January's Mission of the Month with Mama Jenn

Ok....It seems that doing these missions has been more like Mission Impossible for me! I'm not just talking about getting the Mission Not Accomplished stamp! I'm talking missing the linky deadline all together and not getting into the groove to get things done! I know...that's bad. Pray for a sista!

I've been trying to implement Mama's Mission for over a year and I keep failing...MISERABLY! It has nothing to do with the concept but EVERYTHING to do with me! Honestly, I don't know WHAT'S wrong with me, but if I don't get some order very quickly, 2013 is going to fly by just as quickly as 2012 and I will be looking like a deer caught in the headlights wondering what happened.

I am determined to make this work! I have to, because my pursuit of purpose is being hindered, because I've not been TRULY and CONSISTENTLY focused on accomplishing my goals (in any area of my life). Granted, life has thrown be some challenges over the last year and a half (actually I feel like I've been reeling for about 6 years) and finding focus as well as holding on to my faith has been challenging.

However, I can not continue to allow "life" to beat me up and keep walking around like a battered and defeated boxer? I'm sure we have all gone through phases of defeat, but enough is enough. It's time to start fighting back and winning!

Last year our pastor charged us to be more intentional and I found that I INTENDED to do a lot of things, but didn't actually IMPLEMENT too much anything (nothing of much significance, that is. Day-to-day things you need to survive don't really count.) This year he has charged us to focus. So...I'm going to take this year to FOCUS on all the things I INTENDED to do last year (making adjustments along the way).

With that said, I am excited about what God's going to do in my life and my family's life this year, as a result of my dedication and commitment to be Faithful to the things of God and Focusing (and relying)on Him to guide me. My overall mission is to trust God and live by the Word more and stop getting in the way. I AM dreaming bigger dreams for this year and expect it to be a great year, but my focus is purpose. I, like Jenn, am also planning to be more intentional about my family (my husband and 3 blessings, as well as extended family and close friends). Here are my goals for the month of January 2013 (I know...you were wondering when I was going to get to them, huh?):

PERSONAL

1. Get up @ 4:30am daily for my personal time for prayer, devotional and preparation for the day. This seems to be the time I automatically wake up, so it just makes sense to structure it.

2. Complete my list of goals for 2013!

3. Establish and Start an exercise routine that includes walking at least 3 times a week.

4. Complete the Proverbs 31 study that I didn't finish.

5. Read one book. I know... it's only one, but for me that's a start. I start reading several, but don't usually complete either of them.


MARRIAGE

6. Have ONE date night. Having a movie alone in our room is nice,but DOES NOT count!

PARENTING/FAMILY

7. Start having movie night again. The kids have expressed that they miss this.

8. Start having game night again. Something that my almost 6 year old is begging for (her teenage brothers enjoy it too).

9. Get out more: field trips and just out and about exploring our local area! Oh the places we should be going!

10. Create a plan for spending "special alone" time with each kid.

11. Revamp our chore system.

12. Doing something simple and special to celebrate my husband's and daughter's birthdays separately (1/28 and 1/29).

HOMESCHOOLING

13. Re-evaluate our current schedules and curriculums; plan for any adjustments/changes.

14. Plan for our Advent study for 2013 and be sure to come up with something for the boys. My boys are 13 & 16, but they kind of missed having more structured things planned for them this past Christmas for Advent. This includes prep work too! We totally didn't finish all the ornaments from Truth in the Tinsel...sick child, etc. lack of preparation - eventhough it's already planned for you! So we'll give it a try again this year!

15. Complete lesson plans through March. I know...this should already be done, right? Working on getting better.

16. Plan for St. Patrick's Day (this is something my kids really look forward to), Valentine's Day and Easter/Spring activities. I have some new things I'd like to try.

HOMEMAKING

17. Finalize my meal planning system (you know...what works for MY brain) and start back meal planning. My husband and sons will prepare complete meals but I have to give them a plan. No plan. No meal prepared.

