I love to write, but I really love to write about the topics that matter most to you. The top 10 most popular posts help me determine that. Did you miss any of these? If so, click the title to read them.
Here’s to a great new year of discovery and sanity-savers. Thank you so much for reading, commenting, and sharing. You are a blessing!
Classical Conversations has become extremely popular with homeschoolers and this huge list of resources organized by cycle and subject area seems to be helpful for those enrolled in the program and those who are curious about it.
This guest post by Francis Wade really resonated with readers and with me personally. In fact, it made me change how I manage my busy life. Don’t miss this one!
I was really blown away by the quality of the free piano instruction Joseph Hoffman supplies and I couldn’t wait to recommend it to readers. Apparently I’m not alone in my opinion! I enjoyed a great conversation with Joseph on my podcast that I link to as well.
I started this challenge at the beginning of 2014 and it has grown in popularity as we begin a new year. I am going to be removing the dated calendars, so you can choose to do the challenges in order or when it works for you. Get your homeschool organized in just an hour a week!
My experimentation with a daily, weekly, monthly to-do list was very popular in 2013, so I wasn’t surprised when my recommendation of another list of this type turned out to be very popular. Would it work for you?
I will say that I was a little surprised by the popularity of this challenge, but happily so. I shared my approach to personal, couple, and family devotions and how to make them habits. I was surprised that so many haven’t found the right approach to make devotions a part of their lives, but I am thrilled by the heartfelt desire to make it happen.
Anything to do with to-do lists is popular on Psychowith6 and this post where I give suggestions for how to manage one is no exception. What’s most important is not the type of list you use, but your commitment to using one consistently. Get the inspiration you need here.
I knew bucket lists were popular, but I didn’t know what a happening time fall is on Pinterest. I you love fall bucket lists, pin this post so you’re ready way ahead of time.
Tom Dixon wrote this post and since no longer has his Monday is Good blog, but I think you’ll be inspired by his excellent goal-setting advice.
Routines have changed my life. It’s hard for me to believe that I once had a willy-nilly-not-so-happy lifestyle, but I did. Complete this challenge for a routine that could change your life, too.
You’ll enjoy reading the other iHomeschool Network bloggers’ top ten posts of 2014.
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There is no more powerful habit for an organized homeschool than devotional time. We won’t find the peace we want in a pretty bin, but in a relationship with the Prince of Peace.
Personal Devotions
I did not devote time to prayer and Bible reading until I was very pregnant with my second son. At that time, I attended a Becky Tirabassi seminar as part of a Women of Faith conference. Becky told story after story of answered prayer and beseeched us to make an “appointment with the King” every day.
At the time, sad to say, I was on staff at my church, but had never read the entire Bible. When Becky asked anyone who was fully committed to keeping that important appointment, to stand up, I did. I bought Becky’s Change Your Life Daily Bible 
and her My Partner Prayer Notebook and I was on a personal mission. (Becky shares her philosophy in Let Prayer Change Your Life
.) I was so motivated to read the Bible through in a year that I even did my reading and prayer time in the hospital after giving birth. I don’t remember anything I read, but I kept my appointment!
Couple Devotions
I made time for personal devotions that did change my life, but I made a big mistake. I didn’t include my husband in the process. He felt left out of my new habit of Scripture reading and devoted time to prayer. He felt better when I bought him his own Daily Bible. We have changed Bibles since then, but we continue to have a shared habit of reading Scripture in the morning.
We have prayed together at various times of day as we felt led, but having a regular time of praying together is a habit we don’t yet have. Apparently, we’re not alone. Only 4% of couples pray together daily, despite its association with the highest levels of marital satisfaction. Planning time for shared prayer is our goal for this week. I hope you’ll join us!
Family Devotions
Christian homeschoolers usually do a great job of teaching the Bible as a part of their curriculum. In our busy lives, it can be harder to find time to pray and read Scripture as a family. We’ve been inconsistent over the years in using formal programs that require supplies for fun activities and more successful reading missionary biographies in the evenings or doing a short devotion in the mornings. My husband will read Scripture and then lead discussion of it, use a regular devotional book, or will join us for our school Bible time. He is not one who likes to be locked into doing the same thing at the same time. We have used Character Building for Families the most consistently because it’s short, meaty, and requires no preparation.
The most powerful family prayer time approach we have used is to each pray about something we are thankful for, something we are sorry for, and something we need help with. We have really been able to feel in touch with our kids’ hearts. Many times I have been upset about something the kids have done earlier in the day, only to be moved by their confession of it in prayer and their request for help from the Holy Spirit to avoid a similar error.
Yet another family devotional practice that has been meaningful for us is to save Christmas cards and pray over a few of them each day. We have the opportunity to share with the children more about family and friends they haven’t met or don’t know well, and to experience answers to prayer, too. We often hear from the prayed-for family soon after we’ve lifted them up to the Lord.
Your Challenge for This Week
#1 Establish a time, place, and an approach to personal devotions
You don’t have to find the perfect time and place, but decide on a time when you are most likely to be able to meet with the Lord undisturbed during this season of your life. Now that I don’t have babies, I have personal devotions in the morning before the kids are up. I get comfortable in a recliner with a great reading light. In the winter, I snuggle under a faux fur blanket. I often have something to drink as well. I want my time with the Lord to be the most appealing part of my day.
In years past, I have had devotional times before bed, in the middle of the night while nursing, and at lunch time. I’ve been in bed, on the couch, and even in my car to connect with God. The time and place that make devotions consistent is what you should choose — not what someone else is doing.
I am currently reading through the Bible using the John MacArthur study Bible, read a variety of daily devotionals (both print and digital) as I feel led, and use Pocket Prayer Pro to organize my prayer time. I’ve changed how I spend this time with God many, many times. The ingredients that I feel are essential are prayer and reading Scripture. I have enjoyed using organized prayer calendars for my husband, children, extended family, and pastors. When I am going through a challenging time, I have been greatly blessed by Streams in the Desert. Before you buy something new, see what you have that haven’t read and just start.
Remember that if your devotions get interrupted, the Lord Himself has allowed it.
#2 Establish a time, place, and an approach to couple devotions.
Talk and pray with your spouse about the best way to spend time with the Lord together. Could you pray together in the morning, on the phone over lunch, or before bed? Would you like to use an organized prayer calendar or a couples devotion? Would you like to read through Scripture together and discuss it? Again, you may already own materials that you could use. Allow your spouse to lead in choosing the approach that is most comfortable for him.
#3 Establish a time, place, and an approach to family devotions.
Connecting family devotions to established routines is most likely to be effective. Could you pray and read Scripture at meal times? Perhaps bedtime is a better option. If you’d like to do devotions that require pre-planning, when could this planning be done and who could be responsible for it? Pray for wisdom about this. The most important thing is to cover the process with grace and be willing to make adjustments until you find what works for your family.
Be sure to share what works for you and your family. You can inspire others with similar situations.
Find all the challenges at the Organize Your Homeschool page and get all the free printables you need here or by clicking the graphic below.
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