Happy Fall Y'all!
Our weather here in Tennessee is beautiful and just beginning to crisp up for fall (at least at night). I'm sorry things have been quiet here the past month but we have had quite a bit going on. We took a family vacation, started our school year and have enjoyed time with some extended family. We're gearing up for a big birthday, preparing our farm for the winter and getting excited for the holidays. So, I hope to hop in here a couple of times a month to encourage you ladies and share a little bit of life lately. Let's jump right into our Scripture reading plan for this month. Bible Reading Plan "Love means doing what God has commanded us, and He has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning." ~ II John 6 1st -I John 5 2nd - 2 John 3rd - 3 John 4th - I Chronicles 1 5th - I Chronicles 2 6th - I Chronicles 3 7th - I Chronicles 4 "He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!' And God granted him his request." ~ I Chronicles 4:10 8th - I Chronicles 5 9th - I Chronicles 6 10th - I Chronicles 7 11th - I Chronicles 8 12th - I Chronicles 9 13th - I Chronicles 10 14th - I Chronicles 11 "So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord's command, and he even consulted a medium instead of asking the Lord for guidance. So the Lord killed him and turned the kingdom over to David, son of Jesse." ~ I Chronicles 10:13-14 15th - I Chronicles 12 16th - I Chronicles 13 17th - I Chronicles 14 18th - I Chronicles 15 19th - I Chronicles 16 20th -I Chronicles 17 21st - I Chronicles 18 "Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Each day proclaim the good news that He saves. Publish His glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things He has done." ~ I Chronicles 16:23-24 22nd - I Chronicles 19 23rd - I Chronicles 20 24th - I Chronicles 21 25th - I Chronicles 22 26th - I Chronicles 23 27th - I Chronicles 24 28th - I Chronicles 25 "Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the Lord's will be done." I Chronicles 19:13 29th - I Chronicles 26 30th - I Chronicles 27 31st - I Chronicles 28 "And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve Him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek Him, you will find Him. But if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever." ~ I Chronicles 28:9 I'm praying for each of you this month. Keep reading God's Word! Joyfully His, Andrea
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Hello, Sweet Sisters!
I'm posting our reading schedule a few days early this month. It's going to be a busy month for our family and we are excited to start our new school year. I hope this little blog is a blessing to you each week as I strive to encourage you in your walk as a wife, mom, and daughter of the King! Let's jump into Scripture! September Bible Reading 1st- Jude 1 2nd - 2 Kings 1 3rd - 2 Kings 2 4th - 2 Kings 3 5th - 2 Kings 4 6th - 2 Kings 5 7th - 2 Kings 6 "Don't be afraid!' Elisha told him. 'For there are more on our side than on theirs!' Then Elisha prayed, 'O, Lord, open his eyes and let him see!' The Lord opened the young man's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire." II Kings 6:16-17 8th - 2 Kings 7 9th - 2 Kings 8 10th - 2 Kings 9 11th - 2 Kings 10 12th- 2 Kings 11 13th - 2 Kings 12 14th - 2 Kings 13 "But the Lord was gracious and merciful to the people of Israel, and they were not totally destroyed. He pitied them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day, He still has not completely destroyed them or banished them from His presence." II Kings 13:23 15th - 2 Kings 14 16th - 2 Kings 15 17th - 2 Kings 16 18th - 2 Kings 17 19th - 2 Kings 18 20th -2 Kings 19 21st - 2 Kings 20 "He remained faithful to the Lord in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the Lord had given Moses. So the Lord was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did." II Kings 18:6-7 22nd - 2 Kings 21 23rd - 2 Kings 22 24th - 2 Kings 23 25th - 2 Kings 24 26th - 2 Kings 25 27th - 1 John 1 28th - 1 John 2 "But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love Him. That is how we know we are living in Him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did." I John 2:5-6 29th - 1 John 3 30th - 1 John 4 "Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other, let us show the truth by our actions." I John 3:18 My prayer is that this tiny little place on the internet is a blessing and encouragement to each of you. Happy September, Sweet Sisters! Keep reading God's Word! Joyfully His, Andrea This picture was taken on our wedding day, nineteen years ago. It was a hot Sunday afternoon in July and we were all sweating, but it was the most beautiful outdoor wedding I've ever attended. (Of course, it was my wedding, so.....I'm extremely bias!) It was the perfect day....not that everything went off as it was planned..... it did not. We had several mishaps: setting up chairs I ripped off my toenail, our fabric aisle runner was ripped during the procession which caused about a ten minute delay to the ceremony, the neighboring sheep were VERY loud during the ceremony, it rained just a bit, and did I mention how HOT it was?! But even with all of that, it truly was a perfect day!
