Homemade Wisdom

A New Chapter

2011-08-20T14:27:00.000-05:00

I've often heard older, wiser people talk about life being a book, full of chapters. I must admit that many times those sayings sounded cliché to me... I didn't fully "get it," that is, until recently.

This past year has been one of constant change in my life. I have often reminisced about days when life meandered on, with few adjustments. My adaptation abilities have been tested and retested. I've grown in ways that will serve me well in the coming years; I've also been shown areas needing special attention.

Through the months, there have been many subtle reminders of that old saying of the wise, which have made me ponder the "life is a book" analogy. As a result, I have begun to view my life in chapters, and it has helped me to turn the pages of my days, some in anticipation of the end of a chapter, others in expectation of a new one.

My most recent new chapter ushers out homeschooling, replacing it with private-school life. A big adjustment for our family. Our girls have eagerly embraced their new journey. Their excitement has made the transition easier for me than I thought it would be, and for that I am grateful. My prayer for their educational success remains the same - let the glory of their efforts be to God. The method in which they move forward is all that has changed.

As this new chapter in my life progresses, I am now fully aware of the larger volume of work here - the proverbial book - I get it! I envision my book being bound in soft, brown leather, carefully stitched together with a strong, cream-colored thread. The gilded edges are well-used, and a couple of the corners are no longer sharp. There are many folded, bent, and torn pages in my book, several are missing altogether. But this book is intact, and it is progressing - chapter, by chapter, by chapter.

Walking His Path

2011-01-23T16:18:00.000-06:00

In August of last year, I wrote a post entitled His Path . I had been searching in earnest for some answers... for a path... for THE path. Little did I know that my prayers would be answered in the way they have been. As I type, I am wondering whether or not I would have had the courage to pray those prayers had I known what would come of them.

These past few months have not been easy for me. I have struggled to understand the strengths and weaknesses of being human, and have felt a depth there that I haven't felt before.

Yesterday, as I read my daily devotion, I had a revelation. These are the words I read, "The real ministry flows from what Christ is doing "in us," not from what we are trying "to do" for Christ. It is always a greater service that we render through our "being" than through our "doing." It is a greater honor to be called to "be" something than to be called to "do" something." (Miller, Betty - Bible.com)

Be something.

Be someone.

Someone who is beginning to perceive the great work Christ is doing in me. Someone who understands that what I had been asking for was not something I was ready for. Someone who is now willing to "be," rather than "do." Someone who has felt my burdens lifted by my God in Heaven, who is always faithful and never changing.

Today, that someone is me and my feet are on a new path. And I am taking baby steps. Those steps may be small but they are steps that are being taken in faith, and although I feel very wobbly, I'm walking...

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." ~Proverbs 8:10

30 minutes

2010-11-05T08:27:00.001-05:00

Some things I can do in 30 minutes...

...connect with God, continue my journey through the Bible (in a year)

...listen to our youngest daughter read a chapter, or two, of a book

...burn 400 calories on the Elyptical, or complete a Pilates workout

...drink a cup of coffee while checking email

...dust the house

...read 40-50 pages of a good book

...listen to our daughters practice piano

...watch the sun rise, hot coffee in hand

                                                 ...make a homemade, three-course meal

... vacuum the main floor of our house

...watch Ace of Cakes with my hubby, snuggled in bed

...bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies

                                                      ...a blog post (a short and sweet one)

...watch our oldest daughter practice Fencing

                                ...share a glass of wine and watch the sun set with my hubby

...catch up with my sister over the phone (she lives 1,700+ miles away)

...submit lesson plans and assignments for the week to the H.S. Tracker (with 10-15 minutes to spare)

...play a round (maybe two) of Bananagrams with the kids

...water and prune my house and porch plants

...connect with my mom over a cup of coffee

...give myself a pedicure
          ...enjoy a bubble bath

... and much more...

This past week, I set my alarm to wake me 30 minutes earlier than usual. I wanted to know how much more I could accomplish in a day with half of an hour added to it.   I realized that adding just one of the above activities to my day enriched it enough that I didn't notice the loss of sleep. And guess what? I don't feel tired - I feel blessed!

en garde!

2010-11-04T08:24:00.000-05:00

The term en garde is French; it means "on [your] guard" and has been adopted by the sport of Fencing. Maybe you already knew this. Maybe not. I have learned much over these past eight months as our eldest daughter has fallen in love with Fencing. She has finally found "her thing" and her daddy and I couldn't be happier.

Fencing is a fast-paced sport that is fought not only with the body, but also the mind. A physical chess game, if you will, which is most likely the reason Dylan has taken to it the way she has. One has to train the body to work on autopilot while the brain does its job. It's an exciting sport for spectators to watch as there is always something going on. There are many rules to figure out and the scoring process is somewhat complicated, but watching people fence is fascinating!

Last weekend, we watched Dylan compete in her first Fencing competition. She was the only girl in her division (Youth 12-14). Going into the semi-finals she was in 1st place. She lost the Gold Bout and took 2nd place overall - way to go, kiddo!

Can I read your blog?

2010-10-31T17:28:00.000-05:00

Last week, our eldest daughter asked me if she could read my blog. Amused at the question, I looked at her. "Why?" That was all I could think of to say. "Why not?" came her response.

PAUSE for mental processing...

My mind began running through my posts. I wondered if there was anything inappropriate for her to read or beyond her understanding; she is almost 13 years old. Most of my posts are about me and what I think of this world we live in. Little bits of my idiosyncrasies. They are a written account of lessons learned.

I decided it would be fine for her to read about her mom's perception on subjects she would not ordinarily think about. And so she did; she spent nearly two hours perusing my posts. At dinner, I asked her what she thought. She replied, "It's cool - I liked it!"

Yesterday, while having lunch, I mentioned that I was thinking of writing a blog post while I waited for my husband to return from an errand. Dylan asked, "what are you going to write about?" Once again she got an amused look from her mother and the "why?" response. I guess what tickles me about her interest is that she has any at all! The fact that she is aware of my hobby and curious about it, demonstrates a new maturity in her. She's growing up and she wants to know what I think about stuff - that makes me HAPPY! I realize that I am the only one who will find this profound and that is just fine with me - It's a mom thing!

So this one's for you, my sweet Dylan. May you always be curious, hungry for knowledge, and diligent in collecting all that is known. ~Mommy

Until next time,

What's in a shrug?

2010-10-21T15:11:00.002-05:00

For three months, I labored over the book, Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. I am an avid reader and can usually breeze through hundreds of pages in days. With the exception of the Bible, I have never spent so much time reading a book in all my life, and that includes the biggies, those classics with difficult language and syntax; I would not classify this book among those that are difficult to read. For those who have not read it, the book is very long, 1,069 pages packed full of microscopic lettering. Being long was not the challenge by itself; I’ve read books as long in a fraction of the time. To be fair, my life has been crazy-busy as of late, so my reading time has been light. Perhaps it was no more complicated than that – exhaustion mixed with little time. Whatever the reason, the book required an intense effort on my part to get through it, but get through I did.

You may be asking, why read the book if it was such a task? Well, one night, this past summer, we spent an evening with some dear friends of ours. As is typical, our conversation eventually turned to politics and the current state of our country. Eventually, we began discussing what it is that is behind people’s political ideas and motives. At some point, Atlas Shrugged was mentioned. I had been exposed to a bit of Ayn Rand's ideas in college, but had never read any of her work cover to cover. The conversation progressed and I found myself persuaded by my beautiful friend to give this particular book a concentrated read. **Special Note - I am looking forward to our conversation, Tami**

Now on to what I thought about it - I will shoot from the hip.

From a political and economical standpoint, the book was intriguing. It took a couple hundred pages to establish the characters, of which I found a few to be endearing, but most, I thought were callous and on the fringe of being 'believable.' I agreed with the underlying theme of the book that socialism breaks down a society quickly and efficiently. Rand’s views that Capitalism works best when people are free to work; that rewards should be granted to those who have earned them and not divvied-out among those who did not; and that hardworking men and women should not be forced to support others - are all views I agree with. Government works best, according to Rand, when functioning in the capacity of a policeman, “acting as an agent of man’s self-defense, and, as such, may resort to force only against those who start the use of force (p. 973).” Again, I agree. Had the book kept to these lines of theory, had the story remained focused, I probably would have set it down at the end of reading feeling pleased with myself for finishing, with an overall appreciation for a talented writer (even if I didn’t buy into all of her views). That did not happen, however, because Rand’s tale blew up on page 938.

Using the hero of her story, John Galt, Ayn Rand wants us to believe that there are two kinds of destroyers of the minds of men. They are, “…two kinds of teachers of the Morality of Death” - spiritualists (whose morality is judged by God), and Society (whose morality is enforced by those in power). On page 938, the villains of the story are labeled as “mystics,” and those who believe in the “monstrous absurdity [of] Original Sin.” Among other things, readers are told that the moral code of those who believe in God and those who believe in Society are alike, “… and so are their aims: in matter – the enslavement of man’s body, in spirit – the destruction of his mind (p. 940).”

Let that sink in for a moment…

If you have ever looked for a work ethic in the Bible, you most likely found the following: “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat (I Thessalonians 3:7-10).” You will not find a commandment to support a welfare state. Nor will one find that we should confine the minds of God’s highest and most loved creation to menial tasks, and the doldrums of useless labor. To the contrary, in Romans 12, we are told to use our gifts, “…according to the grace given to us.”

In thinking about the philosophies Rand puts forth in this book, I realized that the only way she could intelligently lump the morality of Society in with the morality of God was for her not to believe in either of them. And, after further investigation, I found that to be true - Ayn Rand was an atheist. An atheist who did not find a philosophy of life she could stand by, so she made up her own. An atheist who stated the following, “When I die, I hope to go to Heaven, whatever the Hell that is.” It was with that quote that I understood the meaning of her book.

