Arianne Segerman
About the Author

Arianne is a mom of three boys and a baby girl. She lives in Phoenix, AZ, and sifts through the Legos and fluffy cloth diapers hoping to one day catch up on sleep. Her heart is healing and thriving from living life as a mom of kids with autism and...

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things we love
& you will too!
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  1. Arianne,
    Being a little older (not necessarily wiser), life has held many twists and turns for me. Some that I liked and some that I detested, but the constant has always been that God has NEVER forsaken me. The rearview mirror can give us a glimpse into God’s bigger picture, but we will never truly understand until we see Him face to face. I have to trust his sovereignty and goodness even though some of the turns seemed to be heading into dead ends. Praying for you and your decision! Thanks for sharing honestly from your heart.
    Blessings,
    Bev

  2. Yes! Yes! Yes! All of this. So much of this.

    An anxious seven years of wanting another child, to a surrender and a considering of adoption, to an actual pursuing of the road of adoption, to now the surrender of all and the readiness for any.thing. — birthing our own, included. To even our own surprise of homeschooling (something I didn’t think we’d ever do). And, just so much. All to draw me ever nearer to Him and know what trust is about, and for my faith to be ever widened and His love for me made ever known.

    (I’ve just perused your on line space and soaking up your words. I’m in awe of the simplicity and beauty of your words strung together, how they flow smooth like honey — sweet and sticky and delicious. I am enamored at your heart — your beauty radiates His love and grace and I’m just in awe. Can I call you friend and come over for tea?)

  3. Why yes! A little more than three years ago my family was transferred to AZ with my hubby’s work. We found it as a blessing and a new adventure. While we were there we battled cancer, and the kids got established, and we met great friends, loved our church, and had wonderful experiences. We swore there was where we were supposed to be. God brought us there for a reason. And we were happy with our decision. Well, about a month after we got the clear for my husbands cancer he called me from the road (he travels during many weeks of the month) and he asked if I wanted to move. Well, we both knew it wasn’t an option, if he wanted a job we would have to go. And the crazy thing was we were going right back to the place we left from!!!!!! Whoa! I struggled with it. And lived in denial, fought tears from my eyes and my children’s……

    But God wanted us back here. For a reason I am going to discover. And I am seeing glimpses of. We have been back 3 weeks today and I have seen old friends, get to hang with my sister and I get to see my nephews more. Now once we get more settled and more unpacked I am going to search the Lords words for why he has me here and run with it. I believe he wants me here for a reason, not just for my husbands job.

    Whew! Thank you letting me get that out. You really spoke to my heart light and it opened a bunch of feelings. Thank you!

  4. Oh, God sometimes goes an other way, then we dreamed about. Our son was seven and went to a good Christian school. But he was unable to be happy, he was just scared in the classroom. Psychiatric research brought confusion and sorrow. He had autism. He went to a special school with lots of structure and predictability. That was a blessing.

    Now he is 14 and an expert in mathematics 🙂
    So, have faith and walk with the Lord!

  5. arianne, i love that you are pressing into that turn with faith. i’m excited for you and your family—-for those good plans that will be revealed as that corner opens up into another path made straight. xo –kris

  6. Yes, yes, yes! One similar experience that I had involved my first and only boyfriend who eventually became my husband. Our story was even published in the book 40 Stories of Finding Your One True Love by Bo Sanchez. https://www.facebook.com/pages/40-Stories-of-Finding-Your-One-True-Love-by-Bo-Sanchez/130465470332042

    The title of our story is Giving Up My Isaac because God asked me to break up with him after a around a week of being my boyfriend. It didn’t make much sense initially because I said yes to him through God’s prompting also.

    It simply taught me that a lot of times, we need to follow or obey first even when we don’t understand. Then, God will reveal His purpose in the end… in His time.

    • Hi,
      I just read your comment this morning and wanted to learn more about your story. It sounds a lot like an experience that I am having and I could really use some advice.

