God Made, Home Grown

"God Made, Home Grown" Grows Up!

2011-03-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

Starting a blog is a lot like having a baby.

When you’re first setting it up, it seems awfully small and insignificant…especially when compared to the “big kid” blogs in town.

But slowly, over time, as you nurture it, feed it, and invest a lot of yourself in it…

…your baby–I mean, blog–grows up! (Sniff, sniff)

And so, after much, um, labor, it seemed fitting for me to give my toddler blog some new clothes and more space to stretch its legs and move about.

Business tech expert, family man, and my good friend, Andy Traub, has moved my blog to WordPress! Go ahead, take a look...Isn’t it cute?

(when you visit Andy’s blog to tell him what a great job he did, be sure to congratulate him and his wife on the expectation of their third baby!)

I also have my own domain name now: www.godmadehomegrown.com . Please update your bookmarks!

We may experience some growing pains over there over the next few weeks, but the time has come to let this baby stand on it’s own two feet.

If you notice anything that needs tending to, please feel free to email me at tiana at godmadehomegrown dot com. (that’s right, I have a new email address, too!)

Oh! And to celebrate, I’ll be hosting some great giveaways over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

By His Grace,

Tiana

A Gentle Reminder

2011-03-11T13:43:00.000-08:00

I was reminded of this poem by a friend this afternoon...

"Babies Don't Keep"

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth

empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue

(lullaby, rockabye, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew

and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

-- Author Unknown

I sit here and type with my baby in my sling.

My two year old tornado is all calm and quiet, blissfully napping, resting up for the mischief that must be made this afternoon.

The older two are upstairs, curled up in their own beds with good books.

And the house is quiet. So I write.

This mama still has a whole lot to learn about balance...

about letting go of perfectionism...

about taking life slow.

There are 7 windows open in my browser--evidence of my struggle with focused, purposeful living. I wish I had time to do something with all the ideas that are in my head, but I don't. So I close them all, and sigh peacefully.

Babies don't keep...

Toddlers don't keep either,

nor do four year olds (e-hem, "I'm almost five, Mom!"),

or six year olds.

Ideas come, and ideas go, and writing waits, and my children grow up.

I hear a little blond girl happily singing upstairs...is rest time really over?...and the thought that once made me frown makes me smile.

Yes, there is laundry to do, but she'll help me.

There is homemade granola to pull out of the oven, and homemade hot cocoa to drink--evidences that I am winning the battle against the thief.

And there are dishes to wash,

And supper to prepare,

And a baby in the sling,

And children to teach to love Him more than life itself.

Can I really be happy in this life, serving my God and my husband in my home, if nobody else notices or cares? If what I do here is never recognized, commended, or even valued by the world around me?

Yes, at last,

I think that, maybe,

I can.

Homeschooling the Precocious Preschooler

2011-03-09T08:08:00.000-08:00

Question: My three-and-a-half year old daughter seems to be advanced for her age. She can already recognize most of her letters, and she’s begging me to give her “schoolwork” just like her older brother is doing.

I know a lot of homeschoolers say “better late than early”, and I don’t want to push her, but I don’t want to ignore her interests, either. Do you have any suggestions for beginning academic work for a young, but eager, preschooler?

Answer: I think many homeschooling parents struggle with when and how to start “doing school” with their younger children. We often hear conflicting advice from “the experts”. I’ve heard of programs designed to teach babies to “read”. On the other hand, there are folks who advocate waiting to begin any formal academics until children are 8, 9, or even 10 years old. We don’t know who to believe!

In my opinion, a lot of the confusion stems from cultural conditioning. Despite our separation from “the system”, we still, perhaps unwittingly, buy into some of its philosophy. The government school system tells us that Kindergarten begins in the September after which a child turns 5, and not a moment sooner. (If you’re child turns five on September 2nd, forget it!) However, the fact remains that readiness for school varies from child to child. I’ve met some 4-year-olds who are completely capable of doing “first grade” schoolwork, as well as 8 year olds who are still struggling with basic phonics skills.

All this to say that you know your child best. If your daughter is interested and excited to learn, don’t be afraid that you’ll somehow damage her by giving her schoolwork!

That being said, here are a few recommendations that I have for early academic work for the more “advanced” preschooler. These are ideas that have worked for us, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll work for everyone.

I would encourage you to remember to keep it simple. Most early learning can be accomplished by reading out loud, especially the Bible, and playing, especially outside. Helping out with household tasks such as sorting laundry or measuring ingredients for a recipe are also great opportunities for learning. Do your best not to fill your child’s life with academics to the point of neglecting these other areas.

Also, please don’t spend a lot of money on a fancy phonics program or math manipulatives. With a child who is truly “ready”, they’re probably an unnecessary expenditure. Of course, if you already own some things that you’ve used for your older children, go ahead and give them a try. Otherwise, here are a few ideas for teaching the “Three R’s” that have worked for us:

Reading– “Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons” is my top pick for simplicity, effectiveness, and cost. It is my hands-down favorite phonics curriculum, and it is perfect for the precocious preschooler. I purchased my copy of the book on homeschoolclassifieds.com for less than $10. You may even be able to borrow a copy from your local library before you decide to buy. The best part is how it is designed to be done while snuggling with your child on the couch. I even teach reading while nursing the baby.

Writing– I purchased a dry erase alphabet practice book for about $5 at Wal Mart. It has letters to copy and is filled with colorful pictures. My daughter never tires of it, even though she is almost 5 and has been using it for 2 years. Just be sure to cover your little one’s clothing with a paint shirt or smock, as dry erase marker will not wash out!

Arithmetic– Math manipulatives are not hard to find if you are creative. We’ve had many a counting lesson while snacking on grapes! Almost any collection of little toys can be used as math manipulatives. I happened to find a set of colorful counting bears at a discount store for $3. Then, using a Magnadoodle as a “slate” (a la Laura Ingalls Wilder), my daughter would count out bears and write numbers. After a while, I began to write simple equations (e.g. 2+2=4) and have her build them with bears. In this way, she could do her own math lessons while her older brother was completing his.

So, there you have it! Pretty simple, huh? I hope you some of these ideas will work for you…but please don’t beat yourself up if they don’t. Every child is different! Remember, you’ve taught your child how to walk and talk and many other important things already! Ideally, you want learning to continue to be a relaxed and enjoyable experience for both of you.

Blessings to You on Your Journey!

Tiana

Spending Less Time On the Internet...

2011-02-28T03:57:00.000-08:00

hasn't made me a better blogger, but it has made me a better mother.

I haven't written much, but I have baked more cookies,

read more books,

and caught up on the laundry in a way that might be called semi-permanent.

I've snuggled more, taught more, and argued less.

I'm thinking more clearly, and struggling less with the details of life.

It hasn't been easy, and there have been some days that I have failed. It's not as though I haven't had anything to write about...

...but other things have become more important. I certainly don't think I'm done writing, but I think I'm at a point of "less writing" until I can get some other areas of life into focus.

When I can write, I will. When I can't, I won't...and I won't hold it against myself. Perhaps, in this way, my writing will be more Spirit-led.

I'd love to share some of the things that God has been teaching me during this time, but it will have to wait.

It will have to wait.

A Valentine

2011-02-16T05:36:00.000-08:00

Acacia received a Valentine from Grandma this week.

She read every word of it...

At least a dozen times...

She counted how many pretty flowers there were, and told me how the little girl in the picture looked "just like her"...except for the short hair...

Oh, that I might treasure God's love letter to me as dearly!!!

"Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.

Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.

I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.

I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.

I hold back my feet from every evil way,
in order to keep your word.

I do not turn aside from your rules,
for you have taught me.

How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way."

Psalm 119:97-104

A Stricter Judgement

2011-02-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, I read an online article about homeschooling that annoys me.

Because articles like this one pop up every couple of months or so, (and frankly, because I doubt that they are written by anyone who is actually qualified to talk), I'm not going to do any linking, quoting or copying. However, allow me to attempt to paraphrase the thesis statement:

"Homeschooling your children is a big decision that should not be taken lightly. It is a lot of work, and it will completely change your lifestyle. Not everyone is cut out to homeschool, but if you are one of those amazing parents who 'has what it takes', congratulations to you and good luck!"

Why does this annoy me, you ask? Shouldn't parents "count to cost" before they build?

Of course, educating our children at home requires some forethought and planning. I won't dispute that. However, I think for a lot of people, there is a "mystique" about teaching that makes them believe that education is something that is best left to the "trained professionals".

"Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers,
for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness."
James 3:1

I've heard Christians use this passage to argue that not everyone is equipped to be a teacher, and that some people just don't belong doing it.

Maybe so, but there's one small problem with this line of thinking...

If you are a parent, you are already called to be a teacher, whether you like it or not.

Ouch.

"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

You. That means parents.

Notice that Moses didn't give the people the option of sending their children off to a trained Rabbi if they didn't have the "gift of teaching". Nowhere does God institute a school system where the Hebrew children can get together for grade level instruction in the Book of the Law.

It was the parents' job. Period.

It's a lot like the professional ball player a few years back who told us all that he didn't think he was a role model and didn't want to be a role model.

Sorry. Too bad. You already are a role model...now, what are you going to do about it?

What am I going to do about it? Well, the only thing I know to do about it is to homeschool my kids, endeavoring to give them as close to a biblical education as possible.

But, maybe that's just me.

How to Tear Down Your Own House...

2011-02-05T08:16:00.000-08:00

In 12 Easy Steps!

"The wise woman builds her house,

But the foolish tears it down with her own hands."

Proverbs 14:1

The Thief

2011-02-03T11:27:00.000-08:00

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

John 10:10

There is a thief in my house...

A thief that robs me of my time...

It promises me peace, and happiness, and fulfillment...for a price.

It wants "just a minute...maybe 2...or 10,"
and then, the afternoon is gone.

Yes, there is a thief in my house.

It steals my energy and my joy, and leaves me with disconnected relationships and chaos.

It says to my precious children, "Not right now, sweetie, Mom's busy,"

It says of the housework, "That can wait,"

And it says to my dear, hard-working husband, "I'm afraid dinner will be late,"
and "Don't worry, I'll hand deliver that bill tomorrow,"
and, "I'm sorry...I forgot."

There's a thief in my house, and I've let it in.

That thief is the internet.

There, I said it.

But, here's the thing...

It doesn't have to be a thief.

If I can tame it...control it...master it rather than allowing it to have mastery over me,
it can be a very useful tool.

"'All things are lawful for me,'

but not all things are helpful.

'All things are lawful for me,'

but I will not be enslaved by anything."

1 Corinthians 6:12

So, what's a mama to do?

If I'm going to be obedient to God in my responsibilities to Him, my family, and my home, while also continuing in this ministry I have of writing online, something has to change.

And so, I have new rules:

1. I will not turn on my computer in the morning before I have read my Bible.

2. I will do a general email check only twice per day--once in the morning, once at night. 15 minutes each. If a more lengthy response is needed to any messages, I will make a hand written note of it, and tend to it during afternoon rest time.

3. I will not go on Facebook unless the children are in their beds.

4. If I need to use the computer during the day (for example, to print out copywork or look at my checking account balance), I will do so without looking at other websites and will limit myself to 5 minutes. I will set my timer.

5. I will compose all blog posts on paper first, so I can be more involved with my children as I write. I will type out my blog posts during afternoon rest time, after bedtime, or first thing in the morning, before the children wake up.

6. Once rest time is over, I will shut down my computer until after the children are in bed for the night. (*Note: My husband leaves for work insanely early in the morning, and therefore, is usually in bed before the children. If he happens to be awake, this time belongs to him.)

7. Whenever possible, I will call a "real life" Titus 2 friend when I have a question before posting on a message board. I will think three times before entering online conversations. "Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger." James 1:19

8. When I am overwhelmed, I will take a deep breath, take my supplements, and take my anxieties to the LORD. I will replace "escaping to the internet" with "prayer without ceasing".

OUCH. That was hard.

So, what does this mean to you?

Well, for one thing, it means you won't hear as much from me on Facebook. That's probably a good thing.

Hopefully it means I will actually be a better blogger. Writing things out longhand, combined with limiting my time "in front of the box", might mean that I'll write more and better content. So often, I sit down at the computer to write and end up spending an hour doing anything but writing.

So that's where I'm at.

These rules may need some tweaking over the next few weeks, as I bring this area of my life into obedience to Christ, but it's a beginning.

By His Grace,

Tiana

P.S.--Do you have any internet "rules" for yourself? If so, what are they? I'd love to hear about them.

Snowed In!!--Molasses on Snow Candy

2011-02-01T11:45:00.000-08:00

We're snowed in, and if the weatherman is right, we'll be snowed in for the next few days.

Little ones can get pretty stir crazy if they are cooped up indoors, so I've been busy coming up with ways to keep them busy...

Today, we made Molasses on Snow Candy. You can find the recipe on page 192 of The Little House Cookbook by Barbara M. Walker. We decided to make a half-batch because we didn't have enough molasses in the house to make more.

Step one: Asher measured 1/2 cup dark molasses (i.e. all the molasses we had left in the house) into a liquid measuring cup.

