Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe #1

~Welcome to Heart of the Matter Devotional Study~
We begin today with the first chapter...
(Todd's site can be found here)

This is how it begins most mornings around here...
Feel free to sing along, don't be shy, at least HUM!

Tumble outta bed, And I stumble to the kitchen, Pour myself a cup of ambition, And yawn and stretch, And try to come to life...
Dolly Parton~

After several cups of "ambition," my day begins. It sounds strangely like the day that Todd Wilson describes at his. His wife "answers questions, directs traffic and fields complaints," and that is before the school day begins.

The questions around here begin with the first risers and range from "where are my socks?" to "where is my math book?" to "anyone fed the frogs lately?" Traffic on those stairs can be a bit tricky as well, often we'll see early morning detours on the stairs due to overfull laundry baskets or speeding or passing on the left that often results in an "altercation." Then there are the complaints, although the director of the "complaint department" has permanently resigned, the requests FLOOD in daily. Does any of this sound familiar to you?

THUS, the day begins...

Todd asks a question of us on page 26,

"What do you think (without looking ahead)might be some lies that you struggle with?

(How did he know I was tempted to read the back pages first?? I like this guy!)

There are days where even before the school day has begun, I ask the QUESTION. You know the one. The question I venture to guess I ask weekly and some weeks, daily;

"Am I doing a good job homeschooling my children?" DEEP SIGH~

Todd mentions "those" homeschoolers, the ones who appear to be perfectly composed and peaceful. I have seen enough know that images such as those are unrealistic, but I still find myself doubting and questioning. I know the TRUTH, but I often fall victim to the LIES.

I know that I often have to fight to not "believe the lies." I know that lies in any form are destructive, but I have to tell you, sometimes I catch myself believing them. I spin my wheels for ways to DO MORE, BE MORE, SPIN THE WHEELS FASTER. It's a good thing to always be learning and looking for ways to make our homeschool "better for us," but it's when I do these things for the wrong reasons that I begin to doubt. For each of us the "lies" we believe are different, but they are lies nonetheless. I find myself falling for those lies that attack the things that I struggle with as a woman, despite our choice to homeschool.

I have always been an "over achiever." I blame it on my "first born status," but when the enemy wants to attack me, he'll go straight there. I imagine it's the same seductive voice that Eve heard in the garden. It's NEVER conspicuous, it's sneaky and subtle, but if I am not constantly aware, I'll find myself falling for it EVERY TIME.

" Come on Lori, you can do better; your kids are not getting all they need; you really don't think YOU can do this through high school, do you?" Before I even realize it, I find myself BELIEVING THE LIES that have subtly been implanted into my subconscious. I stand as Eve did, dripping with fruit juice, wondering HOW I fell for it again. And after a "bad day" I'll tell you there is JUICE everywhere.

That is how it was JUST the other day, Monday I believe. "Tough day?" my better half inquired....I could feel it, my eyes began to well up, and on came the faucets. "I just don't know, are they learning, doing, being ENOUGH?" He looked at me, square in the eye and said, "yes, you know they are, they are BECOMING the people that God wants them to be. There are going to be BAD days at work." Deep Sigh! So I wipe those tears and begin again.

I BELIEVE in homeschooling. I BELIEVE that God called me into this 4 years ago, I BELIEVE in it with all my heart. I BELIEVE it is the best situation for our family...I BELIEVE these things and I'll tell you I still get sucked into the lies at times. I DO.

The lies that tell me I'm denying my children by having them at home, the ones that surface my insecurities of my role as a wife and homemaker, and the lies that that cause me to think that everyone has it more together than I do. As soon as I believe the lies, the JOY that I have in my decision to homeschool all but disappears.

The good thing is that I'm not alone! It seems MOST, if not ALL of us fall for some kind of lie, I guess being a "girl" has something to do with it! If you find yourself "falling for the lie," you have found the RIGHT devotional, with the RIGHT women!! WELCOME! You are in good company girlfriends!

As we begin this journey to find ways to hold on to the JOY in the choice to homeschool and permanently PITCH the lies we believe,(forget all you know about reduce, reuse and recycle!) We are aiming to DISPOSE of those lies that we often fall victim to as homeschool moms. I pray that this study will be all that you need to come away a little bit more secure, more confident in your choices, and full of JOY!

If you are joining us this morning and you have a post to share or you have an answer to the question that Todd posed about the lies you may struggle with, jump in and share! That is what a group study is all about. Learning and sharing with each other will help us all~and maybe, just maybe, by the time we are finished we won't believe the LIES any longer!

Please leave us your thoughts in the comment section. If you are a blogger and have written a post, feel free to leave your link.

Father,
Thank you for the chance to grow in our homeschool journey with this new forum. Father we ask that you help us to encourage, support and uplift each other. We are all working to do what we believe is your will in our lives, for without you, we are nothing. Guide us on this journey and help us to see the TRUTHS through the lies, for we know that the truth lies in you. With you we can help lead our families, train our children, grow with our husbands and be the women that you have created us to be.
Thank you Father for the day, for the children you have entrusted to our care and for the hope that is tomorrow.
Amen