Christian Hospitality and Our Excuses

    Besides Christ follower, wife, and mother, I desire to be a welcomer. I want everything about my life to say welcome, and I believe this is biblical. Now this doesn't come easy. I am deeply passionate about Christian hospitality, but I still struggle. I like my quiet alone time. I occasionally feel embarrassed about my small apartment or simple decor. Sometimes I worry about having enough money to feed my own family, let alone visiting mouths. I often feel overwhelmed with the busyness that comes with managing a family, working outside of my home, and homeschooling. My excuses aside though, I desire to regularly show Christian hospitality by inviting others into my home.

    Over the next few posts, I hope to write about various aspects of Christian hospitality and give a few simple challenges to further motivate you (and myself!) in this area. Today I want to address some of the most common excuses we give for why we cannot invite people into our homes.

Excuse #1: I don't have enough space.

     Honestly, this is probably the worst excuse you can give. You may not have a few thousand (or even a couple hundred!) square feet. You may not even own a home, but you do have space somewhere! Do you have a common area in your college dorm? Do you have a porch off your tiny apartment? Do you have a living room chair or a kitchen table? Do you have a yard? Let's stop waiting to have Pinterest perfect mansions, and instead focus on using the space we have now for welcoming others, no matter how small or simple it may seem.


    I'm always convicted when I think of how many Ugandans welcomed me into their homes. Rarely was there an actual couch. Usually there wasn't even enough indoor space. Often we would all gather outside in the red clay dirt of their yard. As the guest I was usually offered a straw mat or a rickety chair. It was incredibly humble by American standards, but their heart was always to welcome and I loved them for it! We usually didn't have long chats, but their goal, no matter how short of an interaction, was to honor the visitor. The Ugandans I knew modeled for me using their space, no matter how big or small, to show hospitality.

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Hebrews 13:2 (ESV)

Excuse #2: I don't feel like it.

     Are we commanded to share the Gospel? Are we commanded to welcome and care for other believers? Are we commanded to care for widows and orphans? Let's stop giving excuses and start obeying the Lord. I think those of us in the West give far too much attention to our personalities or feelings at the expense of obedience. Our homes are not our own. They do provide much needed rest and recovery from hard work (especially for us introverts!), but they are still to be yielded to the Lord. Our emotions should not gauge how obedient we will be to the commands of Scripture to show hospitality.

    One major sacrifice made for our own family happened when our adoption process was being continually delayed. We gave up our own rental home to move to a large city to get medical care for our preemie newborn. Two months later, our adoption process still wasn't finished for our oldest child, and we had to move back to our small town. Our dear friends, Matt and Kayla invited us to come live in their guest house. I was shocked and didn't want to accept such radical help. We had no other options though and a hotel would be incredibly expensive long-term.  So we made the move, thinking it would only be two months. Our stay ended up being six months!! I struggled so much feeling like a burden, but they never made us feel anything but welcomed! It was amazing. I'm sure it wasn't easy for them, bu their sacrificial love daily encouraged us. Ultimately it pointed us to Christ during one of the most challenging seasons of our life.

"Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality." Romans 12:13 (ESV)

Excuse #3: I don't have the money.

     This excuse often stems from our confusing hospitality with entertainment. I would offer that for the Christians, they are different! Our chief goal as Christians is not entertainment. Our desires should not be for someone to focus on our curtains, our perfect place settings, or our spotless home. Our desires should be to point others to Christ and bring glory to His name. That can be done with a simple glass of water. It can also be done with beautiful curtains and a fancy five-course meal. Fancy or simple though, our aim is to glorify God and love others, NOT to put on a show.