Step two: We combined the molasses with 1/4 dark brown sugar in a 2 quart saucepan. (Don't use a smaller pan, the mixture needs room to boil). Stir the molasses and sugar together over medium heat, until it comes to a boil.

Continue to cook and stir the bubbly mixture for 5 minutes. Mixture is ready when a small amount dropped in a glass of cold water turns solid, like this:

This picture didn't turn out the greatest, but you get the idea...

Meanwhile, fill several cake pans with fresh, clean snow. This was Asher's favorite part!

You can store the pans outside until you're ready to poor the candy. Bring the pans inside--being careful not to dump snow all over the kitchen floor!--and set them on the table. We chose to cover the table with an old towel to catch any melting snow.

Drizzle the mixture into the snow, making whatever shapes you'd like!

We learned that you need to do this part rather quickly. If the molasses mixture cools, it becomes hard and stringy, and difficult to pour. When it hits the snow, the molasses will harden almost instantly, and become candy! We enjoyed some of it right away, and put the rest in the fridge to save for when daddy gets home.

Be sure to keep a wet washcloth handy, for all those little, sticky fingers...

HAVE FUN!!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2011-01-21T11:10:00.000-08:00

I got out of bed at 2:45 this morning, as I do most mornings, to pour my husband's coffee, pack his lunch, and send him off to work.

The world outside was dark, and my kitchen floor was cold. I could feel the icy air breaking into the house through the leaky door frame.

Chris joined me in the kitchen, and as he put on his coveralls, he called "the weather lady". He set the phone to "speaker", and put it on the counter.

"Good evening," she said (she never says "morning" until it is past the time at which reasonable people get out of bed), "the time is 3--05--temperature--negative--7".

Yikes. The coldest day of the season so far.

He kissed me good-bye, and I handed him his cooler.

"Keep those kids inside today, and try to stay warm..."

I sat on the couch to have my quiet time with the LORD, and then, I crawled back into bed to snuggle my sleeping baby for another hour or two before the rest of the world woke up.

As I drifted off to sleep, I got to thinking...

There are folks who think that, by homeschooling my children, I am being over-protective.

I've been told that my children need to be spending a great deal of time outside of my house, away from me, being exposed to people who think and believe differently than my husband and I do.

And I wonder...

--What would those same people think if I chose to send my children outside today, in the bitter cold, without the proper clothing?

--What if they weren't wearing a winter coat, and hat? No mittens? No snow pants? No heavy socks? No waterproof boots?

--What if I sent them out after breakfast, and forbid them from coming inside until late afternoon?

--And what if, when questioned, I said that I did all this because I believed that they needed to be exposed to lots of cold air? That not to do so would be overprotecting them?

Would they agree with my logic, or would they implore me to shelter them inside, where it is warm? Would they not admonish me to wrap them up snugly in winter attire before sending them out next time?

The truth is, we live in a world that is cold and uncaring toward our children.

Sending little, fragile souls out into it alone, for long periods of time, without first giving them the covering of a thorough understanding of the Word of God is just as irresponsible as sending them out to play in below zero weather wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea."

Mark 9:42

The only real difference is one of time.

We see the effects of frostbite almost immediately.

...blue fingers, noses, and cheeks...Numb toes...that throbbing sensation...

When frostbite is severe, the results can be permanent. Some people feel pain in the affected areas of their bodies every time they are ever out in the cold again, for the rest of their lives. Some people even lose fingers and toes.

The effects of sending our children away from us, to secular caregivers, teachers, and institutions, are more subtle at first. We may not notice the results of the seeds of doubt that are planted in our children's hearts until much later in life, but we will see them. 75-88% of children raised in evangelical Christian homes walk away from Christianity by the time they reach their freshman year of college. Most of the time, permanently.

We reap what we sow.

So today, I'll keep my little ones indoors. I'll dress them in warm clothes, keep the furnace blowing, and feed them nutritious foods to grow their bodies healthy and strong. Another day, I'll wrap them in their winter outerwear and take them outside. I'll bring them back in before it gets to be too much, and I'll give them warm milk, mixed with honey, and cinnamon, and nutmeg to drink.

More importantly, I'll teach them the Bible. I'll teach them what we believe and why we believe it. I'll teach them about the issues of our day and age, at a level they can understand, and I'll teach them how to think critically about those issues. I'll teach them discernment.

I'll take my responsibility to teach, train, and prepare my children in the ways of the LORD seriously.

And when the cold wind blows, and the wolf comes howling at our door, by God's mercy, they will fear no evil, for He is with them.

And when they leave my house, and go out into the world, if I've done my job they will be strong and faithful, equipped for whatever the World and the Enemy may throw their way.

By His Grace,

Tiana

Praying for Little Ones

2011-01-18T12:28:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was encouraged by my friends At The Well to pray more specifically and intentionally for my husband.

This new way of thinking and praying made a huge difference–in me!–and it got me to thinking about how God has been teaching me to pray for my children.

Life with preschoolers can certainly drive us to our knees. The question is, what are we praying? Are they surface level prayers? Are we pleading to God to just get us through the next 10 minutes?

One passage of Scripture that has helped me to pray for my children in a more focused way is Luke 2:52,

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”

With that in mind, here is a simple weekly plan for praying for our preschoolers:

Sunday–Their Salvation. We pray that our children would come to Jesus Christ as Savior through repentance and faith at the earliest possible age.

Monday–Their Education. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and understanding.” Proverbs 1:7. We pray that God would give us wisdom as we teach our children, and that they would eagerly receive instruction.

Tuesday–Their Physical Growth and Health. We pray that the LORD would continue to care for and protect our little one’s physical bodies, that they might be healthy and strong for His service.

Wednesday–Their Obedience. We pray that God would teach our children to obey and honor us, their parents, for His sake. (Ephesians 6:1)

Thursday–Their Relationships. We pray that our little ones would learn to love their neighbors, including those in their own household, as they love themselves. We pray that He would bless them with close, loving relationships within their families and the Body of Christ, and that He would teach them to show His love to those who do not know Him.

Friday–Their Protection. We pray that God would place his hedge of protection around our children, and that He would keep the Evil One far away from them.

Saturday–Their Purpose. None of us know what our children will grow up to be. We pray that God would use our children mightily in His Kingdom–that the would be His faithful, lifelong servants–and that He would make His calling on their lives clear to them.

**I noticed this morning, as I went to post this, that this week’s project At the Well is praying for our children! Their list is different, and definitely worth considering.**

By His Grace,

Tiana

A New Adventure

2011-01-12T05:41:00.000-08:00

I am delighted to announce that, as of the beginning of this new year, I will be a regular contributor to At The Well: In Pursuit of Titus 2.

I really enjoyed writing a guest post for them a while back. My first post as an official contributor debuted this morning:

http://www.titus2atthewell.com/prayer-for-a-tired-mom/

Please hop over and pay them a visit!

One of the things I love so much about being "At The Well" is their commitment to encouraging and exhorting women in our roles as wives, mothers, and homemakers. I have been blessed and stretched by the series of weekly practical application projects they are doing each Monday in 2011:

Last week's challenge was to begin each day in the Word of God--a habit that, I confess, I fall in and out of routinely. It was a lot easier to do when I had only myself to care for. Now, there are six of us!

This week's challenge, however, has inspired me on a different level:

http://www.titus2atthewell.com/project-2-prayers-for-our-husband/

I know I don't pray for my husband enough.

It's not that I don't think of him or care about him throughout the day, but sometimes I have a hard time focusing. I know I should pray, but too often, I don't know what to pray.

So, I took the prayer calendar from this post and put it in my sidebar. It will serve as a reminder to me, as well as to anyone else who'd like to join me in praying more intentionally and specifically for our husbands.

There are so many habits that I'd like to change and improve on in myself. It's tempting for me to get down on myself...to dwell on my shortcomings and allow them to paralyze me--but I'm not really the one who makes the change, am I? Christ is working in me to make it happen.

"for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

Philippians 2:13

I am so thankful that God is not finished with me yet.

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you Only let us hold true to what we have attained."

Philippians 3:12-15

Where to Start?--History with Preschoolers

2011-01-11T01:47:00.000-08:00

I dare you.

Ask your preschoolers how old you are. Then, ask them how old grandma and grandpa are.

The answers you get will probably be quite amusing!

I remember when I was about three years old, asking my mother what life was like back when there was no color in the world. She gave me a perplexed look…and then, the light went on.

I had recently seen a old black-and-white movie on television. After we had discussed why there was no color in the movie, I had come to the ridiculous conclusion that the entire world was colorless when my mother was a child–and that God had only recently decided to paint our planet!

I’m sure you can tell similar stories about your own childhood–young children tend to have a warped perspective when it comes to time.

So how do we change that? How do we teach history in a way that will at all make sense?

It all depends on where you start.

Click here to read more...

Tax Breaks for Homeschooling Families--Carrot or Stick?

2011-01-07T11:54:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of chatirygirl

With the election over, and the new year begun, it's time to send our representatives to Washington.

Some of our newly elected representatives may think they are doing homeschoolers a favor by giving us tax breaks.

Now, don't get me wrong...I love tax breaks! Don't we all?

However, "favors" almost always come with strings attached...

Strings that homeschoolers would prefer to do without, such as:

State involvement in curriculum choice,
Standardized testing (based on government school curriculum, of course),
Mandating that students who perform poorly on standardized tests be enrolled in public school,
Piles of paperwork, phone interviews, or even school official visits, to "prove" that we are homeschooling,
A general attitude of distrust that says, "We (the state) have given you so much. Now we expect a few things in return."

Would these kinds of things happen right away? Maybe, maybe not.

However, this is the kind of thing that can give the government a proverbial foot-in-the-door into our lives. If we don't see "sticks" like these show up immediately in "carrot" proposals, that doesn't mean they won't come. Should the LORD tarry, we will have elections again, and the next batch of representatives may not be nearly as sympathetic to homeschooling.

While it would be nice to keep more of our own money, we don't need it in the form of targeted tax cuts that will impose more regulation on homeschoolers.

Finding a way to curb out-of-control, wasteful spending on government education--now that would save everyone money! I can figure out a way to give my children a superb education without spending $9,000 per child per year...why can't the state?

For further reading on this subject, please visit:

SpunkyHomeSchool--Homeschoolers and Tax Breaks --she has some critical words for the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). This is an organization I respect, but it needed to be said. If you're a member of HSLDA, you especially need to read this and let them know what you think about it.

Wisconsin Parents Association (WPA): An Open Letter to Our Legislators --This is very well-written letter from my state's homeschool advocacy group. If you're from Wisconsin, WPA encourages you to print as many copies as you need and send them to your state elected officials. If you aren't up here with me, enjoying 14 degree weather (that's before the wind), please consider using this letter as a template, and writing your own letter.

By His Grace,

Tiana

Biblical Literacy for Preschoolers in 2011

2011-01-05T06:39:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!!

A photo taken by my sister, at Grandma and Grandpa's house, on Christmas Day. From left to right: Micah (2), Eliora (6 weeks), Tiana, Acacia (4), Christopher, Asher (6)

In 2011, many Christians, including myself, have decided that they are going to read through the entire Bible at least once. If you’re looking for a Bible reading plan to help you make that happen, check out YouVersion.

But, what about your preschoolers? Can you read the Bible, from cover to cover, to them?

Probably not–for a whole host of reasons–not the least of which being that many parts of the Bible aren’t exactly “G-Rated”. (Although, my friends At The Well presented a slightly different opinion this morning that still has me thinking.)

So what’s the solution? Allow me to introduce you to my favorite way to chronologically teach the Bible to young children.

Click here to read more...

Top Ten of 2010

2010-12-28T09:40:00.000-08:00

You all know how much I like to fit in and follow the crowd...

...and so, because it seems to me that all the cool people are doing it, I've decided to publish my own "Top Ten" posts list.

I didn't do any major statistical analysis. These are just some of my favorites. Consider them the "in crowd" of blog posts.

10. What Kids Really Need -- in which Acacia points out the obvious, and I (as per usual) risk being misquoted.

9. "Doing School" -- in which life is school, and not necessarily the other way around.

8. 10 Pieces of Good Advice from Experienced Homeschool Moms -- a "top ten" within a "top ten", in which I cheat and post other people's best stuff, rather than my own.

7. Whose Baby is it Really? -- in which an imaginative toddler reminds me of an important theological lesson.

6. Coming Out of the Closet -- in which I answer the dreaded question, "Haven't you guys figured out how that happens yet?"

5. The World is Not Enough --in which I discuss what's really missing from government run education, and it has nothing to do with test scores...

4. Don't Be Afraid, Have Faith -- in which I admit I can't knit.

3. Am I Really Content? -- in which I admit I can't knit, or garden, or keep a clutter-free home...but I do know how to break the 10th commandment.

2. Enough Rope to Hang Myself -- in which I am reminded that I'll never actually be part of the "in crowd"...and I'm okay with that.

1. Decisions or Disciples? -- in which I ask an uncomfortable question that has been bothering me for a long time, and should bother you, too.

So, there you have it! Ten posts that have made me smile in 2010. Hopefully, they've made you smile...and think...too!

May He bless you and yours richly in the year to come! "See" you in 2011!

