For those who have asked to hear more from me, besides posting monthly here, I also post a new devotion every Monday morning on our HSB Company Blog called "Learning From the Master Teacher." You can view the recent entries as well as past entries here:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HSBCompanyBlog/LearningfromMaster/

I also write/edit The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Devotional e-Newsletter on a monthly basis. If you have not signed up to receive the e-News, you may do so here:

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Devotional_Door/Newsletters_Subscribe.php 

I will be posting here on my personal blog again soon as well. Thank you for your kind responses and your patience.

May we glorify God each and every day as we find His mercies new every morning!

Deborah

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Verse of the Week

John 6: 16-21

“And when evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea towards Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had rode about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.”

Thought for the Week

This part of the verse speaks multitudes to some of us: It was now dark and Jesus had not come to them.

Ever feel that way? Some circumstance in your life seems dark and you feel that Jesus has been silent or even missing? Not only that, but then comes a great wind on the sea! When will it end, we wonder?

As the disciples were being tossed and not anywhere near the other shore, Jesus comes calmly walking through the storm. Why is it they were afraid of Jesus, of all people, when they had so much else right now to be afraid of? Perhaps it was because they did not recognize him as Jesus. Do you recognize Jesus when He comes to you in the storm?

Jesus certainly wasn’t frightening, but perhaps His very presence and the knowledge of His majestic power over this storm was what made them afraid with a new kind of fear: a heavenly fear - an awe and reverence for Who He really was. It finally dawned on them in the middle of their night that the living God was among them.

He says to us the same as He said to them, “It is I – do not be afraid.” He was not only the God of the storm and the sea, but was their very friend whom they loved coming near and offering freedom from their earthly fears.

Then something significant happens: immediately the boat was at the land where they were going. He not only relieved their fear, but took them where they needed to go without any further effort on their part. Isn’t that so encouraging? When we recognize Who He really is and allow Him to calm our storms, we find ourselves miraculously at the other side!

Our journey isn’t so much about how and when we get to the other shore – He will take care of that; it’s about what we learn about our Lord on the trip that is truly important. Do you recognize Him today?    ~dlw

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Hebrews 7:25

Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Have you ever stopped to think about the truth that Jesus is interceding for you? The Savior of the world; the Son of God, is praying for me and you “always.” When you need prayer, or when you know someone in need, know that there is Someone who knows the need and has already been praying.

As we ask others to lift up our requests, or even if we keep our requests silent, let’s remember there is One who is at the throne of His Father praying for us with all wisdom and with an eternal viewpoint concerning the situation that our earthly understanding may not afford.

He LIVES to make intercession for us - what a glorious thought, “Jesus lives to pray for you and me and is doing so even now!” Doesn’t that just make you want to draw near to God, too? ~dlw

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Plan Your School Year with Confidence

“Be confident of this very thing: that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

Are you feeling confident about this next school year? Don’t know exactly where to lead each child in his studies? Feeling like you might miss something important? Our priorities in choosing areas of study for our children reflect the priorities we have in our hearts. They should match up.

You can have confidence that you are doing the right thing if you are covering the important eternal things. And your confidence can rest in the fact that God will perform it.

“For in Him we live, and move, and have our being." Acts 17:28

Our prayer is that we might decrease so that He might increase in all areas of our lives, even our schooling. He must take priority. What is God’s desire or pleasure and how do we accomplish it? If we are “in Him” then we are no longer of ourselves or functioning in our own strength, but we are filled with His strength to do His will.  "For it is He who is in us both to will and to DO of His good pleasure." 

If we are "in Him" and He is "in us" then there is complete union between the two. We are not separate, but are one. It reminds me of Jesus prayer in John 17 where He prays that we might be one with Him as He and the Father are one. Did you know this was possible? That Jesus can be IN your life and not just a part of it? My mom used to say that we need to MAKE Jesus our life, not just add Him to our life. If He IS our life, our very reason for life, our very breath of life, then our life is not our own to do with as we please, but to do what would please Him.

We want Him to be IN our schooling and not just a part of it.

I may wonder if the things I've decided on are truly right for the year. I know that I cannot repeat this year, or even this day, so I want to be sure I've made the right decisions. Maybe you have never stopped schooling and you are just trekking along as always, but feel like you are never doing what you really think might be the most important in your children's lives. Perhaps you just feel the need to be doing more or doing better. I have felt the very same feelings. I have good news - the book of Proverbs says that man plans his ways but the Lord directs His steps. And I have found over and over again that God is so faithful to direct my steps each year. 

