Making the most of a Snow Day

Snow days are new to us, especially since we homeschool.  We've decided to follow the lead of our local school system and extend our Christmas break while the white stuff is still on the ground.  Besides, there is much to be learned on our winter wonderland.  We've studied snow flakes under a microscope, determined the trajectory of sleds flying off snow ramps, experimented with temperature differences in snow forts and thrown boiling water into the air to watch it turn to snow.  My word, we've completed a winter unit study without even realizing it! 

All of our "school-free" days have been exciting and fun; but yesterday, I felt the need to gather everyone around the school table and talk about what this year holds for us.  We started with a devotion from Ephesians 5:15-16, which says:

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (nkjv)

Following a brief discussion about the meaning of "circumspectly" (carefully considering consequences) we moved on to talk about redeeming our time.  Redemption is a beautiful word, full of possibility and promise.  I went around the table, from child to child and explained times I've witnessed in which each one of my six have redeemed their time for good.  It was heartwarming to watch their faces light up as I pointed to their selfless acts, expressions of kindness and initiative to help others. 

My desire for this year is that we will be purposeful with our time, remembering each moment is a gift from God.  I also want my littles to be motivated from their hearts and led by God's Word, rather than pushed by my hands or prodded by my words. 

So, our next step was to set goals. Goals give us something to shoot for, a target to sharpen our focus.  Of course, they needed to know how to set a personal goal.  I explained the process this way: 

1) Think about each area of your life. 

2) Consider the gifts and talents God has   given you. 

3) Take a look at where God has you right now. 

4) Explore what you would like to do and expand that to include what only God can do through you. 

5) Ask God for an anchor verse of Scripture to set your goals and keep them tied to His Word and His purpose for your days. 

We settled on six goal areas:

Spiritual

Physical

Educational

Service

Social

Entrepreneurial 

Everyone went to a quiet place alone to pray and write down their own goals.  I met with each child individually to talk about strengths, weaknesses, possibilities and my role in coming alongside them to accomplish their goals.  This time was precious.  It allowed me to hear their hearts and to express my faith in God to do mighty things in and through them.  I can't wait to see what He does. 

In case you're wondering how a little one would go through this process, we simplified it for the 6 and 8 year olds.  They had to draw three pictures showing how they can be a help at home, at church and to others.  Their pictures, as well as the desires of their hearts, were priceless.  Our 6 year old drew a picture of himself leading a friend to church and wrote: "Come with me to God."  Our 8 year old, who came home to us (through adoption) a year ago with huge issues concerning fear that he wouldn't have enough food, wrote: "I will give people food." Looking me in the eyes, he said, "Because we have lots of food, Mom, and some people don't have enough."  Oh. My. Heart...

What I learned from this snowy goal-setting day is that we do have "lots"- lots of love, lots of hope and lots of God's gifts to give.  I am excited to see what God will do as we redeem the time for Him this year.  If you're snowed in today, or if you find yourself in a sunny spot, why not ask God how you can redeem the time for Him this year?  You'll be glad you did! 

Winter Wondering

Today the temperature outside is colder than I have ever experienced: -8 with a windchill factor of -25. Our weatherman warned that it would only take 10 minutes for any exposed skin to suffer permanent frostbite in these conditions. Scary. 

As I sit by the window looking out at the beauty of the snow covered winter wonderland, it's hard to believe there could be so much danger out there. Yet, as I sip my coffee, I'm reminded that my protection comes from staying inside where there is warmth and shelter from an environment that could destroy me. The parallel impact of my Bible reading this morning almost took my breath away. 

I'm using the One Year Chronological Bible and have come to the account of Abraham and Lot.  Abraham gave Lot the first pick of land to settle and Lot chose to "pitch his tent toward Sodom". In Lot's eyes the land around Sodom was wonderful.  Yet, we discover no matter how beautiful Sodom looked on the outside, it was a horribly wicked place, filled with unspeakable danger. But Lot chose to go there, to raise his daughters there.  He moved right inside the city and made his home there. 

Abraham, on the other hand, chose land set apart from Sodom.  One day three men came to visit Abraham. One of those men was the Lord, Who told Abraham about the coming of his promised son, Isaac.  Wonderful news. But He also told Abraham of the destruction He would bring on Sodom. Abraham pled for his nephew Lot (in the sparing of 10 righteous people) and the Lord agreed to spare him. 

