My Child’s Advocate

There’s no second guessing the tight ship we run around here.  We monitor everything; television, movies, video games, internet, friends, music, etc.   Although we firmly believe in the philosophy of “freedom within boundaries”, we take a very serious approach to how ‘life’ introduces itself to our children and the ramifications of allowing junk to enter our home.

One way we accomplish our goals in raising our children is through homeschooling.  We don’t homeschool to shelter our children from the outside world or brain wash them into being intolerable of others.    Rather, we homeschool so we can personally walk our children through life  as they come against opposition in education to their Christian faith.  For example, our children attend a small district public charter online school.  Our choice of school allows us as parents, to be able to implement Biblical truth in every subject at home, while using our freedom to fight against the woes of this world in a positive light. Our kids are a witness; however, it floors me that people question the authenticity of their convictions.

My youngest son had an assignment today that required him to browse through a protected thread of questions from other students.  His job was to respond to their answers via internet.  Easily done, however later that afternoon we were contacted by the teacher who oversees the site.  A well constructed e-mail addressed my son personally as being inappropriate in his response to a question and warned us of any further disobedience.  After my heart dropped in disbelief, I contacted the ‘teacher’ immediately and was told about the content.  Yes, it was inappropriate – but, I couldn’t help but trust the character of my son and his innocence.  I was his only advocate and I was willing to put my own reputation on the line for what I believed the truth was: a typo, a computer profile hack, or misunderstanding.

Regardless of the excused ‘mistake’ offered from the ‘teacher’,  I was determined to get to the bottom of the reason for such accusations.  So, I discussed the issue with my son.  We sat together and went through each thread individually and looked at each response my son typed.  When we came across one little boys thread of answers, the puzzle came together!  In the conversation thread, my son agreed with the little boy  that Nike has the best shirts – after all, my son has a collection of his own.  Ironically, he left the “r” out of shirts; thus resulting in a cuss word.  An innocent typo due to his learning disability (see post). What bother me is how the ‘teacher’ jumped to the conclusion that my son must of been  commenting on a completely different topic of “Rated M video games”,  ie:  “I love that shirt“.  A complete misunderstanding by the teacher without the courtesy of requesting a possible explanation.  This situation comes days after a written paragraph my son submitted on John 3:16 titled, “How God Takes Care of Me”. Needless to say, I was sure to point out the truth in this situation; thus, receiving a full apology and retraction from the teacher.

So, in conclusion…  I was my son’s advocate today.  Well, the truth is, my son was proven to be who he says he is… Authentic. For this reason, we used today as an example of how important it is to sustain a Godly life in character and integrity. Sometimes we need people to be our advocate – and other times we stand on our character alone.  I’m proud of my son for taking a stand for who he is and striving to be all that God is making him to be…

Answering The Call

The Lord has given me several scriptures to confirm His calling on my life – and my call to homeschool ministry.  Most recently, he has given me examples through people in the Bible such as Abraham (Gen 18:18), Levi (Deut 18:1), and David (1 Sam 16:10). These examples have inspired me to act on that calling by helping others.  I am in no desire to make a profit off sales or gain website traffic – I am most interested in helping that one person who needs encouragement the most.  That is the purpose of my Back To School event on my ministry page.

 

My goal for this Back To School event on my homeschool ministry website (WeblinkEducation.com) is to help equip the new and veteran homeschool family prepare for the upcoming school year.  I have been homeschooling for 9 years and still struggle with organization, planning, and fighting the homeschool blues.  I figure that if I still struggle at times, then there must be others out there. Yes, I am a writer and have two books out for homeschool families, but my heart isn’t to become rich off them.  In fact, I will be giving away several copies during next weeks event. As I mentioned, my heart is to help equip families. Giving my book(s) away as a gift next week is one way to help, but I’ve also put together a few 15 minute recorded segments to help implement basic planning of a school day/year; as well as, basic tools to use when trying to conquer parent/teacher fears.  Of course, my website prides itself on making resources available to homeschool families in both city areas, as well as rural farm areas. Therefore, lots of new printable resources will become available next week!

 

I am stepping out of faith for this event.  There is always a chance that this event can go unnoticed, but I’m not looking for numbers.  I’m simply acting out of obedience to the calling.  If you would like to support this event, please help me promote it. I want to reach homeschool families of new and old, to give them support and encouragement for the new school year.  I have several professional homeschool companies offering their own ‘give away’ products for the event… and I would welcome more.  FREE promotion for companies… and FREE promotion for homeschool bloggers…  and A GREAT OPPORTUNITY for homeschooling families around the globe!