I found what was in the shrug… indifference, hopelessness. Small wonder the book ended the way it did.

I won't say I am sorry for investing the three months I did into the book. I feel I have learned a little more about a philosophy that drives men further from the Truth. However, I am sorry that there is such a philosophy and I wonder how many have been led astray by it.

"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good." ~Psalm 13:1

Notes on being Hospitible

2010-10-11T09:52:00.001-05:00

A part of me feels as though I should begin this post, "Dear Diary," or "I have a confession to make." I guess I just said both...

For nearly three of the past four weeks, we have hosted overnight guests in our home. My dad visited from California for two weeks, and then the following week, my mom was here with us (no, they're not married). You are probably thinking, how wonderful, an extended visit with each of your parents! To be honest, the time spent with these loved ones left me feeling wrung out. Exhausted. Overwhelmed with the to-do list that seemed to quadruple in size. My sister, who also lives in California, and I, had been talking about her visiting in October. I found myself avoiding the ringing phone. My heart and my head knew I shouldn't feel that way, but my body wasn't cooperating. Then, while having an Omnibus discussion with our eldest daughter, during our schooling, I was presented with two questions:

1.) How has hospitality broken down in our culture? AND
2.) How do we know that being hospitable is important to God?

Wow! Does God know how to speak to me!!! I sat quietly as Dylan looked up each scripture and read aloud. One of the scriptures she read was especially reproving, "Be hospitable to one another without grumbling." ( I Peter 4:9) Without grumbling! Now, I wasn't grumbling when our visitors were with us, but admittedly, I sure was grumbling afterward - when I had extra linens to wash, and bathrooms to clean. When the stack of paperwork had piled up, and the kids' schoolwork hadn't been graded, and so on. I kept thinking about all the things I had given up to make sure our guests were well cared for and comfortable - blogging, reading, exercising, my quiet morning time...I hadn't stopped to think of all the things I had been given through the time with my loved ones. Then God reminded me.

He reminded me that my dad had not been in our home since we left California - we've been here five years. He reminded me that our girls got to spend quality time with their grandfather, whom they have had little time to get to know - we planted 100 bulbs in the front yard together - I know we will all think of my dad when they bloom next Spring. God reminded me that our girls love spending time with their grandma - she loves to be silly with them, to craft for hours, and watch those cartoons that I can't stand. He reminded me of how good it feels to have deep meaningful conversations with my mother.

These reminders have given me a new outlook on an old tradition. Hospitality means giving friendly and generous entertainment to guests (during and after the visit). Friendly and generous. These are traits that are disappearing from our culture, and have been for some time. They are characteristics I wish to instill in our children. I am grateful that God has lovingly reminded me that there is no better way to teach our daughters than by example. He has shown me that those "little things" that had me so overcome with stress are not the important things. Those things are not what I will remember in my old age - I won't even remember them a month from now.

I will, however, remember the dinner conversation that had us laughing until tears rolled down our cheeks, and the look on my dad's face as he watched an awesome summer storm from our porch, and I'll remember how much fun we had playing games with grandma. And I pray that our girls will remember too. And better yet, I pray they will learn an age-old tradition and practice it in their own homes one day.

"Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches." ~Proverbs 24:3-4

Haven't been here in weeks...

2010-09-15T09:19:00.000-05:00

to the iFellowship blog hop, that is...

Hope I meet some wonderful ladies today!

Happy Wednesday,

9/12

2010-09-12T15:57:00.000-05:00

There was much remembering yesterday. For most of us, the memories of 9/11 are scary and sad - experiences and images we would rather forget. But we do not and for good reason.

Then...

there was September 12th.

Some people awoke on September 12, 2001 to smoky-filled skies and tear-soaked sheets. Others awoke to the sights and sounds of gloom and doom on the television. A myriad of mornings greeted Americans, the world. But we awoke. Sad, even crestfallen, but not defeated. For me, 9/12 reminds me of the resiliency of God's people. Of God's creation. On 9/12, we said, we are still here, and we will lift one another up; we will love each other, we will survive this. And we did. And we are.

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" ~ Romans 8:31

Little girl, a little longer...

2010-09-11T09:23:00.001-05:00

Our youngest daughter, and child, is nine. She is a beautiful, bright, creative, and sensitive child who is just entering that "in-between" age. You know the one - the I don't want to be a kid but I don't know how to be anything else, so I will frustrate myself and everyone around me while I learn stage - (I know this stage well, as we have had two boys pass through our home who experienced it, and a young lady who is living it now - she turns 13 in a few months)! Anyway, back to our baby.

For the past six months or so, Becca has been obsessing about American Girl dolls. She drooled all over everything at the store in Minneapolis, she has perused the magazine hundreds of times, made lists, lists, and more lists, and very literally begged for a doll! A new store just opened in Overland Park, Kansas. You can see where this is going, right?

American Girl can be summed up in one word. EXPENSIVE. In addition to wanting one of the over-priced pieces of plastic, with cute clothes and shiny hair, Becca has also begun showing more interest in her iPod and video games, etc. The dilemma for me was whether or not an investment (yes, that is how I view an expenditure of this sort) in a doll would be a waste at this stage of her life. She seems to me to be on the brink of adolescence.

So I asked her a question.

Would you rather use the "doll" money on some iPod speakers and songs, or new video games, or clothes, or a mixture of those things, or do you think you will play with the doll for a long time to come? I let her ruminate for a while...

Then, we walked through the new American Girl store, a couple of clothing stores, looked at video games and then... it came... "Mommy, I want a doll." She said it with such earnest, that I knew it was her heart's desire and I couldn't have been happier. Really! The expense of it was no longer a factor. My little girl wanted to stay little! In her decision, she told me she wasn't ready to grow up just yet - the music, video games, and clothing can wait, she had said, she had better things to do! And I agree.

Samantha (new doll's name) is attached to Becca's hip. The doll has gone everywhere we have all week. And rather than being a reminder of the "expense," the doll is a sort of portable trophy to me, a memento that says - this child who carries me wants to be a little girl, a little longer...

A case for making the bed

2010-08-27T09:36:00.000-05:00

Do you make your bed every day? I do. Well, every day except Sunday, that is. Over the years, I've had conversations with friends about bed-making. Some say, "why make the bed, you're just going to climb back in it," or, "it's a waste of time!" I say, there are at least three good reasons for making your bed every day:

1.) Something tangible is accomplished. That is, you can physically prove that you did something with your day. This is especially important for us homeschooling moms who tend to make big messes throughout the day, instead of cleaning them up!

2.) It looks pretty, and we can all use some pretty in our lives - how can you argue with that?

3.) A made bed says, yesterday is over, today is a new day! Admit it, if reasons one and two seem lame to you, this one is convincing!

The one exception to my daily bed-making rule is Sunday. We don't work on Sunday (at least we try really hard not to). Sometimes we nap on Sunday. Many times, the whole family crawls in our bed to watch a movie together - on Sunday... all good reasons not to make the bed... right?

What about you, are you a bed maker or not? Reasons?

Happy Friday,

Our Road to Homeschooling

2010-08-24T08:31:00.000-05:00

This post has been a long time coming. Every time I think, "this is the week for this post," I decide on another topic. Why? I'm not sure. Part of me thinks, "nobody cares" and "it won't be as interesting as curriculum choices or other homeschooling topics," and then I remembered why I started blogging - so I could leave a trail... little pieces of me that make up this life I am living... Home education is a HUGE part of my life. So here is my story.

Looking back, it seems we were always destined to educate our children at home. When our oldest was born, we quickly discovered she was bright and not of a personality to take things slow. She began talking at eight months, walking at nine, and speeding her way through every other milestone I can think of. I am tempted to write a "she did this, she did that" list, but suffice to say, after a long and sometimes challenging journey, we eventually learned that this sweet blessing of ours is best described by what has been coined Highly Gifted (I have plans to post on this topic in the future). I tell you this because it put our toes on the road to homeschooling.

Just before Dylan turned three, I began researching homeschooling in earnest. At that time, year 2000, there was not quite as much out there in terms of information and curriculum, etc. as there is now, however, it seemed to me this form of education was going through a metamorphosis. There was an excitement that seemed to be building about the new opportunities available to those who chose to education their children at home. In my eyes, I saw endless possibilities for my little one, who was becoming increasingly difficult to keep occupied. Think your typical toddler "sponge" on warp speed! My husband and I began seriously discussing the home education option.

At the end of our discussions, we were left with some big questions. The first was, could I handle this challenge and a new baby (I was newly pregnant)? Two, how would I handle Dylan's resistance to being taught by me (she was/is VERY independent - we had yet to identify the giftedness)? Three, what about my plans to finish my college degree once baby number two reached a year old? And finally, were we equipped to handle the current state education-climate (we lived in California where people were wondering if homeschooling was going to be outlawed) along with all the other challenges? We were left with a dubious outlook, one that seemed overwhelming to us. We opted to sign up for every homeschooling e-Newsletter we could find and readdress the topic in the future.

Fast forward seven years. We had moved to Missouri; I'd graduated from college; baby number two had just turned seven (and also identified as gifted); and we had been in the public school system for six years. Rather than recount our public school adventures (this experience is worthy of its own post, again, sometime in the future - I am beginning to sound like a broken record), for now it will be enough to state, WE WERE DONE! It was time for a change, our heads were battered from beating them against walls and our hearts were tired of feeling denied and discouraged. That change came in the form of home education.

