Preference or Conviction?

We recently had a couple visiting the Ranch and the wife stood up during a meeting and gave her testimony of God's mercy and grace upon her life. They homeschooled their daughters back when it was still illegal and didn't know it at the time but were integral players in our current WA homeschool laws. They made many sacrifices to be able to teach their daughters at home (even facing jail). She talked about being able to prove your faith (Christianity) in your life. It was very convicting and I have been wanting to pass it along. She said that at one point in order to keep homeschooling they had to prove that their religion was not just a preference but a conviction. That spoke directly to things that we have been thinking upon and talking with the children about. I began to think, if we were faced with the same dilemma today, what would the authorities see? Of course with where we are and the entire picture of our circumstances speaks volumes, but what about inside the walls of our trailer when "nobody" is watching? It got me thinking that if they came into my home today and observed for the day, would they see that our faith in God is a way of life? I hope so. What about you?
I am always reminding the children that God wants us to witness to others by the way we live. We are to serve others first, speak in love, only use words that are uplifting to others and glorifying to God, never letting any unwholesome talk come from our lips, always be kind to each other, be careful what we read and watch, be careful what we do with our freetime, and always keep a lookout for an opportunity to help someone in need. Of course their are many ways to witness, but these are the things we are currently working on. Also I remind them that if the Lord leads us to speak to people, we need to listen to that prompting as well. Our first witness is our family and how we interact with each other. We are to be a light to the world whether at a distance or in close up personal observation!
Through prayer, our Lord has been opening my eyes to see some areas that need some work. Of course, right! We are always changing and hopefully in prayer and through God's word, we are changing more into his image. According to a Godly elder on the Ranch, the only thing we can be sure of is change. What a great thing to remember as we go through life being careful not to hold on to things/people so tightly, but always giving glory to God for his provisions during times of plenty and in times of need. A passage I like to remember is Philippians 4:4-13.
In conclusion, is your family walking minute by minute with the Lord or are you a convenient Christian? Times right now are sketchy. We don't know how long we will have our wonderful freedom of religion and homeschooling. Be proactive in your family while you can. Take steps right now to draw closer to the Lord as a family and step out into a life of faith and conviction! Have your family a ready and willing witness for the Lord. You never know what you will be called to do. Maybe move into a 5th wheel trailer and go where he leads, ha ha!! With the Lords help, we are living a life of conviction. We are far from perfect, but God shows us so much grace. Good thing!! Be proactive in your family while you can, the only thing we can be sure of is change. Make it known that your faith is a conviction in your family, not a preference!!