3 hours ago
Showing posts with label Link-Up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Link-Up. Show all posts
One of my blog friends, Bella at Over The Teacups, is doing a linkup called "If We Met For Coffee (or Tea)", and it's just a chatty-post linkup - I think that's right up my alley!
Today if we met for coffee, I'd tell you that my kids are finally (hopefully!) going to do their Awana Grand Prix tonight. It was cancelled last week for snow, and they've were so disappointed. They spent alot of time designing and painting their wooden cars for the Derby race. One of my little girls has a cardboard box car all ready for the "pineapple derby", where all the smaller kids sit in their cardboard boxes and watch a movie. It's all very cute. It's the event of the spring for them, but it seems to get cancelled every year at least once because of snow.
Today if we met for coffee, I'd mention something about how there is a tiny glimmer of spring when I go outside lately. March is always that transition month between winter and "spring", if what we have in the mountains can be called a spring season. I expect lots more snow this month, but also brighter evenings, more songbird twittering, and maybe even a crocus or two before it's time to write one of these posts again.
Today if we met for coffee, I'd tell you that I have Friday marked off in my calendar as the end of the current school term. I've been trying to split up the semesters into 8-10 week terms, and make a fresh school plan at the beginning of each new term. It is a time to look through all the curriculum, count up the weeks, and figure out if we are on track to finish on time. I'm very much hoping that we are able to finish a few subjects early, because there are some extras I want to sneak in before the end of the year - things like more art study, extra science lessons, and maybe a dabbling of civics. We will see how things appear on Friday.
Today if we met for coffee, I am sure that books would come up at some point, and I would be thrilled to report that I've finished 7 books in February, and almost all of them books that I can recommend! I have resolved to only spend time on books that I anticipate being able to recommend, which has honestly weeded alot of junk out of my reading. If a book has too much objectionable content in it, I have no qualms about quitting it, and if I'm not enjoying it I don't feel obligated to power through. Life is too short to read books that aren't worthwhile. I'd also probably mention that I decided this month to try to read a book by a Puritan every month for the rest of the year. Puritan writings are meaty, so that may be too ambitious of a goal. I've developed a fondness for the Puritans over the last couple years - say what you want about them, but it can't be denied that they were completely dedicated to doing everything to the glory of God. I'd much rather read a Puritan's advice about anything over any modern self-help book you could name.
Today if we met for coffee, I might mention that tomorrow is my monthly grocery shopping day. I've been skimping on purchases that last couple months and must stock up on a few things. Inflation is killing us here, and I'm worried about how much everything is going to cost - every time I go to the grocery store these days, the total ends up being 20-30% more than I thought it was going to be! I'm going to spend some time today taking inventory and making a meal plan for the next month, because counting every cost is important right now.
Today if we met for coffee, I'd have a bit of excitement in my voice when I talk about going to a one-day retreat for homeschool moms on Saturday. One of our state organizations is putting it on. The retreat is particularly timely this year, and I'm hoping for some great motivation for the home stretch of the school year!
Today if we met for coffee, I'd ask you how you are doing. I'd ask if you are getting any glimmers of spring, if you've read anything good lately. I'd ask if you find yourself slipping into a slump in March like I sometimes do, and how you stay motivated during these weird spring days. And you would give me all your updates and all your advice, and we'd sip our coffee (or tea!), and we might talk over each other, and we'd laugh, and at the end we would leave feeling refreshed.
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You can join the linkup here:
I'm trying something new on the blog today, after finding this great new (to me) linkup this month, called Share Four Somethings. Each month you share something loved, read, treasured, and ahead. It's nice to have a little structure for these chatty posts, and I'm glad that casual blog linkups are still a thing, so these are my four somethings for the month of July.
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Something loved.
I noticed the other day how our property has completely exploded with gorgeous wildflowers in the last couple weeks! I don't remember seeing this many flowers last year, and I think the unusual amount of rain we've had this summer is the reason. There have even been a bunch of flowers that I don't remember seeing in the mountains before. Even though bright, sunny days have been a little scarce, between the rain and the smoke blowing in from wild fires in other states, I'll take an abundance of wildflowers gladly.
