Our Homeschool Week - Home Again!

Our Week:  Has been full of reminiscing we've talked about our special new (IRL) friends and about 

what fun we had on the road meeting them. Here I am on far left with Cindy of "Get-a-long-Home" 

and Rebecca of "Moms Mustard Seeds" - these ladies are such a blessing in my life on a regular basis

I hope you'll take the time (if you haven't all ready) - to get to know them better. They are smart and 

beautiful - on the inside and out! I am a better wife, mother, teacher, and friend because of their
 influence. 

After the incredible time at Teach Them Diligently - and before the Apologia Live Conference -  we 

enjoyed the privilege of spending time with Rebecca and her family. My kids are missing their new

 friends already.  It was wonderful to spend time with people who love the Lord and put Him first in

 their life. It shows in their home and in their children. It left an impression on mine and I'm thankful

 for it! 

We took the kiddos to the park and Rebecca showed them her "Robin's call" bird ap - which 

teaches the sounds of the birds. They sat on this log in the woods listening for Robins and other birds. 

They later did a unit study on Robins - which we are continuing and expounding on this week in our homeschool. 

We met up with Kathy from Kathy's Cluttered Mind - and took another nature walk and let the kids

play in the creek. They loved the stories from the Civil War from the Roswell Historical Mill and 

enjoyed Kathy's littles. They are such cuties and seem to enjoy adventure like we do! Kathy is a sweet

friend who let us crash her place and then drove myself and my crew from Atlanta to South Carolina 

for TTD. I love her adventurous spirit and the way she finds so many wonderful FREE activities for her family! She and Jen from Gricefully Homeschooling host a link up each week sharing homeschool

freebies you might want to check out - especially if you are homeschooling on a budget! 

I am so pleased that I got to spend more time with Amanda Pelser from The Pelsers. She is the

blogger who hosts our wonderful online book clubs - Right now we are doing "Shepherding a Child's

Heart". I got to know her better during the "How to Have a Heart for Your Kids" book club and then

met her IRL at the Teach Them Diligently Convention  (and her totally cute boys and tech genius hubs) 

It was during a quiet conversation at Apologia Live - where I really had the opportunity to "bond" with Amanda (for lack of a better description- that is what it was) I am honored to call her my friend and to 

have had the chance to know that she is a down to earth woman who cares about others. She has a 

new e-book out to help others who struggle with depression : Click here to view more details If you are fighting depression and need encouragement - I HIGHLY recommend this affordable book - you'll 

benefit from her insight, experience, and her heart's honest look at depression among women. 

And then there is this girl : 

I signed up for the HSBA swap a couple of years ago and was assigned Kelli from Lady of the Barn 

as my swap buddy. When you sign up - you're encouraged to exchange more info and email each other 

with prayer requests and to stay in touch. Kelli and I took the assignment very seriously and we hit it

off from the start. She shares her devotions on her blog and some tidbits about her adorable kids. She

is honest and open about her short comings and her desire to be a better mother, wife, friend - I really

dig that about her! You know, truth be told - we ALL need to be better on a regular basis and we are supposed to be striving for it on a daily basis - she doesn't pull any punches about it - I loved her

immediately! She drove to the Apologia Live conference to meet me (and to participate of course) and

I got to introduce her to the other fabulous homeschool mommy bloggers I've listed above. I'm so

thankful she did! 

Rebecca, Amanda, Kelli, Trisha, Me, Cindy, and Gretta - ApologiaLive 

Thankful Thursday: 

I am grateful that God has blessed me with encouraging friends. I'm grateful I have had the opportunity

to spend time with some of you - I gain so much from your insight and perspectives on a regular basis

 - these ladies are just a handful of the special people God has seen fit to place in my life in some

 capacity or another over the past year. There are more of you who I spend time praying for - who

 pray for my family - who I tweet with - read your blog -enjoy your comments - You are more of a 

blessing to this homeschool mom than you can know.

Thank you! 

Our Homeschool This week: We are getting such enjoyment out of our new Seeds of Worship cd 

I got from TTD - It is an upbeat musical cd that was originally designed to help kids remember their 

Bible verses from a summer Bible camp. It's a catchy little cd full of scripture for my children to commit

to memory. 

We are using our new science books from Apologia - "Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day" 

Of course, we had to head off to the beach to find a few swimming creatures of our own! 

