Schooling Choice

Evan is starting kindergarten this fall.  Cue the tears.  I know everyone says it, but seriously, it is nuts how quickly this happened.  I am so excited to have made the decision to keep him at home this year and homeschool.  I just wanted to explain our choice and offer my two cents on the whole public school/homeschool debate.  First off, this is our choice for our son and our family for this particular school year.  We prayed about it and know that this is right for him.  I don't mind you asking me to share why we made this decision, but please don't take it then as you should make the same decision.  This is when the trouble starts because comparison and judgement begins.  I do NOT want to be part of that.  Because the thing is there are positives and negatives to both just like anything else in life.  Ultimately, if we fall into the trap of comparison and thinking whatever choice you have made is the only "right" choice, then that means the choice someone else has made is obviously the "wrong" choice.  Whoaaaaa...Who would I be to tell you that you have made the wrong choice?   Even if we are the best of friends, we are not the SAME.  Our children are different. Our family makeups are unique.
The only pieces of advice I could give any family when making the decision to either homeschool, public school, or private school is to: PRAY, talk with your husband, study your children, and get informed on all options.  That's it.  All I got.  Never will you hear me say that one schooling method is the only way.  If you have done those things and made a decision, great.   Like I said above, you get on a slippery slope with judging others and I don't want that.  That causes division among moms-and women don't need anything else to divide them.  I know amazing mothers who choose to send their children to public school, some who choose to send their kids to private school, and some who are homeschooling.  Someone slap me if I ever sound like my child will turn out better than your child because we are homeschooling and you are not.  Ok, enough on that.
So, why are we homeschooling this year?  Simply because we think it is best for this particular child for this particular grade at this particular time in our lives.  We will reevaluate each year. If you want to know more, please ask.  Just know that when I explain, I am not trying to "convince" you that you have to do what I am doing. I am not trying to "shame" you for making a different choice.  I am in no way saying that mine is a superior choice.  :) We are all in this together and ultimately, how we school our children is not that important.  It is how we train our children that is.

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go,

and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Eternal perspective, that's what it is all about.  

Thanks for reading, and I will post a few of our homeschooling adventures from time to time.  Our family is excited for this year-especially Alea who didn't even like her brother being gone for VBS for 2 and a half hours one night.  :)  

This is the little cutie I get to teach:

Musical Monday: Doubling it up!

Sharing two songs this week as I missed last week and the two topics these songs cover are always on my heart.  Both songs are by Kari Jobe, who has an amazing voice and she sings with such conviction. She has a God-given gift. I hope you will take some time and enjoy.

The first song is called- "Be Still".  How often are you still during the day? I will answer that one for myself-almost never!  We live in a world of constant motion, activity, and tasks. We want things now, no waiting, no time to sit.  I have had to be very mindful of this especially after returning from Zambia to America-land of busyness.  Even though it was much more work during the day to live there, it seemed so natural to take time and sit, pray and study God's Word for an hour. It easily fit the relaxed, less scheduled lifestyle over there.  Here, I get the sense I must be "doing" something all day, so I do, then by night I am too exhausted to be still before Him.  This is not how it should be...I lose God when I am busy.  And then when hard times come, I wonder where He went.  But He never leaves us, we leave Him.  Even the pace of this song just reminds me of what the pace of my day should look like.  Hope you like!

Isaiah 40:31 
But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

"Be Still" by Kari Jobe

Second choice is "The More I Seek You" by Kari Jobe again.  What beautiful truth in this song...

"The more I seek You,

the more I find You,

the more I find You,

the more I love You."

When I take the time to get in His Word, to pour out to Him in prayer, to worship Him in song, I find Him.  And I love what I find.  Are you taking the time to seek Him throughout your day?  He is there.  Watch what He does when you do.

"I melt in Your peace,

it's overwhelming."

Who doesn't want peace in this crazy, messed up world?  He is the only giver of true peace. But you have to constantly seek it, don't expect it to be there when you are not spending time with Him. I hope you will worship Him tonight with this song!