18. Bring order to my office!!! That's probably why my intentions from last year never got implemented! In it's current state... only God can help me with this one!

18. Finish the final decorating/organizing plan for Victoria's bedroom.

19. Organize all of our school stuff! This will probably take a couple of months, because I have to purchase (repurpose, etc.) things. I just have to have it sorted and have a plan by the end of the month.

20. Establish a method for couponing. This can become overwhelming if you're not organized AND disciplined.

21. Make a list of projects to complete around the house.

MINISTRY

22. Plan for my AWANA lessons for through March.

23. Plan fun activities/games for my group (Pre-K - 1st)in Children's Church to do upon arrival and after the lesson. This is my responsibilty on our team.

FRIENDSHIPS/EXTENDED FAMILY

24. Send birthday cards for January birthdays and prepare for February (including Valentine's Day).

25. Create a schedule/plan for making weekly contact with family and close friends that doesn't feel like pressure.

BLOGGING/ONLINE ACTIVITIES

26. Join Mamas Mission of the Month for January!

27. Work on defining and organizing my blog.

28. Post 4 articles (including this one!).

MISCELLANEOUS

29. Update our budget for 2013.

Whew! Ok, fellow mamas! Let's hold each other accountable! Thanks Jenn for all you do and for being a great example of the Proverbs 31 woman!

Back to Blogging & Mama's Mission of the Month for August

Wow! It's been almost a year since I've attempted to blog! All I can say is...My how time flies! I'll just say that life happened and I'm fighting back. I think I'm actually ready to blog consistently (I'm going to say MONTHLY and strive for WEEKLY -yes, I'm moving forward by FAITH - Foolishly Anticipating It To Happen).

So much has happened and I have a lot to share; I just have to figure out how to share it all. Well, It's the beginning of August and I have come full circle! I started blogging with a Mama's Mission of the Month almost a year ago, so what better way to get back in the "game." Jenn is such an inspiration to me and so many others!

Well, I MISSED the linky deadline over at MamaJennblogs.com, BUT here's my Mission for the Month of August:


I'm keeping it simple this month. I really have a lot to do, but if I accomplish the following, I will feel like I deserve that Mission Accomplished Button and will breathe a sigh of relief:


PERSONAL
1. Start back walking 5 miles CONSISTENTLY 5-6 days a week (Monday - Saturday). I had gotten up to 5 miles and "something" happened (not sure what...does that happen to anyone else?)and I haven't been in over a month.

2. Change my eating habits and quit using the excuse that I'm an emotional/stress eater! Meal planning will definitely help with this.


MARRIAGE
3. Have an actual date with my husband! Why is this so hard? Maybe because we always find a reason for the family to do something.

4. Make a conscious effort to make sure that our home is truly my husband's place of refuge and peace.

5. Actually begin reading The Love Dare! I've had it for a while YEARS and keep dusting it off, saying, "I really need to read this."

PARENTING
6. Come up with a new Chore System for the kids. The Boys are teenagers now and the popcicle stick system we use seems a little elementary for them. It works great and I highly recommend it (cheap and easy), but I just think it's time for and update. Any ideas for teens?. I might keep it for Victoria (my 5 year old), though.

7. Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey. We're doing this as our Family Book of the Month as a read-aloud (after dinner and any other time we can fit it in).

HOMESCHOOLING
8. Make final selections for our curriculum. We don't "officially" start our new grade levels until the Monday after Labor Day. We are working towards a year-round schedule...still figuring that out. Lord, help me!

9. Complete Lesson plans for the upcoming school year. This is mostly for my Kindergartener, but I would love to be at least 3 months ahead for anything that needs to be planned for the boys.

10. Finish our school room. We've moved into the living room, so things are changing a bit! Including needing to purchase smaller desks, and a few other organizational things.

11. Finish reorganizing my office. This could fall under personal as well. It just HAS to be done. Seriously.

HOMEMAKING
12. Finish creating/organizing my Homemaking Planners (Binders). I Know for sure I'm going to need 3 different ones, so if I come back and say that I set-up 2, hold me accountable! PLEASE!!!

