Truth on Unpredictable Days

I’m not what you would describe as a type A person, so control hasn’t been a struggle in my life. 
Or so I thought until recently . .
I’m not a structured person, although I am tempted by pretty planners &
I’m also not spontaneous, though an unplanned getaway sounds dreamy!

I prefer rhythm & predictability or admiringly known as “disguised control” .

Last week this adorable 8month old yanked control out from beneath me & flat out punched predictability in the face!
Harbor’s sleep has been erratic meaning
our rhythm has been non existent!
The days of unpredictability led to unproductive days followed by an avalanche of self centered criticism & condemnation. 

As I begrudgingly sat in stillness, attempting yet again to induce Harbor into a nap, the Father spoke :
“I see you. You’re not alone.”
& the dam broke as the Father flooded my soul with truth;
Truth that noticeably slid out of focus as I fixed my eyes on my circumstances.
➕ Truth that He is faithful. 

➕ Truth that He has carried me through difficulty & uncertainty. 

➕Truth that although I’m sleep deprived,
I’m abundantly thankful our sweet boy is home & not lying in a bed in the NICU. 

➕ Truth that although Harbor seems increasingly needy, my heart explodes with gratitude, recalling that endless week my empty arms ached to hold him!

➕ Truth that although Harbor is struggling with sleep, it’s because he’s growing mentally & physically. 

➕ Truth that I am loved as my husband graciously holds Harbor for hours during the night so that I can sleep. 

➕ Truth that these moments of childhood are more precious than predictability.
Moments which are painfully evident as our oldest talks about life & the future & my heart aches because the bittersweet truth is that these days of childhood are fleeting. 

So as the tears of selfishness flush out of my soul, tears of gratitude began streaming down my face. 
I hold Harbor close & whisper “thank you”.
Thank you for the gift of beauty, grace & Truth especially on unpredictable days. 
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For more grace filled encouragement like this, follow along on my FB page :  

 

Morning Time {the Details and Benefits}

Life building and relationship with my children is truly is the heart behind why I feel led to home school, and I've only got a limited time with my children to invest in these beautiful, life giving moments.

{Yes, their education is of utmost importance, but quite honestly, outstanding academic excellence is not at the heart of this choice; though it is an excellent benefit!}

In regards to the time commitment our family spends doing Morning Time, we spend an hour - two hours, each day covering four subjects.

While you might wonder if Morning Time adds to our already full schedule, it actually makes good sense given our large family logistics. Rather than each child memorizing Scripture, poetry or Greek roots independently, we incorporate those into our Morning Time routine.

This year, I've got a K, 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 7th grader included in Morning Time.
 Our routine, spoken loosely, consists of Independent study, followed by Morning Time, then Mom time.

Independent Study begins after breakfast, when the middle three children work independently.
 {usually handwriting, math or geography}
 I alternate teaching phonics and reading with my K and 2nd grader during this time.

"Morning Time" actually begins around noon, when I'll turn on our music CD, while lunches are made.
One by one, we all make our way to the living room, settling on couches, surrounding our coffee table.
We begin our rotation depending on which day of the week it is:

{Mon thru Thurs}Literature and Greek

 {Mon and Wed}Music and History

 {Tues and Thurs}Art History and Science

This fall I plan to add Scripture memorization, and Habit training...more on that to come..

"Mom time" is in the afternoon when I rotate History, Language Arts, and Science with each child.

If our day takes a detour and Independent Study ends with tears, Morning Time tremendously changes the tone of our craziness.

If History or Science is delayed until evening, I'm okay with the ebb and tide of our schedule, which included time spent nurturing the hearts and souls of my children.

Yes, even if those dreaded Language Arts completely get put off for the day;
we can always pick right up where we were last time.{wink}

If History, Science and Language Arts don't happen because Morning Time found us outside, basking in the beauty of the afternoon, I can rest knowing that we've covered the important things,
focusing on the beautiful, and the lovely. Nurturing the heart and soul of my children.

