Simplifying My Life

In an effort to simplify my life, I am retiring this blog.  I will be doing some writing this year, God willing I will have the time, but I will combine all posts in my other blog, www.annehuffman.com. 

May God pour grace and joy into your heart for your children. I know that's what I'm praying for myself. 

Anne

The Year Jack Prayed for Snow

It’s another snow day. The winter of 2011 will be remembered at our house as “the year Jack prayed for snow.” Jack is five now and he has been looking forward to winter since late summer. He is a persistent little fellow and a bit one-tracked. When he started praying for snow in September, we were still mourning the end of summer; when November came, we told him, “It will be a while yet, Jack.” But, Jack prayed, even when it seemed to early. 

I am reminded of the woman, Hannah’s, prayers, recorded in the Bible. She continued to pray and weep to God for a son each year. With tears and pleading, she implored of the Lord to open her womb.  She was willing even to give that child back to God to be set apart, and Samuel was born. Great things happen when we pray.

Perhaps we didn’t give Jack bigger things to pray about and we should have. Jesus said we should have faith like little children and I, motivational mom that I am, told him that if we have even a little faith, we can tell the mountains before us to move and they will. Jack wanted nothing more this year than to see mountains of snow. He’s still short, thankfully, so the mountains he has prayed for have not had to exceed his height, but he’s over three feet now. He began to pray at meal times. When fall began, each time we’d pray, Jack would interrupt and say “... and please let the snow be over my head.” Breakfast, lunch, dinnner, bedtime - Jack interrupted. On the bright side, through correction, Jack has now learned to wait for the pause in prayer before sharing his request, but each time, he added his on the end. 

Winter came - early. We had plenty of snow in November and December this year, and in January we had 53” of snow, the second snowiest month on record. Not yet satisfied, but confident that God was hearing and doing, and with 24” on the ground, Jack persisted. “Lord, please let the snow get higher than this.”  We had had about enough, but we endured his repetitive sentence - at least three times a day. Last night we had a blizzard. Heavy system snow has pelted one-third of the nation. Now, the snow banks are over Jack's head.

I don’t know if any other kids are praying in agreement with Jack around the world, but one thing has happened this year, Jack has gained confidence in prayer, something most adults lack. We’ve read in God’s Word that the angels of children are always before the Father and he has learned to take advantage of it. My oldest boys have been witnessing Jack’s persistence, as have mom and dad. An invaluable seed of faith has been planted in this cold winter. In a season when life struggles to endure amidst harsh conditions, we are watching answers to our own prayers for conviction and faith in our three boys. The world looks different when we pray and trust that God answers our prayers. The world, with faith, is a world where hope never dies and where what we see doesn’t confirm what is real. 

When are we going to believe? Do we toss prayers to God hoping he’ll have pity on us or do we pray with confidence that prayer moves the mountain before us?  Jesus wondered aloud several times at the doubt and lack of belief present around him, even in his disciples. I have been praying for God to heal my unbelief as I commit to prayer this year for those around me. In answer, God put it on my child’s heart to show me how to plead persistently to the Lord for the desires of our heart. Our master said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24) We are humbled at the faith of a child. His eyes sparkle as the snow falls, knowing his God is faithful. Joy in found in answered prayer, in the encouragement of God Most High as he participates in our lives at our asking. No prayer is too complex for a faith this big, for a heart that hasn’t been hardened. 

Feeling a Bit Claustrophobic? The Winter Blues Are Not Terminal

It’s mid-winter again. Outside it’s gray, overcast, snowy and icy. The beauty of winter’s icy sparkle may now seem muted as feelings of isolation and boredom set in. The thrill of sledding has worn off and kids who, weeks ago, slid eagerly like penguins in the snow, need to be prodded to go out to get some fresh air. Longing for the warmth of the summer sun and the vitamin D it provides, some people fall prey to depression. When mid-winter chills our zeal, we become more aware of the need for people and connection. In the fall, academics command our energy and zeal, but with winter, fellowship, group activities and idea sharing can shine light on bleak days. 

After the holiday season, a personal mission of mine is to recapture a sense of organization and do some revisionary work on our schedule. A new year means new beginnings. If you’ve let the order in your home slide through the fall, a week or two of cleaning and purging can shine light where piles previously persecuted you. Have the kids been helping enough? If not, revive hope by establishing a system with clear expectations and set consequences. A card file system works well for us. Take a fresh and prayerful look at what’s necessary, or lacking, in your academic schedule. Is there excess baggage or neglected areas in your learning day? Perhaps some re-purposing is in order there too.  What do you really want to accomplish that you are not? Analyze progress in character and academics then create hope with a plan to implement change.

Fresh ideas can be like sunshine in the depth of winter. Get out a bowl and give those kids some squares of paper. Send them hunting for ideas. Is there a place or thing they’d love to know more about? Encyclopedias are full of unexplored topics. For a change of pace, a biography can serve as literature, narration and writing, history and geography. The internet is full of resources that can take you across the world to places, or to other teachers with ideas to share. Find a way to accomplish your goals that may be more fun that what you’re doing now. Whatever you choose, pick something that the whole bunch will find something of interest in. 

After the cleaning and re-organizing is done, what next? There is no substitute for the fellowship of others.  A few years ago we felt the darkness of winter isolation shading our enthusiasm. Is there a place you can schedule a weekly, or bi-weekly outing?  Our church had a gym and fellowship hall that wasn’t used during the day. I reserved the space and advertised a day for homeschoolers to come for free play in the gym, board games and mom-time.  It is now a popular place for regular friends to meet and new homeschoolers to connect, share ideas and find direction.  It was easy and rewarding. 

Friendship doesn’t have to involve something large or labor intensive, but finding others who are like minded to support you can change your homeschooling worldview.  No matter how you feel, someone else has been there and can take your hand through the struggle. Online groups are helpful if you need a quick answer to a question, but keep looking locally until you find a group of families with similar age kids to share life with. The homeschool community is a wonderful blessing, but you won’t find it sitting inside your house waiting for it to show up. Find a large co-op and advertise a club or group that would interest your own children. Blessings await you when you do. Securing friendship for yourself and your kids alleviates the agony of loneliness. It is in giving that we receive the most. If you have a talent to share or a skill, offer a class in that.  Swapping our talents is a fun way to give what we do well and receive what we don’t. 

