Fear Is a Liar

Fear, he is a liar

He will take your breath

Stop you in your steps

Fear, he is a liar

He will rob your rest

Steal your happiness

Cast your fear in the fire

'Cause fear he is a liar

~"Fear is a Liar" by Zach Williams

Have you ever stopped to think about the kind of impact fear has on your life? No matter how brave, calm, and collected you may be, all of us face fear at some point or another. In a lot of ways, it's just part of being human. Fear can be helpful, keeping us from doing things that could lead to injury or death (hence why having a child or toddler who is "fearless" is not always a great thing!) Sometimes, though, fear can take over in a way that does a great amount of damage if it isn't taken care of. Zach Williams song, "Fear is A Liar" does a terrific job of listing the consequences of letting Fear take over our thoughts, as well as reminding us how to defeat it.

Disclaimer:  I am not a medical or mental health professional, and what I write is not meant to be a substitute for a professional's advice or diagnosis. If you believe your struggle with fear goes beyond the norm and it is taking over your life, know that you are not alone, and please seek the help of a qualified therapist or psychologist to get on the road to healing.

1. Fear is a Liar

Just about everything Fear tells us is rooted in a lie. Think back on the last time you were afraid, and on the things Fear told you, and see if you can pinpoint the lies.

"You yelled at the kids again. You are such a terrible parent. You're going to ruin these kids, you know."

"You shouldn't go to that party. There are going to be so many people! There's no way they will like you. You'll make a fool of yourself."

"You are fighting with your husband so much because you aren't really compatible. You made the wrong choice. You should get out while you can."

"Don't let your son go on that boating trip! What if he gets hurt? You'll never be able to forgive yourself."

And on and on it goes. Fear will often insert a kernel of truth into the lies it tells us, making it hard to even recognize that what we are hearing is untrue at all, and before we know it we are believing things that are completely false and have the capability to do terrible damage.

2. Fear Will Take Your Breath

Fear can literally take your breath away through panic attacks, but I think beyond the physical act of breathing, Fear also takes our breath away metaphorically, diminishing the passion and energy we would otherwise have for life. It "knocks the wind from our sails", so to speak, leaving us drifting aimlessly, too worried and afraid of failure to try to live passionately or purposefully. 

3. Fear Will Stop You In Your Steps

If there is one thing that will stop you from acting on a plan, dream, or calling, it's Fear. Even this very blog took months to come to fruition because of Fear! Each of us has a calling from God, and unique gifts and dreams that He instills in us to enable us to impact the world for Him. It's so easy to let Fear overwhelm us with details ("but how would I even go about doing that?") or doubt ("there's no way I could do that, it's too hard/risky/crazy") that we freeze up and cease moving toward the beautiful plans God has for us.

4. Fear Will Rob Your Rest

The Biblical definition of rest involves more than the physical aspect. True, Fear can rob us of physical sleep, but it also takes away our mental and emotional rest. It steals our emotional peace; leaves our minds racing and unable to process or work through problems; and completely drains and depletes us in every way possible. God offers us rest--even calls us to rest--knowing that it is something we cannot live a full and happy life without, so losing this is another example of the damage Fear can do.

5. Fear Will Steal Your Happiness

Seeing what we've learned about fear's impact on us so far, it's no surprise that we can't have happiness while living in fear. Fear attacks us on a physical, emotional, and even spiritual level, so we can't have true, lasting enjoyment of life while allowing Fear to control us. It stops us from doing what we know is right; keeps us from fully trusting and enjoying others, building meaningful relationships; and turns our very view of life upside down, leaving us hopeless and empty. Fear can completely destroy us if we allow it to, and that's why I believe it is one of Satan's most-often used and most dangerous weapons. 

Obviously, we do not want to allow Fear to gain a foothold in our lives, but as fallen humans we all face seasons where Fear is more persistent and difficult to remove. What is the answer to these times? How do we destroy fear and get free from it's hold? 

The answer might surprise you. It isn't growing in bravery, or trying to ignore our anxieties. In fact, there really isn't anything we ourselves can really actively do to defeat Fear; our role is actually to receive something else in place of Fear. 

