Sleepless on a Wednesday night...sigh

Finally, I'm catching up on sleep I lost on Wednesday night. For some reason, I only slept 4 hours, and I was up at 3:30 in the blessed morning...which is definitely NOT my normal hour of arising. I just couldn't get back to sleep, and I was pretty brain-dead for all of Thursday. It's a wonder how I stayed upright during the dance class that morning. I hadn't felt that sleep-deprived since my kids were little.

Philippians 1:8

God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.
~Philippians 1:8~

The beginning of this verse, “God knows...”, reminds us how He knows everything about all of us. He knows how much we love others...especially our families. God knows our hearts and what we really desire for our children. Sometimes we can't even put into words or actions just how much we love them. We need to get to know our children and teens, so we know how best to help them in every area of their lives. Homeschooling moms are in just the right position to learn everything about their kids. That can make it easier to choose how best to proceed with their middle and high school years. In our homeschool, I have them do a semester's worth of career studies around 8th grade especially if they're unsure of what their career path is. Once they knew what they wanted to be, we could then determine whether they need a college-preparatory, vocational, or general diploma. From there, we discussed and planned how the next four years will look in high school. During this time, I had to make sure the goal is really theirs...and not what I wanted for them.

If those goals are not theirs, they will just get more and more frustrated...and so will you. If the frustration is lasting and/or grows worse, it is up to you to sit down and re-evaluate what the source is. Do they still have the same goal? Are the resources we're using just not right for their learning style or goal? This is where we need to show the compassion of Christ. Part of the definition of compassion is “a strong desire to alleviate the suffering”. After re-evaluating, we need to get them motivated again to stay on their path. If this is truly their goal, it won't take much to do that...even during the middle of diagramming sentences or an algebra lesson.



Dear Heavenly Father~
Sometimes I feel such a weight on my shoulders in teaching my children. I want so much to do what's right by my children. I love them SO much and only want the best for them. Please help me to turn over whatever dreams I may have for their future, so their dreams can be realized. Help us also to make sure those same dreams are aligned with what You want them to be, so they can help further Your Kingdom.
In Your Hands~ Amen

Fitness Check-In: 2/24/14

Monday: Fitness 101
Tuesday: Step
Wednesday: 10 min on the bike, most of my weight machines, and about 20 min of the dance class. (FUN!!!)
Thursday: Dance
Friday: My dance class (It was SO fun to see some young girls in my class! We had a blast!)
Nothing this weekend. I really need to get motivated to do more on Saturday.

Weekly Weigh-In: 2/24/14

This week's stats: Gained 0.3 pounds, 1/2" in the chest and hips. Lost 1/2" in the waist. Heading to Fitness 101 this morning. 

Philippians 1:7b

You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News.
~Philippians 1:7b~

God's special favor, His grace, is what's required to get through each and every day. We all know there are some days that we need even more of it just to get the bare necessities done...daily housekeeping, language arts/English, and math. During times when life is a daily struggle or hourly one, we need to remember to lean on His everlasting arms to hold us up. Maybe you're in one of those valleys right now. Keep the faith! He will be there to get you through it. If you're on a mountaintop, thank Him for the wonderful view...and enjoy every minute of it!

Do you ever wonder how you're going to deal with being cooped up in the house every day with the kids for the duration of their schooling? It can be a daunting task. Whether we are suffering from “cabin fever” or out enjoying the day, we should still be sharing the gospel. We have Good News to share every day with everyone. No matter what we're going through, it can't compare to the agony and anguish our Lord and Savior suffered before His death. In the shadow of the cross, we have a whole new perspective of our own circumstances. He does care about every detail of our lives and the lives of our children. Because of that, we need to show Him how much we appreciate His love and sacrifice.

According to today's verse, we are to “defend and confirm the truth” of the gospel. How are we meant to defend the truth? When I think of defensive action, I think of sports which is unusual because I watch very little sports. Defensive players are meant to protect their end zone, goal, or basket to the best of their ability. This leads me to believe we are meant to protect the truth of the gospel. We must not let anything harm the purity of the gospel. If we don't know how to do it ourselves, we need to study our Bibles. Our kids will find it much easier to defend it if we can show them how to study and discern alongside them...and by doing so, we also confirm the truth of the Scriptures.

Father God~
I pray for the wisdom to learn the Scriptures effectively. I would love to be able to aptly defend the truth. Please also help me to learn how to teach my kids to be able to do the same. We need your grace to help us get through each day. Help us find those things we can use to accomplish everything to confirm and defend our faith. Bring to light anything in our home and schooling that doesn't do that.
In Your Service~ Amen