Are you living at the center of God's will for you?

"In the center of a hurricane there is absolute quiet and peace. There is no safer place than in the center of the will of God."

                                        ~ Corrie ten Boom

As I sat there with my piping hot tea on Sunday morning, I read this quote in my daily devotional.

If you place yourself at the center of God's will, He will provide for your needs and direct your path. I truly believe that. Do you?

But, how do we know when we are living at the center of God's will for our life? Does your life feel centered and peaceful? I'm not talking perfect or quiet (especially if you have children in the mix). I'm talking about your spirit. Do you feel centered and peaceful?

If you feel at peace with what you are doing with your life, then I'd venture to guess that you are probably living the life God intends for you.

If you feel internal chaos and discontent, you are probably unknowingly fighting the natural forces that are trying to guide you onto your path. If you feel like you are constantly struggling, maybe it's because you are fighting against what God has planned for you.

And, I mean really. Who can win in a battle against God?

No one.

This small bit of my reading yesterday morning really struck me.

Am I doing His will?

No doubt.

I know to the core of my being that I am doing His will with regards to my choosing to be a wife and mother above all else. I know that it is God's will for me to be at home. I know that it is God's will for me to provide food for my family in a loving way, each and every day. I know that it is God's will for me to keep my girls home and form lasting relationships with them while educating them about this amazing world that He created for us. I know that it is God's will for me to provide a loving home for my children and for my husband to thrive in. I know that it is God's will for me to strive to be the Proverbs 31 woman for my husband and for my family.

But, are we as a family wholly living in the center of God's will? Would He be providing more for us if we were more directly in the center of His will? What is His will for us? What is His will for my husband? What is His will for my husband's career and the manner in which we earn a living? What is His will for how we, as a family, spend our days? What might we be missing? How do we find the answer in the midst of day to day survival?

I don't fully know the answers to these questions, to be perfectly honest. But, it certainly got me thinking. And, I brought it up to my husband, so it got us talking.

It takes quiet time and reflection to really meditate on what God might want you to do with your life. But, figuring out the what is only half the battle. Putting steps into place to make that happen when you are struggling just to survive each day ~ now, that is hard. How do you work towards a goal when you have to work 10 hours a day to pay the rent? How do you start to make changes when you have to work 6 days a week to buy food for your family?

These are things we are working on here in our home. If I know nothing else, I know that none of it is going to be possible without the help of God. So, I took the first step. Prayer. I asked God to show us what it is that He wants us to do. I asked Him to provide the means to make it happen if it is to be a significant change. I asked for His strength and guidance and for Him to give us the courage to live the life that He wants us to live.

We're working on our "Five Year Plan". Are you? Where do you get your strength when things get tough? Do you lean on God as He has instructed us to do? When your life continues to feel like an uphill battle, do you ever stop to think that maybe you are out in the middle of that hurricane rather than living peacefully in the calm of God's will?

Something to think about. I'll leave you with a few verses to inspire your next Quiet Time.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; And lean not upon your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your path." 
                 Proverbs 3:5-6

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
               Jeremiah 29:11

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."
             Psalm 32:8

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

            Isaiah 41:10

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." 
             Philippians 4:13 
 
Until next time,
   ~ Irie Momma 

It All Starts With GOD.

 

That sentence is something I obviously already knew. When I began to see that I was not happy with the way I was living my life, I came up with some goals, some new habits I wanted to form or work on. Some of the things I wanted to change were:

• Daily exercise
• Eat better, drink more water
• Spend focused time with the girls each day (other than school)
• Read aloud to them every day (other than school)
• Form the habit of SCHOOL
• Form the habit of chores, a clean home
• Form the habit of ROUTINE, schedule, rhythm
• Menu Planning
• TIME.WITH.GOD

It's interesting that my instinct (or was that God speaking to me?) knew where to begin. A part of me wanted to start with the daily exercise. I wanted to change my eating habits. I wanted to spend more time with the girls. I wanted to start our new schedule and routine and keep my house clean and start school.

All of this was and is true.

But, deep down I already knew that all of this was only possible with GOD.  I knew that I had to put HIM first. I knew that if I would start with God, the rest would fall into place.

All things are possible with God.