 Zach Williams's song contains a beautiful prayer that gives us insight into Fear's downfall:

 "Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears; Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel"

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear..." 1 John 4:8. 

The way we defeat fear is to counteract it with love. We turn to God and ask Him to remind us of His perfect love and to set us free from Fear's terrible lies and destruction. We bathe our minds and hearts in God's Truth so that there is just no more room for Fear. 

When Fear comes around and tries to whisper awful lies, we turn to God and listen for His voice of love and compassion and grace. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9

When Fear takes our breath and tries to rip the passion and zeal from our hearts, we ask God to remind us of His plans for us and of how He has equipped us for what He has called us to. “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV

When Fear causes us to freeze up, unsure of how to proceed in a situation or season, we seek God and ask for His direction. "When I am overwhelmed, You alone know the way I should turn." Psalm 142:3a NLT

When Fear robs our rest, leaving us depleted and desperate, we call out to God and ask Him to refresh us and give us the rest we need. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29)

When Fear steals even our happiness and leaves us reeling in the throes of depression and grief, we cry out to our loving Heavenly Father, who keeps track of every tear we've ever shed (Psalm 56:8) and ask Him to restore us. "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy." Psalm 94:19 NIV

Fear can be a formidable foe, and it can do a lot of damage if we allow it to run rampant in our lives. It can and will be cast down and defeated though, if we turn to our compassionate Maker and allow Him to replace our fear with His perfect love. So next time Fear comes around, cast it down and seek God so that His love is all you feel. 

"As Iron Sharpens Iron": Different Types of Friends and How God Uses Each One

I have been blessed throughout my life with many sweet friendships, and have noticed through the years that there seem to be a few different "kinds" of friends, and different blessings and growth that each one provides. I believe that friendship is something that God designed and planned not only to bring joy and fun to our lives, but also to help us grow and mature into the people He designed us to be. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." God gave us all kinds of relationships and fellowship in order to "sharpen" us and help us to grow, and I think that He has also designed each of us to bring certain gifts and abilities to our friendships. Read about these different kinds of friends at one of my dear friends' blog, where I am excited to be able to share as a guest writer today.

10 Lessons Learned in 10 Years of Marriage

Last week my hubby and I celebrated a full decade of marriage. I still can't believe we have shared 10 years together! It's an exciting milestone, for sure, and one we took full advantage of with a fun just-for-us trip: 5 days of being "just us" instead of Mommy and Daddy, and doing all of the things we can't do with kids right now (everything from a starlight canoe ride, to cave exploring, to riding river rapids). It was a terrific and refreshing time, and I am so thankful that we were able to celebrate together! 

Hitting a milestone like this often brings about reminiscing and thinking back on all that we have been through together and everything we have learned, and I thought I would share 10 things I have learned after a decade of marriage. 

1. Keep God at the Center.  Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (NIV) The most vital thing in our marriage has been keeping God as that "third strand" in our relationship. During times when we would not have been able to stick together on our own, He has been the one to hold us together and keep us strong. Having a shared faith and walking together to develop relationships with God has been such a blessing in our marriage, and remembering that our relationship is meant to portray the love between Christ and His church has given us a bigger purpose than just being happy together. 

2. Be Best Friends. Marriage isn't just a romantic relationship; it's a deep, intimate friendship. I can say without any hesitation that Jed is my very best friend. I have the most fun with him; there is nobody I'd rather spend time with; and he is the main person I know I can be myself with and still be loved and accepted. Developing a true friendship with each other has been one of my favorite parts of our marriage. We have special shows that we only watch together (and then quote to each other later on and have inside jokes with); we read classic books aloud (and have finished over 20 so far!); we even play video games together sometimes! Find some special things to do to develop companionship and camaraderie in your marriage and then enjoy the sweet friendship that results.

3. Divorce is Not an Option. Early in our engagement, while working through premarital counseling and workbooks, we read that it is wise to just resolve to not let divorce be an option in your marriage. Too many times marriages fall apart or are damaged by one or the other threatening to leave (and usually not for a solid reason), and having that threat hanging over your relationship hinders intimacy and openness. If you go into the marriage knowing that it is truly forever, not something that you can end for just any reason, it builds a security and assurance that allows real trust and relationship to flourish.