By His Grace,

Tiana

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-25T00:08:00.000-08:00

No long, eloquent, family Christmas letter this year...

Just a simple, heart-felt, prayer that Jesus Christ,

The Babe in the Manger,

The Savior on the Cross,

The Resurrected Son of God,

And Soon Coming King,

Bring His Redemptive Grace to you and your family.

Micah, Acacia, Asher, and baby Eliora
December 2010

With Love and Gratitude from Our Family,

Tiana
December 25, 2010

p.s.--Give your children the gift of biblical literacy in 2011:
Top Ten List: Practical Tips for Teaching Your Children About the Bible

Living Books to Read This Week

2010-12-24T14:16:00.000-08:00

Have you been running around like crazy, getting your family and home ready for Christmas?

How about a time-out with your little ones?

Here are a few great reads, perfect for snuggling on the couch on a cold winter’s night…

The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter– Most of us are familiar with Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, and Tom Kitten, but many may have missed this fine gem, believed to be Ms. Potter’s own favorite among her books. It is a delightful tale, in the spirit of “The Elves and the Shoemaker”, of a poor old tailor, a bitter cat, and the little mice who give a grand Christmas gift.

Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne, Chapter 8, “In Which Christopher Robin Leads an Expotition to the North Pole” — Another classic (and far better than any modern re-telling), Winnie-the-Pooh’s discovery of the North Pole is adorable and entertaining for children and adults alike.

Katie and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton– While you listen to the snow plows clatter down your street, read this fun little story of the BIG red crawler tractor that was just the right size for the job.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, “Christmas”–Really, this entire book makes a wonderful winter read, but the chapter about Christmas is absolutely perfect for this week. Don’t let the fact that it’s a chapter book deter you. Mrs. Wilder wrote this book about her young childhood specifically with young children in mind.

The Very First Christmas by Paul L. Maier– This book will help you communicate with your little ones that the real, true, story of Christmas is fact, not fantasy. It may be a little long for younger preschoolers, so try breaking it up into smaller chunks if you have squirmy ones without a lot of “sit” in them. The illustrations are beautiful, and your children will likely relate to the little boy who is full of questions!

So, what about you? What are you reading this week?

Pray for Micah Andrews--Micah and Family Featured on Good Morning America!

2010-12-20T11:54:00.000-08:00

Hello friends!

It's been a long time since I've given you an update about Micah Andrews.

The results of his surgery and subsequent therapy have been nothing short of miraculous!

Watch this video featuring Micah, his parents, and the medical team that cared for him, from Good Morning America:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/boy-suffers-internal-decapitation/story?id=12035541&tqkw=&tqshow=GMA

George Stephanopoulos talks about the importance of car seats, and immobilizing the spine after a neck injury.

True. But you and I both know that Micah had a lot of people praying for him. We serve an amazing God who does miracles every day!

I am so overjoyed for my friends Heather and John and their family! What a wonderful Christmas present they've received this year!

Please take a minute to hop over to Micah's blog, and send a note of congratulations and rejoicing to them!

By His Grace,

Tiana

Jesus Has Better News for You

2010-12-20T03:11:00.000-08:00

"Santa Claus is coming to town, so get your act together! That is not good news for me. That's bad news...I've got better news for you...way better for sinners...and everyone is walking into the holidays sinning." John Piper

Last year, at about this time, I wrote a post about why we believe it is unwise for Christian parents to tell little children that Santa Claus is "real":

Real or Pretend?

I have to confess, though, that I missed this one...

And, wow, is it ever important!

The Gospel...God, coming to earth, as a human baby...

To live the perfect life we cannot live...

And die in our place, taking the punishment we deserve for our sins...

That we might be forgiven...

and, through repentance and faith, be righteous before God...

This is the true message of Christmas.

"For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us,

not because of works done by us in righteousness,

but according to his own mercy,

by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

so that being justified by his grace

we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Titus 3:4-7

Eliora Grace's Birth Story

2010-12-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

(Yeah! I finally finished it! This is a "real" birth story...so if that's not your thing, you have been warned...)

Friday, November 19^th, was the day after my husband’s birthday. We went out to our favorite little Italian restaurant with my mom, my sister, and the kids to celebrate. While we were there, I had several attention-grabbing contractions. My mom and sister were curious—is this “it”?

“Who knows??” was my response. I had been having contractions off and on for several days already. Some people call it prodromal labor. I just call it “the-way-things-happen-for-me”.

I was six days “overdue” according to ultrasound—more than two weeks past my highly-unreliable LMP due date. I took this all in stride, though. All three of my other babies had come late. With Asher, I was induced at 10 days “late”. Acacia came on her own at 11 days “late”, and Micah on his own at 12.

I told everyone I knew not to get too excited. If things held true to pattern, I’d be birthing this baby on Thanksgiving Day.

We went home, tucked the kids in bed, and everyone had a good night’s sleep.

Micah, my 2-year-old, got me out of bed at 7am. I vaguely remember having a few contractions wake me in the middle of the night, but nothing earth shattering. As I worked to fix breakfast, however, I noticed that my contractions started to become more regular. They weren’t particularly painful, but they were stronger and coming more frequently.

I made a delicious pot of oatmeal with raisins for breakfast for the little ones and myself. I had learned from my past births that it is important for me to eat and drink as well as I can during early labor. For whatever reason, I happen to throw up a lot during active labor. At this early stage, I felt well and had a lot of energy, so I set to work to clean the house and see the bottom of the laundry pile, in preparations to birth my baby at home.

This was to be my third homebirth. My eldest was born via emergency c-section, after my body overreacted to an induction drug, Cytotech, causing contractions that were too strong and too close together for my baby to tolerate. Having been thoroughly unsatisfied with the care I received during his birth (this is an understatement, but that’s all I want too say about it now), and after much research and prayer, we decided that HBAC—Home Birth After Cesarean—was the right choice for me and our babies. (To read the story of my 1^st HBAC, click here. I never got around to finishing my 2^nd HBAC story. Perhaps another day…).

Although it was Saturday, my husband was out of town, about an hour away, at a very important, mandatory meeting for work. We had never really considered having him skip it, since I had never gone into labor earlier than 41.5 weeks before—and this was 41 weeks exactly. It was only to last about an hour and a half, which would have him home by early afternoon. While I was pretty certain that baby was not actually going to wait until Thanksgiving, I wasn’t too concerned about his leaving the house. I was doing well, and he had plenty of time.

And so, I went about the house, up and down the stairs with baskets of laundry, tidying and straightening, all the while tending to my children and their needs. I was happy to have things starting so early in the day. My labor with Micah had begun in the early evening, and I was thoroughly exhausted by the time he came at 10:21am the next day. I was determined to not have that happen to me again, so I moved through the contractions. I lifted my knees high as I went up the stairs, and squatted down low when I needed to pick things up off the floor.

About half way through the morning I decided to call my sister and ask her to come over. Yes, I was fine…yes, things were still early…but I wanted some company, and it would be easier to keep the children happy and out of mischief with an extra set of hands. Auntie gladly came over and spent the next several hours with us. She not only played with the children, but also folded and put away several baskets of clothes. With the laundry pile dissipated, the dishes done, the bathroom scrubbed, the floors vacuumed, and the bed made, I felt at peace about baby coming. I took a nice, long shower and washed my hair.

We all ate lunch together and shortly thereafter, Chris came home. We all decided that it would be the better part of wisdom for the children to go with Auntie to Grandma’s house at this point. We packed a small suitcase, I gave them all big hugs and kisses, and Chris loaded them into the van. It was around 2pm.

Alone in the house, and with contractions becoming more attention grabbing, I decided to call Ginnie, my midwife, to give her the “head’s up”. I did this more as a courtesy than anything else. I knew that it was still early, and that early labor tends to take a long time for me, but I wanted her to know that I might be waking her in the middle of the night, so that she could go to bed early.

With the kids gone, I thought I should really take a nap…but I couldn’t do it. I was too wide awake. So, I took a bubble bath. Chris came home just as I was finishing up, and he helped me out of the tub. Still, I wasn’t tired enough to sleep. So, I made almond poppy-seed muffins instead, and loaded the dishwasher again.

Ginnie called at around 5pm to ask for an update. Things hadn’t changed much, and I had stopped timing contractions altogether. She encouraged us to have an early dinner and an early bedtime. I should call again in the morning, unless I had to call sooner.

Chris and I enjoyed a quiet evening together. He made himself a sandwich, and I re-warmed some leftover rice and vegetables. I wasn’t feeling that much like eating, but since I could, I knew I should. We went to bed at 7pm.

As hard as I tried, I couldn’t sleep. The contractions were getting more painful. Every time one would wake me up, I started having anxious thoughts. Chris tried talking me through some of the relaxation exercises we had learned in our Bradley classes way-back-when, but I wasn’t hearing it. I hated lying down. By 9pm, I gave up and got out of bed. I let Chris continue to sleep. I could still handle things alone, and I knew I would need him later.

If I couldn’t sleep, I needed to at least rest. I decided to lay on the couch with a favorite movie that I never get to watch—Sense and Sensibility—all by myself! This was very relaxing, and I really enjoyed myself. When it was over (three hours later) I got in the shower again. Once I got out, I was starting to feel nauseas, and threw up once or twice. Thankfully, I had been drinking to thirst all day long, so I was well hydrated.

I spent the next several hours getting in and out of bed, trying to sleep, and going across the hall to the bathroom as necessary. At around 3:45am, I finally relaxed enough to fall asleep between contractions, and got two hours of much needed sleep.

At quarter to six, I woke up Chris. This was starting to feel “real”, and I needed help. I was so happy that I allowed him a good night’s sleep! He was well-rested and ready to help me! He did such a great job of rubbing my back and talking me through the contractions. I guess, with this being our fourth baby, he was becoming a “pro”!

It was definitely time to call Ginnie! When I felt comfortable enough to have a conversation, I got on the phone and told her that I thought it was time for her to come. As we were discussing how my labor had progressed through the night, I had a particularly strong contraction and dropped the phone on the bed.

This is where the story starts to get interesting…

Chris picked up the phone—and Ginnie had hung up! This was not typical of her, so I tried calling her back, but the phone was busy!

I thought that perhaps she was calling Anneke, her assistant, to let her know that she was getting ready to go. I breathed and concentrated through another contraction, and then tried calling her again.

I was NOT prepared for what I was going to hear next.

“Tiana, I have another mom in labor right now. She went into labor early. She just called me, and her contractions are already 2 minutes apart. She has very fast labors.”

It was all I could do just to process this information. Ginnie continued,

“So, here are our options. I can call another midwife from down in Milwaukee to come and be with you until I can get there. Or, the other mother has already agreed that she would come here, if you’d like to come here, too.”

I said I would talk it over with Chris and get back to her.

I explained the situation to Chris, and he said, with certainty, “It looks like we’re going to Ginnie’s house.”

I wasn’t nearly as certain. Every bone in my body wanted to stay home.

Maybe I could ask Ginnie to call Pam (her former assistant, now a midwife with her own practice, who had been at both Acacia and Micah’s births)?

“Tiana, I think you want Ginnie to attend this birth. Let’s get ready to go.”

So, it was decided. I called Ginnie and said we’d be there as soon as we could. But I was not at peace.

I was sweaty, and smelly, and in my nightgown.

I had never taken a car ride in labor and didn’t want to start now.

And…I was embarrassed.

How was I, a woman who goes waaay overdue, has ridiculously long labors, and throws up the whole time, going to be able to handle being in the same house with a woman who has 3 hour labors 3 weeks early?

Oh, I was more than embarrassed. I was jealous.

How could this be happening to me? This was so unfair! Why, why, WHY???

As I got dressed and packed my things together, I bawled.

Actually, I had a full-on temper tantrum.

“LORD, this is not what I wanted! This is not the birth I planned. I want to be at HOME! Why are you allowing this to happen? I don’t understand!”

I must have gone on like this for at least 20 minutes. Finally, I realized that I was being pretty faithless.

“LORD, I believe you are working all things together for my good. Help me to see the good in this.”

I took a deep breath, and “got my head right”, as Chris would say. Alright. Let’s go.

Our birth kit was already neatly packed into a large plastic tote and a wash basket, so all we really needed to pack was a bag of clothes and personal items for me and a car seat for the baby.

I felt incredibly awkward leaving the house. It was 7am Sunday morning, and our neighbors would be leaving for church soon. What if I have a contraction in public?

Once we got into the car, I calmed down considerably. Having contractions in a car is not fun—and one of my favorite reasons to homebirth!—but the drive to Ginnie’s house has always been beautiful and pleasant. She lives out in the country, in a lovely, secluded, wooded area filled with hills and valleys. As we pulled into the driveway, Chris said,

“Well, honey, if you had to pick a freestanding birthing center, I think this would be it.”

I smiled.

As we walked in the door, we heard the unmistakable sound of a fresh infant crying. We knew the other baby had been born.

Right in the entryway, I collapsed into Chris’s arms with a very strong contraction. Almost immediately, I heard Anneke’s voice behind me. When I was ready, she said they had a bed waiting for me. I said that I’d better use a bathroom first.

We walked into the living room, and there was a mattress set up on the floor waiting for me. It was pleasant and comfortable, and I knew instantly that this was going to be okay.

