Rainbows From Heaven - Homeschool Blogger

Life is Busy....

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 07:43:00 -0500

Boy, it's been awhile since I've been on to read blogs, or blog myself. Time just got away from me. Plus I was frustrated by my slow dial-up connection. Well, we just converted to DSL and I'm hoping to spend a little more time here.

What have I been up to? Back in the end of April I started a part time job. My sister-in-law was the secretary at our church and she had to give up her job for health reasons. I had filled in for her each year while she took her vacation so they asked me to fill in for her while they found a replacement. It was initially going to be a 3 to 6 month stint. However, they are still discussing how they want to fill the position, so I am still there.

I love the job. I almost wish I could keep it, but my house is falling apart, and it's hard to keep up with lessons even just being gone four hours a day. However, it looks like I will be there for a few more months and the extra money has been such a blessing. The kids are also loving the extra time they get to spend with Gramma, Grampa and Nana. They also have the choice of going to work with me if they want to and no one minds. It's really the perfect job.

Beyond that, it's been life as usual. A little bit of gardening, a few day trips with the family and running the kids around to various activities. More about that in another blog. For now I just wanted to get back into blogging, and catch you up on why I haven't been blogging. Hope to talk to you all again soon.

A Prayer for Mother's Day...

Sat, 10 May 2008 16:18:00 -0500

I received an email from Family Builders Minsitry and it included this prayer that I wanted to share with you this Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all.

Lord, bless mothers with wisdom and energy to teach their children the lessons in your Word. Remind them to talk about you and your Word in their homes. May their children learn to live by your Holy Word as a way of life.

Lord, give moms the love, strength, and consistency they need to discipline their children. May they know when to be strict and when to be lenient. Help them develop love and security in each of their children, rather than fear and anger. Let everything they do be out of loving action, not reaction.

Lord, there is no job more challenging than meeting the needs of children. Give moms everywhere the strength and ability to train up their children in the way they should go, so when they are older they will remain close to you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Blessings,

Willie Batson

The Trees of the Fields will clap their hands...

Tue, 6 May 2008 11:58:00 -0500

Did you ever stop and listen to creation's praise for our magnificent creator? In spring it is so much easy to hear than in winter. I love to hear the first spring peepers, watch the flowers poke their heads up for the first time as the sun beats down on them warming the soil, and feel the warmth of the sun as I clear gardens and plant seeds.

Spring is absolutely my most favorite time of the year. It brings hope to see new growth after the long, snowy winter. It just reminds me that no matter how bad things look, there is always a seed of hope beneath the cold infertile soils of the trials and tribulations that face us daily and attempt to defeat us.

I've had a few of those trials and tribulations over the last few months and at times have been so self absorbed that I've left God out of the picture. But through it all, He has continued to send me those seeds of hope.

Apr 1 ~ friends surprised us by bringing us dinner at home with some yummy deserts for kids
Apr 2 ~ Awana derby races, fun, first night out since being sick
Apr 3 ~ ds17 had successful week at TeenPact, elected representative, gave nice speech, celebrating my 43rd birthday, two nice emails from friends, calls from my four brothers and a very special friend
Apr 4 ~ ds17 had a successful public speaking class at the state house, celebrated with dinner out afterwards
Apr 5 ~ Family celebration of my dad's 73rd birthday, birthday call from ds20.
Apr 6 ~ one more day of rest, but finally feeling much better, able to get kitchen mostly cleaned up
Apr 7 ~ a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my sweet husband, email update and prayer requests from a special friend, caught up on some laundry, nice homeschool support group meeting, ds12 got an Amazon gift card offer for participating in homeschool language study
Apr 8 ~ my dear husband prolonging my birthday celebration yet another day with a beautiful picture frame full of pictures and a sweet card, finding out the insurance company will pay us $20 an hour for clean-up of the shop roof mess
Apr 9 ~ new leaves on my rosebush,
Apr 10 ~ sunshine, warm weather, even mud to prove that spring is finally here
Apr 11 ~ girls movie and craft night, decorating pillowcases with the dd8,
Apr 12 ~ lots cleaning done, visit from my sister-in-law
Apr 13 ~ back to church for the first time in several weeks, two new students in my class,my parents 54th wedding anniversary
Apr 14 ~ finding buds on a rose bush
Apr 15 ~ contract finalized and paychecks beginning to come in again, having money in savings to cover the deficit in the meantime
Apr 16 ~ hearing the spring peepers and knowing spring is finally here
Apr 17 ~ nice lunch with mother-in-law and ds12, nice visit at playground with mom
Apr 18 ~ ds12 got a $25 amazon gift card in the mail for participating in an online Spanish study
Apr 19 ~ family movie night,catching up on laundry, sunny day at the playground, ds5 patient while waiting almost an hour for his turn at a haircut
Apr 20 ~ preschool - 1st grade Sunday School class has doubled in size
Apr 21 ~ my dear husband sent me to the playground with the kids while he stayed home and washed dishes
Apr 22 ~ fabulous walk through the woods, unexpectedly meeting friends at the playground,
Apr 23 ~ dd9 and ds12 good time at Good News Club Rally, dd5, daddy and mommy nice picnic lunch at playground
Apr 24 ~ planting peas and onions with dd9 and ds5
Apr 25 ~ fun trip to the circus, feeding five of us two meals out for under $20
Apr 26 ~ dd's 9th birthday, family party with Nana
Apr 27 ~ forgot half ss material at home but able to improvise and still keep kids attention
Apr 28 ~ hearing from distant relative who is working on a family geneology
Apr 29 ~ calling to make appointment for routine physical and getting in the next day
Apr 30 ~ chance to work for three days to help pay down debt

