Recently, I listened to an experience shared by a friend.  While thinking about what she had told me, the Lord brought this new understanding:

The Believer will hear a story and will marvel at God's glory, grace, providence, discipline...whatever applies.  Eyes will mist over, chills up their spine, goosebumps on their arms, and they know, they just KNOW that what this person speaks is Truth and it, once again, confirms God's presence and love in our world.

The Seeker hears the same story and is not quite sure what to make of it.  They may or may not comment on it, but the experience will be filed away, and will possibly come back around with new understanding should they ever decide to take that step in faith.

The Non-Believer will hear the story and think the person telling it is either seriously deluded or is lying.

Where are you on this spectrum?  I can tell you that I have been all three and I praise God that I can say I was one a Non-Believer who now Believes.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.  I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind, but now I see..."

Assignment: This would be a good week to tell about your worst struggles with a lifestyle of homeschooling.  Tell about something you’ve struggled with and how God’s mercies gave us the strength to get past it.  Also, share any curriculum/homeschool methods that have been a relief to you, i.e., a particular Teacher’s Manual or Homeschooling method that’s been easier for your family.  Talk about how you felt when the burden was lifted and Oh, What a Relief it is.

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Since I am relatively new to homeschooling, I have not encountered struggle to the degree that veteren homeschoolers have.  Right now, as mentioned in the last assignment, the struggle is fitting it all in.  It seems daunting at times, but I am thankful that the Lord led has prepped my heart to the degree that He has to persevere (BTW, 'persevere' is a favorite word in our family), and stick with it.

Having a routine has helped immensely.  But, having a flexible attitude has helped even more.  Here is my ideal agenda; please understand I rarely adhere to it in its entirety, but it is something I work of off daily.

5:30 - 8:00 AM Work at home, online, as a Support Specialist for DH's Interactive Ticketing company
8:00AM - 9:00AM Kids up/ Breakfast/ Morning routine - get dressed, vitamins, brush teeth, make bed (I also try to get dishes taken care of and laundy started)
9:00 - 12:00PM Homeschool - Morning focuses on Bible, Character, Phonics, Handwriting, Reading,, Math (There are alot of breaks for play, phone calls, etc. between items, so this easily takes the whole morning)
Noon - 1PM- Lunch and play (I am also working toward a quiet time as well)
1:00PM - 4:00PM Homeschool -Afternoon focuses on Science, History/Geography, Read Aloud, Spanish (2x/week), Art (1x/week), Art Appreciation (1x/week), Sign Language (1x/week), P.E.
4:00PM -  Get dinner ready
5:00PM - Dinner
5:30PM - Family Time (Walks, biking, movie, etc.)
9:00PM Boys in bed (I am going to get this shifted to 8:30PM as it gets darker)
Errands and chores are accomplished throughout the day, as the opportunity arises.

Two items that have been excellent aids in establishing this routine have been:
Accountable Kids
Motivated Moms
Also, half of my paycheck goes to a housekeeper once a week.  It is totally worth it to me, and I although I still have a good amount to do around the house, it is nice to have this help.

For homeschool organization, I use Sonlight; they have a daily lesson plans already laid out for the items they cover.  I typically follow most of their plan and transfer it to a spiral journal, so I can document everything in one place.

Also, I write on a dry erase board, all of the subjects we cover:
Bible
Phonics
Handwriting
Readers
Spelling
Math
Character
Science
P.E.
History/Geography
read Aloud
Spanish
Sign Language
Art
Art Appreciation
Quiet Time
Vocabulary
Kitchen Skills
Field Trip
Community Service
Playdate

As we accomplish a subject, I erase it.  What is not done that day gets carried over to the next.

One of the things I learned early on is to not be slave to a curriculum or organizational method that is not working for you.  This has really given me the freedom to not feel obligated to stick with something, and to go and find what works for both me and my children. 

John 1:12 "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

Assignment: Take time this week to write about YOU and your feelings of trials and triumphs with homeschooling.  Touch on when you first heard about the concept of home schooling and whether you tip-toed into the idea or just jumped in and never looked back.  Share your schooling as a child and how you compare it to what your goals are for your children.

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My first impression of homeschool was anything but positive.  The only encounters DH and I had with the homeschool world was with a family who lived a very counter-cultural lifestyle to ours, or  a family that had children who socially could not fit into the public school system.  So, based on these two examples, our judgment was formed.

