Caleb is in FIFTH GRADE this school year,
and my BABY--Lydia--in THIRD GRADE!!
I can hardly believe it! But that is indeed part of life, of
all our lives--to LEARN. To be learning day by day. Not just
to be smarter or to make a better salary, but to learn to be
more like our Saviour if we're Christians. To learn how to
better serve our fellow man. The BEST book I know for learning
both of those is the BIBLE. Here is a "Back to School" devotional I was blessed with creating for my sisters at "Barbara's Blessings" for our August 2007 Newsletter:
BACK to SCHOOL
Remember how the school year took FOREVER to pass, then summer vacation FLEW by? I never much cared for August. It was a combination of the last days of vacation and going back to school with a century of schooldays ahead of me! Okay, maybe not that much, but you get the picture!
Do we look forward to learning? That's an important question, because Christians should never stop learning about God and His will through His Word.
We are Students:
I Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
We need to study, not just hear. It is easy for us to go to SonDay School and church and hear. We are to not only hear but to STUDY. Why?
To show ourselves approved unto God! He's why we should be studying to rightly divide the Word of truth. We study for His approval. Not to be pleased with ourselves and how much we know. I Corinthians 8:1b tells us, 'Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.' God's love edifies, builds up another rather than ourselves. And that pleases God.
Next we read "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed". We must STUDY for GOD'S APPROVAL to be UNASHAMED WORKERS! We want to do all we can to obey Father, so that when we get Home we'll hear "Well done!" Hallelujah! We should study to please God so we won't be ashamed at Jesus' coming for us in the clouds, so we can enter into the House of the LORD as obedient children of God!
We Have One Book:
Next, we read "rightly dividing the Word of truth". We only have one Book on which we will be "graded": the written Word of God.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Fear God. Fear His frown, His displeasure at our disobedience. Seek His approval. Then KNOW what is holy. From His Word, we can have knowledge of what God considers holy and what He considers profane. That is rightly dividing at the very basic level.
God is the Teacher:
Psalm 25:4
Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
Psalm 32:8
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
(For the LORD to guide us with His eye, where must our attention be? On His face! Pay attention, students, to Teacher, AMEN!)
Psalm 94:12
Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
Again, God teaches us from His written Word. Remember the Prego sketti-sauce commercials? "It's in there!" Everything we need to learn is in one Book.
Jesus taught. In the Gospels, we're told Jesus was in a synagogue or the temple on the Sabbath, TEACHING. He taught with authority (amen to THAT!) The people could tell the difference! But He didn't limit His teaching to the places of corporate worship. He taught the multitudes, He taught His disciples, and He taught Nicodemus one on one. And Jesus told His disciples (and US, amen?) that the Holy Ghost is teaching us from the point of salvation!
John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
The Comforter brings to remembrance what we have learned. Why?
What makes the Dead Sea dead? It is all the time receiving and never giving out. To be Christlike, We need to teach others what we ourselves have learned.
We are to Teach:
Ezekiel 44:23
And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
One of many responsibilities of those in the Old Testament
priesthood was to teach the difference between holy and profane.
In Revelation, we're told we'll be priests when we return with
Jesus to set up His Kingdom! We can practice teaching today as
part of being "apt to teach" *_*
Look at this psalm, 51:13--
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be
converted unto thee.
How can we teach those lost in sin, blinded to God's Truth,
God's ways? Through the Word and the Spirit. Then
transgressors--the lost--can choose whom they will serve,
continuing to serve self or being converted to faith in God and
His plan of salvation and new life in Christ Jesus *_*
First, we need to be "converted" ourselves, knowing the Teacher
personally as Saviour.
Second, we need to know the Word to be able to rightly divide it.
Third, we need to be like our Teacher, teaching others "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).
We need to teach others the Word, teaching what is God-pleasing
and what isn't for their good and God's glory!
II Timothy 3:14 & 15
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Have a teachable spirit to things of the LORD, grow to be wise in His ways, and share what you've learned for His GLORY!
Our family has chosen to home-school again this year, using
the same curriculum the children have used right along in Christian schools and our first year in home-school last year,
(A Beka).
Our first year was 2005-2006, and the kids both did wonderfully with DVD school. We even had the opportunity to go to Pensacola a meet their DVD teachers in person! It was so funny meeting them, feeling like they'd been guests in our home for hours every day for the past year; yet they didn't know us from "Adam's housecat"! But Miss Wieler and Miss Nulph were such blessings to meet!
