Jesus

Spammity Spam

~ Heather Davis ~ 3 Comments

Fun fact: the term spam as it is used to describe junk email (among other internet delights) has its origins in a 1970s British television show. Monty Python’s Flying Circus was an oddball sketch comedy series featuring sometimes bizarre animations, entirely random and quirky subject matter, and often men badly dressed as women.

Indeed, the sketch titled “SPAM” features a man and woman lowered from the ceiling into a cafe where Vikings dine in the background and the proprietor reads the menu filled mostly with items containing various amounts of the tinned meat – including the final item, “Lobster thermidor aux crevettes with a mornay sauce garnished with truffle paté, brandy, and a fried egg on top and spam.”

And often, the repetition of the infamous canned mystery meat sets off a Viking chant in praise of Spam.

Why do I bring this up?

The more I see blatant lies go unchecked, unchallenged, and uncorrected in both media and society – and perhaps especially so as an election looms – I can’t help but feel as if the entirety of our news & entertainment industry is busily shouting, “Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spammity SPAM! Wonderful SPAM!” while we, the weary public, are just trying to hear what’s on the menu.

Even when we do manage to hear a word through the cacophony of deceit, we’re disheartened to learn all our options contain varying degrees of hyper-processed pork. We can have a little SPAM or a lot of SPAM; we may even choose a culinarily excellent dish with a bit of SPAM, but we cannot entirely escape SPAM.

And you know what? I don’t like spam.

I’m just glad my hope is not in the outcome of this election nor the sanity of my fellow Americans. Either way, I can no longer check an increasing certainty that the last days of the world are rapidly speeding by. 

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,
and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, 
because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 
Therefore God sends them a strong delusion so that they may believe what is false,
 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 
(2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

But friends, you do not have to toe the party line nor give into the delusion. There is a better Way. His name is Yeshua, known more commonly as Jesus. 

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 
training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, 
and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness 
and to purify for himself a people for his own possession 
who are zealous for good works. 
(Titus 2:11-14)

It’s not too late to join those of us on the narrow way that leads to life! All are welcome, though not all choose it. I would love to talk to you more if you have questions; feel free to reach out.

Homeschool Myth #3: Socialization

~ Heather Davis ~ Leave a comment

I’ve already covered two other prevailing myths (here and here) about homeschooling, and I plan this to be the final myth-busting post.. at least for now. After today, the focus will shift to sharing what I’ve learned – both triumphs and failures – in hopes that others can glean wisdom from both. But now, time to tackle the most pervasive myth I’ve encountered: the myth that homeschoolers lack proper socialization.

Even with the mainstreaming of homeschooling in the post-pandemic world, this strange stigma still persists. If this is a fear holding you back, allow me to speak rather passionately on the absurdity of this particular fiction.

1. Kids Don’t Attend School to Socialize

For those of us who grew up in public school, we already know how much trouble a kid could get into for talking in class. Teachers are there to teach, not to facilitate social hour, and I know from personal experience how frustrating it is as a teacher when your students ignore the material and focus on Jenny’s new boyfriend or Joey’s new dog. Class time is meant for learning, not socializing.

Of course there’s the 25-30 minute school lunch break, offering students enough time to line up, march through the cafeteria line, scarf down their partly-burnt, partly-frozen pizza, and hope to beat the rush to the bathroom before heading back to class. In this little window, kids do have a chance to talk while eating, but there certainly isn’t time to really flex those social muscles.

In fact, most of social time in a school setting (public or private) happens after school hours during extra-curricular activities. Activities, I may add, that are not exclusively available to public or private schools.

Then there’s the social time between classes in hallways, but as any public school veteran knows, these times are often dominated by cliques, bullying, or hiding from bullies.

To be blunt, public school does not guarantee a good handle on social situations. A broken family, autistic tendencies, tragedy, abuse – there are many factors that contribute to a child’s social well-being or lack thereof. While there are opportunities in school for children to learn group dynamics, these opportunities are not limited to schools.

A school is not the only place one may develop robust social skills. Even in the best cases, a school setting (again, public or private) still fails to provide a real-world social environment, bringing me nicely to the next point.

2. Schools Are a Social Anomaly

In the workplaces of the world, it is incredibly rare when an individual works exclusively with a group of peers whose birthdates are within approximately 13 months or so of his own. Unless you’re an entrepreneur working with a select group of pals developing a niche start-up, your co-workers span several decades and represent a variety of generations.

In fact, there are very few places where people socialize only with other people the same age as them, schools being one. The reason for this is the modern mass-education approach to schooling that is not dissimilar to an assembly line.

Kids of a certain age are developmentally able to handle certain information, thus we group them accordingly and stick the bits of info in at key points as they travel along the assembly line. This mass-production approach only serves to reinforce my first point. While it may be an OK way of passing on knowledge (as opposed to a good method), the type of socializing it provides for does not prepare children for real life situations.

Homeschooled children, on the other hand, frequently interact with people of all ages. Because they often go along on errands, they can learn to speak to retail clerks of all ages. With the popularity of homeschool coops and group events, homeschooled children have the privilege of mixing with a variety of ages and stages outside the classroom setting. And because homeschool parents are generally involved, there is much less room for bullying, predatory actions, and other unpleasant social behaviors.

Even when they were quite young, my children and their friends were comfortable talking to adults. We did our best to make them aware of the dangers of trusting unknown adults, of course, and I was always at hand for such encounters. But it was wonderful to watch them ask questions of the volunteers at the aquarium when we visited or get a little more in-depth look at blacksmithing or soap making from the booths at a local history fair because they did not hesitate to ask. The workers at such events often delight in sharing their knowledge, creating a beautiful win-win.

Granted, it is possible to homeschool and cloister one’s kids away from the world, but this is a choice; a choice you do not have to make if you choose to homeschool. There are plenty of opportunities for homeschool kids to develop social skills, as we’ll discuss next.

3. Homeschool Social Opportunities Abound

There came a point in my homeschool journey when I realized it was quite possible to allow my brood to spend the entire school day socializing. There were field trips and clubs; PE classes and nature walks; mock governments and good, old-fashioned playdates galore. I confess I began my homeschool journey concerned about them socially, but this concern was quickly dissipated.

