Each month of this year, I have enjoyed rifling through the pages of my journal, looking back on what I’ve written, and then writing a blog post about it all. You can check out the other posts here-January, February, March, April, May, June, July, and August.
4th Year of Homeschooling
The summer just flew by. It was not without its share of speed bumps, but we are always thankful for our summer breaks. The week before school started was very INTENSE. I was busy making applesauce, tomato soup, and getting stuff ready for school. I almost thought that I wouldn’t get finished planning in time, but I made it! It has been a pretty great first month of school. I have been enjoying this year. Our homeschool has been going quite smoothly thus far.
Morning Devotions
Previously, I shared that my husband Bernd was taking the morning shift with the kids, so I could do my devotions. Unfortunately, this wasn’t working so well for his work day, so we had to give it up. I felt pretty stuck for a couple of weeks, but I did manage to come up with a new plan. For a long time, our kids have had a morning room time that lasts for 30 minutes which is part of our daily routine. I have always used this time to run around like a crazy woman getting the house picked up. I decided that I would “let it go” and use that time to do devotions. It has been working well. I’m so thankful for this time each morning.
Am I Curious?
I have been reading “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth” by John C. Maxwell. The chapter about Curiosity hit me pretty hard.
Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not. -George Bernard Shaw
In this book, Mr. Maxwell gives you questions at the end of each chapter. As I went through the questions, I realized that in some ways I’m not all that curious. This got me to thinking, “Why am I not curious?” This train of thought got me thinking about how children are so naturally curious. I wondered “When did I lose that?” My conclusion was that I often put wanting to be accepted by others first. Because of this I don’t ask questions for fear of over-stepping boundaries or offending others. It’s not so much that I’m not curious, I just hold a lot of my questions in.
Curious people possess a thirst for knowledge. They are interested in life, people, ideas, experiences, and events, and they live in a constant state of wanting to learn more. They continually ask why? Curiosity is the primary catalyst for self-motivated learning. People who remain curious don’t need to be encouraged to ask questions or explore. They just do it-all the time. –John C. Maxwell (The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth)
The Fruit of Speaking Life over Myself
A few months ago, I talked about reading “What to Say When You Talk to Yourself.” I’ve been speaking the Word of God over myself, as well as positive affirmations almost daily for several months. I can honestly say that I am seeing the fruit of this. There are still times that I get negative thoughts coming into my head, however, I am much quicker to shut those thoughts down. I also feel like I’ve been empowered to know who I am in Christ more than ever before.
The Beauty of Fall Colors
I live in the Canadian Prairies. What does this mean? Fall can sometimes be cold. I generally don’t enjoy fall that much because of this. This year I cannot help but love the glorious colors of fall. I am choosing to have an attitude of gratitude this year. I’d rather enjoy the beauty than worry about the coming winter. We enjoyed a hike to a Provincial Park this month. It was a gorgeous, summer-like day with some hot weather. The colors were absolutely gorgeous and we had such a fun time.
Trust
If you read my blog semi-regularly, you may remember that I choose the word “Trust” for my word for the year. I have honestly been stretched in trusting this year. I’m absolutely sure that this was a God thing for me. These days, I often have to consciously choose to trust. I’ve learned that trusting doesn’t involve everything being perfect all the time. It doesn’t always come easily. It’s often incredibly hard. Here’s what amazes me: I’m growing in this. I’ve recognized that we often grow tremendously when we experience hard things.
Favorite Scriptures
Phil 4:8 (NLT) “…Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Proverbs 22:13 (NLT) “The lazy person is full of excuses, saying, “If I go outside, I might meet a lion in the street and be killed!”
Well, there are some of the things I’ve learned this month. What about you? What are some of the things that you have learned this month? Have you had struggles ?