What Are You Doing?

It’s crazy how to we can from one appointment to the next, one sports season, theater run, campaign or program to the next and forget to live life.

Parenthood can be filled with feeding people, getting them places, and keeping them mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually healthy.

Everything can become one GIANT to-do list.

And we forget those hopes, dreams, goals we had when children were first given to us.

Julie Bogart reminds us that it isn’t about systematizing our children’s education (or life).  “It’s how well you share your enthusiasm for life, learning, art, literature, the power of math equations to create quilts or build forts or sell cookies, the excitement of an election year to convey the importance of politics, volunteering in your free time so that your kids learn about sharing themselves with other, and finally your enthusiasm for them–these human beings entrusted to you that you admire, respect for for whom you hold an enormous imagination about how well they will contribute to the world as adults.  ”  A Gracious Space -Fall Edition.  Day 1.

First, there is the assumption that you have passions, visions, and enthusiasm.  God placed these children under your care.  It’s easy to lose ourselves in doing for your children.  But then they are missing YOU.  God placed these children in your home as your chlldren because the uniqueness of you, your spouce, your living situation will best prepare them for the good works He has for them to do (Eph 1).  If we bury our passions, our personality and become wholly child-center, they miss out on the best part-YOU!.  The practical outworkings of this are challenging at best.  We don’t simply ignore their passions and interests.  We don’t pursue our own interests and leave them to fend for themselves.  We bring them into our realm- and we willingly expand our horizons to include their passions and interests.

Second, we affirm them.  We delight in them.  We dream for them, and then let those dreams go for the passion God has placed in their hearts.  We bless them.  We let them know we believe that with God’s help they CAN.  We urge them to use those drives, passions, and talents and serve God and seek His kingdom in whatever venue He desires.

To Be Undestood and To Understand: ADD/ADHD

Recently, I stumble on this short video that I thought was quite insightful.  Chances are you know someone that has this challenge-or you ARE that person!  I think it may be worth your time to take a few minutes to watch this video and share your thoughts!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nPM1_kSZf91ZGkcgy_95Q

Persevere til the End

The NIV gives this title to a section of chapter 10 of Hebrews. In reality, this is a microcosm of the entire book. As I embark on a journey into Hebrews with the NAV’s Lifechange series book as my guide, the first step is to read the book in one sitting, as was likely done by the early church that received it!
This book is indeed about Jesus supremacy as many preachers and commentators have purported. However, it seems that it is rarely brought to bare the reason the author so adamantly and meticulously lays out his argument for the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the ultimate superlative. Are we to tuck this information in our brain and move on? It was not intended as simply head knowledge. A quick reading of he the book of Hebrews reveals that the author uses every available method to persuade his readers that it is because of the supremacy of Christ that they should be willing to endure the hardship of every kind and do it persistently until their time on earth is over. The author utilizes comfort, encouragement, dire warnings of judgment, logic, and history to induce the readers to endure.
I once asked a counselor for veterans with PTSD what the difference, outside the societal milieu, was between the veterans of World War II and current veterans. His answer has haunted me as I look at myself, my children and others around me. It is common in our era for people to lack endurance. If it can’t be fixed in a month or six weeks, this counselor found that many of his patients would resort to suicide. They lacked whatever character it took to endure hardship longer.
Our Christian lives are much the same. Believers become disillusioned when faced with hardship, discouragement, and discomfort of various kinds.
Where do we find the gumption to endure? Why should we even bother? I suspect the deeper study into the book of Hebrews will reveal the answers to these questions in a powerful way.

Need Some Encouragment?

Take a look at this blog hop!

http://proverbs14verse1.blogspot.com/p/ww-linkup.html

Organization for the executively challenged

While trying to find some tips on staying organized (I have fun getting organized, it’s staying there that challenges me), I ran across this great article for people with dyslexia on time and organizational skills.  I like how she matter-of-factly says essentially “Hey, we struggle  with this- how do we fix it”.

Her tips are helpful for many diagnosis–and for those of us who aren’t !

Discovering and Responding to Challenges

Most of us have some pretty amazing dreams and plans when it comes to our children.  And sometimes, well most of the time, things don’t turn out quite as we plan.  When  we begin to suspect our child may have a challenge of some type, or the truth is suddenly thrust into our face,it can be like be  like unexpectedly finding ourselves in a foreign land. Come listen in for the next 40 minutes as we explore this new land and begin to learn our way around this new world.

