Wild at HOME - Homeschool Blogger

My Recovery- What it means

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:58:00 -0600

My Recovery

This is MY recovery. I Own it. It belongs to ME. This is MY life, given to ME alone to live for whatever I want. I choose to live for God with my life, but He ALONE gives me the choice and free will to do whatever I wish. I am in recovery because I am in NEED of something. Living for God means that I will have to look honestly at myself and allow Him to change me through whatever means I have available. I have a right to have needs and to do what I have the ability to do in order to meet those needs. Having needs does not mean I am worth less than other people. They all have needs too, whether they acknowledge those needs or not. I choose to acknowledge my need and open up to the renewing and strengthening of my mind, body and spirit. I have the right and I feel the responsibility to seek help from safe people in my life, in order to live the best life possible. I only get one life, and it is useless to waste my time trapped in old patterns of thought and behavior that do not give life and health to me or to others around me. I do not want to continue patterns of thought, speech or behavior that injure myself or others, therefore I have entered RECOVERY.What does that mean?
Recovery-

1. The act (meaning that there is an ACTION to it), duration ( meaning it takes TIME) or an instance (meaning there may be many times of recovery for different issues) of recovering.
2. The regaining of something lost ( I have lost some of who I was created to be due to recovery issues such as addictions, abuse, anxiety, codependency, depression, anger , control or other kinds of negative behavior on my part and on the part of others, and sometimes circumstances such as illness, death, or other loss. I have lost touch with my emotions, with God and with other people as a result of these same issues)
3.Restoration to a former or better condition.( yes. I need that)
4.The extraction of useful substances from waste ( God never wastes a hurt, and I intend to let Him use mine for good. I do not want my time to be wasted either! Though others may have treated me as if I was not useful, I will bring out my usefulness and get rid of the waste)
5. In Law, the obtaining of a right by the judgment of a court.(According to the laws of my country, I have the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I intend to exercise those rights in my recovery.)
6- Military operations- returning of an aircraft to a base or float( ( I have a need to come down to rest to refuel and repair, like that aircraft) or
7. Returning of persons to friendly control ( I do not want to be controlled by others- this is by nature unfriendly. I do not want to be in control of other adults, this is not friendly either. I am out of control and need to be with supportive friends who will help me regain control of myself.)
8 a change for the better, a progress in development. ( yes. I need to change for the better and progress in developing health)
9 gradual healing through rest following illness or injury ( my body, mind, emotions and spirit have been wounded and have illnesses due to my recovery issues, and I need to spend time healing through rest. Sometimes rest from activities, thinking, people, work, or situations. This is all part of the process and I have permission to take the time to rest, whenever I need it, for as long as it takes. Healing and recovery are sometimes very gradual.)
10 The act of freeing from captivity or punishment ( I have been captive of my issues and I intend to be freed)
11. The act of regaining posession ( I am taking back my life from those people and things who have taken it over.)

I choose recovery for me, and not for the approval of others. Many people around me will continue in their unhealthy living. They will not stop me. I will continue and I will give it my best shot. I will do what it takes, and I will give myself permission to heal in every way possible, and will limit the influences of those things that may hinder my progress toward the goal. I know it is a life long process and I promise to be patient with myself and others.

Codependent's Bill of rights 2

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:14:00 -0600

THE RIGHT TO a loving and secure relationship based on healthy mutual dependence;
THE RIGHT TO peace and harmony in your home;
THE RIGHT TO a stable, secure, and nurturing environment conducive to personal growth and self-discovery;
THE RIGHT TO a healthy self-concept, knowing you are worthy, valued, and loved;
THE RIGHT TO human dignity; to be respected and treated as an individual human being, and not be put down, demoralized, and dehumanised;
THE RIGHT TO not live a life of “always waiting for the other shoe to drop,” never knowing whether it will be a soft slipper or steel-toed work boot;
THE RIGHT TO a life free of the fear of emotional terrorism, physical abuse, and constant arguing;
THE RIGHT TO a life free of nightmares, day terrors, and insecurity;
THE RIGHT TO a life free of guilt and shame, and freedom from manipulation through guilt and shame;
THE RIGHT TO not be emotionally drained and “all used up” from the rigor's of a codependent-addictive relationship;
THE RIGHT TO use any possible means (short of physical assault) to positively change your own circumstances;
THE RIGHT TO leave a physically abusive addictive relationship immediately and without advance notice to the abuser;
THE RIGHT TO not live life on a roller coaster, going from one crisis to another;
THE RIGHT TO go to work or school without dragging all the baggage of codependent-addictive dysfunction.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:07:00 -0600

a Codependent's Bill of Rights

I have a right to all those good times that I have longed for all these years and didn't get- a right that is to enjoy good times NOW, without guilt!

