Introduction: This is a steal, literally, because I found it on Facebook and decided to use it this week. This is an expression of Praises to God- using the ABC’s. I thought this would be a good way to be able to Praise God and use every letter of the alphabet!
Assignment: Try to think of one thing you can say to the glory of God- one thing to thank Him for, a positive thing you can say about Him, or one of His Names-using each letter of the alphabet. You are allowed to make up words- if you can justify them by making it clear what you mean- and you may also use any foreign language (but please explain what it means) - and you can also use a thesaurus or dictionary if you get stumped. It’s a bit of a challenge but I think you’ll enjoy it. Have fun with it!
A- All Knowing
B- Beloved
C- Creator
D- Devout
E- Eternal
F- Father
G- Giver of Life
H- Holy
I- Indescribable is Your love for us
J- Jesus
K- King of Kings
L- Lord of Lords
M-Mustard seed- We only need the faith of a mustard seed for you to move mountains for us
Memory Verse:Psalm 69:21 They put poison in my food; in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.
Introduction:Obey Your Thirst (Sprite) In this Psalm, terrible things are plaguing David. He’s seeking the Lord, as he has that sinking feeling, that desperate thing of alienation and abandonment… and they try to poison him and give him vinegar - GROSS! How Vile! Sometimes when we’re sick, we have that sinking desperate feeling, we call out to God, we call out for healing.
Assignment: Tell us the most vile “remedy” you’ve ever had to consume in order to be rid of that “plague”. Was it something prescribed by a Medical Doctor? or was it an herbal remedy? We all know that Buckley’s commercial, it tastes awful, but it works. Would you take this remedy again? Did it work? Can you get your children to take it?
I have a funny story for this one. It is about my husband's family. One time the 4 of them (mom,dad, his sister and him) were all sick with the flu or bad cold. Jay's mom had been trying home remedies and heard about carrot juice with garlic. So she juiced fresh carrots and garlic and called the kids into the kitchen to drink some. They could smell it and were not that willing. Their mom made them take a drink and after one sip each they were spitting and gagging and yelling it was awful. This racket got their dad's attention and he came into the kitchen to see what was going on. He told the kids to obey their mom and drink it. They told him to drink it first and he said fine. He took a big gulp and then proceeded to spit it all back into the kitchen sink!! He asked Joy- "Are you trying to kill us all?" Well my dear mother in law was going to show them. She proceeded to drink all four glasses in spite of them. Now because of the garlic no one wanted to be around her for a couple of days but she was completely better the next morning while the rest of them were sick the rest of the week.
Here is the kicker of the story. The recipe called for one clove of garlic per glass. She had accidently put a whole bulb of garlic per glass!!
Memory Verse: Psalms 127:3 (New Living Translation)
Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Intro: This week we continue with shaking things up a bit. Children are often so pure in what they say. There is no sugar coating it, they just say it as they see it. Their thoughts can make us laugh, touch our hearts and open our eyes.
Assignment: This week are going to do an “Interview With Mom” and post it to your blog. There are a list of questions below to interview your children with. Feel free to add your own questions or remove any question you don’t want to use. You will then ask your children the questions and post the answers that they give you.
I asked them all individually so they would not base answers off of one another
WHAT DOES MOM ALWAYS SAY TO YOU?
Anastasia (11)- Go do your school work
Joshua (5)- If I can or can't play on Wii
Savannah (3)- You love me and kiss me
Alexa (2)- One ???
WHAT MAKES MOM HAPPY?
Anastasia- Saying I love you, clean with out complaining, rubbing her shoulders
Joshua- Listening well
Savannah- clean up and do stuff
Alexa- me
WHAT MAKES MOM SAD?
Anastasia- When we don't listen
Joshua- not listening
Savannah- when we use bad words like "shut-up"
Alexa- I don't know
HOW DOES MOM MAKE YOU LAUGH?
Anastasia- When she does funny stuff
Joshua- does silly things to me
Savannah- makes silly faces
Alexa- he he he
HOW OLD IS MOM?
Anastasia- That's easy 36
Joshua- 53 (side note.. Anastasia is correct )
Savannah- 10
Alexa- 1
HOW TALL IS MOM?
