December 25 - The Tree of Life

Merry Christmas!

I'd loved how the devotion linked our Christmas tree to the cross to the Tree of Life in eternity! This is a treasure I will be sure to take with me to future Christmases!

For today, I have some quotes from The People's Bible that really jumped out at me as some closing thoughts.

The Bible was written for our salvation, not our curiosity. God withholds some things from us for our good, but we trust that what he has written in the Bible "is useful for teaching" (2 Tim 3:16). (page 222)

Our final relationship to Jesus' Word is the relationship we will always have to it. What a compelling warning this is for those who despise the means of grace and what an encouragement for those who love God's Word! (page 223) 

Sinners should not read Revelation's severe words of warning as anything but the loving concern of a gracious God calling them to repentance. (page 226)

By its promises of sure victory for the saints, Revelation offers a perspective from which believers view their daily struggles. Jesus' promises create faith; faith produces patience. Such patience views spiritual trials as Paul did: "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Cor 4:17). "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). This is the perspective we gain when we read and believe the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John. For this blessing we join John and pray, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus" (verse 21). (page 228) 

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you! Merry Christmas! 

December 24 - The New Jerusalem

Dear sisters-in-Christ that have joined me in Revelation through the season of this Advent, rejoice in the words of today's reading!!! What a gift we have been given! Hallelujah!!!

December 23 - The Thousand Years

This chapter has quite a reputation for being distorted and interpreted different ways. My Concordia self-study notes are pretty extensive on this topic as is The People's Bible. The devotion touches upon it a bit but sometimes it's better to begin with properly understanding the text before getting into any misguided theories.  However, I do appreciate learning about what others believe and why because it gives me another chance to go back and be reminded about what I believe and why.  Because we're sort of "whipping" through this book through Advent, you will probably not have a lot of time to do that now but I would encourage you to revisit it at some point.

The Thousand Years refers to the time from Pentecost up to Judgement Day. It seems that while God remains completely in control, Satan continues to be kept on a tight leash that loosens up as we get closer to the Final Judgement. When read in the context of everything we've read so far, this fits with our understanding of what all of Scripture says about the final days.

There does seem to be some translation issues in this chapter in particular - another good reason to have our pastors trained in the original languages! Near the end of verse 4 and in verse 5, the phrase "came (come) to life" is better translated "lived".  In verse 7, you can replace the word "When" with "as" and the phrase "are over" to "draws to a close".

In the description of the paragraph "The Dead are Judged", I find it interesting to note the books mentioned. First, we know already about the "book of life" (singular) with our names in it by grace through faith in Christ. Then there is mention made of books (plural) with the names of those who have rejected Christ and his gift of saving grace, and instead are going with their own deeds. TPB writes, "The fact that there is more than one book for them may reflect that there are many more unbelievers than believers. Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and man enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13)"

December 22 - The Wedding Supper of the Lamb

Hallelujah!

Praise the Lord!

What a feast we have to look forward to on that day!

I loved verses 7 and 8 that speak of our justification and being given the fine linen to wear. My Bible notes say this "reflects the doctrine of salvation by grace alone.".  Beautiful!

I sit in awe of the words written of this feast and humbled and so ... loved. I can only imagine how John must have felt hearing and seeing the vision of all this and being so moved that he was ready to worship the angel!  The angel responds that telling John and us to "Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." vs 10a TBP writes about these words, "Prophecy" is the task of every believer to explain and share the Scripture with others. The "spirit" of prophecy is the heart and soul of that Christian activity. The whole purpose for understanding the Bible and talking to others about it is to testify to Jesus. (pg 185) 

Faithful. Just. King of kings. Lord of lords. Word of God. God Almighty. All words and phrases that continue to describe Jesus for us.

The second part of this chapter depicts again God's righteous judgement and complete victory over his enemies.  Their reign of terror will end.  Jesus reigns eternally!

December 21 - The Fall of Babylon

Seeing isn't always believing. What looks good to our eyes can be poison to our ears. Just because a church looks successful - big building, state of the art equipment, programs for everyone, full pews (or stadiums),  catchy music, ornate fixtures, high church liturgy,  contemporary format, big operating budget, renown reputation, etc., - does not mean it is successful in God's eyes. The items on the list aren't bad in and of themselves, but it's the message preached from the pulpit that's the true test of a church.
  As a people-pleasing substitute for the gospel, they teach that men and women can earn God's favour by their good lives and can win heaven for themselves by following Jesus' example. (Behold ...) To the people in church's like this, the voice from heaven says, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins." vs 4a 

The message of Jesus is not summarized in a bracelet that says "What would Jesus Do?" but is "What has Jesus Done?"

All the "stuff" built here on earth, all the man-made things and theology will be brought down in a very short time at the end of the day - Judgement Day.  TPB says, "Babylon is the spirit of antichrist. It is most pronounced in the false church, but it infects all human institutions." (pg 179) 

Praying my devotion prayer for the day ...

December 20 - The Great Prositute

Otherwise known as (in my Bible) "The Woman on the Beast" and (from my husband) "The church gone unfaithful".

I have a new appreciation for the separation of church and state. Just sayin'.

The wealth and power of the church becomes more important than the true work of the church.

This unfaithful church looks an awful lot like the faithful church. It can sound like the church. They can both use the same language but with different meaning. It seems familiar.

"This calls for a mind with wisdom." vs 9 

Church and government are "in bed" with one another. Together they wreak havoc and fool minds and destroy lives.

I love the study of history. I've passed this onto my kids through our schooling and it's everyone's favourite subject. Right now my daughter and I are studying the beginning of the American government and establishment of the system. Did you know that when Washington was elected the first US President, he hired almost a thousand people to fill all the federal government jobs? I'm thinking the government looks a bit different today;) In my personal reading, I'm studying the history of China. I'm amazed at the similarities of their dynasties to the European monarchies and ruling families in history! It's really enlightening to study this within the context of reading Revelation and seeing history with those glasses on.  ..."because he once was, now is not, and yet will come." ... is seen through the rise and fall of these leaders that act like they will live forever. In the end, God will destroy them.

I am encouraged by vs 14 "They will make war against the Lamb,  but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings - and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." God will accomplish his purpose even through these beasts!

December 19 - The Seven Bowls

We're circling around again to get another picture of these end times. I think it's interesting to note in this case though that there's no mention of a fraction of the earth receiving these consequences. This is it now! What's been happening already is growing in intensity! Still, they are a call to repentance - if people would only listen!!

