And remember ...
Did you forget? His mercies are new every morning. That means today.
Let yesterday and the last week go. Expect trials and tribulations; you always look so surprised and dismayed when they arrive. But take joy in them, because they are working for your good. Endurance. Perseverance. Patience. Good character. All being worked within you according to the One who loves you.
Counselor-in-training, that is what you are, Mama. And you will be the BEST mother-in-law there ever was, because you're also learning empathy, gentleness, and grace.
Stay the course. You're a Mama, and God has you on this path for good reason. You are needed right now by all these kiddos (I know, it's as loud as a zoo lately), but fast-forward a couple of decades and just think about what is to come. JOY.
Your future daughter-in-law will need you. So will your daughter and your grandchildren. Who will they go to when they are in need of a mature, godly woman to counsel them? What does it say in Titus 2?
"... teaching what is good, so that they (older women) may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the Word of God will not be dishonored."
"Future Counselor and Comforter of Many." That is your new title, Mama. Wear it deservedly. You are earning it for sure. Stay in His Word, rest in His presence. Lean not unto your own understanding; have FAITH that He will complete what He has begun. Choose to love the Lord your God with all your heart. Make Him your life.
Our God is not haphazard or random. He does not carefully and lovingly put things together, only to chaotically tear them to pieces. He does not rip apart what He has built for His glory and our good. He will sustain what He has put into motion for His purposes, and Motherhood is His perfect plan, and He fiercely guards what is His--you, Mama--you are right in the palm of His hand today. Walk confidently and lift Him up. He is worthy to be praised.
~ gena
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Dr. James Dobson
Lessons In Encouragement
By Dr. James C. Dobson
Josh, a typical teenager in most respects, differed from his friends in at least one quite noticeable way--he had a large birthmark that covered much of his face. His unusual appearance, however, didn't seem to affect him. Josh related well with his peers and didn't act at all self-conscious.
A family friend eventually put his curiosity into words. "Josh, you must be aware of the large birthmark on your face," he said. "Can you tell me why it doesn't seem to bother you in the slightest?"
Josh smiled and said, "When I was very young, my father started telling me that my birthmark was there for two reasons: one, it was where the angel kissed me; two, the angel had done that so my father could always find me easily in a crowd. My dad told me this so many times that as I grew up, I began to feel sorry for the other kids who weren't kissed by the angel."
Words are an extremely potent tool, and those spoken by the people we love carry the most weight of all. Let's heed the instruction of Scripture--"encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today"(Hebrews 3:13)--and use the power of words to bless our children at every opportunity.
An encouraging word is welcome at any time, but is needed most of all after a disappointment or failure. That's why Scripture instructs us to "encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone" (1 Thessalonians 5:14). I'm reminded of a story about Joy, a twelve-year-old who had her heart set on making the school cheerleading squad. She practiced cheers, cartwheels, and toe-touches for weeks. Yet on tryout day, Joy's best effort still fell short. She was crushed.
Joy's mother had been traveling at the time. When she returned she asked, "Joy, how did tryouts go?" "I lost," Joy answered quietly. "Really?" said her mother. She put her arms around her daughter. "Well, Joy, I am so proud of you for working so very hard, and having the courage to go out there and try!" The change in Joy was immediate.
If Joy's mother showed the slightest disappointment or embarrassment, Joy would have felt even worse. Emotions are contagious. We tend to "catch" the reactions of those around us and incorporate their highs and lows in our own spirits.
Your children are at their most vulnerable when they endure a terrible hurt or setback. Your attention and thoughtfulness during these moments can lessen the pain and bring you closer to your kids. Like Joy's mother, you may even find the silver lining that turns disappointment into triumph.
For over 30 years, Dr. James Dobson has been America's trusted source for psychologically sound, biblically based advice to help strengthen marriages, parents, and families. For more practical help and a FREE resource on parenting a strong-willed child, go to: www.drjamesdobson.org/homeschool
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Relational Homeschooling
Dear Friends,
It's that season again! Of course, it's spring at last, but it's also homeschool convention season.
Having been to hundreds of conventions over the past 27 years, I have some things to share with you, if you've never been. In fact, here are my top five reasons for going:
- Discover that there are thousands of others doing what you do in your area;
- Help your kids discover that yours is not the only homeschooling family on the planet;
- Find new activities and support available in your area as you go through the exhibit hall;
- Take the opportunity to hear seasoned homeschoolers teach on issues you want to hear;
- Look for yourself at that curriculum everyone has been raving about--without paying postage!
If you are coming to the Great Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati next weekend, I'll give you one more reason--come say "Hi!" to me! On Friday, April 1, I'll be in the lobby and exhibit hall with a professional film crew. We will be filming my video blog on location, AND capturing your thoughts about my History Revealed curriculum on camera!
