What a Blessing

"Children are a blessing

    and a gift from the Lord."

~Psalm 127:3

Would you be willing to live your life in front of thousands of people while rearing nineteen children, and setting a godly example?  This is exactly what the Duggar family does everyday!  Living your life as a television show is hard.  I've seen examples of how it breaks families apart.  But the Duggars have something most people do not, other than their nineteen kids; they have a strong Christian faith. 

Many people disagree with having so many children, but the Duggars believe it is part of God’s plan.  Jim Bob and Michelle are both open about the mistakes they have made, and how they have learned from each and every one of them.  One such example is how they learned that children are a blessing from God.  Michelle spent the first three years of their marriage on birth control pills.  She went off of the pills and had their first son Josh.  They loved being his parents and spending time with him. She then went back on the pills.  Shortly afterward Michelle became pregnant while on the medication.  What they thought was impossible had become reality.  Between her second and third month something horrible happened, Michelle had a miscarriage.  The doctor told them that this miscarriage was probably due to the fact that she had conceived while still on the pill.  They were devastated.  To them it meant that something they had chosen caused the death of this precious unborn child.  Jim Bob and Michelle chose to learn from this mistake, and spent many hours praying and studying they Bible.  While doing so they learned that the Bible told us God considered children a blessing.  They were gifts that are meant to be treasured.  They made a vow then to follow God’s plan for their lives.  Michelle stopped using any form of birth control, leaving it up to God how many children He would give them.  A few months later they were blessed with the double blessing of twins!  They chose to accept God’s will for their lives.

   

Raising children is not easy, especially when you are being watched by the world all the time!  The Duggars have their own television show called, “19 Kids and Counting.”  They also have published two books called, “The Duggars: 20 and Counting!” and “A Love that Multiplies.”  In both their show and their books I can see clearly the way they live their lives. Nobody is perfect, and there are times when children disagree.  The Duggars constantly demonstrate how they deal with this.  They are not afraid to show the world their lifestyle and how it is centered on God.  No matter how public their lives are they continue to live by their Christian principals. 

I often wondered how they have time to give each child the attention they need.  The Duggars are very careful about how they spend their time.  They do not watch television, instead they use this time to bond as a family.  It is not easy to keep up with their children’s hearts, it is a constant, full time job!  They try to have individual talks often with their children.  Over time they have learned how to ask the right question without having a critical spirit.  A common saying I found that Jim Bob and Michelle use is to, "praise children ten times more then you correct them."

Though it is a tough job, Jim Bob and Michelle continue to raise their large family in a God honoring way in front of the world.  Their whole marriage has been based on God and His standards.  They have filled their children with God’s Word and His morals.  The Duggars are a great illustration of what a God loving family is.  They learned from their mistake and God has immensely blessed them with nineteen children, and three grandchildren.  They truly believe God’s word that “children are blessing...”  (Psalms 127:3)

Homeschooling

"Let brotherly love continue."

~Hebrews 13:1

Every person has different masks or hats that he or she wears.  There are many pieces to the puzzle of their life.  In this post I am going to tell you about one piece of my own puzzle.  This piece is my life as a Homeschooler.

   Yes, I am a homeschooler, shocking right?  I have been a homeschooler my whole life, and I do not want to change that anytime soon.  I am not shy, I do not hide in corners, I do not wear turtlenecks and denim skirts on a daily basis, I have many friends, and I have been given homework before.  I am hoping that by the end of this paper you will have a better understanding of what a “Homeschooler” actually is.  I am not some freak locked away in my house, spending every waking moment on studies.  No, not quite.  Now in this matter I can only speak for myself.  Most days I do school in my pajamas until we have to go somewhere, or I have to get a shower.  I wake up at 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning, not 4:00 in the morning.  I do chores, and then do regular school just like the rest of the world.  My subjects include, Bible, Algebra, Biology, History, Spanish, and English.  I do school the whole day until I have to leave for dance and theater, but my siblings are typically finished at about 2pm.  After my extra curricular activities, I go home, read books required for school, and spend time with family.  That is my typical run-down, a day in the shoes of my life.

