A Devotional for Today

In the midst of the turmoil and pain you are facing each day, I want you to understand I am your constant refuge. When you are tired, I am here to provide you rest. When you are overwhelmed I am here to help you put everything into perspective. When the pressures of life are more than you can handle, I am here to carry your burdens. When you need security from those who are pursuing you, I am your protector. Just as a cave cut out from the side of a mountain can provide shelter from dangerous storms, I provide the shelter you need. Better stated, I am your shelter. I am all you need. Turn to Me. Lean on Me. Walk close beside Me each moment of each day. Storms will certainly come your way, but do not fear, I am with you through the storms.

Psalm 7:1; Psalm 16:1; Matthew 11:30

Make Me an Instrument

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Also read 1 Peter 2:22-24

Today was the day of the big concert that everyone had been waiting for. The Johnson family arrived at the concert one hour early so they could get good seats. The musician they came to see was one of their favorite performers. The music that came out of the instrument he played was very soothing and comforting. It was amazing to them how someone could play beautiful music from a piece of metal that had holes in it. Cary Johnson had tried many times to play a song from the same type of instrument. It never sounded the same as when their favorite musician played it. In fact, Cary’s music was out of tune for the most part. She knew she had to practice hard in order for her music to sound that good. Have you ever picked up a musical instrument and tried to play something for the first time? It probably was not a sound that soothed others ears. Did you know our lives are like an instrument? We can either be in tune or out of tune. We can comfort others or be a discomfort to others. If we are a new creation in Jesus and are living according to His plan others can be comforted by what we say and do. God can use us as instruments to help others. But, if we are not living our lives for Jesus, then we are probably more of a discomfort to others than a comfort. Our instrument may sound out of tune and drive others crazy. When an instrument is tuned just right and played the right way, beautiful music can be the result. Our lives should be finely tuned instruments that are being played by God. Our actions can show the result of our love for Him. He is the greatest musician that ever played, and when we allow Him to use us, together we can really make beautiful music. What kind of instrument are you? Are you allowing the Lord to use you or are you going your own way and not allowing Him to use you? Lord, make us instruments for you. Play us so others can see Your glory.

• Do you play an instrument? What kind do you play? Do you like the music that comes out of an instrument that is in tune and played properly?

• Are you willing to let the Lord play His song through your life?

Jim Elliot: One Great Purpose–a Review

Teaching children about great heroes of the faith can be both exciting and challenging.  It is exciting to teach about the adventures many missionaries experience in their journey to share the gospel, but it is challenging to teach about the tragedies that befall many missionaries.  YWAM Publishing, the publishing ministry of Youth With a Mission, publishes books devoted to “training and equipping believers for their part in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19, as well as personal evangelism.”  I have been privileged to read and explore YWAM’s publication of Jim Elliot:  One Great Purpose with my children. To my delight, I also received the Unit Study Curriculum Guide for this book. I received the .pdf version of both products.  I have been using them from my Ipad and loaded them onto my kids devices for them to read.

     We have many dear friends in our area of the world who are career missionaries through YWAM.  Because of these relationships, our family is very familiar with the wonderful ministry of YWAM across the globe.  Reading Jim Elliot:  One Great Purpose has given us insight into another far-reaching and meaningful arm of the YWAM ministries.  Jim Elliot:  One Great Purpose is part of YWAM’s “Christian Heroes:  Then & Now” series.  This series includes 41 biographies of great heroes of the Christian faith, both men and women.  Books are available individually as well as in some different sets.  The entire set of books is available as well for a substantial savings.  Jim Elliot:  One Great Purpose is intended for readers ages 10+.  It is 192 pages long and sells for $6.99 on the YWAM website. The rest of the biographies in the series are in the same general age level.  We have found that the book may be a little bit of a stretch for a 10 year old to read independently, but it would work great as a read aloud or read together.  I have read it myself and my 13 year old and 16 year old read this. From a reading level standpoint, the 10+ is spot on.  From the standpoint of subject matter, I do recommend a parent read it either with a younger child or at the same time as a younger child.  The book is tremendous, but the events surrounding the death of Jim Elliot are difficult and lend themselves to open discussion about the meaning of servanthood and completely surrendering ones life to the purpose of sharing the gospel.

