God's Curriculum by Elisabeth Elliott

One day recently something lit a fuse of anger in someone who then burned me with hot words. I felt sure I didn't deserve this response, but when I ran to God about it, He reminded me of part of a prayer I'd been using lately: "Teach me to treat all that comes to me with peace of soul and with firm conviction that Your will governs all."

Where could that kind of peace come from? Only from God, who gives "not as the world gives."

His will that I should be burned? Here we must tread softly. His will governs all. In a wrong-filled world we suffer (and cause) many a wrong. God is there to heal and comfort and forgive. He who brought blessing to many out of the sin of the jealous brothers against Joseph means this hurt for my ultimate blessing and, I think, for an increase of love between me and the one who hurt me. Love is very patient, very kind. Love never seeks its own. Love looks to God for his grace to help.

"It was not you who sent me here but God," Joseph said to his brothers. "You meant to do me harm; but God meant to bring good out of it" (Genesis 45:8, 50:20, NEB).

There is a philosophy of secular education which holds that the student ought to be allowed to assemble his own curriculum according to his preferences. Few students have a strong basis for making these choices, not knowing how little they know. Ideas of what they need to learn are not only greatly limited but greatly distorted. What they need is help from those who know more than they do.

Mercifully, God does not leave us to choose our own curriculum. His wisdom is perfect, His knowledge embraces not only all worlds but the individual hearts and minds of each of His loved children. With intimate understanding of our deepest needs and individual capacities, He chooses our curriculum. We need only ask, "Give us this day our daily bread, our daily lessons, our homework." An angry retort from someone may be just the occasion we need in which to learn not only longsuffering and forgiveness, but meekness and gentleness; fruits not born in us but borne only by the Spirit. As Amy Carmichael wrote, "A cup brimful of sweetness cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, no matter how suddenly jarred" (From her book IF published by Christian Literature Crusade).

God's curriculum for all who sincerely want to know Him and do His will will always include lessons we wish we could skip. But the more we apply ourselves, the more honestly we can say what the psalmist said: "I, thy servant, will study thy statutes. / Thy instruction is my continual delight; / I turn to it for counsel. / I will run the course set out in thy commandments, / for they gladden my heart" (Psalm 119:23, 24, 32, NEB).

