Welcome to Simply Susan, where I write honestly about faith, marriage, motherhood and the everyday threads of God's grace.
So grab a coffee.
Pull up a chair.
I’m so glad you’re here.
FAITH
Learning to accept the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Trying to rebuild a relationship when there are two very different beliefs about the world, its Creator and therefore how we should live as well as how we see the current status of our relationship and everything surrounding it.
Today was one of those days. Of not coping. As much as I love them I am so over The Wiggles. Do the Propeller, Do the propeller around and around, We’re going up and up and up and up”
Stop Susan, have a normal conversation for once!
It’s been 16 and a half years since Mum passed away. I visited my Mum’s grave last week. And as happened in the past I got angry and frustrated. With myself. I don’t believe she is in the grave. Her body is but her soul has crossed from this earth and this time to that of eternity. I don’t see why the burial plot should hold significance for me.
How do you keep up with your adult children? How frequently do you talk to your kids and by what means? Just as my relationship with each child was different when we homeschooled, so it is now that they are adults. And so we have different ways and times with each of them.
I’ve felt like a failure as a mum. Every belief I had about God, man, myself, my husband, my educational and parenting philosophies were challenged. Nowadays I am confident about one thing. I was a good mum. I did my best. I am a good mum and I’m still doing my best.
Having naturally been a positive person it was a shock to accept that I was depressed. I thought I was stronger than that. Little did I realise that I was delaying any healing or growth.
God delights in us. Our lives don’t have to be full of rigidity, somberness and dull faces. We can live life! And have fun. We are allowed to enjoy life! In fact, He wants us to. He is pleasured when he watches us living and enjoying life within the environment He has provided for us.
I have searched through the Scriptures to see what the Bible has to say about the role of grandparent. There wasn’t a lot in the way of direct commands… but we know that God’s Word is wisdom and so from my reading I have collated some ways that I intend to be intentional… and grandparent with purpose.
2002 and 2013 – Flashback Friday
We recently became grandparents to three babies. All within three months! How did that happen? I’ve been busy helping when and where it is appropriate. I try not to overwhelm them with my thoughts, ideas and advice… they have enough of that already.
How do we eat spiritual bread that will satisfy us? How are we to work for the food that endures for eternity? Jesus says that the way to work for the spiritual food, is to “believe on Him.”
As parents we all want to raise our children in the ways of the Lord, to teach them His ways, to teach them His story. But there is so much to do, to read, to share. Where do we start? We start and end with the good news. But what exactly is this good news?
In which I share my thoughts on the harder role – being a wife or a mother.
God’s purpose for my teen is the hope that keeps me going.
My teen asked ‘why’ to everything and I wanted to ‘straighten him out’. God, being the Great Multi-Tasker, already had plans. God knew.
We believe that if we homeschool a certain way, then we will achieve parenting and homeschooling success. But we make a grave mistake if we attempt to use any kind of formula
Stories are relational, opinions are more like facts. Grace and truth are conveyed through stories. Stories have characters, actions and outcomes which all takes time to be played out. They are intricately woven and allow the listener to make their own rich connections. Stories communicate much, although it’s not always so easy to find the ‘moral’ of the story, if there is indeed one moral to be learned.
Ask an average homeschool parent about self harm and they will likely look at you with a quizzical look. Self harm is what other kids do. Right?
There is a difference between hearing about, believing in Christ and receiving Him. Only those who receive Him become God’s children. Jesus is the only way to God. What does it mean to receive Jesus? “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God…” John 1:12
He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. John was merely the forerunner who announced the coming Messiah. Like John, we bear witness to the light but it is Christ in us which shines! Everyone that sees us – sees a few gleams of the true Light.
John the Baptist was sent by God. He was equipped and commissioned by God for a special ministry....
In the beginning was the Word… In the beginning, before the time when heavens and earth were even...