    To the best of my memory, the first woman outside of my immediate family to ever show hospitality to me was a mentally handicapped Muslim woman in France. She welcomed me and another female missionary into her home with mint tea and hard candies. That was it. By the world's standards, it was incredibly simple, but that was more than enough to make us feel loved and welcomed. We had a wonderful time discussing the Gospel, and she enjoyed having us try on her hijab. Sadly, I didn't keep in touch, but her afternoon of kindness motivated me as a Christian to bring hospitality to the forefront of my life. How much more hope and joy do I have to share with others through the love of Jesus Christ? Christians should not sacrifice the truth of the Gospel, but we should be know worldwide for our live and warm welcome of others in the name of Jesus.

"Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work." I Timothy 5:9-10 (ESV)

Excuse #4: I don't have time.

     This is probably my most challenging excuse personally. If you are a wife and mother, the tasks that demand your time can indeed be extensive. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the logistics of normal life and feel like you should have to worry about those outside your immediate family or close friend group. Even as I write these words, this has been my own struggle this week. I wrongly think to myself, "I am already busy with my husband, kiddos, church, work, household management, and my close friends. I don't need anything or anyone else on my plate now!" But, this is the wrong way to think of those around us. There is indeed a practical limit to our time and days. We have 24 hours in a day and some days, those hours are filled to the brim. BUT for most of us, aren't there many wasted minutes in our days (or nights) filled with skimming Facebook, watching Netflix, or doing other hobbies of non-eternal value? It stings a bit, but most of us know it's true. What if instead of thinking more about our own free time or leisure, we thought about that struggling new mom on campus or that lonely visitor at church? Dear sisters, our time is not our own to spend on whatever whim or desire we have. Even our time on this earth is to stewarded and yielded for the glory of God. I think all too often we say we are too busy for others when in fact there are still pockets of time in our lives where we could chose to die to ourselves and love someone else.

    One of my dearest friends did this regularly for me when I lived in Uganda. Dianna (pictured below!) is a wife and mom of nine children!! When I first heard that her family moved to my small town, I was so excited to meet her. I'm kind of obsessed with large family moms and learning about how they do life. I was a single mom of one at the time and really just wanted to sit at her feet and learn from her. I invited her whole family over one day for lunch and the rest was history. She warmly welcomed me into her home multiple days a week for two solid years!! Usually our time together was afternoons, dinner/evenings, or Sundays. Her time was indeed limited, but she gave freely to me of what was left. She walked with me through single motherhood, courtship, marriage, adoption, pregnancy, miscarriage and just basic learning about life as a godly woman. I know it wasn't always easy for her, and I'm sure there were days when she just wanted to lay on the couch (sometimes we did that together while we chatted about life!), but she gave me her time, and I am so incredibly thankful. To this day, I can hardly put into words the impact time with her has had on my life.

"Show hospitality to one another without grumbling." I Peter 4:9 (ESV)

So my sisters, I leave you with this challenge, think of just one woman you could invite into your home this week. It could be for dinner, tea, a play date, or a time of prayer. Don't think about your space, feelings, money, or time. Ask the Lord to enable you to obey Scripture and invite her into your home. Praying for you all!

By Lexi Zuo

Jehovah-Bore

     I have many, many friends that like to make things. I would consider a number of my friends to be "crafty" in some way or the other, whether through woodworking or throwing parties or putting together an amazing outfit. You probably have a few friends that you'd consider the creative type too. Although I wouldn't necessarily say I am crafty, I do find myself loving and enjoying art, the creations of others, and making over someone with makeup, and I guess that's a way of creating too.

     But when you think about it, have any of us really ever created anything? We merely rearrange and reconstruct materials and ideas that have already existed. Even the atomic elements are discovered (meaning they were already there) or constructed from matter that has already existed, even babies are made through miraculous, biological matter and processes that have existed since humans have always existed. None of us have ever created something from nothing.

     So, let's look at this particular name of God: Jehovah-Bore (ye-ho-vaw BAW-RAW)

     I really hadn't heard of this name prior to seeing it listed in our Trinity Wives leadership meetings, so I was curious and a bit worried that I wouldn't find information on it. There's really only about one or two passages that I found that seem to explicitly reference this name of God, but it's absolutely essential to understanding the character of the God we worship and how He is so separate and different from us. Let's first look at its meaning.

