4th of July Flash Sale at SchoolhouseTeachers!

Ok, I know that you know that we usually only have one post a day, but this one just could not wait until tomorrow! I knew there was going to be a big Flash Sale for the 4th of July at SchoolhouseTeachers.com, but this is bigger than I thought... and it is starting a day early!

From today (Monday, July 2nd) through Thursday July 5th night at 11:59 p.m., you can get an Ultimate Annual Yearly Membership for your entire family for the low price of $99! This is an offer for new members, and it is a whopper of a deal. The usual price is $179/ year, but if you subscribe by Thursday, you will lock in that low annual price for as long as you keep your membership! We started our family membership back in March of 2012, and we still use SchoolhouseTeachers.com often, so you can see how the savings add up.

PLUS - there are a whole bunch of freebies included in this sale: a SchoolhouseTeachers.com tote bag, the summer print issue of The Old Schoolhouse magazine, four back issues of The Old Schoolhouse (US addresses only) AND there are a boatload of digital freebies as well.

And if that wasn't enough - Paul and Gena are having a big 4th of July SchoolhouseTeacher party with prizes: every 100th new membership will win a laptop, and every 10th new membership will win a big patriotic Jelly Belly jellybean collection!

Trust me, just get over there and check it out! And hurry - it only lasts through Thursday night! The code you'll need for the special price is: AMERICA

If you want to learn more about SchoolhouseTeachers.com, check out these previous posts where we've talked about it!

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FREE New TOS supplement!

So this is the cover of the newly released The Old Schoolhouse supplement on Classical Christian & Charlotte Mason methods of education. You can get yourself a free copy! Keep reading to find out how.

I really think you will enjoy this! It contains articles by leaders in the homeschooling fields, as well as day-in-the-life style pieces by several Moms who use these methods with their own children. If you turn to pages 32-33 of the supplement (which are the 35th & 36th pages in the PDF format) you will get to read a lovely piece written by... me :)

This is a free resource for you to enjoy as a gift from The Old Schoolhouse. Encourage your friends to go get their own free copy as well. To make it easy for you, here is the link to the supplement: Classical Christian Education & Charlotte Mason. It is my affiliate link. I won't make anything from you using this link, since it is a free resource, but that's ok because it helps TOS know where the readers are coming from. I would be happy for them to know that you got there from here. :)

That's it for today. Hope you're having a wonderful week!

What we've been doing ~ March - April 2017

Wow, what a couple of full months we have been living! Remember when Christ said that we may have life, and have it to the full? (John 10:10)  Was this what He was talking about? There have been so many blessings, and a couple of challenges along the way that I just wanted to sit for a minute and share what's on my heart.

Mama, God has this thing called life all figured out! Stop stressing out if you don't understand how it is all supposed to work because He has a plan for you to follow. Just ask Him what it is! Could I have imagined all the things that have happened therapist few weeks? Maybe, but probably not. I think He lets us set a few plans just so He can blow us out of the water by how He fulfills them!

March started off with Arlene attending the annual meeting go the local fiber arts group, SWIFT. They are the lovely ladies who have encouraged her on her way to better spinning and weaving. Her fiber arts mentor Sue is a big part of the group and has invited Arlene along the past few years. They are all looking forward to the Midwest Weavers Conference in June.

The next week we had a 4-H meeting, lunch with dear friends, and went on a tour of a maple syrup farm. They had the same issue we did, that Spring came so early that the maple tapping season was shorter this year. Still, we learned a lot more than were previously knew about how commercial operations work, and we found a lovely, not too far away location to purchase additional syrup from.

The third week of March I'm still wondering how Arlene got any of her coursework done as it seems we were always on the go. A legislative meeting, an awards party at Conner Prairie, 4-H Ag Days, and a trip to her friend Susan's fiber shop. Life seems to be like that these days, every other week goes from slightly busy to a whirlwind! Good thing Arlene is good at making dinner so I don't always have to be home from work in time to make it.

