2 Corinthians, Against the Wind, The boys and I are reading Deuteronomy.
Our Curriculum:
Horizons Math Grade 4 and K,Sequential Spelling, Lifepac Language Arts 4, Apologia Astronomy, Veritas Press New Testament/Greeks/Romans
Prima Latina, Contenders for the Faith and various Winters Promise books
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Jul. 1, 2009 - Standing on His Word
Our words and actions must be based on the truth of God's Word, which sinful man and this fallen world are often opposed to. Therefore, it takes courage and boldness on our part to stand up and live the truth of His Word and follow Him. Sometimes we may have to stand alone and sometimes it may be costly, but it is worth it if it pleases God. (KP Yohannan in Against the Wind)
Are you willing to stand apart from the rest of the world? To be called "judgmental" or worse? Are you teaching your children to see the difference between what society considers acceptable and what God says is acceptable? Are you able to see it yourself? The world creeps into our minds and hearts so easily if we are not actively filling them with God's standards on a daily basis. Even Christians unknowingly give unbiblical council more often than they should.
I know I preach this regularly, but it is true, WE MUST KNOW GODS WORD! We simply must. We must read it so we can see the lies that Satan has whispered into our society in such a sneaky way that even many Christians do not realize it. Christian, be willing to take a stand, to point out these lies, and be ready to back it up with God's truth!
I have been blessed with really good reading material lately, including my beloved Against the Wind our monthly Voice of Martyrs magazine, and sample magazine I got in the mail. They keep bringing me to the same thought.
I am not doing enough to point people to the gospel.
I have always used the excuse that my gift is encouragement, so I use my blog and similar avenues to point people to Christ. But I recently heard someone say "God isn't calling me to witness to others, He will use my life by my silent example" (paraphrased). I had to stop and think. That is MY excuse, and hearing someone else say it out loud made me realize what a hollow excuse it is. The truth.. I hate confrontation, and I know that sometimes the gospel causes confrontation. Who wants to be told they are a sinner destined for hell? Fear has been what has held me back, not a "different calling".
There are Christians in other countries at THIS VERY MOMENT, who are being killed and persecuted in horrific ways for trying to save souls. And I am afraid that someone may yell at me, or tell me to shut up! What a spoiled selfish life I have been living.
Lord, please forgive me for my selfishness, for not following your command to go into all the world and preach the gospel to EVERYONE (Mark 16:15). Help me overcome my fear, give me the wisdom to know how and when to step out, and what words to say. Lord, hold me accountable for what you desire for me to do.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations Matthew 28:19
When Gianna Jessen spoke at our church a few weeks ago, she said many memorable things. The one that I've been thinking about is that to be a follower of Christ you need to be willing to be hated.
I agree, and that's what I want to talk about. Of course, this does NOT mean being hateful. Nor does it mean seeking to be hated. Or having a persecution complex, so you think people don’t like you because you’re following Christ, when they actually don’t like you because you’re an idiot.
I am all for graciousness, kindness and servant-hearted love as we speak the truth. I seek to practice this with the nonchristians I’m around. But at some point the greatest kindness we can offer them, coming out of a life of humility and faithfulness to Christ, is the good news about Jesus. (That good news actually involves some very bad news about human sinfulness, which is what makes the cross an offense, meaning that it ticks people off).
The danger comes when we live in such fear of being mislabeled that we don’t step forward as unapologetic and unashamed all-out followers of Jesus. They can call us Jesus freaks or ignorant or uncool or intolerant or anything they want, that’s fine. We should do what we believe pleases our Lord, regardless of how it pans out in opinion polls. That includes loving others and giving radically and ministering to the down and out and addressing addictions and saying we think it’s wrong to kill children of all ages and helping people find alternatives. We do such things not seeking the approval of our culture, but of our King.
If we seek our culture’s approval, we’ll either never get it or get it only at the expense of failing to represent Christ. We are promised, that if we “live godly lives in Christ Jesus” we “will suffer persecution.” If we’re not suffering persecution, at some level, then what does that suggest?
We should certainly be nice, and it’s sad when Christians aren’t. But it’s also sad when we imagine “niceness” has greater impact than it really does. Niceness is not the gospel. Some modern concepts of evangelism are little more than being nice to your neighbor and loaning him your hedge clipper and hoping that somehow he will come to Christ without you actually having to say the WORDS of the gospel which would run the risk of him thinking you’re weird. Our good example is important, but it’s not sufficient. There are actual truths that must be grappled with in surrendering to Jesus (1 Cor 15:1-6). And these truths are expressed in words.
I’m all for audience analysis and understanding the perceptions of this generation and speaking in a way they can understand. But instead of letting the world set our agenda and the ground rules of what we can and can’t say, let’s ask the Lord how best to take the timeless message of the gospel to these people.
