#8-3: Called to Love
Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>
THE HOPE CHEST HOME SCHOOL NEWS
with Virginia Knowles
#8-2 on February 6, 2005
Called to Love
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The Hope Chest is a free e-mail 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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Hello Hope Chest friends!
Its February, and in honor of Valentines Day, this issue is devoted to the theme of LOVE whether it is love of a parent for a child, love of a man and a woman, or love for a hurting world. I think you'll enjoy it!
Here at the Knowles home, we've just finished up the major parts of renovating our house. (This has been a labor of love from my husband to the rest of us. Thanks, honey!) The new bedroom passed official inspection this week! Yeah! We just have little things left like installing closet doors and painting baseboards. Oh, and replacing wall board that was damaged when our dishwasher leaked and seeped into one of the other bedrooms! Yes, there have been some complications along the way!
Since we now have less storage space, Ive made a concentrated effort at clearing out even MORE old stuff, such as my extensive collection of old home school magazines, and the boxes and boxes of my childrens old school notebooks and workbooks. Ive had fun browsing through these picking out what to keep and what to throw away. It has also been challenging as I have seen how much I did with my older children that I need to start doing again with the younger ones. As I flipped through dozens of Teaching Home magazines, I reflected on how it so powerfully shaped my home school experience in the early years. Im so grateful for this! We need this encouragement and equipping from others. Thats my goal in writing the Hope Chest!
In this issue, you will find:
- Called to Love by Virginia Knowles
- Our Big Red Valentine Heart by Virginia Knowles
- Worth Waiting For: Our Courtship Story by Jesse Paine and Crystal Smisor (July 2001)
- While You Have the Time, Take the Time by Mrs. Crystal Paine
- Merchant Maiden: Booklet by Crystal Paine and Esther Clark, Review by Virginia Knowles
- To Live is Christ: Dr. Jack Arnold by Patte Smith
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Called to Love
by Virginia Knowles
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[Virginias note: As usual, I have had several ideas of what to write this month; sometimes, I have to wait a while until it gels in my mind what needs to be said. I noticed recently that its been a while since I wrote anything substantial about the academic side of home schooling but despite that lack, Im still not going to write about it this issue! Maybe next month?]
Back in the early 1980s, while I was still in college, I thought I knew what the call of God on my life was all about. I was committed to pursuing long-term foreign missionary service and nothing was going to deter me. That is, until God said (at a missions conference nonetheless!) No, you are going to stay in the United States. That baffled me and seemed a trifle insulting, too. But my real call soon became clear. I was called to love in a different context. I was called to be a wife to Thad, and, as I was to find out throughout the years, a mother to soon-to-be ten children. (My favorite quote from Thad: If you arent called to be a missionary, then maybe Im not called to be a celibate.) It is ironic that the ministry I now have outside of the USA is an overflow of that call to marriage and motherhood. The Hope Chest Home School News is sent to nearly 1300 families in at least a dozen countries in six continents. Also, our on-going contact with a native village pastor in Malawi began as a result of an article on I wrote about motherhood mentoring for Above Rubies magazine (http://www.aboverubies.org). Now my own two oldest daughters are planning to go on mission trips with our church this summer. (More on this in a later as details firm up!) But I digress. Back to the call to love our children!
I find that this call to love is not easy. Motherly affection is easy whether it is with words or hugs and kisses. I do love a good cuddle with my kids and Im so happy that my little guys still like to sit on my lap. But LOVE is not easy. Love is seeking the very best for another person, no matter how they respond. It takes sacrificial effort, consideration and patience. What is love for me as a home school mom?
§ Love is taking the time to seek out the best educational materials for my children, even when they arent cheap or convenient or what an older sibling used last year.
§ Love is patiently walking a child through a troubled spot whether it is long division or little brothers -- when Id rather shrug and give up.
§ Love is adapting the home school program to a childs needs and abilities without coddling or caving into laziness (theirs or mine).
§ Love is also challenging my children to raise the bar and not settle for second best in what they do whether in their spiritual life, or academics, or homemaking, or relationships.
