Quote from Forum Archives on July 24, 2013, 3:09 pm

Posted by: virginiaknowles <virginiaknowles@...>

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The Hope Chest with Virginia Knowles

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

(Traveling, Grieving and Transitioning)

July 2013

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Dear Hope Chest friends,

For the past several weeks, I have been traveling back and forth from Maryland because my mother had severe complications from back surgery (including a MRSA infection) and passed away last Friday after nearly seven weeks in the hospital.  We are preparing for her memorial service this Saturday.   I have only been home on and off for several days total since mid-June, and by the time I arrive home in a week, I will have been gone for 35 days total.  Fortunately, six of my children and I were able to spend two weeks here.  She passed away unexpectedly a week after we left, ironically the day when she was scheduled to be released from the hospital.  My husband and 10 children and their families will all be traveling up here in the next few days.  My daughter Joanna will fly back to Orlando on Sunday and then leave within hours for Tampa to fly to Australia for a semester abroad.  She will also visit New Zealand.   My daughter Julia and her husband arrived home from Bolivia while we were on vacation earlier this month, and I have had barely any time to catch up on her stories!

I also wanted to let you know that I will not be printing the Learner's Journals lesson planners or my other books this summer as I have done for many years.  The company which has printed them for me at a very low rate in the past is no longer doing small orders like mine and I have too few orders to make it worth looking for another more expensive supplier.  If you really like the format of the Learner's Journals, let me know and I can send you PDF files that you can print from home.  The other books are already available for reading on-line.

In other news, I have accepted a job teaching an integrated English & American history class at the middle school level at a Christian private / home school hybrid program.  I will be working three afternoons a week, and one of my sons will take high school classes there during the hours I teach.  My other four school aged children will most likely all be in public school this year.  That will be a bit of a transition for all of us. 🙂

Since I'm not writing any new articles specifically for the Hope Chest this time around, here are the links to what I've written on my blogs since the last issue.  After that, I am sharing one post from my Strength in Hymn series, this time on "Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us" with additional thoughts on gentle parenting and taking care of yourself.

Memorials and thoughts of various sorts about my sweet mother:

In Memoriam: A Tribute to My Mother, Mary Quarrier

• For All the Faithful Women (Strength in Hymn)

• Radiant Nurturer: Recent Photos of My Mother

Vintage Photos of My Mother

Clouds (Looking from Above)

Celebrations of Birthdays and Recovering

• A Bouquet for My Mommy
• In the Garden (When the Caregiver Needs Care)

• Comfort Food: Cherry Lemon Trifle (Gourmet with Dana)

 

My Traveling North vacation photo series:

Ft. Pulaski

Tybee Island

Historic Savannah

Chapel Hill

Luray Caverns

National Zoo

Visiting Great Grandmother

Swimming in the Patapsco River

Water Balloon Fight and Lacrosse Game

The Fourth of July and Smithsonian in D.C.

Celebrations of Birthdays and Recovering

Our Road Trip and a Little Care Giving 

Hiking at Catoctin Mountain Park 

Cunningham Falls State Park

Sarah P. Duke Gardens in North Carolina

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig!

    m 

(Yes, I did climb almost to the top of the rocks next to this 78 foot high waterfall!)

Inspirational:

You Have Loved Us First (Prayers by Søren Kierkegaard)

• Sweet Hour of Prayer (Strength in Hymn)
• For All the Faithful Women (Strength in Hymn)
• Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah (Strength in Hymn)
• Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (Strength in Hymn)
• Before the Throne of God Above (Strength in Hymn)
• In the Garden (When the Caregiver Needs Care)
• Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (Strength in Hymn)
• As a Tree Beside the Water (Strength in Hymn)
• Fairest Lord Jesus (Strength in Hymn)

• Power: What Price and Purpose?

  
  

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• My family:

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• Boy Joy
• Off to Bolivia They Go!
• Art Show Pieces and Another Graduate!

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (Strength in Hymn)

(Written in June)

Savior, like a shepherd lead us,

Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Thy folds prepare.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!

Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

We are Thine, do Thou befriend us,

Be the guardian of our way;

Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us,

Seek us when we go astray.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Hear, O hear us when we pray.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Hear, O hear us when we pray.

