A wife and homeschooling mom of 3 boys, seeking to be the woman, wife and mother the Lord is calling me to be. "The Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete." Deuteronomy 16:15 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:19:00 -0500 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:19:00 -0500 I know this comes in stages and waves but I am feeling discouraged in lessons.  How do I make this fun and everyday life and not "SCHOOL" especially when our boys had really liked being in public school?  I am still struggling with what I think "school" should be and what it truly can be.  We are in a good place as the boys are only 7 and 6 but they still have a negative view of homeschooling (they miss their friends.)  Sigh... I know this is a season, and we have peace that this was the Lord's will (well, I should say in these times of discouragement, I'm praying, Lord is this your will, is this what you want?...) I would like to ask for your prayers, and any words of advice, encouragement...God is so great and mighty and He carries us through, we need to draw near Him though...and I've fallen so short  here, in my quiet time with You, Lord...forgive  me, Father... Thank you and praying for your homes, families, days... God bless! Bree    http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/596536/ Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:19:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/596536/ A beautiful post from Ann over at Holy Experience.  An encouragement to life, mothering, marriage, schooling... Bless you, for our heavenly Father is great and mighty and desires that personal relationship with you, that He might lavish His love upon you...what He created us for in the first place... He is mighty!             Are you showing His love to others?  Are you allowing Him to help you learn His love?... Bree http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/581461/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:53:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/581461/ "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but  on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."-2 Corinthians 4:17-18 Satan is a deceiver.  We must never forget that!  I am starting to stress about school starting  (we are going on our 3rd year, but more of 2nd officially) and if I'll be able to do it, will I be able to do it better, will I have too much on my plate, can I stick to a schedule,...am I good enough to do this????  Well, I'm not able to do this on my own, but God is my refuge and my strength.  He has equipped me to do this job that He has called us to.  So what does He need from me?  My faith, my trust and my commitment...and hope.  My sweet friend Terri wrote a post that spoke to me greatly, and probably all of this, just about life in general.  "Chip away" her husband tells her.  "Don't make it so complicated" my husband tells me.  "Just do a little each day, but do something each day." Dear Lord help me to stop believing the lies and to see through your eyes.  Dear Lord, set my day, set the schedule, that I follow your plans and not my own.  Lord, help me in my unbelief, trusting that You will guide me.  Father, I pray you'll bless our efforts and shower us with your spirit of peace, joy and love.  Thank you for the opportunity again to homeschool and to teach these precious children you blessed us with.  It is not about me, it is about You Lord!  You are Great and Mighty and oh so worthy of our praise!  You are my rock, my strength and my refuge and I can't do this without you, Lord.  Looking forward to our schooling Lord and thanking you in advance for the great plans you have and your merciful and grace filled help!  Thank you Lord!  I love you!  Amen! ~B http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/572816/ Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:07:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/572816/ Most precious Lord, You know my heart.  You know every nook and cranny of it.  You know my selfish heart, my preocuppied mind, my sinful nature, my lazy tendencies. But Father,  I am comforted by the hope that you know my innermost being.  You know of my capacity to love and for you to grow me beyond my sinful ways...not because I am capable of doing it on my own but because you love me and you care to show me.  Lord, you check my spirit, You give me fresh eyes and ears to see and hear through You and not my own ways. Lord, my heart flip flops on what I think I want and trying to hear you and what you want.  Father, but I praise you mightly for you are taking this selfish heart and making it swell for what I see before me.  Lord forgive me for pushing the little arms away when I was trying to fix something, not realizing I was missing a most precious gift of love.  Father, I'm so grateful you showed me quickly, with a look from another, a sadness in my spirit but a gentle love of truth that allowed me to repent and ask forgiveness of a little heart that is so quick to forgive and love.  Father, may your grace and mercy cover these little ones, this family, this husband.  May your grace and mercy cover my mistakes.  Father, may your grace and mercy cover me, teaching me, helping me, forgiving me...loving me. Father, may I be a light for you.  