Well, it is that time of the year...the months after the honeymoon has dimmed!  Everyone has probably been schooling several weeks, maybe even a month now and the excitment of a new year has worn off.  Also, the extra activities have started back up...soccer, ballet, piano lessons, youth bible clubs.  Help!!! I am burned out, resentful, tired and owverwhelmed already...how in the world am I going to get through 8 more months of this?!  And if all this isn't enough the days are now getting shorter!!!

I know what you are feeling...I have been there and felt the very same feelings!  I homeschooled for some 20+ years. So, today I want to be the voice of reason to you...hopefully dispell some of the panic you are feeling.  And because I know your time is limited I will try to keep it as short as I can.

First, keep in mind that you were called to this lifestyle, this ministry, so for that very reason God is not going to let you sink.  But, you have to go to Him, not just daily but hourly or maybe even more.  He has to be your heart and soul!  Through Him you can do anything, without Him you can do nothing.  Pray for our Lord to help you keep this a ministry...the most important ministry you will ever do, not just one of the daily chores.  Pray that he will help you to let yourself die and in replace of that you can put the needs of your children with His direction.  Attitude and focus are so important but we get caught up in being the homeschool police that we forget that the focus in really on what the Father is trying to do with our children.  He wants us to teach them and train them to be selfless disciples of Christ first and foremost.  And our attitudes say so much about how much or how little you trust our heavenly Father.  In a quiet place, with only you and our Father, evaluate how much you do trust him to order your time...your days and weeks.  Are your attitudes with your children a living example of being led by God or are you constantly frustrated, short-tempered, and unpeaceful with the children?

I know you might be thinking all this sounds great but I need specifics....I have 3, 4, 5 children and they do need to graduate with some book knowledge.  We want them to go to college..they have to score well on their SAT's....this one or that one is not motivated and they can't keep on track, and this one is full of ginger and spice, a real class cut-up which keeps us from getting anything done!  Could these be some of the concerns...of course!  Remember, there is more than one way to run our schoolroom.  Your inital plans are just that...anything that you find that is not working you have the ability to change!  Just because you have a notebook the size of a medical dictionary and have charted everything out for this year doesn't mean that can't change.  After all, life is ALL about change. Remember when we brought home that first baby? Oh, we had a plan...babies sleep soooo good in the hospital nursery.  So, when we get home, we are only going to nurse every four hours, give the new baby a pacifer, and let him sleep.  That lasted about half a night...do you remember?...up and down, up and down...boy, he wants to eat every hour and nurses for 35 minutes..he keeps spitting out the pacifer...one dirty diaper after another, and he makes noises all the time and I can't relax for jumping at every squirm and noise!  Is it coming back to you now?!  That was the beginning of being able to be flexible and realizing that you have to have a plan but that you have to be able to switch it up when you need to.

Go back to some alone time with God!  Ask him to clearly show you things that will make you more peaceful.  Are you getting up at a reasonable time?  My husband for twenty years was a fireman so he was away for 24 hours at a time.  I tried to use that to our advantage.  Many nights we would use the evenings to do our reading or bible study lessons.  And as the children got older, because their dad was at work at night and it our house wasn't run like a tradional household (everything runs differently when Dad is home), they would spend the evening reading their history or biology, which gave us more time during the day to do math problems and complete our English and grammar. 

Or maybe there are too many outside activities or you need to find an activity that all can participate in together instead of going ten directions 4 times a week and loosing valuable school time.  For a season, in our family, the children belonged to a year-round swim team.  We went together as a family...they swam, I had some fellowship time and usually did lesson plans and graded papers. Another part of our homeschooling years we, as a family, were part of a archery club and a stamp club...together as a family.  We had one place to get to, only that one allotment of time but yet we were getting out and doing something fun.

I just realized how long this post is and I don't want to sway you from your schoolrooms so think and pray about what I have said thus far and I will post a continuation of this tomorrow.  And if you read this and want to voice concerns or frustrations please feel free to comment.  For now, seek time with our Father as I will be doing and let Him do his work...after all HE IS THE MASTER!

Constantly ask God's help inprayer and pray always in the power of the Spirit.  To this end keep watch and persevere, always interceding for all God's people.          Ephesians 6:18

He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darknes and treads the high places of the earth--the Lord Amighty is his name.           Amos 4:13

I know that you have not heard from me in the last few weeks and I need to apologize for that. In the "blogging" world I have committed one of the worst sins...being inconsistent and quiet for a number of weeks. But, not only am I a full time mother, full time wife, I am also a full time student.  We started back into school July 5th and my school work is alot.  I have done what I have preached though, instead of being on the computer (which I do love), I have been trying to keep my home and family life running smoothly, or as smooth as it can run when you have classes and TONS of homework! This blog, to me, is a real ministry, one that I know I have been called to by God so I will continue to post as often and regular as possible so please continue reading when I do post. And there will be life after college...I hope!

All that aside, Wednesdays are organizational tip day for me so today I want to talk about meals....in particular LUNCH!  Lunches were always a struggle for me.  It seemed no sooner had we begun on a roll with our work that then lunch time popped up and everyone was hungry.  It also seemed that from start to finish it took such a big precious chunk of time and then we had trouble getting back to the books.  Does this sound like a famaliar situation at your house?  I didn't want to just give the children P&J sandwiches everyday, I wanted to give them a healthy meal, which was also establishing good eating habits with them for the future. So, my solution came back to how I have learned to handle most things....a LIST...let me explain!