So, I decided to focus first on the habit of spending time with God each morning. Before worry about anything else, I would begin by getting up at 7:00, not turning on the computer (I didn't check the computer until 1:00pm today!) and spending my hour of quiet time WITH.GOD.

Wouldn't you know, the first thing I read when I started was this:

"It All Starts With God."

Funny how 'smart' we are sometimes. How I knew where to start before I even started.

So, I am starting with God. Each morning, tea time with God. I'll be reading from

and

and

I'll read and think and pray and write in my journal (yes, a real hard copy one).


Then, and only then, I believe that the rest of my plans will go much more smoothly.

Would you like to join me?

Seriously, shouldn't you just get a job?

Wow.

What a way to wake up on a Saturday morning.


Well, actually, I was up before 7:00 this morning.  
I helped get my husband out the door, making his lunch and such.
I got my girls situated for a Saturday morning movie.
I fed the zoo.
I started getting some grocery lists together.
I checked some emails.
You get the idea.


Then, I came to my blog.  
I checked my comments and the first thing I see is this:

"Seriously.  Shouldn't you just get a job?"

From ANONYMOUS, of course (confrontational people like to hide, don't they?)

Unfortunately, my  knee-jerk reaction was to delete it.  So, it's already been deleted.

Then, I thought about it for a minute and wished I hadn't.
I should have politely responded.

Why do I allow things like that to get my heart rate up?

I shouldn't.

I am confident and passionate about the decisions we've made in our family.  Defending them should not get me so worked up.
It is something I need to work on.


Well, ANONYMOUS, if you are reading this post, let me direct you to where I have already answered your question.  Please take a look at this post or look up to the top at the page entitled Why We Homeschool.

For one thing, I do have a job.  Being paid in cash does not determine your worth.  It does not determine whether or not you have a job.


If you look up the word "job" in the dictionary, you will find multiple definitions.  While I do not argue that one of those definitions mentions being paid, I would like to point out that another of those definitions clearly states that a job is "a responsibility or duty".


It is my responsibility and my duty to raise and educate my children, to maintain my home, to provide for my husband and family.


My husband provides for me and my family by working hard outside the home.

He brings home the proverbial bacon (we are vegetarian, so I guess you could say that he brings home the beans).

I provide for my husband and my family by working equally hard inside the home (and all over town, for that matter).

Everything we both do is for the betterment of our family.  
We are a team.
We have chosen these roles, together as a family.
This is what is most important to us ... FAMILY.

When you coordinate your life and priorities with what you actually value most, your life looks a little different.

What do we value most?  
   God comes first in all things.
   Family comes immediately after God.
   A whole list of other things in life come next.
   Money, power, status, material wealth and possessions don't even make the list.
   Money is only important for the needs it provides.

If one values God and Family above all things, one designs a life that supports that.  In our family, that means having one parent at home with our children to ensure that they, too, value God and Family above all else.

So, what exactly do I do for my job?

I educate our children.
I manage our household.
I shop for our food.
I prepare home-made meals from real, whole foods each day.
I pay our bills.
I manage our life.
I clean our home.
I love and guide our children.
I provide experiences for our children.
I make sure our children are stewards for the earth and for God.

I could go on and on.  In a nutshell, I make sure that everything in our life is taken care of so that my husband can completely focus on his work.

I am a nurse.
I am a chef.
I am a chauffeur.
I am a teacher.
I am a friend.
I am a housekeeper.
I am a personal shopper.
I am a personal attendant.
I am an accountant.
I am a babysitter or nanny.


I do not receive a paycheck.
I do not work 40 hours a week ~ I work 168 hours a week (that is 24/7 in case you didn't know).
I don't get sick days.
I don't get paid time off.
I don't get time off, period.
I don't get an annual raise.
I don't get health insurance.
I don't get retirement.
I don't get dental or vision.


According to a 2010 report from salary.com, a stay at home mom would receive $117,856 a year if she were paid for all of the jobs that she does.  Now, since I am also a home-educating mom, I guess we should add the salary for a teacher to that ($48,826 in my area), bringing that figure up to at least $166,682 (keep in mind that those figures are from 2010).


While I do not make a six figure income (or any income, for that matter) and I don't get the typical "benefits", I get benefits that are beyond measure.


