What I Learned When I Read Twilight

I had NO intention of reading Twilight. Ever.

I first became aware of it while playing with the "Flair" application on Facebook. I began to see a ridiculous amount of "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" flair. I had no clue what it meant, and frankly, didn't care.

I mentioned this to my 17 year old nephew, and he explained to me that these were characters in a series of books. He told me that the books were really good, and encouraged me to read them. I told him right away that I had no intrest in reading about vampires and werewolves, and that he shouldn't be reading that junk either. His reply was that there was nothing "wrong" with stories about vampires.

Not long after this conversation, my then 11 year old daughter began to hear about Twilight from her friends. She asked to be allowed to read the book, and I told her no. I told her that there were much better things that she could spend her time reading. When she asked me WHY I objected to the books, I told her that I didn't like the idea of her reading stories about vampires.

Now, please understand that when my daughter asked her next question, she wasn't trying to be a smart aleck. She certainly CAN be one of those, LOL! but in this instance, she simply wanted to understand. So, she asked, "Mom, if you don't want me to know about vampire stories, why did we go see the play "House of Frankenstein", and why did you let us watch that "Young Frankenstein' movie?"

A while back, my Dad played Dr Frankenstein in a local theater production of "House of Frankenstein". The play was a comedy, very light, very funny, but two of the characters WERE vampires. Just before seeing this play, we had also watched the old Gene Wilder movie "Young Frankenstein"~again, very light, very funny, but contained characters that were vampires, along with werewolves and various other 'monsters".

So, my daughter had a legitimate question. Why were vampires and werewolves okay in a play or movie, but a popular book was forbidden to her simply because it was about vampires and werewolves??

The answer is that I ASSUMED that because the book was about vampires and werewolves, that it would be violent and graphic, and that because it also involved a romance, it would contain inappropriate intimate scenes. I ASSUMED that because a few people that I know objected to the books, they must be bad. Then, my daughter asked another question "But Mom, have you actually READ the book?

So, I told my daughter that I would read the book myself, and THEN decide if she should be allowed to read it or not. MUCH to my surprise, this book did NOT contain gore, it was NOT violent, and it did not contain any inappropriate scenes of intimacy. Having read the book myself, and taking into account my daughters personality and maturity level, I chose to let her read the book. I made a point EVERY day of asking her where she was in the book, and talking with her about what was happening in the story. After about 3 days, she was coming to me on her own to tell me what part of the story she was reading. She was enjoying it, and was excited to be able to discuss it with me.

These conversations led to some WONDERFUL moments with my daughter. We had some great discussions, and I got some good, clear insights into my daughters character, and the kind of person that she is becoming. We followed the same patter with the 3 sequels to Twilight, with me reading each book first before allowing her to read it. Each book led to more really good discussions.

Now, having said all that, let me also say this....I'm not saying that you won't find ANYTHING to object to in these books. I'm not saying that they are appropriate for everyone. I would NOT allow my almost 10 year old daughter to read them. She has no intrest in them at all, but even if she did, I would not allow it for her right now.

I"m not suggesting that everyone run out and read the Twilight books, or allow their children to read them. I"m only saying that in this case, I almost missed out on some great talks with my daughter because I formed an opinion based on assumptions and the opinions of others. One of my goals in homeschooling our children is to teach them to THINK, and to form opinions based on what they learn, NOT on what they ASSUME, or on what they hear other people say.

I just want to make sure that I teach by example.
Blessings,
Vicki
PS~For the record, I thought the books were okay~sort of light, fluff reading. I couldn't care less whether the heroine ended up with the vampire or the werewolf :))

I Can't Stop Singing.....

Remember that little chorus many of us learned in Sunday School that goes "God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He's so good to me"?

I cannot get that song out of my head today. No one will ever be able to convince me that God doesn't care about "little" things, or that God is not involved in EVERY area of our lives.

For the last 15 years, my family has enjoyed the tradition of spending a weekend together in Pigeon Forge, TN in December. There have been times when it looked like we wouldn't be able to make this trip because one family member or another couldn't be there, or it might be financially impossible. But always, each and every year, God has made it possible for me, my husband, our kids, my sisters and their kids, and my parents all to be together for this weekend. He has always provided the finances to make this possible~every time.

