What Are You Saying?

This past weekend I had the pleasure of hearing a wonderful motivational speaker, Terri Savelle Foy, at her annual Icing event. There were many things that she passed along, but one that hit home for me. She asked, "Why do we focus on what we don't want instead of what we do want?" She asked how many times we've said something like, "I don't want to get sick. I don't want to be fat. I don't want to work in this job I don't like, why can't something good like that happen to me?" Why do we seem to focus on those sorts of things? Those are actually negative declarations!

We need to train ourselves to focus on the positive instead. The Word says to speak those things that do not exist as though they do. We have to fight those negative thoughts and words, and we do that with positive declarations. Where you are right now, isn't where you're supposed to stay! So how can we move in the direction of our dreams and those things we want?

1. Learn to be grateful. Keep a gratitude journal and write down the things that you are grateful for, the things the Lord has blessed you with each day.
2. Learn to encourage yourself at all times. For example, if you want to be a writer you might say out loud every day: I am a great writer. I write books that attract publishers. My books impact other people in a positive way. People are encouraged by my stories and want to buy more and more of my books!

These are just examples, but I think you get the idea. You can apply that to anything you want to do in life from weight loss to finances to ministry to launching a business!

Joyce Meyer says, "Always live according to your vision, never according to your eyes." Remember, we walk by faith not by sight! We have to believe in the dark what the Lord has told us in the light. Hang on to His promises. Declare what God says about you and your success. When you fall, arise! When you are faced with darkness, the Lord will be a light to you!

Have a blessed week!

Lyn~

Homeschool Hump Day Encouragement

I am the kind of homeschooler who looks for learning opportunities for my kids every single day. There is so much that can be learned, things that don't fall into the category of English, math, science, or social studies. Oh, sure! You can probably find ways to fit most learning into one of those categories, but it's certainly not necessary.

One of the things I enjoy the most is watching my kids dissect the creativity (engineering, art, writing, architecture, etc.) of one of our favorite theme park destinations! They get a great dose of "If you can dream it, you can do it!" and we encourage them to try to replicate those design aspects that interest them.

I want to encourage you today to look for those teachable moments, those moments when you are able to interest and capture the attention of your child without thinking about completing the workbook or textbook on time, following a scope and sequence, or being governed by a book that says what you child needs to know when.

The Word says that we are to teach the things of God to our children, when we wake up and before we go to bed, as we walk along, and throughout the day. That's the Shema.

Try something new this week. Look to the Word of God for learning and education. Your children may just have an "a-ha" moment and finally understand a concept you've been trying to teach.

Stay focused, Homeschooling Mama!!


Lyn~

Happy 5th Anniversary, Super Mom the Illusion!!

Five years ago, I started writing this blog. I had heard for the umpteenth time that having raised and homeschooled my eight children, I must be a "Super Mom" or something. Well, it is definitely an "or something" feeling I had then...and now! My posts were raw, but were from the heart. In honor of my first few posts and the birth of this blog to help other moms who can relate to all I'm going through, I'm sharing this post from October 9, 2011...

After church today, we came home, and I was looking after our oldest dog, Jazz.  She is an 11-year-old miniature dachshund and she had been fighting with our 2-year-old doxie-min pin mix  (Belle) a few days ago.  Jazz sustained what I thought was a small laceration and I cleansed the wound and put antibacterial ointment on it.  Today, I felt the Holy Spirit guiding me to investigate the injury more closely, and I discovered the wound was much worse than I thought which made me feel horrible!  I questioned whether we should take her to the vet to get checked out, thought maybe she might need sutures to close the wound and wondered what I could have done to discover this issue sooner.  I felt as though I had failed my old dog.  The trouble was that Jazz wouldn’t let me look at the wound, so I could only see a part of the injury.  But I cared for her as though it were worse than I could see.  After reading a Website about wound care for dogs, I learned that dog bite wounds in animals are rarely, if ever, sutured closed because of the high incidence of infection.  What I read was that normal and usual treatment is to cleanse the wound daily, apply antibiotic ointment and possibly administer oral antibiotics.  I had 11 days worth of an antibiotic left over from Jazz’s recent dental surgery and I began giving her those pills.  Now, I feel like I am doing something to facilitate her further healing. 

Often, as with my dog, we as parents we don’t quite know what to do about or how to handle a certain situation with our children.  We begin by doing something that we think seems right and make adjustments from there.  This is absolutely what we should be doing!  Sometimes we only see failure as we try to grasp that one thing that has the answers to the issues we face with our kids.  We need to start doing something to correct, solve, answer or change the situation rather than sitting by and waiting for the right solution to manifest itself.  Prayer is the first step in this process.  It leads us to the Lord and to the solution for what we need to do.  I felt as though the Holy Spirit was guiding me with the treatment I should give my dog, but had I not even begun that treatment, how would I have ever read and realized that what I was doing was right?! 