But, and I say this coming out of some of the conversations I’ve had with cool Christians, the answer is not altering the contents of the gospel to make it something everyone can easily agree with. If the gospel becomes nothing more than the reflection of a worldview they already have, it has nothing to offer them. It’s God’s gospel. Given the price He paid on the cross to offer it, He has the right to say difficult things such as Jesus is the only way to the Father and we are hell-bound without him. That message is not popular and never will be. Our job isn’t to edit the message, but to deliver it.
Among some believers the new definition of a good Christian is holding your beliefs privately, not challenging those who publicly share beliefs that dishonor Christ, and avoiding controversy at all costs lest we be perceived as “those kind of Christians” who hate gays, oppose abortion, favor inquisitions and live to burn witches. We so much want the world to like us that we end up distancing ourselves from the historic Christian faith, from biblical doctrine (including hell), and from churches (because they’re all hypocrites except us). We end up making ourselves indistinguishable from the world, and therefore have nothing to offer the world.
Sometimes we assume the moral high ground by rolling our eyes at those street preachers, congratulating ourselves that we aren’t like that. Street preaching’s not my thing, but I can give you names of people who have come to Christ through street preaching. It’s more of a stretch to name those who’ve come to Christ through Christians who think it’s not cool to tell people the biblical truth that they need to repent of their sins (a synonym for evils; basically a big insult), and turn to Christ to be saved from hell.
It’s not our job to be popular. We are not contestants on American Idol. And we are not Christ’s speechwriters or PR team, airbrushing Jesus so He has greater appeal to people who don’t want to hear what He said about sin and hell. He’s the King, He calls the shots, we’re just His ambassadors. So let’s represent the real Jesus, the whole Jesus, not just the culturally acceptable one.
There is nothing new or postmodern about the gospel turning some people off. That’s always been true, just as it’s always been true that some people are longing to hear it and will deeply appreciate it that you had enough courage to tell them about Jesus.
As D. L. Moody said when someone criticized his approach to evangelism, “I like the way I do it better than the way you don’t do it.”
It is not gracious and kind to withhold the gospel from those who, according to Jesus, are going to hell without Him. Sometimes what we imagine to be our graciousness and kindness is actually indifference or cowardice.
We are well, and enjoying summer! We're near the end of strawberry season. Abigail has fully enjoyed snacking in our own backyard as well as picking at the local berry farm! We have put at least 20 lbs in the freezer this year as well as canned 9 jars of jam.
Abigail picking her first strawberry
Most of our summer activities are just beginning. We've made it through this deployment and my husband will be returning SOON! We're looking forward to a couple road trips, a few local attractions, camping, and long overdue family portraits!
A patriotic dessert
"Do not say in your heart when the LORD your God has driven them out before you, 'Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land,' but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is dispossessing them before you. Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people." Deuteronomy 9
Do you need this reminder as much as I do? We as Christians are still not righteous of ourselves. It is only Christ's righteousness that covers us. We are no different than the Israelites, still stiff-necked, still rebellious, still stubborn.
I long so badly to be completely devoted to my Lord. But I get so distracted and side tracked by every day life. Instead of seeing every task as an act of worship to Him, I get wearied and my thoughts wander. I am so stubborn, as much as I WANT to lay down my desires and my "rights" when push comes to shove I do not do it. I make excuses...But eventually I come back to His Word, and I am thankful for His mercy and grace that I am so undeserving of.
"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 5:6-11
We got some wildflower seeds that were embedded in paper last fall, so we held on to them until spring, and I gave each of the boys a couple papers, ad a pot of dirt and it has been their responsibility to keep them watered and growing. (They help in my gardens but these were to be purely theirs with no interference from me).
I really did NOT expect much out of their "garden" but have been amazed! We have had so many beautiful flowers bloom (and many more to come still) and we've had a great time looking up and learning the names of all these new flower varieties we had never seen! (Thank you Heather for all your help as well!!!)
Our first to bloom ended up being Baby Blue Eyes. Gorgeous little flowers! Nemopila insignis
Then we had "Baby Snapdragons" or toadflax Toadflax Linaria maroccana
Baby's Breath Gypsophila muralis
5 spot or Buffalo eyes Nemophila maculata
Strawflower Centaurea cyanus
WallFlower Cheiranthus allionii
We're set to study Botany next year and now I really can't wait. I'm thinking seriously of not buying regular flowers next year either and just doing the whole front bed in wildflower seeds! This is so fun, running outside every morning to see what new surprise flower will greet us! We have sunflowers coming up and I think poppies too. I cant wait to see what else blooms!