PLEASE NOTE: There is absolutely no judgement from me towards those that have divorced or have chosen to separate from their spouses. I know there are circumstances that force people to make the difficult decision to be apart from their spouse, whether temporarily or permanently, and my heart aches for those who face that. I am referring to the flippant, careless attitude of "well, if I change my mind later there's always divorce." Marriage should not be entered into lightly, with the thought that it can be ended if it isn't convenient anymore. God intended it to be for a lifetime, and ignoring that blueprint leads to deep heartache and grief.

4. Don't be Afraid of Conflict. I have always struggled in this area, and am still growing in it. It is hard to think of conflict as something that can be healthy and good for a relationship since it can bring up a lot of hurt and anger, but holding those emotions in just so you can avoid an argument is more detrimental than just hashing things out. There have been so many times that I have tried to ignore a problem or "get over" hurt feelings without working through it with Jed, and it always ends up doing more damage than the original issue! In fact, when I finally do share with him, it inevitably ends up that he was completely unaware of the problem, apologizes, and works to fix things. Give your spouse credit and share your heart, even if you think it will lead to conflict. It's always better to work through things together than to hold it all inside.

5. Remember You Are on the Same Team. When conflict does arise, it is so easy to forget this simple truth: you are on the same team. You and your spouse are for each other, even when it doesn't feel like it. Ultimately, you are not actually battling your spouse; you are battling something far deeper. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Your ultimate enemy, Satan, hates marriage because it is something that God planned and that brings honor to Him; he does not want marriages to succeed! He will use anything and everything to add division to your relationship: irritation, selfishness, jealousy, feeling unappreciated, etc. Yes, your spouse is a sinful and fallen human, and yes they will mess up and hurt you; the real, core issue, though, is that Satan wants you to use that as an excuse to grow apart from each other. Don't let him win. Remind yourself that you are together in this whole thing, and do what it takes to work through it and win the battle.

6. Even Though You are "One", You Can't Read Each Other's Minds! Even after being married for 10 years, Jed and I still miss each other's cues and can't always figure out what the other person needs. Now, we have gotten better at it, and don't have to be quite as detailed in explaining what it is we want, but it still isn't fair for me to expect him to read my mind, and vice versa. Be ok with having to explain, in detail, what you want from your spouse. I think that a lot of conflict and marital problems come from having expectations that we don't share with each other! Don't be shy; tell your spouse what you want, whether that is more help around the house, a listening ear instead of a solution to your problem, or more frequent date nights. Give each other the best chance for success; don't assume your spouse already knows what you want/need.

7. Prioritize Each Other. Early on in marriage, it is easy to keep your spouse a high priority. The feeling of being in love and enjoying time together pretty much guarantees that you won't neglect each other. As time goes on, though, and you add more responsibilities in (kids, work, a house) it gets trickier and trickier to keep priorities straight. Be purposeful in letting your spouse know they matter to you. Set aside times to be together, just you, even if that means sneaking out to the back yard while the kids are in bed. When your spouse is talking, put your phone/computer/book down and give him/her your full attention. When you have been apart, make it a point to greet your spouse first and let him/her know you missed them. Your spouse is meant to be your closest earthly relationship; make sure they know that they hold first place in your heart.

8. Strive to "Out-Love" Each Other. Something that can really make a difference in having a mediocre marriage versus a truly enjoyable one is to be purposeful in blessing your spouse. Something I've started doing that is really fun is to have a goal of blessing Jed in some special way at least once a week. That can be as simple as grabbing his favorite candy bar while I'm out grocery shopping, or leaving a love note in his suitcase when he is leaving on a business trip. Hebrews 10:24 (The Living Bible translation) says, "In response to all he has done for us, let us outdo each other in being helpful and kind to each other and in doing good." Can you imagine what kind of marriages we would have if we all lived like that?

