Counter Cultural Mom

The Voice of Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:52:00 +0000

This summer we were blessed to be able to take our sons to the ocean. They had the opportunity to swim as well as snorkel, and to learn how to ride the surf.

I love the ocean. My husband does not. He doesn't like its unpredictable nature, with its strong waves and abundance of living creatures. But we both agree that our children should have the chance to decide for themselves how they feel about the ocean. They may end up loving it as much as I do, or they may join my husband's camp...but we feel strongly that they should make their own decision, based on their own experiences.

We want to expose them to a wide variety of foods, hobbies, cultures, reading material, arts and people so that they can begin to form opinions about who they are and what they like as individuals. They don't all like the theater, but we still take them. They don't all enjoy strange foods, but we still try them.

And they don't always appreciate learning about other cultures or sitting through concerts or trying new hobbies, but we do it anyway. Sometimes they are pleasantly surprised by something they did not think they would like. Other times, it is just as bad as they thought it would be.

But either way, we are trying not to let our own prejudices and predispositions get in the way as we guide our children through their own discoveries about life.

Nathan Clark George in concert

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:58:00 +0000

Hey, west Georgia residents! I'm excited to announce that Nathan Clark George will be performing in LaGrange on October 25th. Both concerts are free to the public. Nathan will have CDs for sale, and a freewill offering will be taken.

If you've listened to any of Nathan's music before, you know what a treat this is going to be! He is one of my all-time favorite Christian singers. Nathan was voted the Acoustic Artist of the Year twice in a row at Indie Heaven. He writes music based on the Scriptures as well as on life, and his soulful music is refreshing. I hope to see some of you there!

Here are the details:

1:45 p.m. at Covenant Presbyterian Church in LaGrange. Click here for the church website and click on the link provided to get directions.

and

7:00 p.m. on the LaGrange College Campus (601 Broad St.) at the Boopie (formerly known as The Pitt). The Boopie is is located on the bottom floor of the Student Center (also called Turner Hall), which is the building between Henry and Boatwright Dorms.

Visitors to the campus need to park in the commuter parking lots, which is located at the foot of the new clocktower connected to the LaGrange College bridge. To access the parking lot, turn left onto Forrest St. from Vernon St., then take your first left into the parking lot. Walk across the bridge and go up the stairs alongside the library; you should be facing the cafeteria. Turn left and the Mabry Gibson Student Center/Turner Hall will be down a flight of stairs. Once inside, go down to the bottom floor to the Boopie (formerly the Pitt).

Click here for a detailed LaGrange College Campus map.
Turner Hall is #15 on this map.

Directions to LaGrange from Atlanta or Montgomery:

Take Interstate 85 and use Exit 18*.

From Columbus:

Take Interstate 185 North to Interstate 85 South and use Exit 18*. From Exit 18 off I-85: Drive into town on Lafayette Parkway (Hwy 109 W). Follow Lafayette Parkway through 10 stoplights. At the 11th light, turn right on Park Avenue.

Desperate Women conference

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:58:00 +0000

I'm excited to announce we have been invited to speak at the Desperate Women Conference in Lawrenceville, Georgia, November 13-14th.

The event is open to the public and will kick-off with a concert Friday night with grammy nominated gospel singer Antonia Lawrence, break-out sessions with MMCW staff on Saturday, and a women’s expo throughout the weekend.

I hope that some of you who live in the greater Atlanta area will be able to join us. I'd love to meet you! Our hosts, Women on the Move women’s ministry, has special pricing at the Hampton Inn at Sugarloaf. The hotel offers free breakfast on Saturday morning—let’s all plan to meet for bagels and coffee!

For conference details, including topics and to register online, click here.

Worship and the Reformation

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:30:00 +0000

I just finished reading Douglas Bond's new historical fiction book.
The Betrayal: A Novel on John Calvin

I was so encouraged to read about the influence Calvin had on the reformation of music. Up until that time, you may recall, the Scriptures and the music of the church were both in Latin. So was the Sunday sermon. The common man had no access to any of it.

All of this changed with the Reformation. As the Word of God was translated into the language of the people, the Gospel began to spread like wildfire. For the first time in a long time, people heard the Bible preached in a language they could understand. The Reformers insisted that people must also be able to praise God in their mother-tongue.

