Thoughts from Jericho

Have you ever been faced with a daunting task? One that seemed just a little too big. One that made you feel uncomfortable, unqualified, and completely out of your realm. Magnify that feeling, and I'm sure that's how the children of Israel felt as they looked on the big walls of Jericho and thought, "How are we supposed to conquer that?!?"

Since life has slowed down a bit after school got out for summer break, I have enjoyed a little extra time in the Word other than my quick devotion and verse here and there during our busy school days. And let me just be honest in saying, God knows I need that extra time in His Word to keep me grounded and focused on His promises which I all to easily loose sight of.

Raising kids, homeschooling high schoolers, maintaining house and property, running from one sport to the next, juggling responsibilities, and the list goes on  can all seem a bit taxing. And some of you are facing challenges and responsibilities a lot more daunting than the normal day to day trials.

As I have been reading in Joshua, I came across one of my favorite verses, Joshua 1:9; and I desperately needed a reminder of this verse. It says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." What an awesome promise this is, and this was the promise God gave right before He was going to do tremendous things that would require total faith...like walk around the walls of Jericho. Really! Just walk and shout...Don't attack...Don't fight...Just walk, trust, and obey. God was going to fight the battle for them.

Here the children of Israel stood looking at the huge walled city. How? How were they going to tackle this? But God! He had a plan. It was a plan that would require total faith and obedience. A plan the would show His faithfulness, His power, and His might.

The children of Israel prepared to fight. They had God's promise that He was with them. But, as the Jesus Storybook Bible puts it, God's plan "wasn't about fighting; it was about trusting and doing what God said." So for days the children of Israel walked around the walls of Jericho. They waited on God's Word and for God to move- such faith to walk and wait- not taking things into their own hands that surely would have led to defeat. They waited and then obeyed when God said to shout. They trusted and obeyed which led to great victory. A victory orchestrated by God to accomplish His plan. Oh, to have that faith!

Oh Father, help me! Help me have the faith to trust, obey, and walk while waiting on You to work to accomplish Your plan through tasks that seem too big.

Take 2...Let's try again

This blog may have been silent for almost 2 1/2 years, but the life of this family has been anything but silent! I always heard that your life gets busier as your kids get older, but as I hustled after my children when they were younger, I never understood how that could be...until now! The life of traveling out of town to co-op classes; attending to church, family, and community responsibilities; adding karate and travel softball to the schedule;  preparing for 4-H projects; and bringing new animals to the homestead have made life feel out of control at times. How do you find a balance??? Over the past months the words, "If we can only get through the next 2 weeks..." have been verbalized countless times to my husband along with realization that it was time to re-prioritize. 

Seasons of our lives can be constantly changing. Even though the past 3 years have been extremely busy and challenging, they have also allowed many volunteer, ministry, and teaching opportunities. Anyone who knows me understands that I love missions and ministry opportunities. Knowing that some of these things would have to be cut. the thought of re-prioritizing was not one that I looked upon with excitement. I prayed for guidance and direction through this process. The thought that always came back was there are seasons...seasons to raise your children, seasons to homeschool, seasons of sports, seasons of ministry...and my season of homeschooling and having my children at home is winding down. With that realization staring me in the face during my daughters 9th grade year, my priorities became very clear. My children are my first mission. If I fail to minister to them, I am neglecting my main mission during this season in my life. God chose me to be there mom...I have the privilege of striving to lead them and guide them. I have the opportunity to be in their lives and not waste a minute. I have the responsibility of doing life with them through the ups and downs of teenage emotions and striving to help them find balance and meaning in life. 

So lets just be honest. The life of a homeschooling mom is not glamorous. We are with our children for the majority of the day. They see us at our best and at our worst, and we see the same in them. We are the target of their frustration, and they can become the target of ours. The sad reality is that sometimes it is so much easier to minister to others than to minister to our own, and I admit, that has been the case with me more times than I care to mention. As we come out of one of the busiest and hardest years of my homeschooling career, I am looking forward to some time this summer to rest, recover, and equip for the coming school year. There will be long drives to karate and softball practice. There will be many weekends at the softball field. There will be many hours in the yard not only training in respective sports but training horses, chickens, and a cow. There will be many opportunities and activities that will require a "Sorry, but no," answer from me. But this is my season...my season to embrace the next few years before me children fly the coop and become adults. Oh how I pray for the strength to find joy in each day, for direction in navigating the road of teenage emotions and attitude, for discernment in making the most of everyday despite what trials arise, and for our family to be a light to those around us and abound in love.