Later in March Arlene spent a day at the Indiana Association of Home Educators' convention helping Susan Marlow with her Circle C Ranch booth. Mrs. Marlow os one of those gems that I am glad has come into Arlene's life for the good influences, and the fun! Training for the opening of the outdoor season at Conner Prairie finished off Arlene's month and I think somewhere in there I even slept-LOL!

April seems to be shaping up as just as much of an adventure as last month was. Kurt and I had a volunteer training at Conner Prairie while Arlene worked out on the grounds. The next week Arlene spent a day as a page for our State Representative at the Statehouse on Indianapolis. That was followed by a 4-H meeting and a family trip to Eagle Creek park for birdwatching. This was also the week that Spring arrived in full force.

Later in April we attended another Legislative meeting, had friends over to visit, attended a Strawberry Social and went to Fiber Fest in Greencastle. A whole day of wool, yarn, and fun! Another fun blessing for April? I got an email from Panera that I had been selected to receive a free bagel every day this month. Um- yes! So we've been planning out routes to events around a stop at nearby Panera stores.

Easter arrived, and I was so thankful that we had been watching the Drive Thru History® - 'The Gospels" series as I felt like even through the midst of our full life that my heart was prepared to celebrate Christ's redemptive work on the cross.

Since then? Arlene went to the dentist, Emily registered for her college classes for fall, and we had our bathroom redone. Whew!

Whenever someone says "it must be nice to stay home and homeschool" I just smile and nod. Yes, it is nice, but it is not what you think. :)

Schoolwork wise? Lots of it! Arlene is doing a variety of project through Art Achieve, we've been reading quite a few books, including the newest release form Lamplighter, and she is working away in her math and biology. Sometimes Spring can be challenging when the warm weather calls us outside, so we try to focus on getting the basics done early and enjoying the afternoons in the fresh air as often as possible.

Work? Yup, I'm still there three days most weeks. It's not a bore, but rather a chance to share the love Christ with those around me. It gives me a lot of time to pray for my family and friends, and frankly, it keeps me in shape. God is using it for His glory, and for my good as He conforms me to the image of Christ. (Romans 8:28-30)

Besides all of this? I'm trying to learn to touch-type. It is a skill I've known I need for a while, but have finally set aside some time to work on learning. I'm finding it difficult, partially because I'm older and memorization take longer, and partially because I have such long fingers. If you're ever seen my fingers, you'll know what I'm talking about. It is difficult to hold them curved at the correct angle so that I can reach all the keys at the same time. But I plan to persevere! I guess I'm a glutton for difficulty because I've just started reviewing First Form Latin form Memoria Press. I tried to learn some basic Latin a few years ago when the girls were in a Classical Conversations class, but it started too fast and too in-dpeth for me to retain it. I want to learn some Latin to help my brain pick out derivatives, and to challenge myself to form some new mental pathways. I may never get far, but I am going to work at it.

What have I learned form all of this? God is bigger than any struggles we may face. He uses those trials to prove to us how true the faith He has given us is. He proves Himself faithful. And He proves that He loves us by all the wonderful opportunities He gives us for joy and fellowship! If we are lacking in joy, it is because we are not taking the joy He offers and making it our own. If we are lacking in fellowship it is because we are not willing to set aside our selfish desires to see what He has planned for the Body of Christ. I would much rather live a joyful, God-Centered life than a sorrowful world-centered one!

Take time today to recognize the blessings God has bestowed upon you this past month. Ask Him for direction for your future, and hang on for the wild adventure!


Linking up with Homeschool Highlights and The Homeschool Post's Weekly Blog and Tell

Curriculum Choices and Planning for High School

Do you still cringe at the thought of making a plan for high school coursework and a schedule for your student? You might want to start with reviewing some of our past posts... especially the one from this Monday about record keeping. I'll add in some other links to past posts about planning and unusual coursework as we go along today.

One thing I really want to encourage you with is that your homeschool does NOT need to look like anyone else's homeschool! I have a lot of home educating friends, and I'm pretty sure that NONE of them educate like we do. No one minds though, because we are all choosing the methods and curriculum that work best for OUR children. Just because you're doing something differently does not mean it is wrong!

