School

I laugh when I look at this picture, not because it is unusual, but because it is so typical of Emily. There is rarely a dull moment when she's around. She is intense about everything. It's what drives me crazy and makes her so incredibly likable all at the same time.
She's been on my mind a lot recently, and God has been doing some really interesting things. I've known for a while that Emily has a prophetic gift. It's actually a bit disconcerting, because sometimes she says things that she has no capacity of understanding how significant they are to a particular situation, but they are very pertinent and important nonetheless. And she has a capacity to get to the crux of the matter and cut to the chase very quickly. Unfortunately, tact is something that she'll have to grow into. At first I thought perhaps this was only something passing, like the Lord was using her to speak to me for a specific period of time, but it has stuck, and there have been others who have seen this gift in her and pointed it out to me.
So rather than run scared of this gifting in her, I began to pray for her, that the Lord would increase her purity of heart, her integrity of character, and her gentleness, so that her gift of speaking into people's lives on behalf of the Lord would be well received, and that she would be able to bring great blessing rather than harm to others.
It has been very important to me to pray for my daughters, to seek the Lord as to how to raise them, and direct them, to prepare them for their calling, and to be a good steward of their giftedness. As the Lord has continued to confirm to me Grace's calling in dance, I kept asking Him for more direction for Emily. She loves art, should I get her more involved in that? I mean, Grace gets all this girly dance stuff, shouldn't Em have something fun too? So she and I are going to take an art class together and a hip hop class together for her PE credit. But I worried about it. Won't she feel left out, like she isn't getting to focus on something significant, somthing important to her? Will she be comparing herself to Grace and feel like there's something lacking? But He kept coming back to me with the same thing. "Teach her the Scriptures." So when Emily would come in early in the morning when I was trying to have my quiet time, instead of kicking her out, I would read Scripture with her and we would go through my prayer journal together until she got restless. I would pray for one thing and she would pray for the next. In her own way. When we were praying about Matt's promotion, she would say, "God, help Daddy to get to the next level at work." (WAY too much Wii.)
So all of this has been circling around in my head as I have been preparing the girls for Cyber School. The Lord told me this summer that I was to homeschool the girls. I really was not exactly super excited about it at first. The girls had a wonderful experience last year in public school, and I am just getting Sarah out of diapers and freedom is very enticing (I would have quiet time to write!!)...but not so fast He says.
I know that I am doing this partially because of the 7 weeks we'll be spending in Brazil. I also know that we are doing this so Grace can spend 6 hours a week in dance and still get to be with her family and not overwhelmed by the schedule. I know that the Lord is calling me to bond with my children in a special way during this time. And I know that it is very important that I disciple my children. All of these things are the reasons I KNOW He is asking me to do this. Perhaps there are more I do not see yet.
Today, He affirmed another reason. Em was sitting next to me in church because it was family Sunday and the kids were in with the grown ups. She had been coloring pretty pictures and writing I LOVE GOD all over them during the sermon. While we were waiting for everyone to receive Communion, she turns to me quite seriously and says, "Mom, when I grow up I want to be a Christian." (At this point I had to laugh because I have so deprogrammed my kids from church lingo I had to wonder if I had gone too far.) So I said, "Em, you don't have to be a grown up to be a Christian. A Christian is just someone who is a follower of Jesus. You already are a Christian." "Oh," she said, "Then when I grow up I want to be a teacher. Like that, (she was nodding at the Pastor), I want to teach the Bible." I turned to her very seriously and said, "Emily, I think it is very possible that is exactly what you will be when you grow up, and I will help you do it."
Then I turned away so she wouldn't see the tears.
And you know what else Emily doesn't have to deal with? The fear that it isn't OK because she's a girl. And I will use every opportunity I have to reassure her of her giftedness AND her calling. I am so privileged that I have been given the task at this point. as the Lord enables me, to teach her and prepare her.
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." Acts 2:16-18

This is what we'll start with tomorrow, on our first day of school:
"14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."
II Timothy 3:14-17

Shepherdess