A couple of weeks ago we looked at Proverbs 7, and if you read it, it might have made you squirm uncomfortably in your seat. This brash woman is lingering in dark alleys, waiting to seduce and deceive. (You can catch that post here if you missed it.)
Now, I have great news. Proverbs 8 is this beautiful opposite picture. Sigh of relief.
It shares the story of Wisdom, (again personified as a woman) crying aloud in the streets.
Now, you might pause with a question reading Proverbs 8. If Lady Wisdom is crying aloud in the streets, where is she? How do I hear her? What is this extended metaphor even talking about?
Honestly, the only people I’ve ever seen shouting about Jesus to strangers in the streets seemed… nuts, to put it delicately.
This great contrast to the seductive secrecy of the brash woman we read about in Proverbs 7 — this Truth that can be proclaimed from high hills and at city entrances. It’s not dishonesty and secrets that are whispered in dark alleys. But, again we ask, where is Wisdom for us to hear her?
To make things tidy and organized for you, over the next few weeks we’re going to look at a few different places we can look for Wisdom. If She is so plainly shouting in the streets, is it possible that we’re missing her? Or what sense can we make of this passage?
First up, Look Up
Do you know those beautiful verses from Psalm 19 that speak about how the heavens declare the glory of the Lord, and the skies show us His handiwork? I loved discovering the way The Message translates these thoughts:
God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening.
Their words aren’t heard, their voices aren’t recorded, But their silence fills the earth: unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.
Even though the heavens don’t “speak” in the literal sense — they still tell the truth of a faithful, consistent, unchanging Creator who dreamed sunsets into being, and decided what the patterns sunlight would make as it filters through the leaves of each and every tree and scatters on the forest floor. The God who breathed both constellations and caterpillars and decided giraffes only needed seven vertebrae in their neck, just like humans. That still puzzles my puzzler.
Remember that beautiful Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem that says —
Earth is crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes — The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries. {Elizabeth Barrett Browning}
Only he who sees takes off his shoes. We can not must not lose our sense of wonder at Creation, the handiwork of God.
I stood under our big magnolia tree this afternoon, just looking up the great knobby trunk and at the branches, stretching out in every direction like spokes around the wheel of a bicycle, and I couldn’t help but marvel and think: What whispers from the Creator would I hear a little better, if I just made sure to take a little time to slow and experience His Creation?
We are in a strange place, friends. We’re walking through uncharted territory in unusual times.
If God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, and we trust He is the Creator, it might do us some good to breath fresh air and marvel at His creation for a while. All these things that were before we came to be and will be when we’re gone. What does He whisper through His creation?
Stand outside and look up at the trees or down at the all tiny insects you might find in a section of grass on the ground no bigger than your hand — could this be seeking Him? And could you be rewarded by finding Him?
Wisdom truly is plainly on display for us to see in the glorious Creation all around us. So this is my hope and my challenge and my encouragement for you to go one day deeper in the Lord today: step outside and look for a reason to wonder. Take a moment without kids, or spouses or an agenda, however much of a moment you can take, and watch a bird fly or look at the intricate design of a single blade of grass. Examine the moss on a tree trunk or rub the veins of a leaf between your fingers, even if it’s just the potted plant by the window.
Then, point your soul toward heaven and just ask for wisdom with a teachable heart, like a child. Ask God to help you see something that makes you, like Moses, want to take off your shoes.
This season is not forever. The sun will rise again. Let your bare feet touch the grass. Breathe and trust the Author, Who saw this coming and hasn’t stopped writing your story.
Wisdom cries out for us, friends. Perhaps we need to quiet down a little to listen.
Psst… Did you catch the news last week about a new resource I created for you? It’s called Ten Simple Ways to Share Your Faith With Your Kids, and you can find it on the brand new Parenting Resources page I ALSO created for you! Find all the good stuff at https://www.carolinecollie.com/parenting/.
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I sure hope this was an encouragement to you today! Could you use some more encouragement during this crazy pandemic? If so, you can subscribe and never miss my (weekly) posts by clicking right here. I’ll do a happy dance, and you’ll get encouraging words in your inbox once a week! (I’ll also send you an awesome Meal Plan Step-by-Step Guide… Definitely a win/win!Hint: I Instant Pot like nobody’s business.)
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Some posts on my site contain affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases, I receive compensation at no extra cost to you. I love it when you do that! Thank you for supporting With Love!
I recently watched an interview with Beth Moore. She encouraged young authors with stories from her own journey and shared examples of how she listens for the Holy Spirit, chooses what thoughts are best for a quick tweet or a blog post, or what material might be the making of a book to be published. She was delightful and engaging all-around, but my favorite moment came at the end of the interview when she was asked about what she was working on and how viewers could support her.
She quickly shared about the book she has coming out (The audiobook version is free on Audible right now). and the Bible study she hopes to release in September. Afterwards was eager to ask specifically for prayer. She shared that the most important thing to her is that she surrenders to ministry because she loves Jesus — and that’s how she wants to go home. “I want to make it to the finish line, that nobody hijacked that — that nothing hijacked that.”
It was a precious and beautiful inspiration to me to see this woman of the faith who has spoken to millions, published more words than can be counted and sown into so many hearts for the kingdom of God, asking for prayer that she would finish the race she began, holding tightly, faithful to Jesus.
I’ve often heard that pride is at the root of every sin. I feel certain humility is the antidote — because if we don’t believe we can fall — well, buddy, look out.
Right now? So many of us are in hard places. We’re facing the fear of a significant illness for ourselves or our loved ones — and so much more. We’re facing the fear of missing paychecks. We’re facing the fear of our children falling behind in school while we attempt to make education happen at home. The list goes on.
It’s easy to feel pretty scared right now, right?
And let me tell you from personal experience, when we are scared or hurting or facing hard things, we’re at a much greater risk for falling into temptations we would never consider when life feels easier and breezier.
In Proverbs 7, Solomon tells this story about this young man who’s really not looking for trouble — but he’s not really looking for a way out of trouble either — Wisdom is not the sister he talks to and Insight is not his BFF.
It’d make a good story for Hollywood — and if the story wanted to lend itself to telling the truth, it would start with this seduction scene, and then the seductress would go on her way, and we’d watch this young man’s life start to spiral out of control, because the path he chose is like turning on to a street hoping to find a different route to where you want to go — but completely ignoring the clearly posted “Dead End” sign right at the top of the road.