"To have and to hold." This is a part of most traditional wedding vows. It was a part of our promise to one another. This picture always reminds of that promise. You see, my husband and I have been holding hands for 24 years. These hands were made for one another. There's just something incredibly comforting about having his hand to hold. It tells me: I'm not alone, I have someone by my side, someone cares enough to hold onto me, and it brings me peace in chaos. It's a promise. A promise that says, "No matter what happens, I'm right here, by your side." Our hands have been a blessing to each other over the years: We held hands down the aisle on that very first day of our marriage. We held them all the way to the Outer Banks on our honeymoon. Adam has held my hand through the birth of each of our children. Our hands have been joined now for 20 years by little hands in between. He held my hands during custody hearings over my oldest son. And I held Adam's hands at his Daddy's funeral. He held my hand when I broke my leg and faced emergency surgery. He held my hand when my oldest son left us unexpectedly to go live with his biological father at the age of 14. He held my hand through our first miscarriage and a long journey of secondary infertility. He held my hand through our second miscarriage that almost took my life. When I woke up in the hospital, he was right there beside me, holding my hand. We've held hands through times of sorrow, pain, uncertainty, and tears. And we hold hands when things are good, joyous, fun, and filled with laughter and love. We hold hands every time we are side by side in the car, or just walking through the yard, or sitting on the couch. We hold hands. It's what we do. It's what we've always done. And as long as I'm physically able.....I'll reach out my hand....... to hold his. Life is short and sometimes it is just hard. But sometimes, life is good....really good. Either way, good or bad, hold your husband's hand. You won't regret it. "Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life." ~ Proverbs 31:11 Keep reading God's Word! Joyfully His, Andrea A new school year has begun and most of us are trying to get settled into a new groove for the year. No matter what form of education you have chosen for your children, all of them require a commitment to a schedule/routine. I thought I would share a few things I have learned over the years to help the school year run smoothly. As a homeschooling teacher and mother, my experience comes from that, however, every family runs better with a good schedule/routine whether they have school at the kitchen table, at the computer, or in a traditional classroom via public, private, or charter school.
