The Trail of Faithfulness

How long does it take to show faithfulness? How long does it take to BE faithful? Think about those questions again ... At what point can you say someone has been faithful?

Yowsers ~ THAT is a loaded question, isn't it?!

Faithfulness is defined as, "reliable, trusted, believed; true to one's word or promise; loyal or constant." I love that last word. CONSTANT!

I was speaking to someone I hadn't seen in a while, telling them why I left public school education & started my own business, leading us into the conversation of the inevitable..."WHY home school?" (Another loaded question!) As I defended my stance & rattled off some scriptures & statistics, the conversation quickly moved onto other topics but it got me thinking about this journey we walk down on the trail of faithfulness.

Am I faithful in defending what I believe in God? Am I faithful to serving my husband each & every day? Am I a faithful daughter/sister/friend? Do I show faithfulness when I am working with my clients? Do I amplify that definition in my daily walk? In all these things, do I leave a trail of faithfulness for others to see?

So many people have noticed that I don't have children of my own, yet I am advising on how to "train up a child in the way he should go." Sometimes that stings. Mostly because that has been a period of trial for my husband & I. After 5 1/2 years of praying, waiting, tests & procedures, we continue to cling to Romans 12:12, "Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer." And now, I can finally announce that our first child is due October 1! We have learned much along this road ~ take none of it for granted ~ and will continue to give ALL the glory & honor & praise to HIM who has chosen us to be the parents of this precious child.

I digress though...(That was VERY exciting for me to write!!!! [grins, grins grins])Sometimes it stings. But mostly, it pushes me to delve deeper into God's Word to find wisdom & truth about how we should prepare ourselves for this life, and how we should prepare our children. One of the definitions of faithfulness was constant. Scripture says, "When I rise up, when I sit down, when I walk in the way..." That seems pretty clear to me at just how consistent we should be & this is also my reason for doing what I do!

As a home school parent, you have a golden opportunity to teach your child the ways in which the Lord wants us to lead our lives. You can intervene in arguments between your children, showing them how to handle conflict in a godly manner by loving & forgiving the one who has offended them. You can teach them about serving others, as you take one day each month & clean the home of an elderly church member. You can teach them the priceless gift of helping others as your older children assist your younger children with homework or difficult problems. You can teach them to love others more than themselves & when a sibling is having a rough day, they can come alongside them & pray over them, draw a picture for them, tickle them, and/or listen to them.

Just writing these things makes my heart want to explode with excitement, knowing these things can happen in so many homes!

So let me pose a few questions (and maybe a scripture that gives us guidance in regard to the answer) as we travel along this journey together...

~How does one develop a christian mind? ...Therefore, helping develop those sweet little ones watching your every move & listening to your every word & observing your every facial expression...
"Love the Lord your God with all your hear, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Mt. 22:37
"Set apart Jesus as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." 1 Pt. 3:15

~How do I set a faithful example for my (family, children, office, friends)?
"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will act." Ps. 37:3-5

~How do I continue gaining in my knowledge of Jesus Christ, therefore passing it on to my children (setting an example to a neighbor, family member, etc.)?
"Faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ." Rom. 10:17

Being faithful is tough. Most days, I feel like the only thing I do that IS constant, is fail!!! But God calls us to stand firm in our faith. He asks us to work through our salvation. He charges us to give these battles over to Him & allow Him to work through & in our lives. He is the only One who is the true definition of faithfulness.

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation; because by Him everything was created in heaven and on earth...all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things and by Him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything." Col. 1:15-18

Being faithful ~ showing faithfulness ~ is a journey. Part of the joy as we travel this journey & attempt to set an example for others is the fact that WHEN we fail, we can go to them, ask for forgiveness, & get right back up on our walk down the trail of faithfulness. Think about the power in THAT example for your little ones! And when you just. can't. go. on...Remember the One who IS faithfulness.


"If we have no faith, He will still be faithful for He cannot go against what He Is." 2 Tim. 2:13

Walking this journey of faithfulness WITH you ~

For GOODNESS sake

Goodness is a tough concept to teach, don't you think? Sure you may say to your sweet cherubs as you are leaving them for the evening, "Be good for (babysitter, grammy, etc.) so mommy & daddy will be proud of you!" Well, what parameters surround "being good?"

Good is defined as, "the state or quality of being good; moral excellence; generosity; the best part of anything." But what has your family taught your child(ren) about this word?

The bible says SOME of the following (one day you should look up the word good in your bible reference...Gracious we need to grow!):

Exodus 33 says, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

Nehemiah said, "Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them..."

2 Chronicles says, "may your faithful people rejoice in your goodness.."

Psalm 23, "Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

Psalm 69 says, "Answer me, LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me."

2 Peter says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

Psalm 145 says, "They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness."

Hebrews 6 says, "who have tasted the goodness of the word of God..."

Did you notice who was good in those passages? Who was the one who IS good? Where does it come from? It is not something WE do; Rather it is something God cultivates in us, when we are His child. It's kind of like forgiveness...You aren't really the one forgiving...God's faithfulness to forgive you, allows you to invite forgiveness into your own heart, therefore forgiving those who sin against you. It's not YOU but the Lord. It's the same thing with goodness.

Being "good" can then mean honoring your Father with those things He has provided to you, showing His goodness in your life.

~Maybe He gave your arms & legs...Can you serve Him out of the goodness of His provision?
~Perhaps He provided you with a compassionate heart, filled with a listening ear...Can you listen out of the goodness He poured into you?
~Did He listen to your prayer request? Can you proclaim His goodness for hearing even you?

