Drawn In

Once God draws us to Himself to know, love, and serve Him we're told to "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will received the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)

That's a tall order for a ten year old. My baby girl courageously went down into the water in 2016 to demonstrate her love for the Lord. In the midst of all the idols in the world that could steal the attention of a child, what a joy it is to see your child stand proudly and profess Christ as Savior.

As a new Mom I struggled with how the Lord desired that my husband and I work together to share the gospel and play a part in evangelizing our children. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog entry on evangelizing children!

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)

Christmas 2016 Treasures

Christmas 2016 was a sweet time of joy as we celebrated the birth of our Savior.

Anytime is a wonderful time to share photos!!!

Lots of Paw Patrol Sightings this Christmas

Love was invited to play for her biggest audience yet

Gingerbread Cookie-making

Our 2nd attempt at Cheesecake making (Coffee Cheesecake)

Never enough violin playing

Made time to see a few Christmas lights by way of a train ride

My most treasured Christmas gift from my adopted brother

What a gift we are given each new day that we're blessed to be a light for Christ!

Love that Runs Deep

Can we all agree that love is a strong word? Well, I understand that sometimes the word love is used very loosely. I love chocolate, I love Christmas, I love to take a nap. We can say that we love a lot of things. Well, I have one for you. I LOVE my church. I used all caps so that means I love my church a lot. Not the building though. It’s a nice building and I’m thankful for God’s provision of a building to worship in every Sunday, but I’m specifically talking about the church body. The people. I love them. A lot. I mean it. What makes my church family different from the church body around the corner? They may look like the people meeting there, may sing similarly, and the people in the church around the corner may dress similarly to my church family, but there are some differences I can be sure of. The reason that I can be so confident in the statement that the church body around the corner is different than mines comes from what I know to be true of my church family. Love is definitely a strong word and I can prove that my love for my church family rings true.

My love for my church starts with their love for God. Not just any god, but for the one, true, only Savior of the world. A church family that collectively professes Jesus Christ as both man and God is unique in this day in time. Not only do they proclaim the truth that Jesus is God, they are committed to His attributes as described in scripture. He is El Elyon, sovereign ruler of the universe and therefore is all powerful and all knowing. His is sovereign over the good and the evil in this world. Nothing is out of His control and outside of His purview. He sees all, knows all, and is over all things. My church family is convinced of these truths and believes that while we serve a righteous God, as human beings we were born sinners and fall short of a perfect God. There is no good in us and our very faith to believe in God was granted to us by the grace of God. Our salvation is the result of the Lord drawing us to Himself.  We were chosen before the foundation of the world to be God’s children and we are not worthy of His love. These truths are vital to the establishments of what we believe as a church body and they provide a framework for what our church stands for.  Seeing God in this light propels us to love God and His Word.

A devotion to the Word of God is another reason that I adore my church family. While the Son of God, who was made flesh and dwelt among men, walked and talked with actual people, He now dwells in Heaven with His Father. In addition to leaving us with His Holy Spirit, He also left His Word that should be studied, read, pondered over, taken in, and ultimately used to transform lives for His glory. The brothers and sisters in Christ in my local church believe that God’s Word is perfect, without error, and can be confidently proclaimed. It is taught expositorily, which means the exact meaning of scripture is carefully drawn out as it is taught. Instead of random ideas, opinions, and arbitrary thoughts being used to explain and present scripture, God’s Word is taught and presented after thorough care and prudence have been applied in deep study. This cautious care of scripture results in a church body that not only understands what they believe, but they have confidence in what the Word says. We disciple each other and are even challenged to discipline each other when a sister or brother in Christ falls away from the teaching in scripture through disobedience to God’s Word. A love for the Words of scripture will impact how you love God’s people.

The final reason that I can confidently say that I love my church family is their love for God’s people. There are a lot of churches in America. One on every corner it seems. There is a wide range of reasons for the countless Church buildings. There are an abundant number of explanations why people gravitate and find comfort within a fellowship of believers. Traditions, culture and race, a feel good message being presented each Sunday, entertaining music, engaging programs and ministries, all contribute to why there are numerous churches within our country. While the reasons are vast, I count it a blessing that the common bond within my church family is simply Christ and His saving work on the Cross to save sinners. My church family acknowledges that we’re sinners and the tie that binds us sees beyond differences in skin color, background, culture, or upbringing. We love one another because of our love for Christ. The work of the cross connects God’s children in a way that runs deep when you understand the forgiveness that has been granted by the Lord. A unique affection and devotion is what I have in my heart for my brothers and sisters in Christ. Yes, I’d skip out on a bar of chocolate and a nap to spend time with my church family. It’s a love that runs deep, all the way to the Cross.

(If you’re searching for a church home, a wonderful site and book source to investigate is “Nine Marks of a Healthy Church” by Mark Dever; https://9marks.org/church-search/)

Giving like Dad this Christmas

Sometimes being the Mom stinks. Moms are the ones that find themselves being compelled to give away a varied array of comforts for the sake of her family. Just as the sun sets, the family has been fed, dishes cleaned and she’s found herself wrapped in warmth on the couch to settle in the for the evening with her favorite dessert, along comes a child salivating at the mouth for that same dessert that she’s been waiting all day to indulge in. What does Mom do? She gives it away. It’s 6 a.m. on Saturday morning, the house is asleep and Mom cuddles in close to Dad, thanking the Lord for quiet moments with her man. Just as soon as Mom begins to fall back off to sleep, she is startled by the loud noise of her children barging into her room and bed. Again, Mom gives away a comfort that her flesh yearns to have to allow someone else to experience a joy that is not hers for a moment. Again and again Mom gives, she sacrifices, she releases so that others have. Though it stinks, she stands so that others can sit, she lends so that others may have, and she suffers when necessary if it means delight for someone she loves.