I started teaching when I was 4 years old.  That may be preposterous to you, however it holds much truth.  You see being a homeschooler I learned very quickly the amazing gift of how to teach myself.  By the time I was teenager I had become a mini professional.  Okay, do not mistake my words.  I still have adult teachers, who teach me, and I still need them to do that, but I have learned to teach myself a lot of things too.  My mother will give me my work, make a general outline of what I am supposed to do, and send me off. When I am finished I bring back my work for her to check it, or if I have questions I come to her for help.  It is not like sitting in a classroom watching as the teacher explains every detail.  I do a lot of the work myself, but I cannot do all of it!

“Your siblings are your classmates?”  “You have to spend the whole day with your family!”  I hear these a lot, and they are always said with that “Oh, you poor thing!” tone of voice.  Having my brothers and sisters, as my classmates are not that bad.  Though sometimes I do wonder what it would be like without them.  In a regular classroom I can pull a prank on the teacher and my friends will back me up, they will keep my secret.  When my siblings are there this is not the case, unless of course it is a joint effort. :)  If I pull a prank on my mom there is always a multitude of people ready to tell on me.  They are all trying to earn their extra brownie points for the day.  In most usual cases I am beyond thankful I have my family with me.  I am never bullied by others, never picked on, or cast out.  I mean sure there have been name callings, ice cubes put down shirts, and pencils thrown at heads, but that is what siblings do.  I know that none of it is intentionally meant to scar me.  In less than five minutes we will be back to partner’s in crime.

I have a relationship with my family that is closer then many, and for that I am thankful. I hope you can see now that homeschooling is not as bad as you may have thought!  Homeschooling gives you the opportunity to grow extremely close with your family, and extremely close with God.  You learn more than just school, you learn life.

“What is most important and valuable about the home as a base for children's growth into the world is not that it is a better school than the schools, but that it isn't a school at all.”  -John Holt

   

   

A Conversation That is Worth it

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

~Ephesians 4:29

 I do veritas once a week. For those of you who don't know what veritas is, let me explain. Veritas is a when a lot of homeschoolers come together to make one day of what others call, "real school". They offer class such as Algebra, Biology, Chemistry, Debate, English, Writing, Orchestra, History, Literature, and more, for those mothers who do not want to teach every subject in their child's life. 

Today, I sat in the fellowship hall after English class at church. As I sat there waiting for my mom to come and pick me up I began to listen to the conversation around me. "People watching" is what became of my patience, or rather lack there of. I listened to conversations about what class room biology had been in last year, when someone was going to eat lunch, what homework assignment they had been given, what the latest episode was about, how comfortable some one's coat was, and mostly a lot about Twinkies.

You may be thinking, "Oh! What weird teenagers," or "Oh! What weird homeschoolers," but these were the topics of conversation around me. I sat there awhile listening to people's opinions on Twinkies. How bad they taste, how amazing they are, how plastic-like they are, how some thought they had stopped making Twinkies, some teasing about how un-American it was to say you didn't like Twinkies. Let me just say I don't like Twinkies (GASP! I know.) and I am still very much American. :) 

I began to think about what other were saying, what they were saying reflected them. No one was saying anything bad, the problem was that no one was saying anything really worth it. Every conversation I listened to had no real goal. I am not saying small talk is bad, but there is a balance to be had between the two. 

The conversations, made me think about what goals people should have. Not one time in a conversation did I hear the mention of God. He may not have to be in every conversation, but isn't our goal to make God the center. How can we put God first if we are to scared to even bring Him up in a conversation. So, I ask you. Listen to your conversations with others. How many of them have a purpose, or are the majority just words that will mean nothing when tomorrow dawns?

Biology's Lesson

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whom have been called according to his purpose."

~Romans 8:28

Biology is a fun subject for me. It is not one that I struggle with, yet also not one that I can breeze through. It is an "ok, so-so" subject. I do find lots of enjoyment in though. Maybe the reason I find so much enjoyment is because I feel like I am actually learning something. I can sit down and read a page in my module and when I am finished I have gained useful information that comes into effect as soon as I read it. Math on the other hand, well, lets just say I don't feel that way. Math is more of my struggle. When I am finished with a page of math, especially now doing Algebra, I feel as if I have gained nothing useful. I am not at all saying math is useless, I think it completely and totally useful, and worth learning. However finishing math I feel like there is nothing I can put straight into effect at that minute, rather it is something I learn now, to use later. Maybe that is why I struggle with it, because it is not immediate learning.