I have found myself needing daily reminders of what my goal is and the steps I need to follow to accomplish that goal, so I pulled out my copy of Raising Godly Tomatoes.
I will be the first to tell you that the BEST source of child rearing advice is God's own Word, the Bible, but this book really helped me lear about consistency ad realistic expectations.
Change to Consistency "I remember a specific day years ago when my oldest three children were still young. I was talking to a friend on the phone, and I remember telling the caller that I could hear my little daughter jumping on the couch in the other room, and that I "really should go stop her...." Then it hit me. Yes, that's exactly what I needed to do in order to begin seeing some lasting results in my efforts to raise godly children. I needed to stop talking to my friends on the phone, and go correct my daughter every single time she needed it. That would be true consistency, and I hadn’t been doing it.
So, I decided to change. I resolved to make consistency my top priority. I stopped running unnecessary errands, stopped over-indulging in my hobbies, stopped making excessive social phone calls, and set my mind diligently and consistently, on training my children. I continued with the normal mandatory tasks of life, such as basic housekeeping, laundry, and cooking, but even as I did those things, I kept in mind that my children were my top priority, not a fancy dinner or a spotless house. I gathered my children close to me so I could always see and hear them, then I stopped what I was doing and promptly corrected them, every time they needed it."
Tomato Staking with Love
Beside making it possible to watch and correct your children, Tomato Staking makes it possible to nurture your children with love. Keep your children with you. Hug, kiss, sing, laugh and play with them. Include them in the things you are doing. Smile at them when they come to you to show you something. Welcome their attention. Answer their questions. Invite them into your lap for a cuddle. Let them crawl into your bed and snuggle up to you now and then. When they ask to help you, say, "Sure." Joke and laugh with them. Share with them your sense of humor. Be interested in the things they are interested in and be excited about their accomplishments as you tutor them in all of God’s ways. Get to know them and let them get to know you. Can a child who is the constant recipient of such joyful companionship ever doubt that he is deeply and profoundly loved? I don’t think so.
I know that all moms are beset with endless chores and duties, but these should never take precedence over your children. If you are Tomato Staking with an abundance of love, you will soon find that discipline consuming a progressively diminishing portion of your time, freeing you up for those chores. So especially when you are first starting out, set aside what tasks you can, and address your child’s needs for both discipline and love, whenever they arise.
Teaching obedience so you don’t have to teach anything else.
In our home, we begin training our children to conform to the image of God when they are still small by teaching only one thing - that they must always obey us with a willing and pleasant spirit. When we start with just that one thing, we don't have to do much else. What could be more simple? Once your child understands obedience, everything else is pretty much taken care of. Henceforth, you can simply ask him to come to you and he will. You can ask him to pick up his toys and he will. You can ask him to get ready for bed and he will trot off and do so. You can even ask him to "stop crying," and he will stop. Simple. Obedience is really all you need to teach a little one.
From Chapter 3:-which you can read online here
http://www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com/ch03.asp
They will see the glory of the LORD,The majesty of our God. Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart,“Take courage, fear not.Behold, your God will come ... He will save you. ISAIAH 35
Life has been crazy lately. I have had some amazing, wonderful days spiritually, but they are ALWAYS followed by a day of waking up feeling sick, tired and all together horrible. The enemy is feeling threatened and waging war against me. This deployment is at the point where it is wearing on me as well. Today I was near my breaking point. I just needed to get out of the house. I headed to the Exchange on base to pick up a few things. When I was finished shopping I just did NOT want to go home.
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,And marked off the heavens by the span,
And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,And weighed the mountains in a balanceAnd the hills in a pair of scales? ISAIAH 40
I decided we'd head to the beach. I had been meaning to just spend a day at the beach playing and enjoying God's creation, and this was the perfect opportunity. My rumbling tummy reminded me I had not planned for lunch though, so we stopped at the gas station on base and picked up a loaf of bread, bottle of squeeze mayo, a pack of turkey bologna, a bag of Doritos and some Gatorade (and some honey green tea for me!) and made our way to the beach.
Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed;Save me and I will be saved,For You are my praise.Jeremiah 17
The beach is right on base, and I drive by it at least once a week, but we had ever stopped there. It is a LOVELY beach. A wall of driftwood all around keeps it contained, and another mom there informed me the water is only ankle deep for a long, long ways out. Which was perfect for me, because it meant I could get by with only keeping half an eye on the boys (Abigail didn't wander far from my blanket) and I could spent some time in the Bible I had thrown in the car on my way out the door.
And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;For I have been called by Your name,O LORD God of hosts. Jeremiah 15
The Lord was once again so good to refresh my soul, and offer me words of comfort. I just randomly opened it to Isaiah 40, then after that, every time I looked up to watch the children, the breeze would flip a few pages and end up at the PERFECT spot, telling me exactly what I needed to hear today.