§ Love is taking the time to listen to our childrens hearts, to draw them out about what they are thinking, and to not take it too personally when they dont agree with us!
§ Love is caring to confront when a child displays unhealthy attitudes or unacceptable actions, saying, I care enough about you to stop you from growing up with this habit.
§ Love is actively noticing the good things my children do so that I can offer words of affirmation and encouragement instead of taking them for granted.
§ Love is having the discernment to know when to say yes and when to say no to the myriad requests that our children make of us even when all their friends parents are saying the OTHER thing.
§ Love is getting past the notion that excellence is academic only or that making a difference in the world is about doing something grand and glorious and showing through our own example that making an excellent difference starts with being faithful in the small behind-the-scenes things in the context of home and family.
§ Love is having the courage to be countercultural at times to go against the flow of what seems normal (even in the Christian community), but isnt Gods way for us.
§ Most of all, love is pointing them toward the true source of LOVE itself to not only introduce them to the Savior, but to purposefully disciple them into the ways of God as a LIFESTYLE and LIFE not just a Sunday morning thing.
I write this as a fellow pilgrim along the way. Im not there yet! I get irritable. Lax and wimpy. I often lose my vision, but just thinking about these things helps me to get back on track again.
Heres what really caught my attention a week ago. The wedding of Jesse and Rebekah, a young couple in our church, showed forth the fruit of their parents excellent efforts in home schooling and discipleship. This ceremony wasnt just about the romantic passion that Jesse and Rebekah have for each other, although that was obvious! It was about love in context their gracious words were saturated with their love for the Lord, their parents, their siblings, the church, the Scriptures, and the Gospel. Speaking of his intentions to raise their future children in a Christ-centered home, Jesse declared, I vow to live for those who come along behind me. Is that what we are doing?
A week or so before the wedding, I commented to Jesse that he and Rebekah were serving our entire church well with their sweet example of courtship. I can only say this more emphatically after their wedding service. It was a call for me, after nearly twenty years of marriage and motherhood, a renewal of the call to love. May we raise our children so fervently in the Lord that they follow their own calls to love with such passion.
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Our Big Red Valentine Heart
by Virginia Knowles
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Every February we hang our Big Red Valentine Heart, which I made several years ago out of a large piece of felt edged with white lace. It is about 26 by 23, with ten 4 ½ by 4 felt pockets. (Yes, weve run out of pockets, so Thad and I share one! I dont know what Ill do when the baby is born!) For labels, I used the computer to make name cards which stick up out of the pockets. The children have a lot of fun making valentines and putting in small gifts like bite sized candies. I usually put in candy or small presents, too. This is one way to add a little extra affection to our family life! (Not that we need the sweets, though, since Rachel, Naomi and Ben all have birthdays the week before Valentines Day!)
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The next two articles are by a young home schooled woman named Crystal who married a young home schooled man named Jesse. Ive never met Crystal, but I have corresponded with her by e-mail, and her sweetness and wisdom are evident. I think youll be blessed.
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Worth Waiting For: Our Courtship Story
By Jesse Paine and Crystal Smisor (July 2001)
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Crystal:
One of the hardest things for me to do is wait. Yet, all throughout Scripture we are commanded to wait, to be still. So many times the temptation is there for me to try to run ahead of God and do things in my way and my time frame instead of waiting for Him to work out His will in His way and His time.
The most difficult area for me to wait upon God has been regarding a life partner. Some years ago, I committed myself to wait to pursue a relationship with a young man until I was ready for marriage and my parents had given their full blessing and approval. Making this commitment was a simple matter, but the keeping of it has been another thing.
The Paine family began attending our church around ten years ago. We got to know Jesses dad and step-mother and realized that our families had a very kindred spirit in the things of the Lord. I found myself being strangely drawn to their oldest son, Jesse. Jesse displayed great strength and maturity at such a young age, which was partly because of having the trials at an early age that accompany living in a divided home. When he was 11, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor that required emergency surgery for its removal. One month later, his mother passed away after a long battle with cancer. I was impressed as I observed how courageously he endured these trials. Instead of being crushed under by the magnitude of them, he seemed to grow stronger.