Anastasia- 5'8
Joshua- 44 lbs.
Savannah- 30
Alexa- 1
WHAT DOES MOM LIKE TO DO?
Anastasia- blog, facebook, text now that you have a phone
Joshua- Help me do stuff. Help Anastasia and I do math
Savannah- play toys, go on the computer and check stuff out
Alexa- color and rub my neck
WHAT IS MOM’S JOB?
Anastasia- Taking care of us
Joshua- Keeping care of us
Savannah- Help us clean up and do school
Alexa- Help me shut my eyes
MOM’S FAVORITE FOOD?
Anastasia- black beans and rice
Joshua- Her favorite cereal
Savannah- morning cereal
Alexa- pizza
HOW DO YOU KNOW MOM LOVES YOU?
Anastasia- She says it everyday
Joshua- Cause you kiss me
Savannah- I know in my heart and you do stuff with me
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.
Intro: This week the other Teachers and I want to shake things up a bit! We wanted for everyone to have some fun and have an assignment that would be easy and enjoyable too. This is a creative blogging assignment but hopefully it will offer help to some newer bloggers still trying to learn “how” to add pictures to their blogs and also help learn your classmates names to easily identify them…and it’s just FUN!
Assignment: This week you are to use your Blog Name (or your own pen/real name) and create signs. There are two ways to do this and you can do one or both ways.
Here are my banners and signs that I’ve made to share with everyone. I have my two of my favorite verses within the signs! They should be easy to spot! Go to this location and use the Create tab at the top of the page to select All Templates or go to the bottom of the page and on the left choose Banners to make your project. Then follow the directions to copy the code and post it on your blog. Have Fun!!! Warning: This is NOT a christian site!
Genesis 7:24 The water held power over the earth for 150 days.
Introduction: The only witnesses to the Flood are Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives - 8 people. And then there’s the animals, 2 of every unclean animal and 7 pairs of every clean animal. When Noah and his family emerged from the ark, they offered sacrifices and praised the Lord for preserving them.
Assignment: What kind of catastrophe have you lived through? Weather? Fire? Car crash? Did you feel the oppression of the power of the disaster, or the protection of the Power of the Lord? Tell us the story of how you rejoiced and praised Him through it and after it.
Thank the Lord I have not been in any major fire, weather realted or car catastrophies but October 3, 2005 is not a day I will soon forget. Joshua (who just turned 2) was sick with a cold and pretty congested. He came to sleep with us that night (which he never did he always prefered his own bed). He tossed and turned all night in between Jay and I and we were up several times with him. We seemed to have finally fallen asleep when all of a sudden Joshua scrambled up and over Jay to get off the bed. We didn't know what was wrong and then realized he couldn't breathe. It not only freaked us out but him as well. We were calming him down and as he would try and breathe his whole chest would cave in and out. He could breathe but it was very shallow. We decided to rush him to the ER. We woke up the girls and loaded them all up. On the way there we finally decided to call 911 (which we should have done from the beginning!) The ambulance met us at an intersection and I went with Joshua and Jay took the girls to his dad's house. They started steroid and breathing treatments right away. He had croup that turned strider and was blocking his airways. Jay met us at the hospital and we were there most of the day. I knew Joshua was sick because my very energetic boy was just laying there. After some time on the breathing treatments he was starting to perk up and could breathe much better. I knew all was well when he looked at me and said "Thank you mommy!" Ok that is when I lost it. I think I had adrenalin rush and just kept going with the motion of everything and when Joshua said that the reality of it all sunk in.
God was there with us through it all. We were praying non-stop even out loud in the car. It was a "God thing" that Joshua came to our bed that night. I would have to say during it the reality never hit me like I said above until it was all over. Of course we were praising God afterwards and ever so thankful for His protection.
Psalm 61:1 Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer. (NASB)
Memory Verse: Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 2 - To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven; A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.
Intro: My Prayer Box is a unique personal declaration of faith. It’s a place for our family to lock our worries, wishes, desires and prayers–even keepsakes or photos of loved ones. It’s about gathering thoughts and prayers that allow us to pursue dreams and to recognize that we are never truly alone. My Prayer Box represents faith, which is a force that allows us to believe in things—things you can’t hold in your hand, but can always feel in your heart. Here is a post about prayer boxes and how to get started using them, it’s not too late since it’s early in the year.
