I was searching for materials that parents and guardians can use to introduce and teach their kids about St. Ignatius of Loyola during his Feast Day recently. I wanted to share these materials in the support group that I created for fellow Catholic homeschooling parents. That was when I came across an article about teaching kids how to do the Examen. The Examen is a daily spiritual practice that St. Ignatius did and he required the Jesuits (the members of the religious order that he founded) to do this twice daily.

Aside from being happy to have found a good resource that I could share with the Catholic Homeschooling Parents Support Group, I was affirmed by God that He truly guides me in teaching, parenting, and homeschooling my children.

After reading the article, I felt thankful and confident. Thankful because I wasn’t aware of the specifics of the Examen but I realized after reading the article that I was already practicing it and I have trained my children to practice some of it in the past years. I know in my heart that it was the Lord who guided me and gave me the wisdom to adapt it in our family and to train my kids to do it in the past years. Thus, I felt confident that in the coming school year and the years to come that we will homeschool God will continue to direct our steps.

Most of all, I was amazed at how God inspires and empowers me so I could raise my children in His ways. Like what the Bible says in Psalm 86:11,

Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.

I believe that it was God who taught me to do the Examen and live it out. It was also Him who moved me to teach it to my children.

I love this Bible verse from Proverbs 3:5-6 that says,

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way.

When we rely on God for wisdom and guidance, He will not disappoint us. He will reveal Himself and His will to us. That has been my experience with Him countless times, including this recent story that I am sharing with you in this blog post.

My kids are not yet doing the complete Examen yet. What I have taught them and what they are practicing so far include the following:

• Going through their day to identify their high points (what made them happy) and low points (what made them sad or mad)
• Identifying and listing their blessings (or the things they are thankful for to God) on their notebooks/journals

We had been sharing our high and low points as a family since our firstborn was a toddler who can talk. All our children participate in this daily discussion from the time that they are toddlers who can talk. Then, when they are already able to write, they start writing their blessings in a notebook/journal.

I praise and thank God for this big blessing! He has helped me train my children to acquire these wonderful and helpful habits.

Soon, I will teach them to identify and take note of the emotions they felt during the day by drawing emoticons in their journal daily. I want them to practice being in touch with their emotions and to learn what triggers these emotions and what moved them to feel that way. I think that this would help them to become more self-aware and would help them to better manage their emotions eventually.

Are you also a parent like me? Commit to the Lord your responsibility as a parent. If you are called by God to also homeschool your children, commit to the Lord your homeschool plans. Trust more in Him and in His wisdom and guidance than in your own abilities. He knows and wants what is best for our children because His love for them is perfect.

If you are a Catholic and homeschooling parent, I invite you to join our group on Facebook called Catholic Homeschooling Parents Support Group.

If you want to spiritually prepare for the new school year, I invite you to get yourself a copy of my latest book which is a devotional for homeschool moms titled Homeschool Moms at the Feet of Jesus31 Days of Encounter with our Lord. You can buy it on Amazon. Next month, you can already buy it from my online shop here on my website.