Our God is the living God, enduring forever.
His kingdom shall never be destroyed.
His dominion shall endure to the end.
He delivers and rescues.
He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth.
– based on Daniel 6:26-27
A Mother’s Day Prayer
May our mouths be full of kindness.
May the teaching of kindness be on our lips.
May we look well to the needs of our households.
May our children and our husband rise up and call us blessed.
May our hearts and minds be full of the peace, love, hope, and joy of Jesus Christ the Son of God who came into the world to save sinners like me!
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.” Proverbs 31:26-31
MHEA Virtual Spring Conference – April 24-29
It’s not too late to sign up for the MHEA Virtual Spring Conference!
The conference begins tomorrow, April 24 and lasts through April 29. Registration is only $10.
The keynote speakers are Rachael Carmen with Apologia Educational Ministries and Steve Lambert whose wife wrote the Five in a Row curriculum. My family has personally benefited from both of these families’ efforts.
I’ll be sharing a talk titled “More than a Homeschool Mom” on Thursday, April 29th at 3pm. This talk is near and dear to my heart. Where do you find your identity? At the foot of the cross? Or in your efforts as a homeschooling mom?
Register now at http://www.mhea.net
The talks will be available online through June 30th.
Here’s the schedule of events.
A Visual Representation of Redemption, Propitiation, Justification and Imputation.
Quite a few years ago, I spent two years studying the book of Romans precept upon precept. It was amazingly fruit bearing.
During that study, I created a visual representation to help me remember four key Biblical terms: Redemption, Propitiation, Justification and Imputation. These terms are words used often in scripture, but not used often in our everyday lives.
I pray it would be a blessing to you.
You are welcome to download them by right clicking on the image below. You’re also welcome to share, but please link back.
A prayer for my grandbaby
I pray that you know how deep and wide and long and high is the love of Jesus.
I pray that you know the greatness of our God – from His mighty power and perfect holiness to His personal closeness and faithful love.
I pray that you know that God has a unique purpose for your life.
No matter what happens, no matter how hard life gets, I pray that you will always remember that God is always, always good. May your faith in Him grow as you grow. May you trust Him with every part of your life every day of your life.
I pray that you cast all your cares on Him – from the biggest to the smallest – knowing that He cares for you.
I pray that you will give thanks in all circumstances – not because the circumstances are good, but because God is good. God has created you at just the right time, in just the right place, and with just the right parents, but sometimes your parents are going to blow it. They’re going to mess things up like their parents before them and their parents before them and their parents before them. I pray that you will know that you have a Heavenly Father who is perfect in all of His ways and who is always there for you and always there for them, too.
I pray that your parents will be quick to see and confess their faults, and be quick to turn to God in their sins and shortcomings. May your parents have humble hearts toward one another, toward you, and toward God.
Baby, I pray that you will be quick to forgive those who hurt you, even your mom and dad. You can only do this, Baby, when you realize how much God loves you and how much He loves to forgive you. God loved you before you were born, before you’d taken a breath, before you’d had a chance to do even one good thing. In fact, God loved you even before He created you, before He knit you together in your mother’s womb.
You are not an accident. You are a unique, purposeful creation of the Most High God of the Universe.
God will give you unique skills and interests, and I pray that you will use those skills and interests for His glory. Wherever you live and whatever you do, may you live for the glory of God – giving thanks to Him for everything that you receive because our Father is a good Father who gives us these gifts to enjoy, for our pleasure and for His fame and glory.
I pray that you will know Jesus.
I pray that you will know all about Jesus, about His birth, His life, His goodness, His teachings, His death, and His resurrection. But I also pray that you will know Jesus – like a friend who is always there for you, who sticks closer than a brother, who walks with you on the lonely roads and busy streets of life, who talks with you in quiet closets and noisy rooms, who is your best and closest counselor, speaking words of life and wisdom every day.
May you hear His still, small voice above all the others. May you hear clearly the voice of your Lord and King saying, “This is the way: Walk in it.”
And may you obey Him. May you follow Him as a faithful sheep, discerning His voice among all the cacophony of thousands of voices screaming out at you in this world. Jesus is the way, the only way. Jesus is the truth, the source of truth. Jesus is the life. He is the giver of life, Baby. Turn to Him and follow Him, and it will go well with you even when life isn’t really going so well.