While reading the last four paragraphs, it is likely that winter has remained. Go do a snow check if you must. We still have 12 inches on the ground here in Indiana. My writing students would see getting to the last paragraph as the light at the end of the tunnel.  In life, we often must find the light ourselves, taking steps in a direction we haven’t gone before.  God multiplies the gifts we give; it is likely that a solution you create will be a solution for someone else at the same time. The choice to homeschool brings enduring rewards, but as we stand on the mountain of the present, low-lying clouds can block our view. Endure friend. The sun will shine again! 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

   -Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken”

The Founding Father's and Acts 2 - You Can't Secularize History

It was breakfast.  The kids and I were having a discussion about the founders of our constitution and chose Benjamin Rush as our man of history to study this morning.  Mr. Rush was a devout Christian and God prophesied through him in a dream about his friends, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.  Mr. Rush wrote a letter to his friend, John, telling him what God had revealed to him about the future, about his relationship with Thomas Jefferson. He went so far as to tell Mr. Adams that God revealed to him, in this dream, that they would both die on the same day - 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This prophesy was fulfilled.  

American history boring? I don't think so.  The kids and I reflected upon other empires we'd studied in the last three years, from ancient times through the Dark Ages then through the Middle Ages.  God's hand was moving continually, as he raised and deposed of leaders and nations.  Now, here we are in America, where God had arranged a group of men to form a government, men who were deeply Christian and moved by the Spirit in their relationships and actions.   Over the last 50 years these truths about our government have been removed from common knowledge in America through the process of "education". 

Next, the boys and I connected this prophesy to it's foundation, where the gifts were first given, in Acts 2 of the Bible. If you doubt you can teach your children effectively, trust God.  He is the giver of wisdom and He provides it when you need it.  It was just today that I truly grasped and felt what Acts 2 looked like, not little "tongues of fire hovering over the heads of the crowd, but a sweeping wind like arms reaching out and laying hands right on the people - grabbing them with power, infilling them until they overflowed! Tongues stick out, don't they!  (Ask your kids to show you for comic relief.) Remember the Passover account, when the wind came through the streets? This story is similar but instead of bringing death, it brings life, joy and understanding.  I encourage you to watch the video link below on Acts 2.  It's powerful. 

Take a moment to reflect on truth.  How important IS truth?  How can we effectively teach history and religion apart from one another, let alone values? (Did you learn that our government's formation was only about taxation without representation?  I did. I know I would have paid attention in history if I'd learned it this way.  I also would have seen God's power in a mighty way through it's study.  I was cheated, were you?


Teach your children real history, true history... God's hand is all through it... there is NO history apart from God...  

Wallbuilder's Segment on Benjamin Rush 

Acts 2 - This is where it all began!  

Worship together! Just get up and dance to this... you won't be able to help it.  


Enjoy teaching your children today. You are blessed.  You are free.  This is America and we can live our faith every day and study it as it really happened.  Today you can inspire them in a direction.  What seeds will you plant? What fruit will it bear? Let this truth take root in you in a powerful way so that generations will be blessed through your efforts.  

All honor and praise to God for what He teaches me daily.

 

Abundant Life Homeschooling: Part 2 - Conquering Your Fears

Now that we've talked about some spiritual reasons why you may consider homeschooling, it is important to get over the big hurdle, your fears.  When God calls you to do something, he also promises to equip you to do it!  "But you don't know MY kids,"  you say.  What if I told you that your kids would change.  When we send our kids to school they are absorbing information for eight to nine hours a day from sources other than their family and their God.  In that time, they are not just learning academics, they are learning behavioral patterns.  No, I do not know YOUR kids, but I do know these things about kids:

• Kids are tired after a long day of traditional school, and they have had very little free time while they are there.  
• Tired minds don't retain the information that would be better presented and completed while they have plenty of mental energy.
• They value of homework is minimal in real learning.
• That they now do or will soon love to learn.
• Freedom and love change the personality of a child.  
• Socialization in a same grade school environment is not as beneficial as socialization between students of mixed ages and adults.
• Your kids will like you, respect you, obey you, and admire you as they see you sacrifice and live together.  
• You will win back your authority as you teach Biblical wisdom throughout your day. If they can't learn to submit to you, how will they learn to submit to God as their master?
• They won't miss being evaluated by their peers, peer pressure, being bullied or criticized by other kids,  and a lack of recess.  
• Their vocabulary, integrity and logical reasoning will improve as they spend more time with adults than kids their own age. 
• God made all kids uniquely perfect and intentionally, they don't all learn alike, and they definitely aren't motivated by the same things.  They just endure and do their best to fit into a pattern that is created to the mass, not the individual.  Labels are applied too young and are dangerous to a child's self-image.
• The labels schools apply are almost always artificial.  Bring them home and see what happens. Many kids who are learning disabled in school suddenly "become" gifted when they are home schooled.
• Kids learn differently and mature at different ages.  Reading readiness is not always there when the schools want to teach it.   
• Boys don't sit still well. This is not a defect. 
• Pressuring kids to learn does not increase their real intelligence.  More is not better.
• They will be free to answer every question or pose questions at home that may intimidate them in school.  
• Mastery is better than moving on.  Classrooms cannot cater to individual readiness easily.
• Their siblings become their best friends and accountability partners when you homeschool.
• Homeschooled kids avoid many of the behavioral problems found in traditionally schooled children.  They make great friends because they are accepting of others' differences and find it easier to see people as God would see them, as special and unique.  There is little or no peer pressure to ridicule others.
• Kids are confused by an environment that teaches different truths and values than you teach them at home.  For example, at home God created them; in school they evolved from a monkey. At home our behavior is motivated by Godly wisdom.  In our PS system, humanist values are taught with no truth behind it. This makes good behavior a matter of personal opinion. 
• The teenage years are seldom a problem in a homeschooling family.  Young adults can take on young adult responsibilities at an earlier age and they no longer rebel out of a lack of purpose or to assert their individuality.

I know that's a lot to digest, but I hope it gives you encouragement and hope.  Homeschooling is not torture, it's improved family living in an environment of freedom.   There is a lot of support available from other families, groups and the internet.  Socialization becomes positive socialization when the kids are with you and in the real world, so you really lose a lot of the struggles you now face simply by removing your kids from an environment with out of balance, age segregated, peer interaction. 

Now, about you.  You will have to give up some freedoms, but you will GAIN many more!  Yes, it is a commitment.  There may be hard days as you figure out what is best for your child, but your perseverance when they are young means that when you have teenagers they will be a joy, not a nightmare. As your children grow in responsibility and training, you will regain more freedom and have more freedom than you would helping in the school and re-learning their homework in order to help them after school. You will be there to guide and God will guide you all.  A Godly mom grows Godly children.  Your husband, who may begin with the same fear, will enjoy having respectful, bright, joyful kids and after watching them grow and thrive, will soon be an advocate of homeschooling if he isn't now.

