Love, Believe, Smile, Pray — and Keep Your Eyes Off the Kangaroos!
Welcome to the first day of
During Celebrate Homeschoolers Week, I plan to send you a video post and a free printable each day. Those of you who had rather read today’s message than watch a video can find a print version below.
Click the button below to download a printable prayer reminder. Use the spaces inside the circles to write ways you want to be praying for your homeschool.
Print Version of Love, Believe, Smile, Pray — and Keep Your Eyes Off the Kangaroos!
A few months back Ray and I visited with a couple in their nineties. We have known, loved, and respected them for forty years. Ray wisely asked them to share the secret to having such a wonderful extended family of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. They told us these five keys: Love, believe, smile, pray, and don’t pay no ‘tention to kangaroos. The “don’t pay no ‘tention to kangaroos” part refers to a milk commercial that aired on television when Ray and I were children. When our friends brought it up, we both remembered it immediately.
Ray and I took Doug and Cora Beal’s advice deeply to heart. It is rock solid. Here are verses from God’s Word to prove it.
LOVE
Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another,
because love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8
It takes love to be a successful homeschooling family. We spend so much time together that we need fervent love to cover the multitude of sins we inflict on one another.
BELIEVE
And without faith it is impossible to please Him,
for he who comes to God must believe that He is
and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6
Teaching your children about the Creator of the world and the Son He sent to save them must be top priority for a homeschooling family. There just isn’t any more important subject.
SMILE
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
Philippians 4:4-5
A smiling mother is a joy, a comfort, and an encouragement to every child.
Before we get to the praying part of our friends’ advice, let’s talk a minute about that “don’t pay no ‘tention to kangaroos” advice. We absolutely need to stay on top of discipline as we homeschool and rear children, but there are times that we simply have to pay no ‘tention to kangaroos. These children God gave us are human beings and they deserve our respect, as well as our discipline. Sometimes a little child is going to do something that isn’t exactly wrong but that makes us want to crawl in a hole. That’s when we don’t pay no ‘tention to kangaroos. And sometimes a grown child is going to make a ridiculous decision and we have to pay no ‘tention to kangaroos again. The wise parent prays for wisdom to know when to warn and when to pay no ‘tention. This is what the apostle Paul told the Corinthians about that:
CONCERNING KANGAROOS
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous;
love does not brag and is not arrogant,
does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own,
is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7
The other piece of advice Ray and I heard from Doug and Cora Beal was to pray. I have met hundreds of anxious homeschooling mamas. The reasons behind your anxious thoughts are real and many, but you can pray and God will listen. He wants to hear every request, whether it is for world peace or that your little Jacob will learn to read or that your six foot tall Michael will finish his physics.
One time Ray and I were at a bluegrass show in a tiny town nearby. At the catered dinner beforehand, our host announced, “Prayer is illegal in Tennessee schools but we can pray here.” Then he asked the dinner guests who would like to ask the blessing. A man at the table next to us volunteered. You can pray in your homeschool, too – during your school day, for your school day, and for all the worries you have about your entire homeschool experience. This is what Paul told the Philippians about prayer:
PRAY
Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Those Philippians were surely like all us women. They had cause for sadness. They were tempted to be harsh. They were lonely at least some of the time, and perhaps always. They were anxious about a great many things. God understood this, so he gave Paul words of sweet comfort.
- You can rejoice always.
- You can be so gentle that everyone will know it.
- The Lord is near. You are not alone.
- You don’t need to be anxious about anything.
- God is waiting to hear every prayer, every supplication, every request about everything.
It is possible to be thankful. Peace — God’s peace — that defies all comprehension is available all the time. That peace will guard your heart and your mind — even your very own, very foggy one. All these things are available all the time in Christ Jesus.
And my God will supply all your needs
according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever.
Amen.
Philippians 4:19-20
Ah-h-h-h-h. That feels so good, so very good. Love. Believe. Smile. Pray. Don’t pay no ‘tention to kangaroos. I think I can remember that. Now the challenge for you and me is to do it every day.