The Wisdom of Seeking Guidance (especially from your husband)

For many homeschooling families, the wife/mother assumes majority of the workload that is put into the schooling of the children.  Husbands very often do take on a few subjects or particular children, but their role is not as the primary educator of the children, or facilitator of their learning (as they get older).  I have read of a myriad of ways that husbands participate in the homeschooling of the family, but one of the most significant helps a husband can offer for the wife is an outsider's perspective and the value of his headship and leadership within the family.  Let's face it, homeschooling is not the easiest of tasks, and though the difficulties of it manifest differently for everyone, there is some struggle going on within most homeschooling moms at any given moment: "Johnny really needs to do his math, but we are running so behind I don't know how we can get to it!...The floor needs to be swept but the baby is crying and needs a diaper change...I really need to spend some one-on-one time with Jill, but I just don't know how or when we can do that without so many distractions and interruptions!"

At least, this was where I was just the other day.  Feeling overwhelmed, incapable, failing at everything, and exhausted.  Things just felt scattered, chaotic, and frantic, rather than the scheduled, predictable, joyful, and pleasant atmosphere I yearned for our house to exude.  The kids too were feeling the disorganization and acting out because of it.  In our family, the more predictable and expected the order of the day/week is, the better tempers we have.

See, majority of the home schoolers I know, myself included, go through seasons where a feeling of inadequacy is experienced, often due to the expectation of needing to do more than is truly needed.  This is the homeschooling version of "keeping up with the Jones'".  We see, hear of, or read about homeschooling families that do a million things and we imagine them doing it all perfectly and without any tension, ever; violin lessons, speak 3 languages, Chess tournaments, kids able to scrub the house top to bottom with perfection, etc.  The reality is that every family has victories and struggles, difficulties at one point or another with messy children, and must go through various trials while doing life together.  The operative word here, though, is TOGETHER.

Segue to the point of this message (did you know it's not spelled segway?  I didn't, lol).  In a marriage relationship, two people are joined together to become one, and in this holy union life is meant to be done together.  All the struggles, joys, thrills, chills, trials, and victories are meant to be experienced alongside of each other, while knowing that there will be times when leaning on the other person for stability and strength will be necessary to get through a particular season.  There is nothing shameful or weak about this!  It is the reason God provided the Body of Christ (i.e. the Church).  For one thing, each of us are blessed with particular gifts and talents that balance out and fill in the gaps of others around us.  In our marriage, Mark is the administrative one.  Administration comes dead bottom for me in my giftings.  But, my weakness cannot be balanced by his strength if I do not seek out his insight and help when needed.  Sadly, he is not a mind-reader!  In addition, though, God designed the family to run in another organized and orderly fashion, with one head, not as an ugly two-headed dragon.  The family is another earthly example of the relationship of Christ and His Bride, the Church (see Ephesians 5:22-32).  In the same way it is foolish for me to go about my life, struggling as I may be, without ever seeking the wisdom and perspective of Christ, it is equally as foolish for me to do the same without seeking the wisdom and perspective of my husband.  Ouch!

So, God has seen fit to bring me to just this point.  He has seen fit to humble me, putting so much on my plate that there is just no way I can wisely do everything while maintaining a Christ-like attitude and my overall health.  He has pushed me to my breaking point...the point where I must (gulp) ask for help.  DOUBLE GULP!  Maybe I am the only person who struggles with this, but God has been pruning me to know when it is wise for me to pull up my bootstraps and get to work, and when I really do need help to get it all done.  For a little while now, I have known this is where I am.

My husband and I had a sit down last night and ironed out solutions for some of the most immediate things that are on my plate and needing attention (i.e. home school), and I was so, so blessed by his insights and wisdom!  He brought to the table solutions that I was too close and too swamped to see, and helped to eliminate things from the list that just do not need to be happening right now.  I feel like an elephant has been lifted off of my back!  The value of his perspective just cannot be overstated.  Wives, be sure to seek out your husband's advice for things pertaining to your home schooling and overall flow of your household.  He is the head and God has ordained him with insight that cannot be explained in this world.

