God is in the Room

I just dropped my two boys off for a week of camp with our church body and it’s quiet around here (even with my two little girls still here).

We have been having a rough time with our kiddos. It’s been a season where I have determined to put everything else aside and just focus on our hearts.

So often we get so caught up in all the academics (maybe you don’t but I know I do) and in our way is to make sure that they’re reading and writing and math are all at the “right” level we forget to take care of those hearts.

My oldest son has had quite a few struggles to this summer. Things that I don’t even like to speak out loud because it just amazes me but he knew what was right and still did what was wrong.

Someone told me that “boys will be boys” and that “puberty does that to our kids” but I just can’t accept that as the answer.

Unfortunately that means there has been a lot of fighting in our house. And not just the kids fighting the kids. My husband pointed out to me the other day that I have to stop allowing the fight. He pointed out that we can’t fight if one of us won’t engage in the battle. And I wonder sometimes we have to fight for what is right. When I boys I lost in the wilderness I think we need to fight for their hearts.

And watch my boys while you’re at the park the other day just playing. I was reminded that my boys are still children. They’re both older but they are still tender and they still take joy in beautiful things. I can’t blame them for not enjoying those beautiful things if I don’t give them the opportunity.

We get too busy. I know I get too anxious. I see all the moods and the fighting and on that bad day I forget about all the good days.

I remember a sermon I was listening to recently let’s talk about that very thing. We find Jesus and we expect that everything is going to be perfect from that point on. We do not always realize that there will still be storms that will come our way. Perhaps when those storms to come our way we fall away. Maybe I’ll face gets shaken just a bit. We were so sure before but now we begin to doubt if Jesus is really in control.

We spent a year in the book of Galatians with our churches Bible quizzing group. There was some tough times as we recited and memorized verses that spoke to our hearts. The works of the flesh… The works of the Spirit… You have no doubt which ones belong to you. And now that you know them you must claim them and cast them off.

Everyday we said those versus was a reminder to me that this word the God gave us, it is so precious and it is so powerful. He didn’t give it to us just simply read but to make a part of ourselves. We must hide his word in our hearts.

There is so much that can happen simply by knowing and calling on the Word of God. His word is always true and it is always what we need and it is always what we need! 😍

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Blogging Through the Alphabet (Letter E)

I fear I have been falling behind as the weather has been getting nicer. Even though the rest of the game just started on the letter F I wanted to share my thoughts on the letter E.

I really have been enjoying blogging, this time around because I have been blogging through the names of God and I have found so many wonderful, beautiful names for our great God.

I knew that for this one I wanted to share about the El Shadday. When so many days have been a struggle, pressures and questions on so many things….I just wasn’t sure what tomorrow would hold, I was always able to stand firmly on my God Almighty.

God revealed himself as God Almighty to Abram. He spoke of the covenant that he was establishing with him. This was an everlasting covenant.

When we pray to El Shadday we are praying to the one for whom nothing is impossible.

 

This name is sometimes translated as God Almighty but when translated literally it means ,”God, the mountain one.”

Almighty God. All mighty.

The Creator of all things. So powerful and so wise that He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Like the mountains and the valleys we know that He will always be there.

Artistic Pursuits Full Video Lesson Grades K-3 {Review}

I have a deep love for art; creativity is so important to me and while I cannot draw a sun that my kids agree is really a sun, still I want to encourage them to create as they feel led. That means we make sure to always have materials around so that when they feel the desire to draw or paint, sketch or do a bit of pottery, they are able. We also try to keep some great books on hand to help inspire them and guide them. ARTistic Pursuits Inc. is that amazing company that offers so much great instruction for so many different ages and artistic methods. So we were more than happy to have the chance to review one of their newer editions: ARTistic Pursuits Art Instruction Books with DVD and Blu-Ray series. Wonderful hardcover books, there are four volumes available; we received volume 2 which offers instruction to grades K-3 in the Art of the Ancients.

 

 

 

For any of you who are wondering, I know this says K-3 but my oldest son who is twelve years old, loved using this, right alongside his siblings. I honestly think that art instruction can be good for any age so long as your children are eager and excited. They will make it their own based on their abilities. We just need to have fun and provide lots of enthusiasm and encouragement. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

I love how with this book we are not only getting creative but we are also learning a bit about ancient history. I think we even worked in quite a bit of geography ourselves!  There are so many wonderful opportunities for our children to practice the fine art of observation as they see for themselves those little details that are part of a bigger picture. As they search within the images for a story, a struggle, perhaps a celebration. There is just so much that we can learn from art when we slow down and take the time to really see all that these pieces have to say.

