Christmas on a Sunday : Let Jesus Interrupt You

I have to confess of having a bad attitude when I found out Christmas fell on a Sunday this year. When I checked the calendar some months ago, the roots of irritation had already started growing. The frustration only deepened when neighboring churches posted the cancelling of their Sunday worship services as the impending date drew nearer.

And I was just annoyed, annoyed that, once again, Jesus was interrupting my life; and in this case, my Christmas morning ideal.

Because we are having Sunday morning worship, I knew exactly where I would (and wouldn’t) be on Christmas morning.

I would be in church.

And I wouldn’t be actualizing my cozy, Christmas dream with the children in matching pjs as they patiently, kindly, and without any selfishness in their hearts open presents one by one while the fire crackles on the hearth.  (Snorting as I write this, ohh my stupid little sinful heart)

Here I was, angry that, once again, Jesus was getting in my way of my wants.

Here I was, confronted, once again, with the truth that I am not God.

But two weeks ago, when it looked like ice and frigid temperatures could actually cancel church, my heart cracked. It broke even deeper when one of my children made mention of how terrible it is when any holiday falls on a Sunday. In that moment, I came face to face with my sin—God using both nature and a firstborn son to show me just how desperately I favor it.

But is there anything more fitting for believers on a Christmas Sunday morning than to gather?

We should celebrate the incarnation together; celebrating the Son of God who interrupted and entered time because he loved us. Celebrating the truth of Jesus born and placed in a manger, frustrating all preconceived notions of what the King of Heaven would be like. Should we not rush to celebrate the plan set forth before the foundation of the world?—that God would give an undeserving, sinful people the greatest gift of all, himself. Immanuel, “God with us.” 

It is just like the Son of God to interrupt our family traditions.

Christmas on a Sunday.

It is just like Jesus to inconvenience our plans.

Christmas on a Sunday.

It is just like the Lord to frustrate the dreams we hold so dear.

Christmas on a Sunday.

And why would we shy away from this God who came to live with us, as us, for us? We would want it no other way. Because unless the Lord Jesus Christ frustrates the sin within, puts an end to the dreams you hold dear, and interrupts the trajectory of your life, he will not be your Lord.

You see, this Christmas wasn’t the first time God has used nature and a firstborn son to wake up sinners, like me. But I’m glad that he did, on both accounts. I’m eagerly waiting for Sunday morning, not because presents will be under the tree, but because there is no place I’d rather be than with the body of Christ on a Sunday morning, Christmas or not.

Let Jesus interrupt you this Sunday. It’s worth celebrating.

God Will Provide: A Lesson in Nature from my Kitchen Window

I live in an oasis, and I don’t mean the desert kind. I mean more of a sanctuary for slinking stray tabbys and a jungle gym for squirrels. It’s a feast for your (well, maybe just mine) eyes, because there’s really nothing spectacular about my neighborhood—it’s a typical block of starter homes lined with ranches and cape cods that mirror one another. Many residents moved here nearly 30 years ago when the houses wore their first coat of paint. We’ve lived here for 5 years and though the square footage is fixed, it seems to have decreased with every mouth we’ve gained. I groan because of this reality often, vividly reminded of the discontentment that still rattles my insides. But really, it’s not because of what I do or don’t have that I whine. It’s deeper, beyond the surface of just an attitude. It’s my heart that incessantly fails to believe that God is good, He does good, and has provided all I need in Christ. And I have quite literally seen the Lord’s hand extend in the most tangible and ordinary ways to provide for my lesser needs. But still—Oh, this war within—I gripe.

So when I look out my kitchen window or gaze through the sliding door, I am given a gift that new builds and mansions cannot rival. I am forced to be still, encouraged to listen, and roused to look outward and upward. It’s here, by God’s grace before this wildwood, that I am given decades-old trees that readily proclaim, “God will provide.” I am front row to choirs of birds and symphonies of insects that can’t help but bellow, “God will provide.” The contrast of naked and needly trees and the blue fabric of the sky is enough to steal your breath. The red ribbons of Virginia creeper coiled tightly and my neighbor’s dogwood still coated in the most vibrant carnelian while I catch a glimpse of the willow oak dropping its last threads of gold. “God will provide” the foliage declares as the familiar green is lost.

This morning I peered over the sink and I noticed the dark-eyed juncos have returned to my side yard, bringing with them the chill of winter. It’s an opportunity for complaint as temperatures quickly plummet, but this is creation proclaiming, “God will provide” as it settles into dormancy from its laborious summer production.

