learn to listen to Him long enough to find the freedom of being different. Homeschooling may have made me “weird” but it gave me the chance to find joy in the voice of God. This is what gave me the heart to preach; Bible school gave me the tools to make it possible.

At a volume unparalleled in history, our world screams with distractions into the lives of young people. Under the mask of “be independent!” and “be yourself!” is a machine-like pressure to conform to cultural norms set by TV, advertising, and peer pressure. Add to this the educational “success-at-all-costs” philosophy of a materialistic worldview and my generation is driven to live lives of shallow busyness that produce spiritual deafness to the voice of God.

We have loud worship music, dynamic youth speakers, and engaging cell groups, but where is the place of silent isolation where the heart can yearn for the presence of God? The explosion of homeschooling in America, with now over a million participants, can create that sacred ground, and is doing so in the lives of hundreds of young people in my generation.

But this explosion doesn’t mean homeschooling is a quick-fix fad. In fact, the trend is thousands of years old. King David was homeschooled. His brothers attended the King’s the best generals. David was taught by the bleating of sheep. But between the lectures of sheep and the whisper of the Judean wilderness winds, David learned to hear something else. He learned to hear God.

He grew so strong in the greenhouse of the lonely pastures, that when he went to the battlefield not even Goliath was a match for his fibers of faith. The author of the best-selling devotional book of all time did not attend a prestigious Bible school and was not accepted by his peers. But he had learned in the wilderness what it meant to hunger and thirst after God.

Two years later I was invited to speak in the youth group. I preached my heart, and to my surprise the kids listened. Eyes wide open, brows furrowed, and that same yearning depth dancing across their faces. I later overheard one of the kids talking. “Whoa, we normally go to youth group to have fun, but he made it so real it was scary…” His words were satisfying. I felt I had connected. Almost like a mini homecoming. I chatted for a while before I left. And this time I used the main doors.

This article was republished with permission. David Niblack is a homeschool graduate and now a Chicago area pastor. You may read more about David Niblack at his website: http://davidniblack.com/site/?p=21

{2 comments}

« Older Entries Recent Entries »