      Do you have any idea where I can get the book online?

      Like I said, I could really use some help making sense of my situation as the turmoil can be confusing.

  7. We were set to have a summer ministry at a camp in Mexico. We would work during the summer there with missionaries. We both taught school and my husband was a youth pastor. We were only 3 hours from the border. It would work perfectly. The plans were being made. The personel recruited.

    Then God changed our direction and we moved to IDAHO. Do you know how far Idaho is from Mexico? Too far for a summer ministry there. God actually moved everyone away from that ministry.

  8. That is what faith looks like, after all…..trusting when we can’t see the next step…but leaning on his great love for us. Great faith in the midst of the mundane….Beautiful! I pray you are gloriously surprised at his plan for you all.

  9. Oh my goodness, I could have written this! We homeschooled Kindergarten, then DS was in a private school for 1st & 2nd grade, then we homeschooled the last 4 years. We always said we would homeschool during the Jr. High years. We’ve reevaluated every year, but I always thought we would homeschool until High School when he could start in a Running Start type program.

    Yet, God has very decisively shown us that next year, for 7th grade (1st year of Jr. High), my DS will be headed off to public school for the first time ever. While I know that God is directing us there, I’m floored and apprehensive and tearful about the entire situation. DS is excited, DH is excited, and I’m just trying to hold it together while trusting God. I’m floored that this is the direction He’s sending us.

    Thank you so much for this timely post. I really needed to hear it and just let go of my trepidation about this situation.

    • We had no choice but to homeschool when we moved to Italy. If we had chosen the 12 hour days, we would have had other stresses to deal with. Now that we’ve finished the 3 years (7-9) grades of homeschooling and my son is getting ready to return to a school on base, I can tell you that your family will have other challenges but the chance for your DS to go to middle/junior high is a big deal for boys since my son feels cheated from not getting to go to a “normal” school for those years. Wishing you God’s peace while adjusting to the new normal.

  10. The 2 years have been full of them but just like everyone else, God is in every step! We were youth pastors for 5 years and decided to transition Lead Pastor. We moved to an opportunity, I found out I was expecting our second child. The church restart fell through and we ended up leaving only 5 months in. We moved into my parents tiny house to see if we could make it work outside of ministry, after 6 months we went to a church 2 weeks after our baby girls birth to candidate. We finally had a place to move but that was not it! The 10 months we spent there were the most trying, the church was not supportive or willing to give a younger pastor a chance like they thought. This is where God said okay you’ve been through enough for now. In the mean time some of our best friends were developing a business and just in the nick of time they came to visit and offered us a job. So we up and left, moved back to my home state and are happier than ever, making more money than ever and able to be near friends and family.

    Although we couldn’t see God in front he was behind us pushing every step of the way!

  11. Wow! I just posted that we finished 9th grade today and we’re finished homeschooling and then I found this post!! I’m not sure why we were moved to Italy but know that we experienced big family changes in the last 3 years that weren’t positive. I’m finally breathing again now that the weight of school is gone. Hopefully we can iron out our ripples and unshift those shifts that we experienced!

  12. Do not be deceived in believing the older you become, the less the trials. No so!
    My husband has worked his entire life to keep us ahead of the economy. And he has
    done a fine job of this. Last week he came home telling me he was requested to retire.
    It is a total shock. He did do as they asked, and now it is so difficult wondering about
    our world. We will give up our land line, our computer and our cable. There is not much left where we can cut corners. This is no stranger to us, as we have spent many
    years pinching penny’s. Thus we are good at it. It is just a devastating situation and one we had no clue would ever happen. I trust God, so it has to work. Romans 8:28.