In the bushes bordering my yard, the resident cardinal couple darted in and out and then briefly paused on the rocky path below. His astounding red coat and her orange beak so unlike the deadness all around them. The red-bellied woodpecker flickered from branch to branch tapping its flaming head along the bare limb. The blue jays flitted back-and-forth in a chase, with streaks of sapphire quickly painting the brown thicket. Each announcing “God will provide” even unexpected beauty in a brown and barren land.

There was a teeny downy woodpecker—maybe it was the same one that found its way into my kitchen last month—right outside on the oak tree. Near it, a small nuthatch defied gravity on the trunk of a slash pine. The black-capped chickadees hopped from fence post to the next before heading elsewhere to dance. As if a bird’s job isn’t consumed with avoiding the feral felines and finding food, there is yet still time for play. “God will provide” sings playful birds who find time for merry-making among the mundane. There must be time for me to indulge in the good works of the Lord, surely He has provided even this.

Another woodpecker came in like a fighter jet only to land and make aimless, elevated loops at the top of the old poplar before coming to what seemed like a permanent halt. A gray squirrel sat deadly still on the split rail fence while clutching an acorn between his paws. He looked like the kind of animal figurine you’d see in a Cracker Barrel. In unison, each animal professed,“God will provide” through the bitter, lonely, and cold months—whether through meticulous preparation or falling berries and plump larvae, “God will provide” is what all of creation proclaims.

I took this all in within ten minutes. As I stood tippy-toed at my window, two hands on a warm mug, the gift of stillness was given and I saw, that yes, God has provided.  It's like this every day. Day after day He provides. And like that, I smiled and because in those ten minutes of watching creation do what creation does, God provided a moment—to reflect, to delight in an intimate God who sent His Son for me, to be aware of my sin, to find joy in the flora and fauna, to express thankfulness for my warm home and frosted backyard, to stand in awe of every moving part outside and the God who orchestrates it all, and to have confident hope that all will one day be made new.

To hear the muffles of birds still raising their songs when there’s nothing in my bird feeders; or to watch the trees lose the very leaves their limbs gripped so tightly, and they do so without a complaint against their Maker—Oh, it is a gift to see my sin in contrast to a creation that depicts, “God will always provide.”

Slow Death of the Iron Fist

So much of my life, and maybe yours too, is a slow, painful death of having all the things I thought would satisfy my need to feel wanted and fulfill my desire to belong graciously ripped away from me. Every day is a physical reminder that the love I search for in marriage and the overwhelming fullness I feel in motherhood is just not ultimate—yes, it is a gift that has brought immense joy, but time and again I sit with my discontentment and remember that the created wasn’t meant to be my god.

My heart recoils at where I am and how the Lord is still working out the countless kinks in my iron fist—Like shouldn’t I be further along by now? Shouldn’t I be past struggling as I do? Shouldn’t my desires have been totally dethroned by now? Oh this war within.

I’m exhausted. I hate the sin see-saw I find myself buckled into—the playground of looking to lesser things to give me what Jesus alone can offer. He alone satisfies this wandering and weary heart. I know that and yet I still find myself drawn to what I know will consume me.

Why do I keep looking for more creative ways to lessen the loneliness? Dry the tears? Cure the pain? Remove the frustrations?

I say with Paul—"Oh wretched person that I am. Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24-25)

And then I remember. That’s the tension of the Christian life. To be here and not there. To be now and not then. That all my pain. And all my struggle. And all my sin. And all my hurt. And all my failures. And all my letdowns—that they would be swallowed up in Christ and push me nearer to the Lord who in spite of my frailty will be glorified in my weakness.

Oh Lord, help me sit with the better portion until all things are made new.

*Originally posted on Instagram (12-2-22)

Give the Benefit of the Doubt This Holiday Season

As you go into the holidays with warm family, special friends, and loving neighbors— do make it a priority to generously extend the benefit of the doubt in all conversations. Even where relationships perhaps are broken or strained. You will be softer for it, and as you endure hardships (or even a hard conversation) and yet respond with tenderness and compassion, you look closer to Jesus.

So in preparing for the table talk and couch conversing, look to Jesus.

➳Recount the love, the bond you share with the people around your table.
➳Remember their intent is not to maliciously attack your heart with the words they say.
➳Guard your heart of bitterness from unmet expectations among circumstances and responses.
➳Diligently watch your heart from the creeping anger in their lack of understanding.
➳Give yourself over to gentleness in your responses and wear kindness on your face.
➳Remind yourself that you have nothing to prove if you are in Christ.
➳Run to the suffering Savior who perfectly understands whatever darkness that looms over your head.
➳Rejoice and give thanks for what the Lord has provided, what he has graciously given.
➳Plead with the only Giver who can hear your pleas, move and change circumstances, and give joy while you wait.
➳And thank our good, good Father for his faithfulness to us knowing that wherever we might be, he has ordained, purposed, meant.