Caleb & Lydia
2005-2006 Home-schoolers on their "Playground"
(aka the backyard *_*)
Here is Little Miss Lydia in her cap and gown,
Kindergarten Graduation 2005!!!
*Photo frame/matte courtesy of Wally World (Walmart *_*).
Here is Mr. Caleb in his cap and gown,
Kindergarten Graduation 2003!!!
*Photo frame/matte courtesy of Wally World (Walmart *_*).
I was so excited when Poppa and Gramma told me they had a photo
of Poppa as a little boy that looked JUST like Caleb. I mean,
he looks JUST like his Daddy, too; so I found this fascinating!
But look for yourself. On the left is Jennifer's Dad--John W.
Monck--taken in 1938. On the right is Caleb, taken '04-'05
school year *_*
And here is our girl!!!
Lydia Pearl, Fall & Spring 2004.
How QUICKLY she is growing into a lovely young lady!
And her Aunt Sissy said Lydia looks a lot like her Momma did in kindergarten...
See for yourself:
Maybe not as dramatic as the Poppa/Caleb similarity, but purdy close!
Lydia's First Day!
My big Kindergarten Girl, 2004!
Caleb's First Day!
My big Kindergarten Boy, 2002!
And Poppa & Gramma came up for the special occasion in 2004!
HERE ARE SOME OLD PHOTOS OF CALEB!!!!
Mr. Kindergarten man. Since we lived in 2 different states (go NAVY!!), he had 2 different school pics taken *_*
Here he is...growing up SO quickly!
He even has adult teeth now!
Handsome little man.
Our 2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR Calendar Quilt!!
August:
5th - Friendship Day (1st Sunday in August each year)
September:
3rd - Labor Day (1st Monday in September)
9th - Grandparents Day (1st Sunday after Labor Day)
11th - 9/11 Remembrance Day
13th & 14th - Bible holy day - Feast of Trumpets /Rosh Hashanah (New Year)*
22nd - Bible holy day - Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur*
23rd - Autumnal Equinox
27th - Bible holy day - Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot Begins*
October:
7th - Pastor Appreciation Day (2nd SonDay in October each year)
8th - Columbus Day (2nd Monday in October each year)
31st - Opportunity to Witness to neighbor children *_*
November:
4th - Daylight Savings Time ends at 2 a.m.
12th - Veterans Day observed
22nd - Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. of A. (4th Thursday in November each year)
January:
1st - Happy 2008!!!
15th - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - 3rd Monday of January
February:
2nd - Groundhog Day
12th - Lincoln's Birthday
14th - Valentine's Day
18th - Presidents Day - 3rd Monday of February
22nd - Washington's Birthday
29th - LEAP YEAR!!!
March:
9th - Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 a.m.
16th - Palm SonDay Observed by the Gregorian Calendar
17th - Saint Patrick's Day
20th - Vernal Equinox - Happy SPRING!
and Fast of Esther*
21st - Purim*
23rd - Easter Observed by the Gregorian Calendar
April:
1st - April Fools' Day
20th - Bible holy day - Passover / Pesach*
&
21st-27th - Bible holy day - Unleavened Bread* (7 Day observance)
& the 27th is also the Bible holy day Firstfruits* (First SonDay during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Resurrection SonDay according to the Lunar/Bible Calendar)
25th Arbor Day - Last Friday in April
**NOTE: we no longer include the secular holiday "Earth Day" in our calendars. We worship the Creator, not the creation; and "Earth Day" origins and modern day celebrations are NOT God-honoring.
June:
1st - Hurricane Season Begins
5th - National Gingerbread Day
6th - D-day
9th - Bible holy day - Pentecost/Shavuot* - Bible celebration of Moses receiving the 10 Commandments (OT) and the church receiving
the Holy Spirit (NT)
14th - Flag Day
15th - Father's Day
20th - 1st day of SUMMER!
We're praying for our schools, students, and teachers
across the country in the school year.
(We also were praying in '02-'03, '03-'04, '04-'05, and '05-'06
with Julia's Prayer Warriors, but she stopped the adoptables this year...so I picked up the baton...or ruler *_*)
Click the VOTE NOW button below to vote for Caleb's Country Corner Graphics and 4 Seests in Paradise! (you can vote once a day, here and at the first 3 below)
BACK to SCHOOL 