Consider this: we’ve all inherited a sinful nature. Not just quirks and opinions and voting tendencies and denominational preferences. We have all inherited a nature that wants to follow temptation when it waits for us in the street. It comes in many forms. Makes us feel good about bad choices. Even uses religion to justify many vices.
What hope is there for that kid who got caught in that trap? What hope is there for all us sinners who can follow a million different paths, ignoring the Dead End sign at the top of the street?
It takes a humble soul to know it: There, but for the grace of God, go I.
But it’s absolutely by grace that any of us are saved from any of the traps and snares of the enemy of our souls. And what a dangerous trap — perhaps the most dangerous trap — pride can be.
Read Solomon’s words here with a humble heart, and do exactly what Jesus tells us to do: make “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” a daily prayer.
Many a greater woman than I has fallen prey and gotten caught in a trap of one kind or another. Walked a dead end street looking for God knows what.
The Good Word puts it this way in 1 Peter 5: Be sober, be vigilant, because your enemy prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
This — the place of temptation — is a powerful place to be most honest. Years ago, I was struggling with a temptation that wouldn’t leave my thoughts alone, and it troubled me that it was troubling me. I knew what the right thing to do was, but fear of somehow falling meant this struggle was never far from my thoughts. I called a friend I trusted and said, “This is going to sound weird, but I feel like I need to confess this thing I’m struggling with to you.”
The moment the words were out of my mouth, it felt like an arrow of the enemy that was whizzing straight toward my head had fallen to the ground.
There is so much power in the secrecy and shame of temptation. The enemy holds the upper hand in the darkness — but he cannot stand when we bring things into the light.
This is why we so deeply need wisdom, and why we look to the one who endured every temptation without sin — and we trust Him to take us by the hand, and lead us always toward the path that leads to life. We lean into Jesus, and lean on the friends that will help us walk the walk we want to talk.
Lean hard into Jesus today, my friends. This hard season is not forever. God will see us through this, too! And we will see how He worked it out for our good when we get to the other side.
xCC
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I sure hope this was an encouragement to you today! Could you use some more encouragement during this crazy pandemic? If so, you can subscribe and never miss my (weekly) posts by clicking right here. I’ll do a happy dance, and you’ll get encouraging words in your inbox once a week! (I’ll also send you an awesome Meal Plan Step-by-Step Guide… Definitely a win/win!Hint: I Instant Pot like nobody’s business.
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Some posts on my site contain affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases, I receive compensation at no extra cost to you. I love it when you do that! Thank you for supporting With Love!
Hi there! In case you missed it, I extended an invitation a few weeks ago to join me in walking through Proverbs. Jump in ANY time. You can read the chapter we’re looking at before reading on (optional but definitely good for you if you can swing it!) I also recommend asking a friend to join you on the journey. (Click this link to take you to the introduction to this series if you want to know more.) I think we might need this wisdom these days more than ever!
First things first, beware! This section of Proverbs can seem a little “irrelevant” to us if we’re not careful. Aren’t we long past the days of lending large sums of money to friends? Doesn’t everybody just go to the bank? Do people still co-sign on loans for people they’re not related to?
While I’m certain there are still folks signing on the dotted line when they shouldn’t be — it’s not just a matter of saying you’ll cover something when someone else is receiving the benefits of a loan. The core point might be stated like this. Every yes is also a no. Be careful, therefore, what you’re willing to say yes to.
Disney Dreams
A few years ago, a friend shared a crazy story with us at a small group meeting. One year, he’d worked particularly crazy hard. He’d taken on extra speaking opportunities and been a director at special events. He said the “warm blanket of significance of importance and affirmation” along with the people-pleaser genes pushed him to say yes again and again.
He began justifying all these extra “opportunities” by planning a Christmas trip to Disney for his family, spending significant amounts of time away, way more often than he’d ever intended. Pulling into Orlando for the big event the family stopped at a grocery store to pick up some provisions for the week. Next, his 5 year old threw up on the floor of the grocery store. And like that — all the saving and work and time away from his family? It seemed to disappear like a puff of smoke, right before his eyes.
I interviewed him about this crazy story, because he had a few key take-aways to share, and this bullet point list about sums it up:
The stomach bug usually only lasts 24 hours
Until the second kid catches it on day 2 of the epic family vacay
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Don’t put any puke into a paper fast food bag in the minivan
Wasted money is way more replaceable than wasted time
When it comes to time with your kids: quantity over quality, always
If you say “no” to the extra job or whatever, they’ll just ask the next person on the list
Our world is in a crazy place right now. We all feel kind of upside down and sideways. We’re wrestling to figure out what ‘normal’ is supposed to look like in this season. Life feels kind of scary, am I right?
I keep thinking this one thing that I want to remember (and share):
Inside every challenge, struggle, or problem, there’s always an opportunity.
Even facing the possibility of losing a child last year, we discovery opportunity. To grow in our faith. To share our faith. To experience the incredible love and care of our community. To strengthen our family.
This is something God does: He takes indescribably, unimaginably hard things and turns them into something beautiful.
So what are we going to do with the time on our hands?
And can we all recite this key point my friend made, one more time? Wasted money is way more replaceable than wasted time.
Reflect with me for a moment. There’s this crazy warning here in Proverbs 6: Don’t get caught in the snare of debt. Don’t put your family at risk by taking on a debt you might someday be asked to repay. And maybe we need to consider that the debt can sometimes look less like a loan at the bank, and sometimes more like the things you’ve said yes to, the contracts you’ve signed, the commitments you’ve made. Wasted money is way more replaceable than wasted time.
A yes to something is always, always also a no to something else.
Rethink that word faithful we talked about back in Proverbs 5 and remember: faithfulness will look different for you from how it looks for everybody else. God can, and does, write 7 billion stories simultaneously. What does He want to write with yours? And is it possible you’ve been committing yourself to things that make following the story He wants to write with you impossible?
This is the quiet our souls have probably been waiting for. Before the world gets loud again, embrace the quiet and get still. You are going to jump back into life again. This thing is not forever.
Ask: What do you want to be true a month from now? With regard to your life, or your routines, or your family relationships… is this slowing down of the pace showing you anything?
It’s not that it’s wrong to take your kids to Disney or save up for some other big and special event. Heaven knows we believe in traveling around these parts!!
But the good, friends, the good is so often the enemy of the best.
And we can find ourselves trapped in chasing after the good, while the best is the opportunity cost we just can’t have if we choose the good.
