Fall: The Season of Change

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=220 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="68464643.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Crooked Pines Ministries"><U><IMG SRC="040bf930.gif" border=0 width="191" height="147" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Glance at Reading Readiness"><U>A Glance at Reading Readiness</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Look at Peppermint and Slippery Elm Ba"><U>A Look at Peppermint and Slippery Elm Bark</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id105.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Pleasing Palette"><U>A Pleasing Palette</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Treasure So Fine!"><U>A Treasure So Fine!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Amazing Grace or Flaming Rebellion"><U>Amazing Grace or Flaming Rebellion</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Aunt Bettys BBQ Sauce"><U>Aunt Betty's BBQ Sauce</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id146.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Back to School"><U>Back to School</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Beginnings of Habit"><U>The Beginnings of Habit</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id68.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Being Poured Out"><U>Being Poured Out</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Broccoli Chicken Casserole"><U>Broccoli - Chicken Casserole</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Building Habits on the Dry Bones of Educ"><U>Building Habits on the Dry Bones of Education</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id144.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Choosing Curriculum for the new year"><U>Choosing Curriculum for the new year</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Comforter: the Fabric of Our Lives"><U>The Comforter: the Fabric of Our Lives</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dwelling in Safety"><U>Dwelling in Safety</U></A></div> <div> Fall: The Season of Change</div> <div> <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fighting Burnout with Scriptural Promise"><U>Fighting Burnout with Scriptural Promises</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For the Love of Ginger"><U>For the Love of Ginger</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL "><U>From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL - A Covenant Journey Part 1</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL "><U>From Claddagh, Ireland to Florence, AL - A Pure Vessel Part 2</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Get Ye unto Your Tents... and REST!"><U>Get Ye unto Your Tents... and REST!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Habit of Dawdling, The Cure"><U>The Habit of Dawdling, The Cure</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Happy is the Mom Who Puts Her Trust in t"><U>Happy is the Mom Who Puts Her Trust in the Lord</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Have You Been Working Out?"><U>Have You Been Working Out?</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id79.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="His Love"><U>His Love</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home Educators and their Books"><U>Home Educators and their Books</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id83.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Homeschooling... 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Woodis</B></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Fall: The Season of Change</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.hisimage.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.hisimage.org"><U><IMG SRC="05193950.jpg" border=0 width="147" height="149" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Fall: The Season of Change</div> <div> By: Mary E. Woodis</div> <div> Background passage: Isaiah 61:1-3</div> <bR> <div>      Change is all around us and working in each one of our lives. The nights are cooling and a delightful breeze freshens our days; fall is upon us. I delight in the showers of leaves, the glow of the red berries on the dogwood trees and the asters blooming along the roadsides. Change is a natural part of our lives. It must seem odd to you that I am writing on change, when only last month I was writing to you of consistency and scheduling. Believe it or not, these two go hand in hand. In order to have a strong system you must be flexible. You must be willing to grow and change.</div> <bR> <div>      The very essence of strength in flexibility has been proven to us in a powerful way over the last month. As four major hurricanes have devastated Florida, I have noticed this principle at work. The huge oak trees have fallen, but the supple palms are mostly still standing. The very face of Florida is changing right before our eyes, but the one thing that comes to our minds when we think of Florida has remained the same; palm trees and sand, they are still there. Those that were most flexible still stand.</div> <bR> <div>      Our background passage for this month is all about change, change that our Dear Lord will bring. These changes are: healing, liberty, opening of prisons, comfort, consolation, beauty, the oil of joy and the garment of praise. Why all the change? The last part of verse three tells us that it is so He may be glorified. Our very purpose for living is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. I wonder what change must happen in your life so that you can learn to enjoy God more fully. </div> <bR> <div>      As we have handled record-breaking new enrollment in Creekside Academy, we have learned to be flexible and enforce change. It has been very rewarding to see the order that has come out of the chaos. God has impacted so many lives and I have seen women step up to the call and become strong leaders. The vision that was birthed in my heart so many years ago is becoming a reality. Change can be hard, but it involves prisoners being loosed from bondage and those who have mourned being comforted. Change is good!