Journey of Love - Homeschool Blogger

Here's what I've been doing lately. . . .

Thu, 4 May 2006 00:08:00 -0500

It has been quite some time since my last entry. I have missed comming to HSblogger, but I have had a few projects and activites that needed my attention and so I had to forgo blogging for a short while. Now that I'm back I would like to share with you what has been going on. . . .

For starters, our two oldest sons started Little League Baseball. They love it, and it is a joy to see them play. They are on separate teams b/c of age. They each practice about two times a week, on different days with one game each week. Their games sometimes occur on the same day, so dh and I have been treking off to games at different times about once a week. It been fun, but a little challenging as well. Thank God for His strength. Also my book "Face to Face" has recently been published. It came out in March and I have been spending some time doing signings, readings and such. I'm pacing myself and relying upon God and His wisdom to do what I need to do. I have found that as I rest in Him and remain faithful to the vision that He has given my family by keeping Him first and my family my main priority, He opens doors that I didn't even see effortlessly. And people call me to come speak and contact me for signings b/c they heard from someone else etc... It's quite awesome how He does things.

I have also been working on my own personal website to promote my book. If you would like to see it click here and tell me what you think.

The address is www.mimivthompson.com . Please stop by and sign my guestbook while you're there.

I will do my best to post more often as time allows. I look forward to hearing from you all!

God Bless

I pray that all of my friends here at HSB are blessed and walking in the bounty of our Father's love each day.

Blessings,

Mimi

Unique Diversity

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 10:56:00 -0600

It is amazing how uniquely God establishes families. How diverse we all are and yet there is a common bond that we share as children of God that is universal - our love for Christ and the desire to fulfill his purposes for our families. There is tremendous diversity within the homeschool sect, but yet we are all serving Christ and walking according to the plan that he established for us. Each day we are learning, growing and discovering what God has in store for our families. We're learning to savor the sweet blessings of motherhood more and more, recognizing giftings, strengths, talents, abilities all the while more clearly identifying God's hand upon our very lives. He is aware of all of our unique situations and He knows the areas that we need to develop and mature in. Believe it or not, He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Another wonderful point that I would like to make is that within each of us, God has deposited special passions and desires that He wants to fulfill and bring to pass through our complet surrender and adherence to His plan. You see, He loves to stretch our faith and operates in doing within us what seems impossible. All the while developing our faith in the " I can do all things through Christ" mentality. So each and every day I am learning to trust Him a bit more and allow Him to stretch my faith (even if sometimes I'm not as flexible as I would like to be) lol . I still look forward to the opportunites that present themselves allowing me to reach beyond my comfort zone and step out into the open air of expectation. It's worthwhile surrendering to His will totally and allowing Him to direct us. I know without a doubt that He will guide us into His perfect will.

Gently Leading

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 20:29:00 -0600

I have learned that in this day and age parents must be discerning. According to the New International Encylopedia of Bible Words, discernment is defined as understanding gained by evaluating. Knowledge and information alone are not enough. We must know what to do with what we learn. As parents, we want to be as thorough as possible, not leaving out an ounce of preventiveness. But even our gargantuian efforts cannot cover every detail. We are by human nature prone to mistakes, errors, and even irrational emotional behavior. This alone can hinder our decision-making ability. So what are we to do then? Well, it has been my experience to "call upon my present help in times of need." The spirit of God is the fresh assurance within a believer that we learn to rely upon and trust. It is the part of us that assists in making decisions even when we've exhausted all of our mental reserves. It's that small voice that says " don't give up; consider this; ask; pray; trust . . .

The mirad of concerns we as parents have today and are faced with on a daily basis can be overwhelming. We read to find the best solutions, we consult our human counterparts to shed light on our feelings of reservation, and to clarify what we don't understand. But human knowledge has its limits. We need something with more promise and assurity than just the opinions. So we pray for wisdom. Not conventional wisdom alone, but spiritual wisdom as well. Here are some scriptures for reference:

I Corinthians 1:24-25

I Corinthians 3:18-20

James 1:5

Ephesias 1:8-9

He thought of everything we could ever need. That's wisdom at it greatest. Colossians 1:9 states . . . that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

Colossians 2:3 reads . . . In whom are hid all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 3:16 goes on to say . . . Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.

