Category: Homeschooling

It’s okay to take a nap!

Every one of us needs a moment to refresh our soul. I’m thankful God showed me one more scripture that reminds me it is okay to rest.

Some days I just want the world to stop so I can catch my breath. Some days I just feel tired and want a moment of peace. I know God wants me to rest and take care of myself, but it also seems there is so much to do.

The story of Mary and Martha has been used often to remind us all of the importance of not allowing chores to distract us from an opportunity to sit at Jesus’ feet. Countless times, I have read the verse in Matthew 11:28 that says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest (NLT).” There are numerous books out there about how to embrace the concept of the Sabbath and God’s plan for finding true rest in our lives. All of these are wonderful reminders to me.

However, I think God must have realized his message was not getting through to my stubborn head, and I needed one more example to cling to.

In today’s sermon, we looked at the scripture in Mark 4: 35-41 where Jesus calms the storm. I have read this story so many times in my life, but today one verse stood out boldly to me. Verse 38 says, “Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion (NLT).”

Jesus took a nap in the middle of a huge storm!

I needed to hear that today. It seems the storms of life are often swirling around me, and it feels as if that must demand my constant attention. But it doesn’t. Even when we are in the midst of chaos and have a long list of “urgent” things to do, sometimes it is okay to take a break from it.

So today I took a nap. Yes, I had many things I should have or could have done. But I put them aside and rested, and later during the day I was able to more easily (and happily) conquer those tasks on my list.

I pray you, too, occasionally take a moment to take a nap and allow Jesus that sweet moment to refresh your soul!

Bringing Our Loaves and Fish to Jesus

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by our responsibilities. The story of Jesus feeding the 5000 reminds us to offer what we have to Jesus, and allow him to work the miracles in our lives.

Today I just feel overwhelmed…overwhelmed by the weight of all my responsibilities, wondering if I’m doing all I need to do, questioning my choices, and concerned about the future. Some days I wake up and live in a more robot-like state, doing the day’s tasks without thinking too deeply about it, on autopilot. Usually, I can push down all those negative thoughts, stuffing them way back in my mind where I only vaguely notice them, so I am able to get through the day joyfully and peacefully. But this morning, my thoughts are racing, and I feel a heavy weight in my soul as I begin the day.

Personally, I am especially worried about my children today. Yesterday I gave my daughter a reading assessment, and it opened my eyes to the depth of her struggles. It’s not that I didn’t already know she has profound reading problems; she’s is about 5 years below grade level in her reading. But watching her take the assessment, I became more acutely aware of each type of challenge she faces. She probably has dyslexia and may have some hearing issues. And this is just the beginning. My 2 special needs kids have so many difficulties I can’t begin to list them. When some parents are worried about whether or not their kids will get into college, I’m wondering if mine will ever be able to live independently, have a job, or drive a car. All of this weighs heavily on my heart, and I feel such a huge responsibility in trying to address all these challenges.

Of course, the point of this post is not for me to describe all my specific problems. The point is that we all have things like this that overwhelm us…financial strains, health problems, emotional struggles, and so forth. It is easy to look at whatever lies in front of us and feel ill-equipped, inadequate, and completely incapable of tackling the situation. We need miracles, and we know we can’t perform miracles…at least not on our own.

When I feel this way, I try to stop myself and listen to the voice of Jesus. I hear him gently comfort me and whisper encouragement in my ear. And I recall the story of him feeding the 5000. In Matthew 14:13-21, Jesus tells his disciples to give the crowds something to eat. Yes, he did give them the responsibility of taking care of the people, just like he gives us responsibilities in our lives. He didn’t just say, I’ll do it all. Jesus does expect something of us and wants our active participation. But exactly what is our part? What does he expect of us?

The disciples respond by saying, “We have here only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.” The disciples can’t offer much, but they bring what they have. They know what they have is meager and, frankly, doesn’t even come close to meeting the crowd’s food demands. But they bring it anyway. They offer what they have.

Then Jesus says, “Bring them here to me,” and he is the one that performs the miracle and feeds the 5000. This is what Jesus says to us, “Bring me what you have. I know how to use what you have to work miracles.”