For nearly two years prior to pulling our children out of public school, I had been checking on the homeschooling atmosphere in Missouri, and praying for an answer to the question, "should we?" We were even encouraged to home school by one completely exhausted school principal - bless his heart! I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Missouri laws were conducive to a thriving home school community. Our first experience with home education was a baby step. Dylan spent half the day at home in an online classroom (online public school) and half the day at the Intermediate school (to which she had been accelerated to). This didn't work. It was a juggling act that left me running here, there, and everywhere - and she was still bored out of her mind, and not getting what she needed! That being said, we were still trying to work it out (beating our heads against the wall). It was the day that we were called in to a parent/teacher conference for our youngest daughter that broke the proverbial camel's back. When her teacher politely suggested that Becca should be accelerated a grade, my husband and I looked at one another with that all-knowing glance, only a spouse can give, and we knew... it was time to take the complete education of our children into our own hands.

Within eight weeks we were out!

These past two years have been exhilarating! Sure, we have our "tough" days, but they are nothing like what we experienced for those six long years prior to homeschooling. We have been set free! In the beginning, I had lots of thoughts of regret - along the lines of, "why didn't we home school from the beginning" and "what were we so afraid of?" But not anymore. For I am learning too. One of the things I've learned is that when God has a plan for you, it is a bad idea to thwart that plan because it only brings frustration and pain ( that banging your head on the wall, again). Which brings me to my final thoughts.

I opened my tale with the statement, "we were always destined to educate our children at home." That's right, destined. We were set apart for a purpose. I have come to understand and believe wholeheartedly that "raising up our children in the way they should go" is a calling all parents have, and yes, that extends into what the world deems as "education." Our road to homeschooling is only long because we refused to trust that God was control. Our paved past reveals something that looks like certain gifts sent looking for an alternative education for our kids. The truth is, God had a plan, a purpose for us - for me. Had I (my hubby would have supported a decision to home school from the beginning) been obedient, had I trusted, I could have saved our family a ton of headaches (pun intended). But now is not the time to digress. It is a time to rejoice. For we are now on the road that leads to "rooms filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that come from wisdom." ~James 3:13

p.s. Today I am joining

Been gone, gone, gone...

2010-08-22T16:05:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in two weeks... We've been here and there, and otherwise gone from home for the most part of that time. The little time I have been home, I've been doing laundry, watering plants, etc., so we can leave again. I'm tired. And happy to be home, sweet home. Here is a short recap of some of our activities.

More lake fun with extended family, visiting from California...

A special "LAKE" cupcake project...

A visit to Bridal Caves, Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri

Some fishing...

More bonding with the bunnies...

A special date night with my handsome husband...

While I was thinking about my two-week blogging hiatus, and perusing the photographs of our adventures, I was yet again struck by how fortunate I am. These experiences and memories have become blessings beyond measure to me, truly priceless gifts from God. And while I look forward to the next trip, which is coming soon, I am less eager for it, for at the moment, I am content to be home. Satisfied and grateful.

His Path

2010-08-08T13:42:00.000-05:00

Making BIG decisions has always caused me some level of anxiety. And I don't like it! I know that is the case with most people, many Believers even, but I still don't like it. I want to be a woman who casts every care upon my Lord, one who recalls the "Word hidden in my heart" for protection from sin and for comfort. A woman who can get out of my brain, where the restlessness churns, and into my heart, where the assured knowledge that nothing can separate me from the love of God rests peacefully.

And so... I pray. And I read the Bible. And I ponder.

I am searching for His path for me and for the strength to walk that path, not just now, but all the days of my life. Not the path that this BIG decision will bring, or the one that smaller decision will bring - but HIS PATH, the one He created me to walk. "You will show me that path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." ~ Psalm 16:11

Until that path is clear to me, I will do my best to live by these words: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 4:6-7

May the peace of God be with us all...

Bunny Update

2010-08-04T22:53:00.000-05:00

For those who have been keeping up, here is an update, in photos, of the additions to our household (well, our garage, which is air conditioned - no pets inside - it's that OCD thing again)

Are they cute, or what?!?

And no... we are not keeping them :-)

Curriculum List for a Blog Hop

2010-08-02T09:27:00.001-05:00

I am joining

This week's topic is curriculum. Here is our official list (also found on "in the classroom 2010-2011" on my home page):

7th Grade:
Theology, History, and Literature: Omnibus I -Veritas Press
Latin & Grammar: The Latin Road to English Grammar - Schola Publications
Math: Algebra I Online - Veritas Press
Science: Exploring Creation with General Science - Apologia
Linguistics: Vocabulary from Classical Roots B
Art: 300 Lessons in Art, by Robert Henkes
Music: Piano and Guitar
Literature: Omnibus I Assigned Reading 1st Semester:
Primary Books:
Genesis
Exodus
Epic of Gilgamesh
Code of Hammurabi
First and Second Samuel
First and Second Kings
Odyssey
Histories
Oresteia
Plutarch's Lives
Secondary Books:
Chosen by God, by R.C. Sproul
Till We Have Faces, by C.S. Lewis
The Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia, by C.S. Lewis
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Minor Phophets

4th Grade:
Bible & Medieval History and the Renaissance & Reformation: Veritas Press
Latin and Grammar: The Bridge to the Latin Road
Math: Saxon 6/5
Science: DHA* enrichment program with add-ins
Linguistics: Mix of The Bridge... and Literature
Art: DHA and How to Teach Art to Children - Evan-Moore
Music: Piano and DHA enrichment program
Literature: Veritas Press for workbook/projects/assigned reading:
Dangerous Journey: The Story of Pilgrim's Progress
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by e.l. Konigsburg
The Door in the Wall, by Marguerite de Angeli
The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Roger Lancelyn Green
Faerie Gold, edited by K. Lindskoog & R.M. Hunsicker
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

*Discovery Homeschool Academy (DHA) is a homeschool enrichment program that meets for hands-on activities every Tuesday (September through May), from 9:00-3:00 PM - we love it!

What did you choose?

Some Bridges and a Big House

2010-07-27T09:46:00.001-05:00

Last Thursday, we all piled into the car again... This time we joined my hubby on a business trip to Des Moines, Iowa, where we were able to fit in some time to learn about the Salisbury House and the Bridges of Madison County.

We were able to visit four of the remaining six bridges. Above is the Imes Bridge.


At the Holliwell Bridge. All the graffiti was disappointing :-(

Built in the 1920s, the Salisbury House was modeled after the King's House in Salisbury England. We were not allowed to take pictures once inside the home, however, let me assure you that there were many 16th-century treasures, such as paintings and furniture, tucked safely inside. Becca is studying the Medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation eras in history this year. Like the Medieval Fortress we visited a few weeks ago, this house gave her a tangible example of life in earlier times.

Once again, we were able to spend time as a family learning about this world that surrounds us - what a blessing!

A Bunny Lesson - Secui Duos

2010-07-25T19:58:00.000-05:00

I never meant for there to be a part two to my original post, The Bunny Lesson.

But,

this

is what happens

when...

you surrender to the cajoling of sweet little lips, the pleas that lead you to bring home rabbits that you know nothing about... especially the fact that they are a "couple" in every sense of the word.

There are four of these little guys who will be weaned on September 24th; eight weeks from the moment of their birth. Anyone want a bunny?

Working 9 to 3...

2010-07-21T09:02:00.000-05:00

..."What a way to make a living" - duh duh duh duhduhduhduh...

I know, I know, that's not how the song goes. I'm not even sure why that song popped into my head as I was thinking about this post, but it did - so I went with it. What I really want to share is that I've made a new commitment - to improve my teaching skills.

In order to do that, I have decided that between the hours of 9 AM and 3 PM (our usual "school" hours), I will no longer be on the Internet. That's right, not even a "quick check!" If there are minutes of down time for me, I pledge to pick up a book or a magazine, etc., that has information that will improve my abilities to teach and nurture my children. This is really not a huge deal in terms of what I'm giving up. The bigger issue is my commitment to self improvement...

It's necessary.

It's needed.

My children are worth it... and I'm looking forward to it!

Time to go... it's 8:54...

Have a great great iFellowship day (I will be back later to really delve in)!

Sunday Supper

2010-07-18T19:09:00.000-05:00

Sometimes
Supper
turns out
so
YUMMY
you just have to share...

Pork tenderloin slow roasted with sweet onions, creamy mashed potatoes and fresh steamed green beans, with a slab of piping hot homemade bread... and for dessert - chocolate chunk brownies made from scratch with a cinnamon-chocolate cream cheese frosting - Mmmmm.

Wish y'all had been here!

I hope you and yours enjoyed your day of rest as much as we did...

Learning and Teaching a Christian Worldview

2010-07-17T11:02:00.001-05:00

One of the new additions to our homeschool program this year is the Lightbearers* curriculum by Summit Ministries. The curriculum set includes Teacher Manual, Student Workbook, DVDs and the book, How To Be Your Own Selfish Pig, by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay. Summit Ministries describes the program this way:

"Lightbearers is a one or two semester video-based curriculum for 8th grade designed to help students clearly understand the tenets of the Christian worldview, and how they compare to the tenets of the leading humanistic worldviews of our day. Students will learn how to apply their Christian faith to every area of life: theology, philosophy, ethics, biology, sociology, psychology, law, politics, economics, and history.

Some of the issues covered include: abortion, apologetics, cults, evolution, feminism, homosexuality, naturalism, moral relativism, pluralism, relationships, and socialism."
(http://www.summit.org/curriculum/middle-school/home-school/)

Now that the program is clear, let me explain how we've decided to use it. Our family is studying the curriculum as an in-depth Bible study. We've added to the mix Nancy Pearcey's book, Total Truth. As a family, we are learning to apply the Truth found in the Scriptures to EVERY aspect of our life. Our goals (hubby and me) are to, one, develop our Biblical worldview in such a way that we no longer separate our behavior into compartments (i.e. behaving this way at church, another way at work, and still another on the weekends with friends); just being honest, we have done this, and it's not easy to change. And two, teach our children by example, and with the help of the tools mentioned above, never to live in separate worlds. Instead, we want them to learn to apply the same moral principles, as found in the Bible, to every nook and cranny of their lives, and use their lives to the glory of God.