13. Establish a Menu plan and actually use it! Life is so much better when I have our meals planned and actually stick to the plan. This helps the whole family. Don't know WHY I'm struggling with this.

14. Go through our supplies and purge/organize.

15. Have a garage sale (with some friends) and donate what's left. It's gotta leave out of the house!

16. Plan whatever projects we want to complete BEFORE the holidays. Note: I said PLAN! Not complete!

17. Get more organized with my couponing. It's definitely working, but I need to be more organized. Ya know...sometimes I put off clipping them and the rest is frustration and money-not-saved history! I wanna save money and time!

MINISTRY/FRIENDSHIPS
18. Prepare for my AWANA class that starts this month and stay ahead with planning for my Sunday class (2nd and 3rd Sundays only).

19. Find a family to "sponsor" by providing them with personal care items and household supplies monthly. May be able to find an organization to just donate to. This is actually going to be made possible through my couponing!

20. Spend some girl time with one of my friends (whoever is available when I am will work). Not a play date! Actual girl time!

BLOGGING/ONLINE ACTIVITY
21. Actually blog SOMETHING every week this month. I really can do this. I even have a planner to help me (winking @ Jenn, lol).

Well, I said I was going to keep it simple and as I was typing the numbers I thought... "This doesn't seem so simple!" But...in the big scheme of things that need to be done in my life, this list really is simple.

Keep me lifted up in prayer and I'm making a special commitment to pray daily for all of you who linked up with Jenn this month!


Blessings and FAITH!


Genyne

October Mission & September Update

Wow! Is it me or did the month of September zoom by? Anyway, here's the update for my very first Mama's Mission of the month. I set very ambitions goals last month, not because I wanted to, but because it's a reality of the things I need to do ASAP. I didn't accomplish everything on my list, but I feel good about what I did accomplish. And honestly, this accountability really helped me get THOSE things accomplished.

WARNING! LONG POST ALERT!!!!
Remember, this is really a note to myself that I'm sharing with you guys (for accountability), so I need the details as a part of my accountability to MYSELF, because I can forget the details sometimes as a way of justifying why I didn't get some things done. Just being honest!

SEPTEMBER MISSION UPDATE:

1. Join Mama-Jenn's September Mission of the Month -CHECK!

2. Finish preparing everything I need for our Before Five In A Row lessons and decide which Five in a Row books we will row and in which order. CHECK! All of the files are made and I have a schedule and even though I don't have EVERYTHING I need in each fill, yet, I've done enough to feel like I've accomplished enough to give me a peace of mind! Plus, I've discovered some new resources AND I discovered that that's a lot of ink! Wow! The ink and laminating!

3. Stay a week ahead with Victoria's other curriculum plans - CHECK! I'm kind of going with her flow and it's working!

4. Create some type of planning sheet that will work for MY brain - BIG CHECK! This was a MAJOR accomplishment for me! I came up with some planning forms that actually work for ME! I plan to share them soon!

5. Establish a "system" for meal planning and actually implement it! - CHECK! I actually sat down with my boys, got their input and came up with something that will work for everyone, not just me, seeing how I really need their help regularly. Our first official Weekly Menu will be posted on this Sunday, October 9th! I hope to share things soon!

6. Start our new "school" term with a "soft launch" and be in the groove by the end of the month - CHECK!. We are still working out some scheduling kinks; I didn't realize how challenging it would be adding more structure to Victoria's learning. She really requires a lot of attention (sometimes she just craves more to do!), so I think we may be working through this another month or so. I'm very please with our flow, though.

7. Get caught up with laundry (specifically, ironing)and maintain it with help from the boys - CHECK! We are really sticking to our Tuesday and Fridays only laundry days and it's working! I really don't like doing laundry everyday and even with 5 people in the house, this works for us! My oldest son, Canaan (14) has been VERY helpful in this area. It literally takes a load off of me!

