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From the Heart:
We live just 20 miles from Memphis- a city with many problems and challenges.There are many faith-based initiatives committed to helping meet the many needs of Memphis.These organizations often struggle for help, financially and personally.It’s a sad truth that the Memphis area also has an unusually large number of mega churches.For several years, I have felt a yearning to work in inner city ministries.This calling grows stronger each year, and I can no longer ignore it.Yes, I have mentored two homeless, pregnant ladies through a Christian child and family services agency, but I want to do more.I’m not sure exactly where God wants me to work, but I feel strongly about tutoring inner city kids and assisting young women as they transition from their past lives to a different, much better future.I also want to include my girls in this work.I'm eager to see what God has in store, and I’m equally excited about the possibilities after my children have left the nest.There’s no telling where I’ll be then.
If you say, "Surely we did not know this," Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?
Proverbs 24:12
In Our Home:
Rachel went to the OB/GYN and left after having only a consultation.The doctor does not think she has endometriosis because the pain does not worsen around here cycle.Instead, she believes it’s muscle-related.She wanted to examine Rachel externally and internally to be more certain of ruling out anything gynecological, but Rachel freaked out and said she “couldn’t do it”.Rachel tends to go into a panic when anything unexpected is about to occur.It’s quite disturbing actually.In the end, the doctor did not examine her internally, but prescribed a muscle relaxer to see if it alleviates the pain.If it works, great!If it doesn’t, she really needs to be examined.
Terry was on vacation last week and began building a closet in the upstairs gameroom/bedroom.The frame is complete, and it looks great!We plan to move Sarah into that room with Rachel since it’s so large, then use her old room as an office/guest room.After Terry puts up the drywall and add the insulation, it will almost be complete.Still, it will probably be Thanksgiving before they begin to share since beds have to be disassembled to be moved.
In the Schoolroom:
Last week was very awkward with Terry home.Every day had a late start; plus the hammering, sawing, and excitement of him being here made it very difficult for everyone to stick to their tasks.However, we completed four days of school and spent the fifth day (Thursday) at the zoo.The weather was perfect.The crowds were small.The animals were playful.It was an ideal zoo outing.
At home, this is what we accomplished:
Bible: We continued our study of David and King Saul’s jealousy. (1 Samuel 15-19)
History: Sarah is still reading The Adventures of Ulysses and loving it! We couldn’t find any good books on Sparta and Athens at our library, so we read commentary and related chapters from Story of the World.
Language Arts: Still working on paragraph organization with Rachel and Sarah.Camille worked on the letters L and G.She will be finishing Book C very soon, and then we will begin Explode the Code, Book 1 which introduces vowels.She’ll be reading before I know it.
Math: Sarah continued studying volume of cylinders, while Rachel worked on angles.We will start next week going back over Lesson 5 though.She did not do well on Test 5.The lessons are starting to require spatial reasoning now, and she may need additional visuals to help her from here on out.Camille wrapped up number recognition and formation.She’s doing very well writing her numbers (0-9), so next week, we’ll begin introducing place value.
Science: Rachel continues her study of Botany in Module 15. Sarah is still working on the nervous system (senses).
Literature: Rachel is reading Antony and Cleopatry by Shakespeare and Persuasion by Jane Austen.The girl LOVES Shakespeare!Sarah is still only interested in twaddle, but after the holidays, I will give her a booklist from which to select her free reading.Thanks Belinda, for that idea.
On the Bookshelf:
Thrive, Don't Just Survive – ladies’ Wednesday night study. Last weeks’ discussion was on bitterness and anger.This was a tough chapter for me since we deal with this at home with Rachel.There really isn’t anything anyone can do for her.She has to let go of the negative self-talk and re-direct her thoughts to something positive.I shudder to think of where she’s headed if she doesn’t make these changes in her life..
This Side of Heaven – I sent this one back to the library.There was no use keeping it any longer.I just couldn’t get into the story.
Parenting Today’s Adolescent – Great book with very practical advice.
On the Exercise Mat:
I exercised four days last week and walked the zoo for 3 days another day.Not a bad week on the exercise mat.
Nov. 9, 2009 - Apollo Eight Astronauts Read From Genesis 1968
The other night my daughter came to me with her Awana book and said "It says in here that in the 60's the Astronauts read from the book of Genesis on Christmas Eve from the Moon. Is that true or something Awana just made up?" I happened to be sitting at the computer so I played this for her...
I am assuming I don't remember this from the original airing since I was only 3 in 1968! But I do remember hearing it before. It is quite touching to listen to and somewhat sad to think about how much our world has changed in the last 40 years. I can't imagine something like this happening today and obviously neither could my daughter since she thought they had made it up for Awana.
I am praying for a revival for America! How awesome it would be to NOT be surprised to hear prayer in this country! How wonderful it would be for my children and grandchildren to live in an America that honored the one true God! Please join me in praying for our country.