In fact, after the first year, the last thing I worried about was socializing. They had plenty of that. Rather, I had to guard our class time like the crown jewels in order to keep social hours from trumping math and grammar.

If lack of socialization is a fear of yours, don’t let it stop you from homeschooling. Instead, set yourself to prioritize learning time so the social element can be a reward rather than a key focus. Socializing comes easier to kids than algebra, after all, so don’t sweat it.

Besides, there are some social elements you probably don’t want them to get drawn into.

4. What about Amoral Societies?

Socialization (noun): the process beginning during childhood by which individuals acquire the values, habits, and attitudes of a society (Source: merriam-webster.com).

Let’s not overlook the fact that not all socialization is positive. Kids want to conform to what is seen as “normal,” but for a true disciple of Christ, this is a problem.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).

From a cultural standpoint, “normal” is nebulous, and it does not always line up with biblical truth or the design of the Designer.

At a not-too-distant point in history, American “normal” lined up fairly well with biblical values – even if the underlying motivations were different. There was at least a clear distinction recognized between right and wrong as well as a social stigma for crossing that line.

You really don’t even have to fast forward to see the change, it happened so quickly. We’ve cast off many of our former restraints. Now we live in a cultural moment where individuals decide what is good or bad.

Live your truth has replaced the idea of an objective standard of good and evil, fragmenting the very ideas of right and wrong into infinitesimal and uncountable splinters that no longer have a cohesive social whole.

And that’s just one aspect. There are so many more. Drugs. Racial hatred. The alphabet soup agenda. Political propaganda spoon-fed to kids too young to understand politics. The bizarre ideas that what’s true for you might not be true for me or that two parties cannot disagree and still get along.

With all this chaos dancing in the social sphere, the question becomes, “Do I really want my child to fit in to this social realm?”

Of course, homeschooling will not shield your baby from all of it. The fact is, whether we homeschool or not, we will have to walk our children through reality in a way neither we nor previous generations had to.

However, in homeschooling, you do have the privilege of controlling the environment just a bit more. You stand at the gates and can allow the issues to trickle in one-by-one or in pairs, tackling each one as it arises or introducing it when the Lord leads you to.

It’s not a perfect system, but we live in an imperfect and fallen world. Thanks be to God, He has sent us a perfect Savior to rescue us from our own evil hearts and given us His Spirit to be our Guide! With His help, you can guide your young ones socially as well as academically.

Homeschool Myth #2: You Need a Degree to Homeschool

~ Heather Davis ~ 4 Comments

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation
(Psalms 119:97-99).

Though homeschooling is even more mainstream than it was in my time, the decision to homeschool will always bring with it a barrage of well-meaning concern from others. Often, many of these concerns stem from homeschooling myths. In a previous post, we discussed the myth that homeschool parents must possess a bottomless well of patience. Today I want to address another myth you are likely to encounter, especially if – like me – you never obtained a college degree.

In fact, if you lack a college degree, be prepared to face withering criticism from others who believe only a degreed teacher is adequate for the task of teaching children. Or your own insecurity over the lack may rise up to confront you (it did me!). Face it, but don’t let it get to you.

Even if you do have a degree, doubts may still linger. Especially if your degree isn’t related to teaching, maybe it’s in mechanical engineering or marketing, you may fear or be told those skills are not transferable to homeschooling. This post is for you, too.

In answer to all of the above, I offer that no school or textbook training can prepare a person for the actual work of teaching your own children. Even for the trained teacher, classroom teaching is quite a different animal than homeschooling. If you’ve been called by God to homeschool, I urge not to allow naysayers or self-doubt cause you grief.

A call to homeschool is not given by a college nor by well-meaning critics; it is given by God. He is the One to please with your efforts, He is the only One who can prepare you to do the work He calls you to, and He alone is the appropriate Judge for the outcome.

With that in mind, let’s peek into this myth.

Myth: Only Degreed Teachers Can Teach Properly

Respectfully, no. Just no – although I suppose I ought to elaborate.

While i admit it may be useful in the high school years to have specialized training – especially for higher-level mathematics or sciences – the vast majority of subjects in elementary through high school learning are easily accessible to the average human being. And as for elementary school – well, it is elementary; by definition “straightforward and uncomplicated.”

As for those higher subjects, you have picked a wonderful time to homeschool. In today’s world, there is a veritable smorgasbord of resources both for teaching and learning everything from basic math to ancient Hebrew. Historically speaking, this is a beautiful time to homeschool. Even if you are utterly incapable of teaching the high-level material, you can find a tutor, an online class, or even a dual-enrollment college course to fill the gap. Don’t let fear of high school calculus discourage you!

But for those who insist a person must have the training afforded by a degree in order to teach, I present Exhibit A.

Exhibit A: The Case of the Mistaken Teacher

When I was just beginning my homeschool journey, a public school teacher in my circle vocalized strong doubt in my ability to teach my kiddos elementary math and grammar without a degree. In the same afternoon, this person shared a tale when a student corrected a geography lesson – a lesson the person had been teaching (incorrectly) for several years. The pre-pubescent student was right, and the college-educated teacher erred.

My point? Acquiring a degree does not confer infallibility. Nor does the time, money, and effort spent in obtaining a degree magically bestow intelligence or aptitude upon the recipient.

There are tons of brilliant humans with the proper papers in frames on their wall and a string of letters after their signature. However, I submit to you that there are also incredibly… disappointing… humans with precisely the same trappings.

I know both homeschoolers and classroom teachers with and without degrees who are absolutely amazing teachers. I also know people in both positions who, quite frankly, stink at their jobs. Thus my argument is neither for or against college degrees. It is merely against the stipulation that a degree is required for a successful homeschool.

Degrees Are Not Guarantees

So, is a degree helpful in homeschooling? The best I have is – maybe.

Assuming you’ve not yet paid off your student debt, a degree may even present an obstacle to homeschooling. Homeschooling is a full-time job where you purchase curriculum rather than earn salary so you won’t recoup the cost of a degree, if that’s what you mean.

College training may enable you to tackle certain high school subjects with greater confidence. Then again, by the time your children arrive at that stage of learning, you may have forgotten it anyway. Or your knowledge could be out of date.

