I {Mandy} am taking the advice of one of my fave bloggers, Courtney of Women Living Well  and I am going to write today about something I am FOR rather than focusing on what I am against.

There are always things to rail against...certainly just within the past 48 hours both world-wide and nationally...but I find that when I focus my energy on the things that are "bad" or that I'm "against" it's a waste and it's stressful. Instead, I am choosing to focus on those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

Today, I am recognizing our children and Back To School time!

For a few years, that first day was met with much anxiety, sadness, angst, and some excitement on my part. I'm sure it was a mix of those things for my kids too. This week, I'm watching the posts on Social Media both celebrating and bemoaning the first day and the accompanying pictures. And I find myself getting choked up looking at them. At someone else's kids going off to school.

I am a sentimental fool. My husband thinks I'm crazy sometimes. And he's right most of the time. 

But there is a soft spot in my heart for children. And I love that there was a soft spot in Jesus' heart for children too (Matthew 19:14). 

I won't make this post about savoring every moment and admonishing you that these years will pass in the blink of an eye. Those kind of sentiments only make me anxious. And "savoring" every moment is almost impossible. (Let's be realistic, the day little Susie flushed an entire roll of toilet paper down the toilet and flooded the bathroom is not something most of us would look back on and say, "I wish I could relive that day..." We may laugh about it later, though...much, much later...)

Our oldest is entering 3rd grade this year. Followed closely by his brother going into 2nd and their sister going into kindergarten. So, for the first 2 1/2 years of our oldest starting school, I stressed and struggled and lamented about wanting to homeschool. I was conflicted because my husband wasn't completely on board with the idea. I was torn about the fun things they would "miss" like the excitement of the first day, the beautiful classroom that welcomes them, new school clothes, new backpack and pencil box, classroom parties, awards ceremonies, friends and inside jokes, school dances, last day of school fun, independence from me, a change of scenery from home, etc etc...

And 2 days before our oldest would have started kindergarten, I caved and enrolled him in school.

And then spent the next 2 1/2 years struggling with the feeling that I was ignoring my calling to homeschool. And I watched someone else train him and teach him for 7 hours every day, Monday through Friday. I willingly gave up an enormous chunk of his life (and then his brother's as he followed suit) and swallowed any misgivings I had for the sake of maintaining a "normal" childhood for them.

Here is the 1st day of school last year. I took this photo through tears. :)

Let me stop here for a minute and remind you I am writing about what I am FOR. This is NOT a post AGAINST those who choose to send their children to school. Each one of us has to make the decisions for her children that she deems appropriate. I have friends on all sides of the spectrum; homeschooling moms, public schooling moms, private schooling moms, cyber schooling moms, un-schooling moms, co-op moms, etc. We love our kids and we all want what's best for them.

God called each of us separately to care for and make decisions for our children. 

Having said that, I want to share with you...the mom who may be considering homeschooling, the mom who feels ill prepared to homeschool, the mom who feels a tugging at her heart to homeschool, the mom who joyfully homeschools...I am sharing why we love to homeschool our children. Why we are FOR it.

We start school September 3 this year. There is no back-to-school shopping spree. There will be no meet and greet with their teachers (they already made my acquaintance ;), there is no deliberation over what lunch box and thermos to choose, there will be no early morning race to the bus stop with a half eaten breakfast and a cowlick in the wake, there will be no teary goodbyes at the school's front door or anxiety pangs the entire day wondering if they are okay, if they are safe, if they are being bullied, if they are being included, if they are eating their lunch, if they are being kind and respectful, if they are grasping a concept, and the list goes on...

But what we WILL have is a day where we wake up, start our day, begin lessons with a prayer and a devotional, and then I get the absolute privilege of watching them learn--of participating in that amazing moment when they "get" the concept or solve the problem on their own. I can watch the light bulb moment as it happens and cheer for them right then and there. We high five, we yell and hoot and holler, we celebrate and dance...all right on the spot and often.

