Add Some SALT to Your Diet

Our family had the wonderful privilege of spending time this weekend with Jim and Cindy McDermott and their amazing family. The McDermott’s are the force behind SALT Magazine which is a publication dedicated to, what else, being salt in the world; especially how that relates to the family and family issues, especially homeschooling families.

Awhile back, Jim had read some things here on this blog that led him to believe I might be someone to speak at a family conference they were planning. I know what you’re thinking. Someone else actually reads this stuff?? And he actually found something worthwhile??

Well, to be honest, the one article that caught his eye at first was the post I wrote for my son’s birthday a couple months back, and actually it was mostly just quotes from J. C. Ryle. So when Jim first contacted me, I tried to point that out. I said, “you realize that this stuff was written by someone else, you really don’t want me, you want J. C. Ryle to speak!” And he said, “Yeah, we know, but he’s dead so you’ll have to do.”

No, no, that’s not true. I’m just teasing a bit. Jim is way to classy a guy to say something like that even if he was thinking it. Still, I did tell him I didn’t really feel qualified to speak at the event, but would be honored to do so if he really wanted.

So, he did, and I did, and we had a great time. The weather was against us. The afternoon session was scheduled for outdoors, and it ended up being about 200 degrees (ok, only about 102, but still). I think that affected attendance a bit. I don’t think people stayed away just because I was speaking at that afternoon session. But anyway…

Jim spoke on some issues, their pastor Zech Schiebout spoke for one session and then I did my thing. The rest of the time was spent just visiting and getting to know some other families with similar interests. I especially enjoyed the discussion on courtship since our oldest daughter may be entering that area very shortly (sorry, Sunshine, is that gossip to publish that here?).

Anyway, all this is simply to say that you ought to pay these folks an online visit. Check out their website, browse through the articles there, read the blog, stop in at the store, and consider subscribing to the periodical. It’s some pretty good stuff. I know that the handful of people who will actually take the time to read this are not all homeschoolers, or maybe not where we are on family issues; but I think most can still find something there that will cause you to be blessed by this ministry. So consider adding a bit of SALT to your diet.