Sons of Georgia Film Project

  As you know, we had the privilege of working on the Sons of Georgia Film project this summer. I thought I would pass along to you (some of whom are waiting for it to come out:) some prayer requests pertaining to the film. Coveting your prayers! I would also add that the Littmanns would do well in presenting the film project at the SAIFF in February. Thank you!

1.    The composers will be able to complete the music in February and that it would be dynamic, beautiful and moving. 2.    Complete filming and editing of the Behind the Scene interviews. 3.    The recording of the theme song by Jordan Jackson and the McCardie brothers would sound awesome.   4.    The tweaking of the final edit would be aesthetically done. 5.    The artwork for the DVD label and case insert would look professional. 6.    The duplication would go well. 7.   For the Lord’s blessings on the premiere showing. 8.    The Lord will provide a way for all the cast and crew to make it for the premiere. 9.    The Lord would be glorified in the film! We whole heartily thank each one of you for your contributions to the SOG project!!! Warmly, The Littmann Family

A Recommended Website.....

http://www.e6-4.com/
 Check it out and tell us what you think! Happy Home Discipling today!

Happy Birthday Owen!!!

Happy Birthday to our wonderful grandboy Owen! Youre such a blessing to your Noni and Papa!!! We love you!

Family Economics conference!!!

Family Economics Conference. . . Only 52 Days to Go.
Want more info? Go to;  http://www.familyeconomics2012.com/

Acting on Principle....

 There are so many intelligent Americans~far more so than the secular news would give credit for. It seems that the current political climate is drawing the voice of many of these people forward. I stand amazed sometimes when I read the 'comment' section on a news post. These are not necessarily 'Christian' people either. So how much more so ,should God fearing, Christian people act on principle?
  By 'acting on principle' I mean ; Making decisions based on what is right and not on circumstance or what is convenient. My how we need more principled men, and women, in America today...if America is going to stay...America.
  In our home, we teach our children that, our government is made up of the people in our home....outlandish? Not really~ individuals make up families, families make up communities, communities make up the states that are part of our great nation. Therefore, the people in gov't are the people in our homes. That tells me that the condition of the govt is contingent on the condition of the hearts of the individuals in our homes. Is that over-simplified? Maybe:) So what is the solution?
  Of course it is to raise principled people in our homes. First of all that will entail having clean hands and a pure heart before the Lord ourselves,( no great task begins easy), then imparting truth to our children and teaching them how to make decisions based on principle.
  We must teach our children to choose what is right...even if it doesn't benefit them personally. We need to teach them that getting something for 'free', often comes with a very great price.
  One doesn't need to be 'born again' to be a principled person probably, however...living by principle requires MUCH fruit of the Spirit. Self denial, self sacrifice and considering one another ahead of yourself,patience, self control...and many more qualities which are primarily reserved for those who call upon the name of the Lord in wisdom and in truth.
  May the Lord give us grace and wisdom to raise principled people for His glory and for the advancement of His Kingdom.

A Cheap easy Christianity

(J.C. Ryle, "The Cost!")
"Any of you who does not give up everything he has, cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:33

What does it cost to be a Christian?

I grant freely that it costs little to be a mere outward Christian. A man has only got to attend a place of worship twice on Sunday, and to be tolerably moral during the week--and he has gone as far as thousands around him ever go in religion. All this is cheap and easy work--it entails no self-denial or self-sacrifice. If this is saving Christianity and will take us to Heaven when we die--we must alter the description of the way of life, and write, "Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to Heaven!"

But it does cost something to be a real Christian, according to the standard of the Bible. There are . . .
  enemies to be overcome,
  battles to be fought,
  sacrifices to be made,
  an Egypt to be forsaken,
  a wilderness to be passed through,
  a cross to be carried,
  a race to be run.
Conversion is not putting a man in a soft armchair, and taking him pleasantly to Heaven. It is the beginning of a mighty conflict, in which it costs much to win the victory. Hence arises the unspeakable importance of "counting the cost."

True Christianity will cost a man . . .
  his self-righteousness,
  his sins,
  his love of ease, and
  the favor of the world.

A religion which costs nothing--is worth nothing!

A cheap, easy Christianity, without a cross--will prove in the end a useless Christianity, without a crown!

