Life in General!

  So July is one of those months that when it starts you think, "Man, this month is going to go by slowly.  I am going to get so much stuff done!"  Well, it didn't for me - LOL!  It has flown by.  We did have a fun time, especially Fourth of July.  We shot off fireworks at our home and had a great time.  My three older kids went to my parents' house for Camp GrandmaPoppa.  Even though I didn't get all stuff done that I wanted, I got some things off my checklist.   Anyway, I have been going through this book month by month, chapter by chapter, and it has been a huge help to me.  I encourage you to buy it from Amazon .  The workbook along with it has been such a wonderful tool in my journey as a parent.  So, let us dive in this chapter entitled "Manipulation."  The ladies in the book write that manipulation can take all kinds of forms such as questioning our authority, withholding affection, criticisms, crying, backtalk, pr...

  It is the last day of June which means summer is on its way to halfway over!  I cannot believe it!  We are taking a break from traditional schooling and having more down time.  I personally like having some time of not doing "school."  We traditionally follow the public school schedule since our Sully (disabled son) is in public school.  We also have some family that follows that schedule, so it helps us.   Anyway, last month I wrote about the chapter on Ignoring Instructions.  This month is about lying and deceit.  All of us have lied and dealt with our children lying.  I really appreciate the angle they approach with dealing with lying and deceit in this chapter.     They open up this chapter where she asks her son if he threw trash out the bathroom window.  He says no.  She says she takes him to his room for what they call a "Mercy Seat Talk."  Background on this child is he is inquisitive and wants to be ...

  Well, I don't know about you, but May is always such a busy month.  It seems that between kindergarten and high school graduations, along with Mother's Day - which by the way Happy Late Mother's Day - my calendar is very full.  Oh, yes, how can I forget the ending of school.  Which if you haven't read about me, I am a homeschooling momma.  In any case I don't mention any of this in complaint at all!  I actually enjoy the busyness of these activities.  It is just that sometimes in all of the coming and going, I get less sleep and in turn am shorter than normal.   Just because we are tired doesn't mean we throw in the towel on our training as parents.  Quite the contrary!  We can call on the Lord to strengthen us through Him.  That last statement leads me into the next chapter of this wonderful book I have been reading for a little over a year -- Triggers:  Exchanging Parent's Angry Reactions For Gentle Biblical Responses ....

  We have just come off of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus this past weekend.  Praise the Lord for His sacrifice that we have a way to be with Him forever.  Not only that, but we also can have a wonderful, loving relationship with our Heavenly Father.  I am so thankful for the gift of grace --as my dad puts it, God's Riches At Christ's Expense.  I pray that you celebrated along with us, too.   I am continuing on in my reading of this amazing book.  It has really helped me along my journey in parenting.  This next chapter was a huge help to me as I have 5 kiddos-- only 4 of them interact where the rivalry happens.  Our Sully is intellectually and physically disabled, so he gets along with everyone!  :0)  I hope that you all get as much out of this as I did.  Don't forget you can get the book and workbook on Amazon.  I encourage you to - and I am getting no monies from this.  I just think Amber Lia and Wendy Spe...

  Wow has February flown by or what???  I think January was just slower because of our coming down off of two months of Hallmark Christmas movies -- which I own some of so now I can watch whenever I want!!!!  LOL!  :0)  But as a homeschooling teacher, I am like all other educators and really wanting Spring Break asap!  We are still trucking along, but I can see my kiddos are getting weary.  I am giving us a long weekend in March, though, because I am going to the Great Homeschool Convention! I love getting to go - it refuels my tank to keep on doing what I am doing as a mom and a wife.   If you have been following me, I have been sharing (with permission) some parts of a tremendous book that I think all people should read by Amber Lia and Wendy Speake.  It is the book  Triggers:  Exchanging Parents' Angry Reactions For Gentle Biblical Responses .  This chapter I am in is the title of this post -- Whining and Complaining. Now ...

  It is a New Year!  I am actually struggling with getting going with our routine again.  I place all blame on Christmas cookies and Hallmark Christmas movies!  I am going through a little withdrawal.  I am, however, trying to get back into the swing of things.  And while I don't want to do school -- we homeschool -- and I don't want to do my chores, I must carry on the call that the Lord placed upon my life.      That said, I am still working on the Triggers  Bible study written by Amber Lia and Wendy Speake.  It has truly taken the Word and started a transformation in my life.        The next chapter focuses on Angry Kids.  If you have been following this study, I am sure by now you have realized that this isn't a quick fix book on fixing our children, but rather it is a way for moms, and dads, too, to examine our own lives in the magnifying glass of scripture and see where we need to work on our ...

  I am still reading the Triggers  book by Amber Lia and Wendy Speake.  It is such a help to me as I am in the process of parenting - along with my Mr. Benson - our five children.  It is an area that I am still struggling with.  One thing I will say that I have gotten a lot from this book is to look to the Lord for the words I need to say to my children.   I know -- easier said than done!  That is true, but I think that as we read the Bible and study and try to plan what we can say in certain situations, it may help us in this journey.  If you are done with your parenting, it may be that you can help out another parent with their journey.  You may be in a time where you don't have any kiddos.  I can say that this information is still helpful because it arms you with how to deal with other people and different situations.   The chapter I have read this time is called "Strong-Willed Children."  Amber Lia shares about a lady tha...