Springing Forth with Thanksgiving...

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 08:26:00 -0500

I don't know about you, but I am bursting with Thanksgiving for the return of Spring. It's been a long time coming, but 51 degrees yesterday and the appearance of snowdrops and crocuses give me hope that it is here to stay. I'm even thankful for the mud that graces our lawn. Here is my March edition of "Month of Praises." Why not get started today on your own "Month of Praises," It's a great way to look back and see how God is working and how He has so richly blessed you.

Mar 1 ~ whole family invited to dinner at friends house, first time ever
Mar 2 ~ friends, kids and my friends kids being friends with my kids
Mar 3 ~ God granting enough sales to work on plan to pay off debt quickly
Mar 4 ~ finding some great classical music cassettes on CBD for only 10 cents each
Mar 5 ~ knowing that things aren't truly important especially in the tragedy of a collapsed roof that destroyed a lot of sentimental and valuable items.
Mar 6 ~ My sweet husband takes DS12 to his coin club meeting so I can stay home
Mar 7 ~ homeschool convention, fabulous piano concert, chance to attend as family
Mar 8 ~ fabulous speaker at convention, great deal on Rosetta Stone Spanish Software kit
Mar 9 ~ great speaker from CareNet crisis pregnancy center and her inspiring personal testimony
Mar 10 ~ being able to pay extra on our debt to get it paid down sooner
Mar 11 ~ family dinner with ds20, game of Apples to Apples, watching creation science video together
Mar 12 ~ Early College for ME meeting with DS17
Mar 13 ~ DS20 up for dinner for last day of spring break,
Mar 14 ~ DS17 won a gold medal in the extemperaneous speech category at the state level
Mar 15 ~ DD8 practicing her reading alone in her bed
Mar 16 ~ peaceful day at home, chance to get kids room cleaned
Mar 17 ~ dear husbands expert basket making skills saved the day as I was unable to help dd8 make a basket kit that she got for Christmas
Mar 18 ~ finding out insurance will cover the items lost when the roof of the shop caved in
Mar 19 ~ new, faster computer, as an early birthday present
Mar 20 ~ brother with great computer knowledge to help get the kinks out of the new computer
Mar 21 ~ having enough money in savings to cover gap between cleaning contract renewals
Mar 22 ~ came down with flu, but still able to help hubby set up for Easter breakfast he is in charge of cooking
Mar 23 ~ Resurrection Sunday ~ hubby took kids to visit Nana, I slept, Easter e-card from former pastor and his wife
Mar 24 ~ still in bed with flu, but not too uncomfortable, ds5 plays quietly on the bed while I rest
Mar 25 ~ mom offers to do some laundry for us to help out
Mar 26 ~ cleaning contract renewed with a raise
Mar 27 ~ up for couple hours, but still need to rest lots
Mar 28 ~ mom does lots more laundry for me
Mar 29 ~ recovered from flu, still need lots rest
Mar 30 ~ nice long call from ds20, got antibiotics for pneumonia so will get some relief from shortness of breath
Mar 31 ~ ds17 to TeenPact, new sneakers for ds12 as a gift

DS17 Brings home the Gold...

