Assignment: This week I want you to do something for someone else. Do you have a neighbor that needs you? Do you know an elderly person or single mom that could use you? What about the homeless? Pack even one single sack lunch and give it to someone in need. Do you know someone in blogland that is struggling right now and could use a note from you about how much you care? Pray about this. Let God put on your heart the perfect thing for you to do for another. Now, here is the kicker…I DO NOT want you to post about what you do. Whatever you choose to do is between you and God. Our rewards are in heaven, not here on earth, Mathew 6:1. I want you to post about how doing this “act” made you feel. Was stepping out of your comfort zone in this area as hard as you thought it might be? Could you see the gratefulness in their eyes? Hear it in their voice? Tell it from their typing? Do you think you might make doing things like this a more regular part of your time?  If this is an area that you are already active in, tell us how you feel this has impacted your life.

Second try…I had just finished this and hit a wrong key and lost it all, so here goes again:

This was a good assignment for me this week.  I already had a lot going on this last week, so I tried to incorporate little things into what I was already doing.  I have had a complaining spirit, so this got me thinking differently about people, changing my focus from feeling hurt, frustrated, or angry with people, to what I can do for them.  It is good for me to set an example for my children in this way.  For my boys, it will encourage them to be gentlemen, and help them to know better how to take care of their future spouse.  For my daughter, it will help her to see beyond herself, which is something that I tend to struggle with, and give her concrete ideas for things she can do as she is maturing.  I am naturally a "giver" (mostly of my time), and that can cause problems by getting myself too busy.  Finding the happy middle ground has been hard for me.  The focus needs to be to glorify God in all that we do, and this is particularly important in how we treat others.  Christ gave us the ultimate gift, so we should certainly be able to share little gifts of our time to those who could use a little friendship and kindness.

My cheerful givers!

2 Corinthians 9:6-8
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Memory Verse:  Psalms 55:22 – Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Assignment: This would be a good week to tell about your worst struggles with a lifestyle of homeschooling.  Tell about something you’ve struggled with and how God’s mercies gave us the strength to get past it.  Also, share any curriculum/homeschool methods that have been a relief to you, i.e., a particular Teacher’s Manual or Homeschooling method that’s been easier for your family.  Talk about how you felt when the burden was lifted and Oh, What a Relief it is!

I have to say that my worst struggles have been…oh, what a list…comparing myself and the kids to others, expecting too much from the kids when they were still too little, not having a good schedule and managing my time, and a huge lack of patience. 

Ok, let’s take these one at a time…I feel like I am going to confession, if I believed in doing that….

Comparing myself and the kids to others:
There is a lovely, generous, organized woman in our church who homeschools her nine kids.  She always seems to have it all together.  Whenever we have a church function at their house, you can see the kids art projects all over the walls and the Bible memory chart all filled up with stars.  I felt like I was barely treading water, and gettting the simple basics down.  I felt like such a failure.  There were others who made me feel that way as well.  The people are still there that seem to have it all together, but I have  learned to take a step back and trust that God will use my efforts to His glory.  I touched on this briefly in my last assignment. They have learned so much in the last few years, when I have really let God lead us, and not think that I have to measure up to the world’s opinion, but only to my heavenly Father’s requirements.

Expecting too much from the kids when they were still too little:
I distinctly remember when my oldest boys were little, trying to make them do everthing that Abeka required, and getting so angry at  them when they couldn’t do something or got something wrong, assuming that they were doing it to frustrate me or being stubborn.  I think I reflected a lot of who I was as a kid on them.  I remember being so stubborn when my mom tried to help me with math, and just pretending that I didn’t understand it.  What a dork!  I continued my foolishness by assuming my kids were doing the same to me.  I am learning not to judge my kids by my past, but to take them at face value, and not assume the worst in them, even though I was a rotten kid!  Oh, and by the way, I have since repented to my mom, and asked for her forgiveness, even though she never even knew!

Not having a good schedule and managing my time:
I will fully admit it.  I am a time waster.  I can waste time like nobody’s business!  Like right now, I should be figuring out what to make for dinner and checking to see that the kids are doing what they are supposed to be doing.  I have tried to make schedules, but it seems like they work for a month or so, and then something comes up to throw it all off, or I get so time oriented that I forget to take time to "smell the roses" so to speak.  For example, dh recently started working from home almost every day, so he has been leading family devotions after breakfast.  This is something that I have wanted to happen for years!  Now, it’s all I can do to keep from saying, "Ok, it’s 9am, time to get on to another subject!!" right when they are having a wonderful theological discussion!  What is more important?  Math or discussing theology and learning about God with Dad?  So anyway,  I am working on not wasting my time, but being flexible enough to allow room for God to lead us…hmm…I am seeing a theme here!