Around this time, I started waking up to the fact that I was attracted to Jesse. This attraction turned out to be much more than a passing phase in my life. It became a constant battle especially since I saw Jesse every week at church. I would surrender him and all my hopes, expectations, and dreams surrounding him to God. I would think I was "over it," and then a few months later, I would be back in "square one" again trying to fight it. God showed me that this was something I could not conquer in my own strength. I had to cry out to Him for His grace and mercy to overcome the strong temptation to be emotionally attached. I clung to the precious promises in Gods Word such as, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
When I was 17, the Lord revealed to me that I had been making marriage my ultimate goal in life. If this were the case, I realized that once I was married, I would have accomplished my lifes mission and would have nothing else to live for. I started viewing singleness as a gift and focusing on the freedoms and blessings singleness provides and began striving to redeem the years I had left before marriage (my parents and I believed marriage was Gods will for me-somewhere down the road).
In spite of being content in singleness, I still found my heart being pulled towards Jesse. As time passed, this became stronger and stronger until I realized I could not deal with it on my own and, as a result, came and confessed my feelings for Jesse to my father and asked him for his help. He encouraged me to look to the Lord and focus on the Lord. That was the first in a succession of talks with my parents about Jesse. I am so grateful for their counsel and prayers for me regarding this and for their willingness to keep me accountable.
Although I had unbarred my feelings to my parents, that didnt cause the feelings to go away. In fact, they seemed to intensify. The Lord used this time to force me to cry out to Him for strength to withstand temptation and keep myself emotionally and mentally pure. Though I greatly desired to pursue a relationship with Jesse, I wanted even more earnestly to be completely in Gods will and Gods time frame. I knew it was out of my control. All I could do was to offer up my desires to God and wait upon Him to accomplish His will for my life. My heart sought to follow Psalm 37:4, "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
Near the end of March 2001, the Lord performed a miraculous work in my heart and brought me to the place where I completely surrendered everything regarding Jesse into His control. I realized how wrong I had been. Jesse had taken number one priority in my life-even over my relationship with the Lord. I had been setting my heart and affections upon him, rather than the Lord. I confessed this to the Lord and sought His forgiveness. Even though everything wasnt perfect after that and there was still the temptation off and on to set my focus on Jesse, I was at peace and completely resigned to the will of my Heavenly Father. I wanted to wait upon Him regarding a life partner, instead of running ahead of Him. Along with the psalmist I could declare, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:25-26).
Little did I know, but while God was doing this work in my own heart, He had been impressing upon my parents hearts that Jesse was the one for me. They did not tell anyone, but quietly brought it before the Lord.
Jesse:
As Crystal has already mentioned, God has taken me through a number of trials over the past ten years. If I were to narrow down all of the lessons that He has taught me during this time, it would come down to the necessity to live by faith, knowing that He will provide for all my needs. Nowhere was this more applicableand more difficultthan in my waiting for who God would have for me to marry.
During this time of waiting, God was teaching me the importance of leaving everything in His hands. Scripture plainly teaches that God is sovereign in all things, and if it was His will, He would, in His timing, reveal His will to me and my parents about who I was to marry. God gave me a number of verses that I clung to as my own as I waited for Him.
"Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass" (Psalm 37:4-5).
"Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from Him cometh my salvation. He only is my Rock and my Salvation; he is my defense, I shall not be greatly moved My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah" (Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8).
Waiting on the Lord concerning a life partner is not the easiest thing in the world. It was especially difficult for me, because the young lady I was confident was Gods chosen one for me attended the same church as my family. However, God gave me grace to trust His timing and His work. He kept bringing me to the point where I had to place Crystal on His altar and give her to Him. Notice I said, "kept bringing? This was because I kept taking her off, wishing to rush Gods timing, which I thought to be too slow. However, Gods timing has proven to be perfect, as always.
After a home school conference that we attended in the beginning of June, I committed Crystal to God (once again) and desired that He would be the Author of our story, no matter how many times I would be tempted to pick up the pen and write a chapter myself. He again brought me to the point of crying "not my will, but Thine be done."