I have a right to ejoy in this life, right here, right now — not just a momentary rush of euphoria but something more substantive.

I have a right to relax and have fun in a nonaddictive and nondestructive way.

I have a right to actively pursue people, places, and situations that will help me in achieving a good life.

I have the right to say no whenever I feel something is not safe or I am not ready.

I have a right to not participate in either the active or passive "crazy-making" behavior of parents, of siblings, and of others.

I have a right to take calculated risks and to experiment with new strategies.

I have a right to change my tune, my strategy, and my funny equations.

I have a right to 'mess up'; to make mistakes, to 'blow it', to disappoint myself, and to fall short of the mark.

I have a right to leave the company of people who deliberately or inadvertently put me down,
lay a guilt trip on me, manipulate or humiliate me
, including my parents, my siblings, my partner or any other member of my family.

I have a right to put an end to conversations with people who make me feel put down and humiliated.

I have a right to all my feelings.

I have a right to trust my feelings, my judgment, my hunches, my intuition.

I have a right to develop myself as a whole person emotionally, spiritually, mentally, physically, and psychologically.

I have a right to express all my feelings in a nondestructive way and at a safe time and place.

I have a right to as much time as I need to experiment with this new information and these new ideas and to initiate changes in my life.

I have a right to sort out the bill of goods my parents sold me — to take the acceptable and dump the unacceptable.

I have a right to a mentally healthy, sane way of existence,
though it will deviate in part, or all, from my parents' prescribed philosophy of life.

I have a right to carve out my place in this world.

I have a right to follow any of the above rights, to live my life the way I want to, and not wait until my dysfunctional family gets well,
gets happy, seeks help, or admits there is a problem.

I also understand that the person who troubles me the most has the same rights.

Celebrating a Hallowed Evening

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:12:00 -0500

Whatever the ancient history of October 31st or its traditions in years past, may we, as God's people not shrink back from contact with the outside world tonight. I realize the danger of putting this out there. I know that there will be those who dissent and have chosen to abstain from any activity this weekend. There are those who have chosen to have a paralel celebration calling it anything but Halloween.

I do not belong to this crowd. I will take part in order to take back the dominion from the enemy. Staying in the "Holy Huddle" this night is not what God has called me to. I no longer fear death, as I once did and I celebrate that joy with all my heart today. Sin's curse has lost its grip on me, and I am no longer under the curse and under Gods wrath, but am a new creation full of life.

Let this be called a Hallowed ( blessed and Holy) Evening. Bring the blessings of God out and go be Jesus with the people tonight wherever you find yourself. Be gentle and sincere when you speak to those who may not know God. Do not let the enemies of the Kingdom be proven right when they say that we are harsh, ignorant, prideful, overbearing and judgmental. My earnest prayer today is that we will demonstrate the spirit of humility and joy to attract others to the Real Power. Let us always remember that it is God's kindness that leads us to repentance and be kind. We do not need to point fingers and bring back the witch hunt mentality. Collossians 4 exhorts us:
²Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Be WISE!!! Pray for open doors and step out in faith, proclaiming the mystery of Christ CLEARLY.
Follow Ephesians 6 and remember who our battle is really against- not the other people created in God's image and loved by Him, no it is against the Devil.

Let's get dressed up in spirit. Put on all the armor- The belt of truth- be honest with yourself, and others, tell the truth- it will keep your pants from falling down and making you look ridiculous! Let us remember to wear that breastplate of righteousness- I'd say it's double breasted- we have our own integrity to consider, but also the outer covering is the righteousness of Christ. humbly remember that He alone is our righteousness- do not attempt to go into this battle with just your own- it's a great liner, but it doesn;t keep you protected. DO NOT GO OUT BAREFOOT! Who knows what you may step in? And no armor for squishing the enemy underfoot should have weak shoes. Make sure they are properly fitted with the Gospel that brings PEACE. If they are not properly fitted, they will encumber you. Keep your shield of faith close to your heart, and use it to shield your eyes, if need be. Know that GOD is in control. no matter what flaming arrow gets thrown at you, this will put it out.The Earth is the Lord's and EVERYTHING IN IT. Your head should be covered with the helmet of Salvation. remember that you are SO SAVED. You would never have made it alone, and it is not up to you alone, but the LORD fights on your behalf because you are His, keep your mind fully fixed on that which will help you and your fellow soldiers remember why we are in this fight... for the souls of men,- THEIR SALVATION and not for our own ends, or to make the world a better place, but to show that there is a better place than here. Do not leave without your SWORD! Slaying dragons requires a weapon sharpened and ready. READ THE WORD before you go anywhere and let it dwell in you richly so that the love of God overflows. Slay the armies of darkness with the truth that God has shown you today in His word- Take careful aim- at the spiritual targets, not hurting those you have been sent to rescue and defend. Finally, Pray. Pray your heart out for everyone you see, but especially pray for the saints ( and that includes you).Pray that they will rise up and shine their lights in the darkness, even those with little light. Pray that they will have all the equipment to stay alive and effective in this battle. Pray that they will remember that they are blessed to be blessings!
Speak Blessings and do not curse the darkness. Overcome evil with GOOD. Let your light shine before men that THEY MAY SEE and give glory to GOD.