Last night as I was reading my biology lesson, I was reading a bible lesson. My lesson happened to be on parasitic worms. Lovely right. Well, I was reading about how each one is harmful if they get into the human body and I came across one in particular a worm called Trichinella Spiralis. This worm is parasitic and makes it's home first in pork and other raw meat, and then they can be transferred to human bodies through the intake of poorly cooked pork. Now, this is not meant to scare you from eating meat every again.My first thought while reading this was, "I am never ever eating a hot-dog again. Forget it!"  Living in fear of these little worms wont do much could either. I still plan on eating meat! :) Anyways as I was reading this my book (or really the author) brought up a biblical example. In the Old Testament the Lord specifically told Moses and others that eating raw meat is forbidden. When I was young I have to admit at times I considered the bible a huge book of laws, and is, but I thought of a lot of the Old Testament laws as useless, harsh, and completely impossible to keep up with. Boy, was I wrong! God does everything for a reason, He has a purpose. He knew that if the people ate this meat they would die because of worm infestation in their bodies. Those people had no idea that meat is supposed to be frozen at 5 degrees  Fahrenheit for 21 days or -22 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 hours. Where were they suppose to get a freezer anyways! Although this may have seemed like a cruel rule for them, it was there to protect them, even if they couldn't see the immediate reason why.

Even though I was supposed to take away a lesson all about worms last night, I ended up taking away so much more! We want immediate it is what our culture is all about. Immediate Internet, immediate food, immediate enjoyment, immediate weight loss, immediate friends, immediate popularity, immediate everything. What we have to learn in that everything is not immediate. God doesn't always give you immediate, so what do you do? Move on, change religions. No, that won't help. You have to go back to the ancient lesson that Patience is a virtue. Stop looking for immediate and start trusting in faithful. The quote below puts it perfectly.

“Quit questioning God and start trusting Him!” 

-Joel Osteen

Thor: The Dark World

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

~1 Corinthians 10:31

Thor: The Dark World lived up to many expectations. For me they exceeded the expectations and went just a little too far.  Many people had been counting down the day until this movie would be released, myself included.  As the showing of Thor began I sat in a theater filled with many other anxious enthusiast awaiting the beginning of this new sequel.  

The movie started out on a fantastic note.  As the lights dimmed and the camera rolled I was immediately thrown into an intense introduction battle.  Even though I was quickly tossed into the movie, there was now feeling of being lost or not knowing what was going on.  At this point it was very easy to follow and comprehend what was happening, but you must remember I was only about one minute into the movie.

After dramatically setting the stage the movie continued onto a more familiar scene as the stars of this production, Loki, Thor, and Jane, were gradually introduced.  In the movie it focused on each person’s separate lives before bringing them together.  This was a very wise thing to do, as I was able to identify with each one individually, and feel their emotions before the movie gained too much speed.

Thor himself had a slight change of character in his sequel compared to the original.  In the original movie I remembered him as the arrogant, foolish, stubborn, child, who yearned for war and battle.  When watching the Avengers I began to be introduced to a more controlled, responsible Thor.  In this sequel he has changed from that rebellious, belligerent son to a wiser, more grown-up Thor.  While still the same character, he has more wisdom and strength over his emotions.

As the movie continues and the plot unrolls, they audience escalated into several battles.  It is here that a breech is seen in the walls of mighty Asgard, and one begins to doubt its survival and leadership. I am reminded of Thor’s power; yet wonder if it enough.  It is here that I realize Loki has not changed.  He is a cruel, heartless, person.  I watched in suspense as things began falling apart.

The first heart tripping death occurs.  In sadness, and for some tears, I watched as I believe there is no hope left.  Now two walls have been cracked, Asgard’s and Loki’s.  In this heart wrenching turn of events you realize Loki has a heart. He demonstrates vulnerability, that he has feelings and emotions.  For me this was more scary than the heartless Loki.

As the audience is thrown back and forth between earth and space things start getting more confusing.  What will be the next step?  My hope is now put in the vulnerable Loki.  Things are thrown back on side.  There is hope for Asgard, as plans are made and action is taken again. Friendship is ruling.  As the big battle occurs people, things, feelings, and humor are flying everywhere.  I feel my heart soaring has hits are given.