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:38:00 -0500

It was an ordinary Thursday morning. One in which I woke up to a light tap on the shoulder alerting me to the fact that it was time to get up and take DS17 to the Hope Church where he catches the bus to CHRHS and from there a bus to his Vocational Technical School.

We rode to the bus stop chatting about nothing in particular. When the bus arrived he got out and I told him good luck and have a good day. As he walked away to the bus he turned around and mouthed the words "I Love You."

Let me back up just a little. March 13th was the day he would board a bus from MCST with 15 other students for a trip to Bangor to compete in SkillsUSA a competition in which over 700 students from 26 schools compete in technical areas such as culinary arts, woodworking, small engines, graphic design etc. Sheldon chose to compete in the Extemperaneous Speech Category.

I didn't hear from him again until Friday night. He was spending the night at a friends house with whom he rode home from the competition. He started talking about what his plans were for Saturday and asking if it was okay. Then in the background I hear Josh's mother say, "get to the important stuff."

"Oh yeah, I won gold" he said.

"What"

"I won gold"

To shorten it just little bit, he won the gold medal, meaning he came in first among eight other contestants in his category. He will be getting a scholarship for his accomplishment. We won't know all the details until sometime in April. He also has the opportunity to go to Kansas City in June to compete nationally.

I Just Want to Praise You Lord ~ Much More Than I do....

Wed, 5 Mar 2008 13:39:00 -0600

Even though I haven't posted them, I have been keeping up with my month of praises, writing down something everyday for which I am thankful. Here is February's list. If time permits I may even post November through January in the near future.

Feb 1 ~ ds12, ds17, and dd8 to an overnight snowcamp
Feb 2 ~ having alone time with ds5 all day, taking him out to breakfast and out to lunch
Feb 3 ~ email from friend who might be moving to the area
Feb 4 ~ ds17 filed his first tax return, great to have online filing and not have to fill out all the paperwork, getting a refund
Feb 5 ~ email from ds20 who says he's having his most creative semester yet
Feb 6 ~ 40 free homeschool samples from The Old Schoolhouse
Feb 7 ~ sledding again with the kiddoes, another great buy on an outfit for dd8 who is very hard to find clothes for
Feb 8 ~ ds17 attended first Speech and Communications class
Feb 9 ~ fabulous used booksale, got 63 books for only $29.00
Feb 10 ~ nice catered fellowship lunch at our church, fellowship time with friends
Feb 11 ~ super lunch with a very special sister in Christ, minimal damage to a car I backed into
Feb 12 ~ ds20 made Dean's list for the third semester in a row
Feb 13 ~ getting a valentine in the mail from my husband even though I see him everyday
Feb 14 ~ candlelight dinner with the family, being loved
Feb 15 ~ valentine date night with my hubby, sharing a meal instead of buying two, still having leftovers
Feb 16 ~ signed up and looking forward to our state homeschool convention which is being held in my area this year
Feb 17 ~ dad and ds12 time, got to go ice fishing caught a couple of nice pickerel, will make a great meal
Feb 18 ~ 10 pounds of shrimp for the freezer for only 3.50 per pound
Feb 19 ~ great buy on several smalled stuffed animals for Samaritan's purse Christmas shoe boxes
Feb 20 ~ ebay lowers it's media listing fees, and includes gallery pictures for free making it a little more affordable to sell
Feb 21 ~ alone time with ds5, dd8 to winter ecology camp to learn about tracking animals, identifying winter trees etc.
Feb 22 ~ ds12 and ds17 home safely from snowcamp, dd8 had great time at winter ecology camp
Feb 23 ~ having another truckload of firewood given to us, fellowship with friends
Feb 24 ~ sitting in evening service with my dear husband and hearing a great message about the holiness of God
Feb 25 ~ beautiful 40 degree sunshiny day, walk on the lake, playing snow baseball with the kids
Feb 26 ~ having federal self-employment taxes completed, e-filed and accepted by the IRS
Feb 27 ~ hearing 5, 6, and 7 year olds recite God's word at Awanas
Feb 28 ~ hearing from ds20 many times this week as we try to get college applications done
Feb 29 ~ Getting the address of a childhood friend I haven't seen in over 35 years

Quotes Worth Sharing...

