Winter Will Soon Be Upon Us

Most of you probably know how much I despise cold weather. I'm cold even when it's 90 degrees. But when I walk in a room and see my boys cuddled up, cold and reading to each other, I can't help but think about last year. Our winter days consisted of making a fire in the fire place, snuggling up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate in hand, and lots and lots of reading! Yeah, I'm ready for that again!

I love that we get to stay home and learn new things together!

No Regrets

Too often we take our loved ones for granted. It's those we love that we tend to hurt the most. You never know when the last time you will see them will be. None of us are guaranteed a tomorrow.

Imagine coming home and finding your loved one has been called to their eternal home.

Have no regrets! Love them fiercely while you can. Hug and kiss them, hold them tight, tell them you love them, day and night. Don't hurt them with you words and mean eyes! Whether it's a spouse, a child, a parent, a grandparent, and aunt or uncle. Love like there's no tomorrow!

I love that Jesus tells us not to be troubled. He knows our hearts and the grief we hold on to. He also tells us that he has gone before us and has prepared a place for us. Find comfort in Jesus, my sweet family.

No regrets!!

BINGO

I've heard so many I love yous, thank yous, I had a good time with you today. I even got a "You're the best mom a boy could have." The hugs and kisses have been endless!!

This sweet boy and I went on a date this afternoon. He has worked really hard on his reading and got a bingo.

We have these bingo card and each square tells them when or where to read. Such as under a tree, on a beach towel, in the bathtub, before breakfast, on a Thursday, and so on. When they bingo they have coupons. So far they've gotten to do things like go to Sonic with Mama Jean, night fishing with Papa, ice cream with Grammer, and today Justin got a date with mom. (By the way Ma, Johnny got a bingo while you were in California and drew Day With Nana.)

We started off with a drink at McDonald's. On the way he didn't really talk much, and played with the toys he brought. That isn't too abnormal for Justin Robert, though. Once we got there I asked him to leave the toys behind in hopes that he would talk. That did it....his motor mouth started! We drank up and headed to Walmart. I had to get a few groceries and he wanted to look at toys. He has a birthday coming up and wanted to show me [again] what cool toys he wanted. :) Man I love this kid! He goes from isle to isle grabbing everything that caught his little eye. The mask you see me wearing below he wanted me to have. I don't know if you can tell, but I was not too fond of the idea of putting it on. Justin insisted and asked to take a picture. I'm glad I did because the smile on that cute face of his was priceless! After looking at EVERY toy Walmart had we got our groceries and headed for the car. Not once did he ask for a toy! He did, however, ask to get his brothers something. What a cool kid,  huh? Ok, so out the door we go... He helped load everything into the truck of the car, ran the basket and put it away, and ran back to the car to open my door. :)  Again, what a cool kid! Before starting home, we stopped to gas daddy's car up so he'd be ready for the week with a full tank. I asked Justin if he wanted to help; he hopped out and was eager to learn! I'm usually in a hurry and with all three boys. Whom of which would also want to get out, so it's never allowed. The smile on his face, again, was priceless!

All it takes is a little undivided attention! They are putty in your hands. No wonder they forget to listen to us. How often do we stop and listen to them?

One year down

I'll never forget our first year of homeschooling. I was overwhelmed with all the different curriculums and teaching styles. Oh my, what am I going to do to my kids? Am I crazy? Worry and panic started to flood my every thought. How was I going to get laundry done, cook dinner,  iron Kyle's shirts, AND teach math, reading, science, history, and spelling. Then, one night, God softly spoke to me as I was laying in bed praying my heart out. I knew He was with me; God has a way of working all things together for good as we trust him.

I went to a meeting to see what this whole "homeschool group" thing was about.  I just knew there I would get answers.  I did, but not the one's I was looking for. I had Katie, the leader of this homeschool group come over so I could pick her brain. Again, I just knew she would give me answers. She gave me peace...A LOT, but still not (what I thought) the answers I was desperately needing.  She told me to take the next week (as my family and I were traveling to Galveston) to pray for those answers.  I knew she was right, but still I just wanted someone to tell me, "This curriculum, use this!" That week in Galveston, with a different prayer on my lips, I began seeking answers.  

By the time I got home I had peace in my heart. But not because I had 'answeres' on which curriculum to use. It was again, I knew he was with me working out all the details.  So, a week later we began.  The first week was a breeze. They sat at the table and did what was asked of them.  I couldn't believe how easy this was! I wish I could stop there, but I'm not gonna lie.... that didn't last. I had to be a mother with purpose and a plan. I had no idea what that was, but I trusted in God to help us thrive! As the months went on some days were better than others. I noticed every day, though, that the boys may not remember what they learned but how they learned it. 

