To put thing into perspective, I would have told you that my deepest need three days ago was to get my hard drive back up and working to recover the things that I lost... memories lost, school work lost, misc. things lost... well, lost until we fork out many dollars... but is it really lost? DO I not have a mind's eye that works really well? Sure, my hard work in organizing Gabby's school information has to be completely redone, but I still have most of the paperwork she's done... so, then, what is my greatest need?
Organization! My house is a pit, my brain is a bit, my car is a pit... so, I need help in organizing and keeping it that way...
WAIT, Peace! I need peace. Peace will help me to relax and to get motivated to accomplish the above. Peace for my brain, my body and my surroundings.
WAIT, Help! I need help around the house with every day tasks: cleaning, putting things away, making meals, keeping people happy... if I received help I would have peace and organization.
WAIT, maybe the Daily Focus is right! I need LOVE! Love warms the heart which leads to peace and all of the above. However, sometimes help and peace and organization shows me love.... love from my family and others, love from God, and love from myself. But, I know, the greatest of all the above is love.... If I fill my heart with His love... I will have all that I could possibly need.
So, God, continue to show me your love and let me feel that peace that only You can give!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
The Deepest Need- from DailyFocus (AOP)
The Deepest Need
Tuesday / March 30, 2010
"The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me" (Psalm 118:6)?
If someone gave you a blank piece of paper and said, "Write down your greatest needs as a homeschooling parent," what would you write? Would you write a few short sentences, or would you fill the entire page with a huge list of items? As unique as each homeschooling parent's needs may be, if you truly look inside your heart, chances are you'll discover your deepest homeschooling needs are love, significance, and acceptance. These needs aren't easily met, however, since the world considers homeschoolers "different" and shies away in rejection. Even your own family can fail in giving you the encouraging positive feedback necessary in homeschooling. So, where do you go to fill your emotional void?
Praise God we have a loving heavenly Father who is more than enough to meet our deepest needs. The story of Noah in the Old Testament is a perfect example. Imagine the rejection and ridicule he must have experienced for obeying God when building a boat bigger than a football field! In a world filled with violence and corruption (Genesis 6:11), I'm sure Noah was probably threatened as well. But Noah had it right, didn't he? Even though the people probably mocked him for days, it wasn't Noah who was on the wrong side of the door when it began to rain! God's acceptance of Noah's faith was demonstrated when He spared Noah and his family from the flood.
Have you been building your homeschooling ark, but you still find yourself being mocked by the world? Take courage. God's acceptance, approval, and love are all you need. Even though others will never understand the many benefits and blessings of homeschooling, you know the truth. Remain steadfast in teaching your children about the Lord, so when He returns, you'll be standing on the right side of the door. "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us" (Romans 8:31)?
Father, some days, teaching my children seems as huge a task as building an ark. Thank You for Your love and acceptance that encourages me to go on homeschooling. Please, strengthen me to hear Your voice clearly each day. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Tuesday / March 30, 2010
"The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me" (Psalm 118:6)?
If someone gave you a blank piece of paper and said, "Write down your greatest needs as a homeschooling parent," what would you write? Would you write a few short sentences, or would you fill the entire page with a huge list of items? As unique as each homeschooling parent's needs may be, if you truly look inside your heart, chances are you'll discover your deepest homeschooling needs are love, significance, and acceptance. These needs aren't easily met, however, since the world considers homeschoolers "different" and shies away in rejection. Even your own family can fail in giving you the encouraging positive feedback necessary in homeschooling. So, where do you go to fill your emotional void?
Praise God we have a loving heavenly Father who is more than enough to meet our deepest needs. The story of Noah in the Old Testament is a perfect example. Imagine the rejection and ridicule he must have experienced for obeying God when building a boat bigger than a football field! In a world filled with violence and corruption (Genesis 6:11), I'm sure Noah was probably threatened as well. But Noah had it right, didn't he? Even though the people probably mocked him for days, it wasn't Noah who was on the wrong side of the door when it began to rain! God's acceptance of Noah's faith was demonstrated when He spared Noah and his family from the flood.
Have you been building your homeschooling ark, but you still find yourself being mocked by the world? Take courage. God's acceptance, approval, and love are all you need. Even though others will never understand the many benefits and blessings of homeschooling, you know the truth. Remain steadfast in teaching your children about the Lord, so when He returns, you'll be standing on the right side of the door. "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us" (Romans 8:31)?
Father, some days, teaching my children seems as huge a task as building an ark. Thank You for Your love and acceptance that encourages me to go on homeschooling. Please, strengthen me to hear Your voice clearly each day. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Exploring the roots of our island....