Homecoming Day, or why I Like Butterflies

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:38:01 -0500

Homecoming Day, or Why I Like Butterflies
It’s October 13th, 2009. Petra’s Homecoming Day. The day she left this earth for a better home… 9 years ago. I no longer feel like being sad on this day. If I spend it somberly I will have missed a day of my life being sad. There is a time for weeping, and my time for grieving is over.…. Done with that work for this particular loss. There are lots of losses left to grieve still, but this is not about those losses. It’s about GAINS.
During her short stay on earth, Petra brought much joy to many. She seemed to have too much personality to contain in her tiny body! Her smile melted hearts, and grabbed all attention. I will always remember her wrapped cocoon like in receiving blankets in the NICU. Even then I pictured her as the caterpillar who would one day fly higher than her imposed limits.
Since she had Down Syndrome, we tried to surround our little girl with things that would catch her interest, and hopefully stimulate her brain, to give her the best chance at a normal life. Butterflies are very eye-catching. I began to make use of their beautiful bright colors when I had a chance to. A poster of neon technicolor butterflies was affixed to the plastic sheeting on her stainless steel crib where she spent her days and nights at the hospital. I found a plush caterpillar toy bigger than she was. It was a light turquoise color, had stubby little wings, striped legs with sneakers, and it giggled uncontrollably when she moved(… or when a nurse attended to her needs… or it felt like it… or whenever you didn’t expect it to and it could make you jump!)There was a large vividly pink butterfly balloon that we bought her for one of her surgeries. It was so pretty, I couldn’t throw it away when the helium was used up.Raymond taped it to the window when she moved to another room so that it could be seen from the highway when our truck driving brother in law came through. We added countless other bangles and push toys to her bedroom, but there were always butterflies.
And one day, she flew away to be with Jesus. It was messy and horrifying for me to witness. In the same way, when a caterpillar has to go into its chrysalis, it looks unpleasant. The poor lowly creature turns into a sort of soup as its cells get rearranged before it can rise to glory, as another of a different kind. Sounds scary, and painful. But maybe it isn’t. I don’t know. What I do know is that it sure is a whole new wonderful thing … being a butterfly.
When we drove the long 40 miles up to visit Petra in the medical center, we used to play that old song by Seven Day Jesus…. “ I wanna be a butterfly…”

Normally, I take this day off of school and remember her. This year, we are studying insects, and we have decided to participate in The Journey North’s symbolic monarch migration. Today is the deadline for mailing them, so we had a little bit of school getting our butterflies ready. How wonderful to do something positive on this day! I had planned on getting some more done today too… but the Lord’s plans were different.

Today, it happened that my nephew, Nick was online and chatty. At Petra’s funeral, I gave one of Petra’s toys to each of her young relatives. Nick got the laughing caterpillar. I am unclear to this day whether he took it home. My sister in law Montana, put her toy in the casket with Petra’s old tent.Nick may have done the same. ANYWAY……..TODAY He made comments about my status on Facebook… it isn’t unusual to see me talk about God in the status update box.
Nick popped up in chat and I was thinking that I only had a minute and was already running late with my plans today. MY BIG PLANS… my plans are NOTHING!! As my friend Barb once said, it should be us going where God goes, not taking Him with us as we go about our lives…So, being what day it is… I was thinking of Heaven. Nick was saying how much he loved God. I told him I was going to Heaven and that he could know that he was too…. It just FLOWED. God was working, and I was just going with the Spirit as He blew into our chat. It was just… CHAIROS. Divine timing. God stepping into time.
Nick got saved! My nephew is now my brother… funny how it happened through this family relationship… like my own story. I was helped to find Jesus by one of my favorite uncles , and became his sister. And that story had much to do with Petra and her life/my loss too.
And what a way to celebrate a life! What a great day! What a GREAT GOD WE SERVE! What a wonderful Savior! We took the rest of the day off :) After all, it is Homecoming Day….

