Joyful Heart

I have listed quite a few goals for spiritual change in 2012. I am not one to typically make New Year’s resolutions, but this year, I really felt God was challenging me to work on several specific areas. I shared those goals in my last post, ‘What If…?’ .

Today, I want to share the practical side to a few of these goals. (And, perhaps, some of you with similar goals might join me!)

1) Being filled more with gratitude than complaining

My dear sister in law bought 1000 Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are for me this Christmas. With the break in school and some uncommon free time, I devoured the book!

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Ann Voskamp’s book – so poignant -

…how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if not with thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives. Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our Yes! to His grace. Thanksgiving is inherent to a true salvation experience; thanksgiving is necessary to live the well, whole, fullest life.  (p. 39)

…that habit of discontentment can only be driven out by hammering in one iron sharper. The sleek pin of gratitude.   (p. 50)

To name a thing is to manifest the meaning and value God gave it, to know it as coming from God and to know its place and function within the cosmos created by God. To name a thing, in other words, is to bless God for it and in it.     (p. 53)

God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy.   (p. 57)

So, with my pen and gratitude journal in hand, I am taking the challenge to write down and name 1000 gifts from God this year!  Want to join me?  Over at Ann’s website, A Holy Experience, she is kicking off the year with a challenge to us all- The Joy Dare: Count 1000 Gifts in 2012 (and a giveaway!).

2) That I pray more diligently

Again, my sister in law shared with me a link to Praying Proverbs 31: Prayers For a Daughter’s Virtue.  It is a book written by Tracy Glockle that contains prayers for our daughters that stem from Proverbs 31.  Over the course of 10 weeks, I plan to pray for each of our three girls – focused prayers on virtue, purity, vision, service, etc. After completing this, I hope to pray for our sons using Warrior Prayers: Praying the Word for Boys in the Areas They Need It Most by Brooke McGlothlin.   I also want to regularly pray through the related Scriptures that accompanied each of my goals.  Intentional, focused prayers that offer me one way to pray more diligently in the new year!  

3) That my children witness me growing in Christ-likeness

I can only grow if I am studying His Word! I already read the Bible daily, but I want to have a plan to dig deeper. After growing and being challenged in the Good Morning Girls’ Ministry of Motherhood Book Study last summer and then taking the fall study off due to WAY TOO MUCH on my plate, I am now ready to dive back into the online winter study. For the next three months, I hope to study, verse by verse, the book of Ephesians. Good Morning Girls has made it so easy to start!  I just need to print the schedule and S.O.A.P study sheets out, place everything in a binder, and prayerfully work through the verses each morning.

4) That I fully trust God for all the unknowns

I will have many opportunities this year to trust Him for the unknowns! With our involvement with Wycliffe alone there are a myriad of unknowns – What is the timing of us being fully supported and able to be released for our assignment?  When do we place our home on the market and how do we find time to prep the house for sale and continue to have time for day to day duties and homeschool?  How long will it take to sell?  Where will we be living at the end of this year?  What are the logistics for taking the required linguistics courses?  I could continue to ramble on with questions, but that is not productive. I must turn to Christ and trust Him fully for the timing and details… and rest secure in His loving hand. I plan to reread and reflect frequently on His past faithfulness and on my growing compilation of 1000 gifts.  Being able to remember Christ’s past faithfulness will help me to not be anxious about the future.

He is the potter and I am the clay. May Christ mold me-
my heart, my mind, my actions
– to be what He desires for me to be.
Through His strength.  For His glory.

What if 2012 is the year…

that I delight more in God and His Word than in falling prey to the fear of man?

Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
Proverbs 29:25

that I fully trust God for all of the unknowns?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

that I learn how to love others more deeply?

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:1-4

that I am filled more with gratitude than with complaining?

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Colossians 3:15-16

that I allow Christ to subdue my tongue and I become skilled at speaking in a manner that builds up rather than tears down?

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,
but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs,
that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Ephesians 4:28-30

that my children witness me growing in Christ-likeness?

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 3:18a

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23a

that I pray more diligently?

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Colossians 4:2

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Dear Lord, through Christ and Your Holy Spirit, may it be so!  For in that, in You, it would truly be a great year.  Center my life on You.  Prepare my heart and mind for what You have in store for my family and I this coming year.

In December, as Christmas day draws nearer, there is an anticipation.

Each December, we enjoy our activity countdown to Christmas- sometimes on a countdown chain, sometimes tucked inside our advent nativity calendar. 

