Possibilities

Exodus 35:30-35

Bezalel and Oholiab

³⁰ Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³¹ and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— ³² to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, ³³ to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. ³⁴ And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. ³⁵ He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.

 Isn't this the coolest?!  I love how it says that the LORD has done these things.  

He has given His Spirit.  He has given Wisdom.  He has given understanding and knowledge.

He has given His people skills.  All kinds of skills!

 This is exciting stuff!  God has a purpose and direction for each of our lives.

How can we use our skills to glorify God today?

How can we help our children discover what gifts God has given them?  And then, how can we give them opportunities to use those skills in this beautiful life?

 Excited about the possibilities,

  

Motherhood is Beautiful

Click on this link for a great blog post...

Giving Thanks for...Laundry

"...always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

 

 

Feeling grateful and thankful this morning as I fold mounds of laundry and hear the washing machine and dryer continue on.

 

I don't always feel this way about laundry, but today I can't help but think...

 

We are so blessed.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I woke up really early this morning (strange pregnancy hormones) and have already gotten a boat-load of stuff done before the kids have awaken.

 

Or maybe it's because I'm so spiritual.  ;)

 

Either way, I am GIVING THANKS to my Lord and savior Jesus Christ for all He has given.

 

Even laundry.

 

Parenting

Reading through a book on parenting for the second time.  I am struck again by the awesome privilege that my husband and I have of raising these children for God's glory.

 
"You must raise your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  

You cannot do so without investing yourself in a life of sensitive communication in which you help them understand life and God's world.  There is nothing more important.  

You have only a brief season of life to invest yourself in this task. 

You have only one opportunity to do it.  

You cannot go back and do it over...you must, therefore, prioritize.

To do this job of parenting well, it must be a primary task.  

It is your primary calling.

Baby #6 - BOY! - due mid (or late, knowing me) July

...It will mean that you can't develop every interest that comes along.  

The costs are high."

Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
(Emphasis mine)

To Avoid or Not to Avoid...Is that the Question?

Totally not related to the post below...but super cute.  ;)

"People who are content with the avoidance ethic generally ask the wrong question about behavior.  They ask, What's wrong with it?  What's wrong with this movie?  Or this music?  Or this game?  Or these companions?  Or this way of relaxing?  Or this investment?  Or this restaurant?  Or shopping at this store?  What's wrong with going to the cabin every weekend?  Or having a cabin?  This kind of question will rarely yield a lifestyle that commends Christ as all-satisfying and makes people glad in God.  It simply results in a list of don'ts.  It feeds the avoidance ethic.

The better questions to ask about possible behaviors is:  How will this help me treasure Christ more?  How will it help me know Christ or display Christ?  The Bible says, 'Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).  So the question is mainly positive, not negative.  How can I portray God as glorious in this action?  How can I enjoy making much of him in this behavior?"

Don't Waste Your Life

John Piper


I recently finished this book, which is full of good stuff.

In this world of...

"Should Christians be watching 50 Shades of Grey's Anatomy or Desperate HouseFriends?",

I find the above quotes very helpful.

The question should not be "Should I watch it?"

The question should be, "How will this help me live for and love Christ more?"

 Asking the correct question helps clarify many things.

 Then, if I find out that this particular activity or entertainment or thing that I own does not help me serve and love God better, then I ask the next question...

"Am I willing to give it up?"  I pray my answer is yes.

Trying to ask more of those types of questions in my own life in all types of circumstances...

Listening and Learning

Home on Sunday with a sick baby, I am able to listen to and read the words of Pastor John Piper.

Thought I'd share the sermons that the Lord used to speak to me today:

 

3 Sermons: Barnabas: A Maker of Leaders  

The following words are from the last sermon that you have to read (the first two are auditory):

"Some of our decisions are governed by explicit biblical commands—thou shalt not commit adultery! But most of our decisions in life are an effort to apply biblical principles to situations that the Bible does not deal with explicitly. And the problem is that we often differ on how to do this. Matthew Henry calls these issues "points of prudence." Listen to his wise and sober words:

Even those that are united to one and the same Jesus, and sanctified by one and the same Spirit, have different apprehensions, different opinions, different views, and different sentiments in points of prudence. It will be so while we are in this state of darkness and imperfection; we shall never be all of a mind till we come to heaven, where light and love are perfect. (Commentary, vol. 6, p. 200"