The key to a good school year is having a schedule or routine. The two are similar, but deciding which one works best for your family is key to having as easy a year as possible. A schedule is more direct and each day is broken down in time allotments for what needs to be done. Although I feel that both a schedule or a routine should be written out for the whole family to see and refer to on a daily basis, a schedule is written down by times (usually) to know what happens when and how long you have to do it. On the other hand, a routine is a bit more relaxed. A routine is a regular course of procedure, a daily list of things, tasks, projects, or subjects that must be done. If your children attend a traditional classroom each day, then a set schedule is what they are used to and how your family functions during those school hours. For those of us who homeschool, our choice will depend on our personality, the size of our family, our daily chores (or tasks that have to be done), and what works best for our families. I know many moms who strive and thrive on a strict hour to hour schedule from the moment they get up in the morning until they go to sleep at night. Every minute of the day is accounted for and for those times when unexpected things come up, they somehow have time allocated for that too! It just works for them. I, however, am on the other end of that spectrum. Our family thrives on a routine. Although there are a few times during our day that we like to stick to a certain hour and time limit, mostly we just move onto the next item on our list as we finish the one before. Begin and end everyday on a schedule. Whether you are a scheduler or a routine follower, I suggest having two times a day set in stone: wake up and bed time. It's important for everyone in the house to have a time to wake up and a time to go to bed. Children thrive on routine and starting and ending your day in a consistent pattern will bring security and stability for your children and your home. Plan each day between the structure of these two times. "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1 Plan ahead. Keep a family calendar that shows all appointments, activities and upcoming events, that all family members can see and refer to before committing to any knew opportunity that arises. To ensure each day runs smoothly, keep a personal list of what needs to be done or any appointment or event scheduled for each day. I personally, keep a couple of lists written down in a small notebook. I have a list of our daily routine: -wake up, quiet time, get ready for the day - breakfast & morning chores - school -lunch -finish any school work that was not completed (this is for my teenagers mostly), nap for my little ones and quiet time for me and the older children (this would be the time I do any project or work that I need to get done -play and afternoon chores -dinner - family time - bath and bed Remember, I'm a routine type of gal, so I do not have certain times that we complete each thing, and everything is subject to change. I also have a list for each month of the year. This is where I jot down important days, events that are coming up or anything special that is happening each month. I also make a list here, of things I may need for those events. Such as gifts, party supplies, vacation supplies, school supplies; whatever it is that I will need to buy or gather before that event occurs. The final list I keep written down is our monthly budget. Be flexible. As the school year progresses, your schedules will change. If your children play sports, those months of the year will look different than the months you are mostly home. Holidays will also look a bit different. Allow room in your schedule or routine for these changes and make sure it is easily adaptable. And remember, life always seems to throw us a curve ball, so be prepared to completely scrap your schedule and start all over if the need arises. Lastly, and most importantly, pray over your schedule. Ask God to lead you and your family each day to use your time wisely. Begin your day with God and teach your children to do the same. Every day that begins with Him will be blessed....even the hard, crazy and unexpected days. "Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him and He will help you." ~ Psalm 37:5 Each of these tips help our home and school run smoothly. Not all days turn out perfectly, but our routine helps our family to stay on track. I hope you find these little tidbits helpful and I'm praying for each of you during this new school year! "But be sure everything is done properly and in order." ~ I Corinthians 14:40 Keep reading God's Word! Joyfully His, Andrea I am raising three daughters. Beautiful, precious, wonderful daughters. I am so proud of each of them and I absolutely love being their mom. They, along with their 4 brothers, are my special gifts from God, and I cherish each one. I am so thankful for all my children.