8. Finalize the last minute details for the boys' curriculum - CHECK!
We may have to tweak some things, but that's all a part of it!

9. Learn to allow myself some grace and not feel guilty about it! As well as extend grace and mercy when parenting my kids - CHECK! Boy did I need this last month! I breathed a whole lot easier! I think I'll continue this!



OK...I know it looked like I was on a roll, but here we go for the things I DIDN'T QUITE COMPLETE!

1. Start walking - X! Just haven't felt like it! Period! I know it's bad, but I gotta be honest!

2. Finish setting up blog and actually start blogging - X! I actually need to add content to three pages and post about our B4FIAR learning.

3. Finish reorganizing my office - X! It's still ripped it apart! I have been working on it, and you can see the progress, but I'm not finished!

4. Finalize plans for our group learning - X! I've been working on this, but this still needs some tweaking, so I don't feel like I've accomplished what I want to!

5. Shell out some IDEAS for teaching African-American History - X! I still have ideas floating in my head, but I haven't put anything in writing, YET!

6.Have a date with my husband - X! I know. It just didn't happen people! Maybe I should have put it at the top of my list!




OCTOBER MISSION:



1. Spend some extra special time with my husband outside of the house, without the kids! I think, for me, labeling it a date made it more of a task I HAD do rather than something I WANTED to do, so I'm re-wording it this month. We'll see what happens. We're always together WITH the kids (which we actually enjoy and kinda prefer- I know...weird, but it is what it is), so it really doesn't take much for us. We do have alone time, but it's usually at home. We'll see.

2. Finish setting up the blog and blog about at least one of our B4FIAR rows and share my Planning Forms.

3. Start walking! Canaan asked to join me in the early morning, so that's a bit of motivation for me.

4. Finalize plans for our group learning.

5. Finish reorganizing my office! It's just got to be done!

6. Finalize plans for our group learning. I'm almost there, so this should happen!

7. Shell out some IDEAS for teaching African-American History. I have to put something in writing! At least an outline or and overview of my objectives! SOMETHING IN WRITING!

8. Establish a system for couponing that won't take up a lot of my time. In other words, set some guidelines/budget some time, so I don't get caught up and lose money by spending too much time! I don't know why, but I need a system for everything!

9. Reorganize the current system I'm using! It's time to upgrade to a binder! That means I'm saving money, but I also want to save some time in the process!

10. Continue allowing myself grace (AND NOT FEELING GUILTY ABOUT IT) and extending grace and mercy to my kids! This has been life changing for me, so I'll continue this, but I have to keep it on the list or I'll forget to do it! BLESS Jesus!

11. I also want to continue plugging away at my B4FIAR/FIAR planning until ALL of them are planned out (meaning folders complete with everything we are going to use)!

Well, that's it! Whew! I didn't want the Mission Not Accomplished, Yet button, but I'm more focused now, so I'm OK with the button! PLUS, the beauty of the button is the YET! There's that grace & hope! Thanks Jenn for inviting us on your mission! It's just what I need! I'll work even harder this month! I feel really good, though! I'll be praying for all of my fellow Mamas!

September 2011 Mission of the Month

Ok. This is my very first time linking up with anyone, because I'm new to this whole blogging thing, so work with me! I'M PRAYING I DO THIS CORRECTLY! I was determined to join Mama-Jenn's Mission of the Month for September. I've been checking out her blog for some time now and have been very inspired, but I never took the time to set up a blog, so I could follow along, fellowship and share!

So...if you're actually reading this, that means I'm off to a good start, because one of my goals for September is to join Mama-Jenn's Mission for September! Well, bless Jesus! I'm making progress! Now, if only that were the ONLY goal for this month!

WARNING! LONG POST ALERT! My goals for the month are going to seem rather ambitious, but seeing how we start school next week and I've been having health challenges for almost a year (thyroid problems can really challenge you, seriously - just had a double surgery 1 month ago - not even the thyroid! Thank God for healing grace!), I HAVE A TON OF CATCHING UP TO DO! Lord give me strength and replenish my time!

