My son and I have been struggling over the last year or so to find a way to put God's word into our lives on a regular basis.   We do attend services regularly (after all I am a Pastor's wife).   And we do talk about God all the time, but I'm talking about a regular study of God's word.

We have tried numerous things. 

• Working through old Sunday School Lessons.
  
• Trying to memorize Philippians
  
• Reading through Genesis
  
• combining hymn study with scripture study
• reading keys for kids

It has proven to be somewhat unsustainable for us.
So it's been hard.   As i want much to make this a daily part of our lives.   And it bothers me.  God is so important to me and my hubby and my son that it shouldn't be such a struggle.  But it was.  SO VERY HARD.  I think it was trying to do two different things and not being able to fit it in well.

So I finally hit upon something that seems to be sustainable.   We've been doing this for about a week now and my son is thoroughly enjoying it.   I hit upon this as something to do as occasionally I would share with my boy about what I was reading from God's word and he was not bored with me doing so.  AND sometimes he even wanted to know more so we'd go off on a rabbit train learning aboutlocusts.

I get up early and I have devotions.  (good eh?)   :)
But instead of keeping that time to myself, I document it.  Then over breakfast (instead of reading the paper).... we talk about what I read in God's word.

We are working through the book of Mark.    We take turns on who reads the scripture and then we talk about what is in the verse.   Since my desktop computer has DIED (man.. that was frustrating) we use my laptop and can bring it right to the table with us (who would have known that would be such a blessing?  .. the desktop dying I mean).   Yesterday, knowing I share what i write with my boy, I took the time to include a map of the area to make our discussion more relevant and easy to follow for him.   He spent a lot of time looking at the map and asking questions.  :)

I have to admit.. I love the questions.

There is no pressure.
If I don't have time to do my devotions I'm honest about it and we just go, God will forgive us BUT if we want to know God better what do we need to do?  Spend time with him and it helps us to be more faithful.   God wants us to be faithful but isn't going to be so angry with us if we have a harder day.

I want to encourage this faithfulness to God in my boy, and ergo am needing to encourage it more in myself.  Perhaps in time he'll take some more responsibility in this area for himself, but in the meantime I think this is a good start.   What think you?

What do you do in your family?
What works best for you?
If you use a devotional, what do you use?
Do you just read God's word and talk about it?

What can I say, I'm curious about what others do in this area.   :)

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For the next 28 days we'll be learning from two books for our bible and missions focus on our schooling.  Missionary Stories with the Millers by Mildred A. Martin and Bible Lessons for Juniors The Early Church by Andrew VanderVeer.   

Bible Lessons for Juniors was published in 1959 and is KJV based.   It is going through the book of Acts and just talks about the bible.  The process is to read the chapter of Acts, and then to read through a simplified version of the chapter and at the end there are a series of questions, T/F questions and fill in the blank along with a couple "thinking" questions.  Sometimes the thinking questions are too vague for my son, but other times we get some good discussion out of them.     The lesson includes a song to sing and memory verse as well.   We haven't been doing that portion.   I must say how surprising I find how helpful it is to read through a chapter and then immediately after read a paraphrase of the same chapter.  One picks up things immediately that first time one missed.   My son is finding it helpful in the answering of questions afterwards.

Missionary Stories with the Millers.   Just as the title suggests, this is a book filled with missionary stories.   The first one we read showed how God can keep us from showing fear even in the midst of grave danger.   This story made my boy sit up and ask questions.   How does that work mom?   Why did those bad people want them to be scared?   How did they not be scared mom?    Why did not being scared keep them safe mom?  Why???    It prompted an excellent discussion.

Both books have 28 chapters, and have so far proven to be good fits for us.   Not sure what we'll do when they are done but we'll pick up something off our shelves.

I am a Mama who currently homeschools her lad.
I am not organized, I don't plan well, I'm a spur of the moment, go with what works type of gal.
I have a lad who, like his father, likes to know what's going to happen and how things are going to be laid out.
This is a struggle for me and lately I've been rebelling within about that.

