A Gentlewomans' Perspective

Mar. 13, 2006 - Too Much Going!

Hello!

What a LONG day! I was up and outside by 7am planting 10 rose bushes. Yep, 10. Walmart had them on clearance, $1.72 and $2.27. I went crazy

So, I had them all planted by 8am, then I had to get the kids up and ready for a field trip on Parris Island (were "we make Marines, OH RAH!"). Walked about the nature trail and visited Charlesfort Fort, which was first settled by the Spanish, and then the French. We even got to see a wrecked WWII TB-1 Avenger plan that had crash landed aboard, what was then an air strip. The two pilots survived the crash, praise the Lord.

Then it was time to swing by Walmart (only to get to the register and find out I left my check card on my desk) then pick dd up to take her to work. Made a quick run to pick up my infant niece, then dropped dd off at work, and went back to Wallyworld to get the items I had to leave Dropped dn off and came home to feed the dogs, and marinate some chops.

I'm tired and I'm cross-eyed. I DO NOT want another day like today, tomorrow! I really am NOT liking my car right now! I spend way too much time in it. Oh well, maybe this is the season, but I dont think it is!

I have three more rose bushes to plant, then I am finished for a bit I have about 20 rose bushes planted. My house will be christened "Rose House."

Have a blessed day

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Feb. 28, 2006 - This is the Day that the Lord has Made!

This is the day that the Lord has made, I shall rejoice and be glad in it! What a GLORIOUS day!

After a dreary weekend, cold and rainy, I am blessed to look out of my window (that VERY much needs cleaning) and gaze upon a blue-blue sky, a shining sun and squirrels and birds! I cant wait to get outside.

Darling daughter is still plugging away at her Spanish and algebra class at the local college. I really count it a blessing as I am SO not a math and language scholar! Just a few more weeks (more like 8) then she is finished. Only to pick up her Spanish II and English 102 and Economics during the summer months. She's a busy girl.

Darling son is really enjoying his Saxon math and so do I! I love that it is word for word. helps me out alot. We are just finishing up with the Chronicles of Narnia. Only two more chapters to go and we will have completed all seven books. What a joy these books have been.

We are also going to mummify a hen. Its from The Story of the World. Which reminds me...I need to go to the grocery store to pick up our supplies. I believe this will be very interesting and exciting! Now that the weather is warming up, ds and I will go to the sound and walk along the shore to observe and learn about the fiddler crab, and other creatures of the "sea."

School is so much more fun and interesting when the weather is pleasant!

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Feb. 21, 2006 - Finding the RIGHT Niche!

Here it is, Tuesday! What a blessed day. God is truly SO good.

For several months, the children and I have been a little slap shod getting our work done in a timely manner. There is only one reason why. We had gotten out of our morning devotions together. So, I had to reinstitute it! Its been sorely missed.

I get the kids up by about 8am, they then get through their morning abolutions, and chores (walking dog, taking out garbage, cleaning bathroom, picking up rooms). They also have to get everything they need for the day. Especially dd as she will be going from school straight to work today!

Then we meet in the living room for scripture reading (decided to begin in Genesis) along with a Psalm and Proverb chapter. Next we pray then go through the books of the bible to refresh us. Then we close out with a prayer.

The whole time we have praise music playing in the background. We have a wonderful cable set up. I LOVE the music channels. We can listen to ALL DAY gospel and contemporary Christian music, commercial free!

After devotions, the kids and I do a few history facts (Black History). Then I read a passage with my dd from "Beautiful Girlhood" and "The Kings Daughter." This is our time together. Ds and I work through Keys devotions for kids. He loves it.

By then the kids are turned loose to work on individual assignments. Most days, dd has time to go over at least one assignment and some reading and ds has time to complete several Saxon math pages before we have to leave to drop dd off at the campus for her Spanish and math class or to work. Ds has to take work with him. During the travels, we often (well, ALL the time) listen to books on CD.

Ds and I are working on The Story of the World. He's really enjoying it Lots of natural science going on also, we love the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.

I guess you could say that I'm pulling away from ALOT of textbooks. My ds is a "natural" learner. Loves to watch Discovery channel and the History channel. I'm often amazed at the knowledge this child takes in!

So, this is the routine that we have fallen (gladly) into! More structure without "feeling" structured! The days are more productive with LEARNING and living.

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Feb. 19, 2006 - Hectic Week!

