Encouraging Moms Who Homeschool

Let's get brutally honest for a moment. Homeschooling isn't always our kiddos favorite thing in the whole wide world. (And I know this is true for all homeschool families, not just my homeschool family...I mean, none of us LOVES every aspect of home education every second of every day, right?) Over the course of a couple of decades and some change of homeschooling my five children, these three things helped "turn that frown upside down" & ended up being the things that helped my kids to love homeschooling. (Hold the eye roll please, because my children are all adults now and they have actually told me that these things made homeschooling pretty great for them.) As always, I'll keep this post short & sweet. THING #1 that helped my kids love homeschooling:            They could work ahead in any & every subject & once they finished that year's assigned work, they were DONE homeschooling for the year...as in FINISHED, no take backs, pinky swe...

  There is a unique long-haul kind of praying that only mothers understand. We begin praying for them before they are born, as they develop and grow and are knit together by God in the womb. As newborns, oh my how a mother prays over that little baby! The first year, there is a lot to pray about. Developmentally alone, those prayers could fill an entire prayer journal for many moms. Toddlerhood, well, praying all the time, those shooting arrow kind of prayers all day long for protection, for patience, for the ability to be fully in the moment, for sleep, for safety, for time to both slow down and speed up, depending on the day. And that is just the start of a praying mom’s lifetime of prayer. I thought I'd share the YouTube version of this podcast episode with my blog readers. I hope it encourages you today, my fellow praying mom! And thank you for being a mother who prays for her children. You're making a difference, both now and eternally. (2) Encouraging Moms to Keep Praying...

 I have an important question for all my fellow homeschoolers...   Pets or no pets?  This is actually a serious question. For so many reasons! Pets are a big commitment. They add a lot to our lives, and to our homeschools, too, I suppose. But they require a lot as well.  It's not a one-size-fits-all thing, this question of pets or no pets. And not all pets are created equal. Dogs require a lot more work than, say, goldfish. An ant farm can be part of science for the homeschool family, but can a slew of ants be considered pets? (rhetorical question - we all know the answer).  So, are you a pet-loving homeschool family? Do you have your own personal version of a hobby farm?  Maybe, like our family, severe allergies limit what kinds of pets are a viable option.  If so, did you find a workaround that allowed your children to enjoy some form of pet in spite of allergies or other concerns? Pets or no pets? Pets that have a long life-span, or shorter? If you'...

 I'm no stranger to difficult conversations with my children. I've explained and over-explained so many things in the hope that some of what I said would ring true and speak louder to them than the world. To parody the insurance commercial tagline, I know a thing or two because I've seen a thing or two. But isn't there always something that crops up, trying to gain access to our children's hearts and minds? Isn't there always? Yes, indeed there is. And even though my children are all adults now, even though I am no longer actively homeschooling, I continue to speak at homeschool conferences and summits and to groups of moms and women in person and via my podcasts and social media platforms. I still very much want to encourage and support homeschoolers and Christian parents in any way possible.  And today, my messages have been full of parents dealing with an unexpected source of frustration that involves the latest Taylor Swift album... Here's a quick rundow...

  Guard what goes in & your heart will be better off... Homeschooling mothers, as a whole, are really good at guarding what our children see and hear. The books they read, who they spend time with, the movies they watch - all this and more is carefully considered and managed. But do we manage our own hearts with the same caution and tenacity? There is just too much garbage that is too readily available at too many moments throughout the day. How often are we seeing things that we'd guard our children from seeing? Not every choice is made wisely... Glancing at your phone while your son completes his spelling list is, quite frankly, and unwise choice. I do not need to explain why it is unwise; you already know. Truth is truth. It does not shock you to read these words. The hard truth is that constant access to timewasters and pop-culture is of absolutely no eternal benefit - and even damages relationships and can harden the heart. Apply the same standards across the board...

  In this post, I'd like to try and give very specific answers to the question: Does Bible study really matter? And will it make a difference in my life? If I were sitting in a coffee shop with you and this was the topic of discussion, this is what I might share with you about personal Bible study and what it does and doesn't do for us. ~ Bible study matters in our lives because it provides us with peace of mind.  Peace of any sort is a commodity that is in short supply as far as the non-Christian world goes. There just isn't real or lasting peace outside of the Lord Jesus. When we study the Bible, we gain peace of mind, because we learn better and better what God has to say about a whole slew of issues, and how He desires for us to live out our days. Knowing God better via knowing His word better leads to peace of mind. And if our minds are at peace, everything in our life will be improved. ~ Bible study matters in our lives because it provides us with renewed hope. Hope...

  A couple of months ago I found myself taking part in a live webinar that was aimed at helping Christians who do some (or all) of their ministry in the online space. The goal of this event was *supposed* to give lots of encouragement and helpful tips to the webinar attendees, specifically when they speak to people. Now this was meant to include all types of speaking - podcasting , interviews, going live on social media...pretty much any circumstance involving speaking or being part of a live event.  And it was touted as a way to be more comfortable in this role and in your own skin.  Because, in all honesty, when doing an interview or guesting on a podcast, running a Facebook live , recording content for a course or for YouTube , can be very awkward. You're either talking to nobody (when you record content for a solo podcast or a course, for example) but also you'll be talking to an unknown number of people when the content is released. Or you're being interviewed or go ...

     Want to see your prayer life grow & your faith increase? You're in the right place! In this course, expect to see your prayer life grow and your faith increase. Jan's diagnosis of heart failure plunged her into a lifestyle of living, breathing & praying the Word of God, and Psalm 91 has become a portion of the Bible that has changed her life. Jan is the founder of the online prayer retreat group "Praying Through the Storm" & she has been the host of several live multi-day prayer retreat events as well as a 17-week long study of Psalm 91. Come along on a journey to apply the profound and life-changing promises from this psalm to your daily life & your loved ones. Expect to be blessed as we get the promises of God into the people of God, right where they belong! Tell me if this sounds familiar... You want to grow in your prayer life, but are not sure what to pray for... As a Christian, you aren't sure you are living in the fullness of the Lord...

Hey there, friends!  Today's blog post is difficult to share...because it's about a friend who is facing a tremendous struggle in her family & my heart is just so heavy for her.  Can I take a quick moment to share her story, and ask you to pray for her and her family? From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading this post! I n the tapestry of life, there are moments when our paths intersect with the struggles of others, and we are presented with a profound opportunity to make a difference. In our journey through life's challenges, we discover the immense power of compassion—the ability to extend kindness, understanding, and support to those facing adversity. It is in these moments of shared humanity that we experience a connection that transcends our individual stories and binds us together in a tapestry woven with threads of love and empathy. A dear friend and fellow blogger, Lisa, is currently facing a challenging situation, and I am writing to you in the hope t...

 Anybody else read 1 Samuel chapter 2 and see some commonalities in the way many people raise their children today? I don't think we can, or should, expect the world at large to apply God's Word to their parenting. But when those in the Church don't take the Bible seriously enough to allow it to influence the way they raise their children, well, there's a problem. A big one. The Lord is holy. The story of Eli's wicked sons, Hophni and Phinehas, reminds us of this truth with total clarity and unwavering certainty. God. Is. Holy.  When we allow our children to take God's holiness for granted, to run amuck in sin and depravity, we err terribly. And our errors will result in grave and serious consequences, for us and for our children. As if that were not enough, the Church as a whole will be negatively impacted. I'm not saying that our children's behavior is the end-all, be-all. And I'm not saying that parents are 100% responsible for every big and every...