 

I am looking for the following to help complete the preparation for next weeks event:

 

*Homeschool bloggers website URL (a new category will be added to the support page of the website for bloggers)

 

*Homeschool companies – brief description of products and URL (to be added to our resource page on the website and featured during the Back To School event)

 

*Educational Weblinks – brief description of the website and URL address

 

If you can help in any area listed above, please e-mail me as soon as possible.  My e-mail address is:  weblinkeducation@gmail.com

 

Also, if you were to go to my website’s fan page on Facebook, you’ll find a promotion video that you are free to use to help promote the event.  If you would like to blog about the event, that would be greatly appreciate as well.  I’m excited to see what the Lord does…

 

 

The Branches in Life

Why a tree?  I love trees!  They have many branches.  Some are thick and strong while others are thin and fragile; some branches are heavy with leaves while others fight to keep the few they have. All in all, each one of those branches makes up the tree as a whole.  To me, the tree is a symbol of life and hope.

You see, trees seem resilient to me.  Not too many things can destroy a tree outside of a natural lifespan.  In fact, unless it is starved, mistreated, neglected or cut down, it will survive. In the same way, our lives consist of many branches.  Those extended branches are made up of friends and family and/or accomplishments and failures in our lives.   They have the power to weigh us down or lift us up.  Either way, each one of those branches in our lives makes us who we are.  We are a beautiful creation just as the tree.  At times when we feel close to being destroyed by the weight of the branches that surround us, we must somehow become resilient and find life in the roots that keep us grounded.  For me, that strength (grounding) comes from Jesus Christ.  Although life can be painful, I know I am not alone when the trouble times come.  There is someone greater than me to help  and trim back the branches that are hurting me or weighing me down.

A pastor friend, Greg Laurie, put it simply in this devotion he wrote, “We must remember Christ in our moments of loneliness, when we feel as though we have been abandoned by friends or perhaps even betrayed by our own family. When you feel as though no one cares about you, you have a glimpse of what Jesus went through (Isaiah 53:3 “He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care”). Jesus experienced all of that—not only the betrayal of His own disciples, not only the people turning against Him in masses, but also the Father himself turning His face away from Jesus for a time as He bore all of the sins of the world—past, present, and future. So Jesus has been there. He knows what it is all about.  Hebrews 4:15 reminds us, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” Don’t think you are talking to a God who doesn’t care or is disconnected. To the contrary, Jesus has experienced it. He has felt it. He knows it. That is why verse 16 says, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

I want to encourage you to find hope. In the midst of your painful situations, find strength;  look for life in the hurt and peace in the chaos that wants to engulf you.  Fact is, we all have trouble in life that arise and cause injury to who we are. No one can escape that and no one can measure the level of pain we experience individually. It’s all different and pain is pain, simple as that.  Be encouraged and find the grace to move forward!

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” James 1:2 (NLT)

God’s Not Finished Yet…

This week of June marks two years that we moved back to Colorado.  It also marks two years that we have been unemployed.  Our story is simple and yet, many don’t understand.

Four years ago, my husband and I began to feel an unrest in our lives.  The butterflies in our stomachs raged daily for many years as we knew the Lord was calling us… somewhere.  We deliberately began to pray with our children and close friends as we sought out His perfect will for our lives – and the more we prayed, the more we were determined that the Lord was calling us out of California. We faithfully prayed for two years, asking for wisdom and direction for our family. Ironically, there began to be a drag between our hearts desire and our circumstances.  At times we doubted what was placed on our hearts. In all honestly, we felt that if the Lord was truly calling us and setting us apart, then our circumstances would be different, but they weren’t.  We were secure and living comfortable, yet our spirit was unsettled.

After two years of constant prayer, I began to dig into the scripture with a new passion.  Familiar verses began to take on deeper meaning.  Proverbs 3: 4-5 spoke clearly to me,  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”.  At that point, I began to surrender more than I realized I was keeping for myself.  I prayed that the Lord would set our heart’s desire with His and remove anything that was keeping us from being obedient – including our financial security.  Remarkably, two days later, my prayer was answered. Our securities were removed – the biggest, my husband’s faithful job.  I’ll never forget running to my husband with a biggest smile on my face when we returned home early that day from work to inform me that he had lost his job.  I was thrilled and ecstatic because I knew this was the hand of God beginning a new work in our lives.