It was a good thing, too, because I had started to feel “pushy” in the car, and felt certain that baby was coming soon!

Ginnie was still busy in some other part of the house with the other mother and her newborn baby (I never did see them, so my worries about laboring with an “audience” were completely unfounded). Anneke asked me how I was feeling.

“I really didn’t want to come, but I’m fine now that I’m here. I think I’m pretty close to pushing, though. I think you’d better check me.”

So, she did, and she had a rather uncertain look on her face.

“I’m not sure,” she said, “but I think you still have some more to go. I’ll have Ginnie come check in a little bit.”

In the meantime, she and Chris worked to get me comfortable and relaxed. They set up my birth kit, helped me change into my nightgown, and gave me something to drink. Chris continued to rub my back and talk me through my contractions. I was working hard, but in surprisingly good spirits. I was sure the end was in sight.

There was a flurry of activity in the nearby kitchen, to which I did my best not to pay attention. Coffee and breakfast were being made for the other couple by Ginnie’s housemate. Soon, I heard Ginnie’s voice as well. She and Anneke had a discussion in rather hushed tones.

Anneke came back and set up a few more things. She asked if I’d like her to take some pictures. I was delighted that she offered, and I happily said, “yes”.

My dear husband, Christopher, loving me through my labor.

In a little while, Ginnie came into the room. The other mother, with her husband and baby, were resting comfortably in a closed room on the other side of the house. She could now devote her attention to me.

“Anneke says you think you’re ready to push. Do you want me to see where you’re at?”

“Yes, let’s do it.”

I was at 2 and a half. Maybe 3.

“Oh, no…” I sighed, dejectedly, burying my head in Chris’ shoulder. I had been laboring for over 24 hours. How could I possibly still have so far to go???

“I can’t be dishonest with you…”

“Of course, not…”

“You’re going to have to refocus.”

“Yeah…”

“We’re going to take this one contraction at a time. You can do this.”

“I’m so tired…”

“I know you are. Refocus your energy. You can do this.”

“Okay…”

They left Chris and I alone for a couple of minutes. If he was discouraged, he didn’t let me know it. He told me that he believed in me…that I was strong. I cried.

“I don’t feel strong,” I said.

“But you are,” he insisted.

Soon Ginnie and Anneke were back. They wanted to know if I’d like to get in the shower. That sounded like a very good idea.

They had gotten everything set up for me already, and left Chris and I alone. Have I mentioned how wonderful Chris was through all of this? He helped me take my hair down, and stood right outside the shower, talking to me the whole time.

The shower did me a world of good. I was still tired—still unsure of how much more I could handle—but in a better place physically and mentally. I did a lot of praying at this point in my labor.

Jesus, help me…be with me…sustain me…

Recognizing that I wasn’t really in control of my body—that, as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t just stop this labor and take a nap—once again made me realize my great need for Him.

I got back into bed and did my best to rest. Ginnie did a fabulous job of coaching me through each contraction, helping me to relax as much as possible. She wasn’t freaked out by my painfully slow progress, or by my vomiting every third contraction or so. Once again, Chris was right. I wanted her there—not some stranger who doesn’t know me or my labor patterns.

“This is just Tiana’s way,” she said to Anneke at one point.

Pretty much.

Another thing that is “just Tiana’s way”, that maybe I should have thought about earlier, is how quickly I can go from “very little progress” to “yep, you’re done”!

I had been lying on my side, taking one contraction at a time, in a surprisingly relaxed state. It had only been about 2 hours since the dreaded “two-and-a-half” conversation.

Suddenly, I didn’t want to be lying down anymore.

I got up on my hands and knees.

“Baby’s coming!” I blurted out.

And she was.

Three pushes…less than three minutes…and she was out! It was 10:57am, Sunday, November 21, 2010.

Chris and Anneke helped me to turn around and sit down on the bed, and Ginnie handed me a squalling baby!

Eliora Grace and Mommy, moments after birth

She was tiny, too. Really little. We didn’t measure her until much later, but she was 6 lbs. 3 oz. and 18.5 inches long—my smallest baby yet. Although, this didn’t surprise me too much, seeing as she was my earliest baby yet as well—only 8 days past her ultrasound due date, as opposed to 10, 11, and 12 days “late”, respectively.

(Once again, I proved that the standard medical birth routine would not have been good for me and my baby. Most mothers with previous cesareans in my area are scheduled for a repeat c-section at 39 weeks. This would have been dangerous for my tiny girl. Even if I had been “allowed” to go into labor on my own (which is unlikely), had I presented at the hospital “ready to push” at 2.5cm, I’m certain I would not have been left to labor peacefully and progress naturally.)

I took my little baby to my breast. She latched on well and had a strong suck. Her eyes were wide open, alert, and looking at me. It was at this point that I lifted the little blanket to “check”, being careful not to be confused by an umbilical cord this time.

“It’s a girl!” I exclaimed! God had answered Acacia’s prayers. She had her baby sister!

We named her Eliora Grace. “Eliora” is a Hebrew name meaning “The LORD is my light.” We gave her the middle name “Grace” to finish the verse “…and my salvation.” Psalm 27:1.

Chris led a prayer of blessing over our new baby and our family. I was sweaty, exhausted, teary-eyed, and overjoyed.

Little Baby Eliora, in Daddy's Arms

Afterward, Ginnie and Anneke gave me the royal treatment! They made me a delicious lunch of grilled chicken and stir-fried vegetables. I don’t think I remember the last time anything tasted so good! And they did all my laundry, too. I went home to a thoroughly clean house and two wire racks full of homemade muffins, with nothing to do but relax and enjoy my baby. It was a good thing, too, because I really needed the rest!

So, that’s the story of how Eliora Grace came into the world. Her birth was long and tiring…and certainly different then I had planned…but it was a good birth.

A very good birth.

I am so blessed.

My Advent Bible Study--We Have a Winner!

2010-12-14T01:53:00.000-08:00

And the winner is...

(drum roll please)

Peggy G. (Comment #11)

Thank-you to all who entered!

You can still get your own copy at www.quiettimesforkids.com. Be sure to watch the video on the home page for a great coupon code!

Blessings!!

Tiana

"My Advent Bible Study"--Review and Giveaway!!

2010-12-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

As you probably know, I am constantly looking for ways to get my children's minds off of their "wish lists" and on the real meaning of Christmas.

Having grown up in a faith tradition that didn't spend much time talking about Advent, I've always felt a little at a loss as to how to share this important time with my children. I would read the passages in Matthew and Luke about Christ's birth, and get out the CD's of Christmas music...and that was pretty much it.

This year, however, I've really had the desire to take things a bit deeper.

I want to teach my kids about the Old Testament prophecies that foretold the coming of the Messiah, and how the LORD Jesus is the fulfillment of those prophecies.

I want to help them to memorize some of these important passages of Scripture.

Most importantly, I want them to understand why Jesus came to Earth as a human baby--how His coming was a crucially important part of redemptive history.

So, I was really excited when I had a chance to talk to Andie Davidson of Quiet Time for Kids about her newest product--My Advent Bible Study. She generously agreed to give me a copy to try with my own children, and also give my blog readers a chance to win their own copy!

My Advent Bible Study is a great tool you can use to help prepare your children's hearts for the coming King. It includes Scripture readings and copywork, questions for your child's reflection, picture drawing assignments (my kids' favorite part), and special projects that can be done individually or as a family.

Like the rest of the Quiet Time for Kids Bible Studies, it is designed for children who are old enough to read and write on their own, to introduce them to the joys of personal Bible study. Since my children are still a bit young to do some of the activities on their own, we've decided to do it together, in place of our morning catechism over the next few weeks. This is a 25 day program, with one study page for every day from December 1st-25th. Don't worry about getting a late start, though. None of the studies are particularly date-specific, and there's no reason your child can't continue the study past Christmas Day and into the new year.

To make things even more easy, My Advent Bible Study is an e-book! One simple download, no paying for shipping, and no waiting! You can get started with your own study today! Just go to www.quiettimeforkids.com. Be sure to watch the video on the homepage for a special coupon code. While you're at it, be sure to download their free five-day Bible Study, "Animals of the Bible".

I'm really enjoying doing this study with my little ones--I think you will, too!

And now, for your chance to win your own download of My Advent Bible Study!

To enter, simply leave a comment below. If you'd like, you can tell us what you think your favorite part of this Bible study would be, or something that you're doing with your kids to celebrate the coming of Christ.

For additional entries, do any of the following:

1. Blog about this giveaway and post a link here (2 entries, leave 2 comments).
2. Post a link to this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter (1 entry each).
3. Subscribe to this blog via email.
4. Follow this blog on Twitter, Networked Blogs, or Google (1 entry each).

Be sure to leave one comment for each additional entry!

Contest ends Monday, December 13th at midnight (central time). Winner will be announced Tuesday morning.

By His Grace,

Tiana

**The fine print. This is not a paid post, and the view expressed here are my own, honest opinions. Thank-you to Andie Davidson of Quiet Time for Kids for providing the two copies of the study for review and giveaway.**

Whose Baby is it Really?

2010-12-03T03:22:00.000-08:00

Micah (age 2): There's a baby in my belly!

Me: Oh, really? Where?

Micah: Right here (lifts shirt and points to belly button).

Me: Is it a boy baby or a girl baby?

Micah: Baby.

Me: Are you sure the baby isn't in my belly?

Micah: No. Baby in my belly!

Micah and I had many conversations that sounded like this in the weeks leading up to Eliora's birth. The funny thing is that, while mama's baby may be "out", according to Micah, his "baby" is still very much "in".

As I ponder the innocent absurdity of a two-year-old boy taking ownership of a baby that he has no capacity to carry, much less care for, I am reminded that I am not that unlike him myself.

I am foolish to believe that I can truly care for these little ones on my own--or that they really belong to me...

I'll never forget her words,

"I always knew he wasn't really mine. He belongs to God, and God gave him to me. I never knew how long I would have him."

I sat in the middle of the crowded church, just across the street from the park where, only a few days previous, we had walked down the hill and across the stage to receive our diplomas. And now, here we were, a group of recently liberated young people--not really teenagers, not really adults--with our "whole lives ahead of us".

Or so we thought.

He had been a classmate of mine since Kindergarten. A brain aneurysm took him, and he was gone.

"Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I shall return.

The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;

Blessed by the name of the LORD."

Job 1:21

The faith-filled words of his grieving mother had a profound impact on my 18-year-old self, and I find myself reflecting upon them to this day.

Not really mine.

God has given me four children. Fearfully and wonderfully made, amazing little children. And they are not really mine. They are His.

He has entrusted them to my care for a season. I don't know how long that season will be, or even what this very day holds.

As I hold this little newborn girl in my arms, I recognize that she is not really mine, and I confess that I am afraid.

She's so tiny, and fragile, and helpless...and God have her...(gulp)...to me???

I am certainly not entitled to question the wisdom of God, but why me?

I am afraid I won't do right by her. I am afraid that I won't be a good steward of this little blessing God has given me. And tears come.

I don't deserve her. Father, help me!

And then, I remember, that there was a baby that truly belonged to me...

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father.

Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

Given.

Sacrificially. Selflessly. Completely Undeserved.

To be mine forever.

It is in Him, and through Him, and by Him that I care for, train, teach, and love these little ones.

One day at a time. For as long as He should see fit to give them to me.

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence."

2 Peter 1:3

By His Grace,

Tiana

Homeschooling with a Newborn

2010-11-30T07:46:00.000-08:00

A week ago, our family welcomed our newest little blessing into the world–baby Eliora Grace.

I hope to write a full birth story in the near future, but for now, you can read her birth announcement here:

http://godmadehomegrown.blogspot.com/2010/11/its-girl.html

UPDATE: Here's her birth story!

Here she is again, with big sister Acacia, who prayed her into existence:

“I prayed for a baby sister, and God answered my prayers!” ~Acacia

As we have prepared for the arrival of baby #4, some folks have wondered aloud (or, under their breath) as to how I would manage homeschooling with a tiny one in the house.

It’s a good question, the answer to which can be summarized in two points:careful planning, and realistic expectations.

Click here to read more...

Disciple Like Jesus--We Have a Winner!!!

2010-11-26T14:46:00.000-08:00

I know I've kept you all waiting, but little Eliora Grace has been keeping me pretty busy!

The winner of the Disciple Like Jesus book giveaway is...

Stephanie!!! (Comment #28) Congratulations!!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

For those who didn't win, you can visit Amazon.com or Christianbook.com to get your own copy.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

By His Grace,

Tiana

It's a Girl!!!

2010-11-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Thank-you so much for your prayers! Our latest blessing has arrived!

Eliora Grace

born November 21, 2010, 10:57am

6lbs, 3oz, 18.5 inches long

Another successful HBAC, Eliora was actually born at (get this) my midwife's
house! I hope to be able to write the whole story eventually, but in short,
my midwife had two women laboring at the same time (I, one week late, the
other mom, 3 weeks early!), and it looked as though we would give birth
within a couple hours of each other. After weighing our options, we (all)
decided that the better course of wisdom would be for us both to come to
her.

