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 gu…

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…

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 st…

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 p…

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 matur…

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…

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 …

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…

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 failure…

Who is Rebecca Spooner? What is this podcast about? In this intro, hear how Rebecca hopes to use this podcast to talk freely about whatever God is laying on her heart. Come walk alongside Rebecca for encouragement as God uses her journey and imperfections to point everything back to Him. The post Gather Round with Rebecca Spooner (Intro) appeared f…

This past week I have been wrestling. Wrestling with my Christian response to everything that is happening right now in our government, in our country, in our province. God, when do I stand, when do I wait? The biggest thing I am personally feeling (and I do believe we all have to go to God for that answer for our own families) is that there are so…

Have you ever faced a season in your life where you just feel lost in a sea of mud? Maybe you are facing judgement and condemnation, maybe you are feeling pressured or rejected, maybe you are busy and overwhelmed. Whatever the situation is, the idea of running your race can feel downright daunting. In today’s long-overdue podcast, I share from the …

Today’s episode is all about the tongue. In our reading through the rest of 1 Samuel this week and David’s psalms and praises, I have been so struck by the power of our words. From declaring who God is, to declaring to our soul, to speaking truth, to being for peace… it can be incredibly difficult to remember that our words are powerful and also as…

In our Bible reading plan (which you can download for free by the way) we have been reading about David, who was known as being a man after God’s own heart. And it made me ponder why. Why was he called that? Who were the “greats” in the Bible, the fierce women in the Bible, and what traits set them apart? How can we learn from them and cultivate th…

I actually recorded this podcast last week but have been so busy I never got around to posting it. For anyone wanting the most instantaneous podcast updates, I am now posting them first in my free app: Gather ‘Round Homeschool as soon as they are done simply because I don’t have to write a blog post to go with it so it is fast and easy. However, th…

It’s been a long time guys. I’m tired: 3 launches this month and 2 next, online conventions and the insanity of covid-19. I edit, I write, I pray, I homeschool, I don’t cook very often these days so I send Jonathan out to buy food, a lot. Then it starts all over again the next day. Nights are too short, days aren’t long enough, and on and on it goe…

Even in the storm, he is good. Even in caronavirus, he is good. Today’s episode is a bit different than some of my others. We talk about the current situation that is impacting everyone everywhere in this completely new way and my thoughts on it. I tie in what I’ve been learning in Job and how I feel like that applies to this situation we are facin…

Welcome to our first podcast about our Read Through the Bible in a Year plan! I am fascinated by Genesis. Beginnings are telling, are they not? We get a glimpse not just at a different time period, but of a different set of rules. A set of rules where there was no sickness, where the world was as God intended it to be. A world with no sin, no death…

Spiritual authority: what does that mean and what does it look like? Do you ever feel tired of praying for something and feeling like your prayers aren’t powerful? Today’s episode is my musings on spiritual authority and what I feel God has taught me about this topic. It isn’t about praying a certain way or using certain words. It isn’t a recipe or…

Today I am so incredibly excited to be announcing the release of the completely free chronological bible reading plan that I created. This has been something God laid on my heart a few months ago that I put on the shelf but I have felt really strongly that this is supposed to happen so here it is! Most people start these in January, but we are not …

Today I talked about everything, just processing all the changes, all the things I think God is calling me into for this blog, podcast, page, group, etc. and where that all came from. I talk about my testimony, I share my heart for why worldview matters, I talked about my speaking schedule, the plan for our Godcast on Wednesdays, some concerns I ha…

I got nothing, no fancy blog post, no fancy pictures. But I figure I can post this episode or I can wait until I have time to blog about it. In today’s episode I interview my 6 year old daughter, and then I finish it off with my thoughts on our interview. If you are homeschooling preschool-grade 1-ish I hope it is encouraging to you whether your ch…