Thus says the LORD,“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,Where the good way is, and walk in it;And you will find rest for your souls. JEREMIAH 6
We spent a few hours at the beach, and came home a refreshed, contented bunch!
And I was daily His delight,Rejoicing always before Him, Rejoicing in the world, His earth, PROVERBS 8
If you haven't noticed, I LOVE this book (Against the Wind). I really think all Christians should read it ,or at least one book by KP Yohannan (this is my third). He is so great at convicting and inspiring you to take your walk with the Lord to a deeper level. And I really love that because we are doing a weekly study on the book I have been forced to slow down are truly think about each chapter (as well as blog about it) for a week before moving on. I think I should do that more often! Too often I find these wonderful reminders in books, but I read through so fast they just dont get the consideration they deserve. As wonderful as the entire book has been, I think maybe this was my favorite chapter thus far...
Now on to this amazing chapter:
Disciple Makers
"He[Jesus] lived with them[his disciples], laughed with them, and taught them day by day through various situations of life. He intentionally invested His life into them, knowing one day they would go and do the very same thing-teach what He had taught, and bear witness to the truth. "
While K.P is talking about making disciples of new believers, I couldn't help but think about the 3 small disciples in my very own home. This is WHY I homeschool. To make disciples of my children, but am I remembering that every day? Am I purposely living EACH day in a way that is teachiing my children His truth and how to love Him more? I was convicted to really ttake that calling more seriously...
We are responsible for the good measure the Lord has poured into our lives, responsible to pass it on to a younger brother and see him grow up to be a man of God who goes out and in turn makes disciples. We can not simply accrue all of our spiritual knowledge for our own sake-it is to be given out, used to encourage, edify and build up the family of God.
As the chapter went on I was convicted about being transparent. I am not one to hide any aspect of my life, but I often dont post about my struggles. I figure my purpose is encourage, not complain, but the times I have shared my own struggles I have gotten more feedback about how that has encouraged others to know they are not alone in their struggles.
Are there brothers [or in our case, sisters] who come to your house regularly and spend time with your family? Do they know how you live and what your weaknesses are? Do they know about the times you have had to repent to your wife [husband] and kids, or are you keeping the door shut? No worker is truly God's worker who cannot expose his life to others whom he is trying to help. Let your life teach others what it truly means to walk with Christ.
This reminds me that I should not feel annoyed or ashamed when I have to pause a conversation with a sister in Christ to correct a child misbehaving, or clean up a glass of spilled milk.
Jun. 7, 2009 - Times of refreshing come from the Lord
and from good friends who LOVE the Lord too!
Today was one of those wonderful times.
I was blessed to be able to meet a friend who, until today, I had only talked to online. She truly loves the Lord and it just pours out of her! It was such a time of refreshing and encouragement and inspiration for me! I felt so blessed to be able to share a little of this beautiful place I call home with her! I also got to try Thai food for the first time and it was delicious!
This last week I had been feeling run down. Weary, stressed, this deployment had just really been wearing on me. And the Lord was so good to answer my prayers beyond what I asked and bless me with this wonderful visit! I am overflowing with thankfulness!
Repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3:19
Dependence on the Lord alone is central to our lives as we live for and serve God.Our attitude must always reflect that belief that God is our only source-not information, evaluation and judgment from culture, someone else's view or our own prejudices.
Thus says the LORD Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD...Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD , whose trust is the LORD For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to bear fruit Jeremiah 17:5-8
Many times our natural response to any difficulty, challenge or task tends to be. "What must I do to get this done?".We look inward to ourselves, or outward to friends, family or doctors. Most of us do not naturally think "I have a headache; I need to talk to the Lord about this. The Lord is my healer. "
Do you depend on your own energy and strength?
The Lord resides with the lowly and humble, with those who will depend on Him and give glory to Him.
In all things we must look to God alone as our source, continually living lives that recognize who we re, and stay dependent on Him.
We are long time fans of Jim and Elizabeth George's books! The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and they are so great about teaching children how to act using God's word. I love these stories! Tthere are also girl books, which we have as well!)
I found this in a magazine a couple weeks ago (I think Family Fun?) and we loved it! I've been dying to make it again already! My boys loved spreading the layers for me too.