I'm SO glad last week was over. We started the week with a death in the family. Our dear uncle passed away, cause, massive heart attack. This side of the family is (most of his children) are unsaved or walking outside the Lord. So, you get LOTS of screaming, crying and such, and then beer drinking, cursing, and loud talking. Needless to say, I'm glad most are leaving today. The funeral was yesterday and of course it rained. The service was lovely, the music joyful.

Tuesday was spent taking dd to her spanish and math class and going to the library (about 20 minutes away) then back home to visit the library on base. Then it was time to pick dd up from class, go home and cook.

Wednesday we did school and then I had to take dd to work. Came back home and finished schooling ds. Cooked dinner, made sure chores were done, then it was time to pick dd up from work. Later we had fellowship at one of the churches in our union. It was WONDERFUL.

Thursday, "who let the dogs out?!" was the song of the day. About 2pm dd called because she was not feeling good. I had to pick her up from her math class. When we got home, the kids and I spent a bit of time outside with the dogs. Our German shepard Ginger decided to break her chain, and began fighting our older dog Duke. Had to break it up, wont say how! Anyway, now Ginger is in the house for a while, its the only way to insure she wont cause trouble.

Friday was our usual errand day. PLUS I had my young great nephew drop in on us Thrusday night (unepectedly) So, school was out of question. After completing the housework, it was time to take dd to work, then we hit the commissary, pizza hut (they used book it certificates!), Walmart and home. Then I had to go pick up dh's paycheck, go to the credit union and hit the fish market :(we LOVE fresh seafood). Picked up a few videos and came home. I couldnt get too comfortable as I had to pick dd up from work at 8pm. Boy was I greatful to be home!

Saturday, more housework, baked two poundcakes, and baked macaroni and cheese for the grieving family, washed my hair, visited with my godson Preston (he is so precious!) took dd to visit a friend in the hospital while I visited with one of our elderly deacons, then I dropped her off to work, rushed back home to pick up dh and ds (he was going to visit a friend while we were at the funeral). Then on to the church.

Now back to Sunday!

Last night dd had a slight asthma attack and she used too much of her inhaler (four puffs instead of one!) which resulted in EMS making a house call. Taking that many puffs is akin to how your nose fills when you first put VICKS around your nostrils! Her whole inside was wide open, causing shaking, constriction in her throat, coughing, dizzyness and so on. Praise God she is alright! Course, she looks like she has a hang over this morning.

So, between watching over her and my aching ankles (I wore heels in the choir stand and during the veiwing, we sang no less than 6 songs straight), dh's arthritis in his hands and wrists, we will be staying home and recouperating collectively!

Praying for normalacy this week!

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Feb. 15, 2006 - Has It REALLY Been That Long?!

I just cant believe that its been so long since I last posted. Time has REALLY gotten away from me.

During the beginning of the year I spent a great deal of time farring dd back and forth to the local college for her math and Spanish class. Then it was LOTS of church activities and every day life just got me caught up! Next thing you know, its tax time. WOW.

Now its the middle of February, dh and I just celebrated our 12th anniversary, our dd is working part time AND attending her dual enrollment classes. Our ds is sticking close to my side, he's my companion! Lots of fresh air and work for him to do. He's very handy around the house and loves to show how grown up he's becoming.

The last few weeks have involved some home improvements. We tore the old carpet out of ALL the rooms except the master bedroom (we'll do that in a few weeks). I've been painting, cleaning and weeding. We laid lamenent down in the livingroom and lamenent tiles in the bathrooms, kitchen and laundry room. The diningroom and parlor are wood lamenent. Very cost effective and easy to do (so they say!) Oh, ds' bedroom floor was also done, dd's will be done prayerfully, next week. So that leaves the two bedrooms and my study to do. Did I mention that I am spring cleaning in the process? Might as well do it and get it over with.

School is coming along. I just recieved my Saxon Math workbooks for ds. He really enjoys it. The History of the World is very interesting and we love doing that also. We had to put aside the Contenders of the Faith for a few weeks since we had so much going on. Dd's Keepers at Home will have to go on the back burner for a few more weeks also, as she adjusts to working and schooling.

For those of you ladies who asked about the CFF and KAH I did attempt to email you but I dont know if you recieved them. It was was type of email I'm not familiar with.

Well, this is just a little of whats been going on, but prayerfully I can get back to blogging regularly along with a few other things I've had to put aside just from sheer exhaustion!

God Bless!

As you can see, life has been productive, yet tiring.

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Dec. 28, 2005 - Preparing for the new school year

Its that time again. Time to review curriculums and teaching styles if it hasnt been done already.

We school pretty much year round, using a variety of things. I really dont want to spend a lot of money (heck, ANYmore money) on school books this year so I've been pretty selective of what we will work with.