I pray that your life will be filled with Joy and Peace and Hope and Purpose. But I also pray that you will know that these are only truly found at the feet of Jesus.
I pray that your heart would be kept free from idols. I pray that you would diligently keep your life free from the love of money, of fame, of power and selfish ambition, of worldly pursuits and people pleasing, of thinking too highly of yourself and not highly enough of others.
Look to Jesus. Jesus is our perfect example. He has gone before us and shown us the way. Jesus left heaven, HEAVEN, to be born as a helpless little baby – like you. Jesus gave up His glory and His throne, to live among common men and women like your mom and dad, and your grandma and grandpa.
Jesus loved people. Always. Jesus told the truth. Always. Jesus told the truth with love. Always.
I pray this for you. May you love truth and love people. May you love God’s Word, our fountain of truth and our fountain of love, and our source of wisdom for life.
Jesus was humble. Jesus, the great and glorious King of kings and Lord of lords, listened to the very people He had made. Jesus, the sinless Savior and sacrificial Lamb of God, went willingly to the cross to die a sinner’s death in place of sinful man. Jesus willingly gave up His own life that we could have life eternal and life to the full.
Baby, I pray that you would have that kind of spirit, a humble, gentle, willing, selfless spirit.
Jesus was bold. Jesus spoke boldly and loved boldly. Jesus didn’t follow the crowd. Jesus led the crowd, or Jesus left the crowd. Beware of the self-righteous. Beware of the wolves in sheep’s clothing. Jesus spoke earnestly with the Samaritan woman at the well, an outcast, a sinner. Jesus touched the hearts, minds, and lives of broken people like you and me.
I pray that you would be a bold, sacrificial leader for God’s kingdom, following Jesus rather than the crowds.
I pray that you will have the strength and fortitude of Daniel and his three friends, standing strong for what is right despite the risk.
I pray that you would have the wisdom of Esther, discerning right from wrong and using your life to serve others rather than your self.
I pray that you would have the righteousness of Job, holding fast to your integrity and your Savior, no matter the tests and trials that come your way.
I pray that you would have the tender heart of David, repenting time and time again of your own sins even at great personal expense.
I pray that you would have the integrity of Joseph, trusting in God’s good, loving will and choosing what you know is right, even when all of life’s circumstances are pointing you the other way.
May you know that no matter how often you mess up, no matter how often you go astray like a foolish little sheep, that you have a praying grandma who loves you, who’s in your corner, who’s cheering for you.
By the grace and love and power and strength that is ours in the Mighty Name of Jesus I pray.
Amen.
What will we do with our Freedom?
“Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies.” Psalm 119:157 ESV
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:10-16 ESV
Please watch the full movie or order a copy of the DVD.
Please pick up a copy of the riveting true book, The Insanity of God, by Nik Ripken
Please commit to pray daily for our brothers and sisters who are living under daily persecution, as well as those brothers and sisters who remain silent despite their freedom. God help us all.
Father, strengthen us. Grow our faith. Help us to be confirmed to the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to love others, to seek out the lost, to share the good news of the gospel for those who are perishing.
Let us not be ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Lord, you have not given us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Let us be willing to share in suffering for the gospel by the power You give us, for You saved us and called us to a HOLY calling, not because of our works but because of Your own purpose and grace, which You gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began! Thank You for giving us Your grace. Thank You for giving us purpose! Thank You for your LOVE!
In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
The Great Revealer
Have you ever seen my favorite TV couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines, in their most excellent show, “Fixer Upper?”
This amazingly talented couple help their clients select a home in need of help. Then, the Gaines complete an incredible rehab on these “needy” houses. The show culminates on the last day with a big “reveal” to their clients of their new, improved house.
The highlight of the show is the moment this giant, billboard-sized poster of the “before” image of the house is opened up to reveal the “new and improved” exterior of the home as the client stands in awe and tears of amazement.
As I was working on my previous blog post “Hidden in Plain Sight,” I was prompted to do a little word study into this word, “REVEAL.”
I confess, I am a bit of a “word junkie.” I love to study where words came from, their roots. So when I see a word with a prefix like “re-,” I sometimes get this sneaky desire to see where that word came from, especially when the word isn’t obvious. What is a “veal” anyway? Surely not a baby calf!