Calvin believed that words set to music have an incredibly powerful influence on the human soul, whether for good or for evil. He encouraged the newly translated Psalms to be metrically versified, like a poem, and set to music for corporate worship. Other Reformers, such as Martin Luther, wrote scripture-based hymns, and composed music which could be sung congregationally by untrained lay-men.

This spirit of marrying scriptural, theologically rich words with accessible music lives on today through the new hymn writers. My devotional life has been deeply impacted in the past year through the music of Indelible Grace, a group of musicians who are setting old hymns to new music.

The words of a hymn are far more important than the music. Yet I believe, as Calvin did, that a well-crafted tune is a vehicle to drive those God-exalting words more deeply into my heart.

Some people approach the hymns as sacrosanct and untouchable. I disagree. Throughout history, the fathers of our faith have embraced music that was new in their day. Why shouldn't we do the same, if the words glorify God? If we truly believe the music is merely a vehicle for the words, we shouldn't be afraid of test-driving a new tune now and then.

In fact, I'm so excited about what Indelible Grace is doing that it has inspired me to begin writing my own tunes to accompany old hymn texts. We've been learning them in our family worship.

Last week, Kristen left me a comment that her family recently learned the hymn No, Not Despairingly. I found the words but not the music, so I wrote music for it myself today, and we'll be learning this one next week in our devotions.

Here are recordings of the tunes I wrote for No, Not Despairingly and Praise Him, Praise Him.

No, Not Despairingly
No, not despairingly
Come I to thee;
No, not distrustingly
Bend I the knee:
Sin hath gone over me,
Yet is this still my plea,
Jesus hath died.

Lord, I confess to thee
Sadly my sin;
All am tell I thee,
All I have been:
Purge thou my sin away,
Wash thou my soul this day;
Lord, make my clean.

Faithful and just art thou,
Forgiving all;
Loving and kind art thou
When poor ones call:
Lord, let the cleansing blood,
Blood of the Lamb of God,
Pass o'er my soul.

Then all is peace and light
This soul within;
Thus shall I walk with thee,
The loved Unseen;
Leaning on thee, my God,
Guided along the road,
Nothing between.

Praise Him! Praise Him!

Praise him! praise him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Sing, O earth, his wonderful love proclaim!
Hail him! hail him! highest archangels in glory;
Strength and honor give to his holy name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard his children,
In his arms he carries them all day long:

Praise him! praise him! tell of his excellent greatness,
Praise him! praise him! ever in joyful song!

Praise him! praise him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
For our sins he suffered and bled and died;
He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation,
Hail him! hail him! Jesus the crucified.
Sound his praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows,
Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong:

Praise him! praise him! tell of his excellent greatness,
Praise him! praise him! ever in joyful song!

Praise him! praise him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Heav'nly portals loud with hosannas ring!
Jesus, Saviour, reigneth for ever and ever;
Crown him! crown him! Prophet and Priest and King!
Christ is coming! Over the world victorious,
Power and glory unto the Lord belong.:

Praise him! praise him! tell of his excellent greatness,
Praise him! praise him! ever in joyful song!

Lord's Day Hymn: Jesus I Come

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:00:00 +0000

I wrote about the song Jesus I Come a year ago. So why am I writing about it again? I guess it's because this is where I live.

My sins are ever before me, and daily I am reminded of how far I fall short of God's glory. Yet daily he assures me of the hope I have in Christ!

The kids and I just memorized this hymn last week. Each week we pick a new hymn to focus on, talking about the words and what they mean and singing it every day during our morning devotions.

This hymn was different. It didn't fit with our usual format. Perhaps it's because I couldn't talk about the words without crying. On Monday morning as we began learning this hymn, I was convicted that I needed to confess my sins to the children. Through tears I asked forgiveness for being so crabby lately, so impatient, and so selfish.

My children were quick to forgive, as they always are. But that wasn't the end. Soon, some of them were crying, too, and everyone began confessing their sins to one another. They had been rude, disrespectful, unkind.

What a joy it was to repent together, to forgive and be forgiven, and to remind these precious children of the grace that is ours in Christ.

"You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2: 9

Click here to listen to this song.