Where would you start? You may begin with what is called de-schooling; we give kids back their lives, their minds and their love of learning.  Don't jump into re-creating a school environment at home.  Work on the basics, math, handwriting, and maybe grammar with a lot of Bible mixed in.   Your main job outside of that is to inspire and watch how their own interests lead their learning.   Much of what schools do is busywork to keep kids occupied and manageable in a group setting.  Reading aloud is a great way to build discussion, shape values, and build vocabulary skills. Best of all, you do it together; you pick the books. They don't have to be grade "appropriate" material, and they can be read in the park, on the patio, on a blanket, or in front of a fire in the afternoon on a rainy day.  God will shape you through this process and you'll learn about yourself, your kids, and your Creator. 

School is the advertising agency which makes you believe that you need the society as it is.
~ Ivan Illich, Deschooling Society

Here is a sampling of helpful resources available to get you started:

Abundant Life Homeschooling: Part 1 - Why Consider Homeschooling?

There have been many days as a homeschooling mom where I've felt physically drained and emotionally spent.  I can’t even count how many times I’ve mentioned that I homeschool and heard,  "I just know I could never home school!” I confess that my children have learned a lot but that I have probably learned the most in my five year journey discipling my children.  It is the most effective method of parental refinement I know - in a good way.  There are rewards that can be found no where else but in learning together as a family.

If you have begun the homeschooling journey, fear of failure is NOT a sign that you should start looking for schools. I've felt the same anxiety!  As you read more in this series, you'll see that homeschooling does not have to be a torturous assignment for you or your children every day.  Did you know that God goes before you?  He prepares the way and shares his vision and insights with us.  So, what is YOUR homework?  Your largest and most time consuming task is not choosing the right curriculum, or making sure you meet the state standards or prepare for yearly testing.  No, the key to abundant life homeschooling is spending more time getting to know God intimately and learning to listen to the Spirit who guides you.  When God promised to work all things for the good for those who love him and are called according to HIS purpose, he is FAITHful in providing that.  Don't take my word for it, just start doing it and see what happens.  This is the key to finding joy, restoring joy and living joyfully.  This may not be the world's way of raising children, but note what the Bible says about the world's way:

Romans 12:2 says "Do not conform any longer to the patter of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." 

Did you know that all forms of education have an agenda?  I have an agenda for my kids, but I prefer to call it a vision.  Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law." Chew on that a bit.... As Christians, the single most important thing we are commanded by God to instill in our children is intimate knowledge of their creator and follow the vision he provides as we live our lives.  If we don't have a vision for our children, how can we expect to know where to aim?

Public education as it exists today (and as it was designed) is motivated by corporate necessity, a need for societal order, a place to provide the poor with basic skills, and to create like mindedness in society.  This is their vision. (Click here for my source and a great online read documenting this.)  Do you trust your children's hearts to a system that truly has a goal of instilling values apart from God's values, not to mention the distortion and selective coverage of history and God's hand in it?  We believe we're sending them to school to learn reading, math and basic skills.  Are you aware that political and social activism have taken the place of Christianity in the schools? Your values have been replaced, questioned, and filtered through the eyes of many others. Check out this recent example.

What about morality? Consider the best a public school can do to teach morality.  They can explain what "good behavior" is, but teaching morals apart from God's word is like brushing your teach every day but not being able to teach WHY you do it.  Habits and behaviors with no reason behind them are insulting to children.  There ARE reasons for morality.   Character does matter. If we want to instill integrity and deep seated faith in our children, then we must show, by our decisions, that we ourselves are going to take a stand in when it comes to 2 Cor. 10:5...

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Demolishing arguments contrary to God's word doesn't mean tolerating it as a necessary evil of education! Fear not, when we are obedient to a call, God showers great blessings upon us! 

What I Learned From My Weeds

It’s gardening season again! In the last week we have all been manually pulling weeds in all of our vegetable beds and lawn.  It seems impossible to keep up on them all.   Yes, we could just spread herbicides, but there's enough trying to poison my kids lives without me adding more.

As I weed and hoe there is a lot of quiet time for reflecting.  Gardening is my favorite way to see how God has given creation great freedom, but has also given us a lot of choice in how we exercise that freedom.  We have free will, but through the exercise of allowing God to prune us, we can have fewer personal weeds rearing their ugly heads each season and greater fruit in our ministry to our families and others.

Unless we’re dead, we each have weeds in our lives.  I am looking forward to gardening in heaven and praying that’s my job, since their will be NO invasive species there.  At our house, we enjoy squirrels, and they can teach us a lot about the weeds in our lives.  Like many people, squirrels are funny and entertain us all through the year.  As a gardener, I have learned a lot from squirrels.  They are not so different from us in our natural, sinful state.  Both species, humans and squirrels, face temptation daily.  What is squirrel temptation? Corn in the feeder.  Corn is like squirrel idolatry.  Even if corn makes the squirrel feel good, there is a consequence to the rest of us, weeds.   As a result, I don’t put that temptation in front of the squirrel because he then becomes a burden to the rest of us.

Sometimes we humans think that our sins are harmless, part of our human nature, but to God they are really a nuisance.  I know feel better thinking that that little screw up is forgiven; and hope that it hasn't really hurt anyone in the long run. 

In the bigger picture of our lives, God has great things He wants to do through us, but we sometimes refuse to pull the weeds until it takes a spade to get under a 12” root, disrupting all the plantings around it!  The weeds that we refuse to pull (or ignore) as we walk, claiming to know Him, inflict damage, whether we acknowledge it or not.  There are seeds of damage that often take years to germinate and show their fruit.  Sometimes we sow the same bad seed every day! When the fruit shows itself we say, "I wonder where THAT came from?" Seldom at the harvest time will we connect that we planted them so diligently.  There is no greater influence on our children’s understanding of living for Christ than our daily LIFE gardening habits.

“Search me O God and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts.  And see if there be ANY wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:22-24)

If we are new creatures in Christ we need to say this daily.  The weeds of sin have deep roots and spread out of our yards to others.  As people drive by or live with us, they see them and form opinions about us AND the Jesus we say we follow.  Do we want people damaged because of our actions?  What affect can a wrong motive have or a laugh at the expense of someone else? Can we hide from God? When we go out in public and lack self-control and love in our words, behavior, and actions, we do so still wearing the name Christian.  Perhaps that person who is laughed at or hurt will one day join a small group looking for hope. Will they respect our leadership after having encountered us in an out of control moment?  Sure, we all have out of control moments now and then, but when let them become habits or something that give us pleasure - there is a deep root that needs to be pulled.

But can’t God work through any situation?  Sure, he CAN, but when we commit any of the things He calls sin, it is not to His glory. 

