Making the Most of Mornings

This morning was a rare morning.

I woke up quite early, on my own, happily and fully energized. All I could think was, as I padded down the stairs quietly, what’s up with this? I was down the stairs, dressed, teeth brushed, breakfast eaten, coffee downrange, all before the kids and my darling hubby even opened their eyes to greet the day.

Since this was such a rare occasion, I wanted to get the day started off on the right foot. As a matter of fact, I want everyday started off on the right foot. 

The best and only way to start the day is to get in the Word directly, without procrastinating, without distractions. As they say, eating breakfast is the best way to start the day. This is true! But don't forget that your soul needs breakfast, too.

Don’t lie in bed and read the Bible, otherwise an overwhelming wave of “second sleep” washes over you! I know this firsthand, hence why I sit up and read with a little dose of caffeine, far away from my cozy bed.

What I do is I read some chapters before I go to sleep a few times over, just so that I actually get what’s being said. I’ll admit, sometimes when I read over Scripture it goes way over my head. For help with interpretation and understanding, I use www.biblehub.com (formerly known as biblecc.com), and my husband, whom God [I’m sure] has blessed with the gift of strong discernment.

In the morning, I aim to re-read the same chapters I read the night before, in order to deeply consider the underlying message of the Scripture at hand, and to essentially “chew the cud”. The more I consider it, the more likely I am to remember what is written, and the more sure I am to apply it to my everyday living.

When I start my day off with God’s Word, I almost automatically start off the day with prayer - a double reassurance that the day is getting off to a good start. When I get that bit of Scripture into my soul, it’s as if my entire being is nourished and fresh, able and ready to take on the day. Whether the day brings good or evil, temptation or trials, I’m ready for it all.

For further reading, see:

Old Testament:

Deuteronomy 17:19

Joshua 1:8

Proverbs 10:21

Proverbs 16:3

Psalm 1:1-2

New Testament:

Matthew 6:33

2 Timothy 3:16

The Turkey Crosses the Road...

Why did the turkey cross the road?



...




Because he wasn't a chicken!

Daily Grind? I Think Not!

Mornings are just not my thing. Sometimes I wish they were…sometimes. But when all is said and done, I do prefer to stay up late and sleep in late. Before I chose to be obedient to God, I had a career that could not in any way, shape, or form allow me to enjoy sleeping in.

Now that I’m a stay-at-home homeschooling Mommy, I have the ability, honor, and privilege of scheduling the timings in our home. What a blessing from God! I am not under anyone else’s authority except my husband’s (and of course God’s), and that is better than good enough for me. So, yeah, my timing for waking up is at a decent hour in the morning!

That's not really the point of this post, though! I'm trying to make a point that our days in this home are not considered a "daily grind" by either me or my children. What I do day-to-day with my kids and my jobs around the house aren't repetitive or dull. Let me explain.

Essentially, my job is to run this household. I make it my daily goal to do this job in love, faith, order, discipline, and patience, all the while not usurping the authority of my husband or God. It can be hard to do the womanly role, as I was not raised to think in a submissive way, but I do it. I also keep my anger under control, although it takes a lot of prayer and deep breaths to keep it that way. That, and patience can sometimes run thin (you know, with kids screaming all day and perhaps an instance of disobedience or two or ten...).

I will later post how I schedule my days. But for now, I just wanted to let my readers know that running a household is not tedious, boring, repetitive, or in anyway “unfulfilling”. It can be hard work, sure, but is it ever rewarding. Letting go of the fact that I am not the overall head of this house makes the job somehow reassuring and simplified. A lot of women do not believe that the husband is the head of the house, as Christ is the head of the Church. But I assure you ladies, it’s in God’s word as plain as day, and it is in there for a reason.

For further reading, see the Bible, in the King James Version for most accurate interpretation:

Old Testament:

Esther 1:20-22

Proverbs 10:10-31

New Testament:

1 Corinthians 14:34

Ephesians 5

Colossians 3

1 Timothy 2:9-15

Titus 2:3-5

Encouragement All Around

I try to surround myself with like-minded people in my everyday life. For me, this means people who live a life that reflects true Biblical Christianity. I try to have my own life in line with the Bible, day in and day out, and I do admit that I fall short all the time. But, having these like-minded people around me, whether it’s in the flesh or online, proves to be very encouraging. Almost like an accountability check, or an automatic builder-upper.