It's a bit scary, raising girls, today. The world doesn't teach them correctly, and everything they are exposed to through most media and technological outlets are teaching them directly against God's word. I hate that. Everything they are reading (or I am reading to them) from Scripture, is being directly contradicted by world views. I don't want them to be confused about what true beauty is, I want them to be able to see it in everyone, no matter what a person looks like on the outside. Dictionary.com defines beauty as this: the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations, a meaningful design or pattern, or something else such as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest. And God's word defines it as this: "You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." ~ I Peter 3:4 This is what I want for my daughters and myself. I want true beauty that comes from within, that is so precious to God. What does this look like? A gentle and quiet spirit. The original Greek text of this new testament verse is actually translated as "meek and quiet". After studying what a meek spirit looks like, I realized two things: 1) meekness is beautiful, and 2) it's not an easy way of life. Meek is defined as: quiet, gentle, submissive, compliant, and humbly patient. Wow! What beautiful characteristics! My first question to myself is: Are my daughters' influences demonstrating this meekness? And my second question to myself is: Am I being this example to my girls? The truth is, I am my children's first example. They all learn from watching me. I taught them to smile, to wave, to sit, to stand, to eat on their own, to walk, to interact with others, to talk, to play, to write, to read, to ride their bikes, and so much more. I'm still teaching them. Even my grown children. They are still watching me. I'm leading by example, and I don't always remember that. If my children are going to know what meek and quiet beauty looks like in a woman, they have to see it in me first. I have to admit, I'm still working on this. And it's not always easy. I am naturally a loud person, always have been (ask my Mama). It's not always easy for me to be quiet, and when I get upset, mad or overwhelmed, I tend to get just a wee bit louder (cue the embarrassment of my children if we are in public). So, quiet is something I have had to work on. I don't want to be a loud, obnoxious woman seeking to be heard, I want to be a calm, quiet woman seeking to listen to others. I want to be known as a gentle woman. Gentle with my touch, gentle with my words, and gentle with my reactions. I want my words to be gentle, kind and full of encouragement. I want my to touch to be soft and comforting. And no matter what life throws in my direction, my hope is that I will be gentle, kind and soft spoken in response to all chaos and trials (still working on this as well). I want to be an example of a submissive woman. I want to be submissive to God, His authority, and His Word. And I want to be submissive to my husband as the Bible instructs me. I know most women think submission is an ugly word, but it doesn't have to be. I submit to my husband's authority by loving him, respecting him, listening to him, and following his lead for our family. I want to be compliant and easy to get along with. The world is full of women who are argumentative, manipulative, and willing to do anything to get their way. Most of the things we want to fuss about are not worth the effort we put into it just to "win" the argument. A family friend of ours has always said, "If it's not a life or death, or heaven or hell situation, it's not worth wasting your time, worry, or energy on it." Oh, it is my desire to be humbly patient! This will forever be a struggle for me. I am not always patient nor am I always humble. My patience usually looks like me standing at the door, tapping my foot, hands on my hip, yelling "Hurry up! We're late! We're late!" I have a long way to go, and I'll spend my entire life striving for a meek and quiet spirit. But I will do my best, because I want my children to see that true beauty lies far beneath a pretty face. The true beauty of a woman lies within her soul. It's the very essence of who she is. It is the way she speaks, she serves, she loves, and how she behaves. True beauty can be seen not only when she knows she has an audience, but most importantly, it is seen when she has no idea that others are watching. "When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness." ~ Proverbs 31:26 Keep reading God's Word! It makes all the difference in your life! Joyfully His, Andrea Happy August!
This month brings about a new school year for most families, which means new schedules and routines. So, to help us start it off right, we will jump straight into God's Word! 1st - John 13 2nd - John 14 3rd - John 15 4th - John 16 5th - John 17 6th - John 18 7th - John 19 "I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." ~ John 14:27 8th - John 20 9th - John 21 10th - I Kings 1 11th - I Kings 2 12th - I Kings 3 13th - I Kings 4 14th - I Kings 5 "Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written." ~ John 21:25 15th - I Kings 6 16th - I Kings 7 17th - I Kings 8 18th - I Kings 9 19th - I Kings 10 20th - I Kings 11 21st - I Kings 12 "Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?" ~ I Kings 3:9 22nd - I Kings 13 23rd - I Kings 14 24th - I Kings 15 25th - I Kings 16 26th - I Kings 17 27th - I Kings 18 28th - I Kings 19 "All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only member of your family who will have a proper burial for this child is the only good thing that the Lord, the God of Israel, sees in the entire family of Jeroboam." ~ I Kings 14:13 29th - I Kings 20 30th - I kings 21 31st - I Kings 22 "The king of Israel sent back this answer: 'A warrior putting on his sword for battle should not boast like a warrior who has already won.' " ~ I Kings 20:11 I'm praying for each of you! Keep reading God's Word! Hide it in your hearts and teach it to your children. You will be blessed! Joyfully His, Andrea We are a movie quote family. Meaning....most of the time, we speak to each other through movie (or t.v.) quotes. My husband's family did this growing up, and he has kindly passed this "language" on to our kids.
