How Spiritual Creation + the Reticular Activating System Can Transform Your Homeschool
Homeschool life is full of paradox: messy tables and sacred moments, tears over fractions and triumphant high‑fives. Why does our mind often fixate on the mess and miss the miracles? Enter two God‑given gifts that, when teamed up, can change everything:
- The Reticular Activating System (RAS) – a tiny network in your brainstem that filters the millions of sights, sounds, and thoughts you encounter, spotlighting whatever you’ve told it is “important.”
- Spiritual Creation – the scriptural pattern of shaping things first in the unseen (thought, prayer, intention) before they unfold in the tangible (Genesis 1; Moses 3:5; Hebrews 11:3).
When you pair deliberate, faith‑filled thought with the brain’s built‑in filter, you start seeing more of the very goodness you prayed for—and responding to challenges with grace.
1. How Your RAS Works (and Why It Often Feels Biased)
- Buy a red van and suddenly red vans are everywhere? That’s the RAS highlighting what matters to you.
- Think “My child is lazy”? The RAS hunts for evidence—unfinished chores, eye‑rolls—and quietly ignores his acts of kindness.
- Flip the belief to “He’s learning persistence” and the same system starts flagging moments of effort and progress.
“As [we] thinketh in [our] heart, so is [our perception].” — Proverbs 23:7 (paraphrased)
2. Spiritual Creation: Framing the Day with God
Before a single workbook opens, spend 5–10 minutes in prayer and intentional creation:
- Pray: Dedicate the day to the Lord. Ask, “Help me notice Your hand and my children’s growth.”
- Picture: Visualize specific scenes—a calm read‑aloud time, a peaceful reaction to an inevitable spill, a math concept finally “clicking.”
- Thank: Express gratitude as though those moments are already on their way.
This simple ritual tells your RAS what to search for and invites heaven’s help to make it happen.
3. Five Tiny Practices That Re‑train Brain & Spirit
| Practice | What It Does | Scripture Tie‑In |
| Morning Scripture or Affirmation“I can do all things through Christ” (Phil. 4:13) | Primes RAS with a truth‑filled headline for the day. | Philippians 4:13 |
| “Intent Card” on the FridgeWhat good will I look for? | Gives the filter a concrete assignment. | Proverbs 4:25 |
| Catch & ReframeNotice a negative thought, replace with faith‑truth. | Stops RAS from chasing the wrong evidence. | 2 Cor. 10:5 |
| Notice the Good Out LoudCall out effort, kindness, curiosity. | Shows kids (and you) what really matters. | Philippians 4:8 |
| Evening “Where I Saw God” Gratitude Journal | Trains tomorrow’s RAS by celebrating today’s mercies. | Psalm 77:11–12 |
4. Quick‑Start Challenge
For the next five school days:
- Create the day spiritually with a one‑minute prayer + intention.
- Spot one victory (tiny is fine) and say it aloud.
- Jot a sentence at night: “Today I saw God’s hand in ___.”
Watch how quickly the good multiplies.
“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24
Final Encouragement
Your homeschool doesn’t need perfection; it needs a trained mind guided by a trusting heart. When you team up spiritual creation with the God‑designed power of your RAS, you start noticing—and nurturing—the miracles already happening around your kitchen table.
Here’s to seeing the good, one intentional thought and one answered prayer at a time.
