What Do You Think of Leftovers?

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I don't know if any of you have read the book Crazy Love, by Francis Chan....but I have to say if you haven't, you really should. I have been going through this book with my Christian Education class each week on Sunday mornings and it has really helped me take a good look at myself and my relationship with God!

 

This week we are studying the chapter entitled, "Serving Leftovers to a Holy God." Before you read another word, just say the title of the chapter again to yourself and let it roll around inside of you........Serving Leftovers to a Holy God.......

I have a phrase I use with my kids when I don't like they said, or their decision. It goes like this: "Some things just shouldn't ought to be!" I am using this phrase now in response to the title of this chapter!  We should not be serving leftovers to a Holy God.

 

"I think that most people would like to believe that God doesn't expect too much from us. I'd say that most Christians live as though God wants a minimal commitment from us but is absolutely thrilled when we surprise Him by going above and beyond. As comforting as that may be, I simply don't find any hint of this in Scripture.

What I see instead is God warning us again and again about the dangers of being lukewarm. He warns us against thinking we're committed when we're really not. He calls us to let go of everything we have and follow Him. The harshest words in the Bible are reserved for those who maintain a minimal external commitment to the Lord but don't pursue Him passionately (the best known examples of this are Jesus' harsh rebukes of the Pharisees.)"  [Crazy Love Workbook: Francis Chan, Page 56]

 

When did it become okay to try to hedge our bets.....see what we could "get away with" and still make it to heaven?  I know I've been asked questions like this: Do I have to get baptized to be saved? I don't have to forgive everyone to make it to heaven do I? I don't have to obey everything the Bible says to be a Christian do I?  Basically, when we start rolling questions like that around in our minds, we are really asking if there is a way to make it to heaven without faithfully loving Jesus.   John 14:15 says: “If you love me, keep my commands." Such a simple statement.... Jesus makes it clear in this verse that when we truly love Him, we obey what He tells us to do. Many times we find it easy to admit that we are in need of a Savior. We understand our sins and that we need to be forgiven if we want to make it to heaven.....but we find it much harder relinquishing control of our lives and entrusting it to God by making Him our Lord. That seems to be a much harder step of faith for us.....but if we are completely in love with our Savior, we have no problem making Him Lord of our lives.

 

 

 

Think about the title of the chapter.....now think about this: How many of us invite guests over to our house and make it a point to serve them leftovers? Simply put, we just don't do that!  I mean, take a look at the picture and tell me that looks appetizing. We don't serve our guests food that has been gnawed on, instead we prepare, clean, look up recipes, find out what they like and don't like, make extra shopping trips, etc. We pull out all the stops to make sure that our guests understand how happy we are to be spending time with them. So where is the disconnect when it comes to God? When it comes to spending time with our God, we sleep through our prayer time (if we have time at all), we grudgingly read His Word, and we try our hardest to find loopholes for all His commands, all while claiming to love Him. How I must have broken his heart! I have been guilty of the same things I am writing about.......but the truth is I don't want to be type of person,.....I also don't think the answer is for us to question our salvation....... You see I think we should however; all take some time to look inside ourselves and assess our motives and intentions. Are we truly giving God what he deserves all the time? 

 

It is time that we as Christians stop trying to fit in with the world because it is "more comfortable", and get back to the basics. It is time that we take a stand on the Word of God in our lives and make the cry of our hearts be "holiness!" It is time that we give God what He deserves, which is our very best at all times, and in every way!

Change the Way You Do Sundays!

 

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If you live in Indianapolis area, this is for you!

  Sundays are the best part of my week,

and can be the best part of your week as well....

 

There is a spot saved just for you!!

 

 

Apologia Educational Ministries: The Ultimate Homeschool Planner Review - TOS Crew

 

 

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Thank you for supporting my blog and homeschool! See my full Disclosure statement for more information.     

I believe that the Nemesis of every homeschool is poor planning! I have planned well....and I have slacked off.....and I know how hard it is to get back on track when you fall off. To stay on track in your educational needs, especially with more than one student, you must plan everything out.  I have just the ticket for you and your homeschool! I was able to review The Ultimate Homeschool Planner from Apologia Educational Ministries.

 

About The Ultimate Homeschool Planner:

This gorgeous planning system designed by best selling author Debra Bell is spectacular! Upon opening the planner you will find several pages that hold the next several school years as a quick reference. The last school year listed is 2022-2023. I love that this quick reference is here.....this will help you as you plan try to ahead. This planning system validated what I have found to be true, "planning won't eliminate chaos and disorder, but it can reduce it." (The Ultimate Homeschool Planner: Welcome Page)

 

 

 

Before you begin planning take some time to read the User's Guide on pages 6-17. These pages are full of helpful information and tips. As you read through this guide, take some time to follow the tips that are so nicely laid out. As you put these tips into action you will find that you aren't feeling as overwhelmed about homeschool planning as you used to. I wish I would have had this planner for my first year of homeschooling, I think things would have gone more smoothly for us!!

