We’re back! I’m so excited to be back to podcasting. Our goal is to share a new episode every week.

You can also watch the live video version on Youtube.

In this episode, Jonathan and I discuss failure, how to overcome feeling like a failure, and how to properly define success and failure so that we aren’t holding ourselves to impossible standards. As a homeschool parent, I feel like a failure often. It comes upon me when I try to go to bed at night: regret. Would have , should have , and could have abound. Tomorrow will be better I tell myself, only to discover that I fall just as short the next day as I did the day before.

The post Help! I’m Failing My Kids! appeared first on Homeschool On.

You know the popular saying, Ignorance is bliss ? So often in our lives it is easier to just pretend everything is okay and allow ourselves to be like a rubber dingy in the ocean, tossed around by the waves of what life brings. But this isn't what we were called to. You and I have been called to be rooted, to stand firm, to suit up, and to be on guard. We all talk about spring cleaning our houses, but what about spring cleaning our hearts? As quickly as our kids' bedrooms can be destroyed, our perspective can be tainted by the lies we believe and the license we give ourselves to be entitled to our feelings. Come join me for a podcast about taking your thoughts (and feelings) captive and how important it is to be on guard for those little foxes (Song of Solomon 2:14-16).

00:10 Welcome

01:06 Gather Round Retreat– Rebecca talks about what to expect and how it is an event for the ENTIRE family.

3:50 Intro

5:30 Are you bound?

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. - Galatians 5:1

7:32 How do we begin to recognize and break free from the yoke of slavery that we may be under?

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. – John 8:32

16:50 Limitations, lies, and fear of rejection

25:30 Standing firm requires effort

26:18 Earthly examples (Making decisions out of fear and anxiety)

34:15 Obedience trumps convictions

36:05 We don't answer to the world. Base your decisions on obedience to God and not on what others say.

Rebecca mentions this podcast: https://homeschoolon.com/podcast/gather-round/5-confidence/

39:27 Closing prayer

The post #9: Freedom appeared first on Homeschool On.

What are you taking ownership of? We’ve talked about taking our thoughts captive, but what happens when we don’t? Today we’ll be talking about some practical tools to get up and fight and teach our children. If you’ve been speaking “I am, I have, I’m not, I can’t, I don’t . . . ” it’s time to test them against the Word. Are they true? Are they life? If not . . . they’re about to get an eviction notice. This one’s a doozy!

The post #8: Ownership appeared first on Homeschool On.

Today's podcast episode is all about the heart: The power of a heart that has been unraveled and is weak so that He can be strong. Whether you are walking through a season of being undone or just feeling desensitized and not even realizing how hard you have become, God seems to be highlighting to be a recurring theme of the heart. Hear some real stories of the power of compassion and gentleness as Rebecca shares some of her victories and failures, and walk away with hope in the midst of your storm, or a call to action to rise up and engage in the battle that you are most assuredly in whether you are engaging in it or not. Be strong and very courageous, it's time to fight!

00:25 Intro

1:05 How do I get down to the softness in my heart? 

3:25 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35 

4:10 Love comes from a soft heart 

7:15 Point #1 A gentle answer turns away wrath. Proverbs 15:1 

17:20 Point #2 When you are in a season of being undone, there is humility.  Hebrews 12:6 (discipline) and Romans 2:4 (repentance)

22:22 Point #3 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. Mark 6:34 (compassion)

28:18 Is God allowing you to experience something because He wants to redeem it in your life? There is victory and life abundantly and God wants to bring you through the battle. 

31:50 Prayer

The post #7: Undone appeared first on Homeschool On.

To the overwhelmed…I see you. I see the weight that seems to be pressing in on all sides. I know what it is to feel like you can't breathe, to feel like you are failing on all sides. But I also know that the enemy of your soul wants you to believe it and stay stuck there and that is NOT what God has for you. Even in the midst of the storm, He has peace. Even in the midst of the pressure, He has joy. If you have been feeling crushed, come refocus your perspective so that you can remind yourself of what is true and start walking in victory. Come on and take my hand, and let's walk out of this pit together . . .

The post #6: To the Overwhelmed appeared first on Homeschool On.

Do you struggle with confidence? Do you feel like a wave blown and tossed by the winds of the many different opinions and perspectives that you are faced with? Are you often uncertain or plagued with doubt and insecurity? In this episode, Rebecca shares her life passage and the invitation she feels we have as Christians to rise up and walk in maturity to stop looking to the world for affirmation, confirmation, or qualification, and start learning how to hear God's voice and discern for ourselves. Whether you are insecure about your homeschool decisions, your theology, your marriage, your parenting, or anything else, this one's for you!

00:20 Intro

1:00 Insecurities, doubt and lies from the enemy

2:50 Rebecca shares her testimony and walk with Jesus in various stages of life

6:14 There's got to be more than this

8:00 Wrestling with who I am and who the world says I am

9:40 How do we walk in confidence in every aspect of our lives?

11:50 Rebecca shares some life verses (1 Timothy 4:12 and Hebrews 5:11-6:1)

14:25 How to grow in confidence #1: Hear His voice and discern

17:00 God delights in using the unexpected

19:50 None of us are without faults

24:00 Don't walk in fear (Pray, read, talk, and grow)

26:47 How to grow in confidence #2: Know who you are in Him

29:09 Rebecca shares a story of how God spoke to her through the story of the tortoise and the hare

31:53 How to grow in confidence #3: Grow roots and stand firm

34:44 God is calling us to rise up

38:00 Prayer

39:20 Rebecca gives some details for the Gather Round Canadian Retreat on Oct. 21-22, 2022 and the US Gather Round Retreat information (April 20-23, 2023). You can find out more details on these and other conventions that Rebecca will be at here.