Jesus I Come

Out of my bondage, sorrow and night
Jesus, I come; Jesus I come
Into Thy freedom, gladness and light
Jesus, I come to Thee
Out of my sickness into Thy health
Out of my wanting and into Thy wealth
Out of my sin and into Thyself
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of my shameful failure and loss
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross
Jesus, I come to Thee
Out of earth’s sorrows into Thy balm
Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm
Out of distress into jubilant psalm
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of unrest and arrogant pride
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come
Into Thy blessed will to abide
Jesus, I come to Thee
Out of myself to dwell in Thy love
Out of despair into raptures above
Upward forever on wings like a dove
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of the fear and dread of the tomb
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come
Into the joy and light of Thy home
Jesus, I come to Thee
Out of the depths of ruin untold
Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold
Ever Thy glorious face to behold
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Gifts of Love

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:00:00 +0000

My four year old gave me all these great gifts for Mother's Day this year.

I particularly like the Sheriff's badge. The marker-stained wadded up Kleenex is pretty cool, too.

I didn't need these things. The kids know I'm in charge, even when I don't wear my shiny new badge.

But I loved these gifts, because I love my son. Not the other way around. He couldn't buy my love with these trinkets. Their only worth lies in the relationship we have with one another.

I love to see him loving me, and his little gifts mean more to me than great riches from a stranger.

That's the way it is with the Lord. All the time, money and sacrifice we lay on His altar mean nothing to Him unless He is our Father. We cannot buy His love with Kleenexes and badges, nor with time served on committees or money given to the poor. The One Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills doesn't need those trinkets from us anyway. He is the One Who bought us, at the cost of His Son's precious life.

But He delights to receive our offerings when they are the overflow of a child's grateful heart. Let us not work to earn the Father's love, but instead let us serve a Father who first loved us, with thankful hearts.

"To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." Mark 12:33

A Service of Worship

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:16:00 +0000

I was blessed recently to attend a conference at which Michael Horton was the keynote speaker. His book In the Face of God has been one of the most influential books I've read.

I picked it up at a critical time in my life, and the Lord used it to change my direction. It was one of those times when "two roads diverged in a yellow wood" and I took the one less traveled by, the one that has made all the difference in my life.

At the time, we had recently left the mission field and returned to the States. We were looking for a church where the Word was faithfully preached, but I had another criterion, as well. I felt tired and dry and I wanted a church that would move me emotionally, one where I could "connect with God" during worship.

I wanted the worship service to minister to me.

The Lord used Mr. Horton's book to remind me that worship is meant to be the response of a grateful heart, not the means of stirring up that gratitude in the first place. As we listen to God's Word and reflect on all that He has done for us in Christ, how can we fail to be moved emotionally?

We should not need a particular tune or a certain pastor or a special musical number to cause our hearts to worship. Instead, we need to come to grips with the punishment our sins deserve and the grace God has lavished upon us in adopting us as sons.

I was reminded again today of all that I have to be grateful for. And the Lord did minister to me. But it wasn't through a carefully crafted "worship experience". Instead, He fed my soul with "the richest of fare" through His Word and through the bread and wine of communion. I, in turn, responded with worship, the overflow of a grateful heart.

The Discontentment Highway

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:52:00 +0000

Several years ago I was shocked when a close friend had an affair and left her husband. We had gone on mission trips together, prayed together for the sick, worshiped together. It was truly a relationship “as iron sharpens iron” for many years.

So I could not understand how she got from point A to point B....how does a committed Christian fall into such great sin? Then I realized she did not go from point A to point B.....it was more like point A to point X. She got to point X by way of a series of smaller sins. She had been driving on the Discontentment Highway, probably never realizing where it was leading her.

Sin deadens us when we give in to it, and one sin often leads to another sin, and so on until our conscience is seared so thoroughly that we can find ourselves doing things we would never have imagined ourselves capable of. In this case, anger over problems in the marriage led to a deep discontent. Discontent led to bitterness, and then to hardness of heart. A once-faithful Christian wife began to feel justified in her sin, and the rest is sad history.

We know that, as sinners, we will fail every day, and so will our husbands. If you refuse to forgive your husband, every day will you’ll find new things to blame him for. Don’t let that happen! Get off the Discontentment Highway, and choose to walk the Path of Forgiveness.

I share more about the relationship between discontentment, temptation, and sin in my new podcast by the same name. It is the first message in my series Temptation and the Married Woman. You will find lots of scripture to challenge and encourage you along with practical tips for dealing with temptation.

My summer project

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:01:00 +0000

I've been very silent this summer....because I've been working on a new website. Click here for the details.

Or click here to go straight to the new site!

