Further Thoughts ...

My Learning Curve: Never Give in… (Re-post from “A Bushel and a Peck”)

Pastor Kevin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:42:08 +0000

My Learning Curve: Never Give In, Never Give In…

By OneThankfulMomMonday December 5, 2011

I wrote this post months ago, and it sat in my “Drafts” folder as I contemplated whether I should post it. I read it again last week and the timing was perfect because I was discouraged at the moment, and weary, and feeling like life was just harder than I could manage. My own words smacked me right in the face. I must have been very fired up when I wrote this – that’s all I can say. If you think you are ready, read on.

When we adopt children from “hard places,” we are willingly devoting our lives to a challenge. We must prepare ourselves for battle, not with our child, but for our child. We may find ourselves fighting for her physical health, emotional health, and mental health. Without a doubt we will be fighting a spiritual battle like none other.

This is not a battle against flesh and blood, but a spiritual battle for our children’s healing and wholeness. But you and I both know who will win this battle – who has already won it – the Lord Jesus. He placed your children in your family and my children in mine, and He does not make mistakes. I don’t mean that in a trite “greeting card” way – He is the Lord of the universe and He is sovereign and good. He loves us and He loves our children who come to us with broken hearts and bodies.

We may be hurt in the process. Our hearts will be wounded by burdens we never imagined we would face. Our bodies may be hurt as we love a raging child. Our minds will be easily led down a road of anxiety over the future. Sadly, our other children may also suffer and we will need to protect them and heal their wounds as the home they once knew is changed before their eyes.

But, this is it, this is the battle we have been called to fight and we cannot fight it alone; we need to gather people around us. We need friends who love us and our children and who understand the significance of this hard work . We need fellow adoptive parents to encourage us and remind us of the value of our calling. We need friends who will not only pray but bring dinner on long therapy days; friends who will support us when we feel we cannot go on. And we need the Church, the Body of Christ, to shelter us and be our “safe place,” the place where we can always go when there is nowhere else to turn.

When our days are very challenging, we may cry out to God and ask him, “How long? How long will we struggle?” I don’t know the answer, but I can tell you that our first adopted children arrived home over 4 ½ years ago. Dimples is making significant progress, but it has been 54 months, two weeks and 3 days of working toward her healing, which we are seeing slowly happen. There is no quick fix, and if we are hoping there is we will be sorely disappointed. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

When I am weary, familiar phrases from God’s Word bring me encouragement. We are running a race. This world is not my home. God heals the brokenhearted. But today, the words that come to me time and time again are those of Winston Churchill,

Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

This is what I need to hear today. Never give in – never yield to force or to what may appear to be the overwhelming might of the enemy. When we wake in the morning unsure if we can make it through another day of parenting our special children, we must remember that the Lord will give us the strength to do the work He has called us to do. When we are tempted to give up the fight, we must stay in the battle believing the promises of our God who will strengthen us.

To our children we must say, “I will fight for you. I will never give in – never, never, never, never. You are mine, you are precious. You are of such great worth that Jesus died for you. You are worth weeping for, praying for, sacrificing for; I love you and I will not let you go.”

After all, there is One who has fought for us, wept for us, prayed for us, and even died for us. He loves us and He will not let us go.

Note: Are there times when “convictions of honor and good sense” bring us to a place where we cannot continue the fight for our child? Yes. This not a message to those parents and is in no way meant to judge them. If you have been released by God to seek other options for your child – I pray for grace for your family in this difficult journey.

#481 – 490 giving thanks

Noah taking the girls to school so Russ can keep working and I can stay home

birds flocking to our birdfeeder

Eby lying on his bed during Quiet Hour watching the birds from his window

Rusty helping me with a creative Christmas project

the sun coming up as I write – orange, pink, deep blue

three candles lit on the kitchen counter

Samuel working with the youth at church

Ladybug’s amazing good attitude

medications that keep my children alive – a miracle of medical science

a new week, just beginning, and all that it will hold

(p.s. One more thing – my apologies for the Deepak Chopra ad that keeps appearing in my sidebar. I have emailed BlogHer three times asking them to remove it. This is the first time they have not responded when I’ve made a request regarding removing an ad. I will contact them again today.)

