Blissfully Domestic: Train them up!

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Okay so you got me. How on earth could I possibly put the words "blissful" and "domestic" together? This is still a process in our household but if we train our children to do things as unto the Lord then pretty much anything can be blissful through His eyes even the domestic stuff.  Yeah, easier said than done right?  It's going to take a lot of prayer and following through that is for sure.  I have learned that being consistent is key.

Since we are in a "home improvement" transition  along with getting rid of things causing clutter, this whole concept is a challenge in our blessed little home. We are learning to be diligent in what we do have because the Lord is getting ready to entrust us with more and we want to be humbly ready. If we can apply this now it will not be so hard when the time does come for us to move on.  Clutter is the ENEMY! Ugh lol

The Lord showed me a system to encourage domestic skills all the while striving to be joyful and yes, blissful.  Life is certainly not perfect and there will be days when the blissful concept will fail but it's all about attitude and how it is approached.  Sure, there are many days I just want to throw the whole concept out the window because I get so frustrated and discouraged but the Lord has gently whispered to me: "Do I give up on you?"  Yikes, that really got my attention!  Let's not give up on our kids even when we are weary, tired, and frustrated. 

"Lord help us to be diligent in raising up our children for your glory. Help us with our attitudes and help us strive to be diligent so all of our life learning experiences can be joyful and blissful. Life is too short and too blessed to be stressed. Thank you Lord amen!"

Lindsey
Blessed to be a wife and mom!

Watching them grow.....

As I sit here outside on my laptop watching my sweet little girls run free in the fresh air,  I realize how quickly they are actually growing and to not take any moment for granted.  Sweet Kelly will be 9 on May 2nd,  Lyssa is 5.5 and will be 6 on Sept. 1st, and Bethany bean is going to be 3 on May 13th!  Where does the time go?

Even in the frustrating times I want to be thankful, happy, and blessed because these are also learning experiences.  Life is too short to become stressed and frustrated on a daily basis.  I am learning to just let them be kids on this new journey.  I have most definitely learned a lot more about myself as a homeschool mom and I continue learning wonderful and amazing things as I come in contact with homeschooling families!  What would I do without them?  You know who you are. =)

As you sit and watch your children grow, capture those memories so sweet.  In a glimpse of an eye they will grow up and have children of their own. (sniff, sniff, tear, tear).    Children are truly a blessing from the Lord!

Lindsey
Blessed to be a wife and mom!

Photo by Emily Haapala Photography

Keep my mind on higher things

The past few weeks have been well, quite frankly, a battle!  A battle in my mind and just overall emotions.  Christian moms, we will face these things from time to time and have to learn how to renew our minds daily.  Easy for me to say, right?  Hec no.  Depression has been trying to take over me but because of what I have learned growing up, it can't consume me.  The Lord is my strength and my refuge.
Now why on earth would I be battling this.   Something going on in the home? No, it's just things moms tend to face. (If you don't ever face it, please, share with me your secret, I would love to know.) Sure, there have been issues that I have been faced with that contribute to these emotions and so forth but, ugh.  I am just tired of dealing with these emotions.  I know that there are many of you moms out there that can relate.  Some days will be great and then...BOOM, SMACK, blindsided!  Lord, help me to keep my mind on higher things. If this is you just know you aren't the only one feeling these things.

Homeschooling got me down?  Sometimes, but I know it's what I am called to do and with callings sometimes comes attacks.  I understand this.  I guess my heart just needs to focus completely on Jesus.  Sometimes it can be so hard to.  Sometimes I just feel like throwing up my hands and saying, I QUIT! But that's normal sometimes even when you have a happy marriage, life, and family.  I know God won't give up on me.  It's literally a learning process.   I spoke with a few of my homeschooling friends yesterday and it was such a blessing to connect with them and share what we are going through and how the attacks are great.  Tears and hugs were present.  Thank you Lord for the wonderful ladies you have led into my life.