     On the YWAM website, one of the neat perks that I found while doing some digging around is  “Heroes Series – Bonus Material.”  This part of the website contains free extras to go with many of the books in the series including a crossword puzzle on Jim Elliot, a coloring page on Jim Elliot, suggestions for how to use the Unit Study in different setting, and other fun extras.  There is even a link for more challenging crosswords (ages 15+).  I love to be able to find extra material to enhance a study!

     Now, down to the nitty gritty!  Jim Elliot: One Great Purpose is the biographical account of Jim Elliot.  It chronicles his experiences sharing the gospel with the Auca Indians of Ecuador.  He and his coworkers knew that this group of people were known to be savage, especially with outsiders.  They worked tirelessly to build trust in hopes of being able to reach the Indians for Christ. The missionaries were fully aware that they could lose their lives in their mission, but they vowed never to spill a drop of blood of those with whom they were sharing God’s love.  In other words, if attacked they would not fight back.  This biography traces the journey that Jim Elliot takes to reach the point of trying to work with the Auca.  We trace his journey as he has to learn the Quichua language in order to share with the Quichua tribe first.  This was a rival tribe to the Auca.  Jim and one of his coworkers were able to experience mentoring and training at the hand of another missionary, Dr. Tidmarsh, who was working with the Quichua. Eventually, Jim and his family, along with the McCully family (another missionary family) settled and took up residence in the jungles of Ecuador.  Part of their work, in trying to establish a relationship with different indigent people groups, was to drop loads of groceries and other trinkets from the safety of an airplane to the people.  That is how Nate Saint (Jim’s coworker and pilot) and Jim Elliot first catch a glimpse of the elusive Auca people and how they develop a burning desire to reach them with the gospel.  Throughout the story, readers are entranced in adventure after adventure, hardship after hardship, all for the sake of Christ.  I’m not going to tell you the end of the story because I hate spoilers.  Let’s suffice it to say, God is always in control.

     We have really been enjoying the Unit Study along with the book. It is 62 pages long and retails for $7.49 on the YWAM website. I love unit studies because they are like a cafeteria of ideas and activities that can be used to enhance a study.  This guide does not disappoint. Activities, study questions, memorization suggestions, projects, and more fill this unit study guide.  The study can be cross-curricular with activities suggested in the areas of history, geography, language arts, current events, math, missions, and life skills.  I have used the discussion questions as a springboard for discussion times over chapters read.  I have also been using the essay questions for writing assignments.  We have used the provided maps and completed the geography related activities and have studied the history of Indians in Ecuador.  Next on the agenda is to try our hands at some Ecuadorian cooking.

     This book and unit study have been inspiring for our family.  My oldest daughter has spent a great deal of time this year on the mission field and is leaning toward taking a full year mission trip in the near future.  As a matter of fact, all of my kids have a heart toward missions.  I greatly appreciate books like this which give a picture of what missionary life can actually be like.  I want my kids to understand that it isn’t an easy life, but God provides all of your needs when you are serving Him.

     My friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been reviewing both this book / unit study as well as one about George Washington.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below.

   

Ambassador Bob – A Kid’s Devotional

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:20 – “We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

Also read 1 Corinthians 3:9

Ambassador Bob was a ministering dude! He would carry his Bible everywhere and tell people about Jesus. He was never without a handy gospel tract to give out at all times. It was very common to see Ambassador Bob at the park telling people about the love of Jesus and the salvation offered through Jesus. Ambassador Bob was ready and willing to go anywhere that the Lord would call him to go, even if it were to another country. Ambassador Bob was on a mission to tell people about Jesus. He was truly a Fisher of Men! God used Ambassador Bob as an “ambassador” to bring people to Himself.

Is Ambassador Bob any different from you or me? Do I need to be in a special club to be an ambassador for Christ? Do we have to memorize a special verse or be a Christian for several years first? “No way,” is the appropriate answer for all of the above questions.

When we receive Jesus, we too are called to be an ambassador for God to this world. God tells us to go out and share with the world about His love and salvation He provides through His Son, Jesus. The Bible says that we are all to be ambassadors for Jesus. An ambassador has the job of representing one country to another. The United States has ambassadors living in other countries. Their job is to represent our country to the people in those foreign countries. We are now members of God’s kingdom in Jesus. We are to represent God’s kingdom as ambassadors to the people in this world! The world is in rebellion against God but Jesus wants people to know that they can turn to Him and be forgiven. We represent Jesus and His heart towards the world. We need to do a good job of representing Him. What a great privilege it is to be heaven’s ambassadors to the lost of this world! So you can be Ambassador Billy, Ambassador Jennifer or even Ambassador Bob!

