Wednesday, October 19, 2011
My Plate is Full
This week our Bible study group is studying the Mistress of the Domain lesson in the 5 Aspects of Woman Bible study. This lesson covers how the Fall caused our domains to rebel against us. That which the Lord gave us to rule and subdue actually fights back to keep from being ruled and subdued.
Toys that multiply in the family room in the middle of the night, dirty socks that magically appear on the kitchen floor every time I turn my back and chicken poo in my house (again!) after I just wiped some up are all small ways that my own domain rebels against me.
On a more serious note, the point was made in the lesson that as women we either wear "busyness" like a badge or we hide behind it like a shield. In our fallen sin nature, we prefer to do what we'd like to do, instead of what the Lord would like us to do and we use our busyness as an excuse to pursue our own interests.
The next couple of weeks are extremely busy ones for our family. We have numerous ministry opportunities on our calendar. Quite honestly, I wouldn't have chosen some of these activities because I feel I'm just too busy right now to take them on. However, the Lord's plans are not always my plans. When I exhibit the Mistress of the Domain fallen aspect, I'd like to hide behind my busyness and "just say no" and to mark out my territory via "boundaries." However, these are worldly ways of dealing with life. If I call myself a Christian, then I should be more than willing to serve Christ by serving others.
So right now I'm fighting really hard not sit on the pity pot or let my anxiety level soar through the roof. If God's priorities were my priorities, there would be no problem, right?
Toys that multiply in the family room in the middle of the night, dirty socks that magically appear on the kitchen floor every time I turn my back and chicken poo in my house (again!) after I just wiped some up are all small ways that my own domain rebels against me.
On a more serious note, the point was made in the lesson that as women we either wear "busyness" like a badge or we hide behind it like a shield. In our fallen sin nature, we prefer to do what we'd like to do, instead of what the Lord would like us to do and we use our busyness as an excuse to pursue our own interests.
The next couple of weeks are extremely busy ones for our family. We have numerous ministry opportunities on our calendar. Quite honestly, I wouldn't have chosen some of these activities because I feel I'm just too busy right now to take them on. However, the Lord's plans are not always my plans. When I exhibit the Mistress of the Domain fallen aspect, I'd like to hide behind my busyness and "just say no" and to mark out my territory via "boundaries." However, these are worldly ways of dealing with life. If I call myself a Christian, then I should be more than willing to serve Christ by serving others.
So right now I'm fighting really hard not sit on the pity pot or let my anxiety level soar through the roof. If God's priorities were my priorities, there would be no problem, right?
Monday, October 10, 2011
Homeschooling: Back to the Basics
I remember taking to heart something I read when our family first started homeschooling. I can't remember where I read it, but the idea was to write down the reasons why you decided to homeschool. The author suggested doing this before you even began your homeschooling journey, so that when times got tough in the years ahead and you felt like quitting, you could refer back to that piece of paper and remind yourself why you were homeschooling in the first place.
I did that exercise. I wrote down the four reasons why Matt and I decided to homeschool and then I filed the piece paper away and kind of forgot about it. When I cleaned out my files recently I unearthed that piece of paper.
Here is what I wrote eight years ago:
1. To instill (with the Holy Spirit's help) godly values and to grow godly character traits in our children with the ultimate hope that they, too, would each purpose in their hearts to follow Jesus Christ and Him alone. (By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. Prov. 24:3)
2. To strengthen the bonds within our family so that our family becomes a place of refuge and stability for each member in a world that is increasingly surrendered to the darkness, not to the Light. (Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8).
3. To create a lifestyle of learning whereby knowledge is enjoyable to pursue, not something merely to be memorized and regurgitated. Most importantly, that wisdom is sought above all. (The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Prov. 9:10)
4. That in the end, our children would have a strong foundation, built on the Rock of Ages, so that they may stand firm in the evil day. (Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Ephes. 6:10-13)
Even though Matt and I haven't looked at this piece of paper since I filed it away, I can say we never lost sight of our goals. Whenever we evaluated a different curriculum, an extra class or a new activity, we asked ourselves if that new thing supported or hindered our goals. Often times, even though the thing under consideration was good, we decided it wasn't good enough. The good is the enemy of the best.