Advice for a lasting marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:14:00 +0000

I was sorting through some old papers recently and came across a stack of brightly colored note cards. Dearly loved women from my past wrote these cards for me at my bridal shower. Some have recipes, others scraps of wisdom or helpful tips. The thoughtful advice from seasoned matriarchs and the practical counsel penned on that day are just as encouraging now as they were then.

In fact, the notes speak to me more today, after almost 18 years of marriage, as I now know for myself what it means to have a loving, fruitful marriage. I'm so grateful to the Lord for putting so many wonderful older women in my life as I entered into marriage. Their examples still bear fruit in my life today.

Here are some of the notes I received in June 1991:

* Remember to show and tell each other often how much you love, respect and appreciate each other. Give each other lots of compliments. Don't criticize each other. Try not to correct each other, especially in front of other people. Take control of your thoughts. As much as possible, replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. Be happy!

* Hold hands when you are having a "disagreement".

* Marriage is not 50-50. It is 100% of effort by each person.

* Try very hard to set aside time just for you and your husband, especially after you have children. Go on a date or do something special, at least once a month. You won't regret it!

* Never end the day with a grudge.

* "Never, never, never give up." --Winston Churchill

* Start out your marriage the way you want it to be. It is difficult to change after the pattern is set.

* First of all, keep your eyes upon the Savior who gave His life for all. Be sure to read His word every day and let it be a pattern for your lives. Don't ever let the sun go down until you've forgiven each other if you've had a bit of a quarrel. Tell each other "I love you" every day. We have a little thing between us that we squeeze each other three times, and that means the same thing. Have fun.

* Support each other as you encounter life's challenges; this will make you strong in each others' love.

* Put your arms around your husband and tell him that you love him (and count to 10 before you let go), as many times as you can, during the day.

* Take long walks together. Walking is the best time to talk.

* Remember to keep your friendship alive. Your husband is your best friend. Let the Lord be the Lord and the head of your home. I know this is your desire.

Some of these women have gone to be with the Lord now, after decades of faithful marriage. Others are getting older, but are still holding hands, hugging and taking walks with their husbands. As for me, I am grateful to God for 18 wonderful years with my beloved.

I'm planning to attend two July weddings this summer. The brides were both little girls when I said my vows. I offer them the same advice that was given to me: Laugh together. Walk and talk together. Forgive each other. Keep Christ as the head of your home. Read the Word. Pray together. Remember that you are each others' best friend, so always take time for each other. Give 100%, all of the time. And Never, never, never give up!

We have a winner....I think!

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:28:00 +0000

Mary Jo, you won the random drawing for the Nathan Clark George CD. Congratulations! But I don't have any way to contact you....you didn't leave me an email address or a Google user name. If you see this post, please contact me about your CD. Otherwise, I'll choose another winner from the original entrants.

Music Give-away! Win a Nathan Clark George CD

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:44:00 +0000

In honor of the Ultimate Homeschool Expo I am doing two give-aways this week! Over on Counter-cultural School I'm giving away one free ticket to the Ultimate Homeschool Expo. Read all about it and enter to win here.

Here on Counter-cultural Mom blog I'm thrilled to be giving away the last of my Nathan Clark George CDs. I've already given out one of his CDs, as well as the DVD documentary and Live Concert, which has excellent music and details the life Nathan and his family live, homeschooling their large family on the road in an RV.

Nathan was named Acoustic Artist of the Year recently, and the CD I am giving away, Pull Up a Chair, won the Momentum Award Album of the Year at Indie Heaven.

If you didn't read my review when I did my last Nathan Clark George give-away on Counter-cultural School, you can read the full review here. Nathan is one of my favorite artists, and I'm pleased to be giving away this wonderful CD.

You can order the DVD, CD, or listen to samples of the music from Pull up a Chair here. Or click on the playlist to hear some of Nathan's music.

Leave a comment here to be entered to win this CD. If you put a link with the contest URL on your blog, on your Facebook page or if you tweet about it on Twitter, you'll get extra chances to win (four opportunities per person if you do everything!) Just leave me an individual comment for each entry, please, along with the URL to your blog post or letting me know about your FB post or Tweet.

Contest ends Thursday night at 9 pm EST. Winner will be announced on Friday.

