This morning I read the first two chapters in Numbers and was surprised to learn that through the inventory of the armies of Israel I learned that God is an organized and orderly God. I knew this already by 1Co 14:33 where it says; For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. Coincidently I am on a journey right now of become organized in all areas of my life. Included in this organization is not only my house but also my mind, my heart, my prayer life, my meditation on God's word, my disciplining and training my boys in His righteousness, my thoughts, my priorities, my reading, my curriculum for Superman's homeschoolingl, and for a plethera of other areas. But this morning as I not only "read" my bible but meditated on his words in the attempts to get to know God deeper I discovered that He is organized in all of his ways. Even in the paths of our lives. Nothing is accomplished in God’s kingdom without order and organization. While it may seem so to us, it is only an illusion - behind the scenes, God is moving with utmost order and organization, though we cannot see it.* I love the realization of this; that God even though our lives look and sometimes feel chaotic and like they are being blown around with the wind are infact organized in the light of Gods sovereignity. I don't know about everyone but for me that gives me a lot of peace and comfort. Right now our lives appear to be floating in the wind and we are just waiting for a big gust of wind to come our way and blow us in some direction, preferrable the one we want to go. Praise God that this is not the case and that we are able to have peace even when life seems to be blowing in the wind. We must always accept God’s order and organization, even when we don’t understand it.* We don't always have to understand to accept, put your life (in your frame of mind;for it is) in the hands of God and embrace His ways for you.

I am reading a book called The Organized Homeschooler by Vicki Caruana and it has been piercing my heart not with "how to's" but with the words of God and His will for my life as a home manager. The Lord spoke to me this morning in my study of Numbers just furthering the piercings!! Thank you Lord..............and I am getting on it. :0)

JOYfully in Him,
Kelli

*taken from David Guzik's commentary

You are confronted again and again with the choice of letting God speak or letting your wounded self cry out. Although there has to be a place where you can allow your wounded part to get the attention it needs, your vocation is to speak from the place in you where God dwells.

~Henri J. M. Nouwen

Speak tenderly to them. Let there be kindness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Always have a cheerful smile. Don't only give your care, but give your heart as well.

~J. S. Bach

Almighty God,

as I cross the threshold of this day

I commit myself, soul, body, affairs, friends, to Thy care.

Watch over, keep, guide, direct, sanctify, bless me.

Incline my heart to thy ways.

Mould me wholly into the image of Jesus,

as a potter forms clay.

May my lips be a well-tuned harp to sound Thy praise.

Let those around see me living by Thy Spirit,

trampling the world underfoot,

unconformed to lying vanities,

transformed by a renewed mind,

clad in the entire armour of God,

shining as a never-dimmed light,

showing holiness in all my doings.

Let no evil this day soil my thoughts, words, hands.

May I travel miry paths with a life pure from spot or stain.

In needful transactions

let my affection be in heaven,

and my love soar upwards in flames of fire,

my gaze fixed on unseen things,

my eyes open to the emptiness, fragility, mockery of earth and its vanities.

May I view all things in the mirror of eternity,

waiting for the coming of my Lord,

listening for the last trumpet call,

hastening unto the new heaven and earth.

Order this day all my communications according to Thy wisdom,

and to the gain of mutual good.

Forbid that I should not be profited or made profitable.

May I speak each word as if my last word,

and walk each step as my final one.

If my life should end today, let this be my best day.

Knowing God is more than knowing about Him; it is a matter of dealing with Him as He opens up to you, and being dealt with by Him as He takes knowledge of you. Knowing about Him is a necessary precondition of trusting in Him, but the width of our knowledge about Him is no gauge of our knowledge of Him. ~ James I (J. I.) Packer

I encourage you to get to know God through reading His inpired word. When we go to the word of God to dwell in in His knowledge is it for merely selfish reasons rather than getting to know God more deeply. I was convicted of this awhile back while I was on our trip down to Austin. Rick needed to study and so I decided to pop in a Piper sermon to listen to titled Be constant in prayer for the Joy of Hope. I was struggling with dwelling in the word of God, every time I went to the word I left it unchanged and uninterested, as horrible as that might sound it is true. John Piper opened my eyes to the source of my problem, to my selfishness.

