How we Keep Christ The Center of Christmas

       

Out of all the holidays, Christmas is probably the most commercialized and hectic. Decorations galore, and running up the credit card buying gifts people don’t need. Craziness! Glorifying Santa and forgetting why it’s called Christmas. Although if you research the holiday, you will find that it once was a pagan holiday and had nothing to do with our Saviours birth. In fact Jesus wasn’t even born on December 25^th, but back somewhere along the lines Christians began to celebrate Jesus birth on that day. Perhaps it was to counter the pagan celebrations of the time. If that was the case, it’s the same today. The secular world wants to celebrate a jolly old man who supposedly knows everything about everybody, while Christians wish to celebrate their Saviour’s birth; the Saviour who came to die for all mankind and set them free from the penalty of sin, death.

It seems to be a holiday with the most controversial history ever, and that has carried on into our day and age as well.

As I said, for most people it’s all about making wish lists, spending more than what you have, and getting caught up in all the madness of the season. Even for some Christians it can be the time of year everyone goes overboard. I am so grateful that it has never been that way in my family.

How do we keep Christ at the center and not get caught up in all the hubbub? For us it was probably made easy by our circumstances, as growing up there wasn’t a lot of that paper stuff people carry around in their wallets, but I think I also had some wise parents, and grandparents. I believe it started with my Grandpa Kliever. Yes they put up a tree and some lights, but Grandma always put the nativity set out in front. Her care in doing so spoke volumes to me. Then there came Christmas Eve, and the time we would exchange the few gifts under the tree. But before that happened, Grandpa would pull out his Bible and read the Christmas story, and slowly too. He would pray and thank the Lord for sending His Son to die in our place, and then we would sing Christmas hymns. That tradition carried over into my family as I grew up. Somehow my parents and grandparents were able to stress the fact that the gifts weren’t what was important, though they were fun, but we were to remember the greatest gift of all. Jesus.

As we kids got older, and our family went through some lean years, making gifts for one another became a fun way to show each other our love. Some times there were boughten gifts, but those mostly would consist of things needed like socks! But of the homemade gifts, things ranged from paper dolls, to drawn pictures or leather or wood work. But whatever the gifts may be, we knew what we were celebrating, not who got what or spent the most, but that fact that we had a Saviour who came to earth to die for us!

Now I have a family of my own. Our Christmas tree is already up, and I have a few gifts ready to wrap and put under it, but I want to strive to do what my parents did and my Grandparents, and teach my children why we celebrate our Saviours birth. Amidst all the controversy of the season my husband and I feel convicted to celebrate our Saviours birth and to stress its importance on our children. We have something wonderful to celebrate and we don’t need the world’s big red man, ‘cause we have Someone better! And because of all that… Christmas is my favourite time of year!

 

S.L. Kliever

Delight In Your Children

Delight in your Children

By S. L. Kliever

“Children are a bother!”

“My kids were just hard to raise. I didn’t enjoy it.”

“I didn’t enjoy being pregnant. I was glad when he was born so I could put him down and get a break from him.”

“We decided to only have two.”

“Kids are so expensive. We couldn’t afford any more.”

Have you heard Christians say these things? What does the Bible say?

Psalm 127:3 “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”

How many kids people have and how they raise them, that is between them and God. I’m not here to criticize how small or big people’s families are. But what concerns me more is the negative attitude towards children that seems to seep through those statements.  And as a child, I remember there being grown ups that I didn’t much care for, and as I matured, I sensed they didn’t like me either!

 

For a long time now it seems like having children is considered almost a curse. A bother. But if they are a reward, (a blessing) from Him, we as Christians should not have a bad attitude towards family!

 

I believe it’s a heart issue. Satan doesn’t want us to love or delight in our families. As we can see from the world just outside our homes, `family’ is becoming minority. As Christians we need a heart change towards our children. And if we just `can’t’ delight in them, then we need to ask the Lord to give us a change of heart.

