God Says... "He is able to bless you abundantly."

By Peter Pollock

I say I have faith that God will provide, but only when it’s easy.

Somehow, Ginny has managed to pick the topics which are by far the most personal and hardest for me to write on

The text that Ginny suggested I use is 2 Corinthians 9:8:

"And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

Now, to me, that verse has always spoken about material needs. God will give us all the money and all the materials we need to do whatever it is he calls us to do.

That’s AWESOME – and I totally believe it, with all my heart.

Ginny pointing me to this verse though and suggesting that I write about us saying “I'm not able” and God replying “I AM able” has made me see this verse in a new light.

If God is able to bless us abundantly in all things… then he must be able to bless us abundantly in ALL things, not just material things.

In other words, God is saying I can give YOU the tools YOU need physically, emotionally and mentally to do what I’ve called you to do.

WHOA!

There’s a part of me that can believe that but at the same time, it’s so much harder to trust God for.

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Work For Me Wednesday: Teaching Responsibility

By MAD21

When my oldest first started going to preschool, it was a little hard on both of us. Even though it was only a few hours a few days a week, it was quite an adjustment. I started leaving little 'love notes' in her pockets. I told her it was a little piece of mommy that she could keep with her when we were not together. On the paper it simply said, "Mommy *heart* <her name>." I know it probably sounds hokey. But it helped both of us at the time, and became a loved tradition. (I now find them in my own pockets from her! How awesome is that?!)

A little while after we started doing this, I was out shopping one day and I found a cheap little locket. It was so cute, and at around $3-$4 you couldn't beat the price. I thought it would be a great idea to put the note inside that instead of her pocket, which would also help us resolve the problem of what to do with the notes on the days she wore clothing with no pockets. To say she loved the locket is an understatement. She wore it to school (and anytime we were apart) for a year and a half.

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Balancing Life: A Father's Perspective

By Kevin (Shooting the Breeze)

Being a dad can be a balancing act sometimes.

Actually, it is not just a balancing sometimes; it is a balancing act ALL the time!  On any given day my attention is being pulled in at least four different directions: toward my wife, toward my children, toward my job and toward myself. 

All these aspects of my life are important BUT they are not of the same importance.  I have to choose how I prioritize these different important aspects of my life.  I must be living with the right priorities in place in order to find a happy balance in my life.

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The Bible's Definition Of A Good Education: Part 2 - Understanding

By Jason, M.Ed., M.A.R., Headmaster

“For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:6, NKJV)

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10, NKJV)

Just a reminder before we begin: God calls parents to the responsibility of educating their children.  Whether you home school or send your children to a school outside your home, you are still responsible before God for how your children are being educated.  Each one of us who is called to be a parent is also called to be an educator.  This series of articles deals with “academic” things, but they are things relevant to every parent and everyone who ever hopes to be a parent-- or anyone who wants to learn anything faithfully.

In Part 1, we explored the first component of a Biblically faithful education: knowledge.  Knowledge must be the first step in learning anything. In order for us to develop understating and wisdom about a subject, we must first know it.  In order for me to understand the causes of the Civil War properly, I must first know that there was a Civil War and the major events leading up to it.  In order for me to understand the major themes and the flow of the argument of Romans, I must first know that the Book of Romans exists and I must know its basic content.  Understanding without knowledge will always be unsound and incomplete. 

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