What is your temptation in life?  Maybe I need to say it this way; what is tolerated, fun or pleasurable for you that is not God pleasing.  In what circumstance do you do things that you know fails to bring God glory?  I know I don’t put corn out for the squirrels anymore.  They are like us in the milk stage of faith; they fall for it every time.  If we walk in the Spirit, we will remove the “corn” from our lives and we will become mature, people God can use every day.  We’ll find all our needs met in Him, not in money, television, liquor, recognition, men or whatever our crutch USED to be.  It is then, that God will be able to lead us beyond the imaginable to the truly joyful.

Is this optional? We have to hold each other accountable.  If you don't have an accountability partner, you need one.  I have freed friends to let me know if I'm off the path in any way.  They are often more merciful than I deserve, but I rely on them to challenge me.  I don't want to be responsible for scattering instead of gathering!  There is no verse that holds me more accountable than the one below.  You may lead a ministry in your church, or you may be one of the most influential leaders of all, a parent.  Whatever role you feel God has called us to, you and I need to weed the garden regularly to be able to do God’s work as He expects it to be done.  He will enable us to do whatever he asks of us! 

1 Timothy 3

 1Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer,[a] he desires a noble task. 2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

Are We Guided by the Spirit or Ruled by our Emotions?

Today was like many days in my life. I had goals, a list, I was encouraged, then disappointed, and once in a while I struggled with self-control.  The familiar realization appeared again that I was not and could not be in control of all the many things I had been given to accomplish.  Praise God that He saves me daily from having solitary control over ANYthing.  After taking time to allow Him to shape my attitude He corrected my way of thinking and I found the way to a positive outcome.  Have you had those days?  They are the days that you realize that you are not able to hide anything from God.  When He says He needs to be Lord of our lives, he means in all areas.  One phrase that was a great catalyst in my understanding of God's desire for my life is 2 Corinthians 10:4-6,

⁴ (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds),

 ⁵ casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;

 ⁶ and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.

Daily the question enters my mind, "How am I going to do my best today to lead my children and others around me to in a faithful way?" What am I exalting above the knowledge of God?  Man's wisdom? My will? Chocolate? I can talk to my kids about God each day, which I do, but if I show them that those things are words with no power behind them, I know they will not see God's  ways as the answers to the problems in their lives.

Girls, we can sometimes be emotional - Do socks on the floor bug you? Do crumbs make you boil? Are there whiskers in your sink? Do you play with toys or curse them as you trip over them?  I'll hit you deeper - has your child ever complained about your plan for the day, one you've spent time praying and planning for, or grumbled again about the blessing of piano lessons?  It's those little things that Satan likes to jab me with on a daily basis, so the above verse is a lifeline to me.  Our weapons are NOT of the flesh or of this world.  Wine and chocolate and me time will not make me happier and will not lead to inner joy.   I must be obedient in the ways God has shown me, even when Satan tells me my efforts are fruitless.  I do not serve a God who is not there to back me up on the job he has given me!  Secondly, I have no hope of not falling into a heap on the floor and sobbing on a regular basis without the Spirit to remind me, moment-by-moment, that I need to bring every thought into the obedience of Christ.

Last night this topic of emotional health came up in the women's study I'm facilitating.  The author of our study guide said that if we choose to walk by the Spirit we will come under His control in even in our emotional responses.  "Of course that's TRUE," I thought, "but how can we accomplish this mindset?"  It sounded like magic in the book, but the author mistakenly assumed that saying it would make it so.  Why?  Because we don't all take the time to know what walking in the Spirit is before we expect it to work! It takes devotion and intention to reach this place.  Sure, we can be saved and forgiven, but we can also just snooze in that place, do a few good deeds, attend church regularly and even serve others - all without every really letting Jesus be Lord (which means Master) of our lives.

The good news is that walking in the Spirit does produce results that really ARE miraculous.  The question arose,  "Are we willing to let go of a few things and get uncomfortable on the way there?" Remember when Jesus said we had to take up our cross and follow Him?  Oooh, that applies to everyone? Wasn't that just for missionaries, ministers and leaders?  No, I'm afraid that if we read that verse above from Corinthians it holds us all to a pretty high standard.  Every thought?  Can it be?

Well, the group comprised a list of the things that we needed to do regularly to continue to walk in the Spirit.  I think it's safe to say that when you are in a group of women and you propose a way avoid reacting emotionally about the stones in the road of life, you'll gather some interest.   The list below may not be exhaustive, but these things are part of walking in the Spirit.  We decided that we would check this list regularly to see if we were lacking in an area when we felt off balance.   I hope it will be helpful as a checklist to you too.  Before you go, check the link to the daily read by Oswald Chambers.  (Daily Read) When it rains it pours and as I read this to my kids tonight, I couldn't help but see that God really hammers the message in when we are available to listen.  Sad that I need to have it hammered in, but I'm thankful none the less.

How Do We Continue in the Spirit?  A guide...

• Study
• Solitude (with God, not running from a situation, but running TO Him)
• Sermons
• Guard your heart and your mind
• Balance in your day
• Care for your physical and mental health
• Seek God directly (before asking friends for advice)
• Prayer (some talking, more listening)
• Find a mentor or someone who challenges you spiritually and connect regularly
• Pray to have a heart and eyes like God.  Look at others as He does.
• Do good works regularly
• Confess your sins to one another so that you may be healed
• Christian music (Music is a powerful influence!)
• Allow yourself to be held accountable to Christian friends (or that mentor)
• Be humble
• Be willing to let God search your heart and know your mind for anything against His will
• When convicted, take action
• Expect God to move
• Keep a prayer journal, record answered prayers and read them for encouragement
• Fast - obedience and devotion are powerful  
• Do not seek comfort in then world.  God is able to meet all your needs.

Thanks for holding me accountable!   Feel free to comment or email me any additions to this list.  The beauty of Christian women is that they are eager to keep each other on the road up the mountain.  Is it all worth it?  YES! Have you ever climbed a mountain and then sat on the top? You know your worked hard to get there, but when you look out you see things as you never have before.  You are awed by the vast beauty of creation in front of you and you celebrate that the moment is special.  Now that you are on top of it, you have the authority to say to it MOVE!

Therefore, ^(A)confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be ^(B)healed ^(C)The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. (James 5:16)

Personification

My boys and I have been writing and talking about point of view. Here's a little poem that was a five minute writing exercise we did imagining we were something they could view out the window.

I am the thorn bush,
rejected and alone.

I like it when birds come and sit on me.

I don't like it when birds sit on that other bush.

For I am the thorn bush
rejected and alone.



(Simple, but effective, don't you think! I'm biased but I think it's seething with jealousy and empathy.)

