Discipleship, Identity, and Homeschool Priorities (with Kristi Stephens)

Homeschool Conversations with Humility and Doxology

Are you weary or worried, homeschool mama? Then this is the episode you need to hear today. Kristi Stephens is a Jesus-loving homeschool mom of 4. She shares encouragement for finding our identity in Christ, homeschooling in the midst of foster care and adoption, resting in the season to which God has called us, the joy of Morning Time, and more. You’ll leave this episode reminded that God is faithful and will equip you to accomplish that which He’s called you to do. Show notes and full transcript: https://www.humilityanddoxology.com/kristi-stephens FREE Homeschool Planning Guide: https://humilityanddoxology.com/homeschool-planning-guide

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Here's an excerpt from my Homeschool Conversation with Kristi Stephens: "It is hard and it is hard to manage all of these things simultaneously. Obviously, as a homeschooling family, we have a lot of plates that we’re spinning all the time as we’re trying to be with all of our kids individually and together and make sure our homes are somewhat not falling apart. When we added in me working part-time, that was another stretching point. Then when we went through foster care and adoption, it was very challenging. I would say one of the biggest things that grew me was learning to be disciplined with my time and advocate for our family. I’m a people pleaser by nature, and so I am usually very quick to just bend to whatever works for everybody else, whether it is for work, or our social workers, or whatever they needed. It was really stretching for me to have to advocate for our family and say– Again, that Morning Time piece was critical to say, “Our mornings are sacred and so I can’t do things in the mornings, so here is when I am available, here is when I can do things,” and really recognizing my limitations and being willing to verbalize those to other people. I would love to do that, but we just can’t... Foster care really pushed us to see our limitations of what types of things we could step into, what types of things we could manage. I had to really advocate with our county and our workers of when I could transport, and when I could go to meetings, and when I was available, and when I was not, and that other people wouldn’t treat our homeschool as something worthy of respect. I needed to treat it as this is untouchable time. Just like if I was at work and not reachable, this is how it is when we’re in the midst of especially morning time. That really became more and more critical to us to just protect that time. I think personally things that the Lord grew me in was where I was finding my identity, and I think we’ll talk about this probably more going forward. If I’m finding my identity in being homeschool mom of the year, I will find myself overextending and taking on things I can’t manage. If I’m finding my identity in being super foster parent who can do all the things, I will overextend and I will take things on that I cannot manage, and I will burn myself out. I will burn my family out. Whatever season that I’m in, if I take that as my primary identity instead of I’m a disciple of Christ, and these are the things he’s entrusted to me today. What will I do today with this time and be faithful in that, and recognize that my limits are gifts from him. I can’t say yes to everybody, and that’s kind of hard. I mean, it’s a hard lesson for people pleasers to not say yes to everybody."