     Jehovah means the self-existent or eternal, the Eternal Lord. Bore (or baw-raw) is a primitive root that basically means to make, create, do, or dispatch absolutely.

     So what we have is the self-existent Lord God that creates. But, we have to see that He is entirely different from the kind of creating that we're used to doing ourselves. Instead of being limited to the materials, elements, and ideas that are already in existence, Jehovah-Bore can do something no one else can do: He speaks things into existence that were not there before. He creates and originates things out of nothing (ex nihilo). We see this in the very, very first verse of the Bible, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

     It's a bit mind-bending, isn't it? But here's the other implication of this that's even more mind-bending: God Himself was never created. He created everything, but as for Himself, He has always been in existence. Nothing created Him. He has no origin, and He depends on nothing and no one for His own existence and well-being. John 5:26 tells us that "He has life in Himself." So it is quite remarkable that He who has no origin is the origin of life for all.

     So, what does that mean about us? We are the created being of the self-existent, eternal Creator-God, who literally speaks life and matter into being. This means we are utterly and totally dependent on Him, helpless without Him. We cannot take credit for the things we make, the talents we have, the jobs we might excel at, the money in the bank, the children we bear and raise, the beauty we behold in the mirror. It is ultimately nothing more that Jehovah-Bore's grace extended to us as the Chief Maker of all things.

     Now, while for many, this news may cause you to lower your head in shame, I would actually argue that this is cause to celebrate. Because we are not the ultimate creators, we don't have to attempt to find our worth in what we do or anything of our own achievement. Our value comes from the One who made us, our origins. I'd like to share a portion of Jen Wilkin's new book,  No One Like Him, to explain the freedom this brings:
     "What freedom is found in recognizing that only God creates! No longer must we labor
     under the delusion of our own self-importance. We need not find our value in people or
     possessions- it rests in our origin. We need not look to the success or failure of our pet
     projects as validation of our worth. We bear the mark of our Maker. It is not our job
     to be original, but to worship the Origin of All things. We are free to explore the limits
     of human creativity to the glory of our Creator. We are free to love and cherish others
     at great expense without demanding their worship in return."

     As a final practice of medication, I'd like you to read a second passage in Scripture that refers to Jehovah-Bore as the self-existent Maker-God: Isaiah 40:12-31. It is good news that we are not self-sufficient, and it is good news that we are not self-sustaining. We do not have to be, for we are the children of the Eternal Creator-God that relies on nothing and no one. Only someone like that is worth drawing strength from.

12 "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand

And marked of the heavens with a span,

Enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure

And weighed the mountains in scales

And the hills in a balance?

13 Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,

Or what man shows Him his counsel?

14 Whom did He consult,

 And who made Him understand?

Who taught Him the path of justice,

And taught Him knowledge,

And showed him the way of understanding?

15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,

And are accounted as the dust on the scales;

Behold, He takes up the coastlands like fine dust.

16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,

Nor are its beasts enough for a burn offering.

17 All the nations are as nothing before Him,

They are accounted by Him as less than nothing and emptiness.

18 To whom then will you liken God,

Or what likeness compare with Him?

19 An idol! A craftsman casts it,

And a goldsmith overlays it with gold

And cast for it silver chains.

20 He who is too impoverish for an offering

Chooses wood that will not rot;

He seeks out a skillful craftsman

To set up an idol that will not move.

21 Do you not know? Do you not hear?

Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,

And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;

Who stretches out, the heavens like a curtain,

And spreads them like a tent to dwell in;

23 Who bring princes to nothing,

And makes the rules of the earth as emptiness.

24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,

Scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,

When He blows on them, and they wither,

And the tempest carries them off like stubble.

25 'To whom then will you compare Me,

That I should be like Him?' says the Holy One.

26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:

Who created these?