Writing Inspiration Week - Spring Fever

Spring boredom has arrived for me - mom. Boredom with routine, a disdain for workbooks and all things curriculum looking. With the emerging crocuses and daffodils comes a desire for the truly great and inspiring. This week we declared “Writing Inspiration Week”. It was a great title because anything that had to do with writing was allowed. We read the first few pages of several great books in the morning to gain momentum, then attempted some work of our own. Throughout the week, we read a short story here and there and one morning studied one of my favorite poets, Robert Frost. By the miracles of technology, we even were honored to hear Frost himself read a few of his poems to us via the internet. We finished the book “Spy for the Night Riders” about the trial at Worms and Martin Luther. A pretty good read aloud (3.5 out of 5.0 was the official grade by the kids) made better by daily popcorn with parmesan cheese. During reading this week we worked on puzzle maps of Europe and the world.

My oldest son, 10, was inspired to personify baseball. He wrote three poems: The Bat, The Ball, and The Game. They were short, but full of vivid imagery. I was pleased. Next we talked about illustrating those poems and what it might look like. I drew a picture of the ball from his description. “It’s just like I pictured when I wrote it!” he commented, feeling surprisingly successful. Thankful that my unschooling methods of the week were working for me, we finished the week having done more describing of everything we saw than writing anything down. We described the butterfly that emerged from it’s cocoon in the mason jar on the shelf Thursday, making words described how it felt to be a new creature, in a completely new form. I was not in the mood for books to describe how to teach this week. I tried, but when I attempted to follow their plan, it just killed the wonder and joy of teaching writing. So we continued to describe things orally.

By today, we’d discussed a lot and boys were now much more motivated to research and read than they had been in previous weeks. They spent the morning gathering encyclopedias and nature books. I caught up on the cleaning that didn’t happen according to the chore list this week. When I checked on them they were studying a map of Africa and all the places they would have to go to stop poachers from destroying wildlife. They were also wondering what could be done about all the water quality in the Mediterranean and other bodies of water that I can’t now remember. Happy that science, community and geography were occurring without me, I decided I had no excuse not to scrub the tub.

When their brains were full, we all teamed up to get the chores done and headed off to the neighborhood indoor pool for a swim. What will we call next week? Another adventure.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

It is possible that my friends and people in my church think I can make nothing BUT peanut butter bars.  But, since they disappear so fast, why fight success.   I'm sharing this recipe so you can make a good last minute, no bake, high volume dessert for any event you go to.   It has the desirable quality of making a lot of very filling little bars and you can always leave a few at home and no one will notice. 

It is helpful to bring a folded over 3x5 card that says "Peanut Butter Bars" on them, so people with allergies know that under all that chocolate there is peanut butter.   The recipe comes from my grandmother's church cookbook from Trinity Lutheran Church in Clinton, MA.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bars

(Make in a 13"x9" pan and cut into 1" bars)

1 c. butter

1 c. finely crushed graham crackers

1 16 oz. box powered sugar (3 1/2 cups)

1 c. peanut butter

1  12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

Melt butter and peanut butter in large saucepan (or a big metal bowl) over low heat.  

Stir in the finely crushed graham cracker crumbs and the powdered sugar.  Using a large spatula, combine until blended.  Turn into 13"x9" pan and flatten with the large spatula evenly.  

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and pour over the top.  Spread evenly to coat. 

Let it cool until chocolate is not glossy but not solid.  If you wait to long, the chocolate will crack when you cut it.  Cut in 1" pieces.

I will not be responsible for how many you eat before, during or after the event you prepare them for.  Just don't count on getting many AFTER.  

Blessings from my world to yours! Anne

Scrapping the Daily List Today

"Seek first the kingdom of God and ALL these things will be added unto you." Matthew 6:33

I’ve come to learn, but not always trust, that if we seek God first in our lives and, specifically, in our day our experience will be better than when we plan our day on our own. Why? Our attitudes change. Our minds are open to His purpose for us. Everything we do reflects the bigger goal and we learn to be who HE has planned for us to be. Ephessians 2:10 says that we were created as God’s workmanship and that He already has things planned for us to do. What do we need to learn to do those things? One gift we have as homeschoolers is the flexibility to allow our kids to follow life according to their passions. Ultimately, our passions motivate us more than any person can.

There are days I trust this and there are days that, although I know this, I panic a bit. I may compare my children’s handwriting to those of their peers and judge them, as if this were the measure God would use to judge their success. The truth is, that to force handwriting when a child is running in another direction is counter-productive to the learning that COULD be achieved if you watched God work and did what he commanded you to do.

I'll show you an example of how a day went that didn't include my forcing my children in a direction against their interests. I did have a list, a neat list of well rounded activities for an entire week for each kid. On it was our study of creation, history, science, Latin, handwriting, math, piano, reading, you get the picture. Here’s how the day really went....

Breakfast... Pancakes. We talked about conserving and rationing as we shared the last 1/4 cup of syrup between us. With our pancakes we listened to one of my favorite hymns of all time on YouTube, “When I Survey the Wonderful Cross”. Next, we grabbed the postcard of the books of the Bible we’re working on memorizing. I’m a bit of an evangelist, so I gave them a pep talk on the importance of knowing what God’s word says, focusing on how science and the world CAN work together with God's word to bring people TO faith and not away from it. After explaining their responsibilities as Christians to lead the world and not follow it’s ways, they ran off and saying they wanted to read their Bible all day.

So, rather than lose them upstairs I got out a selection of new Bible study books for them to pick. They wanted to talk more about evolution vs. creation, so they picked a Kay Arthur for Kids study of Genesis 1-2. In this, I got a discussion in about reading comprehesion (who, what, where, why and when), writing a good title, drawing a picture describing what they understood about the lesson and then we read Genesis 1-2, taking turns reading aloud. It’s now 9:30, we started breakfast at 8:00.

My 10-year-old son is a very passion driven child. I had a choice.. I could stifle his now flaming interest in studying this more by getting math out or ask him where he wanted to go with it. He said he was going to write a paper disproving evolution. (Ambitious I thought, and in faith continued to encourage him.) I know I can learn more when I'm passionate about something, so, therefore, would he. We scrapped the list.

He went to the bookshelf and grabbed books to support his work. I looked at his selections and sat him down to talk about what a hypothesis is, since he was jumping into a large field of study. His eager brain needed a bit of focus and he actually saw it my way! This also led to a discussion of a source list and the importance of multiple sources in a debate. We talked about how debates work and how, if he wants to use this information to lead others to his side he needs to make sure all things point back to the hypothesis.

Now, imagine the difference between a conversation with an interested (even driven) child and one who is being “assigned” something and knows he must do it. Today I was blessed to work with a driven child. His "ADHD" like mind was fully engaged. He continued researching for three hours, listening to guidance as if he knew it would make a difference. For you homeschool moms who have tried to force learning, as I have on occasion, this can truly be a Kleenex moment! (Please note: I am not a believer in labeling kids with ADHD, but use this adjective because it seems to be connected with this driven, passionate personality type and many would medicate my child.)