Whether it’s persecution or pain, work or weariness, heartbreak or a hollowness, a diagnosis or doubt, loss or lack; the Lord has not forgotten you.

So when curiosity and wondering arise, when conversation moves into murky and uneasy territory—with joy and pain mixed into one—by extending the benefit of the doubt you will coat your heart in gratitude and protect yourself from a pointed distrust and palpable hate in your heart for others, and for the Lord. The Lord is so near. The Lord is so good. And the Lord does and will do all that pleases him for his glory.

Look to Jesus.
Look to Jesus.
Look to Jesus.

Piles of Leaves, Heaps of Sin: 5 Biblical Truths from Your Backyard

Once the temperatures drop and the first leaf hits the ground, I can be found with a leaf blower in my hand most every afternoon. You could say I am meticulous about the way my yard looks, much preferring order and precision over the mass of leaf litter. But I am curious as to why I like to see the lush, green grass underneath. Why is it that I hate watching leaves accumulate on the lawn overnight? Why is it that I take such care to sweep away the sticky pine straw and bag up the yellow and brown foliage? What does this tell me about my spiritual habits? Can I at all connect this to my life in Christ?

And while maintaining my yard, these questions bounced around my mind until it seemed as if the leaves themselves told the answers. Apart from the fact that leaf blowing is cheaper than therapy, here are 5 ways your leaf-laden yard will point you to the Lord, who is sovereign over all--even over where every leaf settles to the the hard ground below. 

WE LUST AFTER LEAVES

We all drool over the change from summer's monotonous leafy green to autumn's rusty, contrasting glow. We find ourselves nearly lusting after the leaves hanging just out of our reach.  When they fall to the ground, they collect and finally make real contact with our lives.  But the color wanes and we are left with muddied tones that don't satisfy. The leaves meet us with potential destruction.  Rain creates the perfect condition for sliding cars atop wet pine straw. Leaf piles host garden pests that sting and bite. A blanket of leaves masks the real dangers lurking underneath. In great masses they are a fire hazard and cause building materials to decompose.  Something that at first glance tantalizes the senses, only disappoints us when we finally grab hold of it.

So often this is like sin in our life. The appealing, deceptively appetizing and beautiful leaf of sin hangs just out of reach, but when we stare at it long enough, we know eventually we will fall. What so easily enticed us from afar now destroys us as we draw near.  It hides the real danger of death, deceiving us, and with it, the seeds of sin take root and produce even more sin. 

LEAVES HINDER GROWTH

Tolerate a thick blanket of poplar, oak, maple, and gum leaves all winter and you will be set back with seeing a green lawn in the spring. Sure, some grass will survive the wet carpet of leaves, but once the sun shines and the turf comes out of dormancy, what's viable will be choked out and opportunistic weeds will thrive. Come spring time when the first robin chirps and the dogwood buds, it becomes obvious who has paid any amount of attention to their yard.  If nothing was done with the passing of time, the growth or lack thereof, will be evident.

If I refuse to remove the leaves from my lawn, or rather if I neglect repenting of the sin I've fallen into, chosen to walk with, relished to sit with, this raises a number of questions; nonetheless, where there is no repentance, there is no growth. Where there is no growth, there is no fruit. Where there is no fruit, there is no salvation. The harvest of righteousness will be evidence one way or the other. Removing the leaves every day gives my lawn full access to the sun it needs to produce.  Likewise, repenting of my sin gives me a right relationship with God through the Son of Righteousness.

ALL LEAVES ROT

And doesn't matter if deciduous or coniferous leaves cascade into your yard.  They all rot. They all decompose. They all return to the ground they were grown in.

And to some extent, it doesn't matter the size, kind, type of sin you commit. It will kill you. Destroy you. And send you to the ground you once walked.

But it doesn't have to be like this. The Lord is the master Gardener, the ultimate Landscaper, the True Vine, the Branch of Righteousness. He can give you a new yard. A new lawn of a heart. A freshly aerated and seeded yard lush with green carpet. But when the leaves fall and we find ourselves content with a leafy lawn, will we blow the leaves off this new plot? Will we resist the rottenness that grows because of sin? Will we bear fruit in repenting?

LEAVES ARE HEAVY

Have you ever tried to carry a black bag full of fallen leaves? Heavy isn't it?  A single leaf isn't all that impressive, but combined with thousands of its twins the weight is substantial. They are burdensome to carry, and after 3 days of strong winds sending the leaves to their demise, a leaf blower runs out of gas before the yard is cleared. More effort, more work, more pain, more sweat, more gas is needed. It feels impossible, hopeless, better off just letting the grass die.  Yet we know that's a lie, but when there are several layers on top of each other, even the leaf blower struggles to move the leaves away.