We sat down, the children and I, and with notebook in hand started by making an extensive list of the foods that they liked.  Not what I thought they liked or wanted them to like but what they said they liked.  Then, I made another list grouping the foods that they both liked together.  That would help me to only cook one menu for lunch instead of something different for each child. The next step was to list the foods according to ease in preparation and cost to our budget.  I don't know about you, but we have always had to budget for food and lunches can be someplace to cut back if planned properly. As far as ease in preparation, some days I could afford to put in a little more time with the preparation than others and that also helps to mix up the menu..not always just having a sandwich or just having soup.

The next thing I did, and this will change so you will have to adapt, is to think about my weekday schedule and identify my easy days and my trying days.  With this I am talking about knowing myself and our school day...Mondays for me were always very productive.  I love Mondays!  Mondays for me always gave me a fresh start..a clean slate...last week was behind me and I had a full week ahead of me to "get it right".  Thursdays, well, that is another story.  On Thursdays I always felt like I was behind the eight ball and struggling to keep going. Fridays we usually did errands and lunch time was not consistent. By thinking about how my week ran, I was better able to decide how much time I could afford to put into a meal. On Mondays, because of being very organized, I could spend a little more time in the kitchen preparing lunch.  By Thursday, I just needed to get something on the table so nothing else fell apart.  Fridays I needed something real quick because we might be finishing our work and rushing off to do errands.

Now that those lists are made throw them away....HAHAHA just kidding!  Take all that great information and make up 8 fresh, interesting, healthy menus.  The reason we are only making 8 is because I feel like most weeks you can add in at least one day of leftovers.  With 2 days of leftovers and 8 new menus you now have lunches for two weeks. When I made up the menus I attached them to a specific day ...Monday, Tuesday, ect.. using the information on my "easy days and trying days".  Now, I know what I need to buy at the grocery store for two weeks of lunches, I know what the children can't get into and eat, and I know what I need to be prepared for the next day (what to take out of the freezer, what I am out of, ect.).  When your two weeks are over you just start again from the beginning. I usually kept one menu plan for 3 months and then revised it.  Keep your lists and revise them also as you go along...take note of the lunches that don't go over too well, up-dating them for nutrional value such as what fresh fruits and vegetables are in season and keeping track of the time and preparation.  Remember, to always do as much as you can ahead of time...cutting up fruit the night before, grilling a bunch of chicken breasts at one time and then freezing them, browning your taco meat with the taco seasoning and then freezing that.  These are just some examples.

So, below I have just given you the highlights...please pass me any questions you might have and talk with your family and friends...you will find dozens of healthy, interesting meals that you can serve for lunch.  One last note...I commented in my bulleted items about staying away from to many starches.  The reason for that is that starches, studies have shown, give you an afternoon droop!  For most of us we need the whole afternoon to complete our school work and the last thing we need are sluggish students.  So, instead of serving a hotdog on a bun, a pile of chips, kool-aid and then something sweet try a piece of chicken, a salad, and some fruit.  It will be better for the children and I think you will find them more productive in the afternoons

• List of foods the children like
• Compile the foods they all like
• List the foods according to budget and ease of preparation
• Identify your easy days and trying days
• Make up 8 menus...meat, vegetable, fruit..be careful of starches
• Rotate the menus every two weeks

Today for our devotion, let’s play a little game.  Just for a fun…

FIND THE BOOK

Each sentence contains a book of the Bible.

Find the name of the book and write it down.

1.    Put the hose against the house.

2.  He gave Jon a horse.

3.  They were walking seven miles a day.

4.  His Fez rang with every step he took.

5.  Always tell the truth.

6.  The house numbers started falling.

7.   It was the best her mother could do.

8.  That coat of Gene’s is dirty.

9.   A job well done is what you are striving for.

10. All tips, alms and gifts are appreciated.

11. Use pro verbs, not anti ones.

12. Joe loves to work on cars.

13. The Santana mosque is quite large.

14.  The facts are available.

15.  The trim ark made the voyage safely.

16.   Don’t prejudge students at other schools.

17.  That idea came from answer #2.

18. The trip eternal had begun.

19. He met Pam at the Winter Youth Celebration.

20. His game of golf was a fluke.

Answers:

     (1)Hosea, (2)Jonah, (3)Kings, (4)Ezra, (5)Ruth, (6)Numbers, (7)Esther, (8)Genesis, (9)Job, (10)Psalms (11)Proverbs, (12) Joel, (13)Amos, (14)Acts, (15)Mark, (16)Judges, (17)Romans, (18)Peter, (19)Matthew, (20)Luke.

Take a few minutes as a family to talk about this very special books.  Discuss why and by whom they were written and show your children some of your favorite verses tucked away in the wonderful pages of His word to us.

Lord, we pray today that your words will be burned into our hearts...that we will have a hunger and passion for the teachings you have set before us in the Holy Bible.  Write your words and your lessons on our hearts so that we can walk through this life with direction, righteousness and the confident assurance of You and your paths.  Light within us a Holy Spirit fire so that we will desire to learn more about you and all that we are to be because of you.  Thank you for my children, my husband, my home and the gift of homeschooling.  Let me always remember it is a priviledge and an honor and that I need to keep tied to your words also.  And help us to rejoice always in your precious words.   AMEN!

