HsKubes Homeschool Haven

A conservative, Christian, military family's journey in relaxed home education. A haven where academics are secondary to spiritual things and we strive to aim our precious 'arrows' toward the Lord Jesus Christ.

We currently have

at our HomeSchool Haven!

Recent Posts

Out With the Old... Books for Sale...
Sticky Note: We've Moved and Have a New Home...
Giving Thanks in Homeschool...
Friday's Fillings:
Out of the Mouth of Babes...
Thursday's Things...
Answer to a Question: Book Info - Parenting in the Pew
Tuesday's Tidbits: Of Teeth, Nuts and Dental Visits...

Links to Our Pages

Home
My Profile ~ About Me
Archives ~ Previous Posts
Email Me
Our Family Webpage
Christian Military HomeSchool Mamas
IMPORTANT READ!!
Writings by Me...
Meet our Hero!!
Modest Clothing Links
HsKubes' Favorite Links
HsKubes' 1 Son's Blog
HsKubes' Gal's Blog
HsKubes' Haven 4 Home

Are You a Good Person?
Click Here to take
the Good Person Test

Books I recommend pertaining to
homeschooling and
raising children

When You Rise Up:
A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling
By R.C. Sproul, Jr.

Home Educating with Confidence:
How Ordinary Parents Can Produce Extraordinary Children
By Rick Boyer

Let Us Highly Resolve
By David and Shirley Quine

"The Little Book of
Christian Character and Manners"
by William and Colleen Dedrick

"Keeping our Children's Hearts"
by Steven and Teri Maxwell

A Charlotte Mason Education
by Catherine Levison

Teaching the Trivium:
Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style
By Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn

"Homeschooling with a
Meek and Quiet Spirit"
by Teri Maxwell

The Heart of Anger
By Lou Priolo

Life Skills for Kids
By Christine M. Field

"Celebrations of Faith"
by Randy and Lisa Wilson

Are you
a Christian, military,
homeschooling mama?

Monday, October 2, 2006

In Times of Discouragement... Response to Mrs. Anonymous...

Posted in Writings of a HomeSchool Mom

I recently received this comment and would like to respond in this post...

Thoughts shared by Anonymous

During your pregnacies, did you ever feel..well, not quite up to taking care of the family? Your family is so precious to you, and if you have ever been ill or not quite the energetic self you seem to be, I would imagine that your heart would ache like mine over all the things I *wish* I was doing with and for my family. I'm wondering how you got by during those down times...especially if your husband was away and not able to help with the children. My children are 10, 8, 6, 1, and we are expecting in April. I've been extreemy dizzy and nauseated...embarrassed over the volume of housework that has been let go, disenhearted over our new "less than ideal" eating habits we've temporarily adopted, and grieving over all the adventures and learning experiences we are missing out on together as a family. I'm very grateful that you share your family with us. I'm very inspired and blessed by you and your children. I've only been reading your blog for a few months. I'm curious about your experience and how you have handled the down times.

Dear Anonymous (and others)~

My heart and prayers truly do go out to you.

You are definately NOT alone in the way you are feeling.

I speak, encounter, and receive emails from women

who are experiencing the same thing.

And I, too, have been there

AND I still sometimes find myself falling into being there.

I have very recently wrote a series of emails to a new online friend

about this exact situation and would love to share some of what I replied...

So that I won't write too much in one post (very easy for me to do *Ü*),

I will do it in a series of posts (or I may get by with only two posts -

depending upon what the Lord lays upon my heart to share)...

I think one of the reasons the Lord allows things like this to happen

is because He is making us more like the Son of God.

I think that when things don't go

according to how we had planned or how we had hoped,

there is great training ground there in our character.

We have opportunities then to learn and practice things

like faith, trust, obedience, patience, meekness, contentment,

joyfulness, thankfulness, praise, and more.
It is much more effective and beneficial to us

when we embrace it through fervent prayer.
I know that, especially with little ones,

it can be a challenge to get, what we think, anything accomplished.

But sometimes we aren't exactly looking

from an eternal perspective as God does.

The Holy Spirit laid this Scripture on my heart...