Burrito Pie
¾ a lb of ground beef, cooked with diced onion
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup of water
1 can black beans-drained
2 cups frozen corn
4 tortillas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa
8 ounces Monterey jack cheese
After cooking the beef, add seasonings, water, beans and corn to the skillet and cook about 20 minutes or until almost all the water has evaporated. In the bottom of a greased 9” springform or cake pan layer a tortilla (trimmed to fit if necessary), 2 tablespoons of sour cream, ¼ cup salsa, and a quarter of the meat mixture. Top with cheese and repeat layering until full, ending with a tortilla topped with extra cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
I just finished reading the Moody series out loud to Andrew. Previously I had read the 1st one, and had little Peter summarize the rest for me and recommended them based on that. But EACH BOOK GOT BETTER! Not only are they an amazing wholesome series for children to read, they were so convicting for me as a Christian. These are my favorite childrens books ever!
It really convicted me to have a real passion for lost souls. Those of my neighbors, but even the bag boy at the grocery store and telemarketers!
I am also reading Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends.
I haven't even mentioned it to my children yet, but I myself have again been so convicted about Biblical truths. I am really enjoying it!
Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her; Be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her.That you may nurse, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that you may suck milk, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and cuddled on the knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.
Isaiah 66:10-13
I read this today as i was looking for another verse completely as I was, ironically, nursing a toddler peacefully to sleep. I looked at her so cozy and happy, not a worry in the world, knowing she is safe on mama's lap, and couldn't help but rejoice that our Lord loves us that much. He wants us to feel safe, content and secure as well.
I am so thankful that the Lord uses illustrations that hit so close to home. I have a child on my hip more than half the day... He speaks to us through the every day acts of life. Being a mother at home is no less a task than any other. This is where he calls me to be, at home, nursing a baby, teaching my children, filling their tummies at meal time, washing their clothes. And I resolve to worship him and thank him in each act of service!
What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow. - Martin Luther
Often we don't view our daily activities biblically. We wrongly believe that the more mundane the task, the less significant it is to God. As difficult as it may be to believe, the hands that tenderly bathe your baby at night are no less holy than the hands that serve you communion on Sunday. Every small act of love to your family- every diaper you change, every meal you prepare, every toilet you scrub, every errand ou run, every fever you tend to, each tooth you pull, every moment of undefiled intimacy with your husband- each one is a holy act with it's done as unto the Lord. - Stacy McDonald, Passionate Housewives Desperate for God
I posted before about my chocolate chip cookies, but this has seriously been the best thing ever for me!
I have since kept a supply of fresh chocolate chip cookies in my freezer ready to bake, so when friends stop by unexpectedly, I always have something fresh and homemade to offer them!
The other day the housing landscapers came by since we were having some lawn trouble, and we were able to show them the love of Jesus by thanking them with cookies and bottles of water. You could tell it is something that rarely happens, and the impact on my children was huge!
And it takes so little time to mix up the dough, and it lasts so much longer since you dont feel pressured to bake them ALL at once. In fact today I mixed them up and scooped them outside on the porch, while sitting at the picnic table watching my children play!
I saw some gorgeous bread on the Pioneer Woman's blog last week and had to try it!
So when a friend brought by some fresh chives last night, I knew today was the day! I combined them with some fresh rosemary and made the most beautiful, delicious artisan bread...EVER!
The secret is cooking it in a cast iron dutch oven. It really does make all the difference. Here it is after we all had generous "samples".
4 cups bread flour 1 cup water 1/2 stick melted butter with chopped herbs of choice. chives and rosemary 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon yeast Knead, let rise until doubled. Knead lightly a second time and form into a ball. Set it in an oiled dutch oven and cut an X in the top. The original recipe says bake inside a covered cast iron pan after coating the rounded dough with olive oil and sprinkling with kosher salt. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove lid to finish it off for another 15 to 30 minutes at 450. I accidently wrote down 350, and it still turned out phenommenal, and took 30 minutes covered and 15 uncovered.
I wanted to paste part of an email I just wrote,because I think it would benefit a lot of my readers :)
Curriculum is truly unnecessary until children are much older. We didn't start with formal curriculum until 3rd grade. I am really very relaxed in our homeschooling. And my children learn a TON.
At the ages your children are in, all you really need to do is instill a love of learning! Make it fun.
Point out the world around them. "Do you see that caterpillar? He is brown and fuzzy. Did you know God will turn him into a beautiful butterfly? Right now his to is to eat leaves and grow, but then he will go into a special home called a chrysalis, and when he comes out he will be a butterfly."
Read to them TONS. I personally am not a fan of a lot of the silly childrens' books, so when we go to the library we go to the non fiction section and gets tons of books on animals, plants etc.
Let them help in the kitchen. "First Mommy needs to add flour, 1.2.3 cups. We chose to use wheat flour because it is healthier for our bodies than white flour. White flour is made from wheat flour with the good stuff taken out. Then Mommy needs to add baking soda. Baking soda helps the cake get nice and fluffy. This is salt. It goes in next, would you like to taste some? Did you know the Bible says we are supposed to be the salt of the earth? What do you think that means?"
