A day full of tears, full of prayers, and an outpouring of love from the body of Christ…

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

~Never Once by Matt Redman

Our hearts are full of thankfulness to our amazing God who never has us walk alone.

But, God has been working His own plan without us even realizing. So, I share our family’s unplanned meditations for celebrating Easter this year…

With encouragement from close friends to memorize longer passages or even an entire book from the Bible, our family began memorizing Ephesians about a month and a half ago.  We are all at different sections within chapters one and two, but we are constantly hearing it, reading it, and letting His Word soak in.

Chapter one speaks of all our blessings in Christ – our adoption as His sons, the redemption and forgiveness of our sins, how God has chosen and predestined us, how we have the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and how we have power through Christ.

In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. ~Ephesians 1:7

As we continue into chapter two, we are soberly reminded of who we were without Christ –dead, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature, objects of wrath.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. ~Ephesians 2:4-5

Now, as we read the account of the first Easter from Scripture (as found in Matthew 26-28, Mark 15-16, Luke 22-24, and John 18-20) we are reminded of Christ’s sacrifice for us.  Oh, how our blessings in Christ are so interwoven with His suffering!    ‘In Him’, ‘in love’, and ‘according to his pleasure’, Christ died to save us from our sins and lavished on us the riches of His grace. Undeserved, unmerited – We have been brought near through the blood of Christ.  To the praise of His glory!

Looking back, another way that God has been allowing us to meditate on His love and sacrifice for us is through song.  Glorious Day by Casting Crowns was sung at our commissioning service at the end of February.  We have been singing it ever since!

Glorious Day
One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He’s ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One, bringing
My Savior, Jesus, is mine
Oh, glorious day

 

How do you see God preparing your heart for celebrating our risen Savior this Easter?

After a recent presentation, I was taken a little off guard by a question in regards to missions and our upcoming move. The question was worded similar to this…

“What is it about you that you are able to just get up and change the direction of your life?  What is it that you’ve got?  What does it take to do something like this?”

I smiled awkwardly, fumbled with my answer, and then finally said the first thing that had come to my mind, “There is nothing special about me.”  We talked a little bit more, but as with most conversations I walk away from, I realized what I should have said – much after the fact.

My more elaborate answer should have resembled the following…

There is nothing special about me.  It is all about Jesus.  It takes intimately knowing the One who has called you.  It takes trust that has built up over multiple times of finding Him faithful.  In order to step out in faith – whether to reach out to an unsaved neighbor, to move your family to the inner city to minister within community, to moving across the country to further the Gospel, or crossing the ocean to bring the Good News to those who have never heard – you must trust that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever and that He will continue to be faithful and true. It takes reminding yourself of Who you serve – the King of kings and Lord of lords, who loved us so much that he died for us and took away our sins.  I, this weak and sinful vessel, go and follow His call, not because of who I am, but because of who my Savior is.

God will still make a great name for himself among the nations. God involves us in His mission not because He needs us but because He loves us and in His mercy He has invited us to be involved in His sovereign design for the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth.
~ David Platt, Divine Sovereignty: The Fuel of Death-Defying Missions, Together for the Gospel 2012

As our family embarked on the homeschool journey, I was one who constantly asked questions of other homeschool moms. I was looking for any piece of practical and godly wisdom I could glean from those with slightly older children.  I am so thankful for those women who were patient with me while answering my deluge of questions, pointing out possible curriculum and methods, and directing and inspiring me from the very  beginning. 

I continue to ask LOTS of questions and I am still learning, but now, more and more I am also being asked for advice by newer homeschool moms.    Many of these dear women are in a very rich, yet difficult season – a season where their family consists mostly of little ones and a slightly older child just beginning to be able to help.  Just trying to think about ‘how’ to homeschool can be daunting – especially on days when they can’t even seem to get a picture book read to their older one without it being pulled away by a pair of sweet, tiny, little hands.  Mix in the doubts from within and the well meaning concerns from others, and you could feel like giving up before you even start.   I know… because not so long ago, I was there, too.