I get bonding with my children.
I get to tailor their education to meet their needs.
I get to ensure that my family eats real, whole, nutritious food each day.
I get to raise my own children, ensuring that they see our family's values first hand, each day.
I get to intervene when there is an issue in my children's lives, right then and there.
I get to share experiences with my children, both fun and emotional.
I get to watch my children become the people God has designed them to be.
I get to allow them the freedom and time to become those people.

We get more time for character-building.  Character is important and it takes time.  Staying home with my children allows us that time.

 

My children get to sleep later, ensuring their good health.
My children get to spend time together, ensuring their strong bond.
My children get to spend time with their animals, totally therapeutic for them.
My children get to read as much as they want.
My children get to draw as much as they want.
My children get to play games.
My children don't have homework.
My children get a customized education.
My children get one-on-one tutoring, every day.
My children don't get bullied.
My children deal with much less peer-pressure.
My children get to do theater and art and field trips and clubs ... and it doesn't add to an already over-stuffed day ... it is the day.

In the words of my daughter, "I get to hang out with my Mommy all day.  I get to play games and stay at home instead of go to school.  I get to play.  If my Mommy didn't stay at home, I'd have to go to school and I wouldn't be able to play.  I don't have any homework."


We get the benefit of spontaneity and flexibility.

I guess I could just "get a job".

But, I believe with every fiber of my being that I am already doing the most important job in the world.  I am doing exactly what God put me on this Earth to do ~ raising a beautiful family and teaching my children to LOVE, respect and care for their fellow brothers and sisters in all that they do.

Thanks for the suggestion, Anonymous.  But, I think I'll pass.

Wouldn't it be beautiful if we could all just live together in Unity?
Wouldn't it be amazing if we could live and let live, without passing judgement on others?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all understand that we all live the lives that are best for our families?  What we choose to do in our home is what we believe is best for the people in it.  We do not ask anyone else to live the way that we do.  It would be so nice if others could just give us the same courtesy.


We quite enjoy our travels on the Narrow Path.


If the Narrow Path is not right for you, don't travel down it.  I certainly won't judge you for that.

But, please, if this isn't the path you choose to follow, stay out of my way.  Let me travel the path I choose.  This path leads to LIFE for me and I am glad I've found it!


"Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  ~ Matthew 7:13-14

Put your big girl panties on and deal with it!

If you read this post, you know that I've been thinking about breaking down my own barriers and becoming the best Mother, Wife, Homemaker and Educator I can be.

I've been thinking about the fact that the only thing holding me back from being the best is me and my habits.

I had a long 'chat' with a fellow Home-educating Momma the other day.  We like to call them 'faculty meetings'.  

She asked me how things were going.  She asked about school.

I admitted that we hadn't been 'doing school'.  

I said "I'm trying to get a handle on things. Life has been so stressful."

I went on to talk about our other issues in life ... mostly related to money.  One thing after another.  That would be a different post all together, but I have no interest in hosting a pity party.  It wasn't the point.

I laid out my excuses:

I have to get up earlier.
My new house is laid out differently.
Everything used to be right by the kitchen table; now, it's spread out.
I'm not organized.
There's no a/c in the 'learning room'.
I don't have any plans. 
I don't know what to teach.  
I don't know what I'm going to do this year.
I needed money and sold curriculum I wish I hadn't.

She said that sometimes it helps to "school those troubles away".  She likes to say that sometimes you have to "put on your big girl panties and just do it."


She got me thinking (and I'm grateful).


As I said in the last post, it's all about ME and MY habits.  

My own habits are holding me back.


I've fallen asleep in the snow. 


She also made me realize that educating my children is the one thing I do have control of.  While everything else in my life seems to be spinning out of control, I can control that one thing.


And, it would make me feel better if I would.  It is a vicious circle ~ feeling lost and out of control so that you can't figure out how to 'do school', then feeling guilty because you aren't doing what you 'should' be doing, only making things feel even more out of control.


I cannot control my husband's paychecks. 
I cannot control the bills or the problems.
I cannot control my graying hair.
I cannot control my emotional daughter.
I cannot control all these animals.
I cannot control the sibling bickering (though I try).
I cannot control the rising cost of food or gas or soap.
I cannot control the fact that I do not have health insurance.