So you see no matter how resourceful we are, our education, our knowledge, and our wisdom have their limits. Therefore we need to consult "Infinite Wisdom". He knows us, and our thoughts before we even think them. There is nothing hidden from Him (Psalms 139:2-18)

He fashioned our lives so who better to consult than He who knows us so intimately.

Ask and it shall be given

Knock and the door shall be opened

Seek and ye shall find

Matthew 7:7-8

And when we come to Him in prayer we must believe that He will answer ( Hebrews 11:6)

He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Seek Him daily and in faith, trusting that the steps of a righteous man (or woman) are ordered by God.

Jeremiah 29:11 is a good verse to keep close to your heart . . . I have it all planed out,-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. Message Bible

He is our loving Heavenly Father who cares for us. Desiring to help us with every detail of our lives - small and great. He too is a parent, with many children - including our own. He wants what's best for us and them as well. Do not fear, but take heart because the Creator of all things is looking out for us. . .

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:11

Unschooling - Christ-led Living and Learning

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 21:42:00 -0600

Having my children home, learning, growing, and living freely is for us, the way God intended. We enjoy life unhurriedly, at least for the most part, lol and unencumbered by stringent lesson plans that tend to diminish the natural creativity we are born with.

Our life at home is an adventure. It is a journey of discovery, and one of love. We open our hearts to God's direction as we assist our children in discerning God's plan for their lives. We don't follow any set plan or program. But appreicate the flexibility that following our interest provides us with. It is purposeful learning but natural in essence. It is where we as a family open up our home, removing the walls, figuratively speaking, and allow learning in it's truest form to take place. Our children love to learn, and find out new things, take things apart, put them back together, observe nature, read and be read to . . . and the list goes on. All of this without being forced to do so. Learning opportunities are all around us.

"The point of organic learning is that when we live a large and rich life . . . learning points naturally occur. Curriculum happens."

~unknown~

We provide our children with the necessary resoureces and allow them the freedom to discover and follow their interests. Our way of learning is more than a style, it is a way of life. Free of limits, but not boundaries. While providing rich opportunities and resources on a daily basis, we trust God to guide our children based on what he has placed in their hearts. We trust Him, observe our children, and facilitate, not dictate their learning. Each of our children learn more through our day to day experiences, conversations, and interst led endeavors and activities than they would in a forced, constricted environment where they aren't allowed to think for themselves.

Unschooling in a Christ-led manner may not be for everyone. It requires faith and the ability to entrust your children's education to their Creator, just as you do their very lives. We know that He will lead us and provide the necessary resources both tangible and intangible to fill each day and allow us to raise our family in the freedom that He gives. He orchestrates numerous teachable moments that are consistent with our discussions discoveries or spirit-led endeavors for that day. He never fails us. The more faith we extend in our life, the more rewarding it becomes. Each day is a lesson of trust for both us and our children. It is a blessing to be able to provide this way of life that is unschooling - living free and learning free in the freedom of Christ. We learn as we go-everyone. As I mentioned before, we don't have a set structure, nor do we have chaos. We have certain standards and expectations for our children. And they are aware of what is expected of them. We work together to keep our family operating smoothly and effectively. We live and we enjoy life. I can't tell you exactly what we'll be doing from one day to the next but we are definitely learning and it shows.

Unschooling has exceeded my expectations from when we first felt God leading us to this way of life. A life-style of learning as the spirit guides and provides us with priceless opportunities and ways to impart into our children, who are in fact His children as well. This is our journey, our life as unschoolers, living, learning, laughing and growing in the freedom of Christ! Each individual has a unique purpose in life to fulfill and for our family unschooling is the path, the ancient path that God has placed us on to discover His plan our family and for each of our children.

Ponder This. . .

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 13:09:00 -0600

Everything that we know of and are familiar with now will one day be different. The insignificant will no longer exist. So what are we spending our time on? The significant or the insignificant? What's going to matter in eternity? Selfish works will be destroyed and temporal effects demolished. Only what we do for Christ will last.

MOTHERHOOD

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 12:54:00 -0600

Hi Moms, hang in there. You're doing a great job. I know there may be times when you look around in this season of your life and ask..."Where am I?" If you're like me, usually by the end of the day you're in a place most of us moms are familiar with, it's called "exhaustion".