So why can you find me every afternoon with a leaf blower in hand? Because I'm obsessive and my dad taught me to find beauty in landscaping? Partly yes. But mainly because the removal of leaves today makes tomorrow's removal bearable. The weight of sin is unendurable. Even as a believer who is positionally righteous before God because of Christ's righteousness on my behalf, my present sin hinders the close fellowship, the intimacy, the communion with the Father not because He removes his hand of mercy, but because I choose to pile my sin like a pile of leaves. And while I stand justified, I am still being sanctified as every leaf falls.

A STRONG TEMPEST IS COMING

We know from experience that winter is coming. The leaves will fall to the ground and the trees will stand bare and exposed. The wind will be bitter and the water will freeze. We may get a blustery snowstorm and be without power for days.  Icicles could hang by the foot off the gutters. And while autumn requires a different sort of care than a white winter, I blow the leaves every day because I know what is coming.  I can see there are still leaves on the trees, but without warning, the trees will be bare overnight and coat the ground.  The leaves won't hang there much longer.  I can not stop it, they will fall.

And I know seasons of trial and triumph; pain and progress; struggle and success; discomfort and delight are coming. I can not stop it.  And every day I need the discipline of staying near to the heart of God because I know how prone I am to let the leaves pile up in my heart, consume me, rot my love for Christ, and block out the warmth of Son of God. The toil of life is here, and it will promisingly come season after season.  I must be disciplined now for the moments when picking up my leaf blower, or picking up my Bible, seems impossible. I must be faithful to tend to my heart and obey the Lord's good commands. In the Lord's strength, I carry the leaf blower day after day because in the Christian life that is what picking up your cross looks like.

One day we won't suffer with the falling leaves of sin in our life.  One day the bags and piles will be burned away forever and only green pastures will remain.  But until then, may your life, your home, your neighborhood be ripe with the dull, laborious hum of leaf blowers, of healthy green yards, of repentance, of bearing good fruit, of growing in holiness, of staying near to Christ.  But if you have to choose between a physically healthy front yard or a spiritually healthy heart, always choose the latter.  All metaphors will break down, even this one, but look to Jesus. You will always find him faithful.

Look to Jesus

When you suffer the unexpected, look to Jesus; he is the God of all comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you feel helpless to overcome your sin, look to Jesus; he will provide a way of escape.

1 Corinthians 10:13

When you are tired and worn, look to Jesus; he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7

When rest is elusive, look to Jesus; he will give rest to your soul.

Matthew 11:29

When voices of doubt become audible, look to Jesus; he will renew your mind.

Romans 12:2

When you are anxious in the night, look to Jesus; he will sustain you.

Psalm 3:5

When you lose the life inside, look to Jesus; he draws near to the brokenhearted.

Psalm 34:18

When your voice projects anger again, look to Jesus; he does not repay you according to your iniquities.

Psalm 103:10

When you are weary and heavy laden, look to Jesus; he will carry you.

Isaiah 40:11

When you miss someone who has not breath, look to Jesus; he will bind up your wounds.

Psalm 147:3

When you feel some kind of lack, look to Jesus; he withholds no good thing for those who trust him.

Psalm 84:11

When you are beat down by work, look to Jesus; he endured the cross for the joy that was coming.

Hebrews 12:2

When you aren’t sure you can keep going, look to Jesus; he is your strength, your song, your salvation.

Psalm 118:14

When you are struggling, look to Jesus; he sympathizes with you.

Hebrews 4:15

When you want to give up, look to Jesus; eternal life will be reaped.

Galatians 6:9

When your dreams are shattered, look to Jesus; he does all that pleases him.

Psalm 115:3

When you don’t know how ends will meet, look to Jesus; he has provided everything graciously in himself.

Philippians 4:19

When you fear what is to come, look to Jesus; what can man do to you?

Psalm 56:3-4, 8

When your heart aches with things broken, look to Jesus; he will cover you with his wings.

Psalm 91:4

When you are persecuted for following Christ, look to Jesus; he was hated first.

John 15:18

When your marriage isn’t a honeymoon, look to Jesus; he gives himself continuously to his Bride.

Ephesians 5:25

When you are lonely, look to Jesus; he will never leave you.

Hebrews 13:5-6

When you are annoyed at your neediness, look to Jesus; he gives help to those in need.

Hebrews 4:16

When darkness grows and shadows lengthen, look to Jesus; he has delivered you from the domain of darkness.

Colossians 1:13-14

When you are weighed down by guilt, look to Jesus; he has canceled all your debt and forgiven your sins.

Colossians 2:13-14

When shame screams loud, look to Jesus; he is faithful to forgive those who confess their sin.

