Jesus Gives Rest To the Weary

     Good morning!  I am going to be addressing all the moms out there who are feeling weary.  Do you feel like all your hard work is going unnoticed and unappreciated?  We plan and schedule, we serve our families day in and day out, we are on the go constantly, but does anyone notice the sacrifices we make to be the best moms we can??? 

      I will tell you that the Lord notices.  He sees our hearts.  He sees us working each day to train our children to be godly men and women.  He knows how much we love our families and He blesses us in ways we can't even begin to imagine.  God loves us! 

     When we start feeling weary, we need to learn to lean on Him for strength.  Going to friends to talk is good, but first, we must learn to go to God.  He understands us more than anyone.  He knows what we go through each day and He wants to help us.  Instead of complaining to our friends, we can talk with God and ask Him to see us through.  Ask Him for guidance.  Cry out to Jesus and He will stand beside us.  

     I use to run to my friends every time I had a problem at home.  Rather it was disobedient children or a neglectful husband, I would go to friends first for their advice.  The problem with that was, I was going to women who had the same issues, so we would just have a pity party together.  Nothing was being solved, we were just feeling sorry for ourselves.  When we go to God, He lifts us up and out of our pity.  When we allow Him to, He shows us how to solve our issues and He is there with us while we are obeying Him.  Prayer is truly the answer for a weary heart.  

    It was hard for me to stop turning to my friends and start turning to God, but I see now that it made all the difference in the world.  I am not saying we shouldn't confide in friends at all, but it is how we confide in them that makes it more productive.  Instead of gossiping about our children and husbands, we should just simply ask our friends to pray for us.  God knows our needs.  We do not need to speak them aloud.  

     I know this concept will be hard to accept at first, but from one mom to another, I want to tell you that it works!    God can accomplish so much in our lives as we learn to obey Him and lean on Him. Keep doing what you know is right.  Ask the Lord for His strength and guidance.  You will see that you will feel stronger each day!!!  

     I would like to pray for you today.  If you have any prayer requests please feel free to comment here or message me on our facebook page.  

Managing Anxiety While Living Life

     Today, I am going to be sharing my experience with anxiety. It is not easy to open up about such a private issue, but I feel like it may help other mamas dealing with similar issues. I want to encourage others who may be suffering in silence. You are not alone. 

     About three years ago, my world was turned upside down.  So many changes were occurring that my head was spinning.  My body didn't take the stress very well.  I started having severe panic attacks.  I didn't want to leave my bedroom for days at a time.  I couldn't control my thoughts. No matter what I tried, I would come back to feelings of sadness and fear.  

      It wasn't long until I felt like a failure.  I couldn't be the mom, wife, or homeschooling teacher I once was.  All I wanted to do is sit in my bed crying.  I wanted to change things, but I had no idea what to do.  The harder I tried, the more anxiety I felt.  I was in a pit and no one could help me out of it.  I had to figure out what was going on. I began researching what could be causing this.

     I soon found out that my body was completely depleted from all the stress I had endured over my life.  Even as a child, I didn't have a stress-free life.  My mom was sick from the many heart surgeries she had, my dad got Alzheimer's when I was just a teen.  I had brothers and sisters who were suffering from drug and alcohol addictions. I had to grow up at an early age.  When I was old enough to marry, that is exactly what I did. Then came our children.  Three within 3 years.  Being a young woman, my body dealt with things better than when I got older.  

      By the time I was 40 years old, I had six children here with me, and one in heaven. I was trying to do too much. I always put my needs on the back burner and it was taking its toll. I didn't realize what was going on until I began having the severe anxiety issues. 

     Normal life changes and challenges were not so normal to my body.  Our oldest daughter had moved out, our oldest son was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes, and a few other little things were happening as well.  This was too much for me to handle, yet I sure tried. My body was refusing to cooperate anymore.  I began having one panic attack after another. I couldn't control my body anymore. Things got worse when I had people giving me advice about a situation they had no business giving advice on.  I was even told I was having these issues because I wasn't serving God the way I should.... this only pushed me deeper into that pit.  