Jesus loves children. When He walked this earth, He took time for them. Sat them on His lap and blessed them. “For such is the kingdom of heaven.” If they are so important to our Lord, shouldn’t then be to us too? I sense our ME first culture doesn’t want to take time for children. 

Our Heavenly Father is our example, and this is what He says about His children. “For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (Proverbs 3:12) 

The Lord delights in His children! We too should delight in them as well. Does it mean we will have clear sailing, easy days all the time, no problems or trying times? No. It’s hard, we have to discipline; our patience is tried and some times it is just hard to enjoy parenthood. But we should delight in the children the Lord gives us.

 

I’ve been listening to Chuck Swindoll on Biblical Parenting. He preached on this very subject. And as we delight in our kids, loving them for who they are and who the Lord made them to be, and raising them in the bend or personalities that the Lord has given them, directing them in the ways of the Lord, he claims we will see less rebellion and more children walking with the Lord.

And that is what is most important! What is done down here for eternity! Not whether I have the time to do the things I want, or that we have the latest in everything, which requires more time consumed by getting money and things. No our goal should be our children!

Proverbs 29:17 “Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”

Let us delight in the blessings the Lord has given us! As we correct bad behaviour and nurture our little ones, let us not forget to delight in them as well.

The little ones he gives us to raise, he will also provide the provisions to take care of them. If He blesses you with children, He will always proved ways for us to care for their needs.

Something that was a blessing for me to hear recently was an older woman I know saying that it was an encouragement to her to see the younger generation of women excited and wanting children and bigger families.

Yes children are a heritage from the Lord!

This I think, is the Biblical way.

My Homeschooling and Christian Journey.

            Homeschooling has been a big part of shaping who I am today. Although really Jesus is the One who really makes changes, but homeschooling can be used as a tool to help Christian children grow closer to Jesus Christ through their Christian walk.

            At the age of 5, I started Kindergarten, and I asked Jesus into my heart. If I wasn't homeschooled, there's a good chance that I might not be following Jesus Christ anymore. The reason being is that I got more Christian influence from my parents being homeschooled then I probably would have going to public school. If I had gone to public school, I may have had a lot of influence from non-Christian friends.

           So really, being homeschooled kept me out of trouble and from bad, ungodly influences in the public school and anywhere else. But we always did talk about that kind of stuff with our parents. Being homeschooled, instead, kept me at home with my family like the Lord intended in the beginning. We read and still read the Bible in our homeschool, which we may not be doing if we were going to public school.

           Parents can still have a good, Christian influence on their kids even if their kids go to public school, but their influence would most likely be a lot more effective if they're homeschooling their kids.

            Back to my homeschooling journey, through grades 1-6, as much as I can remember, I tried hard to obey my parents. That was probably my way of serving God at such a young age. There were times, of course, when I fought with my brothers. Satan still has Christians do bad stuff, too. Of course, though, usually another Christian, probably sent by God, to come along side the Christian that's stumbling to help them see what they're doing wrong, and then the stumbling Christian asks for forgiveness. As in my case, our parents would come along and help us kids see what we were doing wrong and encourage us to ask forgiveness of one another.

           At the age of 11, I was baptized on January 7, 2007. During that time, I found that my faith grew stronger. Since then, I have always tried hard to do what God would have me do, and I tried doing personal devotions. I never did my devotions very often, but now I try hard to do them daily because it's the Lord's commandment and because I want to keep growing in my faith as well as to know Christ more.

          I am now 18 years old, finishing grade 12, and it's my heart's desire to be Holy because Christ is Holy. It's also my desire to be a Godly woman like in Proverbs 31:10-31 and Titus chapter 2.

          For awhile, I was starting to doubt that I was really saved, and Satan was probably having a blast playing games on me. My Mom helped me realize that if I believed with all my heart that God was God and that He sent His Son to die on the cross, then I was saved. I was so happy to have this assurance!