In my homeschooling years, during the summer, while most people are pouring over vacation condos, historical towns and maps that will lead them on roads to new and exciting places, I was sitting in the living room making lists of plans to get organized for the following fall.  Not too exciting for my family but was something I looked forward to.  The imagery of a peaceful, smooth running, organzied year...that was my motivation.

Oh, we had fun during the summer, went on vacations and took on that somewhat "lazy days of summer" attitude.  But, the Lord had showed me that I needed to take the summers, when there was not so much pressure, to get my ducks in a row for the following year. 

Over and over in God's word he shows us examples of order...order that in turn gives us peace and helps our relationship with him and our relationship with the others around us.  That is what I want to talk about today and for the upcoming Wednesdays.  I want to give you some tips from a veteran to hopefully help you become more organized and more peaceful...to make the most of your homeschooling call and to teach your children through your example, obedience to our Lord.  And there is a tiny jewel of testimony here...I wrote this post and was nearing completion when I lost it all.  There is someone out there that God wants to speak to through this post and Satan doesn't want that person to see it.  That I am sure of so here I go again..."Lord, help me to be your instrument, let your words and lessons pour out from me like water.  Touch all that read this and use it to better serve you, their families and to bring them many blessings as they go about doing your work.  With your words move them from the comfortable spot they are sitting to a new place, a better place that honors you more.  Bind Satan, and protect us from the attacks of the enemy and help us to always want to be molded into a better vessel for you!"  AMEN

Imagine for a minute that your children are in traditional school.  They come into their classroom and their teacher isn't there.  She slept in this morning and figures her students know what to do.  How about the children entering their classroom and the teacher spends half their class time rummaging through papers and books, unprepared to teach the class before her.  Or upon entering their class the teacher is sitting at her desk in GAP flannel p.j. pants and a tank top leisurely sipping her Starbuck's coffee.  Would any of you stand for this?!  Absolutely not!  The principles office would be full of irrate parents and rightly so.  The teacher has been given a responsiblilty and she has fallen down on the job..right!?  But think about it..how many of us are out of bed each morning before the children, have had a good (that doesn't mean long) prayer time, made our bed, gotten dressed and brushed our hair and have looked over the days lessons before the children arise?

As I said earlier, God's word, starting with creation, speaks over and over about order, peace, and being prepared.  True we are teaching our children at home and with that comes some freedom...freedom to teach them spiritually, freedom to hone in on their special needs, freedom to teach a subject until they really learn it and the freedom to let the Lord show us their God given talents and develop them.  It shoudn't give us the freedom to not be prepared, organized, orderly and spiritually filled up. It gives us a special gift that a lot of parents don't experience...that gift, though, has awesome responsibilites...a gift that  can only accomplish its best by the laying aside of ourselves and giving all of the "me" to God, so it is about Him and our children.

Let me remind you that studies have proved that it only takes 21 days to form a new habit.  It is only a matter of self-discipline and in the whole scheme of life that is a pretty easy thing.  So what are you going to discipline ourselves to do!  First, and foremost we are going to wake up before the children and go to God to get filled up with Him for the day.  In other words we are going to pray...start with praising his power, his might, his holiness.  Acknowledge that without Him you ARE nothing...your being is only by his design.  Then repent...repent of what you have done wrong..attitudes, actions, and thoughts.  Then repent of what you have failed to do.  Overlooking a lesson, a chance to reach out to someone, and the failure to use the teachable moments, that are like jewels, he has given you (everyone knows teachable moments is one of my passions)!  Now your heart is ready to ask for his guidance...ask him to give guidance and wisom to your husband as the head of your home and as the headmaster of your school, guide your lessons, speak His words to your children.. and design your attitudes to be those of a servant for the molding of your children.  Bind Satan...bind him in yourself, your home, your schoolwork, and in your relationships with the others in your circle.  Ask for God's help in keeping Satan behind you instead of in front of you leading you down the wrong path.  And finally REJOICE and again I say REJOICE!  REjoice in the abundant blessings He has given you, rejoice in the gift of your husband, your children, the opportunity to homeschool.  Rejoice in the day that is ahead of you, rain or shine, for the opportunity to see another day. Rejoice in his love and protection over you and your family.  REJOICE..

You might think that written out it seems like alot but I assure you it is not.  It really will take you only about 10-20 minutes a day..except for the more you pray the more natural it becomes and the more you are pulled to it...then your pray time will grow, you will find it hard to stop! After your pray time get dressed, make up your bed and go over your lessons for the day.  Some of you might choose to do that the night before and that is fine..for me I was always too tired at night and after a good pray time in the morning I felt refreshed and eager to look at our lessons..to make sure I had a handle on them.  But, whatever works best for you do it..the objective is to be ready and waiting on them not the other way around.

Let me emphazise again...this is not me just being OCD...this is living out a lesson straight from the word of God.  It is His teaching that things be in an orderly manner not mine.  And our job as parents is to prepare our children spiritually for eternity but also to equip them to be accountable,  functioning adults so that they can effectively go about and do what God has planned for them.  They won't be able to sleep in and not report to the job on time.  They won't be able to go to their college classes without being prepared with their lessons.  They won't do very well in life if they don't dress appropiately..no, I don't think they will get very far in the real world in their jammies or shorts and a tee shirt! Another thing is that you are better prepared for losing track of time and needing to run out to the bank, the store, the post office.  You will save time by already being dressed and ready.  If company drops in unexpectedly, are dressed and ready to hostess them.  And it is a much more pleasant picture and example to your daughters...a pleasing outfit, neat, fixed hair and a touch of make-up.