  13. It has been a roller coaster ride here at my house not understanding what God is doing. The last year, two of my friends took two high school boys into their “safe” homes because of the bad home lives they were experiencing. Sadly, both boys eventually had to leave their “safe” homes because of bad choices involving drugs. I supported my friends and allowed them vent times but never saw me taking an 18 year old into my home as they did. Both of these boys hit rock bottom and ironically returned back to their “safe” homes but one of these “safe” homes became my home. This happened all in the midst of the Christmas holidays while we were moving to another house (a whole other story). We live day by day and there are many struggles. I don’t understand why God has put this young man in my home when I never felt called to do this but I do know God has a purpose and who am I to say He’s wrong? Obedience sometimes is not always easy nor does it make sense. Please pray that my family will grow in Christ from this experience, especially the young man that is trying to grow in Christ as well. By the way, he accepted Christ during his “rock bottom” experience. He still has struggles but he has grown. We pray that God will use him and his experiences to reach others for Christ.

  14. Um, yes. My husband and kids and I were missionaries in south america and always thought we would be. We never would have thought we’d be doing anything BUT that. Then our world was turned upside down with a major decision made. It was as you said, no more pros and cons list, no more looking at it all to see what made sense….nothing made sense! It was just doing what God told us each day, trusting that as we followed him on that right turn, he could see down the road and would show us what to do each step of the way. And he has! And it’s been quite the journey. I’m so thankful he’s in charge and sees and knows all.

  15. We have 3 children and our goal was to put our children in Christian school when they hit middle and high school years. Thoes years are the crossing years of the testing of their Faith. We felt very convicted and very strongly that we as Christian parents need to honor God by putting them in Chritian school .

    My oldest daughter Philem went to public elementary school and then we switched her over to private Christian school. We found that she had learning disablity and struggled all her middle school years because they were not equipped to handle ADD children, this caused so many struggles in our home. Well most of you all know how expensive it is to put your children in private school well we never dreamed what God would do in our lives next. We had our second child now coming up to middle school Nahum our son. We prayed for God to bring the finances to put both of our children at the Private Christian School. We prayed and sought God in tears over the matter believing with no doubt that God would answer this, because why would he not want his children in a school that honors and uphold the Bible. To our great surprise God didn’t answer nor provide the money so we were faced with a big decison . The middle school where we live is in the getto/gangs and we were determined that if i had to I would home school but we were not sending our children to that school, after all we wil answer to the Lord for what we do with his children.

    We had a family meeting and prayed about it as a family. My oldest daughter Philem said to her father and I send me to the public school, Ii will sacrifice myself so that Nahum will not get lead astray, He is not grounded or solid in his foundation with the Lord and I am . We were in shock and prayed surly Lord you don’t want this, we keep thinking and believing God would bring the miracle. Well here we were registering her at the public high school , I had such anxity and tumoil about it. I remember we were sitting awaitin to talk to the counselor and I prayed Lord I need peace , I need a sign from you that this is really what you want, we want to be obedient and honor you with our children. At that moment out came a lady that was a personal friend and counselor at the Christian School Philem just came from, I knew that was God sign to us. She came over to me and said don’t worry I will watch out for Philem this school has alot of Chritian teachers she will be ok here I promise. Tears flilled my eyes and my daughter Philem took my hand and siad Mom God got this.

    What happend the next 4 years at that high school is nothing less than God Amazing hand in Philems life. She graduated this year and God used her to turn the High School upside down with the Gospel of Christ. She was this meek quite young lady that stated as a Freshmen to a vocal, couragous, bold witness for Christ . God poured out one blessing after another this last year of her senior year. From awards to scholarships to Prom Queen, she end her high school years honoring God and turning my toward the saving knowlege of Christ. Who would have believe that.

    As a parent I stand in AWE of GODS goodness and grace that he would bestow such blessing upon Philem to be used in this manner. Everything that is said of Philem from students to teachers is always about the impact she made for the Christ.

