Once again I would like to say a big thank you to my sponsors for helping me get to the amazing 2:1 Conference in April! (That's said "2 to 1 Conference.") It was so worth the hard work and time it took to get there. I could never have done it without my sponsors! Would you please go check them out? IQ Locker, T-Tapp, The Ultimate Homeschool Expo, Turning Heads Boutique, and Eternal Encouragement Magazine…

 

Do you ever feel like you're swimming upstream? In the rapids? And you still have miles to go with no end in sight? Maybe that's how you feel on a typical day?

 

 

For the past year, God has been repeatedly speaking to me, “First things first.” I need to put those things that are most important—those things that are eternal—first in my day. Sometimes it is a moment-by moment struggle, but I’m still learning.

I love that God doesn’t give up on me. He gently brings the reminders time and time again. He hasn’t thumped me on the head with it yet, which I am so grateful for! He must know that I would collapse in a heap.

 

 

As you know, I went to The 2:1 Conference a few weeks ago. The conference is for homeschooling bloggers. We learned lots about blogging and social media, but there was also a whole track of sessions about homeschooling. We also had several general sessions that everyone attended, and these were generally about our mission as mothers and homeschoolers. Heidi St. John spoke to us at one of these general sessions.

 

Heidi spoke to us about fitting a size 16 day into a size 10. Can you picture it? Her talk consisted of some of the lessons from her new book, The Busy Mom’s Guide to Daylight: Managing Your Days Through the Homeschool Years. It was a fabulous session filled with goodness from the Father! So I naturally had to share some of it with you. Mommas need all the encouragement we can get in our never-ending task of mothering and managing a home. Heidi did just that.

 

And what do you think was Heidi’s first point?

 

Seek the Lord for the things of first importance.

 

Yeah. God keeps reminding me.

 

Heidi went on reminding me of lots of things that I already know but could stand being reminded of. Have you noticed how God does this? He just keeps on patiently repeating the lesson until we get it deep down in our bones.

 

She reminded us of things like:

 

God is a God of order. Some things are of first importance.

 

If your child is consistently disobedient, put away that math book and work on obedience.

 

Stop comparing yourself to others. If your self-worth is tied up in your task, then you need to stop comparing yourself to others.

 

Stop wasting time. You don’t need “time management.” You need “Me Management.”

 

Develop a Plan of Action and follow it.

 

Check your priorities. The things of first importance should be: spiritual life, then your marriage, then family/home, then homeschool, and then all the other stuff.

 

 

Did you notice the ordering of that list? How are you doing with your priorities?

 

The biggest nugget of gold that I took away from Heidi’s session was about making your marriage a priority– over children and home educating. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it in this way before. The way she worded it really drove the point straight down to my bones.

 

If the enemy can take you out, he has a straight line at your children! You are the first line of defense!

 

 

Wow. That puts a more significant importance to “first things first,” doesn’t it?

 

Hubby and I are the first line of defense for our children.

 

Our marriage is a shield for them.

 

We are more than an example.

 

We are their first line of defense.

 

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Is there a lesson that God keeps speaking to you?

How are you doing with priorities? Are you a good line of defense for your children?

 

 

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