Author: randijo

Choosing Joy

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Yesterday I wrote about suffering

Today – I want to write about choosing joy.

For the past three years, the Lord has given me the honor of being a front-row witness to my dear friend Cory’s life – walking beside her as she has battled cancer. And she is still in the battle. The Lord is still writing her story.

And I want to share what I have witnessed. Through every step, she has faced this trial as she has lived her life – with grace, love, faith, and a steadfast choice to rejoice.

“Suffering, in and of itself, does not bring us nearer to God” as Tim Keller wisely points out (in Walking with God through Pain & Suffering). It’s who we turn to in the pain that makes all the difference.

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Suffering

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My summary & response from a section of Tim Keller’s Walking with God through Pain and Suffering

Christians don’t believe in karma. We recognize that suffering in this world is often unjust and disproportionate. For now, life on earth is under dark forces, and things simply aren’t fair – people living well and living godly lives suffer greatly. Christianity tells the truth about this reality. Even in America, one of the most privileged places to live, we see suffering that defies logic.

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Side by Side

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My Grandma Evelyn had a poem, “The Bible & the TV Guide” sitting on her TV stand for most of the ’90s and it has always stayed with me. It is true that “there’s nothing new under the sun”: the temptations are the same as they’ve always been from Adam & on, the forms just change. I struggle constantly trying to figure out how much technology should be a part of my life and I constantly have to repent from getting “caught up” in bad habits of turning to the phone first or most… and every time He convicts me, I must confess and ask for help in turning back, knowing He is so gracious and loving and simply wants what is best for me – Himself! Here’s an updated version for our day….

The Bible & The Phone

They lie on the table
side by side,
The Holy Bible,
with light inside,
And the smartphone,
with its glow so bright,
One shines truth,
the other artificial light.

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Heart of Homeschooling – Every Christian Homeschooler Needs This Book

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Y’all knew I was talking about The Bible, right?

Yes! This is the one book that every single Christian homeschooler needs. But is it front and center in your homeschool? In your morning? Throughout your day? Sure, you probably have a curriculum with a “Bible” component. But is that really enough?

What I really want to ask is: Do your children see how much you cherish the Word of God? Do they see you turn to it for strength, comfort, wisdom, and encouragement?

I can assure you, your relationship with the Bible speaks louder than any assignments you give or any ways you try to connect your children to the Word.

When was the last time you thought about your Bible and how it is the very words of the GOD of the UNIVERSE written through human authors? It’s not just a collection of stories from history to study – it is THE story. The story of GOD and His plan to redeem humanity and create for himself a family, a home, a people. It is the revelation of Himself for us. It is our guide for life.

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The Longing to Belong

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Belonging Gives Rest

“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:19 

“And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ” Romans 1:6

At our core, we long for belonging. This longing transcends culture, status, and age; it’s woven into our very being.  Yet Scripture tells us that we do not belong to this world.  And when we seek to belong in the world – through people, subcultures, niches, or worldly pursuits – we will inevitably find them insufficient to fulfill our longings.  Why?  Because first and foremost, we were created to belong to Christ. In Christ. With Christ. 

Once we settle this truth deep in our hearts and minds – that our ultimate place of belonging is in Christ, it changes everything.  We can stop searching for fulfillment, validation, assurance, identity, and affirmation in anything and everything.  We can simply abide in Christ and be His beloved child, wherever we are, whoever we are with.  In Christ, we find all we need.  Our restless souls can finally be at peace, secure in being known, seen, and loved by Him. The search is over.  In Him we find rest.

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Heart of Homeschooling – Extracurriculars

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Please forgive me as this post is longer than normal. I wanted to keep all the various sections in one post. Thanks for bearing with me.

What’s the point of ExtraCurriculars anyway? Sports, Music, Dance, Theatre, and on and on and on…. As Christ-followers, should they even be part of our lives? How do we stay “set apart” and not just go with the flow and let the culture make our decisions for us? What does it look like to be Christ-centered in our extracurriculars and not allow worldly things to capture our hearts and worldly views to creep into our mindsets?

I hear these ponderings and worries all.the.time amongst homeschooling moms and in my own head. And as I’ve listened and reflected on what I’m learning, I wanted to share some thoughts that I pray can help guide others who struggle in this area. It’s so easy to get stuck in fear (FOMO) cycles and wander into worldly thoughts, so I pray the Lord will give you a fresh, Christ-focused vision for the extras! I do not want to focus on practical things that are obvious to me (pray before joining anything, obey the Lord and put it in a lower place if it’s getting in the way of family closeness or Church commitments) but want to try to plant seeds in the heart and mind about the bigger picture of it all!

As Christ Followers, the goal of extra-curriculars (as in all things) is to build our children’s character to be more like Jesus, help them walk closer to Him, and help them glorify Him with their lives. If the Extra-Curricular activities are not doing these things… they are worthless and will lead away from Christ.

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GOD is Love

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Thanks to the Olympics opening ceremony, social media this week is full of debates about how to love unbelievers and what to do when we see depravity, perversion, immorality, darkness.

(Note: Many people who call themselves Christians can’t even agree on what IS perversion, darkness, immoral…. but that’s a different post. Let’s pretend that all Christ-followers are on the same page that what was presented at the Olympic opening ceremony was sin-filled, dark, perverted, and against God’s best according to His Word)

The truth is that GOD is LOVE. So if you’re not pointing to God and trying to steer people to God, you aren’t loving.

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Heart of Homeschooling – What’s Your Vision

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Most of us homeschoolers (besides you rare super-high achievers who never stop grinding and you unschoolers who keep the same schedule year-round) are in summer mode with free time, downtime, camps, vacations, late nights, and slow mornings. And hopefully, not ALL the new math skills learned this year are evaporating out of the relaxed minds as the summer heat bears down!

I encourage you to soak up your summertime! Do not worry about this past year of school and how many things you didn’t do good enough (in your judgment). Do not fret about the school year to come. EnJOY your family with fewer demands, pressures, and expectations. BUT here’s one assignment I challenge you to do in July: spend time in prayer and conversation with the Lord & your spouse and reflect on the vision for your homeschool.

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A Soul at Rest

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“He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, now you have returned to the Shepherd & Overseer of your souls.” I Peter 2:24-25

“All we like sheep have gone astray” Isaiah 53:6

We all, like sheep without a Shepherd, were going astray. Before Christ saved us and gave us a new heart and new life…. we were wandering, seeking, soul-thirsty, headed for ruin, unprotected, exposed, and lonely.

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Loving Others from A Pure Heart (Part 2)

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Continuing on from previous post …

… for you have been born again not of perishable seed but of imperishable through the living and enduring word of God….. therefore rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. I Peter 1:23, 2:1-3

We must rid ourselves of these types of heart thoughts (malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander)! And instead crave spiritual milk: Desire Him and His Spirit. Desire to know Him better through His Word. Desire to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds“. Desire to be pure and true like Him. Desire to give Him the honor He deserves… more than we desire honor for ourselves that we don’t deserve. Desire what HE says is best more than what’s easy or what feels best.

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