"The deepest need of every person is to know God. Not just to know about him, but to know him as your personal Creator, Redeemer, Judge, and Friend. So his first request is “that God . . . may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.” Do you know God? Really know him? Or more helpfully, we should ask, are we growing in our knowledge of God? Are we going deeper in how well we know God? This happens, Paul shows us, by praying for it. And this is not a one-time prayer for Paul. It is continual. “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers . . . that you might know God.” Be constant in this prayer! Pray this for yourself continually. Pray this for your family. Pray this for the church and especially her leaders.

More specifically in verse 17 he prays that we would have a “spirit of wisdom and revelation” so that we can know God. We cannot know God without the help of the Holy Spirit. And what the Holy Spirit does is to awaken and transform our spirit so that we can see and savor the wisdom and revelation that God gave to his apostles and prophets. He is a Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and he creates a spirit of wisdom and revelation.

When you read the Bible or listen to a Bible-saturated sermon you are hearing the wisdom and revelation of God. But what happens? Do you see it? Does it have an effect on you? Does it move you? Does it make you hungry for more of God? Does the wisdom and revelation appear beautiful to you? Do they taste sweet? Can you say with the psalmist, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103)?

If not, the first step in the remedy is prayer.

“Father, grant me a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of yourself. Please, don’t leave me to myself. I am so worldly. My thoughts and feelings are so unspiritual. I scarcely feel any awe or trembling or sense of spiritual beauty or sweetness or glory. Have mercy and by your Spirit awaken in me a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that when I read or hear your wisdom and your revelation I will have ears to hear and eyes to see the wonder of it (Psalm 119:8).”

Pray that for yourself. Be constant in that prayer. God will show you more than you ever dreamed he would."

~John Piper

Why do you read the word of God? Is it for merely selfish
reasons..........searching for verses for your current situation or are you
reading it for the sheer enjoyment of getting to know Him more deeply.

JOYfully in Him,

Kelli

Thus it is in hell; they would die, but they cannot. The wicked shall be always dying but never dead; the smoke of the furnacedascends for ever and ever. Oh! who can endure thus to be ever upon the rack? This word "ever" breaks the heart. Wicked men do now think the Sabbaths long, and think a prayer long; but oh! how long will it be to lie in hell for ever and ever?

—Thomas Watson

Can you grasp the reality of the severity of everlasting hell? I truly can not and even if I could it would not compare to the sheer pain and eternal agony. How can we not share the JOY that we have because of the hope of glory with those who are on the wide road to this eternal hell. We are so consumed in our own lives and in the business of them that we easly forget about all of these lost souls wandering around us. Are we called to preach the gospel to these lost souls? Of course we are. It is time that we understand deeply the consequences of not reaching out and preaching the gospel. We are here to display His glory to all of those around us making His invisible character visible.

For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"

Rom 10:13-15

JOYfully in Him,

Kelli

A genuine revival without JOY in the Lord is as impossible as spring without flowers, or day-dawn without light. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

There is an indescribably JOY that lives in me but for some reason I find it hard to tap into at certain times. The life of a Christian should be filled with JOY in every circumstance. Why is it then that it is so hard to find? Did it ever occur to you that you are looking in all the wrong places? Christ is the only place in which you will find it, an everlasting and fullfilling JOY. There are other illusions called JOY that you can find to subdue you for awhile if that is what you are looking for, but I am guessing that that is not the kind of JOY that you seek to find. Here is where you can find it today if you too are looking for this divine JOY:

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
~ 1 Peter 1:8-9

JOYfully in Him,

Kelli

A Classical Homeschooling Forum has been created by Trivium Academy and it is going to be an amazing place for those of us who are using this method of homeschooling or for those who are thinking about using it or just interested in it period.

