Showing posts with label testimonies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label testimonies. Show all posts

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Looking back at homeschooling from the rear view mirror......and missing writing like crazy.







Lately, I have been thinking about grandkids...like almost obsessively. We've had some adorable little ones in our home lately, and it just pulls me back. I have no regrets at only having four boys, but I see my friends gushing over their grandkids and it's fresh in my heart. But that's not what I planned on writing about. 

Since my blog is called accidentally homeschooling, I think I need to speak to the ones who may be in the process of homeschooling. I have a million things to say but I'll try to condense it down... maybe a good old fashioned list.

1. My boys thank me...often...for homeschooling. As they figure out the world, who they are and where they are going, the conversation comes back to this. Thanks Mom. Oh that warms my heart. The moments when I was convinced I had chosen a crazy path and who did I think I was....are just lies. They truly are life long learners, always sharing with me something new they have learned.

2. Now that I work full time, I realize, I could have managed my time so much better. The kids grow so fast...cherish the times.

3. I've finally passed on most of my home school books. I kept thinking I'd save them just in case...in case what?...someone asked me to teach their kids or I have grand kids. I won't be homeschooling my grandkids. I'll be eating sweets, indulging, shopping and taking them on trips. They won't be sitting on Nana's lap studying prepositions, history or quadratic equations. 

4. My oldest is getting married in October....Grandkids may be in my future.

5.  Paperboy owns his own home, is a landlord and is studying for his electrical exam. 

6. Random is a licensed real estate agent who is pursuing his dream. 

7. Only Little Guy is left at home. He's morphed into an amazing kid. My blog readers remember our struggles and the Feingold Diet. His high school education is outsourced, he plays sports, is in drama and competes in Martial arts.

8. Blogging was a great therapy to me, I am finally encouraged to come back to it. I have so many ideas swirling in my head.......keep subscribing. Let me know if you still read my blog, I'll be writing anyways, but having a reader or two will warm my heart,


Thanks for stopping by,    

Friday, November 8, 2013

I watched this last night.......... powerful!

Click Here to see an amazing story that needs to be shared with everyone you know. It brought me back to 1986. Where will it bring you?

Thanks for stopping by,

   

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

When The Baby Was Wanted




Today's post is veering away from my cheery sarcasm about homeschooling and delving into a sensitive topic. If you are not in the mood for anything heavy, I understand. Come back in a few days. This is part of Pour Your Heart Out over at Shell's Things I Can't Say. Today, I will be candidly telling my story.  


Shell posted about the baby ache today, which all moms can relate to. I wrote this post about a different baby ache weeks ago and finally have the "chutzpah" to post it.

I was a major disappointment to my mother

It was in my senior year of high school when I found out I was pregnant. Of course it wasn't planned. No, I wasn't married. And no way, I wasn't going to make the next mistake of marrying the father of my baby. 

When you are 18, single and people find out, they say such hurtful things. 
When I was 18, I didn't always say what was on my mind.


"What the H-E-double hockeysticks are you gonna do with a baby?" 
Gee! I never thought so far ahead.


"It's not too late to take care of it."
Sorry, I saw the ultrasound, I can't.


"You can't work at the front counter because you're not married."
I promise not to embarrass your fine pre-made sandwich establishment.


"Whose baby is it?" 
Not yours.


"Are you sure he is the father?" 
I keep meticulous records.

Gone were the plans to enter the University of Massachusetts in the fall. My future road map contained a major detour. In my mother's eyes it was a road block, a dead end. My mother, in her anger, decided to fill out the college forms anyways, in case I lost the baby. She couldn't believe I was throwing my life away. She had married right out of high school, had four kids and it hadn't been pretty. How could I do this to her? Well, if I was going to be so stupid, she was not going to help. She was done raising kids. She vowed not to help me. 

I am not sharing this so anyone can judge my mother. If you must, she deserves applause. She delivered the tough love I needed. It was a perfect parenting strategy. Single girls who have babies and don't have to care for them continue to have babies without fathers. They keep falling for the guy and his phony "I love you". A single mom with a colicky baby and no help becomes smarter. She understands that guy with all his charm will not wake up and nurse her baby. She is not up for more sleep deprivation. Being alone becomes more appealing by the minute. I am thankful for the mother that truly loved me. She forced me swallow the bitter pill that brought me to my knees. Through my struggles as a very young mother, I was saved.

Fast forward 7 years later.

