Legalism or....

I've been thinking about legalism again. What is it? What is it not? Why does the word get thrown around so much? It does seem to me that many Christians accuse other Christians of being "legalists" when they simply don't agree with the standard to which the latter live. 

True legalism is adding to the word of God. It is setting a standard that is extrabiblical. A couple of months ago I had a conversation on this topic with another Christian. This person was concerned that I am a legalist and that I lead others down that same path. I was taken aback by this and asked the Lord to seek my heart and reveal to me if it was truth.

After some prayer and soul searching, this is what I responded to my friend:

--I think you confuse my desire for obedience in my own life for legalism. Jesus Himself says, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” (John 14:23) And, the Great Commission even says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20) When we are touched by His grace-made new by His grace- we will desire to obey His teachings. 

Obedience without grace is legalism. Grace without obedience is antinomian. We, as Christians, walk the line between the two. We love the Lord and obey Him because of the grace He has shown us. I don’t seek to obey because I think I am earning some sort of favor with God. I don’t seek to obey because I want some set of rules that make me feel better about myself. I don’t obey because I’m trying to earn my way into His presence. I desire to be obedient because I love Him; because I am keenly aware of His grace. And, I fall short every single day which causes me to fall back on His grace and forgiveness.  I don’t see myself as having a voice of influence. But, if I do influence anyone, I would pray that it would be to obey what the Lord has for them out of an abundance of His grace. I don’t set up some extra-biblical rules and then place a yoke of following them upon others, or even upon myself.--

As I contemplate this topic once more, my prayer is that I will focus on my own obedience before the Lord and that I will be grace extending to those around me. Above all, my desire is for the Lord to continue to make His grace full in my own life and in the lives of His people.

 

Hopefully Helpful

My guess is that most of my friends are already aware of this magic trick but since I just performed it, I thought I'd share for the benefit of those who may not know. :-)

When cleaning the microwave:

Fill a bowl with water and baking soda. Throw your dishrag into the bowl. Heat in the microwave for about 2 1/2 minutes. Let sit for several minutes to let the steam do its work. Open the door and wipe out your appliance with ease! It will come clean so easily and the baking soda will take out the smell of whatever has been cooking in there.

For an added bonus: squeeze some fresh lemon (or orange) juice into your water before heating. Put the remaining pulp and rinds down the garbage disposal and grind. Your whole kitchen will smell fresh and clean! I'm sure a few drops of essential oil would do the trick as well.

Back to work....:-)

School on the road

I continue to love the flexibility of being a homeschooler. I do admit, though, that's it is becoming more difficult as the kids get older. This week, we've been staying in a small town just north of San Francisco while my husband works in the city. (We're literally about one mile from San Quentin--California's most notorious prison. I was wondering if they had any room for......just kidding....:-)

Both kids are taking classes through The Potter's School this year so as long as we have a high speed connection, we're good to go. The challenge comes with keeping up with all of our assignments when we're away not to mention lugging an entire extra suitcase just to accomodate the sheer size of all of those high school text books! 

I really need to figure out how to keep our school routine while we're on the road as we will be traveling with dad at least three more weeks in the next two months. I also need to plan what we will do in the local area during those trips. We will be competing in two tournaments while we travel at the end of March so I know what those days will hold. 

I'd love to hear any ideas for keeping school moving while on the road. It was a lot easier when they were little and the work could wait until we got back home. But, I do love being able to travel together, make memories and experience life in different geographical regions!

We're looking forward to being home tomorrow and to our next road trip!

Wordless Wednesday

Tournament recap

Well, the speech and debate tournament was very rewarding! It was long and exhausting but we enjoyed every minute. Neither of my kids "broke" (speech code for advance) but several kids in our club advanced to higher rounds.

I can't begin to tell you how impressive these students are. They worked hard! The days lasted 16 hours and they were composed, respectful and energetic. The level of competition is amazing and you forget that you are watching kids that are between the ages of 12 and 18.

We are praying for a long and successful "career" for the competitors in our family. The goal is to work with our team and to learn communication skills that will make their witness for Christ exemplary.