Something read.
Since I do a monthly book recap, I thought I would share articles or blogs here instead of books. First, I thought this article on homeschool community was really good - I love the creative way she ties in a lesson from nature to the homeschool community. I especially agree that you don't need a huge homeschool group to have a homeschool community either - all it really takes is one good homeschool friend to be that encouragement in the midst of those tough days. I know there were a couple years when I first started homeschooling where all I had was one or two people in my life who also homeschooled, but that made all the difference in helping me not to feel alone. Second, I thought Elizabeth's thoughts on the trajectory of Instagram were really interesting - since I've been off of Instagram for six months, it was interesting to read about how it's still changing since I've been gone, and probably not in great ways for the average user.
Something treasured.
Can I treasure two things this month?
The last several weeks have been such a whirlwind for us, I've been running to keep up and wondering what is happening to the summer. Here we are, with only a few weeks left until school starts, and my opportunities to just breathe have been few. But this past week was a bit slower, with several days just spent at home. I've been able to start off the mornings on our porch, with a cup of coffee and my Bible, followed by enough space to read a chapter or two of a book. I sit, hearing the hummingbirds whizzing around my head, the wind blowing through the trees, the kids voices echoing from somewhere in the house, and I spend a little time refocusing my mind on the things that matter most. Activities and trips are fun, but quiet mornings at home are the thing that fills up my heart best.
The second thing I've felt particularly grateful for this month is having a solid church, with a group of believers that care about us and check up on us when we don't come for a couple weeks. Some people might find that intrusive, but Derek and I love it when one of our church friends sends a text to ask where we were last Sunday. It means that we are missed, and it means that we have that Christian accountability that is one of the main purposes of church. The Bible tells us to "consider one another in order to stir up love and good works", and that's for the purpose of encouraging one another "to hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering" and turn our eyes to Him, who is faithful (Heb. 10:23-24). When you find a church that actively does those things for each other, you've found a treasure for sure.
Something ahead.
Although I plan on fully enjoying the last few weeks of summer, August will bring the start of a new school year. I know I have to start organizing the school room and putting together schedules for the next few months. I've been procrastinating to this point, and let's be honest, I'll probably procrastinate a couple more weeks before I buckle down and plan out the 2021-2022 year. But speaking of homeschool community, I am also excited about planning a few homeschool get-togethers and field trips with friends and people at my church. It's going to be a busy school year, and even though I practically have some work to do yet, emotionally I'm ready for it.
We had a lovely Thanksgiving last week. We went to my parents' house and Derek's mom came with us. We ate a lot of food and too much pie, played the A Christmas Story game (you know, like the movie?), and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. And now we have apparently charged full-speed ahead in the countdown for Christmas. I'm still trying to get my bearings. No matter how hard I try to plan ahead, Christmas always manages to catch me a little by surprise each year.
Speaking of surprises, I'm working on a freebie for all of you who are regular readers of my blog (hopefully will be up tomorrow), so I'm going to keep this "currently" short and sweet.
Wrapping...nothing. All the presents arrived in the mail this week, so now I just need to buckle down and get them wrapped! I actually don't enjoy wrapping presents very much. I wish I did, but there are just so many to wrap, it gets overwhelming. I'm going to be recruiting Derek to help me tonight while we watch a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Lighting...Christmas candles. Weirdly, my favorite ones this year are not from Yankee Candle, as per the norm, but instead I'm really enjoying some that I found at TJ Maxx. They have some great scents, and the candles are cheaper than Yankee, so that's a plus! Anything pine scented is my favorite this time of year.
Baking...also nothing, but I am hoping to start on ginger cookies this week. I've learned over the years to keep my Christmas baking to a minimum. I'm always tempted to try a bunch of new recipes, but when I do that I tend to just get overwhelmed. I may bring one new recipe into the rotation though, if things ever slow down enough. I'm thinking some sort of candy recipe.