          But then again, Satan was playing with my mind. I was doubting my salvation again, and I was about to start helping my pastor's wife teach Sunday School. I was wondering how I was supposed to teach kids about God, Jesus, and Salvation if I wasn't saved either! But one day I was reading the Sunday School book, I came across a paragraph speaking about how to discuss salvation with children. The paragraph went on to say that children praying ''the prayer'' cannot save them, believing does! I believed, the prayer I said when I was 5 did not save me. I believe with all my heart that God sent His Only  Begotten Son to die on the cross for my sins! I am indeed saved, for Jesus' blood washed my sins away!

         I am a 2013 Homeschool Graduate, but I'm not quite done my grade 12 yet, and I have chosen not to go to university. Not only is university not for me, and gives students a lot of
Student Loan debt, I also want to keep myself pure and stay away from all the bad influences and trouble I could get myself into.

         Being that I want to be a Godly, Virtuous Woman like in Proverbs, I believe that university isn't going to teach me what I need to know. I have chosen to stay home to learn and train myself, with God's help, to be that Godly, Virtuous Woman. It's also my heart's desire to be a wife and a mom someday, a homeschooling mom to be exact!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          So after I'm done my grade 12, I plan on staying home and my life is indeed busy. For this year, I'm going to cook, bake, clean, study, etc. I'm going to start a Computer Course on October 22 to November 21. I just got a high tech camera and accessories, so I'm going to take a Photography Course at home. I'm also going to join the Moosomin 4-H Multiple Club to take a photography project. And I'm also in the Fairmede 4-H Beef Club for my sixth and final year.

         So I am busy this year, also not to mention my once a week job of being the caretaker and a assistant Sunday School teacher for the Maryfield Associated Gospel Church. With all I'm doing this year and the following years, I have no time whatsoever for university.

         So that is basically just a sliver or two of my life's past years, some of my homeschooling years along with some of my Christian Testimony.

         Now that's how Jesus Christ and homeschooling can change a person. That's just my life though, everyone else's is different. And how my homeschooling past helped influence God's call to me about what to do in the future. I also believe with all my heart that God is indeed calling me to stay away from university and to stay home to train to be a Godly, Biblical Woman. That's my Homeschooling and Christian Journey.


                                                                                    K. J. Hepburn          

An Important Lesson...

An Important Lesson I Learned Growing Up

By. S. L. Kliever

 

Never let anger in your home! I think that was the most important lesion I learned growing up!

 

            Anger is like a disease! Once it has a foothold in the home it spreads to others and the end result is terrible! When one person is angry towards others, it breads for bitterness, resentment, and anger towards that person. A never ending circle of destruction! Yelling and shouting in anger does not accomplish any good!

 

If it is the adult in the family who is the angry person, it only encourages rebellion and resentment to authority in the children. If it is the children with the anger problem it needs to be dealt with immediately and properly and not in anger.

 

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

 

Ephesians 4;26-27 “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.”

 

Children learn by watching. If there is anger allowed in the home, they will learn that being angry (shouting, yelling, screaming) is `ok’.  The moment anger is allowed to gain a hold in a family, Satan has ground in that home! “Neither give place to the devil” is a serious warning!

 

I was sixteen when I realized I had an anger problem. Thankfully, by the grace of God and by His help, I overcame that deadly problem.  My family too realized what was happening, and my parents dealt with the issue, asking forgiveness, and praying for that ground to be given back to the Lord.

I think that was the most important lesson I learned growing up.

Important Traits of the Biblical Women.

As I sat thinking of what to post next, I thought of the title of mine and Kliever's blog. I remembered that the beginning part was ''The Biblical Homemaker....''. I thought that a biblical homemaker is also about biblical womanhood. I decided to write about that, and as I thought what to write about, Proverbs 31:10-31 came to mind. I encourage all you ladies who are reading this post, to also look up this passage. The book of Proverbs is the book of wisdom, and chapter 31 verses 10 to 31 tells about the virtuous woman. Lets look at the traits of the biblical / virtuous woman listed here in Proverbs.