The Message puts it this way:
“If you’ve impulsively promised the shirt off your back and now find yourself shivering out in the cold, Friend, don’t waste a minute, get yourself out of that mess…”
Let’s aim at saying yes to God’s best… xCC
Now… Could you give a few moments to some yeses and no’s you’ve made recently? Is there a common denominator that typically ties together the yeses you wish you hadn’t “yes’d”? Or to the no’s you should’ve “yes’d”? Could there be a Disney dream you’re chasing — and at what cost? Ask Jesus for wisdom and perspective.
*** I sure hope this was an encouragement to you today! Could you use some more encouragement during this crazy pandemic? If so, you can subscribe and never miss my (weekly) posts by clicking right here. I’ll do a happy dance, and you’ll get encouraging words in your inbox once a week! (I’ll also send you an awesome Meal Plan Step-by-Step Guide… Definitely a win/win!Hint: I Instant Pot like nobody’s business. ***
Some posts on my site contain affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases, I receive compensation at no extra cost to you. I love it when you do that! Thank you for supporting With Love!
Right from the outset, I think you and I have something in common to talk about, no matter where you are on planet Earth. We’ve never faced a pandemic like COVID-19. But here we are, friend. We’re facing it. And my sole purpose in clickety-clacking my fingers across the keys today is to encourage you with a few simple ideas. I hope these practical steps will help you face this thing with bravery and perseverance so that someday you’ll look back and smile, thinking about what important things were forged in your soul in this very hard place.
Neither of us have much experience in this particular area, I know. It’s hard to know what next steps to take. But last year, my eight-year-old, Blake, was in the hospital for a long and heavy seven week period. (Many of you who’ve read here for a while know this already!) Living in crisis mode for an extended period taught a few lessons to my soul — both because of successes and because of great mistakes. So from one human being to another, I’m hoping to impart a little bit of hope and strength and grace to you, out of one life-or-death journey, believing it can speak to another life-or-death journey — the one we’re all facing right now.
I’ve put this advice inside four simple points, and I hope they will be a breath of encouraging fresh air to your soul…
1. Establish a (Temporary) New Normal
One of the greatest things you can do for yourself right now is decide how you are going to live during this unique season. For many of us, the new normal is confinement at home. Isolation is hard. We were created to live in community. Out of love for our neighbors, isolation and helping reduce the spread of this virus is a great choice. For those who are health care workers, we are praying for you. As you may find yourself isolated at a hospital instead of outside of it, I pray you can find a temporary new normal as well. Here are some suggestions for what establishing a routine could look like.
Get up at the same time every day. Shower and get dressed. Just because you’re not leaving your house doesn’t mean you don’t still have a life to live and work to do. Many people who regularly work from home speak to the benefits of getting dressed and treating their day like a work day, even if the commute is from the kitchen to the home office.
Exercise. Your body needs this now, like always. Try downloading an app on your phone to guide you through a workout or hit your own home gym if you have one. Exercise will boost your mood, reduce the risk of depression, and mean you don’t develop a COVID-15 during COVID-19.
Plan your day. This is especially helpful if you have children. {I’ve shared some ideas for all you suddenly homeschooling parents right here.} If you can continue to work from home, schedule the hours where you’ll be doing that work. When is lunch? When is quitting time? Don’t let the hours drag on and blur together. A schedule and rhythm for the day gives peace and order to the souls of the children in our care — but I’m confident it can benefit us adults just as much. Sometimes, when we’re feeling discouraged by the weight of what’s happening in our world, we need a little schedule to tell us what to do, to encourage us to keep going.
“One foot in front of the other” was forged into our souls last year, and it’s great advice. Maybe this is a great time to check in with old friends — schedule some catch-up calls. Maybe it’s time to finish that project you started and shoved in a closet last year. The point is, don’t let your day happen to you. You get to decide what to do with the time you’ve been given.
Go to Bed at a Reasonable Time. This is the shampoo, rinse, repeat part of the equation. Now is NOT the time to start a bingewatching habit. Go to bed at a reasonable time so that you can get up, exercise, get dressed and live fully into the routine you’re establishing for yourself. Your body needs rest — probably more rest than you were giving it a few months ago. This could be the time to establish a new normal that you’ll want to carry on once the world is back in business.
2. Stay Informed, But Don’t Stay Afraid
When we had no idea whether or not our son was going to survive, we did everything we could to understand as much as we possibly could understand about his condition. We knew what each of those wavy lines meant that moved across the vital signs monitor above his bed. We knew when his ICP’s were getting too high. We watched pulse Oxygen, blood pressure, heart rate and EEGs with fierce affection. With a non-medical educational background, I was swimming in foreign territory, but I learned the waters quickly and began praying very specifically.
Sometimes, though, there was a whisper that came to my soul and taught me something new about trust: Keep Your Eyes Above the Waves. Those six words were a whisper to my heart that spoke volumes. Yes, Blake was in grave danger. Yes, those numbers on that screen mattered. But God was (and is) still on the throne. I had to trust that He had the final say in whether Blake would survive.
It is important for us to know what is going on in our communities. If there is a Shelter in Place, barring some significant internal conviction of the Holy Spirit, it is right for us to obey it. If help is needed in our community, we should be aware and help when and how we are able. The bell curves and bar graphs will continue to fluctuate like waves across our screens. More people are contracting this virus. More people are dying. We must come to a place where we are certain in our hearts that the voice that spoke and calmed the Sea of Galilee can speak and calm the waves crashing around our world right now. We will trust Him and we will pray for Him to do exactly that, and be glorified in all of this.
3. Live On, and Live With Gratitude
If you’re reading these words, you are still here. You still have breath in your lungs and a life to live. Don’t stop living this one precious life you’ve been given. We learned this in our own forty-eight-day fire last year: every hard place is also an opportunity. We grew closer as a family. We experienced this incredible wrapping-around-us love from our community that was unlike anything we’d ever felt before. And we felt the nearness of God — as He truly does come close to those who are weary and heavy-hearted, burdened and facing hard places. And, as incredulous as it sounds to say it, there are precious moments from that season that we look back on with fondness and even miss, now that they are in the rear-view mirror.
If you see this season as an opportunity, and you choose to hold tight to the hand rails, trusting God to bring you safely through this roller-coaster ride, you might find gifts in unexpected places. We are losing loved ones, and it is heavy. It is right to grieve. It is right to feel sad. This is not an encouragement to force yourself into unrealistic emotions. But it is a challenge to remember to keep living. To trust the sun will shine again. To remember this season is not forever.