It wasn't my ideal situation (I threw a genuine temper tantrum when Chris
said, "Let's get in the car and go."), but it all turned out really well.
Eliora was born 3 hours after this other mama's baby, and there is no way my
midwife would have made it to both of us in time! God is so good! We are
both healthy and doing well. She is my tiniest baby yet, and she came the
"earliest" too--only 8 days after her ultrasound due date, as opposed to 10,
11, and 12 days "late" for my other three.

Oh, and for the baby name fanatics out there...

"Eliora" (pronounced el-ee-OR-a) is a Hebrew name meaning
"The LORD is my light".
We gave her the middle name "Grace" to finish the verse,
"...and my salvation." Psalm 27:1

Again, thank-you so much for your prayers! I am feeling sooo blessed!

By His Grace,

Tiana

UPDATE: You can read Eliora's birth story here: http://godmadehomegrown.blogspot.com/2010/12/eliora-graces-birth-story.html

Disciple Like Jesus--Review and Giveaway!!

2010-11-16T04:37:00.000-08:00

Discipleship.

In many evangelical circles, "discipleship" is a buzz word, and it can mean many things to different people.

Most American Christians think of discipleship in terms of programs:

Mens ministries, womens ministries, youth ministries, seniors ministries, couples ministries, singles ministries, and on, and on, and on...

However, as we face the grim reality that almost 90% of our young people walk away from their faith by the time they reach college age, we must ask ourselves,

"What are we doing, and why is it not working???"

If we examine the life of Jesus, we see clearly that for Him, discipleship was never about programs. It was a lifestyle--one that He lived day in and day out, pouring His entire life into His small group of followers for a brief but intensive three year period. (Yes, we get our children for a bit longer than that...and it's a good thing we do, seeing as we are not God Incarnate.)

WWJD--"What would Jesus Do?"--was a popular question in recent history. When it comes to discipling our children, though, a better question would be,

"What did Jesus do???"

Disciple Like Jesus by Alan Melton and Paul Dean does a fantastic job of answering this question.

The authors begin by outlining two training approaches--Jesus's training approach and The World's Training approach:

Two Training Approaches

Jesus' Training Approach	World's Training Approach
Follow Me only, a trustworthy Teacher	Follow many teachers of questionable values
With disciples all day	With disciples in spare time
Constantly teach bible, demonstrate how to live, glorify God (80+ hours)	Constantly teach non-biblical information, (bible less than 5 hours)
Send out adult disciples in twos	Send out child disciples alone

Priorities and Results: Two Approaches

Jesus' Training Approach	World's Training Approach
Goal- Make disciples: followers of Christ	Goal- Well educated adult, respected job, affluence, popularity
Goal- A few deep relationships	Goal- Many superficial relationships
Results- Lasting eternal impact	Results- Temporary self gratification
Results- 92% stay in church	Results- 6% to 25% stay in church

Then, in page after page of biblical insight, timely example, and practical application, they show you how to make changes and set priorities that will make Christlike discipleship a reality in your home and family!

I have to say that it has been a long time since I have been so deeply moved and challenged by a book. I was reminded that being home with my children and homeschooling them, while certainly good things, do not guarantee that I will disciple like Jesus. I can be in the same house as my children and still not be spending enough time with them. I can teach them the Word of God without them seeing the love of God in my life. I can educate them without discipling them.

The best part was that it didn't leave me in a state of guilt and anxiety (two pits that I am so apt to fall into). Instead, I left empowered and inspired. Each chapter gave me things that I can do practically--today!--to bring the discipleship of my children more into accordance with the example Jesus set forth for us in Scripture.

Perhaps you're not a homeschooling parent. Maybe your kids are in public school. Maybe you're a single parent, or a grandparent. Maybe you're married to an unbelieving spouse and aren't sure how this would work in your family. Maybe you are the parent of a rebellious teenager and are wondering if it's too late to make a difference. No matter where you are in your life or your walk with God, this book can help you!

I would also like to say something to pastors, teachers, and other church leaders. If you are concerned that the parents in your congregation "don't know what to do" or "won't do the job" when it comes to discipling their own children, this would be a fantastic resource to get into the hands of as many parents as possible.

On that note, I would like to announce my very first giveaway here on God Made, Home Grown!

The authors of Disciple Like Jesus have graciously agreed to give one free copy to a reader of this blog!

To enter, please leave a comment below letting me know what you think you'd like most about the book. (Visit www.disciplelikejesus.com to learn more).

For additional entries, you may do any and all of the following:

Blog about this giveaway. (2 entries, leave two comments)
Share a link to this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter. (1 entry each)
Subscribe to God Made, Home Grown via email.
"Like" Disciple Like Jesus on Facebook or follow on Twitter. (1 entry each)
Post the Disciple Like Jesus button on your blog. (find it here.)
Follow me on Twitter, Google, or Networked Blogs (1 entry each)

For each additional entry, you must leave an additional, separate comment telling what you did, and posting a link if applicable.

The deadline for entering is Saturday, November 20th, at midnight (central time).

By His Grace,

Tiana

**The fine print. This is not a paid post, and the view expressed here are my own, honest opinions. Thank-you to the authors of Disciple Like Jesus for providing the two copies of the book for review and giveaway.**

Around the World with a Missionary

2010-11-15T14:03:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas, my oldest son (currently 6 years old) received a globe from his grandfather. Taking its place in the middle of the dining room table, it has facilitated some great discussions about this world in which we live.

He was, and continues to be, so enchanted with it, that we take every opportunity to incorporate it into our homeschool lessons. You can read about some of the ways we have done this here.

Most people don’t think much about geography when planning lessons for preschoolers and kindergarteners. If our kids know their own address and can tell the difference between a five minute trip to the grocery store and a five hour trip to grandma’s house, that should do until they get a little older.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for opening a little child’s eyes to a world so much bigger than their own corner of it–a world filled with oceans, mountains, valleys, deserts, and people. People created in the image of God. People who are very different from us in many ways, yet the same in many ways.

People who desperately need to hear the gospel.

And so, we teach them about missionaries.

Click here to read more...

Thanksgiving and the Self-Centered Preschooler

2010-11-09T02:49:00.000-08:00

t’s that time of year again…

No sooner do the grocery stores and shopping malls take down their Halloween decorations, then they replace them with Christmas lights and holiday advertisements.

And, of course, the catalogs start coming in the mail. Mind you, I have, overall, done a pretty good job of getting our address off of these mailing lists, but still, a few sneak in here and there.

Maybe I’m prematurely aging, but I find the commercialization of Christmas more tiring year after year. Perhaps it is because it drowns out the celebration of the birth of our Savior. Perhaps it is because the retail media machine would like us to skip right over Thanksgiving and dive straight into “Black Friday”. These things have bothered me for years.

However, I think the reason my patience for holiday hype is waning at such a rapid pace is the fact that I have a house full of little ones who already have a hard enough time believing that they are not the center of the universe!

Last week, I wrote about a new thankfulness project that I am trying with my kids this year. We’re only a week into it, and it has certainly helped to change the tone in this household.

What about some other ideas, though? What are some things we can do as mothers and fathers of little ones who are in great need of recognizing how blessed they are?

Click here to read more...

Nesting...and Trying Not to Panic

2010-11-08T05:24:00.000-08:00

Baby #4's "due date" is a mere six days away.

Now, I have never gone into labor any earlier than a week-and-a-half past my due date. If I stay true to pattern, I'll be birthing this baby on Thanksgiving Day...

...However...I have suddenly been hit with the uneasy feeling that this baby may not come nearly as late as I expect...

...and I'm not ready.

I've recently been asked how I "do it all". I have to laugh because the answer is, "I don't". I have to make choices and set priorities just like everyone else does. Frankly, sometimes I do a lousy job of it. Time management is one of my biggest weaknesses.

Nevertheless, ready or not, here baby comes!

I take a great amount of peace in knowing that God is sovereign over my pregnancy, my labor, my birth, and my baby. He knows when baby will be ready to be born, and he will give me what I need to deal with what comes when it happens. I've blogged about this before. It is a truth that becomes more real and necessary to me as the calendar moves forward.

As I get ready for baby to come, my presence on this blog may be a bit more...well...erratic. My guess is that I'll be writing a lot over the next week or so, and then, I may suddenly disappear for a while. God has been teaching me so much lately, and I have so much that I want to say! On the other hand, I need to balance my work here with my responsibilities here at home, coupled with a healthy dose of rest before the "marathon". (I learned last time, after going into labor in the late afternoon of a busy day, that I should always leave some energy in reserve during these last weeks.)

Anyway, I'm still looking for a couple of guest contributors to this blog for during my "maternity leave". If you don't know how to contact me directly (I prefer not to put my email address directly into posts), just leave a comment and I will contact you. Topics may include Christ-centered homeschooling, child discipleship, and biblical womanhood.

Oh, and last but not least, "God Made, Home Grown" has been nominated in two categories in the HSBA 2010 Homeschool Blog Awards! I am pleasantly surprised and honored! Thank-you all for reading and for your nominations! Click on the link below to cast your vote!:

This blog has been nominated in the "Best Homeschool Mom" category and the "Best Encourager" category.

While you're at it, you can also cast a vote for On the Company Porch, the blog I contribute to on Monday afternoons, in the "Best Group/Family Blog" category. Thanks in advance!

Voting is going on right now, and ends on November 18th.

The only question now is, will I have a baby by then?

Stay tuned...

The Most Important Election of Your Child's Life

2010-11-05T02:32:00.000-07:00

This week, our country made it to the end of yet another election cycle. Like numerous other home-educating moms, I took my children to the polls with me. I showed them the sample ballot, and explained to them how it was to be marked. In the days and weeks previous, we spent a lot of time talking about who Daddy and I would be voting for, and the values and principles guiding those choices. By the time I was handed my ballot, the children were pleased to be involved in what they were learning was a very important process.

It is always touching for me to see the smiles and friendly greetings my little ones receive from older folks when we go to vote. Perhaps this is because they know, even more than I do, that the choices we make in regards to who will govern us and how they will do so affect our children even more than they effect us. None of us can trust that our children will inherit a country that is as free and prosperous as we had growing up. We can, however, cast our ballots, praying for God's will to be done, and trust Him for the outcome.

It seems that, with every election, someone is saying that this is "the most important election of our lives"! And perhaps, at some time, they might be right.

However, there is a much more important election to consider. Would that people spent as much time contemplating it as they do politics!

"Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fail. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

2 Peter 1:10-11

The most important election in our children's lives has nothing to do with senate seats or gubernatorial candidates. It has everything to do with their eternal destiny, and it is a choice that God himself makes.

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide..."

John 15:16

Have my children put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save them from the punishment they deserve for their sins? Will they be in heaven with me when they die? I confess that this is the question most likely to keep me awake at night.

Some people may wonder why I, the unapologetic Calvinist that I am, trouble myself at all with this question. After all, if God made his choice "before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4), what possible good does it do for me to pray and weep over this issue? Why am I so fanatical about my children's biblical literacy and understanding of the gospel? Why can't I do as the rest of the world does, and look at my children as little cherubs who will surely grow out of their bad behaviors, instead of seeing them as sinners in the hands of an angry God, whose hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), who desperately need a Savior?

Why can't I just send them to Sunday School and trust that all will work out okay in the end? Why can't I just pray with them at mealtimes and bedtime and call that "good enough"? Those who have known me for a long time might say, "Tiana, you're sounding like a neurotic perfectionist again! This can't possibly be good for your mental health!".

Maybe not, but echoing the words of Martin Luther, my conscious is held captive by Scripture. I cannot ignore the convictions the Holy Spirit has pressed upon through His Word.

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

All day, every day. I am commanded to be teaching them the Word of God.

"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'"

Matthew 28:18-20

Most of us, when we hear these words, think of foreign missions. We emphasize the phrase "all the world". Yet, the emphasis is really on the phrase "make disciples". I am to make disciples as I go, wherever I go. And starting with my own children only makes sense. They are my mission field!

Not only that, but I don't think we as parents think enough about what God's purposes for our children's lives might be. Most of us think a lot about college and career, but very little about calling. When Psalm 129:4 speaks of children being like arrows in the hands of a mighty warrior, I picture sending my children out, grown up and mature in their faith, to be of great service to the LORD in His purposes on this earth.

"For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?

As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?'

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

Romans 10:13-17

Parents, you are your child's first and most influential preacher! Are they hearing the gospel in your home, consistently, clearly, daily? Do you think you can rest easy because your child has been made a profession of faith, "prayed a prayer", or been baptized? I don't know about you, but I can't. The stakes are just too high.

To just sit back and assume that, because God is sovereign, everything will be alright and I can do nothing, ignores the means that God has laid out in His Word by which people believe and are saved.

Friends, this weekend, let us take some time to think and reflect upon these things:

Are my priorities and schedule consistent with the goals I have for my kids?
What about God's goals and priorities?
If I am to make the eternal salvation of my children a top priority, what changes might I have to make?
Do I need help? Who will help me?

Let us commit to praying for each other in this as well. Leave a comment and let us know how we can pray for you as you disciple your children.

By His Grace,

Tiana

Reformation and Thankfulness

2010-11-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

We had a Reformation Day celebration at church yesterday evening, and it gave me a great idea for a craft project you can do with your kids.