Again, remember it only takes 21 days to form a habit...if you start tomorrow by July 20th you will have formed a wonderful habit. If you don't want to take this from a veteran, remember that it is instructions from God..do it because He has called you to it.  You will be setting a good example for your family, you will have a lot more peace in your home, and you will be living out of God's teachings.  You will reap abundant blessings and feel God's presence a little more in your home.  You will be blessed!

A voice of one calling; "In the desert prepare the way for the Lord!; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be raised up, every mountin and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, and rugged places a plain.  And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.  For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."  Isaiah 40:3-5

"Get over it!"...I have heard this phrase more times than I can count. "I know there is alot of repetion of math facts, but you need to do them all.."get over it"..."No, we can not go on the field trip. We are behind in our work.."get over it" and get your work done!"..."I know all your friends are doing unit studies and you think that would be alot less work.  We are sticking with ABEKA.."get over it!"  I don't like this phrase and I try not to use it. Every time I hear it my heart sinks a little. I feel like there is no compassion, no mercy, no understanding, no patience in these three little words.  We as moms and as teachers should always be using our words to teach, train, lead, and mold our children.  These words might stop short a debate that is going on but I don't think they do much else. Yet, they are tossed around easily, maybe without really hearing what is being said.

This weekend, when I heard these three little words uttered, something happened to me. A thought came to me that there was one topic  I was not, oh, never, going to get over. A spirit of rebellion you might be thinking?! No! I am referring to my feelings about the King of Kings..the Almighty...the Trinity...God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The feelings I have for Him I never want to "get over". These are some of the words that come to mind...awestruck, capitivated, incredible, inconceivable, indescribable, marvelous, overwhelming, remarkable, stupefy, stupendous, unimaginable, unutterable.

When I wake in the morning I am struck with an His indescribable peace. As I read His words in my bible I am captivated by His teachings. In my pray time as he pours out his Holy Spirit over me I find that my words are unutterable. It is inconceivable that He loves me so much that he gave his life for me. When I look back over my life at the blessings he has bestowed upon me...from His healing of me when I was a baby, through my wonderful years growing up, to marrying and having children, through the years of homeschooling...it is all incredible!

The way he answers my prayers and always leads me down His pathways is remarkable. I am awestruck every day just looking at His creation outside around me..all that He has made to give us pleasure..the birds, the flowers, the wild bunnies. He has stupified me with how well he knows me, so intimately...and how he cares for me so lovingly and gently. The people, my friends, he has brought into my life is something I marvel at. When I think of the family he gave me...my King knowing me before my mother even knew there might be a me...and sticking in there with us all until we surrendered our lives to him I am overwhelmed. For me to know He stays with me, my family, my friends and all His children every moment of every day, forever is unimaginable. And the thought that He has given all of us, every single person, a path to eternal life, to a place we will spend eternity in his presence is stupendous!

We moms, as the teacher, give out grades for lessons learned.  If we had to give ourselves a grade on how well we were teaching the above feelings what grade would we be giving to ourselves.  Think about this...how can we pass on to our children what we do not feel ourselves!  Do a little schoolwork yourself.  Pick out the adjectives in the paragraphs above and then write out how each one pertains to God and your relationship with Him.  I think you feel the same way I do, I just think most of us have to stop a moment and reflect on those feelings.  We get caught up in the day to day routine and and we forget to feel God...we have put the breath catching feelings aside, except during our few minutes of quiet time with him, to attend to every day life. We have somewhat "gotten over it" without even intending to.

After you do this little exercise do it with your children...no matter what age they are.  Challenge your children to put the adjectives together with the way they feel about God.  And if they have trouble putting together the two then that is great too!  We know what we need to be focusing on this summer.  We should teach them, that in life, there are situations that we have to let go.."get over".  There are things we have no control over or just have to be, so we need to accept them that way..we have to "get over" what we think or want. 

 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,  got up from supper,

 and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.

 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.  John 13:3-5

The dishes get dirty three times a day.  Who's going to wash them?  The front porch is filled with leaves every time the wind blows.  Who's going to sweep it?  The dog needs to be walked.  Your brother or sister need help getting their shoes on.  The lights are on in the back room.  Dad had a hard day at the office.  Mom's back is killing her.  Larry just got cut from the baseball team.  Angie missed becoming the lead in the play.

Opportunities for "foot washing" are all around the house.  Golden, wonderful opportunities to demonstrate the God Who lives in your heart are readily available.

Look at the verses again:  Jesus, ever though He knew He was God, did the job of the meanest servant.  Wow!  How easy it is to let a parent serve, to let a wife serve, to let the youngest kid serve, and to hold a position of authority over others.

How exciting, fun, and fulfilling it is to "wash feet" and seize the opportunities God gives us each day to express our care to those we love.  Washing feet is the mortar that holds the bricks of a house toge  ther.  Washing feet is the heart in the Valentine card and the Christ in the Christmas card.  When Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, "There's no place like home," she was speaking of a house full of foot washers of all ages.

Questions to Share Together:

1.  Why is it hard to be a foot washer?

2.  What are some practical ways to wash feet in a home?

3.    What did Jesus' foot-washing episode say about God's love for you

     and me?

Get creative...wash someone's feet today!

Lord Jesus..help me and my children have the heart of a servant following in the example of our heavenly Father.  Show us ways to serve others and help to rid us of any selfish spirits that would keep us from following in your example.  Help us to understand that in serving others we are honoring and serving you...Amen!

