The day can be planned to perfection but the details of life can so easily impinge upon what we thought we would be accomplishing.
On Monday night I drove my husband to his water polo game and on the way there I mentioned to him that I thought I had a bladder infection. After dropping him off at his game, I took the three girls with me to the grocery store. While there, I began to feel worse and worse, wondering how I'd make it back to pick up my husband.
By the time I got there, I could hardly stand up. This was like labor! My good and wise husband took me to the ER and I was diagnosed with a kidney stone.
I have birthed eight children; four of them without pain meds, two at home without any hope of pain meds. This whole kidney stone fiasco is WORSE. I've spent all of Tuesday in bed, feeling absolutely crummy.
I had big plans for the week! Still do, but I have to wait and see what will transpire.
I am thankful for the God of the universe who plans my life and has a greater purpose for my moments, both mundane and exciting, than I will usually ever know. People who do not trust in His sovereign care spend a lifetime questioning the meaning of it all.
I've been thinking a lot about you all. I have help provided by my husband- a housekeeper once a week and a friend who gives me a day each week to grocery shop, bake, do laundry, and whatever else needs doing. We believe whole-heartedly in getting help if possible. I know many of you do not have that option.
In the spirit of giving you some practical help, I'll be spending the rest of the week writing up posts that will hopefully give you a lifeline, particularly if you feel as if you're drowning in housework, paperwork, and homeschooling.
If there is anything you'd like me to address specifically, please leave me a comment.
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Kendra-
I have a question for you: Do you have any specific resources (books, plans, outlines, suggestions) for Family Worship? I know this is generally a "husband" area of expertise, but my dear (and very busy!) hubby is really wanting to lead family worship on a more regular basis (we do this on a fairly regular basis and have used the following books as guides: Jim Comarty's A Book for Family Worship, Our 24 Family Ways by Sally and Clay Clarkson, and The Family Worship Book + a few others) and has asked for my input. Where was the first place I thought to go (after the Lord, of course!)-YOU!
Though books are a GREAT tool and suggestion, the Word is Supreme! So, if there are any tips on format, structure, content/how to choose Scriptures to focus on, and of course, other books/guidelines, etc. (I'm just throwing spaghetti at the wall here to see if anything sticks!!LOL), I would be so grateful! I saw something recently in a Lifeway magazine that talked about Scripture Memory for the family and thought this could tie-in nicely too...
If others have already asked about this and I missed an archive blog somewhere on this subject-I'm sorry! Just point the way for me if you've already covered this?
Thanks again, and much love to you!
Happy Day~
Blessings,
Shannon
Hey Shannon-
Great question! There are so many options, I'll just throw out what has worked for us in the past and see if anything is a fit for your family.
If you want to stay mainly in Scripture, how about choosing one book to go through a chapter per night? We studied Acts this way last year and everyone from the teenagers down to the preschooler really enjoyed it. Scripture memory could tie in nicely, too.
Each person illustrated the chapter. The older ones wrote descriptions of their pictures, and then we all shared what we had gleaned from the chapter. At the end of the study, we watched a fantastic film version of Acts that is purely Scripture and stars Dean Jones. It was a hit here.
Easy planning done for you would be to use a Bible reading plan like those recommended by Desiring God. Just open your Bibles to the day's reading and there you go. Everyone can have a chance to read aloud if you divvy up the chapters, too.
My husband will typically camp on a topic we feel we're all in need of studying together. We've gone through books on loving one another, on leadership qualities, and biographies. But he's not really into devotional books, so I use them in our Circle Time instead.
We want our kids to love the Word. I think if we make our family worship relaxed and enjoyable, they will look forward to the time together rather than dreading it. Opening your Bible, reading it together and then casually talking about what stands out to each person can be a great way to enjoy the Word as a family. Dad's and Mom's insight and wisdom can carry the conversation far, and pulling out reference books as needed is one of the ways our kids can learn to delve into Scripture themselves.
We're studying Job right now and my husband asks questions of the kids on their level: "Sounds like Job is scared here. Can you remember ever being scared?"
My husband says, "Keep it simple, and don't compare yourself to other families. If the Joneses are singing hymns in four-part harmony, by all means let them. But don't think that has to be the standard for your family". Phew. Good thing. That would stress me out!
Hope that helps-
Kendra
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So.
I am the Preschoolers and Peace gal who loves routine. Schedules. Plans! But...
My wise friend Cheryl has often said to me, "Hold your plans loosely", and I am getting lots of practice doing just that these days.
