Starting Over....

Yes, this is my first post in two months - suffice it to say my new year's resolution did NOT include keeping last years commitment to two blogs a week. Not to say that the last month has been a pathway full of broken promises. I've actually been very blessed this first month of 2007, and although I haven't recounted the ways consistently throughout the month, the end of the month seems a good time to regroup.

January started with a fresh look at giving and sacrifice. This first month of 2007 my church (well, many of us within the church) gave a firstfruit offering of the first week of salary to God. Now, I have first fruited before, but this perhaps was the first time it was not an additional check, but part of our normal monthly budget. God has seen us through in our needs, but I'd be first to admit it has not been without issues. I don't think we can treat giving as a magic wand to prosperity - if that were the case, wouldn't there be tons of paperbacks in the bookstores purporting to "give your way to riches?" Just the fact that the bible promises to reward givers 'in due season' is a warning that the season of harvest may be far removed from the sowing. So trusting God in our finances was not an issue of how soon He returns the investment, it's how much to we trust Him in the interim. And I'm working on removing the doubt from my thought process and trusting him more.

Not only did we first fruit, but we hosted four Bible studies in our home. This was a great thing for us, not only because the kids' friends were over every weekend - they were in heaven - but because we have always wanted our home to be a sanctuary of rest, and while it is still a bit far away for us, it has become a rest for other families and friends of ours. I can truly say people enjoy spending time with us, which is gratifying. It's good to know you can open your doors and have brothers and sisters feel welcome. And of course my wife works out her cooking addiction on the weekends, much to the pleasure of our teenage / young adult visitors (Mr. Robert, that means you and your 3 heaping plates!)

Finally on the homeschool front, my kids have enjoyed a bit of a break, although I've been working them on the early American history curriculum written by my cousin (thanks, Belinda!) and reviewing more of their grammar/writing, which we fell off of a bit in the fall. My church youth board is having a field trip for students with a's and b's - now if I assign a particular grade, am I disregarding my opinion that grades are artificially measuring many areas in which kids are not ready for formal assessment? I'm not sure, but I don't want them ostracized because they aren't receiving the normal public school grades. I'll have to find a way to compromise the conditions without compromising my principles.

We'll talk more next time, 'til then remember:
Proverbs 10:22 The Blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He adds no sorrow to it.

Look unto the hills...