The two angels accompanying the Lord went on to Sodom to meet Lot.  When they arrived, men of the city, young and old, came to Lot's house and demanded to have the "men" for their own sick purposes.  They became hostile and Lot was saved only because the angels pulled him back in his house and afflicted the men with blindness.  Horrific scene. As the angels sent Lot and his family out of Sodom, Lot's wife looked back and suffered fatal consequences of her disobedience.  She was turned into a pillar of salt. 

Lot and his daughters ended up living in a mountain cave. His daughters made a horribly sinful choice and birthed sons of incest.  These sons grew to evil nations that plagued the children of Israel for years to come. 

Thinking of all the heartache and evil surrounding Lot, I can't help but wonder what would have happened if he had stayed closer to Abraham.  What if Lot chose to stay close to the protection of God's promise?  What if he saw Sodom for what it truly was; cold, dangerous and deadly?  Things could have been so much different for him, his wife and his children. His impact could have been for good, not evil, his legacy for righteousness, not ungodliness. 

Heartbreaking. 

Abraham certainly wasn't perfect; but he chose to stay near God, in the protection of His promise.  Abraham believed God. His faith was counted as righteousness. The righteousness of God kept him safe from the danger and destruction of the outside world.  Staying close to God allowed Abraham to live a life of security in the protection of His Father's arms. 

So, as I look out the window at a world of sparkly white, though beautiful, I'll remember there is danger in overexposure. This world is full of beautiful things, many of which God has given us to enjoy.  But He never meant for us to venture out unprotected by His covering hands.  Staying close to Him is the only sure way to escape the permanent damage of the world's desire for us.  I'm thankful today, and everyday, for the warmth of His secure embrace. 

"You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11

"Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings..." Psalm 17:8

Home School Spaces

It truly is amazing the difference a functional learning space makes! Although I've been homeschooling for years, I've never had a space that "worked" for us. When we lived in Georgia with just one little learner, we set up a tiny space in an upstairs dormer window nook. It was cute in a kind of Owl-house-of-the Hundred Acre Wood-way, but cute isn't always functional. Let's just say as I grew with a second pregnancy, that space became really, really small. 

Our home in Florida had a quirky little "library area" outside the children's rooms. There was a wall of great shelves and cabinets; but with everyone going through the space to our main entry, we could not leave anything out or risk tripping and trampling. Besides, three kiddos, with a mama toting number four soon made that space impossible. 

So, we set up shop in our sunroom. The sunroom was not heated or cooled, and temperature was a huge issue. It worked well in October, okay in November, some days in December, not so much any other month except March. Still, we had to make do, and somehow we had fun learning moments there. At least it was large enough to accommodate 4 kiddos and a mama carrying one more. 

Planning our Missouri move (another story altogether!) our house miraculously sold in four days! With my husband in a hotel in Missouri, we were homeless. I loaded up the kiddos and moved in with our precious friends where we started school in her upstairs theater. (A beautiful space, for which I was immensely grateful!)

Our house hunt was centered around 3 things, land, an actual laundry room and a homeschool room. We looked and looked and found nothing. One weekend Dan called to say he'd found a house with almost five acres, a bedroom sized laundry and a huge open space for school. My friend and I sat at her kitchen table and walked "virtually" room by room with my husband as he toured the house with our agent. He described each room as he went, showing me the possibilities. We needed to settle on something due to our upcoming adoption, so although the outside of the house is a little "colorful" and the inside needed paint (in every room) as well as carpet, the house was only 4 years old and a great space. He made the offer; it was accepted, and I saw it for the first time at inspections. 

By this time we'd moved to Missouri and were schooling in a townhouse. (Super funny memories.) When we were able to move in, we painted everything we could, changed carpet and completed our adoption. We finished schooling for the year, but we hadn't quite made the room functional. Sooo, this year, I worked like a madwoman with the help of the kids, my husband and our precious neighbor, to finally make a fun, functional space to learn. Here is the tour. ( I love virtual homeschool room tours!) 

I found this great table at Tuesday Morning on clearance for less than $200!

The chairs came from a little antique store in town. They were brown till my sweet friend helped me give them an antique robin's egg finish. The color came from the new rug. I found the rug at Ross for $109. (So exciting! It's huge and colorful!) 

