Quote from Forum Archives on December 6, 2003, 2:47 pm

Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

 

 

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THE HOPE CHEST

with Virginia Knowles

Tidbit #20 on December 6, 2003

Christmas J.O.Y.

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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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[Virginia’s Note: Several of you lovely Hope Chest readers have written sweet notes or asked questions recently, and I haven’t replied to you yet. Please be patient with me! I have a full inbox and I’m a little short of time right now. I read and enjoy everything when it comes in, but it make take me a little while to respond!]

Dear Hope Chest readers,

Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking at a Christmas brunch for the mom’s support group at Northland, the mega church we attended until about 5 years ago. (I was a member of this mom’s group for several years when my children were much younger. We are still members of Northland’s home school support group, as well as the home school ministry at our own church, Metro Life.)

Especially sweet to me is that I had wanted to speak to this mom’s group for the past few years, but didn’t feel that God wanted me to call someone and offer. It was an answer to prayer when “out of the blue” they asked me! The Lord brought it about in his own good time. I had a lovely morning, and couldn‘t quite contain my enthusiasm! (One mom said my face was glowing. I can believe it, because I felt it!)

I prepared a booklet to go along with my talk. It had carols (which we interspersed with my speech), the text of the poems that we (Joanna, Lydia and I) read, web sites, and other encouragements. (You are welcome to reprint the poems for non-commercial use, as long as you include my name and contact information, and tell me where they are being used.) The Christmas J.O.Y. booklet was hole punched and bound with red ribbon.

I had ordered a box of Gospels of John to give out too, but they didn’t arrive in time.   They got here today --- all 200 of them!  If you live locally and would like to pick some up, e-mail me!  I will also send a few out with any book orders that come in.

Here is what I shared with the ladies.

~*~*~

CHRISTMAS J.O.Y.

My theme for this morning is Christmas J.O.Y. Have you ever heard of the saying that goes with JOY? If you want true JOY you must put JESUS first, OTHERS next, and YOURSELF last.

How different that is from the way the world works! They forget Jesus entirely, put themselves first, and expect others to serve them, but you know that a woman all wrapped up in herself makes a pretty small package!

The Lord must turn our thinking right side out -- JESUS first, OTHERS next, and YOURSELF last. Matthew 6:33 reminds us that when we seek him and his kingdom first, all our needs will be abundantly supplied to us. That’s always the way to true JOY, especially at Christmas time!

I recently read about a mom who gives each of her children three gifts for Christmas. The first one is a JESUS gift, which is a Christian book or CD to encourage them in the faith. The second is an OTHERS gift, such as a board game they can play with others, or perhaps some stationary for writing to somebody. The third is a YOURSELF gift, which is something they really want. This morning, I want to share with you a JESUS gift, an OTHERS gift and a YOURSELF gift.

JESUS

That was GREAT singing! Let’s start with J for JESUS. Who is he? Why did he come? As you will hear in this poem, Jesus is a Paradox, a seeming contradiction in terms.

 

The Paradox

by Virginia Knowles

 

Come, see where He lays,

Good Shepherd and Little Lamb

King of Kings and Servant of All

Prophet and Prophecy Fulfilled

Physician and Wounded One

High Priest and Atoning Sacrifice

Counselor and Rejected One

Builder and Foundation Stone

Righteous Judge and Condemned Prisoner

Ancient of Days and Newly-born Babe

God and Man

 

Jesus is the Awesome God, the Ancient of Days, the Creator of this beautiful earth we live in. This is especially amazing since he knew full well that we humans, from the very first generation, would continually reject him and plunge his good gifts into the chaos and darkness of our sin.

We deserved every ounce of his wrath, yet even then, from the very beginning, even before Eden, our ransom from death and hell was already planned. All throughout the Old Testament, the prophets foretold the Messiah who would come to save us from our sins.

It would start with an tiny, innocent baby, born of a virgin, laid in a humble manger under a bright Bethlehem star. From the very gates of Gloryland, Jesus would descend into our dark world to bring unspeakable light and unquenchable life. He would be “Immanuel” -- God with us.

Do you know this Jesus? Do you really know him? Have you, through repentance and faith, claimed the full pardon that flows from his sacrifice on the cross? The Lord wants to lavish on us the very Best Gift of all -- eternal life with JESUS.