How do I face today with so much weighing on my heart and such responsibility in front of me? I look around and find my “loaves and fishes.” One day it may be that all I have to offer is simply my willingness and enthusiasm. Another day it may be that I can find a specific task to accomplish. Personally, today I am going to research a specialized reading curriculum for my daughter. I can’t solve all her reading problems today, but I can do this one thing. Oftentimes our “loaves and fishes” seem so inadequate we almost feel ridiculous offering them up. I’m sure the disciples felt the same, offering only 5 loaves and 2 fish for 5000 people. But Jesus didn’t say, “Well, that won’t work. Throw those out, and I’ll cook up something great.” Instead, he told them to bring them to him. Jesus wants us to humbly offer what we have to him, actively doing our part and trusting him to do the rest.

Today, if you are feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath and rest in Jesus. Look around and see what “loaves and fish” you can offer to him. Don’t worry about whether it seems like enough. But believe in miracles and trust in God’s perfect power, plan, and provision. The Lord knows just what to do with what you have to offer!

Adults Need Rewards Too!

How do you keep yourself motivated when you don’t see any progress and feel overwhelmed?

Do you ever have days when you want to throw up your hands and quit homeschooling? Some days are like that for me. I get overwhelmed or feel like we are making no progress at all, and it all seems so fruitless. Sometimes I might work so hard planning a particular activity, and then my kids will stare at me like I’m crazy. I’ll wonder why I even bothered trying. Fortunately, there are other days when everything goes smoothly, and it feels like the moment is exactly what homeschooling should always be like. Those days are such blessings from God. But what do you do on the days where things are not going right? How do you persevere? How do you keep yourself motivated?

I would be foolish to skip over the most obvious answer–abide in Christ. Absolutely, there is no way to do this job without embracing the Lord’s power, wisdom, and guidance in this endeavor. There have been so many times I have cried out to Him in desperation, asking for Him to show me if this is still His desire for me, and so far, He has always answered me in such sweet, personal ways.

About a year ago, I honestly thought I had come to the end of my abilities in teaching my special needs kids at home. I had no idea how to progress or even if homeschooling was in their best interest. That week at our co-op meeting, I suddenly felt the urge to go outside and check on my kids during their PE time. What I saw ministered to my heart and confirmed my choice. All the kids in their class were taking turns helping my kids, encouraging them, and guiding them through an obstacle course. They held their hands, cheered for them, taught them, and sometimes did the activity with them just to keep them going. At that moment, it was as if God was saying, “Jennifer, you are not alone. I have put other people in your kids’ lives to help them. Look around. I am providing for you. You can do this because I am doing it with you.”

When we ask, God will show us each step of our path and whisper words of encouragement to us. But that is not all there is. He has also given us other tools to help us on this journey. We can reach out to others for support and wisdom. Sometimes just hearing another person share her story and how she is handling a certain difficulty can make my own problem not seem so unmanageable. Also, we can take a break. It’s okay to take a day off or even a few weeks off to regain perspective, revamp your plan, or refresh your spirit.

My personal favorite way to keep myself motivated is to reward myself. Homeschooling can often be a thankless job. Maybe your kiddos tell you how much they love your teaching and how much they appreciate all your hard work, but mine do not. My job is just an expected part of our family life, not necessarily anything that gets praised much. If my children are being successful, it is easy to gain satisfaction from seeing their progress. Whether anybody says a word to me, I can feel motivated to keep working just because I see the fruit of my labor. But what about when there just doesn’t seem to be any fruit hanging around? What if all your efforts seem to be ill-received or ineffective? What do you do then?

I have learned to reward myself for my own effort, not my specific success. Some days it is a day off. Sometimes it is a special treat at the end of the day. Other times it is buying something that will make my life easier, like a new planner or even more expensive but more teacher-friendly curriculum. Or maybe I just have dinner delivered instead of cooking that night!

Friends, God is not a hard task-master, demanding you work yourself into exhaustion and produce fantastic results. He doesn’t expect perfection; he just wants your faithfulness. His only expectation is for you to trust His plan, remain in Him, and follow His lead. Don’t be discouraged if you do not see results. Don’t feel disappointed in yourself if you need a break or some extra motivation. God is delighted in you!

May the Lord give you a renewed enthusiasm, an encouraged spirit, and an extra measure of perseverance today as you continue on your journey!