Even with so many faithful, encouraging homeschool moms who went before me, I, somehow, still entered homeschooling completely unaware of how challenging it would be and how much growth God had in store for the kids – and for me.  The following is some of what God has been teaching me during our first several years of homeschooling.  Now, please don’t misunderstand.  I do not presume to know everything and realize that God has so much more to teach me along this journey, but I pray that my sharing will be helpful for other moms just starting out on this awesome adventure into homeschooling.  

First, the practical…

Practically

1) Get into a routine.  Children need to know what to expect and have some consistent order to their day.  Start by thinking through some non changing points (like meal, snack, and nap times) in the day and work around those.

2) Consider using  workboxes .  I’ve found that individual workboxes helps our older kids to keep progressing and moving forward with their schoolwork during the day, even when I can’t due to tending to the needs of their younger siblings.

3) Provide for the hearts and hands of your little ones, too.  Here are lots of practical ideas for including little ones that we have implemented over the years!

4) Homeschooling with a newborn has its’ own set of challenges, but it is doable.

5) Amidst all the flurry of planning for ‘school’ and academics, don’t forget to persist in focusing on your kids’ heart, character, and continued first time obedience.

Now, for what I think is the most important…

Emotionally & Spiritually

1) It is great to have a plan, but also make sure you are preparing to be flexible and ready to adjust as needed, especially with little ones.  This is one constant theme that God has been repeating to me with each new homeschool year –flexibility!

2) Give yourself and your kids grace. You will make mistakes.  You will not always be able to fit in everything you want to do each day.  You probably will not always speak to your children with a gentle tone of voice nor respond in a righteous way and need to seek forgiveness.  Dinner might be late and laundry may get piled up high.  Yes, you will experience days where you just –want –to -quit.  But, if your call and burden is God given, then He will also give you the grace and strength to continue on.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (Corinthians 12:9-10)

3) Be prepared to battle the lies that you will inevitably encounter.  Over time, as you peruse homeschool magazines, read homeschool blogs, and chat with your neighboring homeschooler (all of which can provide needed insight, encouragement, and great ideas) you will eventually start to think that everyone else seems to be able to ‘do it all’, that maybe it would be better to have your kids taught by someone else, that somehow you are failing your children, and doubt your ability to teach them diligently.  

You see your own daily failings and compare it to others’ bright shining moments.  The day to day can be hard and blind you to what is actually going well in your own homeschool and the gradual growth God is performing in you and your children. 

I’ve personally thought and felt each of these emotions  (The Joy Stealer).

But…
You can choose to fix your mind on things unseen, to take captive every thought, and to focus on God’s Word and Truth in order to combat the lies.  Stay connected to the vine, being in His Word.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  (2 Corinthians 10:5)

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

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9)

4) Over time, God will help you learn how to balance being both the Mommy and the Teacher.
- My 4 Ring Circus
-The Daily Mommy VS Teacher Battle (series)

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

I love this quote by Nancy Leigh DeMoss in her book Lies Women Believe.  She states,

“Frustration is the by-product of attempting to fulfill responsibilities God does not intend for us to carry. Freedom, joy, and fruitfulness come from seeking to determine God’s priorities for each season of life, and then setting out to fulfill those priorities, in the power of His Spirit, realizing the He has provided the necessary time and ability to do everything that He has called us to do.”

Seek His guidance to know what He desires for you to accomplish each day, in each of your roles, and in each season your family is in. He is faithful to provide just what we need at just the right time. 

5) Remind yourself why you are homeschooling.
- What Homeschooling Isn’t

We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our forefathers
to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
Psalm 78:4-7

Remembering why you embarked on the homeschool journey will help you make wise curriculum, extracurricular/activity, and time commitment decisions – keeping you focused on what matters the most.

You can homeschool!

Prepared with practical things you can do and dressed with your emotional and spiritual armor on, you can persevere when the days are challenging! 

By God’s grace, He will not only help get you started on this journey,
but He will also sustain you. 

He will equip you for the task He has given you – every step of the way.