 

Since my oldest son is very interested in France it was fun to learn about art in case that was discovered long ago in the Lascaux Cave in France. I love how there are even questions to guide discussion. As we read about the history of art in caves in Europe so long ago we were encouraged to imagine for ourselves what it must have been like to find these images ourselves! What an adventure that must have been. Horses, oxen and deer – we are encouraged to study the size of each one – can you imagine what they may be doing? Are they running from hunters perhaps? With soft pastels and some crinkled up brown paper )crinkle it to make it look older and more rustic ha-ha) you can create your very own cave drawing. Tell a story of your own from long ago; imagine a story, adventure and exploration and then tell your story on your very own “cave wall”.  🙂

 

 

Even more fun was learning about underground art; some of it was even found in Jericho. We actually have a little pottery wheel but the kids were excited to use, especially finding so many fun projects in this book. Unfortunately it had a speed of an accident and will need to be replaced but we still made sure to enjoy some clay works together. With the DVD we even had the opportunity to see for ourselves where this clay comes from. My younger son is very interested in this sort of thing so it really enhanced his enjoyment of clay working to know that clay is out there – guess what we will be out and about looking for now? Not sure we will find any in our local area but you never know.

 

 

 

 

 

There are just so many fun projects to create within the pages of this book.  Where else can you explore the fresco painting of Minoans? Or how about creating your own Garden Pool, from ancient Egypt? I know we all enjoy a lovely garden; all the birds and other critters that make their home in a garden. Perhaps a pond full of fish, turtles, frogs and toads near as well ? Some of our favorite times are at this little garden up north, designed for bookworms (named, BookWorm Gardens, in fact) where we can explore and enjoy all the lovely things God created. Peacefully and slowly. My younger son has his very own little garden he plants each year; tomatoes and peppers, cucumbers and pumpkins – so much goodness! There are 18 projects in all with 12 text based lessons and 6 video lessons to enjoy.  And the video lessons really are so much more than just creating.

 

 

 

 

From creating your very own pillar in ancient Greece to making a silhouette as the Etruscans once did. In fact I even remember doing this myself and elementary school so long ago. How fun to pair up and take turns tracing one another’s shadow; then to have fun personalizing it or caricaturing it even.  A fun way to capture a friend’s image. Or just have fun playing with the shadows and light. If you are anything like my kids too, you will have lots of fun doing this with your siblings and even your pets. Of course with our doggies you have to sketch that shadow fast!

 

We love history and we really do love art so this book is definitely something that our whole family is able to enjoy together. It is a wonderful thing when we can find something at the store isn’t just an art book but allows to have so many more Adventures learning all over the world and all different times.  They also have amazing books to help you learn all about the Italian Renaissance and the Middle Ages along with one that is dedicated simply to building your children’s artistic vocabulary. There is no better way to learn and exp;lore the world and these times of long ago, than this.  Artistic Pursuits really is the curriculum for creativity!

 

 

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Show Me Thy Ways {Review}

There are so many things “to do” nowadays. There are sports, music lessons, lessons to be taught…It can be overwhelming when there is just one child, but in our family of four, to engage in all of these activities … It is simply not possible.

For one thing, this momma is very much a homebody – for another – these things all cost money and time. Lots of time.

If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that since the day of creation, there has always been a way that we are called to walk in.

My oldest son is currently my “rebel without a cause”. He is just in this place where he won’t do it simply because he was told he needs to. I vaguely remember when I was 12 struggling to find my way and to exert myself so others would see that I could do this myself. I understand his desire to be in charge and I want to encourage him to make decisions and boldly walk that path, but I also want him to understand that, as a child of God, there is a way that ins right, which we are meant to walk in. I admit it took me longer than it probably should have to figure out that this stage he is in, its a heart issue. Sure, there are issues with obedience and respect woven in there, but more than anything this is an issue of his heart. And that is something only God can truly work in. So I was ever so grateful to have the chance to review Show Me Thy Ways (textbook/workbook) in which we could all get together, and dig a bit deeper into God’s word and way. While this is meant for grade four learners, all four of our children enjoyed the opportunity to learn together, more about our great God!