After we receive this ultimate gift, the first right response is to fall down in worship -- because he is not only the “Reason for the Season”, he is our light and life every day of the year!

 

OTHERS

 

Now let’s think about O for OTHERS. You know, when Christ saved us, he could have just spared us a lot of trouble and heartache by zapping us right into Heaven.

You know, “Beam me up, Jesus, there’s no intelligent life on this planet!” But he leaves us here for a reason: to share the Good News about him so that OTHERS can believe too.

At his birth, the Good News was heralded by angels. Now it is heralded by us.

 

Shepherd’s Tale

by Virginia Knowles from Luke 2:8-20

 

A prayer I make to stay awake,

To watch the sheep safe in my keep,

When I should see, in front of me,

An angel bright in darkest night.

“Be not afraid!” the angel bade.

“Good news of joy! A baby boy

Is born today, on bed of hay.

The Savior mild, the Lord’s a child!”

Now in the sky the angels fly,

And gladly sing of newborn King.

“Give God high praise, hosannas raise,

And peace on earth through Jesus’ birth!”

All shepherds know that they should go,

To follow them to Bethlehem.

Where baby rests is not the best,

A scratchy stall holds Lord of All.

But God above sends Gift of Love.

Forgiving sin, he lives within.

Now spread the word, till all have heard

Amazing story, to God be glory!

 

It IS an amazing story, one that must be told far and wide! Since Jesus has commissioned us to “spread the word till all have heard” the O in JOY could also be for OUTREACH. Are we seeking to share the Gospel in bold and creative ways?

As a home schooling mother of nine children, I struggle with how to be able to share the Gospel when I have so little time to spend outside of my own home.

A year or so ago, I discovered that I could order free Gospels of John from the Pocket Testament League (www.readcarryshare.org). Since then, I’ve been able to give out several dozen of them to store clerks and other people I meet along the way, and only one person has refused to take one. Even my children give them out to their friends and to the neighbors. Who knows how these little seeds will bloom and multiply into eternity!

The other way I use these little Gospels is to have a Bible study with my three middle children, who are six, nine and eleven years old. We are going through several verses each day so that they can be extra familiar with the Gospel.

As a Christian mother, I want my own children to learn about Jesus so that they can receive him into their hearts AND so they can share him with others. It has been my joy to see them grow in this through the years, and to catch the vision and fulfill the Great Commission for themselves.

Last Christmas when I was pregnant, my oldest daughter Mary, who is 16, gave me the gift of prenatal care -- for a woman in Africa! She ordered this gift in my honor through the Harvest of Hope outreach ministry. Call 1-888-887-2786 or visit www.harvestofhope.org to see a catalog of gifts in different price ranges.

This next summer, she hopes to go on a Northland missions GO team to Spain and M0r0cc0 to distribute Christian literature and the Jesus film to Muslims. What an opportunity to bring light to a dark world! (Note to Hope Chest readers: pardon the use of zeros in the name of that second country -- due to the sensitive nature of the trip, I don’t want this e-mail to get picked up by a web search on that name.)

Many churches participate in outreach projects where you can buy a gift for a needy child. Angel Tree distributes gifts to the children of prisoners. (Visit www.angeltree.org.)

Our family has often packed shoeboxes of gifts to be distributed in poor countries by Operation Christmas Child. (Call 1-800-353-5949 or visit www.samaritan.org.)

Last year, as we went through a financial crunch, a kind anonymous family left a whole bag of presents on our doorstep on Christmas eve. What a blessing this was to us, not so much for the THINGS we received, but for the knowledge that our Gracious God was watching over us and providing abundantly for our needs.

Another way to reach out this month is to host a Christmas Gathering for your neighbors to mingle with your Christian friends (www.christianwomentoday.com/training/gatherings.html). Or you could have a Christmas Craft Day for children.

I encourage you to brainstorm with your husband and children on how you can reach out to others this month. Let’s make sure that this Christmas we are giving others the Best Gift of all -- the knowledge of our Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

 

YOURSELF

Did you ever think we would get to YOURSELF? Well, here we are! I know that many of you moms have come in feeling tired or stressed out. Am I right? Christmastime celebrations are supposed to bring us joy, not frazzled nerves!