When our first child was born, I was wrapped in the bliss of being a first time, stay-at-home mom.  I would cuddle my little fella and say, "what shall we do today?"  I wanted to find activities that we could do together that would enrich our days.  I began to research online, different things to do.  I kept encountering statements that would say something to the effect, "this would work well for homeschool families."  From these encounters, I was beginning to see that homeschool was not necessarily a reactive action based on the failure to adapt in the "traditional" school environment, but that it was a proactive action; a decision made with much deliberation, and faith.

Once I was able to shake my initial negative perceptions, I began to look at other websites that were dedicated to homeschooling.  I also found myself pregnant with our second child.  The many nights staying up with small children gave me the time to read and learn and grow and discover that this is what God had planned for our family.  Now if only He could convince DH. 
(A couple years later, He did!)

Goals for my children:  

• That they grow to become the men God intends them to be, and that we, as a family, will be able to discern what that is
• That they love learning and that the thirst for knowledge is never extinguished
• That they realize that they are not the only ones on this earth and that they are in a position of privilege and with that privilege comes the responsibility to care for others
• That they will create a similar legacy with their own children, as God calls them to

Trials and Triumphs:

Trials-

• Trying to get it all accomplished (school, household duties, fun, exercise, etc.)
• Forgetting God in the process.  I need to go to Him first with everything, yet that is not what I always do.
• Trusting God that this is what I am supposed to be doing.  The last thing I want to do is mess up my children.

Triumphs-

• The overwhelming knowlege that this is what I am supposed to do.  When the little doubts creep in, God provides the support and comfort in acknowledgement that I am heeding His call
• Seeing the kids grasp a new concept and their own excitement at knowing they "got it".
• Being able to correct their behavior at the moment it occurs and not hearing about it later.  At the same time, they hold me accountable with my own behavior.
• The classroom is not limited to four walls.  We learn anywhere, everywhere.

Share your favorite scripture in your post. (one of many)
Matthew 22:37-39
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

My grandmother unfortunately developed a form of dementia about three years ago.  She was very close to death then, but miraculously rebounded.  This is a song (just lyrics) I wrote back then, when we thought she was passing on...

Welcome Home
I was born and placed in the loving arms of my mother.
Wrapped up tight with tender care.
Daddy raised his hands to the sky ,
And said "Thank you Father, for blessing us with this child here".

They took me to a place full of warmth and light,
A place where joy resides,
Full of family and friends,
It's where life begins,
I could hear them say, "Welcome Home".

(chorus)
Welcome home, welcome home
We're so glad that you are home.
We've been waiting for you for so long.
You are welcomed you are loved,
Sent from heaven above,
We are here to say ,"Welcome Home".

I grew up and fell into the arms of my beloved
We became a married pair.
We spoke promises to one another,
'Til death do us part, we'd be there.

We purchased a small place,
Full of warmth and light,
A place where love resides,
Tiny feet came running in at school's day end,
They could hear us say, "welcome home."

(chorus)

(Bridge)
Seasons change throughout the years,
Bringing new life and hope.
Although our seasons come to an end,
In Christ, we are reborn.

I died, and was greeted by the arms of my Savior.
My flesh and soul lay bare.
He looked at my life, and He gave me smile, and said,
"Child, you have served me well."
He took me to a place full of warmth and light,
A place where peace resides.
Full of family and friends,
It's where new life begins,
I could hear Him say, "Welcome Home."

"Welcome home, welcome home,
I'm so glad that you are home.
I've been waiting for you for so long.
You are welcomed, you are loved,
You are my precious one,
I am here to say, 'Welcome Home'."

I am here to welcome you home...

OK, so I have fallen hopelessly behind on these assignments, but rather than give up, I will re-start now with assigment #20.

Our assignment this week is to blog from our "hearts" the details behind our choice to homeschool.  We are encouraged to write out our educational philosophy, our general teaching approach/method, and if we have a homeschool name.

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My initial understanding of what the homeschool world was that everyone was odd, anti-social, not able to make it in the real school system, and/or had behavioral , social or learning disabilities.

When my first son was born, I looked at this precious little bundle and said, "how am I going to fill up our days together?"  I wanted to enrich him in some way, but did not know what to do.

We were living in Seattle at the time and were researching other areas.  The Seattle school district is pretty poor and it was important to us that we either enrolled out children into private school or find a better public school system.  Since we were not in a position to pay for a private school, moving was our option.

I pored over the school scores in our region and was pleased to find that the area that we now live in ranks quite high.  This was a big factor in why we chose to move here.