My parents and I had been seriously praying about Crystal since the winter of 2000. At the beginning of June, my dad went to Crystals father and expressed to him my desire to pursue a relationship with Crystal. Our parents earnestly prayed about it and, on June 14, 2001, they met and discussed the possibility of our courtship. They were absolutely at peace that this was Gods will for us and they gave their complete blessing and approval. It truly was by the miraculous working of God to bring us to this new point in our lives courtship. This is a significant step, because under our definition of courtship, we are both committed to marriage, and not to a "lets try it and see if this works" mentality. I think that the bliss of courtship is multiplied because of the times of waiting God has taken us through. It is very true that nothing is worth having that is not worth waiting for.
Crystal:
One of the greatest things to see in all this is how God worked in both of our hearts simultaneously, without either of us knowing the feelings of the other. When my parents came home on that never-to-be-forgotten evening of June 14 and called me into the kitchen telling me they needed to talk to me, I wondered what it could be about. I knew that something was up. My parents had not let on very much, but I had known that something was being discussed between them and the Paines. I had tried very hard not to have any hopes or expectations and keep my mind focused on Christ. They told me to sit down at the table and then looked very seriously at me and stated, "Crystal, Jesse wants to court you." I sat there in stunned silence. They began to recount to me how he had been praying about me for so long and had committed his heart to me for so many years. It took me a while to recover. I had no idea. All these years I had struggled and struggled with an attraction to Jesse, without any clue he had been praying he could marry me! I felt so unworthy, so unprepared, and so immature to be facing such a huge thing at nineteen as marriage. When I expressed these feelings to my parents, they shared with me how everyone had complete peace that this was Gods will and Gods time. They had no doubts and were ready to give their total blessing upon our courtship. I was encouraged to remember that God doesnt call those who are qualified; He qualifies those whom He calls. The Lord filled my heart with His peace. That night, I committed my heart to Jesse: no reserves, no retreats, no regrets. It is amazing to see how God can work when we commit everything into His hands and His keeping. This is so much more wonderful than anything I could have ever dreamed, imagined, or asked for. As Ephesians 3:20-21 says: "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."
Jesse:
It is our prayer that through our testimony God would challenge each of you-no matter what stage in life you are in-to make the Lord your Rest and your Stay. As He has proven so many times in our lives, He is faithful and will supply all of your needs "according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). All that we need to do is just wait and watch the glorious hand of God as He unfolds the wonderful plans He has for our lives. Though it isnt always the easiest thing, let us entrust our future into His keeping. His plans are far above anything you could ever dream or imagineand they definitely are worth waiting for.
Jesse and Crystal Paine have been happily married since January 2003. They are eagerly expecting their first child in a few months. Crystal and Jesse operate http://www.CovenantWeddingSource.com out of their home--an online business dedicated to promoting God-honoring weddings and assisting parents to wisely prepare their children for marriage. Crystal is the author of The Merchant Maiden: Earning an Income Without Compromising Convictions. You can contact them at: [email protected]
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While You Have the Time, Take the Time
by Mrs. Crystal Paine
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Here in Kansas, where we live, the leaves are turning beautiful shades and falling off the trees. Just last week, I was babysitting some little boys and we were playing outside. The area around their home was carpeted in leaves ready for our enjoyment! We raked the leaves into huge piles, jumped in them, buried people underneath them, and threw leaves at each other. We had a blast! There was almost constant giggling, and no one was ready to go in when it was lunch time. (Except for the babysitter who had had enough leaves in her hair for one day!). Though such a simple thing, our time playing in the leaves brought such wholesome enjoyment. It also served to remind me of days gone by when I was a little girl. Every fall, my parents took us outside and played in the leaves with us. What happy memories!
While being chased by little boys with handfuls of leaves, I couldnt help but wonder how many other children were missing out on such pleasure. In this post-modern age of video games, daycare, fast food, TV dinners, and entertainment overload, have our children been deprived of some of those marvelous old-fashioned joys of life?
