A glorious way to start a day...

Shoveling!

We had a good snow last night so I was out early to clear the driveway and sidewalk.  For some reason, this morning it was breathtaking.  The sun was starting to peek out, touching shades of gold and pink over the treetops and sending sparkles glittering everywhere.  Once again I was struck at how snow beautifies everything--each little twig, dry grassblade, fence post are draped and softened by the white blanket. 

And I was reminded anew of the funny 'revelation' that the snow brings:  tracks of animals here and there telling of their secret lives we don't normally see--stray cats, dogs, skunks, rabbits, squirrels, perhaps even red foxes.

It was good to breathe crisp, fresh air, good to have legs and arms that work, strength to meet the need, eyes to see the masterpiece the Lord had painted this morning.  Good to be alive!

Christmas season encouragement

Well, we're already knee-deep into Christmas and feeling the pressure.  How about you?  So many extra activities, extra planning, extra fun, extra money to spend, and still with our already-full schedule to do it in.  I'm working a bit ahead this year as we're visiting relatives for the holidays and I need to get everything done early--which, while the prospect is utterly delightful, the time between now and then is really crammed.

BUT!...I had the neatest encouragement from the Word this morning and wanted to share it with you.  Hope it lifts your day.

Proverbs 2:5-7 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.  It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones."  A very familiar and beloved passage.

However, here's a great insight.  The word direct in the Hebrew (yashar) means "to make straight and right."   By casting my care in childlike trust on the Lord, He will straighten out...my day, my plans, my responsibilities, my interruptions, my failures--all of it.  Those are just words of life to me!

Also, note the double idea "don't trust your own understanding" and "don't be wise in your own eyes."  I admit that when I struggle with frustration or disappointment, it's usually because I had A PLAN, not necessarily God's.  Sometimes it's hard to understand His wisdom when I'm in the middle of something, but if He says I need to trust Him with all my heart, then I am really free from having to make everything work out.  What a relief.

And hey, did you notice the fringe benefits?  Health!  Strength!  I'll gladly take that. 

May your paths be especially made "straight and right" today!

A homeschool guilt bites the dust

I don't know about you, but homeschooling has brought with it an assortment of guilts, big and little, subtle and not-so-subtle.  You know...I'm not doing enough--academics, foreign language, sports, hospitality, housecleaning, correspondence, keeping up with friendships, yardwork--whatever.

Well, the Lord showed me how to be free of one of them today!  A guilt I carry nearly daily is that of not having enough time in His Word.  No matter how I try, my quiet time seems so often sabotaged by the urgent and it's so hard to get it back before bedtime.  Sound familiar?  Probably one of the more effective tactics of the enemy since it's so critical to our life on every level.

This morning He reminded me about the manna in the wilderness.  The more obvious analogy to us today is that of their need to gather it every morning; so do we, yes.  But remember when He said that he that gathered much didn't have more than enough and he that gathered little had plenty?  It all evened out by His hand of balance.  So I saw that even when I only have time to gather a little (a few minutes?  a verse or two?), He can and will meet my need for spiritual sustenance--and that without guilt.  He knows what my responsibilities are and He is well able to make it be just what I need.

It is for freedom Christ set us free!

A picture of faithfulness

Last night we attended a 50th anniversary celebration of a dear pastor and his wife.  Family and friends shared some great stories and honored them with thanks for so many years of faithfulness to the Lord and His causes.  Some particular thoughts really spoke to my heart and challenged me afresh in my own walk with the Lord and His call on my life:

- As a couple, they are known for loving people, for taking them just as they are and loving them into the kingdom.  Practical, sacrificial love.

- In tandem with that is their ability to build relationships.  Everyone is important to them, everyone has value and is highly esteemed.

- They are known for nurturing people into their own ministries, pushing them out of the ministry nest and helping them succeed.  They've spoken vision and confidence and the Word into countless peoples' lives, which is truly Jesus' mandate to us to go and "make disciples." 

- They are people of astonishing vision, working in nearly 200 countries to plant churches, travelling several times a year overseas to minister--and they plan on another good twenty years to reach the world for Christ.

- They are some of the most hospitable people I've ever known.  Their home is a place of welcome to young and old alike, Bible studies and meetings, parties and showers--and for fifty years!  In this day of societal disconnect, I find this quality one of the most significant ministries possible.  Homeschooling demands have eroded this priority in my own life, but before the Lord I want to boost it back up where it belongs!

- They had many kids and grandkids there celebrating with them, all of them serving the Lord in some capacity and growing into their own ministries.  What a testimony!  They had an adopted daughter and granddaughter from China, and many in both generations were or are homeschooled.

- I also loved the thoughts they shared about marriage, confessing that though they are complete opposites, they worked from an inviolable commitment to each other before the Lord and obedience to His Word, and have tried to always give each other grace in the difficult moments.

One of the women who spoke of the wife's influence on her own life said, "There aren't too many people in this world whom you could say you wanted to be like.  But I can say of B. - I want to be like her."  I agreed with her, and went home thanking the Lord for people like this couple who go before us and show us how it's done.  May the Lord help me, help us all, to be faithful to His call and commands!

Homeschooling an only

Every so often SweetPea and I have to have a pep talk about her being an only child--this week was one of those times.  She would love a sibling and since that's just not a probability, we have to go back to the basics--God has defined our family as it is and how do we live richly and with contentment within that definition?