I also began surfing the internet for activities I could do with my baby.  Websites I discovered kept mentioning how this activity would work well with homeschoolers.  I kept running across this term and became curious.

At the same time, I was also growing in my faith, and began to discover the belief of "training up your child", and how parents are able to provide a strong, solid foundation for their children through homeschool.

I began to realize that there is a whole world out there full of proactive, responsible parents who have their child's best interest in mind when they choose to homeschool, and not a reaction to their child not "making it" in the school system like I thought.  Once I was able to wrap my head around this, I became even more curious about it.  This soon became a passion that God had laid on my heart and I really felt that this was something we needed to consider for our children.

Well, DH was not so keen on the idea.  His initial concept was similar to my original one.  He was concerned about the fear of raising social misfits or outcasts.  I did not know what to do, so I just began to pray to God to either make it clear to me that homeschool was not for us, or to make it clear to him that it was.

I spent about a year just researching.  I checked out all the books I could at the library, copied my favorite parts into a notebook, surfed the itnernet and bookmarked over 100 sites for future reference.  I learned about different educational approaches,  terms, and philosophies.  I learned that there is no one way to teach, and no one way to learn.  This was super hard for me to accept because what I initially wanted was a cookie-cutter process, and that proved elusive.

I suggested to my DH the possiblity of homeschooling preschool.  He agreed, I think, for two reasons:

1. Preschool is expensive, and with two little boys by this time, budgeting for preschool would not be fun.
2. Really, how bad could I screw our kids up with preschool?

But, he made it clear that it was just for preschool.

When 'A' was around 18 months, I began very simple, loosely structured activities.  I relied on letterofthe week.com, our public library's "Book to Grow On",  Starfall, and then, when they were a little older, "Before Five in a Row".

I loved teaching my boys.  For the first time ever, I felt like I knew exactly why God placed me on this earth.  I have never felt such purpose or passion for something, as I do for homeschooling.  I decided to continue to pursue my own education in the homeschool world and enrolled in a homeschool course by Barb Shelton.  This course meets the requirements set by Washington state to homeschool.  Barb really helped me cement my conviction and confidence to homeschool, and also taught me how to create a "lifestyle of learning" environment for my children.  I learned to homeschool, and not to have "school at home", (there is a big difference.)

I started to do a little bit of "lapbooking", but discovered that it is not much fun (and not too educational) when I am the one doing most of the work.  We were able to complete two lapbooks, but this has been shelved until they are old enough to do it on their own.  The great thing about homeschooling is you can shelve something that does not work for you, and move on to something that does.

We finished 'Before Five in a Row' and moved on to "Little Hands to Heaven".  By this time, I had become enthralled with the Charlotte Mason approach, as well as the Sonlight curriculum.  I loved the philosophy that Charlotte Mason embodies, and I loved the literature rich environment of Sonlight.  I felt confident that a combination of these two would create a well balanced, cuturally rich education for my boys.  I was excited about this prospect, but would not go any further without my husband's blessing.

Late January, while vacationing on Maui, God created some incredible interactions with DH and strangers that, I think, helped shift his thinking about homeschool.  Then, in July, he gave me his blessing to continue homeschool, and take it "one year at a time."  He said that what he has witnessed to date has been incredible and feels much more confident that this is what is right for our family as well.

It's funny, but what was so alien to me a couple of years ago is now so normal.  I now cannot even comprehend the idea of placing my boys into a traditional school setting.   I am occasionally stunned when I receive a negative comment about homeschool and am placed in a position where I have to defend myself.  Fortunately, I am in a community and area that has a strong homeschool support system, and for the most part, Washington state is pretty supportive as well.  I am also blessed to have a family where some whole-heartedly agree with our choice, and those who do not quite undertand it or agree with it, trust our judgment as parents to make the right choice for our children.

I guess I have kind of answered the "how" we came to homechool, but not really the "why".  The "why" is a much longer answer.  I guess, for that, I will refer you to my Book Review link, and Soft Answers to Hard Questions.

If you have made it this far, thank you.  You really do love me! :)

Oh yes, and our homeschool name is 'Riverbend Prep', named after our neighborhood.

(This is what I wrote for our February MOPS newletter)

I just returned from a three week vacation with my husband and two boys.  The bonus to a vacation in Hawaii is the two hour time change.  I would wake up between four and five in the morning, ready to take on the day.  Since everyone else was still asleep, I was able to really spend some quality quiet time in Bible study, prayer, and reading.  My husband would join me around six AM and we would do a Bible study together, titled, “21 Days to Healthy Habits for your Family”, until the boys woke an hour later.

