Nov. 27, 2009 - Strength's Based Living! Change Your Life!
Strength's Based Living!
Mary with Linda Werner at the FPEA State Homeschool ConventionIn his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Loosely based on Romans 12:6-9
Last May I heard Linda Werner speak at our convention on Strength's Defined and it has truly changed my life. Six month’s later and I am even more in love with the heart of this message. Strength’s Defined was an introduction to Strength’s based living.
Strength’s Based living is all about being purposeful with those talents God has given you. It talks about stepping back and looking at who you are, who you really are. Imagine if you quit trying and striving to become something or someone you admired and instead threw yourself passionately into who you already are? Sounds simple doesn’t it? It’s NOT!
Our society has programmed us to think that overcoming our weaknesses is character building. Though I don’t totally disagree with that concept, I do think that we as a society have given that way of thinking too much room in our lives. Overcoming our weakness is all about “striving” and embracing our strength’s is all about “thriving”.
Strength’s based living does not have you ignore your weaknesses, but instead it tells us to manage them. How do I manage mine? I look around me and take note of the people God has put in my life. Most often, those friends who I cherish and adore are strong where I am weak, and so I include them in my management plan. What does that look like? Sometimes they offer words of wisdom, other times they hold me accountable, sometimes they simply listen and pray.
If you’ve noticed I am blogging two days in a row after lots of time off. Last weekend when I spoke to leaders at the "Leadership Tea" I realized that I had been too busy and that I love doing this. Facebook seems to get more attention, because it takes less time and nets lots of immediate feedback, yet it's not the same thing.
Blogging allows me to put thoughts together more completely. I can take my time and process, plot, plan what I want to say. The truth is I've missed it. I have come to learn after 4 1/2 years of blogging that there are seasons when I can and seasons when I can’t. Right now, I am in a downtime schedule wise, and plan to use the next few weeks to catch up and fill my cup through blogging.
If we’re not engaging and embracing those things that fill our cups, energize us, empower us, than our cup runs dry and we begin performing as we try to pour out what we don’t own.
So my Christmas break goal is to share those things I’ve been learning this past six month’s about Strength’s Based Living. I plan to write about my personal experiences because I think real life stories are more powerful than any how-to book.
Not only will I share my triumph’s, but I want to be real and share my hurdles as well. It’s not about getting it right, never making mistakes, but instead this journey is helping me to live out our family motto, “Fall Down, Get Up, Fail Forward, Finish Well.”
Nov. 26, 2009 - I Give Thanks
“And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18
Lord Jesus, I give thanks today for so many things. At the very top of my list I am most thankful that you called to me and I heard your voice. What an incredible honor it is to be your daughter. YOU never forsake or abandon. I thank you that you breathe peace and healing deep into my soul and that I am never a victim, but always victorious because YOU are in my life.
I thank you that when my biological father walked out of my life to begin a new life w/ a new family that you were faithful and gave me an amazing earthly dad to step in and raise me. 
I thank you for my mama. I have so many precious memories. The one that always brings tears to my adult eyes is when I think back to when I was a very young girl and she had just gone through a divorce after her husband had walked out of our lives. She would sit with me while I ate dinner and not eat. I would ask why, and she would tell me that she already had. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized my mom went without, so that I wouldn’t have to. How faithful you were Lord to bring my adoptive dad into her life. I can't imagine it having been any other way!
I thank you for my amazing husband Scott. It seems like yesterday that we were teens working for Publix. Every time they would call the stock boys to the front my heart would beat out of my chest. I can only imagine how nerve wreaking it would have been if I’d known then that we would marry and have four children. (smile) I thank you that he loves me like I’ve never been loved. He believes in me, cheers me on, keeps me safe, protects me, takes care of me and gives his whole life to making sure that I am happy. I pray that I am able to give as much as I get. He is my very best friend and I love him forever.
I thank you for Brandon my first born son. I still remember finding out I was pregnant. I had been married for two years, but was only 21 years old. I loved that child from the very first blue plus sign on the pregnancy test. He has brought his mama so much JOY, so much gladness. Lord, I believe in him and I pray this morning that you would direct and guide every part of his life. May he grow up strong in YOU. May he never favor in his faith and trade the things of heaven for this fleeting life.
I thank you for my Colton. Colton was our second born, but he is our third child. We found out we were expecting exactly three months after a horrible miscarriage. I remember being so scared to get excited or to trust that everything was going to be fine. But little by little, I began to bond with this child as he grew bigger and bigger inside me. He was the only one that I worked full time with and my patients loved him as though he was going to be their grandchild. He was the perfect pregnancy and delivery. I thank you that he was born with learning disabilities because you make no mistakes and that is a part of who He is. It has gotten both of us to your throne and you’ve equipped him in other area’s that blow my typically learning children away. I love his eye for art, his ear for music, his heart for others. I pray that He would always hunger after you.