</div> <bR> <div>      A change for me this fall came in the form of Bible Study. For this season I am a student instead of a leader. It has been very refreshing to me be in this position. My current study is in the book, "The Heart of Anger" by Lou Priolo. I have learned life-changing truths from this study. In the following section I would like to share a few of them with you.</div> <bR> <div>      Lou introduced us to The Communication Pie. This pie is divided into three parts: words, nonverbal communication and tone of voice. Learning to choose appropriate words is a biggie in our home. There is always more than one way to get things said and we are striving to apply Proverbs 15:28, "The heart of the righteous studies how to answer." Basically, what we are studying is how to confess our wrongs and seek forgivenss using spiritual thoughts and spiritual words. This is according to 1 Corinthians 2:13, "Which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual (thoughts) with spiritual (words)." I am learning to apply scripture to every thought when I have a problem. This is easier said than done, but we are making progess.</div> <bR> <div>      The next section of The Communication Pie is nonverbal communication. This can include body language, facial expressions (countenance) or gestures. There's been a lot of light shed in recent years on body language so I will only say this: the next time you confront your child with sin, pay attention to the look on your face and what you are doing with you hands. What are you communicating with your body language? </div> <bR> <div>      Then there is your facial expressions, your countenance. The scripture that we are working toward in this area is Ecclesiatstes 8:1, "A man's wisdom makes his face to shine and the harshness of his countencance to be changed." Here again we find that the wisdom of God can bring about change! Your face can reveal so much that you are not even aware of. Your eyes are the window to your soul and one must merely look inside to see your heart. Your face can reveal pride, anger bitterness, fear, rebellion, guilt or selfishness. But it can also reveal "... the fruit of the Spirit... love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Gal. 5:22-23 Remember: "What God does, He does well."</div> <bR> <div>      Finally we have the tone of voice. Oh my, so much can be said for this! How often I have wished that my tone of voice could be expressed in writing whether it was articles, books or e-mail. Your tone of voice can express your heart much more effectively than words ever could. Saying "I'm sorry for being so foolish" can mean absolutely nothing if your tone of voice is harsh. Proverbs 15:1 expresses this so well, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." If you are apologizing, shouldn't your answer be gentle? So, we are working on our tone of voice as we speak as well. Again, we find this reflecting what is in our heart. Do you see a major heart change in order? This whole process of change is bringing so much peace to our home. The first change had to come from my heart. Only then could I begin to bring change into my home.</div> <bR> <div>      If this is your first year homeschooling you have already experienced major changes in your home. I pray that things are going well for you. I pray that you have learned to be consistent but flexible. In the days ahead the "new" will begin to wear off of this adventure. Please don't isolate yourself when you hit a rough spot. Find a veteran homeschooler and discuss your problems with her, even if it seems unrelated to homeschooling. You might be surprised just how much really is! </div> <bR> <div>      Homeschooling is not just something you do certain hours of the day, it is truly a lifestyle that changes every area of your life. When people find out you are a homeschooler they will respond to you differently, they might ask questions that you are unprepared to answer, they might make rude remarks. Their responses don't have to be received as hurtful. We can choose to make them useful. Sometimes it helps to look for a kernal of truth and learn from it or use it as encouragement. </div> <bR> <div>      Yes, as homeschoolers we are different, we are supposed to be. We don't want to just do "school at home", we want to give our children the tools of learning. These are the tools that will enable them to become lifetime learners. That makes us different. Our children will not look like, act like, think like or learn like the children in the institutions. They will learn better, think deeper, and act more mature.</div> <bR> <div>      So, whether you are a rookie or you are a veteran I hope you will find encouragement hear. I wish you change and new seasons. I pray you will grow up to be more like Christ and less like those around you. I pray your prisons will be opened and the Potter will make you new. Our Dear Lord said, "For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'" O dear friends, embrace the changes that your Father is bringing your way. Be flexible in the winds of change, learn to let go and let God!</div> <bR> <div> Wishing you showers of leaves and golden rods to pave your way,</div> <div> Mary E. Woodis     </div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.countryclipart.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.countryclipart.com"><U><IMG SRC="4dbc2510.gif" border=0 width="194" height="81" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="#__crooked_pines_publishing__________" TITLE="Fall: The Season of Change"><U>back to the top</U></A></div> <bR> <div> This page last updated October 2004</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>