This is a timely guest post by my dear friend Dana Wilson, I especially need it right now. Dana has so graciously been a part of some of the big book sales I have done and she has incredible materials. I am blessed by everything she writes. Continue to read on past the article, we have some special blessings for you.
Growing Moms
Our kids, as well as others, are drawn to a faith that is fresh and alive. In the midst of home schooling, laundry, diapers, housekeeping, ministry, etc., sometimes what we choose to omit from our schedules is regular, daily time with our Lord, to study and meditate on His word, and to pray. As my pastor often reminds his congregation, “We are leaky buckets,” needing to be filled and refilled on a daily basis. And without that daily filling, our faith becomes dry and stale. But how do I fit that in when I’m up half the night with a colicky baby or sick child? I remember a “mom in the Lord” telling me when I asked her that question that sometimes prayer and Bible time are even more important than sleep!
When I ruminate upon how busy I think I am, I am reminded of Susanna Wesley. A wife at age 19 and the mother of John and Charles Wesley, Susanna gave birth to nineteen children in about as many years. It is said that she devoted her first hour upon waking to bible study, prayer and hymn singing. She inspired, discipled, mentored and instructed her children, who knew that when she was sitting with an apron over her head, it meant she was praying and they’d better not bother her. In addition to raising her ten children who lived to adulthood, she dealt with an often absent husband, constant financial burdens, having her house burn down twice, and two sets of twins! Wow. I guess most of us can sandwich in a little time for Bible study!
Although with certainty, study of God’s word has to come first, there have been many other books that have proven to be helpful, encouraging, and often convicting, as well. (See some of my favorites below.)
We all know it is a lot of work to homeschool, run a household, serve at church and sometimes even work inside/outside the home. But we must take the time, on a daily basis, to renew our faith and grow as believers. As my daughter says, we always think that if we worked a little bit smarter, harder or faster, we would have more time for our personal study, but it really is a matter of making it the first priority. If Susanna Wesley could talk with us today, I’m sure she would agree!
In Grace Alone,
Dana Wilson
Dana Wilson is a homeschooling mom and co-author of Epi Kardia literature-based unit study curriculum for students in Kindergarten through High School. She lives with her husband of 25 years and youngest child just outside of Charleston, SC. You may view her website at www.epikardia.com or reach Dana at dana@epikardia.com .
~~~~~~~ a note from Dana ~~~~~~~
Beth and I have been working on a series of blogs about books. The titles of the posts that will be published over the next few weeks are: Our Favorite Holiday Titles, Classics for All Ages, Just for Fun, Keeping it Educational, Award Winning Books, Poetic Gift Giving, and Adored Anthologies. Additionally, we will be having a drawing to give away at least one book each week until Christmas especially selected with you and your family in mind. We’ll be sending out a beautiful hardcover picture book, an instructional poetry anthology, a homeschool mom’s devotional, and more! Keep reading to see how to participate!
These posts will include timeless gift suggestions for specified ages, ideal travel books and even ideas for precious projects that could be made by your kids for their grandparents for Christmas. If you missed them, check out our first two already-published holiday posts in the series: Holiday Alert! http://www.epikardia.com/blog/175/holiday-alert/and How to Choose a Treasured Children’s Book http://www.epikardia.com/blog/132/how-to-choose-a-treasured-childrens-book/.
So, how can you participate in our book give away? We are asking you to do two things:
1. Join our mailing list. As we are switching to another newsletter service, we will need you to resubscribe, even if you are already a member of our list. To subscribe go to http://www.epikardia.com/free_downloads.html and fill out your name and e-mail address. You will receive a verification e-mail in your inbox and you will need to click on the link to verify your subscription. EXTRA BONUS: If you subscribe or resubscribe by Friday, November 21st, you will be entered into a drawing for The Perfect Mix: 90 Gift Giving Ideas for Bread, Soup, Dessert and Other Home-made Mixes, by Diane Philips! (read more about this useful and timely book in this post!)
2. After you have subscribed to our mailing list: for each week you would like to be included in the drawing, please read the post here on our blog and make a comment . That’s all you have to do! We will choose a random name from our subscribers who comment on the blog each week to receive a free book! (We will contact you for your mailing address and will mail –or deliver if you’re local– at no cost to you!)
When you join our mailing list, you will also receive two helpful e-book resources for your poetry studies as our gift, A Child’s Garden of Verses, by Robert Louis Stevenson, and the beautifully illustrated The Children’s Own Longfellow, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
We hope you will forward this post to your home schooling friends as well as any other homeschool loops to which you belong!
Join our new mailing list today and be looking for the titles of our first give-away this week!
~~~~~ from Penny ~~~~~~
Please go to Dana’s blog to comment, http://www.epikardia.com/blog/214/214/ you cannot enter her contests from here, I am headed there right now
Dana Wilson says
Thank you, Penny, for your sweet and encouraging comments!
In Him,
Dana
Epi Kardia Home Education, LLC
http://www.epikardia.com
http://www.epikardia.com/blog
dana@epikardia.com