Is This Real Life?

This year's home school journey has been very interesting. The Lord has shown me more clearly than ever, that our home is a mission field, and "full time" ministry. The more we keep that in perspective, the more we are able to stay focused.

On what though? Academics? Extra curricular activities? Socialization? Molding and shaping our children into model citizens?  
The answer is not on what should be our focus, but on Who should we be focused on. Of course the answer is JESUS. For His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.

There are serveral times within almost each school year where some unexpected circumstance would arise, and it would throw off our whole week, or month or even our year as a whole. I'm not complaining, but simply sharing the reality of what home school can feel  like at times. This morning the Lord gave me an analogy about change, stretching, and discipline, and he did it through the unlikely sport of softball. When I played back in Jr. High, some of the girls would get yelled at for standing with their hand on their hip and chewing on their glove. You were supposed to be in position with your legs apart, paying attention with your game face on. It's what you do when you are serious about winning a game.

Here we are in a spiritual battle for our families. God told me that I need to be prepared for those unexpected fly balls, or curve balls that happen in life. We need to be watchful. Not caught off guard. Keep your your eye on the Lord!

If I look at things that distract me, such as how another home school family operates as opposed to mine, then I'm taking my focus off of the Lord. If I'm distracted by whether my kids are going to graduate and go to college, when they are still in kindergarten, then I have taken my attention off of the sole purpose of what this ministry is about. If I worry about tomorrow, about my finances, or health problems, then I have not put my trust and faith, and cast all my cares upon Him. If I am divided against my husband or my kids, then my home will not stand. 

If we cut out prayer time, or stop eating at the table together as a family and instead sit infront of the TV,  then we will not be blessed with that special one on one time with each other. Meaningful spiritual conversations will be lost and replaced with arguing, belittling, and gossip. If we are not falling on our knees, and crying out to God for the most important things in life, then we'll loose the focus on Christ. If we deny Him the fellowship He longs to have with us by simply talking to Him and reading His love letters to us. We'll find ourselves dehydrated and sitting on the bench. We need the living water, we need our cups to runneth over onto our children, our spouse and others around us. Our kids must see that this isn't the Game Of Life or Monopoly. This is a war, and the victory is in Jesus. We are all here for a purpose. We are fighting for the souls of our loved ones. We are a witness to the fact that God is real and works in the lives of those who call themselves Christians. Not just "Christians" in general sense of the word (there's a difference between Christianity and Churchianity), but Christians who have a daily personal walk with Jesus. We cannot give what we don't have. The Lord will use His Word to disciple us. We can be a disciple if you, we discipline ourselves.

Two things God told me that my children need from me is a routine, and discipline. The very two things that my flesh despises. It is not my nature to be like this, but it WORKS! Discipline (with self control) or distractions (with chaos) which one sounds better? God is so good because he wants whats best for us. He wants us to stay focused because not only is he preparing us for how to get through the curve balls and the stretching in life, but for the future. We want to pass down the baton of faith to our children. But we must lay aside every weight and sin that so EASILY ensnares us. I don't care if any of my children are the successful CEO of some company, I don't care if they are college bound, I don't care if they play for the best orchestra in the country!
I care that they follow the LORD. If that means they push a broom or row a boat, then Glory to God! I'm not minimising what Gods purpose is for them, or the places where He wants them to serve in the future, if He delays His coming. What I want for them more than anything is to have a passion for Jesus, and for lost souls. I'm not disregarding good things, I'm gaurding myself against putting my trust in things, positions, labels, etc., rather than the Lord Himself. 

Why do I do what I do? I have to draw sharp contrasts so that reality will hit my heart. I have to ask myself, even if I gave my children everything they ever wanted or needed physically, would that be the best for them? Jesus said that even us, being wicked know how to give good gifts to our children. I want to teach my children to ask GOD for the most important gifts. The HOLY SPIRIT  is one, the gift to know how to LOVE AGAPE. The gift to have HOPE, and FAITH in the Lord, and in what He has called us to do as a Christian, and how He has called us to conduct ourselves here as we travel this foreign land. Just teach by example, with prayer, faith, Love, and most important... how to have a relationship with JESUS, and what that means.
If I'm not doing that, then I'm doing all this in vain. 
I should get out of the war, because that's what were in... and be happy just being a bench warmer. I know those two analogy's don't match, but this is serious!


Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares [us], and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of [our] faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected [us], and we paid [them] respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
For they indeed for a few days chastened [us] as seemed [best] to them, but He for [our] profit, that [we] may be partakers of His holiness.
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
Pursue peace with all [people], and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
lest there [be] any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest,
and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard [it] begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.
(For they could not endure what was commanded: "And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow."
And so terrifying was the sight [that] Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.")
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,
to the general assembly and church of the firstborn [who are] registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,
to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than [that of] Abel.
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more [shall we not escape] if we turn away from Him who [speaks] from heaven,
whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven."
Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
For our God [is] a consuming fire.