"The point here is simply this: most of our life and ministry is made up of those kinds of decisions—the application of biblical principles to situations not explicitly dealt with in the Bible. And therefore complete agreement in these areas will not happen in the body of Christ until we no longer see through a glass darkly. And I suggest that we not too quickly assume that our different strategies for Christ are a bad thing." 
.............................................
"Is it not a beautiful and encouraging thing that at the beginning of Paul's Christian life when no one would take a risk on his behalf, Barnabas came forward and saved him for the cause of Christ; but many years later, when Barnabas was falling away from the truth, Paul came forward and saved him for the cause? These men needed each other's different strengths."  
.................................................
"Past experiences and past usefulness are no guarantee of future obedience. The Christian life is a race to be run and finished, a fight to be fought and won, and a faith to be kept to the end. There is no place for coasting or drifting."  

Such wisdom in these three sermons.

Listen, read, and be encouraged in your journey of faith with the One and Only God.

I Will Hide God's Word in My Heart...

Sometimes I wake up or go to sleep with a particular verse stuck in my head.  This morning I had the last part of these verses rolling through my brain and I hadn't even read them recently so I figured I should share them.  :)

Deuteronomy 31:6 

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5 

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;    never will I forsake you.”

Trying something new this year...Classical Conversations

We've always done a mix of Charlotte Mason, Classical, Traditional, Unit Studies, and Delight-Directed Learning in our homeschool....which I guess would just be labeled, "Eclectic."

 

 

But this year, we've made a change.  A change that is big, but not so big.  A change that has me wondering how it can be so easy, but so complicated at the same time.  A change that has me scratching my head with thoughts of, Is this really all that is needed?  Am I doing enough?  Can it really be so simple to retain so much information?  Will they remember this stuff for years to come?  And when I verbalize those thoughts to families that have been involved in CC for years, the answers are, yes, yes, yes, and yes!

We joined a local Classical Conversations (CC) Community and we are really enjoying it!

 

There's a funny story behind how we came to be involved in CC.

 

Our kids had gone to a Christian school on Wednesdays for the past two years, but sadly they closed their doors this year.  At first, I prayerfully searched for a different school that could offer what Wednesday school offered, but didn't find what we were looking for locally.  We then decided that we'd just homeschool without any extra things added on, like we did our first three years of homeschooling.  BUT...I kept hearing about how great Classical Conversations was, so I decided to check it out a bit online and finally emailed the director to see if I could attend a meeting or get some more information.

 

Well, long story short-er ;) we had decided against CC and I was set to start the school year without any extras.  

 

On a Friday in late August, I went to a water park with a friend of mine.  While there, a lady approached me and said,

 

"Have we met?  Are you one of my CC moms?"

 

I had never seen her and she had never seen me, but she says she was "drawn" to me and was SURE I was going to be at her CC campus this year.  Turns out, she was the leader of the CC closest to me that I had emailed a couple of times!

It was a very cool, kinda strange, but God-ordained meeting that, once again, had us looking into CC.  

 

I discussed CC again with my husband that weekend and we kept praying.  A couple days later, I went to the Essentials parent meeting and paid my fee to sign up for the year.  CC classes started a week and a half after that!

The amount of stuff the kids (and I!) are already memorizing is amazing to me.  Most things are put to music, which is always a great way to memorize something (especially for my music-loving, but not always "school-loving" son.)

Before we decided to go with CC, I read Echo in Celebration: A Call to Home-Centered Education by the lady who started CC, Leigh Bortins.

These quotes so resonated with me that I wrote them down on a scrap of paper and am now writing them here so I can recall them at a later time when...say, my children are whining, "Why do we have to learn this??  I'll never use it!"

"Utilitarianism, teaching only what is useful, is a poor educational model for free men.  True education is more than useful or pragmatic.  It is beautiful and inspiring."

 

"Instead of saying, 'This is hard, I'm no good at it.'  I switched to, 'This is hard.  I wonder how I could make it easy?'"

 

"I will not just teach you about the things you like to do, because your children, spouse, boss and neighbors may need you to do things you do not like to do.  I will prepare you to learn any information and use it well."

 

 Such wisdom!

