What is Christmas?

Christmas trees, decorations, wreaths, lights, presents, last minute shopping, school programs, all the busyness of this time of year . . . is that all there is to Christmas?

Over 2,000 years ago, a baby was born in Bethlehem.  Not just any baby, as miraculous as babies are, this baby was Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.  This baby was God in human flesh, being born to pay the penalty for OUR sin.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.  (John 1:1, 14)

Christmas points us to the promise of salvation, eternal life with our Creator for all who truly believe, put their trust in Him, and repent of their sins.  Jesus Christ came, died and rose again to pay our sin penalty, a penalty we can't pay.  The bible says . . . For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)  If you haven't already accepted God's wonderful gift, we pray you will consider it as you celebrate Christmas this year.

Merry Christmas!

Hey Duck Dynasty family . . . we support you!  THANK YOU Phil Robertson for not being afraid to be biblically (not politically) correct!  Here's a copy of my email to A&E:

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We support Phil Robertson and the whole Robertson family and staff.  It may come as a surprise to you, but the majority of people believe exactly what he said about homosexual activity.  If you look at his comments again, you’ll see that he was simply stating a biblical fact, homosexuality is wrong.  He also went on to say that it is a Christian responsibility to not treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different than you are, that we should love one another.  Phil’s comments were not disrespectful, he was simply stating some facts that most of us believe are true. 

 

Hey, we enjoyed them while you allowed them to be on.  A good, down-home, Christian family show definitely goes against what you normally provide your viewers.  We had no reason to watch A&E before, and now we can go back to not watching you.  We’ll still have our Duck Dynasty DVDs, and we still have a common bond with them, it’s called the family of God.

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Good job Robertson clan, for remaining grounded in your faith in God.  We believe the bible does indeed say homosexuality is a sin.  We believe we have come to some of the end times when what’s wrong is considered right and what’s right is now considered wrong.  We have moved so far in the wrong direction, that it's hard for unbelievers to even recognize and know what sin is.  Stay strong, we love you all and support you!

 

Here's a link to the articles:

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/12/18/phil-robertson-suspended-after-comments-about-homosexuality/

http://www.onenewsnow.com/ap/religion/ae-channel-suspends-duck-dynasty-patriarch-for-gay-remarks#.UrTBj8J3vIV

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/12/23/duck-dynasty-patriarch-phil-robertson-says-will-not-give-after-homosexuality/

Snow is coming! We've already had our first official "cat-tracking" snow of the year, more snow and cold temps coming this weekend.  I secretly love the snow, absolutely love it, it's so peaceful and beautiful to watch from inside a warm house.  It's the driving in it, walking in it, working in it that gets difficult . . . not to mention the other difficulties of winter like the cold and lack of daylight hours. 

In spite of difficulties in life, we are trying to learn to be content in whatever circumstances we are in.   Philippians 4:11 says: "Not that I speak in respect for want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." 

From my daughter's homeschool curriculum is a great poem about being content:

 

I am contented knowing well

He has come in my heart to dwell.

My Lord provideth, come what may,

Whate'er I need from day to day.

Praying you enjoy your winter!

Got extra coupons?  Coupons you don't need, or coupons that expired on you?  Our military families overseas can use them!  Go to http://www.supportourtroops.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1615 for all of the information needed to easily help support military families!

Looking to help the Oklahoma tornado victims? 

Calling all HOMESCHOOLERS . . .

help provide curriculum to those who lost theirs in the recent tornadoes. 

 

The Book Samaritan (curriculum, workbooks, supplies, etc.)

http://www.thebooksamaritan.com/

 

OK Homeschool Help (curriculum, educational toys, etc.)

https://www.facebook.com/OklahomaHomeschoolTornadoVictimsHelp?fref=ts

 

Both have an address for mailing and other info on their websites.  Pray for these people who are assisting those who have lost so much.  Pray for all of those affected by the severe weather already this year.

It can happen here . . .

Living in the United States, we have the freedom to worship and the freedom to provide the education that we feel is best for our children. Every family is different, and many of us choose to homeschool and that freedom is being threatened now more than ever before.

The Romeike family came to the United States legally from Germany and were granted asylum by an immigration judge, who determined that their basic human rights were being violated in Germany. There, homeschooling is banned so the government can push their worldview on the children. Children can be taken away, fines and jail time are handed out to those who try to homeschool. This is what the Romeike family went through in Germany. They left everything they had to come here to escape persecution. They were granted asylum only to have it revoked. Now, Home School Legal Defense Assoc. (HSLDA) is appealing their case to the next level.

There is more involved here than just the safety and rights of the Romeike family, more even than the rights of homeschoolers in the United States. It is another threat on our religious freedom, many in our government do not understand that religious freedom is our individual right. It is also a threat to our rights as parents, just this week, MSNBC host and Tulane University professor, Melissa Harris-Perry was quoted as saying “we have to break through our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents or kids belong to their families and recognize that kids belong to whole communities.”

Stand with the Romeike family, their case is coming before the US Court of Appeals on April 23, please pray for them. If you are led, sign the petition to support the Romeike family asking that the government give them permanent legal status.

For more info including a video and the link to the petition:
http://www.hslda.org/legal/cases/romeike.asp

Thoughts from the gun control fight currently going on across the country . . .

To our Senators and Representatives:
Please, enforce the laws that are already on the books regarding gun control.  We have good, constitutional laws, designed to keep criminals and others that shouldn't have guns from buying them.  Enforce them and get on to more important matters.  This country doesn't have a GUN problem, it has a MORAL DECAY problem.  When you take God out of schools, brainwash our kids with immorality, and make SIN acceptable in our society, THIS IS THE RESULT . . . and it's only going to get worse. 

Worried about the world we live in?  Let Jesus take that worry from you . . .
    “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  
    So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;  and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
    Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.   But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.   Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." 
Matthew 6:25-34

Here it is, the first post!  Did you ever realize how much work a blog can be?!  And all I've done so far is transfer what I wanted to keep from my old website.  Now, the goal . . . to share what I can as we walk through our journey on earth.  Remember, we are only visitors here, our eternal destination is either one place or another.  I pray that you have made the life-changing decision to follow our Lord Jesus Christ and trust Him as your personal Savior.  If you haven't, please take the time to click on the link to the left, the one titled "How To Spend Eternal Life With God".  This is the most important thing I could put in my first post, it's the most important thing in my life.