Memory Verse:  Psalms 55:22 - Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

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!

Good mornin, Homeschool Moms! (to the tune of "Good Mornin, Vietnam!")

Hey everyone!  Well?  I've rolled up my sleeves and pant legs and am all ready to "jump" into this assignment!  Here is a typical morning for this early in the homeschool season:

7:00am - alarm wakes me up and I hit snooze

7:20am - snooze gets me outta bed and I head for the bathroom through squinted vision (I wear my contact lenses to bed and my eyes are in desperate need of MOISTURE right now!)

7:30am - I attempt to wake up my 11-1/2 year old zombie baby then go downstairs for my IV of caffeine!

8:00am - I resort to tickling my daughter to get her outta bed.  (Now at this point, I don't know if she will wake up in a good or bad mood!)

8:05am - Good or bad mood, we go downstairs for prayer, devotions (sets the tone for the rest of the day), and she fixes her own breakfast most the time.

8:30am - I've already prepared her schoolwork assignments the week before and she has her books lined up and ready to begin as I go into the next room for my personal Beth Moore Bible Study.  I turn the computer on to play my downloaded music selections of Integrity music, Selah, Mercy Me... then gradually increase the tempos to Kutless, Barlow Girl, and Jeremy Camp.  Next, (hopefully) we're REALLY making way through the school work and jump the beat up to Super Chick and more Barlow Girl (bgwannabe... get it?)

10am - If I want to keep things running smoothly, I fix her a little snack to keep up the energy and keep her from rummaging through the kitchen, wasting precious time.

12:00pm - lunch!  Usually, she's not very far behind on finishing up and we eat together.  I take this time to go over any difficulties she's having, sometimes grading her day's work right then and there... but NO TV!!!

12:30-1:00pm - after the "feeding of my beast" (spoken with love now!)... the rest of the day's work flies by much easier which also gives me an atmosphere of peace to grade all that day's work and prepare for the next day. 

I've always been very honest and upfront with my children and as far as homeschooling goes, I've explained that this will NOT be a walk in the park, sleep all day, play the rest of the day... this is work.  I live by the "work before play" motto and teach her the values I grew up with from my mother.  She's old enough now to understand that there will be either consequences or rewards for the choices she makes in her zealous work getting done, laziness in work NOT getting done, and ALWAYS a great attitude and organization bringing forth great grades! 

Being an unemployed, single stay at home mother of a home schooled daughter, brings many challenges not only to the education I am held accountable for in teaching her, but the patience fluctuation levels that she sees me example to her from my own personal Christian walk and life with Christ.  It's not so much what we "tell" our children, as it is what we "show" our children.  I want to be pleasing to God and to have my children call me blessed one day.

When my daughter checks in on me and asks me to sit out on the porch swing with her while she reads.... this is the time my heart sings "oh what a relief the school work is done"!  She is currently reading the "Lily Series" of books and then we will begin the "Left Behind" series for children.

Once school work is done, then housework... I've added "life skills" to her agenda which simply means she and I play in the kitchen, the sewing room, the craft room, and the garden!  Thus, ending each day on a good note, enjoying each other's company, and the sense of accomplishment on work well done! 

Picture ideas: That never ending, hard to keep clean closet (shelves), the children doing school work you didn’t know if they would ever get a grasp on, your schedule or organizer with plans for the day

Share your favorite scripture and don’t forget the Memory Verse above.

You may use this graphic for all your Assignments.

In "Oklahoma", you've heard the song "Oh, What a Beautiful Feeling...." well?  Coming from MY entry, you'll hear this song today!  Beautiful feelings, great memories, and many sentimental feelings when I remember back to when I "HAD" to get my education!  I am the oldest of three and we were raised so far back in the woods of Jacksonville, FL SOOOOOOO many moons ago, that we burned our own property off for a college duplex dorn (our home) to be set in the middle of this remote setting!  We three had to walk 3/4 mile JUST TO THE BUS STOP, ride for 35 extremely B U M P Y minutes down the longest dirt rut road that was ever carved in the U.S., and then spend the rest of the day in school.  Now, back in the "old school", we had laws that just do not exist in public schools (where I am living presently, anyway!).  Laws such as respect, obedience, speaking WHEN spoken to, safety patrol boys/girls, work before play, and... oh yes!  DISCIPLINE at the Principal's office!  Our principal hung this tree-carved paddle with holes drilled throughout it on his door, meant to scare the padoodles out of you if you EVEN walked into his dark and dreaded chambers!!!  