I would sit on the lanai and watch the sunrise, while listening to the waves and the variety of Hawaiian birds.   My heart was bursting with joy and gratitude for the blessings that each morning brought.  Sounds idyllic, right?

Then we returned home.

Now, instead of bounding out of bed ahead of schedule, I am dragging myself.  I feel like I am exhausted for a good part of the day.  And I come home to conflict.  Lots of it.  With my own spouse.  Among my family members.  Among my friends.  Top major health issues with some loved ones, a nasty bout of PMS, (something that did not exist for me until this past year) and I am at the point that I just want to hop back on the next plane back to my little happy place in the sun.

I was at a breaking point this past Sunday.  I was debating whether I should go to church because I knew that if anyone looked at me and saw through the smile, I would be a blubbering mess.  (Someone did.  I was.)

Guess what the service was about that day?  C-O-N-F-L-I-C-T

At that point, I had to decide, do I leave and not hear what I know will be hard to hear, or do I stay and listen to what I know God wants me to learn, (and hold me accountable for my part in the conflict, something I was not thrilled with)?

I stayed, and I want to share with you what our pastor, John, shared with us.  I encourage you to look up the scripture references for deeper understanding and application.  I assume that others beside myself have to deal with conflict and hope that this will help you as it did me.

“The Great Race: The Value of Conflict”

11 Timothy 2:14-26

Today’s Key Truth:  Healthy conflict can be your best friend and unhealthy conflict can be your worst enemy.

 John quoted from Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott that, “the road to intimacy in marriage is paved in conflict.  It leads to greater levels of understanding.”

(Riiiiiiiight……not feeling too understood or intimate at this time, John…<note heavy sarcastic undertone>)

Then, he introduces that concept of “healthy conflict”.  Who knew there was such a thing?  As someone who avoids conflict like a plague, I never hang around long enough to decipher whether conflict can be healthy or not.

Healthy conflict flows from healthy Identity, an identity rooted in Christ.  If you know who you are a Christ sees you, and can really believe that, then insecurities and self-esteem issues dissipate.

Healthy conflict flows from healthy Motives.   Being at peace together.

Healthy conflict flows from healthy Habits.  How many of us have healthy habits of communicating, listening, the use of tone in our voice?  How many of us had healthy role models for these habits while growing up?

Healthy conflict flows from healthy Trust.

John encouraged us to do a Conflict Assessment, rating how we are doing.  For the really courageous, he encouraged us to do it with our spouse…

*Rate yourself and your partner on a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (great)

I would rate my listening skills during conflict as a ___________

I would rate my partner’s listening skills in conflict as a _________

I avoid harsh and harmful words and speak with grace in conflict______

My partner avoids harsh and harmful words and speaks with grace in conflict____

I work hard to resolve a conflict and avoid giving up until it is resolved well____

My partner works hard to resolve a conflict and avoids giving up until it is resolved well_____

I am able to be honest and express my thoughts and feelings______

My partner is honest and expresses their thoughts and feelings_______

I do not hold grudges and forgive well________

My partner does not hold grudges and forgives well________

My best asset in conflict is___________

One thing I need to work to handle conflict better is__________

 CCC Top Ten Tips for Healthy Conflict by John Jenks

Conflict in the church is a dangerous reality that can hurt and discourage people.  When it is unhealthy conflict it can become habitual and cripple a church.  Conflict can also be an opportunity to experience new levels of positive community and ministry.   Sometimes the road to intimacy and love is paved with healthy conflict.  But it’s not always easy!  Even healthy conflict can be difficult to experience, but it can be valuable.  It takes real discernment to not “make mountains out of molehills, or molehills out of mountains.”  Sometimes we avoid conflict when we should enter into the hard work of wrestling through difficult issues with each other.  At other times we need to let things go and not worry about the small stuff.  We need to live in obedience to the priority of love, harmony, and community even as we wrestle with inevitable relational challenges with each other.  Each of us needs to take the needed and biblical responsibility to do everything we can to live in harmony with others in God’s family. (Romans 12:18)  As we grow in our own personal, spiritual, and emotional health we increase our potential to engage in all levels of conflict, from the casual disagreement to experiences of intense discord with others.