Verse 10 starts off with,''Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.'' As we continue reading, we learn that her husband trusts her, she will do her husband good all the days of her life, and she works willingly with her hands. In verse 14, she is said to be like a merchant's ships, and continuing in the passage, she gets up when it is still night to prepare food for her whole household and servants, and she even goes to look at and buy a field and plants a vineyard! Verse 17 goes on to say that she strengthens her muscles! She definitely isn't a wimpy person. But I must make that point a little clearer. God created us ladies to be sweet and feminine. Is it feminine to be like the ''macho / powerful women'' in magazines? Of course not! But we're to still strengthen our muscles, exercise, and stay fit.

The rest of the chapter goes on to say that she works to make linens and cloth to sell, her husband is well known in the gates, she speaks kind and wisely, she keeps her house maintained and she is never idle,her children and husband call her blessed and praise her, and she is the virtuous of virtuous women. The chapter concludes that it's vanity and deceitful to go after favour and beauty, but the woman that fears the Lord shall be praised. Verse 31 says,''Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

I am 17, going to turn 18 in a week. So as you've probably guessed by my age, I'm graduating from High School this year. I've been asked numerous times of what I'm going to be doing after that. It gets hard to tell them that I'm staying home to train to be a wife and mother and to work with my farm animals. In today's society, almost every body's minds have been brainwashed into thinking that every High School grad must go to college or university to get a bachelor's degree just to ''prove'' something or to become ''something'' of importance to get through life. My mom says that she believes university is not for everyone. That's what I found out for myself. My mom thought up a ''more intelligent'' way of what to say. ''I'm going to stay home to major in Biblical Womanhood and minor in Animal Husbandry / Agriculture.''

I'm looking forward to starting my ''college'' education this fall and can hardly wait to see how God works everything out! The Proverbs 31 Virtuous Woman is what I'm striving for!

                                                                                                  By: K.J.Hepburn

Best Career Ever!

1 Timothy 5:14

I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

 

Although Paul was speaking about widows, I find it interesting that there isn’t much in the Bible that speaks directly to younger women.

In our day and age when society pushes for women to have a career, which isn’t wrong in itself, what we find in the Bible, is that women have an important role to play in society.

 

With Mother’s Day just past, I’ve thought about how motherhood is probably the most important job on earth! Shaping young lives that will grow up and intern influence and continue to shape society around them. Mother’s have the biggest impact on the world through their children!

 

Wow! Talk about a career! 

Titus Chapter 2

What Titus 2 says to me

By S. L. Kliever

Titus 2:3-5

“The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behaviour, not slanderes, not given to much wine, teachers of good things- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”

 

The older women in the church need to be examples in their behaviour, not speaking gossip or behind others backs, not given to alcohol, and teachers of good things to the younger women; to give a warning to them, that they should love their husbands and their children, to dress modestly, to be pure in heart and faithful to their families, to be content to be homemakers, working in the home and building a good place for your family; to be an excellent wife and respectful to their husbands, that people who see the Christian family will not blaspheme God or His Word!

 

I have been blessed with a few older women in my life who have been this to me. A godly lady from my church back home… my camp mom… one of my aunts… Now I look around and see what younger women and girls I can be a mentor to.

Who has God placed in your life to be an example to?

 

                                            Typical Homeschoolers

                                                         4-H Speech by K.J. Hepburn

      My everyday life is basically the same as yours. I live on a farm like you, I have chores that have to be done like you, I'm in 4-H like you, and I do school like you. Yep, my life is just about like yours.

            Good afternoon honorable judges, ladies and gentlemen, and fellow 4-H members.

            There's one difference, though. That difference is that I do my school at home.

            Two common questions asked to the typical Homeschooling family are,''Why Homeschooling?''and, ''What's Homeschooling like?'' Well, here's the answers!

            There are many different reasons why families Homeschool, but I'll only mention a few. Parents' convictions, children's disabilities, adoption, and bullying. Some kids are traumatized by bullying and parents may want to prevent that. In some cases, there are no Public Schools near by, or parents don't care for what is being taught at the Public School near them. As you can see, there is a great variety of reasons, and I only mentioned a few!

