What god can rescue you out of my hand?

Daniel was a fast-talker.  He could effortlessly convince kings, Captians of the King's bodyguards, and chief officials to do everything from let him switch to a vegetarian diet to put off an order of execution.  Daniel was smooth.

And if we read the first two chapters in isolation, we might imagine that quick thinking and a silver tongue can get a servant of God out of any bind.  However the third chapter of Daniel quickly puts that idea to rest. 

Honor in Exile

When I realized that we'd be spending some time in Daniel, I remembered this post from the mid-term elections about a Christian response to living in under a passive hostile government.  What could be more appropriate as we face these upcoming elections than to model our public life on Daniel's! 

I voted. 

It was the first time in more than a decade.  I'm not lazy, honest.  For most of those years I was abroad, and for all of them I was deeply conflicted about the candidates, finding them all so distasteful that I couldn't bring myself to endorse any of them.

I'm trying again.

The Wisdom of School-Boys

"What were you thinking?"  Every parent has uttered these words.  My husband often follows it up with the frustrated growl, "You WEREN"T thinking!"  The hallmark of maturity is the ability to guard both our actions and our words in terms of their consequences.  But our grandparents wouldn't wouldn't have called this "maturity," they would have called it wisdom and it's this characteristic that is highlighted in the second chapter of Daniel.  

Bible Study for the Public School kid

Although this post is from several years ago, the curriculum it reviews still stands as one of the best series we've found to help busy moms learn the Bible with their public school kids. Melissa's kids have all switched to homeschooling but I know that she still recommends this resources.   We hope you are enjoying our series of devotionals from Daniel but you'll need to keep going when we finish! So consider checking out this or other curriculums! 

My two oldest kids go to public school, but in the end, their education is my responsibility.  In fact, the most important subject they have is not one they learn about at school at all.  It is vital that my children learn the Bible, and they aren't getting that between 7:30 and 2:30 every day. Sunday Bible class simply can't make up for daily teaching of the Word in our home.  In the past, I've tried to create my own "curriculum," with varying degrees of success.  I'm not an educator, though, and I knew our time could be more productive.  I was so glad when I found the "Growing Up in God's Word" series from Pryor Convictions media because it gave me the structure I needed to teach my children well. 

But That's Not FAIR!

My daughter had to write an essay about injustice last school year.  She is a third culture kid, a child who has spent so much time outside of her "home" culture that she no longer truly belongs to either her home or adopted culture. Writing that essay was hard for her.  Abandoned babies, starving children, bribery and persecution aren't abstract concepts but the stories of people she knows. More than most 15 year olds, she understands how useless complaining about life's injustices is. 

She has that in common with Daniel.  

Digging through Daniel

At the end of my kitchen table, an old friend sat with her 3 year old daughter.  It was breakfast time and the little one picked at her food.  Her mom turned to the next page in a  book of animal stories from the Bible, a hand-me-down from our years abroad.  After reading several stories, my friend pulled out a book of virtues and reminded her little girl of yesterday's misbehavior and today's practical ways to show God's character.  

Does three seem young to you for daily Bible study and application?  Does vacation seem like an odd time to be focused on helping a little one come to know God?  Or like me do you see here the pattern of a life of service and discipline being laid down?  

A Long Absence

We've been gone a while.

There are all kinds of good reasons.  Melissa is now a homeschooling mom of 3 children after years of public school-a transition that has required her full attention.  I was finishing up the manuscript on a book (insert school girl squee here), auditing a grad class with my husband, and enjoying an entire summer filed with guests.

However there is no good excuse for the fact that we left all of you, our dear readers, without so much as an explanation.

So please except our apologies for not at least letting you know where we were going!

Right now, Melissa is deeply embroiled in homeschooling with its new schedules, new demands, new problems and new joys. I, on the other hand, woke up the other day, looked around and realized things were back to normal.  My schedule was bumping along with only one problem: the hole where blogging used to be.

So I am back.  If all goes well I will be posting once a week beginning with a series of devotionals that you can share with your kids from the book of Daniel.

Again, please accept my apologies for our long absence from the blogging world and join us again as we dive into what it means to be a woman in God's service!