When one sacrifices, they surrender a possession for the sake of a worthwhile cause. We forego a temporary pleasure for the betterment of another when we sacrifice. Sacrifice is a beautiful word, an act of compassion, and when we witness it many times we’re left speechless. Yet when we sacrifice, it does not feel comforting. It is not enjoyable giving up the warm side of the bed in the middle of winter. Giving away your favorite dessert, even if it is to your firstborn, isn’t all together truly enjoyable. We hold onto things that we don’t want to give away because it is comforting to us and it makes us feel secure. It feeds our pride. Pride is a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction that comes from our own personal achievements. When we make the choice not to sacrifice and surrender in order to bless someone else, we nourish our pride.

Is pride a corrupt thing? Doesn’t it benefit a person to think highly of themselves? The kids and I enjoy cuddling up on the couch in the weeks leading up to Christmas, watching as many Christmas-themed movies as possible. Just the other day we watched Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Cottage which told the story of how Thomas Kinkade became a famous artist. His Mother raised him and his brother while struggling to keep their cottage. She landed into a difficult financial situation. While Thomas urged her to reach out to the community for help so that she could keep her home, her concern was her pride. She told her son, “Please don’t make me ask for help. All I have left is my pride.” Where does our pride leave us? The world will lead you to think that we’re self-sufficient beings, and we have the power within us to be successful. God teaches us otherwise. The book of Proverbs teaches a great deal on pride. “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2). “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs 29:23). “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15). Pride leaves us to live in our own strength, it deceives us, and leads us to corruption. We may reason to ourselves that we can rely on our own strength. We think we know best and we can bring ourselves comfort and peace and joy when we do what we think is best. To give away so that someone else finds joy isn’t fair. We need to take care of our self first, right?

 

Forgiveness is a gift that requires that we become selfless and we give. With forgiveness we are called to give again, and again, and again. Forgiveness requires that we give away the anger we feel, we cease blaming someone else, we give up being resentful and instead we grant another person relief of payment when they owes us something. We do this not for our own welfare, but for theirs. When we forgive we give so that someone else may be comforted, be joyful, experience delight while we suffer. This gift of forgiveness doesn’t sound like it’s very much fun. Instead it promises discomfort.

Why on earth would someone want to subject themselves to such pain and discomfort for the sake of someone else?

Christ provides the ultimate answer. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) We give in this way because Christ has forgiven us. We could never provide a sufficient enough excuse to not forgive. No hurt, no pain, no trial equates to what Christ suffered and what Christ forgave. While we have sinned against a holy and perfect God, our very best deeds are filthy rags. He has called us to confess our sins and be forgiven.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Day after day, hour after hour, second after second, He forgives and He forgives and He forgives. When we give in this way, God doesn’t simply leave us to our lonesome flesh to do this on our own. While we may can handle giving away our favorite dessert or the warmth of our bed to suffer in the cold, letting go of a hurt and an injustice isn’t as simple. The Lord empowers us with the Holy Spirit to forgive and through the giving of forgiveness we are conformed more into His image. As we give as Christ gave on the cross and as He forgives our sins, we are changed more into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18). Peace that surpasses all understanding floods our life when we forgive in this way. There are many times when being the Mom just plain ‘ol stinks and for every time that a Mom gives, she deserves the “best gift giver” award. This Christmas let’s be challenged to be a contender for this award, by giving the gift of forgiveness. Not because the gift recipient deserves it, but because your Heavenly Father calls us to serve, to walk, to give like He did.

My Reality Show

Every homeschool family is unique. They all have different routines that are tailor fit to their family needs.  I thought that it would be amusing to give a little insight into a day in the life of my little homeschooling family. As homeschooling is on the rise around our country, if I'm the only person you do know that homeschools, you can say that you know how one family executes their crazy homeschool day!

Here’s a little look:
5:45 a.m. – the alarm goes off only to be snoozed 2-3 times until I finally muster up the energy to roll out of bed no later than 6:15-6:30 a.m.*

* - Note that since the Fall season has arrived, many days my workouts are delayed until Trey's nap time & school has officially let out around 230 p.m.'ish. Its a little more challenging to roll out of bed early when its cold outside and toasty warm in my bed!

6:30 a.m. – 7:15 a.m. – beat my body into a state of physical fitness by focusing on cardio or weight training

7:15 a.m. – 8 a.m. – shower, dress, pray & collect my sanity for the day ahead

7:30 a.m. – in the process of getting ready for the day, dash upstairs to wake my darling students

8 a.m. – 8:30 a.m – breakfast with the kiddos. I typically use this time to also wash up any dishes lurking in the sink.

8:30 a.m. – we all depart downstairs to the school room to start the school day.

8:30 – 9:30 a.m. – While the girls independently do their Bible, journaling, Bible study book reading, and scripture memorization with their AWANA material, I do my own morning devotional, Bible study, and journaling. Trey usually spends this time lurking in his play area with trucks, race cars, playing a pre-school game on the kindle, or watching some form of toddler entertainment while playing with his toys (i.e., Sid the Science Kid,  Leap Frog Letter Factory, Diego, etc.)

9:30 a.m – 10:30 a.m. – After bible time the girls move onto their math work which they also complete individually. At this point Trey has had enough of his own self-directed play time and usually calls for Mommy to “have school” with him. School for Trey at the age now of 3, takes on many forms. He either sits on my lap and traces his capital and lowercase letters on a wet erase board, completes an alphabet puzzle, sings the “Phonics Songs for Kindergarten” song with CD while pointing to the alphabet (love, love, this CD for teaching letters and sounds), plays alphabet hop scotch with Mom, or stacking alphabet-number blocks.

On my many errands up and down the stairs for a potty break, snack break, or drink break, I may throw a load of laundry into the wash or dryer.

10:30 – 11 a.m. – Once the girls have finished their math work, my oldest usually grabs her basketball and practices her dribbling and whatever other basketball skills her Father has assigned for her to do (she’s planning to play on a team for the first time this Fall). My youngest daughter usually heads to serve as Trey’s playmate and keeps him occupied while I correct and grade their math work. Once their math work has been checked, the girls come back to immediately correct their mistakes and then it’s off for lunch around 11:15-11:30!

