Sarah (12) recently brought me a book called "Jesus Freaks." She was reading it and was moved by a story about a group of believers who were being persecuted. The officials wanted them to denounce Christ and if they didn't, they threatened to kill the believers' children. The Christians would not denounce their Lord and in the end, the officials did murder all the children and the adults as well. They did not beg for their lives or the lives of their children. Instead, they sang hymns into eternity.
I thought of James 1:12, which says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
If we find it difficult to praise the Lord when we're simply cold or a little hungry, how can we ever stand firm in the face of the type of persecution that Christians in other parts of the world experience? I heard a song by Mercy Me recently titled "Bring the Rain." (You can listen to the song here .) The chorus states,
"Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You Jesus,
bring the rain"
Some of you know that I was abused as a child. I never had the joy of my first sexual experience inside of marriage because I was raped when I was still a virgin at 20. People told me to "get over" the fact that we couldn't have any more children after Hannah was born. There have been soooo many days when I have not been able to get out of bed because the pain has been SO incredibly bad that Sarah has had to bring my medicine to me and let me lay in bed for an hour for it to take effect before my legs would work. In the past, I've called out to God through these and similar devastating times in my life. I didn't know how I would make it or why God would allow these things to happen. However, the times when I've experienced the most hardship in life are absolutely the times when I have been most focused on my Saviour. That's not easy to admit, but I almost think it's almost natural to do this. I have a relationship with my Father ALL the time, but I want to CLING to my Father when times are difficult. I have never had an earthly father and when times are rough, it is incredibly comforting to me to know that God is there. In most circumstances, I readily share the gospel with others, but it's during times of "rain" when that seems to be all I focus on because that's really all there is left. And actually, that is the only thing that matters.
I am glad that the other note has encouraged some of you. I really wanted the words to be encouraging, but it is difficult to know what to say sometimes when I am worried for my own family and others, but we are still so much better off than billions of people around the world. How do I say, "I'm worried about not having heat or food" when there are children living in cardboard boxes while mine sleep in their own beautiful beds? How do I say, "Well, many others are worse off than we are when a local homeschool family is one bill away from losing their home?" Knowing others are in a worse situation does not lesson the fear and frustration for their own family and it's not fair to ignore someone's feelings of anxiety. (When people used to say, "Well, you have enough children anyway" after we discovered I couldn't have more, it made me so mad that they didn't even CARE what I thought. They were just ignoring me. Actually, this still makes me upset ... so don't say this to me. : )
I think it all boils down to our relationship with the Lord. This world can take away everything and I do agree with Mercy Me - if the "pain" is what it takes to praise Jesus, then we should welcome these times. We SAY we want to praise him, but are we really willing to praise him in all circumstances? Are we really willing to be taken to whatever point in our life it is that makes us SEEK our Lord and give him glory? Are you ready? Are you willing?
It is great to hear from others of you in the rain right now. You can share with me without fear that it will be given to anyone else and I won't judge you for your worries. I am a good secret-keeper and I am also happy to encourage you in any way that I can.
Thank you for letting me get all this off my chest. I am concerned for many of you, but as I've said many times over the past few days, I am thankful that my God is the God of the universe - yesterday, today and tomorrow. How awesome is that!
Sonya
http://www.sonyahaskins.com/
"'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-11)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Stressed - part 1
Am I the only one incredibly stressed out right now?!? When I talk with my Christian friends, it seems that everyone is feeling the need to stock up, yet we're having difficulty paying even the most basic of bills. We've actually gotten a loan for the past two months to buy food and pay our electric bill because food and utilities have gotten so expensive.
Like many other families, we live paycheck to paycheck because we've never been in a position to build a good savings. I'm certainly not proud of this, but I can honestly say that we've at least been debt-free several times and every time something happens to set us back again financially. The most recent time was due to medical issues (when I had Hannah - read "Chronic Pain" on my website if you're interested in this),. This has been a problem again this fall. I don't really think our position is unique. Like everyone else, there are many homeschool families who are being very badly hurt by this economic downturn.