My dd is 15 and taking dual enrollment classes at the local college. This really is a blessing to us both as I am as ignorant as a caveman when it comes to teaching math and foreign languages. So, she will be taking her math and Spanish class through the college. Her math class is a cable at home class. This means that the instructor has a television in his classroom and he teaches the class and its broadcast to other distant learning classrooms and on cable television.

This works great for me! She gets up (the class is at 8am), calls in, and then does class at home. She can tape it and review it later and she can always call and email her instructor for questions. There is always the option of tutoring with him.

The only class that will take place in the actual college classroom will be her Spanish class. She really needs to be in the class for that subject.

Dd also has Marine Biology. This is done through a co-op at a local church. I have the materials and she does her work at home and the labs at the church. The lab days are only 2 days out the month BUT she has experiments that are to be done at home. We use Apologia for this class

She will also be taking American Government and Economics this year (going through summer) and Language Arts (literature). Our curriculum of choice is Abeka.

Her plate runneth over.

Our 10 yods is using a variety of materials. Hooked on School Success, and Hooked on Phonics Classic Achievement Series . We love this because its books on tapes along with the book to follow along with. Its done like a comic strip and has fun workbook pages to go along. I got Huckleberry Finn, Three Musketeers, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Last Mohican, Treasure Island and Moby Dick (cant remember the others as they arent in front of me). We also have the Hooked on Phonics original series (well, parts of it) This one has Power Builders. He reads the story and answers the questions. The level of difficulty builds with each sheet.

We also use a 5th grade curriculum workbook purchased from Barnes and Noble and several Abeka reading books in varying reading levels.

My little guy is NOT a speller, so we have put off the writing until this year. He will keep a journal along with lots of copy work and computer spelling programs and dictionary work. Math is included in his 5th grade workbook and computer math games.

For science, we love the animal planet and National Geographic channels. We also have Handbook of Nature Science. I really want to find a good microscope. Maybe I'll come across one in January. Geography and History are his favorite subjects. I think we will invest in a few more maps and a bigger globe. I have already purchased History of the World for ds and we will begin that in January. I may include dd in this also to make sure she hasnt skipped over some vital information.

So, today as the kids are getting back into the swing of things, I will finish up the lesson plans. They are manly reading and doing math drills (ds) and getting caught up on science (dd).

Did I mention that the kids are also doing the Keepers of the Faith and Keepers at Home and Bible? I want us to read the Bible in a year, beginning in January.

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Dec. 27, 2005 - MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas everyone! I pray that all your holiday joy was abundant and spirit filled.

Proverbs 3:18

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is everyone that retaineth her.

When I read this it brings to mind a faithful and loyal employee, the type of employee that has the company's best interest at heart. The type of employee that builds up the reputation of the company, that does not cheat or steal from the company, the type of employee that is diligent in her work and perseveres in a time of difficulty (hostile take-overs, downsizing, and company politics). The type of employee who thinks it not a chore to come to work and perform her duties with grace and gratitude.

This type of employee is an employeers DREAM. To have such a one working for that company, who wouldnt want to do everything in their power not to keep her content and happy?!!!

Proverbs 3:18

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is everyone thta retaineth her.

Puts a whole new view on things, doesnt it?! I mean, its like the old saying, "you get what you pay for." Cheap pay = shoddy work. Unreasonable boss=stressed employee. Unappreciated employee=vacancy adds.

Now why, you might be asking, is she talking about work, isnt she a homemaker and homeschooler? Why, yes, I am! But I try to look at it from this point of view. I am a wife, mother and homemaker by profession. God's chosen profession for me. And I am under HIS employ! The Lord is my shepard and my boss! lol. My dh is my "supervisor" if you will (many times I jokingly tell friends that I'm either is administrative assistant or his personal assistant!)

Because I LOVE my "job" I want to be good at it. I want to EXCEL at it. I wont get a pay raise or a new title, BUT I will be retaining that most excellent position of My Beloved Wife and Mother. Isnt that a wonderful title?!

The past month has been a time of taking "refresher courses" you know, to keep my skills up and marketable! ROFLOL. Really, what I've been doing is preparing my "office" my home, the command central.

In order to maintain peace in our home, I needed to take some time to get my house in order. And thats what I've been doing.

Here are some things that I've completed in the past month....

cleaned the deep freezer (I stopped shopping and used what was in the freezer, so as to make the cleaning easier)

cleaned the fridge and the top freezer (I combined all those little frozen veggie bags into larger freezer bags, with the small bags of veggies, I combined them to make a "soup bag")

I ruthlessly tossed items from my cabinets and drawers. Honestly, why do we keep them? I have ONE small junk drawer for dh and thats it.

