Here are my Nerium AD Results! and my grandmas and my friends lol 
we are all SO IN SHOCK!!! this is 10 days or less results on everyone
i KNOW I KNOW…INEVER DO THIS BUT I WAS SO SHOCKED AND I KNOW SO MANY OF MY MOMMY FRIENDS WOULD DIE TO SEE THESE AND KNOW THAT THIS STUFF ACTUALLY WORKS!!!!!!!
Filed under Homeschooler
I need a “latitude” adjustment….my attitude is headed south in a HURRY~! Why is that you ask? Because my 9 year old son (dyslexic,add but not adHd) is driving me BONKERS!!!!!! I think we may have gone over latitude and longitude, ohhhhhh 5 THOUSAND times in the past 2 days. He can’t even retain water let alone a lesson! Sheeeeeeeeeeesh, and we’ve done so well in the past……Guess this means another BREAKTHROUGH is around the bend! Why? Because anytime there’s been a breakthrough in this house it has only came after MANY challenges <3.
What do YOU do when you’re up against the wall and ready to just hang the kids up by their ears on the ceiling fan and flip it onto high?
Filed under homeschool, Homeschooler, Homeschooling
Do you notice these on your facebook newsfeed as often as I notice them on mine? It’s the new thing….quite frankly I wonder if any of these people have ever heard the truth before. Since I am doubting that 98% of them have, I’m going to share a little TRUTH with you here on my own little blog (aka soapbox). Be ready though, because the TRUTH often hurts. I’ll start with some cushy little truths that most of you will be comfortable with, but by the time I am finished rest assured you will either A.) HATE ME or B.) RESPECT ME.
Truth Is…..
The TRUTH (Jesus) is coming….and he will speak a truth that no man can deny! Every tongue will confess (the truth) and every knee will bow. #BEREADY4TRUTH
The TRUTH is…the BIBLE says BE KIND…it did NOT say BE NICE…there IS a difference. Kindness is based upon good will, Niceness is based upon being agreeable. Kindness speaks truth because it loves, Niceness tickles ears because it doesn’t want to hurt feelings. Kindness walks, Niceness only talks. #BeKIND4getBeingNice
The TRUTH is….God is a JUST God…he looks not upon our ACTS but upon our HEARTS. His perspective is NOT based upon what a “good” person we are…our goodness is but as filthy rags in his sight. His word states directly that there is but ONE way to him and that is through his son Jesus. So being good is fine…but having JESUS is paramount! #GoodPeopleDOgoToHell
The TRUTH is….People do NOT become angels when they die(sorry…but they dont…angels cannot be people…and people cannot ever be angels). People do NOT “look down on us” from Heaven (gah REALLY?? WHAT KIND OF HEAVEN WOULD THAT BE!! TO SEE ALL THIS PAIN AND DESTRUCTION!) These are not biblical schools of thought…sorry if you’d like to believe them. #GoREADyourBIBLE
The TRUTH is…..you can’t preach someone into Heaven….its funny how everybody is a saint after they die. #LetYourTESTIMONYSpeakJesus
The TRUTH is….God speaks DIRECTLY AGAINST some things…HE CALLS THEM WRONG…Therefore I too can call them wrong and this is NOT hating. #TakeItUpWithTheAuthor
The TRUTH is….Buying a chicken sandwich isn’t going to change the world! #GoVOTEgetObamaOUTofOFFICE
The TRUTH is….I really don’t care if you like the truth or not… The TRUTH will stand when the WORLD is on fire#I’llSpeakItAnyway
#SpeakTheTRUTH
Filed under homeschool, Homeschooler, Homeschooling
Matthew 13
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it
God looked upon me as a pearl of great price, this is why he redeemed me through his son Jesus. He redeemed me not because of anything I could ever do to deserve such a wonderful gift of grace and mercy but because he saw his creation (me) in desperate need before I was even created. What was it that he saw in me worth redeeming? I have no idea, I suppose he saw a person created in his own image who would die and go to Hell unless he made a way to reconnect with me. When I think about this great parental love that our father God has for us, I can only begin to imagine that he feels more love towards me than I do my own children even….and that is hard to comprehend considering how I love them so.
When I look at my children, I see myself ( in image…because they look so doggone much like me its unreal), they are a part of me…at their core they bear my imprint (genetically speaking). My children are my own pearls of great price, I would give all that I am, have, and ever will be for them…right down to my very life. When I reflect upon this I can only begin to think….God entrusted their lives to ME….he loaned them to ME for such a time as this, that THROUGH them I could grow (as they grow) and be sharpened (as iron sharpens iron) and they too could grow and be sharpened. Homeschooling is but a tool in my Master’s hand for growing and sharpening me, it is a challenge but luckily for me his mercies are new every morning!