I very strongly believe in reading, writing and math. However, the older I get (maybe it’s the older my kids get) I realize how important it truly is for all that we do each day to point them to the Lord. It doesn’t matter so much, all of that other stuff, if we are raising our children without a heart for the Lord. And it can be so easy to get lost in those lists and expectations that so many of us were raised with. Too often I compare what my children are doing, to what other children their age are doing. Not in a good way. My oldest son has even done it a couple of times; he may perceive himself as “stupid” because he isn’t as good with numbers as other kids his age. It is then that I begin to realize we need to work on our foundation. We may never be on the same path as other around us; we will have different struggles than those next door to us. But if we are rooted in the Word of God, we need not worry, 🙂

After reading an amazing book (I will share that another time) that spoke of how so many of our youth are walking away from the faith, I knew that we really needed to focus more on God’s word. I knew that we needed to take some time to really learn not just what the Bible says, but also what it means for us today. I had read a couple of blog posts about some families who use the Bible, nothing else, for home education. I haven’t been that brave myself but find this set of books, I thought, I could give it a try, using our Bible along with the curriculum to really get to know all of these stories and the people in them, more personally. If we see all of these men and women as members of our own family, perhaps that can really encourage us all the more, to hear their stories and learn from them.

My boys thought it was kind of humorous, when we began reading the textbook because it speaks to “discussing questions in class” and my boys, knowing how much I strive to stay away from standard terms like school and classroom, they had so much fun teasing me about it. Once we got past the silliness though we really had to get thinking. Right away. From the very beginning we are reminded that God is a Spirit; His thoughts and ways are so much higher than we could ever imagine. Our minds, our thoughts, are human and thus, we are significantly limited in our ability to understand the things of God without His Spirit. This is not your regular Bible learning material. I think even on the first few [pages, my thinking was challenged, just a bit, as we read.

When we look at the reasons for so many youth leaving the faith, often it comes down to them not being able to truly defend and know, this faith for themselves. How many of the children in our own family cannot truly claim this truth for themselves? It really does matter how we perceive this and what we do with what we know. And so the pages of this book (workbook too) are full of activities and exercises to help our children to go deeper and to see truth “in action” for themselves. As you can see in some of the images I share here, there are so many different ways for our children to learn and explore how true and real the Word of God is.

I love learning with my kids where all of these places are today; where did Abraham walk? What about that wilderness journey? Forty years of wandering where? What a wonderful way to bring the Bible alive for our children so they can see for themselves how real it is. This continues to be a wonderful way to learn and explore so many of those wonderful stories within the Bible. From day one of creation all the way through to the time when David is anointed king; explore and learn, not just the stories, but some of those details that we may overlook but which have powerful meaning for us even today.

We really are enjoying our time with this; exploring and pondering the type of music Jubal would have played if we was alive today (with a little guitar player, a drummer and a piano player in the making this can be quite fun!). Recognize and consider such simple truths, like how it never rained before the flood of Noah. Explore the value of being patient with God; trusting in His timing and the path that He has, unique to each one of us. For my older son I do love how this has made him think about the Word of God on a different level. There is something beautiful that comes from learning the Word of God – seek first His kingdom – and singing it, writing it, exploring it even more!

Blogging Through the Alphabet {Letter D}

It’s been a challenging couple of days….You know those? Where it isn’t anything specific but it just seems to be a struggle. Each moment. Details. Things are just off.

So please forgive me for being behind on things; being absent for a time from my blog.

There are so many days lately where I feel empty; I cannot compose a thought to share. Without the leading of God, I tend to wait. There is a restlessness and a weariness in my soul.

On these days when I feel like I am stuck in that valley, I am reminded that God, is my defender. He restores my soul, He leads me, He makes me rest. He gives me strength. He reminds me that He is for me.

I am saved by the blood of my defender – When things seem to be going wrong and when it seems you are just going from one fire to the next – there is rest in God our defender. Whatever challenges we may face today, tomorrow, whatever burden we are carrying that is causing us to be weary – Let us lay it at our Lord’s feet. Let us continue to do well for we shall, in the right season, reap IF we just keep on in His strength.

God has reminded me over and over again

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Discovering the Skills of Writing with Memoria Press {Review}

There are a lot of different companies out there; there are so many methods to consider. it can be difficult to figure out which way to go. One of our favorites is, Memoria Press, which provides amazing classical Christian materials, “for cultivation of wisdom and virtue through meditation on the Good, the True, and the Beautiful.” While I have always loved those great writers of the world, while writing and reading have always been a great passion for me, with my older son this is not quite the case. Therefore we were so very excited to have the opportunity to review Classical Composition I: Fable Set to explore vocabulary and traditional writing methods, improve some pretty messy handwriting and further build our communication skills. This set included an Instructional DVD as well as a teacher guide and student book. This course contains 20 lessons, each one based upon a different fable and is recommended for grades 4-12. There is included, an advanced rubric to guide your way, for grades 4-6.