You can live this out practically by cooking good meals. Enjoy the loved ones that may join you in isolation. Try something new that you might continue to do when all this has passed, like watching a cooking class or learning to identify different species of birds. Try learning a new language or try your hand at calligraphy or watercolor. The key ingredient is to look for the gifts. Give thanks when you hear a bird chirping outside. Give thanks for the food you have on your table. Give thanks for the loved ones you have nearby, or the ones you can communicate with thanks to technology. And give thanks for that tech!
4. Choose to Believe ‘It is Well’ — No Matter What
Last, I’m reflecting on one more moment in my journey last year that built strength into my soul and gave me peace for the journey. Close to two weeks into our hospital journey, I was pacing the halls trying to articulate something to a friend on the phone. I came to this conclusion. “I have to come to a place in my soul where I’m not putting my hope in Blake surviving this. I have to put my faith in the goodness of God, no matter what.” Was I going to pray like crazy for our son to be healed? Absolutely. But I also just felt I couldn’t live in this limbo, I needed to get to a place in my soul where I could say, “Lord, I’m going to trust you — No Matter What. I believe You are good. I believe I will see Your goodness here. Somehow, You will make this good. I won’t stop loving You or following You. No. Matter. What.”
If you are a believer, I want to encourage you to find a place in your soul to say the same thing. Goodness is in the very character, the very nature of God. There is brokenness in this world, yes. There has been ever since the Fall. But He is always in the business of redeeming. He is always in the business of making broken things beautiful.
Friends, this is indeed a hard place. It is hard to live in uncertainty. It is hard to live not knowing what tomorrow will bring. But Corrie Ten Boom put it so eloquently when she said,
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.
We truly never know what tomorrow will bring. But we should never stop believing in the God who does.
xCC
I sure hope this was an encouragement to you today! Could you use some more encouragement during this crazy pandemic? If so, you can subscribe and never miss my (weekly) posts by clicking right here. I’ll do a happy dance, and you’ll get encouraging words in your inbox once a week! (I’ll also send you an awesome Meal Plan Step-by-Step Guide… Definitely a win/win!Hint: I Instant Pot like nobody’s business.
Some posts on my site contain affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases, I receive compensation at no extra cost to you. I love it when you do that! Thank you for supporting With Love!
My last post for folks who are Suddenly Homeschooling spread far and wide pretty quickly, and I was SO GLAD to be able to share some of what I’ve learned from seven years of trial-and-error with homeschooling my own crew. I was immediately asked for tips and ideas for parents who have their kids at home AND have to keep working. My heart immediately dropped, thinking about you many parents… and then specifically about all the amazing nurses, doctors and therapists who cared for my son during his 48 day hospital stay last year and I thought… gosh, I need to think long and hard and do what I can to help!
Out of those thoughts, I’ve created a simple step-by-step system for creating a schedule that your child should be able to complete with minimal help from whoever is watching them while you’re at work. I hope this will be a gift to you working families trying to get through this craziness, and especially for the medical staff that are most likely working overtime right now. I welcome your thoughts and questions and hope to help any way I can!
Ready to jump in?
Step One: Gather Your Materials
The best place to start? Simply thinking about a handful of things your child would benefit from working on while you’re at work. Before we get into a list of ideas, I want to make one important caveat. You should not try to (and cannot) replicate public school at home. It’s just different!! I highly recommend starting out by creating a routine solely based around the two pillars that most educators agree are essential: Math and Reading. Once those pillars are in place, and you’re getting into a groove, by all means look at Science and Social Studies and a second language… but really know that if you guys are getting Math and Reading done every day, you are doing great.
Keeping that Math and Reading tip in mind, here’s a list of ideas (in no particular order — you already know what I think is essential!) for collecting materials to help your child continue making progress at home. Also — if your child has some schoolwork to do online, GREAT! Don’t try to overdo it — let that start your list!
Order an age appropriate Math Workbook like this one. Just completing one or two lessons a day will help your child continue practicing their math skills, and perhaps even strengthen some weak spots/gain some ground during the break. Have some time/want to save some $? You could also google “fifth grade multiplication worksheets” (or whatever fits the bill) find what you think is appropriate, print it, and put it in a folder.
Handwriting Books. How’s your child’s printing? Are you wishing they were learning cursive? You can print out free handwriting pages online, or visit a curriculum vender like The Good and the Beautiful (they’re our favorite for handwriting). Again, a page or two a day can take you a long way.
Shop your house for books your child could read and create an age-appropriate worksheet (or find one online like this) that will help them engage with the book in a fun (not school-ish!) way. Make multiple copies! For example, ask, “Who was your favorite character?” or “If you could rewrite the story, what would you change?” For older students, you could ask more in-depth questions.
Similar to the Math workbooks, look for something to strengthen your child’s Spelling, Reading or Writing skills. I know you don’t want to drop loads of cash on curriculum for just a few weeks, so remember there are loads of resources online and a half an hour hunting could produce enough work to keep your child learning for weeks!
There is SO much your child can learn online with the appropriate adult supervision and the right guidance. Khan Academy has loads of instruction videos on dozens of subjects for free. Maybe now would be a good time to sign up for a trial of ABC Mouse. (We haven’t used that one so I don’t know much about it!) Pick a subject and spend a few minutes googling — you might be surprised how much wonderful content you discover. Please just remember — I REALLY don’t recommend your younger children have unsupervised access to the internet. Check your parental control settings and be wise in this regard.
Choose something that’s just for the fun of it. Art For Kids Hub is a fantastic YouTube channel for drawing and other art projects. They’ll lead your child step by step to gain skills and confidence. KiwiCo has several great learning lines delivered to your doorstep, like Tinker Crate, Atlas Crate, and Doodle Crate. Definitely a fun and exciting way to learn!
Look for audiobooks online. I shared this in my last post but can’t recommend it enough! Start an Audible Trial or use your Library Card to access audiobooks. You can also check out Librivox where hundreds of books in the public domain have been read by volunteers. If your child is listening to great lit, they are learning! My kids love to gather around the coffee table with popcorn, crayons, and blank sheets of paper and listen to a story and create. Pull out a puzzle, build with blocks — and listen and learn at the same time! THAT is learning at its finest in our house! Also, blown away by this: Audible created a website called Audible Stories — as long as schools are closed, they are going to be open with free audiobooks! AMAZING! Well done, Amazon!!!
Shop your house (or the internet) for poetry books, or interesting pieces of information your child could practice memorizing. Many famous poems are online that they could listen to or read over and over. They could learn the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, a song of the US presidents or the States and Capitals, or a passage of scripture set to music. Really, the sky is the limit! Pick something they’ll enjoy and let them amaze you by showing you what incredible sponges their brains can be! Hint: Encourage them to aim for repeating it seven times for seven days — their brain will master so much with that amount of effort!
