What does it mean to be created in the image of God?
What does that look like and how does that distinguish us from animals?
This topic is huge, so my goals for Sunday School are twofold.
- To make sure we all get that we did not come from apes or bananas, or primordial goo or star dust. Humans are not animals. There is a very special and specific difference that goes way beyond standing upright or having a fifth digit.
- Christians should have the goal of reflecting this image of God with more clarity each day.
I have recruited the sunflower to help me with this. As I searched for paintings of sunflowers I realized that they come in a wide variety of realism. Some are a good image of sunflowers and some not so much.
It is the same with humanity. It is even the same with Christians. Some people shine a somewhat good reflection of God's love, and truth, and compassion, and righteousness. Others of us can really struggle in certain areas of His character. Since Genesis chapter 3 and the entrance of sin, none of us have a perfect reflection. or carry a perfect image anymore, but we can grow more like Him as the Holy Spirit helps us.
So, if you were trying to explain what a sunflower looked like to someone who had not seen one before, which image would you use?
What about this one?
It's a photo.
Still not perfect. How tall is it. What does it feel like. Does it have a fragrance? What do the seeds taste like?
Let's go a step further. If you are trying to explain who God is and why we should choose to serve
Him and trust Him and become a Christian, would you choose to use yourself as a good
image bearer? What about the church?
What if I had brought a real living sunflower to Sunday School or took the class out to a field full of sunflowers?
That of course is what Jesus was. The real thing. The exact representation of God.
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation Colossians 1:15
May God's church and each of us individually point the way to God just because we reflect His nature.
How many lives were changed today?
We saw her car
Upside down
Firemen all around
Cutting the metal away
How many lives were changed today?
The man behind the wheel
Chose to speed
Now indeed
His life altered forever
How many lives were changed today?
The flood waters rise
Once thought secure
Nothing for sure
As life's possessions go under
How many lives were changed today?
A diagnosis made
Once unaware
Now laid bare
Life never to be the same.
How many lives were changed today?
Mother and daughter - an hour in prayer
Declaring, seeking
Asking, beseeching
For lives to be changed today.
What does it mean to be an educated person?
What does it mean to be a successful person?
These are two questions I asked when I spoke about Homeschooling a Child with Special Needs at the recent Ontario Homeschool Conference.
Over the years I have reflected on these and other questions in my home educating journey. When there are special needs in the mix we are forced to ask questions we may not bother to ask regarding our "typical" kids.
I found that our society, culture and even homeschool circles, have given an answer that is quite defined. Here it is.
An educated person can:
- communicate verbally well
- communicate in writing well
- problem solve
- think critically
- talk to a wide variety of people about a wide variety of topics (i.e. well read)
- has gone to university
A successful person:
- has a great job that pays a good wage
- promotional possibilities
- financial independence
- owns their own house, cars, goes on vacations
- good marriage
- has some kids
Well, if we have kids with major special needs, much of this will not occur. So, what do we do with that? Say our kids can't be educated and can't be successful?
No! Instead we need to look for God's perspective rather than man's perspective in answer to what it means to be educated and what it means to be successful! We need to ask God how do I educate my child so one day You will look at them and say "Well done, My good and faithful servant!"
This then becomes our new goal for homeschooling.
And, it actually needs to become our goal for ALL of our kids; not just the ones with special needs!
We can get outside the box of what our culture has said about education and success and truly educate accoridng to who each of our kids are in God's Kingdom.
How freeing! What possibility!
Last Sunday my youngest came home from her Bible Quizzing Tournament weekend with a sore throat and heavy chest. She's been fighting hard to overcome this thing, but succumbed today to a full blown cold. Unfortunately, she also had her Grade 5 RCM theory exam this morning!
So, what does a homeschool look like on a sick day other than going out and writing the RCM exam?
I suppose like any other day in homeschooling, it is not ever typical.
Today, because she didn't eat much of anything before the exam, she and Dad went out to brunch after the exam.
Once home, my goal was to assess just how yucky she felt and discern what my expectations should be for the day. This is how the day unfolded...