1. Remember: Healthy conflict can be your best friend and unhealthy conflict can be your worst enemy (II Timothy 2:14-26)
2. Live with realistic expectations. (Philippians 4:1-3.  Some conflict in the church is inevitable.  In any church, no one will agree with everything all the time.  Everyone at various points in their experience in the church will need to respond to something they don’t like or agree with.  Doing this with maturity and a commitment to love others and support the church is vital.
3. Do not “Triangle”. (Matthew 18:15-17)  Go directly, go quickly and go with a reconciling spirit.
4. No slandering or gossip allowed. (1 Peter 2:1, Proverbs 11:13 and 16:28)
5. Major on the majors and minor on the minors (Freedom in Christ), or…”Don’t sweat the small stuff”. (Romans 14)  In essentials-agreement, in the non-essentials-freedom, and in all-love.
6. In the midst of conflict, we will treat each other well: with dignity, kindness, courtesy and respect. (Colossians 3:12, Galatians 5:22)
7. Let’s strive for honesty, with each other and with ourselves.  We need to be honest with each other in our communication.  We also need to be honest with ourselves and recognize that sometimes, “The issue is not really the issue”.  Without honest self evaluation sometimes we can argue about one thing when the real issue is something inside of us that is pushing us towards conflict and fueling our intensity. (Often fear, hurt, insecurity, desire for control, etc…)(Matthew 5:36-37, Romans 12:3 and Psalm 51:6)
8. We will not hold grudges.  We will be people of forgiveness. (Colossians 3:12-14)
9. We will pray for each other (John 17 and Colossians 1:3)
10. We will be committed to loving each other and wishing each other well.  (I Corinthians 13. I John, John 13:34-35, and Ephesians 1:2)

“If Jesus gives us a task or assigns us to a difficult season, every ounce of our experience is meant for our instruction and completion if only we'll let Him finish the work. I fear, however, that we are so attention-deficit that we settle for bearable when beauty is just around the corner.”
-Beth Moore

The past month has been full of personal and community challenges.  We endured the lack of electricity, damage to property, holiday shopping and planning, all while trying to keep the spirit of Christmas alive for ourselves and our children.  

I came to realize that I was trying to take on the challenges by myself and not looking to God for reassurance, peace, and balance.  I am embarrassed to admit I found myself too often using curse words in my head instead of praising God for His blessings and surrendering all frustrations to Him.

This quote by Beth Moore really convicted me of my “attention deficiency” and lack of trust and faith in Him.  I often choose to run through a fast food restaurant or take-out when I could easily take the time to prepare a simple and healthy meal at home.  I choose to read a magazine when there is a decent chapter of a quality book or a passage of scripture that could be read.  I settle for the bearable when I could have beauty.

January is such a wonderful time to renew our goals and aspirations.  It is a great time to see where we can improve our relationships, whether it is with our children, our spouse, or our Savior.  I look forward to this year and what is in store for us as mothers, MOPS moms, and women.  I look forward to striving for the beauty instead of settling for the bearable.  I know that there is a beautiful life for all of us, even in the times of difficulty and challenge.  The defining factor is how we approach it.

This week's assignment is taking a deeper look into our spiritual lives and the warfare that we are individually facing.  I'd like everyone to seriously think and then blog about a situation in your life where you know that the enemy is attacking you and challenging your spiritual growth.  What area in your life are you feeling burdened or challenged?  The purpose of the assignment is to use this as a tool to arm ourselves better for this battle not to make you uncomfortable.  If this is too personal for you, share an area in your life that you have perservered in a spirtual battle or share your feelings on freedoms in general.
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Here is the response to this assignment.  As I was in prayer over this, I was reminded of something that I had received, or seen, quite a while ago.  I was able to track it down.  This is exactly the area in my life where I feel burdened or challenged.  I am making steps to remedy and am fully aware of it, but have not been able to find that balance yet.  I currently serve a the founding Coordinator (now a Co-Coordinator) for a MOPS group of almost 50 women, I am the leader of a Women's Bible Study for moms with about 23 women, homeschooling my boys, being a wife, mother, friend, housekeeper, etc.  I can do it all, but I cannot do it all well, nor can I sustain the pace I have set for myself.

I am stepping down from the Bible Study leader position at the end of the year.  I have already found two women who will take over.  I also am making this my last year as a Coordinator in MOPS (it's my 3rd year, the first year being spent building the program), which will end in June.  I know that homeschool is where God wants me and I am fully convicted that my home needs to be my primary mission field in this season of my life.

Are you B-U-S-Y?

