Letterneau Life: August 2016

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Mommy, I three now

I woke up on Sunday morning to a precious Thatcher running into our room and announcing...

"Mommy, I three now!"

Yes sweet boy, you sure are.

Looking back on these pictures of you, I feel that my heart might burst with love.

Thank you for all the joy your bring to our lives.

Happy Birthday Thatcher James!

Thursday, August 25, 2016

What would I hope my children will say about their homeschooling experience when they are grown?
This has been a question heavy on my mind and heart these last weeks as we approach another school year.
Will I hope that they say they knew all their states and capitals by age 8? Or
that they mastered times tables with record speed and 100 percent accuracy?
These aren't bad things but I certainly hope that these don't come to their mind first.
And what will they say about ME?
What did my actions and words teach them about what we value most?

My prayer is that they would say something along these lines...
Christ was first in our home and all we did was done for his glory.
We loved learning.
We loved togetherness.
We joyfully worked along side one another as a family.
I pray that when they leave our home they feel that we did everything we could to guide them into the unique purpose that God has for their own lives.
And I pray that they remember me as a mother who was patient, gentle, and Christ-like.

With these things in mind, I asked the Lord what he would have me do differently this year than I did last year. And the word, "morning" kept coming up.
There is something so beautiful about the morning...a fresh start.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness."
- Lamentations 3:22

"Weeping may last for the night,
but a shout of joy comes in the morning."
- Psalm 30:5

So this year we are going to spend more time rejoicing in the morning!
It's simple and seems obvious now, but it is already making a difference in our day.
The little ones paint or cut or draw and I read.
We sing and pray and focus on why we do what we do.

Because we homeschool different ages, I spend one on one time with each one during the day, but this time in the morning is becoming more and more precious because we are all together.

I pray that intentional morning time will help focus our minds and hearts of Christ at the start of each new day.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Communion

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

-Isaiah 53:5