Homeschooling – Page 16 – Teach What is Good

Dear Younger Kim (#2), Don’t be anxious

Published on October 26, 2016 by teachwhatisgoodLeave a comment

This series is in response to the question:

So if you met yourself when your kids were as young as mine (4 and 1), what would you tell her?

If you haven’t read Part One in this series, click here.

So, here comes my second nugget for myself:

Dear Kim,

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)

As you trust the Lord with all your heart, the next step is going to be doing battle against fear and anxiety. This must begin by taking captive those fearful, anxious thoughts that run through your mind. Those angry thoughts about what the future holds if you don’t “get this child under control,” were not given to you by your good, loving Father. Those thoughts come from the pit of hell.

When those ideas first come into your mind, you are going to need to choose to pray. Remember, Worry NONE, Pray ALWAYS. You are going to have to choose to cast all of your anxieties onto God, trusting that He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7). Throw those fears onto Him. Cast them off your back and out of your mind, and give them over to God, who knows is sovereign over all things. Make your requests known to Him with a thankful heart filled with trust.

Remember, Kim, all His works are right and all His ways are just and those who walk in pride, He is able to humble (Daniel 4:37). When you start to worry, you are taking on burdens that you were never meant to carry. Your fears are rooted in pride, thinking too highly of yourself, and not highly enough of our all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God. Don’t forget that He loves you and will supply your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Believe that “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

I look at this picture of you in the pumpkin patch with the big smile on your face and I think of all the worries that are hidden behind there. The search for the perfect pumpkins and the perfect pictures, and what people think of your screaming toddler, and I just want to encourage you. One day you will look back at all those wasted moments that could have been filled with joy and laughter and think, “What was I worrying about?”

Worry NONE. Pray ALWAYS.

TWIG

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Dear Younger Kim, (Intro & Part 1)

Published on October 24, 2016 by teachwhatisgoodLeave a comment

I have recently begun a friendship with a younger mom on Facebook. She is just beginning the homeschooling journey and is eager to learn all she can from any of us more experienced moms. Bless her for that. Two days ago, she messaged me this question:

So if you met yourself when your kids were as young as mine (4 and 1), what would you tell her?

Wow! What a question! What do I wish that I’d heard (heard = heard & listened to, believed, obeyed) from a more experienced mom 15 years ago? What would I like to go back in time and tell myself? Wow! I can’t get the question off my mind, and thus begins this series that I pray will be a blessing to my dear, humble friend.

First off, I must confess that some of these statements will be things that I believe I have done well. But others, probably most of them, I fear I have not. I include both for the benefit of my younger self, that I may learn both from my successes and my failures. And I share this counsel, both to my younger self, and the younger moms out there, as well as to my now older self.

In Titus 2:4-5, older women are instructed to teach what is good and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, with the ultimate goal that God’s word would not be reviled (or in other translations: blasphemed, slandered, or dishonored). Whether I’m an older woman yet or not, my goal in training the younger women to live an honorable life before God and man, is that God would be honored rather than dishonored. That, indeed, is my desire as I write these for Ashley, myself and anyone else who might stumble upon them. May God, my Father, Jesus Christ, my Savior, and the Holy Spirit, my Counselor, be glorified in all I say and do.

So, here we go. My first nugget of wisdom is this:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

In the original Hebrew of Proverbs 3:6, that word translated “acknowledge” is yada, to know. According to dictionary.com, “acknowledge” means (1) to admit to be real or true; recognize the existence, truth, or fact of: (2) to show or express recognition or realization of: (3) to recognize the authority, validity, or claims of.

As I meditate on this most important verse, I say, Kim (that’s me), trust in the Lord. Trust Him. Believe in Him. Don’t trust your emotions, your human understandings of this. Know the Lord. Seek Him. Moment by moment and step by step and day by day, seek Him first, and He will make your way straight and right. He will direct your steps as you know and trust Him as Lord with your whole heart.

It is good to seek counsel from other people. Keep listening to those talks and reading those books, but your trust has to be in God alone. He alone is God. He is the creator of all things and He is the author of all wisdom. Beware of thinking that if you follow somebody’s “Ten Steps to a Perfect Child who Loves God,” that you’re guaranteed something. This is a lie. It is as you TRUST the Lord, Kim, as you follow Him fully, that your path will be made straight.

This word “straight,” in the Hebrew is yashar which according to Blue Letter Bible means to be right, straight, level, upright, just, lawful, smooth. This is not the same as painless, carefree or easy. Beware. God is interested in refining you and your children into His vessels, directing you as you live out the purposes for which He has created you, whatever it takes. Trust Him, when your path is hard, and trust Him when your path is easy. Trust Him with all your heart.

Meditate on that today.

TWIG

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Scripture verses related to the Olympics

Published on February 12, 2014July 23, 2021 by teachwhatisgoodLeave a comment

Noelle made these Olympic Rings using her Crayola — Noelle made these “spin art” Olympic Rings

Our family is enjoying watching the Winter Olympic Games. In fact, since we are studying the ancient cultures during our homeschool history time and since Noelle is really enjoying figure skating (even taking weekly lessons), we are doing a “unit study” on the Olympics this week and next. During our unit study, we are doing all kinds of reading, writing, art, geography and math related things in addition to learning about the sports themselves.

I wanted to share here, though, some verses from the scriptures that have been coming to my mind as we’ve been watching the athletes compete. Keep in mind that the Olympics are believed to have begun in Greece approximately 776 years before the New Testament was written. Think about that as you read things about “perishable wreaths” and races.

Our charts for keeping track of medals for snowboarding and figure skating

I am specifically praying for the gospel to go forth at this gathering of nations. Join me in praying for the Christian athletes and spectators to be bold to share the good news of the gospel with those of other tribes and tongues.

I am also praying for each one of us to fight the good fight, to keep the faith, to run the race not for a perishable wreath but an imperishable one. I pray that we would press on and endure, looking to Jesus. I pray that we would discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness which is profitable for all things since it holds promise both for our present life and for our eternal one. I pray that we would work heartily for the Lord Jesus and not for men, as He is truly the giver of our eternal reward. He is our perfectly just and righteous judge in whom we place our hope and trust. He never makes a mistake. He knows my name and He knows my heart. Praise God.

SELF-DISCIPLINE & PRIZES

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:7b-8

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24

NATIONS

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”” Matthew 28:18-20a

“”Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”” Psalms 46:10

“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” Psalms 96:3

First day of school 2013

Published on August 12, 2013 by teachwhatisgoodLeave a comment

Today we started “back to school.”

This, then, entails the ever important trip to Sam’s Donut shop for FIRST DAY DONUTS. In St Louis, it was Krispy Kreme, but here it’s Sam’s on Byhalia Rd in Collierville. Thanks, guys, for making our first day back to the grindstone a little more fun!

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