For my friend who are very bookish (think Abeka or BJU Press) they might think we unschool... but we don't. For those who love Unit Studies, they might think we don't do enough hands-on projects. We do a lot of hands-on, but neither of our girls was a fan of Unit Studies - thus our experiential style of learning developed. So if you are stressing out about what others are thinking - stop, just STOP! They don't think about your teaching nearly as much as you think about what they think-LOL!

Planning for high school requires knowing your State's requirements, having some sort of an idea of what your child might want to do after high school, and knowing how hectic the rest of your life is for scheduling. I heartily encourage you to give them a college-prep variety of courses. If they want to attend college after graduation - they'll be ready, and if they don't - it won't hurt them any!

On Wednesday of this week Emily and I went to our local community college so she could register for her classes for Fall. She graduated in December and has been working this semester to save for a car to get back and forth to her upcoming classes. The staff was so gracious and kind to her. They answered all of her questions, and all of mine! She feels well prepared, and I feel as though we allowed her the opportunity to receive a quality High School education. I learned that one thing was missing from her transcript - the words Core 40, which is Indiana's basic Diploma/ Graduation description. Now I can adjust that on her transcript, and I'll know better when I'm working on Arlene's transcript next year. Emily quipped "Mom, you'll have to blog about that." The counselor said "Oh yes, please do! We would love to get the word out to the homeschooling community to make their transition to college even easier and I work with a lot of homeschoolers during admissions." I'll write more about that soon. :)

I would like to encourage you to check out some of our previous posts for more help on planning for High School. I also want to encourage you to read my guest posts on the Homeschool Review Crew's blog about Experience Based Learning and a quick bit of encouragement Homeschooling All the Way Through From here on our blog: Homeschooling When Life Happens, and How Will I Teach High School? Then there's this one about Language Arts and History. 

We love studying history! Arlene was just reading a YWAM book about Abraham Lincoln earlier this week and we're watching Drive Thru History ® - "The Gospels" which is all about history, Jesus's life, and the area around Israel. Both of those will have reviews coming up soon so stay tuned!

High school can be so much fun! Put your worries to rest, and ask God for the direction that your children should take on this journey. Then enjoy the ride!


Click on the pictures below to see what everyone else is sharing about homeschooling today!


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Blogging Through the Alphabet: Independent Learners

This week's letter is I

Were you wondering if I had forgotten? Nope, I remembered, but life said wait. 

Wait? Yes, wait.

I could have written this post about Independent Learners and what a blessing it has been for our girls to learn how to learn on their own on Monday, but I was afraid it might get lost in the mass of reviews we posted earlier this week. :)

This is a blessing I think too many Mamas miss out on.

The blessing of having independent learners.

Let me tell you a little story about the past four days. Hopefully by the end of the story you'll have a little peak into why I am blessed by the time we put in early on by teaching our girls how to be independent learners.

Monday was the first day of work after Daylight Savings Time messed with my sleep. I got myself ready for work, checked to make sure Arlene knew what she was doing for school, and went to work. I arrived home to Arlene having done her coursework, she made dinner, and we headed out to a 3rd House legislative meeting with our State Representatives and Senator at our local library hosted by the League of Women Voters. 

Tuesday I got up early and headed in to work, while Arlene did her coursework and the laundry. That evening she had a welcome back and awards party for her volunteer position at our local history park. While she was enjoying the party with her friends, I went out to dinner with my friend Anne, whose children also volunteer there, and then we went to Goodwill.

Two days down, no input from me except to make sure Arlene knew what needed done each day. No lectures to give, and no papers to grade yet this week. Sweet!

Wednesday dawned bright, early, and cold! Arlene was helping her spinning mentor with Ag Days, a 4-H extension outreach to Second graders. She and her fellow spinner Abby worked with Sue to talk about and demonstrate spinning wool into yarn to several hundred schoolchildren. I spent the time getting my car serviced, and working on notes for my upcoming reviews. After I picked Arlene up we went to get fabric for her 4-H quilt.