Assignment: Tell about your prayer box, if your family has one that you peruse at New Year’s Eve or New year’s Day and share those prayers, thoughts and acts of faith on the next year.
What a neat idea! We used to keep a prayer journal but we have never kept a prayer box. Upon seeing this assignment I have been thinking a lot about it. and I am trying to come up with a neat and unique box to use. We talked some about resolutions with the kids and I did a post about it but I think we will make a prayer box as a family. We can talk about it this Friday during our family fun night. I will incorporate it into school this next week and have us write out some prayers and then put up our box with our Christmas decorations to save for next year. As soon as I come up with a box I will post a picture of it.
Intro:Computers Help People Help People(Marketing credit: IBM)
There are many ways computers help us. It is a wonderful way to stay in touch with family far away, “meet” other christian women around the globe, and it can be such a blessing with homeschooling.
Assignment:
Share some of your favorite homeschooling sites. The only “rule” for this assignment is that you have to list at least one “free” site. Many homeschooling families have made the choice to live on very little income to do what they believe is best for their children and I want everyone to be able to benefit from this assignment. If you have other sites that are “paid” sites, feel free to include these also as it might be something someone would really appreciate. If you feel led, share your curriculum choices with us. I always love to learn what is out there that I don’t already know about. Please make sure to include links to the sites you share.
Wow, where to begin! I use so many different sites...I will list some free ones first and then others:
www.paperbackswap.com - This is a great site that you can sign up for free and it is a paperback book exchange. I have found lots of great books here. If you do sign up for this please put down my email address as a referal. I would appreciate it.
http://www.dltk-kids.com/ DLTK's Crafts for Kids features a variety of fun, printable children's crafts, coloring pages and more including projects for holidays, educational themes and some of our children's favorite cartoon characters. - (I copied this description from their site.)
http://learningpage.com Great site for worksheets on basic themes and complete curriculum for some unit studies
Other sites that I love but have a cost or sell a product are:
www.handsofachild.com This is one of my favorite sites. I own a lot of thier lapbooks (You can see pics of a completed one below). They offer one free lapbook per quarter.
I could go on but there are others listed on the right side of my blog that you can click on as well.
For pictures here is the Explorer Lapbook that Anastasia just finished. It is from Hands of a Child.
For this lapbook we had a lot of activities so we made a double lapbook with 2 file folders. The front cover, above, Anastasia designed in publisher from clip art and printed out.
Memory Verse: Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Intro:We Bring Good Things To Life. (Marketing credit: GE)
The passion to sing, the passion to draw, the passion to build, the passion to ride, the passion for reading, the passion for nature… the list is endless. Some children exhibit their passion from day one, others need an experience to spark that passion
Assignment:Share a field trip/lifestyle learning experience where you really felt you were bringing good things to life for your children, where something came alive for them, or ignited a passion.
Memory Verse: Philippians 4:8
In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy
As a homeschooling mom this is an area I try to be conscience of with my children to make sure they are exposed to a variety of things so that they can find their passion. Four of my children are young yet and their passions vary from day to day with whatever new thing they are exposed to (paint, playdough, markers etc.) However with Anastasia there have been two things come to life this past year. The first was from an art class she took over the summer. She is a perfectionist and would not draw anything because it was "wrong". Well she wanted to take this class and wow what a difference it made and not that it was anything spectacular but it sure changed her attitude about drawing and painting. Now she is willing to try. The other thing that was neat with our Co-op the first month they did a unit on Shakespeare and I had never done this with her before and she loved it. This coming from a girl who has struggled with reading off and on! She asked if we could learn and read more. I am so glad she had this opportunity because it is not my passion and I was in no hurry to teach it but seeing her excitement, excited me about it.
Assignment: My family and I rarely do anything apart from each other. We don’t really have quality time together because all our time is together. We feel like the more special moments are when we have dinner together or when we worship God together. For this assignment, tell how you and your family spend QUALITY time together.