It's now, after finishing our first year, that I wonder why I was so hesitant. Why did I question my ability? Why was I so wrapped up in the memories I thought they would miss when we have the opportunity to create our own.

I hear many moms celebrating their own independence as they now have more free time on their hands or time to put toward other things. A part of me feels envious of that, but then I DO remember that this time will be gone too fast and this is my opportunity to raise them up to the best of my ability. I will stand one day and answer for my actions and for the way I chose to raise my children. I take that charge very seriously and I feel that with God placing it on my heart to homeschool, I have to heed that calling. I have to embrace it and see it through. And I enjoy doing so. 

So, wherever you are on this subject...a mom who homeschools or wants to homeschool, a mom who sends her children to school elsewhere whether by choice or out of necessity, know that I am in NO way bashing...it's hard work being a mom and only YOU know what your kids need and what God is calling you to do. Pray about it and follow where God is leading you.

But if you are considering, deliberating about, wanting to, thinking about or launching into homescholing, I hope this post will encourage you that you are taking on a mighty work. At the risk of being cliche, these children are our future. What a noble undertaking to impart upon them the knowledge they will need to launch into adulthood and independence. If you're feeling called to do it, know that God would never call you into a ministry that He won't equip you to complete.

I read a blog earlier this week that highlights three phrases that Christians are quick to say that the author suggests that they really shouldn't say at all.  Since the first phrase he highlights is a personal peeve of mine and an outright lie, reading this blog really got me thinking about more half truths and lies that Christians often believe and perpetuate.  There are lies thrust upon the Christian church by the father of lies, because it's what he does, it's his job.  And when we aren't careful, we can easily believe the lies and buy right into his falsehoods.  I believe there are certain lies within the American church that are subtle and pervasive, and they are perpetuated by the culture and even other good well meaning Christians. 

The lie I want to highlight is this:  

If you follow Christ, life will be wonderful.  Things will always go your way, and life will be sunshine, roses, and full of puppies and kittens.  

It's a subtle lie, and so many of us may not even realize that we believe it until something very unwonderful is happening in our lives.  It's really a version of the American dream plus Jesus.  The American dream says that you can be happy and fulfilled and have it all if you just work hard enough.  This lie that many Christians believe says you can be happy, fulfilled, everything will go your way and you can have it all, if you just have Jesus.

And it simply isn't true.

There are so many biblical examples of how this is untrue.  Read the bible and you will find story after story after story of people who loved the Lord, but had it rough in one way or another.  One of the most blatant examples is Paul, the untimely apostle.

Paul, formerly known as Saul, was a scholarly religious man of Jesus' day.  He hunted down Christians and killed them because of their message of a crucified and risen Savior named Jesus.  Then all things changed on the road to Damascus, where "suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him: and he heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?".  It was Jesus, and Paul was converted from one who persecuted Jesus and His followers, to one who would be continually persecuted for his faith in Christ.  

The Jews plotted to kill Paul (Acts 9:23-25), the apostles shunned him (Acts 9:26), and he was stoned (Acts 14:19).  Paul and Barnabas disagreed and parted ways (Acts 15:39), he was beaten and imprisoned in Philipi (Acts 16:22-24), and attacked by a mob in Thessalonica (Acts 17:5-6).  And from Berea, Athens, and on to Corinth, Ephesus, Jerusalem and Rome there were riots, plots to kill Paul, shipwrecks, beatings, arrests, and imprisonments.  In the end, Paul was believed to be beheaded for his faith in Rome under the reign of Nero.  

Paul himself writes of his many hardships in 2 Corinthians 11:16-32, and it's a long laundry list of hardships, many that we will never know or begin to comprehend.  He even records in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 "a thorn in his flesh" given to him to keep him "from becoming conceited".  A thorn that God didn't remove, even though Paul pleaded with the Lord.  