What??? A craft idea from me? Ummm…not exactly.

This craft was literally handed to me by another experienced homeschooling mom; it’s just one more reason why you shouldn’t go it alone. If you surround yourself with other parents who are further along on this journey than you are, you are bound to get ideas that you never would have come up with on your own.

This craft will help you count the days between Reformation Day (October 31st) and Thanksgiving (this year, November 25th). It will add some continuity to the season–almost like an Advent calendar for Thanksgiving–and will help to brighten your home as the days get colder and darker.

Click here to read more...

Read-Aloud Resources

2010-10-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

When I was just beginning homeschooling my oldest child, a wise, experienced homeschooling mom told me this:

Homeschooling in the early years is mostly reading out loud and playing outside. Everything else can be accomplished in less than 30 minutes a day.”

At first, this might seem counter-intuitive. Most of us were raised to think that sitting in a desk, listening to a teacher talk, is the only legitimate way to learn anything. We might think that we need expensive curriculum and elaborate lesson plans to really educate our children.

But we don’t.

Last week, I talked about how, with a back-yard, a library card, and some writing materials, we can turn outdoor play into simple nature study with little ones.

This week, we’ll dip our toes into the fascinating waters of reading out loud to our children.

Click here to read more...

Why Can't You Just Be NORMAL???

2010-10-21T03:59:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever asked you that question? If you care at all about raising your children to walk with God, chances are, you have.

I will admit that I often feel like the lemming at the edge of the cliff, who, after seeing the fate that awaits him if he follows the crowd, turns around, flails his arms, and screams,

"Hey, guys! Could we stop and think this over for a minute???"

...only to have his annoyed brethren push passed him, wondering why he's obstructing traffic!

Yes, friends, we have a problem, and it is not one that being more normal will fix.

"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them, for they are spiritually discerned."

1 Corinthians 2:14

Our natural (dare I say, "normal"?) way, is our way, not God's way. In fact, business as usual for us is to consider God's way foolish.

"As it is written:

'None is righteous, no not one;

no one understands, no one seeks after God.

All have turned aside, together they have become worthless;

no one does good, not even one.'"

Romans 3:10-12

Did you catch that, folks? We have all together become worthless. Psalm 14:3, one of the passages that Paul is echoing here in Romans 3, reads, "together they have become corrupt." This is all of us. This is our normal state of affairs. Not godliness, not righteousness...but sin.

"And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind, to do what ought not to be done...Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them."

Romans 1:28, 32

Misery loves company. Sin loves it even more. If we're following the crowd, doing things simply because other's are doing them or because the world around us approves, we are probably sinning.

Leo the Lop taught us that "normal is whatever you are". A more accurate statement would be that man has infinite tolerance for virtually every form of deviancy (take a look at that list in verses 29-31), while having almost no patience for God's perfect standard of holiness.

Now, I'm not advocating strange for the sake of strange, but normal for the sake of normal is equally foolish. When we place a higher value on being normal than we do on being obedient to God, we do so at our own peril.

When it comes to the education and discipleship of our children, we do so at the risk of their very souls.

Just something to think about, next time you're asked why you can't "just be normal".

Simple Nature Study with Little Ones

2010-10-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

Most of us beginning homeschoolers have a subject area that freaks us out. For me, that subject was science.

I felt as though I didn’t know what to teach or how to teach it…and, as anyone who’s paged through the Rainbow Resource catalog can tell you, the choices are virtually endless.

Add to that the fact that my oldest son seems to be naturally gifted in this area, and my husband’s insistence that we make a special effort to nurture his interest. (Did I mention that during my own school days, science was the one subject that I was the least naturally gifted in?)

Yep. Time to freak out.

So, when our son hit the ripe old age of 4, I purchased a book full of household science experiments (do any of you all remember “Mr. Wizard”?). However, I quickly realized that, as simple as the book tried to make things seem, it wasn’t going to work for us. At least, not yet.

Okay, now it’s really time to freak out…

…or not.

Actually, it was time to do what I should have done in the first place: talk to another homeschooling mom who had more experience under her belt than I did. (You’ll be hearing this one a lot from me. Don’t try to homeschool completely alone. Seriously…just don’t do it.)

She suggested Nature Study.

Click here to read more...

Are you Ready for Some Fun?

2010-10-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

I have a few short announcements for all my wonderful blog readers.

Make sure to read all of them...they're a bit random!

Would you like to guest post on God Made, Home Grown?

It's been a busy week around here! With only 4 weeks to go before my "due date", and my "nesting instinct" kicking in, I am finally starting to feel like I'm ready for baby #4 to grace us with his or her presence. We've even made final decisions on names...yeah!

With that in mind, I'm asking for submissions for guest posts for after the baby is born. I suspect I won't be able to help but be around, but probably not as much as usual, so as to give me time to rest and bond with our littlest blessings. So, maybe you'd like to write something to be published here during my babymoon?

You know what this blog is about--homeschooling, child discipleship, and biblical womanhood. Please keep submission to the topics at hand, and keep them family friendly. (Most of my readers have little ones reading over their shoulders at any given moment!) Ideally, I'd like submissions to come from regular God Made, Home Grown readers, but if you are an established, likeminded blogger, I'll consider your submissions, too.

Deadline for submissions is November 1st. Send me a message including your submission and a little info about yourself. If you're not sure how to contact me directly (I've decided against including my email address in this post), leave me a comment below and I'll contact you. I've never done this before, and I have no idea how many submissions I'll receive, so please don't feel bad if I choose not to use your writing.

My New Column on The Company Porch!

I am delighted to be the newest columnist for The Company Porch--the official Homeschool Blogger Community Blog!

I will be writing about homeschooling preschoolers and kindergarteners. Here's a link to my introductory post:

http://homeschoolblogger.com/hsbcompanyblog/784892/

Look for it on Monday afternoons!

And, finally....

They're Here! The 2010 Homeschool Blog Awards!!

Last year, I was thrilled to be nominated for the HSBA Post's 2009 Homeschool Blog Awards. Even though I didn't win, it was a lot of fun, and I got to know a lot of other great bloggers! It's hard to believe, but that time has come around again already! I'm looking forward to nominating some of my favorite blogs, and I'm hoping you all will vote, too!

Here's a link to the rules:

http://hsbapost.com/2010/10/2010-awards-nominations-are-open/

The link to the nomination form is a graphic like the one above, at the end of the post.

Please, be sure to follow the rules carefully. You may only nominate one blog per category, and you may only nominate any given blog once.

(I know you all love me, but if you nominate my blog for every category, none of your nominations will be counted!)

Also, make sure to include the title of each blog you nominate and a complete, accurate url. The url for this blog is http://godmadehomegrown.blogspot.com

And, no, you do not have to nominate a blog for every category...there are 20, after all! So, if you don't have time to read 20 different homeschool blogs, don't worry about it...just nominate your favorites.

I was a little bummed to see that the category I was nominated in last year--Live What You Believe-- isn't on the list this year. Nevertheless, I think this is still going to be a lot of fun!

The nomination period begins today, October 15th, and ends on October 30th, 2010.

So, what are you waiting for...let the fun begin!

Guest Post: At the Well

2010-10-08T05:16:00.000-07:00

I am humbled and honored to have one of my favorite posts from the blog featured today on At the Well: In Pursuit of Titus 2. The ministry of At the Well has been such a blessing to me! They have so many godly women and talented writers there, encouraging women to...

"..love their husbands, love their children,

to be sensible, pure, workers at home,

kind, being subject to their own husbands,

so that the word of God will not be dishonored."

Titus 2:4-5

Please pay them a visit today! You'll be blessed!

Who Me? Organized?

2010-10-06T06:09:00.000-07:00

One of the myths about homeschooling that I frequently encounter is that homeschooling requires parents who are exceedingly organized by nature. Regular readers of this blog know that I am not the most organized person in the world. I'm learning and growing in this area, but I still have a looooong way to go!

By the grace of God, I know that I can take one day at a time. I don't have to have it all figured out this morning, or even next week. I can keep moving forward, doing the best I know how, knowing that His grace is sufficient for me (2 Corinthians 12:9), and that each day has enough trouble of it's own (Matthew 6:34).

With that in mind, I'd like to share my latest homeschooling organizational technique. Perhaps it will seem like a "no-brainer" to some of you, but for me it was a big revelation...and has been a huge blessing!

I started with several medium-sized, multi-colored, plastic totes totes, purchased at the local "mart"--one for each subject area. I chose a larger one, not pictured here, for our math curriculum, because it takes up more space.

I made a label for each box on my computer, and taped them to the boxes...on the insides, of course, so the 2-year-old can't pull them off!

Then, I packed each box carefully with all the books we need. This is our "Bible, Catechism, and Church History" box.

Now, we don't spend as much time running around the house looking for the things we need for school, and I've reclaimed some much-missed counter and shelf space. The great thing is this didn't cost me much money or time, and the boxes fit neatly under an already-existing piece of furniture in our smallish living room.

Combine this with the free schedule planning and record-keeping resources available at homeschoolclassifieds.com, and I am starting to feel like I really have my act together!

Do you have any organizational techniques or planning resources that are saving your sanity and making you a more productive homeschooler? I'd love to hear about it!

Almost Christian

2010-10-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

I want to strongly encourage all my readers to visit the White Horse Inn this week and listen to their latest podcast, Almost Christian.

You can listen right on the webpage, or subscribe to the podcast and download to your mp3 player.

This podcast addresses a lot of the issues that I am concerned with, and a lot of the reasons that I write what I write. Most young people raised in the church never develop genuine faith. It is an interview with Kenda Creasy Dean, one of the researchers involved in the National Study of Youth and Religion Project, about her new book, Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church.

"The problem doesn't seem to be that churches are teaching young people badly, but that we are doing an exceedingly good job of teaching youth what we really believe: namely, that Christianity is not a big deal, that God requires little, and the church is a helpful social institution, filled with nice people."

One of the most alarming findings of this study was that it didn't matter what denomination of church they were raised in--or even if they went to church at all!--most of the young people interviewed in this five year longitudinal study did not take their faith seriously. Rather than believing anything that could be considered truly Christian, they were "moralistic therapeutic deists". In other words, God makes me feel good about myself, helps me to "be good", and gives me the things I need to be happy. Ouch.

There are some real, tangible, applicable solutions to this problem but it requires a lot more effort and motivation than we've been willing to put into the spiritual formation of our children in the past--especially by parents. Please, if you care about your children and the young people at your church, take a half-hour of your life and listen to this important interview.

By His Grace,

Tiana

p.s.--Please pass this one on to your friends...and once you've listened, please come back here and let me know what you think!

Inchworm

2010-10-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

"Two and two are four,

Four and four are eight,

Eight and eight are sixteen,

Sixteen and sixteen are thirty-two..."

"Inchworm, inchworm,

Measuring the Marigolds,

You and your arithmetic,

You'll probably go far.

Inchworm, inchworm,

Measuring the Marigolds,

Seems to me you'd stop and see

How beautiful they are."

Frank Loesser

Have you ever stopped to count God's care for you?

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?

And not one of them is forgotten before God.

Why, even the hairs on your head are numbered.

Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows."

Luke 12:6-7

Now, that's what I call living math!!

Prayer for a Tired Mom

2010-09-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Heavenly Father,

The day is dawning, and I feel defeated before I have even begun.

Once again, there is more work for me to do today than day to do it in. I feel scatterbrained, out of focus, and unsure of my priorities. And I'm tired. So tired.

I want to glorify you, LORD, in my life, in my home, in this family, with my children...but I confess that, most days, I don't know how to do that. I work so hard, but always come up short. Sin gets the best of me again and again and again. Come and save me from this wretched body of death. (Rom. 7:24) I need You desperately.

Teach me what Your priorities are, and help me to choose the good portion (Luke 10:42). Help me to value what You value, and despise what You despise. Help me to seek first Your Kingdom, and to trust You for the things that I truly need. (Matt. 6:33)

Oh, LORD, may I never take for granted this opportunity you have given me, to love my husband, love my children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be a worker at home, to be kind, to be submissive to my dear husband, that Your Word may not be dishonored. (Titus 2:4-5) For this life of blessing You have graciously given to me, make me deeply thankful.

May I take seriously the commands that you have given me in Your Word, and may I walk in humble obedience. May I never forget the humility of your Son, Jesus Christ, who was obedient unto death--even death on a cross(Phil. 2:8)--that I might be freed forever from the punishment that I deserve for my sin. Thank-you for giving me to privilege to teach these truths to my children. May I do so diligently, with every breath that I breathe, and every step that I take. (Deut. 6:4-9) And may I love You...truly love You, with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.

Now Father, as my children are waking and needing me, I pray that You would be with me. Fill me with your Spirit, and give me a worshipful heart. May my entire day be a sacrifice of praise to You.

May I not grow weary of doing good, for in due time, I will reap, if I do not give up. (Gal. 6:9)

And in all things, may Your good, pleasing, and perfect will (Rom. 12:2) be done, on earth--in this home--as it is in heaven. (Matt. 6:10)

For it is in Jesus' Name I pray,

AMEN

"God be in my head and in my understanding,

God be in my eyes and in my looking,

God be in my mouth and in my speaking,

God be in my heart and in my thinking,

God be at my end and at my departing."