"I just like to smile, smiling's my favorite." Our favorite quote from "Elf". It's one of our favorite Christmas movies, but we will watch it any time of the year because it's just a fun, good feeling movie, and yes, it makes us smile. I've been conducting a little experiment lately. Smiling. I've simply been trying to smile more. This year, one of my personal goals is to be more joyful. I have been so guilty of letting the stress of everyday life and the troubles of the world, bog me down . It's exhausting, has stolen my joy, and I just don't want to live that way. So, in working towards this goal, I started with something easy, yet profound: smiling. It's amazing what a smile can do. It can change a room, a mood, and even a person. Sometimes, a simple smile can make an awkward moment easier to navigate. It can bring a chaotic atmosphere a little peace. It can bring on laughter in an embarrassing situation. It can help the lonely feel surrounded, the misunderstood feel accepted, and it can give the broken-hearted a glimpse of hope. A smile can completely change a moment for the good. What a difference a smile can make in our day to day interactions with our own families. It certainly has changed the demeanor of our home. I've heard it from childhood, and it's true: smiling is contagious. As I greet my husband each morning with a warm smile (and a cup of coffee) he can't help but smile back at me. As I talk to my children throughout the day and interact with them, I smile, and they usually smile back and our moments together become fun, joyful and sometimes silly. When my rebellious teen begins to disrespect me, I give him a genuine smile before responding to him, and usually it brings the tension down. My smile has also helped me. After getting up several times through the night with my baby, when I remember to smile at her, it reminds me these tough times are just a season and it makes me grateful for the moments I have to snuggle her. I tend to get overwhelmed when many things get loud and piled on me at once, so I have began to take a deep breath, smile, and reset my thinking when that occurs....and it has truly helped. And of course, on bad days, on hard days, on sorrowful days (and we all have those) when I am the one receiving the smile....it makes a difference. It gives me hope, shows me I'm loved, and helps me to seek the joy of the Lord. Remember to smile often, today. It can change things. "A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health." ~ Proverbs 15:30 Keep reading God's Word. It is a treasure for our souls. Joyfully His, Andrea I would love to say, my house is always spotless. Squeaky clean. But in reality, I don't think it has ever been either of those things. We have a large family, we are always home, and we live on a farm. Spotless and clean are not common in these situations. I have teens, children, and toddlers in my home. Each of them make their own kind of messes, different, but messes all the same. So, it's not always easy to "keep" house.
I've learned a lot over the years about "keeping" my home. Although cleaning my home is a part of keeping it, that's not all it entails. It's not just about cleaning my house, or decorating by theme (although I do love the country, rustic, farmhouse decor, right now), but it's mostly the atmosphere. As the woman of the house, my attitude, is what makes my home a blessing or a curse. The way I act and speak in and about my home, determines the atmosphere that my family lives in. If I make or ignore a mess of something, if I don't have regular chores for me and my children, or if I am constantly complaining about the way the house looks and all that needs to be done, the atmosphere I am establishing is miserable. It is an atmosphere filled with whining, complaining, clutter, and a mess. These things only breed discontentment, negative reactions, and misery. "A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands." ~ Proverbs 14:1 We currently have 8 people in our home. Eight different personalities, eight different opinions, eight different preferences. It's not possible to please everyone, and it's not always easy to keep the peace. Believe me, we have our fair share of whining, complaining, and arguing over here! But here is what I have noticed. My reaction -mine, the woman of the house -my reaction determines what direction our home attitude takes. Recently, my eighteen year old son and I were discussing an upcoming event. He said, "Mom, that sounds like a lot of extra stress. Are you sure you want to do this? Because if you're stressed and not happy, no one else is." He quickly reassured me he was not insulting me, but he said, "if it's stressful for you, it's stressful for us." He's right. If I want my home to be joy-filled, peaceful, and positive, then I need to be joy-filled, peaceful and positive. It's that simple. My mother-in-law had a piece of paper pinned on her office wall for years (maybe she still does? I'm not sure). It was a simple reminder, but so profound: Life is 10% of what happens to you, but 90% of how you react to it. Truth. Indeed. I am the keeper of my home. And I want to be a good steward of it. I want my husband and children to feel that our home is always a peaceful haven where they can rest, relax, and find joy. A place that is tidy and clean, yes, but most importantly, a place that is filled with joy, love, laughter, understanding, and Jesus. Because really....that's all that matters. "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." ~ Proverbs 31:27 (KJV) Keep reading God's Word, Friend, it is a true treasure! Joyfully His, Andrea Hello, Sweet Homeschool Mommas!