One of the joys of homeschooling our children is that we can take time to teach, mold and shape them not only in academics but in their spirituality.  We can spend as much time as we feel necessary in helping them be the children of God that He desires them to be.

Becoming dominant in our culture, in America today, is our physical beauty.  And not only for females but for males too.  Americans spend billions of dollars every year on cosmetics, beauty treatments and plastic surgery.  American culture is obsessed with how we look, from the top of our heads to the tips of our toenails. And our culture is ready to pay any price to be younger, darker, larger, smaller, firmer and smoother.  But, we as Christians need to keep teaching our children, who are being raised under this pressure, where the best beauty treatment is found.  It isn’t found at a make-up counter, at an expensive spa, or even “under the knife”.  It is found in a book—the BIBLE.

In the book of First Peter it says, “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.  For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves”.

Little is said of the physical qualities of the woman in Proverbs 31, but we do draw the conclusion that she had a pleasant appearance.  But what is more important than appearance…what is really important to God, females or males, is our character.  And God emphasizes that for us in Proverbs 31—trustworthiness (v.11), hard work (v.13), business instincts (v.16), generosity (v.20), creativity (v.22), initiative (v.24), and strength (v.25).

It is not her outward appearance that makes her beautiful, it is the make-up of her heart that we are to strive for. Fight to battle what the world is telling our children…use the time you have them at home to help them see that the inside is so much more important than the outside.  Strive for beauty in our children…not the beauty that the fallen world wants us to have but a beauty that comes from deep within our hearts…pure, gentle, quiet and in the image of Christ.

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.  Proverbs 31:30

For me, I have always feared and dreaded uncharted territory.  How about you?  And sometimes what seemed to be uncharted territory for me were the summers of doubt about the ”homeschooling fall” that seemed to loom ahead of me. The feeling of an unclear road map detailing my future clouded the freedom, rest and peace that the warm, relaxed, sunny days of summer should have held.

Reading in the Old Testament, I see that God’s road map for His people was clear.  God knew where he wanted his people to go and was faithful to lead them there.  There were some things that God used to strengthen His people, and the same things are available to us today as we face our challenges, fears and doubts. 

The people of Israel while standing on the banks of the Jordon River had one sure thing…they had the record of God’s performance on their behalf, in the past, and so do we!

For forty years, God’s people had been wandering in the desert, yet God wonderfully and miraculously cared for them.  First, they got into the wilderness through the miracle of walking through the Red Sea, then God gave them a guidance system.  Each day, for forty years, they were led by a pillar of cloud.  At night they were led by a pillar of fire.  They were wandering, but God was leading them.  God spoke through Moses, “I have led you for years in the wilderness.  Your clothes have not worn out on you and your sandals have not worn out on your feet.”  Deuteronomy 29:5

This summer, if you feel like you are uncertain of the direction you are to go in…feel doubt and fear of what is ahead closing in on you.. remember that you have God’s road map. You have the record of God’s faithfulness.  And then do one simple thing, take a look at the sandals on your feet.  I am sure yours are much like mine…in pretty good shape and definitely not worn off my feet!

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23 

Twenty-3^rd graders sat wide-eyed as their teachers read to the end of the story: “…And so, because of the magic looking glass, Miss Minka could choose who and what she wanted to be, simply by making a wish.”  Then the teacher closed the book and looked at the children.  “What would you like to be if you could choose?’

“I’d like to be a movie star!

“I want to be an astronaut.”

“I think it would be fun to be in the circus.”

“I’m going to drive race cars.”

“I’m going to be a nurse.”

Now pretend for a moment it’s your turn.  What would you like to be if you could choose any occupation in the world?

Thinking About Serving:

Ask 100 people what they would like to be, and you will get about 100 different answers!  But hardly ever will anyone say,”I want to be a servant!”

That’s easy to understand.   Who wants to serve others if he can be served by others?  Who wants t be a slave when he can be a celebrity?

But let’s talk, the next few Fridays, about what could make you want to choose a life of serving others.

KEY VERSE ON SERVING:

Jesus Christ, the greatest “celebrity” who ever lived, said this:  “I am among you as one who serves.”  Luke 22:27

This Week….

Follow Jesus’ example by finding creative ways to selflessly move to meet the needs of others.  Do the dishes without being asked, give Dad a hand outside in the yard, help Sis with a project, or fix Mom a wake-up cup of coffee.  The possibilities are endless.  Read Colossians 3:22-24 to discover whom you are actually serving when you serve other people.

“I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice  and,  I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”     2 Timothy 1:5

How many of you have noticed this one little verse?  How many of you have pondered it?  This verse to very important to the family because it is speaking of a grandmother’s transmitted faith.  In fact, there are quite a few scriptures that talk about grandmothers and grandfathers and the role they should play in our lives.

As homeschooling parents, we have and do exercise the ability to surround our children with the best, the people who we want to influence our children in a positive manner.  We pick out the best care groups, we investigate all the ballet schools and pick the one we think is going to teach our values along with ballet, we conduct our own girl scout and boy scout troops so our children are around moms and dads and children we approve of.  But, how often do we use the godly influence of the grandparents.  I know that not everyone out there has parents/grandparents that are Christians but if you don’t how about using surrogate grandparents…a couple in your church that doesn’t have children or that their children live far away and they don’t get to see the grands.