It turns out that “-veal” actually comes from VEIL. Like a bride removing her veil, revealing her face to her excited groom, to reveal comes from the French and Latin for unveil, to remove the VEIL.
How cool is that?
Thank You, Lord, for opening my eyes, for removing the veil that prevented me from seeing you. Lord, help me to be waiting and watching for the day Jesus is REVEALED, the day when I will see Him face to face.
Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 2 Corinthians 3:12-16 ESV
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV
Hidden in Plain Sight
Re-posted from 5 years ago-
You know those “Hidden Pictures” puzzles that Highlight magazine is famous for? Those pictures where common objects are “hidden” in plain sight, but you can’t see them and you have to search the picture for them.
Well, I’ve noticed that life can be a lot like that. I’ve noticed that my life is filled with these seemingly obvious sins that I am absolutely oblivious to. Sins that I am totally unaware of, but to someone standing next to me, they appear glaringly obvious.
The other day (5 years ago now!) I was recording a couple little videos of my oldest daughter singing in church. (Yes, I know. Videotaping during church. I know. Sorry. That’s not the point here. I don’t need anyone to point that one out now. Hang with me here.) Anyway when I played the videos back, in 3 of the 4 recordings can you guess what really stands out? Me. My voice. And it’s not pretty, friends. Not pretty.
And there it was. There are dozens of things that I am doing every single day that I am unable to see. Why? Because they have not yet been revealed to me. That ugly tone of voice. That bitterness. That pride.
Friends, do you know how much I have GROWN in the last 26 years I have been a follower of Jesus Christ? How MUCH I have changed? How MANY blind spots have been revealed to me in the past two decades?
And yet, I suddenly realized how many blind spots are still there. And, once again, God humbled me. And once again, I heard my Savior’s loving voice, gently urging me, “Kim, you have so far yet to go.”
And I was encouraged to give more grace, to have more patience and to be that much quicker to forgive a wrong, because the Lord daily has grace for me and patience with me. He has forgiven me soo much.
Thank you, Father, for not revealing the depth of my wickedness all at once, but rather moment by moment opening my eyes to the next thing, day by day conforming me more and more to the image of Your Son.
How is God opening your eyes to those unseen sins today? Pray for Him to show them to you.
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24 ESV)
This post is still true today. God is still faithfully, gently opening my eyes!
A simple, but powerful, way to read through the Bible – John 6
I share with you one simple way that I’ve found to really personalize and apply the scripture that I’m reading that day.
Read through the Bible, one book at a time, one chapter (or a portion of a chapter) each day. Each day, choose one specific verse that really speaks to you that day and use that verse to write out a prayer.
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me not because you saw the signs, but because you ate your fill of loaves.”
John 6:26
Father, I want to follow You because it is true, because I believe, because You are REAL. You are the true and living God, not a figment of my imagination, not my fairy godmother, not a genie in a bottle. I don’t want to pray to you like I’m wishing on a star or on my birthday candles. You are not the God of “cross my fingers” and hope You will give me whatever I ask for.
I see you and I follow you because you are REAL and Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. You have opened my eyes and I can never go back. I pray that you will use my life, my words and my testimony to spread the good new of the gospel and bring many to know the truth of Jesus.
In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
A simple, but powerful, way to read through the Bible – John 1
Let me share with you one simple way that I’ve found to really personalize and apply the scripture that I’m reading that day.
Read through the Bible, one book at a time, one chapter (or a portion of a chapter) each day. Each day, choose one specific verse that really speaks to you that day and use that verse to write out a prayer.
Today I read through John 1 and chose John 1:34 for my verse of the day.
“And I have seen and borne witness
John 1:34
that this is the Son of God.”
I wrote this prayer based on that chapter and verse.
Father, thank You for making Yourself visible so that we can be Your witnesses. Thank you for the witnesses who came before me, for John the Baptist who told his disciple Andrew who told his brother Peter, and for Philip who told his friend Nathanael. Thank you for those who have told me their stories, testifying to the realness of God! I pray that You would make me Your faithful witness. Give me the wisdom and the words to testify to the TRUTH of what I have seen and heard. I pray that my children and my husband and those that I’m discipling would be Your faithful witnesses, too, not giving way to fear, not being ashamed of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the world. Amen.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about how this worked for you. How do you study the Bible every day?
Teach What is Good 
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