Take heart in this: if you are seeking God, His wisdom, and His ways for each child for each day, He will be faithful to lead you in His path for them.

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Have you ever sung the Zaccheus song with your little ones? You know, the short tax collector fellow? I was just singing the song with the kids yesterday and it struck a chord in me that I hadn't heard before.

The story goes that Zaccheus couldn't see Jesus because of the crowd. Isn't that true in our lives? Sometimes the things that crowd my life cause me to not be able to see Jesus. Zaccheus also couldn't see Jesus because of his physical limitations. That has been true for me with each extremely nauseus pregnancy (and I've had seven!) Sometimes physical limitations get in the way of my seeing Him as well.

Normally, I just stand there and moan and become depressed about not being able to see Jesus in something or someone or some area of my life. Yesterday, I was convicted and convinced to do what Zaccheus did - climb up a tree!! Zaccheus just had to see Jesus. He did what it took to get there. Just how do I do that?

I think it has to do with a shift of focus. Instead of looking down, or looking to the crowd, we need to get a higher perspective. To do that, we need to courageously do something different and start climbing. It's not always easy climbing a tree, but we've just got to see Jesus! We need to make an effort to see Jesus when it seems impossible that we could even get a glimpse of Him. Instead of giving up, we need to start climbing up.

Jesus saw Zaccheus long before he saw Jesus. He also saw Zaccheus determination to get a glimpse of Him. And then Jesus made the effort to get through the crowd and go straight to Zaccheus. You see, when we draw near to God, He draws near to us. It's a promise.

When did Zaccheus' heart begin to change? I think it started at the bottom of the tree. He decided in his heart that he just had to see Jesus no matter what. And he was never the same for it.

When the crowd seems to press in against us, or our world seems too crowded to see Jesus, or when physical limitations hinder us, we must draw near to Him with every effort. We must go the Rock that is higher and see things from His higher perspective. (This reminds me of my son's blog entry here)

Jesus told Zaccheus to come on down from out of that tree and walk with Him to his home. He wanted to go to Zaccheus' home. When we draw near to Jesus and He draws near to us, Jesus wants to come to our home, too. When we invite Him to commune with us in our home, He begins to change hearts. Those seemingly impossible "wicked tax collector" hearts will begin to change.

My heart changes from thinking people owe me to the opposite of giving back even more than they deserve.

When we make the effort to see Jesus, our efforts will be rewarded with not only a glimpse of Him, but an offer to sit at His table and commune with Him. And like Zaccheus, Jesus will change our hearts and cause us to rejoice and we will begin to generously serve Him again. We may even give away all that we have in time, effort and resources in order to bring others to Jesus as well.

Can you see Him today? There's room in the tree for you! Start climbing! Jesus will be found by you, for those who seek Him with all their heart will find Him. There He is -  waiting to call you down and come to your home.... can you see Him now?

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I just found this poem I wrote in 2002 when I had five little ones and had recently gone through a painful miscarriage. "Concerned" family and friends were wondering if I was possibly going to have any more children. I mused that question for days knowing that my husband and I had made the decision to allow God to be our family planner since He knows best and that the reasoning of man was not to be heeded. It was a heartfelt musing as I wanted more children, but didn't know how to convey all that was in my heart as to why I wanted more to those who were wondering. It was during that time that this poem was birthed in me. It was my first (and only) attempt at poetry using similies.

(Note: Our precious baby girl, Mercy, was born a year later in February, 2003 and we have since been blessed beyond measure with another beautiful little girl named Hope... )

My Children

Blossoms woven in my heart, a garden full

The Weaver's will hand-sewn to mine as thus

As each new bloom, a blossom will unfurl

So His handiwork unfurls with each as glorious

He weaves each petal with my strings of heart

Bound by gentle unseen Hands ne'er to mar

The soft innocence and fragrance they impart

Yet firmly battened to my soul in holy war

When will this fullness cease, tis not mine to tell

The final seeds lie dormant in His store

But what this Gardener-Weaver sows, He sews so well

Within my heart, my soul cries out for only more

My heart's true reward, a garden sown

Naught for any thing that's good within its walls

But for Him Whose Goodness plants it's every row

The reward is seeing HIM in these He calls

My children

By Deborah Wuehler

copyright February, 2002

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Okay - my second son is now blogging. I am a proud momma. Check it out here   He and I just got back from our area's homeschool used book sale and had a great time together.

