“The message I preach hasn’t changed. Circumstances have changed. Problems have changed, but deep inside man has not changed, and the gospel hasn’t changed.”—Billy Graham
Missions
Our Brothers and Our Sisters
We’ve been in my room much of the last few days, just Alice and I, and it’s given me a lot of time to be still. I’ve discovered things I didn’t know a week ago— like the fact that Alice’s favorite movement from Holst’s The Planet Suite is Jupiter. To be honest, I don’t think she knew this until Monday, either. But now that we both have been made aware, we can avoid Mars altogether because… no, not her favorite.
The Reality
What was supposed to happen was school. Music lessons, math, some geography rabbit trails to botanical gardens around the world.
He Orders Our Days
For the first time since March of 2020, Christopher is traveling. It’s not been the trip he planned, but it’s so clearly been the one that God planned that there’s no way one can take issue with it. That’s been the message I’ve been stressing to the children here at home each morning when they ask where Daddy is now, and if he’s reached his end destination or not: when you live with open hands, God will fill them. When you step out in faith, He will provide the path. When you hand over your control, He will order your days.
Cold and Warm and Back Again
Someone recently shared that they felt the temperatures in East Tennessee was something like Powerball: just random numbers thrown out in no particular order. And it’s been so, so true. Highs of 30, 45, 61, 25, 58. My kids— especially Simon— have been so confused getting ready to go out for morning chores, let alone getting dressed for the day. The laundry basket has muddy snow pants and filthy shorts in the same load. What season is this, exactly?
Life is What Happens to You While You’re Busy Making Other Plans
I didn’t intend to take a 9 day break from this space. It just sort of… happened. I recently had cause to repeat a line of truth found, in all places, in a John Lennon song: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” And oh, it’s true. It’s so very, very true.
His Covenant of Peace
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. —Isaiah 54:10
The world is a mess right now, isn’t it? Truthfully, we all know the world has been in various states of disorder and chaos since the beginning, but right now… well, it’s weighty. It’s pressing in on the walls of my sweet little home and it’s all I can do to battle it back.
Bits & Pieces
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I’ve maintained for years that there is no balance in life, that people searching for that perfect place where every area of life get equal slices of time and attention will always come up short in God’s economy. There is no way to be all things to all people; that role was only meant to be filled by God Himself. I’m living the proof of that now in a new way; if I’d had any hope of scales finding equilibrium this fall, I was sorely mistaken.
Redeeming the Time
If you’re like me, you have a lot of things you would love to do. Things you’d happily prioritize if other, more pressing matters stepped out of the way. Or, conversely, if you had more time.
Sent
Links may direct to affiliate sites. Purchases made through these links support our family’s work in spreading the Gospel to unreached areas.
Years ago, when we needed to name our homeschool for an official document, my husband and I instantly fell upon a title that seemed to sum up exactly why we were doing what we were doing: Great Commission Academy.