The Parable of the Minas

This past Sunday was Palm Sunday.  Most all of us know that story.  Our pastor taught on what happened just before Jesus' triumphal entry.  I hadn't heard a teaching on this passage before and I hadn't realized it was just before Jesus' triumphal entry.  Knowing that made a lot of points click for me.

Luke 19:11-27 is the parable of the minas.  It is similar to the parable of the talents, but different with a different meaning.  

Verse  12 says "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return." (NKJV)  The nobleman is Jesus.

Verse 13 he gives his servants ten minas and said to them "do business till I come" other translations say "occupy till I come".

Verses 15-20 is the servants telling the nobleman what they have done with the mina they were responsible for.  Each servant received the same exact thing: one mina.  There is ONE GOSPEL.  

Each time the servant shares what they did with the mina, the nobleman rewards them based on their responsibility.  Being faithful with little means they were entrusted with more responsibility.

Lesson:  Live the gospel & proclaim the gospel. Be good stewards of the gifts and abilities that God has given us.  Be a good steward of your finances, your time, and the resources God has given you.

1 Peter 4:10 "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."  (reading this whole passage is good too if you want to delve further into it).

Minister to others with the gifts and abilities that God has given you.  

Homeschooling & Romans 5:2-5

Motherhood was always my easy-to-identify ambition.  Homeschooling in motherhood was never even part of my girlish imaginings!  This year I will graduate my firstborn.  God has enabled me to customize her education since she was a 5th grader.  It has been a blessing and an honor to be involved in her upbringing so intricately.  

Romans 5:2-5 "Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment.  For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love." (NLT)

Paul is speaking of Salvation in this verse.  I feel it also fits our homeschooling journey as well.  We began homeschooling because of our faith/convictions -and purely out of faith that God would lead us because we didn't know what we were doing! 

Being a parent that homeschools adds an immense weight of responsibility and dedication to your plate.

As parents we are called to teach our children, and to some families, that includes outside help from the public/private school system.  Nothing wrong with that.  God's plan for each child and each family is specifically tailored to that child and family.

For our family, God very clearly brought us to homeschooling when our girls were still in elementary school.  It wasn't something we had planned on or even considered prior to God presenting it to us as our only viable option.

Homeschooling is an undeserved privilege in my mind.  It has afforded me the honor of being present in my children's lives with an inside look at what they deal with.  I know their strengths and weaknesses, I see their growth and maturity in their struggles, and it constantly brings me to my knees in prayer -begging the Lord for wisdom and discernment to know how best to handle each situation as it arises.  God has been faithful throughout the years, and He continues to be.

Rejoicing in problems and trials is never the easy, or even the first, reaction.  But as I watch my children face their challenges, I rejoice in them because I know how their endurance, character, and hope in Christ may be strengthened.  I am blessed to walk alongside them, to pray with them, and to see the Lord move.

New Perspective

Last year was a challenging year.  My perspective was inward, and life was mentally exhausting.

The Christmas vacation with my little family was good for me.  I was able to unwind and relax.  I said "yes" more frequently to my littles asking for mommy to play, and we enjoyed each other.

It was very good.  God has also pulled me into Him and my perspective away from myself and my own internal struggles.  Very good, indeed.  I feel refreshed, and cautious too.  I know these seasons ebb and flow.

The struggles haven't disappeared or greatly changed much.  My attitude and perspective have.  

2023

2023.

A blur.

Many painful and challenging private moments.  Many beautiful and precious moments too.

I am thankful that it is over.  I am happy to move forward.

My family and the memorable moments we had together bring joy to my heart.  They remind me that even in the difficulties of life, God gives joy.

Lessons in Faith

 Through my husband's battle with cancer, I learned to finally choose to trust in the Lord for my future.

Through my unexpected pregnancy, I learned that God doesn't have to ask my permission.  He is in control.

Through homeschooling I learned that pride is also self-sufficiency.  True humility is surrender and submission to God.

In parenting I learned to give my best each day and trust that God gave my kids the mother they needed most in me.

Farewell to a fellow woman of faith

I just learned that my former boss of 13 years passed away.  

Of all the possible feelings, I mostly just feel acceptance.  Other feelings may pop up as my brain processes the information over the next several days, if past experience counts for anything.

She was a good and loving boss.  

She drove me bonkers.

I appreciated her greatly, yet she stretched my tolerance and my patience on a daily basis.

She cared for others with the full love of Christ.  She knew no strangers and never acknowledged any subtle boundaries of others at any time.  You had to be direct or your boundary wasn't perceived.  Her extroverted personality was oblivious to the passing of time or other responsibilities that needed her time and attention too.

I learned much from serving under her.  I was grateful for her constant support and fighting for better wages and more respect for her employees.  She did many things that made her very loved by her staff.

She was pushy and loud, yet never missed a chance to witness to anyone and everyone who crossed her path.  Every interview she conducted included the gospel message and a heart-to-heart with the unsuspecting interviewee.  She had the privilege of praying the prayer of salvation with many parents who brought their children to our childcare center.

Her final two years as my boss, her admin. assistant and I served as her hands and feet, her mental stability, and we ran all aspects of the business with her at the helm delegating everything possible to us, with the exception of the personal interactions she was so gifted in.

Several times in our time together, we thought God might be calling her home.  Her health was always in question.  More times than I can remember, I was with her at the hospital or racing to get her some orange juice because her blood sugar had dropped incredibly low again.

Never a dull moment. 

I remember a bible study that she led, a verse about how wide, how deep, and how far God's love was.  It was her heart's prayer to experience God's love and share it to that degree.  Finally, she gets to experience it live, and in-person.  I can see her joyfully praising her Lord and Savior with all of her being up in Heaven.

Proverbs 31 Woman

 This chapter can be intimidating, but I think it is a beautiful portrayal of a woman who strives to be her best for the Lord.  A portrayal of a regular woman, not a perfect woman on a pedestal that we have to try to emulate, but an honest, down-to-earth description of the ways she strives to do her best and be the woman God has created her to be.

As I read verses 10-31, I jotted down some paraphrases of the verses and here is the message I found the Lord sharing with me:

1.  Her husband's heart trusts in her.  She does him good and not harm. (this speaks to the relationship between this husband and wife)

2. She uses her skills and hard work to provide and support for the needs of her family that God has given her responsibility for.  (the gifts and talents God has given her, for the specific needs she is responsible for)

3.  She travels as necessary to feed her family.  (she goes the distance, puts others first)

4.  She rises early to meet their needs. (like feeding them a nutritious breakfast)

5. She uses her resources to further the benefit to her family and she follows through to see something to fruition.

6.  She works on herself and doesn't give in to laziness, or give up on her efforts when the going gets tough. (her character, her relationship with the Lord, all areas of her life)

7. She's not afraid of hard work and works alongside others. (doing what it takes, humbly)

8. She is gracious and generous with what she has.

9.  She is not afraid, she knows the Lord provides...He gives her strength and dignity.

10. Her words are wise and kind.

11.  She is a woman who fears the Lord.