One of my most favourite things....

I just found out that a friend of mine in the online world is expecting a baby.  She's going to be 44 in a few days. Some would think she must be crazy to be delighted at the privilege of bringing a baby into this world when she's so OLD.  


She's not so old.


I was 44 when I carried Christopher under my heart for a very short time.  


Short, because he was born six weeks early.


But, just long enough, because he lived.


And I loved.


And I continue to love this wonderful, beautiful boy.  


There's nothing like bearing a child in your older years.  


Because of Christopher, I'm not only a Granny.  I am still a mommy.  I still get hugs every single day.  I still get "I LOVE you's", and smiles, and grins.  I get to teach him things and warn him about dangers and praise him when he does well and challenge him to do better.


I get to read his journals and laugh at his comments and marvel at his wit.


Oh, Jill, you don't know how good it will be.  Blessings on you, dear sister.  You are truly blessed among women.

How to Raise Good Kids

I found this gem of a book, written by Barbara Cook in 1978, in my library. I dusted it off, and had a look. There is much wisdom therein, and here's a sample:

What Are Your Goals in Parenting?

What God Wants for my Child (positive goals in character building)	Therefore, I Will Not Allow: (negative opposites)
1. Obedience Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.	Disobedience
2. Respect for Authority Ephesians 6:2 “Honor your father and mother”	Rebellious attitude, smart mouth, backtalk, scornful look, rudeness
3. Self-control Proverbs 14:29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. Proverbs 16:32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 25:28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.	Unrestrained anger, temper tantrums, prolonged self-pity spells
4. Patience 1 Thessalonians 5:14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.	Impatience and sharpness
5. Diligence (enthusiasm, motivation, & the ability to work) Proverbs 15:19 The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway. Romans 12:11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.	Laziness or nonchalant disinterest
6. Kindness Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.	Rudeness & selfishness
7. Courage & Confidence Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 2 Timothy 1:7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.	Fear & timidity

8. Happiness & Joy (love for life) 1 Peter 3:10 For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; Philippians 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or questioning. Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.	Depression & Complaining
9. Love for Others Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour. James 4:11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. Titus 3:1-2 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarrelling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.	Criticism
10. Ability to Get Along with People Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Proverbs 17:14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out. James 4:1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.	Quarrelling
11. Honesty Romans 12:17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honourable in the sight of all. Ephesians 4: 25, 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another. Ephesians 4:28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labour, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.	Lying, cheating & stealing
12. Wisdom & Knowledge Proverbs 2:4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. 9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; Proverbs 8:33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.	Ignorance & Lack of Education
13. Purity 2 Timothy 2:22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.	Perverted thinking or wrong information about physical intimacy
14. Friendliness Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. 2 Timothy 1:7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.	Shyness
15. Dependability, Loyalty (Responsibility & Faithfulness) Proverbs 11:13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered. Proverbs 25:19 Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.	Irresponsibility

Balanced Growth: Spiritual, Physical, Mental, & Social Development

Luke 2:40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favour of God was upon him.

Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and man.

The final touch: Being Filled with the Holy Spirit

Luke 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Luke 4:1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness

Luke 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.

I printed off this chart to use for memory work this year in our homeschool. Character training is something we continually work on, as we point our children to Christ. We don't want to teach our children not to lie, per se, but to teach them that there is a Truth-teller that is watching, and that they will some day give an account for their honesty (or lack thereof) to Him. Character building has to come from within, from fruit that grows from roots that are sunk deep into the Source of Life. All other character training is "fruit-stapling", and will not last.

The Holocaust

In our studies of History, we don't gloss over the nasty parts. As a family, we read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and that includes some terrible stories of treachery, war, betrayal and torture. The worst (and best, for it purchased our Redemption) is the story of the Passion of Christ.

We've studied Christian history, and that includes the early Christians who were burned at stakes, torn apart by lions, crucified upside down, and so on.

All through the ages people have done unspeakable things to other human beings.

Why study that?

