Broken

Today has been one of those days.  Things kept breaking.  First, Lily broke a DVD trying to get it out of the case.  Then, the cat broke Rory's snow globe by knocking it off of the piano.  Both of these things upset Rory quite a bit.  With the DVD, I was able to tell him we could probably get another one sometime.  The snow globe, not so much.  It was from Niagara Falls, and he was right, we are probably not going back there soon.   It was hard to see his sad little face and not be able to make it better.  I was able to break the rest of the glass off so that it is now a little boat statue, but the magic is gone.  This afternoon, we made salt water taffy.  The instructions say to cut it in pieces, and wrap each piece separately.  When we got through, I understood why.  I cut it up, not paying a whole lot of attention to where the pieces landed as I cut.  When I started wrapping, I realized that some of the pieces had decided to stick themselves back together.  Some of them, I even had to cut apart again.

Looking at Rory's face this morning got me to thinking.  Have you ever been broken?  I mean spiritually.  In your soul.  Whenever I've felt this, it has been the result of something I have done.  God periodically shows me things in my life and my character that need to be broken out.  Sometimes I didn't even know that what I was doing was wrong when I did it.  Sometimes it's something that I do over and over and never notice.  Sometimes I know right away that I've sinned, and can't take it back.  At these times, I feel like Rory's face looked.  Broken-hearted.  Something precious is gone.  It can never be the same again.  In Psalm 34:18 King David writes:   "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."  A broken heart is necessary at times.  It will happen to all of us at some time.  Probably more than once.  The important thing is what we do about it.  Taffy has to be broken to be edible.  First it has to be pulled and pulled to the breaking point over and over.  Then, when it is finally put in a long rope, it has to be cut apart.  No one can eat taffy as it is when it comes out of the pot.  It is a sticky mess.  Even after it has been pulled, there is no way to manage the huge chewy lump.  Then, after it is cut, it has to be wrapped, or it goes right back to the chewy lump stage.  When we are broken, it is because God is trying to make something better of us.  We cannot go back to what we were before.  We also can't stay as something that was once beautiful and is now junk.  The problem is, that is easier said than done.  The key is for our broken heart to result in a contrite spirit.  Then, we can be saved.  We can be wrapped in Jesus, so that we do not go back to our old ways and repeat our mistakes and sins again and again.  We can let Jesus break out the rest of the junk and re-purpose us into something that is less magical, but still beautiful, and more real.  We can become a new person, and start again.  "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 7:17).

Vacation and School Daze

Hi, I'm back! We were on vacation last week, visiting family in Pennsylvania. We had a great time, and even got to go to Niagara Falls for a day! This is a picture of us AFTER riding on the "Maid of the Mist." Yes, this is my hair on waterfall. Pretty, isn't it? Notice that we are also drenched. In fact, Lily screamed during the entire ride, and I was so busy trying to hold on to her that I was unable to keep my garbage bag...er...raincoat down or up, so basically it ended up being a very large necklace. Rory loved it, though, and Mike even got through it, despite being afraid of drowning.

Now, we're trying to get the house in order for the next school year. We are starting next week! So, today, I found all of Rory's work from last year and got it into a box, and got his school drawer set up with his new books. We also moved all the kid books into the kids' room. Hopefully this will help the walking issue in the play/school room, as Lily has a tendency to pull many, many books off the shelves and strew them around the room. I suppose this will now happen in the bedroom, but at least you don't have to walk through that to get from the door to the kitchen!

I keep reminding myself that I have to get my education plan in to the school district by August 15 to remain in compliance for our state, so I guess I'd better get going. This is our second year, so I'm not nearly as frightened about the prospect as I was last year. At least I know that the paperwork I submitted last year was accepted, so if I do something similar, it should be okay. My other project is to get our time schedule set. Rory does much better if he knows how long he has to do things, and what order they are coming in. Of course, we have a different curriculum this year, and I am uncertain how long the assignments are going to take, but at least we'll have a starting point!  We also have a friend who's son is just a little older than Rory, and they will be using the same curriculum, Paths of Exploration from Geography Matters.  We plan to get the boys together for some of the activities, which should be fun for them, as T. is an only child, and Rory's little sister is a little young for school yet (though she sure tries)!  We are also trying a different math curriculum this year...I finally settled on Spectrum Math.  I'll let you know how it goes!