Grace and the Homeschool

By Kim Wolf

2 Cor. 12:9 – "But He [Jesus] said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."     I've noticed a series of stages in the life of homeschool moms. The first, of course, is one of anxiety and fear as the dear newbies begin their great adventure. The second is usually a fluctuation between "some ol&', same ol' " and delight in the privilege of being with our children all day. The third, ahhh…this is the pinnacle we all work toward…graduation!     But somewhere in the second stage lies a hidden sub-level that homeschool moms don't talk about. It begins when many get lost in the illusion of fantastic stories and statistics (all meant to be encouraging) of super homeschoolers. These super homeschoolers and their families live on small self-sufficient farms where they raise their own livestock, fruits and vegetables; make their own clothes, their children have all read War and Peace by their third-grade year, they have formed their own family orchestra and every evening they play the chamber music that the oldest two siblings have co-written AND the parents have written an entire curriculum that keeps them in demand at homeschool conventions across the country. Oh, by the way, all the children aced their SATs and entered an ivy-league college at age 16.     That's when we can come to the point where burn-out could be on the horizon if we try to live up to the exception (note family above) rather than the rule. YES…homeschoolers score an average of 30-35 points above their public/private school counter-parts on the SATs. YES…ivy-league colleges are welcoming homeschoolers with open arms. YES…because of the love and time that homeschool families have with each other our families can (and DO) do superior, wonderful things together! BUT…the burn-out can come when a mom tries to live up to that ideal everyday.     Many moms on this level can feel like the hamster in the wheel…running, running, running but going nowhere. While Dad is at work, mom is home acting as teacher, nurse, short-order cook, police officer, librarian, taxi cab driver…and on and on. With so much demand on her it isn't difficult to understand why she might feel unloved, inadequate and insignificant. Something I have been heard to say more than once to moms in our support group is: "Even though we homeschoolers are very independent, it's still no place to be an island." What I mean is that we need spiritually and emotionally fed.     We must feed ourselves on the spiritual food of God's Word. This is where The Source of all has given us instruction and spiritual nourishment. This is where our real strength comes from. Whether you prefer to read and pray in the morning or evening makes no difference. Just do it! "But I don't have the time! I can't read and pray in the morning because I barely get up before my kids. I can't read and pray at night because I'm so tired I fall asleep after the first sentence." I used to feel the same way.     Personally, I read and pray at night and fall asleep ruminating on what I have studied. The Lord doesn't care what time of day we talk to Him…He just wants us to talk to Him! You will be amazed at how this changes your day.     You need to be emotionally fed as well. Of course, the Lord is first in this area, BUT the first mortal you need to go to is your husband. He has no idea what you've been through or what you need unless you tell him. As much as we wish they were mind-readers, sadly they are not. If he will help you for a half an hour a day to take time for a sip of tea and read a book or even going to the grocery by yourself can have a reviving effect of your mind.     Another emotional out-let can be your support group. "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." (Prov. 27:17) Everyone there has been through, or will go through, what you are going through. Use them…that's why they are there. In our area we have a weekly gym day at a YMCA. The students have dubbed us moms "The Lounging Mamas" because many of us meet in the lounge. While we are there, we do everything from write lesson plans, to gab, to share new ideas and to PRAY.     Dear friendships are made in these groups. Don't isolate yourself by thinking that you are the only one who has a "low" day in a world of perfect homeschoolers. You won't be embarrassed, you will find a sisterhood that the Lord has purposely put in your path. (2 Cor. 1:3-4)

One of my very favorite authors is Elisabeth Elliot.  This lady has walked with the Lord for many years.  Many of those years have been in difficult circumstances.  She has learned of God's faithfulness and I am blessed by her wisdom.  This is from her devotional book--Keep A Quiet Heart.  I keep it by my bed and the Lord has used it in my life many times.  I pray you are as blessed by her words as I have been.

Blessings,

Julie

A Quiet Heart

Author: Elisabeth Elliot

Jesus slept on a pillow in the midst of a raging storm. How could He? The terrified disciples, sure that the next wave would send them straight to the bottom, shook Him awake with rebuke. How could He be so careless of their fate?

He could because He slept in the calm assurance that His Father was in control. His was a quiet heart. We see Him move serenely through all the events of His life--when He was reviled, He did not revile in return. When He knew that He would suffer many things and be killed in Jerusalem, He never deviated from His course. He had set His face like flint. He sat at supper with one who would deny Him and another who would betray Him, yet He was able to eat with them, willing even to wash their feet. Jesus in the unbroken intimacy of His Father's love, kept a quiet heart.

None of us possesses a heart so perfectly at rest, for none lives in such divine unity, but we can learn a little more each day of what Jesus knew--what one writer called the negligence of that trust which carries God with it. Who would think of using the word negligence in regard to our Lord Jesus? To be negligent is to omit to do what a reasonable man would do. Would Jesus omit that? Yes, on occasion, when faith pierced beyond reason.

This "negligent" trust--is it careless, inattentive, indolent? No, not in His case. Jesus, because His will was one with His Father's, could be free from care. He had the blessed assurance of knowing that His Father would do the caring, would be attentive to His Son's need. Was Jesus indolent? No, never lazy, sluggish, or slothful, but He knew when to take action and when to leave things up to His Father. He taught us to work and watch but never to worry, to do gladly whatever we are given to do, and to leave all else with God.

Purity of heart, said Kierkegaard, is to will one thing. The Son willed only one thing: the will of His Father. That's what He came to earth to do. Nothing else. One whose aim is as pure as that can have a completely quiet heart, knowing what the psalmist knew: "Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup, and have made my lot secure" (Psalm 16:5 NIV). I know of no greater simplifier for all of life. Whatever happens is assigned. Does the intellect balk at that? Can we say that there are things which happen to us which do not belong to our lovingly assigned "portion" (This belongs to it, that does not")? Are some things, then, out of the control of the Almighty?

