A New Generation

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with my post....I just thought Bryce did a good job editing it on her new favorite website, picnk....so, I wanted to share it with you!
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I am sitting here at the computer with my fingers lightly tapping the keys, trying to find words for what I want to say. Those of you who write, know the feeling. I have something to say and I want it to be meaningful, but sometimes my thoughts are running faster than I can formulate something that sounds as good on the computer screen as it does in my head.

It is now late afternoon, but a couple of hours ago my house was filled with young adults - the world calls them teenagers, but usually that is not a compliment, so I am going to call them young adults for the purposes of my post today. About noon today, the cars started pulling into our driveway and within a few minutes our media room was at capacity and overflowing with long, lanky teenage boys, cute, jean clad teenage girls and a few moms. Someone hit play and for the next hour and a half we watched the movie Expelled on the big screen! I am not going to review this movie, most of you have seen it or at least heard of it - but Expelled is a documentary by Ben Stein which takes a deep look at the academic censoring that is going on in the science departments of America's colleges and universities. This is a real and pressing problem in our country, no matter what you believe about science.

Joining us for the movie and the discussion that followed was an amazing teacher, writer, speaker, microbiologist, and fellow homeschool mom - Catie Frates. Mrs. Frates is my kids' science teacher and has been for the last four years. She is an outstanding instructor and I could sit and listen to her speak for hours on end and never grow tired of it. She is passionate about Creation Science and passionate about Jesus Christ. She is also passionate about being very sure that her own kids, and ours, are prepared to defend their faith in an environment where everything they believe is going to be attacked. Namely, the college campus. She was kind enough to give four hours of her time today to watch and discuss this movie with our kids. Also there to help lead the discussion was Luke Granholm. Luke is the 19 year old son of some good friends of ours. He graduated from home schooling last year and teaches Logic and Worldview classes to our children. He will leave for college this Fall to major in Philosophy and possibly Law.

After the movie, these kids, probably about 25 of them total, sat in our family room and debated ideas and philosophies, they prayed together, for each other and our country, they threw out ideas of what they could do to make a difference in the world they find themselves in, and they talked a lot about freedom. These very young men and women, without any prodding from us adults, decided that in order to preserve the freedoms that we have in our country, we have to support the rights of those we do not agree with. We have to stand up and defend the right of the Hindu to worship his god in any way he sees fit. We have to defend the right of free speech for the atheist to speak his mind and write his books. We have to do all of these things, if we want to preserve our own freedoms. This is important to note, because all over this nation that we live in - America, land of the free and home of the brave, everyone has the "right" to believe and to say whatever they want -- everyone, except Christians. We are told that we are intolerant and filled with hate. I am here to tell you that there is rising in this country, a new generation. A generation of men and women who have been raised to speak for Truth always, raised to stand on their beliefs and to not be afraid to say that there are moral absolutes, and that there is one way to God and that is through His Son, Jesus Christ-- but, and hear me on this, they also know that in order to preserve our freedoms, we must defend the rights of others who are different from us to be free also. God is the only one who changes hearts, but if we are going to live in a country that is truly free - everyone must have the right to make their choices about God. Everyone.

We must understand that without the drawing of the Holy Spirit, others will never feel as we do about morality or Truth. They are incapable; and deep down inside they are afraid. Afraid that maybe, just maybe they are wrong about what they believe. And maybe we are right. So, they vehemently oppose us at every level - in the classroom, in the world...they try to trap us in hypocrisy and they try to portray us as a "religious" people who are only known for what we hate.

In the documentary, Ben Stein explores the issue of Intelligent Design. This is NOT the same thing as Creation Science, though most people don't know the difference. Proponents of ID don't necessarily follow a Biblical model for creation (as I do) - they are simply willing to be honest and say that there is no scientific way that the inner workings of a cell could have happened by chance. Any scientist who is honest with him/herself knows that it is absurd to even say that. The problem is that all over our country, professors, scientists, and even journalists are losing their jobs for stating that there had to be some "higher force" that started it all. The problem comes in because the people who oppose the ID theory will entertain thoughts of aliens sowing seeds of life, molecules "piggy backing" on crystals, and goblins doing who knows what -- but, they will NOT even entertain the thought that God did it. Folks, this is academic persecution. Our freedoms are being snatched away at alarming rates and people are not even aware of it! We live in America, for goodness sake - we were founded on the basis of freedom. Freedom for everyone!

Today. as I sat in my family room, surrounded by my two almost 15 year olds and their peers, I was completely overwhelmed. I detected none of the fear that permeates my own mind and heart sometimes, coming from these kids. They were confident and alert. They are ready to fight this battle that lies ahead of them. They know what I often forget; that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces in the heavenly realms. They had no ideas of fighting against the people who are doing this, they prayed for Richard Dawkins and the others who are so angry and without purpose. They pointed out to us adults, as we sat with our eyes welled up with tears, that this world is not our home. This is the "bus stop" if you will, we are on to a better place. At the same time, they feel the full weight of their call to redeem their culture. They know that God Almighty has charged them "for such a time as this" and they take that charge very seriously. They understand that we have kept them at home, not to harm them, but to give them time....time to grow, time to comprehend who they are in Christ and what their calling is....they know that our desire is to aim them straight and true into a culture that desires to tear them apart. They are ready.

Just a couple of nights ago, we sat in someone else's family room with basically the same group of kids watching Prince Caspian together. Today, looking around at the group, I could almost feel the vibrations of the evil army, marching toward our children, desiring to snatch away their very souls. I am humbled at the thought that this group of kids, and others like them, like Lucy, know, even at their young ages, that they will not fight this battle by their own power or might, but by turning to the One who has already won the victory. I could almost hear their spirits cry "For Aslan!" They are ready. They will fight and they will win souls for the Kingdom, and they will do a fine job raising the next generation, if Jesus tarries.

And as their mother, I have learned, once again, that God is using my children to teach me much more than I will ever teach them. All He ever asked me to do on this journey was to be obedient. He never asked me to stress over what did or did not get done today or to worry about what their future holds, as I am wont to do. He asked me to give them time....time to grow and time to mature. And now, He is asking me to let them go. God help me, I will.