I wanted to copy and paste a couple inspiring mother quotes. You can find where I got them from here and here."IT is wholly impossible to live according to Divine order, and to make a proper application of heavenly principles, as long as the necessary duties which each day brings seem only like a burden grievous to be borne. Not till we are ready to throw our very life's love into the troublesome little things can we be really faithful in that which is least and faithful also in much. Every day that dawns brings something to do, which can never be done as well again. We should, therefore, try to do it ungrudgingly and cheerfully. It is the Lord's own work, which He has given us as surely as He gives us daily bread. We should thank Him for it with all our hearts, as much as for any other gift. It was designed to be our life, our happiness. Instead of shirking it or hurrying over it, we should put our whole heart and soul into it."
-- James Reed, Joy and Strength for the Pilgrim's Day by Mary Wilder Tileston, p. 39“My Father, give us a sturdiness of mind and heart for the many tasks ahead.
May we speak with the law of kindness on our tongues.
Make us helpers, suitable for our husbands–forgetting our selfish wants, and truly looking to lighten his load.
May we be a crown to him, and not rottenness in his bones.
Give us strength of body to build this house and not tear it down.
Adorn us with the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.
Make us long suffering toward our husbands and children, not easily provoked and not easily provoking to anger.
Give us energy and vision to “watch over the affairs of our households”, seeing it through Your eyes…a mission field, and a battleground to be won for You.
Help us speak with wisdom.
Help us to be busy with our hands, faithful with our time, and productive in our work.
Give us stamina for the day, helping us see that all the little things are not really little in Your economy.
May we be encouraged in the trenches and know that “greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world”.
When we are tired, give us rest; when we are irritable, give us grace; when we are grumpy give us gratitude; and when we are spent, carry us on from there.
Losing my life to save it…"
| "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." I love it! What I can: what CAN I do? What has God given me in my ability? What I have: most people have SOMETHING they can give. Even if it is just our time. How do we use our precious time? Where you are: STOP thinking about being somewhere else... someone else... God has put us exactly where He wants us and we would be wise to bloom where we are planted. It is a must have for a happy life to take it one day at a time. His grace is sufficient for TODAY. |
At the top of our list of educational goals are:
I found this lovely list posted by Kendra Fletcher on Preschoolers and Peace. It was too good not to share. (her blog doesn't exist anymore but I still wanted to give her credit).
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If you are the mother, grandmother, sister, friend, father, or brother of a homeschooling mom, here are some things you should know:
1. Educating children at home is a full-time job. Don't get irritated if she consistently allows the answering machine to do its job. If she were a teacher in an institutional classroom, you probably wouldn't think of calling her during school hours, so try to realize that while still at home, she is keeping regular school hours, too.
2. Unlike homes in which the children are gone for eight straight hours, her home is in a constant state of activity. The children are not only home, they are home making messes. All day long. Their mother doesn't even have the opportunity to go into their rooms while they are at school and weed out the junk. And if she is like me, you might find odd homeschooly things lying around- like the month we had a dead turtle in the garage fridge.
3. Housekeeping and homeschooling are mutually exclusive. If she is doing her job educating her children academically, then her house is not being cleaned. If she takes the day to clean the house, then school will not be accomplished.
4. Place realistic expectations on her- she cannot simultaneously teach school, make three square meals, keep a house that looks like it has sprung out of the pages of Architectural Digest, have her nails done, drive children to extracurricular activities, and have all the clothing laundered and pressed. Something's gotta give, and in my experience, it is usually her personal care. So don't expect her to don the latest styles, have her roots meticulously dyed at just the right moment, and her aforementioned nails filed and polished to perfection. And while most of us aren't slovenly, we just tend to put some superfluous aspects of personal care at the bottom of the to-do list.