We are very eagerly awaiting our next tournament and congratulate all of our friends on a job will done!

Busy Week this Week!

It's here! Our first major speech and debate tournament! We're very excited. Complete exhaustion is ahead, we're sure, but a very satisfying exhaustion.

Footloose is trying to cut that humorous interpretation down to 10 minutes! She's also practicing her impromtu speeches everyday.

Turned Loose is putting the final touches onto the case he and his partner are running for Team Policy Debate. In addition, he's reviewing his apologetics cards and practicing speeches for Dad and me.

The tournament opens tomorrow afternoon. We don't have any events tomorrow but do have to attend an orientation since we are new to the league. But...Thursday and Friday will be full 14 hour days filled with speech and debate rounds, judging (for me), timing (for Footloose) and trying to grab a bite in between. Saturday remains to be seen. If the kids "break" (another word for advance) to the next rounds, then they will compete on Saturday as well. If they don't, we'll spend the day helping out in whatever way we can.

To top it off, we're trying to prepare to join Don on business trip to San Francisco.

Like I said....exhaustion! :-)

By the way, I encourage everyone with kids 12 and over who are homeschooled to check out NFCFA. It is a fantastic organization preparing kids to confidently express themselves with respect to anyone. We have been very blessed by the organization and by our local club run and coached by volunteers.

I'll try to update sometime in the next few days.

What to Blog About?

So, I'm trying to define a purpose in my head for my blog. I do enjoy blogging. I like keeping track of some of my thoughts and pictures. It can definitely be helpful to think out loud so to speak.

I know I do have some regular readers and often wonder how boring and disjointed I sound to others. 

As a result, I'm asking myself, "What should I blog about?" What can I say that is interesting and encouraging to those gracious enough to visit me? Should I have a routine? Should I mainly stick to certain subjects? Should I be more focussed? (Coming from a very ADD person, I should always be more focussed. :-))

Just thinking out loud and asking what you might want to hear (or see) from me...and with that, I'm headed to bed for the night. :-)

Field trip Friday

I love the Pacific Ocean. Really love it! For me, it represents power and serenity all at the same time. The crashing of the waves soothes my soul.

Today, we embarked on a field trip to the Palos Verdes Pennisula where the Pacific streches out for what seems like eternity. We visited a nice interpretive center and then just enjoyed the fresh breeze and gorgeous scenery.

The above photo is looking south (I think...a lot of our beaches here actually face south...) towards the lighthouse.

Looking toward the north:

The view of the ocean from the Interpretive Center:

This is a view of the homes facing the ocean. Yes, each of those is a single dwelling!



We ended the trip with a great time of fellowship over lunch. Our little group has taken so many fantastic field trips and this one was no exception. I am so thankful to have such easy access to such an incredibly beautiful part of creation!

Wordless Wednesday

Our Friend

This morning in church we sang the hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge,
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you;
you will find a solace there.

As I reflect on the words, I am reminded and encouraged that my fellowship in prayer is more than with the Holy God of the universe (as if that were not enough) but it is with my friend...Jesus. The one who pursued me. The one who purchased my fogiveness. The one who desires to meet me at any hour of any day no matter what my mood; no matter what I'm wearing; no matter if I've even brushed my teeth yet or not.

He's waiting. He's waiting to comfort me. He's waiting to counsel me. He's waiting to carry my burdens. He's waiting to listen to me. And...he's waiting for me to listen to Him.

It's only been a few days since I chose my "word of the year"--prayer. But, in those few days, I have spent a lot of time (relatively speaking) renewing my fellowship with Him. I'm learning to take anything to Him and I'm learning to anticipate His answers.

It promises to be a year full of growth as I draw close to Him in prayer. I'm so thankful He's waiting for me. He's waiting for you, too...

A California Sunset

Sunsets can be truly fantastic here in Southern California. Last Saturday was one of the most beautiful I've seen in a long time. I snapped the photo as we were driving down the freeway on the way to the zoo.

Sites like this never get old...