I know that there will be some ladies who read this and do not believe that their husbands are interested in participating in the home schooling endeavor.  A sure way to keep it that way is to keep him at an arms' length from it!  The more he feels invited and welcome into home schooling, the more he will become involved (most likely gradually, so be patient).  Others may not trust that their husbands will offer sound advice, or wisdom.  This may be true, but it does not remove the importance of inviting him into the schooling.  It does, though, stress the importance of your relationship with the Lord to be able to discern what is Truth and what are lies.  Dismiss that which is a lie, or harmful, and embrace every bit of wisdom and Truth that exits his mouth!  We must be wise enough to listen to and trust the leadings of our husbands, trusting wholeheartedly that the Lord is in control, no matter what.  Even if your husband is not a follower of Christ (yet) you are called to submit to him, as one submitting to Christ, because ultimately Christ is in the driver's seat.  Always remember, "The Lord watches over the ways of the righteous" (Psalm 1:6).  If all else in this earth fails, Christ is still leading you in the ways of righteousness...you just may be too close to see His perspective yet.  Be patient.  Solutions will come, whether from your husband or not.  His timing is always best.

As a Christian, my life is first and foremost meant to bring glory and honor to God.  If I am too caught up in dealing with the things of this life to fulfill this calling, then something needs to change. And, more often than not, that change will begin with me.

Nanny 911: Lesson of the Day

Today my kids watched tv for school...yes, tv.  Okay, well it may have been Roku, and it may have been Nanny 911, but we certainly had a lesson to learn and this show really provided an awesome opportunity to show it!

I don't know if you have seen Nanny 911, but it is a show about households, often with several children, which are utterly and completely out of control because the parents are usually not training their children in proper behavior and enabling them to follow through with the training.  The children, sadly, run a muck and usually are pretty sad and upset.  This show was a golden opportunity to teach a lesson to our children.

We have a few children who think life would be oh so grand if Mommy and Daddy would just let them have their way all the time.  No's are apparently the most evil word in all the universe, and it is not uncommon for pouts, attitudes, and potential tantrums to ensue because of it.  But, I know that these same children also want to have a loving home, live a life of dedication to God, and please God, Daddy, and Mommy.  Obviously, some confusion is going on regarding the double-mindedness in this thought process.

I had all the girls come sit with me while we watched an episode of Nanny 911.  They were wide-eyed in amazement with the way the children behaved!  Thankfully, the kids and I read the bible regularly, so Proverbs is a well-known book in the Bible.  Due to these lessons, I was able to point out to them how these children were left to themselves and the result was chaos.  Proverbs 29:15 was really the one brought to mind: "To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child."  I asked the kids if this show looked like the kind of life and family time that they wanted.  Of course, they said no.  I pointed out how disheveled and sad the mommies and the daddies were, as well as the kids.  Chaos and disorganization make no one happy.  They nodded in agreement.

This show was a great opportunity to show the kids just what life looks like when kids run the show. It was not all the glamour and glitz that they were expecting, clearly.  But, God's Word still stands true.  As a mom, it is so critical for me to lead my children in the way they should go.  This is both in my words and in my actions.  And, when I fail in these things, it is just as critical for me to humble myself and repent before my children, asking for their forgiveness as often as necessary.  This is the whole point of family; to do life together, see each other at our best and worst, and truly learn how to best get along with others.  The lesson was a little impromptu, and the show a little off kilter, but I think the point got across for all of us today =0)

Digging in Deeper

Most of our friends on Facebook know that our son has been struggling with a difficult neurological issue for a few weeks now, a season I posted about a few days ago (see my reflections on this here). Sadly, we have not yet seem many improvements in our son, but actually continued to see the symptoms increasing, which is very difficult to watch and endure. It is so tough to watch our less than 2 year old toddler son, who has no idea what is going on, struggle through this, experiencing the frustrations of no longer being able to simply do the things he was able to do just weeks ago (like running, attempting to jump, climb on chairs, get into stuff...all the typical toddler in behaviors we love and enjoy so much). He is now to the point that walking is impossible without immediately falling, and even crawling is very difficult for him as he often missteps a hand and hits his sweet face on the floor. Although I know these things hurt him physically, it is his heart that concerns me the most. I can see his emotional frustrations with what is going on and it breaks my heart.