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,

worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are seen,

but at the things which are not seen:

for the things which are seen are temporal;

but the things which are not seen are eternal." ~ 2 Corinthians 4:17,18

When we feel that we aren't accomplishing anything,

He has given us an opportunity to accomplish,

perhaps, the things that aren't necessarily seen

(like growing in godly character... in ourselves and our children,

like blessing our beloved with our joyfulness

despite how our day seems to have gone, etc...

the possibilites, especially with God, are endless).

When I am in the middle of those trials, struggles,

and sometimes seemingly desperate moments,

the only thing that will sometimes get me through

is remembering the Lord's promise

that He is making me more like His Son.

"And we know that all things work together for good

to them that love God,

to them who are the called according to his purpose.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate

to be conformed to the image of his Son..." ~ Romans 8:28,29a

I think when we truly grasp that concept in our hearts

and compare what Christ went through for us

that our temporal problems begin to look less overwhelming.

But there is more that we can do...

Before I continue responding,

I am praying that you (and others) will receive what I say

with a softened heart and will know that I speak in love.

And what I write here is not necessarily to you or anyone else...

but it is what I have said and do say to myself and have practiced.

Saying that, I will continue...

In regards to HOW...

First, I would suggest stop looking back at who you 'used to be'

or dwelling on who you 'wish' to be.

We CANNOT move forward by looking back,

nor by dwelling in an "I wish" thought life.

Somehow you have ended up where you are and God has allowed it.

Instead of looking back at how it used to be

or how you wish it could be...

look forward to what it will be.

You don't have to know specifics of what it will be

but you do have a God Who is faithful to His promises

and you can (and must) trust in that.

We must press on and contiue, even in weariness...

WHAT TO DO...

#1 ~ I am convinced that when we are struggling with emotions

and feelings like this that the first thing we need to do is Repent.

We need to get on our knees and on our faces before God

and repent of our ungodly attitudes... even if we feel they are justified.

There were many times that I felt my emotions were justified

and the Lord showed me that I needed to repent

of my satisfaction in that as well. So I did.

There does need to be a point of brokeness.

The Bible says,

"The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;

and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Psalm 34:18

and "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:

a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17

If this is true for you and have already done this... Great....

But it needs to be done continually.

As soon as you feel these negative, ungodly emotions, pray.

I find myself praying all day long.

After all, the Bible says "Pray without ceasing" 1 Thess 5:17.

Praying on our knees, in silence, in tears even, I think, is needed,

but God doesn't expect us to do that all day long.

However, He does command us to pray all day long... without ceasing.

Say a prayer under your breath, say prayers aloud to yourself,

write them down, sing them, think them.

So my first advice is Pray... continually.

#2 ~ I understand with having children, being pregnant,

domestic duties, and not feeling the best yourself

that it seems near impossible to have quiet time with the Lord.

I am convinced this is a complete lie from Satan himself.

We just choose to listen to them.

Our quiet time in God's Word can be done just about any time

and He, in His Great Wisdom, has given us

the perfect amount of time in each day that we need

to do what He has commanded us to do.

We just tend to be poor stewards of our time

(I, too, am very guilty of this).

Of course, I believe the morning is the best time for quiet time

but it is not the only time.

And may I say, also, that quiet time does NOT have to be an hour,

a half hour, or even 15 whole minutes.

ANY time we can spend in His Holy Word is time very well spent

and He will bless us for that time.

Practical ideas...

If the children are already up when you wake up

(as it is in my home many mornings) then you could read your Bible,

in the kitchen, as they eat their breakfast... even if it's a few verses.

Or you could even utilize the tv, let them watch a 1/2 hour video

and sit in the next room.

You could also read a few verses or squeeze in a chapter

as you fold laundry or make a meal.

You could even read the few minutes you 'steal' in the bathroom.

You can spend 5-10 minutes before bed and read His Word.

Instead of getting on the computer... read God's Word.

While holding one of your children,

you can read God's Word (silent or aloud).

While laying in bed, you can read God's Word.

There ARE ways that we can be in God's Word.

We just have to be willing to do them. *Ü*

If you do anything at all, do this very important thing.

Make a committment to read God's Word everyday...

whether it's in the morning or some other time,

but this one thing is needful.

#3 ~ Memorizing Scripture is crucial to our successful, spiritual lives.

I have written a couple of posts about this.

Even if you memorize 1 verse a week...

that will be 52 verses a year! Wow!

