Minds, Lives, Hearts, and Homes
“We have fallen a long way,” Ray commented with tears in his eyes at the end of a video we watched about the marriage of President George H. W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush. Ray and I continue to learn from and enjoy This Is the Day to Pray each morning. Yesterday’s post commemorated the birthday of Barbara Bush and included a video about her marriage to George Bush. I hope you can find the five minutes it takes to watch the video, “Barbara Bush and George H. W. Bush: An Epic Love Story,” beautifully produced by the Today Show. You can find it at the bottom of this page.
George and Barbara Bush,
1992 Republican National Convention,
photo by Laura Patterson,
courtesy of the Library of Congress
When Ray was a campus minister for students at Ole Miss, one of our wise elders and mentors, Dr. Doug Shields, used to repeat the ministry’s purpose:
Minds that worship
Hearts that are pure
Lives with a purpose
Homes that last
Our world, our country, our churches, and our children need all of these. They are an appropriate statement of purpose for any homeschool.
Minds that worship
“God is spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:24
Hearts that are pure
“Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.”
Matthew 5:8
Lives with a purpose
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ,
if there is any consolation of love,
if there is any fellowship of the Spirit,
if any affection and compassion,
make my joy complete
by being of the same mind,
maintaining the same love,
united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Philippians 2:1-2
Homes that last
“What therefore God has joined together,
let no man separate.”
Mark 10:9
George and Barbara Bush built a home that lasted for 73 years until her death in April 2018. George Bush passed away the following November.
Ray was right. America has fallen a long way from the time when lifelong marriage was not only the norm for a large majority of Americans, but when we expected it of our leaders. We can turn that around, but that turnaround requires one conscious decision after another every day all day long year after year after year.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.
Psalm 33:11