Lord I thank you for my Seth. Oh this child has a special place in my heart. Once again, I entered into this pregnancy on the heels of another miscarriage. This child came out with his own little personality. Where the first two made me think I had parenting down, this child humbled me and wrapped himself around my heart through lots of learning curves. He is my most academic, but also my most headstrong. I love how much he favors his daddy in personality and looks. I love how he is his mama’s boy. I love how fiercely loyal he is to those he trusts enough to call friend. I love how he loves to snuggle with Scotty and I more than any of the other children and wants to have intellectual discussions about the world around him. 
Lord I thank you for my Jacob. My baby, my Omega. I still remember that my progesterone levels were low and how the doctor thought for sure that I was losing him. I’ll never forget going for that ultra sound. I still smile as I remember Scotty meeting me at the doctors office. He had come from work in his uniform and when I reached out to hold his hand he pretended that I was one of his prisoners and said, “Maam, I need you to keep your hands to yourself please”, “Maam, please don’t make me call back up”. He was so good, so convincing and I can still see those patrons in the waiting room not sure whether to believe him or me. (laughing as I type) It is this exact story that illustrates his sense of humor. It made me forget why we were there. Then when they did finally put that wand to my belly they could hardly keep up with Jacob because he was happily jumping all over the place with a strong little heart beat. Jacob is so much like Brandon. He is sweet and outgoing. He is my most positive child. He loves life and others and never has a bad attitude.
Lord, I thank you for my Grandma. Oh this woman is so very precious to me. She has been my rock through everything. When her son walked out of my life, he walked out of hers too. I became her everything as she threw herself into helping me grow up. (and vice versa) I love how close she is with my mom and that though her son abandoned her she gained a daughter. (to this day) I love the example she is to me. She is such a strong woman. Widowed twice before forty. Went back to school at 40 and earned her Masters degree in education. I still remember her 3rd grade class coming in first place at the Pinellas County economics fair. One of my favorite memories is when I had Brandon and he was only two days old. She came up on a Friday evening after everyone else had gone home and we had girl time. We took Brandon for a walk around the maternity wing, ate dinner together, laughed together, remembered together and bonded together. Lord, you already know my heart. I am so scared that I am going to lose her. As she approaches 90, I want her to live 90 more years. My life will never be the same once she goes home to be with you. 41 years old and I still need my Grandma.
Lord, I thank you for my friends. One of my greatest joys in this life has been the amazing women you’ve brought into it. They inspire me to be my best. They believe in me long before I do. They pray for me and encourage me in my walk with YOU. It overwhelms my heart when we can share and relate on a “girl” level. I am so blessed! 
Lord, I thank you for Kidney Stones....., “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 Don’t ask why I’m including this, but the Lord keeps putting it on my heart. I had been thinking about this over the past week because I’ve been quietly passing another kidney stone on the heels of my big one from a couple of weeks ago. It’s been 31/2 weeks and I am feeling weary and tired. This second one is not as bad as the one that put me in the hospital, but no stone is “easy”. Why am I thankful?
Because it doesn’t let me get too comfortable with my place in this world. It reminds me that heaven is my home and only there will I live a life without any pain or worry. I love kidney stones because I draw closer to you than when things are wonderful. Pain breeds intimacy w/ my Savior and humbles me. I still see your hand of blessing as you’ve given me the greatest doctors and nurses in the whole world. Dr. Morris and his staff always make the experience less scary, no matter how many kidney stones I pass. (Over 20 thus far and still have 8 left) I just adore them and their hearts for others.
Lord, I thank you for Homeschooling. I’m so glad I didn’t know that I was going to homeschool my children when I was a new mama. It might have freaked me out. Now, I cannot imagine “not” homeschooling. What a joy it is to be with my children as they have their “aha” moments. What satisfaction it gives me to be purposeful in their socialization. I love spending time with them. I cannot even imagine my life without the incredible friends I’ve met through this journey? We are a tight knit community and it’s a place where we can come together and support one another.
Lord, I thank you for allowing me to serve in our support group. You give me a place to pour encouragement into other moms. It fills my cup so much more than what I could ever give away. Thank you for the incredible people who I serve with. I love them and cherish the friendships we’ve built. Thank you for the members who’ve prayed for me, encouraged me and loved me through my growing process. It’s all about the relationships. (smile)Lord, I thank you for Time4Learning. YES, I am thankful to our curriculum publisher. Not only was Time4Learning the first curriculum that my children with Processing issue’s could thrive with, but it eventually became a part time career that allows me to use my passions. I thank Time4Learning for hiring me to be one of their freelance writers. I have learned (continue to learn) so much through this experience. It allows me to offer encouragement and I get paid? Life doesn’t get better than that, LOL;-)
I could go on and on, but I need to begin cooking and preparing for a feast-filled, memory-making day. I lift up each of my family members and friends to you this morning and ask that you would capture their hearts to pause and reflect on you. Lord, be with those today who may not have the money to do anything special. I stop this morning and thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such an amazing and incredible God and I adore you Jesus. I know that one day I will close my eyes here and open them there. Thank you for pursuing me with your Holy love....,
For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever...., 1 John 2:17-18
Nov. 24, 2009 - NEA Puts Power Ahead of Kids
It's really no surprise to anyone ever that the NEA was more interested in protecting its power than educating children. What is surprising is that they actually feel confident enough in their power to admit it. Here's the NEA's General Counsel admitting as much in his retirement speech this past summer.