Encourage one another,

Lisa

The Nitty Gritty of Adoption (Repost from ‘We Are Grafted In”)

Pastor Kevin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:06:04 +0000

The Nitty Gritty of Adoption

When we first announced our plans to adopt, many (though not all) of the responses we received were…shall we say…less than ecstatic. We weren’t expecting the same thrills and cheers that people receive when they announce when they’re pregnant. But, when sharing something that has begun to consume your heart receives a negative response, it stings a little bit.

This pic was our initial announcement.

To those who have never thought about adoption and have only been educated about it through the nightly news, it can be a foreign concept that stirs up feelings of risk, danger, impracticality, and fear. Why would you adopt when you can have biological children of your own? What if your adopted child is mean to your biological child? Why would you put your family at risk for something difficult when your life is so easy right now? You’re adopting from Africa, does your adopted child have a communicable illness? Are you sure having an interracial family is a good idea? (Just look at a current family picture for the answer to that one.) How can you love an adopted child the same as a biological child? You’re going to have all girls…doesn’t your husband want a biological son to carry on his name?

We’ve spent a lot of time defending our decision to adopt and will probably continue to do so. We realize it’s not something that everyone does and the unknown can be very scary for some. Not only is adoption changing our lives, but it’s changing the lives of our friends and family. Even though we are the ones who made the choice to adopt, our decision impacts many people. That can take awhile to come to terms with.

So why are we doing it?

To sum it up, we’re adopting because Christ loved us first and has adopted us into His family and kingdom. He has been to those dark, sick, nitty gritty places over and over and over again. I’m not talking about orphanages. I’m talking about places like my own heart. Had I seen the depths of my heart before I was rescued by Christ, I would have considered myself unadoptable because of the sickness in me. But Christ fought for me because I am worth it to Him. Love hopes and believes all things. We know that adoption won’t be easy. This will very likely be the most difficult thing we will ever do in our lives, but we are not afraid because the greatest glory and treasure often comes out of the greatest struggle. There will be challenges, sleepless nights, rebellion, bitterness, feelings of not belonging, doctor’s visits, inappropriate questions from strangers and friends, bad hairdos, delayed milestones, and much more. There will also be cuddles, laughter, new traditions, milestones reached, birthdays, “gotcha day” celebrations, 3 cultures to honor, shared clothing, sleepovers, and unconditional love and commitment.

We are not afraid.

We are not looking for easy lives.

We are looking for glory, hope, redemption, and love in every corner and crevice because our Creator God has placed it there. We’re not about the practical. We’re about the impractical, incomprehensible, wild and ridiculous love of our great Redeemer who has led us from brokenness and pain into His restored and delivered heavenly family.

To get to the point, we’re adopting, not in order to avoid challenges and risks, but to call out love and hope in the dark and difficult places. It’s there and we will not give up, because we were not given up on.

________________________________________

Sarah Pascual

Sarah Pascual lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband Jonathan and sweet 16 month old daughter, Aurora. Sarah works for a non-profit and Jonathan is the best stay-at-home dad ever. They began their adoption adventure in March 2011 when God opened their eyes to the millions of African children needing a family. Their initial plan was to adopt one child under age 2, but God enlivened their hearts to a set of 3 1/2 year old twin girls they are hoping to bring home within the next few months. Their journey is a road of grace, thankfulness, adventure, and love. You can follow their adoption journey here.

Confessions of a Sorry Father (Re-post)

Pastor Kevin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:36:18 +0000

And another excellent post from someone else’s blog today. I find the information at “Empowered to Connect” to be excellent, biblical, sound parenting advice for all those desiring to stay connected with their children. Today, “Confessions of a Sorry Father” speaks of the times when we blow it and simply say things, or do things that disconnect us from our kids. Fathers especially, I encourage you to take a moment to read the post and ask the Lord to speak to our hearts. Then watch as Dr. Karyn Purvis explains why it is important for parents to repair their mistakes, and how repair can actually encourage growth and strengthen the relationship between parent and child.

I want to be a good father. I even like to think I work pretty hard at it – certainly much harder than I ever imagined I would. But despite my best intentions and in spite of all of my efforts, I am still a pretty sorry father at times. Sorry as in bad, rotten and no good. I can think of some other ways to say it, but I think you get the picture.