Note: I have a 1st year High Schooler (Almost 15yr old son); 7th grader (12yr old son); and a 4yr old daughter (I know...big gap, huh? But I got a girl!).

Ok, here it is:

First and foremost, I need to be more consistent w/my time with the Lord, having some early morning and evening time for prayer, reading and studying. Then I should be able to be more focused on the following:

1. Join Mama-Jenn's September Mission of the Month (CHECK!)

2. Finish setting up blog and actually start blogging.

3. Finish preparing everything I need for our Before Five In A Row lessons (all 17 of them - we've rowed 3 so far and very casually. Honestly, each book took forever, but I'm getting the hang of it and I'm feeling much better). Also, I need to decide which Five in a Row books we will row and in which order. Note: Select the books and choose order, NOT plan the lessons! Not THAT ambitious!

I also want to stay a week ahead with Victoria's other curriculum plans. I don't have to have them all planned right now; I just don't want to be in a scramble on Sunday nights.

4. I also need to create some type of planning sheet that will work for MY brain, so planning will be easier for me. Got some great ideas and inspirations, so I should be able to customize something that will work, PRAYERFULLY.

5. Establish a "system" for meal planning and actually implement it! That means post it up, so everyone can see it and stop asking me before they've even had breakfast, "What's for lunch? What's for dinner?" I suppose having the menu planned out in my head isn't doing any of us any good. lol

6. Start walking! Even if it's in the neighborhood! Gotta start somewhere, right?

7. Finish reorganizing my office (I ripped it apart right before I found out I had to have surgery! Just wow!). I also have to finish the learning areas (the classroom and wherever else we have learning time), but that's mostly planning type of stuff.

8. Get caught up with laundry (specifically, ironing)and maintain it with help from the boys.

9. Finalize the last (I really should say last minute) details for the boys' curriculum (by like tomorrow).

10. Finalize plans for our group learning (which includes some just for fun things).

11. Shell out some IDEAS for teaching African-American History (throughout the year). Note: SHELL OUT as in ACTUALLY GATHER MY IDEAS IN WRITING, NOT A PLAN!

12. Start our new "school" term with a "soft launch" and be in the groove by the end of the month.

13. Learn to allow myself some grace and not feel guilty about it! As well as extend grace and mercy when parenting my kids. After all, Grace & Mercy are what have brought us this far (going into our 6th year of homeschooling - wow...).

14. And last but not least, Have a date with my husband!

Phew!!! I know it looks like a super, duper, monster, task, but it only looks like that in writing! At least that's what I'm telling myself because they are things that HAVE To be done this month. Well, I AM Homeschooling by FAITH - Foolishly Anticipating It To Happen!


Blessings and FAITH!


Genyne

Our Curriculum

I thought it would help you get to know us, if I shared an overview of our approach to teaching/learning. I'll share our curriculum choices in another post. Work with me, because this is all new to me and I have to figure out how to do it - you know...when will I have time, what should I share, etc.

We try to maintain a Biblical worldview in all that we teach, but our approach is like a smorgasbord; a little bit of Classical, a little bit of Charlotte Mason, a little bit of a few different things. We like literature based things, a lot of art and hands-on activities and we also enjoy computer-based learning.

I have been inspired to try many things shared by other moms and educators. However, it's important for me to remember that just because something looks great or fun, it doesn't mean that I have to try it THIS YEAR, or even at all. What works for one family (or child), may not work for mine. It's important to be prayerful in your choices and ask God to guide you. I know first hand how easy it is to get caught up in the search for the right teaching/learning tools.

I've made choices based on works best for each of my children individually. I'm OK with the fact that our "learning menu" seems to be a smorgasbord that combines the flavors of all-you-can-eat and fast food with fine dining! Hey, all that matters to me is that they eat well and grow strong!

Even though we have curriculum plans for each year, we make adjustments as needed (i.e. if we find that something TRULY ISN'T WORKING, we won't struggle through it just because it was a choice at the beginning of our "formal" learning year and I'd spent our hard-earned money).

