Yes, I Have Begun Planning Next Years Homeschool Adventure

Yes, I am crazy. I cannot help it. I absolutely love mapping out a school years worth of curriculum. There is something magical about the blank slate that comes with each new school year. This happens to me every year, usually the same time (Just after Easter Break). I can see the end of the school year clearly. I can boast about all the amazing things my children have learned and discovered, and I could just cry thinking about all the things I should have/could have done with my children to better educate them. I think its that last one that motivates me the most to get planning.

This year I find myself constantly drawn into conversations with younger moms who are eager to pick my brain for ideas and wisdom. For a while I thought it was because I am such a brilliant teacher (See Snob Post) but now I realize its because I have survived a decade of homeschooling smiling most of the way and because I have more gray hair. In any case, I am inspired to begin the journey of writing down some of the  wisdom I have been blessed to glean from others (the pieces I can remember) as well as my overall homeschooling approach.

I'll be adding a homeschooling tab to the blog and will be adding to it as often as life allows. I hope you know I sit at my computer 16 hours a day waiting to see if anyone reads and comments on my blog, so I hope you will take a moment to comment when you feel led. (Just kidding!)

If you are a home-schooler, I would love to hear from you. What kinds of things would you love for me to share? Do you have any glaring questions? Comments? concerns?

Matthew 25:40 Personified

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Have you ever seen a Bible verse lived out in full color right before your eyes? It is a sobering and humbling experience to say the least. In a split second, you might glimpse the tenderness of the Lord, His amazing grace, or the frailty of a life held by His hand.


I witnessed something so full of the Lord this past week that it has taken me days to wrap my head around it. My son. Used by the Lord.

We are blessed to live next door to a very "to herself" widow and her brother. About a week ago, she knocked on our door to ask for help. Her brother had fallen and could not get off the floor. I grabbed my shoes and my oldest son and went right over.

It turned out that our poor neighbor had fallen about 14 hours earlier and had spent all night "stuck" on the floor. I guided my son to help the embarrassed man off the floor and to the kitchen table to eat his long overdue meal. Many thank yous later, my son and I were home.

The next day, the man had fallen again and required both my husband and my son's help to get back into bed. We were beginning to worry that he was really going to become injured. He was losing strength very quickly.

Here's where I take a deep breath to share the rest of the story...

My neighbor called me again to ask for help. This time, her brother was stuck after trying to use the restroom. He had spent over 15 hours sitting on the stool and simply could not get up on his own.

It took 3 of us to get him to bed.My neighbor, Me, and my 18 year old son. Honestly, it was mostly my son. He helped our friend stand, get decent, and slowly inch out of the bathroom. My son had to lift him as he walked as the mans sister slowly pulled the walker forward and I followed close behind with a chair. It was only about 15 feet from the stool to the bed, but it took us over an hour. My son calmly and quietly encouraged the elderly man, "You're doing great! Just a few more steps..."

I left that place breathless. Not because the man needed such intimate help, we all do at one point or another. No. I left breathless because my son had poured himself out in a way that was more than beautiful. He didn't flinch when the man was half dressed and soiled. He didn't flinch when he had to bear such an incredible burden of shuttling him to safety. No, he simply did what he needed to do.

I believe I witnessed Matthew 25:40 as my son helped one of the "least of these" and I am confident the Lord was pleased...