I'm interested to see how this year in CC pans out.  I tend to be really excited about things when they're new and then the excitement fizzles as the new isn't so new anymore.

But SO FAR, we're learning a lot, enjoying the memorization process, and having fun meeting new people!

 

Thanking God for how He directs our steps,

God's Will Above Our Own - Even in House Hunting

When we first got married, we bought a fairly inexpensive fixer-upper in a little town rather far from “our life”. Our friends teased us about living in the next state because it took so long to get to our house. Even though it was a drive, the Lord blessed us while living there. We brought our first baby girl home, and it was in that house that the Lord worked on our hearts to homeschool our kids.

The Lord also blessed us financially with that home. We were able to split off and sell a lot next to our house, and we even made a profit from the sale of the house itself. Granted, we (both sets of our parents included) put A LOT of time, prayers, blood, sweat, and probably some tears into that piece of real estate, but it paid off.

 Our next house was closer to our church and my husband’s work. Once again, it was a fixer-upper with a lot we split off and sold. We were blessed in that house with two little boys and a firm decision to homeschool our children once they were of school age. We sold the lot first and then put our newly-remodeled house up for sale a little over two years after we moved in. We sold the house for about the same as we had paid for it, but the lot sale helped us financially.

After selling that house, we frantically looked for another house to buy. I had prayed to the Lord for a certain type of house. I wanted a larger house with land to split and sell, three or four bedrooms, and a fenced in backyard. At this point we already had three kids, but I knew that we were open to having more if the Lord blessed us with them.

I had found a home in the country not far from where we lived that seemed perfect. It had a little red chicken coop in the large backyard. It wasn’t a huge house, but it wasn’t in need of huge repairs and it had three large bedrooms, a nice sized dining room for all the dinners I liked to host, spaces to homeschool, and a wood burning stove (which is still my husband’s dream). I prayed and prayed that we’d be able to move there. I probably drove by that house fifty times (and it wasn’t on my way to anywhere I was going). However, God had other plans because the people selling that house never took our offers.

While I was solely focused on one house, Nate was doing his own research and had found a home in the town where he worked. This house was structurally sound, but it was another fixer-upper. It was also not much bigger than the house we had just sold. It was a three bedroom ranch (without a finished basement) on ten acres, but the acreage was mostly wooded and infested with mosquitoes.

He was pumped. I was less than pumped.

The first time I walked into our current house, I almost cried...

To read the rest, head on over to Heart of the Matter where I continue.

(All pictures posted are from our current house)

Interview

I was asked by Savannah at Hammock Tracks to answer some questions for her "Who Home Schools?" series.  Thank you, Savannah, for that fun opportunity!

If you want to read about how we came to our decision to homeschool and other questions pertaining to our homeschool, head on over to Hammock Tracks to check it out.  And while you're there, you can check out her many other "Who Home Schools?" posts.  

(Just for fun, here are a couple pictures from one of our new homeschool group's park days...)

Linked up to the Hip Homeschool Hop

Gateway to Rest

I'm excited to be partnering with a good friend of mine, Shannon Popkin, on her blog, Tiny Paragraphs.  This is my first post for her, and it stretched my ability to write something relatively "Tiny".  The original "Gateway to Rest" post was close to three times longer, but Shannon, with her stellar editing skills, helped me out.  I have to work on being more...precise.   ;)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m hungry!”  whines my four-year-old.

“Can I have oatmeal?” My eight-year-old gets out her bowl.

“I have oatmeal too!” My precocious two-year-old starts making a mess in the cupboards by my legs.

“Can I watch another show? Please, please!” My six-year-old, tapping on my arm, always seems to want another show or more computer time.

The counter tops are still filled with the dinner dishes I left behind when we raced out for church last night. There is a pile (or three) of clean laundry spilling off the living room chair. There are homeschool lessons to complete, meals to make, toilets to clean, bruises to kiss, emails to write, arguments to dispel, people to invite… 

It’s only 8:00 a.m.  I’m already weary...

To read the rest, head on over to Shannon's blog.  And while you're there, take in a sampling of her posts.  She's the queen of "tiny".  :)

Linked up to the Hip Homeschool Hop.