Home Discipling/Home Schooling

 Over 20 years ago, Brett explained to me that we were not 'homeschooling';
imparting information
telling facts
moulding behaviour....
  He taught me that our goal was to "home disciple". As well he explained to me that whomever we or our children 'sit' under are being discipled by them...Now I didnt catch on quite as quickly as I should have maybe, and it took years for me to not be "controlled by curriculum". Now though, it has been many many years that I too have been homediscipling our children;
teaching truth
imparting wisdom
moulding character so that godly behaviour follows;
  WELL...all this to say; My children got a puppy for me...and it is a waste of time to try and home diciple this little thing! It has no regard for truth or wisdom, nor will it exhibit godly charcter no matter what I do! Therefore; after 20 years, I am once again homeschooling!!! You guessed it; the puppy!
  And although the information I impart to this little bugger and the attempts I make at moulding its behaviour outwardly...it will have no lasting effects on this puppy...but I have come to realize that it is going to have an eternal impact on my life for my good...in the way of teaching me PATIENCE!!!!
James 1:2-4

2Count it all joy, my brothers,when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Happy discipling today!

Beloved, grow in grace...

(J.C. Ryle, "Growth in Grace" 1879)
"Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" 2 Peter 3:18
One mark of growth in grace, is increased HUMILITY. The man whose soul is growing, feels his own sinfulness and unworthiness more every year.
He is ready to say with Job, "I am vile!"
And with Abraham, "I am dust and ashes!"
And with Jacob, "I am not worthy of the least of all Your mercies!"
And with David, "I am a worm!"

And with Isaiah, "I am a man of unclean lips!"
And with Peter, "I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
The nearer the Christian draws to God, and the more he sees of God's holiness and perfections--the more thoroughly is he sensible of his own countless sins and imperfections. The further he journeys in the way to Heaven--the more he understands what Paul meant when he says,
  "I am not already perfect!"
  "I am not fit to be called an apostle!"
  "I am less than the least of all the saints!"
  "I am the chief of sinners!"
The riper the Christian is for glory, the more, like the ripe corn--he hangs down his head with humility. The brighter and clearer his gospel light--the more he sees of the shortcomings and infirmities of his own heart. When first converted, he would tell you he saw but little of them--compared to what he sees now.

Would anyone know whether he is growing in grace? Be sure that you look within for increased humility

Happy Birthday!!

We wish you a very Happy Birthday
Anthony! We love you and our prayer for you
is that you would continue to follow the Lord, continue to heal, and honor the Lord in all that
you do for all the days of your life!
  All our love, your family
(Are you really 21? Where did the time go?)

Mens Advance...!!!

Heroes. The word has many connotations in today’s culture. A hero may be the guy who makes $12,000,000 a year, achieves a 100% *perfect* voting record, or attracts the opening weekend crowd, breaking the record for highest grossing film. Or maybe he designs the latest technological break through, changing the world as we know it! Perhaps he can only leap tall buildings in a single bound. Christian heroes, on the other hand, may or may not have made the latest newsfeed.

The Vision Throughout the history of Christ’s church, a multitude of godly men have endeavored to obey the call of God, despite considerable risk and personal sacrifice. This great cloud of witnesses, these heroes, encourage us as we walk by faith in the 21st century. Our heroes should have integrity, a passion for truth, and godly character. Our heroes should challenge us to stand firm in adversity. Our heroes should inspire us and our families with vision and hope. We are to honor the work of God through these individuals of the past: ordinary men who were called by the Lord to do extraordinary things. And we must tell these stories to our children.

2012 Men’s Leadership Advance This is the vision you will find at the Men’s Advance: passion to educate and encourage Christian men to fulfill their God-given calling. The time is ripe. We must be about the business of teaching our children the stories of great heroes of the past in order to prepare them to serve as leaders within Christ’s church in the days ahead.

Join us February 10-11 in St. Louis, Missouri. Experience the weekend with other men, both young and old, as we learn together of the Providences of God in history!

Speakers Pastors and historians, Dr. Joseph Morecraft III and Dr. Marcus Serven, will set forth the biblical imperative on the subject of godly heroes and why we must tell their stories to the next generation!

Dr. Joe Morecraft lll

Dr. Marcus Serven

Dinner and Concert Bring your entire family Saturday evening for dinner and a FREE concert presented by The Wintons. This bluegrass band is sure to delight with fiddle, banjo and guitar as well as their trademark high-energy style!

