Kerry Beck's Blog

How much of your prep time is spent following the Lord?

As I read this morning, I am struck by the idea of “preparation”.  Here are 3 examples of preparation in the Bible.

Jotham prepares his way before the Lord.
So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.  2 Chronicles 27:6

Uzziah (Jotham’s dad) seeks God through the prophet Zechariah.
He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. 2 Chronicles 26:5

John the Baptist prepares the way of the Lord.
Behold I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.  The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His path straight.  Mark 1:2-3

Each of these men are making preparations for the future.  John the Baptist is preparing for the Lord to arrive here on earth.  He is preparing Jesus’ way before He arrives.  What a awesome responsibility.

Jotham & Uzziah are preparing for their daily life.  They are seeking God by preparing their ways before the Lord.  Preparation is key to being successful.

As a new school year begins, are you prepared in the Lord?
Have you spent time praying about your homeschool, what & how you will teach?
Are you preparing each day by spending time with the Lord?

Each day I spend time with the Lord, reading His Word & praying for His guidance.  This is a simple way to prepare myself for whatever God has in store.  Although it sounds simple, I know it may not be that simple to do.  When my kids were babies, the earlier I got up to spend time with God, the earlier they arose in their beds.  I tried so hard to be quiet, but they still knew I was up so they started crying in their cribs.  Ever had that problem?

Even when life throws you curve balls, I encourage you to keep at it.  Keep spending a little time with God, preparing for your day.  Two years ago a good friend of mine, Carolyn Gentry, shared  a solution to this problem of kids disturbing your time with God.

Leave your Bible open on your kitchen counter.  As you walk by or work in the kitchen (which we all do), read the next verse and meditate on it.  Daily preparation doesn’t mean spending hours in your closet.  It means spending time with God, even if it’s snatches of time here & there.  Meditating on how God is leading you that day.  As your children get older, you can share with them what you are learning from God’s Word.

As I write this article, I am convicted myself.  I hope this encourages you to prepare yourself in the Lord.  Take time daily with the Lord.  If your daily time isn’t very quiet, then trade babysitting time with a friend each month.  This will allow you a prolonged quiet time to sit before the Lord and prepare your ways for Him.

Remember:
Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.

You’ve just gotten that call from an unexpected friend or family member that they will be over in 20 minutes…and your house is a mess! You go pick everything up and throw it in a random drawer or cabinet. After your company leaves, you start to look for the TV remote or cell phone or book that you’re reading and you have no clue where you put it. Does this happen to you? Here’s a simple solution: Keep one of those over-the-door shoe holders inside the entry closet or utility room. Stick everything in there when you need to clean up in a hurry. Then you will know exactly where you left your stuff after your company leaves.

Don’t miss these homeschooling programs — Jim Weiss on Storytelling and Jon Sullivan on

You can join the fun & listen to our free, Christian homeschool videos by registering here:
Homeschool Super Heroes — http://budurl.com/dr6w

Great Homeschooling Resources — Mary Jo Tate on Homeschooling as a Single Parent and Janice Campbell on Teaching Teens!

You can join the fun & listen to our free, Christian homeschool videos by registering here:
Homeschool Super Heroes — http://budurl.com/dr6w

Great Homeschooling Program — Chelle Barnaby on Reading!

You can join the fun & listen to our free, Christian homeschool videos by registering here:
Homeschool Super Heroes — http://budurl.com/dr6w

Can’t miss Homeschooling Resources — Andrew Pudewa on Reaching the Reluctant Writer and Lee Binz on Teaching Teens Successfully!

You can join the fun & listen to our free, Christian homeschool videos by registering here:
Homeschool Super Heroes — http://budurl.com/dr6w

Meet today’s Homeschool Super Heroes

You can join the fun & listen to our free, Christian homeschool videos by registering here:
Homeschool Super Heroes

I was intrigued when I found this common quote, set in the middle of a chapter judging Ephraim & Jerusalem.

Whom will he teach knowledge?
And whom will he make to understand the message?
Those just weaned from milk?
Those just drawn from the breasts?
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.
Isaiah 28:9-10

Ephraim & Jerusalem were not following God. They were not obeying His commands.  They were living life the way they wanted to.

But God reprimands them and points them toward His Word.  Isn’t that the picture of what we should be doing.  Regardless of whose life it is that isn’t following God, we should point them to His Word – line upon line!

Maybe you are the one struggling to follow & obey God.  Are you living life the way you want to or the way God wants you to live?

Are you respecting your husband?  (Ephesians 5:33)

Are you following His lead, allowing your husband to make the final decision on matters?  (Ephesians 5:23)

Are you a gossip or a busybody?  (I Thessalonians 4:11)

These are just a few areas wives struggle and God’s Word has something to say about these everyday matters.  Are you obeying God’s Word, precept upon precept; line upon line; here a little, there a little?

Maybe you have a child who is not following & obeying God.  Are you pointing them to God’s Word to help them change their behavior?  While my kids were still at home, we used a book called, For Instructions in Righteousness.  I bought it the first year we homeschooled and used it ever since.  When my children were too young to read, I would choose passages for the sin they were committing.  We would read them together, discuss the appropriate action and pray for God to change them.

When my kids were older and committing a sin, I told them to look up 3-5 verses about that sin and write down what they discover.  Then, we would discuss their actions, in light of Scripture.  We would then pray and ask the Holy Spirit to change their behavior.  Now, that I have grown kids who no longer live in our home, I still want to direct them to Scripture.  But, they must take hold of those verses and allow the Holy Spirit to change their action.

God’s Word is living & powerful…a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart.  (Hebrews 4:12) His Word changes lives, line upon line; precept upon precept; here a little, there a little.

I would love to hear feedback, comments, thoughts, ideas about this.

Here are a few Back To School ideas for you!

- put a sweet little note in your child’s lunch box…you can even send a joke or drawing

- make a bracelet or necklace for your child to wear on their 1st day of school

- make your backpack look cool by decorating it with a beaded key chain, home-made pompoms, or a name tag

- make your child’s day by hiding a small treat, such as a sticker or small toy, in their pocket

- decorate your child’s lunch bag or box

- make a special breakfast, dinner, or after-school snack

- take a photo on their first day of school and have it printed or framed for when your child gets home

- take measurements of your child’s height and weight and record it in a special place, on the 1st day of school

- decorate your child’s bike or scooter (if they ride one to school) with flags or streamers

- donate an extra set of school supplies to a local agency that helps families in need

- ask your child what they want to be when they grow up and preserve their answer by recording it with a video camera or voice recorder

It happens to everyone… Scratches on furniture are just a way of life, even if you take good care of them. But here’s a simple way to fix them: Place a tea bag (use black tea, not herbal or green tea) in a mug and spoon a few tablespoons of hot water onto the bag. Let it steep for 2 to 3 minutes. The longer the tea steeps, the darker it will be, so gauge accordingly. Dab the tea onto the scratches with a cotton swab then quickly wipe away the excess with a paper towel to prevent the wood around the scratches from being stained. IF the wood is a medium-dark color, you may need to apply the tea more than once.