Crucifixion was a death worthy to have been invented by devils. The pain, which it involved, was immeasurable. I will not torture you by describing it. I know dear hearts that cannot read of it without tears and without lying awake for nights afterwards.
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#7-11: If God Changed Me Into a Platypus...

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738 Posts
#1 · June 29, 2004, 10:28 am

Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

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THE HOPE CHEST HOME SCHOOL NEW

with Virginia Knowles

#7-11 on June 29, 2004

If God Changed Me Into a Platypus...

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Dear Hope Chest friends,

“If God changed me into a platypus, I would move to Australia!” Can you guess who said that? Yep, it was my little Micah, the same one who asked, “Do llamas have earwax?” Can you believe he is turning five this Friday? It seems like I was just announcing his birth to you all! Yes, the Hope Chest has been published for six and a half years now (that‘s three babies ago for me), and though it is not turning into a platypus or moving to Australia, it is time for a big change.

I have long prayed for God to change me into a calm and organized mommy. I personally don’t mind juggling a bunch of balls, fumbling a few along the way, and picking up the ones that hit the floor. However, some of those “balls” are the needs of my own family members, and somehow I don’t think my husband and nine children like being bounced around!  Occasionally I drop all of the balls at the same time, and that's not a pretty sight either.

I have sought wise counsel from my husband Thad and a few trusted friends over the last months, and have come to the conclusion that I can’t spend nearly as much time on the Hope Chest.  When I asked her for "family sanity" advice, my friend Sheree, a busy veteran home school mom and pastor‘s wife, offered this observation: “I'm sure you don't spend tons of time in any given week on The Hope Chest, but I can imagine that the mental energy and time it takes goes beyond the actual newsletter. It's coming up with ideas, responding to emails or interactions that come from it, administrating the theme, contacting folks to be involved sometimes, etc. The sheer thought and time has to be more than you probably realize.”

I have to admit that Sheree is right.  There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into each issue, even before I sit at the computer to write the words you all read.  Sheree continued with this Scriptural admonition to me: “I'm just wondering if the issues the Lord is highlighting in your life and family right now will require a 1 Timothy 4:15 approach: "Take pains with these things, be absorbed in them UNTIL your progress is evident to all." All meaning your husband and children primarily -- but also valued friends. What a testimony it would be to your family to see you set aside cherished activities to respond to God's pursuit of you -- for them to watch you "take pains" and "be absorbed" in the changes He's initiating for your family's benefit. Surely the Lord will lead you. I know how much I've benefited by this kind of pulling back. I don't regret it at all!!!”

I want you all to know that I don’t take Sheree’s advice lightly, nor is it the first time I have had a discussion along these lines.  I have been slowly cutting back on all of my computer-related time over the years, but it's still not quite enough.  Thad has been gracious enough to let me continue with the Hope Chest all this time, but I shouldn't  expect him to take up my slack.   Now is the time to make a change -- especially since we are (tentatively) moving into another house next month, I have to deal with some family medical/dental issues (including my own) AND I will be teaching a history / literature co-op in August and September. I REALLY want to use our move to make a fresh start in our schedule, homemaking routines, home schooling and family dynamics. That’s a pretty tall order. Micah came up with a new house rule of his own, “Don’t wipe your slobber on the windows!” That’s a start!

So anyway, here’s the plan. I’m not going to drop the Hope Chest entirely, because it is a good creative outlet for me and a ministry to you all. However, I am going to cut back drastically, and you all can hold me accountable to this! Until at least the end of this next school year, I am going to limit the amount of time I spend writing new material to an average of two pages per month. I had intended to send out the “Foundations for a Future Family” issue by now, but even though it is pretty much done, I’m going to sit on it  for another two weeks. That will be the last big issue that I produce for quite a while.  (I am going to send out the related resource review issue sometime today.) To keep my writing time down, I may also send out short excerpts from my books or from previous Hope Chest issues. Unfortunately, I will not be able to spend a whole lot of time responding to questions, though I still love to get feedback!  My 17 year old daughter Mary and my dear friend Debbie Klinect, who wrote the Mother Care article a few months ago, have each agreed to do at least one issue for me.  In fact, Debbie is already hard at work interviewing Kristiana Gregory, who is one of the authors of the Dear America, Royal Diaries and Prairie River historical fiction series.  Debbie  will also tell us about her own Royal Diaries unit study book which is soon to be released.  