    I am here to tell you that I never would have been an avodate of public school but I forgot one great detail God has to use his children in dark places to make a impact and I am so thankful that me and my husband didn’t let fear to stop us from being obedient to what God was doing that we had no idea of at that moment! We didn’t understand why God was doing this in our lives but he just asked that we TRUST him. Philem will tell you that she would not be the strong believer she is had God not challenged her faith in that public school to stand strong for Christ. God equipped her with Godly friends and Godly teachers that she could go to and pray with.

    One story I want to share that God put on Philems heart was in her Junior year was Philem was burden for the girls at the high school and she wanted the girls to know that God loves them and cares about each of them and what they are going through. . We went to pray and to show you what God can do long story short she was able on VAlentines Day a day about love that can be so depressing for girls . Philem got a team together to pass out carnations to every girl at that high school with a scripture verse about Love tied to it! Remember this is a public school, where God is not allowed to be present or talked about, where they have taken God out of the public schools
    ! . One of the sweetest stories was from a girl that said to Philem why would you do this ? Philem went on to stay that she wanted her to know that Jesus loves her and he is her Valentines .. That the impact God can do ..NOTHING IS IMOSSIBLE and God continued to show that with using Philem in ways I couldn’t even imagin !!! =)

  16. God put me on the exact same path you are on. There is life after homeschooling. Hold on tight, you are going to enjoy the ride.

  17. I can relate to this very well. Being a single woman and living in the United States for 12 years, I was called by the Lord and given the opportunity to pursue my Ph.D in my native country of Canada. I thought he was bringing me back to my family and allowing me to grow professionally.
    Yet little to my knowledge the Lord sent me straight back to where I was working (in the USA) and called me to leave my Ph.D program after one year of being away. However his plans provided me with an even better job, introduced me to my husband, and financially paid for my entire move back! All I can say is that he continues to amaze and has blessed me so abundantly! Remain faithful and follow his path….

  18. Mine sounds so much like yours but a private school. I did not obey right away and clung hard to my will but last year was my daughter’s 1st year in school and we both were so blessed by our obedience. God walked us every step of the way. I fought to hang on and then doubted she could get in and that I could afford it, I am a single mama, but God was going before us and just making the path so open. We love her school and rejoice over God’s blessing in it, but it took me awhile to get to this point.

  19. Yes, I have! This is exactly what I needed to read today, as I feel one of these right turns quickly approaching. I feel the churning of the waves of change beginning, and to be honest, it carries with it a bit of fear. I know God is whispering to me, fear not; my human side is simply trying to kick in. I have faced right turns in the past and have experienced blessings unlike anything even imaginable, so I am grabbing hold of that to help calm my soul during this time. Thanks so much for being so honest and open. God has certainly used you to touch many today. God Bless~

  20. The past twelve months have been the same for my family. Not he schooling part, my kids are grown, but everything happening that doesn’t make sense. But we keep trusting that God has a bigger plan.

  21. Waiting on the Lord to continue to guide my family. It is so trying to have to wait to be released from a situation that is not ideal.

  22. Within the past year God has definitely taught us that His plans are what we follow not our own. My husband and I were (what felt like) thrown into youth ministry! Something we never dreamed or talked of. EVER! But we obeyed God and now we feel so blessed to have the kids that we do! And now we’re praying about starting up a “Young Life” in our area. Please pray for God’s will to continue in our lives ^.^

  23. I think I’m in this right now! I just got a nice job offer, like an hour ago. I think it would give me more time at home, I could be home for dinner. But I keep thinking/pressing/hoping for the higher pay sales job… but those offers have not come in. So I need to decide to stay or go. What’s best for my family and me? What’s the plan for us?!? I got a little shiver when I read your line “As I prayed over what that change was, the surprising thought that the kids might be headed to public school in the fall kept coming into my mind.” Because, I now wonder, is that pull in my heart to change jobs a whisper from Above?

