The Journal of a JOYFUL homeschool mom of six~ - Homeschool Blogger

Red Sea Rules

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:49:00 -0500

I have listed the first 4 Red Sea Rules....

1. Realize that God means for you to be where you are.

2. Be more concerned for God's glory, than for your relief.

3. Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord.

4. Pray

Please come visit me at www.momof6blessings.blogspot.com to see the rest of the Red Sea Rules by Robert J. Morgan. Lately I can not post here and if I can it takes me twice as much time. I am sad to leave HSB and I love all that Dawn has done for me here..... but I do hope you visit me there. I may check in here from time to time but for the most current stuff happening in our JOURNEY come visit us there.

ENJOY... for today will soon be a memory~

Haven't made a decision YET....

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:56:00 -0500

Back in 2007 I started a blog account at blogspot. I never kept it up. I went there last night and played around. It is easier to manage.....

take a look~

www.momof6blessings.blogspot.com

Tell me what you think.........

would YOU visit me there?

I do not want to keep up with two blogs.....

just wanting some feedback.... I know Dawn (my website friend) would follow me where ever I go. :)

No decision yet........ just thinking.

Our Easter Garden....

Thu, 9 Apr 2009 12:41:00 -0500

Wanted to share a couple pics of our Easter Garden. We love it. It turned out lots better than I thought it would. We have been reading each night.... lighting the candles and praying together. We are also doing our Easter tree.... hanging an egg for each member of our family with the date of when they asked Jesus into their life.... my little boys listen with eyes wide. I am praying ......

Also as always I read faithfully over at Ann Voskamp's blog. She posts about what I share above. Our greatest goal is that our children walk in truth. This is a great read. Take the time and read.... how her child comes to Jesus.

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2009/04/night-watch.html

Jesus paid it all.... all to Him I owe.....

Holy Week....

Fri, 3 Apr 2009 12:36:00 -0500

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. I love that it doesn't have the *stress* of Christmas... and it focus' all on JESUS. I know Christmas IS suppose to... and we focus on Jesus' birth and all.... but Easter is just so great. ~smile~ Without the resurrection.... we would all be without HOPE.

I am excited with what I have planned for us to do this coming week. Oh do not think that I have it all together.... and lots of what I have planned may never come to pass but I have a plan.

We will be doing an "Easter Garden" that I read about over at Holy Experience. Even if you do not do this take a look at the pictures she has posted because they are beautiful. I shared her blog entry with two friends and they too will be making their Easter Garden (isn't this blogsphere great~ how we learn & encourage one another?).

We will also be reading Nicole Piper's devotions during this coming Holy Week. The children and I still need to get an old branch and put it in an old pot.... each day we will hang our *pretty* eggs on it and talk about LIFE that Jesus gives. We have several books that we will use during this time of year. We will read them daily.

We have had about ten inches of rain (in Georgia) the past week... but today the sun is out. It is so nice. My children WANT to be outside... enjoying it. Several of the schools were cancelled in our area due to so much rain. We are plugging along with our Heart of Dakota. I am so thankful for the awesome gift to teach my children at home.

Just to let you know..... even though my intentions are good.... that little *project* I was going to do with the children... making the edible bird nest? Well, I STILL have not made it. OH I bought the supplies .... and thought I would. I still THINK I will...... we will see.

Red Sea Rule #4 ~ PRAY

Make memories..... sow seeds...... for this time is too short.

here is the link to Ann's post. Take a minute and look at the pictures. Be encouraged.... http://www.aholyexperience.com/2009/03/make-easter-garden-visual-parable.html

Thankful...

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:54:00 -0500

After I posted that everyone was well..... I became sick. Fever and congestion..... mine did not last as long as the childrens. I was weak for a few days after but now everyone is well and we are very thankful. It took us a full two weeks.

Red Sea Rule #3 by Robert J. Morgan

Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord.

The weather has been beautiful here and it is hard to get my children to do school! Last week we were all sick so we did not get much school finished at all..... and now this week it is so hard to get back in the swing of things. My boys wake up and want to run outside and play. I love spring but I have forgotten how hard it is to get my children to do school. We may have to take our school outdoors!

I worked on a little scrapbooking today. I am years behind. I love scrapbooking..... wish I wasn't so far behind.....

Thank you for stopping by.... and visiting awhile.

I am so very thankful to my good friend Dawn for my new spring look... isn't it so pretty. She is so faithful keeping up my blog and making it look beautiful. Thank you, Dawn!