Our QUALITY time is spent in several different ways. One main thing each day is eating dinner together. This is very important to me . During this time the kids get to share with daddy what they did that day and the "child of the day" gets to pray and daddy usually tries to do a devotion as well. Also Friday nights are Family fun nights where we might watch a movie or play games or other things just to relax together and look forward to the weekend.
I try to spend some one on one with each child as well. I like to take just one of them grocery shopping with me. Taking one is fun and enjoyable it is a whole other story if I have to take all five. My oldest and I also stay up some nights together and watch Little House on the Prairie together. We check them out from the library and she insists on watching them in order! The weeks that I don't teach co-op my 2 year old and the baby and I get to go hang out together for the day and it is nice having that time with just the two of them.
Alexa and I feeding the ducks at a park.
Memory Verse: I Timothy 4:12-13 - Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
Intro:When There’s No Tomorrow. (Marketing credit: Mercury)
Please listen to the song. Imagine you’re standing before God. There’s no Tomorrow, you can’t go back and finish up what you had planned on getting to sometime in the future. What was that thing that you planned on getting to, that thing that now, you’re standing before God and thinking “I wish I had gotten to that…”
Assignment:We only have today. Should God take you today, have you accomplished everything that you wanted to, needed to. Have you said all the things that needed to be said? Let’s have no regrets, let’s make sure we get to those things, so that when we’re standing before the Lord, the only thing we need to do is to worship him.. and not regret not getting to that thing on our to do list. Stop - go take care of that thing…. then, come tell us what you choose to share. Don’t embarrass yourself or any of your loved ones. Picture ideas: Be creative, go photograph something that “REPRESENTS” tomorrow. We can’t photograph time.. but we have ways of “showing” time in images.. how do you see “tomorrow”. This might be the only thing you choose to share about if you can’t publicly share what you needed to get done, and that’s alright too. Somethings are just to personal.
Share your favorite scripture in your post.
Wow what a thought provoking assignment this week and the timing is amazing. This week our music pastor's mom (she was also our pianist) died. We just went to her funeral (or as I like to say Celebration of Life service) yesterday. This has been emotionally hard on both Jay and I, especially Jay, as our music pastor had a wonderfully close realtionship with his mother (Just as Jay did with his). So the emotions came flooding back of when Jay's mom died almost 5 years ago. We got to say our good byes and have no regrets except of course that she died too young and we selfishly want her here still. But we know that she is in heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The song in the video above also has special meaning as that is the song that Jay and our (at the time 6 yr. old daughter) sang at his mom's funeral. So of course I got all teary eyed listening to it.
The thing that I have learned these past few years is that my only goal is to make sure (pray about because I can't control it) that my children and then as they get married their spouses and then their children grow to accept Christ as their Savior and that our treasures will be built in heaven. Jay's grandma and mom got to see this before they both died. This was their goal and through lots of prayer and guidance and God's grace it happened.
God is amazing in His timing because Joy's (Jay's mom) last Sunday in church was the same Sunday that Anastasia went forward to accept Christ and we also had Joshua's baby dedication. At the time we did not know it would be her last Sunday. God is so gracious that she was allowed to witness these two events before going Home.
So the picture I am sharing this week is one that my daughter drew over at her Papa and Mawma's house on one of the days before the funeral. It is a picture of heaven from the eyes of a six year old who just lost her best friend (her Mawma) It's her, her Mawma and her Papa all up in Heaven.
Matthew 6:19-20 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Memory Verse: Ecclesiastes 1:13-14
I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Assignment: Tell us all about how your have “your” relaxing time, more especially how during the cooler months you take time to curl up with your favorite movie, book, Bible study, and what your favorite warm drink would be.
Share a picture of your favorite spot in the house or your favorite warm beverage, your favorite movie or book; possibly even your favorite Bible Study or maybe your women’s Bible group.