I can't blame her.  It's often a lonely road and we are challenged to bring about that balance she wants.  We live in a neighborhood with no kids she can play with and puppies don't talk, P.E. is really boring (like how exciting is jump-rope?), we have to be careful not to be too demanding on friends and not to feel pushed to do too many outside activities to compensate.  All cousins and extended family live in another state.  Her mom has to be mom and teacher and friend and playmate, and when you're the whole student body, there's just not a lot of room for mess-up!

I've often told her she is having a unique opportunity to become good friends with herself.  People often live lives filled with so much activity and other people that if ever they are faced with significant aloneness, they are at a loss.  So I encourage her to write and develop all kinds of creativity...and to get to know Jesus, who is her best Friend.

I've grown to trust the Lord's leadership in her life, too.  Since her life is appointed as it is, He is arranging experiences for her that are tailor-made to teach her what she'll need to live a successful life.  For example, I keenly miss the lessons she would learn about unselfishness and care of others that she would have if she had brothers and sisters.  But she is learning these same things in friendships, both by experience and by observation.  And she'll certainly learn such things when it's her turn to be a mom, won't she?!

When it comes to homeschooling, I do feel pressure to "do it right" this first time around since it's my only time time around!  I'm working on that.  Part of me would love to just take a whole year and do all the fun and unschooling-sort-of stuff Right Brain whispers to me.  Alas, Left Brain usually shakes such nonsense out of me and we press on.  BUT, SweetPea told me just the other day that she is really enjoying all of school this year so I have no plans to rock the boat.

God is good!  I'm thankful He didn't leave me out of this fabulous journey of homeschooling.  One kid or many, I think it's one of the most exciting things going on the planet.

 

God's tender mercies

I've been thinking much in recent months about the very great and faithful mercies of the Lord.  I've had so many situations that were just beyond me to handle...to have strength for my day after a poor night's sleep, to juggle the full schedule, to make a decision, or even be faithful in the daily requirements.  And yet, just at the point of need, I have seen His glorious mercy so evident in some tender and very personal way.

Today was one of those days.  Two days ago, the Puppy (see previous post!) got an allergic reaction to some medication and was SICK.  A trip to the vet, a trip to the store for medicine, and all the interruptions to tend to her needs did in whatever semblance of order to our school for two days.  This, after two weeks of disrupted home life just training and tending to her.  Aack!  I was over the top.  (Did I mention the word 'stressed'?)

But today--what a different story.  God's mercies covered us like a soothing blanket.  Puppy was better, I figured out a way to successfully (and quietly!) give her kennel time while we did school, I got dinner done on time--and my daughter even said she loved math!  Out of the ditch and back on the road.

So I was reminded once again, He "will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear, but will with the temptation give you a way of escape."  What a thoughtful, loving, ever-faithful and merciful Savior.  Thank You, Jesus!

Timeline idea

I wanted to share a neat idea for a timeline that we're using this year in our history studies.  It's actually a composite of several I'd read about.  It requires the continuous-feed computer printer paper--you know, the kind none of us uses anymore!  Don't tear it apart, just tear off the strip with the holes and count out a page for every hundred years from 5000 or 6000 B.C. to now (a good idea is to use only one page for the early couple of millenia--we don't have much of a record of history then).  I split my timeline into two sections at 1 A.D. just for ease of handling.

Then draw a continuous timeline about halfway down through all the pages and label the 100 year marks.  I also made 50-year marks.  Write the B.C./A.D. year at the top corner on each side of each page.

The kids can add timeline dates either vertically or horizontally and color-code them using colored pencils for different categories--political, births and deaths, religious or scientific events, civilizations, etc.  They can draw pictures, paste in graphics, use stickers, whatever.

You can then keep it in a manila pocket folder.  The great thing is, they only have to have it opened to a double spread at any one time, but can stretch it out for the "big view" anytime.  It's working great for us and I envision this as something that can be used and kept for years.

Happy timelining!

 

Overwhelmed?

I've talked with several homeschool-mom friends in recent days, and one thing particularly stands out to me...they are STRESSED OUT.  To be honest, I feel the same way.  The causes are many for us:  maybe a too-busy summer with no time to fill up our empty wells, lots of outside commitments that drain off our extra time and leave us with no margin, illness, guests and vacations, etc.  Then suddenly it's school time again and we find ourselves poorly prepared and overwhelmed.

Sound familiar?  For some reason this year seems especially so.  I think we need to remember that we have an enemy out to do us in any way he can.  I'm having to start each day putting on my spiritual armor, casting my care on Jesus, declaring His Lordship over every part of my life, and looking to Him to order my hours and minutes.

If you're feeling this way, I want to pray for you.  There's power in agreement!

Heavenly Father, we thank You that we can bring our empty, exhausted, and overwhelmed lives to You for refreshing and help.  I pray for my sisters in Christ right now who need Your help and touch.  Your Word declares that we are equipped and anointed to do Your will, that Jesus is our Peace, our Wisdom, our Victory, our very Life.  We ask for understanding and revelation for each day...for wisdom in decision-making and prioritizing...for patience with our children...for joy in the journey.

We praise you for this wonderful privilege of homeschooling.  Help us to keep our focus on the big picture--making disciples for the Lord.  Help us to keep our minds renewed in Your Word, and to see the little blessings you send our way each day.  Thank You for Your incredible promises and help us to take them by faith, expecting to see their manifestation right now, today.

You are SO GOOD and we love You!  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Have a blessed day!