The year I married the Gman, there were about 12 weddings in our close knit church. Between 1990 and 1991, my creative pastor ran out of wedding sermons. The marraige streak ended just as the baby boom started. Only two couples didn't jump on the bandwagon. One newlywed couple who were in their 70's and everyone understood. But why us? Didn't I love kids? Didn't I work with kids? Doesn't your son need a little brother or sister? What is the hold up?

My boy was 7 years old and I was in no hurry to join the ranks. I knew being a mommy entailed too much work for my selfish life. I waited. I kept hoping finances would improve. They didn't. I was in my late 20's, I waited. I wanted to quit taking care of everyone else's children before I had anymore. I waited. My home day care business was wearing me down. I waited. Caring for the children of addicts, abused women and single mothers was crushing my spirit and leaving me with little energy. I waited. I did not want to have babies in this situation.

After I closed the home daycare, I found out I was pregnant. 

What a contrast announcing your pregnancy when you are married. Everyone is happy and excited. These are moments of true joy. The single, messed-up mom who has been transformed into a loving wife is pregnant. My shame has been taken away. My son won't have to be an only child. No hurtful things, only nice words. It was o.k. now. I have a husband, he loves me and this will be a blessing from God, a new start. This is the wanted baby. This baby is part of God's plan. I followed the rules, I was doing things right. 

I'll never forget the day I started bleeding. It was my son's tenth birthday party. We had a fabulous weekend, camping in the woods with a ton of boys. The Gman was going to be an excellent daddy, no, I take that back, he already was. When I saw the blood, I convinced myself, a little spotting is normal. 

The cramps couldn't be ignored. They packed up the campsite, the odors of fish, musty camper and campfire would not be missed. I couldn't wait to get in my own bed. If I fell asleep, perhaps the pains would go away. The long weekend had worn me out, sleep will fix me. It didn't. I woke up in the middle of the night. Labor pains, just like intense labor pains. This can't be so. This cannot possibly hurt this much. I had experienced 22 hours of back  labor with an 8 lb 11 oz. baby. I understand pain. Why does this feel so similar? This feels like I am actually delivering a baby. God please help me... I was not prepared for the physical pain of this. After a few hours, it's over. I'm spent. 

I had never doubted God's justice and His love before, why now? Why is the first baby I ever wanted gone? Why? Remember God, I am not a floozy anymore. I kept myself pure since the day I followed you. I didn't even kiss my husband before I married him. My self-righteous one-sided argument with God carried on and on. I was still so young in my walk with God. I let my mind judge God, myself and everyone around me for weeks. I was shaken deep to my core. 

It became worse. I had to face people and admit I lost my baby. How could I tell people? I cried so much. They meant well. Their responses picked the scab of my wounded heart. I was not comforted.

"Oh I had one, too." 

I heard this from so many women. Like they had a cavity or a manicure and it was no big deal. I couldn't believe the way they talked about losing a baby. Did they even want their babies? It was like a hangnail and it will grow back or you may need a little procedure. Was the miscarriage so far in their past that it doesn't hurt anymore? Does the pain go away? I certainly didn't share in the same experience as them. I was exhausted, miserable and worn out.

A few weeks later, it hit me. Suddenly, I thought of other friends that had lost babies before me. Oh selfish one, why didn't I offer any help? Why didn't I at least cook them a meal or clean their house? Oh why am I so caught up in my own little world that I can't see the pain of others? Lord forgive meThe next time I hear of someone who suffers a miscarriage, let me be there for them.

I finally understood why some women wait to announce their pregnancies. I think about how many have suffered a miscarriage alone. Or maybe with only their husband and God to help them through. God showed me so many things during this pit. I resolved as part of the body of Christ, I have to rejoice with and bear one another's burdens.

I did make it out of the valley of the shadow of death. And I was forever changed. When I became pregnant 18 months later, I refused to let fear rule my heart. I couldn't wait to share my joy with everyone. 


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I welcome reader comments with open arms. I also understand if you aren't the commenting or hugging type of person, you can drop me an email at accidentallyhomeschooling@gmail.com.