Thou hast promised to receive us,
Poor and sinful though we be;
Thou hast mercy to relieve us,

Grace to cleanse and power to free.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Let us early turn to Thee.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Let us early turn to Thee.

Early let us seek Thy favor,
Early let us do Thy will;
Blessed Lord and only Savior,

With Thy love our bosoms fill.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Thou hast loved us, love us still.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Thou hast loved us, love us still.

We sang this on Sunday morning at Lake Baldwin Church.

Listen to hymn and read hymn story: Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

My little girl started swim lessons (again) at the YMCA on Monday.  I woke her up shortly before we were to leave, and she was clearly not ready for morning.  Eating a bowl or cereal and finding her clothes seemed more than she could handle, and we exchanged not a few cross words.  To top it off, the parking lots at the Y were full, so we had to drive around the block and leave our van at adjacent Phelps Park.  Hurry, hurry, hurry!  Turns out the lesson started 5 minutes later than I thought, and we got to the poolside before the teacher.  After her lesson, since we were already parked there, we decided to take advantage of the playground at Phelps Park.  

What a precious time to spend with just her, the "baby" of my ten children.  Sometimes she gets lost in the shuffle.  Sometimes she gets lost in grumpiness -- hers and mine and the other people who live at our house.  But all the time, I need to follow the example of the Gentle Shepherd, Jesus, and be kind and tender to her.

I overheard a woman at the park speaking harshly to a young child who didn't appear to be doing much of anything wrong.  I've done that before, yet hearing it from someone else's mouth and seeing it on her face is like looking in a mirror and seeing a big blemish.  Ouch!  Why do we do that?  Is it because we are such evil people?  Not necessarily.  Sure, we're a bit selfish and impatient, but I don't think most of us are trying to damage our children with unkind words and glares.  I think perhaps we haven't allowedourselves to be led gently by Jesus.  We push, push, push ourselves beyond what is wise.   We don't get enough sleep, eat right, say "no" to cluttered schedules, or take care of our stresses and conflicts before they mushroom out of control.  We live life like it is all up to us, that we must control everything that happens to our children or else.  It must be just so, or we will be deemed as failures.  And while we push ourselves, we also push, push, push our children, often with disastrous results for all.  

Instead, we need our Good Shepherd to lead us as we lead our children.  Yes, we do need to lead our children intentionally and consistently.  This is my weak area, and I have so much to learn.  Grace does not mean just letting them do whatever they want.  We need to seek and restore them when they go astray.  We need to train them to stay on the right path.  Let's follow Jesus and do this thing right!

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."Isaiah 40:11

"As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."  1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 

Savior, like a shepherd lead us,

Much we need Thy tender care.

There is so much more I could say, but I will leave you with a list of links for more reading...

Articles about gentle parenting on my Come Weary Moms blog:

Tender Compassion for Mothers

Joyful Liberty!

Amazing Grace for Home School Moms audio

Child Discipline or Child Abuse?

Web Links about Parenting with Grace Instead of Authoritarian Legalism

Mothering by Faith and Grace

The Mom's Alphabet
The Thessalonians Prescription

Stop, Drop and Roll! (How to Deal with a Conflict!)

Setting Sensible Standards
Children: Life's Greatest Treasure

Reflections on Grace Based Parenting Book

Teaching Our Children to Walk With God by Shiela Catanzarite

Articles by Karen Campbell (That Mom)

The Sweet Life of a Homeschooling Mom Comes through the Law of Kindness 

The Fruits of Harsh Parenting

The Bible’s Pattern for Discipling our Children

Grace in Parenting Series

The "Yes" Face

Nurturing Our Children for the Glory of God

Articles by Sally Clarkson

First Time Obedience, Really?

Adversarial Parenting vs Advocate Parenting 

Advocate Parenting – Heartfelt Discipline

Holiness is Not Law-Keeping by Love-Keeping

The Mystery of Child Training: Where to Begin?

Articles on Mom Heart Blog:

He Gently Leads Those with Young by Misty Krasawski

Recharging with Nap Times by Jennie Nelson
Let the Children be Children by Deb Weakly

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Visit my web site at www.VirginiaKnowles.com