Back when I was teaching Sunday School we did a project  that has stayed with ME.
And since so many of you have Bible studies in your daily schooling, I thought I'd share it.
I'm planning for us to do it again this week.

It's messy.
It's grace-filled.

You can use more of the following Scripture for your older kids. And just the specific verse for the younger. And you can use any or all. They all tie-in together. And that fact alone makes it seem extremely important in my mind.
Matthew 23 (specifically verse 25)
Mark 7 (specifically verse 14)
Luke 11 (specifically verse 39)

You'll need:
Styrofoam cups, 2 per child (but any container will do).
Dish detergent.
Water.
Dirt.
I do this outside...

Get both cups wet. Completely wet.

Add mud to the inside and outside of both cups.

Wash the outside of one cup. Just the outside. Note the mud inside.

Then wash the inside of the other cup. Careful to try and keep that mud on the outside.

Ask which cup they'd rather have a drink from (if they could only have a drink from one of the two).

We incorporated heart lessons, appearances (concentrating on), judging ourselves and others by what we see, "outwardly" and "inwardly", whitewashed tombs, and most importantly we noted how cleaning the inside first made the outside cleaner, too, as it overflowed while pouring. But it was really easy to clean up the mud from the outside and still keep the mud/filth inside.

I love the anonymous saying.
I love the photo my (18-yr old) daughter took.
And she put them both together for me!

Let's see, December brought with it:
1. Harley taxes due
2. Car taxes due
3. Land taxes due
4. House taxes due
5. The death of the DVD player
6. The death of the VCR
7. The death of the microwave
and
8. Driver's license renewal

But I'm undaunted.
Because it also brought Christmas.

Christ - mas.

Since "mas" means "more" in Spanish,
then I'll just lean on Christ "more".
That's all we need, anyway!

While we still can, we celebrate the birth of Christ openly.
And thankfully.
Knowing that the Christ child was in a manger but didn't stay there...

"Kudzu is a weedy vine (Pueraria lobata) with often rampant invasive growth (a foot or more in a single day), which, if not controlled, soon covers anything in its path -- shrubs, trees, automobiles, or even small buildings."

It's true.
I'm not being an alarmist.
In the South, it's everywhere.
And at first glance it's actually pretty!


But look again.
Look closely:

"Kudzu kills or degrades other plants by smothering them...
...and by breaking branches or uprooting entire trees and shrubs through the sheer force of its weight.

Once established, Kudzu plants grow rapidly,,,, 
...at a rate of about one foot per day. 
As many as thirty vines may grow from a single root crown."

So why would anyone plant this?
Well, originally it seemed like a good idea.
Erosion control, feed crop, ornamental....
Who knew that it grew better in it's new land than in it's original Japan.
Who knew it was so, ummm, invasive??!!

And what does all this have to do with Christmas??!!

"The 17 congressmen who supported a resolution recognizing Islam and Ramadan but voted “no” or “present” (that is, there but wouldn’t vote) on a similar resolution introduced by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) recognizing Christianity and Christmas.

Lawmakers who voted “no” for Christianity and “yes” for Islam are:
Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Bobby Scott (D-VA), Fortney Stark (D-CA) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).

Those who voted “present” on Christianity and “yes” on Islam include:
Reps. John Conyers (D-MI), Barney Frank (D-MA), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Peter Welch (D-VT) and John Yarmuth (D-KY)."

Voted "No" or "N/A" for Christmas but "Yes" for Ramadan?
Voted "No" or "N/A" for Christmas but "Yes" for Ramadan?
Voted "No" or "N/A" for Christmas but "Yes" for Ramadan?

(Let me preface this as an addendum with the disclaimer that I should never read Voice of the Martyrs and then think about fruitcake. Even though I really do not like fruitcake, I'm not asking that you give up yours. That would be more of a Christianity-should-be-banned-in-non-Christian-countries type of thinking.)

I don't like fruitcake.
I've never tried a fruitcake that tasted good.
Therefore, I don't believe in fruitcake.

And since I don't like it
or believe in it
then you shouldn't have any, either.

We should just ban fruitcake.

(This isn't really about my husband. Well, it is. But it isn't.)