Well, first of all, it's reality. Secondly, it shows the pervasiveness of the sin nature. It demonstrates that power corrupts, and that this world is a world that needs to be rescued. It shows us that there is nothing new under the sun. When we read of wars and rumours of wars, of corruption and genocide even in this modern era, we are forced to see that nothing much has changed in the heart of man.

My children have watched plenty of war movies with their dad. They've read about Hitler and the Holocaust. It's somewhat simple to remove themselves from those who imprisoned and tortured millions of people, because we aren't like that.

Or are we?

The question has been raised by a book and movie, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. We watched it recently, and concluded that it is a valuable movie. A quick search online brought up a Study Guide which we plan to use with our children.

I don't want to spoil the movie for those of you who haven't watched it. Let me say that it doesn't gloss over the nasty parts. What it does do very well is demonstrate clearly that life went on for ordinary Germans while ordinary Jews were being herded into cattle cars, imprisoned in camps, forced to labour for the Third Reich, then ultimately sent to their death in a gas chamber.

Ordinary Germans did not know. They didn't really want to know.

In my opinion, it is imperative that we know what is going on in the world today. Let's not gloss over the fact that although the number of abortions in North America fell in 2008, it rose in Spain, in the UK, in...(the list goes on...). Let's not forget that just a few years ago there was genocide in Rwanda and more recently in Sudan Christians were being targeted. In India and China people are persecuted for their beliefs.

What are we to do? Let's not bury our head in the sand and refuse to think about these tragedies. Instead, we need to remember that no matter how the nations rage, God is still in control. We have hope that He will "shake the nations" and restore this earth to its former glory. Eventually, we will have peace.


Psalm 2:1
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?


Psalm 46:6
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.

Haggai 2:5 My Spirit remains in your midst.Fear not. 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”

Entrepreneurship - OCHEC - Part 1

The second workshop we attended at OCHEC was led by two men, both homeschooling fathers, both with home-based businesses.  

Jake Zwart spoke first, and he told about growing up on a farm, helping his dad rebuild a barn.  The lessons learned working alongside his dad were invaluable.

Jake defined an entrepreneur as someone with a driving interest in starting a new venture - he'll find a way to do it.  An entrepreneur would not be a good manager of a large business.  He's a self-starter, and would do better running a small business, or his own family-based business.

Biblical Background

God gave Adam dominion over the earth - plants and animals.  In Deuteronomy it was clear that marriages were important - a newly married man was exempt from service in the army for an entire year after the wedding, in order for him to get to know his wife.  Jesus chose a small group of men to disciple, and worked alongside them, demonstrating how to minister by doing ministry.

The most important lesson a child can learn from his parents in a home-based business is character.  Other skills such as answering the phone professionally, learning about cash flow, marketing, writing proposals, figuring costs, evaluating (are we too busy?  too slow?), managing others, doing accounting are learned while working alongside mom and dad.

Jake shared how the Lord led him from working in a large corporation to running his own Engineering business in the Vibration Field.  His children naturally began helping, by answering the phone, loading the van, and so on.

A supportive wife and family is essential for a man to leave a secure job and begin working in his own business.  

• Know how to serve
• Don't be addicted to debt
• Choose a product/skill/expertise to sell
• Find a market to sell to
• Keep a good contact manager
• Write proposals 
• Write a business plan
• Make sure the work is done on time, and done well.
• Keep track of finances
• Know the tax laws
• Keep careful records
• Know how to income-split

Jake explained that a subordinate completes a task.  If he is a good subordinate, he asks for the next task.  A better worker looks around and suggests a task.  But an entrepreneur will see it, do it, and inform you when it's done.  That's the kind of character we want to develop in our children!

Challenge:  Jake said that in order to have continuous learning in your field, you need to bite off a little bit more than you can chew.  Stretch yourself.  Go to conferences in your field.  Take seminars.  Study!  Have lots of children, so they can pitch in and help.

Would he do it again?  Absolutely!