Today I needed to work again. Emily had the day off of work, so I left notes for both of the girls about what they needed to get done. Once their housework, and Arlene's coursework, was done they could have the rest of the day to do whatever they wanted. When I arrived home I was treated to an explanation of how beer is really just yeast burps after they consume/ ferment too much grain. Must have been an interesting Biology lesson! :)

So now that it is Thursday evening, do I have a lot left to catch up on with Arlene for school? No. Because I invested the time when she was in Middle School to teach her how to learn, and because we lean towards the Charlotte Mason style of learning with living books and shorter lessons, plus a focus on narration, everything is completed for the week. 

What does that leave for tomorrow? Arlene and I are going to take Kurt's car for an oil change, then we're going to the gym to go swimming, followed by another stop to get quilt fabric, and an afternoon of writing reviews. Arlene will probably spend her afternoon reading a library book. 

Does this sound too simple for High School? Who decided it had to be difficult? This method fits us well, and it is realistic for both our High School Junior and this working Mama. Too often I find parents wondering if they can homeschool through High School. If you've laid a good foundation, High School is actually easier in many regards than the younger grades. 

I want to encourage you to take the time to teach your children to become independent learners, one skill at a time. I chose the picture above because it brings to memory something Arlene learned on her own: how to watercolor. I could have taught her what I know, but instead, I gave her access to two different good quality art books about watercolors. She simply read the instructions, followed the pictures, and practiced until she felt confident in her skill.

I am so thankful for Independent Learners!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Linking up with Amanda and Annette for Blogging Through the Alphabet, and Kym's Homeschool Highlights! 

Home Sweet Life ~ Month in Review 2/3/17

I knew it had been a while since I had linked up with my friend Kym over at Homeschool Coffee Break for a Homeschool Highlights...but I had not realized it had been an entire month! Yikes!

Let's just get to it shall we?

The highlights:

January begins the 4-H season here in Indiana, and we had both our first club meeting, as well as the county-wide enrollment night that Arlene and I helped with (both in the same week!) Arlene is our club's President this year, and while that means some extra responsibility for her, it also allows me (club leader) to share some of the planning responsibilities for each meeting, as Arlene is my trusty "go make an agenda" girl!

January also included the end of the quilt show Arlene had participated in, and she helped on pick-up day. I think she is glad to finally have her checkerboard quilt home to stay!

Arlene and I watched the inauguration of President Trump and Vice-President Pence as a part of our home education time last month. We have had several talks about what the change from one President to another has looked like over the years. We have also had a lot of talks about working with other people, ones who we do not always agree upon, to accomplish things for the greater good,and how vital that is to how our Republic works.  We were at an evening board meeting recently, and afterwards talked about how sometimes the best way to understand another person's point of view is to listen to what they are saying, and what they leave unsaid, all while keeping your own mouth shut. There are local and national issues to keep abreast of, and Arlene has become a more discerning listener, and we have had talks about what she agrees with or disagrees with about various topics that are being debated on the National and Local levels. I think a lot of this is due to our working through her Worldview in Conflict curriculum. Christ calls us to be the peacemakers, while still proclaiming His glory. It can be a difficult road to walk when so many of your friends or co-workers on a project feel so differently than you do.

We have also spent a fair amount of time around our local politicians recently... there was a Third House meeting at our local library in early January, sponsored by the local League of Women Voters, as well as Homeschool Day at the Capitol earlier this week. The response at the local event was fair, but I was really impressed by how many people came from all over the state for the event at the Statehouse. You may remember Arlene and I visited the Statehouse on a quiet afternoon in December. This past Monday was anything but quiet as hundreds of families gathered, learned more about how our government works, and spoke with their Senators and Representatives about their concerns. When we needed  a break from all the noise, we spent some time in the Statehouse's Law Library. There are also these really cool "quiet booths" at the Statehouse that I'll show you a picture of soon. Arlene and I spent the whole day at the Statehouse, and stayed to watch the afternoon sessions in the Senate and the House. Ok, we only got to see the end of the session in the House, because we spent so much time in the Senate gallery watching the State Senators debate on the bill about whether or not Indiana should go back to requiring the teaching of cursive handwriting, which came after the debate on amending the penalties for robbing pharmacies. Oh yeah, there were a WIDE variety of bills being read and debated that afternoon! I will do a whole post about our day soon, along with lots of pictures! Suffice it to say - it was a long, interesting day!