But you know what? These little whirlwinds and dynamos are only this age once. Sure it gets tough picking up the living room floor for the umpteenth time over a course of just a few hours. Or running from here to there on automatic, trying to get to your meal while it's still warm in the midst of sequences of . . . "can I have mores". Late nights, and early mornings aren't necessarily a picnic either but we mothers are blessed with a love that rises above the challenges of motherhood with grace. It is an enabling power from within that allows us to carry on and do it all over again tomorrow. Each time with a little more ease than the day before. This season of our lives is a place of growth, learing, trusting, leaning on, hoping, enduring, and most of all loving. Loving those within our keep unselfishly. Determined to set the stage of our homes and lives in a manner worthy of the high call we hold in this life.

Mothers be encouraged for you are doing a great work, one of unsurpassable beauty. Polishing gems to shine for glory; hanging stars to illuminate the night; adorning hearts with the love and wisdom of their Creator. Yes, motherhood is the greatest and most challenging task you will ever do, but it also carries with it unparalled benefits for you, your children, and the world, one day at a time.

Calling Us Blessed

Sat, 11 Mar 2006 21:31:00 -0600

Recently, we were reading "Hero Tales" which is a book about the lives of Christians who have impacted the world for Christ. This particular morning we were discussing Gladys Alyward, who was a missionary to the mountain village of Yang Cheng in China. She was told by her principal at missionary school that her grades were too poor and that she was too old to learn a new language at the age of thirty. And that it would be best if she ended her studies to avoid wasting time and money. This was discouraging for her because she knew in her heart that the Lord was calling her to China. Still, she stood on her faith, and sure enough God made it a reality. She was finally in China doing what she knw God had called her to do. Following the reading, I told my children that when God speaks to your heart and tells you what he wants you to do, nothing else matters; not what others say, not your circumstances, or anything else for that matter. It's all about faith-trusting that God will do what He says. My seven year old son pondered that for a moment and then said "it's all about three little words- listen, trust and do". "You have to listen to God, trust what He says and then do it." He's only seven years old, but speaks with wisdom beyond his years. Wisdom that comes from having God's word planted in his heart. To God be the glory!

I find it an immense privilige to be a mother and a tremendous blessing to homeschool. I am very grateful to my husband for leading the way along this beautiful journey and growing along with me. It is an indescribable delight to witness first-hand the effects homeschooling has our children. Thank you Father. I encouraged my son to start keeping a journal because God has given him a special gift. He asked "what kind of gift?" And I told him " one that allows you to utter with grace, finess, and wit the very things that God places on your heart in such a wise, matter-of-fact kind of way".

I shared this not to sound boastful, or prideful, but to encourage you in your journey of rearing a godly seed. We may not see the "fruit of our labors" at this very moment. But there are times when we are allowed a glimpse of things to come that stir our faith and encourage us in this important role. It will all be worth it, and generations will be blessed as a result. And just think of the beautiful sound of hearing our Father say..."well done my good and faithful servant" and imagine the joy of witnessing "our children rise up and call us blessed". If you think about it, experiencing a moment when our child(ren) grasp a truth, and are then inspired to share a revelation they recieved as a result of what we imparted into them is in fact "rising up and calling us blessed".

Freedom from Fear

Sat, 4 Mar 2006 18:18:00 -0600

Trust in God and His character...

Fear comes in many forms - fear of the unknown; fear of failure; fear of not being in control, which serves as a way of protecting ourselves. But think about it, God knows all. There is nothing hidden from Him. He is always in the know and that is what we need to learn to trust. Also, thinking that we are in control doesn't really help us any. For example, we only have the ability to control ourselves, right? We cannot control others, no matter how much we wish we could. Nor can we control every aspect of our own lives. It is pointless for the creation-us to attempt to play the role of Creator-God. We can however save ourselves alot of trouble and disappointment by just trusting He who is in control of all things concerning life. He is the creator and orchestrator of all living things. When I release fear and grasp faith, I begin to walk on the very trust that allows me to trample fear in whatever form. He has gone before me. And from the very beginning of time He saw my end and prepared a way of escape through Jesus Christ. Isaiah 46:10; I Corinthians 10:13 He knows what I have need of; He is aware of my weaknesses. And through it all He makes my paths straight through His Spirit at work within me. Isaiah 42:16