When I was around the age of 4 or 5 we lived in California.  My grandparents (both sets) lived in Canada and we didn’t see them very often.  There was a couple, in our church, that could not have children and they “adopted” all five of us.  At the time, my father was in Viet-Nam and to lessen the load on my mother they would take two of us at a time to spend the weekends at their house. They provided beds for us and beside each bed we had a lamp and on our beds we have electric blankets with our own controls.  We thought we had died and gone to heaven.  They spoiled us, in a good way…we got to eat on TV trays…they had time to play with us and Uncie (as we called him for some forty years) would tell us stories from sunrise to sunset.  And they were always faithful to read the bible to us…talk about God with us and pray with us.  Even though we had sleep overs, we got up on Sunday morning, put on our Sunday best and met the family at church.  They were a living example of their love and devotion to God and that helped mold and shape us.

As for my parents and in-laws, they have always lived within miles of my children. Every time my children skinned a knee, made a new figure with Lego’s, got a new baby doll or learned a new trick with their bike we had to call both “grammies”.  It ended up that my mother went to almost every doctor’s appointment with me…the children just wanted grammie with them.  During my homeschooling years, my mother-in-law would call around lunchtime, tell us to put our books away and come straight over…”I have lunch ready” she would say.  It wasn’t that she liked making lunch, it was a means for her to spend time with the grandchildren.  After lunch, she would bring out the sale papers and give them each a marker and they would dream through the sale papers…kind of like window shopping…circling all the things the children liked. Memories that will be burned into their hearts forever. And then there were the bible stories, the prayers, the church going and watching and listening to their grandfather preach.  All these things have greatly impacted the lives of my children…more than what just their father and I can do.  

Both sets of my children’s grandparents have had a big effect on my children’s life.  Like Dr. Phil says, “There is no softer place for a child to lay their head then in their grandmother’s lap”.  And that is so true!  The influence of grandparents is God ordained, it is meant to be, and the scriptures show us that.  In Joel 1: 3…”Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.”  God wants the wisdom, the knowledge, the experience, the love of the generations to be passed on to our children. There is such wisdom, such patience, such love that comes from grandparents and other than parents and siblings it is one of the most important relationships you can have in this world.

So this summer, make an effort to spend a little more time with the grandparents.  If spending time with their grandparents is not an option, pray and ask God to bring a elderly couple into your lives.  In fact, God has probably done the foot work already and it is just something you have not been aware of.  Even if the grandparents live away, change the way you are doing business….bring them to a higher priority in your children’s lives…let them call the grandparents more…make it one of their writing assignments to send a letter every week to the grandparents…carve out more time to travel to see them.  Do what you need to do!  God will bless you and your children and their children’s children…the scriptures tell us so!!

And here an abounding lineage…And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Sister of our, from you may there spring thousands and tens of thousands!  May your descendants gain possession of the gates of their enemies!”  Genesis 24:60

I do errands for you and for others.  I never get tired or grumpy.  When you give me a job to do I don’t complain.  Not once do I ask, “Why doesn’t someone else do it?”  I seldom lose what you trust to me.  I will go wherever you want me to to—on short trips or long ones.  I won’t cost you much money—not more than a candy bar or two.

If you wish I’ll travel t India for you.  Or I’ll go to Africa, Alaska, or Australia.  I’ll deliver what you give me to places near or far.

To serve you I may sail the ocean in a big ship.  Or speed through the sky in a silver plane.  Sometimes I may go by bicycle, truck, or train.  I may even plod along on a donkey’s back.  Or I may sway on a camel’s bumps, or be carried by a man.

I’m not very large and there are many of me.  You will find me and my friends busy in every country.  We work together to serve you.  We follow certain rules and each one of us does his part.  We always try to stick to our job until it’s done.

When I’m given an errand to do I’m put in a box.  The box is red, white, and blue.  Then I’m taken out of the box and put into a sack.  I ride in a truck to a certain building.  There I get set for my trip, near or far.

Do you know who I am?  Shall I tell you what I look like? Sometimes I wear a face like Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson.  But other times I wear the face of a woman.  Or I look like a building or a plane.  My name is POSTAGE STAMP!

In some ways I’m like you.

Some one made me.

     You were made by God.

I was made to serve other.

    God made you to serve Him.

I deliver messages.

      If you trust in the Lord Jesus He wants you to deliver a message too.  He says,  "Go into all the world and tell the gospel to everyone.”

I follow rules.

     God has rules for you to follow.  They are in His Word.

“Whatever you do, do it with all your hearts for the Lord…You are serving Christ, the Master.”   Colossians 3:23a, 24a

May the Holy Spirit light a burning desire within you and your children to share His Word with others from all places and all walks of life.  May He make your steps many toward those who need the truth and may He make your words, His words, and help you to proclaim them boldly.

Amen.....enjoy your weekend!

 Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer."Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him." Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man. Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him.

The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows." Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.

To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins.The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

MORAL: When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear.

Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? How prepared are we? How mentally and physically, and spiritually prepared are we? And not just "are we" Isn't this the point for most of us in our decision to homeschool our children. We have been lead to homeschooling because our deep desire to prepare our children spiritually, mentally, and physically so that they have nothing to fear and can go out into the world as adults and walk down whatever path God leads them on.

I am back and ready to did what God has called me to do which is to encourage, support and lend my twenty-some years of homeschooling to you.  My family and I have been on one of life's journeys and I needed, at that time, to do what I had been calling ya'll to do...to give my all to my family... and in doing so, for about 3 months, I needed to stay off the computer and be available to meet the needs of my family.  But, we are back on track and if you want to read more you can go to my other blog http://thehereandafter.blogspot.com/ to read more of what has been happening with my family.

