Lessons in World Religions

My third grader is taking a pretty interesting and in my opinion quite well rounded world history course. We've been learning about the Ottoman and Mughal empires and how the three major religions in Europe, Asia Minor and India dealt with each other.


He was having some trouble distinguishing between the three, so I Googled some images from Hinduism to give him something visual to tie with it.


He chose the "meditating elephant" (his words) to use as his reminder.

trippy

He remembered the crescent and cross symbols of Islam, but wanted to know what Allah looks like. I said there is no images of Allah, so we went with drawing a flag.



When I asked him about the symbol of Christianity, he couldn't come up with anything, so I had to point out the cross that still adorns our living room wall. My husband made it for us as young marrieds.


What has been so nice about teaching history this time around is that I don't have to stop and disclaim and explain why our religion is the right one. I can just teach the facts about them all without defense. It is is favorite class right now, and although he is struggling in other areas, his interest for the different things of this world is very refreshing.

Yes, No, Wait

Recently, I overheard a conversation that involved an apparent answer to prayer. The one who got their prayer answered (which, was something rather trivial btw) said that they wished God would answer all prayers like that.



The other party said and I quote,


"God always answers prayers. He says yes, no, or wait."





I don't now nor ever did find that answer satisfying, but as a believer that's all I had. At times, I would figure I was doing something wrong. Other times, I chalked it up to sovereignty and tried to focus my efforts more in discovering His will instead of making petitions.




But does prayer work? I guess I would say if one believes in the yes, no, wait, scenario, then it always does. 

On the "You Were Never Saved" Issue

Recently I was thinking about this again. Many of us who have gone through the soul shattering, heart breaking, and mind blowing process of having the very center of our universe and purpose for living upended get a wee bit offended when someone comes along with the info that if we were really saved to begin with, we would not have turned away.






But the question of our salvation (or lack thereof) is really not the point. It's the way this kind of thing can make us feel invisible and unheard. No one knows anyone else's heart, the prayers and adorations in the stillness and privacy of our own spirits. When I read of people's love of God or Jesus or Allah, I BELIEVE them, I do not doubt their sincerity even if I myself don't think that what they believe is real. That's not up to me nor any of my business. The fact that I found it all to be untrue after all the years I gave it (Him) my all is an absurd idea to some. I know. At one time I would have thought that as well.


But it did happen.


So I guess the "you were never a Christian" part of it doesn't so much bother me anymore. I figure now I really never was saved in the most obvious way. I no longer think that there is anything to be saved from.


Therefore the hurt in telling me that I never (fill in the blank) is that my very integrity as a human in brought into question, and that's what gets me.

Cold Snap- Snow Days

The kiddos all went back to their various schools this week after the Christmas break. The two onliners get no weather breaks, and the hybrid-er has only two days a week to worry about it, but my three public schoolers had two days off due to the sub zero temps and wind chills.


I got more time off this week, so was able to revisit mom mode more than running-around-like-a-crazy-person mode. It was nice.


We have made the decision to move the three public schoolers to the hybrid next year if all goes as planned. Of all the things, I had the least hope for that, but it has turned out to be the best. That will mean much more commitment from me as "learning coach," but for now it feels right. The kids are all okay with it too, so it's just riding out the rest of this year and then onto new things.






My oldest son has been teaching himself to play guitar over the last few months and is quite good. He was showing my littlest man a few things yesterday and the little one came to me in the kitchen to show off his new skill. He played the intro to My Sweet Lord and it was so cute. The guitar is bigger than he is!


I like that they can teach and learn from each other, I guess I didn't totally screw them up yet:)






ALSO, I have been doing a lot more Instagramming lately than writing, if anyone is on Instagram, let me know, I'd love to follow you.



Have a great weekend!

2015

I know I've neglected this blog badly. It's not that I don't want to write or am out of ideas, it's just the time factor. It's been so crazy around here this past month with the holidays and extended hours at work, I feel like I don't know which end is up most of the time lately, (not to mention fighting a cold, too).


I'm also way behind on my reading, and I so want to get back to your blogs and comment and discuss, there are some I've bookmarked and hopefully will get to soon.




I wished my guests Merry Christmas this year, not Happy Holidays or anything else. No one seemed offended;) I don't mind calling it Christmas, because that's what it is, even though it means absolutely something different to me now. I distinctly recall my first Christmas as a new believer and how much more the season had meaning for me. All this stuff made sense and now I was in on the mystery of it all.


I never thought it would slip away, but slip it has and I find new meaning again in this winter celebration. We spoiled the kids, I gave to charity in my own way, I tried to find peace with my fellow humans (although working in food service, it can be awfully hard somemtimes). We ate too much, drank too much, and enjoyed ourselves. We really do have so much.

I'm not really a resolution person, but some new habits I'd like to form are to live in the moment every day, know what is truely important, not be so hard on the ones I love the most, enjoy this time on this planet, and never stop learning.




Welcome 2015, I'm ready.