1 John 1:9

When you fail to obey, look to Jesus; he obeyed perfectly on your behalf.

Philippians 2:8

When you fall into the same sin struggle, look to Jesus; and you will live eternally.

John 3:14-15

When relationships go awry, look to Jesus; he will not retract his love from you.

Romans 8:28

When sin feels insurmountable, look to Jesus; he died so you can live.

1 Peter 2:24

When you are desperate, look to Jesus; he will fill you with joy and peace.

Romans 15:13

When you want to jump, look to Jesus; he increases the strength of the weak.

Isaiah 40:28-31

When intrusive thoughts play on repeat, look to Jesus; he hears your pleas.

Psalm 34:4-7, 17

When sadness floods your face, look to Jesus; he will soon transform our lowly bodies.

Philippians 3:20

When you’re standing at the kitchen sink wondering if “this is it,” look to Jesus; he has given you a spirit of self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7

Look to Jesus.

Look to Jesus.

Look to Jesus.

Behold His glory. Behold Christ, your King.

Hebrews 1:3

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of Majesty on high...

Hands in : "Look to Jesus!"

 

Ten Ways to Love the Homeschool Family

In a previous post I recommended ten ways to tangibly love your friends and family, neighbors and church members who have chosen to send their kids to public school.

However, in this article, I simply want to offer ten more ways to serve and extend grace specifically towards the homeschool family as they juggle the unique challenges of school at home.  Homeschool children, too, need to know the great love which God has shown them in Christ, so may we serve our homeschooling neighbors and friends to the glory of God.

1. Bring an afternoon pick-me-up for the homeschool teacher. This may seem like nothing more than a friend bringing another friend a treat, and in a way it isn't; but what you communicate with this gesture is, "I see you and I support you. I might not understand or chose the same methods as you, but I am here to champion your efforts. I love you as Christ loves you." 
2. Purchase school supplies or even parts of a specific curriculum.  One thing you should know about homeschooling is that it can, at times, break the bank. Living usually on a single income with multiple children at different grades, homeschooling comes with a cost.  You can help a family relieve some of that burden by asking what you can purchase for the coming year.  From school supplies to textbooks, I can assure you that even a single item will be met with joy.
3. Invite the children over to your house. One way to support a family that homeschools is to simply open your home.  Invite the children over to your house to play when the school day is over. Make it a point to ask them about their school day and ask what they are learning. Use this as an opportunity to point to the gospel and biblical truths.
4. Attend a child's sporting event or art show. You might not know that homeschool children have entire leagues and clubs dedicated to sports and the arts. Find out when their games and events are, and simply show up. This has the potential to make a lifelong impact on a student's life when an adult other than their parents (whom a homeschooler is around constantly) takes time to make gospel investments in their life.
5. Provide a meal or snack for the family.  Homeschooling isn't simply school at home, but is rather a way of life. It's a 24-hour, never-ending learning environment that happens right in your own home--for better or worse. Which means food must be stocked at all times: breakfast, lunch, and snacks that are usually offered at public school are the responsibility of the homeschool parent. Providing a snack or a meal for the family will be a gasp of gratitude.
6. Recognize the children with your own 'awards' pertaining to character or a job well done.  Surprising a student by recognizing their hard work, applauding a job well done, or championing their growth in character development would be a special way to honor a homeschool student. Awards days and student recognition tends to be forgotten in homeschool circles, but this can be very formative and motivating for a child. Again, showing the ways you value a person can lead to opportunities to speak about Christ both now and (most notably) in the future.
7. Send a letter of encouragement to the homeschooling parents.   Sometimes the progress in the "classroom" is hard to see. At times a homeschooling family will wonder if their child is really soaking in anything at all.  There are many joyful days in homeschooling, but there are plenty of discouraging moments as well.  Send a note to the homeschooling parents vocalizing your support and that you are rallying their efforts. But do maybe include a tissue in the card though, the homeschooling mom will need it after reading your words if it comes on one of those particularly challenging days.
8. Pray for the homeschooler's day as you wait at the bus stop or drop off at carpool. When you are dropping your own children off at school, use this as a moment to pray for your children's friends who will learn at home today. Ask that God would give the homeschooling parent a passion for teaching with patience. Pray that the students would love the art of learning and would respect their parents throughout the day. Ask God to meet the homeschooling family in their greatest need for the day. And if your homeschooling friends are not believers, pray that God would open their eyes to the truth of the gospel.
9. Complete tasks in the home. The thing about your home being the central location for school is that is also the central location for everything else in life.  Those who don't homeschool can naively believe that being "home" means you'll have more time for chores.  You can physically serve the homeschooling family by extending a compassionate hand in folding laundry, cleaning toilets, wiping windows, or even caring for younger siblings if it is during the school day. It doesn't have to be an all day endeavor. By sending a text that says "I'm coming over to unload and reload your dishwasher" you might have just taken the first step to start a gospel conversations and demonstrate your love through Christ.
10. Create dialogue with the homeschooling parents at your church. Homeschooling parents aren't as scary (or weird) as you might think.  People are usually afraid of what they don't know, and tend to put up walls in defense (This is true on nearly everything in life). But don't keep the homeschooling family at arms length because they have chosen a different mode of education. Talk to them. Ask them about their experience. Ask them why they have chosen to homeschool. Ask them about their challenges. Take a moment to pray with them, and if they aren't believers, have the hope of the gospel on your lips seasoned with salt.

