Category: Home Life

Motivation Monday

EditorLeave a comment

“From every Christian home a holy light should shine forth. Love should be revealed in action. It should lantern porch lightflow out in all home intercourse, showing itself in thoughtful kindness, in gentle, unselfish courtesy. There are homes where this principle is carried out—homes where God is worshiped, and truest love reigns. From these homes, morning and evening prayer ascends to God as sweet incense, and His mercies and blessings descend upon the suppliants like the morning dew…. All can see that there is an influence at work in the family that affects the children, and that the God of Abraham is with them. If the homes of professed Christians had a right religious mold, they would exert a mighty influence for good. They would indeed be the “light of the world.”

He who lives Christianity in the home will be a bright and shining light everywhere.”

The Faith I Live By, Page 278

Motivation Monday

EditorLeave a comment

house“The mission of the home extends beyond its own members. The Christian home is to be an object lesson, illustrating the excellence of the true principles of life…. Far more powerful than any sermon that can be preached is the influence of a true home upon human hearts and lives. As the youth go out from such a home, the lessons they have learned are imparted. Nobler principles of life are introduced into other households, and an uplifting influence works in the community.”

The Faith I Live By, Page 278

True Love

AnnLeave a comment

heart-in-sand“True love is a high and holy principle, altogether different in character from that love which is awakened by impulse, and which suddenly dies when severely tested. It is by faithfulness to duty in the parental home that the youth are to prepare themselves for homes of their own. Let them here practice self-denial, and manifest kindness, courtesy, and Christian sympathy. Thus love will be kept warm in the heart, and he who goes out from such a household to stand at the head of a family of his own, will know how to promote the happiness of her whom he has chosen as a companion for life.”

The Faith I Live By, Page 277

Motivation Monday

Editor2 Comments

“The neglect of home religion, the neglect to train your children, is most displeasing to God. If one of your children were in the river, battling with the waves and in imminent danger of drowning, what a life ringstir there would be! What efforts would be made, what prayers offered, what enthusiasm manifested, to save the human life! But here are your children out of Christ, their souls unsaved. Perhaps they are even rude and uncourteous, a reproach to the Adventist name. They are perishing without hope and without God in the world, and you are careless and unconcerned.

What example do you give your children? What order do you have at home? Your children should be educated to be kind, thoughtful of others, gentle, easy to be entreated, and, above everything else, to respect religious things and feel the importance of the claims of God. They should be taught to respect the hour of prayer; they should be required to rise in the morning so as to be present at family worship.”

Testimony Treasures Volume 2, Page 134

Parenting Inspiration from Hannah

AnnLeave a comment
She sought to lead his thoughts to the Creator.
She sought to lead his thoughts to the Creator.

From Shiloh, Hannah quietly returned to her home at Ramah, leaving the child Samuel to be trained for service in the house of God, under the instruction of the high priest. From the earliest dawns of intellect, she had taught her son to love and reverence God, and to regard himself as the Lord’s. By every familiar object surrounding him, she had sought to lead his thoughts up to the Creator. When separated from her child, the faithful mother’s solicitude did not cease. Every day he was the subject of her prayers. Every year she made, with her own hands, a robe of service for him; and as she went up with her husband to worship at Shiloh, she gave the child this reminder of her love. Every fibre of the little garment had been woven with a prayer that he might be pure, noble, and true. She did not ask for her son worldly greatness, but she earnestly pleaded that he might attain that greatness which Heaven values,-that he might honour God and bless his fellow-men.

Mother and Daughter Reading Together
She may make straight paths for the feet of her children…

What a reward was Hannah’s! and what an encouragement to faithfulness is her example! There are opportunities of inestimable worth, interests infinitely precious, committed to every mother. The humble round of duties which women have come to regard as a wearisome task, should be looked upon as a grand and noble work. It is the mother’s privilege to bless the world by her influence, and in doing this she will bring joy to her own heart. She may make straight paths for the feet of her children, through sunshine and shadow, to the glorious heights above. But it is only when she seeks, in her own life, to follow the teachings of Christ, that the mother can hope to form the character of her children after the divine Pattern. The world teems with corrupting influences. Fashion and custom exert a strong power over the young. If the mother fails in her duty to instruct, guide, and restrain, her children will naturally accept the evil and turn from the good. Let every mother go often to her Saviour with the prayer, “Teach us how we shall order the child, and how we shall do unto him.” Let her heed the instruction which God has given in His word, and wisdom will be given her as she shall have need.