Take this morning for example. Mornings before school can be dicey in general, but for the most part we have our routine down and we’ve learned – parents and kids alike – how to make things run smoothly. Every once in a while, however, someone decides to mix things up. Maybe it’s because the kids went to bed late or one of them isn’t feeling well. Or maybe it’s for no reason at all, as was the case today. Whatever the reason, my kids need a father that can handle whatever they throw his way. I want to be that kind of father. Not some of the time; all of the time. But today I wasn’t. Today, I was the problem.

It started simply enough – Amy asked Grant (our 9 year old) to take his medicine. It happens every morning. It’s no big deal. But today he didn’t want to – and he made that clear. That happens. I know it shouldn’t, but it does. So I heard what was going on and decided to get involved to “help out.” But somewhere along the way I lost my focus…and then my perspective…and then my way.

In my response I wounded my son’s spirit and damaged our connection. In my attempt to stop disrespect, I was disrespectful. In my attempt to respond to a fear-driven response, I responded in a way that brought about more fear. In my attempt to thwart my son’s bid for control, I was controlling. In my attempt to stop the yelling, I raised my voice. Who am I kidding – I yelled. In my attempt to keep things moving forward, I caused us all (as the other kids watched on) to take a huge step backward.

There is no doubt my son was wrong, but that’s really not the point at all. My litany of wrongs didn’t make his wrong right. Instead, my behavior made everything worse. I was the problem today – and if I am honest, this wasn’t the first time and, sadly, it won’t be the last.

And I know I’m not alone. None other than the Apostle Paul had this very same problem – no, not as a parent, but my real issue is not limited merely to being a sorry father. My issue is that I am imperfect, woefully so at times, and I live in a world that is imperfect and made up other imperfect people. It is the age old problem of sin and the brokenness that sin has created.

Paul talked about this very plainly in his letter to the church in Rome: “I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary. But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?” (Romans 7:14-25, The Message).

But Paul was not without hope – and neither am I. He continues, “The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2, The Message).

The hope of this truth is that by God’s Spirit I can be empowered to become the kind of father that I long to be…the kind of father my kids need me to be. Because of what Christ has done and is doing, I have access to the source of strength and power that can equip and enable me to handle this and every situation in a way that shows love, builds connection and leads my children in the way of the Master. So this is the hope that I find comfort in today, even as I wrestle with the guilt and shame that rolls over me like waves.

Once we both calmed down, Grant and I were able to begin to repair our connection before he left for school. And frankly, I cannot wait to get home today to continue that healing process. I think maybe we will take a walk after baseball practice and I will explain to him (again) that I love him deeply, even though I make mistakes and don’t always show it like I should. I think I will ask him again to forgive me for each offense – my anger, my yelling, my frustration and disrespect – and ask him if we can start over. And I know what he’ll say. After all, we have lots of experience with second chances and trying again in our family.

“SPD Meltdown” – Re-post from “We Are Grafted In”

Pastor Kevin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:09:09 +0000

The following is a re-post from the blog “We Are Grafted In“, which is a compilation of excellent posts about the joys, trials, and challenges of adoption. SPD refers to a condition called “Sensory Processing Disorder”. Jean Ayres, PhD, likened SPD to a neurological “traffic jam” that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly.

Many adoptive parents find themselves facing SPD and wondering what they have done wrong. SPD is not limited to adopted or foster children. The following post, from adoptive mother Stacey Richards describes it well. For families facing this issue, emotional strain can be great.

Here is the post:

She starts crying…lots of stiff, foot stomping crying…crying “mommy, mommy, hold me.” It’s the beginning of a meltdown. Of course, I immediately bend down and scoop up my precious crying babe. But, what’s different about this cry? The cause? It’s sensory processing disorder. It’s a cry and pain that cannot be comforted, a cry that can’t be stopped, a cry that the more you try to comfort and soothe, the more intense and raging it becomes, a cry that is actually more like a blood curdling scream, a continual scream that will only stop when her body has fully let it all out. SPD is holding her hostage in her own body.

