Hey Mama,

Happy New Year! I bet you’re rarin’ to go—checklist in hand and goals galore. But before you start this new year with new plans, take a moment to consider where you’ve been.

God has been good in your life, hasn’t He? So much you’ve gone through, overcome in this past year. And who knows what this new year holds? But what we do know is our goal is one and the same—to keep them home where they belong, by our sides, learning to love Jesus with their little (or big!) lives. That’s why we do it, after all. To train them up in the way they should go.

As you look to the future and learn from the past, enjoy reading these articles from The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine :

His Hand Is on Your Head

Beginning Homeschool in the New Year

Godly Character Is the Goal

And be assured, Mama . . .

We may get into checklists (sad reality,) but some checklists are good things. This is you:

1. You love your kids. That’s so obvious, no question.
2. They love you. Some don’t know it yet. But they will.
3. Your job is to plant seeds. God is the Harvester; stay on task.
4. Your husband and kids trump your desire for a nice clean house. (ha ha, it shows, j/k.)
5. You make some really good meals. Your kids love your food.
6. Your smile is what they look for when they do something right.
7. Your arms are what they look for when something goes wrong.
8. You’re always there.
9. It’s worth repeating, because it’s true: you’re always there.

So there you have it, Mama. At night when they cry from a bad dream, it’s you they need. In the morning when they’re hungry, there you are. During the day when someone’s calling for help, there you are, too. And when they have accomplished the impossible, what do we hear? “Look, Mommy! I did it!” (They want YOU to see.)

Checklists are good for some things. This one here is one of them. Your successes FAR outweigh the frailties. The mess-ups. Discount those. Fine, learn from them, but they should have a very tiny voice.

It's gonna be a great year! If you belong to the Lord, He has a way of working all things for good. (Romans 8:28, right?)

Your worth: it’s more than your weight in gold. And for some of us . . . whoa . . . that’s a lot. :-)

-gena