At around age 3 or 4 we start with ABC Bible verses. We do one verse a week, and learn the letter that goes with it using this book:
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/angelnavywife/649679/
Andrew started memorizing verses at 2! He could barely talk but he remembered them!
We started with Prov 20, The hearing ear (point to ear) and the seeing eye (point to eye) the Lord has made them both, and similar easy verses he could understand the meaning of. And in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth. Gen 1:1.
We always go through the Bible as well. Starting in Genesis. We use a children's Bible (the Read and Learn Bible for us) and read through the entire thing in order(though my children also hear me read from the regular Bible every night at bedtime as well, and we just started reading at meals too).
We use it as history. I let them make a timeline, and my 8 year old is still using his. Every event we learn about they draw a picture and I label it (Day 1 of creation, The Flood, Jacob, Joseph goes to Egypt, Jesus' triumphal entry etc). The I hole punch it and put it in a binder in the order it happened. Later as we learn about other events, we add those in too. When we learned about Joseph going into Egypt, we pointed out Israel on a map, and then Egypt, and traced our finger to it.
Peter starts his day with his quiet Bible time. Then he gets up, and starts his chores.
After chores is breakfast, then he gets started on his math while I do reading with Andrew.
When he is finished, I correct his math and he works on his Lifepac Language Arts. I correct any errors and give ut back for him to fix.
Then he usually has some free time before lunch.
After lunch things are extremely varied. Some days we get tons done, other days we dont get anything else done!
We usually do spelling about 3 times a week. Lifepac has spelling included, but Peter has improved by leaps and bounds since starting Sequential Spelling so we supplement with that.(Today we skipped spelling)
We did Art Appreciation instead.
Lately we've been really involved in Geography. We tend to spend a few weeks really into science, or history or geography, then take a break and do the next one for a few weeks, as opposed to doing them all every day. As long as we finish them in the school year (and we seem to have been doing 2 years of each every year, so we definitely do) I dont care when or how it gets done.
We LOVE A Child's Geography of the Holy Land. On top of the book, both boys make a flag for each county for their notebooks, and Peter also does a page on traditional foods, and a map as well as his daily notes. We also scour the library for books on which ever county we are studying to go more in depth. Last week we finished Egypt so we made an Egyptain recipe for date balls as well. When we studied Turkey, we made Turkish delight, etc. We're currently learing about Iraq, and will take a break from the book to go in depth into the Iraq wars, because Peter is really interested in that.
For science we are currently working on Apologia Astronomy.
We do daily notes for his notebook, and also supplemet with extra books from the library. We go outside and try to see what we are studying if possible, and I try and take pictures for him to add to his notebook. That was much easier when we did birds and insects, you dont just see a comet in your tyard every day! ;) We did get some good ones of the stages of the moon, and we got a decent one of Venus (the speck on the bottom right)
(but we also skipped Science today)
We are currently waiting to finish Geography before starting a new History unit on the New Testament/Greeks/Romans. Peter is dying to dig into it, but the organizer in me wants one subject neatly finished before starting another!
Today we didn't get much done because as we were finishing Geography the doorbell rand, and the UPS man brought Peter's much awaited Latin book and CD. He decided he wanted to learn latin, and I didn't really take him seriously, but the poor boy tried to dig into adult latin books at the library (they only had book 2, so it was way too hard to jump into ) and had taken up copying the latin words from the dictionary and trying to memorize the translations! So Daddy and I decided to go ahead and order Prima Latina and the accompanying CD. So we spent the afternoon memorizing Latin instead, which as much as I didnt think was important at first, it is actually fun! And I see that it will help not only with english grammar but learning Spanish later as well!
So that kind of gives you a rough idea of our day. It is very loosely structures, and I LOVE that about homeschooling. We can follow the children's interests, and work schooling around life.
A friend asked about our typical day and I was kind of at a blank because each day is so different.
So I tried to use today as an example for Andrew. We wake up and the boys do chores. Andrew puts the dogs out, feeds them, makes his bed, gets dressed and brushes his teeth. He then checks if the dishwasher is clean and puts away the silverware (though Abigail is starting to take this job over). Then we have breakfast and then try and squeeze in some work before "Daddy time" (the hour I get to chat with him each morning on Facebook chat) . Plus he is most attentive in the morning. He seems to loose concentration as the day goes on.
First we did reading:
We're using The Reading Lesson as I have posted about before (and still LOVING it)
But today after his lesson I decided to do his word list a little differently to mix it up, so we used our handy scrabble tiles
We had some extra time and he wanted to keep working so we did a couple pages in his phonics workbook as well.