I am thankful, though, for the lessons we are learning during this trial. God is not without purpose, even in this. For one thing, I am eternally grateful that his sweet little personality is in tact. I can still capture smiles, incite gleeful giggles, tickle him silly, and hear his wonderful laugh. For this I am so, so thankful. I don't know about you, but it is easy in the midst of living I often forget to appreciate the simple things I life. I would love to say that I am always on the prowl for the little moments of life that fill it with joy, but I'm not. I am often so focused on the next task at hand that I miss the chance to enjoy life...sigh. My flesh is showing, I know. But, it is my good Father in Heaven who uses things like this to get my attention and teach me what REALLY matters in this life, no matter what Pinterest, Oprah, HGTV, or any other influence says.

Personally, I like a tidy house. I like walking on the floor without shoes and not having grit on my feet, but I have found quite often that this intention can easily become an idol if it supersedes my higher priorities according to God's Word, namely my devotion to my husband and children. When my home's tidiness becomes more important than keeping healthy relationships with these top people in my life than I am in sin. Oh, Lord, forgive me for these many occasions. But, I'm turning a corner. I'm determined to obey this call.

The Lord has really impressed upon me the importance of being very careful to prioritize and realistically determine what I can do and need to be doing throughout the days during this particular season in our household. In our normal season of life, baking, homeschooling, cooking, planning, taking walks, running errands, etc would all be easy and normal occurrences, but right now I cannot realistically do all these things, much as I might love to. And all this week I have intended to try to establish some sense of normalcy, but have been lacking greatly in seemingly all departments, feeling that I am essentially not doing anything well. I am thankful for a woman at church who prayed against this exact thing today at church =0). So, I am determined to walk hand in hand with God through this season, asking Him daily what are the non-negotiable tasks that must be accomplished that day.

Priorities, priorities.... This is a season where minimum is best. Keep it simple. We all have seasons in life that require our full attention; when the laundry can wait, the floor can be swept later, the toilet bowls can be cleaned tomorrow. This is that season for me. My main energy needs to be completely spent on my family and our relationships, along with healing our son. Expectations need to be reduced all around. I know that God will help us to find a new normal in all of this.

Even with the uncertainty and questions I am grateful for the overwhelming peace I have in this storm. The fact is, He is Sovereign and in control. I may not like this trial, I may not enjoy the struggle, but I have decided to learn every lesson that comes my way and to choose joy in the midst of the tumultuous waves!

Have you ever gone through a tough season in your life? Did you have to re-work your expectations or priorities? How did everything work out for you? Please share your experiences below. We can all learn so much from each other. God bless.

 

Who's Burden Is It Anyway?

Last night a friend and I met to discuss the book we are reading, "Large Family Logistics", which is an excellent book for aspiring homemakers for families of all sizes. I came to the gathering with a burdened heart, because I have really been struggling lately to keep a calm and patient demeanor towards the kids when it comes to their morning chores, specifically. I feel like every morning when the kids wake up that I am constantly on them about their timeliness, diligence, and thoroughness, which essentially means I am in drill sergeant mode for about an hour before we have breakfast, which does not really set the stage for a fun and productive school day. When I find myself yelling multiple times in the morning, it is guaranteed to put me in an Eeyore mood (as we like to call it here), and this usually takes me a bit to get out of, not to mention constant talking to God for help.

So, last night I brought my concerns and troubles up to my friend and we discussed helpful ways to get through the problem, determining if I was loading too much responsibility on the kids with their respective chores, which did not seem to be the real issue, or if they did not have enough time to get their chores done, which was again not the real issue. So, as I sat there a bit baffled as to how this situation could be amended, my friend hit the nail on the head. To paraphrase, she essentially told me that it sounded like I needed to help them own their choices and actions more. For instance, if our children were going to school out of the home and they woke up super late, did not move diligently in the morning time, and missed the bus, I could either allow them to miss school for the day and take the absence, have them find their own ride, or pay for the gas I would have to spend to get them to school (obviously this is more applicable for the older child, but I think you get the idea). What this does is separate the parent from the responsibility that should be on the child and puts it back into the child's hands. The important thing for me as the parent is to follow through with the natural consequences of their choices. It was the exact revelation I needed, thank You God!