11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m. – For lunch we all proceed to the kitchen and living room. Most days the girls make their own lunch and I prepare something for Trey to eat. While Trey is eating I usually play some sort of educational video for Trey and the girls usually read their own personal book or play on the kindle until lunch is done.

12 p.m. – Trey goes down for his nap

12 p.m. – 1 p.m. – The girls do their individual reading in the History books. While they do their individual reading I typically work on mine own teacher lesson for the Bible study, “Lord, I Want to Know You”, or I work on my teacher Sunday School lesson for the coming Sunday.

I also use this time period to fold clothes that have finished drying in the dryer.

1 p.m. – 2 p.m. – After the girls finish their history reading, we pause to discuss the chapters that have been read with Q&A that the Sonlight curriculum provides for me to gauge their understanding of the material.

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.- The girls finish their day with completing their Science work and with either a writing assignment or grammar assignments. While they finish up, I continue with my Bible study or Sunday School lesson.

My oldest finishes her school day with her “elective”; this half of the school year it’s keyboarding, so she’ll be spend time learning to type.

3 p.m. – 4 p.m. – By 3 p.m. that’s my cue to get started with dinner. Most of the cooksmarts meals that we prepare take about an hour to prepare and cook.

While I prepare dinner the girls usually transition into “practice mode” with their piano and violin.

 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. – By 4 p.m., my handsome hubby and fabulous father of my children arrives home from work. Some days he finds us still working away at dinner or its ready and hot on the table. My little man usually wakes up just before Daddy walks through the door. Dinner ends with conversation at the table about our day, the girls will fill Dad in on something unique that they learned from their school day or Daddy will entertain us with something humorous that happened at work.

It may not seem like there’s a lot of activity to be executed into a day of homeschooling, but there surely is and it doesn't all magically happen with joyful and compliant children. Most says are met with occasional whining when someone hasn't gotten their way, complaining here and there over how long its taking to finish Math, and unexpected cycles of runny noses and upset stomachs. As a Mom who used to work in the office, there are so many of the same physical and mental requirements that I have to execute in the homeschool environment as I did in the office. Being disciplined is one of the most prominent elements that I’ve realized I have to have. Daily staying on top of the kids schedule is key. Patience, persistence, dedication, organization, and even team work is a necessity within the homeschool environment.

While I never thought I’d see the day that I get to “run” a household, full time, I can look back and see how my Heavenly Father has been preparing me just for these moments, these days, these hours that I get to sow into the life of my children and serve my husband daily. While he’s a work in progress as am I and he doesn’t perfectly do everything always right, as my husband strives to love me as Christ loves the Church, I humbly and wholeheartedly submit to his authority. In serving and loving him, I see seek to ultimately make my Heavenly Father proud.

An Age of Treasures

Is there much fulfillment in getting older? If one were to base their answer to this question from simply watching television or flipping through magazines at the local newsstand, it would become apparent that our society places a high value on youth and maintaining an image of youthfulness. The older generation, who isn’t known for being hip, cool, or chic, is not often esteemed in the media for their graying hair, years of life experiences, and their wisdom. Instead our society has downplayed the blessings, the treasures, and the priceless gifts that can be found in the latter years of life. As I turned another year older in November I carefully pondered over what is there to gain from getting older. Growing older provides a unique opportunity to develop in wisdom, as you grow in the knowledge of truth from God’s Word you find yourself desiring the things of this world less, and the less that you desire worldly treasures you long more for your eternal home. Maybe there is some fulfillment to be obtained in the aging process after all.

To many people being thirty-seven years old is not ancient. To a budding, nineteen year old that’s about to be twenty something, it’s not just old. It’s ancient.  Although the media may glorify the young and beautiful, in recent years our society has experienced an acceptance and celebration of Grandmothers and Grandfathers. One article entitled, “How Society Misunderstands the Elderly”, makes claims that the baby boomers of today are establishing a new trend in what it means in 2016 to be old. Grandmothers don’t like to be called “Grandma” because of the negative, old connotation that the title Grandmother carries. Many Grandparents, who do not settle for simply growing old behind closed doors, are not letting a case of arthritis slow them down in life. Instead, you’ll find the baby boomers of today on the move, traveling, trying new hobbies, and taking advantage of life in a way that the previous older generation may not have done. There is an aspect of growing old that the collective, older generation do have in common. They grow in wisdom. A dictionary definition of wisdom is,

Wisdom (def):

The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement; the quality of being wise.

No matter how old one gets, they will have experiences and will gain knowledge from those experiences. As I pondered over this first growing-old treasure, I smiled to myself to think about the quality of wisdom one can gain from studying God’s Word day in and day out as they celebrate one birthday after another. The Bible is full of riches and truth that as the dictionary explains, provides good judgement. We can obtain wisdom from the world, but what difference would it make in our life if we obtain wisdom that came from the Creator of Heaven, Earth, and of us? In my short thirty-seven years of life one of the unique gifts of wisdom I’ve obtain from God’s holy Word is a sensitivity to sin. As I read and ponder over the fact that none of us our righteous, I see how I fall short daily of God’s righteous standard. Though I desire to honor God with my life and be a light in the world, I constantly struggle in my flesh. This constant struggle beckons me to run to God’s Word to know Him more and seek to walk in obedience. While thirty-seven may not be ancient, it does carry with it life experiences that add to growing older.

                As a believer in Christ longs for God’s Word and maturing in wisdom, they may find themselves loving the things of this world to a lesser degree. For that budding nineteen year old, the excitement that awaits them when they finally move out of their parent’s home seems almost intoxicating. There is freedom finally after years of living under the shelter of home. While they may have the best intentions of simply living life to its fullest and taking in all that is has to offer, godly wisdom whispers to them there is a lust within their flesh, a desire within their eyes, and a pride of life that is feeding their inner man or woman to sacrifice all to be fulfilled. A lack of wisdom bring this realization to light. Understanding these desires comes from careful study of God’s Word and it can be an immense treasure to be attained as one grows older, lives life, and clings to the Word of God. As I’ve grown a year older in 2016 my affection for the world isn’t fueled by the shiny, new, and sparkly nature of the world as it once was in my young eyes.   

