Featured Blogger of the Week

Graceful Journey

If one of the qualifications of a Proverbs 31 woman is that she is clothed in fine linen and purple then Cynthia Clack might qualify as a Proverbs 31 blogger.  Her blog,  Graceful Journey is clothed in fine writing and dressed in purple.   The moment you enter, you feel her heart for God, her love for her family, and her desire to be honest about herself.  Cynthia states, 

 “It [blogging] was a way for me to communicate some lessons God was teaching me as well as some very difficult thoughts and struggles.”   

But blogging didn’t get off to an easy start for Cynthia.  She originally began a blog at another blog host and felt isolated and a bit lonely.  Then, she found HomeschoolBlogger.com through Lori Seaborg’s newsletter. 

“I had been lamenting the loss of community of online friends so HomeschoolBlogger.com came at a time of void for me.  I have loved Homeschool Blogger from the start.  As a novice to blogging, it has been so easy.”  

Cynthia picked a beautiful name, Graceful Journey.  Years ago, Cynthia felt God whispering that name into her heart. She uses this name for her email, and now her blog.  The name represents her ministry to those around her. 

"I see myself on a journey through this life, in this world.  I want it to be a journey filled with God's grace that is a testimony to His salvation."  

Cynthia has been writing since she was a young child.  It also became her way to make sense of the world when she was a young adult.   As a mother, she packed away her writing for another day.  But God has been drawing her back to her hidden desire to communicate with the written word.  She writes out of a love and obedience to Him.  

A quote by Edith Schaeffer keeps Cynthia focused on what is important in writing,

"One need not feel that writing has to be a career for it to be worth while, not that it has to be prepared for by formal study before it can be fulfilling to the writer. If you feel you have an unrecognized talent for writing, or if you simply love to write and want to do it, my advice is to write. But write without ambitious pride, which makes you feel it is a "waste" to write what will never be published. Write to communicate with someone, even if it is literally only one person. It is not a waste to write beautiful prose or poetry for one person’s eyes alone!" 

Edith Schaeffer, The Hidden Art of Homemaking

Cynthia’s household is a busy place.  She has 10 children -- Nine here that she teaches, and one waiting in heaven to be with them again someday.  Her oldest is 21 and her youngest is 5.

It’s a struggle to recognize them all as individuals.  So, Cynthia and her husband have developed an individual educational plan for each child.  They include one for themselves too.   Cynthia believes it is important for the children to see them continually working to educate themselves as well.

One of the best ways to work toward that goal is reading.  As a family, they all like to share in family reading time.   Cynthia shares a memorable experience while they were reading one evening nearly 5 years ago.

"Peter Pan has to be my favorite children's book.  My most treasured memory of reading aloud to my children is while reading that book.

I was on the last chapter of the book.  Peter Pan has come back to get Wendy and she is an adult now.  She tells him that she can't go with him, that she is ever too old.  My oldest was about 16 at the time and I realized how quickly they had all grown up.  I began to cry.  I could hardly read the sentences.  I was sitting on the floor, trying to read, holding Logan (who was about 9 months old) in my lap and Amber (who was about 16) got up and came and sat behind me and held me from behind.  I sat there, with my oldest holding me as I held my youngest and just cried and cried.  So, yes, Peter Pan is my favorite."

It is in the simple times that we often make our most memorable moments. 

Cynthia defines herself as a “questioner”.

"I am the questioner of questions, a deep thinker.  I lamented about this to my former pastor one day, wondering why I always seem to be asking "why?"  He chuckled and said, "Do you think that God doesn't know this about you?  This is how He created you.  He MADE you to question."  So, my questions continue to lead me out of my comfort zone."

Her questions also lead to a very encouraging blog.  Please take a moment to visit Cynthia at Graceful Journey and thank her for moving out of her comfort zone and moving her blog over to Homeschoolblogger.com to share her insights with us.

Random Blogger of the Week

Florida Homeschooling Mom...Among other things is the winner of the Random Blog prize! Remember - to qualify to win a Random Blog prize, you must have posted an entry within the last week and you must have contact information readily available (just fill in the Email info). 

The sponsor for our Blogger giveaways this week is Cindy Rushton!

She is offering an e-book combo to the Blogger of the Week chosen by Spunky AND to the Random Blogger of the Week, too!

Cindy is offering a combo of her Organization Set:

Make Your Own Brain-in-a-Binder
The Ultimate Mommy Menu Planner
Let's Get Organized

Featured Blogger and Random Blogger are selected each week by Karen Braun of Spunky Homeschool.

Prize giveaways are coordinated by Kris Price of Classical Education 4 Me.