Henry Walford Davies (1869-1941)

A Not-So-Odd Question

2010-09-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

Q: Tiana...

Hello there! I stumbled upon your blog today and I really like what you have to say. =) However I do have an odd sort of question for you that none of the folks that do homeschooling can answer for me. At least not without starting to talk in circular logic that doesn't go anywhere but to a migraine!

My son is (gulp) soon to be four so the question of how/where we are going to do the school thing has started coming to the front of many conversations. My number one concern with homeschooling versus any other style of school, whether it be the standard public variety or the christian kind, is that how are these kids supposed to learn how to live in this world if he is constantly in the little bubble of our bible-believing world? How is he going to know how to stand in his faith and how to deal with the questions that are asked of him as to why Jesus is his best friend and lives in his heart. Also, why is it assumed by those who do the homeschooling thing (or at least those who I have come into contact with) that if you were to send your child to schooling of any other sort that you are not going to then talk with them about their day?? All of those that I have met just kind of assume that I would send my son to school, and allow them to teach him without ever once talking with him about his day and going over what he has learned, participating in his schooling and talking with him about what the Bible says relating to what he has learned or done that day.

I know this is kind of a rambling letter so please forgive me on that count. =) If you have any articles that you have already written on this then I would love to have the links! I am doing my best to educate myself over what options there are for my son and doing what is the best situation for him. Thank you for any and all help you can give =D

Blessings,
Lily C.

A: Hi Lily,

Thanks for reading my blog! Making a decision as to where and how to educate our children is a tough one, and your question is not odd! It's something that I think a lot of Christians wonder about.

I do have some posts in the archives about these issues:

The first two go together--

http://godmadehomegrown.blogspot.com/2010/02/this-little-light-of-mine-part-1.html

http://godmadehomegrown.blogspot.com/2010/03/this-little-light-of-mine-part-2.html

Another one--

http://godmadehomegrown.blogspot.com/2010/01/decisions-or-disciples.html

This last one is rather long, but it's basically the thesis statement for my blog:

http://godmadehomegrown.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-doing-something-good-can-keep-you.html

In a nutshell, my main concern with public education is that of worldview. It is very difficult for young children, even those who are going to church, Sunday School, etc, to carefully evaluate what they are being taught in school. In fact, recent research, published in the book Already Gone by Ken Ham and Britt Beemer, showed that many children learn to think of their Sunday School lessons as "story time", and their public school lessons as real, factual information. This has resulted in a staggering 75-88% of children who grow up in Bible-believing churches abandoning their faith by the end of their freshman year in college.

The main goal I have in homeschooling my children is to give them a true and thorough knowledge of God and His Word.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Proverbs 9:10

My husband and I want our children to have a solid foundation, knowing what they believe and why they believe it, before they are asked to defend it. Our homeschool curriculum choices all center around this goal.

We are thoroughly convinced that many young people who make professions of faith are actually not yet born again. This is evidenced by the number of our youth who walk away from their faith when they reach college age, as well as the fact that not many Christian children are doing much evangelism in their public schools. Additionally, the public school system is a challenging mission field, even for mature adults! We believe that sending little children, even those who have a strong faith, into the government schools, is much akin to throwing them to the lions. They are much better off having their first evangelistic experiences be with parental supervision, with unsaved family members, neighbors, and friends. I do know of several families who, after homeschooling during the early years, send their mature, believing teens to public high school as a mission field. While I'm not sure that this is a choice I would make personally, I certainly respect it.

As to your question about talking to our children about what happens in school, I question whether or not it is effective enough to counteract the secular, and often blatantly anti-Christian biases being taught. I'm in my 30's, so I attended elementary school in the 80's--a time when the government schools were far more conservative than they are now. I lived in a very conservative community, in one of the best school districts in our state, with involved, Christian parents. My mother regularly asked me about what happened in school, and we had a great relationship, so I always gave her a thorough answer. However, I still learned anti-Christian things that I am sure my parents never found out about. I learned a pro-choice view of abortion in the second grade. I learned that one day the sun was going to burn out and, if humanity hadn't figured out how to destroy itself before then, we would all freeze to death because of the death of the sun. I learned some very explicit sexual concepts from boys in the hallway, and even had a boy grab me inappropriately on the playground. These are just a few examples off-the-top-of-my-head...and I'm just talking elementary school. Unless you are with your child in school all day long, you cannot guarantee that you will know about everything he is taught--either officially or unofficially.

So, all this to say that I'm not about keeping my kids in a bubble, but I do believe it is important to introduce concepts at age-appropriate levels, from a distinctively Christian perspective. I believe that the best way to do this is to educate my children at home. This will prepare them, when they are mature, to go out and live lives of great service to the LORD in His Kingdom! A great, relatively short read, is When You Rise Up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling, by R.C. Sproul, Jr. He says so much of what I've been trying to say on my blog, only better. :)

I hope that helps. God Bless you on your journey!

Tiana

Now This is What I Call a Field Trip!

2010-09-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hiking a wooded trail with my family has it all over a large group tour of the children's museum any day...

My four favorite people...outside the womb, that is...

Little Big Man

Princess Acacia Lily

Micah likes sticks.

Yes...this was before the haircut...

Micah learns that some "sticks" are actually tree roots, and don't pick up so well.

Asher finds an acorn.

Sweetie girl...

Babes in the woods...

At the water's edge...

Nope. Couldn't have picked a better place to be on a Saturday afternoon...

Acacia, despite her best efforts, managed not to fall in...

What fun are you having with your family this weekend?

A Name, A Legacy -- Naming Micah Paul

2010-09-17T04:05:00.000-07:00

*This is the fourth installment in a series of posts on choosing meaningful names for our little blessings. You can read the first three posts here:
A Name, A Legacy
A Name, A Legacy -- Naming Asher Joseph
A Name, A Legacy -- Naming Acacia Lily

Micah Paul, about 4 months old

Naming a third child presents a unique set of challenges. For most of us, it is fairly easy to choose a name for baby #2 that "sounds right" next to child #1's name. Add a third child in to the mix, however, and the task becomes trickier. On the one hand, you don't want him to feel like the "odd man out". On the other hand, choosing a name that is too similar or thematic might been seen as overly-cute or just plain corny.

Harmonious, yet distinctive, is the goal. And it's a lofty one.

When it came time for us to choose a name for our third child, my initial favorite name for a baby boy was yet another "A" name. I campaigned hard, but Chris insisted,

"Two 'A' names is a coincidence. Three is a pattern." And he's probably right.

Back to the drawing board...or the index card, as the case may be.

You see, my husband knows that I'm a baby name fanatic, and have been since childhood. So, he allows me the fun of researching names, and then asks me to come up with an index card of favorites from which he can choose a "winner".

Sounds good--on paper, at least. It broke down, however, when I handed him an index card of my top 5 boys names, only to have him declare that he didn't like any of them enough to give them to our son. And girls names? I didn't even have a list!

I will admit, perhaps to my own embarrassment, that somewhere around second trimester, I started to panic. We had Asher's name virtually set in stone by the time I was eight weeks pregnant. Acacia's name was decided before she was even conceived, having been the name Asher would have received had he been a girl. This whole scenario was starting to freak me out. How could I be this far along in my pregnancy and not have names yet?!

After having spent a long summer morning on the back porch (in the middle of third trimester) with the little ones and yet another baby name book from the library, I finally had one girl name that I was truly happy with. I wrote it on a note card, with an explanation of it's meaning, and the words, "Pretty Please with sugar on top?", and placed it on Chris's dresser. I awoke the next morning to find the note card on top of my dresser, with the words, "Yes", and "You're welcome", and "I love you" written on the bottom.

So that was decided. However...to state the obvious...we had a boy.

So, how did we come up with Micah Paul?

If you're sharp, you may be asking yourself whatever happened to the boy's name from my second pregnancy--you know, the name Acacia would have been given had she been a boy? It has to exist, or I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night, right? Right.

Remember that note card full of boys names? It was on there. Along with the rest, it was declared unusable by my dear, yet sometimes fickle, husband.

Then, one afternoon, just a few weeks away from my due date, Chris was reading aloud a list of "nature names" (from still another baby name book). Names like Aspen, Bay, and Birch. When he got to the "M's", he paused.

Chris: "Mica. Why not Mica?" (it is a mineral, you know...)

I just about hit the floor.

Me: "Micah--with an H, like the prophet--was the name we picked for Acacia had she been a boy!"

Chris: "Really?"

Me: "Yes! Micah Paul. 'Micah', meaning 'who is like God?', and 'Paul' after your grandfather."

Chris: "Then why have we been spending so much time looking for a boy's name?"

Me: "Because you told me you didn't like it anymore."

Chris: "I did? I don't know why I would have said that. I'm sorry."

And so, it was decided. Now I could have a baby.

Acacia Kissing Baby Micah, Hours Old

Not long after Micah's birth, I knew we had made the right choice. "Micah" suited him better than any of the other names that had been on "the list". And Paul? Well, Grandpa Mueller was tickled pink. Somehow, with 11 children, a plethora of grandchildren, and Micah himself being great-grandchild #11, non of his progeny had yet received his namesake. We were happily surprised.

In hindsight, we realized a couple of special things about Micah's name that, again, could have only been planned by God. For one thing, we learned that we were pregnant at Christmas-time, and Micah was the prophet who announced that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

"But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from old, from ancient days."

Micah 5:2

Also, I noticed that the meaning of his two names, when put together, make a statement of humility.

"Micah" asks a question: Who is Like God?
"Paul", meaning little, and being the name given to Saul after his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, seems to answer: Not me.

Today, Micah is an energetic, exhausting, but very fun 2-year-old. He has an endearing smile, his daddy's love of the outdoors, and the ability to eat an entire bunch of bananas in one day given the opportunity. He has a great sense of humor--although, I'm pretty sure that he still thinks that the "baby in mommy's belly" is my idea of a joke!

And he loves to say his name, with gusto, "Mmmmmm...icah!"

Happy Birthday, Micah!

"With what shall I come before the LORD and bow myself before God on high?

Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings? Shall I come before Him with yearling calves?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams? With ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I give my firstborn for my transgressions? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has shown you, oh man, what is good;

and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice,

and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?"

Micah 6:6-8

These words moved me deeply when I sang them as a college choir girl, but they mean so much more to me now that I am a mother.

The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Thank-you, Father, for giving your One and Only Son, as the perfect sacrifice for my transgressions. Without His sacrifice, neither I, nor my children, would be able to do justice, love kindness, or walk humbly with You.

Thank-you for your grace, mercy, and compassionate forgiveness. Thank-you for your blessings.

In the name of Jesus I humbly pray, Amen.

Not A Baby Anymore

2010-09-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

My baby, Micah Paul, is 2 years old today...

It's been two whole years since I held him, exhausted but glowing, having given birth to him at home, in my own bed...

It's been a year since we last made birthday soup...

And now, Micah is 2, and he's going to be a big brother in just a few short weeks.

He's not a baby anymore, so I suppose it is time that I stop seeing him as one.

And so, I took Micah to the Barber--the same Barber that has cut his father's, grandfather's, uncle's, and brother's hair--for his first haircut.

Yeah...he's ready...but am I???

He sat so still, and so quiet...

Good-bye, curls...sniff...sniff...

Hello, big boy!

Suddenly, Micah looks so much like his big brother...

...so grown up...Father, give this mama grace...

"Don't I look handsome, mom?"

A sweet reward...

...and the end result! Take a look at all that hair!!!

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature,

and in favor with God and man."

Luke 2:52

Father, thank-you for continuing to grow my little boy. My he mature in all ways as your son, Jesus, did, and may he walk in your ways. May he love, serve, and follow you all the days of his life, and may he dwell in the House of the LORD forever. Amen.

Happy Birthday, Micah!!!

Pray for Micah Andrews--UPDATE

2010-09-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

Little Micah Andrews is really making progress, everyone! Thank-you so much for your prayers!

You can read a full update here:

http://welovemicah.blogspot.com/2010/09/micah-andrews-update.html

"The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His works.

The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.

He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him;

He also hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD preserves all who love Him,

But the wicked He shall destroy.

My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,

and let all flesh bless His holy name forever."

Psalm 145:17-21

By His Grace,

Tiana

4 Ways to Jumpstart a Bad Day

2010-09-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

We've all had them...

...days when we feel like throwing in the towel.

...days when we wonder whether or not "they" are right--"they" meaning, those who think we're crazy, and maybe even doing harm to our children, by homeschooling.

...days when the kids whine and complain, the baby won't stop crying, and the toddler continually finds mischief.

...it happens...to all of us...at one time or another.

Before resolving to quit homeschooling (at least for the day), why not give these ideas a try instead?

1. Get In. -- When the whole house is in a state of tension, sometimes you need a good snuggle to remind yourselves that your are indeed a loving family. Cuddle up in bed or on the couch with a good book....or 2, or 3, or 8, and feel the stress melt away. You might find that the younger ones--or even the older ones!--were really in need of a nap.

