My first post

Ahhh, my own blog! This is kind of a scary feeling. Like I'm putting myself out there too far and maybe other people will think that my thoughts are weird or not worth hearing. But, I've committed to do this for myself and my family, so here goes.

I had my bi-monthly Mom's group book study today. We're just starting the book "A Mom just like you" by Vickie Ferris. I'm excited about it. She's a homeschooling Mom of 10 kids. There should be a lot of wisdom there. One of the things I'm noticing about many of the experienced homeschooling Moms is the advice to just RELAX. You cannot do it all. You cannot be everything to everyone and still be able to be a good mom. I am coming to that realization myself. Why do I homeschool? Is it to get my kids a good education? Yes, that's a given. But my main goal for homeschooling is so that I can control the things that my children take into their little minds every day. I know what they're learning. I know how they're behaving. I know who they're spending time with.

As much as I hope to have the smartest kid(s) in the world, my primary goal is to raise kind, loving and Godly children. Book smarts can always be learned, at any age. But you can not easily change the heart and spirit once a child has grown. I will nurture and love, pray for and guide my children EVERY day, until they become the people that God would have them to be. I have been feeling convicted lately to make a concerted effort to talk to my kids about the Lord. I tend to get going with our days, and don't spend time really teaching them about God. It's easy to let Sunday School do that, you know?

This verse was laid on my heart recently and I'm planning to print it and hang it up to remind me when I get lax: Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NIV) ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

These thoughts swirl in my head mainly when I lay down at night. I think it will be good for me to be able to "get it all out". I did not expect this post to be this long, but I suppose that's what I started a blog for. My musings. In the next couple of days, I hope to get my kids introduced here. They're the main focus after all. :)