Summit Ministries has developed tools for teaching Biblical Christian Worldview at levels for elementary, middle school, and high school. We chose the middle school curriculum because we felt it wouldn't be too far above or below anyone's capacity for understanding. The results to date have me excited about our future and eager for the knowledge God is putting in our hearts and minds!

*Disclaimer - I am not sure this is even necessary, however, I wanted to state that I am not paid to endorse ANYTHING on my blog. My posts are strictly personal. When I find a product I love, I share. Enough said.

"All By Myself"

2010-07-16T10:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I spent the whole day by myself. I was busy playing catch-up for the first part of the day and spent the latter part painting my toes and reading a good book, and missing my hubby and kiddos, of course... It was a good day. Productive and relaxing - just what a day to myself should be like. I was somewhat contemplative during my time alone, as usual, and throughout the day, I kept thinking about our youngest daughter and her cupcakes.

Becca LOVES to bake - cupcakes! She is on the verge of being obsessed with them! All of her library-book choices as of late have been about cupcakes, cakes, baking, or cupcakes, or cupcakes... You are getting the point - she is really into it! On Tuesday she asked me if she could bake cupcakes, "ALL BY MYSELF." If you're a mom, with kids old enough to communicate with you - you've heard these three words. Now, Becca just turned nine and is a very bright, capable child, who for the most part has done the majority of these cupcake-projects on her own. Still, it wasn't easy for me to turn it over completely to her, however, with the exception of putting the pans in and taking them out of the oven, I did not help at all (this is a big thing for both of us) *smiles*

She did a terrific job! She was a happy kid, and feeling very pleased with herself as she carefully packed the cupcake carrier with her masterpieces so she could carry them to Grandma's house.

I am telling this story, not only because I am proud of our little girl's accomplishment and her desire to improve her skills by herself, but also because I think it's important for everyone to do things on their own. For children, the motive is a little different than it is for us moms, but the principle is the same - there is a desire in all of us to reflect on ourselves. For Becca, she wanted time and space to demonstrate what she could do, prove something to herself and to her family. I took the time and space to care for myself, by reducing my workload, pamper myself a little, and think in a quiet house.

I thought about how grateful I was to have the day to myself. I thought about how important it is to have those days, or hours, or even minutes, not only for myself but for my children also. I recognized, yet again, the desire in our girls to grow up, their eagerness to "...put away childish things..." I had an "AHA" moment! Never before had I compared my "me" time with the "me" time of my children, which is really what they are asking for when they say "all by myself," right?!? Until yesterday, "all by myself" had an underlying stubbornness to it in my mind. It meant, "go away Mom, I don't need, or want, your help." Now I hear it this way, "go away Mom, I want some time and space to care for myself..." Hmph - who knew I could learn something from a cupcake!

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just I also am known." ~ I Corinthians 13:11-12

Seemed Appropriate

2010-07-14T09:02:00.000-05:00

Be A Friend

by Edgar A Guest

Be a friend. You don't need money:
Just a disposition sunny;
Just the wish to help another
Get along some way or other;
Just a kindly hand extended
Out to one who's unbefriended;
Just the will to give or lend,
This will make you someone's friend.

Be a friend. You don't need glory.
Friendship is a simple story.
Pass by trifling errors blindly,
Gaze on honest effort kindly,
Cheer the youth who's bravely trying,
Pity him who's sadly sighing;
Just a little labor spend
On the duties of a friend.

Be a friend. The pay is bigger
(Though not written by a figure)
Than is earned by people clever
In what's merely self-endeavor.
You'll have friends instead of neighbors
For the profits of your labors;
You'll be richer in the end
Than a prince, if you're a friend

Seemed an appropriate poem for the day... Happy iFellowshipping...

A Working Weekend

2010-07-13T13:40:00.001-05:00

One of the main reasons we decided to change our homeschool schedule to year round is so that we could join my hubby on business trips whenever appropriate. Well, this past weekend, it was just that, so we tagged along!

Our trip began Thursday evening, with our first stop being in Branson, Missouri. Friday morning we visited the Medieval Fortress being built just outside of Lead Hill, Arkansas. This place was so COOL! They are building the fortress completely in Medieval-style, including tools and costume. The project is slated to be finished in 2030 so we are looking forward to visiting again and again!

Our tour guide, Brian.

The second leg of our trip took us to Rogers, Arkansas, where we shared a delicious dinner with a client of my husband's and his family. From there, we headed further south, to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to attend a party another client was hosting for his medical staff. The girls (and DH too) enjoyed a HUGE slip-and-slide, as well as other fun water activities, including a dunk-tank :-)

Saturday night, we began our journey back to Missouri, but not home yet. DH had another appointment on Sunday afternoon. The girls and I did not join him on this one, instead, we spent the afternoon taking in some of the sights of Cape Girardeau, Missouri - a beautiful section of our home-state! That evening, the whole family took in a movie and enjoyed another especially delicious meal at a Japanese/Thai fusion restaurant - Yummy! We all slept like logs on Sunday night - zzzzzzzzzzz

Monday morning we began our trip home - we had 381 miles before us... We drove through more beautiful countryside and stopped in Herman, Missouri (wine country) for lunch. We enjoyed some authentic German fare and gorgeous views. When we finally piled back into the car, it was with full bellies and an eagerness to be home again!

Overall, our road trip covered over 1,200 miles - whew, what a whirlwind! The girls learned about Medieval castles, a variety of different cities, new foods, and most importantly - a little bit about how hard their dad works for us! They were able to experience first hand some of what their father does when he goes to work - it's not easy! And while the weekend was technically a "working weekend," it wasn't all about work. I think we grew closer as a family. DH said more that once how nice it was to have us with him - that felt good, for all of us :-)

Once again, I find myself reflecting on how blessed I am; how grateful I am to God for the life He provides for us. And how content I feel with homeschooling and the opportunities doing so provides for "real-life" education.

Better late than never!

2010-07-07T09:48:00.000-05:00

I am joining late today - iFellowship, that is - what can I say, I stayed in bed, trying to sleep... I had one of those tossy-turny nights and am not feeling very well rested this morning. At any rate, I'm here and looking forward to meeting new people today.

A short story... Yesterday, I had coffee with a great lady and her three kiddos. Bobbi is the blogger at Great Adventures II We met about a year and a half ago on The Homeschool Lounge and have gotten to know one another through THL, Facebook, our blogs, etc. At the time we met, she lived in Texas. Now she lives about an hour from me, so we thought a face-to-face meeting was in order - and I am so glad we did! What a wonderful, Christian woman Bobbi is. Her children were delightful. The afternoon was a huge blessing to me and another testimony to why meeting ladies through online venues can be so rewarding. We never know where God will take us in our life, if we are truly following Him. Having friends all over the world is a good thing! Who knows which one of you I will have the pleasure of visiting and drinking coffee with next?!?

Happy Wednesday, Y'all and have fun iFellowshipping!

4th of July Weekend - In Photos

2010-07-06T11:43:00.000-05:00

A passage from the DECLARATION of INDEPENDENCE

2010-07-02T08:47:00.000-05:00

"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's GOD entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare causes which impel them to separation.

We hold these TRUTHS to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their CREATOR with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED. That, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it and institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such a form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."

I am not among those who wonder if the founders of our country believed in God, or constructed our government based on that belief - I can read, the message is clear. My rights come from my Creator and I feel blessed to live in a country where we can exercise our INDEPENDENCE. This weekend, I will remember the fight those who walked before me were willing to brave for the benefit of us all...

One of those days...

2010-07-01T12:42:00.000-05:00

I have the blahs today... I was trying to think of how to describe my day, then I remembered this poem by Shel Silverstein...

TIRED

I've been working so hard you just wouldn't believe,
And I'm tired!
There's so little time and so much to achieve,
And I'm tired!
I've been lying here holding the grass in its place,
Pressing a leaf with the side of my face,
Tasting the apples to see if they're sweet,
Counting the toes on a centipede's feet.
I've been memorizing the shape of that cloud,
Warning the robins not to chirp so loud,
Shooing the butterflies off the tomatoes,
Keeping an eye out for floods and tornadoes.
I've been supervising the work of ants
And thinking of pruning the canteloupe plants,
Timing the sun to see what time it sets,
Calling the fish to swim into my nets,
And I've taken twelve thousand and forty-one breaths,
And I'm TIRED!

...Anybody know what I mean...

Christian Fellowship

2010-06-30T07:29:00.003-05:00

The word fellowship kept popping into my head yesterday. Most likely because I was looking forward to the iFellowship blog hop, and perhaps also because I have felt a yearning for more like-minded friends as of late. For the sake of learning something new, and because I couldn't dump the nagging thought from my mind, I decided to take a deeper look at the word. The Oxford dictionary defines fellowship as friendly association with others. Not far off from what I had in mind, probably what most of us have in mind, however, I wasn't completely satisfied. As I continued to mull over the word in my mind, I kept wondering about what it means to be in true fellowship with someone else... so I pulled out the Bible.

The primary bible I use is a New King James study version - it is very thick and weighs a couple pounds! One of the things I love about this bible is the concordance in the back. I turned the pages until I found the word fellowship and proceeded to look up every one of the scriptures listed there. Now I was getting somewhere! Finally I could see a clear picture of what it means to be in union with others through fellowship.

I understood immediately from the scriptures I read (and have known for a long time) that not all fellowship is the same. The "friendly association" mentioned in the dictionary is all good and fine, and necessary for our day-to-day living, however, there is an association that believers share in Christ that truly brings fellowship to a new level. Philippians 2:1-4 says this, "Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

Wow - what a completely different view I have now of Christian fellowship and the importance of it in my life. No wonder I feel a yearning for true friendship in Christ, when it is described as "having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." I pray that God will guide me and grow me in those kinds of relationships.

