Tag Archives | Faith

HSMJ: June 16, 2012 Where We Seek Direction

By on June 14, 2012 Comments { 6 }

In my life this week…

I am learning what it means to let go and really, truly LET GOD.

In our homeschool this week…

It’s been really weird! We’ve had nice weather, then buckets  of rain, then nice weather again… hard to stay focused when lightning is shooting across the sky and thunder is rolling. I’ve felt very scattered but we have actually gotten a lot done so I’m satisfied. I signed the boys up for Time4Learning again. We are going to try it out in light of the recommendations that were made after the boys’ developmental evaluations.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

Despite what certain homeschool experts might say, your kids need to have friends. So do you. Make an effort to connect with others so that your kids can practice their social skills do kid stuff, like play kick ball, go swimming, and play Red Rover. While they are doing that, you can have some adult conversation. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

I am inspired by…

People finding freedom in Christ, rather than in church. I’m still working through how this looks and feels and functions.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing… 

This week we have had a definite lack of a certain someone, as my husband has been working out of state. It’s always a bit of a challenge, although I am used to it, but I don’t like it a lot when he’s gone. Being a part time single Momma is tough!

Today we have a potluck lunch with our homeschool co-op (the big one we were part of this year), and then tonight we get to watch one of the girls who grew up in our church’s youth ministry get married! It’s going to be a great day! :)

My favorite thing this week…

It’s been kind of a tough week, and honestly the most positive thing about it has been how this little book, Jesus Calling, has hit me square between the eyes each day. If you don’t have a daily devotional book, you should really check this one out. The readings are quick, the Scripture readings are deep, and if you’re like me, God will use it to meet you right where you are.

What’s working for us…

After a hard couple of weeks with D1 taking hours and hours to get his math done, this week he’s decided he wants to really focus and get it done. Wednesday he even finished in 45 minutes! He was SO proud of himself (and he got 91%!) I am so happy for him. :)

Questions/thoughts I have…

How how how do we keep our kids’ hearts both with us, and with Jesus, as they grow up? A couple of our older kids are really struggling right now with their faith, and we don’t want these boys to go through the same thing. What do we do differently? 

Things I’m working on…

Seeking God first.

Figuring out how to set up Time4Learning again for the boys. It’s confusing but I remember last time that once I figured it out, it was simple to keep track of for them. Right now, I’m stumped.

Praying about where the Lord is leading us.

The final choosing of carpet, flooring and countertop granite for our kitchen remodel! :D

De-crapifying our basement/schoolroom. Since we put the boys in separate bedrooms, E’s photo studio was cleared out to make room for a boy. His light boxes and all that stuff is piled up in the school room, along with a lot of I-don’t-know-what. Think Hoarders. That’s how bad it looks. Couches and table piled with 2-3 feet of stuff. No clear pathway to the exterior door (think fire escape route blocked.) Yes, it’s really that bad. How? I have no idea. It’s time to get serious about it, and then teach my kids to clean!

I’m reading…

Still working on Joyce Herzog’s Learning In Spite of Labels, because I haven’t had any time to read lately and so my bookmark has been 2/3 of the way through it for 2 weeks. Also still reading Plan It, Don’t Panic, so I can figure out how to better lay out a meal plan.

I’m cooking…

stuff from scratch, pretty much. Not completely, but I have actually made good dinners all week! They included Spinach Ravioli and salad, and homemade Chicken Noodle Stew. I need to go through my recipes and choose about 24 of my family’s favorites to put into a monthly or bi-monthly meal plan.

I’m grateful for…

good friends, both locally and friends I have made as a result of my blog. Some of those friendships, initiated on blogs, and forged well at the first and second Relevant Conferences, have grown over the past year or two and I just wish I lived close to these ladies!!

I’m praying for…

direction. Please join me.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share… 

Tell me once again to who I am to you

Tell me lest I forget who I am to you

I belong to you…

Jason Gray is my new favorite artist. I love, I mean love this man’s music. Don’t give me churchy, give me real. 

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categories: Homeschooling

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Birthdays, Site Launches and Giveaways

By on October 7, 2011 Comments { 12 }

streetfair2011-1Today is the last day of my thirties, as well as the first day of a brand new season in my life.

Looking back over the past 40 years, I can see the seasons of my life with so much clarity. It’s funny how, when you are living your life and you’re “in the moment”, all you know is the immediate present.  Even when you know there is a bigger picture, the NOW is so present that it’s hard to look beyond it.

 The Childhood years– the first ten years of my life. They were fun and carefree, for the most part. I had my parents, my sister, and friends in various places we were stationed. My folks always tried to take advantage of whatever locale we were, to explore, camp, fish, and have fun.

Between 11-20 were the Tough years. Growing up was interspersed with tragedies that shaped me forever. I struggled to find who I was. I lived a very self-destructive life, and I was lucky I came out alive. I floundered around without an inner joy or any peace. I didn’t know it, but through it all God was there.

The years from 21-30 were where I really started to “get” life. I lost my Mom, but I gave my life to Christ and He changed me from the inside out. He took a broken girl and re-created her. I was still a messed up sinner, but I knew the Savior. These were the Growth years. I started to dig into what God has for me.   Those passionate years, with new faith and joy unspeakable, were like fresh air.