I talked with my husband today and discussed putting the children in public school. Out of 8 years of homeschooling, we've had the occasional discussion of this nature, but these have not taken place very often and even when they did, we knew that this wasn't what we really wanted to do. This time we had a serious discussion on this topic because I may have to go to work full time to help pay our bills. I have heard the same thing from several friends / acquaintances lately. What other choices do we have when we don't qualify for aid because our husbands actually WORK? (Ironically, I was told that if my husband moved out, I would qualify for all kinds of aid. That's really helpful to know...)
For those of you who are saying, "Well, if they would manage their finances better..." (because I know a few will say that), I can just say that we do live on a budget, but when your food costs go up by $100 a month because of rising prices, when you've used your entire savings to buy gas for four months when it was over $3.00 a gallon, when your child is sick and you have to go to the doctor four times in a month, and when you have the heat down so low everyone actually WANTS to go to bed and not get back up in the morning, yet you still can't pay the bills, the problem is not budgetary. There is just not enough money!
So what's the point of all this? My family was actually doing pretty well and for some reason this fall, we seem to be in a much worse position than we've been in a long time. (It actually started when I had to make trips to Chattanooga when my granddad was sick & then died and then Christopher got sick - and still is - and Hannah got sick, then I got sick...) Anyway, I have had more doctor bills in the past month again than I've had in the past year TOTAL. Chris and I discovered a long time ago that my ministry is with homeschool families. I know that the Lord is allowing us to experience the financial and health problems that we're now experiencing again because we need to use our frustration to encourage homeschool families in some way.
We are part of a group of people who are typically don't share all of these kinds of problems because of the prejudice involved with other Christians (you brought it on yourself, you must be doing something you shouldn't, it's a shame to share when you're in such difficult circumstances, etc.). I just wanted to let other homeschool families know that there are MANY experiencing GREAT difficulty right now. You are not alone.
Chris and I talked about it today and he said that he agreed that I am going to have to work more (yes, as in get a "real" job), but we both agreed that public school is NOT the answer. I'm going to have to fit work in around an already-stuffed schedule. We believe in school choice and if others want to send their children to public or private school, then they should be allowed to choose. We believe it is OUR right to choose as well. We are having a difficult time right now fitting it all in, but I am just going to have to work at home when Chris is at work and I can possibly work outside the home if I have to when he is at home. Either way, we will definitely make it through this time, but we will not turn our children over to the government. Some people have access to GREAT schools so I am not making a judgment against anyone who has their children in public schools. All I'm saying is that for my family, we DO believe we're making the right choice by homeschooling and we will make this work even if we had to sell our home.
If the economy doesn't pick up soon, our friends are going to start losing their homes. Chris and I are almost to that point and I am hearing the same from other families. If this is your situation, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! I just want to encourage you. I am nervous and I'm definitely "stressed" over it, but I'm not "worried." God does not want us to have a spirit of fear or worry. "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15)
OK, this is getting too long, but I just felt like I should share with others that if you're cold tonight, we're right there with you! I have on two sweaters and we're bundled together under two blankets! LOL I guess that's one way to bring your family closer together. :)
And remember that we all need to be in prayer for one another - CONSTANTLY. I believe we should be praying for Christians all around the world. If we are having difficult times, I know it is much worse in other places. God also reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5 to be thankful even in this time. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Joyfully your servant,
Sonya Haskins
Like many other families, we live paycheck to paycheck because we've never been in a position to build a good savings. I'm certainly not proud of this, but I can honestly say that we've at least been debt-free several times and every time something happens to set us back again financially. The most recent time was due to medical issues (when I had Hannah - read "Chronic Pain" on my website if you're interested in this),. This has been a problem again this fall. I don't really think our position is unique. Like everyone else, there are many homeschool families who are being very badly hurt by this economic downturn.
I talked with my husband today and discussed putting the children in public school. Out of 8 years of homeschooling, we've had the occasional discussion of this nature, but these have not taken place very often and even when they did, we knew that this wasn't what we really wanted to do. This time we had a serious discussion on this topic because I may have to go to work full time to help pay our bills. I have heard the same thing from several friends / acquaintances lately. What other choices do we have when we don't qualify for aid because our husbands actually WORK? (Ironically, I was told that if my husband moved out, I would qualify for all kinds of aid. That's really helpful to know...)