That would be 52 of God's Perfect Thoughts that we know as our own!

Our way of thinking is changed

when our minds are filled with God's thoughts.

One easy way to memorize Scripture is

to say the verse 25 times a day the first day,

20 times the next day, 15 times the next, then 10, then 5,

then, at least, once a week.

I have plain, ol' index cards taped in my bathroom by the mirror

so that is the first thing I see in the morning.

I say them over and over and over again as I go potty, get dressed,

pull my hair back, etc...

So many people shun away from really memorizing Scripture

and I think that's part of the reason our spiritual lives suffer.

It truly isn't that hard to memorize Scripture.

If it were, God wouldn't have commanded us to know it.

(Deut. 11:18; Prov. 3:3; 6:21; 7:3; and many more -

I encourage you to look those up).

#4 ~ Something that has helped me tremendously is

keeping a prayer journal.

Actually, a prayer journal may not be the right title for it.

It is more like my letters/written prayers to God.

When I am feeling hopeless, depressed, discouraged, desperate, etc...,

Instead of calling a friend, or my mom, or etc....

I 'call' my Heavenly Father.

I write to Him what is in my heart.

I confess, I share with Him my concerns,

I share with Him that I don't want to feel this way, etc...

and I find that, many times, as I am writing to Him,

He begins to encourage my heart and change my thoughts.

I think I must have gotten this 'idea' from David.

And that is probably why I love the psalms SO much.

Which I HIGHLY suggest reading during this time.

But throughout the psalms, David pours out his heart,

his hopeless feelings, etc...

and we see that the Lord encourages his heart

and the psalm usually ends in praise to the Lord.

#5 ~ Sing! Sing! Sing!

I'm very serious. Sing.

Keep a cd with uplifting hymns/songs playing all day.

Sing them in your mind, in your heart, out of your mouth. Sing.

"The LORD is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusted in him, and I am helped:

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth;

and with my song will I praise him." Ps 28:7

#6 ~ Do share with your husband that you are struggling.

Not in a complaining way. Just approach him, prayerfully,

and let him know that you are struggling

and ask him to pray for you.

#7 ~ It truly will not last forever.

Pregnancy, etc... are real situations that affect us in many ways.

But this is only for a season.

One of the greatest lessons I learned (and still learn)

in hard times like these is the lesson of

obedience, perseverance, and faith/trust.

Even those times I felt that I had no joy,

I learned that those were times the Lord wanted me

to just be obedient and keep keeping on, trusting in Him...

just like David... just like Job... just like many others.

There is no secret formula and no overnight success.

And, yes, it must be worked at.

But it is accomplished through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pray He will enable you, will teach you, will show you.

Read Psalm 119:33-40. I try to always read/pray this passage...

"Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes;

and I shall keep it unto the end.
Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law;

yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity;

and quicken thou me in thy way.

Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.
Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good.
Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness."

~ Psalm 119:33-40

Lord willing, I will post more in future posts...

Posted by hskubes on Monday, October 2, 2006 at 5:46 PM • Shared thoughts (5) • What are your thoughts? • Permanent

Monday, September 25, 2006

Are You Dying Daily?...

Posted in Writings of a HomeSchool Mom

Below is an article that I wrote last year

for our homeschool group's newsletter.

I was going to pull it out from my archives

but realized that I've not posted it before.

So I wanted to share...

Are You Dying Daily?

Note: Please grab a Bible & read the Scriptures for yourself. I also recommend reading the entire chapter of Romans 6.

To have victory in our homeschool endeavors, we must be having victory in our daily lives. There are many areas we need daily victory: Perhaps we suffer from discouragement, an angry spirit, laziness, worry, depression, lack of patience, or lack of enthusiasm. Whatever it be, God never intends for us to 'just get by' or 'just go through the motions'.

John 10:10 says "...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 15:11 ~ "...that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." Not only does He want us to have victory in all areas of our lives, He wants our joy to be full and to live life richly. How do we do this? Not in our own vain efforts and strength. We must identify with Christ and follow His example. Luke 9:23 says "...let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (also see Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34, 10:21)

~ Through Death ~ Romans 6:6 ~ "...that our old man is crucified with Him..." Galatians 2:20 says, "... I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." When we become born again, our old man (our corrupt human nature) is put to death, yet we still live in our mortal body. But Christ lives in us and now we need to live by faith (confidence in Him). Daily we need to die to self and crucify the flesh. We need to die to our own selfish wants, desires, rights, impulses, and expectations.

