Humility Flows Down

The other day, I accidentally whopped my three-year-old on the arm while slinging my giant mommy arms around.

She grabbed her arm and proceeded to cry aloud--"OUCH! You hurt me mommy!!"

Usually, I would tell her something like "Oh, you're all right. You'll be ok." After all, that's what my parents always told me when I was little, so that's the way you are supposed to deal with it, right?

No, no, no. That method is actually NOT dealing with the issue. And as the Lord has been helping me to deal with my issues instead of letting them pile up, a different method had to be used.

So, I turned to my three-year-old and said...(with much effort because I'm the boss, right? I'm mommy, I'm always supposed to be right, right?) I said "I'm sorry."

She, of course, being wonderfully full of forgiveness like most little kids are towards their parents, heard what I said and ran off to continue her preschooler adventures for the day.

Was the apology for her? No. It was for me. I am the one that needed to say "I'm sorry". I needed to get off my I'm-the-boss-I'm-always-right high-horse and admit that I was wrong.

It was a lesson in humility. And the Lord loves to teach me moments like that--how to be humble. He can work with humble. He can use me in great ways when I am humble. Can He do the same when I am prideful? No, I don't think so. Being full of pride causes me to be in the way of what God wants to do in and through my life. So, I thank the Lord for teaching me to be humble through my three-year-old.

But that's not even the best part!

After the effort it took to say "I'm sorry" (and to say it genuinely!), I was very delighted to hear the very same words come from my three-year-old's mouth later that very day!

Not only did I learn a lesson in humility, but I saw first-hand how that humility goes a LONG way...It flows down!

So I will make more efforts in the future to exhibit humility whenever I can, so that it will flow down into my children and possibly my children's children and my children's children's children...may the good keep going and never stop!

The Adventures of Homeschooling

I've created a new blog dedicated solely to homeschooling.

Check it out at: http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Adventures-of-Homeschooling

I am very much looking forward to homeschooling my two oldest children (possibly my three year old, too).

I'm going to keep track of our adventures in homeschooling at the above website. Be sure to go there, bookmark it and keep track with us if you are interested!

Focus

My word for the day is: focus. I seriously need to focus on the right things!

Distractions abound--I am letting myself be eaten alive by them.
It's like I can't stop....or maybe I don't want to stop being distracted. That's horrible, but probably very honest.

Distractions are dangerous...If I'm not focused on what I need to do, some important events, doings, happenings and such might fly right by me!!!

Now I've recognized my problem...time to take steps to fix it.
Or will I distract myself out of doing that, too?

I do know one thing for sure: distractions are NOT peaceful.

Distractions involve a lot of busy-work: but nothing of true importance ever really gets done!

Come on self! What are you waiting for? Get with the program!

Focus! Focus! Focus....

Enjoy that Brownie You Got Part II

How am I enjoying what I have? And what is it that I have that I need to enjoy instead of trying to look for more and other things to enjoy?

That would first be my husband. How can I enjoy my husband? What are some things I might be doing that are keeping me from enjoying my husband? Unforgiveness for an inevitable hurt? Spending time doing other things without spending any time with him? Is all my time taken up with good things, yet those good things don't include my husband?

Secondly, I defiantely need to make sure and enjoy my children. What are some ways that I can enjoy my children? What are some things that might be keeping me from enjoying my children? Frustration? A feeling of overwhelmedness? Lack of support?

Time to shift some priorities around again...The priority tree is always God, husband, children, self. It's time for me to make some adjustments...

Enjoy that Brownie you got

The Lord LOVES to show me things through my children's actions and words.

The other day, my oldest daughter, Elisabeth, had just gotten her own brownie. Her brother, Aaron, had also gotten his brownie and had chowed down on it like a ravenous lion. Elisabeth, who eats very slowly, still had her brownie in her hand.

Aaron decided he wanted another one...so, of course, I gave it to him. When Elisabeth saw her brother get another portion, she immediately decided that she was not going to be outdone by her brother. I'm sure she was thinking something like: "How dare he get more than I do? It's not fair! I'd better get just as much as he does!"

So, Elisabeth reaches out with her free hand while her other hand is still plumb full of brownie and she shouts "Can I have another one, too?"

That picture of her holding that brownie in one hand while reaching out for more with her other just really struck me. Is that what I've been doing?

Have I been living my life with a handful of something wonderful, yet I'm reaching for more and more as if it's not enough!?

I have my ever-maturing husband and my five wonderful children, I have shelter over my head, I have food in my fridge and cupboards, I have clothes not only on my back but several more in my closet and drawers, I have hot and running water, I have light...I HAVE SO MUCH.

