Hello again.  We've recently returned home after a very relaxing holiday in the Canary Islands.  Apart from the usual swimming, site seeing and eating chocolate we managed to go on a tour of some of the volcanoes.  The boys loved this - especially seeing water shooting up in the air and a local restuarant cooking food using the heat from underground.  This has led to us spending a week building our own volcanoes from casting powder, paint food colouring and newspaper.  The casting powder was excellent at demonstrating the lava's varying viscosity and how this helps to determine the type of volcano.  It led very neatly into combining all aspects of 'school' work as they were enthusiastic about writing about what they had seen and done, along with a bit of geography, lots of plate tetonics and natural and social history.  And once again 'Answers in Genesis' came to my aid with an artical in their latest magazine which was waiting on the door mat on our return. 

I feel every where we turn at the moment is giving us an opportunity to learn more about our wonderful Creator.  I know his hand is on this time I have been given to spend with my children.  I get so many people telling me how brave I am for home educating, or that they couldn't do it.  When you've got God directing you and leading you every step, day to day doesn't seem at all scary or challenging.  Don' t get me wrong, I do have days when I feel I'm not up to the responsibilty or things seem to be going in any direction but the right one.  I have realised those are the days when I have been led by fear and not God (and they usually coincide with visits from some very ambitious friends who can't quite understand how I can be happy at home rather than climbing career ladders, or whose children could read at six months!!).  My own insecurities lead me to make wrong choices regarding the plans for the day, rather than seeking God first and my children's needs.  I am getting better, and those days are very few.  I love being with the boys and I am so grateful to my husband for consenting for me to give up full time work and take them out of school.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.   

God bless

Catherine