We are heading into our 16th year of homeschooling (technically our 17th year as I began teaching my oldest at age 3, but traditionally a lot of families do Pre-K at age 4 so we will count from there). I wanted to give a little insight to choosing homeschool curriculum, especially for those who may be new at homeschooling or those who are looking for new resources. I have known that I would be a homeschool mother since I was in 4th grade at age 9. I came home from school one day and told my mom "When I have kids, I am going to homeschool them!" God rooted that desire in my heart, and from that early age, I truly always dreamed of being a homeschool mom. Thankfully, my husband was also on board from the beginning of our marriage ( I never had to ask him, just told him when we were dating that I hoped to homeschool my children one day, and he was fine with that from the beginning). I share this because I went into homeschooling our first child with years of thought and preparation behind me. I knew what curriculum I wanted to use, had been to several homeschool meetings in our area, browsed through different curriculum fairs, and had already joined a local homeschool group. I had time to prepare, but more often than not, that is not the case for many homeschoolers. A lot of new homeschooling families are finding themselves, rather quickly, thrown into preparing for home education (thank you, 2020) and are feeling the "stress" of what and how they are going to teach their children. And others who have been doing this "thing" for awhile, may be stuck in a rut and looking for some new resources or ready to switch over their current curriculum completely. So...my first piece of advise: *Don't get overwhelmed. There are so many choices out there. So many things to consider. How much will it cost? Does the curriculum teach our faith and values? How easy is it for me to teach? Are the lessons planned out? Can I use this for multiple children? And many more questions will arise, but don't let it overtake you. Get a game plan. Ask yourself these simple questions before going on your curriculum hunt. What is my budget? Do we want to use a faith-based curriculum that reflects our Christian values? Do I want to use all online resources or book curriculum as well? Do I want the lessons to be planned for me or do I want more flexibility to do my own planning? Once you have these questions answered, you have narrowed down your choices, just a bit, and know what you are looking for. Research the curriculums that meet your requirements. Second: *Ask your trusted homeschooling friends what they use? If you know a homeschool mom, ask her what she uses and why she likes it. First hand experience is a great way to weed out some resources. Now, this doesn't mean you have to use the same curriculum just because your friend uses it, but you want to know why they like it. Her answer will tell you all about the resource she loves, in those details she gives, you will know if those items meet your criteria or not. Then you can decide if you want to look at those resources or cross them off your list. If your friend uses a curriculum that peaks your interest, ask if you can look at it. On the flip side of this, if you don't know a homeschool family personally, ask around. I promise, we homeschoolers are everywhere! Ha! Ha! Ask around church, your family and friends and see if they know a homeschooler you could talk to. If not, there are many homeschool groups online that you can find with just a click! Look for a group in your local area. This is also a great way to get to know other homeschoolers. You can also leave a comment here and I will be happy to help you if I can! Third: *Don't go overboard! Yes, unboxing new curriculum is thrilling. There is just something special about the smell of new books! But....be realistic. Especially if you are new at homeschooling. Home education is different than traditional education in that you don't have to fill 8 hours a day with something in order to keep 20 different kids on task (unless of course you have 20 children of your own;) ). Teach your basics and get grounded in those subjects and then add in your extra subjects as you learn what your daily schedule will allow. Sometimes, that means the fundamental subjects are every day classes and your extra classes such as art, music, etc, may be a couple of times a week. Figure out what works best for your teaching style and your children's learning capabilities, and then run with it! Fourth, and what I consider most important: *Jesus first. Your children absolutely must learn to read, write and be able to do basic math, of course. But if our children don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as their Savior, then NO amount of academic accomplishment really matters. In the big scheme of things, our future is only going to depend on one thing...Do we know Jesus personally? So take the time, Sweet Mama, every day, many times a day to teach your children about Jesus. Teach them God's Word. Pray with them and over them. Thank God out loud for His blessings. Read the Bible together. Answer their questions and steer them towards God. That will be your greatest accomplishment: leading your children to Christ! "I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth." ~3 John 4 Don't worry, Mama! You got this! Pray each day for God to guide your teaching. He will. And He will bless your family abundantly. I hope these tips are a help to both new and veteran homeschoolers. I am praying for you as you continue on this journey! Keep reading God's Word. It is such a treasure! Joyfully His, Andrea Hello, Sweet Sisters!