Holiness

What is true practical holiness?It is not knowledge--Balaam had that.
It is not great profession--Judas Iscariot had that.
It is not doing many things--Herod had that.
It is not zeal for certain matters in religion--Jehu had that.
It is not morality and outward respectability of conduct--the rich young ruler had that.
It is not taking pleasure in hearing preachers--the Jews in Ezekiel's time had that.
It is not keeping company with godly people--Joab and Gehazi and Demas had that.
Yet none of these were holy people! These things alone, are not holiness. A man may have any one of them--and yet never see the Lord!
Let me try to draw a picture of Biblical holiness, that we may see it clearly before the eyes of our minds.
1. Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in Scripture.
2. A holy man will endeavor to shun every known sin, and to keep every known commandment.
3. A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ.
4. A holy man will follow after meekness, patience, gentleness, patience, kind tempers, and government of his tongue.
5. A holy man will follow after temperance and self-denial.
6. A holy man will follow after love and brotherly kindness.
7. A holy man will follow after a spirit of mercy and benevolence towards others.
8. A holy man will follow after purity of heart.
9. A holy man will follow after the fear of God.
10. A holy man will follow after humility.
11. A holy man will follow after faithfulness in all the duties and relations in life.
12. Last--but not least, a holy man will follow after spiritual-mindedness.
                                                                     This is an excerpt from a writing by JC Ryle named "Holiness".

A real life math equation....

4-1-1-1= 100% ! Does that math problem make any sense to you? It makes lots of sense to me! I totally understand it! Actually, you may too!
  Do you ever have a 'goal', yet in order to accomplish it, you need to do 3 other things first? This seems to be the story of our life!
  For example, we want to finish the master bathroom off of our bedroom...yet before we do, we need to paint our daughters new upstairs room, move her up there, move the little one into her old room and then, only then can we begin the finish on our bathroom! Whew!
  Im looking forward to the time when 1+1= 2 again!

A Childlike Faith

  Have you heard of "The Proof of God Conference"? Well Creation Todays, Eric Hovind and Paul Taylor are putting on a conference at the end of October of this year. This is not a 'plug' for the event...this is a story of an act of faith of our 16 year old daughter. (The picture of course is not her, that is our little one:)
  I dont know about you, but our children (because we dont watch tv) have very peculiar heros and celebrities...like, Voddie Baucham, Kevin Swanson, and my daughter Abi's absolute favorite of all, Eric Hovind.
  Well she is planning a trip to this conference that there is nooo way she will ever be able to attend! But , she has the budget, mileage, map, hotels, costs etc all worked out and now she says she just has to pray about it! Isnt that a beautiful act of faith? With it being over 1000+miles away and us on a fixed income there is no way...yet she is free to appeal to her Heavenly Father and ask away tho!
  May we all have such faith to approach the throne of grace and make our request known to God!
  What an example to me this morning:)

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Birthday blessings....

• Posted by Brett and Dana Adams on January 19, 2012 at 10:45am
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 Today is Bretts birthday! I am glad that he has recovered enough from the flu to enjoy it!
This morning the girls bought the ingredeients for, and made, him a huge breakfast! The kids are so thoughtful and have so many cute and creative ideas for things that are such a blessings. Here is another one;
  My daughter had a cute birthday idea for my husband that she learned about on
someones blog. Since we have so many far away friends, she thought it would be
sweet for all of dhs friends to send him birthday wishes via email (thus saving them
the cost of a card and stamp as well) then she prints off the birthday blessings
and puts them in individual envelopes. This evening he will be opening them all. Isnt
that a nice idea? And for the sake of frugality, if someone only wrote only a short
one, she would put several on a page and cut them apart. Some of the responses we got for him were really long and involved childhood memories:) Also a pack of 50 envelopes
at the store down here is only a dollar. Pretty neat:)
  Happy Birthday honey!
Dana

tp art....and children???

Have you heard of this t.p art? It is all the rage on the internet right now! Our creative and crafty 14 year old daughter made this!
 You use tp or paper towels tubes, you know, the inside that you discard? First you flatten the tube, cut each one up into 1" strips, then glue the pieces together in whatever design you wish to achieve! When they are all glued in place,  spray paint the entire design thoroughly. In this case, as well, my daughter decided to get an old wooden frame, paint it as well and glue the piece inside of it. Amazingly beautiful! On the wall it looks like cast iron!
  It kind of reminds me of our children. The world puts little value on them. But with time, patience and pruning, the Lord achieves His perfect will for them and makes them into beautiful works of grace ~for His glory!
  Let us know if  you try this!
Soli Deo Gloria!
(To God alone be the glory:)

Confessions of a Homeschool mom:)

1. I do not have a permanent smile on my face:)
2. I require coffee to get me going in the morning
3. I am not completely organized in my home OR my homeschooling
4. I get 'cranky'! I have been known to lose my patience and I have even been known to growl
5. I am not consistent with discipline, discipling OR dish washing...
                    YET..............
1. Soli Deo Gloria! All that I do is to the Glory of God alone!
2. Solo Christo! Anything I do is by strength from Christ alone!
3. Sola Scriptura! My perfect guide, my first and final authority to guide me in all I do is Scripture alone! (and Brett of course:)
4. Sola Fide! I do what I do by Faith alone! Not because I can see the impact of what I do, here and now.
5. Sola Gratia! I accomplish 'anything at all' by Grace Alone!
                    AND....
I will add, as the words to a most precious song says; In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my life, my strength, my song...well you know the rest.
Psalm 115:1
Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Amen!