We look forward to crafts…

an annual family game…

singing carols…

completing our nightly star chart…

and making yummy Christmas treats!

Is our family simply looking forward to the gifts, the special holiday treats, sights of Christmas lights strung from the housetops and on trees, a time off from regular school work, enjoyable activities and crafts as a family, a chance to be with family and friends? 

Those are all good things.  And so, from the outside one might say, ‘Yes. They are just making memories!’  We do pray that these young minds and hearts are developing precious memories to carry with them as they age, but also SO MUCH MORE.  We desire for there to be depth to our childrens’ memories – looking past the actual crafts with the shimmering glitter and splattered paint, through the yummy Christmas treat experiments, around the daily countdown, over the gifts that begin to appear beneath the tree ….. and straight to the cross.

For, in the midst of all the activity, we try to focus on the ‘why’ of the season. 
Why do we celebrate Christmas? 
Why is there so much fuss over the coming of one certain day each year? 

Because in the midst of a dark world, God chose to send His Son to bring us Light
– to BE the Light.
While we were darkened and trapped by our rebellion and sins,
God sent His One and Only Son into the world to redeem us
– to save us from our sins.

No, the Bible doesn’t tell us that Jesus was born on December 25.  But, we take this time to reflect on the humble birth of our heavenly King, the LIGHT of the world.  He is the GIFT, the PROMISE that everyone in the Jewish world was anticipating, and the HOPE that our hearts and souls desperately need. 

The Light for a dark world…

1 John 1:9
The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

 
May we set our hearts on Him.

Isaiah 60:1-3

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
   and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
   and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
   and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
   and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

In part four of the daily mommy vs teacher battle, I shared the tension felt between providing academic time with older children and the importance of seeing our younger children as blessings instead of hindrances during our school day.  I also shared some practical ways that we can show love to and include our littlest ones in the midst of the academics.

In this last battle, two opposing views are expressed. 
Can peace be found in this last battle?

Battle #5

Teacher – “I don’t feel like we are doing enough academically.”

Mommy – “I am feeling stifled by the academics and am burning out.”

Truce #5
- I need to consider several things if I (as the mother, teacher, and discipler) am feeling burned out.  There is a lot to ponder here and I think each could be a post in themselves!  However, I will keep it to just a few questions that I need to take into account…

• Does my husband think we are not ‘doing enough academics’ or is it coming from outside sources that I should probably not be using as my standard or from my own lofty expectations?  Although he is not typically present during the day to day, God has placed my husband as a protector over me and I should be seeking his insight.  
• Also, do the children seem to be progressing and learning in what they are studying?
• What does God’s Word command me to teach the children?  Am I obeying His Word in this regard? 
• Am I in the Word daily and staying secure to the vine?

-Remember that when all else fails, focus on the four essentials – Bible, reading, writing, and math!  It is foundational for all other areas of learning.

-Maybe older children can read historical fiction and biographies and/or do some science experiments following steps in a book or video (on their own).  There will be plenty of time to work on science and history in depth as those precious babies, toddlers, and preschoolers turn into elementary aged students – which will happen in the blink of an eye.

 
(above:  our 3 1/2 year old this fall)

The daily mommy vs teacher battles have been raging strong this school year in our home and I have come to the conclusion that homeschooling with many precious blessings is…

Just. Plain. HARD.

It is challenging physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually!
As Todd Wilson states in his book, Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe,

No one homeschools because it is easy. Most do it because they think it is the best.  That should comfort you, because the best things are almost always the hardest things. Think about it.  The things that are easiest are usually not very good for you, but those things that take blood, sweat, and tears are worth everything.  So take heart.   Homeschooling must be really, really good because it is really, really hard.

Knowing that homeschooling is hard can either make you cave into the temptation to give up and place all your school aged children on that big yellow bus that passes by each day OR  it can build perseverance and increase your faith.    I want to persevere.  I want to run a steady course in spite of the obstacles, the difficulties, and the discouragement.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 
(James 1:2-4)

But, how can I persevere?   It will only be through prayer and an unrelenting reliance on Christ’s power within me.  I can not do this in my own strength!

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. 
(1 Chronicles 16:11)

Through prayers and the strengthening by His Holy Spirit, I will also gain a peace that transcends all understanding, helping me to hold fast and to persevere.

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.  (Isaiah 26:3)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 
(Philippians 4:6-7)

Dear Jesus, let me not become weary in doing good, for you promise that at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  (Galatians 6:9) 

Fellow homeschooling mamas, I’d love to hear about any ‘truces’ you have come up with that ease your mommy vs teacher battles!  May we encourage one another and spur each other on to persevere.