Every assignment is measured and controlled for my eternal good. As I accept the given portion other options are cancelled. Decisions become much easier, directions clearer, and hence my heart becomes inexpressibly quieter.

What do we really want in life? Sometimes I have the chance to ask this question of high school or college students. I am surprised at how few have a ready answer. Oh, they could come up with quite a long list of things, but is there one thing above all others that they desire? "One thing have I desired of the Lord," said David, "this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life..." (Psalm 27:4 KJV). To the rich young man who wanted eternal life Jesus said, "One thing you lack. Go, sell everything" (Mark 10:21 NIV). In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus tells us that the seed which is choked by thorns has fallen into a heart full of the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for other things. The apostle Paul said, "One thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:13-14 NIV).

A quiet heart is content with what God gives. It is enough. All is grace. One morning my computer simply would not obey me. What a nuisance. I had my work laid out, my timing figured, my mind all set. My work was delayed, my timing thrown off, my thinking interrupted. Then I remembered. It was not for nothing. This was part of the Plan (not mine, His). "Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup."

Now if the interruption had been a human being instead of an infuriating mechanism, it would not have been so hard to see it as the most important part of the work of the day. But all is under my Father's control: yes, recalcitrant computers, faulty transmissions, drawbridges which happen to be up when one is in a hurry. My portion. My cup. My lot is secure. My heart can be at peace. My Father is in charge. How simple!

My assignment entails my willing acceptance of my portion-in matters far beyond comparison with the trivialities just mentioned, such as the death of a precious baby. A mother wrote to me of losing her son when he was just one month old. A widow writes of the long agony of watching her husband die. The number of years given them in marriage seemed too few. We can only know that Eternal Love is wiser than we, and we bow in adoration of that loving wisdom.

Response is what matters. Remember that our forefathers were all guided by the pillar of cloud, all passed through the sea, all ate and drank the same spiritual food and drink, but God was not pleased with most of them. Their response was all wrong. Bitter about the portions allotted they indulged in idolatry, gluttony, and sexual sin. And God killed them by snakes and by a destroying angel.

The same almighty God apportioned their experience. All events serve His will. Some responded in faith. Most did not.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV).

Think of that promise and keep a quiet heart! Our enemy delights in disquieting us. Our Savior and Helper delights in quieting us. "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you" is His promise (Is 66:13, NIV). The choice is ours. It depends on our willingness to see everything in God, receive all from His hand, accept with gratitude just the portion and the cup He offers. Shall I charge Him with a mistake in His measurements or with misjudging the sphere in which I can best learn to trust Him? Has He misplaced me? Is He ignorant of things or people which,in my view, hinder my doing His will?

God came down and lived in this same world as a man. He showed us how to live in this world, subject to its vicissitudes and necessities, that we might be changed-not into an angel or a storybook princess, not wafted into another world, but changed into saints in this world. The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances.

He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Good Morning Fellow PCHEA'S!

I wanted to share this list that I found several years ago.  I printed this off and have kept it in my Bible and I often pull it out as I pray for my children.  It has been a tremendous blessing. I have seen God work in my children's lives over the years as I have prayed about many of these qualities.  One of the greatest works has been the work the Lord has done in my own heart as I have prayed for them.

Math facts are important....english is necessary as we strive to teach our children to communicate but the Hearts of my children are my greatest concern.  Where better to take them than before the Lord.

Blessings,

Julie  

31 Ways to Pray for Your Children

by Bob Hostetler

For years, like any responsible Christian parent, I prayed daily for my two children, Aubrey and Aaron. I prayed for God's blessing and protection throughout their days. I prayed for them to be happy. I asked God to help them through difficult times and to help them make wise choices. My prayers were regular, heartfelt, and--for the most part--pedestrian and repetitive.