What are you willing to sacrifice for your pearls of great price? When God called me to homeschool, I had a lucrative career, free babysitter (my mom), and I could reasonably afford all of the finer things that life had to offer for my children. I could have paid for a fine private christian education, I could have had a little more “me time”, as so many moms like to call it.
When God called me, he asked me to sacrifice all of that in exchange for this beautiful chaotic mess! Would I quit my job? Would I keep my children home with me and teach them of Him? Would I educate them academically AND spiritually? Would I sacrifice my “me time” in order to provide them with more of me?
When God called me….he was asking HOW MUCH ARE THOSE PEARLS WORTH?
How much are those pearls worth? How obedient are you willing to be? Are you willing to go and sell all that you have in order to purchase these pearls? Will you sell out completely to follow MY calling on your life? Will you exchange your will for MY will? Are you just playing the part of obedient follower or are you REALLY obedient? How MUCH are those pearls worth? Are they worth sacrificing for? Do you see them as I see them, the same way I see you? A child who is worth investing in, a child who is lost and needs direction, love, attention, worth sacrificing for. Do you see it? Are you truly treating them as if they were your pearls of great price?
Filed under homeschool, Homeschooler, Homeschooling
I’ve been at Ladies Conference this weekend in Barboursville, KY. If you’re in that general area or within 2 or 3 hours of it, I highly reccomend that next year you plan around July 18-20 to take a little time and go and get ministered to. A lovely Georgian woman named Beth Stephens spoke last night and confirmed a word that had been spoke into my life over 10 years ago. Not EXACTLY in a directly to me fashion, but more in a call to ALL mothers. So when you read this, it’s essentially what she said, but some of it of course will be altered just a hair according to the way God has laid it on my heart.
Beth took a well known story, the story of Moses, and taught a lesson not about how God will raise up a deliverer when things are at their worst, but taught how seriously Mama ought to take the raising of her babies. Jochebed was Moses’ mother, until last night I hadn’t paid attention to what her name even was, isn’t that just like the world? we give mama no credit.
Exodus 2: 1-3
And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch; and she put the child therein, and laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.
Out of these 3 verses, God delivered a great confirmation to me directly concerning the burden he laid upon my heart all of those years ago, the burden that I had been given direct charge of the children he gave me and I would be responsible for ensuring that they reach their full potential in Christ. The burden at times has been so great that I allowed fear to overcome me, a fear that I wasn’t up to the task. Last night through Beth’s message, God confirmed and renewed that message into my life.
Jochebed was a slave, the lowest of low slaves most likely. Beth pointed out that she would not have been a beautiful woman, there would’ve been no closet full of clothes to choose from, no hair products to fix up with, no chanel perfumes nor any Lancome` counters for her to have visited in order to improve her appearances. No dentist to fix her rotten teeth, and no TIME to take to spend on “ME” for Jochebed. Then a man takes her for his wife, and later in that marriage she conceived a son. Beth made many good points, Jochebed was a hebrew of course she would’ve married another hebrew and together they would’ve likely known and faced the harsh reality that this child they conceived if it were a boy child, would be drown in the river by Pharaoh’s men. Likely they would’ve spent a lot of time in prayer, and had great faith that this child would be delivered a girl so that they would not suffer such a great loss. Then Moses was born, a boy child, oh what grief and heartache must have come at the moment he was delivered and found to be a boy. How Jochebed must have questioned God, but she didn’t allow this to last for long, she wasn’t a wallower. She noticed immediately that this child was somehow different, extraordinary, set apart. What did she do? Likely she prayed, she sought the face of God, and the bible says she HID the baby for 3 months. Beth at this point made a great example, do you KNOW what kind of EFFORT it would take to HIDE an infant for 3 months!!? It would be difficult to hide an infant or child for a day, let alone 3 months! What did Jochebed do!? She hid him and she prayed. All the while, she prayed, she had to have! She prayed and then when it became impossible to hide him and she had no further choices, she made an ark of those bullrushes and she daubed the pitch and the slime into the gaps to waterproof it, and she set her baby in the brink of the river and she hid him. What the Bible does not tell us, but we can see is Jochebed obviously would have given up everything in order to hide this baby, her time, her energy, her efforts, they all would’ve been spent hiding this child…no ME time for this mama! Jochebed was a mama on a mission, she recognized that her child had a purpose and she was willing to sacrifice it ALL in order to see that he had the opportunity to FULFILL GOD’S PURPOSE IN HIS LIFE. Are you enough life Jochebed? Are you WILLING to give up your ME time, your “calm ” time, your “quiet”, your EVERYTHING, in order to be a JOCHEBED MAMA?