 

Precious canvas painted by my daughter.   Our theme verse reminds us we are anchored by Jesus and launching out to discover all He has for us to learn and grow! 

Our reading/ listening corner with fluffy pillows (from Tuesday Morning) a cubbie bench, and chalkboard (free plywood from Home Depot painted with chalkboard paint from Joann's). We attached the board to the back of our other set of cubbie shelves from Target. The map rug is from Biglots. I think it was only $10.

Our craft table/continent wall/ cubbie area. This table has floated around our house for YEARS. At one time IT was the homeschool table! I paid $5 for it at a yard sale- great investment! On the right, vintage tin cans, from another local antique shop hold chalk and erasers. (Love those!) 

Our high school "lockers"! We love this new addition! I wanted real lockers, but did not want to pay $150 for them; so my husband and I found this antique "pantry" at yet another local shop for $52! The kids love it! 

Calendar corner, comprised of a display board and foam mats (less than $10 from Five Below). We also use the square mat for Lego play. This keeps Legos contained and makes for easier cleanup. 

The largest investment in the room was the library wall. It covers the whole wall behind the table. Desperate for a spot to house our huge library of books (which we use daily) I saw a similar display on Pinterest and was determined to try it. My friend and I walked into Jo-Ann's, saw a crate display and politely asked if they would dismantle it to sell us every crate they had. With my coupons and discounts, I paid about $300; but compared to the thousands for real wood bookcases, my husband was pleased with my purchase...That is, until I sent him on a citywide search for more crates because I had misjudged the space! We love the finished product and had no problems moving all the books for our recent wall painting. 

 

This antique Scrabble board has a lazy Susan base and is perfect for spelling practice. Plus, it's just fun! 

Maybe you're just starting out on your homeschool journey, or maybe you, like me, have struggled for years to settle into a space that works for your family. I hope  this little visit into our schoolroom gives you ideas to try for your own space. I'm so thankful to have a spot that allows us to learn and grow together each day! Praying your spot will become all you need for your everyday. Although, I'm incredibly thankful and happy with our new space, I know that our togetherness over the years in big or small spaces, has been the greatest blessing of all. 

Nehemiah...Lessons for Life Building

Nehemiah is a powerful book nestled between the Old Testament prophet Ezra's account of God's release of His people from Babylonian captivity and God's protection of His people from Persian slaughter in the book of Esther. Reading through all three books gives us an amazing picture of God's mercy, His restoration, His rebuilding and His fierce protection. 

My children and I just completed Nehemiah by reading a chapter each day. I was blown away by the depth of Truth they were able to grasp from every chapter. The older ones contemplated the teaching while the littles ones were captivated by the action. 

Chapter by chapter revealed a new Truth for us to apply in our everyday lives. We recorded each one on a chart and talked about ways we can incorporate them in every area of life. 

Chapter one: Recognition and Confession. Recognize what is broken and confess your part in it. 

Chapter two: Step up. Count the cost. Volunteer to work at rebuilding. Examine what is needed, how long it will take and make provisions for your current responsibilities. 

Chapter three: Work together. Each person has a gift or talent to bring to the task. Encourage others in their gifts and put them in a place of service.

Chapter four: Have a mind to work. Remember The Lord.  Our God will fight for us. 

Chapter five: Fear God. Be generous.

Chapter six: Do not fear man or circumstances. Pray this: "God strengthen my hands."

Chapter seven: Work in an orderly manner. Be faithful. Fear God.

Chapter eight: Obey God. Love His Word. 

Chapter nine: Separate yourself to holiness. Confess your sin. Stand up and bless The Lord your God.

Chapter ten: Do not neglect the house of God. 

Chapter 11: Bless those who willingly offer themselves to step out in obedience and sacrifice. Be a person worthy of that blessing.

Chapter 12: Rejoice with great joy-as a family-rejoice!

Chapter 13: Guard your gates. Put your spiritual house in order. Take a firm, concrete stand against sin and temptation. Never back down! 

We enjoyed learning these Truths. my desire is for them to take deep root in our hearts. I pray we, like Nehemiah, will be builders of God's people, as well as rebuilders of the broken down places. 

Running Behind

I can't get used to this Midwestern weather. One day, the sun is brightly shining and running in shorts feels just right. The next day it's cloudy, windy and about 30 degrees colder...not pleasant.

