October 6 - Day 1

Today was our first day of school! I have been nervously awaiting this day. I had no idea what to expect but I made a loose schedule that I know we'll need to tweak over time. We followed our outline that looks something like this:

8:00 - Out of bed. The kids do their "check lists" which I'll address further down.
8:30 - Downstairs for breakfast
9:00 - Prayer and family meeting. We discuss the plan for the day and week.
9:00-10:00 - Talk about our "theme of the week" and start school work.
10:00-10:30 - Get laundry started then go out for recess
10:30-12:00 - School work
12:00-1:00 - Prep and eat lunch
1:00-2:00 - Craft or art project to do with the theme of the week
2:00 and on - Outdoor time or baking then prep for dinner

This is what we're working with so far. I found out today that the morning goes much more smoothly than the afternoon. We went for a walk right after lunch and then came back and did art so I think we'll switch that around and see how it goes. It is definitely nice to get outside though with all the kids!

For those who are curious about my kids' checklists, here is a picture of what I made. I put them in a plastic cover sheet and they use a dry erase marker to check things off as the go along. 

It is so much easier to tell my kids to "Do your check lists" instead of "Get your pyjamas on... Now brush your teeth... Now close your blinds...". You know? There's only so many nights a mother can say these things before she goes completely nuts. Plus, they are seven and nine now and need to be responsible for their own time and duties.

The "Theme of the Week" is something that God put on my heart over the weekend. This week He led me to teach about compassion and thanksgiving. Seeing as it is Thanksgiving for us up here in Canada this weekend, I was very excited to tie these two ideas together. This morning we looked up compassion in the dictionary and also found some verses in the Bible to read together. We came up with a list of ways to be compassionate. Tomorrow we will think of ways to be compassionate out of the blessings we are thankful for. We will continue this subject for the week.

What I've learned today is that I need to keep looking into curriculums. I am really interested in the Alpha Omega LifePacs and will be trying them for at least Science and Bible. Please let me know your opinion of LifePacs if you have used them! Also any general home schooling advice you would care to offer is most appreciated.

Blessings, friends. Have a great day!

4 days after the call - I am still obeying!

It has been 4 days since God has shared with me that He would like me to home school my children. I have pressed into God's strength and wisdom many times over the last few days as I let His request sink in. 

There was an emotional cycle in my mind over the weekend that went something like this:

Peaceful-Anxious-Frantic-Fevrent Prayer-Peaceful-Anxious... And so on. 

I repeated that cycle for three days and now I feel like I am in a place where I can just trust God completely. I have set up a few meetings with people to buy some used home school curriculum but you know what? I'm not too worried about setting everything up perfect. This is God's idea and He has a plan for how this is all going to pan out. His job is to move. My job is to obey. 

I am actually enjoying this place I'm at right now. I feel like I'm floating. I know what God wants me to do, but I have no idea how He wants me to do it. But knowing my God, He has amazing things planned for me and my sweet kids. And everything will work out for our good!

September 25, 2014 - The Call

What a day! Earlier this week, God lit a fire in my heart by promising that this would be a very exciting week. Every day I have been anticipating what He could possibly have in store for me. Was I going to share the gospel and win a soul for Him? Was He going to answer my prayer for increased finances or a solution to my debt? I could hardly wait. Today is Thursday and I believe today is the day I received my exciting call from God.

"I want you to pull your kids out of private school and home school them".

Umm, what?! If you knew me, you would know how much of a shock this was. I am not teacherly in any way, shape, or form. I pray daily for patience and grace so that I can be the mother I should be. And that is while having them away from me for 7 hours a day! How am I going to now have the patience to TEACH them as well as parent them? Oh my, Lord, you must really have something up Your sleeve. 

I received this command while I was volunteering for my son's 4th grade class. I was in the hallway cutting out some laminates when God impressed on my heart this news. Over the next two hours, I listened intently as He shared wisdom and encouragement with me. With each word, the fire grew hotter and brighter in my spirit. I wrote down what I heard:

Don't think about how you are going to do this. You will do this through My strength, not yours. Profound. This has been a principal that God has been working with my type-A personality on for a long time. If nothing else forces me to lean on Him, schooling my children ought to do it!

Do it NOW. I'm studying Gideon right now in my women's group and wouldn't you know it, the whole focus is on half-done obedience. How easy would it be for me to say "Okay, God. I will do this. But let them finish up one more month at school while I get organized". No, He wants me to do this now.

Do not look up how to home school right now. It will put doubt in your heart. Oh, what a sweet God we serve. Everything He does is for our good. He knows that I will Google every single website and scour the internet for conformation that this is the right thing to do. But He says for your own protection, don't do that. His way is best.

This is going to bless your whole family if you obey me. Thank you, God!

Don't think about how. Think about who. I AM.  The great I AM is telling me what to do. I should not be worried about how I'm going to pull this off. He already knows and He is in charge!

You will receive little resistance from others. Oh, how I love a little prophesy to keep me on track! You know I'll be looking for that promise every time I tell someone of this plan in the coming days.

Trust me, Sarah. I will guide your path. Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6. I will trust You, Lord.

Blog about it! So here I am... I don't have any blogging experience but there is no shortage of what The Lord can do!

Sarah. You can do this. I am with you. When God says He's with you, He tells the truth. How many times have I heard Him say this to me and He has never left me nor forsaken me. He shows up every single time.

Those are all the sweet groanings I received from God today. I have made the decision to trust God and follow Him in this. It is irrational and terrifying, but I trust my God and He knows what is best for me and my children. Tomorrow I will call the Manitoba Association of Christian Home Schools and ask them what on earth I do first. And then I suppose the next step is to call the school that my children go to now and tell them the crazy plan God has for us! I have already talked to Ron and he told me to get him the facts. He says he is not on board or off board, but he's willing to hear about it. That pretty much means yes. Oh let me look back to that promise God gave me! I will receive little resistance. God is so cool like that. I can't wait to see what He has in store for us tomorrow.