Se7en Ways to Be Salt and Light as a Homeschooling Family

Today I have the privilege of sharing a guest post from the author of se7en: the life and times of a homeschooling mom of se7en + 1. Mrs Hood writes an encouraging and inspiring homeschooling blog that I especially enjoy because of its South African angle. On a previous homeschooling guest post I received a comment asking about being salt and light as a homeschooling family. Every family will have a different answer to this, and I wanted to get others' perspectives. What a blessing it is to receive some insights from the Hood family that may help us as we form our own family goals and practices. I hope you are blessed as well!

I was asked to write a guest post on "How to be Salt and Light as a Homeschool Family" and I just need to step back and consider where the whole salt and light idea comes from. In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus tells us that we are salt and light in the world:
Matthew 5:13-16 (New International Version)
13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.



Now, not everyone is called to stand up and announce the Gospel to perfect strangers. Not everyone is comfortable with passing out Bible tracts - and that is okay because God made all sorts of people with all sorts of strengths and weaknesses. I do think that whatever your calling as a Christian family you should stand out in a crowd as a living witness.There are many ways for us to be salt and light in a non-Christian world and I am all for living our life, failings and all, for everyone to see!!!

I began by thinking about Se7en Ways that we meet and interact with people on a daily, or weekly basis. And it turns out that these are the opportunities for us to be salt and light in the world:

1. Haven: We like to be a haven for Christian friends and missionaries visiting Cape Town. A place where they can come, talk about their ministry, walk on the beach and have a feast and a rest away from the demands of their work. My kids all write to missionaries around the world and hopefully these missionaries are encouraged by the fact that they are being prayed for regularly - even if their prayer partner is really short!!!

2. Home from home: We like to open our home to students in our church and at a local college. They may not have grown up in a Christian home but want to see a living working Christian family. Just a place where they can come and hang out and mess around with my kids - often they have left their families and siblings far, far away and they just need some company and a meal that looks like something they would have eaten at home!!!

3. Helpful: In a country that is full of a wide variety and a lot of really poor people right on our doorstep, we have been blessed with plenty. I am big on decluttering, and those things that we don't need anymore we donate... books, toys, clothes whatever. My kids have always had clothes to wear and they have always had toys to play with, the amazing thing is that the more stuff we give away the more stuff we have to give away!!!

4. Humble: My kids bump into a wide variety of people on our day to day erranding... the post office guy, the laundry lady, the guy at the gas station. I don't expect them to talk about God with everyone they interact with but I do expect them to be polite, respectful and friendly.

5. Honorable: When my kids play with each other and interact at home or when they are out I expect them to behave in an honorable way. I am not quite crazy, my kids are regular kids, who behave like regular kids, but they know what I expect from them!!!

6. Hidden: Memorizing Bible verses and finding fun ways to teach our kids the Bible is a way to hide the word of God in our hearts. It is important that we all have the Bible written on our hearts

7. Habit: We make a big deal about keeping the Sabbath Holy. Church is a priority for our family and we may or may not visit friends... but generally our Sundays are Church, rest, and a bit more church for the older kids in the evening. Often times we have been asked why don't we have a break and take a Sunday off or why don't we attend birthday parties on a Sunday morning. We have been able to share quite often that for us attending Church is a privilege and certainly not something we need a break from.
And the Se7en + 1th Thing:
8. Hopeful: That our life and times will indeed reflect the saltiness of God's Word, and that our family will be a light shining in a dark world.

Getting back to the point of this post: Often we have been asked how do we as a homeschool family intend to be salt and light in the world, surely our kids could be making more of a difference if they were in school. I think our list speaks for itself, by teaching our children our ways and living according with what we believe in we can make a difference. I have a feeling when folk ask this question that they have this idea that homeschool children are "stuck at home" and not out in the world interacting. It all boils down to that same old question of "Will your home schooled child be socialized?" and in this instance: "Will they be socialized enough to make a difference?" I may be a bit biased, but as a homeschool mum I think my kids get ample opportunity to live their lives and meet new people and interact with new folk and friends. In fact, homeschool affords us the time necessary to open our home and be hospitable, time which we just wouldn't necessarily have if our kids were in school.

