I'm weird and here's why

We have been attending a LifeChurch.tv network church that is local in our area.  The message series we've just started is called Weird, because normal isn't working.


That got me to thinking about "normal" and how I always say I want to get back to normal.  Things have been pretty much everything BUT normal in our household for a long time.  I don't really know that I even WANT anything that resembles normal anymore, because normal is worldly.  As a follower of Christ, I don't want to be worldly.  I've been there/done that and it simply doesn't work for me.


We raised our firstborn child pretty much in the "normal" way.  The 2nd child had a great deal of normal, I'd say maybe about half of his life give or take.  Children number 3 and especially 4 are living the weird lifestyle.


Let me just break down the weird things we do/believe.  This will be a condensed list and I can expand on them at a later time or if anyone is interested, I can expand sooner than later.


1. We don't celebrate or acknowledge Halloween in any way, shape or form.  We stopped celebrating this "holiday" in 2001. 
2.  We no longer celebrate Christmas or Easter as "Christian" holidays either.  Oh, yikes......YES, we ARE fully devoted believers in Jesus Christ and have been "saved" and walk with Him closely and fully.  We just don't believe these are truly "Christian" holidays.   
3. Oh speaking of, I don't call myself a Christian anymore.....I am a disciple and I follow Christ.  I can't call myself a Christian any longer based on what Christianity has become as a whole. I AM a deeply spiritual person who has a very real and personal relationship with her Abba Father, Yahweh. 
4. We home educate our children and lean toward the "unschooling" way of life.  What makes me ultra weird is that I no longer care what people's opinions are on that.  
5. We use essential oils and prayer instead of over the counter or prescription medications.  I believe in miracles and healing and have experienced them firsthand. 
6.  We allowed our firstborn to "date" but our other 3 WON'T be dating.  
7. We are going to encourage our daughters to remain at home until they are married or until GOD moves them from us.  We encourage our children to practice sexual purity. 
8.  We eat a great deal of organic foods and I cook from scratch every single day.  
9.  I believe the body of Christ isn't doing it's job.  
10. I believe that the man is the head of the household, the "covering" of his wife and that he is to be respected and honored and never publicly belittled.  


That's just 10 of the ways I think we're weird.  The message series I spoke of earlier challenges us to be weird in a GOD kind of way.  I have a lot of other weird ways about me and like I said, I'll expand on those another time.  I want to be set apart from the world.  I want others to see Christ in me and say wow, that's weird, but yet at the same time desire to know HIM a little more.  MANY of the things we do that are weird are because we believe Yahweh is leading us to be and do things differently. Unfortunately, I've encountered people who think that because I do things differently, that I will harshly judge them for not being like me.


I literally weep when I hear someone say that to me.  If only you knew how much love I have for others, you wouldn't even think that.  See, that's something about our world that I despise.....we automatically assume that others are judging us just because they are different.  Sometimes our fears are justified and they are indeed placing judgement.  We shouldn't automatically assume that though.


I'm weird.....I wanna be weird.  Yahweh, make me as weird as you want to make me.