Within 30 days, we relocated to a city unknown to us, through complete obedience from the Lord. Renting a house unseen and no job to go to, we trusted the Lord with everything.  Now, two years later we are amazed at how He has taken care of us.  We are in a beautiful home, constant stream of side work, ministry opportunities, and friendships that are God-given.  Still unemployed, yet not worrying about our future.  He remains faithful.  Trusting the Lord completely (far past the words themselves) He has taught us not to worry about anything.  For two years we have not needed to borrow a dollar from anyone, nor have we compromised the vision the Lord has given our family, yet every single need has been met during the good and hard times.  I’ve never lived the by the Word of God like I have these past two years, and I am so thankful for that blessing ♥

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life.” Matthew 6:25- 27

Fortune Cookie

Let’s face it, Facebook has become a welcomed part of our generation.  There are hundreds of thousands of people on Facebook.  People do everything from changing their status five times a day, adding likes and dislikes, spying on people…  well, shoot!  You can do everything from read Bible devotions to having an internet friendships that you would never seek out otherwise.  One thing I keep seeing pop up on the Home Wall is daily horoscope readings for people.  I am not one to even play with the idea of Astrology.  There are too many scriptures that instruct the Believer to stay away from it (2 Kings 17:16-18, Jeremiah 10:2, Isaiah 44:24,25; Acts 16:16-19…etc); however, we do play a game when we get a fortune cookie in our hands.

When we go to an Asian restaurant for dinner, we can’t resist the fortune cookies.  Not for the messages inside, but because of the cookie itself.  Delicious!  Since it is always so fun to break it open and pull out the tag inside, we also steal it away from the kids and pretend to be reading a blessing from a scripture.  The older kids know what we are doing, but they chuckle none-the-less.  It’s fun.  However, last night my son opened his before dinner and read the ‘fortune’ outloud.  I was the one who giggled because of the tag.  It read, “You will soon see a movie that will impact your life forever“. I giggled because we had all just watched a movie with great impact…  it was called ‘The Cross and the Switchblade” by David Wilkerson and Nicki Cruz.

Based on a true story, David Wilkerson (Pat Boone) is the small-town preacher who gets caught in the shadows of a crime-ridden neighborhood in New York City. He encounters a gang led by Nicky Cruz (Erik Estrada), and David brings a message of hope to the angry youths. Guided by the street-wise Little Bo (Jo-Ann Robinson), David quickly learns about the neighborhood and how to approach the cynical juveniles.  If you can get past the corny early 1980’s theme music and bad acting, the story is amazing.  Quite impacting.  In fact, the movie ignited a fire inside me to go after the heart of those I know who are uneducated in how much our Heavenly Father loves them. In fact, I have already started to go and speak the truth to those I love.  I am so thankful that the Lord has led my family to David Wilkerson’s sons church (Gary Wilkerson).  I am constantly in awe of the power behind prayer and missions.  There is no fear, but only trust in Christ and love for one another.

I encourage you to do the same.  Watch the move – rent it on Netflix or order it from Amazon… or read the book!  A newer version is being filmed right now, and I am excited.  There is no better time than the  21st century for something so powerful to come to the screen. Have you seen it?

 

We may never know “Why?”

You can say that I’m obsessed with documentation.  I seem to document everything from outlandish conversations to the medicine that was prescribed by a doctor. I guess I learned to do this early on and I just can’t seem to stop.  Anyway, it has served it’s purpose well.  Documenting dates and times has gotten me through a rough rental lease agreement, department store fraud, and repetitive medical treatments involving my youngsters.

What many don’t know is that today, my documentation is marking an important date in history for my younger son.  You see, this ‘almost 11 year old’ has suffered from permanent nerve damage in both ankles since June 8, 2008.  Trying to help a neighbor in need, he had an utility trailer (carrying quad runners and motorcycles) fall onto his legs; stretching all his nerves, tendons, and muscles in both ankles. For years my son was never able to push past the debilitating pain that would cause him to collapse after a few short hours of play. However, after three years of intense physical therapy with sport medicine specialists and orthopedics, he is ready to play ball.

With strict instruction to keep the core of his body fit and strong, he has conquered the last six months without pain.  That is victory since it is understood that slacking in home exercise for just one week will effect the nerves in his ankles greatly.  So tonight, we celebrate!  My son will celebrate this important date by making his debut on the pitcher mound.  Being chosen to be first string pitcher, clocked at 52 mph, he is beside himself. His first game w/o pain, his first game as pitcher, AND his first game at night under the lights! What a date to document!