Monday, January 24, 2011

My Story Monday: The Angry Paperboy



It was his third day at work. His Mom and Dad have other commitments in their life. Ones that aren't to be interrupted to chauffeur him home from work. He was glad they trusted him at only fourteen to work and arrive home safely. Dad remembered to give him a set of keys to get in the house just before he dropped him and his bike off. After hovering over a toaster for 4 hours making wheat toast, white toast and dry toast, the cool outside air felt refreshing. For about a minute. This December day was frigid. Riding his bike home from work wasn't the same as last summer. The seven mile ride in the 30 degree weather made it unbearable. At least the intermittent hills kept his body warm. He rode as hard as he could up and coasted down the hills squinting. The wind was tearing his eyes. He couldn't wait to get home.


The Doorknob by eyebright, on Pix-O-Sphere


He parked his bike out back and tried the key. 


"What the heck is wrong with this key?" He tried it again and again. And again. Rage was clouding his mind.


"UUUGGHHH!"


"That's o.k." he thought. I can break in. He tried the other three doors. No way. Maybe the key fits in the back door. 


Wrong again.


He was cold and really angry. Self pity was creeping up on him, but anger won out. He threw the keys accross the walkway into the leaves that had collected in the side yard. That was stupid. His dad will not appreciate it if he lost his set of  keys. He had to find them. His parents wouldn't be home for at least another hour. He had an hour to find the keys. Getting inside became an old thought.


Now he was livid, hot from anger. But still cold. Rustling through the leaves desperately looking for the keys, he was too frustrated to pray. He finally found the lost useless keys and strangely, a plastic case.


"What's this doing here?"


He picked up the garage door opener. He was inside in a moment.


"Thank you God!"




Psalm 139:1-4

 O LORD, you have searched me 
and you know me. 
 You know when I sit and when I rise; 
you perceive my thoughts from afar. 

 You discern my going out and my lying down; 
you are familiar with all my ways. 
 Before a word is on my tongue 
you know it completely, O LORD.
 

This is a true story, I praise God as I see my children experience His hand touching them. This is an answer to my prayer. "Oh Lord may our children know you and see you move as I have so many times. Let it not end with my generation."




I welcome reader comments with open arms. I also understand if you aren't the commenting or hugging type of person, you can drop me an email at accidentallyhomeschooling@gmail.com.

Monday, January 3, 2011

It's story time...My Story Monday

I love to hear stories. True stories. I like to know how couples met each other. I love stories of salvation. I loved it when my church used to have testimonies before the services. I like to know how a family became a homeschooling family. I want to know what led people to a geographical area. I enjoy testimonies of God's faithfulness in the lives of believers. I am not really nosey, I just love to hear what God has orchestrated in lives. It always encourages me.


I just stumbled across a new blog with some great stories. The name of the blog is Imperfect People, in love with a perfect God. Oh yeah, I can relate. It reminded me that stories are meant to be shared. 


I have so many stories. In fact, I'm a repressed blogger, I could have taken up blogging about 10 years ago. Some of my stories are victories, I know they could encourage people. Some would leave you scratching your head and asking, is she for real? Some stories are painful, but true. These can be very uncomfortable. Sometimes, I want to write more, but I don't want to offend a person. What if they stumbled upon my blog, realized it was they who I was talking about? What if my kids grow up, read my blog and hate me? What if the Gman reads something he didn't want published? What if I disqualify myself for a future job because of my writings? What if I alienate my friends? What if my friends start avoiding me because of my blog? I am actually wondering if they are.


If I think about it too much, my blog will be blank.


Boring.


I have really been thinking and praying about my blog lately. After a friend nominated my blog for the homeschool blogger award in the Thrifty category, I thought of the direction my blog has taken. I am thrifty, I love to save a buck, I love to encourage others to do so, but it's not everything about me. How can I blog about Thrift when I can't even find my coupon box? 


I can blog about what I have seen. I have seen God do incredible things since I gave my entire life to Christ in 1986. I know that I have things to blog about that can encourage whoever is reading my blog. I aim to lift up. I think about my struggles and the victories, they need to be shared. Perhaps this one below will encourage someone to finally start a blog, you know who you are.


books by sisterlisa, on Pix-O-Sphere


The short story of my blog.


I began blogging in February of 2010. My original intention was to be accepted as a curriculum reviewer for the Old Schoolhouse review crew. I was hoping that they would choose me. The opportunity to try new curriculum, stick with it and write about it appealed to me. I wasn't really sure what it was going to be like, but I knew I envied my friends who had blogs and I loved reading blogs. 


My first trial posts were reviews on products published by the Old Schoolhouse. They were nice eBooks, I worked for a while tweaking those trial posts, I anxiously wanted to be picked. I enjoyed the books, and wrote the posts. This was much more work than I expected. Grammar and spelling are not my strong points. 


