I was having a rough morning with the little one's...and as I was hanging the clothes outside (oh, blessed quiet of nature to sooth my soul), I decided that we were going to the park for school today.
Can you believe we had this two days ago...and it was beautiful...
but it was so nice to go here...
This is a beautiful park east of where we live...aren't we blessed!!! It has a great play area for the children and acres and acres of natural Colorado plains and forest to enjoy. We saw a herd of deers when we got here, found frogs and birds, played in ponds, got lots of good sun and exercise. I call that a GREAT school day! One of the joys of homeschooling is the flexibility of the schedule.
This is a beautiful park east of where we live...aren't we blessed!!! It has a great play area for the children and acres and acres of natural Colorado plains and forest to enjoy. We saw a herd of deers when we got here, found frogs and birds, played in ponds, got lots of good sun and exercise. I call that a GREAT school day! One of the joys of homeschooling is the flexibility of the schedule.
And I feel much better!
Laurel did a great post on how to help our hurting children. Her post told about another mother who said she needed to get a certain book to read. Now, I think that it is wonderful to be able to share our collective experiences and even good books that we read along the way. It is so helpful to read about what other families are doing to help their children who have come home through adoption, adjust to the changes that they are facing, and the hurts that so many of these precious children have.
However, I think that sometimes, our precious children are burdened with "labels" (ADHD, RAD, adopted!, special needs, to name a few...) that are hindering our ability to truly help our children. No doubt, many children have struggles, some very serious. I see these more as a product OF what they have come through, not WHO they are. Labels can so quickly become a part of an identity.
Yesterday I read in Psalm 119:24 "Your testimonies are my delight; they are my conselors". I have bought many books and tried so many things, in other words, I have gone to other counselors with my questions and problems. The LORD showed me that I did not trust that HE could show me how to handle a particular child's earlier trauma, or how to mother to their needs, or how to even just "like" them, when they do certain things that are so controling and difficult for ME. He showed me my fear...you know, "God is God, but this author knows attachment disorder, so I better consult the book he wrote."
I really have seen that this is a tempation for me...these "how to" books. And the devil has very effectively used my desire to mother my children well, to keep me from the only BOOK I should have looked to for advise and "how to".
Now, obviously, if I wanted to learn to be a doctor, I would need some special learning outside of the Bible. And certainly, in parenting certain situations, I believe we need to learn things that are helpful from other places when needed.
The biggest thing though that I have noticed these last few months as I have gone to only the LORD with my parenting questions is that He is working in MY heart and HE is showing me what I believe is great advise, especially for one little darlin who has struggled with insecurity from the beginning (it is almost emotionally crippling at times). And HE has assured me that I am the best mother for my children and only He can heal their hearts, however, if I will trust Him, I get to be apart of the beautiful work He wants to do. I just don't think I can find that in any ol' book.
I want to ask you, is there a way we can work together to encourage each other to take our questions, and concerns to the LORD and in prayer, asking Him "how to". Churches have so many Bible Studies and that is great, but what about taking those things that are on our hearts and challange each other to seek and trust the LORD to answer.
These are some more of the thoughts that I have had as I have been asking the LORD how He parents us.
Now THAT is beautiful! Sometimes you all just need a break huh? We spent our day getting schooled at Wal-Mart :) HUGS!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this post! We have read our fair number of books over the years, but we have truly trusted the Lord to teach us how to parent for the past 25 years. Why would we ever think that the Lord can't teach us enough with our adopted kids, if he has taught us for all of our bio. kids?
ReplyDeletePeople have always asked us which parenting philosophy we use. We just look at them and say, "The Big D family philosophy." We read the books, and we glean from them. But, ultimately, we ask the Lord what He would have us do in each situation. Most often, when I am reading parenting books, I don't learn anything new ... most often, they just confirm what the Lord has already taught us.
Maybe you and I need to do weekly blog posts with parenting advice straight from God's Word??? We can choose a day ... and link to each other's blogs. We could come up with a name for our "weekly column", and ask others to join us. Let me know what you think ...
Laurel
mama of 13
Love the Park Day. We'll be doing school at the beach tomorrow.
ReplyDelete:) :) :)
Thank you, thank you for sharing your heart--which is really the heart of the Father. I am sorry for not posting along these lines on my blog...yet! Almost loosing our Elyssa has taken up all my spare time. We are excited to be praising the Lord over her healing. Isn't HE good!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I would love to join something like what Laurel spoke of? Let me know.
I love Colorado weather... can't believe you had the snowy pictures that were posted earlier to this...
ReplyDeleteLove your blogs Shonni, you can really tell that you listen to what God is saying to you. I am so glad that you take a few minutes out of your BUSY, BUSY, BUSY and did I mention hectic day to share those words of Wisdom. I agree with you 100%. I really do hate labels of any kind. I believe that God created a person in a very unique way and gave that child unique parents to help them through their childhood. Only a parent can recognize the needs of their child, just as God knows our needs. I think it is up to the parent to seek God in order to know how to raise that unique child. You are especially blessed because you have 10 "darlins" that probably have 10 different styles of needs... that must keep you on your toes constantly with God LOL! I feel really bad for those kids whose parents are completely absorbed in themselves and have no desire to seek God in raising their kids... or they don't believe in Him, and raise them in the world.
Then I agree, again, that God puts people into our loves to share the love, the joys and the sometime frustrations of parenting... to encourage one another and to lift each other up.
Now see, I wouldn't have thought about this had I not read your blog... so today, I am thankful, actually on all days :c), for my friend Shonni!
Looks like an awesome park. Where is it?? We live off Walker, is it close to that?? It has been a beautiful week now its rainy, rainy, rainy!!
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