Step Two: Pick a Few Things Your Child Can Do Each Day
Now that you’ve got a plethora of ideas, let’s calm down and just pick a few things for the list each day. We don’t want to overwhelm them, so I’d recommend having a basic number of things you feel “MUST” be done, and then you can consider some extras that “might” be done. Remember: Math and Reading are really the essential pillars, so make sure those are on the list, and know the rest is excellent extra!
Step Three: Get Out a Few Blank Pieces of Notebook Paper
Now you get to put feet on this thing, baby! At the top of that sheet of paper write the date that the work will be completed. Next, draw a little square beside each item that you’d like your child to accomplish. Those squares are important so don’t skip that step! Every time your darling kiddo accomplishes something and gets to check that box, he or she will get a tiny rush of endorphins and gain a little confidence: “I can do hard things! I can keep going! I’m making progress!” My kids love checking boxes and feel a rather large tinge of frustration if I check one of their boxes for them!
Remember: you’re just listing work for ONE day on that sheet. Math and Reading are Essential. Add the to do’s to the list and you’re golden. Each step should have enough information for the person helping your child to get them to the right place to do the next thing, or if the child can work independently, for them to navigate from step to step on their own. I’ve included a few examples in this post to help give you an idea of what this might look like. Arabella (list above) is six, Blake (list below) is nine, and Asher (at the bottom of this post) is 11. The 11 year-old has a good idea of what is expected, so less instructions are necessary.
Step Four: Attach any worksheets, write out any links, put everything together in one place.
When I’m away, it makes life sooo much easier if everything the child needs is all in one place. I try to attach worksheets with a paperclip, or put any workbooks that will be needed for the child to check their boxes.
Step Five: Consider a Reward for the Hard Work
You know what a lot of folks have a love/hate relationship with right now? Screen time. But when your kids are home and you’re trying to keep them isolated (you good citizen, you!) screen time is a likely necessity. Screen time can be a reward for getting all the work done. “No screens until you’ve ticked the boxes!” Or maybe if the child ticks all the boxes all week, dinner Friday night is something special they love to have. Maybe you’ll bake cookies together Saturday. Maybe she’ll earn $1 towards that Lego set she is saving up for. You’ll know you’ve found a great reward when your child is willingly plugging along with the end in sight. In case you’re wondering, I really believe in rewards for hard work because I think that’s real life! When you work hard at your job, you get paid — and hopefully if you’re putting in extra time and effort, you get noticed and get rewarded above and beyond. Work hard in your back yard pulling weeds and cutting grass, and you’re rewarded with that amazing feeling at the end of the day — I did that! This yard looks great! If you can aim for positive consequences and get more flies with honey than vinegar (so to speak), by all means — go for the honey!!
Encouragement for the Journey
Now that I’ve shared these ideas, I just want to take a moment to encourage you of one more thing. Friend, it is not going to be like this forever. Last year, we stared death in the face when my eight-year old son went into the hospital with a massive brain aneurism. The days dragged into weeks and for a long time we felt there was no end in sight. Survival mode is a hard place to live in. We are a lot like ketchup packets — you really only find out what’s inside when you get squeezed.
It’s hard to be squeezed, and it takes a lot of mental fortitude to make it through when there’s no end in sight. But, friend, you are made in the Image of God. He is strong, and so are you. He is creative, and so are you. He can laugh at the days to come, and so can you. We will get through this! This is not forever. The world may be a little different on the other side of all this — but maybe, just maybe, it will be better. Maybe we will have learned a little about caring for our neighbors. Maybe a lot of families will draw closer together, allow some old wounds to heal, make some new and beautiful memories when they have this time together. This isn’t forever, so don’t be afraid. And, this isn’t forever, so make the most of it!
I’m here for you if you have questions! I’d love to encourage you however I can. Brave Moms and Dads and Many Other Caregivers, above all, enjoy those kids. Have fun. Make learning fun for them. They don’t need to be worried or afraid. Find reasons to laugh, and laugh lots and often. Good times are ahead, and the best is yet to come!
xCC
I sure hope this was an encouragement to you today! Could you use some more encouragement during this crazy pandemic? If so, you can subscribe and never miss my (weekly) posts by clicking right here. I’ll do a happy dance, and you’ll get encouraging words in your inbox once a week! (I’ll also send you an awesome Meal Plan Step-by-Step Guide… kind of like this post, but for meal planning. Definitely a win/win!Hint: I Instant Pot like nobody’s business.
***
One more to-do for you to view!
Some posts on my site contain affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases, I receive compensation at no extra cost to you. I love it when you do that! Thank you for supporting With Love!
Hi there! In case you missed it, I extended an invitation a few weeks ago to join me in walking through Proverbs. Jump in ANY time. You can read the chapter we’re looking at before reading on (optional but definitely good for you if you can swing it!) I also recommend asking a friend to join you on the journey. (Click this link to take you to the introduction to this series if you want to know more.) I think we might need this wisdom these days more than ever!
One of my kids asked a very important theological question at the dinner table: Did Adam and Eve have bellybuttons? We discussed the possibility that they did, just for show, and the possibility that they didn’t, since they would not have had an umbilical cord, being created by God Himself and all.
One confident child amongst the bunch made a suggestion he was sure would answer the question:
“I know, Mom! Ask Siri!”
It took a while to explain that there are some questions Siri, or the entirety of the internet, just can’t answer.
Do you give much thought to how truth and opinions — both good and bad — can pass down from one one person to the next, or even one generation to the next? What do we believe about coronavirus? Do we believe God is still on the throne? Do we believe He can use anything for His purposes and His glory?
Someday when they’ve left the nest, where will my kids look for wisdom?
Out of all the hundreds of thoughts, lessons and observations a father might give to a son, Solomon writes in Proverbs 4 that one thing King David said to future-King Solomon stood out the most:
Get Wisdom!! Get understanding!!
It stuck with Solomon, right down to his core, because long after David had passed on, the Lord asked Solomon “What do you want?” and though he could’ve asked for anything, what did he ask for?
Wisdom. Understanding. A wise heart to rule well.
The lesson of the father was passed on to the son.
We might have a lot of knowledge readily available at our fingertips. But how does that knowledge compare with true wisdom?
After taking a total media hiatus over Lent a couple of years ago, I began making an interesting observation upon re-entry to the worlds of Facebook, Instagram and other social media.