                If the Lord allows me to see another year in 2017 and I mature more, what do I have to look forward to if my flesh desires this world less and less? The answer is the last treasure that developing in Christ gives. In my younger years I remember like it was yesterday the excitement I felt in my spirit over experiencing life. Feeling what it was like to discover and face something first-hand simply got my blood going. So much that I can’t imagine in those years that I could ever imagine leaving this Earth. There was too much to be experienced. During those years I recall thinking to myself, “If I love being here so much that I don’t want to leave, what is the basis of my faith in a God and in a Heaven that I don’t long for?” If there was a longing in my Spirit for Heaven in my earlier years, it was surely minimal and thinking back I believe part of that missed longing was a lack of knowledge of who my God was. Longing for Heaven is a fortune to be claimed and made personal in a believer’s life. The devil wants me to be so content, satisfied, and happy here that I don’t seek to know my Savior. He also wants me to think that I’m such a great, fantastic, and wonderful person that I don’t recognize my poverty of spirit and need for a Savior. As I wrestle daily with my flesh, I now long to be away from this body where I will never have to struggle with my sin nature again. The work that the Lord has planned for me to accomplish on this Earth will one day be complete and my work in Heaven, honoring and glorifying my Savior, will begin and will last for eternity. What a celebration there is to be had for the believer in Christ as they age, mature, and grow older. There is wisdom to be gained, a fulfillment within the spirit to be claimed, and a longing for Heaven to be enjoyed though the Earth and all that’s in it is wasting away. I’ll take the age of 37 and however many years to come as long as I have my Savior and the Holy Spirit maturing, teaching, and blessing me with these treasures until I see my Lord face to face.

Fall Pictures 2016 - Sneak Peek!

I love pictures so much. They can capture what a person's feeling in their heart and they give us a glimpse into the joy that can be found between people. We've made it a family tradition to take pictures in the Fall for our family Christmas card. This year my girls wanted to venture to the George Washington's Birthplace. They have so many beautiful spots with wonderful backgrounds.

Here's just a sneak peek!

 

 

 

 

 

An Inspiration of Faith

I get inspired by the faith of other believers. 

When they demonstrate an ability to trust God, no matter the odds or the difficult circumstances before them, I am encouraged. I am moved and I am motivated to walk in obedience to God's call on my life.

I’ve written in the past about how Joni Eareakson Tada and Katie Davis have inspired me. Their stories have moved me and filled me with such an awe of how God has worked in their life and how they’ve walked in obedience to what He’s called them to do. They each have very different stories. One, living life with a disability and yet she’s used her life to bring God glory. The other sacrificed her youth to give of herself to a people in need of love and the gospel. They both have lived selfless lives being a light for Christ and serving Him in very unique ways.

They inspire me.

I happened upon another woman one day while on Instagram that grabbed at my heart strings and wouldn’t let go. As I first looked at pictures of this woman, her husband, and family, I was taken back at how beautiful this family was and the love that you could see in their eyes for each other. I later learned that this woman had just recently become a widow and her handsome husband, who she writes so deeply about was taken from her suddenly, leaving her with 3 beautiful boys.

What inspired me most about Brittany was, despite her tragic loss, she takes life one day at a time with her Savior. She doesn’t live life begrudgingly or bitter; instead she rejoices through the pain and sorrow and gives God glory for the time she had with her husband and Father of her children. In the midst of the pain she openly shares about her reliance upon God solely to sustain her now as a widow. He is her Jehovah-Jireh, her provider.

Brittany inspires me to rely on the Lord in a way that another human being can’t be depended upon because, well, they’re human. My Mother in law shared a quote with me today that said, “Lord, the next time I look to some person, thing, or idea to complete me, draw my eyes to You instead.” This is the life of a Christian. To take up their cross daily and follow the Lord, wherever He leads and depend upon Him for our every need. Joni, Katie, Brittany, they strive to live in such a way that God is glorified in their life regardless of the circumstances that face them.

May we be such a people who inspires others by our walk, our obedience, and our faith.

(To read more about Brittany’s story, visit here)

Spirit Filled Holidays & More

November seems to be the kick-off month for the holidays. Store clerks are eager to greet you and share with you the holiday specials and sales. As we draw nearer to Thanksgiving, people begin to think about all the aspects of life that make them thankful. The weather turns colder, the leaves change into all of my favorite, inviting colors like orange, red, brown, and gold. People seem to change too. They become nicer. Immediately after Thanksgiving, the countdown to Christmas begins. The media pours on the holiday cheer something thick. If you’re not typically known as a pleasant person, there’s something about the holidays that inspires people to be thoughtful. To be kind, cheery, and bright. Maybe all the happiness blossoms because it is just what is expected of us this time year. Even if you don’t feel it in your heart, you fake it. Even if it’s just for the month of November and the holidays, isn’t it okay to just be nice and then go back to our normal impatient, short-tempered, self-centered selves?

Why can’t we just be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control all year long? These are fruits of the Holy Spirit. It would be so convenient if we could bottle up them up and somehow ingest them daily so that we just don’t look the part, but actually live the part not just at the holidays but every day of our lives. When everything in life is operating like a storybook fairytale, it is easier to exemplify these loving, stirring emotions, but every tale has a villain, a traumatic climax. Similar to a tale from a story book, in life there are trials and circumstances that serve as a litmus test, proving if we’re truly walking by the Holy Spirit or by our flesh.

