July 28, 2021 – Family Perspective and Breathing Room

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

I Can’t Breathe!

To be honest, these last two months have been so busy that I sometimes feel like I can’t breathe! And this is supposed to be summer break! The only thing breaking is me under the weight of my schedule! All good things are happening, but do you ever have times when they are all happening at once? I feel like I need some serious breathing room.

Some moms consider downtime being on a retreat or a vacation without the normal responsibilities. Some moms breathe easier when their children are all tucked in bed and they can “have a moment.”

Whether you enjoy a vacation or just get to breathe for a few minutes, I want to suggest a way to multiply your peace and even have a reserve for the time when everything is back full swing. It’s pretty simple: give God the first of your downtime . . . kind of like a tithe of time. If we honor Him in all of our planned times first, He multiplies the peace in our hearts as we face all the busy and often stressful “up-time.”

You may need to plan that breathing room right into your busy schedules. And when you bless the Lord with the time He has provided for you, then you will find peace and joy even in the midst of heavy storms.

Let me give you some perspective:

Remember when Jesus slept on the boat during a storm and the disciples wondered how He could sleep? Jesus knew He was Master of the storm, but the disciples didn’t. If they had known Him, they would have been sleeping, too!

Spending that first bit of any downtime in getting to know your God will bring great faith that He is Master of your storms, and you, too, can find rest.

So, what we learn here is that rest not only comes during downtime, but you can even find rest in the midst of heavy storms as you put your faith in God. Take any amount of  downtime you have and get to know what manner of man this is—your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” (Matthew 8: 23-27)

Breathing with you,
~Deborah

Check out some more articles that will give you and your family the right perspective:

Consider a Family Missions Vacation by Mary Jo Keller
Engage and Love Scripture as a Family an Interview with Sarah M. Wells  by Bonnie Rose Hudson
Journal Writing for the Homeschool Family by Amelia Harper

Lost and alone in a valley of darkness, Lauren, Aiden and Ethan must resist dark forces. Will they have the faith to fear no evil? https://allenbrokkenauthor.com

Todd Wilson

Familyman Ministries

My Tough Love Message: Please Relax!

I’m sorry to dump on you, but I’m feeling a little cynical and snappy. I’ve written about ten thousand articles about enjoying your family and relaxing. That’s about all I tell homeschooling moms. “Relax and enjoy your children because they’re going to be grown and gone before you know it,” I say. I travel all over the country telling homeschoolers to relax. When moms email me and describe their homeschool situation, I say, “Relax.”

But sometimes it feels like nobody’s doing it! Homeschoolers are tired, frustrated, and worn out, causing their children to hate homeschooling and everything they hold dear. They need to relax, but something tells them to push harder, plow through, and do more.

The truth is they don’t need to do more; they need to relax.

But they don’t listen. Oh, they nod in agreement, and say, “Yep, that’s what I need to do . . . right after I do this, this, and this . . . and that and this . . . and then some of that . . . and I have to finish this.”

And all that makes me think, “What’s the use? I’m wasting my breath.”

Because even if I tell them and you (like I do in every single article I write) to relax, many of you won’t.

You’ve been duped into thinking that relaxing is ‘bad’ and doesn’t fall into the real school schedule. So you say things to your children like, “If we work really hard this week maybe, just maybe, we can take off next week.” Then many of you proceed to miss out on the important stuff while plowing through the unimportant stuff.

Whoa, did I say, “unimportant?” Yeah, that’s what I meant to say. Unimportant.

Again, I’m sorry for dumping on you. Just ignore me, and go back to ‘doing school.’ Work hard; be diligent; mold young minds; make sure you get it all done; and don’t rest until it’s finished . . . I gotta go be a dad.

I’ve got issues.

Being Real,
Todd

Dan Beasley

hslda.com

Pillar of Future
Dan Beasley – The Future of Civics

Homeschooling families have long been known for their engagement in civics, especially the lawmaking process. This civic involvement during the resurgence of homeschooling in the late twentieth century paved the way for homeschooling as we know it today.

A 2020 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania showed the number of Americans who could name the three branches of government increased to an unusually high 51% amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This may not seem like a high number, but it shows stark improvement compared with merely 39% in 2019, which matched the previous high-water mark in the last ten surveys conducted since 2006.

Currently, many state lawmakers are debating what the future of American civics education ought to include. And, as you might imagine, the debate is getting political. But one thing that homeschoolers know from both history and experience is that the home offers an ideal environment to provide robust education in civics.

Raising children to know and understand their rights and duties as citizens and all the processes that affect those rights and duties (especially when accompanied by hands-on experiences) will help improve civics literacy for the next generation. So happy homeschooling, civics instructors!

As a HSLDA staff attorney, Dan Beasley assists individual homeschooling families and advocates for homeschool freedom in the courts, legislature, and court of public opinion. Dan is also a homeschool graduate and homeschooling dad of four. http://www.hslda.com/