Mercy is proper EVERY day

This year homeschooling has been fulfilling and exciting but it has also had it's own set of challenges.

Classical Conversations (www.classicalconversations.com) has certainly raised the bar in our homeschooling routine. It is extensive & fast paced - there are so many elements to the program that I love & Jake really does shine when presented with the opportunity to memorize & recite all the material. The class I tutor is precious - all the of the children are sponges, sucking up all the information with a desire in their hearts to learn. I'm constantly amazed at the fruits this program shows in new ways every week. I love being a homeschooling parent. I love seeing that spark that shines in my son's eyes when he "GETS something. I love being able to nuture him & to coach him thru difficult problems. I love having him around and being able to experience this season in his life together.

I've felt led to supplement some history/science/spelling and English grammar with of course a Math curriulum (which CC reccomends). This is where I feel most of my struggles come from. Jake has a hard time working on his own in terms of copy-work. He lacks discipline in keeping focus - I think that's mostly due to my daily choices...

Our schedule has been so busy and I have been feeling soworn thin lately & have been praying for what God desires me to give up. I know my priorities need to be on God, then my husband, my children, their schooling, my home, and then my business. Unfortunately I haven't been setting a good example to Jake in this. My business has been trumping over everything else. I feel so blessed to be so busy with business, especially in this economy but I'm convicted today that it's not God's will for me to compromise my other responsibilities to possibly make another buck.

I've shared this with some of my close friends to pray about what to trim out of my obligations. God promises in His Word that "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." John 15:12

So why am I hesitating in doing & trimming/pruning what I KNOW God wants me to?

Fear, anxiousness, uncertainty, lack of faith...Yes - it's all of these & more.
Ultimately I know that it's because I want to try & control my business. But that isn't the foundation I built this business upon. I wanted to provide good photography services to others & make an impact on the community thru this gift. I wanted to Shine a Light onto others thru my passion. I knew this is what God was calling me to & I've been able to do so much thru the providence that God has given to me.

I'm praying for the courage & the discipline to say No - to let go of the things that I want to do but isn't bearing fruit (and fruit doesn't necessarily = money). I'm also praying for my homeschooling to natually hold more importance in my mind & my schedule instead of thinking that I can schdule other things & do the homeschool stuff later. I have a friend who doesn't answer the phone during the day at all while she's homeschooling & her answering message says, "If you are calling from 8:30AM-4:30PM We Are Homeschooling." I pray for that type of discipline and am thankful to have that example in my life to strive towards.