Our Inspired Journey

John and I were able to go to a Homeschool Convention this past weekend and were SO blessed.  (Thank you, Mom and Dad for watching the kids so we could go!!!)  Confirmation that we were making the right choice for our family was felt by us both as we heard from speakers and chatted with other families there.  What a blessing His peace is.

On Sunday, I lead worship for our church body while John stayed home with a few sick kids we have around here these days.  Again, stepping out in faith into a new role, I felt His peace.  I was nervous to lead on my own.  I was with our wonderful band of course, but leading without my favorite one by my side was something I've never had to do.  For the first time in a long time, I felt His peace and presence in a way that only comes when I've reached the end of myself.  "His power is made perfect in my weakness."  I found out this weekend, that perfection is found in His peace...and that came when I reached the end of myself.

So will you pray that we again feel His peace?  This time it's about choosing the curriculum He wants us to use with our kids next year as we homeschool.  The more I get into all the options and choices, I'm find that choosing a curriculum depends much more on our educational philosophy than many other factors.  And when we start thinking about that, we back up even further and ask the Lord...what vision to you have for our family, Lord?

When I took my first plunge into the Homeschool Curriculum jungle, I found myself struggling to find something familiar....anything that resembled what I was used to teaching in my public school classroom. The further in the jungle I roamed, I realized, it wasn't there.  Not exactly.  And buying the same curriculum was out of the question being WAY too expensive.  So now I sit, trained for years under one ideology with one educational style and the longest road I've walked so far in this journey, is the one to UN-do much of what's been engrained in me as "the way to do it."

Oh sure...I will use some valuable nuggets of wisdom I've learned along the way, but so much of this homeschool journey looks so different from what I know.  It's harder to try and make it look the same than it is to pray for a fresh vision from the Lord.  So will you join me in praying for us as I go back to the drawing board to the artist with the answers, asking Him to paint a picture that gives us glimpses of the very next step.  I don't need to see the finished product right now...that's not the way He works.  I love depending on Him along the way for daily manna...but for right now, pray I will obediently bring Him a fresh piece of canvas and watch Him work.

Peace.  I felt it on Sunday.  I embraced something new.  Something that if I thought long enough about it, I would've realized John could've gone instead of me, and that I should've been the one to stay home with the kids while he was on stage.  I'm not sure why I didn't think of it earlier.  Maybe the Lord wanted it just the way it was.  I'm honored to think that He did.  It wasn't perfect, but in my weakness, I felt His strength.  It make me want to "go out on a limb" more often...and maybe, just maybe....that's where He wants me to be before whispering His plan for us next year in regards to curriculum too.

Thank you for your encouragement.  I've so appreciated those of you who have commented lately and to those of you who've been quiet - know that I appreciate your prayers whether I know about them or not...they are felt.  And on that note, I'll be taking a little blogging break.  I'm not sure how long, but I have a few projects laying around that I want to give my time toward finishing this week.  One project (I'm so excited!) is a Child Training Bible.  I'll be reviewing it for you and giving one kit away soon!  I'm so excited to have this resource around our house that I must get it finished this week!!!  My kids are going to help and then I'll fill you in on it's awesomeness shortly after :)  Another project I have pending completion is a new chore chart I'm going to start trying out...again...I'll let you know how it goes soon :)

Here are two more verses for those memorizing with us this year for Mindful Mondays...(it's never too late to start!)

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.


Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
I love typing out the scripture each Monday to find that it ALWAYS meets me right where I am.  Thank you Lord for your perfect and timeless Word.  And thank YOU for your prayers during this blogging break!  I'll be back, but in the mean time, I pray you are intentional about seeking His presence....there isn't anything else in this world like it.