It wasn't until the end of our year that I realized the relationships I foster with my children were more important than the books we read.  I wished I could have a do over! 

OH, but I do. There is this year! With every year you get to reset. This year will be different!! This year our school will be more of a discipleship!! More to come on this later. For now I have to go feed all the animals...including the kids and husband! ;)

Until then....

Oh, and by the way, Kyle's shirts aren't getting ironed and we don't do near as much science as the boys would like, but it's working! 

Be Intentional

After taking a few months off from my blog, I find it hard to come back and write.  With facebook, instagram, twitter, and all these other popular media sights, blogging seems like a dying form.  But if for no other reason, I want my boys to one day after I'm no longer in this world to be able to read my words and know my heart!  To know how much I love my creator, their daddy, and them!!

Since summer hit, we haven't done much school.  Reading now and then, but nothing like I had planned.  Johnny and I just got back from church camp; I was feeling refreshed and ready to hit it again.  Well...I've been sick and stuck in bed (for the most part) since Saturday afternoon.  I didn't do much of anything except watch movies, sleep, watch more movies, sleep and so on...

Tonight after reading in Deuteronomy 6, I had better get a little more intentional: if I'm not diligent in teaching them God's word, Hollywood, media and culture will.  Time to turn off the T.V. and video games, and all the things the world values and invest time in them.  If I want them to be disciples like Jesus had, I have to invest time in them like Jesus did!

So where do I fail?

*I teach and succeed in training them to believe the right doctrine, but fail in teaching them to pray everyday.
*I teach them to be faithful in going to church, but fail in teaching them to be soul winners.

So what much I teach them?

*To not only be saved, but also to be spiritual. They must know the bible, pray, and know that God will answer.
*Teach them to live holy lives or Hollywood will train them to be unholy.

Boy do I have my work cut out for me!! Haha.

A New Morning

How great is our God? His Mercies are new every morning!!

As I sat at the table tying to do my bible study this morning my mind kept drifting and my eyes wondered to the sky. As the sun started to rise and paint it red, I was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.

Instead of bible study I felt the Lord calling me. So I opened my bible and asked the Lord to show me what he had for me today.  I have "go to" books I like to read, rarely is it in the old testament, but this morning I just opened and let it be. I hope to encourage you in what he shared with me this morning!

Lamentations 3:v22-23 "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  I love how our creator loves us, and yesterday doesn't matter! He is faithful and forgave me of my sins.  He gave us this new morning!

v.24 "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."  Do you wait for Him?  I know we are a people of "I want it right now."  We want our food to be quick. We drive fast, are rude and cut each other off. I know I want my desk to be done, like yesterday!! We are just not patient people. We pray and want it answered. Do you have something you've been asking God for and are still waiting on? Are you waiting on a child to find Jesus, or come back? We probably all have a loved ones who don't know and we are praying for. The thing I've learned is he did answer; sometimes it's a, "not right now." If the Lord is my portion, I will wait on him. I don't see the whole picture, I don't know what he is doing in the hearts of those around me. I put my hope and trust in him, because in vs.25-26 it says, "The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." 

Salvation is His. It's about Him. If we consistently focus on the Lord and what we have been saved from, it's there you find your joy. We get so caught up in ourselves; what going on in our life, in today, what's on the calendar. Do you stop at some point in the day? go into a closet? wait for the Lord to speak to you? v.28 "Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord had laid it on him." Turn off your radio while driving when you're alone, look at the clouds, the bird in the sky. There's beauty in the handiwork of God all around you. Especially as spring is in the air, green grass starts to spread through the fields and flowers start to pop up. It's there He will talk to your heart.

Be still, listen and be patient!!

Life as a kindergartner

I love teaching these here Griffin boys and watching them light up when they finally get it!

I wish I could say that were the case for the big smile on Joel's face, but...  Here's the real story. All of Joel's fives looks like S's. So today I showed him- draw a short straight line down, half circle, then give it a hat. He was stuck on the hat! He would do the line, then jump up to the top to give it a hat. About the third time of "try it again" he was still jumping to the hat without a the half circle. So I said, "Joel, you forgot its butt!" He laughed so hard!! But he now knows how to write his 5's! Yay for my big kindergartner!