So when I did my devotions this morning I felt a firm check in the spirit about the slight rebellion within.

You see?
PREPARE your work.
Get things READY.
THEN do your job.

See?

So even God himself wants me to be organized and prepared for the tasks that lie ahead.
How do i argue and rebell against God???

Can't really.  :)

The thing is.. I DO KNOW that preparation helps.

How often do I say to myself... oh.. if only I had written that down I would remember to do it.   And I often have regrets that I didn't accomplish certain things with the lad.   I don't want to be a lazy or forgetful person either so, with the Lord's help and encouragement, and my families proclivities to wanting to know what the PLAN is... I will learn to be more organized and prepared. :)

I don't want to be THIS person: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,  and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.  (proverbs 24:33-34)   I do want a lad who loves to learn, who is capable of doing whatever God calls him to, and lad who knows how to discern what is right and knows the importance of family.      So let me not be lazy and ill-prepared.

So..how are you building your house???

I recently read a book called Blessed Assurance.   In the introduction to this book the author wrote the following and it was like he was speaking directly to me.

Product Information.

Book: Blessed Assurance
Product: I reviewed a PDF version.  comes in paperback and on kindle
Author: Eric Douglas
Length: in PDF 66 pages, in print 37 pages
Price: that information is not yet available.

My Review:
A short book packed with biblical reference, the compassion and care of the author for our salvation comes through very clearly.   I felt as if I were sitting next to a man of God who was so concerned for my life and well-being for eternity. 

Three tests: upward call of faith, outward test of change, inward test of knowledge.  All three work together to give assurance of salvation.

It is a short, succcinet book that aims to do one of two things.
1. help the struggling believer rest assured in their salvation or
2. convict those who are resting on only one of two tests of salvation of their need for true faith in Christ.

It's a good book.
I highly recommend anyone read it and apply it's principles to your life.
It would also be a good guide for those who are talking with others about their salvation, and the assurance they may or may not have it.

5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.   Luke 17:5-6

It's a struggle I think many a homeschooling parent has.  Will their efforts in schooling their children be successful?

In particular for the Christian homeschooling parent the fear is often there that someone they will mess up their children.  I know that fear is there for me.

And when I read this verse me IMMEDIATE initial reaction is... My faith isn't like that.  My faith isn't that strong.   How could my faith possibly move anything?

But the point is that my faith does NOT have to be great.  My faith merely needs to be.   This point was taught to me here.
I firmly believe that God has called me to teach my boy at home.
I believe it's the path that God has set out for me.
And as such.. even though my faith so often seems as small as a mustard seed, what God has ordained will turn out in the manner he has so ordained.  It's not on me.  It's on God.  I merely need to live in accordance with what he has called of me.
And on that FACT I have to put my trust.  I have to.  There's really no other way to live as a Christian homeschooling parent.

If I do as God wills for me, then he will work on the details out.

Doesn't mean it will always be easy.
Doesn't mean I can just slouch around depending on God to just infuse my lad with knowledge.
There is work involved in teaching a lad, in raising him up in the fear and knowledge of the Lord.
But it does mean I don't have to worry on it.   I can put my worry elsewhere (NOT!) -- but that's a whole other post isn't it?   :)

Come read what some of the other 89 readers are doing.  :)  Here's 10 of them, you can find the rest over here. :)

Do you see yon dastardly beast?   I mentioned him in this post.    If he were a dumb white squirrel I'd pay him no never mind except to tell visitors to our fair town that if they want to see one, come to our backyard.   BUT no.. we have TWO of these invaders in our backyard but this one is a smart one.

He likes our food he does.  (assuming male, could be female).

SEE!!!!!!!!!!!!   He climbs the feeder posts!!!!