All this to say, you just never know why things happen at the times they happen.  If I could, I would go back in time and stand in the place my son was standing when the trailer fell.  However, we don’t have the power to do so.  All we have is hope… and through Jesus, He can use our circumstances to bring glory to Him.  My son has met some wonderful people on his journey.  He’s shared his hope in Christ with people in the doctor office, therapy center, and with his teammates that might of otherwise not have heard the gospel. He has been a witness of great courage and dedication. In fact, he has surpassed the level of faith and love for Jesus – through this accident – than we ever could imagine.  We may never know “why” this happened to such a young, athletic child… but we know God has our son’s best interest at heart.  Praise God for that!!!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

The General’s House

This past week we had the opportunity to go to the General’s house to photograph the commissioning of 52 Air Force Academy Cadets.  What a privileged it was to see the next generation of military officers take the oath to protect and serve the United States of America.

In today’s society, regardless of the nobility of the work we do,  it seems that status is still everything.   Although I was deeply impressed with the protocol of military status and rank, I was also impacted by the people who served the event.  It put things into perspective for me…

While I heard private snippy remarks by the women who ‘served’ the house when alone, I witnessed the much demanded respect and attention when the Elite were present.  “Two sides of coin“, I whispered to my husband as we sat like a fly on the wall.  The stress and fear that happens behind closed doors was amazing to digest.   I became most alerted of ‘wear and tear’ of protocol after an incident by a staff member. You see, in private I quietly informed a “helper” about the champagne glasses being miss numbered due to the guests added to the list. Once she realized that I was correct, she burst into tears, hugged me, and commented, “You just saved me from a lot of trouble”. Although my heart went out to this young lady who was trying her best, it also went out to the General’s wife who this lady was instructed to serve.

I imagine it must be hard for people of elite status to have friends who truly love and adore them; or who they could confide in without the fear of getting into trouble.  I wonder what kind of personal relationships they have?  Who can they turn to in times of trouble when status doesn’t really matter? I can’t imagine what it is like to serve under such pressure and demand, or be in a position where people are serving you because they are instructed to and not because they particularly like you.  The only peace I could grab from the night was that these people chose to do their job and that their ‘service’ will end some day. But, what then??? What happens to the heart of these people?

Riding on the emotion of being deeply impressed with the events of the night, I don’t want to sound unappreciative.  I was honored to take part in such an awesome celebration – I just couldn’t shake the ‘behind closed doors‘ happenings that I witnessed.  In that regard, I walked away more thankful than ever for the peace Christ gives me.   Although I may not hold the title of ‘General’ or ‘President’ – I do hold the title “Child of the living God”.  That title is more precious than anything.  It’s something that I can’t lose or retire from…  I can’t be dishonorably discharged or disowned. I have been bought with a price and commissioned into eternity with the One who loves me without conditions.  It’s a title greater than any other.  For that, I am eternally grateful.

They Said It Couldn’t Be Done…

At ten years old, he has accomplished more than what was expected by therapist, doctors, and teachers.  He is my second born son and we give Christ the glory for all that has been done.

Four years ago, I began to notice a learning glitch with my son.  I began to put together details from his birth and document all my concerns.  I sought out Optometrist, Physical Therapist, and medical doctors.   After being officially diagnosed with a learning disability that incorporated visual processing issues and fine motor incoordination, I started my research!

I learned about brain dominate learning behaviors and why certain school material fit better than others.  I also took notice of my own personal learning behavior and how it influenced the way I taught my children certain subjects.  Needless to say, I had to do some reorganizing; as well as restructure the way I was homeschooling.

With a few minor changes in core curriculum and changing the tendency of how I taught concepts, I was able to help my son more efficiently than any other ‘professional‘.    Although I didn’t need an official confirmation of the progress he made, I did decide to have a certified third party to document PROOF that making changes according to brain dominate learning CAN make a difference.  So, I sought out teacher instructed NWEA testing for comprehension along with a reading fluency test.  All was a success!  Within 8 months of making the change, my son leaped two full grades in reading and comprehension.

My son was never expected to move past the third grade in reading or comprehension.  Nor was it expected that he would be able to complete a school year without special provisions arranged for him.  However, he did.  At age 10, he is at grade level in every subject – and – has been on the state standard honor roll list for the past four quarters. That is a miracle!

I wrote a book, “Learning Curve” about my struggles, tactics, and findings within brain dominant learning behaviors.  Because the book was written before I was able to prove the change, I will be writing a follow-up book soon.  You are welcome to read the reviews and take a look on my website.  Just follow the left hand side for more details regarding my book.