Then I had Daddy time, while he colored in his new Dover coloring books(an awesome garage sale find! We got 5 brand new ones. )
Sometimes at this point, we would do math(Horizons Kindergarten), but it just didn't happen today. We did drill counting by 10s, 2s and 5s.
Then we sat on the couch and did a few pages of Come Look With Me: Landscapes. We are using a copy from the library. Normally I don't do a lot of art appreciation but I really liked this book. And the boys are enjoying it too, especially Andrew.
I also have been leaning towards more mellow music these days (maybe I am getting old) and discovered my boys LOVE Handel and Bach! We've been playing these CDs from the library through the day and when I put the CD player on shuffle the boys can usually tell me if it is Handel or Bach (I cant!). And they have been asking to learn more about these composers as well as others, so we'll be following their interest and doing that.
Andrew and I have been reading the Moody series out loud, through out the day as well. We're on the 3rd book, Winter with the Moodys right now.
We tried starting Andrew with Draw Write Now, and while he LOVES the drawing part he's not quite ready for that much writing.
Other than that he listened in on Peter's geography, occasionally asking questions, and running over to see the pictures periodically. (It would be the same for History or Science, but we haven't done those yet today)
I had seen it mentioned on friends' blogs, facebook and a message board I am on repeatedly, but had not taken the time to look into it fully. Last month I ended up spending WAY more than usual and decided I would try this challenge everyone I knew seemed to be doing, so I started out trying to spend no extra money, and spend as little as possible on necessities. But it was a full week into the challenge before I actually read the website!
I had seen it before but this time was REALLY struck by the family in Chad and how much so many of us are spending on extras...
The Lord has been working in my heart in a big way through this.
I am spoiled. I thought I wasn't but I really was. I am really humbled by it all.
And all the parts of the website that I have browsed so far http://www.mcc.org/gallery/ have really put life inperspective.
I re-evaluated my grocery list. We started using mostly what was in our pantry and freezer, spending just $25 a week, and we've still eaten well. A great variety and desserts too. We did have one $70 trip to replace things like detergents etc at the end of my month. I still spent much less than half my normal grocery amount over the month.
I kept thinking to myself through out about how I'll have to replace this and that once the month is over and it will cost a fortune, but then I came to the realization that I dont need to buy 3 or 4 of everything every time I go to the store. Having 1 or 2 on hand is enough, it isn't like I wont be right back at the store next month...
I used to think I was just "being prepared" but I am convicted that it is more than that, and I really need to scale back.
I started the whole thing to save some money but just how rich and blessed I am has become apparent. I used to think I did not take life for grated, but now when I step into the hot shower I am so much more thankful, for not only water, but plenty of it and HOT water as well. I am thankful for safe water to drink. I am thankful that we are so far from starving, even on our worst months.
I pray that the changes that have taken place in my heart are permanent.
I still have a LONG way to go, I bought so many "extras" over the month that I am truly ashamed... Even if they didn't cost us anything (or VERY little), that wasn't the point. I kept justifiying them away.. I was using "free money" (earned from Swagbucks, MyPoints, surveys etc) and so it didn't count when I ordered the newest season of Drive Thru History, some curriculum and some other books. And if I didn't buy printer ink, then I couldn't print coupons and save money... Excuses is truly all they were...
I just wanted to ramble a bit about my experience, thanks for reading it if you made it this far!
Since I am unable to do portraits anymore, I have picked up product photograhy. Moms who make things send them to me in return for photos of their products in use! Its a great trade for me!
I was especially excited to get to try a Mei Tai carrier from Mom and Baby Naturally. And when they arrived, I was estatic! They were so beautiful, and the black and white one is EXATLY what I would have ordered!
We LOVED our Moby for the first 6 months. I dont think I would have survived those months without it! But at that point Abigail had learned to crawl and wanted to be down instead, and she learned to get out of the Moby!
I was afraid maybe Abigail was past the stage for a carrier, but I was wrong! It is so comfortable to wear her, even for long distances and hours at a time! She loves being in it too! It distributes weight much better that the wrap did. And it also works wonderfully with small babies!
Not to mention Kara of Mom and Baby Naturally is absolutely AMAZING to work with! Definitely a worthwhile investment mamas!
I posted when I was pregnant or right after Abigail was born about cloth diapering but a lot of moms have asked me about it recently (just 5 in the last week locally actually!) so I figured I'd blog again!