     During my research, I found out that I could get help for these attacks. First I had to allow God to show me that  I wasn't sick because I was not obeying Him.  I was sick because I was failing to take care of the body He had given me. I must begin healing my body by taking care of myself. All those years, I had spent meeting the needs of others, was causing more harm than I realized. For years I didn't sleep or eat right. I didn't take vitamins on a regular basis.  I was suffering because of bad choices. I had to get my body back on track.

      I started by letting go of a lot of things. I had to let God guide me in doing what He was calling me to do instead of everything I thought I was supposed to be doing.  Even good things can cause stress if we are attempting to do too much. I also started using essential oils, vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements to help me build my body back up and be able to handle stress without having anxiety attacks.  It took a few months, but the everyday panic attacks did begin to subside to only a couple a week. When I began learning more techniques to cope with stress like breathing exercises and focusing on positive thinking, they got even better.

      I have also learned to delegate.  I can't do everything on my own. I can ask for help!!!  I am not required to run myself ragged in order to look busy all the time.  I can take time to rest. I can say no.  It's OKAY!!!!!

Bible Journaling is a great way to help you relax. Spending Time with the Lord is always a great way to help relieve stress and anxiety. 

      I'm not going to lie and say I have it all together now.  I have days I slip back into my old way of dealing with things and my stinking negative thinking, but it's better than before.  I catch myself now and stop things before they get out of control.  I stop and pray a lot during my day. I ask the Lord for His strength instead of trying to handle things on my own.  I am very good about taking my supplements and using my oils on a daily basis.  I am taking better care of me now.  It has changed my life for the better in many ways.  This version of me is more relaxed and calm.  I don't freak out at every little thing like I did before.  I am happier!!!! 

      As I finish this post, I want you to know that if you are suffering like I was, please don't suffer in silence. Please talk with someone. Let them know what is going on.  You don't have to go through this alone.  There is help for you!!!  It may look different than what I did to get better and that's okay!!!  The important thing is for you to feel better.  I will be praying for everyone reading this post and I am here if you need to talk.  

     

     

HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW: OUR REVIEW OF MATH ESSENTIALS

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

     I have loved Math since I was a little girl.  I have a few children who love it as much as I do, but my youngest daughter is not one of them.  She prefers art, music, and reading.  A while back my sons were given the chance to review No-Nonsense Algebra from Math Essentials and they loved it so I was thrilled to get the chance to receive and review Mastering Essential Math Skills Book 2 Middle Grades/High School from this amazing company.  I knew it would be a good fit for my 7th-grade daughter.  I wasn't wrong!

     The creator of these workbooks is Rick Fisher.  He was a Math instructor for over 30 years.  He has devoted his life to teaching Math skills and has done so by writing award-winning material.  He has won the Intel Innovations in Teaching Award and the Glenn W. Hoffmann Exemplary Awards Program.  These workbooks have helped many students.  This tested teaching strategy has changed the lives of many children struggling with math skills. 

     This paperback workbook is 158 pages long and will teach and review math skills that will help your student succeed.  These essential math skills include:

• Whole Numbers
• Fractions
• Decimals
• Percent
• Geometry
• Integers
• Charts and Graphs
• Word Problems

     The answers to all the questions are located in the back of the book and are easily torn out for the parents to keep handy for when they are checking their child's work. You will also find a few additions in the back that will be helpful to teaching and learning the skills found in this book they are:

• Important Symbols
• Multiplication Table
• Commonly Used Prime Numbers
• Squares and Square Roots
• Fraction/Decimal Equivalents

     We chose to use this book as supplemental material so we used it several times a week.  We have been going back and forth between whole numbers, Geometry, and Word Problems.  So far she is enjoying it.  It only takes about 20 minutes to complete each lesson and that is perfect for her.  She doesn't feel overwhelmed and doesn't lose focus.  

     Another great feature of these workbooks is the extra help you can get online through their videos.  They last up to 15 minutes and will help your child grasp what is being taught in the lessons.  Hope said they were helpful to her.  She said the guy teaching really knows his stuff.  I love the way kids talk... they are so honest and real.  

     Would you like to learn more about these amazing workbooks and videos?  I would encourage you to check them out here:

Math Essentials

Facebook

We also have more reviews for Math Essentials over on the Homeschool Review crew website.  Just click the link below.