This year, I started in September praying about our Pigeon Forge trip this year~praying that everyone would be able to go, praying that finances wouldn't be a problem for anyone, praying that everyone would be healthy and well enough to go, and that we would all be protected from illness, injury, accidents, etc during the trip. This year, I also had an added prayer request. I asked the Lord to show us the best arrangements to make for the care of our little dog, and to keep her healthy and safe while we were gone.

God answered each and every prayer. Everyone's schedule was clear for them to be able to go. That may not sound like much, but we are talking about 6 adults, 4 of which work full time jobs~2 teenagers, 1 of whom works 2 jobs and 4 younger children who are all involved in various activities. So yes, God was in the fact that everyone was able to go on this trip. God also worked out all the financial details. I was sick last week, but felt fine in time for the trip. My sister is fighting a sinus infection, but didn't really begin to feel ill until we were on our way home. My daughter slipped and fell in the pool area and scraped her back up. As cuts and scrapes go, this one was pretty bad, but considering that she fell on wet concrete, she could have been much more seriously injured. God is good.

God provided us with wonderful, dear friends who were willing to care for our dog for the weekend, and He was kind enough to give us complete peace throughout the weekend that our dearly loved pet would be fine. God is good.

On top of all of that, we spent Saturday strolling through Gatlinburg, TN. God blessed us with just enough snow to make it refreshing and beautiful, without causing terrible driving conditions or such extreme cold that we couldn't enjoy being outside. God is good.

When we got home last night, we found out that our dog had actually gotten away from our friends while we were gone, and for a while, they didn't know where she was. Then, our friends sweet little girl told me that as she was walking through the woods near thier home looking for our dog, everything became very quiet, and she heard the dog sneeze. She was able to find the dog, who was not harmed at all, and lead her back to their house. In that sweet, simple, child like faith, this child stated, quite matter of factly~ "I felt God leading me. He showed me where the dog was".

What amazed me was that this child was NOT amazed at all. It seemed completely natural to her that God would show her where to find that dog. The same is true of her little brother, who, as soon as he heard that the dog had gotten out, said "It's going to be okay. God is in control."

Out of the mouths of babes!!! Oh, that we, as adults, could grab on to the faith of children, and hang on to it like the life preserver that it is!! How sad that we so routinely let the cares and troubles of our adult world obscure or even destroy our child like faith!!

Just this morning, I heard a sermon on the miracles of Jesus. The speaker pointed out that Jesus never performed a miracle without a reason, and that often, that reason included faith building. He went on to say that many times, God allows or brings things into our lives in order to build our faith. Sometimes, they are big things. But not always. Sometimes, they are little things~things like a beautiful snowfall during a weekend in the mountains, a fun trip with your family, and God's hand of protection on your loved ones, even a pet.

In the big things, in the little things, in ALL things~GOD IS GOOD!!!

In His Love,
Vicki

Missing the Point

I just read an online discussion regarding homeschooling. In response to the question "Do you think homeschooling is good for children? Would you homeschool your children? Why or why not?" one individual responded that while she (or he, I'm not sure) knows that homeschooled students do well academically, and she knows that there are opportunities for homeschooled children to socialize, she would not homeschool her child because "the experience is just not the same as going to school".

Okay, excuse me for sounding like an obnoxious kid here, but I can't help thinking "Well, DUH!"

The experience is NOT the same, and that is a BIG part of the reason that my husband and I have chosen to educate our children at home. Those who constantly scream that homeschooled kids need to go to school to learn social skills are ridiculous. Walking everywhere in a line, responding automatically to whistles or classroom lights being turned on and off, and being told that you must study only what 30 other children born within a year of you are studying is NOT learning social skills! If anything, it's learning SOCIALIST skills! LOL!

Lets think rationally here for a moment. People tell me all the time that I should send my kids to school so that they can experience "the real world'. That makes me laugh. Why? Because in the real world, every job I've ever held, I worked with people of various ages~NEVER did I work ONLY with people who were born within a year of me. In the real world, I"m expected to complete projects and accomplish tasks on my own, not with a "commander" standing over me every second. In the real world, I can eat lunch because I"m hungry, not because some bell sounded. I can go to the restroom when I need to go, and I don't have to ask permission, thereby sharing with everyone else in the room what I need permission for.