From the earliest I can remember, I was a “Christian”. The word itself grades on me. I feel like it doesn’t mean what it should mean, I feel like it doesn’t accurately portray my relationship with God. You see, I am not a go to church on Sunday, pray when life is hard, ask God for help when I need it kind of Christian. I am a on-fire, worship Him f…

Someone, somewhere out there, is going to be offended by my title. And if you are offended by my title, you will MOST definitely be offended by my examples in today’s podcast episode. Addicted to curriculum, something we laugh about and yet something that can have serious damaging effects on our homeschool journey: discontent, lack of joy, overwhel…

Earlier this week I posted a podcast episode where I promised a mid-week special. It is late, but it is here! Today’s podcast is a Godcast… it’s all about Him. I hardly mention the word homeschooling so I want to make sure that everyone knows I’m going deep and wide today and am not staying on the topic I usually do. Today I will be posting my new …

I am hesitating. It is 9am, hours after my podcast normally goes live and here I sit convincing myself that this one should just sit on the bench. But somewhere along the way, I have learned that it is often these posts, these videos, these podcasts that I don’t want to post, that I doubt… that are meant for someone specific. I don’t know who you a…

Unqualified. It’s just a word, but it is also a judgement based on someone’s opinion. What qualifies you to teach your children or walk in your ministry or help anyone with anything? If we are always looking to someone to qualify us, stamp us with their seal of approval, our qualifications are fickle and in constant flux. The truth is, there is onl…

What is a real life homeschool day in your home? If you’re anything like me, it doesn’t mimic the YouTube videos we see with the cutesy little music and the smiling mom with the pristine house. Maybe you are homeschooling crammed around your kitchen table with crumbs on your books, or maybe you are working in a basement that needs to be updated and…

True story, I am 100% loading this without writing just to get it up for you guys. I also didn’t really mention any links but I will come back and write a bit before I share it tomorrow socially. In case you come here before I get to that though… this episode is me talking to your kids about what it was like being homeschooled: the good, the bad, a…

How did a girl who got married when she was 19, had no college or university degree and greatest desire was to just be a mom and homeschool her kids get where I am today? How did I write books and start writing Bible curriculum? How did I start a blog and grow it to where it is today? And more than that… what about you who feels like God has called…

It’s like the unspoken thought settling uncomfortably in the back of our heads: the one we push back when our kids hate their school. It’s the elephant in the room when we feel overwhelmed, exhausted, frustrated, angry, and disappointed with homeschooling. Everyone talked about it like it was so great, it looks somehow more beautiful on my Instagra…

This week I received an e-mail from Lindsey and her question was so good I decided to do a podcast episode about it! Her question was: “You talk a lot about accepting your kids where they are and removing heavy burdens and expectations that they live up to the long list of requirements that public schools are mandated by. I absolutely love this ide…

I am sitting in my trailer, the rain pitter-pattering on the roof and my kids strewn haphazardly on their bunks in our 29′ trailer. There is sand on the floor, all of our clothes are soaked, there’s a weird smell coming from the fridge and we are beyond exhausted… all the signs and symptoms of a glorious family camping trip. Before I left for campi…

I get asked all the time what I do and how I do it. What is my homeschool style? What does a typical day look like? Today’s podcast episode is a glimpse into reality. What happens when you get sick and summer is in full swing and you have a lazy day? How can you homeschool in the midst of the seasons of “blah” or sickness, or new baby, or moving, o…

Talking about my marriage isn’t easy for me. It is Monday afternoon, hours after my podcast usually goes live and yet I am hesitating pushing the publish button. Some of the things we are sharing in today’s podcast episode are things we haven’t really shared with even our own families and friends before. As I listened to the episode over again, I w…

Recently I asked a question on my Instagram and had hundreds of responses: what are your biggest homeschool challenges? I was blown away! There were a few repeats, but many of them were original challenges that I think a lot of us can relate to. I decided that for the next little while I will be addressing these head on across my various channels s…