When we allow our circumstances, good or bad, to rule our emotions we’re like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. One day we’re happy, the next we’re sulking and in a state of despair. No, the fruits of the Spirit can’t be bottled up and drank, but they can be read, studied, meditated on, and internalized into our heart and mind. When we feed on God’s truth our flesh, which desires to be ruled by our circumstances, is controlled by the Holy Spirit within us. He’s a living being that resides in every believer. When we feed our Spirit with truth, we are empowered to be loving when a family member spews hate towards us, joyful when we’ve lost everything, peaceful in the midst of chaos, patient when everyone around us is frantic, kind when someone you love doesn’t speak or acknowledge your existence, good when the world does bad, faithful when those you care about let you down, gentle when your boss treats you harshly, and self-controlled when you’re tempted to indulge in an activity that you know is wrong.

For the Christian the truth is we will not always feel like being any of these things. It isn't until we wrestle with the emotions, the issues, and the sin within our heart that we begin to produce fruit that remains. This fruit isn't temporal. It doesn't rot and disintegrate when difficult seasons of life come upon us. This fruit is lasting and creates within us a peace that surpasses all understanding.  Let’s demonstrate to the world that simply faking a smile at the Thanksgiving table or giving a perfect gift to appease the in-laws will never lead to lasting joy. Now that November has arrived and the holidays are soon around the corner, let’s walk in obedience to what God’s Word commands us to do. Let’s be filled with the Holy Spirit in November, the holidays, and every year to come!  

Worth It All

For the past few months my usual routine for meal planning and preparation has included a grocery store run on Sundays after we return home from Church and little man is down for his nap. While I go on this weekly run to the store my girls and hubby usually fulfill scripture by reclining and resting on the Sabbath Day. No matter what mood I’m in after returning home from Church, it seems that right before I grab my purse and grocery list, I always seem to be in a stinky mood about having to go to the store.

As I gather my things and head to my car my mind fills with feelings of dread and despair as I think about walking the aisles trying to locate the items on my list, the possibility that I’ll have to wait in long lines, and then the final task of unloading my truck and putting the food away. What dread awaits me each Sunday. What’s interesting though is this sullen attitude has a way of turning from sour to sweet once I make it to the store and start checking things off my list. By the time I get home and put that last item away in my pantry I am filled with joy, fulfillment, and completeness.

Grocery shopping isn’t the only task that I find myself in this interesting, emotional, transition from gloom to gladness. When my alarm goes off at 545 a.m. each weekday morning to workout I enter this same cycle of emotions. I go from rejection of what I need to do, reflecting on what I’m about to do to my body, to acceptance and action. The feelings that I experience once I’ve completed a workout are beyond words. Relief. Joy. Victory.

There are some tasks in life that we can’t rely on our feelings to propel us to complete them. We won’t always feel like laying out a healthy meal plan for our families and running to get the groceries, especially when the recipe calls for a weird ingredient that you have to track down in some weird aisle of the grocery store. Your body may not enjoy you shaking it out of restful sleep in the morning to exercise. In both of these cases though, you NEED to do them. Your family needs to eat and your body needs exercise. Therefore, you have to execute these tasks.

While your body needs food and fitness, so does your spirit, your mind, and your heart. You need the Word of God as your sustenance to grow in wisdom and in truth. I don’t always feel like sitting down with the Word of God and wrestling over its truth, but when I do there is a joy that floods my mind and spirit as I’m filled with God’s truth. Making time to spend with your Heavenly Father, getting to know Him and His Word takes discipline. You won’t always feel like doing it. Don’t let your feelings rule you. Let the Holy Spirit within in, propel you to open His Word. His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. God’s Word will accomplish a good work in us if we discipline ourselves to study and show ourselves approved. As we study we’ll find within ourselves a confidence in who we are in Christ and who God is.

The next time that you feel a funk creeping over you when it comes to something that you know you need to do, focus on the end result. Your cupboards full of everything you need to prepare meals for your family for the week, a healthy and stronger body, and God’s truth ruling your heart and mind which will propel you to a life of peace. Results that are definitely worth it.

Finding the Right Fit - Toning and Lengthening Muscles

While away on vacation last year I happened upon an exercise DVD at a thrift store that I hadn't yet tried. Given my history with trying every exercise routine that has been released on DVD, my fitness nerve was struck and I snatched it up with my anticipation levels running high to see how my body and interest levels would respond to something new.

If there were ever a key piece of advice I could give about maintaining a workout regjme, this would be one to take note of and never forget,

If you keep doing the same thing, you will get the same results.

Be willing to periodically change up your workout routine.

 

As you surprise your body with a new and different physical challenge, your body will be prompted to respond in a manner that speeds up your metabolism, burning more calories and fat than if you just continued doing the same routine day after day.

 

The Firm workouts were just what I needed to move beyond my usual cardio routine. It was at this time that I needed to be challenged by lifting weights that were heavier than my usual 3 lb. weights. The original Firm Workout Program was designed and produced by the Benson sisters in the 80's. Other companies have continued to produce a variation of the original Firm Workout, but I've found that they are not as rigorous as the 80's original Volumes 1-4 set of DVDs.

The first volume of DVDs are at least an hour in length and do a thorough job of toning all major muscle groups with light (3-5 lbs), medium (5-8 lbs), and heavy (10 lbs and up) weights. They also include a lengthy floor routine to work the thighs and buttocks using ankle weights (1 1/2 - 3 lb) and heavy weights. I highly suggest that on your first attempts at doing the workouts, DON'T USE WEIGHTS. Watch the videos through the first time that you get them and on your first try at it, do the routine with no weights at all. As your body adjust to the routine itself, incorporate weights as you feel comfortable. If you choose to go with the original volume of Firm workouts, you'll have to be comfortable with working out to 80s music and watching instructors with leg warmers and bright, wild colors. I find it rather entertaining.

The Firm is by far the most complete workout routine to lengthen and tone your muscles. If you're ready for a challenge, dust off your leg warmers and drag that step box out of your garage and get to work!