9. Provide Space. As important as it is to have quality time together in a marriage, I also believe it is very important to give each other the gift of time alone. Each of you are your own people, with unique interests and hobbies, and it isn't realistic for most people to be able to be part of every single pastime their spouse has. Being purposeful in setting aside time for each other to pursue passions and be alone or with outside friends is a gift that has been a true blessing in our marriage.

10. Embrace "Gritty" Love. As time goes on, the "feel good" love of early marriage diminishes, but something even better takes its place. When we were first married, Jed and I were completely "in love", that feeling of euphoria and bliss that comes with finally finding "the one" and realizing you get to spend the rest of your lives together. As we have walked through life together, that kind of love, while still showing up once in a while, is not the main feeling we share. We have walked through a lot together--having children, changing jobs, moving, losing loved ones--and those incidents have brought out new traits in each of us (some of which aren't exactly positive!) Enduring these things together, though, and seeing the ugliest parts of each other has matured and refined that early love into something even more beautiful and rare: real, gritty, unbiased love. I used to feel sad when I thought back to that "in-love" season we shared, thinking that we were somehow not as close as we were then. In reality, though, we have developed more intimacy and closeness, and a more "real" love, in these later years than we could even think about back when we didn't know each other as well. It's exciting and wonderful to think that in the coming years and decades, that "gritty" love is just going to get stronger. What a gift!

When I think back on the last 10 years of my life with Jed, I am just so humbled and overwhelmed by all that God has done! We have learned, grown, and matured together, and have been abundantly blessed with a truly beautiful life. I can't wait to see what adventures are in store for the next decade and beyond, and I hope that all of you are blessed with that same excitement in your marriages.  

On Feeling Left Out

Have you ever had this experience? You’re relaxing a bit, mindlessly scrolling through social media, feeling just fine about the world. Suddenly, a post catches your eye that includes photos of some good friends, or family members, or other loved ones. The post talks about a fantastic trip or outing, or even just a playdate…that you weren’t invited to.

But other people were.

The post goes on to talk about what a great time everyone had and how much they love and appreciate each other, etc, etc, and the more you read, the less ok you feel. Suddenly life doesn’t feel so great. You feel lonely, isolated, even abandoned…totally left out. The questions start in almost immediately: “Why wasn’t I invited? Did they forget to ask, or did they purposely leave me out? Do they even like me?”

**Continue reading at Raising Rices where I am honored to get to share as a guest writer once again!

How I Plan My Homeschool Year Using Themes

How I Plan My Homeschool Year Using Themes

As summer winds down and we start scrambling to fit in a few last items from our "summer bucket list", it also comes time to get ready for fall and "back to school" time! For our family, that means planning another year of homeschool! This will be my third year of homeschooling (although the first two years were more of a "practice" school since my oldest is just now in 1st grade) and I am starting to get into a little bit of a "groove" with planning now. I was blessed with the opportunity to do a podcast with my sweet friend Marissa over at Raising Rices about preparing for the year of homeschooling, and I hope it will provide encouragement, ideas, and advice for anyone who is homeschooling or thinking about starting. You can listen to it here.

For those of you who learn or process better by reading/seeing things laid out, I wanted to include a few more "visual" things from some of what we shared in the podcast. Homeschooling is something that is very dear to me, both as a homeschool graduate myself and now also as a homeschool mama. I know it can be challenging, lonely, and downright overwhelming to get started, so I wanted to lay out my "method" of how I prepare for the year ahead, as well as my main purposes in schooling (AKA the things I try to turn back to when the school day is particularly hard and I feel like nobody is learning anything and I should just send everyone off to a more qualified professional!) 

Before reading ahead, two things I want to mention: First, I don't believe homeschooling is the perfect solution for every family, and I hope none of my readers will ever sense any kind of judgement or "holier than thou" messages from me just because our family has chosen to school at home for now. I tell everyone that we are taking the kids' schooling one year at a time, prayerfully thinking through and considering what is best for each child as well as our family unit. So far, the answer has been homeschooling, but someday that may change. God made every person and family unique, and it would be flat-out wrong to say that any one plan fits everyone. 