Straightened the cupboards

By doing this, it was easy for me to put my master grocery list together for my once a month shopping that will take place January. While I was "in" the kitchen, I also started my master menu, which will be utilized once the shopping trip is complete.

So now the kitchen is cleaned and organized. I focused on the kitchen and completed all my goals for that area.

My study was next to be hit. I moved the computer desk around which turned into a full fledged deep clean. You CANT just move a computer desk! It tends to have a trickle down effect. All the mess trickles to the floor, then out the door!!!

I was able to go through my books and magazines and weed through them. No looking back or regrets. It had to be done. After moving a few bookshelves and setting up the computer again, my study was cleaned. When the major cleanup was done (took about 3 hours) I sat down and went through my papers and tossed or filed accordingly. I love to do this during the winter as we just burn the documents with personal info in the fireplace). It took a relatively short amount of time (about an hour). After the papers where taken care of, I was able to focus on the bills. Not just place them where they belonged, but to work on our budget.

My desk area was clean so I could concentrate on the finances. See, this is really hard to do when you are distracted by chaos. And let me tell you, I've been able to get caught up on or pay off deliquent bills.

My homeschooling will go alot smoother with everything more central. While dc are doing schoolwork, I can focus more on them than the mountain of paperwork on my desk.

I tell you, this is TRULY an area that can clog your mind and make you restless, so if you have a central "administrative area" you want to keep it up.

Next on my list was the our bedroom closet. If I couldnt fit, it, it went out. I just tossed and tossed and tossed, my closet loves me. Dh found a shoe rack about to be thrown out and brought it home. He found the missing hinge needed and put it up for me. So my shoes are up and out the way and it gave me the incentive I needed to get rid of unused shoes!

I've always kept up the area under my sinks. I dont like dark places so I wont keep it cluttered. lol. During the summer, I had already tossed out the old medicines and re-stocked our supplies. As my makeup is minimal, it was easy to toss what I knew wouldnt be used. I went through dh's things and did the same.

My den and living room are kept uncluttered. I went through a decluttering phase last year and I've been wise by not bringing in more "stuff." We dont believe in having lots of things set aside "just in case." The only things we keep in abundant supply are things that are used daily and are subject to running out when you need them immediately! So, there arent many things found under our beds. As a matter of fact, dd has no bed frame. She tended to use it as another bedroom (full of mess) so we took the bed down and she loves it.

The kids rooms were hard for them but not me. My ds has a gazillion action figures and he knows EVERY one of them! So, we had to store them, move the bedroom around, clean the closet and drawers. It was about 4 hours but worth it! Dd does her cleaning at night if she cant sleep. I'm working on her in the area of proper placement. Keep all your personal hygiene items in a central area, not scattered all over the room. You have a closet, put your shoes (BOTH of them) in there. You have hangers, use them! School books should be located by the desk...yada, yada, yada....yak, yak, yak.

So now my home is organized and clutter free. Now, everybody has a different definiton of the word clutter free. For my home, clutter free means that if its not in use, its OF no use. We're not minimalist. I love my knick knacks and curios, I just keep them to a minimum. I dont have fancy storage units, I just utilize what we can afford, if we cant afford to store it, we dont need it.

I can see the floors, there are no cobbwebs, dark creepy hidden spaces and no rooms that I'd be ashamed to leave the door open to. It is peaceful and busy at the same time. There is always something to look at or do.

My command central is now ready for a new year, my dh is happy and the kids are able to thrive...

I think they'll keep me!!!!

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Nov. 23, 2005 - ringing OUT the OLD year!

In the midst of holiday preparation and family gatherings, there is a task that though viewed as unpleasant, it IS needed.

I'm talking about getting your house in order. I've always been of the mindset that I need to start the new year off on the right foot. That means making sure our property taxes have been paid, my bill file cleaned out and my finances in some sort of order.

This can be a daunting task, especially in the midst of finacial strain and difficulty. I know from whence I speak! When faced with Christmas expenses and mortgages, auto loans, light/phone bills and other utility bills, it can add stress.

Although its not much that I can do right here and now, I can do something about the upcoming year.

I've been getting my house in order.

Earlier this week, I took advantage of our fireplace. I went through my files and burned unnecessary papers and such. I cleaned it out and helped heat my home in the bargain!