Have you ever heard of progymnasmata? Me either. It is written that, “If you do not think well and think rhetorically – not just logically – good writing is more difficult and frustrating. If you use the progymnasmata, each of the fourteen stages trains the mind to think more clearly but also rhetorically, allowing a constant practice of the effective use of words and sentences, as they learn from master communicators through imitation.”

As my son is getting older (He turns thirteen in September) it is important for him to really begin writing on a deeper level. I love how creative he can be, but he really doesn’t like to write (or read) at all. Since this is all based upon Fables, I saw this as a wonderful opportunity to encourage reading, shorter pieces, with great lessons within, and also to begin encouraging and guiding him into a better way when it comes to writing.

The first thing we did was to pop in the DVD for instruction with Brett Vaden. After that we read aloud the fable and then went over any difficult words (these are listed in the teacher’s guide, along with definitions). Then comes, recognition, reversal and suffering. This is where our students exercise their abilities to recognize these examples and then write a few of their own. The student also identifies the reversal (characters brought low or elevated, high and mighty or humble) along with the suffering experienced within the fable. My son was definitely able to pinpoint these things; exploring and recognizing suffering in the characters in the story I think was a good lesson for him in character building as well. What better opportunity to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and imagine how they feel and explore ways to minister to others in need?

Sometimes I think we forget about the value that comes from being able to recognize another’s pain and then respond in kindness to that. Following these exercises, the student then narrates the fable in their own words. How fun that can be! My oldest son is actually wanting to begin videos of himself retelling the story; perhaps we can encourage his brother and sisters to take part in this as well!

After all of this, we begin the writing portion. Initially the student writes a few sentences about the fable, using synonyms of words used in the fable. Once this is completed it is time to make an outline. By varying the words, new sentences can be created , more complex. This was a great exercise for my oldest son, who I think often gets stuck, in writing and then, in frustration, quits. Instead of having to come up with complete sentences, this is one simple step that allows from creative writing and expands and exercises your vocabulary too. This is a much less threatening way of growing your writing skills. There are about eight assignments in all, that go along with the videos; this is a pretty serious writing program. But do not fear because the video lessons really are all you need! I know we quickly went from being overwhelmed with all these new terms and methods, to being enthusiastic and feeling challenged (but not too much) as we watched lessons. 🙂

That was all part one; now we move on to the second part. From the fine art of paraphrasing, to writing corresponding sentences, this is another way to encourage and inspire creativity while also working on handwriting and grammar and expanding their vocabulary. I am always telling my son, that we need to know what words we are using, what they mean; our words really do matter. As the writing proceeds there will be opportunities to practice inverting sequence, reducing information to make it more concise. These are all great ways to learn and grow in our writing skills. I think there are quite a few things I learned from this program too – We are not even done yet!

We worked very slowly through this; since my oldest is pretty reluctant already, I didn’t want to push him any more than necessary. He is very much a visual learner so he really took to the video lessons; workbook pages were a bit harder. Some days, we did less and some days we would do more. As students are gaining a better understanding of the pieces involved in these fables, they are then expected to complete their own written narration, in a number of simple steps. Even though this does go pretty deep, the instructor on the DVD’s does a fabulous job of making all of these seemingly big things, seem much more doable to our children. There are lots of great visuals throughout the books as well, to help our students see what an outline should look like. Or perhaps if they struggle with variations or paraphrasing exercises – there is always a resource there so we can look and see. We actually kept the teacher’s guide near as my son worked on the student book so he could reference each step as he progressed. He is very visual; seeing really is such an important part of the learning process for him. And so again, between the videos and the many examples within the guide, he really was able to move forward without feeling too overwhelmed or stressed out.

I love when we are writing, reading, watching one of the videos and a lightbulb goes on. Something makes him say “aha.” Or those moments when I recognize fables that were favorites of mine from long ago. I know I have said it before but I have to say it again. Reading and writing are both such powerful and priceless tools for our children to have in their toolbox. The depth and the ease of these programs is truly amazing. It is a blessing in many ways and we are certainly going to continue forward with this program; hopefully we will move on to the Narrative set which is the next level in this writing program.

