About my blog

When our eldest was only about 2 years old, God laid it on our hearts to homeschool our children. Now, homeschooling in your own country is challenging enough, but homeschooling overseas in a different culture adds many more stresses!

My original dream for this blog was that it would be a place that particularly ministered to and encouraged mothers who were also homeschooling overseas, like I was. However, now that I'm no longer living overseas myself, my focus has shifted a little.

I post about a variety of topics to do with family life, ranging from the nitty-gritty of curriculum choices and timetables, to more spiritual reflections on our walk with God.

If you're interested topics to do with green living, environment care, looking after our bodies through healthy eating and exercise and more photos of nature and God's world, then head over to my other blog, Living Green Faith and check that out as well.

Why the name ‘Grace to Abide’?

Well, for me, this title speaks on a number of levels. Firstly, when I lived overseas I felt in daily need of God’s grace to ‘abide’ or live as an alien in a foreign country. Even though I'd been living there for 11 years, I always stood out as being different, and was never totally at home in the culture. Secondly, I am far from being a perfect mother, and on many days I cry out to God for grace to ‘abide’ my children and to respond to them with love and kindness and patience instead of with angry words and irritation. Finally, and what ties those two together, I need God’s grace to abide in His Son, Jesus, every moment of every day if I am going to not just survive the day but bear fruit in it too.

God keeps drawing me back to John 15v4, where Jesus tells us “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”

Andrew Murray, in his thought-provoking book “Abide in Christ” wrote:

‘..as it was Jesus who drew you when He spake “Come,” so it is Jesus who keeps you when He says “Abide.” The grace to come and the grace to abide are alike from Him alone.’

My prayer for all of us is that we would draw on His grace day by day and learn to abide more deeply in Him moment by moment.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I do hope it encourages you. If possible, please leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you.