The battle ends, and as in every drama, I am drawn into a touching scene.  I am surprised as it ends in wonder on who is still left and who is gone.  It does not end on that touching note however, but rather on a much weirder one.  Giving the perfect set up for Thor 3 and Avengers 2.

With everything considered, this movie was great, however there were many things that could be changed for the better.  The humor was good, but often times I thought the attempt to make things funny ended up hurting what was going on.  A lot of the crude humor could have been taken out to make the movie even better.  The movie started out simple and easy to understand, but it did not stay that way.  It is difficult to jump back and forth from earth to sky and not have people lost. Unfortunately, for Marvel they did not accomplish this feat.  As the movie picked up I felt confused, and a lot like Thor’s hammer being tossed around.  Something else that could help was the weirdness level.  It was too weird in too many places.  If they had played down the weirdness level, and crude humor, it would have run much smoother and I would not have been so lost.

      

Overall Thor: The Dark World is a movie worth watching.  This movie was unlike any I had seen.  This movie had so many unexpected turns you never knew what would be next.  There was not a single time I thought I knew what was going to happen next, that I was right.  There are not many movies that can accomplish this, but this one did.  I watched in wonder and awe at each trick thrown in, each direction change.  The stakes are high for the next Marvel movie.

~Hasta Luago Caiman!    

Oh, The Places To Go

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." 

~Matthew 28:19

Have you ever dreamed of traveling somewhere? Well, let me tell you I sure have. My travel expereince consists of just about nothing. While it is true our family has moved several times in it's existense, we still have managed to leave out a HUGE chunk of the world. Let me put this in some figures for you.

Out of the 50 states of America I (personally) have lived in 2, Tennessee and North Carolinia.

Out of the 50 states of America I have visited 9 states, Tennesse, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolinia, South Carolinia, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, and Maryland. (Aka Washington, DC)  

Out of the roughly 196 counties of the world I have been to, 1, the Untited States of America.

Which further means tha out of the 7 continents, I have been on only 1, North America. Although I should get some brownie points for living in that continent too! 

And if I continue to go even further out of the 9 planets, (Yes, I count Pluto) I have only been to 1, I haven't even been to a moon! Lame right I know, but Earth is pretty cool.

I love where I live. I have no desire to, "Shake the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and see the world," as George Bailey would say. (It's A Wonderful Life) I love my town very much, but I would love to travel someday.

Places to go...

Italy

New York

Ireland

New Zealand

Sweden

Scottland

Alaska

Canada

Austria

And any place possible for a missions trip.

I may never get an actual chance to see the busy streets of New York, the paintings in Italy, sheep in New Zealand, the filming spots of Sound of Music in Austria, and I may never go on a missions trip. Do you know what though, I am ok with that. I will follow God wherever He leads me and If I never leave this, "crummy little town," then I will be content with serving Him from here. 

But whose to say you can't dream a little. "HOT DOG!" :D

Hasta Luago Caiman! 

Winter's Secret

"There is a time for everything,

    and a season for every activity under the heavens:"

~Ecclesiastes 3:1

To some winter is an enchanted time, the snow gently covers the earth in a blanket of soft white, icicles glisten on houses like Christmas lights, and families are being drawn closer together.  To others it is the most dreaded season of the year, when you are always cold, your shoes and clothes are constantly wet, and the days are shorter than could ever possibly be wanted.  Many seem to overlook the secret that winter carries.

With winter come many of the most anticipated holidays.  One of them is Christmas.  Christmas is the celebration of Jesus Christ and His birth.  To man, the birth of our Savior was the start of a new beginning.  He was the King who had come to save us from eternity in a place so bad we cannot even begin to comprehend it!  

After Christmas comes New Years.  New Years marks the start of another year.  This could be a new beginning, or the start of many hard times, or even just another year like the last.  No matter what the answer is, both of these holidays have something in common.  They are a start.  They are the beginning of something big, something that could be life changing.      

 Winter is the chance to start over.  When God gives us salvation, He gives the chance to be cleansed, to be restored through His love and His blood.  He offers us a new beginning.  Like a rainbow, winter is a reminder of a promise.  The promise is that Jesus has washed you white as snow.

To several, winter means death, the time when life curls up and dies.  It is the moment when everything goes into hiding, when animals and people become afraid of the world around them.  Yet the real secret of winter is that it does not bring death, but the chance to start a new life, a new beginning.    

Hasta Luago Caiman!