*You can find all 3 previous cloth diaper posts here, just keep scrolling down to read them all:
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/angelnavywife/Baby%2BCare/
We do cloth diaper. We switched when Andrew was about a year old. We switched for a few reasons. First because he had sensitive skin, and I used to have to rinse EVERY wipe a million times until the water ran clear before using them just to avoid him getting a rash. He still often had rashes from the diapers and EVERY brand leaked with him! Plus I had a few friends who used cloth and once I got over the "are they crazy?!?! What year are THEY living in?" mentality I realized their diapers were actually super cute! I also started reading studies on the chemicals they use in disposable diapers and personally could not with a clear conscious use them anymore!
Abigail in a Haute Pocket
We bought 13 Fuzzi Bunz for him in size large (he was a HUGE chunky boy) and we used the same ones until he potty trained. They DID NOT leak, he was rash free, and they were so adorable on him! In fact I will never forget once we were going to go camping with my in laws and they were convinced we needed to use disposables for the weekend, so Grandma went to put on a Pampers and he cried "no owies" and ran and got his Fuzzi Bunz!
Andrew in Fuzzi Bunz
They are fleece on the inside so of course they are more comfortable for baby, and the fleece pulls the moisture away from baby's skin into the absorbant insert (we use microfiber) so they stay drier and rash free.
They are just as quick and easy to change and washing them really is not a big deal.
With Abigail I spent a bit too much time on a cloth diaper message board during those LONG months of bedrest, and decided to try lots of other different kinds of diapers (prefolds, all in ones, fitteds with covers, other brands etc) and we came right back to Fuzzi Bunz. The other kinds were too complicated and none worked as well for us.
Abigail in a Bum Genius
We did use Bum Genius for a while because we were switching sizes so fast, and they were pretty good. But I'm not a fan of velcro and they wore out MUCH faster than our Fuzzi Bunz did. We also used Haute Pockets, which I prefered to the Bum Genius. These 2 brands are one size diapers that you can adjust the size to grow with your baby, but because Abigail is so tall they no longer fit her now. Fuzzi Bunz actually just came out with a OneSIze option as well, but I have yet to see those in real life! We are still using some Haute Pockets, but she also takes them off as soon as t hey are wet because she can undo the velcro! I'm working on getting a couple more Fuzzi Bunz instead!
Andrew in Fuzzi Bunz
And you cant beat the price. With Andrew that was not really a motivation in making the switch, but in the 2 years we had his diapers, cloth diaper got popular so prrices got higher and when we sold off the diapers we made ALL the money we spent on them (including shipping) back! So we diapered him for free!
With Abigail I did spend quite a bit up front (I think it was $200) but when I worked out how I've sold what we were finished with, I think in 14 months we've spent maybe $30 on diapers (after we sell the ones we are using). Some people use simpler, cheaper diapers instead, but even though Fuzzi Bunz are more expensive, the resale value is high as well.
For wipes we use flannel wipes. I made Andrew's and they worked well but wer''nt especially fancy. I ordered Abigail's in the CUTEST prints and love using them! I also keep a small spray bottle of water in the diaper drawer to wet the wipes with.
I know cloth diapering isn't for everyone, and with Peter I would NEVER have used them no matter what, but I am so glad we found them, and it has been a great choice for our family!
Today was a rough day, about dinner time I was running on empty and my patience had worn thin. I decided I needed to "get away" for awhile and went to take a shower. As I turned the water on I realized my thinking was all wrong. It wasn't a break I needed, it was repentance. It was my attitude that was wrong. Just because I have a cranky, whiny child to train does not mean I have an excuse to become cranky myself. I can CHOOSE to be cranky, or I can CHOOSE to be joyful. I can CHOOSE to see this day as an oportunity to practice patience and LONG suffering. Getting away would not solve anything, except to allow me to wallow in my own self pity.
I also remembered what I had read just this morning. In Against the Wind, the chapter was about courage. Extreme Devotion discussed the same things. I had thought to myself how I would never have to deal with these obstacles that require such great faith (being tortured, killed, imprisoned for sharing the Gospel). Instead here I am floundering over every day life, soup on the floor, children with poor attitudes; things so mild in comparison. Where was my great faith in the little things?
I repented to the Lord, and then after my shower apologized and repented to my children.
I realized that I couldn't give them what I did not have and I asked Him to fill me with His grace and mercy once again. And as always, He is so good to bless us above and beyond what we ask. I finished the day well, cleaned up the messes, and after the children were tucked into bed, I sat down to yet another amazing blog. Just what He knew I needed to hear.
Then I moved to the couch, opened my Bible to the book mark and was just over filled with goodness.
With great compassion I will gather you...with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,”Says the LORD your Redeemer (Isaiah 54:7-8)
Seek the LORD while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the LORD,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
For you will go out with joy
And be led forth with peace (Isaiah 55:12)
Heal me, O L
And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;For I have been called by Your name,O L
Thus says the L
and from good friends who LOVE the Lord too!