After about 4 or 5 posts, I realized that blogging is incredibly satisfying. Writing things down, getting them off my mind, is really therapeutic. Blogging also fills my ever present need to scrapbook. Something I never set up time to do. I also learned that the non-review posts were fun. I enjoy memes like Five Question Friday and Wordless Wednesday and still love the "fun" posts. I began to see how bloggers could want or need to have more than one blog.


Two or three months passed and I was finally chosen. I had already learned blogging for fun is well...fun. Reviews are like reviews. Receiving the packages in the mail is so easy. The nitty gritty of sharing my opinions is like work. Merging reviews and my random thoughts can be choppy. You see my family, my friends and my homeschool buddies are a very diverse group. I kept hearing that blogs should have target audiences. Here's my target audience: Friends of Terri G. I just can't go in one direction, it is so not like me. So here I am, this is my blog and this is me. Here is where I am going in the new year...


People like to read stories. I plan on telling a few. These are true but names may be changed. You understand, the innocent must be protected. But you can be sure that they are my stories. I hope you will come back next Monday for another one.




I welcome reader comments with open arms. I also understand if you aren't the commenting or hugging type of person, you can drop me an email at accidentallyhomeschooling@gmail.com.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

God is in the recycling business

This morning while gathering up the trash, Bible Answer Woman, Sabie Babie let me in on this revelation.

God is in the business of recycling people.

I forget that sometimes. How could I? It got me thinking, there are some new followers of my blog, who don't know about the most important thing that has ever happened to me. The ultimate example of God's recycling plan.





Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 



Of course, I can take this opportunity to recycle a blog post.





Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
Psalm 107:2



My first Blog Post.....from February 9, 2010:


The Accidental Christian: God, the Scary Movie 
and Stop & Shop




When I think of accidents, I don't always become gripped with fear, more often, I think of the times when I am pleasantly surprised by joy. Many of my major life decisions have been a result of a collision of crazy circumstances beyond my control. I wish I could say I spent hours in prayer, life planning and agonizing over well-researched options for my future, but I won't lie. Like the day I came to Christ.

There was a sudden change of plans. I was not going to Pennsylvania for the weekend. I ended up spending the weekend alone, my almost 2 year-old was at his bio-father's. I caved in and went to a church movie with this lady who kept inviting me. If I just went once, I could fulfill my agreement. "Sure, I'll go sometime." I was going to a movie with church people.

SOMETIME was here. I walked into the nondescript building near the mall. So this is what that lady was so excited about? A plain cream-colored room with brown carpet and metal folding chairs. We began singing. Lucky for me the words were being projected on the wall. The feature movie was "Years of the Beast". I, who hated scary movies and still do, sat and watched the whole thing without food, a potty stop, or a quick nap. I was in awe. The movie was hokey, the acting terrible, but I was fascinated by the audience. They were completely enjoying the movie. They laughed at the silliness, cheered at the baptism, gave amens to the scripture quotes and gasped at the terror. When the movie ended, someone delivered a sermonette about salvation and Bible prophesy. Both topics were news to me. My church lady friend spoke to me. An older woman invited me to pray with her. I, being the pseudo-intellectual at the moment, replied "I need to make an informed decision." I meant that. I had never heard the plan of salvation in my whole 20 years of life. You mean to tell me it is that simple? Impossible. The one thing I did know is, I was a sinner. I must become an informed sinner. I did the most logical thing to do after watching a movie and hearing the gospel.

I went to Stop and Shop to get some food. I was hungry. I also headed for their Barnes and Noble Book section. I found a New King James Bible and bought it that very night. I was not going to get one written by those people in the church. What if they wrote their own Bible? After replacing the calories burned by fretting over the movie, I was ready to find out what to do about my sin. I played Bible roulette and opened it up to the middle of the Bible. Proverbs. This was the best Bible for a new Bible reader like myself. I quickly found out what the Bible says about overcoming sin, how to recognize a good church, how to be free from gluttony, and the plan of salvation. There were title pages with questions that I had, and simple scriptures to show me what God's word says about each topic. This was too good to be true. I decided that night I would return to the church the next night for a rock concert. I was convinced it was not too late for me. What if I didn't cancel my plans last minute? What if I went to a different supermarket and I didn't buy a Bible? God in His sovereign plan would have gotten my attention, somehow. I am so thankful for the weekend that I accidentally stumbled into God, His word and a new life. That was June of 1986.....