Sometimes I feel like my brain is just not organized enough for what I do. There are so many thoughts jumbling around in my head it is difficult to focus on just one thing… for any length of time. After staring at my computer for a good 15 minutes going over ideas for this weeks episode, I pray about it and decided to just start with no agenda. Thi…

Dear kids, I am tired. Tired of being the bad guy. Tired of pushing you to do what you don’t want to do and trying to convince you why you need to. I get it, I don’t like doing what people tell me either, especially when I don’t understand why. So I’m raising the white flag of surrender. Perhaps the battle, the daily struggle between us is that I n…

Homeschooling is so much harder than I ever imagined it could be. Nothing could have prepared me for the amount of stretching and pressing that would occur in this homeschool environment. It is both the most challenging and most rewarding experience of my life–a wild ride. In my line of work I get a TON of emails from people looking for answers: fo…

Brave Writer is so much more than just a homeschool language arts curriculum, it is a way of life! I’ll never forget the day we stumbled upon one of Julie’s videos. Her words resonated with me deeply, her approach seemed so unique, could it really be that simple? Could I really teach my children the art of communication without blanks to fill and w…

Today’s podcast episode is a little bit different than my regular deal because I invited my hubby to join me. I had so many good ideas for today’s podcast and couldn’t decide so we ended up doing it Q&A style and tackling a few different topics in one episode. This post is your resource for links and additional information about each question we co…

Planning speaking engagements and presentations, writing curriculum and books, blog posts, live videos, responding to comments and emails, creating courses… this is my life. This is what I do into the wee hours of the morning, this is what I do when my kids are sleeping or playing outside. This is what I do instead of hanging out with friends or wa…

If you follow me on Instagram you have probably heard the melody of change. Something new is on the horizon and I am in the middle of processing what it is and what it looks like. I feel a calling, a stirring deep within, to step out of the shallows of homeschooling into deeper waters. Let the tide pull me out where my feet leave the ground and I l…

Homeschooling is one of the most challenging journeys I have ever embarked upon. I have been tested and stretched and pulled and tried beyond what I thought I could handle. I have learned that many of my perceived limits only exist in my mind. I have grown as a person. In the midst of the chaos, overwhelm and monotony of the every day it is easy to…

Whining, fussing, crying, and general bad attitudes can be like a pin to the bubble of your homeschool day. No matter how much enthusiasm and planning you bring to the table, if your kids aren’t on board it can pop even the best of plans in no time! Today’s episode is your lifejacket in the midst of the swells of disinterest. Come and join me to le…

This is the season that homeschool burnout settles in. It seeps through the cracks of our impatience, the mundane of our half-finished books, the grating of the kids whining yet again. Things are not as exciting, the passion seems to have tapered off, and we are left trying to pick up the pieces and salvage the day. But here’s the thing, I want so …

Have you ever felt angry? Frustrated? Impatient? Irritated? DONE with homeschooling? Parenting is hard enough on its own but with the mounting pressures and responsibilities of homeschooling, it can be a volcano waiting to erupt. Some days are harder than others, some are easier. Sometimes you have a good strong streak and all of a sudden your temp…

How do I know it’s enough? Should I add more? What if I miss something? What are kids learning at this age? The questions swirl in our minds and instead of walking forward in confidence that we know our children best, we are frozen with insecurity. Homeschool doubt is a real thing and today’s podcast episode is hopefully one small step to convincin…

I have seen the posts: What homeschoolers wish their friends knew, 5 things homeschoolers want you to know, etc. etc. But I have never seen one from a mom to her homeschooled child and that needs to change. I mean, I don’t really care what my friends or acquaintances think but I DO care (a LOT) about what my kids think. This post is a bit different…

Some days I come to sit at my computer with no agenda. In the past when I didn’t know what to talk about I would walk past my podcast mic. Each week I watched the dust settle and each week the emails trickled in, “Where was I?” This year I am attempting to go for consistency, but sometimes I don’t have a burning message on my heart to share. Some w…