In Case You Missed It - Homeschool Edition #4

Homeschooling in the Schafer home is going well with some bumps in the road. Kaylynn has been enjoying her science, math, art and critical thinking curriculums. She is still weak and resistant towards writing. She enjoys reading her library books as well as her children's bibles. She is capable of reading 5-10 sentences in the bible. My wife has some struggles though. Kaylynn has a lot of energy and my wife still have symptoms of tiredness from the result of her brain surgery last year. At times, it is hard for her to keep up with Kaylynn during the day.
Also, Kaylynn has times of being resistant to learning and throws a fit of which is hard for my wife to deal with during the day. We noticed that Kaylynn whines and complains a lot and we have to teach and discipline her in the right way. My wife and I have been discerning these behaviours more closely and we are trying to understand if her behaviour is the result of 5-year old girl with a sinful nature or her Asperger's Syndrome causing her to react and think in unbecoming ways. Either way, we continue to discipline and train her in a biblical way. After our first four months, we are thankful that we are homeschooling our daughter.
Over the last few weeks, I have been thinking that after my daughter gets regenerated, when will we seek to get her baptised since she is still a child? I have been reading about baptism, both adult (credobaptist) and infant baptism (paedobaptist). I have been thinking about why we dedicate our children and infants to the Lord and why Reformed folk baptize their children and infants. The book I am reading to help me understand this is 'Understanding Four Views On Baptism' edited by John Armstrong. I grew up only knowing the Baptist view (credobaptist). This book explores the Baptist view (credobaptist), but also Reformed view (paedobaptist), Lutheran view (paedobaptist) and Church of Christ view (credobaptist) and each author offers their own views and counterpoints to the other authors view.
During this last week, Dr. James White and Dr. R. Scott Clark has been discussing back and forth their positions that whether credobaptists can be 'Reformed' or not. This stems from Micah Burke's thoughts on how Dr. Clark committed a categorical error is discussing what is 'Reformed' or not. Here are all their posts so far:
Micah Burke

• A thought on R. Scott Clark's definition of "Reformed"
• Baptism and Communion... Circumcision and Passover

James White

• R. Scott Clark and "Reformed"
• Follow Up on R. Scott Clark and "Reformed"
• Reformed Redux

R. Scott Clark

• Who or What Gets To Define Reformed
• Post-Thanksgiving Cartoons: Reply to James White
• James White blog concerning statements by R. Scott Clark
• Baptism Debate Audio
• Online Resources for Infant Baptism

Earlier in the year, Mark Dever and R. Scott Clark has blogpost exchange on the issue of paedobaptism is a sin. Here are their articles:
Mark Dever

• "The Sin of Infant Baptism", written by a sinning Baptist

R. Scott Clark

• This Paedobaptist Agrees with Mark

In Case You Missed It #10 - Thanksgiving Edition

Happy Thanksgiving!

There are free turkey coloring pages at Free Kids Coloring Pages website.

Today, my family will visit my wife's step-brother's family for the Thanksgiving meal. Later today, we will come home and watch the Texas Aggies BTHO T.U. on ESPN.

Other than that, we will have a relaxing long weekend at home. Here are some articles and sermons that I have collected on Thanksgiving.

Articles

• How Did Paul Give Thanks? by Kevin DeYoung
• Being Thankful For Pain by Tullian Tchividjian
• True Gratitude by R. C. Sproul
• Four Thanksgiving Readings by John Piper
• God and Liberty: Reasons for Thanksgiving by Heritage Foundation
• Stuffed: A Thanksgiving Tradition by Jim Elliff
• They Did Not Honor Him as God, or Give Thanks by Albert Mohler
• Rekindling the Gratitude and What Makes Christians Most Thankful by John MacArthur

Sermons

• Thanksgiving Part 1 and Part 2 by R. C. Sproul
• What are your thoughts on celebrating God during the Thanksgiving holiday? by John MacArthur
• A Secular Holiday: Thankful for…What? by Albert Mohler
• Thanksgiving Sermons by Philip Ryken
• Thanksgiving Sermons by John Piper
• Monergism MP3 Library's Thanksgiving Archive
• Sermon Audio Thanksgiving Archive

In Case You Missed It #9

The Christian walk is difficult at times. There are times when our Enemy and enemies pursues us, times when we go through trials, tribulations and sufferings, times where we lose our bearings and we become directionless, aimless and in a rut. Also, there are times in our Christian walk, we go through wilderness times where we are buffeted. The Lord said in Hebrews 12:5-11 about disciplining us:

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

The Lord also said in Deuteronomy 8:2-6 about leading us into the wilderness:

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.