I plan to share the details of our journey, especially with B4FIAR/FIAR as we complete each book. I am also planning to share some Homeschool Highlights that will include projects/experiments, field trips, fun things, etc. My goal is to do this weekly, but I AM new to this amazing arena, so bare with me while I work out the kinks! You will be able to find curriculum related posts under the "Blog Topics" link, "Curriculum", located on the left side of the home page.

If you have questions about how (or why) we use anything, feel free to leave a comment and I'll be happy to share what we're doing. Likewise, if you're using something that we're using, I'd love to know how you incorporate things in your family.

Lastly, I want to encourage you in your homeschooling journey. I know that it can be overwhelming at times (I've cried and doubted my ability to actually do this many times), but know that God is there to guide and strengthen you. And if that isn't enough, there is a virtual community of Moms (and Dads) who freely share a wealth of God-inspired information, inspiration and motivation to help you along the
way.

Whether you choose an all-in-one curriculum, an online school, or a customized plan, leave room (in your mind that is - you know how we can sometimes get stuck in our decisions and plans, at least I've been guilty of this) for adjustments. Some things are figured out through trial and error, but a little research and feedback from others (you know those product reviews/testimonials that we read, but rarely make - I am getting better at sharing my experiences, though. Yeah, God is working on me!) can help minimize the error part.

OK my Friend of FAITH...dig in and enjoy YOUR journey. Be patient and savor the process. Training up a child is like taking a long train ride on the journey of your life.

Our Journey

I decided to share the story of our homeschooling journey - you know, how I got to this point - actually blogging about it. Not because I wanted to bore you with the story of my life, but because I believe that our testimony is not a testimony until we share it with someone else. It is my prayer that, as I open the windows to my family, someone will somehow be encouraged or inspired to either start their journey, resume their journey or continue their journey. That journey doesn't have to be homeschooling; it's whatever God has called you to do or be.

Our homeschooling journey began 5 years ago when my sons were entering the 4th and 2nd grades. I had become frustrated with their public school experience as a whole (even though they had some great teachers and experiences that they will never forget) and the Lord had begun to convict my heart about taking more responsibility for the training of our children.

Slightly intimidated by the call, long story short (this part of the story anyway), I prayed about it and proceeded forth. Three weeks after I made one of the most important decisions of my life, I became extremely overwhelmed! Yes, it had only been three weeks and I hadn't even gotten started! In fact, the kids still had about 9 more weeks before they'd be out of school!

What happened, you say? Well, I found out that I was pregnant (with my now 4 year old daughter)and immediately thought, "Lord, HOW am I going to do THIS?!" Start homeschooling AND have a baby (my son would be 8 by the time the baby was born and I would be 37 - that's 3 years from 40 people!)? I wondered if maybe my "timing" was off, but nevertheless, I took hold of my FAITH, upheld my commitment and proceeded forth. I am so glad I did!

Things always work out for good, when they are purposed for God and I'll tell you why. I'll try to keep it short without baffling you in by briefness. My pregnancy was challenging in the beginning and it was nice to have the flexibility of homeschooling, especially after the baby was born - no need to drag the baby to the drop-off/pick-up line at the school - Now THAT'S a blessing - taking a newborn baby in and out of an elementary school isn't my idea of giving kids a head start.

As if a challenging pregnancy weren't enough, during my pregnancy, my mom (my BFF and poster child for FAITH) began to have some health challenges and when my daughter was only 3 months old, she suddenly (as in had a massive heart attack in our kitchen) went home to be with the Lord. Did I mention that I was homeschooling at the time?

It was homeschooling that enabled us the opportunity to deal with our loss without the added pressure of having to "get it together," because the kids had to go to school. It was homeschooling that allowed my kids to have even more quality time with their Granny during what would be her last year with us (in the flesh, that is). It was homeschooling that allowed my mom to actively participate in their education (she enjoyed the fun stuff we did). It was homeschooling that allowed our family to grieve without guidelines (you know you can only miss so many days of school when you lose a loved one); we were able to take some time and digest it all (I think we're still digesting it all). It was homeschooling that allowed me to see that even in the middle of great sorrow, God's grace really is sufficient.