 

PLEASE make sure the volume on the youtube site as well as the volume on your device is up.  There have been a few who have not been able to hear it well but I have found adjusting the volume on the youtube channel to solve this. If it does not, please let me know!~

Monique Stam is a homeschool mom of 10.  In this journey she has experienced a variety of challenges.This messages was originally given to the GRACEDucators homeschool group in April of 2016 and graciously shared by one of its members who recorded it with permission  Please do not share without express permission.

This messages was originally given to the GRACEDucators homeschool group in April of 2016 and graciously shared by one of its members who recorded it with permission  Please do not share without express permission.

 

Helpful GENERAL Resources- Special Needs

PARENT CARE
Self-Care for Parents

http://www.sandrapeoples.com/31-days-of-self-care-for-the-special-needs-mom-intro-post/

Special Needs Parenting-Not Alone

http://specialneedsparenting.net/

While these books are somewhat specific, you may be able to identify with their journey

Dancing With Max by Emily Colson

Life Not Typical: How Special Needs Parenting Changed My Faith and My Song By Jennifer Shaw

Song- Your Child by Jennifer Shaw–view on YouTube

Soul Keeping by John Ortberg

Welcome to Holland

GENERAL RESOURCES:

One of many child development charts

Learning in Spite of Labels, Joyce Herzog

All things Diane Craft!  – many items on brain development and behavior.

Making the Brain Body Connection by Sharon Promislow

Pocketful of Thearpy — www.pfot.com

Homeschool Legal Defense  www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner

Well Connected Brain seminars–good website.  Virginia Dill http://www.wellconnectedbrain.com/

Hard Homeschool Day? Or Week?

Here is  great little article about how to “reset”.

And here is a bonus for moms and dads- a great article about Soul Fatigue!

Do you have book, song, or blog post that helps you to be encouraged, strengthened or just take the next step?  Feel free to share!

If you aren’t excited about Homeschool

Here is an awesome article to help you figure out why?

What has helped you to keep us your vision for home education and/or parenting for the Kingdom?

 

Encouragement Day 2

#2

We continue our study concerning encouragement today, and we will look at the same Hebrew word , and concerning the same Hebrew word.  I will repeat this information in case you missed it. If you do not need that information, you may want to skip to the Context portion of the study.

Deuteronomy 3: 28 But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see

Greek/Heb Word:  Chazaq

Meaning ,(strongs H2388)  חָזַק châzaq, khaw-zak’; a primitive root; to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer:—aid, amend, × calker, catch, cleave, confirm, be constant, constrain, continue, be of good (take) courage(-ous, -ly), encourage (self), be established, fasten, force, fortify, make hard, harden, help, (lay) hold (fast), lean, maintain, play the man, mend, become (wax) mighty, prevail, be recovered, repair, retain, seize, be (wax) sore, stre withstandng (self), be stout, be (make, shew, wax) strong(-er), be sure, take (hold), be urgent, behave self valiantly.

The KJV translates Strongs H2388 in the following manner: strong (48x), repair (47x),hold (37x), strengthened (28x), strengthen (14x), harden (13x), prevail (10x), encourage (9x),take (9x), courage (8x), caught (5x), stronger (5x), hold (5x), misc (52x).

Context: Og king of Bashan, and Sihon king of Amorities on the “other” side of the river from the promised land have been conquered and directions given to Moses to strengthen Joshua because he would finish the job.

Application: Leaders, parents, mentors–when they are involved in the “good works God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” should bring along other believers and their children and mentor them and strengthen them to be more equipped and do a better job than they have themselves.  This means being willing to show our weakness and train them to strengthen them in ways we are not strong. It also means allowing our children, even at the risk of losing our “place” in their hearts, so they can learn from those who have strengthen where we have weaknesses.

Personal Application: First, as a parent, our primary job (outside of our marriage) is to disciple our children for Christ.  However, we must use the gifts and abilities God has given us  for the works He has prepared for us to do outside the realm of parenting, There are times and seasons where one will be emphasized more than the other and at times where parenting/discipling our children is almost our whole world (outside of our relationship with Christ and our spouse).  But even there there are small ways to use our gifts- whether it’s serving the elderly or needy, sharing the Gospel, prayer, or any of the other gifts He has given.  Recently, books by Sally Clarkson (Own Your Life) and John Ortberg (Soul Keeping) have been a great influence. Tim Woodard, a dear brother in the Lord was a great example of this.  He nutured his wife and trained his children- even his son who is nonverbal and has poor mobility – to seek to love others and share the gospel with them.   His now adult children work along with their mom and work to help to pay the bills and help with their brother and continue to reach out to those in need and those in need of the Gospel.  The Lord suddenly called this brother home, but I know the family will continue to serve the Lord as He enables them.