What I can control is me.


I can control what time I get up in the morning.
I can control whether or not I read aloud to my children.
I can control whether or not I bake with my children.
I can control whether or not I teach my daughter to read.
I can control whether or not I teach my children math.
I can control whether or not I paint with my children.
I can control whether or not we listen to composers and look at art.
I can control whether or not we study nature.


School your troubles away.  When you are busy educating, you are immersed.  The other problems float away, if only for a while. 


Routine can be hard to jump back into after a laid back summer.


But, it is worth it.


There is no better feeling that the way a Home-educating Momma feels at the end of a good, positive and productive "school day".


Just Do It (in the words of Nike).


You will feel better if you do.  More in control.

So, I am starting small.  One foot in front of the other.

I spent the past few days figuring out the "what" ... what I want to cover this year.
I planned the "how" ... how I want to cover it.
I planned the "when" ... the general routine or schedule or rhythm we should follow.


I will spend this coming week getting organized, physically.  Yes, we have a busy week of errands and Theater Troupe and Handwork and a field trip and another dentist appointment, but during our home time I must get our space organized so that we can progress.


Then, we will start our lessons the following week.  We have a field trip Monday the 3rd of October, but we can get going on the 4th.  That's the beauty of home-educating ~ flexibility of schedule.


I came up with a basic yearly schedule I'd like to follow.  It allows for flexibility and freedom, but provides enough structure to keep me in line.  I'm slowly learning that Momma needs structure.  I need to treat my job as a job.  I need to get up and go to work, even when I don't feel like it.  It is my J.O.B. to educate these children and love them and keep this home and it must get done.  Whether I feel like it or not.  I mean, my husband goes to work even when he doesn't feel like it, right?  Who do I think I am?  My job is important and must be done.


I know that I love to read on other Momma's blogs about their schedules and how they fit it all in, so I will certainly share here what I've been working on.  If I can help another Momma to do what God has led her to do, I will be one happy lady. 


Time to put on the Big Girl Panties!

Don't fall asleep in the snow ...

Don't fall asleep in the snow.  Come up from below.

Wake up.  It's a brand new day.  Time to put the Crown on the King and live your life in all its Glory.

One of my favorite musicians is Trevor Hall.  If you've never heard of him, be sure to check him out.  He truly is a beautiful soul.  His lyrics are positive, uplifting and are my soul food.

One of the songs on his most recent album is called Brand New Day.  We all love the song ~ the girls love to sing and dance to it.  I love to sing and dance to it.  But, at a deeper level, the lyrics are just what my soul's been needing. 

In it, he says not to fall asleep in the snow, to come up from below.  

He says to wake up and LIVE your life.  

It's a Brand New Day.

I learned in an interview that the inspiration for the song came when he and his teacher were studying the words of Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Vivekananda says "Don't fall asleep in the snow."


Trevor and his teacher's interpretation:  "Don't get caught in whatever holds you down or you'll never be able to live freely."


Powerful.


I mean, isn't it true?  Isn't it always US that holds US back? 

Break down your own barriers, whatever they may be and live a righteous life.

For me, in the role that I have chosen, my own personal righteous life means being the best Mother, Wife, Homemaker and Educator that I can be.  

God would not have led me to this life if He did not believe that I could do it.

So, if I struggle with it, it is me that is holding me back.

If I get caught in whatever holds me back (that would be me and my own habits), I will never be able to live freely. 

I love that. 

Knowing that we are what holds us back can be frightening.

But, it can be so freeing at the same time.  Because if it is all up to me, then that means that I have the power to change it.

With God's help, of course.  Like I said, if He led me to this life, He must have faith that I can do it and do it well and if I only ask for His help and guidance, He will most certainly give it to me.  He wants me to succeed.  He has entrusted two beautiful souls to ME, with full expectation that I will lead them to the lives He has planned for them.

Each day is a new beginning.

Each day is a chance to start over and do better.

Each day is an opportunity to ask God to lead us to be who He wants us to be. 

Each day is a Brand New Day!

Wake Up!  Don't Fall Asleep in the Snow!

Live YOUR life.  Who's holding you back?