We never once considered quitting homeschooling (except on the nights before end of year testing :) Was it hard? Yes, at times it was unbearably hard and we thought we'd crumble under the pressure. Do we still have hard days and years ahead? Most certainly we do. Yet through it all, by God's grace, we keep pressing on. The Lord has always been faithful to provide for our needs, financial and otherwise.
I'm reminded of something J. Hudson Taylor, missionary to China said, "God's work, done God's way, will never lack for God's supply."
Post Script: The above list was written at a time in our lives when our faith was being tested. It was a test that shook Matt and me to the core. The Lord showed us with crystalline clarity that His Word is inerrant and infallible and that the time we have with our kids is short and that we should diligently work to point them to Jesus, the only Name under Heaven by which one may be saved (Acts 4:10-12 ). I know that the ideas expressed in goal #3 were borrowed from the homeschooling books I was reading at the time (the concept that school didn't have to be done using the traditional public school model in order to be successful was new to me).
I did that exercise. I wrote down the four reasons why Matt and I decided to homeschool and then I filed the piece paper away and kind of forgot about it. When I cleaned out my files recently I unearthed that piece of paper.
Here is what I wrote eight years ago:
1. To instill (with the Holy Spirit's help) godly values and to grow godly character traits in our children with the ultimate hope that they, too, would each purpose in their hearts to follow Jesus Christ and Him alone. (By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. Prov. 24:3)
2. To strengthen the bonds within our family so that our family becomes a place of refuge and stability for each member in a world that is increasingly surrendered to the darkness, not to the Light. (Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8).
3. To create a lifestyle of learning whereby knowledge is enjoyable to pursue, not something merely to be memorized and regurgitated. Most importantly, that wisdom is sought above all. (The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Prov. 9:10)
4. That in the end, our children would have a strong foundation, built on the Rock of Ages, so that they may stand firm in the evil day. (Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Ephes. 6:10-13)
Even though Matt and I haven't looked at this piece of paper since I filed it away, I can say we never lost sight of our goals. Whenever we evaluated a different curriculum, an extra class or a new activity, we asked ourselves if that new thing supported or hindered our goals. Often times, even though the thing under consideration was good, we decided it wasn't good enough. The good is the enemy of the best.
We never once considered quitting homeschooling (except on the nights before end of year testing :) Was it hard? Yes, at times it was unbearably hard and we thought we'd crumble under the pressure. Do we still have hard days and years ahead? Most certainly we do. Yet through it all, by God's grace, we keep pressing on. The Lord has always been faithful to provide for our needs, financial and otherwise.
I'm reminded of something J. Hudson Taylor, missionary to China said, "God's work, done God's way, will never lack for God's supply."
Post Script: The above list was written at a time in our lives when our faith was being tested. It was a test that shook Matt and me to the core. The Lord showed us with crystalline clarity that His Word is inerrant and infallible and that the time we have with our kids is short and that we should diligently work to point them to Jesus, the only Name under Heaven by which one may be saved (Acts 4:10-12 ). I know that the ideas expressed in goal #3 were borrowed from the homeschooling books I was reading at the time (the concept that school didn't have to be done using the traditional public school model in order to be successful was new to me).
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Gold for the Homeschooler
I was decluttering the school room a couple of weeks ago and found a gold nugget in my files. It was a handout from the first homeschool conference Matt and I ever attended.
Entitled, "How to Survive Your First Year of Homeschooling," the handout lists tips for the new homeschooler.
My favorite tip: "Your first year doesn't count." Brilliant. Actually, I would amend that to be "your first two or three years of homeschooling don't count." In our case, the Lord clearly called Matt and me to homeschool. I mean He called us--as in hitting us over the head with a 2 x 4 couldn't have made what He wanted from us any clearer.
However, I'm not a natural teacher. I really struggled to find my groove in homeschooling. Truth be told, I still struggle. Every year, every child, every day is different. Learning to roll with the punches in homeschooling is key. That's been a stretch for me, a Type A person, to learn.