Those of you with younger children - do not fear - the teen years can be a great blessing (and a great responsibility). You will soon realize that God is faithful to complete the work He has started in them. We may plant when they are younger, we may water when they are older, but it is God who alone brings the increase. Keep planting and watering! It's worth every minute of struggle and iron sharpening iron between you. You will find your children to be friends who love to be with you in the end. I am blessed.

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Ever feel like you lack direction? Ever feel the lack of joy? Ever feel like you could use something to keep you going and keep you happy?

My mom just sent me this scripture for the day:

PSALMS 16:11

As I meditated on this verse, I realized three extremely important things:

1.  Nothing else and no one else can show me anything of lasting value or lasting direction for my life or for the lives of those around me except for God. I can look in books, ask counselors, talk to friends, purchase the right curriculum, but ultimately it is God alone who will show me the path of life. Not just the path of MY life, but THE path of life itself. The reason I am here. The very reason I exist. The very place where God dwells. It's NOT all about me; it's all about HIM! "You will show me the path of life..." If I am lacking direction, I have probably left the presence of God and have begun to walk in my own understanding.

2. Nothing else and no one else can bring me joy, save God. I can look for joy in many things, but will only find it in One thing. One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the presence of the LORD. Only His presence will bring true and lasting joy. I can look for joy in the presence of material wealth, or the presence of physical healing or the presence of family and friend relationships. I may hope for joy in dreams fulfilled or just in the presence of the lack of chaos. But I will never find fullness of joy unless I am in HIS presence. It's not about the things in this life that have to come to me in order to bring joy. It's not about the things in this life that have to leave me in order to have joy. In fact, it's not about me or this life at all. It's all about me in the presence of God and the presence of GOD in me! "In your presence is fullness of joy..."

3. I seek pleasures away from the right hand of God. I am prone to wander. I think I will find pleasure in earthly things or earthly people. I think I will find pleasure in time to myself and by myself. I think I will find pleasure in things for myself. I will never find pleasure unless I am at the right hand of God. Look to your heart's left - who is there? Who or what are you meditating on? If it is not God, then where did you go? Get back to the right hand of God. Stay close to His side. A wandering heart will never find pleasure, only pain and loneliness and confusion. Wander right back to the right hand of God. That's where Jesus sits, you know. If you are there, Jesus is there also. And we can sit in the heavenlies with Him. How do we sit in the heavenlies when we are of this earth and on this earth? We fix our hearts, souls and minds on Him. We love Him with all of our heart, soul and mind. All day long. "At your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

When we dwell in the presence of God, we are close enough to hear Him whisper His direction for life, we find our dreams and pleasures fulfilled in Him, and we are filled with all the fulness of JOY!

Don't you want to join me there today?

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We have several books for younger children that we go through at Easter time. They are Benjamin's Box, The Legend of the Three Trees, and The Easter Lily. They can probably all be found at CBD or your local Christian bookstore. We also watch all of our Easter videos such as Donut Man's Resurrection Celebration, Nest's He Is Risen, the Book of Matthew and others that show or tell the story. I shouldn't say, "story" because we want our children to know that this was not just a story, but true History. An actual fact at an actual time. No doubt about it.

Another thing we do is a yearly Seder celebration. It is taking the jewish passover celebration and explaining the meanings in Christian terms. For example, we break the matzah and explain Jesus body being broken for us. The matzah is striped and pierced just as Jesus body was striped and pierced for us. We go over the entire exodus out of Egypt, etc. and connect it to our exodus from the world. The kids love this because we get to eat matzah and drink grape juice and taste bitter herbs and sweet cheroseth (diced apples, raisins and nuts) and go over the spiritual significance of them all. I think what they really like is the tradition of it. All children love tradition, no matter what it is.

At church this Sunday I was reminded of three very important "P's" surrounding Jesus death and resurrection. Because of Christ's work on the cross, we are FREE from the Power of sin, we are FREE from the Penalty of sin, and when we die, we will be free from the Presence of sin. Although there are a million reasons to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, just these three are worth celebrating and having your children memorize this year.

What will you be doing this week to teach your children about the resurrection of Christ? I'd love to hear from you!

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My Jonathon, 14 year old precious son, has a blog now. For all of you with homeschooled teens, have them go over and leave a comment. He'd love to hear from you all as he is just getting started. 

He loves God's truth of creation and hopes to continue to be a fossil hunter, paleantologist, marine biologist, and all around creation scientist....

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