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.
In his opening address he said,
"We can't keep Christians from going to church."
"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth."
"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their savior."
"Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken."
"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.."
"This is what I want you to do," said the devil: "Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.
"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered.
"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."
"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."
"Keep them from spending time with their children."
"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"
"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."
"Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive."
"To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly"
"This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."
"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."
"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."
"Invade their driving moments with billboards."
"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.."
"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. "
"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."
"Give them headaches too! "
"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."
"That will fragment their families quickly!"
"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas."
"Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death."
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."
"Have them return from their recreation exhausted."
"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead."
"Keep them busy, busy, busy!"
"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."
"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus."
"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."
"It will work!"
"It will work!"
It was quite a plan! The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.
Having little time for their God or their families.
Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.
I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?
You be the judge!!!!!
Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

As I enter this holiday season, I am conscious of keeping my heart full of thanksgiving and gratitude for all the blessings in my life.  I have been praying for God to help me find (and acknowledge) the everyday blessings, the ones we tend to take for granted.  Guess what He brought into my path?  Pine needles!

Pine needles?  You mean those nasty little things that infiltrate every surface of my home?  Never mind their place all over my floors.  Let’s talk about how they manage to find their way into my bed, onto my dining table, socks, sleepwear, window sills, cat food dishes, etc.

How in the world can pine needles be a blessing?

Then, I am reminded of the days before kids.  The days where hubby and I were living the ultimate DINK (double-income, no kids) lifestyle.  We had a fabulous apartment in Belltown.  We had our own gym on the ground floor, complete with swimming pool and Jacuzzi.  We had a covered parking stall in a secure garage for the car we never drove.  We walked to work and walked to all the cool, trendy restaurants downtown.  We had a social circle of friends that meant late nights and good times.

Then, I am reminded of the feelings of claustrophobia I would feel while living downtown.  I would look all around and see high-rises, cars, and masses of people who avoided eye contact, never smiling (unless they are talking to someone on their cell phone).  I can remember the taste in the back of my throat of the exhaust fumes and pollution that was ever present on the streets, and in our apartment.  

I can also remember the total lack of nature.  If I wanted to find a tree, or grass, I needed to go into one of the bordering neighborhoods and find a park. All the fine restaurants and culture that the city provided has nothing on the single perfection of the pine needle.  

The fact that I have a home, in the woods, that affords me the opportunity to sweep out pine needles everyday, what a blessing!  To be within a few minutes of lakes, hiking trails, the river, and to be able to raise my boys surrounded by this natural beauty, let alone a circle of friends that have transcended the social and have introduced me to what real friendship is, I would not trade this life for our old one for anything!  Yay, pine needles!

Now, what is your pine needle?  What everyday “thing” are you thankful for?  

Blogger Friend School ~ Assignment #5

"Getting into the Spirit"

Our assignment this week, is to blog about "Getting into the Spirit".  I would like everyone to cover 3 areas in their posts:

1. Share your family traditions for Christmas and/or Advent
2. List 10 ways that you can prepare for the season
3. Post a scripture that will help you "Get into the Spirit"

1.  We travel interstate quite a bit during the holidays.  Our celebration begins about two weeks prior and does not let up until New Year weekend.   Our anniversary and 'A's birthday is also in December, so it is one festive month!

Our traditions include:

• One present on Christmas eve.  It is always a new pair of PJs to wear that night.
• We cut our own tree at a local tree farm.
• We have not done stockings yet, but will probably begin this year.
• Participate in Operation Christmas Child
• Participate in a giving tree
• We have not started this yet, but would like to.  Have a "Birthday Party" for Jesus.
• Make a gingerbread house
• When the boys are older, I would like to do what my mom did with us.  She would start a holiday puzzle about two weeks prior and we would work as a family to complete it by Christmas.
• DH and I do not buy things for each other.  We head to Maui trip in January.  We will then buy a few things there.

2) 10 ways to prepare for the season

1. Pray for peace of mind and balance
2. Read the Christmas Story from the Bible often
3. Make a list early and try to have shopping for gifts completed in November
4. Play Christmas music
5. Burn scented candles
6. Enjoy the lights of the season.  Drive through neighborhoods at night.
7. Drink hot cocoa (with peppermint)  instead of coffee
8. Keep your heart full of love and gratitude
9. Start getting ideas for menus, look through magazine, cookbooks
10. Get out the decorations

3) Scripture that will help you get "into the Spirit"

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."  Matthew 1:21

Lori, aka Slacker Mom, asked about the homeschool qualifying course I was taking, and if it was required or extra.