But real life happens in December, too. Last year at Christmastime, I had several major stress factors in my life. I was seven months pregnant with our ninth baby, my husband had just quit his job and didn’t have anything lined up, we had switched churches after our pastors resigned, and my dear mother-in-law was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, which she died from just two months ago.

Yet God has been so faithful to meet our family’s needs this past year, and I have truly learned the sweetness of his sovereignty, not just in my head, but in my heart and my daily life. So, in honor of his graciousness in our lives, here is a Psalm to Sweet Jesus.

 

Psalm to Sweet Jesus

by Virginia Knowles

 

Sweet Jesus, you bring to me all that is good:

Comfort and hope when I am discouraged,

Peace and reconciliation when I am in conflict,

Strength and enthusiasm when I am weary,

Wisdom and guidance when I am confused,

Courage and confidence when I am afraid,

Forgiveness and mercy when I have done wrong.

You bore the fatal punishment that I deserved,

Yet rose up again in power,

Promising that if I would turn from my awful sin,

And believe in your awesome grace,

I could become your own precious child,

And enter into your everlasting Gloryland.

Such a rich salvation that I could never earn!

As a simple gift of gratitude,

With help from your Word and your Spirit,

I will trust and obey your loving commands,

I will worship you with my prayers and songs,

I will serve others joyfully,

I will share your Good News,

So that each one who hears and believes

May receive the matchless treasure found only in you.

 

As I think about how Jesus has worked in my life for the past 27 years, I find great comfort that he is the Good Shepherd who cares for his sheep. Isaiah 40:11 promises that “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”

Do you hear that last part? He will gently lead us mommies who have young children, and yes, he will continue to lead us as they turn into teenagers and young adults, as my older ones are doing!

Sometimes it seems that we are more driven by our own agendas than gently led by the Lord. How can we ever get a quiet moment to reflect on our spiritual lives so that we don’t dry up?

I don’t know about you, but I have a laundry pile that we call Mount NEVERrest, a child chauffeuring schedule that makes my head spin, and a pudgy forty year old body that needs daily exercise. My life is full of little things that can easily crowd out the nurturing of my own heart. Yet even as I am folding underwear, driving around town, or taking my early morning walk, I can listen to a good sermon or music tape, or spend a few minutes in prayer or reflection, or fellowship with family and friends.

I’ve noticed in the past couple of weeks, as I’ve rushed about here and there preparing for the holidays, that I’ve let that quietness elude me.

I am convicted by Titus 2, verses 3-5, which counsel us as women to be busy at home, loving our own husbands and children, being self-controlled and pure. I know I need time to just sit peacefully with my children, teaching them to seek the things of God rather than act out on their own impulses and desires.

Whatever your life is like, God can meet you right where you are, and minister to your soul in a special way that only he can do. I encourage you to carve out the time during this busy Christmas season to allow him to change you more and more into his image. He is willing and able to do just that!

I hope that you have enjoyed this little romp through Christmas JOY. Remember, JESUS first! Nothing else will work if this is out of order! Then OTHERS need our tender loving care and a special touch from our Savior. And you, YOURSELF need his transforming power in your life every single day. May God bless you all with this true JOY!

 

~*~*~

EXTRA ENCOURAGEMENTS FROM THE CHRISTMAS J.O.Y. BOOKLET 

“The Paradox” Bible Study

These Scriptures about Jesus correspond line by line to the facets expressed in “The Paradox” poem.

• Lying in a manger: Luke 2:12

• Shepherd:John 10: 11 / Lamb: John 1:29
• King: Revelation 19:16 / Servant: Mark 10:43-45, Philippians 2:7
• Prophet: Luke 7:16 / Prophecy: Matthew 1:22, Luke 4:16-21, Isaiah 61:1-3
• Physician: Matthew 15:30 / Wounded: Isaiah 53:4-6
• Priest: Hebrews 7:23-28 / Sacrifice: Hebrews 9:11-14, 10:19-22
• Counselor: Isaiah 9:6 / Rejected: Isaiah 53:3, John 10:22-33
• Builder: Hebrews 3:3, Matthew 16:18 /
• Foundation: 1 Peter 2:4-9
• Judge: John 8:1-11, Acts 10:42-43 & 17:30-31 / Prisoner: Mark 14:60-65
• Ancient: Daniel 7:13-14 / Newborn: Luke 2:8-20
• God: John 1:1-5, Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:19-20 / Man: 1 Timothy 2:5, Romans 1:1-4

~*~*~

MINISTRY TO YOURSELF

The very best thing that you can do for yourself this Christmas is to make sure that you have a vibrant personal relationship with Jesus as Savior and Lord.