Along with that comes my second "disclaimer", that my way of doing things may not work for you, and that is totally ok! I want to share my thought process for those of you who do think like me and want to try a more theme-focused school year out, but I don't expect this to work for everyone. My prayer for this post, along with everything I write, is that it will encourage and inspire those that God intends it to. 

Ok. With all that said, let's get rolling.

Just What Are Themes, Anyway?

Simply put, using themes in homeschooling just means using different topics (animals, robots, spring, human body) to teach school subjects rather than, or in addition to, a typical curriculum. This coming year will be my first year with an elementary-school kiddo, so it is also the first year I've chosen a curriculum to use. I just didn't feel that my kids needed a lot of structured, sit-down-and-write learning before 1st grade (and I'm still keeping that part as light as possible for my oldest kiddo this year, using curriculum for his core subjects and themes for science and social studies). Instead, I chose to use a lot of hands-on and theme-based learning for preschool/kindergarten, and I was pleasantly surprised (and delighted!) by all that they picked up from it. Little kids need a lot of time to play and just be kids, and they are eager learners, so they soak information up no matter what they are doing. There are loads and loads of studies that back this up, and it's even been said that "play is the work of the child" (Maria Montessori). So if you have little kids (6 or 7 and under), try not to focus so much on seatwork (sitting down quietly and filling in worksheets) and instead just let them play! You'll be amazed at what they pick up!

 Now, I understand that some of us (*cough, cough* me) are too excited to wait for 1st or 2nd grade to start teaching. That's why I started using themes during school to make our mornings more purposeful and to get my kids in the "habit" of having a schooltime. Since I am more experienced with this kind of school planning, I'm going to spend my time in this post explaining that process rather than the process of choosing a curriculum and planning it out. For those of you with older students who need more information on that, you can listen to the podcast mentioned above (my friend Marissa does a great job of breaking down how to choose curriculum) or feel free to send me a message and I'm happy to share the process I did this year for picking the curriculum I am using for my oldest.

How I Plan for School:

1. Create Long-Term Goals and a Vision Statement (Do Once, Review Yearly)

• What do I want my kids to know by graduation?
• What do I want my school to look like?
• Why am I homeschooling?

Last year was my first "official" year of homeschool as my oldest son was in kindergarten, and because of that I wanted to figure out what my long-term goals were for him and my other kids. This goes beyond just the minimum requirements for graduation and goes more in-depth with what I want to impart to my kids before they leave my home. I think this is something any parent can do, regardless of if their kiddos are home-schooled or not. It can help to have a basic blueprint and purposeful plan for what we want our kids to learn, develop, and become while they are under our roofs. For example, here is what I came up with:

My Ultimate Goals for My Children 

1. I want my children to grow in their knowledge of and love for the Lord. I want them to come to salvation and to place God as the King of their lives, seeking to serve Him in all that they do.
2. I want them to love God’s Word and to be able to understand it and apply it to their lives. 
3. I want my children to grow in their character—to be honest, kind, generous, helpful, loving, and loyal.
4. I want them to learn how to treat others well and to seek to serve and put others before themselves.
5. I want them to appreciate and enjoy their family and to keep close bonds with each other and with their parents throughout their lives.
6. I want them to be able to understand, acknowledge, and control their emotions, as well as to grow in the skill of sharing their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs respectfully and well.
7. I want them to learn how to develop and nurture lasting friendships and relationships, gaining social skills, learning excellent manners, and growing in conflict resolution. 
8. Academically, I want my children to gain all of the skills they will need to be independent, wise, and responsible adults. I want them to be able to discover how they learn and to be able to use that knowledge to gain all of the understanding they need to survive and thrive as adults.
9.  I want them to not only understand basic learning skills (math, reading, writing), but to enjoy them! I want them to be lifelong learners, pursuing knowledge and wisdom in all of their passions. I want school to be something they enjoy and develop a passion for, not just something to endure and get through.
10. I want them to discover and nurture the gifts that God has given each of them so that they can use their talents to serve Him, help others, and impact their world for Christ.

By having this list in place, I can turn to it on even the hardest days and remember why I am doing this whole parenting "thing" in the first place. It enables me to stay purposeful in my parenting and in teaching my little school, and helps me not to get overwhelmed by the vague desire of wanting kids who turn out "right".