I found that after spending twenty minutes randomly scrolling through the news feed, I almost always had a less positive feeling about my life than I did twenty minutes earlier.
The news feed shows me friends getting together with friends, and I am not there.
The news feed shows me places other people are going that I haven’t been.
The news feed shows me things other people are doing I never heard I could do. Or didn’t know I needed to do. Or wasn’t invited to do.
These days, the news feed is full of fear and concern.
Why is it that my heart sometimes feels so heavy after twenty minutes on Facebook?
Lady Wisdom — the gal we talked about in Proverbs 2 who truly ought to be a BFF to each of us — she makes an appearance again here in Chapter 4. We’re told that her wisdom, her good judgment is the best thing we can look for in all the world.
Clearly the man who asked for wisdom and got it didn’t regret his decision.
Wisdom is like a gift card that you can spend at a store called Perspective. Bring that life dilemma to the checkout, present the Wisdom card, and boom — you will walk out with a completely different perspective on your situation than the one you walked in with.
It can guard these prone-to-wander hearts of ours (v. 23) in a way that will completely change our lives.
It can speak truth when the news feed whispers false perspectives or wants to encourage FEAR over FAITH.
So here’s a question worth pondering. What will the information you take in each day do for you?
Will it make you want better hair and nicer clothes?
Will your social media soirees make you feel like you’re just not as cool as the cool kids who are going here and there, wearing this and that, doing that and this?
Will the words you’re taking in encourage faith and hope, wisdom and discretion and bravery… or will they make your heart beat a little faster with fear for what’s going on the world?
While the shouts of the world lead your heart away from truth, beauty and goodness, Lady Wisdom whispers:
I will show you a better way. Don’t let seeking after things that don’t matter determine the course of your life.
Guard your heart, let my words filter out the noise so that the Truth can direct your steps.
What are you digging into when you open your phone or laptop, or turn on the TV? What are the habits determining your course of action at the end of a workday, or after the ring of the alarm clock?
Your heart’s going to determine the course of your life, and what you’re taking to heart most will be where most of your truth is coming from.
Ponder Solomon’s words, Lady Wisdom’s whispers today:
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
xCC
Now… give some thought to what you believe about your life today. Ask Jesus to help you see where you’re believing the truth about your life, and where the world might be shouting a little too loudly for you to hear the real Truth.
*** In case you missed it, I shared a post this week with lots of tips and ideas for the many families who find themselves suddenly homeschooling thanks to COVID-19. You can check it out right here!
Like the Oprah Meme circulating on the internet right now, it’s a wild and crazy time… YOU get to homeschool. YOU get to homeschool… EVERYBODY GETS TO HOMESCHOOL!!
When public schools started closing, my phone started blowing up with texts from folks who are trying to figure out what to do with their kids while they’re home from school during this Corona-Virus + Homeschooling Pandemic. I immediately thought — hey! For once I have something useful to share related to a global issue! Maybe I can help some folks figure this thing out! I’ve been homeschooling our four kids for seven years, and have definitely made enough mistakes to have learned a few things on this journey!
I have a word of encouragement and ten practical tips for you today. Feel free to leave a comment with questions, and know that you, the person who taught your kids their ABCs and how to tie their shoes? You can crush this thing, too! You’ve got this.
First, the encouragement.
Take a deep breath and hear me out, okay? Last year, my second eldest son was in the hospital for 48 days. It was a heart wrenching crazy hard time complete with brain surgery and comas and a whole lot of heart ache, but — call me crazy — there are a few things I miss about that season. It was crazy hard, but life also got really calm in a strange way. We were completely focused on making it through this hard thing, closer than ever as a family, and overwhelmingly blessed with the support to family and friends to get through it. (He survived and is thriving and we are just about back to normal.) The close family time, the amazing medical team we got to know and love — these are things I miss, even about that hard place.
The lesson? Someday you’ll look back on this and “miss” it. Instead of seeing this as a super hard hand to be dealt, see it as an opportunity. This is your chance to do some of those things you’ve been wanting to, and maybe teach some of those lessons you have been wanting them to learn, but there never seems to be enough time. I hope the suggestions below give you some great ideas. Just know this: You’ve got time. This is an opportunity. You can do amazing things. Put on your big girl pants and get ready, sister!
Ten Tips and Ideas if You’re Suddenly Homeschooling
1. Schedules are your friend.
A schedule will do wonders for your child’s sense of peace, and for your sense of sanity. I will give ideas of how to fill that schedule in a moment, don’t worry, but know this: You don’t have to start at the same time every day, but it’s a great idea to create a rhythm for your day. Maybe your kids get to play for thirty minutes, and then everyone gathers on the couch for a story, and that’s the start of the school day. Maybe you start with chores. Just pick an order — a rhythm — tightly or loosely associated with the clock (see what works for you) and then try to stick with that for at least two weeks. See how it feels and tweak as necessary. You are learning. It doesn’t have to be perfect — it will be progress!
2. Start With What You Know.
Has the school sent anything home that they want your child to work on or advice or requests? If not, don’t freak out, and move on to number 3. If so, that’s a great place to start your schedule. Get those must-do’s out of the way.
3. Ask: What Would Benefit Your Child?
Is there a particular subject you’ve been longing to help your child make progress in? Are they struggling with division or handwriting? The internet is your friend. You can download worksheets related to a specific area of struggle, or even order some materials to help you on your way. For example, The Good and the Beautiful has great handwriting books. Shell Education produces 180 Days of Reading, Spelling, Math, Writing, and so on, and they’re all based on grade level. You and your child could do one or two worksheets together a day and you could really make fantastic progress without a huge investment.
4. Meet Books: Your New Best Friend
In our homeschool, I like to say if we’re reading, we’re learning. Put reading on that schedule of yours!! There’s nothing I love more than cuddling on the couch with a kid on my lap and one on either side of me while we dig into a good book. If you want to make your reading time last longer, consider allowing your kids to crowd around the dinner table or coffee table with crayons and blank paper or books that help them learn how to draw. (Ralph Masiello has some great ones.) And here is some FANTASTIC news. There are loads of free audiobooks just a few clicks away from you. You can save your voice, go wash the dishes or do the laundry and let your kids listen and color. They are still learning! Life is good!
Great hints: Your local library card should give you access to Libby, a fantastic app for finding ebooks and audiobooks. You can also look into Librivox, where tons of books in the public domain have been recorded by volunteers. All readers are not created equal — don’t be afraid to stop a book and look for a new one! I made a list of some of our favorite books on 2019 if you want to add some to your collection. Sarah Mackenzie has a list of some of her favorite read-alouds, including some of her favorite LibriVox, right here.