The Little Finch

She looked at me with tear filled eyes
And shared with me a word,
Of the most awful thing she saw,
A singed and swollen bird.
“A little finch flew in my yard with no feathers on his head.
Its tail was gone, it’s body swollen- I’m sure by now it’s dead.”
Her heart was seen deep in her eyes,
Her soul was deeply hurt,
To see that suffering little bird fly through the ash and dirt.
The fire that had come so close to taking all away,
Had spared her, her home, and her mate to share another day.
Why had she been spared to live when so much burned and perished?
Her spirit answered with relief,
To hug and hold those cherished.
The Lord, our God, He is so good
He alone can heal
The wounds the fire left behind that now those spared must feel.
The dust and ash that cover the ground where homes and families once stood,
Are a constant reminder of His grace and that He is so good.
You see the God that leads my life shared with me here today
That he could have taken my mom and dad, but He spared them so He could say,
“My child you are so dear, I sent my only Son,
That if you will believe in Me the battle will be won.
The ash that surrounds you is left for you to see
How truly blessed your life is, now yield it all to Me.
Yes, I am the Lord your God, I wish to heal your hurts.
I alone can take away the pain left in the ash and dirt.
The fire did not consume you, this was no mistake.
Peace and Joy I have for you-all you must do is Take.
When you look around you and see the ashes still,
Remember that I spared you, so you could do My will.
You are my precious daughter, more dear than that little bird,
He chose to share his pain with you so you could hear My word.
My Son was sent so long ago and nailed upon a tree,
Like the little bird you saw, He chose for you to see.
As the green comes through the ash and the dust springs back to life,
Feel My Grace surround you and sustain you through the strife.
Trials will always be there to point your way to Me
Hold My hand and follow Me through all eternity.

Whatever is Admirable

Confession: I am a snob.

Ugh. I am pondering this thought of thinking on things that are admirable and I realize that there are not many things that I can say I admire on this Earth. 

 

When I looked up the definition of admiration I found it means to respect, have warm approval, and to regard with wonder and surprise. 

This one train of thought really reveals my sinful nature... This one confession feels a bit too vulnerable, yet I am going to be honest and truthful anyway. If I need to have my thoughts focus on "whatever is admirable" I need to be careful not to come to the conclusion that nothing is admirable.

I think the really issue is that I see the wonder and miraculous creations in nature to be due admiration. The things that take my breath away do not stir the faintest of emotion in most people around me. As a Christina woman, striving to be a godly woman, I definitely do not admire those who do not have a heart for the Lord. Like them yes. Pray for them, absolutely. Admire them? In a word, no.

This is one of those thought filters that I need to be careful with personally. My strongest short-coming is that I am arrogant.Thank goodness the Lord has vision that sees right through me and can nail this heart issue of mine.

For now, I have to purpose to find things to admire. I have to confess, this is one of the hardest areas of my thought process to crack. 

Things that I regard with wonder and surprise: 

That Jesus found me and still chose to save me...

birds, flowers, and trees...

early morning mist rising off a body of water...

The melodious call of a bird to its mate...

 laughter...

the smell of a cozy hug from a small child...

the love, compassion, and acceptance of my husband...

a child's first year of life...

poganip...

 

 

How about you? 

I bet there you find this one easier than I. 

What do you admire?

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Choices

I am having one of "those" days where every thought in my head is heavy and sad.
I am wrestling with the truth that my thoughts can be held captive. Today, the negative thoughts are stronger than I am, but I refuse to let them win.
You may choose to skip this post, I am writing it to myself in hopes that I can snap out of the funk I find myself swimming in at the moment...

Peace, oh God, will be with me when I put into practice the truths You have recorded for me to remember. I need to take my eyes off my self and my troubled thoughts and place them on the things that I have seen, heard, and received from you, my Lord. I always have the choice to control my thoughts. I can choose today to believe Your truth or the enemies lies. Lord, give my heart the ability to discern between the two.

It is funny, in a not so funny way, how powerfully gifted the "Liar" can be in my life. When I am not marinated in the Love, Grace, Mercy, and Truths of God, I can become easily ensnared by his foulness. I can begin to believe that I am a terrible person and that I can do nothing good in this life...

The amazing thing is that when I look to the Son, truth warms me like the sun peeking out from behind a dark cloud. Truth is, I am a wretch and I have it within my spirit to be a terrible worthless person. The truth is that I cannot do anything good in this life...   ...without His grace and Mercy.

Yes, I may feel defeated, but He is not defeated!

I may feel worthless, but He is never worthless. He who is in me is able to do more than anything I could ever hope or imagine.

As I fix my eyes on Him and filter my thoughts through His I feel my lungs take in more air. I am able to breathe. The weight on my face melts away and I am able to move again, even smile.

Thoughts are powerful. I am thankful that He is able to rule in my life and even reach into the pit of my mind. I am thankful that His words, "Peace, Be still" still resonate today...

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."