A successful new year.....

        God is so good! I must start out by saying that great statement. This morning as I woke up at 5:30 my original plan was to just write a quick entry to all teachers, homeschool mommas and daddies, and parents as today is a new start and a new school year for most. As I got my coffee ready I just felt a tug at my heart to read and spend some time with Jesus first. As usual He led me to some wonderful scripture that totally applies to my life and I am sure will apply to many others. Its a new year and with a new year normally comes new goals. I know for me the things I have been praying for this year are actually VERY similar to my goals when I was in middle school and high school. Organization, invest more of me into my studies(now my children studies), not lose the motivation and drive 2 weeks in. Well year after year when I was in school I would get my binder all perfectly organized, be so pumped for a new year....always said I am going to do better than last. Yuuuppppp, within 3-4 weeks my crazy disorganized self resurfaced, I didn't care too much about school, it was always so hard for me to focus. I was the day dreamer or talker for sure in class. So for me school was a struggle. Now as an adult I still struggle with some of those same things. Organization is my weak spot. I started last year off so perfectly neat and everything in its place and of course within a month there were papers everywhere, 1 month in my motivation just wasn't what it was and the school year was a tough one. I have my own goals for my children and I this year. I know all of my homeschool mommas out there have their goals. I know teachers have their list of goals they want to accomplish before the school year comes to end. I think we all want to have a "successful" school year. Which leads me to where God lead me today in my sweet Jesus time.

   "In High eyes, true success begins internally-the first step is a relationship with Jesus, whereby you have trusted him as Savior and are following him obediently. His goal for you is ongoing growth in Christlike character and spiritual maturity, but that's not all. He also has some work for you to accomplish here on earth(Ephesians 2:10- "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.") words of Dr. Charles Stanley

   I believe in order to have a TRULY successful year we have to work on being successful internally first. I also read Joshua 1:1-9 this morning. I highly encourage you to take a minute to read it, but I want to share what I got out of it. Of course, everyone gets something different out of a passage so what God spoke to me about this may not be what you get out of it.

   ~God gave Joshua a huge responsibility to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. He also provided everything Joshua would need for success. What does this mean to me? God has given me a huge responsibility by calling me to not only be a parent and raise my children in Christ, but to teach my children their studies. So if he calls me to do this I can trust that he will provide everything I need.

~God assured Joshua that no one would be able to stand against him. So in the same way God will enable ME to achieve His goals for my life and no MAN or Satan will be able to stop His purposes.

I must remember to be strong and courageous IN HIS POWER. Not my own. I know there are going to be days I want to throw my hands up, days I will cry bc my kids are driving me INSANE, and days where it feels like I am just not the best teacher for them. There will be all of those obstacles that will challenge my obedience to this calling. I must remember to rely on His faith. I have to. I have to. I have to. No matter how hard and impossible it seems I pray these words of my own engrain so deep in my heart that on those bad days the Holy Spirit reminds me of TRUTH.

   ~Joshua's success depended upon his obedience to God's word. Ding ding ding!!! This is the key for me. I can NOT let laziness come between me and Jesus. I have to make time everyday for Him. I have to let His Word shape my thoughts, words, and actions.

    I believe success comes from THAT goodness right there. My original intent was to just let everyone know I have been in prayer and continue to pray for this new school year. I pray for parents who send their kids to a teacher who most of them barely know and how hard that can be on parents sometimes. I pray for teachers who work in a school system where God is being taken out little by little, but many teachers still find ways to show Gods love to those precious souls. I can not imagine what it is like to school someone else's children. I firmly believe that it is a true blessing and calling to be a teacher and take in 20+ students and not only educate them but love them and care for them. I pray for all my homeschooling mommas....ohhhh deep breath and take it all in :-) I am thankful we will have the support of others. I am praying for all of you. There will be great amazing days as our children learn the many things we teach them and their will be bad days where we are just hormonal and snappy and there they are....our babies are the ones who get to hear our craziness come out. Well maybe I am the only one that happens to???!!! I pray over the public school system and the homeschool families! Its a new year and with many goals set, I pray that we remember where true success comes from! I pray we keep Jesus first!!! I hope EVERYONE has a great first week of a brand new school year!

Much love,

the-warmmessofajesuslovinggirl

R.E.L.A.X.

As I sit here...for the last 10 hours...working on school, trying to take care of hungry kids in the mix;-), and then after they are in bed sit here and worship to music that is crazy loud I try to tell myself to RELAX. Seth tells me to RELAX often. It is 1:45 am and the current song that is on is a song I actually have on repeat bc it just "THAT GOOD"(Will Ferrell's voice haha)  but it is a song right next to Great I am that I just love!


"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior.