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14.27

"The More I Seek You" by Kari Jobe

Musical Monday-"Oh, How He Loves Us"

Love.  It really is that simple.  He loves us-this is what we need to get back to...I am sharing one of my top favorite songs today-"Oh, How He Loves Us" by David Crowder Band.  As I think about our society and all that is happening, I sit and wonder why...why do some people hate God? Hate Christians?  What if it's because of us? Because of the people who claim to know Him?  We have made Christianity to be about a "moral code" as you will see suggested by Matt Chandler in this video and along the way, we have left out Jesus.  Did you come to know Christ because of a set of rules or because you knew He would still love you knowing you have broken the rules and will continue to break the rules?  I don't know about you, but I chose the latter.  That is why I gave my life to Him and His steadfast love is what makes me now strive to live out His teachings.  Let's get back to love and see what happens.
Thankful for His great love tonight---

Oh, How He Loves Us

1 John 4:10 

We love 

because 

He first 

loved us.  

Thoughtful Thursday: Yes and No

"Cut out that which seems good to invest in the best." Ann Voskamp

You know those times when you read something and you think-yep, that was written for me.  This blog I am going to refer you on to today is one of those pieces for me and I hope you will get something out of it too.  The quote above is from this blog and it is the hard lesson I have learned this year.  (and I know it will be an on-going lesson my whole life!)  The last few years as a stay at home wife/mom, I have been antsy.  Trying to find my way, how I can impact others for eternity, do something meaningful.  I have enjoyed it immensely too, don't get me wrong, but just never felt like I was doing enough.  Like my days didn't really matter.  This may come off as horrible to some of you, but just being honest. :)  Maybe you can identify.  Then, last year, we decided to move to Zambia in pursuit of adoption and missions work.  Exciting stuff.  I thought, now I am really going to serve the Lord, really going to be useful in His kingdom.  And it was amazing-all year as I was helping at the preschool, training teachers, or assisting Mickey with medical outreaches, going to Bible studies with Heidi, working on adoption things, I felt like God was really using me.  
Wow, was I missing IT.  
We got the boys and life got crazier really quick.  And finally I heard God's voice.  "You are enough, Mandey."  "You have enough." You are doing enough."  "I am telling you no-trust me."
I knew I was supposed to say no to the adoption to say yes to my own family that God had already given me-at this time.  Adoption is good, and it may be for us someday, but for now, this was a lesson I needed to learn.  I am so thankful.  Glad it happened before it was too late and they are gone, grown up...

"Your most meaningful work in the Kingdom of God may not be the big things that you do — but the one little person you love." 

Last favorite quote from the blog in case you don't visit the link:

"It can be hard to prune good things that are blooming. It can be hard to remember why you are pruning.

Because there’s a counter-intuitiveness to it, this plucking off certain life activities that will yield good fruit. Some might even think it foolish to pare back, when the bloom and gifting apparent; a good harvest inevitable.

Yet it’s the pruning of seemingly good leaves that can grow a better life. 

To allow later seasons to yield the longed-for abundant crop.

It takes courage to crop a life back — but it’s exactly the way to have the best crop of all.  What seems like hard work that’s taking an eternity today — is exactly what may make the most difference in eternity.

Ann Voskamp

The Great Challenge

What are you saying yes to that you need to say no?  

Musical Monday:Anniversary Edition

This Wednesday, July 9th, will mark our 9 year wedding anniversary.  And what better way to start the celebration by looking back at where we began.  Neither of us have ever been huge into country, but one day while driving together during our first year of dating, this song came on- "Me and You" by Kenny Chesney.  And of course, being two young lovebirds, we had to make it our song.  :)  I know, I know, pretty corny. But at 19, we knew we were "suited perfectly for eternity" as the song goes.  Check it out if you want-the only thing I would add now to the song is "Me, You, and God" because without Him being at the center of our marriage, there is no way we would be celebrating these past 9 years together as a married couple.  We owe it all to Him and we thank Him for seeing us through all the ups and downs and being constant in His love.

"Me and You"

Thoughtful Thursday: What's Wrong With Me???