• Why has God sent ambassadors into the world?

• How are you doing as one of Jesus’ ambassadors?

• Let’s all be the best ambassadors we can be!

A New Creation

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Also read Colossians 2:6-7 and Ephesians 2:21

One day, two friends, Nancy and John were looking at a painting of Jesus on the cross.

They were looking at the same picture, but they saw two very different things. “What do you see when you look at that painting?” Nancy asked. “Well, I see a man hanging on a cross who is bleeding and has a crown of thorns on his head,” replied John. “What do you see Nancy?” “Well, I see an eternal picture.” “A what?” replied John. “I see eternal life,” Nancy said. By this time John was very confused and said, “How do you get eternal life out of a picture that has a man hanging on a cross? What do you see that I can’t see?” Nancy went on to explain to John how she saw the picture and what it meant.

Our new relationship with Jesus brings about a new relationship to the world and to the people around us. We see things differently as a Christian than we used to. Before becoming a Christian we could read the Bible or look at something like a painting of Jesus on the cross and not understand very much. We might even ask, “What’s the big deal?” We would probably be like John and just see a man hanging on a cross who is bleeding and has a crown of thorns on his head. Once we are Christians, we can be like Nancy and see a picture of what Jesus has done for us. But, we can only see like Nancy if we have asked Jesus to come into our life. When you become a Christian you are a new creation in Christ and you will see things differently than you did before.

We cannot make that change in our lives on our own. We need God to change our hearts, and how does He do that? He does it by sending His Spirit into our lives when we become a Christian, helping us to see things differently, through His eyes. When I look at a painting of Jesus on the cross I am filled with joy because He has taken my place. I know He suffered for me so I could come directly into the presence of God. Jesus saved my life! I can be with Him forever because I have received Him as my Lord and Savior. What do you see?

• What do you see when you look at your friends or family who don’t know Jesus?

No Cost to You!

Text: Romans 3:24 – “. . . are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Also read 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

“I can’t pay this credit card debt!” exclaimed Mark’s father. “We have spent too much

money over the past few months. I can’t believe we owe so much money to our credit card account.” Spending money is an easy thing to do. Most people like to spend money instead of saving it or helping others with it. Like Mark’s father, so many people are unable to pay back the money they owe. Over time, the debt gets larger and harder to pay off. Sometimes it can even take several years to pay off something you owe.

What if God were to say to us, “Every time you sin, you must pay Me back for the sin you committed. I will not speak to you or protect you until your debt is paid in full”? How would that make you feel? We probably would not hear from God very often or feel very

protected. That’s because none of us would ever be able to pay back God for the sins we committed. NEVER, EVER! We sin every day and can never pay the price for our sin. This means we would have to be perfect. Our sins would add up faster than any good things we could do in order to even things out. No one has ever been perfect, except for Jesus. That is why He is the only one who can help us. The good news is that Jesus paid for every one of our sins, past, present and future. At no cost to any one of us, Jesus took care of the debt of sin we owed. When Jesus died on the cross he paid that debt for us. God placed all of our sins upon Jesus as He hung on the cross, which means that we can start out fresh, and forgiven of our sin. We become a brand new creation in Jesus. What is the result? The debt of our sins is erased and God replaces our sin with the goodness (righteousness) of Jesus. We can now go and live our lives for Jesus as a brand new creation, no longer under the control of sin. Let’s remember to always be thankful that Jesus paid the debt of our sin with His very life.

• What does it mean to have your debt of sin taken care of?

VideoText Interactive–Algebra: A Complete Course–a Review

 VideoText Interactive is an interactive math curriculum. Until I received the program to review, I had never heard of VideoText Interactive.  We have been using the Algebra: A Complete Course  (Modules A-F, online version)program.  After using this curriculum for several weeks, I am extremely impressed.  This comprehensive product is the brain child of Tom Clark.  Mr. Clark is a life-long teacher of Mathematics and Science with 46 years experience in education, at all levels, from elementary through adult. We had moved to using several computer based courses this year in our homeschool.  Up till now, I had not implemented a computer based math program as our sole curriculum.  Now, VideoText Interactive is our sole curriculum.  This is the first math program in high school that my kids have actually asked to do each day. The Algebra: A Complete Course  (Modules A-F, online version)program is intended for students who are ready for pre-algebra (this age may vary slightly, but 7th grade up would be typical).  I have been using it with an eighth grader and an eleventh grader.  There is an article, here, about algebra readiness.  It is really helpful in deciding if your child is ready for this program.