Maddy really wanted to see the ruins of King Kamehameha III's summer home. After a long hike I thought that she would be too tired to start a new one. I was wrong. She was very insistent on finding this new trail (which was difficult to find). After a short drive, we found it and headed into a very dark Bamboo Forest. It was worth a hike up hill with a toddler on the hip. It was the most peaceful place I have found on Oahu yet. So pretty and the posted sign had some amazing facts. It wasn't a large area, but at a point, the king hosted over 10,000 people for a luau there. Where did they all fit?
If I ever picked a summer home location, this would be it. However, I am still trying to figure out how they found this spot and how they got all the rocks and items they needed to live up there and then all those 10,000 people hiking up there in their fancy dress.... it is all so amazing!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Lables, lables, everywhere....
During Thanksgiving, everyone was putting what they were thankful for on their Facebook accounts. Every day people would write something different. One day, I wrote that I was thankful for being able to provide a sound, Christian- based education for my children... or something to that affect. Many people said they liked my comment, some people made additional comments... one person was quite... vicious. That person will remain nameless, but they said something along the lines of me being a part of a cult and that meant my children were as well. Being a Christian, having the right to teach my children with a Christian education and putting God and Christ first means we are cultish? Wow, I have never heard that before.... WAIT, yes I have! Another person, who will remain nameless, also said something similar. Unfortunately, this person is a relative of mine. They said I was abusing my children and that being an Evangelical Christian must mean we are in a cult. Abusive? By giving my children a much higher education than the local school district, being able to go on any field trip we want, having quality family time any time of the day, traveling and learning about new places, having little to no pressure from our peers, not worrying about time lines every day, etc., etc... is abusive? They are unsocialized? Um, church, Awana, Girl Scouts, homeschool groups, dance class, swim lessons, and we are even surfing with friends in the middle of the weekday morning.... is that being not social?
I don't know what else to say, but the following section of this post talks about labels... Labels given to me, my children, our family.... our friend's families. EVERY parent has the right to raise their child and educate them. It's the parents responsibility to educate, not anyone elses.
Daily Devotional: Friday, March 12, 2010
What labels have been placed on your children because they homeschool? During our years of homeschooling, my children faced innuendos that ranged from mental retardation to religious fanatic. Today, the media still portrays homeschoolers as naive, unfashionably-dressed nerds. Even though studies prove the contrary, public educators also insist that homeschoolers are deprived of proper socialization. Why does the phrase "homeschooling" bring out such nastiness in people?
Unfair labels are nothing new. When Christ lived on Earth, He suffered from being misunderstood by the multitudes, Jewish leaders, and even His friends and family. Unfair labels like trouble maker, demon-possessed, and foolish fanatic were placed on Him, as He told the world about the Kingdom of God and His love. Although the label placed above Christ's head on the cross was intended to mock Him, it was the one label the world got right when it read, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS" (Luke 23:38b).
So, how do you live in a negative, anti-homeschooling world and not become negative yourself? As Christian homeschoolers, we seem to receive a double whammy from the world — unfair labels for our faith and unfair labels for our homeschooling. As hurtful as these labels can be, Christ can help us forgive and move beyond the painful remarks when they come. Jesus' example of love on the cross shows us the way when He said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:24).
Lord, strengthen me to stand against the world's opinion of homeschoolers. Teach me to love as You loved when You died on the cross. In Jesus' name, Amen.
I don't know what else to say, but the following section of this post talks about labels... Labels given to me, my children, our family.... our friend's families. EVERY parent has the right to raise their child and educate them. It's the parents responsibility to educate, not anyone elses.
Daily Devotional: Friday, March 12, 2010
What labels have been placed on your children because they homeschool? During our years of homeschooling, my children faced innuendos that ranged from mental retardation to religious fanatic. Today, the media still portrays homeschoolers as naive, unfashionably-dressed nerds. Even though studies prove the contrary, public educators also insist that homeschoolers are deprived of proper socialization. Why does the phrase "homeschooling" bring out such nastiness in people?
Unfair labels are nothing new. When Christ lived on Earth, He suffered from being misunderstood by the multitudes, Jewish leaders, and even His friends and family. Unfair labels like trouble maker, demon-possessed, and foolish fanatic were placed on Him, as He told the world about the Kingdom of God and His love. Although the label placed above Christ's head on the cross was intended to mock Him, it was the one label the world got right when it read, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS" (Luke 23:38b).
So, how do you live in a negative, anti-homeschooling world and not become negative yourself? As Christian homeschoolers, we seem to receive a double whammy from the world — unfair labels for our faith and unfair labels for our homeschooling. As hurtful as these labels can be, Christ can help us forgive and move beyond the painful remarks when they come. Jesus' example of love on the cross shows us the way when He said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:24).
Lord, strengthen me to stand against the world's opinion of homeschoolers. Teach me to love as You loved when You died on the cross. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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