"Sanctuary Time"

Today, I went walking in an effort to build in some healthier habits. I started out at a good pace. My music was pumping and the weather was just right. The next song wasn't as fast paced, but I love the song, so I left it on and tried to maintain the pace. My thoughts began to drift and I found myself praying, lifting up my requests to God. My walk slowed down, but my soul was beginning to get a "work out." I was reminded of the Psalmist cry in chapter 73, verse 17:"Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood their end." The Psalmist in this chapter was complaining to God about how unfair it is that the wicked prosper.
But that little verse really stands out..UNTIL I went into the SANCTUARY, THEN I UNDERSTOOD.
On my walk this morning, I had some much needed "sanctuary" time. In the midst of my thoughts, the Holy Spirit began to speak, began to reveal some areas for repentance as well as areas where I need to trust Him fully. By the end of my walk, my heart was overflowing...and there was a bit of perspiration on my face to prove that the physical workout was still productive! I post this, not to brag, but to encourage you to find some "sanctuary time." It might look like a closet (War Room) or perhaps another spot- where you can LISTEN and give yourself over to a good "workout" of your soul and spirit.

Are Sunday mornings irrelevant?

So, I just finished watching a video that a friend asked me to watch.  The message was good and thought provoking, but is he suggesting that Sunday is irrelevant in the American church?  Or do you think the Sunday morning celebration time is as important as the small group community time?  Can a church be effective and have both?
I am taking to my irregular blog to post this video and ask you to give me your input. 

5 tips to set your school year on the path to success

Hey everyone

Here we are ready to begin our first week of classes for the 2015-2016 school year.  Are you ready?

Here are 5 practical suggestions for having a successful school year:

1) Pray- make it a daily practice to pray for one another (yourself, tutors, fellow students, your family, and your friends).   We attend a 2 day program that starts each day with prayer, but may I suggest starting each day with a thank you and petition to the One who knows all and sees all?  If possible, pray together as a family before the day really gets going; before everyone goes their own way.  Setting prayer as priority will help set your heart and mind in the right mode for a productive day.  Not only that, but it builds community with those you are praying with and for.  From experience, it is impossible to stay angry or frustrated with someone if I start praying for them. 

 As a group of families, we are called to grow up in Christ so we need to daily ask God for grace and wisdom.

2) Set goals for daily/weekly accomplishments.  Cramming for tests will not promote long term learning....it will promote stress, however!  Early in the week, look at the assignments; plan out what you can reasonably accomplish each day.  For students this will take some parental involvement to establish quality study habits.   For adults, we still need accountability, so seek out someone who can help you with establishing reasonable goals and follow through.  While you are setting these goals, consider sitting down as a family to establish how school fits into other family commitments.  You might even include discussing what time you plan to get up each day.

A practical way you can see your goals being accomplished is to consider using a timer.

Set a timer for 30-50 minutes and work diligently while the timer is running.  Once that timer has gone off, give yourself a 10-15 minute break to get a snack, stretch/ exercise, etc.  You may be pleasantly surprised at how much you accomplish when you have a timed deadline to help you stay on track.  I even use this idea when I need to keep myself focused on a task at home like cleaning. By the way, time management is a skill we will all continue to develop.  The first law of Thermodynamics states that all things tend to become disorganized over time.  As Christians, God equips us not only to recognize disorder, but also how to establish order. 

3) Gather your supplies early.  For example, if you need to print an essay this week, do you have ink for the printer? Paper for the printer?  Procrastination often causes us to work in a crisis mode which leads not only to stress (hurts the body), as well as regrets (hurts learning).  Have you also considered how YOUR stress affects the family? Check out Ephesians 5:15-17 for some encouragement from God’s own heart concerning time management.

4) Designate a spot for your books and study. It can be frustrating to waste precious time hunting down a piece of paper, a text book or a folder that was misplaced.  Another practical recommendation would be to have at least 2 homework folders; one to take to class with  completed assignments to turn in and one that you keep at home to transfer returned papers.  Check with your teachers and tutors about what graded papers/quizzes/tests you need to keep…toss the rest.  Being able to keep a neat and orderly homework area will lend itself to a successful year of learning. 

5) Pack your bag the night before class!  Most forgotten books and assignments are attributed to forgetting to pack them.  Take time to pack your bag using your student planner or homework page.  Ask a parent to double check for you if needed. Funny how we usually don’t forget lunch, but we can forget a math assignment or essay. Wonder why that is?!  While you’re at it, go ahead and lay out your clothes and find that random tennis shoe under your bed.  

 

There are lots of practical ways we could discuss, but it boils down to setting our hearts and minds on the right things. 

Homeschooler Beating the January Blahs

Can you believe that we have less than 4 months left of this school year? January is usually one of those tougher months because we need to be reminded why we do what we do. 

Let me help you while I help myself: You are homeschooling because you want to offer your children an excellent education founded on values and principles that you strongly believe in. You homeschool because it is your calling and God promises that He equips those He calls.  

 BUT, we know it isn't easy… We know we all question our insanity at times… Maybe we even gaze longingly at that yellow school bus when it goes by the window!   

 Yes, imagine you weren’t homeschooling.  Wouldn't you miss the late breakfasts together?  Wouldn't you miss the conversations about why God even made math and the steady stream of "How do you spell....."?  ( O.k., maybe you would at least miss staying in your P.J.'s until the greater part of the day?!)

In times like these, I am reminded of King David who gave his soul a pep talk.  Yes, he talked to himself.   Before you start to chalk that up to insanity, let me give you what he said in the Psalms," why so downcast O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation." (NKJV, Ps. 42.5)   Do you think he wrote that after a day of homeschooling Absalom?!  Ha! 

Seriously, in the midst of the January blues, we can, and should, remind ourselves that our hope, our sanity, our fulfillment, does not come from the many facts that our students learn or even the scores they receive on their tests.  Our daily hope and grace comes from our relationship in Jesus Christ.  Like David, we praise Him for being the source of help not only for ourselves, but for our children.  Homeschooling is one of the ways we are daily reminded of our need to look to God, because in our weakness, He is made strong.  (NIV, II Cor. 12.9-12)

As we press on in our studies with our children, let me encourage you to look to the Source of all strength.   Ask Him to remind you of the joy of your salvation. Go ahead and give yourself a pep talk. (Maybe you will even need to encourage another homeschooler with your own hope.) As I write this, I will be reminding myself to relish this season of homeschooling with Andrew and Sophia for it is a continued opportunity for me to lean on Christ and allow Him to continue to equip our family for His glory.