An apple living in a world of oranges.

Wherever I go, whatever I do, I always keep in mind the other people who believe and follow the Word of God. Surrounded by unbelievers whenever I leave my home, discouragement can sometimes creep in to my heart.

At times, I feel like I’m the only one who even believes God. My parents, grandparents, extended family, and old friends are unbelievers, which makes these tough times feel a little tougher. Getting on the Internet and checking out a God-oriented blog or Twitter profile helps me to know I’m not alone. Living a Godly life is something that others are also trying to achieve.

There really is encouragement all around us. It can be found in God’s word, where we receive our daily soul nourishment, or it can be found when we associate with other true believers. Of course, unceasing prayer and full obedience and submission to God’s word is, in itself, the ultimate encouragement.

For further reading:

Hebrews 3:13

Hebrews 10:25

Ephesians 4:22

Abstinence!

Honestly, who chooses not to have sex before marriage in this day and age? Heck! Sex before marriage is on the verge of being promoted! Look at the things surrounding us on a day-to-day basis: media, magazines, books, movies, and music, literally laced with innuendo in every way imaginable. There’s no question why it’s just common practice to not “wait it out”.

Perhaps only true Christians participate in abstinence, or teach it to their children, as they understand why it is so important.

Sex, the act of it and the idea of it, does not hold the value and meaning as it once did. God created sex for married men and women; it is a sacred gift for both pleasure and procreation, and is also in place for married couples to stay out of the sin of sexual immorality (outside marriage, and before marriage).

Nowadays, God is taken out of the equation altogether. His design for sex is no longer regarded as something to follow or to live by, despite the fact that He created sex for specific reasons. Nowadays, sex is flaunted and is something people do recreationally (for the most part). 

As a result of such a lax attitude towards sex, there are now sexually transmitted diseases, abortions (not just a few of them, either), children born to mothers who do not always care, children born to families without a father to be there, etc., etc. Of course Biblically speaking, it is not pleasing to God for a person to commit an act of sin of any kind, not just sexual sin.

I sincerely hope that parents, teenagers and mature kids (I say mature kids because really, some starting-to-have-sex ages range in the lower teens. Sometimes lower. Yikes!). It’s a difficult time for people growing up to understand the implications of not practicing abstinence. It’s a concept many people should be taking a closer look into.

So then why, pray tell, is the idea of sex so loose? There is a real time and a place and a purpose for it. Why are schools handing out free condoms? Why are thirteen-year-old girls going on “The Pill”? Why are people starting to have sex at such a young age?

There needs to be a push in all school organizations, private and public, that abstinence is the only way. There should not be a promotion of safe sex! People should not be encouraged to be having sex before marriage at any time. Not only because it is a sin, but because of all of the unhealthy things that come from it.

I suppose that in the state a lot of places are in now, the promotion of safe sex needs to be in place, rather than nothing at all. It’s just saddening to me that this is the case.

Godlessness is a slippery slope. The further you go down it, the further you get lost. More people need God now more than ever, especially the kids growing up in these next generations where God is rarely the head of any household. Where do their morals come from, if not from God? Apparently, having sex before marriage, flippantly, as much as possible, with anyone is morally okay now.

It is not morally okay. There is a huge consequence for sinning.

This was a difficult post to write, just because there is such a wide array of ideas to cover just on this one subject. I apologize if my ideas were just splattered everywhere and/or if it was hard to follow.

Just don’t take my word for the importance of abstinence and sexual sin, though.

Read further in:

Hebrews 13:4

1 Corinthians 7:1-15

2 Corinthians 12:21

Also, read in Proverbs 5

"Do you have the ability to teach your kids?"

There are times when I am constantly defending my decision to homeschool my children. But then there are times when I am not. At the end of the day, it really is no one else's business or concern. God gave me a family, and I make joint decisions with my husband as to what's best for us. In our case, and in accordance with God's word, we made the decision to homeschool.