For those of you who might think I've got the corner on organization, I give you
Tuesday, January 20th
8:00 5-year-old crawls into my bed to rub my back. The day has begun well!
8:10 Mother-in-Law calls from next door to tell us that the inauguration is coming on and do we want to come over and watch it? I *thought* it was going to be on at 11:30, but apparently that's real time, not California time.
8:30 Put strata (made yesterday by my friend who helps us on Mondays) into the oven.
8:35 9-year-old, 7-year-old, 5-year-old, 22-month-old, and I go next door to watch the inauguration. No sign of the teenagers- they prefer their warm beds in the morning.
9:30 Come back home to feed baby.
10:00 Eat breakfast, read devotional, send everyone on a hunt for my small Bible, clean kitchen, fold a load of laundry, listen to phone message from food co-op coordinator.
11:00 Put 22-month-old in the playpen in the family room with the intent of starting our history study in the schoolroom. 13-year-old reminds me that his guitar lesson will be in that room in 15 minutes. Move playpen upstairs to my room. Forgot Beatrix Potter DVD downstairs. Who needs a gym?
11:15 Start history. Can I tell you how thankful I am that Linda Hobar has recorded The Mystery of History??? I push "play" and sit down to check email. Diaper desperately in need of changing.
11:19 Crack open a can of Diet Coke. I'm off the wagon, but as my best friend says, "Its not Vodka".
11:30 Search Google for photos of Chinese foot binding.
11:35 Search Google for photos of acupuncture.
11:50 Discuss St. Simon and the Coptic Church. Discuss Eric the Red (we're going chronologically).
12:00 Clean up schoolroom. This after my little friendly but loud lecture about actually doing your job rather than claiming to have done your job.
12:03 Discuss inauguration on the phone with my husband. Put away Christmas books while talking. Conversation ends when he arrives at the pool for a noontime swim.
12:08 Continue to encourage the cleaning of the schoolroom. Collect library books for return.
12:20 Send children to do their morning chores. It's not morning. We're pretty darn majorly behind, and by the way- our two hour Circle Time has been reduced to 45 minutes, and we only studied history. "Hold your plans loosely"... Grab 22-month-old and 8-month-old to go put the littlest guy down for his nap.
12:25 Carry 5-year-old downstairs. She still can't walk until we see the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow.
12:26 Read aloud in the living room. Tell 5-year-old to sit still and stop fussing because she didn't get as many pretzels as she wanted. Correct 22-month-old 11 times while he sits in his little booster seat and eats pretzels. Knit seven rows on a baby bootie.
12:45 Ask 13-year-old to start celery with peanut butter for lunch. He's the Tuesday breakfast guy but he was nowhere to be found when breakfast needed to be started.
1:00 Discuss the fact that it takes more calories to eat celery than is to be gained by it. Listen to the 15-year-old tell me about a movie he, his brothers, and cousin plan to make about facial exercise. Practice facial exercises. Crack ourselves up.
1:15 Talk to best friend on the phone. We will miss seeing each other as she passes through our town today :(
1:20 Hear 11-year-old frantically practicing the piano because his lesson is at 2:00. Watch the celery and peanut butter disappear. Watch the crackers and apples disappear. Watch the oatmeal cookies disappear.
1:35 Sneak upstairs to write this.
1:40 Tell piano players to get into the van. "Take your math!". Give 13-year-old instructions for feeding and playing with the baby. Try to find lip gloss. Make-up is a priority.
2:00 Drop two pianists off at piano. Drive to chiropractor with 15-year-old for adjustments.
2:30 Back at piano teacher/dear friend's house. Paint the remainder of her kitchen cabinets that I couldn't finish the night before.
4:00 Home. Have long conversation with best friend on the way, finishing as a load of laundry goes from washer to dryer. Approve two snack requests. Tell everyone downstairs to come upstairs for school help.
4:20 Spelling with 9-year-old. I spell "raving" wrong just to get a laugh out of her.
4:40 Realize I didn't pick up my food co-op order. Really, really, bummed at myself.
4:52 Check Facebook. Why? I don't know. Feel guilty that I'm not downstairs checking on the other schoolwork being done at the kitchen table. Getting up now...
I'll stop there, partly because I'm thinking you're bored about now and partly because I can't remember. Are you all feeling better about your days now?
Enjoy today, and hold your plans loosely!
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And little brothers can keep you company while you study...
A sweet four-year-old singing:
"Glo-o-o-o-o-ria, i-i-i-i-n pistachio!"