I love my husband.
I would defend him and even give up my life for him.
So we, his family, celebrate his birthday because we love him.

Do we have to?
No.
He doesn't require it.
And there's no law requiring it.
And there's no law forbidding it.
As a matter of fact, in the beginning, he didn't even expect it.

But he knows it's done with love.
And he accepts it in the vein it's given.
And he enjoys the outpouring of love.

I'm glad he was born.
I'm thankful he was born.
But often things come up and we celebrate it on a day other than the one he was born on.
But we still set aside a day to celebrate.

Do I only show my love to him on only one day a year?
Or even just once a week?
Of course not!
I try to show him my love every single day.
Wouldn't be much of a marriage, otherwise.

And he would still love us,
and us him,
if we didn't set aside a day to celebrate his birth.

So if I leave him gifts at his work,
or put up banners proclaiming it's his day,
or invite friends and family to gather,
or even blog about it,
it is a way to show others my love for him.

And he's a good man.
A godly man, even.

But he's not God in the flesh.

One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike.
Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.

I hate talking on the phone.
I really hate it.

Not the people I talk to, though.
I like them.

But talking on the phone, listening really, wears me out.

Yesterday, I spent almost five hours on the phone.
Mostly listening.
Listening to wounded spirits...

And I'm not over it, yet.

It takes me much prayer to let go of the anger and tears and bruised heart during, and after, the calls.

The first two hours were spent talking, and listening, to a woman who despises her mother and doesn't know her father. She has three children, all out of wedlock, and from three different fathers. She was recently in a severe car wreck and has some serious medical problems from her brain injury. She's loud. She's been in jail for shooting someone. She uses language that would shock you. She's part of the biker crowd- the "real" bikers. Not those like my husband and son who ride for fun...

Don't threaten her, she'll call your bluff.
Don't swing at her, she'll lay you flat out.

As a child, she was pretty much on her own.

She was raped at 14.
Left home at 15.

Looked down upon by the religious.

But somewhere in her heart, she knows that God loves her.
She has a moral code that she sticks by but it's different from the average person's.

Her loyalty knows no bounds.

And when you talk to her, you can hear the wounded child inside.

But you have to listen closely....

"We are to keep the world from ruling our hearts
by letting Christ rule there instead.

The separation happens inside of us,
not outside."

~John Fischer

AFJen88 has a great post called, Christian first, homeschooler second.. over at her blog.

It's short but thought-provoking.

Take a look if you can!

One of the nice things about being married to an electrician is all the Christian parallels I run into.

Really!

Come on, think about the power of the unseen for starters...

Think about how you may not know everything about the how or why;
but you sure have faith in it.

I'll stop now because it could just keep going.

But you get the idea....

Anyway, sometimes, I don't like where it goes.

Like when I see one of these:
It's called a "Lock-Out Tag".

They're used to "lock out" equipment as it's being worked on, or until it's worked on, for safety.

As in, padlocked to the power switch in the "off" position to keep some one from flipping that switch and giving my husband a shocking experience.
Yes, it's a necessary thing...

And everytime I see one, I just know I need one padlocked to my mouth.

I can't imagine a day so bad!:
And David was greatly distressed;
for the people spake of stoning him,
because the soul of all the people was grieved,
every man for his sons and for his daughters:

I can't imagine a better solution!:
but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
1 Samuel 30:6

We were discussing different teachers and preachers and the fact that we don't always agree with everything they say and yet we can still learn from them. 
The 11-year old said:
"Oh! So it's like fried chicken? You eat the meat and throw away the fat!"

I asked the 17-year old why Christians would even think about attacking each other. 
I was just musing aloud.
It was a rhetorical question!!
But she said something that floored me:
"Because the thumb wants to be bigger than the toe."

I guess I better keep homeschooling.
It's definitely working.

I'm learning so much...

Robbers: "What's yours is mine and I'm going to take it."
Religious: "What's mine is mine and you can't have it."
Righteous: "What's mine is yours, take what you need."