Almost two years ago, I donned a white dress and walked down a church aisle to pledge my love to the man of my dreams. In doing so, I exchanged one life for another. I am still my parents daughter, but now I am also Jesses wife. My childhood is over. I cannot relive those days, nor can my parents. There are no more bike rides to the ice cream store, no more wrestling matches with dad (okay, we only did that when we were little. When we got older, Dad started getting hurt, so the wrestling had to stop!), no more playing in the leaves, no more building snowmen or snow forts, no more piggyback rides, no more walks to the park.
Yes, my childhood is over, but I am so thankful I can look back on it with such happy memories. My parents took so much time for me and spent so much time with me. Instead of sitting me in front of the TV, we made forts in the basement or played with finger paint. Instead of sending me off to daycare, Mom read to us, sang with us, taught us finger plays, and took us to museums. Instead of fast food for dinner, we had home-cooked meals with homemade bread we'd helped knead or green beans we had picked from our garden. Looking back over my childhood, I wont tell you my parents were perfect, but I do know they always had time for us. They realized that more important than our involvement in sports, or their volunteering in the community, was that they took the time to teach, train, and enjoy their children.
Last week, a 19-year-old friend of mine died suddenly in a tragic car accident. Neither she nor her parents knew that Wednesday was her last day on this earth. Although we are grateful Rebekah is now in the presence of the Lord, we grieve that we no longer have an opportunity to spend time with her on this earth, and we are all reminded that our life is just a vapor. While you still have it, take the time to invest in the lives of your children and those around you. Cherish each moment. You may not have many left.
You may be thinking, But I just dont have the time. Make the time. Evaluate your life: What activities are you currently involved in that are not going to matter ten years from now? How about 100 years? Simplify your life. Get rid of clutter and make room for joy. Someday when your children are grown and gone, they are probably not really going to remember the presents you bought for them or the opportunities you allowed them, but they will remember the time you spent with them.
There are a lot of good things in life for one to devote time to but only a few of those things are the best things. My parents chose the best, and I will always be indebted to them.
Dont let another priceless moment slip through your hands because you are too busy. While you have the time, take the time.
Crystal Paine is a 23-year-old homeschool graduate and the owner of Covenant Wedding Source, LLC (an online retail bridal business). She writes articles on a variety of topics and recently authored her first booklet, The Merchant Maiden: Earning an Income Without Compromising Convictions. She lives with her husband in Topeka, KS. For more information on her business and booklet, visit her website:http://www.covenantweddingsource.com.
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Merchant Maiden
Booklet by Mrs. Crystal Paine with Esther Clark
Review by Virginia Knowles
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This is a gem of a little book -- Merchant Maiden: Earning an Income Without Compromising Convictions. Crystal wants to equip young ladies with entrepreneurial ideas so they can earn money through home-based businesses. This is especially important for those who desire to be keepers at home instead of seeking traditional employment. (Speaking from experience, when I was a young woman in the workforce, I endured a whole lot of inappropriate comments and actions from male coworkers. Ick! I was much happier working from home as a computer programmer and then an author )
After a short introduction to the concept of being a keeper at home and her own story of starting Covenant Wedding Source, Crystal offers dozens of business ideas, such as tutoring home school students, decorating cakes, editing manuscripts, sewing, animal breeding, selling crafts, and much more. She includes many short testimonials from young ladies sharing their experiences, and gives advice on what to do. She also includes a short chapter on how to start a business.
One of the sections in the final chapter is called Keep a Ministry Mindset. It has many applications for us as home school moms, too! Heres an excerpt:
Once your business is up and running, it is easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day tasks and lose focus. In any business undertaking, our goal as Christians should be to minister to fellow Christians and be a light to the unsaved. Never forget that. Your number one priority is to acknowledge the Lord in all your ways. Use every opportunity you have through your business to share Christ with othres. And always strive for excellent customer service. You are a reflection of Christin in your work. Seek to be a worthy ambassador for His name.
And remember .