In the wrath poured out of the first five angels' bowls, we can "see" the destruction and suffering that false teachings and bad theology have. Messages we hear today tell us:

• if it makes you happy, do it
• "God" made me this way (in defence of sinful behaviour)
• Why would a loving God allow such things to happen
• I'm OK if my good outweighs my bad
• Karma - what goes around comes around
• Religion is a crutch
• Government can solve the world's problems
• That's just your interpretation
• Global warming terror - the notion that we caused it and we can fix it or it will destroy us! 
• Pretty much any self help book.
• How about the "preacher" on TV that's message includes "if you believe it, you can do it!" 
• Don't even get me started on the whole "elf on the shelf" thing - with the message to kids that "he's watching you to see if you're naughty or nice and you'll be rewarded if the report back to Santa is good". Seriously? Creepy elf spy watching your every move and dangling a "cookie" of lots of presents in reward for being good during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas? But I digress...

Oh my word. I could go on and on. And on.

So we have the breakdown of the family. Divorces. Depression. Despair. Social programs that won't help people the way it's promised - but makes things worse. People running after things that will never make them happy, fulfilled. Rebelling children. School shootings. Chaos. People burned by the church that they turn their backs forever. Bitter and mislead.

But as we near the end, fewer and fewer will repent. That's the reality we're given.

And after we move from these plagues, there's NO mention of repentance. Now just unadulterated hostility. Satan, the world governments and all who preach the message of "salvation by man" will join forces in battle against the Lord Almighty. And just as Elijah went up against the followers of Baal - the Lord Almighty will prevail. And then it's done. God's wrath poured out on everything and everyone in unbelief. The end of the world as we know it.

But we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13)

May God keep us from believing these lies told around us. May we "see" the destructive message given in their pretty packaging. May we put our trust in him and nothing or no one else. Thank God for preserving us through the means of grace. Thank God for preserving his church and that truth can still be found preached from the pulpit! 

*thanks for allowing my rant on the "elf on the shelf". I feel better now! 

December 18 - The Seven Plagues

A week until Christmas - are you ready?

Jesus is coming soon - are you ready?

Both are coming - whether we're ready or not.

Both call for preparation but the to-do lists are different. Christmas will come and go. Our lives will most likely return to normal after the festivities have died down and a new year begins. Not so for Judgement Day! What we can expect before this big day and how our lives will be forever new after can be seen by what we've read so far.

We've been given perspective.

We've been given a gift.

I love how in this last book of the Bible we have so many references to the Old Testament and many parts of Scripture that are familiar and dear to what we know and have learned! We remember how God led Moses and the Israelites out of Egypt and delivered them miraculously through the Red Sea. We recognize "the Lamb" who was slain and recall the OT sacrifices offered that all pointed to our need for His ultimate sacrifice. We "saw" that tabernacle taken down and set back up every time the Israelites moved to a new location in the desert and that God's presence in it was always faithful and consistent despite the strange surroundings of where they may lay their head down that night.

We join the saints of old in singing hymn 195:2 as we look forward to joining them in eternity and basking in the full glory of God!

December 17 - The Lamb, the Angels, and the Harvest

Wow! There is a lot to take in here in these verses!!

I think part of what makes this confusing to me is that it is not written in the order of events that seems like a logical progression to me. In true Hebrew style, it circles around, coming back to a thought, restating in a different way what has already been said with significance found in the middle of the "circle". This goes against my "Western" mindset and when I'm ready to hear what comes next, the text swings back with no warning! Ahhhhhhhh!

However, this is an important note to make because this is the way this book is written and it really helps to keep this mind. God knows us so well that he knew we'd need to have his words and their meanings be repeated over and over and over again because we have the attention span of a flea. No offence against fleas...

The 4th vision shows a victorious church after Judgement Day. Yay! A vision I like to stay with for awhile:)

Because in the next vision (5) we're back to things on earth before Judgement Day. The message continues circling this truth - the gospel will continue to be preached, the enemies of God will get their comeuppance, the promise of the fires in hell for unbelievers and the promise for a life of glory in heaven for believers.

Vision 6 is the judgement of the harvest on Judgement Day by Jesus, holding the sharp sickle.  The whole wine thing/grapes through me off at first because number 1 - I like wine. And number 2 - it's usually been a good thing referred to in the Bible i.e.. Jesus turns water into wine and we receive his blood of forgiveness through the wine offered in the Lord's Supper. But the grapes are wicked as referred to here! TPB writes, "The fact that the grapes are ripe means that their wickedness has matured to the limit God set for it. John explains that the winepress is God's wrath." Yikes. Won't be making that mistake again!

Again, these words are meant for comfort for believers and the harsh reality for unbelievers. Oh, if more people would believe this message! May God continue to use us through his Word to reach these lost souls! Time is short ...

December 16 - The Beasts

Today's reading continues on with describing the ways in which Satan will go about attacking the church(us).

The beast out of the sea - bad government
The beast out of the earth - bad church

Sometimes they work individually, sometimes they join forces in the attack.

Daniel provides some direction for the first few verses having to do with the four beasts - Daniel 7:2-7 which are prophecies of specific governments in history and also a prophecy that it would be the Roman empire Jesus would be born under on earth.

vs. 4's question can easily be applied to secularism today, can't it?

I've tried to apply how these two beasts have played out in history up until now. By default it's "easy" to try and apply it to my own. But it actually spans the world and time through the NT age! It's interesting to me to recall the history I'm aware of and see this - but much has gone unrecorded or forgotten too!

Bad church has worked with bad government before - a "state church" is a good example of this! Often the gospel is clouded or completely devoid! The Roman papacy often worked in conjunction with the government through history. The dynasties throughout China's history strived to control their citizens with a blur of religious and government loyalty (often through fear). Communism by nature seeks to control everything - including and especially what people believe.

vs 17's mention of some sort of "economic boycott" against all faithful believers (Concordia Self-Study notes) brought to mind any Muslim run government that levies a tax against any non-Muslim. In British Columbia fairly recently, graduates from a conservative university were denied law degrees because of their stance on homosexuality.

Both sections call for wisdom!
"This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints."
"This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666." 

I found The People's Bible really had a lot of good applications and commentary on this section! I'd encourage you to take the time to read this one if you can. There's too much for me to type:)

Please share what insight you've gained through this reading! Anything you never noticed or thought about before?

