Believe: My "One Word" for 2018

On the last week of last month, an unexpected event happened. I got sick. Booh! And not just sick; I was hospitalised. Those days were the hardest for us, specially for my 6-year old daughter. For two nights, she slept with my aunt at home without daddy and mommy. It was heartbreaking for all of us. BUT God remained faithful (my one word for this year, 2017). In spite of my shortcomings, He was, is, and has always been faithful to me. I clung to His Word. He promised He will not leave me. And He didn't, not even for a moment.

Fast forward to today, I am very well, by God's grace, and once again, I am ready to share with you my "one word" for the coming 2018. :)

That time I was in the hospital, there was this word that kept tugging at my heart. Then a friend of mine sent me a get-well-soon-praying-for-you message together with this Bible verse: Mark 9:23. I knew I had memorized it before. But something told me that I had to open my Bible and look at it again. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Source: YouVersion Bible App

Then the word hit me. "Believe". Isn't this what the Lord wants me to do? Cling on to His Word like my life depends on it (and it really does!); trust that He will do what He said He would, and keep the faith.

Believe in who Jesus is (Worth)
Before we could ever believe everything that a person says, we must first know who or what kind of person he is, right? Is he credible? Is he trustworthy? Does he have integrity? 

Well, the good news is, Jesus is who He says He is! Not only that! Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles had said truthful things about Him. Even modern-day believers would also testify that Jesus is who He claims to be. So, what is the essence of believing in Jesus? The Bible says, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9). Believing in Jesus, the Incarnated Word, the One who is obeyed by the wind and waves, would mean salvation of our souls. The very reason why He came in the first place-why we have Christmas.

I believe in Jesus. He is my Lord and Savior. The wonderful thing though is, Jesus wants me to know Him more and believe in Him more. As He reveals Himself to me each and everyday, He wants me to believe His persona, His worth. 

Believe in His promises (Word)
There's a famous saying, "Promises are made to be broken." I'm sorry but I'm not one to believe that. Ever since I was a child. I knew in my heart that promises should be kept. It's one reason why my family says I'm like a child who always believes that whatever is promised to me, I hold on to it until I see that promise is fulfilled.

However, there are times when it comes to the Lord's promises, I am not child-like. Sometimes, it's easier said than done. But if there's one person who can keep his word, no matter what happens, it is the Lord. He never fails. He accomplishes what He says. He's a covenant-keeping God. He doesn't change. His Word is forever, eternal. 

When I was hospitalized, God made me realize how truthful and trustworthy His Word is. Everyday, He gave me His promise, "Do not be afraid." Whenever I looked at my situation at that time, my reality was totally different from my expectations. Yet, the Lord remained true and faithful to His Word. I just had to believe. It was like the Lord was telling me, "Are you ready to walk with me on the water?" And all He needed to hear from me was, "Yes, Lord. I am ready. I believe. I know we can do this." And we did! He never left me, not even for a single moment. All I needed to do was believe!

Believe in what He has done and can do (Work)
Jesus was born to die so that mankind would be born to live. That was what Jesus had done for humanity. He came to save us from sin and death. To believe this is to be entitled to eternal life. 

But Jesus didn't stop there. He keeps doing something in and through our lives, if we believe it. He is not yet finished. He who has begun a good work in us will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (see Philippians 1:6). Because we believe in Him, we can also do things through Him who gives us strength (see Philippians 4:13).

Jesus is still at work today. Through the Holy Spirit, those who believe in Him, are empowered to do great things for His glory. And then one day, everyone who believes in Him will receive the fulfilment of the greatest promise, that is, His second coming. He will take us to be with Him, forever.

I don't know what 2018 holds for me and my family. But I believe in Him who holds the future. When I was a kid, one of my favorite mottos to write in the slam book was: "To see is to believe." However, a greater truth I have known now that I'm older, spoken by the Greatest Man who had ever lived on earth: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)

What's your "one word" for this coming year? May you all have a prosperous and victorious 2018! May your heart believe that Jesus will do it, just as He says He would! And remember, "Everything is possible for one who believes." (Mark 9:23).