For those of you who are saying, "Well, if they would manage their finances better..." (because I know a few will say that), I can just say that we do live on a budget, but when your food costs go up by $100 a month because of rising prices, when you've used your entire savings to buy gas for four months when it was over $3.00 a gallon, when your child is sick and you have to go to the doctor four times in a month, and when you have the heat down so low everyone actually WANTS to go to bed and not get back up in the morning, yet you still can't pay the bills, the problem is not budgetary. There is just not enough money!
So what's the point of all this? My family was actually doing pretty well and for some reason this fall, we seem to be in a much worse position than we've been in a long time. (It actually started when I had to make trips to Chattanooga when my granddad was sick & then died and then Christopher got sick - and still is - and Hannah got sick, then I got sick...) Anyway, I have had more doctor bills in the past month again than I've had in the past year TOTAL. Chris and I discovered a long time ago that my ministry is with homeschool families. I know that the Lord is allowing us to experience the financial and health problems that we're now experiencing again because we need to use our frustration to encourage homeschool families in some way.
We are part of a group of people who are typically don't share all of these kinds of problems because of the prejudice involved with other Christians (you brought it on yourself, you must be doing something you shouldn't, it's a shame to share when you're in such difficult circumstances, etc.). I just wanted to let other homeschool families know that there are MANY experiencing GREAT difficulty right now. You are not alone.
Chris and I talked about it today and he said that he agreed that I am going to have to work more (yes, as in get a "real" job), but we both agreed that public school is NOT the answer. I'm going to have to fit work in around an already-stuffed schedule. We believe in school choice and if others want to send their children to public or private school, then they should be allowed to choose. We believe it is OUR right to choose as well. We are having a difficult time right now fitting it all in, but I am just going to have to work at home when Chris is at work and I can possibly work outside the home if I have to when he is at home. Either way, we will definitely make it through this time, but we will not turn our children over to the government. Some people have access to GREAT schools so I am not making a judgment against anyone who has their children in public schools. All I'm saying is that for my family, we DO believe we're making the right choice by homeschooling and we will make this work even if we had to sell our home.
If the economy doesn't pick up soon, our friends are going to start losing their homes. Chris and I are almost to that point and I am hearing the same from other families. If this is your situation, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! I just want to encourage you. I am nervous and I'm definitely "stressed" over it, but I'm not "worried." God does not want us to have a spirit of fear or worry. "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15)
OK, this is getting too long, but I just felt like I should share with others that if you're cold tonight, we're right there with you! I have on two sweaters and we're bundled together under two blankets! LOL I guess that's one way to bring your family closer together. :)
And remember that we all need to be in prayer for one another - CONSTANTLY. I believe we should be praying for Christians all around the world. If we are having difficult times, I know it is much worse in other places. God also reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5 to be thankful even in this time. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Joyfully your servant,
Sonya Haskins
Pregnant woman facing forced abortion in China allowed to leave hospital - still pregnant!
Regarding the post I made about the woman in China who was six months pregnant and who was being held at the hospital pending an abortion, she has been allowed to leave the hospital - with her baby still in the womb. There was so much international outcry from the media attention this story received that the government said she was "not healthy enough" to undergo the abortion procedure so they let her go home. I will continue to monitor this situation. I am interested to see if they allow her to keep this child when he/she is born. I've read other stories of the hospital staff "confiscating" the baby once it's born if the parents have exceeded their child limit.
A Chinese paper reports that "The Chinese government reportedly has backed down amid international outrage, reversing a decision to force a Uighur woman who is six months pregnant to abort her child under Beijing’s notorious population control policies. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that Arzigul Tursun had been released from enforced hospitalization in China’s far northwestern Xinjiang region and allowed to return home to continue her pregnancy."
You can read the full report here:
http://uyghurcongress.net/En/News.asp?ItemID=-1589745541
I am thankful for Mrs. Tursun, but we need to continue to be in prayer for the women in China who are being forced to submit to sterilization and abortions against their will.