I pick up my crying babe just for her to start screaming, “don’t touch me, put me down.” I put her down. She changes her screams of “put me down” to “I want to hold you…hold me, hold me” and this goes on for at least 40 minutes, sometimes much longer. We sit in a chair as she screams and kicks, fighting me, fighting herself the entire time, her body is extremely tight, rigid, stiff. She clings to me for dear life and pushes me away at the same time. We try walking around but it’s extremely difficult to carry her because of the intense kicking. The love that a mama normally pours out for her hurt child–the singing, the caressing, the holding, the kissing, the whispers, the beautiful loving–actually causes my girl to spiral even deeper.

She kicks violently, she slaps my legs until they are red, she frantically rubs her feet together until they are raw and almost bleeding. I try to protect her. I try to hold her feet, separate her feet, anything to keep her from rubbing them together. But, her adrenaline is raging. The child who has hypotonia is just about stronger than her mama. The more I try to stop her, the more persistent and focused she becomes in rubbing her feet. The more I ask her to stop kicking and flopping her legs all over, the more she flails, the more she screams “don’t touch me, hold me, put me down, I want you.”

This will only end when her body, her brain, and neurological system will let her rest, when her disorganized little body can calm long enough to get her grounded.The screaming, kicking, feet rubbing, stomping, pushing, slapping is starting to fade. Her body is exhausted and will finally let her rest. She collapses on my shoulder and her SPD cry turns into an exhausted weep.

It’s over; the meltdown is done. She will weep for a few moments, sit up, and carry on like nothing ever happened. I can still see the exhaustion in her eyes. But, for now, her body is at peace and communicating properly. She hums and skips around as if all is well.

But, this mama doesn’t forget. This mama grieves for the deep, internal wounds my baby girl carries, for her disorganized little insides. This mama grieves that no matter how much I try to comfort her during these times, the more pain it causes her.

Lord, continue to heal our miracle girl, the precious babe you fashioned and created to be our girl, the precious babe you had us fight for, the sweet girl that we are still fighting for. Equip us to help her heal. Show us everything she needs and how we can help her. Amen.

________________________________________

Please visit Stacy’s blog to read 4 Years Living With Sensory Processing Disorder about how they discovered their daughter had SPD and how they have walked through it medically. It’s worth your time. Truly.

Info on “Feast of Trumpets” (Yom Teruah aka Rosh Hashanah) This Friday Evening

Pastor Kevin — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 22:02:50 +0000

From Following the Ancient Paths Blog

Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets, is the day that is marked on most calendars as Rosh Hashanah. Yom Teruah means “Day of Shouting” and can refer to the shout of a trumpet or a voice. It’s a day of remembrance and shouting, or Zicharon Teruahmeaning remembrance shouting. It is a day to hear the sound of the shofar or a trumpet, it is a day to make a joyful noise unto the L-RD! For if we don’t praise Him the very rocks will cry out in our place. The cries of the trumpet or shofar on Yom Teruah serve as a warning cry for us to wake up and repent, to be prepared for YHVH. Yom Teruah is the first day of the seventh month, so it takes place on Rosh Chodesh Tishri – the new moon – the beginning of the month of Tishri. This is the first celebration of the fall festivals. 10 days later is Yom Kippur and 5 days after that is Sukkot.

In Scripture you can find references to Yom Teruah in these locations: Leviticus 23:23-25, Numbers 10:1-2, 10:10, 29:1-6, Nehemiah 8:2-3, 8:8-12.

The month before Yom Teruah is a season of repentance, spiritual awakening and preparation for the fall festivals. Yom Teruah begins a traditional 10 day period between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement. These days are called the Days of Awe. Then we have the highest holy day of the year – the day the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies to make atonement for all of Israel. This is a solemn time to be sure. Then Sukkot is the time that it is expected that Yeshua the Messiah was born. It is a time to remember living in temporary dwellings on the road from Egypt to Israel, it is a time to remember that the G-d of Heaven came to tabernacle among us. It is a time to remember that our earthly tabernacles are temporary and that He is preparing for us heavenly bodies to last us for all of eternity. The fall festival season is powerful!

Back to Yom Teruah. This is a day that is referred to as a day that no man knows because it is Rosh Chodesh and it means we must be watchful of the signs. Today we have computers and programs that will tell us when the new moon will be visible. Way back when they knew too because they watched the skies. But have you ever noticed that some nights there seems to be no moon at all, for a night or two? No man knew if this month would have a one night or a two night “no moon” or how long it would take to actually be able to see the moon. Once the new moon is spotted it signals a new month. Yom Teruah being on Rosh Chodesh has special significance in this way. We are to wait with anticipation for this day to be revealed, just like we wait for the Messiah to return. There is much tradition that says that this is the time that the Messiah is expected to return.

Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah is celebrated in many homes as the New Year. While it is not the start of the Biblical New Year (it is the 7th month), it is the start of the civil year. It will be the year 5767 according to the traditional calendar when Rosh Hashanah comes this Friday night. This holiday will be celebrated with sweet breads, other sweet foods, apples and honey, and wishes that you be inscribed in the book of life. This year Yom Teruah falls on Shabbat, making it a doubly special Shabbat.

I am going to list a few links to several articles I found this week for further reading.Yom Teruah – The Day of the Awakening Blast, Yom Teruah is a holiday on the 1st day of the Seventh month (Tishrei), Yom Teruah: Day Of The Shofar Blast ,and Yom Teruah are all articles that might be of interest to those who would like to read further.

May you all have a sweet and wonderful Yom Teruah and may your spirit be stirred as you wait for Him. May you make a joyful noise unto Him in praise and worship and may your time with family and friends be blessed. Shabbat Shalom!!

Please Pray Today … and Praise God for Adoption Miracles

Pastor Kevin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:47:09 +0000

Two adoption stories for your prayers today.

The first is a call for prayer

for a pending adoption in Uganda … the story, the process, the family involved is amazing … the bottom line is that they need your/our prayers today for a critical meeting with the birth mother of one of the two girls they are in Uganda to adopt.

The second is a call to praise God

for his miracles and for the amazing ways He uses to bring and sustain life. Please read the latest update on this little boy who was just recently brought home from China.

As you think of both of these situations, please continue to pray for God’s heart for the orphan to be embraced by the church overall and by you and me specifically.

Must Read – “A Letter to Girls I Know” (On Modesty)

Pastor Kevin — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:28:12 +0000

I found this letter at annawood.wordpress.com and am reposting it in it’s entirety! Very well said!

Dear Girls,There are two kinds of men: Godly men, and worldly men. What kind of man do you want? I’m betting most of you said “a Godly man.” Someday, you want to marry a man who loves God with every fiber of his being because he will be an excellent husband and father. He will honor and be true only to you. Most women want a Godly man or at least think they do. Well, I think I have found a way to tell you exactly what kind of guy you will get. I don’t even have to know you! All I have to do is look at you. The kind of guy you want or will get is advertised by the clothing you wear. I know what men want. Trust me, I am a guy. I know more guys than you do and I know them better. I know what we think, what we talk about, what we want, and what we look for, and it is different for each one of us depending on our relationship with God. I’m sure you already know this, but men were created differently than you. We have different desires and priorities. Our eyes and minds react very differently to some things than yours do. It isn’t disgusting, perverted, or wrong; it is wonderful and good! It is how God made us. It’s how we handle these differences that separate a Godly man from a worldly man.

A worldly man doesn’t control himself, rather, he looks at anything that attracts his attention or gets him excited. A worldly guy has no problem when girls wear clothes that show off skin, like boxers, high or low-cut shirts, low-rise jeans, and “cute” little swim-suits. He’s a fan of tight-fitting shirts and pants that show off your form, he thinks they’re fine! Worldly guy watches a lot of TV and R-rated movies, isn’t really offended by sexual content or nudity and secretly dabbles in pornography. He’s a “Christian” and makes up a significant portion of your church and youth group. He’s a really nice guy and sees you mainly for your body. If you were to marry worldly guy, he’d bring lots of baggage into the relationship, have intimacy problems, entertain thoughts of other women, and possibly cheat on you.

A Godly man is in control of his drives and desires. He constantly seeks God and reads his Bible. He “walks in the Spirit” and isn’t set off by everything he sees. When immodestly-dressed girls, magazine covers, or risqué advertisements come into view, Godly guy quickly “bounces his eyes” away from the image. He’s constantly guarding his thoughts and what he allows into his mind. He hates being around girls that disrespect him and his struggles by wearing inappropriate attire. Godly guy doesn’t watch much TV and is selective about the movies he sees. He views you as a person, knows you and respects you. He has your best interests in mind and guards against inappropriate thoughts of you. If you were to marry Godly guy, he would give you the emotional attention you need, he would ignore other women and remain faithful to you no matter what.