I’m sitting beside our toddler at the kitchen table.  He’s having me place balls of playdough into mini muffin tins and then he smashes them flat, making imprints with a handled cookie press.

‘This is good.  He’s having fun and using his fine motor skills…and I get to be right here with him.’ 

Our first grader sits on the other side of me.  He’s brainstorming describing words, verbs, and location phrases to make silly sentences.

‘He is supposed to do this one day each week and he greatly enjoys it.  Why do I keep forgetting to switch it out with his Explode the Code?  He’s been asking for weeks to do this again.  Look how much he is getting into this!’

I am his scribe as he thinks of each idea. 

Our preschooler comes up to me several times asking if she can go outside and take a photo of nature for her thankful notebook.  “No, not right now.  Let’s wait until it warms up some. Maybe after lunch we can all go out for a walk in the woods.”  She asks several times and my answer is still the same.

‘Oh my.  I really hope we do get a chance to go out after lunch or she will be one disappointed little girl.’

Our 3rd grader is at the kitchen counter.

‘She loves working there each day.’ 

She pops up off of her stool several times to see what her younger brothers are up to and I try to remind her to sit down and to focus on her work.

‘What has she gotten done so far?’

Our 5th grader is sitting across the table from me, working in her math workbook.  I see her glance up at her toddler brother and I.  I realize that she has been trying to get my attention for awhile now, trying to talk above everyone else.

‘I know I’ve heard her several times ask for help.  I remember saying, “Just a minute.”  How long ago was that?’ 

“Mommy, how do I do this?” she asks again.  And she starts spewing off the problem.

‘Whoa!’ 

I can sense my eyes glazing over.  I feel frustration rising as I can’t seem to focus.  For a second, I look intently at her face.

‘I wonder what she thinks of all of this.  How do we get anything done?’

“I’m a visual person, sweetie.  Bring it here so I can see it.”  She pauses, looks at her little brother, and says, “How did he get to be so cute, Mama?”

‘I think the same thing!  We all surely love this little guy.’

I smile and begin to roll playdough balls again and listen to various sentences about a kite, and lots of chuckles after each one.  A few moments later, I glance up to where our oldest daughter was…but she is no longer there.

‘Didn’t she need help?’ 

Our littlest guy declares that he is all done with the playdough and we I clean up the mess.  He runs off, happily, to go find his big preschool aged sister to play with.  I head to the office and find our oldest sitting on the couch and working quietly on her math. 

‘She must get so frustrated waiting for me.  Why can’t I have time to just sit and listen to her, be with her, and enjoy her?  She is growing so fast!  I so wish I knew how to be more relationship driven.’ 

I sit down next to my big girl and we tackle those problems. 

I could also recount, later in that same day, how the two oldest girls were on either side of me needing my help with writing assignments, our toddler was climbing all over me and insisting that I play with him, and our preschooler was complaining (quite loudly) that her big brother was bothering her (when he was supposed to be doing his math).  Hmmm…  (You’ll be glad to know that, yes, it got resolved as big brother was sent to complete his work upstairs and one of the girls was instructed to play with our toddler as I worked with the other one.)

This is just a small glimpse into a portion of our day as a homeschooling family with five precious blessings.  Are you tired yet?

I originally wrote ‘In Mourning’ in early September.  Now, it is November and I continue to reflect on what God has made known to me.

Calm, organized homeschool days are a good thing to desire.  However, they are rare!  And, when my sins of anger and impatience erupt due to not meeting those expectations, God shows me that this good goal has become an idol.  My dilemma: How am I able to not continue to allow this good goal (but the cause of my sin) to have such a hold over me?  What would it, practically, look like in my day to day thoughts and interactions with my family?

As I stated previously, I need to…
1) Remember that God is working to transform me through homeschooling.
2) Be grateful for the opportunity to homeschool, even during the hard days.
3) Choose to be content where He has placed me, in this season.
4) Ask God to adjust my expectations to match His desires for our family.

