"STOP COMPARING"

Hello friend's,
I have to share something the Lord has placed on my heart with you all so bare with me please.
At a homeschool meeting I was at last week we were all in a time of prayer ......and a sweet lady was lifting up her prayers and something she said has stuck to me like glue on paper ever since;She asked the Lord "to please help us to not compare the way we homeschool our children and our school settings in our home to that of anyone else" and I sooooooooo agree we all do it from time to time however it is a deadly trap that can lead to sin. We as women especially tend to compare our homes, our children, our body image, our clothing, our husbands, our spiritual walks, yikes. The Lord is soooooo good because since this prayer I have pondered this and sure enough as I start our first week of school this week and we crack our Bible studies open one of the first scriptures to study this week is "THE LORD DOES NOT LOOK AT THE THINGS MAN LOOKS AT, A MAN LOOKS AT THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT THE LORD LOOKS
AT THE HEART." 1 SAMUEL 16:7

You see we look at peoples homes, and children, and the way one dresses, ones body size, how ones husband treats them in public, how one behaves themselves spiritually, however we only see the outside not the inner heart the part that matter's most to the Lord. Someone can appear to truely have it all together and be sad and lonely inside, or hurting deeply......... someone's homeschool room may be perfect however she may be lacking in teaching or who knows what else... so my prayer for each of us as women is that we would not be quick to judge or want what another has ,that we would embrace what the Heavenly Father has gifted us in and share those gifts with others.
The grass always looks greener on the otherside yet it "NEVER" is. I have to say from experience we should learn to love and embrace our side of the grass we would all be more joyful in doing so the grass only is greener on the otherside from a distance when we get closer we will start to see the patches of imperfections "we all have them". So for the homeschool mom's who read this .......as far as comparing our little kiddo's they are all so different each one that it is impossible to compare and each of us as Mother's should not compare one another's teaching styles as well, God has gifted many of us in many different area's and Praise God for that we can come together as one and share and help another along the way. I know some mom's whom their
classrooms at home look like a school house and maybe that works for them and their children
and if so awesome, I know others that feel they need to have it all put away, and other's who need a special room, while other's do it all at the kitchen table................. that is the beauty of homeschool whatever works for each "INVIVIDUAL" family is ok there is no right or wrong
or this way is better than that way it is all about how the Lord leads and what works and what doesn't work that's the simplicity of it all. May we all take heed to this scripture above and not judge the outer and embrace the differences the Lord has given each one of us. As for the body image of other's this is VERY TOUCHY SUBJECT you see we really have no idea what ones struggles are in this area and there are many so my best advice is to pray and only speak to someone if LORD LED and as far as marriages I have compared in passed and wished my husband was like such and suches husbands to later find out their marriage was nothing it appeared to be so remember outter image doesn't always appear to be the way the "HEART"
TRUELY IS. God bless you all!!!!

" Father how awesome it is Lord that you have given each of us uniqueness and variety, Father we thank you for the differences and different preferences that you have given us. Lord that you would make each of us not quite like another on the whole earth , Lord may we be pleased with our individualities as you are pleased dear Lord you have called each of us to be ourselves may we find joy today in being who we are in YOU not one of us is better than another no not one we are all just cracked pots and tarnished vessels Father will you continue to mold each of us in our differences to become more like you not one another. Father I ask you to help us all to be comfortable with ourselves and the one-of-a-kind design you have for each of us my Lord.
Help us Lord to accept our weaknesses as well as our strengths Lord help us to embrace our gifts as we embrace you Lord Knowing we are nothing without YOU Father thank you that each of us is special and unique in your eyes the only eyes in which it truely matter's the eyes of our KING.
IN JESUS NAME AMEN

UNTIL NEXT TIME.
God bless,
Cindy

To My Homeschool Mommies and Friends

Hey y'all I had a fabulous yet exhausting day thanks for asking I am pooped it was great I have pictures you can see in my left side bar as you check out blog. well as far as school I am blessed it went rather well I did have one little guy my Noah who was lazy but I think by the end of day he is back in the groove of things ........ it is hard even for me to get back on track and stick to a

schedule we were pretty carefree all summer long not anymore though. well to answer a few questions I got today I will start by the one who got done early and was lost ..................

Praise God sis take advantage of those days they will not always be that way. I also when I did have a couple who got done early would let them stretch, have recess, or just do some thing on side, read, or extra work, projects, there is all sorts of things you can do to fill in the time. Or take a field trip day whooohoo!!! The options are endless Sis!

To my second question again sis take it one day at a time I dont think you need to stress over the SAT'S just yet. To the second part of your question there are many GOOD programs out there you just have to get to know your little man to see what works best for him and his learning type God Bless my sister's and I DO LOVE YOUR QUESTIONS AND IF I CAN HELP I WILL SURE TRY OR FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN. MAY HE CONTINUE TO MULTIPLY ALL OF OUR EFFORTS ON OUR JOURNEY TO EDUCATE OUR KIDDO'S AS WE RAISE THEM IN HIS WAYS GOD BLESS!!!

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES:

I thought it was awesome that the speaker yesterday spoke of the scripture in Matthew 5:43-48

and we also read it in today's "THRU THE WORD" I believe it was by no accident I think we should all ponder these things. It is soooooooooo easy to love those who are awesome and loveable and great friends with us....................however those that RUB US THE WRONG WAY,

OR OUR ENEMIES , OR THE PLAIN UN-LOVEABLE WHEN IT COMES TIME TO LOVING THEM WE TEND TO PULL BACK. WHEN THE LORD IS CALLING US TO LOVE THOSE VERY PEOPLE. I BELIEVE THE LORD WILL KEEP PUTTING THOSE VERY PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES UNTIL WE LEARN HOW TO "LOVE" THEM "ALL". I had a conversation with a friend a little while back and she was saying you know it all comes down to "love" if we would just love "all" as Jesus does the church would be without many of issues. Love does cover a multitude of sins and Praise God His very Love covered our sins. I also just studied 1Corinth.

13 and the greatest gift it speaks of "LOVE" what is love as scripture tells us in 13:1-13

It is to be real if we do not have love in our hearts we will profit from nothing else. Love suffers long, it is "kind" love does not "envy" love does not "parade itself"is not "puffed up" does not "behave rudely" does "not seek its own" is "not provoked" thinks"no evil" does" not rejoice in iniquity" (rejoicing in ones misfortune or sin) it is to BEAR ALL THINGS, BELIEVE ALL THINGS, HOPES ALL THINGS, ENDURES ALL THINGS . LOVE "NEVER FAILS" WOW that is pretty powerful in fact since I have studied it last week with a group of gals I have to say I have looked at things in a whole new light and I knew that passage for many years it was just never so powerful than those three days of careful study and commits and it is now more meaningful to me. God is awesome too cause sure enough as I studied this He brought situations

before me that would challenge me to the core and with Him I Have made it through the first

test I am sure there will be more I was blessed however that He had equipped me in a whole new way before the incident happened He is sooooo faithful and I am now everyday asking myself all the above questions on love doing a heart check making sure as I stand before "MY KING" IN this area of Love I can hear HIM say well done thy good and faithful servant oh what a joy that would be I am also blessed that when I do fall short He is gracious to forgive so to "shouldn't I be"???? He say's in verse 13-and now abide faith,hope,and love, these three, but the "GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE" that sounds as though it is pretty important to our Lord.

So may we all remember to LOVE,LOVE,LOVE and as Matt. 5:44-45 says :"but I say to you love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you,and "PRAY" for those who "SPITEFULLY" USE YOU ,and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;

God Bless you all

Until next time,

Love,

Cindy