Or you may be too busy trying to pay off your student debt to really focus on teaching the high-level material. With this in mind, I submit Exhibit B.

Exhibit B: The Case of the Unlikely & Untrained Teacher

Due to what amounts to a mental health crisis in my late teens and early twenties, I never completed my degree. I had a 4.0 for my one shining semester of college, yet I allowed choking despair and financial fear to dictate my decisions and did not return.

Fast forward to the moment the Lord called me to homeschool. I was fabulously impatient, had an anger problem, and suffered from debilitating chronic migraines (which eventually became intractable) beginning in my son’s kindergarten year and continuing through most of my homeschool days.

Not exactly a recipe for success.

Nevertheless despite my inadequacies, God did call me and I did obey, even managing to educate my three children quite well (though not I but Christ in me).

Did I do it perfectly? Unequivocally no. I made gobs of mistakes, and I plan to share many of them with you on this blog so you can learn from my failures. However, by God’s grace I did many things right as well – often quite by accident. These I will also share in future posts.

Despite my glaring lack, all three of my kids had no trouble assimilating into a private high school when my husband decided to make that transition in their high school years, nor was college a problem.*

Yes, it’s true they acquired higher-level learning before college from the private school, but the foundation was well-laid – NOT by me but by the incredible mercy of a God whose power was made perfect in my weakness (and in my degree-lessness). This is no boast of my own efforts but presented as proof of what the God who called me was able to do despite my lack of training or credentials.

The Best Way to Teach Properly

In short, whether you have a degree or not, you will make mistakes.

A degree does not serve as a barrier against human fallibility. Trained and experienced teachers make mistakes, and so will you. Don’t use this as a copout for a lack of diligence, but don’t let it become an obstacle you fear, either. Instead, learn to embrace mistakes and learn from them. As I always told my kids: never waste a good mistake.

So if you don’t need a degree to homeschool, what do you need?

I posit the greatest need is a vibrant, healthy, and active relationship with the living God whose power is perfected in our weakness – along with humility. You won’t have all the answers, but you will have the wonderful opportunity to show your kids how to do the leg work to find the answers – a far more rewarding process in the long run.

You also have the privilege of encouraging what a degree cannot impart either to you or your kiddos: a love for learning (and hey – model it if you really want to get the message across). Daily invite God in to find and fill the gaps. If He has called you, He will guide you through it as well – albeit often with just enough light to see the next step.

But don’t think your obedience will guarantee you’ll churn out the next Einstein or Charles Spurgeon. God is faithful, but His purposes for your children may be less flashy than your dreams for them. I learned this the painful way.

What I want you to take away is that you can trust the God who called you to homeschool to complete His purposes through your efforts, no matter how many or few credentials you have.

*DISCLAIMER: This is not entirely true. One child struggled in college due in part to the pandemic but more to acquiring a bad habit of sleeping through school and making As in high school – a fact I was highly displeased with when I discovered it during his senior year. Until then, I’d wrongly believed I was paying for him to learn accountability, among other things! In this particular case, I feel strongly said child would have been better served by homeschooling through high school, as I would have dealt out consequences for sleeping in class and forced better study skills in the process. But that’s neither here nor there.

Staying the Course

~ Heather Davis ~ 6 Comments

During my youngest daughter’s high school cross country career, I quickly learned it was no sissy sport. On the best days – cool and lovely ones – the team seemed exuberant, almost giddy after practice and I enjoyed their high spirits, gaining insight on the term runner’s high by watching them interact. But on brutal race days in the late-summer Tennessee heat, my cross country kiddos told me the only thing that helped them stay the course was knowing there was an end and a healthy fear of Coach.

And several of those races were grueling. Runners often finished their race lighter in body weight than they began it – not only from lost water weight due to heavy perspiration, but also because many of them lost the contents of their stomachs along the way. Watching them, I can only imagine what it feels like to run a marathon.

I think this is why Paul likens following Yeshua (Jesus) to running a race. There are moments where everything is working together in glorious rhythm; legs pumping with vigor, breath coming steady, and strength coursing through every atom. The cool air is a caress and the course a feast for the eyes.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us… (Hebrews 12:1)

But then there are those other days; days you’ve given your all, yet there’s more running to be done. Much more. Behind you on the course lie the remnants of all you hoped would bring nourishment and strength, now only waste. You’re bone weary and your very soul aches. The course is tedious and stretches on without end, cruel, unforgiving. You keep going because you know there is an end, and a healthy fear of the One who set you on this path pushes you on.

I know it’s like that for me at times. This race – the Christian race – is no 5K but an ultra marathon. It starts the moment you surrender to the Lordship of the Christ and continues until He calls you home. There are moments of unspeakable, exquisite beauty and moments of equally exquisite pain. At times, you run in harmonious fellowship, and at times you run alone – alone, that is, save for the One who sustains you by His grace.

There are high peaks and deep, dark valleys. There is pleasure and pain and loss. And yet, you run because you know the One who ran this course before is worth more than the sum total of your breath and being and experience and everything. Far more.

At first, you probably run for yourself, but as the kilometers fall away, you learn to run for Him. He is the goal; He is the very great reward.

He is the One who endured an anguish so intense, it cannot be expressed in mere human terms. His life sets you on fire; His suffering would have ended you many times over, the weight too staggering for a frail human vessel to contain. Yet He did contain it, drinking the brimful cup of righteous wrath to the bitterest dregs.

You run because you know He ran the course before you and knows every punishing hill and ankle trap.

You run, not for glory nor any feeble trophy, but for the King of kings and Lord of lords who endured the curse of humanity so those who love Him might find endurance to continue even when their strength is spent.

… let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1b-2).

You run for Yeshua and for the crown of life He promises those who love Him and who are faithful even to death.

I know it’s hard; it’s hard for me, too. It was harder for Him who had so much more to leave behind even to be born as a human. When I feel like giving in, I reflect on how much more He suffered to die as an outcast, scorned by the creation of His own hands.

So, keep running, friend. Don’t let the length of the course nor what you’ve left behind discourage you. Let it go, and be lighter for it. Press on for the upward goal, staying the course because you know there will be an end and the One you run for is worth far more than you have to give.

That’s what keeps me going. May it keep you as well.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14).