He who brings out their host by number,

Calling them all by name;

By the greatness of His might;

And because He is strong in power,

Not one is missing.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,

And speak, O Israel,

'My way is hidden from the Lord,

And my right is disregarded by my God'?

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

The Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

His understanding is unsearchable.

29 He gives power to the faint,

And to him who has no might He increases strength.

30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,

And young men shall fall exhausted;

31 But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles;

They shall run and not be weary;

They shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:12-31

By McKenna Rishmawy

On Campus Small Group Leader

From The Archives - Empty Cupbords

    The beginning years of our marriage were financially slim to say the least. It was hard. In September of 1976 Stephen was a senior in Bible college in Watertown, Wisconsin. I had been out of Bible college for one year (having taken the 2-year program of study) when we got married, and the Lord blessed us immediately with family building "skills." We found out shortly after our honeymoon that we were expecting our first child. We had a little saved up before our wedding in June, but it was quickly depleted over the summer of settling in our first apartment. In the fall Stephen began working security at the school during the night shift for minimum wage (about $2/hour) and taking day classes as best he could on what sleep he got. My choices were few as no one was keen on hiring someone who would leave to become a mom in a few months. I worked in an ice cream shop part-time until they stopped putting my name on the schedule. I then sold Tupperware up until my ninth month. After paying the school bill, the rent and utilities, and gas for the car, there was barely grocery money.

    I still remember being hungry day after day. Doctor visits took up any "extra" money we had as we did not have insurance with either of our jobs. We were so broke. I felt so bad for Stephen, who was so hungry, and I remember hoping and praying that church people would invite us to dinner on Sunday so we could get one good meal in a week. The baby was almost due and our kitchen cabinets were practically empty. Except for some condiments in the door of the refrigerator, the refrigerator shelves were empty. The freezer had ice cubes. For a time, when Stephen came home for lunch, I boiled water and put a beef bouillon cube in the water to make broth. I think we had crackers at first to go with it, but when they ran out I used popcorn in place of crackers in the soup. We had peanut butter for awhile, and although Stephen didn't like it previously, he grew to like it when it was all we had to eat. I remember praying that the baby would be healthy and not sickly for my lack of nutritional intake.

    Feeling very maternal expecting our first little one, I had canned red tomatoes and green sweet pickles earlier that year. We didn't have anything to eat them with, but they at least looked colorful lined up alternately above the cabinets. The "nesting" syndrome swept over me as my due date neared, so I washed the inside of all the kitchen cupboards and rearranged all my Tupperware, creating a clean and ready feeling for whenever the baby arrived.

    The big day arrived 4 days early on February 24, 1977, and the Lord gave us a healthy baby boy. We named him Michael David Harvey after Michael the archangel and Stephen's brother, David. My parents and one of my younger sisters lived only about a 75-minute drive away and though they had never visited before, they came to see the baby.

    I was glad they came and proud to show off Michael, but I was nervous about entertaining them. There simply was nothing to serve them. As a matter of courtesy, shortly after they arrived, I asked them if they would like something to drink, secretly hoping they wouldn't want anything. I was relieved to hear them say they had just finished dinner before they came and didn't want anything. We stayed in the living room visiting and looking at all of Michael's tiny features. I noticed my dad left the room and went to the kitchen. This made me nervous. What was he doing there, getting a glass of water? He had already said he didn't want anything to drink. He poked his head into the living room and said he was in the mood for some "pop" (or soda, as some say). He asked us what kind we liked and asked for directions to the closest store and left. After 45 minutes or so we began to wonder where he was, as the store was fairly close to our apartment. Storm clouds were brewing and my mom was getting worried. It was really getting dark and they had over an hour's drive to get home. Finally after a full hour we saw the car pull into the driveway. He did not come back with just the soda. He came back with 10 bags of groceries! He began unloading bags from the car into the kitchen and I couldn't keep up with him. We had more groceries than could fit in the cabinets and freezer! He said very casually, "Oh, I noticed the cabinets were a little empty so I picked up a few things!" He also had an Easter basked for the baby, several varieties of pop for us, and had put enough meat in the freezer for several weeks! I think he went down every aisle and just put a little of everything in the shopping cart. He seemed so pleased with himself for having found the store, including the Easter goodies from the discount story he wandered into first, by mistake, right next to the grocery store.

