JOYfully Living

I would classify most children as: Jolly, jubilant, excited, vivacious, jovial, giddy. I can't recall many children who are so downtrodden, stressed-out, overworked, or sad that a good knock-knock joke, pillow fight, wrestling match or tickling fight won't crack a smile to their face (even if they have to look away so you don't see them!!!). There are some children, however, that I would say are joyful. There's a big difference. Joy has many definitions: *The emotion of showing great delight or happiness, caused by something exceptional *The expression or display of a glad feeling *A state of happiness *A source of great delight

The bible refers many times to the word joy ~ Songs use the word ~ People are named Joy ~ It is used as a noun, verb, adjective, & adverb...When you think about it, it's a pretty flexible word!

If you know me, you know my husband & I do not have children. We long for the day when God allows this to happen. It has been over 5 years of listening, waiting, moving forward, moving backwards, standing still... & is quite a journey to walk but on this journey, He continues teaching me about joy. And when you are desperate to feel anything but the agony of waiting in a world where NOTHING stands still, you tend to seek out joy.

"Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and JOY in his dwelling place."

Joy is synonomous with our Lord. One cannot be without the other. If part of our great calling is to be more Christ-like, then it is with more JOY that I need to live. There are so many times when joy is referred to in the bible:

~When enemies are destroyed
~When a child is born
~When an mother sees kindness showed to her child
~When gifts are presented before a King
~When we turn away from sin
~When a friend visits
~When a son returns to his father
~When we are "jailed"
~When someone comes to know Christ

And there are also many people who experienced joy:

~Mary, when she visited her sweet friend Elisabeth
~Deborah, when Sisera was overthrown
~Angels, when Jesus was born & when sinners repent
~The disciples, when Jesus ascended into heaven
~Paul, when he experiences great hospitality
~New believers, who did not "see" but yet believed

....So many other times & so many other people. Joy, in my observation then, is not a "feeling" which may come or go. I can laugh, I can be glad, I can feel excited or happy ... but joy, ...no... I think pure joy is only from the Lord.

"My servants will sing from the JOY of their hearts..."
"So the woman hurried away from the tomb, afraid, yet filled with JOY..."
"At that time, Jesus, who was full of JOY through the Holy Spirit..."
"He provides you with plenty of food & fills your heart with JOY."


My heart is filled with JOY today. As I think about the many prayer requests I offer to my Lord, I try to remember in each of these circumstances, there is JOY to be found.

~When I am sick...because then, I "have time" to turn off my phone, the tv, and draw the curtains closed & be with my Lord.
~When I "don't have an answer" to my question...because through my waiting, He gives me strength & is preparing me for something far greater.
~When I get rejected...because I am a child of God, He knows me by name & has already prepared a place for me in HIS house.
~When I am sad & alone, even in a room full of people celebrating a joyous occasion...because I know He will never leave me OR forsake me & that all of my ashes are being used for His beauty.
~When I experience the death of a saint...because I know One Day they shall rise to meet us in the air as He calls us home.
~When I'm made fun of or questioned or tested because I beleive in Christ...because hopefully through my sufferings, more may believe.

Are you teaching your child JOY? Are you showing them that it is not a state-of-mind or a feeling one gets, but rather a longing in one's heart to be with Him? A simple knowing that if I have nothing else ~ or nowhere to go ~ or no one to turn to, He remains? I pray we each vow to remember this as we come before Him with our requests, moment-by-moment. I also pray we each pass joy along to our children. Not happiness...Not something temporary...Not a fleeting feeling...But true JOY, which comes only from Christ.

"I will see you again & you will rejoice, & no one will take away your joy....Ask & you will receive, & your joy will be made complete."

Living JOYfully today ~

Tips & Tricks

I've received several emails asking for tips or tricks on introducing new books to their children. Whether your child isn't into reading, is into only reading one genre, or reads only for AR point, finding the right book for your little one can be daunting. I've listed a few helpful suggestions below. If you have already tried some of these, it may be helpful to try them again. If you haven't, try a few & see what the outcome is.