Also, I MUST…

• cling to His Word and ask the Holy Sprit to guide and change me – EACH DAY.
• pray daily to God, asking Him to help me put on love, compassion, and patience, and to grant me a tongue full of life giving words. 
• be willing to be humble and apologize when I am wrong, seeking forgiveness from those I have sinned against. (I admit, this one comes very slow and hard for me!)
• be alert to areas of necessary child training and discipline that I sometimes overlook in an attempt to keep moving forward
• show grace –towards myself and our children.

I am thankful that I have a patient, compassionate, and gracious God who is abounding in love! 

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
(Psalm 103:8-13)

When my mind and time are so divided among our little ones and all there is to do, my hope is in my Rock Eternal, who is able to keep me in perfect peace. 

You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.
(Isaiah 26:3-4)

My hope is in You, Lord, all the day long…

My Hope is In You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RRZgr7wNDs

So, instead of tackling another closet, cupboard, or box, for the moment, I’ve decided to take a much needed break.  I’m taking a quick look back at the most read blog posts at Joyful Heart and the most visited pages inside Hubbard’s Cupboard in 2012.

Are you ready?  Let’s count down… to the top!

Top 6 Blog Posts from Joyful Heart in 2012

6) Word Family Resources
Lots of printables to use with your budding reader!

5) Our 2012-2013 Curriculum 
We are enjoying Preparing Hearts for His Glory this year!

4) Child Training Bible (Review)
We still have this.  Although, we have not used it as much as we should.

3) In Mourning
Wow.  This one was so difficult to write and share…and I am still reflecting on it as we continue our homeschool year.  A follow-up post will be coming soon.

2) Character Traits For Kids
Character trait definition and verse printables…

1) Utilizing Printable Booklets Without Actually Printing Them
A simple way to save time and money in printing as well as another way of presenting new reading material to our youngest readers..

Top 6 Pages Visited at Hubbard’s Cupboard in 2012

6) Guided Reading

5) Kindergarten

4) ABC Centers

3) Literacy

2) Sight Words
(The Fall, Winter, and Spring Sight Word Booklets all closely followed this.)

1) Printable Booklets

I noticed that a few of my favorite posts and pages from the year didn’t show up.  So, I am including them here.  =)

My Favorite Page at Hubbard’s Cupboard 
Bible Memorization

My Favorite Posts Written in 2012 at Joyful Heart
(other than In Mourning, which is already listed above)
Strength For Summer – a post of gratitude to God for the grace He gives
Take the Bible Stack Challenge  – a visual reminder that God’s Word is for everyone

Blessings to you and yours in the new year! 

Now, where’s that packing tape?

The necessary undertaking of sorting through 20 years worth of teaching materials is a lot of work, both physically and emotionally.  Memories of past students, fun lessons, and challenging teaching experiences that God utilized to allow me to grow seem to rush back with each item that I touch.  What is even more difficult though is how I keep seeing the hidden hours of time and effort that were poured into the thought and actual creation behind these items. So much time and energy had been invested (and, sadly, by putting my husband second in the process)…and now I am tossing it all aside.

With each box, bag, book, and binder that I open, I feel like God is trying to teach me something through the process and I keep coming back to one word – ‘identity’.   Merriam Webster’s online dictionary defines ‘identity’ as “the distinguishing character or personality of an individual”.   So, who am I? 

Well, these are all items that I am now ready to toss, sell, or donate…and, yes, I am okay with it.   It is actually freeing to finally be able to let it go and push it all aside, knowing that this STUFF no longer has a hold of me.

The things I own (which God has given) do not define me.

The activities I participate in (which He allows and enables me to do) do not make me who I am.

What I create and what is seen on the outside (the things God empowers me to accomplish through Him) does not determine my identity.

My current titles and roles (place in life determined in advance by God) are not set in stone.  Jobs, hobbies, and relationships can all change over time.

Yes, I am a wife, mother, teacher, web author, homeschooler, and new missionary.  However, my roles and titles are NOTHING
in comparison to my unchangeable status
of who I am in Christ! 