But today is Friday and 3 months ago I promised you that Friday would be "Family Devotion Day" so here it is. Enjoy it together with your children and may God bless you and your family this weekend!

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING A CHILD CAN DO

Did you ever try to think what is the best thing that anyone can ever do?  We can think of many things.  Perhaps we would think first of all about being kind to each other, or about obeying Mom and Dad.  These are very, very important.  We might think about how important it is to eat enough, or to get enough sleep, or to do our school work.  These things are very important also, but there is something else that is the most important of all.

You might be able to guess but let me tell you any way!

The most important thing is to obey God, and do just what He wants us to.  When you obey God, it makes Him very happy and He gives you many lovely things.

He is saving some of His best presents for you.  He will give them to you after a while.  He is saving them for you until the time when you fo up to be with Him in heaven.  How wonderful it is going to be then, if you obey God now.

He likes to give lovely things to children who obey Him.  Can you think of some of these things?  I will tell you one of them and then you can think of others.  One thing He gives obedient children is happiness.  If they obey Him, they are happy. 

What happens if you don't obey God?  Does that make any difference?  Well, what happens when you don't obey your parents?  They must punish you in some way.  God must punish you, too, if you disobey Him.

A Sunday school teacher was talking to the children in her class about obeying God, and she told the children that God's will is to be done on earth just as it is done in heaven.  She asked, "Children, how do you think that God's will is done in heaven?  How do you think that the angels and the happy spirits do the will of God?"

The first child replied, "They do it right away, as soon as they know what God wants them to do."

The second child said, "They do it just as well as they possibly can, because they are doing it for God."

The third child said, "They always do just what God wants them to and don't try to think of other things to do instead."

None of the other children in the class could think of anything else until after a while one little girl put up her hand and said, "Teacher, I think they do it without asking any questions."

Isn't that a good way to do God's will?

Read together from your bibles ACTS 5:17-29

"Trust and obey,

For there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus

But to trust and obey"

AMEN!.. 

I have decided to do something new on my page...on Fridays I will post a simple devotion for ya'll as a family. When I was in the throws of homeschooling, Fridays always seemed to be more relaxed...we had more activities planned and I think we were all just glad that it was Friday and the weekend was ahead. My posts or a majority of them have been help advice...what to do or not to do. I would like to give you something that would be no work on your part, just a way to add something simple and different to your day. If you find, after a few weeks, that this is helpful in any way please let me know. Again, i am going to keep it simple so the younger ones might gain something. Please enjoy them and may our merciful Father continue to walk with us daily as we do our best to love and serve Him and through Him our families.

                                WHAT PRUNING MEANS

"Mother!" Nacy called to her mother one beautiful day n May. "Where are you?" "In the front yard," Mother called back. Nancy came running. But when she saw what Mother was doing, she stopped short. Her mouth dropped open.

"Oh, no, don't do that, " she begged.

Mother laughed. Nancy couldn't understand why. She didn't think what Mother was doing was funny. Mother was picking all the small buds off the gardenia bush. On each stalk she left only one bud. and Nancy didn't like that.

"I suppose you think I am hurting the gardenias," Mother said.

"Well, aren't you?" Nancy wanted to know.

"No, i'm helping them. If all the buds were left on the stalks, none of them would grow very large. The plant would have to share food and strength with all of them. By pinching all but one, I let the plant give all it's strength to the main blossom."

Nancy shook her head. She still didn't believe what her mother was doing was right.

"I'll tell you what I'll do, " Mother said, "I'll leave all the buds on a few plants just to see what happens."

In a week or so the gardenias were in bloom. And this is what Nancy discovered. Mother was right! The biggest blossoms were on the plants where she had pinched off the small buds.

When Mother saw that Nancy understood, she told her that was the way she wanted her to grow. When she said, "No!" Now, don't be cross!" or "Watch that tongue!" she was really pinching buds that shouldn't grow. She wanted Nancy to become a beautiful blossom for Christ.

Something to think about: This pinching back of buds is called pruning. Sometilmes even branches of treees are cut away so the tree can grow as it should. Do you think children need to be "pruned" by their parents? Can they help prune each other? How? Would you like to grow up without ever being corrected? Why or why not?

Bible verse: "He that listens to correction is wise."  Proverbs 15:5

Prayer: Dear Jesus, we know that we sometimes grow in a direction that is wrong. We let buds develop in our lives that shouldn't be there. Thank You for parents who care how we grow. We want You to help prune us, too. Keep us sweet and kind. Help us to be honest with others. Forgive us for the times we talk back and fail to do what we know is right. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Thank you for the privilege of helping you and your families grow in the love of Jesus Christ. I consider it an honor and pray for you all.

Colette

Our homes are filled with a packet of seeds...our children. What we are looking for is tender little sprouts to pop up and for that we need to have soil that is rich and cultivated. We need to to fertilize that soil with prayer and till it with encourgement. Here is some of that "soil fertilizer" that you can till into the soil. Pray whenever your hands are busy but your mind is not....while washing dishes, folding clothes, sitting in the bleachers watching a soccer game, waiting on the girls to come out from ballet...you don't need a specific prayer time. Use every usable moment to cover your tender sprouts with a mother's heartfelt prayer.