Learn with Joy: Why I Love Before/Five in A Row

Welcome back to our homeschool series. I know it's been a long while. I haven't written so much about our homeschooling journey for quite sometime. I have been meaning to share about it though, I just couldn't find the time to write. But I believe that is going to change now. 

I have always been asked about homeschooling my daughter. And honestly, that makes me so happy! I could go on and on sharing about what we do and how we do it. So, I guess, it's the perfect time to write about it, don't you think?

As I chronicle our homeschooling journey, my simple desire is to document our family's learning adventure and that somehow, when you read it, you would feel and realize you're not alone; that somewhere in the world, there's someone who gets what you're trying to say, who understands what you're feeling, and who believes that homeschooling may be daunting, but with God's grace and a support-community, it is doable. 

Now let me start by sharing what curriculum we are using for now. Currently, we are independent homeschoolers. And though there is a ton of great homeschool providers in the country, I believe that for now, this is where God is leading us, that is, to be independent. I'm simply following my daughter's lead, cues, and interests. I believe, we're doing more than okay, so that is why. ;)

The first time I've heard about Five in A Row (FIAR), I fell in love with it. I love story books. I love literature, so there's no question why I wouldn't love FIAR. But when I saw the manual and the books included in the list, I just couldn't resist it. So, we started using Before Five in A Row (BFIAR). BFIAR is a "prequel" (my own word) of FIAR. While FIAR is for kids from ages 4-8, BFIAR is for 2-4 year olds. It's an understatement to say that my daughter liked it. She was ecstatic every time we read a BFIAR book. She would always say, "Again, Mommy! Please read it again!" Together, we learned a lot from it and enjoyed every learning moment. So now that she's 6 years old, my husband and I decided to use FIAR as our  main curriculum for this year.

So, why do I love FIAR and BFIAR? Let me tell you the reasons. 

It focuses on developing positive attitude and character in the heart of a child.

I love to hear people say that my kid is smart and way beyond her years. But more than that, I prefer to hear them praise my daughter for being kind, friendly, and loving. And in our world today, one would think that it's really hard to raise such kind of kids. Good thing, there are helps available and I consider B/FIAR as one of them.

It cultivates love for reading and lets you rediscover the joy of learning.

"The more you read, the more things you know. The more you 

learn, the more places you'll go!" - Dr. Seuss.  We often hear this quote and we know it's true. As a child reads the classic stories of B/FIAR books, s/he hungers to read more and to know more. I have seen that in my daughter. She would always say, "More, Mommy, let's read more, please?" I don't even have to "teach" her. Because she's reading these books, she learns a lot on her own. She discovers what she needs to know and the joy it gives her is just priceless!

It presents simple lessons that are rich in results. 
It just amazes me how the simple lessons presented in this curriculum are expanding my and my daughter's learning horizon. Every time we finish reading a book, do some activities, I would often find myself with a smile on my face, excited with the relearning process and reintroduction to the subjects which I used to love but have already forgotten about because I'm now an adult. :)

It is so flexible you are given an option to do all or the activities that fit the needs of your learner.
Depending on your interests and time, you could choose an exercise or activity with your learner. Most of the time, I would let my daughter pick what she likes to do. The funny thing is, together, we would end up doing all the activities because she just loves doing them. From the suggested activities, ideas would pop up and then we would do them too! What I find interesting here is that, it's not just my daughter who is having fun. I also find myself glad and content that we are able to do and learn things together.

I simply love it. Period. Haha!
I simply love it! I'm a bookworm that's why I love the books that Five in A Row shares. I have never seen those books before when I was a kid. As I read each book with my daughter, I am like, "I wish I had read this when I was a kid." These books are classics and truly worth-reading and sharing. 

So, there you have it. If you are homeschooling and on the lookout for a curriculum for your little learner/s, give it a try. And I'm sure you will love it, as much as I do!

Note: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are personal and not in any way influenced by the author/s of Five in A Row.