In the real world, if I am "bullied" by someone, I can leave that establishment and do business elsewhere, or I can begin looking for another job so that I can leave that one as soon as possible. I am not forced to continue to see the bully day after day, with my only option being to report the bullying to teachers who have little or no authority to put a stop to it. In the real world, I learned to get along with people of all ages, not to make fun of the "little kids" or pick on the "freshmen".

Homeschooling is not the same experience as attending traditional school? You're darn right it's not, and thank goodness for that!!

Family Circus

I was treated to something very special today. Right outside, in my very own backyard, I saw a wonderful circus!

Ah, yes. The show began with a handsome little ringmaster, (my son Noah) who welcomed me to the show, and introduced Zora, (my daughter Alex) who astounded me with her magnificent feats of grace and balance on the high wire ( some boards in our backyard). I then had the opportunity to be awed by the lovely Zoe (my daughter Rachel) and her amazing tricks on the flying trapeze( the swingset).

Then, much to my surprise, the handsome little ringmaster suddenly became "Bob the Clown", and had us all in stitches with his hilarious antics. And, all of this was accompanied by extreme cuteness from "Dixie the Wonderdog"!

As I heartily applauded the grand finale, the ringmaster thanked me for coming to see "The Greatest Show on Earth".

You know what? He was absolutely right. :)

Blessings,
Vicki

Genuine Faith

Calvin was a young boy who was blessed with a talent to sing. He was raised in a little country baptist church~you know, the little white wooden church with creaky pews and ladies dressed in their Sunday best fanning themselves with paper fans from the funeral home.

The preacher was fiery sort who liked to shout and thump the pulpit to emphasize a point. The song leader was Calvin's Dad.

From time to time, singers would come and visist the church~families that traveled around singing together, or good old fashioned southern gospel quartets. When Calvin was 12 years old, he was invited to join a southern gospel quartet on the road. Calvin would have loved that, but his parents deemed him too young to travel so much, and would not allow him to go. Calvin remained with his family, ad grew up in that church.

Over the years, Calvin grew up, married, had 4 children, divorced, remarried many years later. There came a time in Calvin's life when he stopped going to church. He had been deeply hurt by some folks in a church, and simply chose to stay away.

But, even when he was not attending church, Calvin's love for the Lord never disappeared. He loved to talk about the Lord, loved gospel music, and even enjoyed sharing the true Word of God with the Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses who frequently knocked on his door.

In April, 2008, Calvin lost his wife of 18 years. She was truly the love of his life, and his family feared that he may not want, or be able, to go on without her. He sort of "holed up" in his house, and his family feared for his physical and mental well being. Then one day, a neighbor invited Calvin to church. Much to the surprise of his family, Calvin agreed to go. He seemed to get a bit of his "spark" back.

Soon afterwards, Calvin's daughter convinced him to move in with her. This move would bring him nearer to not just this daughter, but his entire family. Calvin began attending church regularly with his family.

Then one day, Calvin, who was by now 85 years of age, suffered a stroke. As often happens with stroke victims, Calvin lost much of his ability to speak. For several days, he would attempt to talk, but only the first word would come out clearly~everything else was garbled gibberish.

While Calvin was in the hospital, his pastor came to see him. The pastor told him "Calvin, you don't have to try to answer me, but I just want you to know that I really appreciate your coming to church faithfully since you've moved here. I know that the folks at our church would understand if a man of your age and health were not able to attend regularly, and no one would think any less of you if you didn't. But you do, and you are an encouragement to all of us, and I just want you to know that."

Calvin, with tears in his eyes, was able to speak clearly for the first time in days. He looked the pastor in the eye and said "I LOVE JESUS!"

Those simple words were meant to explain that Calvin comes to church regularly because he loves Jesus and wants to learn of Him and be around other people who love him. What wonderful places our churches would be if everyone who came to church came for that reason, and that reason alone!!!