5. Activities Make Learning Fun
I’m sure you (and your kids) don’t want to hit the books all day! Here are a few ideas to keep the learning going when you’re setting the books aside for a while: + Art For Kids Hub. This youtube channel COULD be your new best friend. These step-by-step videos teach your kids how to draw things they are probably already interested in. (My Little Pony, Pikachu…) My kids can do this for hours! + Workout Videos Download the free NikeTraining App, or the Centr app (we love that one) — or get back on youtube and search for workout videos for kids. Move the coffee table and get some energy out! + Kiwi Co has loads of different lines of mail-order activities like Tinker Crate, Atlas Crate, Doodle, etc. These “STEAM” related activity crates are another great option for hands-on learning that is LOADS of fun.
6. Set a Crazy Goal (Like Learning a Language) and Go For It!
What’s something you’ve dreamed of doing with your kids? What if you spent this time trying to learn a language? And maybe you could research and plan a trip to visit that country someday! If your kids are home for six weeks, that is sooo many hours of opportunity for you to jump into a language and really make progress. Rosetta Stone has a discounted offer to allow you to learn unlimited languages with lifetime access to their materials. DuoLingo is a fun, free app you can access online or download to your phone that makes learning a language feel like playing a game. You may also have more materials at your fingertips than you realize: check the back of your kids’ favorite DVDs. Do any of them give you the option to watch them in another language? You’ll be amazed at how much you and your kids can pick up by listening to words in a new language when your brain remembers what is being said in English!! One of the most delightful thing about homeschooling is discovering you can chart your own course for learning something new. Be brave, be creative, start googling and see where you find yourself!
7. Embrace the Documentaries
You may think your kids will never sit through a documentary, but it might be that you just haven’t found the right documentary. The BBC’s Planet Earth II is one of our all-time favorites. (Available on Amazon.) If you have the Disney Plus app, look for movies like The Monkey Kingdom and Born in China — there are several masterfully done options where story and facts are woven together, so that you’re engaged with the “characters” of the story, but you’re learning about their lives at the same time. You can sit on the couch eating popcorn and learn at the same time!
8. Help Your Kids Become Better Humans (and Family Members)
Take some time to take stock of what’s happening in your home right now. Are there things you could work on to change your family dynamics for the better? Maybe a thirty-minute slot on your new daily schedule could be Life Skills or Activities for Daily Living. Take the time to teach your kids how to fold their own laundry and put it away, so that you can place your kids’ clean clothes in a basket and send it to their room with them. Teach them how to properly wash dishes. Get outdoors and dig up a patch of ground for a mini-garden, or put some pots on the porch and plant some seeds to grow something that will later become food on your table. Now would be a great time for them to learn to make their bed if they haven’t already. How to properly clean a toilet or clean out the litter box. Maybe your home needs a new system for organizing toys, and your kids could learn where to put things away when they’re done with them. There are days for us where homeschooling means hitting the books hard, but there are also days where it means learning how to be a good human being. Both are a beautiful part of the journey.
9. Take Your Classroom to the Kitchen
Along the lines of number 8, there is perhaps no better place for learning than the kitchen. Cooking is a life skill your kids will need for the rest of their lives. Cooking is chemistry. It’s math and science, it’s art and reading… it is so many things all at the same time. This homeschool opportunity could change your family for the better if you and your kids begin a beautiful kitchen relationship! You could even check out some of my favorite Instant Pot recipes that double or triple and find yourself cooking ahead and freezing meals! This will bless your future self when the school doors open again, the corona-pandemic has passed and life is back to normal again. (Subscribe here and I’ll email you that list!)
10. Begin With the End in Mind
One last idea I’d love to share. Every morning to start our school day, my kids and I are piled on the couch together. I give them a few quiet minutes to fill out prayer journals like these, I read from a devotional like Louie Giglio’s Indescribable or Max Lucado’s Grace for the Moment. We say a prayer for the day. We often transition from there to the Jesus Storybook Bible. They can sketch or draw while I read, and my daughter’s artistic responses to our devotionals are often incredibly profound. Sometimes we move straight to the schoolroom after that, other times we linger on the couch to listen to Story of the World’s Audio CDs for history.
Starting calm, quiet and together is a beautiful way to begin that can create such a sense of peace and calm for us. I highly recommend beginning your day with something peaceful, centering, and together. Maybe for your family it’s poetry or meditation. Start in a calm manner, and sometimes that calm can influence how your kids feel for the entire day. I bought blank journals for my non-readers/writers to scribble their responses in. You can see my daughter’s lovely response to one devotional below. I wrote the sentence she wanted to draw a response to, and then she drew what was in her sweet little six year old heart!
I hope those ideas have your wheels turning, and instead of thinking OHMYGOODNESS, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DOOOO, you’re thinking… Gosh, there really is so much we CAN do! This is an awesome opportunity! Your next step is to create that schedule we talked about based on what will work for YOUR family. Do you need a few hours for work each day? Maybe one hour can happen while your kids watch a documentary in the morning, and another can happen while they listen to an audiobook and color in the afternoon.
Remember: you get to create the schedule. There is no right or wrong here. Enjoy the freedom in that, friend! Below I’ve included a sample schedule to get your creative juices flowing. I’ve had comments closed on my website for a while, but I’ll be opening them today so that you can ask questions, and I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction. Savor these precious moments, friend. Yes, it may feel overwhelming right now, but someday you might look back and say, “Gosh, I really miss those days when we were home with the kids…”
xCC
***
Are you encouraged today? I hope so! Homeschooling isn’t what I normally write about around here, but I sure hope this was an encouragement to you today! If so, you can subscribe to receive weekly Love, From Here and never miss a post by clicking right here I’ll do a happy dance, and you’ll get encouraging words in your inbox once a week! I’ll also send you the awesome Meal Plan with lots of Instant Pot recipes I mentioned! Definitely a win/win!
***
Some posts on my site contain affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases, I receive compensation at no extra cost to you. I love it when you do that! Thank you for supporting With Love!
Sample Homeschooling Schedule
7:00 Breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth, make beds and enjoy some free play time
8:30 Gather in the Living Room for Morning Time (as above, perhaps with devotionals, prayer, etc.)
9:15 Math Time Whether you have a full-out curriculum or are just downloading color by number multiplication worksheets from the internet, we typically feel like reading and Math are core pillars to our schoolday.
10:00 Snack time. Take a breather and let everyone have a few minutes to get up and stretch their legs.