December 15 - The Woman and the Dragon

Well, I guess I'm one of the suckers that fell for Mary, Jesus' mother, as the woman. Even after I realized it wasn't her but the church, I still fell back into that understanding in vs.6 when "the woman fled into the desert." I need to look at the bigger picture! Thank goodness for the guidance of this devotion book and my other resources!!

The direction now shifts in this section to Christ vs. Satan. And let me just say that I'm so glad the visions of this battle come after what we just previously read - that Christ wins and we are safe with him singing "Hallelujah!" Otherwise, I may be very panicked at this point!

"Know your enemy" - and so the information about Satan given here somehow offers comfort to me. Maybe because his limitations are clearly defined and I don't have to worry or fear about the power he may or may not have. I am assured that the war has been won with Christ's resurrection. The People's Bible says, "We can be sure, however, that the power for every victory over the dragon was ensured by Jesus' death and resurrection."  Thank you, Jesus!

While the war has been won, we are reminded there are still battles to fight. Satan tried to foil God's plan of salvation many desperate times (more than we know, I'm sure!) but to no avail. He was "stripped of his authority in the spiritual realm" (TPB) and now he turns his attention to the church. You can only imagine how enraged he is at this point, only to realize that Jesus is protecting his church too! And so he tries to pick at us individually. "Accuse, accuse, accuse. But that's all he can do, his accusations have no power over us. Jesus our Saviour has taken our sin and guilt and blame on himself, has carried it all to Calvary, and has suffered the full price that God's justice demands for sin. It's been paid in full!" (Behold ..) 

My prayer then is:
Lord, let your Spirit give me the wisdom to recognize the enemy's attacks on me when they come so that I can see him for what he is and recognize the tactics he uses. Hedge me in (Job 1:10) from his evil attempts and protect me. Comfort me with your truth, knowing that my God reigns and the victory is won! I am His ...

A Brief Interlude - American Thanksgiving

Thankful for Jesus - everyone wrote what they were thankful for on leaves that decorated the table runner

Mom's beautiful table

Craft time!

Guarding the pumpkin and pecan pies!

Playing gin while dinner cooks

evening card games

The official kickoff of Christmas movies! Watching "Ernest Saves Christmas." 'Cuz we're classy like that.

December 14 - The Seventh Trumpet

When I was in high school (many moons again, but let's not get into details, OK?), I wanted to be in the choir every year so I could sing Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" in the Christmas concert.  I also wanted to be in choir so I could go to Florida and Disney World on choir tour but that's beside the point. Singing those words "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." send chills up my spine. That is what we'll be singing in heaven. Wow.

This is my favourite reading so far! I know there's the other side - that for unbelievers, it will be a terrifying judgement for eternity - but the vision of the future for the invisible church in that moment is glorious!!

When my family celebrates Christmas Day, we traditionally have a birthday cake for Jesus and sing the "Happy Birthday" song.  But now I have this better understanding of his second coming and the song that we'll be singing then! Granted, it's a bit "meatier" in content than "happy birthday to you":) Christmas Day will definitely be taking on a deeper meaning for me after this study - I pray it does for you too. I'll be listening to Handel this Christmas!

I think the authors of the devotion did a really great job with their message in the paragraph starting, "We truly live in end times."  The information we've been given through now, regardless of whether we've figured every little detail out or not, show us that this is where we're at now. All the signs, whether earthly or spiritual, point to that. Judgement Day could arrive anytime. 

The People's Bible ends it's commentary with these words, "As we prepare for the last days, we come before God, falling on our faces, and seek refuge alone in Jesus Christ."  This is the message of Advent - repentance and waiting, dear sisters in Christ! Thank you for walking along with me!

December 13 - The Two Witnesses

It usually helps me to know going into a reading what the overall theme is that I can wrap my head around. For this section, we are focusing on the state of the Christian church.

We know there's an invisible church of believers that only God can see. There's also a visible church of believers that we can only see with our eyes. We are warned that unbelievers are within the visible church and they will try their best to destroy the beautiful message of full and free forgiveness, distort the truth of Scripture and muddy the waters of law and gospel.

It could be said that the two witnesses are the Law and Gospel personified - though neither the devotion nor the People's Bible go that far. But regardless, these two are the "double-edged" sword we are to use as this "little scroll" is shared throughout the world.

Law and Gospel will be preached to the ends of the earth but will be attacked by many false teachings within the visible church in these last days. This can be seen now when church bodies guide their people to reject the Biblical 6 day creation found in Genesis and other areas of the Bible and embrace evolution!  This is seen now when men within the church put their reason above what God reveals in his Word (antichrist) - and slowly chip away at the truth. How about the churches where you can sit through a whole sermon and not here one word about what Jesus has done for us but rather, what we should be doing for Jesus if we're really Christians? These attacks found now can be subtle or extreme but all do the damage that God is talking about here. Verse 10 describes how these blasphemers will think they have won i.e.. "Finally those simpletons have rejected that ridiculous idea of "creation". Not only that but we've managed to get our agenda of evolution and NO GOD in the school system at the youngest level possible!"  And they think  they've won...

Again we end with the comfort knowing that their time is short and evil is on a leash! He's straight up with us here - yes, it's going to look bad within the church but the invisible church will never go away.

December 12 - The Angel with the Little Scroll

I found chapter 10 a welcome relief from the previous chapters that were heavy in challenging imagery and foreboding signs of the last days. But all that was setting us up for the words we need from Jesus in these verses. As we contemplate the words we just read, we're asking ourselves, "what now?". Time is fleeting and the end is coming quickly - how best to use this time?

The message is clear - the scroll of the gospel is what we are to take and eat - "inwardly digest". And he goes on to describe to us that despite the initial "sweetness" we will experience, it will turn to "bitterness" as we suffer for it. This is not to keep us from sharing it. Quite the opposite! We must see to sharing it with all the world! What a blessing it is to be a part of this!

In this season of gift-giving, think about ways you might give of yourself in the sharing of the good news of the gospel with the lost. Maybe you have ideas that you've done in the past i.e.. special offerings, volunteering, LWMS participation?

*some afterthoughts from the original posting - I really appreciate how God relates the scroll (God's Word) to eating, chewing and digesting. As humans, we can relate to food and the act of eating it, tasting it, taking it in. We know the difference between "good food" and "bad food" and what it does to our overall health. We know we need to eat in order to stay alive.  The concepts we can physically relate to can help us understand it in a spiritual sense!