This is me in front of my grandmother's sideboard that I inheired as a young bride. I like to change the nick-nacks on it seasonally. I'm wearing my favorite apron I made from an Edwardian pattern by Sense and Sensiblity Patterns. The crocheted afgan was an antique store find on my yearly shopping trip with my husband for our aniversary.
This is the huge maple tree that shades our home. See how it dwarfs our house in comparison.
These are my favorite little boys. We've had a lot of fun raking and playing in the leaves this Fall.
My children all have blue eyes and fair skin, but they each have different hair colors from dark brown to sunny blonde. When I was pregnant this past summer, I prayed that God would give this baby red hair like her brother, Kade. And look at that........He did! My third boy and my third girl both have gorgeous red hair.
Well, the baby's is more of wispy red hair and fuzz, but anyway.
God cares about such small details as the color of our hair. He even knows how many hairs are on our heads. It's rather amazing when you think about it. He is so big and magnificent and we are so nothing, yet He cares about such a silly thing as what color I hoped my baby's hair would be. He used Faith's red hair to remind me of this gentle love and care recently when I was pushing away from Him.
There is an area of my life that I had taken back from Him. I know he wants ALL of me and I consciously began to refuse to submit in an area. I was miserable, trying to hide from Him. It made me grumpy and depressed to live that way. But He loves me anyway. When I was playing with baby's hair, He whispered to me that He gave her that color in answer to my prayer. His quiet voice persists and asks me to trust Him, to turn it all back over, to let go.
And I have.
And there is peace.
And every time I see that red hair on my little girl I will be reminded of His love and that I can trust Him.
I don't have to be in control.
On Oct. 1st the kids and I were in the car headed to the pumpkin patch! They were all dressed in fall t-shirts and I was ready to take some great pictures! Then it started raining...I pulled over and made a few quick calls to the homeschool friends we were suppose to meet. We all decided to go another day. Little did we know it was going to rain for 30 days straight! (I am exaggerating a little here, but honestly this is the wettest Oct. I have seen in my life!) Meanwhile we were in the middle of moving. The rain meant we were moving in the mud and the last thing I wanted to do was trek out into a pumpkin patch and collect even more mud. As the month headed to a close I started to realize a trip to the pumpkin patch was not going to happen. So I did the next logical thing...I decided to have a Pumpkin Party! LOL
What is a Pumpkin Party??? Honestly it's something I made up. But, we had our first one on Nov. 2nd with 97 people in attendance! Thankfully the rain finally stopped and we found a park with lots of concrete to keep us out of the mud. The party was a huge success and a LOT of fun! Here are the highlights....
We started out with the kids each decorating a pumpkin cookie.
Then they ate their cookies while waiting for the pumpkin story to start.
Next we listened to the Pumpkin Gospel You can read all about the story at the link below http://ginaconroy.com/ginablog/wordpress/2007/10/30/the-pumpkin-gospel/
Then we played pumpkin games!
Pumpkin Parachute Game. I got a package of Fun Foam Pumpkin and made a smiley face on one with a marker. Then they would put all the pumpkins in the parachute, throw them up in the air and the person who found the smiley face got a piece of candy. Repeat until everyone wins!
We also had Pumpkin Hot Potato.
And we had Pumpkin Relay Races!
We finished off the party with lots and lots of pumpkin food! Everyone brought a pumpkin dish to share. We had pies, breads, cakes, cookies, pumpkin dip. The food was amazing!
It was a great day and I am sure we will have many more pumpkin parties in the future.
It just so happens that all five of the people in our family have birthdays in a six-month period. So from mid-August to mid-February it feels we are constantly in birthday mode. Tomorrow is my husband's birthday, so that got me thinking about what birthday freebies are out there. I found some great ones, including a list of restaurants that give free food on your birthday! There are also free printable cards, cake ideas, and much more!
I hope you enjoy this week's birthday freebies!
Family Fun has a wonderful selection of birthday cake ideas you can easily make at home. I have made many of these for my family, and they are always a big hit!
This is a neat website. You can see a time capsule of the day you were born. Find out what bread cost, or how much you would have paid for a car. Learn what the minimum wage was and lots of other fun information!
November 5, 2009 - Life is Labor, and Death is the Transition Phase
The whole of creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth as it awaits its final redemption from the effects of the fall. ~Romans 8:22
As my grandma lay dying a year and a half ago, I was struck by how her suffering reflected the pains of childbirth. I felt as I watched that she was somehow being "born" ino heaven, passing out of the pain of this world to be caught up in the loving arms of her Savior on the other side, as all the angels stood by watching in joyful anticipation. I even had this Norman Rockwellish image in my head of the whole event. While it was very sad for all of us, there was a certain beauty in the process.