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:42:00 -0600

I am currently reading a fabulous book by Stacy McDonald and Jennie Chancey entitled: Passionate Housewives Desperate for God and wanted to share a couple of quotes from the book that I absolutely love and that may whet your appetite to read more:

"Our Creator has given us women a glorious station where we are to employ and invest the talents He has given us. When we recognize and fully embrace our calling, we are finally free to truly enjoy it; we're able to experience contentment in the uniqueness of our role and achieve overwhelming victory in our homes and lives!"

"Using our gifts and talents to glorify God in our role as helpers to our husbands, all within the well-choreographed dance of home life, imparts a quiet lesson to a watching world and communicates true contentment in the loveliness of womanhood." (pg.35)

"Jesus made himself of no reputation. He did not seek after degrees or recognition. He was content to stay in a tiny area and minister to a miniscule group of people whom the world viewed as insignificant. Kind of like a homemaker, under the authority of her loving husband, ministering to the children who need her." (pg. 40 - 41)

Winter Visitors!

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:46:00 -0600

In Loving Memory...

Fri, 9 Nov 2007 19:29:00 -0600

As I reflect on my brother, Rick’s life, it’s not the early years growing up that I remember or that have the most impact on my memory, but the last three to four years of his life as he developed a love for and began cultivating a very real and personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

His Bible is a testament to this fact. His Bible was full of bookmarks, 44 to be exact as well as many highlighted and underlined passages. He read the Bible. He studied the Bible. He had a passion for God’s word.

Whenever he came to our house, he would always ask me what I thought about this or that. He was full of questions about the truths in God’s word. Sometimes I thought I knew the answers he was seeking and would share what I thought. Other times we would open the Bible and search for answers together. He was always seeking, always asking and today I am confident that he is directing all of his questions to Christ and finally being truly satisfied with the answers he is receiving. He is receiving the perfect answers from the mouth of his savior and not the flawed answers that our finite minds could offer.

He was at peace with God and knew in his heart that when he died he would go to heaven. He wants that for all of us that are here today. He wants us all to turn to God in our grief and seek His comfort. I found a poem among his possessions that I want to share that I hope you’ll find as comforting as I do. The comfort is just in the knowledge that God is always there.

People will fail us, but God never does.

Hello God,

I called tonight

To talk a little while

I need a friend who'll listen

To my anxiety and trial

You see, I can't quite make it

Through a day just on my own..

I need your love to guide me

So I'll never feel alone

I want to ask you please

to keep My family safe and sound

Come and fill their lives with confidence

For whatever fate they're bound

Give me faith, dear God, to face

Each hour throughout the day

And not to worry over things

I can't change in any way.

I thank you God for being home

And listening to my call

For giving me such good advice

When I stumble and fall

Your number, God, is the only one

That answers every time

I never get a busy signal

Never had to pay a dime

So thank you, God, for listening

To my troubles and my sorrow

Good night, God, I love You too

And I'll call again tomorrow!

Taking a Break...

Thu, 8 Nov 2007 08:22:00 -0600

The recent changes in my life and some leading from God to reorder my priorities and cultivate meaningful relationships in my life has brought me to the decision to take a short break from blogging. This time of year is a good time to reflect on where we are in God and where He would have us go from here. So the frist relationship I need to cultivate is a renewed relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

My husband and I have already been on an amazing journey together that has brought us closer than we've ever been and I plan to continue cultivating this relationship. Beyond that I am in need of fellowship from other christians who homeschool. Blogging is great and I love the encouragement I get from blogging, reading your blogs, and all your comments. However, I need to make some time in my life for friends, in whom I can confide and who can confide in me. Friends who are likeminded and who live in close proximity. Friends with whom I can get together and who have children with whom my own children can grow their own friendships.

I am looking forward to what God has planned for me and my family during this time. I am in prayer that it will be a time of growth spiritually for each member of my family. I will continue to check in on your blogs and comment as time allows. I will also be keeping up with my month of praises posts, so if you just want to check back near the end or very beginning of each month you will be able to read a short synopsis of what our life holds. Hope to see you all again after the holidays.