Beth’s word pierced my heart again just as it did when God laid it upon my heart so long ago that I personally am responsible for my children and their upbringing, not the government, not the grandparents, not the babysitter. Was I willing to give up a great paying job with benefits, a job that would’ve provided the best of care and education for my children that the WORLD had to offer, was I WILLING to give it up and STAY AT HOME and do it myself? YES GOD, YES SIR, YOU BET! Along the way though it is so EASY o become weary in well doing! The children bicker and fight, they ask a million questions, they give a hard time at doing their assignments, they can just be generally irritating sometimes! Lord never allow me to forget Jochebed! Let her’s be an example to follow! It’s a call to ALL mothers really, we ought to ALL be willing to make WHATEVER sacrifices need to be made to ensure that we are DAUBING THE ARK we are building around our children. As Beth so eloquently put it last night “when I think of daubing the ark with pit and tar, I think of prayer and time”. She spoke of how Jochebed had Miriam take the baby out and put him into the river in that little ark, and then how pharaohs daughter came and found the baby and how Miriam must have been so very afraid in that moment, until she saw that Pharaohs daughter would not kill the baby but wanted to keep it. So then Miriam (Jochebed’s daughter who ALSO had been being daubbed and prepared right along with Moses and his little ark) STEPPED OUT IN HER OWN FAITH, and SAW the MIRACLE OF GOD WITH HER OWN TWO EYES. Miriam saw FIRSTHAND the provision of God and how God not ONLY saved Moses but he RESTORED him to his mother, and Pharaohs daughter PAID his mother to be his nurse. Beth pointed out how God not only blessed but he blessed in SUPER ABUNDANCE, HE NOT ONLY GAVE JOCHEBED BACK HER SON, HE PAID HER TO RAISE HIM!
What did Jochebed do though? She didnt just thank God and go on! She recognized IMMEDIATELY, on day this child will return into Pharaohs household, but RIGHT NOW I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY! I have an opportunity to TEACH my son of the Great God Jehovah! and that is what she MUST have done! She did not waste one minute! When they rose up, when they sat down, when they ate, when she laid the child to sleep, she must have taught, spoke the word to, and PRAYED over this child all the while daubing more and more pitch and tar into those cracks in the ark of prayer she was building around her son. She was building an ark of prayer, an ark of the Word of God, an ark of TRUTH around him, so that when she had no choice but again to let him go….all those cracks were sealed and the waters of the Nile, the ways of Pharaohs house, the ways of Egypt could not come in around him but were kept out by that Heavenly hedge. Lord! LET ME BE LIKE JOCHEBED! Don’t EVER allow me to forget that these children are mine but for a short time, and it will not be long and they must enter the world and it is MY job to build that ark around them just as Jochebed built around Moses, and Noah built around his family. An ark of obedience, an ark of dedication, an ark of the word and the truth, an ark of prayer, an ark of worship, an ark of sacrifice because MY CHILDREN ARE MY PEARLS OF GREATH PRICE….WORTH SACRIFICING ALL FOR!
Beth Stephens, I thank you for your obedience to the Lord. I think we ALL need a reminder of our calling! Sometimes when the way of well doing becomes weary, we ALL need a refresher and I certainly have a renewed spirit, and a refreshed purpose. Thank you Lord for the wells in the desert!
GBU ALL and I pray this word reaches out and pricks your heart just as it did my own!
Filed under Homeschooler
I believe it is a generally accepted idea that when God calls you to homeschool, and therefore equips you for the task, one begins to believe that this task will be an easy one (since after all it is a calling). Not so I tell you! It is a journey of faith! Just as when God called Abram to depart from his kinsmen and travel “blindly” to a land God would show him, the homeschool journey is much the same. God has called you to a journey on which although there are others to keep you company, no other person’s will be exactly by the same route.
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee
If you’ve spent any time at all studying Abram/Abraham you know his story, he leaves as God told him but….he doesn’t leave his kinsmen, he takes along his nephew Lot. This was his first mistake, he departed on the journey but he continued to hold on to the past, the things God directed him to let go of. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience? I have, I began homeschooling but was unwilling to forfeit my ideas of what ‘school’ should look like in favor of what God would direct our school to look like. In a roundabout way, I said “Okay God, I’ll go to the place you’re sending me but I’m using MY map instead of yours”. Just like Abram, I suffered consequences because I refused to let go of my own interpretation of what God really meant when he told me to forsake all of the ideas and dreams I had about what I wanted my homeschool to be (think Harvard by 8). It’s been a long journey thus far and I am only just beginning (just 4 years in) but most of my mileage has been caused by my own unwilling fleshy tendencies.
