Happy Friday! I hope your week was a good one. This was a very unproductive week on almost every front for me. Partially the weather, partially fatigue from things going on, and partially I think a low point in the ongoing drama of the world. However, that doesn’t mean it was an uneventful week. Unproductive, yes. Uneventful, no.
Last Sunday David and I were officially welcomed as members of our church after being voted in the week before. This is a Baptist church so Caroline is not old enough or qualified (baptism) to be a member. It’s kind of weird when you think about it because when we joined a couple of Christian Reformed congregations in the past, we were all members – including Caroline. She’s been dedicated as an infant in a Baptist church and sprinkled as a toddler in a CRC church. That’s all a very long story, but it does seem odd to me – even as a Baptist – that she could be a member of the Church at one point and not at another point.
I fully realize that it is all predicated on your beliefs about baptism, covenant, etc. and we’ve wandered down those paths for so many years. I had a few posts about that experience we went through that are no longer live. I should dig them out and repost them since it is a struggle I know many families go through. In the end, this is where we believe God has settled us and so now we are there.
The church where we are now members is boringly normal and I say that in the very best sense in every way. It is a relief to be there for an hour or so each week and truly escape the world (as much as we can given the state we live in where we are still locked down and harassed). The pastor preaches the Word of God focusing on the Gospel and how to follow Jesus according to the Word. The people are regular people who live their lives. Most of the congregation is from a few small towns and the surrounding rural area. It’s just so very normal in the nice flyover country kind of way.
Of course it isn’t perfect. No church is. It’s facing challenges of its own. But it is so not wrapped up in the insanity of the world. It’s quiet, Bible-driven, Jesus-focused, and normal. I don’t know how else to describe it. Normal sounds so boring, but in a world where people are crying out for normality, it just is.
The other big thing that happened over the past week since I last wrote is that I completely closed my printables store on Teachers Pay Teachers after writing I Closed My Teachers Pay Teachers Store Due To Their Anti-Racist Agenda and publishing a guest post called Teachers Pay Teachers and Equity Funding. I’m not going to rehash publicly what happened after I shared my post in a particular forum. Suffice it to say that I was roundly attacked and realized there was no point in sticking around. I was now clearly persona non grata from that point forward after speaking against the orthodoxy and acceptable narrative. So I have shaken the dust from my sandals and moved on.
The life-changing event that did not happen, thank God, involved my brother. He was rear-ended by a drunk driver, but thankfully walked away with his life. Very thankful he was spared and that his children were not in the back seat.
Other than that, my life this week was homeschooling Caroline and getting some work done here and there. As I said, it wasn’t very productive but it was eventful in terms of significant life events. I’m ready for some boring normality on all fronts moving forward.
What happened in your home this week? ♥
Artist: “Alice in Wonderland” by George Dunlop Leslie
Eventide Blessing – To God Be The Glory
In George MacDonald’s book Lilith, there was a scene where the protagonist traveled through a metaphysical forest, on a highly allegorical world, where human spirits were fighting furious, repeated, and ineffective battles over their beliefs; his journey led him elsewhere, where he eventually made spiritual progress and was able to do something toward actually making that world a better place.
It’s good that you are stepping away from wasting time and energy on people that will not be convinced by any argument.
I finally got some wall anchors to secure the tops of our tall bookshelves, and then was able to unpack many of the books in our “library” room.
It feels a lot louder in there now with all the book titles calling out to be read, though!
The baby is beginning to walk, talk, and climb.
Hi Peggy,
“It’s good that you are stepping away from wasting time and energy on people that will not be convinced by any argument.”
This is one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn in life.
I completely relate to the book thing. I love seeing rows of books around me, but then feel sad when I can’t sit down and read them all right that minute. LOL!
Sallie
I’m busy trying to get everything done to head off to visit my best friend, so this week has been all about prepping and doing stuff so I can leave town for a week and not do anything.
Well that and making a baby quilt for the new baby. So I’m going to spend tomorrow at the sewing machine frantically quilting the whole thing.