The Ultimate Homeschool Expo

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:21:00 +0000

Last year, one session from The Ultimate Homeschool Expo changed our homeschool forever. I listened to Terri Johnson from Knowledge Quest Maps share about how they use historical feasts in their homeschool. As I listened, I decided then and there to incorporate historical feasts in our coming school year.

What a joy it was! We made so many fun memories, from our Egyptian Feast to our Passover Feast, and all the feasts in between. Turns out we did 10 feasts last year!

Just as important, this message was very freeing for me. I've always felt bad that I'm not a crafty homeschooler and that I couldn't get excited about hands-on activities. The idea of holding feasts changed my perspective on how I homeschool....why not work from my strengths more often instead of always fighting against my weaknesses? That change in attitude has given me a lot of joy this year, and it has spilled over into my approach to hands on tasks, as well. Turns out, I can enjoy hands-on after all, if we make Cookie Dough maps instead of Salt Dough, or do Decoupage instead of weaving.

I'm giving away a ticket to this year's Ultimate Homeschool Expo over on my Counter-cultural School blog. Click here to read more about the Expo and to enter for a chance to win!

The Worst Day of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Tue, 26 May 2009 04:32:00 +0000

I found this old post tonight in my unprinted drafts....I decided to publish it as a "better late than never" kind of thing...

Today was the day I have been dreading....the worst day of the year. It was not what you'd think.

No annual physical, no spring cleaning in the children's rooms, no fillings at the dentist would get me down like this.

I know I am pathetic. The day I dread, above all other days, is our homeschool group's annual Valentine's Day Skating Party.

Memories of past skating parties floated through my thoughts as I lay in bed this morning, steeling myself for the day, and ticking off the reasons in my mind why I dread this day.

First, it must be known that none of my kids can skate. The skating party, for me, is a whirlwind of lacing up skates and taking off skates. By the time I have put skates on three kids, one has decided to remove their skates. Five minutes later, skating jealousy sets in and the child in question wants to put their skates on again.

Then there is the tug of war. I walk around the rink with my arms stretched out (one child holding my left hand and a chain of two kids attached to my right) while experienced skaters whizz by on either side. We take four or five steps before someone falls and I must find a way to support the two children on my right hand while dragging the one on my left side back to his feet. Then the two on the right hand trip over one another and we start the tug of war again. Inevitably, our littlest has to go to the bathroom when we are at the furthest opposite corner of the rink. I ask myself, "Will we ever make it in time?".

Every year I have looked enviously toward the mothers at the snack bar. They laugh and talk about curriculum over Diet Coke and cupcakes while I try to adjust the baby skates so that the wheels only roll forward.

I knew my attitude was bad, and I determined to adjust it. Why am I always so frustrated and annoyed at the skating party? The answer is just as pathetic as my attitude. It's because I want to sit and drink Coke and talk with my friends while my kids take care of their own needs.

On no other day of the year do I expect this. My days are full of caring for their needs, and I am glad to serve them. So why should this day be any different? I decided in advance that I would not even dream of sitting down to chat, or of doing anything other than putting on skates, playing tug of war, and taking off skates.

As it turns out, everyone had a wonderful time, including me. Changing my expectations changed everything! When I expected to enjoy myself, I felt put out by my tedious duties. But when I expected to serve, I was able to enjoy serving, and able to appreciate the stolen snatches of conversation, the chance to sit down for a few minutes and the joy of being with my children.

Ultimate Homeschool Expo: Tune in on Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:19:00 +0000

It's that time again! The Ultimate Homeschool Expo is about to launch. If you aren't familiar with this, it is awesome! You can buy a ticket to this virtual conference and listen to dozens of audio recordings with leaders in the homeschool community, shop at the virtual vendor hall, get some goodies in your mommy grab bag and enjoy fellowship with other homeschoolers in the conference room....all from the comfort of your own home! You don't even have to get out of your pajamas if you don't want to.

I'll be speaking twice this year, and you can tune in live for free to my preview talks--or to any of the other preview talks. Or, you can grab a ticket and get access to everything the UHSE has to offer.

I've prepared two new talks for this expo. Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 19th) I'll be speaking at 1 p.m. CST on the topic Temptation and the Married Woman.

Then next Tuesday, May 26th, I'll be speaking at 10 a.m. CST on Choosing the Best Books: Building Your Home Library. I'd love to have you join me!

You can log in online to listen from your computer, or you can phone in to listen to the messages. We'll be recording on blog talk radio.