I welcome reader comments with open arms. I also understand if you aren't the commenting or hugging type of person, you can drop me an email at accidentallyhomeschooling@gmail.com.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Book Review: Sleep; It Does A Family Good

Sleep: It Does the Family Good
by Archibald D. Hart



This book was a real "sleeper" and I needed it. Because there are so many health, self-help books, I think of all of the diet books ever written and notice that sleep is somewhat ignored.  Considering we should spend about 1/3 of our lives sleeping, this is a book that is beneficial to everyone who picks it up. That is, if they become a 'doer of the words'. 


The author writes in a very easy manner. He cover sleep issues, normal sleep patterns and the science behind it.  His book is filled with personal stories of families that resolved various sleep issues. It contains helpful questionnaires to evaluate your own sleep patterns and suggestions for making improvements. The surveys are geared to different age levels, as our sleep needs change throughout our lives. He also examines the remedies for sleep problems and the pros and cons of each solution. In his work, he helps families to 'think outside the box' as they tackled their sleep problems. This could be aptly titled "Sleep for Dummies".  

I appreciated that Mr. Hart advises the reader to use this as a reference and offers spiritual application to the issue of sleep. His encouragement to nap, makes perfect sense to me. We just happen to live in a country where nappers are viewed as lazy. I knew this not to be true, as my Dad is a serious napper and a type A. Now I see where he gets his energy. At the conclusion of the book, Mr. Hart recommends a bedtime ritual of praying or repeating a word phrase that reminded me of Hinduism's use of the mantra. This is not for me, but I see the validity of quoting scripture as a way to fall asleep.


I enjoyed this book and actually took to heart the author's advice. This past month has been the most stressful month of the year. (Notice the sparse blog posts.) In all of the business, heavy physical work load, and looming deadlines, I prioritized my sleep. I found myself more productive, less prone to temper tantrums, and actually, a pleasant person in the midst of high pressure. I am sure my husband would give the author a big hug!

I received this complimentary book from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.


I welcome reader comments with open arms. I also understand if you aren't the commenting or hugging type of person, you can drop me an email at accidentallyhomeschooling@gmail.com.

Monday, May 24, 2010

The day after Sunday, can I brag about my church?

I have a somewhat unique experience with my church. I grew up "unchurched". Now some would say that this a horrible thing. Others think, lucky girl. I heard the gospel at my church, was introduced to Christ there and have stayed in the same church for almost 24 years. I know what you are thinking. I must have become a Christian when I was only one because I can't possibly be that old. Me too. But I have to tell the truth. I was an adult at the time, a very young adult.


So my experience with church affiliation is very limited. It's not to say that I haven't visited other churches with friends or family. I married into a very nice Baptist family and have had numerous opportunities to visit their churches. As a kid, I went to a few churches with neighbors or relatives, but I can't recall hearing the plan of salvation at any of them. I even participated in a Biblethon which raised money by copying scriptures with a youth group. That saddens me that no one shared Jesus with me in those youth group activities.


When I am around my home schooling friends, who happen to attend various churches, blogless Lori will give me a quick synopsis of the doctrinal differences. She was raised Nazerene, married a guy from EMU and eventually landed in a Presbyterian church. Now why am I saying all of this? Oh, because I have a point that I may get to.
My Church
I go to this church, that if I was to give it a church-like name, I would call it the First Church of the Over-Achievers. I mean that in a loving way. My church is not filled with people with doctoral degrees in theology, although there are some folks with degrees. Each person there is amazingly gifted at something. Some examples:


There are people who will learn a new skill and create amazing art work, quilts, sculptures, and woodworking projects. At each gathering, I am awed at something that someone has created. There are so many skilled photographers, musicians, craftsman, artists, ect.


We can't even talk about the music. This could become a source of jealousy. It is just a spirit of excellence, that constantly amazes me. Now this can be handled two ways. I can sit and mope and wonder why I don't sing like them or why I can never learn more than 4 songs on the piano. Or I can praise God that I can serve God alongside theses incredible people. They inspire me.


Of course because I think too much, I have pondered this. 
Why? How?


I believe it's because in our congregation, we are constantly challenged. Do I like this? NO. I love it or I hate it. My church has mature Christians who carry a spirit of excellence. These are Christians that don't take things lightly. Jesus is their Lord and Master. They serve in every area, like they are personally serving Him.