I hope these ten ways give you plenty of ways to start serving and loving the homeschool families in your church and neighborhood. Don't stop with these though!  As you develop a relationship and seek to demonstrate God's kindness to them, you will know how to best minister to the growing needs around you. 

"Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free [homeschooler or public schooler]; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful."

Colossians 3:11-15

Ten Ways to Love the Public School

There are many ways to extend care, compassion, grace, and proclaim gospel hope to the members of your community. Here are ten ways to love the public school to the glory of God.

1. Prayer walk your neighborhood.  As you walk around the block, ask God to strengthen the believing children in your neighborhood. Pray for the neighborhood children you see at the bus stop by name. Pray that the parents would love their children well after a long day at work and school.  Ask God to give you opportunities to share the gospel as you are on your walk.
2. Make your home available for before/after school care.  Hop on your neighborhood Facebook page or Nextdoor app and just let your neighbors know you're home is available for children before they get on the bus and that they can hang out at your house after school.
3. Bring class treats for a neighborhood kid or a child from church.  There are few things more exciting than having someone you know bring in treats for class snack.  There is a sense of belonging when a child knows they are provided for by a loving and caring adult that is not their parents.
4. Think of the bus drivers. You see the big yellow buses throughout your neighborhood.  You know where the bus stops are. Give thought to the bus drivers by writing them a handwritten note of encouragement and gospel hope packed with some kind of treat or or goodie. I promise it will blow their mind.
5. Donate Christ-centered books to the public school library.  You will be surprised what school public libraries will accept. There is a great need for new and age appropriate material. If you need some recommendations, I would be thrilled to point you in the right direction depending on the age you need. 
6. Attend sporting and creative arts events. Take your family to a Friday night football game or a Saturday morning tennis match. Your children will love watching a track meet or cheering for a basketball team, laughing at a drama or being wowed at an art show. This is a great way to start and maintain relationships you make in the community for the purpose of sharing the gospel.
7. Show up with breakfast for your local public school's office staff. When I was a teacher, there were few things that better set the tone of my day than when we were provided breakfast by members in the community.  Write a note. Sign it from your self, or if possible, sign from your church to let that school know that there are people from said church that are willing to champion the efforts of caring for the school-aged children.
8. Assemble teacher packs.  These don't have to be much, but let me tell you, teachers spend hundreds of dollars of their own money to make sure students have the supplies they need and to make learning more effective.  Grab some pens, paper clips, sticky notes, tape, and K-cup.  Tie it in a baggie with some ribbon and deliver these to your local school.  Add a note for follow up and get ready to start making gospel investments.
9. Send a letter to the superintendent or principal.  The saying is "Bad press is good press." Well, superintendents get ripped into every single day by disgruntled parents and upset community members.  Why not break the cycle and send him or her an encouraging note? You don't have to agree with them or their policies to encourage him to work diligently and to remind him of the children he is impacting. Let her know there is one Christian in the community that isn't blasting her on social media; because I can assure you there are plenty of Christians throwing stones at her without thought, grace, compassion, or humility.
10. Talk to the public school teachers at your church. Ask them how they can be served best. Ask them how they need support in the classroom. Ask them how you can relieve any of their burdens.  It might be a late night to help grade papers, or purchasing a bookshelf for a class set of Bunnicula or Where the Red Fern Grows. It could be picking up their own children from school or being asked to faithfully pray for boldness in the classroom.  I promise you your believing public school teacher friends wish you could see what they see: for better and for worse.  They wish you would take time to really understand how much they love their mission field, what these little image-bearers mean to them, and how they really do get opportunities to share the gospel within the four walls of their classroom.

I hope these ten ways serve as a good start for homeschooling families to pour out a fragrant offering of love, support, compassion, grace to the public schools. This list is by no means exhaustive. I am sure I could make this list 25 things very easily.  That's another list for another day.  

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." 

Colossians 3:17

Next article posted will be: Ten Ways to Love the Homeschooler. I hope you continue to follow along.