Homeschooling is not a new idea. In fact, before schoolhouses even existed, people were schooling their children in their homes. Although that's almost the extent of my knowledge about homeschooling history, I do know that in modern society, homeschooling is still practiced.

So, what's the stigma about it? Why is there a negative spotlight on homeschooling? I guess when I didn't consider homeschooling, the whole idea of it seemed odd to me. How will my kids get socialized? What will come of their education after the homeschool phase is over? Will they get accepted into a university? Are they going to be "weird" because they were homeschooled? Is their education not going to be as good as it could have been had they gone to a public or private school establishment? Do I have the ability to teach my kids?

All these questions (and then some) have run through my brain, time and time again. And each time one of those questions come to my mind, I get more and more confident with my answers.

I've done my research. I know that homeschooling is best for my kids.

I'm going to tackle the "do I have the ability to teach my kids" question.

I'll first give you my background of my junior high and high school years. In a nutshell, I was not the brightest student. There are many reasons for this, but the biggest culprits were:

• I did not care about school;
• I was more interested in the social side of school;
• I did not pay attention; and
• Once I missed something, I did not care to try and catch up and continue on. Because the points I listed above were at the forefront of my mind

I was not switched on back then. I had a circle of friends, and that was all I cared about. My education and my marks were just not a priority, and believe me, I've paid dearly for that mindset since then. With the combination of which way I could have lead my career, the flack I got from my family about "how much better I could have done", to even today where people close to me question my ability to teach my children based on my marks in school.

I know my abilities. I know what I can and can't do. And I can tell you with great surety that I am more than able to school my kids, at least until the high school point. When we get to the high school point, which is many many years away, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. It's about knowing your abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. I know I am strong, for example, in Language Arts and Social Studies, and I know that I am not so strong (and showed no care) in Science and Math when I was in school. I will get help to teach these subjects, that is, if I find that I am having trouble teaching it. I am interested to know these subjects more closely and accurately at this point, and will be more than able to convey the material to my young ones, when the time comes.

There are plenty of places online, in libraries, in schools, in playgroups, in EVERYWHERE to find help with subjects you are not comfortable to teach. If you feel you are really unable to teach a particular subject, get a tutor to help. Pinterest is a great place online, as an example, of teachers and homeschoolers getting together and gathering ideas of how to teach materials. That is only one place, out of the many, where you can look around online for help. And it's not only limited to help!

There is support for homeschoolers everywhere you look. The trick is, you just have to look. You don't have to have a university degree to teach your kids at home. It is our rights as parents to do make the decision to homeschool. If you feel that homeschooling is the right choice for your family, then by all means, do it! Don't let your lack of good grades in school, lack of family support, and negative people get you down about it. Homeschooling is a wonderful, personal, arguably the most optimal way to school your children.

Did you Hear?

Guy: Hey, did you hear about that guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda?

Girl: Yes! He was lucky it was a soft drink.

Ha-ha!

Fun Food Arrangements

My son is a picky eater. Maybe not so picky as he is just SOOO SLOW to get his whole plate of food downrange.

I tried a little experiment over the course of a few weeks.

Sunshine Arrangement

I would give him normal plates of food, then surprise him here and there with a fun food arrangement. I didn't take a picture of everything I did, however, I can explain the gist of what was done.

- I used cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes out of his sandwiches.
- I made happy faces out of fruits and veggies.
- I created a beach-like scene out of crackers, cheese, etc.
- And, I made a sunshine out of cucumbers, carrots, and ranch dip!  (At least, he thought it was a sunshine, so we called it that!)

I can tell you, he ate his food with much more enthusiasm and speed when his food was arranged in a fun way, instead of the usual grain/protein/veggie boringness.

When I have a spare few minutes, I try to remember to arrange his food in a fun way. If I remember to do so, he is excited, looks at meal time in a fun way, and we're not stuck at the dinner table for an hour (or sometimes longer...)

Give it a try! Be creative, and see if it helps your child to enjoy meal time more.

Praising the Lord, For EVERYTHING!