Have a great weekend~ May the Joy of the Lord be yours~

Sharing more of my heart with you~

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:31:00 -0500

Thanks for your comments. How nice. The purpose of this blog is to encourage other moms on this journey... to have JOY in the midst of every day crisis and the bigger ones.... and to share our home schooling highlights with each of you. Through the world of cyberspace I have *met* a few friends that I want to forever stay connected with. I am thankful that God has led me to them... and even though we have not met face to face.... we share our hearts and if we never meet here on earth than we will meet one day when we see Jesus face to face. Sue is one of these great friends. I love her dearly. You can visit her blog www.howsluke.blogspot.com She has shown over and over how the Lord has carried her through and how she trusts in HIM competely. Another friend is Ann Voskamp. You can visit her blog at www.holyexperience.blogspot.com her words are an encouragement to me... as I know so many others. And, Loni over at her blog http://writingcanvas.com she shares with us her joys and sorrows, her life as a mom of ten... God continues to minister through her.

We are feeling much better. We are all fever free here! We are struggling some with the pollen in the air. But we are so thankful that all the fever is gone.

The weather here in south Georgia is beautiful. The trees & flowers are starting to bloom... everything is turning green.

The second Rea Sea Rule by Robert J. Morgan is

Be more concerned for God's glory, than for your own relief.

Again, I feel this speaks volumes to me.... so often I only look at the NOW.... I cry out to the Lord "please rescue us, we need a miracle!" I have to keep reminding myself that He sees the WHOLE picture and I only see a glimpse. I am being made into His image.....

I hope this is blessing you~

This week we celebrated my third born's 16th birthday. Our Dakota Lee....

He is a normal 16 yr old, wants a car and a cell phone. He will have both of these but probably not any time soon He is our drummer boy. He loves music, plays the drums in church and is learning the guitar. I am so proud to be his mom. When we found out I was pregnant with Dakota... my dh had been laid off.... my parents were not excited... and things were not perfect (when are they?) but God blessed us... and I am so very thankful He did. Dakota is normally a calm, laid back loving child. He does struggle some with our situation here.... but God continues to grow him. He loves Jesus & wants to glorify Him.

Dakota now....

Dakota with my Dad... seems like yesterday!

May you have a great weekend with your family.... grab hold of the moment for tomorrow it will be a memory!

March happenings~

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:27:00 -0500

Promised I would come back and share with you.... can you believe it is already March. I do believe that it is true as we grow older the years go by faster.

The first of March we (just the three youngest and I ) went to Florida and visited with my sister. It was a nice visit.... she works at Sea World part time (she is a RN for Florida Hospital). She gives us her free passes and we can go to Sea World or Aquatica when we visit. This is our second time at Aquatica... it is Sea World's water park. It is beautiful and peaceful.

Alyssa, Wesley & Wyatt March 2009

Although you can not see they are in that tube!

In the wave pool... so pretty~

Wesley sitting on a rock~ full day of fun!

We also went shopping with my sister .... we went to some outside shops. A park was there with kids activities.... it was fun. Beautiful weather....

In the park I saw this beautiful, breath taking tree with bright yellow flowers on it. I have never seen one in Georgia. IF anyone knows what kind of tree this is I would love to know!

isn't it beautiful? Breath taking!

My children are still sick. This flu is going through each one. They have high fever, coughing and sore throats. Right now Alyssa & Wesley (youngest) are the worse. Their fever goes as high as 104! Thank you for praying.

This past Friday night I went to our Annual Ladies Gourmet Dinner. It is a lot of hoopla and I am not into all that.... I am more plain and simple~ we had a lady name Kay DeKalb Smith come and share with us. It was good. She is a christian comedian. Funny stories about being a mama. She also shared the "Red Sea Rules" by Robert J. Morgan. I want to share with you one of these rules each time I blog (10 in all). Here is the first one~

Realize that God means for you to be where you are.

This is hard for me at times.... I mean I know God has a plan but ..... sometimes I just do not understand things. This helped me because it affirms that God knows exactly where I am and has allowed me to be here. He gives me the grace I need daily. He is always with me.

Thanks for letting me share with you.... I hope that you have been encouraged.

May the Joy of the Lord be yours~

I am weary.... but JOY comes in the morning...

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:38:00 -0500

I promised I would blog more and it has been almost three weeks. I plan to do better. I appreciate everyone who comes by and reads. It means a lot. I appreciate the comments left.... and often will smile as I read them.

This past Wednesday Dakota started feeling bad. Before bed he was freezing and had fever.... coughing a little and said throat was sore. Thursday morning his fever was 103. I called the doctor and we went in that afternoon. He said throat infection and possibly the flu. Thursday night was really tough. Dakota's fever climbed and he passed out on us.

Friday afternoon.... Wyatt started following me around saying "mama I am freezing." I took his temp and he had fever. Same thing.... coughing & sore throat.