- A bit of down time for reading was in order.
- Math assignment
- Science reading
- More reading down time
- Young Writers Workshop Community time - she has chosen to be part of both a history community and a song writing community.
- Some clarinet practice - hard with a cold so only 20 minutes expected.
- chores
- more downtime
- a nice leisurely dinner with chatting
I appreciate homeschooling for a variety of reasons, but one of the strongest benefits is truly matching expectations to the child - having the freedom of flexibility whether it is a snow day, sunshine day, exam day, "regular" day or a sick day.
A friend recommended a book to me the other day. It is called "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain (2012).
It was extremely interesting to take the 20 question quiz at the front of the book and see some of the surprising criteria used to identify an introvert.
For example:
- wanting to dive into something without interruption
- preferring to express oneself in writing
- not wanting to show ones work until its all done
- best work is done on our own
There are some very interesting sounding chapter titles such as "When collaboration kills creativity", "The myth of Charismatic Leadership," and "When should you act more extroverted than you really are?"
I will enjoy the read and likely do it with my youngest daughter so we can discuss what we are learning.I'll report back what we find...
Remember that game I mentioned in a past blog called Telestrations? We played it again a couple nights ago when we were all back together after our very dispersed and long weekend.
It is so much fun to laugh.
"Filing cabinet" became "dresser and computer desk," became "purse, fork and toaster," became "archeology site," became "lacrosse!"
It was certainly a well needed laugh as we finished off our Thursday to Sunday weekend of everyone being here, there and everywhere. I find my brain does not like to be scattered and have to carry such a variety of thoughts and plans and ideas and logistics for many days. Nevertheless, we have arrived at the other end of that weekend, and we are all in process of returning to sanity and routine.
The highlights for me were definitely the one-on-one moments. Shakespeare's in Hamilton with my husband and Fraser the server who had a great sense of humour.
Meeting upstairs at the OCHEC Conference in the quiet sitting area chatting with a friend.
One-on-one sharing with a parent after speaking at a session.
Stopping in at Queen's University enjoying a quiet stroll around campus and the lakeshore in a rare hiatus from the rain, and sitting listening to some very beautiful music at my daughter's end of year Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy concert. I am still humming Peter and the Wolf.
And of course, playing Telestrations
I tend to whistle a lot. You know, whistle while you work!
Today, someone asked me, "Do you think you can whistle if you are not happy, or is it just something you can do if you are happy?"
I thought for a moment, and realized it really was a question that I had been reflecting on in a subtly different way a few days ago.
A few days ago, someone who had a rough day was chatting with me. I felt they needed to worship, but I made the clarification - "Turn off the worship music in your car." Don't let someone else worship for you. Don't let the worship come from the outside.
Force yourself to make it come from the inside.
Start to sing. Start to declare God's Names. Maybe count your blessings. Whatever it looks like, it needs to come from you, not passively listening to someone else.
We've gotten to be a culture that craves entertainment. Turn the TV on, the youtubes Pinetrest, and videos, the radio, and CD's. Even the pastor and worship band at church can end up doing our work for us. How many congregants really contemplate the lyrics to the songs we sing. How many meditate and ponder the concepts and Scriptures like the Bereans of Acts chapter 17?
No one that has ever prepared a lecture, a Sunday School class, or a sermon can say that any listener learns as much as they did in the process of preparation. It is the same with worship. There is a depth of worship incomparable to the one who wrote the song, and brings it forth from the inside out.
Disclaimer
Just in case you think I am saying we don't need pastors and worship leaders and teachers... that is not at all my point. I merely reflect that through research, studying Scriptures, and forcing ourselves to think, we gain more than sitting hearing about what others have accomplished from their work.
By forcing ourselves to engage our hearts and minds and initiate worship and gratitude, we are changed from the inside.
So, my answer to the lady today who asked the question about whistling?
Yes,
you can whistle when you are down. It takes a conscious effort to start
it, but then let it flow. You will be changed from the inside out.
