Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner and although this year may look different around the table we still need to cultivate a thankful heart. I am once again pausing with the liturgy of the year, this holiday marking a moment for me to be still. To open our hearts can be difficult but one of the ways I find this practice easier is through music. Music is a beautiful usher, it leads my soul to deeper communion with my Creator. I have done the hard work for you and curated a play list that will usher your heart to open up in with thanksgiving!
I invite you to join me to listen to play list below exhale the tension out and inhale in hope. Be blessed.
Psalm 100
A Psalm for giving Thanks.
I created a beautiful booklet for you and one for your kiddos so that together you can take some time to slow the hustle and rest together. This booklet will walk you through Psalm 100, gives space for coloring and doodling as well. While you read it and memorize together you will have the opportunity to add color and even write a thanksgiving prayer. You can find more information here on how to get it delivered straight to your inbox.
Farewells can be hard but they can also be hopefull encounters that help us prepare for new beginnings. This small offering from our hearts to you was a labor of love. Although we must say goodbye for now we trust that you are not alone and so we bless you today in love.
Hi friends, what an honor to be back with you and yet a bittersweet moment of Farewell. For this is our last episode for now. With open hands we held this offering of being a companion to you as we navigate a new way of schooling. We have loved helping you find refreshment in the Lord and giving you a practical step to help you learn alongside your children. This small offering from our hearts to you was a labor of love.
We pray that your hearts will be strengthened by the Grace that Is in Christ Jesus. Although, we can not walk the rest of the way with you, we pray that you know that He walks with you- always. You are carried by Him and he remains your glory and the lifter of your head.
Friends, if like me this year has been a year of shedding and letting go for you, I pray that your heart will be sustained by his grace. I pray that His love for you will come and settle your aching heart. I pray that your eyes will remain fixed on Him as you experience his generosity towards you.
One thing I do know for sure and “ this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion, “ Says my soul, “ therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3:21-24
So, once again I invite you to prayer. I am very aware of my forgetfulness and my self reliance and through prayer I can shed those and lean on his grace. I love this passage from the New Morning Mercies Devotional from Nov. 13th “ Real prayer is prayed in an attitude of what the Puritans called /importunity/, which is the condition of being troublesome or persistent because of a deep sense of urgency. It means being frightened into crying out for help. It is a condition of heart that is only there as the result of grace. It’s grace that causes you to acknowledge your sin. It’s grace that causes you to be frightened by where that sin can lead you. Its grace that opens your heart to the help that only God can give. Real prayer is motivated by that grace acknowledges your need for that grace. Prayer isn’t an announcement of personal righteousness, but a cry for help that rests in the righteousness of another, (Jesus) . Have you prayed today?”
So, what does this have to do with HopeFull Homeschooling? Everything. I am not called to carry all that comes with homeschooling but instead to bring it to Him and he will carry it for me. I am called to fix my eyes on Him and let him transform my heart as he shepherds both me and my children.
And iI leave you with the words of John o’Donahue, “ And so may a slow wind work these words Of love around you’, An invisible cloak To mind your life.” And I add alongside our friend Jesus.
What’s next? Find us on our Facebook group we will be posting there our next steps. There is a stirring in my heart as advent approaches and the Lord is birthing new things to keep us filled with His hope. Come and see!
Scripture So, I bless you with this scripture today. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
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Setting down the schoolbooks, throwing out the schedule, yielding control, and giving children ownership over their education and lives, can result in some absolutely lovely surprises and heavenly reminders.
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This week, we take a moment to reflect on the past few weeks of homeschooling, on lessons learned, and on the value of considering what we can put down. As we move “further up and further in” to the academic year, we encourage homeschooling parents to take time to sit with some reflective questions, alongside their children, and in the presence of the Lord–putting down shame and guilt, filling the bucket one drop at a time, and numbering our days so that the Lord will establish the work of our hands.
Some days, homeschooling feels just too hard: tempers flare, children fuss, teaching a 7 year old to read is more difficult than you ever expected–and let’s not even mention algebra and your freshman. It feels as if you never get a moment to yourself. And you haven’t even touched the grading yet. Maybe financial burdens, illness, or marital strife are thwarting your attempts at even getting to the school books, and it’s all you can do to keep kids focused on homework let alone make it feel like an idyllic and cozy family scene. What is going on? And, more importantly, how can you fix it before you throw in the towel altogether?
Some homeschooling days are harder than others. Tempers flare, people are hangry, homework is overwhelming. How do we walk these rocky days with hope, resilience, and grace? Daisy and Rachel discuss the opportunities hiding in the midst of the struggle and practical tips for a hard reset when the Lord’s lesson plan for your day is not what you had on the syllabus.
Daisy and Rachel are so excited to speak to Johanna a local homeschooling mom. Whether you’ve planned this homeschooling experience for your family since the beginning of forever, or you are being unexpectedly called to do so for the first time this year, Johanna’s account of her homeschooling journey will delight, inspire, and encourage you. Join us as we speak with veteran homeschooler and our dear friend, Johanna Henderson, and learn what subject is the “foundation of everything” and where Johanna gets her joy, strength, and hope!
Meet Johanna
Photography by Echo by Design
Johanna Henderson is a wife to her college love for 21 years. Mom to three amazing boys. She is a believer in Jesus Christ and loves to follow Him wherever He leads. She is a newly released author. When she’s not hanging out with her crew homeschooling, she is helping others find their passion in life through writing. Her favorite Hope-Filled scripture currently is Psalm 1:2-3, “But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do” (NLT).To find out more about Johanna visit her website at www.DevotedToMaker.com
Mornings can be a source of tension and stress as a mom period, but throw in homeschooling and it can be a perfect storm. In this episode Rachel and Daisy discuss mornings and how to start the HomeSchool day off on the right foot.
Daisy F. Dronen 