     

HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW: OUR REVIEW OF Beyond the Stick Figure Art School

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

     Our family has always enjoyed arts and crafts, but my daughter Hope is the one who will draw, paint, color, and create all day long.  She was quite excited to find out we would be reviewing Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses from Beyond the Stick Figure Art School.  She loves to learn new techniques to improve her skills and enjoys watching videos that help her understand what is being taught. 

     Beyond the Stick Figure Art School is online courses that will teach several types of art classes such as:

• Drawing Part 1, 2, and 3
• Pen and Ink
• Watercolor Part 1, 2, and 3
• Acrylic Part 1, 2, and 3
• 3D Design Part 1, 2, and 3

     The motto of these courses is "If you can draw a stick figure, you can learn to draw and paint."  They teach step by step techniques that will help guide you in making some amazing art projects.  These courses are for ages 5-95!  They truly believe anyone can learn to become an artist that creates beauty in everything they make.  With the courses we were given we have lifetime access to over 160 lessons.  It is a full art course for your entire family at a wonderful price.  I also love that you have email support as well.  How many companies do you know that does that for their customers? They also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.  You can try it for yourself and if it is not a good fit, you can get your purchase price back.  You will have to purchase a few art supplies, but let me tell you it is worth it!!! 

     Hope is the one who is taking the lessons and so far she is enjoying them very much. She said she has learned a few new ways of drawing that will make it easier for her.  She is very particular in how her art turns out and these courses have improved her drawing skills quite a bit.  She is more confident in her skills and that is very important!  Confidence is key to doing things well.  

     In the time we have had this program, she has been able to complete Drawing Part 1, 2, and 3.  You can only go-ahead to the next course if you complete the previous so there is no looking ahead.  I, however, wanted to see what the other courses offered so I did look ahead by marking the courses completed, but she knows where she is so she can pick up where she left off on a daily basis. 

      The Pen and Ink course is all about drawing with just paper and markers.  The Watercolor courses offer over 4 dozen classes that will have you painting a masterpiece.  The Acrylic course teaches you how to paint with these paints step by step so you too can create a thing of beauty.  The 3D Design class will have you molding figures out of clay and wanting to share your creative side with friends and family.  

     Now let's take a peek at some of Hope's classes and creations....

From Drawing Course Part 1

From Drawing Part 3

Would you like to know more about these amazing art courses?

I would encourage you to check out their website and their social media pages listed below:

Facebook 

Instagram

Pinterest

YouTube

We also have more reviews of this resource over on the Homeschool Review Crew website.

Just click the link below

Encouraging Your Child When They Want to Give Up

    Recently my children gave me this cup for my morning coffee. As I read what it said, I was reminded once again how important it is to encourage our children.  Are we inspiring them to be all they can be? Do we support them as they follow God's plan for their life? Are we able to give them the help they need to push through and finish a difficult task?

     Sometimes our children struggle in areas and we allow them to give up too soon.  As parents, we need to be sure that we are not letting our children quit just because there is some discomfort involved.  In order for our kids to make it in this world, they must realize that there are going to be times where they want to throw in the towel, but it's crucial to be sure that they are not giving up for the wrong reasons. We need to teach them that God will give them strength to finish what they have started if it is in His will. They need to learn to rely on Him and not their own abilities.  

     Over the years I have failed in this area a few times. I didn't realize that it was okay to see my children struggle as long as I was there to cheer them on.  I wanted to rescue them.  I didn't understand that letting them go through would be what strengthened them for the next battle they would endure.  Now I know that its critical for me to let them work through difficulties in order for them to grow.  

      God our Father has shown me that He is the same way. He allows me to go through rough times so I can become stronger.  He doesn't swoop in to rescue me but instead encourages me to push through.  He knows it will build my faith and I will be stronger for the next battle I face.  

      So today I challenge you to become your child's biggest fan.  Cheer them on when you see them struggling. Don't let them quit just because things get hard. Give them the support they need to finish what they have started.  Pray with them. Let them know that as long as they trust in God, He will be with them through everything they go through, good or bad.  Our greatest job as a parent is to point our children towards Christ.  He will supply them with all they need.  As they walk in obedience to Him, He will guide them in all they do.