December 11 - The First Six Trumpets

"If we recall that John is simply viewing the same events from a new vantage point, we'll better understand what he is telling us." Good to remember. But I was still confused.

The devotion suggested that the first four "trumpets" were repeating the message of the first four "seals" and dealing with earthly destruction and turmoil. After going through it with my husband though, he had a different take on it. Stay with me here:)

If we go back to Matthew 24:4-14, he starts with describing the earthly degeneration and destruction that will take place in the last days here on earth and then leads into spiritual matters and the things "unseen" but that destroy from within. Jesus sets this pattern and it lends credence to the pattern set here - set off by the fraction 1/3 where "3" is "the Lord's number" and alludes to the spiritual nature of the images.

When reading the text in this way, we see the spiritual attacks of our world acted out in this scene. Acts against:

• The Bread of Life
• The Water of Life
• The Light of Life

Saving truth - the means of grace - are being obscured or darkened from this world.
So humour me:) Reread the first four trumpets in this way and see if it doesn't change how you understand these words.

Reading on from here, the fifth angel sounds his trumpet. The comfort found here is that Satan's lies cannot destroy the elect. But the enemy is very real and is alive and well today!
"resembled human faces" - real people
"women's hair" - alluring
"lion's teeth" - sharp bite
"breastplates" - seem indestructible
"thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle" - huge numbers

But again, even with the sixth angel sounding the trumpet, we are again comforted to know that God is in control - evil is on a leash!

"I heard their number" (vs 16) There are many lies out there but one truth!

"Why would a loving God allow these things?" Ah, the age old question. And the answer is so clear to us as we end this reading ... it's a call to repentance. What patience our Lord has with mankind! The reality is this though ... there will never be "peace on earth" this side of heaven where all will repent and turn toward God. There will still be many that will continue to turn their backs to him in defiance!

Pray with me the prayer from our reading today?  Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

December 10 - The Seventh Seal

"Have you ever noticed that there are occasions when the entire universe stops and falls silent to witness the wonders of the almighty God?"  Yes! Yes! Somehow a silence can be loud ...

Here again we read about our prayers being offered up. Revelation 5:8 said the prayers were the incense.  In Revelation 8:3,4 our prayers are offered up with incense.  In our devotion we read who makes our prayers acceptable to God, who carries our prayers directly to him, who answers the prayers we give. We get quite a response and reaction to the prayer we're all praying, "How long, Lord? Come, Lord Jesus!" "the wrath of the Lamb is coming on the earth." 

Thank you, Jesus, for answering our prayers! O come, O come, Emmanuel!

December 9 - The 144,000

We continue with this window open to Judgement Day. For the believers there is great comfort in our promised protection. How can we be sure that we are included in this number? The devotion rightfully mentions Galatians 3:26-29 as proof. Here we find that assurance through our baptism - God's gift of faith to even the smallest of infants!

Beautiful words at the end of this chapter show us our heavenly inheritance Jesus won for us! Words often read at funerals that offer the only real comfort to the loved ones left behind - that no matter how much the deceased had suffered up to death, a child of God will "never again hunger; never again thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." What wonderful comfort to us while we live and suffer here on earth, in the great tribulation of today - that it is temporary and such a short time compared to our lives in eternity!

May our Christmas be defined by this priceless gift and treasured until the end! 

December 8 - The Seals

What an amazing picture of these last days!
Scripture interprets Scripture and we can look to Matthew 24:4-14 to have a well-rounded picture of what the first four seals are depicting.

God couldn't be any clearer in stressing the power found in his Word! Why do I often underestimate it? Why do I push it aside? Why am I not always "on fire" for mission work? Why does my own voice freeze in opportunities to share his Word with others who don't know? Again and again he calls us to come back to the Word where He is, to study it, use it, apply it, defend it, learn from it, see Him on every page. Where others use hostility, warfare, weapons, manipulation and wield their own words to drive their agenda or beliefs, he calls us to wield his Word.

The next three seals are all too familiar - war, famine, death. I couldn't help but think of cancer when reading the word plague. It seems to touch someone in every family or circle of friends.

I find it interesting to note as the fifth seal is opened, the awareness of the saints in heaven while all this is going on (now). Another glimpse of that is shown at Transfiguration when Moses and Elijah seem to be quite aware of things that they discuss with Jesus. We echo the plea of the saints, "Come, Lord Jesus" and yet we too wish to wait for the body of believers to be complete.

The sixth seal shows a picture of the opening and closing of Judgement Day - terror for the unbelievers. I find it easy to remain somehow detached while reading these words while at the same time feeling sorry for those "unbelievers" he talks about here, running for their life, trying to hide while sheer terror grips their soul as the realization of God's coming judgement dawns on them too late. But they are people with faces I recognize. They are friends, neighbours, relatives, grocery store clerks, waitresses - the list goes on. Now is not too late. Now is the time to proclaim the Word to the world!

"But for the faithful, the best is yet to come."  Thank you, Jesus, for this reassurance of your grace!
"Read his story - Bethlehem, Calvary, the empty tomb - and know that he loves you." All of "his - story" has been in his hands and the future is no different!

December 7 - The Lamb Receives the Scroll

Jesus is the Lamb and the devotion does a good job at reminding us the Biblical significance of the lamb from Old Testament times through New Testament references of "the Lamb of God".  It brings to my mind the meaning of serving lamb at our church's Seder Supper on Maundy Thursday and the context of the meal itself.
Again there's worship given to this Lamb in the beautiful songs offered up by believers, angels and creation! There's significance in the number of attributes ascribed to Him in each song. The attributes mentioned remind us of what makes Him worthy and that He was slain and made the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of men from "every tribe and language and people and nation." Rev 5:9b

Mention in verse 5 of Jesus being "the Lion, of the tribe of Judah,  the Root of David" in reference to Him coming from the line of David, makes me think of the "Jesse Tree" Advent tradition. I love to walk through Advent reflecting on often well known Bible stories that show the progression from creation, to the promise of a Saviour after the fall in the Garden of Eden to the fulfillment in Jesus' birth, life and death.

I liked the final paragraph of the devotion. Ready to read on with me?

Worthy is the Lamb whose death makes me his own!

The Lamb is reigning on his throne.