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PS.  Just an encouragement, there is {absolutely} not a single ounce of condemnation for those not doing Morning Time! I firmly believe life giving happens in many, many ways! 
I'm in no way preaching a method; just sharing how the Father is unloading life to us in this way. 
Next year could look completely different. We simply are walking where He leads
That's where life is found!!

Morning Time {Bringing Beauty to your Day}

This year has been trans-formative for our family. 

In January I stumbled across the concept of "Morning Time" and it's truly hands down, the best part of our day!
 The idea of Morning Time is quite simple;

  

"It's simply gathering together to cover subjects, as a family, that we can do together which encourage truth, goodness and beauty into our day".

 Honestly, establishing the habit of Morning Time did take some preparation

 mentally, physically and financially.

Mentally. I had to retrain myself that this simplistic, lovely time spent with my children was in fact deeply beneficial to their education. I subconsciously equated a rigorous education with a quality education. However, through our personal experience, I discovered that this meaningful time not only fulfills a quality, thorough education but is life building, relationally, which to me is invaluable!!

Physically. I had to prepare by spending some time alone, which isn't easy with a large family.

Late nights after the kids were in bed, or evenings when Ben was away, I sat down pen in hand, and quietly pondered what subjects I wanted to incorporate into our Morning Time. I took this time to thoughtfully consider which subjects to focus on, then determined to gather the materials.

Many of our materials I already owned; these lovely, lovely books were just being overlooked!

Lastly, I purchased the remaining items I didn't already have.

Morning Time, Circle Time, or as it's known in our home, Living Room Time can be beautifully tailored to fit your individualistic interests. Ours include Ritual, Reading and Recitation.

Morning Time does not eliminate Math, Language Arts, History or Science, though you certainly could thoroughly cover these areas if you're family chooses, especially if you educate Charlotte Mason style.

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Our Morning Time included these resources shown above include:

Literature || all seven Narnia books including the Veritas Press comprehension guide

Music || Mozart and Bach including the music CD's by Zeezok Press

Art History || Degas, Monet, and Renoir | Looking at Picutres | Picture Study Portfolio

Science || Outdoor Secrets, Trees Leaves and Bark, and Nature study

Greek || English from the Roots Up

Once all my materials were gathered, I decided how to "loop" the days to cover each subject:

{Mon thru Thurs}Literature and Greek

 {Mon and Wed}Music and History

 {Tues and Thurs}Art History and Science

  

On nice days we usually head outdoors and add in a bit of Nature journaling as well.

If while reading this, you feel your heart strings tug at the idea of implementing this beautiful, transformative routine to your day, my single piece of advice is

"start small and give yourself tons of grace while you get settled into this new routine"

In my next post, I'll talk about planning Morning Time and our daily rhythm

 Lastly, if your final days of summer find you cleaning out closets or organizing school rooms, and you'd like to learn more about Morning Time, I encourage you to head over to Pam Barnhill and listen to her podcast or if you'd rather cozy up with a good book, you can find that over at Your Morning Basket.

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|| Mama, there is absolutely not a single ounce of condemnation for those not doing Morning Time!  
I firmly believe life is found in many, many ways! 
I'm in no way preaching a method, I'm just sharing how the Father is unloading life to us in this way. 
Next year could look completely different. We simply are walking where He leads
That's where life is found!!

the Gift of Children

I am absolutely, abundantly in love with this lovely little family of mine!
Having a large family is truly a fulfillment of one of my heart's desires, one that I didn't even realize I had until I was blessed with this priceless gift.

This past week, our oldest two boys were away at youth camp.
 This is the second time they've been away in two months, and boy, I've missed them more than imaginable!

Yes, my home was still full of laughter and noise; yes I still have four other children keeping me busy...

But when the house gets quiet, and I walk by their bedroom door each night,
I don't hear their loud music, their voices, their laughter over teenage antics.

While my boys have been away, I find myself reflecting on the fullness, the completeness each child brings;
The children who make our house a home.

  Daily, I'm amazed at the individuality of each child and how one can be so entirely different than their siblings within the same family.
One is quiet and contemplative, serious and task oriented;
One is constantly talking, sharing what's on his mind;
One is silly, trying to make everyone laugh.

