Getting Ready for a Homeschool Convention #1

15 Tuesday Apr 2014

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It’s time for the HEAV (Home Educators Association of Virginia) Convention again, and I thought it would be a good idea to re-share my posts to get you ready!!!

Just a FEW Weeks to the HEAV (Home Educators Association of Virginia) Convention! Are you guys excited??

And are you registered????? Because registration is now open! Clicky Here (And if I were you, I’d go ahead and get that hotel room reserved!)

Reading a post from the 2:1 Conference, I thought it might be a good idea to talk about getting ready for the upcoming homeschool conference.

In previous First Things First posts, I’ve talked about the idea of making sure we put Christ first in everything we do. And I really like the idea of practicing what I preach to my girls as well – if I say I want to put God first in our homeschool life, then just maybe I should start putting him first in my preparation of it as well!

So that’s my challenge for YOU this week. Are you putting God FIRST in your homeschool preparation? Before the research of curriculum choices, before the sorting and organizing for the Used Curriculum Sale, before asking a zillion other homeschool moms their opinions on various programs — Have you put FIRST THINGS FIRST?

Please take some time this week and prepare your heart with God. Spend time getting His input on your children’s education!

After all, who could really know your children better than the Maker and Creator? (1 Peter 4:19)

Who could know what is truly going to up in the next year better than the One who sees all? (Psalm 139:1-5)

Who is the One who holds your kids in the palm of His hand? (John 10:29)

And pray not only for your children, but what about you? (Oh, and the spouse, of course!)

After all, this is the stereotypical time of the year that you plan for next. And how can you lead unless you are being led by the Commander of the Heavenly Hosts? (Isaiah 55:4)

Pray that you will continue to “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” even before advanced “education.” Beg the One Who Sees All to open your eyes, so that you can see the vision as well, and the road before you.

Ask that He prepare your heart before you arrive, so not only can this (not-so-little) homeschool convention be MORE than just about “school.” May this be a time of rejuvenation, of strengthening, of clarity, of encouragement. Oh, and of fun! Nothing wrong with asking that God help you truly enjoy your time there!

Each week until the HEAV Convention, I’ll be posting more thoughts on getting prepared! Stay tuned!!!

“I am excited to be a blogger for HEAV this year. In exchange for sharing my honest opinion about this convention, I was provided with a family registration at no charge.”

First Things First, with Patience

28 Monday Oct 2013

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Devotional Time, First Things First, God's Word, HEAV

My Bible study this morning is dealing with God’s patience, and I have to confess I’m having a bit of difficulty getting it to sink in (beyond head knowledge into heart knowledge).

I did not grow up in a “patient” house. I am not naturally a “patient” person, and not that slow to anger, either. As Priscilla Shirer says, “Powerful people can be most intolerant of others’ weaknesses.” And as I see my own tendencies playing that out, I also see that in the impatience of the city I live in, and the impatience and intolerance of our country and culture.

And yet,

The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, (I am) “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” – Exodus 34:6 (nlt)

Time and time again, we see God granting mercy and patience on His people. Especially in the story of Gideon – what we call remarkable restraint is just another normal day to God. God is obviously quite used to us humans by now.

It’s so hard to translate that when we look at it with our human experience. How do we convert this holy mystery into our daily view? How do we live out that patience ourselves? How in the world can we, when it’s so foreign to our normal existence?

I think of when I’m being my most impatient – and it’s at those times that I’m showing the opposite of God’s love. Impatience has roots in pride a bit, don’t you think? We want what we want when we want it, and why don’t we already have it, and why are you doing whatever it is you’re doing that’s inconveniencing me.

This is what the world sees in us. What our kids see in us.

And that is sobering.

Obviously patience is completely impossible on our own. It can only be done when we are filled with God’s power. He is the God of compassion and mercy! And how much easier is to be patient we we are filled with that compassion and mercy. How much easier is it to patient when we are filled with His understanding. When I am able to focus on sharing that compassion, mercy and understanding – His holy LOVE, then the endurance and patience naturally flows. Effortlessly.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy! – Colossians 1:11 (nlt)

Please share with me your thoughts – how do you practice patience? What has worked for you in increasing your patience levels?

Silence

16 Monday Sep 2013

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Devotional Time, First Things First, Prayer

I read this article I received in the mail this morning from “Gospel for Asia” and wanted to share it with you. How is the article impacting you?

More than we may realize, very little do we really know God and hear Him. Sometimes when I am in an airport, I find myself turning up the volume on my cellphone as high as I can because the gate announcer is screaming, but still I can’t hear. Unless the noises around us are eliminated, we simply can’t hear the person on the other end.

“Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” (Psalm 131:1-2)

Recently, I have been studying about knowing God and about prayer, and I’ve come upon this passage. Although I don’t have many regrets in my life, maybe one of the most serious regrets is not always taking the time to quiet myself before the Lord and hear what He has to say. Even when we pray, our minds can be like a a drama with multiple voices talking, arguing, thinking, making multiple mental notes–and God stands outside, desperately wanting us to hear His still, small voice.

Silence is the loudest prayer we can offer, because in silence the Holy Spirit reveals Christ’s current burdens to us. We then respond back to Him — sometimes without even fully understanding the prayers we pray.

I encourage you to take the time to be silent before the Lord and to listen for His voice. You will be surprised to hear God speaking things you haven’t heard before. And you will pray for things you never prayed before. For a world that is waiting to hear of Christ’s love, God is saying to us, “I am looking for someone to be still, be silent.” He is looking for someone who will try to find out what He is saying.

Thank you for standing in the gap through your prayers and support to see God’s kingdom advanced in Asia. I hope that as you will continue praying, you reflect on how He will use you for His glory.

– K.P. Yohannan

First Things First

08 Monday Jul 2013

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Devotional Time, First Things First, God's Word, HEAV

Happy Monday Morning all! And no, I did not get out of bed before you. Ha! Actually, I wrote this Sunday afternoon, to make sure I got it done so you could read it first thing Monday morning!

These verses were the topic of our sermon this Sunday, and I thought I’d share them with you. Actually, I thought I’d share them with you in the way I heard them – almost like God was thumping me over the head with the message!

Understand this, dear mothers: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Mommy anger does not produce the righteousness God desires in you or your children. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your own lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your own hearts, for it has the power to save your souls, and the souls of your children. – James 1:19-21

If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue with your family or anyone else around you, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. – James 1:26

Yeah, you see where I get convicted, right?

Patience has never been a virtue I’ve had in abundance. Apparently, God must have taken me at my word on day when I threw my hands up in the air and said, “God, grant me patience!” And what did he do? He gave me an ADHD husband and child, and well, just children in general. Sometimes it feels like God develops patience in me just like callouses are developed – rubbing abrasive substances on your nerves until they start to develop a thicker coat of skin!

A callus is a thick, hardened layer of skin that has developed as a means of protecting itself from repeated use. While calluses are protective, they can also be unsightly and irritating. However, if you repeat the activity that caused the calluses, they can redevelop once again. (ehow.com)

And when those callouses get a little thin, I tend to get “short.” Short in patience leads to short in temper. Which leads to short fuses and long, loud, irritated diatribes from Mommy. Even James here points out the obvious: anger does not produce the real heart changes you want.

I personally believe that Mommy’s spiritual state is the barometer of the family. In fact, I’ve seen evidence in our family: if I “take a few weeks off” from my own Bible study and prayer time, everyone else in the family is affected. I admit, since our Wednesday night Bible study has taken a few weeks of break, I have too. Since I started working again, even my Bible study has taken a back seat to “things that HAVE to get done” and ends up being squeezed into and leftover nooks and crannies. Satan so easily can make us mothers feel like our quiet time is OPTIONAL.

And man, has that optional-ness been making our house one cranky place lately. Of course, a lack of sleep and a super busy schedule hasn’t been helping much either.

Mommas out there, just like in an airplane, we’ve got to get our own oxygen masks on FIRST. Before we can breathe life into our own children’s lives, we’ve got to inhale the air God gives us to do that with!

Not that I believe my children’s faults and since are my own faults and sins (which leads to a sort of co-dependency), but I do believe, at least at their young age, that a mother’s influence and heart are strong. That’s why James is so literal and clear here. “Get rid of all the filth and evil in your own lives.” We need to be reminded constantly that our children are watching us as role models.

In addition, the how we handle those sins in our children can have great affect on on exactly what they learn. Are they learning to behave “or else?” Or are the lessons about living for God and in a way that pleases God (instead of what makes Mommy look good) truly being implanted?

It needs to go further than the outward showing of behavior, because frankly, kids are smart. They know if what we say is truly planted in our own hearts. When it’s not, they can smell the hypocrisy a mile away. Your religion, your outward trappings, literally become worthless.