Big brother is reading to the little guys about US History - "They Called Her Molly Pitcher" and we

are - of course - checking out the free video's from Moms Mustard Seed and Founders Academy.  

Today's video at Freedom Friday is about the Federalist vs the Anti-Federalist and the House of Representatives - Parker was impressed with how our founding fathers came together and debated

then decided about the time limits in office so that there is a balance of power. We are studying :

The American Freedoms Primer by Adams  and The Bills of Rights Primer by Amar and Adams

                                                   

G is For Good Book! 

How was your homeschool week? Or, Spring Break week? Or just your week? 

3 in 30- Goals for April: This April, I'm keeping it simple. 

Goal # 1 - Spiritual Life - studying the Word daily - and doing the "Shepherding a Child's Heart" 

book club

Goal #2 - Health - My time for healing is NOW (can I get an Amen?) I'm using essential oils, special

mineral water (there is a story behind this - awesome) Drinking more water - and exercising 3 x each

week. Watching  what I eat with less sugar and more protein and veggies is also a part of this goal. 

Goal #3 -Schedule-  Family Life- my family life includes our homeschool so we'll be continuing our

studies - my main goal is to get some of our projects more organized in binders and get written work in

order. I want to yell less- well, not at all - It's hard in a family where little boys run here and there and

don't seem to "hear" mommy on a regular basis - God is hard at work - this is going along with the Shepherding a Child's Heart study too and that will be great support for this goal. I will to set 2 days

aside (I think Tues and Thurs) to do some deep cleaning and organizing this April. I am starting

with one main room and one bedroom each week. Blogging schedule- continuing on my schedule 

and adding in a review or two each week on Wednesdays and Thursdays 

 

   

   

Journey Through Ephesians - Speak Boldly

When I was a child and started Kindergarten - my parents originally put me in public school. We 

had a nice little neighborhood school that should have been a fine place for me to learn my ABC's 

and my 123's. But there was a problem, a conflict of interest. The school superintendent called my 

parents in for a conference and in no uncertain terms - asked them to remove me from their little 

neighborhood school. I was 5 years old, and I was rocking the boat. 

You see, I came from a Christian home where the gospel of Jesus Christ was a matter-of-fact and 

lived out daily. It flowed throughout our everyday conversation and was the center from which all 

else in life was rooted. 

                                                                    

I had gotten hold of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and in my 5 year old mind - it was very simple - EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE NEEDED TO KNOW IT! 

How could I possibly meet someone - teacher or new friend - even play with someone on the 

playground - then walk away without KNOWING that they had heard about the Salvation of the cross?

I didn't - I didn't meet anyone or walk away from them without checking to make sure that they knew my Jesus. I couldn't! I had the truth and they needed it! 

It was not going over very well. 

I was no evangelist - no preacher - no one special - just a little bitty girl who loved Jesus and was excited about the truth of His love and salvation from our sins. He DIED for us! He came to set us free - that we might live eternally! How could I NOT share that wonderful news? God had a message for them & the Truth flowed from me. 

I spoke boldly. I'd come to Christ as a child and with child-like simplicity, I understood all I needed - to know without a doubt - that it didn't matter if they threw things at me on the play ground. It didn't matter if I was sent to the office again. It didn't matter if I was told to stop. The eternal souls of my new friends were at stake! Some of them agreed. Some of them prayed and accepted Jesus.

 It really didn't go over well at the Jewish household down the street - but you know what? I had done what I knew in my heart was my purpose in life. I'd shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with all whom I'd come into contact. 

My parents did end up having to pull me out of that school. They really didn't know what to do with a 5 year old who wouldn't shut up about Jesus. I loved the name of Jesus, Master, Savior, Messiah, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Alpha and Omega, Yahweh, my Jesus.

Ephesians 6: 19-20

I was unashamed. I wept for those who threw proverbial stones. Though it may have hurt my feelings, it was their eternal soul at stake and it was my Jesus whom they mocked. I prayed for them. I didn't understand how they could hear truth and not welcome it. 

These Scriptures are a reminder to me that we are at war. There is a battle raging in our world for the souls of the lost! How can we NOT boldly share the truth of the gospel? We must. 

I'm teaching my children - and we shared the "soldier" below with our Children's Church. They need to know how to put on the armor and share the truth. 

We must gird up our loins - put on the whole armor - and go out into the world to proclaim the

 gospel of Jesus Christ. In our super markets. In our neighborhoods. At the soccer field. In church. Wherever we are, wherever we go - there are people who need to know that God loves them, that Jesus died for them - and that He has a plan for their lives! They need to know our Jesus! 