Ok, sorry... back to my entry:  my childhood school years were great!  I was teacher's pet for all of my elementary years as well as the tallest human being God ever created to attend school!  The "pet years" faded in middle and high school, but the height kept on!   I definitely stood out!  The problem?  I didn't WANT to be noticed!  I was the kid who sat in the BACK of every class, cause I witnessed just how cruel and mean other kids can be behind your back!  So, by sitting  in the very back, against the wall, no one could mess with me without my knowing.  The next problem?  I soon realized "bad" kids sat in the back as well!  I learned to adjust by being quiet in school and then come to my freedom haven, called home, and be "me".

Having said all of that, this laid part of the foundation in my desire to homeschool my own children.  Now, mix that with the blessing of being around your children ALL day long, being responsible for ALL of their education, habits (good and bad), personality development, interests, hobbies, etc?  OH YEAH!  My mom always told me since I understood the formation of sounds into words... that I'd be a good mother and wife one day.  So I can tell you that since my now 25 year old son was born, I've wanted to homeschool!  However, up until 2 years ago, I've never had that blessed opportunity.  Being a single mom most all of my children's lives, I've had to work! 

I became unemployed 2-1/2 years ago and worried myself to pieces.  God used that time to grow me in ways I honestly didn't think He'd want to invest in me!  The voids in my life were soon filled with prayer, my best bud (Wawa), prayer, Bible Studies, prayer, church, more Bible Studies!  I still didn't find employment that was permanent, but last year I figured I'd give the homeschooling a shot.  I talked it over with my then 10 year old daughter, telling her what to expect and not expect, and that until I got a job, we'd commit to it.  Ladies... it was one of the best top-10 decisions I feel I ever made!  I had a HUGE diamond in the rough... but even through those tough times, it felt like I was doing the right thing.  It completed me!  

Here we are THIS year... still with no permanent job, but you know what?  I've seen that God isn't so good after all... HE IS GREAT!!!!!!!  He has blessed me in unexpected and surprising ways to maintain my bills getting paid!  My daughter actually LOOKED FORWARD to homeschool again this year!  God blessed me with a friend who has 8 children... and MY DAUGHTER fell in between the ones in the end of her child bearing years so that I could borrow her books for FREE!!!!  (If you learn anything about me at all, you'll see I go crazy over frugal living!)  That, and many other signs, were confirmation for me to continue homeschooling.  The income I am trying and praying over is my sewing and wood-working.  I'm not even making enough to go to the movies once a month with my daughter, but I "AM" surviving!  I may have it tough here... but I read how tough Paul had it in the Bible... and I shut my mouth!  GOD IS GREAT!!!!!!!   

So my goals for my daughter?  To continue bringing her up in the constant daily life of how I feel and believe God wants all of our children to be brought up according to His Word, in this very cruel, mean, and hateful world.  She doesn't have to hear how fat or ugly she is by mean peers, or have someone ridicule her at PE because she's not as good as they think she should be!  No sir, not at all!  She is told by me, her teacher, her principal, her mother... that she is one of the five most beautiful things God has EVER created (one is my mom, my two other children, and my closest friend Wawa).  Not only is she beautiful, she is intelligent, creative, funny, and godly.  Her physical abilities?  She's not the "atheletic" type as we know it, but she is coached by me to "keep going", "great job", "that a girl", "you're getting there now"...!  Which brings me to my favorite Bible verse since I was like 12 years old:  "I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and pressing  toward the prize of the high calling of God, which is in Christ Jesus" Philippians 3:13, 14.

Thank you for reading my entry (those of you who made it all the way through, anyway).  It has helped to regenerate a few of those good childhood feelings to share with my daughter tonight!  God bless, and please hold us in your prayers for the obvious spiritual warfare we are all in, and for the financial challenges God is refining me for!