The post #5: Confidence appeared first on Homeschool On.

Staying soft and flexible despite hurt and disappointment is not easy. It takes intentionality, it takes practice and purpose. Like a shield around us, we put up walls, distance ourselves, or become more rigid and set in our ways determined that we are right and only those who agree with us can stay. In today’s episode, Rebecca shares a picture God gave her of how we can stay soft and flexible even amidst the hurt and disappointment. It is much harder, but it brings freedom. Come sit at the table and let’s talk about it!

00:40 Intro (Rebecca will share stories and experiences throughout this episode)

1:33 What does stay soft mean?

4:00 Humility is key/learning through parenting

8:25 Confidence in homeschooling

12:45 Staying soft vs. staying flexible

15:20 Repentance is for all of us and should be a regular occurrence

16:45 Stable temperatures

19:53 Warming-up

23:00 In His presence/surrender

25:00 Sealing up the cracks/forgiveness

27:05 Ezekiel 36:26

29:45 Despite attacks, negativity or discouragement stay soft

32:18 Closing prayer

The post #4: Stay Soft appeared first on Homeschool On.

Are you hungry for true community and discipleship in your life or is God laying on your heart the desire to be that for someone else? Let's talk about it–what it can look like, what it definitely does not look like, and what she sees as some of the core problems. God is bringing healing and restoration to His body, and one of the ways He is doing this is through family and community. It is time for the older to teach the younger, for the mothers and fathers to rise up and speak life, and for us to lean on one another as the body of Christ.

00:15 Intro to the podcast

1:00 What is true discipleship? 

2:40 Who can you trust to be a true spiritual mentor? 

4:45 The disconnect with true discipleship in the church and community

5:40 The BIG problem

7:00 The early church vs today

8:35 Looking to those in the spotlight

11:00 Examples from the Bible

12:50 What discipleship is NOT

14:50 Rebecca shares a real life example from her childhood (discipleship isn't suppose to be exhausting)

20:40 Discipleship and community are interlinked

22:10 We are called to disciple our children but what happens as they get older? And what about parents with young children?

26:00 The game of life

29:15 God is not finished with you yet

30:30 How do we fix the lack of discipleship and community in our life?

36:25 What does this look like for me? 

39:55 Join in prayer together for restoration, healing, and unity in the body of Christ

The post #3: True Discipleship appeared first on Homeschool On.

Join Rebecca in her morning devotions as she shares from Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We’ll be talking about the difference between judgement and condemnation, the problem with extremism in the body of Christ, and how we can walk with discernment rather than judgement, being led by the Holy Spirit rather than our own self-righteousness. This is a dig deep, pull out your Bible, and “search me and know me” kind of episode . . . it ain’t no milk. If you’re hungry for a little bit of “spiritual solid food”, this one’s for you.

00:39 Intro to this episode (concept of condemnation)

3:28 How can we walk as Christians? 

5:54 How can we walk without compromise? 

8:11 Romans 8:1 

9:35 John 8:1-11 Jesus does not condemn us

11:25 Judgment vs. Condemnation 

13:55 Romans 2:4 His kindness leads us to repentance

15:25 Do people see us as following God's example? Do they see love? 

17:37 Judgment within our families, friends, or others we may be close to

20:00 The need for close community, discipleship, mentorship 

21:15 Speaking into others based on Holy Spirit

24:30 Judge not/Condemn not (Matt. 7:1, Luke 6:37, James 4:12)

27:55 Biblical truths vs what people say (balance)

30:50 God is bigger than we are and that's okay

32:25 When you aren't sure  

33:44 Discernment and being rooted in the Bible

37:00 Trusting God to do what only He can do

39:33 Prayer & preview for the next episode

The post #2: No Condemnation appeared first on Homeschool On.

For the first official episode of the brand new podcast Gather ‘Round with Rebecca Spooner we’re talking all about sustainable rhythms! For anyone who knows Rebecca, this may cause you to spit out your coffee in a fit of laughter, she is anything but sustainable. But join her as she shares her struggles, her burnout, her low points, and her failures and the calling God is laying on her heart to slow down and find some peace in the midst of the storms of life. Sometimes you can’t stop the doing life goes on, kids need you, businesses don’t “slow down” when you want them to but like Jesus, we can sleep in the bow of the boat, unconcerned. Like Peter, we can step out onto the water. Or maybe just like the disciples, we can only manage to cry out “Master! Save us!” No matter where we are at in our relationship with God, let’s stop trying to bail out the water on our own strength and take a minute to seek what God has for us instead. Join Rebecca in the midst of her storms and let’s have a tea party on the waves. From practical tips to real life, you’re about to get a front row seat to reality.

00:50 Intro

1:35 How to navigate these podcast

Real examples from Rebecca's Life

3:50 Gather Round beginnings and how things have changed through the years

5:55 Where Rebecca is currently (loss of motivation, follow-through, and excitement for new things)

Distractions

10:10 Attempts at trying to come up with some sustainable rhythms this year

11:35 The tortoise and the hare

14:00 Approaching burnout

16:40 How do I find joy without drowning in the storms? Expectations vs. Reality

Your Rhythms

20:00 Cyclical Rhythms (daily, weekly, seasonal)

21:15 Cyclical Rhythms (Biblical-weekly)

24:45 Cyclical Rhythms (Biblical-yearly)

Time Blocking

28:50 Realistic time blocking

30:10 The mom hat

32:00 Implementing the basics so we can avoid burnout and find success in the process

35:55 Prayer

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