Antidote for Weariness--inspiration...

I found this article about John Wesley inspiring...I pray at the end of my life I will have done all I could possibly do for the Kingdom!

Are you a Mighty Musk Ox Princess?

Will you join the ranks of women, raised in Christian homes all over the world, who are rising up in this critical hour of church history? Will you be one who stands in faith for the generations to come?

Donna Partow is one of my favorite authors...and Christian ministers! She teaches a concept called "Mighty Musk Ox Princesses" which I think has great application for us as homeschoolers. Here's an excerpt from her article...but I encourage you to read the whole article

"I remember one day, when I was weary from the fight, I sat down at my kitchen table and just started weeping. My children came over, put their arms around me, and prayed for God to “help Mommy.” Mommy clearly needed all the help she could get. When they had finished praying, Leah, then just ten years old, looked at me and said: “Mommy, I think I know why all this is happening to you.” “Really, Leah," I replied. "Tell me about it.” And she said, “Mom, I think it’s because you are a First Generation Christian.”

Ruth Graham Bell's Most Influential Book

Words from a sister in Christ who has gone on to heaven...yet, still we can glean from her life and experiences.

"The Confessions of St. Augustine are currently stirring me at a very deep level. Some years ago I read a copy of Louis Bertrand's biography of Augustine. Perhaps it is good to read that biography before reading the Confessions. Against the background of Augustine's life, the pouring out of his heart to God takes on additional meaning."

(This article originally appeared in the September 2, 1983 issue of Christianity Today. Read more

Children's Answers about Angels

I only know the names of two angels. Hark and Harold. Gregory, 5

I hear angels all the time in my dreams. And I'm sticking with that no matter how many people tell me I'm crazy. Molly, 8

Everybody's got it all wrong. Angels don't wear halos anymore. I forget why,but scientists are working on it. Olive, 9

It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to heaven, then there's still the flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes. Matthew, 9

Angels work for God and watch over kids when God has to go do something else. Mitchell, 7

My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's not much good for
science. Henry, 8

Angels don't eat but they drink milk from holy cows. Jack, 6

Angels talk all the way while they're flying you up to heaven. The
basic message is where you went wrong before you got dead. Daniel, 9

When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten. And when he lets out his breath, somewhere there's a tornado. Regan, 10

Angels have a lot to do and they keep very busy. If you lose a tooth, an angel comes in through your window and leaves money under your pillow. Then when it gets cold, angels go north for the winter. Sara, 6

Angels live in cloud houses made by God and his son, who's a very good carpenter. Jared, 8

All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn't go for it. Antonia, 9

My angel is my grandma who died last year. She got a big head start on helping me while she was still down here on earth. Katelyn, 9

Some of the angels are in charge of helping heal sick animals and
pets. And if they don't make the animals get better, they help the
kid get over it. Vicki, 8

What I don't get about angels is why, when someone is in love, they shoot arrows at them. Sarah, 7

19 Ways to Motivate children

1. Let them set their own goals
2. Help them visualize both positive and negative results of achieving or not achieving their goals
3. remember the power of praise
4. Expose them to various activities
5. Expect them to do right
6. believe they can do great things
7. Help them develop a positive self-image
8. Reward them
9. Expose them to people you admire
10. Use the "I Can Do It" Principle
11. Be persistent (not just consistent)
12. Be Enthusiastic
13. Develop strong inner conviction
14. Wait for children to act on their own
15. encouragement and admiration from peers
16. create successful experiences
17. Accountability and Support
18. Use contracts
19. Tender touching and listening

(*Taken from Keys to a Child's Heart, Gary Smalley)

Perfection or Passion?

"Quite often the absence of immediate success is the mark of a genuine call"
(Bruce Larson, from My Creator, My Friend)

This quote drew me into Zig's chapter on Failure. As I'm watching my sons find their place in the world and in God's Kingdom, it's tough at times to see them struggle. I feel so deeply and take so personally each misstep and immature moment. Yet, this chapter reminded me once again that life is the best teacher for our kids (with the leading of the Holy Spirit of course!). And as much as I would like to shelter them from these lessons and disappointments, I have to remind myself that they will survive...and learn...and grow...and eventually thrive...as they allow God to mold and shape them through the vehicle of failure.

From Zig's book:
Often people with great passion for their calling will fail miserably at it before they achieve peak performance. Why? Because they often start too strong and too fast. More and more through the years I have learned to watch for those people in whom I see potential by who don't seem to be performing up to speed or are even failing. I especially watch for those whose passion leads to massive failure. It's far easier to add experience to a person that passion. People who fail big are likely to suceed big, given time and opportunity. (Parents, take note!)

I agree Zig! I would rather my kids be passionate than perfect...and I'd rather see them take risks than to settle for a life less than what God intended.

Failure can be our friend...

In his great book, Better Than Good, Zig Ziglar has written an encouraging and inspiring chapter called Failure: Life's Refining Process. His insights on the role of failure has really encouraged me—especially this list of the lessons we can learn from our mistakes...

Failure teaches us:

• to depend on God
• humility
• that we can't always get what we want
• to make a correction in our course of action
• character
• perseverance
• that we can survive!

"Failure is a willing teacher, a master tutor. Anyone willing to sit at the feet of failure and soak up everything there is to learn will graduate quickly to the school of peak performance."

This is good to know, not only for ourselves, but also for our children. Messing up and learning from our mistakes is one of the most human experiences we face—and one we can all relate to! So, give yourself a break today...give someone else a break today...and remember "Failure isn't final."