Meanwhile, I forgot about the 8 year old. I track him down and he’s been reading the Bible aloud to his rabbits and is not ready to stop yet. When he drifts upstairs we get out “Night of the Moonjellies” and enjoy a good story together. We do have a 3-year-old, but at story time he is too busy listening to the Star Wars soundtrack and having adventures with a little one inch Lego man. He takes off.

I made some bread for dinner and put chicken soup ingredients in the crock pot. We had a little lunch and after that watched a video on the forces of water. This is also not on the list, but part of creation. A friend called and invited the kids over. There they spent the afternoon drawing a map of Europe and other imaginary countries. At home, the drawing continued into the evening as I read the last few chapters of “Trial by Poison”, a biographical adventure about Mary Slessor, missionary to the area which is now Nigeria.

I am writing this, because these are my favorite days. Sadly, it wasn't always like this. There have been days I have fallen prey to the incredible societal pressure to do things according to some systematic educational model. I write this to encourage you and myself. God knows what your children need to learn. Seek him first and he will direct your path. There are days I will need to reread this when I feel defeated, when I don’t know how I’m going to accomplish “educating” my children for many more years. Those are the days I've talked to some parents who are worrying about choosing the right curriculum or read an article on getting kids to sit and follow your plan. We must all remember that God knows what they need to know and while intelligent plans can make for good order, sometimes you just need to scrap the plan and open your mind to a way that accomplishes more!

Sticky Rice - A Poem to End the Day

My home’s a bit messy,  my world is not neat

There’s a globe on my table and rice stuck to my feet.

On my coffee table I see Bibles, a pine cone, and books,

I type on my computer because I’d rather not look.

We picked up one room, that’s enough for a day

After all, there needs to be some time to play!

We ate a good dinner, we prayed and we read

The cleaning can wait because I WANT THEM IN BED!

Ah, the quiet... no wait, they’re still up.

Could it be I’m not done yet? Don’t MAKE me get up.

I don’t need much exercise, I so rarely sit,

But the dishwasher’s running, I hope IT gets fit.

After a good rest I’ll see them again

Those beautiful smiles on my three little men.

They come carrying legos, cards, knights and swords

Although it is messy, our life has rewards.

9:00 p.m and my 3-year-old’s still talking to God,

“Ok, Jesus,” he says and goes off with a nod.

We’ll study in the morning, have art then we’ll play

It’s all in the life of our homeschooling day.

In my family room a monkey’s laid flat on the floor. He looks how I feel.

Need I say more?

Drama, Outreach and Fun! A Tribute to My Church Home

My kids were blessed to be a part of a great production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at our church a few weeks ago. After two performances, and late nights of fun and stardom and church restoration, they were more than pretty tired. Our school day finally began today at the pace a slug eats a hosta around 9:30 (or maybe 10:00). Star one, age 10, was still not dressed when he ventured

downstairs to make himself an egg. I have to say that, although we had theater jet lag, I still am in awe of how wonderful it was to get behind on schoolwork, lose sleep and have a messy house for the cause. I say this because we are blessed with a church that gives people a voice for their gifts and a place for God see his people bloom into their purpose.

Every church talks about outreach. Some do it better than others. Some wonder how they will accomplish outreach. Some wonder why nobody is coming on Sundays and some wonder how they will keep up with the many needs God’s purposes present to them. I was blessed to see how one woman’s vision has connected people with the love

of God through theater. People from all over our community were needed to fill parts in this amazing play. Kids came from the neighborhoods nearby to be a part of the “Rainbow Kids” children’s choir. Speaking for our family, experience in that area was less important than the mission at hand, and my kids were given the opportunity to grow and perform. (The fact that they actually completed an hour and a half production twice is a miracle of grace I’m still reeling from.)

What our director offered for all those who participated was not just great inspiration and direction, but unconditional love and grace. While there, each kid was prayed over twice from the heart. While the rehersals went on, the “notes” included prayers for those there, and those they knew who were the sick, and teamwork was a must.

The little kids were dismissed on time, whether rehearsal was complete or not, so they could get to bed. That was a true act of faith! Matthew 6:33 says we should put God’s kingdom first and he will meet all our needs. This was surely evident

this weekend, as a row of at least 12 kids, age 7 to 11 sat still when they needed to and performed exceptionally when their time came, with not a mistake to be found. They knew the blessing it was to be a part of such a great project and sought the autographs of the “stars” living in our community.

As I sat in the audience Friday night, I saw how this project gave kids an outlet for their passions, a place for some to escape into a world of music and friendship, where they are loved and where they know God loves them. I talked to someone in the audience who told about how this mission loved her grandson and how it helped him blossom in a world that seemed

against him. Wow! What if we all used our gifts that way? Do you have a passion for your community and a gift to share?

Outreach? It happens naturally when we love others to God. If you have it, people will catch it! So, if you don’t see

the people coming to your church and you wonder what you’re doing wrong, turn your eyes on Him and then on yourself. Every congregation is full of people with strengths and talents, and, if we spend more time listening to God and less time talking to and about him, more unconventional, inspirational, passion-directed love-overflowing ministry will occur.

If people can't see what God is doing,

they stumble all over themselves;

But when they attend to what he reveals,
they are most blessed.

Proverbs 29:18 The Message

Thanks to Katlyn Worrell for sharing her great photos with me and to the inspiring woman with the big ideas who makes it all possible - Sara Bartlett Farren.  Special thanks also to Diane Zuber who was blessed to guide the Rainbow Kids into stardom!

Headliner Award for Inauguration Day

Today I was inspired by the idea of rewarding blogs that reward others --- AND -- since I am up in the middle of the night reading blogs, thankfully finding myself  WORDLESS for once, I had to share with you a blog that perfectly exemplified my thoughts about this historic inauguration day.   Since I feel nothing I say could be more poignant than this post, I am initiating a new award.  

This award is presented to a blog that interpreted today's news in a far-reaching, life-changing way... It has truly gone "Beyond the chatter to what really matters!"

My first award recipient is Deanna's Diary

As we welcome Barack Obama into the presidency, many of us who did NOT vote for him are moving in a new direction.   As life-loving Christians, a great woe is Obama's address to Planned Parenthood on the Freedom Of Choice Act. (See my earlier blog post on this for a video of his presentation.)   So, while there are monumental achievements recognized on the part our country's views on African-Americans shown today, there are also concerns that go beyond race to life and death.  Diana's post shows a great balance between these heavy issues.

If you know a blog that has posted something "Beyond the Chatter",  one that reflects life living as a Christian in a country that uses the words "Separation of church and state" as if they were actually in the Constitution, then pass this award to them on my behalf.  Good news travels fast and worthy views need encouragement.