So, this week I’m resolving to take my tongue under control. Not only do I plan to focus on be breathing in the Word of God and filling my life with His oxygen. I’m going to focus on breathing out that Word and that Love of God into my children’s days. At convention, Michelle Duggar says that she tries to praise each of her children 3-5 times per day. (Goodness, if she can do that for 19 children, I can certainly do that for two.) I’m looking forward to meditating on these verses in the next few days and see what more God has for me to learn.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Perhaps you’d like to join me in this challenge this week?

First Things First . . . Recovering from Convention!

10 Monday Jun 2013

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Devotional Time, First Things First, Girls, HEAV

Wow. Convention was awesome. I’m so well stocked in “stuff” for the next year, I came back excited and ready to get started (well, maybe after actually unpacking), and even more, the HUBBY came back excited and motivated about homeschooling! We have had some great discussions this weekend, all prompted by just being at the Homeschool Convention and things we heard. It was great.

And of course, Sunday rolled around and the adrenaline wore off, and I was WIPED OUT. I could have slept all day long if the kids had let me. As it was, I sat on the couch like a bump on a log (in between napping) most of the day. Mentally, I was just spent.

So, today being Monday, we’re back in the swing of things. After getting a slow start to things this morning, I sat down to my first order of business — working on my Bible study prep and devotional time.

I have to admit, I was strongly tempted to start blogging on all things from convention first. I have about a million post ideas just swirling around in my head, and I am dying to get them down on paper. Not to mention the million other writing projects that actually NEED to be done and probably should have been done weeks ago. I’ve got a backlog a mile long.

And the house is a mess, bags from this weekend are still all over the living room, in various states of unpacked-ness. The fancy coffee pot died the day before we left for HEAV and refuses to turn back on. (We had been hoping that it would miraculously heal itself while we were gone. No such luck.) There is no fresh produce or anything in the house, and by the way, we’re running low on toilet paper, so grocery shopping is moving quite high on the Must-Do list. I took several days off work so I have clients clamoring for attention. Not to mention that our youngest has about 3-4 weeks of her kindergarten curriculum left before I can call an official end to this school year. And don’t get me started on the laundry backed up.

These things will never end. They keep coming back day after day, minute after minute. It is so easy to just put off study “just a little” or “let me get this out of the way first” or “I’ll do it later.” It’s the never-ending battle of urgent vs. important.

And in living this battle of trying to put the important before the urgent, I have started to look back this weekend and see where I am allowing the important to slip back from its God-given place in the order of priority. My own prayer and devotional time (not my prepping for Bible study time) has slipped into wherever I can fill it in between the cracks. I have skipped really delving into our regular prayer and Bible devotional time at the beginning of schooltime “because the oldest needs to get those blasted math facts down and I have very limited time to do school today.” And for me, most importantly, I need “pondering time” in order to process what I’m reading and studying in the Word. That has gone completely by the wayside just from complete lack of time, and a lack of “aloneness.” (I just can’t think when I’m within 100 feet of the kids. I can’t get the mommy-brain to shut off.)

I can totally see the effects of not making room for the “first things”. Or by shoving the “first” into first place, but squeezing it into such a tiny slot that I end up skimming or only getting a surface understanding, rather than letting it burrow down deep in my gut and letting it begin to talk to me.

I feel rushed and hurried and stressed, constantly. My temper and patience are shortened, and I’ve lost my enjoyment of my girls in some respects, in my constant rush of “come on, can’t you hurry up and finish your room so we can _(get done whatever is next on my list)_.” My girls are starting to notice as well, and it’s rubbing off on them, as attitudes are beginning to make an appearance and my relationship with each of them has started to erode just a bit. I saw evidence of this while at HEAV, when I realized that my daughter was actually scared to tell us something because she was more worried about getting in trouble rather than getting help. And that is just something that just won’t do.

I’ve got to do better.

My To-Do list will never get done, the laundry will never go away, and school and housework is a constant juggling act. Frankly, my day, (until we win the lottery and I get a full-time housekeeper, chef, handyman, and personal assistant) is not going to let up. Ever. It’s just not. And except for the cleaning and the laundry, I’m okay with that. Would I want anything else on my list to go away? No, not really. That is the part of my life that I enjoy, brings purpose and meaning and joy, and frankly, is FUN.

So, my goal this summer is to live more PURPOSE-FULL-Y. To focus on really listening and praying through my day, not so much focused on improving my own attitude and character, instead of the girls. To quit living by the time-clock, to any extent possible.

And also, to get rid of all those things that have been bogging down my list for ages. That would also be quite a pressure reliever.

First Things First . . . On a Tuesday!

28 Tuesday May 2013

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First Things First, God's Word

Happy Day After Memorial Day to You!