*I will elaborate on these “tendencies” and other portions of my journey thus far in the posts to come 
until then, be blessed!
Filed under Homeschooler
As you know, my children would fall into the OVERsocialized category most likely. My son (9) plays football,basketball,soccer,baseball,swims on a competitive swim team,takes gymnastics, and participates in community service activities. My daughter (7) swims on a competitive swim team, plays soccer, takes gymnastics and is on a competitive gymnastics and cheer team, takes piano lessons, and participates in community service activities. I referenced many of these things in another post What Kind Of Race Is This Anyway? The OVERsocialized homeschooler
I think many of us homeschool parents tend to overcompensate for our children’s “lack of normal socialization” in the same way….extra curricular activities. The one thing I continue to discover, no matter where we go we are always the “odd men out”. I find that personally I am in great need of fellowship with other homeschoolers, someone who is like me. There are only around 150 homeschooled children in my entire county, and the truth of the matter is….80 percent of them are weird, weird, weird. I know, I know, I shouldn’t “dis” people like that, but honestly people, I’m not talking about weird as in “set apart from the world” or “a peculiar people” the way the Bible describes it, I am speaking of truly strange people. People who really suffer from bunker syndrome and do not function well in society, these are the homeschoolers you hear about. The “rest of us” out here are so very busy with kids and activities, we rarely have time to get to really know one another or spend time as a group. I am in desperate need of real fellowship, fellowship with people of like minds, similar interests, and who can encourage me and I them. Do you ever feel this way? Don’t lie…you know you do.
I’m writing this post to encourage myself, but maybe it will encourage you as well. It is directed to homeschoolers, but I find many stay at home moms (or dads) often feel as though they live lives of solitary confinement 90% of all conversations they have are with their children, and the other 10% are about their children. Here are some scriptures, ones that will help us when we just feel the overwhelming sense of being alone in this big journey we call homeschooling (or parenting).
Joshua 1:1-8
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
I would imagine that after losing Moses, Joshua was very lonely and probably insecure in his abilities to lead these people. God’s promise to Joshua extends to all of us who follow him through Christ, He will be with us and never leave or forsake us.
Hebrews 13:5 (b)
Never will I leave you, Never will I abandon you
That is a promise to stand on, even when there is no other person there….God is. When you just need a friend to fellowship with, fellowship with the author of Life, the creator of the heavens and the Earth….who could better understand you?
I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my
servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not
be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my
righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:9‐10
We all look to friends for encouragement, its just a natural thing….but we have a fellowship and a friend in our creator and his words tell us—HE will strengthen, HE will help, HE will uphold us in his righteous hand. So when you find yourself battling the homeschool (or parenting) blues because you just need a little fellowship, remember that the one who called you out, the one who CHOSE you, is with you and he will fellowship with you and be your comfort.
I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you- John 14:18
There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother- Proverbs 18:24
Filed under Homeschooler
Every homeschool parent has experienced fear of inadequacy, any who would deny that are either 1.) lying or 2.) well…. lying. Everyone everywhere has experienced fear of inadequacy in some area of their lives, but for homeschoolers this is the stuff nightmares are made of. There is something specific though that I would like to point out, this fear intimidates, that is why it is so effective. Let us now explore intimidation.
The bible tells us a story of the 12 spies going into the promised land to “check things out”. Caleb and Joshua of course were the only 2 who came back with good reports and hope for conquering it. The other 10 however, reported that they were in their own sight, as grasshoppers and so they were in the eyes of the giants in the land as well.
Did you see that? They defeated themselves long before the enemy had an opportunity! They were intimidated by the giants and so they saw themselves as grasshopper sized, they felt they were no match for the task at hand. Intimidation caused them not to want to go and claim the promise, isn’t that sad? How familiar does that sound to you? God called you to homeschooling, so you tiptoed into homeschool land but you see the “giants” in the land. Teaching your child to read, teaching them higher maths, and foreign languages etc. and all of these “giants” cause you to feel very much the way the other 10 spies felt, no match for the task. Intimidation turns giant killers into grasshoppers. We forget that when God calls us to a task he enables us to perform it! When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, he already knew who lived in Canaan. He knew when he called you to homeschooling, all that homeschooling entails! There are no surprises in God’s book, he wrote it cover to cover before he laid the foundations of the Earth, so why do we fear ?
There are some things you should know about intimidation. First, let me say that if you can be intimidated you can be isolated, and once you are isolated you are easily conquered. Second, Satan wants you to be intimidated, because if you aren’t he knows you’re coming to claim your promise. It is easy to find yourself in an intimidating situation, but there are safeguards that prevent you from succumbing to it. Let me share a few with you.