  24. I can certainly relate to your story! I am a credentialed teacher, but never felt “called” to homeschool my kids. However, my husband and I spent many hours visiting and comparing Christian schools when it cam time for my oldest son to enter kindergarten. We eventually chose what we thought to be a wonderful, spiritually focused, academic school. The first few years were phenomenal. However, as the boys got older, problems worsened with a particularly troubled family who had 3 boys in the school. The oldest had an “anger issue,” (i.e. undiagnosed serious psychiatric disorder) and wreaked havoc in my oldest son’s class. The middle son was in my younger son’s class and to make a very long story short, he verbally traumatized my sweet 9 year-old by repeatedly whispering obscenities into his ear. We were very unhappy with the way the school handled the problem so I we were forced to do the unthinkable: we transferred our son out of the class with the BEST teacher he will ever have to the local public school. God literally turned us in the opposite direction as I heard the hymn “Lead me Lord, ” as I left my visit to church to hear his voice without all of the distractions.

    I will tell you what God showed us: The kids’ school gave us a great example of how to NOT be a Christian. He also led me to an AMAZING ‘Mom’s in Touch Group,” where I received support and the pure Love of Christ.

    I would never have IMAGINED that this would be the outcome of our initial decision to send our children to a small Christian school.

    I will add one more thing, there is nothing worse than people who act in the “name of Christianity” but are anything but Christ-like. It literally broke my heart and my younger son was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

    God turned us in another direction to save my children from further damage.

  25. Our family went through a huge shake up about 3 years ago. We were pregnant with our 2nd daughter, my husband’s company that had been doing so well suddenly went bankrupt. We ended up moving across country, I went back to work full time and he is home with the girls. This is not where we’d ever thought we’d be. God has confirmed over and over that this is our path for now and we are thriving. It is still shocking to us some days that this is our life but it is good. I can definitely relate with having the whole “identity” of the family being changed. That was definitely true for us.

  26. Many times I have struggled with two possible choices…”A” or “B”, “A” or “B”. Which is it, Lord? I have stressed and strategized and prayed and plotted. And then in so many instances, the Lord’s answer turns out to be “none of the above” and he has taken me in a totally new direction that I never considered. I’ve recently realized that I am truly learning to tell him of my worries and then leaving it for him to work out. I admit this is not natural for me…I still catch myself worrying over problems, or having imaginary conversations in my head about resolving a particular conflict. But I’m finally getting a glimmer of what the scripture means that says not to be anxious, but with prayer and thanksgiving to make your requests known to the Lord. And then leave it! xx

  27. Oh yes! Or so I thought I was. Back in high school I was determined to be a business person–bookkeeping or secretary. I had the notion that I was to follow my sister’s footsteps and take CBE(Internship class) and land a decent job during the school year. That never happened. The job never showed up anywhere.

    For the past 6 years I have worked in the medical field doing a variety of paperwork, and patient care. Suddenly about 2 years ago my job shifted to all paperwork and minimal patient care. I became depressed and unhappy for a long time. I prayed about the situation a lot. It drew me closer to God than ever before. Then out of the blue last August God gave me a huge raise. I have used that money to help others and fix our house.

  28. Oh how this speaks to me! Our oldest was homeschooled all the way through the end of 8th grade. He is now in a fabulous high school & doing amazing.
    Our youngest… well, he isn’t his older brother. He has been a tear-invoking challenge to school at home. Some days are great & some days aren’t. I too thought I’d homeschool all the way through. But this last year I am realizing that “all-the-way-through” for our youngest may mean all the way through 2nd grade.
    I also have realized that a big part of my heels digging in to continue the homeschool path has been my pride. I don’t want to fail. I don’t want comments from others stating how public school is better for all. Deep down I still struggle. And even though we are on summer break I pray daily that I will see the right path to send our little guy down for his education.
    I am still waiting for a clear answer 🙂
    ~h

  29. I just found this post while searching for articles on moms who put their children in school after homeschooling. There is not much info out there on this. Thank you for sharing your insight. I have started a blog for veteran homeschool moms who are burned out and moms who have put their children in school after homeschooling. http://rest-for-the-weary.blogspot.com