Lord, help us moms today.  No matter what our situations,  we need your help and can't go this journey alone.  The joy of the Lord is our strength! Help us to keep our minds on higher things.  Things of God!

Lindsey
Blessed to be a wife and mom!

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Proverbs 31 Wife Handbook

As part of my homeschooling journey, I can't forget that I am also a wife.  I most definitely do not want to neglect my wifely duties.  The Lord is teaching me how to master homeschooling all the while being a Godly wife and domestic diva.  Ha! Yeah, had to throw a little sense of humor in there.  We all need that from time to time.  But seriously, it has been a definite challenge being a homeschool teacher, parent, and wife all the while staying on top of domestic duties such as house cleaning, laundry, healthy meals, etc.  I know that the Lord is teaching me a lot and I want to stay opened for what he has for me and my family.  I don't want to steer off onto the wrong path and make decisions that I think are right when really they are selfish and don't line up with God's Word.

Just the other day, I downloaded a book on my Kindle Fire.  It is called the Proverbs 31 Wife Handbook. I came across the website first. This most definitely caught my attention.  It was only about $7 to download, gotta love Kindle.  I started reading it and my goodness it is awesome.  The author, Lara Velez, founder of momsoffaith.com is the author of this life fulfilling book.
In a nutshell, The Proverbs 31 Wife Handbook was not just something that was put together over night.  Here is Velez's direct quote from her website on the "About" tab:

"The Proverbs 31 Wife Handbook has been a long time coming and took many hours of inner struggling and cries out to the Father. During the studying and initial writing stages, there were many obstacles and trials that needed to be overcome." ~Lara Velez

I do believe that the instant you go through misery, it indeed becomes your ministry.  That I have learned through my Moms of Angels Outreach Ministry after losing my precious son.  How could I possibly reach out to other moms who have lost babies if I never went through it myself, right?  Same thing for Mrs. Velez.  She went through trials in her marriage, decided to write a book, but then was attacked in the process.  I can totally relate crying out to my father while putting the ministry together.  And now my focus is on writing a book.  Boy, it's been a struggle and I am still struggling but God is faithful and will help me craft the words that I need to relay to others.

Because I just started The Proverbs 31 Wife Handbook, I can't really talk about it just yet but can't wait to share it with you in a later post.  Here is a summary of what I have read thus far:

Basically, Lara Velez, author, describes the scriptures within the chapter of Psalm 31 in detail then breaks it down for a Godly wife to really understand.  She then prays for the journey through the book as it is a detailed handbook as well.  You can purchase the handbook but I am just going to do the study of the scriptures that she makes reference to. 

As you can see I have not obtained a whole lot of info yet but what I have grasped so far has open up my heart and mind to what the Lord has for me as a wife, which is a noble calling for sure.
~Proverbs 31:10

Who can find a virtuous wife?  For her worth is far above rubies.
Lindsey
Blessed to be a wife and a mom

 Image: jannoon028 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Seeing Your Children

Just recently, I started an amazing (ministers to your spirit man or woman, haha), Bible devotional for parents. I found it through YouVersion on my iPhone and it has opened my eyes to so much. God is faithful. Here is a devotion from yesterday that really blessed me as I know it will bless you as a parent! God is so good and faithful, where would we be without him? Truly!

Parenting by Design Devotional

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 (Day 28)

Genesis 16: 13

"And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Though God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?"

"Seeing your Children"

"This passage tells of the trials of Hagar, the maid of Sarai. Sarai was unable to conceive so she sent Hagar to Abram, hoping Hagar would bear a child in her place. When Hagar became pregnant, however, animosity developed between the two women. Sarai's mistreatment caused Hagar to run away into the desert. There God intervened and encouraged her. She knew He truly understood her struggle, and as a result, she felt deeply known by God. She even named God: "You are the God who sees me." This gave her the stregnth to go back and fulfill her responsibilities to Sarai in the midst of tough circumstances. Like Hagar, our kids desperately long to be seen and known by their parents. How can we do this? By taking time to discover and celebrate their interests. By appreciating their unique qualities no matter how different they are from our own. By listening to their perspective on life. When we discover and value our kids' God-given uniqueness, they fell known and accepted."