I write this, not because I’m running well but because I need the reminder for a torturous stretch of my race. Stay the course.

Homeschool Myth #1: You Need Limitless Patience

~ Heather Davis ~ 4 Comments

I don’t Have the Patience

“I could never homeschool. I don’t have the patience for it!” Thus goes the most common refrain I heard from other parents when they first learned I homeschooled – back in the day, of course (my kids are all now in college).

My reply never varied. “Neither do I!” I would exclaim.

Homeschooling has been called “parenting on steroids,” and it’s true. A homeschool mom or dad is with the next generation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no weekends, no planning periods (at least not in my case) and you’ll often boast an entourage when you visit the necessary room. You’ll have every button you own pushed (including many buttons you didn’t know existed), you play the roles of both parent and teacher, and you will have every grain of patience tried, tested, and expended – often before 9:00 a.m.

Yet you do NOT need a limitless amount of patience. What you DO need is a vibrant relationship with the Most High God. He is the Giver of all good gifts, and that includes patience. Instead of needing to be able to rely on your own strong & stalwart patience, you need to live in surrender to His Holy Spirit daily, hourly, so the fruit of patience can grow in you.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience... (Galatians 5:22a, emphasis mine).

Patience Is a Fruit

Don’t miss this: since patience is a fruit, we must remember fruit takes time to grow and mature. Patience is not a prerequisite for beginning a home school; it is a fruit cultivated as you walk through the process. And it is worth the labor to cultivate.

Will you fail? Absolutely. But I would argue it is actually good for you children to see past a carefully-curated, self-reliant, perfect-but-false image and instead watch the process of sanctification unfold in a real human being.

In fact, I see it as an advantage to homeschooling that your children have a front-row seat to watching you deal with your emotions, frustrations, and become impatient with them. It’s good they get to see you deal with stress inappropriately and repent, get back up, and keep going. It’s a lesson like no other when your young ones watch you lose your cool and learn that the world does not shift off its axis and career through space like an oversized ping-pong ball when a human being fails to respond to stress in perfect patience.

It is also good for children to learn that patience is developed over time so they know that they, too, will be afforded the opportunity to develop patience rather than carrying the weight of being expected to handle every bump with perfect composure the first time around.

When they see you fail, get up, dust yourself off, and keep going, they learn to do the hard work of moving through failure and sin to a place of repentance and renewal. Not to mention perseverance; that gem of a virtue which is so lacking in modern society.

Impatience Is Human

But of course, we are a notoriously impatient species. Just think of what happened to the fledgling nation of Israel when their leader Moses took a bit over a month in meeting with the Almighty and bringing back the tablets of His covenant. Rather than taking it as a good sign when they saw God’s glory remaining on the mountaintop, the restless horde decided to chip in their varied jewelry and make a trinket to worship. Impatience isn’t a modern problem; it’s a human one.

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, they people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him: (Exodus 32:1, emphasis mine).

Would it be convenient if God called us to do hard things like homeschool and just bestowed upon us a wealth of patience, wisdom, and genius right off the bat, making us supernaturally perfect at the job at hand? Of course it would be convenient. But it wouldn’t build our relationship with Him as we learn to come and ask for our daily bread – or daily patience – and rely utterly on Him.

Trusting God to Fill our Lack

My friends, more than God wants perfectly patient little children, He wants children who understand our aching need of Him and who depend on Him in relationship. The psalmist writes in Psalm 81:10, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”

This is what He wants for us in anything we lack – a heart that understands its own fallibility and a desire to ask our Father for what we do not have, trusting Him to give it.

In my homeschool days when my patience was tapped (as it often was), I learned to cry out to the God who always showed such patience with me. And more importantly than anything else, I learned that my God’s grace truly is sufficient and His power is made perfect in my weakness – just as He said.

Watching the Fruit Grow

So what is the fruit of this daily struggle to learn patience, to fail and get up and try again? For one thing, I am a far more patient person than I was when I began this journey.

Perhaps more compelling is what I see in my kids, all in college as of this writing. They did not turn out perfect, nor did I expect them to. But at the ages of 23, 21, and 19, they are absolutely amazing young people. They are delightful to be around, they make me laugh and we have real fun together. Really. I enjoy my adult children, and they astonish me with their wisdom, their grit, and their willingness to do hard things.

And would you believe it? Each one of them has more patience in their early 20s than I did even in my 30s and 40s. They are not perfect, but they are exponentially more impressive and enjoyable than I was a their ages.

Patience, it seems, is not only taught through personal trial but also passed on to your young as they participate in the process. Our God is just good like that.

So if you are thinking of homeschooling but fear you don’t have enough patience, allow me to set your mind at rest: you don’t. Instead, you have something far better – 24/7 access to the Father of Lights who loves to give good gifts to His children and is there with you through the painful parts of acquiring those gifts. And you also have my testimony that it is worth it.

I hope that helps in some small way.

Uneclipsed: When God’s Glory Intersects Our Story

~ Heather Davis ~ 6 Comments

I want to tell you a true story about the small-but-not-small ways God showed up during a recent trip. It really began a couple of years ago when I lined up a VRBO map and map of the path of totality for the April 8, 2024 eclipse. Already, bookings were slim around the major cities within an eight hour drive of my home, so I pored over the maps, sifted through rentals in obscure towns in search of a spot that met the following criteria:

  • Two bedrooms (my mama was coming with us)
  • Dog-friendly
  • Reasonably priced
  • A good view of the sky (i.e. – no tree cover)
  • As close to the center of the path of totality as possible

I found a cabin in Calico Rock, Arkansas that looked promising and booked it, hoping the online photos were accurate. At the last moment, an opportunity arose to leave a day early, and by the grace of God, all the loose ends fit. And a string of totally unmerited blessings commenced.

First, we arrived in the little town around 8:30 p.m., leaving us without time to make the local grocery. To my hangry husband’s profound relief, we made it to the nearest restaurant seconds before their kitchen closed. Although we technically entered the storefront, called Fricki’s Attic, the owners were kind enough to feed him while my mom and I appreciated the decor kept from the store’s history.

The next morning, I enjoyed a lovely view of the White River while reading my Bible on the back porch. Had I known the area, I could not have chosen a better place to view the eclipse, and I praised God for His goodness in allowing this rather silly and yet meaningful (to me) grace.