Some of the women are not opposed to the abortions, requirements for a birth permit and sterilization procedures. For these women, I pray that the Lord will touch their hearts so that they realize how precious each of these unborn children are.
For the women who are opposed to the government's coercive tactics, my heart breaks. I can't imagine how painful it would be to see us with our large families and know that you were not allowed to have more than one child or you were forced to murder an unborn child. I just really can't imagine living with that sorrow.
Sonya
A Chinese paper reports that "The Chinese government reportedly has backed down amid international outrage, reversing a decision to force a Uighur woman who is six months pregnant to abort her child under Beijing’s notorious population control policies. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that Arzigul Tursun had been released from enforced hospitalization in China’s far northwestern Xinjiang region and allowed to return home to continue her pregnancy."
You can read the full report here:
http://uyghurcongress.net/En/News.asp?ItemID=-1589745541
I am thankful for Mrs. Tursun, but we need to continue to be in prayer for the women in China who are being forced to submit to sterilization and abortions against their will.
Some of the women are not opposed to the abortions, requirements for a birth permit and sterilization procedures. For these women, I pray that the Lord will touch their hearts so that they realize how precious each of these unborn children are.
For the women who are opposed to the government's coercive tactics, my heart breaks. I can't imagine how painful it would be to see us with our large families and know that you were not allowed to have more than one child or you were forced to murder an unborn child. I just really can't imagine living with that sorrow.
Sonya
Will Obama reinstate funds to the organization that funds coercive abortion techniques in China?
I don't know if you guys are aware of this developing story, but I believe it will have consequences for the entire world eventually. President-elect Obama has all but said he would reinstate the UNFPA, which provides money TO China to enforce the one-child policy through forced abortions and sterilizations. Members of Congress have already stated that Obama would not have to try hard to reinstate funding for the one-child policy because they also believe we shouldn't "impose" our beliefs on other countries and if they think the country can only support one child per family, then they should be able to enforce this.So not only is our new president going to throw open the doors for abortion on demand, probably government funded, in the United States, he is also going to ensure that other countries such as China can afford FORCED abortion.
It is only a matter of time before this becomes an issue in the United States, but already, with tax-payers' money going to fund these abortions, the blood is on our hands as well.And by the way, aren't we in a financial crisis right now?!? And we're planning to give away billions of dollars to help China force pregnant women to kill their unborn children??? Have we lost our minds?!?
(The article below is from www.lifenews.com, but there are many articles about this right now on CNN, CBS, ABC, etc. You can find it anywhere and all of them state the same facts and some include the information about Obama reinstating funds for enforcing China's one-child policy.)
We should always be in prayer for people who are experiencing persecution. This woman is a Muslim, not a Chirstian. As a MOTHER, I cannot imagine her turmoil and grief. We need to pray for her and all the women in China who are being forced into hospitals where doctors are murdering their children.
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
www.homeschoolstore.com
November 17
Chinese officials are coming under heavy criticism from a leading pro-life member of Congress who is upset they are considering forcing a woman who is six months pregnant to have an abortion. China strictly enforces its one-child family planning policy and uses forced abortions and sterilizations to do so.What separates the case of Arzigul Tursun from others is that the woman is 26 weeks into her pregnancy and the abortion would very likely cause her health problems.Tursun is also a Muslim Uighur woman and Chinese family planning officials don't normally enforce the one-child law as rigorously with minorities as they do on people of Chinese decent.Tursun is currently at the Municipal Watergate Hospital in the extreme northwestern part of China and the baby would be her third child if she is allowed to complete the pregnancy. Her husband says officials in their village of Yining learned of the pregnancy and they warned the couple that their property would be confiscated if Tursun did not have an abortion.
According to McClatchy newspapers, the case has attracted the attention of Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican congressman who is a leading pro-life advocate.Smith has written to Zhou Wenzhong, the China ambassador to the United States, and demanded that the "nightmare of a forced abortion" not be used in Tursun's case."
The Chinese Government is notorious for this barbaric practice, but to forcibly abort a woman while the world watches in full knowledge of what is going on would make a mockery of its claim that the central government disapproves of the practice," Smith said, according to the news service.The couple already have two children and they returned to their village when they learned their home and property would be confiscated.
