Closer to God...

Today was one of those days...I was up most of the night and out of bed at 4:45am with pain....pain so intense, that it made me cry....and cry out to God. I found myself, while waiting for pain meds to kick in....crying out to my Father...but continuously, my mind was drawn to pray for others....a friend going thru a divorce, my mom who was having tests at the hospital all day....for my great-aunt who is very ill and in the hospital, for a dear friend who's mom just passed away yesterday...and for my husband, who only has 4 more weeks of working 3 jobs...but for now, is exhausted and stressed.

I wasn't much good to my children this morning...couldn't concentrate thru the pain...the meds didn't help, and yesterday, my little ones had way too many "goodies" at a birthday party...so they were tired and couldn't concentrate either. In spite of my pain and fatigue....in spite of my little ones withdrawing from the sugar and food coloring they ingested yesterday...somehow, learning still occured for them (thanks in part to my wonderful daughter, Meghan)....and I was drawn ever closer to my Father.

I was led to choose a book off of my shelf entitled " The Journey" by Billy Graham. I've had this book for years...always meaning to read it, but today...I opened up to the chapter on pain. Friends...my Father knows exactly what I need when I need it!

After he describes his wife, Ruth's chronic, debilitating pain....he leads us back to the comfort of God's word....His love letter to us. Psalm 31:15 says "My times are in your hands"..... "Though He brings grief, He will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love." Lamentations 3:32 He goes on to suggest 2 ways that will help us thru chronic pain: #1 Be on guard against pain's dangers...focusing on self (on the pain) and ignoring others around them...falling into the trap of self-pity or bitterness. He goes on to suggest one way to counter-act these feelings is to pray for OTHERS and their needs... and to count your blessings....LOOK for reasons to praise Him...and always be thankful.

#2 Ask God to help you learn the lessons inherent with chronic pain. God can use it for our good....it causes us to depend on Him for everything...minute by minute. As I write this...my little ones are bathed and ready for bed, my older daughters cleaned up the dinner that I managed to prepare for my family...and I realize the day is almost over...when I wondered how I would ever get thru this day at 5am this morning....and looking back....oh, how He helped me! He brought a dear friend to me this afternoon....a hot shower helped....and once I focused on serving my family and just trying to "do the next thing"....He helped me...and I am so grateful!

"The Lord is near to all who call on Him...to all who call on Him in truth." Psalm 145:18 and "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" Deuteronomy 33:27

To quote Mr. Billy Graham "Earth's troubles fade in light of heaven's hope." So...as my day ends, may I encourage those of you who are in pain....who suffer...draw closer to God...He loves you so much and will carry you thru your pain and suffering. May I end with a verse that has uplifted me and comforted me for many years.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" 2Corinthians 12:9

~Sue~

When learning occurs...in spite of illness...

We've had a week of sickness here....the flu hit both of my little ones pretty hard and not much of our typical homeschooling occured...certainly not much of what I had planned for our lessons this week. I've also had to accept the fact that sometimes, it is MY illness that prevents our homeschooling days to go exactly how I've planned....I have fibromyalgia, and I've learned over the past 12 years of homeschooling (and living with my own illness) that learning will occur everyday...and that you have to be adaptable. Along with lots of reading out loud, of course, below are some things that have helped us this week and over the years with my older children as well.Math war card games have been wonderful tools to help with memorizing the math facts. Right now, my son is memorizing his multiplication/division facts.
School House Rock! I LOVE this! I remember them from when I was a little girl...and I can only recite the preamble to the constitution by singing it! LOL This has helped all of my children memorize multiplication facts as well many history, grammar and science as well. Now, they even have a section on government and of course, who doesn't remember "Bill"...and how a bill becomes a law?!

And of course....Conjunction Junction!

The time period we are studying in American history is the Colonial/Revolutionary War period right now and all of my children love Liberty's Kids! I was so grateful that we were able to borrow the series from our library.

Also...these Nest videos are wonderful resources! As my children were laid low with fevers and headaches this week...they were entertained by watching some of these history dvd's about people and events that we had studied....there have been a lot of "Mom...did you know...?" questions around here, since they alway seemed to learn some little bit that they didn't know.

Forgot to find an image for the LeapFrog dvd's. My 5 year old has watched the phonics and reading dvd's and they have really helped cement her reading skills in a fun and memorable way. I've found that all 4 of my children are "kinesthetic" learners....they learn best by hearing (which is why songs stick in our heads), seeing and doing/reading for themselves.