    Before my family left, my dad sat at the kitchen table and asked about our hospital bill. Inwardly I cringed. It was embarrassing and humiliating to talk about our finances when we were so strapped for money. I tried to sound casual about it, but Michael's bill had some extra charges for some newborn care he needed. I think our bill was $1200. My dad was taking out his checkbook and when I said $1200 he winced a little and I thought, "Oh my, he's not going to write a check for the whole amount, is he??" He wrote out a check and left it on the table; I think it was for $600! We were a bit awestruck that someone could just write a check out of their account for that much money (and this after purchasing 10 bags of groceries). My parents were not Christians, but they were always very generous with us, and the Lord used them many more times to help us out without our asking.

    What an answer to prayer! What a provision! Jesus was showing Himself to us as our Jehovah-Jirah and continued to do so over and over again throughout the years, and He continues even now 26 years into our marriage with many wonderful provisions. Praise the Lord!

    Post Script: That infant whose nutrition and health I was worried about? As it turned out, he grew up and signed a contract with the U.S. Marines and became a "lean, mean, fighting machine." No health problems there!

by Cathy A Harvey

TWF Vice-President 2003-2004

Memorial Stones

     Joshua 4 records an interesting incident in the history of Israel. Well two actually, but I want to focus on the less remembered part of this incident. The chapter begins with the priest standing in the middle of the Jordan as the people are crossing over into the Promised Land. Joshua is just about to tell the priests to move when God stops him. God tells Joshua to pick one man from each tribe and have them pick up a stone from where the priests are standing. Then God directs Joshua to have the men leave the stones at the place where the nation of Israel camped that night. It was only after this was done that God commanded the priests to step out of the river, and the waters of the Jordan went crashing back over the river banks.

     We remember the part of this story where God parts the Jordan as the priest steps in, but it's easy to forget about the weird part with the stones. It seems a strange detail, but it is an important part of Israel's history. In fact that action memorialized God's miraculous intervention to bring Israel into the promised land of Canaan. This pile of stones was meant to cause children to ask their parents what the stones mean. The stones were an opportunity to share with future generations what the Lord had done for Israel.

     Do you take time to remember what God has done in the past? For me one way I reflect and remember what God has done in the past is to journal. Periodically, I'll read through old entries so that I can remember God's faithfulness and provision.

     There is a two-fold purpose in memorial stones. The first purpose is to encourage gratitude and thankfulness. Without reminders of the times that God has moved in unexpected ways, it is easy to take life for granted. It is easy to feel as though all you have is your just desserts. But when we look at the memorial stone, we remember how we felt when the flood waters of the Jordan blocked our way home. God's surprising actions quicken our hearts to gratitude. The second purpose of memorial stones is to build faith in God. Memorial stones are not just dead memories of days gone by. When I look back at how God provided for my family to bring us here to Trinity, it gives me the perspective to face my current disappointments and challenges. How we are going to be able to pay off student loans isn't as terrifying when I remember what it felt like to be without a job when we first arrived at Trinity. Memorial stones remind me that God provided employment in a miraculous way. When the time comes for another challenge, I can remember how God has been faithful, and that He will remain faithful.

     What are some ways that you can erect memorial stones to God's faithfulness? Maybe you could take a second and journal when God does something amazing. Maybe you could have a picture album dedicated to pictures that show God's faithfulness. These are just a few ideas, but there are many ways to remind ourselves of God's faithfulness and kindness to us.