Academic Freedom and The Call to Love Jesus

School is around the corner and once again, burdens are heaped on and judgement is exacted on those who swim against the cultural current we ride—and make no mistake—it spews from homeschool and public school proponents alike. O believer, may it not be so among the body of Christ that we would put academic freedom in a works-based balance to test the genuineness of a Christian.

Love Jesus with all of your heart.

May we be so confident in how the Spirit is leading our brothers and sisters in Christ that we are not just okay with, but are actually thrilled at the possibility of Him calling, allowing, and enabling others to make different schooling choices than us.

If you pack your child’s lunch and drop them off at the bus stop —

love Jesus with all of your heart.

If you have entered into the lifestyle of teaching your children at home —

love Jesus with all of your heart.

It couldn’t be simpler, yet here we are shackling ourselves (and imprisoning others) to our preferences.

I have talked with moms who are paralyzed at the thought of telling their friends they have chosen to go the public school route for fear they will be left out—the wrath of homeschooling moms descends. I have talked with another who is convinced that public school is the only real way to live as a light in the world—the public school mom’s public shaming spills over. 

Burdens are heaped, needlessly.  I have met others, like myself, who never in a million years dreamed of homeschooling their children, yet here we are because we feel it is what we have been called to in this season. Still, I have met parents who have initially homeschooled, but have now chosen to send their children to school, because they feel it is what they have been called to in this season.

May we not draw a line where there isn't one, believer. May we not elevate the freedom to choose how our children are educated to the level of first importance (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). May we not allow our identity in Christ to be overtaken and swallowed up by our academic preferences.

Homeschooling is not the gospel. It often presents many opportunities to regularly serve others in the community and learn catechisms and memorize verses —but it can not save your children.

Public (or private) school is not the gospel. It often provide endless opportunities on fields, classrooms, and performances to stand for truth and shine brightly in a dark world—but it can not save your children.

Whatever your choice may be, it is not a blanket statement or a “one size fits all.” Schooling choice does not transcend the culture you’re born into, point in time you live, or the circumstances surrounding you. But the gospel is and the gospel does. The gospel is a blanket statement for those who believe, a “one size fits all” who come to the Lord. No one is cast out. No one is rejected if they truly want Jesus. The gospel does transcend the circumstances we find ourselves, the culture or country we are born into, and the point we live on a timeline. And it is only the gospel that can actually save your children because it is only the gospel that is the power of God for salvation—your academic decisions are not (Romans 1:16).

So homeschool family or public school family, love Jesus with all of your heart. That is our aim. And may we be found faithful to teach our children to live out the kindness of Christ and have the freedom of the gospel on their lips in the locker room or at the library, in passing period or at poetry tea time, at cross-country practice or at co-op.

Love Jesus with all your heart, and encourage the parent heading to the carpool today. Love Jesus with all your heart, and encourage the one who has her curriculum on the kitchen table. We are not wearing different uniforms nor are we on a different team. We are one, if you are in the body of Christ. And what a blessed thing it is when believers dwell in unity, especially over the diversity of education.

Quote on my blackboard taken from Melissa Kruger's children's book, “Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know”

Click the picture to add this 
book to your library!

So if I can adapt the poem for us today : 

"...However you school,

No matter your part,

I pray you love Jesus

with all of your heart.”

"One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to god, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God."

Romans 14:5-7

A Short Poem of Gratitude : Rain

The rain was right on time

For me, anyway.

For my tired and anxious soul—

He promised if I come to him

He will give me rest.

At times I feel like that’s all I do,

Sitting at the Savior's feet,

My to-do list hangs condemning.

Oh! what a blessing when it came,

The rest I mean.

The prescription of precipitation,

An opportunity to pause.

What joy comes from seeing the blessing from His hand

When I could otherwise complain.

Rest came with rain today.

Oh praise the One who generously provides!

Hurt Comes, Remember Jesus

The sting of hurt, the bruise of wordy wounds comes in many forms. You are more familiar with it than I had hoped. So am I. So as the tears etch themselves into my tired face eroding the last signs of strength, let me turn our gaze upward and remember Jesus. Resolve to remember Jesus.

When the hurt comes and steals your remaining breath, remember Jesus who was wounded with words yet gave up his last breath for you.

When you are falsely accused in little and in much, remember Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, was called the prince of devils.

When your character is tarnished, you are misrepresented, and the support crumbles, remember Jesus was cursed to his face, but yet still knew every spiteful word uttered under every breath and formed in every mind.

When people leave, remember Jesus who was deserted by every. single. friend.

When you are unfairly portrayed, remember Jesus hung naked, beaten, and bloody as public humiliation.