My pastor loves to play baseball. When our church gathers for picnics, we play hardball. That about sums up his preaching. He preaches tough things. He has just wrapped up a series called Christian birthmarks. These sermons offer up some encouragement, challenge to the new believer and the crusty old saints. No one escapes the Word of God. Many times, the batter gets hit with the ball and it stings. Yes, it does at the moment. Eventually, the sting wears off and we are ready to get up to the plate again. His latest series on Christian Ethics is hitting batters left and right. I am always amazed at how he can preach to each individual, yet speak to all of the church at the same time. I am so thankful for that.


How about you? Who inspires and challenges you?

I welcome reader comments with open arms. I also understand if you aren't the commenting or hugging type of person, you can drop me an email at accidentallyhomeschooling@gmail.com.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Thrifty Thursday......more tightwad thoughts

I wanted to stay on topic this Thursday and blog about thrift. Yesterday, when I found out it was April Fool's Day, I had to go with it. No, there isn't an application that translates animal speech. I am sorry to disappoint you. 

I know it's Friday, but it's my blog and I can do whatever I feel like. I am skipping 5QF this week and posting Thrifty Thankful Thursday's post.
I have been feeling so thankful, and I have been pondering this all week. It started on Monday with my friend, the Bible answer woman. We were discussing how awesome God is. It seemed everywhere I turned, there was a blessing or help that I needed.  Tuesday, I won a cool gift, o.k. I'll stop bragging. Wednesday, I was without power all day and I had a few experiences that pondered me to continue to thank God.

  • I walked across the street to check if the neighbor had electricity. As I looked back at my house from my neighbors porch, it finally dawned on me. What a pretty house I live in. I know that sounds silly, but I had, in the past year, started to despise this money pit, it's location and it's mortgage. As I looked across the street at it, I gained a fresh appreciation for it. I am grateful to have a home, things are greening up around here and I am delivered from a spirit of ingratitude.
  • I called one of our town libraries to check their hours, I had to go somewhere with heat and power. I told the librarian about my predicament. She set up the boys and I with tables to work on, a computer to use and even turned on the space heater. She also help me to order the science book we were looking for.
  • I went grocery shopping with the coupons, that were supplied from my father and my step mom. My bill went down from $137 to $54. My thrifty shopping trip was facilitated by others who love me. They save, cut, and mail me coupons. It's like they send me envelopes of money.
  • On my shopping trip, of course, I forgot things. I was so busy planning my ham dinner and soup, I forgot about dinner. My sweet husband, who always calls to see if we need anything, picked up the forgotten items. That's something to be thankful for. Now for the three men who read this blog, that is one way to win brownie points with your wife. If you don't have one, save that important information for later on.
  • While I was cooking dinner, the man in the big brown truck pulled up. For the first time in weeks, it wasn't supplies for Gman's work. He had a cooler full of food from Omaha Steaks for me. Now this was a thought that swirled in my mind earlier. I have never tasted an Omaha Steak, boy would that be a treat. My mouth is watering thinking about the delectable goodies in my freezer. It came from a dear friend at church. The receipt said, "God Bless". Wow! I had Gman drive that night so I could drool over the recipe book included. It was manna from Heaven.
This is what is in my freezer right now.

But it does lead back to thrift.

Now when I am thankful for the blessings that I have, I am thrifty. I am not trying to acquire something to make things better, improve my situation or try another quick fix. I am not looking at my friends and coveting their cars, clothes, houses, books or well-behaved children. Or in the words of BennyG, "Let's go covet some oxen." I have been known to stare at Omaha Steak ads for longer than I would like to admit. 

When I am thankful, I find myself hugging my kids more, being more gracious. When I am consumed with a thankful heart, my desires are diminished. I am less distracted by the externals. I am following His plan for me. It is not a gospel of prosperity, it is a gospel of peace. Peace in my heart and contentment. I am focusing on the necessities of life, not the bling, bling. Besides, I'll get my bling, bling in Heaven. It's in the Bible. 


Today is "Good Friday." 
Let's think about what is good. 
It may just be the lobotomy the doctor ordered.
I know I feel great after mine!


Have a great weekend,
TerriG.