What else did we do last month? There was the Annual Meeting for Conner Prairie that Arlene and I attended. As members (and volunteers) we try to attend every year. This year we were privileged to be some of the first people to find out about a $500,000 donation made to Conner Prairie, along with some cool restoration work that will begin soon. Before you know it, March will be here and Arlene will be back to volunteering out on the grounds at Conner Prairie!

Did Arlene accomplish any bookwork in January? Yes, quite a bit! She is back at work on her Biology, as well as continuing to work through her Algebra and Geometry. We work on her Worldviews course whenever we are both home, usually twice a week. It's not always easy being a working and homeschooling mama, but I would not trade it for anything! Since Emily graduated in December, I've been making an extra effort to spend time with Arlene on things that interest her, and fitting in as many outside activities and field trips as good sense, and the weather, allow.

Tomorrow Arlene will be having a table at the local library for their first Local Artisan's Fair. She has spun quite a bit of yarn from various types of wool and alpaca fibers. When I got off work early on Wednesday, we got out the Cricut and made cute little info and price tags for her skeins of yarn. She is hoping for a good response from the shoppers tomorrow afternoon. She wants to add to her savings account where she is saving up for the Midwest Weaver's Conference that is coming to Indianapolis in June. We are all really thankful for the local SWIFT guild that has generously offered Arlene a scholarship to cover the cost of the conference registration.

Life here continues to march on. When it is sunny and warm out we look forward to Spring, and when it is cold and windy, we are reminded that we live in Indiana, where Winter lingers, but allows us to tap our maple trees. Soon we will put in those spiles and start collecting sap for our maple syrup making!

Hope you've had a great week! Stop back by on Monday for another Blogging Through the Alphabet post.

Be blessed - Jesus loves you!

Home Sweet Life ~ Week in Review 1/6/17

Welcome to a new year! After giving Arlene most of the month of December off of her bookwork, we decided it was time to get back into some sort of a routine this week. Since I was going back to work on Tuesday, we spent part of Monday afternoon going over her plan for the week. Most of the coursework Arlene is doing this semester is a carry-over from last Fall. 

Arlene spent time on geometry, world views, and her writing. The difference this week is that her writing had a specific purpose, other than editing her NaNoWriMo novel! There is going to be a huge weaving and textiles conference in our state this summer. Arlene has been planning to attend since last summer when she learned about the Midwest Weavers Conference from her spinning and weaving mentor. Now is the time when she has the opportunity to apply for a scholarship to help offset the cost of the conference. This week, and probably part of next week, she is working on her scholarship application letter. If you think of Arlene next week, keep her in your prayers that God might grant her one of the scholarships. She has been saving up to attend the conference, and while she has enough to attend, a scholarship would be awesome, it would allow her to stay on site with her adult weaving friends...and it would leave her some of her hard-earned money to spend at the exhibit hall. :)

I don't think many High Schoolers have a goal to attend a conference about textiles, specifically one about wool, cotton, and other fibers. That is one thing that we appreciate about homeschooling, Arlene can pursue her own goals and interests while still meeting the state requirements for graduation. Electives are wonderful things, they give students a chance to explore so many things!

What else went on this week in our little homeschool? Well, Arlene made some yummy gingerbread cookies yesterday, and today she is spinning some wool. Soon I'll write up a visual post of how the fleece she and Emily were given last summer went from freshly-shorn to yarn. It is a multi-step process, and one I didn't know anything about before the girls joined the spinning team at Conner Prairie a few years ago. Now it is really cool to see Arlene hard at work spinning the wool to make yarn. This time her purpose is to create yarn to sell at an Artisan's Fair in early February. So if you know of any knitters or crocheters out there...send then our way! Her goal is to earn some money to spend in the vendor hall at the weaver's conference. 

Oh yeah, I worked on finishing up Emily's transcript! That is a needful thing since she graduated in December!