When your heart breaks and your bawling eyes swell, remember Jesus' full humanity that felt every sting, strain, and suffering on your behalf.

When stunned silence is the only response you can manage, remember Jesus, the silent Lamb led to slaughter.

Jesus Christ is making all things new. One day that will be complete. That is a promise.

Jesus said that he will repay every word spoken, texted, written, shared, mailed. You keep walking in love. Remember Jesus.

Jesus holds forgiveness in his hands, uttering in his last moment, "Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing." A moment of anguish, pain unimaginable, deserted. You, reader, are forgiven much. And perhaps those that have hurt you don't know what they are doing either. We know what it's like on both ends of the stick. So, looking to Christ, you forgive much.

Remember Jesus

When it hurts; when you are maligned, rejected, despised unjustly, remember Jesus.

Cry deeply. And look to the surpassing treasure of Jesus Christ. Remember your Savior, ravaged and then resurrected, in your place.

"If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all."

Romans 12:18

Remember Jesus.

The Forest Sings for Joy

At the stoplight down the road, there's a single sprout of Queen Anne's lace growing between the cracks that separate the road from the median. There it grows, without care for the cars that pass or the trucks that idle beside it. There it grows, alone. It grows in a crack, wild as it is,  and will continue to bloom beneath summer's warming sun as ants unaware of exhaust clouds play atop their fabricy heads. I see it as I turned the corner. And delight in its beauty, the placement, the softness. I know I will gather my own lacy, buttoned bouquet on my return trip home, because I always carry my scissors for moments just like this.

This is creation rejoicing in the Lord in spite of having roots lodged in shallow cracks in the middle of hot pavement.

At the aquarium I see the sea nettle with its mysterious arms float aimlessly through the darkness.  It performs the same routine during the summer in the deep darkness of the ocean, or so I am told on the placard beneath.  In a cloud of companions, it dances through the blue without an audience. But the recital goes on anyway.  The singing of whales, or rather the muffles of wowed children, the theme for the nettle's movements of pas de basque and petit jeté while its tentacles lift in port de bras. No applause to be given. But still it twirls on without care of tomorrow.

This is the sea roaring for the glory of the Lord, this and all that fills it in a harmonious praise to the Maker in spite of their imposed and limited boundaries.

There is a fallen tree beyond the boundary of our yard and the neighbor's garden, just beyond the iron gate. Grasses are growing tall now, hiding the decaying mass. The termite army is on active duty transforming the oak into dust one tiny bite at a time. And if no one ventures past the rows of black-eyed Susans and sprouting monkey grass, no one can gaze at the shelf fungi and lichen that sit atop the engulfed termitarium. But it will grow and they will eat. Because that is what fungi, lichen, and termites are made to do, even if the gate remains closed.

This, with all that is in it, is the field exulting in the great name of the Lord in spite of being broken down and marched over, the transformation of life from death.

Back in the vast, green wood, the pileated woodpecker finds a hollowed pine. He drills not for black beetles and larvae, not this time. His hammering intends to echo through hollers to the delight of a mate. In the forest, pecks reverberate the ballroom thicket as the passerines fill it with lullabies. But no mind to the concertgoers who may hike through, the ballad plays on.

This is the forest singing for joy, the birds among branches in spite of the laborious toil for a companion or caterpillar.

In the morning I sit on the front porch, my Bible in my lap and coffee resting on the side table with a brown ring already forming from escaped droplets, not unlike the mornings that have come before.  And while all is calm this early in the morning, I'm still tempted to dwell on the chaos of which I have no control.  My thoughts bounce. I have work to do.  A sip of coffee reminds me where I am, the meeting I set with the Lord. But just before I look down, an eastern bluebird visits my neighbor's fence. And I know this is not the first time a common fledgling perches upon the adjacent barrier, without sound.  But there the quiet songbird sits, my eyes meeting her rusty breast under her cobalt grey jacket. And then she takes flight after fluffing her coat. Maybe tomorrow we will meet again. I smile. This bird hasn't a care, why should it? And why should I?

This moment here, a moment to ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, the glory due His name in spite of my disruptive weakness and unsightly disorder.

For now I sit, listening to the the loudest robin perched on a widow-maker in the loblolly while the morning dew rises to greet to my face.  The humidity in Virginia, I'm still learning to thank God for the arrival of the heavy, summer air. But even the humidity admits that the Lord reigns, and I have only moments to meet with the Lord before the children themselves rise to greet my face. Another sip. My eyes turn to the Book in my lap and I hear tired laughs from behind the window beside me.

And this, especially this, yes, this is the opportunity I get to tell of His salvation from day to day, to declare Christ's glory, and to point to His marvelous work among the smallest of people in my home.

Find and read Psalm 96 here