I've had moments over the years of dealing with my illness where I've questioned, can I really do this? Can I really effectively teach my children at home? And the answer is a resounding yes! With some adaptability and creativity....and a lot of prayer...homeschooling can be the perfect fit when there is an illness in the family. ~Sue~

What a difference a week makes!

Last Friday, my littlest girl came down with the flu...oh, my...was she ever sick! Above is my poor Anna sleeping on a hot water bottle because her ear hurt...she had a fever and was bundled up...she had thrownup, had terrible congestion and cough...the works. Then...her brother followed 2 days after her with the same symptoms....and the two of them have been slowly working thru this all week. It hit them very fast and furious! I've been giving them lots of vit. D, elderberry and vitamin C...along with lots of soup LOADED with garlic. So far...the rest of us have managed to avoid it. But.....Tuesday evening...my wonderful hubby stayed with the little ones so my older daughters and I could attend a worship concert that we had had tickets for and were so looking forward to...and we weren't disappointed.

This was a worship concert at our church with Paul Baloche, Katherine Scott and Brian Earkson...it was wonderful! The spirt of worship filled the church as every song, every statement pointed to the Lord....oh, how I needed an entire evening without interruption to just WORSHIP...to REST in Him and just praise Him!

It was Sara's first ever concert and she wasn't sure what to expect...but to look over at my daughters and see them loving and worshiping so freely the Lord who loves them so very much...it was an experience that I will never forget. I bought one of Katherine Scott's cd's...I wish I could have gotten one of each of them, but the lyrics of one of her songs particularly touched me...."...I'm falling on my knees....offering all of me...Jesus you're all this heart is living for." Brought me back to a simple focus on WHO I'm living for.

I know it looks odd....going from a wonderful worship experience to a loaf of bread...but that has been my week! LOL A week of contrasts...of highs and lows. Lots of purging went on this week in between nursing my little ones....paring down, organizing and simplifying...God has given me a plan and it has been so nice to see some of it coming to fruition! Today (since my awesome daughter ground over 35 pounds of grain into flour for me the other day), I was able to bake my husband 4 loaves of freshly ground, whole wheat flax bread....2 plain and 2 with caraway seeds. He loves my homemade bread so much and it is so healthy for him (gluten containing anything is NOT healthy for me, however)....with him working so many hours right now working 2 full time jobs plus fixing cars...I'm trying to keep him as healthy as possible.

So I was happy to surprise him when he woke up tonight (he worked all day yesterday, slept for 3 hours...worked all night and morning today...and has to go back into work at 2am) with lots of fresh coffee and lots of homemade, healthy bread with homemade peach jam. I was so happy to bless him in this way!

Not a lot of homeschooling happened this week...not typical lesson plans, but lots of learning DID occur in spite of the sickness in our home. Another post coming soon about alternatives to typical school days.

So....how was your week? Hope everyone has a happy, healthy, blessed weekend! ~Sue~

One small change for October...down-sizing.

I've been spending a good part of my days recently (like many of you) switching sizes and seasons for my 2 youngest children as well as myself. (Thankfully, my older daughters do their own) As I've been folding and sorting and going thru the (what seems like) endless bags of clothes stored in our attic, I've been thinking of something my mother said to me recently. When my 2 sisters and I were little, we had very little clothing...and needed very little clothing...we had a few dresses for church/holidays,about 5 or 6 "nice" school clothes outfits that we had to take off and put away the MINUTE we got home and about 5 playclothes outfits. Not very many compared to most children today.

I've also been praying about down-sizing....paring down everything...from kitchen items, to books (this is my HARDEST area), to clothing as well as trusting the Lord for His provision...rather than hoarding in my attic things that I think I "might" need someday. He is faithful, and He will provide just what we need when we need it.

So....today I started with clothing...and will (hopefully) finish tomorrow, including tackling the attic and donating/purging all of the things I've been hoarding for years. Some of my mind-set goes back to when I first started having children and being a stay-at-home mom and living on one income...we COULDN'T just go to the store and get lots of clothes every season, so as people would pass on clothing to us, (know matter how much we already had) up in the attic it went "just in case".

Over the coming weeks in October, I hope to finish 'purging' our home of unnecessary "stuff"....and too much stuff, making more room for the things that are important to our family...and less clutter, making it easier to clean and a much more peaceful home.

What is one small change you can do? Have a blessed fall season! ~Sue~

A "Good" Busy Fall Season....

~Wish I had pictures, but can't upload to this computer...and since my other computer is also giving us fits...well...I'm grateful I can check email!