Glitter

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:42:00 -0500

I happen to be at the food pantry out at Gospel Outreach this morning… it is always interesting. I try to be a light here too, even though I am in this place taking and not serving the poor. I’m not a pantry volunteer. I’m one of those reaching for the hands of Jesus through the hands of those who are helping distribute food this morning. I feel some guilt about that, though maybe I should not. I can be a blessing to others anywhere I go. Please don’t feel sorry for me. I am taken care of by the Master’s hand. I’ve been here three times. Some times there is more month left than there is money, or some calamity befalls us. It doesn’t matter how I got here. I am being taken care of. The people are sometimes rough, and loud, obnoxious and rude. I arrived earlier than I did the last time I was here- my husband and children waiting in the truck, while I wait in line. There is really not much room in there. So I, being the smaller adult, am the right choice. I feel secure knowing that my husband is parked out there and others can and have seen his hulking 6 foot 9 inch frame.
Waiting in the cold some items get passed down the line to those who will not yet fit inside the tiny room lined with chairs. It’s wall to wall people in there and no matter where you stand you are in the way, or at least it feels like you are. Outside I pass up opportunities to get more food, trusting that God will meet my needs as he always has in OH SO MANY WAYS! There are people shoving, complaining and grabbing food. Some are taking more than their fair share, or so it seems, but I don’t really know. There were apples- fresh and crisp, some with the leaves still clinging to them. It makes me remember how much I love this time of year. I take a tiny apple and hide it in my pocket, praising God who brings forth fruit from the trees in season for us to enjoy. I have 9 more apples in my laundry basket, but that one little pretty blushing apple? It’s my happy thought. I see more people shoving and grabbing. I smell the tangy sweet aroma of my apple, and smile. I hear people getting loud... and I sniff my apple, and just enjoy feeling alive on this day that the Lord has made. I want to share His light and this Joy. I begin to pray and the tiny room I have finally squeezed into becomes a sanctuary of praise. I ask God for all his children to shine their lights in this place and make it a place of blessing instead of cursing. A tranquil place where His work will be done in the hearts of those around me. I smile, stand back and watch Him at work. People start saying please and thank you and excuse me. One lady gives her bag to a lady who had her bags stolen during the rough time earlier. People start talking about their stories and it ’s NOT the kind of talk where one person tries to top another’s sorrows… it ’s just sharing. One woman is teaching a few words in Spanish to the people around her while an older woman amuses a little girl she just met. Several people are telling jokes and laughing good-naturedly together. People help each other take the goods to their cars, or help them down the treacherous concrete steps. One particularly outspoken young man had entertained some friends of his with put downs outside. But his whole attitude changed in an instant. He and his companion begin singing gospel songs. Beautiful , soulful, rich voices, they have. Others are humming and clapping or stomping along. I do too. I don’t recognize many of the songs, and I really wish I could join in with full voice. Oh but it is a great time, dissolving into conversations about church. Here we all are- like a pinch of glitter thrown down on the concrete, reflecting the King’s glory. It’s just like magic- but it’s for REAL. We are different colors and levels of education, from different places, with different ages and abilities, all shining the light… and it goes viral. It spreads to every face, and can be heard in the pleasant “Have a nice day” as I walk out the door.
I LOVE GLITTER!!! Don't you?

Because

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:21:00 -0500

As you may know, I have joined a Celebrate Recovery step study as my small group for this year.

One of the questions in our third workbook started out like this:
" I can accept God's forgiveness because of...."

Well, my group of ladies requested that I print out my answer so they could each have a copy. I figured it might be nice to share my answer here, because pondering our blessings and position in Christ is something i feel that we need to do more often. So here is what I wrote......

--------I can accept God’s forgiveness because of …
HIS forgiveness.
It’s from HIM-
The One Who Gives Every Perfect Gift-
and each of His gifts is perfect.
God is not human and does not make mistakes or play favorites-
although I know He would tell me that I am His favorite and mean it….…
just like He would tell YOU that you are His favorite and mean it just the same.
He loved us more than His Son and gave us a promise that Jesus never had-
the promise that He would never leave us or forsake us.

There is no partial or defective or one-time forgiveness.
He doesn’t give out any lemons, so there is no need
for me to try and make lemonade with what He gives.
It’s complete, no matter what I do.
It is already paid for in advance, and not grudgingly, but for the JOY set before Him.
I was His joy when I could care less about what He wanted and I am still His joy now and forever. His greatest wish was to keep me close for eternity, and He would give WHATEVER just to get me there. Every requirement is already met, and there Is no fine print.
It cannot be taxed away or given to the runner-up- because THERE IS NONE…

I can accept it because He believes in me. He knew every path I would walk and every tear and every sin and every ugly thought and I can accept His forgiveness because there is no plan B.

He made plan A looking right at the absolute most wicked, horrifying truth
and He must have seen something beyond ecstasy
that made Him decide from the creation of the world that He would do it this way.

And I want to be there to find out what it was that made HIM go THAT FAR .
I don’t want to be the one freaking out because I never thought I’d make it.
I just want to jump in and enjoy it with Him right away.

Nancy D Thornton

I am a believer and my areas of recovery are: Physical, emotional and sexual abuse in childhood, verbal, emotional and spiritual abuse in adulthood, anxiety, depression, anger and control issues, codependency and living with family members who have bi-polar disorder.