The Church Together

I am the church.

You are the church.

We are the church together. 

All who follow Jesus, all around the world, 

yes, we’re the church together.

  The church is not a building, 

the church is not a steeple, 
the church is not a resting place, 
the church is a people.

I grew up singing this song in Sunday School.  Lately, it's been running through my mind like background music in a movie.  I wonder if it's true.  I mean, what is the church we know?  We ask:  "Where do you go to church?"  "What time is church?"  "Do you have contemporary or traditional music at your church?"   "Are you going to church this Sunday?"  These common questions all point to a place.  A building.  A steeple.  A resting place.  NOT a people.  How have we gotten to this point?  This is not the meaning of the word in the Bible.  The word that is translated as "church" actually means "assembly."  It refers to a group of...you guessed it...PEOPLE!  I've heard so many reasons that people don't "go to church."  It's too early.  Or late.  The music's too loud.  Or soft.  Or fast.  Or slow.  It is full of hypocrites.  Or rich people.  Or republicans.  Or democrats.  Or poor people.  Or children.  Or old people.  Not people like us.  I went, but no one talked to me.  I went, but everyone talked to me.  I went, but people hugged me.  I went, but everyone was too stiff.  I don't believe that stuff.  I don't think you can really believe in just one religion.  Those people think they're the only ones who know God.  The Bible can't really be taken literally.  My kid plays sports on Sunday.  That's the only time I can...go grocery shopping...clean the house...work in the garden...mow the lawn...sleep in...read the paper...see my kids.  You get the idea.

The problem with all this, is:  The church is a people!  It is an assembly!  It is the Bride of Christ, and at the same time the Body of Christ!  It is everywhere, all the time, a cohesive, working, living organism.  It is described as a bride, a body.  Not a building.  Not a business.  Not a time.  Not a program.  It's not preaching, teaching, singing, and praying.  It is a people.  The people may meet in a building, at a time.  Hopefully they do not think it is a business.  They might sing.  They might pray.  They might teach or preach or listen to a teacher or a preacher.  They might share a meal.  They might share a burden.  They might share happiness or sadness or anger or relief.  Sickness or triumph or loss.  Pain or elation.  They might see heaven.  They might not.  Hopefully they will reach.  Reach out, reach in, reach over, reach up.  And, if they're lucky, the body will leave the place and the time and proceed through life.  Together.  One body.  One people.  All who follow Jesus, all around the world.  Together.  Come, Lord Jesus!

Rory's "Liquid Ice" Recipe

From Rory:
I've got a recipe that I made up.  It's really good.  You should try it.  You take any kind of liquid drinkable and put it in the blender along with some ice.  Then, with the ice and the liquid that you picked out, turn the blender on, and let the grinding begin!  Then, when it's all done, take it out, get a cup, but be careful of spills.  Then, put it in a cup, and put a straw in it.  Yum, yum!

Divide Or Conquer

"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." - Jesus (Matthew 12:25).  

I've seen a disturbing thing this week.  A Christian homeschooling mom posted a picture of her kids on their front porch with a bunch of boxes.  She explained that this was their homeschool curriculum, which had just arrived in the mail, and that her kids were so excited to receive it that they wanted to start school right away!  She closed the post by inviting readers to write in with the curriculum they used in their homeschools.  Well.  I have never seen such a response to a seemingly innocent question.  This was posted on Saturday, and there continue to be several responses a day.  The really surprising thing to me was the direction these responses started to take.  People actually started berating each other for their choices of curriculum, or, in fact, schooling, as some public school parents also weighed in.  The saddest thing was that the most abusive of these responses came from the people who were the most openly Christian.  What??!!!  I can only imagine the fun that Satan (whose name was invoked more than once, by the way) is having with this.  In fact, I'm sure he enjoys everything that divides the church.  