May your love be evident through me, breaking through the life that was once dead but is now alive, only because of your saving grace through  the gift of the blood shed on the cross by Jesus Christ. Thank you Lord, that you take me as I am, sinful, filthy, blemished and all.  With you, I am washed white as snow, not because I deserve it, but simply...because you love me.  Lord, teach me to love.  Forgive me, when I fall so very short because I don't want to give.  Forgive me, and thank you for reminding me that our days are numbered, that my days are blessings, filled with Your blessings, that I humbly have the opportunity to be part of.  May I love with the fullness of Your Spirit, with Your Heart...goodness is in me, the fruit of Your Spirit, for You are my Lord and Savior. Thank you Father, I love you, thank you for yet another chance, and for your Grace, your Mercy. You are Mighty! Love, your daughter:), in Jesus most precious name, Amen. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/561166/ Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:19:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/561166/ Today I read a daily word from Joel Osteen and Victoria and it addressed growing, continuing to learn, stretching, not doing "just enough" or for me, "good enough."  The Lord desires for us to persevere and endure to develop character, that we may reach the places and peoples and lives He desires and has planned for us...the calling He has upon our lives. "Therefore since we have been justified through faith..." He's called us and we've believed and asked Jesus into our hearts, admitting our sins, failures but knowing only He can save us... "...we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in the hope and glory of God..." Grace and Hope, a life filled with Life... "...Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope..." We learn to trust and rely upon Him, seeing His growth in us and bringing us places that we never thought possible (physically, mentally and spiritually)... "...and hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." (Romans 5:1-5)  Oh, how precious...we're never disappointed by the Lord.  We may be disappointed by situations, people, ourselves...but handing it over to the Lord, and waiting on Him and hoping through situations (for His ways are not our ways), produces this character He desires for us, growing our faith and love for and by Him.  As my sweet friend says, it like working out, you sure don't want to go, but after you've done it you never regret the exercise!  We never regret what the Lord has brought us through, because with Him and on His path there is glory to Him and joy for us.  When we veer from the path, it is those things we regret...but He still is faithful, to care, guide and direct our paths, with forgiveness and unconditional love.  Praise the Lord for grace and hope!   I later read this great post at Study in Brown, speaking to me, in connection with persevering, as to why we are homeschooling, the hope of the calling on our children's lives.. Dear Lord, help me to grow in the knowledge of you, persevering with the faith and hope you've given me that my heart and actions may be pleasing to you, praying Lord that these gifts would be instilled in our household and in our children, that we may never stop until the end, that you may say, "well done, good and faithful servant!" -(Matthew 25:21)  In Jesus' name, Amen God bless you and your day! Bree http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/527841/ Tue, 6 May 2008 08:12:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/527841/ Hi All! Check out this new website- it looks great (I'm needing to have some time to do some clicking:) but being able to have homeschooling info on one page---good stuff! She is also having a drawing for a gift certificate for Amazon- Have a blessed Sunday.  Praying you're remembering and loving the Lord with you're whole heart, who loves you more than you could know:) hugs! Bree http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/511553/ Sun, 6 Apr 2008 15:27:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/511553/ I just read the articles linked here. Please read them- There is something to be said about our treatment of others, and first and most importantly what the Lord tells us about love.  Love is not conditional.  Love is selfless.  "Love is patient and kind."-1 Corinthian 13:4 Love can be hard but it a choice, showed with actions that will show straight through to the heart behind it, be it good or bad.  We can't love the way we are commanded to without the Lord.  It is a daily laying down of our pride and selfishness.  It is a requirement though, to live a life that is pleasing to our Heavenly Father, and living a life filled with true joy, that your Father will say, "Well done my good and faithful servant"-Matthew 25:21 "This is my command: Love each other."-John 15:17 Other amazing verses: "A cheerful heart is good medicine."-Proverbs17:22 "He who finds a wife finds what is good..."-Proverbs 19:2 "She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life."-Proverbs 31:12 The Lord's word tells us that it is good to be a wife.  That we are a blessing to our husbands.  He tells us this because He knows we can be a blessing to our husbands.  If we allow Him to use us, we can be the wife He knows we can be.  "Create in me a new heart, O God."-Psalm 51:10 TLB This means we must lay our own wills down to follow the Lord's will.  