Another year. Another year for growth. Another year for pruning. Another year of walking with my Lord as He teaches, guides, and encourages. As I hold my Savior’s hand and seek His strength for this homeschool year, I am reminding myself of four truths…
Be in a Posture of Rejoicing, Prayer, and Thankfulness
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” There is a peace that hovers over my heart. It occurs when I know that I am walking in what God’s will is for me. Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks serve as mighty pillars not only for everyday life, but also for daily homeschool moments. They require an action on my part, in spite of my feelings. When I am cheerful within my heart, worshiping God through prayer, and expressing thanks, God provides the holy perspective I need for the day. This holy perspective gets me through the hard moments the day brings. It guards my heart and mind from the external and internal influences that attempt to steal joy. The pillars protect my mind from distractions and helps me to recognize what is truly important. When rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks take place, a constant continual outpouring to God naturally occurs. As homeschool moms, sometimes it feels like the moment we wake up, we are instantly busy and meeting everyone’s needs. Then the entire day flies by and the sweet opportunities to rejoice, pray, and give thanks passes. And maybe, there are days when we just don’t feel like praying, rejoicing, and giving thanks. We will never become perfect in this, but we can surely grow in posturing ourselves in these sacred pillars. It’s quite possible that over time, after spiritual exercise, a holy habit will form. We can start at anytime and anywhere. As soon as we wake up, we can rejoice. Before we rush out of bed, we can be thankful for another day that the Lord has given us. We can pray for every single thing that afflicts our hearts. We can pray for others and give thanks for all that the Lord has done. This tender worship and continual communion with our Lord is a quiet inward expression of a life living for God.
Be Present
Psalm 90:12 reads, “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Moses, the author of Psalm 90, penned this beautiful prayer, and what a wise prayer for my homeschool days. Lord, teach me to number my days, so that I may have a heart of wisdom. My days are numbered. Understanding that my days are numbered brings an awareness of how fleeting life is. Knowing that life is a vapor brings everything into proper perspective; it gives wisdom for the present. How I desire to be present. To be present with my children. To be present with my husband. To be present in the everyday ordinary moments. I’ve learned something important. Being in His presence and abiding in Jesus helps me. It creates a path to being present with the ones God has graciously entrusted to me. Psalm 16:11 states, “You make known to me the path of life, in Your presence there is fullness of joy, at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” There are so many distractions within one day. Many things vie for our attention, such as text messages, e-mails, phone calls, and social media. The list can go on. Those are just the external things that can compete for our attention. There are internal factors, too. Too often, the demands of my day try to take my eyes off of the important. I can find myself chasing the unstable winds of my unfruitful thoughts, perfection, social media, and all the distractions. All the while God is calling me to sit in His presence. In His presence, He will make “known to me the path of life”. In His presence there is joy. In His presence are “pleasures forevermore”. Being in His presence guides me into being present with the ones I love.
God as My Standard
The longer I homeschool and the longer I walk with the Lord, I realize more and more that He is more concerned about the internal condition of my heart. In 1 Samuel 16, while Samuel looks for the next king of Israel, God tells him, “Do not look at his appearance. Do not focus on his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” When I homeschool with God as my standard, He works on the inner core of the heart. God’s standards are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This is the goal. Not what the fellow homeschool mom is doing or the family who is at co-op. Not what public or private school is doing. Not what a family member thinks the standard should be. There is nothing wrong with gleaning from others, but they shouldn’t be the standard. God is the standard. It establishes humility. Dispels complacency. Abolishes comparison. Ushers prayers. Crushes old habits. Realizes the need to be in His Word. Fulfills the desperate need to seek God and His will daily. It takes everything off of what any man is outwardly doing and places eyes on what God desires. When we allow God to work on the heart, the outward manifestation of the fruits of the Spirit will show. Sometimes God asks us to step out in faith and obey, even when the heart desires not to. The more obedience, the more holy habits are formed.
Keep It Simple
With so many different homeschooling styles, social media voices, and curricula options, we can feel pulled in many directions. It’s overwhelming and exhausting. A mother does not need to create a dog and pony show to form a successful homeschool environment. A mother does not need to purchase the most expensive curriculum to ensure her children receive a wholesome education . A mother doesn’t need to replicate someone else’s schooling to find contentment. All a mother needs is to have a heart to answer God’s call to homeschool.
Keep it simple.
Do what works for you and your family. Your homeschool methods will grow throughout the years. They will develop as you learn more about yourself and your family. Your homeschool doesn’t have to look like the homeschool family down the road. Each family is different: different sizes, different learning styles, different interests, and different gifts. Naturally homeschool life will not be the same between families. Take the pressure off of yourself to fit into a style that doesn’t work for you. Be mindful of the season you are in. A mom juggling a newborn will be in a different season than the mom who has two teenage children. Whatever season you find yourself in, keep it simple. Often times, I find myself acquiring too many resources. The extra materials hinder a simple homeschool space. There is nothing wrong with having extra resources. But if those resources are stressing you out, maybe it’s time to take a step back and reevaluate the “extras”. If you find that the supplementary materials aren’t working in this season, box it up. Label it and put it up for a while.
Homeschooling is a personal journey with God. Everyday, He will teach us many good things, if we are willing to listen. I’ve learned to pray, teach me, Lord, as I walk this road with Him. Seek God for what your homeschool should look like. As you teach your children, be open to the Holy Spirit’s nudging on your heart. Live a life that reflects God. Remember that your purpose in everything you do in your homeschool is to do it “all to the glory of God”. “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
Thank you for visiting Treasuring the Tiny Moments Homeschool. I hope your day is filled with beautiful moments that will imprint your hearts forever.
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