So, this morning, armed with a new intention and understanding, I read my Bible as the kids woke up and eventually started with their chores. As I heard them become distracted by things, or argue about this or that, I remembered that ultimately their choices did not have to affect the flow of our day, but would only affect the way their days went. With this in mind, I just went along with my bible study and the went along with their chores. And, you know what, they did move forward with things, all be it maybe slower than I would have liked. A bit later, when Lily was slowing down quite a bit and I knew her lack of diligence would affect the family, I let her know that I expected the dishwasher to be emptied (ones of her chores) by x time and if she did not have it done by then she would need to pay me $1 to do her chore for her. She had not been too motivated by seeing the clock and working towards beating the expected time, but this idea of having to pay me really got her action in gear. Needless to say, she got the dishwasher emptied in record time!

The rest of the morning went about the same. I really focused on remembering that their choices are not a reflection of me or my burden, but theirs, so I need to just correct, encourage, and exhort as needed, no emotional attachment needed. It was a much better day than I have had in a while with the kids. They were no better or worse than usual, but I was not so emotionally invested in things, which was really nice. I remember once reading about parents who get too involved personally in their children's school work, projects and such. Like when a father does the volcano project for his children, instead of letting his kid go through the ups and downs of learning the project themselves. It is kind of like that. Except, with homeschooling and life in general, everything is like this, so it is very important for me to remain the teacher of my children, allowing them to learn lessons, even if it means getting the proverbial F once in a while. Is it hard to do? Yes. Does it often mean a bit more work on my part? Yes. But, it is a necessary part of guiding and teaching them to navigating through there time in this world. I am encouraged though. God is strengthening me in this journey and solidifying my resolve to see things through to the end, even when it gets hard.

One of the most significant and importance benefits that I have come to understand about homeschooling is that the kids and I grow together. Yes, we must endure one another's human failings on a daily basis, but we also get to regularly practice humility, repentance, patience (i.e. long-suffering), and self-control. It is the fulfillment of iron sharpening iron, with all the flames and sparks that come with it.

For any other homeschooling family, or Christian parent, I just want to encourage you to keep moving forward in the journey. I'm sure there will be tough days, or even tough seasons, but continue to seek the Lord for guidance and purpose in the fire and He will deliver. Does that mean the trial will be removed? Maybe, but not always. But, it does mean that He will provide the answers needed to make to through the trial. We must always, though, be ready to answer in obedience to His guidance, immediately applying whatever truth He reveal to our hearts. Remain in Him, and He promises to remain in us. Let's keep our eyes on the Lord!

 

Scheduling the Week

As I have often related to friends and family when we talk, "mommy brain" is a REAL thing!  This is one reason why I am so thankful for the Women's study several of my friends and I have been doing on a book entitled "Large Family Logistics" by Kim Brenneman (find it here).  This book has been great in providing me with realistic solutions to every day problems, especially as our number of children continues to rise, and more tasks are added to my to-do list until my older children grow in their capabilities (it is happening, but not as lightning speeds!)  One of the most significant areas discussed in this book that has been the most helpful to me is the concept of having specific purposes for each day of the week.  This is a lost art from previous generations, but Kim really helps to fulfill a Titus 2 calling by teaching us younger women some of these techniques.  This is what I will be sharing today.

The way my household runs, we basically do a lot of the same things most days.  Children really love predictability and routine.  We wake up, do chores, eat breakfast, do devotions, have school time, and usually have a little time between school and lunch.  This was my open time for which I needed to find a constructive purpose if possible for myself and the kids to do.  But, since my mommy brain is in full effect, many times when I had this open opportunity to "get things done" my brain would take a vacation and I'd sit there, staring blankly at the computer screen or staring off into space in the kitchen, because I could not, for the life of me, remember what it was that I wanted to accomplish when I went in there or sat down!  It was VERY frustrating (still is when it happens!)  The biggest problem was trying to narrow down the mounds of things that I see every day that "need" to get done to the ones that really NEED to get done and I have time to do realistically.  We all have them: wash dished, scrub floors, bathe kids, iron pants, clean up icky spot on floor, wash windows, sweep, paint hallway, etc.  Some of these are pressing, many are not, so prioritizing this list is very important.  But, I would find myself essentially attempting to do the entire household of items during this "free" time and always feeling like nothing was really getting done.