Year 4 - God's Grace

By God's grace we've entered another school year! The summer was a time filled with impromptu moments in the pool, catching up on movies we've wanted to see, and just plain relaxing. We also made a concerted effort this summer to maintain a weekly routine of doing Math and writing work.

As we enter our second week of school, I am praising the Lord that we were successful at executing a summer study schedule. There has been less heart ache and brain loss in Math this school year thus far because of the girl's commitment (along with Mom's weekly routine of leading a peaceful march to the school room) to doing some summer work.

As Lea enters 5th grade and Love officially becomes a 7th grader, there has already been a bittersweet moment. I realize that your kids grow and mature from year to year, but does it have to happen so fast? The first day of school last week Love asked if she could do all her Sonlight History Readers on her own. Isn't it enough that she's doing her own independent Science curriculum? Now history too? Ugh. I thought that I'd be all good with this letting-go process, but I have to say that it's harder than it looks.

The sweet part of the bittersweetness came when I glanced at Love's Science notebook at the end of the week. The notes were so thoroughly taken, neat handwriting, vocabulary words highlighted, etc. I didn't even give her instructions on how to take notes. She can't be doing things like that without prior instruction...can she?

She had come up with her own plan and was executing it. I guess she's just doing what I've been trying to get her to do since, well, forever. Be self-disciplined. Applying instruction independent of someone else having to tell you what to do.

Who would've thought that I'd be the one schooled the first week of school? Maybe I should've posed for a school picture too!

Lea 5th grade

Love 7th grade

Homeschooling is NOT for everyone

Homeschooling is not for everyone.

Neither is breastfeeding, natural childbirth, living in the city, selling all and becoming a missionary, working part-time, having a large family, or going to a State college.

In Christ we have a level of freedom that God has allowed for His children to make decisions based on a heart and mind that first loves Christ and secondly desires to obey and honor Him with their life.

I felt the need to make this simple statement that homeschooling is not for every family because it isn't. God's will for my life may not be the same for your life.

Ephesians 2:10 states, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Before you were ever created God prepared good works for His children to execute in their life. As a child of God is reborn and comes to know His Savior (i.e., the process of sanctification), He is compelled to search the scriptures and as He learns about His Creator He also learns about himself and who he/she is in Christ. As a child of God learns about himself, they come to understand what God expects of them. And here's where we can either seek to gain the approval of man or the approval of God.

Many people think, "So and so is a strong, committed Christian. If he/she does ______, I should do _______ too." We may find ourselves mirroring someone else's walk. There are times that the life you're mirroring may be consistent and similar to the walk that God has prepared for you, but there are other times when you're fulfilling a good work, but its a work that isn't for you. When we fulfill a task that isn't exactly what God desires of us, though it is a "good" thing to do, because it is not what God desires for your life you may find yourself lacking peace, feeling overwhelmed, burdened and frustrated. This comes from trying to do something that God did not design YOU to do.

Walk your walk. The walk that God prepared beforehand for you. If you don't know what that walk looks like, first go before the Lord in prayer and ask Him to, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me" (Psalm 139:23-24). Whenever we come before the Lord we need to ensure that our heart is in right relationship with Him. If we're living in sin, that sin separates us from a Holy God. We can't expect God to grant us guidance and direction on His will for our life if we're practicing sin. Repent and return to the Lord first!

Once you've done that study the scriptures for what God expects of you. First, study scripture regarding God's will for a Christian's life and you can do that by doing a word study throughout sciptures on God's will. Study Christ's life and the lives of the men and women who lived for Him. If you're a single person, start with 1 Corinthians 7:25-40. If you're wife and/or a Mother, study through Titus 2:4-5, 1 Peter 3:1, 1 Timothy 3:11, Ephesians 5:22-24, Colossians 3:18-19, and Proverbs 31.

As you study scripture take note specifically of what God says is His will. There will be many areas, including some of the ones I mentioned in this blog article that God does not give specific direction on (i.e., to homeschool or not to homeschool). In these areas where scripture does not directly reference, as a redeemed believer in Christ, you have the Holy Spirit as your guide in life. If you're seeking to honor the Lord, you have the freedom to live in such a way where you make decisions based on what you feel if best while being led by the Lord.

God promises that if we seek to know Him, He will make Himself known to us and that includes His will for your life. God has a plan for His children and while the life of another Christian may be acceptable unto God, there is a specific plan that God has just for you.

Seek the Lord and He will reveal it.
Walk in the steps that God has for YOU.

Finding the Right Fit - Let loose with Dance

When you enjoy something, you don't have to muster up the energy to do it.

I found this to be true when my Aunt sold me the Zumba Exhilarate Boxed DVD set. I had taken Zumba classes at my local gym several years ago and was familiar with the upbeat, dance-based routine that gets your heartbeat going and the sweat pouring. Once I put in a DVD I knew that I would have no problem mustering up the energy to exercise. It's actually exercise in disguise because you may find yourself simply enjoying the dance routines that you don't consider the fact that you're working out your body in the process!

You will find these routines fitting the bill for cardio in your workout regime. There is one routine in this DVD set that targets muscle toning as well.

Remember, if you enjoy the exercise, you will be motivated to stick with it long term.

It's one thing to lose weight and get fit in the short-term, but in order to maintain your weight loss overtime you will have more effective results if you actually ENJOY the exercise routine that you're doing.

Finding the Right Fit - Wanting a Challenge

Once you've established a workout routine that makes you break a sweat each time that you exercise, you may have the desire to push yourself beyond a cardio-based workout to build and strengthen your body. Building and strengthening your body has numerous benefits that include giving you the endurance to work out longer, increases your metabolism which in return helps you burn fat quicker, and you'll find that you have energy that you never had before.

A workout system to consider to build and strengthen your body is the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred Workout System. The title of the video can seem a little intimidating and Jillian can too, but each workout is designed to push you just a bit beyond a workout where you're simply breaking a sweat. With this program you may find yourself doing your first every push up or burpee. If this sounds daunting to you at first thought, as you walk up to the plate of this program and take a swing at it, don't be surprised when begin to enjoy it as you get stronger. progressing from one level to the next.

