“These children are the seeds my days plant, the blooms of the next generations.”
~ Ann Voskamp ~
“Holy Experience”

Children ARE the next generation – the way we raise our children and the values we instill in them will become the way the next generation lives, and therefore will determine the actions of our country years to come from now.

That’s why things like the new Jesus Camp movie really concern me. Check out the trailer if you haven’t heard of it.

I really have to question if these children have a clue as to what they’re talking about. I know that when I was eight years old, I had no true intellectual sense as to what damnation was, and I certainly didn’t know what being a warrior for Christ was all about. I mean, these children are being trained to fight against certain social issues, yet they can’t possibly have a full understanding as to what those social issues are. They’re just regurgitating information fed to them by their parents. How can the next generation have any hope if we don’t allow them to think and make decisions for themselves? I just don’t see brainwashing as the answer.

Don’t get me wrong – I think that exposing your children to the Christian lifestyle and doctrine is extremely important. Send them to Sunday school, teach them the stories of the Bible, tell them all about Jesus and how much He loves them. These are vital acts that are important for spiritual growth in a child. But driving them to the point of a crying, convulsing shell of a child who claims he wants to take the nation back from Satan . . . I seriously doubt he knows what he’s saying. Wouldn’t you much rather give your child the tools to come to Christ on his or her own, allowing them to own their faith? I can’t help but wonder how many of these children will come to reject Christianity later in life because they were borderline abused with their parents’ religious zeal.

“It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.”
~ Erma Bombech ~

I can’t agree more! Dreams are something that you hold in a special place in your heart. In your dreams, anything is possible, and no one has told you that it’s impossible or stupid. By sharing your dream with someone else, you are opening yourself up for criticism and ridicule. It can be quite terrifying to share your dream, and it certainly takes a lot of courage.

I feel like in a lot of ways sharing your dreams can be like sharing your faith. You’re putting a personal part of yourself out there, and you’re not sure how it’s going to be received. If people laugh, you might lose credibility, and be labeled as crazy or unintelligent. It is so much easier to just hold things inside where they are safe.

But if you don’t share your dreams, how will they ever become your reality? How can you achieve what you truly want without making a visible and vocal stance for what is important to you? In this way, you can clearly see how this relates to sharing your faith. How can you share the joy in your life, and the Good Word of God without taking a chance.

It takes a lot of courage. Do you have what it takes?

(This is actually something I’m extremely commited to – the philosophy of the company that I am helping to form, MagicMouth Productions, is HEAVILY based on this exact concept!)

This week’s “In ‘Other’ Words” is hosted by Kari at The CWO Blog. Check there for others’ opinions on this quotation.

“No distinction was made between the sacred and the everyday . . . their life was all one piece. It was all sacred and all ordinary.”

~ Sue Bender ~
author of Plain and Simple

I’m not sure of the context of this quotation (I’ve never read Plain and Simple, so I don’t know who the “they” is), but I can think about this quotation in context as to what the way of life was in the past and how it has changed now.

In the past, as we all learned in our history and literature classes, life revolved around religion. People started and ended their days with prayer, they went to church every Sunday, and they aimed to live a godly life.

Today people paint quite a different picture. We live in a world that emphasizes email first and last in the day, football on Sundays, and living a life that is better than the Joneses. God’s there alright, but it seems as though He often gets pushed to the side. We are so busy that we often forget to stop and think about His Agenda.

Now, many people stop and say “Hey! I live without distinction between my life and faith! Don’t you see me praying in restaurants? Don’t you see that I not only go to church, but I’m on the committees that help run the church? You can’t tell me that I’m not living my life the way He wants me to live it!”

To that I reply – sure, I see those things. I see you publicly making gestures to affirm your faith. But through all that, without heart and commitment, aren’t you just trying to keep up with the Joneses as well? You may not be buying the newest car and biggest TV, but you’re trying to put up every façade that shows you are the “good Christian” you’re supposed to be.

It’s simply not that easy. There is no cut and dry way to determine who is integrating their faith into their everyday life. Only you and God can know what’s in your heart. In this regard, I’m not judging at all. I only challenge you to look within yourself and ask “Are my spiritual life and the life that I am actively living working in conjunction, or are they two separate facets of myself that I turn on and off depending on my situation?”

I’d like to note that I don’t wholeheartedly agree with the quotation either. While the Christian faith was significantly more prevalent in general society than it is today, I also think that a lot of people who disagreed with Christianity lied and went along with it simply because they didn’t want to face persecution. I am sad that that way of life existed, and am extremely sad that it still exists today (especially in foreign countries).

Please, share your thoughts! I’d love to hear your opinions!

This week’s “In ‘Other’ Words” is hosted by Ann Voskamp at Holy Experience. Check there for others’ opinions on this quotation.