In today's world, where is it increasingly difficult to find opportunities for Christian fellowship, I am grateful for blogs like Seeds of Faith, where women can gather to find encouragement and friendship. And while I don't believe blogs could ever, or should ever, take the place of face-to-face relationships, it is nice to have the option of interacting with other Christians we may never have had the opportunity of meeting otherwise.

Me Time

2010-06-29T11:29:00.000-05:00

This week's homeschool blog hop through Our Worldwide Classroom asks - How do I take time for myself?

My day begins with a cup of coffee and quiet time. When everyone else is still sleeping, I am reading my Bible, blogging, reading others' blogs, and doing a Pilates workout. If I am going to get time for myself during the day, this is when I will get it. To me, getting up early is a good exchange. I am not a night owl anyway, so I am still ensured enough sleep. I love how the morning light dances on our classroom floor (where I spend this quiet time) and how the sounds are so different from those that play once everything begins to awaken.

In addition, September through May, our children attend a homeschool enrichment program where they participate in hands-on activities with other homeschoolers. This allows me several hours to run errands, shop, or have lunch with a girlfriend - I enjoy this treat :-)

Finally, I am an avid reader and love to have my nose stuffed in a book! While there is not much time for pleasure-reading, whenever I can steal a few minutes, often before bed, I do :-)

Onmibus 1

2010-06-28T20:12:00.000-05:00

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been promising to profile a couple of new books that we've added to our curriculum this year. Well, after recovering from a vacation and settling in to a new school year, I finally have some time to make good on that promise. I've selected Onmibus I from Veritas Press to detail first.

Omnibus I in an integrated approach to Theology, History, and Literature (Omnibus is a Latin term that means "all encompassing"). In most cases, it is used along with the 7th-grade curriculum when following the Veritas Press recommendations (generally, students work a year ahead). Additionally, the book is developed for a classical Christian curriculum. In other words, there is a very rigorous pace set with an abundance of primary and secondary readings, all geared toward guiding students through the subjects mentioned above with a clear Christian view.

One of the things I find exciting is that in this first Omnibus ( there are six total), students are introduced to the Great Books, or Great Ideas that have shaped the world we live in - they do not have to wait until college! My seventh grader will begin to explore writings by Homer, Plato, and Plutarch, as well as modern-day writers such as C.S. Lewis, and many others. I am excited about this because I am acutely aware that my children would not have been exposed to this treasure trove of writings at this stage of their eduction, had we continued to pursue other educational outlets, and they surely would not have learned it alongside the Bible.

Filtering "wordly" writings through the Bible is the only way to discovering absolute truth. This book continues the process we have already begun with our children - that of analyzing all knowledge through the truth contained in the Word of God.

Onmibus I is divided into two semesters. Each semester is then broken up by weeks, and then daily sessions. Students read, write, discuss, and argue the material with their guide/teacher (that would be me) in order to gain a complete understanding of the topic. Day one began with students being prompted to begin a journey back to the beginning of time, back to the creation of the world as detailed in Genesis... a journey I feel blessed to be a part of.

A new school year and a blog redesign!

2010-06-27T10:33:00.007-05:00

After a four week break, we have officially begun a new school year. This is our first experience with year-round schooling. Our decision to make the change was based on several reasons. For one, my husband travels often for work and schooling year round will allow us more opportunities to join him, without having to drag a bookshelf of literature, etc. with us. In addition, our girls have often complained of "summer boredom," which annoys me to no end... now they will have shorter breaks during summer and will have less review work in September (our schedule still provides for 8-weeks of "summer" break between May and September, just not in one lump). Finally, using a classical approach to homeschooling is extremely rigorous, not only for our girls, but also for me, so having one week off every month (beginning in September, every sixth week is a break week) will give us an opportunity to catch our breath and rejuvenate our minds, avoiding burnout. Of course, I will keep you posted on our progress.

Our agenda for last week allowed us to ease in slowly... we spent time becoming familiar with the new schedule and our new curriculum... we played bananagrams... did some art... it was a good week. Next week, we jump in with both feet!

Also new for me last week is the look of my blog. I was so excited to work with Lena at Simply Fabulous Blogger on the redesign. She is extremely creative and professional. If you are looking to update or completely redesign your blog, I highly recommend her. I love how bright and open this new layout looks, and hope you do too. And, now I have a shareable button, so please feel free to link up!

So much going on...

2010-06-23T08:39:00.004-05:00

There is so much going on in our home...

I meant to profile a couple of our new books for the school year prior to beginning a new year, however, today is our first day back to school, and well... yep, you guessed it! I am also working on a blog-redesign, which I am super excited about; trying to figure the easiest route through Omnibus I (one of the books I will eventually post about); getting back into an exercise routine after being banned while I healed from surgery... I could go on and on - but I won't bore you! It's my life and it is good :-)

For today, I am enjoying my morning cup of coffee while perusing new friends' blogs through iFellowship...

...and easing into a new school year with my two favorite girls...

p.s. We are finally de-camped, everything put away, all laundry done - woot!

A Homeschooling Blog Hop

2010-06-22T09:02:00.006-05:00

With all the hats that we moms wear, I think it's great to find new friends with common interests, and I recognize the need to travel in a variety of circles to meet new people. That is why I have joined another blog hop - this one is for homeschoolers and I am looking forward to gaining new knowledge, sharing experiences, and building relationships...

The sign said Gone Camping

2010-06-21T13:28:00.009-05:00

We're back! We survived a week-long trip to Minnesota, five days of which were spent camping in the North Woods, White Face Reservoir - to be exact. The weather was chilly for most of the days and a little rainy, and the fishing was just okay, but in the end, we went for the company and that was great :-)

Now, I should be truthful and state that the "we survived" above should actually be, "I survived," since I am the one who does not love to camp. I should also state that while the trip was great fun, I am completely worn out and dreading all of the camping-cleanup. Those gripes having been aired, I did enjoy spending time with my family, participating in those activities that make camping worth the effort. It was also nice to spend time with extended family on my hubby's side, many of whom we do not get to see very often.

We made memories that will last a lifetime and that makes me happy. Those memories also make the work that was involved and the absence of the creature-comforts seem trivial. What I learned last week, dressed in my dirty clothes and with my campfire-hair, is that you don't have to be a camper to go camping - and enjoy it. What one does have to be is a participant - one who is willing to share in the experience with the loved-ones around them. That is what I did, and I found that I was not focused on what I view as the "unpleasantness" of rugged camping, but instead on how the WHOLE camping experience was uplifting and enjoyable for our family - a blessing that I will enjoy taking part in again.

In the Classroom 2010/2011

2010-06-11T10:06:00.002-05:00

I have updated our curriculum for the 2010/2011 school-year, which can be found under the label "In the Classroom..." As mentioned in an earlier post, I do have intentions of profiling a couple of this year's new books, however, this is all I have time for today, and for a few days to come...

Please feel free to leave comments or questions, and I will do my best to reply in a timely manner.

A project and some fellowship

2010-06-09T09:45:00.004-05:00

Have you ever purchased inexpensive decorative items with the intent to "jazz" them up a bit? We have, many times. One set, of three very plain lamps, has been a project that I've been meaning to get to for some time - I am talking seven years! The group, which included two table lamps and a short floor lamp cost us $39.99 at a warehouse store. On Monday, I purchased three yards of a beaded embellishment for $20.60, which I added to the two table lamps that we use on the nightstands in our bedroom.

Just like that! We have "new" lamps...

Today is also iFellowship at Seeds of Faith... come join the fun!

Plans are made

2010-06-08T09:17:00.006-05:00

We are ready for a new school year - the lesson plans are finished, the walls have been cleared and prepared to display new projects, the dust is almost gone (vacuuming is on today's to do list), and the new books are stacked on the appropriate desks, waiting to reveal the knowledge they hold... 15 days until we begin another journey, another year of being blessed by God in our home, where our "...rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

Over the next days, I will be updating our "in the classroom" book list, and profiling a couple of items that I am particularly excited about. We will also be enjoying some special family time, pursuing activities that only summer allows.

I am in no hurry, I am feeling blessed and content - God is so good!

"...whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things." ~Philippians 4:8

Work in progress...

2010-06-04T09:04:00.007-05:00

So... it's Friday and our classroom is still a work in progress. The main reason the work is not yet complete is that I, as usual, am trying to multitask - clean classroom, enter a semester's worth of lesson plans, figure out Dylan's Omnibus I (more to come on that in a future post), put on my new hat as president for our local homeschool group, and of course, my wifely and motherly duties... In other words, I am living my life!

I am not discouraged that what I had hoped to accomplish this week has yet to be finished, or that next week's to do list will be piled upon this week's unfinished tasks. I was reminded and encouraged this morning by the words in Matthew 6:34, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things..." These words have reassured me and I am trying my best to take each today that I am blessed with as it comes.

And on this today, I am taking our beautiful daughters and a couple of their friends to the water-park, so once again, the work will remain unfinished because I have more IMPORTANT things to do :-) Happy Friday, my friends, and may you enjoy your important things today too!

iFellowship Wednesday

2010-06-02T08:57:00.003-05:00

I have been looking forward to iFellowship Wednesday for the last two weeks. It is so uplifting to discover how many women out there love God and are doing their best to live their life for Him.

What a mess!

2010-06-01T09:24:00.007-05:00

The 2009-2010 school year has officially ended in our home - and it looks like it!

We are blessed with a large classroom to learn in and boy do we USE it! The convenience of not having to pick up "school" every day is wonderful, however, it makes it very easy to leave things out and just close the door on it, which would be great if doing so didn't allow a mess to grow that takes a whole day to clean up. Now, I am not complaining, only dreading the task before me (I should say us, because the girls will be helping).