Have you missed any parts of this series?
The Daily Mommy vs Teacher Battle
Part 1 ~ outside time
Part 2 ~ strengthening relationships
Part 3 ~ life skills
Part 4 ~ including the younger children
Part 5 ~ persevering (current post)

So far, the mommy and teacher in me are making progress!

The warring parties have come to terms with seeing the importance of outside time, providing time to strengthen family relationships, and seeing life skills as essential as the academics.

In part four, we deal with the battle that has been pulling the most at my heart strings.

Battle #4

Teacher – “The older students need time for their group science, history, geography, Bible, and foreign language during the week!”

Mommy – “The younger children God has blessed us with need to play, be read to, and cared for lovingly by me and not viewed as distractions.”

Truce #4
- Always have open arms and a free lap for littlest ones.

-Start the day giving some undivided attention to the younger children first.

- Plan to have older siblings take turns playing/interacting with the youngest child(ren) for 15-20 minutes if attempting to work one on one with another child and the youngest is not doing well on his/her own.  (This also is part of the truce for battle number 2 and the goal of building strong relationships.)

- Do a group lesson, like Bible time, near a safe and contained play area so the youngest one can still be close, hear, and participate if they choose to.

-Do some group lessons during the youngest ones’ afternoon naptime.

Some thoughts regarding Toddlers
(around 18 months – a little over 2 1/2 years)
-Place some special ‘school time’ toys in a bin especially for use by the toddler  that are to only be brought out during school – You might want to include items like large beads, lacing cards, and laces; larger sized sticky backed foamies and paper; contact paper and cut paper shapes or tissue paper squares; blocks; shape sorters; knob puzzles; etc. 

-Create a simple sensory bin with larger sized items.  Sensory bins are great for younger children to explore materials and gain practice with pouring and stirring.  (Precaution:  You still need to be present and alert to make sure little ones don’t place the objects in their mouths!)  Preschoolers enjoy these, too!

While struggling with wondering how to help our youngest toddler this year, I realized that we’ve had many years with toddlers around!  So, I did some digging and reminiscing =)   Here is just a quick peek at the types of things our other toddlers have enjoyed at this stage…..

      
- Place the toddler in a highchair or booster (for snack time or with some Color Wonder marker writing materials or with a few board books) as older children work at the table (regular work, messier projects, or a science experiment) during that time.

(above:  4 years ago… our 1 1/2 year old contentedly looking at books in his highchair as his kindergarten sister writes in her writing notebook and his 3 year old sister does her letter art)

Special thoughts regarding Preschoolers
(around 3 years old – 4 1/2  years old or so)
-For the preschooler, bring out the playdough, books on tape or CD; an art bin for encouraging creativity; floor puzzle; Lauri educational puzzles; small objects, a pair of small tongs, and a divided tray in order to freely sort and make patterns; a few carefully chosen educational videos (like Leapfrog or Bible songs); a stash of color, shape, and ABC books for easy perusal; chenille pipe cleaners and beads; a paint with water book; water color paints; their Joyful Heart Tune Bible verse binder to sing; Sticky Mosaics; Kumon early learning books; pattern blocks, etc.

(left:  earlier this year…our 3 year old completing a floor puzzle with ‘help’ from her 11 month old brother)

-Try to include the toddler(s) and preschooler(s) as much as possible!  Toddlers and preschoolers learn best by exploring, doing, and copying from others.  They WANT to be right where all the action is (and, as it just so happens, where a lot of the learning is occurring, too)!

(above:  last year…our PreK and our 2 year old painting)

  (above:  4 years ago…our 22 month old helping his older
kindergarten aged sister with a fall project)

 

- Most of all, be flexible and willing to break the routine in order to love on the littlest ones and to give them the attention and care they need from mama!

Our foremost desire should not be to complete the academics on our ‘schedule’ for the day.  Although important, school work has to come second to  demonstrating kindness, gentleness, and compassion to the younger children God has blessed our family with!

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  (Philippians 2:4)

Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.   (Psalm 127:3)

Other homeschool moms, how do you love on and tend to the unique needs of your littlest ones while making sure the academic needs of your older children are being met?

Have you missed any parts of this series?
The Daily Mommy vs Teacher Battle
Part 1 ~ outside time
Part 2 ~ strengthening relationships
Part 3 ~ life skills
Part 4 ~ including the younger children (current post)
Part 5 ~ persevering