• Have you trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation?
• Are confession & repentance a part of your life?
• Have you yielded all of your heart to the Lord?
• Do you know that the Sovereign God is in control of your circumstances?
• Are you growing through Bible study, prayer, worship and fellowship?
• Do you serve others with your talents and resources?
• Are you raising your children as disciples in “the nurture and the admonition of the Lord”?
• Do you seek to live in peace and good will with others?
• Do you sense the power of the Holy Spirit in you?
• Are you resting your mothering heart in Jesus, the Good Shepherd?

   

~*~*~

After I shared about Christmas J.O.Y., I couldn’t resist telling them what had happened to me the day before.

On Thursday, I needed to take Julia (14) to basketball -- she plays on The Community School home school team. Andrew (6) had asked to go for a walk, so I offered to take him to Lake Lily, which has a walking trail and a playground. Joanna (almost 11), Micah (4) and Naomi (2) went with us.

As I drove down there, I thought that maybe we should go to Maitland Park, which is closer, larger and has more “stuff” to do. But then I felt impressed by God that I needed to be at Lake Lily that day for some reason.

At the playground pushing the children on the swings, I ended up standing next to a sweet lady who turned out to be a pastor’s wife. She is trying to decide whether to home school her young children, and wanted to be included on the newsletter list. By “coincidence” she had also known my husband several years ago, when he did some civil engineering work with her father. (Welcome the the Hope Chest, Rachel!) I thought, “OK, that’s the connection I was supposed to make here at Lake Lily!”

Next we walked around the lake. We stopped several times along the way to watch the ducks, distinguish among the different species (not by name, just by color, size and markings), count them by groups and add up the total. Some men were installing a train ride for the Festival of Lights, so we watched them maneuver their crane between the trees and set it up. (Of course we had to think of all the words that rhyme with crane and train!) The children were eager to find leaves, feathers, seed pods, and even an empty snail shell on the ground. All in all, it was turning out to be quite a nice little field trip -- a relief to me since we hadn’t done much “school” yet that day! A few times we paused to chat briefly with a young lady who was babysitting a small boy. As we crossed the boardwalk, several turtles swam up to see if we would throw them food. (Smart dudes!) By the time I had counted 11 of them, I sent Joanna back to tell the young lady and the boy about them.

We struck up quite a conversation! She is a college student who stopped attending church when she decided that there are many paths to God. Her boyfriend is from India, so she is also attracted to Hinduism. She still considers herself Christian, but doesn’t believe that the Bible is the only source of truth. In other words, she doesn’t think that Jesus is the only Way to eternal life, but that he showed us how to live. And of course, she doesn’t agree with the Apostle Paul’s views on the role of women! Praying that God would give me the words, I shared some of my testimony of being saved and growing in the Christian life. I also explained how I have never regretted my conscious choice to embrace the Biblical role of women. As I asked her some questions about her knowledge of the Bible, I quickly realized that she was familiar with several isolated verses, but hadn’t been exposed to the “whole counsel of Scripture.” We talked for about 30 minutes, each listening and responding with interest to the other. She told me she was impressed by how passionate I was in sharing my faith story and gave me her e-mail address. This experience left me so pumped that I went home and cleaned the kitchen, including the refrigerator! There is nothing quite so exciting as the privilege to share the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ. THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE! IT’S WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT!

As I reflected later, I also mused that this was a good “class” in world culture, religion and apologetics (the reasoned “defense” of the Christian faith) for my daughter Joanna, who was listening to us. Our children will learn to share the gospel by watching us do it! Can you think of any more noble goal for home schooling?

~*~*~

As usual, my weekly Tidbit has mushroomed into a full course meal. I hope you don’t mind! Now go share the Good News!

In His Sovereign Grace,

Virginia Knowles

www.thehopechest.net