The apostle Paul wrote most of the New Testament, in the form of letters to fledgling churches.  These are many of the scriptures that we live our lives by.  I, personally, find his writings to be some of the most amazing ones in the New Testament.  Yet, he was quite possibly the most persecuted person in the history of the Christian faith.  

So if, by faith in Jesus, we are to be healthy, happy, wealthy, wise, and living wonderful American lives, why didn't Paul have the same?  He didn't, because that isn't what God promises. 

Jesus tells us that we will have persecution.  He says that the world will hate us.  Just read John 15:18-16:4.  It's pretty clear that Jesus Himself says that things will not be easy when you follow Him.  So not only will things not necessarily be sunshine, roses, puppies and kittens, but we will face persecution.  Just like Jesus and Paul did.  We may even have thorns in our very flesh to keep us from becoming conceited.  Just like Paul did. 

So we aren't guaranteed a life free of trouble, a life free of pain and hardship.  We aren't guaranteed a life that is always wonderful, all the time.  It's a hard truth to swallow, especially in our American culture.  And when we have bought into the lie, even just a little bit, we are disappointed and even are mad at God when trouble comes our way or when things don't go the way we want. 

I have been there, done that, just this week.  For more insight on where I am, you can read my personal blog bit, here.  In short, we are supposed to pack up and move, as God is leading my husband to buy a business two hours north of here.  I, personally, am not happy with God's plan.  I feel brokenhearted, saddened, and lost.  I feel like my husband is working against me.  I feel like things aren't sunshine, roses, puppies and kittens for me right now.  And I feel a little bit like, "doesn't God care about what I want?"  And the truth is that He may care, but He also has bigger plans.  He has a purpose in what He is doing.  I can't see it right now, just as I'm sure Paul couldn't see what God's purposes were, but Paul steadfastly trusted the Lord.  He walked forward into all that God had for him, trusting God.  And that's what I need to do now, more than anything, is to walk into what God has, trusting Him.  

While a move is far from Paul's persecutions, it's still tough for me to gladly accept.  But I want to have an attitude like Paul does, and say, "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities."  And maybe with some time and perspective, I can get to the place where I gladly accept that which God has for me and my family.  

It's not easy for me to consent to God's plan, to gladly accept what He has, I'd be lying if I said it was, but I'll get there.  I need prayer, and more than anything, I need to rely on God.  To tell Him my hurts, fears, and how I'm feeling.  And I need to follow His lead.  I need to stop believing the lie that things will be easy peasy, roses, rainbows and puppies, when you follow Jesus.  I need to immerse myself in the truth of God's Word, the truth of His undying love for me, and ask His help to be content with what He has for us.

Is there something in your life that isn't sunshine and roses right now?  Do you feel indignant toward God, like it's His fault?  Are you willing to be content with weakness, insults, hardships, and persecutions?    

First off, so sorry this is late. By the time I {Lindsey} realized that yesterday was Monday It was about 10:15 pm after a day of traveling 5 hrs back home, then getting home so my husband could change for work, taking him to work and
then shopping at 4 different stores with 3 very grumpy children. 

I was exhausted, and an attempt at writing last night would have ended with a piece that was confusing and strewn with grammatical errors (as I am still feeling exhausted, I'm hoping I'm not going to still be dealing with the latter). So anyway those are my excuses for my tardiness and once again I'm so sorry to have delayed your reading enjoyment. 

I've known what it is I was going to write about for a while now. For those who aren't familiar with our devotional tab I urge you to check it out, and for those who are, you will be aware that I have been on about a 4 week break that I am hoping to end this Thursday. My reasoning for said break was stated as dealing with a loss in our family. On this site I didn't give much details for that and before I embark in our next chapter I feel that the story I have to share is one that someone out there needs to hear.