Hymn 714 CWS

December 6 - The Throne in Heaven

*Just an update before we move on to today. My family and I have just been traveling approximately 40 hours in the car in the last 10 days so I was able to listen to quite a few podcasts, Vinyl Cafe stories, Sirius XM radio and Christmas CD's.  My favourite new Christmas music for this year is definitely Keith and Kristyn Getty, An Irish Christmas.  They've authored several new hymns found in the supplement like "In Christ Alone". Anyway, I'm loving this CD! And there are a handful of Issues, etc podcasts that have been helpful in our study here, if you have the time to listen to them maybe while you're traveling around this season? "The Smalcald Articles: The Office of the Keys and Confession" , "The Season of Advent" and "Myths about Lutheranism: Lutherans Don't Have an End-Times Teaching" . 

The Throne in Heaven

Or as my husband says, "It's like John saying I went and saw God in heaven and it was pretty awesome." 

So this is where it starts to get challenging. I really enjoyed the letters to the churches and thought their meanings were pretty straightforward, more or less. I laughed at the words of the devotion when they start a paragraph "So here we go." Because that's how I felt!

They did a really good job explaining the word pictures here and their meanings and in the significance of the numbers mentioned. It's important to remember that we're going to get different snapshots of the future. For instance, when there's a car accident and there are different witnesses to interview, each witness will have his own perspective. That doesn't mean that only one witness has the right account. Put them all together and you can have a pretty well-rounded "look" at what actually happened!

That's the basic idea of what's going on here - only perfectly done because Jesus is giving the various perspectives on the future of Christ's church! 

What struck me particularly about the throne in heaven is all the worshipping that's going on and that I am included in those that are "dressed in white" and wearing "crowns of gold". This is a future picture of you and me!! This is a snapshot of how we will spend eternity with Jesus. If the holy beings in heaven praise God, certainly we'll want to do the same on earth - with our worship, our offerings, and our time and talents. Worship means "ascribing worth" that Jesus truly is worthy of our adoration. We will grow in our desire to live that out on earth as we grow in faith through hearing the Word and receiving the Sacrament.

As the Holy Spirit grows this desire in us, what ideas might you have in incorporating worship in your daily life? 

December 5 - To the Church in Laodicea

I love how Christ identifies Himself to this congregation! "...Amen, faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation." Rev 3:14b

Lukewarm:
"In a sense, complete coldness might have been better; then they might have welcomed the warmth of the gospel." 
How might that be true?

"Those who forget their daily need for forgiveness are running the same risk." (of growing lukewarm)
Living out our baptism by daily repentance and a renewed awareness of our need for a Saviour! This is contradictory to the idea that this is only for those first coming to faith. Even for those of us who have spent many, many years as a child of God, we too need to hear and listen to this so that we might not turn lukewarm in our faith!

I really liked how the authors applied this section to today and to our Christmas celebration and focus. While I may have sat in the same pew, in the same church, hearing the same Christmas message from the same pastor (love ya, honey!) every Christmas Day service for the last 12 years, may daily repentance, reflection and forgiveness give me a renewed spirit of thanksgiving and awe of the love of my Saviour!

Modern Christmas traditions in our secular culture draw attention away from the manger (as opposed to away in a manger).  Spend some time looking specifically at the traditions you've adopted into your home in the light of God's word.  Do they enhance your focus on Jesus or distract? Is there anything that can be "neutral"?  

December 4 - To the Church in Philadelphia

Sign me up for membership of this church! Don't we all want to bask in God's compliments? This is the only church that doesn't bring rebuke but is not without trouble! They have:

• kept my Word
• not denied my name

What a great reminder to our churches to remain faithful! The success of a church in God's eyes are not found only in a big building, growing numbers or the money in the plate, but that they stay true to His Word! They faithfully continue to preach Law and Gospel and distribute the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. That is a Biblically defined purpose driven church! Amen!

An interesting note: according to the People's Bible, the city of Philadelphia exists today and has a number of Christian congregations.

I really liked how the devotion "keyed" off (did you catch that?) on the "Ministry of the Keys" defined in Luther's Catechism. I encourage you to look that up and remind yourself what you most likely had touched upon in confirmation class.

There can be no greater compliment to a Lutheran pastor than to thank him for his faithful preaching and teaching and consistent use of the Sacraments. There can be a lot of outside pressure from the mission board on reporting stats, popular books that promote the "right activities or programs" or even the sinful nature's "means to an end" attitude that believes man knows better than God how to build a church family. Looking for a Christmas present for your pastor this year? Now you have one - and it's free! 

December 3 - To the Church in Sardis

YIKES! I would so not want to be a member of Sardis right about now!!! Jesus does not have much good to commend them for here.

It strikes me that this church has a reputation for being a good, healthy, alive group of believers - but God sees through the outward appearance to their hearts, and it's not good (remember how He described Himself having "eyes like blazing fire"?). And yet even in that, He gives a glimmer of hope - "Strengthen what remains and is about to die." How? Hear the Word, be in the Word,  repent and turn to Him for forgiveness!

 And then such a picture He gives for those who remain in Him in verses 4-6!

The church at Sardis couldn't blame a false doctrine or religious persecution for their troubles. They "suffered from internal spiritual decay that had reached advanced stages. They responded to external peace with internal apathy." (People's Bible on Revelation, pg 47)

Profound, isn't it? It makes me recall a workshop I attended at the 2013 LWMS convention in LaCrosse, WI. I was listening to a missionary who had served in Indonesia and I wrote these words:

How do I describe seeing a picture of the decapitated heads of teen Christian girls murdered on their way to school - A story no newspaper or tv reported on or a crime that was never prosecuted. There are no apathetic, lukewarm Christian in Indonesia and other Muslim dominated countries because frankly, they can’t afford to be. They either boldly declare Christ as their Saviour or they don’t at all. 

The enemy of persecution is pretty in your face there. But apathy can be just as insidious in it's destruction. A good warning for today too. As we celebrate our Saviour's birth, we are encouraged and built up in our faith with the message it brings! "Joy to the World, the Lord has Come!" 

December 2 - To the Church in Thyatira

Do Not Tolerate Sin!

Isn't the theme song of our culture "Be Tolerant!"?  "What's right for you may not be right for me".  "If it feels good, do it."

Canadians have a worldwide reputation for being a people who don't want to step on any toes. This last Canada Day I saw some people proudly wearing the red and white colours on their t-shirts that had printed one word: Sorry. It took me a minute but then I laughed by head off and wondered how I could get my hands on one of those shirts for myself! Sorry says it all  - don't hurt anyone's feelings!

Can this same attitude creep into our own churches when we're dealing with spiritual matters? It did in Thyatira. And Jesus couldn't have been clearer in his letter to them - "Stop tolerating this sin and hold onto what you have until I come!" Love does not equal permissiveness as the devotion says. Makes me think of the phrase " tough love".

The words written to this church are encouraging us to "hold on"and overcome to the end. It's time to call sin what it is - sin.  Love expressed from the heart of one who cares more for the individual's soul than their feelings will find strength in Christ through His Word to boldly proclaim law and gospel! Makes for pretty interesting office parties, family reunions and Christmas dinners, eh? After all, sin damns eternally and souls are at stake! 

December 1 - To the Church in Pergamum

I love the picture Jesus uses here to describe Himself as having "the sharp double-edged sword" of the Word that we too hold on to!
Again, He starts with good things to say to this group of believers who lived in the ancient capital of Asia. Satan's throne was found in the emperor worship that had it's centre here. Mention of Antipas being martyred for his faith sends shivers even now, especially if the legend is true that * he was slowly roasted to death in a bronze kettle. Yikes.
Yet He still comes down hard on them and rightly so! Jesus had said in John 8:31, 32, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." Not only does there seem to be a group within this church that was following false teachings, but the rest of the church was allowing them!
I found it interesting the devotion for today brought out that "Jesus not only called on the guilty to repent of their sinful ways but he also called on the rest of the congregation to repent of their inaction toward those who were straying." Both played a role and neither was innocent.
Jesus calls them and us to repentance and forgiveness and offers us the promise of salvation in a "white stone with a new name written on it" - our "not guilty" verdict!

*Concordia Self-Study notes

November 30 - To the Church in Smyrna

Notice how Jesus introduces Himself in this letter to Smyrna? Attributes of Christ Himself from the one and only Alpha and Omega! He is the First and the Last, who died and rose again. Our Saviour speaks!!

"I know your affliction and your poverty. I know the slander ..." Rev 2:9  He can say this because He became one of us! And He know everything - including our troubles.

He has nothing critical to say here, only encouragement and eternal perspective. This section includes one of my favourite passages, "Be faithful even to the point of death and I will give you eternal life."Rev 2:10b Such encouragement from our Lord to them and us!

Christians are still being persecuted in varying degrees. Voice of the Martyrs report:

It is impossible to know with absolute certainty the exact number of Christians killed for their faith each year. However, according to the World Evangelical Alliance, more than 200 million Christians in at least 60 countries are denied fundamental human rights solely because of their faith.

Much of today's persecution still takes place in remote areas of countries often cut off from or with restricted access to modern communications. Most martyrs suffer and die anonymously - unknown and forgotten - their deaths unrecorded except in heaven. What is reported often occurs weeks, months and even years after the fact. Persecution is often such a part of life that it hardly dawns on the afflicted to tell the world. Even then, many are nervous about sharing what they know for fear of retribution.

Join me in prayer "For Those Who Suffer for the Sake of Truth" (Lutheran Book of Prayer)

Lord God, revealed in the Christ as the One whose foolishness is wiser than men and whose weakness is stronger than men:
Help those who suffer for the sake of truth, to find Your strength in their weakness, to see Your glory in what is despised, to feel Your presence in what is desolate.
Help them to understand that in Your gentleness there is power, that in Your grace there is strength, that in Your forgiveness there is life.
Relieve them from torture and pain, from strain of the emotions, from temptation, danger and agony of soul.
Use their suffering for the conversion of those who torment them, for the strengthening of those who love them, for the welfare of Your people everywhere.
Keep them in Your steadfast love in Christ, our Lord, for His sake. Amen 

The end of the devotion for today says, "Through His Word, God promises to strengthen you and keep you faithful. Make that Word then, the centerpiece of your holiday preparations."

What are ways you "make the Word a centrepiece" in your home during the Advent/Christmas season - individually or in your family? 

November 29 - To the Church in Ephesus

Here we start with the first of seven letters written to specific congregations - from Jesus himself! Wow.  And while the letters are addressed to these very real congregations, there is much we can learn from them to.

One thing I noticed while reading the seven letters is how Jesus introduces himself in a different way each time that is directly related to what's going on in that church. The effect for them is that it certainly speaks directly to them and their situation and makes a strong point!  The effect for me is that I get a really insightful picture of who Jesus is and what He's done through the very words He uses to describe Himself!

He always starts His letters with the positive (assuming there are some) to build them up and encourage them. Isn't this how we too should deal with matters?

"The truth of Scripture is readily available to us. Many of us have known it all our lives. Yet for us too, there exists the danger of taking it for granted and losing it." *
Baptized as an infant and brought up by my parents in the faith, I have never known "not knowing Jesus". I was recently reminded of how precious a gift this is by a fellow sister-in-Christ who related her own story of having fallen away for 10 years of her life.  She says it didn't happen overnight - it was insidious. She tearfully recounted having been brought to her knees in repentance to the Lord after this 10 year period and found forgiveness and restoration through Jesus!

May we all find our strength in Jesus' gracious promise, "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." Rev 2:7b

*words written in italics are taken from our devotional book, "Behold, I am Coming Soon!" by Bruce McKenney, Jonathan Meyer and James Rath. Published by Northwestern Publishing House.

November 28 - Introduction

Let's begin with a prayer, shall we?

Lord God, we praise You that You comforted Your people with the promise of a Redeemer. We praise You that in the fullness of time You sent Your Son as the Redeemer. We praise You that You give promise that You will send Him to us again to judge the world in righteousness.
Open our hearts to receive our Redeemer now as He comes to us in Word and Sacrament. Open our eyes in awareness of His rule in our lives by His grace. 
Make Advent a blessing to us as we welcome our King in faith and love. We lift up our heads to welcome Him anew. Fill us with gladness as He comes to us. Amen.  (Lutheran Book of Prayer)

True confessions: I have tried my best to avoid Revelation for as long as possible on my Christian journey here on earth, overwhelmed by its complexity and my confusion. Please tell me I'm not the only one?!!

There is a link here that does a great job explaining in a nutshell what makes Revelation so unique from the other books and also what it has in common with all the Bible, namely - that at the centre is Jesus and His defeat of sin, death and the devil.

