By Jennifer Cullimore

 

All of us have different situations: Some of us have two parent homes, some (like myself) are single, some work outside of the home, and some work inside the home.  However, one constant that I’ve seen in most parents who homeschool their children with special needs is that most do not have a lot of time to themselves.  Because of this, our “cups can be empty” before we even realize it.

 

I’ve had people tell me, “Well you just need to get a babysitter and go out.”  But, it’s not always that simple.  A babysitter costs money (of which I have little) and few people are equipped to handle my kids.  Extra money to eat out randomly or schedule a mani or pedi is in short supply.  Despite these challenges,  I still need ways to “fill my cup.”  

 

Here are a few of my cup-filling solutions; maybe they will help you too!

 

Bedtime routines  

Even though we get off track during certain times, bedtime routines are essential to my survival.  My girls know that they go to bed and mommy gets some much needed time to herself.  Yes, sometimes I stay up far too late, but those few hours can energize me to tackle life!

 

Sleep

Sometimes I do stay up too late, but I also allow myself to get the sleep my body needs.  The beauty of homeschooling is that we don’t have to start our days on someone else’s timetable.  We have the freedom to begin at a time that works for us and our children. One of my children has gone through countless ear issues and is often up in the night with ear pain.  Because we don’t have to be out the door at 6:30 in the morning like some of our public school friends, we can start when she has had an adequate amount of sleep.  This makes our days run more smoothly.

 

Podcasts, YouTube and Sermons

Due to some of my kiddos’ issues, we are not currently active in a church.  However, I need to fill my spiritual cup as well.  I have found podcasts and YouTube to be a wonderful way to listen to Godly content and support from around the world.  I listen to Francis Chan, the Bible Project, other homeschooling mamas and uplifting people.  I can do this at night when the girls go to bed, or even when I am working on household tasks throughout the day.  My kids also enjoy their favorites: Psalty , kids worship songs, hymns, and so much more.  We are so blessed to be able to hear content from so many inspirational resources.

 

You may also want to consider listening or watching SPED Homeschool Conversations, our weekly live broadcast that you can watch live from 8pm to 9pm Central every Tuesday night or watch on-demand on our YouTube channel or download to your device from our podcast channel.

 

Time with the Lord

Personal devotions are also paramount to filling my cup.  Even when I get out of the habit, I can always jump back in.  At times I’ve found that groups on Facebook such as “Write His Word” are helpful for keeping me on track.  They encourage me to journal the Word of God.  By writing His word, I remember it!

 

You may also want to check out Peggy Ployhar’s personal YouTube channel, Daily Revelations, for her weekly bible study videos and companion planner you can use to study along book by book through the bible.

 

Art and Handicrafts

Unlike some other people in my family, I was not blessed with art genes.  But I love to create things.  I have thoroughly enjoyed the rise of “adult color books”.  Coloring is relaxing and somehow it triggers creativity in me.  So at night, you will often find me coloring while listening to podcasts.  I also enjoy crocheting and I’ve even begun to dabble in painting and drawing.  While none of my creations will be in an art museum anytime in the near future, they make me happy and bring peace.

 

 

 


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By Peggy Ployhar

When God first captured my heart, I remember long hours reading through bible studies and books on how to be a perfect Christian.  As I look back now, I giggle remembering how naive I was in thinking that books would bring me closer to God.

 

Perfect?  Maybe Not
In my mind, my new walk with Christ was perfect.  And, to add to this ideal scenario, I had been blessed by a perfect child.  My newborn was quiet, didn’t like a lot of my attention or to be held.  Plus, he liked a calm house just like I did.

 

Everything was working out great.  But, my world was about to abruptly change.  And, the faith I professed was to be intensely tested.  God, in His divine wisdom, loved me enough to show me I needed His truth not only in my head, but also in my heart…and it was through my very quiet newborn that His greatest tests would come.

 

True Faith Is Tested
Most parents with children on the Autism spectrum have already picked up on my newborn’s issues just by my description of him.  But, since autism in the mid-90s was not on the radar of most pediatricians, my son’s issues became an intensifying struggle for both him and me because we had nowhere to turn and no one to ask how to navigate the road we were on.

 

Adding to my blinded path, I was struggling with my own battles against anger and depression which were the result of my own autistic tendencies and sensory issues.  But God knew all these things even when I did not, and He knew how He would use them to bring me closer to Him if I chose to stay, learn, trust and grow in my faith.  And that is what I choose, amidst many tear-filled and heart-breaking days and nights.

 

Faith Made Real by Walking
What I learned through those 20 years of sticking close to God and holding onto the truth that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28) is that faith cannot become real if it is only thought about while sitting in a chair contemplating the greatness of God.

 

Instead, faith is a daily walk, trusting in God’s truths so greatly that you move forward each day expecting Him to do what is in His word despite what circumstances around you lead you to believe.

 

“I really would rather be in this wheelchair knowing Jesus as I do than be on my feet without him.”  Joni Eareckson Tada

 

Looking Ahead and Walking in Faith
Looking back on the difficult road God has so graciously walked with me on, I am grateful of the things He has allowed me to experience. Each difficulty has helped me grow closer to Him.  My trust in Him is more profound than I ever thought was possible.

 

As I look ahead to all that I don’t know about the future of my children, I know one thing: The God who created and loves them is always working out His good for the purposes He created for them just as He has for me.

 

 

 

 


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