~ Through Life ~ Just as we identify with Christ and die to self, "we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection." (Rom.6:5) When we die to self and to sin, we are "alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom.6:11) He has to be our Master. We cannot serve self and Christ. We cannot serve two masters (Matt.6:24; Luke 16:13) We must die to self and confess quickly, not letting sin and love of self make a home in our body (Rom.6:12 ~ "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body..."), so we can be freed from defeat and the bondage of sin. Then we are able to live victoriously in Christ and He is able to live through us.

~ Through Power ~ When we are not yielded and surrendered to Christ daily, we quench the Holy Spirit's power in us. In contrast, when we are yielded and surrendered, we allow the Holy Spirit to enable us with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. (Gal.5:22-23) That honors God much more than anger, depression, hostility, impatience, harshness, sinfulness, hopelessness, irritation, and rashness.

We need to look to Him for strength... "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him" ~ Psalm 28:7 "Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength" ~ Isaiah 26:4 and trust in His promises... "But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy..." ~ Psalm 5:11 "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." ~ Psalm 37:5 and in His grace... "...My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me". ~ 1 Corn. 12:9 "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." ~ 1 Peter 5:10 "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." ~ 1 Corn. 15:10 We must have faith, which enables us to live the victorious life. "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ 1 Corninthians 15:57 "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 2 Peter 1:4-8 Do we really want victory in homeschool? It starts with having victories in our daily lives.

Dying to self is not a one time thing. We must die to self daily and all day long in order to live victoriously. "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." ~ Romans 6:22 "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." ~ Romans 8:11-13 "...I die daily." ~ 1 Corinthians 15:31 Are you dying daily?

Posted by hskubes on Monday, September 25, 2006 at 3:49 PM • Shared thoughts (2) • What are your thoughts? • Permanent

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Post from the Past... Success in HomeSchool...

Posted in Writings of a HomeSchool Mom

Below is an article that I wrote a while back. So often I hear how homeschooling mamas become discouraged... May we always maintain an eternal perspective and lean on Him, Who gives us the victory... "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ 1 Corinthians 15:57 Success in Homeschool

#1 ~ Seek God Pray! Pray! Pray! Continually be in prayer and utterly rely upon the grace of God. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ~ “Pray without ceasing.” Zechariah 8:21 ~ “…let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts…”

#2 ~ Study God’s Word Daily be in His Word. Acts 17:11 ~ “…that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily…”

#3 ~ Scriptural Perspective Keep a sharply focused vision on your purpose in homeschooling. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 ~ “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

#4 ~ Spiritual Growth Continue to “…grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…” (2 Peter 3:18), and diligently promote your children’s spiritual growth. Proverbs 22:6 ~ “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

#5 ~ Surrender Surrender your homeschooling endeavors to the Lord and find strength in Him. ”Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. ~ Psalm 37:5

#6 ~ 'Schedule' Have some kind of routine and plan to your days. They give direction to daily activities. Homeschooling successfully requires taking control of our time. Redeem your time. ”Redeeming the time…” ~ Ephesians 5:16

#7 ~ Season your Surroundings An atmosphere of mutual love, respect, and grace makes teaching and learning more effective. Ephesians 4:2 ~ “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;” Hebrews 10:24 ~ “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.”

#8 ~ Self-examination It is important for parents to model being surrendered to Christ, good character traits, disciplined habits, and enthusiasm for learning. 2 Corinthians 13:5 ~ “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” 1 Peter 2:21 ~ “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps:”

#9 ~ Support Be willing to seek help. When you are discouraged or unmotivated, humble yourself and talk to someone who can encourage you. They’ve been there too! Ecclesiastes 4:9 ~ “Two are better than one…”

#10 ~ Smile Ü Proverbs 15:13 ~ “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance…” Your children are a precious gift (Psalm 127) and homeschooling them is a blessed privilege! Enjoy them!! And have faith in future fruit. Proverbs 31:31 ~ “Give her of the fruit of her hands: and let her own works praise her in the gates.”