So now I am encouraged to foil him.   I promise I won't get as desperate as our former neighbour who actively waged war on the squirrels as I don't hate them.  I just don't like them wrecking my bird feeders!  He's damaged one and totally ruined another, so I'm out to protect what's mine.

So for now I think I have foiled him.  Will I need something more permanent?  Oh, probably... but for now this is working.  A simple solution of a cardboard box that doesn't alarm our birds.  That still allows him to eat the feed the birds spill, and so satisfies all parties.   Might he eventually out smart me?   Possibly... but that's a battle still to come.  :)

How do you outsmart the squirrels in your life????

My son .. he laughs.   
On one hand I put out nuts on the window ledge to attract the squirrels to the house and amuse the cats, and on the other hand I fight to keep them off my feeders. 

It's a funny world eh?
All those inconsistencies.
I reread my post and I see myself defending my actions say I MUST PROTECT what is in MINE!!!!!
As if my stuff is so blooming important. 
My stuff ISN'T important.
It's just stuff.   And it's something I've taught my son... it's just stuff.  If he breaks something accidentally I might sound upset at first but in the end it's just stuff so it's no real biggie.  It's just a learning experience to be more careful.    So it surprises me that I'm so irritated with the squirrels for wrecking the bird feeders.
But part of it is.. I don't hate squirrels.  They are funny critters with a hint of nastiness in them.  And they aren't out to get me.. they are out for FREE FOOD.   They aren't being malicious...just smart and greedy....
So I suppose in some ways I'm like the squirrels you know.   I want my stuff.  I don't want to have to replace it and spend my hard earned money to do so.   I don't want to have to work hard to replace things I want it FREE.

Ah Father God... forgive that selfishness in me.   Help me always to see the bigger picture.   This is your world and all YOUR stuff, not mine.   Let me be mindful of it, but not grasping and greedy.  Let me not truly be a squirrel!  :)

Let's not be squirrels this day eh?

Today didn't quite go as planned.
I had my own agenda.
It didn't fit well with my lad's agenda, or with hubby's.  I needed to adjust.  The adjusting contained angst on my part and my son's part with some head shaking on my hubby's part.  I don't much like days like that.....  Do you????

Anyways, my plan was to quickly homeschool the basics.
We did accomplish reading kingdom, and we did read a chapter (well okay THREE chapters out of Redwall).  That was good.
Then hubby said.. you're doing to clean out the old crayfish tank right?  Oh... we are??? Yeah.. we are.  :)  Love to do that.  (not really but we did it).  Needed to be done but it was a LOVELY day outside... I wanted to go out and enjoy it.

So check off the old crayfish tank cleaned out.  Smells much better having it done.

Then since hubby was heading out for a while (nixing my plans to tarp over the rabbitry for the winder) I thought okay... we didn't do any book work math so why don't I get the lad to help me with some practical math?   That should be fun and go over well....

LEAD BALLOON.     That's all I'll say.  LEAD Balloon. 

BUT I had a plan and I was STICKING TO IT!!! And we were all set up to go out and do it when.. Hubby dear returned.  So.. let's tarp the rabbitry says he.

WHAT????  but you were going out?
Well I'm back, thought we'd get it done.

So .. my plans and my agenda got changed again.  This led to angst as NOW the lad was in the mood for practical math (not book math) and well.. the change did not go over well....Apologies got said all round as sometimes things get loud when they shouldn't.  That's all I can say.

BUT on a positive note.. my rabbitry is over tarped   means my bunnies will be safe for the winter.  Did it differently than last year which the lad frequently commented on. 

Mom.. how will I sneak up on you this year?
You won't.
but MOM!!! it's fun to sneak up on you.
For you lad... perhaps not for me.
BUT MOM!  :)    

Eight year olds are fun.  :)  It's fun to switch things up sometimes and this year it is just easier to just tarp the rabbit shelters and not the whole "I like to work in this area without snow" part.   Bad backs necessitate change.