This is also a wonderful time to go through your homeschooling materials to re-evaluate whats working and whats NOT. I LOVE going into a new year with this accomplished. No leftover junk hanging around. If it doesnt work let it go! We get to bogged down with our homeschooling materials when what we should be doing is blessing someone else with it. I've done this already. What I have is what we will be using. I plan to purchase only one more item and thats "The Story of the World" for my dd who will be taking her World History class at home instead of on the college campus. The world view perspective taught there is not in line with what WE believe, know what I mean?

I also have prepared my shopping list. Its back to once a month shopping for me. I just spend too much on a weekly basis. This means that I need to have my deep freezer cleaned before January. I've been using meats that have been in there long enough and they need to go! My cabinets are going to have more space as the holiday season ends, which will give me a better idea of what I need to replace. No more shopping for the sake of shopping.

Its a simple enough thing to do, just keep a running tab of what you need to get and if possible, buy it in bulk. I like to by my toilet paper in large multipacks, two packs of 24 rolls will last us more than a few months. Paper towels the same way. I also use the extra large deteregent, such as All. I can get two of these and spend $22. No more laundry deteregent shortages! Bleach, dish deteregent and such can all be doubled up. Lets not forget the ziplock freezer bags and such. When you buy in large quantities, you need a place to put your extra chicken! Think about it, we freguently run out of these items which will require a quick trip to a super Walmart and then a simple $5 dollar purchase turns into $60!

Now, before I go a spending, I do a cleaning. My fridge and deep freezer are cleaned and my laundry room is organized so I can store my extra purchases. I want to be able to put everything in its place right away. It IS an accomplishment!

My once a month shopping also includes toiletries, other cleaning supplies, pet food, school supplies and replacement items (panty hose, lipstick, etc.). Its not just to eliminate the extra trips to the store for food, but for EVERYTHING!

I also intend to put my gas money aside for the month. To do this, you need to know where you go, how often you go and the distance that you go. For my family, we will spend approximately $120 a month. I like to have a cushion in case we need to travel out of the county or our church has a lot of fellowshipping to do. So in actuality, we may spend only $60 monthly on fuel (I can only drive one car at a time!) for everyday travels to classes and such, we like to have the additional $60 for emergency traveling, depending on the vehicle we are using (van or car).

I have also gone through the bills and tallied up the balances. There a several bills that will be paid before the year is out simply because they are "small bills." They're actually things that should have been handled before now :(

What we are doing is aggressive but do-able. And it means so much to my families fiscal well being.

God wants us to do things in an orderly way. Slap hazard is not pleasing to the Lord. Imagine what our world would be like if HE were a slap hazard God?! The least I can do is handle the little (as in the big scheme of things) that He's blessed us with!

So, sisters, I would encourage you to take a few days to get your "house in order." It will be a big relief to know where you stand!

God Bless!

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Nov. 16, 2005 - Busybodies!

This has been put on my heart. I know that its not about homeschooling, but it is an education! Today's blog is a testimony about my struggles with being a busybody, in my previous life.

And I would also like to take this time to thank you ladies! Your words of encouragement mean so much to me. Sometimes when we blog, we almost forget that someone else may read what we are saying. So it is a real eye opener to know that what we say can either encourage or discourage our readers. I pray that I can continue to offer encouragement as I am often receiving it!

Have a blessed day!

Thessalonians 3:11

For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.

Busybodies. Hmm. I used to be one of those! Yep, if the phone rang I HAD to answer it. If someone had a problem, I HAD to solve it. If someone needed something done, I HAD to do it. It was as if I had to do anything and everything to keep from staying home. Thank God for Jesus! I cant count on the wasted hours traveling around either looking for something to do or rushing to unimportant events. Now, its not that I was doing anything sinful, as in ungodly, but sinful as in WASTEFUL. I was a WASTER OF TIME. And being a waster of time also made me a waster of resources, gasoline, meals, unplanned purchases. What a waste!

In essence, I was a busybody. My dh would always say "your a stay at home mom, so stay your butt home!" It was THAT frustrating to him.

Often times, I would rush through my daily chores to "free up" the rest of my day. I figured, as long as my housework is done and a meal ready, I am free to hit the road. What wrong thinking. Here I was teaching the kids "just become something is good, doesnt make it right" and mommy is dragging them all over creation.

One Sunday at church, I made an announcement. I said that if anyone (elderly and shut ins) needed a ride to their doctors appointments, etc, I would be happy to take them, IF it was an emergency and they had no one else to transport them. Talk about being taken advantage of! Let me tell you ladies something. That was GOD telling me and showing me that this wasnt in HIS will, not the way I went about doing it.