I don't have to know everything or be in control of tomorrow. I find comfort in trusting Him for every "today" and "right now" that comes my way. As I learn more of Him, acquainting myself with His character I am mersmerized by the grace that I witness and for such a long time, didn't really understand or grasp. He is not like man and exceeds the goodnes of the greatest earthly father. Nothing compares to His love for us, and nothing can open our lives more to experience this love than purely trusting in it. This pure trust reveals love more plainly to us, casting out tormenting fears of hurt, rejection and pain.

I John 4:18 His love leaves no room for fear, and it fills us to capacity and beyond, pouring over into the lives of others.

Life...Simple, Meaningful, and Purposeful

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 11:45:00 -0600

A worthy goal I have set is too eliminate clutter in our lives as much as I can. Clutter hinders the freedom to flow in our relationships, hampering harmonized living, and peacefulness. Eliminating clutter in whatever shape or form it inhabits, renders to us life uninhibited by artificial, wasteful, and unhealthy attachments.

I have also discovered that life takes time. I like to describe it as a "symphonic progression". One in which we should at the least try to live one day at a time. Perhaps working toward moment, by moment then breath, by breath and so on. And since there is no way we could possibly have all the answers to every situation we should simply trust our lives to He who does.

Here is todays entry...

God is my provision and source in life including every imaginable aspect, especially "homeschool" which is our way of life-living, loving, laughing, learning and growing. His grace is sufficient to supply and provide for our needs within this ministry, and sacred journey. We are His, not our own and He cares, even more than we do-WOW! So when we see a need, we carry it to him. Trusting that He will see it through. It isn't our responsibility to figure it all out. Only to trust and obey.

This life is much more simple when we choose to live from our heart, abandoning fear at the Cross. In my life, my Saviour has never forsaken me, and I know in my heart that He never will, and from this my strenght emerges. It is the child-like faith that attracts the manifestations. What we must learn is that God's ways are not found in, nor can they be similar to the inconsistent human nature of man. His ideals surpass carnal man's shallow perspective of life. He alone is the True gift which allows one to see the very richness of life in the tangible, heartfelt, genuine things in life - birth, life, people, love, visions, dreams. . .

When we are fully persuaded that our lives belong to Him and that He is the Master Craftsmen who designed, fashioned, and refined our lives, as only He can, we will discover that there are no limits to what we can become as individuals, and as a family. First within, which is the "self aspect", then without or outwardly as family. Each individual working together corporately towards a divinely synchronized goal.

Our dream is our road map

Our vision is our goal

Our life is our journey

How refreshing it is to inhale the clean, clear, beauty of a pure and honest existence. An existence that resists compromise and propaganda. A rich, true form of living is where life is free and on the air of peace one's soul is lifted up.

This is my prayer. . .

Father help me, show me how to abide in this place of rest. This place where I bask in the serenity of enchanted, fully complete, and rich moments. There are no cares or weighty thoughts here. Only the present, the now, and of course You my Lord.

Training our children for life

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 08:49:00 -0600

This is an article I was inspired to write as I considered the importance of family and the privilige that it is to homeschool. I began to ponder what it is that we do and why we do it. I hope that it will inspire and encourage you.

Educating our children is training them for life. We are teaching them to develop a lifestyle that includes and revolves around Christ. Each day is an investment of time and resources used to help them discover the plan that God has prepared for their lives and their own unique journeys. We assist them in deciphering and discerning truth from error and right from wrong. As their parents we are helping to develop their young and impressionable minds within a nurturing environment by ensuring that their influences and also what we allow into our home in the form of media and entertainment is consistent with our vision for our family and our goals for our children. We want to create an environment that is condusive of learning and growing in life in a way that pleases God and honors our unique gifts, talents, and abilities.

Teaching a child is in essence training them for the life they will lead and live as adults. How do we effectively prepare them then? Is there a method, or perhaps a particular course of study? In my opinion it just seems fitting to develop them with the same tools that they will use throughout life, just in different portions and ways. For us it begins with laying the foundation of Truth-God's word. This is the blueprint for their lives and as such it is important that they develop a heart knowledge of the Bible. A daily acquaintance with it, not just in reading alone, but in application. Learning as they live from day to day, while having their lives shaped and molded through the guidance of scripture. It is definitely a learning process, one that takes time and develops each of us for the better.