2. Research Requirements for Each Child and Create Year’s Goals (Yearly)

• Look up state requirements to stay within the law
• Research what each grade level should cover
• Find space to record learning progress as needed
• List learning goals to keep on track

Every state has different requirements and rules for homeschooling. At the beginning of each year, I like to check in and make sure nothing has changed and that I am still "within the law" in how I teach my kids. The Home School Legal Defense Association has a great tool for finding out what the law is in each state (and has a lot of good information in general on their site). 

Usually the state laws are far below what most parents actually expect from their kids academically, so the next thing I do is look up the basics of what each grade should learn before moving on to the next grade. This way I get an overall picture of what other students my kids' age are learning and can help my little ones stay on track. Something fun that I like to do with this info is make a little card for each student with each learning goal for the year listed. As we go through the school year, I let my kids mark off their goals as they accomplish them (usually with a dot marker. My kids just love those things!) Here is a picture of my kids' goals for last year:

Property of Raphah Mama

Property of Raphah Mama

3. Choose Which Subjects to Cover, and When to Do Them (Yearly)

• Daily subjects (math, reading, Bible, etc)
• Weekly  subjects (science, music, art, etc)

There are some subjects that need to be done each day (usually the typical reading, writing, and math) and others that would be fine to be done just once or twice a week (or even less). I think this can change with each family and even each year, so I like to review this at the beginning of each school year.

4. Prepare Planner and Schedule (Yearly)

• List any known days off (Holidays, Special Days, Etc)
• Choose weekly schedule (3 day, 4 day, 5 day)
• Create daily schedule for subjects/what each child does when

The next step for me is to buy a planner and start figuring out what I want our school time to look like this year. I mark off any days that I know we won't be doing school (Christmas break, birthdays, other special days) and decide if I want to do school Monday-Friday, or some other schedule. This year I am planning to do 4 days of school at home and then my son is attending a homeschool-supportive charter school one day a week to get in some PE time and the ever-important "socialization" (there are lots and lots of options for providing that time for home school kiddos, so be open and do some research!)

5. Choose Themes for Each Month/Week (Yearly, Semi-Annually, or Monthly)

• Interest-led themes (based on what child likes)
• Calendar-led themes (seasons or holidays)
• Life event themes (new baby, moving, vacation)

This has been one of my favorite parts of school planning. I love themes! There's just something about them that gets me excited to teach and also helps me to organize my thoughts into a fairly reasonable plan for what I want to teach my kids. I also like that I can get my kiddos involved in what we are going to learn, as it helps them to have a vested interest in their school and usually helps them want to do their schoolwork (usually...not always!) There are a myriad of themes you can choose from! For some ideas to get you started, you can check out my Pinterest Board for Early Learning Themes here.

6. Find Resources for Themes (Yearly or Semi-Annually)

• Pinterest ideas (save to a board)
• Library books (save to a “shelf”)
• Fun toys and games (make wishlist/shopping list)

Once you have settled on the themes you want to have for the year, you can start collecting ideas and resources for how you want to teach within those themes. Remember earlier when you decided which subjects you want to cover? This is the part where you tie your theme and subjects together. Confusing? Let's try an example. 

Say your theme is Space. The subjects/skills you want to cover this year are read-aloud time, fine motor skills, sensory time, and math/numbers. So you go through each subject and try to find things that match your theme, something like this:

• Read-Aloud: Search the library or your own books at home for any books on space you'd like to read to your kiddo and make a list (some libraries let you have a list of the books they have, so you can make a list for each theme if you want to!)

• Fine Motor Skills: Search pinterest for "space fine motor skills" and I guarantee you a myriad of fun ideas will pop up. One of the ones we used was to print out constellations and use a dull needle (or a plastic one for littler students) to poke the star pattern out. Then we held them up to the window and saw our constellations shining through!

• Sensory Time: Again, search on Pinterest and you'll find a boatload of ideas. Some that we have done are space playdough, galaxy slime, glow in the dark stars in water...