What else is going on around here? 

Next week is our first 4-H meeting of the year, and since Arlene is the club President this year, we'll need to sit down and make up the agenda for the meeting. Sometimes it is hard to get your mind wrapped around 4-H in early January when the fair isn't until July! There will also be a 4-H enrollment fair next week that Arlene and some of our other club officers will be helping me with. 

On Monday, before I went back to work for the week, I spent some time working on blog posts. I have also spent some time this week thinking about which books I want to read this year.  I'm currently finishing a book on prayer one of my dear friends gave me for my Birthday. I think its time to read through Charles Sheldon's In His Steps again. Other than that, I've not settled on any specific titles yet. 

In my daily Bible reading I have been in the book of James for a few weeks. It seems a little odd, as I usually read through James in just a few days, but God has me camped out here for a reason. He is teaching me a lot through these words penned by James under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Here was the most convicting verse from this week: 

"Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." -James 4:17

Ahh, yes, we know the good we should be doing, but so often our selfishness would rather do something for ourselves instead of doing that good thing for someone else. God is working on me about this - a lot! What has God pointed out to you lately?

I won't tell you what the most convicting verse was last week, but if you stick around a while, you'll see it as one of the Scripture Writing posts.

Overall it was a quiet week in our house. That was a good thing! As I'm sitting here typing, upstairs where it is warm, because downstairs it is colder, reminding me that its only nine degrees outside, I'm listening to some music from the group Acappella. Does anyone else still remember this fantastic Christian group that was popular in the late 1990's and early 2000's. If you do, leave me a comment on your favorite song. Mine is probably "Listen to Him."

Have a great weekend, and stay warm!

Linking up over at Homeschool Highlights!

Home Sweet Life ~ Weeks in Review

I'm just going to start this off by saying WEEKS in review, because it has been three weeks since my last wrap up post. For any of you that know us well, you know it has been a jam-packed three weeks, and hardly any of it was book learning!

I had a post all written in my mind, but there was never a good time to put sit down and type it up. Believe it or not, I still value sleeping over blogging-LOL!

I'll stick to the highlights, and some of the God moments, and you'll get an overview of the past 3 weeks! :)

My last wrap up was the day after Thanksgiving. I had just six more days of work to finish at my job before my Christmas vacation. I thought it might be a quiet two weeks, with just three days each week and not much else going on. I was wrong.

The week that crossed from November to December didn't have much on the calendar. Three days of work for me, an afternoon outing with friends on Em's day off, and a party at the library for Arlene to celebrate reaching her writing goal for NaNoWriMo. 

Work wasn't too bad, except the day I needed to work overnight because Kurt's car wouldn't start in the morning so he and Em took mine to work. I'm not used to working overnights anymore, and having gotten up at my usual 6:30 a.m. on Thursday meant I was really tired by the time 3 a.m. Friday morning arrived and I went home.  The afternoon  spent with our friends had been wonderful and kept me going, then Saturday (and Arlene's party) came around.  

Saturday morning we figured out what was wrong with Kurt's car (hurray!) Then we all went to run errands the rest of the morning. In the afternoon, I took Arlene to her party at the library, and of course, Em was up for a chance to spend another hour at the library. I dropped them off and I power shopped through my great big grocery list that I was too tired to shop for Friday morning. I picked the girls up, we went home, put everything away, and went to a local holiday open house.

Just as we were coming back in the door at home after the open house, I got a text from Kurt. He had gone out to do one more errand, and on his way home someone rear-ended his car and totaled it. Yes, this was the car we were so happy to have figured out what was wrong with that morning. The God moments were beyond measure. Although Kurt was injured, and has been suffering the after effects of a concussion, he was not hurt so much as to require hospitalization. The back of his car made me think of that line from the Avengers movie where the Incredible Hulk says "Hulk smash!"  The wreck happened just down the street from our good friends' house, so we called them and Kurt's friend was able to go meet Kurt before we even got there. The humorous God moment happened when the tow truck driver arrived. It was the same one who had helped us figure out the problem with Kurt's car that morning.  At least Kurt got one laugh out of the day.