In Washington state, you are required to meet one of the four criteria:

1) be supervised by a certified teacher

2)have 45 college quarter credit hours

3) complete a course in home education

4) be deemed qualified by the local superintendent

I do not have a college degree, but I am pretty certain I have 45 credits.  With that being said, I still chose to enroll in a homeschool qualification course for the benefit of myself and my children.

I chose to do an "at home" course.  It is much more time and labor intensive than the other courses available (there are courses you can take over a couple of weekends), but it also incorporates the Christian viewpoint of homsechooling as a part of raising and training up your child, and not just the specific logistics of homeschooling in Washington.

The course is from Homeschool Oasis, by speaker and homeschool veteran, Barb Shelton.  It is self paced.  I began the course in February, and will probably complete it by the end of the year.  I would recommend it for anyone, not just those in Washington state.  It covers a ton of territory, and I am emerging from this course with complete confidence and conviction that what we are doing is right and the will of God for our family.

Intro:  My name is Leigh.  I am a SAHM of two boys, ages 3 and 2, and married to DH for almost 12 years.  I homeschool, serve as our church's MOPS Coordinator, and lead a Women's Bible Study for moms.

I am currently enrolled in a Homeschool qualifying course for the state of Washington.  It has really helped me to understand why I am doing what I am doing, and have the confidence and conviction to continue.

I decided to blog to keep my thoughts organized.  This homeschool world is so diverse that I needed a place to sort and record and figure out what is right for our family.  Also, when I feel discouraged, I like to look back and see how much we have accomplished.

Here is my "Dream House" (more or less)

I love:

Covered porches

Master on main floor (I prefer one level, but I also like the look of dormer windows)

I love the look of cottages and farmhouses

I would love a large rec room that would double as a school room and also have an office for DH

I would like a master suite, a large room for the boys to share, and two guest rooms (one to be for when the boys are older and want their own space)

I took this quiz and it looks like my beliefs fall under:
Conservative Christian/Protestant

This is what the quiz says about this belief system.  My personal notes are in blue. I am a bit surprised, as I come from a n seeker background, dabbling all over, and would now consider myself a liberal Christian.   Let's see how much in alignment the results are:

Also sometimes referred to as traditionalist, orthodox, fundamentalist, or evangelical. This is an umbrella term for Protestant denominations, or churches within denominations, which are Bible-centered, viewing the Holy Bible as the final and only authority, the inerrant Word of God, interpreted literally as law. There are more than 2,000 Protestant denominations offering a wide range of beliefs, from extremely liberal to mainline to ultra-conservative, and those that include characteristics on both ends. Examples include some churches within Pentecostal, Southern Baptist, fundamentalist, evangelical, Lutheran, etc. Anglican/Episcopalian is often regarded as a "bridge" denomination between Roman Catholic and Protestant.

We are members of a Covenant church, which is a branch off of the Lutheran denomination.