But some of my health issues were paying a visit and I wasn’t feeling up to snuff. I confess I allowed it to sour my attitude a bit. As I walked my dog, I found myself complaining to the Lord concerning two particular prayers I have been lifting up for years – one of them nearly 20 years. In my foul mood, I accused the Almighty of granting all sorts of requests except those that concern me the most deeply; the spiritual health & well-being of certain loved ones.

Not the best use of the morning, but there it is in raw detail.

When I returned, we all enjoyed a breakfast with startlingly excellent coffee at the Printing Press Cafe, visited the town’s museum, ducked into various local shops, made a trip to the local grocery, and settled in a bit more. While hubby caught up on some work, mama and I walked back into town. We checked out the “living ghost town” of East Calico Rock and read all the historical signs.

As a phone company retiree, Mama particularly enjoyed reading about old Calico Rock’s telephone exchange, run out of one lady’s house. She could be woken at any time of day or night, knew where the doctors were at any given moment, and had her finger on the pulse of the town in ways foreign to the communications departments of today.

From my comms contract experience, I can say unequivocally that such selfless service may be entirely foreign. I only hope my experience was not representative.

Not the old telephone exchange, but STILL a blast from the past!

During our walk, I chatted about a specific prayer God had answered very affirmatively (I shall not share it here because it involves someone else’s story), and it hit me: He absolutely DOES answer prayers concerning the spiritual health of those I love. I had accused Him falsely, blind to His answers probably because they aren’t as comprehensive and swift as my impatient soul prefers. By the end of our walk, He’d reminded me of at least one more such answer. Yours truly humbly acknowledged His glory and repented of my fallaciousness.

There had been rumors of possible overcast skies on eclipse day, but the day dawned sunny and gorgeous. We enjoyed a lazy morning, walked hakelev and settled in on the porch to wait for the big event. A great blue heron and a pair of bald eagles kept us entertained, and my hubs discovered the nest of an eastern phoebe just beneath the deck.

And God’s mercy continued. The sky remained devoid of clouds. I was beyond thrilled at the chance to see a total solar eclipse, enjoying the cool air and the unusual hush of the birds and insects.

After the main event, all of us (sans pooch) walked back to town and made a proper visit to the “speakeasy” that saved us all from certain hangriness late Saturday night. We bypassed the entrance to Fricki’s Attic and entered Juniper’s Back Door where we enjoyed a delicious late lunch in their eclectic dining area. In the photo, you can see the stage where live music is played on weekend nights.

The rest of the day was relaxing on the back porch, drinking in the views, and feeling gratitude that all the preparation, money, and time spent were not for nothing. I was delighted with Calico Rock and everything about the trip. Even more, I was beyond thankful for a God who doesn’t leave me stewing in my own bitter thoughts but who gently reminds me that I am the one who drifts away; He never does.

I enjoyed the last sunset at our lovely getaway cabin in Calico Rock before preparing to pack up and leave the next morning.

The day came to head home. One hour into our 6.5-hour drive home, we were hit at an intersection as my husband turned onto one of our many interchanges heading home. Once again, God’s mercy spilled out all over us.

The young man who hit us parked and walked across the busy highway, very apologetic and completely taking responsibility for his part in the accident – a very pleasant surprise. Before he’d spoken more than a handful of words, an officer who had been passing by was on the scene with his lights on, keeping traffic at bay.

No one was hurt, for which I am incredibly thankful.

In no time, our car was loaded onto a tow truck. My husband went with the tow guy who offered him a lift to a local car rental place. Meanwhile, the officer gave me and pooch a lift to a safer place to wait while another part-time fireman and part-time youth pastor gave Mama a ride to the same spot.

The officer and I may have had a little too much fun with the dog in the back of the squad car…

This one’s a real animal, Chief
Who’s a Bad Boy??

Our vehicle, unfortunately, is not drivable.

Now, one might imagine finding a rental car to get three adults, a 65-pound dog, and all our luggage back to Tennessee in the middle of nowhere would be a hard ask. I suppose it is, but not for my God – who, by the way, had mercy on me despite my self focused complaints on our first morning away. The whole delay took less than four hours, including a stop for lunch. Plus, everyone was so kind, we felt nothing more than mildly inconvenienced.

Of course, my husband and I will continue to be mildly inconvenienced for about a month of car sharing. We’ll be dealing with insurance and the like over the phone, and when the repairs have been made, we have a trip to Batesville, AR to plan. But at least we know God will be with us then, too.

And the dog? He thought this last leg of our journey was the best trip ever. Five and a half hours of cuddle time? Yes, please!

So believer, if you are weary, discouraged, or just plain sick of waiting on God, don’t forget that His timing is perfect. And look for small, everyday mercies while you wait. I guarantee you’ll find more than enough to fill your heart with joy. 

O Lord, hear my voice! 
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! 
If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 
But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. 
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 
my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 
(Psalms 130:2-6)

Why Homeschool? Reason #1

~ Heather Davis ~ 4 Comments

Before I get into the reasons to homeschool, let me start by setting the record straight: I am not one of those girls who grew up dreaming about having kids or homeschooling. Quite the opposite. I was more of a Moses type, answering God’s call with, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else (Exodus 4:13).

And while I know homeschooling was the right choice for my family, I know it because it was not my idea; it was God’s. Not everyone is called to homeschool, and not everyone who homeschools should be doing so – or at least, they should be taking it more seriously than they do.

That being said, there are SO many good reasons to homeschool, some of which I touched on in a previous post. But of all the excellent reasons, the most important one is given straight from the mouth of the Almighty. The biggest reason to homeschool is to equip the next generation to truly love, obey, and serve the Lord our God.

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7

The original Hebrew of this passage brings out a richer context, especially in the first sentence. The Hebrew word translated heart (לבב; levav) was understood a little differently in the culture and context of the time. Nowadays, we think of the heart as the seat of our emotions; i.e. we feel with our heart.

But the Hebrew word connotes not only the idea of emotion, but also of will & desire or determination, of our thinking & reflecting; the seat of intent and understanding.