I have detailed aspects of this loss on my personal blog and have already seen God touch the lives of many women through the sharing of a personal tragedy and it is my hope that even more women can know that their hurt is not in vain. My first post regarding this situation on my personal blog was entitled Not What I Was Expecting, and all too often life throws us situations that we weren't expecting. God, however, knows what He is doing even in the midst of tragedy and He promises us this,  Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

One month ago yesterday after almost 2 weeks since our realization I went into my doctors outpatient surgical wing to have a procedure performed that removed my dead baby from my womb. We had discovered at almost 15 weeks along that despite any warning signs my baby no longer had a heart beat. My 3 living babies were with me at that doctors appointment and my husband came from work as quickly as he could. It was a realization that I nor my team of doctors was expecting. I've had 3 healthy pregnancies previously, experienced no spotting until 5 days after we found out, my labs had been great with no extreme drops or surges in hormone levels, etc. Yet here we are at the day before my 16th week of pregnancy having to go in for surgery.

It was a trying time physically and mentally, but through it all God had a plan. In many ways when I look back on the week leading up to our finding out I am already so amazed at how God works. First on the Sunday before my Pastor gave an awesome lesson on having to know the heart of God through the study of the bible before we can begin to understand the heart of God when it comes to his specific will for our own lives. While not perfect by any means, the past 7 months of writing the DW devotional have been some of my most in tune months with God and His will for my life. Next, just hours before my appointment I had been talking with Mandy Pagano another DW writer about a couple of songs that had really been convicting me. The first is called Revival song and is all about how revival in our world starts with revival in our hearts, with being willing to worship God in the here and now and follow His will not our own into the mission field. From there we moved quite easily into discussion of Toby Macs song "Steal my Show". I told her it wasn't until the millionth time plus one more of singing away that I really realized the impact of one of the last verses he sings. He starts off the last chorus by saying "No matter who we are, no matter what we do, every day we can choose to say" then he goes into the chorus and finishes off by saying "My life, my friends, my heart, its all yours, God take it away, my dreams, my fears, my family, my career, take it away, its all yours, God take it away, take it away, its you I wanna live for."

There is a whole lot of meaning crammed into that last little bit. I told Mandy how I really had to stop and think about if I was believing what I was singing. That is one really good thing I took away from my teen church choir experience. I often remember our director urging us to remember to listen to the words we are singing. The songs we sing to and in Jesus name aren't just a bunch of words strung together, instead they are an act of worship, they are a commitment to God and I have realized it is best to really be sure you are on board with the commitment before you continue singing. I told of how after really contemplating and praying about the song I decided I would go back to singing along with Toby Mac every chance I got and how I would use that song to worship with meaning.

I hung up from my conversation with Mandy regarding this topic and immediately put shoes on my kids to head out the door for my OB appointment where I was faced with 1 of 2 options. The first being to curse God, to be angry that this would happen to me, to feel abandoned and undone. The second being to live the two songs we had been discussing. I want to see revival in this world, I want to see women brought to the feet of Jesus and I know full well that what I have to say is nothing compared to what God has to say. So that day I had to choose to either hold on to things of this world or to cling to heavenly things and let Jesus steal my show. While it hasn't always been easy, God had been preparing my heart for weeks to say "Steal my show", to offer up my life and my family as a living sacrifice to the only one who can create a revival out of a tragedy.

Throughout the past few weeks, I have seen just that. I have had women message or email me about their own miscarriages, the loneliness they felt. I even just this past weekend got to meet in person a woman who I didn't know, a woman who wasn't originally suppose to be joining us, a woman who had a similar story to share and who happened to see my blog post. It was only because I had allowed God to steal my show instead of dwelling in the land of if only's and not fair's that her life could be touched. I am not an extraordinary woman, my story is not that much different from many. I am not the first to experience a miscarriage or loss, I'm not the first to do it while having to continue caring for 3 children. The only difference between my ordinary life that has been littered with tragedy and that of so many other women is that I have allowed God to take my life and my tragedy and turn it into a message of His love.  Revival starts right here, right now, in the normal everyday mess of life. It starts when ordinary women choose to take the position that God gave them to play and to play it well. When we allow God to position us and trust that the plays he calls will bring us to victory we will have all of the tools we need to revive our generations and our world.