Memory Verse: Isaiah 40: 1- Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Well here in the desert we are still waiting for the cooler months. I am beginning to think it might not happen this year!!! LOL but as for relaxing time I love to do that after all the little ones are tucked into bed or on the rare Saturday morning. My favorite spot is our bed. We have a king size bed with a canopy and I love to curl up with my favorite blanket (yes I still have a blankie) and read. My husband got me my blanket 4 years ago for Christmas (to replace a childhood one that needed to be retired) and it is so comfy I just love it. I always have to have it and my kids love to snuggle with it in my bed too. My favorite thing to do while relaxing is read. My all time favorite christian fiction book series are Love Comes Softly by Janet Oke and Red River of the North by Lorraine Snelling. These are the only books I have ever re-read. My favorite drink while relaxing is coffee I love all the holiday creamers that come out this time of year. I also enjoy hot apple cider.
Now if I don't snuggle up on my bed I love to sit on the couch with my blanket and I am excited because this year my husband gave me an early Christmas gift. We don't have a fire place and we can't use one much here anyways but I miss it. Well I have been wanting one of those DVD's of a fire place that you play on your TV and it glows and looks like a fire place. Jay got me one just the other day. I am so excited as we have a big screen tv and I can play this and it plays Christmas music as well. I can't wait to play it for the first time on Thanksgiving weekend when we put up our Christmas decorations.
Our bed
My blanket draped over a chair
A favorite verse to share: Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary Isaiah 40:31
Intro: M’m M’m Good (Campbell’s Soup)
The fall is such a wonderful time of year. The beautiful foliage and cool, crisp morning air is such a wonderful change from the hot summer. I also love the M’m M’m good smell of fall cooking and baking. The wonderful fall veggies, fruits and Thanksgiving foods.
Memory Verse: Psalms 13:6 NIV
I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me.
Assignment: Post your favorite fall recipe/recipes to share. I love trying new recipes, do you? It can be baking, main dishes, veggies, dessert or anything else you can think of. There are no limits. Mmmmmm..I can’t wait to take a look at some of those recipes.
What a great assignment as I have already done several posts about fall. It is my favorite season. I love it when the weather finally cools off so I can bake more. It is no fun baking in the Arizona heat and it is just starting to cool off this past week. Yippee!
In a previous post I just shared a great recipe for pumpkin playdough. My kids look forward to this every year. It isn't my own recipe but we have used it for years.
Pumpkin Playdough
Need: 5 1\2 Cups Flour, 2 Cups Salt, 8 teaspoons Cream of Tartar , 3\4 Cup Oil, 1 Container (1 1\2 ounces) Pumpkin Pie Spice, Orange Food Coloring (2 parts yellow, 1 part red) , 4 Cups Water
Mix all of the ingredients together. Cook and stir over medium heat until all lumps disappear. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth.
I love the smell of it.
I am wanting to start a recipe book for each of my kids that they can take with them when they married. I want it to include family favorites and special recipes. I can't decide how to do it but I think I will handwrite them as I love having handwritten recipes from my mom and grandmas. Then I think I will include pictures as well. I want it to be something they will treasure.
Two wonderful Thanksgiving recipes that I am planning on including are Corn Pudding and Cranberry Jello Salad.
Mix all ingredients/Pour into casserols dish and bake at 350' for 30 min.
My first Thanksgiving in Arizona my Aunt made Cranberry Jello Salad and we have had it ever since:
1- big box cherry jello 1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 medium container sour cream 1 Cup chopped nuts
Make Jello as box sayst and refrigerate. Let it set till wiggles then add cranberry sauce, Take a spoon and chop it up. Add sour cream and nuts and then refrigerate till time to serve it.
I could share so many more. I am so excited about fall and then Christmas!!!!
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. John 6:35
Don’t Leave Home Without It! (Marketing Credit: American Express)
Intro: Never Leave Home Without It (Marketing Credit: American Express) Diapers, bottles, wipes, bibs, pacifiers, extra clothing, cell phone, PDA, ipod, iphone, credit or debit cards … what would you never leave home without?
Assignment: In the memory verse Jesus tells us that He will never leave us, not even at the end of the world. He assures us in this verse that He will be with us and that means through everything we go through in life. I thought it would be interesting to write about the things we would never leave home without. For some it might be baby needs, others it might be a gym bag and bottle of water, and for some it might be your Bible and a notepad or small journal, maybe even your son or daughters favorite blankie! I’d like for you to write about something that you would never leave home without.