Are we boldly proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them?

As Easter approaches - as we stop to take time to remember His ultimate sacrifice - let us take note of what it cost Him - and let us speak boldly about it! 

*My prayer: "Lord God, help me to remember the child-like simplicity with which I viewed the sharing  of the gospel - Protect us as we put on Your armor and go out into the world - Help me to hear the leading of the Holy Spirit and to open my mouth and speak boldly in love" 

I'm counting my Gifts to #1000 and beyond: 

#211 - A Christian family and home 

#212 - The opportunity to share Christ with others

#213 - The freedom to share Jesus with others

#214 - Gift of the gospel that we can know truth! 

#215 - Experience of seeing others come to salvation 

#216 - Having Jesus be the center of our home and lives (with my own children) 

#217 - Legacy of Faith to pass to my children 

#218 - Courage to speak boldly - to stand up for Jesus 

#219 - Personal relationships developing in my own children with the Lord I love

#220 - Bearing witness to His grace and forgiveness - His love!!! 

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Journey Through Ephesians - Learning and Teaching Obedience

I don't know about you, 

but I want my children to reap the benefit of this blessing! 

I have to love my children enough to discipline them - to teach them respect and honor

It is a daunting task! 

At the Apologia Live Retreat this past weekend I had the privilege of hearing Rachael Carman speak

(among other inspirational women) One of the things she said that has stuck with me is this: 

"God; who spoke light into existence 

chose the kids that He has placed in your (my) home 

for His perfect purpose" 

She encouraged us to be bold; raise the bar; and to love them enough to discipline! 

It isn't new information. I believe that God hand picks children - both biological children 

and also (from personal experience) I believe that His mighty hand is on adoption. 

But, there are those times when I have doubted my own abilities to live up to the task.

And, this is her point - we can't totally live up to the task - God's got it! 

All the talk of discipline was balanced beautifully with teaching of love, and laughter 

with the admonition that if we tend to hold on too tightly to our "ideals of perfect" 

to go ahead and let go and let God! 

With regards to trusting the Lord in our home-life, she posed the following question: 

"When are we going to 'get it' and rest in His

providence? He parted the Red Sea! When is He going 

to 'do' enough for us to know that He's got it?" 

I love looking at it this way. I already know that I don't have what it takes to be an honest 

to goodness - perfect mother! I can stop worrying about it and "lean into Him" 

I can trust that God 's got it! I actually use those words a lot. I say:  

"God's got it" 

When I speak about the difficulties life has thrown our way - with parenting issues

 that leave me stumped

I will often quip "God's got it"; it's not that I don't mean it when I say it - I do mean it, I believe that 

He has placed these children in my home - I believe He has a plan for them - but what I'm learning is 

this - the thing God really has been working on - is me. 

I know it's going to be easier to "let up" and pray my way through parenting as I rest in 

the knowledge of those three little words. 

"God's got it" not because of what I say - but because I'm ready to fully lay it down. 

I cannot do this - I am not worthy - but with His grace and His love - 

I will be the woman, the wife, the mother, the friend 

HE wants me to be. 

I fully believe that my children will be able to lay claim to the blessing in Ephesians 6 

because of those three little words - 

God's got it 

I'm willing to let go - give up - and simply follow where He leads. 

I've messed up enough things in my life - this one is far too important! 

I'm so very grateful for the opportunity these past two weeks to soak up these truths

I'm grateful to have spent time in the presence of others who - like me - are not perfect super women 

but are honest and who truly love our Savior and want to serve Him first in our homes. 

I am inspired, refreshed, and honored to call you my friends. 

I'm thankful for opportunity to share with you here online and IRL - thank you! 

And I count to #1000 Gifts and beyond: 

200. Confirmation in that special God - like way 

201. Faithfulness unending, when I just don't deserve it

202. Gifts of friendship 

203. Real, down to earth women who will share their hearts and even their failures

204. Overcoming fear 

205. A cousin/ sister and her husband who will keep all three boys for me 

206. Actually missing my boys 

207. God's blessings on our home and business 

208. Everyday miracles - and taking the time to notice them

209. Being on the road - another adventure with the boys

210. Distance cannot separate Christian sisters 

                          
       
                           

Also linking with : Saints and Scriptures