Anyways, the day was a bit mixed up.  Change was a bit of a challenge for at least two of us in this household.   BUT we survived and life is good.  It really is. 

Looking back over it, it worked out well.  I just wished I trusted God more so that the angst doesn't need to happen.   So hard to do that sometimes, to just trust that even if MY agenda doesn't immediately happen that it will still be okay.  Which means no angst building up inside which means I would remain calmer for when the lad gets angst from change in plans as well.   Ah....but we are a work in progress are we not?

Later on we went out for supper.  Friends from church invited us over.  After supper our hostess asked if we'd like to see her Christmas room... all the stuff she had set up in the hopes of selling it this Christmas season.   I asked her where she was trying to sell it through and she said Kijiji.  But she hadn't got one single bite.   So I asked if she heard about a local group that sells on-line.  Oh.. indeed not.   So I offered to help her set that up, and I took pictures of tons of Christmasy things.   posted them up for her this evening.  Hopefully we can get some of it sold eh?  :)   Wouldn't that be nice for her?

I read a post tonight that I appreciated about this topic.  It was called "no Halloween here"  from Dot to Dot connections.

What I appreciated was her consistency.   As a couple they decided that Halloween was not something they would partake due to the negative aspects of it, and believing it not to be consistent with their faith.  From what I read in their post is that they don't do a counter Halloween event either.  Their children get candy, because well.. they get candy, what child doesn't get candy?  :)

I can and do respect that position.

What I struggle with in understanding is the folks who "don't do Halloween" but allow their children to dress up and take them to a "We don't do Halloween party" where they get candy and play games a counter cultural party.   If you are dressing up a Halloween and you are getting candy... isn't that a Halloween party even if you are calling it something different?   Truly... what makes it different in the eyes of the children involved?

My son goes to a bible club.  And he'll get a chance to dget some candy and even though they DO NOT call it a Halloween event (which truly it isn't, it's just a fun time they have after their class when parents and teachers mingle and the kids get to have a bit of family/teacher fun) he still excitedly shows me his bag of candy.  LOOK MOM.. I GOT MORE HALLOWEEN CANDY!!!  It's that time of year.  When they do it at Christmas then it's LOOK mom, I got some Christmas Candy.   Children know what the seasonal holidays are and they will accept what it is.

My view on Halloween is clear with my boy.  Halloween has a some bad stuff attached to it.   And you need to be VERY clear that you are NOT involved with that bad stuff.  It's a time when people who don't love God do things that should not be done.    BUT.. we love God in this house and so we don't do bad stuff, and we don't try to scare people.  We will have fun with free candy and fun costumes.   We will compliment people who wear nice costumes and not say anything about the "let's be gruesome or frightening ones".   It's free candy, a chance to chat with the neighbours a bit, and to have a good walk.

Tonight was the Pinery Halloween event.  We had an enjoyable evening in lovely weather walking around the Pinery visiting campers.  He's a knight.  A totally self made costume that earned him lots of "well done" comments. 

Do I as a parent know that really bad stuff can be and often is connected with Halloween?   Yes.  I know the roots of this holiday.  And I explained them to my lad today.  His response?  Mom..  Why would they have to do that mom?  Why would have to scare off ghosts mom?  Didn't they know that God is better?

No Bud, they didn't.  They didn't understand what it means to trust God.  

Oh... (a hestitation)
That's just silly mom, they should know better.

And that's what it comes down to for me.   How do I show that I trust God?   Can I trust him that getting free candy is an okay thing?  Should I worry on the roots of holidays?   When I celebrate Christmas (which has some odd roots as well), or when I celebrate Easter (complete with an egg hunt.. making it changed holiday as well).   Where do I draw the line here?   Why is one better than another?   Perhaps I lack some understanding here...and if so, enlighten me.

I will trust God.
I will try to be a light.

and in doing so, I will also respect people who through pray and thought hold well to their principles.