Within a family you're accepted regardless of the personality differences you share.

The passions you have, the irritations.

We daily get to live the lovely and the hard, messy frustrations together, confident that love covers it all.

Getting to live this life with each of them, each of their personality types, each of their strengths,
each of their hindrances, is truly a gift! An indescribable gift.

I treasure each and every single day I wake to live this life with my family.

Why I photograph my "perfect life"

First off, I do NOT have a perfect life! Quite honestly, some days are messy hard!

I wake up before the herd, the house is still quiet; sip my coffee, which the best husband made.

 One by one, sleepy kids stroll downstairs sweetly, then it's all downhill from there.

Sister doesn't want eggs, almost a half gallon of milk spilled, "brother is sitting too close to me"

A headache strikes and you want to go back to bed for the entire day! 

but the day must go on. 

After the breakfast mess is clear, and husband out the door, I long for the lovely, the best things.
  Little Brother wants to read, so we head to his favorite spot.
As he arranges his buddies, smiles his dimpled grin, he snuggles close.
 This time nourishes my heart.  I quickly capture it with a photo. 

As I listen to him read, I breathe deep; all five of my boys have accomplished this childhood milestone.
I recall to mind the hard days of four boys ages five and under, three in diapers. The days I just survived. 

Those days have transitioned into an overflowing home full of books, lego's, and loud drum sets {plural}

During those "routine days" of life when my guys were little, I photographed what felt like the mundane.
Silly boys just being silly!
 Those photographs are treasures to my heart today!
Treasures of encouragement; reminders of lovely days; even the loveliness that I overlooked.
Looking at those photographs today, my heart is bursting!
Bursting with the gratefulness for the reminders of my beautiful, abundantly blessed life!

Some days are tough, I mean tooth and nail tough.
A photograph captures beauty, even in the midst of chaos.
 I never want to overlook the beautiful surrounding me, each and every day!
Often times that beauty is in the midst of a beautiful mess.

Teach them Diligently

In only a short time, my teenagers and I will be at Teach them Diligently Nashville. 

We've attended this event for the past three years and it has been such a sweet time of refreshment and encouragement.
 

This beautiful chalk print, which I received from the conference, sits on my dryer and is a daily encouragement to my heart. 

Teach them Diligently hosts conventions in multiple cities each year.

 The Nashville convention is held in the massive and gorgeous Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. 

It's simply stunning!

Our children absolutely love the fountains and water show, the boat ride and the luscious landscaping!
                  {attempting to photograph inside the hotel at night, however, is a huge challenge for me}

By nature, I don't tend to enjoy large crowds, and the mere thought of a convention can quickly leave me feeling overwhelmed. Yet, even the gigantic vendor hall, crowds of people by the hundreds,

 and numerous stacked sessions to choose from,

 the Father gently directs my path to peace, and navigates the weekend, so I walk away feeling refreshed.

If I were chatting with you over coffee, the encouragement I'd give you in person would be,

Begin with prayer

Pray about attending in the first place, pray about your spouse and/or children attending,

pray about your lodging, travel, finances, and your childcare situation.

 Pray about which sessions to attend, pray for God ordained encounters with individuals 

and ultimately that His peace reign in your heart throughout the weekend.

:: Once you feel the Father's direction in all those areas, secure your arrangements.

This can take quite a bit of time, as you may need to plan for travel, book a hotel room, 

research local sites you may want to visit during your stay, food arrangements, etc...

:: Print the speaker session schedule and prayerfully listen to the Spirit's direction regarding which to attend.

Personally, this is a fluid process. While I'm reading the descriptions, and planning which to attend,

the Father had re-directed my sight and heart to another session I hadn't planned on.

AND even once I'm at the conference, I continue to listen to His guidance.

  {Don't fret over not being able to hear all the sessions you'd ultimately like to hear,
You can purchase individual sessions on MP3}

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps" Proverbs 16:9

:: Lastly, I look over the vendor list and again, prayerfully decide which curriculum purchases I need to make and/or which curriculum I'll want to research in person.

