Delighted Motherhood

If I spend my time “just” being a mom, have I spent my time well? Am I worthwhile? Or do I feel the need to shout my resume, credentials or what I could have done?
When God created Adam and Eve he told them to fill the earth and subdue it. Thus the very first command celebrated the good and very high calling of parenthood. And yet, sometimes the idea of being “just” a parent feels like too small of a thing. 
Motherhood is a role to be eagerly sought after, desired, and prized. How can be satisfied and secure in our calling without needing to prove our prowess elsewhere?
Listen in for a raw conversation with Angela Lee!
Angela Lee is a Harvard Law School grad and former Big Law lawyer who now spends her time caring for and homeschooling her two young boys. She is married to her best friend, Sam, who serves as the lead pastor at Maranatha Bible Church in the Bay Area, California. Though she spends most of her time trying to keep up with her energetic kids, her ideal day consists of an endless mug of tea, a long fiction book and deep conversations with friends.

Flying with kids is hard.
One of my favorite lines from the memoir Cheaper by the Dozen (published in 1948) is when the dad (who has been serving in Washington during WWI) asks the mom about her travels with their kids from eastcoast to westcoast to visit her parents.
“It was fine, dear. But next time, you take the children to California and I’ll go to war.”
Hilarious and relatable. 
Flying is by no means something everyone should feel compeled to do. It is both time consuming and expensive. If you do fly, don’t feel discouraged if it's really rough.After flying solo with Daniel when he was 11 months old I got to my accommodations, turned out the light, climbed into bed and sobbed. 
We all need to give ourselves and our kids buckets of grace and not be discouraged when things go haywire. <3 
If and when things do go wrong remember, every person on that plane was a baby once and 97 percent of people will be kind. Even if your baby screams the entire time, you’ve made it! You’re at  your fun destination and God has given you an opportunity to rely on Him! Win, win. 
Because both sets of our grandparents live on the westcoast, I fly a good amount. But, by God’s grace, flying isn’t something I dread anymore. I mostly travel with my husband although I probably travel solo about twenty percent of the time. 
My two main goals are survival and grace. In order to walk towards those goals I like to remember the Four Ps.
Pray, Plan, Be Productive, Persevere

It’s Fall time! It seems like the majority of us love it. And really what’s not to like! It’s a time for lots of good food, reading, campfires, leaf piles, and delicious smells. 
Daniel 2:21 says: “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding”
God has given us the seasons and they are lovely! Fall ought to be a time of wonder and a time that we marvel at the Lord who holds the planets in motion, who causes the earth to orbit the sun to give us the distinctions of Spring. Summer, Fall and Winter.
How can we cultivate a love for God through embracing the changing seasons and how we can invite our families into deeper worship through celebrating all the lovely delights of fall?
How can we get our families outside more during this time?
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Eryn Lynum is a certified Master Naturalist, Bible teacher, national speaker, and author. Eryn lives in Northern Colorado with her husband, Grayson, and their four children, whom they homeschool—mainly in the great outdoors. Eryn has has been featured on FamilyLife Today, Proverbs 31 Ministries, Christian Parenting, MOPS International, Bible Gateway, Her View From Home, and For Every Mom. Every opportunity she gets, she is out exploring God’s creation with her family and sharing the adventures. To learn more about Eryn, visit ErynLynum.com.
Check out her new books Made to Marvel & Where Wonder Leads!

In my limited experience, little boys only stay little for so long and then they very quickly start pretending they are men. They drive trucks, dig holes and find sticks to turn into swords. You could simply say, boys will be boys. But in a very real sense they are practicing manhood and in particular they seem to be looking for examples of strength to imitate. 
It’s not that boys aren’t concerned with beauty –my boys are all amazing at picking flowers for me and definitely know how to make a room lovely. But from very young ages, I’ve noticed my four boys admiring strength and looking for chances to practice grit, tenacity, and courage. 
Our goal is ultimately to raise godly men –but what does a godly man look like? What characteristics are distinctively masculine in a Biblical sense? What makes a boy strong? And what sort of character qualities should we be looking to cultivate in our boys?

Four reasons I love homeschooling.
(As a second generation homeschooler.)
Christian Instruction 
Academic Rigor
Family Connection 
Flexible Lifestyle 
NOTE: Every family is different. Homeschooling isn’t right for everyone!! What’s good for one family might not be the best for another!! It is so sweet to enjoy the freedom to seek the Lord for guidance in what in each specific circumstance. <3 
Christian Instruction: 
I want to pass down to my children the faith that dwells in me. 
“ I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” -2 Timothy 1:5 
We cannot save our kids, but we can teach them what is true. Homeschooling gives me an additional 1,200 hours a year to declare to them the good news. 
"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'" (Romans 10:14–15)
Academic Rigor
God spoke and it came to be, described himself as the word made flesh, and has preserved his holy word through sacred writings (the Bible.) He is an orderly and faithful God who does not change. (2+2=4 anyone?)
When we train our minds to make sense of words and language, of order and logic, we enable ourselves to make sense of his world and more fully participate in the great, glorious, and holy conversation of knowing Him and making him known. 
As a homeschooler, I can be a student of children and determine the best materials to begin them on a lifelong pursuit of learning. 
“ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” - Deuteronomy 6:5
Family Connection 
I want my kids home with me. I also want them to be home with each other. I can’t force my kids to be friends. Sometimes kids will grow to be best friends and sometimes they won’t. But I can seek to order our time in ways that foster sibling friendships. 
Flexible Lifestyle 
Homeschooling means we get to (mostly) determine our schedule based on what is most lifegiving for our particular family. As a kid, I grew up riding horses and climbing mountains. I wasn’t hustled off to school. Instead, I spent hours upon hours playing outside. 
Harvard Medical School writes that free play shapes a child's brain — and bestows a lifetime of benefits. Research reveals the role of unstructured play in learning, self-regulation, and creativity. 
If my kids are in school –even a lovely Christian school –they are by necessity going to have less time at home to play and a more rigid schedule.