Five Minute Friday: Choose

Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. It's been a while since I've joined in. Today's word is "choose."


Choose


This word often makes me think of that Robert Frost poem, “The Road Not Taken.”


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…


I sometimes have a hard time choosing. I am in the middle of making a decision right now. I want to choose the right thing, but there is one thing I really want to do, and I am not sure if it is the right thing.


But, if I choose the other way, I feel as though I might be robbing myself of an opportunity.


Have you ever felt that way?


What do you do when you have to choose between two things?


My first course of action is to pray. I pray and try to get quiet and listen.


Often I will ask others to pray as well, people I trust, who I know have my best interest at heart.


I will also talk to my husband about it. He is the closest to me, and knows our family situation the best.


I will also talk to friends about my choices.


Things that might come in and try to help make my decision for me are fear and guilt. So, I must keep those at bay and only rest in the goodness of the Lord.


What do you do when you have to make a choice and choose between two things?


Choose.

Do They See You?

A good woman is hard to find,
    and worth far more than diamonds.
Her husband trusts her without reserve,
    and never has reason to regret it.
Never spiteful, she treats him generously
    all her life long.
She shops around for the best yarns and cottons,

    and enjoys knitting and sewing.
She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places
    and brings back exotic surprises.
She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast
    for her family and organizing her day.
She looks over a field and buys it,
    then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden.
First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,
    rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
She senses the worth of her work,
    is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,
    diligent in homemaking.
She’s quick to assist anyone in need,
    reaches out to help the poor.
She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows;
    their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.
She makes her own clothing,
    and dresses in colorful linens and silks.
Her husband is greatly respected
    when he deliberates with the city fathers.
She designs gowns and sells them,
    brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.
Her clothes are well-made and elegant,
    and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.
When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,
    and she always says it kindly.
She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
    and keeps them all busy and productive.
Her children respect and bless her;
    her husband joins in with words of praise:
“Many women have done wonderful things,
    but you’ve outclassed them all!”
Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
    The woman to be admired and praised
    is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.
Give her everything she deserves!
    Festoon her life with praises!

                             -Proverbs 31:10-31 The Message

There is so much we can learn from the woman in Proverbs 31:10-31.  She has been taught on from many different angles and perspectives.  Jewish tradition holds that Bathsheba was responsible the passage in Proverbs 31, sharing her wisdom with her son Solomon. We have all heard teaching on her life from the viewpoint of what we “should” do.  I want us to look at her from the perspective of what we “can” do, and what our children need to see us doing.

You can find the rest of my post here at MichelleHight.org.

Homeschooler, You Are Different! It's a Good Thing!

Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.-2 Corinthians 10:12

We live in a culture of diversity.  Everything is different.  There are lots of choices when it comes to virtually just about everything.  No two people are alike, with the exception of identical twins.  Sometimes even they look different because of environment and other factors.  So, why should our expectations for homeschool be any different?

In the United States, there are a variety of school types to choose from preschool up through high school.  You have Montessori schools, Charter schools, Public schools, and Private schools, the latter of the two of which I am going to discuss.

I have worked in both private and public school.  There were extremely different.    In the public school, students were allowed to wear clothing of their choice.  In the private school, students wore a uniform, except on special days.  In the private school, classes were smaller, giving the teacher a little more control and freedom.   Public school classrooms are often filled to maximum capacity.  Public school students attend school for free.  Private school students pay tuition to attend school, giving everyone involved a little higher standard of accountability.

Within both school settings you had teachers teaching different grades.  Those teachers had different backgrounds.  They went to different colleges.  They came from different cities.  They had different life experiences.  They had been teaching for different amounts of time.

When I student taught, I taught 7th grade and 3rd for my final practicum.  There were three 3rd grade teachers.  I was only supervised by one, but I got to go in all three classrooms.  Each one was different.  They had different personalities and different things they liked.  Each of their students was different-different life experiences, different interests, and different abilities.