Don't be Like Zax

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:24:00 -0500

I have a cat who has his own mind made up about what he wants. He only wants what he wants and not what the Man of the house wants. The Man loves the cat, whose name is Zax. If the Man didn’t love Zax, he wouldn’t be here in this fine place where the family of the Man takes care of him and loves him. The man hoped that Zax would love him back. He gives the scraps from his own plate to Zax, and always treats him with kindness. The Man waits for Zax to love him back. Zax, sometimes walks toward the Man, and seems like he might show the Man some affection, and the Man’s heart is overjoyed. Then Zax passes the Man by…favoring the Man’s wife, or his son. Zax turns and shows his behind to the Man... and licks the face of someone else. The man is crying on the inside and is somewhat angered by this insolence. Zax won’t talk to the Man anymore. He used to greet the Man with a “Rowww” often, and at times, Zax even cuddled up to the Man. The man waits for this kind of affection to return… Day after day, the Man holds out hope that his beloved cat will return his love. And day after day, Zax, gives his affection to those who have never earned it…. To those who didn’t choose him, as the Man has chosen him. The Man hurts watching Zax choose everyone and everything else except he who loves him and gave him a home in his family. Perhaps Zax is angry with the man, because one of the man’s sons treats him cruelly… and Zax has decided it is the Man’s fault- after all, the Man is the Father of this son, and he could make everything in the house perfect and then Zax could return his love. Or maybe Zax doesn’t hate the man…but he thinks others are more fun. Sometimes the Man thinks that Zax shows affection to the woman or to the son in his presence just to spite him. This makes the Man angry, but yet, he still loves Zax, and treats him with kindness. Even when Zax does something he should not do, like try to steal food from the Man’s plate, the man does not abuse Zax, but only stops him and punishes him within reason. Zax never sees the love of the Man, and what he gives and what he overcomes in order to keep on loving him. Zax cannot seeor feel the love of the Man. Or maybe he does, but just wants his own way.
I will tell you the meaning of my little parable… Zax, is the arrogant and selfish child, and the Man, is God. Some of God’s children keep running to everyone and everything else when the Father tries to love on them… and like the Man, God keeps hoping the child will choose Him instead. Oh maybe they don’t really mean to, they think there is time to get to God when they are done doing the things they want to do. After all they have fire insurance... right? Maybe they are just busy. Maybe they are hurt too much by the other children of God ….. But they are missing the greatest Love of all…….Stop it. Today, turn to the one who loves you. Don’t be like Zax.

Youare Sunrise

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:53:00 -0500

I couldn't say it better than Nicole Nordeman






If I had the chance 
To go back again 
Take a different road, bear a lighter load 
Tell an easy story 

I would walk away 
With my yesterdays 
And I would not trade what is broken for beauty only

Every valley 
Every bitter chill 
Made me ready to climb back up the hill
And find that . . .  

You are sunrise 
You are blue skies 
How would I know the morning 
If I knew not midnight? 

You’re my horizon 
You’re the light of a new dawn 
So thank You, thank You 
That after the long night, You are sunrise 

There’s a moment when 
Faith caves in 
There’s a time when every soul is certain God is gone 

But every shadow is evidence of sun 
And every tomorrow holds out hope for us 
For every one of us 

You are sunrise 
You are blue skies 
How would I know the morning 
If I knew not midnight? 

You’re my horizon 
You’re the light of a new dawn 
So thank You, thank You 
That after the long night, You are sunrise 

You alone will shine 
You alone can resurrect this heart of mine 

You are sunrise 
You are blue skies 
How would I know the morning 
If I knew not midnight? 

You’re my horizon 
You’re the light of a new dawn 
So thank You, thank You

That after the long night, You are sunrise


You are sunrise

Battle Weary Lament

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:38:00 -0500

Be my shelter
Cause out here it hurts
Oh wrap your arms around me Father.
It’s lonely
Not how I expected it to be.
And when will it be gone?
And when will it be
All better?
I just need to be carried today.
Hold my heart away from this pain
And be my Rock and Fortress God
Jehova Jireh is Your Name
El Shaddai
And Emanuel
You are ALL
and I have no strength.
I am tangled in this life
Choking and trying not to die
Treading water
And I am so weary and so disoriented
I see the tide coming in
And the storm is just getting started
AGAIN.
And I want it to be over
Or not to start at all.
AGAIN
It’s coming AGAIN
Just when I thought I was safe.
Do you see this?
I can’t go on
I will be the one to fall apart in Your arms
today I will not keep it together
or hold others up.
You better just carry me
Through.
Though I wish it were anywhere else
instead of
THROUGH.

me....