Here are the details:
Call-in (Call in on your phone, cell-phone, or SKYPE):
(347) 205-9175

Or log in on your computer.

Redefining Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Sat, 16 May 2009 03:33:00 +0000

A vocal minority is seeking to redefine marriage in the United States. As Christians, we believe that marriage is meant to be between one man and one woman....but do we know why? Let our thinking be informed by Ephesians 5:31-32, which says, "’For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.”

Our culture is confused about the purpose of marriage, and this gives rise to the current controversy. Marriage’s primary purpose is not for our edification, sanctification or pleasure. Nor is procreation the ultimate goal. These are, of course, vital parts of a biblical marriage. But Paul tells us here that marriage is even more than this. It is no less than a representation of the relationship between Christ and His church, and a witness to the beauty of the Gospel.

Marriage must reflect the union of Christ and his church accurately. Polygamy indicates that Christ can have more than one bride. Adultery communicates that Christ is not faithful. Divorce insinuates that Christ’s covenant with His bride can be broken. Premarital sex suggests that Christ can be intimate with His bride without making any kind of lasting commitment to her. And homosexuality implies that there can be two brides, or two husbands. Every perversion of marriage is an affront to God, as it presents false testimony about Christ.

Christ laid down his life to redeem his bride, and they have become one flesh. He loves, leads, and purifies her, and she submits to Him willingly.

The world is watching. We need to be repenting every day of the sin within our own marriages, which veils this glorious Gospel. The church needs to stand for the sanctity of a creation ordinance which is about more than mere freedom of choice or personal preference.

John the Baptist was killed for defending biblical marriage. Are we willing to take a stand?

For a more in-depth presentation on this crucial topic, I highly recommend Jordan Lawrence’s podcast The Battle for Biblical Marriage, which can be downloaded at Behemoth.com from the album Witherspoon School of Law and Public Policy 2008.

Are Feminism and Christianity Compatible?

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:30:00 +0000

Feminism has undergone a radical shift since its inception. During the Suffragist movement, feminists primarily wanted women to have equal rights under the law. Women were concerned with getting the right to vote and to own property. They wanted to be protected under the law from abusive husbands. Their goals were largely practical and protective in nature.

The 1960s and 1970s saw a new incarnation of the feminist movement. Those decades are often referred to as the time of “women’s liberation”. Women continued to press for removal of the glass ceiling in the workplace, but their demands took on an increasingly sexual nature. Sexual freedom and promiscuity were said to empower women. Women’s Liberation became tied to reproductive rights, and access to birth control and the right to an abortion were key issues.

Radical feminism gained momentum during the turbulent ‘60s and ‘70s, and it has taken some of their earlier goals to the logical extreme. Today’s feminism is virtually unrecognizable when compared to the Suffragist movement. “Third wave” feminists are pushing the boundaries on abortion rights, the nuclear family and the definition of gender.

Are feminism and Christianity compatible? It depends on what you mean by “feminism”. Today's brand of feminism is an unbiblical worldview. A Christian woman should not put her own rights above those of the unborn. She should be a lamp on a stand as she reflects biblical womanhood.

The radical feminist sits on the throne of her own life. The Christian woman knows that Jesus is the One who rightly belongs there.

“What do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14

What Planned Parenthood Doesn't Want You to Know

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:21:00 +0000

Most American Christians know that Planned Parenthood pours a great deal of money into lobbying for the removal of legislation on abortion. They proudly admit that they offer birth control to minors without parental knowledge. Planned Parenthood wants the American public to believe that they are a community service organization, helping poor and oppressed women and children. If you go to their website you’ll see a building that resembles your local public library.

Planned Parenthood doesn’t want you to know about their shameful past. Founded in 1916 by eugenicist Margaret Sanger, Planned Parenthood originally existed under the name The American Birth Control League. It is well-documented that Sanger’s goal was to create a “race of thoroughbreds.” She wrote about her goal to eliminate what she called “reckless breeders” by placing contraception in the hands of society’s “undesirables” in her book Pivot of Civilization. To Sanger, these meant the poor, the feeble minded, the deaf, immigrants and African-Americans.

Her publication Birth Control Review often carried articles written by Nazi officials, and the link between her goals and the Nazi extermination of “undesirables” is obvious. The ABCL changed their name to Planned Parenthood after World War II in order to distance themselves from this association. A rose is a rose by any other name...and so is a blight.