"Despite what some among us would like to believe it is not because of our creative ideas. It is not because of the merit of our positions. It is not because we care about children and it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child. NEA and its affiliates are effective advocates because we have power....
This is not to say that the concern of NEA and its affiliates with closing achievement gaps, reducing dropout rates, improving teacher quality and the like are unimportant or inappropriate. To the contrary. These are the goals that guide the work we do. But they need not and must not be achieved at the expense of due process, employee rights and collective bargaining. That simply is too high a price to pay.
(View YouTube video on this subject here.)
If you're a parent with children in the public schools you can voice your objections here. But the best way to object is by removing your children from their schools. Without your children they have no real power.
In a related story, future teachers in Minnesota are being "reducated" and become "culturally competent"
Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin in order to obtain a teacher certificate.
-Spunky
Cross-posted, with permission, from SpunkyHomeSchool
Nov. 23, 2009 - Lately...
Another long gap between blog posts. I really should get better at this--would like to make it a priority again, but haven't gotten around to it.
In bullet points:
*Getting back into a school routine. Only 8 weeks left of Core 3 Sonlight.
*Last week, my husband had meetings in Grand Rapids. Since he was driving, we got to pack up the school books and go along. The weather was nice.
*Highlight of the trip--my sister and her husband came up for the day. We went to the Grand Rapids Public Museum. It was awesome! A place to go if you're ever in the area.
*Back home, no snow on the ground yet. It is an absolutely gorgeous day today, and the frost patterns on the top of the van this morning were beautiful!
*I'm getting a new camera--an early birthday present. When one's birthday is in January, it makes sense to shop the pre-Christmas sales. I got the camera and memory card both on sale at a price almost as good as Amazon in the States, and I don't have to pay shipping. (It was also less expensive than the same camera in a store in G.R.) I'm very excited about it, as the current camera is getting worse and worse. It should arrive tomorrow. (Perhaps I should plan time in the schedule to figure out how to use it....hmm...)
*Time to call the kids in from the sunny outdoors to get back to the books.
Here are a couple of the latest photos from the old camera. These didn't turn out too badly. I really like the one with the red and gold leaves together.
This one is a farm just on the edge of town--an early morning shot.
Nov. 23, 2009 - Speaking Engagement- Leaders Tea
This past Saturday I was honored to speak to homeschool leaders from all over the Tampa Bay Area. I was so blessed to meet so many precious women.
Alice Paquette, who is a dear friend, partnered with Linda Oberg from Prodigy and together they blew us away with their strong organizational and detail skills. The tea was catered by a very popular tea house called, “Miracles”. There were finger sandwiches, Scones, Chocolate brownies, several types of tea, coffee and bottled water.
The Lord spoke to us from Romans 12 about how He purposefully made His body, His family with different gifts and talents and how when you put us together we make a complete picture. I loved how the leaders participated by sharing those things that energize them and assessing how much they have on their plates of responsibility. I came home energized and “full” of JOY!
Lord, may I never take for granted your gracious heart. Thank you for allowing me to engage in those things that bring me great joy...., Being your daughter, a wife to an amazing man, a mom to incredible sons and homeschooling. You are AMAZING Lord God!
Nov. 22, 2009 - DONE!!!!!
The room is done! There is even some furniture moved in already. It came out great, a little bit smaller than we had hoped for, but GREAT none the less... The whole experience was great! The contractor was super GREAT! The workers were great! The project came in $600 under the proposal so we had some additional work done. Our contractor went out of his way to get us deals. He went two counties away to get us bamboo floors that were sitting in a barn ~ the leftovers of a business that had gone under. We got them for $1 a linear foot ... they retailed for over $5 a linear foot. They are perfect!! He also looked our house over and found a few things that were in desperate need of repair and fixed them for almost no cost. Let's put it this way. Part of our home had to be jacked up because of a failing support beam. He did the job for $76 ~ the cost of the beam and a little extra to pay for his helper. The mess was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be .... So, you all want me to stop carrying on about how great it was and let you see the results for yourselves!?!?