Unfortunately, there are more worldly men than Godly men. And to make matters worse, to the untrained eye, a worldly man can look a lot like a Godly man. So what can you do to only attract a Godly man? An important way of delineating between them lies in how you dress. As mentioned before, the clothes you wear advertise what kind of guy you are looking for. If you dress immodestly, you will attract worldly guys and scare away the Godly ones. It all comes down to the kind of man you want to spend your time around and eventually marry. You cannot afford to be complacent in this area of your life! You will pay the price someday.

This issue isn’t limited strictly to you and your future relationship. The way you dress directly affects other men and women and their relationships. You don’t see the struggles, the pain, the tears and the sin that you cause, but I can promise that you would be shocked if you did! Ask any Christian young man; we’ve all seen it. It’s kept hidden but it is definitely there. By dressing immodestly, you effectually spit on the struggles of our weaker ranks, appearing to care more about toying with us than helping us. You’ll never know how many broken relationships and lifestyles of sin you’ve contributed to simply by the way you dress. You want to marry a Godly man someday, well so do many other women. Don’t just help yourself and your future, help all women and their relationships by showing discretion in your dress.

Of course, I understand the desire to look stylish, attractive, and “cute.” It’s important to fit in and get attention. Trust me, it can be done modestly! I also understand that it is easier for some girls to find stylish and well-fitting clothes than it is for others. This is an area where guys really don’t understand what you are up against. But just remember, for every sacrifice you make to honor God with your image, Godly men are making sacrifices in their lives that are just as hard, if not harder! They will and do respect you so much for choosing to be modest! A real lady is conscientious of the image she presents, and real men want a real lady. And you can forget about any guys missing out on how attractive you are because you don’t wear revealing clothing. You could wear a circus tent and we would still know; it’s a gift we have.

And so the question still remains: What kind of man do you want? Answer me with your clothes.

C.S. Lewis on Modern Education

Pastor Kevin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:39:02 +0000

Joe Rigney writes on the Desiring God blog concerning C.S. Lewis’ views on the dangers of “modern education”.

My own family has enjoyed the entire Narnia series and have been encouraged to see how C.S. Lewis brilliantly describes so many aspects of God and Christianity through these allegories. While I have not read “The Abolition of Man”, it seems clear from this article that even “back then”, Lewis was on to the schemes that were afoot to undermine God-given truths and realities. Realities that include basic values for life which are derived, not from delineating simple facts, but from embracing the God who remains invisible, yet ever-present in every aspect of this world. (Romans 1:18-21)

Here is Joe’s Article:

Part of my goal in writing these posts is to commend the Narnian stories as a component of Christian discipleship. In doing so, I’m not merely contending that we can read them profitably as Christians, but that C. S. Lewis intended these stories to inculcate Christian values, habits, and truth.

We’ve already seen that he intended these stories to “steal past the watchful dragons” that hindered true affections for God and Christ and that he believed that fairy stories should beread by adults as well as children. But another way to approach the issue of discipleship is to reflect on Lewis’ critique of modern education in his brilliant little book The Abolition of Man.

Lewis regarded the trends in the educational establishment of his day as problematic on a number of levels. Choosing a standard English text-book as his starting point, Lewis offers a shrewd and perceptive critique of the subtle ways in which our educational assumptions and models can negatively impact a society. In this post, I’ll focus on three aspects of his critique.

Marginalizing Value Statements

First, Lewis highlights the subtle ways that modern education marginalizes value statements. The authors of The Green Book that he chose as his example argue that when we make a value statement about something in the world, we are not actually speaking about the thing, but instead making a statement about our own subjective feelings. In other words, when we stand at the edge of the Grand Canyon and exclaim, “That is glorious!” we are not really commenting about the canyon; rather we are simply communicating that we have feelings associated in our minds with the word “glory.” Lewis writes,

The schoolboy who reads this passage in The Green Book will believe two propositions: firstly, that all sentences containing a predicate of value are statements about the emotional state of the speaker, and, secondly, that all such statements are unimportant (The Abolition of Man, 19).