The video is divided into 3-levels. Each level takes about 25 minutes to complete. For 30 days you commit yourself to completing 1 level of the workout each day. Starting out with level 1, you will find that from one week to the next your body will get stronger as it learns to handle the level of exertion that you present it with.

Give your body a challenge that it won't regret and you just may thank yourself one day!

Letting God Rebuild You

Keep Going

In the past few months I have been motivated by way of my exercise accountability group to push beyond my walk-a-little, jog-a-little routine into a full up nonstop-jog routine. All it took was for me to see the possibility from the ladies in the group who chose to push themselves from walking to jogging to be convinced that if they could do it, so could I.

Just to set the record straight, I do not have the reputation of being a runner. Since I was in high school I've had the desire to be able to run a mile nonstop without being completely exhausted when I've completed, but for years I've struggled with my legs annoying me and my mind repeating the phrase, "stop, stop, stop", each time that I've attempted to run a long distance.

Surprisingly, what I have learned through my weekly circuit training routines where I concentrate on strengthening my legs, arm, and back muscles, is the more that I strengthen these muscles the greater the endurance I have to do more challenging levels of fitness.

It was a sweet day when I ran my first mile without stopping and I not only did I have the energy to keep running beyond a mile, my legs felt strong and stable and my mind was clear, keeping me motivated to keep running.

As I was out for a two mile run this week I pondered over how God will do a rebuilding in our lives after we've been tested and tried in this life. When we allow Him to teach, train, and test us, without fighting back, without giving up, we too will find that on the other end of the long mile(s), we have been rebuilt. As we're rebuilt, our mind has a deeper level of wisdom than ever before from His Word that has reshaped our thoughts, our emotions are more tender and receptive to God's compassion even in the midst of painful trials, and our spirit is renewed to keep on living, learning, and leaning on the Lord for the next mile that we'll face.

Oh, I pray that as Christians we will submit to God's Sovereign Hand in our life as He rebuilds us into who He wants us to be for Him.

As I ponder over God's Hand in rebuilding my life, though it required sacrifice, pain, and disappointments, I'm filled with joy to know that the suffering wasn't in vain. Just as momentary pain in fitness results in more refined and toned muscles, the sting of a trial can be an opportunity for the Lord's glory and our rebuilding for an eternal gain.

When God allows His children to endure suffocating pressures, our cry to Him can be made with confidence that the trials He sends secure our growth. -- John MacArthur 

Finding the right FIT - for Beginners and Start Ups

Over the years I have tried numerous workout videos to aide in my attempts at staying in shape as I desire to take care of this temple that the Lord has given me. Unintentionally I have created my own extensive workout DVD library! Whether I'm in the mood for strengthening my Core or simply getting in some cardio for the day, I have a fitness video for the occasion.

As to be expected, there are certain videos that are my absolute favorites based on my workout mood.

The very first set of workout videos that I became accustomed to in early 2000 was Leslie Samsone's Walk Away the Pounds (WATP) workout system. Leslie guides the viewer through a low to medium impact cardiovascular routine using walking in place as the foundation for the workout. The routines are typically setup in 1-mile increments to encourage you as you walk and enable you to see the distance that you're able to walk throughout the routine. She has developed her workouts beyond walking to include jogging in place to increase the level of cardio.

Year after year in my fitness journey I have returned to these WATP DVDs to establish a workout regime. WATP routines are ideal for people that have never worked out and want to establish a routine that they can do 5-6 times a week, those that have not exercised in a long time, or for those that may have had an injury and want to get moving again. The low to medium impact nature of these routines fit an array of people depending on your workout goals.

If the season outside does not afford you the opportunity to get out and walk, check out Leslie's DVDs. I assure that you will get hooked and may be motivated to challenge yourself beyond walking!

Love to be FIT

Fitness is a new topic that I haven't written about on my blog. These days it seems that everyone has an opinion on fitness. I have one too. Why not share? From my latter elementary school years until middle school as a wee little chap, I found myself struggling with my weight. I wish that I could say that I loss the extra weight that I carried eating healthy and exercising, but that isn't the case. Instead, the pounds that I loss were from eating very little. It wasn't until my college years that I started to establish a routine of exercise and became more selective with my food selections and became mindful of meal portion sizes.

The formula for maintaining a healthy weight is as simple people make it out to be,

Exercise + nutritious foods = healthy weight

The challenge that is difficult for many people to solve is, how on earth can I compute this formula everyday with my own body?

You can scour the internet for the perfect diet plan, but I've learned that if you don't have a few key elements in place as you embark on this fitness journey you will find the numbers on the scale yo-yo-ing back and forth time after time.

The philosophy of fitness that I have made my own is, our body is a temple of the Lord and because of that we should take care of it. To neglect exercise and abuse the blessing of eating by gorging myself on whatever I want, whenever I want, and however much I want is a misuse of the body that God has blessed me with. In taking care of our bodies our focus should not be solely on the exterior. Any exterior enhancements that are realized because of fitness are a by-product of exercise and healthy eating. When we're consumed with how we look, we're led to make our bodies an idol.