In reply Jesus said:
"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers.
They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.
Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.
The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper.
'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
Luke 10

Today
the youngest pastor just out of seminary
has more authority in the Church
than Jesus Christ has.
~A.W. Tozer

One hundred religious persons
knit into a unity by careful organizations
do not constitute a church
any more than eleven dead men make a football team.
The first requisite is Life, always.
~A.W. Tozer

(Let me preface this with an apology to all those who are dealing with REAL issues... Those who have a terminally ill child, for instance. This is definitely not in that kind of a category. Just an open look at my own battle with self-righteousness....)

WHAT JESUS DID!  

Religious Superiority before Spiritual Encouragement?

"It will be bad for you, you teachers of the law.
You have taken away the key to learning about God.
You yourselves would not learn,
and you stopped others from learning, too."
                            -- Luke 11:52 (ERV)

KEY THOUGHT:
Unfortunately, some who are caught up in a religious movement have the
genuineness of their faith usurped by a group desire to be religiously
superior. Rather than encouraging, helping, and blessing those who are
newer in the faith, these folks turn faith into legalism and corrupt
the hopeful message of the gospel. The way they live their religion
drives away people who are seeking God and breaks the spirit of those
who are new to faith. Let's always make sure that we don't impose
demands God doesn't require. Even more, when folks find areas where
they need to grow in their obedience to God, let's be there to help and
not criticize.

TODAY'S PRAYER:
Father, please forgive me for the times I've not stuck close enough to
new Christians. Give me eyes to see and a heart that is willing to help
those who are new in the faith. Use me to be a load-lifter and
load-bearer for these new disciples, not a load-imposer. In the
precious name of Jesus. Amen.

 WHAT JESUS DID!        

Jesus Christ spent His life going places He wasn’t supposed to go,
with people He wasn’t supposed to be with,
and saying things He wasn’t supposed to say.
He was irreligious.
Just ask the Pharisees.
While they were being religious,
He was engaging lost people where they lived!
~Victor Lee

We were looking through a homeschool catalog. A Christian one.

The items were separated into stuff for girls and stuff for boys.

Naturally, my 11-year-old tomboy likes the stuff for boys.

She's a very active child.

Burns off calories before she eats.

I'm not positive, but she may still be at birth weight....

She sees the lovely shots of the young ladies quietly sewing and says; "YUCK!".

So I step up to the plate as her mother and teacher and most importantly, a Christian, to explain to her about the roles of Christian boys and the roles of Christian girls.

She says:

"What about Joan of Arc?"

Our Bible Study group has decided that we want to reach out to the kids in our rural community by offering a Backyard Bible Club. I've been involved in VBS for 7 years and see a tremendous impact on our unchurched youngsters because of it. But that's only once a year. We'd like to have something similar every 3 months. I know that a lot of parents use this to *dump* their kids and that's fine. We can still plant seeds and build relationships, not to mention the following up from VBS.

BUT... I've never been involved in a Backyard Bible Club, though I've heard of them. So I'm Googling and finding lots of good info. But I'd really love to hear the ups and downs from someone who's actually been involved in the setting up and executing of one. Anyone have any information or advice? Any particular problems you ran into that we might be able to avoid? Anything that worked particulary well that you'd do again?

Heres' what we do have:
1.  A teacher

2.  A music leader

3.  A pastor

4.  A (possible) location

5.  Greeters

6.  Laborers

7.  Church backing

8.  Contacts

9.  A crafter

10. Snack Preparer

11. Assistants

12. An open calendar

13. A semi-thought that we should work around the public school breaks that come about once every nine weeks.

We're really excited about this but we want to prayerfully pace it!

"He went to the Communist prison and saw his mother behind iron bars. She was dirty, thin, with calloused hands, wearing the shabby uniform of a prisoner. He scarcely recognized her.

Her first words were, 'Mihai, believe in Jesus!'

The guards, in a savage way, pulled hew away from Mihai and took her out. Mihai wept seeing his mother dragged away.

This minute was the minute of his conversion. He knew that if Christ can be loved under such circumstances, He surely is the true Savior.

He said afterward, 'If Christianity had no other arguments in its favor than the fact that my mother believes in it, this is enough for me.' That was the day he fully accepted Christ.

from: Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand