Francis Schaeffer Junkie

I was loaned Francis Schaeffer's complete works (4 volumes containing all his books) as well as his 10 part DVD on the rise and fall of Western Civilization. I am BLOWN AWAY at how prophetic his thoughts were 40 years ago! He shaped a lot of people's thoughts about understanding worldviews. I am learning so much from him. In How Should We Then Live? he goes on location to show how man's thinking changed through the ages from Rome to present day (1970's) and how philosophy changes art, music, culture and finally the church. Every teen and adult needs to watch this series to see how our thinking and postmodern culture are the products of history. Fascinating, thought-provoking, and eerily prophetic!

MY Favorite Books

I just updated the sidebar of this blog including my favorite books. Just wanted to highlight my absolute favorite, must-read, hands down gotta-own-it books!

Newest Favorite: One Thousand Gifts by Voskamp

Favorite Missions Book: Radical by David Platt

Favorite Homeschooling Book: Teaching the Trivium by Bluedorn, to sample a great chapter click here. (I'm not a "trivium" teach 'em latin kinda gal, but I love their take on why and how to educate, without match!)

 "A Charlotte Mason Companion" by Andreola is another fav because she paints such a beautiful picture of home life.

Favorite Books to Read Aloud: Little House on the Prairie series & any of the Lamplighter books

Favorite Marriage Book: What Did You Expect? by Paul David Tripp

 Favorite Book on Home Management: Large Family Logistics by Brenneman (you don't have to have a "large" family to benefit from her organizational skills)

Favorite Parenting Book: Shepherding a Child's Heart, Raising Godly Tomatoes and No Greater Joy Vol 1, 2 & 3 (To be honest my favorite has yet to be written...have you read one that's truly biblical and grace-full??)

 Favorite Economics Book: The Bankruptcy of Our Nation by Robinson

Favorite How To Book: The Encyclopedia of Country Living

Favorite Devotional Book: Dialogues with Fenelon (on intimacy w/God), Devotional Classics by Foster (on Christian living), 100 Days of Blessing by Campbell (encourgement for the young mother

Favorite Apologetics: The Reason for God by Dr. Timothy Keller

 Favorite Missionary Biography: Bruchko and Heavenly Man

 Favorite Fiction: Stepping Heavenward by Prentiss, and Henry and the Great Society by Roush

Must See!!!!

For Christmas I asked for the new documentary movie "AGENDA, Grinding America Down" and it did not disappoint!!! Everyone in this nation needs to see this movie!!!! This documentary is all about the communist agenda (not conspiracy theory) to destroy our nation and make it weak and in need of the savior of socialism (more government control & power). There is so much information given in this movie that I cannot possibly summarize it all. All I can say is that we have been duped, dumbed down and lulled into dependancy upon the State and we are in for it! We need to prepare the character of the next generation to face hardship with perseverance, and to face evil with truth and love, never giving way to fear. My action points are to get this movie in as many hands as possible (buy it now on sale from http://www.visionforum.com/ for $14.40 and $5 flat rate shipping for the month of January and BUY at least 2 copies so you can lend it out!! Or you can purchase a copy from me and save shipping if you live in the area.) I am compelled to equip my children with memorizing a lot more Scripture and teaching them to stand up for what is right with faith, courage and conviction, even if it cost them their lives.

Put This On Your Wishlist!!

This is SOOOOOOO good!!! I've been listening to these 9 CD's of Victoria Botkin in my car and LOVING it! If you ask for anything for Christmas, or if you get some spending money, spend it wisely on this set of messages. I thoroughly respect this woman and value everything she says. I've been so blessed!

"Listen to Victoria discuss subjects like woman’s great power, sinful tendencies, independence vs. submission, beauty, dress, makeup, respect, women’s rights, hospitality, pitfalls of perfectionism in homemaking, Hollywood expectations, trials, trust, and cultivating personality. Throughout, she responds to questions and answers from women."

(It's currently 30% off right now at Vision Forum with $5 shipping.)

Warrior Mother!

I bought a bunch of messages from FamilyMinistries.com and I've just got to recommend you order this great message by Bev Bradley for $7. Bev is an great communicator.
It is so good to be reminded WHO our battle is against.
It is so important that we raise our children KNOW Jesus and not to raise humanists who just behave well.
It is so neccessary to LOVE and pray for each child.
I am so convicted to model repentance to my children. I'm to help them honor God and battle against sin instead of battling against them. Am I most interested in knowing and loving their hearts (as Jesus does) or in behavior (witholding my love to motivate them)? No! Do not be satisfied with good behavior. Seek to model the love and grace of Jesus to their hearts. Fight for them!

Gotta Love Fenelon

I have a few precious devotional books by Francois Fenelon that I love. He was a spiritual mentor to believers during the reign of Louis the 14th. Here's a sampling of his wisdom for you....

TO PREFER LOVE AND HUMILITY TO LEARNING.

People cannot become perfect by dint of hearing or reading about perfection. The chief thing is not to listen to yourself, but silently to listen to God; to renounce all vanity, and apply yourself to real virtues; to talk little, and to do much, without caring to be seen. God will teach you much more than all the most experienced persons and all the most spiritual books. Do you need to be so learned in order to know how to love God and deny yourself for His love? You know much more of good than you practice. You have much less need of gaining fresh knowledge than of putting in practice that which you have already acquired.

From Dialogues of Fenelon Vol 1, Lamplighter Publishing

My Utmost for His Highest

If I could recommend 1 thing to start doing this year on a daily basis it would be to read "My Utmost for His Highest" during your time with God every day. If you've never read it before, it's a daily devotional that gives you a little page to read every day but it is packed with a PUNCH! It is amazing how just systematically reading through the Scriptures as well as reading a book like this can be a useful tool for God to speak to you personally. For example, here are a few quotes from the past few days that spoke to me....

From January 1:"'My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest- my best for His glory.' To reach that level of determination is a matter of the will, not of debate or of reasoning. It is absolute and irrevocable surrender of the will at that point. An undue amount of thought and consideration for ourselves is what keeps us from making that decision, although we cover it up with the pretense that it is others we are considering. When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn't know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point- He does know. Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only- my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone."

See what I mean. With the idea of moving to Africa in the forefront our my mind, words like this are pure inspiration! Are you giving your best for His glory? The battle is in the will, once we surrender our will to God it doesn't really matter what He does with us. Here is what spoke to me from January 2:

" One of the most difficult questions to answer in Christian work is, 'What do you expect to do?' The only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing. Continually examine your attitude toward God to see if you are willing to 'go out' (referring to Abraham) in every area of your life, trusting in God entirely. It is this attitude that keeps you in constant wonder, because you don't know what God is going to do next. Each morning as you wake, there is a new opportunity to 'go out', building your confidence in God.
Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do- He reveals to you who He is.
Let the attitude of your life be a continual willingness to 'go out' in dependence upon God."

See what I mean. He packs a punch. I love it.

Book Recommendation

I just finished reading "Bruchko" by Bruce Olsen to the girls and I can't stop thinking about it. It's not a children's book, but a very facinating missionary story that I decided they were old enough to enjoy. WOW. Can I say that again, WOW. It's about the most amazing missions story I've ever heard of. Where has this book been? It was written the year I was born and I've never heard of it until doing this missions curriculum with my girls! It's the kind of story that only God could perform because the odds, the sacrifice, the long-suffering is too intense to have been accomplished without His help. It is inspiring but also sobering. I realize that the path to knowing Jesus is through sharing in his sufferings and quite honestly, I don't want to hear that. Bruce Olsen ,"Bruchko" the savage Columbian indian tribe called him, changed an entire civilization and has received lots of glory but also had to suffer much. I won't give any more away, just read it.

Wonderful Missionary Stories!

I purchased "The Pineapple Story Series" for my family for Christmas from a recommendation by our missionary friends in Zambia. They said they were "life changing" and so I figured $26 was a cheap way to change our lives. They were not joking! It's a set of 15 stories on like 10 CD's from a retired missionary to Papua New Guinea. He is SOOOOO funny and charming to listen to and his stories of how God worked in spite of him will blow you away! Stories of faith, trust, surrender, money, miracles....We love them, my older children love them, so I had to share about it with you. "Mom, can we listen to a pineapple story?" (Age interest: 8+, but most relevant for adults.)
Purchase a set here.