And for your sweet babies growing in the Lord...
~Did the Lord give them an extra portion of sharing EVERYTHING? Support them by telling them the stories in the bible of where God shared...His love, His forgiveness, His compassion, His mercy...His Son!
~Does your precious lamb struggle with "being good?" Can I challenge you to speak gently to them throughout the day when they need reminding of this? Write down the scriptures above or search on your own. Read about God's goodness everytime they need a reminder. Remember, it's a race to finish strong...Not just to finish!

The Lord IS GOOD! His goodness has shown itself real in my life ~yet again~ this very week. Funny that as I began praying what to write regarding goodness, He starts my thought process by showing His goodness in my life for a solid 4 days ~ EVERYWHERE! Need we a reminder of just how good God is...Look around & ask yourself ~ What do I see that is good, from the Lord. Find ONE thing...and now honor your Father by praising Him for His goodness. He will begin revealing all of His goodness if you allow your mind to focus on HIM.

So thankful for His goodness each & every day ~

Being Patient...Being Kind

I didn't forget about this blog...I was just hoping we could all learn some patience as we eagerly awaited my next post. PLUS, I knew you would show kindness after I finally put it up here, giving me grace for not posting for so long!!! ....Okay, the thought did cross my mind to do that but then I really did have good intentions of posting anyway, it's just the holiday season came upon me & here we sit heading into February & I figure I can't go any longer! So thank you for being patient AND kind as you waited for me.

There are many ways we can teach our young ones to be patient. Intentionally, we can tell them to "be patient" & then allow a series of events to unfold in front of them but when dealing with long-term patience, they don't tend to understand it as well. I find it most helpful to quote them scripture ~or a portion thereof~ about patience, as they wait ...for the trip to Disney...for the Popsicle...for their new brother/sister...for grandma's visit...for the movie to start. In the scriptures below, we as Christians are called to an action. We are to: "be still," "be patient," "persevere," "wait." Teaching these to your little ones not only instills the virtues of our Lord in their hearts, but will allow them to hopefully then learn how this can apply to their life situations. So, I hope these (as well as others I have not quoted here) help!

Psalm 37:7-9..."Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land."

Proverbs 15:18..."A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel."

Ecclesiastes 7:8..."The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride."

James 5:11..."As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about."

Psalm 40:1..."I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry."

Sometimes, it is easier to teach patience than it is to teach kindness. At the fall of man, sin entered the world & we will never be the same while here in this life. Our flesh battles through a raging war of the ME! ME! ME! attitude of deserving (something), while we work through our salvation & long to be more Christ-like by dying to our flesh. So when (that person) gets a new car before you do...gets a higher grade than you on a test...gets a bike before you do...wins a karate tournament before you do...says a jeering comment to you...Remember the instances in the bible where kindness was shown. When bringing up your sweet lambs, the emphasis on kindness is quite important especially when one brother shows kindness to another.


Leviticus 19:34..."The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God."

Proverbs 14:21..."It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy."

Joshua 2:6-16 (v12 shown)..."Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you."

Esther 2:7..."Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died."

John 19:27..."and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home."

When you are in those teachable moments & your child is in the middle of a minor meltdown, be the Christ-like example as a parent you are called to be & use the double-edged sword of the Word to share with them how others applied these traits in their life. You will NEVER regret taking time to stop everything you are doing & impart God's Word into their heart. Show them patience & kindness in your dealings with them so they can fully comprehend the application.

And on that note, I make a vow to not leave you for too long. :o)

NOTHING!

In Psalm 119 it says, "Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble."

NOTHING!

Not a bad test grade.

Not a bully.

Not a misunderstanding during a lesson.

Not when the family pet passes away.

Not when he/she doesn't get the leading role in the community play.

Not when he/she doesn't get invited to (insert child's name)'s birthday party.

Not when he/she is unsuccessful the first time trying a new sport/activity.

Not when you leave to go on an anniversary trip for 5 days.

Not when he/she goes away to "stay away camp" for the first time.


If you love the Lord & HE is King of your heart, you know the peace that is perfect ... especially in your weaknesses. Teaching this to your children takes discipline & time. Discipline because you cannot decide to vent your frustrations constantly in front of them or have daily, dramatic meltdowns. Instead, you must show them what self-control looks like in action & you must be a witness for Christ to them by sharing how your trust in Him, gives you a peace that NOTHING can touch! No matter how bad.

Not when your boss skips over you for that raise.

Not when someone cuts you off in traffic.

Not when you're running late for church.

Not when you've been up all night with your child who is sick ... and now is sleeping quietly while you are disinfecting the house.

Not when your friend gets a bigger or better or newer (insert worldly object).

Not when you're waiting on the phone for someone from (insert company's name) to pick up & handle your customer service request...and you've been on hold for 15 minutes already.

Not when a new recipe you try flops at the dinner table.

Not when you have prior obligations & cannot attend dinner with "the girls."

Not when your best friend is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Not when your father dies.

Not when you're in a hurry & the lady in front of you at the check-out stand is busy talking her time with the person checking out in front of you.

Not in your manner of speech.

Not in your tone of voice.


...And when you do stumble, ask forgiveness. Let your sweet little ones know that the enemy is always looking to devour us & when we slip, we can easily run back into the safety of our Father's arms where we will always be protected & always be redeemed.

"I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

Stand firm ~ for if you are a child of God, NOTHING can make you stumble through His mighty power!!!!

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!