You can find Teach them Diligently on FB and they're downloadable app can assist with planning as well.

Our Father is a good, good Father who longs to reveal paths which lead to life.

Be encouraged, a convention of this magnitude may seem like overwhelming chaos, but He calms that storm

He leads, He guides, He directs, and He makes beauty surround.
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You can keep in touch with Elizabeth and receive truth filled encouragement for your mom heart over at Beauty and Grace {everyday}.  

{homeschool foundations} character training

"The first task of education is a moral one" ~ Charlotte Mason

 

Choosing to educate our children at home involves a great deal of character training.
 It seems like the majority of life is character training, which often times looks like an interruption. 

ie: Little Sister draws on older brother's book, one brother accidentally breaks another brothers lego,
teen Brother can't concentrate on math because three other siblings are playing loudly, etc, etc, etc. 

Interruptions are a never ceasing, every day part of life.

    

 

Handling these interruptions with grace is an area where I daily need wisdom and patience. 

Character training truly is a day by day, hour by hour endless education.
Years into this homeschoool journey, the Father gently reveals; "this is the heartbeat of home education."
 

There is truly such overwhelming beauty in spending the days together as a family. This beauty is completely intertwined with interruptions, irritations and beautiful opportunities to teach our children's hearts;
not just minds.

A decade into this journey, if I could go back and tell the homeschooling mom I was then, it would be: "prioritize training their hearts, instilling character, and habits before even thinking about academics."

 

One of my yearly read's is, "For the Children's Sake" by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay.

This book encourages my heart, and fans the flame of whole heart education. 

Her educational methods have transformed my outlook of this sacred gift of motherhood and educator.

 I highly encourage every homeschooling mom to read it!

Grace and Peace to you!

abide

{"I have no greater joy than to know that my children walk in the truth" ~ 3 John 1:4}

 
God created my children for His  purposes.
They are distinctly created with gifts and passions. Passions that often times I misjudge as character flaws.
Of course, there certainly are habits like thinking of others, cultivating thoughtfulness, etc.. that I try to be intentional with.

My deep heart's desire is to lead them to the source of truth.
To abide in constant relationship with The Father; to hear his heartbeat, His voice, His Spirit.

 One of my greatest desires is for my kids to know that I'm on their side, that I'm for them!
 When I look deeply in their eyes, greet them happily in the morning, make big deals over the things that are a big deal to them, actively listen, cheer them on, truly try to see life through their eyes


... all these desires that I'm pouring out on them, are but a snippet of the true nature of the Father's heart toward them. 

Yes, those desires to train them and guide them will still be there...but they aren't guiding my days.
When I see character flaws, they aren't overwhelming my spirit. They aren't burdens on my back.
When my mind is reminded of this, I abide in rest. My soul is at rest.
My eyes see the beauty. My heart embraces their passions. I rest because they're in the Fathers hands.

  He loves them so so abundantly!! He is for them!! He longs to lead them into all truth!

one, two, three JUMP

 

Every one of our kids love the trampoline!

      It doesn't matter if it's raining outside, "can i go jump on the trampoline" is currently heard daily.
     While I love that my kiddos enjoy the opportunity to drain a bit of that boundless energy, honestly
    I've heard enough broken bone stories, that occasionally, the trampoline freaks me out,  just a bit!

While my personal fears haven't kept me from letting them have their fun, it has revolutionized the posture of my heart; making my requests known to Him.

  My eyes have been opened to the truth; the Father wants me to pour out my heart to Him all the time!

Communing with Him at all times. All day, everyday, about every little thing on my heart.

   Not just the times when I need the Father's wisdom on how to handle life's situations, or even protection for my child on the trampoline; He cares about every detail of every day.

                                                                                                      

{ "Do not be anxious for anything, but let your requests be continually be made known to the Lord." ~ Phillipians 4:6}

                                        

"how do you do it all?!" part 2 {truth}

                                         "Truly my soul finds rest in God alone." ~ Psalm 62:1       
                       "You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." ~ John 8:32  

Knowing the truth, {{truly knowing the truth...in my heart AND mind}} about how the Father sees me

 has been the single factor in my, as well as my husband's, lifestyle of rest and completeness.