In addition to grading final papers, generating report cards, and doing a semester's worth of lesson plans (our new school year begins June 23rd), I will also join in taking down old projects, dusting off books, clearing out craft tables, unloading and reloading books shelves, organizing desks, and finally, giving the old classroom a good scrub down. Whew - I am tired just listing it out! That being said, I know it will feel good doing the work and even better when the clean slate if before us.

Time to get to work!

May 29th

2010-05-30T15:29:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, we celebrated our youngest child's 9th Birthday. Becca is the true "baby" of our family and it is strange to think that the baby is halfway to being an adult (if we count that at 18)! Life is flying by and sometimes I just want to scream, "Wait a minute - slow down - I am NOT ready for my baby to be nine years old!" Obviously, it is impossible to stop time, however, we did slow down long enough to spend the day as a family, doing the things our Becca Boo loves to do...

A beautiful day at the waterpark...

Making homemade pizzas and grilling them up on the BBQ - yummy!

And, of course, enjoying some birthday cupcakes together *<:o)~

Another one down!

2010-05-28T09:15:00.013-05:00

Today is our last day of school! Wow - I can't believe how fast the year has gone! Once again, we have ALL learned so much about God and His plan for our family, about each other, about where we come from and how we fit in this world we live in. Homeschooling truly is about the education of the family and I feel so blessed to be LIVING IT! As I sit here reflecting on all the things we've done over the year, I thought it would be fun highlight a few favorites:

Missouri Homeschooler's Day at World's of Fun amusement park - Fun!

A trip to War Eagle Mill - Arkansas

We visited Shoal Creek Living History Museum and learned how Missourians lived in the 1800's

In February, we attended a Homeschool Rally in Jefferson City, Missouri

A fun cupcake-day spent with some of our creative homeschooling friends

I could have posted a hundred photos; this year was not only productive, but also BUSY. We will take four weeks off and then begin our new school year. For now, I will enjoy this special day that says, "We did it!"

Early treats from a Spring garden

2010-05-27T09:06:00.004-05:00

Admittedly, I do not enjoy gardening. I have never liked playing in the dirt, bugs, or sweating profusely - all things that come with gardening, in my experiences. That being said, I love fresh clean fruits and vegetables (we do not use pesticides or weed killers), and the look of a well-maintained flower garden. The thought of those rewards, combined with a sense of duty, moves my reluctant feet outside and into the dirt... and I am always rewarded.

A mix of baby greens: red leaf, butter lettuce and romaine, with young garlic on the side - Yummy.

A pot full of "new" potatoes, both red and gold, turns into a scrumptious, creamy side dish, made by my talented foodie-hubby.

...grateful and full... in more ways than one.

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." ~Isaiah 40:8

It's iFellowship Wednesday...

2010-05-26T04:14:00.003-05:00

Last week was the first week for iFellowship, started by Seeds of Faith. I enjoyed visiting new blogs and "meeting" new ladies who love the Lord. Let's do it again!

When you give the kids the camera...

2010-05-24T09:30:00.005-05:00

On Friday, we took a three and a half hour drive North, to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. What an experience! The zoo is full of a variety of different eco-systems in which lots of very cool animals live. My favorite was the Aquarium!

I gave the kids the camera so that we might view this experience through their eyes (with the exception of a few "mom" shots, of course). I smiled more than once when I downloaded the images onto the computer - Becca loves bunnies and her pictures indicated exactly that, while Dylan's artistic flair revealed lots of closeups of animal eyes...

I was happy to discover that the girls did not ask me what to take pictures of or how, they just went for it. And while we got more pictures than I would have taken (over 200), it was wonderful for me to get a glimpse of what the girls were "seeing", and how they were experiencing the zoo, which even though we were together the whole time, was different in many ways than what I saw. I learned that when you give the kids the camera, there is an opportunity to learn something new about how your child views the world - I think I'll make a habit of it!

iFellowship

2010-05-19T20:01:00.004-05:00

Join the fun! iFellowship was created by the Seeds of Faith team as a place for Christian Moms to fellowship blog-style! Click the button below to see what it's all about.

12-year old perspective

2010-05-19T19:31:00.003-05:00

On Monday, I visited the doctor for a post-operative checkup. I was told that I was well on my way to a full recovery, which was definitely good news. The Doc also told me to refrain from working out (specifically Pilates, of which I have become a maniac) for a minimum of four weeks, but more likely - six weeks. My children followed me quietly out of the waiting room to the car, where the following conversation took place:

Me: “How depressing!”

12-year old (in that slightly sarcastic way of a pre-teen): “What, that you are healing and healthy?”

Me: (Pausing first, while I thought about what she said) “Yeah, I am bummed that I can’t workout. But you are right. I was not thinking about the really important part, was I?”

Silence…

Ouch! I must admit that my daughter’s words delivered quite a sting, and they should have! I was so caught up in what I considered the bad news that I completely washed over the good news. I ignored the fact that God had just delivered me from a serious health problem. I disregarded the healing that was taking place because I was told I could not do something I wanted to. How is it that I could forget the upheaval of the last month so quickly?

Over the last couple of days, I have spent much time thinking about the conversation that took place. The fact that my young daughter “got it” and I did not has troubled me. And at the same time, it has encouraged me. First, I have recognized in my response to the situation, my vanity (the troubling part), and have asked for forgiveness and help in overcoming that from my Father above. Being completely honest, that is no easy task.

The part that encourages me is in my daughter. I rejoice in knowing that her perception of the situation was not flawed. She recognized God’s healing hand and reminded me of it. How easily she could have agreed with me, or said nothing at all while I vented. It pleases me that she was willing to speak up because there was a great lesson learned. It was not the first time the child taught the mother, nor do I suspect it will be the last…

Picking up the slack

2010-05-16T15:40:00.003-05:00

The last month has not been “normal” for our family – and that is putting it mildly. Over several weeks’ time, my body was tested again and again, which ultimately ended in a surgery for me. All is well on day seven, post-op, and for that I thank God and the family with which He has blessed me.

These past seven days have revealed to me a husband who was willing to heap a bundle of new jobs on his already over-taxed schedule. A man who lovingly cared for me, took on my daily duties as mom, teacher, taxi-driver, cook, etc., and still found the energy to do his job! Kudos to my Bob, who I am truly grateful to for the selfless way he rose to the challenge that faced our family.

This last week both of our daughters demonstrated a maturity that I had not realized was there. How quickly they grow! The girls were both eager to serve, to bring me whatever I needed so that I would stay in bed (the part of the ordeal I liked the very LEAST). On one evening, they cooked dinner from scratch and baked homemade cookies, all on their own. It feels so wonderful to know that our girls are learning how to be women of God, and they are doing it happily.

Ultimately, during what was a tougher week than most for us, we were provided with an opportunity for drawing closer to one another. Although “schooling” was modified to a lighter load, for obvious reasons, learning was not. Among many other life lessons, it was a week for learning how to pick up the slack for a loved one. A week for figuring out what needed to be done within the home as well as the methods for meeting those needs. The fact that the girls were watching me, observing my actions and attitudes, while in pain at times and more tired than usual, was not lost on me. I hope I set a good example and I pray that I conveyed my gratitude properly.

Thank you does quite say enough for all of those who have supported me through this ordeal. My “forced” break left much time for reflecting… I am indeed a blessed woman.

The Butterfly Chronicles – Part 2

2010-04-08T18:46:00.001-05:00

Today, we let fly five beautiful butterflies! What amazing creatures we watched transform over the past three weeks. The tiny worm-like larvae morphed into colorful winged-beings and fluttered from us without a care in the world. The three of us watched silently as they disappeared from sight.

We learned that this species of butterfly (scientific name is Vanessa cardui L) will live for only two to four weeks, which seems an awful short time for all the work that took place during her transformation. She has 10,000 eyes, can lay up to 500 eggs, and may travel 1,000 miles in her short lifetime – wow, amazing!

I have learned that I need to take more time to watch God’s creatures in this world. How many times can I say I have watched the actual transformation from caterpillar to butterfly? Once! Sure, I have seen it in books, even watched it on television, but it is something altogether different to witness it under your nose, to hold the beautiful creature on your finger just before she gently lifts her body up into the wind to flit here and there before vanishing from sight. Today, I was reminded how the even the simplest transformations are God’s miracles and I am feeling very grateful to have taken the time to witness one!

The Butterfly Chronicles - Part 1

2010-03-29T17:20:00.002-05:00

About ten days ago, we received a small cardboard box with the words – OPEN IMMEDIATELY – plastered all over it. Inside, we found five tiny Painted Lady butterfly larvae. Now, I am sure all types of educators perform this project thousands of times throughout the year, however, this is the first time we have raised butterflies in our school.

As I type this, the girls are busily drawing and labeling the butterfly life cycle. We have just moved the chrysalides into their new mesh home. Neither of the girls liked that process at all; Becca thought it was especially “gross.” Now it is a waiting game. In seven to ten days, we should have five beautiful butterflies.

…to be continued…

New Blog

2010-03-28T13:57:00.000-05:00

Here it is... my new blog. I have been contemplating a new name for quite some time and when I was sure I had the "right one" I went with it. You can also find me at www.homemade-wisdom.com, although, I am struggling with that website at this time; we shall see how it evolves.

A "bunny" lesson

2010-03-20T12:34:00.000-05:00

Officially, today is the first day of spring. Looking out the window, you would never know it though. As I sit here in our classroom, typing away, the white flakes blowing on the wind distract me as they silently land among their snowy brethren, marring my idyllic spring portrait. My thoughts are not wholly on what I am doing, as there is an underlying longing, an aggravation even, for the landscape I so lovingly described in my last post. Ah, but surely I digress… There were visions of bunnies and happy little girls dancing in my head last night as I was thinking about blogging…

Two years. That is how long our sweet little girls begged for bunnies. Notice the verb tense? Yes, we have two new family members – meet Thumper and Hasenpfeffer (Dylan’s sense of humor will have to be explained another day)!

