Knitting Socks Scrapbooking beaded bookmarks making earrings making chunky votives
Family Read Alouds
Kingdoms Dawn by Chuck Black
Our Curriculum
On my night stand
Bible
Reread Heart of Wisdom by Robin Sampson
7 Habits of a Healthy Home by Bill Carmichael
Learning In Spite of Labels~ Practical Teaching Tips and a Christian
Perspective of Education by Joyce
Our Father Abraham~ Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith by Marvin R.
Wilson
A Family Guide to Biblical Holidays by Robin Sampson and Linda
Pierce
Good and Angry by Scott Turnasky and Joanne Miller
Having Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver
A Parents Guide to The Spiritual Mentoring of Teens ~Building Your
Childs Faith Through the Adolescent Years by Joe White , Jim Weidmann
Wild Days ( a book about language arts and nature journaling) by
Rackliffe
How to Create Your Own Unit Studies by Valerie Bendt
The Power of Parents words by H. Norman Wright
How to read the Bible for all it's worth by Gordon D Fee and Douglas
Stuart
Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes in You and your
kids by Scott Turnasky and Joanne Miller
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully Grades 4-8 by Ruth
Beechick
A Strong Start in Language
An Easy Start in Arithmetic
A Home Start In Reading by Ruth Beechick
Any Child Can Write by Harvey S. Wiener
" This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look: ask for
the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you
will find rest for your souls."
Jeremiah 6:16
Feb. 2, 2008~ Something to Share~Keeping The Balance ~
What is balance ?
In everything in life we need to find a balance. We should find a place of serving the Lord but without being legalistic.
But what is legalistic ? I think that is when we take our eyes off the Lord and serving the "way" rather than the Lord. I don't mean not following things what the Lord has instructed us to do. The Lord gives us what is best for us and what is good for us.
The Sabbath or Lord's Day ( the day we rest and worship the Lord in a very focused way) can be such a blessing. A time of reflection. A time to draw close to our God and Lord. Once we start worring "if" we are serving "enough" or in the "right way" that is not where we need to be. Let us focus on ways we can draw close to our Lord. I try to make this time a time to pray blessings upon my children. A time to listen to what God wants me to hear. I have asked the Lord what book(s) or verses the he wants me to read and I have found numerous of times that he has led me in my readings and then the sermons that I have heard at church all connect and support a message. A message in which I really needed and need to sit up and take notice of.
Then there is a balace in homeschooling. I personally have found I'm not to be in a program like a charter school or DL program. I find if I do then ....I am more worried about what man thinks of what we are "doing" than God. And what He wants us to focus on and learn. We do use a curriculum but if we feel led on a rabbit trail or a different direction than we have planned. I then don't worry about the curriculum tyrant (sp?)... "Everything in moderation even moderation."
I just want to stress that we need to be in a place of serving our Lord wholeheartedly in what ever we are doing rather than serving a "way". May your daily walk with the Lord to be blessed and what He has called you to do be in "balance" and led by ...HIM.
I believe balance is the key in most things! Yet isn't it ironic how hard it can be to remain balanced? It's like walking a tight rope. It's very easy to go off to one side or the other and head for an extreme. I am learning to be more balanced as I get older - I think. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Can't wait to announce the arrival of our daughter this week!!!!!!!
Take care,
Karen
www.homeschoolblogger.com/salt
www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog
Keeping the balance is so important, but often hard to do. Thank you for the reminder - we need it often.
Check out the award I have given to you. Pick up your award - It's under the "A Tagging We Will Go" heading (don't worry I didn't tag you too). I really enjoy your blog and wanted to bless you! Have a great week!
wow I was just thinking the same thing in church today.. I was going to post on legalistic rituals myself... which is why I'm eclectic (or Lord led) too..
that was a good word :)
blessings
Denise
aka /HeartnSoul
What a beautiful and great entry. I agree that balance is something we need to strive for, and it's something I can mess up with a lot. I can get out of balance quite easy if I'm not keeping my focus on the Lord. Thank you so much for sharing it. :)
JoAnn
Hello my friend and how are you today. I have miss you and pray all is well with you and your family. Thank you for blessing me with this post. It spoke to my heart. Have a wonderful day.
This is wonderful advice Mary.
Thank you for sharing your heart.
I never want to be chained to a certain curriculum.
Each morning I pray over what we should do, sometimes He leads me in a different direction.
I've been praying about this a lot as I begin planning for next year. Also as my children get older it is hard not to feel the pressure of meeting requirements of man.
Amen.... This was a wonderful post Mary!!! I couldn't agree with you more, I always try to steer clear of the things that will pull me or distract me from the bigger picture, from the Lord. I really want for us to start observing the sabbath, or not even the sabbath but a day of our choosing that is entirely devoted to the lord, to reflection and praise. Its hard for us with Troy having to work on Sunday at the church. :-)
Amen!
Great post, Mary! I'm the same as you - I like to not be in a particular curriculum (I used to do Calvert) because it makes me try to keep to their priorities and to finish the books - then I feel that having Bible class in cutting into the school work. Now, Bible is the school work, and we fit everything else around that.
Great words on the sabbath, too. I agree with you wholeheartedly!
I love your pictures of the snow. Your house must be so warm and cozy on those wintery days.
Antoinette
First , I am a daughter of the King almighty and a
a wife to my Handsome of 18 years. A mom of 4 on the go boys 16, 14, 10, and 8. I grew up in the states but married my Canadian sweetheart and moved up north.
We live in the southern part of British Columbia , Canada on our homestead. We have homeschooled our four boys from birth and plan to go the distance till all four graduate from our homeschool. I teach with a Charlotte Mason style. I love to craft! I am a beader, knitter, x-stitcher, quilter. We have been on a journey of being apart of building "The House that God Built". I have been recording our journey on my blog. Go to my links on The House That God Built and you will find it. I know God has a lot more instore for us and we just need to follow where our Lord takes us.
This blog is the home of Show and Tell Friday's and Tightwad Tuesdays. I hope you decide to join in on the fun !
Blessings and ((HUGS))
In Him<><
-Mary
Thank you all who nominated me for
~Best Thrifty Homeschooler
~Best Encorager
~Best Cyber-Buddy Blogger
Thank you all who nominated me for
~Best Encourager
~"Live-What-You_Believe" Homeschool Blog
~Cyber-Buddy Blogger
Thank you all who nominated me for
~Best Encourager
~"Live-What-You_Believe" Homeschool Blog
~Cyber-Buddy Blogger
Blessings and ((hugs)) my SS'sIC
First , I am a daughter of the King almighty and a
a wife to my Handsome of 18 years. A mom of 4 on the go boys 16, 14, 10, and 8. I grew up in the states but married my Canadian sweetheart and moved up north.
We live in the southern part of British Columbia , Canada on our homestead. We have homeschooled our four boys from birth and plan to go the distance till all four graduate from our homeschool. I teach with a Charlotte Mason style. I love to craft! I am a beader, knitter, x-stitcher, quilter. We have been on a journey of being apart of building "The House that God Built". I have been recording our journey on my blog. Go to my links on The House That God Built and you will find it. I know God has a lot more instore for us and we just need to follow where our Lord takes us.
This blog is the home of Show and Tell Friday's and Tightwad Tuesdays. I hope you decide to join in on the fun !
Blessings and ((HUGS))
In Him<><
-Mary
