Taste

'Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.' Psalm 34:8

'My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?' Psalm 42:2

'I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.' Psalm 143:6

Sometimes our hearts cry out, 'Stop! I cannot go any further, I need a break! I want to be known!' But we as women will often push through and ignore that cry because life makes so many demands on us that we feel we have no choice. But the more we ignore that cry, the more parched we become and the more cracked our lives will appear.

At some point we will have to respond. We will come to a point of crisis. The question then becomes, 'What will we reach for?' Often times we will try and fill that weary spot in our soul with everything BUT the living water.

There is nothing like a warm cup of tea at the end of a long day, or the aroma of a good cup of coffee first thing in the morning, but what our souls are really longing for is to taste and see that the Lord is good.

To stop for a moment and notice the Lord's presence in your everyday. To savor the 'now 'instead of dwelling on the 'what is next'. To think on the Lord as you lift a cup of coffee to your lips anticipating the taste. Could this be how we can 'taste and see that the Lord is good?

What are some ways that you 'taste and see that the Lord is good?'
If you have never contemplated this idea, why not?
Why would you want to 'taste the Lord?'

Bookends--Homeschooling Tip #1

Bookends. Bookends serve a purpose whether it is decorative or purposeful. Mostly, I have thought them to be useless. However, I realized that they are the quiet sentinels of order and routine.

I think every homeschooling family can benefit from some sort of 'bookends'. No, not the literal kinds. But the things that we do which can be counted on each and every day. For us it is our meals. Our meals can be counted on to occur at the same time each day with very little variance.
What occurs between those 'bookends' varies by what is happening in our life and in our school. But the bookends rarely change.

What are your bookends? What holds your days together as you go about loving and teaching?

Present or Presence?

Could they be one and the same? If I am to live in the present, in the day to day, could that draw me closer to His presence?

These questions keep rolling around inside my head. His presence is my present.

'Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O lord, They rejoice in your name all day long, they exult in your righteousness. For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn.' Psalm 89:15-17.

Does daily, moment by moment, praise in the daily grind give me the Light of His presence? Is this where I find my strength? I believe so. I have experienced this truth.

Ah, but the difficult thing for me is the 'd' word....Discipline. It takes discipline to remember to praise and give thanks to the Life-Giver throughout the day. It takes constant monitoring of the thoughts racing through my brain. It requires taking myself off 'autopilot' and engaging in the moments of the day.

I am looking for practices to practice the presence of God. I have tried listing the things I am grateful for throughout the day, but that paper or journal gets lost in the midst of the paper dance and clutter explosion, which then becomes a stressor for me instead of a blessing because I have to find it! I am hoping to find a way to record my thanksgiving for Beauty throughout the day. I want to remember the sun streaming in the window and the blue, blue skies. Milk deliverey. Rocks on the table. A new rock collection started!The sound of the dishwasher. A hint of greening grass. The shimmer across corn stubble. These are gifts from I Am who desires me to entire into His present. My present is where I find His presence.

What about you? Do you exult in the Lord's presence throughout the day and how do you record it, if at all? Or do you struggle with the 'autopilot' setting?

In His presence is strength and since He is present, I need to be present. Because I can't do life in my own strength.

Beloved

This: ''About Benjamin he said, 'Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.' Deuteronomy 33:12.

Let this soak into your soul. Let it's sweet message filter into the cracks of the door of the soul slammed shut. Let this soften weary hearts bearing loads.

Do you believe it? Do you think you are utterly unlovable? Do you think you have to check off your lists before you can rest secure? I often forget Truth and believe falsely.

Rest secure in Him. He is shielding you all day long--through the highs and lows. 'Rest between his shoulders'--this is a hug from the God who loves. Receive. Rest. Believe.

This. This verse is what I am pondering. Fighting to believe. Praying for belief. Walking in faith. Putting my name in place of Benjamins. Can you do that too?