I must admit that it was my opposition to the animals that left them peering out of their farm-store cages, their innocent eyes following us out of the stores. Bob would have gladly succumbed to the cajoling of his little darlings when first their pleas began. I, on the other hand, have always bought into the “less-is-more” ideology where animals are concerned. Only reluctantly have I ever embraced creatures that do not walk upright and identify themselves as human!

Watching our girls float around the house this week, smiles plastered, voices light, has reminded me of how good it feels to do something nice for someone else, despite my own desires. My overall feeling for the bunnies is one of gratitude, not only for the lessons in care and responsibility the girls are learning, but also for the heart-warming gift a mother has found in pleasing her children. Now, I am too pragmatic of a woman to think that the light-hearted mentality of this past week will continue indefinitely, or that I will never have to remind them to feed their rabbits or clean the cage. My point is that my thought process has shifted a bit as I am now forced to think whether the thing being asked for has a lesson in it more valuable to me and my family, than my workload is. I have been reminded of how fleeting childhood is and how the big picture of raising these kids up ends with them being adults. Adults who will one day reflect on the way they were raised and the lessons they were taught. I am comforted knowing that they will not have to wonder if raising a bunny may have changed them in any way, and neither will I.

Spring Forward

2010-03-14T12:44:00.000-05:00

Another year is beginning to awaken from its frost-induced slumber and spring back to life. Tiny shoots of soft, green grass are emerging from their dark, earthy depths. The buds on the trees are bulging, but wisely restraining their bloom, and the early stems of my daffodils sway in the wind outside the dining room windows. There are more birds busily bopping about in search of the perfect materials for building the nests that will house their young. Our silly dogs have dug out the straw from their houses and heaped it in a mound at the threshold, reminding us that they too are “over” the winter.

Spring is bringing change to our lives and not just in the time and the landscape. New friendships are budding as well, in answer to prayer, and for that, I am truly grateful. In the spirit of moving forward in life, I have enthusiastically accepted a challenge to lead in a significant area of my life and that of my family. One reminder after another has surfaced, keeping at the forefront of my heart and mind the writings in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven…”

On this day, my focus is not on the loss of an hour’s sleep, but rather on the forward leap into a new season of my life. My thoughts are on the myriad of blessings I can count in the simple act of watching spring come into being. How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father for each of those gifts, and how wonderful it is to see spring with eyes given me as one of His children.

Just the two of us...

2010-03-05T13:37:00.000-06:00

HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLOOOOOOO out there… Yes, it is I - the long lost blogger of The Classical Domus Schola. I am out of touch and out of practice, but no matter, here we go again.

Today is Friday and I am looking forward to spending a long weekend alone with my husband. We will celebrate 13 years of marriage next Tuesday, but will observe it together over the next couple of days. I am feeling blessed and fortunate to have Bob as my partner in life. The last year has been a challenge for us as we have learned to adjust to his rigorous travel schedule. God has once again lifted us up and taught us how to be happy in this “new” life. I can never say it enough – God is good, all the time – all the time, God is good!

We have decided to stick close to home and explore Kansas City. There are several new restaurants we are planning to try out, and of course, we will listen to some live Jazz, as we usually do when in KC. Perhaps we may even take in a movie. If the weather holds, we will spend as much time out of doors as we can, maybe the fountains will be flowing…

Whatever we end up doing, the best part of it will be that we are together, enjoying one another’s company, cherishing the time, and recognizing the blessing we have in our union.

I love you, Bob, always and forever <3

Back-to-School

2009-09-02T08:48:00.000-05:00

And just like that, we are back to school. The summer seems to have blown by; a wind carrying with it many new memories, many new lessons. We are a fortunate family as we were able to see many new places this summer. We were especially blessed to visit with family and old friends living on opposite ends of the country. God is good.

This school year will be a busy and challenging one for us. The girls are already learning completely new concepts in several subjects. The curriculum we use wastes no time getting back into the swing of things (both girls just took their second math test of the year yesterday - our first day was August 12th). We have set a few goals in Latin, History, and Literature. All of them ambitious.

Tomorrow night we are heading to a back-to-school night at the Discovery Homeschool Academy. The girls will be taking classes every Tuesday at the Academy, where they will engage in hands-on activities in six subjects: science, art, music, P.E., computers, and Spanish. This is new for us this year and we are all looking forward to it. I believe it will be a terrific learning experience for both girls as well as a healthy social outlet for them. I will keep you posted!

Until next time, happy back to school.

p.s. The photo is of the girls on our first day of school :-)

#7 - On being Politically Correct.

2009-07-21T09:01:00.000-05:00

(There has been a huge gap in my "truth telling." All I can say is that life has been very busy with things I feel are more important than writing).

# 7. I can't stand Political Correctness. I believe we all should ‘say what we mean and mean what we say!’

When I first thought about writing this honest thing, I really wanted to “get into it.” Talk about the origins of political correctness, The “Frankfurt School,” the “sensitive training” of the 1930’s, you know, the proverbial “whole nine yards.” But I decided against doing that because it is not my intention to write a position piece, only an honest thing describing my opinion.

In simplest form, I believe that political correctness is censorship at its most clever. The theory that vocalizing one’s beliefs is disrespectful is a farce, one that demoralizes the community in which we live, which is the very thing that the theory is attempting to “correct.” Herein lies a contradiction. The very act of attempting to protect one citizen verbally devalues another. Who has the right to say what they want - the average person with an opinion, the intellectual claiming a truer understanding of the human condition, or the person who seems to have no voice at all? The truth - ALL of them.

Freedom of speech means that we have unrestricted use of our words, our minds. Who has authority to take that away from us and call it politically correct? No one. Nobody. No professor, no pastor, no neighbor or activist, and certainly not the government!

I realize people are bigoted and cruel, ignorant and bitter, but censoring will not cure these haters as we have already seen. What political correctness does do is lead people on a wild-goose chase to relativism, a place where everybody is right all the time… a place that does not exist. Relativism is a place where hateful people will always be able to justify their behavior. Hate can only be vanquished by truth - Truth that reproves and shames those who trespass against it. A politically correct voice lacks strength, power, and resolution, and is therefore destined to fail.

What the world needs are voices that speak the truth regardless of what others may think of them.

And that is all I have to say about that…

Touching base...

2009-07-08T20:02:00.000-05:00

So it has been 10 days since my last post and I am feeling like I am neglecting my commitment to write, again. We were at the lake for four days for the 4th of July and prior to that, Becca and I were enjoying some quality time together while Bob and Dylan were canoeing in the Boundary Waters. Excuses. Excuses.

At any rate, I thought I should touch base, especially with myself. There is something reassuring about tap-tap-tapping the keyboard. It just feels good to me.

I have spent all week creating lesson plans on my new homeschooling software. I love it! The data entry (have to put all of our books, etc. in the system) has been a little tough to take, but I think it is going to make my weekly planning time almost nothing! Tomorrow I will convert lesson plans to assignments for the first month of school. I am also packing up last years' assignments and cleaning up the classroom. By the time I turn the lights out in the classroom tomorrow we will be ready for a brand new school year. Exciting.

We pick my sister and niece up from the airport on Saturday night. They will be here for sixteen days and I am warning you now (myself too) that I will not be spending much time blogging. Probably not much time writing either as I am planning to spend every minute with my sis :-) I'm just saying...

One last thing. My seventh "honest thing" has to do with Political Correctness and I am expecting that my opinions will ruffle some feathers. I have been thinking about this here and there over the past several days and I have come to the conclusion that that is okay. Sometimes feathers need to be ruffled - that is exactly why I have the views I do about being politically correct. Until then my friends...

p.s. The pics are from our trip to the Lake of the Ozarks over the 4th of July weekend.

The fourth honest thing.

2009-06-23T11:02:00.000-05:00

This truth is a long one… I LOVE to write but am afraid that I am not good enough to do it professionally, so I sabotage myself by not writing enough to improve. There, I said it.

Recently, my mom told me about a story of mine she found in an old suitcase. I wrote it in the third grade. As she was describing it to me, all I could do was smile. “I’d love to see it," I told her; I do not remember the story or writing it. What I do remember is that I have always enjoyed writing. When other kids were grumbling about a writing assignment, I was smiling. My teachers, and later my professors, often complimented my stories and essays. One professor in particular, lovingly called “Dr. Philosophy," told me that the writing I was accomplishing in his class was “not easy to do." He was genuinely impressed and recommended that I think seriously about a career in the philosophical world. His words encouraged me to write a little more as did others; perhaps they encouraged me to dream a bit too.

The dreaming part is easy; it is the writing part that over the years has become the challenge. Not only in the “doing it” but more so in “the putting it out there." My self-confidence when it comes to my penned work is pathetic at best. The picture I have created of myself in my mind’s eye is that of an overstuffed worm snuggled into a cocoon. Gorged on knowledge and advice, my worm figure is hiding within thick walls that are becoming impenetrable, collecting dust and debris from the outside world. My thick-walled protection resides on the limb of a beautiful oak tree, ruffled and tossed by occasional wind and rain. I am safe for now but I cannot ignore the heaviness of the limb beneath my home, they way it arches with strain, stretching for the sun, resisting the pull of the musty dirt floor beneath it. My curiosity strains too, will I ever escape my cocoon? If I do, will I be a beautiful butterfly, or perhaps a moth, maybe something completely unexpected?

And here is the sad part. I know what I am supposed to do. But I refuse. What does that mean? Do I “really” want to write for a living or is it the “idea” of writing professionally that I love? These are the questions I ask the worm. She answers coolly, reiterating that I know what to do. I try to read between her words but only find mirrors that show me a well-known face. To say that there is nowhere to run from myself is untrue. Anyone who has ever delved into the depths of their soul knows that I am right. Denial is a lonely place to hide, but cover you it will.