In here you expect to discuss the methods suggested by these book Teaching the Trivium, The Well Trained Mind, Classical Catholic, specific curriculums such as Tapestry of Grace, Veritas Press, and these other areas Latin Centered, and Classic Eclectic. Please stop by and join if you need some encouragement, information, or just desire to talk to other Classical Homeschoolers on a forum.

Joyfully in Him,
Kelli

I taught class tonight at church. Chapter 31 of Proverbs verse 22. A Tapestry of Beauty was the title of the chapter in God's Beautiful Woman by Elizabeth George. I am in love with teaching but I am still dealing with a spirit of fear in me. I fought hard today as I prepared myself for teaching my class. This was my third time. I am so thankful for this wonderful opportunity that the Lord has given me.

I stand before 20-25 women staring at me with blank faces. It always starts off rocky but gets smoother towards the middle. I really enjoy it. I just pray that God will give me a spirit of confidence and break me free from this shell that I have been living in and allow me to express my zeal for the Lord to these women.

Joyfully in Him,
Kelli

The JOYs of being a Mother are numerous and so often completely overlooked and even shunned! Shame on us!! Here is a list of my JOYs of being a Mother:

1. Disciplining and training them in His righteousness! What an awesome JOY.......oh how I pray that one day my children will arise and call me blessed..........and that I may have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (proverbs 31:28 ,3john1:4)
2. Washing mudstained and red juice stained clothes. What an easy one to miss! Who enJOYs doing the laundry and scrubbing out stains but when we reflect on the little hands or mouth that made the mess on that shirt or pants...........what JOY we can have in scrubbing!
3. Pleading voices.........."Momma! Momma!", "Can I have more juice Momma?", "When are we going to be there Momma" or for the 5th time before your second cup of coffee "He won't move out of my way Momma!" How can we miss this JOY of being a mother! We are their sustainers and they love us so much that they come to us for everything!! He he.......where is that daddy btw?
4. Picking up Toys for the 24th time today! Look at those dinosaurs, cars, swords, barbies, pretend clothes, colors, books and whatever else is lying down there...............these are apart of your blessings. They love those things, they bring them JOY so remember the JOY they get from them each time they play with them................and teach them to pick them up to! Pick up Toys together!!
5. Grocery shopping together! I love it! I would rather go with them than with out them. They make it so much more interesting and fun. With out them it is just grocery shopping but with them it is an adventure of Supermom! I love to watch my 5 year old run, climb, and hide up and down the isles and I love for him to help me and make suggestions! I love the JOY of having them with me.

Well, those are just some of the ones I came up with, but I am getting tired. I must go to sleep if I am to get up at my designated time in the morning!

Kelli

Here comes another day to make breakfast, clean the house, do homeschool with Superman, make lunch, play with T-Rex, make dinner, make the bed, do the laundry, and I am delighted and anxious to get started. Each day, I am learning, is a wonderful gift from God and so many of the days he has given me I have taken for granted and I have opened the day with a selfish and ungrateful attitude only thinking about the "things" that need to get done rather than the "people" I am blessing and finding the joy in that. Each and everything that we women do in our households no matther how mundane, repetative, or difficult they may be is a direct blessing on our families and a beautiful way of glorifying the Lord. That should take the - out of those and replace it with a big + and if today, you have an attitude of ungratefulness and selfishness stop right now and choose to change your attitude, choose to stop listening to your flesh, your selfishness, the world, and find the joy that you can have in this day of many (joyfilled) duties. Choose today whom you will serve?

My men are all still asleep in their beds this morning as I reflect on the past and plan the future of today. I love to be up early in the morning before any of them are awake. I hear one stirring right now, that needs to go back to sleep :0). Today I am so excited. Yesterday I went to a homeschool book sale and found some great deals on some much needed History curriculum. It was just what I was looking for. Next year Superman will be in the 1st grade and I am trying to get ready for it.

JOYfully in Him,
Kelli