The Power of Words

I can’t tell you how many times I hear a mom debasing her kids, telling me how “sick and tired” she is of the things her children are doing or how her children are, “driving (her) crazy!” I think it’s more common to hear of something a child is doing wrong than something a child is doing right. I have found myself falling prey to this complaining attitude at times and then realize that I just made my child look bad in front of people to get a laugh or to commiserate with someone else whose child happens to be doing something similar to mine. This type of complaining isn’t edifying to my child or me, and it surely isn’t pleasing to the Lord. To make matters worse, sometimes this complaining happens when the child or teen is standing right there listening. By the way, children and teens are always listening.

I once met a Christian lady who monopolized the conversation by telling me about her problem-laden children...to read more of this post, head on over to Heart of the Matter where I continue.

(Linking up to the Hip Homeschool Hop) 

Our Hope is in...Homeschooling?

(I think it's appropriate that this article is posted on our first day of school.  :) )

We chose to homeschool our children for various reasons, the main reason being that we started out our parenting journey with not agreeing on the type of schooling for our soon-to-be-born daughter.  Nate wanted private school, and I couldn’t see sending her anywhere but public school.  God changed both of our hearts and drew us toward something completely different.

After we decided that homeschooling was the way in which we were going to educate our children, we were inundated with all of the studies, statistics, and “evidence” that said what a phenomenal education they would have.

They would be brilliant because we could take advantage of whatever curriculum/tutors/classes that were offered, making sure we were teaching each child based on their “learning styles”.

They would be able to think outside of the box since they weren’t stuck inside a box (traditional school) all day.

They would be able to interact well with all ages since they wouldn’t be socializing only with kids their own ages all day long.

They would be well-rounded since we could take advantage of the vast array of real life learning opportunities throughout the days and not only in the couple hours each evening after school.

Our family life would be enriched as we spent day after day together bonding over various learning adventures, able to pick up and go when the educational opportunities arose...

To read more of this article and find out what I think, go to Heart of the Matter where they've graciously allowed me to post yet again.  :)
 

A Gift from the Past

In the bottom of a rusty old tin box that contained multiple pen pal letters from when I was in elementary, I found this unremarkable looking card.

Thinking it was most likely a Thank You note from long ago, I opened it and found something unexpected.

My beloved, goofy, God-loving Grandma passed away in 2001.  

What a treat to be able to "receive" this letter from her so many years after she's been gone.  

To be able to see her handwriting again on a card I don't even remember.  

And such a blessing that our family is striving to keep the ways of the Lord.  

Grandma O. would be pleased.

Thank you, God, for that little gift...

The Day My Children really wanted to Attend School

One morning last year, I was feeling extremely passionate about being a homeschooling mom. The dishes were done, school was fully in process, the sun was shining, and I'm pretty sure birds were sweetly singing on the windowsill. We were sitting at the table when Emilia shattered our homeschool utopia.

"I really want to go to school."

Two of my boys, Jonny and Matthew, chimed in that they really wanted to go to school as well. Immediately a cloud covered the sun and the birds ceased their melody. Completely deflated, I wanted to know why they desired to attend school. Emilia wanted "Show and Tell" (thank you Fancy Nancy), Jonny wanted recess, and Matthew...well, he just wanted to do what his siblings were doing.

I tried to explain that school is much more than show and tell and recess, but to no avail. They still “really!” wanted to go to school. My homeschool passion fizzled, and I was consumed with nagging concerns.


Are we doing the right thing?
Will the kids resent us later because we homeschool?
Maybe they should go to school...(ringing hands)
Every kid gets to have recess and show and tell...(starting to panic)...We're not letting them be NORMAL!!!

By the time my husband got home, my energy was completely sapped. Sluggishly, I put together a dinner of buttered noodles, cheese, and leftover raspberry jello (I never said I was a gourmet cook, but this meal was bad). In despondent tones, I told him what had transpired earlier. He just smiled and looked at each child as he said, "Your mom and I think that homeschooling is the best way to educate you right now. Let's eat!" And that was that. The kids perked up and didn't mention it again. I perked up and wished I had cooked a better meal.

After dinner we had "Show and Tell". Then Nate set the timer for 15 minutes of "indoor recess". The kids played, and we were able to have an uninterrupted conversation. It ended up being a great night.