I'm sure that you can see how God has extended His grace on our family and wrapped us in His loving care. I didn't even bother to mention that my daughter was diagnosed with a (curable, In Jesus' name) heart condition, when she was only 2 months old, which we're still believing God for a healing - all in the midst of homeschooling!

Our journey continued and a year after my mom's passing, we relocated out of state. And again...homeschooling made the transition a whole lot easier! It's so nice to be obedient to God, even when we don't quite understand the call and even when "life" (or death) happens. When we're obedient, we can rest assured that His promises for our lives will be fulfilled.

It has taken me 5 years to TOTALLY embrace the freedom that comes with homeschooling. Freedom from being locked in a box - my Thinking, my Actions, my Spirit and ultimately my Kids! Being in that box was making motherhood (AND marriage) a TASK that at times I didn't think I could handle. Heck, some days I didn't even WANT to tackle the task, because it had become just that, a TASK!

My brain (and spirit) was becoming blocked in a box - limited by past experiences (how I was raised, educated, relationships, etc.); what I've heard (people's opinions and observations); and what I was feeling (overwhelmed, frustrated, discouraged, etc.). I needed to break out of that "box," so that God could build me into the woman that He created me to be, which is an ongoing process.

I had to be reminded that in order for me to successfully walk in purpose, it was going to take Bold, Outrageous FAITH! It has NOTHING to do with what I know (or think I know), how I feel or what I see, but EVERYTHING to do with what I believe.

I now realize (even more) that homeschooling is not just about training and educating our children. It's about preparing and positioning our family (as a unit)for purpose, which ultimately brings honor and glory to God. I like to think of our journey as Family-Schooling. We're all learning; We're all growing. All to the glory of God!

My dear Friend in FAITH, embrace YOUR journey! There may be detours, road blocks and bumpy roads along the way, but stay the course! Stay focused on your destination, knowing that God is with you every step of the way!

Introducing Homeschooling by FAITH

I'm really glad that you're here! I'm super excited that somehow you found my tiny, little piece of the "blogosphere."

I created this space as a way for me to share our family's Homeschooling experiences (I like to call it Family-Schooling) with others. It's nothing fancy, but I hope that you can feel the love that's wrapped within the pages of each post.

I can't really tell you WHAT to expect to find here, because I'm going to let the Lord use me as He will, because I want to keep my motives pure and my heart humble. I do know that I want to keep things light and fun, but purposeful. I can't afford to get "caught up"! I know too well that time escapes you when you're surfing the net, especially the amazing Mom/Homeschooling blogs! Lord, help me! Any-who (my friend Nichole has me saying that,lol)...

I'm a writer by gifting and a talker by nature (trust me, you'll find that out soon, if you haven't figured that out already, lol), so expect random conversations, inspirations, information and just plain old REAL STUFF that hopefully you can relate to. Oh, by the way, God has a tendency to talk to me in acronyms, so be on the look out for divine revelations and inspirations. Sometimes serious and sometimes funny, but always God-inspired!

Are you wondering about REAL STUFF? Well, REAL STUFF is Realizing that Everything ain't Always Lovely and Sometimes Things Unravel and you have to Fight to Focus. REAL STUFF! You know...the piled up laundry that seems to have taken over your family room (even though you have designated laundry days AND a laundry room); the gourmet dinner that turned into cereal and frozen pancakes, because you planned meals for a month, but didn't buy groceries for the week; the date night that turned into disaster, because you just had to talk about what was on your mind; the car broke down and totally blew up your budget...you know, REAL STUFF!

So, thanks for stopping by. I would ask you to stay a while, but there's not much here yet! (Ha!) So, check out what IS here and come back again soon! Subscribe by email, so you'll know when there's something new! I hope I made you feel welcomed!

Blessings and FAITH!