"We considered our two girls," the husband told McClatchy. "If the house and properties were taken away, how would they live? So my wife came back home and went to the hospital."
Forced abortions in China has become an issue in the United States as incoming president Barack Obama is likely to fund the UNFPA, a United Nations agency that has been involved in the forced abortions there.
It is only a matter of time before this becomes an issue in the United States, but already, with tax-payers' money going to fund these abortions, the blood is on our hands as well.And by the way, aren't we in a financial crisis right now?!? And we're planning to give away billions of dollars to help China force pregnant women to kill their unborn children??? Have we lost our minds?!?
(The article below is from www.lifenews.com, but there are many articles about this right now on CNN, CBS, ABC, etc. You can find it anywhere and all of them state the same facts and some include the information about Obama reinstating funds for enforcing China's one-child policy.)
We should always be in prayer for people who are experiencing persecution. This woman is a Muslim, not a Chirstian. As a MOTHER, I cannot imagine her turmoil and grief. We need to pray for her and all the women in China who are being forced into hospitals where doctors are murdering their children.
Sonya
www.sonyahaskins.com
www.homeschoolstore.com
November 17
Chinese officials are coming under heavy criticism from a leading pro-life member of Congress who is upset they are considering forcing a woman who is six months pregnant to have an abortion. China strictly enforces its one-child family planning policy and uses forced abortions and sterilizations to do so.What separates the case of Arzigul Tursun from others is that the woman is 26 weeks into her pregnancy and the abortion would very likely cause her health problems.Tursun is also a Muslim Uighur woman and Chinese family planning officials don't normally enforce the one-child law as rigorously with minorities as they do on people of Chinese decent.Tursun is currently at the Municipal Watergate Hospital in the extreme northwestern part of China and the baby would be her third child if she is allowed to complete the pregnancy. Her husband says officials in their village of Yining learned of the pregnancy and they warned the couple that their property would be confiscated if Tursun did not have an abortion.
According to McClatchy newspapers, the case has attracted the attention of Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican congressman who is a leading pro-life advocate.Smith has written to Zhou Wenzhong, the China ambassador to the United States, and demanded that the "nightmare of a forced abortion" not be used in Tursun's case."
The Chinese Government is notorious for this barbaric practice, but to forcibly abort a woman while the world watches in full knowledge of what is going on would make a mockery of its claim that the central government disapproves of the practice," Smith said, according to the news service.The couple already have two children and they returned to their village when they learned their home and property would be confiscated.
"We considered our two girls," the husband told McClatchy. "If the house and properties were taken away, how would they live? So my wife came back home and went to the hospital."
Forced abortions in China has become an issue in the United States as incoming president Barack Obama is likely to fund the UNFPA, a United Nations agency that has been involved in the forced abortions there.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Getting Paid to Talk...
A couple of weeks ago, an older homeschool mom asked me if I had ever participated in a focus group. I hadn't so she explained that it was a legitimate marketing research tool where a company basically pays you to share your opinion and talk about a particular topic for a couple of hours.
Of course, I was like, "Get paid to give somene my opinion for two hours?!?" Goodness, I usually do that for free and someone is telling me to be quiet so of course I was born for this job!
This evening I drove to a local hotel and waited in the hallway with about 20 other people. Now there were only 8 people in the focus group so I have no idea what happened to the others, but I am not sure if I even want to know. Our "group director," or whatever you call him, had on the neatest pair of blue jeans I've ever seen. They were like regular blue jeans, but the thread was a gold color instead of blue and I kept thinking how neat those pants were.
Anyway, during this focus group, we were asked to give our opinions, answer questions, etc. We also had to cut pictures and words out of magazines and make a collage related to the topic on a huge piece of poster board. That was fun! One lady there, actually someone I know, commented that it was almost like therapy. I thought that was funny.
Like so many others, Chris and I are desperate for money right now to pay our bills. I am ever-amazed how God provides for us. We need money to buy groceries next week and He provides $100 for me to share my opinions for two hours and cut pictures out of a magazine. How awesome is our God!!
