“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27   Good Morning Girls Downloads for Week 12 Ch. 19-20 BlogFrog Book Discussion for Week 12 S.O.A.P Discussion Week 12 My Thoughts This Week: As a homeschool mom, and really a mom in general, I’m constantly feeling pressure to do things right. To make sure I’m consistent in discipline, to provide nutritious meals, and to make sure my children have a well rounded and solid education. We’re always seeking to do what is “best” for our children and families and that can be a lot of pressure to take all on our own. One of my favorite parts of this week, was when Sally pointed out that our success as mother’s will not be dependent on how well we’ve taught them or how well we’ve cared for them, but whether we have been faithful to help them respond to God’s call on their own … [Read more...]

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Jesus Christ who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant…” Philippians 2:5-7   Good Morning Girls Downloads for Week 11 Ch. 17-18 BlogFrog Discussion for Week 11 As a homeschool mom, and I think this even applies without the “homeschool” label, I’m all about convenience. I look for fast and easy recipes, I have a high-efficiency washing machine, a wonderful dishwasher, and I can multi-task with the best of them. But rarely are the tasks of this calling of motherhood ever “convenient”. I’m awaken during the middle of the night by little feet, I’m interrupted countless times in any given hour by the needs of my family, and then there’s those pesky toilets that constantly need to be cleaned. The service to my family is rarely what I would deem … [Read more...]

“Then, this, is how you should pray: Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matt 6:9-10 Good Morning Girls Downloads for Week 10 BlogFrog Discussion for Week 10 My Thoughts for the Week: This week chapter’s 15 & 16 focus on training our children to pray effectively, and training for tribulation. Now, none of this is new to me, but really praying for God’s will to be done is a hard one. Mainly because I’m never sure what that entails! And its just so much easier to treat prayer like a list of needs, hoping God will fulfill our desires. But just as we must say no to our children sometimes, God does so to us as well! And isn’t it so much better for Him to be in control than us? I love when Sally mentions that sometimes she says no to her children’s requests because they don’t fit into the plans that they have for the rest of the family! How true that is! And so when we … [Read more...]

“ Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” ~ Proverbs 22:6 Good Morning Girls Downloads for Week 9 S.O.A.P Discussion Week 9 Book Discussion for Week 9 My Thoughts for the Week: “If Jesus Himself had trouble getting through to His disciples – even with miracles – we human parents shouldn’t be surprised when the process of training our children hits some difficulties.”  ~ Sally Clarkson Wouldn’t it be nice if you could tell your child something once…just once…and have them remember and even obey it! I absolutely loved how Sally encouraged us this week! It’s so easy to get frustrated with our children’s repeated mistakes thinking our words are never going to sink in! But just as the disciples finally became true apostles, after much patience and perseverance on Jesus’ part, so will our own children learn to be strong young men and women after God’s own heart. It’s so humbling to … [Read more...]

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 Good Morning Girls Downloads for Week 8 (Make sure to head over to see Sally’s video fro this week too!) S.O.A.P Discussion Week 8 Book Discussion for Week 8   My Thoughts for the Week: I have read 2 Corinthians 12:9 many times, but I have to say that as a homeschooler this verse has a whole new meaning! I literally breathed a sigh of relief when I re-read it this week. I fail almost daily not just in raising our children, but in the HUGE task of homeschooling them. I’m so grateful that even when I fail the Lord is there to protect and guide the hearts of my children! As a homeschooler I tend to focus on the academics. Are they learning enough? Am I doing enough? Is the curriculum I’ve chosen working? Am I missing anything? I could go on and on and on. So much so that I can tend to forget about their character development in the process! But as Sally … [Read more...]

“If they can keep eternity before their eyes, they will be able to live in hope no matter what happens to them in this life.”– Sally Clarkson Good Morning Girls Downloads for Week 7 (Make sure to head over to see Sally’s video fro this week too!) S.O.A.P Week 7 Book Discussion for Week 7 My thoughts for this week: “If we teach our children through our actions or instruction, even subtly, that being successful in this world is somehow a measure of their importance and success, then we will miss the point of all the Lord’s teaching.” ~ Sally Clarkson We encourage our kids to do well at whatever they take on, and we require that if they choose something like a sport, they finish it out for that session at least. We don’t let them quit mid-way. We cheer for them, encourage them, and praise them for doing well. On the other hand, we realize that they’re still young. They’re not Olympic athletes.  And honestly I haven’t pushed any of them to practice more … [Read more...]

“Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made.”– Romans 1:20 S.O.A.P Downloads for Week 6 S.O.A.P Week 6 Book Discussion for Week 6 My thoughts for this week: I had to laugh when Sally started this week’s reading off by talking about picking up “untold numbers of socks from various places”. I could’ve wrote that myself. Socks. Everywhere. All the time. Even after I pick up the whole house, I’ll find another one. Lurking. I’m relieved to know that everyone has days filled with routine chores, constant interruption, responsibilities, and frustrations. No wonder it’s so easy to get wrapped up in all these daily tasks that we forget to take time to marvel at the evidence of God all around us. For example, if He had not blessed me with 4 children, I wouldn’t have 800 socks laying all over my house. I would be able to scrapbook to my hearts … [Read more...]

“Yet often, I think, we get lost in these multitudinous tasks that rule our lives, and we lose sight of the underlying purpose behind all these tasks, which is to prepare our children to go into the world and make disciples for our Lord.” – Sally Clarkson S.O.A.P Downloads for Week 5 S.O.A.P Discussion Week 5 Book Discussion for Week 5 My thoughts for this week: Well, that’s me in a nutshell!  Always distracted and overwhelmed with daily tasks of keeping my household running. Of course I forget the main purpose behind the monotony of the laundry, who wouldn’t! But that doesn’t change the fact that we will be held responsible for what we did with these little hearts we are given. And how faithful we were in seeking to pass on His message and purpose to them. One of my goals this week is to make more of an effort to show my children their individual potential and inspire them for God’s purposes! Sally gives us a few examples of how she used her children’s … [Read more...]

"Words are powerful, the Bible is full of that message" .... “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Prov. 15:1 … looks like it’s another convicting week for me! Unfortunately I can often be harsh and critical when talking to my kids…I don’t know why? "Don't do that, put that down, get off the refrigerator..." I’ve read this verse over and over again… And you'd think I'd be better at it already considering I also have Ephesians 4:29 plastered on our homeschool wall…and I repeat it to my children constantly: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Eph. 4:29 But sadly I still seem to I fail on a daily basis! Obviously it’s a common issue as God’s Word repeatedly cautions us to be careful with our tongues…but I’m a slow learner. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly … [Read more...]

I am SO excited to be participating in the Ministry of Motherhood Book Club along with Jolanthe from No Ordinary Moments and so many of you out there! If you’ve missed out on the discussions for this week make sure to hop over and visit Jolanthe’s Blog Frog discussions! S.O.A.P Week 3 Book Discussion for Week 3 My thoughts for this week: One of the areas that stuck out most to me was just how little grace I’m actually allowing myself to give to my children. I tend to think that if I’m not on my kids every little action that somehow they’ll take the latitude and run wild with it. Probably because I’ve seen this happen. But then I’m reminded that Jesus was “patient, encouraging, loving, and forgiving” with his disciples. He didn’t yell and criticize, so why am I taking that route? The goal isn’t to force my kids to comply, but to actually reach their hearts. To create an ongoing intimate relationship with them. One thing that Sally pointed out that really got … [Read more...]