Back to School . . .and back to blogging!

I'm not sure, if in the four year history of my blog that I've ever abandoned it for so long.  I just haven't had the desire to blog, so I've let it sit . . . with much that I wish I would have blogged, but that's another post (or several) for another day!

Today was the first official day of the 2012-2013 school year at The Winder Academy!  All students were assigned the same homeroom teacher: Mrs. Winder.  (Rumor had it she's pretty nice.  Rumor turned out to be true.  It's my blog and I like me).  

Since Bry isn't able to take leave until the end of August (when we would have been starting school), we're getting a head start before we take two weeks off for our Michigan road trip.  

I ordered new curriculum this year, from Sonlight, and we are very excited about it.  While researching curriculums I began hearing about the "Workbox System" and I have decided to give it a try.  I will tell you that after using this system for the first time today it might just be this unorganized mama's saving grace--and answer to prayer!  Our day went exceptionally well, and we were all still smiling as we finished our last box this afternoon!  Yay us!  

The idea is that each subject/activity has it's own labeled box and the students work through the boxes that the teacher prepares ahead of time (as in the night before), forcing me to be organized.  I read several different blogs about how people have made this idea work for them and then kind of personalized it a bit.  Each drawer has a laminated label attached with velcro, and as the kids finish a subject or activity they move the label from left to right. 

The boxes keep everyone on track and in a glance you can see the day's progress.  It's very motivating--and there are no "when are we gonnnnna beeeeee doooooone" questions (think long drawn out whine)!  Some boxes the kids do independently and several of them we do together.  When you make it through all of your boxes you are done!  I'm sure that it will take some fine tuning, but I'm hopeful that it's going to be a good year!

As I spent some quiet time this morning before school I was so encouraged by the Lord.  To back up a bit, many years ago when my now 20 year old Brady was about halfway through second grade, I was praying about whether or not to homeschool him.  He was incredibly unhappy with his school situation, yet I felt very ill equipped.  It was during this time that I attended a prophetic training conference at our church and was given a prophetic word. I can't remember the exact word now, but it involved a mother deer and a her fawn and the idea that the mother deer remained close to the baby deer at all times,  protecting it, and teaching it everything it needed to know to flourish.  The teenage boy who gave me the word knew nothing of my situation, in fact he was from another church and didn't know me at all.  The word seemed very odd to him as he shared it, but made perfect sense to me--and was the answer I had been waiting for.  My Brady came home and I got my happy boy back, and so much more . . .

All that to say that there are things that the Lord uses to speak to my heart, like birds . . . and nests; and since that day long ago, deer.  So I opened my Jesus Calling book this morning and this is what it said for today, August 6th (my own thoughts are in italics) . . .

"When things seem to be going all wrong (as a homeschooling day can often do), stop and affirm your trust in Me. Calmly bring these matters to Me, and leave them in My capable hands. Then, simply do the next thing. (In other words, Keep calm and Carry on). Stay in touch with me through thankful, trusting prayers, resting in My sovereign control.  Rejoice in Me, I will make your feet like the feet of a deer.  I enable you to walk and make progress upon your high places of trouble, suffering, or responsibility."

I love that! When things go wrong I only need to hand it over to my Heavenly Father and simply do the next thing, remembering to stay in thankful mode, and then rest in Him. And He promises to make my feet stable like the feet of a deer and enable me to make progress upon my high places of responsibility.  

Sweetness.

Homeschooling is a huge responsibility, how comforting it is to know that not only is He walking me through it, but making my feet stable for the long haul! In the words of my sweet friend Bonnie, "He is faithful"!

Thank you Lord for your reassurance.  Thank you for Your guidance every step of the way, as I have prepared for this school year.  Thank you for others who have shared thoughts and ideas that have inspired me.  Thank you for encouraging me, and for reminding me that when the going gets tough I simply need to hand it over to You and "do the next thing".  Thank you for being my Teacher.  And lastly, thank you for the amazing privilege I have been given to teach my children at home.

We are ready!

As for today . . .

all of our tags made it to the right side--

it was a good day!

Blessings from my nest~

Tina