With my children, I desire to correct and esteem them quickly so that they can learn from what they were doing right or what was a wrong behavior, attitude, decision, etc.  Once we begin treating the wrong, we can start building on what they are doing right.  This will lead us to victory over those strongholds of rebellion, selfishness, desires of the flesh and many others.  Through GOD we can be victorious in these areas because we walk by faith and not by sight and through faith we have victory.  So, next time there is a disagreement, a time when you feel you have failed your child, when all you see is failure, remember to seek the victory over the situation through prayer and faith!


Have a blessed week!

Lyn~

Friday 'Fess Up

This week has been...odd...to say the least. I determined to make a move in my organization that will position me to continue on with the vision the Lord has given me, but I have subsequently seen the Enemy's hand trying to distract me! Well, I have news for Satan--I WILL NOT BE MOVED!

Sometimes, we just have to remind ourselves AND Satan of that. We need to keep the Word of God before us-in our mouths, in our hearts, in our minds. If we're thinking about the Word, Satan can't get in!

If you don't know where to begin, try searching for your solution by searching for a word or two that involves it. Want financial increase? Search for prosperity! Looking for a relationship to be restored? Search for reconciliation! Do you desire peace in your home? Search for peace! Are you catching on?

Find a few verses to stand on. Don't let them go! Even if it's just those two or three you hang on to, keep them in your thoughts and on your lips! Satan flees at the name of Jesus! Remember that!

Here are a few verses to get you started:

Have a great, faith-filled weekend!!

Lyn~

Friday 'Fess Up...With a Twist!

I originally posted this in January 2014. But it's so relevant for me today! I want to reignite the passion for my vision and my calling that I had when I first knew what it was I wanted to do and knew what God called me to do. Sometimes we have to look for opportunities to refresh that vision and go after it like we did in the beginning.

Enjoy this flashback!!

Ignite a Fire for Your Passion

(C) Captured Memories 365

I've been thinking lately about the surprises God has given us and those He has in store. Good surprises to propel us and our visions to their ultimate fruition. One of the things that excites me have been attending writer's conferences. I went to my first conference last year in Spokane: Inland Northwest Christian Writer's Conference. It was amazing and so very exciting! I had no idea whatsoever what to expect. I left feeling as though I had gotten all the keys to writing that I needed to start me on my journey. Conferences are like school for me, continuing education credits for my profession. They just excite me and surprise me all at the same time.
So what excites you? What lights a fire in you that you get really excited about doing? When God created you, he predestined you for a specific assignment and calling. And the goal of that assignment was winning the lost for the Kingdom.
Today, I want to hear from you about your passion. What is it that excites you that the Lord has called you to do?

Blessings!

Homeschool Hump Day Encouragement

Originally posted February 2014:

Leading Children to Jesus

Recently a friend told me that she was told by her child's public school teacher didn't think her child knew the difference between reality and imagination and pretending. The teacher had apparently asked the child what he wanted to be when he grew up. The child's response was that he wanted to be a Transformer! At this point, I think it is necessary to mention that the child...is 5 years old! The public school teacher dismissed his idea of a potential idea because it clearly did not fit her idea of a career when the child chose a career.
Now I remember when I was a young girl, I wanted to be Wonder Woman (I'm a 70s child!), my sister and I pretended to be Ponch and Jon (from the TV show CHiPs), I wanted to be a truck driver like BJ (BJ and the Bear), and I really had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. My point is, we all had unrealistic, non-reality based ideas of what we wanted to do as we grew older. Those child-like concepts are influenced by television shows often, but rarely has a child who wanted to be a super hero actually become one!
As we lead our children to the true "transformer," we can arrange for a real and meaningful knowledge of the Lord in their lives and introduce them to Jesus, our real super hero!
I wouldn't say feed the child's fascination necessarily, but definitely be more intentional with the transformer and saving grace of everyone and the Savior and super hero of us all--Jesus!

Blessings!

Lyn~

What's My Calling?

Originally posted September 2013:

Ways to Find Direction & Get the Vision God Has for Your Life

We've talked about getting the vision God has for you, but you may be wondering how to start identifying what your purpose is.  Prayer is a great place to start!  Ask the Lord to show you what He made you to do for Him in this world and in this life.  And then take an active role in seeking to close in on that purpose.

Here are some ideas to get started:

• Brainstorm things you enjoy doing.  Just write down anything and everything you like or think you would like to do.
• Write down hobbies you used to enjoy.
• Write down jobs that interest you.
• Write down what you would do if money were no object.
• Write down nations that come to mind.
• Write down people groups that move your heart.

Those are all great ways to identify what the Lord has placed in you, in your DNA, to do with your life!

So get to jotting down those thoughts and ideas!  May the Lord reveal your purpose as you meditate on those dreams.

Blessings!