Planned Parenthood continues in its racist traditions today by placing 78% of their clinics in black or Hispanic neighborhoods. Statistics show that an African-American baby is three times more likely to be aborted than a Caucasian one. In the past 35 years, abortion has claimed more than two-and-a-half times as many black lives as the next 5 leading causes of death. Thanks to a recent Executive Order, our country (through our tax dollars) will soon begin funding abortion in a host of other countries, primarily in the Third World. Planned Parenthood is pleased, as I’m sure their founder would have been.

For more information on the link between abortion, eugenics and race, read John Piper's When is Abortion Racism?

Or Abortion and Race at Abort 73, or watch this video about Margaret Sanger.

"More children from the fit, less from the unfit -- that is the chief aim of birth control." (Birth Control Review, May 1919, p. 12).

Do Feminists Want Equality?

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:17:00 +0000

While I do not agree with all the principles of the 19th century feminists, they did have some noble goals. The right to own property—rather than to be property—is a right that I am grateful for. We were created male and female, in God's image, and we have equal value.

Like any human institution, the Feminist Movement was prone to weakness. Whenever people become consumed with their rights they can easily go astray. Somewhere along the line, the Feminist Movement lost its way, as the focus changed from getting equal rights for women to gaining superiority over men. The feminist attitude began to resemble a song from Annie Get Your Gun: “Anything you can do, I can do better! I can do anything better than you!”

I spent several years living in post-communist Eastern Europe, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall. I was able to see firsthand the “utopia” that gives women complete equality with men. It isn’t as pretty as the picture the radical feminist media paints on the nightly news. I saw women with shovels digging ditches alongside men. I saw visibly pregnant women standing on crowded subways while healthy young men refused to give up their seat. I saw a culture that, in the name of equality, gave no deference to women in the workplace or in society.

American feminists are aware that this is the result when a patriarchal society legislates feminism. And they want no part of it. Equality isn’t their endgame, after all. Superiority is what they are striving for. They want to have all the rights that men have without the incumbent responsibilities. They want to pick and choose which equalities they want and which responsibilities they don’t. A popular feminist slogan says “Women who seek equality with men lack ambition."

Give-away on Counter cultural School

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Sat, 09 May 2009 03:52:00 +0000

This week I have a contest on my Counter-cultural School blog. I'm giving away the DVD Top Ten Questions about Genesis and Creation. This video lecture is presented by Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis. For details on how to enter, click here. The contest ends May 13th.

Wake Up Call

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Fri, 08 May 2009 02:11:00 +0000

Warning: Not for children, adult subject matter

Recently I rented an excellent movie from Netflix. The First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women borrows its title from a tract written by 16th century reformer John Knox in protest of the reign of queens. Mary I was in power at that time and she was persecuting Protestants. The title was borrowed for the DVD to blast today's "monstrous regiment of women", the liberal feminists.

There is much I could comment on from this video, and perhaps I'll find the time to do so soon. Not everyone will agree with all parts of the video, but it is full of important information about the feminist agenda. One part of the video has haunted me, and that is what I want to write about today.

There is a brief segment in this video in which an abortion is seen being performed onscreen. Thankfully, a 5 second warning was given before the footage was shown. Personally, I could not bring myself to watch it. I did not want to watch it. I'm not even sure if I feel it was appropriate that they showed it.

I skipped the DVD forward to the next scene, and then rewound for about 3 seconds so as not to miss the beginning of the scene. And it is that 3 seconds of film that has haunted me. Having performed the abortion, the doctor is shown wrapping the baby casually in a white piece of paper, as a butcher might do with a steak.

How can I explain what my heart felt during those few seconds? I can only explain it as a dawning horror: there, on the table, was a baby. A baby!!!

I know what abortion is. I believe life starts at conception, and therefore every abortion takes the life of a baby. But the baby in the video looked just like one of my newborn babies might have looked. Fully formed. Perfect. Real.

I wanted to jump into the television and grab that baby and hold it. I wanted to shout, "Stop! Don't do it! Give the baby to me!" What I saw on that screen was not a statistic. It was not a disembodied soul. It was a little person, whose life was taken away mercilessly.

The feminists use sterile words like "pro-choice" and "fetus". They don't want to call this what it is: the Holocaust of our time. Since 1973, there have been over 49 million surgical abortions performed in this country.

This is equal to the population of the following states:

What are we going to do about this?