-Excerpted from The Bible Echo, June 1894 by E. G. White

Motivation Monday

EditorLeave a comment

“In his work as a public teacher, Christ never lost sight of the children. When wearied with the bustle and confusion of the crowded city, tired of contact with crafty and hypocritical men, his spirit found rest and peace in the society of innocent little children. His presence never repelled them, His large heart of love could comprehend their trials and necessities, and find happiness in their simple joys,Jesus and the children and he took them in his arms and blessed them.

In these children who were brought in contact with him, Jesus saw the future men and women who should be heirs of his grace and subjects of his kingdom, and some of whom would become martyrs for his name’s sake. He knew that these children would listen to him and accept him as their Redeemer far more readily than would the grown people, many of whom were worldly wise and hard-hearted. In his teaching he came down to their level. Although he was the Majesty of heaven, he did not disdain to answer their questions, and simplify his important lessons to meet their childish understanding. He planted in their expanding minds the seeds of truth, which in after years would spring up, and bear fruit unto eternal life.

Parents and teachers, Jesus is still saying, “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not.” They are the most susceptible to the teachings of Christianity; their hearts are open to influences of piety and virtue, and strong to retain the impressions received.”

Special Testimonies On Education, Page 66

A Leap of Faith ~ Cassandra’s Homeschooling Testimony

Editor6 Comments

My homeschool journey began when our daughter was attending SDA church school. She was in third grade and getting away with all types of negative character/behavioral issues because her grandmother was her teacher. Her classmates did not particular care for her because of this. Grandma would allow her to act out with no consequences. I would speak to my mother in law about this to no avail. I was constantly pulling her out of class because of her behavior and fights. It started to get old very quick. I believe in SDA Christian education, done right. My husband attended church school from the kindergarten to college. Our circumstances dictated that we do something different.

At that time, I was the school secretary where our daughter attended. These were some trying times for me. We had two children. Our daughter attended where I worked and our son attended the other church school. Both had to have uniforms, lunches etc…Our son had to get to and from school by whomever we could work out transportation with. The cost…can you say mortgage payments. My husband would say if it costs the much now what is it going to be like when it is time for college.

Our daughter’s behavior was getting worse and the spankings increased. I had attempted to homeschool our daughter when she was kindergarten age, but I allowed my mother in law to talk me out of it.

One day my friend and her children came by my job. They had been on a field trip and (they were homeschooling family) they looked so content in this situation, so I started ask questions and they began to explain to me where they had been and so forth. I was complaining about my daughter’s behavior and  both my friend and I thought that I needed to pray and ask God for guidance.  The expression “Doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome” came to my mind. So we both began to pray. I got my hands on a book by the Moore’s , read it and I was convicted. But I had not spoken to my husband yet. I wanted to be armed with info first. Then I found The Adventist Home Educator, this is when Sis. Judy was doing it. We purchased the book,  and DVD’s.

My husband and I talked and prayed about our decision because we would be down to one income. I was not making much. I only took that job so I could be where my daughter was not because of the money. Because our finances were already stretched with both children in church school, becoming a one-income family was scary to us. Nevertheless, we took a leap of faith and we did not put her in CF quotechurch school the following year.

Our daughter finished high school last year. And our son will finish college soon Praise the Lord! I can tell you for sure it has not always been easy.  Do not think for a minute that we did not get feedback from church members, family and the so-called friends, we did. Some of these people would make you feel like you do not know what you are doing. They tell you your child will be isolated, that they will not have any friends or that your child needs to be socialized. They would ask why you would do this to your children. Actually, some of them were worse than the people who were not of my faith. I even had people come to me and say that I thought my children were better than theirs were. This was just the beginning. I had to learn not get angry every time I was confronted, so I armed myself with info regarding homeschooling. Sometimes I thought I was losing my mind or I felt like I was not doing enough. The one-on-one praying and teaching worked for us. The spankings she received because of her behavior ceased. Our prayer time and devotions were amazing. Having school all day was a thing of the past. Just a few hours a day and we were able to do other stuff like gardening, cooking and learning to sew etc…Our bond grew tighter. Nothing but God! One of the first scriptures we learned was Psalm 46:1 -“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” KJV

My journey of homeschooling has ended for our children, but I will help anyone who asks me how to get started. You cannot just turn it off. I pray for homeschool families weekly. It is not an easy job but it is so worth it.

by Cassandra Folson