Living on the "Fringe"

I have a friend, a good friend. She believes she is on the fringe of society. She isn't exactly "mainstream." She isn't raising her children just like she was raised. Let me tell you a little about her.

She is a follower of Jesus Christ. She longs to know him better and more. She often is disappointed in people who claim to be Christians because they don't measure up. They play "church." They don't live faith. She longs to continue to grow closer to Christ and live her life in faith.

She homeschools her children. She doesn't "school them at home." She lets their interests dictate activities and curriculum. It's called "Child Driven Learning," "Delight Driven Learning," or even "Discipleship Learning." It is the way things were done for thousands of years. You learn about money by making out a grocery list and purchasing items at a store, not by doing worksheets about money. You learn about chemistry by cooking, biology by observing the natural world, and history through various forays into books, movies, and select television shows.

Speaking of television, her children do not spend their days lounging in front of the TV. It is on sometimes, but it is a deliberate act, not a habit. Her children play; they volunteer, act, do sports, write stories, play instruments and even use computers to write music.

She tries to feed her children well. She buys organic milk and makes things from scratch. She is careful of how they associate with food. It is simply a necessity to survive, not a panacea for all of your emotional problems.

She sets high ideals for herself and sometimes falls short. She questions established "norms" to see if they work for her family. She is not afraid to admit she was wrong about something and change it for the better.

I love my friend. She is one of the most genuine people I know (or have ever known). She tries to make good choices for herself and her family. She proceeds and makes the choices based on the information she has at the time. Remember, folks, "Man sees what you do. God sees WHY you do it." I honestly believe that we are to be judged by God for the intent behind our decisions, not necessarily on the outcome of those decisions.

I started to write this to tell you about my friend. To tell you how she believes she is "on the fringe." I was going to tell you how she is not. I think I have changed my mind. If you look around society today, we are going downhill fast! The "norm" of today is not where I want to be. You know, my friend is on the fringe. And I want to be there with her.