Trying just to leave home somedays can be quite the task!! I never (at least for the last 5 years) leave home with out the diaper bag and double stroller. The stroller just stays in the back of the suburban. Living in AZ we always also have water bottles with us. It also is very rare that I leave home with out a child or two as well! and when I don't have one of them with me I am always looking for them. I think the most important thing I never leave with out when leaving kids at home is lots of hugs and kisses. They come running and grabbing my legs "hugs, kisses, hugs, kisses". Yes it might take extra time to leave but I know there will come a day all too soon when I will actually miss this.
Memory Verse:Matthew 28: 20 - Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen.
This is WACKY WEEK here at Blogger Friend School! Everything is wacky fun! This week YOU, the student, get to share something of your choice that is little “Wacky”!!!
Have you done something crazy in your homeschool? Do you fingerpaint with your toes? Do you let your children do your hair? Do you wear your pajamas during homeschool? Oh, the list is endless, but it’s up to you and how much fun you want to have.
To make it even “wackier” (not sure if it’s really a word, but hey, we don’t check spelling this week at BFS either!!!…..try and type some or all of your post sdrawkcab. (backwards!)
!keew gnixaler dna nuf a siht ekaM
(…and forwards…Make this a fun and relaxing week!)
.thnom yreve fo yadirF eht s'tI !!!yaD dooF knuJ eimmaJ si su rof ykcaW(Wacky for us is Jammie Junk Food Day!!! It's the last Friday of every month.)
I host Jammie Junk Food Day the last Friday of each month. It is so much fun and we just had one that I blogged all about so click here to read that post.
Be sure and join us this month on October 24th (a week early) and share what you did for yaD dooF knuJ eimmaJ. I even have a graphic you can use if you want.
Intro:It keeps going, and going, and going…. (Marketing credit: Energizer)
Housekeeping: that household mess, it keeps going and going and going. It’s a perpetual chore that we diligently need to keep going on to stay on top it. We all have different ways of keeping ourselves energized.
Assignment: How do you keep energized so you can get it all done? bouncy music? treat it like a workout? Do you use a schedule?, a housekeeping binder system? luck of the draw system?.. or is this an area where you need encouragement? Do you need God’s help to keep order and beauty in your dwelling place? Take this week to tell us how You diligently keep going with your housekeeping chores.
This is an area I am slowly getting under control with the Lord's help!!! Trying to find balance has been key for me. We can have a really good school day and the house will fall apart or I can spend too much time cleaning and all the school work doesn't get done.
I keep a household notebook and follow a lot of Flylady’s recommendations. I also love Managers of Their Homes by Steve and Teri Maxwell. I love this book!!! My schedule has had to be revamped several times with having 4 kids in four and a half years. In our family the kids ages are 10,5,3,2,almost 4 mos. So lately it has been all about teaching them to clean up after themselves!!! My oldest daughter is a tremendous help! It is just a constant battle to stay right on top of them or it can look like a tornado came through.
In our schedule we have worked in a clean up time and chore time. It is slowly progressing. In order to keep them going and going and going we use the timer a lot. (Let's see how much we can clean up in 10 minutes) or I will race them in making beds. My son also always wants me to put on his "fast music" when he is cleaning his room. It is a CD of Chrisitan preschool songs, the first one is " I am a C-h-r-i-s-t-i-a-n". This really gets him going!
I wish keeping myself motivated was as easy! For mundane tasks I have taken to praying during these. For example when putting the kids clothes away I will pray for each child. When doing dishes I will pray for things I am thankful for. These little things help give new prospectives to my tasks.
It was suggested to share a picture this week of something relating. I am sharing a picture of the cover of my binder. I love my binder and it is a work in progress. For the cover I just made up a sheet of pictures of my family and some favorite verses. I love looking at this and it reminds me who I am doing all these things for, the Lord and my family!
Memory Verse:1 Timothy 4:15(NIV)
Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.