So, this simple weekly purpose rotation has been a brain-saver for me because it provided me the necessary focus to prioritize my tasks.  In my home (and this is really ever-evolving as seasons change), right now, my week looks like this: Monday- Kitchen Day, Tuesday- Cleaning Day, Wednesday- Laundry Day, Thursday- Office Day, Friday- Town Day, Saturday- Gardening Day, and Sunday- Lord's Day.  Once in a while I need to swap these days because of the needs of the week, but I try to keep them pretty predictable as much as possible.  In each of these days, I try to make the focus of the day on the determined theme, and this has really helped me to get more done in more areas of our life than I thought I could do.  I will likely elaborate more on the purpose of each of these days in coming posts, but I will provide some basic info to maybe inspire you to get your own schedule together.  Kitchen Day is where the focus is in the kitchen.  I try to bake most of my baked goods for the week, clean one part of the kitchen, and really give the counters and sink a good scrub.  On Cleaning Day, obviously, the focus is cleaning, where the kids and I all help clean the house (Lily does the upstairs bathroom, Nadya cleans the play room and vacuums (one of them dusts), Anaya "helps" as needed, I try to task Zack as much as possible with little things, and I clean my bathroom, sweep, and do whatever else needs to be done in my priorities).  Laundry Day attacks the laundry monster.  Thursday I balance the checkbook, pay any needed bills, clean out all the piling papers at the desk, and file away needed files.  Friday is where we food shop, make small errands, and anything else needed out of the home.  Saturday is when we really focus on tended the growing garden (planning the garden or actually working it, depending on the season of the year).  And, Sunday, which is our day to relax, refrain from as much work as possible and enjoy focusing of fellowship with friends and family.  As much as possible, I try to prepare ahead for Sunday (baking or cooking ahead, or making simple meals) to keep the work load as light as possible, but I am still learning this skill.

I hope that this explanation is a help to you!  If you have anything that has worked great for you, please comment below!  God bless!

Myth: I don't have enough patience to home school...

If I had to say the number one main statement I hear when I tell people that I am homeschooling our children, it is almost always, without fail, "Oh, I don't have enough patience to home school."  And, my near immediate response..."Neither do I."  And, honestly, this is the truth.  If I could recount the number of times that I am seriously impatient with our children (and as the numbers grow, my impatience is revealed more and more), I would really have to begin getting into some seriously high numbers.  But, the point of home schooling is not to be a perfectly patient adult.  Shoot, I would think that any teacher would be easily able to say that there are many days when their patience is significantly tried in teaching a room full of children, so it is certainly not crazy to say that patience is not a pre-requisite for teaching our children.  Are there any pre-requisites?  Well, if we plan on doing a beneficial job for our children, yes, I do believe that there is one main pre-requisite that stands out in my head...humility.

"Humility?" you may be asking, "Really?!  Of all the available traits of importance; intelligence, book-smarts, a college degree, high school diploma, etc., you choose humility?"  And my answer, of course, is "yes."  All those other attributes, skills, and smarts we have will only add to what we can pour into our children, but if we do not first begin with humble and submissive hearts towards God, nothing else we can teach our children will matter.  The fact is, we can pound information, knowledge, Truth, scripture, science, math, etc, into them all we want, but if we do not model for them a humble heart, we will not be setting them up for a blessed existence when they become adults.  This has been a very important truth for me, as I have been learning it piece by piece as my years of motherhood have grown longer.  It is inevitable that I will sin before my children.  It is inevitable that I will lose my temper, say foolish things, speak rashly or harshly, etc.  I am human, and flesh, so as I go through this process of sanctification, becoming more like my Savior, my humanity will continue to show itself.  Knowing this, when I act in ways that are a poor example or reflection of God's character, it is CRITICAL that I then model humility and repentance before my children, asking them for forgiveness and prayer for my weakness and then continue to intentionally work on my failings with each passing occasion and opportunity.  I am so very blessed to watch this transaction occur on a regular basis.  My oldest, Lily, has the most beautiful heart when I fail to exemplify Christ properly.  Just this morning I took out some frustrations with another child on her and spoke harshly to her.  Once I had gathered myself together, I sincerely told her that I was really sorry I lost my temper and than although I was right in what I was saying to her, I was very wrong in my delivery.  I should not have taken out my frustrations on her.  I then asked for her forgiveness, which she quickly gave, and then asked if we could pray together.  I was so upset with myself and my lack of self-control that when we held hands to pray I could not speak, so my little girl prayed for me, and over me...the tears flowed easily.  This is called "being humbled"...God saw fit to give me children so that I could be broken in my pride and grow in His character. I needed to be humbled, and apparently continue to need it on a regular basis.

