Friday, February 13, 2015

On Relaxed Homeschooling


Wisdom from Sarah McKenzie at Amongst Lovely Things: 
I don’t worry about “getting it all in” or “leaving gaps” in my children’s education. Public and private schools don’t “get it all in”, and certainly every person I’ve ever met has gaps in their education. The goal of education is not to fill a child’s head with facts, dates, and tidbits of history. The goal of education is to inspire the child to love learning, and to give him the tools to do so. Then they are set for a lifetime of learning- this is of far more worth than anything one can learn from a textbook.
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Friday, January 30, 2015

Quote of the Week ~ Jan. 30, 2015



He who does little, but in a state to which God calls him, does more than he who labors much, but in a state which he has thoughtlessly chosen: a cripple limping in the right way is better than a racer out of it. – Augustine of Hippo

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Quote of the Week ~ November 26, 2014


      “So they committed themselves to the will of God and resolved to proceed.”
 ~ William Bradford

Monday, November 17, 2014

Quote of the Week ~ Nov. 16, 2014

"There is a strength given to all who humbly ask it, in the name of the Great Mediator; a strength to will, to do, and to endure, even to the death; a strength, given by God, enabling the timid to be brave, and imparting a consistent firmness, even to those who feel themselves ready to be shaken by every breeze. But unless we seek from Heaven this consistent firmness of principle, our goodness shall be but as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away. Without it, no Christian course can be a happy or a useful one. It is not enough to know and approve what is right. Principle must be acted upon, whether the world smile or condemn; and the diligent and steady cultivation of firmness be sought in humble dependence on God. And as the eastern traveler girded his garments from the dust, so, too, must Christians keep themselves unspotted from the contamination of vain intercourse, and the defilement of sin; and as the Hebrew matron girded herself for strength, so should we strive to invigorate our principles by holy determination, by steady watchfulness, and by humble prayer; so that we may say with the apostle, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phl 4:13)." ~ Anne Pratt

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Quote of the Week ~ Nov. 4, 2014

"For my strength is made perfect in weakness." — 2 Corinthians 12:9

"A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God's work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When God's warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, "I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm and my conquering sword shall get unto me the victory," defeat is not far distant. God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own strength. He who reckoneth on victory thus has reckoned wrongly, for "it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." 

They who go forth to fight, boasting of their prowess, shall return with their gay banners trailed in the dust, and their armour stained with disgrace. Those who serve God must serve Him in His own way, and in His strength, or He will never accept their service. That which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere fruits of the earth He casteth away; He will only reap that corn, the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love. God will empty out all that thou hast before He will put His own into thee; He will first clean out thy granaries before He will fill them with the finest of the wheat. 

The river of God is full of water; but not one drop of it flows from earthly springs. God will have no strength used in His battles but the strength which He Himself imparts. Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give thee victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up." ~ Charles Spurgeon

"When I am weak then am I strong,
Grace is my shield and Christ my song."

Monday, November 3, 2014

“May He Get All the Glory”

Excellent encouragement and insight from Jenny Ervin:
Then slowly, my health began to decline. Just a few years after we were married, after the birth of our second child I lost a kidney. A couple years later the fatigue began to hit me. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Fast Forward many years. Adrenal fatigue, possible chronic fatigue and/or fibromyalgia, hormone imbalances, depression, and ocd have had me barely able to get out of bed many days. Simple decisions and minor tasks many times are overwhelming. Many morning I feel like I am coming out of a coma, many evenings find me unable to wind down. The couch often is my friend, and I have to carefully plan the ways in which I should spend my limited energy. 
Where is my perfect homeschool world now? It’s gone. It is replaced by the world my Father has planned for me to have. I pray it is His homeschooling family now, not mine. I have learned that the box we often put ourselves in, the expectations we place upon us-are not of Him but of ourselves. Our relationship with Him, living for His glory, seeking Him daily, and learning day by day what HE wants us to learn is paramount. 
Through my illness I pray my children are learning compassion, servanthood, and submission to the providences He brings into our lives. They have a much keener sense of our daily strength coming from Him alone as they see their mama struggle. I pray they are gaining wisdom far greater then any textbook they could read.
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Wednesday, October 29, 2014

How a Pink Drink Was an Answer to Prayer: Plexus Slim Review and Giveaway

whydrinkpink


I have struggled with health issues for most of my life, including chronic ear infections, allergies, eczema and more. For the past eight years I have been struggling with severe, often debilitating, adrenal fatigue. Four of those years, including this one, have been spent partly bedridden.

