Simply Living for Him

Today Steve and I are talking together about what we have learned in the past four years as a work-at-home family. It's always fun to have Steve as a guest! Between Steve's graphic design business, my writing and speaking ministry, and running a hobby farm ministry, we have jumped in to life where the whole family is all in! We talk about spiritual lessons and tackling practical issues ( like insurance and schedules when you are not a disciplined-by-nature scheduler!), plus more! Listen in as we candidly share our journey and what God is doing in our family, as we do life together as a work-at-home family and where we are storing our treasures.

As the homeschool year comes to a close, it is very tempting to throw in the towel and just focus on getting it all together next year, but today I want to encourage you to finish well and with excellence this year. Whether you are a homeschooler or a public schooler, or whatever task God has given you, let's finish well. We only have this moment right now and God expects diligence from us in each task given. Join me today as I chat about not throwing in the towel, but finishing well. (even when all I want to do is forget the books and have a Little House on the Prairie marathon all day! ;)

It's that time of year. We are spring cleaning our homes and definitely our homeschools. How many of us vow every spring, while looking back at a no-so-stellar year, that next year will be different? Next year will be the year where you get it right and have the best curriculum and the best schedule? We all do. Truth is, right now is all we have. So, let's talk about how we can clear the clutter in our homeschools (physical and mental) and make the most of every moment. From books to supplies, to endless piles of stuff, let's get in there and clear the clutter. I am sharing all about how we keep homeschool clutter to a minimum, how to know what "stuff" to keep and what to purge, and most importantly, how to focus on what matters most. The more we seek Jesus, the less stuff we find we need cluttering up our homeschool and our life.

Today I am kicking off my Spring Cleaning Hearts and Home Series with some simple tips for organizing. Hear how I keep my home clutter-free as much as possible without any fancy tricks or systems. Just simple and easy tips to think about when Spring cleaning this year! There will be more podcasts, blog posts, and videos coming all on the topic of Spring Cleaning over the next several months!

Are you a family trying to navigate the noise most days? Join me today as I talk about how our family intentionally chooses to live more simply in a very complicated world. I will address various topics and how we deal with each of them so that we can keep our eyes on God and not this world. *Internet *Toys *Schedules *TV *Bible study *...and More!

Today I am talking about two of my favorite things- homeschooling and keeping it simple! Even though I am addressing new homeschoolers, these are things ALL homeschoolers need to be reminded of and can benefit from! In a world that is constantly trying to distract us, it so important, especially as new homeschoolers, to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus so we know when to weed out the things that aren't truly important. If you are feeling overwhelmed, as a new homeschooler or seasoned homeschooler, join me as I address curriculum, schedules, real life learning, and avoiding the comparison trap. I am discussing how to set a solid foundation from the beginning to make teaching easier down the road. Mostly, I hope to remind all homeschoolers to seek God first in all they do!

How We Handle Worry Over the years we have faced several job losses, health issues, and all kinds of other worrisome situations, but we have grown through each one. I fully admit I am a work in progress in this area but am making gains each day. I come from a long line of worriers and my husband doesn't blink an eye at much. God knew I needed Steve to keep me grounded and my eyes fixed where they should be daily- on Jesus. Come and join Steve and me as we chat about how we have handled worry as a couple over the years. This is a candid chat and a glimpse into our lives as we share how the Lord has been teaching us (mostly me! ) in this area over the years. Little did I know, when we had this passage read at our wedding, just how much it would follow us through our marriage: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:25-34

Over the years, I have made many plans in our homeschool. Yet, we have learned that the most important lessons were never written in a plan book. Preparing children for life by immersing them in real life every day has been a blessing which has taught them life skills, character traits, and most importantly spiritual lessons. Whether you homeschool or not, equipping children for real life and equipping them spiritually are as neceassay as any textbook.