1.) Protect your “water source”, remember to be daily replenished through prayer. Do not allow your circumstances to draw your attention away from your source. If you do, you will dry out and very soon you will be intimidated, isolated, and then defeated. Keep your eyes set upon Jesus, and remember that God gives us victory even when we ought to have defeat. Trust steadfastly in the Lord, not in anything of your own power or ability.
2.) Never let Satan set the terms for the battle. Never let him convince you that you must meet him on his terms in order to conquer him. Instead, be like David, go meet him in the name of the Lord. Speak to your enemy, Speak to God about your enemy. Speak to your enemy, step up! Tell that fear that you are not afraid, you know that God called you to this and so he will walk you through it. Remind the enemy that though you walk through the valley of the shadow, the rod and staff will be your comfort.
3.) Recognize that you belong to God, Satan is trespassing when he messes with you. God has guaranteed aleady that the victory will be yours. Keep walking in faith, heading directly towards your promises, never give up or sit down on the job. Keep in mind, that faith without works is dead. You are going to have to “hoof it” across a few dry places, but ultimately following the calling of God will result in victory.
Filed under homeschool, Homeschooler, Homeschooling
Brookelynn: ”I guess we didn’t accomplish anything, huh mommy?”
What do you say to that? How do you answer a child who is hurt?
Today, our church recognized the accomplishments of students who were moving from one grade to another. They recognized them for their academic excellence, their sports accomplishments, and their community service awards given to them by the schools they attend. As they filed the children in from children’s church and seated my children with me, Brookelynn said “I guess we didn’t accomplish anything, huh mommy?” with a look of hurt on her face.
I suppose I should warn you homeschool moms out there who may be new to the game…..when you’re going against the “norm”, you should prepare your heart for days like these. I can tell you, because I’ve lived long enough and homeschooled long enough (5 years) to know, your heart will be broken for your children many times because you’ve chosen to take the alternate route and not public or privately school them. Early on, it wasn’t something I considered because I didn’t think my children would notice. The sad fact is, as they have grown in knowledge and understanding, they have become aware of the difference made between themselves and their publicly or privately schooled counterparts. So what’s a homeschool mom to do?
My “quick” answer is, tell your children that they are really very accomplished. Explain to them that although they do not attend a public prison, oops i meant SCHOOL, they are still equally accomplished and likely even more accomplished academically and athletically than those in public schools but unfortunately the “world” doesn’t recognize this because you’ve decided not to conform to the world. Then, use this as a lesson to teach them the value of posessing an unoffendable heart.
to be continued…….
Filed under homeschool, Homeschooler, Homeschooling
Don’t you wish that when you began this journey there had been someone ahead of you on this path? Don’t you wish, that when you were in homeschool “hell”, there had been someone that could’ve said definitively “oh honey…I HAVE BEEN THERE, but believe me this will pass”? Don’t you wish, that there was someone who really did understand exactly what you meant when you couldn’t find the words to describe the frustration of teaching a child to read who was struggling to learn?” Well, I am that mom. I’ve been there, and I can say assuredly this too shall pass. I have a very gifted 6 year old, who is a “homeschool dream”, I also have a dyslexic, auditory processing disordered 9 year old who was very nearly the “homeschool death” of me. I really do understand.
I know the joy of seeing your little girl doing multiplication at 5, and the pain of seeing your 9 year old struggle to read. I understand! I know the “whale motel” side of things…..I ran from the calling to homeschool. I know the “schechem” side of things from when I returned to that “first place”. I really do understand! There aren’t alot of homeschool experiences I have failed to have, so let me assure you…..this mom feels your pain! I feel compelled to throw these things out into the spotlight, even though I’m sure there will be flaming darts sent my way because I am publicly admitting that I have succeeded many times, and yet still I fail daily. This is just the kind of admission the “anti-homeschooler” would love to read, and yet…I really could care less. Why? Because somewhere out there, there is a mother who is homeschooling and she is seriously considering giving up. She thinks she’s failed, she know’s she’s hindering her child and not helping, she’s hurting and she’s tired. I have a reminder for you homeschool sister…..Jesus said
“come to me all you who are burdened and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28
Cast your care’s upon him for he cares for you….and don’t ever forget, when he called you—-he already knew every step it would take to get across this desert terrain, and he planted every well along the way in exactly the right place so that just as you feel overcome….there is a refreshing place to rest. He’s got this all working together, refining and perfecting you. Don’t be discouraged, be encouraged….you’re never alone.
