Life Lessons from Frog & Toad

Trey and I went to the library a few weeks ago to choose some good books to read. At that time we were still waiting for our curriculum to arrive in the mail, so we read, read, read and then read some more. We walked the aisles of the readers, pondering all of the many options. My eyes instantly fixed on the green binding of this book:

The Frog and Toad books were some of my absolute favorites as a child! So I did what any good mother would do...I got them ALL! :) Trey wasn't too thrilled at my choice initially. The first thing he said was, "Mom, those pictures are not colorful at all!" I asked him to trust me. He said he would and we were on our way. But not before he picked out this one:

At first I protested. Riddled with first time homeschooling doubt I thought, "He can't read THAT! THAT isn't good enough for our reading time! He needs to be reading better things!" I felt a quiet nudge in my heart to ease up and find some freedom in our new adventure. Let me just assure you that he's had his nose in that book READING for about 4 weeks straight now!

I apologize for the rabbit trail...let's get back to Frog and Toad. :)

The very first story in the book is called "Tomorrow." The crux of the story is that Toad wakes up one morning and instantly begins to make a mental list of all the things he need to accomplish that day. He decides he would rather wait until tomorrow to tackle his chores. As he lays in bed, he instantly begins to feel overwhelmed.

"Blah," said Toad. "I feel down in the dumps."

"Why?" asked Frog.

"I am thinking about tomorrow," said Toad. "I am thinking about all the many things that I will have to do."

I can't tell you how many times I have felt this exact same way...completely overwhelmed with tasks, worry and anxiety! As Trey and I read this story together, we had a great teachable moment. Not only did I get to share my own struggles with him, but I also got a chance to share TRUTH with him.

So do not worry about tomorrow;

for tomorrow will care for itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7

As we school at home this year, we not only working on academics. We are working on character. We are working on making wise choices. We are working on pushing through the hard stuff. And most importantly, we are seeing that God is everywhere and totally applicable in ALL areas of our life.

I get to watch the light bulbs switch on!