It's been months since I have written here. I am sorry I have been behind on our reading schedule, but I do hope each of you find yourself in God's Word each day. Scripture is rich, fulfilling and sustaining, and should be our daily guide in living this life. I started our reading plan back up this month. I have been absent here, because life has just been busy. I am sure you understand. Raising and caring for our large family, our home, and our farm can be quite pressing sometimes, but it is also such a wonderful blessing and delight! In a world of continuous discontentment, I want to remember to be thankful each day for what I've been given. Yes, I can whine and complain with the best of them.....but I am praying and focusing on being content this year. As I'm getting older and our family has grown and our kids -themselves- are getting older, I'm learning more and more to appreciate the simple things. Last year, unexpectedly, we were able to move onto our cattle farm. It has been a dream of ours, for years, to have enough land for our cattle and our home to be on the same property so we can farm on a more full-time basis. And though, 2020 brought plenty of negative things for everyone, it brought us immense blessing in our farmstead move and our family growing by one! Although there is always work to be done on a farm and in a large family, there is so much peace looking out onto our fields, just watching the cows graze, and swinging our little ones on the playground. I'm trying to soak up these moments. They are truly going by too fast. My oldest child turns 20 this week. Twenty....no longer a child, no longer a teen, completely immersed into adulthood. Our second child just graduated from high school in May and he is navigating the waters of what's next for him. Yes, this is hard on my "Mama Heart", but I'm so excited for them both. They are both going to be just fine. They are good men, with generous, compassionate hearts and amazingly strong work ethics. I'm enjoying watching them grow into these men God has created them to be, and I'm eager to see what He has in store for them. Because of these two fellas, I know all too well, how quick the years go by. We have teenagers and little ones still at home and I am so thankful for the time I have left to train them, teach them, love them and have fun with them. My sense of family gets stronger every day and I am trying hard to cultivate an atmosphere that pulls our family together and keeps us close. I'm enjoying these slow, hot, summer days. All too soon, I'll be pulling out our school supplies and unpacking new curriculum for the upcoming school year. Our schedule will be more strict and our time for play and surprises will be fleeting. But today.....we sit in the sun, play in the water, eat our popsicles, talk, laugh, run and tell funny stories. Just enjoying our time together, making memories. For me, that means I let go of worry and stress, and I embrace just letting LIFE happen. Right here in front of me. Every day. With my people. Because right now, in this moment, and every moment after, I'm living my best life and I don't want to take it for granted. "Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before." ~ I Thessalonians 4:11 Keep reading God's Word, Friend, it is such a treasure! Joyfully His, Andrea (Disclaimer: The above picture is not our personal farm, we don't have goats :), but this photo is beautiful and stunningly peaceful.) |
For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. " AuthorHi! I'm Andrea, wife to my handsome hubby, homeschooling mama to my 7 amazing blessings, and daughter of the King of kings. I am so glad you have stopped by my little piece of the web. My prayer is that the Lord will use this blog to encourage you in your personal, daily walk with Christ. Archives
October 2021
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