Sonya : )
www.sonyahaskins.com
Of course, I was like, "Get paid to give somene my opinion for two hours?!?" Goodness, I usually do that for free and someone is telling me to be quiet so of course I was born for this job!
This evening I drove to a local hotel and waited in the hallway with about 20 other people. Now there were only 8 people in the focus group so I have no idea what happened to the others, but I am not sure if I even want to know. Our "group director," or whatever you call him, had on the neatest pair of blue jeans I've ever seen. They were like regular blue jeans, but the thread was a gold color instead of blue and I kept thinking how neat those pants were.
Anyway, during this focus group, we were asked to give our opinions, answer questions, etc. We also had to cut pictures and words out of magazines and make a collage related to the topic on a huge piece of poster board. That was fun! One lady there, actually someone I know, commented that it was almost like therapy. I thought that was funny.
Like so many others, Chris and I are desperate for money right now to pay our bills. I am ever-amazed how God provides for us. We need money to buy groceries next week and He provides $100 for me to share my opinions for two hours and cut pictures out of a magazine. How awesome is our God!!
Sonya : )
www.sonyahaskins.com
Friday, November 14, 2008
A Mom's Sabbatical?
Last night we were talking about our plans for the next few days and Chris said I was going away for the weekend for Mom's Retreat.
Daniel (7) apparently didn't exactly understand what I was doing and asked incredulously, "She's going to a Mom's Night Out for ALL weekend?!?"
I explained, "Daniel, it's a Mom's RETREAT, not just a night out."
Chris said, "Yeah, it was Mom's Night Out for one night. Now it's a whole weekend. The next thing we know, it will be a month long thing."
I started laughing and Chris just looked at me and said, "Next I guess you'll be wanting a year's sabbatical?"
He had a smile on his face and it was very funny. My husband is very supportive of my work with homeschoolers and he never has a bad word to say about anything. Actually, we both stay pretty busy working, tending to our family, and serving the homeschool community. We love all the things we do, but I am thankful for times like this when I can have a break. (Don't worry, Chris gets breaks now and then, too!) Now that I am a mother, I truly understand the saying, "A mother's work is never done." Even while others in my home rest, I'm still doing laundry, finishing a few dishes, preparing the next day's lessons, etc. Perhaps when our children are all grown, Chris and I can take that sabbatical together!
Do you take a break sometimes? Whether it's a couple of hours, a weekend, or even a ten-minute walk down the road, make sure you take time to refresh yourself occasionally. I'm not one of those people who is going to tell you, "You deserve it!" I don't even think that's Biblical and it's incredibly self-centered. What I will tell you is that an occasional break, even a short walk or a few moments alone in your vehicle, can sometimes be all that you need to refresh yourself. In a couple of days, I'll post add some creative ways to find time for yourself that won't interfere with your family time.
Sonya Haskins :)
Daniel (7) apparently didn't exactly understand what I was doing and asked incredulously, "She's going to a Mom's Night Out for ALL weekend?!?"
I explained, "Daniel, it's a Mom's RETREAT, not just a night out."
Chris said, "Yeah, it was Mom's Night Out for one night. Now it's a whole weekend. The next thing we know, it will be a month long thing."
I started laughing and Chris just looked at me and said, "Next I guess you'll be wanting a year's sabbatical?"
He had a smile on his face and it was very funny. My husband is very supportive of my work with homeschoolers and he never has a bad word to say about anything. Actually, we both stay pretty busy working, tending to our family, and serving the homeschool community. We love all the things we do, but I am thankful for times like this when I can have a break. (Don't worry, Chris gets breaks now and then, too!) Now that I am a mother, I truly understand the saying, "A mother's work is never done." Even while others in my home rest, I'm still doing laundry, finishing a few dishes, preparing the next day's lessons, etc. Perhaps when our children are all grown, Chris and I can take that sabbatical together!
Do you take a break sometimes? Whether it's a couple of hours, a weekend, or even a ten-minute walk down the road, make sure you take time to refresh yourself occasionally. I'm not one of those people who is going to tell you, "You deserve it!" I don't even think that's Biblical and it's incredibly self-centered. What I will tell you is that an occasional break, even a short walk or a few moments alone in your vehicle, can sometimes be all that you need to refresh yourself. In a couple of days, I'll post add some creative ways to find time for yourself that won't interfere with your family time.
