Five Minute Friday: Waking Up

Hosted by: The Gypsy Mama
Begin:

Waking up--
Trees beginning to bud after being bare all winter long,
Flowers beginning to bloom,
Cold weather leaving, warm weather coming.
Grass turning green---
Nature is waking up.

The Recent Events in Japan

This question was posted yesterday on my facebook page "19,000 dead in Japan including little children, the kind you see every day? God planned this?"

WOW what a question that is. I have to admit I asked myself the same thing over and over again. Why would God allow this to happen? Did God allow this to happen? Why did 19,000+ people have to die and more lose their homes. Why do bad things HAVE to happen. Why can this world not be perfect? First of all this world is NOT perfect because of man's sinful nature. Because of sin things happen---I can go through a whole list of events in our world that effected people but then you would get really tired of reading and wouldn't get to the meat of this post.

But the question today is "Were the events in Japan God's Will?" My reply to this answer was the following:
"Surprisenly He did. We may not understand WHY things happen in our world but everything that happens is according to HIS plan. I wish the thing in Japan did not happen, I wish people did not have to die, I wish horrible thing...s did not have to happen...I wish things can be perfect. THe Bible says is Matthew 8:27 "that the winds and the waves even obey his command"...I believe that the tradgedy in Japan was His doing. Even during hard time sin my life--with my dad's cancer or even when I had a car accident and totalled my car I see that it was God's Will and for that I am at peace and happy to be in His will. The hard things in life draw me even closer to Him and help me trust Him more and have faith in Him...I admit yes its very hard at times and I want to get angry but getting angry never helps--prayer does. With the events in Japan all I know to do and all I can do is pray for the people there."

So every little thing that happens is the Lord's Will??? I do believe that some things that has happened in our world--the Nazi regime, 9/11, OKC Bombing was against God's Will because God does not want humans to kill others. But at the same time GOD prevented ALOT more from happening and even more people dying. He allowed some Jews to stay hidden, escape the concentration camps, and some come out alive. He allowed some people to get out of the Twin Towers and out of the OKC building. God has allowed several Japanese people to be found alive in the rubble.

We serve a good and a living God and He is in control--even during hard times.
I am also posting a link of an article I found: http://www.gotquestions.org/natural-disasters.html

Christian Education Part 2

I know sometimes my writing and thought may not make sense...I am working on that part when it comes to my writing. I tend to think faster than I can type and my thoughts also get jumbled up as well....

I wanted to write another post on Christian Education. I thinki Christian Education is the next best thing next to Starbucks carmel macchiatos (I would say sliced bread but I really do not like sliced bread). Chrsitian education is a great way to teach Bible priniples to kids who may not hear it at home or go to church. Christin education teaches the student a Biblical way to live out in the world.

It is what they do with it is their choice and also what the parents do at home--this is what I meant in my earlier post. I love the idea of Christian eduacation and love being a part of it. I just wish the kids who are in the Christians schools would take those truths and live them out instead of throwing away the key of what they learned after graduation---when they do that that is what breaks my heart.

The Kids of Christian Education

I grew up in Christian education having been homeschooled until 5th grade, attended Christian school from 5th grade on, and even attended a Christian University. I am so thankful for the privilege I had to attend a Christian school and learn about God and Christian truths.
I was told in high-school by some classmates that if I attended BJU I would not learn how to live in the “real world.” I replied to them that “I rather be ‘sheltered’ and in God’s will rather than in the real world and out of God’s will and miserable.” I attended BJU and I learned how to live in the world from a Biblical view.
One thing that breaks my heart and brings a lot of frustrations are kids and people who attended these Christian schools (I am not being judgmental or any thing or even putting myself on a pedestal and trying to be “holier than thou”) , but it makes me sad as I look at pictures of people I went to school with on face book and see them living in the world…..as in the sinful world. It is as if they are throwing the Christian education they received away and doing what they want to do. I am coming to find out that kids that received a Christian education are no better than kids who did not--there are public school kids who turned out better than Christian School kids. Thankfully, there have been Christian school students who have gone out and served the Lord and stayed out of the sinful ways of the world.
I am just learning that even as a kindergarten teacher in a Christian school that no matter what I need to make sure I pray daily for my students and  “grow up” that they will be the next David Brainerd and Amy Carmichael.
For my life, I pray I stick with the truths I learned growing up and stay out of the ways of the world and live only for HIM.

David & Goliath in a Child’s Words

After teaching a Bible lesson I like to go back and let my students tell the story back to me. Today, we went through the stories of David and Goliath, Daniel and the Lion’s Den, and Shadrack, Mechak, and Abednego. This is how one of my little boys told the story (I wish I could post a video of it….):

Teacher: “We have been talking about in Bible time of people who were brave even though it may have been hard. We’ve talked about David and Goliath. Can somebody tell me the story of David and Goliath?”
Student: “Well David went to fight Goliath. He got this many stones (held up five fingers) from the stream. He got his slingshot and put one stone in it and pulled back (demonstrated pulling back) then swug it roud and roud and roud…then the dragon (sounded like dragon)…then the stone went up (demonstrated the stone going up) and hit the giant on the head and the giant came tumbling down!!! (can you tell what song we've sung over and over again???)

{Smiles}

100 Day Photo Challenge Blog

I am a brave person trying to keep up four blogs =)
The kitchen one is probably the one that will be posted on the least amount....
this next one is a 100 day photo challenge blog. Taking 100 days and posting a different picture each day---so click on the link below and enjoy!
http://100daysofrebecca.blogspot.com/

Music

Ever since I was a little girl I have LOVED music. I grew up listening to dad’s Readers Digest Classical music records. I wanted to know what the composers were and was determined to recognize the songs they played (and still like that today). When I was around 10 my dad gave me about five classical music tapes. I wore then out…especially the Pachebel Canon in D one.

I loved singing in Patch club and was sad when I was too old for it.  I was known growing up to always sing around the house…then I became older and quit singing as much. I regret stopping singing ALL the time…that passion left me when I became a teenager. I still sing in the choir and I love it. I admire one friend though that NO MATTER what she is always singing in the car, in her house, and at my house =) (Love ya Lori).

I took piano lessons as a kid for a year, then again for two years in high-school. I was determined to learn how to play…you guessed in Canon in D. I memorized the entire song and annoyed my family playing it. When I went to college I got away from playing piano…now that I am taking care of a friend’s piano I am trying to get back into it.

But the best thing I play when it comes to music is the radio (or CD player). I always (well almost) have music playing when cooking, cleaning, or just blogging (and yes I am listening to music right now).

What kind of music do I like? Well my favorite is piano—its relaxing and so much emotion in the keys. I enjoy Josh Groban, some jazz….BUT by far my favorite is  Sacred music…and yes played on the piano.