With 8 young children growing up before my eyes this has been such a heartache to me and a great burden on our whole family. The Lord has been so faithful though. We know that all things come through His hands and that He works all things together for our good and that is a comfort we continue to cling to. We also believe that healing comes through Him and that He is the Great Physician. I have been praying desperately for this and for the first time I have real hope that He is answering with a “Yes” and it is time for me to get well.

A little over a year ago I first heard about a “pink drink” that was helping people with a myriad of health issues. I looked at it briefly, but being a little skeptical I did not pursue it any further

This year, my health plummeted again to the point of being near adrenal failure and mostly bedridden since March. I had days where I was so low I could barely talk, sit up or even open my eyes. I had many days where I was only able to be up for 10 or fifteen minutes at a time, and that was usually shuffling around the house, not even standing upright. The slightest exertion was a huge effort.

In April, we lost the little baby we were expecting. Being so sick, I did not quite know how to even begin to get well. Special diets were not a doable option when I could not even get out of bed to prepare normal meals. I was not strong enough for the hour drive to the nearest doctor and mybrain was so foggy and fatigued I didn’t even know how I should figure out which supplements, or combinations thereof, I should be taking.

I had a new determination though, that I had to make getting well a top priority no matter how hard it was. I began to funnel my grief over losing our baby into prayerfully researching some different options. As I began to research, I remembered that Plexus “pink drink” I had read about last year and decided to give it another look.

 

 I thought it sounded interesting and the ingredients looked surprisingly natural, so I googled “Plexus Slim and adrenal fatigue”. I found some wonderfully encouraging blog posts from normal sounding, Christian, homeschool mothers and I began to exchange my skepticism for a glimmer of hope.

I decided to give it a try and will be forever grateful that the Lord led me to do so! In the the past 4 1/2 months that we have been using Plexus products my health is continuing to slowly, steadily improve. I am no longer bedridden and I am gaining strength, stamina and energy. My brain fog is clearing away, as well as the depression that I couldn’t shake, and my awful insomnia is improving.

Plexus is not just a quick fix. It is a healing process. Slim addresses blood sugar regulation, which in turn sets off a snowball effect of health benefits. (Some people call it “Trim Healthy Mama in a Glass” since it is the same principle that the book and eating plan are based on) I have had relapses, some days better and some worse, but I am making continual progress. Having been sick for so long, I know I have a long way to go, but I am so thrilled to feel like I am finally on my way.

Living with adrenal fatigue, especially when it is severe, is very much like living with the spark of life removed. I felt like I was dying a long, slow death – not only my body, but ME inside. It has been called by a doctor who is an expert in adrenal issues the state of “the living dead”. That truly sums it up.

I have read many Plexus testimonials where people state that “Plexus gave me my life back”. It delights me now to be able to say the same. It truly is giving me my life back! I feel like “Me” again. As a result, it is giving my husband and children new life as well.

(Speaking of my husband, Plexus has been a huge answer to prayer for him as well for his years of terrible migraines!)

I am so thankful to the Lord for providing me with such a direct answer to prayer; and something simple enough for my foggy brain and sick body to be able to even handle to get started on the road to healing.

If you have health issues and are looking for help, please contact me! My heart so goes out to others, especially mothers, who are dealing with chronic illness and I want to share with you what has been the Lord’s answer to my exhausted, desperate prayer. There is hope.

Because Plexus has been such a huge blessing to us, we are spreading the word far and wide to others who struggle with their health. We just launched a brand new website full of information and testimonies, www.whydrink.pink.


To celebrate, we are giving away a 30 day supply of Plexus Slim! To enter, hop over to our facebook page and like it and leave a comment. To be entered TWICE watch the Plexus Freedom video there and leave a comment stating what you appreciated most about what was said. To be entered THREE times, leave a comment stating what you hope Plexus could help you with. Offer ends Thursday, Oct. 30th at midnight!