            Now for the second question,''What's Homeschooling like?'' The shortest, summary answer almost all Homeschooling kids give is,''It's fun!'' Even though Homeschoolers do their school at home, we still have basically the same subjects as you, such as Science, Math, English, History, and Arts. BUT, our education doesn't stop there. In the eyes of a Homeschooler, everything we touch, hear, smell, see, and do is considered education.

             Also in the Homeschooling household, most parents want to focus more on their children's passions and interests while still making sure that they do their school work. Usually the reasons why the parents Homeschool their kids effect what they teach. For example, if the reason is adoption, bullying, or no Public School near by, the parents may use the Public School curriculum and teach it at home. If the reason is convictions or don't like the Public School system, parents can buy the curriculum they think fit or prefer at local Homeschooling conventions and suppliers. But if the case is disabilities, it may depend on how their child  can take in different information. If the parents want, they can buy other curriculum for some subjects and use the Public School curriculum for the other subjects! Homeschoolers have a wide variety of curriculum to choose from; therefore, leading to lots of flexibility. It all really depends on their children's learning ability or style.

             Before the school year starts in the Fall, the parents need to send in their 'Education Plans' of what they hope to learn and accomplish to their Region's School Board. Then at the end of the year in the Spring, the parents also need to send the School Board the 'Year End Reports' to show what their children had learned and accomplished throughout the year.

             Then when the time comes for graduation, Homeschooling doesn't effect the future education that the Homeschool Graduate is looking into, either. There is a variety of Colleges and Universities in Canada and in the States that allow Homeschoolers. They can look and see if there's anything the schools have that the Homeschool Grad wants to pursue as a career. But with Canadian Colleges, Homeschool grads may need to write an entrance exam or meet the school's requirements. College and University aren't the only options for future education. There is also Apprenticeship Programs and Entrepreneurial Enterprises. These options are also the same for the Public Schoolers.

              Homeschooling is really an adventure and those adventures vary with the parents' teaching style, the children's learning style, how many kids they have, where they live, and what kind of activities they're involved in. Each family's adventure is unique and different in its own way.

              Now here's a small taste of my family's Homeschool adventure! Our adventure focuses on the family as we carry out our different tasks and chores around our small, family, hobby farm. Our parents taught us four kids how to work and work hard. It's a great accomplishment to us kids that when we help weed the garden, pick veggies, feed the steers, gather eggs, and milk the cow, that we play a part in providing our family's table with food for the coming winter.

              I'm the oldest kid in my family, and we've been Homeschooling since my very first day of Preschool. At that time we lived in Asquith, SK. which is twenty miles West of Saskatoon. Then in August of 2008, we moved to a farm twelve miles South of Moosomin, SK.

              When I was 13, I started attending the SHBE Conventions with my parents. SHBE stands for Saskatchewan Home Based Educators. At SHBE, booked speakers, who are also usually Homeschooling parents themselves, will come to tell of their Homeschooling adventures and give pointers to the beginning Homeschool parents and advice or methods to the parents who have Homeschooled for a long time. Curriculum resources from all over Canada and the States will come to sell their curriculums and resources to the parents that want them. Homeschooling parents, who are SHBE members, and their teenagers, if they have any, will come from all over Saskatchewan to meet in either Saskatoon or Regina every February.

              Lots of people give our parents lots of comments, but the main one parents get is,''Oh, because you  Homeschool, your children will never be able to socialize.'' Well, at the convention and everywhere else we go, we come home talking about the new life long friends we've made.

              When I was 14, I went to McNaughton High School for Drivers' Ed during the Spring of 2010. It was then and there that I realized the great sacrifice our parents made for us.

              Some days were frustrating, but the majority were rewarding! When I was in grade 5 or 6 on one of those frustrating days, I thought,''Huh, I'm only half way done! At this rate the next six years are going to take a lifetime!'' After all that has happened since grade 6, it sure didn't take long, because now it's looking me straight in the face. This year I'm going to be a 2013 Homeschool Grad!