1. Read TO your child. Select an interesting & fun book that is somewhat mysterious. Read a chapter (for older children) or a few pages (for younger children) each night to your child.

2. Pick a location that is different from your normal location, pack some snacks, & grab a blanket & get comfy while you read. While you're reading the book, stop periodically & discuss what you've just read.

3. Take a trip to your local library & ask your child to select 7-10 books of VARIOUS interests (several different genres). Then, make it a "game" & surprise your child by reading a different book each night.

4. Introduce your child to new books that YOU have selected but tell them they get to rate the book. Come up with a rating system of 0 - 5 stars with a short summary of why someone would or would not want to read this book. Your child will still be listening to the book & still feels empowered because they are able to rate the book. Agree that if it receives less than 3 stars, it goes STRAIGHT back to the library!

5. Grab 10 friends & have a "Book Swap." Don't ask me why, but your child's friends books are WAY more interesting than his/her own! ;o)

Want some book suggestions? Below are a few of my all-time favorites!

Verdi by Janell Cannon
Bad Dog, Marley by Josh Grogan
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs & Pickles to Pittsburg by Judi Barrett
Goin Someplace Special by Patricia McKissack
Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna
Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan (Michael Jordan's mother)
The Princess & The Pizza by Mary Jane & Herm Auch
The Three Little Wolves & The Big Bad Pig
Do Pirates Take Baths by Kathy Tucker
Horrible Harry chapter books by Suzy Kline
Cam Jansen chapter books by David Adler

There are SOooooo many others ... but we'll keep it short for today.

Happy Reading ~

Can You SEE With Your Heart?

I'm reading a book right now which simply amazes me and challenges me in all new areas. It journeys a man through his imprisonment & how this obviously changed his life.

Sometimes we feel imprisoned. Maybe your feeling comes when your children are grumbling with each other all day. Maybe you feel trapped within the confines of a particular job or job duty. Perhaps it is a choice you've made and it just seems there's no way out. Your imprisonment can be projected towards anything & many circumstances. What does the Word say, though? "Consider it pure joy my brothers when you face trials of many kinds."

The man writing my book says there were weeks he couldn't even think of a scripture because of the mental games his captors played with him and injections they gave him. His only prayer..."Jesus, I love you." He repeated this over & over again ... He knew the bible but the scriptures were so far from his tortured, distorted mind and yet he KNEW in his heart that Jesus was Lord of his life.

A few days after he realized this, Luke 10:23 came to his mind: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.." You can apply that to so many situations but he related it to the disciples coming back from an oppressed country where everyone was tortured & there was sickness, hunger, etc...Nothing there was "beautiful." Jesus tells them this to remind them that this is not our home! They knew oppression but also knew boundless freedom. They each witnessed the stark contrast between being fed & being hungry ... LITERALLY! They saw the pain & misery, but they had seen the Savior. He showed them unending, freeing, always full~never hungry, pure LOVE! He goes on to say more regarding this but I love this point he makes as a kind of summing up point: "It was through their torturing that we learned to love."

(((((UMMMMMMM, C O N V I C T E D !!!!!!)))))

If you already know the Savior ... You can rest certain that you've been prepared & already seen what you need to see ... Keep your eyes open & fixed on Him, your heart ready, & remember that through each of these "prisons," God is showing you many things ... Continually teaching you to love above all else, even when someone or something "wrongs" you helps remind you to see with your heart ~ through His heart. 1 Peter 4:8 says, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins" and John 13:34 says, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." He gives no disclaimer that if your enemy or friend has hurt you, you can skip this command and love them when they're nice to you again or finally ask for forgiveness. He tells us that He has called us not only to love one another, but to do so in order to show His Father's heart & spread His Father's message. Period.

Share your heart today & love someone with reckless abandonment ~ let them see His heart ~ John 15:13 says, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Loving Him ~ AND YOU!

