Big hits this year: Gilgamesh the Hero Black Ships Before Troy The Wanderings of Odysseus Detectives in Togas D'Aulaire's Greek Myths The Aeneid for Boys and Girls Pankration Ds did not care for: The Golden Goblet Still to be read: Mystery of the Roman Ransom Aquila

So I won't need 50 pairs of socks? I better take those back to Target. :lol: That cracked me up because this is my mindset lately...like I need to go to Sam's Club and stock up on everything to take with us. Part of me thinks I should be spenidng my mental energy on something else....like loading up my Kindle....instead of wrestling with church membership. This is probably kind of sad, but it's like "membership" in churches has become sort of this status thing, ya know? Like there are "attenders" and then there are "members" and the members get to do all the cool stuff like teach Sunday school and lead bible studies. The attenders are just spectators. Maybe this is some kind of subconscious need I have to "belong". I don't know. But the more I think about it, the more membership at this church seems like a bad idea, at least for now.

These are excellent questions. I think it just feels a little, i don't know, unsettling to go overseas with no home church back here. Yeah, I guess the prayer and emotional support is part of it (not financial support, it is a salaried position). Perhaps we should forego the membership until we get back...if we come back. :D

:lol::lol::lol:

It was brought up in the membership class and he explained it that although he knows that some do not feel drinking is wrong, this church feels it is and if we become members we are agreeing to abide by the church's doctrine on this. He told us we are more than welcome to continue attending and not become members if we do not agree with this teaching. But if we are not members, we can never teach sunday school or a bible study or work in the nursery or in AWANA, etc. We can attend but no leadership positions.:glare:

a private tutor for latin and greek

Anyone participating? We are planning on giving it a try as a trial run since we don't plan to get cable once in Malaysia. I figure this will give us an idea of what it will be like. Wish me luck! :D

These responses have been very helpful. I've been berating myself over this...like what's the big deal? So I don't drink any more, so what? But it just feels....ummmm....wrong. My family and friends sometimes have a drink when we are out. Should I "frown" on that now? It just feels like if I am going to sign a covenant about it, then I should feel very strongly about it and I don't. Also, the pastor told us a story about his wife wanting to use beer on the lawn as fertilizer (apparently she read somewhere that this works) and he said NO. He told her never to buy beer for ANY reason EVER. Well, she did it anyways and it didn't work. The lawn was actually worse. He saw this as an example of what happens when a woman "falls into sin" by disobeying her husband and buying beer. :confused: Up until now I have agreed with pretty much every word out of his mouth in his sermons but that one threw me for a loop.

Can I ask the christian ladies of this board about their views on alcohol? Here is why: After much searching we finally found a church we love. The teaching is deep and meaningful, the people are warm and loving, the kids love it and best of all, God is honored. Even though we are moving to Malaysia for a while, we would consider this our "home" church and would attend when we are home on visits. So we took the 5 week membership class and we were ready to join until..... one line in the membership document states that we are vowing not to consume alcohol. For the record, I was raised in a no-alcohol home and denomination, dh was not. Neither of us drink very often (like maybe one glass of wine per month at a restaurant or special occasion).We do not keep alcohol in the house. But we also don't really consider consumption of alcohol to be a sin. This a membership covenant, something we take seriously. We are hesitant now to become members because of this one line. On the one hand I feel like "We hardly drink anyways, so no big deal, we just won't drink at all." It really would not affect us that much to not drink. But on the other hand, signing this covenant feels like more than that...like we should "denounce" drinking, see it as sinful behavior, be "against" drinking...and we just don't feel that strongly about it. So I guess my question is do you think consumption of alcohol is a sin and if so can you give me the BIBLICAL reference for your belief (I really need the biblical truth behind what you believe, not just personal feelings on it)? And if you do NOT think alcohol consumption is a sin can you also give me the BIBLICAL reference for your belief? I am more than willing to admit I might be wrong on this topic and would love to hear from those who may know more about it than I. Would something like this keep you from joining? I am so torn.....

Where are those rep points????? :iagree:

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Whiteboard for sure!!!!

:iagree: I also like "Creative Correction"

We give $5 per tooth. Yeah, I'm a sucker. :tongue_smilie:

This is exactly what we did and ds is now finishing up his first year of Henle I for 5th grade. It has worked great for us!

If the situation was Deny Christ or Die...I would die. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! (Phil. 1:21-22) I would also die for my children, loved ones, friends, etc. if they were in danger and the only way I could keep them safe was to give my life for them. What else would I do? Watch them die and do nothing?

I've never really understood the need to put CC but I do it because everyone else does. In my mind, if we need to put CC then putting "Secular" is appropriate...or "Jewish" or "Pagan" or...you get the idea. Why is it only CC that is necessary?

That is a GREAT story. I wish my father would have done the same. :glare:

How about Life of Fred Algebra?

Just another suggestion for math...Math U See has been awesome for us!

WOW! These are awesome suggestions! The longest my kids have been on a plane is 3 hours and the longest car trip was 10 hours so this will be an adventure. Now I am making a list of all these ideas for them. Me? I could fill 38 hours easily with nothing more than reading and sleep for myself. :D Now that we have a date it is all starting to seem real in a "Holy smokes, we have a lot to do!" sort of way. And we now have the "countdown" going on our dry erase board in the kitchen.

That is so awesome!

We leave on July 12!!!!!!!!!!!!! We fly from Detroit to Dallas to Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Malaysia in a grand total of 38 hours including layovers. :ack2: How on earth will I keep a 5yo busy for 38 hours?????? But other than that, I am so excited!! So the countdown is on.....

:D I know what you mean.

Piano is non-negotiable (and thankfully ds loves it, the younger ds will probably start this year). They each can choose an additional extra-curr. activity but it cannot be out of our budget range (I am not willing to go into debt for a hobby) and it cannot take over our lives (I will not spend every night of my life in a gym or hockey rink or whatever...everything in moderation). The boys know that our family time and our faith comes first so they cannot be in activities that would cause them to miss church on a regular basis or that would keep our family apart on a regular basis. As of right now, piano is one hour a week (practice is at home where the family can enjoy it). They both take karate (two hours per week). I can live with that. :D