If there were one often overlooked benefit to homeschooling our children, I would absolutely, without question, have to say that it is the spiritual benefits and blessings that it bestows upon the homeschooling parent!  There are definitely blessings to be had for our children, but the homeschooling woman (I will use woman here loosely, understanding that men/dads too will experience the same blessings, but for sake of ease...) must, on a daily and sometimes minute by minute basis, sacrifice the self in order to serve the little children in her care.  I wish I could say that this was a "lesson learned," but this is most decidedly a lesson in learning right now.  I suspect it will continue to be for some time, too.  We all tell our children, "Practice makes perfect."  Well, there is no better way to grow in patience, love, joy in times of difficulty and trials, peace, gentility, etc. than to have to face opportunities with our children day in and day out as we uncover their every strength and weakness, and they uncover ours.  There is no better way to grow in developing relationships and strengthening our bond to one another than through going through to toughest times together and coming out of them together.  At home, especially when lived all day every day, there is no true escape...confrontation, difficulty, etc. must be dealt with head on and both offenders must learn how to serve another instead of expect to be served.  There is no better way to learn how to be a servant of Christ than when walking in His shoes through the floors of our homes.  Motherhood is not easy.  Home schooling is not easy.  But, the eternal rewards of persevering in these areas, in doing them God's Way, in submitting to Him each step of the way, and in obeying His guidance and Word with every inch that we move, are more valuable than any gold or silver that could possibly be accumulated in this entire world.  We, as parents, must always be of the mindset that John held for his disciples: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 John 1: 4).  And, for them to learn to do so, we must be models of truth walkers.  Perfect?  By no means, but humble before God?  Always.

Getting It Together

Lately God has been working with me on organizing my life and our household so that the functioning of it is a bit better of a representation of His children. In other words, our God of peace and orderliness is helping me to grow in this area with our ever-expanding family. I have been blessed to be part of a mom's group that is providing practice ways to do this and I have been so pleased with the results.
Honestly, I thought I was an organized person, but it has become blatantly obvious to me that it only applied when I was the only variable in my schedule. Organizing an entire household of lives is a whole other level of mastery altogether! I never realized how much thought and effort really comes into managing a large family until it was so clear to me that I was not succeeding in that area, lol. Thankfully God has a sense of humor and loads more patience than I could ever imagine. As usual, His timing was impeccable and just at the right time I joined this group. Hallelujah,
God, You are so good!
The book that we are covering is called "Large Family Logistics" by Kim Brenneman, and although I have not necessarily put to direct application everything that has been discussed or recommended in the book, I have walked away with nuggets to help progress our family in the right direction for us. In addition, my husband and I also made the leap and both got iPads, which have been super helpful for me and getting my organizational tactics up to speed. I have found some wonderful apps that have helped to consolidate my paperwork load and eliminate the oils of clutter that I cannot seem to avoid (another Hallelujahs is in order)! My favorites thus far have been Evernote and Cozi, which have pretty much covered my needs for the time being.
The biggest nugget that I have gained so far with the work God and I are doing is simply having a goal/theme for the day. Coming directly from the "Large Family Logistics" book, labeling each day of the week is a major organizer of home management. So, in my home, I have a set day for (in no particular order) Laundry Day, Office Day (which is today, and the reason I am taking the time to work on my blog), Gardening Day, Town Day, Cleaning Day, Kitchen Day, and the Lord's Day. I have found it so wonderfully helpful to alleviating my stress that when I realize that the floor boards have not been cleaned in 3 years and are in desperate need, I can simply add it to my list for Cleaning Day and move on with my day. Usually, that item would tack onto my already loaded list for the day, and I would simply become overwhelmed, having a growing list of tasks that never seemed to be getting accomplished, try as I might.
The biggest blessing in this for me is feeling a bit more free to do special things with the kids, because I know that eventually my sits of things to get done will get done, because I have it scheduled into my week. So, today was fun because we had a little "Tea Party" together. I would love to say that I am the mother who does this all the time, but I am not...and God is working with me on it, lol. The kids and I enjoyed our little out of routine time and then, once finished, continued on with the day's agenda. God is good. I've added a few pictures of our enjoyment today. Their smiles make it all worth it!