I love football season. I don't understand all the "dime plays" or "nickel draws" or "zone defense" like my darling husband does (those words are probably wrong anyway!) & for the life of me, I cannot pick it up, even though PlayStation shows you the routes, details what each player's responsibilities are, & then puts it exactly as directed into action. Doesn't matter to me. I love the cheering & the friendly rivalries as much as I love the reason to get together with friends each & every week!

Can you picture the start of each game? Where do the lead players meet? That's right ~ there in the middle of the field with the official and sometimes a few others, both teams meet up, slap high fives or give each other a wink (I'm sure to say ~ Not today buddy!), & flip a coin. After the official directs which team won the toss & whether or not they will receive the ball, he also tells you which end zone is the "home" field. In boxing, the referee tells the boxers where they can hit & that they must listen for his call or the bell. In soccer & basketball, nearly the same procedure as football takes place. Everyone is aware. All players know what is happening. No one can say, "I didn't know that this wasn't my end zone!" (Although, I'm certain someone's tried!!!)

You need to do the same in your "classroom." If you have home schooled before, your children basically know the rules. If you have not, these are uncharted waters for you & your child & both of you are begging for someone to give you the parameters. But regardless of whether this is your first or tenth year, each year brings new challenges, new children, new curriculum, or at the very least, new wonders! Setting the expectations "for the game" are essential!

Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 says, "Whoever obeys His command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure. For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him."

Create a schedule. Show each child how long they will have to complete a given subject. Let them know when the school day will end. Let them know when it begins. Let them know when you will eat lunch, if your day is not ending at that time. Most importantly, let them know your flexibility. Some days are more flexible than others ~ Tuesday & Wednesday you have PE & a co-op class just after lunch so your child cannot work past the scheduled time that day. But Thursday's are wide open so if they are struggling with something, you can play catch up that day. Being flexible with a schedule takes practice ... And if you're the Type A scheduler like I am, it takes A LOT of practice! :O) I assure you, however, that you will make sure the task is completed.

Prepare your child for what they will learn. Show each child his/her curriculum. Tell him/her the "scope & sequence" of the year .... What he/she is going to learn throughout the course of the year. It can be as simple as saying, "In science this year, we're going to study Astronomy through Genesis 1:14-19 & how God created night & day & the things which separate them on the fourth day." You could also allow them to sit down and flip through some of their work text pages. You should let them know that each (day) (week) (month), you will be posting a task list for them to see the things which need to be completed. For younger children, daily or weekly is best. For older children, giving them a monthly list allows them to create a weekly/daily plan in order to meet these goal & take accountability.

Take an inventory of interests! I'm sure you know what your child is interested in but I find 9 out of 10 parents who do this, find out valuable information they DID NOT know about their child. Make it simple ... Ask questions like, "What do you want to learn?" or "Tell me something you already know and want to know about (a particular subject or topic)." With younger children, you can do this orally ... The older ones typically enjoy doing this on their own so typing it out for them is usually more beneficial.

SET BOUNDARIES! I cannot emphasize this last suggestion to you enough! Think of all the things which could possibly come up in a day & tell your child what to do in that instance. It's overwhelming to do ... So creating a list of 5 - 10 general "rules" or "boundaries" will at least give them direction. Things like My pencil broke! ~ or ~ I have to use the restroom. ~ or ~ I need a break! ~ or ~ I'm finished! ~ or ~ I just don't understand this stuff! Letting them know your expectations for how the day is going to work & what they are/are not allowed to do within those parameters when things arise, puts everyone at ease because we all know how to play the game now.

Do you remember what happens at the end of the game? Most of the time the players meet each other somewhere in the middle & shake hands or speak somehow to one another. But there are beautiful, rare occasions where you see players huddled together, knees bent, in the middle of the field, lifting up prayers of thanksgiving to our Lord for any number of things. While the scripture in Ecclesiastes tells us a wise heart knows the proper time & procedure for everything, it is not revealed to us via email from God. (If you're getting these though, PLEASE put me on His mailing list!!! HA!) It comes through knowing His Word & hearing His promises & listening for His timing. You are called to lead your children ~ So who is leading you? Listen to His call upon your heart for these procedures & plans. Begin & end each day with prayer & let your children know that regardless of the day's activities & how much work was completed or not completed, we need to thank Him for this opportunity of learning & for continuing to order our thoughts & minds day by day...Because He knows the proper time & procedure for it all!