A Time For Rest

The week prior to our move, the thought of carting boxes only a couple of blocks away seemed to relieve the stress of moving; however, I came to realize quickly that loose boxes and scattered items can be just as debilitating as any move – near or far.  I’m exhausted!

With things piled here and there, I struggled each day to find my Bible and read.  There was so much to do!  To top it off, my husband and I were so exhausted at night that we simply turned off the lights and fell to sleep mid-prayer.  I felt like such a failure.

However, just as the enemy began to cripple my mind with thoughts of condemnation spiritually, God began to remind me of something important. Rest.  Not the kind of rest that we need from tired muscles, but the kind of rest we need ‘spiritually’ so we can be in a place to give thanks.  I believe that sometimes we need time to rest in his presence and meditate on what we know is true and what He has taught us – especially after a trial.  Once I realized that, my mind was suddenly calmed by seeing clearly the path He prepared for us ~ and the faithfulness of hearing His voice in the midst of ciaos during this move.

There was no doubt that He had prepared us along the way for what we would experience.  The acknowledgment of hearing His voice gave us comfort.  Once again, we learned to trust Him at His Word as we watched Him perfectly path the way for our move through financial blessings and perfect ‘set-up’ situations.  He is amazing.  Without this time of rest, I may of missed the opportunity to sit at His feet and relish in His favor.

I think of a soldier preparing for battle.  You stand at attention, gearing up and being prepared by the Commander in Chief.  You listen, read-up on the plan of attack, clean and sharpen your weapons and prepare for battle.  Then, you fight hard – striving to not be swallowed up by the enemy. Then VICTORY is won. Afterward, you rest.  You begin to be thankful for the preparation you took beforehand. It’s just the same with your daily walk in Christ.  You read and study His Word for the battle that will take place so you are fully armed and ready. You’ll win – then, You’ll rest giving thanks for the victory.  The deep importance of being in the Word daily may not  be fully realized until you’ve gone through the trial; but what a time of rejoicing it is when it’s complete.

When God Ran Into Planned Parenthood

On a day like today with a hundred things to get done, I found myself paused in tearful worship and prayer unexpectedly.  While I made a trip down to run some errands this morning, I soaked myself in worship. I didn’t know how much I needed to have a heart of prayer this morning, until I made a turn into the parking lot of my bank.  From a distance, I noticed a bunch of people standing outside a near by building. When I looked closer, I saw that it was a Planned Parenthood building that was recently constructed and now open.

I instantly went in to prayer as I always do and interceded on the behalf of those unwanted babies .  However, while I put my car into park, something else happened.  My heart broke.  I watched as two young women entered the PP building when staff opened the front door.   I began to weep for those women.  What happened in their lives that caused such a decision to be made? I couldn’t help but think that things might of been different for them if they had been given a different circumstance; a different support system; a different way of looking at life.  I find it hard to believe that this was an easy decision for the women who walked in, only because they also walked out… changed forever.   Fortunately, I know through scripture that the Lord Jesus took the souls of the unborn today and gave them rest. But the mom’s of those babies had to walk out alone.  Probably full of pain and fear in their hearts.  That is why my heart broke.

Now, being a woman I can comprehend how decision might be made to not continue in a pregnancy:  Incest, rape, abusive relationship, age, etc.  But that is not to say that I support abortion or the clinics that do.  Instead, I support the heart of women.  Through Christ I can show them love and compassion for their broken hearts.  You see, Jesus didn’t get mad at those ladies for what they did today.  Instead, He wept.  If you understand the Scriptures, then you know it says the Lord knows us inside and out before we are born.  Therefore, He knew those babies aborted today.  He cried along side their mothers as they laid in that chair. There’s no doubt that this morning, He desired more than ever to wrap Himself around those mother’s and comfort them and show them hope and a future in Him.  Jesus is a God of compassion – A God of peace and a God of forgiveness!

We must remember the heart of people and the desire God has for their souls.  Don’t be angry at these women, love them.  Regardless of the sin in people’s life – God’s love and compassion doesn’t change.  He’s always there with open arms, ready to take you to His chest, forgive you, and hold you close.  That is why this song that I have a link to below means so much to me.  We’ve all wandered away at some point and got our eyes off the One who loves us. In a way, we are no different than the ladies who walked into the abortion clinic today… we are all broken and in need of Christ.  Take a listen…

God Ran

(FYI:  you’ll be taken to a different site to see the video and hear the song when you click on the link)