New Vision for a New Year

The Lord is so faithful and good to answer prayers.

This was evidenced early this morning. 

I awoke early this morning to the sound of my husband's voice down stairs.

He is such a morning person.  Up at 5 am, stoking the fire, making coffee, starting his day.  

At 6 am, he reads aloud to the oldest four, who are sitting bleary eyed, 

coffee in hand before the roaring fire.

  It was Rose's idea, and a very good one. 

Brian's desire to disciple his children, combined with early mornings,

before the littles are up to interrupt and distract,

along with a book highly recommended to us,  Equipped to Love,

are making for wonderful mornings the older children look forward to.

When our day does finally get underway, I read to the children from The Gospel Primer,

a wonderful gem recently sent our way. 

In it, Jerry Bridges is quoted as saying that we need to preach the gospel to ourselves every day.  Brian and I agree, which is why we are using this primer as family liturgy,

daily focusing our minds,  our children's minds,  to the truth of the gospel. 

As I prepared last week to begin a new semester, 

I decided to do something I have never done before in 15 years of home schooling. 

With new vision and inspiration, I mapped out an extended school day 

with a 2 hour block of free time right in the middle. 

I have never been able to keep going through the late afternoon with school, 

and have therefore, not always accomplished those "it would really be nice to.." things. 

Giving myself a break in the middle to recharge and regroup is working out really well so far,

and we are getting a lot done. 

The children are taking advantage of the time to play outside in the unseasonably warm weather.

In the evenings, we are reading aloud from the Old Testament, 

stories such as Jonah and Sampson, David's Mighty Men, and other  favorites.  

The boys always have questions, it having been a few years since we read to them this way,

they forget, or were too small to remember. 

It has been good to revisit and reaffirm God's story from way back.

What does all this have to do with God answering our prayers? 

Well, a few weeks ago, Brian and I went away over night to pray for our children 

and plan deliberate ways to infuse their lives with more training and instruction. 

These new habits are product of answered prayers from that time away.

  I am constantly amazed at how God listens, cares, and responds to our requests, big and small.

With renewed energy, new vision, and coffee,

I am excited about what the New Year will bring.