By Sarah Price

Crowns Editor

El Shaddai

     In the Bible, God is called El Shaddai a total of 48 times. El Shaddai, translated God Almighty in English, "emphasizes God's supreme power and total sovereignty over the creation" (New Dictionary of Biblical Theology). We first see this name for God in Genesis 17 when He makes a covenant with Abraham. "When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between Me and you, and may multiply you greatly'" (Genesis 17:1-2, ESV). God called Abraham to walk in a way that is worthy of God's standards and made a covenant with Abraham, that from him will come the nation of Israel.

     The next time we come across El Shaddai in the Bible is when Isaac, the son promised to Abraham in his old age, is blessing his son Jacob before sending him out. Jacob, renamed Israel, eventually became the father of the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 28:3). Through all of this, we see God's sovereignty in carrying out His covenantal promise to Abraham for His own glory.

     Then we come to the book of Ezekiel, which was written while Israel was in the midst of the Babylonian exile. The prophet Ezekiel's ministry focused on two main themes: judgement and restoration (NDBT). The first time El Shaddai/God Almighty is used is during Ezekiel's vision of God's glory. Taking a look at chapter ten, verse five, we find that the name is mentioned during Ezekiel's vision of the glory of God leaving the Temple. "Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the house, when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. And the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with a cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD. And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks" (Ezekiel 10:3-5). God's glory is leaving the temple because of the wickedness of the people, and God Almighty will soon bring judgement on Jerusalem for their wickedness. Again, we see God's sovereignty in how He unleashes judgment on them, and then restore them for His name's sake.

     So, what does this name - God Almighty - teach us about Him? It teaches us that God is sovereign and that He is holy. That He is faithful to fulfill His promises, and also restore for His name's sake. When we look at the life of Job, the book in which El Shaddai occurs most often, these truths about God could not be more evident. Job has lost everything, and yet, God is still powerful and good. "Then Job answered the LORD and said: 'I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. "Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?" Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know'" (Job 42:1-3). In His sovereignty, God restores Job. And He will continue to save and restore those who call upon His name in His perfect timing.

By Sarah Tank

Large Group Coordinator

How to Start Homeschooling

     My husband and I just began our fifth year homeschooling! It is definitely hard work, but we absolutely love it!! One thing I often get asked by other seminary wives/moms is how to even get started homeschooling. Many of them are completely unfamiliar with the idea. Others may just not know how to begin. There are many different reasons why a family may choose to homeschool, but for those who are interest in the how, I hope this post can help give some guidance.

     1) Learn the Laws. The most important step if you're looking into homeschooling is to learn your state's laws. The best resource for this is the Home School Legal Defense Association. This organization provides legal representation to homeschoolers across the US and around the world. Their site has all the necessary information to make sure you are obeying the law for your child's education.

     2) Read up. There are many different educational philosophies that can influence how you teach your children. A few of the most popular schools of thought are: Classical, Charlotte Mason, Unit Studies, Traditional, Montessori, and Eclectic. Homeschooling can be done in countless ways and each family can choose what's right for them.

My educational philosophy has morphed and changed each year and that's totally okay. Do not be afraid to keep learning. Some favorite books from when I was first learning about homeschooling were: Educating the Whole Hearted Child, The Well-Trained Mind, Charlotte Mason Companion, and For the Children's Sake.

     3) Discuss with your husband. After you've done your research about the laws and possible methods that might work for your family, share your thoughts with your husband. It's absolutely paramount that your husband be on board if you decided to homeschool. It's wonderful and amazing, but it is hard work. If your husband does not want your family to homeschool, you must submit to your husband and his leading of your family. If your husband is on board, move forward with researching and picking a curriculum. The Lord is sovereign over all, including the hearts of our husbands. If homeschooling is right for your family, the Lord will make that clear also to your husband.

     4) Pick a curriculum. If your children are under 5, you really don't need a formal preschool curriculum. Work on reading books aloud, learning the letters, shapes, colors, numbers, crafts, and doing lots of imaginative play. If you have a Kindergartner or older child, you will likely need some sort of curriculum. There are many ways to go about picking what to use. You can purchase an all inclusive curriculum package or piece together the subjects you will teach yourself. I have done it both ways.