I’m a Christian, a homeschooler, a Christian homeschooler. I’m all this and much, much more. But I’m also none of those things. I do not like labels. I don’t like to ‘follow’ or adhere to any particular preaching or teaching. However, for those who really need labels to help define a site or person it might be said that I lean toward a Puritan, Reformed and Calvinistic mindset. You can see my thoughts here on even calling myself a Christian! Why do we need labels? Why do we feel the need to rally together under any other banner other than Christ?
God does not desire that we work our way to Him or that we try and make something of ourselves apart from Him. The story of the Tower of Babel is mercy in action.
The world Noah grew up in sounds very much like our own. How can we possibly miss seeing Jesus in the account of Noah? God’s promises concerning him shine brightly out of every single event.
A word of encouragement for all women on Mother’s Day. Those who are hurting or feel like a failure. As women, daughters of God we have a purpose, the same purpose.
Are you trying to hide from God? Are you embarrassed or ashamed of something in your past or even now in the present? Then this study of Genesis is for you!
I once met a woman whose children and/or husband didn’t celebrate or surprise them on...
A Bible study where we learn of the newness of the world and how The Eternal Word Illumined the darkness, ordered the chaos, filled the emptiness and breathed the breath of life into man and then… rested.
“Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament: The Promised One” Promotional Video
Nancy starts by telling us why we’re starting our study of Genesis with the end of Jesus’s earthly ministry. For it is there that something is revealed that makes us want to go back to the very beginning. This week we’re beginning at the end and next week we continue at the beginning!
Introduce yourself: Post a comment on the Meet n Greet Bible Study Page with your name, where you are from, and answer to this question- What is your favourite story from the Old Testament?
Are you getting ready for the Bible Study, Seeing Jesus in Genesis: The Promised One? We’ll “meet” once a week, starting on Monday. Various other FAQ
Join me for a 10 week journey through the OT, as we see Jesus in Genesis, using the study guide called The Promised One by Nancy Guthrie
A little bit pregnant? A little bit alive? A little bit dead? Nope! You are either are or you are not. So why do we expect godly behaviour from those who are not alive in Christ?
The apostle Paul acknowledges the influence of Eunice & Lois upon Timothy’s life… he was acquainted with the Scriptures from childhood. Encouragement to expose our children to our rich faith.
I do my best to be the wife, the mother, the friend that God wants me to be but I cannot escape the fact that God is The One who holds my future in His hands, despite what I do or don’t do. Do your best and leave God to the rest. Our hope is in Him. He is the great Healer, the restorer. He is our Saviour, Our Lord and our Master. He is more than capable. Share His goodness with your children every day. Yes train them, guide them, discipline them. But always be pointing to His goodness, His strength, His power, and His sovereignty. This is the way to teach your children that they are saved by grace, not works.
I want to honour the ordinary, to be fully present in the moment… to savour the little pockets of time that so often go by unnoticed. I want to fully engage with whatever it is that my hand is doing at the time. I want to connect all parts of me – head, hands and heart.
Five Things that I Firmly Believe and are the most important to my life as a Christian. I believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God. It is the final authority for faith and practice. I believe in one God, who is Creator of all, who has revealed Himself in three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
As I look through the Scriptures I simply cannot see where being a mother means that I will become more humble. I have learned that God uses the everyday circumstances of our lives to do His amazing, transforming work in our lives but He can do this with any circumstance. He’s not limited to using parenthood!
If you are a homeschooling mama of little ones, how long do you spend reading either God’s Word or a devotional every day?
Your life has purpose. Your family has purpose. Your homeschool has purpose. You know what is important to you. And you know what is in your heart. But maybe you haven’t expressed it with words nor put it on paper. Yet doing so is a very beneficial action that will help you and your family throughout your life. A Family Mission Statement is an effort to define the vision of your family and therefore the mission or purpose of your family.
I don’t parent from fear now. And I don’t anymore. But I did. And I see similar actions from young parents- tactics used to control, cajole, manipulate or micro manage their children. I see some parents who are so scared of letting their children make mistakes.
It’s not possible nor reasonable to train or teach every child every thing they need to learn. I don’t need to do it all. Just as God is perfecting in me His work, so He is with the children. I am not perfecting them – He is. God has begun a good work in me and He will continue it until the Day of Christ.