Yesterday, this thought came back into my head as I was reading from a book called Blessing Your Husband by Debra Evans. After quoting Romans 8:22, Mrs. Evans goes on to say, "Though it is easy on difficult days to forget our ulimate goal, our labor and groans are deeply productive where God's eternal purpose for us is concerned. 'For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18' "
Not much is said about the symbolism of childbirth in the Bible, but there it is, an answer to the question of suffering and a picture of our salvation, put into words that only a mother could fully understand. That's just an awsome thought, isn't it, that God is speaking specifically to us who have gone through the pains of childbirth? Just picture the whole of creation groaning in the midst of labor, and then that final moment when the child arrives and there is instant and complete relief, and overwhelming joy. Our labors are over, our sinful natures are gone, along with all the pain that accompanies them. Amazing! And not just us, but someday "the whole of creation" will feel that relief. Don't you long for that day?
I was unpacking some boxes today and I came upon something that really blessed me, so I had to share.
Last spring I did a Women's Bible Study at church. One of the things we did was write down things we needed to give to God and put them in a box. One of the girls brought us all boxes that looked like a flip flop. Very cute! So I stuck mine on a shelf and forgot about it, like I was suppose to. Today I found it. I smiled when I saw it because I knew most of the things I had put in the box God indeed had taken care of. But, just for fun I took off the lid off and started opening the little slips of paper to see the words I had written. One by one I saw that they were all handled by God! Then I opened one I honestly do not remeber putting in there. It was just one word...space. WOW! Did I really put that in there? Yes, our last house was too small, but I had NO intention of moving. I really, really wanted to stay until our oldest was through high school. (3 more years.) We had even thought we might even try to buy it so we could add on to it at some point. We had even looked at those sunrooms you can have built on as a possiblilty for more space in the future. Now as I am sitting in my new house (which is more than 50% bigger than where we were when I wrote the word "space") I cannot help but just be amazed. It was just a fleeting moment. Write something down they said...Okay, give me space. And He did!
God is good!
Happy Homeschooling,
Jamin
P.S. Unpacking is going well! I would say we are 75% unpacked. Here is my very happy daughter in her totally unpacked room! YAY!!!! She is one happy girl to have her own "space" now! :^)
Nov. 4, 2009 - Does Homeschooling Mean Living in the Christian Ghetto?
Over the last 40 or 50 years, the evangelical Christian community in America has gradually but steadily formed a separate sub-culture with its own institutions, events, services, and entertainment. I call this the Christian ghetto, a world-within-the-world where you can live your life without ever having a meaningful encounter with people outside your self-selected group. For those of us who homeschool or use a private Christian school, this isn't just possible, it's quite likely--about the only way to become more isolated among Christians would be to join a commune.
What affect has this had on the vibrancy of the church in America and its impact on the larger culture? In his book Grace-Based Parenting, Tim Kimmel writes, "What's ironic is that the 'secularization' of the non-Christian community has risen proportionately with our withdrawal from it. The more options the Christian community created for itself, the more our general cuture moved toward secular thinking, the corollary being that the less we need to engage the lost world around us, the more it will be left to its own devices."
Homeschooling does not have to mean living in the Christian ghetto. Nor should it. Tim Kimmel's book provides strong support for the position that isolating children from non-Christian influences does not keep them safe; on the contrary, it sets them up for failure when they reach adulthood and necessarily must encounter those other influences OR it makes them completely unable, as adults, to impact the world around them because they don't know how to interact with it.
Christian homeschoolers often set up their own homeschooling support groups. The majority of homeschoolers are still Christian, and so it's natural that Christian homeschoolers make up the bulk of the people forming and joining support groups. Because of that, it's also natural that the small number of people constituting the rest of the homeschoolers find it impossible, outside of very populous areas, to form their own homeschool support groups because there just aren't enough of them. The result? In some areas, where the only large and active group is restricted to only Christian members, other homeschoolers have NO options for standardized testing, field trips, clubs, social events, graduation ceremonies, athletics, and the other functions provided by a support group.
It is not hard to see that not only does this remove the Christian influence from the larger homeschooling culture, it breeds resentment of Christians (and by extension Christ) among the very people we are intended to love and serve!
You may not be able to change the policies of your local support group. But you can plan events and activities outside of that support group umbrella and make them open to all homeschoolers. If an inclusive group is available in your area, you can join it in addition to or instead of joining the exclusively Christian group. Not only will you be fulfilling your mandate to "be in the world", you'll be moving your kids beyond the boundaries of the Christian ghetto and giving them a safe, supervised introduction to life in this larger world that they must someday inhabit without your guidance or else become irrelevant.
Welcome to our blog! I hope you enjoy your visit. We are a homeschooling family of 5. Our approach is eclectic, but leaning more and more towards Charlotte Mason. Our girls are 9, 7, and 4. Never a dull moment as we desire to teach our girls in the ways of the Lord.
You can read all about the story at the link below
I got a package of Fun Foam Pumpkin and made a smiley face on one with a marker. Then they would put all the pumpkins in the parachute, throw them up in the air and the person who found the smiley face got a piece of candy. Repeat until everyone wins!
The kids loved this! I got the idea here: 