I wanted more than that, however. I wanted so much for my children, but when I knelt in prayer, I invariably found the same tired words rolling from my lips, like an adult whose table grace never progressed beyond "God is great, God is good, now we thank him for this food..."

Then one day, Nancy, our pastor's wife, shared a testimony during a morning worship service that changed this parent's prayer life. She told how her concern that her children develop strong Christian morals and the fruits of the Spirit had prompted her to develop a unique prayer list, that included reminders to pray for her children's salvation and growth in grace, as well as other concerns (such as that they would "be leaders, not followers").

That day I decided to follow Nancy's example, and develop a "parent's prayer program" of my own, a simple practice that has revolutionized the way I pray for my children. Each day of the month, in addition to my prayers for their safety and for the concerns of that day, I also pray for a specific character trait, virtue, or fruit of the Spirit to be planted and nurtured in my children, through my efforts (and my wife's), through the influence of others, and through Aubrey and Aaron's own actions and decisions. At the end of each month, I begin praying through the list again, combining traits when the month is shorter than thirty-one days.

Following is the list I have developed, complete with brief suggestions for prayer from Scripture. Feel free to duplicate it--or improve upon it--to help you pray specifically and purposefully for your children to experience and evidence:

1 salvation "Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory" (Isaiah 45:8, 2 Timothy 2:10).

2 growth in grace "I pray that they may 'grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ'" (2 Peter 3:18).

3 love "Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to 'live a life of love,' through the Spirit who dwells in them" (Ephesians 5:2, Galatians 5:22).

4 honesty and integrity " May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection" (Psalm 25:21, NLT).

5 self-control " Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be 'alert and self-controlled' in all they do" (1 Thessalonians 5:6)

6 a love for God's Word " May my children grow to find your Word 'more precious than gold, than much pure gold; [and] sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb'" (Psalm 19:10).

7 justice " God, help my children to love justice as you do and to 'act justly' in all they do" (Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8).

8 mercy " May my children always 'be merciful, as [their] Father is merciful'" (Luke 6:36).

9 respect (for self, others, authority) " Father, grant that my children may 'show proper respect to everyone,' as your Word commands" (1 Peter 2:17a).

10 strong, Biblical self-esteem " Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are 'God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus'" (Ephesians 2:10).

11 faithfulness "' Let love and faithfulness never leave [my children],' but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts" (Proverbs 3:3).

12 courage "May my children always 'Be strong and courageous' in their character and in their actions" (Deuteronomy 31:6).

13 purity "'Create in [them] a pure heart, O God,' and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions" (Psalm 51:10).

14 kindness "Lord, may my children 'always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else'" (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

15 generosity "Grant that my children may 'be generous and willing to share [and so] lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age'" (1 Timothy 6:18-19).

16 peace, peaceability "Father, let my children 'make every effort to do what leads to peace'" (Romans 14:19).

17 joy " May my children be filled 'with the joy given by the Holy Spirit'" (1 Thessalonians 1:6).

18 perseverance " Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to 'run with perseverance the race marked out for [them]'" (Hebrews 12:1).

19 humility " God, please cultivate in my children the ability to 'show true humility toward all'" (Titus 3:2).

20 compassion " Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion" (Colossians 3:12).

21 responsibility " Grant that my children may learn responsibility, 'for each one should carry his own load'" (Galatians 6:5).

22 contentment " Father, teach my children 'the secret of being content in any and every situation. . . . through him who gives [them] strength'" (Philippians 4:12-13).

23 faith " I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children's hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them" (Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40).

24 a servant heart " God, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, 'as to the Lord, and not to men'" (Ephesians 6:7, KJV).

25 hope " May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

26 the willingness and ability to work hard " Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work hard at everything they do, 'as working for the Lord, not for men'" (Colossians 3:23).

27 a passion for God " Lord, please instill in my children a soul that "followeth hard after thee," a heart that clings passionately to you (Psalm 63:8, KJV).