In this way we can bring our husband's and the Lord good, and be in the Lord's will with His blessings.  Being outside of His will brings an inner grief and a loss of His abundant blessings.  God gives the strength to endure, persevere and find joy.  Please, remember I say this of my own opinion and it is important to be safe and seek help if needed.  God provides for all and we are humans and fall.  We will face sadness, disappointment, loss...but He will carry us through, and we are accountable for how we act during all times... "When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need- words that will help others become stronger."-Ephesians 4:29 We can however, find hope and comfort in His strength, which is made perfect in our weakness.  He invites us to set our worries and burdens at His feet, for He will carry us through. "My grace is enough for you.  When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you." -2 Corinthians 12:9 God bless you.  Praying you will find joy and strength in His word with an open heart, that if it is convicted, praises, it is not condemned!  Amen! Bree http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/508991/ Tue, 1 Apr 2008 22:23:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/508991/ Sooo, first and foremost-ALWAYS save your draft mid stream!  Oh, I know right now many of you are relating--you have that great post, the words just spilling out, you're so excited, you think how you're almost done, you know you should've started school half an hour ago but you are on a roll and almost done...and then it happens, that last sentence, you just wanted to add a link to that one name, no, no, not link to it, noooooo. But alas, you click on that little arrow on the top left of your screen, hoping, praying all those words are still there...and all that's there...your sweet title...ahhhhhh (and you know you try to click back and forth a few more times, just hoping you've some how done it wrong...it's okay my friend, denial is hard) Oh, can you tell I had an issue (some issues!) with this---I had to call a friend for comfort after I sat and stared at the computer, and my sweet children kept asking, "mommy what's wrong?" with such looks of concern...oh, am I laughing at such silliness.  Well, I can say I knew to "save" but I was just too plain ol' lazy to click on that button, knowing I'd have to click on "another" button to open it back up and finish it- yep, no sympathy here. Anyhoo, I do have a blog with blogger and I sure do like that it automatically saves, but I really like my blog here with homeschoolblogger too.  I've found such great blogs and it seems more of the small town, then the big city of blogger, where you may or may not find a great blog with like interests.  It's the best of both blog worlds. So I'm thinking this is my post for today, sorry no excitement:)  Sometimes it 's good to read something light-hearted and  just plain ol' silly. God bless ya! Hugs! Bree "You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God." -Ephesians 2:8 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/504438/ Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:39:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/504438/ I just happened upon this blog and thought this post was a good reminder... God bless! Bree http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/502196/ Thu, 20 Mar 2008 22:17:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/502196/ I saw a fly today!!! Well you make think I'm a bit off my rocker (no comments those of you who know me!) but seeing a fly today meant (at least to me) Spring is coming!!! I shared we're in our sweet New England town, and in our sweet New England town about 100 precious inches of snow have fallen (with more to come Wednesday?!) Oh, now I'm not complaining because : 1. I did ask God to fill up our well and 2. I was born in CO and have great memories of childhood sledding and snowmen- thus, having our boys enjoy all of that has been PRICELESS :) However, the sliding down the hill driveway, praying another car isn't coming...well I could do without that! So, I say...yeah for Spring!  Thank you my dear Lord for bringing us through these past few months, providing for our outrageous propane bills when so many haven't been able to.  Thank you Lord for preparing us for a season we've thought was the "norm" and we've now come to find out that it has been much worse. This might be a peek at how He truly means we can do all things through Him.  With Him, there are still hard times but He brings us through the season, warming us with His rays of sunshine (even through the windows), allowing us to hear the chirp of a bird when the ground is still gray and frozen, sending a fresh breath of His breeze, carrying the scent of new beginnings (with a hint of that precious salt water) while still bundled in coats, gloves and hats... ...and even that tickling sight of a fly, who in a few months I'm going to try to remember not to complain about :) Have a great amazing beautiful day.  Praying you're seeing His sunshine...His love in all that is around you. "I labor, striving according to His power, which mightly works within me." -Colossians 1:29 NASB Bree http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/495982/ Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:39:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thoughtsandprayers/495982/