3 in 30 Challenge

Well, I will take the plunge and make some goals.  

1)   Homemaking - I will be doing the 31 Day to Clean August Challenge with the new challenges since I didn't make it through the last one.   My goal is to get a good routine going, it doesn't have to be perfect but if I can get a good routine going, then my days will go easier.

2) Freezer Meals - I started doing freezer meal planning last month.    This month I want to have a written down month of meals planned.    I have meat from last month and a few other things that i can add too.   With school starting for my boys at the supplemental school, I need a plan to make sure dinners are made and planned out.   AT least most of the time.

3) Presently I am getting up around 6:30 most mornings but if my school schedule is going to work I need to work it to 5:30.   But my goal is to get it to 6 a.m. by the end of August.   I need to be getting to bed by 10 at the latest if I am going to accomplish this though.     I do my Quiet time, Bible reading, Prayer time and if I have time my workout done then.  

These feel like lofty goals but my prayer is that as I work through them all, I will be gracious to myself and allow for mistakes.  

Educating the WholeHearted Child Book Discussion

I am excited to begin this adventure in this book.    There is so much I want to change in our home and knowing where and how to start is difficult at times.    I get overwhelmed and quit.    

• How long have you been homeschooling?    I just finished up my first year and will beginning my second year in a few weeks.
• What are you hoping to gain from reading this book?   The direction and ways God is calling me to go in my homeschooling.   To breath life and excitement into it that it is missing right now.   
• What quote or scripture stood out to you in the preface and/or introduction?  There were several quotes I really liked.   Here is one of them:   "We have come to the place where we can honestly say that there is no distinction in our homeschool between home and school -- we are living to learn and learning to live, all at the same time."     I loved to learn as a kid but I am seeing how much I miss that passion.   I still want to learn but never learned how to learn.    I only learned how to avoid failing.   Now I am realizing just how stunted I am in learning.    I don't want that for my boys.   I desire for God to transform my home both in school and in the quality of our relationships.   I desire to see a passion for learning and seeking to know and learn.    

Day 5 of Bible 90

Passage read: Exodus 1- Exodus 15:18 -

Scripture:  ““The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” ” (Exodus 14:14, NASB95)


Observation:
     God will and does fight for me.   Sometimes I need to just be silent as he does.

Application:  I need to stop complaining about my situations and/or what is going on in my life.  Then allow Him to fight for me.    He has a plan and I need to watch and join not complain and whine.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to cease and allow you to do the work You need to do.   Help me move out of the way so You can fight for me.   Your ways are not my ways and plans are not my plans and I am thankful they aren't.   Because I don't see the entire plan and You do.   You have woven a tapestry for me and my life, You know what is needed.  Help me to remember that and get out of the way and join you.

Feeding the Children Challenge

My idea or rather, an idea that showed up when I started the Bible in 90 days challenge, through Mom's Toolbox blog.   She also has a Kid's reading challenge.   Basically it is more of an overview but for my boys, it will be perfect.    So I will either read a chapter for them or they will read it themselves and then I will have them write down one thing they learned about it.    We have just barely started since they have been out of town up until last Monday and then we had several appts this week.    So I read their first chapter last night before bed and I will have them caught up by this weekend, then we will focus on one chapter a day with them.    I also have several Bible devotion books that I plan to start but still working on getting the schedule going since we are going to be starting school shortly.  

Day 4 of Bible in 90

Yesterday was busy and I wasn't home much so didn't get a post for yesterday but here is today's SOAP:

Scripture: Genesis 43;25

So they prepared the present for Joseph's coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.

Observation:  I never saw that Joseph's brothers has prepared a gift for him before their meal with him, the second time they returned to Egypt.   I thought it was interesting when I looked up the Hebrew and it told me that it was a customary or something to do when you are showing submission to an authority.    Whether or not the brothers realized it, they were bowing before Joseph fulfilling his dreams again.    Yet it also seemed to show me that they were trying to show they recognized their position and they were at the mercy of this leader, whom they didn't realize was their brother.   They were truly trying to make things go well so they didn't lose Benjamin and/or Simeon.   A change of heart after their heartless act of selling Joseph to the travelers years back.

Application:  For me, I need to remember my position before Christ and others.    I am not superior to anyone and I need to watch my attitude that goes a long with that.   I need to be a humble servant regardless what happens or who recognizes it.   I am here to be Christ's servant to my husband and my sons.   Not to lord or expect them to indulge my every whim.

Prayer:  Lord, help em to remember my place before You, to be humble.   To seek to give you gifts of service towards my family an others.   Not to expect them to give me things but to give out of my overflow of what you have graciously given me.

Day 2 of Bible in 90 Day

Passage read today: Genesis 17:1- Genesis 28:19

Here is my SOAP for today:

Scripture:  Genesis 27:34 - When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, "Bless me, even me also, O my father!".

Observation:
I was struck by Esau's cry- How impassioned and just upset he was.   I looked up the word Exceedingly in my Hebrew dictionary and found it was a physical and forceful response.    Esau was so upset he was physically and responded in a forceful manner.   It wasn't just crying because he didn't get what he wanted but this affected his soul and heart.  

Application:  Words have great power and I realize how much I need to be aware of the words I speak.   ARe they words of blessing and training or just mean and nasty words that tear down?  Today, I want to make sure I stop before I speak and/or yell at the boys.   That I discipline with love and compassion not with annoyance and frustration.   That I don't speak with sarcasm and meanness but with gentleness and love.  

Prayer - Lord, as I go about this day, help me to pick my words deliberately to encourage and to train.   Let me pause before I speak that I might find the correct things to say that build up the soul not tear it down.   Let Your Spirit control my tongue today.   Let me speak words of life into Joel & Sean.

Check this Giveaway out.

Clay and Sally Clarkson are giving away 3 copies of their book "Educating the Wholehearted Child", the new edition.    I have heard raving reviews on this book and haven't had a chance to read it but here is your opportunity to get it for free.   Here is the link to Sally's site:  I Take Joy   Don't miss this chance.