You may wonder, "How does understanding the Father's love have anything to do with parenting?"

                                             It has absolutely everything. to. do. with. it!!

                                     

Knowing who I am and how He sees me, affects how I walk, how I talk, how I act. 

Every action comes from the well spring of truth within my heart!  

Either I live out my days based on the enemy's lie or the Father's truth.

Walking in truth brings freedom, and freedom spills over into my entire life, including parenting.

                                           

                             
                                              So how do I know the truth? Simply by listening!
            I listen to His voice of Truth, His Spirit which bears witness to the Truth... the Truth that
                                 "I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." ~ 2 Cor. 5:21
                                                  

"I am qualified. worthy. righteous. whole. complete. lacking nothing. full of love and patience. gentle. beautiful. encouraging. creative...etc...Because of what Jesus did"  

 Not an ounce of my self...but completely because of His complete, finished work;

When I begin to doubt, or fear creeps in; when I begin to look to my self or my efforts,

His voice of truth reminds me,

 "It's all because of Jesus.  He has made me the beautiful, beautiful righteousness!"

                                           

As I sit and listen to Him tell me who I am, my soul is full of life. abundant, overflowing life!

                                         {{ right believing = produces right living.}}

"how do you do it all?" part 1 {abide}

A while back, a sweet friend who just had her second son, asked me the question, "how do you do it all?!
I feel like there's not enough of me to give to both of my children; how do you do it with six?"

Looking back on the thirteen years of parenting that I've had, a lot has been a huge learning experience! I certainly didn't feel the least bit qualified to give her an ounce of parenting advice. My reply was simply,

                                                            "only with Him."  

                 "I simply cannot do it on my own. I am nothing. I am totally dependent on Him to do it"

                             "I wasn't enough for one child; I'm not enough for six. but Him!"

         "He is faithful. He's given me these children and with Him, through Him I am able.

                            on my own, in my own strength, I fall. I fail miserably. daily."

          

There are days that I fall short connecting on a deep level with my kids. There are days that I'm impatient. There are days that I'm self focused and not a loving friend to my husband. There are days that I'm sidetracked by things of this world, that shouldn't come before my family.

My hearts desire is to soak in each and every moment. to love abundantly. to love purposefully. 
                                     but nothing in my own strength can make that happen!!

While that may sound a bit depressing, knowing {deep}in my hearts core that the Father is the only One who can and will accomplish all my hearts desire is completely and overwhelmingly liberating!!

{not only will He accomplish my hearts desire; He has plans {{abundantly}} more than I even desire!}

                           To think that I can "do it" {whatever it is} is a complete lie!!
          sure i can certainly try on my own strength, and even produce limited, momentary results
                                                                        OR
              I can {let Him} work. He, who has the ability to change hearts and give true change.    
                             

continually, moment by moment, day in and day out listening to Him, resting in His love and goodness
                                              "is the only way I can do it".
 

summer un-schooling

It's summer; oh how I love the summer! It's the season when it's fashionably acceptable to live in flip flops.
 Every morning greets me with chilled espresso, sun kissed faces and laid back summer days.

Summer days beckon dad to linger a bit longer at the table after breakfast.        

                        

                                 The bugs are no fun and neither is the southern humidity...but
  my children love being outdoors, no matter the season; from playing in the leaves to mud puddle jumping.
 

Throughout the school year, I've found that when we head outdoors with blankets, books and journals,

  life just gets a bit more enjoyable!

The never ending to do list, the frustration with the sticky who knows what on the table, thoughts of minecraft, petty bickerings... just seem to fade away!

  

Being in nature, in the beauty of creation,  children, and adults relax; and enjoy themselves.

Summer is full of days spent outdoors, living and exploring naturally, and lots of reading.

Occasionally, we get an awesome good ol fashioned summer day, which you can read all about here

 I'm perfectly content!