Sending...a present to my lifelong penpal, Felicia. Keep an eye out, friend! I'm also waiting for photos to arrive in the mail so I can start sending Christmas cards in earnest. I decided this year to just use the boxes of Christmas cards I have collected over the years with a photo tucked inside, instead of our usual photo Christmas card. It's actually been less complicated and stressful this way, not to mention less expensive since I'm using cards I already have!
Enjoying...quiet days at home, especially if it's snowing like it is today. So far the first week of December has been chaotic and a little stressful, but today we have the whole day stretched out ahead of us. We might read some Christmas picture books or bake something or do a Christmas craft. It feels like the world is my oyster when I have a quiet day at home to work with.
(Wyatt took these photos for me a couple weeks ago - not too shabby, right? He's getting better at using the big camera!)
Linking up here!
I have been struggling a bit in my devotion time this year.
Last year I used a reading plan to read through the Bible in one year - and it was great! I really enjoyed getting the big picture of the whole Bible, especially because I read in order of historical chronology.
But I didn't really want to do that again this year. Mainly because I can't ever seem to manage to get up more than five minutes before my kids, which leads to me rushing through my Bible reading, especially when I have multiple chapters to read. This year I wanted to slow down and really study each chapter that I was reading, just for a change of pace.
The problem with not having a plan is that...well, you don't have a plan.
Do you play with your kids?
We recently had a speaker at our MOPS group that talked about the power of playing with our children (Cara Jakab, an author of "The Power Of A Playing Parent"*). I don't know what I was expecting from her message, maybe just a "play-with-your-kids-all-the-time-so-you'll-have-a-super-close-relationship" theme. That is great in theory, but not really practical. I don't believe it's even healthy to keep your kids so constantly entertained that they are not able to entertain themselves. So I went in not really sure if I was going to get much out of it, other than a nice dose of guilt that I don't play with my kids more often (I'm being honest here).
Welcome to the Salvation Stories link-up! Our salvation is the greatest gift we have ever been given, and it's important to tell others about what the Lord has done for us!
If you want to read about why I decided to do this link-up you can see the post "Have You Shared Your Story?". If you decide to join us, just write a post about how you came to know the Lord and link it up below! See the post "Details (On The Link-Up)" for more information.
I'm so excited to hear everyone's testimonies! I'm going to start the ball rolling by sharing my own.
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I was blessed to grow up in a Christian household. I don't remember a time when I didn't know about Jesus - my mom told me and my brother and sister, about Him as soon as we had the ability to understand her (actually even before we had the ability to understand her).
To be completely honest, I don't remember everything that went through my mind when I made the decision to follow Jesus, but I know I had alot of questions for my mom about Heaven, and Jesus, and when He was coming back. My mom wrote them down because she was amazed at how hard some of my questions were.
When I was almost four years old, I remember riding in the car with my mom on the way home from grocery shopping. My brother and sister were sleeping in the back seat. It must have been on my mind that day, because as we pulled in the driveway I remember asking her if we could pray so that I could ask Jesus into my heart.
She took me right in the house, and we knelt next to my parents bed. I wasn't sure what to say, and wanted my mom to pray for me at first, but she explained that I needed to talk to Jesus myself. She helped me, and I said the first real prayer I can remember - in that moment I became a follower of Jesus.
In the years that followed we continued going to Sunday school, church, and Bible studies. When I was nine years old my parent's started homeschooling us, and I think that decision on my mom and dad's part had important ramifications for my spiritual growth. During the years that I went to public school I was so concerned with what the other kids thought, but as we started homeschooling I remember becoming more conscious of what God thought, and I started wanting to please Him. I was baptized when I was about eight years old in a horse tank at our church, as a public declaration that I wanted to serve the Lord.