8-26-09

Truth for Patriots- Free American History/ Culture Class

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:20:00 -0500

As a side project to go with our study of American History with ANWOA, we will be reading the parts of Toby Mac and Michael Tait's book Under God that pertain to our subject matter. While looking for a study guide ( because I would like to use this book in chronological order, and the book is not written in that order), I found a website called Truth for Patriots, a site dedicated to restoring America's godly heritage.
They have a Free Class about the founding of our nation and our moral decline in PDF Format available.. I think I will save this for a summer class. looks very good.

ENJOY!

COOL! Printables site for Homeschoolers

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:29:00 -0500

Way Cool Website!!!

Hey- I found a great website that has LOTS of great printable materials including 26 PAGES of notebooking items!!!
Go See....

Home School Launch

Annual Monarch Migration lessons

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:12:00 -0500

Well if you have ever been to my actual blog here instead of just getting my posts on Facebook, you know that I adore butterflies:) I guess it started when my daughter Petra was in the hospital- we used them to decorate her crib and later her window., and she seemed drawn to their beautiful colors.

Then, after she went home to the Lord, they became a symbol of eternal life and her new body in Heaven... Not long after I became a Christian, they became the symbol of being born again for me.In the following years, I realized that I was changing on the inside, where people could not see it, and that Jesus' new life was growing inside of my spirit. Like a butterfly's chrysalis, miracles were taking place where only God could attest to their impact. That became my blog's theme and also my new name online.

So anyway.... with ANWOA, we will be studying insects... of course I don't know where the heck the author lives that she would begin the school year with this study... but there it was. I could not resist the urge to incorporate butterflies into our school year.... and guess what? the MONARCH BUTTERFLIES migrate in the fall, right through our lovely state of IL.... perfect!

The Journey North is a website dedicated to the migration of many more creatures than just monarch butterflies. It has free lessons and multi- media that anyone can use. There are also projects such as helping research the migratory path and also a Symbolic Monarch Migration that is in its 14th year now. Anyone can participate in this project too, including homeschoolers, even if they have only 1-2 students!

We are certainly going to get in on the action! I have invited my local homeschool group to participate also... proof of God's work in me, as I would never have even considered doing THAT before. I may even end up teaching the lessons to the whole group for a day or 2, who knows? I'm excited!

I found GOODIES!!!!!

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:26:00 -0500

Amber J. recently let me know that this blog was chosen to be included in her article " 100 Best Blogs for Homeschooling Moms", in the "Blogs on Getting Cheap Educational Resources" section . ( yes our name is actually Wild At Home now... gotta change my banner!) WOW how cool!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Thanks Amber!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, I gotta let you know- you really should take a look at that list! There are some pretty nifty blogs out there, and I will be spending some time browsing there as well:)

Looking for some worksheets/notebooking pages to go with the boys' curriculum this year, I decided to take another peek through one of my favorite places to shop-- Currclick. I found All These Freebies listed and several that I can use with either A New World of Adventure or Training Our Daughters...

Cha-Ching-Cha-Ching Cha-Ching!!!

Whatever The Weather is a Teacher's Bookbag freebie that has some cute weather graphics and some weather words that I plan to use with Rowan (8) I also found a . My Weather Journal that might be more to your liking

For Trinity, who will be studying family celebrations, I found items for holidays such as Valentine's Day Notebooking pages and cards, A Passover For Christian Families unit study a Thanksgiving Notebooking Set and Easter Cards

Ok... well Popcorn may not be a part of our unit studies, but wouldn't it be cool to do a unit study on popcorn? they HAVE ONE! (Homeschool-Aholic's Anonymous!)

And, I had to download the free audio file of Much Ado About Nothing just for myself because It is one of my favorite of Shakespeare's works.

One More Thing.....

Forgot to tell you about the Yahoo Groups for ANWOA and Training Our Daughters. they have uploaded files and templates notebooking pages, etc to go with those curricula, and the subjects covered in them.

This school year has BEGUN!

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:33:00 -0500

Trinity has officially begun high school at home this year. YIKES! We are still using Math Mammoth- available from the official site or from Currclick. It's the one we are sticking with because of it's ease of use, affordability and best of all, it's all download-able so it's GREEN. Be kind to the earth, and steward it wisely!
New this year- Learning the Write the Novel Way ( made by KONOS)- Trinity dislikes writing, but has been creating a story and characters and a whole fictional world in her spare time. I decided we should go with the flow! This is an all inclusive language arts program for Jr high/ high school that can be used repeatedly. It is writing intensive which is great since IL law has changed regarding graduation requirements for high school... although whether that applies to homschoolers, is unknown, it is better to be safe than sorry! To find your own state's laws, go to HSLDA.
Another new curriculum- in fact our main course of study this year is Training Our Daughters to be Keepers at Home Designed for those who believe a woman should not work outside the home, this curriculum is full of home ec skills, and has scripture used throughout. I do not share the author's opinions on many subjects, however, for the mother who has not acquired skills such as sewing, gardening and the like for whatever reason, I find that it is excellent. I will be learning many things with my wonderful girl, and I think that's great! It should serve both of us and the Lord well, wherever life takes us.Here is a review site of Training Our Daughters with LOTS of information about the program and how to use it. We have chosen to allow Trinity the choice of home-making courses as individual units and used the Godly Womanhood section for her Bible/Character. When her gardening is done for the winter, she will be taking embroidery in its place.
For the time being, Trinity will be with her brothers for American History and Science from A New World of Adventure.- the second year of Learning Adventures. Trinity has had her first week of school with me and is having week 2 with her grandmother. I am hoping to foster independent learning for those subjects that are routine. The boys will not begin until September.
Here is a run-down of her schedule at this point:

CLASS	M	T	W	TH	F
BIBLE/CHARACTER	X	X	X	X	X
NOVEL WAY	X		X		X
MATH MAMMOTH- fractions1&2		X	X	X	X
PE/HEALTH	X		X		X
COOKING 1		X		X
SEWING basics		X		X
SCIENCE	X	X	X	X	XX
HISTORY ( X) FAMILY CELEBRATIONS(O)	X O	X	X O	X	X O
GARDENING basics	X	X	X	X	X

Well, it's time for a medical update... on ME.

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:54:00 -0500

Ok, I haveIBD of some sort. what kind doesn't really matter at this point. All that matters is that I am learning to look at food and nutrition differently and there are some foods I have to avoid like the plague, because of the symptoms ( wich are different from IBS- scroll down to see comparison on this link) I will experience if I eat them. I won't bore or gross you out with the details here- you can click on the links.... I am taking new medications- can't say I am really happy about that fact, but I am glad that they are working so that I don't have the dreaded symptoms every day. Now I just have a bad day or a few bad hours a few times a week. That's a big difference. I was beginning to be afraid to eat anything at all because it was causing so much pain.
My GI Doc put me on a low acid, high fiber diet... well, that is hard to do when you are used to eating a lot of fresh produce and then suddenly, you have trouble with most of those things you used to eat a lot of. I called to let him know that eating those things caused symptoms and he said use an OTC medication like Immodium. I don't want to throw more drugs at the problem so I have figured out my own way of handling the situation......

Some things on my must avoid list so far:
MacDonald's Sausage biscuits
chicken sandwiches
grapes
strawberries
cabbage
apples- in almost any form.
green onions
Split pea soup
Oxalis ( Shamrocks! darn! I really like those!)
peppers...
hot sauce
pineapple

Some combinations of foods have affected me badly too, but I'm not sure I can remember all of them at present.

There are many foods i love, that I am afraid to TRY right now, but I might add them in a little later and see if i tolerate them.

Those are on normal days... on my bad days I have to almost have a pure liquid diet. So I got a cheap juicer, and buy drinks with added vitamins and minerals whenever possible. I can drink V8 juice too, which I love! I have tried Ensure and Glucerna, and those also help. My food /calorie intake has been drastically reduced, and as a result I am loosing weight- that's fine- a blessing in fact! I can loose quite a lot and will actually get healthier as a result. I've gone down 2 sizes in the past 2 months.

On the flip side, I wonder how this will effect my homeschooling.....We did have BED-school a few times this year.... we'll see! It has tended to make me forget about food some times... and then have really late meals when I remember to cook! And I have had some days when i feel weak and tired/grumpy. The medications have made me very sensitive to the heat and so i am tending to stay inside and when I get overheated, have the kids take over some chores.

I have been keeping track of what I eat with USDA's My Pyramid Tracker. It keeps track of nutrients, calories, fiber and you can even enter your exercise or daily activities and it keeps track of your energy balance for today and over time. It's a great FREE resource, if you need to know what you are eating/burning.

I'm sure it could be a great resource for health class too! Yeah, You might be a homeschool Mom IF.... you can turn ANYTHING into a school lesson and have a hard time NOT thinking up lesson plans when you hear about something new! I actually looked for lessons on IBD for the kids... and KidsHealth actually has one ! Now if only I could find a booklet, unit study or worksheet......I'll let you know if I find one!
Ok, I need to join Homeschool-aholic's Anonymous... " Hi I'm Chrysalis and I have a homeschooling problem....."
Just nod your head and smile!- you know you think this way too!

The Word Goes Out to Accomplish

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:02:00 -0500

I was reading the beautiful words of Isaiah 55 this morning and I found great beauty and comfort there.
Today I will let God's word speak for itself.

The Beautiful Words of Isaiah 55

(New Living Translation)

Isaiah 55

Invitation to the Lord’s Salvation

¹ “Is anyone thirsty?
      Come and drink—
      even if you have no money!
   Come, take your choice of wine or milk—
      it’s all free!
² Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
      Why pay for food that does you no good?
   Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
      You will enjoy the finest food.