I got angry today when Alea kept moving around while I was trying to lay down with her and nap for a while.  I got angry today when Evan wouldn't do his school work.  I got angry yesterday when Mickey and I had a miscommunication.
I must have an anger problem.  I am always going to get angry easily.  I will never be one of those calm, go with the flow people.  Why can't I just deal with these situations more peaceably?  I am just an angry person.  This is just one example of how my mind can work after a few bad decisions.  I have been reading a book by Steven Furtick, called, "Crash the Chatterbox".  Mickey and I listened to the sermon series while we were in Africa as well.  It is definitely one of the most powerful sermon series I have ever listened to.  One section of this book deals with condemnation.  Have you ever gone down this road?  Taking something you did and letting it define you?  Who am I kidding, of course you have...we all have.  It the enemy's favorite way to attack.  Quickly, to be clear, in no way am I saying my actions were ok.  Anger like I was having was sinful and not to be taken lightly.  But I love what the author reminded me of,

"The problem comes when we go beyond confessing our sin (which means agreeing with God about it) and begin defining ourselves according to the sin.  In this way we allow our lives to be defined by what we did rather than anticipating our tomorrows according to what Christ has done.  We allow the Enemy to rob us the value of grace's great exchange, which is the central proposition of Christianity. We stop learning from our mistakes under the tutelage of the Spirit.  And we start accepting labels created by the lies of condemnation."   

I do struggle with the sin of anger.  BUT THAT IS NOT WHO I AM.  The enemy wants me to believe I am because anger can ruin relationships and wreck lives. Exactly what he wants.  God will lovingly work with me daily on this sin.  The author puts it this way, "every time God calls out a deficiency in your life, you can be assured that He is simultaneously offering an invitation.  He Himself will fill the voids He is identifying-if you will cooperate."  What sweet words these are...because I know I can't do it on my own.  And God has already done it and He is just waiting on me patiently. 

Romans 8:3-4  "What the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.  And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."

Key words: God did.  God conquered sin.  In Him we are pardoned by His blood.  I have said this before and it is worth repeating, this never means we just continue in sin.  But we can rest in His grace and listen to the Spirit.  He will focus us in on living according to what He wants.  We do NOT have to entertain the enemies ideas ever again that we won't be able to.  

The author urges us to do this:
"The next time the Enemy starts bombarding your mind with condemnation...-make him pay. Take the opportunity to remind him of what God did and what He has promised to do for you." 
-"God says He has saved me. And he is saving me."
-"God says He has forgiven me. And His grace is cleansing me."
-"God says He has called me. And His mercy is keeping me."
-"God says He has rescued my life from the pit. And His kindness is crowning me with love and compassion."  

Hope you can gain something by reading this. I know I am learning a lot.  God is not a God of condemnation so if that is what you are feeling, it is not coming from Him.  Believe that without a shadow of a doubt.  

Musical Monday: "That Great Day" by Jonny Lang

Revelation 21:4

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

Jonny Lang is right up there with Francesca Battistelli for me, but many people don't know about him.  He is a blues/rock/Christian singer with some mad skills on the guitar. :)  My big bro took me to a music festival in Florida and that is where I got hooked.  I have since seen him 3 times in concert!  There is such great depth in him and his songs.  And what a testimony this man has...hitting rock bottom while on the verge of fame.  Thankfully, his girlfriend and her family prayed for him, took him in, loved him, and he gave his life to the Lord. (Much more to that story of course! Look him up if you can.) He has got another amazing song called, "Only a Man", that covers his journey.  Check this out too if you have a minute.  It's inspiring.  

Back to this song-death has been on my mind lately.  With a high school friend dying very young to being with family and talking about members that have been gone for some time, it just has been... But this isn't a negative post about death, because Jesus has conquered death.  And somehow, even though I deserve death, because of Him taking the punishment I get to live in Heaven with Him FOREVER.  Not only do I get to live with Him for eternity, but that life in Heaven will be beautiful.

Revelation 22:1-5

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Doesn't that sound amazing??? Folks , this song is what "Christianity" is really all about.  This is the hope only God offers.  I know there are many things that block people from believing in God, but my prayer for you today is that you would really seek Him out.  Try to get past all of His imperfect messengers like myself and find out what He is really about.  I think you will  find yourself wanting to experiencing "That Great Day."  (He gives clear instruction in His Word on how to do this!)

Check out the song below-

"That Great Day" by Jonny Lang

"My favorite lines from this song are: "We'll be delivered of every chain" and "And when He appears to wipe all our tears forever away, then we'll be together in Heaven forever".  3 amazing promises from our Savior!  Only He can get rid of everything that weighs us down, take away sadness, and eternal community with family and friends.  What a day that will be!