B.O.W. Discussion Day!!

I hope you are enjoying Desperate by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson. It has been like a breath of fresh air to see someone share their testimony and encouragement in this beautiful calling of motherhood! Some days it is hard girls, real hard. But remember, with the Lord by your side, you can do this. We have so many modern conveniences these days, that I imagine many of our great-grandparents would giggle at a title of a book like this. Maybe even our grandparents. The problem with our 'modern conveniences'? They have turned us into an 'on demand' society. Impatient. Must be entertained. Must be something better out there. NO! God calls children a blessing, and He even says that they are a reward from Him. The beauty of this book is in developing a community with other moms, as well as seeking out older women mentors (Titus 2 style).

Today is the day to share! Share your favorite quotes, your favorite parts of the video, answers to the questions, or whatever the Lord lays on your heart.

Here were a few quotes that really stood out to me:

"Many of my ideals were good, but the standard I set for myself to meet them was completely unrealistic." 
"The reason it hurt so much when I couldn't live up to my ideal was because I had imposed an impossible standard on myself." (p. 5)

Let that sink in ladies. We are in a more competitive world than ever. TV, blogs, books, friends, and social media. Comparison trap. While many of these outlets mean well, especially blogs and books, it can cause us to question ourselves and the unique qualities God gave us as a mom. We try to copy someone else hoping for a better outcome or a better life. Not going to happen. We should take suggestions, that is what mentoring is all about, but we should never compare ourselves to anyone. The nasty sin of coveting rears it's ugly head before we even know it. 

Something that we, as mothers, should do daily is found on page 9. Pray, "Lord, teach me how to be a mother." because "each of us has a story, but God, who originated the design of motherhood, is the expert advisor to whom we should turn." And, in doing that, "He will provide all we need for the task He has given us to fulfill. But to hear from God we must become women of the Word and women who pray, so that His voice may lead us as we grow into this role with grace." 
Wow! We MUST be women of the Word, and women of prayer. My grandmother is the most godly woman I know. She has lived her life in the Word and on her knees. Is she perfect? No-she is human. But, she knows where to turn for everything. Her prayers have covered many of us for years and I always swore that when she walked in the room, it was like God came with her (this was before I became a Christian). Her prayers, and her love for the Word, wore off on me. I learned more from watching her than I ever did by anything she ever spoke to me. Same with my mom. I remember coming home many nights to see her sitting at the kitchen table, elbow deep in her Bible and study tools. I remember being prayed for over an earache. A toothache. A staying out late problem. These women persevered in prayer for me and modeled a life of loving the Word. 

Question time!!! I want to hear from you. Did you write down your fears and write a prayer, giving those fears to the Lord? 

My prayer was rather lengthy, and we are currently doing a study with Online Bible Studies on praying Scripture, so imagine my delight as I put pen to paper and several verses poured out.

Share your favorite quotes, answers to the questions, prayer or whatever stood out the most to you. What the Lord spoke to you about during this time..................

B.O.W. Fun day!!

Hopefully you have had time to absorb some of the wonderful teaching and mentoring from Sally Clarkson, via reading Chapter One, and the videos from yesterday. If you are behind, no worries! Just keep putting one foot in front of the other! We will be discussing the questions in the back, along with favorite quotes, tomorrow.

Today? FUN DAY! Let's find some fun things to do with our kiddos!

The first one here is a Bible handprint calendar:

From the website: 

"Children love to see their hand prints on 

paper, and these handprint calendars have 
a bible verse with a colorful themed 
handprint for every month."

You can find the link to this craft here.

Speaking of handprints, here is another one to try:

This Handprint Angel can be found here.

How about a fun and easy recipe that the kiddos can make themselves? Try a Jif Fluff sandwich!! Not very healthy, and not good for those with peanut allergies, but it looks like it is pretty easy for kiddos! You can substitute it with whatever brand that you have!

The recipe can be found here.

Your turn to share! Share some fun recipes, craft ideas, etc. with us! Be sure to share the link or book if you get it from another source besides yourself. Thanks!

B.O.W. Video Day!

Hello friends! By this point, I hope you have been able to read through much of Chapter 1 in Desperate. What an amazing book! Such wise advice for those seeking community, friendship, encouragement and a mentor!

Today is the day to watch the video from Chapter One. Listed on the very last page is a QR code, or for those of you with an ebook, it also lists a website. Both of these link you to a YouTube video, 2-3 minutes each, with Sarah Mae and Sally sharing.