Last week was an experience of weather extremes and I was not in the mood to run in it. My husband talked me into layering up and lacing up. We headed out and grumpiness hit my heart as soon as the chilly wind hit my face. I began to complain...loudly.

As we rounded a turn, my husband ran in front of me. At first I thought he was tired of hearing me whine about the cold, but then I realized he was blocking me from the full force wind we had turned into at the corner.

I ran behind him for a while, thankful for the break from the cold, until my grumpy heart had another complaint. I couldn't see ahead of me. And I didn't like not seeing where we were going. All I could see was my husband, running ahead of me, out in front, choosing our path. Hmmm, comfort or control. My bad attitude cried out for both. I could not be satisfied with comfort because I could only focus on lack of control.

In that moment, God spoke to my heart. He called me to look at my discontentment on this run and consider it as a reflection on my life run with Him. Ouch. I realized how often my heart cries out for control. God stays in front of me, shielding me from the icy onslaught of the world and I become grumpy because I can't see ahead, I can't choose the path.

One of my favorite verses in all of Scripture is Ps. 25:4. It says, "Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your path." Not only is He willing to teach me His wondrous ways and to show me His providential paths, but Jesus is willing to take the full force of any icy wind blowing my way.

Why do I keep trying to run up front? Because my nature thinks it knows a better way and my feet blindly follow my selfish flesh, leaving my heart out in the cold.

I'm learning to run behind The most Elite Runner of all time on this race of life. Hebrews 12 tells me Jesus has run this course before, knows the path, chooses to run before us and shields us from dangers we won't ever have to see. Although I often can't see what's up ahead and I have to trust Jesus to choose the path, running behind really is the way to get ahead.

Out of the Blue

On this last journey through toddler years, I'm soaking in every new phase. To me, each progressive stage of newborn to elementary age is fascinating, but the one we're in now just sends me over the moon.

My littlest Little is five, just stretching into his five year old britches, with a mind and personality that are both a bit bigger. I adore watching his unique personality develop. He's quite the charmer when he chooses to be.

More than a budding charisma, I love watching his heart decipher the big thoughts in his little mind. Daily, he has questions, deep questions. He longs to understand, to piece together the stories of Scripture he's learning with the heart of their message.

On a recent vacation, we were nestled together as a family in a tiny, touristy ice cream shop. I turned to see my little man with a far off look in his eye, and from that out of the blue place came this question, "Mom, were the people who made the Titanic like the people who built the Tower of Babel?"

Uh...Gulping my frozen yogurt and pushing aside the fact that no one was speaking of the Titanic or a tower of any sort, I tried to get to the heart of his question. "Do you mean were they prideful?" He nodded with the most urgent look on his face, as if to say, "This is important. I've got to get this pride thing. It's big and it's bad and I think I might understand it." "Well, yes, "I replied, "They thought they could make the biggest and the best and the unsinkable. They didn't listen, so, yes that was prideful." He nodded, this time in affirmation to himself of the connection made in his mind and heart. And with that he went back to his single sized scoop and his triple sized thoughts.

Oh! I want to linger with him in that out of the blue place where his eyes are opening to spiritual things. It's a beautiful place. It's the place he goes to each morning in devotions when he listens with such intensity that his facial expressions react to the drama of the text. As we studied the events leading up to the crucifixion, he focused on every scene of the upper room. In his mind he was there.
It's a breathtaking thing to watch.

As a mom, my heart cries out to God to continue to woo this little one with His Word. I pray his fascination with it, his focus on the details of each passage, will never fade. My biggest prayer though is that God's Word will continue to connect with his heart.

I wonder why we can't all be like my little man, living in that out of the blue place where our hunger to understand compels us to match what we see in the world with the message of the Word. Why can't we rise above all that is taking place around us to see Jesus and let His Truth be our reality? Is it because we've stepped out of the blue and into the gray? Everything we once simply understood, believed at face value, depended on in childlike faith has somehow gotten lost out there in the murky gray of the foggy teaching of the world.

So how do we go forward, through the haze? We go back, back to the simple, but profound Truths of the Scripture. Instead of seeking more of the world in flesh, we seek more of the Word made flesh. We seek Jesus. We ask Him those out of the blue questions to bring clarifying connections in our heart and mind. He's promised if we seek Him with all our heart we will find Him. If there is anyone who seeks with all their heart, it's a child. Their determined focus is amazing. Just think about when they want a new toy. They seek a relenting yes and focus until they get the desired answer.

