“So now arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, the Israelites. Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread, that have I given to you, as I promised Moses.
As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.
Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.” -Joshua 1:2-3, 5-6
When the Lord first called me home fulltime, He would often speak to me through passage concerning the Isrealites and His leading them into the Promised Land. He impressed on my heart that this new terrority for me was where I would find His abundance for my life and the lives of my people (living in the Harwood Household). I appreciate His compassion, as I could so relate to the fear that the Isrealites expressed, their quickness to forget the ways He has moved so mightly on their behalf, and ultimately their shortsidedness in God’s overall plan. Because I had my plans, my dreams, and some pretty definite ideas of how that was going to look in my life. And this was not it.
Almost two years later, the Lord has proven Himself faithful in my life. He didn’t have to give me more proof, but in His goodness and grace, He has given us abundance in the form of joy and peace and freedom. He has pursued my daughter’s heart and revealed Himself to her in very personal ways, and she has decided to be baptized tomorrow! I’m so, so excited for her and this step of obedience that she is taking. Since she accepted Jesus as her Savior several months ago, she has been scared of this (she hates to even get water in her face while we’re washing her hair), and has said it was something she would do later, like when she is 10. But the Holy Spirit has been at work, and over conversations and encouragement, she decided that she was ready!
As the Lord has been speaking to me about the work that He desires to fulfill in my life, it is so awesome to have my eyes more readily recognize His work and fulfillment in the lives of my people as well. He is so faithful, and He will do it.
Overall, the past two years have not been easy, and most days are still very much a battle of walking into new terrain that needs to be hacked of weeds and overgrowth, land still containing personal enemies (pride, comparison, fear, laziness – just to name a few), and overall just full of work.
But He has been there for each step.
And so now we’re taking another few new steps deeper into our beautiful inheritance. One being that we have decided to start being more intentional with Peter-man concerning school and include him on on some more structured curriculum activities, aka learning opportunities that consist more of Leapfrog videos, puzzles, and free-play.
Since January, school has mainly consisted of the Sweetness and me sitting down for a couple of hours while Peter enjoys independent time in the living room. While there has been a lot of benefits to that for both, the hubs and I decided that it was time for Peter to start getting more involved in some hands-on activities. We see how much he is learning from his sister already, so we really feel like he will benefit from watching her more closely. Not to mention that it’s a great opportunity for both of them to learn how to work together, take turns, for Natalie to take a more appropriate approach in teaching her little brother (instead of trying to step in the mother role with him), and for all of us to rely more on the Holy Spirit to cultivate His fruit in our lives as we live and play so closely together. Lord knows I need more patience and joy and gentleness, etc., etc.
Another new area is this – blogging about specifics regarding homeschooling. I have chosen to become a blog ambassador for Mother Goose Time, a super cute curriculum that we felt would be an easy way to get our feet wet with doing school with both kiddos. And so that is going to consist of me blogging more regularly in general, but also getting into the details of our homeschool world.
As much as I have enjoyed being able to share my personal journey with how the Lord has led me and our family to homeschooling on this blog, I have been really timid and honestly hesitant to share specifics. It has not been that long since I was extremely intimidated by the idea of homeschooling. I can very easily remember how reading posts from other homeschoolers could foster that fear and anxiety in me, and because I didn’t have a clear concept of what this was gonna look like for us, it was VERY easy to see what the Lord was shaping in someone else’s life and feel like that is what ours needed to look like, too. So why in the world would I add to what is already a million other homeschool blogs and posts that I was honestly trying to avoid myself?
Well, because the Lord has led me here. Because He reminded me that He desires to do a work in me and through me that doesn’t look like anyone else’s. And so I have to trust Him with that.
I haven’t wanted to share specifics because I don’t want to fall into the comparison trap personally, or for my blog to become a trap for others. So, although I will be sharing some posts about specific daily activities that we’re doing, my hope and prayer is that this place will be about showing you what the Lord has been doing in our lives, and about what He can do in any life just a little bit surrendered to Him.
A beautiful inheritance is not about Jenny trying to create this amazing life, although my pride would like to pursue that, but about the journey that the Lord is leading me on to more freedom and joy and peace – so often in ways that I would not choose for myself, in opposite directions than I would anticipate – but always towards His abundance that truly is my inheritance.
I also hope it will be a place where you can get a breath of fresh air, seeing our imperfections and how grace is what carries us through our days, that my obvious lack of training and experience (of life) will always show that it’s the Lord’s work.
I also hope it’s a place where we can celebrate the victories in our lives (not just my people, but yours if you will share those with me) – homeschool related or not. We all have areas where we are stepping into new territory, ground that doesn’t seem to fit our set of strengths and abilities, and where the Lord is calling us to rely more fully on Him. I want to hear those stories, and let the details just become more evidence of His hand at work, not the focus or what we’re trying to achieve, turning into petty stones that we trip over, but stones on which He is building a great work in our lives and His overall redemption story.
So, we’ll see where these next few steps take us.
“Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success. Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” -Joshua 1:7-9