According to the handout, one great thing about homeschooling is that "God has built amazing flexibility into this plan." Our own experience has borne this out. Looking back, some years were heavy on the "school of life" side of learning as the Lord was teaching our family through numerous trials that had nothing to do with homeschooling. Other years were calmer and we accomplished more academically.
Every year I sweat and fret and gnash my teeth when the end of year assessments roll around. After all, the kids aren't really the ones who are being assessed, it's the Momma who's been doing (or failing at) the teaching. Every year, I stand utterly amazed at what the Lord does with our kids. They learn, despite me. God's grace IS amazing grace.
I would also add one tip to the handout that was implied, but not specifically stated and that is, "Above all, stay in the Word." You can't possibly have the endurance that's needed for the long haul of the homeschooling journey if you're not constantly bathed in the Scriptures. Through the years, our family's study of the Bible has kept our compass on true north, even though many times the world tempted us to head in other directions.
The handout ends with this thought on homeschooling: "The blessings far outweigh the struggles. You will accomplish much in a short time. Confidence increases and relationships improve. Blessings are unexpected and rewards are eternal."
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Phil. 1:6
Entitled, "How to Survive Your First Year of Homeschooling," the handout lists tips for the new homeschooler.
My favorite tip: "Your first year doesn't count." Brilliant. Actually, I would amend that to be "your first two or three years of homeschooling don't count." In our case, the Lord clearly called Matt and me to homeschool. I mean He called us--as in hitting us over the head with a 2 x 4 couldn't have made what He wanted from us any clearer.
However, I'm not a natural teacher. I really struggled to find my groove in homeschooling. Truth be told, I still struggle. Every year, every child, every day is different. Learning to roll with the punches in homeschooling is key. That's been a stretch for me, a Type A person, to learn.
According to the handout, one great thing about homeschooling is that "God has built amazing flexibility into this plan." Our own experience has borne this out. Looking back, some years were heavy on the "school of life" side of learning as the Lord was teaching our family through numerous trials that had nothing to do with homeschooling. Other years were calmer and we accomplished more academically.
Every year I sweat and fret and gnash my teeth when the end of year assessments roll around. After all, the kids aren't really the ones who are being assessed, it's the Momma who's been doing (or failing at) the teaching. Every year, I stand utterly amazed at what the Lord does with our kids. They learn, despite me. God's grace IS amazing grace.
I would also add one tip to the handout that was implied, but not specifically stated and that is, "Above all, stay in the Word." You can't possibly have the endurance that's needed for the long haul of the homeschooling journey if you're not constantly bathed in the Scriptures. Through the years, our family's study of the Bible has kept our compass on true north, even though many times the world tempted us to head in other directions.
The handout ends with this thought on homeschooling: "The blessings far outweigh the struggles. You will accomplish much in a short time. Confidence increases and relationships improve. Blessings are unexpected and rewards are eternal."
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Phil. 1:6
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Eighteenth Anniversary
I asked Matt today if he ever imagined on the day he married me that we'd end up where we are today. No, he didn't. But we both agreed it's better than we ever imagined it could be. Praise be to God for His marvelous work in two weak and sinful people. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.
Grace made us this nice anniversary cake and had us pose for this picture, much to the delight of Lydia (lover of all things wedding).
Grace made us this nice anniversary cake and had us pose for this picture, much to the delight of Lydia (lover of all things wedding).
Paul is 10
Paul hit the decade old mark this past Tuesday. Sometimes I get my other kids' birthdays mixed up in my head, but I never forget Paul's birthday. He was born shortly after 9/11. I remember our good friends Brian and Julie came over on 9/12 (Matt and Brian were told not to report to work that day) and helped us get things ready for Paul's impending birth. Julie and I organized baby stuff while we watched the t.v.
I remembered wondering why we were bringing another child into this crazy, broken sinful world. A couple of days before my due date Paul got himself into a breech position. It happened one night before bed and then I didn't feel him move all night, so I went to the hospital first thing in the next morning.