2. Get Out! -- Put on your shoes, get out the stroller, the bikes, and the baby carrier, and go for a walk. Go to the park and have a nice, long recess. Call a friend and have a play date. Find a nature trail to explore, or visit someplace "special"--the local bakery qualifies around here. You'll get fresh air, vitamin D, exercise, and maybe even some adult conversation.

3. Get Up! -- Even if the weather won't let you get out of the house, you can still benefit from getting your blood moving. Choose a CD of upbeat worship music, and sing and dance together. To be honest, I usually employ this strategy at least once a day. We all love music, and this is a great way to improve everyone's mood. On a similar note, a CD of preschool "action" songs can help keep little ones busy and entertained while older children work on more serious projects.

4. Get Down. -- This ought to be first, but I save it for last because it is so important to remember. When Satan attacks our homeschool (because that's really what this is all about, isn't it?) we need to get down on our knees and pray. We need to confess our sinfulness, our selfishness, and our inadequacies, and ask our Heavenly Father to forgive us. We need to ask Him to remind us of why we're doing this in the first place. We need Him to strengthen us. We need to recognize that we cannot do God's Work, God's Way, without God's Hand.

Take your heavy burden to the cross. Jesus will meet you there.

"At that time Jesus declared, 'I thank you, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;

yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father,

and no one knows the Son except the Father,

and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take your yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:25-30

Is it Really All About Me?

2010-08-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd:

He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom,

and shall gently lead those who are with young."

Isaiah 40:11

I have to admit, these words didn't mean that much to me when I was a college girl singing the piece from Handel's Messiah. Beautiful song, poetic words--but sadly, nothing that really got my attention.

However, this prophecy of comfort quickly began to penetrate my heart after the birth of my third child.

I was tired...

I felt like a lousy mother...

But perhaps the strongest feeling that I had was a deep sense that what I was doing was completely unappreciated. When it came to the constant demands of my family, I believed that I was giving myself completely to the task, but that my efforts were always coming up short.

(Okay, so maybe I still feel this way from time to time...okay, most of the time...)

I want to be a good mother. Doesn't anybody see how hard I'm trying?

Doesn't anybody notice what get's done around here? They sure seem to notice what doesn't get done!

What about me? When do my needs get met?

If I'm honest with myself, the troubles I have as a wife, mother, and homemaker have at least 90% to due with my own sin. My own selfish desires. My own self-righteous attitude and lack of dependence upon God.

If I want to start talking about me, that's the brutal truth of it.

Yet, what does our culture say to weary young mothers? Does it admonish us to die to ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Christ?

No, of course not. Rather, struggling ladies are regularly fed lines such as these...

You know, I could never stay home with my kids. I'd go crazy! Why don't you just put them in school and get a job?

Well, you made your own bed. I don't know why you guys had to have so many kids. Haven't you figured out how that happens yet?

You need to stop thinking about everybody else and start thinking about yourself for a change. I mean, if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

There it is again...it all comes back to personal peace and happiness, doesn't it?

Since when has following Christ been about the pursuit of personal peace and happiness? If that's what we're selling to the lost world around us, maybe that's why we have so many people walking around who claim to have had a conversion experience, who have subsequently walked away from Christianity!

It also seems to be what our world is selling young couples in regards to parenthood.

The decisions about whether or not to have children,

how many children to have,

and how to raise and educate them,

seem completely predicated upon what is most likely to make the adults happy.

As a timely example, I read this article in the Vancouver Sun this morning:

Three Reasons Why Childless Couples Might be on to Something

The author discusses overpopulation and the plight of "unwanted" children, but the number one reason to not have kids? Childless couples seem to be happier.

One commenter on the article wrote the following:

"My childfree choice has allowed me to experience the greatest freedom, independence, free time, sleep time, life success and happiness. I spend most of my time enjoying my life doing things that make me happy or will help me become happier; if I were not childfree, then I would be spending most of my time doing things that made me unhappy."

There it is again--"Me, Me, Me!" Me and my happiness.

Now, to be fair, the author of the article does not claim to think that all people should be childless. In fact, this article is merely one in a series of articles about the choice to have--or not have--children. But no matter which side of the aisle he's addressing, it's still all about what makes adults happy.

This is what secular humanism has given birth to in our culture--a society full of people who don't look past their own desires, pleasures and prosperity.

"For people will be lovers of self..."

2 Timothy 3:2a

"Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things."

Philippians 3:19

The sin of self-indulgence has given birth to a culture of death, where children are treated as a blight and a curse instead of a blessing.

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

2 Timothy 3:14

Does the Bible have a different message for weary mothers? You'd better believe it.

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."

Philippians 3:7-8

Is it worth dying to ourselves to serve Christ in our homes? Is it worth giving up aspirations of career and prosperity to instead give our lives to raising children who will serve Him? Is it worth all the sleepless nights and weary days to have, at the end of our days, a legacy of faithful sons and daughters who are changing the world for His glory?

Is it always fun? No.

Do I cry a lot? Um...Yeah.

Do I get to travel on a whim, go to the spa, or spend my money at the mall with the girls? You have to be kidding me.

But it's not all about me...and those who live as though it is all about them are kidding themselves.

"Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Matthew 20:27-28

By His Grace,

Tiana

Pray for Micah Andrews--UPDATE

2010-08-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

Some of you have been asking me how little Micah Andrews is doing. I am happy to report that his surgery went as perfectly as could have been expected!

He has a long road to recovery, though. You can read a full update on Micah's blog:

http://welovemicah.blogspot.com/2010/08/micah-andrews-update_17.html

I also received an email from Heather this morning, saying that he smiled today! She's had to see so many difficult things these past two weeks. I am rejoicing with her in this small, but hopeful blessing!

Again, I would ask any of you who feel lead to please leave a note of encouragement for the Andrews family this morning. The scariest part may be over, but there are still many struggles and uncertainties ahead. Please continue to keep little Micah and his family in your prayers.

"Wonderful are your works;

My soul knows it very well."
Psalm 139: 14

By His Grace,

Tiana

The World is Not Enough

2010-08-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

I am frequently told how smart my children are.

Maybe that sounds like I'm bragging--and it's certainly not intended to be--but it is the situation that I find myself in. I have smart kids.

There was a time when I took more credit for this than I do now...a time when I thought their intelligence was simply due to the fact that they were home with me all day, rather than being farmed out to various substitute caregivers. But I have to be honest and say that not every home educated six-year-old can read at a 5th grade level, nor does every homeschooled 4-year-old understand place value. I don't fancy myself to be that stellar of a teacher. Without a doubt, much of it is inborn; or, more accurately, a gift from God.

Intelligence. A gift from God. "So, that must make homeschooling pretty easy for you, doesn't it?"

Well, in a way, yes. I suppose it does help with any motivation problems I might have to hear my 4-year-old say, "Please, mom, could we do math?...Please???".

And it does help that I can hand just about any book to my son and have him be able to read most of the words accurately (although, this causes a whole set of other problems).

But, it doesn't let me "off-the-hook". In a way, having intelligent children makes my job as a home educating mom harder.

It might be tempting for me to coast through this homeschooling thing. Tackle the three R's, impress my friends with their academic achievements, and believe that I have done my job.

But, here's the thing...

I am not afforded the luxury of raising geniuses who have no character.

This is the BIG problem with education in this country, and homeschoolers are not immune to it.

We can spend so much time trying to "prove" to everyone else that our home educated children are just as smart as, if not smarter than, their government educated peers. We can talk to death about the problems with the public school system, how bad the literacy rates are among 4th graders, how high school students don't get a course in basic economics, and how most of our kids don't know the difference between Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, Jr.

However important these issues may be--and they are important--they still miss the greater point.

The most glaring thing missing from a government education is--GOD.

And, please, let us not think we are much better if we believe that reading a Bible verse and saying a prayer first thing in the morning is sufficient.

No, indeed, sprinkling a couple of Bible verses into an otherwise secular education doesn't make it Christian any more than standing around in a parking lot makes one a car.

Our primary goal in education must be to train up fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ. The thought of our children rejecting the Savior ought give us cause to fall to our knees, trembling and tearful. Why do we seem to miss this point? Do we really think this is the Sunday School teacher's job? Do we really believe that because our child was baptized, or "prayed a prayer" when he was five, that we can sit back, relax, and breath a sigh of relief? I sincerely hope not!

"And these word that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

We must teach every subject from a distinctively Christian perspective. If we have a hard time understanding what that would look like, we need to re-examine our own world-view. Moreover, we must seek to lead them to Christ in everything we teach, and with our whole lives.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

Proverbs 9:10

This one goal--that they KNOW GOD--must transcend everything else. If it does not, we have failed, no matter how brilliant, successful, or wealthy our children one day become.

Is "the world" enough?

"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done."

Matthew 16:24-27

No, the world is NOT enough. Not even close. Not by a long-shot.

How do these words of Jesus change the way we think about our children's education? Do they?

Pray for Micah Andrews

2010-08-13T07:41:00.000-07:00

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9

Today is a day of mixed emotions for me. When I am done typing this, I am off to the hospital to visit a newborn baby--the fourth boy born into a loving, Christian family. May God be praised!

And, at the same time, my heart is heavy. A dear friend of mine from my college days, Heather Andrews (Averill) is, in just a few short minutes, about to send her dear two-year-old son, Micah, off to have major surgery on his neck, as a result of injuries sustained in a serious car accident. There are so many unknowns, and yet she and her husband, John, cling to the hope that they have though Jesus Christ. May God be praised!

My two-year-old son's name is also Micah--imagine two friends on opposite sides of the country, giving their sons the same name without knowing it!--and every time I snuggle my Micah and kiss his cheeks, I feel grateful, and unworthy, and I grieve, and I pray, and I ask God to please sustain her. How can I even begin to wrap my mind around how she must feel right now? God, You are sovereign. You are holy. Your name be praised.

Dear friends, would you please visit Micah's blog right now? Would you pray for little Micah, and would you please leave a note of encouragement for John and Heather?

http://welovemicah.blogspot.com

You can also visit them at CaringBridge:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/micahandrews/journal

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart:

wait, I say on the LORD."

Psalm 27:13-14

Thanks so much for your prayers!

By His Grace,

Tiana

10 Pieces of Good Advice from Experienced Homeschooling Moms

2010-08-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

I sometimes have to laugh at the idea of my being any sort of a homeschooling "expert". After all, I wasn't homeschooled, was anti-homeschooling as a college student (could somebody please help me to remember the name of the educational ministries professor I argued with openly in class, so that I can apologize publicly?), and my homeschooled kids are all still "little". What do I really contribute to this conversation?

I must humbly admit that most of what I know has come from listening to experienced homeschooling parents. (That, and reading. I've always been a bookworm.) This is why I strongly encourage parents, especially those who are new to homeschooling, to join some sort of a homeschooling support group or co-op. Bare minimum, we all would benefit from 2-3 moms who know more than we do.

I am thankful to be part of a church that is very supportive of homeschooling, with many women who have walked this road ahead of me. Several of these ladies have given me little "nuggets" of advice, that the LORD consistently uses to help me keep moving forward when I start to lose perspective. I hope the "top ten" that I share here today will be as encouraging to you as they have been to me:

1. Much of early homeschooling can be accomplished with two activities--reading out loud and playing outside.

2. Preschool doesn't need to take more than 15 minutes a day. Kindergarten, no more than 45. Now, she didn't say that she never taught her little ones anything for the rest of the day...only that she didn't need to "do academics" any longer than that. My kids regularly want to do school longer--but this is really good to remember when they, or I, don't.

3. Teach reading while nursing the baby. Teach math while the baby naps.

4. If you have the choice between working together and "doing school" together, work together. Life is work, and teaching our children the value of work is one of the most important gifts we can give them. When we work together, we usually have the opportunity to do the kind of "walk-along, talk-along" discipleship that Jesus did.

5. Did you read the Bible and pray with them today? If so, stop beating yourself up. You did what was most important. Tomorrow is a new day.

6. If it's not working for you and your child, get rid of it. It doesn't matter if every other homeschooling mom you know loves it. Be done with it. No amount of money spent on curriculum is worth the daily stress and tears. (If it's really that highly recommended, it should be easy to resell on homeschoolclassifieds.com).

7. Try to choose "multi-age" curriculum whenever possible. This kind of curriculum allows you to study a subject--say ancient history--as a family. Your kindergartener can learn about the pyramids right along side his 2nd grade brother and his 5th grade sister...sometimes all the way through highschool. It saves time, saves money, reduces mommy stress, and promotes family togetherness.

8. It is okay, for example, to allow your son to complete all of his math assignments for a month in a matter of days, in order that he might spend the rest of that month building with Legos. He might become a computer programmer someday. (True Story.)

9. If your child understands the material, it's perfectly acceptable to move on to the next lesson. You don't need to finish every assignment. In fact, some books just weren't meant to be finished. You didn't do every lesson in every textbook you were issued in school, did you?

10. Don't forget to enjoy your kids!! Homeschooling is relational...don't miss it! If you're having an "off" day, get out and do something fun as a family, or have a playdate with friends. Remind yourself daily how blessed you are to be free to educate your own children in accordance with your faith and values. Hug and kiss them regularly.

They grow up way too fast.