I believe this is the way Jesus would have us live. As a matter of fact, focusing on a child Jesus set in their midst, He taught the disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" Matt. 18:3).

Let's go there, to that out of the blue place where we see life, death, family, friends, strangers, enemies, work, home, church, everything, as Jesus sees them; connecting His Truth to our circumstances and trusting in His answer to be the only Answer we ever need. And contemplating it all over a frozen yogurt just might help.

Suffering for the Good

Through my high school years, I was privileged to sit under my dad's Bible teaching in Sunday school and in my youth group. Many of the deep truths and funny stories he shared stand out in my mind. He had a way of making the Bible come alive as he taught.

Most fixed in my mind is his account of the crucifixion. I remember when he came to the verses describing Jesus' suffering on the cross, he would step away from his podium to give us a visual of the passages.

Dad would take us to the garden to envision Jesus agonizing in prayer as His disciples nearby succumbed to sleep. Dad described in detail the great blood drops of sweat as Jesus pleaded with the Father to remove the cup from Him. He made sure we understood that cup contained the wrath of God against every sin we would ever commit. We could not begin to imagine such horror. Dad pointed to Jesus' heart of submission as He said, "Not My will, but Yours, be done."
Moving from disciples who slept to one who betrayed, we "saw" the kiss of Judas in the garden of Gethsemene; Satan slithering through the twisting of olive branches.

Dad would continue through the night time mockery of judicial proceedings, detailing Peter's cowardly denial, the enraged beatings, blaspheming, spitting, slapping, laughing, abusing of the body of our Savior. Then, he would describe the crown brought by soldiers, huge, stabbing thorns, twisted into a circle and pushed down, piercing the head of that bowed to the Father on their behalf.

We heard of the scourging, tearing of flesh by shards of bone attached to leather strips, repeated until flesh, muscle and nerves were shredded. At times, Dad's descriptions were too much to bear.

He went on to explain the cross, where Jesus willingly lay Himself down. Nails, spikes really, driven between bones in His wrists and ankles. Then, he demonstrated how Roman guards, adept at tortuous killing, hoisted the cross and dropped it into a hole, ripping through flesh at the nail sites. In hanging, Jesus had to pull Himself up with suspended, extended, fatigued arm muscles to breathe every breath. Yet, using every ounce of strength, He spoke words of comfort from the cross, concerning forgiveness, provision for His mother, assurance of salvation to a dying thief, and agony in thirst.

The most heart-wrenching words ever spoken came from His lips in hours of complete darkness as God the Father turned His face from His only Son, Who had become sin for us. As Jesus cried, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" At this point in Dad's lesson, I could no longer take it. Jesus, perfect, blameless, hanging there in utter darkness, in a state of complete isolation that I will never have to comprehend. Too much.

Dad came to the end of the lesson, recounting Jesus' last words from the cross, "It is finished." Holding my breath, I remember one question rising from the depth of my soul, "Why?" I wanted to know why He had to suffer so much agony. I knew blood was required. I understood sacrifice; but suffering, like that? Why? After all, Dad reminded us He could have called "more than twelve legions of angels" to stop the torture at any moment (Matt. 26:53).

Hebrews 12:2-4 explains Jesus despised the shame of the cross, yet He chose to endure. Why? I've found my answer in passages like 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For He made Him Who knew no sin to become sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

I also learned why from 1 Peter 2:21-24, "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth; Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him Who judges righteously; Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed."

He suffered to endure every type of suffering you and I could ever experience, abuse, hate, false accusation, beatings, nakedness, humiliation, betrayal, abandonment, loneliness, physical, emotional, spiritual agony, death.
Hebrews 5:8 says, "though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. He suffered to identify with us. We suffer to identify with Him. In dying, He showed us how to live in a world suffering as a result of sin. He suffered to raise our dead hearts to righteous life in Him.

Ultimately, the answer is found in Isaiah 53:10, "Yet, it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. " It pleased God to make Him suffer in our stead. His stripes were necessary so that we could be eternally healed. Through His suffering, our broken souls are made whole. Amen.
Hosanna...Jesus saves!