So, why I am telling you all of this?  As a homeschooling parent, you will be different than the homeschool mom you like on facebook.  You don’t have the same qualities, intent, or purpose as her.  Your children and your family do not have the same personalities, likes or dislikes, and purpose for your life as theirs.  You might be tempted to compare yourself to her and other homeschooling moms along the way.  This is not helpful to you.  The Bible has something to say about comparing ourselves to others and about thinking of ourselves in the correct way. God’s purpose for you, your child, and your family, is not the same as my purpose, or my child, or the purpose for my family.  So, why should our educational focus and goals be the same?

Let’s look at one family in the Bible.  In the book of Genesis, we read the story of Joseph. He and his brothers were shepherds.  But it seems as though Joseph developed some other skills along the way.  We know that God gave him the ability to interpret dreams.  He also seemed to have wisdom and leadership skills either given to him by God, or developed in him by his life with his family.  Later on, after he was sold into slavery in Egypt, those abilities proved to help him.  The skills he possessed eventually propelled him to the position of Prime Minister of Egypt, thus enabling him to keep the Hebrew nation alive by saving them from famine. (See Genesis 37-50.)  God has a purpose for every person and family.  You and your family are no different.

So, when you feel tempted to compare yourself to another homeschooling family, remind yourself of the differences in the current educational system. Remind yourself that just like those differences, there are no two homeschools alike.  And most importantly remind yourself that God has a plan for you and your family that is significant to only you.

Many blessings to you on your homeschool journey wherever it may take you!

~Beth

(This post was originally published at Upside Down Homeschooling)

Sent by Hilary Alan

"God is working in your life even when you don't realize it."-Hilary Alan, Chapter 2, Sent


It is a guiding thought in my everyday life that God has a purpose and a plan for each one of us. This is one of the themes in the book Sent. God is constantly at work to propel us into that plan, if we will let Him. Sent is the story of the Alan family and how God propelled them into part of His plan for their lives.

In December of 2004, a devastating tsunami hit Southeast Asia. The magnitude of the devastation cannot be understand I am sure unless you have personally experienced it. In response to that event, many people were sent or went to help those affected. The Alan family was a family that God commissioned to go. The book shares the story of the process they went through from God leading them to go and their journey there and back.

While reading this book, many strong words come to mind. Commitment. Faith. Love. Obedience. These are all words to describe this family. This was their response to God and to the people of Southeast Asia.

Recently I have been reading about minimalism. Minimalism is a philosophy about living with less. More is not always better. I thought about this while I was reading this book. You will find out when you read the book all of the stuff they had to strip themselves of to be obedient to what God was asking them to do. The only thing you can take with you to Heaven is people. In the book, Hilary Alan shares the experiences of her family and the people that came into their lives that they got to deliver God's Word to because of their obedience to Him.

While reading this book, there was something that bothered me however. I don't know everything. The older I get and the more I walk with Him, I realize I don't know as much as I thought I did. There were times in the book when the author prayed for people and because it wasn't answered instantly or in the way she prayed, she thought it wasn't God's will or He answered her prayer in another way. I get that about answering in another way, but I just felt like it wasn't a consistent belief with scripture because of the way she believed about some things. God wants us to pray according to His Word. He is faithful to that. If the answer is delayed, it doesn't mean that God doesn't want to or won't answer. He will answer according to His Word. Maybe we need to change our belief about a certain area, to believe that we can have what God's Word says we can have. He is faithful.

This book was very inspiring. It was one that I had a hard time putting down. I have a heart for missions, so this stirred my soul greatly. It was very refreshing to witness a family whose major focus was fulfilling the plans and purposes of God, no matter what He asked them to do.

Many blessings to you as you read. My prayer for you today is that you hear His voice when He leads and obey as He guides you into what He created you for! The rewards will be eternal.


“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” -Romans 10:15

~Beth



Disclosure Statement: I received this book free of charge as part of a free books for bloggers program from Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not required to give a favorable review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.