Bread of Adversity

Weariness. Fatigue. Exhaustion. I have used these words to describe my state of being. Sometimes it is my mind, sometimes it is my body, and sometimes it is my spirit. And the mornings when I wake up exhausted, it is often all three. Those days are the hardest. Those days are often the days when I need the most forgiveness for my bad attitudes, tone of voice, and actions. And sometimes, God carries me through those days in such a way that all glory belongs to Him and I stand amazed at what He can do when I surrender to Him.

Part of the biggest challenge in my walk with the Lord is accepting the hard circumstances. If I say I believe God's word; if I say I believe God knows what He is doing; if I say that I believe that God is in charge, then why is it so hard to accept the 'hard' things in life?

'Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.' Isaiah 30:20.

This verse and others like it tell me that troubles in this life will abound. I came into adulthood with the false assumption that since my childhood was troubled and fraught with confusion and pain that my adult life would, or if I am to be honest, should be trouble free. I figured that I payed my 'dues'. However, that is not the case. Jesus himself stated that in this world we would have many troubles, but we need to take heart because He has overcome the world. What hope! What comfort!

Not only that, but in Isaiah 30:20, I see that every affliction I experience, God will reveal himself and I will see Him if I choose to look for Him. He will also guide me.

'Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'Isaiah 30:21. So, I don't have to flounder around, wondering, groping for the path. He is there guiding me, guiding my steps down the path He laid out for me.

I really don't know what you are facing personally, but I know this life is wrought with troubles. Some are bigger than others, but God is intimately concerned with what concerns us--whether it is struggles with a school lesson or a job loss or critical health issues or squabbling kids. Eat the bread of adversity and wait for His guidance. Let go of control and trust Him.

And remember this: 'Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18 Let's look for Him, listen for His voice, and wait on Him.

Blessings to you,
Jess

Life-Words

The wise in heart are called discerning and pleasant words promote instruction.' Proverbs 16: 21

It is my longing to teach my children not only their academics, but also how to live in this crazy world. My life and my words contribute to this and my failures keep me humbly on my knees.

Words can build up or tear down. 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me' is a lie straight from the pit. But why, oh why is it easier to say those life-stealing words rather than the life-giving words? And why do we remember the death-words more than the life-words?

'A wise man's heart guides his mouth and his lips promote instruction.' Proverbs 16: 23

A wise heart. Am I seeking wisdom? Are you? Are we filling our minds and hearts with God's words so that what comes out of our mouths are life-giving words? I believe some of the fiercest battles a christian mother faces is within her own mind. What we fill our minds with becomes our influencer and as we are the biggest influencer on our children we need to be very diligent with what we think about.

These verses came to light after a particularly difficult string of school days where words were said and attitudes were thrown by me and one of my kids. I was despairing at this child ever learning what I was trying to teach her. These verses were like a reprimand and encouragement all rolled into one. I wasn't controlling my thought life and in turn I was unable to control my lips. And it was encouraging to again be reminded that the Bible really does have the answers. When I began consistently applying these principles, instruction was able to take place. It was like the Lord showed me that if I want my kids to really learn then I need to use pleasant words.

But what happens if we've blown it? I certainly don't have this mastered, but I have come a long way by the grace of God. What happens if our words have inflicted wounds in the hearts of our kids? Seeking forgiveness is important and so is Proverbs 16:24: 'Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.'

May your words, dear friends, be life-words. Words that promote life, words that promote instruction so that our children can be fully equipped for the life God leads them to.

Blessings to you,
Jess

When Your Foundation is Unsure

'He will be a sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure,' Isaiah 33:6.

Each day I am in desperate need of these three things--salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. These are the keys to a successful day at home with my little ones. I have long struggled with many fears, fears that can rule my heart and mind, and the result is confusion and frustration. However, this verse brings me such hope. A sure foundation, salvation, wisdom, and knowledge can be mine, but I need the correct 'key'.

We all long for the 'key', the answer, to our everyday problems and I think this verse holds part of the answer. What am I fearing? Who am I fearing? Which fear is behind my motivation--the unhealthy one or the key to the treasure?

Blessings to you and yours,
Jess