Feeling like your clutter is out of control? Join me as I talk about ways to categorize your physical and mental clutter and help you discern what is needed and what it may be time to part with. Don't let clutter control you any longer. You CAN take control! Listen in as I talk about where we should be filled most and what we should never bring into our homes and minds. What we fill our homes and minds with matters!

I wanted to encourage you all today, that as we look ahead to the next week and things start to get busy, remember why we are celebrating this day. It's not show off our latest Pinterest recipe and cute table decor. It's not to have the perfect crafts for the kids. It's not to keep up with making a "thankful tree" or a "thankful jar." While all of these things are super fun and can be meaningful, at the heart of Thanksgiving is praise to God for who He is. Let us focus on how we make people feel in our homes, rather than how our homes look. Let us nourish those who join us for dinner with spiritual nourishment and not just Pinterest-perfect recipes. Let us be thankful, not stressed or complaining. Praise God from whom all blessings flow this week. Whether you are in a season where you feel you have little to be thankful for or you are celebrating an abundance, we all have the ultimate blessing- Jesus.

Are you trying to keep it consistent when you are really a fly-by-the-seat-of-your- pants mama? By nature, I am not consistent. I am more of a free spirit. I get an idea and want to run with it, and then a few weeks later, it often gets replaced with another new idea! Yet, I know homeschool requires a level of consistency so that we keep order. Come and listen in as I talk about how God has transformed me in this area. There is nothing I have done on my own, but He works when I ask Him for guidance! We will also talk about how we can have those unplanned days too, as we balance consistency with spontaneity for our kids and our homeschools!

Last year I wrote a book called, Real Homeschool Letting Go of the Pinterest-Perfect and Instagram-Ideal Homeschool. It was all about seeking Jesus above the noise of the world in our homeschools, and not trying to attain what the world says is perfection, but what the Bible does. Well, today I am talking about how those principles apply to all of us. Whether a homeschooler, new mom, grandma, or any other stage of life, we all need to be reminded that Jesus is the only perfect. This world is noisy and is constantly telling us (and showing us online!) how we should be. Yet, those voices can quickly drown out what the Bible says. Life is short. We need to start using our brief time here on earth for real living, and not false ideals. Join me today and let me know what you think about trading in Pinterest-perfect for real life- a life in Christ.

Looking at my life may seem far from simple– maintaining a home while homeschooling, running a business, and just living life...all while chasing chickens some days...yet, it really is the simple life we dreamed of. Join me and listen to how we make it work, without feeling like we are running on empty. After all, I am not super woman, but I do serve a SUPER God! I'm talking about schedules, homeschool life, meal planning, family time, hobby-farm life, and time for myself- all in this one episode! Grab a cup of tea and join me as we chat about keeping it simple when life is busy.

Join my husband and me as we talk about how a job loss changed our life- and how it truly was a BLESSING to experience a layoff. This was recorded two years ago, and even more has changed since then. We moved to our little hobby farm, work has continued to come in, and we continue to seek Him in each decision. At the core of this message though is that we found a blessing in what we thought was tragic. God's plans are always higher than our own! In October 2012, my husband was laid off for the third time in our marriage, and this time we said, "Enough." We knew it was time to submit our family's employment to God. My husband began his own business, and we became a full time "work-at-home- family." It is a privilege to work alongside him each day, as I am able to homeschool and work with my writing and speaking ministries, while he fulfills his passion for graphic design. All the while, with our eyes focused on God, He is providing each step of the way. We have fully committed our family business endeavors to Him, and are blessed to live this unique family lifestyle.

Many of you know that almost two years ago, we packed up a 26 ft. Uhaul and moved to the country. We didn't grow up this way, and many may wonder how on earth we ended up here? Why did we trade in the sidewalks of suburbia for woods and a stream? Why did we choose to spend evenings chasing chickens instead of life in a neighborhood? There are many reasons why we chose this life, but mainly because God gave us the desires of our hearts. We are now loving life out here, growing food along with a ministry, raising chicken, ducks, and guineas, and the serenity that comes from our little slice of hobby farm heaven.