I really enjoy materials that I can work on, alongside, my son. there are many opportunities, I believe, as we work through this (and so many of the other amazing programs this company has) to grow not just ourselves, but our relationship with one another. As we come together to learn and write, we share our strengths and our weaknesses. It is an opportunity to do a new thing, together. Perhaps too, since my son and I are different as night and day, we can grow together in this thing that we are both enjoying, in our own way, while at the same time doing it together. It is fun to have materials like this, that encourage communication; conversations that are sometimes silly and other times go deep. What better way to learn than this?

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The Critical Thinking Co.™ {Review}

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in reading, writing and math that I think we forget about some of those other skills; ones that are just as necessary for our children to learn and embrace. Public speaking, critical thinking, problem solving – Am I the only one who forget about these? As I was listening to a seminar the other day on the value of our children being able to express “why” (in relation to faith but this can apply to so much more) I got to thinking about how little we have been doing in this area. Particularly when it comes to my oldest son, I wonder sometimes – can he truly think deeply, come to his own intelligent conclusions based on a study of evidence at hand, when the need arises? This is a time when I am so very grateful for The Critical Thinking Co.™. We were recently given the opportunity to explore a fun Whodunnit Forensic Mystery, Something Fishy at Lake Iwannafisha. Recommended for grades 5-12, what better way to work on critical thinking skills than by taking part in our very own investigation!

This is not as silly as it may sound. There certainly is something fishy going on; with witness and suspect profiles, police reports and forensic reports. There are timelines and lab reports to review. This really is no joke. It is an amazing and very thorough (I think ) book, introducing our children to the fine art of forensic science and crime solving. Initially I had thought this would be something my oldest son could do on his own but once this arrived and I dug into the first few pages, I saw that this would require a bit more guidance. And that this would be lots of fun to do all together too! Since my younger son is only eight, but very much a critical thinker already, it was determined that this could be a great opportunity for them to grow their relationship, working as a team, to solve this crime. 🙂

My oldest son had the opportunity to complete a mock forensic science workshop about a year ago and he really enjoyed it. Ironically, his old babysitter is in college studying forensic science (another reason he is so interested in this). And me being a huge Agatha Christie fan; there is something to be said for this sort of thing really helping us to learn how to think. And how to think differently too. Sometimes it isn’t about what is said but what is not said. It is good for us to be able to see things from a variety of perspectives; sometimes we need to see what isn’t there.

 

We began this journey, together reading through the overview of the crime that took place at the Hartmann fishing cabin, which is being used for a counterfeit money ring. This is where we meet Robbie and Tyler (my oldest son thought it was kind of cool since that’s his name too!) Fast forward to one year later when Tyler and Patsy are back at the cabin, counterfeiting some more money, and this time, a neighbor of theirs is also killed after discovering their operation. This time, a concerned momma, calls the police and even though the criminals flee, there was a witness to their get away. And this begins the investigation.

 

What do you know about fingerprinting? You will know plenty by the time you are through: why they are left behind, various patterns and other things that make prints so important. You also learn how to recover fingerprints. I think my boys had a great time with this part; dusting with powder and then covering with tape to lift the print and place it on a note card. We went through a lot of scotch tape for this one! 😛

 

How about an autopsy? There is so much that can be learned from the body and the location of a victim; we certainly learned a couple things here. Did you know that a forensic entomologist studies insects and specifically their relationship to a criminal investigation? An insect can tell you the time of death based upon its life cycle and the conditions of the environment surrounding the death It is said that insects are usually the first ones to discover a corpse.

What can handwriting possibly tell you? In case you didn’t know there are lots of different ways you can learn about someone by simply studying their handwriting. Is it smooth or shaky? Are some lines darker or wider than others? Many of our writing habits are carried into adulthood and our handwriting becomes such a natural and subconscious thing, we don’t even realize how much it says about us.

This really is just like a real crime investigation. As momma or daddy, you even get to be the police sergeant. Don’t worry, this includes plenty of instructions to help you in your role.

 

 

As they come to you to obtain various reports for review they’re also forms that will need to be filled out. This is why the critical thinking skills really start to come in handy.

My boys really did enjoy this project. I think they’re still working through this too. I mean, there are just so many amazing things to learn within the pages of this book and so many opportunities to go deeper.

My oldest son completed his merit badge in rifle shooting and so as they we’re studying ballistics here they certainly went off the rails a couple times. It’s amazing all that they learned about ballistics and I would encourage them to explore every further. Looking for themselves in regards to striation and you can explore forever it seems the various firearms that are out there. I think they learned quite a bit of math unbeknownst to them as they explored trajectories even!

