Daily Focus - November 2009

"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering" (James 1:6a).

One technique I commonly used to motivate my children when homeschooling was the "cliff hanger." I would entice my children's appetite to learn by only presenting enough information to get them excited. Reading only to a climatic part in a story, I would stop and say, "If you want to find out what happens, you'll have to read the rest for yourself!" This tactic was a great motivator, especially for my oldest daughter who couldn't stand not knowing the ending....

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Do you feel empty today? Is the idea of homeschooling your children overwhelming? Some days, you just don't feel like being profound and inspirational. You would rather hide in bed under the covers or lock yourself away in the bathroom for several hours. The last thing you have is your act together, and you don't feel like disciplining yourself to keep going. Saying "yes" to your selfish feelings and jumping into irresponsibility would be so much easier....

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"Brethren, pray for us" (1 Thessalonians 5:25).

Seated with my children in the living room, we had just begun our homeschooling day with devotions. The morning had been hectic like usual, and I wasn't in the best of moods. No matter how hard I tried, the starting time for school seemed to be getting later each day. Feeling incompetent as a teacher and trying to make up for lost time, I quickly asked my children, "Is there anything we need to pray about?" Several needs were expressed by each of my young children, which I hurriedly wrote down. However, as I started to pray, my son interrupted and asked, "Mom, what about you? Is there something you need prayer for today?"...

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"But Mom," my son cried. "I know I already did these math problems! I don't want to do them over again. My paper has to be somewhere!"

"I'm sorry," I replied. "You may have done them, but they're not here now. We've spent fifteen minutes looking for your math worksheet, and it's nowhere to be found. You'll have to do them again."

Frustration crossed my son's face, but I resisted the temptation to let this missing assignment go unaddressed. Another precedent was being set, and my son needed to realize he was responsible for maintaining and organizing his work. My actions seemed tough, but I was considering the future. No college professor or employer would tolerate an excuse like "I had it somewhere, but I can't find it now."...

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Do you remember the day you decided to homeschool? You knew you needed to make a change in your child's education, but you had no clue how to get started. You felt helpless and utterly dependent on God's guidance and waited on His leading to know where to go and whom to talk to for advice....

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"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved" (Psalm 55:22).

The toughest time of the day for homeschool moms of young children has to be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. For some reason, God chooses to give children a second wind after supper, but forgets to include the moms. We have to collect the pieces of a long homeschooling day that lie strewn throughout the house and also give baths, read nighttime stories, and put the children to bed. With our energy levels already running on empty, all of this work seems like a formidable, medieval castle. Where are our knights in shining armor to rescue us?...

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"For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God" (Romans 13:1b).

Standing in the rotunda of our state capitol, I knew this homeschooling field trip was going to be a memorable day for my children and me. We could feel the history of past generations all around us as we visited our state senator, a long-time family friend. We had come to see the compelling process of how a bill becomes a law, and we weren't disappointed....

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"I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude" (Psalm 109:30).

My children loved studying the heroic story about the Pilgrims in our homeschool history class. The Mayflower voyage, Squanto's corn planting and hunting lessons, and the first Thanksgiving all captured my children's deepest interest. However, the one story of the Pilgrims that most affected my family was the story about the "Starving Time" during the spring of 1623....

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"I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD" (Psalm 116:17).

A new day to homeschool waits in front of you, but already your restless mind is walking you through the countless problems and chores left over from yesterday. You feel the negativity crawling up your back like an impending viral cold. Once again, you face the choice of feeding the white dog of hopeful expectations and thankfulness or the black dog of despair and complaining. Which dog will you choose to feed with your thoughts?...

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You never mean to use anger to discipline your children, but sometimes it becomes part of your homeschooling day. Perhaps you're too tired to get up again to reinforce your correction for the millionth time, or maybe you subconsciously model the parenting you received when you were a child. Whatever the reason, you find yourself caught in the deadly trap of yelling at your children to make them obey....

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