Depending on the translation, the same word (levav) is translated as mind in Deuteronomy 30:1 & Jeremiah 51:50; as understanding three times in Job (see 12:3, 34:10, 34:34), and even when translated as heart often carries implications of the seat of reasoning, pondering, and decision-making (such as seeking God with all your heart as in Jeremiah 29:13 and others). In 1 Chronicles 22:7, some versions translate it as intended to or wanted to (build the house of God). And these are a mere handful of examples.

Loving God with all our soul is probably more straightforward, though it could be noted the Hebrew (נַפְשְׁ; nephesh) can be translated as breath. Thus, we are to love God with the very breath in our lungs!

Finally, we come to loving Him with all our might. Once again, the Hebrew is a bit different and even translates rather awkwardly. It literally says to love God with all our meod, our very. This word is used in such phrases as tov meod (very good) or gadol meod (very large).

How does one love God with all one’s very-ness? In my mind, I am to love Him with EVERYTHING that is me – all I am and all of it. Thoroughly. Verily, if you will – or one could say with our muchness, to borrow from Tim Burton’s take on the Mad Hatter.

“‎You’re not the same as you were before,” he said. You were much more… muchier… you’ve lost your muchness.”

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 1999 movie

And so far, I’ve not even unpacked how all this ties into homeschooling. That bit is in verse 7: “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

And that, my friends, is homeschool in a nutshell. The most significant reason is to give our lives to discipleship of the children God has entrusted to us, knowing full well where they spend eternity is more important than any other lesson. Thus we talk about it throughout the day – an easier task when homeschooling.

Will it mean making temporary and material sacrifices? Yes.

Will it cost you a career? Possibly.

Will it be easy? No.

And will you see guaranteed results, rewards, fruit? Not necessarily.

But if you are called by God to do it, obedience is still the best decision you can make. The results are up to Him. Your job is to do the job He gives you to do with all your will, all your breath, and all your very-ness. Be muchy for Christ, talk about Him incessantly, and let Him do the rest.

Next time, we’ll get into other very practical reasons to homeschool. I look forward to sharing them with you. I’d love to hear from you, so feel free to comment, like, or share if you found this post helpful!

State of Disunion?

~ Heather Davis ~ Leave a comment

A Bit of a Rant and a Message of Hope

I don’t often dabble in political posts, but I do have concerns to voice; concerns not so much political as practical. I made a valiant attempt to listen to the most recent State of the Union address. I truly did, but the ongoing heckling, boos & cheers finally drove me to just read the transcript. What I read only reinforced a growing certainty that the leaders of my nation have completely lost touch with the actual people of America; a state of disunion between what it means to be an American citizen and what it means to wield power in the USA.

Above all, I see a future for all Americans. I see a country for all Americans. And I will always be President for all Americans because I believe in America. I believe in you, the American people. You’re the reason we’ve never been more optimistic about our future than I am now.

President Biden – State of the Union Address, March 7, 2024

Of course, this is not news to anyone who can read between the dog-wagging and cat videos – that is to say, to anyone who can still read.

The greatest actual threat to “united we stand” is – well, it’s us; we the people. Or more specifically, our penchant for letting spin-doctors do the thinking for us while we entertain ourselves right into a brave new Huxleyan world.

And our leaders – well, they’re not exactly leading. They’re playing Two Truths and a Lie, wondering if the public will realize they’ve already shrugged and asked, “What is truth?” From what I’ve seen, they do not appear to accept the inconvenient constraints of reality.

After all, their economy is (evidently) soaring. Meanwhile our grocery bills are not their problem.

It is my totally irrelevant and probably ignorant opinion that the leaders of our nation haven’t the foggiest idea what their constituency really cares about. They are out of touch with the American people; the ones who exist outside the ranks of the wealthy and powerful.

They’ve enjoyed immense wealth, power, and privilege for so long, they no longer understand mere proles who work jobs, put kids through college, pay monthly bills, and wonder if they’ll be able to afford to retire.

Or pay their medical bills.

Or buy groceries.

I’m not sure what got under my skin the most this year. Was it the lack of decorum in the official echo chamber? The unusually coherent speech by our current President? The conflation between campaign rhetoric and reporting on our nation’s condition? The almost-but-not-quite funny way playground politics have played their way right into the highest ranking official positions of this country?

Of course, childishness is not a new characteristic of our ignoble leaders. Unfortunately. Ewwww, adulting – amiright?

I honestly feel we crossed the line from democratic republic to oligarchy long before I was even aware of politics. I’ve never seen a presidential candidate who represents the analog people in my circles, and I can count the local candidates who have tried on one hand.

However, I can honestly say the Great American Side Show (i.e. -election year) makes me incredibly grateful my hope does not rest on the outcome of this election. Nor any other election, nor my feelings, nor anything else in all this beautiful, broken world. In fact, my sense of security has nothing to do with the future but is rooted in an event that’s already happened.

No matter who rules the nation I live in, how much or little civil freedom I’m afforded; even if every possession is stripped away through the collapse of our duct-taped economy, I have hope. Security. Certainty. Shalom.

Yeshua Messiah – Jesus Christ – the One who was at the beginning with God and is God; through whom all things were created and hold together – HE is my hope, my security, my certainty, and my peace. Even if my nation falls from oligarchy to dictatorship, ending all political or socio-economic freedoms, I will remain truly free; for freedom from enslavement to sin is the greatest and most lasting freedom there is.

But like many exotic flavors, freedom from sin is a thing you must taste for yourself. Explanations fall short, but the joy and peace are like no other.

Fady Al-Hagal, aka The Tenne-Syrian

Besides, I expect to suffer in this world, for my Lord did and He promised I would, too. Yet I also know my King has overcome the world and will one day reclaim His throne and reign forever. No more cheap shots and playground politics, but a perfect and just theocracy backed by true power and Truth and followed by all things made new, restored to glorious perfection.

So why does He wait? If He’s so powerful and just, why not come now, put an end to this charade, and banish evil once and for all time?

My dear reader, He waits for all those who will chose Him to do so. He waits out of mercy, not wishing that any perish but that all will allow Him to free them from slavery to sin and its destruction and prepare them for life everlasting.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

2 Peter 3:9-10

He waits, knowing those who have trusted in His Son’s sacrifice and surrendered to Him as Lord can endure this light and momentary suffering because of the eternal weight of glory, joy, and pleasures forevermore awaiting us when this world has passed.

