Thriving on Milk and Honey

Camping in The Great Smoky Mountains by Heather Our family was in great need of some time away from the ordinary, mundane days of work and school, so we decided to go on and adventure in the Great Smoky Mountains.  We began to plan our trip to take place in October, hoping to hit the peak season for all the beautiful fall foliage.  We had never pulled our camper so far away before, so this took some thought.  We had to plan the timing just right so we wouldn't be in heavy traffic going through the big cities.  We also had to plan at least one stop to allow our four dogs to take a break from the traveling and stretch their legs.   I actually left the timing and the pit stop to my husband.  While he planned this out, I had a lot of other things to plan. Planning the Trip 1. Find a Campground.  Ok, this should be a simple task right? Well, I had to contact several campgrounds before I found one that was a fit for our trip.  Most of the campgroun...

Photo by Heather As I look on social media throughout the month of November, I see all the thankful posts.   It has gotten me thinking, why don't we share what we are thankful for all year instead of just November? I also think that maybe some people feel like they must post something they are thankful for because everyone else is doing it.   While doing so may bring our own blessings to our attention, I cannot help but think of those who are worn out from the stress and demands of taking care of a family. Sometimes it may seem really hard to to be grateful. Especially, when you have a mountain of dishes, the never ending basket of laundry, and the trail of dirt and dust from the traffic that constantly moves through your home. Not to mention, having to shop for groceries to keep a good supply of food for the big appetites that continue to grow. Just thinking about this makes me feel overwhelmed at times. If I put too much thought into it I will start to have anxiety...

The first thing I began to do after getting my wake up call, was search God's Word on how to defeat anxiety and depression. I have to be honest, this did not work for me at all. The more I read verses about how to overcome anxiety and depression, the more anxiety, depression, and panic attacks I had. I have no idea why this way of approaching a solution for my anxiety and depression caused more triggers and panic attacks. I remember thinking, I am supposed to go to God's Word for everything in life.  I am supposed to seek Him through prayer. Since it did not seem to be working I made an appointment with my doctor. Now, I had a lot going on in my life other than my own health. Some of those situations were really causing me stress and I wasn't sleeping much. That being said, I thought that may be the issue, but I wanted to make sure nothing else was going on.   After having an exam with the doctor, she ordered a few tests. They all came back normal. So, she decided to try ...

Time to Evaluate by Heather About this time of year I begin evaluating my homeschool curriculum. I ask myself, what seems to be working and what isn't?  Most importantly, I seek God through prayer, and ask him what changes He would have me make. Seeking God Through Prayer by Heather I know we are several weeks in. Yes, it may seem like it may be too late to make any changes for this school year.  However, if I see we need to change something, or feel God leading us in a different direction, I begin looking for a solution.  So far this school year, I do not see any changes needed in curriculum like I have in the past. In fact, last year I actually changed my daughter's English curriculum three times before we found something that worked for her.  Although the curriculum doesn't need to be changed, we still need to make some changes.  We really need to work on enjoying our school day.  In all honesty, I have sucked the joy out of our homeschool more than anyo...