Since this is the “first day of the work week,” I’m posting today in our “first things first” theme. Hope you all had a great weekend! (And more warmth and sun that we had here.)

Reviewing my Bible Study notes for tomorrow (No Other Gods by Kelly Minter), today’s session I was asked to spend time meditating on Colossians 3:1-17.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. – Colossians 3:1-17 (nlt)

I’d love for you guys to try this exercise with me. Read this passage three different times (maybe spreading out the three times over your day, or maybe try out three different translations). What things surface each time you read?

Feel free to share them in the comments!

Getting Ready for a Homeschool Convention #3

30 Tuesday Apr 2013

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Convention, First Things First, HEAV, Homeschool, Organization, Priorities

Last post was all practical and humorous, but today I’d like to go back to the spiritual gut-check side of convention.

Now that we’ve evaluated our “current” curriculum status, and “organized” the past stuff that needs to go, we really should take a moment and look to the future.

Yes, even before we start deciding which grammar and spelling curriculum to use next fall.

Think of this time as a great opportunity – it’s like the New Year experience for homeschoolers. We’re out with the old and in with the new. And with that always comes a time of reflection, of celebrating being done, and also making resolutions/goals for the upcoming year.

And this is a really perfect time to sit down with your spouse and “Define Your Homeschooling Mission.”

Defining your purpose and vision (see, there goes my “Coaching” voice again) can be life changing. I know that going through this process each year, (pre-homeschooling), truly helped me clarify the driving priorities and purposes in my life. Step-by-step, I began to evolve into who I am, and closer to whom I’m meant to be.

And oh, isn’t that what we want for our families? For our homeschool? For our children?

So as a personal challenge this week, sit down with the hubby, a cup of coffee (or ice cream, whichever makes discussion go down better), and really just talk about these questions. Perhaps you might want to email him the link to this article ahead of time, giving him time to come up with his list of answers, and then you both can compare notes.

And just since we’re already going there, I want to point out this article that I just read today. WOW. Powerful stuff. But really, has the “homeschooling” become the driving force in all that you do in your home? Sadly, I’ve seen several “discussions” online this week already that give me pause. Maybe because I’m leading a Bible study right now, entitled “No Other Gods” that I’m hypersensitive about this particular topic?

Regardless, we still want to make sure that God is the ruler of our home, our lives, AND our homeschools.

And once we, as individuals, as parents and as a family, able to truly envision that “better us” that God is ever developing, we can start to use that as our guideline.

How does that information define your choices?

Does it affect particular curriculum choices?
How do you keep homeschooling within it’s proper order of priority in your family?
What things might need to be reviewed and adjusted from last year?
What can you simplify in your family to make it all work out “to the glory of God” in hopefully a less chaotic, calmer manner?
How are you teaching “living in priority” to your children? Are they learning from your life or only your words?

Yes, these are the things I’m contemplating right now – as I sit here and read reviews of 2nd grade spelling and grammar programs. Yes, here is Choice A, which everyone says is SO amazing, but they also say it’s very time consuming. Choice B is also good, but is more shorter time period each day. Which one fits with my “simplifying, calming, and loving/nuturing” atmosphere I long to create? Perhaps it’s worth it to use the longer time-intensive program and make cuts somewhere else. Or, do I really need all those extra curriculum enhancement programs I’ve found online? When is too much? Or when is the extra just so much fun you don’t want to stop?

I guess what I’m saying is, this is a really good time to figure out where your lines seem to be drawn in the sand. Obviously I might not be able to figure out the answer to that grammar/spelling curriculum internal debate before convention, but knowing having our family mission statement and priorities organized, will make those decisions much easier and quicker. So, you know, you can enjoy everything else at convention!

(PS. Another reason I want to be clear on this before attending: Hubby is attending HEAV with me this year. Which means he will actually SEE how much I spend in the Expo hall. More incentive to behave, unlike last year. Ha!)

HEAV- Home Educators Association of Virginia – website

Are you following HEAV on Facebook? Do you know there are bloggers giving away passes to the convention? And a Bounty of Blessing, 30 Days of Giveaways going on right now?

Be sure to be following me on Facebook as well, my time to do a convention pass giveaway will be coming up very soon!

“I am excited to be a blogger for HEAV this year. In exchange for sharing my honest opinion about this convention, I was provided with a family registration at no charge.”

Getting Ready for a Homeschool Convention #1

11 Thursday Apr 2013

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First Things First, HEAV, Homeschool

Just Nine Weeks to the HEAV (Home Educators Association of Virginia) Convention! Are you guys excited??