Almost everything that happened the following week was either related to Kurt's car accident, or Emily's Graduation Open House which was happening the following Saturday.  We were really impressed with the care we received from our insurance company.  If you've ever been involved with a car wreck you'll understand how time consuming the whole process can sometimes become.

Arlene spent the week baking cookies. Cookies, cookies, and more cookies! It was worth it. :) I think she did some other math in there too, and maybe some history, but the main focus was on getting Kurt better and getting things ready for Emily's party. The books will still be there come January.

We started browsing online for another car, and we worked on cleaning up the house before the weekend. Thankfully Kurt's headaches from the concussion are lessening, but he still has ringing in his ears. Would you pray with us that God would do a complete healing, and the ringing would go away?

That Friday night the girls and I attended a Indiana History Block Party at our local library. It was fun, had several activities, including a trivia challenge featuring local celebrities as the contestants, and some awesome cupcakes! There were door prizes, and I found out later that I had won one. Now Arlene and I can have breakfast out one day next week at the local pancake place!

Saturday dawned cold but sunny. Kurt's brother's family came down for Emily's graduation party, so they came over and Kurt made everyone a big breakfast. Emily's party was in the afternoon. She had a really great turnout, and we were happy to celebrate with so many of her friends and our families.

This week Arlene and I have been running errands, watching Christmas movies, and all around just relaxing! One of the joys of homeschooling is being able to make our own schedule, so I've given her extra days off for the rest of the month. She has done a good job so far this school year, so we are enjoying some laid back days while I'm home from work.

I've been doing some reading, and so has Arlene. These past three weeks I've been reading: Teaching from Rest by Sarah MacKenzie, Bringing in the Sheaves by George Grant, some Melanie Dickerson books that Arlene recommended to me, and a classic Lamplighter book I borrowed from a friend at church. In my quiet time I just finished the book of Hebrews, and started on James. I have a feeling I'll be camped out in James for the rest of the year. James speaks so much on prayer, and since God has spent the entire year impressing upon my heart how much more there is to prayer than what I had previously understood, I think I'll need to read and study it for a while before He gives me leave to move on to another book.

Wednesday we went and had lunch with  one of my dear friends. She has younger kids that our girls used to watch before they moved. It was really good to catch up.

Three weeks, a car wreck, time spent with friends,and a graduation. Throughout it all God showed me over and over again how much He cares for us. How He protects us. How He desires us to know Him more. Christmas is just 9 days away. On Christmas we celebrate the gift of Christ as a baby, Who would grow up and become the sacrifice for our sins on the cross. We celebrate grace, mercy, and forgiveness. We celebrate God with us, Immanuel.

Hoping you found God in all the small and large happenings in your life this week! 

May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts this Christmas season!

Linking up over at:

What I've Been Doing Recently - Part 2

Way back in June, I wrote down a few thought about what I had been doing, and thinking. My thought was to continue the thread every month, but then summer got crazy - as it often does- and then school started, and well, frankly, I just didn't get around to it. I should probably get back to the Working and Homeschooling posts as well. I think I'll put that on my list for January. Then I joined up with my friend Kym with her Homeschool Highlights linkup doing my Week in Review posts. I've mostly been sharing our day to day stuff in those posts every week or two. 

The thing is, those Homeschool Highlights/ Week in Review posts don't often share what I have been doing as much as they focus on our family's doings. Is there a difference between those two? Sometimes, yes.

So today I thought I'd jump on in here and share a few thoughts that have been rumbling around in my heart and mind for a while. Tomorrow I'll plan to get another Week in Review up - a lot has happened since I last recapped two weeks ago!

For today...

I've been trying to be more intentional. I want to make sure I give myself room to follow through with as many things that I commit to doing as God will allow me to do - so I've been committing to less. I'm not necessarily doing much less, but I've been making the conscious choice to say "no" to opportunities that would require a lot of time away from focusing on my family because I know that they are my first and most important ministry.