When I was ten years old I used my own money to buy my first devotional book, and I started doing daily devotions, which was a huge step in making my walk with the Lord a part of my daily life. My parents also sent us to a Christian camp every summer, and not only did it give me some great memories, but it was always a great spiritual "growth spurt" for me - I think it served to strengthen my resolve to make sure that my personal walk with the Lord remained strong the rest of the year. When I was twelve years old I renewed my commitment to follow the Lord for the rest of my life.
The high school years are often a time when you might expect that a person would rebel or turn their back on their faith for a while, or make some decisions that would affect their relationship with God. But nothing like that ever happened to me. Not that I didn't have my doubts at times, especially as I dug deeper into the Bible and different doctrines, but every time I had doubts or struggled with something I read, I went to the Lord with my doubts - and He always helped me find the answers, or at least gave me peace about the things I didn't understand.
Nothing dramatic happened after high school either. I spent a summer as a counselor at the same Christian camp I went to as a girl - that was definitely a summer of refining and spiritual growth for me as well, the same as when I went there as a camper only amplified.
I started college, met Derek. We got married. My next major trial was when we started trying for a baby, and had trouble. I asked the Lord so many "Why?" questions during that time, and I had some pretty dark days. But I never felt abandoned or forsaken. If anything the Lord used that trial to help me cling to Him more, which I think He does often with trials. And I just knew even on the worst days that He was there, helping me through. He gave me a peace about it when I didn't know what was going to happen, and eventually we were blessed with our sweet baby boy. That brings us to now. The Lord continues to guide me and show me little things about Himself. He continues to reveal my sin to me, and helps me to improve in those areas. I'm looking forward to a lifetime of learning and growing with Him, and doing my best to serve Him where He leads me. And then there's an eternity with my Savior after that, which will be so much better than I can imagine. That's really what it's all about.
I used to struggle with thinking my testimony was so boring. It's much more interesting and very powerful to hear stories of God calling people out of deep sin or desperate situations.
But I realize now that those thoughts of thinking my testimony was boring were nothing less than a spiritual attack. My sin is no less serious, and my spiritual condition no less desperate than anyone else's.
I need a Savior just as much as every other person on the planet.
The story of how I came to know the Lord is not boring to Him. The angels still rejoiced over that lost little girl asking Jesus to come into her heart. This story is no less worthy of being told than the most dramatic salvation story you can think of, because it is still a story of how the Lord saved someone who was terribly lost.
For some reason, the Lord chose to place me in a Christian family and to draw me to Himself at a young age. I never had to walk through life without Him - I don't even remember the time before I knew Him. Accepting Him as my Savior is (as far as I can tell) my earliest memory. And through my whole life I've felt His presence and His hand guiding me.
The older I get, the more I realize what a blessing it is that I have the story that I do. The Lord spared me from the pain of experiencing the things the world has to offer before coming to know Him, He protected my heart and kept me close to His side, and we've had all these years of sweet fellowship together.
Sure, I have my times "in the valley", and I struggle with sin. But He has always been there to correct me when I'm wrong and keep me on the "narrow path".
As I look back on my life up to now, I wouldn't trade my personal story of redemption for a more dramatic or exciting testimony. It's been a gift, a most precious gift, to have Him leading me through everything I've had to walk through this far, and I know He'll continue with me through whatever trials or blessings life has in store for me.
I couldn't change that for the world.
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If you are interested in learning more about Jesus or having a personal relationship with Him too, or if you have any questions for me, please e-mail me! I will do my best to answer any questions you have, or I'll do my best to find the answers if I don't know. You can also check out the "What I Believe" tab above for more information.
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(Highlight the text and press CTRL-C to copy.)
Note: I reserve the right to remove any links that do not fit into the theme of this link-up, or that use innapropriate language, etc. I really don't anticipate that I'll have to, but I have to say that just in case I get a link-spammer or something.
(Highlight the text and press CTRL-C to copy.)
Note: I reserve the right to remove any links that do not fit into the theme of this link-up, or that use innapropriate language, etc. I really don't anticipate that I'll have to, but I have to say that just in case I get a link-spammer or something.
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