On Purpose

How many times have we heard a child tattling on a sibling only to end it with "and she did it ON PURPOSE"?  Those words have been bouncing around in my head the last few days.  On purpose - how many things do I do with purpose?  Each morning, I get up, fix breakfast, change a diaper for the youngest, brush teeth, check email . . .all of these things are done with purpose.  Yet, how much time have I spent with God - on purpose?  And not just the "oh help me now" prayers.  But how much time have I spent seeking God, praising God, and praying for others?  Sometimes when it compares to the other things I have done on purpose, it looks pretty dismal.

When you have your kids with you all the time, there isn't always time to get away.  Quiet time?  Quiet time with God?  I can't even get quiet time with myself, much less time to get into the Word.  So here, my friends, is a life changing, simple suggestion told to me by my friend Kristin.  Once in a while we get to go to the bathroom by ourselves, right?  Even if you have to lock the door and ignore the fingers that poke under the door and the voices just on the other side of the door.  Here it is - put your Bible and/or a short devotional IN YOUR BATHROOM.  It may just be 5 minutes that you get.  But God promises to be our sustainer and provider.  So go to the bathroom and spend just 5 minutes with God ON PURPOSE.

Here is one of favorite devotionals that is short, but meaty. Praying God's Word Day by Day

If you need me, you can find me in the bathroom. :o)

Discipling our children

This week I went to the very first meeting at Frisco HIS.  If you are in the Frisco, Plano, Carrollton, Allen, Mckinney area of Texas and you homeschool, you need to know about homeschool support groups like Frisco HIS  The speaker at the meeting this week mentioned a quote that she had heard from Debra Bell  It went something like this . . ."Discipling our children is my number one job, and the way that I feel like I can do that best is to homeschool them." I thought that was a very profound way to sum the answer to the ever present question so often asked . . ."so why do you homeschool?"

The point of this blog is not to tell you how I have myself together and how you to can do it all too.  Just come look at my sink full of dishes and you will know that is not true.  :)  But I wanted to start this blog to not only share what I have learned on my journey but to help other moms out there who know they want to homeschool, but they don't really know were to start.  Anybody who has even thought of homeschooling and looked at ALL the curriculum out there can testify to the dizzying amount of choices.

So, back to discipling our children . . . I wanted to share some of the books we have found to be a help.

This is a devotional book that I have been using with my kids.  It is little above what, Julia,  my 5 year old can comprehend, but very much on target for Jenna who is 9 and Jack who is 7.
10-Minute Time Outs for You and Your Kids

We then follow up with a Bible story from this Bible story book. The Kingfisher Children's Illustrated Bible. We have really loved this one!  Often when I finish the story, my kids ask me to read the next one right then.  I love that they are acquiring a love for the Bible.  If you don't already have The Jesus Storybook Bible then this is an absolute must get NOW sort of Bible.  I love, and I do mean LOVE this one.  My kids love it too.  The stories are so amazingly told.  Every story brings you back to the Jesus and the cross.  I choke up reading this to my kids because it is so beautifully written.  So, on the days that maybe math was a struggle, or your patience wasn't all that it should be, remember that discipling isn't just a side note, it is the main thing.

Hang in there moms!  God has called you to this and you CAN do it through His strength.

Anna

To homeschool or not to homeschool

That was my question I asked and prayed about 4 years ago.  Now 4 years later, I am still here, homeschooling my 9 year old, 7 year old, and 5 year old.  I have a 2 year old too, but he is so far not included being that he is a small force of destruction these days.  This blog will be our journey as we learn and sometimes struggle together.  Thanks for stopping by!