For more information, visit inthegap.org.

This is the third part of a three part series in developing the systems of the home. We describe the system of purchasing, cleaning, and storing clothing.

This is part 3 of a 3-part series:

• Developing the Systems of Your Home (Part 1): Food
• Developing the Systems of Your Home (Part 2): Shelter
• Developing the Systems of Your Home (Part 3): Clothing

This video is part 2 of a 3 part series on developing systems of the home. The three systems of the home are food, clothing, and shelter.

This is part 2 of a 3-part series:

• Developing the Systems of Your Home (Part 1): Food
• Developing the Systems of Your Home (Part 2): Shelter
• Developing the Systems of Your Home (Part 3): Clothing

The Air Land Emergency Resource Team (ALERT) is a unique training and service organization for young men who desire to achieve maturity and fruitfulness in service as Christian men. The training young men receive at ALERT equips them with the discipline, character, and skills necessary to meet the needs of people in crisis. These ALERT Responders will then be deployed to disaster-stricken areas such as those affected by hurricanes, tornados, floods, and mud slides.

Visit www.alertacademy.com/alert/

Latest news with Embassy Institute—The best of the 2011 Regional Conference is now streaming on Embassy Institute! Be a part of this priceless opportunity!

This is a great way for families to come together, encourage and exhort one another, as well as to help each other grow spiritually. There is a message to be heard by everyone on Embassy Institute. So, gather your family this holiday season while it is cold outside and watch some of your favorite messages from your favorite speakers.

Never before have we released our vast media library to the public! You can have full access to hundreds of videos from the IBLP library as well as the Basic, Advanced, Anger Resolution, and the Financial Freedom Seminars for you and your entire family to enjoy right at home! Watch as often as you want, anytime you want! Join now along with many others who have already been impacted by this incredible resource!

Watch the 2011 Regional Conference media!

Part 1 is about developing the system for handling the purchase, preparation, and clean up of FOOD for meals in the home. The other systems of the home deal with clothing, shelter, education, and life purpose. These systems are analogous to departments in a business. They are the backbone of a household and need managed to experience the peaceful fruits of a safe, joyful home. The alternative is a chaotic home with feelings of bitterness and apathy.

This is part 1 of a 3-part series:

• Developing the Systems of Your Home (Part 1): Food
• Developing the Systems of Your Home (Part 2): Shelter
• Developing the Systems of Your Home (Part 3): Clothing

Standing in a church lobby, I overheard two fathers talking:

Dad #1: Where is your son going to college?

Dad #2: Well, I went to UCLA but his mom graduated from USC. He hasn’t made up his mind yet which one he wants to attend.

And I thought, Is that all there is to it? Here are intelligent, godly men who simply assume that when Jim or Susie finishes finish high school, the next stop will be a four-year stay at the nearest university. No further questions asked!

Even in an association like ATI, where parents specialize in hands-on involvement with the training of their sons and daughters, you can still find families whose education planning consists solely in selecting the university where their son or daughter will spend the next four years.

God may lead some families to send their young people to university, but it is unwise to make such a decision without asking a lot of questions, asking the right questions.

Avoid the danger of tunnel vision.

When you look through a tunnel, you can see only a small circle of light. There is a broad landscape that’s just out of view because you are peering through the tunnel. Many families make poor choices about the post-high school years because they have limited themselves to looking through the tunnel of career and college. They look for a career when they could be searching for a calling. And they try to find a college when they might be considering a whole array of possible pathways.

1. Career vs. calling

God has a purpose for your life, and it includes far more than just your career. He has called us to glorify Him in every area of our lives: growing in Christ-like character, leaving the legacy of a godly family, making an impact for Christ’s kingdom. Your job is merely one aspect of God’s calling for you. Therefore, the “college” years are a time to grow in all areas. Luke 2:52 tells us that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” – not just in career skills!

2. College vs. multiple options.

Good stewardship requires that we explore all the creative alternatives available for gaining the training and experience that we will need to prepare for God’s calling. For some, a college degree is the best choice. For others, a combination of other training and learning experiences may be wiser. The wise parent checks all the options.

Four questions to ask before you head for college

For several years, I have used the following questions to help people get a broader view from God’s perspective when they make decisions about training after high school.

1. What is God calling me to do?

Scripture makes it clear that God calls every Christian to be holy, to make disciples (Matthew 28:19), to do good works. But He also calls each of us to glorify Him in specific ways. One person may become a pastor; another may care for orphans; still another may fix cars. One may proclaim Christ through music; another may share the gospel in quiet conversations. You may not know precisely what God has planned for you, but good planning begins when you ask, “How much do I understand about what God is calling me to do?”

2. Where am I now?

Once you know where you’re headed, take inventory and figure out where you are now. The Telos Institute International has published a Life Portfolio Workbook called Experience is a Great Teacher,. which takes you step by step through the process of recording what you have already learned from your life experiences. It’s encouraging to realize how much you’ve already learned!

3. What preparation do I need?

Look at God’s calling – where you want to end up – and your current life experience – where you are now. Then ask, “Where are the gaps between where I am and where I need to be?” Your answer might involve skills or knowledge or character. In any case, the list becomes your agenda for the next years of training.

4. Do I need a college degree? If so, what kind?

Only now are you ready to start making decisions about college. As you answer this question, remember that people go to college for two reasons – to learn something and to get a piece of paper. Consider those two aspects one at a time. First, do you need a professional credential to enter the field for which God has burdened you? To be a surgeon or an elementary school teacher, you probably do need the piece of paper. If you want to run the family farm or start your own company, that diploma will not mean as much. Second, what do you need to learn? Suppose you want to be a pastor – what do you need to know? What character do you need to develop? What skills are important? Once you have clarity about this question, you are in a much better to position to decide whether college is necessary for you. Perhaps you would benefit more from a vocational school or on-the-job training. Or God might lead you to devote part of your youth to single-minded service. There’s no hurry to enter the job market.

5. What specific program(s) should I choose, and when should I take each step?

Notice the (s) in this question! God may lead you to a series of experiences, rather than a single college. It might involve a foundation year of study in Bible and life principles through the Telos Institute, followed by a year of service, teaching character in the schools of Oklahoma City or teaching English in Taiwan. Then you might choose to finish a college degree with the help of Verity Institute or the International Ministerial Institute. There are more options available than most people ever dreamed. Take the time to research the possibilities and ask the Lord for guidance and creativity as you help your sons and daughters launch into adult life.

This series of questions is just part of BLP 080, a 5-week course in Personal Education Strategy offered by The Telos Institute International. For more information about this course, you may contact the Telos office at 317-923-7301 or info@telos.edu.

This article was adapted from a presentation by Dr. John Bechtle to a breakout session at the 2010 ATI Regional Conference in Indianapolis.

This session by Kim Leith was shared at the Big Sandy.  The feedback was phenomenal and has helped many ATI families, especially ATI moms.  We pray it was also be a blessing to you.

~The ATI Department

Session Handouts:

• Character Worksheet
• Meditation Worksheet
• Song Worksheet
• Wisdom Book a Month: 4-day Week
• Wisdom Book a Month: 5-day Week
• Wisdom Book PAC’s

Chris Hogan, the President of ATI, and his wife Anne discuss how they introduce the Wisdom Booklet material in their home and offer some encouraging advice.

In 2003 Chris Hogan, the President of ATI, came across some research explaining the number one cause for prodigal children was a father offending his children and never taking the time to reconcile the offenses with his children. As Chris thought about this problem and sought God for an answer, he realized that communion was the key to clearing up offenses on a regular basis. In this video clip the Hogan family demonstrates a family communion.