 

One of my favorite sections in the planner is the Student Goal Setter. I know how important it is for my students to "buy in" to what we are doing and this goal setter helps with that. It is fun to sit down and set reachable goals with your student for the school year, and then work together in order to meet it over the next 180 days.

 

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner allows you to plan out your months and then break it down further into weeks. The monthly planning pages don't allow for tons of details, but then when you get to the weekly planning pages this is when you can take some time and fill in the details. There is plenty of room to write.....which I am very glad about. I hate trying to fit lots of information into tiny little boxes!!  RIGHT!?

 

The beginning of each week has some extra pages that you won't find in just any old planner. The Ultimate Homeschool Planner allows you to have a Bible Plan, Battle Plan, Prayer section, Hospitality/Outreach goals, Memorable Moments for the week, and Evidences of God's grace. This puts your whole homeschool in the proper mindset, with God first and foremost!!

 

At the back of the planner is a section to record grades, plot reading lists, plan out high school years, record field trips and activities, and then you will want to make sure you read through all the teaching tips from pages 266-271. These helpful tips and tricks will surely make your life easier!!

How I Used This Product:

I spent some time planning some stuff! I had another planner I was already using for school, but it was nothing in comparison to The Ultimate Homeschool Planner. When I sat down to utilize this fabulous planner I was pleasantly surprised by the layout. The way that this product is put together helps you organize things in your planner .......and your mind better! You will see a difference in the way you tackle a school week, because you have taken the time to utilize this amazing planner by Apologia Educational Ministries! Planning out the school year with this product is an absolute pleasure! 

My Bottom Line:

I believe that this planner is a help for your homeschool. I have enjoyed utilizing it in mine! I love that there are verses and quotes that are sprinkled throughout this well thought out planner that provide encouragement and direction. If you haven't already done so, get one of these for yourself, and find out just how helpful this planner can be in your homeschool!


Social Media:
If you are like most people these days, you like to stay connected via social media too. Here are some links to check out.

Facebook:
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Care For Some Lukewarm Coffee?

 

 

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Thank you for supporting my blog and homeschool! See my full Disclosure statement for more information.      I don't know about you, but I like my "hot' things....hot, and my "cold" things....cold!  According to the Word of God, He does too! That particular subject was the topic of conversation in my Christian Education class Sunday morning.  The following verses make God's stance on the situation clear. Revelation 3:15-16 "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Think about it.....how does something get to be lukewarm? Today while I was at work I poured a cup of coffee and instead of sitting it on my little cup warmer, I sat it on my desk. I was busy working on something on my computer and apparently it took longer than I thought because when I picked it up to take a drink it was......well......YUCK! I hate lukewarm coffee! I had to spit it out of my mouth! Has that ever happened to you? Of course it has!! It has happened to all of us with one thing or another.  You see.....my coffee spent too much time away from it's source of heat........

With that thought in mind we need to take some time to examine ourselves. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5  "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves." It isn't always easy to take some time and examine our relationship with God. Sometimes when we take some time to do that......we may find out some things about ourselves that we tried hard to bury. "Lukewarmness is not the inevitable result of being imperfect. We are all imperfect. Lukewarmness is the inevitable result of lack of love for God. The solution is not to push yourself into behaving perfectly; the solution is to cultivate your love for God." (Crazy Love, Frances Chan)  It is important for us to make sure that we remain connected to our Source, the One True God! If we do that, we will be connected to our heat source!

As you examine yourself, take some time to look up the following verses:
Isaiah 29:13
I Chronicles 21:24
Luke 21:1-4
Revelation 3:1
Matthew 23:5-7
Romans 6:1-2
James 1:22
James 4:17
Matthew 10:32-33
Luke 18:11-12
Matthew 22:37-38
Matthew 5:43-47
Colossians 3:2

You can bet that the next cup of coffee that I pour is going right on my cup warmer! I won't make that mistake again! There is nothing like taking a big swallow of lukewarm coffee, once that happens you try to make sure it doesn't happen again......right?! How much more important is it that we keep our relationship with God HOT?!

What's Love Got To Do With It?

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Mark 12:30 says "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Jesus said that this is the most important commandment in the Bible.......and yet.....do we?  More importantly.....do I?  That is the question that I find myself asking as I read this verse over and over again....Do I love you Lord with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind and with all my strength?  I find this question reverberating in my spirit as I go about my day....I find this question lingering on my mind as I drift off to sleep....or as I sit quietly in the presence of the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth. Do I actually love God with all my heart and soul and mind and strength???

 

Do you?

 

What would it look like if we did?

 

How would our world be different if every word we spoke and every thing we did declared our love for God?

 

We have an amazing opportunity to love God so much that it overflows into every aspect of our lives....impacting everyone around us!!!! It is so important to keep our focus on eternity as we make decisions, remembering that we are to love God with all our being first and foremost. That is when God can do his best work!

 

So, I find myself determined to keep God first and love him with ALL that is within me!!

My challenge to you is that you would do the same. Imagine the difference that we can make for the kingdom of God if we take this verse to heart and really focus on making it a part of our everyday life!

Love has got everything to do with it!!