I welcome reader comments with open arms. I also understand if you aren't the commenting or hugging type of person, you can drop me an email at accidentallyhomeschooling@gmail.com

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Saturday Soapbox

I can't help myself, it hit a raw nerve with me. This morning, while listening to xm radio, to hear updates about the tsunami warning, I got sucked in to the story. I really don't want to blog about news or politics. I really am not looking for this kind of stuff. This is my blog. It's my family, my life, our home schooling, me saving money, seeing my God move, and my stuff.

But I can't help it. I also don't want to criticize or be negative. That may make successful talk radio, but good blogging, no. My vision of an ultimate blog entry,
mind you, it has only been three weeks since I first ever wrote a blog entry, is to uplift.

NO, I will not lie to you and tell you how skinny you are. I hope to write something you can ponder about, put to use, or at least giggle about. Like somewhere in my posts about thrift, you may learn something to make you richer than Bill Gates. You may learn something about homeschooling or at least get a peek into our methods. You may meet the men I am surrounded by and pray for us me.

Today, you may not be uplifted. In fact, you may get annoyed by the current state of our world. You may think, I am just too uptight. You may be patting yourself on the back and saying in a self-righteous tone. "This is one reason we home school."

I heard there is a middle school in Elwood, Indiana that is using a matchmaker survey to match up students
and raise money. The story goes that the students were given the chance to go online and fill out this out survey to match up compatible students. They paid 1 or 2 dollars to do this. It was used to raise money for the drama club. Some details off the web...



Despite Everett’s alleged phone calls to the school, the superintendent said he has not received any official complaints from parents. He claimed the survey is harmless, and has been raising money for the school for the past 15 years.

"I approved this fundraiser on February 1st, and I knew about the content of the survey, and it's just a good way for kids to have a little fun,” said Thomas Austin, superintendent of Elwood Community Schools. “It’s a voluntary survey.”

I don't understand!
Where do I start?

I understand that God has created male and female. I understand the rest of the country may not share my thoughts on courtship. I'm o.k. with that. God said "It is not good for man to be alone." But unless you have stayed back for 10 years in middle school, you ain't a man.
Why would they encourage these early relationships?
Isn't school a place for academic learning?
Was this the same survey being used for 15 years?
Did any other parent question this in the past 15 years?
Who planned this fundraiser?

Everywhere schools are facing budgets cuts. Is this the answer? I guess in my naivete, I thought how about a bake sale? Oh nevermind, I just heard those were banned because they are contributing to obesity, a much larger issue, forgive the pun, than
teenage promiscuity.




*************WARNING TMI AHEAD*******************

Which leads to this raw nerve of mine.

I thought of the hours, days, weeks and years I wasted, concerned about the boy/girl stuff as a pre-teen and teen. In my years before Christ, I was consumed with obtaining the approval of the man species. I am sick to my stomach thinking about it. The insecurity I had about myself, led to so much unnecessary heartache.

I graduated high school 5 months pregnant. Yeah, that's not so uplifting.

It is though...The responsibility of taking care of a baby, while still a baby myself brought about some amazing things.

I didn't know what I was doing. I was bumbling through motherhood. Clueless, unmarried, broke and broken. Never before were my weaknesses so apparent. I had a crash course in reality.
Reality stunk, babies put a damper on my friends. When you are a foolish teenager, babies are cute for a few minutes, then the fun fades, quickly.

I was brought to my knees. I gave my life to Christ.
"If any man be in Christ, He is a new creation."
God in his mercy, recreated me!
I was clean, I was equipped for this awesome task of motherhood.
I had a Bible and a new best friend. I knew the Creator of the Earth.

That was 23 years ago and I still marvel at it.

Thanks for stopping by.
~TerriG

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Help, Lord, I’m Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler!