We assigned the Introduction video on Sunday, and wow! There was some great advice in that video. What stood out the most to me, besides the part about needing an older woman to  come alongside of us was this:

Don't read this book alone. The heart of it is community and mentorship. (paraphrased).

You will find even more information in the Chapter 1 video. One thing there that I want to point out, is also mentioned in the book.

God is the true beginning point. (paraphrased)

When we feel our days are long, when we can't seem to go another minute, when we don't even know where to start each day.........God is the true beginning point. You are the mom that your kids need. God designed you and made you....He will help you!

You don't need an "Instruction Manual" for raising your kids. Good books are just that-good books. Something that helped someone maybe made different than you. They are good to use--we use and read them--but remember, God and His Word are the ultimate authority on parenting. His Word is FULL of advice on parenting. We can read books for encouragement, and maybe the Holy Spirit will place in your heart to "try" something. But remember--that book is for what worked for THAT parent, THAT child, and not all of us are alike. However, God's Word is unchanging, it is living and active, and He is the creator of parents as well as children.

Seriously. Get a concordance out and search: Parent, mother, father, children, etc. You will be amazed what you find. I also have a Thompson Chain Bible that has a topical index in the back that shows me where to search for parenting advice. It is listed under: Home.

Looking forward to our discussion of Chapter One on Friday! There are some amazing verses in the back; let them sink deep into your heart.

Have you ever searched the Word for parenting advice?

Built on Wisdom Assignments!

It's finally here! Time to start encouraging one another in this blessed calling of motherhood. Time to learn to seek out mentors, both online and in real life. Following is the schedule for the first week.

Saturday~ Begin reading today. Start with the Introduction, pg. xv, ""I Can't Be a Mother Today". Find out where Sarah was and how she came to "meet" and be mentored by Sally. This is a short read. In the very back, there is a QR code if you have a smart phone/tablet, and a website if you don't, to watch a short introductory video by Sarah and Sally. 

Continue reading through all of Chapter One this whole week and answer the questions/focus on the Scriptures given in the back of the book.

Monday~ Encouraging/Mentoring Monday. On this day, I will refer you to a source of great encouragement in your God given blessing of motherhood. Soak it in. See what these Titus 2 ladies can speak into your heart. I will also share advice, tips, and memories from my own mentors from time to time...and will ask you to do the same!!

Wednesday~On the very last page of Chapter One, is another QR Code/website that takes you to a short video discussing Chapter One. Today would be an ideal day to watch it.

Thursday~ SHARE away! Today is the day for you to share FUN, EASY stuff. Craft ideas to do with the kiddos, recipes, and anything else you can think of. This gives you time to get needed supplies for the weekend. Again, optional. Share a picture with us if you would like! All that I ask, is if you use an outside source-meaning you did not 'create' the recipe/craft, etc., that you give proper credit to the book/blog/site/author and if possible, share the link.

Friday~ Today and Saturday, we will be talking about what we are learning. We will be discussing quotes, the answers to the questions in the back of each chapter, and the Scriptures given. Can't wait to hear from you!

Feel free to share, all week long, what you are learning and/or what stood out to you. Don't get overwhelmed and don't try to "do it all." Follow God's leading in this journey. Don't fret if you get behind, catch up later and stay current with us. I pray this is a peaceful journey, not one full of stress. Blessings to you!

Built on Wisdom (B.O.W.) Introduction to Desperate

Welcome to our little corner of the world!! I am so excited to start reading this book with you. I pray that you grow closer to Jesus, to your children, develop friendships, and feel encouraged. Since I started homeschooling, and staying home with my children almost three years ago, I have been an avid reader of the wonderful inspiration of Sally Clarkson. You don't have to be a homeschooler to enjoy the beautiful writing of this lady. Her encouragement is amazing. She also travels and speaks if you catch her at a venue nearby!

Written together with Sarah Mae, (love her blog too), this book was written with us weary moms in mind. From the back cover:

Motherhood turns you inside out. Sometimes you feel overwhelmed by how tired you feel; the days go on and on, and you want to be a "good" mom, but you feel like a failure so much of the time. What happened to all your ideals? When did you end up feeling so....lost?