And then there were these recent past ten years—the years of Change. From passion for God, deep roots of faith grew, and are still developing. I am comfortable in my own skin now. I have a different outlook on life. I am turning 40, but I feel so far from “over the hill!!” 

I am working on simplifying our lives as God has been simplifying my faith. American Christianity is so churchified (Yes, it’s a word—I made it up) when really “only one thing is needed” (Luke 10:42). He’s my One Thing.

40 isn’t death. It isn’t old, or ugly, or scary, or fat, or sick. 40 is what I make it to be. To me, 40 is promise of future life, future growth, future faith and even more change. I’m ready! Bring it on.

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Tomorrow, as I celebrate my 40th birthday, I invite you to join me!  And I have gifts for you! I LOVE to share, so I have 7 DAYS of GIVEAWAYS!  You have to enter each one individually, so come back and join me daily for my 40th Birthday Celebration!

Here’s the line up:

Saturday Oct. 8th: Win a winter themed Disney throw blanket from my Relevant Conference Sponsor, Naomi with The Magic For Less!

Sunday Oct. 9th: Win a free online class from Founder’s Academy

Monday Oct. 10th: Win a copy of the Homeschool Day Book relaxed record keeping software

Tuesday Oct. 11th: Win a Gift Certificate to Daily Chocolate

Wednesday Oct. 12th: Win a one-year premium Pixosphere membership

Thursday Oct. 13th: Win a Gift Certificate to Farmsteadlady Designs

Friday, Oct. 14th: The big prize!! Win a full history curriculum package from Heritage History

So that you don’t miss any of the fun, please consider subscribing to posts by Email or through an RSS reader. You may also follow me on Twitter and Like my Page on Facebook.

categories: All About Me

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Noise, Noise, Noise

By on July 12, 2011 Comments { 12 }

There are many types of noise.  In our house, we have typical noise, just as I’m sure your house has it’s typical noise too.  We have things like boy noise, dishwashers, hair dryers, yapping Pomeranians, kids playing, music, and XBox games.

Another kind of noise that I seem to encounter is the noise that leads to distraction.  Call it brain chatter, worry, curriculum planning, or what-will-they-think-of-me—No matter what it is or isn’t, it seeks to distract me from the things that are most important in my life.

It seems like the noise is louder lately.  I can’t stay focused to follow through and get things done.  Even this post, which I am writing at 10:36am on Tuesday, which is normally finished and scheduled to be posted just after Midnight on Tuesdays, has fallen victim to my noise problem.  Okay, I have a bit of an excuse.  J came home from Swaziland yesterday evening, almost 2 hours earlier than we expected them because their flights were early.  (How does THAT happen?!) It was awesome to see her and the rest of the team home again, but it threw off my evening and I didn’t get my post written.

It shows in my home too.  The clutter is everywhere right now. Disorganized, piled, messy clutter that I just can’t seem to get a handle on. I finished reading Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider, and I’m ready to do something about it. I want to simplify my life and my home, and it starts by eliminating some time suckers, time wasters, and some things that we don’t need that I always tend to push off to the side and ignore anyway.  I need less noise in my visual field, less noise inside my head.

I am starting to hate the noise. Not the “noise” of my home; no, this is normal and comfortable for me. It is the noise inside my head—the comparisons, the concern I have for one of my children who is living away from God and us, the easily-distracted self that can’t seem to finish what she starts.

God is a God of simplicity and purposeful living. If I seek to be more like Him, then I should be seeking to live simpler and purposefully. It just makes sense.  How can we be more successful and effective as homeschooling mothers?  By removing the things that cause the noise in our lives, and paring it down to the essentials!

I love the way Rob Bell talks about the noise in our lives.  Spend more time listening and less time talking. More time listening for the voice of God than worrying about things that might happen. Less noise. Less me. More God.

“Does my schedule, my time, my life look like that of a person who wants to hear God’s voice?”

Read past ABC’s of Homeschooling letters of the week!

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categories: ABC's of Homeschooling, Homeschooling

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Sportin’ the Mohawk

By on May 28, 2011 Comments { 17 }

DSCF9031

Yes that is my ten-year old. And yes, that is a mohawk.

Mohawk for a day, or that was the plan anyway. It’s been a few days now, and he will have it shaved off tomorrow afternoon. I think.

We’re letting him wear it to church.

*GASP*

So what? It’s just hair, people.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me”. He touched lepers, prostitutes, and demon-possessed men. He didn’t put boundaries on who was worthy and he certainly didn’t base his ministry on what people were wearing. I’m pretty sure Jesus loves my son just as much now as he did before I stopped midway through his buzz cut.

My son has a mohawk. He’s not our first son to sport a mohawk.  Our oldest has had two, both for about a week each. He’s 19 and he’s not scarred, angry, on drugs, or warped in any way. It’s just hair. (And with boys it’s a really quick hairstyle to get rid of.)

If you are offended when you see a kid in church with piercings, colored hair or strange haircuts, or any other things you consider unconventional just remember, Jesus used unconventional methods and accepted everyone. Get out of the judgment seat and extend the same Grace that was extended to you.

Isn’t that was this Christian walk is all about?

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 1 Peter 3:8

categories: Home & Family

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