I was forced to get over my avoidance of Revelation when we studied it in Adult Bible Class about 5 years ago or so. Don't get me wrong - it felt like a high level university course at times, but through it I was able to see the comfort that it offered. And I was particularly struck by how necessary it was to be very familiar with the rest of Scripture in order to understand Revelation properly. "Scripture interprets Scripture" and in this book especially it is needed to understand many concepts. "Scripture does not contradict Scripture" is another key point that makes it vital to understanding this book.

I'm not sure what I've gotten myself into for this Advent/Christmas season by tackling this book! And so I go at it with a fervent prayer for wisdom given, an acute awareness of my own limitations and a desire to seek understanding through wise council found in the guidance of our devotion book, The People's Bible, Concordia Self-Study Bible and my pastor (who I happen to be married to).

"Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near." Revelation 1:3 

What are your thoughts of Revelation going into it? Feel free to share what your experience has been.

Christ the King Sunday

Anyone else sing this song in worship today on this Christ the King Sunday? I've started my study in Revelation in preparation for the Advent study that starts this Friday! As a result, my appreciation of these last "end times" focus in our liturgy has meant more than ever before. Imagine - we future citizens of heaven will spend eternity worshipping God our King! We're the ones who "...lay their crowns before the throne and say, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Rev.4:10, 11. 

Just a few notes for those who plan on joining in on the Advent study and specifically to those who are new:

I would suggest reading the text in Revelation first, followed by the corresponding devotion in Behold, I am Coming Soon and then reading here. Stew and Chew on the reading even if it's confusing, read your self-study notes if you have them in your bible and then read the devotion. They really do a great job in explaining what you just read and you'll appreciate it all the more if you've just sat there confused for a few minutes - haha! Then after you've read the devotion and maybe made some notes in your bible to remember the next time you read through Revelation and you've stewed and chewed some more, come see what we're saying here. There. It's that's easy! 

I'm not going to lie to ya'll - this can get confusing. But I'll say this to you to give you encouragement because I'm well into the study myself now - this is a great way to get the big picture, to gain clarity in the craziness of life but particularly Christmas and to grow in faith. What God has revealed to us in this book is a gift - I hope you will see that for yourself soon through the power of the Holy Spirit! 

See you soon:)

Advent Book Club 2014

We are a month away from the beginning of Advent 2014. I can't believe it! And I am excited to announce this year's devotional book for another online study! 

Nothing says Christmas like the Baby in a manger, shepherds watching their flocks by night and visions of the last days and the end of the world as we know it. Wait. What? If you're like me, I had you up until the apocalypse. During Advent, we look at Jesus coming to earth as a baby. But we also look at His second coming - as described in the book of Revelation and other parts of Scripture. Yet this aspect sometimes gets lost in the manger/shepherds/wisemen Christmas story. Come with me as we explore this other side of Advent! 

We will be using the book "Behold, I am Coming Soon" from Northwestern Publishing House. It includes a daily reading from Revelation and a corresponding devotion. I'll be posting my thoughts or comments daily and you are invited to join the online conversation if you'd like. Read anytime during the day and log on when you're ready! You're free to quietly follow along too. 

The book is available directly from NPH or amazon.ca (or .com in the States) as a Kindle download. For those of you who live near me, I'll be getting a stack of them and you can let me worry about ordering them. Just let me know you'd like to purchase one from me and I'll be sure to set it aside for you ($10). 

The book starts it's readings on November 28th but the first Sunday of Advent starts on the 30th. I plan on reading from the beginning anyway, just to let you know. Of course, that's Black Friday and I may be out shopping but I digress ... I'll be sure to find the time:) 

I pray this will be a blessing to anyone who participates. Feel free to invite a friend if you'd like! Another reason to be in the Word during the busy season of Advent is always a good reason! May God bless your heart's preparation of His coming!

Pumpkins and Bobble Heads

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." 

Anne of Green Gables.

We've been enjoying the beautiful fall weather and colours! We've done field trips - to the pumpkin patch where we took a wagon ride out to the patch to handpick our pumpkins, story time in the barn with apples to snack on and lots of fun playing on the hay! 

Zanna also got to go on a dragon boat ride! It was a really neat experience for her.

Our Nature Corner shows the colours of fall. Zanna even went out and put together a really neat bouquet of leaves to display. 

October also brings Reformation Day and a celebration of all things German along with remembering how God used Martin Luther to rediscover the true gospel message that had been lost in the church at that time in history. 

It's also an excuse to bring out my Marty and Katie bobble heads and display them at the place of honour on the mantel. I like to ask them deep theological questions and watch their heads bob up and down. I need to get out more …

Zanna and I took a day trip on a Sunday at the end of September so I could be present for the baptism of our new god-daughter Ellie. It's such an honour to be a sponsor to this precious baby and she will hold a special place in our hearts as we pray for her and do our best to nurture her faith.  

We went along with Wayne to pastor's conference in New Hampshire which was bee-u-te-ful!!! The scenery was breathtaking. Unfortunately, other people have the same idea so hotels are really expensive this time of year. So we were stuck in a hotel that was NOT cheap and the fanciest amenity was the bottle opener in the bathroom. Classy. 

Will has put a couple months now into high school and is plugging along! He's been good about texting us and Face Timing on the weekends. It's been such a huge transition and we are so proud of him! He's learning how to manage multiple classes and organize himself accordingly. We talk laundry now. He's finished his first football season. He's had his first standard school picture taken - I passed on the "bubbles background" and the one with the fake school bus and went with the plain blue background. For posterities sake. 

We miss him like crazy and can't wait to see him in a month when we go down for American Thanksgiving.

I've been learning to let him earn his own grades and not internalize them as my own. I try not to notice that he's wearing pajama pants when I talk to him because he hasn't done laundry yet and all his jeans are dirty. And I've only called the dean of students once to freak out for no reason. Of course, we're only two months into it. But I think that's still pretty good, right? 

Coming soon … an Advent announcement! 

Open for Business!

Yippee-yi-yay! The basement is finally finished! And Rachel's hair salon is open for business. Come on over. Sit in my chair and tell me your woes as I make you over into a flashier, no split ends version of you. All while I share with you my sage advice and react in horror to the recent antics of your in-laws, neighbours or kid's teacher. I'm here for you. 

This picture show's the before, middle and after. It's amazing what some proper lighting can do, drywall and a real floor. I'm in heaven!