Did you know that the words "separation of church and state" are NOT in any of of the founding documents of our country?  As now President Obama said, we are going to recreate America!  Let's do it upon the principles it was truly founded on, not the later atheistic principles that have been adopted by our courts, who have the privilege of passing laws we don't get to vote on. 

Mommy's Learning to Read! What you can learn from a 3-Year-Old

Homeschooling is like being on a sailboat, we get to hold the schedule that directs the boat, but a big wind can take you off in another direction! Sometimes the joy of seeing my kids learn just brings tears to my eyes (pause to get a tissue), and .. once in a while the frustration brought on by my imagined disappointments brings me to my knees.  (Of course, if I’d been there in the FIRST place, I’d had a better plan to begin with... listen more, talk less.)   So, as a homeschooler, I live in a world where I am completely in control of everything that goes on.... are you laughing yet? Ug Hmmm.... Let’s start again. So, I live in a world where I know I’m not really in control of anything, but I make diligent, daily efforts to pattern the day so that we learn, worship through our daily life, keep a somewhat clean house, and cook - sometimes creatively. 

What do we rearrange our schedule for? Well, we’re certainly not reclusive, though I sometimes dream of it, and since I believe that we are called to spread the gospel and encourage others to live for Christ I have come to manage our lives around my mission of serving God in whatever ways we can make fit in. I have too many ideas and too little time! You know, that’s the blessing about being a homeschooler --- you can drop anything just to serve even more people! Occasionally, I must escape.

I’m so tired thinking about it all, that I had to start a new paragraph. Well, in the midst of all that joy and bliss, I’ve had a funny week with my 3-year-old, Jack.   Before bed, we’ve been reading a little book called “ABC Bible”. It’s one of those little gift books and has a lett

er and teeny little Bible story snippet under it. (The kind I put at the bottom of the bookshelf, because I’m sure I’ll probably never read them!) I’ve been homeschooling for four years now. My first child could read when I brought him home, my second child didn’t want to read anything until he was about 6.5.  He now reads better than my first did.

So, when child #3 discovered books, I wondered what new adventures he would bring. He’s loved having stories since about two and a half. (Yes, before that he was read almost nothing  individually-- meaning

no baby books, just a day full of listening to history, Bible and what the other kids learned). Now, he has discovered that bottom shelf and finds those little dusty books FASCINATING.

So.... I’d say here that Jack is learning to read, but instead he seems to think he needs to teach ME to read. Every night I subject myself to this. I get the ABC Bible book with Aa on the first page, then Bb on the second, and so on. As we turn the pages, he “discusses” the letters, almost scientifically...

"Ah HA, there are TWO A’s on this page, Mom. A BIG one and a little one.” Then, I turn the page. He looks at me, waiting for ME to say the letter.  If I’m right, the drama continues.  He exclaims, “THAT’S RIGHT MOM! (clapping) Good job Mom! That IS a B, and there are TWO of them.!” So, this can go on 26 times.

For those of you who think homeschooling is just something you could never do, perhaps you’d like to borrow Jack. I’m sure he’d be happy to show you how to do it with enthusiasm!

What's It Like To Be Us Today

Did we further our character and grow our faith?

Noticed a "few" attitudes early in the a.m. and got out the Proverbs for Parenting.  Added verses on a love for correction to our daily Bible read aloud, cleaned my house, taught my children, loved my husband, reviewed a Bible study to lead for my church, researched young leaders in the Bible for my husband's church report. 

Prayed for....

my husband, my Compassion Childen, my pastor, my friends, my children, myself, and Baraq Obama, and my littlest - please make him WANT to use that potty.

What happened in the kitchen?

Cereal for breakfast with blueberries and grapes, fried chicken and green beans for lunch, AND two pots of soup in the cold garage to reheat. I’d made an extra cornmeal mix yesterday, so that was ready too! A little planning goes a long way.

How did we learn?

Central America mapwork, read about the Mayan civilization, math, vocabulary with crosswords and sentence writing, cursive and handwriting for all, why do birds molt, Bible first of course - Psalm 23 and those Proverbs - later Timothy. One practiced piano and both read for at least an hour. Is journalling a subject? one asked.

What do we see?

Snow, snow everywhere. We never left the house, but did choose to get dressed today. (Okay, that was MY idea.)  I added a summer memories picture because as I shoveled 14 inches of snow off my back sidewalk I thought of my plants WAY under there.

What do we hear?

Thump, thump, on the basement stairs and a little boy voice, “Mom, I need a wittle help down here.” (How many times today?... 10) Late at night - "Thump" again... the same kid fell out of bed.

Any revelations?

My children really want to be a blessing to others. I must be careful not to sour them with my own attitude. Pour some sugar on it, honey!

Attitude check...

Fixed it early.  Challenged to keep everybody moving and remind them that morning choices have afternoon consequences.  

Laughed at...

A real "Jack" in the box. 

I’m happy that...

I see God in so many things and he blesses our days.  My husband loves God. My children smile a lot more than they did a month ago and snow is so pretty!

I am thankful for...

those who led the homeschooling movement, because without them, I’d miss the hugs, the smiles, the opportunity to hear so many encouraging words today... and the note passing... that was the best today. In school, we got in trouble for notes. Today I saw a note my oldest passed a note to his brother. It said in big letters, “I LOVE YOU JON!”

Mercy in Discipline

I came across an interesting question today by a person who was newer in their faith walk. Because of this, she now had the task of converting her family members. She was trying to use God's word to tell the child how to behave, but the child, not really wanting anything to do with God yet, saw no reason to follow those guidelines. Helping your child "see the light" is not a quick process. It comes from modeling a changed heart, first of all. Here was my suggestion for getting into the heart of the child. I do not do this EVERY time, because children need correction, the Word of guidance and prayer to be firm in their faith. The idea I've posted had a very positive outcome with my own children, so I thought I'd share it.

"Sometimes we try to push Jesus onto people rather than love them to Christ. When I was a new Christian I was pretty zealous and it made people feel guilty and convicted, but NOT loved. Think of loving her to Christ. Show her understanding, like Jesus showed the woman who washed his feet. Show her mercy - sometime when you'd really like to punish her just tell her, "You know, God knows the best way for us to live, and because he loves us he tells us the way to go to be happy. Sometimes we don't choose it. We make mistakes. You know I've made a lot of those and I"m thankful every day that God shows me mercy. I'm showing you mercy today, because I know how it feels to need it. It's not going to happen every time, because I need to teach you how to live God's way. That's my job. But this time. I love you and I forgive you. " I don't think there is a better way to explain God's love for us to a kid who's fearing punishment, punishment like WE ourselves deserve."

(However, I do have high expectations of my kids and expect them to show this mercy to others too.)