I was burnt out, cross and disgusted. I was out more than in. I was becoming resentful and wanting nothing more than to be at home with my family. The Lord disciplined me. I was physically exhaused and emotionally drained.

So, I did some weeding. I weeded out unnecessary trips, unnecessary errands and visiting...just anything that was not a family necessity. When I completed my weeding process, I was so relieved! I felt no guilt and I refused to feel guilted into doing something. I not only LEARNED to say NO, I learned to ENJOY saying NO!

Now my car and van stay parked. It only moves when I have to take dd to her classes at the community college. When there, I do what errands need to be done and when I pick her up, we're on our way home to STAY! The kids no longer ask if we can stop by and "say hi" to friends. We have a set day to do this. The kids, family and friends have a very clear understanding about what I will and wont assist with.

You see, many times, we add on more burdens than the Lord intended for us to carry. The Lord did not burden me with all the busyness that I had going on. That was my own doing!

Being burnt out has given me a greater appreciation for my home. When I do my housework (lovework) I take my time and enjoy it. Its not a rush job to be endured til I finished and could hit the road!

Now I take my time doing what I enjoy doing! I have even begun to resent having to go anywhere! My home IS my haven and place of peace on this planet. I no longer take it for granted. Its been gifted to me by a Mighty God who knows what I need.

I just needed to stay still to hear Him!

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Nov. 4, 2005 - Thoughts on Working For the Home...

What do you think of when you think of home? Is your home a peaceful sancturay, or a place of chaos?

Our homes, as you know, are reflections of who we are. Do you think of your home as a place of drudgery, toil and boredom? This attitude can make us sluggards, it makes us indifferent.

Proverbs 24:31-34

31. And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

32. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

33. Yet a little sleep, a little slumbre, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

34. So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man

Look at Proverbs 19:15

15. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

As you can see, one sin act leads to others until we are as the man whose house is overgrown and untamed. Nothing is fruitful and nothing will prosper!

We can spend hours watching soap operas and living vicariously through these fictional people. We can give painfully accurate details to their goings on, yet, when questioned about a concern in the REAL world, our home, we get flustered and out of sorts because we cannot find something to cook for dinner. We cannot find clean towels in the linen closet. We have NO idea whats under the bed!

God calls us to be more than this.

You see, from God's perspective, sluggishness (laziness) is a form of rebellion, wastefullness and selfish!

According to Audrey Broggi (Community Bible Church, Women's Life) under God'sperspective, work is a COMMAND from God. Work is NOT the result of sin! Remember, Adam was a worker BEFORE the fall.

Work was established BY God. It is a GIFT from God. It is to give us satisfication. You see, laziness ALWAYS leads to sin.

And finally, work is to be done as if God were sitting right here in our presence. In all things do it as unto the Lord!

When we work joyfully in our homes we are pleasing God.

Proverbs 18:22 says it so beautifully! ...Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.

Ladies, we are to be a GOOD THING! For the Lord and for the family He has blessed us with. We are to be a blessing to our husbands and children! How? By working for them lovingly. Not as coworkers that you cant wait to get away from! Who else could you POSSIBLE want to spend time with?

When we are keeping our home and working diligently we benefit greatly. You see, by working, we are following Gods calling for us and our homes.

Paul tells the Church in Macedonia that we are to increase MORE and MORE. That we study to be quiet, and to do our own business, and to work with our own hands, as we are commanded.

If we do these things, accorcing to 1 Thessalonians 4:12, 13; we will act properly toward people and we can take care of our own needs. We will lack for nothing!

Dear Sisters, Caring for our homes is to be a JOY! What else IS there, when you think about it?! I would rather cook for my family then a bunch of strangers, I would rather clean my OWN home, than those of strangers, I would rather counsel my own husband and children than perfect strangers!

Does this mean that I'm NEVER to do or desire to do these things for others? NOF It just means that my ministry is centered in my home FIRST! I can NEVER allow outside influences to change my priorities.

I desire for my home to be a refuge, a place of happiness, laughter, love, praise and the most important, GOD! I want my home to be clean, comfortable, inviting. Open to travelers, passerbys and friends. I desire having my pantry stocked with good things that can be offered in a moments time, to unexpected guest!

While I may not have a PASSION to clean the bathroom, I praise God that we have a bathroom (2 of them!) to call our own! When contemplating these things...I can smile while I swish!

Ladies, ponder on your thoughts of home! Think on Gods goodness and His mercy. He loves us SO much! He gave us Jesus. He gave His only begotten Son, to a fallen world.