³ “Come to me with your ears wide open.
      Listen, and you will find life.
   I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
      I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
⁴ See how I used him to display my power among the peoples.
      I made him a leader among the nations.
⁵ You also will command nations you do not know,
      and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,
   because I, the Lord your God,
      the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”

⁶ Seek the Lord while you can find him.
      Call on him now while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked change their ways
      and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
   Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
      Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

⁸ “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
      “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
      so my ways are higher than your ways
      and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

¹⁰ “The rain and snow come down from the heavens
      and stay on the ground to water the earth.
   They cause the grain to grow,
      producing seed for the farmer
      and bread for the hungry.
¹¹ It is the same with my word.
      I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
   It will accomplish all I want it to,
      and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
¹² You will live in joy and peace.
      The mountains and hills will burst into song,
      and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
¹³ Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow.
      Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.
   These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name;
      they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”

Just a little poetic...

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:22:00 -0500

Heart Head

I try and I sin
I can never get ahead.
So I wait upon your strength
To see what You’ll do instead.
I call You, I need You
I want to have your help
In both my heart and my head
Hear me Precious lord
As I lie here in my bed
Bring to life this day
Your every word that I’ve read.

~~~~Nancy Thornton

Waiting on Someday

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:13:00 -0500

Hosea the prophet was asked by God to take a prostitute as a wife. He was to love her, as the Lord had loved His people, so that it would be a picture of God’s unending love. Hosea was to keep on loving her, even when she returned to her wayward activities. He was to stand by her and cherish her and let her break his heart time and again. Hosea was waiting on Someday. Someday, he held out the hope that his faithfulness would be rewarded with the faithfulness of the one he loved. The Lord didn’t give up on Israel, because he knew that Someday would come when those people who were so dear to Him, would come back to Him and He would take them home.Hosea 11:10-11 God wants us to keep our hope in that great Someday. He wants to take us home to be with Him forever. Someday, the wayward Bride of Christ will be united with Him in Heaven. Keep your eyes on Someday, and it will arrive sooner than you thought.
That Someday could be any day, but if it isn’t, today, that eternal hope is still there, because of the Promises of He Who Never Sleeps. He is faithful, and He has never broken a promise He knows who and what you will become. Rest in this, and he will give you strength for the day you are living in while you are in it. Hold His hand and He will be there for every step.
Our God sees the end from the beginning Isa. 46:10 and calls the things that are not as though they were. Romans 4:17 Hosea was to treat his ungodly, cheating, selfish wife, as though she were loving him every step of the way, until she did.

What is your Someday? What has God told you he would do for you, that has not yet come to pass? What are you believing God for today? What thing that is not do you need to call as though it already is? As God said through His prophet- How can I give you up? Hosea 11:8 How could you give that up? That Someday promise you were waiting on? Thinking of quitting today? Wait a second- is that what you really want? Don’t sacrifice the eternal on the altar of the urgent.! Your present pain will pass, after it has finished its work in you, preparing you for the best Someday possible.James 1:2-4 Don’t sell yourself short- Go for the FULLNESS of the gifts God has for you. When Someday gets here, you won’t want to look bask at the yesterdays and kick yourself for what you missed out on in those tough times. This is the time for FAITH! Wait upon the Lord and He will renew your strength. He will give you what it takes to keep on going. You might even be blessed enough to enjoy the journey, knowing Who is leading you and where you will end up Someday. Though there is pain, hold fast and do not turn to the left or to the right, but walk in His way, and you will see your Someday.
“Let us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time,
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9

Burried Treasures

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:01:00 -0500

I’m having some medical tests tomorrow am.. Looking for cancer, Crohn’s or IBS… whatever has been causing this cramping, pain and diarrhea ( oh I can finally spell that word right. lol) I am covered in prayer for this. The test is scarier than a dx too me. If it’s cancer- then it just is- I’d rather die for Jesus than die being sick, but I’m not afraid to die. If it is Crohn’s or IBS, it could mean that I get to take a pill that will take care of all my autoimmune diseases - arthritis and psoriasis. i really feel like God has good things in store for me through all of this- I feel closer to HIM than I have for a while. I have Joy because I know that He works everything for my good according to His purpose. There will be blessings here.

I’m looking for buried treasure
The treasure chest is already found
In Christ
All blessing and Fortune abounds
But along this road, I will find
Sparkling jewels
Of many kinds.
If I dig a little
I can spot them-
I've seen them before, and I've got them.
He leaves them on this path for me
Reflections of what
I will someday be.
Through the desert parched and dry
In the furnace of Egypt asking
WHY?
He left little treasures along my way
To pick up and know

It will be OK.

~~~ Nancy Thornton