Paul said in Colossians 3:11, "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free:  but Christ is all, and in all."  


Jesus said:  "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:34-35).  He also said:  "Judge not, that ye be not judged.  For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged:  and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matthew 7:1-2).  


If we, as Christians, continue to focus on our differences, we will fail.  We are the Bride of Christ, people!  That means ALL of us.  Not just those of us who do everything exactly the same way.  In Christ, there is no Baptist or Methodist, no Catholic or Greek Orthodox, no conservative or liberal, no homeschooler or school-attender.  Jesus said that all men will know we are His disciples IF WE LOVE EACH OTHER!  When people who don't know Jesus look at us, is that what they are seeing?  I'm afraid that any non-Christians reading those blog comments did not see love.  They saw judgement and division.  Notice that Jesus did not condemn the people who came to him with their faults and weaknesses laid out, asking to be healed and forgiven.  They were forgiven freely, without having to do anything but ask.  Those with infirmities were healed.  It didn't matter who or where they were.  The people that Jesus argued with were the Scribes and Pharisees.  Why?  Because they were Jewish?  No, so were the other people (and Jesus, of course).  Because they were in charge? No.  It was because they thought they knew better.  They thought they were right.  They judged the other Jews.  They tried to make others follow their rules and their interpretations of the scriptures.  They tried to out-God, God!

"Every kingdom divided against itself will be brought to desolation."  God's kingdom cannot fall.  God WILL win in the end.  The question is, will it be because of us, or in spite of us?  Let's present ourselves as a spotless bride, with a perfect wedding dress.  Not one that's been clawed apart by our own hands.

Independence

 Rory "marched" in his first real parade, today.  He reminded me that he marched in a parade last year for T-ball, but that one went only to the ballpark from the firehouse next door, and only included baseball players.  He is playing in a different league, this year, which is run by the Hyde Park Baptist Church.  It has been a great experience, and he was able to march in the Hyde Park 4th of July Parade (on July 3, but oh, well!)  As we were waiting for the parade to start, the pastor realized that I would be marching with Lily, and asked if we would like to ride in the car (a red mustang convertible) that was following the group.  Cool!  So, Rory got in the back and got to sit up on the back of the car with another guy, and Lily and I got into the front passenger seat.  At this point, Lily started screaming.  I figured maybe she was tired or hungry, so I tried to cuddle her, and tried giving her graham crackers.  No dice.  She wanted to "walk."  So, Rory stayed in the car, and Lily and I ...er...walked.  That is to say, I walked, and Lily rode...on me. Yes, Rory enjoyed the applause and waved to everyone in the crowd, while I CARRIED Lily the entire way.  It was okay, and we all survived.  Then, we got finished marching and had to WALK all the way back to the car!  Luckily, Rita's ice cream stand had a truck set up in one of the parking lots, and were giving out FREE Italian Ice's (Yay, Rita's!), so we got a little break (and thanks to Lily, the sidewalk got a treat).  Then, it was lunchtime, so we stopped at McDonalds, which was about halfway back to the car.  There, Lily spilled her milk all over (I still can't master my Mom's method of putting the straw through the seal on top of the milk containers), and I managed to completely lose my sunglasses (again).  But, we finally made it back to the car, and I managed to drive home without falling asleep at the wheel!  Rory started the parade waving meekly, and ended it yelling "Happy 4th!" and drawing big # 4's in the air while (Rory style) wiggling around in 20 different directions.  He was in his glory!  So, next time he decides to be in a parade, Lily and I will be parking near the end and watching him go by!  Happy 4th, everyone!