Is it really such a bad thing to wash a dish?

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Nov. 1, 2005 - Yesterday in my Focuhsed Home...

I decided to get a few more REALLY good cleanings while the weather is pretty, so here it is!

Yesterday was INTENSE. I dropped dd off at her math class, went to pick up refills but they werent ready, so I went to Walmart to pick up the carpet cleaner and upholstery cleaner. After that, I sung by the tax office to pay tax on our mini-van, then picked dd up from college (its now 9:15am). Left the campus, drove back to the Naval Hospital to pick up meds and so dd could get her allergy shots and some blood work results. We left the compound then dropped some items off at the thrift store and a football off at church. We left the church and headed to DMV because this is the year to register the van!

Ran into my dmil while there and chatted with her till my number came up. Handled the business in less then 5 minutes and after saying good by to my dmil and dsil (who came also), the kids and I headed home.

We unloaded everthing from the car, then went to work. After vacuuming the entire house, I then had the kids strip the sheets from the beds. I then commenced to steam cleaning the entire house. Some rooms TWICE! Yuck! I must say, the vinegar worked wonders. Anyway, after cleaning the carpets, I then did all the mattresses, two sofas and two loveseats. I then vacuumed the car and cleaned the interior!

I tell you, there is NOTHING like a really clean home! I dusted everything, including the ceiling fans, took the plants outside for some water and sunshine, cleaned the kitchen and washed clothes, blankets and sheets. It just SMELLS good!

By then, it was 4:20pm. I headed to the shower and headed out the door to the church. We sponsored a fall festival and had a REALLY good time! Came home and collapsed in the bed!

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Oct. 25, 2005 - A Life Less Ordinary...

I often wonder what that means. An ordinary life. Cant fathom it! I just cant understand those who wonder what sahms do all day. And lets not try to understand the ones who wonder why a woman would choose to teach her OWN children! Mind boogling.

My life may seem ordinary from the outside, yet, from my point of view, it can be downright exhausting. I'm exhausted. I need to be sick right now, but I'm too tired to allow a full fledged illness to take over. Housework, homeschooling, church activities, football practice, errands...WHERE THE HECK ARE THOSE BON-BONS EVERYBODY KEEPS TALKING ABOUT?!

My dd is taking dual enrollment classes at the local community college. Her first class begins at 8am. Four days a week. Wednesdays her classes let out at 12pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays, they let out at 11am. Fridays are vocal lesosns. I am on the road so much that I literally homeschool my ds in the car/van several days a week as we wait for her classes to end.

We've logged so many hours at the library that I'm expecting them to hand over a key, or at the very least, have coffee and donuts waiting for me by 9:01am. They open at 9:00am! I've often BEAT them to the library. I feel very blessed to have such lovely women working in our local library. They truly are a treasure. They know me and my children by name. When I need to leave the library to pick dd up from history, I can leave ds in their charge till I get back. He has book club at 11am on Tuesdays so after he completes his work, he can get on the computer and play games till I get back or the class begins. He loves it. Ds has many friends who spend as many hours there as we do!

My little guy just told me that he wants to skip a grade! Go figure! Hmmm....we'll see. I must admit, for someone who would avoid the WORD "work" he has made strides to do his work and do it in a timely manner. Maybe its the type of work he's doing...?

I dont use boxed curriculum with my dc anymore. We use an eclectic mix of items. One thing I cant wait for is January. In January we will be doing "The History of the World." I'm really excited about it. I have the 5th grade curriculum book that he works out of along with McHill-Graw geography 3-6 grades. He really enjoys that. Lots of copy work. We're working on Aesops Fables. Spelling and Understanding God's World for science. Oh, and Abeka for history. Of course we also utilize our BIBLE!

Dd will also use it. I had thought about letting her take the world history class at the college but I changed my mind. I dont want her doing the world view. I've taken that class and its purely humanistic. She will do her english comp 102 and college algebra.. I've already gotten the material needed for her other classes.

In January she will take American Government 1st semester and Economics 2nd semester. She will also take Spanish I (we're behind on foriegn language) and World Literature. If I can fit it in, she will take a computer class through the college, if its online. Which means I need to make sure that her computer is up and running. I may need to take it to the shop and have it rebuilt and such before January. Investing in another printer is also in the works. We are definately entering into the technological age for homeschooling!

Well, enough for now. Have a blessed day!

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Oct. 19, 2005 - A Productive Homeschool Day!

Hello Friends!

Been awhile since I've posted. REALLY busy!