Sonya Haskins :)
Sex Education
Lately Hannah (5), Daniel (7) and Christopher (9) have been having a lot of discussions about who's more important - men or women. These have been VERY in depth conversations. First women were more important because they take care of the family, cook the meals, and give birth to the men. Then men were more important because they work, they can lift more than women and (I liked this one) even though women give birth to babies, woman was taken from man's rib.
Despite frequent reminders that God created men AND women and we all have much to offer the world, the discussion came up again today in the van.
We were driving down the road and I don't exactly know how it started, but I heard Hannah say, "But the woman has the babies because she has the eggs so she is the most important."
Daniel said, "Yes, Hannah, but the woman can't have a baby without the man's sperm."
"Yeah, Hannah, the sperm has to go into the egg and MAKE the baby so the men are the most important," Christopher added.
"Women do NOT need men to make babies! They come straight out of the mommy's uterus and there is no man there," Hannah replied indignantly.
At that point, Daniel said, "Mommy, could you please tell Hannah that she is wrong."
I thought for a moment and gingerly said, "Weelll, first off, as we've discussed before, God made men and women. They are both important and we all need each other. Now, as for the other stuff, what you've all said is true. Men do have the sperm and women do have the eggs. The babies do come out of a woman's uterus. But the man's sperm has to go into the woman's egg to make the baby so it does take both the man and woman to make a baby."
They all sat there quietly for a moment and then Christopher said, "Now how exactly does the sperm get into the egg?"
I said, "Well, the mommy and daddy have to work together real hard to make a baby, but it takes both of them."
Christopher paused and then said, "I still don't understand."
I said, "Listen guys, the mommy and daddy have to be REALLY close together and when the sperm finds the egg, it makes the baby. Now I think we better stop at the grocery store!"
We will share the remaining details in due season, but for now I'm thankful that they still have questions! Too many kids loose their innocence so soon these days. We'll protect it as much as possible now and gradually disclose the remaining details necessary for their sex education. So don't worry - in due season I will share with them the specifics of how the sperm gets to the egg, but for now I'll keep reminding them that men and women are both important!
Sonya : )
http://www.sonyahaskins.com/
Despite frequent reminders that God created men AND women and we all have much to offer the world, the discussion came up again today in the van.
We were driving down the road and I don't exactly know how it started, but I heard Hannah say, "But the woman has the babies because she has the eggs so she is the most important."
Daniel said, "Yes, Hannah, but the woman can't have a baby without the man's sperm."
"Yeah, Hannah, the sperm has to go into the egg and MAKE the baby so the men are the most important," Christopher added.
"Women do NOT need men to make babies! They come straight out of the mommy's uterus and there is no man there," Hannah replied indignantly.
At that point, Daniel said, "Mommy, could you please tell Hannah that she is wrong."
I thought for a moment and gingerly said, "Weelll, first off, as we've discussed before, God made men and women. They are both important and we all need each other. Now, as for the other stuff, what you've all said is true. Men do have the sperm and women do have the eggs. The babies do come out of a woman's uterus. But the man's sperm has to go into the woman's egg to make the baby so it does take both the man and woman to make a baby."
They all sat there quietly for a moment and then Christopher said, "Now how exactly does the sperm get into the egg?"
I said, "Well, the mommy and daddy have to work together real hard to make a baby, but it takes both of them."
Christopher paused and then said, "I still don't understand."
I said, "Listen guys, the mommy and daddy have to be REALLY close together and when the sperm finds the egg, it makes the baby. Now I think we better stop at the grocery store!"
We will share the remaining details in due season, but for now I'm thankful that they still have questions! Too many kids loose their innocence so soon these days. We'll protect it as much as possible now and gradually disclose the remaining details necessary for their sex education. So don't worry - in due season I will share with them the specifics of how the sperm gets to the egg, but for now I'll keep reminding them that men and women are both important!
Sonya : )
http://www.sonyahaskins.com/
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