Everything happens because it is in God's will to happen, because God is in control.

This is especially true for our family this past week. Bad things happened, and good things happened. No matter what, we are praising the Lord for everything - both the bad, and the good.

Jumping for joy, no matter what
God brings our way!

Do not ever feel as if God is not there. He is always there, always in control, and is very much alive. He is not a dead God, or a God that does not exist. He is the one true Living God, and He is with us all the time, actively working in each one of our lives, not always in ways we understand at first.

After much prayer, a lot of things started coming to light. Over the course of a week, our prayers were answered in ways that I could not have imagined. The Lord works in mysterious ways, that is without a doubt! A mixture of good things and bad things started happening all at once, but amazingly enough, all of the incidents proved to balance out in our favour. Our family is now getting ready to make a huge change, and we're embracing that change. We are now at this point happily undertaking anything, and I mean absolutely anything that comes our way.

The Lord is in full control, and always has been. But, for one of the first times in my life, I am trusting in Him fully to guide our steps. His wisdom outweighs mine, and all other human "wisdom".

Thank you, Lord, for all that has happened this past week.

Cats Playing in the Jungle

Why don't cats like to play cards in the jungle?

Too many cheetah's!

Christians Coming from a Secular Upbringing

I am a woman who grew up in a "semi-secular" household, which I think is a very loose statement. It was more secular than anything else, but, we did celebrate Christmas and Easter in the way they are actually intended.

My mother claims to be a Catholic, same as her parents (who were very close to me and my sibling, and still is with my Mother and I guess my Father as well). My father is not anything, I'm pretty sure. I don't know what his belief system is. I guess I could consider him a seeker, as my husband and I have talked to him (and my Mother) about the Gospel several times, but he (and she) still will not commit to Christ.

My life growing up was a lot different than what it is now. A whole lot different. And my parents recognize this, and do not like what I've become. They do not like my choice of leaving my solid, secure, well-paying career to stay at home and homeschool and raise my own kids. They do not like that I have chosen to homeschool. They do not like that I consider my husband the head of the household, and have to talk to him about everything before I make plans. This list is not by any means exhaustive, but it does include a few things that I can think of at the top of my head right now.

They are still secular, and I am not. The foundation of my old self was built on was this secular, insecure, faulty platform. As a new creation in Christ, I am rebuilding this foundation (and my husband is helping A LOT) on the word of God: the most sturdy, foolproof foundation known to man.

Sadly, this rock-solid foundation is foolishness to those who do not believe. And, all of my old friends and extended family fall into this category. They, I'm sure, consider me to be a "religious freak". If they would only take the time to sit down with me, have a Cappuccino (my favourite), and discuss God and our Saviour seriously, I'm sure they'd think differently. I probably should make a few phone calls and arrange something like that, preferably sooner rather than later.

I admit that it is sometimes hard to deal with those hateful, condescending vibes from those close to me. I don't spend time with a lot of non-Believers anymore (as commanded in Scripture) which means that I don't hang out with any of my old friends that often, if it all, anymore. I wear a head covering now (as commanded in Scripture). I am actively changing my wardrobe to reflect an selection of clothes, and ultimately, an overall modest appearance that would please God.

The key for me is to find strength in the word of God, have Christian fellowship, and talk things out with my husband. Becoming a new creation doesn't happen over night, and the temptations, tests, and other stuff that goes along with being attached to a fleshly body can make living a Godly life trying. Especially whilst living in a lost world.

There are some truths that need to be accepted, and one of the big ones is to change how you live, whether old friends or your Mom and Dad like it or not. Live for Christ, and how He would want you to live. It is a heart attitude, a total life change. Wear the armour of God. Be strong in the faith.

Kid Fun!

If you are a homemaker and are homeschooling your kids (or, your kids are just not old enough to go to school yet), there are a lot of things we as Mommy's need to do to keep things fun.

I decided I wanted to add this section to my blog, because I find I have no shortage of keeping things fun in my house. However, when other things get hectic (like housework, and keeping on top of the homely, family things) it can be hard to keep the kids occupied without giving them your undivided attention.

So, please check here regularly for ideas on fun kid things!