seeking wisdom

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

James 1:5

Good morning!  I hope you are all finding your Saturday to be full of sunshine and time with your family.   This semester has really flown by.  Our homeschool on the farm has just finished week 12 of our main curriculum and this week begins the "birthday season."  In addition to that we are nearing the busiest season of all with our kids and their livestock and 4-H projects.  Our  next month or two of weekends will mainly consist of showing goats and lambs.  In the moments between (and they are few) we will work together on fair projects and sewing projects.  On top of the normal things, it is already time for me to begin my school planning for 2015-2016.  My daughter will be a senior.  I can't even believe that is possible!  So this week has me pondering life.  I chose the Bible verse above for inspiration because this week has been a week of questions in my small circle of friends.  Where ever I go people are seeking wisdom.  For one mom it is wisdom on filling out college applications and sending her son into the world.  For my church it is on how to find a new pastor and rebuild a church one day at a time. For one family member it is how to deal with current health issues and waiting patiently for a healing surgery.  When I have a few moments of spare time, I like to read books.  This week the book Love the Journey has me  also seeking wisdom in how to "keep a quiet home."  This is intriguing to a mom of 5 kids ranging from almost 17 to 18 months.  ;-)  I know others have things in which they seek wisdom.  No matter the depth of the wisdom we seek, God gives generously if only we ask.  So I want to encourage you to ask God for the wisdom that you seek as you make decisions about your future.  No matter how big or small the wisdom you seek, God has promised to give generously to all.  

Blessings,

Mrs. P

garlands of grace

Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.  They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.Proverbs 1:8-9

I found the verse above this morning.  I really love it.  I think when I am teaching my children, I might just start saying to the children that I'm giving them garlands to grace their head!  I'm sure they won't think that is weird at ALL.  :-)  Seriously, I had not really thought of all that a mother teaches in that way.  It gives me such a pretty visual of all of the daily work we as moms do.  Reminding your son that he needs to wear deodorant...a garland of grace.  Training a toddler to not stick her finger in an electric socket...a garland of grace.  Helping a teenager navigate interpersonal relationships with other teens...a garland of grace.  Serving uneaten green vegetables to grumpy children...a garland of grace.  Teaching kids to wash and fold their own laundry...a garland of grace.  Copying Essentials Charts A-F and drilling vocabulary and spelling rules....yep, that too is a garland of grace.  I think today while I'm working with my children and teaching them all of the millions of things I teach each day, I will look at them and think about the garlands that will one day grace their head and adorn their necks.  I will remember that a soft answer turns away wrath and I will pray for extra measures of wisdom from God in this job that we call motherhood.  I don't know about you, but I just really needed to see my work as something beautiful today.  This is the time frame in the school year where we can get bogged down.  We are on our 3rd schedule and it still doesn't work without flaws.  We are lagging behind in a subject or two or we have a student or two really pushing back at our selection of curriculum, book, or even pencils (anyone else have kids who only like ONE pencil, that is perpetually lost???).  So I hope that this morning, this verse brings joy to you and encouragement like it did to me.  Many blessings to you and your students this week. 

Blessings,

Mrs. P