• Math/Numbers: Counting stars, adding/subtracting stars, measuring planets...More ideas on Pinterest. (Sensing a theme here?)

Since I've been doing themes for a few years now, I have been able to collect a pretty good selection of learning activities for all kinds of themes on my Pinterest boards. Feel free to check them out here (scroll down to the section that starts with "school themes") 

7. Begin Planning Each Week Out in Planner (Semi-Annually or Monthly)

• Note what the theme is
• Write out each subject
• List assignments/books under subjects

Once you have your resources all lined up, you can start plugging things into your planner! Yay! When I started out with homeschooling, I was planning my whole school year at once; and while that was handy to just have everything done, it ended up not working so well because I had to switch things up later in the year to accommodate some life changes and learning styles. I think a better plan might be to do anywhere from one to three months at a time so that you can get a feel for what is working and what isn't and can adjust accordingly as the year goes on.  

8. Collect Needed Resources (Semi-Annually, Ongoing throughout Year)

• Download printables and save to folders on computer
• Put library books on hold
• Purchase toys and games and/or ask for as gifts for birthdays and holidays

This is the last step in the actual planning stage! For me, it's a lot easier if I just have all of my resources ready to go. I like to make sure I download any games or worksheets I want to use and have them ready to go in a file on my computer (I have a folder for each theme I want to use for the year). I also try to put books on hold at the library at least a week in advance, and buy any toys or games that match my theme (or add them to my kiddos' wishlists for birthdays and Christmas. It's always super fun to get a gift that can also double as learning time!)

9. Set Up Lessons (Weekly/Bi-Weekly)

• Print out needed papers/books
• Pick up books from library
• Shop for any additional supplies (printer ink, paper, sensory materials)

With everything planned and ready to go, all that's left to do is to set up your lessons for the week (or day or month, whatever works better for you). I have one day a week that I do "computer work", so that is the day that I print out anything I need for school the next week, make sure my books are ready at the library, and make a shopping list for ongoing school needs (like printer ink or sensory materials). When I run my errands, I make a habit of stopping at the library for my books, and picking up whatever is on my school list while I do my regular shopping. 

10. Teach! (Every School Day)

• Remember your main goals/purpose statement to stay on-track
• Use your plan, but don't be a slave to it
• Have fun!

Now all that's left is to put all of your plans into action! When teaching, especially the littlest years, remember to have heaps and heaps of grace on yourself and your little students. Your kids are going to learn what they need to eventually! You have a good, long while to impart what you want to share, so having a bad day here or there is not going to ruin anything. Real life happens--sickness, grumpy attitudes, emergency shopping trips, surprise visitors... The beauty of homeschool is that you don't have to be tied down to a set schedule; you can mix it up as needed. Stay flexible, roll with the punches, and enjoy this time! Homeschooling is supposed to be fun; not constant fun, and maybe not even every day, but if you aren't enjoying it the majority of the time than there's something "off". Hold your plans loosely and remember the main purpose here: to raise up little people who love God, enjoy their family, and have at least the basic skills needed to be successful adults. 

That's about it! I know there's a lot to this; it takes time, effort, and creativity to plan school this way. It isn't for everyone! But for those of you who think it might be a fun way to start school with your little ones, I hope this is a helpful breakdown. Please feel free to ask me any questions! I am always happy to help however I can. Homeschoolers are all one big tribe, and we have to stick together!

Happy "Back To School" Season!

Five Lessons I Learned from "The Greatest Showman

Have you ever found a movie that you just "connect" with somehow? Something about it resonates with you and you simply fall in love with it. Well, that happened to me this last spring, the first time I got to see The Greatest Showman.

 I know a lot of people who enjoyed the movie and even call it their favorite; for me, though, it goes beyond being something I just really enjoyed. It truly impacted me, and it's one I can watch over and over without getting tired of it (and still experiencing the same emotional response to it as the first time I watched!) Beyond enjoying the awesome music, the amazing choreography, and the sweet story, the movie has a lot of messages that deeply resonate with me. Here are some of the things I took away from it:

1. "A Million Dreams for the World We're Gonna Make." From the beginning of this movie, I was very drawn to and inspired by the song "A Million Dreams" because I could so relate to the lyrics it held. I've always been a dreamer, envisioning the way the world could be and how maybe I could play a part in changing it for the good. Hearing young Barnum share his heart and vision stirs something in my own heart and gives me the desire to do my part in impacting the world (even if it's just a small piece of the world that I get to influence.) I think that God gives each of us dreams and desires for a purpose, and He wants to use us to shape the world! 