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Turning the tide against euthanasia

I recently watched Turning the Tide, a documentary about euthanasia.

I appreciated the interviews with people who were disabled, suffering from chronic pain, or caring for vulnerable people. The documentary presented the classic arguments against euthanasia, including the idea that we need to help people to feel they have dignity and worth. After watching this, I felt that we need to do more for those who are living in aged care facilities. Many of these people feel they do not have worth because they do not enjoy caring relationships.

Occasionally, not often enough, I go to visit my step grandmother in a home for elderly and disabled people about 20 minutes from where we live. She seems to enjoy a good life there despite her pain. She has lots of friends, a lovely room, and caring staff. On my last two trips I've also taken the time to visit a man from our church who suffers from MS.

Here Elnathan is pictured with his step great-grandma. Babies are a wonderful asset when visiting an aged care hostel! Maybe we can contribute a small amount toward valuing those members of our society who are vulnerable. The best argument against euthanasia is suffering people who are loved, content, and cared for in their pain.

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Those who are rich

Do you ever think of yourself as rich? If you are like most Australians, I doubt it. We have grown to think of the rich as those who have million dollar houses, boats, and a couple of European cars sitting in the driveway.

The Bible encourages us to think differently. My McArthur Study Bible defines "rich" as those who have more than they need to live upon. If you are reading this on a computer right now, chances are that you are rich according to this definition. What do we need in order to live? Basic food, a few pieces of clothing, and shelter. So 1 Timothy 6:17 - 19 applies to us:

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.

In the second week of our recent trip to South Africa, I felt an immense conflict in myself about how rich I was and how little I did in this world. I was so obviously rich in a place where many are obviously poor, and it seemed like the only people I ever talked with were equally rich . . . what did this mean for who I was and my place in the world?

Then God comforted me. He reminded me that God had given me these "things" that make me rich. He had given us the money to not only own a car but also hire one, to not only own a home in Tasmania but also hire lovely places to stay in South Africa. Yes, this was luxury. Yes, God had given it. Given it to enjoy, not to feel guilty about.

I don't understand why there is so much inequality in this world. The Bible says that God decides who will be rich and poor (see 1 Samuel 2). I don't understand why he doesn't even things out more! However, it is not my job to question God. It is my job to be grateful and obey. That means being ready and willing to give, and actively pursuing a lifestyle of good works. This is basic to my place in the world as one of those who are rich.

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Girltalk hospitality series

Girltalk is running a great series at the moment on hospitality. I've found this encouraging, and I hope you will as well!

Also check out Deb's post thoughts on a rainy day for a quote that points out the connection between hospitality and truly loving people.

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House keeping for the glory of God

I have recently realised how easy it is to place keeping house above loving people. I am not implying that having a clean house and loving those who live in it are necessarily in conflict! However, I have some serious physical limitations due to a back injury and sometimes I just don't have the strength to do all I want in my home. Recently I've found it easy to resent the mess that people inevitably create. When I do this I'm forgetting that my home and everything in it are to serve people. Nothing in my home matters eternally except the people who walk through its doors. If welcoming and loving people means that at times my house is not even the slightest bit neat, that should be OK. Often, I want my house to be neat and clean because I like it that way. My motive is self, not the glory of God or the good of other people. In the context of this, I've appreciated revisiting Lindsay's blog post Serving vs. Enjoying Our Families. As Christian wives, mothers and homemakers our most important work is to create and maintain loving, joyful and vibrant relationships with our families and our God, and from that place to reach out into our churches and communities. When we do prioritise these things, and use our homes to serve and enjoy people, our  house keeping can glorify God.

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The love of the stranger

Conservative politics can have many failings. One of these is a tendency to turn racism and fear in the community to its own advantage. This is evident in the resurgence of conservative political parties in Europe. It has also been a feature of Australia's policy toward asylum seekers for many years now. Australia makes every effort to deter asylum seekers (this photo shows police boarding an illegal vessel and arresting its occupants).

As I was completing my read the Bible in 90 days plan, one of the themes I looked for was that of how we are to treat strangers. It was clear that God places a high priority on loving strangers, just as he does upon loving widows and orphans. Strangers often appear to be people who are "foreigners" and in need. Locking such "illegal immigrants" up in detention centers, as Australia does, does not appear to be consistent with the priority God places upon loving strangers. What do you think?