Like all things in life, you will face hard times. Starting and cultivating an idea into a successful business is not a bed of roses. There will be times when you want to quit, and youll wonder why you ever considered starting a business, but, as in life, you cannot give in when the going gets tough. This is the time when you want to review your game plan, and renew the vision of why you started the business in the first place. Go over your goals. Above all, pray! It is only by Gods grace that we are able to do anything. He is more than faithful to give us what we need. Its amazing watching Him work, even during the difficult times. He will use it all for our good and His glory.
Merchant Maiden is 32 pages long and costs $3.50. You can order it from http://www.covenantweddingsource.com. You can also e-mail Crystal at [email protected]. Please mention that you heard about her in the Hope Chest!
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To Live is Christ: Dr. Jack Arnold
by Patte Smith
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January 9, 2005
I will never forget today.
Jack Arnold was full of the Spirit on the Lord's Day. The missionary and beloved former pastor of our church took the pulpit this morning. His message was entitled "The Cost of Discipleship." Preaching from Luke 14:25-27; "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." Jack encouraged the church to listen carefully to Christ's words and to obey Him, charging: "Carry your cross into the public streets!" He spoke of the necessity of living a life of whole-hearted devotion and complete surrender to Jesus. Jack quoted Dietrich Bonhoeffer who said: "When Christ calls a man He bids him come and die" and John Wesley "I'm immortal until God calls me home." Jack enthusiastically declared:
"To live is Christ and to die is .... terrible? awful? tragedy? NO! To live is Christ and to die is GAIN! I am ready to go and be with the Lord, I don't know about any of you." He laughed and said: "Remember the words of Jim Elliot who said: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Jack was full of unspeakable joy.
During this anointed and prophetic sermon the Lord crooked His finger and Jack Arnold fell over dead.
Through the power of an endless life (Hebrews 7:16), Jack Arnold lives on in the presence of the One He loved.
I couldn't help but think, if the Lord were to crook His finger and call any of us home, how sweet and perfect to find us, like Jack, telling of Jesus. If our faith is based and grounded in the eternal priesthood and indomitable power of the resurrection of Christ, we too, will be fearless in the face of life and death.
"Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more." Romans 7:8,9
May Jack Arnold's prophetic words lead us boldly into the New Year, carrying our cross into the public streets!
From the Heart,
Patte Smith
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The following is a paragraph from the web site of Equipping Pastors International, the missionary organization founded by Dr. Arnold http://www.equippingpastors.com/
As Dr. Arnold neared the end of the sermon on the "Cost of Discipleship," he spoke of his favorite verse - "For me to live is Christ, to die is gain." He quoted from Wesley saying, "Until my work on this earth is done, I am immortal." He continued, "But when my work for Christ is done..." and slapping his hands together skyward, "I am outa here! I don't know about you, but when my work on earth is done, I go to be with Jesus. And that will be gain! And when I go to heaven..." At this point, Jack paused, looked up, swayed slightly and his spirit departed.
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[Virginias note: Can you imagine a more dramatic moment? But it wasnt just Dr. Arnolds death that was dramatic his life was a living legacy! As founder of Equipping Pastors International (http://www.equippingpastors.com/) Dr. Arnold spent the last several years traveling all over the world to train pastors in countries like Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil and Jordan. That is certainly a call to love if there ever was one! As a side note, I attended Covenant Presbyterian, then known as Immanuel (and later as Howell Branch Fellowship), in the early 1980s when my college roommate was the organist there. At the time, I was attending a house church on Sunday mornings. One Sunday morning in July 2004, just before I was planning to leave for church, another member called and said that the house church had disbanded while I had been out of town. I had the choice of attending Immanuel or trying out Northland Community Church, a small independent congregation meeting in an elementary school cafeteria. (It is now a megachurch.) Northlands service hadnt started yet, so I went there and thats how I met Thad a few weeks later!]
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Thats it for this issue! I hope that you have been inspired and equipped as home school moms. Feel free to forward this issue to your friends!
In His Sovereign Grace,
Virginia Knowles
-- To subscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected] To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected] Visit my web site at www://thehopechest.net