It was then that I was told my little baby boy had gotten himself all turned around and upside down. The doctor got him turned, broke my water and we waited for Paul to join the world. Then things turned really bad really fast. Paul was in distress and had to come out NOW. The doctor was able to get him out with the help of the vacuum. He had the umbilical cord all twisted around his neck and he was a floppy blue noodle. The nurses whisked Paul away to the NICU, but Paul quickly recovered and soon he was cuddled up next to me. I was so humbly grateful to God for saving our son's life, even though he would be a part of this crazy, broken sinful world.
So this past Tuesday, after we had eaten cake and ice cream and Paul had opened his presents, Matt retold the story of Paul's birth. The whole family agreed that God must have a plan and purpose for Paul's life.
On a lighter note, Paul chose to have both ham and turkey for his birthday dinner, which we celebrated with Grandpa Tom, Grandma Jane and Auntie Em on Friday. We also had mashed potatoes, sage dressing, corn (which we froze fresh a couple of weeks ago), rolls and strawberry jam and apple strudel (compliments of Great Uncle Keith).
It was a feast o' carbs, just like the meals that Almanzo Wilder enjoyed when he was a boy. I reread the Little House on the Prairie series to the kids this past summer. Paul's favorite book was Farmer Boy. The descriptions of all the sumptuous meals that mother served the Wilder family are what gave Paul the idea for his birthday menu. He had the meal planned in his head several months ago.
Thankfully, I had both a turkey and a ham in the freezer that needed to be used up. Needless to say, all the birthday party attendees were happy with Paul's choices as well.
Yesterday, Paul's godfather, Brian, took him to a rocket launch. He returned home smiling from ear to ear. I got to hear everything I ever wanted to know about rockets and how far they can fly and what type of engines they have and all the rest.
Paul is becoming a strong young man. He has a great sense of humor, he's a terrific help to his Mama and Daddy and his heart is soft to the things of God. We love our Mr. Paul so very very much.
(last 2 pictures taken by Uncle Brian)
I remembered wondering why we were bringing another child into this crazy, broken sinful world. A couple of days before my due date Paul got himself into a breech position. It happened one night before bed and then I didn't feel him move all night, so I went to the hospital first thing in the next morning.
It was then that I was told my little baby boy had gotten himself all turned around and upside down. The doctor got him turned, broke my water and we waited for Paul to join the world. Then things turned really bad really fast. Paul was in distress and had to come out NOW. The doctor was able to get him out with the help of the vacuum. He had the umbilical cord all twisted around his neck and he was a floppy blue noodle. The nurses whisked Paul away to the NICU, but Paul quickly recovered and soon he was cuddled up next to me. I was so humbly grateful to God for saving our son's life, even though he would be a part of this crazy, broken sinful world.
So this past Tuesday, after we had eaten cake and ice cream and Paul had opened his presents, Matt retold the story of Paul's birth. The whole family agreed that God must have a plan and purpose for Paul's life.
On a lighter note, Paul chose to have both ham and turkey for his birthday dinner, which we celebrated with Grandpa Tom, Grandma Jane and Auntie Em on Friday. We also had mashed potatoes, sage dressing, corn (which we froze fresh a couple of weeks ago), rolls and strawberry jam and apple strudel (compliments of Great Uncle Keith).
It was a feast o' carbs, just like the meals that Almanzo Wilder enjoyed when he was a boy. I reread the Little House on the Prairie series to the kids this past summer. Paul's favorite book was Farmer Boy. The descriptions of all the sumptuous meals that mother served the Wilder family are what gave Paul the idea for his birthday menu. He had the meal planned in his head several months ago.
Thankfully, I had both a turkey and a ham in the freezer that needed to be used up. Needless to say, all the birthday party attendees were happy with Paul's choices as well.
Yesterday, Paul's godfather, Brian, took him to a rocket launch. He returned home smiling from ear to ear. I got to hear everything I ever wanted to know about rockets and how far they can fly and what type of engines they have and all the rest.
Paul is becoming a strong young man. He has a great sense of humor, he's a terrific help to his Mama and Daddy and his heart is soft to the things of God. We love our Mr. Paul so very very much.
(last 2 pictures taken by Uncle Brian)
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