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

What I've been up to

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Wed, 06 May 2009 23:35:00 +0000

Last weekend I attended a homeschool conference. It was fun to catch up with old friends and to meet a few new ones!

I heard one phrase again and again when talking with old friends. People kept saying, "I don't know how you do it all!" This post is for them.

I've said it before and I say it again: none of us can do it all! This week I am working on some writing projects. Mentoring Moments articles and two new podcasts are keeping me in front of the computer during most of my free time. I'm also starting to plan for our next school year and doing a bit of summer school with the boys.

Guess what I'm not doing?

Here's a clue:

Wait, let's pan out a bit further.

Yes, this is my poor husband...sleeping beside that giant mound of laundry.

I took those photos last night, right before going to bed. Earlier in the day I had put all that laundry on the bed so that I would remember to fold it before going to sleep. It didn't work. I just pushed everything onto the floor when I tumbled into bed at 2 a.m.

I did manage to get to it today. Here is what my bed looked like at 11 a.m. this morning, after I folded and put away all that laundry.

Too bad it didn't last....by the time lunch was over, we were back to this.

None of us can "do it all". Let's quit pretending we are, and give ourselves some grace, ladies!

Nathan Clark George contest

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Wed, 06 May 2009 23:30:00 +0000

This is a small sampling of one of my favorite artists, Nathan Clark George. I posted a review of his newest CD, Pull up a Chair, on the Mentoring Moments blog. We'll be giving away a copy of this excellent CD next Monday. To find out what you need to do to win, read my post here. Later this month I plan to give away another copy of the Pull up a Chair CD and a DVD by the same name...right here on Counter-cultural Mom. So stay tuned!

Lord's Day Hymn: Jesus, what a Friend for sinners

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Sun, 03 May 2009 18:13:00 +0000

One of my family's favorite hymns is Jesus, what a Friend for sinners. This song often brings tears of gratitude to my eyes, as I think about how good the Lord has been to me, a sinner.

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." 1 John 3:16

Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and often failing,
He, my Strength, my victory wins.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16

Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!
While the billows over me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul.

"For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." 2 Corinthians 1:5

Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night overtakes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry.

"When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior," Isaiah 43:2

Jesus! I do now receive Him,
More than all in Him I find.
He has granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1: 7-8

Listen to this song here.

How do we choose a church? Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Molly Evert) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:06:00 +0000

A few years ago I discovered a secret that has had more impact on my spiritual life than anything else I have ever done.

Care to know what it is? It is not Quiet Times. It is not praise and worship. It is not fasting, or even prayer. These are all very important in the Christian life, but none of them has brought about the same measure of spiritual growth that I have seen in my life since I began regularly and consciously listening to the preached Word.

I am blessed to sit under an excellent pastor every week, who gives us real meat to chew on from the Bible through his expository preaching. Our church worships twice on Sundays, morning and evening, so I often have opportunity to hear two excellent sermons each week. During the past few years, I have intentionally begun listening to sermons on tape during the week...sometimes they are sermons that I missed on Sunday due to a sick child, and other times they are teaching tapes that I purchased from Vision Forum or Ligonier Ministries.

This seems so simple, yet many are neglecting it. Too many Christians choose their church home because of children's programming or worship style, and they are not growing as they should. When choosing a church we must always prioritize the preaching of the Word first.

Are you hearing the Truth, week in and week out? Christians should not join themselves with churches which malign the truth, either doctrinally or in practice.

Are you being fed meat, or are you still getting milk every week? The teaching should be accessible to the youngest child, that even he can be encouraged and challenged, yet it should also feed the most mature saint in the congregation. It takes an able, gifted pastor, called by God, to meet those stringent requirements. Are you attending a church like that?

John Calvin wrote about preaching in his commentary on Ephesians. He said, "Those who neglect this means and yet hope to become perfect in Christ are mad. Such are the fanatics, who invent secret revelations of the Spirit for themselves, and the proud, who think that for them the private reading of the Scripture is enough, and that they have no need of the common ministry of the church."

God has ordained that His church will be brought to maturity as His living and active Word is faithfully preached. We read in Ephesians 4 that this is the reason God gave us pastors and teachers! His purpose in doing so was to equip His people to serve, to unify them in their faith, and to build them up in knowledge about Christ, so that they would reach Christian maturity.

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4: 11-13

For more on this topic, please read my posts How do we Choose a Church Parts One and Two.