28 self-discipline " Father, I pray that my children may develop self-discipline, that they may acquire 'a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair'" (Proverbs 1:3).

29 prayerfulness " Grant, Lord, that my children's lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to 'pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:18).

30 gratitude " Help my children to live lives that are always 'overflowing with thankfulness,' 'always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'" (Colossians 2:7, Ephesians 5:20).

31 a heart for missions " Lord, please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples" (Psalm 96:3).

After several weeks of praying through the above list for my children, I discovered an additional benefit to my prayer program; as I prayed with my children each night, the Lord brought to mind the subject I'd prayed for that morning, and I would repeat my request in Aubrey and Aaron's hearing. Before long, they began to echo my praying, and pour out their own hearts in prayer for the very virtues and qualities I desired to see in them. Thus, my simple prayer program not only changed how I prayed, but also how my children pray. . . and, by God's grace, how they live as well.

This was found at Bob Hostetler's Site

Ladies,

The Lord has called us on a wonderfully challenging journey.  We need to keep our eyes on Him in order to raise and to school these children in a way that brings glory to Him.  We wanted to encourage in your role as a Home Schooling Mom each week so we have started Monday Moments.  You can pop in here to glean a little nugget of encouragement.

This week I am sharing from another site that I found.  If you have something that has blessed you in your home school or if the Lord has put some encouraging words on your heart, please email them to us and we will use them.

Enjoy and have a WONDERFUL Monday!

Blessings,

Julie

Credit Beyond the Grave
By Maribeth Spangenberg

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.

II Timothy 3:14

"God bless my mother; all that I am or ever hope to be I owe to her."

A loving tribute that would bless any mother's heart! Amazingly, these words were spoken by a man who only had opportunity to know his mother's love for the first 9 1/2 years of his life. Yet, her influence was so profound, that even in a few short years, she was able to leave a legacy to her child.

The woman's name was Nancy, and it is reported that she was, indeed, a good and loving mother. In spite of her own lack of education, she was very ambitious for her children, and hoped that they would have opportunities in life that she and her husband, Thomas, had missed.

Nancy was skilled in needlework. Being an excellent seamstress she was often hired to sew for wealthy people. Her work ethic, neatness, and cheerfulness made her well known. Her cousin, John, described Nancy as being "loved and revered by all who knew her." She was a deeply religious woman, and after her marriage and move to her new home, she and her husband joined the Little Mount Separate Baptist Church, so named because of its split with another church due to slavery opposition.

This beloved mother, in spite of her lack of education, read to her children from the family Bible, and was heard by her children, reciting Bible verses as she worked.

Nancy's example of faith, her belief in the equality of all men, and her ambition for learning was passed on to her son. She believed that what she taught him was worthwhile, and that whatever he became, he would be good, kind, and honest. Her legacy to her children mattered so much, that her cousin, Dennis, recalled that before she died, she called her two children to her bedside and asked them to be good and kind to their father, to each other, and to the world (The Abraham Lincoln Research Site by R.J. Norton).

When Nancy died, her youngest child was just a small boy, living on the frontier, the son of a farmer and a carpenter. Even at his young age he helped his father struggle to make a living. Wielding an ax at age eight to help clear the woods, and pushing a plow to dig troughs, he was likely to follow in his father's footsteps. But to his mother, all that mattered was that her son was the best he could be.

Little did Nancy know that her nine-year involvement in her little boy's life laid a foundation of learning and character that would prod him on to greatness. He was Abraham Lincoln, and, became perhaps the greatest president that America has ever known.

And he gave all the credit for his success to his mother!

As mothers, we may never know the impact of our influence on our children's lives. Our love, encouragement, and faith have the power to make or break our children. When used for the good of our offspring, our influence can also be a powerful tool that God uses to perform a mighty work in their lives.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank you for the blessing of being a mother, and for the opportunity to impact young lives. Help me to leave a legacy for truth. Please strengthen my faith that I may pass it on to my children and leave a spiritual legacy of love for You.

Home School Enrichment