This definitely should open our eyes as parents as we are shaping them to be Godly human beings in these dark days. We need to acknowledge every detail of their little lives. It's easy to go about our busy days and brush off even the minor details that will actually make a big impact on their life as an adult and throughout their spiritual life. Thank you Lord for this revelation!

Lindsey

Blessed to be a wife and mom!

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What Bible curriculum do you use?

As a new homeschooling mom, of course Bible is an important part of our learning. I want my girls to know the Bible more than anything but have tried a couple different curriculums and they are just not working at this point.

Right now we are just doing a deep mom and daughter devotional (as seen on the right) along with learning the ABC Bible Verse alphabet. I would like a curriculum that is versatile with all ages if possible. What are you using? Can you please tell me a little about your curriculum? I look forward to your comments. Have a blessed rest of the week. We woke up to a little blanket of snow on our front lawn, yay, Christmas is coming =)

Lindsey

Blessed to be a mom!

Called to Homeschool!

As a new homeschooling mom I can honestly say that it has been a harder experience than I originally anticipated. The Lord began speaking to me about homeschooling over two years ago. My oldest daughter (Sweet Pea, 8) was enrolled in a public school since Kindergarten. All was going well. I was very active in her school and was on the PTA but something was brewing in my spirit, homeschooling kept popping up. I was back and forth and really unsure and very apprehensive. I prayed: 'Lord, if you are really calling me to do this, you will send the resources and help me be research what I need to do this.' The Lord did an amazing thing and resources and people just came my way in droves. God is so amazing. It first began when I homeschooled my middle daughter (Cup Cake, 5), when she was in preschool. This was an easy transition as I am a degreed and certified Child Development professional and taught preschool for years. God started me with what I was familiar with first. It was then a year later the Lord had me pull Sweet Pea out of the public school the end of her second grade year. Our youngest (Sugar Bean, 2.5), well she is potty training and a busy bundle of energy. I most likely will be starting preschool with her pretty early on as she is eager to be doing what her big sisters are doing. It's all a new challenge for me but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! I will not give up, Lord help me.

I have learned that if you are not called to do this, don't. If you are meant to, you will just know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are supposed to home educate your children. Prior to my journey I talked to so many moms that homeschooled their children and thought they were 'crazy' for lack of a better word. HA! But, God gave me the desires of my heart and here I am today. There have been dark days and discouragement but the Lord has been faithful to carry me through. Honestly, I wouldn't trade this for anything. I love my children and want to raise them up in the way they should go, according to the Bible. If I am disobedient in training my children, I will be held accountable for their lives and they may end up going down the wrong path in life. I do not want this to be. I want the Lord to bless me and my family and the only way this can be achieved is if we are being obedient and diligent! The "Jewels in my crown (my sweet little girls), will indeed one day earn me heavenly jewels in my crown.' This is why I named my blog "Jewels in my Crown.' Please feel free to share your heart with me and send on over words of encouragement. We are still in the adjustment phase but coming along swimmingly. We started our homeschool journey here at Brandon M. Homeschool Academy the end of August 2011. I will share what the name of our homeschool means in a later post. I am sure you will be touched and blessed by this.

I hope you enjoy my new blog as a homeschooling mom. I just ended my personal blog: Peaceful Island Mother and felt I needed to start over fresh with a new focus and that being connecting with other homeschooling moms and families out there.

God bless you and I look forward to sharing journey. For a play by play of my weeks including crafts, etc., you can view Lindsey's Journey on homeschoolingindetroit.com. (This is a local source in my state). Enjoy!

Also, if you are looking for excellent deals on children's books and even homeschooling workbooks, foreign language, biographies, etc., check out a site I have partnered with childrensbookstore.com. To learn more about this endeavor you can view my blog in process titled "lindseyskiddiebooks.blogspot.com.'

Lindsey
Blessed to be a mom!

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net