One of those days!!!!

  Im not sure if it was the long weekend, or the rain yesterday...but we are COMPLETELY unmotivated today! It made it worse to read a blog where the author was describing how MOTIVATED they were! (You know who you are! LOL!)
  Anyways, do you all have days like that? We of course have the advantage (and all of its myriad of disadvantages....) of both parents being home full time. So today, Brett and I are tag team parenting! He got up and showered, then I did,,, He was out parenting/discipling...then I appeared just in time for him to go take a nap! When he gets up, I shall be following his example!
  It wasnt always this way, I remember the years when my 'mom peers' and I felt like widows with a steady income! We narry saw our beloveds but had all the advantages of regular and good paychecks!
  Just another reminder that this is yet, another 'season' of life as we like to call it. Things werent always this way, and they will likely not remain! This can be encouragement to those who are in a particularly trying or difficult season of life.
  May the Lord give us grace to be 'content' and to look at the advantages of our current season. And, may He give us an abundance of long suffering to deal with the disadvantages of it!
  What season of life are you in?
May the sun, and the Son shine on  you today:)

Hospitality...a challenge! Ideas....

What are some of the difficulties surrounding the practice of hospitality?
  Lets say we are speaking of having people into your home for a meal. Here are a few tips;
 It is always good to make sure that no one has any particular food allergies...or religous preferences when it comes to eating! We have some 7th Day Adventist friends who dont eat meat, some are vegans...we have other friends who have a son which is allergic to anything corn! This can create a challenge but it is doable. Thank God for recipes on the internet!
  Another issue to consider are beverages...some of our friends dont drink coffee, most dont drink soda...ice tea is a good and inexpensive alternative aside from just plain water.
  Many of our friends have big families like ours. Paper plates are a big help. Not because we arent willing to clean up, but it makes clean up faster and time is better spent in fellowship than it is in cleaning. If you use paper cups be sure and have a pen available to write names on them.
  Another difficulty that arises is if you are inviting over a family with many little ones. Although we have little ones ourselves, ours are very well versed in what they may or may not get in to. Other kids may not know this. And, since we want to spend our time in visiting with our friends, it is best if the parents arent disciplining the entire time so it is ok to make some 'house adjustments'.
  One thing we do is close off rooms. A baby gate closing off one hall way will deter all the 2 year old we know and keep the teenagers bedrooms safe from snoopers!
  It is also a good idea to put up special or new toys that are especially important. We share without reserve yet it is ok to have special items that dont have to be shared. If my kids are sharing 10 buckets of toys, it is alright for them to put 4 or 5 special things up when we have small people over for the evening!
  What are some other challenges to face in having people over and what are your solutions?
Happy Hospitality to you!

FAMILY ECONOMICS CONFERENCE!

 

Are you ready to take your family's economy to the next level? Join Generations with Vision in Chicago for the third annual Family Economics Conference on March 8-10, 2012. This exciting event features a line-up of speakers who will equip your family's economy for long-term success, including Kevin Swanson, Steve and Teri Maxwell, Dave Tucker, Erik Weir, Bill Roth, RC Sproul Jr., and Alex and Cassie Michael. In addition, you'll be encouraged by the practical wisdom in our popular Q&A panels, where you will have opportunity to interact with the speakers. Just a sample of the topics to be addressed are:

• Raising Sons to Provide
Household Budget Management
Marketing a Family Business
• Facing the Onslaught of Socialism
Household Chores and Time Management
The Duties of Dominion
Keys to Being a Successful Family Entrepreneur
Stories from Successful Family Start-Ups
A Special Proverbs 31 Track for Moms
• ...and much more!

Also included in the price of registration is a family pass to the 2012 Annual Liberty Day Celebration on Saturday night after the conference (value of $59). 

Registration is $279 per family, unprecedented pricing for a conference of this size and venue. 

 

Click here to register now!