Whenever I go to the doctors office, I have the treat of reading People magazine on someone else's dime. In my cultural ignorance, I admit, I don't even know who most of these 'stars' are, but I still am fascinated by their lives. I felt that same eavesdropping feeling as I read Help, Lord, I’m Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler!. I am familiar with two of the 15 contributing authors, through a home school convention and training sessions. The other various families were 'stars' from all over the United States who have finished the race and launched their children into adulthood.
This e-book contains a variety of personal stories of successful families. Of course, there were some that reminded me of the infamous bragging Christmas letters. I put aside my envy of their musical accomplishments and really enjoyed my peek into their lives. The ones that I will go back to, are the practical ones with ideas to begin implementing today. They all are families that trusted in God, with the confidence that God will equip and direct them in this awesome responsibility. These families faced adversarial conditions: poverty, learning disabilities, infirmities, relocations and even rebellious children. The hope and confidence that these testimonies gave to me were a shot in the arm.
My personal top 3 favorite stories were:
    • A Tale of Two Sisters by by Regenia Spoerndle: A mother details the direction she went with her two daughters throughout their homeschooling years. I loved the candidness of her story. I could relate to the vast differences between her two children. She continually brought her needs to God and He was faithful to direct her family.
    • How Far Can You Go? High School? College? by Phyllis Sather: The story of this family is one of flexibility. They fit their schooling around their doctor visits, apprenticeships and ran with things that worked well. She continued to get back to the Bible in her teaching and reassessing her plans.
    • The Greatest Gift by Danielle Olander: This was the ultimate 'People' experience. A kid who was home schooled who went on the carry on the family tradition to teach her own 4 children. Her family had losses, yet she thrived. I laughed at her story.
    I'll never forget going to my first MassHOPE home schooling conference. My boys were only in kindergarten and first grade. One of the highlights was seeing a graduate recognition ceremony. I didn't know one single student, but I was beaming with pride at their accomplishments. It's a great idea to attend one of these graduations. If you cannot, consider purchasing this e-book. This is like "the rest of the story".
    The Old Schoolhouse carries many E-Books on the topic of high schooling. This e-book was an easy read(I knew all the words!), contained links to many resources, and is written from a strong Biblical world view. The numerous routes each family took helped me to think 'outside the box' in our planning for next year and beyond. It is available at The Old Schoolhouse Store for $12.45. This is and all of the Old Schoolhouse downloadable E-books come with a money back guarantee.
    *This E-Book was provided at no cost by the publisher for purpose of review.*

    Tuesday, February 9, 2010

    The Accidental Christian: God, the Scary Movie and Stop & Shop


    When I think of accidents, I don't always become gripped with fear, more often, I think of the times when I am pleasantly surprised by joy. Many of my major life decisions have been a result of a collision of crazy circumstances beyond my control. I wish I could say I spent hours in prayer, life planning and agonizing over well researched options for my future, but I won't lie. Like the day I came to Christ.

    There was a sudden change of plans. I was not going to Pennsylvania for the weekend. I ended up spending the weekend alone, my almost 2 year-old was at his bio-father's. I caved in and went to a church movie with this lady who kept inviting me. If I just went once, I could fulfill my agreement. "Sure, I'll go sometime." I was going to a movie with church people.

    SOMETIME was here. I walked into the nondescript building near the mall. So this is what that lady was so excited about? A plain cream-colored room with brown carpet and metal folding chairs. We began singing. Lucky for me the words were being projected on the wall. The feature movie was "Years of the Beast". I, who hated scary movies and still do, sat and watched the whole thing without food, a potty stop, or a quick nap. I was in awe. The movie was hokey, the acting terrible, but I was fascinated by the audience. They were completely enjoying the movie. They laughed at the silliness, cheered at the baptism, gave amens to the scripture quotes and gasped at the terror. When the movie ended, someone delivered a sermonette about salvation and Bible prophesy. Both topics were news to me. My church lady friend spoke to me. An older woman invited me to pray with her. I, being the pseudo-intellectual at the moment, replied "I need to make an informed decision." I meant that. I had never heard the plan of salvation in my whole 20 years of life. You mean to tell me it is that simple? Impossible. The one thing I did know is, I was a sinner. I must become an informed sinner. I did the most logical thing to do after watching a movie and hearing the gospel.

    I went to Stop and Shop to get some food. I was hungry. I also headed for their Barnes and Noble Book Section. I found a New King James Bible and bought it that very night. I was not going to get one written by those people in the church. What if they wrote their own Bible? After replacing the calories burned by fretting over the movie, I was ready to find out what to do about my sin. I played Bible roulette and opened it up to the middle of the Bible. Proverbs. This was the best Bible for a new Bible reader like me. I quickly found out what the Bible says about overcoming sin, how to recognize a good church, how to be free from gluttony, and the plan of salvation. There were title pages with questions that I had, and simple scriptures to show me what God's word says about each topic. This was too good to be true. I decided that night I would return to the church the next night for a rock concert. I was convinced it was not too late for me. What if I didn't cancel my plans last minute? What if I went to Shaws and didn't get a Bible? God in His sovereign plan would have gotten my attention. I am so thankful for the weekend that I accidentally stumbled into God, His word and a new life. That was June of 1986.....