Filed under homeschool, Homeschooler, Homeschooling
“like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions.“
Deuteronomy 32:11 NIV
An eagle makes its nest high on rocky ledges, because of the “hardness” of it all they look for feathers, fur etc to use as padding for their nests in order to keep the eaglets comfy when they hatch. As the eaglets grow stronger and are becoming ready to leave the nest, slowly the mother eagle begins to push the “stuffing” out of the nest making it less and less comfortable. Eventually, the mother eagle takes the baby up in her claws high high into the sky, then……she DROPS it. In an apparent attempt to kill her baby, she is in fact teaching it to fly. She swoops down catches the baby eagle long before it would hit the ground, up ,up , up they go again where she drops the baby again and again repeating this “teaching method” several times. Finally, the baby eagle spreads it wings and soars, thus achieving the ultimate goal of the mother who had spent so much time on these flying lessons.
Lord help us homeschooling mothers, we all so often forget the lesson that the eagle teaches. We so often find ourselves trying to keep the nest comfy forever rather than slowly but surely teaching our children to be more and more independent. We protect them from everything, feeling righteous in doing so, even the life experiences they need in order to grow mature.
We homeschoolers, and really parents in general, seem to forget that our goal is not to keep our children forever, but to teach them to be independent. We are so busy training our child on the way that he should go, we often forget that the scripture really says to train UP the child….not just train the child. I must confess, the idea of my little ones “leaving the nest” does not make me leap for joy….I love them, I want them to always be my little babies. God given knowledge tells me, this is not God’s plan. God has entrusted these lives to me, I must teach them of him, I must walk upright before them, I must teach them the academics they need to survive in the world, and then…...I have to take them up high high high…..and DROP them…over and over…..I must teach them to fly. Just like the eagle, if I fail to teach my children to “fly” my child will not make it. I must, there is no choice. I must be the one who takes them up to that scary height and then be the one who drops them over and over. I must be the one who teaches them not only the soft and comfortable lessons of life, but also the hard and scary ones. If I don’t, then I have failed.
Why does parenting have to be such a hard job!? I’m sure our heavenly father often asks the same question. I think parenting and homeschooling could be counted as the greatest joy and at the same time the greatest challenge of my life. I desperately want to protect my children from all harm, and at the same time I realize…..I am incapable of protecting them completely. There are times, and those will become more frequent as they grow older, that I simply am not and cannot be capable of fully protecting them! Currently at 9 and 7 years old they both wear the badge of scratches, scrapes, bruises, and scars…..evidence of my inability to protect them fully. So what is one to do!? First things first, we must pray.….without ceasing! The prayer of the righteous availeth much, that is for certain. Pray over all things, education, friendships, activities, future relationships and spouses, their children and generations after them…..pray over all things. God said that he hears our prayers, in fact he said that he hears us before we call, and he answers before we finish speaking! Step two…..faith. Prayer without faith is as useless as a lightbulb with no electricity! If you are lacking in faith….pray for it to grow! If you have great faith, pray for great perseverance in faith…..faith is the key to the kingdom. Step 3 works. Works alone will get you nowhere, but faith without works is dead. You must pray in faith, then you must go forth and walk it out and work it out. Just as you would not simply pray for a well to spring up in the desert and then sit by idly dehydrating to death, you should not pray for miracles without seeking them out! When you pray for that well, be ready to dig it! These are the lessons we should be teaching our children as well.
to be continued……..
Filed under homeschool, Homeschooler, Homeschooling
Grayson’s team #3 in the district 
Are we running a long distance or is this the 50 yard dash?
Sometimes, I feel like I live live in a 24/7 version of the 50 yard dash! I’m running so fast my lungs are literally on fire and I can’t feel my legs anymore. My heart is pounding, there is a roar in my ears from the rush of blood. I am unaware of anything except the race, I’m falling behind…..I have to catch up! MOVE FASTER LEGS!! PUMP HARDER HEART!!! BREATHE LUNGS, BREATHE!!!! Then it happens, the inevitable, CRASH! Not just a crash, but a crash and burn……I am totaled….beyond repair….ready for the scrap heap.
I don’t understand how it happens, we start out walking along our homeschool path. We are like the tortoise; slow and steady wins the race. Pretty soon though, “ssssssssocialization” (that homeschool lie the devil told) begins to worry us, so what do we do? ”Sign them up for a sport” we think…..yes thats it! So we sign up for the sport of the season and then pretty soon instead of walking/strolling down the homeschool path, we are at more of a power-walk pace. ”Is 2 hours a week really enough?” begins to creep into our thoughts, “Ssssssssocialization isssss imporrrtant, the kidsssss aren’t gettttinng enough of it at hooome” Satan whispers . We sign them up for another sport, a music lesson; now we’re at a slow jog running to and fro to two sports and music lessons each week. ”They still aren’t getting enough ssssssocialization, they need moooore, they will end up with no friends and be outcasts forever” he whispers again. What do we do? We sign up for something else! and then another and another and another until HOMESCHOOL is no longer at HOME…..EVER.