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Don't Waste Your Life

Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper is a heartfelt call to live out the Christian life with passion. John Piper does not advocate a “good” life, or an “ok” life, but a life devoted to enjoying God and making others happy in Him.

Don't Wate Your Life is full of the biblical themes that should define our lives: the Creation Mandate, the Great Commandment, and the Great Commission. Piper shows the way that all are essential to the furtherance of God’s Kingdom. He achieves a refreshing and essential integration of them in his call for devotion to Jesus Christ.

An entire chapter is devoted to “secular” work and its worth in the Kingdom of God. This chapter provides fresh perspective on what it means to be creative human beings who aim to exalt and enjoy God through daily work. I am going to dip back into this in order to apply it better to my approach to work at home.

John Piper draws all things into the centre of loving and enjoying God. He calls for us to love the cross, the gospel, and the beauty of God Himself. Piper shows the way love for God leads to love for others. This is expressed beautifully in part of a long prayer that makes up the final chapter:

“There is a quiet kind of joy, O Lord, that Jesus did both save us from our sin and show us how to love. His life, as you have said, was both a purchase and a path. He died for us, and now calls us to die with him. He took our poverty upon himself that we, in him, might have the riches of his heaven, and he calls us now to use our riches for the poor.”

This path of love that Jesus showed us leads us directly into the midst of the Great Commission. If we love people, we will want them and to be happy in Christ. If we love God, we will want every life and culture and nation in this world to glorify Him. Piper devotes much space to a call to take risks for the sake of the gospel, and to explaining the worth of frontier mission.

So often we can spend our lives on the “ok” things. The things we may be free to do, but which God has never said should be priorities in our lives. Piper critiques many of these things, including our culture’s entertainment obsession. In recent months, I’ve been reconsidering many of the things I do. Even “good” things can keep us from opportunities to obey Christ and show that we treasure the same things he does.

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Looking for Christ's work in people

I've shared a couple of times that I often struggle to love other Christians. This year has been really hard, in multiple relationships and a variety of situations. I've been confronted with my own sin as seldom before. This sin may be invisible to most people, even those I'm sinning against, but I know what happens in my heart. The sinful emotions that steal my joy in Christ have become familiar enemies. All too often I have failed to heed these verses:

Phillipians 2: 3 " . . . in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself."

Proverbs 11: 12 "He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor".

At some point, I relalised this had to end. But how? How could I stop thinking these things? I have not yet had total victory, but one thing has been a great help. This is to take the time to look for signs of grace in other Christians, as recommended in C.J. Mahaney's book Humility: true Greatness. I took the time to write these down and look for as many as possible. This is a practice I recommend.




I did not restrict my writing to people who I was struggling to love, but also included some whom I find it easy to admire and enjoy. The idea is based on this verse:

1 Corinthians 1:4 "I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus"

The idea is to look for signs of this grace at work. We know it is there, but sometimes we fail to acknowledge its evidence! One way to observe it is to look for the fruits of the spirit and the way people are using their gifts to serve. I did this with my Mum, who is a great blessing to me (and is not one of the people I particularly struggle to love!). I'll share the points here to give you an idea of what you could do:

Love for God, the Bible, and her family. Enduring love that forgets wrongs. Forgiving love. Humble love. Hopeful love.

Joy in her salvation, answered prayer, and godly fellowship.

Patience with her husband, her children, projects she undertakes, and her with people at school.

Goodness in visiting Aunty Val, filling her mind with good things and avoiding evil, and helping Janelle.

Gentleness toward all.

Self-control in keeping house, gardening, rising early, keeping her emotions in check, holding her tongue, and preparing for teaching.

Long-suffering in the face of her health struggles.

Kindness in speech, offers of help, prayers and gifts.

As I have gone through this process with a number of Christians, it has always been abundantly clear that God is at work in their lives! This has given me a renewed and healthier perspective on those people I struggle to love.

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From White Australia to Woomera

Have you ever wondered about the composition of Australian society in comparison to that of other countries?

