Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,

 clothe yourselves 

with 

compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 

Bear with each other 

and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. 

Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Colossians 3:12-14

  

School in Session

 We are into our third week of school. I have loved getting back into the routine! In our first week I told Chad at least twice a day how much I love homeschooling. I just felt so satisfied. That may seem like an odd word to describe it, but I think it really describes my heart. Just so sure this is how I want to be spending my time.


 Of course, it isn't without moments of complete chaos. Several reading times with Laia and Justin yelling in the background or madly hurdling themselves at us as they try to escape each other in a game of tag.  This generally results in loud wails of protests from the big kids as mommy waves the book around trying to prevent it from taking out an eye. Nothing better than  little ones running around to keep the big ones from getting glassy eyed with boredom.


 I read The Way They Learn by Cynthia Tobias before the start of this year's school and loved it. My intention was to discern the learning needs of each child but I was surprised at how much I discovered about myself and even my husband. Definitely a worthwhile read!


 We started our year with Sonlight's PK 4/5 and are completely loving it! Even the older children are really into it. It has allowed us to gently ease into the routine of school and get well established in our workbooks. We will be ready to start core K September 27 and then Core 4 on November 29. I just felt completely overwhelmed thinking about doing more than one core at a time and knew they would all want to be a part of the reading times anyway. So far this plan is working great for us.


 Teaching Textbooks and All about Spelling have exceeded my expectations! Two subjects my children were never overly eager for, they now really enjoy! I hesitated to buy them because of the price but I am very glad I went ahead. I am also delighted with Writer's Jungle. I still have quite a bit to read in that one though. 

 We had our first field trip yesterday, spending our morning at the zoo observing animals and plants and sketching whatever was of interest to us. The children loved it and are already talking about our next trip there. 

 I feel so awed and thankful about the privilege of teaching my children. I love watching as they grasp new concepts and grow in their thirst of knowledge. On the other hand, there are definitely times of feeling overwhelmed by the huge responsibility. Times when we are all tired and grumpy and discouraged and not at all sure why we are doing this. But those are the moments that strengthen my resolve, because more than anything I want to train their hearts. And it is in those moments of real life that we learn of real relationships and the meaning of true love. 

Fullfillment

 "When once God's mighty grace gets my heart wholly absorbed in Him,  every other love of my life is safe; but if my love to God is not dominant, my love may prove to be lust. Nearly all the cruelty in the world springs from misunderstanding this. Lust simply means I seek for a creature to give me what God alone can give, and I become cruel and vindictive and jealous and spiteful to the one from whom I demand what God alone can give.

 Unless our human relationships are based in God they will end in frantic disillusionment. When we are rightly related to Jesus Christ, human love is transformed because the last aching abyss of the heart is satisfied; but if the relationship with God is cut out our relationship to others is embittered. When once the relationship with God is right the satisfaction of human love is marvelous." 

- Oswald Chambers

 http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sites/sermons2.redeemer.com/files/sermons/RPC-The_Struggle_for_Love.mp3

Love this sermon!

Loving Each Other

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

John 16:12

 I use to pray for more love for people. For an end to my impatience with people and their faults. For strength to turn the other cheek and forgive when someone wounded me. What I missed is the wondrous simplicity of what Christ is saying in this verse. My love for others flows out of my understanding of God's love for me. When I take my eyes off of myself and cease my striving to be what I think I should be, when I accept the reality of who I am, a very flawed person, very much in need of the God of the universe dying for me, I begin to understand the love of my Saviour. 

 And then, as I learn the truth and the magnitude of His love for me, I am set free to love others. To know that this same God gave His life for them. That He held nothing back in giving Himself  and that I in turn cannot hold anything back in loving others.

 It becomes about Him. And not at all about me.

"You are more flawed and sinful than you ever dared to believe 

and yet more loved 

and accepted

than you ever hoped to imagine."

-Tim Keller