Perhaps, sweet one, He waits for you.

Would you trust Him today? Despite the lies you’ve been sold, His Way is not the end of fun, merely the end of your unbearable burden; your hopelessness and despair. But what you’ll gain--! You’ll gain HIM, and He is everything worth having!

I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from You..."
I have set the Lord always before me; 
Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken...
You make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence there is fullness of joy; 
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:1, 7, 11

But you can choose to cling to what the world calls fun and all the baggage it brings. You can allow your emotions to be steered by the outcome of potentially unhinged elites or the definitively un-sane media.

Or you can choose Christ and gain life and peace and joy and meaning and purpose without end. But the choice is yours to make. I earnestly hope you will choose life.

Excerpt from My First (Really Bad) Book

~ Heather Davis ~ 6 Comments

So, here’s a public admission, if you will. I’m working on a book. It’s been a long time coming, in part due to health challenges and the general busy-ness of life. And I confess – it’s sometimes difficult to give time to projects (like this blog, for example) that don’t offer financial help to my overworked husband and my three college kids. Yet, I believe the Lord has told me to write the book, so write I will. I’m starting to get some traction, but most of my writing time is devoted to the book at present.

But, I don’t want to leave y’all totally alone! The truth is, I’ve written two books before – truly bad ones. I’ve learned much since those first efforts, so maybe this time will be different. It’s in the Lord’s hands – my lot is to obey. Nevertheless, even from a bad book, there are good elements. Below is an excerpt from my first ever book; a scene I still like for the way it illustrates the seriousness of sin.

I’ll set up the scene by saying the character, Liam, is a successful star of sorts who meets the love of his life, a young lady named Stace who is a believer. Though she loves him, she keeps him at a distance because she doesn’t want to yoke herself with a man who isn’t committed to seeking the Kingdom of God first – even though from a worldly perspective, he would be a “dream guy.” Toward the end of the book, a freak accident results in her death. As she’s dying, she prays for Liam to see what she sees, and he has a supernatural experience with the Risen Christ. And now, on with the show:

For a moment, the Man held this posture, His hand poised over Liam’s blood-stained one, then He raised his head and looked Liam directly in the eyes. And Liam’s reality splintered.

In a flash, Liam found himself in a garden. In some inexplicable way, he knew it was not just any garden; it was the Garden – Eden. Amazed, he looked around, inhaling deeply of heady aromas. Everywhere he looked, there was beauty; well-tended and lovingly nurtured. Many of the plants were either in flower or heavy with a wondrous variety of fruits. The temperature was pleasantly warm. Birds twittered and darted among the trees and insects buzzed in and around the flowering plants…

As he moved forward with a steadily increasing sense of awe, he saw a woman who could only be the first woman, Eve. Just as he was about to call out a greeting, Liam noticed that she was not alone. Apparently, she was deeply immersed in a conversation with a creature unlike anything Liam had ever seen, for neither of them glanced his way as he approached.

Taking advantage of their inattention, Liam stopped beside the low hanging branches of a tree and observed the creature closely. Although he could not understand the words, something in the silken tones of the creature’s voice was appealing, even soothing. As it spoke, it paced slowly before the woman, displaying its beautiful, scintillating scales to great advantage. However, to Liam’s eye, something in the sinuous way it moved as it spoke was suggestive of a snake. This must be the serpent.

Apprehensively, Liam took a step closer stopping only when he noticed that the woman and the beast were not alone. Nearby, a man sat leaning back against a tree, half-listening or perhaps pretending not to listen as he idly wound then unwound the tendrils of a vine around his finger.

As understanding struck him, Liam’s heart sank; he knew this story. It was one of the first he learned from the Bible.
Wait – could he stop this from happening? If he stopped this first great tragedy, would it save Stace? Maybe that’s why he’d been brought here!

Running to the woman, he tried to distract her, to warn her, but she seemed not to hear.  He whirled around to grab the man’s shoulders and haul him to his feet if necessary, but Liam’s hands passed through empty space. For the first time, he realized he wasn’t actually in the Garden. Rather, he was seeing a memory, painted in vivid color and for all the world like some sort of three-dimensional movie. Although he experienced the scene as if he were a part of it, he could neither interact nor interfere.

Sickened, he watched the woman listen attentively to the deceiver; watched her eyes growing thoughtful. Though her husband was still close enough to hear, hands now resting limply at his sides, he made no attempt to engage in the dialog.

Liam looked again at the woman. A subtle change was coming over her face. The childlike guilelessness he first saw began to harden, touched by a tinge of disdain. The serpent continued its ceaseless spiel, and her eyes began to drift toward a tree.

Suddenly, a Voice broke into the scene, “The tree she looks upon is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Tree of Life is not far away. Watch, and learn.”

Uselessly, Liam continued to watch as the woman moved toward the forbidden tree, watched her examine the fruit closely, weighing it in her palm as if the weight of consequence could be measured by the heaviness of the fruit. The subtle change he had begun to see in her face moments ago steeled into something so entirely modern that he reeled with the shock of it. He recognized it as the very look that had haunted him from his own mirror on so many occasions. It was a face filled with Pride; ruthless, stubborn, and petulant pride.

With the painfully familiar expression came another: doubt. Almost, Liam fancied, he could hear her inner dialog. Perhaps all the serpent had implied just might be true. Perhaps God was being stingy, withholding something that was good for them because He wanted no rival. Perhaps there would be no death. Such thoughts swam in her eyes as plainly as if printed there.

The woman took a bite of the fruit. Then, quickly as if she feared taking this step alone, she handed some of the fruit to the man who was with her, and he ate as well.

In that one, seemingly insignificant and ordinary act, the first man and woman turned their back on the One who had given them everything, even life itself.

A weight of horror settled on Liam, and he could only observe in futility as the shock of comprehension, then shame, distorted their faces. No longer did their expressions radiate an almost uncanny, beauteous innocence; no longer did their eyes dance with joy untainted with sorrow. 

The knowledge they’d craved did not bring the power they hoped. It never did. It never did. Oh, if only they had listened! He felt the ache of it so deep, he could hardly stand.