Assignment: This week I want you to do something for someone else. Do you have a neighbor that needs you? Do you know an elderly person or single mom that could use you? What about the homeless? Pack even one single sack lunch and give it to someone in need. Do you know someone in blogland that is struggling right now and could use a note from you about how much you care? Pray about this. Let God put on your heart the perfect thing for you to do for another. Now, here is the kicker…I DO NOT want you to post about what you do. Whatever you choose to do is between you and God. Our rewards are in heaven, not here on earth, Mathew 6:1. I want you to post about how doing this “act” made you feel. Was stepping out of your comfort zone in this area as hard as you thought it might be? Could you see the gratefulness in their eyes? Hear it in their voice? Tell it from their typing? Do you think you might make doing things like this a more regular part of your time? If this is an area that you are already active in, tell us how you feel this has impacted your life.
I had to think about this assignment for awhile this week. My desire this year has been to step out and serve with my children where we can do something tanigable together to help someone else. I want to follow through in little ways. Anastasia and I have been able to do this a couple of times and the rewards are great! It is neat to watch my daughter get excited about giving and serving others. She is now looking for ways we can serve others. We have also been on the other end this year and we have had to accept others reaching out knowing that they are being blessed by blessing us. I think that has been harder but I know how good I feel when helping others as God leads. It is hard to describe because I know it is not me but the fact that God uses me in this small way is so rewarding. It makes me want to step out more.
Assignment: This would be a good week to tell about your worst struggles with a lifestyle of homeschooling. Tell about something you’ve struggled with and how God’s mercies gave us the strength to get past it. Also, share any curriculum/homeschool methods that have been a relief to you, i.e., a particular Teacher’s Manual or Homeschooling method that’s been easier for your family. Talk about how you felt when the burden was lifted and Oh, What a Relief it is!
Frustrations and struggles I have been having are just staying on track and keeping my kids motivated. The other big struggles is maintaining the house all at the same time. So let me tell you the timing of this assignment is a "God thing". Just this week any struggles or frustrations I have been feeling went right out the window after our first day of Co-op. I stated in a previous post how I have been wanting to be part of a co-op and finally joined one this year. It is a great group of ladies and I am blessed to be a part of it.
However, I got a reality check this week as to what it would be like to drop my kids off at school each day and I didn't like it one bit!!! The co-op meets the first 3 Mondays each month and moms take turns teaching a month at a time. So I am not teaching this month, I will teach in October.
I had to have all five kids dressed, eaten breakfast and out the door by 8:00am. I droped the kids off and they were going to be there from 9-1pm. (I kept the youngest two with me). Now mind you they were so excited to "go to school" but I must have felt what every mom feels like when she drops her kids off to kindergarten for the very first time. No thank you, I will pass! I had such a strange mix of emotions driving away. I was excited to have the time to spend with the baby and my two year old but I was at a loss as to what to do and I was missing the other 3!!! I wanted to turn right around and go stay with them. But on the other hand I am looking forward to that time to run errands and do special things with Alexa (my 2 year old).
God shared with me that we are right where He wants our family to be and any frustrations and struggles I am facing in homeschool are minor. I am so blessed to be able to spend the good part of everyday with my kids and not just the leftovers.
Memory Verse: Psalms 55:22 - Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Assignment: Take time this week to write about YOU and your feelings of trials and triumphs with homeschooling. Touch on when you first heard about the concept of home schooling and whether you tip-toed into the idea or just jumped in and never looked back. Share your schooling as a child and how you compare it to what your goals are for your children.
Homeschooling evokes so many thoughts and feelings as there are people. My journey into homeschooling started back when I was just a kid. I actually loved school and playing teacher. That is what I "played" in my free time with my friends and brother and sister. I think since 3rd grade I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Fast forward to junior high and I experienced 2nd hand what homeschooling was about. We actually had a neighbor who homeschooled and she would be considered a "pioneer" because it was back in the 80's. I babysat for her and thought it was so cool that she taught her kids at home. We moved out of state when I was in Jr. high so I lost contact with her except for the occasional Christmas card but the thought of homeschooling stuck with me even while getting my teaching degree in college. I even went so far to write a paper on why homeschooling was more beneficial than public schools (didn't go over so well with professors who praised the public schools ). I got my degree, got married and taught 4th grade for 3 years at a local public school. Over all it was a good experience and it was a decent school. I could however see the seeping in of a different world view, no child left behind, and teacher's hands being tied. My 3rd year of teaching I got pregnant and was due in December (97).I took the 6 weeks off then finished up the school year and didn’t return.I always knew I wanted to stay home when I had kids but it was hard not returning to teaching as well.I shared with my husband those seeds that God planted so long ago in my heart about homeschooling and when our daughter was 2 years old we attended our first homeschooling convention. He was hooked and we jumped in with both feet and have never looked back.