This is a beautiful story of an older woman following the example set forth in Titus 2:3-5. As Sarah describes in the introduction, Sally actually pursued her. What follows is this beautiful book, where Sarah and Sally take turns sharing glimpses of their letters back and forth, intermixed with their story told by each one's point of view. In the back of each chapter, and the introduction, you will find a QR code and a web address if you don't have a smart phone/tablet. This links to a beautiful short video with these two amazing ladies. The end of each chapter also has Bible verses, encouragement and "assignments."

The blog post with the schedule is found here. For ease of use, I will re-post it here as well. The study starts Friday, July 19th!! 

• Saturday- Assignments day. We will be going through 1 chapter/week so you don't miss out on "real life" opportunities to put what you are reading into practice.
• Monday- Occasionally Sally has a fabulous series on her blog called "Mentoring Mondays." Although I haven't seen many posts lately, I will either link that here or send you to another "mentoring" blog for encouragement. 
• Wednesday- I mentioned the link/QR code in the back of each chapter. This is the day that I will recommend you watch that video, or you can wait until you finish the chapter if you fall behind.
• Thursdays- FUN DAY! Your turn to share too! Easy craft ideas, recipes, tips, etc. This gives you plenty of time to get what you need for the weekend. This is optional, but makes for fun times with your kids!
• Friday- Today we will dive into discussing the book and Bible verses. Write your answers down in your book, notebook, etc. Write the verses out as well-imprint them on your heart. You can also use a Dictionary, Commentary, or tools at Study Light to help you dig deeper into the word. Some days, it may lead to a topical study, etc. You can also personalize them by inserting your name into them.

Can't wait to begin!!

The wise woman builds her house,

But the foolish one pulls it down with her hands.

~Proverbs 14:1

Teach Them to Your Children

During our current study, Cultivating a Heart of Prayer by Wendy Blight, we have been focusing on many verses and on prayer in general. Last week we discussed what it meant to "abide" in Christ. This week, we looked at how "abiding" in Him actually controls our prayer lives as well. Our hearts will want to line up with God's will, will want to glorify Him, and will want to know Him more. We also discussed praying for a specific situation in our lives. Our homeschool is always one of the front requests in my mind.

We looked at several verses. These two stood out the most to me, probably because I am a homeschool mom. I try to seek God's will each year for our homeschool. What His plans are for my children. What He wants them to learn. He has created each one of them for a specific purpose. For anyone else who has ever embarked on this fascinating journey, let me tell you, it can be so hard at times. Can I really teach my kids? Can I really prepare them for life? Many of my thoughts, and at times prayers, have went like this, "I am a nurse! How can I possibly teach Geometry?" But then God....often reminds me that He called me to do this and that I am not alone in this. These verses were some of the many He has spoken into my heart over the years. Often.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 instructs me to teach my children His commands. His life giving, life changing words. This passage tells me to talk of them all the time. That is what we do in our school. In Science, He isn't just another "theory", rather He is the Creator. In History, we study His Story, as well as other world events. In music? We learn to "sign", basic Christian doctrine--my 4 and 6 year old girls are currently obsessed with sign language.

Deuteronomy 11:18-20? The same thing.

It was amazing that I had been praying over a few curriculum choices, and extreme fear arose over my oldest son who is now going into 10th grade, yet God reminded me yet again, with these same verses, to trust Him. To teach them about Him. He would take care of the rest. And, He has. Time and again He has shown up in ways that I couldn't even imagine. Academically as well.

 One Scripture verse that I have prayed over my children for years, even before we began homeschooling but is even more pertinent now, is this: 

Isaiah 54:13~ All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. (NKJV)

It is my prayer that He teaches them and that He gives them great peace.

What GOOD Are You Giving Up?

And Jesus answered and said to her, 

"Martha, Martha, you are worried

and troubled about many things.

But one thing is needed, and Mary has 

chosen that good part, which will not be 

taken away from her."

(Luke 10:41-42 NKJV)

We have been studying Mary and Martha for quite a while now at OBS. That isn't the only place I have heard it either. A sermon at church, a sermon on the radio, and in personal readings. Going through my favorite Goodwill bookstore, I kept stumbling upon books about Martha and Mary. A teaching post I did for our last OBS, Stressed-Less Living, was on Mary and Martha. Last week's blog for Cultivating a Heart of Prayer was on Mary and Martha. And you know what, the more I ponder and read on these two, the more that I learn. New layers; new depth; new insights. It's as if the Lord keeps putting them in my path for a reason.

