February 22, 2023 – Surviving Winter Depression

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

Buried in the Covers or in the Word?

Sometimes depression calls for the courage to just get up from out of the covers. Courage and strength to face another day. Homeschooling often requires courage in the face of persecution, as well as courage to fight against our own minds that tell us we are failing; courage against “depression of spirits” and courage to bear through difficulties to the end. The only way to find this kind of courage is to dig ourselves out of our own thinking and become buried deep in the Word of God. Here are a few of the many verses on distress and courage:

 “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD” (Psalm 31:24).

 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: For I shall yet praise him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God” (Psalm 42:5; 11; Psalm 43:5).

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35).

Have you lost sight of the true eternal priorities of educating your children, and fallen back into “filling their heads with knowledge”? Did you forget that it is your obedience and not your strength or ability that God rewards? Now is the time to repent for your lack of desire to be obedient, your lack of courage to continue, or your lack of vision for what is eternally important, and return to training up His children for His glory. And where will you find this courage and refreshment needed when you feel anything but encouraged? Through repentance and from His Presence!

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

Let’s pray for the courage to remain fixed in purpose, determined in our minds, and resolute to follow through even when our feelings don’t follow us there.

COURAGE, n. [L., the heart.] Bravery; intrepidity; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits; valor; boldness; resolution. It is a constituent part of fortitude; but fortitude implies patience to bear continued suffering.  (Websters Dictionary 1828 – Webster’s Dictionary 1828 – Courage)

Let’s courageously dig out of depression and into the Word of God together as we keep His children Home. Where They Belong.

~Deborah

P.S. For more encouragement, check out these articles from The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine:

Navigating the Mid-Winter Doldrums, by Mary Hood, PhD
When the Season Changes, by Sheila Campbell
10 Tips to Persevere Through Your School Year, by Brigitte Brulz

Schedule a free session and talk with an experienced homeschool mom and coach today! Accountability, high school help, schedules, curriculum planning, special needs. bransonacademy.net

Todd Wilson

Familyman Ministries

The Long Winter Stretch

Christmas is over . . . New Year’s is past . . . and the winter blues have set in. Even before I got out of bed this morning, my wife lamented the fact that there’s nothing on the calendar except a long, boring stretch of school.

“I want to go to Florida for a month,” she announced, half-joking but mostly serious. Unfortunately, we’re not going to Florida for a month (we’re looking at a few days . . . maybe), and I’m pretty sure that for those of you who live in Florida, the ‘winter homeschool blues’ may find you there as well.

I’m afraid the answer to these blues isn’t taking a trip somewhere . . . but merely remembering the truth. The truth is that these coming days with your children are the best days and that homeschooling isn’t a season to be endured but a relationship to be enjoyed.

It’s going to be over before you know it, and then you can lounge your winter away on some tropical beach somewhere . . . wishing you were back homeschooling your children. 🙂

Be Real,
Todd

About the author

Todd Wilson is a husband, dad, grandpa, writer, homeschool conference speaker, and former pastor. Todd’s humor and down to earth realness have made him a favorite speaker all across the country and a guest on Focus on the Family. As founder of The Familyman and The Smiling Homeschooler, his passion and mission are to remind moms and dads of what’s most important through weekly emails, podcasts, seminars, and books that encourage parents. Todd, and his wife Debbie, homeschool four of their eight children (the other four are homeschool graduates) in northern Indiana and travel America in the Familyman Mobile. You can read more at www.familymanweb.com.

Adam and Dianne Riveiro

Pillar of Future
Adam and Dianne Riveiro – Tips for Fighting Seasonal Blues

As someone who lived for twenty-five years in Florida, the concept of “winter depression” seemed like something from an alternate dimension. How could someone struggle with depression simply because of a change on the calendar?

Then I moved to New England!

Friends, I can attest that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can be a real thing, particularly for those in harsher northern climates. Why? Because during the deepest part of winter, you only get a few hours of daylight a day (if you’re blessed enough to get a sunny day to begin with!). Mix in some frigid temperatures that confine you indoors for days at a time, and you’ve got a potent recipe for winter depression.

Thank the Lord, He’s given us several tools to combat winter depression, including:

• Maintain a personal devotional time of Bible reading, prayer, and meditation on God’s Word. In the darkness of winter, remember, “​​Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
• Move around and get out of the house. Your home should feel like a sanctuary, not like the state lockup!
• Mix things up and keep homeschooling fresh. The next couple of months are the most monotonous of the school year, so guard against stale routines. It will do your kids . . . and you . . . a world of good!

-Adam

About the author

Pastor Adam and Dianne Riveiro live in Easton, Massachusetts, where Adam leads Liberty Baptist Church. They’re the authors of several books, including Hope from Our Heart to Yours: A 30-Day Devotional Journey for Special Needs Families, available from their family’s publishing label at www.readyscribepublications.com. They have four children: Bethany, Kaylee, AJ, and Peyton. They’re passionate about helping their fellow special needs families find joy and contentment in Christ.

Looking to get more copywork into your curriculum? Everyday Copywork from SchoolhouseTeachers.com gives you almost 200 homeschool language arts worksheets, in print and cursive, to trace and copy, and covers a variety of themes like American History, Bible, and holidays. You’ll even find some for winter like “Dust of Snow” (Frost), “Picture Books in Winter” (Stevenson), and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” (Frost). Visit SchoolhouseTeachers.com today!