Our family has grown a lot since then but our goals for homeschooling have remained the same: to raise godly children who love the Lord and to have a close knit family who enjoy doing things and spending time together. We want our children to learn to trust the Lord with all their heart and mind and to make decisions big and small based on scripture. We want them to learn to make Christ the center of everything and to develop a Bibical worldview. We want our children to be best friends. Lastly, contrary to public outcry about homeschooling we home school for the socialization benefits. We have a big age split between our first and second child (almost 6 years) and then we had 4 children in 4.5years!!If our oldest was off to school all day everyday their relationship would not be the same!
We have had our share of trials and triumphs!From outsiders we don’t get a lot of slack I think because they think it’s okay since I have my teaching degree (which is so not necessary) sometimes it is a hindrance to “thinking outside of the box”.We do get the occasional quizzing by relatives who try to be discreet but it is annoying when I know they are “testing” my kids.I know my kids strengths and weaknesses and we are working on them.Trials are staying on task each day which is compounded by little ones and other daily life such as potty training and house cleaning and errand running. There are the days that I question myself when my kids are struggling in areas such as reading and spelling or having melt downs.I have learned just to give it to the Lord and keep plugging along.Triumphs are just the fact that I get to share daily life with my children (even if some days I want to pull my hair out).I get to be the one who will teach them to read and write. I am the one who gets to hear memorized Bible verses and gets to pray with them at each meal. I get to see them learning! Sure I need a break occasionally just like any other mom but I would be truly sad to send them off every day for someone to get all that time with them and I get the “leftovers”.
I survived public school and turned out fine but I want oh so much more for my kids.Schools have changed a lot and not for the better.I am not willing to take that chance and risk my children in that environment.God planted seeds long ago and it is through His strength and guidance that our family will plug along and succeed in this homeschooling adventure.
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) However with Anastasia there have been two things come to life this past year. The first was from an art class she took over the summer. She is a perfectionist and would not draw anything because it was "wrong". Well she wanted to take this class and wow what a difference it made and not that it was anything spectacular but it sure changed her attitude about drawing and painting. Now she is willing to try. The other thing that was neat with our Co-op the first month they did a unit on Shakespeare and I had never done this with her before and she loved it. This coming from a girl who has struggled with reading off and on! She asked if we could learn and read more. I am so glad she had this opportunity because it is not my passion and I was in no hurry to teach it but seeing her excitement, excited me about it.
Alexa and I feeding the ducks at a park.
Our bed
My blanket draped over a chair
and when I don't have one of them with me I am always looking for them. I think the most important thing I never leave with out when leaving kids at home is lots of hugs and kisses. They come running and grabbing my legs "hugs, kisses, hugs, kisses". Yes it might take extra time to leave but I know there will come a day all too soon when I will actually miss this.
. No thank you, I will pass! I had such a strange mix of emotions driving away. I was excited to have the time to spend with the baby and my two year old but I was at a loss as to what to do and I was missing the other 3!!! I wanted to turn right around and go stay with them. But on the other hand I am looking forward to that time to run errands and do special things with Alexa (my 2 year old). 
Assignment: Take time this week to write about YOU and your feelings of trials and triumphs with homeschooling. Touch on when you first heard about the concept of home schooling and whether you tip-toed into the idea or just jumped in and never looked back. Share your schooling as a child and how you compare it to what your goals are for your children.
I think since 3rd grade I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Fast forward to junior high and I experienced 2nd hand what homeschooling was about. We actually had a neighbor who homeschooled and she would be considered a "pioneer" because it was back in the 80's. I babysat for her and thought it was so cool that she taught her kids at home. We moved out of state when I was in Jr. high so I lost contact with her except for the occasional Christmas card but the thought of homeschooling stuck with me even while getting my teaching degree in college. I even went so far to write a paper on why homeschooling was more beneficial than public schools (didn't go over so well with professors who praised the public schools 