In one short sentence, my husband reminded me that we made a thoughtful, prayerful decision long ago, and it wasn't going to be put asunder by the wishes and whims of our children on that particular day.

It's good, every once in awhile, for us to re-evaluate (and always good to pray about) our decision to homeschool, but it's also good to rest in the decision we made as challenges within and without come up. And come up they will. So, we try to stay focused and keep plugging away.

Oh yeah, and I also try to make a tasty dinner, no matter how sluggish or doubtful I feel.  I'm always glad I did.  :)

But God Said, "No."

When I was in high school, I was convinced I’d marry a certain brown haired, attractively rebellious guy.  I prayed and prayed that he would want me as his girlfriend, but God said, “No”.  Instead God blessed me with a God-fearing, fiercely determined redhead; a faithful husband and father.  Do you know how many times I have praised the Lord for not fulfilling my teenage dream?  Too many to count.

In our most recent house hunting adventure, I begged God to allow us to purchase a certain brick house with an adorable red chicken coop in the backyard, but God said, “No”.  Instead, He gave us a house that, at first, I could only see for its faults:  the cracks on the ceiling, the outdated wallpaper, the ugly blue carpet. Do you know how many times I have raised my hands to the Lord for putting us in this house with the kitchen window that overlooks the beautiful woods where my children can freely roam?  Too many to count...

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

You can read the rest over at my friend, Shannon's blog where I am doing a guest post.  :)

Let Me Not Forget

Deuteronomy 4:9
"Be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."

Deuteronomy 6:10-12
"When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, ¹¹ houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, ¹² be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."

"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.  Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.  Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." Deuteronomy 8:10-14

"You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.'  But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth..."  Deuteronomy 8:17-18a

"Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them."  Deuteronomy 11:16

^"Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates..."  Deuteronomy 11:18-20

=========================================================================================

These verses always hit me anew each time I read them.  Over and over and over again, the Israelites are commanded not to forget their God.  And they did forget.  Over and over and over again.

Humans are negligent.  I am not excluded.  

Oh Lord, I pray, let me not forget all that you have done and have promised to do.  Let us remember to teach your ways to our children.

As I go about my daily life, as I take pleasure in all that you have given, please let me not forget YOU, Lord.  

"But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night."  Psalm 1:2

Daily Bible Reading

Before Christmas I decided to read through the Bible in a year.  I've done this before, but not recently. 

I tried the Read Through the Bible in 90 Days thing, but that didn't go so well...

So, I signed up for Bible Gateway's read through the Bible in a year program.

Since I sometimes :) struggle with schedules and organization of my time, this has been revolutionary for me!  When I see that little Bible Gateway email sitting in my inbox, it triggers the "must do" part of my brain and I do it within a day (sometimes two if it was a particularly busy weekend).

Spending time reading the Word that the Lord has graciously given us, is so very important.  May He give me grace as I muddle through this life, trying to please Him in how I spend my days.

Psalm 1:1-3  

 

Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

Obedience

Sometimes I feel a tugging at my soul.  A sense that I'm supposed to do something.  Something specific.

There are times that I think the Lord is telling me to take a step in one direction, obey, make some sort of sacrifice.  Usually it involves time.  My time.  My plans.

Then it hits me (again) that it never has been My time or My plans.  Those have always belonged to the One. The Creator.

I think of Abraham in the Bible.  God told Abraham to leave the country he knew and go to a foreign land.  God told Abraham to believe that his wife would bear a son, even though she was "too old".

God told Abraham to sacrifice this only son. 

And Abraham took steps in the direction that the Lord wanted him to go.  He went up on the mountain and took his knife to slay Isaac...

And the Lord said, "Stop!  Now you don't have to do what I asked because I know you still love and fear me.  Thank you for obeying."  (Heidi's paraphrase - you can read the real version in Genesis 22.)

At times in my life, it seems that the Lord says something similar. 

He hasn't told me to sacrifice my children.  He hasn't told me to leave my country.  However, He has told me to give up my plans and give of my time, no, His precious time, to reach out to others in word and in deed. 

And when I take that step in obedience, there are times that I am to do what the Lord asked of me, but occasionally the Lord won't require it of me after all.

It seems like he's saying, "Stop!  Now you don't have to do what I asked because I know you still love and fear me.  Thank you for obeying."