View from the chair

Laundry has got to be done and it might as well get done in a cute space, I say! 

I have frequented the stores of Ikea and Homesense this summer. We should buy stock. I have been known to leave my kids in the van with the windows cracked after bribing them with Tim Horton's Iced Capps in return for their patience as I "run in" to check a few things out. Which pretty much translates to 45 minutes. 

Before and after while looking down the hall from salon/laundry area.

The bathroom is tough to get a good picture but I'll just tell you it's adorable now and when you come over for some therapy  haircuts, you can see for yourself then.  

Another one of my dreams come true (other than my husband, wink* wink*, sweetie) is a pantry to house the freezers, seasonal table stuff, baskets, paper products, tablecloths, etc. Love it.

Behind big double doors? One BIG closet, my friends. Because you can never have too many places to hide your stuff. 

Dresser to the left was put together by Wayne who is a seasoned pro at putting together the Swedish furniture we all know and love.  Ikea shelves to the right have been moved from the schoolroom. If this pastor thing doesn't work out, he can rest assured he's a shoe in to the Ikea family. Just kidding, honey. Stay in the ministry and I'll keep you as my own personal furniture builder. 

He finally has a proper office and is enjoying having a space of his own that does not include exposed pink insulation and cobwebs in every corner. 

It's a miracle he's gotten this far with setting up his office when I've kept him busy putting together furniture …

Schoolroom under construction. Wall to wall shelves going in. To be continued. 

Hello, Perspective.

It's fall for sure because I've had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season. Instant comfort …

I'm finally getting around to this homeschool post. I usually have this one out before now, but it seems everything is different around here this time around! 

Ah, Perspective, you old friend! And the only way to have you in my life is to get older and usually involves me learning the hard way. Back when Will was in "grade 3" (whatever that means), I really started feeling the pressure and need to "up my game" (whatever that means). Six years later and having just brought him through junior high studies, grade 3 with Zanna is looking like a vacation to me now! So I guess what I'm saying is that going into this year of studies, I'm excited about enjoying this time with more of a big picture outlook than I was able to do back in 2008. 

I always prepare for my year by going back to the Word of God, rereading my favourite books on education and going back through my notes of previous years to remind me why we're home educating and what our goals of education are. I even need to be reminded of what education means. 

From there I go through what curriculum and resources I already have and consider what I want to change out or add/take out. My friend, Perspective, has helped me out quite a bit in this area. 

And now for the game plan of this year ….

Bible - Growing in Christ Sunday School Curriculum and My First Catechism (with activity book) both published by Concordia Publishing. I love, love, love this stuff! I did Growing in Christ with Will and it is extremely well done. I am a fan. It incorporates the liturgy of the church, stories are read directly from the Bible (and not dumbed done), art work is beautiful, hymn study is included on CD and their resources of posters, games and books are priceless! I also enjoy being able to listen to Issues, etc.com podcasts of the lessons previous to teaching it. 

Math - Saxon 3 and www.xtramath.org  The website is a new resource and I have her working independently on this in the mornings before we start. It builds quick math fact recall.  It's a fabulous program! And fun:) 

Language Arts - Learning Language Arts Through Literature, Handwriting Without Tears, Institute for Excellence in Writing, All About Spelling, Dance Mat Typing. Overload much? In my defence, this is not everyday. This is over the school year. And the Dance Mat Typing? Who wouldn't want to learn how to type by a singing goat with a British accent? 

History - Story of the World, Volume 3 & 4, with activity book
I had planned on following Sonlight Core B & C but she read the majority of the novels on her own - stinker! And she was already participating in Will's Core G World History so I just went with the flow.  

Science - Science in the Beginning by Jay Wile. Which I am really excited about because it takes a lot for me to get excited about Science. This is taught from the perspective of the days of creation. So for instance, day 1 we are learning about aspects of light. Easy, peasy experiments are included that don't require beakers or gasses. Sign me up. 

2nd Language - Saturday Chinese School. We have dabbled in various methods and languages over the years that include learning Mandarin and French. This year she'll be participating in a school room environment for Mandarin and Chinese culture. Some of her classmates will include some of the girls that were in our China adoption group! 

Music - violin lessons, church choir, etc. She's started with a new teacher of violin this year. She also tags along with us to choir. We have a pretty laid back and very sweet choir director that has welcomed our kids and allowed their participating. She sits next to me with the Altos but she does her own thing. I'd like to think it's still a good experience and a positive exposure. 

Art - Home Art Studio This is new for us and I'm hoping she'll enjoy it. I'm thinking this might be a fun day off thing to do. I'm artfully inept but she may have a chance. Her godmother is a talented artist that people actually pay so maybe … and Zanna's already shown signs of being able to sew so she's a step ahead of me there. 

Extracurricular activities will include year round swim lessons (we take summers off) and ballet.  She's also joined the Lutheran Girl Pioneers at our sister church downtown. I have fond memories (and a wicked charm bracelet to show) of participating as a preteen and earned my baby-sitting, photography, cooking and sewing (haha) charm back in the day. Many days ago. 

We've also joined a homeschool co-op. This is new for me and this is my 10th year of homeschooling. Did I just write that correctly? 10 years. I need a minute. 

So the basic idea is that for 3 weeks at a time, a predetermined  theme is studied and moms take turns leading, teaching, preparing and general corralling kids. For instance, this first theme is Medieval Times. I led the snack and we made non-alcoholic mead and smothered bread (French toast). 
 I think it will be fun for both of us! 

And yes, it's weird with just her and a whole lot quieter. We are missing Will like crazy and I jump when I hear the sound of a text arriving on my phone to see if it's him. We've been blessed with lots of distractions to keep us from being too down in the dumps - Zanna has a frenzy of neighbour friends in and out of our door after school hours, we have finishing touches to do to complete the basement and we're still trying to get the van's air conditioning working. (And now it's cold outside.) We just finished rewatching the final episode of Alias, the best show ever next to Wonder Woman. I honestly don't know if Syndey Bristow or Lynda Carter would win in a dual. Hmmm… And I'm still trying to figure out how to cook for the three of us when I'm used to cooking for 6 (because Will eats a lot).  And just so you know, David's Tea has rereleased their Pumpkin Chai tea and I got a little excited and ordered a lot when I realized I could have it delivered to my door. I blame Perspective - I ran out too soon last year. 

This year's going to fly by. Perspective tells me so.