This morning, after dropping dd off at the college, ds and I went and parked by the library, got our drawing paper (the long rolls), scissors, tape and charchol (sp) and headed to the cemetary!

Yep, we went to St. Helena Episcopal Church (established in early 1700's) and read tombstones. My ds has acquired an interesting hobby. Tombstone reading. yeah. We've actually taken it to another level and did a grave stone rubbing.

So much history! He was fascinated with the dates and stone work. Go figure, the kid is 10! Anyway, we found one grave belonging to Captian John Cook from Scottland. Died in Savannah, GA. I need to look him up!

The St. Helena Episcopal Church is a very large parish that takes up to 2 blocks on two streets. It also has a day school, the church, and the original church.

The rubbings were REALLY good for the first attempt! Ds and the librarians were THRILLED.

Anyway, we also completed ALL of ds's schoolwork at the library. We hung around until dd's english class was over. We then had to pick her up and bring HER back to the library for her public speaking class. After dropping her off, ds and I finally made it home!

We cant wait till this semester ends. Dd's dual enrollment classes are taking there toll on us. up and out of the house by 7:30am and not home till after 12pm. We get lots accomplished but we'd much rather accomplish them at home!

Cant wait till football season is over either! Ds's final game is November 3 and I'm going to do a praise dance! Seems like the first four months of homeschooling are always so hectic, but they end just before burnout sets in. We definately appreciate our time at home, when its cold and rainy outside!

Now he is doing a read along. He got a chapter book of Arthur and he found the audio cassette, so he's doing them both.

I need to get dinner going and rest. I feel like doing something creative, but until my brain rests, it aint happenin'!

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Oct. 12, 2005 - Thoughts on this Autumn/Winter...

I've always been a packrat. Not the kind of packrat that collects for the sake of collecting and hording. I am a packrat of a different sort!

I grew up in the Southeastern parts of Virginia. Very rural area. Grandpa and Grandma owned112 acres of land and 9 children. They grew tobacco and were self sufficient and productive. I was blessed to spend time with my granny as a young girl through my mid teens watching her and emulating her.

My grandpa died when I was about 8 years old and we were living in Delaware and granny asked that we come to stay with her, so we did.

I loved watching grandma making pickles and canning or putting up food. Our pantry was always stocked with good things. Our deep freezer was always packed with our pigs and cows. Biscuits were always in the oven Sunday mornings. Grandma loved making quilts and she instilled just enough of that same love to make ME want to become proficient with it!

Another thing I remember about living in Virginia is the fall and winter. Very quiet and peaceful. Lots of room to run and play and lots of good hot, wholesome foods to eat. We never missed a meal or went hungry, praise the Lord!

We didnt want for anything because my grandma and mom were careful to put away for those cold, rainy days. The nearest town took about 30 minutes to get to and during bad weather, everyone was prone to stock up and hold up! You could always tell a storm was coming because there was no bread and milk left on the shelves! roflol!

Nothing was more comforting than knowing that we could weather a storm. We didnt have central heating but we did have one heck of a wood stove! Never had to worry about the electricity going out and not being able to cook as we had gas stoves and plenty of wood. Our daily chore was to load the wood onto the wide porch. I use to make a game of it. The house and the porch where an island and everything we needed was right there. We set up a nice little spot for the dog and cat and the only time THEY left the porch was for a potty break!

I love remembering those times.

Fast forward 20 years and here I am, my grandmother and mother all rolled into one. Even though we live in South Carolina and the temps are nearly as harsh as a Virginia winter can be, I still take advantage of a cold front warning! Gets my blood rushing.

I have been going outside my budget to prepare for this winter. Something inside me is telling me to prepare for a few lean times, shortages and such, so I am heeding this instict to prepare.

Hence, the packrat.

I am constantly stocking up on ...

canned goods,

flour, sugar,

cooking oil, non perishables and

meats for my deep freezer

I'm also keeping PLENTY of these items on hand ...

toilet paper and paper towels,

paper plates and napkins

candles and matches

batteries, all sizes

oil for my little kerosene lamp

sanitary and hygene products

Not to mention...

arts and crafty items

plenty of books

vhs and dvd's on sale

homeschool material

And my medicine chest...

I'll have to list this another time as it is extensive. Just know that its covers pretty much everything! I HATE having a need for tylenol and having to go out when the kids are sick to get it. I HATE waking up with a sick child and having no ginger ale or crackers to soothe an upset tummy. I HATE needing epson salt and band aids for dh and not having them right away, so I STOCK up!