Here are a few lessons that have enabled me to stick to a health and fitness plan over the years,

• Get yourself an accountability group. Signing yourself up with other people who have the same goal of maintaining a workout routine can be one of the most crucial decisions you will make to staying with a fitness plan. When you know someone is responsible for ensuring that you're following through with your plan, it does something to your mindset regarding exercise. We never want to let someone down, so an accountability partner or group of people can be the motivation that you need to stay committed to your goals.
•  Identify the exercise technique(s) that you're willing to commit to for fitness. Do you like to workout alone? Does taking a long walk in the park sound appealing to you? Or, do you enjoy group fitness classes where you can feed off the hype of an instructor face-to-face and other class members. Identify your exercise of choice and make it a part of your exercise plan.
•  Make exercise engaging and enjoyable for yourself. When you do, you will find that you're more apt to commit to it. Who wants to do something 5-6 times a week that they don't enjoy? If you enjoy walking, then make walking your regular exercise regime. Think about the physical activities that you enjoy and investigate ways to scheduled them into an exercise routine.
• Establish a time of day that you can commit to exercising and the days of the week that you plan to workout. If you don't establish a plan ahead of time as soon as there is a distraction, you will neglect your workout and could become discouraged on following through and keeping up with your plan. 
• Adopt the mentality that each time you workout, you are making time for yourself and in doing this you become a blessing to others. When you exercise you are not just doing something special for your body, you are taking care of the person that also takes care of others.

For several years now I have been blessed with amazing, energetic, and beautiful women who desire to honor God through fitness. We have become accountability partners to each other and keep each other accountable simply through text messaging each other with our weekly goals, sending encouraging notes after each workout, and sharing in each others successes. You can do the same, even if its just one person that you can enlist to share in the journey to loving fitness.

There's only one you.

Take care of you.

Meal Preparation - An Update

Sesame Chicken with Cabbage and Cauliflower Rice

Fast forward to several months after writing this blog about planning my family's meals, someone out in blog land may find utility in our most recent meal planning system.

Since that latest blog, our family has been extensively using the Cook Smarts Program, which you can learn more about here. For an affordable price, we've been reaping the benefits of having our grocery list generated for us each week after I make time on Saturday to select which meals we're going prepare Monday - Thursday.

If I don't find a particular meal that I think that my family will enjoy, I will either search the "archives" on Cook Smarts and select a meal or I'll find one from our favorite cookbook, "The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime".   In it, Ree Drummond provides step-by-step instructions, with pictures, for even a beginner cook to make a tasty meal for their family.

These two resources have not only make meal preparation more simplified, they have also spiced up the family cuisine at our dinner table. The picture above is one of my all time favorite meals that we've prepared thus far using Cook Smarts. This dish was sweet, spicy, and ingenuous! Rice made out of cauliflower. I would have never of thought of that on my own.  Here's one of the reasons that our family continues to make use of Cook Smarts as it jazzes up our dinner table and challenges us to try something new. We all still can't wait for dinner time!

School Update - Third Year Wrap Up

Where did the time go?

As we wrap up our third year of homeschooling, we simply roll right into planning for the next year. It's that simple in the homeschool world. Things just move right on along.

Our 3rd year seemed to go by so quickly. It was our first full school year in our new school room. The room proved to be a wonderful spot for the girls to concentrate, for me to have a dedicated spot for our school materials, and a location that Trey came to know as "the place for school". During a portion of the morning during the school day Trey makes his toddler play area, the space just outside of the homeschool room door. When he crosses the threshold into our school room, he's "at school" so to speak and when he exits, he has free rein to play and get into whatever toys and books he can reach. Our year was full of reading, arithmetic, science, spelling, grammar, singing, practicing the violin, watching educational videos, and anything else that constituted "school" in our schedule.

The most memorable field trip of the school year was touring the White House. Getting a White House Tour ended up being a lot simpler than I thought it would be. After emailing the local Senator's office and requesting tickets for a tour, I was contacted within a few weeks with instructions on how to get a tour. I had to submit information about each person in our group for White House Security and specific dates that we'd be available for the tour. I was contacted about two months later with a tour date and we were set! To walk the halls of the White House was a special treat for the girls and for myself. There were no sightings of the President, but being able to walk the same halls that our current President and past Presidents have walked just gave me goose bumps.

We finished up the second year of American History in the Sonlight Curriculum. Next year we'll shake up things a bit with a year of World History. Love will be moving into an independent Science curriculum through Apologia for seventh grade. I am thrilled that she's doing more and more independent work, but it makes me a little sad to think about my baby growing older and slowly maturing beyond needing Mommy's help for every subject area. I noticed a great deal of growth in my 11 year old this year that is expected as a homeschooler nears the high school years. We're also going to shift to a full Saxon Math curriculum, graduating out of the Math on the Level curriculum. This is a big step. Math wasn't the subject of the year for my girls three years ago. They stomached it, but didn't embrace it with joy. There still are no birds signing and sun rays beaming down on my daughter's faces when its time for Math, but their endurance for Math as grown and has reached a level that can handle the Saxon curriculum which provides an intense and thorough math program. For Bible, the girls had dedicated, focused time doing their on Bible study each morning using the book, "Starting Strong", by Paula Rinehart. Each lesson was presented with a fictional story about a character facing a moral dilemma. In parallel to each moral story, the girls were guided through scripture that supported the main objective of each lesson. In addition to using this book, we read through several of Paul's letters (i.e. Galatians, Ephesians) which gave us the opportunity to openly discuss Biblical doctrine. Challenging, yet engaging. It is a blessing to take part in my daughter's spiritual growth and see them mature even as young people to understand God's Word.

We welcome the summer months where I'll be sprinkling the girls schedules at a minimum with Math work and reading to keep the educational fire burning so it will be warm and cozy come August. We're also going to plan for continued violin, singing, and piano lessons and add in some art classes as well.

With the Lord guiding us, we're working to build and cultivate a continued love for learning!!!

Farewell, but not forever

 

We've made many memories in Hilton Head and Lord willing we'll return and make more. You can't put a price on the special time that you're afforded when you can get away from the routine of life and just bask in the moment with the people that you love. Their laughter, silliness, enjoyment of the simple things are gifts from God. I am thankful for the people God has blessed me with in my family. Its farewell for now, but not for long.

Trey not so sure about the pool today

His sisters convinced him to take a dip

Rainy Day, Still Fun Day

On  our first rainy day on the island we took the excitement indoors to "The Sandbox", an interactive museum for kids. Trey was in his own toddler world, being entertained by larger than life racing cars, trains, and boats. The girls enjoyed making crafts for little brother.