Fall has traditionally been a busy season for us. Seems we would go on tons of family outings, field trips with friends...walks in the park and busy outside. Will have pictures coming soon of all the fun outings/field trips we've taken recently! We've been busy preserving for winter. Lots of tomatoes canned, along with salsa, pickles (Hooray!) and a bunch of different jams. We've dried tons of peaches and are drying tons of thyme to be made into medicinal teas for winter...I never knew how effective thyme is for pneumonia, upper resperatory infections, throat infections....just brew into a tea, add honey and drink. Of course, we are stocking up on our elderberry as well. Now....the only things left to can are applesauce, apple butter, pear butter, can pears and can apples for pies (I'm going to try a recipe for canning apple pie filling...just dump into a crust and go)....and green tomato pickles, some piccallily, and homemade sauerkraut. So....we'll be very busy for the month of October! LOL

After the busyness of summer, we're back to taking more of an effort with our health....grinding wheat for hubby's breakfasts and lunches...grinding lots of gluten free grain for the rest of us. Baking...making stews and chowders...lots of soups and broths....it is so nice to have hot soup for lunch...or even a mug of broth in the afternoon. We have also been culturing our kombucha...and we're now culturing kefir again. Within the week, I would like to make yogart and granola and back some banana nut muffins as well. Still have a few zucchini to shred and freeze.

Along with getting back into our schooling....we're now at the point (let me hear all other mothers of young children SIGH) of switching sizes and seasons for the little ones. What a job! We are blessed that people give us clothes and shop the thrift shops for whatever else we need, but it takes so much time to go thru everything, have them try them on to see if they fit. My son is skinny, but needs the length in his pants...my daughter is skinny and also needs length in her dresses and things...both children need boots and church shoes. I think Anna needs a winter coat. Some days my head swims trying to keep track of everything! Thank goodness, that my older girls handle their own things, and help me when I am busy with the little ones.

Today...I had to completely defrost our upright freezer...empty, break chunks of ice off...wipe it down (thanks to my Honey for helping me with this!)...and while I was at it, I cleaned out the other 2 freezers that we had and organized them. I was very grateful to my Sara for cleaning up 2 big kitchen messes and Meghan for making a fantastic meal for all of us! I so enjoy working with my older daughters in the kitchen! Now, my little ones want to help more...have to figure out the logistics of that one with a tiny kitchen...some of us will have to work on the diningroom table! LOL Oh, well...we'll do it together.

Looking forward to Saturday....supposed to be very chilly here in Pittsburgh, so have turkey and rice soup planned, sweet potato biscuits....and hopefully....all clothing sorted, organized, bagged up and washed for the new season. I love fall!

Hope you all have a very blessed weekend! ~Sue~

One small change for September...

There is a nip in the air this morning....mornings are cooler...the leaves in S.W. Pennsylvania are starting to change...there is the smell of fall in the air.

Last night, I was blessed to attend our local homeschool support meeting, where the fellowship was wonderful...and I could really see how very important homeschooling moms supporting each other really was. My oldest daughter, Meghan, went with me...and she enjoyed the meeting as much as I did....one of the things that stood out to her is how everyone prayed for each other...ministering to each other's needs....even just the simple need of someone to listen and give a hug to.

After listening to everyone last night, this seems to be more and more a 'transition' year for many families that I know. Many families are transitioning with job changes (as are we), budget cuts, illnesses and also extended family commitments. I suppose the older we are getting, our families are also and many of my homeschooling dear friends and I were saying what a blessing it is to be able to homeschool anywhere...and minister & share Jesus love with our parents and extended family. It truly is a blessing! My older girls remember homeschooling in the van and at the personal care home that my Gram was in for the last 2 years of her life....how her friends loved seeing my little girls come in! They got such a valuable education in respecting the elderly and serving that they would not have gotten otherwise. My little ones are now learning that people come first...that relationships have eternal value and to show Jesus love and care is much more important than their schoolwork....so they drop everything when Dad comes home for lunch just to be with him.....they drop everything when a grandparent comes over to spend time with them...or if we need to go to help someone else....we either take our work with us....or know that it will get done eventually. What a blessing it is to serve the Lord and love His people!

All of this to say that our "one small change" for September...actually for all of fall is to look for opportunities to serve others....it is soup and stew season....so stretching these and making them go farther is easy....along with hot, fresh, homemade bread and a simple salad....that is comfort food to people in a hurting world. A card in the mail...a phone call or email letting them know we love them and were thinking of them. Visiting the elderly....these are the things that we are focusing on.