A huge lack of patience:
This is a constant struggle for me.  This is one of my main areas of failure. I cringe inwardly on Sundays when we recite in church about how merciful, gracious, loving, just and good our Lord is.  I think back on our week and remember how harsh I can be with my family and with others, how angry and frustrated I am.  I know that the Lord is changing my heart, as I am so much better than I was in my 20’s, but I still have a long way to go.  I remember when the Lord first really convicted me about it.  I drove home from somewhere,  and realized that I didn’t even enjoy kissing the kids goodnight, because I was so relieved that they were in bed.  I sat in the car alone, literally crying out to God that I didn’t want my kids to remember me like that, the screaming banshee, and I had to MAKE myself love on the kids. Isn’t that awful?!  But it worked!  I now LOVE to love on them!  I LOVE to rock them, read to them, cuddle them. Don’t get me wrong, I still have my days that I can’t wait for bedtime! If you are too stressed out, stop what you are doing, and just play with them for a while.  Let them help you cook dinner (start early!!), read stories, build with Legos, go for a walk, enjoy them.

Well, I need to go and let my son work on Russian on the computer.  I hope this has helped encourage someone.  I know I could have used a strong dose of encouragement back in the day.

Have a blessed week, and remember to LOVE ON THOSE KIDS!

Hello everyone!  Yes, I am still in existence.  It didn’t seems like  this summer was that busy, but I hardly got on the  computer execpt to keep up with some emails.  I am going to  try to keep up with the Blogger Friend School this year, so here is my first entry.

School….hmm…not sure I am ready to get back to it yet….

We are pretty excited about some aspects of it though.  We are going to be working on learning Russian together as a family, so that is pretty exciting.  Also, my hubbie is pretty excited about the Omnibus that the older two boys will be doing, so we are going to go through it with them!  Hopefully we will be consistent enough with it, as we will have to make time to do it in the late afternoons/evening time.  Dh is working from home almost exclusively now (PRAISE GOD!!) so we are trying to fit it in around 4-4:30, as long as he doesn’t  have conference calls that interfere.  I have already learned so much!  It is rather fun to start kind of going back to school myself!

We started out our homeschool journey rather differently than most.  Hubbie and I were both homeschooled, so it wasn’t really even talked about, just planned to do the same with ours.  I will be the first to admit that there are days that I wish I had a choice, but I don’t let myself even think there is an option, because really, there isn’t.  God has given me this responsibility.  Who am I to question that.  If you leave the door open a  crack, it is much easier to just give a little push and start heading down the slippery slope of neglecting your responsibility. No one else should be the main influence in my children’s lives.

As far as comparing my childhood education to my children’s education, even though I was homeschooled, it was very textbook oriented, and I don’t remember much of it, particularly history.  I remember doing it, and what the cover of my book looked like, but there are only a few things that really stick out to me.  One in particular was the research paper I did.  THAT I remember.  I think it was because I chose the topic and enjoyed learning it!  I am trying to keep that in mind, and really help my children enjoy learning what they are doing, as well as letting them help me select what they are learning.  For example, my 12yo really wanted to learn about composers.  He is very musically inclined, and is very interested in history from that perspective.  He is still doing Omnibus with us, but he LOVES to do his "music" and will do it with no prompting from me.

Well, I could go on and on, but I need to get  some things done around here.  The older boys just got a job with the neighbor so they are off learning the ropes, and we have friends staying with us this week while they are transitioning between jobs and towns, so the middle three are outside  playing with their friends.  Now is a perfect time to actually accomplish something around here without too many interruptions!

I have signed up to do the Blogger Friend School again this year.  I did some of it last year, and am hoping to keep up this year.  It is a lot of fun and helps me make sure to post on my blog, as well as meet new "friends".  This year, they have an added incentive to get started by giving away some homeschooling items!  Come sign up and enjoy the fun!  It’s never too late to start, and you can always go back and catch up if you wish to do so!

Prayer needs:

Me: I haven’t been feeling well since Thanksgiving.  Nothing major, but the kids had the flu, which I never got, but just didn’t feel good.  Now I have a very bad sinus cold.

I am also striving to "die to self" and live for my God and family, instead of what my "needs" or wants are.  There is too much these days of the "take time for yourself" mentality.  I got sucked up into it, and it is amazing how miserable it makes you, and how pleasing it is to take your eyes off of what you don’t have (time for myself) and go out of your way to make others lives nicer.  It makes for a more pleasant mama too!

One of my best friends (aside from my dh!): Angie is the sweetest, most giving, homeschool mama, with two little ones.  Her husband has been diagnosed with an aggressive neurological disease (similar to Lou Gehrig’s disease).  He will be wheelchair bound in the next year, and has, at the most, 5 years to live…according to the doctors!  but not necessarily according to the Great Physician!   Please pray with me for Mark that God would slow his disease, provide a miracle, or provide a cure.  Pray for Angie as this is so hard on her emotionally.  Watching your husband degenerate has got to be agonizing.

My brother Jake and his family: My sister-in-law, Heather, is not saved.  God has been working mightily in her life (and in my brother’s life) but please pray that she would see God’s light, that they would be able to move out of where they are now (extenuating circumstances make it very hard) and closer to their church and family (us!).  Also, pray that Jake will be the family leader that he needs to be.

These are what are dearest to my heart right now.  Thank you for praying!

Grace

This is me at 5 months old.  I still have this dress!

 Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

I sang this at my brother’s and husband’s homeschool high school graduation.