My true identity is in knowing that

I am

forgiven (Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:13-14)

set free from sin and condemnation (Romans 6:18, John 8:31-32, 36, Romans 8:1-2)

justified by His grace (Romans 3:22-24)

brought near to God through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:12-14)

adopted as a child of God
(Ephesians 1:4-6, 1 John 3:1, John 1:12-13, Romans 8:14-17)

a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, 2 Timothy 1:14, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

bought with a price and belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

God’s workmanship (Eph 2:10)

greatly loved by God
(Colossians 3:12, 1 Thessalonians 1:4, John 3:16, Galatians 2:20)

blessed (Galatians 3:9, Ephesians 1:3, Romans 4:7-8)

dead to sin and alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5, Romans 6:11, 1 Peter 2:24)

My identity is based on Jesus– His undeserving grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love towards me.  And my purpose is found in living for Him – my risen, all powerful Savior!  I love how a good friend of mine stated, “I find the more I fight for and pursue godliness, the easier it is to let go of "stuff" and false identities – things I ultimately can’t hold on to forever, but I can hold on to Christ.”

May I live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that I may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully give thanks to the Father…

May I become more and more enamored with the Blesser, overflowing in thanks for the spiritual blessings I have through His sacrifice, than with the physical blessings He gives.

The kids all seemed to choose to say thank you to God for different family members!

    
We won’t be posting our thanks everyday, but I think we are off to a great start!  The kids got busy right away writing and drawing their thanks.  They especially enjoyed being able to take photos with the camera (which they don’t typically get to do). =)

Why not ask your children to share what they are thankful for!

Praise the LORD.  How good it is to sing praises to our God. 
How pleasant and fitting to praise him!
Psalm 147:1

Go ahead and print your own FREE 20 Days of Thanks booklet from Hubbard’s Cupboard or print one from This Reading Mama which has kids think of things they are thankful for related to each letter of the alphabet.  Both are simple ways to intentionally build hearts of thankfulness!

God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy.

Leading up to Thanksgiving this year, I desire for our children to get a small taste of the 1,000 gifts challenge by drawing, writing, and maybe even taking some photos of things they are thankful for in their own lives.

I created a booklet for our kids to record their words and drawings of gratitude – simply called ‘20 Days of Thanks’.  Each day has a short verse of Scripture to meditate on, a space for drawing, and a space for writing.  Due to the various ages and fine motor abilities of our children, I made several versions – unlined for our toddler, single lined for our PreK child, regular dotted lines for our first grader, and some smaller lines for our third and fifth grader who will be using cursive.

Here’s a quick peek…

and a link!

‘20 Days of Thanks’ booklets – FREE to print for your own family!

Also, come see how we used these printables on the first day of our 20 Days of Thanks.

Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.  (Psalm 103:2)

From the very beginning of our journey to missions, we knew we wanted to somehow involve our entire family.  So, when we had the opportunity last fall to start sharing with other believers the needs of the Bibleless, I began searching for a way to involve the kids.  I was so excited when I came across another Wycliffe missionary family’s blog and how their kids did a quick presentation using Skittles.  I contacted the other family, the Tolivers, and requested permission to copycat their original idea. 

Then, we had fun counting and practicing….

At first, as we were sorting and counting, the most difficult part was keeping the kids from eating the Skittles.  We would jokingly say, “Don’t eat a language!”   Of course, after taking all of the effort of working together to carefully count the Skittles, the kids quickly learned the importance of not dropping, eating, or misplacing a ‘language’.

While I think our copycats gave a great visual for the need for Bible translation, the Toliver kids did an excellent job!  They recently remade the original video and it looks very professionally done.  Go check it out!

Skittles & Translation from RBennett on Vimeo.

Out of a known 6,800 languages spoken in the world today, only 471 language groups have the entire Bible translated into the language that they understand best.  Over 2,000  languages have a need for Bible translation to begin.   That means there are close to 350 billion people around the world today that have NO Bible available in their heart language.  (Stats were taken form the 2011 worldwide status of Bible translation.)  Won’t you join us in reaching the Bibleless with the gospel of Christ?