Meaty Bible study for teens, young adults and new/young believers. This book is not devotional in nature. The concepts it deals with are meaty. But it is written in a way that even children can understand. There’s no reason not to learn doctrine when there are truth-filled, helpful books such as this. Letters to Brian & Daniel will clearly impart wisdom on the nature of God, the nature of man, the sovereignty of God, salvation, grace, faith, law and freedom.
I’m not scared anymore. And it’s beautiful. Freeing. Relaxed. And joyful.Too often I tried to influence my little ones. Tried to control them. I micro-managed them. The lessons God has revealed to me have been the only thing that keep me going at times. It is not hopeless, but it isn’t just about homeschooling- it is so much bigger than that. God wants to reach you, to teach you, to blow your mind with Himself. But sometimes, like with me, He has to get some stuff out of the way so that we will listen. To parent out of freedom and grace is refreshing. It’s totally liberating!
How I survived and thrived homeschooling for 15 years even through surgery and illness.
How I survived and thrived homeschooling for 15 years even through surgery and illness.
Learn the Bible in 24 Hours is presented by Dr. Chuck Missler of Koinonia...
As a woman of the word, I need to guard my heart and mind. I do not need to be about gossip and ‘knowing who said what to whom’. I need to be about the word and serving others. I will continue to use fb as a way of sharing but forgive me if I don’t comment on your walls or updates. I need to guard my heart, be careful to not be a busy body, be busy at home and not be idle. This is my weakness… and as such my course of action.
Kerugma Family Bible reading guide for use with young children. This guide is a no-fuss, easy to...
Kerugma Family Bible reading guide for use with young children. This guide is a no-fuss, easy to...
Month 2: Kerugma Family Bible reading guide for use with young children. This guide is a no-fuss, easy to implement, overview of the Bible for the whole family. Preschool homeschool bible study.
Kerugma Family Bible reading guide for use with young children. This guide is a no-fuss, easy to implement, overview of the Bible for the whole family. Preschool homeschool bible study.
A woman’s visit to the doctor reveals a surprising diagnosis 🙂
10 ways to nurture your children and your relationship
Motherhood matters by Mary K. Mohler
I have previously linked and recommended an online sermon by Paul Washer… called the...
I’ve often been asked to share what our Bible study looks like using our methods as outlined in a Bible Based Education. Here is a quick lesson. Bear in mind that I didn’t write this lesson plan before hand…I was reading it in my Bible during my quiet time and thought it was too good (read: relevant) to not share with my children.
Which Bible do we use? Quite a few! Some are better than others for reading or studying. What am I...
Bible reading plans and charts. Bible study helps. Homeschool bible study. family bible study
What we desperately need is a return to the biblical principles of parenting. Christian parents...
How do you learn? Who I am, how I learn, what I believe makes up who I am as a parent, and...
Links to free Christian Bible helps for young children.
Is there anything better as a parent, than to witness one’s adult child profes their love...
Be in it but not of it. It is 10min long but grab a cuppa and be prepared!
I feel intense pain in this step of my parenting journey… for one of my children has disconnected well before they are ready. The child is bruised and hurting, therefore I am too.
Ephesians 1:4-6 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless...
Is obedience all that God wanted? Is it possible to obey God yet not trust Him thus missing out on a relationship with Him? Can we trust without obeying? Where does relationship fit?
We’re certainly not to think that God’s sovereignty in salvation means the way we raise our kids is immaterial. God often uses faithful parents as instruments in the salvation of children.
Originally posted in Jan, 2006. This isn’t an original idea but something that I have just printed...
What legacy am I leaving for my children? Am I excited about what God is doing in my life or has done for me? Do I share my walk with my kids? How are they to ‘catch’ my passion if I don’t share it with them?
What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did...
Friday: From the Archives Each Friday I plan to post a previous post from the archives. Hope you...
To go along with the quote I posted reviously, here is another one. Ouch! Yes, God I know…...