There is just so much that I could say about the pages within this book. It was good also to see my boys working together with a common goal since their relationship has certainly not been at its best lately. This is definitely a wonderful opportunity for our kids to explore some topics that we may not think to include. I honestly do not think we ever would have studied any of these topics (counterfeit money, paper types, anthropology…) had it not been for this workbook opening a door that my children have actually become very eager to go through!

 

 

This really is an amazing company. They have so many materials too, for all ages and abilities, to help   critical thinking skills. In fact, they’re even offering to our readers free shipping and 15% off any size order with a special coupon code below. And if you aren’t sure that you would like to order yet consider grabbing some of their free critical thinking puzzles. These are delivered every week to your email inbox. There are four different grade levels to choose from and I know my kids look forward to every one of these.  What a way to get those juices flowing at the start of each week. There really is just so much for your children to enjoy; even though I am not really a fan of workbooks in general, these are not your average workbooks. Every one of the materials is so unique;, requiring our children to truly exercise that muscle in their head

 

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Shine On!

There are times in all of our lives when we wonder, what difference what we’re doing really makes… It has been that season for my family.

As we have been trying to settle into a more relaxed pattern of learning for the summer I have begun to wonder…. I believe in home education with all of my heart. I believe that when God says that there is a way that is right he really means it.

My oldest son always reminds me of my need to put on the armor of God each day. He really wears me down as of late.

I sat with him the other day and tried to get some ideas from him as to what he would like to do. I was hoping to see some sparks… Maybe some direction, curiosity. My younger son knows exactly what he wants to learn and do. My older son is almost apathetic about everything lately. Except video games. And in case you can’t guess I’m not a fan of video games.

He is disgruntled and wants nothing to do with learning of any kind. He says we do too much already, even though he barely does anything at all. Bible study and reading, writing and math… It is such a struggle to get any of it completed each day. He has just decided he hates learning. He has decided no one can tell him what to do.

Oh, Lord give me wisdom.

Since my father-in-law passed my husband has been really reconsidering where we are and where we ought to be. He came home from morning prayer a little disgruntled the other day. It was the holiday weekend and there was talk of a get together. Nothing we were invited to. He can be quite sensitive sometimes.

It got us talking about the fact that even though we love our church, even though we are a part of the body of Christ, it doesn’t really feel like it’s where we belong. It never has. And it was a reminder to him that we are are that family. Left out and uninvited.

Yet when we visit the church is parents attend up north we feel at home no matter how long it’s been. Small and simple, they preach exactly what the Bible teaches. There is always a feeling of peace there.

Left out and uninvited. I never really minded it. I always say that I don’t come to church for the people who are there but simply for the Lord. And I have my family who even on those days when they challenge me, they are still blessing enough.

I feel for my husband. A bit of Sorrow that Our family in our home isn’t enough. And then I feel his pain also. Although I am not close to my family, certainly his father was one of those people who everyone enjoyed being around. It’s hard I know.

Blogging Through the Alphabet {The Letter C}

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

 

 

 

This week (well this last one anyway) I have been studying how he is our Chief Cornerstone.

In Hebrew it is translated from the word: ro’sh

 

In Greek it is translated from: Kephalē gonia

 

Did you know, that in ancient times, when building, the cornerstone was the principle stone. That means that is was the most solid; it was the most carefully crafted. This stone was the most important stone of all in the building. Believe  it or not this one stone could ensure that the building was level; that it had a firm and certain strength so as to not be moved. A sure foundation matters so much more than we sometimes realize (Have you ever lived in one of those homes where there is a bit of an angle to a room? that cornerstone may not be present, or may not be as it ought to be). These cornerstones, before being laid, had to be tested to ensure that it could support the weight that was to be placed upon it.

 

 

Just so Jesus is our Chief Cornerstone. Throughout the Old and New Testament we can read how He is to be the foundation, the cornerstone, of our faith. Just as those builders tested that stone for strength, so Jesus was tested and tried repeatedly during his time walking on this earth.

 

 

Isaiah 28:16
So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. 

 

 

 

If we are truly living for Christ we are to build upon that cornerstone. We are to build upon His Word. Our lives should be an image of His goodness. He is the beginning and the end. When we are firmly rooted and built upon in Him, we too can have that sure foundation. And not just our lives but our homes, our places of business perhaps. When all that we have and all that we are is rooted and grounded in Him, we shall not fail.

 

The question I ask is this: Is He truly the Chief Cornerstone in your life? ❤