Do you think we are one of the most multicultural societies on earth?

Have you felt unduly swayed by newspaper reports, and wanted to understand immigration more deeply?

Do you fear a "Muslim invasion"? Or perhaps an Asian invasion, or some other variation?


If so, this book may be for you. A rational, detailed and often dry 220 pages of analysis from an expert in the field, it will leave you with more information and (hopefully) fewer prejudices. Thanks to the White Australia policy, that existed until the 1970s, Australia became one of the most British societies outside the UK. This continues even to the present day, with 3/4 of the population speaking only English and describing themselves as Christian. James Jupp provides analysis of White Australia, the movement to multiculturalism, the policies of various governments, the need for immigration, and much more.

Amongst the most helpful aspects of this book are the author's definitions of racism and xenophobia. James Jupp writes "By 'racist', I mean a fairly complex position which argues that clearly identifiable races not only exist but are hierarchically graded." Racism is an ideology that views all members of a race as superior or inferior to members of another race. "By 'xenophobic', I mean a simpler psychological reaction to people who originate in a different homeland and who are believed to be physically or culturally different." Jupp argues that this is an almost universal reaction, but must be controlled in a civilised society. Xenophobia can include fear of another religion or language.

This is a secular book, but it has aroused all kinds of religious questions in me. What does responsible dominion, as taught in the Creation Mandate, mean for a country's immigration policy? What is a loving response to refugees? Should Christians advocate that all people "fit into" society and adopt Australian values? Should we support the evaluation of people primarily on the basis of their potential economic contribution to society? How can we, who know that fear and worry are expressions of lack of trust in God, fear Muslim people coming to Australia? Should we not rather view their prescence as an opportunity? I don't have the answers to these and many other questions. However, they need to be asked if Christians are to develop a loving and biblically based response to immigration.

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Loving the church you are leaving

This month Dave and I moved churches. Last Sunday we were fare welled at our former congregation, Crossroads, and said a few words. We were grateful for this opportunity to tell many people we know and love that we will no longer be attending this congregation. Instead, we will be regularly attending a morning service just five minutes from our home, and also hope to become involved in a small group there.

I have known for a while that we would almost certainly be leaving, but our decision came as a surprise to many who spoke to us after the service. In many ways this is a good thing. It means we had not been going around complaining to everyone! It is also probably a result of our efforts to remain involved and serving until the end of our time there. In fact, Dave preached in late July! We told the elders beforehand that we would be leaving, but they still wanted him to preach.

As we have gone through this process of moving, I have thought a lot about what it means to be loving in leaving a church. I regret the few times when I have shared the details behind our decision. Why? This could give others fuel for discontentment or gossip, and it adds nothing to either their lives or ours. I'm happy for us to state that we feel we'll be more passionate about the vision at our new church, but saying any more may be unhelpful.

Instead, it may be better to simply say what I did at Crossroads on Sunday: "I am thankful for the love and care many people in this church have shown to me over many years. I am also grateful for the teaching I have received. My theology has improved a great deal, and I'm sure this will bring lifelong benefits". This also is true, and it is a truth I'd rather share.

What about you? What are your experiences in moving churches? How do you think we can be loving in the process of leaving?

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Caring for orphans

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:27.

When we were in South Africa, Dave and I were blessed to be able to visit iZulu Orphan Projects. We spent over an hour there, and learnt a lot. We have become increasingly convicted that God wants us to care for orphans, especially since there are so many in Dave's country of origin.

Here are some of the reasons why we were impressed this project, and feel confident that it is worth supporting . . .

• Chadd and Kate Bain live amongst the people they are working with. Chadd lived there as a child as well, and speaks fluent Zulu. They have given up their whole lives to serve needy local people. Chadd's testimony of the way God turned him from trying to get away from South Africa to England and convicted him of his responsibilities to the poor is wonderful!
  
• The initiatives they have come up with include plans to help the people become more self-sufficient, rather than dependent on them.
• The project is very well organised, with a number and information written down for each of the 550 orphans who live within a few kilometres of them.
• Most importantly, this is not just a charity. Kate and Chadd are actively spreading the gospel. They are members of the Gideons and distribute Bibles in Zulu. They also encourage everyone to come to a church service on their property once a month.

