Homeschool Hump Day Encouragement

So this week in homeschooling is half over. Let's evaluate what you did so far in your homeschooling journey!

• Did you change anything this week that made it better? 
• Did you step back from school to give your kids an opportunity to reset and get back into the mode of learning? 
• Did you take a break for your own sanity?
• Did you look into curriculum options for next year? 
• Have you begun to plan for next year?

If you answered YES to any of these, then you are passionate about educating your children! Good for you, momma!! You are beginning to take steps to improve and change things you are doing for your children's education because you understand the importance of a specialized curriculum and school environment for them.

TIP TUESDAY: Organizing Kids

When my kids were little (and there were only three of them!), I used to color coordinate them. I didn't just dress them in certain colors all the time. But I did make picking up their toys and hanging up and putting their clothes away easier. My oldest son had blue dresser drawers, a blue crate for his toys, and blue hangers. The next son had red and our oldest daughter had everything in pink.

Color coordinating your kids this way is also a great tool for teaching them colors, at least some of them, and teaches them to be responsible for their own things. What are some ways you organize your kids while teaching them something at the same time?

Blessings!

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Homeschool Hump Day Encouragement

For today's encouragement I want to tell you something, homeschooling momma. You are seen. You are appreciated. You are listened to. You are honored. You are valuable! I know sometimes you want to sit in the bathroom (one of the few places we can have a little bit of privacy!) and just cry. The lessons didn't go the way you planned. You ended up having to run and unexpected errand that set your whole day back, the baby took a nap in the car so you missed your nap, a friend needed to talk and you Facebook chatted for 47 minutes, a complete stranger at the grocery store felt compelled to unload her life's problems on you so you prayed with her, and you forgot to buy the chicken for tonight's dinner.

It's okay! Sometimes the day goes wonky, crazy, and completely not the way you had wanted it. But you're doing a good thing for your children. You're teaching them to be flexible. You're teaching them that it's okay to take a "time out" for yourself. You're teaching them that even when things don't go the way you planned, the day will still go on and turn out fine. You're teaching them to give the day to the Lord and to allow the Holy Spirit to turn things around and in your favor and for His glory. You're teaching them to trust God and most importantly, you're teaching your children.

Blessings!

TIP TUESDAYS: Easy Cleaning for Spring

These tips will help keep you on target for maintaining your home throughout the Srping and Summer months. When the kids are out of school and the house seems to get more easily cluttered, these tips will make getting back on track more practical!

Make a list of things to do seasonally. Today we will focus on cleaning for Spring!

Once a month:
Dust 
Clean mirrors
Change bed sheets
Mop/Vacuum floors
Clean out the refrigerator
Change heating/cooling systems filters

Wash windows
Clean gutters
Clean, repair, and refresh outdoor living spaces

What chores do you do seasonally?

Blessings!

Ecclesiastes Week 8

Today marks the end of our Ecclesiastes series! Yay! You've made it through! This final part of the Scripture is open to just as much interpretation as the previous 7 verses:

The Word is pretty clear that we are to love one another as Christ loved us. We also know that God is love. In First Corinthians 13:4-8 we read:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 

It's not always easy to walk in love, especially when people have hurt us in the past. It is often difficult to forget the pain, disappointment, and frustration and anger that come when we feel betrayed. But there is never a time to hate someone, in my opinion.

I believe rather that there is a time to hate sin, hate the actions of others, and hate outcomes or certain situations. There is a time to hate those things. And there is a time to fight against those things, too. There is a time to hate lying, iniquity, and blasphemy.

Finally, there is a time for war and a time for peace. There is a time to fight and a time for living in peace. Throughout the Old Testament there are examples of the Lord commanding kings to go to war, and they were victorious. And there are many other stories about great men and women of the Lord living great lives in peace and obedience.

As we finish this series on Ecclesiastes, it's nice to reflect on what the Lord is saying to us through this verse. What have you learned, gleaned and had new revelations about? What has the Lord been showing you regarding these verses? 

Blessings!

Homeschool Hump Day Encouragement

How are you all getting along since Spring Break? Feel like you're even further behind? Did you get ahead so you can finish on time or early? Homeschooling, momma, don't get discouraged if you aren't where you want to be. Maybe the curriculum you've chosen for this year wasn't what you expected and it made school a challenge. Maybe you were more tired trying to accomplish all that your lesson plans required of you. Maybe sickness was a stumbling block and caused you and your children to get behind unexpectedly. That's okay! The beauty of homeschooling is that not only are we striving to teach our children in academic excellence but we are also teaching them character!

So look back over your year. Have your children attained a certain character trait such as compassion and generosity? I witnessed a young boy comforting his mother in church on Sunday. That is a huge thing! Whether she knows it or not, she is teaching him to be a man even in his young age, and that mom can be proud that her son knows how and when to console.
While we tend to look at our children's academic accomplishments at the end of the year, let's not forget these life skills and character building that they have gained as well!

Blessings!