Our culture doesn't necessarily emphasize for us the importance of raising children within a chrisitian environment, instead they reveal the consequences of not doing so. Now I ask, who is responsible for training our children? As their parents and main influences it is our responsibility to teach them as well as guide and direct them to what they need to know about life, this world and their part in it from God's perspective. The culture we live in today is bent on indoctrinating children with carnal knowledge from humanistic and many times self-absorbed perspectives of religion, our world, and life. However, what they fail to see is that apart from God and His word there is no life. Secular beliefs are based on theory and collective opinions, not truth. These theories and beliefs are concoted as a result of living self-lead lives apart from their Creator. Life cannot be seperated from God. He in essence is life and through Him all life exists. As His children, we by grace have recieved the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus.

What our children are taught, and by whom they are taught will influence them and be a part of their lives forever. The instruction they recieve is preparing them for eternity somewhere. True instruction flows from God's word and cleanses our hearts and minds to view life and this world through "eternal eyes". There is no lasting and successful training apart from God and His word. Therefore it is beneficial that we recognize that the very teachings and instruction we pass on to our children and the character that we encourage and mold in the tender and impressionable years will be tremendously effective in governing their very lives in one direction or another. The foundation that we lay is the platform from which they will build their lives upon and eventually their own families. Will it be sound? If it is built on God's word it will be. Through the word of God they will be given the necessary tools to establish a sound and sturdy foundation and the resources to repair and make necessary changes and maintenance. We can help them sharpen those tools, train them in the proper usage of them and as a result, watch them mature in life. And when the time comes for them to work with the tools independently, they will know which ones to use and when to use them.

True training and insturction are taught within the family throughout the day,upon rising in the morning to bedtime. Family is the major source in passing along Godly instruction and wisdom for life. All too often however, this privilege is handed off to some stranger outside the home for X amount of hours for as many as 5 days a week or more. Secular society places great importance on academic achievement, and equipping children for successful careers, but they leave God out of the equation altogether, and many who say they are "christians" follow their lead anyway. All because it seems that everyone else is doing the same thing. But consider this, what has God called your children to do with their lives? They may very well be the next leading pediatrician, gourmet chef, or even president of the United States; but don't overlook the possiblity of God's plan for their life to involve them being a father who trains his sons in his trade as a carpenter, or passes on the family farm. Or perhaps your daughter dreams of raising a family and homeschooling instead of venturing out into the corporate world. Or perhaps law school isn't for your child because they have a passion for the written word? These are all possibilities. Taking the time to invest in our children and helping them discover God's plan for their lives is very important. It helps them to live life with purpose and aim by eliminating the fustration that is created when one is not in their place, or on the path that they were created to be on. God has specific plans for each of our children and it is to their best interest as well as ours to invest the time and energy necessary to detect their talents and gifts and spend time in the Lord's presence concerning each one. I said all of that to say this, don't get caught up in the ways of this world and be moved by popular opinion. Exceling academically is wonderful, but it is only part of the whole, not the whole in and of itself. The purpose of education is to assist your child in fulfilling their destinies. That is why it is so important for your child to know what they are here on earth to do. So that they won't just run off to university because so and so is going. But if that is what God is leading them to do they will be decisive and have a plan of action. And if God has placed on their hearts to go in another direction they will obey and be blessed as a result.

Only what we do for God will last. He desires to be incorporated into all aspects of our lives including education. It is through the education that we recieve that we view life. It shapes our perspective. God is first and all else follows. The Creator before the creation. I believe it is time for the christian community to reevaluate education and sift it through God's word. Education is truly meant to be training and instruction for a life that pleases God, not just serving as a means of career advancement or as a sure route to acquiring more financially. The world has influenced our views for far too long, especially in the area of childrearing. It is time to take a stand for God and allow Him to renew our minds and then our views on education for His glory. So allow Him to show you His original plan and design for family, education and life. What you discover might surprise you. God is the same from one day to the next, He never changes even in our modernized world.