I am not at all implying that we homeschoolers should stay home all of the time, I’m simply saying….we shouldn’t have to go at a dead run in order to keep up with all of the social activities we have scheduled for our children to “make up” for them not being in school. Why do we feel that we must “make it up” in the first place? I’m not saying that some (very very very few…like 1 or 2) homeschoolers don’t overkill it with “bunker syndrome” , there are those who really do lock their children in the proverbial closet……sadly, this must be admitted. The truth is though, the great majority, of homeschoolers don’t! We have our children in public venues on a regular basis, they go shopping, they go to church, they take them on play dates, and in fact….homeschoolers DO have friends contrary to popular anti-homeschooling beliefs. Truly, children who are homeschooled are, in general, more and better socialized than children who are confined to desks all day hidden away in the prison , oops I meant public school.
Satan would love to convince you that your homeschooling efforts will cost your child in the long run. After all, if he cannot compel you to “sssssssssssocialize” them, there is very little room for him to slither his way into their minds…..there is no way to plant the seeds of doubt. I am not saying “don’t socialize”, I am saying choose carefully with whom your child does so. Satan comes but for 3 reasons; to kill, steal, and destroy. He comes to kill your joy, steal your peace, and destroy your faith. When he lies, he is simply speaking his native tongue….there is no truth in him. The problem is, if he cannot convince you to believe the lie directly he will do so indirectly. You may have great discernment of knowing when it is your flesh or satan tempting you to stop journeying down the road God has called you to; often, it is more difficult to discern this though when he is using a close friend, family member, or your pastor……yes that’s right….your pastor. I’m not saying MY pastor has ever spoken against homeschooling, but I do know of those who do and have. It’s a hard pill to swallow when someone you consider to be a spiritual mentor challenges you on the choice to homeschool, especially considering this person has had a much longer and often times much stronger walk than you have had yourself….that is after all why they are your mentor right? I know…..you would think that Satan couldn’t use your mentor….after all, they are in tight with God and they pray all the time, they’re spiritual giants in your eyes; not true just look at Peter. Peter was the one Jesus directly ordained as the first minister of the church, and yet…..he told the Lord it was not so that he would be crucified, thus prompting the ” Get thee behind me Satan” chastisement. Peter also denied Christ the three times before the cock crowed. Satan is very good at using us Christians….so good that we don’t even recognize when he is using us because he “appears as an angel of light”. Let me encourage you then, since now we obviously know these things, not to be so easily swayed and worried about the “ssssssss” word.
Since I covered the lie….and I covered the truth; what isn’t and what is…..allow me now to cover what should be. Yes, your child does need to be among other children their own age, free to play without structure at times. Yes, being on teams will build sportsmanship, social skills, and team work concepts. Yes, musical lessons are wonderful, beautiful, and open the creative mind! Yes, co-op homeschooling can and is a wonderful tool! These are all wonderful. The key however, is “all things in moderation”.
You wouldn’t decide to paint your bedroom and then go buy every color of paint available then come home and splash it haphazardly all about your room on the walls, the floors, the ceiling and furniture! No! Never! You decide to paint your bedroom, you go to the store, look at swatches, perhaps you bring home a small sample of one or even two. You make a decision of whether one or both of those colors “fits” your space, and then you go back, make the purchase, come home and do the job.
Why then, do so many homeschoolers (myself included) decide that we need to get our kids “ssssssssocialized” and then proceed to do so by signing up for every lesson, co-op, sports team, play date, church play, vacation bible school, day camp, overnight camp, and every other imaginable social activity that one could become involved in…..all at one time!? This sends 2 messages; 1. You are insecure in your abilities as a homeschooler to socialize your child adequately. 2. It tells other people that homeschoolers are in fact poorly socialized….after all, if they were socially fine then why on Earth would their parents spend all that time and money running and chasing after “friends” for them through extra curricular activities…..homeschooling must really not be “enough”….just like they thought. In conclusion, since I myself am guilty, I am committing to only ONE musical lesson per week for each child and ONE sport per season for each. Gone are the days of leaving from the library reading buddy program, and running straight to competition cheer….followed by the next day’s piano and then basketball game……followed by the next days basketball practice and soccer practice…..followed by the next days children’s ministry activity……followed by the next days’ play date….and on and on…..it’s OVER. I am reclaiming my life and my purpose, and I encourage YOU to do the same. After all….I think we’ve more than proven that we do know how to socialize. :)
Filed under homeschool, Homeschooler, Homeschooling
Austin Wade Bowman passed from death ton eternal lifer in Christ on April 3 2013
Filed under Homeschooler
On Wednesday, April 3 our sons little friend passed away in an ATV accident. Please lift Austin’s family and friends in prayer especially his twin brother Aiden.