     Right now with a toddler and baby running around, I find it so much easier to use a complete pre-planned curriculum package for my oldest daughter. We use My Father's World and absolutely LOVE it! This is our third year using their curriculum. Other popular choices for complete Christian curriculum packages are: Sonlight, Memoria Press, and Heart of Dakota.

     If you'd like to piece subjects together yourself, ChristianBook.com is one of the best places to shop online. You can see samples of almost anything you are interested in buying. Also Cathy Duffy Reviews is a great resource to learn more about the many different options.

     5) Talk to other Homeschool Moms. Learn from other homeschool moms about what has or hasn't worked for their family. When I was just starting out a dear friend and mother of nine children helped me get going. It was such a blessing to have an older more experienced mom to answer questions and help me keep the big picture in mind.

     6) Celebrate your first day of school. Once the curriculum have arrived and you have gotten a bit organized, pick your first day of school. Make it exciting and special for everyone involved. Our family celebrates the first day of school each year by having chocolate cake for breakfast! My kiddos love it and it's an amusing way to kick off the year. Whatever you decide, celebrate together! The freedom to teach your children at home is a blessing and one to be celebrated if you decided to go that route.

     Hope this helps make the process a little be easier for those of you considering homeschooling your kiddos. Praying for you seminary moms!

By Lexi Zuo

I Only Have Two Pigs

     This past Sunday the speaker ended his message with the following illustration. A missionary was speaking with a new convert, Pablo, and asked him, "Pablo, if you had one hundred sheep, would you give fifty of them to the Lord's work?"  "Of course!" Pablo replied, "You know I would!"  Then the missionary asked him, "If you had fifty cows, would you give twenty-five of them to the Lord's work?"  Again Pablo replied enthusiastically, "Of course I would!"  Then the missionary asked, "Pablo, if you had two pigs, would you give one of them to the Lord's work?"  "That's not fair," Pablo protested. "You know I only have two pigs!"

     Well, being a seminary wife, I often feel like Pablo. I think, "Lord, I'll give generously to Your work once..." There are too many ways to fill in that blank. "Once I have a full-time job." "Once we've gotten a handle on our student loans." "Once we graduate." The only trouble is that each stage of life has its own "Once." Once we have kids, once the kids are in school, once the kids are in college.

     However, God doesn't call us to be wealthy givers. He calls us to be cheerful givers (II Corinthians 9:7). In fact, we are called to give what each one "has decided in [her] heart" to give without feeling forced. If I sat here and guilt-tripped you into giving even a penny away, I would be in the wrong. So my goal is not to guilt-trip you but to encourage an attitude of generosity.

     It is easy to give generously from imaginary amounts. Just think of the number of people you could help if you won the lottery! That is not, however, what God asks of us when He calls us to give. We are called to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). This means our life now, in this stage, is to be lived sacrificially to the glory of God. God isn't asking us to be generous when He has blessed us with great material blessings. He is asking us to be generous as an outpouring of the rich blessings He has already given to us. God has given us blessings that He wants to share with others. We are called to be generous so that we can be a part of how God is providing for someone else.

     But I understand the thought that comes next. "That's great, but money is hard to come by in seminary." True! But to that I want to say just two things. First, generosity is about more than just money. We have many blessings to share. Through hospitality, we give of our home and our time. Through letters, cards, calls, and texts we can give the gift of encouragement. Seek out your areas of blessing and offer them to those around you. Second, generosity has no minimum amount. A dollar given faithfully once a year is worth more than a thousand dollars with are promised, but never arrive. That dollar says, "I know you have needs, and I care about you." Generosity starts today. This minute. This moment. Remember the greatness of God's gift to you. Turn and share that gifts with a friend. It is the cheerful gift God is looking for, not the flashy expensive one.

By Sarah Price

Crowns Editor