Pressing On – “Don’t stop! Don’t give up!”

Pressing on in Homeschooling:

This time of the school year tends to be my hardest for homeschooling.  I keep hearing everyone else count down their days until they are done with school, but we homeschool pretty much year round, so there’s not too much of an “end” in sight for us.  But when it gets difficult, God knows just what I need.  It is also around this time of year that I’m able to get the encouragement that I need to press on.  This weekend was the Christian Association of Parent Educators (CAPE) Annual Homeschool Convention.  There were nationally known speakers from all over the country that came to speak, as well as some well-known local homeschoolers.  There is always a wealth of encouragement, tips, tricks, humor and advice to be had from each speaker.  It always serves as a reminder that I’m homeschooling my children for more important reasons than making sure they know all their addition facts, or how to diagram a sentence.  I homeschool them because I want to help lead them to a life in Christ.  I homeschool them because I want them to not just be filled with “academic” knowledge, but I want them to be even more filled with the wisdom and love of God.

I fall short on that everyday.  I have the tendency to push the minor things, like multiplication flash cards, thinking that we HAVE to get through this math book!!!  Then I neglect sitting down and reading the Word with the kids.  One of the speakers reminded us parents that we are teaching our children 365 days a year, and not just when we “do school”.  I know that I have taught by example things that I didn’t want my children to learn.   I know that in order to step up and do a better job teaching and training my children that I need to teach and train myself.  I need to seek out God’s wisdom more in my life.  I need to make more time for Him.  I’d appreciate prayers on my behalf in this area in my life.

Pressing on in Fitness:

I’m still trying to press on in trying to get into better shape.  Some days (only the ones that end in “y”),  I really don’t feel like it.  We have comfortable couches, ya know?   Yep, I am pretty lazy.  I’m working on that problem I have.  Sometimes I’ve had to force myself to workout out because my husband threatened to post it on Facebook that I skipped a workout.  Sometimes I tell myself that I’m just too tired.  I noticed though that once I get started, within 5 minutes, I’m glad I’m getting my body moving.  It seems to be a battle in my mind whenever workout time comes up.  Today, I really just wanted to get to bed early.  The problem was the delicious prime rib I had for dinner.  I just couldn’t be idle after eating that.  BTW, why the horseradish with the prime rib?  Just say “neigh” to the horseradish.  Yep, I really did just say that.  🙂  Working out everyday and trying to get in to a healthy habit is HARD for me!!!  I can act so weak and lazy.

Day 11 was a “Slim Sculpt” workout DVD by Ellen Barrett.  I got to workout with my hubby and my sis-in-law who was spending the night to attend the homeschool convention as well.  It’s fun to workout with my husband, mostly because he thinks some of the workout leaders are so silly.  For example, he gets annoyed that Ellen refers to the “heart center” instead of the “chest”.  It is also fun to see him do “girly” workouts because they can be tough on him.  They apparently focus on muscle groups that he doesn’t generally workout. They don’t just work the biceps or make you do tons of push-ups or pull-ups;  They make you work all these little muscles that apparently cause him pain to work.  It’s so cute.  🙂

Day 12 was a quick workout because I had to get up early the next day for the convention. Some quick cardio, abs, weights… 20 minutes, then to bed I went.

Today (Day 13 of working out in a row) was a quick 1 mile “accelerated” walk DVD with Chris Freytag, then some weights on my own.  Chris is so cheerful. I like working out with her.  In that video she does a “hula walk” as part of the workout.  It makes me want to get back to dancing hula and teaching Mia (and Sean and Kai) for the sole purpose of performing at nursing and rehab homes.  I always loved that.

Sometimes I like to try to go through the workout DVDs and  smile the whole way through like the ladies in the videos.  That usually doesn’t work out though because  it’s hard to smile when you have sweat running into your eyes or your deltoids are on fire.  I don’t know how they do it… they just press on and SMILE!

So let’s try to remember to always persevere and press on.  Mia likes to chant a song she heard in a kids show (Yo Gabba Gabba), “Don’t stop!  Don’t give up!”.  Isaiah 40:29 says “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”  I know I am weak and sometimes weary and I need HIs strength daily.  With His strength, I won’t give up.  I will press on in teaching and training our children and seek His wisdom in doing so, and I will continue on my pursuit of better health and less laziness (even though our couches are really comfortable).