Father God, we ask for revival in our own hearts. Bring us to our knees that we might see how far willingness to serve you no matter what the situation is can go. We ask for the wisdom to not be discourage by what, to us, looks like mundane roles and every day life. Instead Lord inspire us to play our positions and trust that you are a big picture God. Lord we often won't know the impact our lives have, but we thank you for those times where you give us a glimpse. Allow us to wake up every morning and say to you, "Steal my Show". We also ask that beyond just saying it that you give us the opportunity and the strength to live it. In your precious name Jesus we pray, Amen.

As a mom of a child with intense special needs, I {Ginny} worry a lot.  So many worries stream through my mind every day. 

Will she be accepted by other kids?  Will she be able to live a happy life?  Will she be accepted into the program I know she needs?  Are we doing the right thing for her with each choice we make? Does she know that we love her without condition?

But my worries don’t end there.  I worry about things in other areas of my life – the ministry I work for, my blogging, my mothering.  I spend so much time wondering if I am doing ok as a mother.  I worry about if I am going to get enough volunteers in the ministry I lead.  I worry about what I am going to blog about.  I worry. I worry.  I worry.

Lately, God has been really speaking to me in this area.  Between VBS, Bible study, a recent leadership meeting, and even Pinterest (!), a common theme keeps emerging:  That I shouldn’t worry about ANYTHING, but I need to bring my worries to God.

Elisabeth Elliot, in her book A Quiet Heart, wrote about ways that we can FORFEIT our peace.  A few of those are “Worry as much as possible,” “Pray only about things you can’t manage by yourself,” and “Carry all your cares.” 

BAM

I realized that one of the reasons I don’t feel at peace is that I am doing the exact opposite of what God is asking me to do. 

 In Philippians 4:4, it says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

God is telling us in His Word that He doesn’t want us to be anxious about anything.

My daughters’ futures? – In God’s hands
The volunteers for the ministry? – God will provide
Topics for the blog?  - God will provide them

He tells us to pray to Him in EVERY situation.  This is difficult for me because sometimes I just want to go to Him when I am desperate, but He wants me to come to him with EVERYTHING, not just the things I can’t manage by myself.  He wants me to come to Him with the small and the large things.   I need to be in talks with Him all day - when I am upset, when I am happy, when I am grateful, when I just want to talk, when I start to worry, etc.  Then it won’t be the last thing on my mind when I start to worry.  I will already be in the habit of talking to Him all the time.

Finally, I need to come to Him with thanksgiving.  I find that hard to do when I am in the midst of discussions with therapists, doctors, and my daughter’s school, and they just give me more to want to worry about!  Instead, I need to be thankful for these amazing people God placed in my family’s life to help us.  I need to be thankful that we are making progress each day.  With my thanksgiving, it will be harder to fall in the dangerous pit of despair and worry. I can focus on the amazing things God is doing in my life, and when I do that, I may take notice of things I didn’t even realize He was doing until I look for them.

My challenge for you, dear sisters in Christ, is to memorize Philippians 4:6, write it on your mirror, and then LIVE it.  And remember the three challenges within the verse:

·         Don’t be anxious about anything
·         Pray to God in every situation
·         Come to Him with thanksgiving

We don’t HAVE to worry.  God’s got this!  We CHOOSE to worry.  We CHOOSE to try to navigate situations on our own.

Let’s make the choice God is asking us to make.  Let’s CHOOSE to lift everything to God.  Let’s CHOOSE to throw worries away and trust that He’s in control.  Let’s CHOOSE to give Him thanks for all He has done and is doing in our lives.  Let’s CHOOSE freedom!