• Pray that nothing will hinder your children from accepting Christ as their personal saviour early in life ( see Matt. 18:6; 19:14)
• Pray that your children will learn to know their God, the true and living God, and will have a deep desire to do His will for their lives ( see Ps. 119:27,30,34-35)
• Pray that as your children hear stories from the Bible, a genuine love for God and His Word will become such a part of their lives that it wil be the basis for all their decision making throughout life ( see Ps. 71:17;Eccles. 12:1; 2 Tim. 3:15)
• Pray that your children will develop a keen sense of what's right and wrong-that they will truly abhor evil and cling to that which is good ( see Ps. 51;10; 139:23-24; Rom. 12:9)
• Pray that your kids will increase in wisdom mentally, in stature physically, and in favor with God spiritually and man socially ( see Luke 2:52)
• Prayer that your children will develop a thankful heart and a fine, confident mental attitude ( see Ps. 126:2-3; Rom. 8:31)
• Pray that God will protect your kids from Satan and his wiles in every aaea of their lives ( see Ps. 121:8; John 17:15)
• Pray that God will destroy the enemies in your childrens's lives, whatever they may be-weaknesses, lying, selfishness, disobedience, and so on ( see Ps.120:2; Phil. 2:4)
• Pray that God will make your kids successful in the work He has planned for them to do ( see Ps. 118:25; 139:9-10)
• Pray that your children will have a strong sense of belonging to a family that is loving and dwells together in unity ( see Ps. 133; Col. 3:12-14)
• Pray that your kids will respect those in authority over them ( see Rom. 13:1; Eph. 6:1-4)
• Pray that their entire lives will be a testimony of the greatness and love of Jesus Christ ( see Phil,. 2:15-16; 1 Thess. 5:2)

Don't be overwhelmed by the list....you can manage it anyway you what. Also, remember that there are snippets of time throughout your day...you just might not have noticed them. You can pray this list by praying  two a day, half of them the first part of the week and the other half the second part of the week, or a different one with each different task each day. It is up to you..but don't underestimate the importance and the impact of your (a mother's) feverent and heartfelt prayers. Remember, the Master Gardener has given use the responsibility of tending to the garden....I want little tender sprouts to pop up, grow into wonderful heathly plants and then bloom bright and beautiful!!!! Get your gloves on and get out there to that garden and start cultivating rich, rich soil!

One of our responsibilities as parents and also their teachers to to help our children focus on what is important to be learned. All of us have had those days when,even if we do not speak it out, we certainly are thinking to ourselves..."Didn't they hear anything I said?"..."You are not paying attention to my instructions?"...Everything I say goes in one ear and out the other ear?"..."I've asked you ---times and it still isn't done!"..."Who do you think I am talking to?...myself?!"

Here is some of what the book of Proverbs has to say about "paying attention".

Listen, my son, to your father's instruction (1:8)

Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding (4:1)

Listen, my son, accept what I say; listen closely to my words (4:20)

My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight (5:1)

Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say (7:24)

Listen, for I have worthy things to say (8:6)

Now then, my sons, listen to me (8:32)

Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it (8:33)

Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise (19:20)

Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach (22:17)

Listen, my son, and be wise (23:19)

Listen to your father, who gave you life (23:22)

Well, it is clear what the book of Proverbs thinks about paying attention and the importance of that in gaining wisdom.  Without listening you lose the ability to learn and it is our children's responsibility to LISTEN.

All that said, though, for the majority of the time the problem is not that the child is not paying attention, it is that he/she is paying attention to something else. They are lost in the computer, a daydream, busy outside in the sunshine or the sand box, intently watching a bug, or in some faraway place that a movie or book has taken them to.  So, it is our challenge to be sure that when we speak we HAVE THEIR ATTENTION.  We need to teach them to focus on what we are trying to communicate. It makes life easier if this is taught at a young age but with some consistency all your children can learn to focus on you when you speak...they can learn easily how to pay attention and all of you will be rewarded for that in the future. It will make it easier on them, when they are adults to focus on God..to pay attention to his instructions...to hear his voice.

Here are some tips to help and not in any order....

1. Always state your child's name. That is an attention grabber, but watch your tone and inflection in your voice. Never shout your child's name. Save that for a DIRE emergency.  If you want your children to enjoy learning from you start being pleasant from the start. Always remember you are teaching, instructing and loving at the same time.

2. Get close to the child and establish eye contact. The younger the child the closer you need to get. When my children were preschool I made a point of being close to them and making sure we had eye contact. That way you both have each other's attention. When a child is not looking at you the chances are very good that their mind is not focused on you. Oh, they can be looking your way but be a long way off somewhere else. The "calling instructions" from across the room, and even from another room just doesn't work. You are wasting your breath and actually teaching them that what they are saying is unimportant. And hollering from the front seat of the van...take the time to pull over into a parking lot...get out and open the side door and get their attention. It is important to have captured their attention so remove whatever has their focus...turn off the television, put down the book, sit on the steps away from the grasshoppers..you get the idea.

3. Verbally have them give you a response.  If you are dealing with a toddler and you want them to pick up their toys, have them repeat to you that "now it is time to pick up my toys", then take them by the hand (to keep them from getting sidetracked) and start them picking up their toys. Again, remember you are teaching and training.  If you are requiring a chore from an older child (first grade on up) have them repeat back to you what you want them to do. The child giving you a nod, a wave of the hand, a grunt, ect. are too easily used without meaning anything. Have them repeat what you have said to be sure they understand not just the instructions but the time frame. It is also a useful tool to gauge that you have their