If you're coming, and if you'd love to share your experience with me, please let me know!
Remember, stay relational.
Diana
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The Familyman
I've got to tell you that I'm feeling a little nervous, because this weekend is our first homeschool convention of the season. I get this way every year, because it's a little like preparing for space flight. Not only are there books, products, and supplies to pack, but there is also a big RV to get ready (this weekend we're taking our van). In fact, I know it's getting closer to convention season, because I've started having RV nightmares!
I'm telling you, Mom, there is no better place on the planet for pure, homeschool encouragement than a homeschool convention. You may say you don't need to go anymore, that you get your products online, and that you don't need the encouragement ... but you're just kidding yourself.
Not only do you need the encouragement, but when you attend a homeschool convention, you also become PART of the encouragement for other struggling homeschool moms. Your presence encourages first timers, old timers, and moms who think they're all alone in the homeschooling journey.
While there, you hear great speakers who struggle just like you do, and you get to thumb through actual homeschool books, and handle the homeschool products you can only "view" online. You also get free product reviews from others who are looking at the same products you are interested in ... or you can ask questions of those who created the product you're considering.
Let me encourage you to call a couple of your homeschool friends and say, "Let's go to the convention!" I'm guessing that some of them don't even know what they're missing.
So, get on the web and get your tickets. I hope to see you there! Stop by my booth or stop me in the hallway and say, "Hi!"
It's a great place to ... be real,
* Speaking of speaking ... I'm planning our October Speaking loop right now. I've already booked several speaking events, but I still have a few slots left. If you'd like me to speak at your homeschool co-op or group, and you live in NC, SC ... near Jacksonville, FL, the East coast of Florida, or even way down in Key West, I'd love to hear from you, and see if we might work out a stop.
* Homeschool leaders - If you need a good homeschool speaker for your back-to-school, fall kick-off, click here.
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A division of The Old Schoolhouse� Magazine
Did you know? Every class is INCLUDED for members!
No limits.
Convention season is fast approaching! SchoolhouseTeachers.com is a great online resource for curriculum for your students, but did you know we can also help you "convention style?"
If you're unable to attend a homeschool convention, or just looking for more advice or encouragement, under the tab "Planners & Resources" is Resources for Members where you'll find Schoolhouse Expos-- packed with inspiring and practical advice from leading homeschool speakers; the Recordkeeping tab has links to Schoolhouse Teachers Course Checklists with lots of checklists for planning; and the Schoolhouse Planners tab links to all 6 digital Schoolhouse Planners!
SchoolhouseTeachers.com will be at several conventions this year:
Toledo Christian Schools Homeschool Fair, April 23
Check out our Considering Membership page then sign up and try us for 30 days for only $1. If you have a question, chat with us live on the site or send an email to Customer Service.
One membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com serves your entire family, regardless of how many children you are homeschooling or their ages. There are no per-child fees or additional fees for textbooks, and courses are not live, so you can start them at any time. If you or someone you know is interested in teaching a class on our site, please contact Executive Editor Bonnie Rose Hudson at bhudson@theoldschoolhouse.com.
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Contest Corner
For the month of March 2016
Patriotic Penmanship, Grade 1, by Mary Ellen Tedrow from Laurelwood Books, is a single workbook to help teach manuscript writing on the first grade level. The book consists of sixty-five pages. This book can be used alone, but is also in a series of higher grade levels, if you wish to continue. This book uses scripture, hymns, and words from patriots to teach handwriting skills. It is set up in thirty lessons that start with a short sentence, followed by letter practice. Next you have number practice, keywords, word pairs, and then the full quote. There are tracing words, then room to write on your own. The price of the book is $12.95. ( . . .)
There are several pros of this book. One, it is Christian based, so that always earns a point in my book. However, this book also uses quotes from famous patriots as well. I really enjoyed that, because it actually gave us some starting points to expand our learning into other areas, such as history. My daughter thought it was neat to see the quotes, and to be able to look them up to learn a little more about the speaker. Also, I like how each lesson is set up--instead of just opening a book with A-Z learning, you have actual lessons to work on. This helped break it up for my daughter, so she knew what to expect. She is dyslexic, and never ending pages overwhelm her. Most of the wording was simple and fairly easy to sound out. The work also progresses through the book to show improvement in word and sentence writing, and not just copying letters. This is a great book for Christian homeschoolers.
You can win Grade 1 for your homeschool!
TO ENTER: Email Heather (hmader@thehomeschoolmagazine.com) with your name, mailing address, and phone number for contact purposes, with the subject line, "Patriotic Penmanship" for a chance to win* it for your family!
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Everett, WA
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