Hard Lessons, Great God– And Top New Resources of 2020

They say that change is never easy. 

Well, this certainly was a year where we all faced a lot of changes– many of which were quite unwelcome. But as is so often the case, God used these great disappointments and challenges for His glory. 

I can say without reservation that there’s no logical reason that Teach Them Diligently should have survived 2020. With no warning whatsoever, so much that we had worked for, invested in, and prepared for was gone as we were forced to cancel 6 events. It was devastating in countless ways, but somehow every month, God sustained us.

I suspect that’s the same story for many of you as well. What a year 2020 has been for seeing God show Himself strong! Many have grown to know Him and trust Him on a deeper level than they ever have before, and we should all be amazed that the God of all creation desires to have that close of a relationship with us. The words of the Psalmist have rung often in my ears this year, “what is man that you are mindful of him?” (Psalm 8)

I stand in awe, don’t you?

Long before the pandemic of 2020, God had already prepared the way for us to continue to minister to and strengthen His families, despite the lack of gathering together, when He called us to create Teach Them Diligently 365, the TTD Blog, etc. Because of the scope of the events, though, we’d always had a hard time producing as many resources as we believed God wanted us to, but not in 2020… we definitely had the time. 

So then came the battle of the will. WOULD we follow God’s call to put every experience He’s given us, every lesson learned, every misstep, and every triumph on display for the sake of His name. I’d be lying if I didn’t say we struggled to say yes to that. That battle raged especially during the month of May when both David and I had some of the deepest spiritual struggles of our life.

But out of that valley came so, so much that I wouldn’t trade for the world– and that I pray God will use mightily to strengthen families in the days ahead. 

  • We gained a clearer vision for Teach Them Diligently 365 and saw the engagement and opportunities there explode.
  • God miraculously (and I mean, WOW!) provided for an incredible new app that allows us to make all our resources way more readily available than ever before. 
  • The mission of Teach Them Diligently from the beginning overflowed into the Heart School class. 
  • God made a way for us to get people together in August for a real live event that proved to be an incredibly blessed time– and it definitely reinforced our commitment to help God’s people GATHER for fellowship and growth.

Yes, this has been a year of trusting and growth, but we have become more convinced than ever that God’s plan for His people starts with the family unit— and we are more committed than ever to serving your family in any way God allows us to in the days ahead. 

In case you haven’t ever thought of Teach Them Diligently as anything other than events, I am very excited to share with you our Top 10 NEW Resources of 2020. I hope you’ll take advantage of all of these in the days ahead and allow us to join your family in the journey God has called you on as we all become more focused on our mission of raising children who love God and others and are well-prepared to do whatever God calls them to in the days ahead.

Top 10 New Resources of 2020

  • Heart School—  Hundreds of families are already learning a lot more about developing a heart-focused homeschool and discipling their children through home education. I would love to get to know you better through this class as we discuss the lessons, enjoy live video calls together, and more.  One mom shared this in the app discussion group this evening, “I just watched the first lesson and am already loving this course. I am excited to keep learning and renewing my heart of my “why” in homeschooling.”  (To the right, you can see four of the anchors we discuss in the Heart School class.) 
  • Transform Journal on Thanksgiving. David’s multi-year, life-changing study on thanksgiving in the Bible has been made into 40-day transformational journal. You can still pre-order your copy while we’re waiting on the books to come in!
  • The TTD App— What a difference this has made!! Every Teach Them Diligently resource is now available on demand in the palm of your hand– all the podcasts, articles, classes, event recordings, and more. If you’re a TTD365 member, you can literally stream almost every single workshop ever given at at Teach Them Diligently event any time you want to right from the app. It also houses incredibly active discussion groups and more. If you haven’t downloaded the app, do so now and join the fun! It’s available in the App Store and Google Play Store.
  •  The Homeschooling Families Podcast— Every week, the TTD podcast delivers encouraging and helpful information that’s vital to every area of life for homeschooling families. Tune in through the TTD app or subscribe through your favorite podcast platform.
  • Goal Setting Ebook— David really knocked it out of the park with this short ebook helping families set concrete goals that are more likely to be met. This book walks you through the four levels of well-constructed, achievable, and transformational goal-setting that will make a huge difference in the way your family functions all year through. 
  • Sunday Night Emails— One of the first ways David and I started sharing our hearts with TTD families this year was through our Sunday night emails. Through those short notes, we have shared what God is teaching us, how God has worked, what we’ve seen God do in our family and others, etc. If you’re not receiving those emails yet, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter list today and check your inbox every Sunday evening for another edition. 🙂 
  • Mom’s Nights in TTD365— OK, so actually EVERYTHING in TTD365 should be on this list. With the addition of the TTD App, our community groups have gotten way more active, and moms now have instant, easy access to all the recordings and video workshops from TTD events. BUT, the Mom’s Night’s get togethers are truly something to celebrate in a year when getting together has been difficult. Each month, we have a virtual meetup/mom’s night for TTD365 members only. These events are scheduled for an hour– but they most often last into the wee small hours of the morning as moms hop on and off, laugh, fellowship, chat, and get their hearts encouraged and their batteries recharged. If you’re not a TTD365 member, join us now— if you are, I can’t wait to see you at a Mom’s Night very soon. Watch the Upcoming Events schedule in the app for details. (In addition to Mom’s Nights, the individual community groups within TTD365 also have regular get togethers, so you’re never far from fellowship if you’re a TTD365 member!)
  • TTD At Home— Back in the spring, we had no idea that after Nashville we wouldn’t be able to gather with any more TTD families. Thank God, though, He allowed us to pull together the largest virtual homeschool event ever with live and recorded elements, gatherings, prayer times, and more. This event also allowed thousands of families who have never been able to attend a Teach Them Diligently event to experience it virtually. If you didn’t take advantage of that event, you can still get access today. Click here to get your ticket.
  • TTD Live— God allowed us to host the only LIVE homeschool event that happened after the shut down (as far as we know) when we hosted TTD Live in Greenville in August. It was a GLORIOUS time of being together, and we hope to do more small events like that in the future as well. Again, if you didn’t join us for that event, you can still get a ticket here
  • Homeschool Reboot— We can all use a reboot every now and then, and we released a free webinar to that end in December. Sign up now to join me as we discuss 5 steps to freedom and success as you reboot your homeschool this year. 
Additionally, 2020 saw the birth of TTD365 Together Retreats where moms from all over have gathered for a weekend away to rest and be ready to go home more excited than ever about their family and the mission God has given them. I can’t wait to host more of those in 2021!

Top 5 Podcasts of 2020

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