10:30 An Alternating Hour: Science and History One great way to fill a slot is to have two or three subjects you rotate through during that time period. Look up the life cycle of the frog and draw a picture about it today. Google Alexander the Great or read about him tomorrow. If you are ‘winging it’ without a curriculum to guide you, just starting with a ‘subject’ and a question is a great idea. How are crayons made? What happens to tadpoles’ tails when they become frogs?
11:30 Quiet Reading Time or Come Help Mom make Lunch
12:00 Lunch and a little free time
1:00 Memory Time We memorize lots of information as a part of our Classical Education method and you’ll be amazed at what your kid can stuff into their noggin with a good bit of repetition. How about they memorize a Shel Silverstein poem or the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence? A song with a chapter of the Bible, or a list of the American Presidents. There are songs online from memorizing the Periodic Table… complicated science definitions… consider this brain training time!
2:00 After all that challenging Memory Work, let your child relax and listen to a story. If you don’t have lots of books on hand at the moment, use the suggestions above to find ebooks or audiobooks online. Your kids can color and draw while they listen to great stories and get exposed to exquisite vocabulary.
3:00 Activity time! Now’s a great time for Art for Kids Hub, a Tinker Crate, watching a tutorial online to make slime, pulling out the play dough — end your school day with some fun!
4:00 School can be out now if it isn’t already! If you want a little help with what to do next, how about getting your kiddo into the kitchen to peel the carrots or do something to help with dinner. Could they help fold laundry? At the end of the day, if they’re not ready to have some free time to do what they want, give them some chores that will actually help you out — they’ll get the idea and start finding ways to entertain themselves very quickly!
Feel free to ask questions below. I intentionally leave lots of time for each activity so that a) you never feel ‘behind’ and b) you have time to tidy up one activity before moving on to the next. Remember: ENJOY this time with your kids. Please share this with a friend who could use it, and HAVE FUN!
Hi there! In case you missed it, I extended an invitation a few weeks ago to join me in walking through Proverbs. Jump in ANY time. You can read the chapter we’re looking at before reading on (optional but definitely good for you if you can swing it!) I also recommend asking a friend to join you on the journey. (Click this link to take you to the introduction to this series if you want to know more.)
Think fast! I’ve got two flashback challenges for you!
1. Can you remember the difference between declarative and imperative sentences from your middle school English class?
2. Can you remember playing Follow the Leader as a kid on the playground?
Think hard, and read on…
There’s something that stands out to me about this particular collection of Proverbs (in chapter 3) more than anything else. So many of the Proverbs are observations. If you’re lazy, this is what will happen. Foolish people do this or that. Wise people go this way or that way…
But rather than being ‘observational’ this chapter seems particularly directional. If you were examining the grammar sentence by sentence, you might notice a change from ‘declarative’ to ‘imperative.’ We’re being told — do this and reap the good fruit of it. Go this way and find life.
My tenderhearted second son found some beloved books at the library years ago about Otis, a sweet little tractor on a farm. He loves Otis, and we’ve checked out those books again and again. {Here’s a link if you want to fall in love with Otis, too…Otis and the Kittens makes me cry EVERY time.} In one of the stories, Otis and the other animals play a game of the follow the leader every evening when their work is done. While Otis and the little calf always start, the different animals take turns waddling or prancing or strutting their way around the farm, with everyone else following the leader.
One day a tornado comes up, and the farmer and his hands hurry to the cellar, without even the time to free the animals from their pens. Otis sees the tornado, realizes it’s headed straight for the barn, and springs into action to free the horse and cow and pigs and sheep and ducks from their stalls in the barn, and they do precisely what they’ve been practicing for as long as we know: they follow Otis, the leader, as he leads them down to a low ditch on the lowest part of the farm, where they huddle together in safety and wait out the storm.
Even the bull who has never wanted to play before and has always been harsh with the other animals is willing to follow Otis when Otis leaves the other animals safely in the ditch to free the bull from his pen.
When we listen to the ‘imperatives’ — the instruction and the wisdom of God and His word, we may not realize we are being trained to follow the Leader who has a plan for our souls.
Who knows how often listening to that gentle whisper from the Holy Spirit has saved your life, or someone else’s?
As we continue reading the Good Word and talking to the Lord about His goodness and our races with and toward Him, ask God to help you find understanding, and find a way to apply those imperatives to your life.
He says give your first fruits, so follow the Leader, and give your first fruits. He says look for wisdom, so follow the Leader, and keep on reading the Word and asking for understanding. He says accept His correction, so be willing to hear Him when He corrects you. Repent quickly and ask for help to better follow the Leader. He says mercy and truth are good. Live like that.
He sent His Son as an Incarnation of His mercy and truth, a tangible, visible manifestation of His love for mankind — His very Word, fully expressed in human form. Isn’t He a Leader worth following?
So here’s a question worth a good ponder: Are you willing to follow the Leader? Are you willing to follow Him day after day like most of the animals on the farm followed Otis, or are you waiting until a tornado of trouble is headed your way to lean on Him to lead you to safety?
You might be familiar with Prov. 3:5-6… perhaps even have a little song in your head for those two verses? Even if they’re extremely familiar, give those words a fresh look today. The New Living Translation puts verse 6 this way:
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
He’s not only willing to show us which path to take, He’s the Leader that’s willing to walk us down the path, step by step. Are you willing to follow the Leader?
xCC
Now… take a moment to give some thought to how you make decisions about your life. Are they part of a game of Follow the Leader for you, or are you mostly letting instincts and intellect call the shots? If you want Jesus to be the Leader you follow, ask Him to help you hear His voice, and follow it. Write down a verse that meant something to you today, or a whisper from the heart of Jesus you heard. I’d love to welcome you to jump onto the With Love, From Here Facebook Page if you’d like to respond to this post and share something God has said! *** I hope you’re encouraged today, friend. If so, I’d love to welcome you to subscribe here for a weekly dose of encouragement and never miss a post! ***
Some posts on my site contain affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases, I receive compensation at no extra cost to you. I love it when you do that! Thank you for supporting With Love!
I create resources to help people find deeper, more meaningful relationships with God through pursuing, pondering, and prayer. The "Shop" link above will take you to the home of many of the lovely resources I’ve created to help you keep walking one day deeper with Jesus.
I create resources to help people find deeper, more meaningful relationships with God through pursuing, pondering, and prayer. The "Shop" link above will take you to the home of many of the lovely resources I’ve created to help you keep walking one day deeper with Jesus.