Of course, we're still preserving the harvest....making plum jam today, dehydrated a ton of peaches the other day....more tomatoes...then pears and apples will be starting.

We're also 'nesting'...switching sizes and seasons for my little ones...pulling out the sweaters...finishing up some knitting and crochet projects. My son & husband are working on plans for a small wood shed and organizing our kindling. Our garden is still producing...and we are blessed by a wonderful farmer's market close by.

Off to finish my last load of laundry! (ok...for today!) and to get Anna's room all ready for the cold season. Visiting a brand new baby this evening and welcoming this precious, sweet little Rebekah Diane into her new family and into our lives as well. A new generation....a continuation of multi-generational faithfulness. So many, many of our friends are first generation christians and homeschooler just as we are and it is humbling and awe-inspiring to me to see this strong faith and vision for families being carried on in my children and their precious friends.

May you all be abundantly blessed! What is one small change you all are doing this fall? Click on over to this link for more ideas. Have a blessed day! ~Sue~ http://www.1smallchangeblog.blogspot.com/

Margin....

So, I was asked to speak tomorrow evening and give a short devotion for our local homeschooling support meeting. As I've been praying about what the Lord would have me share...He keeps bringing me to the word "balance"...and this led me to remember a book that I had read called "Margin" and it's sequel entitled "The Overload Syndrome".

Let's face it, folks.....as any mother knows...whether you are a mother who works outside the home, a stay-at-home mom or a homeschooling mom....we all are trying to perform a balancing act...trying to balance the needs of our husbands, our children and ourselves(forget sleep...there will be time for that later! LOL)....let alone the needs of extended family members, churches, neighbors or communities...all while trying to keep up with the housework, laundry, meals, etc...

I often wonder how past generations of moms did it...kept their homes immaculate, had warm cookies waiting for their children after school...meals prepared from scratch...AND helped out on PTA and church committees! (Then I did realize...since their children were gone all day, then they could clean uninterruped and focus on all the work they had to do during the day!)

As this book helped me to see....we all need to build in a little 'margin' in our lives...in our daily schedules. As women and nurturers...most of us have a hard time saying 'no'....whether it is to help those in need, to serve....and to things that would benefit our children...ie: activities, sports, etc....

But...if we don't have boundaries....and prayerfully seek the Lord and His will....we may fill up our lives with so many "good" things...that we are missing God's best for us and our families. God's word tells us to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness...and all these things shall be added to us" (ok...I'm paraphrasing a little...I"m tired! LOL) I know it is hard for me not to 'over-schedule' sometimes...ok, a lot of the time. And as I look at my schedule filling up for the week...sometimes I get a little frantic, and need to build in some margin.

I highly recommend these books....they not only make you aware of how harmful over-load is to our bodies and our families, but also, how to avoid over-load as well. Most importantly, if we, as moms...as nurturers and care-givers, remember to stay focused on His word...and prayerfully seek His will...carefully guarding our homelife and families....God will be glorified in our homes as we seek to do His will. Have a blessed week! ~Sue~

Desires of our hearts....

I know the Lord ALWAYS provides for us...and it never ceases to amaze me when He also DELIGHTS in providing for us some of the desires of our hearts, too! This is my son's face when he saw the drum set that his dad set up in our basement! A friend had seen that we were looking for one but they were so very expensive, and emailed to tell me that her sister had one that we could have...all we had to do was pick it up! Ronnie is so excited! I'm listening to the sounds of the drums right now!

He has been practicing so diligently his piano lessons and doing so well....he also has learned a couple of chords on his electric guitar and been practicing...I know he'll practice his drums, too. Music certainly seems to be his thing....I'm so grateful that the Lord has allowed us to help him pursue this gift.

Of course, his dad loves the drums too, and is enjoying them immensely! (and loudly!) LOL

Our little Anna also was blessed today! She has always loved her cousin, Ty's, play kitchen and would play with it forever when we would visit. My sister told me recently that the only time Ty really played with it was when Anna was over, so they asked if we wanted it here so she could play with it whenever she wanted and he could play with it when he was here. My brother-in-law brought it over today and she has been playing resteraunt and her own kitchen with her babies all night!

I am in awe and very humbled by the Lord's love, provision and delight in us! Thanks, Dianne for being so giving! Thanks, Debbie for the drum set...Ronnie loves it! Thanks, to my sister & brother-in-law for their very generous hearts! We are feeling very blessed right now! Have a wonderful evening! ~Sue~