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Will I EVER Overcome the Self-Help Mentality?!?

If you know me (that is, know me in real life versus the blogging world) then you probably know that I am none too fond of the self-help mentality. It's not that I have anything at all against people in need of help; I put myself at the top of the list of people I know who need help. But the notion that I can somehow fix myself ~ let alone fix anyone else! ~ is a complete misnomer.  It's a continual cycle of "work harder" followed by gut-wrenching disappointment. And there's a reason this is the cycle of self-help...it's because we cannot fix ourselves! That's God's job, and He's exceptionally good at it.



Having said all that, I'd like to share about something that we moms do have the ability to change for the better. Our attitudes. I'll go so far as to say that I feel many homeschool mamas could benefit from an attitude adjustment (me included!). We're often so tired, over-worked, and spread thin that we succumb to a bad attitude without any conscious effort on our part. It doesn't have to be that way! And I don't mean to say something contrary to my stance on self-help...I really think this one idea I'm about to share can have a positive impact on a mom's attitude, and subsequently on the entire family, and it's actually not that hard.

So here's my big idea. What if we went to bed each night having made the conscious decision to wake up thankful and happy the next morning?

The ramifications of a happy mother on the family and the homeschool are incalculable. The happiness will spread and so will the thankful attitude. And a happy, thankful homeschool environment is really one of the greatest blessings a mom can receive.

So why not try it, starting today? Pray and ask the Lord to bless you with a happy demeanor and a heart full of thanks, and prepare to be amazed at how the Lord moves in your family. That's the kind of self-help I can get excited about!

Day 396 done :)

Jan L. Burt

The Homeschooling Mothers Bible Study

The Once-A-Year Homeschool Planner - An All-in-One, All-Student, All-Subject Planning System


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