              I have chose not to pursue a college degree, but I'm still going to further my education. I'm going to stay home to serve my family and church while pursuing my interests. There are loads of online courses, videos, and books to look into now adays. My future education is all at my fingertips. I'm really looking forward to see what happens!

             Well, I hope you got a little insight on what Homeschooling is like. I love Homeschooling and if I get married and have kids, I plan on Homeschooling them, too. I want to give them what my parents gave me, and to continue SHBE's passion for Saskatchewan Homeschoolers!

                                                                                                           K.J. Hepburn

Growing Up Homeschooled

Growing up homeschooled

By S. L. Kliever

           

I’m the second born in my family. The oldest sister of five children.

Growing up homeschooled wasn’t always easy. I had lots of responsibilities being the oldest girl in the family. At age 16 I was running the house during the time my mom was sick. Up in the morning by 5 or 6, read my Bible, eat breakfast, went on the computer for a little bit, then out to do chores by 7:30. milked the goats, then back in to the house to start my school. When my siblings came up for breakfast I would get them going on their work as soon as they were done eating. I also made the meals, baked four batches of bread a week (my older brother ate a lot of sandwiches for work) and did launder in the old ringer washer. Then there was the garden work too, and weeding in the trees.

 

The work was good for us kids, we learned to work hard.

I remember not wanting to grow up, but found that circumstances forced me to grow up and care for my siblings. I often say that I half raised my siblings. I remember changing diapers, bathing and feeding, then when they were older I taught them their school.

 

Though some look at our family and raised eyebrows, I am so grateful for the way I was brought up. Our family grew up close. Some people think we were sheltered…. In a way we were, but just like small trees need shelter from strong wind until they are big and strong, so do children, and my parents saw that. No they were not perfect, and they made mistakes, but all parents do. They did their best, and they taught us in the ways of the Lord. The Lord was the center of our family. We were taught from the Bible as part of our school. Our parents did right in that way. My siblings and I all walk with the Lord today.

 

School for me was hard, I didn’t learn to read till I was in my teens. My siblings all did well in that area, it was just me that struggled for a long time. Growing up with it was embarrassing. If I told friends of my struggle, they would tell me it was because I was homeschooled. It was not because I was homeschooled that I struggled with reading. How many kids today struggle through the public school system?  No it was not because of the way I was schooled, and it was no fault of my parents. Some children just have different learning styles then others, and I was one of them. But again my parents did well, and today I am a published author. I also turned around and taught my siblings, and if I can say it without sounding like I’m bragging, they did well under my tutelage.

 

The way I triumphed over my reading problem was not the normal way of learning how to read. At age 12, my younger sister by five years could read better than me, and I grew very frustrated about it. It seemed to me I was stupid, and I set out to prove to myself that I wasn’t. We were reading The Riverboat Adventure series by Lois Wilfred Johnson. The stories were about the Underground Railroad in the states, and they were so exciting that they inspired me. I wanted to write my own story about the railroad, and so I did. When I filled the first page in my note book, I proudly showed it to Mom. If I remember right, she had to erase just about ever word on that page and rewrite it with the proper spelling. But as she continued to do that, I began to memorize the words I needed to know for my story and slowly my reading improved as I began to write my first story. It took me several years to finish that one story, but by the time I was done, my reading had improved immensely.

 

Did homeschooling do me good? You bet! On this blog, Miss Hepburn and I want to talk about homeschooling, and biblical homemaking. Can people raise godly children in the public school system? ….yes I’ve seen it happen, but I think the home was where children were meant to be raised. I’m a mother now, and I don’t want the public school system raising my daughter!

 

Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

 

It doesn’t mean our children will turn out perfect if we homeschool and it doesn’t mean they will walk in the ways of the Lord, but we must do our part. Every person makes his or her choice, and my children will have to make their own choice. I pray that they will walk with the Lord, and I pray that I and my husband will do our part.

Joshua 24:15
...choose you this day whom ye will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

let us build our homes in the ways of the Lord!!!

I hope you enjoy reading our blog on homeschooling and biblical homemaking.

S.L. Kliever