Prayer – Waiting for Spring

Father.

I know you hear me and You are with me now.

Thank You for Your love for me, my children, my family, my friends, my community, my nation, my world, my universe. And really all these are Yours. I thank You that we are Yours.

Thank You for your gentle and humble heart. Thank You for being our roaring lion.

Thank You for knowing what I will ask for even before the words cross my mind and my lips.

Today I feel compelled, as on many days, to pray for my children. I pray that you will bring people and opportunities into their lives that will help them to grow in stature and in favor with You and with people. I praise You for creating them each so uniquely. I pray for books, travel, mentors, videos, movies, music, food, sleep, habits to manifest and grow in their lives so they can live fully alive and invest in Your work on this planet. I pray Holy Spirit that you have full access to their hearts and minds. I pray that they will be filled with Your wonder and love.

I trust You with their lives because as much as I think I know them, they are still indeed a mystery to me.

Thank You that my youngest child spontaneously sang, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” when this virus started to sweep the world.

Thank You for the times my children smile at me or hug me. I trust You with the times when it feels like my children don’t like me or each other.

I trust and thank You that it is Your will that our hearts are turned toward You. Thank You for holding all of life’s victories and struggles in Your hands.

Thank You for working out all things for our good and Your glory.

Thank You for this sweet kittycat who is sleeping in the bed behind me and snoring.

Thank You that I hear my husband working upstairs in his business. I thank you that he has a computer and phone available as tools to be a great support to his company. Let his talents and gifting to be used to grow his business and support his team.

Thank you for the beautiful artists and composers who have birthed reflections of Your live-giving power into the world.

Thank You for the promise of Spring.

Thank You for thinking of us.

Love,

Me

Time Travel

If I could go back in time and leave myself the following points on how to enjoy my children and this home education journey, I think I could have saved myself many tears, moments of frustration, outbursts of anger, and sleepless nights. But knowing my nature, I supposed I had to walk the rocky path to unearth these universal truths. I’m sharing these points in hopes that others can benefit from my experience and failures. My first child, born 16 years ago, experienced mad/anxious/image-driven mom. My last born had a few glimpses of this mom, but mostly she has experienced a mom who lives in peace – because I now choose peace. So now I’m going to take a moment to talk to my 30-some-year-old self. Please listen in as I touch on the what, why, and how of our home education transformation.

1. Think about your educational philosophy. If you believe that man is a living soul created in the image of God, then that will naturally spill over into how you intereact with your children and what materials you bring into your home.

To think more deeply and contemplate your educational philosophy, read Charlotte Mason’s writings from her books “Home Education” and “Philosophy of Education”. At the core of her writings is the universal truth that Children are Born Persons and Education is the Science of Relations.

2. Ask yourself why you care so much about the success of this educational experience. How much glory do you image taking away when this experiment culminates on graduation day? Your children are not an extension of you nor are they going to be a copy of you. Work to understand them and see their unique gifts. Can you keep in mind that these children are not your possessions to craft into idols? Who do you choose to worship? Your dreams? Your kingdom? Or your Lord?

3. Character training is fundamental. Actually, your character training is fundamental. It is through example that they learn. And to teach children to love what is good, true, and beautiful is to point them to Christ and His truth and grace. So again, first point your heart to Christ. Spend time sitting with Him each morning. Pray. Trust in His provision. Trust He is also leading your children’s hearts.

4. Your love and unconditional acceptance of your children will open heart doors. Harsh and judgmental attitudes from you will slam those heart doors shut. Read the book “Christy” and see how this young teacher reached the heart of Mountie O’Teale.

“Perhaps what she needed most was of all was to be sure that she was a real person, that someone loved her for herself….with every bit of encouragement Mountie received, each time I could tell her that she was doing better, she would try even harder. Teacher cared about her. Teacher loved her.” (Christy, by Catherine Marshall, page 154.)

5. Christ came to give us life and life more abundantly. Look at your fruit and make sure you’re planting seeds of trust, kindness, and diligence. He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

I wonder if I was able to time travel back about 13 years and make those changes upfront, how much sweeter would my children’s memories could be?

I trust God.

I trust His timing.

I trust His redemption.

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