Check out a truly Inspirational Blog

You have got to check out  my good friends blog, she has such wonderful ideas about everything!!! She is also such a gifted writer and she loves the Lord with all her heart!! Right now would be a great time to check her blog out because she is posting every Friday with Holiday ideas that will truly inspire you!

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Walk with HIM: The first 'Word' my boys hid in their heart!

My Inspiration for all of my Walk With Him post is from Ann @ Holy Experience. Go there and check out her Walk with Him post!

This was the first set of scriptures that my boys "hid in their heart" word for word. We learned this two years ago and we still know it just as well as when we first learned it. It is a beautiful thing to be able to hear my boys speak by heart these precious WORD's. Hiding HIS Word in their heart is one way I am teaching my boys to Walk with HIM!!

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell[a] in the house of the LORD

Forever.

My first post about memorizing God's Word you will find HERE.

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The Habit of KNOWING you, knowing your children and knowing your family!

I have to confess that the only routine in my house is the fact that we go to sleep every night, get up every morning and four or five days a week we "do" school between the time we wake up and go to bed !

You see I don't see the fact that I do not have a scrict routine or a set schedule, etc (or I don't want to see it) as being unsuccessful. I see it as just being me and a "strict routine" just isn't for my family. I want to use this little post to encourage all moms to make sure you are NOT trying to do something that truly goes against who you are or who your family is. If you are like me and you have tried numerous schedule's, chore charts, routine ideas and none of them seemed to work than can I go out on a limb and offer you a new idea. Here goes..................take a deep breath, a step back, tear down that chore chart that isn't working, rip up that schedule that you haven't been able to complete and stop looking at all those super mom websites that just make you feel so bad because all their wonderful ideas just do not work for you and your family.

I do believe that "Good Habits" are very important to every family but you do not need to have a list or a chart to form good habits. For some people list, charts, etc are very important, they work and they love them. I think that is awesome but I am pretty sure I am not one of those people. Good Habits can lead to a routine that works for your family, lead to a happy home but we have to remember that every mom is different, every child is different and every family is different. So what what kind of routines, etc for each family will look different. SO KNOW YOU, KNOW YOUR CHILDREN, KNOW YOUR FAMILY!!

For moms that seem to be more like me and it seems you have tried chart after chart, all kind of schedule's, etc. and all you get from it is a feeling of failing once again BE ENCOURAGED TO FIND WHO YOU ARE, WHO YOUR CHILDREN ARE, WHO YOUR FAMILY IS TOGETHER AND THEN YOU WILL FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. O.k. one more time I am not saying you shouldn't give a new chart, new schedule or a set routine a try but if you are really not "that" kind of person or family than why torture yourself or set yourself to feel like a failure again.

This has been on my mind for a good while now. I have been telling myself that having a set schedule and having a chore chart for my boys is the best idea so I kept trying. I have come to realize that those tools might help but they are not the key to being successful. What has worked best for us is just having a weekly list of all the subjects I want to cover each week and how many times I want to cover them and then I just check it off when we do it. At the bottom of the list I list all the extra stuff we accomplished so even if I missed one of the normal subjects, it shows me we  'did do' something. Then most days I write on a dry erase board the subjects, activities we want to do that day and I mark them off as we do them. So the kids and I get a sense of accomplishment with out the stress of a certain order of events or a set time for each item. I have also come to accept the fact that most days we won't get to everything I had planned and that is o.k. also. As far as chores for the kids I have to come to the descision that its not important to me for us to have a chart. What is important to me as they understand they will contribute to the family by doing chores. So I am just teaching them there are some things they have to do everyday, at every meal and then there are others that they will need to do when I say it is time. My main desire is that they learn to have a good attitude about contributing and a chart doesn't help with that goal so I decided to not worry about having one.

As life changes, the boys get older, needs change, etc our routine may need to change so therfore we may need to use certain tools that we don't use now and that is o.k.. The most important idea to keep in mind is KNOW yourself, KNOW your children, KNOW your family and only use the tools (or don't use any) that work with and for you family!! The Habit of really know you, your children, your family will benefit every area of your life! Also when you really KNOW HIM (Our Lord), HE will make your way straight, HE will be the source you need, HE will direct your steps, HE will have the answers, HE will walk with you, HE is amazing like that!!! So I encourage you to really get to KNOW HIM, acknowledge how HE made you, your children and your family and embrace who you (all are) in the HIM and find joy in the journey He has called you to travel and the means by which you will travel on this journey!!

When you KNOW……………… it helps picking out Home school curriculum, finding a teaching method, what kind of field trips to do, vacations to go on, free time activities, books to read, games to play, movies to watch, friends to have, when to have the "Birds and Bees" talk =),  picking out consequences and so much more.

Please share your family stories, routine’s, tips, what works or doesn’t for you and yours!! Thanks!!

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So many good gifts from the Lord.....1000 gratitude gift list Cont'd

Colossians 3:14-16
(New King James Version)
But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

152. Another week of good health as of 11/12/09
153. Healing from a very bad headache
154. Friends like Solomom, Sam, Selena and Avery-C
155.-165. I am thankful Lord that through the womb of two other women you brought me my children. The children you had always destined to be mine!! I thank you for the opportunity to be their mom, to care for them, love on them, to share YOU with them, to see them smile, laugh, play, grow but mostly see them come to know YOU!! I am so thankful that my boys had the opportunity to LIVE and to come home to me (and their daddy)! In my thankfulness I want to take the time to pray that these two women that birthed my boys come to know YOU...your love, mercy, grace, power, strength, forgiveness....all of you!!! Thank you again father for the gift of my boys!!!
166. I am so thankful I have such a hardworking, caring, always on top of things Husband!!

167.-168. I am Thankful for a beautiful Saturday, where the boys and I got to spend some time 'in the past' as we took a walk along with some great friends through a LIVING TIMELINE!!

169. I am thankful for beautiful days out in God's Creation with friends!
170. When we traveled on a plane last winter and we did not crash-C

171. a chance to clap, sing and Praie you in church on 11/15/09-C
172. For letting me see my two boys Praise and Worship YOU with their body, heart and spirit through singing, clapping, raising hands an even a little dancing
173. -175. All the oceans, continents & states-C
176. that me, Alex, mommy and daddy are a family-C
177. that you kept Buddy safe even when I wasn't being nice to him-C
178. that you keep all of Cousin J. pets safe-C
179. that daddy can make campfires when we are cold at night while camping-C

180. computers because we can send e-mails, play games and learn stuff-C
181. For a relaxing, fun and enjoyable lunch at McD with a friend and her two kids
182. For the Creation Club where I get a chance to see my kids and other kids enjoying God's Creation
183. For Home School socials so that my kids get to play with other kids and I get to talk to other moms
*In this post you will find a C at the end of some of the statements and the C stands for my youngest.*

My Inspiration for my Grartitude Gift List

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