Ultimately, what this “honest thing” boils down to is that until I can coax the worm to transform there will be no career. Only the one step forward, two steps back dance of the hobbyist. That wasted time feeling will continue to grate. More sabotage is likely. Even at this moment I am wondering if I should publish these thoughts. Courage woman!

Courage and honesty.

My children are my life...

2009-06-22T10:32:00.000-05:00

The third “Honest Thing” on my list of ten is… My kids are my life; I will have a hard time when they fly the coop.

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be two things – an actress (I was raised less than an hour from Hollywood – we all wanted to be actresses) and a mommy. After a half-hearted attempt at entering the “glam” world, I decided that thinking about myself, and how I looked all day long, was not for me, and at 18 years old I gave up wanting to be an actress. Instead, I got married young, at age 22, and a year later had my first baby.

Dylan was not a typical baby. She entered this world eights days late weighing a whopping 10 pounds, 5 ounces (22 inches long) and shocked both her daddy and I by being the most even-tempered baby we had ever known. There were weeks she never cried! Dylan did everything early; started talking at eight months, walking at nine, and the list goes on and on. Needless to say, my firstborn child made mothering easy. I was hooked!

Despite a difficult first pregnancy (nausea and vomiting for five months) my husband and I decided to have another baby (no, the second pregnancy wasn’t any easier). Becca was born two days after her due date, looking like a miniature doll when compared to her older sister (7 lbs. 15 oz., 20 inches long). While she cried a bit more than Dylan and did not like anyone besides me for her first few months of life (including Daddy, which was sad), Becca was also a good baby, and I thanked God for both of my children every day. Motherhood was turning out to be better than I ever imagined it could be.

My babies are half-grown now. The past eleven years have shown me hundreds of sides of motherhood, most of which have surprised and humbled me. There are two girls in our home who are learning about life and figuring out their way in this world. I feel privileged to be one of their guides. Most of my time is devoted to these two little human beings. Many of my own ambitions have been put to the side. I have learned much about self-sacrifice over the years; lessons that were not always easy, but necessary and, now, appreciated.

As a young girl, there was no way for me to know what I was asking for when I stated I wanted to be a mommy when I grew up. There is no doubt in my mind it is the hardest occupation I could have picked. Two souls are at stake here – what could be more important than that? At the back of my mind resides a faint reverberation; they are growing up, soon they will be gone. The common-sense part of my brain tells me to cross that bridge when I get there, the heart-sense part of my mind is filled with terror and more than a little foreboding. I remind myself regularly that these children belong to God and that the center will hold.

For now, I will continue to wrap my life around my daughters, knowing that the best things in life are always laced with tiny threads of pain. This mother hen knows her chicks will eventually fly the coop and actually wants them to. But not today. Or tomorrow… hey, I’m being honest!

“But for Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14

Jesus is my Redeemer!

2009-06-20T11:13:00.000-05:00

Now on to my second “Honest Thing” – I believe Jesus is my Redeemer.

Let me state that again, Jesus is my Redeemer! In other words, I believe that God came to earth as a man, specifically in the form of Jesus Christ, so that He could offer Himself as the perfect Sacrifice for human sin, so that we might be reconciled to Him. I could delve into this much deeper, but in my opinion, nobody does it better than C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity; if you are interested, pick it up – it’s a read that could change your life.

Now that I have established that Jesus is my Redeemer and that I choose to follow Him as a Christian, let me also state something else I believe - “religion," as we know it, is a great divide in my opinion. A tool that Satan uses to pit us against one another and keep us arguing about the small things, and keep us from pondering and accepting the really, really BIG thing, which is… without God, it is IMPOSSIBLE to find the perfect form of love and without that perfect form of love, it is IMPOSSIBLE to be content in this life or any other. Now I am not saying that those of us who love Jesus and follow Him are capable of carrying out that perfect love here on earth. We are still sinners living in an imperfect world. What I am saying, is that by accepting Him into our hearts and lives we are given a glimpse of what our eternal life has to offer – we are given hope.

Honest, Truthful, Hope.

I love God with all my heart, mind, body, and soul.

2009-06-17T11:09:00.000-05:00

I am a Christian. As unpopular as that is in today’s world, that is what I am. I believe a Being with a purpose, who loves us and seeks to have a relationship with us, created this world and every living thing in it. Not only did God create us, He also gave us a set of guidelines to live by, by way of the Bible. He instructs us to love one another and treat others, as we want to be treated (Matthew 7:12). If there is anyone who doubts that God loves us and has given us the tools we need to live a peaceful life, please read the book of James (Bible). I think it will change your life. It changed mine.

As a child, my heart, mind, body, and soul were broken. As a teenager and even into my adult life, I have sought to heal that brokenness. Paths were taken that led me to more pain, and paths were taken, which led me to peace. Not until I truly accepted Jesus into my life was I reconciled with the pain. Only then could I begin to heal. Today, there is openness in me that only God could give me. Today, I am free to love with my heart, mind, body, and soul. I choose to love God. And that is the truth!

10 Honest Things About Me

2009-06-16T18:25:00.000-05:00

My new friend, Tina, sent this challenge to me - list 10 Honest Things about yourself. She is a fellow homeschooling mom and writer, and thought this would give me some good "fodder" for my blog. I am going with that. Over the next couple of weeks, I am going to take each "Honest Thing" listed below, in turn, and elaborate on it. This will be a good writing exercise for me as well a growing experience, and I am looking forward to it. Without further ado...

10 Honest Things About Myself:

1. I love the LORD God with all my heart, mind, body, and soul.

2. I believe Jesus is my Redeemer.

3. My children are my life; I will have a hard time when they fly the coop.

4. I LOVE to write but am afraid that I am not good enough to do it professionally, so I sabotage myself by not writing enough to improve.

5. My life's theme song is, "18 Wheeler", by Pink.

6. My childhood scars still have the ability to paralyze me at times, so I pray frequently and play my life's theme song regularly.

7. I can't stand Political Correctness. I believe we all should 'say what we mean and mean what we say'!

8. Am saddened by the current state of America and the fact that our Liberties are being grossly infringed upon.

9. I think homeschooling is one of the best things I've ever done for my children and ever will do for them.

10. Am truly happiest when at home with my husband and children.

I am back!

2009-06-12T18:29:00.000-05:00

How terrible of me to neglect my brand new blog. The end of the school year, a birthday for my baby, vacation, etc., etc., etc... The story of my life. I always put everything else in front of my writing. How do I ever expect to make this a career? As with every goal that fizzles out, I will begin this one anew, again. Here we go.

The end of our home-school year went very smoothly. Our transition at mid-year caused Dylan a little bit of anxiety at the end, because she did not quite finish the sixth grade curriculum. I continue to remind her that our curriculum is at least a year ahead, but more like 18-months ahead of her public school peers (she also skipped a grade when she was in public school). This has pacified her a bit, but only a bit.

Becca's birthday party turned out well. We kept it small due to our impending vacation. We also celebrated her actual birth day at the Cheesecake Factory then on to the movie "Up". All in all, good celebrations, if bittersweet for me... she is my baby; she is eight.

Palm Springs was relaxing. Hot. Very hot. We enjoyed the time with all the family and friends we got to hang out with. Thank you for making the trek, I love you all. I must say that I was happy to get out of there though. The 405 freeway on the way to LAX sent me over the edge. YUCK!!!!!!

There is no place like home for me. Thank you, God, for bringing us back safe and sound.

On reading C.S. Lewis

2009-05-12T18:42:00.000-05:00

For the past few weeks I have been reading the works of the famous Christian writer, C.S. Lewis. His writing both intrigues and inspires me. Although some of it has been tough to get through (rereading sentences), most all of it has given me over to much philosophical thought and hopefully, growth. I have always been an eager student of philosophy, especially thought concerning Christianity and human morality. Lewis' books have rekindled a sort of seeking in me and I am looking forward to learning. While I wish there were great words of wisdom dancing from my fingertips into my newbie blog, alas, there is not. Perhaps someday. For now, I will just keep on reading C.S. Lewis.

Noise

2009-05-05T13:02:00.000-05:00

As I sit here, the scratch of my youngest daughter's pencil fills my ears as she diligently practices her cursive writing. The melody of my oldest daughter's piano playing is intermingled with this pencil-scratching and underneath it all there is a tense undercurrent that has us all on edge. Earlier I heard doors slamming and screaming-voices echo through the house, enough noise to send us all over the edge.

The morning ruckus got me to thinking... The days' rhythm has a huge impact on my mood for the day. When it is loud, especially when the loudness is negative, I am thrown off kilter. Even at this moment (a couple hours after the quarrel) there is a subtle melancholy guiding me. The girls too, seem subdued. I know that as the day wears on, our attitudes will change, as they always do, but I can't help wondering if the feeling can be avoided altogether. Ultimately, I don't think so. We are human after all, we fight, we make up, and we go on... my girls are no different than anyone else. And while mellifluous songs would be my preferred background music, I can't help but be grateful for the negative sounds as well, because they open up opportunities for teaching. They remind me that we are indeed alive - and learning!

Something profound.

2009-05-01T19:17:00.000-05:00

I kept waiting to begin my blog thinking, and hoping, that I would have something really profound to say... Today I realized that I do not need any great insight or overwhelming amount of knowledge to start my blog. If I truly wish to write for living then write I must. That's it - just write. So here I am and here it is - my first blog.

Today we made T-shirts representing our family and our homeschool. We each added a unique quality to our shirts and tied them together with our family name (yes, Daddy too). The project was fun (if a little stressful for our perfectionist child) and I think it was solidifying too, in that we now have a physical tool that says to others, "Look, we are homeschoolers and proud of it". This was an important step for us and I am happy to say it went well.

Until next time...

(that wasn't so hard) :-)