God’s initial goal for Christian homeschooling families is not the raising of godly children. Instead, God’s wonderful, but subtly hidden agenda is that the homeschooling experience be so challenging for the parents that they feel the need and hunger for a closer walk with their heavenly Father.
I love my children! I don’t want kids. Do our words matter? Does it make a difference if we refer to our children as ‘kids’?
There was a time when I banned the word ‘teen’ from our home. Being that the concept...
“ The goal of this system is simple, and twofold: To know scripture, and to love and obey God...
The Chief End of Homeschooling: there is an eternal reason for all this mess, untidiness, and constant training. That reason is that God wants ALL of us- our entire life. Our goal is to love God and glorify Him forever – in the midst of spilled Weetbix and poopie nappies and children that can’t spell.
Knowing I was going to be laid up recently I had been on the lookout for a new fiction book. I...
I don’t want to play the game of religion. I don’t even want to play the game of Christianity. I want to know God and I want to walk with Him. There was a time when I felt secure in my life because of certain ‘religious’ activities, but God has been pruning these things out of my life, showing me how unimportant they really are to relational living. This post about my devotions and quiet times.
“Read the Bible daily. Make it part of every day’s business to read and meditate on some portion...
Begin reading your Bible this very day. The way to do a thing is to do it, and the way to read the...
Noteworthy Free Bible Studies for homeschool, high school, family and personal use.
Sample lesson Kerugma Bible study, based on Proverbs 26:17
When I see the way that God parents me I am more able to parent my children in love, in grace…with discipline as it should be – loving discipline. Discipline that restores, not tears down or breaks hearts. Every action the Father does toward me is one of restoration, although I don’t always see that at the time. But it is. That is His nature and I trust Him.
I learn more about the nature of God through being a parent. I delight in watching and being with my children. Yet I am only a reflection, a shadow of the True Parent. How much does God, the ontological parent, delight in us?
Just a quick note to let readers know that I have added a few more downloadable freebies to the...
Curriculum Planning: Why does the appearance of what we do always change? Because learning at home adventure is not static- because one size does not fit all, because each of my children are unique in their needs and interests, passions and gifts. Focus on your priority goals and be surprised at results. Every lesson that you learn along the way should be shared with your children. They will learn along with you and these life lessons are the most important. This allows for births, deaths, marriages and all those other real life circumstances that will interfere with your lovely homeschool plans! But, they are most important- for they are real. Know your goals. Know your limitations. Know that God is in control.
The lights are on but nobody’s home. I was physically present but emotionally absent from my home and the lives of those most precious to me.
Bible study scope and sequence
Sadly, I think there is a lot of myth and fear surrounding the teen years, especially amongst home schoolers. There comes a time in everyone’s life where they start to examine and question the big issues of life: why are we here? Who put us here? What happens when we die? Our answer or thoughts to these questions make us do the things we do. This isn’t always direct rebellion, it is a natural part of a healthy life.
My family has been laid down with a horrid flu-like virus/bug. It is nasty. Fever, nausea, body...
Are we raising our children to live in this world as productive members of the community where God has planted them or are we raising them for something else? We have a deliberate and purposed training plan for our children. There are things that we discuss, read and watch that may not be ‘pure’ as such, but we find them to be a beneficial training aid which assists us to work toward our goal. Musings from the pen of a 38-year-old woman who has lived a full life, and had many experiences which has shaped my view of the world. I endeavour to follow Jesus and live by the word of God. So, with that in mind, if you dare, read on…
This day was the beginning of a new routine for us, in that we haven’t done...
BEEP BEEP BEEP screeches my alarm clock at the sadistic time of 5am. Ugh, I have to get up early...
Often the Bible is like a mystery- we want to read it and study but how? How can we study the Bible for ourselves, and lead our children into a lifetime love of study of the word of God? The Bible isn’t an easy book to read, let’s be honest about it. In fact, it isn’t one book- it’s a whole library containing sixty-six books! However, that shouldn’t deter us from reading and understanding it. It’s good that we desire for our children to read the Bible. This site is an attempt to give you some tools to do just this: read, understand and communicate the word of God.
Bible Translations… which Bible is best.