As the couple turned and fled deeper into the garden, Liam saw the discarded remnants of the fruit lying on the ground and he knew: Death had entered here.

Having rejected the Tree of Life for the one Tree forbidden them, they now knew they had chosen poorly and now their innocence had been ripped away leaving behind a ragged wound. The days of walking with their Creator in simple love and trust had ended. The horror and shame of what they had done drove them to try to hide from the God Who Sees.
Liam ached for them.

But quickly, other scenes flashed past with brutal intensity; the far-reaching consequences of one simple act of distrust until the mind-bending network of billions of sins and their consequences culminated in the ultimate price. Death, it is true, but a death like no other.

The Man – the same Man who had knelt by Stace – now raised in a gruesome display before a mob. This time, he wasn’t He clothed in intense white but caked in blood and dust, bearing on His head the very symbol of the curse of sin – branches of thorns twisted into a sick parody of a king’s circlet and shoved down over His brow, Blood from numerous scratches ran into His eyes.

God’s own Son, battered and torn, crowned with the unfathomable weight of countless sins, covered in shame and wretchedness that belonged to mankind – yet He wore it willingly. For the two rebels in the Garden. For all humanity. Even for the very ones who jeered from the crowd, He suffered humiliation and agony and Death.

For the first time, Liam understood the wonderful, terrible reality of the God who came to rescue those who rejected Him by paying the price of their insurrection with Himself.

And yet, still many did not believe. So many, oh so many, chose to believe themselves wiser, stronger, more progressive or modern or advanced than to believe in something so foolish as a God, never knowing that what they rejected was the glorious exhilaration of true Life. And such a Life—Life lived in harmony with the power, wonder, and endless love of the very Creator of life!

The scene shifted, and Liam saw himself ad a very young man; saw his mockery of his parents and his rejection of the two hard-working, plain people who loved him as best as they could. But he turned his back on them to become something more than a small-town hick. And Death entered that relationship.

He saw himself after his first big break, flattered by the attentions of many young ladies and reveling in his own sexual prowess, never once thinking of anything but his own pleasure. And Death stalked into many relationships.
He saw himself grow in fame and begin to wield some control over what roles he would accept, sometimes withdrawing like a sulky child when his whims were not met. And Death prowled among his business relationships, too.

Again and again, Liam watched countless moments of his own life; moments where he had chosen to feed his pride or flaunt his aptitude, often to another’s detriment and always to achieve a sense of personal victory. And side-by-side with each distinction and achievement as his self-importance swelled, Death walked through wide-open doors into many places in his life.

Finally, he saw himself waking alone in bed the morning before he had first met Stace, and he knew—the Thing that had stalked him when success and wealth failed to fill a deep void within; the Thing that clawed with hateful fingers at his throat and stifled his breathing – was Death.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23, ESV).

The Great Apathy

~ Heather Davis ~ 2 Comments

You know what really tangles my kite strings? It’s a thing I’m calling the Great Apathy. The powers that be in my nation longer bother with trying to dress their lies in a modicum of truth. What’s worse, the public as a whole seems to have accepted this as perfectly normal.

Blatant and egregious falsehoods in media, politics, and advertising? Of course; why not? Please pass the sugar.

I cannot claim to be surprised. After all, I’ve read the Bible several times through and am well aware of the course this planet travels.

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

Yet I also find it darkly humorous that my countrymen will feel smug enough to doubt we could ever fall under the sway of a tyrant the likes of Adolf Hitler or believe such obvious lies as Putin critic Alexei Navalny’s passing from “sudden death syndrome” in a Russian prison.

But then again…

I’m wondering what families they polled to discover this fine achievement. All the families I know are groaning under the cost of groceries, and no one is moving because they can’t even afford to downsize with the current cost of housing.

And that’s just ONE lie. There are so many others. I’ve seen ground beef labels with fine print stating, “beef flavor added,” a bag of oranges reassuring me the orange color was added, and bitten into apples only to see red dye staining the flesh of the fruit.

And don’t get me started about the lack of grammar and thoughtful communication.

Evidently, this dinner cut is owned by a stir fry?? That or someone in their marketing department doesn’t know the difference between a plural and a possessive noun.

Then there’s the entire alphabet soup mess of biological confusion. Don’t get me wrong. I feel truly and deeply grief-stricken for the people caught up in this princedom of lies, but I can’t claim to have zero anger towards those who propagate the chaos and confuse hurting people who are already suffering.

On one hand, we’re told there is a difference between biological sex and gender (which is honestly just Gnosticism in modern clothes), and on the other hand we can read how scientists discover “for the first time” how men’s and women’s brains work differently.

Of course, any married couple, preschool worker, or person who interacts with other persons in real-world settings on a daily basis could have told you this centuries ago. But for some reason, many of my countrymen have fallen under the spell of “science” – or more aptly “scientism” as a friend of mine calls it.

What I’m wondering is what happened to a people who took in data, ruminated on it, and acted according to their own values systems? Today’s average jill or joe seems to do nothing more than search social media or other online sources for the acceptable attitude of the day and adopt it. Data is increasingly difficult to come by, and lies increasingly dominate.

Then again, the current ruler of this world is a liar and the father of lies.

I’m just thankful this place isn’t my home but only the land of my sojourn. While I’m here, I hope to share the hope I have in Yeshua (Jesus) my Lord with everyone I can, convincing them to trade their fragile earthly citizenship for an eternal one in the Kingdom of God.

Friend, if you are also struggling with the ugly spread of deception you see pervading our society, dividing us into groups at war with ideologies neither group fully comprehends, I invite you on a journey. Go outside and take a walk in the fresh air. Marvel at the beauty of a budding tree or the flight of a bird. Then return, pick up a Bible, and read the greatest love story ever told, asking the Author of the story to help you both understand and believe it.

Then someday, we will have eternity to enjoy the goodness of God together as we relish our release from the bondage of deceit, decay, and death. But we don’t have to wait – we can be free of the great apathy now and engage in real-world pursuits rather than theoretical imbibing of Kool-Aid and red or blue pills.

Let the Creator of all that is untangle those knots in your kite strings and learn to fly free from the entanglement of sin and self. You won’t regret it.