Today is the 15th of December and we haven' t even decorated the house for Christmas yet. At least we already cleaned it, so decorating should get finished today and tomorrow! It has been a weird month, but one full of joy, so I am not feeling rushed to throw up some decorations, but rather want to dig out the rest of the Christmas music and enjoy the decorating!

Our oldest graduated High School last weekend, and that has led to a shift in my perspective on Home education. I still think this was the best decision for our daughters, but the shift has come in how I communicate that to others. I realize not everyone can or will homeschool their children, and I know the reasons for those choices are as varied as the families I come in contact with. What I have come to realize is that my focus should not be on trying to convince anyone to choose home education, but to encourage them to seek God's will in every aspect of their lives.

It should be obvious that we encourage others to seek God's will for their lives, and yet, we often encourage them to seek other things instead. Maybe not on purpose, but simply because we are enthusiastic about one thing or another in our lives and we want to share it.

Seek first His Kingdom.

My heart's desire is to point others to Christ. To see many come to Christ as their Lord and Savior. I want to encourage people to listen carefully for the knock of Christ on their heart's door. Because Jesus is a gentleman and stands at the door and knocks, instead of crashing into our lives and forcing us to love Him, I think some people find it all too easy to ignore Christ, to say they do not hear His call - because they are not listening for it. How can I help others hear His gentle knock, His soft call that can transform their hearts and lives for eternity? I'm not sure, but I want to seek His will for my life so I can speak His truth into the lives of others.

I want to walk by faith - every day - especially on the hard ones! God can be trusted to care for His own, and I want to know that I know that I know that He is caring for me. The only way that happens is if I spend more time with Him, reading His Word and communing with Him through prayer, and less time with the things of the world that would draw me away from Him. 

I have been doing a lot of Scripture Writing, and that has really helped me focus on and remember the passages I write. I have been meditating on how good God is to all of us, and how much He loves me. One of the recurring things that has been sticking out in my mind this month is that God never changes. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13)

My goal for this blog for 2017 is to be more intentional about encouraging those who read it. There are so many great writers out there who blog about free educational resources, great recipes, and how to get and stay organized. There are blogs with free printables, blogs with DIY instructions, and blogs with book lists for small children. There are not as many bloggers out there who are pouring God's love out upon their readers on a weekly basis.  I will still blog about field trips and experiential learning, and I'm sure every once in a while I might blog about some yummy food, but I want to make sure our focus is on glorifying Christ and sharing Him with a world in need.

The world probably needs more honesty about how to home educate through High School, and so I plan to write about that a lot in 2017. I had a really good talk with my friend Linda last month about how things change when your children get older, and how there just wasn't a lot out there about Homeschooling High School when we began the home education journey. I know there is more available now, but I want to continually encourage you readers that it IS possible to home educate all the way through High School, and it can be fun. I also want to remind you that it can bring you a lot of joy when your teens are learning alongside you! We will share some honest stories about what worked well for us, and what didn't, and hopefully get some input from our friends who have graduated their children as well.

We as Moms set the pace for our family's life. If your pace has been too frantic, as our has sometimes been, choose today to go to God and ask Him to help you sort through it all and choose what goes and what stays. 

Our dear friend Mike, who is a native Lenape Indian by birth, has shared a valuable lesson with us over the years. The most important person at this very moment is the one he is talking to right now. 

Mike is so right in that view. That person matters. Do not hurry through this conversation just to get to the next one, as you may miss something really important. What I am doing right now is oh so very important, why else would I devote my time to it? If my current task is fixing dinner for my family, then I had better pay attention to dinner, and not try to multi-task four other things at the same time. If my current thing is talking to my 18 year old, then I had better slow down and really listen to what she is saying. She is the most important person at this very moment. While she is not the most important person in my whole life ever, she is oh so important right now.  May I never make her feel that I do not care. God forgive me for the times my distracted mind has pulled me away from caring about the person right in front of me. Let me be more intentional in my listening, in my hearing, in my speech.


I've been thinking about a lot of things recently, and doing quite a few of them. Through it all I've come to this conclusion:

Life is a journey we take. It is about the journey, and the destination. Don't miss either part!