     When I received the VideoText Interactive access, there was a little bit of a learning curve for me.  This system is a little different from a traditional video-type mathematics curricula which uses video to supplement textbook material.  With VideoText Interactive, the interactive video is the textbook and print material is the supplement.  We are working our way through the complete algebra program.  When my kids complete the entire program, they will receive a Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2 credit.  It does take a little bit of reading and preparation for the parent / teacher to learn the system for VideoText Interactive.  The system is designed so that the teacher / parent is a part of each lesson, not just a bystander.  This unique approach lends itself not only to more interaction between student and teacher / parent but also to more mastery of concepts.

     I spent some time digging through all of the available parent / teacher materials on the website (available with purchase of the course).  There was a ton of information regarding scope and sequence of the course, scheduling, grading, and how to work through the lessons.  I printed materials I needed for myself and my kids, placed them in binders, and we were ready to go. The process is fairly simple.  The kids login and go to whatever lesson they are supposed to work on each day.  If there is a video to watch, they watch the video; if there is an assignment to work on or check, they do that; if there is a quiz or test to take or correct, they do that.  I work through the videos with them, pausing every now and then to ask questions and let them tell me what they are learning about.  One of the materials available with the program is course notes for each lesson. The kids have a printed copy of these and can use them as a reference as they are doing their assignments or for review for quizzes or tests.  I really appreciate how the instructions allow for kids to correct their own assignments, quizzes, etc… using the answer key.  This gives the kids an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.  The videos for each lesson are short enough to not get boring, yet long enough to teach each concept.  There are 2 different versions for quizzes and tests provided.  This allows for retakes if needed (or using one as a review and the other as a test). 

     I am seeing major progress in the area of independence in math work with VideoText Interactive.  My kids using this are in eighth and eleventh grade.  The eleventh grader needed some major review in algebra skills in order to prepare for his ACT.  My eighth grader is at or ahead of her grade level.  It has been fun to watch them help each other out on assignments.  I have my eleventh grader working at a faster pace than my eighth grader. He completes 2 lessons per day (on average).  If it is time for a test / quiz, he usually studies and takes it and corrects it all on the same day.  He is doing a great job with it.  My eighth grader loves the short assignment length and the fact that she can watch a video over if she doesn’t understand something.  If she is still stuck, she reads over the notes, tries to work a problem or two, or asks me for help.  Sometimes, with math, it just takes a different perspective to make a concept click.  They both began the course by studying basic number skills and math language.  Then they progressed to concepts such as greatest common factor, least common multiple, factoring, etc… They have completed the pre-algebra type skills and have moved into the more meaty algebra 1 skills now.  I must say, I thought they would have trouble as they got to these skills, but they have not.  

     The Algebra: A Complete Course covers pre-algebra, algebra 1, and algebra 2. 

     Materials included in the courses are:  

1.  Video Lessons – 5-10 minutes in length each.  Methods presented are easy to follow and understand.

2.  Course Notes – students can view these on screen or print.  The notes follow the video lessons exactly.

3.  Student WorkText – These contain additional review and practice examples of the concepts presented in each video lesson.  Student assignment exercises are also included.

4.  Solutions Manual – detailed, step-by-step solutions for all of the problems found in the WorkText.

5.  Progress Tests – short quizzes and longer tests which are assigned periodically to assess student mastery of concepts.

Pricing for the program we have been using is:

• ONLINE ALGEBRA Modules A-F: Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2 (Classic Print Version – $529.00) ……. $299

($299 pricing reflects licensing for two students. Add an additional student in your family’s household for $49. A student license will last three years from the date it is activated for each student, and instructor accounts may also be turned on for a short period by request for SAT/CLEP prep after a student license has expired. Online Programs have a full 30-day money back guarantee.)

Other delivery options, such as DVD, are available as well as the option to purchase individual modules and extra materials.  Pricing on these items varies and may be found on the website.

To read the reviews from my friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew, click on the graphic below.