My only concern with iZulu Orphan Projects is that Chadd and Kate Bain may be taking on too much! They have the support of a local church, but may need more practical assistance. This is a 24/7 work, with people contacting them at all hours. We're praying they'll get enough rest and support!

I have spent most of my life so far ignoring my responsibility to care for orphans. If you are like me, why not consider supporting this project? I was shocked to hear just how many orphans there are, and the needs they have. In some cases, one young woman is caring for all her dead siblings children. In other cases, a HIV positive grandma may be caring for many children - some of whom may also be sick with HIV.

While I believe that we can question how much attention Christians should pay to relative poverty, which is calculated on the basis of how people compare to others rather than whether or not their basic needs are met, there are some things the Bible makes clear. If we want to live out pure religion, we must care about orphans and widows.

The link to iZulu Orphan Projects is not working for some reason! You can type in the address and it will work: www.izuluorphanprojects.co.za/

Here are a couple more links, which may work!

A charity site gives an overview and contact details for iZulu Orphan Projects.
You can also read the iZulu Orphan Projects blog.

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The Bible and relative poverty

Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be heard.

Proverbs 21:13

God expects us to heed poverty. The big question is, does that include relative poverty. Should Australians be paying just as much attention, and directing just as much concern, toward the inequities at home as they do to the absolute poverty (lack of basic needs) abroad? Should they care just as much about large numbers of Australians who live in "relative poverty" as they do about the needs of the fewer who are homeless on our streets?

I believe the Bible gives some answers . . .

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 1 Timothy 6: 7 - 8.

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2: 15 - 17.

Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need. Ephesians 4:28.

It seems that even from these few passages we can come to a few conclusions:

1. God cares about basic human needs.

2. God commands that Christians fulfill these needs through work and through giving.

3. Beyond basic human needs, we are to be content.

Of course, which needs are should be defined as basic could be an item of contention. It is easy to argue that they go beyond food and clothing. Anyone who has run inside from a gale here in Tasmania can vouch that housing should also make the list! I also think that human beings have social and psychological needs that the Bible also commands us to care about, which are separate from material poverty.

Based on what I understand of Biblical teaching, I think it could even be dangerous and confusing to label inequity poverty. Christians are free to seek to relieve inequity - but I don't think they are mandated to do so, or that this is what the Bible speaks of when it issues warnings against ignoring poverty.

What do you think?

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The poor in Australia

Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be heard.

Proverbs 21:13

This chilling warning was one of many verses I wrote out to take with me to South Africa. I wanted to have a collection of truths from God's word handy that would apply to the situations we would be in during our time there. This verse had spoken to me some weeks before as I was thinking about our choice not to live in South Africa right now: in making this choice, we must not ignore the poor there.

As I've mentioned this to some people, they've asked the obvious question "aren't there poor people in Australia?". My short answer would be "nothing like in South Africa", the longer one that there were segments of poverty. I am not unaware of what some indigenous communities in Australia look like, and I am not unaware that some people do live on the streets.

Since returning to Australia, I've been reminded that many of my fellow citizens are deeply concerned about poverty here. This has caused me to ask myself a few of questions. Am I missing something? Am I ignoring real and present poverty? Am I shutting my ears to the cry of the poor?

As I've thought this through, I've realised that many Australians are deeply concerned about relative poverty. This is the phenomenon of some people living on low incomes, and not having the same advantages as others. Many Australians are passionate about the principle of equality.

The Parliamentary Library describes the difference between absolute and relative poverty in this way:

"It should be noted that estimates of poverty are generally estimates of relative poverty. They estimate how many families have low incomes relative to other families. The alternative, absolute poverty, would be measured by estimating the numbers of families who cannot provide the basic necessities such as housing, food or clothing."

What is your opinion of relative poverty? Do you believe it is something that should concern us as Christians?

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God and people

It dawned on me last week that I do have a blogging plan :). Holidays have a way of pushing these things out of my brain. So this week I'll attempt to return to the plan. It is week three of the month, so this week I'll be focusing on loving people. I've decided to split loving God and loving people into two separate categories, as the "Great Commandment" topic category is getting very fat!

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