Do Something Different ~ A Ladies Brunch

I mentioned in a previous post that I had planned a few "bright spots" in our schedule to help get us happily through the winter.

 Then my children and I fell ill so it all had to wait.

Well, I am thankful I was able to complete one of my ideas this weekend.

I hosted a brunch for the homeschool moms in our church.

Winter in the North can drag on and on for months after Christmas, and can have a really negative effect on a lot of people.

Most people will tell you that the way to combat this is by scheduling a trip to some warm, tropical place.

That certainly does the trick, and we've been lucky a few times to be able to do that ourselves. But that's not always realistic, and not everyone can travel.

If this is you, and you're struggling getting through the dreary, cold winter, you could try doing something different.

Some ideas I've had for this winter are... 

~ Try a new restaurant

~ Take a day trip to a fun place like a museum or discovery center

~ Read bright, beautiful books

~ Visit a relative

~ Reach out to minister to someone and get to know them better

~ Host an event at home

I decided to invite the homeschool moms at church to a morning of meaningful conversation and encouragement.

I prayed before the event that it would be a blessing for all who would attend, but in the end they all blessed me!

(Isn't that always how it works. *wink)

It was a wonderful time, and we are all talking about doing it again!

The homeschool lifestyle can be very isolating, and even though we know there are other moms out there doing what we're doing, it can still feel like we're on an island.

My vision was to create an opportunity where we could see each other face to face, and realize we are in this together. We share the same burdens and experiences. Let's support one another! 

Prior to the event I sent out a group text of a few discussion questions to get everyone thinking and excited to come.

I wanted to discuss things like...

~ How is God providing for your homeschool journey?

~ How has He blessed it?

~What's your daily schedule like?

~ What are you reading right now?

~ Do you have a prayer request or a question for the group?

~ Is there a Bible verse that has encouraged you?

I really wanted to take full advantage of our time together and make it uplifting and meaningful for all.

Once drinks were poured, plates were filled, and we were seated around the table, I said, "Well, ladies, I have no agenda and there's no guest speaker... WE are the agenda and WE are the guest speaker. This morning can go however we want it to go!"

What followed were a couple of hours of talking about what matters to us.

I've yet to meet a homeschool mom who isn't passionate about homeschooling.

Our heart strings are attached to every little thing we do in our home for our children. And we love talking about it!

Everyone who came was engaged, contributed to the conversation, and had valuable things to share.

Some even brought notebooks and pencils to take notes!

We encouraged each other with Bible verses, shared ideas, talked curriculum, asked questions, laughed and prayed.

My hope was that each lady would leave my home feeling encouraged and with some fresh inspiration. But I don't think anyone was more encouraged and inspired than me!

These ladies were very sharp and had excellent ideas!

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." - Proverbs 27:17

It was definitely a time of iron sharpening for me.

As we talked, I recognized how different homeschooling is lived out in each of our homes.

Some ladies have designated school rooms, others do school at the kitchen table.

Some have rigid schedules, others are more flexible.

Some are veterans who've been doing this for years, others are just getting started.

Some are very busy and on the go, others live a more quiet life.

That's the beauty of it! There is no right way. We can design our life at home with our children however we want!

As one of the mothers at the brunch reminded us, "Never stop incorporating what you love into your homeschooling, so that you don't lose your joy for it."

So... if winter is getting you down, do something different. For me is was a special treat to host a ladies brunch. What creative thing will you come up with? You are welcome to share in the comments.

Thanks for reading,

xo,

~ Courtney ~

(Because I tend to get negative feedback whenever I post about homeschooling, please note the true purpose for this post... I like to use my blog to record the things that I do at home. Sort of like a scrapbook or a journal for my own personal use. And if anyone stops by my blog, maybe it can also be an encouragement to them.)