I’m in that race again….you know that race I mentioned last year in the post “What kind of race is this anyway”….the race to socialization. Spring is upon us and with it comes swim team, baseball, karate, soccer, and running track. I am so lucky to have happy healthy well socialized children but my goodness Spring and Summer are enough to wear me out! Sometimes I wonder WHY I allow them to do it all, but then I see them swing the bat and knock it well into the outfield, or kick a goal, or beat their own time at a race……and I see how PROUD they are and that’s it….that is the “why” and its enough. My babies <3 sports, and I’m so glad they do!
Be on the look out, because I’ll be posting photographs from First Communion in 2 weeks and also from sports <3.
Remember….you only get one chance at this life and you should be allowed to live it to the full!
Filed under Homeschooler
<img src="http://confessionsofanimperfecthomeschooler.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/shallon.jpg" class="size-full" alt="My Nerium Results
Ladies….I never ever do this but WE NEED TO TALK….about wrinkles and stretch marks and acne!
My grandma and my good friend and mom and I all started using this Nerium stuff and IT WORKS…We were in TOTAL DAGGONE SHOCK!
I just wanted to share with you some of the before and afters in my FAMILY (these are not strangers)
If you re interested in knowing more….comment with your email
I read the gospel readings for the story of Lazarus last night for the blue millionth , until that point I had not considered WHY Jesus wept or WHY he had tarried for four days and WHY he made the references to how many daylight hours there were in a day, and I hadn’t really considered the fact that Jesus got “perturbed”. I had merely regarded this story as one of Christ’s miracles and how wonderful it was. On reading this though and discussing it with a few friends and my husband we found a little meat to chew on.
Why FOUR days? Turns out, Jews believed the soul hung around the proximity of the body for 3 days after death. Once three days had passed they viewed there to be no possibility whatsoever that the person would revive. Jesus of course would’ve known all of this, so he lingered. Why ? Because this would be a great lesson for all the unbelieving Jews who would see this miracle performed in broad daylight. Four days was just the right amount of time to make his point.
Why did Jesus weep? This part at first I just took for granted he wept because his friend had died, but then I thought about it…Jesus KNEW he was going to resurrect his friend of course so he had no reason to cry for that! Was he crying because everyone else was hurt? Again…Jesus KNEW he was going to resurrect Lazarus so WHY would he need to weep for their sadness when he was about to reverse it!? My husband came up with the BEST answer, an answer I had never considered……Jesus wasn’t weeping because he was SAD Lazarus died….or because he was SAD that everyone else was hurt….Jesus was weeping in FRUSTRATION. You see, by the time Jesus was “weeping” he had already tried to tell Martha Lazarus would rise but Martha wasn’t “getting the picture”….and Mary had already BLAMED him for not coming sooner….Here stood Jesus in the midst of all these unbelieving Jews and 2 of his closest friends Mary and Martha who believed but didn’t seem to “get it”….Jesus was standing among people who were saing things like “this guy can make blind people see, he could’ve saved Lazarus”. People all around him crying, of COURSE he was deeply moved in spirit! He was moved by the realization that although he had taught and taught and reached out and taught and performed signs and wonders these people STILL DIDN’T GET IT!
Now in the beginning Jesus had said to them “ARE THERE NOT 12 HOURS IN A DAY?” and referenced how men stumble in the dark….Jesus knew that if this miracle were performed by night, people wouldn’t believe…..so he had already set a plan into motion. He would raise Lazarus in broad daylight in front of a LARGE group of people and THIS would lead them to believe.
Many times in my life I have felt like God was “too late”…..many times I have doubted his ability to resurrect something I considered rotting in the grave…..many times I am sure I have frustrated him! I know though that he is able…..it is my own waivering faith which hinders me. Many times after I know I must have frustrated him, he has moved in “broad daylight” to perform wonders in my life….and because of this I have a testimony to share and hopefully will lead others to Him!
Filed under Homeschooler
A quick word before bed, I haven’t kept up this blog as I had promised myself I would….
I’m still finding me….I’m not sure where I have gone but I have been looking for about 5 years. Do you ever feel this way? There is something that as I grow older I realize more and more though! Even when I cannot find me, God knows exactly where I am. I’ve been thinking alot about the prodigal son lately, especially considering that we studied it last Sunday at CCD with the children. In 17 short days my little ones will receive their first communion, and it has me thinking about my own communion with God….I think we let the busyness of business and life take over and we forget our priorities so often! I am setting myself a reminder each day for this blog and I am committed to once again sharing my journeys along this path with you my fellow comrades in this battle we call “homeschool”.
Filed under Homeschooler
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