It's easy to just "let life happen" and to be so discouraged by the overwhelming needs around us that we don't even try. I think, though, that we need to have the perspective that even if we only help one other person--encouraging them, blessing them, investing in them-- it could start a chain reaction that we may never see the full impact of this side of Heaven. You never know; what you do for even just one other person might be the start of a major change in the world. 

2.) "You Don't Need Everyone to Love You; Just a Few Good People." One of my favorite lines from the movie also comes from my favorite character, P.T. Barnum's wife Charity. In the movie, Barnum is able to share his dreams and vision with the world and is at the height of his success, and yet he is still determined to earn more praise, recognition...love. Growing up as a poor tailor's son left invisible scars on his heart, so he finds himself (like many of us) striving to earn the respect, love, and admiration of as many people as possible. Charity reminds him (and us), though, that we don't need everyone to love us. Instead, we need to look around and realize how many good people already do love us, and what a blessing and gift that is. I know for me, I am often just blown away when I really stop and realize how many wonderful people God has placed into my life that truly love me. I don't want to miss out on these precious people because I am seeking still others to show me love and appreciation.

3. "No One Ever Made a Difference by Being Like Everyone Else." The Barnum family are not exactly the "status quo" of their time in this movie. They face ridicule, ostracism, and some pretty severe challenges and set-backs as they work to bring their visions and dreams to others. However, the quote above pretty much captures the truth of the matter: to make a difference in the world, we have to BE different. I'm sure Barnum didn't intend a purely spiritual truth when he said this, but it really matches up with what God calls us as Christians to do. "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2, NIV) We were made by God to be set apart from this world, to be a light to those lost in darkness. It is only by being different that we can truly make a difference.

4. "However Big, However Small, Let Me Be Part of It All." I absolutely adore Charity Barnum in this movie. Her loyalty to her husband and intense support of his dreams is such a good reminder for me as a wife, but I also just love her sweet contentment with life; she doesn't desire the best things, and isn't constantly seeking "more". Instead, she is genuinely happy with even the poorest lifestyle, and can find beauty and blessing in it with ease. What a good example for us; can we find the same contentment, no matter what our circumstances? Can we experience joy and true gratitude no matter how much or how little we have? With Christ's empowering Spirit, yes we can: "...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." (Phillipians 4:11b-13 NIV) Living without contentment robs us of enjoying so many sweet blessings (to read more about how this can happen, check out the guest post I wrote on Raising Rice's website here) but contentment opens our eyes to how wonderful our lives truly are.

5. "It's Everything You Ever Want; It's Everything You Ever Need; It's Here Right in Front of You. This is Where You Wanna Be...THIS is the Greatest Show." 

The biggest lesson that P.T. Barnum learns by the end of The Greatest Showman is that in all of his seeking and hoping for the best in life, he almost misses the simple and beautiful truth that the "greatest show" is there right in front of him, in the wonderful wife and precious daughters he has been given. I think sometimes we can get so caught up in seeking "the next big thing" that we miss what is here in front of us, right now, TODAY.
This is it. This moment, now, is something we only dreamt of before: marriage, children, the job we went to school for, the precious friends we never thought we'd actually have, LIFE. Our lives are filled with amazing blessings and gifts, and if we aren't careful we will miss them in the seeking of "more". I can't get through this last truth, portrayed so sweetly at the end of the movie, without crying. I really want to "get" this, guys, and I hope you do too. I don't want to get to the end of my life and realize I missed "The Greatest Show". Let's keep our eyes open and our hearts thankful for the fantastic, amazing, once-in-a-lifetime show God is playing out in our lives right now. 

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12 ESV)

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity..." (Ephesians 5:15-16a)