HAPPY BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!

Fruit of the Spirit

There's a new link at the top of this page ... Look up ... Now over to the right a little bit ... That's it ... See where it says Fruit of the Spirit ... Check it out!

Back ~ To ~ School

I started a new bible study this morning ((Thank you sweet Amy!!!)) & since then, this entire post has changed. Last night, the post was basically, "Yay for a new school year ~ Everything is prepared ~ Look at what God is working for you!" Then the bible study introduction happened & I was broken to my knees.

You are homeschooling for a reason!

Reread that & soak it in: YOU ARE HOMESCHOOLING FOR. A. REASON! Somewhere between the reason & today though, has it been watered down? Out of your obedience to His plan, will HIS blessings flow.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 speaks to the blessings of our obedience. In major contrast, v. 15-68 (yea, that's over TRIPLE the amount of warning he gives!) tells us what we can expect our consequences to be if we choose to disobey. Allow me to succinctly phrase what He says: Obey me & follow my commands & I've got things in store for you which you cannot imagine! But if you disobey me, you will be cursed.

(L O N G pause of silence ..... look around ..... make sure no one saw you cringe!)

God hasn't brought you here for you to say to Him, "Thank you, God, for getting me to this point. I got it from here!" Quite the contrary. The things you teach this year are crucial & only when we are listening to Him lead us, will we see the blessings of His guidance. Jesus talks a lot about our hearts bearing witness as we act & speak. In Matthew 12 He says, "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."

How can you teach your sweet cherubs about salvation, forgiveness, obedience, taming your tongue, kindness, being faithful, honesty, ....If you aren't IN God's Word learning more about these things? If you aren't hiding His truth in your heart so that from your mouth pours the love of Christ, why do you expect your children will be any different? If your focus is always "getting through the lessons of the day" & you aren't seeking what God has intended for you & your child, why would you think your child would search for God's hand in the day-to-day activities of life?

Are you silent again? I was. I sat there for about 15 minutes nearly in tears as I thought of the things to which I am obedient & disobedient. God isn't to be used today for one purpose but discarded the next as things get rolling along. Yes, each day is filled with ever-fresh & radiant possibilities & every moment can be transformed into something new but out of my obedience can come many blessings & from my disobedience can come numerous curses. I'd like to be the obedient one.

Can I encourage you to read Deuteronomy 28 today & ask God to show you where you are being obedient & disobedient? Can I also suggest this not only applies to home schooling but to our every day life? Our friendships ~ Our marriage ~ Our relationship with our parents and/or in-laws ~ Our life's example to our neighbors or doctor's office. It might make you cringe ... but remembering our purpose is to serve Him, honor Him, & glorify Him, all through obeying Him, will make it all worth your while.


Shannan

Promoting Good Instruction

While there are many ways to say, "Great job" or "Well done" and even more ways to correct, I thought we could all use some fresh phrases to praise our children, even when correcting, especially in these first few weeks of getting back into the routine of school.

~ You did a lot of work today!

~ You really outdid yourself!

~ That's a neat idea!

~ You're really getting the hang of it now!

~ Wow, that's incredible!

~ You make it look so easy!

~ You're improving every day!

~ Nothing can stop you NOW!

~ You are doing a terrific job trying ~ Keep it up!

~ I'm proud of the way you worked so hard today.

~ You're really learning a lot.

~ Quite the improvement, sir or ma'am!

~ You have made my day!

~ You've got your brain in high gear today!

~ I see such an improvement in your work.

~ Tremendous job!

~ I couldn't have done it better myself!

~ You make teaching such a pleasure!

~ That was first-class!

~ You're getting better each & every day.

~ Super, groovy, hard work, my love!

~ God knew just what He was doing when he made you my son (or daughter).


Proverbs 16:21, "The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction."

Promoting Good Instruction alongside you ~

Shannan