Separating Fact and Value

Second, this marginalization of value statements results in a sharp separation in the mind of the student between objective “facts” and subjective “values.” The former are rational, testable, and important. The latter are “contrary to reason and contemptible” (25). Moreover, this separation of fact and value is not a creed that is taught explicitly, but an atmosphere and tone that is inhaled and absorbed. It becomes a part of a student’s mental framework of assumptions, and it does so without critical analysis or reflection.

Creating Men Without Chests

Third, a student who thus begins to assume this fact/value distinction will begin to display two traits that are harmful to himself and to society. First, he will begin to view ordinary human emotions disdainfully. He will look down his nose at a mother who is delighted by her children or an old man who tears up when the national anthem is played. Second, this disdain of ordinary emotions will be accompanied by a decreasing practice of classical virtues like courage, sacrifice, and honor. The reason is not hard to see. Familial affection (like that between a mother and child) is the source of self-sacrifice on the part of the mother. The tears of the patriot are intimately connected to his willingness to fight for the flag.

These two factors will have devastating effects on the student and on the society. The student will have cut himself off from the possibility of “having certain experiences which thinkers of more authority than [he] have held to be generous, fruitful, and humane” (23). The society in which he lives, which has promoted and celebrated this type of modern education, will be in an ironically broken state:

And all the time—such is the tragi-comedy of our situation—we continue to clamour for those very qualities we are rendering impossible. You can hardly open a periodical without coming across the statement that what our civilization needs is more ‘drive,’ or dynamism, or self-sacrifice, or ‘creativity.’ In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful (36-37).

Joe Rigney is Assistant Professor of Theology and Christian Worldview at Bethlehem College and Seminary.

Praying for the Persecuted Christians Around the World

Pastor Kevin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:43:10 +0000

Maryam and Marzieh

Voice of the Martyrs continues to do an excellent job of keeping the “rest of us” up to date on the perils of living the Christian life in many nations. Recently they shared an update on the two women who were arrested for their faith in Iran.

For all of the times when we have felt “persecuted” as Christians in the U.S., it is always good to read about and join in prayer for those who are suffering a much more severe and potentially life-threatening persecution.

I was particularly struck by the statements both made when referring to the “worst thing that happend” to them. Both referred to the deaths of co-prisoners by execution. Both being deeply impacted as they had come to love and care deeply for these women who were sharing a cell, or nearby.

I cannot imagine what they experienced, but do pray that we embrace the call to continue to pray for and recognize how our brothers and sisters are suffering around the world.

You can receive updates from Voice of the Martyrs by clicking here and signing up. I encourage it as a way of keeping a world-wide perspective on the Christian faith.

Here is the entire article from Voice of the Martyrs at persecutionblog.com …

In March 2009, Christian roommates Maryam Rustampoor, 29, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 32, were charged by the Iranian state with being “anti-government activists.” They spent 259 days in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison before being released in November 2009.

In the first interview since their release, the two discussed their life in prison with Sam Yeghnazar of Elam Ministries.

Sam: What was the worst thing that happened to you?

Marzieh: One of the worst was the execution of two of my fellow prisoners. I had never experienced such a thing. One of those killed was my roommate. We had spent a lot of time together. And one day they took her to be executed. For a week I was in shock that killing a human being was so easy. She lived among us, a fellow human being; I saw her every day, and we said, “Hello.” The next day she is not there. After these executions the spirit of sorrow and death hung over the prison. There was deadly silence everywhere. We all felt this. There was nothing we could do. Everyone was under pressure. The sadness was overwhelming. We stared at each other but had no power to speak. This was the worst experience. It was horrifying and tangible.

Maryam: The worst thing for me was the execution of Shireen, who became a close friend in prison.

Sam: Did you ever fear execution?

Maryam: I never thought about execution. I thought we might be sentenced to life imprisonment because that is the punishment for women convicted of apostasy. I just thought this was something we would have to bear.

Marzieh: Before prison we talked about execution, but when we got to prison and experienced the fear of it — our way of talking changed. The very first night that we were arrested, when they threatened us, we were really frightened. We never imagined we would be so frightened; we had talked about these things before. But the atmosphere there and what happened to us frightened us beyond our expectations. We were confined to a dark and dirty room and paralyzed with fear. We could see the fear in each other’s faces. We prayed and what calmed us was the presence of God and the peace that he gave us.