---------------------

Update~In memory of Denise Sproul

Resources for Thinking Christians

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

UPDATE — IN MEMORY OF DENISE SPROUL: We want to thank all of you who made a generous contribution to Dr. R. C. Sproul, Jr.’s family in memory of his beloved wife, Denise. Denise was a joy to be around and brightened every place she went. She is now being brightened by the joy of her Lord. She went home to Glory on December 18, 2011 after a long battle with cancer. Tolle Lege Press had the honor of publishing Denise’s book, Tending Your Garden. From December 18, 2011 through January 31, 2012, we are giving away copies of her special book in exchange for a donation of any amount. 100% of the donations go directly to R.C. Sproul, Jr. and his eight children. In the first two days, our company received $10,660 in donations. These funds were immediately sent to and received by the Sproul family. Again, we will continue to send 100% of the proceeds donated until January 31, 2012. If you haven't already, please prayerfully consider making a contribution. Thank you and may God bless you for your generosity. Tolle Lege Press & ChristianReader.com

Resources for Thinking Christians

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

Hospitality~ A joy (As posted on THC)

Hospitality ~ A Joy!

• Posted by Brett and Dana Adams on January 4, 2012 at 7:30pm
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  It is always wise to define terms. So to define hospitality we look to the Vine's Expository Dictionary and see that part of the definition is; (1) Lover of strangers, (2) Generous to guests.
  I had asked for some other ideas of 'hospitality' that went beyond just having folks over for dinner and this definition gives us more ideas.
  "Lover of strangers"; I think that is what we are doing~each and every one of us when we take time to participate here in our THC community! Not many of us really 'know' many others; we could say that we are 'strangers'. Yet by encouraging one another, blogging, reading blogs, watching webcasts...we are really showing love to strangers. That is a part of hospitality!
  All of us have something to offer. Whether you are willing to take time to blog, or take time to read blogs, or offer a word of wisdom and encouragement...you are being hospitable and that is evidence of your faith!
  2. Generous to guests. First of all, in order to be able to be 'generous to guests' we must have them:) What are some ways we can be generous? Of course lay out a huge spread for a meal...yet what about being generous with our time? With ourselves? Brett and I like to use this term in referring to relationships with people "We are sharing life". And, we do so generously. We do our best to 'be there' for any who call on us~we strive to reach out to others...and our example has been all of the wonderful people in our lives who have been so very generous with us! What a blessing they have been! May we be half as much of a blessing to others!
  What ideas of hospitality does this definition bring to your mind?
Blessings, Brett/Dana

Blessings...

May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And the rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Hospitality~A Biblical Command

 

Ouch! There are so many more commands that are easier to follow arent there? Like, go into all the world and make disciples?
  Scripture says;
Rom12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality
Titus 1:8 (be) hospitable, a lover of good,self controlled, upright,holy and disciplined
1 Peter 4:9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling
  There are of course a myriad of other verses which speak to elders and overseers specifically. In a nutshell, if you fill one of these offices and are not 'given to hospitality' then scripture says that you are unqualified for your position! Gulp!
  Why do we find it difficult to show hospitality? Some of us are hiding our true identity in not having others over to our home~but for the most part, I think it is less sinister than that! If you are like I have been in the past; you are waiting for your~home to be in order, or for extra money so you can provide a nice meal, or perhaps you are waiting for others to invite you over first!! Scrap all of those reasons! I have adopted a new phrase and my son is going to burn it into a piece of wood for me, this is it"
Please excuse the mess; my children are making memories. Isnt that a wonderful phrase? When the Lord commands us to be hospitable, he did not say to wait until you think things are perfect. Why should things be perfect? We arent perfect people! Neither are the folks that we are inviting into our home!
  May the Lord give you grace to fulfill His command of being hospitable! Do share some ways in which you have exercised the gift of hospitality in your life. It is more than just having folks over for dinner:)
  PS  A good place to stash the laundry when folks come over is in the bathtub with the shower curtain drawn! LOL!

Happy New Year!

 Actually my New Year began just before the end of the year! With new vision and restored health I have been able to begin to live up to my 'determinations' for my year! This has kept me quite busy! I am so busy doing all of the things that we Christian bloggers talk about that I dont forsee much chance to blog about it! I hope to find/make time for it though as I want to be as encouraging as other bloggers are to me!
  What a tough year so many have  had. I pray that we would all be renewed in our thinking and turn to the Lord for strength to live with our past, look ahead to our future and have courage to live our today! If the Lord showed us one thing this year it is that He will keep me in perfect peace if my mind is stayed on Him!
  What determinations have you made for yourself in the coming year?