It’s that time of year again. Fall is on the horizon, school planning is in full swing for most of us, and I stay up way too late browsing the internet for great planning tips, more great planning tips, and curriculum lists. Target is jam packed with rows of shiny new school supplies, and the infamous quote from You’ve Got Mail rings through my brain all too often.
“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. ” ~Joe Fox.
As I am staring at a blank calendar that is so adorable it takes my breath away, I can’t help but notice it’s clean and crisp and empty and BLANK!!! Clean slate. I make the choice of what to write in this thing. Me and me alone.
When recently contemplating our schedule for the fall, I posed the question to my fellow Hip Homeschool Mom team members, “What else are you involved in besides Home Schooling your children?” I received a lot of great feedback with a running theme of being over committed is a joy stealer. The wise Ms. Cindy Horton pointed out that she had read in an article that you can only be truly devoted to seven things at a time. Anything you really want to focus on needs to take up one of those seven spots.
My relationship with God, my marriage, my kids, my health (healthy eating, exercise AND sleep), homeschooling…. that takes up five right there. We discussed the fact that seasons of life breed different needs and that different temperaments need to come into play, but what an interesting concept to consider.
Be. Fully. Devoted.
Too often I let the most important things in my life turn into the “givens” and I forget to fully devote. The long term results would be just disastrous. The most important things in my life? These need constant intentional devotion, or they slowly begin to die.
It’s not about being superwoman and doing it all. It’s about being devoted and doing it well. Doing what we can, with what we have, with where we are at. Be Superwoman because what we have, even “just” those five things above is cause enough to wear a cape. It’s enough in and of itself.
No doubt our plates will always be full. However, with each new opportunity that presents itself to me, I now try and ask the question, “Is this where my time and attention should be?” Most opportunities can be good things, they can even be great things. However, maybe, just maybe, they are things that we should say no to. Perhaps, our top seven need more devotion, or perhaps God is just calling us elsewhere.
It’s a new year, a new beginning, and a new opportunity to balance our schedules and our home life. Get yourself a pink sparkly cape and wear it proudly. Not because of the amount of things we manage, but because we are managing what we have, so very very well.
Blessings to you all as you prepare for the upcoming school year.
From our home to yours.
Darcy and her family live in Northern California. She has been married for 18 years and has two sons and two daughters. Her family loves to love Jesus and love people. She supports her husband’s worship ministry at their local church and spends her days lovin’ on her children while homeschooling them. She also enjoys planning parties, decorating, photography, and running. You can find her blogging about it all at Just A Night Owl.
Read more of Darcy’s articles at Hip Homeschool Moms.
Darcy,
I love this post. What to prioritize this year has been on my mind a lot this month. Saying “no” to good things is not bad. There are so many wonderful choices available to homeschoolers. I could spend days just reading reviews of interesting offerings. But we’ll keep school very simple this year. Major focus on the basics. Math, math, math. Science, writing, music. History and Spanish.
God, family, my health, homeschooling. That’s four. Add to that swim team and 4H for the kids and a weekly meeting with fellow Jesus loving friends for fellowship, study, and accountability. That’s seven. Good grief. There’s so much more I want to add. But this is a good start. For us more simple = more focused = less stress and more joy.
We have been simplifying our lives for the last year. It’s so easy to add stuff in. It’s much more difficult to untangle a complicated life.
Thanks for the reminder about balance in schedules and home life. Looking forward to a more simplified year.
Such a great point Laura. Always easy to add stuff in but difficult to take out! I LOVE that! Thanks for sharing!! I love your comments! Have a great beginning of the year!
Beautiful, friend. It is so important that we keep this in our perspective at all times. I never want to be so busy trying to do God’s will that He is no where in the midst of it! Thanks for the reminder
Exactly Carlie! I agree! xo
THis is so good, Darcy!! My calendar is filling up…September is almost FULL already!! The thing for us is, we’re new here. My kids had great friends in South Dakota. I can tell they’re yearning for a little extra curricular. So…my two boys are doing co-op classes on Tuesdays and Boy Scouts Tuesday nights. All three kids will do Awana on Wednesday nights. Sophia will do ballet on Wednesday afternoon. Add in all our back to school appointments, a birthday, and a weekend trip and our September is FULL! Today I’m fine-tuning our schedule for school….I have a lot of fun things planned for that!
Oh I can’t wait to see what you come up with Alicia!
We have so much in common! I love, first of all, how you encourage us to keep devoted to it, while in the midst.! LOVE IT! Thank You! I , as well, love Jesus, have 4 kiddos ( 2b 2g) and love Photography, running, being a hostess,planning parties, my husband is a pastor,e tc. I will begin homeschooling at a whole new pace. We were on the mission field in Hungary, and are returning this January! Let’s keep in touch, girl! I need your encouragement with just jumping right into my kids’ Whole education. I get that God’s gonna carry me, as long as I cling to Him, Just juggling the feelings of being there teacher-instilling those building blocks, (all on my shoulders..eek) Love to you, In Him, Kim Beller
Thank you so much for sharing! This really encouraged me, and has given me new perspective on the coming school year!