I just want to add, it is easy to say that I give my life for the Lord and I will do anything for him, even die. I always thought it would be a privilege to give my life for the Lord. You say these things. I know for sure that if this would happen to us we would rejoice ultimately. But human fears gripped us. The power the Lord gave us helped us to overcome these fears, just as when we prayed in the police station, God banished our fear and renewed our strength.

Sam: How did the guards treat you?

Maryam: When we were arrested most of the guards treated us badly, especially when they knew we had been involved in evangelism. They would curse us and would not let us drink water from the public tap or use the wash basin. But this changed and eventually they asked us to pray for them.

Sam: How did the other prisoners treat you?

Marzieh: Some called us “dirty, unclean apostates,” but their opinion changed and they asked for forgiveness. We had become an example to them and they would take our side.

Maryam: At Evin Prison the well-educated political and business prisoners called us “mortad kasif” (unclean apostates). In less than a month everything changed. As they got to know us, they were curious about our faith, they respected us and called upon us to sort out arguments they had between themselves.

Sam: Did any other prisoners come to faith?

Marzieh/Maryam: Yes. There were those who accepted Christ. When we were in Vozara [the first prison the women were taken to] we prayed the sinner’s prayer with many of the prostitutes. They prayed themselves and we prayed for them. But there were others who were too frightened to confess their faith. There were many who were impacted.

Sam: What message do you have for the thousands who prayed for you when you were in prison?

Marzieh: I would like to thank them for their prayers and support, and the letters they sent us. During this time it wasn’t just Maryam and Marzieh who were imprisoned, but all these prayer warriors. This was a great encouragement for us. We felt their presence alongside us. So please keep praying for those who are in prison for their faith, believers in Afghanistan and Pakistan and other places. Don’t think that your prayers are unimportant.

Sam: What happened to the thousands of letters you were sent?

Marzieh: We heard that people sent us letters in prison, but we didn’t get any of them. Just hearing that people sent us letters was a great encouragement to us. And what’s interesting is that the guards who opened our letters read the Bible verses and the prayers and were impacted. We know this because they told us and mentioned some of the verses from the gospel. I can’t thank [those who sent letters] with all that is in my heart; I can say “thank you,” but this is not enough.

Maryam: I thank them. It’s true we didn’t see the letters they sent, but we knew there was a large group supporting us. This was a huge encouragement to us and helped us to stand firm. We heard from our guards that forty to fifty letters were coming every day. They saw how Christians stood together to support their own. This was something that gave us hope.

If you were among those who used www.prisoneralert.com to write Maryam and Marzieh a letter, thank you very much. These letters do make a difference, whether the prisoners receive them or not. Please continue to bring hope and encouragement to our brothers and sisters in chains as though “bound with them.”

“One day Alex will have a dad …”

Pastor Kevin — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:01:30 +0000

One of the ministries we enjoy following is “New Day Foster Home” in China. They serve orphaned children until they are adopted into forever families, and they serve them well. We enjoy reading their updates and seeing how the children are growing. We also appreciate their passionate desire to see each of the kids find their forever families. A recent post about Alex was precious and poignant. I’m including it here for you to consider.

(For more information on New Day Foster Home, click here to visit their main site)

Alex’s Day

In celebration of Alex’s seventh birthday, some of the men on staff decided that he needed as close to a father-son adventure as he could have. So, Alex and all of his uncles went fishing. The caught a few whoppers and Alex claims to have caught three big ones.

After catching six fish, the hard-working fishermen got hungry and made their way to a restaurant nearby. The cooks were happy to cook up one of Alex’s biggest catches and it was heartily enjoyed. The fish was picked clean in the end.

Because it was his birthday, Alex got to choose a special dish. He unhesitatingly requested, “Pig Ears.” Later, one of the men was talking with Alex:

“Alex, did you know that there are pigs running around right now who can’t hear? Do you know why this is?”

“Because I ate their ears!” Alex responded grinning. He was in his element the whole morning.

Alex had a great time. He loved hanging out with the other “big guys”. We know how much Alex needs time with older men who can mentor and guide him. We try to provide that for him and the other boys here, but we can’t give them what they really need. They need fathers of their own.

One day Alex will have a dad, and that father will be so blessed to have Alex as his son.

…Alex will be pretty excited too.