Yay! Well, this is all you are getting right now. The big reveal will be just after Christmas. This year we are giving no toys (except stocking stuffers) so that we can decorate the children's bedrooms. I'll show you all the rooms once we have curtains up and such.
In the meantime we will be painting the rest of this room. We decided to paint the floor insted of refinishing the wood becuase it is so costly if you have a professional do it. My dh has refinished two floors in our home, but it was a really grueling project, and they have not held up as well as we would have expected. So for now we will paint this floor instead. We will need to do all of the trim work and no furniture can go on it for a week.
That is all for now!
Blessings,
Dawn
Nov. 21, 2009 - Blog Not Forgotten
I haven't forgotten my blog, just been busy hanging out on Facebook instead.
Change is in the air ----
Mark has finished Algebra! He ended up with a high B. I am going to have him spend the rest of 2009 reviewing word problems. We will start Jacob's Geometry in January.
Mei finds her LA to be very easy. So we are going to add to it by doing the Total Language Plus study on Courage of Sarah Noble. The spelling is much harder than what she is doing now. It uses some of the kinesthetic methods of learning spelling, so I am curious to see how she does. She will still do the basic grammar, writing, and cursive handwriting from WP's LA3.
We have pretty much dropped Mei's science but will pick it back up in January. She will be learning about weather. Mark has asked to sit in on it.
We will also be finishing the Sea portion of Sea & Sky by Christmas, so the new year will start with Sky.
Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I am doing the ABCs of Thanksgiving on FaceBook. I may post them here after Thanksgiving.
Nov. 20, 2009 - Mary versus Martha--a stunning realization
Most of us, of course, have read the story of Mary and Martha. I think most of us would love to be like Mary, too--but real life calls. I'm sure some are less practical than I am, but really, SOMEBODY had to feed those men--at least 14 of them (Jesus, 12 disciples, Lazarus, and who knows how many besides).
I mean, sitting around, listening to Jesus would be awesome! I would love to be able to just sit and do that. But doesn't someone have to cook a meal?
I have thought this way for years, until yesterday. I was reading "Choosing the Better Part," by Joanne Calderwood, in Home School Enrichment magazine. She just casually referred to this, as it she didn't realize how earth-shattering it was. But what she said was--
Martha did not "have to cook the meal." Who was she cooking for? Jesus--the guy who could feed 5000 people on 2 fish and a little bit of bread! Martha was all caught up in "I've got to provide for everybody," and she totally missed the fact that the provision was not her responsibility, at all.
Not that Jesus couldn't have asked her to feed them. He certainly did use people's gifts, and ate what they served. But He didn't NEED Martha to provide for His needs.
I haven't fully digested all the ways this works itself out, yet. It's clear, though, that this impacts a lot of the stuff I do--it's not me finding the perfect curriculum, or helping out X person, or doing whatever that meets the needs. It's all about Jesus.
Nov. 18, 2009 - Homeschoolers and Health Care
For all my homeschooling friends who think ObamaCare will solve their financial and health insurance woes, think again. It may give you temporary relief for your financial headache, but it may also invite government nannies into your home to improve your child's well-being and health.
HR 3200 that passed the House of Representatives, currently has a provision for funding states that implement a "voluntary" home visitation program for parents with young children or who are expecting. (See Sec. 1904 sec. 440)
The intended purpose is to " improve the well-being, health, and development of children by enabling the establishment and expansion of high quality programs providing voluntary home visitation for families with young children and families expecting children."In America we used to believe that was the role of the parent, but now it's the role of our benevolent and compassionate Uncle Sam. A gaze over the Atlantic will show us exactly where we're headed,
"Health and safety inspectors are to be given unprecedented access to family homes to ensure that parents are protecting their children from household accidents.New guidance drawn up at the request of the Department of Health urges councils and other public sector bodies to “collect data” on properties where children are thought to be at “greatest risk of unintentional injury”.
Council staff will then be tasked with overseeing the installation of safety devices in homes, including smoke alarms, stair gates, hot water temperature restrictors, oven guards and window and door locks.
The draft guidance by a committee at the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has been criticised as intrusive and further evidence of the “creeping nanny state”.
Where are the safety devices for the "creeping nanny" who keeps sticking her nose into our personal lives?
Why homeschoolers support this bill or President Obama is beyond my understanding.
-Spunky
Cross-posted, with permission, from SpunkyHomeSchool
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - On the road again...
I only have a just a second here, but wanted to say that we will be driving to Trujillo again tomorrow and next. So, anyone who reads this blog can pray! For a little more current info on our life work, see our ministry blog here:
http://thetuttletribe.blogspot.com
For the latest learning at our house, go here:
http://fisheracademy.blogspot.com
And I have a couple of meaningful posts from my personal study that maybe someday I will have time to post right HERE! :)
Don't get too hopeful though... I'm too busy to be so serious of a blogger!
I am my Beloved's and He is mine.
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