•	Belief in Deity Most Conservative Protestants believe God is incorporeal, omnipresent spirit--a Trinity of the Father (God), the Son (Christ), and the Holy Spirit that comprises one God Almighty.  I completely believe
•	Incarnations Jesus Christ is God's only incarnation. He is the Son of God and God, both fully divine and fully human, part of the Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which comprises one God Almighty. I completely believe
•	Origin of Universe and Life The biblical book of Genesis is inerrant. God created the universe and all life forms from nothing in less than 7 days, less than 10,000 years ago--not as revealed by modern science. Many resolve the conflict between scientific evidence and the book of Genesis with the contention that God created the appearance of evolution (perhaps as a test of faith), or that scientific evidence is faulty.  I believe that the Bible is Truth, but am open to the possibility that the multiple translations through the years may have altered the original text.  So, I don't really know if God created everything in 7 24-hour periods (I do believe He is capable of it), or if it was much longer.
•	After Death Saved souls experience the bliss of heaven and unsaved souls the torture of hell. On Judgment Day, Jesus Christ will resurrect the dead, reunite body and soul, and judge each for eternity in heaven, or on a restored, paradisiacal earth, or in hell. Some believe the souls of the dead will remain "asleep" until the resurrection and final judgment. I do believe that there is a heaven, but do not know what it will be like.  My aunt read, "to grasp the concept of heaven and hell, imagine the most beautiful places on earth.  These are the least beautiful spots in heaven.  Imagine the most terrible places on earth.  These are the nicest spots in hell."  I also read that even though we don't really know what heaven and hell are like, the truth is that heaven is reunion with our Creator, and hell is separation from Him.
•	Why Evil? The original sin of Adam and Eve caused all to inherit sinfulness. Some Conservative Protestants believe that only relatively few people will be saved. The work and influence of Satan prevail among the unsaved and/or those who lack complete faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.   I am unsure between the work of Satan versus the work of God for lesson, or discipline.  I do believe that suffering helps us to draw closer to God, and that through our trials, we emerge a stronger character.  But, what it the work of Satan , trying to pull us from God, and what is the work of God, as a aprt of His master plan?
•	Salvation Salvation is granted by the grace of God alone, through faith in Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior--not through "works" such as moral behavior, good deeds, and generally not through sacraments. Totally agree.  Some believe that once saved, or born again, always saved. I think that even though you are saved, you will still be held accountable for your deeds. Many Conservative Protestants regard baptism, when performed, as a practice for adult believers, rather than infants/children, as it is not considered a sacrament for salvation but an act of commitment to the fellowship. I totally agree.  However, some churches do regard certain sacraments as very important components on the path to salvation (e.g. Evangelical Lutheran Church of America), including infant baptism, regarding baptism as a miracle from God that creates faith in the heart. Some Protestants regard baptism as a washing away of sin, which may be repeated. Among most, confession/repentance is considered personal, between the individual and God, unless a public sin is involved, and confession to a pastor, when offered, is optional. Agree. Some use exorcism to remove indwelling evil spirits. Not familiar with this. Pentecostalists believe that speaking in tongues is a gift from God as evidence of having been born again, and some regard it as the only evidence of having been born again. Not familiar with this.  Preaching the gospel, the Word of God, is often regarded as a means for building faith in Christ. Absolutely
•	Undeserved Suffering Some suffering is caused by the inheritance of mortality originating from Adam and Eve's disobedience to God, which includes vulnerability to illness and disease. I believe this Also, Satan rules the earth, causing pain and suffering. Not sure about Satan ruling the earth, but I do believe that he does cause some suffering and temptation. Many believe that suffering is God's design to test, teach, or strengthen belief in Him;I do believe in this. the greater the suffering of innocent believers, the greater will be their reward after life. I don't believe this
•	Contemporary Issues Abortion is considered murder. I agree, but I do not judge others on this. IT IS NOT MY PLACE TO JUDGE.   In the ideal world and if all were believers of Jesus, this would not be an issue.  But this is not an ideal world, and decisions are made outside of this belief.  I have friends who have had abortion and suffer with regret years later.  I have friends who have had abortion, who regret later, and have been forgiven through Jesus and feel that peace.  I have friends who have had abortion, who are not Christian, and feel no regret or remorse.  They think it was the best decision for them at that time.  When I was not a Christian, I could rationalize and justify abortion with the best of them, but now, knowing God's plan and purpose for us, I no longer see how abortion is a viable option.  I believe that no matter the circumstance, God's hand is in this and through him, other options can be made.  Positions among denominations on divorce vary from unacceptability of divorce and remarriage to acceptance of divorce in certain situations and remarriage. I believe in the sanctity of marriage and that a healthy marriage can be created through Christ.  But I also believe in acceptance of divorce in certain situations and remarriage.

I found this on Lindafay's blog.  It is a good reminder for me and for others, too, I am sure...

"When you become outraged over a person's fault, it is generally not "righteous indignation" but your own impatient personality expressing itself. Here is the imperfect pointing a finger at the imperfect. The more you selfishly love yourself, the more critical you will be. Self-love cannot forgive the self-love it discovers in others. Nothing is so offensive to a haughty, conceited heart as the sight of another one.

God's love, however, is full of consideration, patience, and tenderness. It leads people out of their weakness and sin one step at a time."

--Francois Fenelon, The Seeking Heart

Last night, I spent the evening with some friends.  When I returned home, DH was completing dinner with the boys.  I decided to take a bath and he continued to play with the boys, then get them ready for bed.

As I was enjoying my bath, I could hear them all playing with the new "Batman and Superman" toys.  DH was completely immersed in the role-playing of the villains, while the boys were the heroes.

I love it that DH is so good at this type of play.  Not only that, but he enjoys it as well.  Whereas I prefer to do things like reading, and art activities, hiking, etc..  But when it comes to imaginative play, I flounder.

I am so thankful that I have a DH who can feed their imaginations like this.