Yesterday Alyssa said she wasn't feeling good..... I took her temp. and YES .... fever. Same thing cough & sore throat. Tonight her temp was 103.... so very sick.

Just a bit ago...... I heard Wesley crying.... I went in to check on him.... he was freezing.... and YES ... fever! Coughing.....

With so many sick I have to write down what time, what medicine and WHO ..... I have to give advil & tynenol to keep the fever down. Small sips of gatoraide ... nobody really eating much.

So that leaves Mandi, Billy (husband) and me.....

could you pray..... Mandi has finals this week before her spring break. Please pray she doesn't get this or that it will hold off til after Thursday.

It was a good winter..... not much sickness. I think we are making up for it now. I am not sure I have had this many sick at one time.

I want to share with you about our trip to Florida last weekend. It was a good visit with my sister. I took some pics and will share them with you in the next few days.

Also we had a lady speak at our gourmet dinner and she shared something that touched my heart~

Hopefully tomorrow or the next day I will be able to share these things with you.

If I come to your mind will you lift my children up to the Lord?

May the JOY of the Lord be yours~

I am excited about what we are doing in school~

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 01:31:00 -0600

We are still using Heart of Dakota. I love it.

Alyssa is reading the book in the Young Patriots series *John Audubon* and it is all about birds. Years ago I separated drawers (those 3 drawers you can buy at wmart).... into catogories. One is on birds. All kinds of books on birds that I have collected... plus a poultry unit study, bird unit study... coloring books of birds and birds of prey (did I mention we are taking a field trip the end of March to the Raptor Center)~ so we are pulling out that box.... combining it with Alyssa's bird stuff in HOD.... and running with it.

Every morning when I come back from walking there are LOTS of birds in our yard. We have two or three bird feeders. We have some binoculars so we are going to bird watch.

one thing she was suppose to do today is make a bird nest that you can eat.

choc. chips
peanut butter
and chow mein noodles or shredded wheat

so we are going to do that tomorrow (saturday) b/c our big kids (Mandi & Dakota) are gone to Student Life til tomorrow night.

We will also make a bird feeder out of pine cones or 2 liter bottle. I even have a book (collected through the years) Birdhouses & Bird feeders .....

about the middle of our study we will go to the feed store and buy several chicks .... and incooperate our poultry unit study with it.

They are very excited. I am too... can you tell.

I love how it all just came together. All at the same time~

May the Joy of the Lord be yours~

Just chatting with you for a few minutes~

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:57:00 -0600

I am trying to blog more. Have you noticed? ~smile~ I really like to journal. I like reading others blogs too. I like the encouragement I receive from reading others blogs. I hope as you stop in for a visit that you are encouraged. I find myself wanting more to stop by.... is that vain? I am really encouarged by your comments and prayers.

I really wanted to work on Mandi's quilt this afternoon. I have it just about finished and wanted to start sewing the three layers together. I do not know why or how I thought this.... as when I took it out today I do not even have the padding! I thought I did. I was a bit fustrated to say the least. Oh well, I will try another day....

Our little garden... last summer. Hoping to have one again. I love spring/summer. I think I have a mild case of *winter blahs" ~ lol and we do not even get snow here! Ann over at Holy Experience shows you just how to enjoy any season with your children. Peek in... you will be blessed. www.holyexperience.blogspot.com

The sun is out today.... although I think it will rain the rest of this week. My little boys are outside playing. We live on five acres and they can just run & play. We still need to do some reading but they are enjoying climbing the trees and running.

I found a blog that I wanted to share with you. Aimee is very encouraging. Her husband was one of the passengers on the flight that landed in the Hudson river. She has lots of encouraging words, recipes, and pics~ http://livinglearningandlovingsimply.blogspot.com

I am facilating a bible study on Wednesday afternoons. It is Beth Moore's Esther. God continues to show me new things in His word. I do not spend enough time there with HIM. Just HIM and I. I need to. I am enjoying this study. I will leave you with a snippet....

Not only are you royalty but you also have been placed in your sphere of influence, regardless of the size you prerceive it to be, "for such a time as this." Ecclesiastes 3:2 tells us there is a "time to be born and a time to die." God cut out those perimeters for you and me on the kingdom calendar so that we would be positioned on earth right now. Likewise, Acts 17:26 tells us unflinchingly that God "determined the times set for [us] and the exact places that [we] should live." You see, even your current location is part of the set-up for your kingdom destiny. As we learned in one of our earliest verses on providence in this series, in Christ, "we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works everything in conformity with the purpose of His will" (Eph. 1:11). These realizations should be stunning and marvelous to us, exploding our lives with significance. ~ Beth Moore~ Esther study

Thank you for sharing a moment or two with me. May God richly bless you and make His face shine on you as you serve & glorify Him~