There are a few things I need to do:

• I need to be reminded that the Lord never leaves me or forsakes me during this time. Hebrews 13:5,6
• I need to find ways to have joy in the midst of these trials and to receive the joy of the Lord. James 1:2-4, Philippians 4:4,5, Nehemiah 8:10
• I need to pray and think rightly. Philippians 4:6-9, 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
• I need to find a friend to pray with me and encourage me. James 5:16, Romans 15:14 AMP

Here are some audio sermons that have helped me and some that I want to listen to:

Duane Sheriff

• Storms of Life
• Freedom From Fear, Worry, Anxiety, & Stress
• Fear Not
• Breaking Out Of Ruts
• Praise And Worship 1
• Praise And Worship 2

John Piper

• Fear & Anxiety
• Suffering
• Job: When the Righteous Suffer
• Suffering of Christ and the Sovereignty of God

John MacArthur

• The Fiery Trial, Part 1
• The Fiery Trial, Part 2
• Comfort for Troubled Hearts
• God's Purpose in Our Pain
• How God Uses Suffering, Part 1
• How God Uses Suffering, Part 2
• How to Face Trials Patiently
• Paul Identifies with Suffering Believers
• When Bad Things Happen to God's People
• Standing Firm in Unstable Times

In Case You Missed It - Homeschool Edition #3

Last week, my wife taught my daughter about the five senses as her unit study. We picked up a free video to watch from the TAMU's Educational Media Services. That went well and my daughter learned about her five senses. This week, my daughter changed her mind. My wife wanted to teach on dinosaurs as a unit study but my daughter refused and wanted to study on gemstones. So my wife relented and went to the public library and got some new library books on gemstones. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to read to my daughter and showed her the cool pictures from the books. I read to her about about what a Lapidary is and does with the gemstones.

In this and the following Homeschool Editions posts, I will be adopting the format that the Homeschool Carnivals use in the letting the viewers know what the post is about in a sentence or two with the hyperlink.

Israel Wayne and James McDonald return to Covenant Radio to discuss the topic of homeschooling as well as related issues.

Israel Wayne discusses the top ten homeschooling objections with the host of Covenant Radio.

Israel Wayne was our guest on Covenant Radio, discussing issues covered in his excellent book Homeschooling from a Biblical Worldview.

A discussion on issues and aspects of education and homeschooling with James McDonald on Covenant Radio.

Israel Wayne returns to the program to discuss his article 'A Christian Education Manifesto' as well as related issues.

Mary Shelby of Caffeinated Thoughts wrote an article on 'The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste' which is about history of our founding fathers saying a good education is built on Jesus Christ and the study of theology.

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representitives passed their version of the Health Care Bill. Shane Vander Hart of Caffeinated Thoughts wrote how much it will cost the taxpayers to pay for this bill.

Crosswalk.com/Homeschool has written several posts of interest: No, Really -- What About Socialization?, Help for Struggling, Reluctant Readers, Are You Homeschooling Intentionally?, and 10 Keys to Unlock a World of Learning.

Heart of the Matter Online website also has written several posts of interest: I Spy… Moving, Multiplication, and Messes, Step By Step, Piece by Piece on Lapbooks, and I Spy… 50 Unschooling Blogs, Simple Lesson Plans, and more.

The HSBA Post posted the '31 Days of Praying for Your Child'. Out of all the things we do for our children on a daily basis, prayer is the most powerful tool we have.

Minds in Bloom wrote an intersting article on 'Three Ways to Entertain Small Children While Waiting'.

Under the Golden Apple Tree showed a pictorial view of the doing their homeschool outside in Sometimes....

Lastly, the 201st Carnival of Homeschooling is up at The Informed Parent blog.

In Case You Missed It #8

It is the weekend again and we are relaxing this afternoon. We do not have any planned things to do outside of church this weekend. Hopefully, we will take an opportunity to take a walk at the local park and read some books together.  We will finish up watching Season 3 of Doctor Who. We have been getting the DVD videos for free from TAMU's Educational Media Services.  I have been a fan of Doctor Who since I was 7 or 8 years old. I started watching it when Tom Baker was the Doctor. It is one of the longest running sci-fi shows that spans over 40 years.

There has been new audio put out recently and undiscovered audio by me searching for it that you might want to hear:

James Montgomery Boice @ Aisquith Presbyterian Church

• Attributes of God
• Life of Jonah

Westminster Theological Seminary

• Bowing Before the Majesty of God - Part: 1 of 7 Derek Thomas
• Calvin's Perspective on Romans - Part: 2 of 7 Derek Thomas
• Calvin's Pastoral Theology of Job - Part: 3 of 7 Derek Thomas
• The Preacher as Prophet - Part: 4 of 7 Carl R. Trueman
• The Effect of Calvin's Preaching on the City of Geneva - Part: 5 of 7 William Edgar
• John Calvin the Shepherd - Part: 6 of 7 Timothy Z. Witmer
• Twittering Calvin? - Part: 7 of 7 Derek Thomas

Colin Adams

• Astounding Grace, series on Ruth 
• Monergism MP3 Library Sermon Archives

Arturo Azurdia

• Spirit Empowered Preaching Sermon Archives
• The Spurgeon Fellowship Sermon Archives
• Monergism MP3 Library Sermon Archives

9 Marks Ministries

• Inspiring Lives with Iain Murray
• Christian Rap with Shai Linne and Voice

The Albert Mohler Radio Program

• The Hypersocialized Generation
• Legislating Hate Crimes for Some People
• Homosexuality and the Manifesto of John Shelby Spong

Issues, Etc. Radio Program

• Ken Samples on "Conspiracy Theories"
• Mike Horton on "The Gospel-Driven Life"
• Gene Edward Veith on "Homeschooling"
• Ken Ham on "Dinosaurs"

Kim Riddlebarger

• The Drama of Redemption (Exodus, Leviticus)
• The Drama of Redemption (Numbers, Deuteronomy)
• The Drama of Redemption (Joshua)
• The Drama of Redemption (Judges)
• Mark
• Reformation Sundays

The Paul Edwards Radio Program

• Bryan Chapell
• Ligon Duncan
• Paul Washer
• Benny Hinn