Attitude Check! Celebrating Kids Who are "Getting It"

There’s Nothing Like Kids with a Good Attitude

This is a post of thankfulness. After a month of entertaining and Christmas celebrating, we are back after the New Year. Reflecting on the past, there have been times in our homeschooling journey when my kids just acted like everything I asked them to do was an injustice to them. “It’s time to do math,” could result in a facial expression on my children that sends me to a place of complete discouragement. I persevered, even when it didn’t seem to work - planting seeds and praying. We read Proverbs on laziness “He who will not work shall not eat.” and “diligent hands will rule but laziness ends in slave labor”. We talked and prayed about honoring God in all we think and do, focusing on what is excellent and praiseworthy... and nothing else! Sometimes it feels like that’s what I’M doing was the slave labor. No, it’s all meaningful, life-changing mission work, this homeschooling daily drama. We’ve been asking God to speak to us in a few moments of silence when we pray. Yesterday I head the words, “lead them gently.” How appropriate, I thought. I normally am a bit of a drill sergeant, so I took that as a revelation of advice.

Well, today I am overflowing with thankfulness, that my children are thankful for their existence in a home that doesn’t involve a bus, where they don’t know that you could get an F, only that if it’s not right, you do it again. They are doing their work cheerfully and without complaining! Yeah! All that time of planning their own days with minimal requirements has led them to appreciate my productive schedule. They are enjoying watching their brains work! Yahoo!!

In all this entertaining and serving, we’ve been talking about usefulness. If they want to be useful and serve God in a useful way, then they have to learn to persevere. Last night my 10-year-old was eager to help with salad prep for a mission dinner at church. After his job was done, I was still working on cookies and bars. The salad looked great, washed, spun and included little carrot shavings, but the floor was covered in lettuce and the counter was still full of mess. Have you ever thought you just couldn’t have another discussion about how to do a job right? I seem to think it daily, but the converse is that you will have to do it yourself FOREVER! One of my visions for homeschooling is that I will be able to send my kids to serve in local or foreign missions and that they will be able to KNOW how to do a job right, so they can be counted on. Of course, this would help them stay employed as well.

Over in Mom-world, I have a new Mac. My HP laptop continued to freeze and I couldn’t connect with the world. Oh NO! In the new year, I’ve abandoned my time consuming computerized homeschool tracking programs. The Mac has a great calendar feature iCal that allows me to overlay each kid’s schedule, and mine at will. I can block time for each activity and link any documents or websites to that day’s appointment. So, if I want to add details of the day I can, but sometimes, less is more. Our books lay out the agenda, why should I track it all too.

Happy New Year to you as I am enjoying the “peace that surpasses all understanding.”

What are we learning now? The Curriculum for the Year

As the semester changes, I always review what’s working in our “homeschool” world and what’s not. I’ve come to dislike the word “school” altogether. The word seems to make my kids skeptical about learning, so I’m trying not to use it. Instead, we’re going to be “lovers of wisdom”. Since the Bible says that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, that must continue to be the priority for the New Year.

Beginning with me, I need to spend more solitary time with my mentor, my Father and my source of purpose and sanity. We’ve done a pretty good job staying in the Word daily and praying together, but as the winter months continue, THE source of constant light is definitely helpful! A goal of this semester will be to further teach the boys to listen for God in silence and memorization will get back on the bus after the holidays took us in a different (more relaxed) direction.

So, academically speaking....

Math: We’re going to do math. I love math, my kids don’t mind it either. We’re using Singapore Math and it’s working well. Now, my dh, the reader, was reading Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, and informs me that one reason they think that the Chinese do better in math is because their language is shorter and quicker. Instead of saying “three hundred”, they have short little words. Apparently, these short number names make it easier to remember what number you are subtracting or multiplying, thereby making it easier to do math in your head. This should be encouraging to those of you who are questioning your math program. Every culture has it’s advantages, and unless you’re going to teach them Chinese first, you may not be able to do much more than you are doing.

English: Well, although I love the theory of learning everything by reading books, and secretly I believe in it, I’m going to get my 5th grader back into Rod and Staff English. I don’t like to do English yearly, there just isn’t cause for it, but with all the writing he’s doing, it will fit well to analyze good sentence and paragraph structure.

Writing: Happily, he is also working on a “book” about a kingdom run by a lop-eared rabbit. Every once in a while I check the state standards board and it seems that as we’ve worked on this book, we’ve covered most of the Language Arts requirements outside of letter writing. It would be good for them to write some relatives and maybe the President, so we’re going to add a few letters a month to our goals.

Latin. We’re using Latina Christiana. We’ll continue to review past words and then do a chapter every 2 weeks.

Spelling and Vocabulary: We found Wordly Wise last semester and both boys love it. Carry on!

Art: We’ll be learning graphic design and calligraphy so my little entrepreneurs can improve their fine motor skills, learn a little about what art can be used for and, of course, decorate my walls with more custom work.

Faith: The Bible and more memorization. I love the memorize a block of text a month method I’ve been using. We’ll also add a Rod and Staff reader for them because it’s full of character building wisdom and more Bible at their reading level.

Science: Exploring Creation with Zoology is our current pick. They enjoy reading it together and the projects are fun and easy. My fifth grader is also assigned biographies of scientific minds to read on a regular basis. He’s a book sponge.

History: We follow the Classical approach to history, chronologically moving through time. Thankfully, we’ve crossed the line to A.D. this year! I combine The Story of the World and Mystery of History, so it’s a long but fascinating journey. Fortunately, conquering never gets boring for a house full of boys. They’ve even take to coloring famous people and mythical creatures in their spare time.

Music: Piano for both, tin whistle for fun, guitar for three of us, cello for me, the violin is collecting dust and trombone looks like its the next on the list to learn for one of them.

Literature: I’m working on a book list for the winter, but meanwhile my second grader is reading Prince Caspian. It’s so hard to pick just one! (at a time). Five in a Row is one of my favorites, but the boys aren’t interested in those stories anymore. I’m using “Teaching the Classics: A Socratic Method for Literary Education” so we can now pick our own books and “learn by asking questions”, as Socrates would have done. This great guide has also covered the elements of fiction and helped in our story writing.

Fun!: We’ve organized a Homeschool Hangout day at our church. So, we’ve got a gym and fellowship hall to use for weekly group activities, clubs and recreation. I love my church!

That’s what I have so far. I’m a little relaxed, but firmly believe in the potential of each child, so that keeps me diligently on the path to promote learning and discovery. My goal is to inspire them to love the knowledge seeking process, keep them moving in a positive direction, and give them life skills so they can be leaders of men in whatever they do. If they are nuts for God, I will have done my job, because they will then know what HE expects, and my job will be easier.