5. For many of us, homeschooling isn't an option. Many believe it is not only the best way for their family, it is the only way. Many see homeschooling as a Scriptural directive. When sharing a particular struggle unique to homeschooling, comments like, "Well, why don't you consider putting them in school? Maybe homeschooling just isn't your thing" aren't helpful. Instead, offer a listening ear and your fervent prayers on her behalf.
6. If you are truly concerned about the state of her emotions, home, children, or marriage, offer practical help to ease her burden. Personal time is at a premium for her, so consider offering to take her kids for the day so she can recuperate. If you like to do laundry, offer to come over and get the loads going, fold, and/or iron. If you like to cook, consider putting together some meals that she can store in the freezer for days when time is at a premium. If she teaches a broad spectrum of ages and grades, consider offering to come in once a week or more to teach preschool to the little ones. One grandma I know created "Nana U" for her preschool grandson (number five of seven) and not only did it ease her homeshooling daughter's burden, it created a special bond between grandma and the child.
But there’s a caveat here: ASK her what would be most helpful to her.Don’t presume to know what would help her. Taking the oldest children for the day might be fun for you, but it’s quite possibly not at all helpful to her. The living room might need to be vacuumed, but it’s not helpful if she’s trying to take a nap. Someone once told me, “If it’s not wanted, it’s not helpful.”
7. Think about what a financial burden homeschooling may be placing on the family. The loss of her possible income can be a real struggle nowadays, and you might be able to buoy her for another year by offering to purchase little things like simple school supplies. Gifts for the children like books on subjects of interest to the child, field trip fees, museum memberships, and the money to pay for music lessons or other extracurricular activities are the best thing you could give a homeschooling family. Not only does a homeschooling mom not need one more thing to manage or pick up, she would be thrilled to see you take an interest in the many academic items on her wish list.
8. Simple questions like, "How can I pray for you?" and "Is there any way I can help you?" are like a cool breeze in her life. Don't assume you know her needs- ask. You could just be the vessel God uses to carry her on through this very demanding and ultimately rewarding season of her life.
• Children under age 18 make up 49 percent of the population of the world's least developed countries, compared with 21 percent of the population of the world's industrialized nations.
• More than 2 billion people lack access to electricity and modern forms of energy.
• More than 1 billion (one in five) people live on less than U.S.$1 a day.
• Every day, 1,600 women and more than 10,000 newborns globally die due to complications that could have been prevented.
• The annual world economy breaks down like this:
Low Income, $825 or less: 37%
Lower Middle Income, $826 to $3,255: 38%
Upper Middle Income, $3,256 to $10,065: 9%
High Income, $10,066 or more: 16%
• Approximately 143 million children in the developing world (one in 13) are orphans.
• More than 10 million children under age 5 die each year. Two-thirds of these deaths — more than 6 million deaths every year — are preventable.
• Approximately 41 percent of the world's poor people live in India.
Scott and I recently started sponsoring a child in Ethiopia. Her name is Galila. She is a precious girl and we are excited to be able to help her with her physical as well as spiritual needs through compassion.
Please consider sponsoring a child today. Just think of the difference you can make. I don't see any reason why we as rich americans can't help others out. Look at those facts above! So many people are in need out there! I praise God for compassion. They are doing an amazing job helping little ones who have no hope.
For just a little over a dollar a day you can change a child's life! Think of that. What sorts of things do you waste a dollar or dollars on all the time? That extra trip to the grocery store (gas money), that pointless toy for your child, the "treat" they just had to have (or you just had to have), the silly amounts we spend on coffee!, bottled water, and so much more. I am just as guilty. Scott and I are continually looking for ways that we can be better stewards of our money. I think one way we all can do that is put it toward a life that desperately needs it!
John 12:24-26
"I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest. Anyone who loves his life loses it, but anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. [Whoever has no love for, no concern for, no regard for his life here on earth, but despises it, preserves his life forever and ever.] If anyone serves Me, he must continue to follow Me [to cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying] and wherever I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him."
How can you die to yourself today?