This week is no different. Something Wendy said in the video about John 15:4-5, really struck me. The whole discussion on "abiding" struck me. Forgive me as I paraphrase--I take notes in shorthand from my days as both a Secretary and Registered Nurse. It doesn't say how many times a day, what it is about, how it is done-it is about connecting with and PASSIONATELY pursuing Him. PERIOD. Then came the conference call. More words spoken into my heart about what I felt had already been "tugging" on my heart. Again, I paraphrase here. Spend time with Him. Doesn't matter how or when. Even if you miss a couple days. It's a relationship day to day. He just wants us. It doesn't matter how "perfect" it is. 

And, oh, doesn't this look like Mary's heart? At the feet of her Savior and Lord--passionately pursuing Him. It didn't matter to her what it "looked" like. It didn't occur to her to go through "much" preparation before drawing from Him. She is the perfect image of "abiding." As Wendy discussed the vine and the branches, here we see Mary getting her nourishment from THE vine...in flesh. Martha was worried about preparing, getting everything right, everything perfect. Mary? Came as she was.....and Jesus said that she had chosen the good part. 

I have been involved in leading Bible studies in some form or fashion for the last 2 years. It is a huge passion of mine. I LOVE to surround myself with my Study Bible, Life Application Bible, a commentary, and a Greek/Hebrew/Aramic dictionary. I love to have the house perfectly quiet. I love to have my highlighters, my pens, devotionals, my notebooks, my phone (for YouVersion of course), and so on. I even took a Seminary class last fall. I don't say this to brag, but I say this to show you it can happen to all of us. But what happened? Why did I "take a break?" And what GOOD thing am I giving up? Hmmm...

I became Martha. Frenzied. Panicked. Hurrying to get my stuff out, for what I thought (sadly), was "appropriate" everyday Bible study. The right way to do it, you know? After lugging out all of my goodies, I would crack open my Bible and BOOM! One of my 4 children, or possibly two, would wake up. WHAT?!? I only read one verse!! Now I have to put it all away so the little ones don't tear it up. Or worse--my beloved "Family Bible" bares the marks of a black marker scattered through a lot of Genesis. No small marks either. Marks as in colored in-can't read the words type marks. I became unsettled; agitated; "troubled" about many things-primarily my lack of a "quiet time." Which in turn, set the tone for the day. Even though I may have had an amazing night of study the night before, I was thrown off by my lack of being a morning person. Where was the love? The abiding? Why was I so set in my ways?

And then I remember....I go back, in my mind, to the days long ago. Almost four years ago. To the days when it seemed as if everywhere I turned I could "see" Jesus. Sweet fellowship. Talking to Him all day. Singing and humming Worship Songs as I went about my daily tasks. Hungry for Him and hungry for His Word. Receiving "God sap", as Wendy puts it, in abundance-I couldn't seem to read enough of His Word. Where did I go wrong? 

Then slowly, I look around me and realize...It doesn't matter WHAT it looks like, it only matters that I am passionately pursuing Him. I had lost that desire through "much doing" and not enough being. I would go hours without talking to Him except to throw up a "Dear Lord Jesus, please help me", (we homeschool our kiddos), or a short prayer for a friend. It became rote. Mandatory. Checking it off my list. I had never really heard much about "quiet time" during the former period. I just wanted to be with Jesus. Didn't matter when or how, I just wanted to be with Him. Whenever I could.

So now...what GOOD thing am I giving up to get BETTER with Jesus? My preconceived notion about what "quiet time" should look like. And no longer pursuing a "quiet time", but rather pursuing an ongoing, daily, moment to moment relationship with the Lord of my life.

My Lord, full of grace, truth, and  compassion, loves me. No matter what season I am in. Four years ago I wasn't homeschooling. He understands that. Four years ago, I had a baby that slept all day, a toddler that was content to play alone for a little while and napped as well. Two boys in public school. Four years ago, I wasn't involved in ministry. This is a new season in my life and God understands that, and for whatever reason--He loves me. However, much is to be learned about that season four years ago that CAN be applied today. I don't have to be so "methodical" all the time. I can sit at His feet, whether by "talking" to Him all day and just picking up my Bible and reading, or by deeper study as time allows. It doesn't have to look the same everyday. I just have to "abide." As Wendy said, abiding is "continuing in a permanent state." I can continually communicate with Him, and I can continually draw from Him.......no matter what it looks like. 

Jennifer Newsom

OBS Executive/Teaching Teams