Faith Comes By Hearing...

"Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

So, we have resumed our homeschooling efforts officially by beginning our "school year" in the beginning of August.  I am pleased to say that things are going great.  My focus is Bible, Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic (3 Rs), so it keeps things simple and easy.  I need to work on the "Reading" part, but Nadya is still getting just the fundamentals of it, so I am hesitant to really start prodding for more until she is solid in the basics.  Lily is moving forward with reading, yay!

The reason for this post, though, is to talk about something I happened to stumble upon that has been a huge blessing in our life, plus an additional resource for solid homeschool material.  I downloaded a free Bible MP3 (New Testament) on my Ipod a few years ago that pretty much got little to no use until recently.  I read another blog that talked about how they would put the bible on for the kids to listen to when playing or going to sleep, etc, and that it really helped to re-enforce the concepts and lessons that were being taught throughout the day in the house.  We are not really in today's world blessed with the luxury to just sit and read the bible out loud for hours a day, so having an audio reading provides a beneficial source for this listening training.  In the words of Kim Brenneman (author of "Large Family Logistics), I am putting to use one of my servants (i.e. my Ipod and sound system) for reading the bible out loud to the children (don't you just love that analogy!)

Well, when I first read about this idea, I thought that it sounded great, but I did not know if the kids would really go for it.  I mean, I know tons of families who listen to audio books on CD all the time and the kids love them, but my kids may or may not really give them any attention and they are certainly not really the preferred listening material.  So, I was pleasantly surprised that when I initially began to play the bible while riding in the car, the kids all listened intently while the gospels were read and Jesus spoke.  In fact, as the days went on, I would receive requests from each one (even Anaya, our almost 3 year old!), which really shocked me.  They loved hearing the words of Jesus and would ask all kinds of great questions.  We listened to Acts, some of the epistles, Revelation, etc, and they loved them.  They are completely absorbed by them, and I am one happy mama!  Now, I always have my Ipod with me to have this option available whenever we have the occasion.  It is funny, too, because even when we have a really short ride (say 5 minutes max to a store down the street) I will still be asked to turn on the bible.  The blessings that this simple little tool has brought into our household have already been significant, and I look forward to the many more to come.

To download your own free bible MP3 (New Testament, NT), go to http://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com/ambassador/free-audio-bible-download.  When I did my download, I did not receive a complete NT, but had a few chapters here and there missing (I do not know why), but the information now says the entire NT, so hopefully you will not get missing chapters.  Even if you do, though, at least you have a great resource while you save some money to buy a complete set.  Enjoy and be blessed!

You'll get it eventually...

I don't know about other homeschooling moms, but I certainly feel less than adequate more often than not.  Oddly, it seems that majority of people I talk to assume that because I have chosen to homeschool I must have "the patience of a saint" or super-human abilities to keep peace and order.  If you have ever been to my house or spent time with my family, you will know that neither of these are true...at all!  I have yet to achieve the level of patience that I wholly desire, and our house is nowhere near the peaceful, orderly place that I envision it to become, but I work hard to remember that "he who has begun a good work in you will carry it onto completion until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).

There are many good works that are being worked out in our household.  One is the actual academics part of homeschooling.  Every day both my kids and I must learn to submit to God instead of self in keeping this household functioning well.  We all must learn to deal with our own bad attitudes, as well as the bad attitude of someone around us.  We must learn to share our time and our possessions.  We must learn to work diligently and with a good attitude in all things, no matter how unpleasant it is.  We must learn to be humble when we mess up or sin against another, repenting of our poor choices and persistently working to change them in ourselves.  We must remain in step with the bible's guidelines for living if we are to stay on path of goodness, and in lieu of this often accept course corrections when we make a wrong turn.  We must practice the focus of removing our own planks instead of always seeing the speck in someone else's eye.  And, we daily get ample practice to learn the action of love (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-8).  God has been great (when I finally call out to Him for help instead of trying to figure it out for myself) to help remind me of the fact that change and learning take time.  He helped me to see that even though I am not 100% successful with my emotional control, etc, that He is always encouraging me, telling me, "You'll get there, just keep working on it."  And this is something I can say to my children, no matter what mess they have created for themselves.  "Kiddo, you'll get there!  Just keep working on it!"