Calvin is my grandfather. Several days after he spoke those words to his pastor, the Lord touched him, and he fully regained his speech. He is once again faithfully attending church, becuase he loves Jesus :)

I've learned a lot from my grandfather. There was a time when I thought that a person who did not attend church every sunday MUST be knee deep in sin. Now, please understand me, I am not "knocking' church. My husband and I attend faithfully, and we take our children with us. But, I saw in my grandfather's life that a person can worship God alone, or in small groups outside a traditional church building, and still grow in his relationship with the Lord.

I"m afraid I'm not being very clear in expressing my thoughts on this. Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, and I am NOT disputing that. I am only saything that "assembling ourselves together" doesn't have to be in a large crowd, or in a big church. It might be in a remodeled basement, like the church I attend. It doesn't have to be with a huge crowd. It might be with just 5 or 6 other families, like our church. My point is that wherever we attend church, wherever we worship the Lord, it should be because we love Jesus, and for no other reason.

Don't Give Me That!!

Today, I encountered someone who was lamenting the sad state of this country's public schools. The person then commented that they do not homeschool because they cannot afford to homeschool.

Okay. I GET that not every one is ever going to homeschool. I"m not even saying that everyone SHOULD homeschool. But, if you are going to give me a reason why you can't or won't homeschool, DON'T give me THAT ONE!

Yes, there are some families who spend several hundred dollars per school year, per child, to homeschool. But that is NOT the only way to educate your child.

If you can get to a library and fill out the card to obtain a FREE library card, then you CAN homeschool your children!! If you go to used book shops, yard sales, or swap meets with other homsechooling familes, you can homeschool your child for next to nothing! The sheer volume of free resources available on the internet is mind boggling!!

So, if you would never consider the thought of homeschooling, fine. Tell me that you think your children are better off in a traditional school. Tell me that you don't think you could do it. Tell me you don't want to do it. Best of all, tell me that God has not led you to homeschool your children, that it's not His will for your family. But to say that you don't homeschool because you can't afford it??

Don't give me that.

We Need A Little Christmas, Right This Very Minute!!

I am taking this opportunity to thank God for giving me the perspective that I've needed over the last week or so.

There have been so many things that could have really left me "down in the dumps", but God is merciful, and He has instead allowed me to be encouraged, rather than discouraged, with recent circumstances.

I would have been really upset about the election results, but God graciously led me to a few Scriptures that encouraged me, including Jeremiah 29:11, reminding me that God has plans for me, and that His plans are for my good, not my harm, and Romans chapter 13, wich speaks of the fact that our leaders are placed in their positions BY GOD and can be used by Him as a minister for our good.

My husband has also been out of town for the last few days. He does not have to travel very often, and I HATE it when he does. The kids seem out of sorts, and everything just seems harder. It didn't help that he ended up having to stay one extra day all ready, and may have to stay even longer. But, God has used this time to remind me once again how much I appreciate my husband and all the things he does for me, for our kids, for our family. My husband is God's gift to me, and I will be SO glad when he is home!

I was even a little bummed about the holidays, and that is NOT like me at all. Then, God once again used His Word to encourage me~this time in the form of the Peanuts character Linus, who recites Luke chapter 2 during "A Charlie Brown Christmas'.

I had been wondering how in the world we could celebrate anything with finances being tight, and the country, in our opinion, going down the tubes. Then, as I sat and watched A Charlie Brown Christmas with my kids, it occured to me~this year, we have more to celebrate than ever!!

Of course, we have the "usual" things to be thankful for~my husband and I have a wonderful marriage that is the greatest treasure we possess, next to our salvation. We are blessed with 3 wonderful children, who are all healthy. I've been blessed with the calling to not only parent them, but also to homeschool them. We may not have everything we want, but we have everything we need.

As for the state of the country and the world, I am hopeful, looking forward to watching God bless and prosper His children regardless of their circumstances or surroundings. I am more thankful than ever that we have a soon-returning Savior who is going to take us out of this wicked, sin cursed world, and then return to rule and reign with the truth and justice that we all long for.

Knowing that, how can I do anything else BUT celebrate Thanksgiving, basking in all that He has done for me, and then revel in the joy of Christmas, celebrating the birth of my Saviour, who is in ultimate control, and has GREAT plans for me.

Even if you feel that you have nothing else to celebrate, let's celebrate Our Savior!!

So, let me be the first to say,

Happy Thanksgiving! Merry Christmas! and Happy New Year!

Vicki