I will call upon your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest your embrace
I am yours, and you are mine"




Oceans-Hillsong United


I want to relax. Its 1:45 and my radio is up so loud I don't know how much kids are not awake(since we live in a 950 square foot home) but when it's this loud and those lyrics are in my head and loud in my ears I find that sense of relaxation. I have worked for hours preparing for this school year. I am not where I want to be....in my preparation for school, my house being organized, my weight, my struggles with my flesh, or even my walk with Christ. But here I am. I can not pray for him to lead me where my trust is without borders and for my faith to be made stronger if I don't just take this moment and this exact place I am in my life and follow him. Trust Him. Lean on Him.So much is on my mind....now at 2:04 AM but I am just leaving it at that for now. I just want to keep my eyes above the waves and LET my soul rest in His embrace. After all he is my daddy. I just need to RELAX. Breathe. Life will always be crazy, thankfully He will ALWAYS be there in my craziness!!!


The two songs that grabbed at my heart tonight

Oceans--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw

Great I am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_VR-zwp2KA

And then if you want a little something to rock out to...Skillet is always amazing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3KCKhNc5mI

the warm mess(although I feel like HOT mess at time)of a Jesus loving girl

Ash

WITHOUT ME....

This school year is right around the corner....like RIGHT THERE! and I have so much lesson planning to do but before I can even do that I have so much reading to do. Yesterday when I sat for about an hour looking over our new homeschool curriculum I had a few tears. I felt so overwhelmed and like I am going to fail at this. I had a few moments of regretting I started this. I even woke up this morning with school being my VERY FIRST thought! Luckily I set my alarm for 5 so I could(hopefully) have some good Jesus time before my day started bc I know this road isn't something I can do alone. Plus its been a VERY long time since I have woke up this early to spend some time with Him. This past week I had my 3rd meeting for classical conversations(our new homeschool group) so it was the 3rd time in 3 weeks I have had a little drive, alone in the car with no kids screaming and able to have some good prayer time. I noticed every time I left a cc event I just had this peace and joy in my heart that I have desperately missed in my life. This week was our parent orientation for CC and I after dropped Seth off at his car I had a little drive to get the kids...alone. I was praying, worshipping through music, and enjoying the silence. I began to think back on last year and our year of schooling. I remember how excited I was at the beginning of last year but how the excitement quickly faded and to be honest the year was just so hard. There were days I wanted to just give up. Send them to school. Days I cried bc I was so alone. I just drove in silence praying and with all this on my mind I just asked why last year was so hard??? WHAT HAPPENED??? I don't want that again. I don't want to just survive another school year. I want the joy and passion for homeschool to always be there. As clear as could be God spoke to me. It was almost audible, a whisper...or a yell lol to my heart that was so very clear say "How can you expect to succeed at something I called you to do, without me!!!!" how extremely powerful and so awakening. Last year had so many bumps in the road for us but I knew from the beginning it was going to be hard. I just had no idea how hard honestly. And if I am going to be honest I did most of it on my own. I was depending on myself way too much. Not even just then but now too. Whether its guilt from sin, laziness, busyness, or just don't want to, I have pushed God aside for far too long. So when I ask why was last year and the recent months so hard on me, well hello like He said....how can I expect to do anything WITHOUT HIM! I sit here unsure of what to write next....bc this is just what is so heavy on my heart.


 I feel like so many of us get so caught up in life we go on auto setting and just do life. This morning before I even opened up my bible I just had a little prayer. Mainly about school and how I just felt very overwhelmed and doubted myself big time bc of my lack of knowledge on this program. I started with Jesus Calling and this is the first thing I read....

And yes, instantly my anxiety faded. That was just the beginning. But I cant get over how faithful He is to be there for me every time I come to Him. It makes me sad that I have been on auto pilot for so long and just doing life I don't include Him. I don't let Him lead me. I just drag him along and when I need Him I go to Him. I DO NOT WANT THAT! Yet I do it anyways.

"This God-his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." Psalm 19:30

"But-"When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and a new life through the Holy Spirit." Titus 3:4

"They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:23

Amen to those!!! Those are a few that grabbed at my heart and spoke to me this morning. I am thankful I can wake up and spend time with my God. I am so thankful for his faithfulness to me when I don't deserve it. I am thankful for the newness he brings to me. The freshness I feel deep in my soul. Nope, sadly this doesn't take away all the crazy long list of stuff I have to get done in just a short two weeks. But the peace I have this morning from God himself, helps me and assures me that WITH HIM....I can do this! I am sure there will be days I naturally slip into auto pilot and just do life but I pray those days are not consistent like they have been. I pray for my fellow moms who are taking this journey with me and I pray over our school year ahead of us. I pray that through it all God's glory shines through us. I am grateful for the many blessings in my life that I don't deserve but my God is just that loving and gracious to me. To all of us! Now for my day to begin.....until next time my friends!

the warmmessofajesuslovinggirl Ashleigh