I wish I could say that I am a shining example of all of these things for my children, but I would be lying if I did.  The reality is, I am learning so many of these lessons right alongside of them.  Having to face these inner challenges every single day instead of escaping them really makes me utterly aware of my brokenness and weak areas.  But, I am hopeful that after 20+ years of this journey, I will come out the other end a more mature and experienced Christian, which is the best gift I could receive from it all.  This journey is not easy, of course, but it is so worth it.

Little House in the Suburb

Lately I been watching a lot of Little House on the Prairie.  My mom is a big fan of the show, but I never really watched it intentionally until this week while we visited her at her house.  While watching the show I have really enjoyed the examples of Christian living that have been provided, especially by the mother, Caroline Ingalls.  Yes, I know it is a fictional show, but she definitely exudes the behaviors that I aspire to exhibit in my dealings with my family and home.

One of the biggest character traits that God has been working on in me is my patience with the kids and my delight in them.  Honestly, I greatly struggle with these on a regular basis.  The kids and I do scripture memorization each day and the ones that really ring in my ears are 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and Philippians 4:8.  Not to mention, though, Proverbs 31:26, where we see that the woman speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction...I need to work on these things.  I have an okay idea of what not to do, but the irony is that Little House has helped to give me a picture of what TO do.  I know it will take time, but I will be diligently working on correcting my lack of patience, quickness of tongue, and emotional reaction (as opposed to response) to the kids.

Another great source of encouragement for me is in the wisdom of other experienced homeschool moms, at this point in the way of blogs.  I know my areas of weakness and concern, so seeing that other families have gotten through the same struggles we have is a great source of encouragement!  Thank God for fellowship, even if in the form of such odd communication nowadays.  I know this homeschooling journey will not be easy, but it will definitely be worth it!

Getting Situated

I really need to get to bed earlier, but I have been so busy getting our dining area organized that I have not wanted to go to sleep!  I am sooo excited.  One of my biggest obstacles with homeschooling has just been a lack of organization, so we went out over the last two days and bought, bought, bought.  Thankfully great places like Ikea and Target have some awesome and affordable storage containers that are now helping to bring order to the chaos of games, puzzles, school items, books, pens, papers, markers, crayons, loose things, and everything else.  It is not 100% complete yet, but I am feeling sooo much better now about the whole room.  Of course, my forearms and hands are sore from cranking a screw driver all last night, but it was well worth it!  Once we get the old china cabinet out of the house, the room will be about done!  Yayy!!!!

Deep Breathing My Way Through the Day

You know, I guess I never really had any preconceived notions of what my life would be life when I "grew up".  All I knew was that I wanted to be married with kids by the time I was 25.  Well, I definitely met that dream, but other than that I had no idea, really, of what my life would become.  Here I am, married over 7 years, four kids so far, and in the beginning of our homeschool journey...wow!

As we really start digging into the homeschooling journey, I must admit, I can definitely have some anxiety come upon me about wanting to "do it right" and make sure my kids are getting a quality "education."  So much so do these thought inundate me that I become the kind of mother and educator that I detest!  What is wrong with this picture?  But, this is where the homeschool community is just so wonderful.  My community right now is found on the internet, and seeing the encouragement and calm, loving advice of experienced homeschoolers helps to settle my fears and rejuvenate my soul.  God is so good to offer "friends" in time of need.

So, here we are, ready for our new adventure.  I am still not clear on how this picture will look, but I am sure that it will be bright and beautiful on the other side, as long as I keep my focus on what God has called me to do and only act according to that calling.  As one wise fellow Christian stated as she shared a story in class, "Why am I doing this?...All for the glory of God, of course.  Anything other reason would just be frustrating."  What a truth!