My hand is brimming over with wonderful blessings! But here I am: holding my one brownie without even enjoying it fully and reaching out for more and more and more.
So what do I need to do? I need to enjoy the "brownie" I already have!

The principle here is contentment. To be content means to be satisfied with, to be enough.
According to the Word, I should be super satisfied with what I already have!
1 Timothy 6:8 says that I should be content with just food and clothes. I've already listed much, much more than those two blessings!

Hebrews 13:5 says: "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

So how is it that I can be content? How is it that I can be thoroughly satisfied?

By remembering that the Lord will NEVER leave me nor forsake me!

In Him is my content. In Him is my satisfaction. He is MORE than enough for me.

Going Past the "Choke Point"

This weekend, a speaker, Tracey Stewart, was invited to our church to share some revelations in the Word.

One thing she addressed was moving beyond the "choke point". The "choke point" is when you think or plan something and you can't think or plan any further than the "choke point" because it is difficult in our little minds to comprehend going even farther than what you are trying to dream.

So, I tried to think past this "choke point". I got up and wrote some dreams and plans of mine and I tried to stretch them past the "choke point". My "choke point" comes when, in the natural, I do not have the resources, current ability or skills to make that happen myself. But God does! If you diligently listen to the voice of the Lord and follow His commandments, He will bless anything you put your hand to (Deuteronomy 28)! As long as He is my focus, He will also direct my path and guide me to do whatever I need to do to get past that "choke point" (Proverbs 3:6)!

So, if my focus is on God, then it will be EASY to get past the "choke point" because with God ALL things are possible (Matthew 19:26)! With God, we are WELL able to overcome any and all obstacles that might get in the way (Numbers 13:30).

I WILL surpass my obstacles and great things WILL happen for the Kingdom!

I have been a glutton

I have been a glutton.

What exactly is a glutton?

First of all, Proverbs 23:21 says: "For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty."
That word-glutton-means to be worthless, insignificant, make light of, squander.
So, I have been squandering away the provision that the Lord has been giving me by eating MUCH MUCH more than I actually needed! So, since I've been clinging to His provision, (and He HAS been providing abundantly) yet I've been eating it all up in a day, I've been lacking from my own sin.
Secondly, this verse says that gluttons will come to poverty! I have been sucking in the food like there's no tomorrow and what does that leave me with? Nothing for tomorrow! Gluttony eats away food stores and eats away finances.
One of my main goals is to get out of debt. I am dead-set on and very dedicated to getting out of debt! I can SEE my Debt-less Day (DDay) on the horizon...
Yet, I have been hindering my own progress to DDay by being a glutton!
The money I've poured into fast food is ridiculous. The money I've wasted running to Publix for a pecan pie or cake or cookies--not to share, but to shove in my own mouth-it's all gone! I squandered it all away. And what else has the Lord provided for me and my family yet I squandered it all away, too??

Setting Captives Free has helped me to pay attention to my issues with food so that I can deal with them the way the Lord wants me to.

Go to settingcaptivesfree.com if you are interested.

Setting Captives Free is an online website ministry that allows you to take courses that guide and teach you what God says about certain issues in scripture. They address sexual purity, food issues, substance abuse and gambling. They also have Bible study lessons that you can sign up for.

We're gonna homeschool!

Well, it's official.

I've enlisted both my school-aged children to do their schooling at home!
We have enrolled and been approved in the South Carolina Virtual Charter School (SCVCS) which is a part of the K12 program. K12 is a program that involves private and public schooling options for children across the nation.

SCVCS is one of K12's online public schools. What this means is that my children are going to be going to school right in our own home! Tuition is free, books and materials are free. The only costs are those that normally occur when a child is enrolled in a public school.

A teacher will be assigned to my children to guide and instruct them via the internet, phone or even face-to-face if needed. I am going to be their learning coach--I will guide them and keep them on track along with keeping up with their attendance. (They are required to keep the same attendance as children in normal brick-and-mortar public schools.)

SCVCS will be shipping all their books and materials to us by the middle of July. I can't wait to get all the stuff and dig into it!

I am super excited to get started with their schooling in August of this year!

Now, we've just got to work on priorities and a schedule to keep us on track...

The Start of Something New

I love to write out my thoughts--I love to write. I also think I've got some good things to share.
So, I've mulled it over long enough and here I am...finally blogging.

As a woman and daughter of the King, wife to a military man, and the mommy of five children...I'd like to share my thoughts and experiences with others in hopes some good may come of it.

So here I am: stretching my tent stakes and hoping for the best...