As I think about being a good steward of my resources, I think about my friend Nancy Campbell, a godly older woman who publishes Above Rubies magazine and puts on ladies’ retreats around the USA. (Be sure to check her site at: http://www.aboverubies.org) Since Nancy operates her magazine on a donation basis, she only sends out a new issue when the financial resources are available to print and ship it. (Back to the platypus thing, Above Rubies is still sent from Australia, though Nancy, a native of New Zealand, moved to the USA many years ago.) Anyway, this “available resources” concept applies to me in a different way. It doesn’t cost me any MONEY to send the Hope Chest, but it sure does cost some TIME. So, I have decided that I will only work on it when God provides the time -- and that means when other more important priorities in my life are in order. I don’t want to be working on “borrowed” or “stolen” time that I don’t legitimately have available to set aside for it.

Speaking of Above Rubies magazine… I wrote an article on motherhood mentoring a couple of years ago, and Nancy published it in Above Rubies. I received many letters about this article, including many from abroad. (I think the magazine goes to almost every country in the world!) I have been in contact with Pastor Headson Makazinga in Malawi for over a year. Last week, I sent him a box containing 500 Chichewa language gospel tracts (he wrote it, I only typed and copied it) and some theology books donated by my church. Please pray that it arrives soon and that EVERYTHING in the box gets to him. He was hugely disappointed earlier this year when the last box I sent took six months to arrive and most of the stuff (household goods, baby items, backpacks and Christian books) had been stolen, probably by postal workers. This time I sent it airmail, so it should be there in another week or so, and it is clearly marked, “Christian books and literature” so maybe the thieves will leave it alone this time. Do please pray, though. Those who wish to drop him a note of encouragement or send him money to buy Chichewa Bibles (cashier’s check is best) can do so at this address:
Headson Makazinga
P.O. Box 187
Nsanje, Malawi, Africa

And, speaking of magazine articles, The Old Schoolhouse (TOS) magazine has rescheduled my article “Living and Learning in the Sovereign Hand of God” and my daughter Mary’s King’s College article to the Fall issue instead of the Summer issue. The Summer issue of TOS will still include a review of my book Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade.

And, speaking of my books, I haven’t yet decided what to do about the Learner’s Journal this year. I usually take orders for this in July, special order a print run based on the cover colors you all want, package and ship the books, and then use the proceeds for a mission project.  However, I will not be able to be able to devote much time to it next month in the middle of packing our home to move. I think Faithful Bookshop still has several copies left over from the summer convention season.  You can e-mail the owenr, Doreen Morgan, at info@faithfulbookshop.com for ordering information.  I will keep you posted on how to get them  after she runs out!   She also has some of the Common Sense Excellence books left, for those who would like to get this at the same time.  I will also still take orders for Common Sense Excellence and The Real Life Home School Mom, especially when the review is printed in summer issue of The Old Schoolhouse!

And speaking of articles by my daughter Mary… (Don’t you like my weird train-of-thought transitions? Or has my train-of-thought lost its caboose?)  Anyway, the Orlando Sentinel newspaper has informed her that they plan to use her article on extracurricular activities for home schooled high schoolers in an upcoming New Voices column.  I know you will enjoy hearing from Mary in upcoming Hope Chest issues, too. She is full of good ideas, and I often go to her for advice. She recently saw me fretting about how to pack a ton of stuff into my lesson plans for teaching the co-op classes about the Reformation & Renaissance. She said, “Mom, don’t worry about covering all of it. The point is to whet their appetites so they will WANT to learn more!” With that piece of sage home schooling advice, I will end this issue of the Hope Chest!

In His Sovereign Grace,

Virginia Knowles

http://www.thehopechest.net

P.S. If you don't know what a platypus is...  I'm not going to tell you!  Now that I've whet your appetite, you can satisfy your curiosity by looking it up for yourself!

P.P.S.  Just a reminder that my friend Becky Kelly is offering a special discount to home school families for her Daytona Beach condo rental.  You can contact her through her web site: http://www.kellyskondo.com/index.htm,

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The Hope Chest is a free email newsletter with encouragement and practical teaching tips. The writer is Virginia Knowles, wife of Thad, mother of nine children, and author of Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade, and The Real Life Home School Mom.

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